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Empress & Concubine	By : tinkerheck Category: Final Fantasy VII > General Views: 1952 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII from the Final Fantasy Universe, or any of its forms or related media. I do not own these characters. I spent money to learn about this series, and I make no money in borrowing it.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
++++++++ Please see disclaimer & story notes in chapter one ++++++++
++++++++ chapter notes ++++++++
I fly beta-less. Please forgive the typos.
As always, thanks for reading!

+

Empress & Concubine

Chapter Four

Birthday Presents & Silent Confessions

+
Vincent had decided to hide in his cabin on the Shera shortly after the conversation with Nanaki and Godo had come to an end. He headed back up to his guest room in the palace to grab his things, fully expecting to hear his noisy neighbors still going at it. But the only thing he heard coming from Reno’s room was two distinct, even breathing patterns, which indicated the room’s occupants had fallen asleep. It was likely safe to stay put until morning, but the fact that they were still there, next to him, and together… this was eating away at him. He considered himself fortunate that Galian had decided to keep his opinion to himself on his host’s current emotional state, but he wasn’t about to stay put in that room, either.
He grabbed his gear and headed for the Shera, logged himself back into the ship’s manifest, and barricaded himself in his quarters.
No one came looking for him all morning, even after the ship left Wutai and landed at several destinations, dropping off everyone from Barret to Reeve. When the airship began heading in the direction of Cosmo Canyon, Vincent took advantage of the shower in his bathroom, then got his pack in order and headed for the loading deck, intending to sneak out before anyone could force him into a farewell conversation.
Unfortunately when he got there, he wasn’t alone. He felt Cid’s eyes on him as soon as he walked past the pilot.
“Hey, stranger! Finally. We’re at Cosmo Canyon now. Droppin’ off Nanaki.”
Vincent moved to mouth of the deck, shouldering his pack. “I know where we are.”
Cid frowned at the man’s back. “Uh, okay… Well, ya didn’t put yer destination down in the ship’s manifest when you clocked in at–” Cid checked the screen on the ship’s computer with a dramatic flair, then squinted in disbelief. “Four tweny-fuckin-seven a.m.? Hello. Whassa matter, Vince? You don’t like sleepin’ on a nice fluffy bed in a royal palace?”
Vincent elected to ignore the crass, nosy pilot, but managed to throw a warning glance his way. Cid got the hint.
“All right, all right. So where can I take you?”
“There is no need, I’ll be staying with Nanaki for a while.”
Cid paused again, as Vincent strode out onto the deck.
“Vincent.”
Oh, here it comes. Not Cid too.
The gunslinger stopped and turned, and looked at Cid a long time before saying, “Yes?”
“If yer fixin’ to go and fall off the face of Gaia again… Just don’t forget you got people who care about you.”
“I know that, Cid.”
“…Yuffie bein’ one of ‘em.”
He didn’t answer. Cid shook his head, sighing. The pilot cleared his throat, and spoke louder than necessary. “Well, I got to get goin’! Stuff to do! Lots of stuff. Ya’ll gonna get off yer mangy ass offa my ship already, or what?”
“Hn.”
Vincent turned and jumped the rail, hitting the dusty ground below with a soft thud. He was determined to catch up to Nanaki, because he wasn’t yet aware he was going to have Vincent’s company for the next several weeks.
+
“Oh, by the way… I ran into Godo on the way up here.”
Yuffie narrowed her eyes at Reno. “And?”
“He asked me to remind you that making as much noise in the wee hours of the morning as we made last Thursday is not discreet and violates the agreement.” Reno snickered, tossing himself onto a couch.
It was now several weeks since Yuffie had been crowned Empress, and Reno’s visits to the palace had become both commonplace and a well-kept secret. The guest room he stayed in was littered with his toiletries and clothes, as he had quit taking his things back and forth and just left them there for the next time he showed up.
“Oh, and you have a meeting with the royal architects tomorrow morning, so do not be late.”
