It had been two weeks since she had started life anew in Edo. Each day was more peaceful than the last, although the challenges were of a different nature. In her first days on the Katsura clan property, she was put to help with the garden because of her already skilled hands with the earth. She was one of the first to wake up and one of the last to go to bed, offering to help put out all the candles and flames in the mansion during the night. From the moment she got up from the futon in the maids' room, the girl tried not to have time to breathe.
When she was not digging in the dirt with the gardener, she volunteered to clean any space that was not yet finished. When all her tasks were already done, she would ask the housekeeper if there was anything else to do, and the answer was always positive. What she didn't know how to do, she learned. She learned to sew with the help of the housekeeper, and from time to time Yue-sama would join them for a short time. Like the girl, Katsura-sama's wife was learning to sew, although her embroidery was infinitely better than hers. At the end of the day the housekeeper used to call Rin to spend some time on the polished wooden verandas around the main house, teaching her everything a young girl living in the city should know.
Correcting her movements and speech, teaching her to read and write, improving her sewing skills, adjusting her moss-green kimono with the orange obi, colors indicating who she worked for. The insignia of the leafy tree of the Katsura clan had been embossed on her shoulder, over her left breast. Exactly on her heart.
This housekeeper was an old lady by the name of Nitta Kaede. Her gray hair was worn high in a sober, unadorned kanzashi, matching her serious countenance and usually focused on some activity. She had learned from the other maids that Nitta-san had basically lived her whole life serving that clan. She never married, never had children.
And also no one knew where she came from or what her life was like before this job.
"You should slow down your routine," Nitta-san advised, raising by gaze to Rin over her seams. The housekeeper's dark brown eyes analyzed her intently, stopping at her wrists and skinny hands. "You need to eat more, sleep better. If you keep this up you will become weak and ill next winter."
She knotted the thread after passing it through the needle hole before looking at Nitta-san, puzzled by the comment. Rin ran her hand through her simple, unadorned kanzashi, still bothered by the pressure it was throwing on her head. Her hair had never been so neat, but putting up with this every day was a test of resilience for her wild soul.
"I am eating well, Nitta-san," she argued, not understanding the elderly woman's concern. She ran the needle through a piece of cotton cloth, mending the holes in that custom-made sheet for the maids' futons. "I don't miss any meals in the day."
Nitta-san turned her attention to the kimono she was mending, which Rin was ignorant of who it belonged to."
The sun was hiding behind the mountains in a sunset with purple streaks, indicating that the cold was approaching with each cold night of that autumn. Every ray of orange that set in the west became a lilac thread across the sky, bringing the starless darkness of a freezing night.
"You're working too hard too," the housekeeper continued, giving the girl a quick glance, moistening her lips afterwards. "You are making Yue-sama worry. She doesn't want to lose a maid about to give birth to the clan heir, I suspect. Hard to find a girl like you lately, but I need you to rest, Rin-chan."
Rin frowned, somewhat annoyed, concentrating on her seams.
"I'm sorry, my intention is just to show that I can be useful," she explained softly, as if speaking more to herself than the housekeeper, who smiled, leaving her sewing in her lap so she could pay more attention to the girl.
"You've shown, Rin-chan," Nitta-san spoke quietly, picking up her seams again. "You can take two days off now. Go to the park, the temples, do whatever you want. The gods know how we're going to need a good girl like you when the baby comes. Baby youkais are quite a thing."
Rin nodded, then sighed. This caught the attention of the old housekeeper, who raised an eyebrow.
"There is something bothering you," Nitta-san stated confidently, watching her finish sewing the rest of the sheet, folding it and throwing it on top of a pile of already finished work. "Speak up, child."
She shrugged, unsure if it really bothered her. The old housekeeper's expectant eyes were locked on her full attention, causing her to swallow hard. She had promised Katsura-sama that she would never speak the name of the Shogun or any other youkai aloud after she started working there. Before she could think of any lie to sneak out, she heard footsteps on the wood of the outside balcony. They were in an area of the kitchen gardens, away from the main house, but all these outside corridors connected the property.
