A/N: So one of my writing resolutions for 2020 is to update each of my stories at least once a month and to treat writing as more fun and less job. With that in mind, here's to having a productive 2020, and my first update of the year! Thank you all for reading 3. I love hearing from you all.
"This place looks different." Yusuke did a slow turn in the street to assess all the dangling lanterns and decorations going in the heart of Alaric. Demons bustled around, lining the street with stalls. There was nonstop talk between citizens. "When this guy said festival I didn't think he was being literal."
"It's coming together nicely." Kurama nodded, smiling. "Alaric looks like it's fairing rather well, actually."
"So, we're supposed to meet Shorty at the castle?" Kuwabara asked them, sidestepping to avoid getting whacked by the tail of a reptilian looking demon.
"Yeah, that's the plan." Yusuke grinned. "About time too. He's been ignoring all of our letters ever since he became the big cheese. It's about time he got off his ass and invited us to see him."
Kurama kept his mouth on that topic because he wasn't sure Hiei had been the one to invite them at all. All the letters had been signed by someone with the initials A.S. As happy as he was to see his friend again he was actually wondering what their welcome would be like. Hiei had been so adamant when he sent them away. He'd been torn and devastated and an island standing alone in a tumultuous sea. He was relieved to see that this festival seemed to be going to plan. It already felt warm and inviting.
A far cry different than funeral they'd attended their visit to Alaric.
"Oh shit, I love this stuff." Yusuke rushed over to a stall and held up a bag of some substance that made Kuwabara gag.
Kurama watched them, rubbing the back of his neck with a shallow laugh. Some things never changed. "Yusuke, we're going to be late. The invitation said we were meant to arrive for lunch."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. But Hiei won't care if we're fashionably late." Yusuke waved him off. "We have some time to sightsee."
Kuwabara made a face and nudged Kurama with his elbow. Then they shared a laugh. "We should just leave him here."
"That's definitely an idea." Kurama agreed.
"Don't even think about it losers." Yusuke pointed at them both.
Amon looked at the clock, counting the seconds as they ticked past. Her black suit, white shirt and plain black vest were enough of an outfit for the time being. Anything more and the king would get suspicious. It was almost time to meet with him. She'd been able to avoid giving her report through the morning, deftly evading sitting down with him for breakfast. In fact she hadn't seen him since rousing him from sleep.
She was on thin ice.
This had to go perfectly.
"Benji, do you remember what to do?" She glanced at her young assistant.
He looked smashing in his fitted uniform of black slacks, crimson vest over his white shirt, his black jacket embroidered with shining scarlet and lavender threads in the design of dragons racing up both sleeves. He, like her, wore gloves though his were white. His new shoes were shined so well they reflected the lights. The curls which usually ran rampant on his head were tamed for the moment.
With a nod he told her yes.
"Lunch is on track. Don't forget we have a human visiting. Do not act starstruck. We have to pretend we're accustomed to all visitors. It'll be rude otherwise and these are not men we can afford to offend." She reminded, again.
"Maybe I'm not ready for this." Benji looked green in the face as though he might be sick.
"You are." Amon assured him. "They'll come in, you'll greet them and-"
"And I show them to their rooms on the second floor. You've already set up each one especially for each of their needs." Benji recanted. "I inform them what time lunch will be served and encourage them to be in the dining hall on time."
"You've got this." She exhaled and looked at the clock again. "Okay kid. It's showtime. I'm going to go distract the king."
"Be careful." Benji pleaded with her quietly.
Amon offered him a single nod, a smile and then tussled his hair before moving to start her part in this. The dominoes were all set up to fall, all she had to do was flick the first one.
Her gloved knuckles rapped gently against the wood of the king's office door knowing that's where he was meant to be. He called for her to enter and she did so fluidly. Then promptly stilled.
Hiei stood leaning against his desk in the clothes she had delicately hid in the back of his wardrobe. Black slacks perfectly tailored to fit him like a dream. Dress shoes, shined like she'd done it herself. A double-breasted vest made of crimson silk decorated with glistening dark threads in the dramatic shapes of intertwined dragons hugged the shape his chest and waist while accentuating his broad shoulders. Buttons ran down both sides of the vest, silver and gleaming, stamped with the seal of Alaric. His white bandana had been replaced with one the same shade as his vest. It flattered his eyes and his body and for a moment she was too busy admiring her handiwork to remember why she'd come to see him. The combination of colors made his tanned skin radiant. The collared shirt had the top button undone, revealing the hollow of his throat but nothing more. Even his white bandages seemed to perfectly fit into the ensemble.
She didn't realize she'd been staring, repeatedly scanning over him from head to toe to head.
The shoulders of the shirt sat exactly right, perfectly where they were meant to be. She'd measured him correctly. Oh, the amount of times she'd had to allow him to toss her down, to grab her so she could grab him back as though she had to hold him to maintain balance. The vest tightened perfectly at the waist. The pants tapered just right at the ankle.
Hiei fought back a smirk, enjoying the fact her attention hadn't strayed from him. She'd slid him his meal and then vanished that morning. No contact longer than necessary, never within arm's reach, never met his gaze. It was an awful spell she'd fallen under.
It seemed he'd found the key to breaking it.
Amon shook herself and then blinked at him. "Are they comfortable?"
"Very. I'm pleasantly surprised." He nodded once. "You have good taste and a keen eye. I can feel your touch in every stitch."
His smirk made her eyes dart to the side.
"Your generals will think-" She immediately began to hedge then stopped herself, swallowing the rest of her argument. If he'd already made up his mind there she had no place in trying to change it. Her eyes closed as she kept them averted.
That's not what he kept her around for.
She needed to remember to be grateful that she was there at all.
