Kamakura

5 years After Mongol Invasion

A rider on his horse came to the northern gates of Castle Shimura. It was spring again, when mainland boats could finally find safe passage to Port Izumi. He was a messenger wearing the purple and white armor of Clan Oga. As he went through the castle, he saw soldiers busying themselves with training of all kinds: sparring, bow and arrow, hand-to-hand, and even alternative weapons. There were engineers, blacksmiths and masons all putting things together for the expected war ahead. No one knew for sure when the battle would break out, but they had to expect it any month. The streets were filled with a confident air of chatter and laughter. The rider bore a grim face.

Lord Shimura was holding court at the primary level of his keep. Retainers were coming in one by one with reports and news. But as soon as the samurai entered the room, Lord Shimura saw his armor and immediately dismissed the retainers for the time being. This was no ordinary messenger.

“My Lord, I bear a special message just for you, directly from the Shogun himself.”

“… I figured as much,” Lord Shimura said in a low voice and stood up from his place. The messenger gave him the dark brown box which held the scroll. Lord Shimura carefully opened it and unraveled the scroll. There was both relief and disappointment in his face as he went further and further down the text.

“Does he require a response from me now?”

“Yes, my Lord.”

Lord Shimura thought for a moment. “Tell him I will meet his wish, and that it will take 4 weeks with as much urgency and caution as I can allow.”

“Thank you,” the messenger bowed to the jito. “I will return that message as soon as possible.”

“Please, stay the night…”

After arrangements were prepared for the messenger’s housing, Lord Shimura dismissed all his attendants so that he could think alone in peace. He stared at the scroll for some time before folding it up and putting it back in the box. He got up slowly and ascended to the second level.

Shinako was nursing their son Toyohiro, only 6 months of age. It was the very child that was foretold to them back when they had their trip to Kamiagata. Himiko was playing with the 3-year-old Mei and showing her how to make a straw mat. Lord Shimura frowned at having to break their happy mood.

“Shina.”

Shinako looked up to see his despondent face and crossed her eyebrows.

“What is it, Tokiasa?”

“I’ve been called to Kamakura.”

Himiko heard this too, and both women looked at him in dismay, but it wasn’t unexpected either. Shinako sighed.

“So after 5 years he demands your presence.”

“Yes, he let time separate us while I healed, but…” Lord Shimura shifted his eyes around the room nervously. “It appears he wants to check on me, and report all that I can. He says my presence on Tsushima is not urgent at this time, and that I would need to come as soon as possible.”

“Is it true, that you aren’t urgently needed here?”

“Perhaps he has some insight into our current diplomacy with the Mongol Empire that I do not have. Very well. I must go in either case. But… I want you to come with me.”

Now Shinako was surprised. “But… we just had our child… is it safe?”

“I will make sure of it. But I want you at my side, you and the children. I… I need you,” he said softly.

Shinako nodded her head slowly. “Then I will come. When will we leave?”

“Three days at most, watching the weather. We will prepare immediately.”

“It shall be done,” Shinako bowed her head low, and so did Himiko. Little Mei had no idea what was going on, but she remained quiet. Whatever it was, she could instinctively feel the dread come over the room.

3 days later, on a calm dawn, large boats from Port Izumi made haste for the mainland. There, Lord Shimura would hire three other boats to take his escort along the east coast of Japan, a 3-week journey to Kamakura. He had been there many times as was demanded of his position, but Shinako had never been there. The weather was very calm, and only one stormy day did they shelter on land. Mei was a good girl who didn’t complain in the cramped quarters, but occasionally was allowed to walk on the decks, Himiko holding her hand. Lord Shimura and Shinako watched them happily and also entertained Toyohiro as well as they could. At night, the jito would retreat to the upper decks to watch the stars by himself and meditate. He had a lot of heavy thoughts on his mind.

Somewhere partway through the trip, Shinako found it difficult to sleep, and so she too went to the upper decks. Perhaps her stomach was sore from the constant waves, or perhaps she hadn’t drunk enough water that day. But she found Lord Shimura kneeling at the bow, looking at the stars, so she thought. She approached with caution and knelt next to him, to see that he had his eyes closed at the moment.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he opened his eyes and looked at her. They could hardly see each other since the lanterns were far behind them. The shadows masked his grief.

“If I may ask, my lord,” she ventured to say. “What is it that brings you out these evenings?”

