CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE
"All your life you thought that you are the only one that is befitting of the most luminous schemes and the only one that doesn't need to use a very weak means to subdue your enemies but you are accusing me because it is what you want to believe." Consort Toyomike said.
"How boastful of you but do you know why I am feared throughout the whole Inner Court?" Dowager Empress Ishi Hime asked.
"I don't fear you." Consort Toyomike replied.
"Then I'll tell you that it's not my might, it's not my power, but I too can be cruel so much that I can make you regret being born and perhaps I shall teach you to fear me right now." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime said as she stared coldly at her eyes.
"Whatever you do Your Highness, I won't confess to a crime that I did not commit." Consort Toyomike said.
"We'll see about that." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime said. "Suspend her." She ordered and the Imperial guards tied Consort Toyomike and they began to pull her hands backwards they were nearly twisting them.
She cried out in so much pain and it was as though Emperor Bidatsu in his room where he was he heard it and woke up immediately.
"Toyomike." He called.
"Your Majesty." Sato and Miwa no Sakau were the ones who responded to his call as his eyes darted around the whole room and then to the side of his bed which was empty.
"Imperial Consort Toyomike was just here sleeping beside me, where is she at such a very late hour?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
The two kept quiet as they bowed their heads seemingly hesitant to give him a reply.
"Sato, Miwa, it's not like you are deaf to not have heard me and it is not like you are dumb to not be able to speak." Emperor Bidatsu said, "For a second time where is Imperial Consort Toyomike and I won't ask a third time." He added.
"You see Your Highness..." Sato stuttered.
"What?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
"Her Highness the Dowager Empress and the Empress herself....." He replied.
"Tell me what did they do to Imperial Consort Toyomike?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
"They....." Sato stuttered.
"Her Highness the Empress Consort has accused Imperial Consort Toyomike of witchcraft and sorcery after a voodoo doll was discovered under your bed and also a large group of witchcraft objects were discovered in the Imperial Palaces." Miwa no Sakau completed.
"Witchcraft?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
"Yes." Miwa no Sakau replied.
"How dare they?" Emperor Bidatsu said.
"This is a matter of the Inner Court Your Majesty." Sato said while Bidatsu threw away his covers and he stood up from his bed as he wore some light clothes on his body.
"Where are you going Your Majesty?" Sato asked.
"Miwa, get the Imperial guards to come with me." Emperor Bidatsu said.
"Your Highness, your presence there is nothing more than an act of denial towards the Dowager Empress' power and authority." Sato said.
"She is my wife and they are my women and not the Dowager Empress' why h makes this my family matter." Emperor Bidatsu said.
"Your Majesty." Sato said.
"I'm going over to the Investigation Chambers." Emperor Bidatsu said as he strode out immediately while Miwa no Sakau followed.
Outside the Palace there were Imperial guards that had positioned themselves there to watch the Emperor and as he descended the staircase which led from his Chambers they looked at him.
"Follow me." He shouted and they fell into four single files while they followed him across the Courtyard towards the Direction of the Dowager Empress' palace.
"I'd say that for the Imperial women and all those that belong to the Inner Court our system is just in making our victims confess." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime said as she stepped closer towards Consort Toyomike and she looked him in the eye.
"There is nothing that I have to lose, either you kill me or otherwise I won't plead guilty to these charges." Consort Toyomike said.
"Why must you suffer this much for a man?" Empress Hirohime eventually spoke up.
"You would know much better than anyone why, if I can not fight for the man that I love and I can not stand by him I'd rather die than betray him.
It's better if you buried me today otherwise if I survive beyond this point I am going to come back for all of you and you shall curse me so much you'd wish I wasn't born.
To me it makes much more sense if I died with an unjustified cause because future generations would have called me a strong woman and history wouldn't have defamed me as a sorceress." Consort Toyomike replied.
"Then we'll see how much more of this you can ensure." Empress Hirohime said.
"Wet the clothes." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime ordered the nearby guards.
