CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

"You, contend with my might?" The Empress asked.

"Yes your Highness." Princess Toyomike replied.

"Hahahaha." The Empress laughed out loud before turning to look at the Princess in the eye she immediately wore on her face a serious expression.

"Don't you think that you have overestimated yourself Princess?" The Empress asked.

"No." Princess Toyomike confidently replied.

"I rule the Inner court my dear." The Empress boasted.

"What have they as a good memory to remember you?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"Remember me, a good memory?" The Empress asked.

"Yes Your Highness." Princess Toyomike replied.

"You still have a lot to learn Princess before you can contend with me." The Empress said.

"Perhaps Your Highness is mistaken but I believe that I have all that it takes to vanquish you." Princess Toyomike replied.

"Your confidence is great it is such a pity that your experience betrays you, you can not be soft and you rule the people because like it or not if you are so reserved even in your decisions, then public order shall certainly collapse." The Empress said.

"And I do not believe in making enemies." Princess Toyomike replied.

"Enemies are natural to have and you know it yourself, you are but a Princess but when your popularity increases at the expense of the popularity of others like a river never flows upstream they're something that is unavoidable." The Empress said.

"I care less, as long as I have more allies then that's all that matters." Princess Toyomike said.

"If more allies were all that mattered then why wouldn't commons that are beloved by the people possess the Crown?" The Empress asked.

"Why does the governance of the country rest at the whims of a genetic lottery and why does war from within oust a beloved ruler and herald one who is a stranger but a bearer of the blood of the throne?" She added.

"Because they do not have the will to rule?" Princess Toyomike replied.

"No." The Empress said. "It depends on how powerful your allies are." She added. "Even if you won the hearts of the people but as long us the support of the courtiers and aristocrats deserted you then not even in your wildest dreams can you come to possess the throne.

Even worse than that if you already have it then before long you can rest assured that someone shall come along and usurp it." The Empress said.

"And your Dominion in the Inner court has been a very dark and ordurous one." Princess Toyomike said.

"And you wished to take it from me?" The Empress asked.

"Yes Your Highness." Princess Toyomike replied.

"You think that if you can possess the power of heaven in your hands and you think that just because your grandfather is the Imperial Chieftain, because you are the daughter of the Emperor, all these privileges listed you shall rule the Inner court?" The Empress asked.

"I'd confidently say so Your Highness." Princess Toyomike replied. "You are a woman like me." She added.

"And that's the difference." The Empress said. "I have a great deal of supporters in the Imperial court, infact the largest faction. I am endeared to the Emperor even by obligation and on top of that I am the Empress of this country." She added.

"Yet even given all those titles you find me quite bothersome, even knowing that you have so much more compared to me there is always a part of you that feels insecure." Princess Toyomike said.

The Empress smirked.

"Insecure," she said, "is that what you call it?" She added.

"Would you prefer another name?" Princess Toyomike asked as she stretched her hands and then held those of her step mother.

"Even when I stare in your eyes I can see fear, I can see that there is much more you see deep down in me that's not just the ordinary Princess.

I can tell that the rage that burns within you is because I challenge your might and I know that at times even when you listen to my name you quake with fright." She added.

"Then convince yourself." The Empress said confidently as she twisted her hands and then tightened them around the Princess's that it was her turn.

"You are but a child of a lowly concubine, one who rose to a high position of Consort because she was able.

The Emperor had long forsaken your mother and yet when he looks at you you are worried that he only shows you love because he feels sorry for having not been the husband that your mother needed.

You can not tolerate the world and even worse you can not tolerate me, you know that I do not have to lay a finger on you for you to feel what they call pain and to also understand the meaning of the word grief.

Yes, the thought of my clout shakes you, the thought of the immense power and influence that I have frightens you, the way that I mercilessly do away with all my foes and the bodies I have buried in the name of my love for his Majesty and my lust for power even for my own children haunts you.

