A/N: Two things. One, due to having the virus, I forgot about updating until just now. Two, this chapter really does illustrate why I didn't initially want to post this story, but oh well. Please take this with a grain of salt.

Chapter Nine: Baron's Confession

King Phoebus looked over his remaining army, severely put out. The defeat and probable death of Shadow had been very demoralizing, and deserters were increasing at an alarming rate.

Natori shuffled up to him nervously. "874 soldiers are ready to depart, Your Majesty."

The monarch growled, wishing he could afford mercenaries. But with all the attacks that Gikkingen had leveled at the tax collectors, the budget had been really tight for years. Oh, if only he knew if Haru remembered how to fight. She alone could take care of the soldiers, if she did.

"Good. Remember, they can kill anyone they want, but bring the hot babe with really long brown hair to me."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Haru gave a final push, getting the tent poles to collapse at her feet. She leaned down to pick them up, but gloved hands beat her to it.

"Allow me, Haru."

She sighed. "Baron, I thought you said I could help. Shouldn't you be supervising everyone else?"

He smiled warmly at her while loading the poles into the back of the wagon. "Don't worry; they know the drill."

The slim brunette looked around and saw that he was right. Nearly everything had been packed up in a matter of two hours, and they were nearly ready to depart. She sighed and picked up her violin case. She would have packed it up as well, but it felt comforting to have it close by and there was no telling if she would need it again in a hurry.

"You still promised I could help. But I can't see anything that isn't being taken care of."

He grinned at her and wrapped his arms around her again. "Don't worry. Something will come up."

The slim brunette glared at him. "Besides being your teddy bear?"

"Eventually, yes." He held her a little closer, still smiling with contentment.

That did it. Haru took a deep breath for courage. "Baron, I have a question, and I want you to answer it."

"Oh? What is it?"

She steeled herself. "Have you been flirting with me?"

He stiffened slightly but didn't dodge the question. "Yes, I have. I've… sort of been waiting for you to grow up."

"Since I was six?!"

"I've been patient." He unwrapped his limbs from her and reached for the inside pocket of his coat. Haru froze up, but relaxed when he pulled out a small handbook. He opened it up and started looking around for a specific page. Smiling, the dark blonde turned the book to her with a soft smile. "Does this look familiar, Haru?"

She looked down at the page, but then noticed that he wasn't talking about the neat handwriting. It was a tiny blue flower that had been pressed between the pages, in order to preserve it. The brunette thought for a second. "I think I gave that to you, when you told me you were afraid of girls."

He nodded and smiled warmly.

Neither noticed, but almost the entire camp had stopped moving, to watch this slowly unfolding drama.

"You didn't know this, since you were out gathering herbs with your mother, but the day you gave me this, an old witch had come to the camp, despite the fact that no one was supposed to know where we were. She went around to people and started making small predictions about their futures. When she came close to me, she gave me a single look and started laughing her head off. She said that I would marry the first girl that gave me a flower after she left the camp and told me not to be surprised if I still had a few years of being a bachelor left. That's why I was hiding from all those girls that night, and why I was so shocked when…"

"… when I gave you a flower and a kiss," Haru finished softly with widening eyes.

Baron anxiously watched her face, worried as to how she would take this. He should have known that he would have to come clean sooner, since she was a smart girl, and the camp wasn't very good at hiding the fact that they were hiding something from her. He knew her stubborn spirit better than almost anyone there, and he couldn't help but wonder if she would try to run, or worse. If she said that she had always seen him as a big brother.

Slowly, the petite brunette started laughing, getting harder and harder until she was doubled over with mirth, almost ready to fall to the ground. Baron stared at her, since he hadn't viewed the situation as humorous at all. Muta and Toto couldn't say anything for once, wondering if Haru thought that it was all just a joke. Baron's heart froze, fearing that she would name him as a friend alone.

"No wonder Dad fell off his chair! All this time, I just thought that he was tired!" She bit back another giggle and looked up into Baron's handsome face. "I'm still a little mentally young for marriage, but I've kind of been crushing on you forever. Can I have a little more time to adjust?"

Baron beamed at her before wrapping her in one of his famous hugs. "Absolutely, but I'm afraid that I will protest if it takes years."

Haru giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I doubt it will take me that long."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The captain shook worse than ever as the palace slowly came in sight. All of the company was accounted for, but the one in charge knew that it wasn't what the king wanted.

He was waiting for them at the gate with gleaming eyes. "Well?! Where's the babe?!"

The captain got off the horse to bow low before his monarch, still shaking like a leaf. "We went to the exact place you told us to go. There were recent traces of a camp site, but no one was around. We tried tracking them down, but it's like they vanished without a trace. All we could find was the sound of a violin!" he shrieked as the king raised one hand to strike the captain down in his fury.

Phoebus paused as the soldier held his arms over his head for a little protection, almost whimpering in fear. "A violin?" the monarch asked.

The captain opened one eye experimentally. "Yes! We tried tracking down the sound, but it was like it was coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time! We chased after it for five hours before giving up. I think it was a forest spirit pulling a trick on us."

The king opened and closed his eyes repeatedly in confusion, remembering how he had last seen the girl who was once his favorite blade.

'Haru… is it possible?'