THE LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN LOTUS (COMPLETE)

CHAPTER 5

 She felt very restless especially after seeing someone who was supposed to be dead. How was it even possible that he was still alive? She had to do something about it fast.

'Your Highness, the Prime Minister is here,' her maid told her.

'Send him in and send everyone away,' she said.

Her maid sends her father into her palace hall.

'I just heard what happened. Is it true?' her father asked the moment he entered.

'Father, you need to help me,' she said as she continued pacing on the floor.

'Sit down and let's talk about it,' he said and she sat down.

'You confirmed back then that he was dead. How is this even possible?' she asked.

'By the time the soldiers arrived, all the assassins were dead and the body of the young prince was there. Everything matched even though he was badly injured and unrecognizable. But now that he has shown up with the Saintess, anything is possible. It's no longer just the prince now but we have to go up against the Lotus palace and that is something we should avoid,' her father said.

'But as long as he is alive, the truth will come out. What do you think will happen to us? I will not let that woman take my position. She took everything from me, I won't lose to her,' she said.

'Calm down. I will settle everything for you. I will send my men after them and watch every move they will make. I heard that they have booked the entire inn. I will settle with them all at once. Just sit here and don't worry about everything. I will protect you, like I have always done,' her father reassured her.

'Okay father, I will listen to you. Please just make sure it is settled before the Emperor announces the prince's return.'

'I will make sure by tomorrow there will be no news on the prince and the Saintess, trust me,' he said and bid her fare well and left.

To be honest she was scared. Ever since that woman entered the palace, she came out of favor with the Emperor. She had to keep her quilt warm by herself. The Emperor rarely visited her and his love for the crown prince even lessened, which worried her more than being ignored. His eyes were on his new concubine and his son. Mika the young prince was talented and that brought much favor on him and she envied that. She wanted the Emperor to look at her son Rica but that was impossible. Because of her tears of sorrow, her father decided to remove the root and had assassins to kill Mica and he was pronounced dead. She was happy at that time even though they suspected and came out with nothing. She thought everything will fade away but the Emperor didn't stop loving his concubine. He even promoted her until she was the Noble Consort, just one rank below her. He gave her more children than her and his heart too.

And now the first son was back, how could she face that? She was going to kill them all even if it meant fighting against the strongest sect in the world.

'Your Highness, something bad has happened,' her maid said looking very flushed.

'What is it?'

'The crown prince is hurt,' she replied.

'What?' she asked.

'The imperial physicians are examining him now,' she said.

Upon hearing the news she instructed the men to take her to her son's palace. How could he get hurt inside the palace? Who was plotting to take away the only thing that brought her joy? She would never forgive that person ever.

She arrives at the palace and rushed inside. She found the physician finishing making the diagnosis.

'Your Highness,' they said.

'Is he fine?' she asked.

'The crown prince will be fine, he just needs some rest and take the medicine I will prescribe,' the Imperial physician said.

'That's good, you may leave us,' she said as she sat next to her son.

She held his hand and looked at him. He was in pain, she could see it.

'What happened to you? Who hurt you like that?' she asked tears swelling in her eyes.

'I bumped into the Saintess today,' he said looking terrified.

'What happened?' she asked now being worried.

'I insulted her after she refused to show her respect to me. Who wouldn't respect the crown prince? She then did this to me,' he said and she felt her world shattering.

'That evil woman show no respect to anyone, son. Even your father respects her and not the other way around. You should have attended the banquet; you could have seen how arrogant she was. Maybe you wouldn't be suffering like this,' she said looking at her poor son. She felt very bad that her son had to suffer in the hands of that evil woman but she was going to solve that soon and make sure the root of all her problems will be uprooted. By then she will have nothing t worry about and watch that Noble Consort suffer again the pain of losing her son once again.

