I'M ALLIIIIIIVE! *Background voices: 'She lives! She lives!'*
I apologize profusely for this chapter taking so long! All of you have been so supportive, and I feel like I was letting you down for not putting this up sooner!
Reviewers:
fellow [a GUEST]: Thank you my dear! Sorry that it has taken so long for this chapter to be put up, I hope that you will continue to enjoy my story!
Angel4EverLostInLife: I aim to please! Enjoy!
jgood27: I am glad that you have enjoyed this story so far! I hope that you continue to do so!
sierra . steinbrecher: I believe that that was my favorite line as well! I laughed as I wrote it! She did kind of dominate the entire room didn't she? Teeheehee! You know, as I read the last part of your review, an idea sprang into my mind for another SM/HP crossover (again with a fem!Harry) and I wrote it down! I have a few other stories that I will end up putting up after this one is finished [2 to be exact] but I hope that you will look forward to the next SM/HP crossover! The pairing will either be with Ryuuki or Shuuei (right now I have it written down as Ryuuki)! Hope that you continue to enjoy this and that when I (eventually) put up the other one, you will read it as well!
Shadow Wolf 15846: Thank you kindly! I hope that you enjoy this chapter as well!
dracula2000: I am glad you think so! When it comes to Harry I personally prefer him to be in a Yaoi pairing, or be Fem!Harry, so I understand where you are coming from! I hope that you continue to enjoy the story!
Kurayami Kazuo Riddle: LOS SIENTOS! I know that I told you that I would put this chapter up this past Sunday, and I fully intended to! However, my brother (a marine) surprised the family by showing up Sunday morning, and I spent the entire day with him! It was a wonderful surprise, and I hope that you will forgive me for being late! I promise that it won't be as long for the next chapter to be up! Enjoy Chapter 10!
To all of you who may not have reviewed, but have followed and favorited this story: THANK YOU AS WELL! As much as I love reviews, I also love seeing the under appreciated readers that often just don't have anything to say!
ENJOY AND READ ON!
The next few days after Shuurei's oral exam and Yuri's induction into the Uuringun were calm and warmly welcomed by the Kou household, which now included Ro Ensei, after getting permission to stay again. He was waiting until after the assignments were given before heading back to Sa Province. Unknown to Shuurei and Eigetsu, he was specifically waiting for the two of them to be assigned as Co-Governors of Sa Province.
There were still several days until those who passed the imperial exam would be given their official jobs and duties, so the entire household was just spending time together, be it making meals or cleaning. Yuri was standing next to Shuurei kneading some dough while Shuurei was rolling said dough out when she was done kneading it. Eigetsu, Seiran, and Ensei were helping prepare some of the other ingredients for the dinner meal while Shouka was working at the Imperial Library.
As they were working they were all either participating in small talk or silently enjoying the atmosphere they were surrounded in. Yuri thought back on when Eigetsu found out just exactly who Ensei was. Ensei had bragged about how he had taken the Provincial exams and had barely passed. It was hilarious watching Shuurei and Eigetsu's reactions to that considering they themselves were two of the three highest scorers of the Imperial Exam.
Yuri giggled quietly to herself just thinking about what their facial expressions had been. They had looked so blank after Ensei had proudly announced that he had scored second to last. Seiran's actions had been even funnier than the twosomes expressions. He had started dragging Ensei out of the door mumbling about dumping the 'no good free-loader' somewhere where he wouldn't be bothering them anymore. Yuri had laughed at the scene for a few moments before being able to control herself again. The two men had begun arguing about how telling others that the ex-Governor of Sa Province could barely pass the Provincial exams was not only disconcerting, but really down right depressing.
The lightheartedness that the group reveled in was not meant to last forever though. Soon after their light-hearted argument that day, Ensei mentioned that he was going to bring someone by to visit Shuurei later on. Someone named 'Kourin'. Based on Shuurei's reaction, Yuri would have thought that was a good thing, but she caught sight of Seiran's face which had become morbidly serious. Even Ensei's face had lost it's humor. She decided to let it go at that moment and resolved to ask Seiran about it later.
On the morning of the Assignment Day, Yuri knocked gently on Shuurei's door and entered to make sure her little sister was ready for the day. When she walked in, it was to the sight of Shuurei in her white Official Robes with her hair loose, standing in front of her mirror. Her makeup box from Kochou was sitting on the table in front of her, unopened.
Yuri quietly shut the door behind her and walked up behind Shuurei, who then noticed her in the reflection of the mirror.
Yuri picked up a comb and began running it through Shuurei's hair. "You know, I think that you have to be one fo the bravest women I have ever known." Shuurei looked at her in the mirror with an incredulous expression on her face.
