Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Rule of Three

Part I

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but this is a private party."

"That is obvious." Kaname Tachibana acidly said. "You'd think my daughter's uncle wouldn't have sent me and my daughter an invitation were that not the case. Oh look, here it is. Now then, if you'll excuse us…?"

Snatching back the invitation – in gold-embossed parchment no less – from the hands of the confused-looking attendant, Kaname strode into the hotel dining room reserved for this family gathering. Next to her, guided by her mother's hand on her back, Kuchinashi Tachibana could only gape at the richly-furnished room. The walls were paneled in expensive, imported hardwood, richly-carved and then inlaid with gold, copper, and mother-of-pearl, hung with oil portraits both foreign and native.

Decorative plants grew in polished porcelain vases, while marble and bronze sculptures stood on more hardwood, plinths carved in classical styles. Their feet sank into the Persian carpet beneath their feet, but Kuchinashi's eyes were drawn to the idyllic frescoes in the vaulted ceiling, basking in the refracted light of a crystal chandelier.

"Wow…" the little girl said.

"Come along now." Kaname said with an indulgent smile. "You can gawk as much as you want later, but right now, you wouldn't want to make your father and uncle wait, would you?"

"No." Kuchinashi said with a shake of her head, even as Kaname led her across the dining room, past empty tables and chairs made from more hardwood, the former covered in linen of the purest white, and the latter richly-upholstered in red and gold. Waiters and attendants, men and women alike, bowed low as they passed, Kaname politely nodding her acknowledgement as they passed.

And then she caught sight of their…fellow guests, standing or sitting around a long table next to a window. Two men, one dressed in a familiar red suit – talk about bad taste, what did Tokiomi think the year was, 1926? – and another in…

…oh gods no. A frock coat and fitted trousers? A cravat…? Fuck…! Do all magi have such bad taste in clothing? Though at least her daughter's uncle didn't have that ridiculous goatee that Tokiomi had. Bad taste in clothes, bad taste in personal grooming too, ugh.

As for who else was there…

…well, there was Aoi Tohsaka and her two kids. Kaname didn't have anything against the latter two, in fact, she'd be quite happy if Kuchinashi got on well with her younger sisters, but Aoi…

…well, this should be good. Kaname fought the urge to smirk with anticipation, even as she felt her daughter tense up in excitement next to her.

"Daddy!" Kuchinashi happily yelled, and with a gentle shove, Kaname encouraged her daughter to run to her father. Kuchinashi cheerfully obliged, and causing a surprised Tokiomi Tohsaka to turn to them, just in time for Kuchinashi to catch him in a hug around the legs.

"Kuchinashi…" Tokiomi breathed, suddenly looking pale and clearly very conscious of the shocked and disbelieving expression on his wife's face, and less so the curious expressions on his (legitimate) children's faces. Then he broke out into a cold sweat, as he found himself facing Kaname, who couldn't – and never did – resist letting her habitual, smug smile show. "Kaname…what are you doing here?"

Kaname gestured at the blonde European standing nearby. "Your cousin invited me." She said. "She might not have your name, but Kuchinashi is our daughter, after all. She – we – are part of the family. And as far as I know, this is a family meeting. The logic follows."

"Kaleva…this is…" Tokiomi hissed at his curious-looking cousin.

"Daddy," Kuchinashi said, tugging at her father's coat, and held up her arms when he looked at her. "Pick me up?"

"Kuchinashi, now isn't really…"

"Daughter…?" Aoi asked, shakily getting to her feet and coming closer while speaking with a trembling voice. "You have another daughter…? With another woman…?"

"Aoi, I can explain!"

"Kuchinashi," Kaname said, and putting her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "The adults are talking. Why don't you go and get to know your younger sisters?"

Kuchinashi nodded. "Okay!" she said, before running off and past the adults, to where Rin and Sakura Tohsaka were sitting, looking confused and curious in equal measure. "Hello, my name's Kuchinashi Tachibana! Mommy says we're sisters, even…even…even though (!) we have different mommies! That's why I have a different last name…um, sorry, what are your names?"

