The Clover Prince

Chapter Six

Word Count: 9,744

Rating/Warnings/ Summary: Same as prologue

Author's Note: This one got rather... long. I had delayed a bit of the original concept part to build up some more and then I wanted to have it happen here, which led to both it being longer and taking longer, not that there weren't other factors as well. I tried to look for a way to separate it, but in the end, it seemed to work better this way.


Six

Kent's head jerked up, and he looked around the room, eyes wide and uncomprehending. He did not seem to know where he was.

"You had the nightmare again," Waka said, and Kent flinched, drawing the blanket closer around him. His fingers curled into the fabric, and he frowned again, looking at it in confusion. "You're in the tavern. She put that over you hours ago."

Kent swallowed, lifting his eyes to Waka. "You let me sleep here?"

Waka nodded. "Though it is less likely Raijin will make a move before the king and queen from the south arrive, I thought it best not to take any chances, and were you to sleep in the castle... It is possible you would be dead now."

Kent lowered his head. "I do not know how much longer I can do this. I never thought... my stamina was so... weak... that I was unable to bear this burden, but each day, I crumble further under it, and I do not know how to keep myself from going under entirely. Ikkyu's method of coping is no better, and yet he has sustained his position for over a decade."

Waka knew that was true, but Ikki's situation was not the same. He'd been raised as a puppet, and he'd found his ways to rebel against that, small rebellions that kept his spirit alive. He also had hope in Ukyo or Kent taking the throne and freeing his homeland. Kent did not have that—were he to actually take the throne, he would have no relief from the burden of responsibility. He would just feel further trapped. Kent did not want to lead. He would make for an excellent adviser, in some ways, and that might suit him.

That role was not the one he had, nor would it be.

"If Raijin cannot kill you, he cannot convince the south to go to war with the west, and that should mean that he will release Ukyo."

"You believe that he will be satisfied by that? If he is willing to imprison his heir, make me the successor, and then kill me for a war, why would my survival be enough to stop the course of this and free my brother? It can't be enough."

Waka knew it would not seem that way, not at first. "If Raijin attempts to kill you and fails, he will destroy the alliance with the south. They will not tolerate such behavior, and while they may not have a large army, they have technology that would make up the difference."

"If the south allies with the west instead, it is no advantage to us."

"Remember, the south has no interest in war. They will fight if they have to, but so far the benefits have not outweighed the risks and the loss of life that will come from any fighting. They do not want war. Even if they shift alliance to the west, it will not mean an invasion."

Kent rubbed his neck. "If the west sees us as vulnerable—and we would be without the alliance—they may well strike. That king only wants an excuse. Remember, he almost had one before. Had we not been allied with the south, he would have done it."

"True. His pride is rivaled only by Raijin's, but remember, the younger generation is not so foolish."

Kent snorted. "Are we speaking of the same princes? They're known for their tempers same as he is. How many times has Ikkyu provoked them? Seems to me it was every visit."

"Ah, but someone charmed them in the past with insults towards the queen."

Kent shook his head, though Waka saw him fight a smile. "Don't be absurd. I did nothing of the sort. I am never charming."

"Yet you did insult her."

"You are tiresome. Go back to the castle and leave me be."

"You know I can't do that."

"If, as you postulate, I am safer away from the castle, then I should remain here. And you should not, because you will draw attention to my presence and ruin this place as a relative safe haven. I am no longer asleep, so you need not fear I would be caught unaware of an impending attack, and you, for all your talent, cannot go without sleep forever."

Waka almost smiled. "You are very difficult to argue with."

"Nonsense. You do so all the time. It is just that this time you know I'm right."


Kokoa stifled a yawn and made her way downstairs. Orion was still asleep, and she wasn't going to wake him early, not when he still had school ahead of him. He would leave grumpy and not get what he should out of his classes, and she didn't want that at all.

She stopped at the foot of the stairs and stared at the sight in front of her.

True, she'd left the tutor asleep at his table when she fled upstairs, wanting to be free of Waka's presence since he showed no sign of leaving, but this was still unexpected. She'd thought Waka would wake him and make him go as soon as she was gone, but he had not. She hadn't gone back down to check, though she should have.

"You're still here."

He looked over at her from his book. "I realize it is before your operating hours, and I will not ask you to serve me. I am simply enjoying the quiet and peace of this place at the moment."

"But you... I... Waka... he... is he still here?"

"No. He went to his own rooms hours ago."

She nodded, feeling a bit better about that as she started walking again. This was still very strange. How had she been able to sleep at all with them downstairs? She didn't know. Maybe she was just too tired to stay awake.

"You believe the myths when it comes to Waka?"

She shook her head. "No. You don't need to think me that ignorant. I... I know him. Sort of. I... He... He told me not to talk about what I know of him, but I do know enough to... to hate and fear him."

The tutor set down his book. "I see. Were your parents enemies of the crown, then? Is that why you would have cause to fear him? Waka is a man of honor, so I cannot see how he would have injured you personally, and yet you do have a conviction when it comes to him that is born of experience."

"My parents were... I don't even know what they were. I don't remember them. They died when I was really little. I just... Waka let him die, and I can't forgive him for that."

"Ah. That is different. However, if you wish to make food for your brother, you should do so before it gets much later."

She blinked. "That's it? You're not even going to ask me who it was or why Waka would do such at thing? You don't doubt my story at all?"

