It was like the old days, back when he was still a first year at Nomijima and during rowing practice. It was mandatory, of course, much like in the Achkaerinese Navy—and almost certainly most other navies across the globe—to learn it within the first few weeks after arrival on the island, but unlike the Achkaerinese, Eijirō found the activity much easier. The water was relatively calm, which, given their location in relation to the Mhorish, made for an easier voyage, at least to him. His companions, most notably Mayumi, were struggling though, which he found mildly annoying, though not worth pointing out. She could've taken one of the other boats if she'd wanted to, but she didn't, and he appreciated that. Natsuki could've at least bothered to join them, but he refused, no doubt as his own way of protesting their decision. Eventually though, they would arrive at the bank island, and he would be the first to exit their boat, nearly tripping as he stepped onto it.
"After you." He said with a smile, offering his hand to his wife and helping her up. "Mind the water, these rocks are quite slippery." He added as she stepped up before they were given their brooms. This was not the kind of work either of them were used to; cleaning was one thing—although they had an army of servants to help with it—but scrubbing some centuries-old stone with a broom was entirely different. Frankly, it reminded him of some of the punishments the instructors would come up with if you stepped out of line. He recalled one of his classmates having to mop the rain during a storm, for example, but this wasn't a punitive measure by any means. Nope, it was a tradition. Bit of an odd one, he privately thought, but they might say the same about the things that were done back home. Either way, the Imperial couple would take to their duties well, and in time, it would be finished.
Of course, the prayer itself was by no means strange to either of them; having come from a Teidō and Buddhist environment, such practices were certainly not uncommon, although the average person in the country would probably be considered only culturally a part of those faiths rather than devout. Not Eijirō, though. While he privately eschewed the mythologized origins of the country found in the faith's many texts, instead viewing them in a metaphorical sense, he still believed in the power of prayer and of the kami to intercede on the behalf of mortals. That being said, of course, they didn't belong to the same faith as the locals, so it seemed odd to pray to their deities. Even so, Eijirō and Mayumi would offer their own prayers, albeit they had no offerings as this was not something either had planned. It was a private affair, the prayers which neither announced nor uttered aloud, punctuated only by the kashiwade—the ceremonial clapping and bowing seen most often at shrines—and nothing more.
Just as they were preparing to board their boat and return to the castle, a loud *splash* could be heard, followed by a great commotion from the Achkaerinese delegation, among a few others. Though it was hard to make out exactly what had happened, it was clear that someone important had fallen in. Both Eijirō and Mayumi would look over, and upon seeing that it was Serenity, turned to one another with a smile, reminded of days gone by.
"You could've helped her." Mayumi said as they returned to the boat a few moments later, after the "fiasco" had been resolved.
"And embarrassed the Achkaerinese? Fat chance." Eijirō sighed as he grabbed the oar. "Besides, if I were in her position, I'd want less people helping me up."
"You just say that because you're too stubborn to accept help, or need I remind you of that one time with the lake?"
"That is low, even for you." Eijirō said in jest, recalling the time they first met. It was a party at the residence of Viscount Tachibana out in Otsu prefecture, a fine estate noted for its location along Lake Inba. Mayumi had actually accidentally bumped into him while he was enjoying the scenery, though he was quick to maintain that he was probably drunk at the time. Either way, he was left trying to pull himself out of the water for nearly two minutes, due in part to the terrain but more-so his own stubbornness, yet all he could think about now, looking back on it, was that girl who had knocked him in. It was funny how things worked out; one might think that someone of his station might resent that sorta thing, but not him. "Besides, if it weren't for that, I doubt either of us would be here, would we?" He smiled.
Once on land, and having changed back into something more appropriate—neither of them would want to wear the overalls for the duration of the event—the couple would decide to pay the Achkaerinese a visit, get caught up before anything else started.
"Your Imperial Majesty," Eijirō said, his otherwise formal demeanor slipping after a moment. "I must say, between the two of us, I expected I'd be the one to fall off the bank, not you." He continued, thinking back on the conversation he and Mayumi had earlier, before saying "Nice place, this country. Really friendly people, in any case. I trust you've enjoyed yourself, the incident earlier notwithstanding?"
