The Twelve Kingdoms: A Thousand Leagues of Wind

scales in favor of his critics. Koukan was relieved on his authority, taken into custody and was now awaiting sentencing.
    Shouryuu listened to Youko explanation and shook his head. "So that's what it's come to."
    "The court officials are sticking to their guns. Keiki has repudiated their handling of the case. And so everything is up in the air. The word is they'll give him a sinecure and put him out to pasture and sweep the whole affair under the rug."
    "You speak of it as if it were somebody's else's problem."
    Youko managed a thin smile and didn't answer.
    Shouryuu said, "Getting a handle on the Imperial Court is always a challenge for a new king. But you've got to know when to take it easy, too. You ride everybody hard all the time and your fair-weather friends will start thinking up with ways to bite back. Backbiting is always the easy first step."
    "So it is."
    "If they're the type who will back down when the king turns up the heat, then don't make a big deal out of it. In any case, you want to keep things in proportion."
    "Was it hard for you starting out?"
    "You might say. There's no need try and hurry things along. With a king on the throne, the natural disasters and calamities will abate. By that alone, you are performing a great service."
    "But that alone won't do."
    "Why do you think kings are given such long lives? Because what needs to be done can't be done in fifty years or so. You're not working against a deadline, so pace yourself."
    Youko nodded. "But you must have things that weigh on your mind."
    "You mean the things that make your head hurt just thinking about? There's no end to them."
    "Oh, great."
    "If you didn't have any problems, you wouldn't have anything to do. It'd get boring." So said this king, who had ruled his kingdom for five hundred years. With a tone of voice somewhere between sarcasm and self-mockery, he added, "And if it did, I'd probably destroy En just to see what happened next."

Chapter 8
    " S ay, do you think maybe Youko's getting a little down in the dumps?"
    The water in the lake was warm. Rokuta took off his shoes and sat down on the shore and splashed around with his feet. Rakushun sat down next to him.
    "It's hardly surprising that you would come to that conclusion."
    Rakushun glanced over his shoulder at Rokuta. He'd thought he was the only one this had occurred to.
    "Yeah. I have to wonder if Youko and Keiki are getting along."
    "Don't be silly."
    "But you hardly ever see them together."
    "That's true." Rokuta rested his chin on his hands. "It could be that Keiki's just uncomfortable around guys like us. That's why we never see him. Shouryuu and I being the way we are, you know. We're not the kind of company that a super-serious guy like Keiki wants to hang with. And then you have to consider that he and Youko got off to a pretty shaky start."
    "You think so?"
    "Like I said, a super-serious guy. If Youko was all kicked-back like Shouryuu, they'd probably be at loggerheads already. But Youko taking herself pretty seriously as well, Keiki just keeps himself busy as a bee. Not to mention that Youko is Keiki's second liege."
    "How's that factor in?"
    "It factors in all over the place. When you've served two kings, you can't help comparing the two. You invest a lot of yourself in your first king. No matter what, the next one's going to take some getting used to. For example, even if the previous king was a bad man and his reign short-lived, the kirin's going to regret it. It's going to stick with him. No doubt it would have been better had Youko been a boy."
    Rakushun exhaled. "Probably so."
    "Youko can't help but remind him of the Late Empress Yo-ou. On top of that, there's his straight-laced personality, and the man doesn't exactly have a way with words. Makes him hard to read. Not to mention that hardly any time has passed."
    Rakushun brought to mind Keiki's brusk, blunt manner, his expressionless face, his limpid, golden hair. Golden hair was particular to kirin, but comparing Rokuta and Keiki, their hair was each golden in its own way. Rokuta's hair was more of a bright yellow, while Keiki's was a colder, translucent color. It almost seemed an extension of his personality.
    Rokuta laughed brightly. "One way or another, I'm sure Youko will make it work."
    Rakushun nodded. "I'm sure she will."

    Youko glanced at Rakushun and Rokuta, sitting there at the water's edge, absorbed in conversation. She said in a low voice, "I still don't get this place."
    Shouryuu responded