The room that the banquet celebrating Prince Shuichi's return was held in was resplendent. Long tables were placed at intervals and loaded with food.
Food that had been meant for the wedding reception, Hiei thought cynically. That smart bastard Koenma had ulterior motives for this party. Rather than let the wedding preparations go to waste, why not throw a Party for the prince instead?
Kurama looked uncomfortable in his stiff finery, sitting between his father and stepmother near King Koenma and his queen and daughter. Kurama might as well have been a statue for all the emotion he displayed.
Even more unsettling were the slaves lined up against the walls. Like during the dinner Hiei had attended months ago, they were almost naked and doled up in fancy jewellery.
Hiei didn't consider himself to be a sensitive person but even he knew that was inappropriate. How must Kurama feel when he saw them?
"Isn't this wonderful?"
Hiei turned towards his sister, seeing her radiant face and glowing eyes.
"I suppose," he said. He couldn't keep the depressed note out of his voice.
"Doesn't Kurama look lovely?"
"I suppose," Hiei repeated. Kurama always looked lovely to him, no matter what he was wearing. But he looked less lovely than usual today. It didn't have anything to do with the clothes. It had to do with Kurama's mood. It was clear to Hiei that he didn't want to be here.
Hiei thought back to their last tryst. Kurama had looked stunning, even though he wasn't wearing a thing. He'd looked stunning because he'd been entirely at ease.
Yukina was giving him a puzzled look. "You should be happy, Hiei," she said. "You should be happy for Kurama."
"I am." Hiei was happy that the wards were gone. That Kurama was free. But the distance between them was growing. He could see it. Kurama should be with him, not sitting between his parents.
Would he really stay, or would he change his mind?
"You don't look happy," Yukina told him. "At least try to smile for Kurama's sake."
Hiei could feel his lips twisting into a scowl. A smile was beyond him but he did manage to force his face into what he hoped was a neutral mask.
Yukina shook her head despairingly. "I don't know what to do with you, Hiei." He could hear the bemused laughter beneath her words.
"Go back to your girlfriend and leave me alone." Hiei started towards one of the tables, his eye on a large white cake. Maybe if he kept his mouth full then no one would expect him to smile.
The other royals were at the party as well. Yusuke's father Raizen sat alone, his son's chair empty. Hiei had no idea where Yusuke was. Probably off with Keiko somewhere, he assumed. That was likely what he'd been alluding to earlier in the day.
Queen Mukuro was there as well, looking severe. Her strange metal eye swivelled, taking in the full scope of the room. Hiei wondered if she found all of this as ridiculous as he did.
The one person Hiei actually wanted to spend time with was currently unavailable. The wonderful, rich food was a poor consolation for his loneliness.
Hiei watched as ladies threw themselves at Kurama, plying him with pretty compliments. A small, insecure part of Hiei wondered if Kurama might be swayed by them. Certainly, Hiei was sure that King Kazuya would be happy if one of them caught his son's eye.
But Kurama seemed unmoved by them, though he was always polite, Hiei noticed.
Kurama's polite mask almost cracked when Koenma requested that he make a speech. Hiei watched the redhead with sympathetic eyes. It wasn't fair of Koenma to spring that on him.
But Kurama surprised him. He stood gamely, as though he hadn't just been caught off-guard.
"Thank you," he said quietly to Koenma, before facing the room. Emerald eyes scanned across the faces, before settling on Hiei.
"As I am sure all of you now know," he said, his lips turning up into a wry smile, "I was supposed to marry your lovely princess before I was kidnapped and enslaved. I was fortunate enough to end up in the hands of a master who treated me kindly. There are many others who are not so fortunate…"
Hiei was certain that Kurama's speech didn't go down well with every noble in the room, but he could see that a few were nodding in agreement, looking sympathetic. Some of them were even glancing at the slaves in the room, as though they'd never seen them before.
It was about damn time these people got a reality check, Hiei thought.
Kurama managed to end his speech on a graceful note, settling back into his chair beside his father to the sound of scattered applause. It wasn't exactly overwhelming, but it was an encouraging sign, given the content of Kurama's speech.
Hiei moved back to the table laid out with desserts. They looked rather too fancy for him but they tasted good.
A flash of blue from the corner of his eye made Hiei glance towards the area that had been set aside for those who wanted to dance. A small group of musicians had set up there and were playing a soft tune that Hiei actually kind of liked.