'Mother, we are royalty and she is just some master in the pugilistic world. She should show respect to us and not the other way around. When I become Emperor I will make sure I remove that palace from the world forever,' her son said and she felt very proud of him even when she knew it would be impossible to go up against that palace. They once tried and the whole city became a mess, they lost the battle to that woman. She was the most powerful and deadly martial art master she had ever known. She wasn't a force to be reckoned easily with.

'I know you will make me proud. Now just rest and leave everything to me, I will make sure I avenge your humiliation today. Now rest and recuperate,' she said leaving his bed.

'I will not see you out,' he said.

'Rest,' she said and left her son's palace.

She was going to make sure she avenges what that evil woman had done to her son. Why was she keeping on causing more troubles for her?

She returned to her palace and settled down. Her dinner was brought up to her. She ate it alone since the Emperor wont becoming to her chambers in the end. After finishing her food she retired to bed. She was sleeping when she heard some very disturbing news. She woke up and her maid was there.

'What's happening? Why the noise so early in the morning?' she asked.

'The inn has been burnt down and there are no survivors,' she said.

'Which inn?' the Empress asked.

'The one the Saintess was staying in, they can't put out the fire and no one seems to be alive,' her maid explained.

She felt very relieved upon hearing that, her cause of suffering was finally gone and now she will finally rest in peace. What better way of celebrating this day than waking up and go to see the look on that wretched Noble Consort's face?

'Prepare my bath,' she said with a happy face.

She took her bath and wore her official robes. It was going to be a great and long day after all.

                                                                                                 ...

All he ever wanted was to get his long lost son back. He thought that by announcing that his son was back he could get to catch the people that were responsible for his assassination back then but now he got killed again. Who would be so evil to burn down an inn with so many people in it? He didn't really like the Saintess since she didn't respect power and was so powerful but since she saved his son and gave him a woman whom he loved, he had set all his grudges aside. Even if he wanted to fight against her now, he won't be able to win the battle. The Saintess was too strong and powerful that it wasn't wise for him to launch a direct attack on her.

Now they were both dead and gone and he couldn't find who to ask or arrest. The court was so busy and he was supposed to get ready for an internal war now that the Saintess has died in his city and after he invited her to the banquet.

He had always suspected that the Empress and her father were responsible and now they had hit again. He knew exactly what they did to his son, how evil and cruel they were. They caused him to lose a son he loved so much and yet he couldn't detain them and interrogate them without any proof. Because of him, he lost a chance to reunite with his son again. His Noble Consort had fainted upon hearing the news and she has still not wakened up.

He didn't want to lose everything in just a day. He couldn't risk it, something had to be done.

'The officials are here,' his personal attendant said; upon hearing the arrival of the officials, he got ready for court. He walked into the hall where all the officials bowed down until he was seated.

'You may rise,' he said.

The officials rose and the court session begun.

'We need to tighten the security of the city because we don't know when the Lotus palace might attack us in retaliation of what happened,' another court official said.

'We need to investigate who is behind what just happened. That was the Saintess and the long gone prince that just died in that fire,' another one said.

So many things were said that he wasn't hearing anything at all. He was so confused he just wanted everything to stop.

At that moment, the Empress and the other concubines walked in. What were they doing in the hall?

They all bowed down and the Empress was the first one to cry out.

'We just heard the news of what had just happened and we are here to ask what should be done.' 

How can she be a hypocrite? Before he answered her, his personal attendant whispered something in his ear and he felt very relieved.

'I have good news everyone, we just found a survivor from the fire. Send him in,' the Emperor said hoping everything will come to light.

A maid was brought in looking very haggard. You could tell she had suffered a lot and was still scared.

She bowed down and he made her to rise.

'Tell us exactly what happened,' he said.

The maid began to narrate what happened in the inn that night.

