Hearts Like Ours

Nora Barrington had found herself trapped in a world all too foreign to her, but she had found that she loved it far more than she had ever loved her own home. Her father had fallen in love with Japan when he had first come there as a tradesman. He had learned the ways and learned the language so well that he could easily blend in with the strange society like one of their own.

Japan was the one place that Nora would love to call home for the rest of her life. She had grown up in England up until about a year ago. Her mother had died when she was young, and from what she knew, her parents hadn't been in love. It was just a smart match and after her mother died her father spent a lot of time away. She came to love the same world her father did.

Her father married into a high class Japanese family not too long ago. His wealth, love, and extensive knowledge of Japan had many women, despite varying ages, wanted to marry him. Nora could tell her father had found true love with this dark haired beauty and she was happy for him. The woman her father had married was sweet, but she had lived the high life long enough that Nora and her didn't get along, but they didn't hate each other.

Nora's father had taken on a Japanese name, he wanted to disappear into the Japanese culture and had no desire to ever travel back to England. He required that Nora become as extensive in the language and knowledge of the people as he had, and she had found her place. The language was always difficult for foreigners, but Nora caught on easily.

She had been living there for about a year in the small town when traveling actors arrived. She had yet to see one of the unique Japanese plays put on, and so she took to coming and watching every night. Nora decided that she wouldn't let stranger know just how well she knew the language, she liked hearing the unfiltered remarks and opinions they had.

The last performance came and Nora was easily in the front row. The way they depicted life and their stories fascinated her and she craved to know more. She clapped politely with everyone else before she stood to her feet. She smoothed out her deep maroon kimono as she headed back stage. She began to chat idly with a few of the actors, giving them compliments and getting information about where else they would be performing.

After talking she turned around and spotted the young actor who had been playing a crane. She glanced at the other young man who had been talking to the actor and kept the smirk from her face. She had heard the words they exchanged and she decided to prove them wrong. She may not look like them, but she certainly could speak like them.

She bowed slightly out of respect for both of them, also as a greeting. She smiled upon them both.

"That was a beautiful performance Tsurukou-san." She said. "I am grieved to see that you'll be leaving. It has been a pleasure to watch you every night." She smiled. She looked at his companion and had a thoughtful expression as she looked at him politely.

Nora was flattered a lot more by Tsurukou's manner's than his friend with him, but she did have to give credit to this friend, he did have his looks going for him. She turned her gaze back to Tsurukou and smiled softly. The humble approach he had was far more impressive than gold to her. She shook her head as he denied the deservance of the compliment. Nora did not just hand out compliments unless she meant them.

"Perhaps you're right, this is the first I have seen of you're fantastical masterpieces and I could be wrong, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt." She said. The way Tsurukou spoke was very polite. That was one thing she was finding so strange to her above all else that these dark haired folk did. They were so full of formality and being polite even if they would rather be force fed worm than to be in someone's company they disliked.

"Ah but without every piece to the puzzle, the play would fall apart, and especially without the edges." She responded with a simple smile. She turned to look upon the friend. She understood the term, but only because it had been used with her before. Nora had recieved many strange remarks and comments because of her exotic beauty, and by now it was more annoying and irritating than anything else. She looked upon Tsurukou and appreciated his apology. She'd hold her tongue, even if she had been disrespected first, it would reflect badly on her to cause disrespect in return. It was better to turn the other cheek in silence than draw attention to yourself.

"I am Nora." She frowned as she spoke her name. It made her feel so self-conscious to have such an outlandish name.

Nora watched Tsurukour carefully as he tried to pronounce her name. It came out wrong, but she knew it would and so it wasn't offending her in any way. She merely smiled and nodded her head. "That is all right, I am sad to see you leave. It truly has been a pleasure to watch you perform." She told him kindly. "I do hope one day we will meet again." She returned his bow as she recognized it as his cue to go. She watched him leave, taking his friend with him, and turned around. She chatted idly with a few of the towns people about their opinions on the performances before she began to walk back to her home.

Nora arrived home and smiled as she entered into the large structure. Her father certainly didn't mind spending money on making sure he had everything at its highest quality. She bowed politely to those she saw as she was heading to the courtyard where there was a koi pond. She sat down next to the pool of water and stared down at the fish swimming in the water. She looked up to see her father approach her.

"Hello my daughter," his english was now touched with a Japanese accent. He believed that their native language should be preserved as much as possible, so he usually insisted on speaking English with her. "You are beautiful, and I believe it's time for you to be found a suitor. I have sent out letters to many of the prominent families about you. I do hope that you'll take on this tradition as smoothly as you did with the others." He spoke calmly.

