Read Online The Gilded Fan (Choc Lit) by Christina Courtenay - Free Book Online

never in all her life had she felt this afraid, this helpless and so utterly, devastatingly alone. There were people all around her, but they weren’t the kind of people she was used to associating with. Most were not of her rank, just common persons, even
hinin
– beggars and other social offenders – and
eta
, the extremely unclean, lowest of the low. She pitied them, naturally, but wanted to shout out loud that she didn’t belong here. Her status as the daughter of a
daimyo
should have afforded her better treatment and saved her from this, but the truth was they were all equals here. All at the mercy of their gaolers.
Here, I am nobody.
    ‘Father, Mother, please help me,’ she prayed. She doubted if anything but the intervention of spirits could save her now.
    An all-pervasive fear spread through her veins, paralysing her from head to toe until she felt as though she’d never be able to move again. She wanted to scream, but her jaw was stuck, so she couldn’t open her mouth wide enough. And she couldn’t breathe properly because her ribcage wouldn’t budge.
    Where is Ichiro?
Would no one help her? But then how could he when to do so would be to risk his own life and the honour of the clan?
    He’d already done so much …
    The morning after Ichiro told her she had to leave, a small party assembled in the castle courtyard just after dawn. Midori looked around in surprise. She had expected a retinue of well over a hundred men, since Ichiro never travelled anywhere with less, but today there were only ten mounted guards and no baggage of any kind. She frowned as she walked across the cobbled stones.
    She had dressed in clothing similar to the men’s. This made it easier to ride and protected her legs from scratches and cuts. By the time her brother emerged from the main building, she was already astride her horse, having mounted without assistance. She liked to be self-sufficient in everything.
    ‘Where is my hawk?’ Ichiro’s voice rang out, imperious as always and so like their late father’s it made Midori’s heart constrict.
    ‘Here, my lord.’ A man ran forward and handed his master the hooded bird of prey with a deep bow.
    ‘Are we ready?’ There were murmurs of assent. ‘Then, let us depart. I wish to find some sport before the sun is too high.’
    As they clattered out through the gates and across the moat, Midori rode up beside him and leaned over to whisper, ‘Where are my things? Aren’t we leaving today after all?’
    ‘Yes, but I think we’re being watched, so we have to pretend we are only going hawking today. I sent someone ahead into the forest last night with our belongings and provisions for the journey. More men will follow us in a couple of days and when they catch up with us, I’ll send someone back with the bird.’
    Midori nodded. She trusted Ichiro implicitly and if he thought this subterfuge was necessary, she wouldn’t argue with him. No one watching their departure would assume Ichiro was going very far, she thought. Her brother had planned well.
    ‘The castle was rife with rumour all day yesterday and I also thought if I was seen to go hunting, seemingly without a care in the world, it might calm everyone down,’ Ichiro said.
    ‘Good point. If there was truly any danger, you would hardly risk venturing into the woods with so few men.’
    ‘Precisely.’ Ichiro smiled at her, then spurred his horse into a canter.
    They rode up the hill towards the temple and she restrained the urge to turn and look back at the castle more than once. Although she knew this was probably the last time she would ever see the place which had been her home for nineteen years, she didn’t want to raise anyone’s suspicions. Besides, if she closed her eyes she could easily conjure up an image of the castle and its surroundings and she doubted she would ever forget it.
    ‘Here, take the bird for a while.’ Ichiro handed over the beautiful creature, obviously in an effort to divert her from