The Twelve Kingdoms: The Shore in Twilight

ruffian with no connection whatsoever to government ministers and such."
    "I believe the Royal Kei referred to you as a rogue knight."
    "Nothing so high-falutin' as that. There was this bad apple of an official, see. And we got a bunch of brave and patriotic souls together to give his butt a hard kicking. Under normal circumstances, raising the flag of revolution would have made us all wanted men. But wouldn't you know it, one of those brave souls happened to be Youko."
    "The Royal Kei? One of your revolutionary band?"
    "That's a state secret," Koshou grinned. "Youko's a taika. She wasn't born here. You know about that?"
    "Yes."
    "That's why she doesn't know anything about this world. So she left the city and went to study at the feet of Enho, who'd been the headmaster of a famous private school. Quite accidentally she happened to get caught up in our little revolution."
    "I see." Though she was unfamiliar with the details, Risai nodded.
    Koshou lowered his eyes. "Not much time has passed since the coronation. I'm pretty sure she has what it takes to make a great empress, but a lot of my mates aren't so sure. Kei hasn't had good experiences with empresses. On top of that, she's a taika. She doesn't understand even perfectly obvious stuff. Everybody looks on her with mistrust. For the time being, the government has been reorganized. But there are still plenty of traitors about. Especially those harboring resentments about how they've been treated. Nobody knows what they have in store for Youko."
    Risai was a bit taken aback. So that's what always went on in a new Imperial Court. But Youko had struck her as an empress Kei should have welcomed with open arms.
    "There are conspirators about intending to attack the Empress and her retinue before everything goes south again. That's why bureaucrats we don't know aren't allowed into the private quarters of the Inner Palace."
    Risai perfectly understood where he was coming from. Even when she was housed in the conservatory, she saw very few ministers or officials about. Though the conservatory was inside the Seishin, life there had been awfully quiet. Risai was looked after by the lady-in-waiting, Suzu, and occasionally by the royal scribe, Shoukei. Aside from them, she saw no other lower-ranked officials.
    "I thought that was because you were suspicious of me."
    "No, that wasn't the case. Few people are allowed in the Imperial living quarters. We don't want the old guard hanging around Youko. Only those we trust completely. Little by little, we bring people on board as we get to know them and what kind of people they are."
    Risai was amazed at first, but on second thought found this approach quite understandable. As the Royal Kei had observed, Gyousou had run the provisional court with a firm hand preceding his coronation. To begin with, Gyousou hadn't needed to shake things up that much around the court. As one of the senior statesmen, his popularity was hard-won and deserved. But what had happened in Tai had happened nonetheless.
    "So Kei is still in dire straights."
    "A little more patience is all we need. I really believe that."
    Risai nodded. The Imperial Court in Kei had not returned to a solid footing. Risai had come literally barging in, tempting this young woman--still frantically trying to patch the nascent Imperial Court back together--to sin against Heaven. At this late hour, a recognition of the true gravity of her actions was beginning to seep into her soul. She had committed a terrible indiscretion. The tenaciousness with which she stuck to her objective was nothing she should boast about.
    The Royal Kei bore so many burdens. Kei had nothing left over to spare for a kingdom like Tai. And yet, while bearing up the kingdom with one arm, its young Empress had embraced Risai with the other. She had even promised to do all in her power for Risai, as if she couldn't be expected to do anything less.
    I should not hope for anything more than this.
    They said they would search for Taiki. And that was enough. Even if Taiki was not found, coming to Kei would not have been in vain.
    "That's why," Koshou continued, seemingly a bit abashed at having to admit it, "we keep the people around Youko to a minimum. Besides Suzu, the only other court lady attending to her on a day-to-day basis is Shoukei, who had been appointed royal scribe. The junior retainers are all old friends, or are chosen from among those absolutely trusted by the General of the Palace Guard. That's why