“The hell, Reno? Are you his damn secretary now, or what?”
“Hey – he talks nice to me now, and that’s good enough. It’s so much better than being caught between my extreme desire to fuck you senseless and having the parts necessary to do just that torn off by your scary, scary father. Your old man’s cool, and I like him.”
“Oh great, you’re buds now.”
He smiled at her. Crossing his arms behind his head, Reno gazed at her embroidered kimono. “I like that color on you, Yuffs.”
“Yeah?” She touched the lavender-colored silk, running a fingertip over the dark blue embroidery on the sleeve, an elaborate design of leaves and branches. “This was one of Mama’s.”
There was a tinge of sadness in her voice. For reasons that Reno didn’t want to think about, he both hated and loved the fact that he could already determine her moods very easily.
“It goes perfect with your eyes. Now take it off and come over here.”
+
Vincent tossed another log on the fire. He was poking at the embers when he heard Nanaki saunter up behind him.
“It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?” Nanaki lay down on the ground in front of the fire pit, a few feet away from Vincent. “Perfect for stargazing,” he said, looking up at the twinkling lights in the clear sky.
Vincent smiled as he continued to poke the logs in the fire. “Do you think I should be moving on,” he muttered, although it wasn’t a question.
“I never said any such thing,” Nanaki’s voice had an amused tone to it. “But if you think it is time for you to leave, I will not be offended.”
“Hn.”
They sat in silence for a long time before Vincent spoke again.
“I am aging. I can feel it now.”
Nanaki looked back at his friend. “Is that what’s been bothering you all this time?”
Vincent frowned. “Many things are bothering me, I’m afraid. But I am sorry that I will not be there for you as I promised. I’m going to age and die like everyone else, and I will not be here to talk with you as I said I would.”
“Well… you’re talking to me right now, Vincent.” Nanaki’s tail switched back and forth, his eyes glittering. “Your situation has changed, and I don’t measure the value of your friendship based on that,” he said quietly. “If I do outlive you, I will definitely miss your company when you are gone. But you should know that I am not frightened anymore.”
Vincent nodded, but stayed silent.
It had been good for him, coming to stay in Cosmo Canyon. He’d had time to think about what had happened with Yuffie. Sharing some of that with Nanaki had helped him to understand his own feelings a little better.
“You aren’t going to completely ignore the Empress now, are you?”
Vincent smiled. It was safe to let his emotions show in the dark.
“I do not know. The truth is, I am sorry that I was not brave enough to try and have a proper relationship with her earlier… but it is too late now. She’s learning how to run her country. She has enough going on without me adding to the list of concerns.”
“I don’t think Yuffie sees you as a concern, Vincent.”
The gunslinger sighed. “Perhaps not, but she’s with someone else now.”
Nanaki stared at him for a bit, then got up. “Wait here a moment, will you?”
Vincent nodded as the beast moved past him. Nanaki was gone for some time, and when he returned, he was carrying a cardboard box in his mouth. Setting the package down next to Vincent, he returned to his spot by the fire.
“That is from Cloud. It arrived here a week or so after the coronation. I was told to give it to you when you could freely admit to yourself that your feelings for Yuffie go further than just friendship.” The beast stretched, sprawling onto his side and lazily flexing his claws in the firelight. He closed his eyes and yawned before saying, “I do not know what is inside the box, but it smells just like the Empress.”
Nanaki began to doze, so Vincent quietly opened the box. Inside was a coil of thick, dark braided hair, held together at either end with green elastic hair bands. Even if he didn’t recognize the color and texture of the hair, even if he hadn’t gone to the coronation and seen Yuffie’s new hairstyle for himself, he would have known it was hers because her scent was all over it, and his nose was just as sensitive as Nanaki’s.
Underneath Yuffie’s hair was a sealed envelope with his name written on it. He recognized the distinct, clipped style of Cloud’s handwriting. Grateful for the privacy afforded by the Canyon’s remote location, he opened the envelope and removed the note.
