disclaimer: I own only the plot. The character of Ryo was created by Takeru-san and is used with his consent and input
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In his letter, Tai had said that he hoped to have the main column of troops reach Takaishi Manor by sunset.

"About another two hours then," TK said to himself as he squinted at the sun. The golden orb was already beginning to acquire an orange tint as it sunk towards the horizon. The young prince was standing in the grasslands that spread out a few hundred yards from the main gate of the castle, opposite the wheat fields and forest. He was in the process of tying together large bundles of hay for the numerous horses that would soon be encamped there. There were already about eighty bundles scattered all around him, their long shadows stretching across the grass. It was a quiet, lonely job. Especially lonely since about an hour ago, when he had sent the men who were helping him back to the castle to finish up some of the other chores.

Frankly, TK was glad to have a little peace. Kari had been on a full-scale rampage since she had found out that a third of the Kamiyian army would be camped out on her doorstep. She was close to driving herself, and everyone else, crazy making all the necessary preparations. And TK could only imagine what kind of fit she would throw when she found out that Tai was going to make her ride in an armored carriage, instead of traveling on horseback with everybody else.

TK sighed to himself. He knew that the main reason Kari was in such a foul mood was because she was scared. She could sense the war brewing down in Ishida. And she could feel the darkness settling across everyone she loved, and TK would have been lying if he said he could not feel it as well. He just had to keep telling himself that they would weather this storm like they had weathered all the others. He had to be confident that he could protect his family.

The young prince was so caught up in these thoughts that he did not see the riders until they were only about a hundred yards away. There were three of them, coming towards him at a steady gallop. The lead rider was dressed in the bright, gaudy colors of a lord or knight. And his followers wore the same colors, though in a slightly different pattern. TK looked at them for a moment, trying to remember which nobleman wore those particular shades of orange and green. But after failing to do so, he shrugged his shoulders and went back to tying the bundles of hay. The riders were most likely advance scouts for the column, and TK figured they would just ride past him and continue on to the castle gates.

The young man was proven wrong a few seconds later. The riders pulled beside him, their backs towards the sun so that he was in their shadows.

"About how far back is the rest of the column?" TK asked, only slightly looking up. His current bundle of hay was a little larger than the rest, so he was having some trouble tying the small cord of rope into a knot that would hold tight.

The lead rider crinkled up his nose as if he smelled something rotten. "I am Sir Persig of Adonin." He announced. "Take me to Prince Takeru and Princess Hikari." He ordered in a bored tone. The knight was at most, two years older than TK. He was pudgy, with a fair, oily complexion, and limp black hair. His mouth was twisted up in a chubby sneer, and his small, dark eyes gleamed with arrogance.

TK smiled a little to himself. He guessed that he probably did not look too princely at the moment. He was dressed in only a pair of worn trousers, his shirt having been discarded sometime earlier, and now laying forgotten somewhere in the grass. He was covered in sweat, and stray pieces of hay were tangled in his golden hair.

"The Princess is over at the castle." He said in a polite voice. "I'm not quite sure where the Prince is." He gave Sir Persig and his followers a quick smile, and then turned his attention back to wrestling with the bundle of hay. He thought to himself that the name Adonin sounded familiar.

"I didn't ask where they were, boy." The knight narrowed his eyes at TK. "I told you to take me to them." His voice was filled with blatant contempt. He turned his horse so that its shoulder knocked the young man away from the bundle.

TK felt a bright flame of rage suddenly spring up in his chest. His hands unconsciously curled into fists. His eyes narrowed dangerously, the blue in them started to freeze. "What did you say to me?"

Persig's nostrils flared in anger. "I said, boy, that you had best take me to your masters at once! I would have thought they'd have taught you how to respect your betters when you were a slave!" He gave a harsh chuckle as his followers grinned in amusement. "Or was disrespect why they took the flog to you so often?"

He reached behind his back and pulled a small horsewhip from a saddlebag. "Perhaps my men and I should try to teach you some right now." He sneered.