Tell me Princess and pretend before my eyes again, do you not resent me because of the fear you have towards my ways of annihilating my enemies?" The Empress asked.

The Imperial Princess Toyomike pulled away her hands but her confidence still looked unwavered.

"I guess Your Highness that we all do have things we fear about one another." Princess Toyomike said.

"I know that I always surprise you Your Highness and because we both are perhaps confident and courageous then let's make a bet." Princess Toyomike said.

"Go ahead Your Highness." The Empress said.

"I'll take away everything that Your Highness holds so dear in her own possession, be it her influence, her money and her power, all of it one by one until I have saved nothing for her." Princess Toyomike replied.

"Should you not?" The Empress asked her.

"Then I am not the Princess of Nippon, I shall certainly commit HARA-KIRI on the spot." The Princess replied.

"The fate of a whole battle can not be determined by one victory." The Empress said.

"That's why only when I have spared nothing for you to hold dear in your possession shall I count my part of the bet fulfilled." Princess Toyomike replied.

"Then I shall earnestly see to it that at least you are given a proper burial." The Empress said.

"However should I succeed Your Highness...." Princess Toyomike said.

"Then we'll make it a fair play, I shall also commit HARA-KIRI without question." The Empress replied.

The two looked at each other so angrily yet wearing smirks on their faces and a while later, all their servants waiting outside the Princess' quarters the doors were flung open and the two women walked out together.

Reaching the doorway, they faced one another and bowed their heads to themselves.

"Your Highness." They said in unison and then raised them up and looked at each other in the eye once again for a brief moment.

The Empress descended the stairs and she was followed by her group of servants as she made her way up to the entrance of the Imperial Princess Toyomike's Palace.

She turned around at that very moment and looked back to see the Princess still staring at her and she smiled.

"You wait and see Your Highness." The Empress thought, "wait and see what I'm going to do to you." She added.

"Bring on everything that you have against me Your Highness." Princess Toyomike also thought to herself, "We'll then see in the end who shall stand victorious." She added as well.

The Empress finally vanished from her sight.

The Emperor was seated in his study when Sato approached him.

"Your Majesty." He said as he bowed his head.

"Is he here?" The Emperor asked.

"Yes Your Majesty." Sato replied.

"Good, let him in." Emperor Kinmei ordered and at once Sato left the hall and came outside where Soga no Iname was waiting with his son.

"His Majesty orders you to come in." Sato said and halting his son and stopping him from coming along, Iname ascended the stairs of the study and walked into it.

While Sato led the way to the Emperor, he kept his distance and Iname continued until he was face to face with him.

"Your Majesty." Iname said as he bowed his head.

"Save yourself the burden, I understand that you are old." The Emperor said.

"Thank you Your Majesty." Iname appreciated.

"Please sit down." The Emperor said and at once without question Soga no Iname complied.

The two sat face to face with one another and there was some silence before the Emperor spoke up.

"How are you feeling?" The Emperor asked.

"Young again." Iname replied.

"That is good as it seems that your energy reserves have been replenished and you have recovered so miraculously." The Emperor said.

"It was under the guise of sickness Your Majesty, I had been poisoned with a very Lethal poison." Iname said.

"Yet now that I see you made such a grand and unforgettable appearance in court you must have been fully cured." The Emperor said.

"The Princess' touch perhaps was holy in a way to revive some of my senses, however it hasn't saved me from. the power of the grave." Iname replied.

"It hasn't saved you from the power of the grave?" The Emperor said. "What do you mean by that?" He asked.

"Someone having poisoned me means that they intentionally wanted me dead and lying down on my bed the Princess reminded me that I still have a duty to fulfill." Iname replied.

"Which duty?" The Emperor asked.

"Even after everything that has happened much as she can not face you she still has the courage to at least look after you.

She thinks of Nippon day and night and she cherishes nothing more than the peace and the Prosperity of this Empire." Iname replied.

"How then are you convincing me that a simple touch of the Princess could revive an ailing man, do you think that I am a fool?" The Emperor asked.