Nora frowned at this news. She hadn't realized that she would be expected to keep this tradition. She sighed and merely nodded her head before she watched her father leave. She was truly bothered by this and suddenly felt very overwhelmed and alone in this foreign world.

It had probably been about a week since Nora had learned of this arranged marriage that she was on her way with her father and several from her household to meet the man she was supposed to marry and his parents. It was always a fantastical occasion when two houses were being united through the marriage of their children. Nora was trying to be a good sport about the whole idea, but she was marrying a complete stranger who she had never met. She was still new to this society and culture, and the thought of this marriage had her skin crawling a little.

"Come now Nora, cheer up." Her father said as they rode upon horse back to their destination.

The two fair haired people were in strange contrast against their company. They hair fair hair with blue eyes and their skin was as pale as milky moonlight. The only defining difference between the two was their age. The young woman was far younger looking than the man. She had rosy lips perfectly porportioned and even though her hair was pulled up, it was easy to see that it was soft. She was definitely an exotic flower among dark beauty's.

"I don't see how you can expect me to just throw myself within this crowd so quickly. I've lived here for about a year now, and in that time I've come to love this place just as much as you, but I've never grown up with the prospect of going into a marriage with a stranger. This is all so confusing and foreign to me. I don't think it's fair that you expect me to be perfectly all right with this." She spoke her honest thoughts.

"We are strangers here Nora, the best way to intergrate is follow every tradition. I've spoke my mind, I do expect you to marry this man. He is from a very wealthy and prominent family. You'll do fine, and your alien looks will definitely bring about a much higher respect, especially if you marry this man." It was obvious that this discussion was now closed.

Nora was silent after that. She wasn't going to refuse this, she had made a deal with her father and she intended to keep her end of it. She looked at the people around her and found that she was truly happy here with them. She found it odd that she was so at home and so comfortable with these cream skinned people rather than the ones she had grown up with her whole life. She looked upon the dark haired beauty that was her mother and sighed. She missed her own mum, it had been years since her mother's passing, but she had loved her mother dearly.

The procession was silent, as if they thought speaking much would be poor upon their journey. The sun was setting, the sky was lit up on an array of orange and red as the tips of the clouds were dusted in pink. They were almost to their destination. Nora was feeling her stomach grow queasy as she was trying to think of how this meeting would go. Would her future parents approve of her being united with their son? What in the world had her father said to get them to agree to this marriage?

Nora was doned in a pale blue kimono as she dismounted her horse. She looked at the others around her and suddenly felt out of place for the first time in months. She felt her tongue wanting to twist in her mouth and refuse to speak the complicated language that normally flowed freely. How was this going to go over?

The procession for Nora had come to the small town in the late afternoon. Nora was still trying to understand this tradition she was being pulled into. She truly loved these people and their unique ways and traditions, but this one she didn't understand. Did they not believe in love? Did they think that it was bad luck for a couple in love to be married?

A sigh escaped the white beauty as they arrived at a very elegant inn. Nora had stayed at several fancy inns back in her home country, but to her, coming here and experiencing this world made this contrast strangely in her mind. She had known one world her whole life, and now that she was falling deep within a new world, despite the down sides, she found that she was truly finding her place here.

The group entered the inn and were greeted by a woman who bowed and inquired of their stay and such frivolous matters. Nora tuned out most of what was said between her father and their hostess, as it was boring. She looked at all of the other people and they looked back.

These dark haired people had seen pale foreigners before, but it was a shock to see one so immersed in their culture. Nora was used to these stares, after all, they followed her wherever she went. It was kind of nice to know she stood out rather then blended in. She didn't like it when she was just a part of the wall, she'd much rather be a piece of furniture noticed in the room and appreciated for her worth.

"Nora, come," her father's voice snapped her out of her trance as she had been thinking of this future husband. She knew the importance of having a son, and she was sure that she'd be pressured into having a child quickly to make sure there would be a child to carry on the name later in life. The thought sickened her as she knew she was not ready to become a mother.

Nora followed her father and her mother as their servants carried their things and their relatives left to their own rooms.

It was probably a few hours before Nora was bothered by one of the workers in the inn. The young bowed respectfully before he informed Nora that the company they were expecting had arrived. He also informed her that he still had yet to find her father. Nora merely shook her head and told him she'd go out to greet those that had arrived. Naturally the boy looked at her skeptically as the betrothed lady didn't usually just go out and introduce herself, but he nodded his head and led the way.

Nora was in quite a shock when the boy told her that there was only one person, and when she saw who it was, she was very confused.

"Tsurukou-san!" she stared at him in shock before remembering her place and giving him a curt bow before she blurted out. "What are you doing here?" she looked around. "You're not the one I'm marrying, are you?" Nora felt rather lost in that moment as the two were relatively alone as the young boy had dashed away to find her father.