The Nightingale Banquet

Ayaka attends the daiymo function where all the nobles of Shenobi are gathered, and the renowned Nightingale sings for them. This evening, her life is about to change

            Noribuko stood square in the middle of the room. Hands on her hips, a washrag in one, she stared at her niece.
            “You will attend that banquet young lady.” 
            Ayaka sat on the edge of her bed, pretending to busy herself with the folding of blankets, and when that was done, with the manicuring of a few toenails. She wanted to leave the room, but her aunt’s glare kept her in place. The cat had gotten out of the bag far too easily. It hadn't been Harumi's doing. The servant girl kept the secret as instructed. Ayaka had only herself to blame. The night before last, after coming back to the lodgings at the Bathhouse Inn, Ayaka set the swan-white and plum blossom kimono beside her bed. In the morning, while she slept soundly, Noribuko had gone about her usual routine of tidying up, and placed the kimono in a basket with other garments to be washed.

            How could I have been so stupid? Thinking about the journey ad caused her to forget to do a better job hiding the letter; the festival's distractions and all that rice wine were no help either. Noribuko had been preparing to dunk the kimono in a washtub when the envelope fell out.

            Despite her aunt's incredulity, Ayaka had been unable to provide a name, except to say a palace servant delivered the envelope. It did not matter; the royal seal confirming the invitation's authenticity was more than enough for her aunt.

            “Don’t you understand what a unique and wonderful opportunity this is?” Noribuko’s resolve clinched her words. "So, you’re going, aren’t you, Ayaka Soranoyume?”
            Her aunt waited for her to say something, but Ayaka was remote. Why go? Soon I'll be free of all this nonsense, and do what I've always been meant to do. Then again, what did it matter if she attended? Nothing would change. After an uncomfortable silence, Ayaka acquiesced with a tepid nod. “Yes. I'll go."
            That afternoon Midori and Akemi arrived as if a wild wind had flung them to the door.
            “When were you going to tell us?” Akemi cried in disbelief.
            “Today. I,…I just forgot about it last night.”
            “Forgot!” Akemi looked at the ceiling as if the most illogical statement had fallen from the skies.

            "Aren't you going to at least tell us who invited you?" Midori asked.

            Ayaka explained that the palace servant had kept tight-lipped on the matter. She dodged the rest by pretending not to remember the servant's name.

            "Oh, how mysterious!" exclaimed Akemi. "A secret admirer!"

            Ayaka wanted to collapse on the bed and bury herself under the blankets.

            By and by Midori laughed. “Don’t worry cousin. We are going to make you look so pretty that the daiymo will forget where they're from and how they got there, neh."

            Splendid. The last thing Ayaka wanted was for any of the daiymo, especially whoever had invited her, to think she fancied them by showing up. On top of that Akemi and Midori meant to make her look more exquisite than a bird of paradise. With no way out, Ayaka surrendered to the process of beautification her two friends subjected her to for the next hour. The whole while they chatted about who’d be there, who to meet, and nuances of the proper etiquette she should carry herself with to fit in. 
            “What, you two aren’t coming?” Ayaka asked in sudden alarm. She was sitting in a chair, resting back as they combed her hair, but now jerked up a notch.

            "Afraid not, cousin.” Midori clucked her tongue. “Akihiro invited us to a function this evening. We we’re going to ask you to come, but it would appear bigger plans have presented themselves. Looks like you’ll have to go this one alone.”
            Her friends thought it rather funny she was to be forced to manage on her own at a gathering of such elite royalty, one which she hadn’t wanted to attend in the first place. If it had been someone else instead of her, Ayaka supposed she'd of seen the humor in the predicament too.

            They dressed her in a kimono of luscious twilight-purple, then tied her hair back, and applied a subtly thin coat of rice powder makeup. Ayaka assented and used the red lipstick, and put on a pair of earrings. As a finishing touch, Midori placed a small kanzashi flower in Ayaka's hair. 
            “There,” said her cousin, looking into the mirror with Ayaka, “ready for fate to have its way with you.”
            To make sure Ayaka entered the palace and didn’t sneak off someplace else, they appointed Harumi to accompany her to the entrance. Noribuko would have gone herself, but her bad hip and rheumatism was giving her trouble that day. She'd already reprimanded the little girl about not being forthwith in the disclosure of the invitation, and warned of repercussions if she repeated anything of the like, "It'll be nothing but bean curd and rice gruel for you for the next five weeks, understand?"

            The little nomin girl nodded. Twilight was falling. It was time to go.

            "I hope you have a good time, my dove," said Noribuko.

            Her friends wished her good luck, and Ayaka, her steps hesitant, left the Bathhouse Inn with Harumi.

 

            “I don’t have to go in yet,” said Ayaka. “No one said I needed to be on time.”
            "But, I don't wanna get in trouble," Harumi whined. "Nori-chan said that,..."

            "Never mind what she said. I promise, you won't get in trouble."

            Ayaka and Harumi had walked to the palace, however, when nearing the entrance, where companies of fancily arrayed daiymo ingressed, Ayaka’s courage waned and she slipped away to the side, and into the shadowed gardens. Night spread over Shenobi now and it was dark in the secluded spot they hid. Next to them were a pair of stone benches and a table.

            “Um, what are we doing here, Aya-chan?” Harumi asked, genuinely puzzled. She was looking up at Ayaka; the faint moonlight shone on her round face.

            We’re doing nothing, thought Ayaka, nothing at all -  but she said, “Taking a little break. To gather my bearings"

            "What's bearings?"

