CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

"Her Highness isn't yet used to the morning sickness as it is and the cold outside wasn't so good for her either she briefly passed out.

There is nothing more that you should be worried about." The Imperial physician said as he bowed his head and at that moment the Empress was just surprised as never had she imagined that things would turn out like this.

"What?" She muttered under her breath a little bit too surprised it was like she was looking at a ghost.

"Yes." Princess Toyomike confirmed with a bright smile.

The Emperor and Consort Katashishime sighed in relief whereas the two contenders present in the room exchanged a very fatal glance with one another.

"Father?" Princess Toyomike called.

"What is it?" The Emperor asked.

"You seemed to be quite worried earlier on and I wished to know exactly why was it so?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"It's nothing." The Emperor said.

"It didn't seem like nothing to me." Princess Toyomike said.

"List forget about it Your Highness, we received a miscommunication." The Empress replied.

"Which miscommunication father, I believe that I need to know." Princess Toyomike insisted.

First we were under the Impression that someone was going to poison you." The Emperor said.

"Why?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"I received a letter prior to coming here I had to find out what they were exactly after all this time myself." The Emperor said.

"Is that why you came with troops and marched into the Princess Toyomike's courtyard?" Consort Katashishime asked.

"Yes Your Highness." The Emperor said.

"It must have been a prank." Consider Katashishime said.

"I don't think so." The Emperor said.

"What if it was a warning?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"Most likely." The Emperor replied as he turned around and looked at the Empress.

"Please tell me Your Highness, how did you find out that her Highness was in danger?" The Emperor asked.

"No different from how you found out Your Majesty." The Empress replied.

"You are saying that you also received a letter?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"Yes Your Highness." The Empress replied.

"That's quite strange." Princess Toyomike said. "who would want me and my child dead?" She added as she patted her grown abdomen.

"I also wonder." The Empress replied.

"If both of you received letters then it's highly plausible that the enemy is someone within the Palace, if could even be someone that's very close to us all." Princess Toyomike said.

"All that being considered you need to be careful Your Highness." The Emperor said.

"Don't worry." Princess Toyomike replied.

The Emperor looked at both his wives.

"Empress, Consort Katashishime." He said.

"Yes Your Majesty." They replied in unison as they bowed their heads.

"Please, Earnestly look after the Princess and our grandchild." The Emperor said.

"It is our Grandchild, we shall look after her excellently." The Empress said.

"Do not worry." Consort Katashishime said. "As long as I am around I shall be extra careful and there shall be nothing that I am going to let happen to the Imperial Princess Toyomike." Consort Katashishime said.

"I am relieved." The Emperor said as he walked over to his daughter.

"I'll visit quite regularly to see if you are doing well." The Emperor said to the Princess.

"Thank you father." Princess Toyomike report as she bowed her head.

"Her Highness should be left to get some rest." The Imperial physician said.

"Alright." Everyone said in unison as Princess Toyomike got under her covers and then she was tucked in.

The Emperor satisfied that nothing had happened to his daughter and Grandchild, he walked out passing in between his two wives as they bowed their heads.

He was joined by Sato and the two women raising their heads looked at each other in the eye.

"Perhaps her Highness is in deed too blessed that no harm prevails against her." The Empress Ishi Hime said.

"She has always been kind." Consort Katashishime replied. "Her enemies would have no way against her as long as the will of heaven resides with her." She added.

"The will of heaven?" Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"Yes." Consort Katashishime replied.

"What is the will of heaven?" Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"That she'll remain alive and become strong enough." Consider Katashishime replied.

"Strong enough to do what?" The Empress asked.

"String enough to contend with your Might Milady." Consort Katashishime replied as she instantly turned around and then she walked out of the room as the Empress looked at Princess Toyomike who was sleeping.

She walked up to her bed and then looked at her.

"I suppose that you have heard everything." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"Why wouldn't I?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"Of course why wouldn't you?" Empress Ishi Hime said as Princess Toyomike opened up her eyes.

"I am curious Your Highness." Princess Toyomike said. "However do you care for me you'd raise an army to come to my doorstep and cease the murderer of my child?" She asked.

"Why wouldn't I care, it's my grandchild that you are carrying within your womb after all." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"After all these months you can finally call it Your grandchild." Princess Toyomike said.

"Is that a problem?" Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"No." Princess Toyomike replied.

"Then you can tolerate me." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"No worries." Princess Toyomike replied. "Even if my attempted murderer wasn't caught at least I know who wants both me and my child dead." She added.

"Now that you know Your Highness what are you going to do." Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"Is there anything that hat I can not do?" Princess Toyomike replied.

