One of the imperial court nobles came before and started to read a scroll that read:

"The head priest of Wansai temple has been convicted of doing illegal activities under the name of Goddess of Wansai. He is been charged with leading a cult group which performed deeds like: killings, abduction, superstitions. The result of this gave rise to smuggling the slaves to other nations which under law had been banned. The main purpose of this cult is said to be a rebellion against the Royal family. There are evidences that suggest that the Head Priest and his Disciples are conspiring against the Kingdom and for that they are carrying out such deeds which will bring shame to the empire."

I looked at Arashi and asked, "T—they killed people too?"

My voice shaking and my hands and feet were cold because up until now, I only knew they were killing the princesses...

Arashi answered, his voice cold, "Yes, and everyone will hear it today... Everything what they had done for these years."

My eyes moved again to the man from the court noble who was reciting the report. He said, "There are also eyewitnesses along with the vitcims who can give their verdict against the charges pressed against the Head Priest."

As he paused, the emperor spoke up, "Let the victims speak one by one."

And I saw there was a cloud appeared on the Emperor's face. I was surprised that he was willing to listen each and every victims' plea.

The man who was reciting the report a moment ago, he said, "The recent victim, Princess Bianka, please come before the emperor."

The atmosphere tensed as everyone else's eyes moved to the first victim which was me.

Arashi nodded at me as I went ahead and stood middle of the aisle just before the emperor's stage.

I stood straight and my eyes never lowered.

The emperor nodded as I spoke, "Your highness, I am Bianka and I am betrothed to Prince Rian of Wansai. As I am considered as a foreign princess, according to the Wansai rules, I was to give the trial."

I started to tell everything I saw inside the cave, the traps and how I managed to cross them and told about the assassins who were awaiting for me there inside the chamber. I even told about the box being missing inside the cave but I didn't tell them about the secret passage.

As I finished, one of the priest's underlings who was also in captivation shouted, "You took another box with you! You didn't even follow the rituals! You didn't pass the trial."

And another one shouted, "All of these are lies! They are just doing this to stop the temple! The temple has always worshipped the goddess and we have never done such things."

"Kindly refrain from talking before the emperor! Or you will be considered insulting him thus your punishment would increase according to your behaviour." The previous man glared at the disciple as he shut his mouth but the other followers started to place their statements, "But these are all rumours! They just want to abolish the temple!"

A chuckle came following with a question, "Really?" A deep voice bloomed as everyone got silenced.

We all looked at the entrance of the hall from where the voice came earlier and saw a man with light golden hair stood there with his men behind him. His hair was long and so shiny that it almost felt like it was silver colour.

He apologized immediately, "My apologise to the Emperor and to the Empress of Wansai for arriving late."

He bowed his head as we all got curious about who he was.

I had never seen such handsome and tall man before, of course, after Arashi. He looked as if he was an aristocrat from outside of Wansai. Yet he was fluent in our language and not to mention his etiquettes seemed over the top. Everything about him screamed he was a prince. Was he a foreign prince or someone?

Then my eyes feel on his chest crest. It had the Wansai crest along with his clan's symbol. He was a federal lord.

My gaze moved to Arashi and saw he had no emotions on his face but there was a smug expression that could not hide away from me. And then my eyes fell on Rei who was as confused as me however, Daichi wasn't confused. He was displaying rather an irritated face. Akio and others had no clue of who he was but I could see the women being drooling over him already.

The emperor said, "Duke Ginjiro Shimadzu, clan head of Shimadzu clan. Are you here to witness today's testimony?" He added as he smiled, "If so, then you have arrived a little late."

He smiled and shook his head, "Unfortunately, no, your Highness. I am here to advocate on behalf on every victims and witnesses here..."

And everyone seemed puzzled by his words.

Advocate? On behalf of us?

He added, "I truly apologize for my late arrival in the imperial court but outside of this palace seemed busy..."

He stepped forward and all of his men including a woman walked behind him. He said, "Well, as I am also a part of this court, it is my duty to advocate in this situation."

The emperor nodded as he bowed again, expression his deep regards. He nodded at his companions as they left him immediately and took a side before other clans and nobles.

He was a Wansai Duke? But he looked like he was from a foreign country.

And as he came beside me he looked down at me and nodded at me. He bowed and said, "It is my pleasure to meet in person with Prince Rian's wife, Princess Bianka."

