Throne Room

Kiri bowed at the compliments delivered by her hosts. She noticed the look in Asherah’s eyes and was glad of it. The Sakandi lady was no wallflower to shrink from the idea of carrying a weapon, and Kiri felt as though she had gained somewhat of a small measure of her by her reaction to the gifts. “I am so glad that you like them Lady Asherah and Lord Akagi. Please don’t feel it is necessary to give anything in return, these presents were on the occasion of your wedding, after all. However I thank you for your hospitality. It would please me greatly to get to know the Lady Asherah, and yourself my Lord, if indeed you have the time. I would not wish to put you out at such short notice.” Kiri smiled with both politeness and warmth as she faced the two.

“If it is not too much trouble, I would also be greatly honoured if you would allow my children to see a little of the city. They have spent a long time in the capital and their horizons should be broadened so they do not grow up too sheltered from the ways of the world.” Kiri hoped that there would be an opportunity to speak to them in slightly less formal setting, where they could discuss the true matters of business. But she would take the meandering and scenic route to get to the point, as was typical for a lady of the Tawakoshi royal court.

"Indeed they must, one of my Personal Guard shall accompany them to ensure their safety. Hoga, keep an eye on them, no need to guide, but you know what to look for." The Daimyo said, pointedly. The large warrior, leader of the Wave Warriors that guarded the Palace and those that crewed the Daimyo's flagship, nodded, bowing to the guests and taking a place not far from the Hizashi warriors.

Akagi allowed Asherah to handle the planning of the meal, content to watch as she orchestrated the servants and attendants about, she was quite good at it. He arrived to the dinner in a set of formal robes, simple blue and green with white silk throughout that gave the impression of the open ocean. He wore the gifted blade at his hip as his only adornment, and two of his Guard, Kaito - The Shark and Chosen of the Wavewarden, came in behind the Daimyo, fully armored and guarding the doors. No other guards were present save for them.

It was obvious that Asherah was pleased when Lady Kiri made the effort to dress in Sakandi style. It was ALMOST perfect, and though Asherah's lashes fluttered with her glances to where some of the cloth folds were not exactly perfect, only a nit-picking Sakandi would have noticed it. The Hizashi were a quick study, it seemed...

They sat pleasantly around the small table, and Kiri further earned praise when she ate from the one exotic dish on the table -- the others were traditional Tawakoshi or Quying plates. "In Sakand, what we could not fish, we grew in the delta that my aunt helped bring back to fertility," Asherah spoke in her accented Quy."

Kiri and Akagi spoke a little, but when Kiri spoke about traveling freely, Asherah frowned a little. The daimyo's young wife looked at her husband quizzically, and then back at Lady Hizashi. "Why would I not be able to freely visit Tawakoshi?" she wondered aloud.

Kiri was silently pleased that she and Asherah appeared to be getting along, and that her efforts to dress in the Sakandi style were appreciated rather than caused offence. “Most likely his excellency intends to close the borders. I'm afraid to say, you're correct that he was displeased. If one province can leave his bosom, who is to say that others may not follow? Most likely there would be war, if the shogun were to have his way, whether Lady Asherah were to travel to Xuandao or not.”

She put her chopsticks down neatly at the side of her plate, and looked the two of them in the eye. “My lady, I am sorry to bring such a serious topic to the table when you have gone to such lengths to make this a pleasant evening,” She smiled apologetically at Asherah, before continuing to Akagi, “But my lord Akagi must know that this is the reason I chose to come now at such short notice. I fear that our nations may be at odds before long.”

She have a small sigh. “All things are transient, my Lord Akagi,” she replied, and smiled. There was a glint in her eye that had not been there before, like a spark shining from the hardest of diamonds.

Of course, the Daimyo had contingency plans for such a war, and would never have declared independence if he wasn't reasonably confident in his ability to hold on to his own lands. Not that anyone else knew that, even Asherah wasn't quite aware of all of the plans. Although that was more due to the fact that they hadn't had the time for him to go over every little detail with her than it was a lack of trust.

"Lady Kiri, I would be lying if I said that I did not suspect some serious talk at this dinner. That our nations would come to blows was a calculated risk. The sitting Shogun is too weak for that though. He'll make a pretty speech but nothing will change, the rest of the island is too dependent on us. O understand Kiyonai has worked to develop its port infrastructure, but its merchants don't have the established relations that mine do. I mean no offence Lady Kiri, it is due to no shortcomings on your people's part, but mine have been doing this for generations. The Shogun suddenly removing Tawakoshi's largest source of outside goods? There would be a lot of unrest at that I suspect." He said, calmly.

