by Fuyumi Ono
By Risai's calculations, she had arrived at an antechamber of the conservatory. The conservatory, or Ka-den, was separated from the Chouraku-den by a wooded park. The park was quite large. Furthermore, a wall had been erected down the center separating the Imperial living quarters from the conservatory. To get from the one to the other thus required going around the park.
Risai couldn't help wondering how long that wall had been in place. She found it a depressing sight. No matter how cordially she was treated, she knew she'd never be permitted to enter the Imperial living quarters. She'd only gotten this far thanks to the remarkable forbearance of the Daiboku.
What remaining strength she had was draining from her legs. Even supported by Koshou, she could barely stay on her feet. She risked toppling over at any moment. Perhaps observing this, Koshou said, "Why don't you sit down?"
Risai shook her head. She could not behave any more discourteously than she already had. The realization that she was in no condition to meet the ruler of any kingdom weighed heavily upon her. The necessity of her actions notwithstanding, breaking through the Forbidden Gate itself was an offense deserving of the death penalty. She resolved that should not add to her sins now. If she could not draw the line on her dignity at some minimum point, then the entirety of her purpose for coming here would lose all meaning.
She planted herself firmly on the floor. The retainer who'd gone ahead of Koshou returned and whispered something in his ear. Though Koshou was still holding Risai erect and only a foot at most separated them, she couldn't understand what the retainer was saying. For the past few minutes, a low ringing in her ears jumbled all the sounds she heard.
Where was the Empress? Had she even left her living quarters? Was she changing her clothes before meeting Risai? How long was Risai going to have to wait here?
These thoughts burning in her mind, she saw Koshou and the others turn their attention towards the door. Through the open doorway she observed a group of retainers and court ladies advancing along the corridor that faced the inner courtyard. The retainers in the room cleared the pathway to the door and bowed their heads. Risai felt her expectations rising.
But no noblewoman appeared in the midst of the coterie, nor did they appear to be leading a royal processional. At the head of the group was a young woman wearing the ordinary court dress of a government clerk or minor lady-in-waiting. She entered the room at a brisk pace.
There were no signs of anybody else coming. Risai clung to Koshou, standing on tiptoe as she searched the corridor behind them.
Her vision grew dim. She channeled all her energy into her left arm and dug her fingers into Koshou's shoulder but felt her knees buckling. How many more footsteps did the Empress have to take until she arrived? It shouldn't be long now. Each footstep was a battle against time.
Please come.
The young court lady reached out her hand. Feeling her touch, Risai glanced at her. The brilliance of the girl's scarlet hair practically burned her retinas. Her green eyes etched their surprising vividness onto her mind.
"Koshou, why won't she lie down?" the girl asked, offering her own shoulder to support Risai's right arm. The girl continued, "My name is Youko. I am the Empress of Kei."
Startled by the clarity in her voice, Risai turned her head to look at her. The girl said, "Rest assured that I shall take into consideration all the circumstances that brought you here. But for the time being, let's get you to bed."
The energy left her arms. Risai fell to the floor. Still, she managed to twist her body into a kowtow. "I have come here to most humbly beg a favor of the Empress."
"Oh, there's no need to abase yourself so," the Empress said, kneeling next to Risai.
Risai raised her eyes. "Please. I beg of you. Please save the Kingdom of Tai!"
The Empress's fixed her gaze on Risai, her emerald-green eyes filling with evident surprise.
"I know that what I am asking of the Empress of Kei is well beyond the bounds of reason. But we are already--"
Risai choked off the rest of the sentence. The Kingdom of Tai floated in the midst of the Kyokai, isolated off its northeast coast from the rest of the continent. It was a cold country, completely frozen over during the winter. But there remained the people of Tai. Six years before a new king had ascended the throne. Then, not long after the onset of the New Year, he was lost.
Without the king to intercede, the divine protection of Heaven was lost as well. Tai became an island jail, beset by calamities and harried by youma.
