Regent's Palace

The Yukimoto retinue -- now only one thick carriage and handfuls of outriders, guards, and the Iron Crane herself -- approached the palace gates with their Hizashi Clan escort, then made their way into the courtyard.

The Iron Crane easily dismounted from her horse, and a young man dropped from the carriage to rush forward and hold onto the reins of her steed.

With a patient blue gaze, the Iron Crane waited to be greeted.

Homura nodded with a smile and eased up a little.
"And I'm prepared to let you rule Tokhung to the best of your abilities as a daimyo accountable only to the emperor through my rule." Homura said and added. "Loyalty is about protection both ways. How about we go inside the palace and I'll introduce you to my wife, Kiri Hizashi. I'm sure she will be most pleased to see what gifts you have brought!" Homura said as noticing the warrior nun too, whom he had heard about.

"If you please, you may have your trusted people to accompany you. I will however ask you to hand over your sword either to one of my guard or your trusted guard for the duration of our meeting." Homura said and nodded towards Jisho.

"Now let's head inside please, there is food on the table already!" Homura turning around heading inside the palace through the great gate. Inside they would be finding it decorated fashionably and much to Kiri's desires, Homura having left that part largely in the good hands of her wife.

"This is my wife, Kiri Hizashi." he said proudly and gave Kiri a warm smile. "Kiri, this is Yukimoto-dono." he introduced. "Please have a seat, Yukimoto-dono." Homura proposed when they had greeted each other and gesticulated towards the table where all sorts of different food was arranged.

Kiri had had her hands deep in the design of the new Regent's Palace, both inside and out. Driving many an architect and designer to the brink of suicide, there were certain specifications that she required, and she would make sure to have it. Now that the palace was completed, Kiri was happy with the result and there were many relieved artisans who needed a good vacation in the countryside. The most important thing, was that the Regent's Palace should be grand, yet not quite as grand as the Imperial Palace, and that it should have an air of stateliness – elegance and power – yet not specifically martial power; the Regent was not the Shogun.

The halls were of polished cedar wood, while small accents of gilt helped pick out carved designs on the roof beams – imperial dragons and Hizashi crests as well as motifs for fortune and prosperity. The audience room to which Sayaka and her trusted associates were taken was large room of squarish proportions. On each side of the room, the fixed walls were painted with large scenes, each depicting one of the four seasons. A plant and wild animal or bird tastefully representing the season gave focus to each landscape, which, if one cared to look closely, could be interpreted to depict each of the four main domains of Tawakoshi. At the head of the room a summer landscape of Jeoncho would greet the guests' eyes as they entered.

Kiri entered from the back of the room, her long robes swishing against the mats as she walked towards the guests. She gave a small bow of welcome, ornaments in her hair pleasantly tinkling. Upon raising her eyes once more, she returned Homura's smile, and then turned to the woman known as the Iron Crane. Kiri's fascination with women who wielded power in their own right had not ended with the disappointment of Queen Audrey, and she had looked forward to meeting this fearsome daimyo who had put Mutsunobe to torch and sword. “Please,” she reiterated, indicating the cushions with an open hand. “You are most welcome here Lady Sayaka, and,” she looked to the white clad woman who accompanied the daimyo, “Lady Jishu.”

As both Homura and his wife Kiri spoke he noticed the deafening silence coming from both the Iron Crane but also her retainers and a half smile appeared on Homura's face as she finally spoke.
"You're a true warrior of Tokhung, I can respect that. Taciturn and directly down to business." Homura said taking a sip of the sake that had also been introduced.

"Great sake by the way, you wouldn't want to miss it." Homura said and poured it for Kiri too offering Lady Yukimoto some too.

"Why would I challenge your right for Tokhung? You've earned that right through conquest as I have earned my right for Jeoncho through the same." he said and raised his brows. "And if you don't challenge my right I don't challenge yours - protection and loyalty both ways." Homura spoke, his voice clear and taut but not unkind.

"I may not be half the warrior you are when I draw my sword, but I did drew my sword alongside the daimyo of Quying to take the gates of the city meeting the enemy head on and I'm still sitting here." his hands laying flat on the table with a sincere gaze. "However there are a few things we must be clear about should you choose to accept the emperor as your ruler through my word. Namely that there will be no direct interference from me or any other daimyo in Tokhung - you have free reins, within reasons. There are some specific laws about for example dangerous magic and its usage too which we expect everyone to follow - I can bring your the courtly writ if you like to - but in plain words you will rule justly and use force only where it is necessary." Homura ended taking a deep breath. "And then there is this... If any outside army invades or Tawakoshi chooses to send troops, the Lord and her army must be at the disposition of the emperor through my command." Homura awaiting the response of Lady Yukimoto though these terms were fair and should not be hard to disagree with the trade advantages in themselves easily making up for the rest.

Kiri accepted the nun’s offer with a gracious small bow and held her cup out delicately to be filled. They were a strange pair, these two women from Tokhung. They did say that the Tokhung people were more than half barbarian still. At any rate the culture of the Capital was far more advanced even than Kiyonai. Tokhung was a harsh place, and Lady Yukimoto cut an impressive figure as Kiri imagined her at the head of her army of women samurai. How bold, to rule so directly from the front.

She made certain that only the most beautiful and most discreet of the palace servants were on duty today, and gave them discreet gestures and signals to serve tea and make sure the guests’s bowls were filled with rice. There was no reason for her to be here other than to provide hospitality and satisfy her own curiosity about the Iron Crane, while providing support for Homura. She listened to her husband’s speech, feeling that it was very suitable, even though it seemed a little brusque for the guests to want to get to business so quickly. But when the nun began to contradict him and make demands, Kiri’s attention was drawn to her for the first time. Accusing Homura of lying so overtly… seemed a little extreme. What manner of game was she playing?

