Japan, 1709.
Yet, Sano\'s dedication to the Way of the Warrior--the samurai code of honor--is.
Sano\'s onetime friend Hirata is a reluctant conspirator in a plot against the ruling regime.
His relationship with his wife Reiko is in tatters, and a bizarre new alliance between his two enemies Yanagisawa and Lord Ienobu has left him puzzled and wary.
Amid the ever-treacherous intrigue in the court, Sano Ichiro has been demoted from chamberlain to a lowly patrol guard.
The shogun is old and ailing.
Japan, 1709