Chapter 2

Kaede was awestruck as she hopped down from the carriage, ignoring the older guardsman’s hand. Her sandals made a soft clack against the tightly packed dirt as she shielded her eyes from the midday sun, looking out over the various booths. The river flowed along the back of the left-hand set of stalls as she turned back to the rest of the carriage’s members with a huge smile on her face.

“The matsuri!” She exclaimed, pointing at the bustling festival below as the early crowd was starting to arrive. Gakuto slid out of the carriage to her left and Sumire, her mentor, nodded slightly at the younger girl’s excitement. The guardsman, Jiro, had a smile not unlike a father delighting in his daughter’s happiness as he folded up the stairs.

“I know you’re excited, Kaede…” Sumire started, leaning out the open window of the carriage while Jiro closed the door. “...but I need you to remember your position and keep your wits about you.” Kaede let out a gasp before bowing to Jiro and he laughed, holding his hands up reassuringly.

“It’s fine, Kaede-chan. You’ve never been outside the palace, so of course you’ve got tunnel vision.” Jiro replying to the unspoken apology from the energetic oiran.

“It’s not fine, Jiro-san,” Sumire interjected, a twinge of annoyance in her voice as she glared at the familiar guardsman. He sighed, stepping away from the carriage, moving to attend to the two horses.

Gakuto had his arms behind his head, gazing out over the field, almost listlessly before Jiro placed a hand on his head. “Now, Gakkun…” Gakuto let out a grunt of disapproval at his sword master, for using that insufferable nickname, “...remember to keep your guard up. Especially at a matsuri, with a young excitable girl.”

Gakuto brushed his master’s hand away, as if saying to not treat him like a kid and Kaede nodded, her hands clenched tightly. You could probably see steam come out of her nose as she was trying to contain herself from running wild. Her mother had told her she could only attend if she listened to the two adults that accompanied her and Gakuto, so she was trying her best to control herself.

“I’m sure your mother didn’t give you that much of an allowance for your first matsuri…” Sumire sighed, pulling her arm back in before reaching into her tamoto, the long, flowy sleeve of her kimono, producing a small, silk purse, heavy with coins from her tamoto-otoshi. She leaned back down and held it out to Kaede, who caught the bottom of the tiny purse in her hands, gazing at Sumire with excitement alight in her eyes. “This is so you kids can have fun, just don’t spend it all in one place. I also want back whatever is leftover!” She avoided the pure joy on Kaede's face, by staring back into the carriage.

Sumire was one of the ladies-in-waiting for the emperor’s favorite courtesan, and was also the de facto literacy teacher for the young women in the back palace. She and Kaede worked together more than most, as Sumire taught the younger girl poetry, music, calligraphy and the like for her eventual role as the Imperial oiran. She doted more on Kaede more than Kaede’s own mother, though she was loath to admit it.

Kaede shifted the bag in her hand, holding it by the strings and bowed at nearly 115 degrees, before popping back up and smiling. “Thank you, Sumire-onee-chan!” Sumire tensed up, trying to keep her cool demeanor but her eyes met Jiro’s, a goofy smile plastered on his face and she sighed again.

“Just remember, to be back here not long after the hanabi.” Sumire said, looking back down at Kaede. The younger girl was nodding vehemently as well as fidgeting, her excitement ready to fully burst.

Jiro, meanwhile, had pulled down an ornate wooden box and opened it for Gakuto. “I’m sure you’re aware of the importance of guarding a valued member of the palace, Gakuto. This is the first time that you are doing your duty as an Imperial guard, and while it is just at this matsuri with young Kaede-chan, I want you to understand the depth and importance of your job.” Jiro pulled out a thin, sheathed sword, a jian blade, with a small golden tassel hanging off the end of the hilt, and held it out to Gakuto with his right hand. Gakuto carefully took it from his master and looked it over, surprised.

“Obviously, I don’t expect you to use it here, being so close to the palace, but you can never be too prepared.” Jiro said, closing the box before clasping his hands on Gakuto’s shoulders. “Keep it sheathed unless absolutely necessary, in defense of young Kaede.”

Gakuto nodded, laying the sheath against his back, tying it around his torso before giving a bow to Jiro. “I understand the importance of it all, master!” Jiro held his hands up, telling Gakuto to relax before hopping up into the driver’s seat.

“Like Lady Sumire said, you two are to meet us here after the hanabi, which is roughly one chime after sunset.” Gakuto and Kaede both nodded to Jiro’s words as he grabbed the reins. “But, do try to enjoy yourselves, Gakkun, Kaede-chan.”

Gakuto clenched his fist in frustration as his master’s bequeathing of his first sword was soured by that irritating nickname. Jiro pretended not to notice as he cracked the reins and the horses pulled the carriage down the road. Kaede waved after them, before turning back to Gakuto with a bright smile. “Let’s go, Gakkun!”

She then grabbed his hand, leading him down the small hill, towards the festival.

Sumire leaned on her hand, gazing out the window as Jiro drove. “Relax, Sumire-sama.” Jiro said, eyes on the road, sensing her unease. “Kaede is a clever girl who knows her responsibilities and Gakuto is going to be a fine guardsman. It’s a festival in the shadow of the palace, where everyone is just having fun. They’ll be fine.”

Sumire sighed, turning to face the driver’s seat, but unable to see Jiro. “I’m not worried about all of that, it’s just a… premonition. I feel like something chaotic… something unexpected is going to happen, leaving the two of them alone.” She placed her hand on the seat next to her and started tapping her index finger rapidly.

Jiro had raised an eyebrow to her statement of premonition, but didn’t speak on it. He had learned to trust her intuition over the years, yet brushed it off, taking it for just nerves for the young Kaede. “It’ll be fine, Sumi.” He whispered, but as he glanced back down the road, seeing that the two had already disappeared, he realized he was also trying to reassure himself.

Kaede had released Gakuto’s hand as they reached the main path into the stands, enjoying the sight of all the people walking in and out of the buzzing corridor. The smells from the food booths made her drool as she felt the weight of the purse, loaned from Sumire, in her grasp. The overwhelming throng of people overrode her excitement, the realization that the entire crowd was nothing but strangers, causing her to hesitate.

Gakuto stood to her left, his eyes surveying the crowd before glancing at his friend. He shifted the sword flat against his back. In this position, as Jiro had taught, showing that he had no intent to draw it. After all, why would he need to use it here? His brown eyes shifted back to the early afternoon matsuri mob, surveying them more out of practice than assessing any threat.

“There’s a lot of people here, aren’t there, Gakkun?” Kaede said, her voice tinier than he was used to. His gaze trailed back to her, surprised to see her quivering slightly, in her pretty summer yukata. A bright pink, it was covered with multiple hibiscus of varying colors, with a vibrant yellow obi tied around her waist. Her mid-length honey-brown hair was done in a half-up bun with kanzashi, her bangs pinned on either side by two simple jade hair-pins. She was, surprisingly, more simply dressed than when roaming the back palace, yet there was greater care taken with her ensemble. Kaede had wanted to look her best for her first matsuri.

Gakuto reached over and grabbed her left hand firmly, looking off to the side as she gasped, looking up at him. “There are a lot of people, Kaede, but I’m right here. You’ve been wanting to come to stuff like this forever, so…” She squeezed his hand softly, nodding and smiling before he pulled it back, embarrassed.

“Thanks, Gakkun!” Kaede’s smile was radiant as she folded her hands in front of her. “You’re right, it’s just a crowd of people!” Her voice was still a little small, but she psyched herself up once more, taking a deep breath and venturing into the throng herself.