Zero no Tsukaima The Award

by jayb

The second part of Zero took a somber turn. This follows a few months later. Not all you see is what is true.

ZERO NO TSUKAIMA - THE AWARD

1.

Queen Henrietta stood with her back to the room staring at the late winter landscape outside of her castle. She had her arms crossed holding herself tightly, trying not to answer her advisors in the way she really wanted to. Closing her eyes she took several deep breathes and turned back toward the men in her study.

"Minister Mazaline." Her eyes flicked toward her chief advisor. "General." They flashed toward the head of her military forces. "I'm sorry but this decision will stand and that is my final word." The Minister let slip a quick grimace which she had seen. The anger in her eyes flashed, and she reached out her hand. "I wish you to give me that document now, if you please." Each word was enunciated sharply. She still had not learned to completely hide her feelings well.

Her chief advisor gave a gentle sigh and held out the parchment scroll toward his Queen. "My lady, as your advisor I still must tell you that this is a mistake. You will create many enemies within the kingdom by doing this. Enemies that we do not need close to us." Beside him the General nodded agreement.

Henrietta reached out and grabbed the scroll, she opened it and glanced at the contents. Nodding her head after seeing all was correct, she picked up the quill and signed her name at the bottom. Rolling the parchment back up she again handed it to Mazaline. "You will hold this until I ask for it." Her eyes hardened. "This is signed, and will be delivered as I wish." A quick smile crossed her face. "I'm sorry, but this is for a friend. It must be done for the honor of the kingdom." She paused and looked at both men. "And for my personal honor. Please remember that." Her advisors bowed, turned and left the room leaving their Queen alone behind her desk.

She watched the door shut behind them. Alone she finally was able let out the pent up emotion. Emotion that no one, with the exception of one, could see a Queen have. Breathing deeply she leaned over her desk and stretched out her arms to support her trembling body. "Please Saito and Louise, forgive me. But I must do this for all of us." Luckily there were no listeners near, nor anyone that could see her tears.

2.

Saito wiggled his neck and head. "Stop that you dog! I can't get this fastened if you keep moving around." Louise quickly finished doing the fasteners on Saito's high neck jacket. "I think that the dress uniform of the Queen's Honor Guard looks fine on you. Better than it should on any commoner dog!" She looked up at Saito, but couldn't pull back as his arms were wrapped around her. His eyes were directed downward toward the cleavage in her new Court gown. The fast growing new cleavage she might add. "Dog! Stop that!" Instead of a hit with the whip, she tiptoed and gave him a fast kiss, then turned her head away and pushed at his body with her hands. "Now let me go. We have to be at the Audience Hall in just a few minutes." She stepped away as he released her.

He moved his neck and head again, then put his finger between the collar and his skin and grimaced. "Look, I said I would wear this for you and Henrietta, but at no time did I say that I liked it." He glanced at the closet that held his jacket and pants that he had worn from his own world so many months ago. Saito looked back at Louise, his eyes moving from head to toe and he smiled. "You know, you do look great in that new dress." She smiled and gave a quick turn that spread out the skirt for a second. "Oh, yes. I do like that dress a lot." A lecherous grin came to his face. "And I really, really, like the top!" He ducked Louise's fist, a move he had perfected recently, and laughed again. As he moved to pick up Derflinger, who was leaning against the wall, he saw himself in the floor to ceiling mirror beside the door. The tight white jacket, and blue tight trousers tucked into tall black boots may work when guarding the Queen, but he shook his head again. He felt like a statue, the jacket was too tight across his shoulders and he couldn't really raise his arms very high. How did the guards actually lift their weapons with this on? The tight pants and boots were just plain uncomfortable. "Louise, I do get to leave these clothes here when we leave don't I?" He could see her reflection in the mirror behind him giving him a once over and smiling.

