CHAPTER TWENTY

"At last with heaven's blessing I've been graced to lay my eyes on the real you, by far the most beautiful amongst all women and the fairest in the land. As you have held onto your kindness and passionate nature to win this very heart of mine, mortal but in deed divine I find my greatest delight as a man in you, Immaculate Princess of Nara." The Crown Prince Nunakakura entirely amazed spoke up to her.

"Your Highness." Princess Toyomike said.

The Crown Prince did not waste anytime to come up to her and embrace her as he hugged her tightly.

The Princess did not react for a while as she was quite puzzled on how she should react towards him.

"I searched all this time unable to find you, I could hardly come to slumber in peace all that I dreamt about and thought of each hour that went about was you." The Crown Prince said.

"Your Highness." Princess Toyomike called but he ignored.

"You have no idea how excited I am to see you here." The Crown Prince said that gathering all the strength that she possibly could, Princess Toyomike pushed him away.

"Abe." He called but Sina and Kabane held their swords up to the Crown Prince that he looked at them.

"What are you doing?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"You'd dare to hold your swords and point them at me?" The Crown Prince asked Sina and Kabane.

"I do not know about You Your Highness but the Princess is my Master." Sina said.

"Defending her is our duty even if it was against you Your Highness." Kabane said.

"They are only doing their job Your Highness." Princess Toyomike defended the two.

"What about you Princess?" The Crown Prince asked and the Princess kept quiet.

"I see." He added.

"Your Highness, I appreciate the fact that I saved your life before and I do not regret it but beyond that I do not know you." Princess Toyomike said.

"Abe." The Crown Prince called.

"Who is Abe?" Princess Toyomike asked that the Crown Prince was surprised.

"You are Abe, I feel it, I know it, I can never mistake you for anyone else." The Crown Prince replied.

"I am not Abe, I am THE IMPERIAL PRINCESS TOYOMIKE KASHIKI YA HIME, THE PRINCESS OF NARA." Princess Toyomike said.

"But you were Abe." The Crown Prince said.

"And what?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"You know it." The Crown Prince replied.

"That you'd know me by name and that you know my heart, that you understand how I feel when I am around and that I give you happiness Everytime you are feeling so sad and lowly.

I brighten up your day so much when I am around that you can't imagine one going by without me, so much I have in deed become so dear to you that without me life for you is close to an end and not the beginning." Princess Toyomike said.

"Because deep down in my heart I know it that I love you." The Crown Prince said.

"And what about Nippon?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"You shall become my Nippon if I have to forfeit the Crown and the throne for your sake." The Crown Prince replied that Princess Toyomike was just as surprised as everyone including the Royal guards that were present.

"You'd even dare to compare Nippon to me." She said as her eyes became teary.

"Because I have known you more all my life in ways that I haven't known Nippon, my reason for sight in this world that was full of darkness and chaos was never Nippon but you Your Highness." The Crown Prince replied.

"My love, my devotion, just as you hold yours towards me I hold it towards Nippon, and to share it between her and another man is something that I find in my head too unthinkable and in my heart so abominable." Princess Toyomike said.

"Then let me become Nippon for you." The Crown Prince asked and Princess Toyomike smiled on hearing that.

"I mean it." The Crown Prince added.

"Can you?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"For you I can do anything." The Crown Prince replied.

"Have you no fear at all that perhaps you are speaking too soon?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"With other people my words can be empty and lifeless but ever since I met you they can carry meaning and I can certainly live up to them even if I have to walk through fire." The Crown Prince replied.

"Your Highness." Princess Toyomike called. "There's two things about love if it's real, on one hand you must steal if it's all it takes and on the other you must protect even if it means with your life." She added as she came closer to him.

"If you dearly love me with all your heart like you are claiming your Highness and you have assured me that your words with me carry great meaning.

If for my sake as you know that which I love the most, possess if you can this our heavenly kingdom Nippon and you'll possess my heart.

Do not just be willing to steal but be willing to protect with all your might. I am not just asking you to do it for me but for Nippon, if you can rule it then its good enough for the both of us in future to live in alliance." Princess Toyomike whispered that she moved aside to leave.

