CHAPTER SIXTY TWO

"What is it Sato?" Imperial Consort Toyomike asked.

"Please forgive me Your Highness, I have failed you and we all have." Sato replied.

"Would you tell me what has happened Sato?" Imperial Consort Toyomike asked.

"Imperial Prince Wohari." Sato replied.

"What's wrong with him?" Imperial Consort Toyomike asked.

"Sato looked down.

"What has happened Sato?" Sina asked.

"I asked, what has happened to my son?" Imperial Consort Toyomike asked furiously.

"Pardon me Your Highness but, His Highness has shuffled off this mortal coil." Sato replied and immediately, the Imperial Consort widened her eyes as she looked at him surprised and at the same time speechless.

"No." Imperial Consort Toyomike said as she held up her dress and she strode down the stairs through the courtyard as she hurried off to the nursery nearby.

"Miwa." Emperor Bidatsu said, "come with me." He added as the guards that were nearby accompanied him along with Sina herself.

Barefoot Imperial Consort Toyomike negotiated a corner while she mounted the stairs and throwing the door open she found the other palace maids standing there in the Courtyard while she walked past them and reaching inside she found the other nannies on the floor and they were crying as they bowed down their heads.

"Forgive us your Highness, we have failed." They said in unison while Imperial Consort Toyomike with her feet bleeding she slowly walked up to the crib where her baby lay and there looking inside and studying the skin of her son she could clearly see that it was purple and blood and pale.

"No." She said as she stretched out her hands and lifted the child out of the crib pulling it into her soft embrace.

"Wohari?" She called, "my child." she added but there wasn't a response even a single cry that escaped the mouth of the young infant.

"Wohari?" She said again as she shouted on top of her voice her eyes teary already and with no response she started to cry while she shook the child so violently.

"No, no." She shouted as the Emperor walked into the room.

"Your Majesty." The nannies said as they bowed their heads while the Emperor approaching his wife from behind he held her.

"Toyomike?" He called.

"My child." She cried out bitterly while she tightened her grip on his head and pulled her closer to her chest while she looked up at the ceiling.

"Please let him go." Emperor Bidatsu said.

"No." Imperial Consort Toyomike replied.

"Please." Emperor Bidatsu said as he started crying with her.

"No." Imperial Consort Toyomike replied and herself entirely overwhelmed by grief she closed her eyes and started to fall in the Emperor's hands while her grip forsook her child the man she loved supporting them both a nanny walked over and held the corpse while he turned to his wife.

"My dear?" He called as he shook her as well but Toyomike did not reply.

"Her Highness has passed out." the nanny said.

"What are you waiting for, someone call the Imperial doctor now." Emperor Bidatsu said as he carried up his wife and he dashed out of the room.

Kabane strode out to the other side of the palace where the Royal Physician resided.

"Your Highness." Sakae said as she walked into the room where she found the Dowager Empress seated with her daughter in law.

"What is it?" Dowager Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"His Highness the Imperial Prince Wohari." Sakae replied.

"What about him now?" Empress Hirohime asked.

"Heaven is on your side Your Highness because today he has passed away." Sakae replied.

"And what's the cause of death?" Dowager Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"It has been established that it was poison." Sakae replied and Empress Hirohime hearing the news she smiled.

"How sad, he was barely a year old." She said.

"What about Imperial Consort Toyomike?" Dowager Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"She passed out at the sight of her child." Sakae replied.

"Even at this moment she could brag no more, as it is at the moment her luck can survive no more." Empress Hirohime said.

"Very true." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime said, "but who could the culprit be?" She asked.

"Perhaps it's Consort Kasuga." Empress Hirohime said.

"Why did you say that?" Dowager Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"She must have felt humiliated at the banquet and as it is perhaps she hoped to get back at the Imperial Consort." Empress Hirohime said.

"We can't jump to conclusions." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime said, "whether it is her or it isn't what proof have we that this isn't a scheme of the Imperial Consort Toyomike herself?" She added.

"You are a mother and so is she, however cruel you can be could you kill your innocent child that's about that age?" Empress Hirohime asked.

"People are two unpredictable and if there is one thing that I learnt to dread about Her Highness it is the fact that I can't underestimate her." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"But why would she do it especially now?" Empress Hirohime asked.

