19 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

"Thank you mother." The Crown Princess said.

"Any time." The Empress replied.

"I know what I must do now, may I take your leave?" The Crown Princess asked.

"You may go in peace." The Empress replied and at once the Crown Princess turned around and joined by her palace maids made her exit and vanished from the Empress' sight.

"Your Highness." Sakae said. "I don't mean to pry but what's with her Highness?" Sakae asked.

"Nothing much." The Empress replied. "it appears that the Crown Prince is most likely to be seeing someone at the moment." She added.

"Do you need my help to look into it Your Highness?" Sakae asked.

"I too am curious but the Crown Princess still has a lot to learn so leave it up to her in the mean time, we can't always do the work for her." The Empress replied.

"Aye Your Highness." Sakae replied.

The Empress turned and looked at the star in the sky.

"it's still up even at this hour?" She asked.

"It seems to me that heaven is trying to tell us something." Sakae replied.

"Inquire from the High Priestess." The Empress ordered.

"Aye Your Highness." Sakae replied as she turn to walk away.

"Wait." The Empress called to her and she halted in her footsteps at once.

"Yes Your Highness?" Sakae replied.

"Have you received any news from Hinote yet?" The Empress asked.

"No,Your Highness." Sakae replied"But I was able to fulfill my part of the task." She added.

"When has the Imperial Princess been leaving the Palace?" The Empress asked.

"At noon on most days." Sakae replied. "In the mid hours of the day she tended to seclude herself and remained in the comfort of her Chambers." She added.

"That's good enough." The Empress replied.

"Thank you Your Highness." Sakae said.

"You may leave." The Empress ordered.

"Aye Your Highness." Sakae replied and she walked away towards the direction of the Royal shrine.

The Emperor walked into his study and there he sat down.

"Your Majesty." Sato said but he raised his right hand and halted him.

"I need some time to think alone." The Emperor replied.

"Aye Your Majesty." Sato replied as he turned to walk out of the room.

"Wait." The Emperor seemed to change his mind before Sato would go any further.

"Yes Your Majesty?" Sato turned around and bowing his head he replied.

"I'm sure that you have already noticed yourself as it has given rise to a lot of questions." The Emperor said.

"Yes Your Majesty." Sato replied.

"Everyone has an opinion so what is yours?" The Emperor asked.

"Your Highness, I'm only a Eunuch." Sato said.

"Yet the wisest and the person in the whole of Yamato that I trust the most." The Emperor said.

"I may not really be that skilled in interpreting the signs of heaven, no, I might not even be qualified to comprehend them at all but I believe that nothing happens without a reason." Sato replied.

"Are you saying that I should further look into it?" The Emperor asked.

"As the Emperor I believe that on your side nothing is of any less importance, even the slightest of things to others should carry some degree of value to you.

If it wasn't yesterday or thirty years ago that Sagittarius glowed brightest then why was it today Your Majesty?" Sato asked.

"I understand you are worried but the extra ordinary happens once in the while, at one point Venus glows brightest, the other it's Mars, then one time it'll be mercury, Capricorn and cancer, it's natural as long as they are stars." The Emperor replied.

"Very many people believe that His Majesty has in deed been a wise and a very great ruler throughout the years, however the reason that we are all concerned Your Majesty is because the Emperor's star is starting to become dimmer with every day that goes by." Sato said.

"Are you trying to say....?" The Emperor asked.

"Pardon me Your Majesty." Sato said.

"I understand very much that when the Emperor's star starts to become dim then it's an indicator that either very soon the Emperor's reign is coming to an end or it's the end of the of the Imperial dynasty." The Emperor said.

"Pardon me Your Majesty." Sato said.

"I said that understand very well where you are coming from but it has come to my attention that all the Courtiers and Officials could be having ulterior motives of their own." The Emperor said.

"Your Majesty." Sato said.

"I have noticed that quite a number of officials are putting me on pressure to select a successor for the Imperial Chieftain Soga no Iname as the news has spread to almost everyone that he is terminally ill and beyond redemption.

