The Twelve Kingdoms: The Shore in Twilight Read online

  "Huh."

  "On the other hand, seeing that over ten years had passed in the interim, calling the Royal Tai a whirlwind king is perhaps not appropriate. In any case, The Taiho of Tai would be a fellow countryman of Your Highness."

  "Ah," Youko said with a nod. "A taika like me. The Royal En has said a much."

  Youko was born in Yamato, the distant, mythic land at the far reaches of the eastern seas where the streets were supposedly paved with gold. However, Yamato was not the actual land of her origins. Yamato was "there," and now she was "here." That was the only way she felt comfortable describing the difference. The one was always a dream world to the other, though rarely the two did intersect.

  Youko had been swept away during one of those rare crossings of worlds, and then she had returned. That's what it came down to. She grasped that much in her mind, but didn't feel it in her bones.

  She'd been swept away while still in embryonic form. In this world, children were born from the raika--the "egg fruit"--that grew on trees. When "here" and "there" crossed, the raika that contained Youko was swept away to "there." She was "alive" but had not yet born. Her embryonic life found its way to the womb of a Yamato woman and nine months later she was born.

  Naturally, she had no memories of the raika. As far as she was concerned, she'd been born and raised as an utterly ordinary child. Even after learning that the truth of her existence was entirely different--even being brought here and told that she'd been "born" here and that she was Empress--it was no different to her than being dragged down an Alice-in-Wonderland rabbit hole.

  Though she could hardly swear to it in court with a clear conscience, she probably had been born that way. The fact that she was here was pretty hard to dismiss, and so that had to be the way things had been.

  That was how she dealt with her reality. She'd returned from there and reigned as empress for two years. There was like a fantasy world to her now. And being born and raised in the exotic land that was Japan was something she'd experienced in a dream.

  "Taiki is how old?" she asked herself.

  Behind her Keiki answered. "I believe he was ten when the Royal Tai was named king." Keiki was the kirin of Kei who had brought Youko back from Japan and seated her upon the throne.

  "The enthronement was seven years ago, so that'd make him about my age." Knowing that another person shared the same dreams as herself, Youko felt a strange sensation come over her. Perhaps they dreamed of the same phantom country. Perhaps they dreamed even of the same places in that same phantom city. When she'd been a young child, another child like herself--a kirin--had been there too.

  How extraordinary. According to what the Chousai and Saiho were telling her, this child of her dreams had been part of her reality.

  Youko knew of at least two other taika in this world: the Royal En and the Saiho of the kingdom to the north of Kei. Together they'd built a great, five-hundred year dynasty. They were taika, but the medieval Japanese they spoke was equally fantastic. Theirs was the ancient Japan she read about in history textbooks and saw in the illusions painted on the silver screen. It was all the same fantasy, but their Japan was not the same Japan that haunted her dreams.

  She had acceded to the throne with the help of Enki and the Royal En. The stormy seas they had seen her through left her forever in their debt. But Youko had never felt the same way around them as she did now. She'd never felt that they'd emerged out of the same dream as herself.

  But she and Taiki could have stood together at a crosswalk or passed by each other on the street.

  He was the kirin of the Kingdom of Tai. He'd chosen the Royal Tai, they had established the Imperial Court, and Risai--the general whose body was scarred from head to toe--had come to Kinpa Palace at the risk of her own life on their behalf

  "Something on your mind?" queried Keiki, furrowing his brows.

  Youko came back to herself. "Ah, no. It's nothing. I felt a little weird there for a moment. That's all." She smiled wryly. Concern showed on Koukan's face as well. "Sorry, Koukan. Where were we?"

  "Taiki," Koukan said, looking at her. He glanced down at the manuscript. "A shoku transported him to Yamato where he was born a taika. After that, he returned to Mt. Hou. Though that was ten years later."

  "Ten years later? And he's ten years old?"

  "Yes, and--?" queried Koukan.

  Youko shook her head. But when his taika was swept away and implanted in the womb of a human woman, a life in utero must have already been there. The implications came to her with something of a shock. The vessel that would become Taiki already existed in his mother's womb. It moved. It had a heartbeat that its parents could hear. In its place Taiki's taika took root.

