Ikebana
My dearest cousin,
I hope this letter finds you in good health. I miss you very much and pray that the spirits of our ancestors watch over you.
My hand trembles, however, as I grip my brush and it hovers above the inkstone, for I do not know where to begin. So much has happened since I wrote you last.
As you know, my father secured my marriage to the great nobleman, Takashi Nobunaga, and I was sent to the capital at Edo. My wedding kimono was beautiful—red silk with embroidered irises, because of my name. The obi was so ornate that it took three servants to tie. Oh, Cousin! Never have my eyes feasted upon such magnificence.
That night, Nobunaga-sama came to me, and I quivered with anticipation. He was not unkind, but he was more used to drill with his beloved soldiers. I hope I was pleasing to him, for I wish to be a good wife. But to my sorrow, he departed on maneuvers with his cavalry the week after our marriage.
It was then that I began spending time with my new sister, Kikako. And you can imagine my surprise when she informed me that it was she who urged Nobunaga to choose me for his bride.
Where Nobunaga is taciturn, Kikako is bright and joyful like her namesake, the sunflower. We spend all our waking hours together, writing haiku or walking under the wisteria arbors.
She is even teaching me the art of ikebana, flower arranging. We use sunflowers, which are cheerful and bold, but the elegant iris is her favorite. The two complement each other, she says.
This evening, we plan a walk in the garden, and I find myself quivering with anticipation.
Oh, Cousin, I am so happy here.
Sou-sou,
Ayame-chan
Copyright © 2003 by Nick Scipio. All rights reserved.
Nick started writing fiction at the age of sixteen. Using a green pen (it’s a long story), he wrote short stories for English class, but quickly graduated to writing erotica for his own amusement. When he arrived at college in the late ‘80s, he discovered the Internet and soon became a devoted reader of online erotica.
After college, he found he had little time to write fiction. He was busy making a life for himself in the professional world, moving up the ladder in a small software company. The small software company grew into a large software company, and was bought by an even larger company. Several mergers later, Nick found himself working for a very large company, the hated makers of unrealistic platinum-haired plastic bimbo dolls. He walked away from that monster company with very few regrets and joined a much smaller company. He is now very happy-so happy, in fact, that he’s writing erotica again.
Nick’s stories can be found at his web site: http://www.asstr.org/~scipio/main.htm
If you enjoyed the story, why not let the author know? Type your message below and we’ll send the author email. Leave the from box empty to be anonymous, but include your email address if you want a reply.