The Queen - III

The thought of an old man touching his sister's girlish body made him disgusted. He never liked these practices, although he always saw his friends sleep with girls, his convictions told him it was wrong. They were just children who had nowhere to go and by chance, they were thrown into a house of prostitution. - Mei Yang is a child...

-She is the daughter of that filthy Tai'Ner...

- Is your hatred for the late queen so great as to send an innocent child into prostitution? Tai'Ner is already dead! You got what you wanted. Become queen! You will sit on the throne of the queen mother of Naran and all women in the Harem will bow to her power. Yet you cannot forget your grudge for the king's late wife? - Ayame closed her eyes to calm her pain.

- I will never forget how I was treated in that state. Naran is my glory, but they are also my ashes. -Ayame remembered every bit of her life in that place. The humiliations, the abandonment of his family for having been rejected by the king. The pain of carrying a bastard and being singled out by the nobles as usurper. Watching your child grow thrown in the corners like the plague. These events would never be erased from the heart of the consort. Her soul was covered in revenge. In addition, at that moment the only thing she wanted to do was to extract her years-old hatred and to throw on those who laughed at her.

- The best thing to do now is to send Mei Yang to Honga. Even if the council asks for a judgment, you are the king; your royal decree may remove any imposition from them. However, if the landlords agree on a trial, it will be the end of us. - Qiang Mao just wanted to end that night. It was practical and simple. Send Mei Yang to Honga, put Amon in power, invade Naki, and take what he always wanted. - The laws are clear, if the landlords and the council ask the king for a life trial, he cannot refuse, even under royal decree.

- We are aware of this law, general - in a burst the door opened and a soldier passed through it entering the rooms and bowing before the new rulers.

- A letter to Consorte, is from Minister Jin Khe de Naki. - Ayame took the small bamboo mat and unrolled it, reading the minister's brief words. Before looking up at her allies, she stared at the soldier and he understood the message and left, closing the door.

- Jin Khe wants to know when we will invade Naki. We just took Naran, and does that ambitious man already wants power? Who does he think he is?

-His Majesty promised to give him control of the neighboring state. He must be eager to take the throne and destroy the current king. - Qiang Mao reminded her.

- Before we have to assume full power, only then do we invade Naki on the pretext that the king joined the princess to destroy Naran. Betrayal ... - Ayame adjusted his Hanfu and prepared to leave. The day that was being born would be the longest Naran has ever seen, and the most glorious as well. -I will meet Minister Mifu. We will open the warehouses in the afternoon and feed the poor. We will announce that this is the feat of the new king Ammon. By the end of the day, we will have the people calling for his name through the walls. Then we will see Naki's invasion.

- I hope our promise is standing, Consort. - Qiang Mao approached her and holding her arm. Amon closed his face to the scene without knowing what was going on. - You said Er Xi would be my wife. That Minister Jin Khe would accept my marriage proposal...

- General. - Ayame smiled courteously- Jin Khe has great ambitions. Do you really think he will give his only and esteemed daughter in marriage to a general if we have a king in need of a wife? -Qiang Mao closed his face and looked into the consort's brown and treacherous eyes. And he felt his whole body vibrate for a moment. That woman had betrayed him. In addition, he had been stupid enough to believe her words.

- You promised. Said Er Xi would be mine...

- What a pity! When I wrote to Naki's minister, he replied saying that he would only accept my request if Amon was what was promised.

- Me? - Amon spoke in exasperation. Getting married was not in his plans - she went crazy! I do not even know such a woman to promise anything! - Amon was furious walking back and forth.

-She is just a woman! One among so many others. Amon will marry the minister's daughter and you can find a better one. - Ayame pulled his arm from the general's hands and smiled. Men were not made for thrones, she thought.

- No woman in this world is like Er Xi. Do you think a general like me can marry any woman? This is betrayal!

- Forget it for now! Enemies surround us. In addition, is our subject a woman? - Ayame was outraged.

As soon as the consort left, Qiang Mao glared at Amon. He had killed his king, he would throw Mei Yang in a whorehouse, and he would do much worse things if it was necessary to have his beloved. Never would he let Er Xi marry that rascal. She was his, only his.

- If you are thinking of killing me because of this woman you so desire, you do not need to spend your time. I do not intend to get married. Before I get married, I have important things to do.

