8 CHAPTER SIX
Toyomike was walking around the palace as Sina followed her closely behind, at that moment, she halted when she beheld at a distance the Emperor holding in his hand a bow and arrow.
He pulled the string and shot right into the bullseye and for some reason, the Princess herself was intrigued.
It was at that very moment that Iname walked up to her and she beheld him.
"Grandfather." She called.
"Your Highness." Iname said as he bowed his head.
"Are you here to see the Emperor?" Toyomike asked.
"Yes." Iname replied as he stood right beside his granddaughter and the two spectated as the Emperor went ahead to play his game.
"It appears to me that he is quite busy though." Iname said.
"He always has been." Toyomike said. "I just never imagined that he'd be such a good Archer as I had never seen him going to fight bad people." Toyomike said.
"You are so sweet and young my dear, you don't know how much these old eyes of mine have seen." Iname said.
"Why grand father, do you know anything about my father?" Toyomike asked.
"So much more than anyone else, even better than he knows himself at least." Iname replied.
"What was my warrior father like?" Toyomike asked.
"When he rode off to war on his blaxk mare he streaked through the enemies like a ray of black lightning, he turned horses upside down and he had the might to push down big stones to crush the attackers.
He fought along with his brother and altogether they gathered all the small villages that constituted this country and United them into one.
He could be old at this point in time but for a warrior Emperor like him, his skill shall always be second to none." Iname replied.
"Wow." Toyomike said. " I want to be strong like my father when I grow up." She added and Iname was quite amused as the Emperor also turned around and noticed the three standing not so far from where he was.
"You are but a young girl, just ask to be wise." Iname said.
"Why, can't there ever be a very strong woman?" Toyomike asked and Iname ran short of words as he looked on at the young Princess.
Determination raged like an angry fire in her eyes and she did not appear shaken at all.
"Toyomike." The Emperor called her name.
"Yes Father." Toyomike replied asshe turned around and looked at the Emperor.
"Come down here." The Emperor summoned her while waving his hand and Sina followed her down to where her father was.
"Your Majesty." Sina said as she bowed her head.
"Father, I want to also shoot with your bow." Toyomike said.
"Really?" The Emperor asked.
"Yes." Toyomike replied.
"Alright come here." The Emperor said as he got hold of his daughter and then positioned himself behind her.
He helped her grip his bow and arrow and then started talking to her.
"Look at your target." The Emperor said.
"Yes." Toyomike replied.
"Focus and close your ears to everything else there is around you." The Emperor said again.
"Yes." Toyomike replied.
"Close your eyes." He ordered and she complied.
"Breathe in and out." He added as she opened her eyes.
"Ready?" The Emperor asked.
"Yes." Toyomike replied.
"Now let the arrow go." The Emperor said and at once Toyomike freed it.
The arrow flew right in to the bullseye.
The Princess smiled as she had grown up into a very beautiful young woman and in deed the fairest in the land.
At sixteen years of age, Toyomike looked no different from a goddess with her dark eyes and her long pitch black hair.
Her face was round ending in a chisel shaped chin and her nose small and cherry looking lips so smooth.
She had a blush that came natural to her alone and in deed, one would tell from her appearance that she was a marvellous, kind hearted and strong young woman.
"How was it father?" Toyomike asked.
"That was perfect dear." The Emperor said.
"Finally, I mastered the art of striking the arrow all alone." Toyomike said.
"It has been the only skill that you have come to perfect all these years." The Emperor replied.
"Which is good enough for me father, was it not you who told me to act more lady like?" Toyomike asked.
"Nevertheless ladies do not play with bows and arrows." The Emperor replied. "These are toys for young boys and men." he added.
"But still for your sake I have made an effort father, I treat myself as any Princess would do." Toyomike added.
"And that is the reason that I can tolerate you playing with these things, after all you shall have the finest husband in the land and I'll make sure he is a powerful general who can look after you." The Emperor said.