'We all had our dinner and retired to our respective rooms. It was during midnight when the inn was filled with smoke and by the time we tried to leave, the inn was already on fire. We were all trying to save our lives that we didn't think of anything else. I ran through the fire and managed to get out, I didn't think of turning back at all. By the time I came back the whole inn was burnt to the ground and my Mistress and the young lord were nowhere to be found. I found their belongings in the fire, they never go anywhere without them. They are both dead, I think and I don't know who did it. Please help me serve justice for my Mistress!'

There was proof that someone instigated the fire and yet he couldn't find out who exactly did it. He needed to do something fast or else the consequences of assassinating the Saintess or attempt on her life would be huge. He didn't need another war to break out at time like this.

'Your Majesty, we shouldn't rust a word of a mere maid. What if she was the one who caused the fire? How is even possible that one survived a fire that great?' another official asked.

'We need to interrogate her and make her spit out the truth before any war erupts,' the Prime Minister finally said something and he knew that they were going somewhere now.

He was going to let him do that and see how things will turn up. He was going to make sure that no stone will be left unturned. He was going to find everything that was connected to that fire, even if it meant not getting any sleep until the truth was out.

'Do that Prime Minister and make sure the truth comes out. I don't want any blood on my hands,' he said as he stood up.

The Emperor left the hall and retired to his palace. He took a cup of water and drank it. He needed to quench the thirst he got from all that talk about this horrible talk.

'The Noble Consort is awake,' his personal attendant said.

He ran immediately to her palace to see her. He held her hand the second he sat on her bed.

'How are you feeling?' he asked her.

'Where is my son?' she asked him.

'He is gone, my love. I'm very sorry,' he said.

'You should have kept him in the palace. Why did you let him go? How could you make me lose my son twice? Do you know what will happen now those people had killed the Saintess too? I have lived on the mountain and I know exactly how those people operate. They will never let it slide. Blood will be shed and it won't be nice at all. You have to do whatever you can to make the truth come out,' his consort said and she made sense.

'I will do everything I can to make sure nothing like that happens. I promise you I will make the people responsible pay for their sins. I promise you that,' he said kissing her hands.

'I need to rest now,' she said getting back on the bed.

She was mad at him, mad at herself too and nothing that he does now will make up for it. He was going to make sure that she has a peace of mind and have the Empress and her father be judged according to the law.

He left her palace and returned to his palace. He was distracted and he had to do something to keep himself idle.

The day ended and there was still no news on who burnt the inn. The maid was tortured but still she didn't know a thing.

He had heard about rumors that the Saintess can never be killed so what exactly happened? He was glad about the news but at the same time, he lost a son he had just fund again after a very long time.

The next day he went to the interrogation grounds. The maid said she will confess so everyone was there. The court officials and the harem were present. The Noble Consort had also joined in even when she was still sick. He sat down and let the confession begin.

'I lied yesterday, I know who set the inn on fire,' she said.

He could tell these people had made her pin the story on someone else. Why would she suddenly confess after insisting on not knowing the whole day?

'Go ahead,' he urged her.

'I saw a man wearing black setting the fire on the inn and I heard him giving an instruction to another man in black. I heard who the instigator was,' she said.

'Who was it?' he asked her and he saw the way she looked at the Prime Minister as if to get approval.

'It was the....' She stammered.

'Say it!' the main interrogator yelled at her.

'The Prime Minister is behind it,' she blurted out and everyone was shocked including the Prime Minister himself.

'Do you know accusing an official for doing something like that is treason?' the Emperor asked her.

'I can never lie. I swore an oath to serve my Mistress; she saved me and gave me a new life. I will never let anyone go free after doing that to her,' she said looking very ferocious.

One wouldn't tell whether it was just her that seemed to be weak all these while.

'How dare you?' the Empress cut in looking very angry after her father had been accused of arson.

The maid suddenly stood up and broke the chains that were tying her; the Emperor smiled upon seeing that and knew that this was the plan all along. He was relieved that it wasn't his plan otherwise he would have been the one in trouble. When it comes to that evil woman, she showed no mercy to anyone that attempts to mess with her life.

