Burden of the Emerald Empire (A Legend of the Five Rings Tale)

Taking a deep breath and forcing your face back to its perfect mask of polite, calm, you decide to speak to Domotai.
"Hai Miya-san send her in."

At least you hadn't taken off your clothes yet for bed, or this would be extremely embarrassing. The tent flap opens, and in approaches Doji Domotai, champion of the Crane.

She bows low as you reflect how old she feels for her age, she's only a few years older than you, but it feels like a life time of experience hangs between you. Then, while you have but the tragedy of your father's death, her life has many more. The death of her mother and father, the betrayal of her erstwhile ally Ikoma Masatoe, and the continuing clash between her own rigid views of the world and the Daidoji...no there was much to make a woman who was three years your senior look twice that.

You dismiss the thought as you command her to rise.

"Doji-san, welcome, would you like tea?"

"The Emperor is kind, but I am content merely to speak to him, as he wills."

You almost raise an eyebrow, skipping all etiquette? Hmm, this could be troublesome.
"I do."

"I know that you have committed to marrying Shiba Kaname-san, while her eloquence is somewhat in question, her conviction and honour make her a fine bride. However, as tradition states the Crane are granted the honour of defending the Empress. Does this arrangement still please you?" She asks.

You sense a trap in this but are not quite sure what it is...thus you step forward into it. There's no real reason to deny Domotai this. The Crane are not the sort to brazenly assassinate the Empress. You can trust them with this.

"I had no intention of changing that tradition Doji-san, but you could not be here for such a simple request. Please Doji-san tell me your real purpose."

Domotai doesn't quite smile, but you can sense it behind those blue eyes.
"Have you given thought on who your brother is to marry?" She asks.

Your brother, Daio, still in training with Itsume-sensei. He's not quite seven years old but he would be soon. Which for every traditional clan means he's old enough to be betrothed. Tch, you had not been betrothed, your father arguing that you needed the freedom to make the appropriate political choice when you took the throne.

That did not strictly speaking apply to Daio, you had no intention of killing yourself and making him the Emperor. However, did you intend to marry him off? No you had not, not really. In many ways Daio is to you still that skinny little brat that drove you to distraction. Not a political piece.

"I see" Domotai says simply. Taking your silence for what it is.

"He is for now my heir, the argument my father used with regards to me is still sound."

Domotai simply lets one eyebrow raise up slightly. 'Really, all that time you spend with your fiancée and you expect me to believe that he will not be set aside soon?' she seemed to ask.

Another careful breath as you tried to avoid admitting to yourself she had a point. Kaname was beautiful, and you did spend a lot of time together, it would be extremely odd to say the least if that did not translate into a 'winter baby' to more lewd folk. Fortunes knew you had been tempted more than once already to be a man with a pretty girl. So far it had been Kaname's own rigid sense of honesty that kept it from more than light petting.

"If the Emperor will take his vassal's advice. So long as his left and right hand are united with him, he may take the world...but unity is something earned through shared experiences." Domotai said.

Your mind translates that easily enough, she wants Daio to be betrothed to her clan or the Lion. Unspoken is that the Lion and Crane are most put out by their continued inability to access the halls of power.

"I will take my vassal's words under advisement." You say carefully.

"Thank you Holy Tenno, you are most wise."

"Was there anything else Doji-san?" You ask.

"Beyond communicating my wish that my vassal works well with you on the counsel? No"

"You expect Kakita-san to win then?"

"Without reservation." She says simply.

"We shall see what the Heaven's decide, when and if your prediction comes true, I will allow Kakita-san to prove his best to me."

"Arigato." Domotai says again kowtowing to you.

"Good night Doji-san." You say.

The Crane woman takes that as a dismissal and leaves. You go back to bed and look up at the ceiling, were you really willing to marry off your brother? To deny him the freedom you had?

[] Yes, the good of the Empire, of the Toturi is too much to let sentiment get in the way.
[] No, you are still Daio's older brother, you will give him the freedom you craved.

That decision made your turn over and begin to sleep.

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The next day again finds you sitting on the dais watching the twelve remaining contestants draw their assigned lots. The first is rather contentious, Akodo Shigetoshi versus Utaku Tama. The two clans have never had a great amount of love for each other. You know its too first blood but accidents do happen.

The other candidates move off the field, allowing Shigetoshi and Tama to face each other. For a moment it looks like Tama will win, her strange scimitar giving her greater reach. Yet, with a simple step forward, Shigetoshi's blade blurs into motion cutting into the Utaku's wrist and sending the scimitar flying. There's a quiet murmur at just how casually the Lion candidate had defeated the Unicorn.

You lean forward, noticing that Kitsuki Akane is leaning forward too, Kaneka looks bored. As if he already knows the outcome. Taking out your fan, you reflect that you spent much of yesterday talking to Kaneka, it is probably wise to give your advisor a similar amount of face time.

