This is really old. As in, this is something I wrote six months ago, for the kuroxfai community fairytale challenge. I had thought I had already posted it here, but I guess not.
Review?
Kurogane, His Royal Majesty the King, stared at the Court Wizard Fei Wong, disbelief etched into his visage. "You're saying we should negotiate with the Saracens?" he demanded. "How do we know they won't turn around and attack us once we retreat to the capital?"
"But your majesty," Fei Wong persisted in his subtly superior manner. "Think of the bloodshed you will avoid!" The man was effective in concealing his own thoughts. Under the distinct whiff of derision, Kurogane couldn't detect what the man's motives were. It angered him even more than the tactic as used by the wizard's nephew, perhaps because it was a great deal more assuming.
As if on cue, the nephew himself appeared from a side door into the draughty hall. "I couldn't help but hearing my uncle's melodic voice," he said brightly, but with the minute taste of dislike that Kurogane now easily recognized after several months of exposure. What was probably being said was something along the lines of "I don't trust my uncle and am going to make sure he doesn't do anything untoward." There was bad blood there. But while Kurogane disliked his Court Wizard, the man was incredibly useful and had always been loyal to the Crown. There weren't any grounds to dislike him at all.
Still, the fact that the younger wizard shared this distaste had somehow given Kurogane a spark of respect for him.
"Ah, Fai," the older wizard greeted his nephew. "As always, you have…impeccable timing."
Fai merely inclined his head in the merest hint of a nod. "Excuse me for intruding, Your Most Majestical Excellency," he said in that way that Kurogane knew was teasing but also proper and thus not punishable. It was one of the reasons that the young wizard only inspired a little respect.
"Does it matter?" Kurogane asked. "You wouldn't care." He turned back to his Court Wizard. "Do you have a reason why this would be a logical course of action?"
Fei Wong smiled.
"Your majesty, they know they are outnumbered. Surely it is obvious that they would prefer peace to war, especially against your might." There was a resentful tone in his voice that Kurogane did like, but he had no way to prove that anything was amiss. And what the wizard said was true.
"Very well," he conceded. "I'll send you as an envoy to negotiate the terms."
Fei Wong sputtered. "But – your majesty, it could be dangerous…"
"That's not what you just told the King," his nephew pointed out.
The old wizard was silent for a long moment, and Kurogane wondered if he would refuse. Then he set his teeth and bowed to the king. "I will go, your majesty," he said in a voice that was just barely cold. "And I will return with good news – be assured of it!" With that, he turned and strode from the room.
"What do you think?" Kurogane asked the remaining man. Fai shrugged.
"An interesting plan, Your Worshipfulness," he said, almost seriously. "I don't trust him, though. What's to say he won't betray us?"
"Stop the silly titles," the king growled. Harmless as they may have been, they still irked him to no end. "And your uncle is loyal to the crown. He hates you, but he's not about the join the Saracens."
Fai looked troubled, but did not push the subject.
--
In only a few days, the wizard had returned with good tidings – the Saracens had been more than willing to negotiate. A tribute would be sent, and a ceasefire treaty had been drawn up. The triumphant Fei Wong had brought part of the tribute back with him and presented it to Kurogane in front of a cheering court. Fai was nowhere to be seen.
The king was troubled. While he did not doubt his Court Wizard's loyalty, the speed of negotiation was uncommon, especially for such fierce enemies. Fei Wong was human. He could have been tricked. The Saracens were a treacherous lot.
There was little he could do, however.
"We return home," he said to his court. "I will leave part of our army to receive the rest of the Saracen tribute, and they will follow when afterwards." And hopefully that would be the end of the matter. Kurogane enjoyed taking care of bandits, but all-out war would only harm his people, and he could not let that happen if there was a way to prevent it.
"A fine plan, sire," Fei Wong replied smoothly. "My nephew and I will stay behind to receive they who bring your tribute."
"What?"
