Britannia Part 13

Trouble Brews

Day three on the road Taichi and Koushiro road swiftly across the plains of the Ishida province having only an hours ride to the castle. "Any moment Koushiro we will be there and I will get my questions answered," Taichi said shouting over to his friend.

Koushiro frowned they shouldn't have never kept, what ever they have, secret from him he thought.

As they both headed south, an army of soldiers brewed in the west from the Imagawa province.

"Attention soldiers!" the general said at the gates of the Imagawa castle. They all halted and stood straight, "Under the order of the King we are to start toward the Yagami province, to declare war," he said loudly.

"YES SIR," they all shouted.

"We are to cross the Tachikawa province discreetly with out giving notice to the people of Tachikawa! That is why we have our camouflage. Do not give away the position," he said again.

"UNDERSTOOD SIR," the soldiers shouted.

Ishida castle…

Daisuke and Hikari were walking in the garden, "We honestly tried to have Sora open up and confess to Taichi that he is a father," he said.

Hikari smiled at him, "And I appreciate that you are trying to help," she said.

"No problem," Daisuke replied, "I thought maybe if anyone could get her to open up that it would be you," he said.

"I have tried many times in the past couple of days to get her to tell him but she seems hesitant," she said.

They both stopped in their tracks when they heard shouting from the front of the castle. Daisuke immediately ran ahead of her Hikari followed, "Daisuke what's wrong!" she called.

"Some one is intruding," he cried then he had disappeared down a corridor. Hikari lost him soon after she ran into Takeru who was going to run down that corridor as well.

"Takeru! Take me with you," she begged.

Takeru frowned, "With all do respect princess I can not be held responsible if an enemy has gained entrance to the castle. I will take you so far but you have to stay where I ask you too," he said.

"I will honor it then," she said worried.

Takeru and Hikari headed down the corridor Daisuke had disappeared down they got about half way when Takeru turned to her, "Stay, you will be out of danger here," he said then he continued down the corridor.

Out in the courtyard, the Ishida guards had Taichi and Koushiro held at sword point. Takeru and Daisuke sighed, "Taichi what are you doing here?" Takeru said.

"What am I doing here? To get answers now if don't mind tell them to stand down," Taichi said to them.

Hikari came running into the courtyard after she heard her brother's voice, "Taichi! What are you doing Yamato asked you to stay away from the castle why did you break that promise?" she asked him.

"Sorry Taichi but I have get Yamato's approval first," Takeru told him he turned to one of the guards next to him, "Call the King," he said, " And ask him if it is okay for Taichi enter."

While everyone was in the courtyard Sora heard the commotion from her room she walked to the window with curiosity and looked down, "it can't be…" she said shocked she looked to her baby.

She exited the room quickly putting on a shawl, "Aki please look after Raidon while I go down."

"Yes Sora," she said as she went into the room.

The Imagawa army made ways out of there province crossing over into the Tachikawa province and slowly heading east to the Yagami province which remained still about three days journey.

Tachikawa Castle…

Jyou came to Mimi room and knocked on the door, "Princess your father requests your presents at the dinner," he said.

Mimi came out of her room, "thank you Jyou," she said then exited her room closing the door behind her.

Miyako came from the opposite direction, "Mimi wait please," she said urgently.

Mimi looked at her lady in waiting for a moment, "Yes what is wrong?" she questioned seeing the concern look on Miyako's face.

Miyako shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know but I thought maybe if you saw you would be able to distinguish what exactly it is." She said.

"Maybe I can help too," Jyou said.

"Yes maybe you should come too," Miyako said she then lead them to the west tower.

Sora ran down the spiral stairs to the corridor leading out into the courtyard she stopped just short of entering into the courtyard watching Hikari, Takeru and Daisuke talking to Taichi and Koushiro.

Yamato walked up to from behind and then said, "He is here now Sora do I let him in or no? it is your decision."

Sora bit her lip still looking at Taichi through the archway, "let him in," she replied.

Yamato smiled and patted her shoulder, "Okay then are you going to come with me?" he asked.

She shook her head, "No you go first," she said.

Yamato nodded and went a head into the courtyard he walked toward them, "Brother it is your call," Takeru said to him.

"Put your weapons down," Yamato said.

Taichi looked at him angrily, "I want to know why you have asked me to keep away from the castle?"

Sora looked on nervously from where she was standing.

"I was simply doing best by Sora," Yamato said.

"Best! What is that supposed to mean?" Taichi asked confused as he watched Yamato.

"Taichi!" a voice he recognized very well and hadn't heard in months. Sora came running toward them and Taichi ran to her they gave each other a huge embrace then a kiss at the end of the kiss Sora pushed him away.

"What's wrong?" Taichi questioned.

"You will be upset with me when I show you what I have to show you," she said.

Yamato, Hikari, Koushiro, Takeru and Daisuke looked on concern etched on their faces.