"The people of Tai lack the means to save themselves. Youma multiply along the coasts. Fleeing the country has become impossible. Nothing can survive in Tai."
All the rage and grief stored in her heart for so long burst forth and lodged in her throat in a cold, hard mass, choking off her breath.
"The king was driven from the palace by treasonous rebels. No one knows where he and the Taiho now are or how they are faring." Risai flung herself at Youko's feet, pressing her forehead to the floor. "The Hakuchi has not fallen from his roost!"
The king was not dead, the fate of Tai not yet sealed.
"Please--" But there was no air left in her lungs. She tried to inhale. Her throat clamped shut. Her breath whistled uselessly from her mouth. Black spots bloomed ominously before her eyes, swelling and plunging her into total darkness. All she could hear was the sharp buzzing in her ears.
Please help us, she intended to say. She could not be certain whether the words left her mouth.
Chapter 4
Risai's ears were still ringing.
No, she thought, it was the sound of the wind. The freezing winter wind of Tai whistled outside the door. This winter had been unusually harsh. The strong, swirling gusts cut through the body like cold, sharp knives. Exposed to the moaning, howling wind, the trees and mountains and rivers froze solid white.
The rivers iced over and the snow piled up. Drifts accumulated on the roads and highways, covering the hard ground beneath a frigid blanket. Strong winds scoured the surface, whipping up biting curtains of white.
Orphaned from the continent, the Kingdom of Tai sat alone in the Kyokai. During the winter, stabbing winds blew in from the northern seas. The towns and hamlets crouched beneath the snow, the windows and doors of the houses boarded shut.
In the small spaces within, separated from the outside air by layer upon layer of protection, glowed a small, warm fire. The people huddled together, shoulder to shoulder, sharing that small portion of the warmth--small indeed compared to the weather outside--among each other.
The flames of the fire, the mutual body heat, the steam rising from the kettle on the brazier--these too were freely shared with the shivering stranger who ducked in from the snow-covered roads. Though harsh and demanding, Tai winters were also filled with warmth.
And sometimes they took on the shape and form of brightly-colored flowers, Risai thought as she observed the figure of a child bounding towards her.
"Risai, here--" he said, handing her a bunch of red and yellow flowers.
In the cool room, barely illuminated by the weak rays of the sun, the flowers were like bright, warm candles. The sound of the wind coursed through the walls. The Tai winter had just begun, so the mountains and fields were only thinly dusted with snow.
Such brilliant flowers could hardly be expected to bloom this time of year. Surprised, Risai turned to her benefactor. The smile of the child grasping a bouquet of flowers bigger than his own face was brighter and warmer than the flowers themselves.
"Congratulations. I was so happy to hear you'd be promoted to a general of the Provincial Guard." Relating this news with his beaming smile was Taiki. He was still ten years old at the time.
"These are for me?"
"Of course. I asked Gyousou-sama for them and he got them for me," the young Saiho said with a bashful nod. "Back in Yamato, where I'm from, we give people flowers in celebration. I was told it's not really done here, but I wanted to give Risai a bouquet. Since you've barely moved in,
I thought the flowers would look all the nicer."
"Well--" smiled Risai.
They were sitting in the parlor of her brand new official residence. Only a month had passed since the enthronement of the new King, Gyousou. Risai was appointed general of the Zui Provincial Guard of the Center and had just moved to her living quarters in Hakkei Palace.
The Saiho was second in importance to the kingdom only after the king. At the same time he was the Province Lord of Zui, where Risai now resided, and commanded its forces. She was delighted and honored that he would visit her personally like this.
A retainer arranged the flowers and placed them on a shelf in the parlor. That alone made the room so much brighter and warmer. Though having only just arrived and not yet used to her surroundings, she sensed that might still make this residence her own.
"I'm really grateful. I'm truly blessed to have the Taiho take such a kindly interest in me."