Vincent,
Yuffie asked Tifa to have me throw this at you out of spite after our gathering last July. The Princess was ticked off. Tifa was pissed too. But we decided to wait.
I saw you watching Yuffie and Reno at the coronation. Don’t get bent out of shape about that rooster. Whatever it is that they are doing together, Tifa says they’re still just friends.
Empress or not, Yuffie’s still got it bad for you even if things are a lot more complicated for her now. But if you manage to get another chance, do NOT pass her up this time, you idiot.
C.
Vincent smiled. The deeply personal nature of the note should have been enough to cause him to seek solace in Shinra Mansion, but surprisingly he felt no compulsion to run. Part of him felt horrified that their argument had been a factor in Yuffie’s impulse to cur her hair off. He knew she was secretly proud of herself for growing it out. Yet another part of him, a bigger part, felt a certain gratification. A very masculine gratification. The fact that she wanted to throw her clippings at him was proof that her feelings were as strong as she had claimed.
The girl was pretty, talented, and determined. Dating Yuffie might not have been such a bad idea after all.
He read the note over a couple more times just to be sure he was reading it correctly. Cloud was in favor of the idea. So was Tifa. He wasn’t all that happy that they knew so much about his personal business, but at least they were two of the most trustworthy people he had ever met. Between them and Nanaki, he had no doubt that his feelings concerning Yuffie would be respected.
At the very least, Cid hadn’t been involved. That would have been an embarrassing disaster of epic proportions.
“Pleasant news, I trust?” Nanaki’s good eye opened, a bright slit in the darkness.
“Why do you ask?”
The beast sniffed the air and licked his lips. He closed his eye again. “You smell happy.”
“Hn.” Vincent touched the glossy braid, running his fingertip over the sections.
“Her surprise birthday party is in three weeks.”
“Indeed it is.”
“You will be there, yes?”
“I will.”
“Yuffie does not like to flaunt her status in front of her people, so we are all supposed to bring ‘cheap’ presents. That was the rule set forth in the invitation I got from Councilwoman Chekov.” Nanaki sighed. “I simply have no idea what to get her.”
Vincent paused at that. It suddenly occurred to him what he could get her. It was the perfect idea, and no one else could possibly get her the same thing. But it certainly wouldn’t be cheap, so he’d just have to sneak it in when Chekov and the others weren’t looking.
“I will stay and help you find something personal that she will appreciate. After that I have to go back to Nibelheim for a short time.”
“Oh?” Nanaki yawned again, sleep not far off. “Will you arrange transportation for me when the time comes?”
“Of course,” Vincent said. “I look forward to it.”
“I hope they don’t get drunk and aggravate farm animals at her party. That was embarrassing…”
Vincent smiled. “Get some sleep, Nanaki.”
+
As she was now Empress, Yuffie knew that a party for her twenty-third birthday was in the works, but no one was acting like they remembered, so it was probably going to be of the ‘surprise’ variety. She missed her friends, and wished they could be there, but whatever her father and Chekov had planned she would appreciate it.
There were many things about her new life that she liked. Godo and her private staff kept her sane and happy. Reno provided the most satisfying form of stress relief, even though his visits were becoming less frequent. It was clear his shoulder (as well as the rest of him) was always available to her, and the two of them knew they were going to be friends for life. The High Priest visited often, and had proven himself to be an excellent and reliable confessor. She had never given much thought to the clergy before, but had come to appreciate all the things they did for Wutai’s people.
Yuffie spent as much time as she could visiting people’s homes, farms, ranches and shops. The people certainly saw her as their Empress, but she never stopped emphasizing equality, so they did not see her as an elitist. Because of that they felt free enough to give her their honest opinion about Wutai’s future, which was exactly what she wanted.
The amount of time she got to spend in the dojo with Shake was not what either of them had hoped for, and her ninja skills were clearly getting weaker. But they both knew that her responsibilities had changed dramatically. The important thing was the confidence she had in Shake and his ninjas. Every last one of them had her back. They were constantly near – never seen, silently watching over her.
