CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

The Empress Ishi Hime was walking through the Palace Courtyard when she came to a halt upon realising that Umako was standing right in front of her.

"Your Highness." Sakae said as the Imperial guards walked up to the front of the Empress.

"Please reserve your anger." Empress Ishi Hime ordered and at once they looked at her.

"But Your Highness." Sakae said.

"Shall you heed my command or not?" Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"Step aside." Sakae said and the soldiers paved way for Empress Ishi Hime who walked up to Umako.

Umako where he was stationed with Shizu walked up to the Empress and once he was ahead of her he paid his homeage.

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

"Why do you wish to see me?" Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"Can I have a word with you in private?" Umako asked.

Empress Ishi Hime turned around and looked at her people as she waved to them to maintain a distance.

The two walked and mounted a nearby bridge that stood over the Imperial pond.

There the Empress stood and then gazed at the water below.

"Isn't life full of awe, we are like currents that hit the rocks and we don't move them?" Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"Contrary to that I believe there are currents that can move the rocks." Umako replied.

"Complex currents can and simple ones don't." Empress Ishi Hime added.

"Which one are you Your Highness?" Umako asked.

"I once was a simple girl who knew nothing about court life, all I knew was how to become a perfect wife and to play and cook like all the other girls because I was told I had to be most diligent and submissive before my husband." Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"Did you let such laws confine you from what you desired?" Umako asked.

"What was it that I desired more than anything?" Empress Ishi Hime asked as turned and faced Umako looking her in the eye.

"I can not tell Your Highness, me and you exist on parallel plains and just like that our reasoning isn't the same." Umako replied.

"Who said so?" Empress Ishi Hime asked. "Both of us if it is to kill then we'd be determined more than anything else." She added.

"Perhaps we are both inhumane, but even demons themselves have devils that are much worse." Umako said.

"And you think that I am one of those devils." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"Can you prove that you are not?" Umako asked.

"It's just that my heart's longing is much more different than that of anyone else." Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"Then why?" Umako asked.

"I am not interested in life, I am not interested in a life that is carefree, the only thing that mattered to me more than anything else was to survive in this chaotic world.

The only way I could get what I desperately wanted was if I buried everyone that threatened me, if I possessed so much power and if in the court I had the influence to protect myself.

You can call me a monster because I was selfish but only through marrying the Emperor could I survive. You will learn with time as you possibly stand and contend with me, the only way that you can survive in this world and in politics is if you not only manipulate the freedoms of every one else but you also control them." Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"I could see for myself why your visage was unique from that of any other woman that my father met." Umako said.

"How is he?" Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"I'm surprised that you are asking, right now I am sure that you are well aware that he is beyond redemption.

He has only a month utmost left to live in this world." Umako replied.

"It's a pity." Empress Ishi Hime said. "He couldn't herald the advent of his great grandchild." She added.

"He is quite pitiful, even in that state he couldn't look at his children and his wife he chose to see you." Umako said.

"What are you trying to say?" Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"Before he can sail to the afterlife he asked me to come to you and request that at least one last time you see him before he perishes." Umako replied.

"I am awed, he'd still care that much after all these years." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"Not more than me his own son." Umako said.

"I was always waiting for the very day that he was going to watch my end as he had promised." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"He just didn't have the heart to choose to dictate write it like you dictated and wrote his." Umako said.

"And I am filled without regret, I need no consolation because I understood that this was simply the rule of the game." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"I admire your bravery and your heart." Umako said.

"No you must resent it because for you I am going to raise the anger of hell." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"Because for me you hold no reason to fear." Umako said.

"You know it better than anyone else can you give me one about yourself?" Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"Not now Your Highness but just like you looked up to my father's death you can similarly look up for it." Umako replied.

"We all come into this world someday and just as the law of nature is, none of us belong here we shall simply leave it as well.

It's just that Iname's life was filled with so many days and unfortunately, his last are already counting." Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"How shall I ever forget your benevolence?" Umako asked.

"Benevolence?" Empress Ishi Hime asked. "I only donated the grim reaper to your household." She added.

"And I won't give up my will to fight either, just as I believe that you should grant my old dying man his final wish and redeem his lustful soul from this world." Umako said.

"I'd never thought that was the great saint your father was in your eyes, as much as I recall, like me he has buried enough bodies I suppose that Minako is one of them." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"Be certain Your Highness, I also won't let my father down." Umako added.

"Thank you, for being a filial son and tell him that I shall grant him wish." Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"I shall Your Highness." Umako said as he bowed his head and slowly withdrew from the bridge leaving the Empress standing there alone.

