92

Innocence

Furuichi hid his trembling hands in his robes, but did not allow the quiver to leak into his voice. The ice mage stood in front of the council and the peasant audience for three days and two nights. As part of the trial, Furuichi was denied food, water, shelter and rest.

"What proof have you then to go on this fool's errand? Surely, you have proof that the Prince of Tsukiyami is still alive decades after his death?"

"M'lady," Furuichi addressed the reigning queen, the prince's mother. "I found the prince using the same spell I used to find the great Oga Tatsumi. His royal highness lives a simple life in a small village to the east. He used the chaos of the castle breach to run away with his lover, then his valet, now his husband. His highness knew that there would be much disapproval for his choice in loving a servant. Your highness, the prince sends you this," Furuichi produced a slightly rusted locket from his robes, "as an apology and an invitation to see him again."

The queen and the princess fought to hold back their tears. Not a day went by that they didn't miss the prince dearly. With the king having died in battle, the prince's return was their only hope of continuing to help and guide the kingdom they held so dearly to their hearts. However, even if the prince refused the crown, just to see him again meant far more than a merely fulfilled wish. In light of sharing their greatest joy, the queen officially pardoned Oga for his perceived crimes against the royal family.

Although goodness was being spread around, Furuichi was not a freed prisoner until the prince was found. It took a week for the royal family to be reunited and to return to the kingdom. "Please," the princes addressed Furuichi with a royal staff jewel in her hands, "tell Master Oga that he may be reinstated in the Guild should he choose to return.
"Thank you, M'lady. I know he will feel very honored."

"No," the princess fell into a deep curtsy that had Furuichi blush and fret for the princess to get back up, "thank you, Master Furuichi, for returning my brother to us."

Furuichi rushed back up the mountain without rest or nourishment. As the deliverer of good news, feeling faint could wait a little longer.

"Oga! Oga!"

Verivette the boulder did not move.

"Please open the door! I have-," Furuichi's stomach convulsed and the edges of the ice mage's vision were getting dark and fuzzy. "I have…"

Furuichi didn't feel the hard dirt beneath him when he fell. He didn't know he was on the ground until the dirt tickled his nose. Please, I can't die yet. I have one last thing to do.

"...Oga…"

Perhaps resting his eyes was okay, just for a moment.

…

"He could've gotten himself killed! Does that ice mage know nothing about the limits of his body? ...I supposed I could show him...gah! It is not the time to think about these things!"

The scent of a delicious soup wafted into Furuichi's nose. "Oga?"

"Thank the gods! You're awake. What in the black magic's name were you doing, man? You looked like death warmed over on my doorstep!"

"Oga, I-," Furuichis dry throat objected to being used so suddenly. The ice mage wheezed and hacked into his hand.

"Drink, no. Just drink."

Furuichi savored the cool liquid refreshing his throat. When the water slipped into his stomach, Furuichi blushed at the rumble that erupted from it.

"Easy there, if I give you too much at once, you'll get sick. But I'll get you a small bowl to start on."

"Oga, I came to tell you that you're free to come back! The queen has officially pardoned you. Look, the princess even gave me the Guild's staff jewel to have you reinstated!"

Although Furuichi produced the jewel from his robes, Oga hadn't turned to look at it. Oga went on to serve a bowl of soup for each of them. "...I don't want to go back. I mean thank you," Oga rushed to say when Furuichi looked so crestfallen.

"Please know that I am forever in your debt for doing this for me. It's just that, I know my power will upset the balance of the kingdoms. I'm sure the royal family knows this too since I assumed they gave me a choice to come back."

Furuichi nodded, keeping his tears at bay. "And I am happy here. I don't have to wear stuffy robes, answer to busy bodies and besides, who would take care of good ol' Verivette if I went back."

"...I would…"

Oga's heart swelled at the ice mage's genuine reply, but unfortunately, another part swelled along with it. Clearing his throat, Oga covered his erection with more cloth from his robes and settled on giving Furuichi a kiss, full on the mouth. "You better recover quickly, young mage."

Furuichi hummed and sipped his soup to hide the blush burning his face.