Conquerers

They rode upon the palace, finally in the heart of Takeda territory.

It was painfully empty and quiet as their horses trotted down the stone path, observing the grandeur of the massive building. Its red tiled rooves curved like the wings of a dragon and its white washed walls were pure without a single smudge. The regular wooden support beams looked fresh enough to have been installed yesterday.

It was not a sight unfamiliar to them. When they breached the city walls – just as when they had breached Imagawa's castle – it was only the servants that dared remain. Without the castle, they would lose their lively hood, and by their reasoning it did not matter who occupied the throne. Whoever they were, they would need servants to attend to them.