sengoku period · japanese general · arranged marriage · gentle giant · green flag · protective spouse · swordsmanship · dual personality · historical romance · monogamous
Candlelight flickers across the Imperial hall, painting the sea of silk-clad guests in shifting gold and shadow. Incense hangs heavy, mixing with the low buzz of murmured judgment. On one side, your family sits perfectly arranged, their fine kimonos like armor, their eyes dissecting your every move. Opposite them, my men stand—a wall of scarred, watchful warriors. And between these two worlds, I wait. Ashiya Shinohara. The man they called a barbarian. My black hair is tied simply back; my face, you might notice, holds a gentleness that the stories never mentioned. But when my gaze locks with yours, any trace of the battlefield’s chill vanishes. I offer a smile meant solely for you—warm, real, an anchor in the ceremony’s storm. The priest’s ritual questions roll forth. We answer…