Standard Disclaimer: Shogakukan Shojo comics owns Chichiri, Tasuki and Ryo. Yu Watase created them, I did not. I recieve no money from this story. Lord WuFang is my own creation, any resembelence they may share with any other author's characters is totally unintentional (honestly I don't read much).

Duty and Honor

Part 1

Lady Ryuen was worried, it was of course all pomp and ceremony, but still she was getting married and was quite nervous. She had met her fiancee twice before, each time he was very polite and well-mannered, but he also seemed cold. Of course maybe he was nervous too, he was only 4 years older than she was. She wished Chichiri was here, but no men were allowed in her chambers while her ladies in waiting prepared her for the wedding ceremony. Tradition, it was all about tradition. She sighed it was really about the alliance this wedding would bring, it meant peace to their two lands was worth the sacrificing the remainder her childhood. It had not been a particularly blissful one to begin with. Not that she minded, she knew the privileges she had, far outweighed the burdens of duty and reponsibilty that came with her royal birth. She just wished that she was a little closer to her parents. She felt so, especially after this morning's awkward breakfast with her mother. There had been no real warmth in that meeting. There never was. And soon she would have a new family. She would move into her fiancee's palace after the ceremony, only Chichiri and Tasuki coming along as her faithful bodyguards. But they might leave soon after that, she knew her fiancee had his own security force and that he may not keep on Tasuki and Chichiri if they didn't fit well into his system. That was what was really troubling her. Tasuki was decent enough, but Chichiri had become a real friend, in fact her only friend. She had told him of her fears and he said that he wouldn't leave her, he promised her so, but she knew that he may not have a choice.
======================================================================================

Chichiri looked on as Lady Ryuen entered the palace grounds, he was obliged to be there, but he would have preferred to skip the whole thing. He didn't want to see her get married. She had to and he understood, but he knew that she wasn't ready. She would have a tremendous amount of responsibilites following the marriage, her and her husband would take over the administration of their parents' land and she would be expected to act in a manner befitting her new position, which meant no more climbing trees or swimming in the lake, no more quiet moments in the garden. He doubted she would have anytime to herself, and then there was the matter of a royal heir. Both Ryo and her fiancee were so young, they would not be required to produce an heir immediately, but the expectation for one was high. Everybody felt that once there was an heir the alliance would be unbreakable and peace would be guaranteed. He knew she was not ready for that responsibility. She had always told him that when she had children she wanted to spend time with them and have a real relationship with her kids, not like her relationship with her mother, which was very formal and a source of great pain for her. She confided so much in him, he would miss that. Their relationship was bound to change now, he should have left Konan years ago before he got so attached. This was too hard.

As she ascended the steps of the temple she caught his eye and smiled at him. She looked scared. He thought if he took her hand right now it would be trembling. Inside him, his heart was breaking. 'Poor kid,' he thought, 'I wish there was something I could do for her.'

"Nuriko looks nice today, eh Chichiri?" Tasuki, his partner said.

"You shouldn't call her that, she hates it you know."

"But it fits her, especially today. She looks just like Nuriko, such a strange coincidence. Kid looks like she's ready to bolt."

"Can you blame her? That guy has always given me bad vibes. She'll make it through okay though, you know,she always does."

"What about us? I heard that we get the royal boot once our contracts are turned over to Lord WuFang."

"What! Where'd you hear that?"

"I have been talking with one of his security guards, the guy says that WuFang doesn't have any intention of keeping us around. He feels that his security force is more than capable of taking care of Ryuen and that he is real uppity about who he lets on the royal grounds. He don't know you, you ain't welcome. A real closed off guy."

"Lady Ryuen ain't going to like being on her own in a new place. She know about this?" Chichiri was getting worried now. He and Tasuki could find work elsewhere and easily, they had a good reputation, but he didn't like the idea of leaving Ryo in the hands of a bunch of strangers.

