One year later…"Long live Her Majesty!" Tora looked down, her face was devoid of emotions. Her eyes traveled to all ministers kowtowing before her while she sat on the throne.
Indeed, Tora successfully ascended the throne with the blood of many royal family members and royal servants that were loyal to the royal family on her hands. During those times, everyone who supported her scheme to covet the throne had gained power in the imperial court and almost every department of the palace.
"Your Majesty, please reconsider your decision to execute all the former royal members of the late emperor."
"Your Majesty, please reconsider your decision!" When one minister spoke his plea for mercy, everyone then followed and repeated it.
Tora knew their concern. After the uprising, many died, and the citizen had conflicted emotions on her method on how she ascended the throne. Now, Tora was being labeled as a greedy general who coveted the throne and not the hero of the nation anymore. Hence, executing more people for the obviously false accusations, it wouldn"t end well on her reputation.
"Heed my orders and execute anyone who doesn"t acknowledge me as their Queen." Without blinking an eye, Tora heartlessly ordered.
Not just the minister who succ.u.mbed to fear by acknowledging her as the ruler but, also, the ministers who supported Tora"s plan were shaken. They wanted more power by being on her good graces but this, her already tainted reputation would only end on the bad side.
"Your Majesty—" Just before the minister could say his plea once again, Tora raised her hand and as if on cue, the soldier on the side unsheathed his sword and pointed at the minister.
"Shall I behead you too for you to understand my orders? Execute anyone who doesn"t acknowledge me as their Queen: be it soldiers, ministers, or even lowly commoners." Adamant on her royal decree, Tora didn"t falter on her orders.
"Y— yes, Your Majesty!" Stuttering, the minister"s body shuddered at the mad queen looking down on him. Just what kind of person did they put on the throne?
Tora, though was known as a ruthless general, they knew that her concern for the kingdom was incomparable. The reason why everyone thought that she should be the rightful ruler instead of the royal family. However, even after gaining the throne and being the ruler, Tora wouldn"t let everyone off the hook who doesn"t acknowledge her!
She"s mad. A tyrant, merciless and incapable of being the ruler. Alas, it was all too late because no one could defeat a tyrant like her. She executed all the people that have the blood of the royal family running in their veins instead of banis.h.i.+ng them.
Everyone who might pose a threat to her position — Tora killed them all with her bare hands, even the former emperor. Regardless of their growing fear of her regimen, none of them could defy her boldly or else they might lose their heads even before they knew it.
*****
Meanwhile…
"Your Majesty…" One guard of Aki muttered as he watched his king chugged down a bottle of sake early in the morning. It has been a year since he turned his back to his people and watched how Tora ascend the throne on the sidelines.
Numerous of his people, and even the few ones who knew his real ident.i.ty were killed by the uprising including the acting emperor, Kei. No one saw their bodies as Tora didn"t give them a proper burial as she degraded them as traitors.
It was one h.e.l.l of a turn for the whole kingdom and yet, Tora wasn"t done bringing disaster in this kingdom as she killed anyone who doesn"t acknowledge her. She gave an order that if one spoke ill on her name, they will be executed that instant.
Hence, the whole kingdom was now living in fear under the mad queen"s rule. And yet, Aki seemed he could never care less.
"Daisuke, if someone hears you, you"ll die." Burping after drinking a load of sake, Aki muttered. He doesn"t look as das.h.i.+ng just like a year ago as he had grown a beard and his appearance wasn"t as decent. If one sees him, they would think that he was just a wasted n.o.bleman waiting for his death to come.
"Your Majesty, how long will stay like this? The whole country is now in chaos and Kei — KeitKun"s sacrifice to protect your throne… are you also turning your back on us?" Frustrated at the king he acknowledged, Daisuke gritted his teeth as he mustered his courage to speak his mind.
He grieved for losing many of his comrades in the palace, especially Kei, who acted as the emperor. He died, in the hands of Tora and she didn"t even give him a proper burial. None even saw the body of the King as she ruthlessly burned him alive.
Just thinking about it, Daisuke"s heart was filled with nothing but hatred to the current queen and ruler of the kingdom. She didn"t bring peace and order in the palace because until now; she was causing havoc and despair to everyone.
"The throne…" Aki whispered before a chuckle followed it. "She ascends the throne because of her child. What she was doing, that"s her revenge for touching her child. She will be a good ruler when everyone settled down."
In his mind, Aki understood the situation his daughter must have gone through. Hence, Tora wouldn"t let them all off. Also, he believed that Tora would be a good ruler if the matters cooled down.
He was tired seeking for power and control as the king. Because of his ambition, not only he put his daughter, Churu, in a twisted situation, he also broke their little family apart. If only uttering all his "what ifs", would bring the time back, he would have done it for a whole week without rest.
Alas, the damage has been done and none of them could return to those beautiful days even if they were built with lies.
"Your Majesty, forgive me for my audacity but I heard the child died a few days ago." Kneeling down, Daisuke reported about Churu that he accidentally overheard while spying around the palace.