"I am aware that Waka has made several decisions that would seem unforgivable, that sometimes he does not act when one would expect him to, and those moments one could almost hate him for, but I have never known him to stand back without some reason for it. In the position I'm in, I cannot afford emotional reactions, so I weigh his choices as what they are... and what I would have done, which often is the same inaction he is guilty of, or perhaps even worse... I am no innocent myself. I could have done things differently. So I cannot condemn Waka for failing to act when I share similar cowardice. And yet his reasons are far removed from cowardice. Sometimes the right choice is not to intervene, and making that decision is harder than people realize."

She frowned. "I... I don't think you make sense."

"Perhaps not. You'd have to know what I do to understand why I say such things, and you are better off not knowing. No one would wish this position on an enemy." He picked his book up and opened it, ignoring her as he turned the pages to where he'd left off earlier.

Who was he? She tried to make herself ask, but before she summoned the will, her brother came bounding down the stairs. He saw the tutor and ran up to the table.

"You're here. This is good."

"What?"

"Explain this to me," Orion said, putting a paper down on the table. "The teacher said we'd read it and understand, but I don't. I read it over and over since I got it, and it doesn't make sense. I asked my friends, and none of them understood it, either. You're a tutor. You know."

"I am not actually a—is this honestly the explanation they gave? Absurd. Of course you wouldn't understand it like this. They've gone and made a simple concept completely inaccessible by their choice of word. They contradict themselves and make a flawed reasoning seem right." He took the paper, crumpled it, and tossed it to the side. Orion's eyes got wide. Kokoa frowned, not really wanting to pick that up—and who wasted paper like that? It was too expensive to toss aside so carelessly. "No, this is what you should know. First, you take principle of—no, simpler than that. You are only a child, after all, so this should be... Ah."

He started scribbling on his page, and she came closer, looking at the picture he drew with a frown.

"What is that?"

"A flower."

"It doesn't look like one."

He sighed. "Yes, well, I am not the artist my brother was, but that's not the point. The flower is just a part of what you're trying to understand, and it does not have to be accurate for the sake of this exercise. What you need to understand is simple. A plant has stages, like all life does. In the first stage, it is a seed. Planted, it becomes a sprout. Then it grows and matures into a flower. As it nears the end of its life, it produces seeds. Then it dies, scattering the seeds. It is a seemingly endless cycle of renewal. Animals react in a similar manner."

Orion nodded. "Oh, I see. I understand now. That... Thank you. That actually makes sense. I never would have gotten it from that paper, though."

"Agreed."

Orion smiled at him. Then he frowned. "Oh. I'm going to be late."

He took off running for the door. Kokoa called after him, knowing he shouldn't go yet. "You haven't eaten anything. Wait! Orion! You're not that late."

"He is rather an impulsive child."

She sighed. "Yes, he is."


Kent finished the last of the books he'd brought with him and reached for his tea only to find his cup empty. He frowned, picking up the pot to find it in the same state. He supposed it shouldn't surprise him. He had been here since the night before, and hours had passed since he woke and even since the waitresses rose and started their work.

He glanced towards the street. Judging from the light, it was now in the afternoon. He would have expected Waka to have returned for him by now, but as he had not, Kent would stay where he was. He had no desire to return to the castle and the nobles. Perhaps if he had not been forbidden from speaking to Ikkyu, it would not be so unappealing, but it could still mean death, so that was unlikely.

Kent rubbed at his neck again. He never wanted to go back.

He had no choice. The delegations from the south and the west would be here soon enough, and he would be expected to greet them.

Kokoa came by the table and set a plate in front of him, walking away without saying anything. He stared at it. What was this? He hadn't asked for anything, and it would have been for tea, not food. This must have been intended for someone else.

He almost reached for her when she passed by a second time. "Wait. Why did you give me this?"

"You've been here all day and haven't eaten. So eat."

"I am not—"

"How can you not be hungry? It's been hours since you've eaten. You didn't have anything last night and not anything today, and that's just ridiculous. Now eat."

"I am not your brother to be ordered around by you."

She folded her arms over her chest. "I swear he's not half as stubborn as you are. What is so wrong with what I gave you? Do you hate potatoes, then?"

He didn't, and he had no reason to believe she'd poison his food. She was not like the nobles, and she was not likely to be in collusion with Raijin. He would never trust her with such a task as killing Kent, not when he didn't think enough of women to believe them capable of anything besides bearing children.

"I would like some more tea."

She nodded. "I'll bring you some. Please eat. You... worry me."

He frowned after she left, not sure why she would care, but he pulled the plate towards him and picked up the fork, taking a bite. The seasoning on the vegetables was not overdone, and they were soft enough to make chewing them easy. He would not say they were the best potatoes he'd ever eaten but they certainly were not the worst.

"That's better."

He looked up to see she had returned, tea pot in hand. She set the pot down and sat down across from him. He checked the room, finding it to be rather empty at the moment. Her fellow waitress was watching them from the bar.

"Is it just your brother?"

"What?"

"Something's bothering you. Don't deny it. People don't come in here and sleep when they haven't been drinking. And then now, when you didn't want to eat..." She shook her head. "What is it? Why are you so... upset?"

He almost laughed. He did not feel like explaining the threat to his life or the king's schemes. "I am... I find it difficult to be at home, that is all. There is extra fuss happening with the visitors from the other nations, and I have not had a moment's respite."