But the bad parts were really bad, especially for a girl like Yuffie. Being Empress was stressful and tiring. Council meetings were long and far too frequent. Godo was still present at them, which she was thankful for, even when they disagreed on an issue.
But, despite the fact that she was learning how to hold her own at the meetings, she did not feel as though the council respected her opinion. Her time spent talking with Wutai’s citizens had given her some good ideas for local resolutions, but the Council was still consistently deferring to her father. Dinner parties for foreign dignitaries were held twice a month, and she had to dress up in traditional formalwear for them. She wore her canvas shorts under the kimonos just as a reminder of who she really was deep down, and she had actually grown to like the tabi socks… but the geta sandals were something she’d learned to hate.
“They’re too hard, they have zero traction, and shit are they ever noisy,” she’d said to Shake once. “Clackity-clack-clack! Everyone can hear where I’m going.”
“So I take it that’s why you don’t wear them when Reno visits?”
She was getting used to Shake’s teasing. Not to mention the things that popped out of Godo’s mouth. She never knew her father had such a liberal attitude towards sex, but at least he was treating her like a grown-up in that respect. As Empress, she wasn’t really supposed to be involved in that kind of relationship, but since Reno’s visits kept her smiling, no one was stopping him from seeing her, either.
The worst part of her new role was forcing herself to tamp down the wanderlust that still tugged at her heart. She never realized how strong the lure was until she had to consistently say ‘no’ to it.
+
They surprised her on November 18^th, two days before her birthday, and it turned out she was shocked. Everyone that she had invited to the coronation had also been invited to her party, and they all showed up. She tried not to cry, but she’d missed them all so much she couldn’t help herself.
Tifa was six months along and looked amazing. Cloud was trying not to show his excitement. Cid and Shera were thinking about having a baby. Marlene actually brought a date, much to Barret’s discomfort. Tseng and Elena had gotten married. Denzel was now taller than Yuffie. Rufus and Reeve discussed how they were continuing to merge the efforts of Shinra and the WRO to the point where Yuffie asked them what else they were merging, which drew a lot of laughs. Shelke didn’t even crack a smile, proving she was the same as ever.
The clergy and all of the ninjas were there, but only a few members of council came. No one from Wutai’s military had shown up, and thankfully, neither had Ginto Shinshuro.
Throughout the day, Wutai’s citizens were free to attend, offering her traditional presents and giving her their well-wishes. She took the time to chat with everyone, and made sure they were all taken care of.
Dinner was finally served – salads, cheeseburgers and fries, per the official request of the Empress. Every last bit of the food came from the efforts of Wutai’s Arms and Legs. Even the booze was local, and it flowed freely once again.
Reno was sitting next to Yuffie at her table, and she was stuffing the last bit of her cheeseburger into her mouth, looking very little like a royal, when he nearly made her choke on her food.
“I think Valentine wants me dead again.”
“Oh, shut the fuck up,” she tried to say around a mouthful of food. Swallowing hard, she frowned at him.
“No, seriously. He’s having trouble taking his eyes off of you.”
Yuffie looked over at Vincent’s table briefly, but he was not looking back. She turned back to Reno and scoffed.
“You are totally imagining things.”
“No. I‘m not. Look, it ain’t jealousy if that’s what you’re thinking. You have never once said his name in bed – in fact I’m pretty sure you aren’t thinking about him at all when you are with me.”
“I would never do that to you,” she said quietly. Reno turned his gaze from Vincent back to Yuffie at the sound of her voice. She was being totally sincere and it caught him off guard. “You know I love you.”
He grinned. “Yeah. Me too. But I am not imagining things.”
“Reno,” she seethed, pulling his arm to get him to face her. Her nose was scant inches from his, and she spoke through her teeth. He had the gall to smirk at her. “Yes. I am probably still in love with Vincent Valentine, but–”
“Probably? Hah! Get real, babe. You worship his dark studlyed leatherness from afar.”
