She wiped her mouth with the end of her kimono sleeve...Blood in snow...she thought looking at it an indeed all around it was so... The claret of her opponents blood stark against the snow... This was the second time... This was the second time they had nearly got her life...
So much for being the empress... She picked up her sword and wiped it... Japan has never seen so many wars before... My husband...He died...So I took over the reigns and became empress... Now, my kingdom has been defeated by invading armies from the west... And I'm in exile... At least that's what the king promised... Being a brave Samurai I did not give up my throne easily...He wanted to slash my throat and end my life... But my ever loyal subjects fearing for my life convinced him to only exile me and he should spare m life and I'll never come back to the kingdom... I've kept my promise of not going back to Toyonokuni... But he hasn't kept his promise... His assassins have followed me here...all the way to Hiroshima...
She gently put her sword back in its cover... and got on her horse... her ever loyal 'Yuki no kesshō (Snow Crystal)' she had christened him... It was his neighing which had alerted her in the first place... They rode slowly ahead like serene nomads... The empress' raven hair fluttered around her ivory face... her scarlet lips a starkly prominent... Her face as dignified as ever... Imperious Empress... swift hand... swift blows... grace of a swan...
