Disclaimer: Again I own no characters from Zero No Tsukaima. All credit goes to Noboru Yamaguchi.

Authors Notes: Hello everyone! Thanks for taking the time to check out my first fanfic.

To everyone who read the prologue I'll answer the obvious question. Yes! The humans are coming. Or are they here already? Stay tuned.

This is not an AU fanfic. This is meant to be a direct sequel. When it comes to the story mythos I will try to stay as faithful as I can to the source material, however I am facing two problems: First of course is that due to Noboru Yamaguchi's illness, he has not yet finished the novels (Hoping he gets better soon), and second I really wanted to wait until Baka-Tsuki finished translating the existing novels before I wrote this but they are taking FOR-EV-ER! So I'm just going to have to use what we have now.

Anywho! Enjoy and by all means rate and review.

**Begin Story**

Louise was in pain. She was lying on her side on a hard stone floor, unable to move or speak.

Lying a short distance away was her familiar.

Saito was lying on his back with Derflinger sticking grotesquely from his chest. Blood was pouring from his mouth.

Louise wanted to call out to Saito, but words would not come.

She was watching her husband die.

A figure approached Saito. Though Louise could not make out anything other than the shadow, she knew that he was the one responsible for her Love's current condition.

The shadow reached and pulled Derflinger from Saito's chest. Blood now poured freely from the gaping hole that remained.

Holding Derflinger in his right hand, the shadow then pulled a glowing round object from the folds of his clothes with his left. He thrust the object violently into Saito's chest wound. While Saito screamed in agony, a bright light burst from the hole left by the sword.

Then Saito's wound began to close up.

The shadow leaned in close to Saito, and whispered something in his ear.

Then he stood up and approached Louise.

As the shadow drew closer Louise began to discern the figure's features.

Features like his rather long and pointed ears.

An elf.

The elf made his way behind Louise and placed the sharpened side of Derf's blade gently against Louise's neck.

Saito, despite being healed, was still gasping in pain, unable to move.

Desperate, Louise shouted in her mind, "Saito!"

Derflinger rose.

"Saito!"

Derflinger fell

"SAITOOOOOO!"

Louise woke up in her bed, her nightclothes drenched with sweat.

Breathing heavily she looked around the bedroom she shared with her husband at Des Ornieres Manor.

A dream.

Collapsing back into bed she reached over for Saito's reassuring touch.

Finding only empty bed sheets, Louise grew annoyed.

Where's that impertinent familiar of mine gone to now?

As she set out to search for him, Louise naturally jumped to worst conclusion.

He's probably off somewhere frolicking with that maid.

**Scene Break**

"There we go, not bad at all." Saito thought while climbing down the ladder, fully satisfied with his work.

"It's nice Saito-san.", Said Siesta, who was standing next to him in Des Ornieres Manor's main hall. "But why is it in there?"

Siesta gestured to the wooden box with a glass cover that Saito had just hung on the wall. Inside the box on display was Saito's blue and white parka.

"I went through so much while I was wearing that parka. It's like my jersey."

"Jur-Zee?" Siesta looked at Saito puzzled.

"Never mind."

"Besides", Saito continued, "I figured everyone was getting a little tired of me wearing the same thing all the time."

"Well I always thought you looked quite handsome in it." Siesta said.

Siesta reached over and put her arms around Saito's neck and rested her head on his shoulder. Siesta continued,

"You know what I think you would look really handsome in?"

By now Saito was starting to get nervous. He was beginning to sweat and slightly inclined his head away from Siesta.

"W-w-what's that Siesta?" Saito replied.

Siesta moved her face closer to Saito's and while pressing her ample breasts onto Saito's arm she brought her mouth close to his ear. Siesta whispered,

"Nothing at all."

Siesta managed a small giggle while flashing her most flirtatious smile. She grasped Saito's wrist and placed his palm on her breasts.

"And I would be sure to dress to match."

Wham!

The air left Saito's lungs and his face contorted in pain. Right on cue, he thought as his hands went down to his aching crotch and went down for the count.

Standing over her now semi-conscious husband was a very, very pissed off Louise.

