Chapter 32: Thin Ice

Yukina pushed the bolt into place, barring the door of the deity's lonely prison. She wiped the moisture from her cheeks and took a deep breath.

She hadn't been sure what she would see when she entered the room. She'd half-expected to see the fox Shuichi sleeping on the dirty floor, though her aunt had told her that she'd forced the god to shed his false form.

There was no fox. Instead, there was a rather pretty young man in the cage. He'd looked tired, a bit bothered, and a little ruffled, but certainly not as if he'd been treated badly.

Not like the cat goddess. Yukina silently prayed that Lord Kurama/Shuichi would not meet the same fate. From Yukina's point of view, far too many had. Maybe the deities didn't deserve their powers or immortality, but they also didn't deserve to die so horribly.

How much did he understand about the situation he'd found himself tied up in? He certainly knew that it involved Princess Keiko, so Aunt Rui must have told him something.

Or maybe the god had suspicions right from the beginning. That would explain why he had embedded himself in Princess Keiko's household and why he had disguised himself as a fox. Maybe he had been watching them the entire time.

If that were the case, then it was likely that Aunt Rui would not release him even if her machinations led to her desired outcome.

Yukina edged a little closer to the wall, eyeing the shadows with unease. Thinking about such distressing possibilities made her stomach feel like a boat tossed about in the midst of a wild storm.

Was all of this her fault? Should she have embraced her aunt's plan rather than resist it? If she'd made more of an effort to attract Prince Yusuke...

If the wedding had been called off earlier, this would already be over. Princess Keiko would be fine. Her aunt would never have kidnapped the fox god. She might never even have killed the other deity.

Yukina walked down the dim, silent hall, clutching her lantern. Her steps were audible on the unfurnished, cold floor. The only other sounds were the fabric of her clothes rustling and her breaths chilling the air. Deep below the ground, this level of the palace was never used anymore, though Yukina had learned it had once housed prisoners. Apparently, according to some of the nobles Yukina had asked, anyone who was convicted of a crime in recent years had always been sent to the front lines of battle rather than the dungeons.

The strategy seemed a bit ruthless and risky to Yukina, but she supposed she could see Tourin's reasons for it. Why allow fit, perfectly healthy men to waste away like flowers without sun in a dark cell when you were fighting a brutal war and needed every able-bodied man to hold back the enemy?

Yukina had asked about the women and been informed that they were usually sent to the camps to look after the soldiers, a task Yukina didn't envy them. Even if those women were never expected to fight, just being so close to the conflicted territories was dangerous.

But what would Tourin do with its lawbreakers now that the war was over? Most of the nobles Yukina had asked had shrugged helplessly. Both kingdoms had much to consider beyond the borders of the newly-inked peace treaty.

As Yukina came into sight of a set of stairs, she heard someone approaching down them.

There was nowhere to hide, and no point in trying. If she looked shifty, that would clue the person in that she was up to something. She didn't have an excuse for being down here, but facing the person with confidence was preferable to giving away everything immediately.

But she didn't have to worry. Her aunt came into view, her own lantern casting a circle of light around her as she stopped in front of Yukina.

"What are you doing down here, Yukina?" she asked. "You'll get your kimono dirty."

Yukina glanced down at herself. Her kimono was already dusty. She brushed at it nervously.

In contrast, her aunt's kimono was perfectly clean. Either she had changed recently or she had not been to see the prisoner that day. How long had Lord Kurama been left to suffer in the dark? Yukina wished that she could have left her lantern for him, but then her aunt would have realised that she'd been there and asked her about her reasons for the visit.

Though that was a moot point now. Her aunt obviously knew that she'd been to visit Lord Kurama.

Aunt Rui waited for a response, but years of experience had taught Yukina that, when it came to her aunt, it was best not to say anything. Trying to explain her behaviour would only get her into deeper trouble.

"You're a foolish child," Aunt Rui said, in response to Yukina's silence. "Can't you see that I'm doing all of this for you? We already have a power that rivals the deities'. Eventually, we will have their immortality as well. The gods will no longer be above us. You would be an immortal queen ruling over an empire that spans the world."

Yukina still said nothing. She looked down at her aunt's shoes.

Aunt Rui let out an audible sigh. "Go and clean yourself up," she said.

Yukina walked past her and up the stairs. Aunt Rui followed her, as if she intended to ensure that Yukina did exactly that.

Had she only came down to this level to find her niece? The thought made Yukina's heart curl into a small ball. Her aunt knew her perhaps a little too well. She needed to be very cautious from now on and think about her actions carefully if she had any chance at all of saving Princess Keiko.

Was the god right? Did this mysterious person have the power to save Keiko? Was there any power at all that could thwart her aunt?

Yukina had to spend several hours in her aunt's company before she was finally free to pursue her plan. With her aunt kept occupied by some of Tourin's nobility, Yukina decided to head in the direction of Princess Keiko's rooms. She hadn't entirely made up her mind yet about who to approach to fetch Lord Kurama's ally for her.

Prince Yusuke? The bold prince would do it, for certain. But how could she get him alone to ask him? She had no doubt that a private meeting between them would seem suspicious, particularly since the princess's illness.

Keiko's parents? They would snatch at any chance to save their daughter, no matter how suspicious. Yet the same problem applied to them. They were never alone. They were always by their daughter's side.

