Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ Legacy ❯ Chapter 41

Naru awoke, lifting her head from Mutsumi's breast, the busty Okinawan sleeping on. Smiling at the darker brunette, Naru leaned up to softly kiss Mutsumi's lips, taking a moment to enjoy the feeling of her breasts pressing against Mu-chan's full breasts. Silently sighing, Naru eased out of her futon, tucking the sheets back around her bedmate. Stupid quiz, she thought, hating the idea of having to go to university that morning.

 

Moving toward the bathroom, she paused, smiling a little as she changed course, feet silent and step light. Down the hall, she stopped in front of Shinobu's room. Wonder if our Shinobu-chan is still enjoying her private Keitaro time? she thought to herself, smiling wider as she slid the door open. In the room, she could make out a lump on the bed. Sneaking into the room, she knelt next to the bed, easing the thin cover back. Blinking, she saw Keitaro - still asleep - but no Shinobu.

 

“Shinobu is in the bath,” came the quiet voice of Motoko, from the door. Naru rose, exiting the girl's room.

 

“She woke up early,” noted Naru. Motoko nodded. She had her own bath basket in hand, her naked body shiny and the clean scent of fresh sweat telling Naru that the swordswoman had just finished her morning practice. “Tsuruko and I saw her as we finished our exercise. Care to join us?” Motoko asked grinning.

 

“You know it,” grinned Naru, accompanying her housemate. Like I would miss this! Even if I'm late or miss the quiz, it's worth it! she thought gleefully. The two reached the changing room just as Tsuruko was stepping into the bathing area. Naru and Motoko hurried after the older Aoyama sister.

 

In the bath, Shinobu was just about to step into the spring. “Morning, Shinobu-chan,” purred Naru, nearly dashing to the girl and wrapping her up in a hug.

 

“Good morning, Naru-sempai,” chirped the girl, energetic and upbeat as always. Naru brushed her lips against Shinobu's cheek.

 

“How did you sleep, Shinobu?” whispered Naru into the young woman's ear. She could feel Shinobu's body warm up in her arms.

 

“F..fine!” she squeaked.

 

“How do you feel?” asked Motoko, hugging the girl as well when Naru reluctantly released her.

 

“I feel great!” gushed the girl, a smile stretching across her face. Motoko smiled back before kissing Shinobu's forehead. “That's good,” murmured the tall, proud warrior.

 

“How are you feeling down below?” Tsuruko asked, bending over to kiss the top of Shinobu's head as Motoko helped the girl into the springs. “Any bleeding? Excessive swelling? Sharp pains?” asked the elder Aoyama sister.

 

“I'm a little sore,” admitted Shinobu, hissing softly as she settled into the bath. “And my…pussy,” she forced herself to say it, “is a little swollen, but I didn't see any blood, and there aren't any sharp pains, so I think I'm fine,” she answered Tsuruko's question.

 

“That's a relief,” Tsuruko said, settling in as well. “After that scream you made…”

 

“W…what scream?!” whimpered the girl, blushing.

 

“Last night,” Naru stepping cleanly. “You screamed loud enough that I wouldn't be surprised if they heard you at Todai,” the girl said.

 

“We were a little concerned about you, to tell you the truth,” Motoko took her turn on Shinobu.

 

“Yes, we thought maybe Keitaro had gotten carried away and might have injured you,” Tsuruko finished.

 

“He wouldn't!” insisted Shinobu immediately. “It was just that…” she trailed off, staring at the pre-dawn darkness overhead. The other three could easily see her ear-to-ear leer, and shared amused glances; they knew what she had experienced.

 

“Just what?” pressed Naru, feeling her nipples harden in the warm water.

 

“It was just so perfect,” murmured Shinobu.

 

“That is what we were going for,” came Kanako's voice from the wash area, the dark sister having slipped in unnoticed. “I am surprised you aren't still cuddled up to him, though,” added Kanako, spraying herself with water before beginning to scrub herself clean in preparation for soaking in the hot spring.

 

“I did that for nearly an hour before I got up,” Shinobu confessed, the smug leer welded to her lips. It was heavenly…! the girl recalled dreamily.

 

“So why did you get up?” wondered Naru. Shinobu glanced at the other girls.

 

“Because I am too sensitive to be with him again right now, but if I had stayed in bed with him a moment longer, I would have done it anyway,” sighed the girl. “Since I couldn't do that, I got up. I'll fix him - and you all! - a special breakfast,” she smiled.

