Yatagarasu Series
Volume 3:
The Golden Raven
Author: Chisato Abe
Part 2: The Girl
The lights of houses in the city illuminated the sky as the raven flew over them at incredible speed.
The sun had long since set. The night wind blowing from the north was bitterly cold. The Crown Prince’s exposed skin hurt from the chill, but he had no time to rest and get warm. He’d parted ways with Yukiya in one of Hokke Territory’s villages and was flying straight back to the capital now.
Changing horses at the checkpoint, the Crown Prince continued onward and soon arrived at the Grand Gate, the main entrance to the Imperial Court. Torches blazed red, illuminating the massive, vermilion-painted gate in the darkness.
Riding up to the gate at top speed, the Crown Prince shouted loudly to the gatekeepers, “I bear an urgent message! There’s been an incident in Taruhi Province! The provincial governor urgently requests troops! Where is the Lord of Hokke?”
The Crown Prince dismounted as the gatekeepers gaped at him. He rushed through the gate and into the Hall of the Rising Sun.
The gatekeepers exchanged glances. “Did he request troops to go to Hokke Territory? Why? Is there a peasant uprising or something?” one asked.
The Crown Prince searched desperately for the Lord of Hokke. “Where is he? Is the Lord of Hokke here? Anyone! Please help!”
He came to a guard station. The new guard shift had just shown up for duty for the night. The Lord of Hokke walked behind them.
“What’s going on?” the Lord of Hokke asked. “Who is calling for me in the middle of the night?”
“It’s me,” the Crown Prince said.
“Your Imperial Highness!” the Lord of Hokke exclaimed.
The Crown Prince approached the Lord of Hokke. He was out of breath and sweating. “Man-eating monkeys have appeared in the area controlled by Taruhi’s provincial governor,” he said. “Many have died. The provincial governor cannot contain this situation on his own and requests military aid to deal with the threat.”
The Lord of Hokke’s expression twisted when the Crown Prince said “man-eating monkeys.”
“Please look at this,” the Crown Prince said. He shoved a cloth-wrapped bundle at the Lord of Hokke.
The Lord of Hokke unwrapped it. “What in all the hells?!” he cried out. He didn’t drop the bundle, but shock and disgust warred for supremacy on his face. He held the bundle out to the Crown Prince again.
“There’s no time to explain in detail,” the Crown Prince said. “We’ve confirmed there were at least two of these. We don’t know what they are or why they were in Hokke Territory. An entire settlement on the frontier was wiped out by them. We killed the two we found, but there may be more hiding out there. With only the warriors currently in Taruhi Province, a search of the mountains is impossible.”
The Lord of Hokke’s shock transformed swiftly to grim determination. “Did Yukimasa himself make that report?”
“Yes,” the Crown Prince said. “He’s in the Taruhi Village and has summoned every warrior he can. An official envoy from him should arrive here soon. There was no time to waste, so I went ahead of them. Yukimasa gave me this.” The Crown Prince showed the Lord of Hokke the village bell.
The Lord of Hokke nodded. “Understood. We will prepare to dispatch troops at once.”
“Close combat will put us at a disadvantage. Tell your warriors to take bows and arrows as their main weapons.”
“As you say.”
“Gather the other officials in the Imperial Hall. There is no need to change clothes or anything else—just hurry!”
The officials around the Lord of Hokke shouted in consternation, but the Crown Prince ignored them. He spun on his heel and headed for the Imperial Hall. His feather robe attracted a lot of disapproving looks.
***
The Imperial Hall was connected to the Golden Raven’s Palace and stood at the very center of the Imperial Court. Many guards patrolled the area outside the Imperial Hall. None of the guards were put off by the Crown Prince’s feather robe, but several were surprised to see him here.
The Crown Prince paused before the magnificent gate that led into the Imperial Hall. The lacquered black doors were carved with cherry and orange blossoms. Silver bells hung from them by purple silk cords.
The Crown Prince gave a brief command, and then the gate unlocked and opened on its own. The Imperial Hall spread out before him. It was a lavishly decorated space with a polished wooden floor. Depictions of the nation’s founding were painted in lacquer on the walls along with scenes pulled from various sacred rituals held for the mountain god. Some of these depictions were decorated with shining mother-of-pearl inlays.
As the Crown Prince walked straight through the hall to the Golden Raven’s throne, the hanging lanterns on two sides of the room flared up. The silver bells on the gate and more hanging from the hall’s transoms rang loudly, echoing in the stillness.
When the Crown Prince sat on the Golden Raven’s throne, the bells stopped ringing.
There was no one else present, so it was quiet. That wouldn’t last long. The Crown Prince prepared himself to deal with plenty of noisy resistance from the lords of the territories and other officials.
People started stumbling into the hall shortly after the Crown Prince sat down. The Crown Prince explained why they’d been summoned briefly; he didn’t want to repeat everything over and over again.
“Monkeys, you say?”
“Of all things, monkeys! You got us out of bed for that?”
“What did you say? Man-eating monkeys? There’s no such thing. That sounds like a fairy tale.”
One of the officials gave the Crown Prince a pitying look. “Whoever told you such a ridiculous story? It can’t possibly be true.”
“Perhaps the provincial governor’s report was exaggerated before it reached you, Your Imperial Highness.” This official’s tone was so caustic that it was clear he’d never accepted the Crown Prince’s claim to the throne.
“Maybe some backcountry noble saw a bear and got frightened,” another official said.
“The Aerial Army of Heaven is not your personal guard,” a different official said gruffly. “If you require military aid, muster the Yamauchishu and use them instead.”
The Aerial Army of Heaven was the flying portion of Yamauchi’s army and was commanded by Genya, the Lord of Hokke, Yukiya’s maternal grandfather. The Yamauchishu were Imperial Guards that protected the Imperial Palace and Souke Territory.
The Lord of Hokke was about to speak, but a glance from the Crown Prince silenced him.
The Crown Prince tossed his cloth-wrapped bundle to the wooden floor, revealing the grotesque head of the monkey. It rolled between the assembled officials like a ball.
And then, screams. Once-proud officials recoiled at the sight of the severed monkey head. The head was so large that only a strong adult could carry it for any distance. Its exposed canine teeth were as sharp as a snake’s fangs. It was easy to imagine being bitten by those fangs and suffering a fatal wound. The monkey’s face was frozen in a rictus of hatred. White bone and yellow fat were exposed at the neck. Half-dried blood oozed onto the floor.
“Now you’ve seen it,” the Crown Prince said. “Do any of you dare claim that man-eating monkeys are just a myth now?” His gaze passed over the assembled officials in turn, sharp and angry and commanding. “This creature devoured at least ten Yatagarasu that we know of. With that hideous mouth, it consumed people the same age as your wives and children. We must respond appropriately or risk endangering countless other Yatagarasu, and that means deploying the Aerial Army of Heaven.”
The Lord of Hokke nodded. “We have yet to receive detailed reports of the damage, but the existence of these terrifying monkeys is beyond doubt. I will dispatch the Aerial Army of Heaven to Taruhi immediately.”
The other officials remained silent. Now that they’d seen the head, they could not protest. The Lord of Hokke had spoken, and he was the Aerial Army of Heaven’s commander. No one could prevent him from doing what he’d said.
“If what you say is true, we have no objections,” the official who’d called man-eating monkeys a fairy tale said. “But if such a creature really exists, shouldn’t Taruhi Village be sealed off? We must prevent the monsters from infiltrating Souke Territory.”
Anxious whispers broke out in the hall.
“We have the evidence, but this is still difficult to believe,” the Lord of Saike said. “Why would these monsters devour Yatagarasu? Yamauchi is a sacred land protected by the mountain god. We’ve never seen such creatures before. Where did they come from, and why did they come here?” His red-brown mustache sweated on his upper lip.
