CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The High Priestess walked and stood outside on the balcony of the Shrine.
She stared at the night sky and at that time around, the Emperor's star had totally become dimmer as Sagittarius shone brighter than it had ever shone before.
The Emperor standing on top of a pavilion a d looking up at the sky was just as surprised at the sight as he noticed Sagittarius was more outstanding than it had been the previous night.
Across the Capital and throughout the whole of Nara, the courtiers, officials and other nobles watched with awe as well.
Even the Empress Ishi Hime herself saw the star.
"This is an Omen in deed." The High Priestess said as it had never been before for Sagittarius amongst all the twelve stars to shine that bright.
The High Priestess hurriedly rushed back into the shrine and there she sat at her table as she looked through a couple of charts many filled with divination signs.
She perused through the records and writings that had been compiled by the High Priestess's before her.
Iname stood with the Buddhist priest in the courtyard of the temple.
"A new Star graces the Eastern skies." Iname said.
"There's a new age for the country, heaven has foretold the coming of someone great." The Buddhist priest replied.
"Who's this who'll be that great?" Iname asked.
"The wisest amongst all men." The priest replied as he turned around and then walked back inside the temple leaving Iname standing outside.
"Father." Umako said as he walked up to Iname.
"I'm listening." Iname replied.
"The Star." Umako said.
"Heaven's will is here." Iname replied.
"What is it father?" Umako asked.
"This came much sooner than I had expected." Iname replied as he smiled before walking out through the gates of the temple.
"What did father mean?" Umako whispered to himself.
"Are you coming or not?" Iname asked.
"I'm coming father." Umako replied as he followed him out.
"Your Highness, what are we going to do?" Hotaru asked the Crown Princess.
"We needn't delay." The Crown Princess replied. "I want you to find each and everything that could prove that the Imperial Princess Toyomike is Abe before Miwa no Sakau or the Crown Prince realize it." She added.
"What exactly?" Hotaru asked.
"There must be something, anything you can find, be it clothes or a pendant to identify her, you must find it and get rid of it." the Crown Princess replied.
"We can do that Your Highness, but what about the Imperial Princess?" Hotaru asked.
"I know it very well that as long as she is still in the Palace then the Crown Prince and I won't have any peace at all." The Crown Princess said.
"It's impossible for us to silence her, in terms of skills I have heard that her guards Sina and Kabane are Very Excellent." Hotaru said.
"Do not worry, I know very well how we are going to get rid of her." The Crown Princess replied.
Early the following morning, the courtiers and officials were on their way to the court room against and shining above the palace was Sagittarius.
"This is an Omen." Mononobe no Suke.
"I believe that the Emperor shall certainly talk about it." Otomo Ren Nukate said.
"It has proven to be quite bothersome." Moriya said.
"This is something that we can not debate about." Fujiyaro said as they all continued.
"One unspoken truth is certain though." Mononobe no Suke said.
"And what is that?" Moriya asked.
"It's better left unspoken." Mononobe no Suke whispered to him as they eventually made their entry into the throne room.
Sato came before all the courtiers and the Ministers.
"His Majesty the Emperor deigns you with His presence." He announced and at once the officials stood in their order.
Eventually the Emperor walked up to the Chrysanthemum throne and there he sat down on it.
"Your Majesty." The courtiers and officials said in unison as they greeted him.
"At ease." The Emperor said and they all complied.
"Have you any issue to present before me today?" The Emperor asked.
"Your Majesty." Mononobe no Suke spoke up.
"Yes?" The Emperor replied.
"The star." He said, "Everyone has come to be troubled by it and this time the whole capital is questioning what it's meaning is." He added.
"I am well aware that this matter greatly concerns my welfare and my welfare greatly concerns this country.
I know you all have questions that you wish to be answered and you do not have to worry we have a guest here with us who can tell us." The Emperor replied.
"Let her in." He whispered to Sato.
"Her Eminence the High Priestess." Sato announced and all the eyes of the officials turned around and then looked at the entrance of the throne room where The High Priestess walked down the aisle and then stopped in front of the Emperor.
"Your Majesty." The High Priestess said as she bowed her head.
"At ease." The Emperor said.
