CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

The Courtiers were gathered in the Central Palace courtyard and the Emperor's throne had been carried outside the throne room as it graced the top of the stairs.

A red carpet had been cast on the ground running from the entrance to the throne while the courtiers and other officials within Nara had gathered and they were closely monitoring the area and waiting from the Chief guest.

Eventually, Sato came out.

"His Majesty deigns you with His presence." He announced and at once they all bowed their heads while the Emperor and his wives turned up.

He walked up to the stairs and mounted them as he took his rightful place on the throne as it's own, he claimed it with both his arms and then he smiled at his people.

"Long live the Emperor, Long live His Empress." They said in unison as Empress Ishi Hime struggled to fake a smile.

The Crown Princess and the other members of the Inner Court that were around were all waiting on the Imperial couple to make it's way up to the stage.

At that moment, the doors to the courtyard were opened and Princess Toyomike turned up dressed in a bright red Kimono that was glittering under the moonlight.

Her face was bright and so were her eyes and without the bulge of the baby yet her figure was truly remarkable.

Some of the Courtiers stared harder at her as she made her way down the carpet to the place where the Crown Prince was waiting for her.

She had never looked more beautiful and even he couldn't help himself but stare at her much longer.

The Emperor smiled while Consort Katashishime showed no interest in the ceremony as she was more and more determined to drag her hate towards their marital alliance.

At that very moment, Princess Toyomike eventually came face to face with the Crown Prince who looked her in the eye.

Realising that she was before her they both turned around and faced the Emperor as they bowed their heads.

"Your Majesty." They said in unison.

"All rise." The Emperor said and the two complied.

"You are all gathered here today to bear me witness that from this point onwards, the Crown Prince Nunakakura and the Imperial Princess Toyomike Kashiki ya Hime are engaged.

With heaven as our ultimate witness and in the presence of the gods and amongst men, from this day forward, you shall be fiancee and fiance.

This is the Emperor's Imperial decree that for what so ever Responsibility that is demanded from the Crown Prince as the father of the Imperial Princess' child it is fulfilled and Princess Toyomike from this day onwards must be willing to submit to be loved, free from the desire of any other man until she is eventually claimed in holy Matrimony." The Emperor said.

At once, everyone that was present led by the Imperial couple fell onto their knees and they bowed their heads.

"Long Live the Emperor, Long live His Majesty." The shouted.

The Imperial Princess on the ground tightened her fist as she looked up at Princess Toyomike who was smiling with her husband.

"How can I even sit and watch, no, I'll make sure that this is the last of the joys that you'll ever have and the beginning of all your miseries." She inwardly thought.

Empress Ishi Hime looked down at Princess Toyomike who stared up at her with a look of determination on her face.

"I am coming for you your Highness, prepare for it." Princess Toyomike thought inwardly.

The Empress cursing at her inwardly she tightened her hand on arm of her seat.

"You've come this far but it's a pity that you won't go anywhere beyond it because I'll personally see to it that between now and the day you were born, contending with me shall become the worst regret of your entire life." She added.

The Crown Prince also turned around and looked at Princess Toyomike who was wearing a smile on her face.

"I'll protect you even if it means that I have to stake everything that I hold dear in my possession and apart from me there shall never be any other man on this Earth to love you." He thought inwardly.

The engagement was concluded shortly afterwards and the guests had already started to make their departure.

The Crown Prince walked up to the Imperial Princess who was headed for her residence and the two walked together through the Palace.

"At last our fates have coincided and we have been engaged." The Crown Prince said.

"We have yet to get married as well but turmoil for you and me behind here." Princess Toyomike replied.

"With you by my side I have nothing to worry." The Crown Prince said.

"I am but a woman who can not fight very well, the only thing that I can do since I was a young child was wield a bow and an arrow, scheme behind the backs of the courtiers so that I can try to control them and be intelligent." Princess Toyomike replied.

"Isn't it all that you need to also stand with me?" The Crown Prince asked.

"No." Princess Toyomike replied. "Not at all." She added.

"Right now a number of people envy me including the women in the Inner court and again on top of that I feel burdened and discouraged as they thirst for my blood in the end I might have to shed theirs as well." Princess Toyomike replied.

"Do not worry." The Crown Prince said. "I understand more than anyone else and you do not have to shed any blood for me or for yourself." The Crown Prince said.

"But it's the rule of the game Your Highness, one time you'll become the Emperor and when that fate has been set and it comes to pass, would you not shed blood again?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"I don't care if I had to slay thousands or tens of thousands of people for you, as long as you never witness the horror of killing someone I'd be willing to hold the sword and slay them all on your behalf." The Crown Prince replied.