I fear that if we are hasty in interpreting the heavens then I could give them an opportunity to use the heavens against me as I am reluctant in replacing Iname very soon yet they show that they are quite determined." The Emperor replied

"Every one would naturally fancy the idea of being Iname's successor given the privileges that are likely to come with it, and additionally, it's very possible that whoever takes over shall wield immense political power." Sato said.

"Sagittarius I am certain is not a very auspicious sign and yet I must keep the rest of the courtiers and other officials tamed." The Emperor said.

"I understand Your Majesty, but should this sign persist then naturally, you'll have to do something about it." Sato said.

"That I am aware but sometimes if time is on our side then all it takes is one simple move to alter everything else." The Emperor said.

"Do you worry Your Majesty?" Sato asked.

"Yes." The Emperor replied. "I greatly worry every time." he added.

"Then let's just hope for the best tomorrow Your Majesty." Sato said.

"That's all that we can do." The Emperor affirmed.

Iname stood in his courtyard for a while as he gazed up at the sky and noticed the star that was glowing.

Umako happened to come closer to him at that very moment.

"You are amazed as well father." Umako said.

"Of course, it's already far past the early morning and yet the star shows no signs of vanishing anytime soon." Iname replied.

"As you had predicted father, Mononobe no Suke brought it up during our session with the Emperor in the morning." Umako said.

"It's natural that they'd think greatly of it, it is in deed quite splendid and yet at the same time most likely to be an indicator of something fatal." Iname replied.

"Everyone has noticed that the Emperor's star is becoming dimmer every day." Umako said.

"So how was it?" Iname asked.

"Every one brought up the idea of choosing the Imperial Chieftain's successor as it appears that they are all aware you are terminally ill." Umako replied.

"Of course, every dog is waiting eagerly to bite the master." Iname said.

"Father, if this persists then his Majesty might be forced to yield to their demands." Umako said.

"I've known his Majesty for quite a very long time, he is never hasty when making his decisions and besides it's not yet the right time for us to act." Iname said.

"But father, how long have we left?" Umako asked.

"Not long enough." Iname replied.

"Besides, heaven is on our side and I believe that at such a trying moment where everyone is having questions of their own it's high time that we used the will of heaven to our advantage." He added.

"Alright father." Umako said.

"Very soon they are all bound to scramble and Jockey for the Emperor's favour so it's necessary that before that happens, we have the Crown Prince fully consolidated on our side." Iname replied.

Princess Toyomike was in her Chambers and she was seated at her dressing table while looking into the mirror.

Her mind was entirely lost in the memories and she hadn't stopped thinking about the Crown Prince since the previous day.

She had bags under her eyes having been unable to sleep but above all, she wore a sad expression on her face.

Sina and Kabane were standing outside her quarters.

"Her Highness, is she fine?" Kabane asked.

"I doubt she is any better, she hasn't seen anyone since morning." Sina replied.

"Something bad could have happened to her." Kabane said.

"I know her Highness very well and she is a very strong young woman." Sina replied. "Since young, her only aid and redemption from depression or anger was some time alone." She added.

"It's natural for her to lock herself behind the doors?" Kabane asked.

"Yes." Sina replied.

Suddenly, Consort Katashishime turned up outside the Imperial Princess' quarters.

"Your Highness." Sina and Kabane said as they bowed their heads while greeting her.

"At ease, both of you." Consort Katashishime said.

The two complied.

"I wish to have a word with Her Highness." Consort Katashishime said.

"Her Highness isn't in a good mood Your Highness." Kabane said.

"I have noticed, I have heard that she hasn't left her quarters for a while now and she has been living behind these closed days since the Gion Matsuri festival celebrations." Consort Katashishime said.

The two looked. at each other.

"Yes Your Highness." They replied in unison.

"Step aside, I'll talk to her." Consort Katashishime said.

Before Sina and Kabane could even move to the side to let her go in, the doors were opened and the Imperial Princess gracefully emerged from inside her face looking alright and a smile on her face.

"Mother." Princess Toyomike said.

Sina and Kabane looked at her and we're quite puzzled by her expression.

"My dear." Consort Katashishime said as she walked over to her daughter and then held both of her hands together.

"I'm sorry if I had you worried." Princess Toyomike apologized.

