The Twelve Kingdoms: Dreaming of Paradise

members of Kouto, entered the Imperial Court in his relative youth. With their ideals guiding them, they had banded together to fight the downfall of the kingdom. Shuka was well aware of their temperaments. The trust they placed in the new king and the expectations they had for the new court were reflections of their own hopes and aspirations. They couldn't bring themselves to admit aloud that things could have gone so badly.
    They grasped the situation from the look on Shuka's face alone. Their countenances filled with bitter mortification. Those who had risen to their feet sat down again in exhausted resignation. The silence filled with strained sighs. One of them finally arose and in a low voice urged them to leave. It was Shuka's husband, Eishuku, the Chousai.
    "Sitting here won't accomplish anything. We have confirmed the truth of what we needed to know. With these doubts settled, we must think seriously about how to address it." He looked at the rest of the Rikkan, who appeared too drained to even raise their voices in reply. "What's to be gained from giving up? Now is the time for us to roll up their sleeves and get to work."
    In response to Eishuku's scolding, the members of the Rikkan nodded. With pensive faces, they got to their feet and shuffled from the room, leaving Shuka and Eishuku behind. Eishuku finally departed as well, with Shuka hurrying to keep up.
    He asked in a low voice, "Do you think she will recover?"
    "That—of course—"
    —is a forgone conclusion, she wanted to answer, but couldn't force the words out of her mouth. Examples of a Saiho recovering from the shitsudou were few and far between.
    Shishou was the king fated to rule this kingdom. On top of that, he was Eishuku's older cousin and long-time friend. Eishuku had grown up more like Shishou's brother. Even after Shishou left their home town, their unrivaled friendship continued, and when he went to Yuunei and organized Kouto, Eishuku was the first to join. They raised the banner of righteousness and fought the destruction of the kingdom.
    They even made the Shouzan together. From the founding of the new court until now, Eishuku had been Shishou's number one supporter. He couldn't bring himself to say that Shishou had exhausted the Mandate of Heaven. Or perhaps he was simple incapable of articulating the sorrow he felt at the moment.
    As if sensing the reason for Shuka's hesitancy, Eishuku stopped in the corridor and pressed his fingers to his temples. He hung his head in obvious distress and moaned softly. Shuka couldn't think of what to say, so instead she pressed her hand against his back.
    In the adjoining courtyard, a peach tree was in full bloom. The flowers petals danced and scattered in the wind, like a dreamworld dissolving. There was something terribly sad about the sight.

    Dreaming of Paradise—
    It may have all been a dream. Thirty years before, Shuka was nothing more than an angry young student outraged at the mismanaged reign of King Fu. When she moved to Yuunei to attend the district academy, she joined Kouto and met Shishou.
    There they had nursed a single dream. They believed that if everyone shared that dream and saw it through to fruition then Eden awaited them. The glorious past they shared together, arguing through the night about the world they would make, leading the people against King Fu's corrupt rule and then against the devastation that followed.
    During those heady times, Shuka and Eishuku had pledged to stand behind Shishou all the way. Shuka was twenty-two, Eishuku twenty-six, and Shishou twenty-five. A mere three years later, Shishou was placed upon the throne.
    Thinking back about it now, it seemed like an impossible dream. They had been so alive and so young—surrounded, it seemed, in a brilliant white light that was now painful to behold.

    Eishuku finally raised his head. "What do you think we should do next, Shuka?"
    "Whether or not the Taiho recovers all depends on whether Shishou can be brought back in accordance with the Way. If we could somehow remonstrate with him—"
    "And how would we do that?"
    Shuka didn't have a ready answer.
    "What would we remonstrate with him about ? Where has Shishou gone wrong?"
    Shuka only shook her head. If I knew that—
    "We don't know what to remonstrate with him about, yet we're supposed to take him to task? Shishou?"
    Shuka had no counter-argument here either. Had Shishou, like King Fu, abandoned the government for a life of debauchery, or if he was