"Thank you Your Majesty." The High Priestess said as she stood up.
"I am aware that you must aware that you must have noticed at this point the star that is brightly shining and hovering above the palace, haven't you?" The Emperor said.
"Yes Your Majesty." The High Priestess replied. "I have been watching the heavens for the last three days and I have come to notice for myself.
Sagittarius one of the twelve stars of the zodiac has been shining brightly and each and everyday her glow has only appeared to become brighter whereas the Emperor's was growing dim." She added.
"What has heaven to say about this strange omen that has befallen us all, is it anything serious that we should all be worried about?" The Emperor asked.
"Your Majesty." The High Priestess replied. "We have a scourge upon our land." She added and all the officials in the court along with the Courtiers looked surprised.
"I have received the revelation from heaven and I have looked into the future your Majesty and it tells of great tribulation and war." The High Priestess said.
The Emperor looked at her.
"Not so long as the star of the Emperor is very dim." She said. "Here in Nippon we shall herald a new ruler and Emperor that was born of the rising star in a break with tradition and his coming shall be the advent of endless suffering and bloodshed." She added.
"Your Majesty." Mononobe no Suke called. "This is a very bad Omen." He added.
"Yes Your Majesty." Moriya said. "Your reign has seen the nourishment of peace and tranquility." He added.
"Silence." The Emperor said and everyone looked down.
"Saio." The Emperor called.
"Yes Your Majesty?" She replied.
"Why is the Emperor's star becoming dim?" The Emperor asked.
"His Majesty has in deed reigned long enough that Heaven if you would forgive me is indicating that Your reign is coming to an end." The High Priestess replied.
"What must be done to see to it that this prophecy isn't fulfilled?" The Emperor asked.
"Within the Palace your Majesty, everyone that is born at the time when Sagittarius is up in the sky must be executed at once." The High Priestess replied.
"Impossible." The Emperor said as he stood up.
"Pardon me Your Majesty but I am only a servant and a messenger of the heavens." The High Priestess replied.
"Is there no other way Saio?" The Emperor asked.
"The very least that we can do to avoid such immense upheaval from erupting within the country is to see to it that all members of the Royal family that are linked to Sagittarius by birth and noble sons within the Capital leave it at once." The High Priestess replied.
The Emperor sat down.
"What do you think?" The Emperor asked the court.
"Your Majesty." Mononobe no Suke called as he came out into the open.
"All Royals that are linked to Sagittarius by birth should be sent out of the capital by all possible means." He added.
"Yes Your Majesty." Otomo Ren Nukate supported the idea.
"Nippon is not Nippon without Nara and Nara is not Nara without Nippon, with all the Royal borns of Sagittarius out of the capital, we can eliminate the possibility of them having Dominion over the realm." He added.
"Yes Father." The Crown Prince Nunakakura said as everyone who was present turned around and looked at him.
"If we slay all those that are born under the sign of Sagittarius it might only create more enemies and rivals for the throne and it could in the future justify the wars under the banner of vengeance." The Crown Prince added.
"You seem to all come to a common agreement." The Emperor said.
"No Your Majesty." General Fujiyaro spoke up and everyone turned around and looked at him.
"Why do you say so?" The Emperor asked.
"All those whose birth is linked to Sagittarius must be killed." He replied.
"What nonsense is that?" The Emperor asked.
"Your Majesty is benevolent and you love all the people very dearly, your Majesty is very kind that you have arrived throughout your reign to eliminate war and bloodshed." Fujiyaro replied.
"Knowing that kindness and benevolence are both in my nature why do you still choose to provoke me?" The Emperor asked.
"It doesn't matter Your Majesty, if it's Nara or not but as long as it is Nippon." General Fujiyaro replied.
"What you are suggesting is close to a homicide in which Innocents could die including some of the most capable talents of Yamato.
What you are talking about could deprive us of peace and I fear could all the more baptise the land in blood." The Emperor said.
"However Your Majesty, if we do not extinguish each and every one of those people then more and more bloodshed is bound to befall the land.
You could have them leaving the Capital but they could gather forces of their own and come back even stronger and capture the Capital by force." Fujiyaro said.
