Year of the Boar, Second Month, Day 19.

It really is completely galling to know that had I been born just twenty minutes earlier, I should one day sit around the table at the Bi-annual Kingdom Diplomatic Talks and not remain relegated to the Observers' Gallery. It absolutely sticks in my throat that I must work equally as hard as Taiji, my twin, and yet when our Father dies, it will be Taiji who succeeds him and I shall have no more status than our younger sister, Aki. I HATE him. By virtue of twenty minutes. Twenty. Minutes. Taiji will Rise and Rule Pale Twilight while a suitable husband will be sought for me and I will have to leave my home and join his. Although, reflecting on that somewhat, I suppose if I were to snare a Ruling Lord, leaving Pale Twilight would not come too hard. I have always liked Fallen Sakura... although Lord Shigeru has married Taira's cousin, Ryouka, added to which everyone (except his wife it seems) knows that Shigeru is bedding Yuika of Dying Crane and his heir by his first wife, Shiho, is still only a toddler. Taira himself is an arrogant misogynist, so I would not even entertain the idea of marrying into Crying Orchid. This bears more thought - perhaps I could consider Laughing Spider as a prospect...
This round of the the Talks, it has to be said was remarkably uneventful. Frankly boring by previous standards. No one stalked out of the room in a fury, no one threw a tantrum, no one cried, no one shouted - in fact, no one so much as brought a fist down on the table. I suppose that has a great deal to do with the fact that this year, no invaders have threatened anyone's borders and no House feels that their trading rights are being infringed. It really is all too dull. Still, I suppose I should be thankful for all I enjoy watching the petty squabblings and machinations of the Houses - it really does turn Father into a dreadful bore, he is never content to remain on the sidelines and let others argue. He always manages to find himself right in the middle of the fray and it becomes so much more difficult to get what I want from him when he is in poor humour.
Mother of course, never involves herself in such nonsense, preferring instead to amuse herself with such feminine pursuits as embroidery and tending her tiny herb garden. She believes that unless one actually *is* a Ruling Lady, one should most definitely stay out of politics. Which is another reason a marriage into another House would serve me well. Mother may not Rule the House but she certainly rules the ladies of the court with an iron hand. They are expected to rise and breakfast with the birds and then present themselves in her antechamber to work on whatever project she has going at the present time. Last year it was a tapestry to be presented to Lord Shigeru and Lady Ryouka in honour of their marriage, this year it is a new banner for the banquet hall. After a light lunch they take a short rest, followed by tea, unless Mother is required by etiquette to offer Hospitality, in which case the ladies please themselves until late afternoon when they may either work on the project further or take a turn around the garden or in the case of Mother's particular favourites - they may help her either tend the herbs or prepare some pastries or whatever she has her mind set on that day. Quite why life at Pale Twilight must be so regimented, I have never managed to fathom - life at other Houses is certainly not like that, but Mother believes that the Devil makes work for idle hands and no amount of protest will change her mind and nor will appealing to Father, who gives her whatever she wants. Aki and I are allowed a little more lee-way since we must study the politics of the House "just in case something should happen to Taiji" but we are still expected to present ourselves in the afternoon and take tea and participate in the pointless chatter.
As soon as Taiji Rises though, we will be relegated to the status of mere Royal Ladies until or unless we marry and then we will leave home and adopt the customs of our Husbands' Houses. All of which is quite ridiculous since something dreadful might befall Taiji five years after I have been confined to the life of a lady and then what on earth would happen? I should have no idea what is going on, or more laughable yet, he might drop dead two days after my wedding to a Lord on the other side of the Kingdom and then what should we do? Put *Aki* on the throne?! Still as I have said, on this, Mother will simply not be reasoned with and Father always listens to Mother. It really is all too ridiculous for words.