Leaving the palace was a lot like being released from prison.
Clear out, back to your homes with you. One guard showed up at their door, tapping it with his baton to signal the end of their time. Multiple led them, single-file, all the way down to the servant's entrance, through the kitchen, where they let them loose into the open.
"Hehehe, Daikoku~" Kofuku snickered, waving about a piece of dry toast she'd nicked from a kitchen counter they'd had to pass. "Look what I've got~"
Daikoku chuckled, patting her head. "That's dinner, then. Three days it's been, everything in the pantry must've gone bad."
"You'd think the King and Queen would reward us for the good work we've done." Kazuma mused, straightening his glasses. "A single gold piece would do. Mighty ungrateful of them."
"Miserly bastards." Bishamon supplied.
Hiyori smiled distractedly, her eyes scanning her surroundings. She was still woozy from the cleansing, the short nap the King had allowed her hadn't nearly been enough. It took effort to keep her head up straight, her stomach churning queasily with every step.
The fresh air did help, though, so she took in a good gulp of the breeze, craning her neck to look around.
"Bet he won't turn up." Yukine's hand entered hers, stubby fingers clasping her palm.
Hiyori sighed. They hadn't seen Yato since the cleansing. Considering she'd thrown up seconds after reading the spell, and promptly fainted to boot, she'd expected Yato stuck at her bedside like before, vibrating with his nervous energy to make sure she was okay… but no. The duty had fallen to the rest of her family: Bishamon, Kazuma, Yukine, Daikoku and Kofuku, who'd spent the evening fluttering about her gushing about her new magic, the potential that coursed through her veins.
And, she'd been happy to see it. She loved seeing her family together, happy and normal, barely a scratch on them at the end of it. A picture-perfect ending to an adventure.
"Bet he will."
She squinted at the courtyard they were making their way through. Bordered on one side by the palace building, it was a tile pier, open to the great lake with a marble railing separating land-dwellers from its icy depths. Maidservants and errand boys darted this way and that, arms full of clothes, plates, tablecloths.
"He won't." Yukine's free hand hugged the bottom of his shirt, as if he was carrying something in it. "He's a coward."
The brunette didn't bother to respond. She had no doubt Yato blamed himself (savagely and undeservedly) for everything that had happened to her, and yes, maybe that was the core reason he hadn't turned up…
...but she also knew in her bones that he wouldn't miss their departure, no matter how hard it would be.
Her first target had been the windows, the palace's large glass lookout stations that loomed over the courtyard, but he couldn't know his way through the building well enough yet to find the perfect viewing spot to watch them leave.
No, he would be here , in the courtyard. Hiding, watching them from behind a pillar, inside a tree, tucked away in a nook or corner somewhere-
Or, perhaps, standing right there in the open, propped against the marble railing overlooking the lake in a servant's black uniform, with a hat on his head as if that was enough of a disguise to keep them from noticing him.
Hiyori slipped her hand from Yukine's, turning on her heel to make a beeline for the slender silhouette in the corner of her eye. She snorted as the black-haired boy jumped in response, pulling the brim of his hat over his eyes as he whirled around to turn his back to her.
God, he was ridiculous. Ridiculous, overdramatic, pathetically predictable, and she was so damn thankful for it.
"You know, if you wanted to spy on us-"
Her words, abruptly, caught in her throat.
Yato, same old silly, funny, stupid Yato was leaning against the marble railing, lax wrists crossed over each other as he gazed determinedly at the sunlit outline of the city on the other side of the lake, seeming enraptured by the sight. Pinked cheeks, hair edged russet-brown by the setting sun, full lips pressed softly together, thoughtful.
The sparkling lake wasn't the only thing turned golden by the fiery sunset sky.
His eyes darted to her, periwinkle in the shadow, and his mouth twisted into a shame-faced greeting.
"Spy on you? M'lady, you wound me." He pulled the hat further over his face, mimicking the accent of the attendant he'd likely stolen the uniform off of. "I am but a humble servant. The only crimes I admit to are slackin' off on my duties and watchin' this beautiful sunset here. No spyin' involved!"
She plucked the hat off his head. "Stop this bullshit and come see us off."
