The Four Kingdoms
Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King
Chapter LI: The Butler
Two weeks ago...
"We've become a regular visitor here, Your Highness. We might as well bring in our stuff and start decorating the guest rooms as ours." Faust told the Kasai prince as they waited for a household staff to open the mansion door for them. "Seems like the Duchess had taken a liking to seeing your face from time to time. I wonder when she would agree to close the trade deal with Kasai."
"I'm working on it, Faust. Jeanne is still reading the terms." Prince Yoh assured him.
"Ahhh, good to see you, buddy!" The blond medicine man patted the butler's shoulder as soon as he opened the door.
Marco replied with a grunt. He hated welcoming these guys in the morning. He wished that they would finalize the trade negotiations already so that his mistress would stop inviting them over. He hated seeing the Kasai prince's face which reminded him so much of that ingrate who lived with them for 7 years.
The butler led them to the duchess' tea room where she would usually chat with Prince Yoh alone. This time, Faust was asked to come in with his partner. The two spotted a group of aristocrats waiting for them inside. They were the Tamamura and Sugimoto clans of Kasai. The first two families they had tried to woo.
"Hello, Your Highness," the oldest lady from the Tamamura clan greeted him. "We thought you have given up that's why you stopped visiting."
"I'm sorry, My Lady..." The prince bowed down. "We're juggling missions from the king so there's a slight delay. We still hope that you would go back to Kasai to start anew."
Everybody stood up to show respect when the lady of the house entered the room with her butler.
"Thank you all for coming!" Jeanne settled herself on a chair. "Please make yourself comfortable." She scanned the room with her eyes to check if everyone she expected to come was there. "Ahhh, you looked confused, Faust."
"Apologies, My Lady, I never expected to be included in the discussion much less see the Tamamuras and Sugimotos here. Not that I don't want to see them. I'm just clueless about what's going on."
The Duchess smiled and took a bunch of papers that Marco handed to her. She skimmed through them before beckoning the prince to approach and get them from her. "Congratulations Yoh and Faust! I have signed the trade agreement with Kasai."
The duo looked at each other with their widest toothiest grin. Finally! Another mission accomplished!
"My king would be delighted, Jeanne. Thank you!"
"You're most welcome but I did not do it for your brother, Yoh. I did it for Kasai. You told me that the kingdom had suffered economic losses due to the war. The dukedom of Mont St. Michel has always been an ally of Kasai. But regardless of whatever relationship we have, helping people who fell victims to the atrocities of war is the most human thing to do. My heart goes out to those unfortunate people who had no financial capacity to leave their war-torn land so they had to survive with what was left of their homes and livelihood. I couldn't imagine how my dead father would react if I refused to give assistance to those people in need. I bet he would be utterly disappointed." The Duchess stared at the clan heads as she said the last statement. They looked at one another with unease.
"May I be allowed to speak, My Lady, Your Highness?" The head of the Sugimoto clan asked. He was a clean shaven old man in his 60's wearing an impeccable suit.
"Yes, you may..."
"We were good friends with Duke Francois and King Mikihisa that's why we accepted your invitation. I must admit that it would take a long time to trust their children because of their youth and lack of experience in leading their respective turfs. But the sad truth is that our dear friends are no longer with us and there's nothing else we can do but to put our faith in the new generation of rulers. We would want our descendants to be proud of us, their ancestors who had actively participated in the rebuilding of the kingdom we had always referred to as our home. That is why the Sugimoto clan have decided to come back to Kasai."
"The Tamamuras will renew our allegiance to Kasai as well. There is no apt time but now to give back to the people who have worked for our family for generations. It would be wrong to abandon them again..." The clan matriarch declared.
"I deeply appreciate it, My Lady, My Lord... Kasai will be able to bounce back because of your unwavering support." Prince Yoh shook the hand of each clan head. He went back to where Faust was standing and did a fist bump with him. Two family names would be crossed out of their list. The king would be extremely happy with this development.
"Ladies, gentlemen, may I invite you all to the dining hall for a celebratory lunch?" Marco asked the group.
Prince Yoh found himself in the tea room again after the meal. This time he was alone with the Duchess since the Tamamuras and Sugimotos have left to prepare for their departure to Kasai in two days.