The Lord of Touke was seated diagonally across from the Lord of Saike. He appeared much calmer than the other lord. He tapped his index fingers together and then said, “If this is a new phenomenon, then there are a few possibilities. We know of ordinary monkeys; perhaps something caused these monkeys to mutate and grow large and violent. The other possibility is that these monkeys come from a place beyond our borders and are completely unlike anything we know about. Is there any way of knowing which of these possibilities is true?”
The Crown Prince considered. “Based on what I’ve seen, the second possibility is the most likely.” He’d only seen two of these giant monkeys, but the ones he’d fought had growled in a specific pattern—like a language. That suggested high intelligence. The specimens he’d fought had not behaved like ordinary monkeys.
“More importantly,” the Crown Prince said, “these creatures are able to take human form. They may be closer to us, the Yatagarasu, than to ordinary beasts.”
“If they disguise themselves as Yatagarasu, we won’t be able to tell them apart, will we?” an official asked.
“There are ways of distinguishing them,” the Crown Prince said. “The language they speak is not our own. In their human forms, their clothes are the color of their fur—they do not wear feather robes. Both of those traits are distinctive. We can also check suspicious people by having them transform. If they cannot take raven form, then they are not Yatagarasu.”
The Lord of Touke nodded thoughtfully. “And what makes you think these creatures come from beyond our borders, Your Imperial Highness?” he asked.
The Crown Prince hesitated for a moment before answering. Then he said, “I have traveled broadly and I’ve never seen any monkey act the way that these do. That isn’t definitive proof, of course, but I believe that it is reasonable to assume that the monkeys are invaders from another land.”
Sugō had been attacked, and that settlement was right on Yamauchi’s border. That also suggested that the giant monkeys were invaders and not native monkeys that had mutated in some way.
“In any case, we must investigate immediately. We need to confirm the extent of the damage and determine where the monkeys came from and why they appeared,” the Lord of Saike said. “I heard that Your Imperial Highness came directly here with this information tonight. How were you able to obtain it so quickly?”
“My personal attendant is the son of Taruhi’s provincial governor,” the Crown Prince said. “One of my subordinates was visiting the village while this incident was occurring. He came here on the fastest horse available and delivered the head directly to me.” These were lies, of course, but fairly harmless ones.
The Lord of Nanke narrowed his eyes and looked around the room. His expression was unreadable. “This is an emergency. You should rest, Your Imperial Highness. You can leave the rest to us.”
“Then I will,” the Crown Prince said. He nodded solemnly and then excused himself.
***
At an inn in Tamari, Yukiya gazed up at the pale sky through a window. He hadn’t slept a wink the previous night. The situation in Taruhi Province was utter chaos.
The tragedy of what had happened in Sugō was spreading like wildfire. Many guests at the inn had left in the early morning to return to their families and verify their safety. Some people lived in Tamari year-round and were discussing long-term plans to move.
A few brave souls wanted to go to Sugō and assess the area for themselves, but Yukimasa strictly forbade that via an official order. Rumors spread orders of magnitude faster than the truth. Yukiya had heard some truly horrific tales last night.
Some of the rumors implicated crazed Yatagarasu like the one that had attacked the village. Others claimed that a giant bear had eaten all the townspeople in Sugō. Still others refused to believe the rumors entirely, thinking them far-fetched and nonsensical. No one could confirm the truth of the rumors except Yukiya.
The Crown Prince had left Yukiya and the girl in Tamari. Then he’d flown to Yukimasa’s estate to let him know what had happened. Yukiya had met with Yukimasa’s investigators to tell them about what he’d seen. Those investigators already knew about sagecap and the attack on the village, so they believed Yukiya readily enough. They leveraged Yukiya’s status as the son of the provincial governor to make others believe him, too. Tamari responded to the news Yukiya had brought quickly and with urgency.
Having the severed head helped prove what had happened. The Crown Prince had taken one and left Yukiya with the other. Yukiya had been disgusted when the Crown Prince had lopped off the second monkey’s head in Sugō, but he was grateful that he’d done it now. The sight of the severed head instantly changed hearts and minds. Men grabbed their weapons and women kept their children inside. Yukimasa mobilized all of the guards and soldiers in the area. A thorough search of the mountains would begin soon.
“Lord Yukiya, your father has arrived!” one of Yukimasa’s investigators called from outside.
Yukiya ran down from the second floor of the inn. He saw riders in the sky—dozens at least. Yukimasa had brought as many soldiers as he could.
“Father!” Yukiya called out.
Yukimasa nodded to him. His shoulders were tense. “I learned what happened from Lord Sumimaru. You can leave everything to us,” he said reassuringly.
The provincial governor greeted the commander of Tamari’s small garrison of guards and soldiers and then organized the men he’d brought into ranks. After that, he selected a dozen or so soldiers and went with them to Sugō.
Tamari had decent security for a merchant town. Guards patrolled the streets at night and there were designated gate guards and retired soldiers hired to prevent disturbances in the town. They didn’t have enough trained people to search the mountains or to secure the border, though. The merchants in town were relieved that the provincial governor had come with reinforcements.
Yukiya returned to the inn. People whispered and chatted around him. Most were reassured by Yukimasa’s presence. Yukiya worried every second that his father was out of his sight.
Fortunately, Yukimasa and his escort returned quickly. The looks on their faces didn’t relieve anyone.
They hadn’t found any other monkeys in the village. Some of the soldiers had vomited at the sight of the dismembered victims. Everyone was in a grim mood. Some people asked to confirm the identities of the dead and bury the bodies, but Yukimasa strictly forbade this.
“The mutilation that the victims suffered is too severe,” Yukimasa said. “They would be extremely difficult to identify. The entire settlement perished. We must assume that no one survived aside from the girl who was rescued.”
The only body part that remained recognizable was the head of a woman lying on the earthen floor of the house that Yukiya and the Crown Prince had found the first giant monkey in.
The provincial governor’s face was pale. “Given the circumstances, we have no choice but to hear what happened from the girl. Is she awake?”
“Not yet,” Yukiya said.
“Is she unconscious?”
“No, she’s sleeping.”
The girl had been examined by a physician when they’d first arrived in Tamari. The doctor hadn’t found anything strange about her. She was simply sleeping and wouldn’t wake. It was possible that she’d taken a strong sedative. She would likely wake up at some point, but it was impossible to say when that would happen.
One of the local officials stood up. “We do not know if this girl is a survivor or a monkey in disguise,” he said.
Armed guards were keeping watch over the girl even now.
Yukiya nodded slowly. “Lord Sumimaru said that she was a Yatagarasu, but it’s possible that she is a monkey in human form.”
“Do you trust Lord Sumimaru?” Yukimasa asked.
Yukiya bit his lip. “When I was working in the capital, he never said or did anything without a reason. I believe that he thinks the girl is a Yatagarasu, at least. He didn’t tell me why. Even if she is a monkey in disguise, questioning her seems wise.”
“If that is how you feel, I would like for you to take the girl into your custody, Lord Yukiya—or Lord Yukimasa,” the local official said. “Even if she is a Yatagarasu, she is certainly not from Sugō. She appears to be the daughter of a traveling merchant who came from the capital to purchase goods.”
“Regardless of what she is, there is no point in keeping her here, is there?” the local official asked. They were making it clear that they didn’t want the girl to stay in town.
Yukimasa grunted in displeasure, but he didn’t contradict the man.
Yukiya’s thoughts were like his father’s. They couldn’t possibly keep the girl here for long. She was from the capital. People would be looking for her. She would probably want to go home when she awoke. More investigation still needed to be done in Sugō, but the girl could be questioned anywhere. It didn’t make sense to hold her here and make investigators from the capital come to this remote outpost just to ask her questions.
Taruhi Village would be safer. It was connected to the standard transportation routes to the capital and had better security and more guards. If the girl was a giant monkey in disguise, Taruhi Village would be better equipped to deal with the danger.
Yukimasa accepted the official’s suggestion and then summoned the rest of the town’s leaders. He commanded them to transfer the still-sleeping girl to his residence in Taruhi Village.
“Yukiya, you will escort her,” Yukimasa said.
