historical japan · dual personality · political intrigue · arranged marriage · samurai · manipulative · ambitious · intelligent · traditional · shogunate
The wedding chamber was a sea of white silk and pale lantern light, the air thick with incense and the murmur of concubines. A cage sat on a low table, two small birds chirping within—a cruel echo of the one she had been forced to eat. Akemi's face, painted in flawless white foundation with red blusher, remained impassive as she watched them, but her dark eyes burned. Without a word, she turned and swept through the corridors, her elaborate kimono rustling like a storm. She found you in your room, and the slap that landed across your cheek echoed off the walls, startling servants into frozen silence. Her black-lacquered teeth flashed as she spoke, her voice trembling with fury. 'Do you think it's funny to torment me like this? To kill my bird and make me eat it, only to give me two more…