"No Your Highness, I do not wish to impose on you." Princess Toyomike said.

"I know it very well that the day I'll choose to run this Kingdom I might as well know that I am lonely, but with you by my side to help me transition this our Heavenly Empire from the rural and the disorganized amalgamation it was made into a more unified and developed country, it's the greatest compensation I can ever be granted for slaying all your foes for you." The Crown Prince replied.

Princess Toyomike halted and looked him in his eyes as she inwardly asked herself how she would even begin by telling him that both her along with his mother were contenders and mortal enemies.

He didn't know how he would even start to tell her that all her life she had been loathful and envious of her since she had seen to it that controlling the Inner court was with an iron hand especially when it had to be suppressing all the women that like her competed for her husband's favour.

How would she tell him that she had purposefully chosen to right her fate as his Consort so that she'd gain more and more power to eventually turn against the mother of her own love.

Everything going through her head was only going to give her a heart attack that she looked away.

"I am really blessed to have such a caring husband, I fear that there is no other woman in the world that could ever hold you dear and care for you the way that I shall do." She said.

"Just stand by me and you'll have nothing to fear, for as long as I am in your care and you are in mind then my heart shall be devoid of any regrets." The Crown Prince said as they ascended the stairs that led to Princess Toyomike's Chambers.

"Should I go?" The Crown Prince asked.

"No." Princess Toyomike immediately spoke up.

He was quite surprised.

"Today is very special for the both of us." Princess Toyomike added. "Would you at least please stay a while longer?" She requested.

"Alright." The Crown Prince replied as they walked inside.

She went and sat at her dressing table.

"Would you please untie my hair for me?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"Yes." The Crown Prince replied and doing as she had requested he pulled out the ornaments and the hairpins and placed them in the drawer as he combed her very long and straight hair.

She looked in the mirror and smiled at him while he smiled back.

"I fear that when you are the Emperor you might not comb my hair for me again." Princess Toyomike said.

"I'd always be very happy to come and comb it early before going for the morning Assembly." The Crown Prince said as Princess Toyomike laughed.

"I mean it." The Crown Prince confirmed.

"I wish to ask you a question." Princess Toyomike said.

"Go ahead." The Crown Prince asked.

"Would You abandon Nippon for me if I asked you to?" Princess Toyomike asked and the Crown Prince continuing to comb have her an immediate reply.

"Do you remember very well the first time that we met?" The Crown Prince asked.

"Yes." Princess Toyomike replied.

"I was uncertain about my feelings for you but there was one thing in my heart that I was more than ready to do." The Crown Prince said.

"I was dressed as a boy." Princess Toyomike said.

"And I was most willing to accept you as a brother because you above all people seemed to understand what the burden of ruling could feel like and at the same time you knew the hearts of the people better than any other person that I had ever met.

Originally I had thought that as Emperor I would make you of great use to me and turn you into one of my most loyal people and even possible try as much to raise you to the position of an Imperial Chieftain." The Crown Prince said.

"When I eventually learnt that you were a girl I was even all the more determined to get married to you and raise a family that we'd love and cherish all our lives but understanding the great opposition that would come from my father, the Courtiers and the members of the Imperial family, I was at that point willing to desert Nippon and marry you of it was a last resort." He added.

"I was so insincere with my feelings and I was not certain if I could give my heart to you." Princess Toyomike said.

"Even I since young had decided that the only one I'd have in my heart is Nippon because she was my country until I eventually came to realize that much more than Nippon, I also needed you so I let my heart grow soft and I didn't regret.

As now it seems that the chance to make the best of our country is at hand then perhaps in the pages of history, the both of us can go down together and give this country a golden age like no other." Princess Toyomike added.

"Yes." The Crown Prince said as he held her on her shoulder.

"WHEN THE SPRING IS HERE, MY LOVE IS RENEWED LIKE THE CHERRY BLOSSOM THAT IS SEATED ALONG THE RIVER, BEAUTIFUL WITHOUT FLAW I'D BE MUCH AWED LOOKING INTO THOSE EYES PF THINE.

ID GIVE UP EVERYTHING THAT I POSSIBLY COULD TO LOVE YOU BUT WHEN ALL IS LOST AND YOU STARE AT THE SILVER BRANCH, REMEMBER ME EVEN WHEN YOU MOURN I AM ALWAYS BY YOUR SIDE." The Crown Prince said.

"Such a nice poem." Princess Toyomike said.

"I composed if myself for them lover of my life you." The Crown Prince replied and Princess Toyomike was frozen with awe.

"It's beautiful." She said.