The Crown Prince held her by her left hand before she went any further that she halted in her footsteps.

"Because I cherish you I am going to show you that since you love Nippon I can love it too, for you I am going to get a hold of this entire Nation and for you Your Highness, I won't just possess it but I shall rule it." The Crown Prince said as he let go of her hand looking so determined.

Princess Toyomike eventually continued as her heart ached with every step that she made the distance between her and the Crown Prince only getting bigger.

She had never felt so vulnerable all her life like she was at that moment yet she was a woman, she had never felt so lifeless and so pitiful under the courageous look she was wearing like she was at that moment.

"Forgive me Your Highness." She thought inwardly. "I have walked with you long enough to know that you are a very good person and could be a very good Emperor to these people.

I care less if I could be seen as immoral to the world but if for me you can step down and I let this country lose you, for me you must possess the Chrysanthemum throne, wear the Crown and rule." She added.

"Your Highness." Miwa no Sakau said as he approached the Crown Prince from behind and held him on his left shoulder.

"What are you still doing here?" The Crown Prince asked.

"Watching over you Your Highness." Miwa no Sakau replied.

"That shall no more be your calling as I hold for you right now an entirely different task." The Crown Prince said.

"What do you mean Your Highness?" Miwa no Sakau asked.

"The time has come for us to fight and possess Nippon." The Crown Prince replied. "And I am going to devote everything to see to it." He added confidently.

Princess Toyomike was on her way to the Central quadrangle when she stopped her path being blocked by both The Empress and the Crown Princess.

"Your Highnesses." She said as she bowed her head.

"Make haste has time is no longer on our side, at this point in time the palace is in turmoil and the Courtiers like savages await your departure right now." The Crown Princess said.

"Perhaps Your Highnesses have been mistaken and there are things that must be clarified." Princess Toyomike said. "Only over my dead body shall I even set a foot out." The Princess added.

The Empress looked at her quite surprised by her reply.

Her face was so serious that it felt at that moment that she was staring at her confident and young self again.

"Does Her Highness wish to revoke the Imperial decree of His Majesty?" The Empress asked with a ghastly smirk on her face.

"Which decree Your Highnesses?" Princess Toyomike asked.

The two were puzzled.

"Perhaps Your Highnesses and the Courtiers wish to revoke the will of heaven." Princess Toyomike said.

"And what is the will of heaven, that you shall not leave the Palace or the Capital?" The Empress asked.

"Look at the skies Your Highness." Princess Toyomike said as she pointed at the heavens.

The Empress looked up.

"All that I can see are the thick clouds and the snow that is falling upon us now and no stars." Princess Toyomike added.

"Can this be a good enough excuse?" The Empress asked.

"I'll come with you and we shall see." The Princess replied as she walked past the two that they looked at her.

The Crown Princess walked up to her mother in law.

"What do you think she is up to mother?" The Crown Princess asked.

"Her thoughts are quite uncertain and I can not tell what it is that she is planning, it's just as I had told you before, she isn't the type of person that can yield to defeat that easily." The Empress replied.

The two walked up to her and the Imperial Princess had arrived in the Central Courtyard when the Courtiers and other officials flocked it as well.

The Princess looked at them as the Empress and the Crown Princess arrived shortly after her and Consort's Katashishime and Ōane no Kimi approached the area from the Eastern side of the Palace.

"Your Highness." Mononobe no Suke said.

"What is it?" Princess Toyomike asked. "I wish to know what concern has caused you all that are gathered here today to rise from the comfort of your abodes and strike the Imperial Palace." She added.

"Her Highness might not be aware but the Emperor drafted an Imperial edict and the edict itself requests that you ahead of all the Royals that are born under the sign of Sagittarius to leave this Palace and our Capital at once." Mononobe no Suke said.

"His Majesty deigns you with His presence." Sato suddenly announced and at that moment the Emperor arrived at the top of the staircase which marked the entry to the main Throne room.

"Your Majesty." All the people present said as they bowed their heads and paid homeage to the Emperor.