Botan's hair twirled behind her as she danced with Yukina. Both girls' skirts swished around each other, the green of Yukina's mixing with the blue of Botan's.
The dance was slow, probably because Botan actually wasn't a very good dancer, Hiei suspected. But Yukina was and she guided Botan with expert care.
Hiei wasn't the only person staring at them. Others had stopped what they were doing to watch the pair. King Koenma, in particular, was studying them with a contemplative look on his young face. It was an odd look for him. Koenma didn't often stop to think very much.
It wasn't until the chandelier above Hiei's head exploded that he realised something in the room had changed. He dove beneath a table as glass rained down around him, the shards of the chandelier morphed into deadly weapons as gravity took hold of them.
"Well, isn't this lovely?"
Hiei couldn't see the speaker but he recognised the voice that cut over the shouts of the people in the room.
No. It couldn't be.
Hiei crawled out from under the table, scratching up his hands on small glass shards as he pushed himself up to his feet. Glancing around, he saw that a few other people hadn't been as quick or as lucky as him. A woman was trapped beneath the bulk of the chandelier and a man and another woman were attempting to lift the heavy weight off her.
Hiei turned towards the door. The dark figure standing there was not entirely unexpected though Hiei's stomach dropped nonetheless.
Karasu had returned.
He looked the worse for wear, his dark feathers streaked with something darker. One of his wings had a large hole in it. Smoke drifted from the edges of the hole. The demon's face was twisted into an ugly, hateful scowl. His sharp talons were tipped with a coating of red.
Yukina had once painted her nails red. She'd decided that she didn't like the colour and had scrubbed it off. Gods, why was he thinking of that now? Of all the stupid, useless…
And all those fancy lords and ladies were standing there looking stupefied. Stupid, useless…
Oh, wait. So was he.
But what was he supposed to do? This time he didn't even have his sword with him. Not that it had done him any good last time.
King Koenma resembled a gaping fish as he stared at Karasu. Botan and Yukina had drawn up against the wall, along with the musicians and some other dancers. Safe enough, for now, Hiei decided.
Kurama was standing, though his face had gone bone-white. He stepped shakily towards Karasu.
His father's hand closed on his arm, trying to draw him back. Kurama shook him off as if he were in a daze.
"All four kings in one room," Karasu sneered. "How convenient."
Mukuro was the surprise. She didn't look startled at all. She hadn't even moved from her seat, though, unlike Raizen, who appeared to be frozen with shock, she had an almost relaxed, patient air. Either she had nerves of steel or she had expected this.
King Koenma's guards finally made an appearance, pouring in through the door behind Karasu. They didn't stand a chance. Karasu cut them down with bloody, savage glee.
But the SDF officers behind those guards were not so easy to dispose of.
Watching the fight closely, Hiei edged around the room until he was beside Kurama. He grabbed Kurama's arm.
Kurama startled, trying to jerk away from him. His eyes were so wide that Hiei could see the whites.
"Kurama," Hiei growled. "Pull yourself together. I need you."
Behind him, Hiei could hear Kazuya's queen crying.
Kurama turned frightened eyes towards Hiei.
"You need to get everyone out of here, okay?" Hiei said. "Through that door over there. Can you do that?"
Kurama nodded, his mouth forming a stubborn, determined line. His eyes roved the room, taking in the loose knots of people huddling together.
"Can you do that?" Hiei repeated. He needed to make sure.
"Yes," Kurama said, sounding both slightly strangled and irritated. He turned back toward his parents.
Good. Hiei left him and went to his sister and Botan.
"Go to Kurama," he told them. "He'll get all of you out."
Botan nodded in understanding, relief flooding her face. "I'll help," she said determinedly. "But, Hiei…"
"Yes?" Hiei asked.
"Are there more of them?" Her eyes flicked towards Karasu, then quickly back to Hiei as she blanched.
"I don't think so."
"Oh, thank the gods."
Yukina gave Hiei a shaky smile. "Be careful," she said softly. Then she hugged him.
For once, Hiei returned the hug. Then the girls were busy directing everyone towards Kurama.
Hiei turned his full attention back to the fight still in progress. He was reassured to see the towering form of Toguro, shirtless and bloody, swinging his fist at Karasu, who was dodging with surprising swiftness.