"I thought that something awful had happened to you." Consort Katashishime said.

"I'm alright mother, after I had passed out it's just that the Royal physician had recommended some bed rest and I was quite busy composing my thoughts and doing some reading." Princess Toyomike replied.

"That's good to hear." Consort Katashishime said. "My heart is finally at ease if you are this happy." She added as she caressed the right cheek of her daughter.

Sina and Kabane could barely believe what was going on at that moment.

The Princess then embraced her mother into a hug.

"Mother." she said.

"Toyomike." She called.

"I missed you too." Princess Toyomike said.

"You must have." Katashishime replied.

The two pulled apart.

"But I am very happy seeing you again." Princess Toyomike said.

"Same for me." Consort Katashishime replied.

The Crown Prince was seated in his office and he was also lost in thoughts of his own.

A number of documents had been put at his table but he was unable to find the courage to look into any of them.

He stood up after some time and started walking about the place back and forth as the image of Abe back at the top of Kagu Hill came into his mind.

He had to constantly force himself into forgetting the words that she had told him.

"Why Abe?" The Crown Prince spoke to himself. "am I really not that good enough that you turn down my offer?" He added.

A number of questions still filled his mind and it was at that moment that he heard the doors to his office suddenly opening that he turned and looked at the entrance as Miwa no Sakau walked through.

The Crown Prince hurriedly rushed over towards him.

"Sakau?" he called.

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

"You can drop all the formalities and get to the point." The Crown Prince said. "Did you find aout anything about Abe's real identity?" He asked.

"Not much Your Highness." Sakau replied.

The Crown Prince was upset.

"But I have some very good news your Highness." Sakau said having noticed the drastic change on his Master's face.

The Crown Prince's eyes turned hopeful as his face lit up immediately.

"What is it?" The Crown Prince eagerly asked.

"I looked through all the possible places that I recalled we'd seen him before and searching far and wide my luck brought me to a couple of kids who knew him from before." Miwa no Sakau replied.

"What did they tell you?" The Crown asked as he ceased Miwa no Sakau by his shoulders.

"My efforts your Highness led me back to the last place that you'd expect and you'd be quite surprised Your Highness if I told you this but Abe is beyond an ordinary commoner here in Nara." Miwa no Sakau replied.

"If he isn't a common girl then. who exactly is she?" The Crown Prince asked.

"I don't know Your Highness but one thing is certain for now and perhaps all that is left for me us to prove it as the person that you are looking for resides in your father's very own residence." Miwa no Sakau replied.

"What?" the Crown Prince said quite shocked.

"Yes Your Highness." Miwa no Sakau replied. "one of those children testified that he on a number of occasions saw Abe coming from the Imperial Palace." he added.

"Prepare for me a palanquin." The Crown Prince said.

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

"We are headed for the Imperial Palace." The Crown Prince replied as he walked out of the office immediately.

The Empress entered her study and at that moment she was followed inside by Hinote.

She sat down at the main table and Hinote standing in her left bowed his head.

"Your Highness." He greeted.

"It has taken you some time to report back." The Empress said.

"The Princess is very smart and she was careful in her tracks so finding out her whereabouts was in deed something very difficult for both me and my men." Hinote replied.

"I see it, she seems to be quite a bothersome young lady." The Empress said.

"Pardon me for my incompetence Your Highness, for I have kept you waiting for so long." Hinote said.

"It doesn't really matter, as long as you are here then it's good enough." The Empress said.

"Thank you Your Highness." Hinote said.

"So, where exactly was the Princess yesterday?" The Empress asked.

"I have confirmed that the Imperial Princess has been to Kagu Hill." Hinote replied.

The Empress who was holding her tea cup at hand dropped it at that moment and it shattered.

"What have you said?" The Empress asked.

"The Princess was at Kagu Hill." Hinote replied.

"At what time?" The Empress asked.

"In the early afternoon." Hinote replied.

"Kagu hill." She rose up from her seat and shouted.

"Yes, Your Highness." Hinote replied hesitantly as the Empress seemed to remember her conversation with the Crown Princess.