"My generals know that I've chosen to dress up for our company, so that I can represent our land well." Hiei explained to her. His gaze glanced over her still wrapped forehead, squinting at the patch of red marring the gauze. "Which is why I want you to take care of that gash. I can't have other leaders thinking I just let my staff walk around in such a state. Your injury was the talk of the table this morning at my meeting."
"Of course, sir. I'll have it fixed immediately. I'm sorry it caused any trouble." She bowed her head, reaching up to pull her bangs down to cover the wound better. At least it had been seen by the right people.
He waited another beat before cocking a single brow, hands moving to hold the edge of his desk. She was still being timid, distant. He didn't like it. Leaning back slightly he asked, "Does it live up to your desires?"
"What?" Amon blinked rapidly, frowning as she carefully shifted her eyes back to him.
"The outfit. Does it suit me how you hoped?" Hiei asked her seriously, chin tipped down. "Anything I should change about it before I make a fool of myself? This outfit of yours will be the first thing of me most of these fools see. You need to make sure I'm presentable."
"No. You look perfect." She assured him softly her frown fading into a warm smile. "Everyone is going to clamor over themselves to get close to you, as it should be. No one will even notice something like my head wound when they have you to look upon."
He'd hoped, actually, that she'd object to his undone button and lack of tie. He had one ready. He didn't know how to tie it, but she did and if she wanted him to wear it he'd make her tie it for him. On him. Anything to draw her close. Instead she kept her distance, but she did glance at his face. That was enough for him for the moment.
"Are you ready to tell me about what you've been up to?" He changed the subject swiftly, arms crossing over his chest. The stern set of his mouth had her shifting, eyes darting away again. He gestured to a tall stack of papers on his desk knowing the movement would catch her attention. "I have about twenty different accounts of your movements so I already know where you've been. I also know you were having me sign allocation forms you had no business drafting. You are not an adviser nor in my cabinet, Amon."
Maybe I should be. She challenged in her head before immediately closing her eyes and settling herself with a long exhale. She gathered herself.
"Explain. Now." He pressed. "This lunch you've planned is drawing closer and you're not using it as an excuse to avoid this. So either speak or make us both late."
"Everything I've done, has been done for you." Amon began quietly. "I need you to know that before anything else. My actions are only intended to better your life. That being said, yes, I did have you sign papers for the dispersement of supplies. I crossed the land to make sure they were received properly and so that everyone would know you sent them."
"But I didn't. You did." Hiei pointed out. "You're fabricating a false image of me. You're overstepping your role to do so."
"You would have sent them if you'd had time to make the choice." She told him, steadfast. She didn't want to see his face so she kept her eyes on his shoes. "If you knew the plight of your people I believe you would help them. Unless I'm wrong?"
Hiei thought about it for a moment. "If I knew how to, then I would try."
"Well, I do know how. I know what they need." She promised. "So I had you sign the papers and I made sure those necessities were delivered."
"That still doesn't excuse you." Hiei told her, agitation entering his tone. "Amon, you should have brought this up to me and allowed me to make my own decisions. This is my kingdom, they are my people, and therefore everything that happens here is my responsibility. Your guidance is well and good, but you are acting well outside of your station. I am justified in my frustration and anger with you. In fact, I'd be justified in a lot worse."
"You are." She nodded. "I know I've tested your patience and your trust."
"Was it worth it?" When he asked her the grit in his voice made her flinch.
"I thought it would be." She breathed, desperately hoping she was right. "I…I had to go to each of the cities. It wasn't just to make sure the supplies were delivered."
"There's more to this?" Hiei's eyes flashed wide. "Amon, what have you done now?"
Amon nodded, spreading her feet a little and crossing her arms behind her back to appear bigger than she felt. Despite her stance she still couldn't bring herself to meet his unrelenting gaze even though she felt the pressure of it on her face. "The truth was that I needed to meet with the leaders of the cities and villages."
"Why?" Hiei stepped away from the desk toward her.
"I had a question I needed them to answer." She planted her feet even though she wanted to flee. It took effort to keep herself from shriveling up.
"All of them?"
"Yes." Her nod came before she wet her lips nervously. "It was a very important question."
"Keep talking." Hiei stopped an arm's length before her, tipping his chin back so he could stare at her face. His tone remained a little hard despite his curiosity.
"I want everyone to see you the way I do, as the king, as a man." She explained to him holding her nearly military grade stance as she spoke, an act he saw through when she refused to look at his face. "I want you to see it too. I want you to see how your people view you, and I want your people to have the right image in their minds. It's taken me months to get it all organized and it's been a nightmare trying to work around you and your schedule."
"That tells me nothing." Hiei's eyes narrowed on her.
"I know." She chewed her lips before continuing. "I know that today is the anniversary of King Mukuro's death. She meant a great deal to you and I wanted the people to remember her. I wanted you to be able to honor her in an appropriate way, something befitting a king. For both of you."
"Amon, what have you done?" He demanded.
"I've brought people from all corners of Alaric together to celebrate her and you." Amon didn't smile as she scoured his face finally, a tightness pinching at the corners of her eyes. The words lost their strength. "All the leaders of the cities, merchants, traders, everyone. They'll be here for a festival the likes of which this territory has never seen before and they will be celebrating all the kings, old and new. They'll be celebrating both of you."
Hiei stared at her, mouth falling open and he wasn't sure if it was in horror or shock.
"It'll be a week long." She continued when he didn't speak. "I wanted you to know that you haven't been mourning alone. These people, they've come here to honor her as well."
"A festival?" Hiei repeated dully.
"Yes."
"For Mukuro." He continued and she said yes again. "A woman you never even met."
