The Beginning to the End

That Winter you with the help of the midwife had given birth to a healthy daughter you named her Ume (Plum Blossom). Enji sauntered in to name the child when you looked up at him tired and disgusted of him and his presence. "I shall name her…" he was interrupted by you. "I named her Ume," you stated. He looked upset at the name because that was the name he had given you but, every time you heard him say that to you brought bitter bile up to your throat. "What?! You had no right to…" he was interrupted by you. "I have every right to name my daughter and her name is Ume Todoroki," you retorted. You truly despised this Oni because you knew he was never a man to you after all the vile things he had done to you, you didn't even think he was human.

He was sitting in your room when you wanted to ask him something that has been nagging in your mind. "Enji…why me? Why be vile to me? I have never seen or heard you abuse any of your wives you obtained," you questioned. "You took me from my father's household, made me tolerate you obtaining three other wives, you physically abused me, raped me," you listed all of the actions he had done to you. "Please Enji, release me. I had given you 4 healthy children…let me be happy for the remainder of my years…please, I don't think I can take it any longer" you pleaded with him. He stood up and faced your exhausted face. "I'm sorry Plum Blossom…I can not release you…as for my treatment of you and the other wives…it is none of your concern how I treat my other wives," he said as he walked out of your room. You cried to yourself. Why me? He never abused them…I need to leave…he will never let me be happy…he is going to assault me over and over again until I won't be able to recognize myself.

Three months had passed and the air felt calm at the moment Enji finally came back a month and a half ago. He was busy in his study these months not saying a word nor interacting with his wives. You found sanctuary in the gardens with your sons and daughter. While Akina found hers in the library reading poetry with her daughter. Hanaku was busy teaching her daughter to write, while Chiyo was busy teaching her son how to walk. Everything was very peaceful and calm until Keigo came calling after Enji. He was in the sitting room adjacent to the gardens looking at you playing with your sons and tending to your daughter. He had always thought of you as a very lovely woman but he knew he could never have you because you were Enji's beloved. He saw your smile but it didn't reach your eyes. He knew that Enji was a brute of a man but never would've thought that he would do anything to his 'Plum Blossom'.

Enji walked out of his study, noticing Keigo observing you when he broke the silence. "Keigo my friend, why have you come calling on me?" he asked him. Keigo stood up "Enji my friend, I came for just a visit…I brought a nice saki that we could drink. It came from Nada district of Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture," he smiled. Raising one eyebrow. "I didn't know you went to that prefecture, my friend…I will gladly join you for a drink," Enji smiled. Enji sat at the chair that blocked Keigo's line of sight from you. "Sorry I haven't visited you, I had some business to attend to with my wife," Keigo smiled. "I see…how is Aoi?" Enji asked. "She is well…how is y/n?" Keigo asked Enji. "She is…she is well…she had my daughter these past couple of months," Enji replied. "I have to tell you, my friend, that you caught a diamond in all her glory with that one," he laughed. "Yes…she is my precious Plum Blossom," he said, eyeing Keigo.

It was evening and dinner was ready when Enji cordially invited Keigo to stay over since it was late. Keigo was seated at the table next to Hanaku. Keigo knew that Enji was trying to offer the warm comfort of Hanaku that night to him but he wanted you. He eyed you at dinner and you felt him. It made you very uncomfortable, to say the least. When dinner was finished Enji had asked Hanaku to show him to the guest quarters. You went to your sleeping quarters. That night Keigo had Hanaku leave his room without touching her. His attention was to have you. He knew where you laid your head at night and prayed that Enji wasn't in your quarters at the moment. He crept to your door when he heard a familiar voice in his ear. "What do you think you are doing at my Plum Blossom's door Keigo?" Enji whispered. "I, I…well you see…" he couldn't think of any excuse as to why he was at your door. "You want her Keigo…don't you?" Enji questioned Keigo while escorting Keigo to the sitting room. "Yes…Enji I would like comfort from her," he sighed. "I see…Do you want my prized wife? well…Keigo…if she will have you then I will permit you…but, I will warn you, my friend…DO NOT PUT YOUR SEED IN HER," he warned Keigo. Keigo nodded.

