Chapter 59

Momo sat on the sofa, watching out of the window, even though it was dark and she couldn't really see anything. Dark, just like in her soul. Toushiro stood still next to her, waiting for her to speak. Matsumoto was long gone, after they had both decided to tell the truth. A lot of time passed before he spoke.

"Aren't you going to say something?"

Momo turned her head to face him.

"What is there to say? I felt it for a long time and it turned out to be true."

He knelt in front of her and took her hands.

"Momo, I swear. I've never loved her. It was just a mistake."

"Does it really matter, Toushiro?" He was confused. "I know that you love me. But if I cheated on you with another man and told you the same, would you forgive me?"

He was quiet. She removed her hands from his own and surprisingly touched his cheek. Her face was calm and kind, like a mother looking at her child.

"But do you know what hurts the most? You did that, while I was mourning our lost child."

He felt shivers run down his spine. Her eyes filled with tears.

"And what is worse, you never really cared if that boy was your son or not. You just ignored him."

She removed her hand from his face and looked aside again.

"She never told me anything and I never asked. I don't think that was a mistake. And even if I knew, what? Would it have been better to bring them here? What for? To make her my second wife or raise my bastard son with our children?"

"And what are you going to tell your bastard son when he learns the truth?"

"He is never going to learn the truth. Haribel would have told him long ago if she wanted to. She did not even confess to me when I asked her."

"Of course, he is going to learn it. A secret like that always comes out. We just have to look at the lessons of the past."

Toushiro stood up.

"Not from me. Not from Matsumoto. And not from you, I hope."

Momo also stood up.

"And I wonder how you will spare your sister and your son the heartbreak that they can never marry?"

"They will just have to accept my decision."

"Another thing that will weigh on your conscience."

She moved past him, going outside, leaving him all alone with his feeling of guilt.

Matsumoto tried to talk to her numerous times the next day, but Momo did not accept her. The red-haired woman left the palace even more upset. It was a good thing that Airi was busy with her own family and Masaru with his concubines. That way Momo could spend her whole day inside her room, not having to meet anyone. Or so she thought.

"Forgive me, your Majesty, but it is urgent!" Bora came inside to find Momo sitting in the same position from hours ago.

"And what is so urgent?" She asked, noticing the candles were all lit and it was dark outside already.

"Prince Hideki came with his wife and her sister. And the situation is really tense. We can hardly control them."

Momo raised her eyebrows and stood up.

"What situation?"

There were scratch marks on Sachiko's face and her cheek was bruised when Momo came inside the room. Tsunade was biting her lips in an effort not to speak or act, because their parents were already inside. Hideki stood in the centre of the room and he looked just like his father had last night, guilty. Still, he found solace in his mother's presence. Omaeda and Soifon were just furious.

"Great! Now, if our great Emperor comes, it will be even better." Omaeda exclaimed.

"What is going on here?" Momo asked, shocked by the sight in front of her.

"Better ask your dear son."

Momo looked and Hideki and he was just about to speak, when the door opened again and Toushiro came inside, majestic as always, but completely unaware of the problem too.

"What is going on here?" He was angry that they had interrupted him and made him come urgently.

"Your son is cheating on my daughter with her sister." Soifon finally spoke.

Momo was shocked. Toushiro looked like he had not really assimilated the words.

"Hideki?"

"It is true, mother. But it is not an affair. I plan on marrying Sachiko."

Omaeda crossed the distance between them in a second and grabbed Hideki's collar.

"What are you saying, you fool? One of my daughters was not enough for you and you want them both?"

Hideki pushed him away and a fight was about to break, before Toushiro stepped closer and grabbed his son's shoulder.

"Sit down." Hideki was reluctant for a moment, but obeyed. "All of you sit down and he will explain." Omaeda sighed heavily, but also sat down. "We are listening, Hideki."

"Sachiko has no fault. We just fell in love. The fault is all mine. Because I was not honest with Tsunade about it."

"Not honest about it?" Tsunade laughed. "Is that how you call it? Cheating on me with my sister, while I am mourning our lost son." She was about to start crying.

Momo closed her eyes.

"It was low. I know it. And I am sorry. But don't try playing the victim again! Why don't you tell them what you did? How you did not even care about your daughter and wished it was her who had died instead?"

Tsunade could hardly hide her embarrassment. Omaeda was shocked, while Sachiko had started crying.