"In all honesty, I never heard a good thing about her. But if you respected her so much, if you miss her so deeply she had to be great. So yes, for a woman I've never met." Amon agreed. "But also a woman you knew better than anyone else."
"I don't know how I feel about this." He admitted, starting to pace. "I do not like the idea that you did all of this behind my back."
"It's a gift. I didn't want to tell you until it was ready." If she'd gotten any quieter he wouldn't have heard her at all.
"You have completely overstepped yourself in so many ways here." Hiei shot her a look of reproach. "I can't even begin to count the ways, actually. First, you go and you bring on an apprentice so you can duck your duties. I find out you've been hiring and firing cooks with more frequency than you change your clothes. You're traipsing around my lands without checking in. You're not even bothering to request leave or explain your absences ahead of time. You're orchestrating large scale events without telling me. I am catching shit from all sides because you just do whatever you want. And they're not wrong, Amon. They aren't."
She went quiet and Hiei worried he might push her back into an episode so he calmed his tone.
"Amon, I need more to work with than a party." He finished, deflated.
"Understood but please, at least give it a chance to be a success sire." She begged him finally. "Please."
Please, sir, please. Hiei felt bile rising in his throat and he had to swallow the bitterness down.
"You are to check in with me every day from now on, Amon. Every. Day. You will detail my schedule and then you will detail yours so I know what you are up to. And you will not lie to me. I don't want you to lie to me." He let his arms fall to his sides as he stared at her. "You are not to commit to staff changes without consulting me. If you need time off, you will tell me in advance and you will tell me why, where you are planning on going, and when you intend to be back. This is my castle and my kingdom and you are not the one who gets to run either."
Despite his demands and his tone, she offered him a small smile. "Be careful sire, you're beginning to sound like a king."
He shifted his attention away to digest that statement.
"Lunch will be served soon, I'd like to change to be more presentable." She requested timidly. "May I be dismissed?"
"Yes." Hiei squinted at his thoughts before rolling his attention back to her. "Fix your head. If those bandages aren't off by lunch every goddamn dignitary in this place will see you dragged from the hall by your scruff so that I can personally throw you back into a hospital bed until a doctor clears you. Am I understood?"
"Yes sir. I understand."
The castle was abuzz with noise and chatter when the three men crossed into the main hall. Kurama looked around with eyebrows high on his forehead. Yusuke let out a loud, long whistle and then laughed brightly. Kuwabara nodded his dumbstruck agreement.
"Place has cleaned up nice." The carrot top admitted.
"Don't mess this up." A small voice earned their attention, causing them to assess a young demon near them. Dressed to the nines the child couldn't have been older than fourteen. His curly green hair framed his face, highlighting his bright, large eyes. His rabbit ears went from drooping to standing up, one twisting toward them. Then he straightened and brought a white gloved hand to his mouth, coughing lightly. Shaking into himself he flashed them all a cheerful smile.
"Thank you for coming to Alaric. My name is Benji, I'm here to see you to your rooms." He gestured with one hand to the staircase on the far side of the room. "Your luggage will be taken up for you."
"Benji?" Kurama looked to the other two. "Apologies. We've been in contact with someone whose initials are A.S. on behalf of Hiei."
"King Hiei." Benji bobbed his head in correction. "Yes. You probably spoke to Amon."
"Amon?" Yusuke raised an eyebrow.
"Yes." Benji explained. "Amon serves the king."
"Okay kid, that's cool. But we sort of came to see our friend so." Yusuke went to move around Benji who squeaked and then dodged to stop him. "Hey."
"I am sorry but my orders were pretty clear. This is my first really important thing to do." Benji swallowed. "Can you please let me show you to your rooms so I can tell you when lunch is? Amon didn't say anything about letting you find any friends."
"Yusuke, let's humor him." Kurama suggested with a warm smile. "He's trying to do his job."
"Alright fine, but when we're done you're going to tell us where the shrimp is hiding." Yusuke squinted at the boy.
Large eyes darted to the side in thought and then, very carefully, Benji responded. "We keep all the food in the kitchen. I can bring you some if you want."
Kuwabara laughed before bringing a large palm down against Benji's crown, ruffling his carefully tamed curls. "This kid is hilarious. I like him already."
"You're the human." Benji breathed out, starry eyed. "You're bigger than I thought you'd be. I thought humans were small."
"Not this giant." Yusuke frowned at his tall friend. "You never seen a human before, huh?"
"Oh no." Benji grimaced, fidgeting. "I wasn't supposed to say that. I'm supposed to act like I've seen a million. It's rude otherwise. Can't be rude to the king's guests. Just, take them to their rooms on the second floor and inform them what time lunch will be. That's all."
He sunk in his shoulders under their scrutiny.
"If Amon asks about this please don't say how excited I got." He begged them.
"This Amon must one hell of a scary guy." Yusuke made a face. "Bullying a kid like this. Show me to him, kid. I'll set him straight."
Benji stared at him for a moment then couldn't help but giggle. "I'm sorry Mr. Urameshi, but I wouldn't put my money on you."
Kurama pulled back and shot Kuwabara a look, humor lacing the curve of his lips as Yusuke fussed about how no one could beat him. The commotion earned a few glances and whispers and then a voice calmly broke through the noise.
"I thought you were going to assist our guests to their rooms, Benji."
The three men and teenage boy all turned and looked to the staircase where Amon had stopped midway down. Her hair was pulled away from her face by three braids on either side of her head which met in the back to form a thick plait which hung down her back. Her high-collared crimson shirt bore only one long-sleeve that cuffed at the wrist, the other sleeve missing to reveal her arm covered in tattoos from shoulder to wrist. Both of her hands were shielded by black leather gloves. Over her shirt lay a collar of chainmail against her throat at least three inches tall. The shirt was tucked into high-waisted black pants that flattered her waist and hips in a way her normal clothing did not. She began to walk down the stairs and when she stepped to the ground they could all see that her pants were tucked into knee high black boots.
