We were prepared to go to the capital of Kosaki and I saw my sisters and their husbands were ready as well to return. First lady was shedding tears since she didn't know when her daughters would come again.

Women, once married, were not allowed to come often in their father's house and if they came that would only be if her husband allowed it or came with her. Since both the husbands served in the military, they wouldn't have time to come again.

For the morning meal, the men had seated, gathering in the hall and we all served our husbands. I sat beside Arashi and served him as the men engaged in conversation.

After some time, my father asked Arashi curiously, "You knew Mr. Amane? He even praised you and I am really honored to hear that."

Arashi responded calmly, "Yes, we know each other from the war. I treated him once as well."

My elder sister's husband, Mr Dateko asked, "You were in the war of Wansai and Kosaki? I have never heard of your name."

Come to think of it, when brother Hachiko and the Prince were talking, Mr Dateko wasn't in hearing range. He might haven't heard anything but Mr Bushida was there as he wanted to get into the conversation but couldn't.

Arashi looked at Mr Dateko and said, "Not all of the names are meant to be heard in War. Sometimes a few names are forgotten."

"I heard you saved Prince Takashi as well. He was regarding you as 'brother'." Mr Bushida said, making everyone in the house shocked as all of their gazes fell on Arashi.

Arashi seemed a bit hesitant as he nodded and said, "Yes."

Arashi didn't say much since saying everything about Prince Takashi meant tarnishing his reputation. If words got out that Prince couldn't even fight, they would make fun of him. They wouldn't even consider that Prince that time was very young to be an expert in swordsmanship.

They would just spread bad rumors about him and make fun of him as a failure of a prince.

Mr Bushida seemed like the person who wouldn't think before he talks. Arashi gave him a sharp glare as he was about to say something again but held back.

He immediately changed his conversation and said, "We lost many people, we still don't know their names."

Mr Dateko agreed and said, "Yes, you are right. We have lost many great people who we don't know of. It was a loss after all."

Arashi said, "The greatest loss is what died inside of us, it wasn't only the people we lost."

My father said looking down, "After all, the war is about who stands until the end. Win or lose, both sides had casualties."

Everyone nodded in unison seemingly understanding each other in a different way and father let out a deep sigh. It seemed like they felt each other's pain somehow. They weren't bound by relationship or by blood but bound by the pain of the war they shared. At least now they were getting along well.

I may hadn't been in the war but I had seen the terror of it. The battle arena wasn't the only arena the war was going on, the inside of the country was in great turmoil as well. Every man in the house needed to go even if they weren't a soldier or weren't serving in the military. But later when Wansai took over one side of Kosaki, our emperor ordered every man, minor or old, had to go into the War arena.

I had seen the terror when little children were taken to the war to defend the borders. I had seen mothers crying in the street, screaming and begging not to take their children. I had seen sisters hiding their brothers so they wouldn't find them. They had taken their husbands, fathers and now they came to take their childrens and brothers. They didn't even know how to hold a sword and my father was against it as well.

War is never great. They say only men are sacrificed in a war but they don't see the women whom they have left behind are the ones who lose everything. The men die in war, carving their names as heroes but their women don't even have a name anymore. Their surnames which hold the value are snatched away and the names they have are only words without any meaning anymore. They are the one who sacrifices their whole existence only to be called by widows or mothers of great men.

When our emperor took the children, many mothers lost their souls. A lot of warlords were against it but nobody could go against the emperor and besides, we were losing.

As it was getting massive, my father's only brother, my uncle who was a farmer needed to go and later his son who was younger than me was taken as well. My father didn't want that since at that time, Touma, my brother, was just ten years old. He used to come and play with me. He was the only friend I had. And I was sad when I heard the war took both my uncle and his son, Touma.

Our side, Kosaki tasted defeat but a massive amount of people died in that war. So both sides made peace after that. Though Wansai won the war, they didn't rule Kosaki, they let it go after the war as both sides had to suffer casualties and I heard their Prince was cruel. He had abducted all the young men and the children and killed everyone after that before making peace with us.

As Wansai had given us our freedom after winning the war, my father hated the Wansai Emperor and the prince. He said that all those deaths were meaningless now. He said the prince must've mocked us. He first showed his power by abducting all the men and killing them brutally then let go of Kosaki saying he was hurt.

Nonetheless, I somehow agree with my father. The Prince of Wansai should have at least helped us. He didn't even help and ordered his people to loot Kosaki. And I disliked him as well since because of him, Touma died.

I can't blame my father, after all my uncle and his son were the only family my father had who were related by blood and they were so dear to my father. But I believe father wanted Touma to succeed his succession as an heir for this household.

After our breakfast it was time we should be going. Both Arashi and I bowed deeply to my father and I wanted to ask father about last night's conversation but I held my tongue since Arashi told me it wasn't the best time.

I didn't know if we could ever meet again as he said not to come again in Kosaki but I hoped to hear everything from father someday. I wanted to hear if he ever loved me for once.

With the heavy feeling in my heart, I left with Arashi.

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15th June, 22
1189
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|Author's Note|

Hello, min'na...

I think, some of you didn't understand the difference between brothers related by blood and brother from the extended family of the clan.

Because Hachiko is also a cousin brother of Bianka as well as Touma.

So, let me explain it as the Inoue Clan:

The clan head is the one who has established the clan and later, his heir succeeds it. And then the next generation and it keep goes on. But the brothers they have on each generation, they have their own family tree as well so they becomes the extended family members while the main branch is Choujiro Inoue's family. The current head of Inoue clan.

But that doesn't mean Bianka's father is not related by them. Choujiro Inoue's great great great great-grand father and Bianka's father's great great great great-grandfather were related by blood. While Choujiro's side of the grandfather succeeded the clan, Bianka's side of the grandfather remained as his right hand man and later his side of the family tree became the extended family of Inoue clan.

So, I guess you now know what happens. Touma's father and Bianka's father was from the same mother so they are related by blood. While Hachiko was a distant cousin.

Let me remind you, that time, marriage could happen under a same clan name. Means, Bianka could marry a distant cousin from the Inoue family clan. Since the relation was really distant and clans had a lot of family branches, Bianka could marry brother Hachiko as well. (Of course, not now lol)

This used to happen in every historical era in any kingdoms. Chinese, Korean, European, Japanese, Asian everywhere the marriage thing happened between cousins. The main purpose was to keep their blood in their family name. They used to see it as a pride.

But later this view was changed. Although it still happens. 👀