Chapter 12: The Turning Point
Haru grinned to herself for the first time in a long time as she heard the man's call of defeat. She crept up to a gap in the hedge that she knew existed, and peered at the baron, wondering what he'd do next.
"I give up," she heard him sigh, then add, "I don't know what I was thinking anyway. We're going back tomorrow evening, so even if I did manage to get you to talk to me, it wouldn't make any difference."
Something stirred inside her. He actually sounded disappointed at his failure, more than the average rich buffoons she'd met before had when they'd realised she had no interest in them. Perhaps... perhaps he'd been telling the truth. She smiled to herself at that thought and shook it away. No, his words were as honeyed as any of the other courtiers she'd met, and the fact that he could sound sorrowful just meant that he was a good actor.
No, she wasn't going to fall for his tricks.
Even if his words had made sense.
"Then what do you want? No, what do you really want? Why are you lying? Or have you deceived yourself into actually believing that line? Why do you so desperately want to believe it?"
So many questions, and she wasn't even sure she could answer them. He was right; she wasn't being true even to herself, but then maybe that was because she didn't know the truth in order to be truthful.
"I don't know what I was hoping for," the stranger said, still talking, still hoping she was listening. "People had warned me that you wouldn't listen to me, some even said that you were mental. I think the precise words he used were 'total nutcase', but I think that was a little harsh."
Haru raised an eyebrow at his ramblings and decided that now would be a good time to intervene, and so she walked through another well-worn gap and into the section that Baron was currently occupying. "My, my, you do like the sound of your voice," she said, scorn slipping into her tone as she remembered the vanity of past suitors and the way they'd been able to talk the hind legs off a donkey if they were given the chance.
Baron smiled softly. "I knew you were listening."
"No you didn't. You were just hoping I was," she corrected.
"Okay, true. But it proved to be a good guess," he admitted, still smiling. He nodded over to the hole where Haru had come through. "It's no surprise I couldn't follow you, you were cheating."
"I was not... I was not cheating!" she said, outraged. She realised she'd shouted like a small child, and brought her voice back under control. "Well, it would've been fairer for you if I'd stuck to the normal routes, let's just put it that way."
"You cheated."
Haru found herself placing her hands on her hips and scowling at him. "Why do you enjoy annoying me so much?" she demanded in her most reasonable voice she could put on.
Baron paused to think his answer through. "I think it's because it's the only way I can get a reaction out of you," he said honestly.
"Well you've got a reaction all right," she hissed. "Now what?"
"I must admit, I hadn't really thought this far ahead."
"That was bad planning."
"I suppose it was," he replied lightly. "But then, I doubted I'd even get you to come out to talk to me. It's going pretty well so far, when you take that into account."
"Do you ever raise your voice?" she asked after a moment.
"Is there a reason you're asking that?"
"Do you always answer a question with a question?"
Another smile curved on Baron's lips, like it was all a game. "Does it bother you?"
"Do you care if it does?"
"Would it make any difference if I did?"
"Do you ever give a straight answer?"
Baron grinned. "Nope."
Haru laughed. "Ha! I finally got you to give an answer!" She realised she was giggling and instantly brought herself under control, but not before Baron heard it.
"That's the Haru I'm looking for," he said contently. "Knew she must be somewhere under all those scowls and snappy comebacks."
"How would you know what I'm like?" she questioned. "And no riddles or smart responses, just give me an answer why you act like you know me."
Baron quickly flicked through his options. He could lie about his dreams, pretend that they didn't exist, but the princess knew something was up. He could tell her the truth, which he always preferred to do anyway, and risk her calling him a liar or just being generally freaked out by the idea, which, he supposed, was a natural response. He could make up a reason, but that would also fall under the category of lying.
"Well?" she demanded. "I'm waiting."
He decided truth was the best policy. Anyway, he couldn't think of a convincing lie.
"Okay, you're not going to believe me," he began.
"Well that's a positive start," Haru said flatly.
"But," Baron continued, "the truth is that... well..."