"Yes Your Highness." They replied at once as they dipped pieces of very thick linen into the water and they pulled them out when they were totally wet.
"Flog her." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime ordered.
"Yes Your Highness." The Imperial guards replied as they tightened their grip at one end and throwing the clothes forward they struck Consort Toyomike's suspended arms.
She cried out very loudly that the Emperor Bidatsu who was only a couple of feet away from the interrogation room hard her sharp cries that were beating hard against the silence of night.
He halted in his footsteps.
"Your Majesty." Miwa no Sakau said.
"Toyomike." Emperor Bidatsu said desperately as he chose to quicken his footsteps.
Miwa no Sakau and the others followed his lead.
Consort Toyomike bowed her head as they flogged her with the clothes repeatedly.
"Confess to your Crimes." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime coerced her.
"Speak the truth." Empress Hirohime kept on saying eventually they halted and they looked at her while she looked rather miserable.
"Where does your will to fight stand, is it still unbroken?" Dowager Empress Ishi Hime asked.
"I did not bewitch His Majesty." Consort Toyomike said in reply.
"You leave me without any choice." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime said. "Flog her." She added as the Imperial guards picked up the the clothes again and they dipped them into the water.
They flogged Consort Toyomike and she cried out loudly as the Emperor eventually halted right at the doorway.
"Mother?" He called out loudly that Consort Toyomike raised her head to see who it was while the Imperial guards threw the clothes down and they faced the Emperor.
"Your Majesty." They all said as they went down onto their knees and they bowed their heads before him the Dowager Empress and her retinue of ladies in waiting complying as well.
"What are you doing?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
"Your Majesty..." The Dowager Empress Ishi Hime was saying.
"What are you doing?" Emperor Bidatsu eventually snapped angrily as he looked at his mother.
"Your Highness, please contain your anger." Sakae said.
"I wasn't taking to you." Emperor Bidatsu said and Sakae kept quiet.
"What is all this about treating her like a barbarian?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
The Dowager Empress Ishi Hime stood up from where she was seated and she looked at the Emperor.
"Your Majesty." She said, "We are apprehending Her Highness because of witchcraft and sorcery." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime added.
"Mother must you be this brutal?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
"What more should I do, it is a threat in your life and it is not something that I can take so lightly." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime replied.
"Has she confessed that she did it?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
"There is the evidence that we are charging her with and there is a witch doctor that has been conducting all this in the first place who was confessed that it was on the orders of Her Highness." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime replied.
"Has she confessed that she did it?" Emperor Bidatsu asked once again and a bit louder than before.
"No Your Majesty." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime replied.
"Where is this witness?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
"Bring him in." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime ordered the Imperial guards that were inside and they stood up at once as they strode out of the room leaving the Emperor alone.
"Who was it that discovers all this evidence?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
"Her Highness the Empress." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime replied and Emperor Bidatsu turned to look at his wife.
"Tell me when you had the time to excavate all of this and get it out of hiding?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
"I had the whole night Your Majesty." Empress Hirohime replied.
"From Osada no Miya to Her Highness' former palace to my bedroom, you certainly knew very well where these witchcraft objects had been hidden." Emperor Bidatsu remarked.
"I was only told by that man." Empress Hirohime replied.
"And how did you know him, did he approach you?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
"No." Empress Hirohime replied, "I am the one who found him suspiciously sneaking out of Osada no Miya a couple of nights ago." She added.
"When exactly?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
"Two days ago." Empress Hirohime replied.
"And when did he confess that he was working for Her Highness the Imperial Consort Toyomike?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
"Yesterday." Empress Hirohime replied.
"Why?" Emperor Bidatsu asked, "You had to wait until yesterday to find out what it was that man's true intent was?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
"I had just never imagined Your Majesty that Her Highness would be that despicable." Empress Hirohime replied.
"Despicable?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
"Yes Your Majesty." Empress Hirohime replied.
"What is despicable?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
"Your Majesty." The Imperial guards replied as they entered the interrogation room with the prisoner.
"Is he the confessor?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
"Yes Your Majesty." Empress Hirohime replied.
