AN: I'm so sorry for the wait! I've been stuck grading mountains of exams and writing assignments, but finally I had some free time to release a new chapter. I'm so so sorry that it took so long to get this out!


ZERO

Days before they reached the capital, a war council was called. The battle for the Nine Kingdoms was not far off, and the tension was palpable as Zero entered the tent where the meeting was being held. Across the top of a wide wooden table, Hanabusa gave him a nod of greeting. Apart from him, Zero saw that Yuki, Yori, Akatsuki, Kan, Ruka, the mages, and Yagari were already in attendance.

Yagari had been a surprise. Zero hadn't expected him to be telling the truth after drawing his sword at the market, but Senri and Rima had confirmed his identity. Apparently, he was an old friend and possible lover of Kaien; at the very least he had been a member of the guard during his time in Ashgate. His demeanor was brusque and intimidating, but nevertheless his information regarding the layout of the city and its fortifications had proven useful indeed.

Hanabusa rolled out a map of the city and the group began discussing their attack. Already, advance troops had dug in around the front, east, and west gates. The northern gate was still free, but taking it would have required far more troops than were currently at their disposal. Still, travel and supplies in and out of the city were limited. It was a start.

"Akatsuki, you're taking charge of the front lines," Hanabusa told the redhead. "Kan, the cavalry. Zero, Yuki, and a small group of carefully selected men will infiltrate the city itself and sneak in through the secret passage we used to escape."

"I volunteer for the front lines," Yagari grunted, much to everyone's surprise.

Yori frowned. "With all your knowledge of the city, wouldn't it be best if you went with Hanabusa?"

"I'm not much for sneaking around. I came to fight, and that's my intention."

"But-"

"If you want to fight on the front lines, I have no objections," Zero interjected suddenly, and Yagari gave him a thankful nod. The silver-haired knight understood the necessity of having a sword in hand, of being in the midst of fighting. He would have preferred that to his current mission.

"It's settled," Hanabusa agreed. "Yori, Rima, Senri, you three will be stationed with the medical tents, assisting the healers."

"I thought Yori would be coming with us," Yuki protested.

"That was my original intention," Yori told her. "However, someone's mother has been sending me dozens of concerned ravens…" She sent a less-than-subtle glance at the blond knight, who coughed and glanced away.

"And finally," Hanabusa concluded, "Ruka will be running messages and injured soldiers in critical condition back and forth."

Zero glanced at Akatsuki, but the only betrayal of the redhead's feelings was the slight tension in his knuckles. The Bloodguard felt the same way for Yuki, but he could hardly deter her from her plans, especially given that both her heart and head were in them.

"Zero…," Yagari murmured, catching the knight off-guard with his tone.

Violet eyes turned to regard the other carefully.

"Perhaps you are unaware, but that woman...the one who killed your village...it seems she's still alive."

The silver-haired knight felt his blood chill upon hearing those words. That woman...was alive? Long ago, he had sworn revenge on her, sworn to find her and kill her...however he did not know her name. All he remembered was a tall figure, dripping with blood, white hair billowing in the frosty wind. Somehow, he had assumed her long dead…

"She is the Lady Shizuka… I think you know her…"

Around the table sounded several gasps. Even Zero felt himself suck in an involuntary breath, shocked by the weight of this news. The woman who had killed his village...was a noble? More than that, she was the new Queen? Suddenly, it made sense why his brother had been alive and with her all that time without him knowing. Surely it was because she had spared him…

He swallowed around the thick lump in his throat. Had his own brother betrayed him? Betrayed their entire people? The only way to know would be to speak with Shizuka herself...but would she provide answers? Somehow, he did not think she would have a particularly loose tongue.

"Zero," it was Yuki's turn to call his name. Large chocolate eyes bored into his as she murmured, "I swear I will help you achieve your revenge."

Yagari snorted before the Bloodguard could reply. "How good of you. However, against such a powerful mage...there is nothing a good girl like you can do."