"Eri calls Sachiko her mother, because Tsunade was never there for her."

"I wanted to be, but I needed to recover! And NO ONE WAS THERE FOR ME! Not my husband, not my sister, not my parents!"

Soifon stood up and tried to pull her daughter into her arms.

"No, mother! No! Don't try to be a good mother now! It is all your fault that I am here now! I did everything you taught me and see what happened! My husband plans to send me away to a monastery and marry my sister, raising my child with her!" She was already crying.

"To a monastery?" Omaeda stood up again.

"You all know that there is no love between us. And we can't go on like this. There are some things about Tsunade's mental state..." Hideki was cut off by a loud slap. Only that it did not come from Omaeda, but from his own father.

"Shut up! Don't sink even lower!" Toushiro was furious. Momo put her hand on her chest.

Meanwhile, Tsunade had started laughing and they were all terrified by the sight.

"Tsunade?" Soifon tried to hold her arms and help her calm down, but it was futile. The girl was laughing and shaking, while tears fell from her eyes. A few moments later, she started breathing heavily, like there was not enough air and collapsed on the floor.

"Tsunade!" Soifon knelt down next to her. Momo also followed.

"Thank God, she is alive!" Momo removed her hand from Tsunade's wrist and called for the doctor.

Both women went to the infirmary with the girl.

It was quiet for a few moments. Hideki felt truly guilty and could not even look up. Toushiro was ashamed of his son and embarrassed by the whole situation. Sachiko was crying in the corner, having said no word ever since the beginning and her father looked on the verge of tears too.

"And why did you do it, my daughter?" He spoke quietly. "Were there no other men, except from the husband of your sister?"

Sachiko looked up, but could not answer, so she just ran away outside. Omaeda sighed and followed her shortly after. Only Toushiro and Hideki were left.

"What did you do? How could you? She is not only your wife, she is your cousin, the mother of your daughter! And her sister is not you concubine."

"I couldn't stand it anymore, father! I don't love her! Not only that. I hate her!" There was a strange flame in his eyes, that scared Toushiro. "I tried to and you know it. But she is a monster. And if I don't divorce her, I will kill her!"

Toushiro grabbed his shoulder and shook him.

"What are you saying?" He shouted. Hideki was speechless for a moment, before breaking down into tears too.

"I can't go on like this. If it was not for Sachiko, I would have gone mad too. And I love her, father. I really do. And since I...took her honour, I have to take responsibility about her."

Toushiro sighed and sat next to him, putting an arm around his son's shoulders, letting the boy share all the pain that was tormenting him.

"Since it had come to here, you will marry Sachiko, of course. There is nothing else to do."

Hideki looked up, hopeful.

"But you will not divorce Tsunade. Never!"

Hideki wanted to speak, but Toushiro cut him off.

"Don't even think about harming her. She is your first wife and that she will stay. I am not telling you to love her or to sleep with her, but you have to respect her."

"Father..."

Toushiro raised a finger.

"Don't! Sending her to a monastery? Only a fool could say that! She will be examined by the doctors, she will take medication and you will support her. Only after she is recovered, will you get married to Sachiko."

With that said, Toushiro left the room and went to check Tsunade's condition.

"How is she?"

"The doctor is still inside with her."

Soifon stood by the door, her face dark. Toushiro stepped closer and tried to hold her shoulder. She turned her face to him and shook her head.

"You have raised him well, haven't you?"

Toushiro pulled his hand back.

"We can say the same about you and Tsunade."

"But it is not my daughter who cheated on her husband, when their child had just died? And it is not your son lying in there!"

"Soifon!" Toushiro raised his voice. Momo intervened.

"Stop it, please! It is pointless. What is done is done. We need to find a way to help them."

Just then, Isane came outside, looking worried.

"Don't worry! I gave her some medication and she will sleep for a while. But her mental state is truly worrying."

"Then give her some medication to help her."

"I would. But there is something else."

They were all ears.

"Tsunade is pregnant."

Momo rested her back on the wall. Toushiro put his hand on his forehead. Soifon froze in her spot.

This time no one was really happy to learn the news. Omaeda could barely hide his frustration.

"It seems that Tsunade was not so repulsive, when it came to sharing her bed."

These words were targeted at Hideki, who couldn't be more unhappy he was going to become a father once again. Yet, he kept quiet and did not answer. Soifon caught Omaeda's hand in a silent request to stop the fight.

