Kyouko bit her lip as Ruuto escorted her into the Takarada palace. Lory had stayed at LME to discuss something with Ren. Maria had rushed off into the palace without one word to her. Only Ruuto remained by her side with a gentle smile on his face.
"Are you hungry Princess?" Ruuto asked and Kyouko couldn't help but think of Ren's blood. She shook her head to clear her thoughts away, and he took it as an answer. "This way then, I shall show you to your rooms."
He led her up the winding staircase and she could hardly contain herself. She was in a palace! The former king and his princess granddaughter lived there and held grand balls and hosted important guests within the walls she was in. She imagined all the Dukes and Duchesses dancing and secretly flirting. The Princes coming to ask Maria to dance must all be disappointed that she was promised to the king. Kyouko blushed at her thoughts and spared a glance at Ruuto. She knew some vampires could read minds, but she wasn't certain if they could read hers.
"Here you are Princess." Ruuto was polite as always and gave no indication that he knew what was going on in her head. "Honami and Yuka will draw you a bath and help you find something suitable for bed. In the morning we can go shopping for new clothes." He said opening the door to reveal a spacious sitting room where two algul girls waited beside a vanity.
"No, that won't be necessary." Kyouko protested. They were already giving her too much by allowing her to stay in their palace. "I don't want to be a bother, so I'll just go to my old apartment and pick up my things. I should also inform my bosses of my situation and request some time off."
Ruuto's smile widened and he gave her head a gentle pat. "There is no need for any of that. I will contact your old bosses and inform them that you will no longer be working for them. By the king's orders you are to be escorted everywhere you go and it's really no bother to me. I can retrieve your things tonight but, in the morning, Takarada-sama will insist on spoiling you with new clothes. It is his prerogative as your father."
"But I…"
"No." Ruuto quieted her protests. "You are his daughter and you have been away from him for a very long time."
There was an urgency in his voice which Kyouko didn't quite understand until he flicked his gaze to the servants then back at her meaningfully. Kyouko looked at them and understood that they were watching her even though they had their heads down and gave every appearance that they were patiently waiting for orders.
"No harm will come to you so long as you stay in the palace." He assured her with another gentle pat on the head. "I will accompany you whenever you go out until the king can find a suitable companion for you."
Kyouko nodded and stepped into the sitting room.
"Welcome home, princess." He said with a bow before pulling her door shut.
Honami and Yuka beckoned her to the vanity where they combed out her long black hair. Kyouko examined the regal room. The plush carpet was a light pink and the couched in the center were creamy white. A small oak table sat between the two couches and a vase of pink camellia sat upon it. It was the kind of room she had always dreamed of owning but looking around all she think was that it was a prison cell. A gorgeous and generous dungeon for her to stay in while the king decided her future.
"This way princess." Honami said walking over to the door Kyouko had just entered.
Confused Kyouko followed her and to her astonishment she walked into a large bedroom instead of the hallway. She was careful to conceal her shock in front of the stranger but inside she was afraid of never being allowed out of the room. It was clearly enchanted, and she doubted anyone was going to teach her how to get back to the hallway by herself. Resigned to figure it out once she was alone, she followed Honami passed the large canopy bed and through another door. Yuka was in this room already and filling up a massive tub.
"We will help you wash before you soak in the bath." Yuka said and Honami attempted to remove Kyouko's shirt.
"I can clean myself." Kyouko said hugging her clothes to her body and jumping away.
"But princess it is our job to help you with everything. If we do not bathe you, Takarada-denka will be upset." Honami said and Kyouko got the sense that she was lying.
"I said no." Kyouko said pulling off her best authoritative tone. It was really simple to act haughty and important. All she had to do was pretend she was Shoutaro. "Leave me now I wish to be alone."
Yuka's lips twitched almost falling out of the pleasant smile she'd been wearing. Honami hesitated a moment but then nodded. Both girls bowed and told Kyouko to call for them when she was finished. There was no window in the bathroom which Kyouko concluded was for the best. Even if she managed to escape there was no place left for her to run to. Nowhere else for her to go where she wouldn't be putting people in danger with her presence.