"Stupid Dog! Now if you're finished wagging your tail at the maid hurry up and get ready to leave. The carriage will be here soon and I do not want to be late for Princess-sama's anniversary celebration."

With that, Louise stormed off in a huff, back upstairs to the bedroom and slammed the door.

Saito stood up and used his arm to steady himself on the wall. He slowly began trying to shake off the dull ache that still reigned supreme over his manhood. He then turned and faced Siesta who wore a look of concern for Saito over another one of Louise's punishments.

"Hey Siesta", Saito said. "I finished another two chapters for you."

Siesta Smiled broadly and clasped her hands together.

"Really? Could you give them to me now? It will give me something to do while you are away this evening."

"Sure, just wait here a minute."

Still smarting in his private area, Saito slowly climbed the steps to the second floor of Des Ornieres Manor and went into his study. There on the desk was pile of papers that Saito had been working on for Siesta. He sighed at the thought of all the hard work that went into producing those papers. But if I stop now, Siesta will never let me hear the end of it. Saito mused sadly.

Saito sighed again as he recalled how he roped himself into doing this task.

When Louise and Saito went to Japan to visit his parents they also took some time to visit some shops so that Louise could get an idea of local customs and fashion. Despite Louise's reservations and jealousy, Saito insisted that they get Siesta a gift while they were there. Saito remembered that Siesta liked steamy romance novels, so they went to a book store where Saito asked the clerk if she could recommend something good. Thinking that this was a couple looking to spice up their love life the clerk gave a sly smile and produced a book from behind the counter. She told them that it was a very popular title in America, and that their "friend" will certainly enjoy it. Saito looked at the cover and read the title: Fifty Shades of Grey.

Upon returning to Halkeginia Saito gave the book to Siesta. However it seemed that Saito had overlooked the fact that it was written in Japanese Kanji, which Siesta could not read. Siesta asked Saito if he could read the book to her. After all any excuse to spend some quality time with Saito was fine with her, more than fine actually. Saito agreed and spent some time in the evenings reading Fifty Shades of Grey to Siesta. Well if Saito was unable to imagine the outcome when Louise learned about the true nature of Christian Grey, he should have. After hearing Saito read a few chapters of Mr. Grey's "ahem" activities to Siesta, Louise forbade Saito to read anymore of the tome to her. Just to drive the point home, punishments were administered.

Saito then tried teaching Siesta how to read Kanji. He reasoned she's of Japanese heritage anyway, so why not? After spending a week's worth of evenings giving Siesta Kanji lessons, Louise showed Saito why this was in fact not a good idea. Again, punishments were doled out.

So alas it seemed that Saito's final recourse was to just translate the book into Halkeginian script. Never mind the fact that the book's content is not something Saito particularly enjoys, but if he goes too long without producing finished material, Saito starts finding reminder messages from Siesta mixed in with his breakfast. As an added bonus, since this activity does not involve Siesta being physically present, Louise has thus far taken no action against it.

After giving the completed chapters to Siesta, Saito made his way to bedroom door and paused before opening it.

Louise is probably still mad. Saito thought.

He knew he must smooth things over with Louise before they left in the carriage, otherwise it was likely to be a troublesome ride.

Gathering his courage Saito opened the door.

Louise sat in front of the vanity, brushing her hair. Despite Saito's approach, she pretended not to see him.

Saito sat down on the bed, "Hey," he called.

There was no change in Louise's behavior or posture, so he continued, "That umm, earlier with Siesta, was a misunderstanding."

"You know Louise I would never—"

"Boobs!" Louise seethed out. "Boobs, boobs, boobs."

Saito protested, "It's not like I have an unusually high interest in those kinds of things."

No, in fact for a male his age, obsessive interest with the female lumps was perfectly normal.

"Hmph" Louise said, and turned away from Saito with a pouty look on her face.

Saito knew what he had to do next. He stood up and came over to Louise at the vanity. He bent over and gently stroked Louise's cheek with his hand.

"If all I cared about was the size of a woman's chest, I wouldn't be me now would I?"

