Shogun Haitaka's Palace

Lord Haitaka would be met when he scaled the steps to arrive at the courtyard with a view of construction. There were several workers that were well into their work to repair, what looked to be, a serious impact in the paved stones. The stone was cracked and broken in large plates and small rubble. When their lord came into view there was a unanimous gesture of a low bow in respectful greeting to the man before they resumed work.

Of course, word of his arrival traveled far ahead of him. As soon as he was in view did a familiar face come trotting in haste from the front doors, followed by a pair of armed escorts that already looked about weary. Young Ayane was ecstatic to see him, her eyes alight and her smile bright as she rushed to embrace him.

"Takehiko-san!" she squealed, absolutely happy to see him return home. However, before actually embracing him she stopped short as her attention shifted to his stained armor, a delicate hand lifting to cover her nose as she wrinkled it in disgust and let out a very displeased sound. "Eww, you smell terrible... Servants!" she shrieked, a very shrill sound that was notorious within the palace as she turned on her heel to stare past her guards. The young woman was, for a lack of better word, spoiled. Terribly. Upon marrying into the clan she was very, very picky and could not stand filth anywhere in her presence.

The near scream of the girl made her two escorts wince, and then sigh with shoulders only slightly slumped. They were vigilant... but she was certainly a handful. They were glad to see a pair of women come running across the courtyard at her beck and call.

She pointed sharply at the Shogun and gave them a very childish glare, like a little girl that was used to getting her way and wasn't taking no for an answer. "Get this off him and have it cleaned, and a bath and some tea made and something to eat! Now!"

They couldn't move fast enough to get out of her eyesight to find proper help to unarm their lord.

The two bodyguards bowed properly before one would speak - or at least, he would have if Lady Ayane hadn't huffed and began ranting first.

"I don't know! Your 'men' haven't told us anything! They just barged right into our chambers without a word or even waiting for permission - the nerve! They piled Etsuko and myself out of bed and just pushed us along into the cellar and two of them stayed inside while the rest were outside the doors, and they wouldn't say ANYTHING!" she spat shrilly, folding her arms and jutting her lip out in a pout - turning her eyes over to glare at the two escorts. "Just so rude and rough about it-!"

"Ayane, dear, calm yourself," came Etsuko's voice as she seemed to float across the courtyard from the temple - flanked by two guards that certainly looked better off at following her around compared to the ones tasked with watching the younger wife. Her attention would shift to her husband and she would seek to embrace him with little qualm, even helping slip off his helm to expose his face so that she might give him a proper welcoming kiss upon his lips. "Welcome home, my love. Are you all right?"

Ayane merely huffed and continued to pout, arms folded stubbornly across her chest.

Etsuko watched his gaze as he looked beyond her to the work being done to rebuild what little damage there had been. From what she knew, things had been very mild compared to what the damage could have been by the Oni. She would carefully bring her hand up, fingertips gently turning his chin to bring his eyes back down to her own. Her smile faded but did not disappear entirely. "Things are well here, my love. Apparently there was an intruder here at the palace, but they only made it here to the courtyard. It was here they unleashed an Oni, but it was taken care of. It did very little damage," she added, gesturing to the workers. "I believe that one of the samurai were killed... but that was all for casualties," she replied quietly, letting her brow come to rest upon his armored chest. "I don't know all of the details, Takehiko-san, but it seems it could have been worse."

The young wife was suddenly filled with glee as Takehiko spoke of her, and her temper mellowed out instantly as she grinned to him. If it wasn't for the fact he was still stained in battle and armored, she would have taken her place to snuggle up at his side.

Etsuko was still beaming as she remained under his arm. It was nice to see the girl not behaving like... well, a brat.

A pair of male servants were rushing out the doors as fast as they could while trying to slip on their gata sandals and not trip, eager to assist their lord out of his armor - especially since it was noted that Lady Ayane was in another mood. Another young man, a stable boy, was already appearing off to the side to start taking away the mounts to house them and feed them.