"Hideki won't divorce Tsunade, of course. And special attention will be paid to her health. Once she feels better, he will also marry Sachiko."

"No. I won't allow it." Omaeda shook his head.

Toushiro was frustrated.

"And what do you suggest then?"

"I won't let another one of my daughters to become a victim of your son."

"Let me remind you that it was my sister, who insisted on the marriage between Tsunade and Hideki in the first place." Soifon looked up. "And it is debatable who is the victim. Still, we have to find the best solution to this mess. And I can't think of anything else."

"My brother is right. There isn't anything else we can do." Soifon spoke.

Omaeda couldn't believe his ears.

"This won't end well for anyone."

"Then do you have a better solution?" Soifon raised her voice and looked at her husband accusingly.

"Even if I do, it doesn't matter." He slammed the door behind him.

During this whole time, Momo just sat in the corner, not saying a single word. When it was just the two of them left, Toushiro finally asked her about her opinion.

"What can I say? Like father, like son. They both found the best way to fight the pain. In the arms of another."

He knew, he did not have the right to be offended, but still her words hurt him.

"We don't need sarcasm right now."

She smiled.

"Right. We don't. We need to help our children, but instead we are thinking about the best political solution."

"Then what should I do, Momo? Tell me!" He raised his voice.

"I don't know, Toushiro. You have always been smarter than me, more level-headed. You decide what to do."

She looked terribly tired from it all, when she left the room. But so was he. His marriage was threatened, his family, his lands. And there wasn't a single ray of hope coming. He was all alone. It was the curse he carried since the day he was born. The curse Hideki was carrying too.

Like always Momo pulled herself together for the sake of her children, so the first thing she did the next morning when she had managed to calm down, was go and talk to Hideki. He was having breakfast in his room and pretended to be fine. Just like his father always did. She sat down next to him.

"Why did you do that, my son? Was there really no other way?" Her voice was calm and kind.

"You all act so surprised, but you've always known there is no love between me and Tsunade. It was just a matter of time before it happened. My son's death was the catalyst."

"And while still in mourning you cheated on her with her sister of all people?"

"You don't understand, mother!" He raised his voice. "No one does. I was alone and she blamed me for our son's death, while the doctor said it was her fault. I did everything to save her the pain, but when she told me she wished Eri had died instead...I lost it."

Momo was quiet, reminiscing about a similar situation in the past, where she had blamed Toushiro for Makoto's death.

"Sachiko was the only one there for me. She is an angel. She tried to help Tsunade too, but you know how she is. She is mean, mother. She does not care about anything else, but power. She dreams of the day she will rule this country and I dread it."

"I should have married Sachiko back then, just like how you wished."

Momo and Omaeda were both supporting that union, but Soifon had convinced Toushiro that Tsunade was the better option. Momo opened her arms.

"Come here. Please! Just for a second."

In normal circumstances, Hideki would have declined, but now he needed his mother's embrace the most and willingly let himself into her arms. She stroked his back soothingly.

"It is our fault that it happened, Hideki. Forgive me!"

"It is not your fault."

"It is. For better or worse you are born as the heir of this empire. You will rule here one day. And this position brings more heartbreak than happiness." That she said with tears in her eyes. "You will marry Sachiko, of course. But your father is right. Tsunade will remain your wife, especially in the current circumstances."

His small moment of comfort and happiness was gone at the reminder that he and Tsunade were to become parents once again. He pulled out of his mother's embrace.

"Don't regret it! A child is always a blessing. You will love it, just like you love Eri. So, please, go there and apologise to Tsunade."

"Never!" He stood up, unable to control the next emotional outburst.

"You will go there and apologise!" Momo also stood up and the firmness in her voice surprised him. "For she is the mother of your children. And she is sick. You have to help her. Time will pass and you will find happiness with Sachiko, God willing, but Tsunade won't."

He was still reluctant to accept her words.

"I believe that you are right. You are my son and I have raised you to be a good person." She gently touched his cheek. "And because you are the better person, you will go there and apologise and try to help her overcome her mental stress. Please."

Even if he did not truly feel the need to do it, she noticed the change in his expression immediately. It had become softer. She knew he would do the right thing. She took his hands in her own and smiled.