TK felt fresh waves of rage and shame wash over him. He had always been self-conscious about the large black S that had been burnt into his shoulder as a child, and of the leathery scars that criss-crossed his back like cat scratches. And to hear someone like Persig taunt him like that made his blood burn. His muscles pulled themselves taut as his eyes turned fully into ice. The corners of his mouth turned up in the faintest warning of a wolf smile.

In the back of his mind, TK knew that all he had to do was say who he was. Then Persig would be on his knees in a matter of seconds, his face pale and blubbering as he begged for pardon. But he thought it would be much more interesting if he just pulled the bastard out of the saddle and beat him to death. The other two would try to help, so he would have to take a few moments to reach up and snap their necks, the bigger one on the right first. But he should be able to take it slowly with the fat little knight.

He would have done it too, and neither Persig nor his two followers could have stopped him. But right before his hands started to reach upward, a large stone came hurtling out of nowhere to hit the knight square in the side of the head.

"Who dares?" Persig screeched as he wheeled his horse around to the direction of the attack. He did not notice how TK suddenly turned ashen, and stepped back with a look of disbelief and horror on his face.

"I suppose I dare. If you want to phrase it that way." Cody said casually, as he slowly came towards them on an old gray donkey. The young monk wore the same coarse, brown robes that were his trademark, though his current apparel was a little more travel stained than usual. His bowl shaped hair was a bit overgrown, and his hands and face were smudged with dirt. His expression was as impassive as stone, and his dark eyes seemed to be glazed with boredom. Only his closest friends would have been able to tell that he was almost exploding with fury.

"And who, may I ask, is inquiring?"

"I am Sir Persig of Adonin." The knight sat up straight, and threw out his flabby chest. "Now tell me who you are, before I order my men to beat the answer out of you!"

"Well we wouldn't want that, would we?" the young monk responded with a narrow grin. "I am Brother Cody of the Hidian Order." He pulled back the side of his robe to expose the heavy mace hanging from his belt.

"Yes, that Brother Cody." He said sarcastically to the suddenly very pale knight and his followers.

"M-my lord!" Persig sputtered. "I-I had no idea! My sincerest apologies!" All three riders quickly bowed their heads.

"That's no way to beg forgiveness." Cody said in a cross voice. "All of you get on your knees and kiss the Lord's blessed earth, quickly now. And don't move an inch until I tell you to."
The three men just about dived out of their saddles to throw themselves prostrate on the ground. They lay absolutely motionless except for the nervous sweat that gathered on their brows.

"Cowards." Cody whispered to himself. "Sniveling brats." He had been having a perfectly happy summer preaching and teaching in the eastern coastal villages. And he had been just about ready to journey towards the capital to spend a few weeks with his friends when Tai's scouts had found him. The whole idea of sending a force down to Ishida frustrated him to no end. But he thought that by traveling to Takaishi Manor ahead of the army, he would at least be able to spend a few reasonably quiet days with his two best friends. Unfortunately, a series of inconveniences had delayed him considerably, and had already spoiled his mood long before he arrived to find the present situation.

Cody glanced over at TK, wondering if he should inform Persig of just exactly whom he had so outrageously insulted. But the young monk only had to take a quick look at his friend before immediately deciding that it would be best just to send the knight and his followers on their way.

It was all TK could do to keep himself from throwing up. He could hear his heart beating wildly in his ears, and his hands shook uncontrollably. He could feel the darkness slowly draining out of his veins, leaving a cold sensation to linger in his body like a bad aftertaste. He had not even felt it gnawing at him; it had just crept up like a mouse and slipped fluidly and naturally into control. He was so scared by the realization; he wanted to curl up in a ball and cry.

"Go back to the column and tell the King that all is ready for his arrival. " Through a haze, TK heard Cody say the words to the three men on the ground. "Consider yourselves officially chastised by the crown. And may the good Lord help you if either the Queen or the Princess ever find out about this."