Left unsaid was the fact that the Quying Navy had defended the entire country from outsiders for centuries, and none of the other provinces had any idea just how bad the piracy problem would be if they didn't actively spend time hinting them down.

And then, Asherah gently spoke.

"Your country," she amended Lady Kiri's statement, her voice gentle and soft, as was the rest of her where she sat beside Akagi's steel and strength. "Your country would slip into Civil War, and the Shogun would not be able to focus on two fronts if such was the case. My husband is beloved by his people, and sets a strong but progressive example in his marriage to me, in his new policies that officially welcome foreign trade that has already been here for some time," the Lady of Quying spoke.

"I mean no offense, Lady Hizashi, but it is not Quying that is unstable, and while it would be difficult and hard to start procuring trade elsewhere for the duration of said Civil War, Quying could do it. Quying has outside allies, outside resources, even if more expensive."

Her jade eyes, the color of luck in Quying, the color of power in Sakand, was focused on Kiri -- a woman Asherah liked, and respected.

"However... Quying would benefit most from a grateful and respectful neighbor. A steady one, should leadership be so. I believe you are here to ask of Quying a favor," Asherah gestured to her husband, who was the symbol of all of Quying, and her gaze shifted to her husband as well, reaching a hand out to slide over his and grip it lightly, that gaze of hers moving to Akagi's profile. "And I think it is in Quying's best interest to help."

Kiri inclined her head graciously at Asherah’s words, not refuting what she said, nor agreeing with it. Likewise she acknowledged Akagi’s statement of his country’s power with a deferential nod, but said nothing. Of course, a lord would boast of his abilities in such a circumstance, it was after all the first rule of trade, to place oneself in a strong position before bargaining began. No doubt Quying did have a great deal of power, but there was no way for the Daimyo to know just how much the Hizashi clan had risen, and how strong their army had become under Genji, compared to the lacklustre affair that Ryuzo had made of it, and Kiri would rather keep it that way. Perhaps a man would have felt the need to talk up his own position in return, but Kiri acquiesced to the daimyo’s words silently. He had, after all, stated his agreement with her, in principle, and the conversation was moving in the direction she wished.

“Lady Asherah indeed seems an excellent match for Lord Akagi. If all daimyo had wives like her, perhaps it would be we women who ruled this world,” Kiri replied, giving Asherah a knowing smile, only half in jest. “But Lady Asherah, I’m afraid I must correct you on one point. I come to ask, not a favour, but an alliance.”

Kiri was aware, and no doubt the lord and lady were too, that she was putting a great deal of trust in them. Her words so far hinted at treason, the word “alliance” practically sealed it. If she had calculated incorrectly and Akagi wished to testify against her to the shogun, then there could be grave consequences for herself and her family. “Truly, there is no need for unnecessary bloodshed and antagonism. I would just like you both to know that you can rely on the Hizashi clan as your friends.” She smiled at them both, then appeared to change tack as she said, breezily, “I know my visit has caused you a little discomfort as it was at such short notice, and I really do not wish to put you out thinking of presents that you can give for me to take back to Jeoncho. I have thought of something that I would like and would not take long to muster. I hear you have in custody the famous Cat of Quying. Such curiosities do intrigue me greatly. Perhaps if it isn’t too much trouble, and she is after all, somewhat of a burden on your resources, you might consider letting me have her as a gift to take back to Jeoncho?”

Akagi smiled as the word alliance came to the forefront, finally getting to the point of Lady Kiri's visit, but it quickly faded.

"I am in favor of such an alliance, but you would ask me for someone who has had the audacity to break into my own palace twice? I will not release such a dangerous criminal into your possession, alliance or not." He said, eyes narrowing.

The Cat knew too much about his own palace, and for all he knew the alliance was a facade and they intended to murder him instead. It would be most dishonorable, but such things happened all the time, their true culprits going without notice.

Asherah understood Kiri. Indeed, it occured to the young woman that Emira Fairuz and Lady Kiri would probably get along -- and that thought made Asherah look at Kiri a little closely... while examining her own thoughts as well, her own drives. Kiri had made the request, and now sought to bring the dinner back into warmer climates. Her hand stroked over Akagi's arm, and her fingers slipped into his palm as she decided to smile warmly.

"We do not know you yet, but I'd enjoy knowing more," Asherah said, her Sakandi accent on her Quy dialect of the Tawakoshi language. "There's so much of Tawakoshi that I'd like to see and explore. And I'd like to show your family the Sakandi Quarter as well."