“I must clear my mind. The peaceful sound of the waves helps, and I look to the stars for guidance. And… my family…”

“… What wisdom have you learned?”

“… To remember the words of my mother, my father, my sister and brothers… and to remember you too,” he smiled lightly.

“What did they tell you?”

“… To not be afraid…”

“What are you afraid will happen when you meet the shogun? Do you think he will be displeased with you? Mistrust you?”

“Perhaps… but that is only part of it…”

There was a pause, as if Lord Shimura was waiting for Shinako to ask. Shinako was surprised at this hesitancy in his voice.

“I have never seen you this afraid before,” she remarked. “Will you not tell me?”

“I will… if you would promise me one thing. That you will still love me.”

“Ah,” Shinako sighed in dismay and put a hand on his shoulder, “I will always love you no matter what, you know this.”

“But you have not been tested yet.”

“Oh? Have I not after all these years?”

“Perhaps sometimes, when my patience grows thin… but there is darkness within me that you have never seen, that I have never told you. And I’ve tried my best to kill it, but it always comes back. Promise me, that whatever you see, that you will still love me.”

“… Is it really that bad?”

“Yes… because someone like you would never love it.”

“… Challenge accepted.”

Lord Shimura smiled bitterly, but it was still genuine. “I do remember that you can be stubborn. It’s getting cold now. We should be indoors.”

The two of them returned inside the ship and the cold air having refreshed them sent them fast to sleep.

Lord Shimura arrived in Kamakura with his family and escort of 40 samurai. The city was larger than anything Shinako had seen before, with tall towers and temple pagodas visible from the shoreline. Thousands of people lived in this city, many in servitude to the shogun. Lord Shimura’s ship landed at the port and everyone stepped off. Unlike Tsushima, there was much less fanfare for a lesser lord who was hardly known by the people. At least in Fukuoka he was famous for his defense, but here he was only a rumor. Lord Shimura and Shinako were given horses, and the escort moved quickly to be housed in quarters specific to guests of the shogun.

“So you really aren’t special here?” Shinako noticed the lack of treatment as well. They had a meal together that night in an elegant, warm estate, but it was one of many homes given to lower nobles.

“There are dozens of jitos in Japan, and daimyos. Tsushima is the one place where my clan has felt at home. Everywhere else is just… clans struggling for attention.”

“Then perhaps your isolation had a greater privilege than most nobles.”

“Yes. I accede to that.”

“And then the war happened, and it seems you were the only one harmed by it.”

“Isn’t that life?” Lord Shimura shook his head. “I meet with the shogun first thing in the morning. Reports… petitions… orders…”

“How many days must you be here?”

“As many as he needs me. We will see.”

“Does he know I am here?”

“Yes. There is no mandate against you being here. Stay with the children. I will call upon you if I ever need anything.”

“I am here for you…”

The next morning, Shinako dressed Lord Shimura in his armor, but without shoulder pads or helmet. He seemed calm on the outside, but there was a tension to his jaw that Shinako knew all too well.

“May the kami guide your words to speak with wisdom and perseverance. May the shogun grant you what you desire,” she put a hand to his face. He held her hand for a moment.

“I forgave Jin… and I have forgiven myself now, for what I’ve done. But there is one I will never forgive… Good-bye, Shinako.”

Lord Shimura went with an escort of 25 samurai to see the shogun in his palace. By “shogun” he really meant the shikken who wielded the true power of the samurai while the official title was held by a Prince. The shogun was quite young, younger than Shinako, but there was no denying his rule, as his father was the one who made Lord Shimura jito of Tsushima.

“Enter.”

Lord Shimura walked into the opulent court with his scribes and guards. Attendants lined the walls, watching the proceedings in silence. At the end of the room sat the shogun with an attendant on each side of him, their faces bowed to the ground. A scribe was kept out of the way but was writing down notes of the proceedings.

“Lord Shimura, jito of Tsushima,” a herald called as he stepped before the foot of the throne. Lord Shimura knelt in a rare occasion with both knees, and his head fully to the floor. He did not move until he was spoken to.

“Tokiasa Shimura.”

The jito looked up slowly to see the young man sitting in a chair with full black attire, a large overcoat draped over his shoulders fanning out on both sides. The shogun’s face was hard as steel, and yet, the slightest trace of a smile.

“I am glad to see you are well. It has been a long time.”

“… Yes, my lord, nearly 6 years,” Lord Shimura kept his eyes on the footstool where the shogun now rested his feet.