All eyes turned to Fai, who had finally appeared in the doorway. His face, startled into honesty, clearly stated that this was not at all his plan. "But I…" he began.
"What, nephew?" Fei Wong smiled in what had to be false concern. "Have you an objection?" Fai shifted uncomfortably, and his uncle carried on, smiling in amusement. "Or do you simply find life out here too strenuous? I understand perfectly. I will remain here alone, and you can return to the capital with the army…"
"I…" Fai looked caught, eyes casting about for help while his hands fisted. Then he slumped in defeat. "Of course not, uncle. I will stay behind," he said without emotion.
Fei Wong nodded. "I am glad to hear it, nephew."
But Kurogane could not shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong.
--
A knock on his door halted Kurogane from his pacing. In the morning, all his people but the receiving force were to leave the fortress and return to the capital city. He knew that this was necessary if war was to be avoided – remaining there would present a threat to the Saracens. But his gut was screaming that he was missing some key piece to this puzzle.
There was nothing he could do about it.
"What is it?" he called.
To his surprise, the knocker was not a servant but Fai, looking uncomfortable. "I wanted to speak to you about this before you left," he explained. The unspoken alone was very clear.
"About your uncle," Kurogane corrected.
A dark look crossed Fai's face. "In part. I don't trust him, as I've told you. It's very likely that he lied to you."
"Or that the Saracens tricked him," Kurogane replied, resuming his pacing. "That's the main reason I'm leaving such a large part of the army here." Recalling the afternoon's events, he added, "You don't have to go. Whether or not you're here won't change anything, and I know you don't want to be around your uncle."
Fai grimaced. "No," he said. "Thank you. But I don't want to let my uncle get away with treachery because I wasn't there." There was a curious resolve in his voice, one that seemed like a new development.
It was possible that Fai was right, Kurogane knew. It was equally possible that nothing was going to happen. But all sorts of things could go wrong, even if no one on their side betrayed them. An idea struck Kurogane. "I have a signal horn," he said, pulling it from his belt. "Your uncle told me about spells to make sound more powerful. If you use them, if something happens you'll be able to signal the rest of the army."
Fai blanched. "Magic, your majesty?" he asked, for once not using the silly titles. "I…don't use magic."
"Your uncle's a wizard," Kurogane stated. "It runs in the blood, doesn't it?"
"I didn't say I wasn't," Fai said quietly.
The king digested this for a while. "You're an idiot, then," he said at length. "It's a skill you have, and you should use it." He pressed the horn into Fai's hands. The man did not drop it, but gripped it numbly.
"I will…think about it," he said, and then hazarded a small grin. "Your Insistent Imperiousness." He seemed satisfied by his king's growl under the breath.
Kurogane knew that he wouldn't get anything better out of the man without extensive arguing, which would delay him getting sleep. It wouldn't have mattered if he hadn't been leaving before light the next day, but as things were he would have to leave things as they were.
He'd expected his visitor to leave after this conclusion had been reached, but the man made no movement to the door. After a few minutes of strangely awkward silence, Kurogane felt ready to throttle someone.
Then, apparently having made a decision, Fai edged determinedly closer – and kissed him full on the mouth.
It was over in a split second, and it took Kurogane several more to process what had just happened. "What the hell was that?" he demanded once he had. Fai simply smiled sadly.
"I hope you're right – your majesty," he said, and left, leaving Kurogane staring after him in bewilderment.
--
Fai leaned against his door, waiting for the adrenaline rush to ebb. It had been an impulse to kiss his king, and he was nothing if not impulsive. It probably had been a bad idea, but it was too late now. And it had been so different to have someone (let alone Kurogane) be concerned for him – well, he hadn't thought it through, and if he really questioned himself, he didn't really regret it.
But he doubted it would matter. The king would take it in stride. Kurogane was the kind of man who could know anything about you and treat you fairly. Since he was not particularly close to Fai anyway, little would change. And he wouldn't talk about it, so Fai's secret was presumably safe.
