#but either way he works closely with prince!gojo

[allright]

thinking of a royalty au with eventual poly!nanago...

[sirthisisa-wendys]

The General (part 5): Geto Suguru x Fem!Reader

synopsis: a negotiation goes bad, you learn a lesson from a rake, and you receive a long awaited reward. 

wc: 1.9k

tw: none! 

masterlist

It had been a month since you were abducted and taken off to be the property of General Geto Suguru, the Curse-Eater. And it had taken the Imperial Court that entire month before they sent an emissary to negotiate with him. 

When the emissary’s impending arrival had been announced, Nanami - with his blonde hair and piercing gaze - pulled you aside, mumbling:  

“You’re going to see a different side of Geto when the emissary arrives. Don’t be alarmed by his facade, no matter what he does. He has a reputation to uphold.” 

And that’s exactly what you’re preparing to see as Kaori bathes you and fashions your hair so it’s pulled back and out of your face. In the short month together, you’ve gotten only marginally closer to the General, his feather light touches and sweet words staying consistent over time. He protected you when necessary, which included during your appearances at the dinner table where he would be committed to feeding you from his hands still. 

The joke had run its course, despite the occasional appearance of Yuji, who still tried to feed you the odd pieces of fruit or meat when he could. The only consequence he ever received was a slight scolding from Nanami, whereupon he would cry and then be hushed almost immediately by Haibara. Nanami and Haibara had also gotten closer to you than you expected. Nanami turned out to be helpful and rational, and Haibara was always positive, bringing the sunlight with him even when it was thundering and storming outside because, as he put it, “there was always something to be excited about”. 

“Where are Haibara and Nanami from?” you wonder, and Kaori hums in thought. 

“Many of us come from conquered towns where Master Geto overcame Imperial rule. But Nanami and Haibara have always been with him, even in his early days…” 

“And where did the General come from?” 

“You don’t know the story? I assumed everyone knew his origins. I thought he’d tell you, especially.” 

“No, all we are told is that he’s ruthless, eats curses, and loves to burn villages down to the ground. He hasn’t mentioned his mother or even if he has any siblings.” Kaori laughs at your admission, and dips her hands into the soapy hot water before drying them on the towel. 

“He was born in the city of Saighara, which is not too far from the southern border. He’s either conquered every city from there on up to this location, or he’s annihilated them.” 

“What about your village?” you inquire, and Kaori’s eyes lower to her hands, holding a soap bar. 

“I… I don’t know. I was given to Master Geto as part of a peace offering, but we were sent away before he had decided what to do. Neither Nanami nor Haibara know what happened that day, either.” For a moment, you feel immense pity for the woman. She didn’t know if her family was dead or alive, and no one that she was close to could help. 

“Have you tried to ask Gojo?” At the mention of the second-in-command’s name, Kaori fumbles with the soap and drops it into the water. Her cheeks are flushed red, and you wonder for a moment if she has a crush on the white-haired devil, or if the mention of his name brought up a memory she would rather not express. 

“I-I’ve never spoken to him in a familiar way,” she begins. “Besides, he’s Master Geto’s half-brother. If I were to question him about my village’s fate, he might report me. I would rather not know and imagine the best.” You agree with her silently, moving to stand from the bathtub. “In any case, I’ve picked out the best kimono I could find for you. If you don’t like it, please let me know and I’ll make sure I retrieve a new one.” 

You run your hands over the peach-colored silk and then turn back to Kaori, eyes alight. “This is incredibly beautiful.”

“Isn’t it? It has been stowed away for many years - even before I arrived - but I do believe this will be  a flattering color and shape on you for your meeting with the emissary.”

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When you arrive at the meeting area - which is just the dining hall rearranged so Geto is at the head of the table and not on the far left corner - Nanami places a hand on your back, guiding you to your seat right beside Geto’s. 

“Remain stoic, no matter what either of them say. This isn’t really about you or him - this is about how the Imperial Court wants to appear to an enemy that has something they desperately need.”

“Desperately? Could they not find another match for the princes?” 

“Not quite,” Nanami begins, sliding out your chair. “You were not promised to a specific prince, but--” Haibara bursts into the room, followed closely by Geto, who is fussing with his robes incessantly. Forgetting Nanami instantly, you stand from your seat at the sight of his frustrated expression and hold out your hands for the thing that’s causing him so much stress.

“It’s not right.” Geto sighs and hands you the sash to hang on his left shoulder and down to his right hip, and wordlessly, you rise on your tiptoes to drape it over his head and place it under his other arm. His unruly hair is all over the place, and you consider for a moment if you should ask if he wants it braided. 

“My hair,” Geto gripes just as you finish your thought, and you spin him around to work your magic. 

