Chapter 02.
The White Heron Princess
Nearly ten years had passed since that first meeting between two little kids from different clans, whose futures were negotiated behind closed doors. Many things had happened after that spring afternoon; as many as could fit in a decade of life. And despite the fervent wishes of the Raiden Shogun to keep everything immovable and eternal, the reality was that nothing and no one was exactly the same as back then. The world was not the same, Inazuma was not the same, and definitely, Kamisato Ayaka wasn't either...
Spring was beginning again. The weather, the sky, and the cherry trees looked quite similar to those of that day, or at least how Ayaka thought she remembered them. Some things had already become a bit fuzzy by then; others were still too clear.
That afternoon was his fifth day in a row at the Komore Teahouse, an essential meeting point for the Kamisato clan in Inazuma City. Ayaka had gone to the capital to take care of the final arrangements for the Spring Festival that would take place in a week. It was one of the most important and biggest of the year. And, of course, the Yashiro Commission was in charge of organizing it. Ayaka took the reins of the organization almost wholly in order to lighten the weight of her brother's obligations.
By that time, almost everything was ready, and what remained to be done, the local representatives of the commission could take care of finishing it themselves. In fact, about an hour ago, Thoma, who had accompanied her on all those errands in the city as her assistant, had left the Teahouse with the latest correspondence with instructions for everything that would have to be done in the following days. Finishing that, they had scheduled their return to the Kamisato Estate, where she would give her full report to her brother, proud to be able to tell him that everything had gone very well.
As a young adult woman of eighteen, Ayaka had practically become her brother's right-hand, devoting most of her time to the work of the Yashiro Commission and mainly to help people to the best of her ability. Her reputation had grown as she herself did, becoming a recognizable and admired figure among the people of Inazuma, even equal to or more than Commissioner Kamisato.
Every time someone saw her walking the streets of Inazuma with her graceful step and her face beaming with kindness and joy, they could not help but marvel at the aura of perpetual perfection that surrounded her. His neat manners, elegance, kindness, affable smile, and unique beauty earned her among the people the nickname of Shirasagi Himegimi. The White Heron Princess; the living representation of the peaceful, perfect, and eternal Inazuma that Archon Electro has dreamed of.
But as usual, most were unaware of what this princess was hiding behind her smile and her "perfection." They were unaware of the fears, the doubts, the desires, and the hurt memories that crossed her mind when she was alone...
While waiting for Thoma to return, Ayaka was in one of Komore's rooms, precisely working on the last additions to the report that she would present to her brother. The window was open, facing the cliff and the sea in the distance, and through which a pleasant breeze came in. And especially had a fantastic view of the beautiful cherry trees that grew just behind the Teahouse.
She sat on the floor next to the window, with a small wooden lectern to support her notebook and write in it the details of what had been done and agreed upon those days. She had to be meticulous because her brother was even more so. The attendants of the Teahouse had left her some sweet rolls, as well as their best matcha tea, of which she had eaten and drunk half, respectively.
The whole place was plunged into a deep silence at that time. Ayaka wasn't exactly alone, but she almost felt like she was. Komore had always had that peculiar quality. It was ideal for work, indeed, but sometimes that solitude and silence could become suffocating.
Ayaka had already been writing for fifteen or twenty minutes without interruption when she had to take a break, putting the brush aside. She ran her hand over her neck, a little sore from sitting there for a long time, and turned to gaze a little at the beautiful view from the window next to her.
The cherry trees had just blossomed and were in full bloom; the sad thing was that they didn't usually last very long.
"Take my sadness with you, flower in the wind..." she murmured slowly, suddenly, startling a little the instant she realized what she had said.
Those words had come out of her lips without identifying at the moment where exactly they had come from. And just one of those distant memories that sometimes invaded her made its arrival, although it didn't come complete.
That haiku that she composed as a child together with that boy who, at that time, was a complete stranger was one of those details that used to feel a little blurred. She knew it existed, and she remembered the moment this one had been born and even where she was standing in her yard when it happened. Even so, the final content of its verses had not been so clear to her in a long time…
Ayaka turned the notebook page on which she was writing to choose a blank one. She then began to write the haiku from memory, starting from that initial idea. She quickly wrote a couple of versions, crossing them out almost immediately (some even before she got to the second verse).
The final structure eluded her completely.
She looked out the window again, looking for a bit of inspiration, or perhaps hoping that the scene so similar, with the swing of the wind making the cherry petals dance in the air, would somehow drag her to that time and place and clear the mist of her memory.
It definitely gave her a nostalgic feeling. Still, her mind seemed to be struggling to stay on more recent events. Like the next festival, the complicated situation that the people of Inazuma were going through, her last rejected request for an audience with the Shogun to expose her concerns about her last decrees... or the fact that his eighteenth birthday had been a few months ago back, and perhaps in other circumstances (or rather in another life), she would be planning her wedding at the same time as that festival. Who knows? Maybe both could have been the same celebration.
"Fleeting spring flower... you take my sadness with you... flying in the wind... That's it!" she exclaimed triumphantly, quickly writing the words into her notebook, afraid they might simply disappear if she didn't.