"What's with all this fuss?" The Emperor asked. "You all break into the palace like barbarians without an order from me to attack." The Emperor added.

"Forgive us Your Majesty, we are only ensuring that your will and the will of heaven are done." Moriya said.

"And what is my will?" The Emperor asked.

Everyone kept quiet as the Empress recalled the words that the Princess had mentioned to her and the Crown Princess shortly before.

"No." She said.

"Was it my will or the will of heaven that the Imperial Princess loses her seat in the Imperial Palace?" The Emperor asked.

"Your Majesty, we are also disheartened as well but there is nothing more that we can do about it." Mononobe no Suke replied.

"You all come here to see me out of the Palace and away from the capital on a very baseless ground." Princess Toyomike said.

"We dare not Your Highness." Moriya said.

"Are there any stars up in the sky tonight?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"No." Otomo Ren Nukate replied.

"Have you not like me a daughter that shares my same date of birth?" Princess Toyomike asked.

Everyone turned to him at once.

"Yes Your Highness." Otomo Ren Nukate replied.

"Father you bear me witness and today you all shall see the fault for yourselves." Princess Toyomike said as she got hold of a scroll that Kabane handed over to her.

"Not so long as the star of the Emperor is very dim. 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." Princess Toyomike read.

"Were these not the words of the High Priestess?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"Yes they were Your Highness." Mononobe no Suke replied.

"The New ruler in the prophecy, does it account for all the women there are here in the Imperial palace including the maids and servants and all your daughters you men that are noble and so morally upright?" Princess Toyomike asked.

Everyone kept quiet.

"Tell me if in any history you can find, where was it once written that an Emperor who reigned was a woman?" Princess Toyomike asked and the Courtiers started murmuring amongst themselves.

"If the Emperor should forsake his daughters yet as you are here chasing me around, should you not be considering any of the Princes or sons of the noble birth?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"The High Priestess's words were very clear Your Highness, all Royals within the palace born under the sign of Sagittarius must be ousted or if not killed." Moriya said.

The Emperor clenched his fists.

"Are you saying that despite being a woman who exercises no political power I should perish at the edge of the blade?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"I dare not Your Highness." Moriya replied.

"Then what are you still doing here great warrior?" Princess Toyomike asked. "Shouldn't you be on the hunt of all males that fall victim to this order of heaven?" She added.

Many of the Courtiers were long silenced they were only watching as the Princess made a scene.

"We women of Nara have been known to possess unparalleled grace and beauty, have we evolved that much into a threat we have been viewed as contenders for the Chrysanthemum throne.

Or perhaps you are justifying the cause of women to inherit the throne of you are to hold them as victims of this order." Princess Toyomike emphasized while keeping her tone calm.

"If this was a mere wish of ours we would have every reason to admit fault but these were the words of the High Priestess.

"Were they the Emperor's orders?" Princess Toyomike asked. "Who amongst all of you here is qualified enough to tell the story of heaven and foretell what lies in the future?

Should you find the courage to walk up to us all then clearly tell us according to the will of heaven, the shadows of the clouds hanging above us and keeping the stars out of our sight, what would they possibly mean?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"If you can even fail to answer that then at least since the High Priestess is good enough the eyes of heaven, the ears of the gods and the tongue of the stars, tell me where on earth and where in heaven is she?" Princess Toyomike added.

"Here I am Your Highness." A certain voice spoke up and at once all the eyes turned to the entrance to the courtyard.

It was the High Priestess who appeared with a Group of Shrine maidens.

She walked up towards the Princess as she walked through the Courtiers and made her way upfront where she stood before the Princess.

"Saio." Princess Toyomike said.

"Your Highness." The High Priestess replied as she bowed her head.

"Since You are here Saio, how about you help us talk to the Courtiers and you tell them Yourself." Princess Toyomike said.

"What is it that you wish to inquire Your Highness?" The High Priestess asked.

"According to the will of heaven, which compared to everyone else who is standing here no one understands it better than you.

Please satisfy our curiosity and tell us

"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." Princess Toyomike said. "Isn't it?" She asked.