As the admittedly pretty Suzume Rei quietly faces off against Usagi Kenshin, you decide that you will talk to Akane about...

[] Domotai's visit
[] What she thinks of the Champions
[] Who she thinks will win
[] How she intends to integrate the Emerald Champion into the council
[] Write in

Suzume Rei overcomes her fellow minor clanner easily, but there seems to be no ill will between them. The duel is short all things considered. You find yourself wondering just how far the young Sparrow will go.

Still, as you watch Shosuro Jimen come up to face Kaiu Hirayuki, you decide that it is time to speak to your advisor and get some advice.

"By the end of today, we will have new counsellor, as the traditional leader of the Imperial Council, I trust that you have thoughts on how to make everyone work together smoothly?" You ask quietly.

Akane shifts you imagine her fidgeting with one of those gaijin spectacle things if she had them.
"Of course Emperor. While much of it remains somewhat open ended until the Heaven's choose your champion. I do have a formulated plan in order to ensure a smooth integration process."

You're about to ask whether or not you can hear them, when Jimen says something, and for a moment it almost looks like those words are enough to have Hirayuki back down...but instead the giant Crab bushi roars and swings his katana like a club right through Jimen's guard and almost through Jimen himself. The Scorpion comes rolling to a heap outside the circle. Immediately Miya and Seppun shugenja are on hand to keep the masked man alive, but you can't help but wonder what exactly enraged the Kaiu so.

"I admit that I will have difficulty with Kaiu-san, but it should still be workable." Akane says.

"A flexible adaptable plan is always better than a rigid one. I take it you intend to have private meetings with everyone?" You ask.

Hirayuki walks off the field, and eventually so does Jimen, albeit supported by a young Miya woman. The final contestants of the first round, Utagawa the Ronin and Shiba Masumi step forward, and go through the proper forms.

"Not as such, I intend to have a series of small working meals with two other members of the council so that all can be brought up to speed. I myself will of course be a neutral arbitrator as everyone learns how each other thinks. Lord Kaneka has excused himself from this instead opting for a field exercise between the First Legion, and Toturi Shigekawa-san's Twenty First Legion."

Kaneka chuckles.
"Already a better Kizoku than Taigen."

"I will take that as a compliment Lord Kaneka. I do after all intend to deal with that in due time."

You wave your fan against the heat.
"Should I take it Kitsuki-san, that you intend to replace Kasuga Taigen-san."

"Hai, I am still working out the proposal, but his failures with regards to Bayushi-shiryo, while understandable, are not pardonable in my opinion."

You frown slightly with your eyes. While you knew Taigen was ultimately a man promoted beyond his means, he was still the head of the Kasuga, and effectively your eyes and ears into the outside world. Would it really be worth losing that access by splitting him from the Kizoku position? It might be better to just ask or a sepukku and be done with it.

The quiet musing of reforming the Tortoise clan is ended, when you watch Utagawa sheathe her sword as Masumi bows. It seems the Shiba had given up after seeing the stance of her opponent. Perhaps she had been unnerved at the idea of facing one of the true duelling schools in the Empire?

"So working meals with everyone except the Shogun." You say bringing the conversation back to your original topic.

"Hai, I am assuming that these relatively low stress encounters will allow everyone to understand each other without having personality conflicts. Further more, we actually accomplish something besides sustenance."

"You really hate wasting time don't you Kitsuki-san?"

"On the contrary, the Emperor hates wasting time"

You consider the hours you put in, and your own slowly growing exhaustion, and have to admit she has a point. You do hate to waste time when you could be doing something like work.

Akodo Shigetoshi and Tsuruchi Kaya take the field, and you find yourself staring at the two men. The Tsuruchi and Akodo were not considered great duellists, but to your eye they seemed to be near equal. How the old Mantis managed it you weren't sure. They both drew at the same time, and for a moment the world stood still...but blood dripped down from Kaya's arm, as his blade hovered a bare millimetre above Shigetoshi's skin. It was, magnificent, and as the two bowed deeply to each other, you felt like there was a bond of friendship forged there.

"I'm not that adverse to people relaxing Kitsuki-san, do you have an intended schedule?" You ask, as you wait for Suzume Rei and Kakita Noritoshi to take the field.

"There is not much to schedule at present. One meal with myself and Yoritomo-san, one meal with myself and your fiancée and one meal with you. I have carefully made sure that your secretary Miya-san has a time open for it." Akane says.

Huh, you guess that Miya Kanasuke had ended up as your secretary, but you didn't have the foggiest as to when that had been decided. He had just always been there as needed, and done whatever it was that had to be done. Which translated into a reasonably important post being dominated by an Imperial. You were reasonably sure this had been a plot of Otomo Hoketuhime's your erstwhile quasi aunt. If nothing else it explained why the Imperial families had been so quiet when it came to handing out positions. Kanasuke would look after them....you really need to talk to her about making presumptions like that.

"Very well then" You say deciding to focus on the rest of the matches.