And he appreciated honesty, which probably had not endeared Fai to him in the past but might speak in his benefit now.
There was, of course, always the possibility that it didn't matter, because Fai wouldn't make it alive through the battle ahead. That there would be a battle was certain. Fai had none of the confidence that Kurogane apparently had in Fei Wong. His uncle was treacherous, and had always been so. And despite what the king might think, the old wizard had no reason at all to be loyal.
Fai didn't want to die, but that hadn't exactly stopped anyone in the past.
--
The morning dawned gray and misty. Although Fai woke early, the king's assemblage was already out of sight in the fog. Sighing resignedly (and in annoyance, because it didn't matter if he saw Kurogane off or not), he wandered downstairs to the only functioning kitchen, where a much simpler morning meal than that of the previous day was being served.
No one said much. Despite light words, being left behind at the border of a supposedly friendly country made the soldiers nervous. Fai was not the only one who mistrusted his uncle, and soldiers generally were prejudiced against magic-users anyway.
Fai was the exception to this prejudice. In the last few months, he had made a point of associating with the common soldiers. At first it had been to spite his uncle, who almost had an apoplexy each time he heard of his kin daring to speak to the lower class, but in time he began find he was almost making friends. As far as wizards went, he was the good sort because he didn't use magic or threaten to use it. And he respected them, and hadn't already heard their stories thousands of times before.
They never warmed up to him enough to be called friends, because they knew he was nobility, and Fai didn't trust anyone enough to befriend anyway.
Now his once-merry companions was subdued and worried, occasionally pulling out keepsakes and the occasional portrait when they thought no one was looking. Morale was low, perhaps the lowest it had ever been outside of a full-out war. No one wanted to admit around Fai that they believed their superiors were wrong – but no one really trusted in their chances of escaping this fortress alive.
As the day wore on, the melancholy turned to tension, and even less was said. Most of the soldiers had given up pretending that everything was going according to plan and were watching the border with apprehension and no little fear. Fai wouldn't have been surprised if their number was less than it had been that morning. If his uncle hadn't been here and a threat, Fai would have left with the rest.
He didn't understand where he'd gotten the resolve to stay, just that he couldn't let his king down, and he could let his uncle get away with anything else.
And sure enough, as the sun neared the western horizon through the thinning fog, the Saracen entourage appeared over a hill. To nobody's surprise, least of all Fai's, it was far larger than necessary, and outnumbered the men in the fortress by at least five to one. It was approaching with disturbing speed.
Someone touched Fai's elbow. He spun slowly and came face-to-face with his uncle.
"Quite a few of them," Fai said lightly. "Far too many for the simple task of bringing the remainder of the tribute."
Fei Wong smiled maliciously. "Have you no faith, nephew?" he inquired mockingly. "Are you so determined to see ill in me?"
"Yes," Fai told him. His uncle shrugged and strode away.
The officials were in a panic – they had believed this to be a peaceful venture until now. Someone had managed to clear their head, however, for the army had been arranged strategically behind the fortress, ready to engage the enemy. They were not at all prepared for a siege, which was most likely what the Saracens hoped for.
Fai had followed, somehow knowing that his best chance of catching his uncle was on the battlefield. If he was going to die, he would rather die for a reason.
All was still for a while, and then the ground shook with the thundering of hooves. Then this ceased and nothing could be heard. The only sound was the jingling of tack, which rang uncomfortably in Fai's ears. He had no horse, and only a bow to fight with.
The silence stretched uncomfortably in a different way then it had the night before, and Fai thought he would snap. Then the commander signaled the attack, and the air was full of movement. Someone pulled Fai onto their horse with a whispered, "You'll shoot better from above."
"Thank you," Fai whispered, and then from in front of them came a telltale sound of wood hitting wood. The Saracens were trying to break down the doors. For a few more seconds the sound rang in the silence, and then the two armies met and the air was filled with yells.