 

“That would be wonderful!” Tsuruko enthused. “But, you do know that there are…other ways to be with him that wouldn't have caused you any further discomfort, sensitive or not, correct?” insinuated the woman playfully. Shinobu squirmed.

 

“I…I know,” she admitted. “But, I tried it - before,” she clarified, “and I can't do it right. I need to practice,” she recalled her mental notes.

 

“Problems?” wondered Naru.

 

“No! He's just so big and thick that I kept gagging, even when all I could get in my mouth was the tip,” she shared. “Can you help me learn how to do it right? For Keitaro?” begged the girl. Blinking, Naru realized that she had - once more - underestimated the young girl.

 

“I guess we can,” Naru said, glancing at the other girls.

 

“I wanted to stay with him longer, but since I was too sore, and I can't…suck him off,” her voice dropped as she said that, “I thought it best to remove the temptation before I did something I would probably regret,” she sighed once more.

 

“You are much more mature and practical than most girls are their first time,” commended Tsuruko. I wish I had been that pragmatic about it my first time, she recalled. I over did it, and almost hurt myself. Shinobu avoided such an error. I think I have much to learn from her, the woman thought approvingly.

 

“I just wish I could have done more,” Shinobu said, her tone introspective. “I thought about…you know, with my breasts? but I don't have enough to sandwich him between them,” the girl went on, frowning at her modest but sexy breasts. “I tried to think of something else that I could do that would make him happy, but I couldn't, so I got up. I know my cooking will make him happy,” the girl was once more beaming a smile, her mind clearly on the food she planned to make.

 

“Shinobu, I should tell you something about men,” Kanako said, slipping into the bath beside the girl. “If a girl is with them, they are happy. Keitaro would have been perfectly fine just holding you,” she explained. Shinobu turned to Kanako.

 

“I know,” Shinobu said, her tone serious, “but I wouldn't have been satisfied with just cuddling with him.” Kanako considered that. Surprising the younger Urashima, Shinobu stood, hugging her ally. “Thank you Kanako,” she whispered into the girl's ear.

 

“It was only fair,” Kanako said quietly. To the surprise of the other girls, Shinobu gave Kanako a quick - but deliberate - kiss on the lips before stepping out of the bath.

 

“Breakfast will be ready in about a half hour!” Shinobu called back as she disappeared into the changing room. The other girls were silent for a moment.

 

“I can't believe we were all so completely fooled by her,” Naru sighed.

 

“Yes, I would never have guessed she was so formidable,” Motoko agreed.

 

“I knew she was my greatest rival,” Kanako said, “I just failed to understand how dangerous she is. I am glad she is with us, rather than against us.”

 

“Indeed,” Tsuruko nodded.

 

After another ten minutes in the bath, the girls climbed out, to begin their day. After dressing for class, Naru followed her nose to the kitchen, where she found the Aoyama sisters, the Su sisters, the Urashima women and Kitsune already assembled. The girls were in varying states of dress, with herself being the most dressed.

 

Watching the blur that was Shinobu, Kitsune gave her friend a wry smile. “If she gets any happier, we'll have to chain her down to keep her from floating away,” the woman remarked dryly, though the affection she held for the domestic shone through.

 

“Breakfast smells good, though,” Mutsumi said happily.

 

“Nothing makes a girl happy like getting laid,” agreed Kitsune. The energetic Shinobu swooped out of the kitchen, stopping in front of Kitsune.

 

“Kitsune-sempai, I was told you were the one who came up with the idea,” she said, meeting Kitsune's surprise-opened eyes. “Thank you,” she said, tears in the corner of her eyes.

 

“It was nothing, sugar,” the slacker said, sounding a little unsure of herself; and more puzzlingly, embarrassed. “You deserved it, considering…” she trailed off.

 

“Sempais,” choked out the girl, throwing her arms around Kitsune, who instinctively wrapped up the girl. The other girls gathered around the two.

 

Just outside the dining room, Keitaro yawned as he turned the corner. His mind was going over what had happened last night with Shinobu. I thought she would be with me when I woke up, but she wasn't, he thought. Maybe I just over-slept, but could I have hurt her? he worried. No matter how much he thought he had done good by her, there was a tiny shard of doubt that whispered that maybe he had taken advantage of her or even hurt her.

