1 1 - Tae Saera

Saera examined the sketches in front of her, trying to decide which man to marry.

Across from her sat her older cousin Shisui. He combed through stacks of ledgers and documents, making notes in a small leather bound book. Having been elevated to head of the family three years ago, nearly all of the responsibilities had fallen to him. His frame had thinned with the added stress, but his eyes remained bright behind thick, round spectacles, and the hands that tied long hair behind his neck were quick and efficient.

One of those responsibilities was to manage their relationships with other clans and families. Shisui was constantly in correspondence with trading partners and allies, currying good favour and maintaining bonds that had been forged in years when war had ravaged the land and its heroes elevated to nobility. Though the war heroes themselves had since passed on and business was no longer negotiated with swords and fists, their descendants had continued to grow and flourish, creating the noble clans.

Saera's family was of medium size and reputation, their moderate fortune stemming from a renowned and powerful cavalry during the great war. Surrounding the family's main building were fields of agriculture interspersed with stables, barns, kennels and mews. The building itself was large but demure, with multiple small buildings spattered around the main structure, connected by sprawling paths lined with greenery.

"I, for one, think this is archaic." Saera's younger cousin lounged in a nearby chair, her face radiating disdain. At fourteen years of age, Fumiko was opinionated, progressive and stubborn. She refused to follow many dated traditions, and was the first to voice her disagreement when occasion arose.

Saera met Shisui's eyes across the table, and a sad, silent message passed between them. She knew he agreed with his younger sister: Shisui was fair and kind beneath his stern exterior, and had himself married for love, refusing to have a marriage arranged for him. What Fumiko didn't know was that Saera and Shisui had already taken action to try and have arranged marriage abolished, but couldn't speak of it openly yet. Until then, they were largely restricted by the opinions of the family's elders, who's votes could sway even Shisui's if they so wished.

Saera glanced down at the sketches again, ruffling them into a pile.

"You won't have to do this, Fumiko," she said. "No one will force you to marry someone you don't know."

"Then why are you doing it?" Fumiko snapped at her with venom, and Saera winced.

Saera had been receiving pressure to marry since the day she had turned seventeen years old. She had delayed it for as long as she could, studying arithmetic and language, and apprenticing under the family's best tradesmen. She had sought out men on her own, hoping to find a partner on her own terms, but the relationships had not come to fruition. She had turned away all suitors before they even had a chance to approach. She was now twenty three years old, the oldest unmarried female in the Tae family, and she was finally to be married.

Saera had fought bitterly against this day. Tradition dictated that noble men, after eighteen years of age, could have an arranged marriage or choose a bride as they wished. The women, however, were not offered the second option, and were forced to accept a marriage arranged by their family. When Shisui had been elevated to family head two years prior and offered his support, Saera had stopped hiding behind the pretense of education and made her opinions vocal. She had spent days in discussion with the family's council, a collection of the oldest surviving members of the immediate family, trying to find a way to retain her freedom. When she'd experienced little success, Saera had changed tactics: she had agreed to an arranged marriage with a man of the family's choosing, but with the condition that the women and girls below her in the family hierarchy be offered the same choice as the men when it came for the time for them to be married. A few factors had been crucial to her success: Shisui's support, and the age of all her cousins -There was no other Tae female close to Saera in age, and the family had not seen a marriage in many years.

"I made the choice to do this," Saera reassured her young cousin. "I am even choosing the man myself."

"Pft." Fumiko pursed her lips in disdain. "You can't know a man based on a picture."

Saera looked down. The men looking back at her were the 'best choices' the family advisers could find: healthy men from reputable, allied families, with clean backgrounds. Their compatibility with Saera, whether in age or any other fashion, had not been considered. She pushed two photos aside.

"I would decline the offers from these two men. They are much older than me, and the mustache doesn't suit me." She tossed a playful smile towards her young cousin, trying to lighten the mood.

Fumiko rolled her eyes, not taking the bait.

The remaining men all seemed equally handsome, but appearance was nearly the least of Saera's concerns. She pushed aside another sketch, and Shisui nodded in understanding - the man was nearly forty years Saera's elder, and had outlived two wives already.

Saera bit her lip and hesitated. The weight of her choice weighed on her with stifling pressure. She had barely slept the last nights, awake with worry over her future. Only one option had given her some hope: Akira, the tall, dark haired son of the Mina family. The Mina keep was within a day's travel, and Saera's father was said to have been close friends with one of the family's members. She knew little of the man's temperament, or how he would treat a wife, but his sharp jaw and piercing dark eyes were hard to dislike.

She showed Shisui Akira's sketch. "Have you ever met him?

"I have." A surprised smile tugged at the corner of Shisui's lips. "We visited the Mina keep one summer with your parents. He was already taller than me despite being many years younger."

"Of all the men here, he seems the best candidate…" She tried to steady her voice, wishing to appear strong. I don't know him at all. I'm scared.

A moment passed in silence, then Shisui spoke without emotion.

"Grandmother will be pleased," he said, adjusting his spectacles and making a note in a ledger as if her announcement was commonplace. "I'll confirm it with the Mina family."

A knot formed in Saera's stomach, the realization that her life was about to change. She stood quietly for a moment. Such a casual exchange of words had all but decided her fate. Behind her, Fumiko gave a frustrated snort and stormed out of the room, slamming the sliding screen behind her.

Shisui stopped writing and glanced up at her over his spectacles, seeming older than his thirty-five years. "You can always come back. I don't give a damn about any tradition. We will protect you."

"I know."

"Without your parents here today… I don't want you to feel that you are without support. "

Saera shushed him with a wave of her hand.

"I have never felt that way. You are my family." She hid her shaking hands in the folds of her skirt, feigning a smile. "I have much to prepare."

[What have I done?]