Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

There was a suffocating smell to the house as Maki stepped inside, all must and rot. She tried not to think too hard about the wooden floorboards that caved under her feet. It was a little dark – the house was abandoned, probably, which explained the boards over the windows – but light came in streams through the cracks in the walls, just enough to see. She tried not to feel repulsed by the peeling wallpaper but – the redhead flinched at the sight of something dead and human.

Maki had seen more dead bodies than most teenagers, but even she felt a little repulsed at the state of Nakazawa's corpse. There was something awfully eerie about the way his skull had just caved in on itself. Blunt weapons, contrary to popular opinion, left the most horrifying of wounds. Blood and flesh was normal, but seeing bones bent in ways they were never supposed to have been, seeing ribcages and limbs crushed was enough to make anyone's stomach lurch.

However, she had a job, and it involved such things. She'd get over it eventually, her mother had assured her. At least she wasn't afraid of blood. That would have presented a much bigger problem.

"Maki, pay attention to how I wrap this wound," her mother called, and the redhead tottered over to crouch down beside their surviving patient. The girl in question wasn't injured particularly badly, but a gash running the length of her right arm begged medical treatment. Maki didn't know her name, had never seen her before now.

"What's your name?" the redhead called softly, prompting the black-haired patient to shift to look at her. Maki's mother hissed as the bandage came loose, and her daughter offered a frown in apology.

"Nico Yazawa," the black-haired girl said, wincing as her bandage was pulled taut.

"Yazawa," Maki echoed as she noted the way her mother tied the bandage. She'd have to remember that one. "I know the Yazawas. You're gophers for the Sonodas, right? How'd you get mixed up in this?"

Nico nodded, flexing her arm and wincing. A glare from Maki's mother sent her withering, however.

"Bad timing, I guess," she said, coolly, and rose to her feet, "I was delivering a monthly to Yoshikawa, and ran into Nakazawa scrapping with a Minami. Didn't expect there to be more of them."

Nico's speech was blunt, and the two of them fell silent. Even the mention of the Minamis was enough to set anyone on edge these days. Minami aggression was at the highest anyone had ever seen since the two families had occupied Otonokizaka. Akiyuki had suggested it was because the heads of each of the two families were growing old, and now was the premier time to gain territory, before the heirs took their places as the new heads.

Maki didn't know much of the heirs. All she knew for sure about the Minami heir was that they were born roughly around the same time as the Sonoda's.

"Yazawa, do you have any other wounds needing treatment?" Maki's mother called, and the redhead snapped out of her daze. She realised she'd been staring vacantly in Nico's direction. How gross.

"I'm fine. Thanks for coming in so suddenly, Nishikino," the black-haired girl said, gently rubbing her wound through the bandage. Maki's mother gave her a brief nod.

"Do you need a lift home, or can you still ride?" she said, tilting her gaze. Nico shook her head.

"Nah, gotta stay here for the cops. Murder's illegal, after all."

Maki resisted the urge to snigger at the irony. As if their entire livelihood wasn't illegal.

Well – Maki and her mother's wasn't. "First-aid", as her father liked to call it, was hardly a crime. The Yazawa and the Sonoda's, on the other hand, made a living on being under the radar. Maybe it wasn't really all that funny, because Nico didn't look any more upbeat that she had when her wound was being wrapped.

That sort of world felt distant to Maki. All she knew was the bloody aftermath. She didn't have much concept of what went on to cause injury after injury, but it kept her and her mother busy. That was all she had to think about. They weren't real doctors, sure – but her grandmother had been, and that was close enough. Her mother had learnt everything from her grandmother, and now she was learning everything from her mother. Maybe they couldn't cure all illnesses, but they could at least patch up a bunch of roughed up kids.

"We've got to go, Maki, the Sonodas will be waiting," her mother called, taking the redhead's wrist and pulling her towards the entrance. Maki spared another glance at Nico Yazawa, noted that she flinched ever so slightly as her mother mentioned that the Sonodas would be waiting. She wondered if Nico felt guilty.

Outside, her father had kept watch the whole time, and as Maki stepped into fresh air, he ruffled her hair. He ushered them into the car, no waiting around.

"Any complications?" he asked, making his way out of the driveway. Maki's mother nodded.

"Nakazawa got jumped by a group of Minami and killed. Yazawa got a nasty gash on her arm, but only minor wounds otherwise," she said, frowning.

