The Prince and the Priestess

[Ryuu Ishikawa]

Ishikawa Ryuu had never laid eyes upon his bride. The two had exchanged letters, as was customary; his letters to her were stilted and formal, as he knew nothing about her except for her name and that she was a gaijin, a foreigner. She was from the Gupta empire, far away to the west, the daughter of some noble or another. This will form a firm alliance, connecting their countries. As the second son, Ryuu wasn't in line to become daimyo unless something happened to his brother, Satoshi, so it was safe for him to be given a foreign bride as a prize to encourage trade between their holdings and the Gupta folks. 

Ryuu paced nervously on the balcony in his chambers. In preparation for the marriage, he has had new chambers built onto the castle, specifically to house his bride and himself. He's wearing his finest kimono for the wedding. Now all that's left to do is to wait for her arrival. Traditionally, the bride will arrive in a sedan-chair in her finery, her trunk of bride-offerings along with her to furnish her new home. Will she be pretty? he wonders. Will she be fair and lovely? Fujiwara Denki's bride is Korean, and she's fair and lovely, with dark silken hair and lovely dark eyes. Are the Gupta like that? Will she be soft-spoken and yasashii? Will she be energetic and bright? Will she be submissive? Or will she be loud and angry, demanding things? I hope she is not like that. Fujiwara Hibiki's bride is like that. But then, she makes him happy. He's always been a strange one, Hibiki. Always speaking of omens and the like. 

I hope she's not like Hibiki. 

He spies the train of servants and fine horses coming over the rise towards the castle, and he stops, staring down at her chair in the hopes that he can catch a glimpse of her through the curtains. 

[Raja kumarie]

Today's the day. I hope he's kind. I hope he's gentle and sweet. But most of all I hope he doesn't mind I'm a Harja. I was born ambiguous raised in the temple of shiva I was surprised when father sent for me after all these years. Now I'm decked in my finery waiting to be married to a man I've never met before. His letters feel so cold.

I steady myself as we get closer. I check my heckara looking ar the tiny symbols of luck on my arms. I peek through my curtains and see how pale the Edo are. Have they ever seen the sun? I hope he's not as quite and cold as his letters "eeEeeEEee yodia sayday say savie" I sing gently to myself singing the wedding prayer as the trumpets sound and we enter the palace for the wedding......my wedding

[Ryuu Ishikawa]

She is taken to the temple, where she meets with her husband. As she alights from the chair she sees him: long, black hair, pulled back into a messy ponytail; a strange sort of robe with pants over it, and a sword at his side. Mostly ceremonial, she's been told, as he is not a warrior but a daimyo's son. They consider themselves warriors, but they are nobles, really. 

He reaches his hand out to help her down, then bows, his hands at his sides, respectful but unable to take his eyes off her. She's so dark!

He leads her into the temple, where a priest and a miko (shrine maiden) are standing by the altar. The priest speaks rapidly, a lot of words she doesn't know yet -- Japanese, a new language for her, that she's been learning as best she can but she's had to have his letters translated into Hindi for her. Ryuu zones out a little, hearing the traditional invitations to the spirits, calling the kami to bless the altar, the rice and good foods and sake upon it, and the couple and their marriage. 

The priest announces the san-san-ku-do, and pours sake into the first of three cups. He hands it to Ryuu, who takes a sip, then offers it to his bride. "Drink," he says in Turkish. 

[Raja kumarie]

It tastes like something I'd use to clean my idols with but I manage to get it down my throat without making a face but I blink back tears as it burns my throat. I smile softly at him he's pale as the moon does he only walk at night? I wonder my heart quickening. We used to hear stories of pale men walking the woods at night kidnapping young women to drink their blood but those are just stories right? .....
 He's just a man I tell myself again to calm down as they rattle on in a too quickly  in a language I have yet to fully grasp. Gods help me!

[GamesMaster]

A second cup of sake is poured, this one handed straight to her. Taking a hint, she takes a sip then passes it to her husband, who smiles at her before taking his own sip. Then a third cup is poured -- how many cups am I expected to drink? she finds herself wondering -- before being passed to him to sip, then pass to her. Thankfully, that's the end of it. There's more speaking, and then her husband speaks. To her delight, after he speaks in Japanese he speaks (presumably the same) in Turkish, labored though it might be:

"I vow to be a faithful husband, loyal and true. I promise to be a good provider and a caring lover. I promise to keep you in good health and safe at home for the rest of your days."

She has a brief moment of panic, as she wasn't asked to prepare her own vows, but thankfully, hers don't seem necessary; the ceremony moves forward without her participation. The family speak next, and then all say "Kampai!" and drink from their own cups of sake. The priest lays evergreen boughs on the altar, and another man hands Ryuu a bough, which he gestures towards her until she puts a hand on it, then togehter they lay it on the altar. Finally, a ring is handed to Ryuu, who takes her hand and pushes the ring onto her finger. She is handed a ring next, which she places on his finger. Then, they turn to face the assembled family, who cheer them on as they exit, man and wife. 

[Raja kumarie]

My head his spinning everything passes in a blur. Finally we are seated on our wedding bed...

"Hello. I am raja kumarie, it means the eyes of heaven. What is your name?" I ask trying to keep the nurves from my voice.

Please let him be a talker I don't want to lay beneath him yet

[Ryuu Ishikawa]

"I am Ishikawa Ryuu. Ryuu is my personal name, it means dragon. Your name is now Ishikawa Kumarie, since you are an Ishikawa now. Is that right?" he asks slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I am not good at Turkish."

[Raja kumarie]

I wrinkle my nose at him "no one told me I was a pet to be renamed" I say wary. "I like my name, I chose it at my coming of age. Still raja Ishikawa kumarie has a sweet tone to it." I concede

[Ryuu Ishikawa]

He frowns. "Is your personal name Raja or Kumarie?"

[Raja kumarie]

"My name is raja kumarie it is all my name if you are asking for my family name it is Ranganathon and my title is Dalwalie" I say tilting my head does he not know how names work?

[Ryuu Ishikawa]

She clearly doesn't understand how names work, he decides, nodding. "I understand. Then, your name is Ishikawa Rajakumarie. Your family name is Ishikawa and your personal name is Rajakumarie. What does Dalwalie mean?"

[Raja kumarie]

"It means...." I hesitate, I've never been ashamed of myself of what I am, but here amongst this strange land and these strange people I'm afraid of what he'll do. He doesn't know what we are. I swallow my fear and take a breath "it's exact translation is 'a Spence between' but the title applied to a person means 'the embodiment of the shift between shiva and Krishna' it's a designation of the holiest of people." I say heart racing

[Ryuu Ishikawa]

He stares at her for a second. "So... like a Miko? A... a woman who tends the shrine at a temple? A holy woman?"

[Raja kumarie]

"No. It means I was born different...." I say flushing and looking away

[Ryuu Ishikawa]

"....different how? Like with markings or?"