Seeing Yue-sama's figure approaching them with difficulty because of her advanced pregnancy, Rin understood that this was her opportunity to retreat. She stored her sewing belongings in an unadorned ceramic pot and threw all the finished work into a straw basket. The housekeeper had been distracted from conversation topic by getting up to help Yue-sama get around to where they were.
The youkai's long wavy hair was impressive, turning slightly red in the face of the orange sun rays on the horizon. Her face was swollen, as were her hands and feet. It was amazing how pregnancy humanized a youkai as stunning as she was. They were powerful, yes, but they had their moments of vulnerability and routine.
"They are not so different from humans," Rin reflected hiding a smile.
She had come to the conclusion that they were all equal in feeling. They all sought the same things. They all wanted to feel good.
What was the difference between a human and youkai when both could feel the same things? Longing for a better life? To achieve happiness?
"Thank you, Nitta-san," Yue-sama thanked her as she sat down on the fluffy cushion reserved for when she joined them, when she felt willing enough to sew. The youkai took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a few seconds, as if she needed time to recover from the effort. When she opened them, Rin and Nitta-san were staring at her with worried looks. Yue-sama smiled, her swollen cheeks taking up a large part of her face - Don't worry about me, it's normal. Youkai pregnancy is a challenge even for me... however, it has proven to be more difficult than I expected, to be honest. This is my first pregnancy and now I understand why several youkai prefer to leave this path.
Rin blinked a few times, interested in the subject.
"Is youkai pregnancy different from human pregnancy?" she asked.
"I guess so," replied Yue-sama receiving the sewing materials from the housekeeper, indicating stitches she would have to redo to practice her sewing. The long, delicate fingers of Yue-sama's soft hands, so different from hers, threaded the thread through the needle hole, then made a knot. " Thinking about it, it must depend on the youkai and its lineage. The more powerful a youkai is, the more difficult it becomes to have children, so it is recommended that youkai reproduce only when they are among their equals or in a clan. I know humans get pregnant easily, so there must be differences, yes."
"That explains why several clans prefer to do internal marriage," Nitta-san commented, impressed, sitting down on her pillow. "Are you leaving, Rin-chan?"
She had just picked up the basket to take to the estate laundry room, trying to sneak out without them noticing, but it seemed that the housekeeper was determined to keep both eyes on the girl.
This made something click in the face of Katsura-sama's wife, as if she had remembered something.
"I almost forgot, Rin-chan," she began, turning her attention back to the girl. "I ordered an oil for my hands this morning and said one of my maids would pick it up later today. Nitta-san can ask another maid in case she is busy with something."
The housekeeper gave the youkai a strange look, as if something didn't fit in that story, but she said nothing. Seeing the expectant look on their faces, there wasn't even a possibility that Rin could refuse that request.
She bowed quickly before them. She knew that this small act pleased Yue-sama.
"'With pleasure, Yue-sama,'" she accepted with a small smile, setting the basket aside.
"It's the youkai trading square at the end of Cherry Tree Avenue, just follow the river in an easterly direction," the youkai explained, grimacing and placing her hand under her huge belly. "I believe Nitta-san must have taken you shopping there a couple of times. It's the only cosmetics store there, you'll definitely find it."
Rin and Nitta-san looked at each other for a millisecond as the youkai turned her attention to the fabric. Every time the housekeeper asked Rin to go out with her, she was looking for a task that would keep her from going.
It would be the first time she would leave the Katsura residence since she had arrived in Edo.
She would be alone, about to go out at dusk.
"Go quickly, Rin-chan," the housekeeper ordered, bowing her head to pay attention to her work. "Before it gets completely dark."
