Sword and Mirror

by Kate Grove

  Katsuo turned to her.

  “Aren’t you afraid it’ll climb back in?” As soon as she said it, she realized how foolish it sounded. A grown man, a warrior—no, a warlord who was cuddling the snake just moments before, why would he be afraid of it? A shadow of a smile passed his lips.

  “Are you laughing at me?” Ciara gasped.

  “Of course not.”

  Katsuo walked over to her and looked at her straight in the eyes.

  “I’m not afraid of the snakes. As I’ve told you, we have family history with them.”

  “You gotta tell me one day,” Ciara said, her interest piqued.

  “But not today. It really is getting late,” he reminded her.

  “Right…” Ciara turned away slowly. She didn’t feel safe going back to her room and spending the night there alone. She wasn’t sure she’d get any sleep. If a snake could get in, what other dangers would await her?

  Suddenly, she recalled Katsuo’s arms around her and how safe it felt, being embraced by him. If only—

  She shook her head. She had a goal and must not get distracted. She had to get home. The hug was only an illusion. It’d last a couple more weeks, but after that, it’d be gone. She couldn’t stay in Katsuo’s room.

  “Could you…” Ciara glanced over her shoulder at him.

  “Yes?”

  She gulped down her pride.

  “Could you please check my room? If it’s not a problem.”

  “Sure. Stay here,” he said then changed his mind. “Or come with me, whichever suits you.”

  “Thanks,” Ciara trudged after him and stood in the doorway as he inspected her room. It only took a couple of minutes for him to check the place.

  “No snakes or other unwanted guests in here,” he reported when he was done. He walked over to her and leaned closer to her. “You can rest safely.”

  “Thank you,” Ciara said, breathless. He was doing it again. He was too close. She glanced away and cleared her throat as she took a step back and to the side to let him pass. There was a moment of silence, and she got the feeling Katsuo wanted to say something, but in the end, he silently walked away.

  “Katsuo,” she said just when he was about to turn at the intersection. He stopped on the corner and looked back at her. “Thank you. And good night.”

  “Thank you for the meal,” he nodded with a smile. “Sleep well, darling.”

  With that, he was gone.

  Ciara stood there a moment longer with a hammering heart in her chest. The way he said “darling” to her…

  “Stupid,” she admonished herself as she forcefully pushed the dangerous feelings away. She slid the door closed behind after she entered her room. “Forget it. Forget him.”

  29

  It seemed whenever Katsuo and Ciara planned on doing something together for the rest of the week, for some incomprehensible reason, Lady Orihime showed up to join them. Ciara was sure she was doing it on purpose.

  Whether it be a picnic at lunchtime on the veranda, in a secluded part of the castle, or a stroll in the garden, as soon as Ciara thought they were alone, Orihime soon showed up and spoiled the mood.

  Katsuo closed off and ignored her as much as politeness would allow—after all, he was still the host and she was the daughter of an ally, from what information Ciara could pick up on—but Orihime was all over him, which in turn made Ciara cranky and had her making barbs at Orihime. It was ugly, but she didn’t have the patience to deal with her day after day.

  She hadn’t seen Orihime for the last few days, however. As for Katsuo, she only saw him at dinner because he was so busy during the day. She wondered what happened. Did he perhaps put off work to meet her then it piled up? Or was it just busy season for warlords? He wasn’t going to go to war soon, was he?

  “What a lovely day, Ciara-sama!” Yura’s voice startled her out of her thoughts. The servant girl came to Ciara’s room that morning as usual. She immediately went to the cupboard to look for a kimono for Ciara. “Shall we go to the market?”

  “Oh, is it market day already?” Ciara asked, getting up. She was losing track of time, which was not good. She needed a calendar of some sort. She could’ve sworn market day was two days later. “Wasn’t that supposed to be later? Or did I get my days mixed up?”