"Never." The Emperor said. "I am well aware that amongst each one of us that are present in this room we have relatives and children that are linked to Sagittarius by birth.
If you say that all those people should be slain do you also mean to include their sons and daughters as well?" The Emperor asked
"Certainly not Your Majesty." Mononobe no Suke Said.
"It has been decides that since the majority has decided, all the Royals and noble sons and daughters including the scholars themselves that are born under the sign of Sagittarius are to be seen out of Nara in the next three days." The Emperor said.
"Yes Your Majesty." The courtiers said in unison.
"This court is dismissed." The Emperor said as he got up from his throne and walked out of the throne room.
"What?" The Empress said.
"Yes Mother, the person that the Crown Prince has been seeing all this time is the Imperial Princess Toyomike." The Crown Princess replied.
"Are you certain?" The Empress asked.
"The Crown Prince keeps with himself the golden mask that she used to perform during the Gion Matsuri festival celebrations in the palace.
I discovered yesterday that even himself is not aware that the Imperial Princess and the person that he is looking for are one." The Crown Princess replied.
"That's just what I feared." The Empress said.
"You have no need to worry Your Highness." The Crown Princess said.
"Why needn't I?" The Empress asked.
"Very soon the Imperial Princess is going to leave the capital." The Crown Princess replied with a smile on her face.
"That's not something that you can guarantee." The Empress said. "The Princess is a very smart and cunning young woman." She added.
"There is nothing that she can do at this point in time even if she wanted." The Crown Princess replied.
"Are you implying the High Priestess' revelation?" The Empress asked.
"As You must have heard Your Highness, recently Sagittarius has been appearing bright in the sky and shining at abnormal times even during the day.
The Emperor's star is becoming dim each and every time that right now it is evident that he doesn't have that much time left in the world so the Crown Prince is likely to soon ascend the throne.
However on the other side Sagittarius appearing bright at such a time is most likely to hamper the line of succession which is the break with tradition and with bloodshed an Emperor born under this signs is believed to soon ascend the throne." The Crown Princess replied.
"And the Emperor has to eliminate each and every indicator that could point to the prevalence of that threat in the Empire." The Empress said.
"He chose peace over violence and that was to banish all those born under the sign of Sagittarius without killing them alternatively." The Crown Princess replied.
"I see." The Empress said.
"The Imperial Princess was born under the sign of Sagittarius so this is our best opportunity to get rid of her as well before the Crown Prince finds out about her hidden identity." The Crown Princess said.
"I am proud that you have finally embraced this new side of you." The Empress said.
"It's all thanks to you mother because you alone made me realize that I must fight for what is rightfully mine and it can not belong to anyone else." The Crown Princess replied.
"Your Highness." Sina called as she barged into the Imperial Princess's quarters.
"What is it?" Princess Toyomike asked as she stood up from her seat.
"Your Highness, the sky." Sina replied.
"What's with the sky?" The Imperial Princess asked.
"Your Birth star." Sina replied.
"What's wrong with it?" The Imperial Princess asked.
"I can not explain." Sina replied.
At once the Imperial Princess hurriedly rushed outside.
The Emperor and all other courtiers had barely gone further and had positioned themselves in the palace Courtyard and The Crown Princess and the Empress seeing all of them staring at the sky were drawn to join them in spectating and they looked up.
The Imperial Princess standing at her balcony and Soga no Iname who was stationed in the courtyard of his manor was also doing the same.
A mild wind howled over the palace.
"Let's go to the main Palace courtyard." Princess Toyomike told Sina and Kabane.
"Aye." The two replied in unison as they followed her through her gates until she finally arrived there where the courtiers had gathered and the Crown Princess was the first to notice.
She looked around the place for the Crown Prince and unable to see him her heart was unsettled.
"Your Highness." The Crown Princess called the Empress as she signalled at her to look in the direction of the Imperial Princess.
"Don't worry about her meeting the Crown Prince here." The Empress said. "He left immediately for the office of Finances." She added and the Crown Princess sighed.
The Princess walked up towards her father and all the Courtiers turned around and looked at her.
"Father." She had just mentioned like this when Umako pointed to the sky.
"Look everyone." He said as they all turned their eyes to the sky.