“The last time you were in Kamakura was before the Mongol Invasion, when I had given you your orders. And… you fulfilled your duties. I commend you for that.”

Lord Shimura said nothing.

“The express reason for this meeting is simple. I want to re-establish ties with you, now at the brink of a new war. I feel it on the horizon. It will not happen yet, but next year, I will host a much larger meeting involving all western lords to discuss our strategy. I have beheaded enough Mongol emissaries to show my resolution on the matter. Now… please tell me the status of the Coalition.”

Thus began an examination of all doings on Tsushima and Fukuoka regarding the national defense. Scripts were read aloud, logging the usual transfer of soldiers, resources and labor. Some of the texts were provided by Lord Yokotani, Lord Shimura’s counterpart on Kyushu, although he was not present. This took several hours. Several of the shogun’s closest advisors were invited to join the session as Lord Shimura outlined everything that happened in the past 4 years since the Coalition was founded. He came to his final summary at the end:

“In total, we have 20,000 of your bannerman trained not only in the bow and blade, but also in basic martial arts, hand-to-hand combat, and alternative weapons. About 5,000 have been trained in the use of explosives and ballistics, and another 5,000 are trained to use horses on difficult terrain. Then we have an additional 20,000 archers and footmen of the surrounding prefectures who will provide reinforcements. A minimum of 5,000 strongest men are to be positioned on my island while the rest are in Fukuoka, with the daimyo, Lord Yokotani and 4 other lords each holding their units. Most will be positioned behind the new wall prepared for a defense of Hakata Bay, and counterstrikes prepared with ships at Fukuoka. With the rate we are training, I expect 5,000 new samurai to join our army each half-year, most of them in advanced tactics. As for the people who provide labor, they have felt very strongly about this conflict and are willing to do whatever it takes to support the samurai. The wall is nearly complete, and at least the height of a man along its average.”

“Very good,” the shogun said calmly. “I am pleased with these reports. I asked you to train my warriors against the Mongols, and I believe it to be so. I have asked our people to pray vigilantly to the Buddha to protect our land, and I want them to know that we are ready. This news is encouraging.”

The shogun paused for a moment, watching the jito. Lord Shimura said nothing but patiently awaited orders.

“I want 15,000 of my bannermen to withdraw from the Coalition.”

Lord Shimura gritted his teeth and looked up in dismayed silence.

“Are you surprised? You will certainly make up for them by the time of the new Invasion. I need to keep my bannermen in reserves for when the war takes a turn for the worst.”

“… And if it takes a turn for the worst because you had withdrawn the troops?”

The shogun shrugged and turned his head to the side. “Why would that matter to me? I will save the day.”

“But there may be many more deaths before then.”

“Only if you don’t train more in their stead. Once the Coalition has regained its 15,000, I will also bring those units under my direct control.”

Lord Shimura grimaced but quickly composed himself. “As for the remaining 5,000 bannermen, will they be the forces with me on Tsushima?”

“A mix. Say 2,000, and the rest are from the lesser lords. That will be suitable first defense.”

“… I don’t see it.”

“You’ve worked with less, haven’t you? A smaller force allows you to be more tactical, to create more of a distraction and deterrent. They will die a nobler death than most warriors of their age.”

“The stronger the defense of Tsushima, the less harm will come to the mainland if we meet them there. I propose this considering these adjustments… that we add more troops on my island. At least 3,000 more.”

“Be at ease, this is nothing to fret over. Our defenses on the mainland will hold enough. Even if they come at us with 100,000, they are foolish fighters who only rely on numbers. We will outsmart them, and one of us is worth ten of them.”

Lord Shimura remained quiet, but a storm of emotions raged in his mind.

“This is for the best, Tokiasa Shimura. After all, you rebuilt your island in a matter of years. It can be rebuilt again.”

“And what will I have to leave my family?”

“Your family? Your wife and children may find refuge on the mainland and can return when we are at peace. I assure you, they will be able to call on me for aid when the time arrives.”

“The population of my island was nearly decimated. Roughly half of the people working the fields and shores arrived in the last 5 years seeking a new life, and you will do nothing to protect them?”

“Of course I will. They can seek refuge on the mainland, so far as they will return to Tsushima. I will not give them any other lands than that.”

“I lost over half of my people, my lord. Many had refused to leave their homes in order to protect what they had, and no doubt it will happen again. I can’t let the remainder go through that again.”

