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Chapter Text

One year after the Mongol Invasion

It was late summer when the Assembly of Fukuoka was at hand. Samurai clans from around the region had gathered at the behest of the Daimyo to receive instruction and reaffirm fealty. For the families of the local samurai, it meant entertaining many guests, especially those who were close allies. It was a time of year that was particularly bitter to Shinako Yokotani. She was the oldest of 3 sisters, and yet her sisters had already been married off to other samurai. She was now in her upper twenties and no man wanted her. Instead of a hopeful time to find marriage, Shinako was only reminded of heartbreak she had before. Lord and Lady Yokotani had all but given up, accepting the fact she would be their caretaker in years to come.

“Our manor will be filled with many guests once again. Perhaps there is hope for you yet,” Himiko the elderly servant of the family was always the optimistic one. She was combing Shinako’s hair before the large gathering at the Daimyo’s castle.

“I know my place, Himiko. It is better I learn to accept it as soon as possible and move forward. I am ready.”

“I know but… just this once,” she pleaded. “Allow me to put something special in your hair. I had found it in the market last week, and I saved it for today.”

“You did? How come you didn’t tell me?” Shinako only felt dismay.

“My lady, it is no harm to try something new. I care about you deeply. Let me give you this one chance.”

“What will a new comb do that wouldn’t be different from other years?”

“You never know. I think it matches your kimono perfectly.”

Himiko showed her the comb: a golden sun painted over a red sea, or perhaps a field. It was extremely pretty, although it was nothing like her clan’s mon, two white diamonds laced with an arch of bamboo against a green backdrop.

“Very well… thank you,” Shinako smiled sadly. A plain face did her no good, but perhaps an ornate outfit would at least make her respectable. Himiko placed the comb in her hair and backed up to take a good look at her.

“You are truly a noblewoman now. You are Lady Yokotani. You should be proud to represent your clan, since your father had no sons.”

“Yes, I may not have been a warrior, but I do know the way of the pen,” she smiled again.

“Indeed! Good luck to you today at the Assembly. May the Daimyo grant your family a boon.”

“Thank you, Himiko,” Shinako bowed respectfully and left her quarters. Her father and mother waited outside for their daughter. An escort of samurai was to take them to the castle a mile away through the city.

The procession began near dawn as each family was announced and welcomed into the presence of the Daimyo. There were a dozen clans in attendance, and the highest clans would get a place of prominence in the Assembly, to await a grand order of some type. They waited patiently in line outside the castle.

Shinako took a look around her. In the stone courtyard around the keep, every clan was represented with two bannermen, and the families of each head as well as the top retainers in military attire. Lord Yokotani was dressed in his black and green armor, the same armor worn for now six generations. His black helmet bore the clan mon, and his sword had an inlay of silver on its hilt. The Yokotani clan appeared modestly with only 10 members present in total. Shinako felt like she stuck out with her dark red kimono while her mother only wore black and silver.

“Who will come to visit my parents that haven’t stopped by before?” she thought dismally to herself. “It’s the same clans, year after year…”

“Shina, stand up straighter. You are being watched,” her mother whispered to her urgently.

“I’m sorry,” Shinako murmured and looked down at the ground. Some higher clan came into the courtyard that took precedence over theirs.

“Make way for Lord Shimura, jito of Tsushima!” an attendant shouted. A company of men surrounded 5 samurai on horseback, one at the head, wearing red, gold and black armor.

“Tsushima?” Shinako frowned. “He is still a lord there after all that tragedy? What a shame that was…”

The escort stopped in the middle of the courtyard and everyone got off their horses. The clans all around bowed deeply to the lord, since he had been given almost equal respect to the Daimyo. Lord Shimura was something of a legend on the mainland, one of the only survivors of the Mongol Invasion who fought back and succeeded in winning, though a lot of the details were wrapped in mystery. The island was permanently scarred from the effects of the war and was only beginning to recover.

As the jito walked past clan Yokotani, all of them bowed as well. Only as Shinako looked up did she really take note of the banners: a sun against a sea of red…

Whatever took place inside the castle was lengthy, and finally clan Yokotani was asked to enter. They walked as a group and approached the Daimyo who sat at his place in the center.

“Lord Yasume Yokotani with Lady Hatsumi and Lady Shinako.”

The family knelt with their faces to the ground before their Daimyo. He had nothing to say except to nod to them and allow them to find their place in the assembly. The loyalty of clan Yokotani was rarely in question, though quietly admired.

As for the Assembly itself, it was always a boring occasion for Shinako. She knelt in place and amused herself with looking at every clan that sat in the large room. There must have been over 100 people in total, all of them facing inwards toward the Daimyo and the walkway to his throne.

One by one, attendants spoke up in the name of the Daimyo, giving out decrees: laws that had changed, taxes that were required, and rewards to be given out. Annual news announcements were made as well: the birth of new samurai sons and daughters in the prefecture, new marriages, and also deaths. One of her sisters had given birth to a son that spring but she was counted in her new clan. The name of Yokotani was not uttered once.

Until the very end.

“By decree of the Daimyo, clan Yokotani has been rewarded 800 ryo for their service in protecting Hakata and putting an end to the organized Hyusho crime ring which had taken advantage of indebted commoners in the rural regions.”

800 ryo! Even the other samurai murmured at this number and all looked towards them. Lord Yokotani remained calm and modest while Lady Yokotani smiled proudly and Shinako flushed up from the attention. She bent her head down so as not to see who would look at her. After some concluding lines from the Daimyo, the group was bid to disperse, and things could be less formal.

“Certainly people will want to come and visit us now!” Shinako thought in fright. “What will this mean for me? Will I meet anyone new? But who would care? But that amount of money… that’s far more than a dowry…”

“Shinako! You need to stand up straighter!” Lady Yokotani rapped her on the back. “Everyone is paying attention to you. Don’t you know what this means?”

“Yes, mother. I’m sorry,” Shinako winced.

“This is your last chance. Stop getting lost in your thoughts and make yourself presentable,” she glared. Her intimations were not lost on her daughter.

It was noon when the General Assembly was concluded, and smaller conclaves would take place all week. Samurai would form their own parties and make new alliances, or reestablish old ones. It was often a time when men would choose strategic marriages to unite their clans, but if not done carefully could also cause major friction. A weaker clan must defer to a stronger one, and a larger one must not diffuse their power to a smaller one.

Lord Yokotani immediately sent out invitations to several of his friends and retainers for an evening meal in his home. The main goal was to discuss politics, but there would be time for lighter fair as well. Shinako knew her duties and would serve at Himiko’s side for the duration of the night.

“What a generous award you were given!” Himiko exclaimed as soon as they were home. “Shina, this could be it! Your big opportunity.”

“Yes. Now every samurai will be clamoring for my hand so that they can get father’s rightfully earned money,” Shinako grimaced.

“Don’t look at it that way, my dear,” Himiko frowned. “This makes your clan strong! People will want to form alliances with you, and this might be your chance to bring honor to our name.”

“Of course, Himiko. That is the duty of a samurai’s daughter. I just… I don’t know… something doesn’t feel right about that.”

“You can’t expect everything to go the way you want in life, Shina… tonight, wear that comb. It is good luck after all.”

Shinako smiled bitterly. As much as she wanted to suppress her excitement with cynicism, something at the back of her head was also happy. Who knows. Maybe Himiko was right. Would it be worth trying to dream again, to put her heart out?

Maybe one last time…

Ten guests came to the estate that night, the most intimate of Lord Yokotani’s friendships. This included the clans who he previously married his daughters off to. It was a joyous time of reunion to see the rest of Shinako’s family and discuss plans for the future. Plus Himiko knew how to prepare a wonderful feast of their favorite foods: fish, rice, soup, vegetables, everything in its proper course. No children were brought to this gathering, but that would be for another occasion.

Shinako quietly listened to the political discussion. Lord Yokotani’s allies had the best advice for him.

“You have a lot of leverage right now, my lord. It is not merely a matter of finding an alliance, but gaining even more favor with the Daimyo. If you make a wise decision here, you will keep our estate in our hands, and not lose it to a larger clan,” it was his young son-in-law Lord Kamisato who spoke now. This clan had been close with clan Yokotani for nearly 50 years though his son-in-law was not the eldest of that clan.

“My estate will come into your hands one day, as you already know. I will make sure Miyumi has a safe home with your son.”

“And I am eternally grateful for it,” Lord Kamisato nodded. “Most importantly, I hope to follow your legacy as a true son. I know I can only be worthy of that title through practice and discipline.”

“You always had a good heart. That is why I let you marry my Miyumi,” he smiled and then turned to his other son-in-law. “As for you, Lord Nishida, I will give my remaining property to you and Natsue. I have no desire to split it any other way. I only ask one thing of both of you, my sons-in-law. That in my old age you will reserve a sum of 500 ryo to Shinako alone, to take good care of her when I and my wife are both gone.”

“Don’t you think it a bit too soon to make such a decision?” Lord Nishida frowned. “I heard a rumor today among some of my comrades. Lady Shinako did turn a few heads.”