"The Emperor's star." Mononobe no Suke said as they all noticed a second glow that was emerging right next to Sagittarius.
Sagittarius glowed brighter and brighter and eventually with every one watching an immense force was freed from it's heart and at once the star that graced the sky above the Royal palace split into two that everyone was surprised.
"Three stars grace the Eastern skies." Moriya said as they watched the Emperor's star and the divided Sagittarius glowing into two.
The High Priestess was surprised that she nearly fainted but was supported by her shrine maidens.
"Saio." They called her but she regained her equilibrium as she turned around and looked at the Imperial Princess who was staring back at her that the Empress noticed it.
The High Priestess pointed to the sky and looked at the Emperor.
"Your Majesty." She said that everyone turned around and looked at them both.
"Three stars." He said.
"Three contenders." The High Priestess said before she passed out her eyes looking at the Imperial Princess.
"Father." Princess Toyomike called as she came up to the Emperor.
The courtiers at once started murmuring amongst themselves.
"You shouldn't have come here." The Emperor whispered to her as he walked away while the Shrine maidens helped the High Priestess away.
The Courtiers departed from the place and left the Imperial Princess alone with the Crown Princess and the Empress who walked up to her.
"Your Highnesses." The Imperial Princess said as she bowed her head.
"Your Highness." The Empress replied as she did the same with a smile on her face.
"Her Highness looks pleased, it seems that something good has happened to you." The Imperial Princess said.
"Let's say Your Highness." The Empress said as she stepped closer to the Imperial Princess and moved up to her right ear.
"You shouldn't have come here." She added as she pulled apart from the Imperial Princess and walked past her while the Crown Princess and their maids followed.
Looking at the Crown Princess she noticed that she gave her a rather deadly glance as she walked by and once they had all vanished from her sight, she looked up at the three stars that graced the Eastern skies.
"Your Highness." Sina called. "Do not be bothered by their words." she added.
"I'm going to see my Father." The Princess replied as she turned around and walked towards the Direction if the Emperor's Chambers.
"Yes Your Highness." Sina and Kabane replied as they were escorted by her Palace maids.
The Emperor and Sato entered the Emperor's Private quarters and there the Emperor sat down.
"Your Majesty." Sato said.
"You don't have to say anything, everyone is showing more clearly now than before what their true intentions are." The Emperor said.
"But Your Majesty, even the Imperial Princess was born under the sign of Sagittarius." Sato said.
"I am aware which leaves me more reluctant to act now." The Emperor said.
"Your Majesty, please do not stress now." Sato said.
"Why?" The Emperor asked. "Are you worried that I am too close to my grave right now?" He added.
"I dare not think of it that way." Sato said.
"Sure enough the Emperor's star is back up on the sky and shining brightly." The Emperor said. "The only problem right now is that they are three." He added.
"But Your Majesty." Sato said.
"The courtiers are more convinced now that this omen is inauspicious." The Emperor said.
At that very moment one of the Emperor's personal guards walked in.
"Your Majesty." He said as he bowed his head.
"What is it?" The Emperor asked.
"Her Imperial Highness the Princess is standing outside and she is requesting an audience with you." The guard replied.
The Emperor turned to Sato.
"Go tell the Princess that I do not wish to see anyone at this point in time." The Emperor said.
"Yes Your Majesty." Sato replied as he bowed his head and walked out with the guard.
The Imperial Princess was anxiously walking about outside waiting for someone to come out of the Emperor's quarters.
Eventually, the guard stepped out with Sato and the Princess rushed over to him.
"Sato." She called.
"Your Highness." Sato said as he bowed his head to her.
"I'm here to see father." The Princess said.
"Forgive me Your Highness but the Emperor wishes to be alone at this moment." Sato replied.
"Please." The Princess said.
"There is nothing that I can do Your Highness." Sato said.
The Imperial Princess then fell to her knees in front of the Emperor's quarters.
"Your Highness." Sato said as everyone around was amazed.
"Then I'll kneel here and wait until my father is ready." The Princess replied.
Sato confused hurriedly rushed back into the Emperor's quarters.
The Emperor was leaning on his right hand while massaging his temples when Sato walked in.
"Your Majesty." Sato said.
