White Fox

A Guest Lost in Time

Needless to say, Nobunaga was not happy. Mitsuhide stood beside Aiko, who was currently fidgeting under Nobunaga's stare. He whispered in her ear. "Kneel. It'd make this quicker."

Aiko did as he said immediately. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with the knife Mitsuhide had confiscated from her.

"I never gave you permission to leave," said Nobunaga, still staring down Aiko.

"Yeah, because I never asked you."

Ieyasu placed two fingers on his forehead, and Masamune burst out laughing. Mitsuhide sighed.

"Is this what I get for saving you from poison?"

"Right back at you, my lord." Aiko would've finger-gunned as a joke, but she had a feeling someone really would shoot her at this rate. That someone being Hideyoshi, who was turning red with rage.

"Little one, you do realize he could execute you, don't you? Do you not value your life?"

"Why don't we go ahead and do it? I still say she's an assassin," offered Hideyoshi, standing up. He pulled his sword out of its sheath and Aiko gulped at the sound it made. "In fact, let me do it instead."

Masamune and Ieyasu pulled him back.

"You went and brought back a runaway assassin then? Why?" asked Aiko, looking around. "Which idiot decided this?"

"Lord Nobunaga," said Mitsuhide, his voice holding a warning.

"I'm sorry," said Aiko quickly. Nobunaga stood up and walked over to where she was kneeling on the floor. "Should I be preparing for my funer—"

She held her breath as Nobunaga's fan tilted her face towards him. His eyes were ruthless. "Last warning. Stay in the castle, or the dungeon will be your new room."

Mitsuhide smiled and goosebumps popped up on her skin. "I'll find you wherever you go, Aiko."

"My apologies," Aiko said to Nobunga.

She let out a breath in relief as he pulled his fan away. "Leave." He paused, his expression softening for a fraction of a second. "I heard you defended Mitsuhide down in the city. On his behalf, I thank you." At her astonished look, he smiled. "The samurai who visited the restaurant was one of mine. How do you think we found you?"

"I really should've kept my head down," muttered Aiko.

Mitsuhide grabbed her arm and pulled her up, keeping a firm grip on her until she found her balance. Bowing, she left the room.

                                 ✮

Nobunaga had left the castle the next day, and Mitsuhide had gone to Kyoto. She had no idea why they had left, but after running through it in her head, decided she didn't care either.

A few days later, the castle was in an uproar. From what Aiko understood, there had been another attempt on Nobunaga's life—the inn he had been staying in had been burnt down. She whistled under her breath as her informant walked away, wondering how he was still alive when it seemed like the whole world wanted him dead and buried.

Perhaps the arrow and the fire incident was the same person? It did seem like it was, seeing as they were both assassination attempts instead of head-on battles.

Mulling that over, she watched from the castle windows as Nobunaga returned with Mitsuhide at his side. Masamune and Hideyoshi appeared a while later, dragging a young woman with them. She seemed both panicked and nervous, and Aiko felt an instant kinship with her, remembering how she had felt when she'd woken up in the 16th century.