The Twelve Kingdoms: A Thousand Leagues of Wind

options."
    "But why do I have to be the only one? After all this time!"
    Suzu collapsed to the floor, her expectations thoroughly dashed. And I thought they were good people. I thought they were nice. If I had to live here and serve them, who knows how bad it would get.
    They didn't know what it was like, the agony of getting swept away from your country, to a strange place where you didn't know your left from your right. Growing up here, they couldn't possibly understand what she was going through.
    "If there is some other course you wish to take, tell me now. If it is within my power, I'll see what I can do to help you."
    What's she asking me this now for? Suzu bit her lip and raised her tear-streaked face. "I want . . . I want to see the Royal Kei."
    Kouko bent closer to her. "The Royal Kei?"
    "I want to meet her, see what she's like. She was born in Yamato like me."
    Ah, Kouko said under her breath, knitting her brows.
    "We're fellow countrywomen. The Royal Kei would understand me, I know it. The Royal Sai doesn't. Not even Sairin understands me. Nobody born in this world understands what I've gone through."
    The Royal Kei wouldn't treat her like this. She'd have heartfelt concern and sympathy for her. She'd surely help her.
    While Kouko mulled it over, Suzu said, "I know the Royal Kei is just as lonely as I am, is just as sad and homesick. People here don't feel sorry for you. Only somebody from Yamato like I am could understand how bad it's been."
    "I have no acquaintance with the Royal Kei, so I cannot accommodate your request directly. However, I can provide you with traveling expenses and papers of transit." Suzu's face lit up. Kouko looked down at her naive countenance with a slightly pained expression. "So go and see what comes of it. You certainly have nothing to lose from the experience."
    "Thank you! Thank you so much!"
    "There is one thing, however, that I wish you to remember," said Kouko, peering at the girl's tear-streaked face, now flushed and smiling. "When it comes to living a life, happiness is only the half of it. Suffering is the rest."
    "Huh?"
    "Happy people are not those whose lives are well-blessed. Happy people are those who keep their hearts in good cheer."
    Suzu couldn't figure out for the life of her why Kouko was telling her this.
    "Child of Yamato, in the end, the only thing that truly brings us happiness is the effort we expend to put suffering behind us and the effort we make to become happy."
    Suzu nodded. "Sure. Okay." Well, of course. She had fought hard for her happiness and the result was being freed from Riyou. Now she was going to meet the Royal Kei. "I won't let adversity defeat me," she said with a smile. "I've gotten used to hardships. I've got enough patience to endure to the end."
    Kouko looked away, her face tinged with sorrow.

Chapter 19
    A long with the Koushi and other upcoming festivals of the midwinter solstice, a giddy atmosphere once again enveloped Kinpa Palace. At the height of the celebrations, an incident shook the capital. A large cache of weapons was discovered at the home of Taisai, head of the Ministry of Heaven.
    "Weapons?"
    The report was delivered in the middle of the night by Daishikou, the head of the Ministry of Fall. Youko stood there dumbstruck.
    "It appears as if preparations were being made for a coup."
    They had been stockpiling weapons with the intent of assassinating her, the empress.
    "We were informed by a number of Taisai's retainers, who rushed to the Ministry of Fall to warn us. Not believing it ourselves, we retraced their steps and found the cache of weapons. We later took ten mercenaries into custody at Taisai's villa in Gyouten."
    Undoubtedly, Taisai had shown himself to be the least satisfied with her. He often clashed with Chousai Seikyou, and it was widely rumored that Youko deferred to Seikyou at every opportunity. But that it would come down to regicide horrified her. Even knowing full well that the bureaucracy by and large still did not accept her, she had no idea that they hated her enough to amass weapons and attempt an assassination.
    "Oh," she said.
    "We were able to arrest them before the plan could be carried out. Because the ministry Taisai heads is responsible for the operations of the palace, particularly the inner palace, officials serving Your Highness are mostly already in custody. If any of them are found to be bearing weapons and are involved in the plot, how shall we deal with them?"
    Youko could do nothing more