Meanwhile Soifon also had a mother-daughter talk with Sachiko. The girl was still ashamed of herself, but she had overcome her over emotional state and was able to speak normally to her parents. What hurt her the most was not her mother's anger, but her father's pain. Omaeda had refused to accept her relationship with Hideki, even when she confessed her feelings and apologized.

"I don't understand. You had a good option for a husband in the face of Takumi. You liked him. I could feel that. Yet you did that with the husband of your sister." Soifon shook her head. "You have never been like that!"

"Takumi was never an option, mother. Only in your imagination."

"What does this mean?" Soifon was confused.

"He loves another." Sachiko remembered seeing him go to her aunt's room.

"Who told you that?"

"No one. I saw him." Not wanting to cause trouble for Masami, she hid the real evidence. "I saw how he looks our aunt. He is in love with her. He is always looking at her and searching her presence."

Soifon widened her eyes. It had never even occurred to her that such a union was possible.

"God! She just lost her husband!" Coming from a person who was not an example of good morals, these words felt empty. "However! You can't be sure! And even if he likes her, if the emperor and his mother had agreed on a marriage between you two..."

"What for, mother? To become the next miserable couple like Tsunade and Hideki?"

"Don't speak about them."

"I know my fault! But even without me, mother, you know they were not happy! They barely tolerate each other."

"As far as I know they were perfectly fine after Hoshi was born."

Sachiko looked down. It was impossible to convince their mother that her views were wrong.

"We are of royal blood. We can't marry for love like the ordinary people. But love and happiness come later into a marriage."

Sachiko smiled.

"Like how it came into yours?"

"What do you mean? Your father and I are happy."

"You can't fool us anymore with these words, mother. We are not children. You were never happy. The difference is that father loves you."

Sachiko stood up and headed to her room. Soifon was offended and wanted to stop her and scold her, but she couldn't find the right words. She was attached to Omaeda, but she never truly loved him, like he loved her.

When Hideki went inside her room, Tsunade was already awake in bed. He did not know what to expect of her, but she was surprisingly calm.

"How are you?" He said as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"I am fine." She met his look. "Maybe I should be asking you? After the news that you will have one more child from me. You must feel terrible."

It was not far from the truth, but still he tried to be kind.

"What are you saying? I am surprised, but I am happy, of course. You know how much I love Eri."

She was not convinced, but the medicine was working and she had no intention to fight.

"Good then." She closed her eyes.

"I have to ask you for forgiveness, Tsunade. What I did was wrong. I shouldn't have done it behind your back."

She did not speak, nor look it him for a while and he wondered what to do. But when he moved to stand, she opened her eyes and smiled.

"It is fine. I understand that I also have a fault. You hurt me, I hurt you."

He widened his eyes. Was that truly Tsunade in front of him? Could she have been so sick that her behaviour was caused by her illness and he blamed her unjustly?

"Maybe this time we will make it work."

He nodded his head.

"I hope so." Yet her smile still looked fake to him and it worried him a little. "I better leave you to rest."

He already had his back to her, when she spoke again.

"You won't marry my sister, will you?"

He gulped. Then faced her again.

"I will. Because this is the right thing to do."

She chuckled.

"You tell me you hope we will make it work and then you say that you will be taking my sister as your second wife?"

"Tsunade...I will do my best to treat you with the respect you deserve, but you know that there is no love between us. We can't hope for a miracle."

"Since when does love matter? It is a political marriage. A prince never marries for love!"

"What about my parents then? Is it a political marriage too?"

She started laughing.

"Don't give your parents as an example, please! As if I can give mine!"

He tried to remain calm, because she was mentally unstable and he knew it. Apparently, the medication could not do wonders too.

"You need to rest. We will discuss it again later."

When he was by the doorframe a question from Tsunade made him freeze in his spot.

"In the meantime, would you ask your mother why she tried to poison your father, when she loved him that much?"

This time he couldn't hide his anger.

"You don't know what you are saying!"

"But I do! They would have killed her if she wasn't pregnant with you! You saved your mother's life and your father married her only to make you his legal heir. You can go check in the register, if you don't believe me. You are named as an adopted son of your mother, because she was at first banished after your birth. This is the truth."

He preferred her hysterical cries and their fights to these calm words that stabbed him like a knife.

"I won't listen to you!" He went outside and closed the door with a slam.

The new chapter is here and I promise another one before the end of the year! Momo and Toushiro are in for a heartbreak, but they have no time for suffering, because their children need them. And it seems that there is no happy marriage in this story.