Her back was perfectly straight, her hands folded in front of her, her bearing respectful yet composed, neither servile nor overbearing.
After seven days back, she had actually reverted quite a bit!
Half a step behind Himiko followed a woman.
The woman was half a head shorter than Himiko, dressed in a plain white kimono, her scarlet hakama neatly gathered at the ankles. Her black hair was tied into a long ponytail behind her head, its end secured with a plain white cord.
Her face was delicate, with an innate serenity. Her light brown eyes were lowered, her lashes casting a small patch of fine shadows over her cheekbones. Her lips were lightly pressed together, their curve faint and just right.
Yet the instant Yongye's Clear Sword Heart touched her aura, it caught what churned beneath that serenity.
Unease.
"Lord Yongye."
Himiko bowed slightly, her voice clear and low, like an ancient zither brushed by the wind. "Seven days apart, and your bearing is even more magnificent than before."
Yongye leaned against the doorframe, hands in his pockets, his head tilted as he looked at her. The smile at his lips shifted from amusement to undisguised scrutiny.
"Queen of Yamatai, you didn't look too happy when you left last time. Today you've come of your own accord, with new merchandise, too. Have you realized you were wrong?"
Himiko's lashes trembled, but the smile on her face did not budge. She took a dark gold Tomoe from her sleeve and presented it toward Yongye with both hands.
"Seven days ago, I behaved discourteously."
"After returning, I reported Kikyo's matter to Amaterasu-Ōmikami. Rather than blame me, she asked me to convey her gratitude."
"Kikyo's choice allowed the Gods of Takamagahara to see the weight the people of Fusang held in the Divine