Chapter Text
A celebration! Another battle won, the princess thought to herself as she looked around the room filled with people. Lord Nobunaga set up a feast for his allies and retainers after a successful reclaiming of one of his territories. The said territory had begun to rebel against him. The man he left in charge got power hungry and made an alliance with an uprising enemy clan. He thought because the land was on the far out reaches of his territory he would be able to get away with it. That man is now dead. Slain by the blade of Lord Masamune; the head of the Date clan and one of Nobunaga’s allies.
As the celebration went into full swing the princess of Azuchi castle did not really participate in the fun. She stuck to the sidelines, observing and helping the maids keep everyone’s glass filled. The sake was ever flowing. As she was refilling another vassal’s cup she took notice that Lord Mitsuhide, one of two of Nobunaga’s right hand man, was missing from the celebration. Her mind wondered to where he could be or what he was up to. Probably gathering intel or setting up some plot of his own doing and will undoubtedly be getting himself into trouble with the other lords, again. She smiled to herself at the thought. She tended to keep her distance from the fox in man’s skin, but he intrigued her. It’s the secrets that draw her in. The not knowing what he’s thinking, planning. Are his kind words to her true, or are his crude words and teasing his true thoughts of her? The thought even crossed her mind that she will or has already become a pawn in one of his games.
Interrupting her thoughts Lord Hideyoshi placed a plate of food and a cup of sake in front of her pulling her attention from within herself to him. When she looked up at him she was graced with one of those smiles that a mom would give a small child before she softly scolded the child for not doing what they should be doing.
“What is this? You are our princess! This is a celebration, Celebrate!” Hideyoshi said as he looked down at her.
She smiled and thanked him for the food and told him she would let her hair down a bit and try to have a little fun if he promised to protect her from herself. She wasn’t one to drink around groups. She knew herself well enough that she knew she could get very talkative and the last thing she wanted to do was annoy a warlord or anyone with a weapon really. Or be drunk in a room where everyone was a man, unless you were a servant. She was the only female here that was not a servant in some way, though she did help them a lot in her free time. She laughed quietly to herself as she downed the cup of sake with a smile,
“I guess I can let my hair down, just this once.”
As the night progressed; more and more people retired to their rooms, made their way home, or passed out somewhere out of the way. Until eventually leaving only two warlords, Nobunaga and Hideyoshi, and the princess sitting near a window looking over the castle gardens and enjoying the light from the glowing moon. The princess was also enjoying the cool night breeze coming in from the window as she felt the warmness of the alcohol coursing through her veins. If she was able to be honest with herself, she would admit she was a little more than tipsy. More so then she had ever let herself be since coming to stay with the Oda clan. This was the start of her downfall.
She tried to stay focused on the conversation between Nobunaga and Hideyoshi but she could not keep her mind from wondering to wherever Mitsuhide could be and why he wasn’t here. Deciding it wouldn’t hurt to ask she looked up at Nobunaga, “I noticed Lord Mitsuhide didn’t make an appearance, figured he would be all over causing trouble and the sake.”
Hideyoshi raised his eyebrow at her question, being he has never been fond of Mitsuhide. Nobunaga answered in a matter of fact tone as if it was normal for him to be asked Mitsuhide’s location, “He is finishing up a mission for me.” And then went back to continuing his conversation with Hideyoshi about this week’s battle plans.
Before she could stop herself she let a disappointed sigh slip past her lips and mumbled to herself, “Pity, he seems like he would be a lot of fun to drink with.”
That got both of the lords’ attention. The princess never talked about Mitsuhide, or any of them really, with a notion of interest beyond common curtesy. Hideyoshi, with his ever caring voice of warning, jumped into the conversation, “MC, do not drink with Mitsuhide. His alcohol tolerance is inhuman. And I would never trust him with you.”, and placed a hand on her knee, squeezing gently trying to convey his concern for her.
To her intoxicated ears he sounded almost panicked. Even though she realized that, she also felt the tiniest bit offended. Hideyoshi’s lack of trust in Mitsuhide, she was reading into it as a lack of trust in her. “Thanks for the concern, but I can take care of myself... Though even if we didn’t drink together I still would have liked to see him tonight.” she said coming to her own defense. Not seeing that, in fact, she was digging herself into a deeper whole with Nobunaga, who was already toying with some ideas for entertainment for himself.
