Tanaka's POV
Later, at 7 in the evening, we had arrived at the city walls of Taka, the capital of Kita and a city at an elevation of 3,500 feet above sea level. I was looking forward to see my father, who was the current shogun of this sole shogunate in the mountains, and my family, especially my younger sister, Mirai. At the city border, the guards recognize me as the crowned prince, and they opened the gates for us, and we went in, before the gates were closed. Inside, we went through the city's dense districts. There are a lot of traditional buildings and are often two or three storeys high and have ornaments. In the streets, businesses are often in the 1st floor while the residential sections are either above it or at the backlines deeper that can be accessed via narrow passageways. At this hour, the streets are full of people walking, browsing, and eating cheap street food.
I was quite happy to see my hometown again after almost a full year of being at Peacewood due to school. Uncle Tadashi's biggest business partners are in this big city.
Not long after, we arrived at the front of the gate building of the palace complex, where my whole family and the rest of the Saberheart clan are waiting for our family. Luckily uncle Tadashi had sent a message via a pigeon to my father regarding our week-long visit there, and my father was more than happy to accept that. As the two horse wagons pulled over, I get off first, before uncle Tadashi, Robert, and the rest did.
"Good evening, Tanaka-kun," my father, Takashi, greeted in his traditional shogun's clothes that bears both our clan's emblem and our royal house's emblem.
I then bowed my head before him and my mom, Sei, for a few seconds, before greeting back, "Good evening, father, I have returned."
After that, Robert and the rest bowed their heads before the shogun for a few seconds as a greeting.
"I see you brought some guests," my father responded upon seeing their bowing. "Are they your friends or something?"
"Yes, father," I answered back.
I then turned towards Robert and the others, except for uncle Tadashi. "Guys, introduce yourselves. This is my father, the current shogun of this country."
Robert and the others did so, and Robert goes first, saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness, I am Robert Lightningheart, of the Lightningheart and Windheart clans."
After him, the others did so with their introductions, especially Sol-san.
"Nice to meet you all," the shogun greeted back. "I'm Takashi, the current shogun of the Shogunate of Kita. Good evening to you, too."
"And my name is Sei, his wife," my mother added. "Welcome to our home."
"We knew about your intended week-long visit," my father responded. "Are you all here for that?"
Then, Robert replied in his group's behalf, "Yes, for a week, Your Highness. It's our spring break from school."
"I see. Come in."
He and mom then went inside, alongside the rest of the royal house and the Saberheart clan, before me, Robert, and the others went in as our house servants carried our belongings from the horse wagons.
But then, as we walked through the palace's Zen gardens, someone jumped from the bushes and pointed a katana to us. Of course, it was my younger sister Mirai, who loves to ambush as a playtime. We were all surprised, and I immediately said to her in scolding, "Mirai-chan, cut it out! I knew you're going to do that. You're always absent whenever someone arrived in this place.
Putting back her katana in its scabbard, Mirai, a young girl with black, long hair and had the same eye color as I do, responded, "Come on, big brother, I'm just training."
"At this hour?" my father responded to this. "Please, how about you just at least be with us to give our new guests and your uncle a proper greeting?"
"Sorry, father," Mirai apologized back.
Then, Robert came forward, and bowed his head towards her for a few seconds, and greeted, "Hello there, miss, my name is Robert Lightningheart, of the Lightningheart and Windheart clans."
Seeing his looks and his katana on his waist, Mirai was now lovestruck at him. I can tell by her face and expression towards him.
"No way, Mirai-chan, you too?" I thought in my mind. "Robert already have a circle of girls!"
I then glanced at Zarah, Emma, and Emi, only to be stunned at their hidden jealously at my sister's love for Robert.
"No, this is worst," I thought again.
Then, my father responded, "Alright, alright, that's enough. Let's just go to the main house to have tea with the new guests."
We then all continued our way across the gardens to the main house of the palace complex to have tea with Robert and the others.