"Get out all of you and I wish to remain here with him and the Dowager Empress along with the Empress Consort alone." Emperor Bidatsu said.
"Yes Your Majesty." Everyone replied in unison as they bowed their heads and they walked out if the room leaving the five inside alone.
"Do you know that woman behind you?" Emperor Bidatsu asked as he pointed at Imperial Consort Toyomike.
"Yes Your Majesty." The mab replied.
"Don't lie to me because if you do I am going after everyone in your clan and I am going to shed the blood of their families if I find out that you are lying to me." Emperor Bidatsu threatened.
"I am not lying Your Majesty." The man said.
"Where did you meet the Imperial Consort and when so that you would start casting spells for her upon me." Emperor Bidatsu asked.
"A couple of months ago." The man replied.
" I am asking you to be precise here." The Emperor demanded.
"Six months ago." The man replied.
"Where exactly did you meet Her Highness?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
"In the Palace." The confessor replied.
"In the Palace where?" Emperor Bidatsu asked as he slapped the man.
"In her Chambers." The man replied.
"I won't ask her whether she knows you but given that she resided in the Imperial Palace why was there need for you to go and put Witchcraft objects into Osada no Miya Palace and her former residence?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
The Confessor kept quiet.
"A while ago your answers were rather flawless so why hesitate right now when you should be in the know of everything?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
The Confessor was still silent.
"There was an accusation that was brought forward that said that Consort Toyomike has been a staunch practicer of witchcraft and sorcery all her life but I am rather surprised that you met six months ago.
If you know the Palace well enough to have met her Highness in her Chambers then you should know better than anyone else the shortest and the safest route to my Chambers." Emperor Bidatsu said.
The Confessor was rather silent.
"Could you tell me which route in particular is it that is shortest and safest, through the Northern Gate or the Eastern gate?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
The Dowager Empress looked down while Empress Hirohime was overwhelmed with worry all over her face.
"The Eastern Gate." The man replied hesitantly.
"None of the two." Emperor Bidatsu replied.
Everyone looked at him just as surprised.
"You do not know the Palace and perhaps her Highness is so foolish to keep such objects lying about, she wouldn't be that cautious and she is a staunch practicer is it because she is the holder of Heaven's will?" Emperor Bidatsu asked, "I would like to believe in your utmost innocence but you can not pull off a trick so there must be someone else behind you and if you think of committing suicide in front of me then rest assured I shall find all members of your family and perhaps even your clan and I shall extinguish them all." He added.
"My apologies Your Majesty." The Confessor said, "Her Highness Imperial Consort Toyomike is innocent." He added.
"That's all that I needed to hear." Emperor Bidatsu said, "I can consider sparing your life if you can tell me who it was that put you up to this because I trust that there is someone more powerful that was pulling the strings behind you and they could have coerced you to do so." He added.
"Please forgive me Your Majesty but I can only set myself free from this ." The Confessor said when all of a sudden he fell down onto his knees and blood gushed out of his mouth and eyes.
"Your Majesty." Empress Hirohime called the Emperor while he stepped backwards from the scene.
"Guards?" Dowager Empress Ishi Hime called and the doors of the room were opened when the Emperor's retainer Miwa no Sakau rushed in with a group of soldiers who surrounded the Emperor.
Their swords were pointed at the dying man while Consort Toyomike with every last bit of strength that was left in her body she raised her head and looked at the Emperor.
"Your Majesty." She called him and Bidatsu turned around to look into the corner.
"Toyomike." He called as he pulled Miwa no Sakau's sword out of his sheath and he ran towards her.
Reaching their with the edge of the sword he cut the ropes that held her and she fell onto his chest while he tightly held her into her arms.
He lifted her in both his arms and then he walked up to his mother.
"Mother." He called.
"Your Majesty." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime said as she bowed her head.
"How could you nother?" Emperor Bidatsu asked. "How could you be this heartless?" He added.
"I admit my fault Your Majesty, I overlooked my responsibilities as the head of the inner court and I should be punished for my mistakes." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime remarked.