Yukiya was told to explain the situation in Taruhi Village and to follow the instructions of Yukima and the other village officials. Yukiya nodded obediently. He and his father had done everything they could. Investigators from the capital would take matters from here. He had no more reasons to remain in Tamari.
In preparation for the possibility that the girl might wake up and transform into a monkey during the move, soldiers were assigned as both guards and lookouts. Yukiya returned home with the girl and a large escort of protectors. Taruhi Village had been warned in advance and were prepared for their arrival.
Since it was still unclear whether the girl was a monkey or a Yatagarasu, a cell usually used for detaining criminals had been prepared. The cell had rice mat flooring and a fine padded sleeping robe instead of a futon. The reason for using the sleeping robe was that the arms could be restrained while the prisoner wore it. Armed Yatagarasu stood guard around the cell, always ready for action.
The girl’s true nature was still unknown. She could be a criminal or a victim. She slept soundly, oblivious to the tense atmosphere all around her.
After confirming that the girl was safely in the cell, Yukima, who had been working with the village officials, called out to Yukiya. “We’ll take care of the rest. You’ve done well, Yukiya.”
Dismissed, exhausted and grateful, Yukiya headed back to his house. A tub full of hot water and fresh towels were waiting for him.
“I’m home, mom.”
“Welcome home,” Azusa said, smiling. “You should get some rest.”
Yukiya nodded. While he’d been traveling, he hadn’t noticed how tired he was at all, but now all his fatigue caught up with him.
Yukichi came over to him with steamed rice. He’d been told not to ask Yukiya too many questions until tomorrow.
“Eat first,” Yukichi said. “If you’re hungry, you can’t do anything.”
Being cared for by Azusa and his brother made Yukiya feel ashamed. He ducked his head and fought down the urge to cry. He washed his feet, devoured the rice and then collapsed into his bed. He slept like a puddle of mud, dreamless and deep.
Yukiya was awakened by the hustle and bustle of people. Feeling lighter and much more energetic, he went outside and saw one of the officials from Tamari who’d gone to investigate Sugō. Yukima and a few others were gathered around the man.
“At present, the search of the mountains has produced almost no results,” the official from Tamari said. “The only thing we found was a chicken that seems to have escaped from Sugō. The monkey corpses were collected and will eventually arrive in Tamari.”
“Did the investigators from the capital find anything?” Yukima asked.
“It seems they know just as little about these monkeys as we do. The Aerial Army of Heaven arrived with them, and they’re making themselves useful, at least.”
The capital’s investigators had decided to leave the girl in Yukimasa’s custody for the moment. Some of them were still in Sugō.
“We did learn something from the investigators that returned,” the official said. “It seemed like the attack was indiscriminate at first glance, but that isn’t the case. The women and children were slaughtered in the same way, but the men were chopped up into pieces. Those pieces were then pickled in jars full of rice wine.”
“The men were chopped up into pieces?” Yukima asked, horrified.
“It seems like the monkeys wanted to preserve the limbs for their own reasons,” the official said darkly. “There was a large amount of salt added to each jar of rice wine as well.”
Yukima shuddered. “So they were seasoning people before they consumed them. How awful.”
Yukiya shuddered.
“They see us as nothing more than food,” one official said, his voice full of hatred.
Beasts didn’t cook their food. They didn’t season it. The monkeys were intelligent. Ordinary monkeys didn’t go out of their way to attack people. There had to be some reason why the monstrous monkeys had targeted Yatagarasu.
Learning about the pickled limbs altered the attitude of the officials toward the monkeys slightly. Before, they had been afraid of the unknown. Now they hated what they didn’t understand. What the monkeys had done was unforgivable.
There was silence as the full implications of what the officials had learned sank in. The officials exchanged glances with Yukima and one another.
Then a breathless guard ran toward Yukima from the direction of the cell where the girl was being held. “Lord Yukima!” the guard called out. “The girl! She’s waking up!”
“What?!”
Yukima hurried toward the cell, and Yukiya followed close behind. Yukima, Yukiya and several officials entered the building where the cell was located.
The girl stirred restlessly. Her long lashes trembled, and then, at long last, her eyes opened, reflecting the soot-stained wooden ceiling for a few moments. Then she groaned and turned over.
“Where am I? My head hurts.” Her voice was soft, but her accent definitely belonged to a native of Souke Territory.
The girl’s caretakers sighed in relief to see that she’d finally awakened. Her long sleep was unnatural.
Yukima’s face set in grim lines as he approached the girl and spoke to her through the bars. Yukiya and the officials gave him plenty of room.
“Good morning. How are you feeling?” Yukima asked politely. “Is there anything you need?”
“Where am I?” the girl asked, louder this time.
“You’re in Taruhi Village, in a cell attached to the provincial governor’s estate.”
“Oh,” the girl said. “The provincial governor’s estate?” Then her eyes widened.
Her eyes were large and striking and slightly upturned at the corners. Now that she was awake, Yukiya noticed that she was pretty. Her small lips were shaped like peach petals and her eyes reminded him of a kitten’s. She looked like the kind of girl who liked to tease people.
The girl sat up and immediately regretted it. She groaned like she was in pain and then lay back down. She noticed that she was tied into the padded sleeping robe and started squirming. “What is this? Why am I tied up? Let me go!”
“It’s all right, don’t worry. As long as you don’t do anything, we won’t do anything either,” an official said in an attempt to calm her.
The girl’s eyes opened even wider, and her voice trembled as she asked, “What about any of this is all right? This is no joke! Tell me what’s going on! If you don’t, I won’t forgive you!” The girl screamed and kept struggling. She never took her eyes off the people outside her cell.
Yukima stepped forward. “Hello. My name is Yukima, and I’m the eldest son of the provincial governor. I’ve come as his representative. We’ve wanted to speak with you for awhile.”
“You’re here as a stand-in for the provincial governor?” the girl asked.
Yukima nodded and then bowed. “I am.”
The girl stopped struggling. She appeared more confused than angry now.
Yukiya also introduced himself. “I am Yukiya, his younger brother. I’m not here as a representative of our father. I’m just accompanying my brother.”
The girl stared at Yukima and Yukiya. “Are you noblemen?” she asked.
“Minor ones, yes. May I ask your name?”
“My name is Koume. How did I get here?” she asked. Her eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t know what my father did, but I had nothing to do with it. I swear.”
Now that the girl seemed a little calmer, Yukima decided to bring up what had happened in Sugō. “Koume. Before I explain why you’re here, I’d like you tell us the last thing you remember. We mean you no harm and would like to untie you as soon as we can. But we can’t do that until we know it’s safe to let you go.”
“Safe?”
“There was an incident in the settlement of Sugō,” Yukiya said. “I brought you here myself.”
“What incident? What’s going on?”
“We’ll explain after we hear your story.”
Yukima would not yield.
Koume nodded nervously and then said, “I’m not from Sugō, but you said that’s where you found me?”
Yukima nodded.
“You’re from Souke Territory, aren’t you?” Yukiya asked.
“Yes. I went to Sugō to buy dried sweetfish.”
“Alone?”
“Of course not. I was with my father.” Koume’s gaze wavered. “Um… where is my father?”
The village’s officials looked away.
Koume’s shoulders tensed.
“You went to Sugō to buy sweetfish,” Yukima prompted. “Then what happened?”
Koume bit her lip. “Nothing strange that I remember. We traded rice wine for the fish. The negotiations went well, so there was a feast that night. I ate and drank some wine. I don’t remember what happened after that. I was a bit drunk and rented a room so that I could lie down. When I woke up, I was here.” She looked up at Yukima. “Where is my father?”
“Your father is missing.”
“Missing? What are you talking about?” Koume asked shrilly.
Yukiya steeled himself to tell her the truth. “Koume. Everyone in Sugō is dead—except for you.”