"I think the dog should be required to wear that uniform all the time." She raised her nose into the air as she had seen some of the court ladies do when looking at something below their status. "The wearing of the uniform only befits the commoner dog when in the presence of it's Master." She gave an exaggerated sniff, then peeked at Saito to see his reaction. He promptly stuck out his tongue and pulled his lower eyelid down. She wasn't certain what it really meant on his world, but she was pretty sure it wasn't a good thing. She repeated his actions, then laughed and reached out her hands to Saito. "Come on, hurry up or we'll be late to your ceremony."

Saito let her take his hand to lead him out of their shared room in the palace. His face took on a slight frown. "Louise, what is so important about this that you can't wait to go? I don't want or need an award for saving my wife from certain death."

Louise paused as she placed her hand on the knob of the hall door. Without looking up at her familiar her voice took on the quiet tone that she didn't use often. "I hope my commoner dog familiar will remember that even though we pledged ourselves as husband and wife in Losailles there was no recording of the event in the records of this kingdom." She turned her head slightly toward Saito. "We are not legally married by the laws of the Tristain Kingdom." Her head dropped slightly and her voice became quieter. "And by the Law of the Nobles a commoner and noble may not marry."

Saito pulled her to him in a hug. "I know what the laws say, but what I did was for my wife, the woman I love, not the Kingdom, and not for the Queen. It was for you." He kissed her gently, then pushed her away from him toward the door. "Come on my great and just Master. Let's get this over with so we can go back to the school." As he reached to the knob to open the door, there was a loud knock and it was opened for him.

Standing outside the door were members of the Queen's Honor guard, dressed as he was. The commander bowed and stood aside. "We have the privilege of escorting the Duchess Louise, and her familiar, to the Queen's Audience Room." He paused looking Saito over. Saito thought he detected a hint of dislike in the look, and he also noticed that the guard commander had not recognized him by using his name. The guard commander stood to attention, looking straight ahead. "Is the Duchess aware that weapons are not allowed in the Audience Room?"

Louise gave a burning stare at the commander. Then looked over at Saito, whose face was starting to turn red. Using the same Noble voice that she had imitated moments ago she answered coldly. "I am fully aware of that fact. However, the Queen has given her permission for my familiar to wear his sword at all times." She paused and looked the commander in the eye. "And permission to use it to protect myself or the Queen." The guard commander said no more, but his face showed his thoughts.

As Louise and he turned to follow the honor guard down the hall, Saito heard the slight swish of Derflinger pulling from his scabbard. Beside his ear was the whisper of Derflinger's voice. "Brother, I would watch out. That fellow doesn't seem to like you." Saito quietly grunted in agreement. Louise held out her hand for Saito to hold in the formal court manner, and walked beside him with her head held high.

3.

When the couple approached the doors of the Queen's Audience Room, the Honor Guard detail stepped to either side of the doors. As if someone had been waiting for that very moment the doors were opened from the inside by uniformed retainers. Saito had heard the slight murmur of the people gathered near the walls of the room become silent.

Saito stood still with Louise's right hand resting lightly on top of his left arm. He looked around the room, but only saw a few familiar faces. To the left were Louise's parents and two sisters. Her father and mother both had a look of disapproval at the two people standing together in the doorway. Cattleya raised her hand in a little wave. Further along, the smiling face of Kirche, dressed in the proper full length gown. She gave him a big wink and pursed her lips in a kiss. Across the room from Kirche stood Tabitha, for once without an open book in her hands. Tabitha, as normal, showed no emotion, but she nodded at him. The other people were unknown to Saito. He supposed they were Nobles of the Kingdom. Most did not have a happy look. Several of the men had silk coverings over bandages, mementos of the war. A few of the women leaned over to their neighbors whispering. At the head of the hall on a slightly raised dais stood Henrietta and her closest advisors. Saito saw her give a quick half smile. A court retainer who was standing inside the doors suddenly rapped his staff on the floor and took a few steps forward. Saito's concentration on the room was broken.