She removed her clothes and entered the massive glass shower on the opposite wall from the tub. The bathroom was three times the size of the one at her old apartment. Her new bedroom could fit her old apartment in it and still had room to spare. Everything was luxurious and beautiful, and it was all hers. Lory had given it to her along with the title of princess and his name to protect her. She was finally free from Shoutaro and nobody could make a meal of her anymore.
After rinsing off she slipped into the warm bath and hugged her knees to herself. Even the water felt luxurious against her skin. It was shimmery pink and smelled like roses. Kyouko sighed and closed her eyes.
In all her life of servitude she'd never felt more like a prisoner.
"What will we do with her once her training is complete?" Sawara-san asked after they had finished preparing her lesson plans.
"I'm afraid I don't understand the question Sawara. You act as if I have some ulterior motive for training her. Like all vampires once she graduates, she will become a hunter or a socialite. She can choose to be useful and capture ghouls and Vukodlak or she can join Morizumi in her schemes for political power." Ren said turning to Lory. "As a Takarada of course she will join the line of succession."
"Is Maria-chan still your heir then or Kyouko?" Matsushima asked.
"Would you tell Maria that she's lost her place?" Ren asked and the men shuttered at the thought. "No, the fledgling will be Maria-chan's heir as Maria is mine."
Maria had been raised a princess and told all her life that she would be queen, Ren wouldn't take that away from her. It was her father's leaving that had upset the succession as Maria was too young to take the throne. In truth Morizumi were next in line after Takarada but the old council saw the family for the blood lusting monsters they truly were. Their heir would have made a horrific king and his young daughter would be an even worse queen. Lory would have taken the throne back and held it for Maria but Ren's popularity as a hunter had given him an idea. Hizuri were after all the closest blood relation to the Todoh coven, the blood king's coven. Had Kuon survived he would have been named king and Lory liked the idea of the rightful king ruling without his subjects being aware of the fact.
"If I were you Tsuruga, I would marry Kyouko." Kijima said suddenly. "I mean you've been dodging the other coven's in their marriage pursuit so far. They won't wait much longer for you to choose one of them. Now that we have an older Takarada female heir, none of them will question it. Plus, they're bound to find our story that Lory was hiding her away all these years a little suspicious. Wed her now, produce an heir and the covens will give you some peace for a while. You know until they want your child to marry one of their little brats."
The scenario would solve Ren's problem with covens fighting over him. Yashiro would finally get some peace. But Maria would be displaced and Kyouko would be stuck with him until he died.
"I have no intention to marry anyone Kijima." Ren said shoving his sadness aside. Marriage was for healthy men who could support and love their partners properly.
"If you don't marry her then you could lose the throne." Kijima voiced what everyone had been thinking. "That girl has command inducement, heat manipulation, energy absorption, a self-healing factor, and who knows what other abilities she has. We're all thinking it Ren, her father could have been the blood king."
"He could just as easily have been a Morizumi asshole stepping out on his wife." Ren said letting some of his anger slip out. "If I married her based on the assumption that she is some long-lost heir that the blood king somehow concealed, I would be using her to secure my throne."
"Or you would be restoring her claim to it and protecting her from others who would use her." Yashiro interjected. If another coven even suspected that Kyouko was the child of Todoh Susumu they would all pounce on the chance to claim her.
"But who would protect her from me?" The words tumbled from Ren's lips without his permission followed by a deep sigh. With the exception of Lory, no one had ever seen look or sound so dejected. None of them dared ask what he meant.
Lory cleared his throat. "What shall we do with the Akatoki hunters then? They all saw her powers and Fuwa is bound to know more than he lets on."
"Bring them to me." Ren said after taking a minute to compose himself. "I'll alter their memories a bit and send them on their way. All except Fuwa and Shoko-san."
"Ren you can't alter all of their memories. Kyouko drank from you, twice and you hardly ever eat." Yashiro worriedly tried to reason with him. "Add the massive amount of energy it would cost you to erase all those hunters' memories and you'll put yourself in the hospital."
"I'll be fine." Ren said in a tone which left no room to argue.
Matsushima-san nodded and scribbled on a piece of paper. He then lifted the paper into the air, and it vanished. "They will be brought to you shortly. May we know what you plan for Fuwa?"