Hiei grabbed a sword from one of the fallen guards. He muttered an apology to the dead man as he did so. Somehow, it felt wrong to take the man's sword, even if he was dead and didn't need it anymore.
One of Karasu's punches caught Toguro under the jaw and the big man crashed to the floor. Hiei fancied that he could feel the ground shake. What an unlucky strike that had been.
Karasu turned, seeking more victims, his eyes mad and gleeful. They landed on Hiei, holding his sword in a white-knuckled grip.
As Hiei stared into those deep eyes he realised that this wasn't about beating Karasu. He was facing a god. A creature whose years stretched far beyond him and whose powers were a mystery steeped in blood.
This was about buying time. Time for as many people to get out as possible.
With that in mind, Hiei advanced on the insane demon. Keep him busy. Keep him unbalanced. It doesn't matter if you can't hurt him. Just keep him occupied.
"It's the honourable little lord," Karasu sneered. "What are you going to do with that, little lord? It didn't help you last time."
"I'm still alive, aren't I?" Hiei pointed out with a sneer.
"Only because of that other demon-brat!" Karasu snapped.
Yusuke. Hiei filed that away for further thought later. If there was a later.
Hiei swung at Karasu's ruined wing, hoping to at least cause the demon some pain but Karasu avoided the swing easily by turning his body and bringing his wing back. Hiei's sword cut only through empty air.
Karasu swung those wicked talons at Hiei, aiming for his face, but Hiei danced backwards and out of range.
Karasu sneered at him. "You think that distance will keep you safe?" he asked.
A surge of pain shot up Hiei's leg and he fell onto the floor, screaming. He couldn't believe how much it hurt. He'd never felt anything like that before, not even when his father had accidentally sliced Hiei's arm open while they were training.
Hiei's screams subsided into whimpers as tears ran down his cheeks. He tried to bring his leg up but it refused to move. Blackness clawed at the edges of Hiei's vision. He didn't know what happened to his sword. All he knew was that it wasn't in his hand anymore. The sweet scent of cooking flesh met his nose, tinged with the scent of ash and fire. And blood.
Dimly, Hiei heard a feminine voice screeching his name. Was that Yukina? Please don't let it be Yukina.
"Hiei?"
An insistent, masculine voice, sweetly familiar. Kurama. It was Kurama. Hiei tried to open his eyes to see him but his vision was blurred and black spots danced before him.
"I'll take care of him, Kurama." Yukina's voice was coated with tears. "It's all right, Hiei. It's all right…"
"Come on, little fox. Come play." Cruelty laced Karasu's words, making Hiei tremble. He couldn't fathom what drove this monster to take such joy in causing pain.
To think his people worshipped them as gods.
But then, maybe that wasn't so surprising. Maybe it had come about less from admiration and more from fear.
Hiei wasn't clear on what happened next. All he knew was that Kurama didn't speak again, though Hiei craned his ears to catch his voice. Instead, the room was filled with horrible animalistic sounds.
He thought he heard Yusuke's voice somewhere in there, yelling Kurama's name. And then, a more authoritative voice that was unfamiliar to Hiei.
A cool feeling washed over Hiei, overriding the pain. Hiei struggled to sit up. He had to know what was happening.
"Hiei, please don't move." Yukina pushed on his shoulders. Hiei ignored her and searched the room for Karasu. Dark spots still impaired his vision but he found Karasu.
There was some distance between them now. Karasu was several meters away. One of his arms hung by his side. Feathers had been ripped away and blood dripped from the exposed grey flesh beneath.
Kurama crouched in front of him, snout covered with blood and teeth bared menacingly. Hiei fancied that in the shape of the fox's form was a savage satisfaction.
Yusuke was there as well. To Hiei's surprise, beside him stood Mukuro. Her short frame barely came up to Yusuke's chest. And behind them were several men and women wearing black uniforms. Some of them looked… not quite human, Hiei thought. Maybe it was a vision borne of blood loss, but he was sure that one of them had horns.
At a gesture from Mukuro, those behind her and Yusuke swarmed forward, surrounding Karasu.
Kurama scrambled backwards. He slinked around broken furniture and ruined food until he was beside Hiei.
Relief flooded Hiei as Kurama pushed his bloody snout into Hiei's chest. Hiei clutched at his fur.