"Even I don't know, if it is entirely her effort to try and topple us but as far as I can think we better be cautious of every direction because you might never know when trouble may erupt." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"Yes." Empress Hirohime said.

Emperor Bidatsu sat by the bed side and there he closely watched while his wife was asleep and she was being examined by the Imperial physician.

"How is she?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.

"Her Highness is fine and she just passed out due to shock as it is.

She is safe at the moment so I hope that you can take care of her and I'll prescribe some medicine to help her with the depression and the stress whereas about her cautiousness she'll most likely awaken any time from now." The Imperial physician replied.

"Yes." Emperor Bidatsu said.

"If there's anything that happens to her by any chance then you can have someone come over and find me because I won't be too far." The Imperial Physician said.

"Thank you." Emperor Bidatsu appreciated.

"It's my duty Your Majesty." The Imperial physician replied and bowing his head he walked out as he was accompanied by his assistants.

There he left the Emperor, Miwa no Sakau, Kabane and Sina watching the young Princess who lay there looking troubled even in her slumber.

Emperor Bidatsu held his wife by her right hand and bringing it closer to his lips he kissed it.

"I am so sorry." He whispered as he turned to the others.

"Miwa?" He called.

"Yes Your Majesty." Miwa no Sakau replied as he walked up to the Emperor and he bowed his head.

"Have Honourable Fujiwara no Shige summoned here at once." Emperor Bidatsu said.

"Yes Your Majesty." Miwa no Sakau replied.

"Make sure that every entrance and exit of the Imperial nursery is closed and put under strict surveillance and no one is allowed to go inside and outside at the same time." Emperor Bidatsu ordered.

"Yes Your Majesty." Miwa no Sakau replied as he withdrew from the Emperor's presence with the other two while Emperor Bidatsu turned to his wife that was still in front of him.

"Don't worry my dear, we shall get to the bottom of this." He said, "I promise you that we shall catch whoever was responsible for that incident and they shall pay back a hundredfold." He swore and at that moment looking at his wife's eyes he noticed that her eye lashes were moving and so were her eyes.

"Dear." He called.

"Wohari, Wohari my dear." Imperial Consort Toyomike said as she opened her eyes and staring at her husband in front of her she was greeted by the worried expression that he possesed.

"You're finally up." Emperor Bidatsu said.

"Where is Wohari?" Imperial Consort Toyomike asked as she sat up, "where is my child?" She added as she looked at her husband whose face full of so much disgrace was bowed down that he sighed with disappointment additionally.

"I'm sorry." Emperor Bidatsu said.

"No." Imperial Consort Toyomike said.

"Nothing more could be done for him." He added.

"Impossible." Imperial Consort Toyomike rebuked.

"The poison that he took was very lethal and it killed him instantly that nothing more could have been done to save him." Emperor Bidatsu replied and immediately Imperial Consort Toyomike broke down and she cried while her husband pulled her into a hug.

"He was so innocent." She cried, "my child was so young he'd done nothing." She added.

"I know." Emperor Bidatsu said as he comforted her but without any success at all.

"Who did this to him, who dared?" Imperial Consort Toyomike asked.

"Don't worry, we are going to find out soon and I promise you that we'll settle the score." Emperor Bidatsu swore angrily as he tightened his arms around his favourite while on him shedding every last bit of her tears, she bitterly wept.

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

"Is everything ready?" Koteko asked.

"I have confirmed, the Imperial Prince Wohari is in deed dead." Koma replied.

"Really?" Koteko asked.

"Yes." Koma replied that Immediately Koteko closing her eyes she smiled.

"Such a young innocent soul he departed from this world so peacefully." She remarked as she turned around and faced her servant.

"Your Highness." Koma said.

"Did you get rid of her?" Koteko asked.

"Don't worry Your Highness, the dead can not talk and Araki has been forever silenced, even if they turned the whole of Nara upside down looking for her they wouldn't even be able to find a corpse no matter how hard they tried." Koma replied.

"Very good then." Koteko said, "The world is itself so cruel but in his peaceful departure what has he left behind?" she asked.

"Her Highness." Koma replied.

"There has been a spark, all that is left at the moment is the fire to ignite and consume everything there is in its path." Koteko remarked.

"Yes Your Highness." Koma said confidently.

