53
Hidekazu
The fusuma to his palace quarters flicked open with a brush of ki, the wards disregarded altogether. Hidekazu raised his head from his desk, stiff from the atypical sleeping position. Had he better self-defence mechanisms, he might have sprung to life at the first sign of an intruder, but instead, he yawned and grumbled, covering his face from the firelight.
“Hide.” Aihi’s strained voice jerked him awake. He lifted his head again, greeted by her frown. “Did you fall asleep working on your calligraphy? Are you sick?”
“No. I’m fine. Let me sleep...” Hidekazu realized what he was saying, gaining enough consciousness to understand why she was there. He perked up. “Is there news about Mika? Is she okay?”
“There’s ink on your face.” She grabbed his travelling cloak from a hook b