"Beautiful I had initially prepared it for our first spring as a couple and I was going to take you in the North and we watch the most beautiful cherry blossoms there are in Nippon." The Crown Prince said.

"At last now my heart is at ease." Princess Toyomike said. "That is something I won't forget and because of you I shall forever cherish the Cherry blossom till the day that I die." She added as the Crown Prince bent over and hugged her while pecking her on the cheek.

The Crown Princess was infuriated and she was smashing a couple of things in her Chambers while Hotaru tried to stop her.

"Please don't Your Highness, you'll heart yourself." Hotaru pleaded.

"And why shouldn't I?" The Crown Princess asked, "That wench has won over and seduced my husband with her bewitching beauty he is now caught in between her fingers.

The way that they look at each other sickens me, I feel so suffocated and I entirely feel no e existent as I had tried myself to keep this marriage of ours together all they are doing is shattering every last bit of hope that I had." The Crown Princess said as she shook Hotaru having ceased her by her shoulders.

"Your Highness, it's just an engagement and they are not yet married." Hotaru said. "It can be broken." She added.

"It doesn't matter, every day that goes by and she is still treading this earth I am only losing my senses and I am only becoming angrier." The Crown Princess said.

"Then perhaps you could continue breaking everything as long as you are content, if it's not enough you can go ahead and break everything in the Imperial Palace, perhaps out of pity Princess Toyomike shall forgive you and surrender your Husband." The Empress suddenly appeared.

"Your Highness." Hotaru said as she bowed her head.

"Mother." The Crown Princess said as she bowed her head.

"Had it not been for those assassins that you sent to kill her then perhaps the Crown Prince wouldn't have been injured and that child wouldn't have been conceived as well." The Empress said.

"I apologise mother." The Crown Princess said.

"You don't need to apologise." The Empress said. "In fact, people like you and me, we do not apologise." She added.

"Mother." The Crown Princess said nevertheless feeling some guilt within her.

"People like us survive on greed, envy and Anger, those feelings are what sustain us the most and deliver us from the hands and the sympathies of our enemies because only when you possess everything that is known to man from immense power and wealth to get yourself whatever you want can they never trample on you." The Empress said.

"Yes mother." The Crown Princess replied.

"You and me can rule the Inner court and none of our husbands' concubines have to rise against us and for that to happen, we must make an example of the Imperial Princess Toyomike and extinguish her before she ignites a flame of resistance towards the both of us because true leaders are those that can keep their people in fear and only when your subjects learn to fear you then can you ultimately Master all control and Dominion over them." The Empress added.

"Yes mother." The Crown Princess replied with a ghastly smile on her face.

"For the Imperial Princess, she is going to witness her end so soon it would have been just the beginning." The Empress said and the two women content with one another shared a common interest at heart that was burning entirely like a wild fire.

"It's Hell for hell." They said in unison.

Kabane and a couple of Royal guards marched towards the Imperial Princess' Palace early in the morning and as they went further they were halted by The Empress Ishi Hime who stood and blocked their way.

"Your Highness." Kabane said as he bowed his head and the rest of the guards complied.

"Where are you headed to?" The Empress asked.

"We were on our way to The Imperial Princess Toyomike's Palace her Highness." Kabane replied.

"I have a hard time believing that." The Empress said as she walked up to Kabane while he was keen with all the other guards to keep their heads down.

"What should I do for you Your Highness?" Kabane asked.

"I believe that you should know better than anyone else that I have been put in charge of the Imperial Princess' care by his Majesty our Emperor." The Empress said. "Now that she is with child you can report anything that you feel she should necessarily know to me after all asking the Emperor for my protection meant that she certainly trusts me." She added.

"Perhaps you were misinformed your Highness." Kabane said.

"Me, misinformed?" The Empress asked as she nearly broke into a laughter.

"Have you not noticed who is in charge here?" The Empress asked.

"You are Your Highness." Kabane replied.

"Now that you know it what are you still doing in my sight because for me to ensure the safety of both her Highness and her baby you must all comply right now.

Her duties and her work make looking after her a burden and I am certain that you yourselves don't wish to defy the Emperor." The Empress said.

"Yes Your Highness." Kabane replied and he turned around immediately and walked away with the guards.

The Imperial Princess Toyomike was in her Chambers and she was trying to get herself dressed when the doors of her Palace were opened and someone walked in.

"Thank goodness you are here Sina " Princess Toyomike said as she turned around to see who it was and surprisingly it was another young girl that she had never seen in her life before.

"Your Highness." The girl said.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my Chambers?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"My name is Hisa and I am your new personal maid Your Highness." The girl replied.