Benji's eyes lit up for a moment before he twitched and started to fidget under her gaze. "I tried really hard but they weren't listening."
"Your job is to politely make them listen. You can't force them, of course, but you can persuade. I heard you try, you did very well. I should have warned you that they were the king's personal friends. Naturally they'd have to be a little strong-willed." She stopped in front of him and then wrinkled her nose. "You've somehow managed to upset your collar. How did you do that? It's half up and half down."
She smoothed it out and then tugged on his jacket for him.
"I'm sorry, you are?" Kurama interrupted.
Blue eyes blinked as Amon turned to look him in the eye. "How rude of me, my apologies." She swept into a deep bow, one hand on her stomach and the other at her side before she rose. "I am Amon, the king's personal attendant. I believe we were writing to one another."
"Wait, you're Amon?" Yusuke demanded. He turned to Benji. "This is the guy you're afraid of? The one you think could beat me?"
"Benji!" Amon admonished quickly.
"I didn't say that!" He defended. "I said I wouldn't put my money on Mr. Urameshi winning against you, that's all. And I never said I was scared of you Miss Amon. I just didn't want to mess this up. It's really important."
"It is. This has to go well." Amon agreed, pursing her lips before releasing any sign of disturbance. She turned her attention back to their guests. "I know that you are here to see the king, but that time is not yet here so if you would please follow my apprentice to your rooms I'd be grateful. The king will be joining us for lunch shortly. It won't be formal so feel free to wear what you'd like. I've crafted a special menu that I hope will be to your tastes."
"Yeah, so the big guy-" Yusuke thumbed toward Kuwabara who had clammed up at Amon's entrance.
"Naturally, I have taken into consideration the health and well-being of our human guest. It's an honor to meet you Mr. Kuwabara." She bowed again. "I've selected a particular menu just for you. We imported some exquisite selections of human world cuisine for you to enjoy. I've also taken the precaution of placing several air purifying plants in your room and throughout the castle to be sure the environment is as hospitable as possible. If you need anything do not hesitate to summon myself or Benji and we will resolve any issues promptly."
"She set up all your rooms herself so they're extra nice. Amon is the best at what she does." Benji boasted, earning a sigh from the woman's lips. "Sorry."
"It's alright." Amon told him but she sounded mildly strained. "Benji, please take our guests to their rooms. I have to go and double check some details." She smiled at the men but none of them missed the implicit demand in her soft tone. "I'm certain these gentleman are ready to follow you now."
She walked away toward the kitchen with a quick nod of her head and Benji hurriedly went for the stairs, ushering everyone to follow him. As they ascended to the second floor Kuwabara nudged Kurama.
"That's Hiei's assistant? I thought it was a dude." He kept his voice low. "I didn't expect that."
"Neither did I." Kurama admitted. "This will be interesting to see."
"You guys talking about the fact that Hiei is holed up in a castle with a hot redhead?" Yusuke dropped back to mutter with them. "Because I'm beginning to see why he hasn't felt the need to reach out, y'know? Did you see that chick?"
"Don't call her a chick, you're not twelve." Kuwabara rolled his eyes. "That was a woman."
"Oh great, you're back on your bullshit. That's nice." Yusuke joked.
"Shut up."
Amon paced outside the banquet hall doors, having closed them behind her after she initiated lunch. The guests had gotten a little restless waiting for the chair at the head of the table to be filled so she'd made up an excuse for the king's tardiness and ordered the appetizers to be served. Her pulse hammered under her skin, sweat forming on the back of her neck. She tried to get her breathing under control.
What if he hated it?
What if he didn't show up?
What if this was her last act as his assistant and it was a total failure and therefore so was she, despite her best efforts to make this all work and to do something nice?
"You look ill."
Amon jumped at the sound of the king's voice near her. He reached for her head and she stepped back without thinking, offering a soft but heartfelt, "No!"
His hand paused in the air, eyes pinching. Slowly he lowered the appendage. His eyes swept over her, head to toe and a new kind of anxiety grew in her stomach. What if he hated the way she looked? He'd suggested he'd like to see her in something more feminine before. This was a fair compromise she thought. The way he took in her tattoos made her want to hide her skin but she didn't. It was the slow raking of his eyes over the details that made her scared. What was he seeing?
He'd never forbidden her from altering her appearance, but were tattoos too much?
"I can change." She blurted out. "If this isn't appropriate attire, I can change back into-"
"You fixed your head." Hiei moved his attention to her head. There was a faint white line where the gash had been. "Finally."
Was that all he had to say about anything? A comment about her head? Nothing about her clothing? About the pristine state of the castle? He'd never seen her like this before, did he simply not care? Was his opinion so harsh he felt it better not to speak where guests could hear? She should change.
This had to go smoothly.
It had to.
She needed it to.
"You told me to." She reminded him, shoulders sinking slightly. "You commanded me to."
"Still, it's nice to know you listened." He shrugged. Then he assessed her again.
She waited for him to comment on her outfit, her hair, anything that she had changed about herself. He didn't.
"What's it look like in there?" He asked instead, nodding to the doors.
"It's all going to plan." She nodded, trying to settle herself. Still, her tongue wet her lips and she had to breathe out slowly. "They're waiting for you."
"I've only entertained visitors from one region at a time so far." He reminded her brusquely. "Now I have an entire world to greet. I can't say I'm a fan of the feeling."
She hadn't even thought of it that way. "Do you want me to introduce you?"
