Tea with Asahina Kinshiro 1197

30th Day of Akodo Seven Fold Palace

Asahina Kinshiro sat with some difficulty across from Doji Aoshi and Doji Ikimi, the parents of the dishonoured Doji Surumi. He smiled tiredly “My apologies, my old bones are not what they once were and my journey from Kyuden Doji was rushed.” He poured tea for his guests and smiled benignly. “Cakes? Or cooling fruits?” He offered them knowing full well that they would not be taken, but the gesture was important. Then he waited.

It was Doji Aoshi, Surumi’s father who spoke first. Kinshiro had expected that, Aoshi had always had a reckless streak of impatience in him.

Aoshi took a sip of the tea “What will become of my daughter?”

Kinshiro smiled like a kindly old uncle “She will have to go to a monastery of course. I am sure there will be one suitably far from Crane lands that she causes no further offense.” While his voice was gentle, his words were iron.

Doji Ikimi flinched as if she had been slapped and Aoshi blanched. “Let them lose control, it will make this that much easier” thought Kinshiro.

Ikimi looked up, fighting back tears “And what of my other daughter? What of Kachiko? Must she suffer too?”

“No my dear Ikimi-san, Kachiko is not implicated in a failed attempt to instigate a war between the Crane and the Mantis like your other daughter is.” He sipped his tea slowly, savouring the flavour “Kachiko is assured a prestigious place in the Doji Courtier school, it will bring her foster parents great honour.”

Even more than the tea, Kinshiro savoured the dawning looks of comprehension, betrayal and fear on the faces of his guests. Ikimi died first, the poison in her tea working quickly as she had drunk more. Aoshi went for his wakizashi, but Kinshiro clouded the man’s mind with the help of the air kami flowing around him.

He was slightly annoyed that he would have to show his hand so blatantly, but he knew that the poison he had administered to the two Cranes was only found in Kitsune Mori. That would cause enough of a stir to set things in motion properly. He stood up with ease, put down a suicide note between the two corpses as well as some Mantis Clan gold. Picking up his cup “It would not do to leave that sort of evidence around.”

He walked out, motioning to his yojimbo to follow “I’m tired Goshio, please escort me to my quarters."