“And why not? There is nothing that the people as a whole cannot return from the grave from… if there’s anyone who I thought would have known that, it would have been you.”

“You treat my land and my people as if they were expendable. Every one of them, even those now dead, did their part to defend their island and our nation. They died so that the mainland would be saved! I am willing to die, but my people deserve the respect of a chance to live again, you cannot throw them — !”

“Throw them away? Are you saying I’m a harsh leader?” the shogun asked with a sly tone, like poisonous oil.

“What can I do but indicate the truth, my lord?” Lord Shimura went pale but dared not look him in the eyes.

“Well!” the young shogun laughed. “You may be right. That is my way, as you very well know. I am fine being called a harsh leader. But what I will not be called… is an incompetent one…” he finished in an ominous tone. He suddenly stood from his chair while Lord Shimura kept his head bowed. “Tell me, Tokiasa Shimura, where is the Ghost?”

This name perked up a few heads in the room. It was a rumor of a rumor in eastern Japan, spoken only in whispers and always with shame. Most of these people knew next to nothing about this mysterious rebel. The shogun stepped a few paces forward so that he was nearly looming over the jito.

“He vanished… my men cannot find him.”

“5 years later you still fail to fulfill my orders. What will it take to see this traitor be brought to justice?”

Lord Shimura looked around, trying to find the right words. “He may be all but dead or escaped to Goryeo. But if he is still alive, he has done nothing to hinder our preparation for the Invasion. He has never raised his hand against any of my men.”

“Lord Shimura, mark my words. Nearly a quarter of your population joined the Ghost’s Army and defied not only you but me. What became of them, hm?”

The shogun knew the answer but wanted to hear it from Lord Shimura’s lips.

“They went to Goryeo on their boats and never returned.”

“The population you are missing so badly is gone because of him, and because of your incompetence. Now those fools do nothing to aid our defense or maintain your legacy. This is what your new family will inherit, an island more useless to Japan than before. Not the legacy of a master, but a failure. And so will you know the place of Clan Shimura. You serve no one but me.”

Lord Shimura bent his head down to hide his face and breathed restlessly. There were no safe words to say at this point. The shogun kept a steely silence.

“I dismiss you for the day,” he said after a few moments, and stepped away from Lord Shimura. The jito stood up with his attendants and went to leave the room when the shogun halted him.

“Wait.”

Lord Shimura turned around to see that the shogun was standing and staring at a shadowy corner of the walls. He did not make a move but spoke in an even tone.

“I understand what you want. Tomorrow at noon… I will have a proposal for you. Return then.”

“Yes, my lord…”

It was late morning by the time the meeting was over. On the short ride home, Lord Shimura felt sick to his stomach. He dismissed his men early and went into the small estate by himself. When he was sure that no one was watching him, his steady walk slowed down to a trudge. He opened the shoji door into his private quarters, which looked out to the garden. There he saw Shinako sitting beside a fishpond, meditating.

Lord Shimura took off his armor by himself, without alerting her. He kept watch of her through the window. Such a gentle expression, neither joyful nor pained. A spirit of serenity. Tears came into his eyes and when he was finished, he knelt down, stilling looking out the window.

“What have I done…”

“Oh! I didn’t know…!” Shinako came into those quarters about an hour later to find Shimura as he was, meditating at the window. There was a dark look on his face she hadn’t seen before, not tranquil. “How long have you been here? I was with the children, I didn’t hear when you returned.”

“I didn’t want you to…”

Shinako frowned and came next to him. “What happened?”

“Are we truly alone right now?”

“I believe so, yes.”

“Check.”

“… Very well,” Shinako stood up and checked outside the window and door to make sure no servants were around. The children were being kept by nurses on the other side of the building. She returned with a pitcher of water for Lord Shimura. He drank his cup somberly.

“I am ready. Tell me what you will,” Shinako sat across from him, her back to the window.

Lord Shimura remained silent and looked down at his empty cup. It was beautiful and had a unique illustration on its side.

A blue butterfly.

Lord Shimura suddenly flung the cup across the room with all his might. It happened to hit another vase in a cupboard and there was resounding crash. It was so loud that Shinako nearly screamed but she held her tongue in terror. Lord Shimura suddenly stood up and began pacing like a madman, clawing at his face. He wanted to scream, but even his innermost self could not make himself do it. Too much upbringing, too much grooming from a young age to control his emotions at all costs.