Kakita Noritoshi initially seems caught off guard by Suzume Rei's strong stance...but it seems age and experience can more than make up for youth and energy. The Crane landing a flawless blow on the younger woman's drawing arm right as she began.

The next match is between Seppun Yusuke and Kaiu Hirayuki, you notice that many in the crowd are watching this with interest. As a rule, the Crab never got this far. Certainly the last one to become an Emerald Champion had been...Hiruma Tadayousuke, back in the late seventh century well over four hundred years ago. (The late lamented Yasuki Hachi had began life as Daidoji Hachi and thus didn't count to most) They wanted to see how far that the Kaiu could go.

Seppun Yusuke was the one to draw first, even if Kaiu Hirayuki was scant seconds behind him. However while for most duels that would be the end of it. Hirayuki shifted in his draw just so, that it left Yusuke missing the Crab entirely. Dumb founded, the Seppun offered no resistance when Hirayuki's own blade cut his shoulder.

Clapping was of course gauche, but many in the crowd were politely showing a lot of Dark Blue and Black flags in support, waving them around to show the Kaiu that he had impressed them.

The final match of the second round was between Utagawa and Mirumoto Shin, a relative unknown, Shin simply bows and takes his stance, giving Utagawa the full force of his will. The ronin falters, and tries to rally, drawing her sword in a haphazard strike, but its already to late. The Dragon is inside her head, and she is forced to concede as Shin's katana cuts open her wrist.

The tension mounts as things move to the semi finals. Akodo Shigetoshi and Kakita Noritoshi have long known each other, well enough that neither is prepared to back down, but both are content with the other winning. It might be for that reason, that for the second time that day. A duel is conceded without drawing. Or it might be the result of a political deal between Domotai and Otemi, who knows?

The crowd is less than impressed by this, and soon turns all their energy on the second match. Mirumoto Shin, the enigmatic Dragon and the underdog Kaiu Hirayuki. The two men could not be more different, Shin is lithe and slim, while Hirayuki is large and muscled. Its like watching an oak tree and a willow tree compete you think.

Shin draws pushing forward, but again Kaiu Hirayuki repeats his upset with Seppun Yusuke, catching the katana on his armor and slamming into Shin's guarding wakizashi. You hear a sickening crunch as Shin's arm breaks unable to handle the force of the blow, and Hirayuki's katana just barely grazes the Dragon's side.

To his credit, the Dragon doesn't scream at his arm being broken, instead, he bows as best he is able and congratulates the Crab on his victory. Hirayuki returns the bow, and says that he will recommend Shin for an Emerald Magistrate position.

The crowd goes silent as Kakita Noritoshi takes the field across from Hirayuki. The Crane and Crab rivalry is infamous, and once again it is playing out here. Many expected the Crane daimyo to mock or put Hirayuki in his place. Yet, the one eyed Kakita instead simply took his stance, and said something too low for anyone but Hirayuki to hear. Everyone does hear Hirayuki's response though

"Seeing through my technique Kakita-Ue, is not the same as defeating it."

With that the Crab takes his stance and the two face off. There is a stillness in the air, and for a moment you can almost imagine their spirits fighting. Two fierce tigers circling around each other, growling and biting.

Noritoshi draws, going for what seems to be a perfect Kakita cut, once again Hirayuki shifts to catch it on his armour, and make the strike meaningless...but Noritoshi has already anticipated the movement and withdrawn his sword returning the blade to his sheath, as Hirayuki swings, Noritoshi steps in and presses his blade against the Crab's through drawing a thin trickle of blood.

There's a silence as everyone realizes what just happened. To bait out Hirayuki's defense. Noritoshi had drawn twice in the space of a moment, a feat not seen since the death of Seppun Toshiken a generation ago.

Hirayuki says something as Noritoshi withdraws the blade....and the two laugh together, what was said you don't know, but it seems that your Emerald Champion has enough tact not to rub his victory in Hirayuki's face.

You stand up, and give your thanks to everyone, and begin the closing ceremonies for the tournament. Now to begin the long travel up to the empty plains of the Unicorn. It was felt there at least no one would mind too much if a match got out of hand and large portions of the land were unusable.

That said, you do have to congratulate Kakita Noritoshi in person first. True to Akane's word, a quiet meal between you, him and her, has been arranged. As you sit down and see Noritoshi in the flesh you notice several things about him. First that he looks rather young, or would if not for the eye patch. You know intellectually he's a decade your senior, but he almost seems your age. Second, that he seems to be not nervous but cautious, as if he's learned from experience to move with just enough speed to matter....and last that he's not putting up an image for you to peer through. This is Noritoshi the man, not Kakita Noritoshi the daimyo.

With that in mind, you think of a few topics to discuss with him over the fresh sushi and wonderful rice.

[] Ask him about his ambitions in the post
[] Talk to him about what he thinks of your rebuilding program
[] Ask him about his family. He is very much in love with his wife, maybe he has advice on that front?
[] Write in