"Well what?" She was beginning to get exasperated now.
"Hiromi explained it better than I will be able to, but it seems that... There's no other way to put this really but... I shared your dreams."
He waited for a response, tensing up for the girl to scream, to slap him, to do something. When he looked back over to her, he saw that she was watching him with a calculating gaze.
"Aren't you going to... I mean... how are you taking this so calmly?"
Haru's gaze deepened to a frown, but she didn't answer his question. She stepped forward, staring into his eyes and Baron felt a blush rise to his cheeks as their faces only became inches apart. Her stare was a lot like Hiromi's when the fairy had measured up his magical ability, only this time, the princess was trying to measure up the truth in his word. "I don't think even you would make something like that up," she said eventually. "You're telling the truth."
He was melting into her chocolate eyes, but at her conclusion his mind snapped back to comprehensive words and he managed to somehow conjure up the words, "Thank you."
She stepped back, having made her judgement, and if she noticed Baron's light blush, she made no comment on it. "Is there any reason you were invading my dreams, or were you just bored? Or do people nowadays regularly switch between stranger's dreams?"
"No, no, I never meant for it to happen. Hiromi said that... well basically I have an unusual strain of magic that focuses on dreams more than anything. This, coupled with – I think she referred to it as weak telepathic powers – means that I only ever have dreams that mean something – usually showing the future, and that normal dreams are something I've never experienced. She said that because your spelled sleep overran, it had side effects, and one of them was that I picked up your dreams and – I think she used the word 'projected' – myself into them. Don't ask the technical details, because I barely understand it either."
"I don't remember you in them."
"I saw you."
It was Haru's turn to modestly redden. She remembered her dreams all too well. "Learn anything interesting?"
Baron's emerald eyes softened. "You really miss him, don't you?"
She nodded sorrowfully, her beautiful brown eyes suddenly moist with tears. Neither of them needed to verify who 'him' was. They both knew.
Baron slowly placed an arm around her, hesitant how she'd react – after all, in the past she'd done everything to push him away. However, this time she sighed and leant into him, burying her head into his shoulder.
A smile slipped onto his face, guiltily enjoying the fact that she needed him right now.
"He knew me better than anyone, you know," she said tiredly, as if all the emotion had taken a lot out of her. "He was just... always there for me. Sometimes I think he knew me better than I did."
"If he was here, what do you think he'd say?"
Wrapped in Baron's arms, Haru felt herself relax, despite the mention of her former boyfriend. "I don't know." Secretly she was remembering Machida's last instructions to Hiromi.
'Find her a decent guy.'
Was she doing that? Or was she just fooling her heart, to escape the pain that the fear of being alone provoked? She didn't know. All she knew that sobbing into this stranger's arms somehow felt right. She felt safe. Which she hadn't felt ever since this whole affair started.
"I think... maybe he would've wanted me to move on..." The words didn't horrify her like it had done once. Maybe Machida had done what she'd refused to do and moved on. She'd been afraid that if she let anyone in, then she'd have to come to terms with her grief. It was hard to believe that Machida – who'd she'd seen before she'd fallen to the curse – must've died years ago. That he was definitely gone.
Baron didn't reply, reassured by her response that she wasn't always going to block him out, that somewhere inside her she was accepting the truth. But it was early days – she'd only been awake for two days.
ooOoo
Hiromi watched the couple as she leant from Haru's window. She'd come to check on the princess, only to find it empty instead. Now she stood beside the window, looking down at Haru and Baron. They were quite far out in the garden, quite how Baron had managed to get that far without getting totally lost was an achievement in itself, but he had managed a second one in the fact that he was getting the princess to talk to him. And rather hospitably as well, by the look of it.
Maybe Haru would recover from her loss sooner than expected.
ooOoo
The next day at lunch – Lune and Baron's last they'd spend in the castle – Baron and the others seated at the table were greeted with a surprise. Again, Lune had declined the invitation to come down, sneaking another meeting with Yuki, but there was an unexpected addition to the table.
