A stone left unturned

Back in the court room, King Ryujin turned to the queen, his expression somber "My dear, I apologize for everything you have had to pass through as well as the doubts I had about you. You have indeed proven yourself to be a wise and just queen" 

Mei-Ling's eyes shone with tears of gladness "Thank you my lord. I am glad justice has been finally served" 

But as the court began to disperse, the king's brother, Prince Taro stepped forward, his gaze fixed intently on the king. 

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid, there's one more thing" He said, his voice low and urgent. 

The king's expression turned curious "What is it, brother?" 

Prince Taro said "I have reason to believe there may yet be another conspirator, one who has managed to evade detection" 

"Why do you think so?" The king asked. 

"Because I happened to overhear the commander utter some words as she was led out of the court room" Prince Taro replied. 

The king's eyebrows rose, his interest piqued, "What did you hear her say? Did she say who it was?" 

Prince Taro hesitated, his eyes darting around the court room before returning to the king "I'm not entirely sure but from her mumblings, there is cause to believe it may be someone close to the throne" 

Queen Mei-Ling's eyes narrowed, her voice sharp "Do you mean, there's yet another traitor who may be close to the throne?" 

Prince Taro's expression was grim, "Yes, there may still be a traitor among us, someone who obviously is hiding in plain sight" 

"Investigate this immediately" The king ordered, his voice firm "I want to know who this traitor is and what role they have in Commander Li-Chen's plot" 

Prince Taro bowed, his expression determined "I'll see to it, Your Majesty. I'll leave no stone unturned" 

Queen Mei-Ling called out to him "Prince Taro, let me use this medium to appreciate you for the assistance you offered to me. Thank you" 

Prince Taro smiled "I shall always be available if my help is needed, Your Majesty. Thanks are not required between family members" 

As Prince Taro departed to begin his investigation, the king turned to the queen, his eyes filled with concern "My dear, it seems this plot runs deeper than we initially thought" 

Mei-Ling's expression was resolute, her voice firm "My lord, all things being equal, I have a firm belief that we shall surely get to the bottom of this"

As they continued discussing the investigation, a figure silently slipped away unnoticed blending into the shadows. It was a woman with a hood over her head, her face obscured from view. 

She made her way through the winding corridors of the palace avoiding detection with ease. She knew the palace like the back of her hand, every hidden passageway and secret door.

As she walked, she couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Even when Prince Taro had come close to discovering her true identity, she had managed to evade been discovered.

But she knew she couldn't rest on her laurels. She had to keep pushing forward to ensure that her plans came to fruition. 

She stopped in front of a large wooden door adorned with intricate carvings. She produced a small key from her pocket and unlocked the door slipping inside just as quietly as she had slipped away from the throne room. 

The room was dimly lit, the only sound: the soft flickering of candles. The woman pulled back her hood revealing a shocking identity... 

Lady Jade, the woman who had been accused of treason stood before a large mirror, a sly smile spreading across her face. 

"It's not over yet" She whispered to herself, her eyes glinting with determination. 

As she stood there looking at her reflection, her smile grew wider as she began to pace back and forth in front of the mirror. She had managed to deceive everyone even the queen into thinking she was innocent. 

But little did they know that she was the mastermind behind the plot to overthrow the queen. Commander Li-Chen had been her pawn and she had used her to get close to the king. 

Lady Jade's eyes sparkled with amusement as she thought about how easily she had manipulated everyone. She had played the role of innocent victim perfectly. 

Just then, a soft knock at the door broke the silence. Lady Jade's head snapped towards the sound, her expression cautious. 

"Enter" She called out, her voice firm. 

The door creaked open and a hooded figure slipped inside. Lady Jade's eyes narrowed and she picked up a knife as the figure approached her. 

"Kaito, is that you?" She asked fiercely. 

The hooded figure pushed back it's hood revealing a young man with a strong jawline and piercing brown eyes.

He bowed deeply, his eyes locked on Lady Jade's face. "My Lady, I came to see if you needed anything" His voice low and smooth.

Lady Jade's expression softened and she smiled warmly at the young man "Ah! you took me by surprise, Kaito. I wasn't expecting you. You are ever so thoughtful. What made you think I needed something?" 

Kaito's eyes sparkled with admiration as he gazed at Lady Jade. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, my lady. I heard about what happened in the court room and I was worried about you" 

Lady Jade's smile grew wider as she reached out to pat Kaito's head. "Thank you Kaito. You're very kind. But I'm fine really; just a bit tired" 

Kaito nodded sympathetically "I'll bring some tea and refreshments for you, my lady. Would you like that?" He asked. 

Lady Jade nodded graciously "That would be lovely, Kaito.Thank you" 

As Kaito bowed and backed away, nostalgic memories of how she came to know Kaito came rushing to her and as she watched him leave, her eyes gleamed with a calculating light. A plan was already brewing in her mind and Kaito was going to play a key role in it.