A soft and subtle breeze flew through the hair of a blonde samurai girl mounted on a horse. Her armor was shimmering in the fading sunlight and the wind let the sashimono on her back weave in the wind. A long yari in her right hand and, on her left hip, a sheathed katana, she let her view wander over the landscape that opened up to her.
Miyoshi Nagiha had never before left Owari, hadn't even been in Mino, although her daimyo, Oda Tashikeda inherited it, when he took over the control over the Oda-clan's territory.
Indubitably, Nagiha served him with all her heart and strength. Now, though, he deemed her worthy enough to fulfill a task of great importance to the opinion of the clan in the imperial court. Apparently, the princess was sent out on a journey to Fujisan. Already a dangerous route, if you're travelling on it on foot, but as a princess, it seemed she got sent out on a suicide mission. There were a lot of people who may want to, either see the emperor dead, or at least his daughter.
In the end, the Oda were of almost no importance in the current court. Tashikeda intended to change that.
Sending out one of his retainers to protect the princess in the name of the Oda, that was the intended plan. However, it seemed only females could actually take part in this operation. The daimyo's only female retainer, who wasn't already busy, had indeed been Miyoshi Nagiha.
Nagiha had, since the daimyo personally briefed her about the situation, or at least, what he had heard so far, been extremely excited and felt honored to be the one to perform this task for her lord and master. During her travels, though, she realized, it wouldn't be easy to make the Oda shine brighter during that task.
Just walking up the the princess and claiming the Oda are gonna protect her, wasn't going to cut it. Nagiha had to completely rethink her approach. In the end, she decided for a more passive first impression and, when the right time had come, she'd reveal her actual task. Yes, this was what she planned to do.
According to her map, the convoy would have to pass through Oda lands, anyway, which would provide an excellent opportunity to show the hospitality of her clan.

Again, her view wandered around and stopped at the mountains in front of her. Behind them, the mighty capital of Kyoto, sometimes just called Kyo, lay. A city she had never seen before and even now, would probably not. [i]One day, one day,[i/] Nagiha promised herself,[i] I'm going to visit Kyoto.[/i]