"And who shall look after you father the way that I do?" Toyomike asked.
"My palace is filled with maids and servants, Saying has been beside me all these years fully dedicated to my service." The Emperor replied.
"But Sato and those maids are not your daughters." Toyomike said.
"To an Emperor, all the people there in his Palace and Empire are his children, and yes they could be bad one and good ones alike but he is the father of all." The Emperor replied.
"Hmm." Toyomike muttered as she nodded her head out of contentment.
"Speaking of which, where is Sina?" The Emperor asked.
"Oh, Sina, she must be training with the other Princes at the Royal guards' arena." Toyomike replied.
Sina stood and she had been surrounded by three of Toyomike's brother's along with three of their personal retainers as well.
"Are you certain that you can handle the pressure from all six of us?" Toyomike's older brother asked.
"How about we see that?" Sina replied as she tightly gripped her wooden katana.
She turned around as the boys launched themselves towards her and then she span as she dodged them making her way towards the third.
She lowered her katana towards the first Prince and he guarded it with his own.
Swung it to the other side as he guarded it there as well, she heard the other five attacking her from behind and she summersaulted and flew above them as she landed behind and kicked one of them onto the ground.
"Four star formation." The first Prince commanded and the remaining for scattered themselves into four independent corners which constituted a single file.
The launched a back to back attack on Sina but with the edge of her wooden sword even she ably warded them off without that much difficulty.
The first Prince noticing that Sina had been overwhelmed a little bit he sprang himself towards her, noticing that it could have been a chance for him to win the challenge.
Sina a little bit to swift turned slightly as the Prince dashed past him, she turned and then kicked him as he staggered but still maintained his stamina.
The other four attacked once again but while revolving around Sina to try and confuse her.
"Heaven's revolver." The First Prince ordered and they attacked Sina once again.
She span around and attacked them one by one as she countered them with the sole revolver move which was at the time an invention of her own.
Toyomike who had just walked into the arena stopped to watch at a distance when Sina threw herself in the air and then made her descent onto the First Prince.
The First Prince who was the strongest of her foes blocked her with his own wooden sword and the two clashing looked at each other face to face.
The First Prince started to push Sina backwards with their swords still locked.
Sina planted her feet firm in the ground with resistance and her movement stopped.
The two kicked each other apart and both of them stumbled backwards a little but swiftly regained their equilibrium as they launched themselves to one another once again.
Their swords clashed multiple times with more and more power that everyone else including the other maids that were present in the arena stopped to watch the two including the other two Princes and their retainers.
With a seventh strike of each other, the wooden katanas shattered and fell to pieces as the two contenders ceased.
"Sina." Toyomike said.
"It is a draw, again." The First Prince said as he dropped the last half of his broken katana.
"Impressive skills." Sina said. "Your Highness." she added.
"Yours are too good for a woman." The First Prince complemented as he walked away.
"Sina." Toyomike said as she came closer and stood in front of her.
"Your Highness." Sina said as she bowed her head.
"It is alright, you can rise." Toyomike told Sina and she complied.
"I still do not know why you train day and night to turn yourself into this." Toyomike said.
"It is thanks to you Your Highness that I was granted another chance at life, all that I can do with it to fulfill my duty to you is learn how to fight to protect you with it." Sina replied.
"I only saved your life, I don't want you to imprison yourself to serving me." Toyomike said.
"It is no punishment for me to serve her Highness and I understand that you aren't as skilled as I am, it is an honor for me to give up my life for you." Sina replied.
"Alright." Toyomike said, "I need to talk to you in private." she added.
"Yes, Your Highness." Sina replied as the two walked off to the Princess's chamber.
"Your Highness." Hinote said as he walked into the Empress's room.
She was seated at a small round table that was stationed in the right corner of her Chambers next to a simple window through which she could ably view the rising sun.
"What is it Hinote?" The Empress asked with a smile on her face.