            Ayaka didn't answer; she wasn't sure what bearings were either. She wanted to flee, but knowing the notion impossibly foolish, she walked deliberately to and fro for a spell before sitting on a bench. Moments later she popped back up, then rested against a balustrade. Sitting on the other bench, Harumi watched, swinging her feet back and forth over the ground. This is ridiculous, thought Ayaka. In a final attempt to becalm her nerves she took a series of deep, measured breaths, then restarted for the palace. 

            Two armored guardsmen holding naginatas stood at either side of the large double doors. Between them was a palace servant, who greeted her with a bow. “Good evening Lady Soranoyume," he said after inspecting her invitation. "I did not think anyone else would be arriving. Come, follow me, yes, right this way."

            Before saying goodbye to Harumi, Ayaka gave her a tsuka coin so she could go buy some mochi. Ayaka was then ushered her into a spacious high-ceilinged foyer of rich décor, and beyond that, down a series of long, ancient, pillared corridors lit by lamps at spaced intervals. Ayaka marveled at the extensive architecture, a true cohesive work of art, imbued with authority, majesty, and she sensed, empowered by the echoes of lives come and gone, spanning millenniums.

            Seven flights of stairs conveyed them to the destined landing. Nearly a hundred spherical and rectangular lamps lavished their illumination throughout the vast banquet hall. Conversation and laughter abounded. The majority of guests, a few hundred Ayaka fathomed, had taken their places at three long tables which formed an extensive rectangle, minus one flank. Most of the daiymo continued standing, conversing and exchanging pleasantries. In the center of the three tables, upon a low platform of maple, painted black and sleekly polished, an ensemble consisting of a shiamsen player, bamboo flutist, a drummer with several small drums, and other musicians wielding stringed and reed instruments, played a repertoire of soothing melodies.

            Dillydallying in the gardens had caused Ayaka to be a late arrival. She'd braced herself to treat with the numerous guests, but upon entering the banquet hall, discovered her presence to be quite inconspicuous. Indeed, the crowd of hundreds provided relief, for among them she was relatively overlooked. The daiymo were bedecked in the richest finery of dresses, shirts, kimonos, robes, and sashes, of every color and shade; and there were quite a few women who were surely more beautiful than she.

            "It is a pleasure to meet you, Kyaku-sama." Ayaka bowed after an older nobleman from the imperial realm of Soraijeno made her acquaintance.

            She went on to exchange greetings with half a dozen or more daiymo, feeling in over her head the entire while. Most faces were new to her. Although she did not think she belonged here, she tried her best to be as polite, smiling, and bowing with accentuated respect to everyone she met. When she spoke she used a shy, almost childlike voice, for such docile qualities were expected and admired of women at court. The majority of the daiymo hailed from neighboring prefectures, both illustrious and humble, along with a sprinkling of dignitaries from foreign lands. Unsurprisingly, there did not seem to be a single guest from Fumei-noyorou.

            "Your country is a truly beautiful, and oft overlooked gem," proclaimed the elderly gentleman, the only guests she had traded cordialities with who had been to Gurinihiruzu. He claimed to have met her uncle Tayori years ago.

            Most however, were not certain where Gurinhiruzu was even located, or if it had ever been a house of the Southern Kingdoms. For Ayaka's part, from wherever they hailed, the titles they bore sounded stately and important, and so she made sure to address each one she met as if they were a regent or lord. This pleased them, she found - perhaps because coming from a young unknown daiymo from Gurinhiruzu, they felt the reverence fitting.

            Ayaka scanned the tables to figure out where one was supposed to sit. White linen blanketed the surfaces; no plates or bowls had yet been set, though a wide selection of appetizers had been supplied, and porcelain cups waited in rows. On each table was also a solitary flower arrangement. Many guests held their vessels already, as maikos constantly flitted about to refill them. The manner in which these highborn people drank surprised Ayaka. Daiymo or no, at the pace they set, for a good many the evening would end in a state of drunkenness comparable to uncouth ramblers at a wayside tavern. 

            "There is no designated seating, Denka," responded one of the maiko servants when Ayaka asked. The pretty girl smiled. "In this regard, the spring banquet is akin to the tea ceremony. So please, sit wherever you wish, Denka." She gestured invitingly to the tables.

            Regardless that there might not be specified seating, Ayaka thought it best to adhere to protocol. Aware of her status, the last thing she wanted was to choose a position considered of higher rank. She chose a spot on the periphery, near the corner of a table. It was about as far as she could place herself from the main table, which was set by the hall's rear wall. Seeing who sat at that table demonstrated that the leniency in rank had not been completely set aside. The leaders of Shenobi had taken their respective places there.

            Before sitting on the provided cushion, Ayaka peered across the chamber to the royal table. At the center was Kodai Oto-San, lord of Shenobi. Other governors and dignitaries had gathered beside the white-bearded ruler, including a number of Hiryu samurai. Not far from lord Kodai Oto-san, Ayaka's gaze chanced upon the man who could only be prince Daisuken. Any doubt it had not been him she saw at the mugen noh play was dispelled. Before he could notice her staring like a dolt, she quickly took her place at the table.

            "May I pour you sake, Denka?" offered one of the female servants, with a practiced smile, she leaned near with a white flask.

            "Thank you so much, missuekku-san, but not at this moment," replied Ayaka. She needed to have something to toast with, yet at the same time wanted to keep her wits intact. "Could you pour me jasmine tea instead, if it isn't too much trouble, missuekku-san?"

            The servant nodded, and departed to see to the request.

