I looked at Satoshi, at his weathered face and worried eyes. He served my father for forty years. He was my uncle and had known Kioshi—and me—since birth. This had to be as hard for him as it was for me, perhaps more so, but I could not let sentiment dictate policy.
Not in that moment.
“Two days, Grand Minister,” I said quietly. “The full Imperial rites, performed correctly and with all appropriate reverence, but in two days. See that it is done.”
Satoshi held my gaze for a long moment, and I saw something shift in his expression. It wasn’t agreement exactly, but perhaps . . . understanding?
He bowed deeply. “Hai,Heika.”
I nodded once, then turned away before anyone could see my composure crack. I strode toward the side exit of the chamber, the one that led to the private Imperial corridors, my footsteps echoing on the polished floor.
“Heika—” Rei began behind me.
I raised one hand without turning, a gesture that said clearly,We are finished here. You have your orders.
The door closed behind me, muffling the sounds of the chamber: the rustle of armor as the generals bowed and the quiet murmur of voices as they began to disperse.
Only when I was alone with no one to see did I let my trembling hand come up to cover my face.
Chapter 17
Haru
The moment the weight of the heavy ceremonial outer robe left my shoulders, I groaned in relief. How had Father worn these layers every single day without complaint? Thekimonoalone weighed more than chain mail, and that was before adding the stiff shoulder boards, the embroidered belt that felt like armor around my waist, and the ceremonial sword that served no purpose except to make sitting down an exercise in graceless geometry.
“Almost finished,Heika,” my chamber servant murmured, her ancient hands deftly untying the complex knots of the inner sash. She had been doing this since I was a child—helping me dress, undress, making sure I looked every inch the Imperial Prince, now the Imperial Emperor. Her constant presence was a piece of solid earth amid the shifting plates of our world. “Just the under-robe and—”
My mind barely registered her words.
It was still spinning.
It had been spinning since I left the council chamber hours ago.
The orders I had given—were they right? Paying mountain villagers instead of securing them by force seemed logical in the moment, but what if Yamada was right? What if they took the rice and betrayed us anyway? What if my first major decision as Emperor led to—
Stop.
I had made my decision. Second-guessing now would accomplish nothing.
But what about Takayama? Should I have sent more explicit orders? Should I have—
“There we are,Heika.” The maid folded the last layer of under-robe with practiced efficiency, placing it on the shelf with the others. “Will you be needing anything else before—”
The door slid open.
I looked up, expecting theDai Shogunor Grand Minister with more terrible news.
To my relief, it was Esumi who slipped through the gap, closing the door behind him with a soft click.
The maid’s eyes widened, but to her credit, she did not falter, dropping into an immediate bow before me.
“Thank you, Moko,” I said, trying to inject some authority into my voice despite being caught in nothing but my sleeping robe. “Please leave us now.”
“Of course. Pleasant dreams,Heika.” She scurried toward the door, not quite running but close, shooting one last side-eyed glance at Esumi before disappearing into the corridor.
The moment the door closed, I collapsed onto the bed face-first, letting out a moan that would have horrified every protocol instructor I had ever had.
“That good of a day?” Esumi’s voice held a hint of amusement.