Koume’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Yukima chose his next words very carefully. “Yesterday, dozens of Yatagarasu were found dead in Sugō. Huge, monstrous monkeys were responsible for those deaths. Each is about seven feet tall. Two of them were killed, but there could easily be others. You were found sleeping inside a large wooden chest. You were the only survivor we found. I’m sorry.”
Koume’s lips trembled. She forced a smile. “Giant monkeys? Are you joking?”
“I am not joking,” Yukima said.
“Unfortunately, it’s the truth,” Yukiya added.
“No! You’re lying!” Koume shouted. “Enough of this; I don’t want to hear any more. Let me see my father right now! You’ve kidnapped me! Why?” She stood in the cell like a kitten with its fur standing on end.
Yukiya pitied her, though he didn’t say so.
“I really am sorry,” Yukima said, “but I’m not joking. That’s what really happened.”
Silence. Koume stared at Yukima, her face pale.
“All those people are dead,” Koume said tonelessly. “My father, too?”
“We haven’t identified all of the bodies yet,” Yukiya said. “There’s a chance that he managed to escape into the mountains. That’s why my brother said he was missing. That’s the truth.”
Koume took shallow, rapid breaths as she tried to calm herself. When she looked up at Yukima again, her face had set in determined lines. “You haven’t found my father yet,” she said. “Right?”
“We haven’t found his body,” Yukima said, “but we haven’t found survivors in the mountains yet, either. I’m sorry to say this, miss, but I think your father’s chances of survival out there are slim. You were the only survivor we found.”
Koume stood still, shocked and silent. “Me. I’m the only one left,” she whispered.
“Yes. It’s quite interesting. Why were you alone left unharmed in Sugō?” one of the officials asked.
“How would I know?!” Koume snapped. Then she burst into tears.
Yukima was flustered by the crying girl.
Yukiya observed Koume calmly. She didn’t seem to be lying. Her accent hadn’t slipped once, so she likely wasn’t faking that. It was possible that she was just a survivor.
Yukima, Yukiya and the officials left Koume alone. They gathered in a meeting room to discuss the situation.
“She was asleep and didn’t notice the attack. And the monkeys didn’t notice her, either?” an official asked.
All of the people in the village had attended the feast. Children would have been asleep in their homes. The monkeys had begun their attack on the opposite side of town from where Koume lay sleeping. Perhaps her father had noticed some kind of commotion outside, and he’d hidden her inside the chest. Another villager might have done that, too.
“That seems like the most likely explanation, doesn’t it?” another official asked, stroking his beard.
Yukiya raised a hand. “Wait a moment. The inn’s doctor said she might have taken a sleeping drug. What do you think about that?”
“If we trust the girl’s story, then the drug must have been mixed into the food at the feast,” an official said.
The monkeys could disguise themselves using their human forms. It was possible that they’d drugged the food. Their attack would be that much simpler—unconscious people couldn’t fight back.
“That would also explain why she was in the chest. Someone who managed to stay awake tried to wake Koume, but couldn’t because of the drug, so they had no choice but to hide her,” Yukima said.
Koume had been asleep and hidden, so she’d escaped detection.
Yukiya frowned. “That explanation makes sense, but I feel like we’re missing something.”
“Like what? There’s no other way to explain things, is there?” Yukima shook his head. “That poor girl. Her father’s never coming back.”
The officials’ faces darkened as they looked at the floor.
Yukiya still felt like something was off about this whole mess. Koume didn’t seem like a liar, but her presence here still bothered him.
Unlike Yukima and the other officials gathered here, Yukiya had spent an entire year serving the Crown Prince in the Imperial Court. That environment was like being cooked under pressure. Yukiya was naturally skeptical; his year at court had made him practical and paranoid. He understood firsthand just how ruthless other Yatagarasu could be. His own life had been threatened and he’d witnessed the deadly scheming of the duchesses as they’d tried to become the Crown Prince’s bride last year.
Yukiya hated seeing women cry. So did his older brother. It was a weakness they shared—a blind spot. If Koume could cry on command, then Yukiya and Yukima wouldn’t be able to see through any lies she told.
This was possible, but Yukiya hoped he was mistaken. He wanted to believe Koume. He decided to remain vigilant and not to trust her for now, but his resolve was already weakening. If she was the unfortunate survivor she claimed to be, then she needed help, not imprisonment or interrogation.
News that the only survivor from Sugō had awakened had reached the inn already. Yukimasa and his retinue visited Koume next and came to the same conclusions as Yukima. She spoke Souke Territory’s dialect flawlessly and could take both raven form and human form, proving that she was a Yatagarasu. Half a day after waking up, she was released from the cell.
What had really happened in Sugō remained unclear. Koume was free to move about, but she wasn’t allowed to leave Taruhi Village proper until the provincial governor told her she could. She would be staying at Yukimasa’s estate while everyone figured out what to do with her.
Koume was withdrawn and barely ate for the first few days after moving into her temporary living quarters. She seemed especially wary of men, perhaps because of how she’d awakened. Men avoided her out of consideration, including Yukiya.
Azusa spoke with Koume regularly. Koume seemed comfortable around her and the village’s other women. Azusa brought Koume meals and cared for her with great dedication.
Yukiya watched Koume’s progress from the shadows. Not wanting to alarm her, he refrained from speaking to her directly, instead quietly assisting his mother with serving and clearing trays of food.
He saw the changes in Koume over the next few days. She risked infrequent visits to the kitchen and started helping out with chores inside the house.
On the third day after she’d moved in, Koume was helping Yukiya shell peas in the kitchen. It was dusk; the light was failing.
“So,” Koume said, her eyes on the peas. “Have you found out anything else about what happened in Sugō?”
Yukiya was surprised by the question, but he understood why she’d asked it. “No, not really,” he said. He’d heard plenty of reports from his father and brother, but they hadn’t relayed anything new to him since the first day of the investigation. Koume had repeatedly asked multiple people to confirm the identities of the victims, but so far, no bodies had been found that could be identified by their faces.
“How long will I have to stay here?” she asked, sounding lost.
Yukiya looked at her.
Koume was wearing a pale blue kimono tied shut by a patterned sash that she’d borrowed from the daughter of a local official. Her glossy chestnut-colored hair had been disheveled when they’d met, but now it was neatly combed. Her complexion had improved since she’d started eating more. She could easily be mistaken for a lady-in-waiting in service to a noble family.
“Are you uncomfortable here?” Yukiya asked.
“No, not at all,” Koume said. “Everyone is so kind. I wouldn’t mind staying here forever.”
Yukiya shelled his handful of peas and reached for another. “If you need anything, you should say something.”
“I could say the same to you,” Koume said.
Yukiya blinked. “What do you mean?”
“You’re watching me,” she said. She turned away from him, sulking a little. “Your older and younger brothers are kind whenever we meet. They don’t follow me around all the time like you do. I kept waiting, thinking you had something you wanted to say, but you never talk to me.” She explained that he gave her an uneasy feeling.
Koume wasn’t wrong. Yukiya had spent a lot of time with Koume, but he hadn’t really talked to her much. Maybe I overdid it? he thought.
“I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression,” Yukiya said. “I’m not used to being around girls your age, so I wasn’t sure how to interact with you.”
He tried to appear considerate as he faced Koume.
“I didn’t want to be rude, especially since you’ve just been through an ordeal. I thought it would be worse to leave you alone.”
Koume’s frown smoothed. The corner of her mouth twitched upward as she blushed. “So you’re not spying on me? You don’t have anything to complain about to me?”
Yukiya shook his head.
Koume smiled and then let out a sigh of relief. “I’m glad that I can stay here,” she said. “I hope I can stay for a long time. I was worried there would be problems.”
“What kind of problems?” Yukiya asked. He tilted his head slightly, trying to appear non-threatening.
Koume shrugged. “I talked things over with your mother. It’s not impossible for my father to be in the mountains somewhere, but if he doesn’t come back, your mother said she would hire me to work inside the house. Apparently, finding employment and housing for orphans is part of the provincial governor’s work.”
“That sounds like Mom,” Yukiya said.