"Oh."

He studied her. "You seem bothered as well. Is this because of your brother or because Waka was here last night?"

"I..." She flushed. "I do wonder how I managed to sleep knowing you were both here. I mean, I don't think you'd do anything... violent, but Waka... I don't trust him, so how did I fall asleep? And why I am even saying that? I know what it really is. I feel guilty for not making him leave. I know the rules. I should have done it."

"It is true other men could have taken advantage of the situation, but Waka is not one of them. I have never seen him be anything but respectful towards women, even the ambitious ones bent on using him for their own ends."

She leaned forward across the table. "How do you know Waka?"

Kent had almost forgotten she didn't know who he truly was. She didn't even suspect he was the crown prince she disliked so much. Still, that wasn't even the issue at present. He averted his eyes, focusing on his plate. "You are quite bold today."

"Maybe, but it's hard not to be curious. We are talking about Waka, after all."

"True."

"So? Are you going to answer me? Or are you ashamed or something? Why aren't you looking at me now?"

"Are you aware that people can see down your blouse when you lean over like that?"

He heard her chair scrape back, and when he looked over again, she was gone, having fled to the kitchen. He sighed and gathered up his books. He'd lingered here for far too long as it was.


"I hate him."

Waka gave Ikki a glance, and he sighed. Not only was he still so sore that the alcohol was not enough to dull the pain, all he could do was watch as Ken was forced to mingle with the nobles. Even from here it was obvious Ken was miserable. Ikki would have done his best to cheer the other man up, but if he moved closer to Ken or Ken sought him out, they'd both be punished.

This was stupid.

"We are fortunate. He could have chosen to kill you instead."

Ikki shuddered. He knew that. He knew the pain he felt now was nothing compared to what Raijin was capable of, but that didn't make it any better. "I know. I just... I can't do anything like this. I can't look for Ukyo. I can't help Ken. I can't even take what little enjoyment I would have out of a party like this. Can't dance, couldn't do anything with the lady I've got my eye on, and this wine is terrible."

Waka eyed the glass Ikki held and said nothing. Ikki never saw him drink at these things, though tonight he was actually holding a glass. If Ikki had felt better before, he would have teased him about it, since it was rather unlike him.

What did Waka drink, anyway? Was he the reason Ken favored tea? Ikki had wondered about that before, since it was difficult not to be curious about what could possibly have made the seemingly heartless Waka take an interest in Ken. Ikki didn't think it was anything unnatural, just strange. Waka didn't seem to be close to anyone else, only Ken, and despite their ages, it almost seemed like a father-son relationship.

Maybe brothers. That was a little less weird.

"I would advise you not to drink too much."

Ikki frowned. "Since when do you lecture me on my drinking habits? I don't recall you saying anything when I first started, and that would have been the time, not now."

Waka did not answer. He walked away instead, passing through the crowd. Ikki almost lost sight of him for a second before he spotted him next to Ken. Ken took the glass from him and drank it all down. Waka took it back from him and left.

Ikki watched as Ken refused the glass from the serving girl, still frowning. He sipped from his own and grimaced at the taste again. He'd definitely had better, though he'd also had worse.

Waka reappeared at his elbow, and Ikki looked at him. "You think they've poisoned the wine? Or just Ken's?"

"Raijin is having himself served privately, and he would not count any noble a great loss, so yes, it is possible he might have attempted to poison the wine or the food. I knew the glass I gave Kent was safe because I poured it myself and tested it, but anything else is a risk."

"Nice of you to tell me now."

Waka shook his head. "With all that you know, you should already have expected it. Especially since Raijin did, after all, leave you alive."

Ikki grimaced, deciding he'd pour out his drink first chance he got.


"Orion already asleep?"

Kokoa nodded. He was, and she was glad he was because it was going to be another long night. She didn't really want to think about the mess that waited for them in the kitchen. They hadn't had a chance to wash anything since the night started, and they were out of clean dishes.

"I suppose you could go up and join him since you took closing last night and opened again this morning," Sawa said, fighting a yawn. "I can do this."

"That's not right. I'll help." Kokoa started to gather up another set of tankards when the door opened, and she sighed. She knew they were still supposed to be open, but they were already behind. She just wanted to clean up and crawl into bed.

"You have a mess," the tutor observed, and she tensed. She couldn't forget what had happened between them earlier. Even now her face flamed to think of it. She hadn't meant for anyone to see anything. She hadn't even known this shirt was that bad, but it was the only one that was clean, so she couldn't change. She'd felt self-conscious all night.

"The kitchen's already closed," Sawa said. "So you can't order any food."

He nodded. "That is fine. I could not eat if I had an appetite, which I do not. I... My throat is sore, and tea would be preferable. Unless that is part of the kitchen being closed."

Kokoa forced herself to shake her head. "Of course not. That's fine. I'll take these in and get you some tea."

He glanced toward the window, frowning. She watched him gather some plates from the other table, taking them into the kitchen. Sawa stared after him, and Kokoa knew she was, too. What was he doing?

She followed him into the kitchen, where his eyes were on the mountain of dishes. The distaste was all over him. She swallowed. "It was very busy tonight. There's a bunch of people saying the agreement with the west won't happen this year and the one with the south has been broken, so we're all going to die... and so now is the time to drink, apparently."

He sighed. "So even the public is aware of that. I had not expected those rumors to go so far."