Shuurei gave a doubting look, "What? But you yourself are so brave, I could never do what you do, being able to fight, not to mention what you have been through!"
Yuri laughed gently as she continued to comb out the younger woman's hair, "Bravery comes in all different types. Just because I can fight doesn't mean I am more brave than you. You are taking on a whole society to do what you believe in. I am comfortable with what I do because in the society I grew up in, a woman was just as likely to be in a position of power as a man was. There was no huge gender gap like there is here. You grew up with these gender roles, yet you are defying them to try to make this country a better place! Believe in yourself and others will believe in you too." Yuri smiled at Shuurei who gave a smile in response. "Now let's do something with your hair!"
Shuurei picked up a square of pink cloth, "I was going to just put my hair back with this and leave two pieces of it framing my face..."
Yuri paused in the combing to wave her hand in dismissal, "No, I think we should do something more feminine than just a pink cloth! Remember to embrace the fact that you are a woman, there is no need to dress down to fit in with the others!" Yuri looked at Shuurei's hair thoughtfully before giving a decisive nod. Shuurei looked at her blankly, unsure of whether or not this was a good idea. Seeing her face, Yuri laughed. "Trust me Imouto! I will never lead you astray, especially not in something like this!"
Shuurei gave a hesitant nod and Yuri beamed at her before getting to work on her hair. She combed all of Shuurei's hair straight back before separating her bangs and combing those forward from the rest of the hair. She contemplated the rest of the hair that was still combed back before nodding decisively and splitting it into two halves, top and bottom. She took the bottom part and put it over Shuurei's shoulder to get it out of her way before she began to braid the top part tightly. Once she reached the end of the braid, she began to wind it into a bun in the dead center of the back of Shuurei's hair. She tucked to tail end of the braid under the bun to hold it temporarily. She brought the hair that was over Shuurei's shoulder and brushed it out before bringing three small sections forward on either side of her head and braiding them loosely. Once she reached the end of the braids, she lightly draped them up to the bun before winding the excess of the braids around said bun, tucking the ends under. Finally she took the pink cloth, folded into a strip, and tied it around the bun to keep it secure.
Yuri fanned out the rest of the loose hair and rearranged Shuurei's bangs before giving a pleased nod. "There! I'm finished! See Shuurei, just because you are a woman doesn't mean you have to do your hair extravagantly, just adding a feminine touch makes a world of difference!"
Shuurei was staring at her reflection in shock, amazed at how simple, yet feminine the style was. She turned around and fiercely hugged Yuri with a joyful laugh. "Thank you Yuri-nee-chan! I love it!"
Yuri hugged the younger woman back before gently turning her back towards the mirror. "Now it is time for your makeup... do you want to do it yourself, or do you want me to do it?"
Shuurei considered her reflection before smiling gently, "I'll do it Nee-chan... but will you stay with me?"
"Of course!"
Yuri watched as Shuurei opened the box and considered the contents before pulling out some blood red lip paint and black kohl.
Once she applied the light amount of makeup, she looked at Yuri nervously. Yuri hugged her and spoke into her ear, "You look beautiful Shuurei. Often, less is more. You are naturally pretty so you do not need a lot of makeup. That would just cover what you already have. Well done!"
She released Shuurei and smiled brightly at her, "Are you ready to go wow the men?"
"Yes!"
The men were indeed shocked at how feminine Shuurei looked, especially since it had seemed like she was trying to blend in, but they all told her how nice she looked. Once it was time to leave, Seiran, Ensei, Shuurei, Eigetsu, and Yuri all left together. Once they got to the palace, Shuurei and Eigetsu went to join the other Shinshi while Ensei, Seiran and Yuri stood in the back behind the crowd of people, remaining unnoticed by most.
Seiran and Ensei were talking quietly to each other, but Yuri was lost in her thoughts. After kissing Seiran on his cheek about a week back, things had gotten slightly awkward between the two of them. She knew why it was awkward on her part, she was embarrassed after kissing him, even if it was only on the cheek, but she didn't know what was causing Seiran to be so awkward when it was just the two of them. Did her find it weird that she kissed him? Was he disgusted? Maybe Vernon was right and nobody could love a freak like her...
Yuri subconsciously flinched as she heard his voice in her head. She shook her head roughly to rid herself of those thoughts and decided not to think on it for now. After all, if Seiran didn't return her feelings, it wouldn't be the end of her life.
A little voice that sounded like him whispered in the back of her mind. 'It may not be the end of your life, but it would be the beginning of your own personal hell...'
Ensei once again caught Seiran sneaking a glance at Yuri, who was staring into space with a blank face, and had to stifle a laugh.