"Rin Tohsaka…nice to meet you." Rin said with a childish bow.

"Sakura…Sakura Tohsaka…nice to meet you too." Sakura timidly said with a childish bow of her own.

Kuchinashi grinned. "It's nice to meet you too!" she happily said.

Kaname smiled at the sight, then glanced curiously at a slapping sound as Aoi slapped Tokiomi across the face, before running off struggling to control herself. It wasn't doing her much good, as even with her hand over her mouth, all it was doing was muffling her sobs, and there was no hiding the tears pouring from her eyes.

"Aoi, wait!" Tokiomi shouted, chasing after his wife. "It's not what it looks like! Wait! Please! Let me explain! AOI!"

Kaname couldn't help it, she chuckled with dark amusement at the sight. "To see that pair of fools running off in such a state…" she said with relish. "I haven't seen anything so interesting in a very long time."

Kaleva Edelfelt gave her a censorious look, but Kaname met it without flinching. Several long moments passed, and then Kaleva was smiling. "Nice eyes," he admitted in accented Japanese. "You might not be a magus, but you have spirit."

Kaname snorted. "In the financial world," she scoffed. "One has to have spirit if one wants to go places. Especially since in this…beloved country, of mine, women in the corporate world are expected only to perform menial duties, and beyond that to serve drinks or charm men with pretty smiles and short skirts. To succeed while breaking the mold requires at least triple the spirit in other places!"

Kaleva snorted, and then burst out laughing. "Well said!" he praised. "You should have married my cousin. Being a mistress simply doesn't suit you. Tokiomi's wife, Aoi, while certainly dutiful and proper, just isn't quite someone we'd approve of."

"Mistress, eh?" Kaname echoed. "I suppose I can't deny that, though I don't really like to admit it. As for marrying him…we'd kill each other in a year, tops."

Kaleva hummed curiously. "Judging from your statements over the past few moments," he began. "I take it you and Tokiomi aren't at the best of your relationship at present."

"We are business associates." Kaname clarified. "He finds my ability to move large sums discreetly, quickly, and reliably, very useful. And I find him generous in his commissions when patronizing my services. But beyond that…"

"But beyond that…?" Kaleva prompted as Kaname trailed off, looking disinclined to continue.

Kaname glanced quickly at her daughter, Kuchinashi blabbing away about childish things to her sisters. "Tokiomi is an asshole." Kaname replied in English, and causing Kaleva's eyebrows to rise into his hair. "His opinions on women are not simply old-fashioned, they are outright insulting. He's never said so to my face, but listening between the lines and it's clear his opinion is that our place is solely in the home, in bed, and in the kitchen. Whether it's keeping house, pumping out children or providing comfort, and preparing his meals."

"…and yet you and he have a child together." Kaleva observed, also speaking in English.

Kaname narrowed her eyes. "We are business associates." She repeated. "And at times we meet each other in social gatherings outside of official business. We had a little much to drink, and the outcome is fairly obvious."

"A mistake, then…"

"No." Kaname firmly interrupted. "Not a mistake…an accident. My Kuchinashi was neither expected nor planned, but she is not a mistake. On that at least, Tokiomi and I agree on something. No matter what else we disagree about, Kuchinashi should be free of our squabbles."

"And yet you brought her here." Kaleva said. "And embroiled her in the waves of your and Tokiomi's illicit affair being brought into the light."

"…they are family." Kaname said after a moment, looking to where Kuchinashi was still happily babbling away with Rin and Sakura. "They deserve to know about each other, to grow up knowing they have sisters by their side. They shouldn't have to inherit the pettiness of adults such as ourselves."

Kaname paused, and then looked back at Kaleva. "And don't tell me you didn't expect something like this to happen." She said. "You invited us here."

Kaleva hummed before giving a reply. "While I myself don't have one," he began. "It is normal, expected even, for rich and powerful men such as myself and my cousin to have at least one mistress."

"And to support them as well." Kaname quipped.