            Ayaka familiarized herself with the daiymo seated closest to her. To her left was Hotaki, the commissioner of Shinrin's westernmost prefecture. To her right a woman, probably in her early thirties; by the name of Eikaru. She was the regent of Kusa-tani, Ayaka learned, as well as distant cousin to the Kasainotora family. There was also a notably fat daiymo man, seated next to a much smaller, older gentleman who was so skinny he looked almost frail and birdlike. They both wore black eboshi cloth caps, and despite the contrasting proportions, the way they chatted and japed it was clear they were fast friends. Opposite them was a couple from Hokusei. They had brought their daughter - the princess of their house. Although she looked no older than fourteen, judging by how exquisitely they had dressed her, make up and all, Ayaka was quite certain her parents had come prepared to marry her if a favorable match was presented.

            Ayaka was thoroughly surprised to learn that the young man sitting diagonally across the table was Ryusako, prince of Shinrin, and lord Ryudono's only son. He was a comely man, clean-shaven and of light complexion. The robe he wore was pale blue-silver, lined with white-gold, and on his head was an eboshi cap. The prince of Shinrin seemed better at ease than any of the guests, smiling more often than not.

            "It is a great honor to make your acquaintance, Ryusako-sama," Ayaka said after they were introduced.

            "The honor is all mine, fair Lady Soranoyume." He dipped his brow.

            Afterwards she noticed him watching her from time to time, though she pretended to be oblivious. Had Ryusako invited her? Ayaka wondered, and also lent an attentive ear to the daiymo's conversations, presenting only rare, but politely crafted interjections. During the ensuing discourse, now and then she stole a discreet glance between the guests, to the other side of the banquet hall. At the distant table was Daisuken. The prince of Shenobi wore a silky, sable-black kimono edged with crimson and intricately embroidered red dragons across the shoulders and chest. Despite having retired his armor, and sitting in reposed fashion, the prince emanated a daunting aura, or so she imagined.

            Next to the prince was Masuro, robust and strong shouldered, like he'd been shaped from a boulder. The shaven-headed general was in charge of the entirety of Shenobi's military, save for the Hiryu regiment, which Daisuken commanded.

            And who were the flowery swathed women waiting upon the men of the royal table? They came and went, transporting drink and appetizers. Some lingered, lavishing the daiymo with cloying flirtations. Servants? Probably courtesans, maybe concubines.

            A gong sounded, converging everyone's attention. Forthwith, scores of servants filed into the banquet hall from either side, baring trays with porcelain bowls and square dishes of assorted sizes. Mouthwatering aromas inundated the chamber as the feast was laid out. Ayaka had never seen a banquet of such proportions, unsurpassed not only in quantity, but its variety of delicacies. Salads and pickled vegetables were served first, then extra rice bowls; soon after the fried agemono dishes were brought side by side with grilled yakimono, supplemented with stewed recipes. There were fish netted from the waters of lake Seinaru, cooked and sliced raw. In the midst of it, and to the praise of the guests, four male servants carried in an entire stag that had been hunted down in the outlying forests that very morning. The venison, now seasoned and baked, was hoisted upon a small separate table, where it was portioned out at the guests' leisure.

            With nothing else to do while she ate, Ayaka listened to talk at the table. Commerce dominated conversations, as did humdrum affairs pertinent to the daiymo's individual states. Here and there though, were pinches of political intrigue. She quickly got a sense that a fare measure of boasting, howbeit subtle, was underway. With little to share on such topics, Ayaka pretended to busy herself with the food set before her. She did not eat much, using her chopsticks to pick up the smallest portions available - and what she did eat she chewed ever so slowly, because, when it was all done, she didn’t know what she’d do except sit there and feel like a duck among flocks of cranes and swans.

            Between spoon-sips of wild mushroom and miso fish broth, and bites of sashimi dipped in sauces, Ayaka ventured a few glances across the banquet hall. She observed that although Daisuken was relaxed, he maintained a demeanor of regality that seemed natural to him. He wasn't all iron and battle as she had preconceived of the samurai prince. Without any haughtiness, he extended generous amiability to everyone near him. Yet strangely, Ayaka sensed that having to sit at that table threw the prince of Shenobi somewhat out of his element, like a steed saddled with trappings that it would buck off its back if given the chance. Nearly as imperceptible was the weariness that clung to his wan smile, and perhaps worries which dwelled in his eyes, like shadows under the surface of deep water.

            “Where did you say your kingdom was, Kyaku-san?” 

            Ayaka swiftly brought her gaze back to the table before her. She shook her head a little, as if woken from a daydream. It had been some time since she had spoken to her neighboring guests.

            "I'm sorry, ... Meinu-sama, what was the question?"

          The woman who had posed it sat indirectly across from Ayaka. Meinu was the wife of a moderately powerful official from a southwestern prefecture of Shenobi. In years she surpassed Ayaka by two decades at least. Though finished with the golden age of beauty, Ayaka sensed Meinu tenaciously clutched to what remained.

            "From Gurinhiruzu," Ayaka answered meekly.

            “Where, Kyaku-san?” Meinu leaned forward a mite, insinuating Ayaka had not spoken loud enough. Ayaka did not know why Lady Meinu continued to refer to her with the same honorific if they already knew each other's names. She also wondered if the daiymo woman was only pretending not to know of Gurinhiruzu.

            "It's a small kingdom, to the northwest" said Ayaka. "Four days ride from Ao-kuraoudo, seven from Hokusei."

            Lady Meinu chuckled. "So sorry for my ignorance, but it is no wonder. There are so many little prefectures and farmlands off that way. From what I have heard, there’s not much else thereabouts other than sheep and cattle herders.”