“I… hate… him…” he spoke between huge gasps of air. He was shivering all over in rage. “Damn him to every hell! NOW!”

Shinako quaked in fear, but she sat up straight and remained ready for what she was about to hear. Lord Shimura didn’t speak too loudly, but she had only heard him this angry once before.

“He is a coward. He has no right to sit on that throne. He wants everything I’ve worked for to die! The island we loved for generations, he cares nothing for it! He wants me dead because he fears me. He knows what I could do if I gathered my army right now, if I marched with my men to his doorstep and wiped him off the face of the earth! He knows the power I have over the people and even his bannermen, to bring them under my control! He has his spies, he’s seen it! The Coalition is stronger than he ever anticipated. We could uprise… I could do it right now…”

“Wh… What?” Shinako went pale at his words.

“He knows my men answer only to me, and to your father. There has been unrest against the shogun for years, for his arrogance and weakness. That’s why he’s taking away his men! It’s why he fears the people and what they can do to him, why he ordered me to murder my son! He fears true power… power I control… I won’t be ruled by that butcher, NO!!”

“No… no you can’t say this!” Shinako said in a frantic whisper and looked out the window. “What are you saying?! What if someone hears?!”

“Shinako… this is what I’ve dreamed of my whole life. Do you know how hard my clan sought to become great all these years? Generations have been waiting for this moment! I thought it was all over when I lost Jin, but it’s not true! This Mongol Invasion, it’s our moment! It is our opportunity to make something new, a new sphere of influence! If the shogun has rejected Tsushima, so be it. I reject him. I will defend Japan… and take it.”

“Tokiasa!” she jumped to her feet to make him stand still. “Have you lost your mind? This is treason! You can’t say these things!”

“Can I not? What tides would change if it were not men who willed it? I have been given a direct order to dismantle and weaken everything we’ve worked for! Why should I obey it?”

“Tokiasa, you could never do such a thing! You can’t start a war over this! You don’t have the power, you will not win, Tokiasa!” she clawed at his shoulders.

“I will make sure we win… I will show everyone! I couldn’t do it before but I can do it now! I will avenge everything!”

“How is this vengeance but more needless bloodshed? You will fail to protect Japan if you rise against Kamakura now and divide our country!”

Lord Shimura pushed her away and continued pacing and breathing quickly. The ideas were coming into his imagination at an alarming pace, all the things he had thought about for years.

“I will bide my time… I must contact Lord Yokotani and tell him the news… if he doesn’t see reason… I don’t know what I will do…”

Shinako was dumbstruck. She stared into space, Lord Shimura’s words swimming violently about in her brain. Even now, his voice had a tone she had never heard before, such ambition and entitlement. She remembered the words of her father, of how he had derided clan Yokotani in years gone by.

“Perhaps a descendant of Shimura will rule with great power one day… but how will you see it through?”

Lord Shimura calmed down a moment and looked at her inquisitively. “We must raise Mei and Toyohiro to follow this legacy.”

“You mean me. How can you be so sure you will survive this war?”

Lord Shimura cried out in frustration but didn’t speak right away. After a few moments, he knelt down on the ground despondently, and Shinako joined him.

“Why have the kami forsaken me?” he said through gritted teeth and shook his head. “Why do I even ask that question? The answer is obvious… but why, why is it so wrong to want what I want??” he put his head in his hands. Shinako knelt right next to him and put an arm around his shoulders.

“Well, what is it that you want?”

Lord Shimura was struck by this question and pondered it for a moment. Maybe it wasn’t so obvious as he thought it was.

“How do I describe it… this… drive I’ve always had within me, to always want more, more, more… this restlessness, that nothing is enough… Something is wrong with me.”

“No no no, don’t say that,” Shinako soothed him, but she was already heartbroken. “But please, tell me more… I want to hear it.”

“Remember what I told you that one day, on our way home from Omi Monastery… that I feel fake… that I never am what I make myself to be… that’s the truth. I don’t want that anymore. And if it means I tell the whole world what I really am, so be it. There is not a day that goes by where I don’t feel like a slave, and all I had was a hope that doing the right thing would somehow make that tolerable… but I can’t do it anymore, Shina…”

Lord Shimura began to sob. Shinako cried too, but for a different reason.

“Have you never told anyone this?” she whispered.