Keigo proceeded to enter your room and watch your sleeping form and how beautiful you are. You turned and your yukata unwrapped, exposing your beautiful breasts. "Y/n…I seek comfort from you my Sparrow," Keigo whispered. You slowly opened your eyes because that was a very new nickname but whose voice was calling you 'Sparrow'. "Enji…I am tired…please seek comfort from your other wives," you groggily whispered. "I am not Enji, my Sparrow," was all Keigo said to you. You shot up from your bed "Kei-Keigo?! How dare you enter my sleeping quarters…GET OUT! Immediately!" you loudly ordered. "Let me make love to you…I've wanted you ever since the day I met you y/n," Keigo whispered. "ENJI! ENJI!" you screamed but Enji never came. "He gave me permission to seek comfort from you, my Sparrow," Keigo grinned. "I am not a whore that Enji can give to his drunken friends," you stated. You ran past Keigo and into the corridor yukata half opened, hair disheveled from sleep. You opened Akina's sleeping quarters and no Enji, then you opened Hanaku's and nothing, Chiyo's as well and nothing, and then Enji's quarters. He was there sleeping with Chiyo. "Enji! You are to come to the sitting room IMMEDIATELY NOW!!!" you roared.

Pacing back and forth in utter rage you spotted Keigo sitting on one of the cushions and Enji entered the room. "Do you think I am a whore husband?!" you roared. "Why did that man come to my quarters telling me you had given him permission to make love to me?!" you pointed at Keigo. "You are to comfort Keigo…or so help me, wife, you won't be spared from my wrath!" Enji ordered you. "I will not Enji…do your worst," you challenged him. Keigo stood up "It's okay, Enji I respect y/n's decision…I won't bother her any longer," he said in utter defeat. "Good…it has seemed that I married the wrong man…this one respects me," you said while stomping back to your room. Enji started laughing. "A diamond and all her glory you say" he laughed out. "Do you see what I have to put up with all these years and she's still a spitfire" he chuckled. "Even so, my friend but she's still a diamond in all her glory," Keigo said. "Now if you excuse me I must sleep. I have a long journey ahead of me" Keigo excused himself. Well, Enji went back to bed.

The next morning in the dining room there was an awkward silence. You sat at the right hand of the table by your husband giving him dirty looks glaring daggers at him. He paid no attention. "Husband, I would like to have a private discussion with you in my quarters," you demanded. "I will go to your quarters later on tonight and I can give you all the attention you need" he smirked. "Fine, if it is to your liking I will tell you about last night, right now at the breakfast table" you retorted. "If you ever permit your drunk friends to enter my quarters for my 'comfort' I shall lop your head off from your thick oni neck. Do you understand me?" you threatened. "You dare threaten me? your husband…you will go to your quarters and wait for me there" he ordered you. "I will not!" You yelled out. You went directly to the gardens to cool off and your Enji followed. Why couldn't he just leave you alone? Instead, he likes to antagonize you. He wants to get a reaction from you to lay hands on you. "Leave me alone husband. I do not wish for your company, do not follow me, don't go near me or I will scream to the heavens" you warned. He grabbed you from your wrists and dragged you to his study. "How dare you challenge my last night in front of Keigo!" he yelled at you. "Do your worst then-husband…you Oni! You did everything possible to dehumanize me," you whispered. "I will accept the pain, there is nothing you can do that will bring me to my lowest low than to have married you" you added. He stepped back and uttered a complete shock. You turned hill and started to walk out of your husband's study. "I will be leaving for my quarters. I wish not to be disturbed especially by you" you ordered.

He knew if he didn't discipline you then you would be as insolent as ever and he couldn't have that in his household as a first wife it was your duty to represent him. He stormed into your room with quickness grabbed you from your neck and threw you on the bed facing down. "I'm going to hurt you y/n…if you don't act like my first wife then I will demote you to the fourth wife" he gritted his teeth. "Go ahead ONI! I do not care…and as for your house…it's a nightmarish prison," you hissed from the pain. He then grabbed your ankle and dragged you from the bed to the corridor. "Fine Blossom…you will be demoted…Chiyo! You are to move to y/n's quarters," he ordered then threw you in Chiyo's quarter. "You will remain here as the fourth wife…the lowest of the low," he stated. You ran to him "You can not do that, I am the daughter of the Shogun…a high born!" you yelled. He ignored you and slammed the sliding door closed.

