Pushing off the last hair ruffling hand Akito manages to escape from his unit more or less intact. All around there is celebrating, the sake flowing, the voices uplifted in song. The way is over, and there is much celebrating to be done. The young soldier can not blame them, nor hold their near cruel treatment of his current situation against them, but as he makes his way carefully to the edge of camp he can not help but imagine making a few faces at his comrades in his own petty revenge. [i]'They all know I ma basically walking into a lion's den naked and covered in raw meat, and all they can do is make fun of me, or inappropriately envy me. I would swap places with them in an instant. . .'[/i]

The singing grows further and further away as the young man moves to where his escort is waiting. The encampment is settled flush against the royal township, not a mile from the palace, but there is still a distance to go before he meets his fate. Akito never imagined himself a hero, and when the end of the war came with his hands stained in the blood of more men than he'd ever imagined he was glad to see it, and had no idea what a storm his actions would throw him into without mercy. “I just want to eat, drink, and be merry. Is that so much to ask?” His fingers run idly over his obi where his pet rests comfortably. It purrs at the touch and for a brief instant he smiles.

“Well, eat and be merry at least. . .” He's never developed the taste for sake, drinking only when forced to. The cool evening air speaks of a warm summer to come as the smell of flowers drifting on the wind is thick and soothing. The more flowers, the longer the summer as they say. In these lands at least. The pale moonlight streaming down from above grows duller as the sky itself lighten, the first rays of sunlight not too far off. Akito looks off towards the mountains where the sun will first show it's face, his eyes trailing to the right to the treeline in the distance hiding his fate from view. [i]'I didn't want this. Why? All I did was execute a plan, taint my hands in even more blood. I am no hero, I am just another soldier. The captain would be a better choice. . .'[/i]

He knows better however. Though his surrogate father is an excellent general, he's never distinguished himself on the battlefield beyond what was needed to earn him his rank. The soft sound of grass beneath his feet, the sounds of the morning birds in the distance, the flow of the breeze across his skin. . . He experiences them all as if it is his first time, or his last. Like a man expecting to be lead to his doom, Akito Muranaga takes in everything he can as if he would never experience it again. He knows better of course, and a part of him even knows that he should be overjoyed at the honor he's being afforded, however he just can't help feeling that his life is somehow coming to an end.

Walking along the outside of town, not wanting to disturb the normal town folk by waltzing down the street so early in the morning, he keeps his gaze set forward, however he has stopped seeing the world around him. He is lost in thought, and in a way, prayer. So many fears of what will change, so many things that may take the ground even further from under him. His life has been turned on it's head for the second time in his life, and he's not sure if this time is any better than the last. When he finally reaches the edge of town he comes around a house and spots his escort. The captain, his adopted father, stands beside his horse, speaking to it softly. He is a tall man, far taller than himself, and often it has been a matter of much amusement for the troops.

The man next to him is only slightly shorter and rather than being dressed as a soldier he seems more like a courtier. His fine silken garb in official kingdom colors, his long black hair left loose but so slicked up with fine oils that it is unlikely that it will ever look out of place or messy. His features are sharp, almost like a bird of prey, and as Akito moves closer to the two of them and those sharp eyes turn on him, he feels very much like a small mouse under a raptor's gaze. Akito is by no means a meek man, but anywhere but the battlefield he is lost and easily put on edge.

The captain sport him and motions him over. The young man walks over quickly, taking the reins of his own horse quickly, keeping his gaze averted from the man now looking down his nose at him. Captain Waruton pat him on the shoulder and motions for him to mount up. He can hear the courtier make a quiet comment somewhere along the lines of Aki being a common ruffian, however he knows better than replying to that. It does upset him however. Despite their last ditch effort to mess up his hair, his comrades had gone out of their way to make him presentable for the big day. His clothes are freshly washed and nearly free of wear, his hair was cleaned and bound properly, his sandals are brand new, and he even polished his scabbard. [i]'You would think he doesn't know I'm a soldier or something'[/i] He thinks to himself as he pulls himself up on to the horse.

Once all three men are in their seats the captain takes point, giving the well dressed man a look that makes it clear that he too overhead his comment, and he disapproves of it. The man makes no response but does keep his eyes to himself as they set off. The road to the palace is made of hard packed dirt and the sound of the beast's hooves on it is almost soothing to Akito. The familiarity of being in the saddle helps him relax, his eyes never leaving that intimidating length of trees in the distance. Somewhere along the way his pet, an audrat named Hoko, peeks his head out and startles the courtier. Akito has to hide a smile as he tucks the critter back in. [i]'Way to go Hoko. That'll teach him to not be judgmental'[/i]

He knows that's nowhere near the case, but it was fun to think it none the less. In less time that he'd have hoped the group is swallowed by the darkness beneath the trees and they have to rely on the horses to guide them through. The silence combined with the darkness, though unsettling, seems fitting to the young soldier. [i]'Like a child being born, I move forward to the light,. I shall be re-born on the other side of this darkness. Who I was, will no longer be. I enter a world I am not ready for, but like a child, must face none the less'[/i] His eyes snap up as light appears in the distance. The path twists and turns several times, mostly to deter charges to the palace gates, and the trees are so thick that even the thin pine needled become an impenetrable umbrella against the sun even at mid day.