“Only because they want the money,” Lord Yokotani grimaced. “I do not trust the intentions of those who seek to gain favor in the current time and then discard all goodwill in the future for their own benefit. Money does not guarantee stability. Well-used money produces legacy.”

“I agree. The money can be put to better use than some dowry,” Lord Kamisato put in. “I mean no disrespect to you, Lady Shinako, but that is how things are the way I see it.”

“And who are you to speak for Lady Shinako and her feelings on it?” Lady Yokotani glared at him. “A marriage does not make a claim on our fortunes. If a worthy man were to prove himself, it will only strengthen our legacy, not weaken it!”

“To split up an estate 3 ways does not strengthen an estate, my dear,” Lord Yokotani sighed.

“We wouldn’t have to if we leave the entire 800 ryo to her and nothing else! Then it will all be balanced!”

“And who will take care of you in old age? Only servants?”

“I’m sure we can handle it just like any other samurai,” Lady Yokotani scoffed. “Surely you are not so used to her that you cannot imagine her finding her place now?”

“I’m not sure my feelings have any place in all of this. I am only thinking of what’s best for our collective future. And to keep that money is what’s best.”

Shinako said nothing throughout this entire conversation, and only bit her lip to keep herself from tearing up. It would have been better if she was a man, or had never been born. Clearly she was the one throwing everything into a jam.

Before the sun had set and the guests had left, there was a shout heard outside the main entrance. Shinako excused herself silently from this talk about herself and went to meet them. It was a messenger wearing red and black armor.

“My lady,” he bowed. “I come from the temporary estate of Lord Shimura, jito of Tsushima. He kindly asks you and your family to dine with him tomorrow at noon.”

“Is that so?” Shinako gasped. “Does he give a reason why?”

“Only that he wishes to speak with Lord Yokotani and reestablish ties.”

“Oh… well, wait here a moment,” Shinako rushed back into the dining room. “We have a messenger, father!”

Lord Yokotani stood up and went out to meet him. Shinako and her mother stood patiently by the door. The rest stayed inside.

“Lord Shimura?” her father scoffed. “Out of common courtesy, I accept his invitation. But not out of any other favor. Let him know I want a serious word with him.”

The messenger bowed and went on his way by horse. Lord Yokotani turned around with irritation.

“Of all the people to invite me first,” he spat and stormed past the others to go back in the room.

“I barely know him, father. Who is he?”

“He’s an awful man. You will see that for yourself. Don’t even think of talking with him tomorrow. Let me do the speaking.”

Shinako turned pale. The party dispersed that night after some lighter chatter, but it all felt like drowning in a sea of chaos. She could only think of this one thing.

Chapter Text

The next day, Shinako was bid to wear a black kimono, as plain as could be. Himiko had no say on it this time, and to Shinako’s amazement, it was at the behest of her mother. Both Lord and Lady Yokotani despised this lord for whatever reason they would not share. She had no idea such animosity could exist against a person she had never even heard them speak about. Though when she thought about it, they were eerily silent about him when the Mongol Invasion happened, as if they had no comment on the events.

“I’m sorry you have to go through this, Shina… your parents’ wishes on this must be fulfilled,” Himiko sighed.

“I wouldn’t have known he was unmarried until mother and father got so upset! What if I… wore that comb again, the one I wore yesterday?”

“With a black kimono? Surely it will stand out.”

“But it’s not like mother and father care anyway. They never look at me except when they want me to look presentable. They’ll probably not look at me at all today.”

Himiko put the red comb in Shinako’s hair. It actually didn’t look bad at all, and it definitely brightened her face.

“What do you know of this man, Himiko? Is he really that bad?”

“Well, from what your mother and father have told me, it seems they had a falling out many years ago. Perhaps he’s looking to reconcile, and I don’t think that’s such a bad thing. Maybe he has his priorities straight, since he’s been through so much recently. The war and all.”

“I would want to learn about that,” Shinako replied eagerly. “To fight against such impossible odds, he must have been a god on the battlefield, like Hachiman himself!”

“Ask him the story tonight, show interest. You never know how things will turn out.”

“He is rather old, isn’t he? As old as father?”

“Fairly close, yes…”

The family rode on horses with samurai escort through Fukuoka, past the temples and marketplaces until they got to a well-made estate to the northeast, next to a lake. Another clan of course took up residence here, but this foreign lord was borrowing it for the time being with his own escort. The weather was sunny but not too hot, so spending time outdoors wasn’t out of the question.

At the gate of the walled courtyard, the jito patiently waited with two samurai escorts at either side. He wore black garb with a golden jacket. Lord Yokotani dressed equally as formidable, black with dark green jacket. He wouldn’t be stood up by a rival who wasn’t even in their own territory.

“Lord Shimura,” he bowed with a false smile. “What an honor it is to see you again after so many years.”

“Lord Yokotani, thank you for accepting my invitation,” there was a melancholy in his voice that Shinako immediately detected.

“So you wish to make peace between us? Is that what all this is about?”

“Yes, if you would allow me the chance.”

“Clan Yokotani does not easily forget. And thus we do not easily forgive,” there was an edge in his voice.

“I know… I know… I ask forgiveness for my foolish words in the past. They were… untruthful of your true character and standing in the province.”

“I’ll only believe your sincerity when I see it.”

Lord Shimura stared at the ground for a moment. “Please. I have much I want to discuss with you.”

Lord Yokotani shook his head with a sigh. “I will oblige you. You are after all far from home. Of what’s left of yours anyhow.”

Lord Shimura frowned and said nothing. Lady Yokotani came forward and bowed curtly but exchanged no pleasantries. Shinako meekly came from behind and said one small greeting.

“Welcome to Fukuoka, my lord,” she bowed, and ventured one good glance at his face. For a moment he seemed confused, but she didn’t know why, at least not at this point. He did have a very nice face, a hint of youthfulness to it despite deep melancholy hidden beneath. His manners were impeccable as he bowed graciously to her.

“Are your words for me suitable in the company of my family?” Lord Yokotani spoke first as he walked side by side with Lord Shimura.

“Most of it, yes. What I wish to share with you privately would be done later.”

“Very well. I will hear you out, respectfully. Though I have many words for you too.”

“I know…”

Together they entered the main building to its living space. The jito was technically of a higher rank than Lord Yokotani, and so he sat at the back of the room, but the samurai placed himself at eye level to his left while Lady Yokotani and Shinako knelt silently across from them. A small fire was lit at the center, preparing tea.

Shinako took a look at the surroundings. Although it wasn’t the jito’s home, it had been well-kept and a few banners placed around, the sun on a sea of red. It gave her an idea…

“So… it’s been nearly 8 years since we’ve properly spoken, hasn’t it?” Lord Yokotani steered the discussion first.

“It has. And much has changed since then, for me and probably for you.”

“That is correct. Two of my daughters are married off, and I already have grandchildren. My estates will be in good hands and I see a full life ahead of us. I continue to serve my lord the Daimyo as his right-hand man, as you probably heard yesterday.”

“Yes. And he rewarded you greatly.”

“He did. And it seems the Shogun has rewarded you as well. A full two years without taxes on your island! That is more ryo than I could ever acquire in five years!”

“With stipulations.”

“Of course. The Shogun would not let you go that easily. You train a band of his warriors now, don’t you? The bannerman of clan Oga?”

“Yes. They will serve well when there is a new invasion. One that will potentially hit the mainland the next time around.”

“So sure are you of this?”

“I know it to be true. But I will discuss that with you in private. It was… an extraordinary set of events that allowed us to win, one that can’t be repeated again, no matter how hard we might try.”

Lord Yokotani smiled. “I may know a bit of those extraordinary events… some of which you had caused yourself in your own pride.”

Lord Shimura frowned and gritted his teeth. “I hope not to be subjected to your scrutiny at this time.”

“I don’t judge you too harshly. You had your duties, and sometimes you had no options… but to lose total control of your nephew, I would never let that happen. My son-in-laws are loyal to the death, and are clever too. They wouldn’t fail so easily in battle.”

“What experience do you have fighting the Mongol Empire?” Lord Shimura grimaced.

“None, but I know how to fight organized leagues of bandits without stooping to their own terms.”

“The Mongols were not bandits. They were far worse, and far more cunning. It was the first time in my life I truly knew what it was like to feel weak. To fight someone stronger than myself. Not only in numbers, but in strategy and skill.”

“And yet, you won. Congratulations to you.”

Lord Shimura shook his head. “I don’t feel I deserve that.”

“Who does then? The peasants? The Ghost?”

“The Ghost?” Shinako spoke up for the first time. She was entranced by this conversation from the beginning.

“His nephew became a terrible outlaw, something I can tell you about another day,” Lord Yokotani smiled bitterly. Lord Shimura only bit his lip to keep control of his emotions.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Shinako spoke again. “It sounded like a harrowing ordeal, one which I know too little about.”

“Thank you for your sympathy. Things are slowly getting better for the island. We will recover, but we will never be the same. The effects of the Ghost will be felt for the rest of time.”