The prisoners would find that there were more swordsmen and spearmen appearing in the street - policing force arriving to drag them off to the prisons for the time being.

There was something of hope in the eyes of the two young men as they were pushed off with the rest towards the prisons.

Ayane practically skipped along beside her husband as Etsuko remained at his side, the pair of them more than happy that he had returned home and unharmed.

"I will confess, my love, I was afraid for you when you left. It was so sudden, and Advisor Ryuichi-san seemed very distraught," Etsuko muttered, happy to escort him inside the large, rounded doors of the palace. Along the way she was careful to dislodge herself only when the servants hovered around him to start loosing knots and ties to slip off his armor a bit at a time - what they could manage as he walked. None wanted to prolong this any further with Lady Ayane still around and likely to start shrieking again if they didn't remove his stained armor fast enough for her tastes.

Fortunately, she seemed to be in a bit of a better mood for the time being.

Again, their lord was ever-so loving. He was stripped of his armor quickly and it was hauled off to be cleaned and mounted once again. Silent thanks were left in their wake.

"That is because you are the most fearsome warrior in all of Dongshu, Takehiko-kun~" squeaked young Ayane, who almost instantly latched onto his other free arm and nuzzled into his side intently. She spared a mild jealous glance across his body at the first wife but it was gone just as quickly.

"Hot, just as it should be." She was smiling again as she shuffled over to the pair of them, letting Ayane settle with tugging the rest of his clothing off to bare his skin as she moved to pull on the water pump's handle a few times to get the water flowing from the spout. From there she moved to take his clothing away around the corner to the dry area for disrobing and leaving their things - taking his sword with great care, as well - and began to undress, as well.

Ayane didn't wish to leave his side yet, despite the fact she was going to end up getting her kimono wet. She was far too keen on trying to get his attention and tending to him - scooting the stool out so he could sit and finding the oils and soaps for cleaning and a washcloth. It was only when Etsuko returned, pale skin stripped bare and coming near to settle a hand on the girl's shoulder, that she stopped.

"Ayane, please go undress properly. He will be right here when you come back," she teased, still smiling in good nature as she gave her an encouraging push towards the direction she had come from.

The girl was very irritated at having been pushed away, but did as she was told. Despite having already been a few months, she wanted Takehiko all to herself. Sharing him was not in her interest.

The elder wife took to scooting another low stool nearby to seat herself next to Takehiko, placing the little bucket beneath the water flow before wetting the cloth and beginning to wipe down at the shoulder - after adding a drop or two of one of the wash oils on his skin. In mere moments the place was filled with the scent of flowers and blossoms and rainwater.

"... so," she murmured, "what happened at the mines? Were, were any of the workers harmed? Are they all right?"

Ayane would appear peaking around the wall as she slipped off her kimono, looking rather distraught. "... you were going to kill all those people?" she whimpered, his expression shifting to something of pure heartbreak.

Ayane seemed to be content with his response and reached for another bottle, pouring a bit in her palm before pressing both together and then beginning to run it through his hair - more so after she realized she forgot the tie that drew his dark strands back and tugged it out. She loved his hair, even when it was wild and unkempt.

Etsuko ceased when she heard something at the door of the baths - the ring of chimes. Someone had rattled the wind chimes outside the door to request an audience. She left the cloth in Takehiko's hands as she went to find a towel from the dry room around the corner before moving to the sliding door. She cracked it only a small bit to peer outside with her eye.

A servant, his head already down and eyes pointed to the floor, would extend his hand and hold out a scroll for her. "Apologies, Etsuko-sama. This arrived for Lord Haitaka," he muttered, not once bringing his head up.

She was a bit annoyed, but upon seeing the green wax seal of a panda design sealing the paper she realized why. She stepped out of view and reached out to take the scroll with a quiet thanks before shutting the door again. She remained by the door but turned to show the scroll to her husband. "It seems you have a letter from the temple in Napo, Takehiko," she purred. "Shall I read it here for you?"