Empress Hebizawa Mei

Life, Identity

A few timely teleports later and Maxim stood with Empress Genmei and Prince Hozumi within a pleasantly-appointed room in the noble wing of Makami-jō. A great wooden trunk, presumably filled with all of the Empress' belongings, sat between them. Outside, the great clock in the building's face tolled out four times.   "Did you need anything else in particular since you will be living here from now on?" the Knight Commander asked.   "This shall be sufficient for now." Genmei picked a piece of lint off the large, Western-style bed, but admired the silky curtains hanging around it with an impressed smile. "Prince Hozumi and I will take a shopping trip to Ago soonest to find decorations for our new quarters."

"If they are available, I'd suggest going with Kitsuno. I'm sure you guys would have things to discuss." Something about what Genmei just said was needling at Maxim's brain, demanding his attention. Ah, that was it. "I'll have to spread word so people don't get scared by the sight of Prince Hozumi."   A musical laugh escaped the Empress. "It does you credit that you would pay any concern to that. Do not fear, I have ways of disguising Prince Hozumi."   How would one disguise a snake of that...magnitude? The mental image of Prince Hozumi in a top hat and a monocle rose unbidden to the forefront of Maxim's mind.   "To be seen with him could reveal my identity, anyway," Genmei was continuing, "There are some who may know Hozumi favored life as a snake before his death."   "Well that's...good." Maxim managed. "We still have the issue of an alias."   Like the great clockwork walls outside, the gears inside Maxim's head were whirring. He would be the first to admit he wasn't the most knowledgeable about Japanese names or their style, but... "How about 'Mei'?"   Fortunately, the Empress seemed to like it. "It carries the old meaning of 'beautiful.' Then, while in your service, I shall be your adviser, Hebizawa Mei."   "Well, that solves that problem. Now, I have some things to discuss with Muramatsu," Maxim excused himself.   --   It had been a bit more of a trial than usual to return to Ago Manor this time. Makami-jō was only a few miles away. Normally he would have simply taken a horse to enjoy the afternoon air, but his stables were empty... Once again, Maxim felt the eerie sensation of being watched, of clopping hooves just around the corner... He'd shaken himself and called up Fujino with Evaine instead.   That hadn't been the most pleasant experience either. It seemed like the little telepath was holding back a chuckle each time she looked at him. All he'd been able to get out of her is that it was something to do with her "and the girls." Maxim didn't know who the girls were or what they were discussing about him, but it left him with an ominous feeling.   Still, he'd made it, and now stood in front of Tanahase Muramatsu's desk with a map of the province laid out in front of them. Together, the two pored over the region's borders, pointing out the best positions for watchtowers along their length. The easy accessibility of teleportation may lead to complacency in more traditional methods of defense, and Maxim wasn't about to let that become a weakness his enemies could exploit.