Haru opened the door only minutes after the starters had been served out, and nervously walked over to the table. She glanced at the two main empty seats. The one between her mother and Hiromi, and the one to the left of Baron.
She hesitated at the choice, even though her normal seat was unoccupied. She smiled over at Baron, but chose her usual place. Part of Baron was disappointed, but her choice still meant that she was seated opposite him.
"How nice of you to join us," Naoko said at length, when she'd recovered from the shock of seeing her daughter almost back to normal. "Are you staying for the entire meal?" she asked. The question wasn't said with malice, but rather with natural curiosity, as if, if Haru wasn't, then she didn't need to bother telling the cooks to make an extra portion for her daughter for the next course.
"I think so," said Haru honestly. She turned to her mother and gave another smile. "I'm sorry for my recent behaviour."
Naoko acknowledged her daughter's apology with a nod of her head.
Rei reached across to her goddaughter. "We're just glad that you're feeling better."
Haru picked up Rei's phrasing, which made her mood swings sound more like a disease than just the effects of a broken heart, but didn't comment. She was determined to act normal.
"Baron was just telling us about what his world's like now," Hiromi filled in. "It's fascinating. Apparently nowadays people don't believe not just in fairies, but also in dragons, griffins, mermaids and just about anything supernatural. They don't even think magic exists, even though Baron himself has a weak form of magic. And even though Baron and the prince have often stumbled across dragons and suchlike in their travels, most people regard magic as a myth."
"How do people manage?" Rei asked curiously, reverting the conversation back to that. "How do you do things without magic?"
"We get around," Baron said simply. "Looking around, we don't do things that much differently from you, except there's a greater demand for physical labour." He flicked a smile up at the princess. "Perhaps you should visit sometime."
Haru knew he was offering the invitation round to everyone, but his jade eyes said something more personal.
"Yes," said Naoko, "well, we will certainly consider it. We haven't got out in a hundred years, and that sounds like the perfect opportunity. Will Lune object?"
Baron thought of his friend's interest in the maid girl and smiled again. "I don't think he will. And if he does, I could probably house a few of you at my home."
"What is your house like?" Hiromi questioned.
He took a moment to think back to the comfy green-rimmed house that seemed a lifetime away. "It's been in my family for generations," he started. "It's quite old, and it's a little out of the way. I'm about an hour's ride from the castle, so I usually just stay at the palace when it becomes busy."
"Do you miss your home then?"
Baron nodded. "I know it's smaller and quainter than the palace, but it's my place and it's home. Never underestimate the importance of having somewhere that you can call home."
"It sounds like a nice place," said Haru quietly. "If you miss it so much and it's so nice, why do you leave it?"
"Partly because Lune asks me to come with him, but mostly because I know that I can make a difference." He looked fully to Haru. "My home will be there when I come back; I just need to learn to let a few things go."
"But... to go somewhere where you've never been before, to places you've never seen... doesn't that scare you?" she insisted.
"It does sometimes, but if there's anything I've learnt from it all, it's to always believe in yourself. Do this and no matter where you are, you will have nothing to fear." Again, his gaze made the reply personal, despite the other people who were listening at the table. "The right thing isn't always easy, and the easy way isn't always right, but if you listen to your heart, and believe that you're doing the correct thing, the chances are that the path you choose will be the right one."
"How can you tell if it's the right choice?"
"Some people would say that if you can look back and say you have no regrets, then you've made the right choice, but you will always feel remorse. It's part of being human. Cut off grief, or pain, or guilt, and you shut off all emotions. To feel happiness you need to know sadness, and that's something you won't ever be able to escape from."
Once again, Haru felt she was being addressed personally.
ooOoo
A/N: There's a poll on my profile now, questioning whether I should do a PTT/TCR crossover with some WotH - it's an idea I developed but before I get too deep into it, I'd like to know how people feel to that. Vote on the poll or leave your own view in your review; I don't mind which way round you do it (or maybe both if you're feeling generous/strongly about this). Please bear in mind that if I do decide to go ahead, it may be a while before it becomes posted. Thank you.