There was a sudden rush of sounds as Persig and his men jumped to their feet, clambered up on their horses, and then went galloping off as fast as they could. TK's mind latched onto the familiar noises; used them as footholds to climb out of the paralyzing fear. He managed to lift his head and keep his gaze mostly steady as he looked at Cody.

The young monk watched with a thin frown as the three men rode away. Then he gave a small sigh and slid off his mount, which had been lazily eating grass during the entirety of the confrontation.

"You had a dangerous look in your eyes." Cody said in a hushed voice. He moved slowly towards TK, keeping his gaze turned towards the ground as he shook the thick, brown dirt from his robes.

The young prince gave a small nod. "I'll take your donkey over to the stables. Kari already has your room set up if you need a rest." His voice trembled with the fear. And his words were meant to suggest that he wanted to be alone.

Cody caught the meaning immediately, but he thought solitude was the worst thing his friend could experience at the moment. "Oh, he's not my donkey." He launched into conversation with a casual tone. "I was merely walking along, enjoying God's beautiful land, when I happened to pass this fellow standing out in a field. He looked to me like he would enjoy a nice change from his normal routine of not moving, and my feet were getting somewhat tired. So I decided to borrow him for a few days. Now that our journey is complete, I expect he'll just wander on home."

As if awaiting permission, the old donkey stopped eating long enough to turn around and begin a leisurely walk back to wherever it was he called home, his stringy tail swishing behind him.

TK gave a small, polite smile. He had always found that Cody's firm, sometimes restless voice could have a comforting effect in certain situations, even if the words he spoke were sometimes bordering on ridiculous. He took a deep breath and looked out at the fields around him, blinking his eyes several times as if needing to convince himself that it was real.

Cody studied him warily. He had never been told of the horrible secret his friend harbored, but he had fought beside him enough times to know TK's eyes had a creased, pained look when he was in battle. And one day, during the fighting following King Claudius' death, Cody had glanced into the young prince's eyes between sword strokes. And in that briefest of seconds, TK's eyes had momentarily taken on a look of such cold ruthlessness, that the young monk had felt the breath cringe in his lungs. The ruthless look had almost immediately been replaced by one of anguish and fear, but Cody still felt inclined to keep a close, protective watch over his friend.

"Where exactly is Adonin?" TK asked suddenly, his mind diverting itself to other topics in an effort to control the simmering fear. "I was trying to remember, but the thought just wouldn't come to me."

Cody was somewhat startled by the randomness of the question, but he responded in a knowledgeable voice. "Its up in the Northwest, Lord Rordan's territory."

"That's right." The young prince responded as his memory was sparked. "He's Sora's friend, the one that was with her and Davis at Mt. Julian."

Cody gave a solemn nod as images of the young, foolishly brave knight passed through both their minds. "If I remember correctly." He said after a moment. "That brat Persig is Rordan's son."

Cody regretted saying the name immediately. He winced reflexively and looked at his friend out of the corner of his eye.

TK acted as if he had not heard. "I really have to get some chores finished at the stables." He said. "I'll see you at dinner." He started off across the fields without waiting for a response.

Cody watched him for a second, debating whether to go after him or just leave him alone. And after a few moments he decided that he was really was too tired to keep his friend constantly under watch. He also knew that there was only one person that TK would talk to about something like what had just happened, and he was not that person.

"Watch over him, Lord." He whispered to the spreading horizon. Then he gave a small sigh and began moving towards the castle, hoping that he would be able to get a decent nap before the column arrived.

TK had gone only about twenty paces before his hands started to shake again, and a cold dread settled in the pit of his stomach. He felt his heart start to race, so he began to concentrate on the grass and trees, anything to keep his attention occupied. But his mind kept drifting back to the horrible fact that if Cody had not come along, he would have murdered the three men without the slightest amount of hesitation or qualms. The darkness would made have made it so he enjoyed it, and that thought alone was enough to make his mouth go dry.

As he came closer to the stable door, an overwhelming weariness came over him. He suddenly and desperately needed Kari; he needed to feel her, and smell her hair, and to hear her breathe. And to his great relief and surprise, he only had to open the door, and an instant later his princess was in his arms.

