39. Akodo Yumako

Month of Togashi 14th, 1128

A Mantis Guest house

We arrive at Kyūden Doji before the clan delegations. While walking through the city and past the clan guest houses we do notice one weird thing. There is a new quest house build especially for the Mantis clan. Not as nice as the Major clan guest houses, but still they get their own guesthouse, instead of being part of the Minor clan guesthouse. We stay in one of the sleeping quarters of the Palace itself.

An invite

Then each of us receives an invitation from Kakita Ryoku! What an honor. She invites us for a tea ceremony tomorrow at the Floating Teahouse. Kakita Ryoku is known because she was an important Imperial Advisor, and a great writer. Her status makes this a great honor.

I stil have a day to prepare for this, so I quickly head to the library and start rereading her novel Winter and other of her writings, to make sure it's all fresh on my memory. And again i'm impressed by all she wrote, what an honor!

The Tea Ceremony

The next day at the hour of the Horse we all gather in the gardens of the teahouse. At a distance we see the teahouse. It seems to be floating on a small pond. Doji Chiyoe comes towards us and leads us into the teahouse.

The ceremony starts and Doji Chiyoe leaves us. I'll try to do my very best to be a modal guest and following the proper protocol while listening what Kakita Ryoku has to tell us.

It seems she wants us to make sure that the Mantis Clan guests have a good experience and don't get into any problems this Winter Court.