Rin nodded, and as she put on her geta at the kitchen door, she felt her heart quicken at the prospect of seeing the outside. The terror of being in a city again frightened her, even though she didn't exactly have several reasons for it. She was no longer in the lands of Fushizu-dono, and her clothing indicated that she belonged to a powerful youkai clan in Edo.
"Nothing will happen to me," she thought optimistically.
She threw a jacket over her kimono and left the Katsura estate walking as fast as she could in that close-fitting kimono around her hip. It didn't exactly allow an abrupt movement like her old, worn out garments. One of Katsura-sama's soldiers greeted her as she left and she bowed quickly back, making her way along the river in the avenue of cherry blossoms.
As she walked she realized that it was getting dark even faster than she had anticipated, reminding her of what the soldiers had said about a human walking alone at night in Edo. She swallowed dryly once more, feeling the nervousness growing in her heart.
She passed by a youkai couple who were walking quietly observing the surroundings, chatting about pleasantries without even noticing her presence. An icy breeze made the bar of her kimono dance for a few moments, cooling her legs. The maids of the estates in the area began to light the candles at the entrance gates, ignoring her.
As she walked down the avenue, Rin realized that the only humans passing by at that time were accompanied by other humans, none of them being a woman alone. This thought terrified her, reminding her of her old reality... which was not so old. Just four weeks ago she didn't know if she would eat the next day.
"Tomorrow I will ask Nitta-san to point me to a good temple to light some incense to Inari-sama," she thought, watching the transition of the sun's orange rays to a deep bluish, almost black hue.
After walking for a while longer, the avenue of cherry trees gave way to a bridge connecting a commercial town square, probably being that place Yue-sama had mentioned. She saw the amount of people triple as she crossed the bridge, realizing that they were all youkais without the slightest doubt. Many of them were piling up in front of an izakaya, several in groups and others accompanied by entire families. Sounds of laughter and lively conversation reached her ears, making her look around, not realizing that a smile was also playing on her lips.
A few youkais passed by her, apparently drunk, laughing about some joke one of them had made, but that's when Rin understood from their looks and laughter that the joke was on her. Her smile disappeared and she ducked her head, walking quickly to look for the youkai trade.
She had to look on the bright side.
"At least Nabushima-san isn't here," she reflected trying to keep calm, looking at the stores around her, ignoring the strange looks she was getting for some youkais that passed her. There was a small crowd a few feet in front of her with their attention focused on something Rin couldn't discern, wasting no time on this. She heard some shouting in agreement with what a voice in the distance was saying, until her hazel-colored eyes located the youkai cosmetics store.
When she entered the place, all the youkais who shopped there directed all their attention to her, who blushed violently, looking around. One of them raised an eyebrow as if to ask what she was doing here...
...until they looked at the Katsura insignia on her kimono, shrugging and going back to what they were doing before. The questions had been answered.
Taking a deep breath, Rin felt her legs tremble as she stepped over the polished wooden floor toward the counter. There was only one youkai working that late shift, who didn't even exchange a word with the girl. The oil bottle was placed in front of her, having the Katsura clan stamp already marked on a piece of paper.
Without wasting much time, she bowed in gratitude and put the oil bottle in her straw bag, leaving as fast as her legs could. She walked quickly with her heart beating fast, still nervous with all the attention she was now receiving. The youkais understood her human condition and were now whispering to each other, making her even more apprehensive.
She felt her breathing quicken, her chest rising and falling rapidly, distressed.
The sun disappeared in the west, making everything even worse. The only illumination came from the izakayas and other businesses, making it difficult to recognize where it had come from. She looked around, not recognizing where she was.
"I didn't pass this way," she thought desperately, looking around.
The crowd of youkai began to clap their hands for who knows what was going on in the downtown, a great idea popping into her mind. She was going to use that point as a reference to look for the store again, and thus find her way back to the Katsura estate.
She tried to go unnoticed by the youkais occupying the street in that area, walking quickly around the square once more, looking for the same place she had picked up the oil for Yue-sama.