"Has she left?" The Emperor asked.
"No Your Majesty." Sato replied and at once the Emperor ceased.
"What is she thinking right now?" He asked.
"I don't know Your Majesty but her Highness is kneeling in front of Your Chambers and she has said that she is not going to leave until you are ready to see her." Sato replied.
"In such a situation she is persistent to create a fuss right now?" The Emperor said.
"What shall I do Your Majesty?" Sato asked.
"Leave her there and she'll leave when she is tired, I am already determined not to see anyone right now." The Emperor replied.
"Aye Your Majesty." Sato replied as he walked out.
Princess Toyomike remained their kneeling and time passed as the hours shifted from morning until it was past noon.
She was determined and not wavered at all as she stared at the doors of the Emperor's quarters hoping that they'd be opened anytime and the Emperor would let her in.
She waited and waited and Sato remained inside while keeping the Emperor company.
"Your Highness." Hotaru said as she bowed her head.
"I hear that the Imperial Princess is waiting on father outside his personal quarters." The Crown Princess said.
"Yes Your Highness." Hotaru replied.
"This is the best time to strike." The Crown Princess said. "Before she can return to her Chambers, I need you to go and dig through all her things until you land on anything that could prove she is the person that my husband is looking for." She added.
"Yes Your Highness." Hotaru replied as she departed from the Crown Princess' presence and left her smiling ghastly.
"Princess Toyomike." She said as she clenched her fists. "Your time here in the Palace is over." she added.
Hotaru was dressed in a fully black attire and had manage to sneak into the Imperial Princess's courtyard.
It looked deserted with only a handful of Royal guards she had known best that the others were busy training.
She sneaked behind a hedge and approached the Imperial Princess's window which was wide open.
She climbed up into the room and landed only to find it empty and tidy with all the Imperial Princess's belongings.
"Where should I start?" She whispered to herself as she looked around the whole room.
She moved to the closet and found there a number of the clothes.
She hurriedly looked through all of them but was unable to find anything unique she eventually turned to the Princess's drawers.
She scrambled through all her things and rearranged them in their perfect order once again as she looked around and eventually noticed the trunk that was right next to the Princess's bed.
She opened it and looked through her things but was unable to find anything until a long while had passed.
Hotaru stood in the centre of the room and looked around unable to find any conclusive piece of evidence that could prove Princess Toyomike to be the person that the Crown Prince was looking for.
She decided to walk around the Princess's bed and as she moved towards the wall that was right next to it, she halted when she felt something beneath her feet.
Looking there she noticed a very cheap and shabby piece of cloth that was made out of ordinary cotton and she bent over and caught it.
It was at that moment that she realized that the fabric extended further under the bed.
She pulled out the fabric and Benson over to look under the bed she noticed that there were more and she pulled them all out.
"These are ordinary clothes." Hotaru said as she studied them keenly that eventually she looked up.
"The Princess's disguise." She concluded.
She stood up with the clothes in her possession and tying the black and navy blue attires altogether and tied them in a black cloak.
She jumped out of the Princess's window and landed behind the hedge where she stealthily made her escape as she rushed through the backyard.
Miwa no Sakau had been moving around the palace and he was seated on the rooftop while looking down ant the small alley that stood between the Palace storehouse and the wall that separated it from the rest of the city.
As he leaned and watched the fine spectacle of pine trees in the courtyard, he was surprised when he saw someone dressed in black walking below that he chose to sit upright and look clearly.
He could tell that the person that was dressed awkwardly was a woman and he watched as she walked into the palace storehouse.
"Why has she gone inside there?" Miwa no Sakau asked himself as he stared at the entrance but kept his head low in order to avoid being seen.
Shortly after, the door to the palace storehouse was opened and there Miwa no Sakau noticed Hotaru, the Crown Princess' personal maid walking out with a black sack in her possession.
"What's that?" He asked himself and watched as Hotaru looked around to make sure that she wasn't being watched by anyone and walked away.
Miwa no Sakau was more curious so he jumped from the roof and landed in the narrow alley as he followed Hotaru who confident that she had not been seen continued up to the Western side of the Palace.
Miwa no Sakau followed her for a while and watched her as she entered with the black sack into the Crown Princess's Chambers.