"Your Majesty. The Duchess Louise Francoise le Blanc del La Valliere begs for an audience. She is accompanied by her familiar Saito Hiraga." He paused for a moment. "How do you answer?"

Saito watched as the face of the young princess took on the look of a reigning Queen. "I will allow the Duchess and her familiar to approach." Although he had been led through the basics of the ceremony, hearing Henrietta speak those words was still strange to his ears.

Henrietta had paused, then added words not rehearsed for the ceremony. "The Duchess Louise and her familiar Saito will come before me together."

For a second Saito was confused. His instructions were for Louise to lead and he to follow her two steps back. From beside him Louise's whisper brought him back to the moment. "Move it, dog!" He began to walk forward with Louise's hand still resting on his arm. Around the room he could see disapproval in the eyes of some Nobles. Louise's mother had to catch herself from fainting. Her father was giving the look that could kill.

The only noise in the hall was the sound of their footsteps on the marble. Reaching the thin white marble line in the surrounding darker stone, the couple stopped. Louise curtsied low and Saito gave as much of a bow as his coat allowed. With her head still lowered Louise began the ritual. "Louise Francoise le Blanc de La Valliere has brought her familiar before the Queen and court as requested by her Highness." She kept her head down until Henrietta acknowledged that she had actually asked for the audience. Louise rose, her hand still on Saito's arm, the pair stood straight and tall before the court.

Saito saw Henrietta give a quick glance at the people gathered in the room, then she stepped to the edge of the dais and looked Saito in the eye.

"The Familiar Saito Hiraga will step forward."

Louise took her hand down and Saito stepped forward one pace as taught. Again there was an intake of breath from the court members. He was supposed to be one step behind Louise, not one step in front of the Duchess.

Henrietta did not need a script for the ceremony. She knew what she was doing, and it was not all as had been rehearsed. Looking at those gathered in the room her voice was stronger than she actually felt. "Nobles, and friends of the court, this ceremony is to honor one that has done great service for your Queen and your kingdom." She paused and looked at each face in the room. A few of the Nobles, particularly the wives, appeared ashamed of the ceremony, others had the blank stare acquired from the intrigues of the court. Some, mostly those with the visible wounds, were attentive. She looked down from the dais at Saito. He looked totally uncomfortable in the uniform, and she almost forgot herself by smiling.

"Saito Hiraga, familiar of Louise Francoise Le Blanc de la Valliere, you have been called before your Queen and her Court to answer truthfully about your actions before the armies of Albion and its allies. Are you prepared for the question?"

Although he had been coached in this ceremony, the wording was still strange to Saito. At first he nodded, then catching himself, answered out loud for the entire room to hear, "Yes, I am ready for the question."

"Saito Hiraga, did you during the battle and evacuation of the Port of Losailles, remove your Master from danger and aid with her evacuation to safety?"

"Yes, I did." Saito's voice was strong, even if the truth was slightly different. It was only known by two people that Louise had been drugged by Saito to keep her from carrying out Minister Mazaline's request that would have been a death sentence for Louise.

"And did you then attack the combined forces of Albion and it's allies alone, and did you do so without the express direction from your Master?"

"Yes, I did." Again the dance around the full truth. It was he against what had been termed seven million troops. It was also the cause of his own death in the battle.

"Was this battle, which you fought, the reason that Albion sought a truce to stop the war?"

"Yes, it was." Or so he was told after he returned from the dead. Or was it from the dead? He still remembered the buxom fairy maid that apparently returned him to life, and to his Louise. That part was still almost unbelievable even to him.

"You have been truthful before your Queen and your Master Louise de La Valliere." Henrietta held up her right hand toward her side. "General, the case please." Her commanding General stepped up and held out to her a highly decorated box. Henrietta reached inside and took out a medal that was solid gold, with many precious jewels and a colorful ribbon attached at the top. She held it in her hands for a moment and looked at the decoration. Then she stepped down from the dais and walked to stand in front of Saito. There was the intake of breath around the room.