“Haibara, could you find a ribbon for me?” you ask, leaning over to catch the young man’s gaze. 

“Certainly,” he offers, and walks out of the meeting room purposefully, his own robes flowing behind him in the wind. Nanami takes his place in a corner of the room while you briad swiftly, hoping the emissary wouldn’t find you doing something so familiar with the person who is supposed to be your captor. When you finish the braid, you hold the ends between your fingers, and Geto looks over his shoulder at you as if he is finally seeing you for the first time. 

You catch his eyes and smile up at him, hoping that he would say something about your appearance - anything at all - but Haibara reenters, holding a red ribbon in his hand. 

“Straight from little Nobara’s hair as a gift to you, Lady y/n.” Haibara knees on the ground dramatically and you laugh, plucking the ribbon out of his fingers. 

“Tell Nobara that she is too kind. Master Geto thanks her for her service,” you chuckle, and deftly wrap the material around the end of his hair before stepping back to examine your work. Geto’s shoulders slide down a little, and he takes a deep breath before moving around you to sit in his high backed chair, hands resting on the carved wooden dragon heads on each arm. You also take your seat beside him, and Haibara moves to push you in as Gojo parades inside the hall, waving his hands about as if he were dancing. 

“Emissary Noritoshi, I present you to General Geto Suguru and Lady y/n,” he waves in a younger man with short black hair and closed eyes, the absolute picture of what you imagined an emissary would be like. He enters with a calm demeanor, looking around the room curiously before acknowledging the both of you, bowing slowly when he stops in front of the table. 

“Please, have a seat,” Geto offers, holding his left hand out and motioning to the chair directly across the table. 

“Thank you,” Noritoshi murmurs, sitting easily. “I see you’ve invited the woman in question to our meeting. Would it not be better for her to be with her own kind while we discuss the matter at hand?” 

“As far as I’m concerned,” Geto laces his fingers together in his lap, a sign of restraint; the emissary had already managed to get on his nerves. “This entire conversation would not be taking place without her. So, Lady y/n stays as long as she wants to.” The emissary shrugs his shoulders, shaking his head.

“Then let’s get straight to the point, shall we?” From his robes, Nortitoshi produces a hefty bag of coins and tosses it on the table with a dull thump. “The Emperor is willing to pay her weight in gold if you hand her over to us today.” Geto scoffs, looking over his shoulder at Nanami. 

“I assume that the Emperor does not know how much she weighs, then.” Nanami lets out a rare laugh and you almost do as well, except you remember his advice: 

“Remain stoic, no matter what either of them say.”

“This is merely a fraction of what he will send over if-” Geto cuts the man off with a hand, his shoulders shaking with mirth.

“Have you seen the size of my camp, Emissary? How do you think I feed all of these men, women, and children? How do you suppose I have well-fed, well-paid servants and maids to attend to my - and her - every whim and need? The only things that separate me from the Emperor’s other sons are a crown and a palace. That’s all.” 

“The Emperor is also willing to add two bed-slaves for you, should that be the reason why you’re holding onto this common girl so tightly.”

“Bed-slaves?” You watch Gojo lean against the table and bow over with silent laughter, his long white hair cascading over the black haori, shaking his head at the audacity of the offer. 

“Then, what do you want?” Noritoshi asks calmly, folding his hands together on the table in front of him. 

“I want my honor back. My crown. My rightful place as heir to the Imperial Court.” 

“General, you know that all of that is not your birthright,” the man states simply. Geto raises a brow, then leans over to you, brushing his lips against your ear. 

“You see how my own father treats me? Even from thousands of miles away, he refuses to give me what is mine.” The effect of his whisper - which is heard by all who are present - isn’t to startle you. It’s to startle Noritoshi, who turns to you in shock. Had the emissary expected you to play along with the role of the woman who pleaded to be set free? Or had he entirely missed the way Geto’s right hand had been placed on your thigh when he walked in?

You don’t make a sound, though, opting to face Geto head on and raise a brow, too. When you both turn your heads to face the young man at the same time, Noritoshi is obviously flustered and unable to form a coherent sentence. 

“General, I- I would advise that y-you--” 

“I already have several advisors; I don’t need another. I think…” Geto places his hand on your thigh again, this time, the motion catching the eye of the man across from you. “I think this meeting has run its course. Gojo, will you make sure that Emissary Noritoshi makes it safely out of our camp?” Gojo stands and nods eagerly, leading a shocked and slightly embarrassed emissary out of the meeting hall. After they leave, Geto slides a hand over his face and sighs. 

“So, what happens next?” you wonder aloud, and he opens an eye. 

“Now? We move camp further North.” 

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