            “Yes.” Ayaka nodded, and smiled to show she was impressed with Lady Meinu's acumen. “It is a simple country, …of simple people.”

            This gave the daiymo woman pause. She was more serious now. "Of course, my dear. What can be expected of a country where a nomin can receive a lordship as easily as any daiymo." She smiled before tucking a small square of beef in her mouth, and jawing away.

            During the uncomfortable interval of silence, Ayaka realized her words had been taken out of context as a slight against Lady Meinu, even if her intention had been to humble herself before the daiymo woman.

            By the tense way Lady Meinu held her chopsticks, and the tone with which she spoke, the woman only grew angrier. "If I may ask, my dear, how did you get invited to the banquet?"

            Lady Meinu's husband patted her on the shoulder, a bit proud of her feistiness perhaps. "Now, now, that's enough. Let the little damsel enjoy her meal, neh."

            Thus far Ayaka had seldom made eye contact with this daiymo woman, or anyone, and could not bring herself to do so now. She responded, “I, …I don’t know,…”
            Lady Meinu placed her powdered hand over her lips, stifling laughter, though not a smile. “You don’t know? Hmm, are you sure you’re in the right place, my dear? This is the palace after all.”

            Ayaka lowered her gaze further. She definitely felt it was a mistake to have come here; on that she and Lady Meinu could agree. It was hard stringing the words together. "I mean to say, I received an invitation, ... but there was no indication as to whom invited me, ... that is why, ... I cannot say ..."

            The daiymo woman seemed concerned. "That sounds suspicious. I don't like to say it, but I fear someone may have played you a jape."

            Prince Ryusako spoke up; the sake seemed to have increased his good cheer. "Why, where else would such a beautiful Denka be on an evening as special as this?"

            His words silenced those within earshot. The girl princess from Hokusei, looking like a shy, slender doll, tried to hide her smile.

            "I propose a toast," declared Ryusako. He had his cup filled to the brim from rice wine flask. Others followed suite. The prince of Shinrin raised his cup, smiling everyone, but looking directly at Ayaka. "To the Kingdom of Gurinhiruzu, and Denka Soranoyume, whose fairness is likened to a daughter of Sora-hana."

            Even though she was not sure there might not be a note of underhanded mockery in it, Ayaka joined in the toast. Not mockery on Ryusako's account however; she judged the young prince sincere, though also inspired in part by the flow of rice wine. Several of the others seemed to exaggerate their honoring of Gurinhiruzu, however, ... and some of their smiles ... At least afterwards, Lady Meinu, nor any of the others asked Ayaka about her house or noble station.

            It would not be bad if prince Ryusako had invited her. On the contrary, it was more than she could ever envision. Yet even if it were so, what could he see in her other than a passing fancy?

            Ayaka wanted the night to end, to throw off this finery, these earrings and hairpins, all these falsities. It comforted her to know she would soon leave this daiymo sphere of courts, pride, and dangerous power balances behind. She would answer the call of a far more important purpose. When she looked up from the table, it was not at any prince or other daiymo, but to the far reaches of the banquet hall, searching for the best way to leave.

            Midway through the collective meal; which felt like it had worn on for hours; conversation among the guests shifted down a new path. Even if doing so had been an eventuality, discussion about recent events involving Fumei-noyorou wasn’t a subject the daiymo were keen to engage in. Ayaka noted that differences of opinion on the matter held heated undertones. Despite opposing views, the daiymo maintained a respectful atmosphere. 

            “The treaty was a magnificent victory,” a nobleman affirmed with a curt nod.

            “Let us hope so," said one of his contemporaries, further down the table, "and pray it puts an end to the Shogunate's ambitions."

            Hotaki answered them in bland manner, "You're hopes are too high. The sanction delays the inevitable. What is that? Why war, of course."

            “I regret to say I agree,” added the old, scrawny man, dressed in opulent robes that looked almost too heavy for his wispy frame. He raised a chopstick to punctuate his statements. "Kage-maru bides his time under this ruse. We should summon the lords of the South and ride against that serpent and his wolves before they get in them to march on us."

            Ayaka was taken aback by the discourse. The general populace, with whom she spent the majority of her hours, confided in the treaty as a resounding victory. The daiymo here however, more experimented in the arts of ruling and tenuous political balances, were not of one such mind.

            "I warrant we've already entered the conflict, at least on one front," Hotaki said, cooler than an autumn evening. "Does anyone doubt the Black Hand's and the Shogunate's aims are one and the same?"

            "I can't say, but there are prefectures where people are afraid to travel after dark," Lady Eikaru put in warily.

            "That doesn't count as a front," the scrawny old nobleman responded back to Hotaki, "not when we don't even know when or where those vipers will strike."

            A cold tide churned in Ayaka, rising from forgotten depths, threatening to clutch into her chest with icy fingers. She had tried eating a bit of the grilled fish on rice, but a numbness affected her and she tasted nothing. Shadows that had haunted her for years crept down the walls of memory again, stalking the present.

            "Sometimes I wonder if there isn't a castle that can keep them out," said Hotaki. "They've struck deeper into the South of late, as far as Shinrin and Eruku."

            "Do you think it's true?" the woman from Hokusei sounded cautious. "What they say, that once the assassins are sent, there is nowhere one can flee?"

            "Well, if all that is true, I daresay we are not safe even at dinner, neh," the fat nobleman joined, rather jokingly. His face was so round it was nigh equal in width to length; he chewed away at a stick of skewered chicken.