"No, that seems pretentious even to me." He wrinkled his nose. "I'm just going to go in, take my seat and eat. This is my home, I shouldn't be made to feel strange in it for someone else's comfort."
He pushed open the doors and marched to his seat at the head of the table but paused when everyone got to their feet.
"Sit down." He demanded, rolling his eyes. They all listened and he wondered if he could wield that power for evil. Amon closed the doors quietly, nodding to a member of the serving staff to offer him some appetizers.
The room was filled with faces, most of them familiar only in the way that one recognizes those they see infrequently through no special circumstance. Mukuro had met with some of these people. Or she'd surveiled them. No one of much consequence in his opinion. Until a voice froze him in place, his eyes wide and breath a hiss.
"You're twenty minutes late for your own lunch, Your Highness." Yusuke grumbled from his seat. "What sort of bullshit power move is that?"
Hiei was on his feet in a blur, his chair hitting the ground behind him as he pinned Yusuke with his glare. "What the fuck are you doing here?"
"We came to see you. Duh." Yusuke offered in return, nonplussed about the vehement attitude he was receiving.
Amon sucked in a breathe, mouth opening slightly. With a quick motion she signaled for the waitstaff to serve the next course but kept her eyes on the king. When a server moved toward him she shook her head just barely. No. She'd handle that.
"Sire." Amon approached him cautiously. "They're your guests."
"How?" He growled at her, seething. "How are they here?"
"Please calm down." She urged him quietly. "Sir, you're not under attack."
"I might as well be." He lowered his voice to match hers, though his radiated hostility. "What are they doing here, Amon?"
"They came to see you. Celebrate you." She held his eyes with her own. Even if she'd wanted to shout she'd have been unable as her throat constricted.
"No." He shook his head. "Absolutely not."
"I thought so." Kurama muttered to his friends. "He didn't invite us. She did."
"Well good, someone should've." Yusuke declared with a huff.
"You?" Hiei spun around to face Amon who skittered back. "How did you even know where to find them?"
"Sir, I-"
"I cut them out for a reason, Amon. I don't need them here! I didn't want them here!" His voice raised and then he let out a breathe and closed his eyes. "What would possess you to do this?"
"I did it because," she had to fight to stay firm in her stance because what she wanted to do was apologize. But she couldn't, "sire, they are here for you in ways I cannot be. Please. They care about you. Let them be here for you."
"No." Hiei told her hotly. "No. No. No."
"Well." Amon swallowed and smoothed her hands over her clothes in a show of bravado she did not actually feel. Finally, even though she trembled slightly she looked him in the eyes. "They are not leaving, sir."
"Then I will." Hiei yanked the doors open and slammed them shut behind him. The sound echoed in the hall and through the banquet room.
Amon closed her eyes, held up her gloved hand and kept herself as steady as she could. "Main course was due on plates three minutes ago. We aren't running a self-serve kitchen."
The staff jumped into action at the sound of her voice.
Her head felt light, her body weak. Blinking she fought back the wave of exhaustion that tried to beat at her. She didn't have time for that. She had a lunch to run. Shakily, she lifted her hand to her face for a moment then dropped it and squared herself. Turning to face the murmuring sea of faces who had all seen the king's emotional meltdown she offered a measured smile.
It was time to do some damage control.
Hiei stormed out of the castle without even thinking of where he might be going. Usually he would head underground into the caverns to let out his anger in a tangible way. Yusuke and the others would expect that from him, they'd look there first. He didn't want to encounter them. So he headed through the gates and onto the street. A few demons scurried away from his glower but he ignored them as he always did.
He didn't have a choice, actually, he had to ignore them because he was too engrossed in examining the change the city had undergone.
The streets were lined with vendors, full of people in all states of dress. Lanterns were strung from roof to roof, trails of them crossing the street. He bet that once night fell they'd bathe the entire city in a warm glow. It would be such an unusual sight.
A festival, the likes of which the territory had never seen.
Hiei began to walk again his anger moving to make room for curiosity as he trailed through the streets to study the different vendors. To make note of all the faces. Voices spoke happily around him, everyone eager for the celebration to begin. People talked of Mukuro and her reign. They talked of him, and how he'd changed things.
It wasn't him, he wanted to shout. It was all Amon. This was all her doing, her fault, her accomplishment. He kept himself quiet. In the city center he stopped, eyes glued to the looming statue of his predecessor, a bronze sculpture eerie for it's likeness that had been raised without his knowledge. Like Mukuro, it was larger than life. All around the statue's base and gathered over those metallic slippered feet sat offerings and flowers.
From all the others who remembered her.
His chest felt tight as he raised his attention to the sculpture's face. Seeing it reminded him of her being gone, but also of her being there. Of the last time he saw those eyes, that hair. Of how she always ruined his mood with her teasing.
"I hope you're proud of yourself." He muttered to her, furious at the fact his anger was ebbing away so steadily.
Amon had done this. All of it. She'd made this stupid statue, she'd organized this whole affair, and for what? So he wouldn't be alone? So the entire damn land would have to suffer with him? She'd invited the people he wanted to see the least so they'd be there to see him weak again. He could practically feel Yusuke's hand on his shoulder. The memory felt so real he shrugged away from the phantom touch. His fury collapsed inward as he realized he'd missed that idiot too.
Amon had no right to do this to him.
And yet, he couldn't help but appreciate all of the effort this must have taken. Everything around him sang of her precision and care.
He hadn't asked for this.
He'd never be able to repay her.
The kitchen remained quiet in the wake of the lunch as Amon scrutinized everyone present. It wasn't just the cooks, but the entire staff. Everyone who had served the food, who had made it, who had scrubbed the floors and set up the rooms. Her eyes bounced from face to face. Then she wet her lips so she could begin talking.
