I wanted to laugh again, but I understood the message. Setting my feet properly and taking one of his hesitations, I quickly calculated the fastest way to end this.
Clean. I wanted a clean win. I would remain above reproach and merely hold off his dirty shots.
It wasn’t even worth the calculations.
Once he opened the parry, I had him on the ground and the sword at his neck in only four moves. His sword was stuck in the wood beam next to Aiko, and Reo’s hand had a slice on the back of it.
“The pointy end goes in the other person,” I said. “Correct?” I tapped his chin with the point.
Suri stood from her place on the bench. “No more of this.”
I stepped back and dropped the sword to my side as fast as I could. The rules for fighting were somewhat canted toward the defense of women, which was a problem for female swordworkers. There was, however, rules that were in place to respect others, and having an unsheathed sword in front of the woman of the house was one of the prohibitions.
“My lady, your pardon,” I said with a little bow.
“Husband, enough of this. Stand, see our guests back to dinner—no more talk of swords, and no more talk that belittles my children. I don’t want my son driven from me again. I have lost my daughter most horrifically, and I will need to mourn her again. I will take my joy and comfort in my son still being here.” She held out her hand to Aiko. “Come, son. Let’s talk. Just you and I alone, with level heads away from this rabble.”
Aiko stepped away from the group, taking his mother’s hand, heading for the gate.
Reo climbed off the floor and spat on the ground in front of me. Aiko held out the sword he’d retrieved from the post, and his father snatched it without even looking at him. He marched back through the door we had come through minutes earlier.
Yuuto pointed to my sword. “Put away your sword, LadyStormbreaker.” He smiled at my shock. “I recognize that sword, my lady. I was there the day the storm was broken. I was young, but I was there.”
I slipped the sword back in the scabbard, stepping back and giving a small bow.
Aoi tapped her finger against her wine glass. “Clearly, the triumvirate have things to discuss.”
* * *
Aiko was sitting on the dock in the light of the moon. He was kicking his feet like a child, but I could tell that he was solemn.
Though when wasn’t he solemn?
I sat next to him and matched my kicking feet to his rhythm.
“Thank you for not killing my father,” he said.
“Aiko, I never intended to kill him. I didn’t even want to hurt him. The only reason he even got a swing on me was that I didn’t want to humiliate him completely.”
“Well, thank you all the same. I know he’s…”
The words drifted off and disappeared behind the lapping water on the pier.
“You spoke to your mother?”
“I spoke with a lot of people tonight,” he said. “My mother first. Then Aoi found me, and we discussed things. Then Yuuto found me, and we talked some more. There were several other city elders, as well.”
“How did you do with your mother?”
I saw a little smile on his face. “We talked. I apologized for dropping Kumi’s death on her like that, but she wasn’t really upset at me. She’s very, very pissed at my father.”
“When is the baby due?”
“Two weeks.” He smiled. “At the full moon. She’s very excited. It took her a long time to convince him to try for another child. Now… she’s thinking about telling him that she needs time to consider their relationship.”
“I’m sorry…”
“No, no,” he said, grabbing my hand. “I’m excited. I’m going to have a little brother. I will get the chance to know him. My mother promised that no matter what my father did or didn’t do, she would never bar me from my brother.”