Imperial Consort Toyomike was kneeling in front of her young child's coffin and there she recalled the memories that she'd had with it while she'd lifted that baby up in the air and she'd rocked it's crib back and fourth to help it sleep.

As she stared so lifeless at the moment there was a grin on her face and at last her teeth becoming visible while Sina was watching she exploded into laughter.

"Your Highness." Sina Said.

"Have I restrained myself so much that the world has deprived you of me, here I am now burying you so the heaven should punish me because as a mother I have failed and I couldn't Protect you." Imperial Consort Toyomike said as she quietened and started to let the tears flow down her cheek ceaselessly.

"Who is that monster who did this to you, who is the reason for which I have chosen to bury you here today, who is the cause for the Poison that caused the blood in your veins to run cold and who took away your warmth leaving you pale and unable to enjoy my cuddles once more?" She asked herself.

Emperor Bidatsu walked up to her side and there he stood as he bent over and he held his wife by her left shoulder.

"Where on Earth and in heaven, where have they lay, before me all that I can see is darkness and I am most remorseful that I never shared the room with my child, that I never celebrated his birthday.

I am very remorseful that I couldn't watch him take his first step, that I couldn't hear his first word, that I couldn't teach him, shelter him and console him when life is hard, that I couldn't be there to watch him grow into a fine handsome man." Imperial Consort Toyomike said.

"It'll pass, just let it be and let him go in peace." Emperor Bidatsu said.

"How can I your Majesty?" Imperial Consort Toyomike asked, "where's peace for me?" She added.

"Freedom from this perverse, secular and polluted world, free from sibling rivalry and bitter bloodshed as well as criticism from the Courtiers." Emperor Bidatsu replied.

"It feels like it was just yesterday that I brought him into the world but now that I think of it, I believe that similarly, I have lost him in a blink of an eye." Imperial Consort Toyomike remarked as she sighed and she stood up while her husband watched.

"Don't worry, nothing stays hidden forever and one day the truth itself shall surface, amidst all schemes and ploys, I assure you that whoever did this grave sin and committed this heinous crime shall not be spared including those involved in the murder as well." Emperor Bidatsu said.

"Can I have some time alone with him of you don't mind Your Majesty?" Imperial Consort Toyomike requested.

"You can take your time, I'll be waiting outside." Emperor Bidatsu said as he turned around and he immediately walked out of the room while his wife moved up closer to the coffin and holding it she looked inside but the corpse though clean was still too hideous but she nevertheless felt no sense of disgust.

"Oh my beloved child, oh my dearest." She said, "Go on and don't worry about your mother but take care of yourself because this is my promise to you here and today that I'll find out whoever it was that did this to you and they shall die the most lonely and miserable death." Imperial Consort Toyomike said.

"I have been generous for so long in my life already and for that you have suffered and have been punished Innocently I can not let your murderers go this time around." She added as she brought her head closer to it's forehead and she kissed it before withdrawing and looking at him.

"They shall all pay for this my dear, they shall all pay." Imperial Consort Toyomike promised to herself and to her Dead child in front of her while she turned around and slowly, with a poisonous look on her face she walked out of the funeral parlour.

Imperial Consort Toyomike negotiating a corner around the palace she halted when she came face to face with Her Highness the Dowager Empress Ishi Hime along with her own rival in love the Empress Hirohime who were both dressed in their mourning attires.

"My condolences Your Highness." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime said.

"Same for me as well Your Highness." Empress Hirohime also supplemented.

"No need." Imperial Consort Toyomike said.

"Thank you." Empress Hirohime said.

"I can understand as much as you do the pain of losing a child of your own and a son at that." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime said.

"How did you feel Your Highness?" Imperial Consort Toyomike asked.

"Destitute, broken, betrayed but for the sake of all the children that I had left in this world, I decided that I was going to be stronger than I had been before, to protect their inheritance along with themselves and to stop my enemies from ever advancing even a single step closer." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"Do you know how I feel Your Highness?" Imperial Consort Toyomike asked.

"Enlighten me." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"I felt like a volcano that was brooding and waiting dormantly to erupt but right now I can clearly tell you with these very eyes of mine that in the Palace today that volcano has erupted." Imperial Consort Toyomike said, "what that volcano is going to do is to burn down each and everyone of the surrounding cities and the treasures that they have to boast to ashes and when completed it shall scatter them in the wind that they are dispersed off to other parts miserable without an honorable burial." She added as she bowed her head.