That afternoon you called for Natsuo and Shouto to come to your quarters without Enji knowing. "Sons, I called you over to ask you if you are happy here," you asked them. "Mother, my happiness is not important it is you…you are slowly dying inside…I see it, Shouto sees it…you need to leave this place before you die…we will stay here so that father would not suspect a thing…I will be writing to my grandfather on your behalf he will most definitely come to call on you to show proof," Natsuo said to you. "We want to call Touya to mother," Shouto added. You nodded in agreement.

The Spring Natsuo kept his promise to you and wrote to his grandfather and Touya about the actions of his father towards you. Your father read it and was heartbroken and guilty of forcing you into this union. He prepared a visit. Touya was the second one who received that letter and he was very angry, to say the least. He had requested the audience of the emperor on your behalf. And the emperor had sent the approval of the divorce decree. Enji was to provide you a separate house far from his, pay you in gold and jewels, and he will be visiting Enji along with his wife. Your father was to accompany the emperor to your husband's house.

Enji slammed the sliding door open to find you in your sitting room holding Ume. "What have you done woman?!" he roared at you. You smiled "I have kept my promise Enji…I am no longer your wife," you grinned. The servant announced the emperor, empress, and shogun's arrival at the Todoroki estate. Enji looked evil to you and turned heel to greet the royal couple and the shogun. "Your excellency, I humbly invite you to the dining room for some tea," Enji bowed. They proceeded to enter the dining room. "I would like to see y/n…it has been so long since I have seen her…she was such a precious little girl," the emperor stated. Enji was sweating profusely because he didn't know that the emperor knew y/n personally. He called you over to the dining room. You walked in gracefully holding Ume, Natsuo and Shouto stood beside you. "Your excellency," you bowed along with your sons. "You have become a very beautiful lady y/n…please sit beside me and my wife," he ordered and you acquiesced. The empress smiled at you and hugged you. The emperor spoke. "It has come to my attention that y/n requested a decree of divorce…you see Enji I knew her since she was a very young child…I was a teenager of course about the ascend the throne…so you could see it broke my heart to find out…that her husband the one who promised to cherish her is treating her like a common whore!" he yelled when the guards took Enji and forced him out of his seat and brought him to his knees.

"Bring the second wife," the emperor ordered. Akina entered the dining room and bowed to his highness. "Woman, tell me, have you seen ill-actions and exchanges from your husband to y/n?" the emperor's voice boomed around the room. "I had witnessed my husband slap y/n across the face, but recently before y/n had given birth to our 4th child she walked in with a swollen face…and stated that she hated her husband, he also demoted her to the fourth wife" she stated to the emperor. "I see…Todoroki…your second wife saw this…call in the third and fourth wife!" he ordered. "Hanaku, Chiyo, did you ever bear witness of your husband's actions towards y/n?" he asked them. Silence. "The silence answers my questions," he stated to Enji. "Todoroki, Y/n…I grant this divorce…that being said Enji Todoroki I hear by grant this divorce…you are to give y/n a house befitting of her status, give her jewels, and gold, and a monthly sizable allowance…as for your children…they are to go with her…I will guarantee her children's future…as for you…you are being charged for physically abusing the Shogun's daughter, demoting her to the lowest level of the fourth wife. You are suspended from all your duties of a Daimyo until further notice, this house and all its contents will be confiscated including the wives, you will serve your first wife as a servant" he ordered Enji. He then stood up. "We as men should treat our wives with the utmost respect, dignity, and love. We should cherish them as though they were made from the Gods…My word is final until I see fit to appoint Enji Todoroki as Daimyo" he said while leaving the house.

Enji looked up to you, "You ruined me," he stated to you. "No, Todoroki, you ruined yourself," you said while walking to the sitting room but you stopped. "I am moving out tomorrow," you added, then walked out with Enji still on his knees.

The End