A/N; I hope you enjoy the next chapter of the story I began for L's birthday.
Please read and review!
Chapter 2
He had been with the Knight's of the realm now for two days. They were on a constant march to their destination, something L didn't know yet, through lands that, L found, he didn't know either. They never stopped, except to rest and then they had only found a village on the first night. Yet even that had only given the greater benefit of a roof over their heads. They were on the outskirts of the kingdom, not even on the borderlands with another. This was at the edge of the wastelands; this was a wide place, a place where only those who were brave or foolish, or maybe even both, ventured.
The mountains bordering the wasteland were even worse places than the wasteland beyond, and there were rumours of creatures far worse than the ones they had gone to face. But then most things were worse than a dragon in L's mind, as far as he knew from his extensive reading dragons were not the sort to come down out of the mountains to burn things. They were dangerous when angered yes, but they never truly bothered people. So if there was one thing L knew it was that this mission was a fool's mission in more ways than one, and he was beginning to think he was one of the worst fools for thinking even for a moment that they really were after dragons.
"Why are we hunting dragons in the mountains?" L asked, trying to ask the question in a way that would not immediately get him ignored or dismissed by Light.
"Why do you want to know the facts?" Light merely asked in return, his voice bland and lacking emotion, "If you just wanted to join the knight's what does the mission truly matter?"
"I am not an idiot though," L said briskly, attempting to prove to himself that he wasn't an idiot as well, "You told me they had been attacking homesteads in these mountains, but who would have homesteads out here? Besides dragons are not known for their cruelty and violence-"
"You really want to know?" Light growled, cutting across L his tone dangerous, "You have stumbled across a group of knight's on a top level mission that no-one was meant to know about, not even my squad."
At this Light rounded on L and the whole troupe of knights stopped to watch their leader back L up against the nearest tree; all looked shocked. L was stunned by the anger that flared in Light's eyes, and he truly began to understand why Light had been so angry before. Light thought he was a spy.
"Of course, considering your rather in depth questions about me to the local populace, and your determined persistence in wanting to be with this squad, I don't think you stumbled across us at all. In fact the hope of you defending such a position is ludicrous. Personally I think you've come to interfere with me or the mission, and I don't care for either. So you tell me who you really are right now, or I won't have any hesitation in killing you right here."
L couldn't help but stare up at Light with wide eyes, he was unused to being dealt with in such a way. Someone in his position was never so rudely dealt with. He gave a small dissatisfied sigh, he had been used to having his way for so long. He knew it must have infected his viewpoint and his logic, despite how hard he had tried. Despite his words to the servants they had never disagreed with him. Now though he would have to put up with it and tell Light the truth, it was obvious it was more than necessary.
"I didn't tell you who I was," L began, his voice low, "Because I didn't want any special treatment, and I didn't want people knowing where I am, I don't want to go back quite yet."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Teru muttered as he came up to take his usual place behind Light. L glanced at the commander of the squad as Teru spoke and saw understanding was already dawning in Light's eyes, the flicked to his clothing and took in his appearance once more. At that moment he saw understanding flare in Light's eyes, and the sudden anger that came with it that was quickly hidden. L wondered if this would make his task easier or harder.
"I'm a prince-" L began but was interrupted by Light.
"Oh how clichéd," Light sighed and he continued to glower at L.
"My name is L Lawliet," L continued, attempting to control the tone of his voice. He was angry yes, but it was because he hated admitting to his rank, it changed people, "Prince and heir apparent to the Kingdom of Dacia. My Kingdom pledges allegiance to yours with Equal sovereignty. As such our peacekeeping forces work in unity. You can't throw me out of the knights."
L frowned slightly as all but Light bowed, it suddenly felt like one of the most embarrassing moments of his life. As he saw Light examining him critically he couldn't help raising a hand to his face to cover his eyes as he hung his head slightly. He wondered why his plan was failing so miserably, all he had wanted was information.
"If you have any form of believable identification, or some way of proving your identity," Light said slowly, and L froze as he heard the calmer, kinder tone, "then you can stay."
L glanced up at Light to see the thoughtful expression had returned, but there was perhaps the glimmer of kindness in his eyes, almost as if he had worked out something else. L seriously hoped not, he wanted to approach what he had to ask Light on his terms, not on the terms of this infuriatingly clever Knight's. He delved inside his tunic and pulled out his signet ring hanging from a silver chain around his neck. Etched onto the surface of the ring was an ornate L surrounded by all the pennants of his house, to have created such a ring and not be part of a noble, or royal, line was certain death. There could be no doubt as too his heritage. He looped the chain over his head and passed it to Light, he heard quite audibly the knight's sigh as he looked it over. Then to his horror Light laughed.
"Welcome to the knight's Prince Lawliet," Light chuckled with some mirth.
L had the distinct feeling things were going to get worse not better. He wondered when his life might hold some form of hope, ever since the incident he had been completely out of luck. Then Light's arm suddenly clapped him on the shoulder, it could almost have been considered friendly.
