need with you. Aside from the issue of transportation, could that many supplies be put together at any one given time?"
"Doesn't seem possible for Kei."
"Even exhausting the kingdom's internal stores, not even the bare minimum of provisions could be scraped together. Not to mention that Kei does not have enough ships to transport them. How would you get them to Tai in the first place?"
"I see."
"From the start, dispatching soldiers to another kingdom would be impossible. In the first place, don't the Divine Decrees forbid one kingdom to invade another?"
"It wouldn't be an invasion. We would otherwise have no intent to occupy foreign ground."
Kantai inclined his head. "I suppose. You might have a point there."
"And besides, if that is true, then what is to become of me? I employed the Imperial Army of En to topple the pretender and make my way to Gyouten."
"That is true."
"Simply finding the Royal Tai and Taiki by itself would be sufficient."
"And their current location?"
"Nobody has the slightest idea. What do you think? How would a search using a squadron of kijuu from the airborne cavalry work out?"
Kantai inclined his head some more. "Twenty-five pegasi would hardly make a dent. You'd need at least an air wing. With a hundred, you could attempt a systematic search."
"An entire air wing--"
That was not impossible. But the ministers were unlikely to approve. At a time when Kei's internal resources were so strained, they'd wonder if she'd lost her marbles. Youko placed her elbows on her knees and rested her chin in her hands and thought about it.
"Obviously having a king occupying the throne really matters a lot," she muttered.
A firm expression came to Kantai's face. "That is entirely correct. Setting aside the question of what kind of man the Royal Tai is, as long as he is missing, the people of Tai will be in a bad place. Moreover, the winters in Tai are harsh. If you would pardon the expression, he might be better off dead."
"Better off dead?"
"If the king dies, then the next monarch will be chosen to replace him. In that case, the people can anticipate an end to their suffering. Even in the case of an incompetent king, Heaven will eventually wrest the throne from him. It simply becomes a matter of waiting him out. A throne unoccupied by a king who isn't dead could be said to be the worst of all worst case scenarios."
Chapter 12
R isai was wakened in the dead of night by voices whispering back and forth.
"I'm positively famished."
"I thought so. I made tea. It's waiting for you."
"Thanks. Want to have it together?"
The frivolous nature of the conversation made Risai raise her head. The lady-in-waiting by the bed gave her a surprised look. Another young woman leaned around the doorframe and poked her head into the room.
"Oh, sorry. Did we wake you?"
Risai shook her head, no. "You didn't miss dinner on my account, did you?"
Suzu waved her hand back and forth. "Just taking the opportunity when it comes. Shoukei was good enough to bring me a midnight meal, so it's okay."
"Please go ahead and eat," Risai said. "I'm fine."
The girl called Shoukei smiled at Suzu. "Hurry up and clean your plate. I'll be waiting here."
Suzu nodded and left the room. As if taking her place, Shoukei sat down next to the bed. "I apologize for making such a racket over something so silly. My name is Shoukei. I'm a lady of the court like Suzu."
"Think nothing of it. I've been such a burden on you all. You needn't feel compelled to wait upon me hand and foot."
Shoukei smiled. "Don't worry about such things. We apologize for being so short-handed that we're unable to wait upon you as we ought to."
"Oh, you needn't go to such lengths. The ladies of the court have comported themselves with extraordinary grace." Risai averted her gaze. "The Royal Kei also strikes me as a sincere and well-meaning person."
Shoukei grinned. "She does tend to the earnest side, and is honest to a fault."
"The occupants of Kinpa Palace seem
"Doesn't seem possible for Kei."
"Even exhausting the kingdom's internal stores, not even the bare minimum of provisions could be scraped together. Not to mention that Kei does not have enough ships to transport them. How would you get them to Tai in the first place?"
"I see."
"From the start, dispatching soldiers to another kingdom would be impossible. In the first place, don't the Divine Decrees forbid one kingdom to invade another?"
"It wouldn't be an invasion. We would otherwise have no intent to occupy foreign ground."
Kantai inclined his head. "I suppose. You might have a point there."
"And besides, if that is true, then what is to become of me? I employed the Imperial Army of En to topple the pretender and make my way to Gyouten."
"That is true."
"Simply finding the Royal Tai and Taiki by itself would be sufficient."
"And their current location?"
"Nobody has the slightest idea. What do you think? How would a search using a squadron of kijuu from the airborne cavalry work out?"
Kantai inclined his head some more. "Twenty-five pegasi would hardly make a dent. You'd need at least an air wing. With a hundred, you could attempt a systematic search."
"An entire air wing--"
That was not impossible. But the ministers were unlikely to approve. At a time when Kei's internal resources were so strained, they'd wonder if she'd lost her marbles. Youko placed her elbows on her knees and rested her chin in her hands and thought about it.
"Obviously having a king occupying the throne really matters a lot," she muttered.
A firm expression came to Kantai's face. "That is entirely correct. Setting aside the question of what kind of man the Royal Tai is, as long as he is missing, the people of Tai will be in a bad place. Moreover, the winters in Tai are harsh. If you would pardon the expression, he might be better off dead."
"Better off dead?"
"If the king dies, then the next monarch will be chosen to replace him. In that case, the people can anticipate an end to their suffering. Even in the case of an incompetent king, Heaven will eventually wrest the throne from him. It simply becomes a matter of waiting him out. A throne unoccupied by a king who isn't dead could be said to be the worst of all worst case scenarios."
Chapter 12
R isai was wakened in the dead of night by voices whispering back and forth.
"I'm positively famished."
"I thought so. I made tea. It's waiting for you."
"Thanks. Want to have it together?"
The frivolous nature of the conversation made Risai raise her head. The lady-in-waiting by the bed gave her a surprised look. Another young woman leaned around the doorframe and poked her head into the room.
"Oh, sorry. Did we wake you?"
Risai shook her head, no. "You didn't miss dinner on my account, did you?"
Suzu waved her hand back and forth. "Just taking the opportunity when it comes. Shoukei was good enough to bring me a midnight meal, so it's okay."
"Please go ahead and eat," Risai said. "I'm fine."
The girl called Shoukei smiled at Suzu. "Hurry up and clean your plate. I'll be waiting here."
Suzu nodded and left the room. As if taking her place, Shoukei sat down next to the bed. "I apologize for making such a racket over something so silly. My name is Shoukei. I'm a lady of the court like Suzu."
"Think nothing of it. I've been such a burden on you all. You needn't feel compelled to wait upon me hand and foot."
Shoukei smiled. "Don't worry about such things. We apologize for being so short-handed that we're unable to wait upon you as we ought to."
"Oh, you needn't go to such lengths. The ladies of the court have comported themselves with extraordinary grace." Risai averted her gaze. "The Royal Kei also strikes me as a sincere and well-meaning person."
Shoukei grinned. "She does tend to the earnest side, and is honest to a fault."
"The occupants of Kinpa Palace seem
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