Matthew really did worry, but Sahara seemed to see nothing to worry about, as the Empress Dowager seemed to be filled with love at the moment and had no bad thoughts that were entering into her head. It was a time like this that hearing another’s thoughts helped someone be less worried…
It looks like she’s forgotten the plan! The most stupidest plan, I must add!
Thoughts of the little boy growing up and what kind of personality he will have and thoughts of wondering how Matthew was at a young age and if it will be much different to Kin. She still remembered what Matthew had looked like as a baby, but she did notice the obvious fact that Kin was smaller, which made her worried that he will have of a sickly constitution. She really wished that this boy was not weak, as he was the heir and first son of her grandson…
Sahara knew that Kin will have a different upbringing, because Kin will be with his biological parents and away from the palace…But…How was she going to tell the Empress Dowager this…
In another five minutes, a maid rushed in and kneeled in front of the Empress Dowager, “Your Highness…There’s…There’s news of the Empress!”
Both Matthew and Sahara both got interested by this and looked at the maid.
“Speak.”
“Your Highness! The…The Empress has perished! It is told that her old injuries came back!”
“…What? The Empress…Is gone?”
The Empress Dowager finally looked up at the maid and was completely stunned!
Sahara bent down, making sure that the Empress Dowager wouldn’t let her son fall and hoped that she would put more attention to what’s in her hands!
“Yes, Your Highness! She has died, not long ago, unable to be saved because she lost too much blood! The physician looked uncertain but stated that a poison that the Empress had for a long time acted up all of a sudden and…And finished…Did…”
Still stunned, the Empress Dowager didn’t even realize that Naruto went upon her shoulder and even started to attempt to walk down the old woman’s arm.
“Hey!” Sahara quickly picked him up and threw him to Matthew, then quickly turned to see the Empress Dowager blinking and finally regaining her posture, making sure that her hold on Kin was secure once again.
…Sahara sighed in relief…
“…You may leave…”
After the maid left, silence once again entered the room and Sahara got back up again, taking Naruto into her hands, as she was closer to Kin then Matthew.
After the Empress Dowager touched the small boy with a gentle finger for a while, she looked up and smiled, “He will certainly make a fine Prince! A handsome one too!”
Seeing that the Empress Dowager wasn’t giving too much thought to the Empress’s death, even though that in itself was a bit cold, Sahara was sort of glad. It would be bothersome if she questioned it too much and even demanded information from His Majesty the Emperor!
If she found out that Matthew himself was the one that killed the Empress…How would she see them as then!?
Sahara smiled at the Empress Dowager and then at her little man, “He is bound to open his eyes soon to see the world properly. I will make sure to bring you to him when he has done that!”
The Empress Dowager let out a laugh to the boy sucking her finger, and said, “Yes, yes, you must bring him back to see this old woman. This little one should know his Great Grandmother…And his grandfather, of course!”
Not many times would the Empress Dowager forget His Majesty, her son, this was rare indeed!
But Sahara sighed to this and formally stated, “We are not returning here, Grandmother, what I mean is, that we will teleport you, not us! I will send something first to you, at the time, and if you are prepared to teleport, then you must say so.”
The Empress Dowager looked sternly at Sahara, “You are stating that it is this old woman that will have to come to you? Presumptuous!”
Sahara smiled at her, “I already told you of what I’ve had to put up with while being in this haven, if I wasn’t able to heal, I would have died last night. I will not stay! If you would like to see Kin, I will teleport you to us and there is no other way!”
The Empress Dowager took an obvious deep breath in anger yet…She could not speak further…
Remembering when they first came back into Green Haven, from leaving Purple Haven, and what Sahara had done to get them there so quickly…That she had also been taken away by force and…
What was she to do…Could she really just agree?
Looking down at the little boy in her hands, the Empress Dowager sighed and could only state, “Very well! But you should know that it does not give me pleasure, I will only do this for Kin, and not for you!”
Silence then entered the room again, as the Empress Dowager started to gently rock herself.
“Imperial Grandmother, why did you change your mind? Having been taken to Purple Haven by force, this Prince would think you would punish Sahara, or is it…That you are still wanting to punish her?” Matthew asked.
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He sincerely did not want to be mad at his Imperial Grandmother and hoped that she would accept Sahara now. It had been enough to lose the Empress and have his past with her tainted with what she had done recently. He really did hope that there was at least one of them that would treat Sahara well…Except, he was starting to see that may not even happen…
The Empress Dowager rocked herself for the baby, but looked up at Matthew sternly, “This old woman has not forgotten but…It seems that there is something else first that I would like to address!” Then she looked at Sahara.
And Sahara let out a frown, “I had not told Matthew, Grandmother…”
It was the Empress Dowager’s turn to frown, “I know, but…This is…You are married and partners now, he must know!”
Sahara sighed and nodded, then turned to Matthew…Who was pouting…
Letting out a smile, Sahara then said, “Remember when we just left the prison? That I went through…An episode?”
Matthew frowned and nodded, even though ‘episode’ was not something generally used for something like this. He got over the word very quickly though because of remembering and he didn’t particularly want to see his beloved like that again, even if it was just a memory…
Grabbing onto Naruto better once again, Sahara continued, “I was…Given a story of the past. That before, many, many years ago, a whole…Dam…It’s better just to show you!”
Sahara did remember what happened to her last time, when she showed the memories directly like this, but how could she explain it!?
Giving one more look towards her little man, Sahara felt like she might be ok to focus upon something else for a while. She put Naruto into Matthew’s hands and put a hand on him, giving him the same memory as what she had shown the Empress Dowager.