Their only advantage was surprise, and it did not last very long. Fai quickly ran out of arrows and was separated from his benefactor, but by this time the ground was littered with bodies and he simply took a light sword from one near him, trying not to think about the fact that he was killing men. As long as he disassociated himself from what he was doing, he was fine.
The battle was a blur, and Fai did not notice much. He desperately defended himself until he could find his uncle among the Saracens. Someone grabbed his shoulder and he nearly dismembered them before realising that it was one of his own side.
"Wizard," the man said breathlessly, "you're a wizard, aren't you?"
"Not how you know the term," said Fai shortly. He would not use magic. He was different from the rest of his family, and that was a power he chose not to wield over those who didn't have it,
"Help us!" the nameless man cried, and then he fell, and behind him was Fei Wong, holding a bloody sword and grinning like a madman.
"You were right, nephew," he said. "But there's nothing you can do now." He lunged forward, but Fai sidestepped him, and chopped at his unprotected shoulder. The older man spun, and sliced Fai's side through the light armour he'd found.
"As I said, there's nothing you can do," said his uncle, smiling still. In desperation, Fai lunged, skewering his left arm but more importantly thrusting his borrowed sword into his uncle's gut. He backed away, and the pain in his left arm hit him more strongly than he'd ever felt in his life.
Fei Wong struggled forward, but Fai moved away. He did not watch his uncle die.
"Help us," the man had said.
Fai shook his head and tried to ignore the pain in his arm. He would die, he knew now. But he wouldn't die for nothing.
The battle wore on, as each side slowly grew less. The Saracens still had a vast advantage, but they had not won yet. And they were not fighting with such desperation as their foe, who had absolutely nothing to lose at this point. Their lives were already forfeit.
Fai did not try to recognize anyone. He didn't want to know who was dead or alive.
Other men tried to beg for him to use magic to aid them, and always with a troubled heart Fai refused. There had to be a way to succeed without magic. He would not use magic.
The sun had burnt off most of the fog and was setting now, turning the air an odd reddish tone. If not for the battle, the evening would have been beautiful. Even so, there was a strange ethereal elegance to the bodies littering the ground and blending so readily with the sky. In the odd moments of inaction, Fai noticed this and was disturbed that he could be so callous. He had drank, sung, and almost befriended many of the bodies that made this image.
"Fai!" called a voice, and Fai recognized it with a heavy heart.
Before him was one of the soldiers he had been particularly friendly with. He had been young for a soldier, fresh into the ranks. When he got drunk, he would talk at length about the girl he had left at home named Sakura. He had trusted Fai from almost the start.
He was lying in a pool of blood.
Fai tried to turn away, but the young soldier called to him again. "Fai!"
"Yes?" he asked, nearly drowned out by the clash of battle.
"I wanted…to protect her…" his near-friend whispered. "Fai…can you use your magic? And save the ones who have escaped so far?"
"I…" Fai began, but the young soldier collapsed.
"I…"
What could he lose? His pride? Pride in what? The young soldier's honest plea (protect the ones who aren't here, because we will all die anyway) was somehow stronger than the rest.
There wasn't a choice. Fai had known that he was only postponing the inevitable.
Before him, he notice dimly, was the great door to the fortress. As good a last stand as any. He pulled out the signal horn with a heavy heart, and traced the sigil for strength over it. Then he raised it to his lips, and blew as hard as he could.
The ensuing blast halted the battle, and all eyes turned towards him. Fai ignored the sudden attention, and blew again, blew until his ears popped and he had to gasp for breath. Then he lowered the horn, and gazed out at the men staring at him. Most of them were Saracen. All of them were human.
Shaking, Fai turned to face the battlefield, and let go.
--
Kurogane was still mulling over the events of the night before as the procession reached the end of the mountains. What had Fai meant – why had he kissed him? What did it mean?
He tried to ignore the voice that said he knew exactly what it meant.
He knew that there were men who preferred the attentions of other men. He knew it was a common trait in families possessing magic. He had never considered the possibility that he would be on the receiving end of the interest of such a man, but that was not the shocking part.
