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ALL the characters in this fic (at least to this point) are mine, so there's really no point to writing a disclaimer. Plus, I'm a minor anyway. Hah.
If I write too vaguely, it's because I'm hurrying to get this up before I go off to Florida, and it's hard to remain coherent with visions of suntanned bishonen dancing in your head.
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Chapter One: No Choice But to Wait
At the start of the Onin War, Kyoto had already fallen deeply into decline. The Emperor had limited political power and very little income with which to pay for his court, which was nothing short of catastrophic for the affluent nobles of the time. Courtiers were used to happier time when the court had money to burn; now, even the Emperor was forced to sell his calligraphy to make ends meet. The lavish court apartments had fallen into disrepair with the collapse of central government and were no longer so separate and sacred that the common people felt they had no right to free passage throughout the neighborhoods.
Shikibu no Chimeko knelt silently in the middle of a large room in one of these apartments, lightly tracing a lacquered design on the lid of her hairpin box with her finger as a lone, attendant gently combed the knots from her ankle-length hair. Chimeko stared wistfully at the small glimpse of the outside world she had through a tear in the paper screen that served as a window. She'd been restricted to her room for several hours while her father engaged in heated debate with an emissary from the provinces.
"What do you think he's discussing?" she asked her maid.
"I wouldn't dare to venture a guess, my lady. "
"And where, exactly, has this mysterious message come from in the first place?"
"I'm sorry, my lady. I don't know."
Chimeko would have been much less worried if her father had told her more about this man. He'd ridden into Kyoto the day before on a brilliantly white horse, wearing nondescript clothing, the hat of an aristocrat, and black leather falconing gloves. Strangely, he'd flat-out refused to remove the gloves, even during dinner. Chimeko and her sisters had frowned at his poor manners, but her father didn't seem to mind, and treated his guest with the utmost respect.
With no way to tell who the messenger was, there was no way to guess who her husband-to-be was. She had asked her friends in the court when she found them in the gardens, but none of the ladies at court knew of anyone important enough for Chimeko's father to fear that both lived in the provinces and would travel with such mystery surrounding his identity. It was beginning to worry Chimeko; her father rarely kept anything for her.
'This is not a good time to start, either, Daddy,' she thought frowning, as her attendant slipped the twelfth and last kimono-layer over her shoulders. 'If you won't tell me, I'll find out for myself.'
Chimeko shuffled her stockinged feet across the hallway with as little noise as possible. The floors of the castle were specially rigged to squeak when stepped on -- a security measure -- making her wince slightly at each protesting floorboard. 'I should have seen this coming,' she thought. 'I'm 19 years old and unmarried-- practically middle-aged! --and our finances are definitely... lacking. Father must be marrying me off to some filthy rich barbarian daimyo!'
Her eyes narrowed at the thought of the daimyo: feudal lords who had stolen the Emperor's power, and thrown the country from organized government into dozens of warring states, each loyal only to itself. It was the fault of the daimyo that the Shikibu family and other aristocratic clans like it now fought a losing battle with want and destitution.
Turning a corner, the door to her father's audience chamber appeared. A red-kimonoed guard sat on his haunches in front of the door, with the two swords of the samurai resting loosely on his knees. His dark hair was pulled back into a stylish ponytail, and part of his scalp was shaved in the samurai tradition. He bowed deeply as Chimeko shuffled closer. "So sorry," he said, rudely meeting her eyes, "but Lord Shikibu has requested that none pass."
Chimeko's faced remained calm, but her mind spun. 'Of course. The marriage talks have begun already.' Out loud, she said, "His daughter wishes to speak with him. Now." If the negotiations had started so soon, she had to act quickly to save herself from a fate worse than death: marriage into some ungodly warrior family.
"So sorry, but none may pass."
Leaning forward slightly and turning the corners of her mouth up into a smile, Chimeko resorted to drastic measures. "Look, Tsunayori, cut the crap." The samurai looked up, startled at the sound of his name and his old friend's abruptness. "Dad's shipping me off to the provinces, and I'm going to stop him."
"Oh really? You? How?"
"I'll... I'll do something dreadfully undignified, and scare off the suitors."
"Won't be hard; just be yourself."
"Watch your tongue, servant"
Tsunayori grinned. "Yes, M'Lady. This unworthy one is at your service, now and forever."
"So... you'll let me in," asked Chimeko, her eyes begging.
"Nope. Big Chief's orders. Couldn't possibly, even for you, Nobility."
"Please?"
"Look," he said, and sighed. "I know we're been friends since we were little brats, right?"
"Right." She sat down next to him, sensing a serious moment.
"But things are different now," he said. "Dad's counting on me to prove myself and restore the 'family honor.' I have to put your father's orders first, and everything else last" Tsunayori ran his fingers through his hair and continued, "I never really wanted this life, and neither did you, but it's not our decision. You have to face the facts: you're leaving for good. Those messengers are sitting in there right now, discussing the marriage terms. And Chimeko," he paused and looked straight into her eyes, "your family needs the money badly."
She looked down at her folded hands. "I know."
"And trust me: they need an alliance with daimyo like this one." Chimeko frowned slightly at his cryptic statement.
"So be brave, and accept your fate," Tsunayori urged. "The wise men say that 'karma is karma, and a man's fate is but an illusion.'"
"Stupid, if you ask me." Chimeko smiled sadly. "But thanks, anyway. What did you mean when you said that Father needs alliances with this particular kind of daimyo?"
"Nothing," he said innocently. "Nothing that I'm allowed to tell you, anyway."
"Tsunayori!"
"--but I'll say this, at least. I'm sure he'll be a good protector for you. Very... unusual... man," he finished, winking.
Thanks a bunch, "friend." She'd learned since childhood that he could be very difficult, almost childish, when he had a secret to keep. Too bad that now was one of those times. She slowly rose onto her feet and started to scuffle away, saying over her shoulder, "That's not such a good quality in a man. You, for instance, are 'unusual.'"
"I resent that!"
Chimeko just kept walking away, thinking things over. If this suitor had just been cruel, Tsunayori would have said so straight out; he'd do the same if the man was particularly kind. But "unusual?" She wasn't sure she liked the sound of that. But if her father was keeping her out of the loop, the right and obedient thing to do would be to wait patiently.
Chimeko bowed her head to fate, and to her father's will. But the one thing she hated most of all was not knowing what was going on.
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From Me, the Author:
Yeah, it was a little short, but this is just a little taste that I'm posting right before I go on a desperately needed vacation. This fic is DEFINITELY open for revisions; I'm really just trying to get it up and see what people think about it. Therefore, reviews and suggestions and greatly appreciated. Some things you may not have picked up, since I really hate filling in background information:
This story takes place during the Onin War, which marked the start of the Sengoku Jidai. That, in case you didn't know, is the time period that Inuyasha is set in.
Chimeko is the daughter of a court noble living in Kyoto. Aristocrats of the Sengoku Jidai were very poor, and had virtually no power. A marriage to a daimyo would salvage her family's fortune and authority.
Tsunayori and Chimeko were childhood friends, but as they grew older, they had to change to grow into the roles of samurai and aristocrat, respectively. I'm planning on expanding on their relationship later.
Don't worry, the plot really gets moving next chapter, and you'll find out who the messenger is eventually. This is, of course, assuming I maintain the desire to write this story, despite my 2-day attention limit. Reviews would definitely help me get writing and over my nasty little writers' block *obvious hint.*