"What?" Princess Toyomike asked. "Since when?" She added and at that point the Empress and Sakae walked into the room followed by another Group of palace maids.

"Pardon me Your Highness." The Empress said.

"Your Highness?" Princess Toyomike said a little bit surprised.

"Yes." Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"What's with all this fuss?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"Her Highness, I believe that you had asked the Emperor to put you in my care prior to your engagement with the Crown Prince and that is exactly what I am doing." Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"Nevertheless, where are all my Palace maids?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"All your Palace maids and even your guards have been temporarily suspended and replaced with new ones on my order and I have looked through all of them that they have what it takes to look after you in the remaining few months to your delivery." Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"Replaced, Temporarily suspended?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"Yes Your Highness." The Empress replied with a smile on her face. "I believe that considering the fact that you trusted me with your health and the health of your child then I must do my best to ensure it and on top of that I think that you should also know that it was necessary.

I wasn't used to any of your guards and servants and they weren't used to me so they would not obey my orders either way and additionally I work with people I am most comfortable with and I take very good care of those entrusted to me.

From this day onwards I shall review your schedule and supervise it as well as this place and don't worry the people that are working with you have all nursed children before so nothing will go wrong.

Additionally, Sakae here shall supervise all your meals and see to it that you have your medicines on time and you sleep adequately.

The guards outside your Palace have been instructed to guard with all their lives they shall shoot at anyone or slay any unidentified visitor that is certainly not me, his Majesty of your real mother." The Empress added.

"I in deed trusted that you arethe right person I can lean on with my health that now I truly believe that no one in the whole Palace compares to you." Princess Toyomike said.

"Thank you Your Highness." The Empress said.

"I have understood and I shall not make trouble for you for of these are the rules of our game then I'd be glad to embrace them." Princess Toyomike replied.

"Thank you for being considerate Your Highness." The Empress said.

"So I suppose that I do not need Hisa to adorn my hair as I am not setting my foot outside." Princess Toyomike said.

"You shall be granted the warmth of the morning and the setting sun which is healthy but within the day, you are forbidden from going out." The Empress replied.

"Very well then your Highness." Princess Toyomike replied as she smiled at the Empress ghastly and she turned around to walk out of the Princess' room herself smiling as well.

Reaching outside she halted in her footsteps.

"Your Highness." Sakae called.

"Don't worry." The Empress said. "Was it not her Highness' wish for me to look after her?" She asked.

"Yes Your Highness." Sakae replied.

"I must laud her efforts although." The Empress said. "Had it not been for her, I would have been bored in the court and now that at least I have a contender I can do something about it." The Empress said.

"Do you think that Her Highness suspects that she was about to be poisoned Your Highness?" Sakae asked as they continued.

"She wasn't poisoned in the end and before the mole was buried he'd said that he had done as he had been told, the Princess upon receiving the bowl was supposed to have died." The Empress said.

"That can only mean that someone intentionally saved her as they are quite a number of Loyal servants that were in her service." Sakae replied.

"Or she found out that she was, why do you think she applied and pleaded to the Emperor to see to it that she was in my care?" The Empress asked.

"Because if anything were to happen to her in your care then you would be held responsible for it so your only choice in compliance was to see that you protect her against your own will so that she and the baby can live long." Sakae said.

"Which is good enough." The Empress said.

"Your Highness, at this point it is going to be very difficult to harm the baby." She added.

"She could survive all that long of possibly, anything can happen to the child and the mother on the day that it is born." The Empress said.

"Your Highness, what do you mean?" Sakae replied.

"She can bleed excessively, the child can be stillborn, she could even die." The Empress replied with a ghastly smile on her face.

"Your Highness is in deed very smart." Sakae said.

"Just see to it that she misses no ingredients in all her meals and no one shall hold us responsible, after all, we did our best and nurtured her for all the nine months.

Perhaps she was just too unlucky eventually even heaven abandoned both her and the child." The Empress said.

"Yes Your Highness." Sakae said as she bowed her head.

At that moment, before they could go any further, the two of them caught sight of Consort Katashishime who stood in front of them.

"Your Highness." Consort Katashishime said as she bowed her head.

"Your Highness." The Empress said as she also greeted her co wife .

"I wasn't quite expecting you here in the morning." The Empress said.

"It is my daughter after all that is carrying the seed of your son, how could I not at least once pay her a visit?" Consort Katashishime asked.

"As far as I remember she knelt down in front of your doors and you told her to kill herself, why the sudden concern right now?" The Empress asked.

"I understand that I might not be in favour of her matrimonial alliance to your son but the child she is carrying is my grandchild." Consort Katashishime said.

"It is my grandchild as well." The Empress said.

"And she is my daughter." Consort Katashishime said.