"Lies! All Lies!" Louise was on a roll. "I see you walking around here all day long, gawking at that maid's pineapples at every opportunity."

Louise continued pouting, and placed her hands over her rather un-lumpy chest.

"I'm not even Lemon-Chan"

Saito, like switch thrown inside his brain, became very excited at those two words. Those two magic words.

"Say it again."

Louise looked at Saito after he said this. He had a feverish look in his eyes that unnerved her quite a bit.

Saito grasped Louise by the shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes.

"Please say it again."

Louise cast her eyes downward, looking very cute and spoke in a shy voice.

"L-l-l-lemon-Chan."

Saito let out a squeal of delight and hoisted his wife up by her shoulders. Embracing her tightly he guided her over to the bed.

"Saito I- oof!" Louise let out as she dropped onto the mattress.

Saito was perched on top of her, still looking quite feverish.

"How could I look at other women, when I am married to such a cute goddess?"

"Really"

"Yes"

"For real, really?"

"Yes." Saito brought his face very close to Louise. Her scent was making his heart beat so fast he thought might die right there.

"I love you Louise."

Two pairs of lips became one, and Louise moaned softly.

"Saito."

**Scene Break**

The Royal Palace of Tristainia was a beehive of activity.

Maids were busy cleaning, gardeners were tending, chefs were cooking, and guards were…..well guarding.

Musketeer commander Agnes was personally inspecting the guard detail for tomorrow night's celebration.

Because of the celebratory nature of the occasion, the guard detail must not only be vigilant, but look flawless.

"Soldier."

Agnes addressed the guard in front of her.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Ma'am?"

Commander Agnes reached up over the guard's helmet and ran her hand over the decorative plumage festooned there.

"Why is your plumage in such condition?"

"It be fine by my eyes ma'am." The guard answered somewhat timidly.

"It looks terrible in mine." Agnes paused for a moment and then gave an order: "Report to the armory and get a replacement helmet. Now!"

The guard saluted quickly and left. "Ma'am!"

Agnes approached the dais in the main palace ballroom where the celebration will be taking place tomorrow.

The Queen will be seated here along with Queen Charlotte of Gallia.

Agnes carefully inspected the dais, making sure every seat was properly labeled, every speck of dust removed and all possible dangers to the Queen's security minimized.

Everything must be perfect, Agnes thought, as she left the ballroom to go and check the palace grounds.

**Scene Break**

Yes, the Palace could certainly be likened to a beehive that day, and at the center of every hive is the Queen.

Queen Henrietta of Tristain sat in her office looking over the guest list for the party celebrating her second year on the throne. If this office was seen by those not in the know, they would never guess this was the working space of royalty. The walls and floor were bare. A simple wooden desk and chair were the only pieces of furniture in the room. Rather than raise taxes to fill a treasury bankrupted by war, she had sold all the royal furnishings instead. This act was very well received by her subjects, and earned her the moniker Queen of Honorable Poverty.

She quietly read the list of names one by one, smiling to herself when she came to names she recognized, especially those of dear friends.

Queen Charlotte, Old Osman, Guiche de Gramont, and of course his guest Montmorancy. Jean Colbert, Kirche von-Zerbst, Tiffania Westwood.

Henrietta paused at one name in particular and smiled broadly. Louise Francois Le Blanc de La Valliere.

Her childhood best friend and valued confidant.

Then the next name should be:

Henrietta saw it, and stopped. Despite belonging to her best friend's lover and husband, that name still made her heart beat faster than any other since Prince Wales, who had died in Albion.

Hiraga Saito

The man who had saved her from disaster more times than she could count. The hero of Tristain.

While the Queen was truly happy for her best friend, Henrietta was still prone to wistful thoughts of what might have been.

Different circumstances, different outcomes, and who knows how events might have transpired.

Trying to cover her smile without much success, Henrietta had a somewhat whimsical thought.

What if there was another Henrietta out there somewhere? Waking up next to a man with black hair. A man who treated her not as a Queen, but as a normal woman, someone whom she could just wrap her arms around at the end of the day, and in that moment no longer be a Queen, but just herself.

