First off, I really like this story but I have to point out an inaccuracy. Geisha are not whores, contrary to what has been presented in certain Hollywood movies. They are entertainers -- they don't have sex with their clients.

In fact, during the Edo period, geisha were forbidden from having sex with clients. Prostitution was legal during this time, and professional prostitutes, at the time, were required to have a license -- one geisha were not allowed to have.

In reality, being sent to a geisha house wouldn't be so bad.

Oiran are what we would consider high class whores or courtesans, though they do share some things in common with Geisha. Like Geisha, an Oiran learned dances and songs, but unlike Geisha, an Oiran's client expected sex. Oiran, like all prostitutes -- high class or no--, were licensed by the government.

It's to be noted that Oiran were as respected as Geisha, and their services weren't easily bought -- only the most wealthy daimyo could afford a high ranking Oiran. In fact, Geisha were actually more accessible and soon surpassed Oiran in popularity.

In any event, I just wanted to mention this, as you mentioned a whorehouse in the story, and I figured I'd be an unbearable know-it-all.

Take the advice or ignore it, but keep writing! You're doing a fantastic job! (After all, not all of us can be history nerds. ^_~)