"Yes Your Highness." The High Priestess replied.

"Who amongst all the girls there are in Nara born under Sagittarius is the Emperor that the prophecy talks about?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"There is none." The High Priestess replied. "According to the prophecy and my best understanding the Emperor that shall rise in a break with tradition shall most certainly not be someone from the line of succession.

Our eyes must turn and look to both the Emperor and the Crown Prince who represent the Imperial dynasty that has ruled over us all for ages and the third to represent a contender for the throne must be someone that's competing out of the Royal lineage." The High Priestess replied.

"Are they not the sons of these men?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"Yes Your Highness." The High Priestess replied that Empress Ishi Hime herself was quite confused by her reaction.

"The issue at hand has been that Heaven's story is that a contender amongst you all shall certainly rise up for the throne but does the fate of one human necessarily determine the fate of all those who could be Innocents amongst you?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"We are at fault Your Highness." The Courtiers said in unison as they bowed down to the Imperial Princess even the High Priestess herself was surprised by their immediate reaction and so was the Emperor.

Princess Toyomike did not expect it but she was unwavered.

"An attempt to banish the Imperial Princess from the Imperial Palace is a disgrace to the Emperor, it's not for my kindness but for the immeasurable benevolence of His Majesty, his eye is keen and in his decisions he is wise and just." The Princess said as she looked to her father.

"This in deed is my daughter whom I am very proud of." The Emperor said as he descended from the height where he had been spectating everything while Sato followed him closely from behind.

"Your Majesty." Everyone said as they bowed their heads including the Princesses, the Empress and the Emperor's Consorts.

The Emperor stopped when he stood there amidst everyone else.

"The Question of peace, the question of cooperation Her Highness has solved without any bloodshed that I can tell certainly she has challenged all you Courtiers to eliminate any form of antagonism and stand and protect our people that we might have peace." The Emperor said.

"Yes Your Majesty." Everyone said in unison.

"I understand that you were very curious before but the issue of the Enemy shall be dealt with and I assure you all that whatever the case is, we shall certainly get to the bottom of this." The Emperor said.

"Yes Your Majesty." Everyone said.

"You can all leave the palace and shall speak no more of the three stars in the Eastern sky, shall it be the will of heaven that we must embrace then only in our unity can we vanquish the future usurper." The Emperor ordered.

"Yes Your Majesty." Everyone said as they stood up and the Emperor turned around and headed towards his Chambers.

Everyone scattered including Consort Katashishime and her sister and The Imperial Princess having been left behind turned with her Entourage of supporters led by Sina and Kabane and she looked at the Empress and the Crown Princess.

Having stared at them both, her face was overwhelmed by a smile before she walked towards them and walked past the two as she went ahead with her servants.

The Crown Princess was furious but the Empress looked very calm and did nothing.

"Mother." The Crown Princess said.

"Come with me." The Empress said as she led her daughter in law away.

Princess Toyomike marched back into her Courtyard as her Royal guards heralded her while bowing their heads.

She walked through up to the doorway of her Chambers and opening it she hurriedly walked inside as Sina and Kabane followed her inside while the rest of the palace maids remained waiting outside.

Princess Toyomike walked up to her centre table and there she sat as Sina and Kabane remained there standing.

"Your Highness." Sina said.

"Both of you." Princess Toyomike said. "Sit down." she added.

The two looking at each other and then back at the Princess sat down.

"I am certain you must all be wondering what my real intentions are." Princess Toyomike said.

"Yes Your Highness." Sina said.

"We are both confused." Kabane added.

"You won't be confused anymore." Princess Toyomike said ." From this day onwards, we are all going to reach great things together." She added.

"Your Highness, how?" Sina asked.

"Those courtiers looked very determined, how ever did you overwhelm them?" Kabane asked.

"All men are not the same even in their thoughts." Princess Toyomike replied. "The only reason you are both surprised and so are they is because contrary to their thoughts and actions I had my ways." Princess Toyomike replied.

"They survived by your Grace and so did their children, nevertheless you branded it as the Emperor's benevolence." Kabane said.