"I felt it." She whispered. "I was checking to make sure that dinner was coming along okay, and then suddenly I could just feel it, like a part of my heart going numb." She held him as closely and tightly as she could. The feeling had scared her more than she wanted to let on, but the fear seemed to fall away from her as she listened to the quick beating of his heart.

TK felt an immense relief sweep over him. The darkness that dwelt in his heart hated Kari just as much as he loved her. It cowered before her light, and it was only when TK held her that he did not have to be afraid of it.

"I didn't even feel it." He said in a soft voice. "I started to get angry, and then all of a sudden it had control." He kissed the top of her golden-brown hair before laying his head down on her own.

"We'll beat it back." Kari responded immediately. Her eyes were clenched shut and her head rested on his chest. "We've beaten it at every turn, and I'm not going to lose you to it now."

For the next few moments, neither of them spoke. And the only sounds were of the horses snorting and stamping in their stalls. The prince and princess held each other tightly, almost afraid to let go. And without realizing it, they began to slowly rock and sway. Watching them there in that stable, it would be easy to understand that which would be written of them many years later, that both their greatest strength and their greatest weakness lay in their complete dependence on each other.

"I promised Lucas I'd lead the men in some drills before the column got here." TK spoke finally in a hushed, tired voice. "He wants everyone looking experienced and professional when he shows them off to the other captains."

Kari could not keep herself from giggling, and the musical sound of her laughter forced TK to grin. "Hasn't he learned yet, that you couldn't lead a drill even if you wanted to?" she asked, turning to gently kiss the spot on his chest where she had been resting her head.

"You don't know how to lead or command." She continued as she looked lovingly up into his eyes. "All you know how to do is to charge straight into whatever threat, or challenge lays ahead of you. And it just so happens that there are people with so much faith in you, that they'll ride right on your heels the whole way."

TK reached down to cup her face in his hands. "But you're the one that gives me the courage and strength to charge." He said, and then he kissed her.

TK did not lead any drills that afternoon, nor did Kari attend to the myriad of small tasks and chores she had planned. They just crept up to their room and promptly fell asleep in each other's arms. And the sun had been down for almost an hour when they were finally awakened by Lucas knocking on their door.

"Dinner is already being served in the main hall!" His muffled voice came through the heavy oak. "And the King has called together his counsel!" His tone suggested that he was nearing an advanced state of nervous panic.

Without a word, the couple hastily rolled out of bed and began throwing on their formal clothes. Kari moved over to the window as she pulled her housedress over her head. Their room overlooked the main gate, and out in the meadow she could see the numerous campfires around which the common soldiers were being served their dinner. Their flickering light made her think of giant fireflies coming to rest.

She was startled from her thoughts by a resumed banging on the door. "The hosts usually aren't the last ones to the table!" Lucas called in an agitated voice.

Behind her, Kari heard TK curse as he realized he had put his trousers on backward. She ran past him to the closet, and threw his shirt at him as she began to pull on her gown. She hurriedly fastened all the laces and straps, and then turned back to TK as he was clasping his cloak around his shoulders. She stood up on her tiptoes to smell his hair, making sure that it did not reek too horribly of dried sweat. And then they both dashed to the door. Lucas stood outside, dressed in his captain of the guard uniform, and TK and Kari stood still as he looked them over.

"Crowns." He said, nodding at their bare heads.

This time Kari cursed as she rushed back inside the room, darting over to the ornately carved wooden box that stood on a table near the bed. She quickly opened it, and carefully removed two circlets made of finely pressed gold. She moved back to the door and handed one of the crowns to TK as she set the other one on her head. Lucas gave a final nod of approval, and then the three of them started off down the hall.

The events and fears of the afternoon seemed hazy and distant after the hours of sleep. And neither TK nor Kari gave them much more than a few quick flashes of attention as they moved through the castle corridors at a rather brisk pace. Then they started down the stairway leading to the main dining hall, and most of their thoughts were put on hold as they heard a herald announcing their arrival at the bottom of the stairs.