So that left… who? A random guard or noble? Could Yukina trust them to fetch the man while keeping her involvement a secret?

For that matter, would Lord Kurama's ally even come at all? Perhaps being approached by a guard would frighten him off?

Time was running out for Keiko. Yukina had to come to a decision soon, but her options were dwindling as each she considered was discarded like shavings from an ice sculpture.

Yukina veered off-course before she actually reached Keiko's rooms. She had only visited the princess once. She couldn't bear to see her new friend looking so pale and cold again.

Had anyone thought to remove the hyruski necklace yet? Would it make any difference at all at this point?

Yukina paced anxiously down the hall. The sunlight was dying, causing the hallway to look almost unearthly. Her aunt would miss her at dinner, but as she'd skipped several meals recently, no one would think anything of it.

"Hey. You lost?"

Yukina jumped at the unexpected voice. A shadow stepped into view. It resolved itself into the slender form of a familiar woman.

"Oh!" Yukina exclaimed, taking in Lady Shizuru's strange outfit. The lady's clothes always fascinated Yukina. This outfit was almost indistinguishable from the uniforms the guards wore, though obviously tailored to fit Shizuru's measurements.

"I'm not lost, Lady Shizuru," she said. She had often found herself lost during her first few days in the palace, but she felt that now she had a good grasp on the layout of the place.

Shizuru's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Yet you seem to have something on your mind," she said. "Something quite serious, judging from the expression on your face."

Yukina's eyes dropped to the floor. She'd had years to master her emotions. To cultivate a solid, impenetrable mask. It was necessary around her aunt. But Lady Shizuru was an unusually perceptive person. She had seen right through it.

"I am worried about Princess Keiko," Yukina admitted. A true statement, though it covered only a fraction of Yukina's worries.

Shizuru's expression softened just a little. "Yeah," she said. "Poor kid."

Yukina glanced around them, noting how still and silent the hall was. She hadn't planned for things to go this way, but she couldn't let such a good opportunity pass. Shizuru had always given Yukina the impression that she was a reliable person.

"I'd like to ask a favour of you, Lady Shizuru," Yukina said.

Shizuru's eyebrows rose. "A favour?" she asked.

"Yes. I… heard a rumour that there is someone in the city who might be able to help Princess Keiko."

"Heard a rumour," Shizuru repeated skeptically. Her eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. Yukina began to feel uneasy.

"From who?" Shizuru asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Yukina took a moment to think about her answer before she spoke. She couldn't stumble over her words or seem as if she were making something up. "One of the guards," she eventually said. It was believable that she wouldn't remember which one. They all wore the same uniform and it was easy for a stranger to get their names muddled up.

"One of the guards," Shizuru muttered. "Huh."

That wasn't a good sign, Yukina decided.

She took a deep breath and mustered her courage. It was too late to brush the whole thing off. "Would you be able to bring this person to the palace?" she asked.

Shizuru frowned. She searched Yukina's face, her own tight.

"I get the feeling that you aren't being entirely honest with me," she said. "But I suppose there's no harm in it. It's not like anyone else has been able to do a damned thing for that poor girl."

"Thank you, Lady Shizuru," Yukina said gratefully.

"Now, where can I find this person?" Shizuru asked.

Yukina gave her the same details that Lord Kurama had provided. She hoped that it would be enough for Shizuru to locate the man.

He was Princess Keiko's only hope. And maybe Tourin and Ningenkai's only hope as well.

"And... please don't use my name in connection with this matter," Yukina requested nervously.

Shizuru's finger lifted to rest on her chin as she scrutinised Yukina closely. "Why not?" she inquired.

"My aunt would scold me for gossiping about Princess Keiko," Yukina explained, hoping that her excuse would be good enough. "It's really quite an awful situation and it's insensitive of me..." Yukina trailed off as Shizuru rolled her eyes.

"Nobility," she muttered. "If you knew what those snotty women talked about..." She shook her head and waved her hand in the air. "Fine. I'll tell anyone who asks that I heard the rumour," she said.

"Thank you, Lady Shizuru." Yukina gave her a small bow. Once again, brown eyes rolled.

"If you're planning on attending dinner, you don't have much time," she warned. "I'll go see about your rumour. If he is staying at that inn, he should be there now."

Shizuru strode past Yukina and down the hall. Yukina turned to stare after her. In her own way, Shizuru seemed as steady and cool as her aunt, though her edges seemed softer.

Aunt Rui wore her own mask, like Yukina, but Shizuru seemed to have no mask at all. She radiated an honesty that Yukina had rarely encountered in her life until she'd left her home.

These people were bright sparks of flame, burning with an intensity that frightened Yukina. Somehow, they had survived fifty years of war and managed to even end that war. It was hard to change the course of events when so much negative emotion was tangled up in them. Yukina knew that well, thanks to her aunt. But, somehow Tourin and Ningenkai had set their feet on the thin ice of peace. Everything hinged on Princess Keiko's survival. If she died, that ice would crack and plunge both kingdoms into the chilly waters of war once again.

And leave them vulnerable to her aunt's scheming. There were so many ways her aunt could exploit that situation and Yukina was sure that she had already given them some keen consideration.

In just a few scarce days, the fate of all three kingdoms would be set, for better or worse.