"Congratulations Your Highness." Hinote said.
"What for, it is not like it is my birthday." The Empress said.
"The Crown Prince NUNAKAKURA is returning to the capital today." Hi ote replied.
"What?" The Empress asked as she stood up.
"Yes." Hinote confirmed.
"Sakae." The Empress called as her servant rushed in.
"How may I help you Your Highness?" Sakae asked.
"The Crown Prince is returning to the Capital today." The Empress said.
"Congratulations Your Highness." Sakae said.
"Do not congratulate me." The Empress said. " Is the Emperor aware of this?" She asked Hinote.
"Sato went to inform him." Hinote replied.
"Good, very good." The Empress said as she turned to Sakae.
"Have the best things put in place, tell the kitchen to prepare the most extravagant supper for this evening, today, the palace shall be deigned with the Crown Prince and his Family's presence." The Empress added.
"Yes Your Highness." Sakae said as she rose up and left the room with Hinote while the Empress smiled at herself.
"What?" The Emperor said.
"Yes Your Majesty, the Crown Prince Nunakakura returns to the capital today." Sato said.
"I see." The Emperor replied. "Has the Empress been informed?" He asked.
"Certainly." Sato replied.
"Alright then, clear my schedule with any other officials this evening, I want every member of the Imperial household especially those of the Imperial family gathered here tonight." The Emperor said.
"Yes Your Majesty." Saying replied as he withdrew from the Emperor's presence.
"The Crown Prince is coming back to the capital?" Katashishime asked Sara.
"Yes Milady." Sara replied.
"It's only been fifteen years since he left it and roamed around other areas surrounding the place." Katashishime said.
"He returns with the Crown Princess and the rest of his family." Sara said.
"After he had been named the Crown Prince he gave the excuse that he needed to head out and roam around his future Empire with the intention of learning more about his people." Katashishime said.
"I had heard that he did quite an excellent job where he had been." Sara said.
"He must've." Katashishime said. " I am curious though." She added.
"Curious?" Sara asked.
"Yes." Katashishime replied.
"About what Milady?" Sara asked.
"About the fact that he chose to come back at this time." Katashishime replied.
"He is the Crown Prince, couldn't staying for long away from the capital be a good enough reason?" Sara said.
"I highly doubtful." Katashishime replied.
"Father." Umako said as he walked into his father's room.
"What is it Umako?" Iname asked.
"Have you heard of the news?" Umako asked.
"I receive so much news from my eyes and ears every day, which one in particular are you talking about?" Iname asked.
"The Crown Prince is returning to the capital today." Umako replied.
"I was expecting you'd say something else, I have already known that beforehand." Iname replied.
"Why don't you seem so bothered by it father?" Umako asked.
"Is there any reason that I should be bothered by it?" Iname asked.
"Father, it is the Crown Prince, for all that we know, both his mother and us aren't on the best terms." Umako replied.
"You don't have to exhaust yourself and worry too much over nothing, it is after all a very good thing for us." Iname said.
"How father, you please enlighten me, the Emperor has been tolerant towards us but I don't think that his son will, additionally, his step mother is my sister and your daughter and they were never that close in their past life.
After all he is tied to his mother's apron strings so it is only natural he'd work according to her will." Umako said.
"Why do you think that the Crown Prince chooses to return to the capital now after all those years?" Iname asked.
"I don't know." Umako said as he looked at his father who ghastly smiled at him.
"Did you have anything to do with this father?" Umako asked.
"Recently, there have been rumours going around that the Emperor's health is not that stable on one hand and on the other hand there is the question and the issue of the Imperial Princess's marriage." Iname replied. "who do you think was responsible for all that?" He asked.
"You, father." Umako replied.
"Yes." Iname confessed.
"To get every wolf out into the open, lure them out with the sheep." Iname said.
"I don't understand." Umako said.