The main hall of Takaishi Manor was rather small compared to those in other castles; Kari liked to think of it as intimate. But it looked positively tiny with all the assorted lords and knights pressed so tightly around the oaken table that their shoulders rubbed together. But every one of them jumped to their feet to salute the Prince and Princess, their chairs screeching along the floor as they were pushed back. The torches along the walls bathed their faces in bold, flickering color.

Kari felt her face flush with embarrassment at their late arrival, and she reflexively took TK's hand in her own as they bowed in greeting. A few of the older lords who knew them well came forward to personally say hello, shaking hands with TK and giving Kari a quick peck on the cheek before returning to their seats. Farther down the table, the younger nobles looked at them with mouths hanging open in awe. They turned to each other and whispered about the all the stories they had heard.

Tai sat at the head of the table, with Sora, Jyou, and Lord Rordan at his right. Kari sat down at his immediate left, with TK next to her, and he next to Cody. Lucas had already managed to slip into his chair on the other side of the young monk.

Tai could not keep himself from cracking a boyish grin as he leaned across the table to talk to TK. "Women." He commented. "Can't they ever manage to get ready ahead of time?"

Sora and Kari both kicked him under the table at the same time, causing everyone near them to break into laughter.

"My Prince and Princess." Lord Rordan spoke out as the peals of laughter began to subside, his old face beaming behind his fluffy silver beard. "I would like you to meet my son. The freshly knighted Sir Persig." He put his hands on the shoulders of the young man in the chair next to him.

TK felt himself go rigid as he noticed his afternoon antagonist sitting across table. He squeezed Kari's hand as he suddenly felt the memories and feelings from earlier suddenly come rushing back into focus. Kari squeezed his hand back. Some emotional instinct made her dislike the young knight immediately.

"It is an h-honor t-to meet you." Persig stammered. He was sweating like a hog. It had been bad enough for him to have to sit across from the glaring eyes of Cody, but he was scared almost thoughtless by the realization that he had insulted and almost attacked Prince Takeru, the Iron Prince, the greatest warrior in the kingdom. He also noticed with ever mounting fear that the Princess Hikari was giving him a look of distinct unfriendliness, her soft brown eyes suddenly becoming hard as stone. And to top it off, Queen Sora had somehow taken note of the wordless exchange, and was examining him with a critical, almost threatening eye.

"Sweetest, most beautiful young ladies you could ever hope to meet." Persig's father had once described the Queen and Princess to him. "But even God himself won't be able to help you if you should so much as say an unflattering word about someone they consider dear. They'll turn as mean and nasty as she-wolves guarding their cubs. Chew you to pieces those two little ladies will."

"Excuse me." Persig whimpered as he jumped up from his chair and darted out of the room. There was no way he would be able to eat dinner with the royal females thinking of ways to tear him apart.

"Wonder what's wrong with him?" Lord Rordan asked, before shrugging and delving back into conversation with Tai and Jyou. They were talking about possibly building a children's school when the mess in Ishida was finally worked out. They were as nervous as anyone about what could happen down in the foreign land, but it helped them to keep calm by focusing on the future.

"I've been giving him the evil eye for the past half-hour." Cody whispered to TK. "Must have finally gotten to him."

The young prince found himself laughing for no real reason, and once again his worries seemed to melt away. He turned to Kari to say something, but she was already deep in talk with Sora. The queen seemed to be edging around the subject of carriages. So he just looked at his family gathered around him, letting himself fall into the warmth and safety they offered. He gave a small smile and then remarked to Tai and the others that he knew of a very good teacher.

"She taught me to read." He said with a final squeeze of Kari's hand.

A quiet night passed for the royal family, as well as for every other soldier of Kamiya. All plans for the expedition into Ishida had been completed, all supplies were packed and ready to go. And the universal feeling was one of mostly confident expectation. Everyone thought that as long as they watched out for each other, then nothing could hope to overcome them.