"No Your Majesty, I dare not." Iname replied. "I have been on medication fighting the Poison with Poison but I'm afraid that even that one last remedy can only increased my life slightly but it can not ensure my permanent health.

Your Majesty, you and I are both very old. We have no much time left in the world and we might be alive today but the same can not apply for tomorrow.

An attempt on me is an attempt on the Crown for as the Imperial Chieftain of the country I am a pillar for it and I must stand strong through the turbulent times." Iname added.

"So you kept your health condition a secret knowing that those men would start to write reports requesting for your impeachment?" The Emperor asked.

"Very well Your Majesty, this was the last resort to protect and sustain me long enough and I know that after today I could have dug my own grave by turning up but nevertheless this is something that I must accomplish if to be a task then it must be the last." Iname replied.

"Again you are not telling me what exactly you are going to do." The Emperor asked.

"Your Highness, I am here to help you make the final decision on who should succeed me as the Imperial Chieftain." Iname replied.

"I'd never thought I'd hear you speak up so courageously before me." The Emperor said.

"I do not mean to pry into your business Your Majesty and please forgive me for my impertinance, all that I can do is advise you where I can and the rest is up to you as the final say is always yours Your Majesty." Iname said.

"What do you think should be the qualities of your successor?" The Emperor asked.

"In my opinion Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is yet to learn how he can possibly govern the country.

He still knows little about ruling and get within him there is a capable ruler.

My successor should be someone who is less conniving and smart, he has to have a versatile mind though that can swing from one extreme to another.

He needs to have a heart and perhaps even better he should be in the position if taking pity on others.

If he can minimise bloodshed then it's good enough for him to see to it that peace in maintained in the Imperial court." Iname replied.

"Were you not a very smart man as the Imperial Chieftain?" The Emperor asked.

"We saw the consequences that arise because of that Your Majesty, I can not live a longer healthy life and my time being bedridden and sick nearly jeopardized the fate of this country.

My wisdom on one side exhaulted me and on the other it created for me a number of foes.

We need to have an Imperial Chieftain who might not seem as a threat to the rest of the Courtiers to guard against their aggression.

He must be someone that can be friendly enough to connect all the factions within the court.

For the prosperity of the country, the first thing that we must do is to ensure that there is peace within it's ruling body." Iname replied.

"And who is the best fit in your opinion for this task?" The Emperor asked.

"Your Highness is wise and of these qualities there are only two people that suit the qualifications in my opinion.

The first being General Fujiyaro and the second my own son Soga no Umako.

Moriya could be strong but the problem with him is that he is a little bit hasty while making his decisions and on top of that he is quite ruthless.

Mononobe no Suke is very smart but the problem is that he gets too caught up in scheming and his influence is starting to rise day by day that I fear with time if we gave him such great power he'd challenge the Crown.

"Otomo Ren Nukate is diligent but he can. never pick a side and only goes with the flow so he is easily swayed as long as he can be in the position of saving his neck." Iname replied.

"You know all the officials too well." The Emperor remarked.

"In my duty of service towards the country I must know better than anyone else the people that I am working with." Iname replied.

"General Fujiyaro knows little on governing and on top of that he rather keeps a distant role while the courtiers argue." The Emperor said.

"Yet as long as he can not attract the aggression all the other courtiers and he is sympathetic, he is less conniving and given the situation I know that since he is related to the Imperial family by blood the one thing that he can never do is to betray the Crown." Iname replied.

"Your son has a very turbulent personality and it's never constant, while I am confident that if he were to inherit your title others would feel aggressed to strike him." The Emperor asked.

"But his inheritance is quite vast and his influence is undeniably the best support and the strongest that the Crown Prince needs to consolidate himself on the throne." Iname replied.

"I see." The Emperor said.

"Your Majesty, please feel free to think about it." Iname said. "I might have given you those two suggestions but as always, the final say is yours and yours alone." He added.