“Gag. Me.”
“Okay. Yeah that was gross. My point is that I know you are still in love with him and I really do wish things were different for you. For both of you. But, since they aren’t…” he trailed off, leering at the edges of her kimono.
She narrowed her eyes at his flagrant familiarity, despite the heat coloring her cheeks. Reno raised an eyebrow at her, questioning her own motives, and she licked her lips.
“Ahh… So, you aren’t totally dumping me yet?”
“Reno. I, like every other Gaia-fettered goddess, expect fabulous sex for my birthday. Do not leave Wutai until you have fulfilled your duties as my concubine or I’ll have you beheaded, Turk.”
“Sure thing, sweet cheeks,” he drawled, getting up and sauntering away from her rudely, heading straight for the bar.
He just never changes, she thought, smiling.
The party wore on, but showed no signs of slowing down. Dinner had been served buffet style, with the royals and their guests going first, but there were so many people in attendance some were just starting to eat after others had already finished their dessert. Yuffie impressed everyone by waiting with dignified patience to open her presents until every last guest had their after-dinner drink in hand.
They were all simple or sentimental gifts just as Chekov had requested. Cid gave her one of his tattered old pilot jackets, patches and all. Tifa wrapped Yuffie’s favorite drinking glass in her favorite place mat, both from Seventh Heaven. Cloud gave her materia, as expected, but he made sure it was fairly useless.
Shake presented her with a new set of silks, and while they were not ninja black they were her favorite dark green. His gift was also a not-so-subtle hint to everyone else that he expected Yuffie to get back into the dojo more often, and they needed to respect that by not monopolizing all of her time.
Nanaki gave her a mineral rock from Cosmo Canyon which Vincent had helped him find. When he left for Nibelheim, he took it with him and had it cut and polished while he was there. It wasn’t a rare mineral, but it was beautiful – dark, translucent yellow with flecks of bright violet in the center.
Reno got her a solid chocolate tiara with pink and green candy-covered nuts posing as crown jewels. He also got her some raspberry-flavored edible underwear to go with it, but that was a gift he could give her later, when he was fulfilling his duties as her concubine.
When she got to the last gift on the pile, she got to the only person who had broken the rule of cheap presents. Rufus Shinra offered her the opportunity to use Shinra’s environmental cleaning services for free. Technically it was a gift to the whole of Wutai, so he wasn’t really breaking Chekov’s rules. Yuffie’s continent still had veritable tons of scrap metal and broken machinery leftover from the invasions of many a previous war, dumped in several acres of flat land that used to be used for farming. Everyone wanted it out, but Wutai just didn’t have the resources to get it done. Yuffie’s eyes got as big as saucers when Rufus made the offer, and she said “Yes, yes and yes!” to him. He smiled at her, then at her father, who nodded respectfully. Wutai needed the help and they were all just going to have to get used to it coming from places like Shinra.
An hour after that, the sun was low in the sky but the dancing and drinking were still going strong. Reno tried to find the Empress for a quick spin, but she had apparently left the dance floor. Eventually he spotted Yuffie sitting on a bench at the edge of the veranda, looking a bit tired. Vincent Valentine was standing in front of her. They were alone, and the gunslinger was holding a wrapped present in that damn shiny gauntlet.
I knew it!
The Turk ducked behind a statue of Leviathan and proceeded to spy on them, when he suddenly felt the large palm of Godo Kisaragi clamp onto his shoulder. Startled, Reno jumped, which pleased the Emperor-father greatly. Reno shushed him and pointed a finger at Yuffie and Vincent. Looking where Reno indicated, Godo smiled.
Reno was still going to be Yuffie’s personal freak for as long as she wanted him to, but if Vincent had finally decided to show some sign of wanting to be more-than-friends with her, he wouldn’t get in the gunslinger’s way.
Well.
Much.