"You shouldn't be upset with Yamato, he was only doing what I asked of him," she said quietly she let him go and turned her back to him.

Taichi was confused, "But why? I don't understand Sora," he said.

"I had a secret that I kept from you for the past nine months, it was nothing you had done that turned me a way," she said looking down at her hands.

"Then show me what it is that you have to show me, because it might not all be that bad," he said.

Sora nodded she turned to him, "We must go to my room," she said.

Tachikawa Castle the West Tower…

Jyou strained to look at the objects far away, "It is hard to say what it is in the dark," he said.

"If I may, do you think it is an army?" Miyako questioned she had saw it earlier emerging from the forest of the Imagawa Province.

Mimi also strained to see what Miyako was pointing to, "It looks like trees that are moving," she said.

"We will wait till morning then," Jyou said. "We can not judge what that it is in the darkness."

Sora lead the way up to her room Taichi followed her and behind him Koushiro and Hikari. Once she got there, she knocked on her door when it opened and the maid Sora had ask to watch baby Raidon.

"You can go Aki," she said to her.

"Thank you ," Aki said then exited the room.

Sora looked into the room and saw her child in the small crib she bit her lip and turned around to face Taichi who was extremely confused.

"You can come in," Sora said she pushed the door opened and walked over to the crib and lifted the baby out of the crib. She walked toward Taichi who was still a little confused as to why there was a baby there.

"This is why you couldn't see…because this is your child," she said quietly.

Taichi's eyes widened in shock he looked down at the child then up at Sora with the unexpected look of anger building, "You mean you kept it from me for the longest of time till now?" he asked.

Hikari went to his side, "Taichi believe me I wanted her to tell you," she said quickly.

"My own sister knew you all knew. Even Yamato and he choose to keep this secret from me!" he said shouting now.

"Taichi please, understand me when I say that I love you and I did it because if your parents knew that I was pregnant with your child they would have done something," Sora said still holding the baby

He looked at the baby then he turned around and headed straight out the door. Koushiro quickly caught up with him, "Taichi!" he called.

"You are my only true friend Koushiro you didn't deny the truth from me," he said as they both headed down a set of stairs.

"With out due respect Taichi she may have had a good reason to do what she did," Koushiro said as they both walked quickly down the stairs.

"How can you say something like that Koushiro!" Taichi shouted at him angry he stopped and looked at him incredulously.

"Taichi you are my friend however I am trying to see from both points of view. Yes she was wrong in keeping this secret from you but she had reasonable doubt about your parents," he explained.

Before he could answer back, "Taichi!" Sora called she ran down the stairs toward the both of them, "Please do not leave," she begged.

"I can not stay Sora," he said with that, he continued down the stairs.

Koushiro looked at her regretfully, "I'm sorry," he said then followed after Taichi.

Sora stood there for a moment short after Hikari came and she had sunken down on the steps and was sobbing, "Its okay," Hikari said soothingly.

Imagawa army closed in on their target it was short after sunrise when they could see the Yagami castle. Then marched toward the goal and toward what they hopped, was to be the end of the Yagami Province.

Yagami Castle…

"Your majesty word from the wall just to the east come a military threat of great scale," said a soldier who was bowing in front of them.

"Military?" Haruko questioned skeptically.

"From what we could see it seemed to about five thousand men," he said again now looking up at him.

Haruko stood up immediately, "Let me go see," he said the general nodded standing he followed the king to the castle walls.

Once they got up there Haruko looked in the distance but there was nothing there, "I swear your majesty that they were their," said the general looking completely shocked that the massive army vanished with in seconds.

"Knowing you Imago, you would never lie about something so serious," Haruko said with taking his eyes off the eastern sky. He turned to him, "send out a scout."

"Yes, I will right away sir," Imago said he left leaving the king and queen standing on the castle's wall walk way.

"Haruko do you think it could be the Imagawa's making a move?" Kumiko said with worry.

"That may be the case," Haruko said he walked away quickly, "Jiro, prepare for war," he said to his second in command.

Taichi and Koushiro both gathered there horses from the stable then mounted them, "Tell King Yamato that I regret I can not stay for dinner," Taichi said to the stable boy who simply nodded at him.

With that, they galloped out of there quickly. Meanwhile in the stairway of one of the towers Hikari helped Sora to her feet. Slowly they went back to her room where Yamato and Takeru were both waiting.

"You should rest," Yamato said to her.

Sora said nothing but she looked terrible now, her eyes red and puffy from crying so much in the stairway.

"If you do not mind may I have some time with Sora," Hikari asked quietly of the two of them.

Both nodded, "Sure," Takeru answered then followed after his brother out the door closing it behind him as he went.

"You were right and now he hates me," Sora said in a monotone voice she stared out and saw two horses going north.

Hikari walked over to her and patted her on her shoulder, "You have nothing to worry about, I'm sure when he realizes that he loves you too much to be angry with you that he will apologize," she said gently.

To Be Continued…