"So what are you going to do?" The Empress asked.

"I am here to protect her." Consort Katashishime replied.

"Protect her from whom?" The Empress asked.

"We all know how she is quite vulnerable at this stage and human minds are quite deceptive you barely notice when they are filled with I'll intent.

We must guard against all plausible threats and at least we must prevent those people that are overshadowed and engulfed by resentment." Consort Katashishime replied.

"What do you mean we?" The Empress asked.

"Perhaps I spoke too soon that I forgot to tell you, the Emperor has asked me as usual to assist your ailing hands, you are always so busy with the inner court that he thinks leaving you alone with the responsibility could make life more and more difficult for you." Consort Katashishime replied.

The maids and the guards that had accompanied him looked up and at that moment, The Empress realized that Sina and Kabane were among.

"I didn't know that his Majesty was so considerate after all." The Empress said.

"After all, it's wise to say that even when the state grows to weary as a burden, he remembers to care for each one of his women especially his legal wives." Consort Katashishime replied.

"Such a serene tongue." The Empress said.

"I don't mean to impose on you with the wellbeing of my daughter but I can not lose such an interesting game I can barely stand to watch as well." Consort Katashishime said.

"Do you think that you can watch her forever?" The Empress asked.

"Knowing that you'd be bored nursing your foe I came to look after you and compete with you as well." Consort Katashishime said.

"Isn't it quite funny, you play the best game of innocence yet I am waiting for that one day I can tear off that mask of benevolence from your face." The Empress said.

"You have your chance now." Consort Katashishime said.

"Very well then, you know it quite well that where the cat does not scram the mice shall scatter." The Empress said.

"I also can't help but wonder what kind of game the Empress is playing and how such a small and fragile little Princess can cause you to stutter." Consort Katashishime said as she bowed her head.

"I need to take my leave." She added as she walked past the Empress while her entourage followed her right towards the Princess's Chambers.

The doors were opened and the she asked them all to remain behind as she went in alone to see her daughter while the Empress angry tightened her fists while smiling.

"We'll see who becomes the ultimate Victor in the end because neither in this life or the next shall I bend to anyone else that is not me." The Empress said to herself as she continued her way out.

"Thank you Mother." Princess Toyomike said as she sat down right opposite her.

"There is no need for you to thank me." Consort Katashishime said.

"No, I must." Princess Toyomike replied.

"Had you not been suspicious of the Empress in the first place and sent Sina to ask me to see the Emperor and request for his permission to come and joined her to look after you then I wouldn't be here." Consort Katashishime said.

"I'll be frank with you mother." Princess Toyomike said. "I sent her but I wasn't certain that you'd turn up given that you are against my cause." She added.

"Nevertheless it is the path that you chose and there was no turning back for you, besides I understood that the Empress is good at burying all those that rise against her it would be foolish for me to just stand by and watch her bury my daughter whom I carried in my womb for nine months." Consort Katashishime replied.

"I am glad that you still care." Princess Toyomike said.

"I am your mother and I always will and yet you might be stubborn but this time since there is no redemption for you and the only way out is if you vanquished the Empress herself I am willing to give you all my support because even I have grown tired of her." Consort Katashishime said.

"Thank you mother." Princess Toyomike said. "You are both competing to look after me and I understand the Empress right now is conjuring something up her sleeve to get rid of you as her primary aim at the moment is to see to it that I don't give birth to this child." She added.

"I too understand her capabilities I wouldn't come had I not been prepared." Consort Katashishime said.

"That's good mother and I have a very small job for you since I personally can't leave the palace in this state." Princess Toyomike said.

"What is it?" Consort Katashishime asked.

Princess Toyomike looked at her.

After a while, the doors of the Imperial Princess Toyomike's Chambers were flung open and Consort Katashishime walked out.

"Your Highness." Everyone outside said as they bowed their heads.

"See to it that you watch her Highness properly." Consort Katashishime said to Sina and Kabane.

"Yes." They replied in unison.

"Remember now you are not here as the Princess' servants but as my own so don't act to informal around her anymore unless she has asked you too." Consort Katashishime said.

"Yes Your Highness." They replied in unison.

"Sword." She said and Kabane and Sina nodding their heads She got hold of one of their swords.

Eventually, she walked away leaving them there with all the other guards a d servants that the Empress herself had put in place.

Princess Toyomike who had been left inside her room unfolded her palm and in it their was a sachet with beautiful floral patterns.

She smiled at it and opening it inside there was a cream piece of paper which she opened only to find it blank.

She smiled at herself before she got a hold of it and then put it on the candle that was right in front of her to burn entirely to ashes.