"The passes have opened, the snow melted and the roads will be clear to travel. We will be able to go to KyÅto." Lord Takeda and Anna sat alone on the veranda, admiring the garden in full bloom.
Lottie recalled another garden they'd visited, nearly a year ago. So much had happened since then - then she had been an interpreter for the Americans and she had no hopes of staying with Lord Takeda beyond his departure from Kanagawa. Now she was his samurai and was going to meet the Emperor. Then she had no plans other than to find her adoptive parents and now she owned their village.
Hikaru watched her face and was able to see clearly that she was concerned. "You should not worry, my love." He took her hand in his. "The Emperor needs you and he will protect you."
"I am not worried for myself." She turned her face towards him. "What about Mariko and your son?"
"As discussed, Haru will be sent to his mother's family, where he will be safe and well looked after. And Mariko will accompany you..."
"That's what I'm thinking about!" She cut him off. "If SaitÅ continues to attack me, she might be in danger. Why does he hate you so?"
He did not answer straight away, considering how much he should reveal to her. But then decided that Lottie deserved to know the whole truth. "We grew up together." He started. "Both families were close to the Emperor. Our fathers were friends. However, there was something about him that made other children weary. He always fancied himself as someone destined for great future. Others laughed at his boasting, but that only made him more determined to prove them wrong. Eventually, he started resenting me as well. I was popular, easy to be with and I always had people around me. With time, when we grew up, other boys chose to follow me. Girls also..." He confessed, a little embarrassed now of his teenage conquests.
"There was one girl, a daughter of a minor lord, who decided that she was going to marry me. I was not particularly interested, but SaitÅ... He was obsessed with her. Eventually, he managed to convince her father to agree to a marriage. The girl refused. She said she would rather kill herself than be his wife. They ignored it, of course. On her wedding night she committed seppuku. SaitÅ blamed me and vowed revenge. As soon as he became the head of his family, he changed his allegiance and went to serve the ShÅgun. Since then he has done whatever he could to take away anything that is dear to me."
She listened with horror. "That's horrible." Despite the fact that SaitÅ had tried to kill her, Lottie felt sorry for him. "And nothing will satisfy him until you suffer a loss?"
"Yes." Hikaru confirmed.
"Then surely you must reconsider. You can't send Mariko with me. She might get hurt."
"You are to stay in KyÅto under the pretext of being one of her maids. There is no other way for you to enter the palace. We have discussed that." He explained patiently.
"We did. But I didn't fully understand the danger we would be putting her in. Can I not dress as a man again?"
"Little Lottie," He smiled with amusement. "Nobody would ever take you for a man."
"I could cut my hair again and..."
"No." He stopped her. "We will do what has been agreed: you and Mariko will stay in KyÅto, while I go to Edo to complete my compulsory residency. Do not worry," He moved closer and embraced her. "I will leave suitable protection for you both. What I am worried about though..." He leaned back and looked at her with a mischievous grin. "...is that the Emperor will see what I can see in you and he will want to steal you from me."
She was grateful for this attempt to lighten the mood and she grinned back at him. "Is he as handsome as you?" She challenged.
"Hmm, I can't possibly say."
"Is he as generous as you?"
"Perhaps more so, if he chooses to."
"Does he resemble you in any way, My Lord?"
"I don't think so."
"Then there is no worry." She laughed. "My Lord, you spend so much time with me you forget that for a Japanese all white people seem ugly and without grace. I promise to be as clumsy as possible and to not show any of my good qualities."
They laughed for a while, but then he embraced her again. "I will miss you." He whispered, inhaling deeply the scent of her hair.
"For the first week, perhaps?" She teased. "Then you will find another companion. One that is more accomplished."
"What other woman can claim she is more accomplished than you?" There was a disbelief in his voice. "You fight like samurai and move like Ninja."
"Not all men would consider the latter a bonus." She shook her head with amusement. "When are we leaving?" She rose from her seat.
"You can spend tomorrow with your father. We will go the following day."
"Thank you, My Lord." She bowed. "I will be ready."
*
The whole retinue gathered in the courtyard, ready for departure. They were only waiting for Lord Takeda and his closest attendants. Only a few people stayed behind to take care of the residence. Sumiko was one of them, too heavily pregnant now to travel. She wished she could go as well, but, in true samurai spirit, she wore a proud expression observing Kazuki attending to Ana-San's horse and not letting anybody see her sadness. They had said their farewells before, in the privacy of their rooms and Kazuki solemnly promised to return soon, safe and sound.