She sighed sorrowfully at that thought.

What would that be like?

The Queen's thoughts were broken by a knock at the door.

"Enter!" She called.

The door opened and there stood Cardinal Mazarin, her most trusted advisor.

The Cardinal had served as regent after the death of her father, and even turned down an opportunity to go Romalia to serve as Pope, so that he may continue to serve Tristain's royal family.

Few in Henrietta's inner circle offered such loyalty.

"Good afternoon Your Majesty!" Mazarin cheerfully said.

"And to you too Cardinal. How can help you today?"

"I am here to report the latest news on the situation in Albion."

Queen Henrietta sat down at her desk and folded her arms in front of her.

"Go ahead Cardinal. You have my full attention."

"Well as you know your majesty ever since the Reconquista faction destroyed the Albion Royal Family we have had considerable difficulty stabilizing the nation."

"The governing council set up by the conference of nations Your Majesty attended two years ago has been unable to unite the various factions that make up the nobility there." Mazarin Said. "And now it seems that they have another problem on their hands, a full blown commoner's rebellion."

Henrietta nodded in understanding, and then spoke a name:

"Robert de Sable."

"Yes, nobody had even heard of this ruffian before the war against Reconquista, however since then he has been slowly gathering followers among the commoners. He seeks to usurp the authority of the nobility and establish a republic for commoners, by commoners."

"Is he a genuine threat to Albion's future Cardinal?" Asked Henrietta.

"Before today's news I would have said no, but I have just received word that de Sable's men just raided a weapons cache outside of Saxe Gotha, and seized no less than 100 barrels of gunpowder.

The Queen put her hand over her mouth in shock. Cardinal Mazarin noticed and continued.

"Yes, and that raid was latest of many he has conducted I'm afraid. The council is concerned that Robert de Sable's actions indicate that he is preparing for full scale war."

"What do you think this means for Tristain Cardinal Mazarin?"

"I don't know. There is the possibility that de Sable will not stop with Albion." If he grows beyond his original ambitions, then like Reconquista he could begin an assault on all of Halkeginia. And as before Tristain will be the first to face invasion."

"Has de Sable made any references to his ambitions? Do we know for sure what his intentions will be if he succeeds in leading a commoner takeover of Albion? "

"No Your Majesty, but we should not let our guard down regardless. Eternal vigilance is the price of our authority."

"Very well Cardinal Mazarin. You will continue to apprise me of this matter as it develops."

"Of course Your Majesty."

**Scene Break**

In the dank of this bar, a man sat silently in a corner nursing his beer. His back to wall of course and keeping an eye on the exits, he surveyed the scene. Bar maids dressed in skimpy outfits, smiles permanently fixed on their faces, loud rowdy patrons, and of course the very effeminate man with lipstick insisting his employees call him Mademoiselle.

In short it was just another night at the Charming Fairies Inn.

The server came by to ask the brown haired gentleman if he needed anything else.

"No just keep the brews coming."

"Waiting for someone tonight?"

"No, I'm just killing time. I really have nothing else to do right now."

"Are you going to be here in Tristania for a while or are you just passing through?"

"Well Miss uh…."

"Jessica"

"Right, Jessica. Well I suppose like everyone else here tonight I'm staying for the Queen's anniversary celebration tomorrow. It looks to be a night to remember."

Jessica Looked around the bar. The Charming Fairies Inn was doing rather brisk business because of all the visitors.

"Alright, well if you need anything don't hesitate to ask."

"I sure won't ma'am. Oh, and here, this is for your trouble."

The man reached into his cloak and pulled out several gold coins. He placed them on the table and slid them over to Jessica."

"Hey thanks." She said. Again if you need anything…."

"Right just ask."

Jessica then pointed to the man with the lipstick.

"Or just ask him. He's my father."

He looked over at Scarron, the owner of the Charming Fairies Inn. Then he looked at Jessica, and back to Scarron, and back to Jessica again.

"Well I can certainly see the resemblance."

"Thanks again for the nice tip Mr.….."