"Your mind seems to have a lot of schemes that can protect you." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"Of course." Princess Toyomike replied. "Now that you know I shall always conjure up anything I possibly can I wonder right now what I'm going to do next." Princess Toyomike said threateningly.

"Go ahead Your Highness." Empress Ishi Hime said. "Whatever you do I shall certainly look forward to it." She added with a ghastly smile on her face.

Saying all that she turned around to leave the room as Princess Toyomike watched her as she vanished from sight.

The Princess patted her belly and then she started talking to it.

"Don't worry my child, even when I am surrounded and suffocated withing this den there is nothing that I wouldn't do to protect you from all those monsters.

Everyday I shall strive so hard and see to it that I sever away their Plastic faces one by one until I show the world who they really are and as long as I am alive, I won't let anything happen to you." She whispered to it.

The Emperor and Sato were walking back towards his study.

"Your Majesty, there was nothing wrong with the Princess." Sato said.

"I find it strange as well." The Emperor said.

"Let alone that she was with her mother who wouldn't even dare try to kill her." Sato added.

"That's very true." The Emperor said.

"Then who is it that would have sent that letter?" Sato asked.

"I don't know but given that The Empress received it and so did I then it must have been someone that is within the Palace." The Emperor said.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was one of the new guards that the Empress put around the Imperial Princess Toyomike's residence." Sato said.

"Why?" The Emperor asked.

"All those could be in the service of the Empress but you can not guarantee that they are all loyal to her like Princess Toyomike's one hundred Royal guards." Sato replied.

"What do you suppose I should do?" The Emperor asked.

"No woman would naturally be calm after learning that her life and that of the child that she is carrying is threatened.

Princess Toyomike could only be pretending so as not to arouse the suspicions of her enemies around her which is why I believe, those guards that were suspended should be returned to look after her immediately." Sato replied.

"It was the Empress' bidding, it could be quite hard for her to look after the Princess when she isn't with the people that she is most comfortable with." The Emperor said.

"I'm sure that since it is related to the Imperial Princess Toyomike's safety she'd be more understanding this time round given that the child endangered is her own grandchild." Sato said.

"I see." The Emperor replied.

"Come to think about if, if the Princess' loyal servants were the ones that were put in charge of her then it would be more difficult for us to worry about her wellbeing given that they are trustworthy and they have been with her for a while." Sato said.

"Very fine then." The Emperor said. "I'll see to it." He added as he ascended the stairs that led to his study and once inside he closed the door behind himself.

The Empress was still walking with Sakae and her maids were following her as she maintained her distance ahead of them all.

Her mind wandered away as she recalled everything that had happened a while ago.

"Her Highness isn't yet used to the morning sickness as it is and the cold outside wasn't so good for her either she briefly passed out.

There is nothing more that you should be worried about." The Imperial had physician said.

"Could there really have been nothing wrong with the Princess?" She asked herself.

"Do not worry." Consort Katashishime had said. "As long as I am around I shall be extra careful and there shall be nothing that I am going to let happen to the Imperial Princess Toyomike." Consort Katashishime had added she recalled.

"Did she seem to know about everything?" The Empress continued to ask herself as she recalled one last incident.

"No worries." Princess Toyomike had said, "Even if my attempted murderer wasn't caught at least I know who wants both me and my child dead." She had added.

"How could she have found out?" The Empress eventually spoke up.

"Forgive me Your Highness." Sakae said.

"What for?" The Empress asked.

"It might have not been my doing but because of me you nearly fell into trouble." Sakae said.

"There is no need for you to say that." Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"We must be used right now to the Imperial Princess Toyomike's cunning, I must say it has become quite more bothersome than that of Iname I have tried so hard but I can't seem to find fault in her as she always steers her way out of trouble." Empress Ishi Hime added.

"What should we do Your Highness?" Sakae asked.

"The Imperial Princess is not fit for any ordinary scheme anymore." The Empress replied.

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

"If we wish to counter the Princess then we must certainly make one complex scheme that even if she were to untie a single knot it would be to no avail." Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"What shall we do?" Sakae asked.

"It's impossible for someone to be so blessed and at the same time it's impossible for someone to always be too cautious.

The more cautious someone is the harder it is for them to make a decision because they have been rewarded with very many views." Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"In your opinion Your Highness, which view shall we use?" Sakae asked.

"All of them." Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"That's quite difficult Your Highness." Sakae said.

"Is there anything that's too difficult for me." Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"No Your Highness." Sakae replied.

"She'll obsess over one view and then over the other she won't see it all coming for her and by the time she is unable to concentrate and find out which one is more fatal, before she could react, she shall have been taken down from both sides." Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"Yes Your Highness." Sakae said as she smiled ghastly.

