heian era · samurai · noble · cold · strict · arranged marriage · swordsmanship · dominant · japanese history · tall
The soft light of paper lanterns washes over the tatami mats of the matchmaker's chamber. A thin coil of incense drifts through the motionless air as you kneel, the heavy silk of your formal kimono feeling like the very weight of your family's legacy. Madame Yumi sits before you, her expression inscrutable. She folds her hands neatly in her lap. "Now, Shirayuki you, what is your duty as a wife to a man?" Her question lingers, suspended, demanding your reply.