 

Seeing tears in Shinobu's eyes as she threw herself into Kitsune's embrace sent a cold spike through his heart. Oh, no! I did hurt her! he thought, panicking. Of all the girls, why did I have to hurt Shinobu-chan?! he screamed silently. Spinning, he tried to make a break for it. Have to get out before the other girls come to crucify me, that part of his mind that had been honed to perfection by years of living dangerously warned.

 

“Where do you think you're going?” came Haruka's voice, along with a hand grabbing his arm. Spinning, he saw Haruka holding his bicep, a level look on her face.

 

“I…um…” he groped for an excuse.

 

“You weren't planning to run off, were you?” Haruka hinted.

 

“But, I have to,” hissed Keitaro urgently. She must understand! he wildly begged. “Shinobu is crying, and any minute now, the girls…!”

 

“You think you hurt her last night, is that it?” guessed Haruka. Dumbly, Keitaro blinked.

 

“But, she's crying…” he pointed out. Haruka sighed.

 

“You are dense, Kei-kun,” the woman sighed, a small smile on her lips. Dragging him into the dining room, she raised her voice. “Shinobu, Keitaro is up,” she called. Instantly, a beaming, happy Shinobu leapt at him.

 

“Keitaro!” squealed the girl, seizing him a greedy hug.

 

“Um…good morning?” he wondered. But, she was crying, and now…? his mind ground to a halt, a fatal error message flashing inside his mind.

 

“I'm making a special breakfast,” Shinobu was explaining. “It will be ready in just a bit,” she promised, reluctantly parting from him to scurry back into the kitchen. In her wake, a very confused Keitaro was left, mouth open, mind blank, totally confused. Looking at Kitsune, he spotted the wet spot on her camisole.

 

Slowly, the other girls began to snicker, then giggle. “What's so funny?” wondered Keitaro, looking at himself. Well, I have on my boxers, so I'm not naked, he cataloged. What are they laughing about? he wondered. Haruka had pity on him.

 

“Kei-kun,” she said, giving him a gentle shake, “girls can cry when they are happy, too, you know,” hinted Haruka. Seconds passed as that processed through his sometimes-sluggish mind.

 

“So…oh!” he gaped, almost wilting with relief. The girls howled with laughter.

 

“Keitaro, you are unbelievable!” Kitsune brushed a tear from her eye.

 

“How was I supposed to know?” he wondered, feeling self-conscious.

 

“You really don't understand girls, Onii-chan,” Kanako offered, giving him a small smile.

 

“I guess not,” he shrugged, scratching the back of his head. “Maybe you could teach me?” he asked the group at large.

 

“Not on your life!” Naru denied the request, the other girls nodding their heads vigorously. Keitaro sighed. Same old, same old, he thought. For some reason, that thought didn't bother him in the least.

 

-

 

Keitaro stretched his back, feeling the faint tugs from where Shinobu's nails had left tiny lines down his back. Grinning, he shook his head. Shinobu-chan's certainly energetic, recalled the young man, recalling the night before and even that morning. His most reliable assistant had been a whirlwind that morning, tearing through the chores like there was no tomorrow. That strange smile never left her lips, either, recalled Keitaro. She only blushed and shook her head when I asked her why she was smiling so much, too.

 

Looking at the blue sky and scattered white clouds, he couldn't help but feel dangerously good. Something had changed in the last few weeks, but he couldn't quite decide exactly what had changed. It's strange, he mused, carefully stacking the spare roof tiles to put back in storage, but it's not even that I have slept with the girls. Something else has changed. Something, but I don't know what. Keitaro picked up the stack of left-over tiles, pausing to once more look over the repair job before climbing down the ladder.

 

He had just finished replacing broken tiles on one of the connecting walkways between the main house and one of the outside patio areas, and was looking forward to some lunch. Glancing up and back, he saw that the laundry was already hung to dry, the railing along the third floor walkway had been stained and waxed, and that the trim on the Hinata House had been finished after three days of progress. It helps to have help from the girls, Keitaro smiled. Motoko and Tsuruko were working with him, and now that she was out of school, Shinobu could help full-time. Also, the additional workload that Naru and Kitsune were carrying added to the resources he had. Haruka and Kanako were also carrying a large percentage of the work, though Kanako concentrated on the administrative and Haruka had been tending to organizational issues.