  But what happened to the life that was already there? Was it expelled by Taiki? Had she likewise been born after stealing the place of another? Thinking about her birth in these terms, she was overwhelmed by strange feelings of guilt. Though perhaps it was a mistake to think of the life there and the taika as two separate things. This was one question she couldn't expect to find an answer to here.

  Youko again shook her head as Koukan turned to her with a puzzled expression. "I'm okay. Continue."

  "Upon Taiki's return, the yellow flag was raised in Tai and the shouzan commenced. The Royal Tai was forthrightly seated upon the throne. A record of the event remains in Kei. The Phoenix sang forth the name of the Tai Kingdom, announcing the ascension of the king. According to our records, the Taiho made an unofficial visit to Tai to deliver his congratulations."

  When Youko cast a surprised glance over her shoulder, Keiki wordlessly confirmed that this was true.

  "So we have diplomatic relations with Tai."

  "Well, in terms of diplomatic relations," Keiki said. "I was still on Mt. Hou at the same time as the Taika, Taiki's ranka. And when the shoku swept him away. When Taiki returned to Mt. Hou I took the opportunity to return to Mr. Hou and met with him. Hence the ties between us."

  "Wow," said Youko, the strange feeling returning. This child from her dreams had met with the kirin right there in front of her. "So that's why that woman--Risai--came to Kei? To petition Keiki, because he's a friend of Taiki?"

  Keiki tilted his head to the side doubtfully. "Hard to say. I haven't met with General Ryuu personally."

  "But the Royal Tai?"

  "I have met with His Highness. He struck me as a quite extraordinary person."

  Koukan nodded his head as Keiki had done. "I don't know that we can term these two personal visits by the Taiho an establishment of foreign relations. Indeed, with Kei herself falling into chaos shortly thereafter, the Taiho was not able to congratulate the Royal Tai upon his coronation. Neither do the ministers show any indication of having concluded their deliberations about whether or not to send an official envoy to express Your Highness's well wishes. In other words, we have not even established such diplomatic relationship that would allow us to exchange ambassadors."

  Keiki apparently agreed with this summary of events. "In any event, the new king was enthroned. However, barely six months later, there came from Tai an Imperial Communique to the effect that the Royal Tai had died."

  "An Imperial Communique? What about the Phoenix? When the king abdicates, doesn't the Phoenix announce the end of the regime?"

  "You are correct. The Hakuchi sings forth when the king is enthroned, as he does when the kings gives up the throne. The Phoenix will then pass these tidings along. But this time the Phoenix did not sing. The Phoenix has not yet announced the end of the Tai regime. In short, I do not believe that the king has died or abdicated."

  Youko rested her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. "I heard something similar from the Royal En. The proclamation came that the Royal Tai was dead, but it didn't ring true to him. If the Taiki died, then the fruit of the next kirin sprout forth on Mt. Hou. But there is no sign of the taika at all."

  "Yes. According to the communique produced by the envoy, only the Royal Tai died. It did not touch upon the disposition o
f the Tai Taiho. However, by this point, the rumors concerning the Tai Taiho evaporated without a trace. At the same time, refugees began leaving Tai in droves. The word was the Tai Taiho had died, but seeing as the Phoenix had not announced his passing, I had to believe they were mistaken. Subsequently rumors about the coronation of a new king were noised about. In this case as well there were no envoys and the Phoenix made not a sound."

  "What do the refugees say?"

  "They are of many opinions. Some say a pretender has assumed the throne. Some say the Taiho has chosen the next king. And some say that were it simply a matter of the king passing away, then the throne would sit empty. But the vast majority believe there was a coup d'etat in the palace, the Royal Tai was assassinated, and the Taiho has fallen into the hands of evil-doers."

  Even in her own kingdom, it was difficult to communicate to the outside world exactly what was going on inside the Imperial Palace. Everything ended up as rumor and hearsay. The reason was that information was rarely imparted directly to the people.