"I wish to talk to the Crown Princess." Empress Ishi Hime said "and have the word sent out to all my other people as well." She added.

"Yes Your Highness." Sakae replied.

"We need to meet and I'll pick a very suitable time for that " Empress Ishi Hime said.

"Yes Your Highness." Sakae replied as she bowed her head while the both of them continued in their direction.

"Father." Soga no Umako said as he walked up to his father Iname who having a hard time breathing and kept on coughing excessively.

Quite surprised, the he moved closer and as Iname pulled a handkerchief from his mouth, the two of them looked at it and it was entirely soaked in blood.

"Father?" Umako called as Iname nearly passing out he used his shoulder to support him.

"ATAIKOMA." Umako called a couple of times until eventually he appeared.

"What is it Your Excellency, how may I help you?" He asked.

"Call the physician immediately, do whatever it takes, I need him to come now and see Father." Umako ordered.

"Yes Your Excellency." Ataikoma replied as he bowed his head and then he walked out leaving Umako who was shaking his father violently.

"Father, Father?" He kept on saying but still looking at his hand it was covered in blood and at that point he noticed that the blood was dark he knew better than anyone else what that implied.

He held up the handkerchief from his father's grip and then he pulled it closer to his face and studying it his suspicions were most likely to be true.

"Was father poisoned?" He asked himself as he recalled a while ago when he had been bedridden for the same case.

"Definitely, if it was done before then someone could certainly do it again." He concluded and there he shouted again.

"Shizu." He called another of his private guards by name and at once Shizu turned up and he bowed his head.

"Yes Your Excellency." He replied.

"I want you to find out whoever was in charge of father's meals and carry-out an inspection on all of them including the people that came in contact with them before him.

Once you have found everything out immediately report to me who the culprit that could have poisoned my father is." Umako ordered coldly.

"Yes Your Excellency." SHIZU replied as he walked out of the room and left the two there.

Umako looked at his father's face and then back at the handkerchief.

"There is only one person in the whole of Nippon that's most capable of doing this to you Father." Umako said. "Don't worry, once I learn of the Empress' doing then I won't let her go unpunished." He added angrily.

Empress Ishi Hime was seated in her Chambers when the High Priestess turned up.

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

"What is the problem?" Empress Ishi Hime asked. "At least tell me that your part of the plan went well." She added.

"No worries Your Highness." The High Priestess replied, "Iname has been dealt with very well even if he certainly survived it wouldn't be longer than two months." She added.

"Very well." Empress Ishi Hime replied. "At least I didn't lose everything and poisoning the Princess might have failed but at least for the side of her Grandfather and one of her primary supporters, it didn't." She added.

"Your Highness, why did you call for me?" The High Priestess asked.

"First have a seat." The Empress replied. "We still have two more guests that are coming." She added when the doors of her quarters were opened and Sakae led in two people one being the Crown Princess and the other was Mononobe no Moriya.

The two walked over to the Empress.

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

"Have a seat." Empress Ishi Hime said as she pointed at the chairs that were vacant ahead of her and the two sat down.

"I am sure that you are all wondering why I have called you here." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"Yes Your Highness." They replied in unison.

"Given everyone of the tireless efforts that we have invested in trying to apprehend the Imperial Princess Toyomike we have all been unsuccessful as she has proven especially at this time that she won't be a very easy contender." Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"Did are survive?" The Crown Princess asked.

"Very well that up to now I still have know idea how she could have figured out that there were abortifacients in her medicine." Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"Initially our intention was to pin it all on Consort Katashishime, she could have learnt of our plot." The Crown Princess said.

"That's also a possibility which is why right now I am at crossroads, I don't know whether Consort Katashishime is a threat to us all or she is not because with the way that she was talking to me back inside, she looked as quite different." Empress Ishi Hime report.

"Remember when she was pregnant with Princess Toyomike, she had also decided to contend with your might but perhaps unable to equate to you she might have given up along the way." The High Priestess said.

"It possible." Empress Ishi Hime replied. "Now with her daughter rising up against me she'd join hands with her and give her unwavering support that she'd threaten our Dominion in the inner court." She added.

"Then she can not be underestimated either." The Crown Princess said.

"I agree with her Your Highness." Mononobe no Moriya added.

"Initially I'd expect Ōane no Kimi to join the remarkable retinue but we were still planning on putting her son without her knowledge to our own use." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"How mother?" The Crown Princess asked.

"With the looks of it like it or not Princess Toyomike will undoubtedly get married to the Crown Prince." Empress Ishi Hime replied. "In that phase of her life, the hardest thing that is more difficult than getting married is having to sustain her marriage especially the trust of her husband." Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"So what are we going to do Your Highness?" Mononobe no Moriya asked.

