The Cloaked Samurai
The Engagement
"So," your father, Lord Natsu, put down the parchment and gazed at his family. "What do you think?"
Your mother, Lady Toki, burst promptly burst into the tears she had been holding back during the reading of the letter.
"I... I am honored!" Kioko, your older sister, said softly, reaching over to grasp your hand.
"_____? What do you think?" your father turned his deep brown eyes to you.
"I..." You have mixed feelings, but you see how overjoyed your sister's eyes are. "I think it's wonderful."
"Then we are all in agreement. I shall write to tell Prince Keiji that his proposal is accepted," your father said.
"Lady Kioko, Lady _____," a small voice came after the door to the room slid open. Your maid, Maemi, stood with her head bowed in the doorway. "Your beds are prepared."
"Thank you, but _____ will be sharing a bed with me tonight," Kioko said, meaning she wanted to talk late into the night with you. She had just received a marriage proposal from a prince, after all. It was only natural that she wanted to talk to her one and only friend, her younger sister.
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"Can you believe it? I'm finally getting married!" Kioko squealed, tackling you in a hug. Your sister was polite and reserved unless she was alone with you. Then she became her true self: cheerful and at times a bit crazy. "And to that handsome Prince Keiji who visited last month!"
"He certainly seemed kind," you agreed with a smile. "And sincere in his feelings."
"I wouldn't care if he beat me every day, so long as I could look at his gorgeous face for the rest of my life," she giggled.
"You can't mean that!" you objected in fake horror.
"Of course I don't. My sister, I'm so happy!"
"I'm assuming he wooed and won your heart behind closed doors."
"Nothing was dishonest! He did court me in secret though, so the public wouldn't gossip. Oh, I wish this happiness for you as well! If only you could share in my joy with a love of your own!"
"Yes, but marriage is further off for me. I know you will be happy with Prince Keiji, but what of Papa?"
"What about him?"
"He has no sons."
"I'm marrying Prince Keiji! When Papa dies, his land will go to my husband."
"That's not what's troubling me."
"You've been listening to the servants again, haven't you?" Kioko sighed.
"They may tell false and vulgar stories, but they know things about the people that we don't," you insisted. Behind the walls of your mansion in the shelter of upper-class society, you knew nothing of what the common Japanese person was like or how they lived.
"And?" your sister pressed.
"And there are rumors of an uprising against royalty, like us! Papa has no one to protect him if a rebel attacks! The guards can't always be near him, you know."
"I see your point. Someone might attack when we are alone. Do you think we'll move to our summer home soon?"
"Probably, but why does that matter?"
"The wedding will be held at Prince Keiji's castle, and we'll be moving to our summer home for the preparations. I can't wait!"
"Onegai, oneesan! Please, sister! Try to understand what I'm saying!"
"Papa isn't in danger. He'll be fine."
You talked through the night. Usually, you just listened to Kioko gush about how happy she was and how wonderful Prince Keiji was. You secretly resolved to find someone or some way to protect your father.
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For the next month, preparations for the wedding were made. Kioko was measured for a beautiful white silk kimono, and you are given one of blue silk. You and your sister were close in age, so you both ended up trying on each other's kimonos once everyone had left you alone.
You moved to your summer house when the cherry trees began to blossom. People left their houses to watch the long line of carriages roll past.
"_____, stop looking out the window," your mother scolded.
"But there are so many people staring at us, Mama!" you pushed back the curtain a little more to peer out the glass windows on the carriage. "Do you think one of them will attack?"
Kioko sighed as your parents just laughed.
"But the resistance in the north-" you protested.
"Doesn't affect us here," your father finished. "Our people are happy and healthy. They won't attack us. They're perfectly content."
"It's a mass revolution against royalty! I don't think it matters how we treat our people!" you objected.
"Darling, we're safe. You're listening to too many silly rumors," your mother smiled.
You kept a sullen silence until the carriages arrived in the villiage where the summer home was located. Even as you entered the safety of the house, you could hear the servants whispering of a rebel group that was supposedly camped not too far away in the forest.
