“There’s always a splinter of truth in what Goshira says. That’s what scares me. He never lies, not completely. Yet, at the end, the dice always land exactly how he wants. Do you know why he wields the power he does?”
“He said he didn’t have any power,” she said. “He can only consult.”
“And the dice fall as they will?” Yora shook his head. “No. Once again, that is only halfway true… I cannot deny the Keishi are consolidating control. I worry that if something is to happen, the peace will be shattered and Seikiyo will drop all pretense and make a challenge to Goshira by virtue of his role as the grandfather to the crown prince, who lives under his roof. I fear he’ll take control of the capital by force. What do you think will happen to us then?”
“Then we will have to find our strength again,” Kai said. “We can do it, there are clans still loyal to us. They are in the east right now, gathering banners…”
“You take me for a coward.” Yora met her with a steely gaze. “And a fool. I know. I won’t challenge you, Kai, but I will say this: I’ve seen more revolutions than you have. And I warn you, that way will only lead to pain.”
“You’re afraid to act.”
“It’s not the Keishi I’m afraid of. Though it is true they may defeat us on the field. What I’m afraid of is all the people who will die. I’m afraid this will only curse our houses more than they already are.”
“I can’t simply sit here and do nothing,” Kai said. “I know you don’t want war. But I’m starting to think it’s going to happen whether we want it to or not.”
He massaged his fingers. “The demon-emperor didn’t start everything, you know. It goes much farther back than that. Some say it’s a curse of their greed, the Ten’in – their wickedness, and ours, for supporting them. A curse that hangs above us all.”
“What if we can try to find a way to break it?”
“I’ve been trying to break it for years,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ll succeed. Sometimes, I fear that everything just keeps getting worse and worse. But…” He attempted a smile, “maybe that’s just human nature. Come. Let us go inside.”
“We must do something,” she said.
“Kai,” he said gently, “do not act rashly. A misstep here will undo everything… We must be careful.”
“Until when, uncle! When?”
“Let us go inside,” he said again.
But she cursed and wheeled around, suddenly too confined on the bench. He would never turn against Seikiyo. She saw that now. Not on his own.He’s just trying to hold on to what he has. Nothing will change that, and in the end, Seikiyo will take it all.
Which is exactly what he wants, she thought.
I’ll have to do something myself.
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
Yora
Lady Hagane Keishi, wife of Emperor Ashihara, was known as the “Steel Princess” for her discerning mind and powerful will. At twenty-four, she was the youngest of Seikiyo’s children, the only daughter after his four sons. Shigemune died in the War of the Morning and the Night; Shigeo was next in line. The younger brothers, mumbling Shosei and fiery Seichi, managed the family’s estates in the west, at Isawa by the inland sea.
Hagane had the confidence of royalty, and the unshakeable air that made people uncomfortable at seeing a woman who didn’t act like she hated herself. She was tall, with a broad face, strong shoulders and a frame that gave the impression of careless strength, an ease in her own skin that most warriors could only dream of. She was nothing like the other nobles, with their waifish, airy class; her father, being the lord Keishi, gave her a fighter’s attitude and her life in the capital had given her a politician’s shrewd mind. She stood nearly as tall as Yora and likely weighed more than he did; her daring, wide-open eyes and her subtle smile gave an impression of vigor that made him feel dull and sleepy in comparison.There’s a reason, he mused,why people call her the most beautiful woman in the capital.Like her father, every breath she took radiated power.She’s not one to take lightly.
“Lord poet,” she said in a trained, melodious voice from behind the paper screen. “Welcome.”
A messenger had arrived that morning, requesting his presence to meetHagane and her son, the newborn prince, Noriyasu. As with all noble births, they were in his mother’s family’s house, the Keishi residence, also known as the House of Waves, on the sixth street from the palace.
“Lady,” he said. “It is good to see you again. It’s been far too long.”
“I had hoped this would not be necessary,” she said, “but it seems that time has passed. Thank you for coming here.” Hagane moved, silhouetted by the screen. “I hear you are hunting traitors, lord, for my father.”
“I serve the peace,” he said.
“Well, you are renowned for your loyalty and your moral uprightness, as all in the empire know,” she said. “But I will get to the point. We need your help.”
At this, the door slid open. Lady Yoshiko, wife of the chancellor and Hagane’s mother, entered and sat quietly, austere and regal, in her place beside the wall. His student Yaeko had told him how she ruled her house with a hand as harsh and stern as the one her husband used to rule the realm, and he could see it in her now: Yoshiko, with her silences, her trained voice like a flute, seemed to emanate nothing but control. Defy an order from the lady of the House of Waves, he thought, or her daughter the Steel Princess, and you would find yourself in dire straits.
“You have heard of the tensions in our family,” she began.