"We are going to gain full control of everything and we are going to attack Princess Toyomike from each and every direction." Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"How?" The High Priestess asked.

"There are rituals that must be followed and there are people that still think she is the unlucky sign of Sagittarius, she is the unlucky fate that shall bring along with it the bane of the Emperor.

First and foremost, we shall use her wedding to our advantage and I know that better than anyone else you can do that." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"Yes." The High Priestess replied while she turned to the Crown Princess.

"You have known the Crown Prince longer than her so you would know best what occasions you can come to use to see to it that his faith and his trust in her completely wavers." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"Yes." The Crown Princess replied as she turned to Mononobe no Moriya.

"Soga no Iname doesn't have that much time left in this world and I have personally seem to it that it remains so." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"Yes Your Highness." Mononobe no Moriya said.

"You have supporters and all that is left at this point in time is to run and prove to the Emperor that you are the best choice that is available to take for yourself the title of Imperial Chieftain while keeping it in mind that your contender is Soga no Umako." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"Yes." Mononobe no Moriya replied.

"Mine is the usual." Empress Ishi Hime said to them. "I shall coordinate everything and see to it that we all strike when the iron is still hot as I shall rule the Inner court and prevent her influence from growing." She added.

"Yes Your Highness." They all said in unison.

The Physician arrived and then he started checking out Iname's body.

He used acupuncture on his body and Umako stood there as he anxiously looked at his father.

The physician stood up and then he looked at Umako.

"What is it?" Umako asked the physician.

"I'm sorry." The physician said.

"You are one of the best physicians in Nippon second only to the Royal physicians." Umako said.

"Even if I was a Royal physician there is nothing that I could do to save your father and there is no miracle that I can assure you I am in the position to do to change his fate either." The physician replied.

"What's happened to my father, how has it all come to this?" Umako asked.

"Your father was already a gone case." The physician replied. "Initially he was poisoned by a very Lethal poison in the first place and the only possible way that he could continue to live longer was if we used another poison to equally suppress the effect of the first.

I must say he must have been very lucky I'm the first place he has lived for nearly six months but now he was poisoned a second time and this time around with another lethal poison as well." He added.

"What are you trying to say?" Umako asked. "Are you implying that he is going to die?" He added.

"Your father is old and let alone that three lethal poisons are in his body naturally all being foreign it's in the body's nature to resist them.

One by one his organs are starting to shut down and collapse and there is not much we can do, except trying to expel all the poisons from his body to see to it that he lives a fairly long time.

If we introduce another Poison in his body to suppress the others we might only increase the effect of the other three as it is that the poison has already gone deep enough we can only try expelling most of it." The physician replied. "I don't wish to give you false hope but your father utmost can live for another two months of bed rest without stressing himself out at all." He added.

"Is there no hope?" Umako asked.

"Even a one percent chance of him surviving is now an impossibility." The physician replied, "Just prepare to see him off." He added.

"Yes." Umako replied as he walked out of the room and eventually he stood at the balcony where he had once stood with his father.

he recalled at that time he was still very young and together they gazed at the beautiful flower fields.

Closing his eyes he'd only see nothing but the image of the Empress who smiled at him ghastly.

"Why Father?" Umako asked himself. "Who ever thought that this world would be so cruel to the extent that the woman you first loved would be the one to take your life even without any second thoughts." Umako said.

He recalled the time that he'd spoken to his father when he was just a teenager.

"Father, you seem to understand the Empress very well from the way that she thinks to each and everything that she does." Umako had asked.

"Fate loves to play tricks with us all as like you are we also were young and we loved each other.

It was foolish for me to believe that I had a chance with a Princess when at that time I was but the son to the chief of a weak clan." Iname had replied.

"I see." Umako had replied.

"Yes I could share some bit of resentment and perhaps we are set on different paths and destined to forever be foes in this world, but I'll always be merciful and I can not kill her even if I could because deep down in my heart, I can not simply ignore the fact that she was the very first woman I ever loved truly." Iname had said.

Opening his eyes he looked at the flower fields and then he recalled.

"One time I had promised her that when I became someone who was very powerful in the land, I would put in place for her the most beautiful flower garden in the whole of this Nippon, one even the Palace itself would never have." Iname had said and at once Umako would remember all the times that he watched his father looking after the flowers and planting each one of them individually.

He even recalled the time that the Empress had turned up and they had spoken still while appreciating the beautiful scenery.

These passionate memories to him had become only so hurtful and poisonous to him and he was in no position of considering that the Empress had ever loved his father truly.