Your mother, Lady Toki, burst promptly burst into the tears she had been holding back during the reading of the letter.
"I... I am honored!" Kioko, your older sister, said softly, reaching over to grasp your hand.
"_____? What do you think?" your father turned his deep brown eyes to you.
"I..." You have mixed feelings, but you see how overjoyed your sister's eyes are. "I think it's wonderful."
"Then we are all in agreement. I shall write to tell Prince Keiji that his proposal is accepted," your father said.
"Lady Kioko, Lady _____," a small voice came after the door to the room slid open. Your maid, Maemi, stood with her head bowed in the doorway. "Your beds are prepared."
"Thank you, but _____ will be sharing a bed with me tonight," Kioko said, meaning she wanted to talk late into the night with you. She had just received a marriage proposal from a prince, after all. It was only natural that she wanted to talk to her one and only friend, her younger sister.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
"Can you believe it? I'm finally getting married!" Kioko squealed, tackling you in a hug. Your sister was polite and reserved unless she was alone with you. Then she became her true self: cheerful and at times a bit crazy. "And to that handsome Prince Keiji who visited last month!"
"He certainly seemed kind," you agreed with a smile. "And sincere in his feelings."
"I wouldn't care if he beat me every day, so long as I could look at his gorgeous face for the rest of my life," she giggled.
"You can't mean that!" you objected in fake horror.
"Of course I don't. My sister, I'm so happy!"
"I'm assuming he wooed and won your heart behind closed doors."
"Nothing was dishonest! He did court me in secret though, so the public wouldn't gossip. Oh, I wish this happiness for you as well! If only you could share in my joy with a love of your own!"
"Yes, but marriage is further off for me. I know you will be happy with Prince Keiji, but what of Papa?"
"What about him?"
"He has no sons."
"I'm marrying Prince Keiji! When Papa dies, his land will go to my husband."
"That's not what's troubling me."
"You've been listening to the servants again, haven't you?" Kioko sighed.
"They may tell false and vulgar stories, but they know things about the people that we don't," you insisted. Behind the walls of your mansion in the shelter of upper-class society, you knew nothing of what the common Japanese person was like or how they lived.
"And?" your sister pressed.
"And there are rumors of an uprising against royalty, like us! Papa has no one to protect him if a rebel attacks! The guards can't always be near him, you know."
"I see your point. Someone might attack when we are alone. Do you think we'll move to our summer home soon?"
"Probably, but why does that matter?"
"The wedding will be held at Prince Keiji's castle, and we'll be moving to our summer home for the preparations. I can't wait!"
"Onegai, oneesan! Please, sister! Try to understand what I'm saying!"
"Papa isn't in danger. He'll be fine."
You talked through the night. Usually, you just listened to Kioko gush about how happy she was and how wonderful Prince Keiji was. You secretly resolved to find someone or some way to protect your father.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
For the next month, preparations for the wedding were made. Kioko was measured for a beautiful white silk kimono, and you are given one of blue silk. You and your sister were close in age, so you both ended up trying on each other's kimonos once everyone had left you alone.
You moved to your summer house when the cherry trees began to blossom. People left their houses to watch the long line of carriages roll past.
"_____, stop looking out the window," your mother scolded.
"But there are so many people staring at us, Mama!" you pushed back the curtain a little more to peer out the glass windows on the carriage. "Do you think one of them will attack?"
Kioko sighed as your parents just laughed.
"But the resistance in the north-" you protested.
"Doesn't affect us here," your father finished. "Our people are happy and healthy. They won't attack us. They're perfectly content."
"It's a mass revolution against royalty! I don't think it matters how we treat our people!" you objected.
"Darling, we're safe. You're listening to too many silly rumors," your mother smiled.
You kept a sullen silence until the carriages arrived in the villiage where the summer home was located. Even as you entered the safety of the house, you could hear the servants whispering of a rebel group that was supposedly camped not too far away in the forest.