“No… no,” he lied down with his head in her lap and continued weeping. She stroked his graying hair until he calmed down several minutes later. The sun shined brightly into the garden, reflecting off the stones back into the room they were in. Birds chirped in the distance.

“Even if you cannot tell the world, you can always tell me, Tokiasa. I am honored by your sincerity… maybe you’re right…”

“Right about what?”

“That the shogun is wrong.”

Lord Shimura sat up with a surprised look. “Do you believe it to be the right thing to do then? To defy his rule?”

“I think something else is going on.”

Lord Shimura’s eyes flashed. He was silent for a long period of time.

“He asked me to return tomorrow… is that why?”

“What would you return for?”

“A proposal… perhaps a way to save myself in the war… and be indebted to him.”

“And perhaps that’s not all.”

“Yes… a test… if I will give in and reveal my intentions… a perfect time to get rid of me, and our family… without a single change to the Coalition.”

“Don’t do it, Tokiasa, not now. For your people’s sake… accept his decision, in earnest. See what happens.”

“… You truly are wise,” Lord Shimura smiled sadly. “Where would I be without you now but in my own grave… What a fool I’ve been.”

“No,” Shinako turned his face toward hers. “You have faced things no man on this earth ought to face. You know what you want, and I will help you find it. You don’t have to be a slave another day. You can decide to be something else… the master of your own self.”

“… I thought that I was… before everything that happened,” Lord Shimura covered his face again. “I can’t go through that failure again.”

“Shh… it’s going to be alright,” Shinako embraced him again. “I am here for you, every step of the way. That is the duty of a samurai… and a wife.”

There was silence for a while, and eventually Shinako got up to clean the broken porcelain. She looked at it a moment and put it in a basket rather than throw it out. It could prove useful still. Servants were summoned to return to aid them, and Shinako went to check on the children, but Lord Shimura got up and left the house. He went into the garden with a bottle of ink, a brush, and a small piece of parchment. He had a moment of inspiration…

The next day, Lord Shimura entered the presence of the shogun yet again, though without his armor. It was noon, and there were even more advisors present to witness whatever orders were going to be written. Lord Shimura made sure his own advisors were aware of the negotiations but kept Shinako’s premonition to himself.

“I am glad you are here again, Tokiasa,” the shogun smiled brightly to see the jito’s somber face. The same manners were as before, and Lord Shimura was bid to sit across from the shogun as a scribe began to write on a table.

“Before we ratify the strategies discussed yesterday, I would like to share my proposal with you. 25,000 men have been designated into your care, and 5,000 men to be on Tsushima. Because of your valuable expertise… I propose appointing a lord in your stead on Tsushima.”

“… The first defensive position?” Lord Shimura looked him square in the eye.

“Yes. Rather than stranding you on that island, give the responsibility to another worthy member of the Coalition, and continue to maintain the rest of the army on Kyushu. Then you will surely steer the course of the war to the best of your ability. What about Lord Yokotani?”

“… He is not familiar with the terrain of Tsushima. He would not be able to use all of its advantages to its maximum potential.”

“What about another clan lord of Tsushima?”

“As willing and able as they are, they are young and have relied on strategies only provided by me. They are not leaders in the same sense as to make their own decisions in the heat of battle.”

“Even if the fighting goes badly, it will produce a false sense of confidence in the Mongols to be rash with their landing on Kyushu. It will make the war easier for you, to strategize from a distance… and you will be greatly rewarded for it.”

Lord Shimura sighed slowly. “I have lived a long life, and it was enough. I will choose a warrior’s death.”

The shogun narrowed his eyes. “While an honorable death is indeed a reward, there are advantages to living. If you could see the coming of age of your children, to guide them in the ways of your legacy, would you not want that?”

“… I must confess I would. I don’t want to see my children fatherless. But… they will have their mother, and her family. I see them being well-raised, and they will have a land to come back to that isn’t beyond repair.”

The shogun gritted his teeth and thought for a longer moment. “If you defend the mainland successfully, there will be additional benefits. I will grant you a position of power in Kyushu, and land along the western coast, south of Fukuoka. Those samurai who die in the defense will have their lands given to you.”

“And if the samurai do not die?”

“Are you haggling with me, Tokiasa Shimura?”

“Not at all. I may have wanted those things at one time, but not anymore. I just want Tsushima saved, and the only way for me to ensure that is for me to be there myself.”

