Lian Hearn - Heaven's Net Is Wide

“Well, not immediately, but you turn seventeen next year, and there is a very suitable young woman. I have been discussing it with Ichiro and with Lord Irie. They have broached the subject with your father, and he is inclined to give the match his approval.”

“I hope she is from the Otori,” he said. “I do not want my wife selected from the Tohan.”

He had spoken lightly, partly joking. His mother pursed her lips and looked sideways; when she spoke, her voice was lowered.

“Of course she is from the Otori-from one of the oldest families. And she is a relative of mine: her father is a distant cousin. I agree with you, the Tohan have no right to decide whom you will marry…”

“Surely everyone is agreed on that?”

“I’m afraid your uncles are of the opinion that a political marriage might prevent further difficulties with the Tohan. Apparently the Iida have a girl in mind.”

“Absolutely not!” Shigeru replied. “I will not be married to anyone from the Tohan-above all, not to anyone chosen by the Iida.”

“Lord Irie said this would be your reaction. Of course, I have to follow my eldest son’s wishes and my husband’s. But to avoid misunderstandings, the betrothal might take place before the Iida make a formal request. That way they will not appear to be insulted.”

“If that is your desire, I will obey you and my father,” Shigeru replied.

“YOUR MOTHER is jealous of me,” Akane exclaimed when Shigeru told her about this conversation.

“Jealous of you? She did not even mention you!”

“She is afraid of my influence over you. She is moving to establish herself within the castle so she can influence the selection of your wife, and after your marriage the girl herself. Who is she, by the way?”

“She is some distant relative. I forgot to ask her name.”

“I suppose you will always act with such indifference,” Akane said. “Truly, the women of your class have wretched lives.”

“I am sure I will respect her, and we will have children, of course.” It was a cold night, and Akane had ordered the rice wine to be warmed. Now she called for another flask and filled his cup; he filled hers in return and she drank it in one gulp.

“Something has upset you?” he said as he filled her cup again.

“What will become of me when you are married?”

“I imagine our arrangement will continue.” He smiled at her. “If you want it to, of course. If you don’t, this house is yours, as long as you are discreet.”

“Discreet? What does that mean?”

“I cannot bear the thought of another man here,” he admitted, surprised himself by the sudden pain the idea gave him.

“You see, no one is immune to jealousy, not even warriors!” Akane said with an air of triumph. “You must have come to care for me!”

“I think you know that,” he replied. “And do you care enough for me to be jealous of my wife?”

“Don’t joke about jealousy,” she said, drinking again. “I’ve seen women driven insane by it, by the casual behavior of men they’ve fallen in love with. Love affairs are just a distraction for men. For women, they are our whole life.”

“Have you ever been in love, Akane?”

“No, nor do I intend to be!” She saw a look of disappointment flash briefly across his face. We are all the same, she thought. We want to be loved yet will not fall ourselves.

“What about the man called Hayato?”

“Hayato was very kind to me when my father died.”

“He is said to be driven out of his mind by his love for you.”

“Poor Hayato,” Akane said. “If I had not come to your attention, then I would be living with him now.”

The wine had made her speak with honesty, yet she saw that she had displeased him and regretted saying so much.

“It is better that neither of us fall in love,” said Shigeru, the coldness that she feared returning.

“Lord Shigeru, you are young, forgive me for pointing it out. I am older than you-three years older; I propose we make a pact. We will not fall in love, but we will try not to give each other cause for jealousy. You have to marry; you have to have children. You must treat your wife with honor. But I also have certain claims on you now, and I expect you to honor them.”

He was surprised by her seriousness and found himself admiring her. The lamplight accentuated her cheekbones: something about the strength of her face reminded him of the woman from the Hidden who had spoken to him as if she were his equal.

He had little knowledge of what made a marriage. His own parents lived separate lives, and he had barely spoken to his uncles’ wives, who lived in the deep interior of the castle with their attendants and servants. He cast his mind around further and suddenly remembered Otori Eijiro and his wife: there had been affection and respect between them, and the woman and her daughters had moved freely and on equal terms with the men. It is the influence of the Maruyama, Eijiro had said, and then had told him about Lady Naomi.

“What are you thinking?” Akane said, surprised by his long silence.

“Of marriage, of what happens between men and women; of Maruyama, where they say women have greater freedom.”

“Maruyama will go the way of all the other great domains,” Akane said. “And Naomi will be the last female head of the clan.”

“You know of her?”

“I listen to men talking, and that’s what they say. Her husband has close connections with the Tohan, and they hate the idea that a woman should inherit.”

“And do the Seishuu hate the Tohan in return? Enough to enter into an alliance with the Otori? What do you hear about that?”

It was the first time the idea had occurred to him: an alliance with the Seishuu-if a marriage would secure that, he would agree to it.

“Men gossip about all sorts of things at Haruna’s,” Akane said. “But they don’t know what they’re talking about half the time. Most of them have never been out of the Middle Country.”

“We should send a delegation to Maruyama or to the Arai at Kumamoto,” Shigeru said, thinking aloud. “Find out what their true opinions are.”

Akane did not want to talk about politics. She called softly to the maids and, when they came to remove the dishes, asked them to spread out the bedding. Shigeru was as passionate and responsive as usual, but he did not stay with her, saying he had affairs to discuss with Lord Irie. After he had left, she returned to bed. It had grown even colder, the wind off the sea rattling the shutters and moaning through every chink in the walls. She wished she had a man alongside her to keep her warm, thought of Hayato with some regret, and then with uncharacteristic anxiety about her future. Men did fall in love with their wives; it was not uncommon, and the woman within the house held many advantages over the woman of pleasure. She had told Shigeru she had certain claims on him, but in reality she had none; his wife would have children; he would love them with all the warmth of his nature, and surely that would lead him to love their mother. She could not bear the thought of it. He will fall in love with me, she vowed.

It was not only that she feared being abandoned by him, unable to take any new lover. The idea of him with another woman clawed at her heart despite the rational words she had spoken earlier. Then the idea came to her to go to the old priest and seek a spell from him that would make the wife barren, that would make Shigeru hate her…

She had been careful not to conceive a child: Haruna had supplied her with pessaries that annulled the male seed and potions to drink should her bleeding be delayed, and she knew enough about her body’s rhythms to avoid the days when she was fertile. But she often fantasized about having Shigeru’s child: it would be a boy, of course, of great beauty and courage; his father would adore him, would acknowledge him or, even better, adopt him; he would become the heir to the Otori clan… If Shigeru loved her, he would want to give her a child. The thought warmed her; she drew the covers closer around her and drifted into sleep.