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“Mom! Mom, you there?!” a young voice called into the tree house while Corrin encased a small square box with brightly colored paper. Another box of a similar shape and size sat next to it with a green ribbon tied around it. Corrin grabbed a length of red ribbon, and put the finishing touches on the present.
“Asugi, in here!” Corrin called to her son as he made his way to the master bedroom. He plopped down on the bed, and crossed his legs under him. Corrin turned her attention from the desk, “Your little brother should be back in a second, and then we can talk about plans for your father tonight.”
“What about Uncle Kaze?” Asugi eagerly removed the wrapper of a new cherry-flavored lollipop he had snagged from a local village.
“Your Aunt Azura had something in mind for him already. They’re taking Shigure, and going to visit Midori in her deeprealm for a few days,” Corrin hand-wrote a note and attached it to the box with the green ribbon for her ever faithful retainer, friend, and brother-in-law.
“Mama, I found it!” Kana brought another package to his mother, and Corrin set to decorating her husband’s gift before he returned from his watch duty.
“Did you two bring the letters that I asked you for?” Corrin smiled when Kana excitedly handed over his handwritten note for his papa. Asugi produced a folded piece of paper with his scribbled handwriting.
“Mama, we should bake Papa a cake for his birthday today to surprise him!” Kana watched in awe as his mother perfectly wrapped the big box she had been hiding in his room for the past few weeks.
“Dad hates sweets,” Asugi reminded the small redhead and his little shoulders slumped in defeat.
“Oh yeah,” Kana frowned while his mother took another length of ribbon to adorn the box.
“Dad hates everything,” Asugi snorted to himself. Corrin shot a withering look his direction.
“Asugi…” She sternly addressed the young man and he held his hands up in surrender, “Your father loves us all very much. Even if he doesn’t always show it in a way you can see it.” The young ninja rolled his eyes, but knew his mother had a point.
“If we don’t make Papa a cake, how are we supposed to celebrate his birthday?” Kana attempted to change the subject.
Corrin sighed, knowing that her youngest son was asking the question that had been bugging her for a few days now. On her birthday her family made her favorite dessert, delicious strawberry shortcake with lots of whipped cream. Kana and Asugi both preferred chocolate cake, and Asugi usually ended up with enough candy to supply his stash for several months thanks to his mother.
Corrin addressed the two young men in front of her, “I asked your uncle for some ideas to replace the sweets, and he gave me an idea from their time living in Igasato.” Asugi nodded as Kana giggled while his mother continued, “I’ve reserved the mess hall for the evening, most everyone has gone to visit their children in the deeprealms anyway. I’m going to need your help with this though!”
Birthday.
Saizo never really cared for the idea of celebrating his day of birth, but then again he was never one to like to be the center of attention either. The mask hiding his face was the biggest indicator of that.
However he knew better than to bother arguing with his wife about this topic, especially after the heated battles that ensued when he suggested Sai…Asugi was getting too old for birthday parties.
The master ninja stealthily left from his post at the highest point of the castle, and began to make his way home. Saizo began to mentally prepare himself for the extravagant nonsense he figured his wife would have waiting when he walked in the door.
To his great surprise, the tree house was empty of his wife and sons. Perhaps he would get away with not celebrating his birthday after all.
As that thought crossed his mind, a tinge of sadness passed and he wondered if they had forgotten that today was special. Saizo angrily growled at the fleeting thought, and he knew this confirmed he was losing his mind with age if this sort of thing bothered him.
Saizo went to his bedroom to change out of his bracers and wash his face before going to get food in the mess. He stopped in his tracks when he made it to the desk his wife had put by the window in their room.
A small banner stretched across the desk reading, “Happy Birthday!” Two boxes sat wrapped neatly with red ribbon, and three folded sheets of paper were placed next to them.
Saizo took the letter with his youngest son’s sloppy handwriting first, and laughed at the picture of a dragon and a ninja drawn at the bottom. Or at least that’s what he assumed it was as he began to read the note his child wrote.