"Hmm." The Emperor muttered as he nodded his head in acceptance.

"I'll need more time to think about it." The Emperor said.

"Yes Your Majesty." Iname replied as he stood up from his seat and bowing his head, he was let put by Sato.

Sina and Kabane walked in with Princess Toyomike.

"Your Highness." They said as they bowed their heads to her.

"Both rise." Princess Toyomike said.

"Your Highness, what did the Empress talk to you about?" Kabane asked.

"The line has been drawn." Princess Toyomike replied.

"What do you mean Your Highness?" Sina asked.

"You asked me once before what I was doing and why I was doing all of this." Princess Toyomike replied.

"Yes Your Highness." Kabane said as he bowed his head.

"This war was never something simple but nevertheless I intend on carrying it on to the very end." Princess Toyomike replied. "I don't just intend on making my name but I realised Nara and Nippon can not flourish unless I have extinguished both the might of the Empress and her clout." She added.

"Your Highness, you're saying that....?" Kabane asked.

"Yes." Princess Toyomike replied. "I am going to contend with Milady's might." She added and the two very much surprised stared with their eyes wide open.

"Your Highness." Sina said. "I am with you." She added.

"Yes Your Highness." Kabane said. "Regardless if we have to hold the sword and shed blood in your stead, or if tomorrow or the day after it we're going to die, then it's in your service that we are very willing to bear the burden of that Crown." He added.

"Thank you." Princess Toyomike said.

"No." Kabane said. "We are the ones to be thankful, honour, purpose, life, these are the things we were able to find only in you and in no one else." He added.

The Empress sat down in her quarters and there she was joined by the High Priestess and the Crown Princess as well.

"I suppose now that you have gathered here then you know that we all share a common enemy." The Empress said.

"What did the Princess say your Highness?" The High Priestess asked.

"She has proven now more than ever what her true intentions are, challenging your power, putting at risk the position of the Crown Princess and she is determined to rule the Inner court." The Empress replied.

The Crown Princess surprised held her mouth.

"Did she say that your Highness?" The Crown Princess asked.

"To my face." The Empress replied.

"I thought that perhaps she had a little remorse or she was only working to clean her name in the eyes of the Courtiers." The High Priestess said.

"The Imperial Princess has proven that she is beyond that point and she desires to become like me and even better than the better version of myself." The Empress replied.

"She seems to be quite confident in herself." The Crown Princess said.

"And now the fate of the game has been decided." The Empress said.

"What is it Your Highness?" The High Priestess asked.

"The Imperial Princess Toyomike has declared war on us all." The Empress replied.

The Crown Prince was seated in the office of Finances and while reading through a series of financial reports his mind wandered away as he took another in his hands he couldn't help but remember everything that had happened the previous night in the mountains.

With his left hand he touched his lips as he recalled the kisses that he shared with the Imperial Princess, her words that had completely won him over.

He smiled continuously and as Miwa no Sakau walked in, he noticed the strange expression on the Crown Prince's face.

"Your Highness." Miwa no Sakau called but his master did not reply as he was too busy lost in thought.

He was forced to draw near to his side and looking over his shoulder, he noticed that the report was being read upside down.

"Your Highness." He said again in his ear and this time the Crown Prince turned around only to see Miwa no Sakau smiling.

"Do you wish to get killed?" The Crown Prince asked.

"No Your Highness." Miwa no Sakau said as he walked away to the front of the Crown Prince where he stood and gazed at him awkwardly.

"Now that I see it Your Highness has been smiling since morning." Miwa no Sakau said.

"It's nothing." The Crown Prince said.

"Your Highness, even a fool can tell from the way that you are acting that something happened between you and the Imperial Princess Toyomike." Miwa no Sakau said.

"What are you trying to imply?" The Crown Prince asked.

"Your Highness, have you not realized it yet, you vanished when it was coming to dusk and you only showed up very early in the morning.

I can not believe that you spent the whole night fighting Assassins and perhaps of you couldn't find your way back to the shrine in the dark then that means that you spent the night together." Miwa no Sakau replied.

