Ten Things I Hate About Mitsuhide

Chapter 36: Wasted Trip

Having a plan is a wonder thing. Having a plan that depends up the whims of others, however, is... frustrating. Yoshimoto agreed that waiting for the populace of the castle to be distracted when Yoshiaki called for another of his flattery sessi... er, councils, would be the best way to time my investigation. Unfortunately, it turned out that Yoshiaki spent the next couple days engrossed in "private pleasures." I chose not to question that further. I suspected the answer would go under the subject header, 'you really don't want to know'.

With both Iekane and Motonari walking freely about the castle grounds, Yoshimoto declared that I would be safest staying in his quarters. I disagreed. Safer, maybe, but I knew that I could still blend in with the scenery and pass by in plain sight. People don't notice servants. Yoshimoto continued to insist upon accompanying me whenever I went on walkabout, and he... does not blend. Inevitably someone would question where Lord Imagawa was headed, did he need anything, and ... well, there went any chance of sneaking. We spent more than a couple hours walking through the gardens, pretending that was where our destination had always been.

At least Yoshimoto tried to keep me entertained when I was confined to quarters. As always, I had my shogi set with me, and he turned out to be surprisingly good at the game. He easily won the first three rounds. Finally, I figured out that his playing style consisted of making elaborate feints and distractions that he used to disguise his true intentions.

Once I ceased falling for those ploys, we were more evenly matched, and I began defeating him. "You're improving rapidly." He seemed unconcerned over the fact that I had won after a hard fought battle.

"Less learning the game and more understanding your style and tactics." When his eyebrows (both) raised in enquiry, I went on to explain what I had discovered about his gameplay.

"Flattering that you attribute that to strategy. I simply like making aesthetically pleasing patterns in the formations." He began setting down the tiles, not in the standard game opening layout, but in a more mathematical pattern. A flower.

Really?

No.

Really?

I stared at him for a moment before I realized he was hiding a smile. "You goof! I almost believed you." I threw a tile at him.

"You must admit it would add an interesting dimension to the game. If players were required to compete to make the most artistic designs." He gracefully rearranged the tiles into the main starting position. "Another game?"

"You don't have to keep entertaining me." Yoshimoto had stayed in his quarters almost as much as I had.

"It is no hardship to spend time with a lovely woman." He touched my hand. "However, there are other ways to keep each other company if you ... no? I thought not." He backtracked before I could even begin to verbalize a refusal.

"Your vassals might start wondering why you spend so much time with your page." It was not an uncommon situation, and unlike in modern Christian-influenced thought, even generally accepted for lords to have relations with male subordinates. However, I imagined that the Imagawa vassals would be annoyed that Yoshimoto was wasting time with me, instead of concentrating on training and battle preparations.

"They have, in fact. Rumors of my obsession with my 'pretty page' have spread across the castle." Since I had not yet made a move to begin a new game, he began creating another tile design.

Oof. Well. Katsu didn't actually exist, so it likely wouldn't affect me all that much. But as for Yoshimoto... "Don't you care?"

"Worse has been said about me." A sad smile flitted across his face, then evaporated like mist.