"Are you ready?" She asked. I nodded and we went outside. We came through the window and we jumped from roof to roof. Empress Yukina was pretty agile for her age. Maybe she's been doing this for quite a while now. I tried to follow after her but she was too fast for me. She saw that I was struggling so she slowed down her pace.

"Are you tired? We can take a rest." Empress Yukina asked. I shook my head and pulled down my mask.

"I'm fine. I'm slowly getting the hang of it. We should hurry. I'm afraid if we took a break now, it'll compromise the mission." I said. Empress Yukina nodded her head and we continued to make our way to my mom's old house. We arrived shortly and I couldn't believe my eyes. The place was heavily guarded but none of these guards resemble the people from this empire. Empress Yukina turned her head to me.

"Do you know these people?" She asked. I shook my head. We were hidden behind one of the pillars on the house next to my mother's house. I tried to peek further but I felt Empress Yukina's hand on my back beckoning me to mind my position. They would've seen me if I leaned further.

"These people are not from this Empire. They are not under my husband nor they are under any other n.o.bles. They're from Hokkyokusei based on the color of their hair." She said. I looked over and just now noticed that their hair was a different shade of green unlike some I've seen before.

"Hokkyokusei? But why are they here?" I asked. I didn't know much about that Empire. What I do know about them is that they are the neighboring Empire and they have been trying to seek an alliance with our Empire. They were hoping for an alliance based on marriage by having the Emperor's daughter marry their prince or the other way around.

"Something tells me that what your mother was hiding is far greater than what we antic.i.p.ated." Empress Yukina said. She urged me to press forward. I know which room to enter and she decided to distract the guards. I had to be fast or else I won't hear the end of it from the Emperor if something were to happen to the Empress. Once she dropped down to distract, I immediately squeezed myself through the window to my mother's room. Everything was left as I could remember it. I don't have the leisure to stay and reminisce. I'm here to get one thing and one thing only.

As I held the pillow that once belonged to my mother, memories started to flood in my head.

[Flashback]

Mother placed the amulet inside my hand.

"You have to keep this. This will show you who you truly are." She said. There was an unsettling feeling inside my stomach when she said those words. Mother looked weak but I didn't know what to say. I didn't even know what's wrong with her. Out of fear and misunderstanding, I threw the amulet to the ground and ran out. Before the door could fully close, I saw my mother opening up a slab of wood from the flooring and putting the amulet inside.

[End of Flashback]

I remember where she put it now. I searched through the flooring for any loose wood pieces and sure enough I found one. I slowly lifted it up and there it was: the gold amulet. As I reached down to get it, my head started to hurt and my vision started to blur. Memories of Sayori's childhood started to flood through. It was so overwhelming that my brain couldn't handle it.

I had no time to waste. I quickly grabbed the amulet and squeezed myself back through the window I came in. The Empress and I planned to meet back at the pillar at the house next door. When I got there, she was already waiting for me.

"Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" She asked. I shook my head and showed her the amulet.

"This is it." I said. She took it from my hand and examined it. The moment it left my hand, a sense of lightheadedness washed over me. After she was done examining it, she gave it back to me.

"Is that everything you need?" She asked. I put the amulet in my pocket before I turned to the Empress and nodded in response.

"We should go now." I said. She nodded and we made our way back to the the Palace. We slip through the window of my room. We quickly changed clothes and the Empress patted my head.

"You did good, Sayori. I didn't think you could keep up with me." She said. I beamed at her praise. Coming from the Empress, it was something to be proud of.

"I'm in awe of your talents, Empress. I didn't know you were able to do the things you did." I said. She smiled at me as I said it. We exchanged our goodnights before she went out of my room. As I lay in bed, I dangled the amulet over my face. I tried to think of a reason why something as small as this could cause me so much trouble.

"What secrets do you hold? Why was my mom so insistent on keeping you?" I asked myself. I couldn't figure it out myself and the memories that I've seen so far have been no help. I hid the amulet under my pillow and I fell asleep.

I woke up to the harrowing sound of someone banging on my door. I quickly got up and opened the door. I was surprised when an unfamiliar man pulled my hair and dragged me out of my room and into the courtyard. I had no time to react to what was happening: it all happened too fast. I was thrown to the ground by this man and I couldn't do anything about it.

"What is going on here?!" I heard the Emperor's voice echo through the whole courtyard The Empress, Sumire and Yukio followed behind him. I was on the ground wincing, trying to hold my arm up as it was. .h.i.t badly when I landed as I was thrown down.

"Our dear Emperor, I come here to seek justice for my beloved daughter, Maeko." He said. Then it hit me, this is my father's brother. Maeko's father and a respected general. I always wondered what Maeko was up to since she's been quiet ever since my kidnapping incident. Little did I know that she was planning to frame me this whole time. But how did they even know of my whereabouts?

"General, I implore you to be reasonable. What is the meaning of this?" The Emperor said. WIthout another word, Maeko's father kicked me. He hit me in the stomach which made me vomit blood. I looked up and saw that Empress Yukina was holding back her son and daughter who seemed like they wanted to help me. Empress Yukina looked distressed as well. Just then, the gate flew open and my father, followed by Eiji, came in.