“This has all felt like a bit of a tangent. Will you not tell me why you have chosen to meet specifically with us today? What do you have to offer to my clan at this time?”

“I have little to offer, except my word. The truth is… I need your help.”

“You mean you need my money. Of course, of course. To benefit a far-gone island, with only a quarter of its original population. Did the Ghost’s Army ever return?”

“Do not change the subject,” Lord Shimura said ominously. “New samurai clans have come under my care, to take up residence where the former clans were. But some have already changed their minds, saying that it is too difficult for them. I need help maintaining order.”

Lord Yokotani laughed softly. “What, you want me to up-end my establishment here and move to Tsushima? That is absurd! Everything is in order where I am now, there is no reason for other risk.”

“I wasn’t offering that,” Lord Shimura replied, but a deep melancholy passed over his face.

“Truth be told, from one samurai to another, I wouldn’t seek the collapse of your rule due to lack of shogunate order. I would much rather see Tsushima restored, as much as can be. But I have nothing to give you, except perhaps some names of young retainers and samurai who have no real claims to land yet, but would be happy for the chance.”

“It can’t just be anyone, it needs to be someone who is wise, seasoned. Someone who knows how to deal with complex issues. The bandits and pirates of Tsushima are more cunning than ever. They have learned to use poison against my people.”

“Poison? The same as the Ghost?” Lord Yokotani frowned.

“Yes…”

“Ah… I see now. You would like my help?”

“Yes. If you would honor me with your support, in one way or another.”

“… So this is why you’ve finally branched out from that humble abode of yours? Now when you finally need it, you ask for help?”

“… Perhaps…”

Suddenly Lord Shimura looked up at Shinako, but said nothing. He only gazed at her thoughtfully before signaling his servants to set up for a meal. There was more talk about what this “support” would entail, and what could be exchanged in return, but there was no more talk about the Mongols or the Ghost. That was a name Shinako only heard in whispers among the samurai class, but never discussed openly. She noticed he seemed more relaxed when such matters were no longer brought up.

“Do you write poetry anymore, Lord Yokotani?” Lord Shimura suddenly changed the subject to everyone’s surprise.

“Poetry? Some, yes. I wrote much more when I was younger. I guess I am too busy for it these days. No doubt you are as well.”

“It is true, I’ve put off such things far too long. Or perhaps I lack inspiration.”

“They say war can be a cure or curse to inspiration. Do you think it silenced you?”

“It almost did. But there are worse things than war. I’m still trying to move on from… other things,” again he glanced at Shinako, but seemed to be for a different reason. Perhaps…

“I also write poetry,” Shinako spoke up, startling her parents. “I don’t know if I am good at it, but have done it a long time.”

“How come you don’t know if you are good at it?” the jito tilted his head to the side.

“Because I only had a little bit of training and only share my work with a few. I haven't had the experience of… new eyes on my work for quite sometime.”

“Neither have I… when I was your age, I wrote poetry constantly. I even taught others. While I am here in the city only a few days, perhaps I can give you some tips.”

“Really?” Shinako immediately stifled her surprise and remained as composed as possible. “I would be honored. I only have a few works I am most proud of but I can certainly show them to you.”

“Thank you. It would be my pleasure.”

Lord Yokotani eyed them both suspiciously, but Lord Shimura was completely earnest, and not intimating anything else. He couldn’t say no to such an amiable gesture.

“Shinako’s work is not bad,” he finally said with a smile. “Perhaps you will appreciate.”

Shinako’s eyes lit up again but she remained calm. The rest of the day was very casual, and Lord Shimura and Lord Yokotani eventually stepped aside to speak alone, leaving Shinako alone with her mother on the lake.

“No doubt when we return home we will have half a dozen messages at our door,” her mother laughed. “We will pick wisely of course. Not any samurai is worthy of your presence. Don’t mind your father. We’ll find someone special for you. Especially someone young and bright, with full prospects ahead of him. I will advocate that entire 800 ryo to your name, don’t you worry.”

“So you have hopes for me now?”

“Of course! If not for that 800 ryo! Things were entirely different just 2 days ago! But I knew of your father’s work, and I imagined the Daimyo giving some sort of award to us. But I was willing to have you live with us the rest of our lives. You were fine with it too, of course?”

“Yes… I’m open and willing to accept whatever you choose for me.”

“That’s a good girl. A maid’s life is not ideal, but it’s better than being married off to a good-for-nothing that will try to steal our clan’s estate later down the road.”

“Right… by the way, what was it that Lord Shimura did in the past that was so wrong to us?”

“He got into a fight with your father, and it almost came to blows. He insulted our entire family, calling us commoners among other things. I’m glad you did not witness it. We’re also not the only ones to experience such treatment from him. Whenever people disagreed with Lord Shimura, he’d do whatever he could to put people in their place, if not demean them lower. A truly arrogant man.”

“He doesn’t seem to be that way now.”

“No, perhaps not. But people don’t change easily. The past won’t be forgotten, and we cannot consider him a true friend to us. Only acquaintances.”

Shinako frowned and said nothing.

When the two lords returned from their walk, her father seemed considerably disturbed, while Lord Shimura was more serene than usual. Lord Yokotani seemed eager to go home and asked that they exchange farewells immediately.

“Thank you, Lord Shimura,” both her father and mother bowed as politely as before but had nothing else to say. Shinako stood before the jito, but a question lingered on her mind, one that she didn’t want to walk away from without an answer.

“My lord, if you would oblige me asking you one small, rather trivial question,” she bowed meekly.

“What would be trivial about it?”

“I only wonder about your clan mon, which I am unfamiliar with. The sun above a sea of red. Is the sun setting or is it rising?”

Lord and Lady Yokotani stared at her in bewilderment but dared not speak up. Lord Shimura tilted his head to the side thoughtfully.

“It is meant to be a rising sun, rising upon an ocean of red. But now when I think of it, it is a matter of perspective. You see, when I bear it, it now signifies the closing of my life’s work, whereas with you I would say… it means something more hopeful.”

He said this in such a casual, humorous tone that Shinako broke out into a grin and immediately sought to hide a laugh. A small smile came over his face.

“What are you trying to do, Shinako? Fooling around with someone of his stature?” Lady Yokotani grimaced at her as they rode back to the estate.

“It wasn’t me, mother! I don’t know why I laughed, that was rather foolish of me,” Shinako bit her lip to stifle new laughter.

“He may think lesser of you now because of it. If you give him one of your poems, you must not encourage this. You talked too much with him. It’s unbecoming of your status.”

“Yes, mother…” Shinako continued stifling her laughter until she got home to tell Himiko.

“He definitely noticed!” she burst out laughing when she came into her quarters.

“What, the comb? Oh, yes! Isn’t that a coincidence? I hadn’t thought anything of it!”

“You didn’t? Oh Himiko, you sly fox!” Shinako laughed again and hugged her.

“I’m still not sure what this is all about. What happened?” the servant furrowed her brow.

“Oh… perhaps nothing happened… he will take a look at my poetry, but nothing else.”

“What?!” Himiko gasped and Shinako laughed all the more. She hadn’t felt such joy in a long time. Suddenly she frowned.

“I’m being foolish of course. I need to stop doing that,” Shinako sighed. “As far as I know, he has no designs on me. He is only a friendly samurai looking to reconnect with our clan. And… father and mother would obviously decline it.”

“Nonsense! Isn’t he powerful? Much more powerful than your father? He couldn’t possibly deny such a proposition!”

“You are right, but it wouldn’t happen anyways. Some wounds never heal.”

Himiko frowned and shook her head. “Give him something special. Not too forward, but a poem that means something to you.”

“I will… I’ll give him my favorite poem first…”

While this conversation was happening, Lord and Lady Yokotani sat in their living room discussing what happened that day.

“What did he say to you alone? You must tell me!” Lady Yokotani urged him with whispers.

“It’s a lot worse than I thought. I may be of great use to him after all.”

“I never would have imagined it coming down to this. Now, of all times? It’s to do with the bandits, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s more than that. I can’t really say at this time.”

“Are you truly setting up a diplomatic agreement with him? Mutual help? Is that really in our best interest? To be tied to someone so far away?”

“That’s the point of it. Vast connections to the mainland, it’s only just beginning. Something worse is on the horizon, and he convinced me of it.”

“But whatever is it? Is Tsushima really in that much trouble?”

Lord Yokotani sighed and put a hand over his eyes.

“Our nation is in trouble.”

Chapter Text

Shinako gave her poem to a messenger and sent them to Lord Shimura’s residence that afternoon. It was a poem about the time she went on a walk in the family’s garden during the spring. Normally she was inspired by experiences rather than making things up, and if it had any other meaning she would dare not share it with anyone:

Violet flower
Residing in restful shade
Keeping its head up
It has no eyes to see that
It is surrounded by mud

“Is this too dour? But perhaps he would understand what I actually meant…” Shinako sighed as the messenger left. She didn’t expect a response for some time.