'What are you doing? Chain her back to the chair,' an officer called out but that was pointless.

The weak maid suddenly turned into a fierce warrior who pinned down anyone who came in her way. He could tell that she was a warrior and a best one at that. How did everyone miss that? Even he was fooled by her. He wondered how many tricks this young maid has in her sleeves

'Shoot her,' the Prime Minister called out and the archers were ready to take her down.

He knew he couldn't stop it even when he was the Emperor. He was going to wait and see where this drama was going. He was going to let them kill each other while he sit back and watch.

The archers released their arrows and as if a storm was passing by a fog filled the whole grounds and when it passed by the archers were al dead and on the ground. Everyone was astonished by what just happened. The maid stood there stretching her muscles and he knew things were about to get messy.

A guard flew into the grounds and behind the guards were a troop of soldiers he had never seen before. They wore the Lotus palace colors and behind the guards were the Saintess and his son. He was alive after all.

'What is happening? They are alive!' someone said.

He stood up and looked at his son who didn't seem to be harmed at all. The Saintess entered the grounds and stopped. She was covering her face like always. He had never seen her face before. There were so many rumors and yet he didn't know which one was true.

'I never knew that one would be so impatient, so anxious, and so stupid as to try to take my life and those of my people. I think I told you before that I didn't want to take any life anymore but you started it. I don't give a damn about your laws for I am my own law. Those that tried to harm me, I will personally take their lives myself,' the Saintess said looking at everyone.

He could see a couple of faces that looked very scared. At that moment the Saintess released her fan, he had heard of the things the fan was capable of but never saw it before. He watched as the fan cut the officers throat one by one. He watched as his men fell to the ground and dying. The Empress rushed out and so did her father but it was too late. They got caught by the guards and were brought in front of everyone. He couldn't stop the guards from harassing his own legal wife. Even when he didn't like her, it wasn't the way he was supposed to react especially seeing the way his wife was being treated.

'I know of the positions that you two hold, but you should know mine too. Don't even think of escaping, I have your man and he confessed everything. I will show you mercy if you confess,' the Saintess said.

'What is happening?' everyone was asking.

'Empress what is the Saintess talking about?' he asked as he approached her. He had to act as if he wasn't aware of anything.

She was scared; he could see it.

'Should I kill your father first before you confess?' the Saintess dropped another bomb on the Empress and she began to confess everything.

He knew his legal wife was cruel but this degree of cruelty was too much. She admitted on a lot of things including the assassination attempt on the prince's life.

'Since you failed to kill any one of my people, I will show you mercy and let you be ashamed by your own people. Those officers died because of the way you treated my maid. How could you torture a woman without any mercy?' the Saintess asked looking at him and then continued, 'your son is alive and well. You have your criminals so punish them in any way you see fit. Compensate the inn's owner and make sure his business gets up and running again. I have seen too much drama for a simple visit. I will never visit the capital again. Don't make me come here again. I will leave your son in your care. I hope there will be no conflicts between us ever again.'

The Saintess said that and turned around to look at Mika who now goes by the name Xavier. He could see concern deep down in her eyes. She cared for him, he realized. He watched as she touched Mika's face even among so many people she didn't seem to mind.

'Take care of yourself and remember to always protect yourself,' she said and left.

He could see that his son wasn't aware of what had just happened right now. He didn't want her to go but he as a father wasn't going to lose his son again.

'Send the prince back to my palace,' he said and watched as the guards escorted the prince away.

He looked at the Empress and her father.

'I'm shocked with this news but I will leave you to the imperial court and discuss what will happen to you,' he said and left too.

The Saintess had given him everything he wanted. He managed to get rid of his legal wife, the overbearing father in law and he got his son back. With what had just happened, it was going to be quite for a while.

In the mean time he will get this time to get to know the son he had lost and learn something about the Saintess. It would be good to know his enemy, that way if he were to engage her in a battle again then he would be well prepared. It turned out to be a great day after all.