"He holds no desire towards all the three of us, yet yesterday when I inquired from Hotaru who happened to eavesdrop his conversation with Miwa no Sakau, I learnt that he had gone to Kagu Hill to meet someone there." The Crown Princess had said.

"No." The Empress said as she turned to Hinote.

"Whom did she meet up with?" The Empress asked Hinote.

"I am not certain but the Crown Prince was reported to have been at the hill top at that very time." Hinote replied.

The Empress losing all her strength fell back into her seat as Hinote rushed over to hold her but she halted him with her left hand.

"Your Highness." Hinote said. "Are you alright?" He asked.

The Empress' thoughts had drifted elsewhere.

"So that's what Her Highness was up to." The Empress said to herself.

Hinote was puzzled.

"What's wrong Your Highness?" He asked.

"No wonder you couldn't find her Everytime, no wonder she had to falsify a treason plot, no wonder she had the Royal guards retrained and she cleared the palace of all it's moles." The Empress said.

"Your Highness." Hinote continued to call but it was as though the Empress had forgotten he was present in the room.

"She wanted to get rid of all the many eyes watching her and the ears hearing her, had my attention diverted on trying to discover her whereabouts when actually, she was conniving behind my back and seeing the Crown Prince." The Empress finally said.

Hinote looked at her and chose to keep quiet.

"Hahahaha." The Empress loudly laughed that Hinote was utterly confused and surprised by her reaction.

It was at that moment that the Empress turned around and looked at Hinote in the eyes.

"Hinote." She called.

"Yes Your Highness?" Hinote replied.

"Can you believe it?" She asked.

"What Your Highness?" Hinote asked uncertain what the Empress was talking to him about.

"All this time, the Princess has been fooling us all when initially the Crown Prince was her ultimate goal, my own son, my flesh and blood was what she was entirely after." The Empress replied.

"Your Highness." Hinote said.

"No." The Empress said. "I must say that I am quite impressed by her capabilities, I am awed that in all my life I had never come across someone who could be this smart enough an equal for me." she added.

"The Princess is quite young Your Highness, I am certain that wasn't what she was thinking." Hinote said.

"It's no longer about possibility Hinote, I must admit it that I underestimated the Imperial Princess so much and at this moment I can not help but be entirely reminded of the fact that she is pretty much the girl that I was in the twilight years of my teenage hood." The Empress said.

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

"Great, great." She said. "The Princess has drawn her distinction so I can't necessarily ignore her, if she also made it out of the palace to Kagu hill disguised then I need you to find out one thing for me." The Empress and.

"Give Your order Your Highness, your wish is my command." Hinote said as he bowed his head.

"I want you to find out whether the Crown Prince is aware of he has been meeting the Imperial Princess." The Empress ordered.

"Yes Your Highness." Hinote replied as he withdrew from the room leaving the Empress inside and lost in thought.

"What are you thinking Your Highness, what is it that you are after?" The Empress asked herself.

The Crown Prince's palanquin arrived at the entrance of the Imperial palace and he walked out of it followed by Miwa no Sakau as they made their way inside.

They were escorted by a group of eunuchs as they made their way across the palace courtyard and the Crown Prince having spent some time away and wearing a serious expression on his face attracted the attention of the palace maids and all the other people around including the Royal guards.

Hotaru barged into the Crown Princess' quarters.

"Your Highness." She said as she called her Mistress who was massaging her temples while reading through a couple of scrolls.

"What is it?" The Crown Princess asked.

"The Crown Princess." Hotaru replied.

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

"He has returned to the Imperial Palace, he is here." Hotaru replied and at once the Crown Princess stood up.

"Are you sure?" The Crown Princess asked.

"I am your Highness, I have seen him with my own eyes." Hotaru replied.

"Take me to him." The Crown Princess commanded.

"Yes Your Highness." Hotaru replied as she led the Crown Princess outside her room.

The Crown Prince and Sakau arriving at his personal Chambers he halted for a while as the Royal guards at the entrance as well as the palace maids and the eunuchs that they had come across nearby bowed their heads.

"Your Highness." They said in unison.

The Crown Prince turned to Miwa no Sakau.