  “This is not the usual market,” Yura chirped as she turned around, with a neatly folded heap of clothes in her arms. Her expression fell as she looked at Ciara. “Are you feeling all right?”

  “Yes, as okay as I can be,” Ciara replied, yawning. “Sorry. It’s just… I’ve been having these nightmares.”

  “Multiple?”

  “Yes, for a few nights now.”

  “May I ask what about?”

  Ciara picked at her bedding.

  “Going home but not reaching it. Stuff like that,” she shrugged it off as if it was something insignificant. She didn’t want to dwell on it. Her gaze ventured to the window. “But enough about that! It’s a sunny day, I see.”

  “Indeed! Perfect for a walk.”

  “I think I’ll take you up on your offer and go to the market with you. What’s so special about it?”

  “You’ll see.” Yura winked at her.

  Ciara was mildly amused. Usually, Yura was a wealth of information, so something must be really special about this market for her to be so secretive. She quickly washed up and put the kimono on with Yura’s help. She even let the girl apply some light makeup for her.

  “Hey, where are we going?”

  “To the market, of course!”

  “B-but… breakfast?” Ciara asked, her voice tiny. She needed the oolong tea to stay awake. It was the next best thing after coffee.

  Yura paled and squirmed.

  “If Milady—”

  “Ciara.”

  “If Ciara-sama would like, I was thinking… maybe we could get breakfast at the market?”

  “Oh. Good idea. Let’s go.”

  Katsuo felt he was going to go mad if he spent one more minute on paperwork. The last few days had been pretty much the same ever since he had to send Takeru to handle a border skirmish: training in the morning, breakfast with Yuki since she insisted on it, then training the soldiers, paperwork, then a quick lunch, then more paperwork, listening to messengers from the castle town, coming up with strategies to strengthen the borders, listening to reports from Taiki, waiting for news from the battlefield, then finally, dinner where he could spend the time with his family. That was basically the only time he’d seen Ciara for the last few days. He didn’t have energy or time to take part in the music after dinner, though. Ayaka’s sleepiness gave him an opportunity to use that as an excuse.

  He mildly wondered what his grandmother was doing during the day, but he was sure if she got bored or something was not up to her satisfaction, she’d be badgering him. Except he was slowly going crazy. He was used to fast-paced battlefields, and this idleness didn’t suit him.

  Katsuo took a walk in the orchard, hoping to clear his thoughts and calm his restless soul. He bet he inherited his bustling nature from his grandmother. In his musings, he didn’t realize he wasn’t alone. It was too late to avoid a certain someone when he noticed Orihime.

  “Oh, how nice to bump into you here, Milord.” Orihime bowed, and her entourage copied her.

  “Orihime-dono. Are you enjoying my garden?”

  “Very much so, Milord.” She smiled sweetly at him and stepped in his path. “How about you?”

  “I was,” he replied curtly. Too bad he couldn’t have a peaceful walk in his own orchard without someone finding him. “Doesn’t your honorable father miss you?”

  “He does, but that is the cruel fate of a man who has a beautiful daughter,” Orihime said without a hint of modesty. She pretended, though, as she shyly glanced down at her feet. There was a time when he would’ve played along, maybe even believed her, but he wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. On the other hand, he pondered, he didn’t see such manipulation from Ciara. There w
as a big contrast between the two women’s behavior.

  “I guess that’ll be my fate, too,” he replied as he turned to face the castle. “If you’ll excuse me—”

  “May I ask, what are you wearing, Milord?” Orihime asked she noticed the strange footwear he wore.

  “These are boots.”

  “Are they from the West?” Orihime couldn’t hide her grimace.

  “They are imported from Joseon1.”

  “Oh!” Orihime’s expression transformed into one of interest. “Do you frequently do dealings with them?”

  “Do not let it concern you, Milady,” Katsuo deflected the question. “However, I have work I need to do, if you’ll excuse me.” Finally.

