The Initiate Brother Duology (138 page)

“I am ready to begin,” Nishima said, giving her father’s steward a small smile.

“Lord Butto Joda of the Province of Itsa, Empress,” Kamu said. “The lord readies himself to go north in pursuit of the barbarian who retreat along the great canal.”

Nishima nodded. Kamu clapped his hand upon his thigh once, producing a surprisingly loud sound, and the doors to the hall opened. It was a small hall, chosen intentionally so that those arriving for their audience would not have to traverse a vast room on their knees to approach the sovereign. But despite its size it was a room of some beauty. The posts here were not lacquered
but left a rich natural red-brown, and the sweep of the ceiling beams that supported the massive tile roof gave the otherwise static space a feeling of motion. Painted screens of courtiers walking in the palace gardens decorated one wall, and Nishima was thankful they were not scenes of battle.

The small figure of Lord Butto bowed in the doorway and then approached the dais. At an appropriate distance he stopped and bowed again.

“Lord Butto, please be at your ease,” Kamu said quietly. The old man withdrew then, slipping quietly out through a screen. Nishima was paying Lord Butto the ultimate compliment of favor and trust—meeting the sovereign of the Empire privately.

Nishima turned her attention to the young lord kneeling before her. Like a boy, Nishima thought, all of his features are small though his eyes are very fine. But belying this look of youth was the lord’s great poise. He was as sure of himself as many of her officials. Here will be a great man, the Empress found herself thinking, trapped for now in the body of a child. She smiled warmly.

“Lord Butto,” she began, and was surprised to find her voice become thick with emotion. She paused for a few seconds. “Lord Butto,” she began again, “it is my honor to express to you and the Butto House the gratitude of the government and the people of Wa. In the recent turmoil in the Empire you have shown the greatest wisdom and exemplary judgment, placing the interests of the Province of Itsa and the Empire of Wa before those of your House. To have fought beside my father against the invading barbarian army, and to have risked being judged a rebel House for this, displayed both courage and conviction. In the subsequent battles, Lord Butto, your courage did not falter nor did the warriors of your House ever shrink from their duty.” Nishima took a long breath. “If there is anything within the power of an Empress to provide, you have but to ask.”

Lord Butto stared down at the floor.

The young warrior looked up, meeting his Empress’ eyes for a second. “Empress. It was my greatest honor to ride at the side of Lord Shonto Motoru as he fought, unsupported by the Imperial government, to stay the barbarian invasion. It is a tale equal to any in our long history and shall be told for a thousand years. The Butto name shall ever be sung in that tale, though in truth my part was small. What greater gift could I ask? I am honored by your words, as is the Butto House.”

Nishima bowed low in response. “You are fair spoken, Sire, and your
words touch me. Please, Lord Butto, accept these tokens of our regard.” She clapped her hands twice.

Shonto guards appeared, carrying a saddle of beautiful leather. It was not decorated with silver or stones but was a saddle a warrior would choose, perfectly made of the finest materials. Upon the right side below the pommel a shinta blossom was embossed and on the left the flower of the warisha. Resting upon the seat was a bridle, also of leather, but with silk reins woven of crimson and blue. An armor chest was borne forth on a pole and set beside the saddle. Guards opened the lid and revealed a suit of armor laced in Butto purple and trimmed in the same pattern of crimson and blue.

Finally, a guard carrying a silk cushion, upon which rested a warrior’s helmet, emerged and laid this before Lord Butto.

“It is my father’s helmet, Lord Butto,” Lady Nishima said. “May the crimson and blue always remind you of the gratitude and loyalty of the Shonto and of the Fanisan House. May the shinta blossom and the warisha symbolize the growing bonds between our families and the great esteem in which you are held.” Servants set a low table beside the Empress and from this she removed a brush.

“Lord Butto, Itsa Province needs a governor of great wisdom to repair the ravages of the invasion. I would offer this position first to you, for there is no other I would trust more.” This was a formality only, for the governorship of Itsa had been offered to Lord Butto, in private by Kamu, so that he could have refused without rebuffing the Empress.

Lord Butto bowed again. “Empress, this is a great honor for the Butto House. I accept and hope only that I may prove myself worthy of your great trust.”