“Even though you are a jito, you still think like a footman,” the shogun scolded. “Any reasonable lord of your stature should want to live if there is an opportunity! You are not being truthful now! Are you plotting collusion?”

“Collusion with whom, the Coalition?”

“Of course! Why are you so willing to sacrifice yourself now in light of my changes? Are you planning to do something without my consent? This is why I am doing all of this, for you! I need you as my righthand man in Western Japan!”

“Do you now? But what am I now if not that already? What worth is there in stirring dissent on the eve of the invasion? It would only hasten our defeat. I understand and accept your decision to withdraw and protect your bannermen. But mark my words, you will not get through this war easily without them. The Coalition will succeed, but it will fight hard, and as a result demand much from you, more than your personal soldiers would. The time is coming when the old ways of honoring the samurai will vanish. You will have more need than ever to maintain order, but no more lands to give. And what will you do then?”

The shogun looked at him in astonishment. Several of the advisors murmured to each other in surprise and apprehension.

“… You think you’re so clever… don’t you know that I have foreseen this already?” the shogun whispered.

“I expected as much. But you must be two steps ahead of your samurai. This will be a victory for the samurai, but there is no way that you won’t come out unscathed. If it is not you, it is your children, your grandchildren who will be faced with the consequences… what will you do?”

Lord Shimura had no resentment in his tone. He saw the fear on the shogun’s face, as well-masked as it was even in that moment. The way the shogun squeezed the edges of his chair and curled his toes. Lord Shimura knelt there as serene as the Buddha.

“That’s my business alone.”

The shogun signaled another advisor across the room to give him a scroll. He then handed it to Lord Shimura.

“Take it. These are my orders. You are dismissed and may go home directly to Tsushima, after spending some time in the city.”

Lord Shimura blinked a few times. These were not the same orders as were meant to be prepared and sealed on this day. Judging from the shogun’s suddenly reserved demeanor, it was not meant to be read in the presence of the court. Lord Shimura stood up with the scroll and left the room with his advisors.

“You are back early! What happened, my lord?” Shinako was at the door as soon as she heard the escort approach. His face was pale but his eyes were wide.

“Come with me,” was all Lord Shimura said when he got off his horse and quickly went indoors to his quarters. This time he brought two advisors with him to witness the reading of the scroll.

To Lord Shimura, Lord Tokiasa, the Daimyo of Fukuoka, and the other lords of Kyushu: The Coalition has provided an outstanding progress report. By the order of the shogun, he will provide 5,000 of his bannermen on the island of Tsushima, in addition to 3,000 of its local residents. 40,000 will be positioned along Hakata Bay at your disposal, including the remained 15,000 bannerman of the shogun. See to the continued construction of all siege weaponry and defense in the exact manner as reported…

— —

More was in the scroll, but this was what was important. An alternative negotiation package. The advisors were bewildered by the news but were overjoyed. They were dismissed with the scroll to begin making copies to send out to the other lords of western Japan, and Lord Shimura was left alone with his wife.

“You were right,” he said softly to Shinako. “He was going to make a contract to entrap me, and so make me indebted to him. But now, I’m not…”

“You are free. Free to choose what you will do and be who you are… what a twist of fate!” Shinako laughed in relief. “He really could have killed you this day, or a day in the future… now it would be an outrage to all of Japan to make any such accusation against you!”

Lord Shimura smiled slightly but had nothing to say. He was still bewildered by the events and kept quiet. He gestured her to kneel next to him.

“I made you this,” he pulled out a small piece of paper from inside his jacket. “Please read it.”

Shinako unrolled the paper and saw that it was a poem.

Precious memories
Worn thin from sweet affection
Like a child’s doll
All things must be discarded
I’m happy to have known you

Shinako smiled, but once again felt heartbroken. She folded it up and sat there quietly to stave off the tears.

“There has to be more than what we see,” she finally said with a sniffle. “You made me realize that more than anyone else. Do you think, one day… we will see each other again?”

“Yes, in the next life. We will find each other again, and we won’t be slaves anymore. We will not disappear forever.”

“But… our memories…”

“We won’t have to remember them anymore, the sorrows. There will only be the present, and the future.”

“… I will never discard you from my memory.”

“Nor will I. For as long as we live, and into eternity, I will never forget you.”

Shinako put her arms around her husband and they embraced tightly. It was a beautiful day, so they soon went outside with the children. They enjoyed the rest of their time in Kamakura, until the day they would sail home.