"You all did amazingly. Thank you. I could see your hard work in every aspect of the food, the serving. Without you this would have been a disaster. I know I am often unbearable, but please know that I do appreciate you. This is a token of my thanks. This week will be hard for us all, demanding, but I know we'll all rise to the occasion." She told them all before nodding to Benji to begin passing out small envelopes to each person. "This castle is carried on all of our backs, but yours most of all. I do see that. Despite my tantrums and my controlling nature, I really do see."
"Amon, did the king permit this?" Marielle asked, wide dark raising from the money she found inside the envelope.
"No. This isn't from him. It's from me. My savings. I wanted to show my personal appreciation." She explained. "As a thank you. I don't need his permission for this."
"Amon-" She shook her head then looked around at all the surprised faces surrounding her. "This is too much. This generosity shouldn't come from you."
"And yet it has." Amon smiled at her but it lacked focus. "Please continue to work hard, everyone. If you have any questions find me and I'll direct you as best as possible."
She offered another wan flash of a smile then turned to leave. Benji called for her, clutching a final envelope. "You made too many, Miss Amon."
"No, that one is for you." She assured him then left him to dwell with the others. Her feet steered her to a quiet room that went unused a floor above. She didn't have time to stop and rest, but she could at least catch her breath and close her eyes for just a few moments.
It had been a long sleepless few weeks running through the final details. She just had to get through this week and then she could get back to her schedule.
Just one week.
She'd held out for longer.
When she left the room to go about making sure the dinner preparations were underway Marielle came over with a plate of food, trying to shove it into her hands.
"I'm too busy, I don't have time to eat right now." Amon shook her head, gently pushing the plate back. "Thank you for your consideration all the same."
"Amon, no one saw you eat during the lunch. Or during the staff lunches before or after." Marielle frowned at her. "You haven't been joining the king for meals either."
"I'm fine."
"When was the last time you ate?" She pressed. "Someone said you looked unsteady earlier."
"I don't have time for that right now. I have to keep this festival on track. I have to organize the meals, the guests, the events. I have to keep the king from exploding on his friends." Amon closed her eyes as stress stabbed her as a sharp pain in the side of the head. "I have a lot to do."
"You need to take a break and take care of yourself." Marielle protested. "You're going to run yourself into an early grave."
"I'm fine." Amon repeated. "Marielle you are very sweet, but you do not have to worry about me. You do not have to force some value onto my life all of the sudden."
"What?"
"This is all I am. It's what I'm good at." Amon stressed to her. "I can't survive out there anymore, Marielle. I can't. This has to go well. If it doesn't, if I am forced to leave… This is the only home I have. I have nowhere else to go."
"Amon, I don't think that will happen."
"Without this job I am nothing. I might as well be sent back to the gallows." Amon inhaled sharply, exhaled then got to her feet. "I have to get back to work." She straightened herself and her clothes. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine. Just a little stressed. Everything will be fine as long as I can make everything go as planned."
Hiei tried to slink back into the castle unnoticed but he made it no farther than the first flight of stairs before a voice called him out.
"Done with your bullshit tantrum?" Yusuke wondered dully.
Hiei spun around to face him, fists at his sides. Yusuke regarded him with his arms crossed over his chest. For a moment they just stood staring at one another.
"It's nice to know that being a king hasn't made you outgrow being a complete asshole when you're angry." The other announced. "You made quite an impression earlier today. You should have seen that girl trying to cover for you. She's a straight up miracle worker."
"What girl?" Hiei demanded hotly. "I didn't ask anyone to cover for me."
"You know, the red head. Amon."
"What the hell has she done now?" Hiei rolled his eyes shaking his head.
"She made everyone think you were less than a total dick. You should pay her more." Yusuke informed him with a snort.
"You should leave." Red eyes narrowed on him. "I didn't ask you to come here. I never would have. I don't want you idiots here in my halls with your stupid notions that we're friends. I don't need you here."
"She seemed to think differently." Yusuke rolled his eyes then. "Kurama was right, there's not going to be any talking to you until you decide to talk but we both know that you'll never want to talk, Hiei. You've never been the one to reach out. I'm not going to stop trying to help you."
"What's the fucking point?" Hiei demanded taking a few steps forward. "What can you possibly help me with? You can't bring Mukuro back. You can't make a good king. You can't save me from this bullshit existence. You need to face the fact that you're useless in this situation. You have nothing to offer that I can't do myself."
"You're right. I can't do any of those things. All I can do is be there for you. Be the voice of reason."
"I don't care about-"
"I can be the voice that asks if you're really the kind of guy who shouts at a woman in front of like, fifty people, all because she tried to help you." Yusuke stepped toward Hiei gesturing. "Because that was sure as hell not a classy thing to do."
"Amon doesn't need you mounting her defense." Hiei stopped, nostrils flaring. "She doesn't need your help anymore than I do."
"She needs someone's because she was obviously terrified of you." Yusuke's accusation hit him right in the raw spot of Amon's episode.
"No she isn't." Hiei growled. Kurama and Kuwabara crept out of their rooms at the sound of voices, eyes taking in the scene without interjecting. "Amon isn't scared of me. She has no reason to be."
"She fucking flinched when you yelled dude. She was shaking. Did you really not see that?" Those brown eyes drove a spike into Hiei's resolve. "Talk of the town is that you beat the shit out of her the other day."
"No. They're wrong." Hiei shook his head vehemently. "I have never struck Amon in anger. We spar. I would never put my hands on her otherwise."
"Feeling defensive?" Yusuke squinted.
"You cannot come into my home and accuse me of battering my staff." Hiei hissed. "You have no right."
