“There is one more.” He hesitates. “Do you remember the state visit we have planned for January?”
“The one in Ireland?” I ask, reaching for my iced latte. I take a small sip, expecting him to ask me to join him. With Rei in the UK, I’m sure he’d like the whole family to put in an appearance.
“Yes,” he says.
“What about it?”
“We’ve run into a little hiccup. It looks like I’m not going to be cleared to travel for a while after New Year’s. It seems we may have to postpone or cancel it.”
I sit bolt upright. A shiver shoots down my spine. “Papa?” My voice comes out slow and tight. My father isn’t a man who’d just cancel a visit. “What’s wrong?”
“Relax. It’s nothing serious,” Papa assures me, his voice steady. “Just that old disk in my back. It’s been bothering me again, and your mother has finally convinced me to have it dealt with once and for all. I’m booked in for surgery in December. The recovery should be straightforward, but it means no standing for long periods and certainly no flying.”
I let out a long breath, the immediate panic for his health subsiding, only to be replaced by a different kind of dread. “I’m glad you’re taking care of it,” I say softly, though the knot in my stomach refuses to loosen.
“As am I,” Papa replies. “But it does leave us with the matter of Ireland.”
“Is Uncle Kenji not available?” I ask.
My father’s brother is the crown prince and normally the first person the Imperial Household Agency taps to step in for Papa when he isn’t available for a diplomatic event.
“No. It’s the same week as the Pacific Rim Economic Forum in Singapore.”
“What about Cousin Hisashi?” Uncle Kenji’s only son. Third in line to the throne is the next most obvious backup.
“He’s preparing for university entrance exams,” Papa says.
Translation—Hisashi will be welded to a desk, trying to earn his way into the University of Tokyo—the Japanese equivalent of Harvard or MIT.
“So that leaves . . .”
“You,” Papa finishes.
I’ve attended state dinners before, and of course appeared at low-stakes events, but this is in a different league altogether. It’s international. And it would mean me acting as the head of state’s representative with the world watching.
“You’d need to be available for three days,” Papa continues, as if he’s asking me to pop over for tea. “Two in Dublin and one in Galway. There’s a dinner with the president, a few cultural engagements, and a tour of the embassy’s new expansion. Nothing you can’t manage.”
My stomach twists. It’s August now, which gives me a few months to prepare—but that doesn’t make the knot loosen.
By January, will I even have enough vacation time accrued? Or am I supposed to walk into Anya’s office and say something like,Hello, I need extra time off after the holidays. Also, minor detail—I’m a member of the Japanese imperial family and I’ve been asked to represent my father on a state visit to Ireland. Is that going to be a problem?
The mere thought of it makes me lightheaded. I’d have to blow my cover and undo everything I’ve built here in America. Everything I’ve worked so hard to be on my own terms.
But then I remember who’s asking. Not just Papa—it’s the emperor. I am reminded of my duty and the ancient obligation that flows through my blood as a Japaneseprincess. When the head of state asks for your participation, you don’t say no, you simply answer the call.
I chew at my lip, forcing myself to think practically. If I frame it as a family obligation early in the new year, maybe as something that was already on the calendar before I started at Excelsior, it might not raise too many questions. If I stay vague, no one has to know where I’m really going. Or what I’m doing. It’s not a lie. Technically speaking.
“Okay, Papa,” I say softly, even as nerves spark in my chest.
“I knew I could count on you.” His tone is warm and proud. “I’ll inform the Imperial Household Agency.”
The line goes quiet for a moment before we say our goodbyes, but his words linger long after the call ends.
I set my phone down on the table and stare at the black screen of my laptop. I’ve faced plenty of challenges already—moving to a new country, college, a new job. But this is different.
I hope I can handle it.
The weekwithout Theo is uneventful. Soon, it’s Friday again.