But perhaps, if they could have caught a glimpse of the hardships and heartbreak that awaited them, they could have changed a few things, been more cautious and watchful, more perceptive. And maybe if they had done this, they could have protected their heart and soul, instead of leaving them open to be ripped out.

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Three weeks later


Matt did not like it one bit. The Tachikawan force was traveling through an area of stiflingly dense forest. The pace was horribly slow, sometimes stopping entirely so low hanging branches could be cut away to make room for the carriages and wagons. And the path was so narrow that no more than three riders could travel comfortably side by side.

The guides supplied by the "King" of Ishida had assured him that the stretch of forest was completely safe. But the instincts of a soldier had been beaten into Matt as a child, and every one of those instincts was screaming at him that the narrow trail was the perfect place for an ambush, and that all of his men were strung out for miles ahead and behind him, hardly an ideal defensive arrangement.

He sighed and twisted around in his saddle. Behind him, Jun looked as if she was having many of the same thoughts. Her dark eyes methodically scanning the trees and bushes around her. She noticed him watching her, and met his eyes with a sympathetic frown.

"Why don't you try to wind your way up front and see how much longer this is going to take?" He said, thinking that it would do her good to move around a little, and that it would do him good to know the answer.

"Right." She nodded, kicking her horse into a canter. As she rode past him, they exchanged light punches on the arm, a sign of friendship and mutual confidence they had adopted.

Matt watched her squeeze her way past a supply wagon before turning around again. Izzy and Miyako were about ten yards farther back. They were riding so close together that their knees touched, and studying some large, unfolding diagram that spread over both their saddles and hid their faces. They were arguing in low, quick voices, and by all signs were completely oblivious to what was happening around them.

Matt felt a flash of annoyance. Considering the situation, he thought it would be good if the two of them would pay attention for once. He opened his mouth to yell at them, but then he saw Miyako's hand reach down to feel her sword, making sure it was still there. Matt chose to take it as a sign that they were on guard, so he swallowed the shout and turned to face forward. He rode on in silence for a while, trying to keep himself from going completely insane with anxiety. And then he heard a quick series of hoof beats as a page rode up beside him.

"Princess Mimi wants to speak with you, Lord Yamato, sir." The boy gave him a crisp salute. "Her carriage is about a hundred yards towards the rear of the line."

Matt nodded. "Stay here until Lady Jun gets back. Tell her where I've gone, and that she's in charge." He slowly began to turn his horse around on the cramped path. "And tell her to try to tighten up the line, we can't risk anyone getting isolated."

He kicked his horse into an easy trot, quickly passing Izzy and Miyako, neither of whom seemed to notice. But he had to pick his way through the stream of men, horses, and wagons with agonizing slowness. He stopped a few times to pass along orders to his officers, and at one point he dismounted to help untangle a wagon axel which had become caught up in some creeper vines. He could feel a headache starting to form by the time he slowed his horse to a walk beside Mimi's carriage. The sight of which made him scowl in frustration.

"You should keep your guards pulled in tighter." He told her in an irritated voice. "And for Christ's sake, slide the armored plates over the windows. You're too vulnerable in this damn forest without them."

Mimi kept silent as she looked up at him. She was in no great mood herself, she was tired, and she felt horribly grimy and oily. But she knew that Matt was on edge, and that he did not want to hear that the sunlight helped her to think, or that the guards were in the standard formation for the situation.

"I'll take care of all that once we've talked." She said in a calm voice, staring into his beautiful, fierce blue eyes. 'Hunter's eyes' she called them, always sharp and aware, always probing and testing for weaknesses, and always finding them, usually in himself. It amazed her sometimes, how such harsh, avian eyes seemed to melt when he looked at her.

Mimi blinked as she found herself lost in her thoughts. She looked down at the papers spread across her lap. They were profiles of the Kamiyian royal family and their strongest supporters, those most likely to accompany King Tai as he marched into Ishida. It was a formidable force, she had to admit, several veteran campaigners, well-trained troops. The royal family in itself boasted three spectacular warriors, possibly a fourth, if the Lord of Kido were to take up a sword again. And by all reports the warriors under the Kamiyian prince were the most dangerous in the world.

