Work Text:
Kasen dried the last of the dishes, placed it on the rack, and breathed a sigh of satisfaction. Few things were more elegant than the sight of porcelain dishes neatly laid in a row, where they gleamed after a thorough wash and smelled faintly of citrus. That was most of the work done. He took a clean rag and began wiping down the sink and the counter so that it, too, was dry and gleaming.
Chores like this were not a bother for Kasen; in fact, he relished in the opportunity to make the citadel as elegant and refined as possible. It was a good change of pace as well from the other duties normally assigned to him, from the grueling sorties to the sweaty, muddy mess of fieldwork. There was always work for him to do, both on and off the battlefield, as the saniwa’s first sword and most frequent attendant. But he did not mind; he knew her best, and she trusted him the most.
The saniwa needed him now more than ever, Kasen mused to himself, as he wiped down the sink until its metallic finish shone. She could not spare him the details, but a new batch of work had arrived from the Time Government for her eyes only, and that meant many hours in the secrecy of her study. She emerged from time to time to take a few meals with her swords, but other times she would prepare a small meal for herself and bring a tray of it up into her room, the light there remaining on after most of the swords had gone to bed. But that was all the more reason to keep the citadel running smoothly, Kasen thought. When she emerged from her study once more, he hoped that she would find everything in perfect order.
Once the counter was clean, he put his damp rag away and took one last glance around the kitchen. He could not help smiling at his work. With every dish put away and every surface polished and cleaned, there was now a refined aura about the place. It was still early after lunch, and Izuminokami’s expedition would not return for a few more hours, which meant that Kasen had some time off to himself.
He padded out of the kitchen and towards his room, resisting the urge to think ahead of time of what poems he wanted to write. First, he needed to take his brush. Then he would sit out at the engawa and gaze at the newly planted irises that the saniwa had purchased, and bask in the beauty of flowers blooming for the first time. He wanted to gaze at them and write an ode to them based on that precious first impression. Until then, he could not preempt how he would react, only let the moment unfold.
So lost was he in the excitement of watching the flowers that he nearly collided with a shorter figure headed in his direction.
“Ah一! I’m so sorry, I was on my way to the kitchen 一”
“Aruji!”
The saniwa blinked up at him and pushed a strand of hair away from her face. “Oh 一 Kasen! Did you need my help?”
She was looking up at him with dull eyes, and Kasen could see the dark circles underneath even from behind her glasses. He cursed himself inwardly at the sight. He had been so caught up in his duties as an attendant that he had not taken notice of her, but he could not ignore the state of her now. The saniwa usually presented herself so meticulously, and took great care in maintaining an elegant appearance, and now here she was, with her ponytail hastily done and her face pale from too many nights staying up. She was exhausted.
“Aruji, are you all right?”
She blinked again, as if not understanding the question. “Ah… yes, I was…” She turned away from him for a moment and tried to catch her train of thought. “What was I doing again? Ah… oh.” She turned back to Kasen and tried to smile, but the corners of her lips seemed to sag. “I was going to get myself a glass of water. I nearly forgot.”
She shook her head again and faced him properly. “I apologize, Kasen. I have been especially busy these last few days. Did you need help with anything? Perhaps I saddled you with too much work as an attendant.”
Kasen opened his mouth to say no 一 she needed help far more than he did. Before he could speak, an idea crossed his mind. “I do need your help, Aruji,” he said. “Will you come with me outside? Let me get something from my room first.”
The saniwa complied, and when he stopped by his room to fetch some paper, a pot of ink, and two brushes, she did not question him at all. He simply headed out with his things toward the gardens, his master trailing behind him, until he stopped at the engawa and sat down.
“Please sit,” he said, laying down his poetry materials.
The saniwa sat next to him and watched as he neatly laid out his papers and ink pot. In front of them was a pond of irises in full bloom, growing above the shallow water, swaying ever so slightly in the wind. The whole pond was awash in blue and white and purple, both from the flowers themselves and their reflections in the water, and the breeze carried their fragrance to where the two of them sat.
The saniwa gazed out at the flowers, but instead of admiring their beauty, she tilted her head. “The flowers are growing perfectly,” she remarked. “I don’t see why you would need my help with them.”
“They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” Kasen turned to the saniwa and smiled. “Irises are flowers that heal and purify. Sitting outside here in their presence may protect you and heal a little of the weariness that you’ve been carrying.”
The saniwa said nothing, but dropped her gaze to her lap. Kasen noticed her fidgeting; her fingers twitched and played with the hem of her skirt. He moved to sit closer to her, then pried one of her hands away and closed his palm around it. Her hand was clammy, and he felt it tremble in his own.
How could you exhaust yourself like this? he wondered.
Kasen took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the irises, and found the words he needed to say.
“Aruji, you’ve been working hard for the past few weeks,” he said, “and we are all grateful for the work you do to take care of us. But please don’t forget yourself, too, and let yourself stop and watch the passing of the seasons. Your work will always remain, but the moments of the day, they come and go…”
Kasen looked up at the irises again, and began rubbing the back of the saniwa’s hand with his thumb as he spoke. “You purchased these beautiful flowers for us, and I’m grateful for them. Sitting with them heals the soul. Shouldn’t you be able to appreciate them yourself?”
The saniwa remained quiet, gaze still at her lap. She turned her hand over to hold Kasen’s hand properly, giving it a gentle squeeze.
“Did I worry you?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Kasen nodded.
“I… I’m sorry that I did.”
“Aruji…” His hand squeezed hers back, as if to pass on his warmth to her. “There is nothing to apologize for. I am glad that you care for all of us. But please allow me to care for you, too.”
She looked up at him, this time with a proper smile. Tears welled up in her eyes. “Thank you.”
She moved herself closer to him, but did not let go of his hand. Kasen held her gaze for a few more moments, then smiled at her once more. He turned back to look at the irises. “They really are lovely. You had excellent taste in purchasing them.”
“I knew you would like them,” she said, turning to gaze at them as well.
They remained at the engawa for what seemed like both an eternity and a moment. Kasen spotted his paper and brushes lying at his side; he considered reaching for them, and began to lift his hand to do so. He needed to write about the serenity of the moment, capture it on paper. Then he felt the weight of the saniwa’s hand in his own, now warm from his touch, and hesitated. He could not bring himself to let go of her.
His shoulders slumped back and he turned to face the saniwa. She was transfixed by the irises as they danced before her; a gentle smile had formed on her lips, and her eyes had regained their shine. She looked beautiful this way, he thought. No attempt at poetry could quite capture her.
Turning back to the irises, Kasen let out a deep exhale. The moment, fleeting as it was, was already perfect.