Chapter 14
Buntaro had work to do in the aftermath of the siege on his own lands; and it was not until the spring trip to Edo that he saw Akiko again, falling in with Blackthorne and Omi and their parties riding to the capital.
She was radiantly beautiful he thought; her chance to show her skill had given her a confidence and maturity that added to her grace. She was quite a tall girl for a Japanese woman, though; but slight and slender as a reed. Like Mariko; who had been tall and slender and had made him feel big and squat and clumsy. Akiko's slenderness was deceptive; she was wirily muscular as well, and her shoulders well developed for the archery practise of the last few years. But she was not muscle bound as a peasant woman doing much manual labour might be; her figure was pleasing and the wider shoulders than was perhaps considered quite normal helped to balance that European development of her figure. She had been of a size with a boy her age when she was younger; but Buntaro thought it aesthetically more pleasing that she had not carried that growth too far. Her mother's heritage had seen to that as she became a woman perhaps. She was clad in an exquisitely embroidered uchikake over her kimono and riding hakama; it was in a pattern of stream and irises all in blues and greens and gold on a black ground. Akiko never wore pink, which had been Mariko's favourite colour; she preferred browns and russets to go with her hair or else blues and greens to contrast with it.
Buntaro bowed to Blackthorne.
"Anjin-san! I was hoping that we might discuss a date for a wedding!" he said.
"Indeed: I had meant to discuss it before but Osaka got in the way" said Blackthorne. "On our return from the Spring visit seems a good time; as spring burgeons. Auspicious, neh?"
"You have a delicate appreciation Anjin-san" approved Buntaro. "It shall be so. I – I will take good care of her."
Blackthorne regarded him.
"I do believe you mean that" he said.
oOoOo
Buntaro finally gave way to temptation and brought his horse to ride beside Akiko as they approached Edo. The birds sang a spring jubilation in a sky of eggshell blue; the earliest blossom was out, filling the air with subtle fragrance. A twisted and ancient plum tree held a tenuous but determined grasp to a low cliff. A few unmelted pockets of icy snow might also be seen in places which were permanently in shadow at this time of year.
"Delicate plum flower
Soft; so soon vanished. Contrast
The gnarled old tree trunk" said Akiko as they rode past the tree. She turned to him and smiled expectantly.
"You want to play at haiku games? I am no good at this" said Buntaro.
Akiko laughed.
"I respectfully disagree, sensei. Especially in light of the fact that my father still has difficulty with the kigo, the seasonal references, let alone with the grammatical implications of including the kireji."
"He does his best" said Buntaro, surprising himself that he felt moderately indulgent towards the Anjin. "Let me see…."
"The tree trunk endures
Contemplation in its shape
Even in the snow!"
Akiko grinned.
"Twisted and subtle
Each branch with meaning imbued
Watchful through each moon."
She was implying Lord Toranaga here, made clearer by her merry glance at the castle; well each consort he took was younger and more fecund than the last like plum blossom. One must make clear to understand her meaning without being disrespectful. After all, Toranaga HAD facilitated the understanding that meant he was to wed this exquisite and clever and talented beauty!
"Falcons on the branch
Fly into the hazy sky
To stoop at their prey" he said.
"Oh that was VERY cleverly done Sensei!" said Akiko in approval. She went on,
"The mighty beech tree
Straight as an arrow and tall
Reaches to the sun"
He glanced at her quickly. A change of trees, a change of person; the reference to arrow, the pun on the word for beech tree, Bunaoki; did she mean him? Akiko was looking down at her hands on the rein. Impossible to say…
"The maple's red leaves
Bright colours do not yet mask
Its slender beauty" he replied.
"You are very clever sensei" said Akiko. Colour stained her cheeks. He thought she was beautiful; he who had been married to the supposedly incomparable Mariko!
But perhaps he only appreciates my looks in the abstract she thought He wants a marriage in name only in order to continue to train me; my idea but I was so young then. Can he, a mature and experienced man, ever think of his pupil as a woman? Would he be horrified if I suggested anything more? He has never shown in any way that he finds me attractive as a woman….
Buntaro's emotions raged.
Can it possibly be that she is not averse to more intimate relations than I had suggested? That she will permit me to pillow with her…. Do not think of it! Wait until you are married and then ask respectfully if she would like…. I need a cold bath…..
oOoOo
"I doubt that the Lady Ochiba is going to let matters lie without trying again" said Toranaga to his hatamoto. Akiko had come in with her father – it had to be less boring than being a perfect young woman – and nobody had stopped her. In truth, Toranaga was pleased; Mariko-san had been hatamoto; perhaps Akiko might be of use in the same way to Sudara if she was permitted to learn more. Sudara and Genjiko and their children liked her well enough which was good.
