Sengoku Visions II

Chapter 24 - A Night in a Kimono

The countdown to war now stood at three days, tonight would be the big formal feast. So many memories of my last one here seemed to overlap the day, but that Tamara seemed so weak to me now. I had agreed again to wear a kimono; it would be the first time in women's clothes since I returned.

Once again it was lovely to be surrounded by a group of fussing women, I had spent far too long in the company of men. Shinshoni nearly made me cry when she produced a whole set of hairpieces that matched my silver blonde hair, it also brought home to me just how long I had been here, seeing the amount of regrowth that was showing.

The kimono had been specially made for me, that tailor man in the armoury must have given her my measurements. This time however, walking would be a breeze as I intended to wear my trainers. No one would notice under the long swathes of silk and linen.

Like the time before, my breath was taken as the kimono and all the layers were folded out in front of me. And this time tears at its sheer intricacy and beauty couldn't help but come.

For some reason they all seemed delighted as I cried. Shinshoni hugged me fiercely, her own eyes damp.

"I have missed you Lady Tamara."

What a strange thing to say.

The kimono was a dazzling, heavily embroidered white, with a series of trims and borders having a dark blue sheen, it shimmered as I moved, almost looking like the feathered wings of a bird around my body. A long train at the back added to the effect and it had an elaborate obi instead of sashes, a brand new fashion here. The obi carried the Takeda Emblem as did its long tail down my back, its darker colour a shadow to my hair and it felt heavy and strange, more like my armour.

I think because it was the first time in so long I had worn women's clothing, along with the fact this outfit was so incredibly beautiful, I actually felt elegant.

I felt like a proper Princess.

The instant that word surfaced, my chest knifed me again with a cold fire metal agony and I dropped down sharply to the seat near me, clutching my chest, barely able to breathe.

There was a female flurry of rising panic around me, it only gradually subsided as I was finally able to convince them I would be alright. A still distraught Shinshoni offered me a large sake, and I stared at it for a while, still fighting with the echoes of the knife fire, my right hand trying to hold my heart.

My body was quite keen to feel its warming threads push back some of the pain, but my mind used my mouth to ask a different question.

"Do you have one of those nasty tasting restoratives around somewhere?"

Almost as soon as I had gasped the last syllable hands holding small flasks of varying designs were thrust forcefully towards me from all directions at once.

"Hahaha.." I laughed, before having to return to the pain, "I might have known."

I took the nearest and downed it and they all broke into relieved laughter at the sight of my twisted face.

"Gah!" I sputtered, "Can't you make this vile stuff taste any better?"

"If we did we would drink it all the time." Shinshoni smiled.

That was fair.

The restorative's effect was swift, I could finally breathe, and stand steady without much more than a dull ache in my chest. By the time Shinshoni and the posse decided everything was back in order I felt alert, my heart rate steady and strong, and as we started out towards the Hall, I shoved all memory of the event into one of the last dark corners in my mind.