What was so confusing to Kurogane is that it was Fai of all people. The action was completely unlike him. Fai was almost never direct about anything, and certainly not about himself. He supposed it explained the titles.
Maybe this was the explanation to the feud Fai had with his uncle. It was possible. While Kurogane didn't particularly care one way or the other how his people spent their own time, he knew others found certain things incredibly offensive, and Fei Wong had been so.
It was a moot point, though, as he was not involved in that particular feud.
Even more disturbing was the fact that he didn't really mind. After the shock, he wasn't particularly affected. This gave him pause. Was he really not affected?
No, not really. If anything, he took it as an odd compliment. If Fai had any sort of feelings for him, it must mean that he trusted the king in some way. Kurogane had the feeling that Fai didn't trust anyone completely.
It even –
Then he heard the cry of a signal horn, loud and desperate. Forgetting whatever he had been about to think, he wheeled his horse. "Turn back!" he shouted into the confusion that was beginning. "We turn back to the fortress!"
The commander picked this up, and shortly the army had separated from the civilians and was galloping back into the mountains, Kurogane among them. He had hoped that he wouldn't be wrong, but it was too late for that now.
The horn call must have been Fai, because he was the only one with a signal horn and the power to make it that loud. So he at least was in danger. Almost unconsciously, Kurogane sped up, and his men matched his speed.
He wondered why. The man didn't really matter that much to him. He was intelligent when he wasn't being enigmatic or enforcing light spirits, but annoying and not really a friend at all.
But he kissed me…
Did it matter?
Yes, Kurogane realised numbly. Yes, it did. Somehow, it did matter that Fai had kissed him, and it did matter if he was in danger.
They rounded a bend and the fortress was in sight, showing black against the darkening red sky. There was not a sound to be heard, and nothing moved. If there had been a battle, it was over.
They reached the fortress soon thereafter and Kurogane saw the carnage. It was impossible that anyone could have survived. But he had to make sure. It was more important than anything that he made sure.
He dismounted and made his way into the battlefield, noting with a mixture of satisfaction and growing alarm that the most recent dead didn't seem to have died of wounds. Fai's doing, no doubt, of Fei Wong's.
The latter he discovered dead with a sword in his gut – not a scimitar. So he had been a traitor after all. It did not surprise Kurogane as much as it would have before.
Nearing the fortress, he nearly passed over Fai's body. Inspecting it closer, Kurogane could see a deep wound in his arm, but also shallow up-and-down movement in his chest. So he was miraculously alive. The king hauled him up and waited for the damn wizard to wake up. And somehow, the damn wizard did so.
"Wha…?" he whispered. "I'm dead…"
"No, you're not," Kurogane told him, unfamiliar fear washing through him. "Or I wouldn't be talking to you."
"Kurogane?" Fai asked, hope showing barely in his pained expression.
"Who else would it be?" he demanded. "What did you do?"
"Used myself up." Fai smiled proudly. "Killed everyone else. Too many Saracens. We were all dying anyway…"
The feeling of fear grew. "You're not dead," Kurogane repeated. Feeling as if it were the right thing to do, he pulled the wizard into a careful embrace. "You're not going to die, either."
"I'm sorry," Fai said. Then nothing.
The rise and fall stilled.
--
When Kurogane returned to his men, it was to find a funeral pyre had been lit, and their dead placed upon it with as much ceremony as soldiers could give. The commander was serving as a priest, and did not look up from his makeshift duty, but others did, and some remembered that the king had almost been a friend to the traitor's nephew – the traitor's nephew who had known the traitor for what he was all along. No one made any comment when Kurogane did not place him on the large fire, but lit a smaller one and burned him separately. No one took his grief amiss.
Almost friends, the king thought, not noticing the acceptance he was receiving. He almost survived. I almost understood him.
Kurogane had never hated a word more than he hated the word 'almost'.