“Lord Butto,” Nishima said warmly, “of this there is no doubt.” With a flourish Nishima signed the scroll of investiture, making Butto Joda the Imperial Governor of Itsa.

A memory of the Emperor speaking to his new governor of Seh in the palace garden appeared in Nishima’s mind and she hesitated before setting the brush down.

Pushing this thought from her mind, she forced herself to continue.

“You will pursue the retreating barbarian army, Lord Butto?”

“I set out in the morning, Empress.”

Nishima nodded. “May Botahara go with you, Lord Butto.”

The young man bowed low. “I thank you, Empress,” he almost whispered.

Kamu had returned almost silently, nodding to Lord Butto who retreated back to the great doors. The old man gave Nishima a smile of reassurance and then looked at his scroll. “General Hojo Masakado,” he said, clapping his hand to his thigh once.

The senior Shonto general knelt in the open doorway and came forward at a gesture from Kamu.

Nishima noted that Hojo looked rather less at ease here than she had seen him appear before a battle. The general wore robes of white embroidered in the palest shades with falling cherry blossoms—a man in mourning for his liege-lord.

With his gray beard neatly trimmed and his hair drawn back Hojo was a man of great presence despite his lack of ease in such formal surroundings. This man will be less happy in the new Empire, Nishima thought, for if Botahara smiles upon us the Shonto will have little need of his warrior’s skills.

“Masakado-sum,” Nishima said as Kamu retreated again. “Were I a great poet, I could not find words that would convey my gratitude or do you the honor you deserve.” Nishima felt her heart begin to break as she looked at the face of the man kneeling before her. These are the men who loved my father, she thought, glancing over at Kamu’s retreating back. These are the people who share my loss and have walled their feelings away for the sake of the Empire and their new Empress. She remembered both these men from her arrival in the Shonto House—massive, intimidating strangers they had been then. But how quickly that had changed. They teased me as a child and indulged me and adored me as though I were a member of their own families. She closed her eyes tightly and took three slow breaths.

“General, your loyalty to Lord Shonto Motoru and the Shonto House and its causes has been as unwavering as the loyalty of Fugimori to his outcast prince—as constant as the seasons. Without your wisdom and bravery, my lord’s effort to slow the barbarian advance would have faltered, I have no doubt. Anything you ask of me I will grant, Hojo Masakado-sum, for the Empire’s debt to you is great.”

“Empress,”
Hojo began but his voice came out a whisper and he cleared his throat before beginning again. “Empress, I have served two Shonto lords and it is my wish to serve a third. I believe this is what I am meant to do. If I may, I will go with Lord Shonto Shokan.”

“But this is a small thing, General—it is your present position. Is there no other favor an Empress may grant?”

Hojo shook his head. “I thank you, Empress. I am honored by your words—that is enough.”

“Masakado-sum, my father would never see you go unrewarded and I cannot change the tradition of my family.” As before, she clapped twice and a Shonto guard appeared carrying a small stand upon which sat a single scroll. This was set before Hojo.

“It is the deed for a house in the capital near to the home of your liege-lord, General—a property I have been told you admire. This, so you may visit the capital often and so come to the palace that I may not lose the pleasure of your company.” Before Hojo could respond, a second guard appeared bearing a sword in both his hands as though it were a valuable artifact.

Nishima beckoned the guard to her and, to his great surprise, took the sword into her own hands. With the grace of a Sonsa she rose and descended from the dais. Holding the sword in both her hands, she offered it to Hojo who was so taken aback he hesitated for a moment.

“It was my father’s favored weapon,” Nishima said as though to reassure him.

“My lady, it is the
Mitsushito,’
” Hojo said, still not reaching for it. An Empress did not descend from her dais to offer a soldier a gift from her own hands—it was unheard of.

“So it is, Masakado-sum. My brother and I hope that you will accept it.” She held it out again.

Hojo took it gently from her hands, and Nishima saw him close his eyes. She thought tears would appear, but the general was a warrior and maintained control with effort. Nishima reached out for a second, touching his hard wrist, and then she returned to the dais, unable to bear his discomfort any longer.