"What?" Sawa poked her head inside the kitchen. "Are you some kind of spy, then? Is that how you know Waka?"

He laughed, shaking his head as he did. "I'd be a poor spy for many reasons, but the most obvious of them you can see plainly."

"You think tall men can't be spies?" Kokoa asked, setting down her dishes and starting the tea as Sawa went to work getting the wash water ready. "Isn't that a bit much to assume? I would think being tall would be an advantage in some ways. You could peer into windows others couldn't, reach places that they couldn't."

"That much is true," he agreed, emptying plates into the garbage barrel and stacking them neatly for Sawa. She found herself staring again. She would never have expected him to do this. He was more of a noble than this, so why was he helping them with the dishes? "And yet the fact remains that my height is noticeable. Memorable, even. They'd know to be watching for a tall man, and that would be the end of my usefulness."

"You've actually tried this, haven't you?" Kokoa asked as she picked up another pile of plates to empty before washing. "Sawa, we've met an actual spy."

"Failed spy," he corrected, and when he smiled at her, her stomach flipped. Not like she was sick. It was strange, but it felt... good. "Though why you'd be proud of it or think you hadn't already done so is a bit foolish. You have met Waka, after all."

"Yes, but he's the guard captain, not a failed spy."

"Hmm."

Sawa's eyes got wide. "Are you telling me he was a spy before he became the guard captain? That's so... Well, I guess it makes sense, but I heard he was an assassin."

"You are quite gullible. It does not seem to take more than a suggestion of something to make you believe."

"That's mean. You shouldn't be mean."

He sighed. "I have endured the company of the most irritating, pretentious, and ambitious nobles all evening. Any goodwill I might have had is gone. The greed, the lust for power, the disregard for any sense... I had not actually realized how much I relied on him to distract me before it was impossible to speak to him..."

"Your brother?"

"Oh, no. I'd just have argued with my brother. He saw too much good in the world. I never have."

She watched him as he took the tea pot off the stove and set it to the side, once again confused by him. She would never have expected something like this night—not any of it. He had seemed spoiled and aloof before, like any snobby noble, but now he was joking with them and helping them in the kitchen. And he knew how to make tea?

"If you know how to make tea, why do you find it so hard to find good tea?"

He looked at her. "I am not frequently allowed in the kitchen. Were I to do this there, I think I'd cause the cooks to faint in fright."

Sawa giggled. "I could see that."

"Sawa." Kokoa shook her head. That was terrible, and yet she wanted to laugh, too. She held back. "Then where did you learn to make tea?"

"From Waka."

A plate shattered, and Kokoa realized she'd dropped it. She could only stare at him again, wondering if he was still teasing this time. This was so strange. So unlike him, and yet... she thought maybe it was a side of him that he didn't let people see. Why would he show it to them, then? Did that mean... he trusted them?

"Waka taught you to make tea?"

"Yes. I have known him since I was a child, if that is your next question." He frowned. "I don't suppose you'd wash a tea cup while you're at it? And someone should sweep up that broken plate. Where is the broom?"

"It's here," Sawa said. "Hold on a second, Kokoa. I'll deal with the floor real quick, and then we'll get to work on those dishes."


"I swear if I stay on my feet much longer, someone will have to carry me upstairs."

Kent gave the waitress a frown, trying to decide if she was using that in the way the noblewomen attempting seduction would. She yawned, so he thought perhaps she was genuinely tired, but he was not certain. He did not know her as well as he did the other one.

"Go on and go up, Sawa. Even if there's still a bit left, these dishes will keep for the slow hours of the morning," Kokoa said, and the other woman nodded, stifling another yawn. "I mean it. Go. You're opening tomorrow, after all, and you have laundry duty. So you'd better get some rest."

"Ugh. Laundry." Sawa grumbled to herself as she left the room.

Kokoa sighed. "I should have done it today, but it is Sawa's turn. Maybe I should do a load before bed. That way I'll have a clean outfit for the morning, and I won't have to worry about this one."

"That one?"

She flushed red. "I... You honestly don't remember... you could see down my shirt when I leaned over and... I..."

"Oh. That." He had not wanted to be reminded of that. "Yes, an alternative would be better for your sake. Too many men here would have ideas after that sight. They might think they could get more from you than that."

She grimaced. "I am not—I don't—that's not what we do here. Food and drinks only."

"I know that. That doesn't mean others wouldn't think differently." Exhausted, Kent sat down on the floor. He did not know why that party had taken so much from him, but then the few hours of uninterrupted rest he'd gotten the night before hardly made up for the lack of sleep over the last two weeks. He had only wanted a bed after the party, but he knew he couldn't sleep in the castle, even if Waka was there.

"You think differently, you mean," she said, going back to work on the dishes. "I've met more men who assume that about us than don't, and if we didn't have a bunch of regulars who see us kind of like daughters, we'd be in trouble every night."

"Is that why your brother wanted someone to scare off the bad men?"

She sighed. "I suppose, though it's not always as bad as that day that Waka came in and rescued Sawa. It's just that it can be, so we have to keep watchful. That... can get exhausting. I know why we have to, but sometimes I wish I could just feel safe for a change. This is better than the orphanage—not that it exists anymore—and better than the streets, and I suppose if I was really worried, I'd do what any other woman does and marry someone for protection, but I have Orion to think about. Men don't want to raise my brother. They just want me to have their children. And maybe someday I will, but that's not really all I can do, is it?"