Her father sighed, and Maki tuned out as they talked yet again about the Minamis becoming more and more aggressive. At least for now, she had more imminent things to worry, such as her meeting with the Sonoda she'd been promised to – the heir.

It would be the first time a Nishikino married into the main stream of the Sonoda family. Usually it was a member of one of the branch families – Yazawa, Koizumi, Toudou, Kira – but a lack of children being born outside the main family led to slightly more drastic measures. Their marriage was both political and practical – it served to connect their two families, but receiving an income from the Sonodas meant the Nishikinos could operate full-time as medics for the family. In addition, the Sonodas tended to be well-trained in defensive arts, which meant extra protection for the oh-so-precious Nishikino family.

Maki disliked being treated as a princess to be protected, but she couldn't exactly escape what she'd been born into. At the very least, having someone to watch her back wasn't a bad thing.

Thinking that way didn't stop the unease in her stomach as she straightened up though, attempting to prepare herself to meet her promised partner. She'd known such a day would come, but foreknowledge didn't make it any easier to swallow. It just would have been nice to have had some choice, some agency in the matter.

"Maki, we're here," her father called, opening the car door for her, and gesturing for her to step out. The redhead let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. Maki never been invited to the home of the Sonodas before – not many were. Its location wasn't exactly a secret, but actually getting to see the inside was quite the privilege. Still, she'd been expecting something more extravagant. Not that she had the right to expect anything, but – well. It wasn't as if it wasn't a large house, or relatively well-presented, either, she supposed. She shivered at the realisation that one day, this would be her home too. Maki didn't know exactly how she felt about that. Following her parents, the redhead tiptoed down the path to the front door. She wondered, briefly, if she could delay the inevitable by walking slower, taking into the garden ornaments strewn about the lawn. It was a little longer than she'd thought, perhaps, but – then the path came to an end and Maki was standing behind her parents at the front door of the Sonoda household and – oh god.

Her father knocked twice, paused, knocked a third time. Maki wondered if there was any significance to the pattern, but then the door opened and the thought died. A housemaid held the door, ushering the three inside and shutting it behind them.

"The Head is waiting for you upstairs with the Heir," the housemaid said, dipping her head slightly. "Please, follow me."

Maki was almost surprised, but caught herself before it could show on her face – of course they'd been expecting them. There was just something about the way the maid acted that set her a little on edge. She was being treated like an honoured guest, but – but it felt foreign, as if she were stepping into enemy territory. Perhaps it was the opposite, but the way the maid kept her distance made Maki a little uncomfortable.

Still, she had bigger things to worry about – such as how she was going to present herself to the Head and the Heir. She'd only seen the Head a few times before, once as a small child at an anniversary celebration, once at a funeral when she was a little older, and once when he'd visited her home personally to receive care for a persistent wound. The Heir she'd never seen before – all she knew was that the Heir was a girl. It didn't bother her, but even if it did, Maki doubted it would have made a difference. She had an obligation, and she had to fulfill it. That was it.

The inside of the Sonoda home was strikingly Victorian in decoration – elegant wooden rails lining the stairs as they followed the maid, patterned rugs on wooden floors and magnificent chandeliers in each room. It felt almost dull, even if the redhead was well aware of how lavish the interior was. It was just a little lacking in life.

As much as Maki would have liked the hallway to continue on forever, it didn't, and she was led into an open room with a burning fireplace and glass doors opening to a balcony. Two people sat on a couch in the center of the room, the couch cream and patterned with a curved headrest. A similar couch sat opposite, separated by a glass table. At their entrance, the two stood and bowed. The redhead recognised the man as the Head – a clean-shaven face and dark black hair tied back in a ponytail – which meant the girl standing beside him was the Heir. Maki let out a breath – at least she wasn't unattractive. Blue hair down to her waist, amber eyes that sized the redhead up as she did the same, and a face full of features that were probably softer than her hard expression gave away.

"Thank you, Toudou, Nishikino, young Maki, for coming here today. Please," the maid gestured to the couch opposite, "take a seat."

Maki followed her parents, sat facing the girl, the Heir who wouldn't quite meet her eyes now. She didn't quite know what to make of it. The maid poured her a cup of tea, and Maki sipped at it gingerly. It was green tea, but pleasant. She figured it must have been an expensive blend.

"It's been too long, Tatsuya," the Head continued, chuckling as he dropped the formalities. "And you're looking as beautiful as ever, Mrs Nishikino."

