──Gosamaru remained loyal until the very end.

But is that really where this story ends? Looking back, there is a chance that Gosamaru was just a pawn in a larger chess game. Let’s delve back in for one final story.

This story takes place a short while before the first ruler of the Ryukyu Kingdom took power. The fledgling kingdom still sat in the midst of a warring island. A chaotic world of constant betrayals, the castle fortresses scattered across the nation were unstable as the leaders were constantly outed and replaced. Gosamaru’s lineage derives from the same situation. Once the rulers of Nakijin Castle, his family fell from power after a coup d'état.

During the critical last moments in his ascension to the throne, Shō Hashi called out to a young Gosamaru before he prepared to attack Nakijin Castle. “Finally, a chance for revenge,” Gosamaru thought. Together they went on to conquer the impregnable Nakijin Castle and once again, Gosamaru stood at the helm of Nakijin.

Riding the waves of this success, Shō Hashi actually went on to unify the island and create the Kingdom of Ryukyu. However, with the creation of the nation came another issue: what to do with Gosamaru. Even Shō Hashi had to recognize the skill and knowledge of Gosamaru. Leaving Nakijin in the hands of Gosamaru could eventually pose a threat to his newly formed kingdom. This realization is what lead Shō Hashi to replace Gosamaru with his son as head of Nakijin and send Gosamaru to Zakimi Castle instead.

However, even here Gosamaru exhibited incredible skill and knowledge. The forces at Zakimi began to gain strength. Zakimi itself was actually an important player in the southern section of the island. Gosamaru might’ve be able to divide the country and lead the southern part of the kingdom astray. The conflicted king was struck with an idea, “That’s it! Why not pit Gosamaru and that meddlesome Amawari of Katsuren Castle against each other? It’d be like taking out two birds with one stone.”

At the time, Katsuren’s Amawari was also gaining a following among the common people and growing in strength. With that, Gosamaru was sent to Nakagusuku Castle. But wait, there’s more. Shō Takyū, Shō Hashi’s son, had become emperor and was actually married to Gosamaru’s daughter while his own daughter, Miagari Momotofu, was married to Amawari. For the royal family, the very existence of both Amawari and Gosamaru, was both essential and an obstacle.

Then comes another important player in the story.
Kenyū Ogusuku. Kenyū was in love with Shō Taikyū’s daughter Miagari. So when Shō Taikyū decided to marry her off to Amawari, Kenyū was in shock. Unable to let go off his love for her, he went with her to the castle as her “protector,” which meant he was temporarily working for Amawari as a close associate to the very man who stole his love away.

Kenyū began to plot. “If it were you, you can take down Shuri,” he would whisper to Amawari. “ But in order to do that, you need to take down Gosamaru.” Amawari grew fond of this idea and Kenyū continued to feed the idea growing in his mind. “Let’s make it seem like Gosamaru is plotting a rebellion.” These are the words that sent Amawari to Shuri Castle.

Shō Taikyū believe Amawari and as a result Amawari ended up attacking Gosamaru. But the real puppeteer of this whole story was Kenyū. “I really wanted Gosamaru to do away with Amawari, but oh well,” reflected Kenyu as he took aim at his original target, Amawari. As long as he got rid of Amawari, he could make Miagari his wife. This is when he started to plot again, “Amawari is planning to kill your father,” he whispered to Miagari before taking her with him to Shuri.

Noticing the absence of the two, Amawari sent out a search party to pursue them. However, he was too late. “Gosamaru was innocent. All of this was Amawari’s plan. Before the war starts, I brought your daughter Miagari back to safety,” said Kenyū Shō Taikyū believed this man who stood before him and made him the leader of a force meant to bring down Amawari. Kenyū went on to take down Amawari and marry the newly widowed Miagari.

However, Kenyū was executed shortly after this. All of his lies came to light. Or maybe he knew all along. Gosamaru. Amawari. Kenyū. There was one person who manipulated all of them. The real puppet master was Kinmaru.

Let’s go back in time.

Back when Shou Taikyū was still a prince, he lived in Koegu Castle. It was at this time when Shō Takyū met Kinmaru. He was the Robin to his Batman, a right hand man to a royal. At the time Kinmaru was working with Kenyū. As Kenyuu was consumed in his love, Kinmaru continued to move up the ranks and moved with Shō Taikyū to Shuri with his ascension to the throne.

Kinmaru worked alongside Shō Taikyū in all important political decisions. In the execution of Gosamaru and Amawari, Kinmaru was right there to help lead him towards the right decision. But even Kinmaru held a secret ambition, to become king himself. So he found a way to kill two of his main obstacles to the throne without spilling a drop of blood on his hands. Kenyū was nothing more than another pawn in his game and once he lost his use, he too was thrown away. In the end, the only one who managed to gain the trust of Shō Taikyū was Kinmaru.

Shortly after Shō Taikyū passed away, and Shō Toku took over the throne. However Shō Toku was a foolish and beligerrant youth. Seeing how he went to Kikai Island and lay waste on its people, Kinmaru knew there was no better time than to act on his ambitions. His plan was actually to purposefully remove himself from the world of politics. This was the Kinmaru that had complete control of the political power of Shuri castle since the rule of Shō Taikyū. Without Kinmaru, there was no way to protect themselves from any rebellion or attack. And then, shortly after, Kinmaru returned to the castle once people recognized how essential he was to the kingdom.

Kinmaru’s name changed to Shō En, becoming the second dynasty of the Ryukyu Kingdom. This would go on to become the first of 400 years of the new Ryukyu Kingdom starting with this man.