It took a second, but he gathered his temper and pushed it down. Hiei closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I don't owe you an explanation." He finally decided.
"She let us know you were doing well." Kurama's voice rose from behind Yusuke. "When she wrote to Yusuke the first time. She made sure to tell us that you were okay, as though she knew how worried we were about you. I thought was odd at the time, but after meeting her I think it's fitting. You would have never told a proxy to inform us of your well being. She just knew that we'd want to hear it."
Hiei studied him for a moment, then looked toward the stairs. "Yeah, well, Amon is good at that sort of thing. Reading people."
"I know you don't want us here." Yusuke relented, softening after Kurama's intrusion. "But look, I'm glad we came. I just wanted to see you with my own eyes, y'know?"
"I suppose I might understand the urge." Hiei admitted. "It's still idiotic. I'm fine. I'm always fine."
"You weren't." Kuwabara reminded gently.
"It's not unusual." Hiei grumbled. "To be less than okay when someone you know dies."
"That's true." Kurama smiled. "All things considered I actually think you've handled things quite well."
"Did Amon feed you that line?" Hiei snorted, rolling his eyes. "Because I definitely wasn't handling things well at first."
"No, she hasn't really spoken with us outside of our arrival. She did make quite the impression though." Kurama admitted. "She seems dedicated."
"And hot." Yusuke nodded then wiggled his eyebrows at Hiei. "I didn't expect that. Did you ask for a headshot before hiring her or what?"
"Amon was brought here because I got bored and sentimental one day, not because of her looks. She didn't even look like a woman at the time. I certainly didn't know she would be so efficient." Hiei glared. "She's good at what she does, so she stays."
"We'd like to stay, Hiei. To see this week through. Even if you don't want us spending it with you it's still quite the privilege to be here." Kurama spoke up again. "And if you decide you do want to see us, we're here."
"Yeah, honestly who even cares if we hang out? This place is amazing. Never seen anything like it." Kuwabara's comment earned a chuckle from Kurama. "I'm glad this is my first real dip into Demon World."
Hiei nodded, his thoughts roaming away from the conversation before snapping back when Yusuke put a hand on his shoulder.
"You look good by the way." He complimented with a quick nod.
"Thanks." Hiei accepted, offering nothing else as they filtered back to their rooms. He was left with the strangest sense of relief and loss. He was full of contradictions it seemed. With less rage he went back to climbing the stairs. He wanted to find Amon to talk about all of this. Yusuke's words irked him because they were correct. He had made a fool of Amon in front of everyone, and she had been skittish in reaction. Small. Quiet. Not like herself.
Her episode was still too fresh to him and the fear that he'd drive her into another clawed at his mind.
He would find her and discuss this. Resolve it.
Hiei found Amon on the roof, sitting on the edge with one leg dangling over, the other knee pulled up acting as a rest for her arm while she studied the scene beyond. The red glow of the sundown had been replaced with golden light, the lanterns strung throughout the city streets painting everything a soft, warm shade. She didn't immediately react to his presence so he walked over to her, coming to sit at her side.
"Marielle didn't know where you were." He began. "I had to hunt for you."
"I suppose I did make myself difficult to find." Amon's cool voice came to him. "A moment of guilty pleasure, unfortunately. I just wanted to see what it looked like from up here."
Hiei nodded and traced the skyline with his eyes. Silence lapsed between them. He decided then was the best moment to breach the subject he held tightly in his chest. He wanted to try to do this in a way that led to the least damage as possible. It seemed like there had already been so much in recent weeks.
"You shouldn't have sprung them on me." Hiei told her quietly. "You wouldn't want me doing this to you. You wouldn't be happy if I dropped you into a room full of people from your past."
"Everyone from my past wants me dead." She told him, withdrawn. "It would be a reprieve to be reunited with them at the moment."
"I don't like when you talk like that." He warned.
"Then I fear I have nothing to say that you'd like to hear as I'm feeling rather melancholic at the moment."
Hiei stared at the side of her face for a few seconds before realizing she wasn't going to look at him. "Which form did I sign giving you the funds to give the staff a bonus?"
"You didn't sign anything." She assured him, eyes on the warm glow of the festivities below. "I paid them out of my own pocket."
"What?" The word fell so quickly and violently from his mouth that she was forced to close her eyes again. He pulled himself back. "What do you mean? How could you afford to do that?"
"You pay me handsomely. Far more than I'm worth, in all honesty. My needs are minimal here. I'm sitting atop a small fortune."
"Why would you just give it away?"
"Because they all worked so hard on this." She sighed, deflating, and she didn't seem to gain anything back after she released the breath. "They did an amazing job. Everything was perfect. I wanted them to know that I appreciated it, that I saw their hard work. I'm hard on the staff, my standards are high and exacting but they outdid me. I'm proud of them."
Hiei waited a few minutes, feeling the gap between them growing farther and deeper than it had ever been before. Finally, he looked over the horizon too. "The city looks nice. I know that wasn't all you, but you inspired it. I've never seen it so full of light."
"They're happy." She told him distantly. "It's a lovely thing to be apart of."
"Are you?" He asked quietly.
"On the edges, I am." Amon agreed. "Only on the edges."
"No, I mean, are you happy?" He amended his question.
"I knew what you meant." She glanced at his face and then got to her feet. "There's work to do."
His hand reached out and took hold of hers while he remained seated, forcing her to hunch over or pry herself from his grip. Her eyes trailed to his, finding his expression caught and open in a way she'd never seen before. The glow of golden light colored his face like a soft sunset might. It meant the shadows were deeper where they lay but they didn't seem quite so important right then. She forgot to move as she looked into his crimson eyes.