Just as her mother predicted, there were a host of invitations to visit other samurai clan estates all around Fukuoka. Lord Yokotani approved of most of them, and those he deemed ill-fitted he gave the excuse of being too busy. For four days, Shinako would be brought from house to house, some of the trips a fair distance away, in order to introduce her to a suitable man. However, those visits often did not require her being in the same room. Instead, her father would discuss things just between himself and the potential partner while Shinako was asked to be with the women.

“Aren’t you lucky?” a girl named Kazumi was sitting with Shinako and two other girls in a private room at one such estate. “They say that you have an enormous dowry attached to your name now, one of the biggest in the city!”

“I don’t really want to talk about it,” Shinako frowned. “It’s not like I have a say in it. Father and mother will decide everything for me.”

“You are in very high demand. It doesn’t matter if you are rather plain. Money speaks everything!”

“But that’s what my father wants to avoid! He wants to make sure the money isn’t squandered in some way. Only a wise samurai will gain his favor, and so I am taken around our city every day. This is the third day since the Assembly.”

“Have you liked any of your suitors yet?”

“I’ve barely seen or talked to any of them personally. Except… well…”

“Who?”

“Oh, I’m not sure he counts… no, he doesn’t,” Shinako dismissed.

“Wait… you’re not talking about the jito all the way from Tsushima, are you?” another girl named Yasu perked up. “Rumor has it he came all this way just in search of a wife! Suddenly in his old age he has decided to remarry, isn’t that strange?”

“He’s not that old,” Shinako defended him. “Though it is strange that he has been unmarried all this time. Doesn’t he have any other family?”

“He was married in the past, but they all died many years ago, and he never recovered. Now he’s the absolute last of his clan.”

“I didn’t know that,” Shinako frowned. “Perhaps that’s why he is so melancholy.”

“So he really invited you to his residence?” Yasu laughed. “Yes, that was definitely no coincidence. Well, I’m sure there are worst prospects out there. And I guess you would be more suitable for such a marriage.”

“What are you talking about?” Shinako grimaced.

“Well, aren’t you almost 30?”

“Don’t speak of my age,” Shinako snapped. “I won’t talk to you if you disrespect me again.”

“Well, alright then,” Yasu, who was only 18, was more outspoken than she ought to be. Kazumi who was a bit older rolled her eyes.

“Forgive my sister. We are generally not so nosy about such things. And if our brother is the one you are matched with, we hope you are happy. He’s very compassionate.”

“Perhaps,” Shinako frowned and dropped her head down. Instead she became thoughtful about what she had just learned.

That early evening she was very exhausted, and yet there was another home left to attend. She washed up and redid her hair when she heard another messenger arrive in the courtyard. He wore red and black armor.

Before anyone else could get to him, Shinako rushed out to meet him. “Hello! I am Shinako, have you come with a message from Lord Shimura?”

“I have. He would like to give this to you,” he said, and handed her a small scroll. It was familiar.

“Thank you,” she murmured and went back inside. He had returned the same scroll that she had sent to him. When she opened it, she gasped.

Violet flower
Residing in restful shade
Keeping its head up
It has no eyes to see that
It is surrounded by mud

Crimson dawn lily
Growing amidst cold shadows
Drooping despondently
It has no eyes to see when
A lonely soul took notice

Shinako’s heart leaped into her mouth. She stared at it for many minutes before finally closing it up and hiding it on a shelf. She walked up to her window and looked out at the evening dusk.

“He wants me to respond back… me,” her heart raced while she tried to keep as calm as possible. “Am I worthy? What will come of this? What will father think? I must do it tonight, and send it first thing in the morning! But what do I say back? … I want to write with as much skill, if only I could…”

“Shinako?” she jumped at hearing Himiko call her name through the door. She forced herself to remain composed as she walked in.

“Another suitor tonight, I know. I am washed up and ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Yes, but it is a larger group this time. Multiple clans together, discussing their future plans. The Obara Estate.”

“Of course. We take care of more than one prospect in one night. How… efficient…”

“Are you alright? You seem out of breath.”

“Me? No, I’m fine,” Shinako laughed. She knew exactly how she would spend her evening while everyone was chatting about her. Instead of thinking of which poem she already wrote to reply back with, she became lost in meditation. Everything she saw, she took note and pondered in her mind. Every blade of grass, every wooden doorframe, every porcelain cup. Something for inspiration.

And yet, only one thing really came to mind all that forgettable evening. She composed only this in her mind:

A cloud of sorrow
The blazing sun still shines through
I look up entranced
Would I go blind if there was
A wind of consolation

When her family came home that night, Shinako waited before everyone was asleep before lighting an oil lamp and writing it all down on the same scroll.

“Is it true? Do I feel this way? Is it too soon?” she kept second-guessing herself and stayed up long into the night, wondering if she should cross it all out and start again. She finally fell asleep in the late hours when her lamp finally went out. It was time to take a leap of faith…

Only a few hours later was she forced to wake up and get ready for her day. She found one of the servants and told them to go to Lord Shimura’s residence once again before Himiko came in.

“You look pale, my lady. Have the gatherings taken a toll on you?” the caretaker frowned at her with concern.

“Just a bit of a headache. I didn’t sleep well last night,” Shinako rubbed her head.

“Shall I tell your father and mother?”

“No, I’m fine. I can continue on with my duties.”

“Good. At least today there will be some people coming to join us instead. We have many preparations to make! I will need your help.”

“Yes, Himiko.”

Shinako cleaned about the estate that morning, but her headache did not leave her. The sun burned through the shoji doors and hurt her eyes. She became increasingly faint as the day went on, even before anyone had come to visit.

Around noon, a set of visitors came, a samurai clan who had not one but two eligible men. Shinako spent only a little while with them before the headache became too painful and she had to leave. As they conversed with Lord Yokotani in the living room, Shinako laid down and covered her eyes with a wet cloth. The chatter was annoying and she wished she could block out her ears instead and have a good sleep. It was ironic to hear how the conversation danced around the topic of marriage without ever stating it explicitly. As her father guessed, this power-hungry clan wished to use the money only for themselves.

Outside she heard some horses come into the courtyard.

“My lord, Lord Yokotani is busy entertaining guests,” said a guard at the gates.

“I understand. It’s not him that I wish to see, however,” came the familiar voice. Shinako sat straight up, stinging her head again.

“Who shall I call for?”

“Wait… would you call for her discreetly? I don’t wish to disturb anyone.”

Shinako quickly got up and left her room, quietly avoiding the visitors and leaving through a side door. She was well-dressed in a blue kimono but her hair was now unkempt. But she didn’t care.

“My lord!” she raised her voice as much as she could without alerting anyone else. Lord Shimura was standing with his escorts still on their horses. He wore the same outfit as he had 4 days earlier.

He looked up at her in alarm and only bowed stiffly. Shinako came within 5 paces of him, panting. Their eyes were fixed on each other, each with an indiscernible gaze. Suddenly a surge of pain went through her head and her vision grew dark.

“I’m sorry, I…” she lost her balance and fell to the ground.

“My lady!” the guard rushed to her side. Lord Shimura could only watch in dismay.

“Is she sick? She needs help!”

“No, I’m awake, I’m awake,” Shinako panted, now that she knelt on the ground. Everything around her was overly bright and blurry. “Please, my lord. I didn’t mean to alarm you. I have a headache.”

Lord Shimura went on one knee to be at eye level with her. Just then she noticed the scroll in his hand and her heart leaped again.

“I’m sorry! I wrote something I shouldn’t have, I’m sorry,” she gasped and stared at the ground, turning red.

“No, Lady Shinako. You write beautifully. I wanted to tell you that personally,” he gently handed her the scroll.

“I do?” she gasped again.

“Yes. I would never lie to you.”

“And your poem… I loved it. I would read a hundred more of them.”

Lord Shimura’s eyes flashed in amazement. “And… I would give you more, if you will allow me?”

“Yes, please!” Shinako began to laugh and got light-headed again.

“Don’t strain yourself. Get out of this heat and get some rest. I will return tomorrow to check on you.”

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

“What is there to be sorry for?”

“For making a fool of myself like this.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. Take care. I will return. You need not return me a poem tonight.”

Shinako held the scroll close as he bowed and turned away.

“Don’t tell father and mother, please!” she whispered to the servant.

“So it is official? He has made you an offer?”

“The beginning of one, yes. The others are not ready to hear it. Take me inside, the side entrance only.”

“Yes, my lady,” the servant brought her to her feet and slowly walked her to the side of the estate where her room was. He got her a cup of water to help with the headache, and she laid down to rest. But she didn’t waste a moment when she was finally alone again, and opened the scroll.

Vault of shining green
Reflecting on untouched glass
Inspires a moment
A woman without compare
Inspires an eternity

Shinako burst into tears.

Chapter Text

The next day, Shinako’s headache was gone, but in its place was anxious shivering all morning. What was going to happen now? How would her parents react? She resolved to remain quiet, and let Lord Shimura do the talking when he would return. He arrived late morning before any new visitors arrived at the home.

