CHAPTER FORTY TWO

The Courtiers walked into Princess Toyomike's courtyard and they were welcomed by the sound of instruments.

Everyone had dressed to their very best and The Crown Prince was inside the Princess' bedroom with the Imperial Princess and her baby.

The doors were opened and Sina walked inside.

"Your Highness." She said as she bowed her head to the both of them.

"Is everyone here?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"Yes, the Emperor is on his way " Sina replied.

"We'll wait for him to come inside." Princess Toyomike said.

"Yes Your Highness." Sina replied as she bowed her head and she withdrew from their presence.

"At last." The Crown Prince said, "This is one of the most precious days I ever dreamed of." He added.

"None of this would have been possible had it not been for you Your Highness." Princess Toyomike said.

"No." The Crown Prince said, "None of this could have been possible without you." He confessed.

"Why Your Highness, it is your love for me that gave me the joy of being a mother " Princess Toyomike said.

"It was your love for our child that sustained you and made you to protect it throughout." The Crown Prince said.

The Courtiers outside were waiting as they talked amongst themselves while looking up at the doors when Sato appeared.

"His Majesty deigns you all with his presence." He said as he stood at the entrance of the Princess' Palace.

All eyes turned around and looked at him as Emperor Kinmei mounted the stairs and walked up to the Imperial Princess' palace while the Courtiers and all other guests present bowed their heads on either side.

The Empress stood right next to the Crown Princess in the audience and watched as the doors of the Imperial Princess Toyomike's room were opened and her husband walked in.

The Crown Prince and Princess Toyomike turned around and looked at their father.

"Your Majesty." They said as they bowed their heads but Emperor Kinmei walked up to the two and he smiled.

"Get up." He said as he stretched out his hands and Princess Toyomike who was holding her daughter handed her over to her Grandfather.

The Emperor smiled at the child.

"At last." He said, "another fair granddaughter." He added.

"Yes Your Majesty." The Crown Prince said.

"Have you already thought about a name father?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"Yes." Emperor Kinmei replied.

"We are a family after all, is there any greater title than that one?" He asked.

"No father." The Crown Prince said.

"I do have my highest hopes in the both of you that together you'll strengthen this Imperial family, only through love can you possibly manage a country and before you can start to love your people, you should start by loving yourself and then people that you call your family." The Emperor replied.

"Yes Father " The two said in unison.

"Everyone outside was waiting on the Imperial family and the doors of the Imperial Princess Toyomike's chambers were flung open.

At that time, all the eyes looked up to the four of them as the Emperor stood on top of the stairs with the new born baby in his hands.

"Long Live Your Majesty, Long Live our Emperor." They added as they bowed their heads.

"As you are all gathered here today, I am very much honoured by your presence having positively heeded to the Imperial Princess and the Crown Princess' invitation tonight." The Emperor said.

"We're all honoured." The Courtiers and the guests said in unison.

"Upon this night we remember that not so long ago we lost a great hero of this country and as his death came close, it struck a very sombre note in us all." The Emperor said as the atmosphere around the whole residence turned gloomy.

"Could there have been another as great as he was, a man as devoted as himself and a citizen and Courtier as loving?

Now that it is that I am here before you, he left behind and in his stead heaven has graced us with this, her Imperial Highness to carry on his legacy.

Today is the day we remember and today is the day that we are grateful to welcome him into our hearts again.

All bow and kneel to HER IMPERIAL HIGHNESS, PRINCESS UJI NO SHITSUKAHI, ANOTHER PRINCESS OF NARA." The Emperor said as he raised the child up into the sky while she cried.

"Hoorah, Hoorah." The Courtiers along with everyone else shouted as they went on their knees and they bowed down their heads before the Emperor and his children.

The Imperial wives only bowed their heads as they remained standing and The Empress Ishi Hime looked at the Imperial Princess Toyomike as her face was entirely overwhelmed by rage.

The Crown Princess did the same as she thought about it.

