“A political thriller cloaked in silk and shadow.”

As a new child heir, Yoshikatsu, and his Regent Shogun Yoshimasa Ashikaga ascend to power in the Northern Kingdom, Asayi’s extraordinary artistry captivates Imperial Family art collectors and buyers.  But as Yoshimasa moves to tighten security in the North, spies from the Southern Kingdom infiltrate the Ashikaga palace and discover where the Imperial Regalia is hidden.  The Regalia consists of the Sword of the Gathering Clouds, a multi-sided mirror, and gemstones gifted by the Sun Goddess to Japan’s first Emperor 2,600 years ago which imparts the mandate to rule. The Southern Kingdom torches the Ashikaga palace and steals this coveted ancient treasure.  

Asayi and her mother struggle to defend themselves against accusations that link them to Yoshinori Ashikaga’s assassination. Then kidnapping, arrest, and imprisonment befall them after they join a covert mission to Yoshino, capital of the Southern Kingdom, to find out who took the missing artifacts.   

Conflicts teem and escalate in this expansive odyssey, alive with vivid new characters, as  Ashikaga forces led by Regent Shogun Yoshimasa align with Asayi and the ronin monks to rebuff the Southern Kingdom and battle savage military monks to reclaim the Imperial Regalia.