They saw Vincent lean in and down slightly while talking to her, an obvious grasp for privacy. She was smiling and nodding at him. Satisfied, Reno and Godo shared a knowing smirk and finally turned away from the scene, heading for the bar together.
+
“Yuffie, may I have a word? In private?”
“Well, sure,” she smiled, nodding up at him as he leaned in to speak to her. She glanced at the present in the crook of his arm, but didn’t say anything about it. “We can go into the courtyard, in the Royal garden if you like? It’s really nice right now, with the leaves flying all over the place.”
“That would be fine.”
She led him away from the noise of the veranda on a path that led to a large sprawl of ornamental trees and flowers native to Wutai, all very old and well established. The ‘garden’ was more like a forest; it was much larger than the view from the veranda had led him to believe. Vincent followed Yuffie closely. He was amazed at how many turns she had him take; it became clear to him that this was a place she had either memorized since her coronation, or played in religiously as a child. They were finally in the main courtyard, completely out of sight of the crowd on the veranda.
It was a circular courtyard, looking more like a living mandala than just part of a garden. She had spoke the truth, it was beautiful, and bursting with autumn activity. There were birds foraging and fussing everywhere in the light of the setting sun. Leaves of red and gold stubbornly clung to their last moments before drifting down to the ground. Ancient stone pavers wound a path throughout, with benches randomly placed for reflection or quiet conversation. Silent stone deities speckled with moss watched over the human visitors, on guard forevermore.
In the very center was a table carved from the same stone it was sitting on, flanked by two elaborate wrought-iron chairs. Yuffie paused to gaze at the setting, though her body language told Vincent they were absolutely not going to use it. He had no idea what it meant to her but it was obviously special and private, and he didn’t dare ask. Her line of sight drifted up to an old, twisted maple tree behind the table and chairs, framing them perfectly. She looked at it as though greeting a dear friend before turning to face him.
“I’m glad to see you again, Vinnie.”
“As am I. Your new job going well, I hope?”
She rolled her eyes as an answer, and he laughed quietly.
“Is that for me?” she asked, greedy stars in her eyes as she pointed at the festively wrapped box in his hands, which was about the size of a cake box.
“Yes. I thought better of giving you your present in front of everyone. There would be questions that… Well, it appears I broke the rules. You will see why when you open it.”
“Ah – Finally!” she exclaimed joyously. “Somebody got me something expensive!” Vincent laughed his tiny little laugh, pleased by the light in her eyes. “Well, let’s see… it’s kinda big. So it isn’t materia. Or jewelry.”
“You’ve accumulated enough of the one. And you’ve never expressed want of the other. Here – sit down,” he requested, gently leading her by her elbow to a bench away from the center. He stood before her and handed her the box.
“Happy Birthday, Yuffie.”
She stroked the top of it carefully – no fuss in the wrapping, just a plain red paper, with a gold ribbon tied into a slipknot. Very cape, very claw, very Vincent.
Yuffie hesitated, asking if it was fragile.
“Yes. It is.”
She peeled away the red paper, setting it and the ribbon aside carefully, to reveal a plain cardboard box. Lifting the top off of it, she pushed aside red tissue paper, and gasped.
Nestled inside was a shadow box. The glass front was held by a simple wooden frame, stained dark green. Crushed grass-green velvet lined the inside bottom of the box, and on display in the center was something she never thought she’d see again.
Her hair.
Only it was elaborately braided and twisted into several pieces that formed a thick wreath. Woven carefully into the hair were beautiful ribbons, in varying shades of green and yellow. There were also small silver and gold beads randomly strewn through thin wisps of hair throughout the wreath, catching the light. It was clearly made by hand and with tedious effort, and she’d never seen anything so intricate in her entire life.
“Oh Leviathan’s scales...” She leaned over the glass front of the box to get a closer look. “Wow.”
“It meets with your approval?”
“Very much so,” she said, swallowing back tears. “Hard to believe that came offa my head.”
“Not at all.”
“It’s so pretty. But how did you…” She looked up at him, confused. The idea of Vincent Valentine sitting at home weaving chunks of her hair with colorful ribbons was just too girlie to believe.