Then the voices in the distance began to make sense to her ears.
"...Why should we share this area with humans?" asked an unknown male voice in the background, causing Rin to widen her eyes and stop walking, turning her attention to a small stage in the center of the square. "There's the izakaya from before!" she thought as she located a youkai family she had seen earlier. But her intuition made her legs stop walking, as if they were sticking to the ground. "The second circle of Edo originally belonged to us! This is our territory! Let them look for theirs!"
The crowd agreed in their own way, some nodding, others shouting motivational words to who knows who was giving their speeches. She bit her lower lip, apprehensive, even though she knew the Katsura insignia protected her...
...but it was still scary and intimidating.
She remembered Sesshoumaru-sama and Oyakata-sama's words when they had discussed her staying in Edo. It made a lot of sense.
"If they don't serve us, they shouldn't live near us!" some male voice bellowed from the other side of the crowd.
She hurried to her feet, seeing that the youkais who had been staring at her before had noticed the leafy Katsura tree on her kimono, and immediately turned their backs to her. She crossed the square quickly as if her life depended on it, and indeed, her life did depend on it. She understood how difficult it would be for a human to live in Edo without the protection of some powerful youkai family. She wondered about the influence the Katsuras had, and what specifically they did to receive such respect.
But she knew that as strong as her curiosity was, it was better not to know so much. As Izayoi-sama had said earlier, the less she knew, the better. She walked through the square so fast that her legs were tripping over each other, bounded by the kimono, being shrouded in darkness. As soon as she passed the izakaya, she looked back to check the crowd that agreed with that male voice speaking. It was a youkai with straw-colored hair, shining under the light of the lamps and flames of the place. Tall, young, with facial markings in a shade reminiscent of the sky, sharpened over his jaw.
He was wearing a set of haori and hakama in analogous shades with fabrics similar to those she used to see at the Katsura estate. According to the admiring reaction of his spectators, he must have had a high position in the Edo hierarchy.
A shiver ran down Rin's back, and she swallowed hard as his faraway eyes met hers. In a gasp, the young woman stopped breathing as she interrupted the eye contact, unsure of how to react. He was so far away, how could he make such an impact?
"Youkais," she thought, turning her back on that crowd, not before noticing a small smile on the lips of the youkai with straw-colored hair. Another shiver ran through her body, and the next thing she knew, she was walking quickly away from there, making her way to the Katsura estate. Her heart was still beating fast when she found herself in front of the gates of the huge mansion, greeting the soldiers who were on duty that night.
One of the soldiers cast a puzzled glance at something behind the young woman as the massive wooden gates were opened for her entrance. Attracted by his behavior, she turned to see what had caught his eye, and it was at this moment that her heart stopped completely. The youkai who had previously been giving speeches in front of the crowd was now walking calmly along the avenue of cherry trees along the river, his dark eyes staring straight at her.
Rin's eyes widened in shock and insecurity, taking two steps back from the Katsura soldier, who understood that she felt threatened by his presence. The youkai coming along the avenue put his hands in the pockets of his dark hakama, giving a clear highlight to his long blond hair. A weird combination this was, black eyes and golden strands. As well as this combination, the energy he was passing was nothing but...
... distressing.
The soldier Rin was using as a shield greeted him as if he knew him, drawing a shocked look from the young woman, her attention going back and forth from both youkai in silence.
"Makoto-sama," the soldier bowed respectfully, indicating with a decided look that Rin should do the same. Still under the shock of those black eyes staring at her, not understanding how they could put her in the most complete distress, she could only face him mute. "How can I serve Makoto-sama?"
The black eyes lingered on Rin's delicate figure before turning their attention to answer the Katsura soldier. The young woman's chest rose and fell rapidly, her breathing, though quiet, quite breathless in the face of her nervousness.
That youkai was not like Touga-sama.
She could feel it.