Happy Birthday Papa! Thanks for loving Mama so much, and thanks for teaching me how to make Mama the happiest Mama ever! You’re the greatest Papa ever, and Asugi thinks so too. Even if he’s stubborn and won’t say it. Asugi and me got you this really cool gift, it’s the big one that Mama’s gonna wrap for us on your birthday. Well we picked it out and Mama got it, but we still thought of it! Thanks for always protecting us, and making sure I grow up to be a big strong and brave dragon! I love you Papa!
P.S.: That’s me and you in the picture.
Saizo smiled under his ninja mask, chuckling at the fact that he was able to guess what the young prince had drawn at the end of the letter. Saizo curiously unfolded the note from Asugi, surprised his teenage son had gotten him anything after the heated discussions they got into with each other.
Happy Birthday Dad. I know we don’t always see eye to eye, and I suppose we can both be pretty stubborn when we care about things. I guess that means in some weird way you care about me when you get on my case constantly about being the sixth in line and whatever. I also suppose since you’ve taken to calling me the name I’ve chosen, it means you might actually give a damn enough about who I am as a person to respect that choice. So...thanks I guess.
P.S.: Mom worked really hard on your gift, so try not to act like a grump on your birthday
Saizo felt a small amount of pride settle in his heart at the thanks his son wrote, and it warmed his soul to see his son so protective of his mother. He would have to work extra hard to make sure he wasn’t sour towards his wife if she had some big thing planned now. Speaking of Corrin, the last letter remained in front of him still folded.
It’s your least favorite time of the year, and I know you hate it when we make a big fuss over you. I tried to remember that as I planned this year, and hopefully when the day is through you won’t be completely annoyed by the festivities. I love you with all that I am, and I only hope some of that will show through the presents, letters, and attention that you receive on your birthday. Saizo you give so much of yourself for me and our sons, and I can never truly say how much you mean to me without sounding like a sugar spouting simpleton. So to save you the embarrassment, I put my love into the actions I make on this day in hopes that it shows through without making the fearsome Saizo feel shy. Happy Birthday my dear husband.
P.S.: Once you’ve finished up here, meet us at the mess hall for your birthday surprise.
“Shhh, he’s coming.”
“Kana, you’re such a loud mouth.”
“Mama!”
“Asugi!”
“What mom, it’s true?”
Saizo grinned while he listened to the whispered conversation just beyond the entrance to the mess hall. An intoxicating smell hit his nose, and he suddenly thought of shared meals back in Igasato with Kaze and the other villagers. It couldn’t be…
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA!” Kana shouted as he ran to jump into his father’s arms for a big hug.
Corrin grinned widely when Asugi half-hugged his father, “Happy Birthday old man.”
Saizo let Kana down and the two disappeared into the mess hall kitchen. Corrin rested her hands on his chest as she leaned in for a kiss, “Happy Birthday my love.” Saizo wrapped his arms around her waist, and they stayed locked in their embrace until the two children came back into the room with a large pot.
“Ugh, would you two get a room?” Asugi growled and Kana covered his eyes giggling. Saizo’s eyes widened when the aroma grew stronger with the pot on table.
“Where did you get that recipe?” Saizo addressed Corrin while he took a spoonful of the rabbit stew that was famous in his home village. It had always been his favorite dinner, one that the villagers would cook for his and Kaze’s shared birthday to celebrate.
Kaze
“Your brother. He also said to tell you happy birthday,” Corrin smiled, knowing that she had made the evening perfect for her husband without making it over the top. Saizo pulled his family closer to him for a hug, and Corrin could swear she saw him tear up a little.
“How’d we do this year old man?” Asugi grinned, pouring soup into a bowl for Kana. Corrin raised her eyebrows questioningly, awaiting her husband’s response.
Saizo smiled while Kana settled into his lap at the table, “I couldn’t ask for more.”