 

Tucking the tiles into the storage shed hidden at the edge of the Hinata House's estate wall, Keitaro saw that someone had gotten into the shed, cleaned, organized and re-stoked the supplies kept there. Spotting a plastic-covered sheet of paper tacked to the door frame, he found that whoever had done it had taken the time to create a list of materials kept, where they were, and how much of each should be kept on hand. He chuckled. “Kanako-chan,” he shook his head.

 

“No, that was my doing,” came an amused voice from just behind him, making him jump.

 

“Gah! Don't do that granny!” he snapped, picking himself up off the floor of the storehouse. His grandmother just smirked at him. “Where have you been lately?” he asked the white-haired old woman.

 

“Been busy, Kei-kun,” shrugged the head of the family. Keitaro had learned early on that when Granny Hina didn't want to talk, she wouldn't. Period.

 

“Oh,” he replied. About the only thing I can say to that, the thought flickered through his mind. “So, um, what are you doing here?” he asked.

 

“We need to talk for a bit - privately,” Hina said. Keitaro gulped nervously. The old matriarch chucked.

 

“It's not like that,” she assured him. “If I had a problem with you sleeping with your cousin, adopted sister and all the girls in your dorm, I wouldn't have let you do it,” pointed out Hina. “But,” she said, her tone more serious, “that is somewhat relevant to what we need to discuss.”

 

“Ah…” Keitaro replied weakly. Hina tossed her head toward the back of the property, an over-grown stone walkway following the wall from the store house to the Annex and far end of the property. Obeying his grandmother, he followed her toward the back of the property.

 

“Last time I took this path, it wasn't overgrown,” Hina mused casually. “You should spend some time on landscaping,” suggested the old woman.

 

“I will, granny,” he meekly assured her. She shrugged.

 

“Just a suggestion,” she insisted. Yeah, right! thought Keitaro derisively. “Has it been so long since then?” murmured Hina. Shaking her head, she glanced at Keitaro, who didn't seem to have heard her. “The Hinata is in better shape now than it has been for years,” she said, the two passing from view of the main house.

 

“Well, it's been hard to keep up with the work before now, with everything going on and all…” Keitaro began. Hina snorted.

 

“Helps when the girls aren't knocking you through the walls, ceiling and floors every day too, right?” she said, her tone vaguely sarcastic. Before he could insist that the girls hadn't been that bad - even though everyone but him knew that they had been - she continued. “And speaking of the girls, have you made your choice yet?” she asked him, motioning to a large, low boulder not far from the grass-choked stone path. “You have talked with them all now, haven't you?” she inquired, her tone archly suggestive.

 

Keitaro felt himself blushing. “Um, yeah I have…talked with them,” he managed, stumbling a little. Granny Hina leered up at him.

 

“Yes, I think you have…talked with them,” she echoed him wickedly. “And? Did they sooth your fears about this idea they have?” pressed Hina. Keitaro pursed his lips, looking up at the sky.

 

“They're all serious,” he said quietly. “And they seem to know what they are doing,” he added. “I just can't help but wonder if I'm going to let them down,” he confided to his granny.

 

“Those girls believe in you, Keitaro,” Granny Hina said. “Maybe you should believe in them?” suggested the head of the family. Keitaro slowly smiled.

 

“I do trust them,” he said. His grandmother watched him.

 

“That mean you've decided?” she repeated herself.

 

“I have,” he said softly. Hina nodded.

 

“That's good,” she said. “It means we can move into the most difficult stage,” she sagely noted. Keitaro frowned.

 

“Most difficult stage?” he parroted her. “What do you mean, granny? And don't you want to know who I chose?” he asked, slightly insulted that she hadn't even asked. Granny shook her head.

 

“Not my business,” denied the old woman. “Any of them would be a fine choice, and you will have all of them, so who cares?” she grinned insolently. Keitaro slumped, making her cackle. You have good instincts, grandson, thought the old woman, but you are a thousand years too early to try and jerk my chain! She was glad to see that he had the family sense of humor after all. I was a little worried, since his mother didn't have a bit of the family sense of fun-loving humor, Hina mused happily.

 

“So, what is this difficult stage stuff, Granny?” Keitaro asked, unenthusiastic.