"Every man presents their greed the very moment that chaos is bound to befall them. In every battle there are deserters and on one hand those that put the lives of others on the line for their own survival." Iname replied.
"What has it got to do with the Crown Prince?" Umako said.
"The rumors of the Emperor's health being worse are bound to create more havoc in the court and now all officials will jockey for the favour of the Empress since she is an elder in the inner court.
The Crown Prince is not that foolish to not know that every other official has their own greedy intentions so we'll be the very first people to embrace him, give him our support and show him our absolute sincerity when he most certainly needs it." Iname said.
"Should it fail?" Umako asked.
"Have I ever failed in my life before my son?" Iname asked.
"No father." Umako replied.
"Every man us selfish when it comes to the person they love, the Crown Prince is human after all as well.
He could be tied to his mother's apron strings but that does not mean that he can't possibly break free." Iname said.
"So you are going to use the Imperial Princess Toyomike?" Umako asked.
"You're now getting it." Iname said.
"But the Crown Prince is married to three wives already." Umako said.
"And I know that his relationship with all of them isn't that much of an issue, even with a crown Princess to whom he's been married for more than ten years, they have a single son." Iname said.
"So in his heart he is still longing." Umako said.
"And the more he longs we shall be the first to provide." Iname said.
"But he can marry all the women in the world." Umako said.
"The Imperial Princess Toyomike's beauty is quite deceptive, her charm is strong on any man both young and old, when it comes to kindness and wisdom, compared to all women in the land she is above par.
She is immaculate, and above all the most beautiful deer there is on our side in the Royal herd." Iname said.
"And by force, her marriage to the Crown Prince shall secure our position in the Imperial court and even better with us portraying our support to the Crown Prince upon ascension his best privileges shall descend on us above all." Umako said.
"That is it but not the entire gist of my diamond plan." Iname said.
"If the Empress and her son are set on two antagonistic paths with one another, all there is that is left for the both of them is to collide in opposition like two equal powerful forces.
Should the Empress cease to acquire her support from the Crown, that shall be the very moment that her power in the palace shall come to a decline." Umako said.
"You have now learnt that as well." Iname said.
"Yes Father." Umako replied as he smiled.
"Your Highness, what are you doing?" Sina asked as Toyomike helped her to wear her dresses.
"I am your master so don't question me and besides this is a chance for you to look beautiful." Toyomike replied.
"But Your Highness, all I am is a servant, how can I wear my mistress's clothes?" Sina asked.
"I need your help with something." Toyomike said as she got hold of another pair of clothes from her own trunk.
They looked like very old and cheap boy's clothes.
"No, not again Your Highness." Sina said.
"I haven't gone out of the palace in a very long time and I wanted to at least take a visit." Toyomike said.
"But you'll be in big trouble if the Empress or even your mother find out that you are not inside the palace." Sina said.
"That is why this time I am leaving you behind." Toyomike said.
"What?" Sina asked.
"I do understand that it couldn't be entirely easy but at least it is better if we give it a try." Toyomike said.
"I look nothing like you." Sina said.
"You have been with me for ten whole years and you can also speak fluently like I can, you know me inside and out and everything that I do.
I underestimated you before but you are the best and only choice that is available at the moment and besides you can act it out better." Toyomike said.
"Your Highness." Sina said.
"Are you disobeying my order." Toyomike lightly threatened.
"No." Sina said.
"Very good then." Toyomike said as she dressed up as a boy.
"I don't understand though if you are a girl why you still need to dress up as a boy when going outside." Sina said.
"The outside world is cruel so at least if I dress up as a boy, I can only be less bothered by it." Toyomike replied.
"I see." Sina said as Toyomike stood up and faced her.
"How do I look like?" Toyomike asked Sina.
"Like a boy." Sina replied.
"That is good enough." Toyomike said as she turned around a d then walked towards the door.
"If anyone comes, just tell them that you are trying to sleep and you do not need anyone else to interrupt you." Toyomike said.
