Kaiki's Letter
1010 Words
While the girls were enjoying themselves in the baths, Kaiki was sending a letter home to his family.
Dearest mother and father, this humble son greets you and sends hope for your continued health and prosperity. I send with this letter new cloth and raw minerals for creation of new clothing and sundries. Please take this gift and live well until I can see you again. These years spent apart feel so long, but I know that my presence here is important for the continued survival of our home.
In regards to your last letter, I believe that I have begun to find some prospects for marriage that would bring honor to our family and allow myself a continued presence at court and near my dearest sister, your only daughter, as we had discussed. Chief among these is a young woman who is deeply in the emperors favor and has agreed to take Tsukimine under her wing, allowing me to spend more time with her and to get to know her well.
I would ask that you send in your next shipment some polished shells and a strip of fine embroidery that I might make gifts of them to her and attempt to earn her favor. She reminds me of you mother, full of life and curiosity, something I was not sure I would ever find at this court. She plays the games here well enough, keeping herself above reproach with the help of allies and friends, but she has not let the politics of this place take away her zest for life. Her laughter can often be heard throughout the long halls and her excited chatter is unmistakable when she meets with her friends.
The customs of the court have dictated that I only have a few brief interactions with her thus far, but she seems agreeable and eager to learn. I have made a gift of trade records and histories of our islands to her through Tsukimine this day and eagerly await more news on how she has received them. She seems eager to learn about the world outside of the palace and is known to speak with other diplomats and their servants to find out more information.
I hope that I can convince her to learn our language as it would both give me an excuse to spend more time with her and would ensure that others see value in our language as well. I will update you in the future. For now, could you send me some books of poetry from our collection?
Meeting with the emperor has been going well. He is open to renegotiation of trade requirements once the marriages that seal the treaty have been completed. Tsukimine and the other brides have met with their suitors and approved. Tsuki's husband is not interested in the gifts of women, but has agreed to support her life and to allow her to live where she wishes. He has also agreed to a sizable stipend for her upkeep, allowing her a good life as we had hoped. His first gifts to her were comprehensive books on court etiquette and pedigree, some of which are more in depth than those we were provided to prepare for our expedition. I shall copy down the pertinent information and attach it in our next letter to ensure that it is shared with all who will need it.
I heard that the latest set of storms brought the great waves with it again, I hope that no homes were lost. The summers here are mild and we are protected by the land around from the sea, but it is hard to not miss the scent of salt and fresh fruit. I wish daily to be back among the trees, looking out over the water. I thank you for the food that you sent along with your last letter, I shared with Tsuki and we both enjoyed it a great amount. I wish that you could have cooked for us, but the cooks here did their best.
The winters here are bitingly cold I have been told, and shall need to acquire more hangings and robes for my rooms to ensure that I am not overly affected. I will of course send along any information about funds used.
I miss most hearing the sounds of our language and the songs that we used to sing at night. The court is much more formal and people seem distant here. It is hard to find friends that you can trust and there is no-one who knows the old songs. While Wa music is enticing, it is so often performed alone and for an audience, rather than as part of a group. A concert can last many hours and one is expected to sit and listen without even a hint of a smile. It pains me some nights.
Overall I am in good health and enjoying my time here. I will not bore you with more complaints about small things that I miss. I will only say that I wish to see you as soon as possible and hope that trips between the palace and our home will be possible in the future. Until I am able to see you again I will pray that you are kept safe and well.
Always a faithful servant of our family and home,
Kaiki
He quickly sealed the note and placed it within a tube of bamboo that was again sealed to prevent tampering before slipping it between the folds of the fabric he had acquired at the market just that morning. The next trade caravan leaving to the islands to collect their tribute and take items home was leaving in just a few hours. The foreman having agreed just hours before to take the personal items along for a small fee. Kaiki wished he had more time to explain himself and that he didn't have to keep Princess Metori's identity a secret, but knowledge of a possible entanglement could ruin her reputation and make further overtures impossible.
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