"What are those to you two, what is the Crown Princess plotting right now?" He asked himself as he looked and saw that a number of Palace guards were present in the place.
He knew that to walk up to the Crown Princess's room was going to be very difficult.
"What am I going to do?" He asked himself.
"Your Highness." Hotaru said as she offered the sack to the Crown Princess.
"Open it." The Crown Princess ordered and Hotaru replied to reveal a pair of cheap clothes.
"What are those rugs doing in your possession?" The Crown Princess asked.
"I found these in the Imperial Princess' room." Hotaru replied.
"These are clothes for boys." The Crown Princess said.
"Yes." Hotaru replied.
"So all this time, the Imperial Princess pretended to be a boy and that's how she was able to meet up with the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince must have noticed it recently that she was a girl and that's why he is so obsessed with finding out her real identity." The Crown Princess said.
"I also think so Your Highness." Hotaru said.
"I was right to be suspicious of that wench, she was secretly canoodling withy husband." The Crown Princess said furiously as she possessed one of the clothes and tightened it in her grip.
"Calm down Your Highness." Hotaru said.
"Well done." The Crown Princess said and it was at that moment that Miwa no Sakau reached the back of the Crown Princess' Chambers that he placed his ear on the thin wall to try and eavesdrop what they were saying.
"Thank you Your Highness." Hotaru said.
"Prepare everything and tonight, you and I are personally going to get rid of all this rubbish." The Crown Princess said.
"Yes Your Highness." Hotaru replied with a smile on his face.
"What exactly are they going to get rid of?" Miwa no Sakau asked himself as his mind drifted away back to the black sack that Hotaru was carrying in her possession.
"What was it that was in that sack?" Miwa no Sakau asked himself as he wondered clearly what the Crown Princess and her servant were up to that he chose to leave the place.
It was already about six hours past and the Imperial Princess was still kneeling down in front of her Father's Chambers.
"Has the Princess left yet?" The Emperor asked Sato.
"Let me go and check Your Majesty." Sato replied as he bowed his head and excused himself for a while as he walked outside and looked at the Imperial Princess but she hadn't moved even a little bit and was still confidently staring at the door.
Sato returned inside.
"So, have you confirmed?" The Emperor asked.
"Your Majesty, her Highness is still kneeling outside." Sato replied.
"Up to now?" He asked.
"Yes Your Majesty." Sato replied.
"How long has it been?" The Emperor asked.
"Close to six hours." Sato replied that the Emperor seemed to have a change of heart.
"All that long?" The Emperor said.
"Your Majesty, Her Highness seems to be determined, she is not going to leave untill she has had an audience with you." Sato said.
"Fine then." The Emperor succumbed. "Let her in." He added.
"Yes Your Majesty." Sato said as he bowed his head and he went outside.
The doors were opened and the Imperial Princess looked up to Sato.
"Your Highness." Sato called.
"Yes." Princess Toyomike replied.
"His Majesty has agreed to have an audience with you." Sato replied and at once the Imperial Princess stood up but staggered while Sina and Kabane held her up and supported her before she would fall.
The Imperial Princess waited for a while until she finally regained her equilibrium that she mounted the stairs that led to the Emperor's Chambers.
Sato walked in as she followed him until eventually she came face to face with her father.
"Father." Princess Toyomike said as she bowed her head.
"Now you call me that?" The Emperor asked furiously.
"My apologies father." The Imperial Princess said.
"Sit down." The Emperor ordered and the Princess complied.
"Do you have any idea what is going on or you are living out of this world?" The Emperor asked.
"Father." The Imperial Princess replied.
"Do you realize that my throne is at stake." The Emperor asked.
"Pardon me father." Princess Toyomike said." I didn't know." She added.
"Do you know what your ignorance is going to cost you right now?" The Emperor asked.
"Please enlighten me father." Princess Toyomike pleaded.
"Right now I doubt that I can protect you from leaving the Capital, and worse, I doubt that I can protect you from the edge of the sword." The Emperor replied.
Sato who was standing by was shocked but the Imperial Princess did not look moved at all and yet even more significant than ever before, he eyes still burned with courage.