Year of the Boar, Fifth Month, Day 9.

The hour is very late; the court physician insisted on remaining with me far longer than strictly necessary. Although, if I worked for Mother, I would go overboard to make sure I did everything possible too. I put the next stage of my plan into action today. I began at breakfast by wrapping my silks around me tighter than necessary and sending servants for two extra blankets, grumbling to Aki that the banquet hall felt colder than usual this morning. When Mother went so far as to leave the table she shares with Father, to walk around and tell me that Father wanted to know why I was so cold on such a lovely morning, I insisted that there was nothing wrong, I hadn't slept well, that was all. I intimated that a good bath would probably do me a world of good and begged Mother's indulgence in allowing me to bathe after breakfast instead of waiting until after supper. I believe her face actually softened slightly, although I cannot be sure that this was not wishful thinking on my behalf, and she agreed that I could go. Of course I was still to be escorted by two of her trusted cohort, and so I kept up the shivering and looking drawn until I was alone in the bath and they were safely outside guarding the door; even Mother's new rules will not induce me to have servants I do not know well bathe me, and I have always preferred to do it myself anyway. Mother did not bend enough to extend the amount of time I may spend bathing, and all too soon, the servants knocked at the door and bid me return to my rooms.
Lunch was ... difficult; I tried to maintain a balance between looking distinctly improved but at the same time, not quite well. I made faint attempts to converse more animatedly than I had at breakfast yet I "lost my train of thought" several times as we ate our way through a light meal of flat breads and jams and fruit. I was forced to slip a fair amount of mine into my sleeves in order to still appear off my food, but I must admit to having enjoyed it greatly in the hour between lunch and Aki's arrival with the tapestry... Mother cast several of those concerned looks in my direction whilst we ate, but she did not leave her table and she did not question me further. As soon as we had finished of course, I was escorted back to my rooms by Mother's servants and I made sure that I stumbled somewhat theatrically on the way down the long corridor. One of them looked at me curiously and I waved her away; insisting again, that I was perfectly fine. Once alone in my rooms, I gathered my papers and hid them away under a loose floorboard so that they should not be found "by accident" when Mother and her people swarmed into my rooms as I expected them to, ate the remainder of my lunch and arranged myself by the windows so that I should be looking out wistfully when Aki arrived. I had thought it a great possibility that Mother herself would come rather than send Aki, but she did not and Aki and the maid arrived exactly on time, bearing the tapestry between them. That thing is growing at an alarming rate, it disturbs me greatly to know that I have sewn more than half of it by myself. Aki seems to stitch less and less these days, apparently more interested on spying on me, and the maid is simply there to tend the yarn and sort scissors and the like. In fact, it is positively sinister that I find myself able to do something I despise so much, so well. I really cannot wait to be free of this nonsense. It was as Aki kept her beady eyes upon my work that I began to lose my place in the tapestry again and again; feigning confusion and squinting at the pattern, and counting and recounting, I was so convincing that Aki even asked me if I ailed. Choosing my moment carefully, right as I insisted that I was perfectly well and that she should stop fussing that I "slipped" with the scissors and "accidentally" slashed the palm of my hand with them. Obviously I was extremely careful not to get blood on the tapestry; should my plan fail I do not want to have to begin it again. Even I was surprised by how much blood there was but it was all to my advantage as I cried out weakly, holding my hand away from me, gasping. As I answered Aki's shrieked inquiry as to what had happened, I pretended to swoon, pressing the back of my other hand to my forehead in that practiced gesture of mine, and falling as gracefully as any tragic heroine, to the floor. Obviously I could not remain in a fake swoon for terribly long; I doubted I would be convincing once the physician arrived in any case, so after much fluttering of eyelashes, once Mother arrived in answer to Aki's screams, I "regained consciousness". The rest of the afternoon was rather frantic, as servants rushed in and out fetching things mother demanded and various potions were forced upon me at the insistence of the physician. Desperate for a few moments alone with the physician, I remained, weak and unresponsive to his questions, growing visibly agitated whenever Mother or Aki drew nearer and finally, to my intense relief, he ordered them all outside, saying that his patient needed some rest. I spoke to him in low tones, anxious about being overheard, explaining that Mother had confined me and that although I understood the reason for my punishment and that I fully deserved it, I was unused to spending so much time indoors and that I was grew bored and anxious and that I missed the sun. The physician nodded sagely and murmured that he would speak to Mother.
It seemed as though they were in my rooms for a year, flurrying about, opening windows and checking the position of the sun, forcing more "strengthening potions" down my throat and in Mother's case, quizzing me endlessly about my condition. The physician had stern words with Mother once all the servants had been sent from my rooms and after that, I was allowed to rest. Eventually, when Mother was convinced that I slept, they too, departed and I am left with a fairly strong hope that my efforts will not have been in vain and that I may be allowed a the little freedom I need to at least get into the library within the next few days.