Hojo bowed but no words came, and he retreated even before Nishima had called an end to their audience.

Nishima sat for a few moments before she would continue. Nodding to Kamu, she again followed a breathing exercise taught to her by Brother Satake.

“Captain Rohku Saicha,” Kamu said quietly.

Nishima nodded. The Captain of the Shonto Guard approached. He wore the light duty armor she often saw him in and carried his helmet under his arm. A white sash was worn for Lord Shonto and in this he wore no sword,
making Nishima realize that the Shonto Captain had not been granted permission to wear a sword in the presence of the Empress. A grievous oversight with a man so proud.

Except for the white sash and the missing sword Rohku had been dressed exactly so when he had argued against Nishima’s decision to journey to Seh.

What a position I placed this poor man in, she thought.

“Saicha-sum,” Nishima said, “though unintentional I assure you, I have paid you a terrible insult.” Clapping her hands a guard appeared, for the second time bearing a sheathed sword. “Of my father’s extensive collection of blades there were only three that he chose to carry into battle. The Mitsushito I have given to General Hojo. This is a Kentoka, Saicha-sum. It is my wish that you will wear it in my presence.”

Rohku Saicha set his helmet gently on the floor and took the sword in both his hands. “My lady, I did not for a moment believe you had lost trust in me but only focused on affairs of the Empire and struggled with grief. I will wear this always for your protection.”

Nishima nodded. “That is my hope, Captain Rohku, for I have spoken long with my brother of this very matter. Too many rulers have been deposed by disloyal guard commanders and in an unsettled Empire this is a matter of grave concern. Lord Shonto has suggested, if you would agree, that you take command of the Imperial Guard, Saicha-sum, and, if you do, I will sleep easily. It is a choice left entirely to you. If it is your wish to stay with the Shonto, it would be with my blessing.” Nishima found her mouth suddenly dry. She had said
Shonto
as though they were another family—not her own.

Nishima watched the captain’s face as he considered this offer. Neither she nor Shokan had been sure of his decision. Certainly she had proven a difficult charge in the past, but Nishima needed someone she could trust completely and that left very few with the proper experience—it was not enough to be a warrior or a great general, a guard captain must be born suspicious, and yet reveal this to no one. He must have the mind of an assassin for this was how security was created without weaknesses.

“Empress, I am concerned for Lord Shonto…. He is my liege-lord and my charge. It is difficult for me to abandon him.”

“If your heart cannot, Saicha-sum, then you must stay with Shokan-sum. I will say only this—your lord has said that Shonto security could best be served by making the Imperial household completely safe. Please consider this. I will accept either decision in your own time.”

Nishima waited, trying to read the look of the captain, but he kept his face hidden by staring at the floor, cradling his sword across his knees.

“Saicha-sum. My father chose to ride into the midst of a battle. You did not make this choice for him. An arrow—in a battle there is no way to guard against an arrow. No one bears responsibility for Lord Shonto Motoru’s death.”

Rohku nodded. “Thank you, my lady.” He did not look up.

Nishima had more to say, more praise for the guard captain for his part in the war against the barbarian and compliments for his son as well but she thought these things better said at another time.

She gave a signal to Kamu, who watched through a crack in the screen and the Major Chancellor returned, clearing his throat and then nodding to Rohku who retreated.

“Kamu-sum, if giving rewards is this difficult, how will I survive making even the slightest criticism?”

“Empress, if I may say…this is a difficult thing you do. These men supported your father while the rest of the Empire watched the Yamaku attempt to bring about his fall. They fought a barbarian army of a size never before seen with a small force and acquitted themselves in a manner that can only be cause for awe. They have become figures in our history.” Kamu gestured out at the empty hall. “This audience signals an end of sorts. How will these warriors live up to the reputations that have been created? The captain who knelt before you will be a greater figure in history than all but a few lords who live in our Empire today. Hojo Masakado-sum will be mentioned in the same breath as the Emperor Jirri. I believe that they no longer know who they are, Lady Nishima. Until only a few days ago they were the men who resisted a barbarian invasion against impossible odds. Their lives had no other purpose. And now?