it.”
“And you would do this for us?” The shrine maiden stared at the noble, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Forgive me, Taiyo-san,” she said, as he raised a brow at her. “But...you are a noble. Not only that, you are part of the imperial family. Why would you help a shrine maiden, a ronin and a kinsman of the Shadow Clan into the emperor’s party?”
“Lady Reika.” The noble gave her a solemn look. “I met Suki-san only once,” he said. “Normally, I do not notice the comings and goings of the servants in the palace, but this meeting, brief as it was, stood out. I discovered she was the daughter of a craftsman, and had an ear for beautiful music. She was...genuine, something quite rare within the Imperial Palace.” His brow creased, a look of weary disgust briefly crossing his face. “The dance of the court never changes. Every year, it is exactly the same—silken words that hide daggers of venom beneath the veneer of decorum and compliments. A smile can be as dangerous as a sword, and the wrong choice of words can mean the difference between great favor and eternal shame. When I met the girl, it was refreshing to speak to someone who did not care about earning favor or keeping up appearances. For Suki and her father’s sake, I feel it is my responsibility to discover if the rumors about Lady Satomi are idle peasant gossip, or if they have any truth to them.”
“Wow,” the ronin interjected. “A noble who actually realized a peasant was a real person. Better be careful, Taiyo-san—next thing you know, you might start courting dogs and having conversations with monkeys.” Yumeko frowned at this, looking puzzled, and the ronin hurried on before she could ask a question. “But that still doesn’t explain how you’re going to sneak a ronin, a priestess and...her—” he nodded at Yumeko “—into the Imperial Palace.”
“Sneak you into the emperor’s party?” The noble seemed genuinely horrified. “What a shameful thought. I may find the courtly events a bit repetitive, Okame-san, but I am not so bored as to consider treason.” He sniffed, letting us all know he was offended, before continuing. “However, a distinguished onmyoji and her yojimbo is a different story. Those who practice onmyodo, the ancient art of yin and yang, are highly respected. The emperor himself often calls upon onmyoji for advice in political affairs, to tell his fortune or divine the future of the country. I’m certain he would welcome Yumeko-san and her companions into his presence.”
I saw the shrine maiden glance at Yumeko and narrow her eyes; perhaps she could tell that the girl wasn’t an onmyoji, or anyone with magical abilities. But she didn’t correct the noble’s assumption, and neither did Yumeko, though the ronin looked vaguely uneasy at the thought of meeting the emperor.
“So, it’s decided,” the shrine maiden said. “Tomorrow night, we will attend the emperor’s Moon Viewing party, find Lady Satomi and discover what has happened to Master Jiro. Are we all in agreement, that this must be done?”
“Yes,” Yumeko said immediately. “And once we find Master Jiro, we can finally go to the Steel Feather temple.”
“Sounds like fun,” put in the ronin, rubbing his hands together. “I’ve never been invited to the palace before. I can’t wait to see it up close.”
“Agreed,” said the noble. “Although, if I may...” He glanced at Yumeko, then the ronin. “The emperor’s party attracts nobles from across Iwagoto. All are looking to make an impression, to see and be seen. And, for the most part, you will not want to stand out among the crowd. Perhaps a change of attire would be...prudent.”
The ronin snorted. “Don’t show up looking like filthy peasants, then?”
“If at all possible.”
“Miss Reika?”
I turned, ignoring the sudden surge of bloodlust. Hakaimono was angry that the scene with the miko hadn’t ended in violence and was now lashing out at everything around it. A pair of shrine maidens, probably the two I’d heard in the rooms next door, appeared on the veranda, peering cautiously into the room.
“Miss Reika,” one said again. “So sorry to disturb you, but there are samurai at the entrance that will not leave. They say they are looking for one of their kin.”
“Thank you, Minako-san,” the shrine maiden said, as a cold lump settled in my gut. “Please inform them that I will be there shortly.” As the two miko bowed and hurried off, the priestess gave the rest of us an exasperated look.
“It appears your