"Please excuse me, but with the moats filled, is not Osaka unassailable?" asked Akiko "If the Lady Ochiba orders them cleared that is a clear suggestion that she is refortifying, an act of war. We have a peaceful land, no need for her castle to deter more than brigands, neh?"
"Please excuse my daughter's forwardness" said Blackthorne hurriedly.
"For once I excuse it; she has her father's impetuosity" said Toranaga; permitted Blackthorne to sweat briefly and added "And his insight and straightforward thoughts. Yes Akiko-san it would be an act of war. And if she so begins to clear the moats we will be I fear at war again. So sad" he sighed. "I have invited Yaemon-san to stay with me but he is too busy seeing to his wounded and the necessary repairs" in truth he was pleased that Akiko had gone straight to the point and he would not have to lead his advisers gently to it.
"SHE will never let him out of her sight especially as something of a hostage" grunted Buntaro.
"What of your granddaughter, sire, and her children?" asked Sudara respectfully.
"What would the second Shogun do if the treaty is violated?" asked Toranaga.
"If Yaemon and his family are not patently out of it by being here, you will have no choice but to execute him and his son at least" said Sudara.
Toranaga nodded.
"It is hard" he said. "But if he chooses to side with his mother over the peace of the realm then you are correct; I have no choice. Always a pawn, neh?"
"Hai" said Sudara.
"What does Akiko-san think?" it pleased Toranaga to make the girl work for having effectively gatecrashed the meeting.
Akiko considered.
"I think if Yaemon-san grew up with all the manipulations that were going on around him on the part of all the regents and his mother, and with history books to read too, and he is still so naïve that he does not immediately place himself and his children in the protection of his grandfather-in-law he must be several arrows short of a quiverful. I am sorry that it means his son must also pay for his father's foolishness" she added.
"Hmmm" said Toranaga "Cogently and bluntly put. Can you or the Anjin see any way round it?"
"Not short of kidnap" said Blackthorne. "And I have to say that such an act comes under the common brigandage that Osaka is still quite capable of repelling."
"You could have Lady Ochiba assassinated" said Akiko. "Though a dutiful son might suspect; and decide to implement her plans out of grief and anger."
"Hmmm" said Toranaga again. "Of course, eliminating Lady Ochiba does not deal with the problem of troublesome elements and Christian samurai who flocked to the banner of the supposed rightful Taiko. Sooner or later they are going to pose a problem. Ochiba despises Christians; a real hatred. But she would use oni if they would oppose me. Amusing, neh? I have little real dislike for Christians on a matter of belief – belief is a personal matter. My only issue is in that they place their belief above the good of the state. DO you still have Christian beliefs Anjin, or is it an impertinent question?"
Blackthorne considered.
"I suppose, sire, I have as many beliefs as I ever had" he said "Which is to say I think I believe in God but I don't bother him and he doesn't bother me. Bushido is a more practical philosophy, neh?"
"And if only my Christian samurai could be more like you I would not have to be so harsh and make enemies of them" sighed Toranaga.
Blackthorne was not fooled. He knew well enough the old badger disliked the controlling nature of Catholicism, which was the form of Christianity that held sway; and that he would wipe out all Christians and all Europeans without a second thought if the trade was not so useful. He said nothing but bowed and smiled.
"So are you saying sire that war with Ochiba and her forces is inevitable and better sooner than later?" asked Sudara.
"Yes" said Toranaga.
"I will set spies to let us know the moment she starts to dig out the moats to give us the excuse we need then" said Sudara.
Toranaga nodded.
He had already sent his own spies.
"You might wish to go to Tokyo with a sizeable honour guard soon, my son" he said "After all, your daughter is to enter the house of Emperor Go-Mizuno as his consort soon; organising the final details is a good excuse to then be closer to Osaka."
"Yes honoured father; that is a most clever idea!" said Sudara.
He is a good boy thought Toranaga not the sharpest stick in the bundle; but clever enough to do well when I am gone. He will always get there. It might take him a while but he will get there. And with an advisor like the Anjin-san he will get good counsel to enable him to get there a little less slowly. And his honour is unassailable and he has besides patience.