"Never had any of my children seen such a privilege, they were known by name but none of them experienced the same honour.

Why?" She asked herself inwardly as she clenched her fists while looking at Princess Toyomike's smile.

"You've taken everything that I ever cherished away from me, you've taken my people's hearts, my prestige, my beauty, my grace, my attention and even my husband.

Princess Toyomike Kashiki ya Hime." She inwardly said.

"This very day I swear by heaven and Earth and also by my own name, I shall take back each and everyone of the things that you have robbed me along with those that you hold very dear in your possession.

One by one I shall make sure that not a single thing is left for you to boast about and I shall make sure that I tarnish your Grace until I am firm that before the pages of history, you are entirely forgotten." She vowed while raising her hands.

"This is the beginning your Highness, from this very day, everything that you see ahead of you shall be your last and final thing, because until I have come to possess everything that there is you misused to hurt my people, I won't rest until the day that I die." Princess Toyomike inwardly vowed as she wore a smile on her face.

"I shall love you my dearest daughter, I shall cherish you with my everything and I shall do whatever it is that it takes to make sure that you never lack.

Together with your mother we shall build for you a very beautiful Nippon that even your children and grandchildren will have not a sight of any suffering as long as they live." The Crown Prince vowed inward as well.

"You have drawn the line your Highness and you have already taken your side, I shall destroy you Toyomike, even if it is the last thing that I'll ever do in this life." Empress Ishi Hime vowed as well.

Caught within a series of feelings that were not written on the people's faces but within their darkened hearts, the Palace itself was vowing to evolve into a bloody stage and the inner court a battlefield of Imperial wives vying for their husbands' favours.

The Emperor smiled at the child that was within his arms, unfortunately for him, it was one of the very final moments he was holding the peace of the country together.

The Child's naming ceremony was over and Princess Toyomike was seated while looking into the mirror.

"At last, Your Highness." Sina said, "The Imperial Princess Uji has been acknowledged." She added.

"And now the last thing that remains in the meantime is my marriage to the Crown Prince." Princess Toyomike said as they put out her jewelry.

"Yes Your Highness but there's no need for you to worry, your wedding isn't quite far from today." Sina said.

"I'd never thought that this day would come." Princess Toyomike said.

"Why Your Highness?" Sina asked.

"I have now drawn my sword and I have printed it at the Empress and the Crown Princess so it is time to establish my own Dominion in the Inner court." Princess Toyomike replied.

"But Your Highness, where to start, you have the support of Your mother and Your aunt but The Empress has that of the Crown Princess, her sister and the Crown Prince's other two concubines." Sina said.

"There's still many more women and I have turned to all those Soga women, don't worry, I am certain that by now the Empress should have become quite suspicious of many." Princess Toyomike said as she smiled.

"What's this?" Empress Ishi Hime said as she smacked the list onto the table.

"Pardon me Your Highness." Sakae said.

"Now all those wenches are seemingly trying to curry favour with the Imperial Princess Toyomike do they think that I am a fool and I can not see it?" Empress Ishi Hime yelled.

"Your Highness, they are all ungrateful." Sakae said while Empress Ishi Hime tried to calm herself down.

"With that Princess she has really elevated her status in the Inner Court and also throughout the whole of Nara now imagine what will happen when she gives birth to a son.

Her reputation is becoming more and more powerful day by day that right now the last to consolidate my power in the Inner Court is getting a grip of the Imperial court as well." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"Your Highness, I have heard that recently, Her Highness the Princess Toyomike has been writing to a number of Imperial wives frequently and they seem to become more acquainted with one another each and everyday.

As it is many hearing about her birth took the opportunity to send her some of the most expensive gifts." Sakae said.

"They're still seated on top of the fence trying on one hand to guard against our aggression with grace and hospitality as an excuse and on the other hand trying to show the Princess that they aren't against her either." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"Don't blame them mother." The Crown Princess said, "Women as lowly and submissive as themselves change with the tide because it's their only way of survival in this venomous inner court." She added.