            Ayaka fought an urge to leave the table and the banquet altogether. Still, she remained, feeling strangely helpless. It is true. They can't be stopped. No one was able to protect her father. He had been the central bulwark of her life, who had carried her in his arms, far above any danger, ... and then those assassins had hacked him down like a tree felled in the wilderness.

            She tried to shut the door on those memories, of what she had seen after waking that morning.      

            And what if their work is not done? What if the Black Hand seeks to finish the job? Ayaka told herself it was not true, that it had ended with her father - yet another voice within warned otherwise.

            Being at the table with all these important daiymo, she tried to mask her anxiety, putting on an exterior so taut she almost trembled. But the girl who she had been in the past was with her still, gripping at a ledge above despair.

            Breathing deeply, Ayaka remembered uncle Tayori's lessons. So many times she practiced in the meadow for hours on end, or just stood with the sword in her hands, while he corrected her posture. Remembering the wisdom he imparted and regulating her breath, in slow degrees, she regained enough of her calm to abide at the table.

            "We merely have to find out what they want," said the fat daiymo, implacably confident, and sedated by how much he continually ate. "Meaning how much, neh. Everyone has a price that can be placated, or I'm the son of an elk and a dragon."

            "That might not be the case if they already receive payment from Fumei-noyorou," said the old scrawny man at his side, a chopstick in one hand. "You see. The treaty cannot promise security. The clan of the Black Hand is what's attached to the end of the Shogun's arm."

            "Those scampering craven are naught to fear," prince Ryusako spoke up. "Thus far they have barely succeeded in infiltrating my country's borderlands. If the day comes their reach grows, Shinrin will sever that member clean off Kage-maru. This I vow." He nodded, and smiled anew, calm as ever, and drunk. "Think not on it. For now, we are safer in Shenobi than if we resided atop Mount Idaina with the Tenshi."

            "Of course, prince Ryusako is in the right," said Lady Meinu's husband. "Next we're going to worry about the rumors of Akuma forces." The comment elicited a boisterous round of laughter.

            While the rest laughed, Ayaka doubted. There were those who scoffed at rumors of the Black Hand, rumors which purported the ninja were not mere men anymore, but something akin to wraiths. The way they had cut through her father's guards, she had often wondered at those rumors.

            During the ensuring conversations, Ayaka learned there were daiymo who feared that little if nothing had been resolved by the new treaty - or worse, that this respite merely granted Kage-maru the time he needed to further his machinations. Those of such opinions were in the minority however. Most, including prince Ryusako, expressed their confidence that the Shogun had been defeated. Howbeit indirectly, they believed enough had been done to end Kage-maru's aspirations of conquest.

            "I believe ... " Ayaka spoke hesitantly when her opinion was asked. "I know that the South is, ... the most powerful land in Isodoro."

            Despite what she said, and despite their assurances, Ayaka suddenly believed none of the daiymo, not in the confidence they had in themselves, or in their kingdoms which they exulted and to which they toasted. They think they know so much, but they know nothing. The daiymo counted the nomin as ignorant peasants. She feared the nobility's seclusion had turned many of them into purblind fools.

            A fleeting sense invaded Ayaka, as if an open window had let in a wintry draft. Prescience rippled within her like birds fluttering before an oncoming disaster, something greater than any earthquake. The foreboding reduced daiymo pride to a petty thing, together with her own concerns. She'd experienced the same foreboding once before - months in advance of the kuro-shi plague which had devastated the lands by claiming hundreds of thousands of souls, including her mother and siblings. What was going to happen this time? And when? Days, weeks, months, perhaps longer. It didn't matter. This unknown ruin would come. Her angst was such that she fidgeted with the hem of her kimono, shifted her posture, and drank the remaining contents of her tea to suppress the unease. The birds of prescience wanted free of their cage, to fly above the clouds, before it was too late and the sky taken from them.

            Debates concerning the east circulated the tables until a daiymo stood up. The man was thickset, with hard bearing; a warlord surely. He raised a bowl-like vessel and spoke in a deep voice so that all could hear the honor he bestowed, "A toast, I offer to my lord, Kodai Oto-san, and to his son, the fearless and most honorable Daisuken. By lord Kodai Oto-san's mandate, the prince has won us a great victory against the Wolven Devourer and Fumei-noyorou's dogs."

            Daiymo nodded throughout the banquet hall, giving hearty words and token of accord. General Masuro leaned over and whispered in the prince’s ear. Daisuken nodded and stood up, and the other man sat down. The musicians stopped playing, and silence dominated the banquet hall. The prince motioned for the servants to fill the cups of every guest. After this was done, Daisuken addressed the gathering with a bold, resonant voice that reached the entire hall with ease.

            “I know there are those of uncertain mind concerning the accordance ratified with our unruly neighbors to the east. Doubt is a wise constituent, for it fortifies wisdom. With regards to the Black Hand - thus far we cannot confirm suspicions they serve interests other than their own. Nevertheless, increased efforts are underway to counter their activities. Sooner or later we will find their secret den and bring the fist of the South upon it." He had half-raised his hand to grip the air and drive the point home, but then relaxed, lowering his hand. "The deeds of the satsujin assassins and other acts of aggression in recent years have created an atmosphere in which little trust has survived in our relations with Fumei-noyorou. But I can assure you, even if Kage-maru were so foolish as to undermine the treaty, his forces are no match for Shenobi’s, let alone, when standing shoulder to shoulder with the houses of Eruku, Shinrin, and Ao-Kuraudo, among the many families, that comprise our valiant brethren.”

