The Wings of Dreams

soon?”
    Assailed by his son on his left and his daughter on his right, Senshin slumped back in his chair and groaned.
    “Stop it, you two,” scolded Shoushou. “I told you before, your poor father can’t defend himself when you gang up on him like that.”
    “Did you now?” Senshin wondered aloud, rolling his eyes toward the ceiling.
    Bunki thrust out her hand. “‘More importantly, father, where are our souvenirs?”
    “Ah.” Senshin reached into his pockets and drew out the packages. Shoushou watched, smiling, as they unwrapped the presents.
    The emperor of the Kingdom of Sou built a dynasty that had lasted five hundred years. Only the emperor of the Kingdom of En approached the length of his reign and the acclaim he was accorded across the Twelve Kingdoms.
    Though few knew that the emperor was not, in fact, one person.
    To be sure, Shoushou, the kirin of Sou, had chosen a single man, Senshin, to be emperor. But a single man did not built the dynasty he led.
    When Shoushou first sought out Senshin in her search for an emperor, he was the master of an inn in a run-down harbor town. The fame of the inn reached beyond the borders of the town thanks to the management of Senshin and his wife, Meiki, and their three children.
    Senshin was a pillar of his community and the head of his family, a bighearted, clearheaded man not given to impulsive behavior. He consulted with his wife and children about everything and respected their opinions. Half of the inn’s success he credited to them and endeavored to keep them involved every step along the way.
    He brought that system with him when he ascended to the throne, the only substantial change being that now Shoushou joined in the consultations.
    Meiki and his children did not hold any actual ministerial portfolios. Aside from being officially titled queen, prince, and princess, they did not participate in the affairs of the imperial court, and were widely thought to pass their time quietly in the Koukyuu.
    In fact, the four of them exercised imperial authority equal to that of the emperor.
    Well, to be precise, three-and-a-half of them, Shoushou thought, and smiled to herself.
    Ever since he was working at the inn, the younger of the two sons would, when the fancy struck him, hire on with a crew and go sailing into the great beyond. His wandering ways continued after becoming a prince of the realm. But one good result was that Sou was always up to date on what was going on in the other eleven kingdoms.
    At that moment, the balcony window opened. Seeing the face of the person there, Shoushou couldn’t help laughing.
    “Hey, good, you’re all here,” was Rikou’s carefree greeting. His official name was Prince Takuro.
    Meiki greeted the arrival of her son with another heavy sigh. “There are these things called doors, you know?”
    “Yeah, but this is more convenient.”
    “You can at least welcome your father home. He just got back from Kou Province.”
    “Oh, so you’ve been on an excursion of your own, eh?”
    “For the last two months. And you left two months before that. And still got back after him.”
    “Well, well, well. Welcome home, Father.”
    “Good heavens, it took you fourth months to think of home again? Where in the world have you been off to?”
    “Mt. Hou, as it turns out.”
    “No fair!” Bunki wailed. “And you didn’t take me! I haven’t been to Mt. Hou once!”
    “To be precise, I didn’t set out with the intention of ending up at Mt. Hou.”
    His mother gave him a genuinely surprised look. “Mt. Hou? Without an invitation from the Mistress of Mt. Hou?”
    “There is that. I announced myself at the front gate and she was apparently in a good mood. She allowed me to leave from the rear entrance on my way back.”
    “The rear entrance?” queried his mother.
    Rikou pointed out the window. “Above the Sea of Clouds. I came here straight from Mt. Hou. A good long ways. A full two days. It’s extra tough not having any land below you.”
    His sister chimed in, “You announced yourself at the front gate? That’s below the Sea of Clouds! Which means you crossed the Yellow Sea to get to Mt. Hou!”
    Rikou grinned. “That’s right. I accompanied a caravan on the Shouzan and witnessed the accession.” Now he bowed formally to his father. “She waited on Mt. Hou for an auspicious day to hold the Investiture. The phoenix should announce her enthronement shortly. I thought it important that Your Highness hear the news first,