Sakae walked up to the Empress.

"Your Highness." She called as she bowed her head. "Is everything alright?" She asked.

"Yes." Empress Ishi Hime replied as she turned around and then she walked away while everyone else followed her.

Princess Toyomike in her Chambers was being examined in the presence of the Emperor along with her mother.

"Is her Highness alright?" The Emperor asked.

"There seems to be great progress with her pregnancy, the foetus is healthy where as the mother looks well.

I can tell that the pulse is alright and she is stress free, that's all that matters today, that she is kept away from anything that could cause a disruption to her good mood." The Imperial physician said as he turned around and looked at the Princess.

"You can feel sad but don't stress yourself out and don't get too excited it could harm the baby, either way whatever you do, keep taking all the medicines." He said.

"Yes I will." Princess Toyomike replied with a smile on her face as she nodded her head in affirmation.

"Thank you Sir." The Emperor said as he bowed his head.

"There is no need to thank me Your Majesty, the pleasure is all mine." The Imperial physician replied as he walked out of the room while Consider Katashishime sat down right next to her daughter.

"My dear, gave you heard?" Consort Katashishime asked with a smile on her face.

"Yes." Princess Toyomike replied.

"At last there is some peace and tranquility in these walls." Consort Katashishime said.

"It's all thanks to you mother." Princess Toyomike said.

"You have also been a good daughter." Consort Katashishime praised and at that moment something occurred to Princess Toyomike.

"Mother, father." She called.

"What is it dear?" The Emperor asked with a smile on his face.

"I have been pregnant for nearly four months now but Grandfather and uncle have never paid me a visit." Princess Toyomike said.

Upon hearing that the Emperor looked at Consort Katashishime and the Princess noticed that their glance was awkward.

"Is there anything that happened to them that I should know?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"No." The Emperor replied. "Nothing." He added as he kept the tone in his voice steady.

"Come to think about it I haven't heard from them either in a while." Consort Katashishime said as she turned around and looked at the Emperor.

I think that in due course I shall go and pay them both a visit and I shall remind them to also come and visit you within these secluded palace walls." Consort Katashishime said.

"Thank you so much mother, it always gets so lonely having to spend most of the time resting and nursing my growing child.

When people like you that I feel very safe around turn up, I feel empowered and the boredom vanishes as though it were none existent before." Princess Toyomike said.

"Don't worry, we shall do everything that we can." Consort Katashishime said.

"Yes." Princess Toyomike replied.

The Emperor stepped out of the room with his wife and as the two walked at a distance and they were certain that no one was listening, they spoke up.

"I haven't heard from your father." The Emperor said.

"Last time that I heard as well my father wasn't feeling well and I was about to tell you but I don't know what happened." Consort Katashishime replied.

"The courtiers and I haven't met in a while and I also had that his health was a little bit unstable, normally by now he would have already visited me but I am just as surprised that he hasn't even sent a single messenger." The Emperor said.

"You know my father very well, he never wishes to worry your Majesty with very many things he always wants to keep it all to himself." Consort Katashishime said.

"Nevertheless, he should have at least informed us." The Emperor said as he waved his hand and called Sato over to himself.

"Yes Your Majesty." Sato said as he bowed his head. "What may I do for you?" He asked.

"Send over a messenger to Soga no Iname's manor and tell him to report to me about his health, I am worried since I haven't seen him in a while." The Emperor replied.

"Yes Your Majesty." Sato said as he left the two at once.

"Your Majesty." Consort Katashishime called.

"What is it?" The Emperor asked.

"What if something very bad happened to him then what shall we tell the Princess?" she asked.

"Don't stress out, we shall only tell her that he is caught up he'll be available on the day that the child shall be born.

She loved him so much since her childhood, if we give her awful news then it shall affect both her and the baby." The Emperor replied.

"Alright." Consort Katashishime said as the two continued walking about the Palace.

The Crown Prince was seated in his office and there he was staring at a very beautiful Jade pendant in his arms.

It had small designs that looked like tides on it and it had the graceful cherry blossom patterns running across it as well.

The Crown Prince recalled the promise that he'd made to the Imperial Princess Toyomike about taking her to the north and there they would watch the cherry blossoms together.

Miwa no Sakau walked in and found him so lost in his own thoughts as he smiled at the pendant.

He smiled at his master and chuckled for a while until the Crown Prince hearing a mild laughter that breached his concentration was forced to turn around and look at him.

"Miwa?" He called.

"Your Highness." Miwa no Sakau replied as he bowed his head.

"What is very funny?" The Crown Prince asked.