"What you did endangered an innocent life, you were going to spill human blood on your hands and I only wished to save you from it.
How it happened I do not know but you can not torture someone into confessing without verifying the claims of a witness." Emperor Bidatsu said.
"You ran a fever and you were so sick, I was only worried that I was going to lose you and perhaps when the claim of witchcraft was verified with a voodoo doll I lost my head." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime said in her own defence.
"I understand if you are worried about me mother but trust me as your son when I tell you this but anyone else in the world would betray me and wish bad for me but not Imperial Consort Toyomike." Emperor Bidatsu said.
"My apologies Your Majesty." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime said.
"Mother, I don't know how I can start to say this to you but I am very disappointed." Emperor Bidatsu said as he carried his wife away and they walked out of the Interrogation room.
Sakae took Dowager Empress Ishi Hime's hand and he helped her up onto her feet while she turned around and looked at Empress Hirohime.
"Tell me." She said.
"Mother, I am so sorry." Empress Hirohime replied.
"Why was His Majesty sickly a while ago?" Dowager Empress Ishi Hime Asked.
"I knew that he wouldn't sleep very well, I was the one who orchestrated everything and I had his food and drinks spiked so that he would pass out briefly without causing harm to his body while being very confident it was the most believable ruse that the voodoo was working." Empress Hirohime replied.
"I am so disappointed in you." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime replied.
"I thought that I had played it out very well but who would have thought that the Emperor deeply trusts this woman so much he'd do anything for her." Empress Hirohime remarked.
"It's partly your fault but the one most responsible one for everything is neither you or me but His Majesty." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime replied.
"Heaven is on Her side Your Highness, my greatest fear is that unintentionally the cost of vanquishing Consort Toyomike is creating a rift between both ourselves and the Emperor." Empress Hirohime remarked.
"It's worth it because if there can never be peace within the Inner Court and we can reign but never rule as long as she is around." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime said.
"Must we feel sorry for her because it is my belief that we've been overly lenient with Her Highness." Empress Hirohime said.
"It doesn't matter, if perhaps he had held on a little bit longer then none of this would have happened in the first place and perhaps we would have at least had something to blemish her reputation if not with His Majesty then perhaps with the people." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime replied.
"Quite disturbing it is but now we have nothing that it only feels we are back in the very place where we had started." Empress Hirohime said.
"Patience, take caution right now, if my guess is that she has long preserved herself the best that we can do is to prepare for the very worst." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime said.
"Your Highness, should that happen then you are practically saying that the ground beneath us is no longer solid." Empress Hirohime said.
"Don't be too negating here, sometimes it's a rather good thing when an enemy is provoked because at that very moment you can lure them right where you want them." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime replied.
"Your Highness, you intend on taking her by surprise?" Empress Hirohime said.
"This time around it is going to be a little bit different because as it is I heard that her Highness has purchased a small piece of land on top of Kagu Hill." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime said.
"That's a rather isolated place so what do you think she would be doing there?" Empress Hirohime asked.
"This is a game of pros against cons and the fact that she tried to be very discreet with it I believe it is something that even His Majesty doesn't know and there is nothing like a secret should it be so between them because if you remember we had said that we would make the Emperor start to fear his own wife." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime replied.
"Your Highness, whatever it is are you confident that it shall all go according to plan?" Empress Hirohime asked.
"Why would Her Highness build so far from the Palace and what is it in the world that drives her ambition, when she has the Courtiers on her side one can imagine what influence shall have befallen them when what we have received in this land is a clout led by herself." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime replied.
"You are very smart Your Highness." Empress Hirohime said.
"There is still some time before we can react accordingly." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime said.
Consort Toyomike opened up her eyes as she felt the warm heat of the morning sun over her face and she smelt some burning incense nearby.
There was so much fresh air that filled the room with so much life and as her eyes travelled across to her side she caught sight of her husband the Emperor who was sleeping while tightly holding her hand.