He spoke quietly so as to avoid being heard by Yuri, although he didn't think she would hear him if he started yelling. "When are you going to tell her that you love her?"
Seiran's head whipped back around so fast that Ensei was sure he heard something crack. "What? I don't know what you are talking about."
Ensei snorted, "Of course not. I guess you look at every girl you know with that lovesick expression on your face, right?"
Seiran grimaced, "Is it that obvious?"
A laugh, "Only to those that know you. So why are you glancing at her like she's going to break your heart?"
Seiran unconsciously glanced at Yuri again before locking eyes with Ensei. "I don't know how she feels. She kissed me on the cheek the other day, but that could been like a sibling showing affection. Or just a friendly gesture. Why would she love someone like me, I am just a retainer that was taken in by a kind family when I was at the darkest point in my life. She is so bright and happy, why would she want to be with someone like me when she could easily have someone like Ran-Shogun."
Once again Ensei had to hold in a laugh at how sappy his friend was being. "Woo, you do have it bad Seiran. I have never heard you talk like this before."
"Did you even hear a word I just said?!"
"Of course. I just decided to ignore it because everything that came out of your mouth was idiocy."
"Wha-"
"Look, I'll be honest with you. If she doesn't at the very least strongly like you, I'll shave myself bald and eat my hair. Do you know how many times I have caught her gazing at you? And I'm not even here all that often! I doubt that she only does it when I'm here, so she must be doing so quite often. As for the kiss on the cheek, don't be an idiot and make it less than it was. Don't exaggerate it into a declaration of love or anything, but you and I both know that Yuri is not one that is overly affectionate, at least physically. Except for you and occasionally Shuurei, she goes for the least amount of physical contact possible without seeming rude or cold."
Seiran looked more hopeful, but Ensei could still see lingering doubt in his eyes. "Just watch her around you versus the rest of us, you will see what I mean." There was a hush spreading through the crowd in front of them, letting them know that Ryuuki was entering.
Seiran looked to Yuri to make sure she was paying attention when he saw her face filled with pain before going blank. She turned her head to look at him and blushed when she saw he was looking at her as well. Seiran gave a small smile that grew in size when Yuri smiled back.
They both turned to pay attention to Ryuuki as he began talking. Once he began calling the names of the Shinshi, their thoughts wandered until they heard Shuurei and Eigetsu's names called.
"-To-Shinshi, and Kou-Shinshi, come forth." There was muted muttering at the surprising fact that two Shinshi were called upon at the same time. Especially since those two were the only two of the top three that showed up. Yuri noticed how nervous Shuurei and Eigetsu looked as the knelt before Ryuuki and couldn't help but grin at what was coming next. She was all for causing a well-deserved scene. "This year's Jougen*, To Eigetsu, and Tanka*, Kou Shuurei, the two of you are hereby appointed as Co-governors of Sa Province."
The uproar was immediate as some of the more forward Court Officials began complaining about the twosome's appointment as Governors. Ryuuki tried to calmly explain his reasoning as to why he chose the two of them, but when the Officials would not stop protesting, his restraint snapped, "Then will you agree to become Governor of Sa Province?" All talking stopped. After all, who would volunteer to walk to their deaths? "Well then, are there any here who believe themselves capable of governing Sa Province?" Not a sound was heard. "There was also many debates when it came to choosing the previous Governor of Sa Province. If you will remember, the only one willing to become the Governor was a nameless young man with no government background, who hadn't passed the Imperial Exam... He hadn't even taking the Provincial Exam! And yet, he still managed to do an excellent job carrying out his duties as Governor."
One of the many complaining Officials spoke up then, "That's because he had that outstanding Official Tei by his side, helping him!"
Ryuuki just calmly smiled, "That certainly played a large part in it. That is why capable assistants will be assigned this time as well." He raised his voice with a more official tone rather than the somewhat gentle one he had just been using, "Since two new officials have been appointed, two assistants will also be appointed! One of them will be the current Governor's Assistant, Official Tei, the other will be," Ryuuki paused to glance a Ensei and raise his hand in a beckoning motion, "Ro Ensei! Come forth!"
Ensei grinned at Seiran and Yuri before adopting a blank face and walking to the front towards Ryuuki. Yuri had to hold back a giggle when she saw the shocked faces of Eigetsu and Shuurei.
She looked at Seiran to see amusement shining in his eyes. She blushed at quickly turned back to pay attention to what Ryuuki was saying.
"As the former Governor of Sa Province, you will no doubt guide these two well. You will join them on their journey to Sa Province."
Ensei clasped his hands together in front of his face and bowed his head, "I respectfully accept this appointment."
