The Twelve Kingdoms: The Shore in Twilight

Majesties--?"
    "I had heard that they had a connection with the Royal Tai and Tai Taiho. Now, Risai, would you mind picking up where you left off yesterday? We would like to hear your honest assessment of the current conditions of things in Tai."
    Risai pressed her hand against her chest. "Tai is in a terrible condition. The worst thing about it is the absence of His Highness and the Taiho."
    The Empress's green eyes looked at her closely. "Among the Tai refugees, there are some who say the Royal Tai and Taiho were assassinated. And the assassin was a general of the Zui Provincial Guard."
    Risai eyes widened in shock. "That's not right! They're mistaken!"
    "We just need confirm the truth. Don't get upset."
    Risai tried to rise to her feet. Youko pushed her down. "No, it's not right. I know where you're coming from. I was labeled a traitor and chased for a long time myself. But that is what's being said."
    "I understand." Risai looked up and saw the concern in her eyes. She breathed a sigh of relief. Whether from the stress or the relief, a strong, numbing sense of malaise washed over her.
    "Countless orders were issued for my capture on the grounds that I committed regicide, or that somebody behind the scenes manipulated me into doing so. But all of them were wrong."
    Risai grasped the jewel hanging against the chest in her hand.

    At the same time Gyousou set out for Bun Province, Risai and her soldiers and the rest of the Imperial Army left took up their stations around Kouki. There were countless other tasks to tend to besides the defense of the capital. They had to take over the duties of that portion of the soldiers heading for Bun Province as well.
    In the midst of everything, a rumor began circulating around the Imperial Palace. Working herself to exhaustion on a daily basis, Risai was perhaps the last person to hear it for herself. From early morning until late at night, she had been tending to business in Kouki, picking up the slack left by the missing soldiers.
    Returning exhausted to her quarters in the evening, she found Kaei waiting for her with an anxious expression on her face. "I hope I haven't kept you waiting long," Risai said apprehensively, entering the parlor. A servant had told her that Kaei had been awaiting her return.
    Spring was still in the offing and the main hall was cold and dark, so the servants hadn't left her there. Sitting there all alone, Kaei struck her as all the more dispirited and disheartened.
    "You should have sent a messenger. I would have returned earlier," Risai said.
    Kaei started a bit and laughed. "Oh, don't worry about it. I know how busy you are. I'm sorry to intrude."
    The housekeeper had apparently sensed the need and set out something for her to eat and drink, but it didn't look like Kaei had touched any of it. Her tense appearance and the look on her face when their eyes met told Risai that she had not come here bearing glad tidings.
    "Risai, have you heard the strange rumors circulating about?"
    "Rumors?"
    "Yes. I'm not well connected with military matters, so I'm not sure how to react, but--" She looked closely at Risai's face. "There are some who say that His Highness's expedition to Tetsui in Bun Province is a bridge too far."
    "A bridge too far?"
    Kaei nodded, nervously folding her hands together. "Tetsui is a region with which His Highness shares a deep connection. It seems hard to believe that His Highness would go there himself to suppress a mere rebellion. He went there expressly because it is Tetsui, or so some people are saying."
    "I suppose that may be so. But neither Ganchou, Asen, Eishou, nor any of the generals of the Palace Guard, expressed any dissatisfaction about the suppression of this local rebellion. In fact, His Highness first sent Eishou. The rebellion grew, and confirming that things were growing too hot for him to handle alone, he concluded that others should be dispatched, but it was not necessary for him to go. And yet he went so far as to divide Asen's army, and set off with those men under his command. I think it highly likely that he did so because the objective was Tetsui."
    As she spoke, as if she was testing the explanation out on herself, Risai had the feeling as well that this might be a bridge too far. Because the objective was Tetsui, she couldn't recall any objections to his leading troops to the front. But hearing it put into words, the explanation did have an odd smell about it.
    Kaei nodded as if to indicate she found the