CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

"Someone please help." Prince Anahobe said with the bangle falling from Princess Toyomike's wrist and landing onto the ground. "Someone call the Imperial physician." He added.

Prince Anahobe immediately lifted her up before she could fall down and led by Sina and Kabane, the two ascended the stairs that led to the Imperial Princess' room followed by the Consort Katashishime, the Crown Prince and the Emperor.

Prince Anahobe put the Princess down on her bed.

"My dear." Consort Katashishime rushed over to her side.

"Your Majesty." Sato said but the Emperor halted him.

"What happened to the Imperial Princess?" The Emperor asked Sina and Kabane.

"Forgive us Your Majesty but Her Highness was very fine a while ago." Sina said.

"They wouldn't have known." Consort Katashishime pleaded on their behalf and a while later, the Imperial physician walked into the room.

"Please give me some space." He demanded as everyone walked backwards while he knelt down right next to the Princess's bed and then he took hold of Princess' wrist.

He felt it for a while and the expression on his face changed suddenly that he shifted his hand to the Princess' forehead.

"Your Majesty." The Imperial physician said.

"It's nothing very serious." he added.

"The Princess passed out." Consort Katashishime said.

"She overworked herself and she seems to have been busy of recent which isn't good enough for her condition." The Imperial physician replied.

"Excuse me Sir, what do you mean by not being good enough for her condition?" The Emperor asked.

"Your Majesty, perhaps you might not be aware but Her Highness' pulse is strong and on top of that there is another equally distinct pulse that's coming from within her." The Imperial physician said.

"Wait?" Consort Katashishime said as she was alarmed. "You mean to say that....?" She asked.

"Yes Your Highness, Her Highness." The Imperial physician said while bowing down his head. "Is with child." He concluded.

Everyone who was in the room was surprised and Sato who was carrying with himself the Emperor's presents dropped them down by mistake.

"What?" Consort Katashishime asked.

"Are you serious?" The Emperor asked.

"I have been in this profession for so long Your Majesty, I'd dare not deceive you and lose my head.

The Imperial Princess Toyomike is two weeks pregnant it's without a doubt none of you noticed cause it's too early for symptoms and signs of morning sickness." The Imperial Physician replied.

The Emperor along with Consort Katashishime turned around and looked at Sina and Kabane who were standing by.

"You have always been the ones closest to the Princess, you must certainly know very well whom the father of this child is." The Emperor said trying to maintain his composure buy clearly failing.

"Never at anyone time did her Highness sleep out of the Palace and she doesn't really have visitors coming into hers." Kabane said.

"Thank back two weeks ago." Consort Katashishime shouted.

At that moment, the Crown Prince dropped the chest that was in his possession and he aroused their attention.

Sina then recalled something.

"About two weeks ago we went to the Kii mountain ranges to pray to the heavens for the welfare of the Imperial family.

Surprisingly, on those very ranges we found His Highness, the Crown Prince already there and after the ceremony, Princess Toyomike had left.

We saw her in the morning and she claimed to have been saved from a group of assassins and its the only time I recall the Imperial Princess spent a whole night outside our care." Sina replied.

"Who rescued the Princess?" The Emperor asked as Consort Katashishime's eyes shifted to the corner of the bed where the Crown Prince was standing.

"I did." The Crown Prince said. "Not only did I save her but, I also slept with her." He added.

Consort Katashishime hearing those words fainted and as she was falling the Emperor caught her.

"Sato?" The Emperor called. "Let's carry the Consort away." He added.

"Yes." Sato replied as the Emperor holding his wife in his arms walked past his son.

Before he'd go any further, he halted in his footsteps and looked right at him.

"Today, you have no idea how much I feel so disappointed in you." The Emperor said as he walked out leaving the two Princes inside with the Princess Toyomike's retainers and the Imperial physician.

"How is the child?" The Crown Prince asked the Imperial physician.

"There's nothing much wrong with the both of them." The Imperial physician replied. "All that you have to do is to make sure that you look after her very well.

It's her first pregnancy so it should be well dealt with." He added.

"Yes." The Crown Prince replied.