"No, I don't think she knows yet, but she ain't gonna have a say anyway. Let's face it partner, it is time to start sending out resumes." Tasuki replied with a snort. His attempt at levity didn't do much to improve Chichiri's mood. He had to find a way to keep close to Ryo. He had promised Hotohori over 13 years ago, long before Ryo was born, but he had no real connection to her mother. Thirteen years ago when she handed her infant over to Chichiri and Tasuki for protection, they had thought about quitting. 'I ain't no babysitter' Tasuki had said, but he had quickly changed his mind, she was such a joy, always full of life and love for everything. Chichiri loved her from the start and he couldn't just walk away from her now. Even if he wasn't going to get paid for it, he still wanted to be her protector.
======================================================================================
"I was hoping that you had more faith in me than that." Lord WuFang spoke to his new bride as though she were a child. "My security force will not be taking their new assignment to guard your safety lightly, they know that you are now part of the family and will treat you accordingly, I do not understand why you are so upset, I would never let anything happen to you Lady Ryuen. You can be assured of that."

Ryo was not responding. She had taken the news of Chichiri and Tasuki's dismissal badly. "They are more than just my bodyguards, I have known them all my life. I trust them, and want them here. You never even gave them a chance."

"But there is no need for them here. My staff is more than large enough to accomadate your every need. They would be a hinderance to me. I had no idea you were so close to them, it pains me to see you so upset, but you must let go of the life you knew. You knew this would happen. Now that you are my bride, your responsibilities are to me and my family. You must put your trust in me. You must let go of all that you have known before and prepare for the future. When I ascend to my father's throne, I will need your full loyalty and support. You are not a child anymore Ryuen, your childhood friends are a distraction. You will soon find that distractions are an annoyance at best, and in times of turmoil they can be deadly."

Ryo had more to say, but WuFang had said all he had wanted to on the subject. As he turned to leave he felt her tug on his arm. She spun him around and had opened her mouth to speak when he backhanded her to the floor. "You don't get it do you? You are in my house now and in my house, my word is law." He said coldly, then turned and left.

Ryo was in shock. She was going to have to spend the rest of her life with this man? She may be a person of high standing but she was still a woman and tradition forbade her to oppose her husband in any way. She picked herself up off the floor and laid down on the bed, she wouldn't cry, it was unbecoming and something that she saw as a weakness in others. Instead she just stared off into space. Trying not to feel the pain in her jaw or her heart. She wasn't sure how long she had been lying there when she felt a weight come down on the bed. She hadn't heard anyone enter, she knew who it was and didn't want to face him right now. Did he know what had happened? She was humiliated but, she was also secretly wishing he would come and now here he was, her only friend. Her former body guard, Chichiri.

"I'm so sorry Chichiri. I swear I didn't know that he was going to dismiss you and Tasuki." She whispered to him as she turned over and looked into his face. He was sitting on the edge of the bed and looked at her with sad eyes.

"I know you know."

"What will you do now? Will you stay in my mother's service?"

"I don't know. I haven't talked to Tasuki yet. We are partners so I'll see what he wants to do. I don't wanna leave you alone though. I'll try to find a way to stay close, you know." Chichiri replied as she sat up taking his hand into her right one and covering it with her left.

"I wish there was some way I could help, but Lord WuFang was...not willing to change his mind." She stammered slightly as she recalled the way their conversation had ended.

"Didn't think he would. You okay Ryo? How did you get this?" he asked her as he lifted her chin with his free hand and saw a slightly swollen pink welt on her jaw. Only Chichiri and Tasuki called her Ryo. Her mother had thought the nickname childish and honestly it kinda was, but she didn't mind, she liked it.

Ryo tried to think of a believable lie, but it was hard to lie to Chichiri, he knew her too well and it was not the type of bruise you got by falling down. "I made WuFang mad, he hit me, but it doesn't really hurt and I guess I was out of place." She tried to defend WuFang, even though he didn't deserve it, there was no need to cause trouble. She could hear what sounded like a curse and growl come from Chichiri, but it was very faint.

"Oh Ryo this ain't good. What happened?"

She couldn't tell him that they had been fighting over him and Tasuki. He might feel responsible. "Well it is my wedding night, and I am sleeping alone." Of course, it was true, but not her decision. It seemed like a good lie, but it didn't sit well with Chichiri, she immediately regretted saying it as soon as she saw the angry expression on his face and heard the low rumble coming from deep inside his throat. "I'm just not ready," she said, it was partly true, so maybe he wouldn't see through the lie.

