The Twelve Kingdoms: The Shore in Twilight

deal of inconvenience."
    "No, think nothing of it. Are you all right?" Risai rushed to her side.
    "I seem to have emerged unharmed. More importantly, we need to get Risai and Taiki to different quarters. Keiki, you should get out of here too. It's not good for your health."
    Youko got to her feet. She glanced down at one of the men sprawled on the floor. The Naisai was among the recently departed. His two henchmen no longer drew breath either. Three others had suffered deep wounds but were alive.
    She wasn't really so nonchalant about going to her death. But it probably was true that she was too damned tired to care at that particular moment. She couldn't be bothered to fight back or pitch a fit. Yes, she should have confronted these interlopers and defended her reputation. But she didn't possess the confidence or the conceit to contradict them.
    She had once believed she'd been fated to be Empress. Lately, though, she had a hard time seeing the workings of Divine Providence in miraculous terms. Not that she objected to anybody else perceiving things that way. If it made the burden lighter, then why not? That was her feeling now.
    "They're rounding up the rest of them." Rokuta bounded up as they left the building.
    Behind them, more soldiers came running and a great commotion broke out. She could hear the curses and cries of the remaining henchmen being dragged off.

Chapter 48
    K antai made his report as they returned to the Inner Palace. "A total of eleven were involved in the rebellion, all from the Ministry of Heaven, and the Naisai was in charge. It seems confined just to them. Three captured with injuries. The remaining five who tried to flee were apprehended."
    Koshou was waiting for them, looking as if he was trying to squeeze his body into a little ball. As soon as Youko looked at him, he bowed deeply.
    "I'm really sorry."
    "For what?" Youko blinked, and Kantai couldn't help grinning at her reaction.
    "I must apologize. It was a mistake for you to be there unaccompanied by the Daiboku or any of his retainers."
    "But I threw everybody out."
    "That doesn't excuse letting you out of our sight like that," Koshou said, raising his head.
    "It's not your fault. Besides, it wasn't your responsibility in the first place."
    It was the duty of the Shajin within the Ministry of Summer, specifically the responsibility of the Shiyuu. In public, the job of the Kofun-shi. In private, the job of the Daiboku. "Private" meant the Inner Palace. The Inner Palace included the most secluded parts of the Imperial Palace, the Eastern and Western Palaces, the Imperial residences and sleeping quarters, Jinjuu Manor and the Roshin up to the Forbidden Gate, including the Naiden and the Gaiden.
    Everything else constituted the Outer Palace. Strictly speaking, the Naiden and the Gaiden were part of the Outer Palace. Under normal circumstances, the Empress only traveled as far in the Inner Palace to where it abutted the Gaiden. And as a general rule, government officials only ventured as far in the Outer Palace to where it abutted the Naiden.
    "The Daiboku is responsible for my personal protection within the Inner Palace. The West Gardens are part of the Guest Palace. And that's in the Outer Palace."
    "Well, that may be true, but--"
    Kantai gave the dejected Koshou a friendly pat on the back. "By not accepting his apologies, you're kind of putting Koshou here in a tough spot. The West Gardens are definitely in the Outer Palace, outside his jurisdiction. Normally the Empress wouldn't leave the Inner Palace except to conduct official business. In that case, the Kofun-shi would accompany her. On this occasion, though, Her Highness was in the West Gardens on other than official business."
    "That is true. I wasn't there according to law or ritual, and no official royal guests are installed in the Guest Palace. Ever since I brought Risai into the Imperial Palace, I've been rather capricious in flaunting custom and precedent in that regard. I consider this my fault."
    Kantai scowled rather fiercely in response to Youko's apology. "Yes, empresses can be capricious creatures. Otherwise, there'd be no reason for a kingdom ever to falter and fall. Because that wasn't official business, it wasn't the province of the Kofun-shi. Your personal protection can't fall between the cracks. If there's a question about whether the Daiboku and the Kofun-shi should be handling your security detail, the duty should go to the Daiboku."
    Koshou hung his head. "That