"Hardly. There are limits, of course, to your physical capabilities as you are female, but you can do more than breed." Kent leaned his head back against the counter. "Even now you are. You've taken learning into your own hands and educated yourself past the level of even some noblewomen. Working for your keep is honorable, and your brother seems to be doing well. Why would anyone trade that for a life with nothing to look forward to but an endless cycle of childbirth?"

"I don't know." Kokoa finished the dishes and set them out to dry. "I can't imagine it. I mean, I used to dream the way all little girls do, I guess, about someone coming on a horse and carrying me away from the orphanage. I dreamed my parents would come back. Or that I would find Shin again or that boy from the shack would be alive... I used to dream a lot of silly things. It didn't take that long to realize that no one was going to save me. I had to do that myself."

Kent nodded. He'd once believed Waka would do that, save him, but he understood later that wasn't an option. He did not know how to save himself now, though.

She sat down next to him. "I need a minute before starting the laundry."

"I should find somewhere to sleep for the night."

She looked at him. "Don't you have a home?"

"It is... not possible to sleep there." He didn't know how else to say it. He didn't want to talk about assassins or any of the political intrigue he was caught in the middle of right now. He just wanted to rest. "I will move shortly."

"Would you be willing to teach Sawa, too?"

"What?"

"I think she wants to know how to read and write, too, but she's ashamed to ask me or Orion, and she's scared of you, but maybe after tonight, if you offered... she'd take you up on it. You were... different tonight. Almost like... you were being friendly. Is that how you are with your friends? You tease them like you did us with the spy thing and the tea with Waka?"

He frowned. "I wasn't lying about Waka teaching me to make tea. He is very particular about tea, and he did teach me how to make it. It is also true I generally avoid the kitchen as I'm not welcome there."

"Did you almost burn down the house?"

"No. That distinction is my brother's. He wanted warm pie, and so he made a fire, and then the pie fell into the fire when he was taking it out, and the pan rolled out and spread the mess and fire about the kitchen and the scullery maids were screaming and he panicked..." Kent closed his eyes, remembering that day with a strange fondness.

Was Ukyo really alive? Had Raijin done all this? Or was it the work of someone else?


"There," she said, trying to make him as comfortable as she could. She couldn't do much, since she didn't have any cloth to spare for a blanket or a pillow, and what she'd done last time had been taken away. "I have to go now."

"You... you're leaving?"

He sounded terrible, and she didn't want to go. Last time, she'd stayed through the night with him, and he'd shuddered and shivered all through it. The chains rattled, and he whimpered, and she didn't want to say it, but it was scary.

That wasn't why she had to go, though.

"I'm sorry. My little brother... he was so scared when I didn't come back the last few times he screamed all through the night. I can't leave him alone again," she said, reaching over to touch his cheek. His skin felt strange, and she knew he had to be sick. "I'm sorry. I'll get help. I promise. I'll make someone come with me next time."

He coughed and shuddered again, and when he looked at her, the anguish in his eyes was too much. She sat next to him again, combing her fingers through his hair. She'd stay at least until he fell asleep again. That would have to be enough, because she had to go back to Orion.

Kokoa jerked awake, looking around in confusion. Where was—wait, why was she in the kitchen? She knew she had a bedroom, and she should have gone up to the room with Orion if she was going to sleep. She didn't even remember falling asleep.

Oh. That was right. She'd sat down next to the tutor, enjoying his story about his brother, and then he'd fallen asleep on her.

She looked over at him. He was still asleep, and someone had put a blanket over both of them. She felt her cheeks flame. Was it Sawa? She'd never hear the end of the teasing on that one if it was. Though it might just be worse if it had been Orion.

She bit her lip and slipped out from under him. She had to think that being by him had brought up that old memory. She had thought about that boy again a lot since she kept seeing Waka, and it still hurt. She had promised him... and failed.

She sighed as she left the kitchen. She'd meant to do laundry last night, but she'd fallen asleep first, so she should do it now, especially since she needed something for the day. She could do one load and let Sawa finish the rest.

She headed up the stairs and pushed the door to her room open, looking in on Orion still asleep in his bed. He was so at peace she couldn't bear to wake him, so she tried to be as quiet as she could as she gathered up their clothes to wash.

She brought them down the stairs and into the kitchen, stopping abruptly when she saw the tutor was awake.

And making tea.

"Oh. You... you... stayed."

"I suppose I should have departed already, but I was reluctant to do so before fully awakened and to that end, I made tea. You are welcome to some, if you like."

She found herself smiling. She'd wanted to taste the kind of tea he made last night, but she'd been too busy and then she'd fallen asleep. She set aside her laundry and picked up a cup, pouring some into it. She lifted the cup to her lips and sipped.

"Hmm. You're rather good at this."

"Waka would not agree, but then your palate is perhaps not as sophisticated as his."

She sighed, setting the cup down and going back to her laundry. "You don't know how to accept a compliment, do you? That is what that was, wasn't it? Or did you really mean to insult me?"

"I... No. That was not my intention." She heard him sigh and looked back at him as she tried to lift the wash basin. Full as it was with dirty water, she could hardly budge it. She grimaced, knowing she'd have to empty it with buckets first. "Move. Let me."

"I... You don't have to do that."

"You would spend half your morning emptying it with smaller containers. This won't take me that long. Now move."

