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The Courtship of Lady Tokio

by Misaki Toyodome

Chapter 1 - Aizu, The Mibu Roushi Gumi and The Daughter of Takagi

1863 - When the Tokugawa Shogunate charged the Daimyo of Aizu, Matsudaira Katamori, with the protection of the imperial city, the people of Aizu had mixed feelings. On one hand, it was a great honour - to be responsible for the protection of Kyoto, the imperial city, and even the Emperor himself. On the other hand, it was a burden that would cost them dear. In this time of political upheaval, to become the frontline for the defence of the Bakufu in a faraway city, to become the primary target for anti-Bakufu sentiments and conspiracies, to have to stretch their resources in a territory that was not theirs, was indeed a hard lot. But such objections held no sway, they had no right to protest, and it was their appointed duty to ensure the safety of Kyoto. It was their duty, and the men of Aizu dedicated themselves to it with honour and pride. It was their duty, and one they had to see through to the end, for better or for worse. For worse, as it turned out, but the people of Aizu upheld their obligations to the bitter end...

That year, an edict was issued through the authority of the Aizu-kou that all parties interested in the protection of Kyoto, regardless of background and profession, were to present themselves at a meeting in Edo. People were surprised: this would usually be an important position assigned to the high ranking samurai classes. 'Regardless of background' meant that even peasants and merchants could apply, something without precedent. And to be sure, the co-founders of this group were both peasants and samurai, farmers from Tama and bushi from Mito. They traveled to Kyoto, under the auspices of the Aizu-han, and there set up in Mibu village. They became known as the "Mibu Roushi Gumi".

It was a great honour for the Mibu Roushi Gumi to be officially recognized by the authority of Aizu. It was an even greater honour still to be granted a formal audience with Aizu- kou Matsudaira. In early spring of that year, when the cherry trees were not yet in full bloom, the group made their way to the Aizu headquarters at Koumyouji Temple in Kurotani, Kyoto.

March 16th 1863 -

"You who have assembled here today have my confidence, and the support of the Aizu-han. You are being entrusted with a most serious duty. Kyoto is the key to the heart of this great land. You must perform your duties with honour and strength of will. You must be men that the people of Kyoto can trust and believe in. Remember always that you are there for the people, though the people may be against you. You are there to protect and to serve. Remember that, and be true to it. Be true to your people. Be true to your Emperor. Always be true to your country."

These were the words of the Aizu-kou. Each man present bowed his head, and listened. Each listened in his own way, and each accepted them in his own way. There were those whose hearts beat faster and stronger for the great role that had been assigned to them. There were those whose minds clouded with worry under the weight of what was being asked of them. There were those who felt pained to hear that the people that they were honour bound to protect might not understand them and reject them. And there were those who thought, well naturally, it is the only way that things should be, and shall be.

Matsudaira-kou allowed a few moments for his speech to sink in, and asked them to raise their heads. And then he himself offered the services of the Aizu-han and his own authority to the Roushi Gumi, asking them to allow him and his people to support their cause, giving them praise and thanks. A noble gesture from one of such high standing, who needed not have humbled himself to these sons of peasants and farmers and low ranking samurai. The Roushi Gumi understood the gracious humility of the one who had to bear the whole burden of Kyoto on his shoulders. The Aizu retainers seated behind Matsudaira-kou were touched by the magnanimity of their liege lord. And all the while, there in the corner knelt a young woman at a writing table, recording the occasion meticulously.

The Roushi Gumi members were all in high spirits as evening approached. They were being treated to a grand dinner reception courtesy of the Aizu-han. Sake was flowing and food was being carried inon individual lacquer trays. Soon, they would relax a little, and talk would become less decorous and formal, and more banter-like, and there would be singing. Celebrations were to continue late into the night.

"Huuurr, 'tis a pity that there aren't any women here tonight. So much good food and drink, and not a pretty face among the bunch, except for maybe Okita...hhuuummm." Harada Sanosuke slurred his words a little.

"Harada-san, I might be better looking than most girls, but I definitely prefer girls to men, so don’t be getting ideas, no matter how drunk you get. Otherwise I'll be forced to show you that I am the better man... And stronger too!" Okita replied with a merry look in his eye. Okita was not drunk. He was only drinking tea.

"Damn you Okita, berrer man ineed. I'll showya berrer man... C'mon, anyone wanna go to Gion with me after'ards? Huh?"

"Harada, watch yourself. Don't forget where we are, or why we're here." Hijikata interjected with a slight glare.

"Maa maa Toshi, there's certainly cause for celebration, so let them have a little fun," said Kondou in a placatory tone.

