ONE
The beautiful, young maiden, sat by her open window watching the empty streets, that were now flooded with rain. The occasional business man and his woman entertainer probably from the red light district far, far away in Edo, would pass the streets with a Hiyoshiya. Many of them had been escaping here to Kōfu the capitol of Yamanashi, to try and start their own prostitution businesses, only to find absolute failure. The young maiden Kiku Aburakoji, who was of the noble clan Aburakoji, was not allowed to speak to anyone that was not of her class. The beautiful, submissive, young woman was at the marrying age, but so far no interest came from the other noble clans. This brought great disappointment to her family, for she was the only girl left that needed to married out. She sat day by day waiting for a handsome, man to sweep her off her feet, but it never happened. She had no one to talk to except the young boys who were born from the other concubines. She herself was born from the head concubine, and wished that she wasn't. Her mother was not like the other free spirited concubines who often got punished. Kiku often wondered what it would be like to do her chores with a commoner. But one of these commoners caught her eye. It was a man with nothing but the coat on his back to shield him from the summer down pour. He was hunched over with obvious guilt hanging in the air he breathed. All at once it seemed like the Aburakoji got silent. Kiku wanted to run around the house to see what was wrong but she was only allowed to leave her room for bathing, serving tea to her father or older brothers, festivals, funerals, weddings, and when a guest arrived. Kiku examined the horse he was riding on and identified it to belong to Shuzo Sakakibara, the most wealthy and powerful man in the entire Yamanashi prefecture. His work was easy and luxurious and he made a fortune for doing it every day. He isn't married but has a new woman every night, or so that's what the Aburakoji concubine's main gossip is about. She watched as the horse disappeared out of sight, and sat still for almost an hour. The third highest Aburakoji concubine came in to tell Kiku about the visitor that had just arrived.
"Kiku, Captain Taro Kusuhara has just arrived you may leave your room now." She jumped from her seat by the window and stretched. Before Kiku could walk through the door the concubine stopped her.
"You know you have to do all of our chores now." She said devilishly. The concubines were all young and new, none of them noble by blood. They were just as immature as Kiku herself although a little more restricted, which left Kiku with more power than all of them combined, considering she had the blood in her and because she obeyed everything she was told. She never told secrets, never gossiped, never lied, or cheated or anything that could ruin her marriage chances. Hitomi was the only other girl born into the Aburakoji family and she already had many men interested in being her husband, and she had been missing for three days now. Kiku walked straight past the concubine blowing off the chores she did not have to do. Kiku only caught a glimpse of the Captain before her mother blocked her view.
"Kiku go back to your room, you're not allowed out of your room for this visitor." She led Kiku back to her room like a child, making sure Kiku obeyed this particular order.
"Your only allowed to see visitors because no men have interest in you yet, and we need to get you out of this home before your 22. But this visit is strictly confidential between you father and the Captain Kusuhara. Besides the Captain is already in an arranged engagement, so there is no point in putting forth effort." Kiku sighed accepting the order and taking her old seat next to the window. Kiku's mother was the head Aburakoji concubine, only one step below Lady Aburakoji. She was really the fifth concubine to come here but considering the friendship between her and Lady Aburakoji, that started in their childhood, Kiku's mother Lady Kasumi got the highest concubine position. Lady Kasumi got up and left her daughter to sit by the window alone. She made her way back to the dining hall where the important family members of the Aburakoji family were seated, making conversation with Captain Kusuhara. Her suspicions had raised on Hitomi's disappearance and his appearance, and knowledge of this situation. Lord Aburakoji warned her not to argue with their guest, and Lady Kasumi had to oblige considering her position as the second lady of the house. But to make matters worse, her feelings towards Hitomi were not mutual. Hitomi was too free willed, the spirit of her father and mostly of her mother, Lady Aburakoji, whereas her daughter Kiku, was one of the most obedient young maidens in the entire living Aburakoji blood line. This also was another matter Lady Kasumi pondered over, if her personality was great why hadn't any young man taken interest in her? Right as her thoughts returned to her daughter , she found herself sitting on the ground watching the Captain sip his tea and make polite conversation. All at once he acknowledged Lady Kasumi's presence by beginning to start on the information picked up about Hitomi's whereabouts.
"Hoof prints on the mountain side all the way to the top, stopped at the edge of the mountain cliff. My men questioned a ramen shop owner, he said he served only three men that day, the last had a horse with him and the smell of blood."
Lady Kasumi butt in impatiently. "Do you mean to tell us that the young maiden Hitomi was thrown over a cliff?"
"That's what we believe, for now anyways. Until more evidence of this situation can be revealed nothing more can be uncovered about the murder of Hitomi Aburakoji."
A shrill shriek echoed through the room coming from behind a rice paper screen. it hung in the air for a few moments and Captain Kusuhara continued. Lady Kasumi held her anger behind a plastered face that she wore all too well.
Kiku slapped her hand over her mouth holding her breath until their conversation continued. She wanted to move, she wanted to run, but every time she tried to move nothing happened. After many moments of recollecting her thoughts and sanity, she staggered out of the room heading for her room as fast as her shaking legs could carry her. Why would someone want to kill Hitomi, and then through her body over a cliff? It didn't seem possible, or correct, like everyone in that room knew Kiku was listening and decided to punish her and fill her heart with dread and make is sick with worry and confusion. Kiku's vision was soon blurred with her tears, that rolled down her cheeks. She was too old for tears, and she knew she shouldn't show emotion, but the more she thought of everything around her, including Hitomi's death, her insides seemed to want to explode in different directions.
She took the turn into her room and immediately fell to her knees, weeping heavily, holding her head in her hands. Her long beautiful silky waves, cascaded over her shoulders and down her back as she wept, creating her own privacy, something she hadn't ever had before, and she liked it. Despite the troubles pulling at her, privacy seemed to help her escape. But privacy was something that wasn't allowed to the Aburakoji offspring. Lady Kasumi strode into, her daughter's room ready to gently scold at her and bring down her anger, but she saw her only child on her floor sobbing, and a curled ball, and took a seat next to her so unsure of what to do, or what to say. She had never had this experience as a mother before and was unaware of how her daughter would react now that she was letting out all of her feelings and emotions. So instead Kasumi chose the silence and slowly held her daughter in her arms. Kiku calmed down faster than usual with her mother's embrace and noticeable love.
"It's time to serve your father and brothers their tea," Lady Kasumi said taking a pause.