However as the light appears ahead it is the first time Akito can appreciate just what that means. They had entered only a few minutes before, and the sun had hardly begin to rise, still hidden by the mountains, however the light ahead appears almost blinding. His eyes narrow as they clear the trees and then slowly grow wide and wider as he takes in the view. As if someone had cut out a perfect rectangle of trees from an otherwise dense wood the palace grounds are completely clear of the deciduous foliage and covered in mostly grass. The only exceptions he can see at the moment are the rockk gardens running along the now stone pathway leading up to the palace steps, and the sakura trees he sees dotting the lawn here andthere. There is even a patch of them in a small corner, most likely used for actual harvesting and viewing purposes he muses.

His gaze them moves up to the palace itself. As the captain swerves to the side to go around a small rectangular rock garden set around a small tree situated in the middle of the path Akito feels the strong desire to paint. He's not really good at it, however the vision before him is enough to make him wish he was better. The high red pillars standing at the corners and framing the front door, the roof with it's delicate curves and long sweeping planes, and the doors themselves, settled so perfectly against the red walls, it's ebony grain looking flawless. His eyes caress the gleaming studs and grand carvings openly. The courtier spots the look on his face and for a moment looks smugly satisfied.

However as they reach the bottom of the steps his expression becomes almost reverent. It isn't until they come to a stop that Akito notices the people waiting at the top of the stairs. He swallows hard, dropping his gaze as he dismounts and giving his horse a few extra pats to try and delay in inevitable. However as his father clears his throat he knows he can delay no longer. Handing the reins off to a servant who had rushed over upon their arrival Akito walks with steady measured steps off to the side and a step behind his captain as they mount the stairs. [i]'Soon it will be he who would walk in my wake, however for now I am still his subordinate'[/i] He sighs, knowing that somehow he will miss being an underling.

At the top of the steps he comes to a halt, his gaze still down, his posture perfect. For a soldier at least. The courtier steps forward, falling to a knee and kissing the lord's ring before standing and stepping back. Turning he gestures to the other two men he came with. “May I present to your highnesses Captain Waruton, of Esenburo, leader of the east river unit.” The captain bows low from the waist before straightening back up and stepping back a step so Akito is further forward than he. The young soldier swallows but stays put, looking somewhere around the emperor's navel. “And this is Muranaga Akito, adopted son of the captain, and hero of the war verses those barbarians to the south.” 

Akito refrains from rolling his eyes, instead opting to mimic his father's actions, bowing low. When he straightens he glances over at the courtier and his stomach drops. He can see the man's hands moving subtly to indicate he should look up at the royal family and not keep his eyes down as he has been always taught. He hovers for a moment in indecision but for a brief moment he realizes he'll have to get use to it sometime. After all, he's marrying into the family. No one is the lesser in family, though you should always show your elders respect. Standing all the way up he fights his fear and lets his eyes make the trip up to the row of faces in front of him.

His eyes fall at first on the emperor himself. Not a young man but by no means elderly or frail looking. The lines on his face are strong and seem to have been there for a while, though the crinkles in the corners lets the soldier know that despite the strong aura about the man, he likes to laugh. His beard I slender, but full, the dark black shot with bits of white and gray, but it's still mostly black, and is long enough to tickle his navel. It is tied with a small red ribbon near the bottom as is customary. His gaze does not linger long, not wanting to offend the man, and slips to the left where his wife stands at his right hand. Her kimono is surprisingly thin for what he's glimpsed of most ladies of stature, but as his eyes dart down for a moment he realizes why.

[i]'Seems I will have a younger sibling soon. That will be interesting, I've never had a sibling. . .Or. . .I don't think I did. . . .'[/i] He snaps his mind back to the present and looks back at her face. She is markedly younger than her husband, but the faint lines here and there show her to be old enough to be the mother of a 21 year old prince. He hair is done up nicely, again looser than he's seen on most ladies, but it seems to suit her perfectly. The lighter coloration is a curiosity to the young soldier, but as it is not unheard of, he doesn't think much of it. She smile when he meets her gaze and his eye drop automatically at the gesture.

When his eyes come back up they dos so slowly, trailing slowly up the body of the young man he is set to marry. His thin body is easily discernible beneath his clothing, the perfect fit and fine fabric allowing his figure to be easily seen at first glance. Akito's own kimono and hakama are a little big, made for larger men, while the haori was one of his fathers and definitely not his size. However since it's traditionally a baggy garb it doesn't really matter. He wonders vaguely if accidentally breaking the man will be a problem, but as that thought crosses his mind he is forced to fight back a flush at the images that follow.

When at last he is looking at his betrothed's face he finds his breath slowing for a moment. He does not see the expression on the man's face, nor the look in his eye. For a brief moment all he can see is a piece of art he wishes desperately he could do justice. His heart actually falls slightly as his mind is filled with images he wishes he could draw, then as a matter of course, imagining what they would look like together. [i]'I am no match for this man. He is a blazon beauty, and I am a scared, hardened man of the battlefield. . . .True, a am not a brute like my father and most others, but. . .He deserves someone as beautiful as he to stand at his side. . . .'[/i] His thoughts are overly romantic, he knows this, but at this point he knows his mind is trying to find any way to get out of this marriage. However this reason is not viable, and he says nothing, simply nodding at the prince before looking to his father.