Takako strained against the tight grip that the princess had on her wrist. She turned to face the princess and was shocked to see her face blazing with anger and her eyes betraying a chilling desire to kill. Was this the same princess that she had believed was innocent? She began to realize why she had been the target of their mission, more so than even Hayate, the head of the royal guard.

"Are you the one who did this to Hayate?" the princess hissed. Takako opened her mouth, but no sound would come out. There was something deadly about the princess. She inspired fear in a way that even the leader did not. As Takako remained frozen, she softened her gaze.

"I remember you. The Duke of xxx's wife, are you not?" she said in the soft, innocent manner she had spoken to her at the party.

"Y-yes," Takako managed.

"I see. Well, then goodbye, Duke of xxx's wife," the princess whispered. Takako blanched. When had she moved from the bedside to beside her? And the dagger that had been in her hand was now in the princess's, aimed at her throat.

"It is said for the purity of the kingdom that the princess should not shed blood," the princess stated.

"Is that why you surround yourself with the royal guard…though you have no need to?" Takako countered, regaining her voice.

"Do you know why this kingdom has remained in the same century for millennia? Why we did not advance like our neighboring countries?" she asked.

"Because the royal family enjoys their power," Takako replied, reciting what she had been taught as a member of the resistance.

"Wrong. This kingdom was once the most advanced of all the kingdoms, which led to its downfall. The people became too greedy and suffered as a result. Peace results from each of us maintaining our roles, after all," she explained, pulling back her arm.

Takako wavered. Then everything that she had been taught, everything she had suffered through—was a lie?

"You assume that our lives are better now…" Takako began, when the princess shook her head.

"I know it is not. But compared to the destruction that we had seen through advancement, this stagnation is the lesser of the two evils," she replied. And then an odd look appeared in her eyes.

"It seems you do not believe me," she said sadly.

"I know nothing but the truth that is in front of me. That is all I will believe," Takako cried, rushing towards the princess with a concealed dagger in her hand. The princess dodged almost effortlessly and pulled the dagger out of Takako's hand.

Tossing the dagger aside, she raised her fist and swung, missing Takako by inches as she weaved out of the way. Unarmed, the two of them attacked and parried. But Takako could feel the princess increasing her speed with each attack, and knew that she could not hold her back for long.

"Do you know why I let you poison me?" the princess asked.

"Because you were too weak to stop the attack," Takako replied.

"No. It was because I pitied you," she replied. Anger flooded into Takako's gaze. How dare she look down upon her? Pity? She did not desire anyone's pity…

What a poor little girl she is, they would say, throwing her a few coins. She took them gratefully off the road, not caring if they were muddy. She was caked with mud and dirt, her once white dress a dirty brown. Her black hair was tangled and filled with muck. But the look served her well. She was pitied, pitied over and over until she had enough money to buy food.

She continued in this manner for years, until her body began to develop against her will. She was no longer a poor little girl, but a fallen woman. Pity turned to disgust. The same people who had thrown her coins now scorned her—for no reason but that her body had transformed.

That scum, daring to beg after spreading her legs wide for men, the women scoffed, the true vermin of our kingdom. Their condescending eyes still pitied her, but that pity was hidden away by a layer of disgust. A layer of disgust to conceal the fear that they too could have been in the same situation. And they no longer threw coins to sustain her.

And the men began to eye her with interest despite her shoddy looks, their pity concealed by their lust. The fine gentlemen who once threw coins to her passed her without a second look, as if she was no longer a being worth even their concern.

The situation had changed. Before, she had traded her pride for food. Now she needed to do more. If it was her body that drew attention, then that was what she would use to survive. She cleaned herself in the river and designed her scraps of clothing to reveal enough skin as a tease. She had seen the women who pleasured men in the alleys, and while it filled her with disgust, she would do it to survive.

She would not pity her condition or herself.

They gave her coins once their deed was done, leaving her in a messy heap on the ground. Many times, she struggled to even move. The other women would look down at her and laugh, their eyes filled with amusement at her pathetic state. Eyes filled with pity.

Sasame was the first to see her with eyes that did not hold pity. He saw her, as she was—a proud woman. He never made her feel as if she needed to prove her worth like the rest of the world had. He alone…

"Takako!" Sasame cried, drawing his blade and intervening between the princess and Takako. The princess paused in mid-motion, taking in the new visitors to her castle.

"Welcome. Reunited at last," the princess said, a chilling smile on her face.

The assassin pair moved as a unit, racing to attack the princess. The princess avoided them with ease, but could sense her limbs begin to slow. The stone Hayate had given her had slowed the spread of the poison, had even forced some of its effects to wear off for some time, but continuing at the rate she had been would not be possible for long. She drew Hayate's sword from his scabbard, her eyes glancing upon his unconscious form with worry. How long did he have left? She needed to conclude this fight soon, otherwise…

"Impressive your highness," Sasame hissed. His violet eyes were blazing with anger and determination—determination to save his partner, no doubt. She narrowed her eyes in turn, remembering how he had run his blade through her chest as his lips were upon hers. This was her retaliation.

She brought her blade down with a force that Sasame had not been expected, and he groaned under the pressure she placed upon him. With a powerful swing, he forced her back. Takako rushed past him and threw a volley of daggers, which the princess swatted away or dodged—until a single dagger hit its mark in her right shoulder.

Gritting her teeth, she pulled out the dagger, watching the blood flow down her arm. Her breathing had become ragged.

Hayate she thought desperately. As if her plea was heard, Hayate began to stir.

"Himeno…" he said softly, struggling to get to his feet, "Give me my sword."

She handed over his sword, and clutching her wounded shoulder, moved behind Hayate.

"I don't think I will last long, princess. When I give the signal, head to the lower chambers, take my horse and run," he said softly enough so only Himeno heard him.

"I will not leave you here," she replied firmly.

Hayate did not reply and raced to meet Sasame. As their blades crossed, the sound of footsteps echoed in the corridor. Ignoring the sound, Takako moved to block the princess's routes of escape.

"I am not a coward like you to run," the princess hissed, picking up one of the fallen daggers, "Prepare yourself!"

Go and Mawata made their way into the room and paused at the sight before them. Hayate and the white-haired assassin were fighting—with Sasame clearly at an advantage as Hayate swayed and struggled to maintain consciousness, while the princess fought off the female assassin with a dagger despite her freely bleeding shoulder.

Nodding to one another, Mawata and Go broke into the fights. Go attacked the female assassin with a blow that caught her in the back of her neck. Shocked, she fell to the ground, paralyzed from the impact. At the sight of the defeated assassin, the princess's remaining strength disappeared. She fell into Go's arms, the symptoms of the poison returning in full force. Holding her close to him, he turned to see Mawata engage with Sasame, allowing for Hayate to collapse as well.

"Time to end this," Mawata said to Sasame, "Time for me to get my revenge for the death of the woman who loved me as a daughter…"