Whitefish River The miles are getting longer it seems

He hadn’t expected to be treated very well, but the look that Takeshi threw Yuu’s way riled the samurai. Rei was one of his oldest friends, and this moment, meeting her kids for the first time, Yuu hadn’t thought it could be anymore painful. Though Takeshi didn’t think of it, it was the only thing he could think of. What if they were mine? They could be.

Shi entered and returned quickly, any words shared between the imperial pair was missed by the lowly guard. The new father laid a young female pup at his paws, gentle for once in his life. Yuu didn’t hear a name, but he looked down at her with a smile. Quickly picking the young newborn up.

They didn’t have to wait long for the parents to make an arrival, each with a pup dangling in a similar fashion. Without a single glance Reiko walked past him. Clearly upset and exhausted. Taking her frozen shoulder with as much grace and dignity as he could conjure, Yuudai relegated himself a few paces behind the married couple. He wasn’t here as a friend, he was here to do a job. Yuu did his best to ignore the girl between his teeth. She was his princess and nothing more. Would he really be nothing but a servant to her? Was that all he was to Reiko? Had they really grown so distant.

Mindlessly Yuudai followed behind the pair, not having the energy nor the confidence to even try and come between them. Reiko had made her choice. Yuudai could live with it.