The men’s deep yells could be heard from the field as she crossed over to her father’s side. He watched them all with a deep sense of pride. Kiwako knew her father, his face was a mask of indifference, but his eyes glimmered with hope. She stood silently watching their morning training exercises. Her father turned and bowed low, “Ohayo gozaimashita, Kōgō Heika Kiwako-Sama.” she blushed at his formal greeting. “Ohayo gozaimashita, Otōsan.” He frowned slightly and shook his head. “You will refer to me as general on the field, Empress Kiwako-Tennō.” he added. He was teasing, but equally serious. It was his way of recognizing her as the imperial ruler, the empress. It also meant that like the Josei Tennō, she was a descendant of─ her eyes grew wide and she stared up at him. It couldn’t be. His expression was unreadable, but he inclined his head ever-so-slightly.

The men’s armor glistened as they shouted and thrust the weapons forward in near perfect formation. Their colors were red and black, trimmed in gold. Today they were in full gear, which meant that they were in the last six weeks of training and wearing around 25 kg of armor. Her father had told her that some of them had even been resting in the gear. The extra weight helped the men grow used to it. There was so much that she didn’t understand. So even the undead trained. She had foolishly assumed that the men would never tire, and so they were more useful than most. Seeing this made her curiosity peak. “Father, why do they train? Surely the undead never tire.” He frowned at her not using the formal name, but answered her question, “These are mortals, Empress. Once angels, now Fallen.” She kept quiet, listening to every detail. “They are at a distinct disadvantage from their brethren, you see. I needed to spend many months preparing them for the on-coming war.” She inclined her head, “I see.”

She glanced over to the more advanced warrior’s encampment to the North. It appeared to be several kilometers out, their flags visible and flying at the entrance. “Are they training as well?” He was silent for a moment, watching as one of the men was slapped with the flat end of the blade from his instructor. He nodded his approval, then turned to Kiwako, “they have been training since they first arrived.” “And how long ago is this, General?” His eyes met hers, and then looked to the north. “Millennia, Empress.” She started at his admission. Thousands of years. Was this how old she actually was? She wanted to ask more from him, but sensed that he would not address her as a daughter until after his supervision of the men was complete. She turned to face him properly and bowed slightly. “Thank you for your report, General.” He bowed until she stood and walked from her place next to him. It was odd, him treating her as above him. He was, after all, the Emperor of the realm. Yet, as he had explained last night, she was rightful heir to the throne and he now returned to his original position of General. This did not mean that he was no longer considered emperor, it meant that he chose to resign his duty to fight alongside his men. The empress was to oversee plans and to study the ways of war. According to him, she was renowned for her war strategies and once she has found her true self, she would understand her place.

She walked past the fields and turned toward the royal gardens to the east. It was the first time that she had a moment today to relax. They had begun her strict training regimen. There was studies in the morning, one hour debriefing session with the general, and then more studies in the evening. She still had a few moments of freedom, and it would be spent in nature. As she wandered to the entrance, her steps slowed. From her bedroom, she was unable to have a clear view. Now, it was entirely visible. She gaped at the corridor lined with the twelve distinct topiaries. They were absolute perfection, each animal their appropriate size and true to real life. Kiwako walked past them slowly─ rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey. She stopped suddenly looking at the rooster. It was small, yet imbued with a strange light. It was as if it were calling to her. She walked past the dog, and finally a boar. She remembered something about this referencing the traditional Chinese Zodiac. She stared down the line and then turned to look across from the rat. A lone creature was curled on the grass at the very end separate from the other creatures. It was laying on its side, curled around what appeared to be a gift, fast asleep. It was a small cat, complete with a long, bushy tail. This was similar to the Chinese Zodiac, but different. Her mind struggled to recall where she had seen this before. It was right there. There was a long, stretching hallway and two girls. The symbol for infinity, a string bonding two girls to each other.