"May the good lords see you through this most most turbulent times." Empress Hirohime said.

"And may heaven itself have mercy on the families and the descendants of the murderers of my children." Imperial Consort Toyomike said bas she walked past the two women with her head held high boasting the most remarkable confidence and at the same time an iron will within her.

"The mountain has clearly erupted mother." Empress Hirohime said.

"This battle of ours just got a whole lot more interesting than I expected." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime replied as she continued her way to the Funeral Parlour with her daughter in law not looking back.

"What were you all doing?" Emperor Bidatsu asked the nannies that were withing the Imperial nursery Courtyard while they were both on their knees.

"Pardon us your Majesty but even we don't know who did it." The nannies and the Palace maids there said as they bowed down their heads to him.

"You have three days and each and everyone of you shall be taken in for questioning immediately, be separated randomly with not more than four people in the room and then you shall write down a statement narrating everything that you did that day without leaving out a single statement.

Until the culprit has been found all of you shall be prime suspects to the murder." Emperor Bidatsu said as he looked at all the nannies and the Palace maids that were present there.

"Are all of you here?" He asked.

"No." A certain voice emerged from them and the majority turning around with the Emperor craning his neck to see who had spoken there was a young woman that was kneeling at the back.

"Please bring her here." Emperor Bidatsu said and Miwa no Sakau Looking at a couple of guards that were standing nearby they rushed over to the back and ceased the young woman as they brought her on her knees before him.

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

"Tell me who is missing amongst all of you that are gathered here?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.

"Araki." The maid replied.

"Araki?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.

"Yes Your Majesty." Another nanny said, "ever since the night of the incident and the following morning, Araki has been missing and she was among the maids that were on duty at that time to watch the young Prince." She added.

"Do you have any idea where she went?" Emperor Bidatsu asked.

"Except that she vanished without a word there wasn't a trace of anything else that she left behind." The Palace maid replied.

"Honourable Fujiwara?" Emperor Bidatsu called.

"Yes Your Majesty." Fujiwara no Shige replied.

"Take some men from the Investigation Bureau and check out the Chambers of Maid Araki removing everything that is inside and reporting to me in detail to let me know exactly what was it that she held in her possesion." Emperor Bidatsu said.

"Yes Your Majesty." Honourable Fujiwara no Shige replied as the Emperor stood up and he looked at everyone.

"Until we can come to a conclusion, the Imperial nursery itself shall be out of bounds to all palace maids and the nannies hence forth you shall be loved with immediate effect where you'll have your temporary stay while this case is being investigated." Emperor Bidatsu said.

"Yes Your Majesty." Everyone said in unison as he turned around and he walked out of the Courtyard being accompanied by Miwa no Sakau leaving Fujiwara no Shige behind.

"Where to Your Majesty?" Miwa no Sakau asked.

"Her Highness the Imperial Consort Toyomike." Emperor Bidatsu replied.

"She must be devastated by the loss of her child." Miwa no Sakau remarked.

"No one can not be which is the reason as to why she is in seclusion and at the moment bane she is in absolute need of me." Emperor Bidatsu replied while he vanished from the sight of Fujiwara no Shige.

It was already very dark and a woman that was dressed in a black hood and cape stood at the bridge of Iware pond.

Honourable Fujiwara no Shige suddenly walked up to the woman and there bowing his head he murmured in the lowest tone.

"Greetings Your Highness." He said and at once the woman raised her hands but she remained hidden while facing the other side.

"The night is rather dark and moonless today, don't you agree?" The woman asked.

"And neither are there stars hanging over the palace to grace the firmament." Honourable Fujiwara no Shige replied.

"Are they all caught up in mourning as well?" The woman asked.

"Perhaps." Honourable Fujiwara no Shige replied.

The woman lifting up her hands she pulled off the veil that was hanging over her head and turning around she looked at the fairly young man.

"It's your Imperial Highness." Fujiwara no Shige said as he recognized the Imperial Consort Toyomike.

"Your eyes are still too good that they can clear see and not be deceived." Imperial Consort Toyomike said.

"I found out what you asked me to do Your Highness." Fujiwara no Shige replied.