            Daisuken looked to prince Ryusako, who met the gaze, and nodded in accord. Daisuken's voice reverberated through the hall. "I was at the battle of the Furious Horses. Our enemy fled before the Kyojin-Kasai banner, and we cut them down in the Misuto forests.” The telling woke the trace of a smile on the prince's face. "After that day, I am certain Kage-maru learned his lesson about instigating an insurgency." Daisuken overlooked the guests, as if surveying them, and something much greater. His eyes were fierce, unblinking, and his voice steadfast with confidence. "But if the need arises anew, we will ride them down into their miserable misted domain." He raised a hand. "My confidence is derived of a simple fact that history testifies to. In the known lands of Isodoro, or across its many isles and the Sea of Kodaina-Suiro to the Main-land Empires, the samurai of the South stand without paragon."

            At this many nodded and spoke in agreement. Daisuken waited, then continued, "Of the qualities to govern a kingdom and maintain peace, strength rules highest. Therefore you can rest easy when I say, that Shenobi, and her sister kingdoms, will never fall." He lifted his cup high. "I believe this evening is a fitting occasion to raise our vessels heavenward, to render homage to the gods, and toast to victories hard won, earned by everyone, for everyone. And let us also give tribute to the Saisei Spring Festival, which replenishes the heart and spirit of this city and her people."

            All the guests in hall raised their cups, and in unison intoned, "Nagai raibu!”

            Before sitting back down, Daisuken drank and signaled for the music to resume. The commemorative spirit the prince had evoked cooled but did not fade completely. People looked happier, more self-assured. Perhaps it was her imagination, but Ayaka thought she saw something others probably overlooked in their faith. The smile and confidence Daisuken conferred them were things forced. Regardless of whatever it was that troubled him, the prince had solidified the daiymo's long standing convictions that Shenobi was too powerful, invincible even, by decree and favor of the gods, that they should be overly troubled by any threat.

            The evening progressed, with a substantial uptake in drink, whereupon mirthful palaver and hearty laughter flooded the hall. Over and again the daiymo toasted at their tables. They were all friends now. Dessert arrived in an inexhaustible supply. There was namagashi, pink rice cake, adzuki sugar beans, flower petal mochi, wasanbon, dango, dumplings filled with deliciousness, and steam cakes in flavors of green tea, chestnut, strawberry. When the guests had their fill, quite a few indulging beyond their temperance, a more tranquil, satiated air suffused the hall.

            A palatial servant arrayed similarly to the one who had delivered Ayaka the invitation, got to his feet. The musicians hushed, and he motioned to the servants standing along the periphery of the chamber, “If we could dim the light first.”

            The help went to work, extinguishing the common white-gold lamp-light that pervaded. Darkness descended, but not absolute. In place of the original lamps, ones of oceanic-blue, twilight-amethyst, and sky-jade paper were lit, creating an environ of cosmogonic mystery. To any who desired more rice wine, the maiko attendants readily supplied them. An anticipatory silence settled throughout. 

            "Now, the long awaited moment,” the palace servant announced. "It is my honor, and pleasure, to present to you the voice of dawn and the north star, the blessed breeze and the angel’s echo, from Oku no mizumi, the Land of Lilies, the most acclaimed singer in the known lands, the beautiful Misa-Nightingale.”
            From the violet pooled darkness at an entrance to the hall, a woman emerged. She was the most elegantly arrayed geisha Ayaka had ever seen, and the way in which she carried herself equally graceful. Misa-Nightingale was middle-aged, yet had retained her beauty on a level scarcely beheld. She walked into the space between the long tables and stood on the platform, amid the musicians. Utter silence reigned as she bowed. Then the shiamsen, flutes, and other instruments stirred with new notes, little more than a soft trickle to begin, and minutes later, Misa-Nightingale sang.

            It almost a humming to begin, yet her voice grew, rising on a breeze, then a wind. Only a soul tortured by unspeakable grief could find it in them to bring forth from their depths such a strain of sound. Ayaka was affected her core. The geisha called out to oneself, to those listening, to the heavens, joining together. For a spell Ayaka forgot her whereabouts. The rest of the guests were moved in their own private manner; some closed their eyes, soaking in the music, letting it spirit them away. Into the third song Ayaka saw Lady Meinu wipe a tear away. Some couples who’d shown little affection thus far now sat closer together.

            The Nightingale geisha sang a repertoire of songs, each more heartfelt than the last. Songs of romance, of wishing upon stars, through days, years, lifetimes. When the geisha concluded her rendition of Forest of the Yosei, a number of daiymo had the servants place gifts before her. While they did so, Ayaka quietly stood from the table and retreated around the back to depart the banquet hall. By no means did she excuse herself because she didn't wish to continue hearing the music. This was simple the opportune moment, with the lamplight low and everyone under the singer's enchantment. And if whoever had invited her hadn’t seen her yet, surely they would be informed she had attended. Relief swept over her as she exited the hall. Maybe no one was interested in meeting her after all? Perhaps she’d only been invited because she was the lone noble representative of Gurinzurihu? In any case, she had played her part in this daiymo spectacle.

            Ayaka withdrew to one of the adjoining arches, and entered the shadowed corridor beyond. It was a spacious passage, with bowed glassless parapet-windows. Here she was alone, the air fresh. While standing by one of the apertures that overlooked the cityscape, Misa-Nightingale commenced singing Moon Ship. I can't leave until she's sung this last song. With the aerial view, Ayaka listened to the geisha's rendition of Moon Ship - a song about the daughter of a god, beckoning her mortal lover to reach the River of Stars to be with her.