"Nothing special, soldier," he replied, his tone of voice velvety and polite. "I was wondering the possible reasons for a human to walk alone after dark. As Daimyo of Nagano territory, it is my duty to warn Katsura-sama about an infraction in the code of coexistence of this circle in Edo. Humans should not walk alone after dark."
Rin bit her lower lip. She didn't want to dare say anything and end up making the situation worse for herself or even for the family that welcomed her so well. The soldier turned his gaze to Rin, who offered the straw bag for him to open. As the soldier pulled out the bottle of hand oil with the Katsura family stamp in front of it, Makoto-sama's eyes trailed over Rin's entire body, finishing his meticulous analysis with a sideways smile playing on his well-lined lips. Rin could not look at him, feeling completly aware of what he was doing that moment.
He stopped when the soldier showed him the small flask, nodding immediately afterwards.
"I'm afraid that's not enough, soldier," he began politely, ignoring the flask. "I must meet with the Katsura family in person, then..."
The voice of the strange youkai was interrupted by the large solid wooden doors of the estate, revealing the figure of two youkais that Rin knew immensely well, bringing relief to her heart. Katsura-sama accompanied Sesshoumaru-sama through the gardens to the entrance of the mansion, chatting about something his ears were unable to hear. Her almond eyes followed the movements of the long silver hair in the wind, dancing softly in the cool autumn breeze.
It was the first time she had seen one of the Taishou after arriving in Edo, and now she understood how much she had longed to see them again, to show them that she was well and adjusting to a new life. She hoped to find Oyakata-sama and Hime-sama again, but if it was Sesshoumaru-sama, she would be no less happy.
She observed Makoto-sama bowing respectfully before the two of them. The same soldier who served as a shield for her made a gesture with his eyes indicating that she should get out of there quickly. Rin swallowed dryly, remembering the advice Katsura-sama had given her. She should not demonstrate to others that she knew any youkai, least of all Sesshoumaru-sama. Sneaking out, vaguely listening to the three youkai having a cordial conversation, she found herself walking swiftly through the garden towards the kitchen.
The sun was rising over the horizon, tinting the dark blue and lilac hues with orange rays, which gradually turned golden. It was a beautiful autumn morning, the kind you only see this time of year. She could have enjoyed that moment more if she hadn't been woken up in the dark by the Katsura's housekeeper, Nitta-san. She quickly put on her maid's kimono, her eyes still closed, sleepily.
"Hurry, Rin-chan!", Nitta-san advised her walking ahead of her through the outer corridors of the mansion, circling the entire area from the kitchen to where the Katsura actually resided. Something in the housekeeper's tone of voice roused Rin from her drowsiness, understanding that perhaps something unusual was unfolding at the moment.
"I'm coming," she warned rubbing her eyes, still trying to control the rebellious strands of her simple poorly made kanzashi. She didn't even have time to do a decent job on her hair, and surprisingly, Nitta-san made no comment about it. "This is all very suspicious," she pondered with a frown, watching the elderly woman walk as if she were fifty years younger.
Nitta-san stopped at a certain point, at the height of the pumpkin garden that Katsura-sama was so fond of. She had put an immense effort there together with the gardener, carrying them to the kitchen three days ago. It had been one of her best days at the mansion, and today it looked like it would be one of her worst. No one would call her even in the early morning hours, nor would they pay attention to her appearance, except when it was Yui-sama's delivery. Since the place was very quiet, I doubted that this would be the case. The housekeeper indicated one of the large wooden doors painted red for Rin to enter. The latter gave her a questioning look, not understanding why Nitta-san would not enter along with her, but said nothing.
If there were youkais on the other side, they would hear them easily, and Rin didn't want to disappoint anyone with her comments.
Rin knocked twice just to be polite, having the door opened by two soldiers.
It was a meditation room often used for meetings that Katsura-sama used to have with people outside the clan's family circle. In the center of the room was Katsura-sama, concentrating on reading a long parchment. When he raised his gaze to the girl bent over in a respectful position in front of him, a friendly smile appeared on his face.