"I shall prescribe some medication but she'll need adequate rest, she must refrain from things that give her so much stress and she must be fed in healthy manner." The Imperial physician said.

"Yes." The Crown Prince replied as the Imperial physician stood up and then he walked out of the room.

"With all due respect Your Highness, couldn't you at least control yourself?" Sina asked.

Kabane tried to stop her but he failed.

"For heaven's sake she is still so young, only sixteen years old and now she has to resign to the fate of bearing an illegitimate child?" Sina asked.

"I'm sorry." The Crown Prince said.

"Sorry is not going to change anything, sorry is not going to mend my Mistress' life.

Thanks to you her reputation is going to be tarnished in an Imperial affair and in a single blow, the well known grace, etiquette and virtue of my mistress shall have resigned." Sina said.

"Your Highness, we are merely retainers and you can even have us beheaded for speaking up to you, you were older than the Princess to understand the situation and now all that you did in your silence has become a blot on her Highness' escutcheon." Kabane said.

"I am a fellow Prince and I can understand it as well, word of this reaching out into the world will make you innocent and call her Highness the seductress." Prince Anahobe said.

"I'll marry her and I'll make her one of my Consorts." The Crown Prince Nunakakura said.

"You think that can make up for the damage that you have done?" Prince Anahobe asked.

"All her life her Highness hoped that she'd marry a man that she'd cherish and love with all her heart, a man that she'll call her own and no one else's.

Your Highness, you know very well how I'll your wife shall treat her, worse than that she can no longer walk back as her fate has already been sealed and the past in unchanged.

The day that you rise and sit on that Chrysanthemum throne as you choose to rule this country, you know better than anyone else there is no one left for you in your life you shall forever be lonely until you enter your tomb.

Your passion and your love shall die right there, at some point you understand better than anyone else you'll have to draw daggers towards each other.

Marriage could be a remedy to your Highness, but to my Lady it won't change anything, only prepare her for the worst that is to come." Sina said.

The Crown Prince kept quiet.

"If Your Highness were really that much of a loving husband to the Princess, of you'd thought of her future you wouldn't have rushed things in the very first place." Prince Anahobe said.

"This is my business, you have no right to interfere." The Crown Prince said to him angrily.

"I won't your Highness, I only have a simple question for you." Prince Anahobe said. "How much will you do to protect her from the judgemental world?" He asked as he walked away.

The Crown Prince turned around to look at Sina and Kabane who walked past him as they exited from the room leaving him and the Princess Toyomike alone.

He walked over to her bedside and there he knelt down as he held her right hand up to his mouth.

"I hadn't noticed that I'd cause all this trouble to befall you and perhaps I was a little bit too selfish.

Because of me your whole reputation is bound to fall into ashes and they might be right about everything but they were certainly wrong about one thing." The Crown Prince said to himself as he moved his left hand and caressed the side of her head.

"I promised you before that I wouldn't abandon you hence I'll do everything there is in my power to protect you." The Crown Prince added confidently.

The Emperor had Consort Katashishime being nursed within his chambers the entire night and he'd watched her until he'd eventually fallen asleep.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty." Sato walked into the room calling his name.

At once, the Emperor woke up and turned to look at him.

"Sato, what's the matter?" The Emperor asked.

"The Crown Prince." Sato replied.

"What's wrong with the Crown Prince?" The Emperor asked as he stood up from the floor.

"The Crown Prince is waiting outside and he is kneeling in the courtyard." Sato replied.

"Tell him I am not ready to see him." The Emperor said.

"Your Majesty, his Highness has said that he has a case to report." Sato said.

"A case to report?" The Emperor asked.

"Yes." Sato replied.

"Tell him to go away, I do not wish to see him." The Emperor replied.

"Your Highness, everyone of the servants is looking at him." Sato said.

"What has that got to do with me?" The Emperor asked.

"Nothing Your Majesty." Sato replied.

"They can stare as long as they want at the Crown Prince, he can even become their laughing stock, even if he kneels there until midnight or until tomorrow, I'll not see him." The Emperor replied.

"Your Majesty." Sato said.

"Perhaps you're suggesting that I should tell him myself." The Emperor said.