She stepped back, allowing him to lift the wash basin. He struggled a bit with it, though she wasn't surprised—he was a tutor, not a laborer. He carried it to the door and dumped it, letting it run down the street. He brought it back to her, setting it down.

"Do you need help getting the water as well?"

She shook her head. "That's not usually a problem. We just filled it too full last night."

"If you insist, though being stubborn about it is not the strength you believe it to be." He returned to his tea, sipping from it as she prepared the water. She almost wanted to take the pot and dump it on him. The rest of her knew he was right and she should have let him help.

She finished with the water and put her clothes in, starting to wash. "You don't have to watch me."

"Do you feel I am intruding? I was merely curious. It has been a long time since I observed anyone doing laundry. I'd forgotten what it was like to see."

"You are spoiled, then. You never do your own?"

"No. Though I would not necessarily object to learning to do so. It's only that I have never been in a position where it was deemed something fit for me to do."

She shook her head. She should have known. He was enough of a noble for that, wasn't he? She sometimes forgot that he was because he could be kinder than most, but then he would say stuff like that and remind her of how different they were.

Wait. Why did it matter how different they were? Surely she wasn't thinking—no. She wasn't. She'd said that last night. She made her own way in life, and that was good for her and for Orion.

"You didn't heat the water, so it's not too hot, but your face is rather red. Are you unwell?"

"I'm fine."

"If you say so."

She looked down at the water. She was not that foolish. She swore she wasn't. "Do you think it's possible for nobles and commoners to be friends?"

He tensed. "I... Well, I have heard that some nobles are quite close with the farmers that work their land and their vassals, that they've come to see them as sort of an extended family and everyone works for the best of all, but in my experience, most nobles do not care at all for the common people and would never allow such a thing to happen. Some even refuse to acknowledge commoners' existence."

She nodded. She knew of the same attitude among most nobles. He was not like them, but that did not change their classes or their paths in life. "Then... what does that make us?"

He blinked. "Are you suggesting this is... some sort of friendship?"

"That's not impossible, is it?"

He shook his head. "You do not want to be friends with me. We are not... Our stations won't allow for such a thing, nor do our respective genders. Forget such foolish notions."

He left the room, and she looked down at the water, shaking her head at herself. She should have known better.


"I thought you'd go."

"Defining this as a purely business relationship—you serve tea, I purchase it—does not negate my usual reason for being here. It actually reinforces it," Kent said, not looking up from his book. "You are not friends with most of your customers, so why should I be any different?"

She sighed as she sat down across from him. "Because you taught me things, maybe? You did seem different, especially last night."

He grimaced. "I was... it was not typical of me. I suppose I would blame the evening's activities. I... The company was poor, and the spirits were strong."

"You were drunk?"

"No. Yes. A little. I... have a high tolerance, but I... it was not supposed to be like that."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

He set aside his book, not caring to explain that he'd drank each of the glasses Waka gave him in a hurry and without much thought to how they'd affect him. "Why does it matter? Are you expecting an apology for falling asleep on your floor? I... suppose I could offer one."

She shook her head. "No. That's not what I want at all. I just... No, that won't work. I just... I never got to show you what I meant about those laws, though. I should do that, at least."

"What?"

"I told you I could prove that the laws on leases were wrong."

He thought about that. "Yes, I do remember that, but I told you I doubted you could. You don't need to bother with it."

"Oh, yes, I do. Now let's go."

She stood and pulled on his arm. He stared at her hand. No one had touched him in over a decade. No one dared. He couldn't even feel her skin, her fingers were caught in the fabric of his shirt, but it was such a strange sensation all the same.

"What are you doing?"

"Come with me. This is something you have to see for yourself," she said, continuing to tug on his arm. If he did not stop her and someone recognized him, she'd be arrested. He knew that. He could not place his privacy above her life.

"You could simply tell me where we are going," he said, stepping back so he was out of her hold as he put his book away. "I am capable of following you on my own."

"Oh. Um. Well, the bakery first."

He frowned, but she called out a goodbye to her friend and hurried out into the street. He grimaced, pulling his hood up over his head, knowing full well the town was full of guardsmen searching for him. He didn't have to rush to keep up with her, being as tall as he was, he closed the distance easily enough.

She stopped in front of the bakery. He came to a stop behind her, wondering why she would think this, of all things, was proof. The shop might well be under a lease, but that allowed for a business, didn't it? What was so special about this place?

"Exactly what am I meant to be seeing here?"

She gestured to the men across the street. He saw their uniforms and ducked his head again, not wanting to be seen. This was not just about dodging them for his privacy any longer. He could die if they thought the opportunity was worth it—and he'd get her killed, too.

"They've come to evict him. He's behind in rent."

That shouldn't have surprised Kent. That was the law she wanted to debate, after all. Still, this was no proof at all. "That is unfortunate."

"You don't know the half of it." She grabbed his hand. No fabric blocked her touch this time. Her hand was soft and warm, and he felt his heart speed up as she held on, unable to find words. What was she doing? "Come on. This way."

She led him through a complicated path that seemed to go in circles and through such narrow gaps that he almost expected to be too narrow to pass through, and finally out into a small courtyard. He could not release her hand as they weaved through the complex passage, but now that she'd slowed down, he had little choice.

"You can lead me without touching me."

"Oh," she said, letting go. Her face had become quite red. "Of course. I'm sorry. That's... improper."