"Well of course not, you're still a kid, you know. I knew this wedding was a mistake." Chichiri was really getting upset. Ryo didn't know what to say to calm him down. She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. "I'll learn to like WuFang, he's just a little bit of a loner, but I am sure once I get to know him better, I'll like him a lot and everything will fall into place. Please don't worry about me Chichiri. I'll be okay." She tried to sound very confident and upbeat. It seemed to work, Chichiri put his arms around her and sighed, letting some of the anger and tension leave his body. Nothing could take away his sadness though. He knew he had to leave soon, but was unsure of when he would be able to come and see her again. "I hope you are right you know, but if things don't go right, you just call on me and I'll come and save you, I promise, I won't gonna let anyone hurt you."

"I know you won't Chichiri, I am gonna miss you. Please come back soon, and take good care of yourself in the meantime." She let go of him very reluctantly and managed a bright smile, even if her heart was breaking, she wanted him to be happy.
"I'll miss you too. Stay strong Ryo." He kissed her forehead as he got up and then walked to the window stealing one last look at her, before sneaking away.

Ryo laid back down on the bed and buried her face in her pillow. She cried silently, she didn't care if it was unbecoming and weak, eventually she drifted off into an unrestful sleep.
======================================================================================
Chichiri placed his duffle bag on the back of his steed and prepared to head off. "You sure you can take care of things on your own for a while?" he asked Tasuki.

"You kidding? Let's face it I have been carrying you since we got here. You really got to pull it together Chichiri. Nuriko's got a whole team to take care of her nowadays. She's in good hands. Hasn't called for help once since we left." Tasuki was worried about Chichiri, he liked the kid too, but it was time to move on. He had thought Chichiri would've been over her by now. Instead he was off to see her, again. Everytime he came back he was in a worse mood. He kept insisting something was wrong but he had no proof, as far as he knew WuFang had only hit her that first night, and Ryo said all was well.
"I know you have Tasuki and I appreciate it. I just can't help feeling she needs my help. It's a gut feeling, and my gut is never wrong you know." Chichiri replied. He knew he hadn't been a good partner. He was going to have to make it up to Tasuki sometime, but not right now. Ryo needed him, he knew it. He felt she was lying to him when she said that everything was okay, but he could never press her on it. They were always being interrupted. He had to sneak in to see her and she was always busy. He was going to find out what was going on tonight though, he would stay until she told him the truth and he didn't give a damn if the guards did walk in and find them together. "I'll be back soon as I can,you know" he told Tasuki. Then he got on his steed and sped away.

When he got to the palace, he hid his horse in the usual place and waited for the guards to change before sneaking over the palace walls. 'They really should change their pattern' thought Chichiri. He and Tasuki made sure to never stick to the same schedule for more than 2 months at a time, it was too easy to learn a pattern and then find a hole, even for the unexperienced. He perched himself outside Ryo's window and heard her talking with her husband, he'd have to wait.

"You let her out? On whose authority?" Lord Wufang sounded upset.

"Well on my own authority, she made a mistake and she's paid enough for it. She won't do it again, she's learned her lesson. To keep her in the dungeon would have been cruel. It was such a small offense to begin with." Ryo's voice was quiet, almost pleading.

"Such a small offense, you feel stealing is acceptable behavior in the staff? Perhaps you would like me to fill my home with theives and murderers. Would that make you more at ease here, my Lady? Nothing else seems to satisfy you, you mope around all the time, like a sick dog." WuFang's tone set Chichiri on edge. He could tell that the man was losing control, he could feel the anger eminating from the room in waves.

"She was just trying to feed her family. She has four kids and her husband was killed in the last raid. I could not turn a blind eye to her suffering." Ryo's voice was so low Chichiri barely could hear her. She was still pleading her case but her voice betrayed her, she had already given up the fight.

"I have told you before that you are not to ever oppose me, what I say goes and what you think about it is none of my concern. I had planned on whipping the servant girl to teach her to be more respectful of her employers, but perhaps I should whip you instead since you seem so intent on keeping her from suffering. Would you like that my Lady, would you like to see what happens to those who oppose me?" Lord Wufang's voice was no longer angry, instead it was very cold and held a hint of cruelty.

"No my Lord," Ryo replied in a whisper. Chichiri was seething, this guy was a bigger creep than he had thought and he wanted to go in there and let him know what real suffering felt like, but he knew that to do so would cause an uproar around the palace. He didn't want that, he just wanted to get to Ryo.