"I had never seen you this wooed by anyone in my life before." Miwa no Sakau replied.

"You find fault and humour in me, should I behead you?" The Crown Prince asked.

"No Your Highness." Miwa no Sakau replied as he apologized quickly.

"Tell me then what I should do about your misconduct?" The Crown Prince asked.

"Forgive me." Miwa no Sakau said as he bowed his head.

The Crown Prince looked at him earnestly.

"I'll let this slide because of your sincerity and good service." The Crown Prince said.

"Thank you Your Highness." Miwa no Sakau replied as he looked up at the Crown Prince.

"I can not believe that you just walked through those doors so that you could check on me." The Crown Prince said. "Tell me what it is that you wished to say to me?" The Crown Prince added.

"There is nothing suspicious about the Crown Princess she had only confined herself to the palace and she was taking some walked around the gardens." Miwa no Sakau replied.

"Is the Princess in good health?" The Crown Prince asked.

"Yes Your Highness." Miwa no Sakau replied.

"That's good then." The Crown Prince said as he looked at the pendant in his hands.

"However I must say there is some bit of bad news." Miwa no Sakau said and the crown Prince halted.

"What is it?" He asked.

"It's Soga no Iname." Miwa no Sakau replied.

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

"He is very ill and the rumours in his Manor have widely circulated about the whole Capital saying that he might not live very long as his sickness is at its worst." Miwa no Sakau replied.

The Crown Prince stood up.

"Why are you just telling me this now?" He asked in a fit of rage.

"I'm sorry your Highness, please forgive me for being incompetent, I only found out today as well as the secret had been sealed within his Manor." Miwa no Sakau replied.

"I needed his utmost support to run this country." The Crown Prince said.

"But fret not Your Highness, for he could have fallen but his support and the support of his son for you is guaranteed." Miwa no Sakau said as the Crown Prince appeared to calm down at that very moment.

"You have a point, in a short while once Princess Toyomike delivers I shall marry her and make her my Consort.

For the Sogas to maintain their considerable Influence in the court without his son as the Imperial Chieftain they shall turn to me for survival.

Princess Toyomike is someone who is very smart and can help me oversee the things within the inner court and I can confidently discuss politics with her so she can help me run this country.

As it is much as the battle to be the Crown Prince was long won by me the fight to inherit the Chrysanthemum throne after Soga no Iname's death shall have just began." The Crown Prince said as he relaxed back into his seat.

"Come closer." He said to Miwa no Sakau who complied and he knelt down by his side.

"Make arrangements." The Crown Prince said.

"What for Your Highness?" Miwa no Sakau asked.

"I must play the Filial and the good grandson in law and I do believe it myself that I must see Soga no Iname because I am certain he'd very much wish to see me as well." The Crown Prince replied.

"Yes Your Highness." Miwa no Sakau said as he stood up and bowed his head before he turned around and departed from the room leaving the Crown Prince alone.

"I can not let my pillar fall." He said to himself. "You and me shall rule this Nippon Toyomike." He added as he engulfed the Jade pendant in his fist and tightly clenched it.

The Emperor was seated in his study when Sato walked up to him.

"Your Majesty." He said as he bowed his head and greeted him.

"Has the messenger returned?" The Emperor asked.

"Yes Your Majesty." Sato replied as he bowed his head again.

"So why haven't I spoken to Iname in a very long time?" The Emperor asked.

"About him Your Majesty." Sato said as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Don't you think that you are too old for that habit?" The Emperor asked.

"I am sorry Your Majesty but this news has already spread and can no longer be suppressed." Sato replied.

"Get strained to the point." The Emperor demanded.

"The messenger brings with him horrible news Your Majesty, I fear that Soga no Iname has grown too old and let alone that he was a victim of Lethal poisons that have totally reacted in his system and corroded with his internal organs.

He is frequently bleeding that he has become to thin and he is entirely Pale, all there is that remains of his string physique is his thin and bony body structure he doesn't have much time left in the world." Sato replied.

"What?" The Emperor said as he stood up from where he was seated.

"Yes Your Majesty." Sato said. "He is beyond redemption and there is nothing even the best physician in the whole country can do." Sato added as the Emperor so devastated collapsed in his seat while still holding onto some consciousness but still failing.

"Your Majesty." Sato said as he rushed over to his side.

"I'd never thought that every breath and everyone of the hours that he lived would eventually come to this." The Emperor said.

"Your Majesty, he was such a good man." Sato said.

"Prepare a Palanquin for me tomorrow very early in the morning, I need to see him before it's too late." The Emperor said.