  “Have a good afternoon, Milord.” Orihime bowed, entourage in tow. Katsuo hurried back up the muddy hillside. The wooden planks placed there functioned as steps, which made it easier. They’d been having heavy rains for the last few days. Today was the first one where they’d seen the sun.

  Katsuo didn’t want to return to his study. He wanted to spend some time outside. On a whim, he decided to visit town. It had been a while since he’d observed business there. It would do good and would count as work.

  Happy with his decision, he grabbed his weapons and a pouch full of coins before making his way out of the castle gates and down to the town at the bottom of the hill.

  As soon as he entered, he realized it was open day. Every month, there was one day when he allowed craftsmen and merchants from other provinces to visit. The market was normally for people from his province to do business, but on this day, everyone was welcome. He even started seeing merchants from Joseon and the West recently. In exchange for a fee, anyone could set up a stall for the day.

  More guards patrolled the streets than usual, and there were some officials working in the market to check if every vendor had purchased permission to sell. So far this seemed to be a splendid idea. Business flourished, and he used most of the extra money to make better roads and dams for villages in his territories He was thinking of expanding this event to the next biggest town, on the other side of the province.

  Katsuo was curious to see the goods from Western merchants. They had always brought something interesting. His people had some reservations when dealing with the foreigners, and he had, too, but he had successfully established good business relations with a bunch of them. It helped they had no idea they were talking to the daimyō. They acted strange when faced with authority.

  As soon as he arrived at the market, he immediately spotted some ceramic ware from Lake Biwa. He made a beeline to the stall, and a set of sake cups soon caught his eye. There were light blue flower petals on a white background. It reminded him of the rainy days in summertime. He ordered the set to be brought to the castle and paid the merchant.

  He visited all stalls and bought some toys for Ayaka, a dictionary from a Western merchant, medicine from another, then some ointments from a shady-looking herbalist. Just when he thought he was done, he saw something sparkle in the weak sunlight. He walked closer and saw several elegant hairpins laid out on the table.

  “Do you see anything you like, Milord?” The merchant asked. He was from another prefecture, completely clueless that he was talking to the daimyō, but Katsuo liked the man’s politeness.

  “Maybe,” he replied, looking at the different items. A comb caught his eye. It had small flowers attached at the top, encircling a large red lily made from textile.

  “I must praise you. You have a very good eye for quality products,” the merchant said. “That one was commissioned by a noble lady and took days to perfect.”

  “What happened?”

  The merchant shook his head sadly.

  “You know how fluttering the ladies’ hearts are, Milord! By the time it was finished, she was no longer interested. It’s such a pity, because my wife designed this especially for her.”

  “How fortunate for me, because I’d like to purchase it,” Katsuo replied. “Has your wife designed any other items?”

  “She occasionally does, Milord. Would you be interested in commissioning something?”

  Katsuo pondered for a moment.

  “A hairpin. Nothing elaborate, but something elegant. Something that would look good in a brown hair.”

  “Oh, is it for a foreign lady?” The merchant asked, and Katsuo looked at him sharply. “I didn’t mean anything by that, Milord! Just curious.”

  “Yes,” Katsuo replied eventually. “Maybe something purple to decorate it.”

  “All right, I’ll take note, Milord. It’ll be done next open day.”

  “Can you make it sooner?”

  The merchant blinked at him slowly.

  “Of course! But I can’t come here on other days. Only one day a month.”

  “How soon can it be finished and sent here if it weren’t for that rule?” Katsuo asked. Ciara would be gone by the time of the next open day, and he wanted to give her something to remember him by.

  “Hmm…” The man stroked his chin, thinking hard. “Well, it can be done in about a fortnight.”

  “Brilliant. I’ll pay you now for the comb, and when you’re done with the hairpin, make sure it gets here as soon as possible.”

  “I’d love to do that, but as I said, I can’t do anything until open day. If the daimyō hears of this, my head will be severed! No business is worth that much, I’m sorry, Milord!”