Kaleva tilted his head in acknowledgment. "Indeed," he said. "Though from what I understand, you have no need for support from…your associate."

Kaname's lip curled. "No," she agreed. "I do not. But I did force him to make a substantial contribution to Kuchinashi's trust fund. Knowing him and the expectations of our very admirable Japanese society, Kuchinashi will have no share in the Tohsaka inheritance."

"And that bothers you?"

"Of course not." Kaname snorted. "What bothers me is that Kuchinashi might think her father didn't and doesn't care about her future. He does, I'll give him that much, but that man is so far up his own ass that he doesn't know how to express that he cares. So I make him."

"Oh?"

"He has to visit her once every month at least." Kaname explained. "And he has to be there on her birthday. And so on and so forth."

"And when is her birthday, if I might ask?"

"…"

"Is there a problem?'

"You'll never believe it." Kaname said.

"I am a magus." Kaleva responded. "I believe skepticism is something…"

"Kuchinashi was born on January 1." Kaname interrupted. "Believe it or not, she was born on New Year's Day."

"…how on Earth do you manage to get my cousin to see his other daughter on such a day?" Kaleva asked incredulously.

Kaname smirked. "That's no concern of mine." She said. "How he does it is entirely up to him, so long as he's there on New Year's Day."

"…you are a dangerous woman."

Kaname's smirk widened. "I know." She said, before her eyes narrowed. "And? What do you want?"

Kaleva took a deep breath and sighed. "I'd have preferred to explain it with Tokiomi present," he said. "So that I would have no need to repeat myself. But…it seems I made a miscalculation."

"Oh?"

"As I said earlier," Kaleva began. "It is only normal and expected that rich and powerful men such as ourselves have mistresses. Our wives know it, and are prepared for it. Therefore, I assumed that your arrival would not cause such a stir."

"…my apologies then."

Despite himself, Kaleva's lip curled. "As ever so insincere your apologies are," he began. "It is accepted. You remind me all too much of my family's womenfolk…but returning to my point, very well, I will give you gist of things, though I will explain the details on Tokiomi's return."

"That is fair."

Kaleva tilted his head in acknowledgement. "I am uncertain if you are aware," he began. "But the Tohsaka family is – technically – descended from the Edelfelt lineage of Finnish nobility."

"Hmm…the emphasis on that one word is telling."

"Tokiomi's mother was my mother's sister." Kaleva explained. "The problem there is that the marriage was not approved of by the family head and council at the time. By all rights, all of her descendants, whether her son or grandchildren, are illegitimate and their claims to anything and everything they receive from her null and void."

Kaname chuckled evilly. "Is that right?" she asked.

Kaleva gave her a skeptical look. "Quite," he said. "But we Edelfelt are not so stone-hearted. Tokiomi's father might not have been of our blood, but he is, and so are his children. As the old saying goes, blood is thicker than water. It is only just and right that we grant them a proper place in the family. And I am here to manage the details of such."

"Even someone born from wedlock such as my daughter?" Kaname asked.

"As far as we are concerned, all of Tohsaka blood born after my aunt's generation are born of wedlock." Kaleva replied. "So yes, a place will be found for your daughter as well."

"…far from me to keep her from family, so long as they treat her well." Kaname conceded after a few moments' thought. "Though, since she is but a child, I must insist on being the one to speak for her until she is old enough to make her own decisions. And that any major decisions to be left off until then. It's her life. It's her future. She has to be the one to choose it, otherwise it's meaningless."

"That is not unreasonable." Kaleva agreed with a nod. "Nevertheless, I believe the details are worth negotiating."

"Fair enough," Kaname agreed before giving the Finn a smile. "Shall we start over, then? Good day, my name is Kaname Tachibana, and I am pleased to meet you."

Kaname smiled back as the Japanese banker (and information broker) gave him a formal bow. "Good day," he said with a courtly bow of his own. "My name is Kaleva Edelfelt, and I too am pleased to meet you."

A/N

Not really sure where to take this, or if I'll even continue it. The muse must have been drunk when it started singing. Oh well…