The cool feeling was dissipating, pain swirling in to take its place. Kurama whined as Hiei's vision fogged over. The last thing Hiei saw before he fainted was fox Kurama's glowing golden eyes.
-0-
"Hiei? Hiei, can you hear me?"
Yukina's anxious voice drew Hiei out of the darkness, reeling him back to the waking world. He blinked up at his sister, noting that she looked very pale and shaken.
"Yukina?" he mumbled.
She stroked his brow. "Just rest," she said. "Everything's fine."
But Hiei knew his sister well. Too well to not catch the false note in her voice. No, everything was not fine. Something was very, very not fine.
He tried to push himself up but his arms were caught beneath the sheet. Getting them out would take too much effort. He growled in frustration.
"Stop it, Hiei!" Yukina pleaded. "If you don't lay still then I will have to drug you."
At that news, Hiei let himself flop back onto the pillows. He knew she'd do it.
"Karasu?" he asked.
"Escaped," Yukina said. "But Mukuro's people are after him. Tourin offered to help but…"
Hiei could guess what Mukuro had thought of Tourin's offer. Not much, he was sure. The brief glimpse he'd had of the interaction between King Raizen and Queen Mukuro had been enough to tell him that the two were not on good terms. Not at all.
So Mukuro's people were chasing him down now. What had happened to the group that Yusuke had sent after him? Clearly, something had gone wrong there.
"Kurama?"
"Um…" Yukina glanced uncertainly to Hiei's left. Only then did Hiei realise that there was something warm pressed to his side. He turned his head to stare at a sleeping Kurama. A sleeping Kurama with four legs and a tail. He was laying on his side with his legs stretched out.
"Why isn't he human?" Hiei demanded.
Yukina shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "You'll have to ask him."
Hiei squirmed beneath the covers. His leg was itchy but he couldn't reach it.
"Hiei," Yukina said warningly.
"My leg is itchy," Hiei griped. He tried to sit up but Yukina pushed him back down.
"Hiei, don't." There was a break in her voice. Hiei felt an unpleasant foreboding fill him.
"What's wrong with me?" he asked.
"Hiei…" Yukina averted her eyes.
"What?" Hiei demanded fiercely.
"Your leg," Yukina said quietly.
"What about it?" Hiei asked.
"It's gone," she said quietly.
Hiei's first reaction was incredulity. "Don't be ridiculous," he snapped. "It's…"
But Yukina was crying now. Tears spilled like jewels down her cheeks.
She wouldn't joke about something this serious. She just wasn't that sort of person.
Hiei wriggled into a sitting position. Kurama let out a disgruntled growl from beside him. He'd disturbed the fox's nap. But Hiei had to see it for himself. He yanked the covers off.
Kurama scrambled to his feet as he was dislodged from his spot by the sheet shifting beneath him. He turned one golden eye reproachfully on Hiei but Hiei didn't notice.
His left leg ended just above the knee. The stump had been wrapped in white bandages. Hiei swallowed bile. He felt like he was going to faint. Unable to bear looking at it any longer, he pulled the sheet back over it.
"I'm sorry," Yukina said quietly. "There was nothing I could do. Your leg was so badly burned that we couldn't save it."
She hung her head, her hair hiding her face.
"It's not your fault." Hiei didn't want her to blame herself. He couldn't take the sight of her tears.
But what was he going to do now? He couldn't teach his students with only one leg. He certainly couldn't work with the SDF anymore. He wasn't one of those people learned in things like economics or study. He hated reading. What did that leave him with?
Kurama whined softly, rubbing Hiei's cheek. Hiei pushed him off, aware that there was wetness on his cheeks. Kurama whined again. He draped himself across Hiei's chest.
"Kurama," Yukina said warningly.
Kurama's tail thudded once against the sheets.
"Get off," she admonished.
Kurama dropped his head to the mattress, making it clear that he intended to stay right where he was.
"I know you understand me," Yukina told him. "Now get off."
Kurama blinked up at her before slowly getting up. Each movement was exaggerated as if it took a lot of effort. By the time Kurama settled himself beside Hiei again, Yukina was laughing through her tears.
Hiei turned his head to see that the sky outside the room was dark. Off in the distance, he could see the small lights of ships waiting to enter the port. It wasn't even morning yet.