"Yes Your Majesty." Sato said as he bowed his head.

"My god, my god." The Emperor cried, "why has heaven forfeited our great hero." He added as he shook his head in disbelief.

Umako was seated in his father's bedroom and he was nursing him by his bedside.

How long has it been?" Iname asked.

"What's long father?" Umako asked.

"How long has it been since you went to see the Empress?" Iname asked.

"Two days ago." Umako replied.

"As long as she said that she will come then I shall patiently wait on her." Iname said right when Shizu walked through the doors.

"Your Excellencies." He said as he bowed his head and greeted the both of them.

"What's the matter?" Umako asked.

"His Highness the Crown Prince is here to see you." Shizu replied.

"Should we let him in father?" Umako asked.

"If he is here to convey his sympathies then why should we send him off without hearing him out, on top of that you of all people shall make a great use of him in future and he'll also need you just as much as you'll need him." Iname replied.

"Alright father." Umako agreed and Shizu withdrew a while later only to return with the Crown Prince.

"Your Highness." Umako and Iname said in unison as they bowed their heads.

"Be at ease." The Crown Prince said.

"Why did you take it upon yourself Your Highness to come and see a lowly servant like me?" Iname asked.

"It's a pity that none of the servants throughout that court were more loyal and more faithful than you." The Crown Prince replied.

"I can hear the grim reaper calling to me every night, this old age of mine has entirely consumed me." Iname said.

"Your Excellency, in the pages of History heroes never die." The Crown Prince said.

"Your Care Your Highness overwhelms me with so much joy that at least I can peacefully slumber right next to my ancestors in peace." Iname said.

"Don't say that Your Highness, my heart was entirely shuttered and broken the very moment that I heard of your terminal illness." The Crown Prince said.

"In this life Your Highness, no one is immortal, we all come so weak and frail and very young, we all leave old and Haggard if fate hasn't been so cruel to take us young." Iname said.

"Then why is it painful even at this old age when we still had greater ambitions ahead of us?" The Crown Prince asked.

"Forgive me for letting you down Your Highness but all that I have left for you in this world to help you are this my son and also the Imperial Princess Toyomike." Iname said.

"You still think about me even in the face of death." The Crown Prince said.

"Come to me both of you." Iname said and both Umako and the Crown Prince sat by his side.

"In the future that I am unlikely to share with you, there is one common person that you share and you must all devour your all to protect." Iname said.

They looked at him.

"History can only concede defeat to your greatness if both of you could find the Imperial Princess Toyomike and use her to your best account." He added.

"I have seen days and I have seen people, no man or woman is as smart as she is and if there is one then I have not seen her yet.

Her Charisma, even I have witnessed with these eyes of my own that the courage that lies deep within her soul and her grace constituting her undying moral nature, she shall one day make the best wife in the Imperial house and help you to firmly rule as a mother to the people." Soga no Iname said.

"Yes Your Excellency." The Crown Prince said as Iname turned around and looked at your son.

"You are quite grown and I have done everything that I could to nurture you to be the Crown Prince's right hand.

You can not help him survive if you can not curry the favour of the Imperial Princess Toyomike and he won't survive either if he can not exploit her political acumen." Umako said.

"Yes Father." Umako said and Iname relaxed.

"The country is polluted with all sorts of evil people and the Courtiers themselves aren't entirely faithful.

The Citizens themselves are very much reserved and find no hope in the throne and even heaven has deserted the Imperial shrines they are nothing but empty buildings adorned with altars and colours." Iname said.

"Your Excellency." The Crown Prince said, "What is it that you wish to convey to the both of us?" He asked.

"How did you think that your father was able to rule and maintain stability for all these years?" Iname asked.

"He had you?" The Crown Prince replied.

"No." Iname replied, "It's not just me." He added.

"Enlighten me then Your Excellency." The Crown Prince said.

"Your Father had people, not one, not two, but very many of them." Iname replied.

"Yes Your Excellency." The Crown Prince said.

"Everyone knows it but a few could not have the courage that I have to say this to you, Emperor Senka was a very great Emperor but the one flaw that he had that became our best bidding was that all his men were not his people, most of them were your father's." Iname replied.

"Because my father fought for the throne?" The Crown Prince asked.

"No." Iname refuted. "You might not know it but of the two, both of them were Emperors but only one of them had the passion and possessed that dream of ruling while the other served only out of formality because if was what his ancestors demanded of him." He added.

"I won't make the same fault." The Crown Prince said.

