Empress Natsume ✓

XII

I was quite enjoying the view by the window of the carriage to every scenery we passed by on the way to the city of Dong when Lord General Izumi, who's riding on his black mare horse, obstructs my view. I was about to say it to him when he started to talk.

"You should think before you say what you wanted to say. You're making them well aware of your motives, by warning them, you're circuitously making them prepared of your next move. You should have pretended to be ignorant of their actions and corner them, that way, you can caught them red handed"

Look who's talking?! 'You should think before you say what you wanted to say' can't believe those words are coming out from his mouth.

I look at him with an inconceivable look.

"Why don't you apply your advise to yourself then, Lord General? If you can't apply it to yourself, you shouldn't have advised it to anyone else"

"I'm not referring to my manners, I maybe rude but I know how to trap rats. Heed my words"

"I already caught them, so why pretend?"

"You can't be so sure, you must see it for yourself to believe. An evidence, a strong evidence that they can't escape, you block their way but who knows? They maybe cockroaches with wings"

I laugh at that.

"Cockroaches huh?"

He just shrugged and led his horse to walk faster, passing by the carriage.

The travel took three days, and I have brought a thousand soldiers with me, I intended it to be just two hundred soldiers but General Izumi insisted that I bring a thousand soldiers with us for safety measures. I told him that it's not like I'm heading to war, he just plainly looked at me and said 'but aren't we heading to war?' and whispered something 'stupid'.

'How about the castle?' I asked and he gave me another look that says. You-are-totally-a-dolt

"We still have many soldiers in the castle and fortresses around the states. The current problem is your safety"

As soon as we set foot to the state of Dong, the people gave us a very warm welcome.

"SURROUND THE CARRIAGE! PROTECT HER LADYSHIP!!'

I quickly close the window of the carriage when the people started throwing rocks at the carriage. It took us a lot of time before we made our way and we couldn't have passed if not for the threat of General Izumi, who swung his sword and injured four citizens near him.

"Come closer, if you want to be beheaded, I'll gladly do so"

That's when they make a way for us like scattered ants.

When we entered the estate of the governor, that's when he made an appearance, he came rushing to us.

"Milady, I'm truly sorry. I apologize in behalf of their behavior, they--"

The guard opened the door and the governor bowed a multiple times while explaining himself, I got out of the carriage and loudly slammed the door before the guard could close it.

"Governor, don't try to act as if you're very concerned. It makes me sick, your people have a very good manners that they gave us a very warm welcome by harassing my guards. Is this how you taught them 'how to welcome a guest?' If then, you have a very unique way of how to welcome a guest, I regard you for that "

"Milady, I didn't mean to, they were out of control that they--"

"Out of control? Are you saying that you haven't explain the situation to them yet, Governor? Or are you saying that you're an incompetent ruler? You could have lined our way with your guards to show your concern"