"Saito Hiraga, for your bravery that saved your master and helped bring a truce in the war with Albion, the Queen of Tristain awards you this emblem of appreciation." She placed the medal's wide ribbon around Saito's neck, straightening the emblem so it hung in the center of his chest over Derflinger's belt. She then leaned forward and kissed him on each cheek. Again, the intake of breath from the audience. This was not in the program.

Saito was stunned. He also wondered why Henrietta whispered "Wait" as she kissed his cheek.

Henrietta stepped back from Saito and looked around the room. There was no applause. Behind her the General and Minister both looked uncomfortable. She had already gone off the path of the ceremony, what would she do next?

The Queen of Tristain placed her right hand on Saito's left shoulder and looked directly at him. "Saito Hiraga, you have done many great services for your Queen. This award is not just for your bravery in battle." She paused for a second. "This award has been created for you only, and is a symbol of your position. I, Queen Henrietta of the Kingdom of Tristain, do appoint you Protector of Tristain. As Protector you will be afforded all rights and privileges that are enjoyed by the Noble class of this Kingdom." She raised her head to the gathered audience, and took her hand from Saito's shoulder. The reigning Queen of Tristain then broke all the traditions even further. She knelt before the stunned Saito.

All in the room had to kneel with their Queen. Louise looked up at the bewildered Saito and flicked her head toward Henrietta. Saito took the hint and reached his hand out to help Henrietta from the floor. "Uh, I thank you my Queen for this great honor." He glanced over to Louise again and she nodded her head. The kneeling Nobles rose with a few murmurs that Saito took as disapproval.

Henrietta stepped back from Saito, then began to clap. The Nobles had to follow her action. Saito noted that it was reluctantly followed by several of those present.

Queen Henrietta returned to the raised dais, stepped up, and turned to face the assembled Nobles. She looked toward the Minister and motioned for him to come forward. Just as he reached her side, Saito gently coughed.

"May I request something as a Noble, your Highness?"

Henrietta, looked back toward Saito. Somehow she had an idea what his request was. This time she did allow herself a smile before answering. "Certainly, as Protector you may make any request for your Queen to consider. As I have stated, you have all privileges of a Noble." Beside her the Minister started to look more uncomfortable.

Louise was still one step behind Saito. She started to reach out a hand to bring him back to the audience line. He glanced back at her, smiled ,and took her hand in his. As if it were planned he brought her forward to stand beside him as an equal. She blushed, but held on to his hand.

"Queen Henrietta, I request that the marriage vows that were made between my master, Louise de la Valliere and myself while in the Port of Losailles be recognized by your majesty and be valid for the Kingdom of Torstein." Saito had to stand with his knees locked or he would have fallen down. As it was, his mouth was very dry. Beside him Louise looked up and for some reason gave him a smile. He expected more surprise on her part.

This time there was more than a murmur from the gathered Nobles. Louise's mother had dropped backwards, only to be caught by the women behind her. The Duke's face turned several shades of red. Others were actually saying what they thought of such a request, and it was not favorable.

Henrietta stood straighter and watched the actions of her Nobles. Then she put her hand out toward the Minister. He hesitated, then handed her the scroll that he had been holding throughout the ceremony.

"Saito and Louise." A much larger smile came to her face, the happy smile that she used to have as a Princess. "Please come to me." The couple walked to the edge of the dais and stopped. Henrietta shook her head and motioned for them to come up with her.

Saito helped Louise maneuver her long dress to make the step, then stood beside her in front of Henrietta. He was a little confused, especially since he had made the request on the spur of the moment. The ceremony had gone off course so much that he had taken the wild chance to ask. What was the scroll that Henrietta had in her hand?