"I didn't think so, I will not tell you agian, Ryuen, do not cross me." With those words he stepped forward and took her neck in a cruel suffocating grip, then pulled her close so his lips hovered above her ear. "I look forward to tonight my bride, we should get to work on that heir." He then closed his mouth over hers and kissed her wickedly, making her stomach lurch. She surpressed a whimper as he then stepped away from her and threw her to the floor. She saw him smile smugly and turn on his heel, to walk out the room. When the door shut she let out a deep breath, thinking that that had gone better than she thought. She had feared more violence but that was likely to come later. As she pushed herself up off the floor she rested slightly. She gasped and almost cried out as she felt strong arms come around her and lift her off the floor.

"Shh, it's just me, you know."

"Chichiri? What are you doing here?"

"Had to see you, I was worried about you, looks like I had good reason to be. Why didn't you tell me he was treating you so badly? You shouldn't let him treat you like that you know." Chichiri said to her softly as he looked her in the eye. She wouldn't hold his gaze though, instead she looked away nervously and began to fidget with her robes.

"What choice do I have Chichiri, I can't oppose him, he would surely carry out his threats, and I can't leave, it would nullify the alliance and cause a war between our lands. He may be a cold hearted jerk, but he is right, we must appear united before our people if we are to maintain the fragile peace our wedding created."

Chichiri thought about killing WuFang outright, but that would start a war for sure. What could he do, his duty was to Ryo, to protect her, but her duty was to her people, to protect them? If he was there he could protect Ryo from her husband, but that is why WuFang gave him and Tasuki the boot in the first place. He had to find a way to stick around the palace and watch after her, perhaps he could get WuFang alone somewhere and 'chat' with him. That could backfire on him though and he didn't want to make things worse for Ryo. How could Ryo leave WuFang without dishonoring him, especially in front of his people? Chichiri didn't have the answer. Perhaps there was none.

"I will be all right, honest Chichiri," Ryo's voice interrrupted his thoughts. "You should leave, Lord WuFang will be back soon and if he finds you here...Well I am sure it will be bad."

"I ain't leaving you know, that guy isn't laying a hand on you again."

"But Chichiri you know that..." The look in Chichiri's eye stopped her, she wouldn't be able to argue the matter with him. Ryo began to get very worried. There was no good way that this could end.
=====================================================================================
WuFang entered his bride's room that night in a fury, he was upset because the guards had found a bike perched in the shadows outside the palace walls. They thought there might be an intruder. He had thought about firing the lot of them. Incompetent fools, he needed to get his nervous energy out of his system and the time he spent with his bride was useful for that. He had not wanted this marriage, he felt that his army could've easily conquered Konan, but his father had wanted peace, and while his father was still alive, he would stay married to that whiny bitch, and try to make the best out of it. After his father passed he planned to take Konan and get rid of Lady Ryuen. He could see her whimpering for her pitiful life in his mind. The thought brought a wicked smile to his lips and he had to exert a tremendous amount of self control to keep from killing her then, as he stood above her sleeping form. He could still have a lot of fun without killing her, he thought, as he curled his fingers into her hair and wrenched her head back.

"Wakey, wakey, my Lady," he chuckled. Before his wife could respond Lord WuFang was thrown across the room with such force that he fell unconcious as soon as he hit the wall. Chichiri wasn't finished, as he raised his arm above the fallen Lord, he saw Lady Ryuen throw herself on top of her husband. "What are you doing? I almost hit you! Why'd you stop me from placing a spell on that creep?" Chichiri asked incredulously.

"Chichiri you can't kill Lord WuFang, it'd start a war!"

"Well I know that you know'. I just wanted to knock him out or something until I could figure out how to get you out of this. I ain't gonna let him hit you again." Chichiri was miffed, it'd been a good plan and she had ruined it, unless of course he could convince her to move out of the way. "Why don't you just let me place a sleeping spell on him, that'll keep him from botherin' you you know?"

"Chichiri he will send all his guards out to kill you. I can't let you do this. I think you should leave now." Ryo looked very worried. 'This was not going to solve anything,' she thought. The last thing in the world she wanted was for Chichiri to get hurt on her behalf, after all, he wasn't her bodyguard anymore.