  Katsuo smirked at that. It was always nice to hear people obeyed his rules.

  “Don’t worry about that,” he told the merchant as he paid him. “Just make sure you deliver on time. I’ll make sure you’ll get permission to do this business.”

  “Are you an official working for the daimyō here, Milord?” The merchant asked as he accepted the coins.

  “Something like that,” he said. “Oh, one more thing…” Katsuo added something else to his order before he bid goodbye and walked away. His next stop was at the book shop. He was certain old man Akira would have some extra paper and ink for him to draw up a quick permission document. Thankfully, Katsuo always had his personal seal with him.

  1 The country on the Korean peninsula during medieval times

  30

  After taking care of the permission for the merchant to visit Shirotatsu castle on business for one time outside of open days, he asked a guard to deliver the document to said merchant. Happy with how the afternoon turned out, Katsuo continued his inspection of the marketplace.

  After a while, he got tired of the crowd and visited his favorite teahouse, hidden in a quiet street. He was immediately greeted by a smiling waitress. He didn’t even have to order because they knew his usual drink. Katsuo settled down on some pillows in the back of the room where he had a view of the garden but was able to keep an eye on the entrance as well. He was quietly enjoying his tea and the scenery. It was a fine afternoon.

  A little while later, laughter crept into the teahouse as two ladies turned up. They were a little too loud for him, but thankfully, the waitress guided them away. Katsuo felt something brush against his side. He glanced down to see the cat of the teahouse rubbing against his tight.

  “Well, hello there, futoneko1. You look bigger than the last time I saw you,” he told the cat, who purred. Katsuo stroked its silky black and white fur. He saw the waitress walking across the room and addressed her, “Mio-chan, what have you been feeding him? He is almost as big as a horse!”

  “You jest, Milord.” The waitress chuckled. “We feed him the same as always, but I suspect he goes around the neighborhood to ask for more. I can’t be sure if our customers give him anything extra either. It’s hard to keep him on a diet!”

  “It must be great to be a cat in your household,” Katsuo remarked, making the small waitress laugh and shook her head at him. Just then, a few other customers walked in, and she went to assist them.

  “Katsuo?”

  He looked up as he heard his name without an honorific and saw Ciara and Yura standing at the door, looking at
him.

  “Come, join me,” he gestured to his table with his free hand. The waitress led the two women there.

  “The usual, Milady?”

  “Yes, please,” Ciara said, glancing at Yura. “For you, Yura?”

  “Me too, thank you,” the girl replied shyly.

  They settled down, Ciara opposite of Katsuo. Yura huddled next to her, her gaze never leaving the table surface. She looked nervous to sit with her lord. She even moved to stand up, but Ciara put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her down with gentle force and a smile.

  “Stay, please.”

  “A-are you sure, Milady? I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

  “On what?” Ciara asked her. “We’re only having tea.”

  “If you say so.” Yura looked outside and effectively extracted herself from the conversation even though her body was sitting there. Ciara noticed Katsuo petting the housecat.

  “Whose is the cat?” she asked, curious.

  “The teahouse owner’s,” Katsuo replied. He lifted the fat cat with no effort at all.

  “Do you want to pet him?”

  “I’m fine, thank you. Maybe after I’m done with the tea,” Ciara said, and he retracted the cat.

  “What kind of animals do you like?” she asked after a heartbeat of silence. “I assume you must like cats and horses.”

  “Why do you think so?”

  Ciara arched her eyebrows.

  “Please, I’ve seen you interact with them. Do you like dogs?”

  “They are useful.”

  “Hmm… I’m more of a dog-person myself. Although I usually get along well with cats, too,” Ciara said. “My cousin, however, she loves cats. Sometimes I fear she’ll end up a crazy cat-lady.”

  Ciara found herself babbling, so it was a relief when tea was finally served and she could busy herself with it. However, she was pleasantly surprised when Katsuo poured some tea for her.

  “Thank you,” she said, giving him a small smile.