"How did you do it, Jeanne?" the prince asked with great curiosity.
"Well, they were friends with our fathers. It was Marco's idea to invite them over. He said they might finally be convinced if they see an ally closing a deal with your kingdom. Perhaps your previous visits to them got them thinking about it for months." Jean's grin was replaced with a grimace. She immediately placed her hand over her belly.
"Are you alright?"
The Duchess let out a weak smile. "I am now... Perhaps I'm just tired so I'll make this quick." She took out a small box and placed it on the tea table.
Prince Yoh opened it to reveal a diamond ring.
"King Mikihisa gave it to my father when my marriage to your brother was arranged. I wanted to return it when Hao decided to go back to Kasai but your father insisted that I keep the ring as a gift. It's yours now, Yoh."
The prince squeezed the duchess' hand. "I am really grateful for everything... But I think my father is right about you keeping it after all you've done for my brother." He pushed the box towards her.
"Please accept it. A very pregnant woman will be displeased if you don't..."
"Whatever will make you happy then..."
There was a soft knock from the door.
"You may come in..." The Duchess called out.
It was Faust. "Forgive my intrusion but we need to go, Your Highness. The butler is insisting for the Duchess to take a rest due to her condition."
Prince Yoh nodded. He took the lady's hand and kissed it. "Have a safe delivery, Jeanne."
"Until we meet again, Yoh Asakura..."
"So... I've sent the report to your brother about the return of the Tamamuras and Sugimotos to Kasai." Faust told the prince while they were walking away from the mansion.
"Hao would be grinning from ear to ear with this good news. Furthermore, I had been chatting with Lord Sugimoto when we were having our lunch earlier. He said he had exchanged location information with the other clans on the ship from Kasai in case they needed help from someone they know. The others had traveled far up north for fear that the war might spread to nearby lands. He jotted down the names of the cities in my checklist for our reference. We can leave for the closest city tomorrow if you want. Remember this though, we would be traveling to lands much farther away from the kingdom... Or... We could also go back to Kasai for a vacation. It's all up to you."
"I have a different place in mind..."
"Oh? Getting more adventurous are we?"
"Would you know what time will the next ship to Kaminari leave?"
Marco propped up the duchess' head with another pillow and tucked her under the sheets. He had been doing this every night ever since Jeanne was a little girl. He was the longest-serving employee of the household.
He came to the mansion as a lonely teenage orphan who was employed by the Duke when he had grown too old to be adopted. He considered him and his daughter to be his only family. That's why he had devoted his entire life to be of service to them.
"Are you feeling better now?" He asked the young duchess.
Jeanne smiled weakly. "I guess..."
"Don't worry, the doctor said you'll be giving birth anytime soon. Then you can take your medications again."
"That's the least of my worries, Marco. I'm hoping the baby will turn out normal. I was careless the first few months."
"My Lady, don't be so hard on yourself... You did not know that you were pregnant back then. The doctor assured us the medication won't affect the fetus but you chose to stop taking them anyway..."
"I'm just taking extra precaution. My father used to be treated with those but it didn't do him any good. So I don't believe that they would cure me at all."
Marco sat down on the bed and held her hand. "All the more reason for you to tell me who your child's father is..."
Jeanne avoided his gaze.
"My Lady, how I wish that I could take away this disease from you. If something happens to you, your child will be left without any parent to guide him..."
Marco's words drowned out as Jeanne felt contractions in her belly. They had become more frequent today and she was trying her best to act normal while the visitors were around. At that very moment, she couldn't take it any longer.
"Are you alright, My Lady?"
"I think it's time..."
Marco unlocked a drawer in his bedroom and took out two folded sheets of paper. The first one was a letter that came a month ago. He had to read it before even though he hated the sender. The second one was a telegram that came early that evening. He had stashed it in his personal drawer first as he was meant to open it before going to bed.
The Duchess had just given birth to a healthy baby boy minutes ago. He had to slip into his room after ensuring that the mother and child were resting well. He was expecting the message actually.
He read through the contents of the telegram before dropping down to his knees. He started packing his things afterwards.
End of Chapter 51