1 1.

It was a cold winter evening when The Empress went into labor. Upon hearing the news, the Emperor had all of the priests pray to the Kami of childbirth, hoping for a healthy and happy male heir to the throne. The Empress was in labor for nearly 8 hours before giving birth. "Your Highness! It's a girl!" The midwife called to the empress.

The Empress's face had a sense of disappointment but relief just the same. "A girl is fine. A girl is fine too." Her head immediately fell back on her pillow as the emperor ran in. "Your Majesty, It's a girl..."

The Emperor sighed a bit, "A girl..." Everyone could see the disappointment on his face, "A girl..." The Emperor almost seemed dissatisfied. The silence in the room was eventually interrupted by a cry from the baby girl in the room, the midwives quickly trying to calm her down.

The Empress gathered her strength to sit up, "Your Majesty.... Shall we choose her name?" The Empress was finally given the child to hold, the amount of pain she was in seemed to instantly go away.

The Emperor finally came back to his senses. He hadn't thought of a female name, as he was focused on wanting a male heir. "We shall name her.." The silence in the room was revived. "Toshiko."

The maids and midwives all fell on their knees, "Congratulations on bearing a princess Your Majesties!"

The mood in the room quickly changed, "This is our only child." The Emperor took Toshiko into his own arms, "She'll be raised well." He sighed, the disappointment of not having a male heir nearly going away.

And The Emperor kept his word. Toshiko was raised well, it seemed she was born to be a leader, she remained the emperors only child the entire time. Toshiko was groomed for leadership, and was faced with the task of possibly acceding the throne upon her father's death. Toshiko was her father's favorite. She was also very willful. Every marriage proposal to her from powerful clans was turned down almost instantly.

On Toshiko's 16th birthday, her birthday was held with an exquisite festival, one that the entire imperial royal family attended personally. "Toshiko, are you enjoying your party?" The Emperor asked with a satisfied smile on his face.

Toshiko quickly stood up, "Of course!" Her smile was clearly visible, her happiness wasn't a question to anybody in the room, "Father holds this ceremony for me, I am nothing but greatful!"

The Emperor smiled.

The festival lasted until the late evening. Toshiko fell asleep shortly after, she was awoken later the next day by her maids. "Princess, The Empress summons you!"

This information made Toshiko jump up, her mother was almost always too busy to visit her. "Really?" She really quickly got ready and set off for her mother's residence.

"Princess! Princess slower! Slower!" The maids all couldn't keep up with her, they quickly fell behind.

Toshiko kept up her speed, until she reached her mother's residence. Upon which she found her mother sitting down. "Mother, you called for me?"

The Empress put her cup of tea down, "Come, I have something to show you." She got a scroll off of her table.

Toshiko took the scroll with excitement, although it was short lived, "Your Highness, we send this message hoping to secure a marriage with our son and the Princes-" Toshiko quickly threw the scroll on the floor, "Mother! You mustn't accept!" She sat down next to her mother and started to tug on her arm.

The Empress seemed to try her best to resist the pleads, "Why don't you want to get married?" The Empress pushed Toshiko off of her arm. "They have good intentions, Toshiko. If your father agrees to this we will send you to marry."

Toshiko quickly walked out, running even more quickly to The Emperor's residence. Toshiko was terrified of getting married, "Father! You musn't agree to marry me off!" Toshiko stood in front of her father, obviously dissatisfied.

The Emperor laughed, "Your mother told you about the marriage?" The emperor took a sip of his tea.

"You must tell her!" Toshiko shuddered a bit, "If I get forced into this marriage, i'm not sure i'd want to live anymo-"

A voice interrupted Toshiko's rant, "What is this talk of killing in the emperor's palace?" It was The Empress's voice.

Toshiko coughed a bit so that her father noticed, she pointed to a spot behind her fathers chair, "Don't tell her im here!"

The Empress walked in to see the room empty, with only The Emperor. "Your Majesty." The Empress sat down next to him, "Have you seen Toshiko?"

The Emperor coughed a bit, "Nope... Haven't seen her.." The Emperor took a sip of his tea as he looked around the room.

The Empress sighed, "Come out. I heard you already."

Toshiko quickly stood up with an awkward laugh, "Mother...." she quickly sat down next to her, "Must you marry me off?" Toshiko tried to tug on her mother's arm again. "I want to stay with you and father!"

The Empress rolled her eyes a bit, "Your Majesty, what do you think?"

The Emperor took a look at Toshiko, who had a serious look on her face, "Well.... Toshiko may have to marr-"

Toshiko cleared her throat as she waved her arms around to say no.

The Emperor quickly rethought his words, "Toshiko may have to marry later on... We can just decline this offer like we did the others. Toshiko should marry someone she likes."

Toshiko's face instantly grew a smile and she got up and sat next to her father instead. "See mother? He's right! I should marry someone I love."

The Empress shot a look at Toshiko, "I see then. Toshiko will marry later." The Empress got up and left.

Toshiko instantly gave her father a hug, "Fatherrr! You're the best!" Toshiko quickly walked out in an upbeat mood, knowing that her mother would get back at her later.