"Rin-chan, I hope I didn't startle you by calling you abruptly," he began, analyzing the long strands of black hair escaping from her kanzashi and her obi poorly tied on her back. "I was surprised with a proposal that was hard to ignore this morning, but I would like to talk about it with the person most interested. Rin-chan."
Rin nodded slightly, not knowing much to expect. Katsura-sama rolled up the parchment and deposited it in a specific box for it, keeping it behind me. Sitting on a small cushion and lit only by a candle on the study table in front of him.
"A proposal for me?" she repeated, astonished.
"Yes, it came about after an agreement we made with Makoto-sama about yesterday," he explained, his facial expressions unreadable as a blank piece of paper. "Yui was careless about the policies of coexistence between humans and youkais by sending you out of the manor at dusk. She argued that it was before dark and so we were able to come to an agreement. Yui will have to give up your service to the Matsumoto clan of Nagano for a month, at least until the birth of our heir. Should Rin-chan not accept, since it is her decision, we will have to send you to a temple as a miko helper for three months."
She arched her eyebrows, not understanding.
"I just followed an order from Yui-sama," she argued, frowning. "No one bothered me when I left, and it was still afternoon. I just got lost on the way back."
Katsura-sama nodded again, impenetrable in her expression.
"We would have no trouble under normal conditions," he began, scratching his chin with his right hand. "But Makoto-sama was unfortunately present. He is a Daimyo known for his dislike of humans. In case it was another youkai, a good conversation would be enough."
"I see," she spoke at last, nodding, "but what does the Matsumoto clan of Nagano have to do with this, Katsura-sama?"
He shrugged.
"Makoto-sama is their Daimyo," he explained simply, pulling out another box full of scrolls, then opening it. "It is an understandable punishment. In a short time you will be back, you will do the same things from here, but on another estate."
She remembered when the youkai with the strange night-colored eyes had stared at her in the square, causing a shiver to run down her back. She hadn't liked the way he stared at her, much less felt anything good coming from him. After so long working in the dark and cold alleys, she had understood that the intentions of any being could be sensed. In this case, she sensed something wrong.
Her nostrils were picking up something strange through the air.
"Katsura-sama," she began, determined to obey her intuition. "I don't trust Makoto-sama."
He didn't seem surprised. It seemed that there was something he hadn't commented on for a specific reason, but it was only her suspicion. Katsura-sama was too polished a youkai to spout truths that people didn't need to know.
"Then your choice is to go to a temple," he concluded, partially dipping the bristles of his brush into a crystal inkwell, shining on the candlelight like a rainbow. He opened a scroll on the study table. "Three months pass like a snap of the fingers. Take care, Rin-chan, and try not to leave the temple grounds. There won't be any youkai to protect you in case something happens to you, but I still agree that it's better than staying with the Matsumoto clan. We'll be waiting for you, especially Yui."
Rin nodded slightly, bowing respectfully afterwards. As she turned to leave the room, thinking about all that had not been said by Katsura-sama, something clicked in her mind. Before she could think whether it was appropriate or not, her tongue was already moving on its own.
"Sesshoumaru-sama was here yesterday and Katsura-sama advised me to stay away from him a few weeks ago," she began impulsively, drawing a puzzled look from the youkai sitting on the cushion. "Besides Yui-sama prefers to send youkai maids for duties outside the residence. Forgive me for being so bold, but I can't help the feeling that I shouldn't be in the same place as Sesshoumaru-sama."
Katsura-sama's eyes landed on the little girl, lingering in a thoughtful state. Her heart was beating fast at the chance that she might have offended the family that had done so much for her by welcoming her to Edo. She couldn't help but feel uneasy, but at the same time it was impossible to ignore all those factors.
"Maybe I should learn to hold my tongue," she thought, slightly regretful.
But Katsura-sama just smiled sideways, without even raising his gaze to her.
"Shogun's orders, Rin-chan."