"I did not wish to make foes with my father yet that alone was the very thing they wanted, I turned the situation around and put the odds in my father so that instead of drifting apart from my father we'd only become closer." Princess Toyomike replied.

"Why Your Highness?" Sina asked.

"I might be the Imperial Princess, I might have the respect of the masses and officials, their love could be immeasurable towards me but at this point even I don't hold my own right to live in my own hands.

My father as the Emperor holds my life and should he turn against me in one misguided thought or prophecy then surviving and living in this world against his will would have turned me into a rebel eventually the court would gang up against me as a National traitor." Princess Toyomike replied.

"You were guarding against the Emperor's aggression all along and not the courtiers'?" Sina said.

"Yes." Princess Toyomike replied as she nodded her head.

"Why Your Highness?" Kabane asked.

"I knew that the Empress was watching me and she'd report my mysterious disappearance from the palace so I needed to conjure up an excuse.

I sent Sina in the night knowing that she was being watched to General Fujiyaro's Manor to deliver a message to him." Princess Toyomike replied.

"What was in that message Your Highness?" Sina asked.

"One word." The Princess replied. "Loyalty." She added.

The two looked at one another.

"You must all be wondering what exactly I hinted on but I knew better than anyone else and as I had expected General Fujiyaro understood my mind." Princess Toyomike said.

"Then what happened at the Tea house?" Sina asked.

"The same thing, I knew that amongst all the officials in the court, a number of them had already risen to prominence throughout the years all except General Fujiyaro who retained his ranks and while being distant even as a courtier, the Emperor hardly recognized him.

I knew that if I wanted to guard against any aggression from the Courtiers in case the Emperor was to suspect me, I needed powerful people on my side and even as he has a very limited time left in this world, I was strangers with the Crown Prince so it was important that I forged another shield." Princess Toyomike replied.

"Your Highness, compared to all other officials you've said it yourself that General Fujiyaro is still a General and he has barely risen to any prominence all these years." Kabane said.

"Because I promised him power." Princess Toyomike replied. "You can imagine after all this time the Emperor was to take notice of how remarkable his talents were because he sided with me.

He has seen my capabilities as I have granted him nothing but a glimpse of all the great things that could happen at this time I am certain that he is considering an alliance with me." She added.

"All this time Your Highness, why did you bother to put your life on the line?" Sina asked.

"The Primary intention that I had was to show the Emperor and help him know very well who are his foes and who are his enemies." Princess Toyomike replied. "It came as a warning to General Fujiyaro that he shouldn't step into the trap that I had set and that's why he did not turn up with the other Courtiers.

The Emperor's declaration of a draft of the Imperial edict to banish me out of the Capital was in fact a rumour that I spread on my own and no one saw it but as long as notices were pinned up in the City even without the Imperial seal they all foolishly reacted." She added.

"So when they marched into the Palace the Emperor might have not known that they were coming and after now, all he sees are rebels and men without wit that are stupid, they'd defend their own sons and forsake the Crown's children.

I had asked him to help me carry out a survey on their homes and see their reactions later in the day, most of them had secretly seen off their children from the Capital I'd say that they had ganged up on me with the expectation that I'd do nothing being a girl.

To the Emperor this was a clear attack on the Royal family and having been championed by some of the most powerful men in his court what do you think he is going to do?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"To see to it that their strength is equalled to that of the Crown, he'll be more determined now and ever to see to it that Fujiyaro having proven his loyalty it's possible that he might raise him higher." Kabane said.

"In deed, and for Fujiyaro to ensure that he retains that power that he has always wanted he'll need the Imperial support which at the time being with the Empress supporting others only I am in the position to give." Princess Toyomike replied with a smile.

The Empress entered her quarters and she was followed in by the Crown Princess as they both sat down at the table.

"What just happened back there?" The Crown Princess asked.

"Are you now convinced?" The Empress asked.

"I am confused mother." The Crown Princess replied.

"I told you, you did not know the Imperial Princess any better than I did." The Empress said. "She has a way of steering through trouble and surviving through peril." She added.