“I was worried you disliked me and was worried about what I could do if you did. I’m so relieved.” Her smile widened. “I look forward to working with you from now on.”
Yukiya didn’t share Koume’s relief. He felt like she’d skillfully guided the conversation in her favor. He sensed a kind of low cunning in her and was wary of her questions.
“By the way, I heard from the ladies in the kitchen— is it true that you used to serve at the Imperial Palace?”
“Well, yes, sort of,” Yukiya said.
“Amazing! Please, tell me about life in the Imperial Court. I was born and raised in the capital, but I’ve never actually been inside the palace. Could you tell me what it’s like? Please don’t leave anything out.”
Yukiya was put off by her sudden friendliness. Where had her shyness and standoffish attitude gone?
Koume kept gushing about the Imperial Court, oblivious to Yukiya’s growing unease.
“Aren’t you worried about your father?” Yukiya asked. The question slipped out; he hadn’t meant to ask it.
Koume looked at him in surprise. Her smile flashed off. “Of course I’m worried,” she said, but she sounded awkward. “But I’ve always admired nobles so much… I’m happy to be here just so that I can see them every day. I almost want to thank my father for disappearing.”
Yukiya kept his expression neutral. Would any daughter say such a thing about her father? Her careless honesty was more than enough to make Yukiya wary. Disgust welled up in him at Koume’s lack of care for her missing father.
It’s like I thought. We can’t trust her.
“He’s your father,” Yukiya said gently. “Is that really something you should say about him?”
Koume finally seemed to realize that what she’d said had offended Yukiya. For a moment, her face stiffened. She glared.
“My father is a worthless buffoon,” Koume said, “but you wouldn’t know that. Your parents are wonderful and you’ve never known any hardship or distress. You could never understand how I feel.”
That stung. “I still don’t think you should talk that way about your own father.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I have plenty of complaints about my own family, but we all try our best. I believe that your father has his issues, but that doesn’t mean you have none of your own.”
“What are you trying to say?”
Yukiya should shut up. He really should, but he couldn’t stop himself from speaking. “I’m saying that someone like you, who blames everything on their father, has no right to look down on me.”
Koume’s eyes filled with contempt. “You speak as if you’ve actually worked a day in your life. You haven’t. Your parents raised you comfortably and showered you with love and attention. That’s not how my life has gone at all. I can’t stand spoiled little boys like you. What do you know about me, anyway? Have you ever suffered a day in your life?”
Yukiya couldn’t take it anymore—he stormed out of the room.
“I hate you!” Koume shouted at Yukiya’s back, then kicked the basket at her feet in frustration. “What’s his problem, anyway? It’s hard to believe that he’s related to Lady Azusa.”
“Is it?” Azusa asked mildly.
Koume jumped, startled, and then turned around. How long had Azusa been standing there? Had she heard everything?
“My lady,” Koume said, curtsying.
The household staff hustled and bustled around Azusa, who remained still. They’d noticed the tense atmosphere between Koume and Yukiya and had called for Azusa to intervene.
Koume reddened. No mother would be happy to hear her son described in such a harsh way. She worried about making herself disliked. All her anger faded at once. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that…” Koume stammered out an apology.
Azusa didn’t scold her. “You’re right,” she said. “Yukiya and I are not related by blood.”
Koume was speechless.
“I’m his stepmother,” Azusa added. “Yukiya is the son of my husband’s first wife. But that doesn’t change the fact that he is my son,” Azusa said firmly. “Blood ties don’t determine who your family is or isn’t. I realized that too late and caused him a lot of pain.”
Koume frowned. “How?”
“It’s not something I’m proud of, but my husband and I discussed sending Yukiya to the Lord of Hokke’s estate as an adopted son. His birth mother was the Lord of Hokke’s daughter, you see.”
Yukiya and Yukima were born scarcely a year apart, and for awhile it wasn’t clear if Yukima or Yukiya would inherit their father’s provincial governor role. Various city nobles from Souke made their own opinions known in no uncertain terms. Local officials who wanted to curry favor with the Lord of Hokke also interfered with Yukimasa’s family in unpleasant ways. Azusa remembered those times with grief.
“I’ll never forget that day,” Azusa said. She looked in the direction Yukiya had left. “Yukiya was two years old. The Lord of Hokke’s family came here and tried to take him away. Looking back now, I regret that I didn’t fight them immediately. I thought that it might be best for Yukiya to be raised by his grandfather’s family and household.
“Yukiya wouldn’t go,” Azusa said. “They found him napping beside me and he cried like he was dying. Yukiya almost never cried. And then he called out to me for help…” Azusa trailed off.
“…And then?” Koume prompted.
“That was enough to shake any ideas I had about Yukiya being better off elsewhere. I took him back and forbade anyone to take him from me.” She shook her head. “He must have been so scared. He was so little, but he always remembered that. He still does.”
Azusa said that the toddler Yukiya had become more sensitive and cried more often after that day. He’d had nightmares about being taken away. He’d asked Azusa every day, “I’m your son, aren’t I? You won’t send me away, will you?”
As he grew older, Yukiya stopped asking that question. He devoted all his time and energy into supporting his older brother. When studying with his brother, he would act foolish; when facing him with swords, he would always surrender first.
No matter how much his father or his maternal relatives mocked him, Yukiya never stood up for himself. His devotion was self-effacing. Anyone who spoke ill of his brother or Azusa received his swift ire. Azusa had only learned of that recently; Yukiya had been so careful not to let anyone know what he was thinking or doing.
“I am his mother even without blood ties,” Azusa said. “The ties that bind us together are different, but they’re strong.”
For Yukiya, the ideas of family and home were closely intertwined. Home was a place he could always return to. He would fight with everything he had to protect it. Defending his family was the same as defending his home.
“That’s why he was so angry with you,” Azusa said quietly.
Koume nodded slowly in understanding.
“I apologize. What my son said was hurtful to you,” Azusa said. “I hope you will forgive him.”
Before Koume could reply, Azusa bowed her head deeply.
Koume was startled. “Please don’t bow to me, my lady! I wasn’t aware of your family’s circumstances. I never meant to offend anyone, but I wound up saying such harsh and terrible things. I’m so sorry.”
Azusa lifted her head and then nodded. “Yukiya doesn’t know what you’ve been through, either,” she said. “Understanding other people is difficult sometimes.” Azusa’s gentle smile deepened the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. “I’ll talk to Yukiya myself. You can think whatever you like, of course, but Yukiya isn’t a bad person. He’ll apologize to you later. I’d appreciate it if you two did your best to get along.”
Koume shook her head. “No, I should apologize first, my lady,” she said in a tone that brooked no argument. “I’ll go to him directly.”
Azusa smiled.
***
When Koume stepped outside, the sky was dyed a tangerine orange by the last light of the sun. A row of tea bushes had been planted as a hedge. Honeysuckle vines twined through the bushes. Their white flowers sent a sweet scent into the night air that lingered in Koume’s nose.
She didn’t have to search for very long. Yukiya was sitting on a flat stone just outside the kitchen, staring into space. He didn’t look angry anymore, but Koume sensed that he wasn’t quite calm, either.
Yukiya wasn’t like most boys Koume had met. There was something oddly detached about him, like he was observing everyone from a distant height. There were times when he looked much older than he was. Whether that came from his lineage, his upbringing or both was hard to say. He spoke politely like his brothers did, and that reminded her of the nobles she’d met while living in Yamauchi’s capital.
Koume felt like Yukiya was deliberately ignoring her. He must have heard her come outside, but he didn’t look her way even once.
“I’m sorry about earlier,” she said hesitantly.
Yukiya looked up at her, his face a dispassionate mask. He didn’t say anything.
“I heard some things from your mother,” she said. “You’re a noble, but you’ve had hardships of your own. I never should have suggested otherwise. She told me you were almost taken away from her—do you remember?”