"Me too. I'm still a kid and I don't understand a thing about all this government and the military stuff. That's why you becoming general of the Provincial Army is so reassuring." The Saiho plopped himself into a big chair and bowed his head. "I, um, look forward to working with you."
"Please, the Saiho really shouldn't be bowing head to the likes of me."
None exceeded the rank of Saiho except the King himself. It was impossible to imagine that he should normally bow to a mere Provincial Guard general such as herself.
"Well, I'm not kowtowing. I'm simply being polite. So it's okay. I know it's considered out of order, but it's become something of a habit. Gyousou-sama says it is what it is and I shouldn't get worked up about it. So neither should you, I think."
"All right then," said Risai, suppressing a smile.
This small Saiho was born in another world. The word was that he was born and raised in Yamato, the legendary kingdom found at the furthest reaches of the eastern seas. This accounted for some of his more eccentric mannerisms, though Risai found them rather endearing. He was kind and warm and gentle.
"I've got a lot more, you know," Taiki said to Risai with a bright smile. "We've got something of an oversupply in the flower department. Headmaster Seirai has a whole bunch of celebrations planned, but I couldn't wait so I brought them here."
When Gyousou was a general, Seirai had been his aide-de-camp. Following the change in government, he was put in charge of Taiki's education, and at the same time served as the Minister-in-Chief of Zui Province. Though he was a good-natured person, among the bureaucrats serving under Gyousou he was renown as one of the best and the brightest.
"Seirai and I really wracked our brains about what would be best way to celebrate. Gyousou-sama said that I could take whatever I liked from the Imperial Repository, but that just made deciding all the worse. There's so much stuff there it makes your eyes spin."
"Oh, you shouldn't waste such things on me!"
"Gyousou-sama said he didn't care. He said to choose some to send on his own behalf as well. It's Gyousou-sama's share and Seirai's share and my share too. So don't be too surprised."
Risai looked at the brimming, cheerful countenance of the small kirin, feelings of thankfulness filling her heart. "I really have been blessed with great fortune."
She was truly happy. With the King and Saiho extending their best wishes to her in such a manner, a new future reached out before her. The Imperial Court would quickly be put in order and the people of Tai would welcome their new King. All their futures seemed bright and inviting.
The kingdom and the people would prosper and be happy. To the bottom of her heart Risai was certain it would be so. Not in her darkest nightmares could she imagine that in a few short months all her dreams would turn to dust.
Her noble visitor left at least this room of her residence glowing with a warm light, while outside the cold winds blew. The light surrounding Risai vanquished the shadows. But she couldn't forget the storm brewing beyond the door. A storm that froze everything it touched: the kingdom, the hills and dales, the streets and cities. The people.
There could be no doubt about the sound of the wind that day, bearing the piercing cold on its back, availing itself of every opportunity to extend the reach of its icy touch. The whirling, howling wind seeped inside the ears and played its discordant song.
Enveloped in the festive spirits, Risai was not aware of the wind. But here and there in her new home, the coldness hung in the corners and clung to the walls. Her feet were long to warm and the chill bit at her fingers. Her limbs were heavy with numbness, her senses distant. The only sensation alive in her was the raw, cutting cold.
Like now. She was so very, very cold. She was freezing to death, along with the kingdom and its people.
I'm so cold--
"Are you awake?" a voice asked cautiously.
Or that's what she thought she heard. Concentrating with all her might, she managed to crack open her heavy, cold eyelids. Through the dark shadows of her eyelashes appeared the worried face of a girl.
"Oh, good," the girl said.
The girl pressed something cold against her face. A chill shook her from the marrow of her bones. The icy thing causing it was pressed against her face. That's right--she was--
"The Empress--" Risai muttered, coming back to herself. She probably didn't even hear her own self say it. She opened her eyes wider and searched the face of the girl. She saw no sign of that brilliant red hair.
"Please rest. You're in no condition to get up."