I got a little flustered as I stood frozen. His words were smooth and he sipped off a different kind of vibe. My eyes instantly shot toward Arashi. His eyes were serene and they weren't tensed. Did that mean he knew him?

When Arashi's expression changed a little by seeing someone, I knew they weren't good. Not at least from Arashi's perspective. So, I looked back at Duke Ginjiro and gave him a smile saying, "The pleasure is mine."

And as soon as he stood straight, he turned toward the emperor and said, "Before I begin, your Highness, may I have your permission to give my services to this imperial court?"

The emperor seemed pleased with him as he nodded and he looked at the head priest. The head priest's eyes were on him but he had a cold face devoid of any impression.

The Duke started, "As I have been given the permission, I would like to make a few statements before we again start with the victims..." He smiled and immediately his presence changed. His eyes looked sharp and he certainly looked a bit dangerous. He said, "I have investigated before this day would arrive, so I have quiet a few evidence in my hands to justify the victims' answers."

All of us were a bit surprised at his word but it was evident his words were spoken to the head priest as the priests were agitated by it.

And he looked at the head priest and asked, "Your disciples here are saying these all are lies. Do you believe it too, head priest?"

The head priest didn't utter a word as he looked away. He gave a pityful smile to the disciples and said , "I believe your leader here doesn't share your beliefs."

He looked at me and said, "Princess Bianka, if you would be so kind, can you recognise if the assassins who had tried to kill you were placed before you?"

I nodded and said, "Yes."

He nodded and asked, "And what other remarks you remember from these assassins?"

"Remarks?"

"Yes, something like some traits that would define they are the same person you had seen."

I tried to recall and said, "Their carvings on their arms? But apparently, all of the higher status priests have them..."

He nodded, "I see." And he asked the soldiers to brink the assassins.

In a few minutes, the assassins came forth and I said, "Yes, he is the assassin who tried to kill me with his other subordinates..."

And the man who was the leader of the assassins who tried to kill me on previous day growled, "This is all lies! You are all trying to frame me!"

Ginjiro Shimadzu smiled and asked back, "Are we?"

"Yes! You are just trying to point at me so everyone stops believing in us and they think that we did this."

Duke Ginjiro laughed and looked at one of his own men, "You can call Yamato and tell him to bring them here..."

One of the men ran toward the doors of the entrance and went away. They came immediately after and we saw a bunch of men who were tied with ropes were being dragged by two people.

As they dragged them inside, the assassin's face changed to a frown. Even there was a little change on the head priest's face but he tried to hide it.

The emperor's interest picked up as he asked, "Who are they?"

Duke Ginjiro said, "They are the small group of assassins. Their group is called Ronin."

The emperor asked, "Were they nobles!?"

He nodded, "Yes, your Highness. These are all the elite lords and their underlings who once wore the Wansai crest on their chest. I have been tracking them down for the past few years because their group has become larger under our noses. They do all the bad deeds under the shadows that the samurai wouldn't even think of. They have long forgotten about their honour."

And one of the Ronin laughed hilariously. "Honour you say?"

We all looked at the man who had a deep scar on his face and he was laughing. He seemed to be in his mid forties but he was still capable of taking down five or six men without any trouble. He had no trace of fear and no trace of guilt.

His laugh was so horrifying that everyone present there felt the wrath in it. He said, "What honour are you speaking of Duke Ginjiro Shimadzu where you have to kill your own family for it? What honour are you speaking of where the lord's words and judgement is the last thing and no one has a say in that knowing so well they are innocent? Does that make you feel honourable, Duke Ginjiro Shimadzu?"

Ginjiro's eyes slid down to their slit as he was focusing on the man's words.

The man spoke, his voice hoarse, "You are all here sleeping on the bed made of gold, wear clothes made of best silk, eat food with best ingredients but we... We are the one who sleeps on the dirt, we eat your shits and we are the one who do all of your dirty works! And even if we don't want to you make us do this only to discard us later. Does these make you feel honourable?"

He looked at each one of ours eyes, the wrath and sadness visible in his eyes which had experienced far too cruel things that we could ever imagine. He asked, "We are only called Ronins because we don't have a flashy lord above our heads but we do the same work you do. That is to eliminate the threat, extorting the weak and feed on the hungry people who doesn't even get to eat once a day."

He smiled and it was the most deadly smile I had ever seen. It was the smile of a man who had buried all of his emotions. He said, "You just do it under the sun, we do it under the night sky."

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23rd November, 22
1989