"Furthermore, in light of the unique situation in Sa Province, I will be especially assigning two military officers for protection." Yuri and Seiran began to quietly make their way forward. "Shi Seiran. Kazeno Shirayuri. Come forward." A low mumbling began again when they saw Yuri making her way forward.
They both stopped by Ensei and waited for Ryuuki to speak again, ignoring the muttering going through the crowd.
"I hereby appoint the two of you as their protective officers." Shuurei's jaw dropped in shock. "As such, I grant both of you authority greater than that of a Provincial General! Go with them to Sa Province and assist these newly appointed governors." Haku-Daishogun and another man that Yuri didn't recognize walked up to either side of Ryuuki. Haku-Daishogun was carrying two swords while the other man was only carrying one. The swords that Haku-Daishogun were carrying were complete opposite. One had a white hilt, but was resting in a black sheath, while the other had a black hilt and was resting in a white sheath. The sword that the unknown man was carrying a slimmer black sword in a dark green sheath. Yuri could make out that a design was carved in the guard of the sword, but she couldn't tell what it was due to the distance.
Ryuuki held his hand towards Haku-Daishogun, "Kanshou and Bakuya. These twin swords once belonged to my beloved Seien-Aniue."
Yuri felt her brow furrow in confusion, 'Didn't Shuurei tell me that Prince Seien, his mother, and his grandfather had been banished for treason? Why does Ryuuki speak of him with such warmth?'
"-though both swords were presented to him, Seien-Aniue gave Bakuya to me." Ryuuki lifted the white-sheathed sword from Haku-Daishougun's arms. "Although I was too small to carry it at the time, Bakuya was my treasure." Ryuuki paused long enough to grab the black-sheathed sword, Kanshou, and held one in each hand. "And I'm also giving the other sword, Kanshou, which Seien-Aniue wore, to you. I feel that it is fitting that you should have them."
Seiran seemed almost frozen for a second, staring at Ryuuki, before he walked forward and knelt before him. "I accept with the utmost respect." He held his hands up and Ryuuki placed both Kanshou in Seiran's hands, before handing Bakuya back to Haku-Daishogun.
Seiran stood up and stood off to the side.
Ryuuki looked at Yuri and held out his hand towards the unknown man, silently demanding the sword to be handed over. "Kazeno Shirayuri. You have shown courage, daring, and diversity in your want to protect those you care for. You bravely approached Haku-Daishogun, not knowing how it would end for you. You managed to impress him and he accepted you into the Uuringun, that is not easy to accomplish. From what I was told of the fight, you were also very resourceful. Even once you were disarmed, you were able to take down one of Uuringun's strongest fighters bare-handed. For these reasons, I had a King Protea flower put on the guard of your new sword. In addition to that, for the strength of character, honor, and faithfulness you have showed, I also had a gladiolus added on. May this sword serve you well in protecting the newly appointed Governors. Come forward."
Yuri walked up to Ryuuki before kneeling, bowing her head, and holding her hands out. "I accept with the utmost respect, and will do my best to do this gift justice." When she felt the sword in her hands, she stood up and joined Seiran once more.
Ryuuki turned to Shuurei and Eigetsu once more. "Lastly, there is something I wish to ask To-Shinshi and Kou-Shinshi... As you know, Sa Province is dangerous place at this time. While I intend to do everything in my power to ensure your safety, I cannot guarantee it. Knowing this, do you still wish to go to Sa Pronvince and serve as the governors?"
"I do!" Yuri blinked in shock at the resounding voice of the two speaking as one. she hid her laugh behind a cough, though judging by the looks Seiran and Ensei sent her, she didn't hide it very well.
Shuurei and Eigetsu looked at each other with amusement before looking back at Ryuuki and properly accepting. The both held their clasped hands in front of their faces and bowed their heads, once again speaking in unison. "We accept with the utmost respect."
Ryuuki gave them a gentle look before waving another unknown man forward. "Well then, I entrust these; the Jade Pendant and Seal of Sa Province, to you. As it would be inappropriate to have duplicates made, you will carry one of the items each." He took them from the man and handed them over. "This means that together the two of you will govern." Ryuuki paused to give them a moment to collect themselves. "There is one more thing I would like to give the two of you." Yet another man came forward. Ryuuki took two black boxes and held one out to each Shuurei and Eigetsu. "I present to you these flowers."
The two teens took the boxes and opened them. Shuurei pulled out a hairpin while Eigetsu pulled out some sort of decorative piece. They looked at them closely and Shuurei spoke quietly. "They are flower buds..."
Ryuuki nodded, "They carry the meaning of limitless possibility and hope. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of flower both of you will bloom into in the future. When these buds fully bloom, I will present you with flowers that have completely blossomed."
