Dragons Fangs and Tiger Claws {1x1 with DarkMudkip}

Jin felt shame, lowering her gaze and clenching her teeth, her face flushed. She was a cripple, there was no way she would be able to kill him, let alone even have a chance in battle against him. Cripples were seen even less than the homeless, unable to even fight properly. "What is it you want?"
 
Jin pressed her fist into the ground, keeping her eyes downcast as she listened to Mitsuhide leave, waiting until he was a good length away before bolting to her feet and heading back to Riften to check on Kojurou.
 
Kojurou was still in his garden, tending to the mountain flowers and lavender he had growing in secret; his secret escape from the stress of being housecarl.
 
The door that led to the small garden opened suddenly, Jin standing in the doorway, panting heavily from her sprint back. Once she saw Kojurou was unharmed, she relaxed some. "My husband, how are you fairing today?" She sounded a bit shaken up, but she was over-joyed that no harm had come to him.
 
He looked over and frowned worriedly, moving towards her and cupping her cheeks gently, "I'm fine but you sound worse for wear. Is your shoulder acting up again? Are you in pain?"
 
Jin shook her head, a weak smile appearing on her face. "Yes, the rain always brings pain for my shoulder, but I've taken something for it, don't worry, my love." She said softly, cupping his cheek with her hand. It wasn't a complete lie, her shoulder was aching, but it was mostly Mitsuhide who ailed her.
 
She shook her head. "I only came out to find you, you'll catch your death out here." She said, taking his hand gently and kissing his mud-smudged knuckles. "Let's go inside, I'll see if the chef will let me borrow the kitchen, I can make you something warm."
 
She nodded, leading him inside by the hand and going to the kitchen, having Kojurou wait by the fireplace in the kitchen, she brought him a towel to dry himself. "Is there anything in particular you would enjoy?"
 
Jin nodded and went to work making Kojurou venisen stew, cutting up the raw meat, then filling the pot with water and the meat to create the broth. While she cooked, Mitsuhide's words rang clear in her head. "That's a nasty wound you have there~ Surely there is no way for you to use Auri-El's bow~" "You'll just have to try and kill me again first~ though I doubt you will succeed~" Sure most tasks were near impossible to do on her own, but she managed to do some things on her own. She could fight and cook, and although dressing still required Kojurou's help, it only bothered her a little. "Kojurou..." She didn't look up from cutting the vegetables for the stew. "Why did you willingly accept a cripple as your wife..?" She asked softly, her eyes holding a soft sadness and shame.
 
Jin felt as though she had upset Kojurou, a sense of dread weighing heavy in her stomach; he wasn't the kind of man to shame her for asking such a question, he wasn't the type to have only taken her as a wife simply to bed her and produce a child, yet why did she still doubt him? "It isn't a secret that can easily be hidden, my entire left arm is gone... I'm not nearly as useful as I was when you first met me..." Her hand began to shake and she felt tears sting at her eyes. "I've never felt this much shame having survived death, but I cannot help to think that I've tainted your good name by having accepted being your wife..."
 
The sound of Kojurou standing from his chair could be heard before his heavy foot falls made their way towards her. He gripped her arm gently and turned her towards him, "Jin-dono, I married you because you are a beautiful and intelligent woman. You are a talented hunter, even with only the use of one arm. My name is not tainted, and never will be. I am given more honor to call you my wife than any honor Masamune could ever give me. Because my love for you is true and pure and I would be a fool to treat you or care for you any lower than you deserve."
 
Jin froze up when she heard him approach her in silence, flinching slightly when he turned her around, but as she listened to him, her tears fell down her face. "You're far too kind, Kojurou-sama." She said softly, moving closer to him, and holding him close. "I've never once regretted being the one who lost their arm, if it was between the two of us... But I am ashamed that doubt had clouded my heart."
 
He pet her hair and kissed her head as he held her, "Don't be ashamed, Jin-dono...it has happened to me, as well. I believed myself to be a terrible lover to you for letting that beast take your arm, and I doubted myself heavily to ever protect anyone from anything for the longest time. But you give me the strength and courage I need to do my duty to Masamune and the people of Riften as well as my duty to keep you from harm. You are my symbol of strength." He told her with a gentle smile, "And I love you so much because of that.."
 
Jin smiled softly, finding joy and encouragement in Kojurou's words, perking and only breaking their embrace when she heard the water behind them had began to boil. "Why don't I finish cooking so we can enjoy a meal together?" She said, adding the vegetables and milk to the stew, but was startled when Megohime screamed from the main hall of the keep. "What do you mean he's yours!?"
 
Kojurou sighed heavily and kissed her cheek, "I'll be right back." He replied before going to investigate. Masamune was holding a toddler - about two years old - and looking like an old beaten war hound in front of a fuming Megohime. "Uh...it's what it sounds like, Mego...Iisaka came by and just kinda...dropped him on me, claiming she didn't want to keep him..."
 
"Then get rid of him!" She snarled, pointing at the toddler in Masamune's arms. With her own belly swollen, carrying a child put quite the stress on her, making her emotions often come out in angry bursts. "This child will not stay here."
 
"He's two!" Masamune snapped. Kojurou stepped between the two to stop any violent outbursts, "May I interject?" Before either of them could respond, he continued, "If this child will produce a problem for your marriage, might I suggest letting a barren couple raise him?" "People who can't have a kid of their own?" Masamune asked and Kojurou nodded. Masamune made a soft noise, glancing at his son. He was the product of a fling he wasn't meant to have, and he did want to stay on Megohime's good side now that she was going to bear him a child soon. He exhaled heavily and gave the toddler to Kojurou, "Find someone who will take him, then...as far as I'm concerned, I only have one child and it isn't born yet." He stated. Kojurou frowned faintly but nodded, leaving to the orphanage to talk to Constance about the toddler.
 
Megohime remained standing where she was, even after Kojurou left with Masamune's bastard child, arms crossed over her chest, anger still clear on her face and in her eyes. Turning, she left Masamune on his own, heading up to their bed chambers to ready herself for bed. "Ale or wine, my lord?" Jin had kept silent until Megohime had left, only speaking up because it honestly looked like Masamune needed both.
 
Jin brought Masamune a bottle of ale and a bottle of wine, setting them both on the small table beside the Jarl. "She is with child, there won't be any pleasing her until it is born." She said softly, bowing to him.
 
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