"I have to go and get you some medicine," Yukina told Hiei. "Will you be okay for a little while?"
"Yeah." Hiei wasn't sure if he would be but he had to put a brave face on. He didn't want Yukina to know how difficult this was for him.
"Don't let him get up, Kurama."
Kurama's ear twitched in response but he made no other move. Yukina left. She was still in her party dress, Hiei noticed, though it was stained with blood. How many people had needed healers tonight? How many people had been beyond their help?
Kurama grunted beside Hiei. He turned his head to see the fox stand. He closed his eyes as Kurama's bones rippled beneath his fur. The sight made him ill.
"Hiei." A hand rested against Hiei's cheek.
Hiei opened his eyes to see a naked Kurama leaning over him. Kurama placed a soft kiss on his brow.
"You were so brave tonight," he said.
Hiei laughed bitterly. "Not that it did any good," he said.
"We got a lot of people out," Kurama told him.
"But I didn't kill him."
"He was badly hurt when he ran," Kurama said. "I don't think he'll make it far. Especially with Queen Mukuro's people after him."
Kurama's face twisted into a grimace. "They seem to be uniquely equipped to deal with him."
"Why do you say that?"
Kurama slid off the bed and marched towards the wardrobe. He dressed as he answered.
"Her guard appears to be a compliment of demons," he said.
So it hadn't been a hallucination. Somehow, Mukuro had coerced some of those unnatural creatures into working for her. Impressive. Tourin really ought to reconsider their stance on the slavery issue. Perhaps Mukuro's show of strength might convince Raizen.
But where had those demons come from?
Kurama shrugged after Hiei voiced the question. "I don't know," he said. Now fully dressed, he took Yukina's former position beside Hiei.
"I told you, they're more common in our part of the continent."
Hiei looked towards the door to see Yusuke striding in. He looked disgruntled.
"Father is very unhappy about it," he admitted. "He thinks that she's planning an invasion."
"Is she?" Hiei asked. He felt that it was a fair question.
"Not of us," Yusuke said with a wry smile. "We aren't the only country that borders Aleric. There are wild lands to the west of them that no one claims. That's where all the demons come from. It makes sense that Mukuro has some of them defending her borders."
Kurama's lips thinned. "What of Karasu?" he demanded. "Have you any news of him?"
Yusuke turned his attention to the worried redhead. "Karasu is dead," he said. "You don't need to worry about him anymore."
Kurama's face relaxed. "Thank you," he said.
"No, thank you," Yusuke said quietly.
Kurama looked stunned. "For what?" he asked.
"Your speech," Yusuke said. "Father told me about it. He's going to sign Aleric's treaty. It's going to make a lot of rich and powerful people very unhappy, but I think that everything will turn out okay in the end. Especially when word of your story gets around."
How could people not feel sympathetic towards Kurama? He'd suffered so much.
Yusuke turned his gaze back to Hiei. "How are you?" he asked.
Hiei shrugged. "I'm okay, I guess," he said.
"He lost his leg," Kurama said softly.
"Really?" Yusuke looked both horrified and morbidly curious. "Can I see?"
Kurama glared at him, but Hiei pulled the sheet aside, letting Yusuke get a look at his bandaged leg before covering it up again.
"Wow, that's some bad luck," Yusuke said. "I'm really sorry, Hiei."
"It's okay," Hiei said. "I'll manage." How he didn't know. But he had to find a way.
Kurama smoothed out the sheets with a frown on his pretty face.
Yukina returned to the room, causing Yusuke to excuse himself. She carried a small bag with her. Hiei eyed the bottles she removed with trepidation.
"I don't need all of those," he complained.
She gave him a stern look. "Yes, you do," she said. "If you don't take these, you will be in a considerable amount of pain, Hiei."
"I can handle it."
"Hiei…" Yukina said with exasperation.
"She's right, Hiei," Kurama said gently. "Why suffer if you do not have to?"
Hiei sighed and allowed Yukina to give him the first doses of the medication. When she was done, she smoothed her hand over his brow.
Hiei grimaced. "That stuff tastes disgusting," he informed her.
"I can't do anything about that, I'm afraid," Yukina said with a sympathetic smile.
Hiei couldn't help but feel proud of her. She looked happy and confident. Most importantly, she looked comfortable here. He was glad to see that.