Shuurei and Eigetsu bowed once more before backing off to the side.
By the time the ceremony was over, it was nighttime. Shuurei and Eigetsu decided to stay one last time in their rooms they had been given at the Palace while Ensei, Yuri, and Seiran decided to go back to the Kou Residence. After a quick promise to bring the two teens some of their clothes to wear tomorrow as well as to pack their bags for the trip ahead, they were heading back. Ensei wandered off saying that he wasn't quite ready for sleep yet, leaving Seiran and Yuri to walk in a comfortable, yet slightly awkward silence.
They were imagining ways to clear the awkwardness between them, yet neither was quite ready to take the plunge into talking of their feelings. Finally, even though Yuri couldn't bring herself to say anything, she reached out and grabbed Seiran's hand. Half expecting him to throw her hand aside, due to her earlier thoughts and memories, she couldn't help but smile brightly when he squeezed her hand tightly, yet gently at the same time. When he didn't release her hand, she squeezed back. The awkwardness was all but nonexistent the rest of the way home.
The morning sun was shining intensely, waking Yuri up almost immediately. She got ready quickly, strapping her new sword, that she had yet to name, around her waist. She packed her old sword to take with them, just in case, as well as her daggers. She had two of her daggers on her, both strapped to her thighs with a hidden part in her pants so that she could reach them easily. She threw her hair up into a ponytail, idly noting that her hair now reached the top of her bottom when put up. She made a mental not to trim it later as she grabbed Shuurei and her's bags, putting them by the front entrance for later.
She went to make tea and found Shouka already in the kitchen sipping from his own cup. Knowing that Seiran would be with them soon, she finished off the rest of the tea before making more.
The time that they spent just sitting quietly before leaving was calming for Yuri who was beginning to feel a sense of dread about this trip. She shook the feelings off and decided that what will happen, will happen, and nothing would change that. All too soon, the three of them made their way to the Palace. Ensei joined them along the way, and due to a silent agreement, no one asked where he had been.
Once they entered the Palace gates, Shouka split off to go wait with the rest of the Officials that were sending them off. Ensei, Seiran, and Yuri walked together a while longer until Yuri handed them Eigetsu's change of clothes and sent them off with a 'See you later' and a 'Freshen up while you're there, Ensei'.
Once she made it to Shuurei's room, she went in to find Shuurei already awake. Then Yuri noticed her troubled face.
She dropped Shuurei's things on a chair and wandered over to her side. After a moment of silence, Yuri broke the silence. "What's wrong, Shuurei?"
Shuurei sighed, "It's Ryuuki... When I went for that walk last night, he found me and we talked for a while..."
Yuri waited for her to continue, but as the silence stretched, she hummed. "Talked, huh? About what, might I ask. A regular talk doesn't normally cause someone to be so troubled the morning after it happened."
"He said he loves me. Again."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"I told him that I can't be his consort. That I didn't take the test to become his wife, and that I had different goals in my life than to be the Emperor's wife..."
Yuri sighed as she tugged Shuurei over to the bed. She sat down facing her little sister in all but blood. "You know, I think you are making this too complicated." At Shuurei's look of confusion, Yuri elaborated. "It all boils down to one question... do you love Ryuuki?"
Shuurei blushed with a look of deep contemplation. After a moment she nodded her head yes.
"Then there you go... why was this a problem again?"
Shuurei stood up and began to pace with an agitated air. "How can it be that simple?! I became an Official to help make this country a better place! If I am just sitting in some Harem, what good does that do anyone?"
Yuri sighed once more, "Who said that that is all you would be able to do?"
Shuurei stopped pacing to look at Yuri with a confused expression, "What else could I do?"
"Just because that is what all of the previous Consorts or Wives, which ever you prefer, of the previous Emperors did, does not mean that is what you have to do! I understand it would be tough trying to change everyone's views on what a proper consort would do, but you have already changed so many minds about females in general, why not this too? Why should you sacrifice your happiness for either the country or Ryuuki, when you could commit to helping both! Granted, you would not be able to do as much outside of the Palace, but there are many things in the Palace that needs help. A woman in a position of power that actually cares would do wonders for how the government is run, which is a very good start in my opinion!"
Shuurei sat back down and contemplated the situation for a few moments. Yuri let her be until it was getting close to the time that they needed to be sent off by Ryuuki and the other Court Officials.
"Just promise me you will think about it, and stop letting other people's perceptions stop you from achieving happiness."
Shuurei sighed but got up to finish getting ready.
They two women met up with Ensei, Eigetsu, and Seiran outside of the same chamber that they were assigned their tasks just the day before.
