Chapter 36: Just Trust Me

Baron wove in and out of the entertainers preparing themselves backstage, trying to find something that would hide his identity. His eyes rested upon a blue mask and black hat hung upon a hook and found a darker blue cape draped beside it. Rummaging around he found the rest of the outfit without much difficultly.

"Hey! That's mine, you – oh, good afternoon Baron..."

Baron looked over to the man who had run over, but who was now reddening as he realised who he had been shouting at. "I shall just be borrowing it," Baron promised. "Anyway, this feast is going to be coming to an end anytime soon."

The man gaped. "What makes you say that?"

"Let's just say it's a gut instinct," said Baron, as he placed the hat upon his head with a flourish. "Good day to you." Leaving the man behind him he made his way to the line of entertainers, pulling the mask tight and checking his reflection as he went. Yes, this was perfect; Sky would never recognise him. He just hoped Haru would.

Ahead of him the queue was rather lengthy, with some jugglers or clowns of several descriptions that he didn't remember asking for, but then, he'd only asked for one specific show and said the king could choose the rest. Just before him was a duo dressed in bright blue, their outfits covered in feather-like material as they chatted animatedly to one another. At least some people seemed to be excited about the feast.

Some of the clowns – or whatever he supposed they were, since they carried three massive rubber balls between them – went into the hall to try their luck. The king was well known for his quick temper, but that didn't stop some people from trying to entertain him. The line moved slightly, giving him a better view of the hall. He picked out Haru almost instantly.

She was stuffed into some sort of puffy dress – for 'puffy' was the only word that came to mind – and a large and probably deeply uncomfortable wide-brimmed, white collar. She was staring mindless into the middle of the hall, watching the entertainment, but not really seeing. Her eyes were dry, which was not what he had expected. With Yuki's comment about her screaming and kicking up a fuss, he had expected her to have shed some tears. He remembered what she'd been like at the castle; was it possible it was a repeat of that? After everything he'd done to try to help her, and within the space of a couple of days he'd set back all his work. He just hoped the entertainment he'd picked would help her remember what they'd gone through together.

ooOoo

Inside the hall Haru sat gloomily in her chair, aware that behind her stood two burly guards. She was well and truly stuck. Before her, in the open space of the hall, was the entertainment, although she was hardly sparing them a glance. There were some clowns doing some fancy tricks with three balls, and then some other charade guy, but they all seemed the same to her.

Sky leaned in across to her, a definite smirk fixed on her sharp features. "The next entertainers were picked out specially by Baron," she told Haru. "So I hope you watch them closely."

Haru moved her head away from the other princess, trying to ignore her words.

"Oh, and that reminds me." Sky took out a piece of paper and jotted down a few sentences. She motioned for a few guards to come over. "Take that to the baron and slip it under his door. I want him to know what he's missing."

Louise, who was on the other side of Sky, saw a few words on the page, but it wasn't the content but rather the calligraphy that struck her. After a few moments she said, "Your handwriting is very neat, your Majesty. Do you always write like that?"

Sky tilted her head, finding the question not entirely usual. "Most of the time. Why? Do you think you've seen my writing before?"

Louise quickly shook her head. "Oh, no, just that it struck me as rather distinctive." However when she looked away, her eyes were troubled.

Haru was pointedly ignoring Sky's comments about sending Baron a note telling him what he was missing. It hurt her to think about Baron at all. She was still having trouble adjusting to the idea that Baron had betrayed her.

A new chord was played and the next group of entertainers entered the large space in the middle of the hall. Remembering Sky's comment that they were specially chosen out by Baron, she couldn't help watching them, despite herself. There were only two of them, and each were dressed in azure clothing. She frowned. What had Baron asked for? In the background the music took on a new note, taking a melody of more classical origin. The two entertainers revealed themselves to be dancers as the woman knelt down, one hand to her ear, as if listening to the birdlike music of the flutes while her partner moved into a dizzying solo. He took on high leaps and quick turns, and as he jumped he criss-crossed his feet, his posture giving him the appearance that he was flying.

Haru suddenly sat back in her chair. She knew exactly what the entertainers were meant to be.

'They're bluebirds... He's teaching her to fly so she can escape from her stepmother. He used to be a suitor who fell in love with her, but Florine's stepmother, enraged that he had fallen for Florine and not for her own daughter turned him into a bluebird and locked the princess away in a tower. The princess sat by her window every night just to listen to his song.'

He remembered... he remembered...

Sky looked across at the other princess to see that tears were silently rolling down her cheeks. That was wrong; she never cried. That was what made her grief so complex compared to others. Confused, she looked back at the entertainers, trying to see what was so tear-provoking. The king also noticed the girl's apparent distress. He hammered his fist against the table.