            Bathing her face in the cool spring breeze, Ayaka looked across Shenobi to the sporadic sputtering and bursting of colorful fireworks. The echoes of streets teeming with revelry reached the palace. Quite a place from which to get a feel for it all. What a blessing to be alone, while Misa-Nightingale wove her song, and with this vast view of the world. Ayaka sighed, imagining the melody of Moon Ship cascading, and rippling over the city, then rising in mist to a diamond studded sky.

            She wandered the corridor to get a better view from another window. Further down the passage she discerned the dark outline of a figure, standing by a window in a pale-silver shaft of moonlight. Whoever it was had probably been there the whole time. The person gave no indication to have noticed her presence though. Ayaka took a few steps closer. A man; he was looking across the city, just as she had moments ago. The silhouette was tall, and broad in the shoulders. Judging by the reposed posture, she guessed he’d come here for similar reasons as her own - to get away, and reflect. He was so immersed in contemplations he had not realized she stood there.
            Before he might see her, Ayaka turned to leave. Walking down the corridor she bumped into a vase, causing it oscillate lightly. She froze in her tracks, feeling she'd been caught stealing something. The shadow-swathed figure shifted toward her. 
            “Good evening.”
            She’d half wheeled to continue on her way when she heard this distantly familiar voice. She turned to face the man in the dark. Did he know she had been watching him?

Embarrassment slowed her words, and all she managed was an awkward, “Excuse me." And in a delayed, then sudden accession that tripped over itself, she added, “Uh, good evening Kyaku-sama.”
            “Wait,” the word reached out to her as she started away. “Won’t you stay awhile?” 

            The stranger walked towards her. Ayaka did not move. Faint illumination from a single sky-jade lamp in an archway afforded just enough light for her to see the tall man materialize from the shadows. In the delicate cerulean-emerald glow she discerned his features, and the dark hair which fell to his shoulders.
            After a lapse of breathless silence, she bowed, with a reverence akin to fear.

            "Prince Daisuken," she said.

            After he returned the bow, Ayaka still maintained hers.

            “There is no need for such veneration,” he said.
            She unfolded, but didn’t move an inch in any direction. She was as a deer, cornered by a much larger, stronger animal. Whatever he told her to do, she would obey. While he spoke, she kept her gaze at her feet. In the brief moment she saw him approach and had recognized his sculpted countenance, she had again perceived the tiger presence that lurked in the depth of his vision.
            “You, Ayaka Soranoyume, are the princess of Gurinhirzu. It is I who should humble himself, not only to your nobility and grace, ... but to your beauty.” He ended the praise by bowing moderately.

            "Thank you. Thank you very much," she stammered, adding a steep bow. "You are very kind, Daisuken-sama."

            Though it was not a compliment she could venture to return him, Ayaka believed the prince of Shenobi was perhaps the most handsome man she had seen in her life.
            “I was afraid you would not attend,” said Daisuken.
            Ayaka was speechless. How did he know she was coming?
            He waited before saying, “I saw you at the play in the yugure gardens last night. After that I knew I had to meet you, and so I sent Shinji to find you.”

            Surrealness number Ayaka. The very ground seemed to give a little, and she found herself in need of more air. Part of her consciousness had surely fled her body, while the rest remained trapped within. Why on earth would a man of such high stature curry favor with a daiymo as lowly as herself? For the longest time she did not know what to say, until she simply bowed yet again. "Thank you for inviting me, Daisuken-sama. Thank you very much. It is a great honor."

            “There you go again." He smiled. “You mustn’t think of me as above you, or anyone else for that matter. As prince of this city, I am servant to all citizens of the South, whom I and the samurai of this realm safeguard. Your country and mine have ever shared a close kinship. So be free with me, Ayaka Soranoyume, and set this burden of deference aside. Consider Shenobi, and this palace, as your home.”
            She thanked him anon, and started to bow but caught herself midway, giving a nod instead. She did not move, and a period of silence enfolded them, the tenuous breeze flowing through the window.

            A spell later Daisuken sighed, "Isn't the voice of Misa-Nightingale a wondrous gift?”

            Since the prince had come to stand before her, Ayaka's thoughts had pressed in on her like she were wearing too many robes or scarves, and she'd scarcely remembered the geisha was singing. Now the music returned to her awareness, vivid and translucent.

            The prince stood by the nearest window; his hands held behind his back in a relaxed, dignified posture. “The breeze off lake Seinaru carries a particularly cleansing scent in this season," he said, and then invited her to his side. Ayaka obliged the request. He was so much taller, the top of her head barely reached his shoulders. Together they gazed across Shenobi. Not knowing what else to say, Ayaka was on the verge of congratulating him on his victory in the east, but decided against it. Intuition advised that matters of state, especially concerning Fumei-noyorou, comprised the main reason the prince had left the banquet hall in the first place. Therefore Ayaka was grateful that Daisuken guided the course of their conversation, which entered into the arts, the noting of famed singers, musicians - names of whom Ayaka knew few of. Even if she hadn't the faintest idea, she consistently nodded in agreement regarding their talents.

            "And what is your favorite song of the evening thus far?" he asked.

            “This one,” replied Ayaka, with a shy smile. Nightingale sang the last verses of Moon Ship. The notes sailed higher and higher, to the constellations.