"Alright your Highness but please hurry up to come back." Sina said. " If you delay, both me and you shall be in very big trouble." She added.
"Don't worry, I shall certainly do so." Toyomike said as she sneaked out through the back of the palace as she eventually landed into the busy market place in Nara.
Toyomike started to walk through the streets that had all been entirely crowded by the traders who were busy exchanging goods.
As she walked past an alley, she saw a Group of men who were shuffling through a group of young boys.
One who appeared to be a man in his mid thirties snatched a small sachet from one of the boys and he along with his colleague ran away.
"Halt there you." Toyomike shouted as she set off behind the men in hot pursuit.
Upon realizing that she had seen them, they quickened there footsteps and then entered the main Street which had been overcrowded with merchants and other people.
Toyomike was still persistent on chasing them so she further used her small self to make swift her penetration into the crowd.
The men being older had much longer strides than her but her only advantage was that compared to their big mass, she was small so it was easy for her to squeeze through the merchants.
The closer that she got the more distant the men got and halfway at the front where a cart was being pulled, they moved around and threw it in the middle to block Toyomike's path.
She halted before making her landing in to the fruits and the vegetables that were being sold as she looked around from one end to another before noticing an all familiar alley.
She smiled as she made her way inside it getting faster and faster when she caught sight of the robbers a little while later.
Toyomike smiled as she came in so swiftly.
They couldn't see her given the attention that they kept pinned behind them and the noise of the people that covered Toyomike's footsteps.
By the time one of the snatchers reacted it was too late as Toyomike had hit the small sachet out of their hands and it was flying away.
She jumped lightly and reached for the sachet and tightened her grip around it as she continued in the opposite direction and the two snatchers shouted after her.
"Catch that little boy." One of them said as they also started pursuing Toyomike who upon reaching one busy Street looked around and then saw it totally packed.
It was going to be too difficult for her to run from those snatchers who were approaching her and already in close proximity unless she had advanced her flight techniques.
Looking to her right, she finally caught sight of a very long staircase that was ascending up a two stories building.
The Snatchers about only five metres away she started to make her ascension as they couldn't halt in time and entered the main Street.
They started to run after the young Toyomike while maintaining their sight of her as she leaped from one balcony to another.
Eventually after one monotonous direction of motion, the men seeing another ascending staircase at the front took it to try and catch Toyomike.
She negotiated a corner around one of the buildings and then she came to stop when in a distance she beheld nothing but a dead end.
The snatchers behind were catching up to her and all of them ignorant that she is a Princess.
It would be a disgrace if she was spotted outside the palace so she had more than one thing to think of and her last resort was to attempt what she had never done before.
The Princess persevered and launched herself forward, she jumped past the balcony onto a nearby tiled roof just in time to capture the attention of every other merchant in town.
She steadily ran on top of the nearby buildings and stopped in a distance to look behind at the Snatchers to whom it was nothing but a dead end.
She waved at them barely noticing that there was some one who was looking at him from down.
The Crown Prince Nunakakura who was dressed no different from a common man was stationed down and looking at the sky with other merchants was a little bit awed by the boy.
"Your Highness." His retainer, a strong and ably built man Miwa no Sakau called him.
"What is it?" Prince Nunakakura asked.
"Nothing, I just wonder if you find the view interesting." Miwa no Sakau replied.
"I am awed, for a boy he is in deed too brave and daring." The Crown Prince said.
He turned around to walk through one of the alleys that happened to be next to the building atop which Toyomike was standing.
Toyomike laughed out loudly that she forgot how high she was standing and by mistake while walking backwards she slipped.
Her scream was covered by the noise of the merchants but the Crown Prince walking below halted.
Like a reflex action the scream came up clearly to his ears that he looked up and then Toyomike descending he stretched out his hands and then gripped her tightly while she closed her eyes.