“I wish to speak with Lord Yokotani,” he announced himself at the gates. The lord stepped out, more reluctantly than surprised.

“Lord Shimura. I imagine you have been very busy for the past 5 days since we met.”

Shinako stood in the doorway in the shadows, barely visible. She was too frightened to show herself to both of them at the same time. The two samurai stood eye to eye just inside the gates.

“I have. I made agreements with many samurai to rally support in Tsushima’s defense. And so I have come to you for your answer. Will you join my coalition?”

Lord Yokotani sighed deeply. “I must accept. I fear for our future… what does the Shogun say to all this?” he added in a lower voice.

“It is all in the name of his own directive. He must accept what I have uncovered about our next threat. The Daimyo is already on my side. The very stability we have fought for will be upended in the near future if we do not prepare now.”

Shinako frowned anxiously at these words. Yet at the same time, she knew that this merited cautious optimism. The two samurai confirmed a date and time for the contract to be finalized.

“Because this is taking me longer than anticipated, I have extended my stay in the province for at least another week. By the way… your daughter is coming along very well with her poetry.”

“Is that so?” Lord Yokotani raised his eyebrows. “I had forgotten about that offer. Is she writing better than before?”

“I believe so. Certainly a stronger tone of voice.”

“Perhaps if she becomes skilled enough, a worthy samurai will admire it. Even a woman of little beauty can make up for it in talents. Not enough of the younger generation seems to appreciate the art these days.”

“Perhaps,” Lord Shimura frowned. “Is she available for me to discuss them with her?”

“I’m sure she is,” her father turned around to enter back into the estate. Shinako pretended to be occupied in the living room, mending a hole in some cloth.

“You can go,” he nodded to her. Shinako got up immediately and went outside. They bowed to each other and remained silent for a moment.

“Take this,” she whispered. Under her sleeve was a new scroll. “These are 10 poems I’ve written in the past 5 years. I hope you like them. Or if you don’t, please revise them.”

“Thank you,” he laughed softly. “I don’t think I will be editing them, even ones that might seem weaker. I just want to read them… and so I will come to know the real you.”

“What about you? I… I want to learn all I can, everything,” she said in urgent tones.

“Perhaps a little at a time,” he sighed despondently. “I’m doing everything I can in my power to… placate your father. It won’t be easy.”

“It seems you hurt him very badly in the past. Whatever it was, I… I’m not holding it against you now.”

“Thank you. I could use mercy like that right now…”

“I will pray to the kami every day that your plans succeed. Do you have any… more poems for me?”

Lord Shimura smiled knowingly. “I’ll never come empty-handed to you. Is one poem enough?” he took out a small scroll from his jacket and gently placed it in her hand.

“Thank you. I will await more each day. But you must hurry… Lord Yokotani has found many suitors for me already. A true offer will be made any day now, one that I would be ill-advised to refuse. It’s the money that everyone is after, not me.”

“Which is a shame… do not listen to your father. You are not plain to me. Take care, Lady Shinako.”

Shinako smiled warmly. “I won’t let you leave with the last word this time. You are more pleasing to behold than all the young samurai I have met these past few days… Take care, Lord Shimura.”

The jito smiled and bowed, honoring her wish by not saying another word. He rode off, leaving only her and the guard as witness to this conversation.

“Please don’t tell my parents what you’ve seen,” she pleaded with him in a whisper. “I know this is covert, but it won’t be for long. Just give us some time.”

“I will honor your request, Lady Shinako. I wish you the best. He seems very happy in your presence, as do you with him. It becomes a couple to have at least some affection when making alliances.”

Shinako frowned and clutched the small scroll close to her chest. “As it all will ever be…”

She returned to the house with calm composure, as if nothing happened, and hid in her room to read the scroll.

I walk in the grass
Soft pollen at my fingers
Sunlight on my face
One thing more would complete it
My heart quickens at the thought

“So this is what a master of the art is like,” Shinako mused breathlessly. “No one’s ever spoken like this to me before. Can he really mean it, or is it all habit, all tradition of the art? He’s had years to perfect his craft… but he must be so very lonely…”

Lord Yokotani of course had just a few more meetings arranged between some neighboring clans, but the rounds were coming to a close. He eyed two individuals for an alliance, one residing on the coast of Hakata Bay to the north, and another inland to the east. These samurai promised to put the dowry to a good investment, thereby backing the existing estate and ensuring a future one could be built.

“Shina, out of the dozen suitors we met, I believe I have found your best matches. You won’t have to be a maid. At least 500 ryo will be in your name, and that will ensure your security. I will give you 5 days to make your decision between Lord Sato and Lord Taji. I have made neither of them promises.”

“Thank you for this freedom,” Shinako bowed respectfully and frowned. “I am grateful for the hard work you put into matchmaking for me.”

“It wasn’t just me. I had many people on the outside make observations of the past week, a fair judgment. What do you remember of Lord Sato and Lord Taji when we met them in recent days?”

“Lord Sato was very calm, though a bit cold, and Lord Taji was very talkative. I am unsure who is better suited to me.”

“Perhaps you can put your poetry skills to the test. Ask them to write something for you.”

“Maybe,” Shinako said uneasily. “But father, what if… I don’t like either of them that much?”

“Then pick the one who is the most tolerable. This isn’t about your feelings. I trust these 2 men to respect our clan. That is all there is to it. Happiness, contentment, those will proceed from prosperity and peace.”

“Are there only 2 men that you accept?”

“Indeed. No others are worthy to me.”

“Of the ones you have encountered, or the ones who have made proposals?”

“… What are you getting at?”

“Perhaps not everyone has come forward yet to try to claim the money — I mean my hand,” Shinako dropped passive-aggressively.

“I doubt it. I’ve heard nothing new in the past 2 days. What is it that you want?”

“If there is another proposal in the next 4 days, I want you to reevaluate.”

Lord Yokotani sighed. “Very well. I have doubts we would find anyone better. But as you are my daughter, the last in my household… I will give you this wish.”

The next day, Lord Yokotani returned to Lord Shimura’s residence for a meeting among his coalition. They had a scribe prepare the contract for them, to offer both military and financial aid, and in return receive a portion of the land’s revenue. Five clans had gathered to sign it with their individual seals.

“I thank you my lords for coming to this arrangement with me. It is in the best interest of Japan and not just Tsushima that we have done this. We will keep in constant contact and have annual meetings to monitor our progress for this specialized army.”

The five lords with their retainers all bowed to the jito. The meeting was followed by a ceremonial meal where they were able to clear their minds from politics and live in the moment. This concluded negotiations.

“Lord Yokotani, I want to speak with you,” Lord Shimura stopped the samurai as everyone was preparing to depart. “Please, take a walk with me.”

“Very well, my lord.”

It was now mid-day, and there was a nice path along the lake which was suitable for a conversation in solitude. They each brought their own escort to follow from behind.

“I want to make it very clear, Lord Yokotani, that I’m not asking for monetary benefit from you. Although I am in need of money with my endeavors, I need sharp minds to advise me. Even if you will not come often to Tsushima, we must keep a steady correspondence.”

“It shall be done, my lord. I am honored you chose me as a chief advisor.”

“I believe you are the right choice. We must prepare a variety of plans.”

Lord Yokotani smiled. “You have changed, haven’t you? I don’t remember you being this open to new ideas... I may have a few suggestions.”

“I have changed, hopefully for the better. You see, my priorities are different. I had… ambitions in the past, perhaps too many. Now I seek something else.”

“What would that be?”

Lord Shimura stopped where he was walking and looked out at the lake. “I need to start a new family. I cannot be the last of my clan. I came to the mainland not just seeking aid. I am in need of a wife.”

Lord Yokotani’s eyes flashed in shock. “You wouldn’t be…?”

“Suggesting your daughter? Yes,” Lord Shimura replied earnestly.

Lord Yokotani’s face contorted into a deep scowl. He walked a few paces away from Lord Shimura in silence.

“This is a fraud!” Lord Yokotani suddenly flung around shaking his fist. “You sought control this whole time! Not only to gain my trust but to take everything!”

“That is not true!” Lord Shimura eyed him fiercely. “I am giving you a position of power because that is what you are entitled to! This is a generous offer already. I only ask for her as well.”

“Generous you say? And her in exchange? Yes! With a perfect sum to revive your dying heritage! A clan already as dead as a block of wood!”

“I will not take a dowry.”

“You know very well that is not an option!”

“You can use it as you see fit in our coalition!”

“And I will let you have no say in it!”

“If that is what you want… very well.”

“No… I want more than that,” Lord Yokotani grinned. “In exchange for my daughter, I want the ability to veto everything you propose!”

Lord Shimura went pale. “You can’t mean that.”

“I do! Because your folly is finally worth your downfall! You will have nothing from clan Yokotani!”

“After everything, why do you hate me so?” Lord Shimura couldn’t help asking.

