Chapter 2
The eyes of the elaborate dragons carved into the heavy oak doors of the Hall of Resplendence peered down at Aihi as she approached, Emperor Takeha at her side. They wore matching silks embroidered with patterned waves, though his kimono and haori overcoat were black to symbolize his state of perpetual mourning, and hers were shades of gold and amber.
While he and the tradition-adhering advisors were the settling dusk over the Seiryan nation, Aihi would be the brilliance of the rising sun.
Even the constructed dragon that floated along behind her, shedding tiny leaves as they went, symbolized her power. The rise of the Dragon Shōgun and the era of change she represented.
Time, and sheer force of will, had won over those who once thought her unworthy of being shōgun. The milit