- I hope so! - Qiang Mao murmured and left, slamming the door. As soon as he reached the backyard, he took a deep breath in the light breeze of the cool, cool morning. The trees swayed slowly with the wind forming clapping sounds, but none of that stilled his mind. Even though the birds sang happily, his ears only heard the mantra chanted by the council asking for Mei Yang's release. Nothing was like before; the day was grayer than before. The glow of the outside palace. This was the announcement of a new era.

Qiang Mao went to the prison entrance where Mei Yang was, he needed to find a way to put the consort in his hands. If he found any way to punish her without being harmed, he would have Er Xi. Then, he saw Ayame through the columns talking to the entrance guard. It was the perfect time to corner the consort and take what was her right.

- What are you planning? - Ayame jumped when he noticed the general's presence. However, he soon calmed down.

- Why are you here?

- I am the one asking. This place is not for a queen.

- Amon is a slob. If it were not for me he would still be trampled by the king and the title of princess heir to Mei Yang. If he continues to feel sorry for her sister, everything we did will be in vain.

- And what do you intend to do? - Qiang Mao stared at the prison entrance; he had more guards than usual.

- Kill Mei Yang...

- We already talked about it. - Qiang Mao rubbed his temples nervously at the current queen's thoughtless acts.

- We will not kill her. She who will take her own life! Everything is already planned. The guards are on standby.

- How do you plan to do that? Does she know she is going to kill herself? - Qiang Mao smiled wryly. - I thought you were an intelligent woman. Mei Yang may be everything, but she would never take her life. She is strong and determined and if I know her right now, she is in the cell planning to get out of there and take her throne back.

- The thinking mind behind Mei Yang is stuck far away from here. Mi Gu was our problem. Mei Yang alone is just a helpless animal.

-If Amon suspects, that we are planning Mei Yang's death without her approval...

- Your duty is to keep quiet. Her death will be perfect that even he will not suspect us. Soon you will have a mission, so be prepared - Ayame snooped around and saw the movement starting. It was time to go. – Let's go. Soon we will have the beautiful news that Mei Yang will be dead.

The two withdrew from the dark corners convinced of success. However, above the prison walls was Yan Feng, who spent the night lurking, worried about the abnormal movement. Since he arrived at Naran, his eyes have not closed for a single night. His father slept like a stone praising the palace's soft mattresses, despite his little experience and his high spirit already screamed that something was about to happen.

Like a frightened cat, he went down the walls and threw himself between the trees that surrounded the inside of the prison. As far as he could tell, there were many soldiers guarding the front door, but few that surrounded the side. He needed to find any way to enter the prison without being seen. If what he had heard was indeed real, and that Mei Yang was guilty of something he did not do, it was his duty to save his bride.

- After that, she will fall in love with me! - Said the smiling young warrior pulling the rope from his waist, ready to throw at the window where she was and climb. However, the second prince's voice startled her.

- Why are you here? Yan Feng took a small leap, but his agitation soon passed. Yoshio was standing behind a tree with a rope in his hands. Yan Feng limited himself to a brief nod. Even though it was clearer than the gray clouds that surrounded the morning sky. Yoshio was completely in love with Mei Yang, Yan Feng could not open his guard, and after all, he was the son of the woman who put his bride in prison.

- If you are here to save Mei Yang, then leave. I will get you out of this prison. - Yoshio whispered to his, until then, enemy.

- Have you ever climbed in your life, second prince? - Yan Feng raised his eyebrows and smiled when he saw the confused expression of the brave boy. - If you really want to help, just go home and hold your murderous mother.

- My mother is not a murderer! - Yoshio shouted, but Yang Feng grabbed the boy and covered his mouth. The prince would only disrupt his plans.

- Shut up and go back to your rooms, leave the dirty work for who knows.

Just as Yan Feng released Yoshio, a strange movement started at the entrance doors. Yan Feng went back to the bushes and hid watching the guards run to the palace.

- Go, run to the palace! He heard a soldier shout. If everyone were going to crowd at the entrance gate, the prison would be free to save Mei Yang.

- What happened? - Yan Feng heard one guard ask the other and tried to bend down to approach the conversation.

- All soldiers of the princess invaded the palace; many men were killed, including the general of Sunri.

Yan Feng's heart became a knot. Dread, fear and despair took over his mind. Just as he entered the prison walls, he left and ran towards his father, who was already dead.