"I hope that His Majesty doesn't know about this." Imperial Consort Toyomike said.

"Yes." Fujiwara no Shige replied.

"So tell me, who was it that was responsible for the murder of my son?" Imperial Consort Toyomike asked.

"Your Highness, I have had the Chambers of Lady Araki fully investigated and we were able to find a group of secret letter from three people the first being Consort Unako, Empress Hirohime and lastly....." Fujiwara no Shige was still saying when she concluded.

"The Dowager Empress." She said.

"Yes." Honourable Fujiwara no Shige.

"And where were these letters being hidden?" Imperial Consort Toyomike asked.

"Under the floor tiles under her bed." Fujiwara no Shige replied.

"Well concealed." Imperial Consort Toyomike remarked.

"I also discovered that before the night of the attack, Araki was constantly visiting all three residences of the women so I can allege that the order most likely came from one of the three women." Honourable Fujiwara no Shige said.

"The Dowager Empress trusts you so much." Imperial Consort Toyomike said.

"Because I never wished to fail you all these years Milady." Fujiwara no Shige said.

"And you haven't that I hope you shall remain loyal as well." Imperial Consort Toyomike said.

"Don't worry about me Your Highness." Fujiwara no Shige replied.

"And what about Araki, any news about her?" Imperial Consort Toyomike asked.

"No Your Highness, there aren't any sightings of the Palace maid." Fujiwara no Shige replied.

"The Palace must have been swept clean so that the secret doesn't slip her mouth so she's most probably buried somewhere on this soil you wouldn't be able to find her.

Only the gods know whether the jackals have eaten her body already or not." Imperial Consort Toyomike said.

"But at least we have suspects with which we can unravel more truths to this case." Fujiwara no Shige said.

"Don't bother anymore, regardless of who the three is the real culprit, they all would have gone to the extent of toppling me even if they had to kill my children.

I have a few more that survive and I want to keep them all to myself and now that they have tampered and laid a finger on the hair of my son along with getting involved with his murder I am going to cause blood to rain upon them and the ground beneath my feet shall savour their corpses and consume their spirits without any sense of remorse and reserve." Imperial Consort Toyomike said.

"Please be careful Your Highness." Fujiwara no Shige said.

"Unless I become a supreme authority I fear that there is nothing more that I can do to protect the ones that I love." Imperial Consort Toyomike said.

"All the best Your Highness, I'll be playing my part." Honourable Fujiwara no Shige said.

"Go out and spread a rumour to the people, the Crown Prince is going out hunting tomorrow so we'll see if there is an accident and the sons of Consort Kasuga themselves shall certainly make an attempt one way or another don't be too late and don't be too early." Imperial Consort Toyomike said.

"Yes Your Highness." Fujiwara no Shige replied.

"If it's the Crown Prince's position that the Dowager Empress is after then I am going to offer it to her myself." Imperial Consort Toyomike said as she smiled ghastly.

It was very early in the morning when the Imperial Prince Oshisako no Hikohito no Ōe had gathered with his friends and they were travelling through the Awaji with their hunting party as they looked through the forest for a couple of rabbits.

Consort Kasuga was right inside her chambers when Teru walked up to her and the moment she saw her she bowed her head.

"Your Highness." She said.

"Tell me about the Imperial Prince Oshisako no Hikohito no Ōe." Consort Kasuga said.

"His Highness has arrived at Awaji with all his friends." Teru replied.

"And the Royal guards?" Consort Kasuga asked.

"They're present." Teru replied.

"What about the weapons?" Consort Kasuga asked.

"They are also in place." Teru replied.

"The officials that received the letters of invitation from him must be on their way." Consort Kasuga said.

"Don't worry Your Highness, I intercepted every reply and even they don't know that they are going to get involved in the treason plot." Teru replied.

"Well done." Consort Kasuga said.

"Thank you Your Highness." Teru replied.

"Go tell the Imperial Princes to get ready and send them out to Awaji with our most elite warriors, if they can arrive in time then they can stop the Imperial Prince Oshisako no Hikohito no Ōe from rebelling against his father the Emperor." Consort Kasuga said.

"Aye." Teru replied as she bowed her head and she withdrew from the young woman's presence.

"There we are." Consort Kasuga said, "Shall your Highness see this coming?" She said to herself as she smiled ghastly.