"Your Highness has finally seen what a real war for us women is." The Empress said, "Sometimes I regret why her Highness by my power never died before she was born or in her infancy." She added.

"She is quite lucky Your Highness." The Crown Princess said.

"I am still perturbed by the reason as to why even up to this time that idiot Prince Anahobe is doing nothing." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"How else would he approach the Imperial Princess mother, I believe that we should pick out someone else for his job, there are quite a number of people that cherish the Imperial Princess throughout the whole of Nara and very many Imperial Princes adore her." The Crown Princess said.

"You do not understand one thing my dear." The Empress said.

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

"No one would do the job better than a Soga Prince and on top of that, we want a relationship that can not only cause a rift between the Imperial Princess Toyomike and the Crown Prince but also bring about a division between her people." Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"I see." The Crown Princess said.

"On top of that Prince Anahobe is very fair enough for the Imperial Princess to fall for him in the best case scenario which we could also use to our advantage and his background threatens the position of my son.

One way or another if the Imperial Princess is caught rendezvous with him, better for the both of us, forcefully my son will see her as a plausible threat to his influence in the end he'll have no choice but to turn against her." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"But Princess Toyomike is not a fool either, we could plan for her but I have noticed that she is quite skilled when it comes to evading our attacks." The Crown Princess said.

"One can not always be to careful and besides, even if she were to keep running as long as she was in Nara she wouldn't be there to hide for her entire life." Empress Ishi Hime replied.

There was a sudden knock on our her door and Sakae rushed over to open it as Hinote walked into the Empress' Chambers.

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

"What is it?" Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"Your Highness, about Fujiwara no Shige." Hinote replied.

"What about him?" Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"He is persistent and he is unwilling to side with us." Hinote said, "he said that he does not know who you are but he isn't going to even dare obscure his thoughts as he is plainly a servant of the people and if you are unwilling to be one then it's better that you do not waste your time on him." He added.

"He is quite devouted and because of that I am unwilling to give up on him." Empress Ishi Hime said.

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

"Have you ever heard of the saying that no river is perfect as they all have flaws?" Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"Yes Your Highness." Hinote replied.

"We might all be surprised here as very many devouted people and those that pretend to be upright always have an awful past that they keep running from." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"I see Your Highness." Hinote said.

"If he can't have mud on him then we'll teach him to be polite so that he knows that whether he likes it or not, to some people he will be forced to bow." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"Yes Your Highness." Hinote replied as he withdrew.

"Your Highness." The Crown Princess called.

"What is it?" Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"I don't understand one thing as it seems to me that you have the support of many able Courtiers but why do you choose to obsess over this new one without a clear background?" The Crown Princess asked.

"The answer to that question is quite simple." Empress Ishi Hime said, "We are all growing old and so are the Courtiers so any time a younger generation is bound to succeed us all at one point.

Additionally, I noticed that he has a rare skill that is quite remarkable and considering the fact that the Emperor played along with his trick then in deed he trusts his abilities.

He might be loyal but to speak up against me could get him killed, additionally should he become my person then he'll also bleed in case I bleed.

He also reminds me of Iname who was no different when he rose to power at a very young age during the reign of my father Emperor Senka that no one would have guessed that at one time, he'd become an Imperial Chieftain and he'd be instrumental in my husband's ascension to the Chrysanthemum throne.

And the most important is that for me to beat the Imperial Princess Toyomike at this war I must deprive her of everything there is that could be useful in her possession." She replied.

"Yes mother." The Crown Princess said.

"One time I might not be around to run the Imperial Court and just as it was yesterday, Iname went and joined his ancestors and tomorrow it'll be the Emperor then me.

Princess Toyomike is still young so she has much more time left compared to me and you'll have to fight in my stead.

Don't even try to be sympathetic towards your enemies and fight every battle without reserve as if it is your last, leave nothing for your enemy to survive and only when you are in possession of everything can you feel satisfied with Yourself." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"Yes mother." The Crown Princess replied.