"Certainly not Your Majesty." Sato replied as he walked out of the Palace and stepped right next to the Crown Prince in the Courtyard.

"Please leave your Highness and come back another day, His Majesty doesn't wish to see you today even if you wait until tomorrow morning he won't come." Sato said to him.

"I do not mind whether I lose my head today for disobeying the Emperor's order but I am not leaving here until I have reported what happened to his Majesty." The Crown Prince said.

"Your Highness." Sato said.

"My word is final as well." The Crown Prince said and at that moment Sato rushed back into the Emperor's Chambers and once there he bowed down to him.

" Forgive me Your Majesty but I have tried, His Highness has said that even if it means that he is to lose his head today for disobeying your order he doesn't mind but he is not leaving without reporting what Happened to you." Sato said.

"That boy is testing my patience." The Emperor said.

"My apologies Your Majesty." Sato said. "I couldn't persuade him to leave." He added.

"There is nothing for you to apologise for." The Emperor said as he walked over to his sword stand and at that moment he got a hold of his sword.

"With this sword the Emperor Senka and I were able to unite Yamato's many villages into the grandiose Empire, I'm not ready to watch one of my children crumble everything that I dedicated my entire life to build." He added as he strode put towards the Doorway.

He flung the doors open angrily as Sato rushed behind him.

"Calm down your anger Your Majesty." He shouted after him but it seemed to no avail as the Emperor descended from the staircase and then he stood in front of the Crown Prince who was still kneeling down on the ground.

"Father." The Crown Prince said.

"Call me Your Majesty." The Emperor shouted.

"Your Majesty." The Crown Prince said and at that moment the Emperor unsheathed his sword and then placed it on the shoulder of the Crown Prince right next to his neck.

"Your Majesty." Sato said as he knelt down behind the Emperor while the rest of the spectators in the Imperial courtyard panicked and scattered.

Empress Ishi Hime was still seated in her room when Sakae barged in.

"Your Highness." She came crying.

"What is it?" The Empress asked.

"The Crown Prince went to see the Emperor but the Emperor refused, the Emperor got furious and walked out of his quarters with a sword at hand and the Crown Prince is there still surviving on his mercy as he seems determined to slay him." Sakae replied.

"What?" The Empress remarked as she stood up immediately.

"Yes Your Highness." Sakae confirmed and at once, Empress Ishi Hime hurriedly walked out while Sakae followed.

"Your Highness." Hotaru said as she stepped into the Crown Princess' Chambers.

"What is it?" The Crown Princess asked.

"It's His Highness the Crown Prince." Hotaru replied.

"What's wrong with him?" The Crown Princess asked.

"It's his Majesty the Emperor, he was furious with the Crown Prince and walked up to him with a sword in his hand.

He is in the Central Courtyard threatening to take his life." Hotaru replied.

"Take me to him." The Crown Princess said as she stood up immediately and also strode out of her Chambers.

The Empress and the Crown Princess arrived in time when the Emperor was still looking at his son.

"You have defied my order as your Emperor, there are very many things that I can put into consideration right now.

First I could have you deposed as my Crown Prince, secondly I can have you executed myself, my wives have bore me enough sons all of which are eligible to take your place and after you openly misbehave you do not have the slightest bit of patience." The Emperor said.

"If I were to die at your hands father then I'd have know regrets, after all it was you who brought me into this world you'd also have the right to send me away." The Crown Prince replied.

"I said call me 'YOUR MAJESTY' the Emperor shouted.

"Father." The Crown Princess said as she came closer.

"No one here should dare try to defend him." The Emperor said. "After all you have grown so much you are finally a man." The Emperor said.

"Your Majesty, I understand that what I have done was unforgivable and you have each and every right to resent me I won't contain you.

The Imperial Princess Toyomike is young she'd know nothing more, I am the one who is guilty being the older one I should have showed her the way.

As a man I must take responsibility for my actions father and standing here to do, my only path to redemption is if you can possibly grant me Her Highness the Imperial Princess Toyomike's hand in Holy Matrimony." The Crown Prince said.

Everyone including the Empress and the Crown Princess was shocked and the Emperor himself hearing those words from the Crown Prince nearly fainted.