Henrietta held the scroll in her right hand and was absent mindedly slapping it into her left palm. She held her head down so no one could see her expression. Suddenly she raised her head, her face showed almost contempt as she looked again at her Nobles. "I wish the gathered Nobles in this room to hear my words and know that I they are the law." She watched their stony faces. "And I wish that all those not in attendance at this ceremony also hear and obey my wishes. This is my edict." She glanced at Kirche and Tabitha without making it noticeable to others. Both barely nodded their heads.

Saito and a now confused Louise still stood in front of their friend. Henrietta looked back at them with a stern face. "Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere, is it your solemn desire to have your so called "marriage" to your familiar be recognized by this Kingdom."

Louise felt as if Henrietta's eyes burned through her. But her answer was clear. "Yes, I do so desire, my Queen." She gave a quick curtsey.

Again watching the Nobles, Henrietta held up the rolled up scroll. "This is the legal document, signed by me, that legitimizes the marriage of this couple. They have given answer to the questioning of their Queen, and the Queen has agreed to their request." She held the scroll out for Saito and Louise to take from her hands. "You are declared married under the law of the Kingdom of Tristain and the Law of Nobles."

Saito was really confused now. How had Henrietta written a document before he had even asked for it? He looked over at Louise with a question in his eyes. She returned it with a glint in hers and little smile. Then he knew. Louise had already asked Henrietta before the ceremony! Louise had begun another curtsy and he quickly followed with a bow. Then they stepped down from the dais and walked from the room.

Henrietta started to clap, followed by a somewhat desultory capping from the Nobles. Louise's mother was flat on the floor as the couple left the room.

4.

Back in their room Saito gave his now legal wife a kiss, and she returned it with fervor. Holding her at arm's length he looked at her with a stern face. "Okay, what would have happened if she didn't agree? And were you ever planning to let me in on your little surprise?"

Louise danced away from him grinning. "And why would I let my dog know what I had planned?" She put her hands behind her back and leaned forward. "Besides, did it ever really matter to you if it was a legal Tristain marriage?"

Saito shook his head. He knew that she was right. Idly he walked toward the window and stared out. Louise joined him and put her arm around his waist with her head resting on his chest. Thoughts started to cross his mind now that all the ritual was done. "Louise, why do you think Henrietta said what she did during the ceremonies? She didn't even stick to the script. It kinda bothered me."

Louise had to think more than she wanted before answering. "You're right, that wasn't how things were set to go." She pulled her head back and looked at her husband. "And you being kissed wasn't in any script that I know of." She put her head back on Saito. "You know, it almost was as if she was daring some one to do something." Louise cuddled closer. "Wonder if we'll ever know what that was about?" She lifted her head up to kiss Saito.

Epilogue:

Henrietta walked through the darkening woods near the castle. Shadows covered much. Her own black thoughts covered more. Near a large tree a pair of figures stepped out into what was left of the light. The Queen stopped and waited for the figures to approach.

"Your Highness, we did make certain you weren't followed. And we made it away ourselves without comment." Kirche smiled, she was covered by the black magic school robes with the hood over her head. Still holding a closed book Tabitha stood quietly also wearing her school cloak and hood.

Henrietta nodded and looked around at the quiet surroundings before speaking further. "Did you find out what I needed?"

This time it was Tabitha that answered in her quiet way. "Yes, your Highness, we wrote it down for you." She opened the book and removed several pages of notepaper covered with writing. "This will allow you to begin."

The pages contained a list of names. Names that Henrietta needed but at the same time didn't want to have. A list of Noble families that were against her reign.

She nodded at Kirche and Tabitha. "Thank you for your help. I couldn't see everyone's actions during the ceremony. But I already suspected some of these houses." She looked between the two friends, reached out and took a hand from each. "Please, keep a watch over Louise and Saito. And don't tell them what we were doing."

With a nod the two women disappeared into the deeper shadow.

Henrietta closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them she was alone in the woods. Turning back toward her castle her shoulders straightened and her step became firm. She was now a Queen that had to rule her kingdom and protect her power. With or without certain Noble families.

END

10-23-07