A woman that was dressed in dark clothes walked to the front of a certain Manor and her robes were entirely dark as coal with her face veiled and hidden from the sight of others.

It was already coming to the late evening hours of the day and she seemed to look about the place trying to make sure that no one was seeing her.

She knocked on the door thrice, once and then twice as though it were a secret code.

At once, the doors of the abandoner household were opened and she walked in at once.

How may I help you?" A certain man who was inside asked as the young woman removed a seal from her clothes band showed to the man.

"The seal?" He said.

"I am here to see His Excellency." The girl said and the man craning his neck to peep in to the hood of the woman was surprised that he fell down onto his knees.

"Your Highness." He said, "Pardon me." He added.

"Just take me to him." The woman said.

"Yes." The man replied as he led the way into the small cottage on the East side where a man stood Gavin the window.

"Your Excellency." The man said and at once the gazer turned around to reveal himself as Ōmuraji Otomo Kanamura Maro.

"Your here." He said as he looked at the young woman who lifted the hood off of her face to reveal her identity.

"I see." Otomo Kanamura Maro said as he bowed his head.

Before him was a very beautiful woman who appeared to be a few years younger than the Crown Prince himself.

Her face was round and ended in a chiseled chin while her eyes were very small, dark and bright.

Her hair was beautiful and long, pitch black in colour and straight as it wasn't bejeweled and she wasn't wearing that much make up but all the same there was elegance Attached to her and confidence in her stare.

"It hasn't been long." The Woman said.

"Yes LADY OTOMO NO KOTEKO." the man replied.

"You must be wondering why I chose to be here and meet you in such secrecy." KOTEKO the young woman said.

"It must be something that is important." Maro said.

"Everyone believes that in the last few years Sagittarius has been the star of calamity that threatens the Chrysanthemum throne and they refer to it as the Imperial Princess Toyomike and on the other hand it seems that my efforts to marry my husband leave me regrettable as he seemingly isn't a man of any ambitions." Koteko said.

"You seem to forget that you are also a Sagittarius rising, I only wish to remind you that whatever you do in the Inner court abstain from the wars that are already prevailing

You wouldn't wish to become an enemy to any of those Imperial women." Maro said.

"Why?" Koteko asked.

"What is it that you want that could push you to such extremes of endangering not only yourself but also the lives of your people?" Maro asked.

"I want to rule the Inner Court myself and just like those two women that are each vying for Dominion I want to become Empress of Nippon myself." Koteko replied.

"You are quite ambitious but you know very well that a lot of things forbid you.

You are distant from the throne compared to both those women." Maro said.

"To side with the Imperial Princess Toyomike and the Empress Ishi Hime is not an option to me, you might be alright with the thought of bowing your heads to other people but I can submit no longer to another.

You of all people should be disappointed in Yourselves having done nothing to increase the Prestige and the influence along with the power of our clan in the Imperial court and as the Sogas and mononobes are putting in an effort to dominate you are all seated and watching like a bunch of idols." Maro said.

"There is more to what meets the heart that that which meets the eye, my ambition is so great and perhaps my pride being undying makes me unwilling the serve as a subordinate to another human." Koteko said.

"Yet you wish others to be subordinates to you." Maro said.

"They can never share my ambition nor can they take my courage for themselves, like a rat can not rule the jungle, similarly no matter the economy of the jungle the lion can never eat grass." Koteko replied.

"So you believe that you are the person in the Prophecy?" Maro said as he laughed jokingly.

"Between the both of us who is more capable than the other and whereas the Princess holds no regards to violence on the other hand I am her opposite.

I came into this world before her and all that she has to stand on is the fact that she was born a Princess and me a distant aristocrat Imperial by only marriage and not blood.

There are things that myself being old I can sacrifice while for her she is quite incapable because she is still young and naive

She's reputable for being the Emperor's favourite and now the Crown Prince's most beautiful one, she's risen up against the Empress but what more do you think that she wants.