  Youko let out a breath. "No matter how I look at it, I can't believe that the Royal Tai and the Taiki are dead. Risai said that the Royal Tai was driven from the Imperial palace. So that's got to be what happened. In short, there's a pretender on the throne. The pretender led the coup and drove the Royal Tai and Taiki from the palace."

  "I agree. Although a pretender is a king who lies about having received the Divine Mandate and then occupies a vacant throne. Strictly speaking, this is not a pretender but an usurper."

  "Oh, yes. Because the legitimate king still lives."

  "That would be the case. General Ryuu commanded the Zui Provincial Army and Zui is the home to the capital of Tai. Having access to the heart of the palace, she could be expected to have the most accurate perspective about what was going on there. As I can see no discrepancies in her account, I do find it difficult to believe she is lying."

  Youko frowned at Koukan. "Are you saying you question her veracity?"

  "Should we at least try to verify what she has told us?" Koukan replied without hesitation.

  Youko sighed. "Yes, of course. I did say I wanted to help Risai, but I really have no idea what to do. If this were only as simple a matter as a pretender."

  "Very true. We don't even know what has become of the Royal Tai or Taiki."

  "Asking Risai would be the most efficient thing to do. What does the doctor say?"

  Koukan furrowed his brow. "So far he has nothing to report."

  "Oh."

  "There is something I've discussed with the Taiho. The Royal Tai and the Tai Taiho have connections with the Royal En and the En Taiho. Moreover, En has received the largest number of refugees. So an official request has been made to the ministries of Summer and Fall in En informing them of the circumstances involving General Ryuu thus far, and requesting any additional information about the situation. Their reply should not be long in arriving."

  Youko nodded. The royal scribe entered the library to tell her that Risai had awakened. Youko hurried to the conservatory, but by the time she got there Risai had drifted off to sleep again.

  The doctor had been called at the same time and said that at this point he still hoped for the best. "Because of the crown jewel, the Hekisouju, she should soon turn for the better."

  "I see," Youko said with a nod, looking down at the face of the sickly and emaciated general. "That she would go to such extremes--" To rescue her kingdom she had suffered wounds across every inch of her body.

  I want to do whatever I can, Youko told herself, but she didn't know what that might be. Only that she must save the general. And Tai. And Taiki.

  Chapter 6

  Feeling herself slipping back into sleep, Risai focused her efforts on her eyelids, mustered her energy, and opened her eyes. She found herself cheek by jowl with a man's face. He craned his ear toward her mouth.

  "You were mumbling something--" He drew back and smiled. "Ah, you're awake."

  She thought she recognized the man but couldn't say from where. Over his shoulder, a girl rushed up and looked at her. Again Risai only sensed that she should know her somehow.

  What are these people doing in Hakkei Palace?

  She tried to remember, but her thoughts encountered only vertigo and her body grew short of breath. She was consumed by a raging fever. She hurt absolutely everywhere.

  "Are you all right?" the girl asked with deep concern. "Do you understand me?"

  The reality of her situation finally hit home. She wasn't in Tai. This was Kei. She had made it to Kei.

  The man said, "I'm Koshou. Do you remember me?"

  Risai nodded. Gradually her eyes widened and grew clearer. She was in a bedroom with a high, wide ceiling. Next to the bed was a black lacquered nightstand. The man sat on the edge of the nightstand and examined her face.

  "Koshou-dono."

  "Yep. That's me. You're a fighter, you are." He gave her a reassuring wink, obviously elated by her improved condition. The girl standing at Koshou's shoulder dabbed at her eyes with her sleeve.

  Risai was alive. This fact surprised her as well.

  She weakly raised her arms above her head. Her left arm complied and appeared before her eyes. Her right arm did not. Her gaze traced an arc across her body to where the right sleeve of her nightgown lay empty on the quilt.

  For some reason an apologetic expression rose to Koshou's face. "Push come to shove, we couldn't save your right arm. I couldn't tell you honestly there was any life left in it. I know it's painful, but don't despair."

  Risai nodded. She had lost her right arm. She suffered severely fighting off the youma, and had tied it off with a tourniquet to staunch the loss of blood. Gangrene had set in. Of course she couldn't have expected the arm to survive. By the time she arrived at Gyouten it felt about ready to fall off. She had to wonder if it'd come off of its own accord or whether it'd been amputated.