"Thank you, Matsushima. Unfortunately, I cannot kill Fuwa. His mother is from the Katagiri coven and her brother has sent us a warning gift already." Ren said and Yashiro opened a subspace pocket to pull out a basket of blood oranges. "Just a friendly reminder that he exists. The card expresses his hope that both his nephew and Kyouko are well. A friendly indication that he knows we are lying about her."
"Katagiri? Is Fuwa really so closely related to royalty?" Kijima asked looking over to Sawara-san for confirmation.
"You were always a terrible student Kijima; I'm not surprised you don't know." Sawara-san said. "Yayoi is Kenichi's sister and it was quite a scandal when he blessed her union with a Gaki. Imagine letting a princess marry an Earl and not even a rich one. Katagiri paid a large sum to restore the Fuwa Ryokan to its former glory. The Fuwa family would be in ruins if not for Katagiri and what exactly did he get in return?"
"Sawara-san, you surprise me." Lory chimed in and everyone groaned at his expression. "Rank and money mean nothing when it comes to love. Yayoi-san had a great love for her poor failing innkeeper, and he loved her."
"Her money maybe." Nakazawa said just to irk Lory.
"I hear she was beautiful too." Matsushima added to deepen Lory's frown.
"He loved her, and she loved him, and I applaud Kenichi-san for letting love win. He could have married her to Uesugi and gained in wealth and rank." Lory concluded too annoyed to lecture them on love.
"Whether they loved each other or not isn't important." Yashiro pointed out. "The fact is if we punish Fuwa Shou too harshly we risk angering one of the eight remaining Upyr covens. Katagiri-san happens to share a grandchild with Morizumi who happen to still be angry about us punishing Kimiko-san for her actions. So, do any of you have any suggestion on how to punish him without starting a war?"
Kijima opened his mouth but said nothing due to the stern look Ren shot him. He decided it would be better for his health if he saved his jokes for another time.
"What about servitude?" Sawara-san asked. "The punishment should fit the crime. He made poor Kyouko cook and clean for him all her life, as punishment he can spend his days in a kitchen mopping the floor and hauling sacks of vegetables around."
"It isn't the worst idea." Yashiro said looking to Ren. "You can always command him to not speak as well. I know how his voice annoys you."
Ren smiled and gave them a nod. "I'm fine with that plan. Though, as his victim Kyouko should have final say. Bring her here tomorrow and we will give her the fruit from Katagiri-san when we ask permission to give Fuwa a slap on the wrist."
"And Shoko-san?" Nakazawa-san asked though he didn't really care. They all understood that she had been doing her job as a hunter and been misinformed by Shou.
"Woods-san requested her help in teaching classes. It's technically a demotion but I think LME witches are actually paid better than Akatoki hunters." Ren explained. "If she does become a problem, I have every confidence that Woods-san will take care of her."
"Are there any other matters you would like to discuss tonight?" Yashiro asked the council. At their collective nod he stood up and said, "Gentlemen this meeting is adjourned. Please return to your homes safely."
The men bowed, Kijima doing so with a flourish and they left Ren with Yashiro.
"What are you planning to do with Kyouko-chan?" Yashiro asked suspiciously. "You seem pretty eager to see her again." Part of him wanted to tease his king but another part of him felt afraid for the girl. She was small and innocent to the schemes of royalty, had anyone else found her they would have declared her the blood king's heir and married her. This was Ren though and Yashiro believed his king to be a good man.
"Nothing." Ren said resolutely but then added. "Protect her from me Yukihito. When the time comes, I'll be counting on you to keep her safe."
"I'm sorry Ren, I don't understand." Yashiro admitted but the king only smiled sadly at him.
"Nothing, Yashiro. I'll do nothing with her."
Tsuruga Ren, the benevolent king understood why he could never have Kyouko. Hizuri Kuon, the Vukodlak would not be denied what he wanted anymore. It was a blessing that Ren had killed Kuon long ago.
A knock on the door ended their conversation and Ren spent the remainder of his night erasing the memory of Kyouko from the brains of fifty hunters.
A/N: I wrote this chapter after the next one because I felt like i skimmed over too much. I'm just really all over the place in quarantine.
