“Sakura is just a maid, I don’t know the lords’ business.”
“I think I know what your lord means, but what shall I do? The day before last, my father-in-law sent over a handwritten letter about how Harunobu will come to Suruga to live for a while, and needs me to find him housing, he said a temple would be fine too. I think it’s quite hard for us Imagawas to be the peacemakers here.” Yoshimoto folded his fan and sighed dramatically.
Oh no, Nobutora was acting ahead of schedule. Why was this different from the history books? Was it because she’s time-traveled here and while history didn’t change in obvious ways, details did change? Sakura could feel her hands getting moist. Suddenly, Yoshimoto walked up to her, swiping her chin with the handle of his fan and smiling mysteriously.
“Your name is Sakura? It was interesting Suwa Yorishige is using you as a spy, when he realizes he has underestimated us Imagawas, I think he’ll really regret it. As for you, you better work for us Imagawas if you want to live.”
“Yes, fortune favors the smart ones. I’ll listen to you.”
Sakura’s quick answer surprised Yoshimoto, who still asked a maid to take her to his mother Jukei-ni first, and then to stay in the maids’ quarters.
Jukei-ni’s reputation of being cunning was definitely well-deserved. She had a large mole on the corner of her mouth, making her look particularly devious, and Sakura disliked her on sight. Jukei-ni didn’t have her go into the inner court, instead, she arranged for her to live in a servant’s room between the inner and outer courts. She didn’t give Sakura any work to do, and only a tiny space to live in. Sakura didn’t see anyone other than a group of samurai who watched her daily for the first few days.
Was she being locked up? She might as well escape from Suruga. Inspite of the sword-carrying guards, it wouldn’t be that hard to get away. Sakura thought for a while but couldn’t decide what to do. She really didn’t like life without freedom, but Jukei-ni and Yoshimoto were very devious inspite of their cultured demeanor. If she escaped, and the Imagawa and Takeda family united to attack Suwa, then Nene and Yiu would be in grave danger.
On the other hand, she came to Suruga by hiding in a messenger’s carriage, so how did Yoshimoto know? Were messengers from Suwa to Suruga being watched by Imagawa’s ninjas? No, it couldn’t be, if there were, she’d have noticed something on her way off the carriage.
“Damn you, Takeda Harunobu, it’s all your fault I’m trapped in the conflict of three nations here. If I saw you again, I’d...” She squeezed her hand, wanting to smash the wooden wall she leaned against. She had to be smart and stay for the sake of Yiu. She had to bide her time and make sure Yoshimoto didn’t make any rash decisions.
“Sakura, change into something nice, the lord is asking for you.” A maid called outside.
She was not being asked to be a bedtime companion, was she? Ever since that first night at Kai, she was always paranoid about those things.
After changing into a pale green kimono, she walked to the outer court with a maid. She didn’t expect what she saw. Inspite of her passably pretty looks, Yoshimoto liked Duke style women, and wouldn’t want her, someone who marched in big steps, to serve him. In the reception room, Yoshimoto sat with his mom on the right, and an old monk in a grey robe on his left, who looked at her with a weird expression.
“Sakura, Mom and Zen Master Sessai want to see you do flower arranging, start preparing.”
Flower arranging? Sakura rolled her eyes secretly. What’s Yoshimoto plotting here? The monk next to him is called Zen Master Sessai, and she remembered a military strategist at the Imagawa family called Taigen Sessai, who was also a monk. So this must be him. Did he give Yoshimoto any ideas to investigate her?
Well, she had to do the flower arranging. She wasn’t afraid, this was something she had learned from her grandfather before, so she wouldn’t be horrible.
She picked up a longer cherry blossom and put it into a skinny vase, then added a few shorter red chrysanthemums around it.
Sessai spoke softly, “confident, brisk, not bad. She seemed to be using Tachibanashi style, she has potential.”
Tachibanashi was a flower-arranging style popular in the Muromachi era. Sessai’s “potential” comment seemed troubling, as if he still wanted to observe her. She still couldn’t figure out what they were fishing for here.
Hah, she might as well give up on Tachibanashi style flower-arranging and guessing what they wanted, and show them something they’ve never seen before.
“Why did she take out all the flowers?” Seeing the now empty vase, Jukei-ni questioned her son and Sessai.
“Lord, M’am, please forgive my insolence. I wanted to use a few containers of different shapes and make this reception room into a sea of flowers.”
Sakura looked up and smiled as she tossed two cherry blossoms into two different vases, each with a different pose, one into a skinny vase and one into a ceramic jar.
When the maids used Sakura’s idea to turn containers throughout the room, from bamboo baskets, wide-mouth vases, and fruit plates, etc., all things never before used for vases, into flower holders, the result impressed everyone.