"He must have watched me the whole night." she thought as she sat up slowly while he didn't move even a little bit.
At that moment the doors of the Chambers were opened and Sina walked through with a tray in her hands.
"Your High...." She was saying loudly when she caught sight of the Imperial Consort who signalled for her to keep quiet and keep her voice very low
Sina stealthily made it to the side of the bed and he placed the tray on the small table that was right on the other side of the bed.
"You are finally awake Your Highness, we had gone to get General Fujiyaro but luckily his Highness saved your life before General Fujiyaro would even do anything." She whispered.
"It must have been very hard on him." Consort Toyomike remarked.
"You should have seen the way that he looked up at the Dowager Empress so furiously." Sina said.
"Really?" Consort Toyomike asked.
"Yes Your Highness." Sina replied, "He even spent the whole night looking after you and watching you." She added.
Consort Toyomike looked at the Emperor and she smiled at him.
"He is so handsome when he is asleep and also very Caring in contrast to the shrewd nature of an ordinary monarch.
I must say one thing for sure that is that I am the luckiest woman in the world to have taken him for a man." She said.
"Yes You are Your Highness." Sina said when the Emperor moved a little bit and opened his eyes only to see his wife seated right in front of him.
"Your Majesty." Consort Toyomike called his name.
"Toyomike?" Emperor Bidatsu said.
"Did I perhaps wake you up?" Consort Toyomike asked.
"No, not at all." Emperor Bidatsu said as he yawned mildly while he stretched.
"Your Majesty, you must be very busy, why not freshen up first?" Consort Toyomike asked.
"Today I am free because I decided that I wanted to look after you for the whole day and perhaps spend some time with Princess Oharita." Emperor Bidatsu replied.
"I am very fine Your Majesty, my hands were just twisted and my bruises are mild there is nothing serious." Consort Toyomike said.
"What do you mean by there was nothing serious?" Emperor Bidatsu asked, "As long as it's about you then it is very serious to me and putting that aside you were flogged." He added.
"With Wet silk." Consort Toyomike said.
"It's Just as painful with a whip and on top of that you are a woman so perhaps the pain could have been worse." Emperor Bidatsu said.
"When you insist every time you make it a lot more and more difficult for me to resist." Consort Toyomike said.
"It is a day that we'll never have again and since every second and every nick of time once lost can not be compensated or regained I want to make as many memories as possible so that when we are both old and we reflect on them, we cherish them all the more till the very day that we are taken to our grave." Emperor Bidatsu said.
"Very well then Your Majesty, I shall also get prepared." Consort Toyomike said as she smiled at her husband.
Otomo Kanamura no Maro was seated at a table and he was staring at the chessboard while Koteko looked at all the pieces thoroughly.
"This is such a brilliant game." He remarked.
"I only borrowed Her Highness the Imperial Consort Toyomike's eyes." Koteko replied.
"I still am confused when it comes to your final decision." Otomo Kanamura no Maro said.
"You needn't stress yourself that much Your Excellency, hasn't every piece moved according to the game?" Koteko asked.
"You can not always do as you plan and there is no such thing as a perfect plan in the first place." Otomo Kanamura no Maro said.
"Father was elevated to the Position if Nara Prefect and on top of that just like I had promised you The Sogas most probably with the Imperial Consort Toyomike behind them chose to foster a coalition and good alliance with us.
Slowly by slowly we are starting to root ourselves in the Inner Court but just to be safe we can temporarily submit as long as it is good enough to push us to the top." Koteko said.
"You are foresighted." Otomo Kanamura no Maro remarked.
"Thank you." Koteko said.
"However I heard that the palace was only turbulent a couple of days ago." Otomo Kanamura no Maro said.
"Her Highness the Dowager Empress and the Empress Consort accused Imperial Consort Toyomike of commiting witchcraft and sorcery to threaten the life of the Emperor and they went ahead to apprehend her." Koteko replied.
"Did they succeed?" Otomo Kanamura Maro asked.