Nobunaga outright laughed at her. “Oh princess! You are interested in our fox, how surprising?” He said as a question but the undertone was more of a statement.
The princess was about to deny it but before she could even take a breath to speak Hideyoshi spoke up, “He is not safe! He couldn’t take care of you like you deserve. He would end up getting you killed to advance his own personal gain…” He continued listing all the negative and unsafe reasons why she shouldn’t let herself develop feeling for Mitsuhide, let alone act upon them.
She stared at Hideyoshi in shock as she watched him lose himself in his rambles of his disdain for Mitsuhide. After about five minutes she finally interrupted him, “Hideyoshi, I don’t think I like him. I just… I don’t know. I’m good at reading people, you know. You, Masamune, even Lord Nobunaga,” She paused to wave her hand in the direction of Nobunaga, “But I can’t read Mitsuhide. All I know is he is a tease, I want to break through his walls! I want to know him more than I already do” a shy smile started to grow on her face and her checks started to flush, “I guess he intrigues me. In a way, you’re right, I am interested in him.”
Nobunaga, who had been quietly watching the exchange between Hideyoshi and the princess, smiled like a man who had a plan in his mind, “Well don’t you become talkative when your drunk, princess. This highly amuses me. Hideyoshi, our sweet little fireball of a princess is falling for Mitsuhide, what should we do?”
“Keep her away from him, for her own safety.” Hideyoshi replied bitterly.
“Now that wouldn’t be entertaining to me” He shot back with a grin that could rival a mischievous cat.
The princess not liking the way they were talking tried to defend herself, “Just because I might love him doesn’t mean I like him…” then it finally hit her what she was saying as a look of horror crossed over her face, “I have no idea what I’m saying. This is no longer fun. I’m drunk. I’m going to my room. Goodnight you two. “She shot up from the floor with every intention to run away but the world had other ideas. The room spun around her and she started to fall.
Hideyoshi caught her before she hit the ground. He maneuvered her in his arms to where he was caring her. Nobunaga smiled and told him to take her to her room and let her sleep it off. As he laid her in her futon and peered down at the sleeping girl, “Oh look at you, so innocent and trusting, how could you ever be left alone with that man.” Little did Hideyoshi know, Nobunaga was already forming a plan that did just that.
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Late the next morning the princess woke up, alone, in her room with a glass of water next to her and a pounding headache. She had no recollection of how she got to her room. She remembered getting up to run away from the warlords and the embarrassment of her words her loosened lips let escape her mind, then a falling sensation, then nothing.
Shortly after she dragged herself up out of bed one of her maids came into her room to let her know she has been requested at that afternoon’s war council. As she walked into the council room Nobunaga paused what he was saying to smile and greet her. She knew then that she was not going to like the reason that she was called here. She felt her heart drop into her stomach as she saw Mitsuhide had returned from his mission, sitting on the left side of Nobunaga. Their eyes connected momentarily before she quickly looked away. She took her seat but kept her eyes down casted as she tried to will the flush away from her cheeks.
The meeting was pretty normal until it got to the end, Nobunaga stood up to make an announcement. “I have a feeling that one of the newer territories that I have acquired are setting up for a rebellion and partnering with the an enemy. I am sending Lord Mitsuhide undercover to investigate; the princess will be joining him. They will be touring the castle town under the disguise of being a couple.”
Everyone gasped in surprise, even Mitsuhide, though a slight smile appeared after the first wave of shock washed over him. The other warlords began to protest sending her with Mitsuhide on a mission with Hideyoshi being the most adamant about it. Stating it was unsafe for her, reckless to send a woman, and Mitsuhide couldn’t grantee her safety. She normally would of countered that statement about being a woman but today she quietly stared at Nobunaga with pleading eyes but he ignored her and just smiled bigger. “I have decided this is the best course of action at the moment.” Nobunaga said with a tone that said, dare to say differently and I will cut you down. No one protested after that.
MC kept her eyes down ignoring everyone as she walked back to her room and mumbled to herself, “I’m never drinking again.”