 

“Well, we have to negotiate with the Aoyamas, of course,” Hina began to tic off items, using her fingers. “Also, we need to arrange the legal side things. Then, there is the issue with Molmol, which has international implications. You do realize that marrying a foreign princess is not like going to a shrine for a quasi-legal quickie marriage, right?” pressed Hina. Keitaro nodded. “Fortunately, the Molmolians are still more or less an isolated nation, which means that it will be fairly easy on their end. More difficult will be arranging things on this end.”

 

“Arranging things? I don't think that there is a way to arrange this,” Keitaro said. Hina leered at him.

 

“Oh, don't underestimate we Urashima,” warned Hina gleefully. “The emperor made us the administrators of the empire for a reason. Trust me,” grinned the old woman, “it can be done! Getting the Aoyama to agree will be harder than making this thing legal,” she shared.

 

“Hey!” something occurred to Keitaro, “I never said I would chose an Aoyama!” Hina snerked.

 

“No, but you are, aren't you?” she challenged him. Keitaro worked his mouth for a moment before looking away with an aggravated sigh. Hina smiled. “As I was saying,” she picked up where she had been interrupted, “we need to get to work on things. In addition to all that other stuff, we need to deal with Shinobu's parents and Naru's parents. Shouldn't be difficult, but it needs to be done to keep things from getting out of hand later.”

 

“Later?” wondered Keitaro. Hina nodded.

 

“When you start having kids with the girls, things will get more complicated,” warned the old woman. “Doing things right from the start keeps you from having to re-do them later - after things have gone to hell,” lectured Hina. Keitaro twitched at that blunt reminder.

 

“And we need to see if we can fix things between Na-chan and her sister, too,” Keitaro thought out loud. Hina glanced at him.

 

“You know about that?” she asked him. He shrugged.

 

“The girls sort of mentioned that the two had a falling out while I was gone. Something about some incident. Naru said that her sister didn't want to see her again, too,” he frowned. Hina watched him.

 

“Well, that's one way of looking at it,” said Hina. “But, I am sure we can fix that, too,” she promised her grandson. He looked at her hopefully.

 

“We can? Really?” he asked eagerly. Hina nodded.

 

“Pretty sure,” she winked at him.

 

“That's good!” he breathed, relieved. I don't want Na-chan to lose her sister because of me, he thought. Had the girls known what he was thinking, they would have had some words for him, so it was for the best that they didn't know what he was thinking.

 

“Yes,” nodded Hina. “As I was saying,” she relentlessly dragged the conversation back to the issue at hand, “once we get everyone on the same page, we still have to figure out what to do about some related issues.”

 

“Issues?” wondered Keitaro. “If everyone agrees, then…?”

 

“You need to look at the bigger picture, Keitaro,” Hina said. “You will be marrying more than a woman of the Aoyama. Our houses - all the houses! - will be joined. Registries will have to be updated, lineage scrolls will have to be amended, estates will have to be merged, and wills will need to be corrected, to name but a few of the details this will involve.”

 

Seeing that he still wasn't really getting it, Hina expanded on the theme. “Your marriage to one of the Aoyama sisters will mean that one day, a child of the two of you will inherit both the Hinata house and our Tokyo holdings, and the Aoyama family estate in Kyoto and the holdings of the family there. In addition, children from you and your wife and mistresses will rise to be clan elders, family heads and likely powerful figures in government. Normally, that would be enough. But we are faced with multiple issues, since not only will the Aoyama and Urashima families finally merge, but the Turtle Cult will be combining their line with ours, as will the Molmolian royal family. It is not unlikely that a child of yours and the princess could be king - or queen - of Molmol one day.”

 

She let that sink in for a few moments. “We will have extensive holdings to manage here in Japan, as well as in Molmol. Houses and estates in Tokyo, Kyoto and Okinawa. Responsibilities and holdings in Molmol, and possibly holdings from the Maehara and Narusegawa families as well, though that has not yet been decided.” Keitaro blinked.

 

“That's a lot of work,” he breathed. Hina nodded, humming.

 

“Good thing that you'll have a big family then, eh?” she smiled. Mutely, Keitaro nodded. Minutes passed. “When are you going to tell the girls?” asked Hina.

 

“Tonight,” he said softly. Hina nodded.

 

“That means that tomorrow, you have the hardest, most dangerous task before you,” warned the head of the family.

 

“I don't understand what you mean, granny,” Keitaro said, confused. Hina cackled.

 

“Tomorrow, you have to tell your parents you are getting married!” she chortled. Keitaro's face drained of color.

 

“Oh, shit!”