Yukiya’s eyes flashed. “Of course I remember. I’ll never forget it. I still dream about it sometimes.” He grimaced. “I try not to think of it, but for a long time I wondered if it was even right to call Azusa my mother. When I was very young, I didn’t know if I belonged here at all. I shouldn’t have snapped at you the way I did,” he said. “I’m exhausted from the investigation, but that’s no excuse.” He sighed and then rubbed his temples. “When you said I hadn’t suffered or experienced any hardships, I overreacted. I’m sorry. I was just being selfish. I shouldn’t have taken out how I was feeling on you.”
Koume wasn’t upset with him anymore. “I think I would have said the same thing if you’d hit my sore spot.” If Azusa was to be believed, then Yukiya carried a sense of pride for his family and his place in it. She’d touched a nerve, and that was why he’d gotten angry so fast. “I might have overreacted, too. I don’t have a mother—at least not one that I remember. My father could never keep a job for long, and he’s my only family. I’ve been working to support my family for as long as I can remember—for as long as you have, at least.”
The life that her father had provided for her was no life at all. She’d feared that she would have to work her fingers to the bone just to keep her head above water for the rest of her life. That fear had chased her so relentlessly that she’d thought she was going crazy.
“I had no one to rely on, not really,” Koume said. “Things were hard—both physically and emotionally. I hate my father because all he did was pile on more debt. He never did any work for himself or for us. I don’t think anyone would blame me for hating him.
“You really have been through a lot,” Yukiya said. He sounded genuinely sympathetic. “I had no idea.”
Koume gave him a sidelong glance. He didn’t sound sarcastic, but it could be hard to tell sometimes.
Yukiya’s frown convinced her of his honesty. He looked like he was in pain. Perhaps he really was ashamed of his earlier outburst.
“You may not be related by blood, but you have such a wonderful mother and family. I envy you. I can’t help but think how great it would have been to have a mother like yours. Some children are better off without their parents. You’re lucky to have them.”
Yukiya looked down, mulling over Koume’s words in silence for a short while. When he raised his head, his face was honest and open. “I was wrong. I’m sorry again for what I said earlier.”
“I’m sorry, too,” Koume said. “Let’s try to get along better from now on.”
Yukiya gave her a radiant smile—a rare expression on his face. “Okay.”
***
The proposal for Koume to be taken care of at the provincial governor’s residence for the time being was readily accepted. Almost nothing new had been discovered about what had happened in Sugō. The Lord of Hokke was searching the mountains with the Aerial Army of Heaven, but no other survivors had been found.
For now, Koume was treated as an unfortunate victim. Yukimasa took every step he could to protect her and care for her. Azusa suggested to him that Koume should be employed within the house, and Yukimasa readily agreed.
“The administrators from Souke have confirmed that you are a Yatagarasu,” Yukimasa said. “There’s no issue with you being cared for here.”
“Thank you very much for all your kindness.” Koume bowed deeply. “If I may, I have a request. I’d like to return to the capital to collect my belongings. Is that all right?”
Yukimasa was planning a trip to the capital soon for other reasons. He nodded.
Yukiya spoke up. “I’ll come with you. Father will be busy with his duties in the Imperial Court. I’ll stay with Miss Koume. We also need to return Lord Sumimaru’s horse to the Sun Palace. I can do that while we’re in the city. We should return the horse as soon as we can.”
The Sun Palace was where the Crown Prince lived. When he’d returned to the capital from here, he’d taken a fresh horse from the stables and left his here. His horse was still resting in the estate’s stables.
“I also worry about Miss Koume being alone right now,” Yukiya added.
Yukimasa hesitated, but then he shrugged. “I see no reason for you not to come. Prepare yourself. We leave tomorrow.”
The next day, Yukimasa, Yukiya, Koume and an escort of local officials and officials from Souke Territory set out for the capital on horseback. It didn’t take long to fly to the capital from Hokke Territory. They made good time until they reached the security checkpoint at the border.
The last time Yukiya had been to this checkpoint, it had been easy to get his travel permit filled in and there’d been few other travelers. This time, the checkpoint was packed with people and the guards on duty were tense. All the people waiting were trying to leave Hokke Territory out of fear. Identity checks were especially strict and progress was slow.
Being related to a provincial governor had its perks, at least. They couldn’t skip the line, but they didn’t need to undergo any secondary checks and were sped right through the process. The gatekeepers looked exhausted. Yukiya greeted one and commented on the crowd.
The gatekeeper gave him a weak smile. “This is better than yesterday, if you can believe it.”
News of the tragedy in Hokke Territory had already reached the capital. Armed soldiers stood in rows. A few people tried to force their way through to the front of the line and were seized by the guards and taken to tents outside the checkpoint.
After they finally got through the checkpoint, Yukiya and Koume left Yukimasa’s group to collect Koume’s belongings and return the Crown Prince’s horse.
The Crown Prince’s horse was spirited and hard to handle. The beast usually didn’t allow anyone to ride it, but it was quite intelligent and seemed to sense the strange circumstances around Koume and Yukiya. The horse had allowed Koume to ride it away from the checkpoint, albeit grudgingly.
“We’re going to the Sun Palace?” Koume asked. “Really? Are we allowed to go there, Yukiya?”
Koume had grown up in the capital and knew that the Sun Palace was where the Crown Prince lived. She appeared impressed.
Yukiya shrugged. “I used to serve the Crown Prince in the Sun Palace. We’ll be fine.”
“You served the Crown Prince?”
“For a little while.”
“You should be proud,” Koume said. “Serving the Crown Prince is a great honor. I’d never be able to do that. My status is far too low. Why didn’t you remain here? It seems like good fortune slipped through your fingers.”
“You call it good fortune. I don’t think I ever found any of that while I served in the Imperial Court,” Yukiya said.
***
The Imperial Court was built inside a large mountain that was in the center of Souke Territory. A vast lake stretched out to the northeast of the peak. It had no name; everyone called it “the lake.” Commerce flowed around it easily; goods and people were always on the water. A large market had also cropped up naturally on the lake’s shore.
Koume’s house was close to the lake’s northern shore of the lake and not too far from the security checkpoint. It was located on the opposite side of the Central Gate that marked the edge of the market and the smooth road that led to the Imperial Court. Yukiya had never come to this area of the city before.
Yukiya left their horses at an inn by the lake and then followed Koume as she walked toward her home.
“There are usually more people around,” Koume said as she looked at the inns lining either side of the street. “I don’t hear anyone laughing or talking.”
“Maybe it’s just the wrong time of day or something.” He didn’t say that people might be on edge because of what had happened in Sugō. He couldn’t say for sure that was the case. The people he saw were generally quiet, but they didn’t exude the same terror as the people he’d seen at the checkpoint or the villagers in Taruhi. He saw a few official notices posted, but they were light on detail. The Imperial Court wasn’t sharing information about Sugō widely, at least not yet.
The familiar neighborhood felt strange to Koume. She didn’t relax even for a moment.
They passed through several narrow alleys and climbed up a crude wooden staircase that was badly maintained. Koume walked faster.
When Yukiya also sped up and called out to her, Koume slowed down.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I have this horrible feeling that my father might be home. If he’s alive, he’ll almost certainly be there. We had a rule that if we ever got separated, we would meet back at home.”
Yukiya said nothing. He gave Koume’s shoulder a gentle pat.
They kept walking until they reached an area where homes were sparse. The few buildings were constructed in the shadow of tall trees. Many homes were built directly on the side of the mountain.
“That’s my house,” Koume said, pointing to an ancient building that looked like it had popped up here from a bygone age. Koume told Yukiya that it looked big, but a well claimed most of the space on the inside.
As Yukiya listened to Koume’s explanation and looked at the house, he noticed a figure moving beyond the hedge. Koume noticed movement at almost the same time and dashed toward the figure like a frightened rabbit.
Yukiya ran after her.
Koume halted in front of three men. None of them appeared to be related to Koume. They wore loose hakama that were easy to move in and white headbands. The threatening look on one man’s face warned Yukiya that these men were far from friendly.
