The Gunari’s had slept poorly and his foul mood was made worse almost immediately when he heard there were five separate messengers waiting for him. He decided to receive them without getting out of bed right away and, without bothering to dress, awaited them, sitting up straight in his futon. He couldn’t imagine anything good from this many messages before lunch.

“When there’s one fly, there’s a swarm,” he said to himself, then called the first messenger in.

It was a hesitant youth, somebody attached to the army, but kept away from the front lines. He saluted the Gunari, then bowed, speaking with is face to the floor.

“The battalion you’ve sent to…”

“Yes, about the ship,” the Gunari said, gesturing for the boy to get to the point, not wishing to spend half his morning listening to details he already knew.

“They have made no contact and their commanding officer is requesting more supplies.”

“Have the quartermaster deal with that,” the Gunari said impatiently, “Will that be all?”

“Lord,” the messenger said and retreated out of the room.

The second messenger bore the colors of Choukishi and was interrupted before he could get one word out.

“The point, lad,” the Gunari said.

“We’ve been seeing a ship on our coast.”

“From?”

“It flies no colors, but it’s a metal ship and uses a sail.”

The Gunari raised a brow. It was odd to see ships powered by sail since the Haga had been enslaved to power the ships. He filed it away in his head as an oddity to deal with later.

The third message was more concerning. An entire hamlet of sukeeru, the untouchable caste that did the most menial of work, had gone missing.

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

“They’re dead?” the Gunari demanded.

“They’re just… gone,” my lord, the messenger whispered, “As if they packed up and left without taking anything along.”

The Gunari frowned and considered his options.

“Send a listener, find out what’s happening and report back. If it’s a revolt, their orders are as usual.”

The messenger nodded and quickly left the room.

Number four was an old woman that had o-legs from spending most of her life on the back of her mount. She bowed deep, then relayed a request for soldiers from the lord Kuwagata, who was dealing with a peasant revolt.

The Gunari simply told the messenger to order the Lord Dekamu, who’s domain was nearest the Kuwagata, to march on the rebelling peasants.

The fifth messenger was a young girl with her hair filled with flowers who carried both of the Giya blades at her side. The Gunari vaguely recognized her as the daughter of some minor lord or other.

“Yes?”

“I am here to invite you to the wedding of the Lady Gi of Choukishi and the Lord Terada of Hanmiyou, your grace.”

“Ah, some good news,” the Gunari said, wished the messenger well and ushered her out, after which he let out a long sigh. Normally the thought of a common celebration would have cheered him up, but with the four former messages still on his mind, all he could think about was the cost of the wedding gifts.

He considered going back to sleep when there was clap outside his door, somebody announcing themselves.

Preparing for another bout of bad news, the Gunari sighed, “Yes?”

“My lord,” a voice he recognized said, “I have…”

“To clean my bedding," he replied to the chambermaid, "I know. I’ll get up.”

“No, my lord. I have a visitor.”

The Gunari had barely been warned of the coming company when the door to his chambers was opened.

He was surprised to see Nana, though even more by her disheveled appearance. The normally prim and proper woman was pale, looked tired and the Gunari could see at least two fresh wounds on her foot and shoulder.

She dropped to her knees and pressed her head against the floor.

“Bad night, Nana?” the Gunari asked mildly.

“Lord Gunari,” Nana said, her voice remarkably calm, “I am here to report the failure of my mission. I did not sink the ship as told and I ran from battle without completing my assignment.”

“It can’t be helped,” the Gunari sighed, “You can’t always eat honey.”

“I humbly request repentance in the form of ritual sui…”

“I rather you wouldn’t,” the Gunari said mildly, “I’m ordering you to see a physician, get a good night’s sleep and when you have calmed down, we’ll discuss things properly.”

“But, lord…”

“An order, Lady Hoshitentou,” was the last the Gunari had to say about it, then resolutely pointed her to the door.

Nana nodded and, unlike her, shuffled backwards out of the room without raising her head, and closed the door.

When she was gone, the Gunari picked up one of his important crystal goblets and threw it at the wall in frustration. It cut through the paper and shattered against the floor on the other side.

“A long day ahead of me,” he said to himself and got out of bed. .