"No way am I leavin' you with him, unless I know that he can't hurt you. Come on just let me put him to sleep you know." Chichiri had gotten up and was crossing the floor to where Ryo sat with her husband.

"No Chichiri, now please go, before you make things worse. Lord WuFang will wake up soon and I have to figure out what to tell him. The guards are probably already on their way. If they catch you I won't be able to defend you." Ryo was still using her body as a shield, she knew Chichiri meant well. She didn't want to see him leave, but she had to put her people first. If he didn't leave soon she would start crying again, this was all too much for her.

"Don't worry about me I can handle WuFang's bodyguards." Chichiri had no intention of leaving, but when he saw the water in Ryo's eyes well up, he changed his mind. He could never stand to see her cry. "Fine I'll go, but not far, this isn't over you know." He heard her sigh as he creeped out the window. He would meet up with Lord WuFang again, but he needed to figure out a better plan.
=====================================================================================
Lady Ryuen had taken the place of the servant girl, bringing Lord WuFang his breakfast while he recuperated in his bed. He watched her place the tray on the bedside table, sure that she was more responsible for his current condition than she would admit to. He remembered standing over her as she slept and then waking in his own bed with a tremendous headache and several bumps and bruises. Lady Ryuen claimed that his ailment was the result of the mysterious intruder who had broken into her bedchamber with the intent of kidnapping her for some unknown purpose. She said that he had thwarted the intruder's plans but he didn't think that likely. If such a person did show up it would have given him an excuse to begin raids on Konan's outlying territories. Especially if that person had succeeded in kidnapping her. The intruder was never found and when the guards searched again they found a horse missing as well.

"Are you feeling better?" his wife asked.

"I am fine." he snapped back at her. "Why isn't the servant girl bringing in my food? If she is no longer in the dungeon, she should at least be doing her job."

"I wanted to bring in the food myself, to see how you were, my Lord." Ryo replied humbly.

"How sweet of you, my Lady. I am undeserving of such a doting wife." Lord WuFang's reply dripped with sarcasm and his eyes were the coldest Ryo had ever seen them.

"It was my pleasure, my Lord. I will leave you to rest and heal in peace." Ryo murmured as she bowed and quickly left the room.

As Lord WuFang watched her leave the room a wicked thought jumped into his mind. This intruder had failed but perhaps the next would not, especially if that intruder was under his employ. An intruder who snuck on the palace grounds and killed his Lady, would be ample enough cause for war. It would be proof that the unstable alliance that their marriage had brought, was not enough to control the more dissident people of the region. Only a monumental show of force would bring all the people under a single ruler's control. Luckily he had an army prepared.
====================================================================================
"I can't leave, not now Tasuki." Chichiri had explained the entire episode to his partner, knowing Tasuki would cover his absence. He felt bad about having to put his partner in this position, but he had covered for Tasuki in the past.
"Yeah, I understand, that's too bad about Nuriko. She's a tough kid though Chichiri, if she doesn't want your help you should respect that and let her work things out on her own." Tasuki didn't really care about covering for Chichiri, he was more concerned that his partner was going to get himself into something that he couldn't get out of.

"I think she wants help she's just tied down by her duty to her people. She doesn't know how to get herself out of this, and honestly I don't know how to get her out of it either, but Lord WuFang is more dangerous than Ryo realizes. I get the impression that he is trying to get Ryo to react against him. He's goading her, for what purpose I don't know, but he is a threat to her, even laid up as he is, and that ain't going to last long. He's on the mend and I gotta have some kind of plan before he's up and about again."

"Whatever, just keep your head Chichiri, remember you're not her bodyguard anymore. She has other people she can call upon for help. Calling on you instead will raise suspicion against her and possibly cause more problems than it solves."

"I'll keep it in mind Tasuki, you know. Bye Tasuki." Chichiri ended the link. Tasuki has made some good points, but he was wrong about Ryo having other people she could call on for help. Everyone sworn to protect her now was under the employ of Lord WuFang. Her mother hadn't contacted her since the marriage, she'd never been close to her. He was all she had, and he wouldn't let her down.
===================================================================================
Ryo hadn't seen Chichiri since that night, but she had felt his presence around the palace. He was good, but he couldn't deceive her. She could feel him in her very bones. She had been enjoying herself since her husband's encounter with Chichiri. She had been given a few more administrative details that her husband didn't feel like dealing with, and she had gotten to meet some more of the staff.

