Heian Romance: 2. The Paulownia Hall

2.The Paulownia Hall

“My lady, you must get ready for the meeting. We can’t be late; it will give them bad impression!” said Ryoko to her mistress worriedly.

“How many times do I need to tell you that I don’t intend to go to this arrange married interview?” said her mistress.

“But my lady, this is the invitation directly from the Regent Fujiwara no Tadamichi himself. It is a once in a lifetime chance that you couldn’t bares to miss.”

“The Regent you said?  As if I would really give a damn! Why bother to go when eventually you already know the answer. The highly respected Regency family for sure will reject me. What is I Fujiwara no Yuiko to them? I can’t bring them glory, nor bring them prosperity. My marriage with them will only dishonor their honorable family’s name.”

“Please, my lady, don’t be so pessimistic! Come on, wear your junihitoe and let’s proceed to the Paulownia hall!” hastened Ryoko to her mistress Yuiko.

 

***

The hall was named Paulownia is due to the fact that it is surrounded by many Paulownia trees. Paulownia is known in Japanese as ‘kiri’. It is a customary to plant a Paulownia tree when a baby girl was born, and then to make it into a dresser as a wedding present when she married. And so with its relation to marriage, The Paulownia Hall has been used as a place for the princesses’ married interview ever since it was build a century ago.

Ryoko and her mistress Yuiko arrived just in time before the Regent Fujiwara no Tadamichi and his adopted son Yorinaga enter the Paulownia hall. Due to the knotty rules and regulations in the court, even on the married interview, women have to stay behind the bamboo veils all the time. They will only be judged by the way they speak and their demeanor through the shadows projected behind the veils.

“My lady, I present you the Regent and his son the acting middle counselor Yorinaga.”

Both of them bow down to Yuiko as Ryoko introduced the guests individually. Due to the lack of lighting in the hall, Yuiko scarcely sees the appearance of their guests behind the veils, and it irritates her. She goes near the veils and draws it up without giving any signal. Her sudden movement gave everyone a shock.

“My lady, what were you doing? Quick, hang back the veils!!”

  “Since I know there will be rejection, why not take this opportunity to see the look of the person I’m dealing with? It would be interesting isn’t it?”

The Regent Tadamichi at first was shocked by Yuiko’s action, but settled to his placid self immediately as Yuiko speaks. Though pleasant and calm, his face gave an enigmatic look when he saw Yuiko in person. As for his son Yorinaga, he keeps on shaking his head, frowning and says “This is absurd!!”all along the event.

A father and a son with a totally opposite personality, these were the guests Yuiko met an afternoon in the year 1132.

 

*junihitoe 十二単 : an extreme elegant and highly complex kimono that is only worn by court lady in Japan