"I understand why you may have acted as you have," Light said quietly, "just don't be expecting any special treatment, you wanted to be one of us, so one of us you will be."
"I hadn't wanted any special treatment," L replied, attempting to reassure Light. It seemed some fragile truce had been created between them and he wanted it to stay intact.
"I know that, I just need to ensure my squad knows that," Light commented, and actually laughed.
"Speaking of knowing things," Aiber said, interrupting the two men, "What is our mission if it's not hunting dragons?"
Light sighed, and he looked obviously annoyed in L's opinion about having to share the true mission with his squad. Yet, he still looked as though he was going to.
"Two weeks ago several high level officers absconded from the army," Light said softly, "before they left there were hints that they may have sided with our enemies. It seems this is the case; they are going to attempt to cross the wasteland to reach them."
"But no-one can cross the wasteland," Naomi interjected, "It's almost certain death."
"Not for them it's not," Light sighed, "They're mages, nobles at that as well. Most likely thought they could run the military but when they realise it's about skill they get affronted and turn against the queen. From what I know of them they will succeed unless we stop them, they know too much about the organisation of our forces to be allowed to leave."
Light paused and he took in the faces of those under his command, they all looked annoyed at not being told the true goal of their mission. In fact Aizawa and Aiber looked quite angry about being kept in the dark.
"You weren't told because we weren't sure how spread out they were before they reached the mountains," Light sighed, "I would have told you despite my orders had it not been for the potential for them to discover that we were after them, and to decide to try to fight us in a more populated area."
"So that's why I worried you so much," L said into the still calm that greeted Light's words, "You thought I could be one of them."
"Considering how much you wanted to know about me, the one person who knew the orders, yes," Light commented, turning to face L once more, "I still don't trust you though."
"I wouldn't expect you to," L replied sadly. To his relief this earnt him a smile from Light.
"How many mages are we talking about?" Takada said suddenly.
"Nine, I wasn't lying to you about the number," Light responded, and he gave her the smile that had originally made her want to join his squad in the first place. Until she had realised that her commander had almost no interest in women outside the usual platonic friendships.
...
That night was much like the one before, and L was grateful almost that no-one in the squad was treating him differently because of his rank. Of course considering how he had entered the squad it was unlikely they ever would. He glanced around at the sleeping people nearby before his eyes shifted to the surrounding forest. He was on watch, and even though the likelihood of anything coming out of the undergrowth to attack them, he ensured to do his job well. He was squatting on a rock at the edge of the clearing, away from the glow of the fire so his eyes were adjusted to the dark. He supposed Light must trust him to some degree now to put him on watch; he hadn't been given a watch cycle the night before. L gave a sigh as another reason dawned on him; it could just mean his 'commander' was ensuring that he knew quite well he wasn't being treated differently.
He started from his place, a hand darting for one of his many daggers as there was the sound of movement from behind him. His hand stilled though as he turned to see that it was only the object of his thoughts walking towards him, picking his way through the sleeping bodies of his squad with great care. The prince couldn't fathom why Light would want to talk to him now, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to find out. But he knew he had no choice.
To his surprise the knight seemed to have the same lack of desire to talk as himself and merely stood next to L with a completely blank expression staring out into the night. At last, after several minutes of tension between them, Light gave a sigh of annoyance.
"As you want to know so much about me, you can ask me your questions," Light said slowly, "On the condition that you will tell me in detail why you want to know, first."
L stared at the knight, this was not what he had expected to hear, he tried to gauge if the man before him was lying to him or had some ulterior motive beyond knowing more about him. There was nothing except the dull acceptance of questions into what had to be a rather uncomfortable past, along with a natural curiosity into L. The prince could well understand that, Light seemed as intelligent and paranoid as himself and L knew he had done everything that would put the other on edge. He hoped now he had a chance to change that.
"I suspect you are wondering why I have been able to travel so far on my own and why I have no guards with me," L said slowly, "it is because as far as those of my kingdom, and even my family, know I have not left the country. If you were to contact my father, the king, he would express disbelief at my not being there for dinner tonight. If I were to tell my story to anyone but you they would assume I was an imposter or someone with grand delusions..."
L trailed off as he saw Light's eyes widen slightly, he knew now that what he had suspected was true. The knight had been through the same trial that was now consuming L's life.
"But you know I'm not. As you may have heard my father is ill," L whispered, and for once his emotions truly coloured his voice, "he has become so since I fled the kingdom, I wish I could attend to him... but if I return my whole family will be in danger. They are only safe now because I am not nearby and the one who takes my place can act at leisure."
L paused and they stood in silence for a moment, and the prince wished that Light would talk. He needed to know that Light understood. For if he didn't L knew that his life, the lives of his family and his entire kingdom were in peril.
"Please," L added his voice so devoid of emotion that it told the knight how much this had to be affecting him, "Tell me, did you see the demon in the mirror?"