"Actually," Rima interrupted suddenly. "There is something we can do to help…"

"We have an enchantment for your sword," Senri continued. "One which will allow the blade to cut through magic."

"That…" Zero's tone was already a protest. He didn't want anything more to do with magic. It was already in his blood, tainting it, betraying a terrible lineage… It was what caused his wounds to heal so rapidly, what gave him strength beyond that of an ordinary man… He did not want a sword imbued with more such magic.

"So you're opposed to magic?" the black-haired man with the eyepatch grunted. "Could it be because you're a Kiryuu? Ha. Magic doesn't control you. It's your life, even if it's one covered in blood. Don't run away. Instead, struggle until you can struggle no more. That is the only path forward."

As Yagari spoke, the princess approached and placed her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Let's beat Shizuka together, using every resource we have," she told him.

And of course, he could never refuse her.

"Place your blade on the table," Rima instructed, and he drew the sword, the soft hiss of metal resounding like a clap of thunder in the hushed silence of the tent.

When the weapon was laid flat, both the druid and the seer placed their palms flat against the metal blade and closed their eyes. Their lips began to move in unison, but Zero could not catch the words that they mumbled under their breath. He could feel something begin to happen, however, as a kind of crackle in the air.

The room buzzed faintly, wavering before his eyes almost as if it were only a mirage. From the fingertips of the mages sprang what appeared to be faint runes of light, which leapt into the metal of the sword and then disappeared beneath its surface almost like dozens of glowing fish leaping into a pond.

There was an abrupt 'pop' that shot through the room, causing Yuki to jump beside him, and then just as suddenly the two mages straightened and stepped back from the table. "It is done," Rima told him, and Zero took hold of the sword once more.

Turning it in the candlelight, he didn't notice a very visible difference in the sword itself. However, if he stared into the metallic depths of the blade itself, he could see the runes rippling, surfacing, and then diving deep and out of sight once more. In the silence of the room, he could almost hear those runes whispering.

"This will slice through any spells Shizuka casts," Senri explained. "Even the most complex."

"But take care. She is still a formidable opponent, and this is only one sword," Rima added.

Zero nodded. "Thank you," he told her, although the sentiment behind those words felt empty. Still, just because the weapon was magic did not mean he was about to throw it away. It was, after all, a gift from Kaien...and a part of his heritage.

"You look absolutely terrible," Yagari chuckled.

"I don't like magic," he explained, sheathing the blade.

"Is that what it is? It's hard to tell with your face." Around the room, there was some muffled laughter.

Before anyone could comment further, however, Hanabusa signalled an end to the meeting. "Let's get some rest, everyone."

They trickled out of the tent one by one. As expected, Yuki immediately fell in beside him, smiling proudly at the sword belted to his hip. She didn't say anything, however, and for that he was grateful. He had had enough magic today, and did not wish to discuss it further.

"Soon this will all be over," the princess stated.

"Yes," he agreed simply.

"I wonder...will things ever be able to go back to the way they were? We will all be scattered across the kingdoms… How often will we get to see Yori or Hanabusa? It's selfish, but I wish I could keep everyone together forever…"

As he turned his head to look down at her, a flash of metal whizzed past his neck. He could feel the air from its passing as it raised the hair on the back of his neck. Yuki's eyes widened, frightened and horrified, as his hand grabbed the hilt of his newly enchanted blade and withdrew it from its sheath in a single fluid motion. He turned, sword raised, to see Kaito standing only a few feet away, a second knife poised throw.

"What are you doing?!" Yuki shouted, her voice shrill with emotion.

Kaito made a slight disgusted sound. "Don't make a fuss."

Yuki stepped forward, flinging an arm up in front of Zero's body as if such a thin appendage would stop one of those knives from finding their target. "Why would you do such a thing?!"