“There are many artisans in Nibelheim. I simply found one that practices hairwork, and suggested a color scheme.”
Yuffie shook her head. “I don’t know what to say. Gods… You didn’t spend too much, did you?”
“It was worth it, Yuffie.”
She smiled up at him before continuing. “When I gave it to Tifa, I–”
“What? That is what you intended, yes? For it to be kept?” He intentionally cut her off, not wanting to bring up the argument they’d had on the porch at Seventh Heaven. He knew their quarrel must have played some part in her shorn head. His voice softened. “In my opinion, such a beautiful memento should be protected and displayed.”
Yuffie smiled, tracing her fingertips across the lower edge of the wood frame.
Nicely put, Valentine.
“I love it, Vincent. Best present yet.” She looked up and graced him with a happy smile and slightly watery eyes. He felt strangely triumphant.
She looked back at the wreath. “Not complaining at all, mind you, but – it seems a little less than what I remember? The hair part, I mean.”
“You have sharp eyes, Yuffie. The artisan did not have all of it at her disposal. That is a little over half of what you… gave me.”
“Yeah?” she sniffed. “So where’s the rest of it?”
Vincent eyed her carefully before answering.
“Somewhere safe.”
+
Winter was quickly sneaking up on Wutai, and father and daughter spent precious stolen moments in the royal gardens before it was too cold to do so.
For years, one of their favorite pastimes was paying board games together on the old stone table in the center of the courtyard, near where Vincent had given Yuffie her birthday present.
Godo eyed the little wooden figures they were moving around on a game board littered with colored triangles. It was a traditional game in Wutai, based entirely on strategy – Godo despised games that relied on luck – and Yuffie was losing badly to him, as usual. She narrowed her eyes at his hand as it moved his piece forward. It had been a bad move, but one that did not necessarily ruin his victory so much as stall it.
“Hey – don’t go easy on me old man, or I’ll never learn.”
“I don’t know what you are taking about, Empress,” he lied smoothly.
She looked up at Godo, where he sat arms crossed, motionless and cold. Smiling, she sighed, “I love you daddy.”
Godo made every attempt not to smile back, and failed.
While Yuffie examined the board, hoping for a new loophole in his ‘mistake’, he shifted the conversation into territory that needed addressing.
“Speaking of love, what exactly is going on with you and that Turk?”
“Daddy.”
“Okay, okay. Just know that while I am very grateful that you and… Reno are being discreet, I also need to know that you are being careful.”
“What? You mean like condoms?” she practically screeched, laughing.
“Yuffie Kisaragi!” he bellowed. She giggled, and once again he acquiesced. “Yes. I mean like condoms. He is a nice enough boy and it is very clear that he cares about you. But, Yuffie, he is not marriage material.”
She ginned at him, her head tilted. “So what you’re not saying out loud is that it would be bad if I up and gave birth to Reno’s illegitimate red-haired blue-eyed baby? Really? Color me aghast!”
Godo narrowed his eyes at her. “Yes. That would be bad. But I don’t mean he isn’t the one simply because he isn’t from Wutai. He’s… Look, Yuffie, I like the lad. I enjoy scaring the hell out of him when he drops in on you. But he can’t do that kind of commitment, and you know it.”
She smirked. “I know it. He knows it. I love Reno, but… Well, don’t worry so much, cuz we’re not in love or anything. We’re just having fun. And we’re not quite done with that yet,” she teased, biting her lower lip. Godo rolled his eyes and she continued. “But the sleepovers aren’t going to last much longer. We’ve already started slowing down, and we’ve talked about it. Better to stay friends than screw it up completely trying too hard to be lovers, right?”
She moved a piece on the board, and Godo scoffed at her choice. “Dammit all,” she muttered.
“Two moves, Yuffie. What about Vincent Valentine?”