Nabutada stayed close to Lady Mariko, ready to assist her with mounting as soon as the Lord appeared. The news of their upcoming marriage was greeted with happiness and good wishes and people often remarked how happy things were since Ana-San's arrival at the castle.
When Lord Takeda finally stepped out onto the veranda, he did not look at all as the Great Lord he was. He wore simple travelling clothes that did not mark his high rank in any way. He walked to Anna and smiled, seeing her hair dyed black again. He beckoned a man who was hovering nearby and introduced him. "Ana-San, this is Omura-San, the chief clerk who I appointed to administer your property." The man bowed low to show his respect. "He will travel with us for a part of the way and later go to inspect the villages in his care." He sent the man away with a wave of a hand and lowered his voice. "Perhaps you would like to join him for a short while?" He smiled.
Anna looked at him without understanding, but soon guessed the suggestion: she was free to visit her adoptive parents on the way. Until now she had had no way of letting them know where she was and what had become of her. They still thought she had left Japan. She bowed low in gratitude. It was so like Hikaru to concern himself with such trivial matters at the time when he should be thinking about more important things. He just nodded to her, pleased that he surprised her yet again. He mounted his horse and gave the signal for departure.
All remaining servants lined up along the road, bowing to the leaving Lord, wishing him a safe journey.
The whole retinue followed, in order of their prominence: Lord Takeda, his son and sister at the front, his personal samurai, then the rest of the soldiers and the remaining attendants with food and anything else needed during the trip.
They were heading north for the time being, to escort Lord Haru to his mother's family.
Anna and Kazuki chose to remain a little behind the main body of soldiers. Whenever possible, she still avoided displaying her high position among the Lord's samurai. It was enough for her to know that he valued her so. The other reason to stay behind was to talk to Omura and discuss her wishes regarding her new property.
Seeing her approach, Omura made a move as to dismount and she was sure he would fall to his knees, so she stopped him. "Please, Omura-San, let's not delay the Lord's progress. I only wished to ask you a few things."
"Hai, My Lady." He tried to bow in the saddle, which caused him to lose his balance and he almost fell down. He hastily righted himself up and looked attentively at Anna.
Only with an effort Kazuki managed to suppress the laughter, but Anna shot him a warning glance and he adopted a serious face. "I wanted to go with you and see for myself the state of things." Anna continued. "But, as you can understand, I must accompany our Lord and will not be able to see all the villages." Omura was nodding. "So perhaps I could just visit one? I understand that Katagami is the closest one?"
"Yes, My Lady."
"Splendid. I will accompany you there. Later you can travel to the remaining villages and report to me all your findings. Do you know what tax they are paying currently?"
The question threw Omura off. He was surprised that she would trouble herself with these trivial matters. But he put it on account of her being a foreigner. "Yes, My Lady." He mentioned a number.
"I want you to halve it." She cut him off, before he was able to continue.
"What?!" In his shock he forgot his manners. "My Lady..."
She stopped his protests with a raised hand. "On the occasion of Lady Mariko's upcoming marriage I wish to halve the tax for the next year." She looked him straight in the eye. "And I will require regular reports regarding the harvests and weather conditions."
"Yes, My Lady." He mumbled, transfixed by her blue eyes.
"And if I learn that you have abused my trust..." She left the sentence unfinished. Then she nodded curtly and pushed her horse forward, to rejoin the main body of the convoy.
Kazuki stayed behind, looking unusually demure. "She is not like any other woman you might meet." He remarked quietly. Omura stared at him with big eyes. "I've heard," Kazuki leaned towards the clerk and lowered his voice. "That in her country, they called her Three Fingers."
"Three Fingers?" Omura repeated.
"Hai. That's because she used to cut off people's fingers, if they displeased her."
Omura paled visibly and Kazuki left him, confident that there would be no trouble from him.
When he joined Anna, she noticed his amused expression. "What did you tell him?"
"Only a little tale that will prevent him from even thinking of cheating you. It's a very generous gesture to lower the taxes." He commented.
"I don't really need any money. Except to pay you." She smiled. "But what I'll get will be enough for that."
"When we are in KyÅto, I will find some more trustworthy men to serve you." He promised solemnly. "We will never be outnumbered again!"