Yes! Now is the time where I can finally talk about Gracia! :)
Tama Akechi was born in the 6th year of Eiroku (1563 A.D.), just when Christianity was rising in Japan. At the time of her birth, Tama's father, Mitsuhide Akechi, was 38 years of age and was teaching military arts in Echizen province. 4 years later, Tama's father would be drafted into the army of Nobunaga Oda, one of the three most famous warlords in this age of Japan. This change in her father's position would be very important to her future.
Tama's name meaned "Jewel." Her mother mother, Fuseya, named her this because she was the most beautiful baby she had ever seen. Fuseya was a model Japanese wife and was willing to share poverty and riches alike with her husband. She was not a Christian, so Tama did not learn about the Jesus from her mother or father. It is because of her mother though that Tama learned to have a strong will and self-control. This would help her through the many trials and hardships she would have to face in her life. Fuseya, for example, once sold her own hair to provide money for her family. That is quite a bit of dedication. The Akechi family would become rich when they joined with Nobunaga, but they still would live as if they were of average wealth.
On the other side of Tama's life, the Hosokawa family were the descendants of the Minamoto clan, the clan who first united Japan. Yoriyuki Hosokawa was the leader of the clan at the time and was a retainer of the current shogun. In 1573, when Tama was around 11 years old, Yoriyuki went to Mitsuhide Akechi for a favor. He wanted Mitsuhide to ask Nobunaga to take the shogun out of power. Nobunaga already had the idea the do this and took marched on Kyoto, the capital city. Nobunaga became the new shogun shortly after. In this battle against the shogun, Nobunaga Oda was helped by three famous followers. They were Mitsuhide, Hideyoshi Hashiba, and Yusai Hosokawa. Yusai Hosokawa was Yoriyuki's brother and a famous warrior and poet. His eldest son was named Tadaoki and was turned into a samurai at the age of ten, helping his father in the battle against the old shogun; Nobunaga praised Tadaoki that day over his ability to fight. Yusai and Mitsuhide met during the battle while becoming friends also started to form the idea of an arranged marriage between Tama and Tadaoki. Nobunaga approved the match and did everything in his power to hasten the match of the two families, so the Tama and Tadaoki were married in the 7th year of Tensho (1579 A. D.), when Tama was only around 17 years old. It was said by the people that the two were perfect for each other as Tadaoki's future was promising and Tama was clever and beautiful.
Tadaoki was very much devoted to his wife and Tama to her husband. Despite being an arranged marriage, the two truely loved each other and cared for each other. It was the perfect situation and their first son, Tadataka, was born to them a year or so later in Yamashiro province. This happy existence would not last long though. Their lives would be thrown into suffering and grief and it would all be because of Mitsuhide Akechi....
