Hiding Behind a Mask

She started to cut into the steak with teeth as they didn't really have utensils. Some of the blood on her face. Some knights watching as she completey demolished the steak within a minute. "My lady do you happen to enjoy hunting?" One of them asked. Giyuu looked up and realized a bunch of the knights were looking at her. "Never tried." She said. Sanemi came and sat next to her and handed her a rag to clean up the blood.

"Don't lie. Hunting a full grown monster and shreading it to bits is hunting." Sanemi said eating his food. "A full grown monster!?" One of the young knights asked. "You give me to much credit, I was hungry and enraged by my insiticts." She said. "You would make an amazing apex predator." Sanemi said.

"You're like a panther or a leopard." Sanemi continued. Giyuu was getting embarrassed. "Quiet." She muttered. "Would you ever give hunting a try, my lady? The emperor is holding a hunting competition since his birthday is coming up soon." One of the knights said.

"I feel I would be at an advantage, as I have heightened senses. For example, a deer is over there in a clearing. I can hear it's heart beat and see it's every moment, I can even smell it." She said. "I don't think a deer would be over there, there are wolves in this area." A knight said trying to look for this deer she was talking about.

"There are wolves all around us, there are wolves stalking the deer as well." She said. Sanemi stood up and grabbed a bow and arrow, "Well, my dear, let's see if those insticnts are any good, you've been out of practice for a while now." Sanemi said trying to hand it to her, she chuckled and stood up standing close to his face. "Are you challenging me?" Giyuu asked smiling. "Maybe." Sanemi said with the same teasing tone. "I don't need it." She said turning towards the woods and stalking her prey.

She took a closed her eyes and took a breath in smelling the deer as it ate the grass. She listened to it's breathing and heart beat. She opened her eyes and instantly was in the woods. Vampires were fast creatures of the night. Sanemi chuckled as he watched her disapper into the shadows.

"She is very fast." A knights said shocked with how she just basically vansished before their eyes. "And very strong." Sanemi added. "Seems the commander really pines for her." One of them joked. "No shit sherlok, I don't just pine for her, I lust for her." Sanemi spoke. Before another word could be said whimpering like a wolf echoed throughout the forest. Sanemi eyed the woods were Giyuu disappered and out she came holding a dead deer in one hand and a dead wolf in the other. "And who is out of practice?" Giyuu asked Sanemi as she walked up to him, covered in blood.

"Seems like I was wrong, my dear." Sanemi said with eyes filled with love. Giyuu chuckled. "So what was this about you lusting for me?" Giyuu asked raising an eyebrow. Sanemi chuckled. "I don't just lust for you, I love you." Sanemi said. The knights heard this and started to clear out of the area to give them time alone.

She dropped both dead animals and grabbed a hold of Sanemi and yanked him close. "It seems I am going to have a hard time holding myself back." Giyuu whispered. Sanemi chuckled. "Just one more day." He whispered back leaning into a kiss. She smiled and kissed back.

That night she was in the cariagge sleeping soundly and Sanemi was outside sleeping in a tent sleeping soundly. But it wasn't comfortable for either of them. Ever since they got married they seem to dislike being away from each other for so long. Even if being away for "so long" is only a couple of hours.

The next morining they were up pretty early packing up camp. The same young knight from before looked at the cariagge. "Should we wake the lady up so she can come and eat breakfast?" He asked. The knights around even Sanemi laughed. "Vampires can't be out in sunlight." Sanemi answered. "But I'll bring her something to eat in a bit." Sanemi said. The young knight smiled and Sanemi smiled back.

Sanemi stared at him for a couple of seconds and started to think. To think about kids. Kids would be a nice addition to their family and Giyuu was kind towards children. He decided to talk about it with her later. 

They eventually got back on the road not before Sanemi checking on Giyuu and giving her some blood that they had harvested before heading out on this journey. They were riding for most of the day and the sun was pretty high into the afternoon when all of a sudden while riding through the forest it disappered and they could only see the moon. "Where did the sun go?" The young knight asked. Just then the door to the carriage swung open and Giyuu stepped out.

"We are here kid." Sanemi said. Giyuu walked a bit and looked at the great castle before her. The place she grew up, the land around it her domain. It was cold and dark here and it looked as if this was hell, but as Sanemi watched Giyuu glistening in the moonlight he was sure this was heaven. 

Sanemi helped her onto his horse as she was tierd of the carriage and they rode to the castle. Giyuu basically barged in, Sanemi was outside making sure everything was in order. "How disrespectful! Barging into the Tomioka family hom-!!!" A butler yelled as he walked down the stairs not realizing who he was yelling at. "My lady....the master isn't here..." The butler said standing down as he was met with her glare. "I know...my father is dead...which makes me your master now." Giyuu said walking past him. 

"The maste- I mean your father is dead?" The butler asked following her. "Yes, tragic accident. My husband was appointed commander of the imperal army and I know my father had barriacks built here as he thought it would be him so we thought it would be best to make use of my birth right." She said walking through the rooms getting to her father's study. "I understand, my lady...but I must ask...who is your husband?" he asked confused. "Father never told you?" She asked. 

"No, he didn't want to talk about you anymore after he took you away from home..." He explained. Giyuu sighed. "I am married to Sanemi Shinazugawa, now commander to the imperal army." She continued. "Make sure everything is up to my standards and if you have questions come ask, don't assume, come ask. We are not doing things my father's way, but my way, this is my home and I will restore the glory that this place once had." She said as she walked into the office. 

The butler scurried off to gather the servents and maids to put them to work. It was a busy first day there, Sanemi was getting his knights situated and Giyuu was going over the ledgers, also known as money books, and everything else that had been neglected for so long as her father did not wish to do anything "exhuasting" it made her upset in the past because the Tomioka castle was known for its amazing status and he was ruining that, so now that she had full control she was going to make sure it was kept to that satus.

End of Chapter Eight.