"Come with me inside and everyone else can remain out here." He said.

"Yes Your Highness." They said in unison as he turned around and then looked at the guards.

"You two are also excused, Miwa no Sakau is good enough and he can protect me." The Crown Prince said.

"Yes Your Highness." The guards said as they walked away while the Crown Prince and Miwa no Sakau walked into his Chambers.

"What is it Your Highness?" Miwa no Sakau asked the Crown Prince.

The Crown Princess and Hotaru had arrived outside the Crown Prince's Chambers.

"Wait." The Crown Princess halted Hotaru when she heard voices coming from inside.

"What's it Your Highness?" Hotaru asked.

"Sshhh." The Crown Princess muttered as she placed her ear on the door and eavesdropped their conversation.

"I want you to look through all the records of the palace maids and everyone else who resides within this palace, find out all those that have been missing or out during the afternoon hours.

I want you to do whatever it takes as I had consequently asked myself who is Abe, I've always felt so attached to him but now that I have learnt that it is a woman I am thankful and perhaps heaven is on my side.

My deepest desire is in finding out who she really is and if she is in this Palace then make sure that you leave no stone unturned until you have finally found out her real identity." The Crown Prince ordered.

"Yes Your Highness." Miwa no Sakau said.

"Make sure that you carry out this task with the utmost secrecy because before anything happens, I don't want both Abe being alerted or anyone else finding out especially my mother." The Crown Prince said.

"I won't let you down Your Highness." Miwa no Sakau said.

"You may leave." The Crown Prince said.

"Aye Your Highness." Miwa no Sakau replied as he turned around and walked towards the door way.

The Crown Princess and Hotaru having heard the conversation coming to an end moved to the side and hid and Miwa no Sakau unable to see anyone outside didn't suspect that his conversation with the Crown Prince had landed into someone else's ears so he went his way.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince is seeing someone else." Hotaru said.

"But even he doesn't know her real identity." The Crown Princess replied.

"What are we going to do Your Highness?" Hotaru asked.

"If he is also not aware of the girl that he is looking for, it's possible that he either has something in his possession that could help us find out her identity or even give us a clue about her whereabouts within the palace." The Crown Princess replied.

"How could he have a memento of the girl and not know who it is?" Hotaru asked.

"If he learnt that the girl that he is looking for is within the palace then he must have in his possession something within the palace that is linked to the mystery girl." The Crown Princess replied.

"What do you want me to do Your Highness?" Hotaru asked.

"When no one is watching, I want you to go into the Crown Prince's Chambers and look through it and see if you can find anything valuable inside his belongings, whatever it is, you must alert me beforehand and tell me what it is." The Crown Princess replied.

"Yes Your Highness." Hotaru said.

The Crown Princess moved to the balcony.

"It rests with us to find the girl before the Crown Prince does." The Crown Princess said.

"Your Highness, what shall we do if we find out who the Crown Prince's mystery girl is?" Hotaru asked.

"We shall need to first of all get rid of all the possible evidence that could prove she is this Abe that the Crown Prince is looking for and when the earlier is done, the latter shall be to ensure no one ever hears from her again." The Crown Princess replied with a ghastly smile on her face.

"Yes, Your Highness." Hotaru said with a smile on her face as she bowed her head.

Sina walked into the Princess's room.

"Your Highness." She said as she bowed her head having found the Princess reading some scrolls from the Imperial library.

"What is it?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"Are you alright Your Highness?" Sina asked.

"Yes." Princess Toyomike replied. "I only needed some time to think and calm my mind, I think that it is high time that I took a break from the outside world and focused on things within the palace." Princess Toyomike replied.

"Then I am glad to see that Her Highness has finally calmed down and is in a better mood right now." Sina said.

"I am at ease as well seeing how you and Kabane really care about me." Princess Toyomike said.

"It's nothing Your Highness, it is our duty." Sina said.

"A number of people abandon their duty in life, I am only grateful that I found the two most loyal companions to call my own." The Princess said.

"The honor is ours Your Highness." Sina said.

"Soon I'll be turning sixteen years old and I'm only months away from my sixteenth birthday." The Princess said.