"Your Majesty." Sato said as he supported him.

"Your Majesty." The Crown Prince called.

"You ungrateful child." The Emperor said. "If you still see me as your father then get out of my sight at once, otherwise until I can summon you to see me in person, any guard here in the palace or maid or Eunuch within this Palace of mine will be ordered to kill you the moment that you chose to set foot in here.

Should you defy this order as well then I assure you that in the pages of History you shall go down as a rebel and I shall be justified to deliver from your body that big head of yours." The Emperor said as he turned around and dropped his sword.

Slowly he ascended the stairs to his Chambers while the Crown Prince feeling so ashamed kept his head low while bowing down.

The Crown Prince was dragged away and then led out of the Emperor's Palace while the Empress and the Crown Princess also departed as well.

The Crown Prince made his way inside Princess Toyomike's room and there he walked up to her side of the bed.

There he knelt down again and he watched Princess Toyomike who still lying their asleep nevertheless looked very beautiful.

She was already interesting enough a Spectacle for him to watch that staring for so long, he started to close his eyes slowly and slowly.

At that point in time, before he'd even realize it, his eyes were closed and he fell asleep there and then while holding the Princess' right hand.

Hardly had he fallen asleep when the Princess opened her eyes and the first thing that she saw was the ceiling.

She tried to recall everything that had happened from the previous night and as the memories came back to her, she recalled that she had fainted.

Princess Toyomike decided to sit up in her bed and at that moment she noticed that someone was right there by her side sleeping.

Her eyes travelling towards them she studied the physique and the face and immediately, she recalled very well who it was.

"Your Highness." She called him and at that time the Crown Prince woke up and realized that Princess Toyomike was already up.

"Princess?" He said as he wiped his eyes to see if he was not dreaming at all.

"What happened to me?" Princess Toyomike asked right when Sina and Kabane walked in up to her and she turned to look at them.

They were carrying with themselves a couple of bowls.

"Good Morning Your Highness." They said in unison as they bowed their heads.

"What am I doing here?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"Your Highness, you shouldn't strain yourself any longer." Sina said. "it's not good for your health." She added.

"I've always been used to working harder than usual." Princess Toyomike said. "I am sure I only passed out because of fatigue." She added.

"No Your Highness." Kabane said and the Crown Prince looked at Princess Toyomike.

"What does Your Kabane mean by no?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"Your Highness." the Crown Prince said. "what Kabane means to say that the reason that you passed out despite overworking yourself was because you were with child." He added.

Princess Toyomike was surprised.

"What?" She said.

"You are pregnant with my child." The Crown Prince said and at that moment Princess Toyomike smiled at him and everyone else.

"I'm going to be a mother." She said in a lowly manner.

The Crown Prince was just as surprised as everyone else who was present.

"Your Highness." Sina said. "Are you alright?" She asked.

"I am alright." She replied with a smile on her face that eventually she turned around and looked away while Sina and Kabane moved closer with the concoctions.

"I'll feed them to her." The Crown Prince said and the two bowed their heads as they haded them over.

The Crown Prince took them.

"How is my mother?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"She passed out the moment she heard the news and learnt that the child that you are carrying in your womb is mine." The Crown Prince replied.

"She must feel so dismayed." Princess Toyomike whispered under her breath as the Crown Prince took the concoctions and there he fed her.

The care that he had given her was something that she had barely expected at that moment and for the first time it felt like she wasn't wrong to carry his child.

The Crown Prince fed her until the concoctions were done and then she looked at him and so that there was something on his mind.

"What's the matter?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"Nothing much." The Crown Prince replied.

"You know that I hate liars so much." Princess Toyomike said.

"Yes." The Crown Prince replied. "I was thinking that now since you are carrying my child, at least we should get engaged." He added.

"Your Highness." Princess Toyomike said.

"You are carrying my child and beyond being my responsibility you are also the very woman that I truly love and cherish I can not imagine the rest of my lifetime without you." The Crown Prince said.

"Do you think that His Majesty shall agree to this matrimonial union?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"It's the only way to protect the name of the Imperial family and to see to it that it's reputation is not tarnished.