"Robert ma'am, just call me Robert. Everyone else does."

**Scene Break**

The twin moons of Halkeginia bathed the night in a sensuous aura. Looming large in the night sky they lent a romantic touch to any place where they might be seen. Even this deserted road.

Walking briskly, the sounds of his footsteps amplified by nighttime silence, a hooded figure made his way down the long and lonely road. If he was not alone he would've made a curious sight to behold. The dark road in the middle of the night is no place for travelers. The hood served to obscure any features that those foolish enough to pry might get a glimpse of. Save for the few blonde hairs peeking out around the edges.

On his hip was a falchion, a flat sword with a wide blade. The hilt was made of the purest pearls that could be found in the ocean, the blade was made of a clear, almost transparent alloy, which no one here would recognize. On the end of the hilt there was a small metal spike.

He'd been walking for many hours, and didn't expect to reach his destination until just before sunrise. The exertion did not bother him though. Getting tired was not really something he did.

Up ahead he saw torches moving in the shadows. He sighed. He knew there was good chance this could happen if he decided to continue traveling through the night. Still he kind hoped it wouldn't.

He stopped walking and soon he was confronted by four sword wielding highway men.

"Bit late for a stroll pal?" One asked?

"Nah man, I think he's just lost."

The four men laughed.

The hooded figure stood still for a moment and then spoke.

"Is there something I can do for you? If not then I ask that you let me pass."

"Not a problem mate." The lead highway man replied. "But first you'll need to pay the toll."

"Our group here is a little broke, so were wondering if you might spare us all your gold." The fourth highway man taunted.

The lead highwayman spoke again. "Oi and that fancy sword. We'll be taking that too."

The hooded man seemed to consider the thieves in front of him and gave a quick reply.

"I do not carry gold and as for my weapon." He said while pulling the blade from his hip. "You need only come and take it."

"Aye." The leader said with a smile. "We were hoping for that arrangement."

The following happened in a matter of moments:

The first highway man on the left brought his sword high up and over toward the hooded man in a downward strike. He blocked with his own sword, and then spun around bringing his clear falchion level with the thieves' neck and just followed through. The thief's head went one way, the rest of him the other. The second highwayman brought his sword in wide side swipe slash. The hooded man caught him by the wrist stopping the slash, and the rotated his own right wrist so that the falchion blade faced away from the thief. In two quick motions he thrust the hilt spike first into his neck and then his temple. Then he brought the sword down and using an upward back hand motion he split the already dying man open from groin to breast plate. The lead highway man charged trying to pierce, but the hooded figure simply side stepped, crouched and spun. The falchion went through both knees like butter. The fourth and final thief raised his sword over his head and meant to drive the blade into the still crouching hooded man. But he rolled back and out to the side and stood up as the thief stabbed into the dirt. The falchion tip suddenly emerged from the front of the highwayman's chest. When the blade withdrew a geyser of blood replaced it.

The lead highwayman was on his back desperately trying to crawl back away from what moments ago seemed to be an easy mark, his two stumps that were once his legs leaving twin trails of blood as he did so.

It was the hooded man's turn to do some taunting.

"Didn't you just say that you were coming to take my sword?"

"Please don't! Stop please!"

The gravely wounded highway man continued to crawl backwards away.

"By all means young man, take it!"

With that, the hooded man threw his sword at his would be robber. Quickly spinning end over end the blade drove itself into his chest.

The hooded man calmly walked over, crouched over the dying thief, placed both hands firmly on the hilt of his sword and drove the blade the rest of the way through.

He leaned forward and spoke softly to the doomed man.

"Unfortunately for you, where you're going, you cannot take it with you."

He pulled the falchion from the now dead man's chest and the corpse hit the ground with a sickening thud.

The hooded figure calmly wiped the blade clean on his dead foe's clothes, sheathed it, and resumed his walk down the road.

He would reach Tristania just before sunrise. There he would find his quarry, undoubtedly at the Queen's celebration tomorrow night.

The hooded man kept walking, confident that before the next night was through he would walk out of Tristania carrying the head of his mark out by the hair.

By his thick, black hair.