Editing Horizon:GT3 Preface (section)

==Flowery Passage==

Mary ended up spending several nights at the Asama Shrine.

After sending Ishin Suden to the port, they had to discuss what to do about the incident. There hadn’t been an official duel over the Buke Shohatto, so it was hard to call it a history recreation. But it had involved a former pope and the writer of the Buke Shohatto. It would likely be declared a draw so they could delay coming up with a real answer. And until an actual result came out, it was best if Mary and the Tachibana Couple did not return to the embassies which could easily become a site of diplomacy.

Mary did have an embassy staff member bring her some changes of clothing. She couldn’t exactly stay in a tent on the ground, so the boys had erected a festival stage and then added walls to turn it into a room for the girls. The Vicereine had firmly insisted the boys should lie directly on the round pebbles because it would “act like a shiatsu massage”, but they had hung some hammocks between the trees instead.

After they bathed in the spring and enjoyed a late dinner, word arrived that Suden had descended on a ship and that the Buke Shohatto case was resolved more or less as expected.

“It’s pretty late now, but I notice the Musashi still has plenty of lights on.”

“Oh, judge. Repairs are underway, so it will be like this for a while.”

During the spare time before getting to bed, she sat on the shrine steps and sipped tea with Tenzou. Only then did she finally feel relaxed.

“Um, Master Tenzou?”

“Hyes?”

“What did he say?” commented Naito from around the corner and Naruze replied “shush, let him cook”, so was there something at the waterfall back there? Anyway…

“Maybe it’s because I’ve stayed here a few nights already, but it doesn’t feel like I’m camping out anymore.”

“Oh, do you feel like you’re part of the Asama Shrine family now?”

Adele, who was sealing up the area below the stage, began shouting, “Does being part of the shrine family make them grow!? Or do they have to be big to be accepted into the family!?”, so Asama had to drag her away.

How lively they all were made Mary laugh a little. Light scattered from her shaking shoulders. She had been shedding flowers for several days now.

“You keep making those ether flowers since we left England,” noted Tenzou.

“It has settled down some, but not because I have calmed down.”

“What do you mean?”

“Judge. I can just tell that what used to make me so excited will be normal for me from now on.”

“If the others heard you say that, they would get carried away and make a nuisance out of themselves, so can that be our little secret?”

Mary heard Mitotsudaira yelling “My King! You don’t have to pretend to be a cicada to spy on them!” from the roof of the shrine, but she was fairly certain it wasn’t cicada season yet.

Then she spoke while scooping up the ether flowers scattering from her hair.

“If these ever stop, it does not mean I am tired of Musashi. It simply means they are blossoming all across Musashi, so mine no longer stand out enough to be seen.”

But one thing kept her from worrying about that. She asked him about it with a smile.

“Master Tenzou, will you search out my flowers instead of just passing them by?”