He let it stay at that, though he should probably inform her that if she did touch him again, it could end her death. She put a finger to her lips and pointed as a group of small children ran up to a door in front of them. One pulled a bell, and the door opened to them. A woman handed each child a piece of bread and they thanked her before running away again.

"The owner gives the old bread to the orphans each day. If he is forced to give up his bakery, they'll starve."

Kent shook his head. "That does not excuse him from having to pay rent. Someone should be caring for the orphans as well."

"When the nobles closed the orphanage and denied them a home?" Kokoa shook her head. "It's been torn down and rebuilt into someone's mansion now. They have no one but this baker who gives them kindness and bread he can't even sell. He can't make the rent because of the taxes in this district."

"Your argument against the law is flawed, but I see your general point," Kent told her. He had a feeling he knew who had torn down the orphanage and created this sort of mess, but it would do little good to fight against that man. "It will not change the fact that he should pay his rent, though perhaps you could use it more to support the argument against the taxes. That said, having heard the king's opinion on taxes, nothing will persuade him as he is not a reasonable man by nature. Sometimes I don't understand how he is even—"

"Shh," she said, holding up a hand over his mouth, startling him into stepping back. He did not know what it was about commoners and touch, but did they really go about putting their hands on each other so freely? "You'll scare them off."

He should have expected there to be more children looking for handouts. He did not want to disturb them or be seen here. "We should leave."

She nodded, starting back the way they'd come.


"You know the law's not fair."

Kokoa heard him sigh as he looked down at her, though with his hood up, she couldn't see his annoyance. She didn't like it. He was a bit scary with his face covered, as tall as he was. She hadn't given it much thought when she was leading him through the narrow backstreet passages, but out here in the open again, it was strange.

More than strange. She felt unsettled by it, not liking the distance it created or the fear.

"I see why you think so, but your argument that his charity absolves him of his debt is unsound."

She shook her head. "The law doesn't give a set amount that someone has to owe or say how many months of rent they missed for an eviction. He could lose his business because he could only pay half the month's rent. And that is all he's managed lately, so that's why they're threatening him. It's not like he's gone years or even just months without paying. He's paying as much as he can."

"No, it should specify terms," the tutor said, stopping and reaching into his bag. Did he have that book with him today? She hadn't seen it, but then she had dragged him off almost as soon as she'd finished her laundry. He started flipping through the pages.

She supposed it was good he wanted to be accurate about it, but it was also annoying.

The baker opened up his door to help out a mother loaded down with kids and a basket full of bread. She saw the guards from across the street move, rushing over to grab hold of him before he could return inside.

"What are you doing?" The baker tried to pull himself free from the guards. "I'm working. I've got orders for the king—"

"You've been evicted. You were warned to leave, but you haven't, so we'll arrest you now."

She shook her head, running before she'd even finished thinking about it. She stopped right in front of the guard, looking for a way to free the baker. She owed him that much after all he'd done for her and Orion and so many others. "Let go of him."

"He's trespassing."

"Is he? How much in arrears is he?" The tutor held the law book in his hands. None of the guards answered him. "If you cannot even name the amount, it must not be significant. Do you know how long it has been since he paid?"

"I paid half when it was due. The rest is coming soon as I get this royal order done," the baker insisted. "No one's paid me for it yet, or I'd have it now."

"That's not good enough," the lead guard said. He had no sympathy in him as he looked at the baker, a cruel smile on his face. His friends had similar menacing expressions on their faces, almost indistinguishable from each other. "You were already warned."

She pulled on the leader's arm, trying to get the baker free. "Didn't you hear he's working? How is he going to pay what he owes if you arrest him?"

"You should release him. Whatever his debt, it will not be worth the rage you'd face for delaying the order that he is preparing."

"Yes," she agreed quickly. Trust her tutor to have some practical reason for it. He seemed to have one for everything. "Just let the baker go."

The guard shook her off, flinging her backward. She fell to the ground, wincing. She knew she was more startled than hurt, but that didn't make her feel any better, especially when she heard a horse approaching. Horses meant nobles. Nobles meant a lot more trouble. She didn't need that. None of them did.

"What's all this, then?" The noble was rather a figure up on the horse in all his finery. She had never seen one quite like him, not even the original crown prince. He had a regal bearing and a smile that would make almost any girl weak. He leaned forward over his saddle. "Seems like a bit of a commotion."

Next to her, the tutor sighed. "It would be Ikkyu."

She frowned. He'd spoken so quietly she wasn't sure she'd heard it over the guards still struggling with the baker.

"None of your concern, Lord Ikki," the lead guard told him, sounding too bold and getting a frown from the noble. That was Lord Ikki? She'd heard rumors about him, but this was the first time she'd ever seen him in person. "We've business with these ones. You two, grab the woman."

"What?" The two men yanked her to her feet, and she struggled against their hold. What did they think they were doing? "Let go of me."

"You forgot that law? When you argued so much against it?"

She swallowed. They didn't really mean to arrest her for the baker's debt, did they? Just because she'd told them not to arrest him? That wasn't right. She was protesting an injustice, and for that she'd go to jail?

The noble frowned. "That you, Ken?"

She wished she'd gotten his name from him before now, but if he was Ken, he apparently had no interest in saying so. He turned to the guards, ignoring Lord Ikki. "This is excessive and unwarranted. Let her go now."