Tell me can such a person in a thousand years compare to me?" Koteko asked.

"Perhaps you know her better but considering her position right now and the fact that she has chosen to go up against the Empress means that you shouldn't underestimate her." Maro said.

"No." Koteko replied, "And I do not." She added.

"Then what is the matter?" Maro asked.

"I want to lift up my clan so that like the Sogas and the Mononobes it is three feet from heaven.

If as they stare at them with fear and at the same time with submission the world could stare at me then I'd find peace.

Every one of them thinks about themselves but not one of them thinks about their people and as it is, our fate is to suffer and submit while they are living freely?

We're much more distinuisghed than they are and only we can give Nippon a glorious future which can not happen unless through them, I can cause the child of an Otomo mother to sit on the Chrysanthemum throne." Koteko replied with a ghastly smile on her face.

"What you are saying is wishful thinking." Maro said.

"Of it's devotion none of those Courtiers have it, my desire was always to marry the Crown Prince but because heaven was not in my favour then I won't let it dictate my future." Koteko said.

"So what is it that you are going to do?" Maro asked.

"I think it's High time that all the Imperial wives in the inner court rebelled." Koteko said.

"How could you divide the Inner court when everyone believes that only in choosing sides can you survive?" Maro asked.

"You are the only one that I can trust and I know that for you to trust me as well you need to hear out my bargain." Koteko said.

"What is it that you wish to bargain?" Maro asked.

"Let's have a match." Koteko said as she pointed at the chessboard that was stationed right in between the both of them.

The two sat down.

"Don't you think that a Chess match is quite long?" Maro asked.

"This game shall take us both years to finish so we shall each concede defeat upon one's failure to counter an attack." Koteko said.

"Multiple failures are multiple favors towards the Victor?" Maro asked.

"As you know the game quit well I assure you that when it is done I shall be the Empress." Maro said.

"Before you all that others have ever been are chess pieces." Maro said.

"For my first move, isolation is going to erupt in the inner court from the Empress and at this time I'll give the Princess my support to oust her and the Crown Princess from the circle of influence.

With the Empress out of the picture, all that shall be left to do is to contend with the Imperial Princess Toyomike." Koteko said.

"You think it's that easy?" Maro asked, "the Empress practically has a clout in the Imperial Court and her supporters are all many in number." He added.

"You just watch and see between the Princess and herself, once the victory is decided then perhaps you and the rest of the Clan shall follow me." Koteko said.

"Should it fail?" Maro asked.

"Then you can as well forsake me." Koteko replied with a ghastly smile on her face.

"Fine then." Maro said as they made a couple of moves on the board.

The Courtiers gathered in the throne room and the Emperor looked at them.

"Now that everything is over I believe that it's high time that the Crown Prince and the Imperial Princess Toyomike became husband and wife." Emperor Kinmei said.

"Yes Your Majesty." Soga no Umako said as he bowed his head.

"I think so too Your Majesty, as it is that the couple were engaged and they have a surviving child then I believe that we can not beat around the bush any longer." General Fujiyaro supported.

The Emperor turned to the Imperial Chieftain Moriya.

"Tell me what you think on this matter Ōomi Moriya, every one had given their opinions except you." The Emperor said.

"An Imperial marriage is a very important situation and I believe that the couple are deserving of one another even I can not second the thought Your Majesty." Moriya said as he bowed his head.

"Then I believe that it is decided." The Emperor said, "From now on I shall see to it that preparations for the Imperial wedding are made and have the news spread out throughout the land." He added.

"Yes Your Majesty." Everyone said as the Crown Prince smiled.

"This Assembly is dismissed." The Emperor said as he stood up and walked passed the Courtiers who chanted his name.

"Long Live His Majesty, Long live our Emperor." They praised him as he made his exit from the throne room.

The Courtiers turned around to depart and Moriya stared at Umako so coldly while he also maintained a similar gaze at him.

