Her Autumn [Hanzo x fem!Reader]

Chapter 7: The façade

Hanzo and Genji were in the corridors, just a few blocks away from the Throne Room, where Hanzo's future wife was together with Suiren. The brothers were facing each other, both wearing an bewildered expression.

"I swear, aniki, I swear that I didn't know this!" Genji's hands were on the back of his neck and was huffing out of disbelief. "I didn't know my sister-in-law was my ex-girlfriend!"

Hanzo's lips trembled and his fists were clenched. He wanted to be angry with someone or something, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. 

Genji's previous girlfriend, or rather his 'plaything', Suisen was his fiancée. It explained why the name was so familiar when Suiren mentioned her in the garden.

"Mother, help me, for I am to be wed an unfaithful." Hanzo thought, groaning.

"Holy shit, aniki, I can't believe this." Genji dropped to the ground.

A moment of silence passed between the two brothers. 

"May I presume that she is stained?" Hanzo said, breaking the silence. He didn't look at Genji.

"You- you mean if she's a virgin?" Genji carefully asked. He took his brother's silence as a 'yes'. "Well, uhm, no, she isn't..."

Hanzo wasn't surprised for some reason. He wondered what their father would think of all this.

"But when we did it," Genji continued, "she didn't... Bleed."

"She's a shameless fox." The older Shimada said, gritting his teeth. "A whorish kitsune."

His younger brother was ashamed that he once had fallen for her charms. When he looked up, his brother was on his way to confront his future wife, taking his usual large steps. Genji had no choice but to follow him.

Hanzo refused to bed a tainted woman like that, but the clan elders will definitely expect an heir. His mind was troubled, but he didn't show it. He couldn't back out anymore.

When the Shimada brothers arrived at the Throne Room, they saw the familiar Tsukiyama envoy in front of them. She noticed them immediately and a smile appeared on her face after she bowed to them.

"A pleasure to see you again, Young Masters!" 

Upon seeing her, Hanzo thought about how innocent and pure she looked. He bet she wasn't like her cousin at all.

"Hey, Suiren!" Genji exclaimed. He walked past his brother and approached her first. Hanzo wasn't as energetic and jumpy. He felt like his soul was already being taken by that vixen of a fiancée.

"Our Lady and Lord Shimada are inside waiting for you, Young Master Hanzo." Suiren said, gesturing at the door. 

"Thank you, Suiren." Hanzo monotonously said, not happy at all.

Hanzo headed inside while Suiren and his brother stayed out. Genji wasn't allowed to enter, but he was glad he wasn't. Learning that your ex-girlfriend will marry your brother was a bit awkward. Furthermore, Suiren was with him so he didn't feel bad at all.

Sojiro and a luxuriously clothed young woman were sitting at their appropriate seats. Their heads turned to Hanzo, who had just entered the room.

"Hanzo!" His father's loud voice echoed through the room. "Come, come and sit." 

Without a word, Hanzo took his seat on the opposite side of his betrothed. He couldn't look at her in the eyes, which his father noticed. Sojiro didn't know of the affairs.

"This young lady over here is Suisen Tsukiyama," Sojiro said, "your affianced."

"It is an absolute honor to meet you, Young Master." She sang, putting an emphasis to 'honor'. She bowed her head.

The young Shimada finally looked up. She was quite attractive. Her beauty could be described as 'seductive' and 'sexy', while Suiren's beauty was 'breath-taking' and 'elegant'. She was looking at him with half-hooded eyes, as if she was eyeing prey. Her curled lips were painted red, making the mole on her upper lip stand out. 

"The feeling is mutual, Lady Suisen."

She behaved completely different from the night he saw her at the Arcade with Genji. He couldn't imagine being like that with her. No. Way.

Sojiro took over the meeting. "The wedding will be held in three weeks. Lord Tsukiyama and I will make the arrangements. We will be holding a Shinto wedding. Clan Elder Sakana will explain the procedures, so listen very carefully."

Sakana stepped forward and held a wooden scroll that unfolded when he held it in front of him. With a slightly hoarse voice, he started to speak.

Hanzo couldn't hear his words at all. 

At that point, time seemed to have stopped for him. 

...

Genji didn't speak nor see his brother for the following weeks. He disappeared as if Genji was an only child, except maids and attendants gossiped about Hanzo here and there.

The day of the marriage arrived. The sun was shining brightly on this autumn noon, but that didn't brighten Hanzo's mood.

The Throne Room was turned into a shrine-like place. The priest was present, as wel as Sojiro, Hideyoshi and dozens of other important people to the Shimada Empire.

Hanzo was there too, next to the priest. 

Genji's heart ached for him. Under his brother neutral expression, he could see how infuriated and sad he was.

The younger Shimada pressed his lips into a thin line and sulked.

The chattering and noise diminished when a loud bell rang. It was the sign that the bride was going to enter the room. Sounds of excitement followed and heads turned to the grand doors.

These opened and revealed a young woman, the bride, in complete white. On her head was a large headdress that almost covered her whole face. Only a red pair of lips where visible.

Hanzo didn't dare to look. He couldn't hear world around him, only his own heartbeat in his ears. His heart was thumping loud against his chest, as if trying to escape. 

A white figure stopped in front of him. 

The ceremony started and his body started to move on his own while his mind wasn't present. 

At the final part of the ceremony, when they had to drink their last cup of sake, his heart almost stopped. 

Hanzo looked at his bride, whose face was almost covered except the tip of her nose and her red lips.

But what she missed...

Was the dark mole above her lips. 

*

Shinto marriage - The most popular tradition during a Shinto-style wedding is the exchange of nuptial cups, which is called san san ku do. San means three and ku means nine. So san san ku do means three, three, and nine. The groom and bride drink sake three times each, from three different-sized sake cups called sakazuki. In their exchanging cups, they are symbolically exchanging their marriage vows.

Next, their parents also take sips, sealing the bond between the two families. Each person takes three sips of sake from each of three cups. The first three sips represent the three couples; the second three sips represent the flaws of hatred, passion, and ignorance; and the last three sips represent freedom from the three flaws.

First comes the ritual of purification, then the vows, then the bride and groom exchange sake in the san san ku do ceremony that unites them and their two families. The ceremony closes with symbolic offerings of small tree twigs, called sakaki, which are given to God.