"I'd never imagined that she'd be this intelligent." The Crown Princess said.

"You only underestimated her." The Empress replied. "additionally I was worried but also at the same time unaware why I was because I was confident that she was conjuring something the moment that we met her while she was in her way to the Central Courtyard." The Empress added.

"She made the whole prediction of the High Priestess seem vague." The Crown Princess said.

"It was vague." The Empress agreed. "I too was wondering why it looked as though the High Priestess was defending the Princess and I noticed it only a while later that of all the Courtiers that turned up, only Umako, Iname and Fujiyaro were absent." She added.

"What do you think the Princess was trying to do Mother?" The Crown Princess asked.

"Whoever turned up this night was a rebel to the Imperial family, they clearly showed that they would be determined to do anything to rid themselves of it as long as any need arose.

Some of those reacted without thinking so they must be foolish and the throne can not entirely rely on them for support.

The intention of the Imperial Princess was to paint all those officials as untrustworthy, disloyal, power hungry and rivals of the Emperor he can no longer trust them at all." The Empress said. "On the other hand, it was an indicator to the Emperor that the Princess was perhaps the one Royal refuge that the Chrysanthemum throne needs and after all at the time of her birth you might have heard quite a number of auspicious signs ruled both the heavens and the land below so his trust in her was elevated to an even greater level." The Empress said.

"So you are saying that the Princess all this time was fighting to earn father's trust?" The Crown Princess asked.

"Yes, it is clear now." The Empress replied.

"She really is a very conniving person." The Crown Princess said.

"Her intelligent beats me so much that it leaves me in awe, if such a very young brain can conjure such great ideas then my fear is that in the future, it may prove too chaotic for us both." The Empress replied as she looked worried.

"Father." Umako said.

"What is it?" Iname replied as he looked up at the sky and watched as the snow fell.

"I have received the news from the palace." Umako replied.

"What happened?" Iname asked.

"In deed father, as you had predicted, the Imperial Princess survived." Umako replied.

"She never ceases to impress me." Iname said.

"Was this your plan all along Father?" Umako asked.

"My plan?" Iname said. "No." he added.

"If not you Father then who else in the land could conjure such a very brilliant plan?" Umako asked.

"Don't look further than your eyes can show you, I did nothing but to move with the flow and I am confident that the Princess knew what my reaction would be that's why she conjured it." Iname replied.

"The Princess conjured it?" Umako asked.

"Yes." Iname replied. "Naturally everyone would underestimate her and she has done well and used that too her advantage to subdue them all at once in one small simple move.

She has turned their whole influence upside down before the Emperor and I am in deed certain that by now the Crown Prince must have seen for himself the kind of very strong person that she really is he's already captivated by her intelligence and charm." He added.

"I see." Umako said.

"The Crown Prince could in deed be determined to win over the Imperial Princess and I know that the Empress upon hearing that shall be very reluctant so we need to ensure that those two are forced to foster a union as soon as possible." Iname said.

"What are we going to do Father?" Umako asked.

"Against all odds, we are going to dedicate our efforts from now on to push those two together." Iname replied as he smiled when he saw a small glimpse of the moon shedding it's light on him.

Silence filled the Empress' room as she still sat there with the Crown Princess trying to think up something.

The doors of the room opened and Sakae walked in.

"Your Highnesses." sakae said as she bowed her head to the both of them.

"What is it?" The Empress turning to look up at Sakae asked.

Her face was overwhelmed with worry and she looked down that it attracted the attention of the Crown Princess who while raising her eyes met Sakae's that she was forced to look away.

"What is it?" The Empress asked again.

"His Highness the Crown Prince." Sakae replied.

"What's with him?" The Crown Princess asked immediately so anxious to hear her answer.

"His Highness saw the Imperial Princess Toyomike and recognized her as someone he's met before." Sakae replied.

"What?" The Empress said as the Crown Princess widened her eyes in worry she turned to look at her mother in law.

It was clear to the both of them at that moment that one of the greatest wars amongst them as the Royal women had just began.