"You flatter me," Maki's mother replied, returning his smile evenly. The redhead stole a glance as her mother's expression, but she found nothing but warmth in her gaze.

"It has been too long, Daikichi," her father acknowledged, taking a sip from his tea.

"And young Maki has grown into herself. What a stunning young girl she's grown into," the Head said, nodding at Maki. She returned the gesture, feeling heat in her cheeks but not speaking. She hadn't been directly addressed; it wasn't her place.

"Now, allow me to introduce to you my daughter and heir – Umi Sonoda," the man continued, gesturing towards the girl of blue. Umi herself stood, bowed. The words 'well-trained' rose to the back of Maki's mind, as much as she despised the thought.

"It's an honour to meet you, Miss Nishikino," Umi said, looking directly at her this time with that same, unfaltering expression. Maki rose to her feet, face still a little hot, and bowed back. Etiquette, etiquette also she was sure she'd already made several mistakes.

"N-no, the pleasure is all mine," she said, averting her eyes. If she'd displeased the Heir by doing so, Umi didn't show it, and Maki sat back down again, wondering if she was walking on eggshells. She shuddered, involuntarily, as the Head began to speak again, tried to keep her face as neutral as possible. His voice had a sort of smooth quality to it – deep and relaxing, in a way. Maki wondered if Umi's voice shared the same qualities. She tried to trace the girl's face, watching for any falter of expression or twitch, but there was nothing to glean.

"Now, Umi, why don't you take Maki out to the balcony so you two can get to know each other?" Maki suddenly tuned in as the Head called her name, watched as Umi stood up and offered her a hand. The redhead took it. "We'll just be discussing the finer details of your engagement in here."

The blue-haired girl led her charge outside, and leant on the railing of the balcony. Maki shivered as the breeze brushed against her bare arms – the sun was setting, and it'd gotten a little chilly. Still, she appreciated the cool air. It was refreshing, after the stifling, suffocating warmth of the Sonoda home.

"Are you cold?" Umi asked, shrugging her jacket off of her shoulders. The red head looked away.

"Not really," Maki replied coolly. Umi watched her face cautiously, and then wiggled her way back inside the warmth of her jacket. An uneasy silence fell over the two of them as they stood, leaning over the balcony and watching the sunlight vanish below the horizon.

"The sunset is pretty tonight, don't you think?" Umi tried, and well, Maki had to give her full points for trying. She felt a little guilty for not doing the same – the heir was in the same position as her, after all. Maki of all people should know how she felt.

"It is," the redhead nodded, softening her voice. "Your house has an incredible view."

Umi's features relaxed, and Maki let her shoulders slack a little as she caught a smile from the heir.

"It does indeed," the blue-haired girl said, blinking slowly.

"You know," Maki said, and paused, but – she'd already started saying something so she may as well finish it. "I hope you don't take this as an insult, but I'd kind of hoped to have some agency when it came to who I'd marry."

Maki's skin crawled as the girl beside her fell silent, staring out into the setting sun with purpose in her amber eyes. Had she said the wrong thing? Was Umi upset with her after all? The redhead cursed her informality. What a stupid, stupid thing to say –

"I know what you mean," the blue-haired girl said, breaking the silence and Maki's internal panic. She rested her chin in her hand, turned her head to look at the redhead and smile. "We were both born into lives without many choices. Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like had I not been born a Sonoda."

Umi turned back to watch the sunset, and exhaled.

"But, you know," she said, and smiled again. "You're not an unpleasant person, Miss Nishikino, and I'd like to do the best I can for my family. So, even if we're not lovers in the true sense of the word, if there's anything I can do for you, I'd like to."

Looking at the girl opposite, bathed in the light of the sunset, Maki noticed she was just a few centimetres taller than Umi Sonoda. She didn't miss the way the girl's smile wavered, just a little, as she spoke. Perhaps, Maki noted, her poker face wasn't as good as initially thought. Then again, that was just another way in which they were similar. She couldn't say she didn't feel the same – willing to do the best she could for her family, and not at all displeased with her promised person, but yet – still not entirely content.

"Well," Maki said, staring into the setting sun, "I'd prefer it if you could call me Maki, rather than Miss Nishikino. We are promised, after all."

Umi smiled again – and this time, she was convinced it was real.

"Then, if you'd call me Umi in return, I'd be happy to do so."

It wasn't a perfect arrangement, but – it wasn't the worst thing in the world.