“Your family has been nothing but a thorn in my clan’s side for generations! Always treating us poorly, speaking ill of us to the Daimyo, dismissing us for recommendation! Now when my clan is at the peak of its strength and yours is all but dead, you come crawling to me! You think you were a paragon of perfection, the scion of entitlement. Bah! I wish your nephew killed you when he had the chance!”

“Enough!” Lord Shimura seethed, clenching his fists. “You know nothing of what I’ve been through in the last 20 years! You know nothing of what I went through in the Invasion!”

“Tell me then. Tell me why now of all times you’ve picked her? I want the truth!” he shouted to his face.

“Maybe because I truly admire her and it has nothing to do with you! And because… Lord Sakai was to be my heir,” Lord Shimura’s face fell.

Lord Yokotani stared at him in astonishment, and burst out laughing. “The Ghost?! You chose him?!”

“I do not deserve your ridicule,” Lord Shimura teared up. “You will never know what it’s like to be forced to execute your own child!”

“And even that you failed in… what a tragedy it all is… Tell me, Lord Shimura,” Lord Yokotani’s voice was low as he came close to the jito. “If you have a new heir, how do you know you will not repeat the same mistakes? Then you will have the blood of my family on your hands. You barely live with yourself now… how could you live with yourself then?”

Lord Shimura could barely contain his grief and covered his face in shame.

“My word stands on the matter. You may marry Shinako, and keep her dowry, if you allow me to overthrow any other foolish decision you make. Give me the keys to your coalition, and your secret will remain hidden with me. I promise you that.”

“How could you be so cruel?” he whispered in a broken voice.

“I say we are even now. Go on. You may meet her at my estate right now. I will follow behind at my own leisure.”

Lord Shimura glared at him in rage, and stormed back into his residence, leaving Lord Yokotani at the lakeside. A small smile spread across his face.

“There. And never come back,” he said to himself. While Lord Yokotani went home, Lord Shimura did not follow him. The old wound on his side began to pain him as he wept bitterly, and he saw no more visitors that day or evening. Even the birds seemed to fall silent by the lake.

Chapter Text

There were no new visitors to the Yokotani estate for the next few days, although Shinako’s father was making calls to other people. Shinako stayed home, becoming increasingly restless as the days went by.

“Any messenger?” she went to the guard at the gate several times a day.

“I’m sorry, my lady. I haven’t seen anyone from Lord Shimura.”

Shinako busied herself with chores, and Himiko couldn’t help noticing her silence. Something had happened, but she felt it not her right to intrude on her mistress’s thoughts. When Shinako was done with her duties, she brooded alone in her room and wouldn’t talk to anyone until her father would return home each day.

“Any news?” she asked him anxiously on the fourth day since Lord Shimura had seen her.

“What, do you mean proposals? No,” Lord Yokotani replied casually. “I’ve been meeting with other lords on other business is all.”

“Oh,” Shinako frowned and said nothing more. She ate little food and continued pacing about in the courtyard in the early evening hours.

“You need to come in, Shinako. The weather is getting colder. Rain will be coming in soon,” Lady Yokotani called to her.

Shinako returned indoors, emotionally exhausted. She found her father in the living room, reading a manuscript. She knelt down across from him and sat in silence for a moment. He was too relaxed.

“Have you truly heard nothing?” she finally spoke up, an edge in her voice. Lord Yokotani looked up.

“Nothing that concerns you.”

“That’s not true. You did something, didn’t you? Tell me!”

“I’m not inclined to share you my secrets. Seeing that I am not privy to yours.”

Shinako worked her jaw. “What did he say?”

“Your admirer has attempted to usurp the power of this clan. So I gave him a condition he couldn’t accept.”

“What?!” Shinako gasped. “What did you demand of him? Tell me, father!”

“You disobeyed me, Shinako! I told you not to associate with that man!” he raised his voice.

“He’s not the man you think he is, father! He’s a good person! I know it, I’ve seen it for myself!”

“You have lost my trust, Shinako. Tomorrow I will pick the husband I choose for you, or you will never be married. And you will accept it. That is an order!”

“Right when happiness was within my grasp, why have you taken it from me?” Shinako’s voice broke.

“This isn’t about your happiness, Shinako, and it never was. This is about our future, the security of our family. This is what’s best for you, and for all of us. Let him go.”

“No,” Shinako glared at him in fury. “All these years you’ve made me feel like nothing but a burden to this house! And maybe I am. Maybe you wish I was born a man instead so that our clan would truly continue. Because you know deep down that clan Yokotani’s days are numbered, and you’re doing everything you can to hold onto your scraps of power before our name disappears forever! If that’s the truth, then that goes to show who you really are. You are just like Lord Shimura: insecure, desperate, pitiable… only he loves me and you don’t!”

“Shinako! Shina!” Lord Yokotani went pale as she stormed out. She fled the estate and went to the stables to get a horse.

“Don’t just sit there! Go after her!” Lady Yokotani was standing outside the door listening to this whole conversation. “She’s going to do something rash and soil our name!”

“No. She won’t,” Lord Yokotani stared into space, her words resonating in his mind. “She has no where to go from our reach...”

“… My lord?” his wife came and sat across from him. He did not respond. They sat in silence as rain began to pour down on the roof.

Shinako hardly made it to Lord Shimura’s residence in the dark. The lanterns were lit around the entrance to let her know she was in the right place, but the lights through the windows were dim. A soft rain had dampened her hair and yellow linen kimono.

“Lady Shinako! What are you doing here?” a guard outside the gate recognized her immediately.

“Where is he? I must speak with him!”

“Lord Shimura? He is seeing no one. He is ill.”

“Sick? Then I must see him! I won’t let him hold it against you if I do.”

“Very well,” the guard let her pass and took her horse. Shinako rushed up the hill to the estate and went under its veranda. She shivered a little bit and wiped the hair away from her face. She took a deep breath.

Carefully she opened the shoji door into his home and looked around. It was completely empty and silent except for a few lamps. With the sounds of rain now distant, she walked through the house and entered the living space.

“My lord… let me see you…” she knelt on the ground towards the home shrine and waited there. A few moments later, a side door opened up. Lord Shimura was there, wearing white. It made him look like a ghost in the dim light. His eyes were only grief.

“Shinako… why have you come?”

“I have to know… why can we not be?” she sobbed and covered her face.

He approached slowly, but he was clearly in physical pain. He gripped his side and then knelt across from her. Only a few lamps lit the space. Shinako wept openly now.

“He demanded that I would defer all authority to him in service of my coalition. He would undermine everything I’ve made... out of spite.”

“No!” Shinako sobbed. “How could he be so cruel? This is without honor! No samurai would demand such a horrible price! … I understand now… I’m not worth sacrificing all of that for.”

“No!” Lord Shimura quickly replied. “That’s not why I didn’t come back! It's a horrible price, but I would give it to him nonetheless if I could have you! It's just… you don’t deserve someone like me. You deserve someone with better prospects, a cleaner slate… I was foolish to come here to Fukuoka.”

“No! That’s not true!” Shinako bowed her head to the ground. “My lord, I have utmost admiration for you! You have a good heart, and you are better than my father! Damn the past! All I care about is the present, and the future!”

“I’m not the person you think I am, Shinako. We barely know each other. I carry things you cannot possibly imagine.”

“But I don’t care! I will hear it all! Right now, right here! I will weep with you if I must! Just… take me from my home!”

Lord Shimura looked at her compassionately. “He is that harsh with you? I got that impression as well.”

“He is forcing my hand now to do as he pleases. I will throw myself in the ocean if you leave.”

“No,” Lord Shimura lifted up her tearful face. “You have a whole life ahead of you. Your future is not set in stone. But why should it have to be with me?”

“I implore you, it is not over! Reason with him once more! Give us… one more chance.”

Lord Shimura sighed heavily, and then winced at the pain in his side. He waited for the pain to subside before speaking again.

“Perhaps I will start with this…”

For an hour, the jito spoke of Tsushima. The passing of his first family. The Rebellion of the Yarikawa Clan. The raising of his orphan nephew. And finally the events of the Mongol Invasion. Shinako listened as entranced as before, quietly devastated by such a tragic history.

“Lord Sakai was to be my heir. I never told anyone, not even him, until perhaps it was too late. But I was wrong, I shouldn’t have done it. I should have never tried to adopt him.”

“I’m not so sure, my lord. It could have worked, if things turned out differently.”

Lord Shimura shook his head. “I should have remarried years ago, while I still had my youth. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. And once Jin had entered my life, it felt cruel to even think of it. So I chose him. A selfish choice, instead of doing the right thing.”

“But to choose him was the right thing, not selfish! It’s just… perhaps you shouldn’t have provoked him.”

“… You almost make me want to believe you,” he smiled bitterly.

“But isn’t it true? It seems he loved you dearly. He didn’t want any of this to happen. But you forced him to defy you without giving him another way. You could have listened to him.”

“I know,” Lord Shimura sighed in frustration. “The wound in my side is a constant reminder of my failures… but must I continue to suffer alone for my past deeds? Was it all my fault?”

