His Serene Highness Daimyō Shiba no Tadazane the Wise, Kampaku to His Imperial Majesty Tennō Hajimari, Daijō-Daijin of the Heavenly Empire of Japan, had years ago cunningly arranged a secret marriage between himself and Her Royal Highness Astroina, Princess of Ryūkyū, the last surviving member of House Astro, the old Ryukyuan royal family. House Astro was nearly completely destroyed after the former Crown Prince of Ryūkyū and all other relations of the late His Majesty Astro I, King of Ryūkyū, were killed in a brutal coup orchestrated by the head of a prominent Ryukyuan merchant family. That merchant prince, coincidentally also named Astro, who had since reigned for many years as the self-style "Grand Vizier of Ryūkyū", has abruptly decided to retire from political life, citing boredom with ruling the small island kingdom. Now, the late Shiba no Tadazane has been killed by the vile Song, and his will and other documents have posthumously revealed his marriage to Astroina, and that their son, Shiba no Taikyū, is the one true and rightful occupant of the Ryūkyūan throne.

His Most Serene Majesty Shiba no Taikyū I the Great, by the grace of Shiokarai-no-Kami, King of Ryūkyū, Defender of the One True Faith, Daimyō of the Kyoto Han, Kuge of the Dōjō class with the rank of Sekke of the Heavenly Empire of Japan, smiled as he arrived in his new capital of Shuri, entered his new Royal Palace, and sat down on his new, luscious throne. Shiba no Taikyū then stood up from his throne, and began to recite his first official speech from the throne to the assembled nobles, officials, and dignitaries, where he promised to continue the general policy direction of his grandfather, King Astro I, to protect the sovereignty of the Ryūkyūan state, to advance the interests of the Ryūkyūan people, and to remove the marauding Caton Piraes from Ryūkyūan waters.