"Your Highness." Kabane said to Imperial Consort Toyomike who was dressing up in her room while she adorned herself with every precious jewel that she could find.

"Yes?" Imperial Consort Toyomike asked.

"As you have prepared Your Highness, everyone is reacting accordingly." Kabane replied.

"Are the defenders on standby?" Imperial Consort Toyomike asked.

"They arrived much earlier." Kabane replied.

"Where is His Majesty?" Imperial Consort Toyomike asked.

"The Emperor is in the Literary Hall." Kabane replied.

"Wonderful." Imperial Consort Toyomike said as she smiled at herself in the mirror.

"How do I look Sina?" She asked.

"As always my lady, you are very beautiful." Sina replied.

"Thank you." Imperial Consort Toyomike said while she offered her left hand and Sina helped her stand up.

"Take me to His Majesty." she said.

"Yes." Both Sina and Kabane replied while they escorted her out of the room.

Dowager Empress Ishi Hime and Empress Hirohime were seated in her Chambers and there they sipped at their tea cups.

"How long until that wench can act up?" Empress Hirohime asked.

"You need to be patient." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime replied.

"Why?" Empress Hirohime asked.

"What's going to happen I am forced to wonder when His Highness is proven innocent?" Dowager Empress Ishi Hime asked.

"The Imperial Princes shall have become rebels." Empress Hirohime replied.

"She thought that she was smart enough but it's such a pity that she never took time to realise who she was up against." Dowager Empress Ishi Hime said.

The Imperial Prince Oshisako no Hikohito no Ōe was present in the forest and with a bow in his hand he aimed at a rabbit that was in front of him.

There was silence in the woods and himself trusting that his position was concealed from it, he let go of the arrow which flew and struck the rabbit.

It cried out and the Imperial Prince raised up his bow into the air while his commrades cheered him.

At that moment, the Imperial Prince turning around he noticed a group of Courtiers and other aristocrats headed his way and there and then getting off his horse with his party they walked up to them.

"Your Excellencies." He said as he bowed his head, his face wearing an expression of surprise on it eventually the Courtiers that were around only smiled at him.

Looking closely, he noticed that their faces weren't familiar at all.

"Excuse me sirs but who are you?" He asked one of them who was leading the retinue and before he received a reply there was a group of Imperial guards that emerged from the trees and the Crown Prince and his party were surrounded they moved back into a circle while the Imperial Princes Kasuga and Naniwa emerged as well dressed in their suits of armour as they positioned themselves in front of him.

"You imbeciles." The Imperial Prince Oshisako no Hikohito no Ōe said.

"Who are you to dare rebel against our father the Emperor?" Prince Kasuga asked.

"Rebel?" Imperial Prince Oshisako no Hikohito no Ōe asked.

"Don't take us for fools." Prince Kasuga said as he raised his sword.

"Charge." He gave the order and his men hurriedly marched up to the Crown Prince's while he unsheathed his sword and hs also launched himself at his attackers.

The Archers on Prince Kasuga's side started to fire arrows at the Imperial Prince Oshisako no Hikohito no Ōe and his men and one of the arrows flew it struck the young Prince in his chest that he fell back.

"He's harmed our Prince." One of the Courtiers and the other Aristocrats said and immediately they tore off their expensive robes only to reveal their Imperial armour underneath.

Prince Kasuga and Naniwa who were startled had managed to secure one of the trunks that were being carried around and opening it up all that they could find inside were a couple of nets and other hunting knives.

"Your Highness, there are no weapons here." One of Prince Naniwa's men said.

"What, no weapons?" He said when another party of Imperial guards appeared from the trees and there with their full force they rounded up the Imperial Princes Naniwa and Kasuga along with their men.

The leader of the Imperial guards stepped up to the front holding up the military seal and removing his Helmet from his head it turned out to be Honourable Fujiwara no Shige.

"Hurry up and save His Highness." He said as the others carried the Imperial Prince Oshisako no Hikohito no Ōe.

"Imperial Princes Naniwa and Kasuga, you are under arrest for false charges of treason and the attempted murder of Imperial Prince Oshisako no Hikohito no Ōe." He added as all the Imperial soldiers that were fighting on their side dropped their weapons and the Princes themselves were taken from their horses and tied up as they looked at each other so surprised.