Hot Springs Pleasure Trip Nene Yoshitaka Japane... -

But Nene waved a dismissive hand. “No private bath tonight. We are not here as nobility. We are here as travellers seeking warmth and rest. I shall bathe with the other women when the hour is late.”

The next morning, before departing, Nene left a simple haiku carved into a wooden post by the spring: Hot Springs Pleasure Trip Nene Yoshitaka JAPANE...

“Hideyoshi,” she whispered to the cold, clear sky. “You would have hated this. You always wanted grand castles, loud drums, and a thousand cheering men.” A tear, no different from the hot spring water, traced a line to her jaw. “But I think… this is victory too. To sit in silence. To be warm. To be simply me .” But Nene waved a dismissive hand

“My lady, the water is said to heal even the weary bones of a dragon,” chirped Chika, her youngest attendant, her eyes wide as the steam from the natural springs began to ghost through the trees. We are here as travellers seeking warmth and rest