"With minimal success one can as well say that Her Highness has the unwavering grace if her husband who supported her and protected her but from his actions it is quite clear that the Imperial Consort Toyomike is quite calculative as it is that she is most likely to be successful in the near future if it is to create a rift between the Dowager Empress and her son and widen it." Koteko said.
"On one hand the Mother and the Legal wife and on the other hand the favourite." Otomo Kanamura Maro said.
"I keep wondering on whose side the odds will prevail in the end." He added.
"My bet is very certain I assure you " Koteko said, "either way if Her Highness the Imperial Consort Toyomike keeps up the good work then what we want from the Dowager Empress shall come to pass." Koteko said.
"How are you confident about that?" Otomo Kanamura Maro asked.
"I don't have to be but it is rather self explanatory and I can see for myself that the relationship that there is between a mother and son is hanging on a loose rope and should either one of them abandon one another then automatically the other must retaliate at least if not by their free will then by force." Koteko replied.
"How long do you think that you have until that time?" Otomo Kanamura Maro asked.
"Trust me Your Excellency, it is not so far from now." Koteko added as she smiled ghastly.
"You have a very grandiose dream and a rather smart mind, my only hope is that while you acquire that which you want in the very end you are still not hurt along with those that you hold dear." Otomo Kanamura Maro said.
"When I was born do you remember the promise that the prophet gave me?" Koteko asked.
"FOR AS LONG AS MILADY HAS THE WILL TO FIGHT ONE DAY SHE WILL BECOME VERY GREAT AND THEN EVENTUALLY ALL CREATION SHALL BOW DOWN TO HER." Otomo Kanamura Maro replied.
"I can not forsake that vision and I am now looking ahead, if they could wield just as much power then so can I and until I have realized that dream I too won't stop fighting and neither will I hesitate to go further than they'd all expect me to go." Koteko replied as she picked up her chess piece and then she placed it on the board while smiling ghastly.
Consort Toyomike was seated in her Chambers and there with her was both Sina and Kabane.
"Your Highness." They both said to her as they bowed their heads.
"How long has it been?" Consort Toyomike asked.
"It's already been a year Your Highness." Sina replied.
"How far have we reached?" Consort Toyomike asked.
"The preparations for this are over." Kabane replied.
"Very good and I am in deed impressed with you both." Imperial Consort Toyomike said.
"Thank you Your Highness." The two said in unison.
"Upon this very night Princess Anahobe is going to give birth so I want you both to make sure that you spread the word that I am going to the Imperial to pay my sister a visit and no matter what happens I wish that the Dowager Empress herself finds an excuse or something that she can hold up against me." Consort Toyomike ordered.
"Don't worry by now Your Highness the news shall have reached Her Highness and also the Dowager Empress." Kabane said.
"Let all the Soga Courtiers gather in the small house that was constructed on Kagu Hill's top and tell Concubine Unako no Otoshi to act at the fourth hour if night." Consort Toyomike said.
"Yes Your Highness." They all replied and bowing their heads they withdrew from the presence of Consort Toyomike herself being left alone in the comfort of her own room.
She stood up from where she was seated and she slowly walked up to her dressing table where she lowered herself.
She looked at her reflection in the mirror while she picked up a very beautiful phoenix hairpin which she looked at.
"Are you going to stare at that hairpin alone or at least welcome me from the Court?" Emperor Bidatsu asked as he walked up closer to where Consort Toyomike was seated and bending over he gave her a simple peck on her cheek.
"How was it?" Consort Toyomike asked.
"Everything went very well." Emperor Bidatsu replied as he took the Phoenix hairpin and then he placed it in his wife's hair.
"Your Majesty, I am going to go somewhere this evening Consort Toyomike said.
"Where?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.
"I still can not tell you for now but in case I am too late then you don't have to wait for so long for me to return." Consort Toyomike replied.
"You are making me curious." Emperor Bidatsu said as he stared into the mirror and admired his wife's beauty.
"It's for Your own Good Your Majesty, you simply have to just trust me." Consort Toyomike said with a smile that was far too sincere unlike any that the Emperor had ever seen on her in his life before.