Only when the girl cautioned her did Risai realize she was attempting to get out of bed.
But I'm still alive.
The girl pressed her cool palm over Risai's hand. The cool touch of her skin relieved her mightily. So chilled and so cold, yet the girl's icy hands felt so pleasant.
The girl rested her gaze on Risai and said slowly and deliberately, "You've gotten here in one piece. Her Majesty will meet with you whenever she can. So take it easy and close your eyes."
"But--I--"
"It's okay. It's okay. Go back to sleep, okay?"
The girl took Risai's hand in her own and placed it against Risai's throat. There she folded Risai's fingers around a round object resting against the hollow of her throat. It was even colder than the girl's hand and engendered within her an even stronger sense of relief. Then she finally understood that her body was burning up, arousing the pain of fevers and chills.
"You really must rest. You'll be fine. Youko won't forget about you."
Youko, Risai repeated to herself. Her tongue felt like it was sticking to the roof of her mouth.
"She's not here right now, but she's repeatedly stopped by to see how you're doing. She really is concerned about you. You've got nothing to worry about. You're going to be all right."
Instead of nodding, all Risai could do was relax her brows. Her eyelids closed of their own accord. She heard the sound of the wind. But whether this was the sound of the winter wind raging at the door or simply the sound of the roaring in her ears--
This is no time to sleep, Risai told herself.
"If I am unable to meet with the Royal Kei--"
"Risai, anything but that!" The voice mingling with the sound of the wind was suffused with grief and heartbreak. In her mind's eye, woman's face pulled into focus, on the verge of tears. "What a wretched and cowardly thing to do!"
"Yes it is," Risai said, turning to face the empty air and nodding her head. I know the awfulness of what I am doing, Kaei.
Chapter 5
"The new king ascended the Tai throne some seven years ago this fall. The king's name is Saku Gyousou."
The matter-of-fact voice echoed around the room. They were in a building called the Sekisui-dai, a section of the library found at the very back of the Inner Palace. Though not to the same extent as the world below, the heavy heat particular to the Gyouten summer stagnated in the snug room.
The rear windows faced a rock wall covered with moss and ferns. A delicate, white waterfall tumbled down the wall to a small, clear
lake spreading out below the balcony, dappled with the sunlight streaming through the greenery. The sound of water mingled with the songs of the birds floated on a cool breeze through the open windows.
"He served under the previous monarch as General of the Regiment of the Left in the Palace Guard. He served with loyalty and distinction and was loved and respected by both his soldiers and the people of the region, sufficient that his fame spread to other kingdoms. Almost as soon as the previous government collapsed, that General Saku should be the next king was widely rumored about."
"He sounds like a remarkable person," Youko said in admiration, a touch of envy in her voice.
"Indeed," agreed Chousai Koukan, Minister-in-Chief of the Rikkan. "Following the demise of the late king, he continued to prop up the Imperial Court. Everybody had high expectations for him. As soon as the Yellow Flag was raised, he journeyed to the Yellow Sea and made the pilgrimage to Mt. Hou. There he was anointed by Taiki and acceded to the throne. He's been called a hyoufuu king."
"A hyoufuu king?"
"Meaning the whirlwind king. He was chosen from among the first pilgrims traveling to Mt. Hou for the shouzan."
The kirin chose the king. Or rather, it was through the kirin that the Mandate of Heaven was expressed. The kirin were born and raised on Mt. Hou in the center of the world. When a kirin became old enough to choose the king, a flag was raised at the temple in the middle of the kingdom. All those desiring to be king journeyed to the Yellow Sea and set forth to Mt. Hou. There they met with the kirin, who ascertained the Divine Will on their behalf. This was called the shouzan, meaning the "ascension of the mountain."
"He was a king who ascended the throne like a sudden squall. It's said that a rain squall doesn't last the morning, and a raging heat quickly cools. Some also say that a whirlwind king will be a strong oak or a leaf in the wind. One or the other."