Yuri walked up the steps to the large doors and then stopped. She turned around to observe the four behind her. "Are we all ready?"
At their nods she knocked on the doors which were then opened for them. They walked in, shoulder-to-shoulder, all the way up to where Ryuuki was waiting for them.
Ryuuki looked all of them over before his gaze was inevitably drawn back to Shuurei's. He spread his arms out towards the small group. "You have my most sincere blessings." He put his arms back down and looked to Ensei, "Ro Ensei, along with Tei Yuushun, please guide them well."
Ensei bowed his head, "I will."
Ryuuki then turned his gaze to Seiran and Yuri, "Shi Seiran, Kazeno Shirayuri, do not allow even the slightest of injuries come to them."
They bowed their heads, "We swear by these swords you have given us!"
Ryuuki looked to Eigetsu, "To Eigetsu, as one with nothing to hold him back, I am expecting great things from you."
"I will do everything that I can."
Ryuuki once again turned his gaze to Shuurei. He just stared at her for a moment, as if to ingrain this moment into his memory, "Kou Shuurei. As a woman, live your life to the fullest and achieve all that you aspire to achieve."
Shuurei bowed her head, "I will do all that I am able to do."
Ryuuki looked between the two Governors, "I look forward to the day that I will see the buds I have given you bloom... From today, you are pillars of this nation!"
The five of them bowed at the waist before being dismissed. As they walked back to the door, Shuurei took one last opportunity to look back at Ryuuki. The door closed behind them, cutting off her view of him.
The group made their way back to the Kou Residence to eat with Shouka. They had decided to have one last meal with him before leaving for Sa. Ensei went to go check on the carriage they would be taking while Eigetsu went to go send a letter to his village. Shuurei and Seiran went inside, intent on their own activities, while Yuri decided to just enjoy the nice weather by laying out in the grass.
Yuri was close to falling asleep when she heard the house door slide open. She groggily sat up and saw Seiran come out carrying a small bouquet of flowers and what looked like a sword wrapped in cloth. She got up and yawned while making her way towards him.
As she got closer, she realized that he had an abnormally somber expression on his face. Seiran didn't seem to notice her until she called his name.
He looked up and plastered a fake smile on his face, "Hello, Shirayuri. Did you need something?"
Yuri stopped walking towards him, a flash of hurt bursting through her. "Yes, I need you to not act like this around me. I thought that we were close enough to get past all of the formality and falseness, but maybe I was wrong."
She turned around to walk away, but stopped when she felt Seiran grab her hand. "Wait, Yuri. I apologize... It's what I am used to doing, and I am not used to someone being able to see through my actions so easily... please don't leave."
Yuri took a deep breath, to calm herself and banish the previous hurt, and then turned around. The look on his face was raw, full of past pains and memories.
She gasped and put her free hand on his face, "My God, Seiran... what happened to you?"
Seiran closed his eyes and partially leaned into her hand. After a moment, his eyes opened and locked onto hers, "Would you like to come with me?"
Yuri didn't even bother to ask where they were going, she just nodded her head and let the hand on his face drop. Seiran lightly pulled on their still clasped hands, and off they went.
They walked in silence for a while, still grasping each other's hand. Eventually, Seiran broke the tense atmosphere.
"What do you know about Prince Seien?"
Yuri was confused about where the conversation was going, but answered anyways. "I only know what Shuurei told me in our lessons... If I am remembering correctly, he was the second prince and was skilled in his education as well as sword fighting. His mother and grandfather were plotting against the previous emperor when all three of them were arrested. His grandfather was executed immediately, but Seien and his mother were only banished to a remote village. That is the last anyone heard from them... why?"
Seiran seemed to hesitate for a moment before he began to speak. "That is all correct. A little dry and clinical, but true." He paused with a sigh. "My story is quite long, but will you listen to it?"
Yuri answered as she turned her head to look him in the eyes, "Of course."
Seiran squeezed her hand lightly as he began speaking, "Seien was indeed banished with his mother, even though he had no knowledge of his family's plans. He had only been concerned with his youngest half-brother, Ryuuki. The other ladies in the Harem and their sons despised both Seien and Ryuuki, although for different reasons. They despised Ryuuki because he was doted on by the Emperor; they despised Seien because he outshone the other princes in everything, studies, fighting, etiquette... it made them jealous as well as wary about their positions in the Emperor's life. This meant that when Seien was banished, the jealousy of the others caused them to send Assassins after Seien and his mother."
Yuri was entranced by the story, but something seemed off... after all, how could Seiran know so much about a banished prince?