For a moment, the ashy-haired man said nothing. Then, "I am Queen Shizuka's Bloodguard. I followed my orders and came here...as her insurance. I cannot betray my queen. As a child, I swore an oath in blood to protect her, just as Zero and Hanabusa did for you. I will not break that oath now. "

"So that was her plan…" Zero murmured. No wonder she hadn't been making any big moves with her army; she fully expected Kaito to carry through with an assassination.

"Now, if you would kindly stand still. I'd hate to strike the princess by mistake. Or not..."

"No!" the Kuran noble cried. "You don't have to kill him! Surely…surely you want to save Shizuka's life more than you want to end Zero's…"

The Hio Bloodguard hesitated, and Yuki took advantage of this moment to press on, saying, "You must know that the majority of this army desires her death...Zero and Hanabusa included. But… I don't want that future. I don't want to take the throne by spilling blood. If you remain here with us as her advocate maybe...if she loses this battle...maybe she can be saved. Even if you kill Zero or myself, it is already too late for this battle to be stopped… You can't kill our entire force…"

The hand holding the knife moved back, readying a strike, and Yuki exclaimed again, "No! Listen to me! I don't want Shizuka to die, you must know that after having observed us for so long. Come with us. Help us infiltrate the city and, if your forces are losing, escape with her. If you think we're lying you can kill us then. And if we win this fight, her life will not be in danger."

"If she loses and you let her live, she will strike at you again."

"Is there no way, then?" Yuki looked to be on the verge of tears.

"I think this idea is naive and unlikely to succeed. Honestly I myself would like to see this battle end with no great loss, even knowing that it will. But why should I help you do that? I could go into the city alone and do the same." Kaito's free hand twitched by his side, and a third knife slid down into his waiting palm.

"Alone? That seems dangerous… We need to get to the castle. My hope is...well...to talk to her…"

Zero sighed. Of course it was. Yuki really was a hopeless optimist, even in the worst of times.

Kaito actually barked a laugh. "You are truly naive, Princess."

"Maybe," she allowed. "And in that case, we'll be at the castle and easy to get rid of. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. Not only could you save Shizuka's life in the event of defeat, but...you would have our gratitude, as well. I believe that is worth something. Or will be, once I have the crown."

To the silver-haired knight's surprise, Kaito lowered his readied weapon. "Cheeky. Alright, I'm willing to stay my hand long enough to see the battle through."

Yuki sucked in a tearful breath. "Thank you. You won't regret it."

"You're right, I most likely won't. Either way I'll have achieved my goal of protecting my queen...or ending your lives. Yours especially, Zero." As he spoke, the ashen-haired Bloodguard returned his blades to their sheaths.

"I...don't understand...why Zero?"

"Shizuka married his brother, Ichiru. His younger brother. Do you understand?"

Yes. It made sense. If the throne was given back to the Kiryuus, Zero himself would inherit it before Ichiru. Shizuka would be second in line to the throne. However, if Zero was gone...none would stand in her way, not even Yuki. If the queen had access to the same information that they did, the same knowledge that the original bloodline of kings was Kiryuu and not Kuran...Yuki was inconsequential.

"Many will die in this fight. Are you prepared to lose those close to you? Perhaps, even, your lady?" Kaito demanded suddenly.

A chill touched down Zero's spine. To lose Yuki...he could think of no worse fate. "Are you threatening her?" he asked quietly.

"No." Kaito shrugged. "I'm merely curious. Especially because...you will soon be facing off against the one who destroyed your entire life. If you've found your resolve, then bravely face the pain, Zero. And prove that you can overcome it. Tomorrow we'll plan the route into the city. Until then."

As Kaito disappeared into the night, Zero felt Yuki's hand slip into his, and he couldn't help but smile at her in spite of the circumstances. In spite of what had nearly transpired. No matter what lie ahead...no matter what the danger to his own life...at least he had her by his side. That alone was worth more than anything else in the world.


AN: As it turns out, Kaito wasn't just an ordinary soldier. What do you think of his identity? Leave a review and let me know!