"See you off?" He wore a toothy grin that had her heart leaping to her throat. "But m'lady, what about His Royal Majesty's dinner preparations-"
"His Royal Majesty can wait." The brunette retorted. "Come on. They've lent us rowboats to go home with, I'll give you a free boat ride if you tag along-"
"How...was your cleansing?" Yato interjected blithely, cutting her off. His eyes slipped from her to the lake rippling inches below the courtyard's tiled edge. "Are you feeling better?"
"Oh." She shrugged, startled by the sudden change of topic. "It was...fine." It had been a strange experience, to cleanse the Sorcerer Fujisaki, to watch an old man grow younger and younger, skin filling out and hair blooming red, an agonised shackled wizard becoming closer to forty than eighty. "It wiped me out, for sure."
He breathed a laugh. "It takes some getting used to. You'll be fine." He bent his head, as if a piece of algae had caught his interest. "You will be fine, right?"
"Of course, Yato. I've been through worse. Besides..." Hiyori nudged him, leaning onto the railing beside him. "I'm going to have the greatest magical resource in the kingdom to study from."
The boy's eyes lit up. "Really? You- you asked- I'd be honoured-"
"Not you , doofus." She rolled her eyes. "Fujisaki. Or, his spellbook, to be exact. The King's going to loan it to me for a year, on the condition that I'm completely transparent with what I'm learning." She giggled at his crestfallen expression. "Oi, it's okay. When I get to the healing spell, I'll make sure I learn it only from you."
"Pfft, like I'd have the time for you anyway." He pushed off the railing expressively. "I'm the Crown Prince of Takamagahara, I'm hot stuff. I have better things to do than mentor a lowly sorceress."
"Ohh, hot stuff, eh?" She laughed, slapping her hand to her face. "My apologies, Prince Tsuki, I forgot my place."
"Eh. I'll forgive it." He bent back down, studying the steady sloshing of the lake. "...If you accept one condition."
"Oh, what's that?"
There was a pause, before Yato whipped his head up, azure eyes dark as ever.
"Adopt Nora."
Hiyori blinked at him. He seemed entirely serious, his jaw tight, eyes staring intently into hers. Her eyebrows drew down in doubt. "Yato, what are you saying?" She approached tentatively. "She's imprisoned with Fujisaki. There's no way the King will let her out."
"Not now! I'll...convince him. Someday, eventually. I owe it to her." The black-haired boy glanced down at his fingernails, buffing them with the pad of his thumb. "She betrayed Father for me. She wrote your name..." He sighed. "She's my sister. I don't want to leave her there. Even if… even if-"
The brunette placed her hand on his arm, silencing him.
"If you can guarantee she won't turn tail and try to free Fujisaki, I'd be happy to take your sister in."
"Obviously." The relief splashed across his face was enough to melt her. "I'd never put you in danger, Hiyori. I'll find a way, a spell to transfer her loyalty to you, I'd only let her come near you if I find something like that." He grabbed her hands. "Thank you, Hiyori. I-I don't know how to thank you. For everything- You're...you're the kindest, the best person I've ever met-!"
"Oi, lovebirds!"
A loud, brash woman called out from across the courtyard. Hiyori peeked over her shoulder at Bishamon-san, who was tapping a booted foot impatiently, hands on her hips. "We don't have all night. We have plenty of work at home, wrap it up!"
The brunette's face boiled. She glanced down at their hands, Yato's long pale fingers cupped over hers, and hurriedly yanked them away as her family came closer. She noted the pink darkening on Yato's cheeks, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"Yato-chaaan~" Kofuku skipped up to them, throwing her arms around his waist. "You look so handsome dressed up in castlewear! Like a real prince!"
"He is a real prince, Kofuku." Daikoku muttered. "Let him go before you alarm the guards."
"Awww, but Yato-chan won't let me get arrested again!" The pink-haired woman tightened her vice-like grip stubbornly, staring up at him with saucer-wide eyes. "Right, Yato-chan? You're gonna be our inside man, right? You're going to help us out every now and then~"
Hiyori cringed, an instinctive apology on her tongue… until she took in the pure delight on Yato's face.
"No problem!" He announced, patting a gracious hand on Kofuku's bouncing curls. "What do you want? Another crown? I have one in my room!"
