WITH STRENGTH IN THE HEART

The party concludes until nightfall, the rulers had to return to their lands to fulfill their obligations; the only people who stay in the palace are the red-haired prince that I have forgotten and Satoshi. I am exhausted, my feet hurt from standing in those uncomfortable shoes, although it was worth it to put them on, they are jade these shoes and it is complete waste not to wear something so beautiful. The sky seems to be sad, the gray clouds and raindrops are getting stronger and stronger; I am on the porch in front of the backyard admiring the rain after a long day of partying, besides I am worried, I feel like telling my father that I don't want the wedding with that young man, from the first impression I feel that he is not the kind of person everyone thinks, besides my feelings have always been for Satoshi, definitely my father has a bad taste. Suddenly the feeling that someone is watching me slowly consumes me, I feel very anxious; I look in all direc

 We started to walk aimlessly, Hiroki only told us to follow him without saying anything else and I guess it is to hide us more and that Satoshi does not find us or someone else. We walk for arduous hours under the sun crossing paths, forests and small valleys, each time the step is more infinite and I do not understand where we are going to end up, but honestly I do not care and I just want to get away from the castle, now my only confidence is in Hiroki and the uniformed man who has not told us his name.I'm hungry and tired, it's been enough hours that the sun is going to hit past noon, i.e. lunch time. I hate having the fluids all over me, it is so disgusting to feel the sweat on my clothes from the walk, it is not worthy of a princess like me, but I have no choice if I want to escape, the only thing I want right now is a nice refreshing bath and good food, without worrying that now anyone wants to murder me. We passed by a river, with a magnificent view of t

We started to eat the fish that Naoki grilled calmly and stopping the heartburn caused by hunger, my throat is a little better because of Hiroki's massage a while ago. "When we finish eating, we will leave," said Hiroki unawares, I open my eyes very confused. "Where to?" I ask him "All the villages must be full of soldiers and.... "There is one that has no soldiers," he interrupts me, "a very forgotten village: it is across this river, crossing the forest to the north. It was owned by Momoyama, but nobody remembers that town since the war" I have never heard of that town until now... it seems so strange to me, that so many years of education I have never heard of this town or this kingdom, my father never mentioned it to me and I don't understand why my governesses gave me any lessons about Momoyama. When we finish eating, we start walking as Hiroki said and head nort

It was time to go to sleep. Aunt Akiyama assigns me a room at the back of the mansion, she leaves me in a room, orders me to enter, and seeing Hiroki inside, I'm surprised "I'm going to share a room with him?" "wait for me here, I'll go get some pillows" she tries to leave the room to leave us alone, I stop her. "wait, don't tell me I have to share a room with Hiroki" this will be very uncomfortable if she says yes because we are not married and the wisest thing to do is to sleep separately. "Of course it is, after all, you are getting married soon, so you have the whole night to be alone" he winks with a naughty look "don't be shy" he gives me a slap on the back trying to motivate me. He leaves the room leaving us alone a silence overwhelms us instantly, I look at Hiroki very embarrassed not knowing what to tell him or what to do. "Don't worry, I'll sleep far away from you. I

I wake up excited the next morning, it was earlier than I usually wake up. I have breakfast enough to have more energy, besides I was very hungry because I had not eaten well the last days, the aunt for this occasion lends me another Kimono looser, in the upper part it is white and has a kind of black pants. I go to see Hiroki in the forest not far from the village, at the edge of the forest where I was sitting the other day with Hiroki's brother. Hiroki is waiting for me sitting on a rock with only a bow. "I see you woke up earlier than you usually wake up" he raises a sarcastic eyebrow. "That's as early as I can get up" I try to force a smile. "Well, princess, we'll start with something basic for you; we'll use the bow." "why can't I start with the sword?" "It's heavy and not yet suitable for you, besides I don't want to see you complaining about me changing