The Twelve Kingdoms: A Thousand Leagues of Wind

Province. Shoukou's got the protection of the province lord. That's why he has a free rein. The Marquis is no less a beast than Shoukou. The only difference between them is, as villains go, Gahou is not as blind as Shoukou to appearances."
    "I see."
    "The Late Empress Yo-o made Gahou Marquis of Wa. She was not competent enough to withstand him, and so he purchased it with his flattery. Protests were lodged, appeals were made, arms were raised in resistance, but she continued to indulge him."
    "That's awful."
    "Even after the Empress acceded to the throne, he was left in power. There are those who don't believe he enjoys the support of the Empress, but it's not hard to believe. It was thanks to her that the Marquis of Baku was dismissed."
    "The Marquis of Baku?"
    Koshou stared up at the sky above the small courtyard. "The Marquis of the province to the west of Ei Province. The Marquis of Baku was greatly admired by his people. He is rumored to have been a wise and knowledgeable ruler. This past summer, before the Empress had claimed the throne, a pretender arose and cast the kingdom into turmoil. He resisted her to the very end."
    "And for that he was dismissed? While Gahou and Shoukou remain?"
    Koshou nodded. "Many people have their doubts about the Empress. None of us understand why the Marquis would be dismissed while Gahou is left where he is. On the other hand, the coronation was only recently. She may not be able to do anything about it."
    Suzu sloshed the wash water out of the pail. "Doesn't seem to be much difference between this empress and the last one."
    "Maybe so." Koshou gave her a good long look. "What exactly did you have in mind for the Royal Kei?"
    Suzu averted her gaze. Koshou took a surprised breath. "You are one to act without thinking. Did you really have it in mind to go charging into Kinpa Palace? There's no way you could have pulled that off."
    "You'll never know if you don't try."
    Koshou pushed himself off the edge of the well and leaned over next to her. "That kid died in a bad way."
    Suzu looked back at him, then looked at her hands.
    "I hate to say it, but you can find unfortunate kids like that everywhere. They're hardly rare in this kingdom. This is a kingdom still in chaos. There are tragedies all over the place."
    "Yeah. I know," Suzu said with a sigh. "I'm a kaikyaku."
    "Yes," Koshou acknowledged with his eyes.
    "I was thrown into this world where I could never go home again, I didn't understand what anybody said. I was truly pitiful."
    "Yeah."
    "But I wasn't truly pitiful. Compared to Seishuu, I was really lucky. I didn't understand that and kept on feeling sorry for myself and insisted on bringing Seishuu all the way here."
    "You shouldn't blame yourself like that."
    Suzu shook her head. "I was really lucky. Oh, I've been in a tight spot or two, but a little patience and a backbone were all I needed. I never imagined someone like Shoukou causing so much suffering for so many people. I really can't stand myself now." She laughed. "It was really a temper tantrum. Instead of taking it out on myself, I tried taking it out on Shoukou. Like Sekki said, I really do hate myself. But--" she said, raising her head, "we can't let Shoukou be, can we?"
    "No, we can't."
    "I don't know about the rest of the kingdom, but Shisui is an accursed place and the people here suffer because of it. I want to make it so nobody suffers like that anymore. I want to make it so nobody ever dies the way Seishuu died."
    "I understand."
    "The fact is, I don't trust myself. I don't trust what my own pain and bitterness are telling me to do. But if you and Sekki hate Shoukou enough to want him dead, then it is okay for me to hate him, too?"
    "Yeah . . . sure." With a shrug, the big man crouched down next to the well and sighed, self-effacing smile coming to his lips. "To tell the truth, I don't get it myself."
    "Eh?"
    "If you can put something painful behind you, it's over. But being alive means there'll be no end to bad things happening. Still, worrying about every little thing gets you nowhere. Good things happen, too. Forget the bad and you can enjoy the good. You gotta keep putting one foot ahead of the other."
    Suzu nodded and Koshou continued. "Honestly, I don't understand government and politics, complicated stuff like that. Whether or not Shoukou is a decent governor, I'm not one to say. Same with Gahou, same with the Marquis of Baku. Maybe Shoukou has some importance to the government. Maybe even a guy like