To provide a little background to Rousan's lecture, Youko's predecessor abdicated and died. The Imperial Kou died after Kourin succumbed to the shitsudou. The Imperial Hou was assassinated along with the Taiho in a coup d'etat.

I think the "Divine Will" can be roughly analogized to the "will of the people" in the democratic process. There is a gap between the expression of that will (the election) and the inauguration, during which the elected official (unless an incumbent) has no actual political power.

Contemporary coronations and even ostensibly secular inaugurations often include an unapologetically religious component, suggesting that a "Divine Mandate" has descended upon the elected leader, along with the mandate of the people.

Labels: 12 kingdoms, black moon, fantasy, japanese, translations