Ayaka stared at the entire poem on the paper, rereading it several times, even running her fingers over the paper, not touching the fresh ink. Writing it down not only made it enduring in memory and on paper; it also made it real. It recorded that that moment had really existed... as well as the person who accompanied her at that time.
"Kazuha…" she thought, afraid to even say that name in a low voice, followed by a deep sigh steeped in regret.
"Lady Ayaka, I'm back," she heard Thoma's voice suddenly, outside in the hallway, causing her to jump as if she had been caught in the middle of childish mischief.
"Come in, Thoma," Ayaka told him, trying to sound as firm as possible. She quickly closed the notebook with one hand, wanting to hide the evidence of what had happened moments ago that way. She also sat straight and fixed her attention on other papers beside her, pretending to read them.
Thoma, no longer close to that fifteen-year-old foreign servant, delicately slid the door to one side and entered the room, closing it behind him a second later. He approached until he was on his knees next to his young mistress.
"The correspondence you requested has already been delivered," the blond boy informed her solemnly.
"Thank you very much, Thoma," the Heron Princess replied absently, clearing her throat a little.
"Everything is alright, miss?" asked the servant cautiously; her unusual state was not lost on him.
"Ah, yes, don't worry," Ayaka replied quickly, turning to look at him with a slight smile. "I'm okay. Just a little tired, but not as much than expected."
"I understand. Good thing we're done with our work here, and we can go home. In fact, if there is no other pending, the ideal would be to start our way so that the night doesn't surprise us in the Chinju forest. There are rumors that some ronin have been raiding travelers on the roads out of the city."
"Ronin? "Ayaka muttered, a little surprised.
"Tenryou guards are already taking care of them. Still, it would be pretty unlucky for a mere ronin to want to assault Lady Ayaka and have to deal with her lethal Cryo vision."
That comment had been made with a certain humor in his tone, not exactly as if it were a joke or sarcasm, but perhaps an attempt to lighten the atmosphere that hung every time someone mentioned the visions in any context or place. Part of it succeeded, but still, Ayaka's hand was placed against her waist, stopping for the moment the desire to touch her vision with a sky blue orb, placed as a nice and striking ornament in the center of the bow on her back. Just to make sure it was still there.
The Vision Hunt Decree had been exerting itself with an unyielding hand for several months now. For now, the Raiden Shogun had allowed select members of the three commissions to maintain their visions for the proper performance of their duties; the key was "for now." Nothing had been said openly, but Ayaka knew that sooner or later, her vision would be claimed like the rest, as well as Thoma's, and even her brother Ayato's, would be.
The young Kamisato shook her head a little to clear that concern. It didn't help at all to think about it now.
"You can never be too cautious anyway," Ayaka added, trying to sound nonchalant. "We'd better get going, just like you say."
Saying that, she then began to gather her papers, notebooks, brushes, and ink and carefully packed everything into her luggage bag.
"But first, I need to go to Naganohara just for a moment," Ayaka informed as she finished putting in the last papers.
"To Naganohara?" Thoma asked, a little confused. "I thought that everything about the preparation of the fireworks for the festival was already arranged with Yoimiya."
"Yes, just…" Ayaka paused for several seconds, in which she finished packing everything into her bag. She slung it over her shoulder and then completed her reply slowly without looking at him, "I've already managed to get the agreed payment out of my savings, for the… sparklers. And I want to give it to Miss Naganohara before we leave."
More than clarifying or reassuring, that explanation seemed to disturb Thoma a bit. He tried, however, not to let his reaction be so obvious.
"I understand... the sparklers," the servant whispered slowly in a warm voice. "Are you sure you don't want me to handle that delivery?"
"No, you don't have to," Ms. Kamisato replied, looking at him with a calm smile but with firmness in her eyes. "I want to do this personally."
"As you like," Thoma added, at last, accompanied by a slight bow. Deep down, however, he didn't like that at all. But, who was he to contradict the Heron Princess?
Both left the small private room, each carrying their respective luggage, and headed towards the exit of the Teahouse. On their way, some of the waitresses and workers said goodbye to both (although mainly to Ayaka ) with a greeting and a respectful bow. The young Kamisato returned their greeting with a modest nod of her head.
"See you Later, Taroumaru; behave well," Ayaka said goodbye as she passed in front of the counter of the Teahouse, to which the Shiba dog on it responded with an affectionate bark.
Leaving through the main door, Kozue, the premises manager always watching who enters and who leaves, offered them a gesture very similar to that of the rest of the workers.
"Have a safe trip back, Lady Kamisato."
"Thank you, Kozue. And thanks for your hard work."
Kozue acknowledged her words with a slight nod.
The two quickly mingled with the people coming and going down the main street. The capital city used to be filled with people on those dates before the Spring Festival, mainly tourists or travelers who came to enjoy the spectacle of the cherry blossoms. However, in the last couple of years, the visitors had been much fewer, and everything indicated that it would be the same this time. Along with the Vision Hunt Decree, the closure of Inazuma's borders had also been implemented, making access to any foreign tourists very difficult, if not practically impossible.