Without even saying a word to me or my current situation, they marched forward in front of the Emperor and kneeled in front of him.

"Your majesty, I beg for your forgiveness. My daughter has been causing trouble to the Imperial family. Rest a.s.sured, I will deal with this with my own hands." My father said. How nice! Maeko must've been the one behind this. The Emperor and Empress looked at me as if they were looking at one of their own. There was an ache in my chest. Before I could even savor the pain in my chest, I felt a sharp pain on my back when Maeko's father kicked me again.

"This despicable woman ordered a man to kidnap my daughter and to have her be killed. It was a good thing my daughter was saved by Sir Eiji or else, she would've been dead." Maeko's father said. Briefly looked up to see the faces of those around me. They all looked down on me like I was some evil b.i.t.c.h. At this moment, I could feel that I was truly alone. No matter how much they tried to help me, I was only a burden. I was nothing and I'm still nothing. I don't belong anywhere.

[The Prince's View]

Sayori was on the ground, blood dripping from her mouth. I wanted to be by her side. I want to help her. I wanted to punish those who tried to hurt her. I couldn't stand another second without doing anything. I feel like I'm going to lose my mind.

"Not yet." Mom blocked my way. She looked intently at the scene unfolding. She was calm and collected, someone fitting of an Empress.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" The general asked. He picked up Sayori by the arm and forced her to stand up. Sayori winced in pain but she forced herself to stand up. Anger was already burning inside me. I wanted to lose control right then and there but mother was insistent that I wait.

"General, you are respected all throughout this Empire, and I won't stand for injustice. What proof do you have that this young woman was responsible for your daughter's supposed kidnapping?" Mother asked. I looked at her and a sense of justice imbued from her. It was like an aura around her that radiated confidence. The general looked at us and lowered his head slightly.

"Your majesty, the man who kidnapped my daughter was caught and he confessed to his crime and also, he confessed to who he worked for. The name of Princess Sayori trickled down his lips as he confessed." He said. Those are all lies. No one even knew Sayori was here. Just then, a smile started to form on my mother's lips. I was confused as to how we're going to help but I was surprised by my mother's actions.

"General, do you mean this man right here?" Just then, one of our guards brought a man who was tied up to the center of the courtyard. The general's eyes widened upon seeing the man.

"Yes, indeed, your majesty." He said. Mother walked closer to the center and asked the guard to hold up the man. As they did, he looked up and saw the Empress' face. He was clearly scared for his life.

"Tell me, was it Princess Sayori who ordered you to kidnap the general's daughter?" Mother asked. The look on the man's face turned pale. He quickly shook his head vigorously.

"No, I was just set up. Please help me your majesty! They have my family." He said. Mother looked at the general, who was just as shocked as everyone in the courtyard.

"General, we in the Imperial family don't take lightly to people who try to deceive us." Mother's tone was as cold as ice. Everyone was quietly looking at the general who was in a bind. He didn't know what to do. As for Sayori's father, they were just standing there, unable to do anything since they realized that they were played. I couldn't take another second of waiting. I ran down to where Sayori was and I carried her back to where father and Sumire were standing.

"As for Princess Sayori's whereabouts, it is true that she was under the Imperial family's care. She was kidnapped and was luckily found by the crown prince. You will no longer need to worry about such trivial matters. I've decided to take her under my care since she's a princess and should be treated like one." Father laid the truth on everyone listening. I looked at Sayori and noticed that she was unconscious. I quickly went inside the Palace and called for the royal doctor. Sumire followed after me.

"Onii-san, will she be alright?" She asked. I rea.s.sured her that everything will be alright. I asked Sumire to watch over Sayori for me while I go back to the courtyard to help mother and father. I quickly went over there and was surprised to see what has happened. Mother and Father were standing together in the middle with the generals kneeling in front of them.

"Forgive me, your majesty. I will investigate further into this matter." He said. As for Sayori's father, he hasn't said a word. He was just kneeling there, awaiting to be excused from this embarra.s.sing show. I had half a mind to come over there and personally deal with him for not standing up for his own daughter.

"As for you general, I would attest that you would stand up even for your own daughter, but I never expected this type of behaviour from you." Father said. He looked down on this men as if they were worthless. I wouldn't do the same if I saw Sayori being attacked like that. I looked at Eiji who was just standing there, like he had done nothing wrong. He didn't even cast a glance at Sayori when she was being wronged.

"Eiji." I called for him. He looked up at me and when he noticed me beckoning him to come close, he did so. The moment he stood in front of me, I punched him. He took my punch gracefully. He picked himself up from the ground and wiped the blood from his lip. He didn't say anything. He just took a step back and looked at me.

"That's enough, Yukio. Everyone is dismissed. I don't want to hear another fuss inside my Palace." Father said. Mother held me hand and led me back inside. Without another word, we made our way back to the room where Sayori was being treated.

"How is she?" Mother asked. She sat next to Sumire who was holding Sayori's hand.

"The doctor said she'll be fine but she's got bruises all over her body and she hasn't woken up too." Sumire said. My heart ached when I looked at Sayori. From now on, I will do anything in my power to protect you.