The Twelve Kingdoms: The Shore in Twilight

myself coming into possession of that degree of unwavering belief. By which I absolutely do not mean to imply any lack of faith in His Highness--"
    "Lady Kaei, had you and His Highness ever rubbed shoulder before now?"
    "No. There had been no personal connection between us in any way. Only the same stories and rumors that everybody else heard." She smiled to herself. "That is why I was so surprised when I accepted the appointment to the Ministry of Fall. I couldn't believe that he even knew I existed!"
    "That is the kind of man His Highness is."
    "Lady Risai, had you previously been a retainer of his?"
    Risai had met Gyousou on Mt. Hou. She had gone on the Shouzan the same as he. That was when she first met the legendary General Saku. Those who entered the Yellow Sea to go on the Shouzan formed ad hoc groups and journeyed across the Yellow Sea as more-or-less organized units.
    Gyousou did not join any of the groups. He entered the Yellow Sea accompanied by his own men, and set off for Mt. Hou in his own unique manner.
    "So I hadn't set eyes upon him until we had arrived at Mt. Hou."
    "I see. Isn't separating yourself from the other parties and forging on alone a dangerous course of action?"
    "Under normal circumstances, yes, it is quite dangerous. But not to His Highness, wouldn't you say? I subsequently heard that back in the reign of King Kyou, for at least three years, Gyousou withdrew his name from the Registry of Wizards and took a sabbatical from the Palace Guard. During that time he entered the Yellow Sea. There are hunters who make a living capturing kijuu in the Yellow Sea, and he became apprentice to one of them."
    Kaei's eyes widened with surprise. "A general of the Palace Guard became an apprentice?"
    Risai grinned. "That is the kind of man His Highness is. Come what may, he was going to capture and tame a kijuu of his own. It was said that he didn't join any of the groups during the Shouzan because he also wanted to go hunting. When I heard that Gyousou had entered the Yellow Sea at the same time as the rest of us, I knew that I was destined to be at best a bystander on the journey."
    Risai smiled sadly. Kaei pressed her lips together. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."
    "Not at all. So I was never his retainer. However, I was able to share some wonderful moments with Gyousou-sama and the Taiho at Mr. Hou. That connection must have been what led him to give me a second look."
    A general of the Palace Guard and a general of the Provincial Guard--there was a great difference in status between them, but the latter was not a subordinate of the former. So they related to each other as colleagues.
    Soon after his enthronement, Gyousou summoned her to Kouki and introduced her to his retainers. Many of them had made the Shouzan with her, and so were familiar faces. After her appointment as general of the Sui Provincial Guard, she found it quite natural to associate with the king's retainers.
    "Telling you about this now, I am left with a curious feeling, uncertain myself as to whether or not I am acting as a retainer of His Highness."
    "Is that so--" said Kaei with a slight sigh. "The thing is, I find it hard to dismiss what my own instincts are telling me as well. Or rather, you do not strike me, Lady Risai, as a retainer or subordinate. That you chose to follow His Highness from the start, before being compelled to, I feel sets you somewhat apart."
    "You really think so?"
    "Yes. That is why I sought you out. Others would quail from voicing their misgivings. I sensed that if I told them about my fears, they would reject those feelings on the spot. You impressed me as someone a bit different than the rest. Perhaps because you are a woman like me."
    "I'm pleased that you would think so," Risai replied. Kaei's misgivings were not at all unreasonable. Gyousou's retainers had served in his shadow for a long time. They understood his temperament and the way he thought. Deep bonds of trust had been forged between them. Those bonds were so strong that at times she felt like an outsider. And if this was true of Risai, it would be all the more so for Kaei. It was only natural for Kaei to believe that she was a stranger in a strange land, gripped by feelings of isolation and alienation.
    "My sense of apprehension may well arise out of loneliness and insecurity," Kaei admitted with a self-effacing smile. "When His Highness opines on some matter, everybody, starting with yourself, Lady Risai, seems to catch on at once, as