"The assassins eventually caught up to their carriage and mercilessly attacked. Seien fought them off as best as he could, but on of the assassins captured his mother and killed her in front of his eyes... After that, something inside of him snapped. He killed every last assassin before passing out on the snow covered ground. He had ended up in Sa Province, so when he woke up, he was alone with no idea as to what to do... He ended up joining a group called Satsujinzoku. The Satsujinzoku were a murderous band of thieves. Seien, along with another boy who had joined soon after him, completely destroyed the group from the inside."
Seiran pulled Yuri to a stop in front of a tombstone, which he placed the flowers on, and was quite for a moment. Yuri, sensing that he was getting lost in his thoughts, decided to see if her suspicions were right. "Why did you join the Satsujinzoku in the first place?"
Seiran froze for a split second before looking at her with a face devoid of all emotions. He searched her eyes for something, and then he sent her a gentle smile. "I knew you would figure it out once I started talking..."
"Well, considering the last anyone supposedly heard of Seien was right before his banishment, it wasn't that hard to figure out." She tried to tease him, but with the atmosphere, it fell flat. "So why did you join?"
Seiran tried to release her hand, thinking that she would be disgusted with him, but she only tightened her grip. "When Seien... When I woke up in Sa Province, I had no idea what I was going to do. I wandered around for a little while trying to just stay alive, when I heard talk of this horrible group that was terrorizing travelers and innocents. I joined with the intent to eventually take them down, but I don't know if I decided to do this because it was for the good of the nation, or if it was some sort of revenge for others like my mother that had fallen prey to people like those assassins..." He was silent for a moment before speaking again, "It took about a year, but we were able to successfully take the Satsujinzoku down. Isn't that right... Ensei."
Yuri swung around to look at where Seiran was looking, and sure enough, Ensei was standing there with an unapologetic look on his face. "Yeah. That sounds about right... So you decided to tell my little Yuri-chan the truth of who you are?"
"Yes."
"Good."
Yuri looked between the two of them, "So Seiran joined for one of those two reasons, or maybe both. Why did you join Ensei?"
Ensei looked conflicted for a moment, but eventually answered, "I also joined with the intent to take them down. They killed my entire clan except for me, so I joined to take revenge."
Yuri hummed in thought and receded into her own thoughts. When she resurfaced, she noticed both of the men looking at her with varying degrees of nervousness.
Yuri blinked at them, "What?"
Ensei looked at Seiran who shuffled his feet, uncharacteristically nervous. "We just don't want you to be disgusted with us for our past."
Yuri snorted and looked at the incredulously, "Are you serious?! Do you not remember my story that I told the all of you? Granted I left out some of the more personal things, but don't for a second believe that of all of the enemies I killed, none of them were targeted for revenge. I know the kind of rage that can envelope your entire thinking process... If I were to disparage the two of you for your past, it would be extremely hypocritical of me!" She gave them a moment to let that sink in before moving on to her next question, "What did the two of you do after that?"
They looked at each other before silently agreeing on who would speak first. Ensei. "Well, I wandered for a couple of years before hearing the announcement for applying as the next governor of Sa Province."
"What sort of announcement?"
"That whoever could defend themselves against the assassins being sent after candidates, would become the next governor."
"Oh..."
Ensei grinned, "Yep! And since I was able to take out every assassin that came after me, I became the Governor! Of course, you know everything since I came here, so that's about it."
Yuri nodded and looked at Seiran, "What about you?"
Seiran looked at the grave as he spoke, "I wandered for a few months, not really caring about what happened to me at that point... I eventually passed out from a mixture of hunger, exhaustion, and dehydration. When I came to, Shouka-sama, Shoukun-sama, and Ojou-sama were all standing above me. It was Shoukun-Sama that gave me the name 'Seiran'. From then on, I decided that I would stay with them and help however I could, until they no longer need me, or I die."
Yuri gave both of them a hug, though if any of them noticed that her hug to Seiran noticed, they didn't say anything.
"Honestly, I am proud of the two of you for being as strong as you were. I don't just mean physically, but mentally as well... I know full grown men that would have broken under those same conditions, and yet you two would have only been teenagers at the time."
The three of them silently payed their respects to Shoukun's grave before they began the long trek back to the Kou Residence.
After a bit, Ensei brought up a question that he had forgotten about since the last time he had been here. "I forgot to ask you why you thought 'Shi' was an appropriate name..."
Yuri stumbled before catching herself and glanced at him, "That was kind of random and unexpected!"
Ensei shrugged, unapologetic, "I guess. So why?"
Yuri absentmindedly rubbed her wrist, having not thought of the Hallows for quite some time. Being in this dimension, she hadn't found many opportunities to use her magic without being suspicious to others. She still practiced using it every night in her training, but it wasn't the same somehow.
