The Hotohori novel sure was werid ... It didnt have much Hotohori action in it XD It's more of a Houki novel than anything. Okay, So we start out with a young harlem girl running into some farmers, and she begs them to take her son, since other harlem girls are after his life. He also bears the "mark" of Suzkau on his neck ( its an actual image of Suzaku) They take the baby because they cant have any otheir own, and well, they dont really have much of a 15 yrs pass, and we see a 14 yr old Hotohori, whos father just died, and he has now ascended the throne. Though much to young, his mother Motaiko takes over, and goes a little power crazy. She also kills off many of Hotohori's half brothers, so that they do not take the throne instead of him. Then one day, she gets sick and dies, the end! (whoa now, wait a mintue)

Okay Okay... remember that baby with the Mark of Suzkau? well he's like 19 now (that would make Hotohori 18) and we see him working very happily on the farm with his Mother and Father and their is a very pretty girl who is always by his side (her name is Houki!... oh yeah and his name is Tendoh). and they are in love with each other. They are all like super dirt poor (Houki's family more so) Houk's dad, hasnt paid any taxes because, hes to busy spending money on booze. So one day, A messenger came to the poor farm village seeaking beautiful woman to join the harlem. and Houki's Dad sends her away. Though he does it because he wants her to have a better life (yadda yadda yadda). So she agreed to go with even though she didnt want to, to save her family. Tendoh was heart broken. Okay so now Houki is in the Harlem, and doesnt have any desire to be there. She makes friends with a Korin girl (though we all know its Nuriko) and They look EXACTLY alike! they have lots of fun scenes in here (its nice to see what Nuriko's harlem days were like) though they make Houki out to be a bit of an air head. Meanwhile Hotohori is sad, since Miaka doesnt dig him. Then theres this Monk dude who has a serious grudge against ... uh everyone pretty much. He used to be an advisor to the empeor (Hotohori's dad) but was sent to work in the harlem, and then they cut off his man stuff. (so he wouldnt do it with the harlem girls) He was actually the one who scouted Houki.. They recycle alot of the stuff from the manga, So since Nurkio and Houki were buds in the harlem, when Nurko left to go on the journeys with miaka, he would always wright to her. so she always knew what was going on with Hotohori, and Miaka (Nuriko is such a gossiper!) Houki saw the sadness in Hotohori, and after Nurko died, she decided that she wanted to ease his sadness)

Alright back to Tendoh.Hes still working the farms, and his parents tell him to move to the city, and get married, that he doesnt need to stay working on the farm. Even though he always knew he was adopted, he didnt want to leave his parents. On his 19th B-day he went to the city to buy his mom a present. but when he came back the kutou army had destroyed the village! He was able to save his parents, but they wanted to die in their burning house, so he left them (though it was a little more touching than that) A month later Hotohori decides to bring Houki to her home village to visit with her family, but well, you know what she saw, though Tendo was waiting by a tree, and told hotohori that he was his eldest full blooded brother, and that he hated him for taking Houki. So Tendo wanted revenge and to take his place on the throne. He met up with that evil monk, and more or less got possessed by him. So now theres a showdown between the two brothers, they fight for a whlie, then Houki jumps in the middle and has super human strength and hold Tendohs sword with her bare hands (supposedly Nurkio helped her out) and then Tendo came out of it, but the Crazy monk stabbed him, then Hotohori killed him. They said their goodbyes, and that they loved each other. and what follows is the rest of the manga up to Hotohori's death. After that we see some people coming to the village that Tendoh lived in to start anew, and saw three grave stones ( for tTendoh's parents, and then Tendoh himself) then all of a sudden Suzkau appeared and landed right on Tendoh's Grave! and changed the name from Thendoh, to Prince of Suzaku (why I dont know). And then the family lived there, and renamed the Village Suzkau.

Theres more to the novel then just this, but, yeah. It was great to learn about Houki, but I just dont know what the whole point of that Pince of Suzkau stuff is about. ...