A soft knock on the door alerted them to the fact that someone new had arrived. Standing in the doorway was Kurama's father. He looked as though he'd had almost as bad a night as Yukina.
Kurama rose immediately and went to him. He looked back over his shoulder to Hiei.
"Excuse me," he said apologetically, before he and his father vanished into the sitting room, shutting the door in their wake.
-0-
Kazuya sat uneasily in the armchair as Kurama took the other. He had a strong sense of deja vu. This felt a lot like their earlier conversation.
"I've been hearing some rather disturbing rumours," Kazuya said quietly.
Kurama looked down at his hands, folded in his lap.
"From your reaction, I'm going to assume that this isn't the first time this has happened," Kazuya said dryly. His expression was severe now.
Kurama swallowed. "No," he admitted. "It's the second time."
"But you didn't tell me," Kazuya pointed out.
Kurama nodded.
"Why?" Kazuya pressed.
Kurama frowned. "That is rather obvious, isn't it?" he asked.
Kazuya sighed. "When was the first time?" he asked.
"When Karasu attacked Hiei and myself the night before," Kurama admitted. The memory was still fresh and raw in his mind. He leaned back in the armchair, feeling tired.
"I'd always hoped…" Kazuya trailed off. His face held an injured, regretful look.
"Hoped what?" Kurama asked. He couldn't help the exhaustion that laced his voice. He had a feeling that his father felt the same.
"That the rumours weren't true," Kazuya said.
Kurama laughed quietly. "It seems they were," he said bitterly.
"Did Karasu do something to you? Something to change you?" Kazuya asked. There was a hopeful note in his voice.
Kurama shook his head. "No," he said. "I'm sorry, father." This was something that couldn't be laid at Karasu's taloned feet, as much as he wanted to.
It would be so easy to lie. To say that Karasu had somehow caused his transformation. To let his father continue to hold onto a sliver of doubt that Kurama might actually be his child after all.
But they'd danced around this for long enough. As much as neither of them wanted to accept it, it was the truth.
At least his mother was gone. This would never hurt her.
"But, then, why has this transformation never happened before?" Kazuya asked.
Kurama shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "Maybe it didn't happen before because there was never anyone else's life on the line. Maybe knowing that Karasu would kill Hiei made a difference."
Kazuya looked very disappointed. Kurama's heart sank.
"I'm sorry," he said once more.
"You have nothing to apologise for, Shuichi," his father told him. "Your mother made her choices. As did I. I am sorry that you had to suffer for them."
Kurama couldn't say anything. He closed his eyes and tried to gather himself.
"Go back to your friend," Kazuya told him. "It's been a long night for all of us."
Kurama nodded and rose. Kazuya rose as well. He gave Kurama a quick hug before he left. Kurama returned to the bedroom.
Yukina smiled at him as he sat on the bed beside Hiei. The lord's eyes were closed and he was clearly deeply asleep.
"How are you, Kurama?" Yukina asked gently.
"Tired," Kurama admitted. "A little bruised up, as well."
Yukina reached out and wrapped pale fingers around his hand. Kurama felt a cool sensation sweep over him.
"W-what?" he asked, startled.
Yukina smiled thinly. "I'm just learning," she said quietly. "But Genkai says that I have talent."
"Yes." Kurama felt stunned. Yukina's touch was somehow soothing and invigorating. But it began to fade as soon as she let go of his hand.
"No one talks about it," she said quietly. "No one asks about it. But I think that needs to change."
Reikai was unfamiliar with demons. There was a stigma attached to them, not helped at all by Karasu's brutal attack at the party.
It was becoming very clear to Kurama that the history of their land and religion held many secrets. Secrets that needed to be brought into the light.
-0-
Three months later…
Hiei leaned on his cane as he watched his sister walk arm-in-arm with Princess Botan. Yukina looked gorgeous in a long, flowing peach gown. Botan was wearing a similar gown but in white. Both were smiling at each other.
King Koenma, standing off to the side with his wife, was smiling too.
Yukina and Botan's relationship had progressed quickly. The two had just officially announced their engagement. Hiei had yet to hear any objections. Not that he thought the girls would take any notice if there were any.
"How does he do it?"
Yusuke's voice reached Hiei's ears as the prince slung a friendly arm around his shoulders.