"Do you remember the markings you saw on my wrist that one time?" Ensei nodded his head while Seiran's eyes lit up in recognition. Yuri pulled up the sleeve on her right arm, showing her bare skin. Before the men could question where the markings had gone, they slowly reappeared on her wrist. 死の女王.
Seiran read, "'Mistress of Death'? Why would you get that put onto your skin?"
Yuri laughed humorlessly, "I didn't. Do you remember how I told you the story of the 'Deathly Hallows'?" They nodded their heads, "Well, it wasn't just a story. I ended up with all three of the hallows, and this is what I got from it. My original wand and the 'Wand of Destiny' both ended up merging with my body. When I do my magic without a wand, It comes to me easily, but in reality, wandless magic is normally extremely difficult, to say the least. Most witches and wizards are incapable of doing any spells wandlessly."
Ensei hummed, "What happened to the other two 'Hallows' then?"
"I still have them." Yuri pulled out her pouch that she had brought with her from her original dimension and pulled the two items out. She held out the Invisibility cloak first, "How do you think I was always able to sneak into the Palace? I don't like using magic on innocent people, you know. So I used this to sneak by the guards." She let the two men look at the Cloak for a moment before hesitantly handing over the Resurrection Stone. "I have only ever used this stone once... I don't want to keep bringing the dead from the afterlife, they no longer belong in the land of the living... Although..." Yuri closed her eyes in though before shaking her head, "Never mind, I'll think on that another time." She took the Stone back after a moment and put both items away again.
Seiran looked at her curiously, "What does being the 'Mistress of Death' entail?"
Yuri shrugged, "As far as I can tell, all it means is that the three objects are mine and that I can't get rid of them. I've tried to get rid of the Stone, but It just kept coming back to me. I assume that I will be the last 'Master' of the Hallows. But I'm not immortal or anything, as we have seen, I can still be injured, and die from infections or illnesses."
The three continued on in silence, absorbing the overload of information they had just discovered about each other. Eventually, Ensei went on ahead of them, mumbling something about being a third wheel. Yuri and Seiran strode on in a comfortable silence.
Some time later, Yuri came to a startling realization, "Seiran, you will be going back to a place that was so painful for you... will you be okay?"
Seiran got a fierce look on his face, "I will protect Shuurei-Ojou-sama! I have to go! Regardless of what it will bring back, or what we will be facing, I have to go!"
Yuri smiled softly at him, "I get that, and I agree completely, but I wasn't asking if you were willing to go, I asked if you would be okay going."
Seiran's face smoothed out and his eyes became gentle as he looked at her. "Even if I say it will be alright, I don't know for sure how it will be..."
Yuri stopped him and gave him a hug, "I'm here for you now, and I will be there for you later! Anytime you need to vent, or need a spar to get rid of bad thoughts, no matter what you need, I'm here for you!"
Seiran wrapped his arms around her, holding her closely for a few moments. When they went to separate, Seiran kept her from completely pulling out of his embrace.
"Seiran?"
Seiran's eyes held hers with a serious gaze and he began to lean towards her. "Yuri, I-"
"Seiran! Yuri-Nee-chan!"
Their heads snapped up to see Shouka, Shuurei, and Eigetsu waving at them as they approached the pair. They also spotted Ensei following along with a sheepish expression on his face.
"Seiran, if you were going to go visit Mother's grave, you should have said something! We all would have come with you!"
Seiran and Yuri stepped apart, Yuri going to walk with Shuurei and Eigetsu while Seiran stalked towards Ensei.
Ensei held his hands up with a nervous expression on his face, "I didn't know they were coming, I swear!"
Seiran smiled at him with a malicious glint in his eyes, "Of course you didn't. why don't we have a... friendly spar later? Hm?"
Ensei felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and sweat bead on his forehead, knowing that he was in for a pain-filled night.
Right around 7300 words... (without ANs)
Okay, so nothing majorly exciting happened this chapter, a little teasing moment between Yuri and Seiran towards the end (I felt kind of bad doing that.. I had gotten my own hopes up with an almost-kiss!)! This was mainly a chapter filled with bonding and clearing of some past questions!
As is obvious with the conversation between Yuri and Shuurei, I fully intend on making Shuurei/Ryuuki happen! I love those two together!
I am... conflicted with this chapter... It feels off to me, but that could just be my imagination! Let me know what you think!
I SWEAR IT WON'T BE AS LONG UNTIL THE NEXT CHAPTER COMES OUT! I AM ALREADY WORKING ON CHAPTER 11, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT WILL BE UP IN A FEW DAYS!
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~GG