She wandered into the garden to relax for a bit when she heard someone walking behind her. She spun around but didn't see anyone. Chichiri wouldn't hide from her, so it must be somebody else, but who? She decided the garden was too secluded and began to make her way towards the rear entrance when a figure appeared before her cutting off her path. She didn't know the man, and he didn't look friendly. He was dressed entirely in black and there was a sheathed sword at his side. She turned to run, but he quickly grabbed her robes from behind, causing her to fall.

"Guards! Guards, there's a..."

He placed his hand over her mouth before she could finish. "They won't come to your aid Lady Ryuen, they've been dismissed. It is just you and me." The man drew a dagger from beneath his shirt and pushed it against her abdomen as he whispered into her ear. She could feel the knife pierce through her skin, and dig into her, she began screaming into his hand. Suddenly the pressure stopped and the man let go of her. She fell to the ground, racked in pain. Through slitted, watering eyes she saw Chichiri wrestle with her attacker. It was a quick fight, the man never even had a chance to draw his sword. Ryo's attacker laid motionless across from her. Chichiri had snapped his neck.

"Don't worry you know, it isn't very deep, you're gonna be okay." Chichiri said as he picked her up carefully and carried her through the palace. They met no resistence, the guards were indeed gone. Ryo said nothing. She couldn't ask her attacker why, or who it was that wanted her dead. She was in shock. She wrapped her hand in Chichiri shirt and buried her face in his chest. She was scared, scared for herself, but more for her people. Leaving the palace would damn them, she thought miserably, but the attack on her had probably damned already. As she began to weep softly, she could hear Chichiri telling her it was going to be okay. It wasn't though, war was coming, it was unavoidable and she knew that it was her fault, her failure to make peace with her husband had caused this. She had failed in her duty to her people and she had lost all honor.
====================================================================================
'The death toll in Southern China continues to rise in only the second week of war. There has already been over 2,000 confirmed deaths, most coming from the outlying villages of the Konan empire. Those villages bordering the Yantzee River are taking the most fire at this time, presumably in an effort to control the water entering the empire and force an early surrender. The fighting began when it was reported that Lady Ryuen was kidnapped from the royal palace by Genbu sympathizers. Hung Cho emporer of Genbu has denied any involvement in the kidnapping, but the body of one intruder was positively identified as YaSing Hun a vocal supporter of...'

"Ryo why are you torturing yourself like this, you know the news never changes?" Chichiri said as he led her aways from the market. He didn't expect an answer. He knew that when he took Ryo from the palace the results would lead to war and war always lead to death, but at the time he didn't see any other option and he couldn't go back and changes things now. Besides he knew that WuFang had played some part in all this, the guards were gone, they had been dismissed, only Lord WuFang could give such an order.

"I must go back, I can still end this." Ryo said as they entered the room they were staying at and Ryuen climbed into bed. She was still recovering from her injury.

"How? How can you end this? You think by showing up in the palace it will set things right? I'm sorry to have to tell you this, you know, but it isn't that easy. You may exonerate Genbu and even take away WuFang's excuse for attacking the villagers, but there will be the desire for revenge, the war will go on." Chichiri sat down on the bed beside her, her hands were balled up in tiny fists and her jaw was clenched tight.

"This is all your fault, Chichiri! I wish you had left me with WuFang. My life is not worth this sorrow. You were selfish to take me away, now all my people are suffering." Ryo cried, she didn't mean most of it but she was upset and there was no other target for her frustration. Chichiri didn't take it personally. He had been expecting some kind of blow up from her for a while now, but it made him wonder. Had he been selfish? Tasuki has hinted to Chichiri that he was being overprotective of Ryo, that she would have to learn to solve her own problems in life and that getting in a few scrapes along the way was unavoidable. Perhaps WuFang was not the treacherous man that Chichiri thought he was. Perhaps they had just walked out when the guards were changing. After all Genbu was known for militant actions in the past. It was a very real possibility that he had sent the intruder to kill Ryo. Whether he had made a mistake or not was irrelevant, Ryo was out of the palace now, he would have to drag her through increased security to get her back there.

End of Part 1