"Logically you are already sixteen years old Your Highness." Sina said.

"Nevertheless." Princess Toyomike replied. "I fear so much that a lot might happen in the near future." She added.

"Don't worry too much Your Highness." Sina said.

"Of course, I won't." The Princess replied with a smile on her face.

"By the way." She said.

"What is it Your Highness?" Sina asked.

"Did you wish to tell and something before?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"Yes Your Highness." Sina replied.

"What was it?" Princess Toyomike asked.

"The Crown Prince is back in the palace." Sina replied.

Frightened the Princess stood up.

"What?" She said.

"Are you alright Your Highness?" Sina asked.

"I'm fine." The Princess said putting on an act to convince Sina. "Just surprised." She added with a smile on her face assuring Sina that in deed she meant what she was saying.

"I'll take my leave then Your Highness." Sina said.

"Sure." Princess Toyomike agreed.

The Crown Prince had abandoned his room and the sun was setting over the Empire and he had not yet returned.

Hotaru who was stationed around the corner noticed a group of Royal guards that were standing there and guarding the Crown Prince's chamber.

All of a sudden, one of the Crown Princess' palace maids arrived from the opposite end.

"Excuse me." She said.

The guards turned around and looked at her noticing that she was greatly overwhelmed with panic.

"Her Highness, the Crown Princess is in danger and has fainted." The maid said.

"Take us to her Highness." one of the Royal guards said and at once the palace maid leading them away they left the Crown Prince's chamber unguarded.

Hotaru ceased the opportunity and dressed in a plain black attire she sneaked into the Crown Prince's quarters and once inside she started to look through his things.

She moved to the closet and looked through all the Crown Prince's clothes but was unable to find anything she turned around and then bent over to look under the bed, there was still nothing.

She looked around through a series of trunks and was unable to find a thing as the palace maid who'd led the Crown Prince's guards to the Crown Princess brought them to a shed.

There they found the Crown Princess on the ground and the two lifting her up were watched by the palace maid.

"Take her to her Chambers." The Palace maid ordered and the two complied as they moved to the Western side of the palace.

Hotaru had searched for long and was unable to find a thing, eventually, she stood in the middle of the Crown Prince's chamber.

She looked around for anything and there ahead of the Crown Prince's bed she hadn't noticed the wooden trunk that was quite small and appeared to be a footstool.

Hotaru rushed over to the box and there she fell on her knees as she looked at it and searched around for a way to open it.

Eventually, she found a small hollow in the trunk and pushing her fingers into it, she was able to open it.

Hotaru looked inside and there was a precious red fabric and removing it she noticed that it had served as a veil to a beautiful gilded mask.

The moment that Hotaru touched the mask, her mind wandered away it being familiar her doubts were confirmed the very moment she recalled the dance of the Imperial Princess at the Gion Matsuri festival celebrations.

"No." She muttered as she looked up at the mask unable to draw any distinction her doubts were confirmed that in deed it was the Imperial Princess' mask.

She heard someone headed her way and she hurriedly returned the mask into the trunk along with the fabric that was veiling it and noticing that the footsteps were getting louder and louder, she looked around and the only exit she saw was a very simple and small window.

She was able to see some shadows projected outside and gathering her courage, she climbed up the window and jumped outside that very instant before the door was flung open.

The Crown Prince walked in to his chamber very tired as he made his way to his bed and then fell down on it.

Hotaru having landed outside surveyed the vicinity to see if there were any Royal guards and confident that she was still unseen, she hurriedly rushed away to the Western Palace.

Hotaru entered the Crown Prince's Chambers and found her pacing around.

"Your Highness." Hotaru said.

"Did you find anything?" The Crown Princess asked her.

"Your Highness." Hotaru said.

"What?" The Crown Princess asked.

"I'm not certain but when I looked through the Crown Prince's things I found the Golden mask that belonged to the lead dancer that night during the Festival celebrations in the Imperial Princess' Palace.

"So you're saying that...?" the Crown Princess asked.

"The woman that His Highness could be in love with is the Imperial Princess Toyomike." Hotaru replied.

The Crown Princess entirely furious clenched her fists out of an endless burning fury.

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