The Crown Prince wanted to revoke him but then he could see that Miwa no Sakau understood him much better than anyone else.

"Fine." The Crown Prince replied. "We did spend the night together but nothing happened." He added.

"Spending the night together is something, it seems that she has given in to your demands and surrendered her heart to you." Miwa no Sakau said.

"Yes." The Crown Prince replied.

"But I have a question Your Highness." Miwa no Sakau said.

"What is it?" The Crown Prince asked.

"Naturally I'm curious, after all if you love the Imperial Princess, she'd expect that the next step for both of you is defining your relationship." Miwa no Sakau replied.

"Yes." The Crown Prince said.

"The best way for the both of you to define your relationship is none other than marriage." Miwa no Sakau said.

"Yes." The Crown Prince replied.

"Do you think that everyone in the Royal household is going to support the both of you?" Miwa no Sakau asked.

"An Emperor can have as many wives as he wants." The Crown Prince replied. "In fact, if possible I want to have her named as the Empress when I become the Emperor." The Crown Prince replied.

At once, the both of them heard something shattering outside and Miwa no Sakau rushed to the door and opened it only to find that one of the maids in the office had dropped down a couple of things.

"Forgive me." She said. "Forgive me Your Highness." She added as she bowed her head and then picked up the smithereens.

The Crown Prince nodded at Miwa no Sakau and after the woman was gone he returned to the Crown Prince.

"Your Highness, what you are asking for is something that is impossible." Miwa no Sakau said.

"Why?" The Crown Prince asked. "The Empress of the country must be someone that is in the position of making the burden of ruling very light.

She must be someone that is outstandingly smart and intelligent and someone that is both virtuous and dignified in the Royal court." He added.

"But Your Highness, you forget that not everyone is endeared to the Imperial Princess and on top of that, a number of people are more afraid of her.

She was born under the most auspicious signs of heaven and rumours spreading around that she is heaven's true messenger and servant have already spread about." Miwa no Sakau said.

"The Empress automatically is the most legal wife of the Emperor and the only situation in which she can be impeached is if she has fallen short of her moral and physical expectations." He added.

"Nevertheless, the Crown Princess can not compete with the Imperial Princess Toyomike." The Crown Prince said.

"It's alright for you to have a favorite and because of that it's the reason that the Emperor can marry as many wives as possible.

However I do not think that the Crown Princess is willing to accept the Imperial Princess Toyomike as your other Consort." Miwa no Sakau said.

"Why, we all have our limits and we respect each other's opinions a d lives and privacy." The Crown Prince said in her defence.

"No Your Highness." Miwa no Sakau said.

"What do you mean by no?" The Crown Prince asked.

"I never told you this before because I never really got the opportunity but for me to know who Abe was I trailed the Crown Princess and she knew ahead of us all that the person you were looking for was the Imperial Princess Toyomike." Miwa no Sakau said.

"What you are saying is insane, The Crown Princess is a very soft and delicate there's no way in the world that she'd be courageous enough to oppose me." The Crown Prince replied.

"You can choose to believe me or not, but her maid Hotaru went to the Imperial Princess Toyomike's Chambers and they stole her guise, I followed them outside of the Palace into the forest and I saw for myself as they buried the clothes.

After they left I dug them out and I saw for myself and it was at that time that I realized having heard the both of them speaking that the Imperial Princess Toyomike was the Abe that you were looking for." Miwa no Sakau replied.

"How would she have possibly known that?" The Crown Prince asked.

"I don't know." Miwa no Sakau replied. "All I can think of is the possibility that we were either being tailed or we have a mole that is amongst us." He added.

"Why would she certainly become this daring?" The Crown Prince asked.

"I'm also not so sure Your Highness but one thing that I know for sure is that this unrequited passion of hers shall evolve into an obsession as it is quite clear that she is not willing to share you with another woman." Miwa no Sakau replied.