Fujiwara no Shige who had come in still so humble departed from the room still the same that by the other Courtiers he was barely noticed.

Princess Toyomike read the letter in front of her eyes and she smiled so heartily.

"Your Highness." Sina said, "You seem to have received some good news." She added.

"Yes." Princess Toyomike replied, "At last they have come to confess that an Imperial wedding between the Crown Prince and myself is plausible and they didn't oppose to it." Princess Toyomike said.

"It's not like they could actually say anything." Sina said.

"They wouldn't even if they tried that it rests with us now to decide the date." Princess Toyomike said.

"But Your Highness, I am very Certain that they couldn't have abandoned the idea of hindering your matrimonial alliance." Sina said.

"I am certain that later they would come up with excuses to terminate the engagement between the Crown Prince and I do we must do whatever it takes to ensure that this wedding is carried out as soon as possible.

I must consolidate myself right beside the Crown Prince before it's too late because it's an opportunity that I have to please my followers." Princess Toyomike said.

"What are you going to do Your Highness?" Sina asked.

"I am going to use Heaven's will again." Princess Toyomike replied.

Empress Ishi Hime looked at the sheet of paper that was before her eyes and at once she cramped it up.

"Mother, what are we going to do?" The Crown Princess asked.

"It seems that the Imperial Princess is becoming quite the Challenger." Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"She becomes more and more crafty everyday." The Crown Princess said.

"Sadly it seems that she's only evolving and she's already proven it now more than ever that she is fatal." Empress Ishi Hime said.

She had just concluded the statement when Sakae hurriedly walked up to her presence.

"Your Highnesses." She said as she bowed her head and Empress Ishi Hime seeing her sweating profusely knew that there was something wrong.

"What's the matter with you?" The Crown Princess asked.

"Things are out of hand Your Highness." Sakae replied.

"What do you mean by things being out of hand?" Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"The Imperial wives and concubines." Sakae replied.

The Empress looked so surprised and the Crown Princess was overwhelmed by fright as well.

"What have they done?" Empress Ishi Hime asked slowly as she nodded her head.

"Your Highness, rumours and letters have been travelling around the palace since morning and each of them faulting one another along with their misconducts.

The Crown Prince's Consort Kasuga-no-Ominako along with his concubine Unako no Otoshi were the first to clash and they hurled insults at one another but they are not the only ones.

The wives of other lesser Princes have been victims of fights as well that as it is of now, the Inner Court has crumbled." Sakae replied.

"What?" The Crown Princess said as she stood up.

"Your Highness, with the Imperial wives and Concubines discorded as it is of now, many have decided to refrain between both you and the Imperial Princess and they have declared sole war on one another." Sakae said.

Empress Ishi Hime smiled.

"So this is how far she has come." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"Why mother?" The Crown Princess asked, "Did she foresee that it could be quite difficult to get the Imperial wives and Concubines on her side?" She added.

"The one who leaves for you nothing should grasp from you nothing in return, she had a few loyal people on her side while I had many.

In sowing discord she primarily aimed at reducing my power which I must say is something that she has succeeded in doing so given that a majority of those wenches were disloyal." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"But now if all the Imperial wives and Concubines isolate one another then to the both of us she would have known that to our parties she would have made many enemies." The Crown Princess said.

"Even among enemies there is one that is most lenient and in my opinion she wanted to make things easier for those of them that still hadn't taken a side.

This is a wound on my pride because as a stain on my reputation it is a sign of mismanagement and where the Inner Court is out of order then how long do you think it shall take for the country to crumble?" Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"When the Imperial wives and Concubines rebel the palace itself becomes bloody." The Crown Princess said.

"She's trying to show the world that I'm running the Inner Court I am still incompetent and moreso for us to establish our dominion once again shall take long enough to guard against interference with her wedding to the Crown Prince." Empress Ishi Hime said.

"Such an excellent strategy." The Crown Princess said.

"Finally she is the person we're up against." Empress Ishi Hime said with a smirk on her face.