She sat, waiting for the man to show up. She had antic.i.p.ated this from the very start, that this will be a matter of waiting. While moat tea ceremonies were done in the afternoon, and in seasons that was not winter It was close to there now, but not quite.And it was around there, she had merely waited for so long. Dressed for this the moment she was up, in a fine dark and orange kimono. Fitting the weather and of reasonable cold, finishing it off with a haori. Which was used to give the feeling of long sleeves, which the kimono was not? For this occasion, she decided to wear a couple more ornaments.
Kaede came forward, inviting the man she spent seven days waiting for. He was her only lead, and anyone else had been reluctant to share much with her. And Kaede could not glean much either; she knew that something was happening in the background. And a secret too, but without anyone giving her a clue she didn"t know how to continue. And most of her efforts had been rather futile.
Even as she spent a lot of her time outside, sometimes for the better, sometimes not. But she was a lot less chatty, possibly with the city and the death of her brother. It was of common sense that she will be more withdrawn while she was here; this was her hometown after all. And what she knew of her past her had made Sachiko rather unwilling to ask more unless she proved herself disloyal. Not that younger brother added anything onto the pile, thus she simply a.s.sumed it.
Kaede was still diligent, and she didn"t see too much of a difference apart from that.
Hence, she had to simply wait. Suzumi had not sent any new letter from Okiban, and nothing on her side. Either way, Sachiko was worried for the right reasons that something seriously wrong might have occurred during that time. But she could not turn back, or even send anyone.
Remembering that she was just as isolated as anyone else, left with few options in this situation. Thus she could not pick or really choose the best option. She had too few allies, and even less in terms of people, she could actually trust. She could only believe that he was not out to get her, that was all.
Even then, she held back from doing anything. He had come, dressed in a blue kimono. Not in his uniform, which she knew was for the best. This was best handled as a private affair, to their mutual benefit. She will not be able to explain just what was he doing in her house, or answer any solid questions. Hence, this was merely a private ceremony she did.
He sat down, with Kaede helping him with a teapot pouring it. They just needed to keep the appearances up, as she closed the tearoom and stood on the outside. Kagura was also there should anything go wrong, the only two servants she will have trusted in this place. Then again, this was almost abandoned since the last time anyone from their family actually lived in it had been almost seven years ago.
As much as she preferred not to think about that time. This house had reminded her too much of memories that she chose to forget when she left, remembering her father being here for her. Bringing her here for the city had better air than Okiban, and was of a warmer climate than in the south.
Especially the teahouse, where it was one of the places she liked to be in. It was not under the scrutiny of many, and often one of the times where she was truly alone with her father.
"Before we start, can I ask you a question?"
"Most certainly." Starting straight into it had been her plan, but she was willing to accommodate.
"Why are you here?"
"I answered that as it is."
He gave a smirk. "Well, you are probably on the right track. There was something strange about his disappearance." That ended up bringing back an incredibly decomposed corpse, one which no one could identify strongly. Other than the discarded clothes.
Without anything else, she bought into his death. She was not one to delude herself, as much as the thought that it was her chance to seek a way to leave. To leave this life behind and truly be free. When she had been caged for so long, unable to choose anything at all. Going along with anyone with enough power to protect her, and leaving her powerless to choose her path at any point in time.
She hated it, she disliked it. It was the same as leaving her life in others, she did that once. And she never wanted to do it again, thus she sought her own freedom at her own price and time. It was a hard path, but she will rather have it no other way.
Marriage was the last thing she needed in such a situation, anyone knew that it was the honest truth when reviewed. Marriage for anyone was binding, and to escape from it —especially for a woman— was disrespect. And she knew that it will be soon, that it will happen soon if she did not find some way out of it. She was turning eighteen in a month or so.
"What is it?"
"The body has no indication that it might be from the Daimyo." He was right in that regard, which was why she held her own reservations about it but refused to do anything. Her mother did not even shed a tear at the funeral, perhaps guessing there was much more than thought.
"Your sources are sound. And that"s why I"m here."
"To really see if your father is alive or dead?"
"To get an answer as to why that letter was sent to my brother." His smile went into a curve, realizing where it was going to be. She wondered whether it was for show, or it was not. Either way, she had no way to tell given that this was her second meeting. But so far, she doubted that it was so. Something had to have happened while her father was here, whether he died or not was left up in the air.
"I"ll answer your question." He leaned in and told her.