            “You have a refined taste, not only in music, but in the entirety of the arts. As in the play of the Ronin and the Akuma for instance. A moving legend, is it not?”
            Moon Ship concluded and the daiymo were so affected that many of them applauded. In the dim corridor, Ayaka was surprised although she knew she shouldn't be. As their conversation unfurled, she found the prince of Shenobi to be very gracious, with a familiar amiability to her. Howbeit, she could yet descry a fierce glint in his eye, a subtle flame ever present, she suspected. The man' spirit was indeed part tiger - such a creature killed so that its life could continue, as the prince did for the preservation of the Southern Kingdoms. How many lives had he ended? But even to a tiger there existed a gentler, even affectionate side, and the longer they spoke the lower she let her guard down.

            Still, it was not easy for her to talk to him, mainly because she didn't know what to say in the presence of such a powerful and important man. Often she lost herself in the brilliant green, gold, and pink fireworks which ascended over the cityscape. Daisuken watched the blooming lights with her. In the background, Misa-Nightingale commenced a new song, Petals Drifting.

            “No matter how far afield I journey from Shenobi, even if its a thousand ri I have strayed, I always return for the Spring Festival”
            Ayaka ventured, “I always wanted to visit Shenobi, ever since I was a girl. I am amazed at this,…city…” She had almost said: at this kingdom, which you will one day rule.
            How unreal was this moment! When a child, playing at the myths and histories of this realm, she had dreamt what it'd be like to actually be here. She had never envisioned it would be standing beside the prince of the Kyojin-Kasai Phoenix dynasty.

            “There are many amazing things here,” said Daisuken, quieter, studying the contours of her features. “But the jewel that is a young woman from Gurinhirzu, outshines all its wonders.”
            Ayaka’s bosom rose. She steadied her breath and said, “Thank you so much Daisuken-sama, … your compliments are, too generous, …I don’t …”

            Was this man serious? He actually seemed to be. Quite flustered, and so as not to return his gaze, Ayaka focused her vision toward the fireworks. During the ensuing silence, the colorful, cracking bursts echoed, muted by the distance.

            “Thank you for everything, Daisuken-sama -” she saw her chance and seized it “- but it is getting late, …and I must be going.” 
            “There will be more music yet, and dance,” said the prince, motioning to the banquet hall.
            “I would like to stay, ... but I really must return to my lodgings, ... my aunt will be worried.”
            “Very well, I understand." He nodded. "You are free to go wherever you wish. I am simply glad you came, to have had this chance to meet you finally." The prince bowed. "It has been a true honor.”
            “Thank you so much, for everything.” Ayaka bowed.
            She had already taken a few steps when Daisuken spoke, “If it is possible, ... I would like to see you again."
            Unsure how to respond, she nodded. “Yes." And added a bow, but never meeting his gaze.

            The prince reciprocated the bow and bid farewell, “Good night, Ayaka Soranoyume.”
            She turned and walked down the hall, trying not to hurry, but her emotions pressed her step faster than she deemed becoming.

Author's Note

Reviews

[C. Rose]

No diigo this time. I was traveling and without internet access so I had to resort to more 'primitive' methods of reviewing: the word document.

First a message from “editor” mode.

Typos:
“the daiymo there will forget where their from and how they got there”
“He friends wished her good luck,”
“an frigid draft”
“Moon Shop”

Choices:
“or so at last she imagined.” felt awkward.
“Let the lass enjoy her meal.” (lass) is Scottish. It feels strange and against the theme.

Now a message from “fan” mode.

- “howbeit” - it's not everyday I run across a word I've never seen before. In fact it has been a few years now. High five to you!

- “empowered by the echoes of lives come and gone” - wow. Powerful sentiment and well writ.

- Harumi - “What are bearings?”. The child-like personality of Harumi (who is a child so that makes sense) balances well with Ayaka.

- Ayaka – I enjoyed the entire party: how she resisted going in, how she sat off to the side, how she accidentally offends a lady, how she delays leaving because of Moon Ship.

- Daisuken – The fact that Daisuken didn't demand she stay, and that his reasons for doting on her are multifaceted, and that Ayaka can see different sides of him already AND the line that Ayaka's dreams of visiting Shenobi never included meeting the prince – makes me so happy. I am so sick of the Disney model of a princess dreaming about her prince, then they meet and fall in love for indescribable reasons. With Ayaka and Daisuken, I can tell why he likes her, I can tell why she hesitates, and I can tell why she starts to fall for him – though that is more in the next chapter. At no point did I need to roll my eyes or mutter “bah, humbug”, which would typically happen when reading a royal courtship.

[Kuandio]

Thanks for the review! Diigo or primitive methods, both are great. I thought you'd forgotten about the story. Did u get the review I did for the following chapter of yours?
The romance in this story is definitely not like Disney, or any fairy tale you'd want to tell a little kid, even if for brief moments it might seem a little idealistic (I hope not). I'm glad you didn't get that impression. I'm getting sleepy at this point, might be busy next day or two, but will be getting back to reviewing your story asap. Wow, thanks for reading, I think your almost halfway done with Sakura Dream

[C. Rose]

Definitely not forgotten, and thanks for reviewing me back :)
Long story short, found dead squirrels in attic, need to clean out attic, not much energy left for neither writing nor reviewing these past few days. Good news is we're almost halfway done.

[C. Rose]

Keep seeing you editing this in my newsfeed. I'm curious. What're you changing?

[Kuandio]

C.Rose!!! Nice to c u. Mostly simplifying some parts, especially some over the top vocab, weaving in a mention of several new plot threads (very thin threads that don't change the overarching storyline), making Ayaka a little more involved, making things a little truer to Japanese culture. The next edit was reducing a flashback I'd added, and sending the bulk of it to two different later chapters. There'll be another edit after giving it a final lookover.