"Stop, stop, stop!" he roared.

"No!" Haru cried.

The king looked across at her, bewildered. "But..."

"Let them finish," she pleaded. She nodded at the two startled dancers. "Please, continue."

ooOoo

Back in the queue, Baron heard the king's shout, which was quickly followed up by Haru's. He moved slightly so he could get a better look at the princess. She was crying. Crying proper tears for once. Despite her tears, he couldn't help smiling. He'd broken her barrier that she'd been beginning to form again. Now he just had to get her out of there.

The two dancers came offstage, looking rather shocked that their act had provoked such a reaction, from the princess, and even more shocked that she'd insisted they'd finish. There was a nod from Natoru, who was managing the entertainment, as a go-ahead signal to Baron, who pulled the hat further over his face for good measure and stepped forward. Suddenly every eye was on him.

"Your Majesty, I promise that I can make the young lady smile," he said smoothly.

The king and his advisor exchanged words, and then he was given a nod of approval to try.

He stepped over to the now tearful princess and offered her a hand. "Would you... care to dance?"

Haru wiped a couple of tears off her cheek. "Oh, no, I'm a lousy dancer."

Baron smiled. "Just trust me," he whispered.

Haru's eyes widened and suddenly she found herself getting up. The other guests stared, surprised that a few simple words could make her rise, could make her regain a little life. Haru wasn't even sure if she was right in who the stranger was, but those three words were enough to make her move from her seat. The cloaked stranger led her away from the table, requesting a certain tune from the orchestra as he passed them. The orchestra exchanged glances, checking they knew the song before nodding to him.

"I wasn't joking when I said I was bad," Haru muttered as she stumbled in trying to get her feet to move in the direction she wanted them to.

The stranger moved one hand around her to prevent her from falling. "And I wasn't joking when I said I'd prove you wrong," he replied calmly. His eyes weren't making contact with hers, which was a pain, because if Haru could just see the colour of his eyes she was sure she'd be able to tell whether or not it was Baron. The voice was certainly similar, but then the mask was distorting his voice slightly.

Haru's feet were moving awkwardly beneath her as she tried to keep in time with the melody. She stepped a couple of times on the stranger's feet, but he barely reacted.

"Just relax," he soothed her. "Your tenseness is making it hard for your body to go with the rhythm."

"It's a bit hard to be relax when I'm getting forced into a marriage I don't want," she muttered back. The music masked their conversation and so people could only guess that they were exchanging comments if they watched their mouths.

"Okay, maybe you have a point." Baron manoeuvred her into a spin just as she was about to land on his feet again, smiling at the expression on the princess's face when she realised she was spinning rather than accidently hurting him. "See, you can dance." He took her hand again when she finished the twirl, carefully guiding her into the next moves.

Haru found herself actually beginning to enjoy the dance, allowing the stranger to lead her every move. This had to be Baron; she couldn't imagine feeling this safe in any stranger's arms. Now with her feet beginning to follow the tune of their own accord, she turned one ear to the music.

"I recognise this tune," said Haru with a small note of surprise.

"I hoped you would." He leant in and whispered in time with the music, "It's the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance."

Haru was brought back to that time so long ago at Baron's where she'd sung The Rose in front of everyone. Now she was sure he was Baron. He looked down into her eyes with his words and Haru was knocked off her feet when she recognised the emerald eyes she loved so much.

"Baron..." she whispered.

The mouth curved up in a smile. "I will explain everything later," he promised, "but first I have to get you away from this madness."

She was spun into a low dip and suddenly she was lost in his glittering eyes again. His face was tantalisingly close. Somehow they forgot to carry on dancing, just staring up into each other's eyes. Haru moved her arms around his neck, and lifted one hand to remove the mask. Baron saw her intent, but unlike with Sky, he just embraced it. The mask was dropped to the floor and Haru moved her head up to place her lips on his.

At the same moment Sky and the king stood up, interrupting the kiss before it could take place.

"No!" cried Sky.

"Stop right there, pal!" growled King Shirou.

Haru stiffened at their voices and moved away, standing upright, but kept Baron beside her.

Baron pushed down a growl of annoyance, placing one arm protectively around the princess. She had been so close to kissing him. Now who knew whether she'd break the spell before the deadline ran out. He kept his head down so that the black hat covered most of his face.

"Just who exactly are you?" demanded the king.

Another satisfied smile could be seen to be curving on his lips below the wide hat. "I am no more than what I appear to be. I am going, and I am taking Princess Haru with me." He smiled down at her. "Coming, princess?"

Butterflies rose in her stomach. "Of course."