Sixteen years ago

The Alquan region was quiet and secluded; trees stood tall and defiant of what should have been a strong wind from the mountains to the north. Snow fell softly which took the edge off the otherwise rough landscape. Deep and isolated in this densely forested region lay the Ishigaru cottage, Katsumi’s home since birth. Her father very much disliked cities and thought to live as far as he could while still being able to meet his obligations as the region’s lord. Katsumi never really understood why; cities were full of such wonder: tall buildings, beautiful art, breathtaking music. What was there to not like? Still, she didn’t press him hard about going into the city too often, his temper usually made sure of that.

Today though, they had planned a special trip. It was time for the winter festival in Paix, and the king invited all the nobles to be in attendance. Ohta Ishigaru was a man who prided himself on duty and loyalty, and an invitation from his king was as good as a command. Katsumi wasn’t going to complain though; not after being given a chance to enjoy the festival. Henry always knew where the best activities were, and he was always so much fun. It’s a shame that his brother always seemed to be a stick in the mud, refusing to show any sign of amusement, even when he was clearly having as good of a time as they were.

Katsumi was just finishing packing her travel chest with the dresses and coats she thought would best match the festive air. She planned to save her purple dress of smooth silk for the final day of the festival; she loved it for the gold flowers embroidered all over the front and the way it shimmered when she twirled. She had only recently turned eight and was finally big enough to start wearing real woman’s clothes, and she was not about to let that privilege go to waste.

She was almost finished packing, but wanted to find her mother to help finish choosing a few more outfits. Outside her room, she could hear her family all doing their own version of packing; Seung and Mai were twins and shared everything, and both hated it. Katsumi could hear them arguing from the end of the hall even though the door to their room was closed. Hopefully they could stop fighting once they got in the carriages and father could keep them in line with just a stare.

Meanwhile, in the room across from her own, Haruto was getting help from father and Miyaka. Miyaka was a thin and graceful woman with soft green eyes and pale skin. She was also tall for a woman which gave her a very serpentine quality. Katsumi certainly wouldn’t have called her pretty, but she was the kindest servant they had and served their family since before she was born. Her father created a perfect contrast being neither tall nor short, but strong and angular; his square jaw and wide shoulders seemed carved straight from the earth itself. His soft beard and bright coat helped to smooth the edges, but it was only partially successful. What really helped stop him from appearing as a sourpuss was the way he smiled, warm and loving enough to melt the very snow that even now fell from the sky. It was on full display at the moment as he was tossing and catching little Haruto, both of them laughing so hard it seemed sadness simply couldn’t exist anywhere in the world.

Katsumi smiled at the sight, but then turned and ran to her mother’s room. She found her sitting at the foot of their bed rubbing her pregnant belly absentmindedly. Soo Yeon was a natural beauty, from her sleek black hair down to her blemish free feet. Her eyes were a warm blue like a spring in summertime, and her lips red like the roses that would have adorned it. Despite nearly being forty, age had done nothing to diminish her beauty. Katsumi hoped to be just as beautiful someday.

Pregnancy did not detract from her beauty in any way, but seemed just another natural part of her charm. The baby was due any day now and her parents still had not agreed on a name. Her father wanted to name it Nobu for a boy and Midori for a girl, but mother said that Nobu seemed too rough and thought Kiichi a much better name for a boy, and Kimiko for a girl.

“Mama! I need your help.” Katsumi said as she ran through the room to her mother’s knees.

“And what do you need help with?” Her mother said. She smiled that smile down at her that always made Katsumi smile back, no matter how sad she was.

“I can’t decide what to wear! The black one is cold, but it’s so cute. But the white one is more festival-ly. And the green one lets me run around better. And…”

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“Slow down, Katsumi.” Soo Yeon said laughing. “Why don’t you show me the dresses you are talking about, and maybe I’ll even bring one of them in my trunk.”

Katsumi grabbed her mother’s hands, and tried to pull her to her feet. “Come on! Come on!” She yelled.

No sooner had Soo Yeon stood, that she gasped in pain and fell back onto the bed. “Mama? What’s wrong?” Katsumi asked, worry replacing joy.

“Nothing is wrong, Kat,” She said. She was breathing hard in short sharp bursts. “Can you go get your father and Miyaka, please?” A loud groan punctuated her question, and Katsumi ran off to go get her father.

She found them in the same place as before, with Haruto in his arms pulling at his graying beard and Miyaka picking up the mess of toys that seemed to always be on the floor no matter how much she cleaned them up.

“Daddy!” Katsumi called, voice trembling slightly.

“Katsumi, what’s wrong?” Ohta said, only the barest hint of worry in his voice.

“Mama needs you!”

All the laughter and mirth seemed to drain from the man in an instant. “Hold your brother, Kat.” He all but dropped the boy on Katsumi just as she got her arms up to catch him. “Miyaka?”

“Yes.” She responded, and both ran off down the hall.

Katsumi sat and played with her brother until another one of the servants came and brought them to the dining hall for dinner. The smells of roasted pork and hot soup were enticing, but she found she couldn’t eat more than a few mouthfuls. She wasn’t sure if she was worried about missing the festival or excited for her new brother or sister. There was a stab of guilt for even thinking about the festival that made what little she had eaten feel like sour grapes in her stomach.

The rest of her siblings seemed to pay no mind to their parent’s absence, happily eating whatever was brought out to them, though Seung and Mai were fighting over who got the bigger piece of bread.

Several hours passed and they were all sent to bed, but Katsumi couldn’t hope to sleep. Instead, she decided to sneak through the house and try to find out where her parents were. When she came to their room, there was plenty of light coming through the doorway, and what sounded like soft sobs. She was about to knock when her father opened the door. He was carrying a newborn child wrapped tightly in a new blanket, but something seemed wrong: he wasn’t smiling. Katsumi looked up at him and saw his eyes wet with tears.

“Katsumi,” he said with a start, “why aren’t you in bed?” He sniffed and wiped at his nose.

Katsumi shifted nervously, “I was worried. Is mama ok?” she said.

Her father’s face twisted for a moment, but what kind of face it was, Katsumi couldn’t say. “She’s…” he hesitated. “Here, why don’t you hold your brother for a moment.” He gently laid the boy in Katsumi’s arms.

Katsumi looked at him and smiled. “He’s so tiny!” she said, some enthusiasm returning to her. She softly petted the wispy black hair on top of the baby’s head. The newborn cooed and seemed to snuggle into his sister’s warmth. “What’s his name?”

Her father swallowed hard before responding, and he still choked on the words, “Kiichi. Your mother named him Kiichi.”

“Daddy, why aren’t you smiling?” Katsumi asked. “Are you not happy?”

He pressed his lips together before speaking again. “I’m just tired. Here, hand him back, and why don’t you go back to bed.”

“Okay,” she said, and gently handed back the sleeping babe. The infant cried a little at the loss of warmth but slowly settled down once Ohta held him again. “Can I see mom first?”

“No,” he said quickly, “no, she’s already…” he hesitated again. “She’s already asleep. Go back to bed, Kat.”

Katsumi was very uneasy, but did as she was told. She relaxed a bit as she thought about having a new baby brother, and slowly fell asleep.

She didn’t see her mother again until they lowered her and buried her in her grave, and her tears would not stop. Even after everyone else had left, she stayed and cried. The only one who stayed with her was Ohta, who did not try to comfort her. Together, they wept until Katsumi cried herself to sleep. Ohta carried her back to her room, but he returned and wept the rest of the night next to his beloved wife.