Godo’s bluntness wasn’t new to Yuffie, but Godo speaking bluntly about him had caught her off guard and it took everything she had not to suck in a breath. “He isn’t a native of Wutai, either,” she finally said quietly.
“Like that means anything. Neither was I, until Kisaragi Kasumi decided I was hers, and that was that. We didn’t have red hair to get around, and neither would you and Mr. Valentine.”
She sighed, not looking at him.
“Yuffie. Please don’t shut me out. Not now, not when it’s this late.”
She frowned, because Godo wasn’t talking about the time of day. Looking up at her father, she swallowed hard and gave him the truth.
“I fell in love with Vincent. I wanted him. I told him so. He isn’t interested and he told me to forget about him.” She bit her lower lip and made the exact same face she used to make as a child when she wanted to quell her tears. “So… I moved on.”
“Chocobo shit.”
“Aw, Godo! Come on, dammit. Give me a break,” she whined.
“No, really. I’m calling shit on that one. You haven’t moved on, and he does want you. No man gives a woman a birthday present like the one he gave you when there is not also the intent to get her frequenting his bed. And that particular gift had much more thought put into it than what some people got you… Panties made out of fruit? I didn’t think such a thing was possible.”
“Uh…” She swallowed hard. “How did you…?”
“You aren’t very careful with your trash, Yuffie. Chekov found the wrapper. We had a damn good laugh.”
In the span of a mere eight seconds, Yuffie paled, then blushed, then giggled. Godo smiled at her. “I know Reno is fun. But I also know Vincent likes you, like that. And you like him, too. You have liked him forever, little girl. Most importantly, I approve of him,” Godo said, clearing his throat and dramatically adjusting his collar.
“Oh? So that’s the most important part?” Yuffie said, laughing.
“Of course it is. Together, you’d make many a beautiful grandchild for me that I want to spoil and play with and I’m literally dying to do that so get the hell on with it.”
She wiped the corners of her eyes, smiling at him warmly. “Daddy, you are gem.” She cleared her throat and watched as he moved his piece to a new triangle on the board, and she saw that he’d have her in one more move, just as promised. Impatient, she knocked over her main piece in surrender.
Godo cocked an eyebrow. “You were close that time.”
“Yeah, right. And Shiva’s gonna fly out of my ass.”
He laughed out loud. Yuffie sighed, saying, “Seriously… even if Vincent does have feelings – those kinds of feelings for me, and I’m thinking not – it doesn’t really matter now, does it daddy?” She stared over his shoulder at the garden that surrounded them, clearly not focusing on the here and now.
Yuffie was certainly embracing her new role, though it was going to take a long time before she approached the job with the same equanimity that he had mastered. Godo had every confidence that she’d get there. She was Empress now, but that meant there were certain restrictions to her personal life. Restrictions that were growing tighter with each day that passed her by.
She isn’t happy. And she is still my little girl.
Her heart was clearly broken over this man, and no amount of Reno or any other man was going to help it to completely heal. He’d felt that way for her mother, and despite a few romances over the years, he never found that kind of love again.
After a long beat, Godo made the effort to give his baby some fatherly reassurance.
“Take heart, my daughter. You never know what the future holds. For instance, upon your birth, it was predicted that you would be a good cook and you would never wear pants.”
Yuffie faked outrage. “I don’t wear pants, old man! I wear shorts.”
“Yes, I know! See what I mean? That part came true. You never wear pants.” He lowered his voice dramatically. “Although you do suck in the kitchen.”
Wutai ninjas, hiding in the shadows of the garden and ever vigilant to their beloved royals, had to fight to keep from laughing with them.

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tbc

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++++++++ notes ++++++++
This wasn’t as long a chapter as the previous ones… but I absolutely loved writing it.
The scene in the garden was inspired by the Kate Bush song “Under The Ivy” from the re-release of her 1985 masterpiece Hounds of Love. The lyrics fit it in an uncanny fashion, but as with All Things Kate, it needs to be heard.
If you read it, **please** review it. Thanks!
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Empress & Concubine