As they walked, the Shirasagi Himegimi did not go unnoticed by the gazes of several people, who did not miss the opportunity to greet her kindly. Some with a simple nod of their heads, others outlining some word of joy when the young woman passed by their side, and others bowed towards her with deep respect. Ayaka tried to respond to each of their greetings in the best way, including those that caused her some discomfort, as well as embarrassment.
Sometimes her brother and Thoma had suggested that since her face had become so known to people, she should be a little more discreet when traveling or walking the city streets. For example, wear a kasa, a cape, or something that would cover up her appearance a bit. Ayaka understood the reason for those suggestions, but she didn't feel comfortable with them. Although people's attention was sometimes excessive, hiding as if she was ashamed of who she was didn't seem like the right thing to do either.
They kept moving north toward the main exit of the city. That had a double function since, in addition, the place that Ayaka wanted to visit before leaving was in the same direction: the Naganohara Fireworks Shop. Upon arrival, they both immediately spotted Yoimiya, the owner's daughter, attending to a couple of customers, so they waited. As the festivals approached, the demand for fireworks became greater, so it was usual for the Naganoharas to be quite busy.
When Yoimiya finished with the people she was attending, Ayaka and Thoma approached.
"Good afternoon, Yoimiya," Thoma came forward to greet, slightly raising his hand.
The young woman with disheveled blond hair turned towards them while stretching her arms a little in the air.
"Ah, good afternoon, Thoma," she replied in a cheerful tone when she saw him; her lips even broke into a wide smile of excitement. She turned her attention from the tall blond man to the girl beside him an instant later. "And Miss Kamisato, of course. Or should I call you princess?" She teased in a playful tone.
"That's... not necessary," Ayaka answered quickly, trying to hide her blush.
Yoimiya laughed, a little amused at her reaction.
"I'm just playing, don't bother. What can I do for you? Anything else needed for the festival? Dad is already working hard to get everything ready; It'll be an amazing show, Naganohara guarantee."
"I know it will," Ayaka agreed and then was silent for a few moments.
She then glanced surreptitiously over her shoulder, peeking at the people passing behind her, searching for any suspicious or curious faces. At first glance, everyone seemed very involved in their own business or destination to which they were heading. No one seemed even interested or aware of the Heron Princess's presence there.
Once she felt safe, she turned back to Yoimiya, breathed in slowly through her nose, and spoke slowly, yet with a firm voice:
"Sorry for the sudden inconvenience, but I'm here to finish up the matter we talked about the other day… about the sparkles."
Yoimiya reacted slightly surprised to the comment, not much different from how Thoma had done it in Komore a while back. The young woman's amber eyes also turned for a few moments to the people that passed through the street, perhaps looking for the same thing Ayaka did a few moments ago and obtaining the same result.
"Oh, right… the sparklers," Yoimiya whispered slowly, almost forcing her face and voice back to their usual easygoing tone. "I didn't know that you would come personally to review that matter. You could have sent a messenger or the good old Thoma," she commented quickly, giving the young servant a subtle look. "I know he's always more than willing to help you, right?"
"That's true, but Lady Kamisato preferred to do this herself," Thoma replied, shrugging. "That is her level of commitment to her duty. But don't worry because there will be plenty of business that will bring me to see you in the future."
Yoimiya and Thoma started laughing after that comment, apparently sharing a strange joke between them that Ayaka was not part of. The Heron Princess's bewilderment was slightly noticeable in her gaze, but she tried not to dwell on it too much. She only cleared her throat a little, trying with that gesture to draw attention back to the main issue that concerned them.
"I was already here in the city taking care of the last details for the festival, so I decided to take advantage of the time and bring you the amount of Moras agreed for the work."
As she spoke, Ayaka opened her bag and took out a large white envelope, which she handed to Yoimiya. It was evident from the moment the young Naganohara took it that it was filled with Moras; lots of Moras...
Maybe more than would be necessary for simple sparklers.
"Will it be enough?" Ayaka asked with solemn seriousness.
"I'm sure it is," Yoimiya replied with a smile, slipping the envelope inside her orange kimono. "And I am sure that Master Masakatsu will be very pleased with the work that will be done with this."
"That makes me happy," Ayaka agreed, smiling again. "If you excuse us, it's time for us to go."
Ayaka slung her bag back over her shoulder, did a slight bow as a farewell gesture, and started walking down the street toward the city's exit. Thoma, as always, followed closely behind her.
"See you later, princess," Yoimiya called out loudly as they walked away. "And see you soon, Thoma."
"It's a date," the servant replied without looking at her but raising a hand to the side of his head for her to see.
Finishing that last business, Ayaka and Thoma walked away, losing themselves in the crowd again.
Needless to say, in reality, that money would not be used for any sparkle...
Author's Notes:
—As I mentioned earlier, this chapter takes place around ten years after the time described in the previous chapter. It is also located near the start of the Vision Hunt Decree, and some time before the Inazuma Arc we saw in the game. But we will still get some more glimpses into the past in future chapters.