“Who are you people? What are you doing at my house?” Koume asked sharply.
“Are you Jihei’s daughter?”
“So what if I am? I asked you a question first.”
The men were unfazed by Koume’s brusque attitude. The oldest man reached out one hand toward Koume.
“We came at your father’s request. Come with us.”
“That’s right,” another man said.
Yukiya thought that Koume might be shaken by hearing her father’s name again, but she remained calm.
“Did my father really send you?” she asked, her voice firm and her tone skeptical.
“Yes, we are. He asked us to come pick you up.”
“Then why didn’t he come himself?”
“There are unfortunate circumstances. We’ll explain everything when we can.”
“You’ll explain everything to me here and now. Otherwise, I’m not going anywhere.” She stepped back as she spoke.
Yukiya moved in front of her, standing between Koume and the three men. “Who are you?” Yukiya asked. “I want names.”
“Stay out of this, boy,” one of the men said. “This has nothing to do with you.”
The other men’s expressions immediately turned sour.
“I’m sorry, but I have a duty to protect this young lady,” Yukiya said. “I can’t hand her over to anyone who refuses to identify themselves.”
“You have a duty to protect her?” the man’s eyebrows furrowed. He exchanged glances with his compatriots. No one offered their name.
“My father serves the Imperial Court and gave me this duty,” Yukiya said. He was reluctant to use his father’s status as leverage, but he had little choice. The men were clearly not nobles. They might be merchants’ bodyguards, at best. Yukiya suspected they were actually criminals. Showing off his noble status should made them back off.
But the men didn’t back off. If anything, their attitude became even more hostile.
“And who are you, you noble brat?” one of the men asked.
“You didn’t introduce yourselves,” Yukiya said. “I won’t, either.”
“If you tell us the truth, we’ll let you go. Who’s backing you?”
“I can’t answer that.”
“Don’t fuck around with us, you bastard! If you won’t answer, we’ll make you talk. You’re coming with us, too!”
Yukiya slapped away the hand reaching for him and kicked the arm of the man trying to grab Koume. He seized Koume’s hand and ran away as fast as he could. There was no time to worry about the men, who were shouting angrily and running after them.
If they made it to a crowded area, they’d be safe. He ran in the direction of the market with Koume keeping pace. Soon, the three men behind them were lost to view.
Yukiya was about to take a break when he saw three more men wearing white headbands ahead of them. “Damn it,” Yukiya muttered. He changed direction sharply, but there were more men in white headbands in every direction.
They were surrounded.
Yukiya tried to shield Koume behind him, but one of the three men who’d been chasing him sneaked up on them and grabbed Koume by the collar.
“What do you think you’re doing? Let go of me!”
Men closed in on Koume, who screamed in fear.
Koume was wearing a short jacket that limited how much she could move her arms, but Yukiya wore only his feather robe. He considered transforming and going for help, but just then, Koume shouted in desperation, “You won’t get away with this! Yukiya serves the Crown Prince personally!”
The men surrounding them stopped moving. They didn’t appear intimidated, but they did seem confused.
Alarm bells rang in Yukiya’s mind.
Koume kept talking. “That’s right! Yukiya is a palace raven serving His Imperial Highness, the heir of the Emperor. What you’ve done is unforgivable! Now unhand me!”
The older man thought for a moment. Then he nodded. “Let her go,” he commanded.
The man holding Koume released her.
Koume hadn’t expected to be set free. She stood still, dumbfounded, for a few moments.
“Boy. Is it true that you serve the Crown Prince?” the man asked.
Yukiya glared sharply at him. “Who are you?” His attitude made it clear that he wouldn’t answer unless the man identified himself first.
The man’s mouth curled into a slight smile.
While serving the Crown Prince, Yukiya had once worked in the Valley for a month and a half. He’d learned about the Underground then. The bosses who ruled over the Valley lived there. He vaguely remembered hearing Tobi’s name a few times.
“What does the Underground want with her?” Yukiya asked.
Tobi was one of the most powerful bosses in the Valley. He coordinated all of the others, but few people had ever seen him in person. Yukiya had never seen his face before today.
“You know who we’re working for,” a different man said. “It’s your turn, boy. Do you serve the Crown Prince or not?”
Yukiya bit his lip. “It’s true that I have experience serving the Crown Prince in the Imperial Court.”
“I see. That’s all we needed to hear.”
The man gestured with one hand to the people surrounding Yukiya and Koume. “This is beyond what we can handle. We’ll pull back—for now.”
The men obeyed and turned their backs on Yukiya and Koume.
Yukiya stood there for a few moments, relieved but confused.
“Tobi will contact the Crown Prince soon,” a man called out as he retreated. “You haven’t seen the last of us. You’d better think of a good excuse for breaking the agreement.”
The moment the last of the men disappeared from sight, Koume collapsed.
As Yukiya bent to help her up, he asked, “Koume, do you have any idea why those men came here? What agreement was he talking about?”
“I don’t know,” Koume wailed. “I don’t know anything about that at all! I’m sure they just made something up. They were going to kidnap me!” She spoke rapidly, clearly flustered.
“Why would they want to kidnap you?” Yukiya asked.
“I don’t know that, either,” Koume said. “But I know that a lot of girls my age have been kidnapped from this part of the city this year. They must have heard that my father went missing. Maybe they planned to sell me to the Valley. I can’t take this anymore—why do these terrible things always happen to me?!” She wept.
Yukiya looked around. Koume had plenty of problems, but none of them would be solved by crying in the middle of the street. Yukiya grabbed her arm and somewhat forcefully pulled her to her feet.
“Let’s go.”
“Go? Go where?” Koume asked as tears streamed down her face.
“To the Sun Palace, like we planned,” Yukiya said. “You brought the Crown Prince’s name into this, so we have to report to him.”
“Can I come with you to report to the Crown Prince?” Koume asked, her expression brightening.
“I don’t know,” Yukiya said. “That’s not my decision to make. We’ll go to the Sun Palace and wait for more instructions from there.”
Yukiya was finding it harder and harder to trust Koume. He’d never fully trusted her and what had happened today made him suspect her even more.
Koume believed that the fight against the mysterious men had brought her and Yukiya closer together, but the reverse was true. He didn’t want a suspicious person like her to get anywhere near the Crown Prince if he could help it.
Unfortunately, he had little choice. He returned the Crown Prince’s horse with Koume accompanying him. After that, he headed straight to the nearest guard station. The guard station was manned by the Yamauchishu, Imperial Guards that defended the Imperial Palace. He wasn’t an imperial attendant anymore, so he wouldn’t be allowed to go straight to the Sun Palace.
When Yukiya asked for an audience with the Crown Prince at the guard station, he got the answer he expected. He was permitted to go and report to the Crown Prince in person, but Koume would have to remain at the guard station. He asked one of the guards to keep a close eye on Koume and then made his way to the Sun Palace alone.
The imperial family lived inside the mountain that housed the Imperial Court for the most part, but the Sun Palace was merely connected to the interior chambers of the mountain. It was built atop a rocky peak with parts of the palace jutting out over the mountainside in an overhanging style that was commonly used for building noble residences inside the city.
As Yukiya rode across the stone bridge connecting the Imperial Court to the Sun Palace, the spray from a waterfall flowing down from the mountainside misted all around him.
Yukiya hadn’t seen this place for two months. The large gate was usually busy; carriages or horses flocked around it to deliver messages or take the Crown Prince out to various places. He hadn’t expected to miss this place as much as he had.
At the same time, he hated that he’d had to come back—especially so soon. When he’d resigned, he’d decided to leave this place forever. Two months wasn’t anywhere close to that long.
Sumio emerged from the Sun Palace to greet him, walking briskly over the bridge. He was light on his feet as always and his skin was deeply tanned. He was used to frowning and looking intimidating, so he had resting warrior face; Yukiya was glad to see him smiling. He wore a purple sash embroidered with silver thread that marked him as the Crown Prince’s bodyguard. To Yukiya’s knowledge, Sumio protected the Sun Palace and the Crown Prince all on his own. He’d known the Crown Prince since childhood; they were close friends.