"Seeing them," he explained and had to fight the words because they didn't want to come, "seeing them is hard for me, Amon. They were there, at the end. With me. I don't like what they saw."
She didn't speak.
"I shouldn't have yelled at you, especially in front of a room full of others. I should have pulled you aside." He went on in the best way of apologizing that he knew. His grip on her hand tightened. "I was startled."
"You don't owe me an apology." She told him calmly. "You don't need to explain yourself to me."
He studied her face, squinting slightly as she pulled her hand free. She reversed their grips so that his hand was carefully held in her own. Her lips brushed his knuckles and it sent a jolt through his entire frame.
"Apologizing to the staff makes you look weak." She dropped his hand and pulled away. Her voice hadn't changed, it remained quiet but removed. A chasm he desperately wanted to cross. "Don't want to give your visitors the wrong impression, m'lord."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" He shot to his feet and was in front of the door leading down to the roof access stairs, blocking her escape route. "I'm trying to apologize to you!"
"To what end?" She wondered. "Sire, you are a king. My feelings, my work should mean nothing to you unless it is wrong and causes you some sort of problem. I should be invisible. A shadow always there but never noticed. That is my role and I have not been sticking to it."
"Obviously, because if you were my shadow I wouldn't have to search for you." He narrowed his eyes.
"Sire." Amon stepped back from him, a careful head shake moving her hair. "I do not want this. I do not want your apology, it only confuses me. It's unnecessary."
"Well, I want to give it." He challenged. "I want to tell you that I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I want to tell you that I feel guilty for it. That I appreciate what you were trying to do, but my god did you go about it the wrong way. I understand, Amon. I wouldn't have said yes. And fine, maybe it's good those three idots are here, okay? But it should have been my choice to see them again. Not yours."
Amon swallowed, scouring him and his reaction. The way he blocked her path with his body, thrusting himself into her way once again.
"What were you thinking?" He demanded, urging her to answer him.
Amon rolled her lips and reached into her pocket, pulling out a worn letter. She unfolded it and read over the words one last time before handing it to him. Hiei accepted it cautiously, refusing to move too far away from the door lest she trick him and try to run for it.
"I was thinking that you deserved to be happy." She told him, her voice watery. "I was so overwhelmed with the love in that letter I couldn't stop thinking about it. Those men, they care about you. Truly, deeply. I just wanted you to have that. To feel it. To see it. I just wanted you to be happy."
"You got that from this?" He gestured with the letter. "This is just Yusuke being his usual, dumb, obnoxious self."
"Maybe." She nodded. "Or it could be the most recent in a string of letters he never stopped sending even though you never answered. Letters that kept coming to let you know they would always come. That he was there for you even when you didn't want him. That he was just a few pen strokes away."
"You see too deeply into things."
"No, you saw it too. That's why you didn't destroy it like the others." Her calling him out made him go still, lifting his eyes to meet her exhausted gaze with some sense of fear that she knew. She knew. "I'm your shadow, sire. I see far more than you realize I do."
"I didn't want them here."
"I know."
"You invited them anyway."
"I'm not sorry." She assured him. "Sire, if I died tomorrow you could replace me in a week, a month tops. You'd get another completely capable servant who memorized your schedule, your likes, your dislikes, one who was far more obedient than I am. One your generals never had to question."
"No." He protested.
His chest emptied of air as gloved fingers brushed down his cheek to come under his chin, forcing him to look up into eyes so blue, so shadowed in the darkness with the light behind Amon's body, that they looked empty and black. He hadn't seen her move. Hadn't heard her.
"You could." She promised. "But you cannot replace those men. You've been trying to, but nothing fits. So I am not sorry for inviting them in your name."
He wanted to lean into her touch but stopped himself. This was the closest they'd been in what felt like ages. He hadn't realized how important her proximity to him had grown. Instead he let his eyes open, knew they glowed like embers as they bore into hers.
"Sometimes I hate you for the way you see through me." He informed her gruffly.
"More often than that I assuredly deserve it." She nodded.
"You've been acting off since you woke up in the hospital," he accused. "This didn't help. You're so far away, Amon. I can hear it in your voice. You're going to go back to that dream where you think I want to hurt you."
"I won't."
"You can't control it." He reminded her.
"Neither can you."
"No but I can watch." He argued. "I don't want you wandering the halls like a phantom, losing yourself to horrid memories. You need to be where I can watch you."
"I don't understand." Amon blinked, retracting.
"You'll sleep in my room tonight so I can watch over you." He demanded. "I'll sleep in the window. It's fine. I just don't want anything happening to you."
His words drove a spike of heat through her heart, parting her lips as the sweet, searing pain of it forced the breath from her lungs. "That doesn't seem necessary."
"It is not up to you to decide what is necessary when I've just commanded you to do something." Hiei informed her, working his voice to be a little harsh. "I can't have you slipping into some damn dream when you've got so much to do. I sure as hell can't have you beating someone to death when we're surrounded by dignitaries."
"I shouldn't have protested." She averted her attention from his ferocious gaze. Her touch dropped away. "You're right, it's not for me to decide. I'll be in your room tonight, as you've commanded. May I attend to some other matters first? This event requires my constant attention."
"Fine." He moved out of her way, the letter crinkling as he balled his fingers into a first.
"Thank you." She bowed her head shallowly and then disappeared through the door.
Hiei stayed behind, confused at his own actions. He had no idea what the hell he was trying to do, much less how to proceed. Demanding Amon sleep in his room was foolish at best. The talk would be insufferable tomorrow. He just…he just needed to be sure she was alright. That's all it was. She couldn't function if she went into a fit and he was the only one who had been there for both so he was the resident expert.
He'd keep her grounded.
At least, he'd try.