When they saw the house, the first thing on their mind was to take some rest. Shinrou had been more than willing to do so, seeing that Masami was sleep deprived, Yuki rather miffed at being excluded and running all over the city with no idea as to where they were heading. As for Kazuho, he went into the study at once and locked himself in it. And they brought along with them another boy after he sent the last one home.
He was a little short, with his hair tied into a ponytail with a headband. Carrying a blade on his waist, slightly more apart from his hips than before.
Kazuho had taken out some paper, along with a map. With the Sasaki clan after him, they were sure to know where he hid. Shinrou leaned outside the study, observing that he was writing a letter at this point. With the boy looking as well. "Who are you?"
"Mutsu, I work for Mamoru." Whoever that was, he had no idea nor any real inclinations to know. But he guessed that Kazuho must have worked out a deal with them or something. If anything, he was less tired than Yuki or Masami. Mutsu had observed, as though this was normal for him. That this didn"t seem all too strange for him.
But soon enough, without Kazuho looking up it grows monotonous. And thus Shinrou figured that he might as well ask a few questions.
"Do you know anyone by the name of Saitou Sachiko?"
"Yes, she"s in f.u.kusei and is the mistress my sister works for." Kazuho put down his brush the moment he heard it. He looked up in surprise. "Before she was working here."
"So, we just missed her." He stopped for a moment. Even as Kazuho was thinking about the reason why. He knew it, although he still had only vague ideas as to who it was. Was it during the time he was Kouya, it was a reasonable guess. The only time where Shinrou had only a couple of meetings with him. And they did not really jog his memory.
"Is there a reason why Kaede is there?"
"Well, Mamoru said that the sudden rise of the Saitou clan was a little strange as much as it was worrying. And the only chance that they had to infiltrate was when Sachiko-hime looked for a maidservant." If his memory did serve right, the Saitou clan was not a clan which involved themselves in many intrigues. Often keeping themselves out of it, or at least that was what he heard.
"Because the Saitou clan only began to build an information a few years back?"
"Yes." He agreed to this. Shinrou was unable to really comprehend Kazuho"s thinking, but he knew that it was getting close to something. He took another piece of paper, before making a couple of links.
"The Saitou clan got close to that man several years back, and an alliance was not only proposed but in the process of negotiation." He added a couple more. He didn"t write anything else, even as he knew that he was pensive and thinking what the next thing to do will be.
Kazuho continued to stare at all the details while Shinrou remained at the side.
He leaned in, telling him the one thing he wanted to tell him. The one thing that he managed to learn by chance. "Rin is Sachiko-hime."
His eyes widened at it. Before he took the brush, thinking about whether he should write it down. And send it to Mamoru or even Kaede. If Kaede was by her side, then it was best to tell her instead.
"Mutsu, can you send a letter when you head back to your sister, as fast as possible."
"As you command." Before he wrote as fast as he could, hoping to send them back. Even as it seemed that they were no closer to having anything make sense. Mutsu took the letters back. Leaving only Shinrou and Kazuho.
"So, it turns out we…"
"Are getting close." Kazuho gave a smirk. He looked at the pendant once more, remembering the girl who gave it to him. At last, he was close to seeing her once more, after so long. And to repay the debt that he had to her, he owed too much and this was his chance to return it.
"Who is Kaede?"
"The girl who was with me while I stayed there. And Mamoru is also a companion."
"You found them?"
"They found me. Honestly, I didn"t think it will be that easy or that they will have approached me in the first place." He gave a nice smile on his face. Rare for him to show it, as much as Shinrou knew.
"You made a deal."
"Yes, a reasonable one where I don"t need to reveal my ident.i.ty." Shinrou nodded, knowing that such things were best left to Kazuho. "Though you aren"t too shabby either."
Although he stumbled onto the name Saitou Sachiko by chance, through Murasaki. Though he wondered whether he should introduce Kazuho to her and get her to bring Enyou. "Do you have any way to contact the Sasaki clan?"
"I have, but I do think that it is too much for one day."
"That I agree, I even drank back in f.u.kusei." Shinrou was surprised, but then again he was likely isolated and cut off.
"I think that will have taken a large amount of money on your pocket."
"What did happen with Shino?"
He took out a small photograph. There were no other words needed to tell what else. Besides, he didn"t even want to deal with her so this suited him just as well. "You can keep it. She took the next ship to her homeland."
He took it and accepted it. It was a memento, something which he will have been glad to have. Kazuho had few uses for it at the end of the day, and he barely even had a chance to talk to the now young woman.