"Huh?" Hiei asked blankly. He followed Yusuke's gaze to see Kuwabara standing amid a gaggle of pretty young ladies. The big man was dressed in a new uniform, a much more formal version of Tourin's guard uniform. He looked very pleased to be the focus of the ladies' attention.
"I mean, he's not that handsome," Yusuke objected. "Why do girls like him?"
"Why do you care? Aren't you dating Kei?" Hiei reminded him.
"Well, yeah. But I just don't get it…"
"He's a gentleman."
Hiei turned his head to see Kurama join them. The redhead gave him a warm smile that reached right into Hiei's heart. He looked more handsome than anyone else in this garden, in Hiei's opinion. Kurama's clothes were understated but neat and spotless. They fit him perfectly. Even his long hair was behaving itself today, tucked neatly into place.
"Girls like gentlemen," Kurama continued.
"Hiei hasn't got a shot, then," Yusuke said with a laugh. Hiei put one hand out to steady himself against Kurama, then smacked Yusuke's shin with his cane.
"Ow!" Yusuke complained, dancing away from him.
Hiei smirked. His balance was improving, thanks to some unorthodox exercises. He was confident that one day he might even be able to wield his sword as well as he used to.
Kurama had surprised Hiei when he'd requested that Hiei continue to teach him swordsmanship, even though Hiei could barely walk. Hiei had refused at first, but Kurama had not let the subject drop. He'd continued to bring it up during private moments. Hiei had eventually given in. He'd intended to try just one lesson, sure that Kurama would realise how ridiculous his request was once he saw how pathetic Hiei was.
Except, he hadn't been entirely pathetic. Sure his balance had been shot, but he'd discovered that he could still teach effectively. He'd also discovered that his cane could be used as a weapon, or perhaps even be used to conceal a weapon. A thin sword, maybe. He'd voiced that possibility to Kurama. The redhead had gotten a speculative gleam in his emerald eyes when he'd heard it, though he'd kept his thoughts to himself.
Kurama's father had left Reikai soon after the incident at the wedding. He'd left the responsibility of organising the treaties in Kurama's hands. There were two treaties to be concerned with. The one between Reikai and Barasono, which centred around trade matters, and the one between all four kingdoms, which concerned slavery. The terms of the second treaty were still being negotiated, though the first had not long been signed.
Yusuke had also remained at his own father's behest, to deal with the second treaty, though he was expected back in Tourin as soon as it was signed. Whether Kuwabara would go with him was a mystery to Hiei, though he thought that the orange-haired man would return to Tourin. He had family there, after all.
But would Kei go with Yusuke, too? Hiei was sure that she would. Their relationship was rocky but they were doing well right now.
Kurama smiled fondly as he watched Hiei and Yusuke's antics. He was pleased to see that Hiei was moving with much more ease and confidence. He knew how hard it had been for Hiei to adjust to his new limitations. He really admired the determination Hiei had shown over the past few weeks.
"Prince Shuichi?"
Kurama turned to see a familiar face heralding him. He smiled down at the boy.
"Seto," he said. The boy looked very different from their first meeting. He was fully-dressed, slave wardings entirely covered by nice clothes. He, like all the other slaves in the palace, was being treated with much more dignity than before. Their futures were still undecided, but Kurama had a feeling that it would come down to cases being assessed individually. Seto, he suspected, would remain in the palace. The boy had no family. He'd been an orphan living on the streets and stealing to survive before he'd become a slave.
"You have to come and keep score," Seto insisted, pulling on Kurama's hand.
"Score? For what?" Kurama asked, bemused as he followed Seto through the gardens. He quickly discovered that the children had created a game. Once the rules were explained to him, Kurama dutifully kept track of each child's individual score. He was pleased to see that, though most of the children were former slaves, there were some of the noble children mixed in as well.
Kurama had thought that he would be idle much of the time, outside of treaty negotiations, but he'd been very wrong about that. No one seemed to know what to do with the slaves, particularly the children. If they weren't warded, they could simply have been freed. But the wardings presented an, as yet unsolved, problem. Kurama had several long discussions with the palace's healers in relation to them but he hadn't been able to shed much light on the subject. He just didn't know enough. But it was something that he intended to continue researching.
