Empress Natsume ✓

LXXV

What is heaven's will? No one knows. Humans will just have to comply to its whishes whether they like it or not. That day, the sun wasn't shining brightly. Its light was blocked by the dark heavy clouds looming in the sky.

Natsume remembered, that day she was standing in front of the majestic doors. An eunuch kowtowing before her, begging her to see that someone. When she turned her head to the side, she saw a lot of court ladies climbing at the stairs of the wall, when one of them reached the top of the palace walls, she jumped to her death. Followed by another and another, the emperor's concubines were also there to jump out of the wall. They didn't hesitate to jump out. What should they be called? Brave or suicidal. Natsume asked the crying eunuch in front of me and he replied,

"Your highness, the Ryuu army doesn't show mercy to their enemies even if we surrender. The women in the palace would chose death to keep their dignity intact rather than being defiled by the barbaric enemy soldiers"

She was stunned for a moment. War is truly ugly in every way. Does showing mercy for the defeated enemies affect her husband's glory? Or is it because his reputation cannot be redeemed and thus continuing on his ways of barbaric dealings with the enemy or maybe he felt pleasure, seeing his enemy in a pathetic state, it makes him feel superior than any other people.

Perhaps she won't understand the men's barbaric ways in wars. They said that women should just stay at home without meddling with the men's affairs, yet how many times did she cross that line?

"What about you?"

The eunuch smiled bitterly at her.

"I, on the other hand will serve my master until my last breath"

Servants can be foolish too, Natsume remembered she also have a foolish servants like him who would follow and obey their master until death. She took her first step inside the king's hall. It is still the daytime yet it was so dark. The sky roared with thunder and lightning.

With a little bit of reluctance, her feet move to the Jade steps of the throne. Natsume can't see his face properly but she can tell that he's unwaveringly looking at her. She stopped in front of him.

"Are you injured?"

Her voice was quite but the hall is even more quite, though her tone is low it echoes in the room.

"I'am not"

It was when the sky flashes its lightnings again followed by a thundering noise that she saw a glimpse of him. He wasn't fine, there's a pool of blood on his chair, his robe is red in color so the blood isn't that obvious.

"You should escape"

Her advice wasn't taken nicely, his hands made a bone cracking sound. Natsume was just concerned that time. He is still a victim of this endless wars, he was easily influenced with the people around him. His smile used to be the purest of smiles she had ever seen, like an angel that touches your soul. Where was that angel now? His smile is now a sinister one, making the people frightened of what he'll do next.

She can't tell who's more ruthless between him and Raiden but that day, she found out who's more cruel.

"Are you trying to let me be labeled as a cowardly king who can't face his enemy?"

"You already faced Raiden, didn't you? You crossed swords with him and got injured. Retreat before it's too late for you"

A mocking laugh vibrated out from him, he's mocking himself now. What use is the throne? He can't even obtain what he wants.

This conversation between them is far from his expectations. Her sympathy is hard to obtain too. She is here in just an arm reach yet it feels like she is so far away from him.