 

-

 

Evening found the house assembled in the living room, having just finished a meal by Shinobu that not only had made them wonder if she was human, but had also been big enough to feed a rifle platoon. The older girls had been certain that their young domestic was still floating on her `Keitaro high' from the night before. Supporting her belief was the persistent, brilliant smile on the girl's face.

 

But, dinner was done, and the girls had assembled as Keitaro had requested, all of them feeling nervous, yet anticipating what he had to tell them. Looking at the girls, Keitaro felt flashes of panic mixed with dread flicker through him. I hope they take this well, part of him worried. His eyes fell on the two Aoyama sisters, sitting side by side in the center of the couch, apparently calm and collected. Next to them was Naru. All the deadliest elements in one place, I see, he thought absently. Sitting casually on the arms of the couch were Haruka and Kanako. Keitaro felt better.

 

It somewhat surprised him to find that the flashes were consistently overwhelmed by a sense of calm fondness. I do love them, he mused, watching as Kitsune settled in front of Naru, Mutsumi settling in the chair and pulling Shinobu onto her lap. Amalla and Kaolla settled in front of the swordswomen. Kaolla had a small invention in her hands, but didn't seem to be working on it, her attention focused on him. Standing in front of the group, he swallowed. Guess it is time, he thought.

 

“Wait for me!” came the lively voice of Hina, the head of the family sweeping in from the door that led to the inner yard. “Got a little distracted,” she explained, sliding the door closed behind her. “Kuro-chan?” she called.

 

“Here, meow!” said Kanako's cat, slipping past Keitaro from the main door. Kuro brushed his jaw along Keitaro's leg as he did so, flowing up into Kanako's lap like a liquid shadow, his luminescent yellow eyes and big ears the most visible part of the feline. Keitaro blinked, not seeing the bell that was usually tied to his tail with a length of ribbon.

 

“Where's your bell?” he asked the cat. A single tinkle caused him to look at Kuro's tail, seeing his sister making a cute, tight bow in the blue ribbon she had used to tie the bell to his tail. He could have been imagining it, but he thought Kuro might have been smirking at him. Wonder what he was doing back there? Keitaro thought before dismissing it. Glancing out the window, he spotted Shippu settled on the walkway, next to the open window. His hears heard a clicking and a soft scraping sound. Looking past the couch, he spotted the white mass of Shiro lay down on the floor of the hall, close to Amalla. Guess we're all here, he thought.

 

“Um, I guess we're all here,” he said, finding the girls watching him intently - and with a strange sort of intensity he had never seen from them before. “I wanted to tell you all something,” he continued. “After talking with each of you…”

 

“Can't wait to talk with you again, sugar,” leered Kitsune, licking her lips. Keitaro twitched, but none of the girls exploded or even reacted beyond a few swift, almost covert glances at each other. Most disconcerting to him were the fleeting smiles he thought he saw exchanged between the girls. I'm imagining it, he scoffed at himself.

 

“Ah…” he cleared his throat. “As I was saying, I have talked with each of you, and if you are really sure you want to go through with this, I'll try my best to make it work,” he said.

 

“You promise?” asked Mutsumi, smiling warmly at him. Keitaro nodded.

 

“Promise, Mu-chan,” he assured her.

 

“That's good enough for us!” Naru exclaimed.

 

“Once you promise, you see it through,” nodded Kitsune.

 

“Let's hear what Keitaro wanted to tell us,” Motoko said calmly, though her hand covertly gripped her sister's hand, squeezing it nervously.

 

“Keitaro?” asked Shinobu softly, Mutsumi's arms wrapped around her slim waist, her silky hair resting against the busty girl's cheek. Keitaro had never seen something so enticing in his life. Unnoticed, his pants shifted as his dick stiffened.

 

“Oh!” he shook himself out of his fixation. “I was going to ask if it was ok with you all if I asked Motoko to be my wife - I mean, main wife! Or Japanese wife! My…!”

 

“We know what you mean,” Naru said, her tone amused. “I think it is the best choice, considering,” she added. Motoko was blushing heavily, and she might have been trembling a little. “Mo-chan?” prodded Naru.

 

“I…I am honored, Keitaro-sama,” stammered Motoko. “I will do all I can to be an honorable wife…” she rambled.