His own wards had yet to return, though Kurama's skin still itched with the memory of them at times. Hiei insisted that they would never come back, but Kurama wasn't so sure. Hiei was basing his statement on nothing more than blind hope. Kurama was more cautious.
It had to be his transformation into a fox that had broken them in the first place. Maybe they couldn't hold in that form. But the other slaves didn't have a demon parent. Getting rid of their wardings wasn't going to be that simple.
Maybe the Tourin mages could start earning a living by removing the wards, Kurama thought with a wry smile. Would any of them think of that?
"Kurama!"
Hiei's irritated voice rang out behind him. Kurama turned from the game to see Hiei limping towards him on his cane, scowling. Only then did Kurama realise that the sky was getting dark. Stars were beginning to peek between the branches of the trees above them.
He turned back to the children and called them to him. They came, grumbling at having their fun interrupted.
"Time to go inside," Kurama told them.
Hiei joined him as Kurama brought up the rear of the group.
"You've got a flock," he muttered as they moved along the paths.
"No, I don't," Kurama protested.
"Yes, you do. They adore you."
Hiei felt a little resentful that the children took up so much of Kurama's evening, but he knew that the rest of the evening would belong to him.
"Are you jealous?" Kurama asked, a wry, knowing smile on his face.
"No," Hiei said, a little too quickly.
Kurama laughed. Hiei admired him, slender form, red hair gleaming beneath the lanterns. He couldn't believe that this was the same boy he'd first met an age ago, timid and shy.
"You are," Kurama said, that knowing smile still on his face. "Don't worry. We can go home soon."
Home. To the house that had just barely been finished. To Hiei's surprise, Seb had gotten everything done faster than he'd believed possible. He was sure that King Koenma had a hand in it somehow.
The house was beautiful. It was smaller than the previous house, but that was fine as Yukina had opted to stay at the palace. Any worries that Kurama might want to do the same had vanished when Kurama began drawing up plans for the gardens.
"Good," Hiei said. "And I'm not jealous."
"Mmm-hmm." Kurama sounded very unconvinced. He quickened his pace. Hiei growled as he tried to keep up. Kurama moved just fast enough that he remained slightly behind.
"Kurama!"
"Yes?" Kurama turned, an innocent smile plastered in place.
Hiei scowled. This was exactly the sort of tactic that the redhead had used during his fighting lessons. It had taken Hiei a little while to catch on. Kurama was goading him into becoming more active and forcing him to get used to moving around on only one leg. It was working, though it still infuriated Hiei.
Hiei shoved into him, letting the redhead know that he wasn't happy with him. Kurama didn't look in the least bit like he cared. But he did slow his pace, letting Hiei fall into step beside him. From ahead, the shouts of children floated back to them on the warm evening breeze.
"Do you think anyone will notice if we just leave now?" Hiei asked.
"Probably," Kurama said.
"Well, I don't care. Let's just go home now," Hiei said.
Kurama paused. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Don't you want to say your farewell to Yukina?"
"She'll understand."
Kurama glanced towards the palace doors as the last child disappeared into their welcoming maw.
"Well, I suppose," he said.
Hiei didn't give him time to reconsider. He left as quickly as possible, eager to avoid any delays. Kurama shook his head with amusement as he was hurried along.
Kurama helped Hiei onto his horse with gentle hands. They could have taken the carriage but Hiei didn't want to. He wanted to show that he was as capable as he'd always been.
Kurama fastened the straps in place that would help keep Hiei balanced in the saddle. He didn't trust that Hiei could remain seated if the horse spooked. After that task was completed, Kurama mounted his own horse.
The silence of the street they rode down was eerie. The horse's hooves clattered loudly on the paving stones. Kurama rode close to Hiei, observing how proudly the little lord sat on the horse.
"This is… nice," he said.
Hiei gave him a look. "Nice?" he asked. "Just nice?"
"Yes. What's wrong with that?" Kurama asked. "Nice is good."
"Yes, but, it's just… nice," Hiei said. "Can't it be better than that?"
Kurama shrugged. "I like nice," he said.
Hiei laughed. Even though Kurama could talk now, he still found times where he couldn't understand him. Kurama was as inscrutable as ever.
"I suppose nice is nice," he said with a grin.
Kurama's teeth flashed in his own grin. "Yes," he agreed.
And if things just stayed 'nice', then Hiei thought maybe that was okay with him.