“I already know what happened,” Sumio said. “But let’s hear your report in front of the Crown Prince before I ask any questions.”
Yukiya left his horse with the Imperial Guard who’d escorted him here and followed Sumio into the Sun Palace.
The room that the Crown Prince used as his private quarters was separated from the rest of the Sun Palace by a narrow hallway. Sumio tapped on the closed door that led into the room. “Your Imperial Highness, Yukiya is here.”
“Come in,” came the reply.
Sumio opened the door.
The Crown Prince sat at his writing desk with his back to Yukiya and Sumio. The window in front of him was wide open. Sunlight silhouetted the Crown Prince, who was dressed in a pale purple robe. His black hair was tied loosely behind his head. Sunlight dappled his face and hair as he spun around.
“So you’ve finally come back,” Hamayū said brightly.
Yukiya’s eyes bugged out of his head.
Hamayū grinned mischievously. She’d made herself up to look like the Crown Prince. Anyone who didn’t look too closely would be fooled.
“Princess Hamayū?” Yukiya asked. He knew that the Crown Prince had chosen her in Sakura Palace, but he’d left the Crown Prince’s service right after that.
Hamayū laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous. Don’t you recognize your former lord, Yukiya? You haven’t greeted me properly. We haven’t seen one another in such a long time.”
She was obviously teasing. Yukiya felt like he was being toyed with by a fox. He sat down so that his position would be lower than hers and bowed his head.
“You’re right, it has been a long time. May I ask if it’s all right for you to be here?”
Hamayū was the Princess of Sakura Palace now. That was where she should be.
Hamayū raised an eyebrow. “You don’t need to look so worried.”
“She’s right,” Sumio said. “She doesn’t make public appearances. She takes care of things in the Sun Palace during the day and returns to Sakura Palace at night. Thanks to her, everyone’s starting to think that the Crown Prince has settled down after his marriage.”
The lighting revealed deep circles under Sumio’s eyes.
Yukiya felt dizzy. Even up close, it wasn’t always easy to tell her and the Crown Prince apart. Their faces weren’t the same, of course, but makeup helped with that and his clothes fit her. She also had a similar air to the Crown Prince—proud, cutting, and imperious. Yukiya couldn’t imagine where the idea of using Hamayū as the Crown Prince’s stand-in had come from, but it wasn’t the worst idea he’d ever heard.
“If the Imperial Court ever finds out about this, it would be a scandal. It would be even worse than when everyone was calling him a fool all the time.”
“They won’t find out,” Hamayū said dismissively.
Yukiya stared at her. The Crown Prince had met—and married—his match on the inside and the outside.
Hamayū was impersonating the Crown Prince. Where had he gone?
Hamayū snorted when Yukiya asked the question. “We’re in a state of emergency, in case you couldn’t tell. He decided to leave keeping up appearances to me and rushed off to Hokke Territory as fast as he could.”
So Yukiya and the Crown Prince had missed each other. That frustrated Yukiya.
Hamayū gave Yukiya a fearless smile. “I know where he is and can get a message to him. What’s going on? Tell me why you’re here. I’m not his stand-in for no reason, you know.”
Yukiya briefly explained what had happened at Koume’s house.
“The boss of the Underground is involved? And he came himself? It’s rare to see him in the city,” Hamayū said.
“What could it mean?” Sumio asked.
“Um, what exactly is this agreement?” Yukiya asked.
Hamayū cupped her cheek with one hand and leaned into it. “There’s a non-aggression pact between the bosses in the Valley and the previous Emperor,” she said. “That could be it.”
In the past, the Valley had been truly lawless and totally chaotic. Several decades before, the Emperor had decided to impose strict sanctions on the Valley… but then it all changed.
“Before major regulation by the Imperial Court could be imposed, the Valley decided to impose its own rules and become self-governing,” Hamayū said. “There’s even a King of the Underground, if you can believe it—he led the Valley well before Tobi’s time. Violent gangs were disbanded and reorganized. After that, the Valley became autonomous and followed its own laws.”
The previous Emperor had been surprised by the changes made to the Valley. He’d believed that the riff-raff there would be easy to do away with, but now that the Valley was no longer lawless, it would be more troublesome to scour clean. The issues that the Imperial Court had brought to the Valley’s bosses were now being dealt with internally, so the Emperor had no reason to interfere in the Valley’s affairs any longer.
The clear demarcation between the Valley, the city and the Underground originated from this time period. The Imperial Court no longer regulated activities in the Valley; the bosses of the Underground did. The Emperor made an informal pact with the King of the Underground to leave one another alone as long as the current situation was maintained.
“The King of the Underground is named Saku, I think,” Hamayū said.
Yukiya repeated the name.
“The people of the Valley call him King Saku out of respect. Tobi is one of his protégés, as are most of the other bosses who manage the Valley and the Underground now.”
“I suspect that Koume’s father did something to anger the Underground,” Sumio said. “They were planning to punish him through his daughter, but then the Crown Prince’s name came up and the situation escalated.”
“Koume brought him up; I didn’t,” Yukiya said.
“So you were caught in the crossfire.” Hamayū clicked her tongue in irritation.
“Duchess Hamayū, this is just a hunch, but I think that Koume is hiding something,” Yukiya said. “She keeps feigning ignorance, so I can’t find out what it is.”
“Well, women always have at least a few secrets,” Hamayū said.
“Princess Hamayū, what the hell is that supposed to mean?”
Yukiya was about to complain more, but Hamayū’s sharp, narrow eyes shut him right up.
“That girl was the only survivor of the attack on Sugō,” Hamayū said. “Now her father is being targeted by the Underground. That can’t be a coincidence. If my husband were here, he would investigate.” She nodded to herself. “Bring Koume to me at once. And send a messenger to Masuho no Susuki. She should continue her work in Sakura Palace.”
Masuho no Susuki was Hamayū’s lady-in-waiting.
“You’re going to bring that girl here?!” Sumio asked, astonished.
Hamayū remained calm. “What good does it do to keep suspicious people at a distance? We have no information. It’s better to keep her close and watch her. Even if we never learn what she’s thinking, keeping her protected here means that she owes us. It also gives us a bargaining chip with the Underground, assuming they want her badly enough.” She paused and tapped her chin a few times. “Yukiya.”
Yukiya straightened up. “Yes?”
“Return to Hokke Territory immediately.”
“You’re telling me to report to the Crown Prince?”
“Yes,” she said. “It is unfortunate that you could not meet him here, but you should be able to contact him easily enough. Most likely, the Underground will request a meeting soon. If he’s not here, then there’s no point in having the meeting. I’ll send a message to the provincial governor. You are to bring the Crown Prince back here immediately.”
“Understood.”
She handed him a purple sash embroidered with silver thread much like Sumio’s. “Take this. From now on, don’t bother with Yamauchishu intermediaries—come here directly.”
The sash would mark Yukiya as the Crown Prince’s attendant.
Yukiya had returned this sash to the Crown Prince when he’d left the Imperial Court. It looked like no one had used it since he’d ironed it and folded it neatly into a box. He saw creases from the folds.
When Yukiya looked up at Hamayū, her mischievous smile was back in place. “Welcome back to the Imperial Court, Yukiya. Show me what you can do.”
Translator's Notes
Ekirei literally means “station bell.”
The kosode is a type of Japanese garment, and the direct precursor to the modern kimono. Literally meaning “small sleeves,” the kosode is a T-shaped garment with a distinctive, relatively small sleeve opening. It evolved from earlier, more voluminous robes and eventually became the foundation for the kimono, particularly during the Edo period.
The word used for the Crown Prince by the men from the Underground is not wakamiya, the usual term for Crown Prince that appears in the text, but hitsugi no miko, literally “heir of the sun and emperor.”
Tobi means “black kite,” the bird of prey milvus migrans.
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