To them it could be the best way for me to atone for my son's but to me it could be the opportunity to get married to you." The Crown Prince replied.

"It could also isolate us from the rest of the Imperial family,from the rest of the world." Princess Toyomike said.

"It doesn't matter whether I have to stand against the whole world or the Imperial family, as long as I have you and you have me in your heart I'd be more than willing to give up everything for your sake." The Crown Prince replied.

"How certain can you be that I want you to give up everything, I know that the Courtiers are waiting to point fingers at you but if Nippon can not have us then no one shall be in the position to revive it's Glory and transition it into a golden age." Princess Toyomike said. "We can not trust other people to love it for us unless it's ourselves." She added.

"Then would you please Milady, as Noble Consort look after my heart in future and guide my hardest decisions as the mother of my people?" The Crown Prince asked.

"For Your Highness, your love for my people is the greatest and nothing more could I want for I consider that great passion and unremitting gift of yours the most all sufficient dowry." Princess Toyomike replied with a smile on her face.

"Thank you Your Highness." The Crown Prince said as he stood up from where he was kneeling and sat down right next to the Imperial Princess and embraced her in a hug.

The two smiled and more than ever even in that tumultuous period, they would find their greatest peace of mind.

"To divide a father and a son." The Empress said. "It must have been a part of that wench's plan from the very beginning." She angrily added.

"Today we have confirmed that she is in deed venomous." The Crown Princess said.

"He'd even demand for her hand in marriage from his own father?" The Empress asked a little bit uncertain.

"The Imperial Princess Toyomike has such a remarkable art of seduction she has already ceased him in her palms." The Crown Princess replied.

"Naturally he has taken the blame, the Imperial Princess being even young he is only going to appear as the Immoral one.

The Prince could fall from grace so greatly but now if you are to imagine everyone will think that her Highness is entirely the immaculate conception.

Out of good will she'd still choose to keep her baby and that means that it could greatly threaten my son's position as the Crown Prince." The Empress said.

"Such a schemester." The Crown Princess said.

"I am certain that the courtiers must have heard of this already, everyone in the palace was practically watching the Emperor threatening the life of his dearest son and successor." The Empress said.

"What are we going to do mother, as it is this problem is very difficult on our side it's not something that we can simply counter even if we tried." The Crown Princess said.

"Of course, this is a fatal design on our side, and if we had learnt of it earlier we might have at least come up with a stratagem." The Empress said.

"There must still be a way, once that woman marries my husband then that'd greatly jeopardize my position as the Crown Princess and perhaps even worse as the Empress.

It's also clear how much power that she'd amount to if she were to become the Empress given that she is my husband's favorite." The Crown Princess said.

"There is one last resort but I'm not so sure that it could work before those two are likely to get engaged." The Empress replied.

"What is it mother?" The Crown Princess asked.

"The Imperial Princess Toyomike must miscarry as soon as possible." The Empress replied.

"Yes." The Crown Princess said.

"The one thing that he could use to justify an engagement to the Imperial Princess and later marry her is that pregnancy and he along with the Emperor would not bear the thought of having an illegitimate child.

Like it or not his Majesty shall have to surrender to the Crown Prince's demands and allow the two to get married.

However should the Imperial Princess miscarry then at that moment, it would have become easier for the Emperor to reverse the situation as he entirely seems not to be in the favour of this union as well." The Empress said.

"Yes Your Highness." The Crown Princess said. "But the Imperial Princess' guards are entirely loyal to her and on top of that security especially in the kitchen is quite tight.

Nothing enters and leaves the Princess' Palace without being thoroughly checked otherwise she would have long been assassinated." She added.

"She must have prepared for a time like this from the very beginning, no wonder she had her Royal guards retrained and even the servants themselves are loyal." The Empress said.

"How then are we going to see to it?" The Crown Princess asked.

"Security could be tight within the Palace but it isn't entirely very tight outside it." The Empress replied.

"Your Highness, what do you mean?" The Crown Princess asked.

"The Imperial Princess Toyomike is the only pregnant woman within the Palace so naturally, there are only one set of herbs that will belong to her.