After a while, Umako returned to his father's bedside only to find him seated and leaning Against one of his pillows.

"Father?" He called.

"My son." Iname said weakly as he called.

"You don't have that much energy, please don't work yourself out." Umako said.

"There's no use left living like vegetable, I know better than anyone else that I have a very little time left in this world." Iname said.

"Then why not cherish it father?" Umako asked.

"Because I still have a lot of things to do and I can not just sit by and watch the grave herald me only to leave you behind with nothing." Iname replied.

"Even now, you still care so much more about me?" Umako asked.

"You are my son from my legs, you are my flesh and blood, everyone in of my marrows is yours as well, if not you then who else could it be?" Iname asked.

"Forgive me father, forgive me that I feel so weak when you are frail." Umako said.

"No one is perfect in this life my dear, everyone loses something as long as they live we don't get to keep everything that we love." Iname said.

"I'd do anything for you." Umako said.

"Would you?" Iname asked.

"Yes." Umako replied as he held his father's arms.

"At least help me tell the Empress that even if it is once I wish to see her." Iname replied and at once Umako dropped his father's hand.

"No father." Umako said as he turned away.

"I know how much resentment you hold against her." Iname said.

"Then why do you wish to make this more difficult for me Father, how do you expect me to talk up to the very person that has killed you?" Umako asked.

"I had died a very long time ago." Iname said. "The only reason that kept me alive was that I still had you my son to take care of in this world." He added.

"Nevertheless father, the woman that you are dying to meet was the very one that forsook you." Umako said.

"Love is the biggest bet of life, you have know idea how much better I feel knowing that I shall have perished at her hand." Iname replied.

"Why do you choose to genuinely cling to her heart especially now?" Umako asked.

"Because if I hadn't met her in all my life, I wouldn't have worked so hard to be powerful, my life wouldn't have even made any sense." Iname replied.

"And mother, did you ever live her even once?" Umako asked.

"Your mother loved me so deeply and I returned that affection, better than loving someone I couldn't have, she was someone that was ready to love me even if in my heart there was someone else.

We had been close since childhood, eventually when all our feelings withered the only thing that we had for our company are the most beautiful memories that stayed forever Young in our sight." Iname said.

"I'll consider it that I did not hear anything, but to tell you that I indeed shall ask her to see you one last time is something I'll grant, not only because you are my father but because it's one of the last wishes you have in this world." Umako replied.

"Thank you my son." Iname said.

"There is no need to thank me father because what the Empress has taken from me can not be returned and the blow that she has given me has struck me to the bottom of my heart that I can not be consoled.

As long as you are still alive I can promise that I won't kill her, but when you are gone I can also promise you that she shall follow you miserably and alone.

An if there is no heaven for politicians like you I hope that even in the depths of hell you save a seat for her by your side." Umako said as he stood up.

Walking outside he found Shizu waiting there.

"Your Excellency?" Shizu said as he bowed his head.

"You are back so quickly, did you do what I had asked of you?" Umako asked.

"Yes Your Excellency." Shizu replied.

"Who poisoned my father?" Umako asked.

"There is a maid of ours and despite being married she was always having a rendezvous with one of the Empress' guards recently." Shizu replied.

"Who is she?" Umako asked.

"She is called Minako." Shizu replied.

"Dusk has nearly consumed the country, take me to her quarters." Umako said as he looked up at the saffron sky.

"Actually." Shizu said.

"What is it?" Umako asked.

"She isn't within the manor." Shizu replied.

"Where is she?" Umako asked.

"She fled the capital yesterday as soon as she learnt about what had done." Shizu replied.

"And where did she go?" Umako asked furiously as he struck part of the wooden balcony with his fist and shuttered it.

He started to bleed and Shizu realizing that his master was angry he fell down to his knees.

"Forgive me Your Excellency, I sent men out to hunt her down and they know who they are looking for." Shizu said.

"Where are her relatives?" Umako asked.

"We've yet to find out and we shall begin with those, they could lead her to us or we could use them to summon her." Shizu replied.

"Fine." Umako replied.

"I am giving you only one week and should you fail even that then you shall have become useless to me I'll let you flee and go far away just as long as you can make sure I never find you.

I want you to do whatever it takes and capture her alive and even if there are elite men protecting her do what's in your power and win her custody.

Bring her back to me alive so that she can watch me slowly and see to it that you capture her lover as well.

I want her to watch as I break every bone there is in his body one by one and then when I have buried her, I shall slowly skin her little by little that she dies a painful death and she'll regret the day that she was born into this world." Umako swore to himself as his hand slowly bled.