She walked closer to the Tori marveling at its long, multicolored feathers. Its chest was puffed up and it stood tall and proud as if it were about to announce the sun’s rising. The light it emitted was subdued, but glimmered as she stepped closer. What was it about this creature? Kiwako’s mind shot back to a human memory of running through a very dark place. Something had been chasing her, and yet there was something else there─ a feeling of home.

“Shitsureishimashita, Kiwako-Tennō.”

Kiwako spun around at the intrusion. She relaxed slightly before speaking, “Eigo de shitsumon shite mo īdesu ka o ukagai shitai ndesuga, eigo de daijōbudesuka?” the maiden squirmed visibly, not used to being addressed so politely. Kiwako would have to learn how to properly address servants, or anyone here for that matter. But, this girl she was especially fond of. She thought of her more as a friend, than anything else. There was something about the girl that reminded her of a past life. She was stunningly beautiful in her long, deep purple robes. Something must have happened to the girl in battle, because every time Kiwako saw her she wore a patch over her eye. She still used polite words with the maiden and tried to make them not sound too familiar. She wasn’t sure that she would ever get used to such things as speaking down to her staff.

The girl bowed low, “Yes Empress, I can speak English to you.” Kiwako walked out of the hedge maze and past the girl. The girl’s hair charms clinked musically behind her as she continued speaking to Kiwako, “Your evening studies have been prepared for your viewing, Empress Kiwako-Tennō.” She nodded and made a soft noise to signal that she was listening. The girl explained that dinner would be in exactly one hour after her study, and then she would continue studies for two hours until bed.

She suspected that this irritated her instructor, given that she no longer needed rest or perhaps not even food. More than likely, this was her father at work. Though, she had not yet come to terms with her new body. The men needed food, yes, but she was now almost a full blown deity. Perhaps that meant that until she was united with herself, she still needed such things. Maybe that meant that she needed food, but not rest. Soon, they would have no need for her to have this and she would be utilized properly. She glanced down at the hall that led to the library longingly. With her spare time tonight, she made a mental note to visit it and read over everything she knew that covered the Chinese Zodiac. Perhaps she could finally get a clue. They crossed into the study hall and then the maiden bowed as she sat at the low table. She slipped comfortably into a crouch, sitting on both ankles. It was amazing what they had done with all of this space. The hall was open, and well-lit for the text books.

The young servant bowed once more and then silently left from the room. Moments later, Kiwako’s instructor appeared with several scrolls and textbooks piled high. She eyed them warily, but did not allow the weariness to show on her face. She wasn’t sure how many more of these late night study sessions she could take. Her father had promised that once she regained all of her memories, they could reduce her study time significantly. It wasn’t as if she didn’t want to learn, but she longed to be out on the field, learning alongside the men. Her heart leaped in her chest at the thought of wielding a sword in battle, the armor comfortable as it was protective. She could almost feel the drums beating from the back as she positioned herself behind the front line, waiting on the moment to flank the enemy. A warm hum emitted from her chest, and she froze─ taking deep breaths to steady her body. She had to be careful not to allow the deity to take full control of her mind. Without control, she lacked balance and her father needed her. Their entire realm did if they were to defeat their enemies.

She stood and bowed as Norikazu-Sensei walked over to the table, inclined his head, and seated himself. “Good evening, Empress.” He said. His voice reminded her of Saioji-San. He took on a formal, but pleasant tone. “Good evening Norikazu-Sensei” she responded politely. He shuffled through the tightly wound scrolls before deciding on a fairly large one. “You may be seated.” He replied. She smiled at his English words. He had caught on that she was more comfortable still speaking in her former-life tongue. His fingers expertly unhooked the latch and then unrolled the scroll. The soft clinks sounded in the space as he clipped either side on the ends of the table. Kiwako’s mind traveled to her other home outside of the city as Norikazu-Sensei smoothed out the map. She remembered being seated across from her earth father, the cake and tea arranged in front of them. She sighed wistfully, wondering if she would ever see such frivolity again. The silky fabric of his robes shifted as he moved the remaining scrolls to the table adjacent to them. She suspected that their hour of study would be extended past dinner tonight.