Disclaimer: Twelve Kingdom world, plot, and characters belong to Ono Fuyumi.
Note: I'm not a practiced writer, so if my plot doesn't make sense or anything, well, I'm sorry. -.-b As of now I have no pairings in mind yet, and I'm warning you now that I haven't the whole story plotted out in my head, so I don't know what'll happen later on.
"Marauders?" Kei-Ou looked up from her work desk at her taiho1.
"The southwestern regions of Kei has a large plain stretching to the Kei-Kou boarder, and travelers has complained about a band of horsemen robbing them as they try to past through the boarder," Kei-Taiho calmly reported.
"And the local governors can't control them?"
At that Keiki hesitated before answering, "They are very organized. It seems they have been around when late empress ruled, and over time they have became sophisticated in ... the trade. Recently they've begun raiding more isolated villages in You province."
Kei-Ou fell silent for a while. "I understand. I'll look into this matter."
The days were becoming warmer. Outside, human, and every other living beings, activities were also becoming more intense than ever. This included youma activity. While the weather made the cities fascinating with festivals and open markets, the youma activity made life difficult and perilous for traveling entertainers, merchants, and home-bound abroad students like Rakushun. Although En wasn't as devastated by heat during summer as Kou, its universities still included summer vacations for their members. The taiho of En had generously lent Rakushun a suugu2 to make his journey home shorter and easier.
Of course, on his way to Kou, Rakushun had to stop at Kei to look up his friend, now Empress of Kei. They set up an approximate time and date to meet at the market place of Gyouten. They picked that area because shops stayed open late after dark, and people stayed out late after dark, so they wouldn't attract unwanted attention if Youko was unable to get out early.
And so Rakushun spent his afternoon wander around every shop, and bought his mother a little hanging decoration. His feet were hurting when he spotted another suugu landing in the market area what was cleared of traders just an hour ago. Thinking the young empress in disguise had arrived, Rakushun was surprised to see Shoukei instead when he poked through the crowd.
"It's really been a while." Across the table in a tea chop, Shoukei knew the hanjou3 was smiling under his thick, grey fur. They were served chilled tea and melon slices the shop just got off the market earlier. "How is Her Highness doing?"
"You probably know too, that she takes everything she does so seriously," the former Hou princess smiled and sipped her tea, "Sometimes I feel like Suzu and my job is more to keep her from working than to help her work." They both chuckled at that, and Shoukei continued more gravely, "Today, however, Shuujo4 has been in foul mood ever since taiho woke her up. Taiho had refused to let her out at all today, and had sent me to find you."
"I see," Rakushun tried to hide his disappointment even though he knew it would be selfish to expect an empress to skip her job for just anyone on a regular day like that. "Being an empress is no easy job after all."
They chatted a little more, about recent news and about some old times, and Shoukei needed to leave. Rakushun had just turned around from seeing the girl off behind the tea shop when someone seized and pulled him from behind, nearly making him scream.
Nearly, that was. As soon as he saw those crimson hair he was so glad he almost forgot there were still people in the kitchens around them, "Youk.."
"How have you been, Rakushun?" the young Kei-Ou in disguise cut him off with a wrapped fist and a slight bow.
Immediately realizing his slip in name, he replied, "As well as a mouse (scholar) living in a granary (school-full of books), Youshi."
They left the back of the tea shop to an eatery next to Rakushun's inn on his suugu. "Shoukei told me Taiho didn't allow you to be out today." Rakushun said over a case of steamed buns.
"I made a puppet with red straw hair, and knocked Suzu out with sleeping drug in her tea. It was surprisingly easier than I thought," Youko answered casually, while Rakushun's hand froze in mid air with his eyes as wide as the bun he was holding. Youko, however, continued, ignoring Rakushun's exaggerated reactions, "It took me three nights to finish sewing and coloring it, but it sure is one piece of art!"
The mouse's eyes fell in shadow, and his jaw dropped. A dark aura descended slowly on him. Somehow, Rakushun got the feeling that a certain emperor he knew had visited recently. "Is taiho going to be alright with this?" he muttered.
"Keiki?" Youko raised an eyebrow and grinned, "of course he won't, but he can use some muscle exercise, if you know what I mean."
Rakushun was speechless. A crow flew by out of the blue.
"Rakushun?"
"Ah?"
"Are you flying back to Kou by sea or by land?"
The hanjou scratched his head with his short hand, "Probably by land. If I fly by sea I might become targeted by koucho5 flock. At least by land I can lose them in forest or stay near crowds. Why do you ask?"
"Ah, I thought the same as well, and I also want to warn you about the marauders near Kou's boarder,"
"I've heard about them," Rakushun nodded in agreement, "They've been around for a few years now, and I've also heard they came from Kou. The provincial lord, Minkai, has been unable to keep them away, and they've been damaging trades with Kou. Now that Kou-Ou has passed away, things are just looking worse for foreign merchants."
"If he's having trouble subjugating a little band of raiders, he probably didn't report it to me to look bad..." Youko mused out loud. She took out a small pouch and pushed it across the table to her friend, "Hire some escorts for yourself." Rakushun pushed the pouch back, "I can't just take your money. This isn't..."
"Don't refuse a friend's kindness so readily!" Youko complained with exaggerated hurt expression, "If you still feel uncomfortable, how about helping me gather information on these marauders while you're at the boarder?"
"Well, I suppose I can do that..."
"Deal, then!" Youko exclaimed, and Rakushun sighed in defeat.
1 A kirin's title. Hopefully most readers know this one, but safe sorry.
2 A fierce tiger-like yojyuu; may be tamed to become a kijyuu, and is good for combat.
3 Half-beast. Hanjyuus have an animal form and a human form.
4 Specific title for emperor/ess meaning His/Her Highness (and the likes). I'm not certain on the spelling.
5 A type of bird-like youma.
End Note: Instead of me attaching a dictionary at the end of chapters, detailed definition on terms like yojyuu, youma, etc can be found at this great JK fansite where I referenced to often myself: 12K-TP's The Twelve Kingdoms Fansite