  And yet she didn't feel too broken up about the loss. Losing her dominant arm would of course end her career as a soldier. But what general, unable to save her liege, deserved to be called his retainer? She could live without it.

  Koshou cradled her head in his hand and lifted her head. The girl pressed a warm teacup to her mouth. The liquid trickling into her mouth was sweeter and more delicious than anything she'd ever tasted before. But then as her tongue grew accustomed she realized it was only water.

  The girl took away the cup. The man smiled. "Yeah, you're going to be okay."

  "I--"

  "I get why you'd do something so crazy and reckless. You got the words out before you collapsed. Youko's been by many times to see you."

  "The Royal Kei--"

  "Providing the doctors don't say no, I'll go get her." Risai nodded. He released her hand and stood up. "Suzu, take care of her. As soon as I've called the doctors, I'll have a word with Youko."

  "Sure. Make it quick."

  Risai followed Koshou with her eyes to the door and then stared up at the ceiling. "How long have I been lying here doing nothing?"

  "Oh, please. Don't say things like that. You needed a great deal of rest. It's been three days since you last opened your eyes. Since you collapsed it's been almost ten days."

  "That long."

  She'd intended to close her eyes only for a moment and had instead slept for days. All that time gone to waste. The wasted days pressed painfully on her chest. Risai raised her hand to her throat. She felt something round and smooth at her fingertips. She grasped it and focused her eyes on it. A round gem hung from her neck.

  "Nobody but the Empress is ever allowed to use it. But Youko--" A clever smile came to the girl's face. "But the Empress twisted a few arms at the Ministry of Winter and forced them to make an exception in your case."

  "For me?"

  "The Imperial Regalia of Kei, normally stored in the Imperial Repository. The gods have indeed smiled upon you. Had you collapsed in such a condition anywhere else or in any other kingdom, we might not have able to save your life."
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  "Oh." Risai didn't know whether she should rejoice at such news or not.

  Kaei.

  When she closed her eyes she could hear nothing but the wind. The round gem at her fingertips was cold. A coldness that brought to mind the face of her friend.

  Kaei. I made it.

  The warm countenance of the civil servant a mere ten years her senior. As kind as her mind was keen, and so discrete as to almost appear timid. Risai had last seen her in Sui Province in the south of Tai. There they'd parted ways, and Risai had set her eyes upon Kei.

  Risai, anything but that! she'd cried out, her body quaking in the wind. Her voice was soft but filled with fortitude. In her face and in her tone of voice, the resoluteness of her refusal showed on her face. Risai was overcome by sorrow. She at least wanted Kaei to understand her.

  "How could you do something so despicable?"

  Risai and Kaei fled their pursuers to a hill in Sui Province. They had come here intending to meet with the Province Lord. Shisen was the capital of Sui Province. Shisen's Ryou'un Mountain towered above them. It was spring in name only. The fierce winds buffeted them.

  Looking back toward whence they had come, they could see the small hamlet at the base of the hill. The fields surrounding the hamlet lay fallow. Several burial mounds had been built there and abandoned without so much as a prayer for the dead.

  Kaei and Risai had walked through the hamlet before climbing the hill. The original landowners had deserted the place long ago. Instead, a small number of travelers were seeking warmth and shelter in the dilapidated houses. They had left their own home towns behind, escaping to any place closer to another kingdom.

  Risai and Kaei had begged a few cups of thin gruel and listened to the stories and rumors the refugees had to share. They said that a taika sat upon the throne in Kei.

  "One of my relatives' kids was in the port city. The word on the street there is that she's a young empress. Perhaps even the same age as the Taiho." The woman spoke listlessly. She was badly wounded. Sui Province was infested with youma.

  It was said that the winds of oppression and subjugation sweeping over Tai had spared Sui Province alone. They'd left their home towns and fled here together, but a fortnight later these few alone had survived. The woman held a child wrapped in rags in her arms. Risai hadn't seen the child stir once since she and Kaei arrived.