"Hey, Kondou-san, didya see that good-looking girl in the corner today? I mean, you couldn'a missed her, she was lovely, the one who was writing, wished she'da looked at me..nnn... Wouldn'a minded her being here now, hey." Harada had turned towards his commander. Kondou raised his eyebrows in a concerned expression.

"Harada-kun," he said admonishingly.

"C'mon Captain, you saw her. You saw her too, didn't you Toudou?"

"Uhuh, she was very nice. Very nice indeed."

"Nice! Nice! Nah, she was beautiful, beeaauu-tiii- fullll..." The end of his words trailed as he took another gulp from his cup. "Okita looks so girly that I doubt he even noticed hahaha..."

"Hai hai Harada-san, I agree that I am better looking than her, but in a supremely masculine way."

"Hahaha, berrer looking, masculine, hahaha! Okita, you're funny. Funny. Hahaha! Saitou, did'ya hear that? ...Eep!" Okita, still smiling but now smiling maliciously, had caught Harada in a head lock. Saitou stopped pouring himself sake, and looked at the two who were struggling to strangle each other.

"Did you ask me something?"

Harada threw Okita off his back, slapped his knee and pointed drunkenly at Saitou.

"The girl today. In the corner. Beautiful or what?"

"The girl?" Saitou paused and sipped his drink. Sake, so sweet, so smooth, exactly the way he liked it. "I didn't notice."

"WHAT? Ahaha! You-rrraa LIAR! Liar! Huh? Didn't notice! Where were you looking? Huh? Hardly very observant of you, is it? Didn't notice a looker like her."

The other members were looking curiously at Saitou too. Saitou, unaffected by their stares, kept pouring himself sake. Harada was still laughing hard.

"Harada-kun, that's enough!" Kondou raised his voice sternly. "The lady you're alluding to is most likely a member of Matsudaira-kou's household or the daughter of his retainers. She is not to be disrespected."

"Sorry Kondou- san," mumbled Harada a little sheepishly, "but I wasn't doing any disrespecting. Jus' saying she's nice to look at, is all. If anythin', it's Saitou that's being disrespectful, not beautiful indeed! Hmph!"

Saitou merely fixed him with a cool gaze, bringing his brimming cup to his lips. At this, Harada started ranting again.

"So you're really saying you didn't think anything about the way she looks."

"No."

"Not even a little bit?"

"There were other things on my mind."

"So much that you didn't think that it was unusual that the scribe was a looker?"

"I've seen female scribes before."

"That's not the point! You really didna think she was attractive, not even remotely? That she was def'nit'ly better lookin' than Okita here. ... Oi! Stop ignoring me!"

CRASH! Harada jumped and turned around. Serizawa Kamo was glaring at him with a dangerous glint in his eye, and he had flung his bottle of sake aside.

"Harada, if you want her so much, go find her and have a roll in the bushes. But shut up about it, you idiot."

Kondou narrowed his eyes.

"That really isn't any way to be talking about such a lady, Serizawa- san."

Serizawa pointedly ignored him

"Niimi, bring me more sake. And you, Harada you idiot, shut up."

Harada looked decidedly put out, but decided not to argue. One usually didn't with Serizawa Kamo. He did mutter quietly though,

"Saitou, I shudder to think what qualifies as beauty in your opinion."

Saitou calmly fixated on his sake, continued to drink unperturbed.

In another part of the building, in her quarters facing the inner garden, Takagi Tokio looked up from her writing desk, and listened to the sounds coming from the other side of the courtyard. The Mibu Roushi Gumi seemed like they were enjoying the hospitality of Aizu. Enjoying it a bit too much, perhaps. She added a bit more water to her ink well, and started to dissolve the little ink stick.

'Aizu could be making a big mistake', she thought as she slid her ink stone back and forth, 'taking this bunch of riff raff under its wing'. Riff raff - that was what the Roushi Gumi were. Men of disparate backgrounds, with neither reknown nor class, who believed in one thing and one thing only: their skill with the sword. 'If Aizu does not control them properly, if they lose their grip, if these men do not respect the name of Aizu or conduct themselves in a fitting manner, it would mean a severe blow to the Aizu-han's reputation.' She sighed. 'No wonder that Father and the others are demanding that a close eye be kept on them.' She resumed her writing, a letter to her father who was in Edo representing Aizu, informing him of today's ceremony. 'The men are unusual. As I am used to the company of those of my own class, I cannot say that my initial impression of them is particularly valid. Still, they did make a strong impression on me. Compared to the samurai nowadays, who are warriors in name only, who have only carried the sword because it is an inherited priviledge, these men are raw, unrefined, untainted. The average samurai in comparison seem to me to be peace-broken, just as animals can be house-broken. The hereditary bushi seem like tame and loyal dogs in the shadow of these men, who are like wolves.'