Emperor Meiji did not know who Algren was. All he knew that he needed a Westerner, trained in the art of warfare, who had honor that could rival that of the Samurai, to renew and refurbish his Imperial Army. He had made many private arrangements with the foreign diplomats, who were all unable to name one such man, except for the American ambassador's secretary, who had fought alongside him before serving under the embassy. And when he had heard tales of his valor, of his love for languages, and his affection for life, he knew that this man could have the key to Miryu's heart… Also, this man had experience fighting with indigenous tribes in America, could it be that they were no different that Katsumoto and his rebels?
When he spoke to Algren, Emperor Meiji did so in his own tongue, in Japanese. Of course, he understood English, but it was rather hard for him to speak it, to grasp it as fluently as the native speakers did so (and much to his chagrin, Miryu could speak most perfectly in English, and also French, German and Mandarin Chinese, as part of her training as an Imperial bodyguard). His words would be translated, and he would know if any single word was mistranslated. He knew that although Omura had every intention to do so, to have his own gain, his Prime Minister would not do it. "Captain Algren," Omura addresses the Captain in the manner as the Emperor had done so, "The Emperor is most interested in your American Indians, and wishes to know if you have seen them firsthand."
Miryu looked at the Emperor, and almost chuckled. It was just like him, to be fascinated by the most curious of details. He was inquisitive, and most amusingly so, that if he found an unsolved marvel, he would not eat and sleep until he had solved it, or someone did so for him. He smiled back at her, shaking his head, a sign that even he, the ruler of Japan, did not know what was going on in his mind. She winked at him, and they returned their attention back to the current situation. They watched as Algren and Graham exchanged glances, and finally Graham translated Algren's affirmative answer into Japanese after Miryu nodded to them, indicating that they were permitted to speak. Soon after, the Emperor whispers into her ears instead, and her face changed from one of jovial casualness to one of sheer seriousness. She nodded to his words, and her eyes remained still fixed on Algren.
"Algren, the Emperor wants to know that if you have fought against them in battle," she tells the Captain, with a slight bow, knowing that how… perplexed Omura was seen to be when the Emperor preferred to speak through a woman than he was. However, it was not Algren that answered, but it was Bagley, a man that the Emperor ignored completely. His answer was brushed off, in a dignified manner, of course, but was brushed off nonetheless. "Colonel Bagley, the Emperor thanks you for your opinion," she added softly, so as to not offend him, showing him what grace the Japanese court had for foreign dignitaries.
And so, the audience continued, to the extent where the Emperor asked Algren whether the American Indians painted their faces and wore eagle feathers to go to war. But as the meeting with the Emperor came to a close, it became clear that the matter fell on Miryu, and her current position. After Omura, Bagley and the rest of the advisors were told to leave; there was a silence so thick and pregnant that it left those who remained, particularly Algren and Miryu, breathless with anxiousness. "Captain Algren, Miryu has been a loyal warrior in my service for many years, and her results are unquestionable," the Emperor said to Algren through Graham. "She is a woman of great caliber and high breeding, but I fear for her. She cannot be caged like a bird in a bejeweled cage as I am, she must be free. That is why I have assigned her as your bodyguard that she may be free, and you, be safe from whatever threatens you…"
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Algren replied with a slight bow. So, the rumors were true, that Miryu really was close to the Emperor, but he did not know that her relationship with Meiji was so deep and rooted. However, he could sense that what they had between them were only on the terms of friendship and companionship. There was nothing more, and somehow, he felt rather… relieved. But which man could not resist a woman like her? Which man could look at that dazzling smile of hers, and not be enchanted? Which man could look into her sapphire eyes, and still remember that she was not the only woman in the world? He was sure that at any point of time, even Emperor Meiji was not free from her spell...
Miryu watched as the two men, one an American soldier, and the other, the Emperor of Japan talked to one another. She did not mind being the subject of their conversation at all, but the fact that the both of them were able to act so amicably around one another, it was a miracle. At that particular time, they were just two men talking to one another regarding her career prospects, and that she would continue to serve Japan by acting as the bodyguard to the man who would train the Imperial Army in Western warfare. She looked at them, and smiled. One was the Emperor, the other, a foreign soldier, and yet, they still could be so open and respectful of one another, acknowledging their differences.
Graham then cleared his throat and pulled her into a corner. "Look at them, my dear, how lucky you are to have them here!" he exclaimed, with a small nudge of his elbow. "Imagine that, a beautiful patriot with two men at her mercy… You can just say the word, and I am sure that both of them will fall off Mount Fuji for you!"