"Don't, there should be no loyalty, not to the Empress and not to any of Your wives but it should all be entirely to you." Iname said.

"Yes." The Crown Prince replied.

"However, keep all those strong and intelligent women close to you but see to it that they can contain their influence because should it be too great then none of them shall hesitate to turn against you." Iname said.

"Yes." The Crown Prince replied.

"I have one last request for you." Iname said.

"You have been a great help to me, how could I not grant that very last wish of yours?" The Crown Prince asked.

"Protect this my son Umako and everyone of the Courtiers and the Officials that have followed me and their allegiance shall be to you as well as their support.

This is one of the very few last gifts that I can offer you you before I can perish." Iname said.

"I certainly shall Your Excellency." The Crown Prince said.

"The times are changing fast, I have said unto you every one the words there were on my mind." Iname said as he reclined on his bed.

"I'll take my leave Your Excellency." the Crown Prince said as he stood up and he bowed his head before turning around and walking away from them.

The Crown Prince stepping outside was joined by Miwa no Sakau and his mood looked quite sombre as he recalled the words that he had said to him.

"Your Highness." Miwa no Sakau said.

"Life is forsaking him, even then, he thinks about his people." The Crown Prince said.

"We're you one of them Your Highness?" Miwa no Sakau asked.

"Very much." The Crown Prince replied. "It is quite disheartening that I realized that quite late." He added as he continued out of the courtyard.

Iname coughed and coughed up more and more blood.

"You spoke too much father and you are slowly wearing yourself out." Umako said.

"He needed my counsel and I also needed to put in a word for you, don't worry, I still have a few people to talk to and I won't leave this world until I am done with each one of them." Iname said.

"Yes Father." Umako said when Shizu returned at that very moment.

"Your Excellency." He said to Umako as he bowed his head.

"What is it?" Umako asked.

"Let us talk outside please." Shizu said.

"Alright." Umako replied as he stood up from where he was seated and the two walked up to the balcony outside.

"What is it?" Umako asked coldly.

"We could have long exceeded the deadline and perhaps you could have forgotten Your Excellency but I never stopped looking until I got the people that you were looking for." Shizu replied.

"Who?" Umako asked.

"Minako, the one who poisoned your father and her lover." Shizu replied and at once Umako turned around and looked at him.

"Where are they?" Umako asked.

"This way Your Highness." Shizu said as he led him into the backyard which was secluded and all the servants had been chased away.

The two prisoners were each tied and forced onto their knees with a couple of feet about ten in between them.

Umako looked at them both and then he smiled.

He suddenly unsheathed Shizu's sword and with it at hand he walked towards Minako and then he knelt down right in front of her.

"Minako." He called. "Minako my dear." He added as he ran his finger around her left cheek that she shivered in fear.

"Don't touch her Your Excellency." Her lover shouted.

"Why?" Umako asked.

"She did not do anything, I am the one that should be held responsible for I was the one that put her up to this." Her lover said.

"Did you hear that?" Umako asked the young girl. "Your man put you up to it that he turned you into a murderer." He added as he continued to caress her cheek while she still shivered having known that her fate was awful.

"But I don't blame you, after all if you being such a young and innocent sweet face my father would have naturally not suspected you to poison him so that he can die so painfully, and if you can turn into a cold blooded murderer because of the man that you love then why can't I because of my father." Umako said as he stood up from in front of her and then started walking across to the man.

"There is one thing that hurts women more than anything especially girls that have fallen head over hills in love." Umako said.

"Please don't." Minako cried. "He was only pressured by the Empress and it's the only thing that I could do to save him." She added.

"I am also a Filial son that is devouted to turn into a murderer as long as my father can rest in peace and just like any other lovesick girl, your most painful ordeal is to watch me give your lover the most painful death he can ever have." Umako said as he turned to look at Minako.

"His cries shall haunt you to as far as the Netherworld and you shall die having regretted meeting him you'll also know what it means to lose the people you love before you can follow him into the grave." Umako said as he lifted his hand and in it, one of his guards placed a mallet as they suspended the guard's right leg.

"No, no." Minako and her lover both cried.

Ceaselessly, Umako drew the Mallet and struck the guard bone by bone as he had promised Shizu.

A number of people looked away as Minako on the advent of running mad witnessed the most awful spectacle of her life.

Umako was finished and he had found some satiety in his heart, knowing at that very moment that halfway there, he had already crushed Minako's soul and he was still unwilling to give her a quick death as he wanted it to become her worst nightmare to haunt her throughout the nights until one day she would concur with heaven he would have made an example of traitors that men would start to fear him for life.