Kofuku's mouth dropped open. Her eyes shone like stars, but before she could say another word, Daikoku swooped in to intervene, quickly wrenching the tiny woman off of her prospective benefactor and hauling her down the courtyard in the direction of the standing rowboats.
"Now, now." The large man steered her along, kicking and whining. "Thank you for your generosity, your highness, but we really must be going-!"
"I mean it, you know!" Yato called out in their wake. He turned to the rest of the group, grinning devilishly. "I really do mean it. If there's anything I can do for you, just ask."
"We know, Yato." Kazuma smiled. He scratched the back of his head bashfully. "And, the same goes for you, alright? This may be a palace, but I'm sure it's a stressful place to live. If you feel yourself getting overwhelmed… just know that our house is always open to you."
"Oh?" The black-haired boy smirked. " Kazuma's inviting me over? Now that's a change."
The brunet turned a weak shade of puce. "Yato-"
"I'm kidding, Kazuma." He elbowed him in the side. "Sheesh, learn to take a joke. And don't worry, I'm going to take you up on your offer. I'm going to come over so often you'll beg me to leave."
"I suppose I owe you thanks as well." Bishamon added, her voice a lowered rumble. "Ya- uh, Prince Tsuki. Despite my, well, disdain for the royal family and everything it stands for, you've earned an ally in me, for what you've done for Kazuma, Hiyori and Yukine. So, well, thank you."
"You're...welcome." Hiyori noticed the wariness that tensed his form at the term royal family , the melancholy that played behind his cheerful mask. "Anytime!"
"Hm." She offered him a closed-lipped smile. "Not right now, though. It's terribly late. Time to row home, Yukine, Hiyori, we have a busy schedule to deal with." She nodded at the blond and brunette, wrapping her arm around Kazuma's and tugging him along. "Hurry on up, you two."
"We'll be right there, Bishamon-san!" Hiyori chirped. She edged closer to Yato, cocking her head. "Come with us? I'll row you back afterwards if you want."
"I...no." He sighed. "They expect me back for dinner. They...want to get to know me better-"
"Pfft, you think we're asking you to stay over or something?" Yukine sneered. "You'll be back, believe me. Hiyori rows like a maniac when you're around."
Hiyori grimaced. "...He's right. Ten minutes, tops."
"Yeah?" Blue eyes surveyed her. "I...I don't know-"
"How about this?" Yukine stepped forward, drawing something from inside his shirt. "If you come with us...I'll give you your bag back."
Stuffed in his shirt, folded over twice, had been a scuffed leather rucksack. Expensively made, it held something fragile and suspiciously crown-shaped in the bump at the bottom. Yato's eyes bugged out of his head.
"How the hell-?!" The older boy made a swipe for it. "Yukine, give that back!"
"You're fucking careless for someone who's only friends with thieves!" The blond snickered, ducking out of the way. "You dropped it in Hiyori's guestroom, right in front of me!"
"I did not!" Yato protested, snatching the bag from him. He opened it, scrutinising the contents resentfully. "Shit, you could've gotten in so much trouble-"
"I wasn't stealing it." The younger boy simpered. "I was trying to teach you a lesson, in case you were too cowardly to turn up."
Hiyori smacked his head. "You're such a brat, Yukine. Apologise ."
"I gave it back, didn't I? That's better than last time." The kid smiled an angelic smile, folding his hands behind his head as he walked off. "You coming or not?"
The brunette glanced at Yato, who gave her a wry look. He reached over to link arms with her, slinging the rucksack over his shoulder. "A deal's a deal, I guess. ...But, seriously, ten minutes, right?"
Hiyori grinned, glad for his closeness as she pulled him along.
She hadn't expected this to feel so little like a goodbye. She had expected permanency, a door shut, Yato disappearing into Prince Tsuki, edges blurred like a mirage. She'd thought the palace walls would rise between them like a gulf, once he left them for the castle, to force them to grow apart.
But, she didn't think that would happen anymore.
The sun had nearly set, a lavender glow persisting at the horizon as an inky blush flooded the rest, stars painted over it like dusted diamonds, and Yato walked beside her, their hands intertwined.
Her family waited for her, rowboats bobbing by their feet. The lake shimmered with starlight, and when she looked up, sapphire eyes sparkled just as bright.