Year of the Boar, Fifth Month, Day 24.

My time grows short; Mother has decided that I should rejoin the Court for meals in the banquet hall and after that, it will doubtless not be long before she starts introducing her "improving literature" to my mornings again... and I simply do not believe I could stand it. I managed to persuade the physician that I felt weak and unwell again today and he has advised Mother that it would be unwise for me to leave my room just yet as it may well be detrimental to the continuing improvement of my health. A few more days... and then it will be back to the obnoxious rituals of the "improving literature", quizzes over lunch, tapestry in the afternoons, followed by more of the reading and then another inquisition over dinner... I cannot do it, I must find a way to leave, even if it means roaming the countryside in complete darkness and taking my chances with bandits and highwaymen and who knows what. I must be free. I must.
I have added a formal kimono to my list of things I must take with me. It occurred to me that I may, at some point, have to throw myself upon the mercy of one of the other Houses and it will be far easier to get them to at least acknowledge me if I wear Pale Twilight's insignia on my breast. This is annoying, as it means my pack will be much heavier than I would have it be, but a necessary evil I think. I have been thinking about possible routes in the last few hours; I have already ruled out Laughing Spider and Crying Orchid; they are notoriously Patriarchal and not at all inclined to aid me in my "rebellion" against the wishes of my House. Lady Kaede of Silent Thunder might have helped me, had she not been silly enough to get herself enslaved and Lord Kenta... Lord Kenta cannot be relied upon to do much since he is so pre-occupied at present. That makes Silent Thunder an unsafe bet. I would not set foot in Fallen Sakura's walls even did I think Lord Shigeru would aid me and Purple Lightning is somewhat of an unknown quantity... I believe that my best hope is to head for Dying Crane, Nanami will help to hide me if Lady Yuika will not help me, but I have a feeling that I may find the Lady herself, sympathetic to my cause.... the same cannot be said of the other Houses... at least I believe that she will not give me away until I can flee into the Seventh Kingdom and out of the jurisdction of my parents. That is my latest plan; to leave the Ninth Kingdom altogether and find a completely new home, free of the restrictions that bind me in the current one. I am not stupid enough to believe it will be easy, but I feel that I have no choice at all.