The leader of the guards used his club, hitting the tutor in the stomach and knocking him down. "That's your warning. Don't try and interfere again. Take the others. Let's go. We've wasted enough time on this scum already."

"We're not scum," she said, kicking one of the guards in the shin. He let go of her arm as he stumbled back. She and the other guard became unbalanced and fell. He tried to grab her again, but she crawled away from him, under the horse, stopping on the other side of the animal as she caught her breath.

"Now that is no way to treat a lady," Lord Ikki said, dismounting from his horse and coming toward her. He held out a hand to help her up, and she took it. She stood, feeling a bit shaky. Was she hurt? She couldn't even tell right now. He frowned at her and then turned to face the guards. "Exactly what did you think you were doing?"

"We were arresting that man when she stopped us from doing our duty. She's just as guilty as he is, and we have every right to detain her."

"Is that what you call it? I'd hardly say you were arresting her." He looked behind him. "Would you consider bullying a woman half your size an arrest, Waka?"

"Of course not, Lord Ikki, though clearly someone has been giving uniforms out to the undeserving."

Waka's arrival made her shudder, and she ran her hands over her arms, truly regretting her decision to try and prove her point. She had thought it was necessary, been so sure it was the last time she'd have the chance or at least... she wanted to do it to spite him because he'd been so cold to the idea that they could be friends.

"We were making a lawful arrest. She intervened with violence. She's guilty of a crime."

"I would worry more about the one you yourself have committed." Waka's words caused everyone to frown, and she looked over to see her tutor force himself back to his feet, his hood falling back as he stood. She'd been so caught up in getting free, she hadn't even seen what happened to him.

"Are you hurt?" This was her fault, after all. He'd tried to help her, and that thing he'd used to hit him—he'd knocked him over, and that wasn't just because he'd surprised him. He hadn't gotten up right away, either. Oh, it was bad. Why had she even thought for a second it wasn't? "I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen."

"I am uninjured."

"Well, I'd say someone just got damned lucky, but that's not really true, is it, boys?" Lord Ikki asked, facing them with rather a cruel smile. They exchanged frowns, almost all of them confused.

"Indeed not," Waka said, his gaze on the men colder than the look he'd given the ones hassling Sawa, and she'd thought that was scary.

Fixing his glasses, he spoke with authority but no emotion, which scared her a little. "The baker is free to leave and no further attempts will be made to evict him over less than a month's worth of unpaid rent. No one will cause the woman any further harm or attempt to arrest her again. Those charges will be forgotten, as will the more severe one, though you will not retain your position."

"What?"

Ikki gave them a bit of a smile. "What Ken's saying is that you're fired. Though you are damned lucky that's all he's chosen to do to you."

She frowned. How did Lord Ikki know him? And was his name really Ken? That didn't seem quite right, either. It didn't suit him, and he hadn't answered to it before.

"Never disgrace that uniform again." Waka's look was enough to make them reach for their shirt buttons, undoing them in haste and pulling them off, shedding them on the street. Lord Ikki seemed amused, but she didn't think it was all that funny. "Now get out of our sight."

They ran, and Ikki did start laughing then. She was too upset to find it at all amusing. What had she gotten him into? She'd gotten him hurt, and she could have been arrested, and what if Ikki and Waka hadn't come? She might never have gotten back to Orion again.

"Enough, Ikkyu."

Lord Ikki stopped, bowing to the other man. Disgusted, he pulled his hood back over his head and started walking away.

"The castle is in the opposite direction, your highness." Waka's voice carried a warning in it, but that wasn't all that turned her stomach. "And you are once again late for an appointment."

That made him stop, and he seemed to sigh again as he changed directions. "This had better not be another damned fitting. It's one party. It is illogical for me to have eight dress uniforms for the occasion."

Waka almost seemed to smile at the words as he walked along beside the other man, and her stomach rolled again. She was going to be sick. It wasn't true, was it? That wasn't possible.

"Something wrong, dear lady?"

"That wasn't... it's not... he's not..."

Lord Ikki gave an exaggerated sigh. "This always happens. First with his brother, now him. It's just the title, isn't it? He's the crown prince, so that gets him all the attention. I am better looking, aren't I?"

She felt like would vomit. "He's the crown prince."

"Yes. I did say that, didn't I? Not that he acts like it or even looks like it most of the time. Ken's kind of an odd one. He'd rather be reading or experimenting than spending time with beautiful maidens."

She nodded. She knew that rumor all too well. "I told him the crown prince was a heartless noble who wasn't fit to rule because all he ever did was read books."

He smiled at her, and it was a kind one, despite everything. "Well, you needn't worry too much about that. Ken's not the sort of man who'd demand retribution for slight offenses. If he was, those idiots would be dead right now."

"What?"

Lord Ikki nodded. "You know, of course, that it's illegal to touch a member of the royal family?"

She gagged, well aware of that law, too. She'd always thought it was excessive, and it was, but that just made her feel worse now. "Yes."

"Violating that law carries a death sentence. That man and his accomplices should have been executed, but for some reason, Ken was merciful."

"I... have to go," she managed to say and fled, running back to the tavern and safety. She had no idea if ignorance was even an excuse, but if that guard was guilty, so was she.

A single touch could be a death sentence, and she hadn't just touched him once. She'd taken him by the arm and held on. She'd spent the whole night touching him.

She should be dead now.