Kiri watched her like a cat as she drank from her own sake cup. “Lady Jishu, please do not concern yourself. I am certain everybody will receive what they deserve,” she said pleasantly, looking towards Homura.

Homura turned to Kiri giving her the slightest of sidelong glances before turning towards Lady Yukimoto again, the silence between them deafening.

"I thought you were here to speak with me? If you had not intended so, you could have sent only your vassals and I could have turned your claim down with much less preparation." Homura's eyes narrowing and his words firm while not lowering himself to answer the question of Jishu whom Kiri had already worthied enough words. She was not talking nor was she drinking the sake that he had poured - did they know no culture in Tokhung or was she trying to pull something out of a false sense of almighty power since she took Mutsunobe as easily as rumor told? If so, she might be strong, but knew not her limits.

Lady Sayaka Yukimoto was no doubt a strong woman and a potential valuable ally and capable Daimyo, but right now he doubted if she could be trusted to act rationally. Speaking to him, considering not only his position but also tact, and she had the audacity to play power games on him by letting her vassal rudely answer in her stead? Homura tapped his fingers on the table observing the Iron Crane, finally deciding that should it end here and now he would not be the one to blame.

"I am playing no games with you here, Lady Yukimoto and I must ask you to refrain form doing so too. Conquest is not something only one person do when we're talking about a whole nation..." his eyes just barely glancing at Jishu. "... Lord Kojuro Hizashi of Kyonai, Lord Akagi from Quying and countless generals and thousands of brave soldiers stood side by side wishing for a better Tawakoshi - my claim is rightly by having the vision to connect these powers into one action that freed Tawakoshi of the grasp of a great criminal." his voice clear and calm. "I have only one question for you - and I expect you to answer that yourself - and that is if you share this vision?"

Jishu had taken a breath to reply to the Lord Regent's words, but seeing Sayaka raise her hand, she gave a small bow of her head in acknowledgement and kept her lips closed so that her lady could answer for herself. Lady Yukimoto stated her points elegantly, though she too could sense that the Lord Regent was getting a little flustered, despite his even tone.

“Lord Regent, if I may mention something? While yourself, Hizashi Kojuro-dono, Akagi-dono, and your countless generals and soldiers no doubt fought nobly; if it were not for Yukimoto-sama wresting control of Tokhung when she did, Kiyonai would have fallen to the Omaharu while the Hizashi were away taking Jeoncho and the Capital from the former Shogun. Do you think then your victory would have been so assured? Hizashi Genji-dono, his wife, Hizashi Kojuro-dono's mistress, his father and sister all executed or taken to the fighting pits in Mutsunobe for Nobuhide's entertainment may have somewhat dampened your fighting spirit. Would Kojuro-dono even have left Kiyonai at all with Nobuhide at his border?

“Do not seek to claim that the Yukimoto clan's destruction of the Omaharu clan is, in some way, a separate act from the destruction of the Shogunate here. In fact, it is the instigator.”

"My claim as regent has already been decided - there are no other candidates and I have the support of Quying, Kiyonai and the Emperor. What you have been called upon here to discuss is the role of Tokhung in the future of Tawakoshi, in other words if Tokhung wishes to seclude themselves as has been the unfortunate tradition - or if Tokhung wishes a more open trade with the rest of Tawakoshi. This is of course to the great benefit of both parties." Homura elaborated as The Iron Crane had slightly overestimated her role in his claim as regent. Tawakoshi would be ruled by him regardless whether the Iron Crane chose to support him, which is not to say that Homura had a clear preference of including and seeing Tokhung rise and prosper.

"You are right about that though, your claim to Tokhung is not being disputed. But if Tokhung wishes to prosper even further by increased trade, and the fact that there will be support to rebuild and expand from Jeoncho, then the before mentioned conditions will have to be met." Homura explained folding his hands on the table leaning slightly forward, his gaze clear and settled.

Nodding to Kiri with a faint grin he turned to The Iron Crane again.
"It is as she says, the emperor has been as much held prisoner as Tokhung under the last shogun. Everyone respects the emperor for his unique position." Homura smiled as Lady Yukimoto proposed her own vision and he leaned back almost smug in expression.

"Then we're talking the same language..." he paused and observed her a little more. "Then if you don't mind I'd like to hear exactly what your vision with Tokhung is and - which is a part of my vision too - what Tokhung can add to the prosperity of the rest of Tawakoshi." the regent expectantly proposed hoping they could move towards a more mutual understanding after the first little bumps.

However... the nun seemed to want to practice her diplomatic skills and a slight sigh escaped Homura's lips but listened patiently and found himself pleasantly surprised after all.
"Well..." Homura inclined his head to Jishu's story. "We knew that Nobuhide was a crooked man and mainly put in his position to harass Hizashi in Kiyonai - but there are no evidence that he ever sought to take Kiyonai. I suspect he was too much of a coward to try such a thing." Homura pondered. "However what you say could have truth to it and I respect Tokhung's part of this, although I do not wish to take anything away from the fact that it took great judgement and courage from Lord Kojuro Hizashi to seize the opportunity despite lack of knowledge about the new government in Tokhung and their intentions." Homura said his voice polite and even friendly towards Jishu. He respected the nun and wished to show her the same respect by answering her as fully as he could now that they were both speaking on behalf of themselves and proper respect was established.