“Perhaps that’s not for me to say, but for others to take their own responsibility. Just as you have now. And so you have retained your true honor.”

“… Wise words…”

Shinako sighed for the hundredth time. She hadn’t actually cried all this time, but wanted to.

“I'll never really understand what you’ve been through… but will you allow me to share something?”

“Very well...”

Shinako spent a much shorter time describing life with her family, and the recent pains she endured. Of what life in upper-class Fukuoka was like, the pressures of local Society. The harshness of her parents, her continual shame in their presence. Her feelings of unworthiness.

“Maybe that’s why I resorted to poetry so often. I didn’t have the space to speak out, so I wrote. Metaphors, symbolism… I would still be speaking my heart.”

“And so you have. The poems you gave me were beautiful. They were clear enough what they truly meant.”

“… Which one was the best?” she ventured to ask.

“This one…” Lord Shimura stood up slowly and picked up the scroll which was on a shelf. He came back and pointed to one inside:

Lantern in the dark
Flickering while all is calm
Troubled by secrets
The traveler remembers
Only its cage carved of stone

“You recite that so well,” Shinako whispered breathlessly. “You say it like it’s truth.”

“And why wouldn’t it be true?”

“You challenge so many things I say,” Shinako frowned.

“Because you doubt yourself too much.”

“… Perhaps.”

“And you also are as stubborn as me,” Lord Shimura smiled. “Perhaps neither of us want to change, though we must. But whatever you do… don’t stop writing like this.”

“Thank you… that means a lot to me.”

“So… you want me to try again,” Lord Shimura changed the subject back to what was really on their minds.

“Yes. Make my father eat his words. Make him have to accept based on what he has demanded, in front of witnesses! Tomorrow, we will have a formal gathering of our clans at noon to present me to two samurai he has chosen, and then make his final decision, no longer mine. Show them all that you would do anything for me, more than them! And put him to shame for what he dared out of spite. You will do it… won’t you?”

“… Whatever may happen, I want you to do one thing for me,” he spoke more gravely than before.

“… What’s that?”

“Even now, even while you have true reason to be angry with your father… show him mercy. See it from his perspective. I know it’s what I would have wanted when…”

He fell silent and became somber again. Shinako nodded her head in acceptance.

“I will do it. For you.”

“Thank you.”

The rain continued pouring down outside, and there was no idea of how late it was. Shinako’s kimono had dried off but now she was cold.

“Stay here. Do not endanger your health. You may have a room to yourself.”

“I don’t know how I will be able to defend my name tomorrow. Soon everyone will hear of my foolishness.”

“Leave early in the morning, even if the storm hasn’t let up. I will send your father a message right now that you were caught in the rain and are safe with me.”

Shinako smiled weakly. She was escorted to an empty room and bid to lie down on a mat with some blankets. A lamp was lit for her by her head.

“Thank you, my lord.”

“I do have another name… though I haven’t heard it uttered by someone close to me in many years,” Lord Shimura mused.

“Am I close enough?”

The jito smiled. “Soon… soon…” He bowed to her and let her be. He needed to rest if he was to see her off the next morning. His wound still burned him.

“What will it take to break you?” he said to himself. “Not war, not loss, not even suffering… no… it’s to start over…”

The rain continued to pound on the roof.

Chapter Text

At dawn the next day Shinako didn’t eat anything, but she did wash up before leaving the estate since it was now dry.

“You will come at noon, yes?” she said to Lord Shimura.

“Yes. There is work to be done beforehand, but I will be there at the right time… trust me.”

“I will,” she bowed, and took her horse from the stables to ride home. Few walked the roads, so the trip back was bearable.

When she arrived at the estate, Himiko was the first to find her.

“What have you done, Shinako?” she whined. “Your parents will be furious with you!”

“I did nothing wrong. The rain kept me from coming home, that is all.”

“Are you telling me the truth? You can tell me.”

“Yes. I only spoke with him.”

“And?”

“I don’t wish to share it.”

“Alright… come, have some rice and plums.”

Shinako was starving, so she ate as quickly before fleeing to her room and changing into a new kimono. This time, she would wear dark red, and the red sunrise comb to go with it.

“You are beautiful, Shinako. Do you believe that?” Himiko frowned once she was done with the hair and took a step back.

“Yes. I think I believe that now,” Shinako replied thoughtfully. “But it isn’t because of this day, or my dowry. I am ready to face my fate.”

“Good… I’m so sorry what happened to you,” Himiko shook her head. “For a moment I thought… you had a chance to be truly happy.”

Shinako sighed and said nothing.

Lord Yokotani was notified of her arrival, but he did not go to see her. He busied himself with other preparations for the day. Lord Kamisato and Lord Nishida with their wives would join the occasion, as well as some close friends. Lord Sato and Lord Taji with their families would be there as a final bid. Only one would be chosen, but both were asked to be there. The less favored one could still gain an alliance if they were diplomatic enough.

These were not terrible men. Neither were the first-born of their family and would certainly gain something from this contract. In fact, they would have made for dutiful, respectable husbands. But neither of them really showed any genuine interest in her. Shinako even pitied them for this fact. They were selected because they were the most successful in convincing her father. The parents of these two young lords probably had more to do with these negotiations than them.

Near noon the first escort arrived, that of Lord Sato. He had a mon of a single multi-pedaled flower against a blue background. He was cold in appearance, but made a show of his entrance.

“Greetings, Lady Shinako Yokotani,” he bowed deeply to her. He wore his military armor of dark blue and black, and was well-built. Shinako bowed respectfully back.

“Welcome to our home, Lord Sato,” her father came up next to her, but ignored her. “Please make yourself at home.”

Lord Sato walked past Shinako without so much as a look. His eyes were only for her father. She grimaced in disgust.

The next was Lord Taji, wearing yellow, black and white armor, and bearing the mon of a single triangle within a circle. He was taller and thinner than Lord Sato, but seemed no more fragile. He bowed nervously to Shinako as he arrived with his family.

“I am honored to be in your presence, my lady. I hope this day finds you well,” he said quickly, almost tripping over his words.

“I am well, thank you.”

“Good. I wish only the best for you,” he looked at her expectantly. He probably guessed she still had some say in this when she didn’t. Shinako smiled weakly but looked at the ground.

“When will you come?” she said anxiously to herself.

The house was nearly full to bursting now, with almost 20 guests all properly arranged in the living area. Representatives of five clans in total to oversee this negotiation, one that Shinako didn’t even need to be present for. Nonetheless, Lord Yokotani seated her at his right hand while Lady Yokotani was at his left.

“Are you ready, father?” Shinako asked softly.

“Why do you ask me that question?” he said tersely under his breath.

“This is an important day is all. The day you send me away for good.”

Lord Yokotani furrowed his brow, wondering if Shinako was earnest. She only had a pale, neutral complexion. To her surprise, he made no reply, but only looked at his guests in silence before speaking up in a loud voice.

“My lords and ladies, on this day I announce the dowry of my daughter Shinako Yokotani. 800 ryo has been legally tied to her name, to the worthy man who would claim her hand.”

He gestured to a retainer of clan Yokotani to stand up and hold out a scroll for everyone to see, signed by the Daimyo. He read out loud the official edict which took an exceeding amount of time. Lord Yokotani dismissed him and spoke up again.

“To the worthy samurai I choose, they shall be responsible for the investment of the dowry into a new estate under my supervision adjacent to my existing lands. To the other, I grant them a piece of property in my southern lands for which they shall become my retainer. This will ensure stability of our region and prosperity for future generations. In the event that — ”

Outside, a shout was heard from the guards. Everyone looked to the entrance where they could hear horses riding into the courtyard, a large group. Some nearly stood up from where they knelt.

“Lord Shimura, jito of Tsushima!” an attendant announced him ceremoniously. The doors were opened for him, and he walked in with his full armor minus his helmet. Everyone gasped at this shocking display, and Shinako flushed with excitement, holding her head up. She dared not look at her father.

Lord Yokotani stood up in shock as Lord Shimura walked down the aisle towards his seat, and went on one knee.

“Lord Yasume Yokotani, on the day that you have announced the dowry of your daughter, I have come.”

Lord Yokotani grimaced, but not too openly. There were too many eyes watching him.

“What is it that you want, Lord Shimura?”

“You made a verbal agreement with me that Shinako Yokotani would be mine if I gave you co-leadership of my coalition in the defense of Tsushima. I am here on authority from the Daimyo to announce that it has been granted to you.”

The entire room gasped in shock. An attendant came next to Lord Shimura and opened a scroll.

“On this day, upon recommendation of Lord Tokiasa Shimura, the Daimyo has granted promotion of Lord Yasume Yokotani to the rank of General in the coalition effort for the western defense of Japan. This coalition first endorsed by the Kamakura Shogunate will see him as among the Shogun’s highest-ranking officials pertaining to external threats. This promotion is in effect with the reading of this message in the midst of at least 2 witnesses...”

There was an outcry among clan Sato and clan Taji at this turn of events. None of them had the means to make such an impressive power play. Conversely, clan Nishida and clan Kamisato were overjoyed.