If we can have them constantly poisoned before entering into the Palace then it'd be very impossible for anyone to know and even if later it is discovered that the cause for her miscarriage was poison within the herbs, trying to retrace the footsteps back to us as the Culprits will be implausible." The Empress replied.

"I see Your Highness, you really are smart, is there anything too hard for you?" The Crown Princess asked.

"I'll see to it that she never bears any more children throughout her entire life." The Empress replied as she looked on angrily.

"Your Highness." Sina and Kabane said in unison as they bowed their heads.

"Get up." Princess Toyomike said. "I have a task for you." She said as she sat up in her bed.

"What shall we do your Highness?" Kabane asked.

"I have strived to secure. my Palace but I know that now that word of my pregnancy is out there could be a number of People that still don't wish for this child to be born." Princess Toyomike replied.

The two looked surprised.

"Do you mean the Empress Your Highness?" Sina asked.

"Anyone even the Courtiers themselves are plausible and contrary to their thoughts and opinions about this child, I have my own." Princess Toyomike replied.

"What do you wish for us to do?" Kabane asked. "We can tighten the security of the Palace." Sina added.

"That's inadequate." Princess Toyomike replied. "I need to give birth to a very healthy baby and for that to happen I'll need the best herbs that I can possibly find." Princess Toyomike said.

"The Palace shall have them delivered." Kabane said.

"That's the problem, I can not trust the Palace either so one of you shall have to leave the Palace secretly every night and procure the herbs from my Grandfather's Manor

Sina you on the other hand shall have to work so hard and see to it that you keep gathering all the herbs that come into the Palace.

Father might think that I poisoned them to use them to my advantage so I'll organize one time for him to see for himself before they even get within my premises." Princess Toyomike said.

"Yes Your Highness." The two said in unison.

"You are the only two that I have told this and make sure that no one else including the Crown Prince finds out." She said.

"Yes Your Highness." they replied.

"They'd come up with every scheme that they could possibly find however I won't let them have their way, only I can have mine." Princess Toyomike confidently said.

"Your Majesty." Sato said.

"Tell me Sato." The Emperor replied. "Did I mismanage my children?" He asked.

"No Your Majesty." Sato replied.

"Then why would the Crown Prince forsake me like this?" The Emperor asked.

"I don't know your Highness but as it seems to me this time around, the Imperial Princess Toyomike must be a victim." Sato said.

The Emperor alarmed at what he'd heard turned and looked at Sato.

"Why?" He asked.

"The Crown Prince is a very smart person Your Majesty and that can not be underestimated, he is the older one so he knows very well he is at fault.

The Imperial Princess could be smart but she was to young to understand the basis of sexual intercourse and being a virgin she got pregnant for her first time.

The Crown Prince I believe coming here and taking the blame on her behalf is no coincidence because everyone else would believe that and to redeem himself he'd have to at least get engaged to the Imperial Princess and perhaps even better get married to her." Sato replied.

"So you're saying that the Crown Prince is cooking something up his sleeve?" The Emperor asked.

"I'm always being haunted by that possibility Your Highness, haven't you thought about it that recently the Imperial Princess' influence was growing throughout the land and she had become quite popular among the people.

The Crown Prince must have realized that only if he'd married her he'd share in her glory and given the fact that he spent quite some time away from the Capital and barely had any supporters of his own.

I believe looking at Your example he might have decided to win the support of the Sogas the very way that you decided to win over yours." Sato replied.

"By marrying the Imperial Princess." The Emperor said.

"Yes Your Majesty, and it is now that he has a good enough excuse to do it." Sato replied.

"He has really exceeded each one of .y expectations." The Emperor said.

"He might not let the Imperial Princess become his Empress but he could use his smartness along with hers to win over the Dominion of the country and with the Sogas on his side, his power might greatly increase and put any other secret contenders to a primary disadvantage." Sato added.

"All these years growing with me have transitioned you to think like a courtier." The Emperor said.

"Your Majesty, I dare not, it's just that your worry is mine." Sato said.

"And what do you think is my worry?" The Emperor asked.

"Between the Imperial Princess and the Crown Prince whom should you trust?" Sato replied.