She was afraid, still screaming but even so, as Miwa no Sakau closed his ears, the Crown Prince looked on a little bit too immune to the shouts that emerged from the young boy's mouth.
Toyomike noticed a while later that she hadn't hit the ground and there was someone that was tightly holding onto her.
She felt a warm chest and a pair of very strong biceps that she was forced to open her eyes and look at her saviour.
She beheld his handsomeness as a deity brilliance that illuminated his face and his eyes looking at her with care and awe.
For a moment, it was as though time had ceased to move and all the people were having was a small intimate gaze that cast them into a series of thoughts.
"My Lord." Miwa no Sakau called him.
Toyomike realising it must have been someone with Noble roots and also being reminded that it was awkward and that she was pretending to be a boy, she pushed herself out of his grip as he turned around to look at Miwa no Sakau.
The Crown Prince staggered and then fell down on the ground as Miwa no Sakau looked at Toyomike who firmly stood on the ground realising that in her retaliation she happened to make her saviour fall.
"How dare you?" Sakau asked.
"Sorry." Toyomike said as she turned around.
"Wait." The Crown Prince called out to her as he got up.
Sakau did not wait any longer to launch himself towards the young boy.
In retaliation, Toyomike had to flee once again so she ran as fast as she could.
The Crown Prince also unwilling to give up his chase and all the more intrigued by the young boy set off after him.
Sakau came to meet face to face with the Royal guards of the Crown Prince but the Crown Prince ran past him into the alley trying to ensure that he did not lose sight of the little boy.
Toyomike persisted and eventually she lost the Crown Prince and reaching into the main Street, she blended in like a normal person with all other merchants that flooded it.
The Crown Prince entered the main Street as well having left the Royal guards and Sakau a distance behind.
His eyes surveyed the area for the young boy and in a distance he beheld him negotiating a corner so he also followed normally in the fear of frightening the young boy away.
Toyomike certain that she wasn't being followed entered another familiar alley that was filled with quite a number of haystacks.
She progressed further inside and she came to halt when she was standing in front of the young boys who cuddling themselves were crying.
The Crown Prince in close proximity halted around the corner of the building and in a distance he peeped to see what Toyomike was doing.
One of the boys noticed another presence in their midst so he looked up at who it was.
"ABE." He said forcing the other to also look up at Toyomike as well.
"Moshi, Hikoyama." Toyomike said.
The Crown Prince smiled as Toyomike got the sachet that she had in her possession.
"Were you looking for this?" Toyomike asked.
"Yes Abe." The boys replied as they smiled up to her and then stood up from where they had been seated.
They suddenly embraced Toyomike in a hug and even she was surprised because she had least expected that.
The Crown Prince where he was watching from was all the more curious about the young boy's identity.
He was so lost in thought when Miwa no Sakau spotted him.
"Your Highness." Miwa no Sakau said as he came closer with a group of Royal guards.
"Are you alright?" Sakau asked.
The Crown Prince looked back where Toyomike and the young boys had been but they had already vanished from his sight.
"Yes." Prince Nunakakura replied.
"We'd better get to the palace Your Highness." Sakau said.
"Don't worry so much about it, after all we aren't entirely late, are we?" Prince Nunakakura said as he patted Sakau on his right shoulder and smiled.
"What is wrong with you your Highness?" Sakau asked. " this isn't how you normally act everyday." he added.
"Nothing really, I just had a very interesting after noon." The Crown Prince replied.
"Alright Your Highness." Sakau said noticing that his master was already in a very good mood and he did not want to spoil it as well.
"Let's proceed, it would be too bad if we kept every one waiting." The Crown Prince said.
"Yes Your Highness." Sakau said as he bowed his head and led the Royal guards away.
The Crown Prince stayed a while as they kept on moving and still stared at the alley which linked with another road on the other side he supposed Toyomike and the boys had taken.
"Abe." He said to himself. " so interesting." He added with a smile on his face.
