Work Text:
The clan was in a state of chaos. Each member of the clan had loved the late Saizo; who could not? Their leader had protected the clan and its traditions through times of famine and war, had fought valiantly to protect his brethren and sons, and had ruled justly over his subjects. Although each member attempted to move on, their mourning was ever present in their eyes and demeanor.
A new leader must be chosen.
The council had been deliberating for three days and three nights now; no member was to leave the hall until the matter had been settled. Who would take the name Saizo and follow the path of their old leader?
This question was difficult; this particular situation had never occurred before within the history of the clan. Whenever the clan chief had died, there was always a mature son to pass the title on to. Suzukaze and Moeru were hardly qualified to be the chief at such short notice; with their young age of 15, they simply hadn’t matured enough to take on such an important role.
To break tradition and the bloodline by choosing one of their own for the role, or to pass the baton to a child: that was the strenuous choice for the council.
It seemed that the entire village had this on their mind, save for two. The sons of the late chief had filled their days with their grief instead of politics; to honor the father they loved. They sought support in each other, sharing the burden amongst themselves to lighten the other’s load.
On the fourth day of mourning, the council had decided.
Suzukaze could remember that day with amazing clarity; how different Moeru had seemed on the way to their father’s grave: the boy’s supportive fire had been replaced with a solitary frigidness. It was only later that Suzukaze had discovered that his twin knew something he did not.
A messenger had come to collect the brothers, bringing them before the council. Moeru had done nothing to console his brother’s tense anticipation on the way; all compassion had vanished from Moeru’s eyes.
Suzukaze remembered the exact location of the spot where his gaze met the floor, where he and his brother bowed, surrounded by the council on every side. He felt suffocated, terrified of what they would do to Saizo’s legacy.
「Moeru. Do you swear to faithfully execute the position of the Leader of the Saizo clan, and to bear the name Saizo as your own?」 Suzukaze’s gaze snapped to his brother– what could they be talking about? How could this be the first time Suzukaze had heard of this?
「I swear to faithfully execute the position of the Leader of the Saizo clan. I will bear the name of Saizo and all responsibilities that are associated with it,」 came the deadpan answer, from a voice that didn’t seem to belong to Moeru. No, it belonged to somebody new: Saizo.
–
「You knew,」 the accusing voice rang out. 「You knew you were going to replace Father and you didn’t tell me.」
If it bothered Saizo, he didn’t show it. 「I don’t have time for this, Suzukaze. You had enough to deal with. It was better not to tell you,」 Kaze’s complaint was dismissed with a wave of the hand.
They had shared everything before their father had died, but this inheritance could not be shared. It had formed an unbridgeable gap between these brothers.
From that day on, Kaze slowly began to forget Moeru; only Saizo remained.