Shinako looked to her father. He was dumbfounded, face pale. Lord Shimura gazed at him serenely, patiently awaiting a response.

“This is unfair!” the father of Lord Sato seethed. “We had no idea there were conflicts of interest at hand! Why did you bring us here then if only to humiliate both our clans? Is what he says true?”

“It is true, I did say such words to Lord Shimura,” Lord Yokotani murmured.

“And he gave it to you! Oh you must take it, my lord!” Lady Yokotani clamored. “Never in all the history of clan Yokotani have we received such an honor! You must take it!”

“Yes!” Lord Kamisato insisted. “There is literally nothing better than this! Dismiss these others now with recompense and be done with these negotiations! This is getting tiresome as it is!”

A shouting match ensued between some of the samurai in the room at who was responsible for this scandal, but Lord Yokotani remained silent. He only stared at Lord Shimura in despair. Finally after the fighting was quelled did everyone listen for a response. Shinako held her breath.

“I cannot accept it,” Lord Yokotani said quietly.

“No!” immediately Lord Nishida and Lord Kamisato yelled in unison. Lady Yokotani grabbed her husband’s kimono in an effort to plead with him. Lord Shimura looked at Shinako, fear in his eyes.

“No… no father! I want him! You know I want him! Accept what he is giving you!” she stared him in the face. “He’s doing this for you! All he's ever done has been to prove he is worthy! Will you ever be satisfied?”

“No,” Lord Yokotani looked at the ground. “I must speak to you, alone.”

He held out his hand to Shinako and brought her to her feet. She glanced at Lord Shimura who continued to stand there in shock. Voices all around them whispered. Lord Yokotani took Shinako to the opposite side of the house and walked her through the back door so that they were on the veranda.

“Sit with me,” his voice was unusually calm, sending chills down Shinako’s spine. She knelt at his side as they stared out to the backyard garden. Birds fluttered around a small pond catching flies in the noon-day sun.

There was a long pause, as if Lord Yokotani wanted Shinako to speak first. But Shinako had nothing to say that hadn’t been said already. She insisted on him making the first move.

“Shinako, if you go to live with him on Tsushima, you will know great suffering,” he said quietly, no cynicism in his voice. Shinako remained silent.

“Japanese scouts have reported that the Mongol Empire is creating a new fleet to invade us, four times larger than the original one. Thousands of ships will overwhelm the island, and there will be no survivors. Lord Shimura has established this coalition in order to protect the mainland. Not himself. Tsushima is the first line of defense, only to give us time to prepare. When they attack, be it in a year, or a few years from now, you and any family you start with him will almost certainly be massacred. Only he has warned me of this threat. No one else knows how dire the situation is except members of the coalition. This is the true reason I am against you marrying him.”

Shinako stared at him, aghast. Tears flooded her eyes.

“I… I didn’t know…”

“How could you? I couldn’t tell you… it broke my heart too much.”

“So you do love me…”

Lord Yokotani sighed and rubbed the tears out of his eyes. “I’m sorry. I cannot tear you away from our family like this, and hand you such an awful fate. I cannot bear to see my own daughter die before her time.”

Shinako sobbed quietly. When she said nothing, her father spoke again.

“Please, Shina. Don’t marry him. For me.”

Shinako gripped the floorboards underneath her. She remembered Lord Shimura’s words.

“I understand now. Thank you for telling me the truth. But I will not do it, even for you. If what you say is true, that death is inevitable, I wouldn’t trade all the years in the world for what happiness I will know with him, be it a year, two years, or more. And is our fate truly set in stone? We may yet escape death and live to see a new day. Lands and homes will be destroyed, but lives can be saved. Imagine, the last of clan Shimura and clan Yokotani uniting together to defend our country! That will be our legacy. Because legacy is more than a name. We choose to fight, live, and die in spite of tragedy… and I was born for this duty the same as any samurai. Lord Shimura needs me. You must let me go.”

Lord Yokotani broke down into tears and embraced Shinako. They held each other in silence until both had calmed down.

“You were right, Shinako… he is an honorable man. I am the coward.”

“No… you are my father, no matter what. Can we… start over?”

Lord Yokotani smiled sadly. “Yes… we can do that…”

Meanwhile in the grand hall, Lord Shimura knelt in the middle of the room with his attendants while everyone spoke in whispers. He felt cold with dread. Perhaps this was the day clan Shimura would truly die. Or perhaps he need not be so fatalistic. Either way, it reminded him of a fateful day only a year before, in the cemetery with the red-leafed tree, just waiting for an answer…

It was half an hour later when Lord Yokotani returned, Lady Shinako walking gracefully against his arm. Everyone in the room stood up and bowed, including the jito.

“Lady Shinako has made a decision. She will marry Lord Shimura… and I will bless them.”

Sighs of both relief and disappointment were heard all around the room. Lord Shimura fell to his knees in deference. It was all he could do to keep himself composed.

“Thank you, father,” Shinako whispered to her father with a smile.

“… I will pray for your protection every day you are away from home,” his lips trembled.

“But you will never be too far away. You will fight side by side with him now, and you will be successful. You will protect us all.”

He nodded his agreement and then let go of her arm. He approached Lord Shimura.

“I will accept what the Daimyo has granted me, but this by no means indicates a deposing of your right to lead our coalition. You deserve my full obedience. I will defer to you, my lord,” he bowed to him.

“I will be honored to defend this country beside you, Lord Yokotani. But you are always welcome to provide a different perspective.”

“Thank you. And… forgive me for my cruelty. It was weak-willed of me. I will never speak to you in such a way ever again,” he frowned somberly.

“I accept your apology… are we even?”

“Yes… yes we are,” Lord Yokotani bowed again with a slight smile. “Take good care of her.”

“I will. You have a samurai’s word,” Lord Shimura smiled and held out a hand to Shinako. She took it gracefully and walked out of the house with him in a formal escort. Everyone else followed behind as they got on their horses and began a procession through Fukuoka back to his residence. There, a ceremony and feast would be held immediately to welcome the bride. While permission would still be needed directly from the Shogun, there was no worry of the outcome.

Crowds gathered all around as the lady in red rode behind Lord Shimura. She held her head high and only looked ahead. Her parents followed behind on their own horses, just as proud as their daughter. It was to be a joyous day.

“Make way for the lord and his bride!”

Chapter Text

Two Months Later

Vault of aging green
A cold wind stirs the branches
Blossom of autumn
Summer’s leaves wither and fade
Never will my love for you

“That is rather sentimental, don’t you think?” Lord Shimura furrowed his brow.

“Oh for heaven’s sake! Now you dare criticize my poetry!” Shinako laughed. It was early autumn and they were kneeling on mats by the lake under Kubara Falls. The sky was perfectly blue as it tended to be these days, and the surrounding forest was already changing to red. Shinako wore an orange and white kimono while Lord Shimura wore black with his tan jacket.

“But that’s too overt, isn’t it? I liked your subtlety in the past.”

“That’s because I had to be subtle, out of decency! What’s there to hide anymore?”

Lord Shimura laughed. “Let me show you what I would write instead.”

“Very well.”

Lord Shimura unraveled his clean sheet of paper and dipped his ink pen in its bottle. He looked around the lake for a moment, examining the view.

“See what’s looking back,” he recited the first line.

“Well, okay,” Shinako shrugged with a smile.

Gaze beyond the mirrored red
The fog has lifted
Brief moment of clarity
Abiding consolation

Shinako sighed happily and laughed again. “I don’t know how you do it. You spoil me.”

“I hope you understand it, and that it wasn’t overly vague,” he said timidly.

“No, I understood… I know your love of lakes bears heavily on your mind.”

Lord Shimura gave her a confused look but figured out the joke the next moment. They both laughed together.

“Take this one. In remembrance of today,” he gently handed it to her. She held the scroll close to her heart.

“Do we have to go back?” Shinako sighed.

“Not yet. Just before nightfall.”

“Good… I wanted to ask you something.”

“Go on.”

Shinako looked him straight in the eye. “Have I been what you wanted of me?”

Lord Shimura frowned and stroked her face. “I thought my life was over, that I couldn’t move on, but somehow you changed that for me. I want to be alive again. And I am happy. I know I don’t show it always. Perhaps even in moments that cloud of sorrow will get the better of me. But… every time you laugh,” he smiled and put his forehead against hers. “I could almost cry for joy. You truly are my consolation.”

“Thank you, Tokiasa,” Shinako teared up but immediately wiped it away and sighed again with a smile. “I just want to make you happy. Because I know that deep down, when you are truly happy with who you are, no matter what you’ve been through, you will shine brighter than any light. Then I will know that you have found peace.”

Lord Shimura smiled warmly and kissed her on the forehead. “Our future is uncertain. I know the risk you took for me. It’s a difficult path before us.”

“But I hope to walk it as well as you.”

“… I know you will.”

Shinako rested against him as he held her, and together they watched the sun sink behind the trees.

Brief moment of joy
A taste of eternity
Something yet to come