By the time that Matthew had seen everything, Sahara felt like much more time went passed, simply because of what was seen…But really, it was only just a matter of minutes, and they were done. It wasn’t like the ‘show’ that she had shown to Prince Seth, Matthew and the others when the rebellion had been done. Having to show more than one point of view had obviously taken more time, but this spiritual essence story was just on one point of view, so it was a lot easier and quicker to give to someone else.
Matthew looked at Sahara with a stern but unbelievable expression, “This…Is real?”
Sahara nodded and took back Naruto, just before he was about to pounce onto the Empress Dowager…Lucky!
“And you have shown Imperial Grandmother?” Matthew asked.
Sahara nodded once again and turned to Matthew, “I know I did wrong by teleporting her but when I got this memory, I just had bigger things to worry about and instead, I wanted to get someone who has been around longer, to give me some advice.”
Sahara shrugged, it wasn’t all the truth, but it wasn’t a lie either.
She did want advice, but the initial idea to show this to the Empress Dowager was to get away from the fact that Sahara had indeed treated her badly…And it seems to be still working…
It was obvious to Sahara that the Empress Dowager was not willing to completely forgive her, but that’s understandable, at least it seems that punishment and pain might be something that won’t happen now…
“You think that…Imperial Grandmother can help?” Matthew was a bit sceptical about this. He knew that his Imperial Grandmother is old and has experience, but he also knew that there was so much more to life then the Imperial Palace and really did not think that she had much to offer in a way of saving the world!
Sahara smirked, hiding it from the Empress Dowager and leaned into Matthew, quietly saying, “If she doesn’t punish me, it’s worth it!”
Matthew let out a noise and then stood straight, wiping his face.
Sahara let out a small chuckle too and winced to Naruto’s claws, as he continuously tried to get out of her hold. “Keep moving and I’ll put you in a cage!”
Naruto put his head down and a tail in between his legs. He looked over at the boy and seemed to be a lot more satisfied now, just to watch him from afar. He knew of the word cage but had only ever been in one once …It seems that memory of so long ago is still there!
“Better!” Sahara stated, giving Naruto a pat.
“Then what is Imperial Grandmother’s thoughts of…The memories?” Matthew asked, purely hoping that Sahara really did not use her just to get out of punishment. As much as ‘the memories’ meant to him though, that was another matter. He hadn’t put too much thought into yet and he didn’t feel all that worried…For some reason…
The Empress Dowager gave out a hum and said, “This old lady had been able to think of it for a few days and could see that we might get to that stage again, simply because we don’t know how to live without spiritual essence.”
Sahara nearly laughed to this! Granted, it was good information for this world, but she, who had lived on Earth, and lived without spiritual essence, found it completely hilarious!
“This old woman did not use too many ploys back in my day that required spiritual essence, as my family was well endowed. Yet, spiritual essence does have its uses and even money is used with it…This old woman thinks we should try to stop it but…The people have hearts of their own and will do as they do. Can we stop someone from doing as they do?”
With these questions in the Empress Dowager’s eyes, Sahara was stunned.
Even her, even she has questioned things like this…A way to help prevent people from doing that circle of hate…Well…Derr…She wouldn’t be the only one in the world that knows of the circle!
Sometimes one had to be reminded that they were the same as others in many cases, especially in thoughts. Sahara had forgotten that for a short time. She had to remember that she really wasn’t all that different to everyone else when it came to feeling and thoughts…
But wasn’t it her feelings and thoughts that had put her into the position she was in now? That she was told about ‘the end’?
…It’s all bullshit Ray…
That’s all Sahara could say to her line of thinking…
Sahara then, finally, nodded at her, “The spiritual essence is not in the lead and can only take in what the person that holds it in does. If that person is a bad person, it is not happy, yet how are we to come up with a better plan then to let me take in the spiritual essence into myself to get it to condense itself once again?”
“Did they not turn into beasts? Perhaps they would live a better life out there in the wilderness?” Matthew stated.
Sahara frowned, “You think…I could turn them into beasts?”
She hadn’t…Really thought of this yet…No doubt though, she would have gotten there at some stage, it’s just been…So busy!
The Empress Dowager then nodded at Naruto, “Is he not a beast?”
Sahara blinked at the now placid Naruto and suddenly had a strange thought!
What if, not only can she turn blackened spiritual essence people into beasts but…But make beasts into humans too!
Or, what if she could do what the memory did and bring people to life from nothing!?
She had enough spiritual essence to spare and to give it to another being and…Perhaps she…Perhaps she could bring Talon, Samuel and Zeus back to life!
Could it really be possible!?
“My dear, you must tell me what you are thinking!”
Matthew’s stern words cut into Sahara’s thoughts, and she smiled up at him. “I want to give it a go! How awesome would that be!?”
But in the next moment, Sahara frowned again, “But, I can’t do things selfishly…”
Matthew took Sahara into his embrace and kissed her on the forehead, “I’m absolutely positive that you will think of something now that this idea has come to mind.”
Sahara smiled up at him and then turned back to the Empress Dowager, who was looking at both of them, as she absentmindedly rocked her body.
The old woman looked away and humphed, changing her face to a smile within moments, when she was looking at the little boy in her arms.
Hearing her thoughts, Sahara’s eyes became more gentler upon looking on the old woman…It seems that the Empress Dowager had admitted to herself that she thought Matthew and she were a nice couple…But she would not voice it out loud!
Ah, she’s definitely hard to make happy! I’ll have to get her to see Kin more often so that she completely forgets what I did to her!