"Tell our men to be cautious and keep a close eye out for the Crown Princess, she shouldn't know more if our doing because I fear that she could frustrate our plans." The Crown Prince ordered.

"Yes Your Highness." Miwa no Sakau replied as he bowed his head before he turned around and departed from the room.

The Crown Prince doubting himself could barely believe the Crown Princess to be that conniving.

The maid that had dropped the things outside hurriedly walked to the back of the building and there he found a man who was dressed in a plain black attire.

"You're here?" She asked.

"Yes." The man replied.

"Did you get what was asked of you?" The man asked.

"Yes." The woman replied as she pulled a cream piece of paper from her sleeve and then she handed it over to the man.

"Deliver it to Madam Hotaru." The woman said.

"Yes." The man replied as he climbed over the wall and then the woman turned around to depart from the place where she saw Miwa no Sakau standing at the end of the place.

Miwa no Sakau walked closer to the woman and she looked frightened at his sight.

"So you are the Crown Princess' underdog?" Miwa no Sakau asked.

"I don't know what you are talking about." The woman replied.

"Of course you know." Miwa no Sakau said as he walked closer and closer to the woman. "Tell me what was written within that letter." He asked.

"Never." The woman replied and at that moment she pulled a dagger from underneath her clothes and she sliced open her abdomen and at once, bleeding excessively she fell on her knees before him and then landed on the ground dead.

Miwa no Sakau looked the other side.

"I suppose that you have seen for yourself Your Highness." Miwa no Sakau said and at once the Crown Prince stepped out from behind the wall as he walked up to the corpse of the dead woman.

"She'd even die for the Crown Princess." The Crown Prince said.

"No." Miwa no Sakau replied.

"Of course the Crown Princess could have threatened her, morseso she might have done it to protect her family." The Crown Prince said.

"Whatever was in that letter seems to have been very important." Miwa no Sakau said.

"Every part of the conversation that we had was important, we just don't know how much of it she knew about." The Crown Prince said.

"I can chase down the messenger, it shouldn't be hard to find out who he is." Miwa no Sakau said.

"No." The Crown Prince replied.

"Why your Highness?" Miwa no Sakau asked.

"By now he could have gone a long distance and we need to know what the Crown Princess Is thinking, on top of that, there is more than one way for us to find out what was contained within that letter." The Crown Prince replied.

"How Your Highness?" Miwa no Sakau asked.

"We'll know based on the way that the Crown Princess chooses to react." The Crown Prince replied. "If she was able to plant moles amongst my people, then I'll do the very same amongst hers." He added.

"Yes Your Highness." Miwa no Sakau replied.

"Get some people to get rid of this corpse, looking at it disgusts me." The Crown Prince said.

"Yes Your Highness." Miwa no Sakau replied as the two of them walked away.

The mystery man landed in the Crown Princess' Palace and as he sneaked around the hallways through the compound, he eventually came to halt at the back of the Crown Princess' Chambers.

Once there, he started whistling and a while later, another veiled person walked up to him and judging from the physique, it was quite clear that the person was a woman.

She halted right in front of him and unveiling her face she revealed herself as Hotaru.

"Where is it?" She asked.

"Here it is." The man replied as he handed over the white parchment and Hotaru tucked it in her clothes.

She turned around and then walked away.

The Crown Princess was seated inside her Chambers when she received the paper.

The Crown Princess opened it and as her eyes perused through, Hotaru noticed that a certain fury had been ignited inside her master's eyes.

She clenched the paper within her fist.

"What is it Your Highness?" Hotaru asked.

"The Crown Prince wishes to make the Imperial Princess Toyomike his Empress." She angrily said and Hotaru was surprised.

"Your Highness." she said.

"I never knew that the Imperial Princess' charm on him was this strong that it leaves me with no choice now." The Crown Princess said.

"What shall I do Your Highness?" Hotaru asked.

"I think it's High time that I also levelled up the game as well." The Crown Princess replied.