 

“If you are going to be honorable, you might have to make some difficult choices about just what `honor' entails,” Hina interjected smoothly. “After all, you will be sharing your husband with the other girls; and even getting married several times,” she reminded the younger Aoyama sister.

 

“I know,” murmured the blushing girl. Our traditional interpretations of honor will not work so well in this instance, but I want to be honorable to Keitaro, even if it is not in a traditional manner, she thought. Hina was smiling at her.

 

“I suspect that Yayoi would understand,” Hina said softly, reaching out to pat Motoko's knee. Keitaro was frowning slightly. “Something wrong, Keitaro?” asked Hina, grinning.

 

“You all don't seem surprised,” he said to the girls at large. The girls glanced at each other.

 

“It was kind of obvious it would be Motoko or Tsuruko,” said Kitsune began.

 

“And since you are more familiar with Motoko, it makes sense it would be her,” Shinobu continued the thought.

 

“Besides, you have to choose Motoko so I can marry her, too!” chirped Su eagerly. Amalla sighed. Keitaro looked just a little sullen. Guess my `surprise' isn't so surprising…he thought dejectedly.

 

“Aw, cheer up,” Haruka smiled at him. “Would it help if we acted surprised?” she snickered.

 

“Never mind,” sighed Keitaro.

 

“So, what order are we going to be getting married in, Kei-kun?” asked Mutsumi. Keitaro blinked, along with Naru and Kitsune.

 

“Order?” he wondered.

 

“Well, you are marrying me, too. And Kaolla,” Mutsumi reminded him. “We can't have all the weddings at once, you know. So, which wedding are we going to have first?” The girls looked at each other.

 

“We…never discussed that,” breathed Naru.

 

“Kaolla must be married on Molmol,” Amalla said. “Also, the time when she can be married is limited,” added the elder sister.

 

“Limited?” wondered Kitsune. “What do you mean, limited?”

 

“For a princess of the royal family to marry, there are certain astrological considerations,” Amalla said.

 

“Like what?” wondered Kanako, her mind in gear.

 

“She has to be married on the first full moon of her bond pledge's month, for one thing,” Amalla began.

 

“The wedding is at night?” wondered Naru. Kaolla nodded.

 

“Yep! Because you can only see the ceremony at night,” the genius shared happily. “And because the ceremony of completion is to be performed in the light of the moon.”

 

“Ceremony? What kind of ceremony?” wondered Naru. Kaolla opened her mouth, but Amalla put her hand over her kid sister's mouth.

 

“You can't talk about that, Kaolla,” she reminded her sister. “You are pledged, so any talk about the ceremony is forbidden.” Seeing the looks on the faces of the others, she waved a hand. “Tradition,” she dismissed it.

 

“How about you, Mutsumi-sempai?” asked Shinobu.

 

“Oh, we're pretty easy,” she smiled at the girl in her lap. “Other than having to be married at the temple, we only have to meet one other criteria - and I am working on that even now,” she smiled easily.

 

“So, we need to figure out which order to have the ceremonies in,” Kanako murmured, clearly working on the puzzle.

 

“We also need to ram this down the throats of the Aoyama elders,” cackled Hina, clearly looking forward to doing the ramming. “And there are some arrangements to be made, as well. Na-chan, Shinobu, we need to discuss this with your families,” she said. Both of the girls blinked.

 

“We do?” wondered Naru. “What are we supposed to tell them?” wondered the brunette.

 

“Well, Mei would probably like to know you are no longer the raging ball of misplaced anger you were before,” suggested Kitsune, grinning up at Naru.

 

“Quiet, you,” muttered Naru.

 

“Shinobu-chan, your parents have split up, but they, too, should be told that you are going to be marrying,” Hina continued. Shinobu was smiling, her eyes a little clouded.

 

“I will tell them,” she said, “just not everything,” added the girl a moment later.

 

“Why is it so important that we tell our families?” wondered Naru.

 

“Because you are both mentioned in their wills, and have inheritances coming at some point in the future,” Haruka stepped in. “That needs to be addressed.” Both girls blinked, suddenly seeing the larger picture.

 

“Glad I don't have any of that baggage,” Kitsune said casually. Keitaro looked at her, seeing her eyes were squinted when she said it.

 

“You will soon,” he said quietly. Kitsune actually blushed slightly.

 

“So,” Hina said, bringing the topic back to where it needed to be, “let's divide and conquer, shall we?” she grinned. The group was still talking, planning and arranging things when midnight passed.