"Here." She gathered up all the papers and handed them through the window to Matt. "Jun wanted to read them when I was finished. Izzy and Miyako might want to take a look too." It went without saying that Matt would read them on the ride back to his place in the line.

Matt studied the name on the top paper of the stack. It was Prince Takeru. He felt a minor stirring of some feeling that was hard to categorize, like receiving the slightest taste of a complex meal and then having to name all the ingredients. His brother was dead, he finally told himself. He had hoped for a long time that this fact was untrue, but in the end his delusions had only cost him more pain. There were other people in the world that bore the name Takeru, the greatest warrior of an opposing kingdom simply happened to be one of them.

"You made me ride through this mess just to be your errand boy?" He asked in a chiding voice, masking the slight hint of pain his conclusions caused him.

"Not entirely, no." Mimi answered. She furrowed her brow and stared at the opposite wall of the carriage.

"All the reports from our agents in Kamiya say that the King is a just, benevolent ruler. Tai and his family have made the kingdom stable again, made its people prosperous and happy, and perhaps more importantly, given them back their freedom and pride."

"The reports do say that." Matt agreed half-heartedly as he leafed through the papers.

"So why would Kamiya agree to play any part in a foreign war? Why would they try to depose this King Ryo? And what possible reason could they have for attacking us at the same time?" Mimi looked up at him, tension and weariness evident in her eyes.

"Lots of reasons." Matt answered. "If Ishida is united, it'll be capable of rivaling Kamiya in sheer power. Tai sends an army down to keep the country divided, and sends raiders across our border to warn us to keep out of it. Tai probably does love his people, loves them enough to go to great lengths to keep them prosperous and happy."

"I've already thought of all that." Mimi sighed and put her head in her hands. "And something about it just doesn't seem right. I feel like I'm about to make a horrible mistake."

Matt frowned. "You're worried that any personal feelings toward Tai will color your decisions. You're worried that you might push us into a private war because he killed your father."

Mimi stared up at him. "Look at Jun. She's almost willing to believe that Tai crucified Christ because of what happened to her brother. And there's so much we don't know about everything, and I don't trust this Lord Rolen or his king any farther than I can throw them."

She clenched her teeth and ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm just terrified that I'll be twisted around so much that I won't know which end is up."

Matt's winced as he felt the barely controlled pain in her voice. He leaned down and gently caressed her cheek. "Listen to me Meems." He whispered, using his nickname for her. "We're all going to come through this okay, because you're going to keep us together. No one on this earth is capable of making you do something you don't want to." He gave her a thin but genuine smile. "You have too much spoiled princess in you to ever be forced into anything."

"I hope you're right." She whispered reaching up her arms to pull him closer.

"I know I am." He answered, moving his head a little so that he could kiss her. "Have I told you lately that I love you?"

"Yes." She answered with a little bit of a laugh. "But I can always stand to hear it again."

He smiled and caught her in a lingering kiss. "I'll always love you." He whispered as he slowly pulled away from her. "Never doubt that."

Mimi held his hand against her cheek and lost herself for a moment in his eyes. Should I tell him? She wondered. "No." she told herself. "Wait until all of this is over and done, don't cloud his thinking like you've clouded your own."

"I love you so much." She said out loud.

Matt smiled at her, and he started to say something, but then he heard a sound, very far off and faint, but also familiar. Instinctive alarms sounded in his mind. He forced his body rigid, and strained his ears against the dull noise all around him.

Mimi recognized the change in his posture and immediately put herself on guard. "What is it?" She whispered. She would have said more, but he shushed her with his eyes, so she remained and silent and glanced cautiously around them.

A few seconds later Matt heard it again, not so far off this time, but still mostly unrecognizable except for a hint of belonging to something bad. He grimaced in frustration over his inability to make it out over the din.

"Halt!" Mimi suddenly shouted, bringing her carriage and the riders around her to an immediate stop. And in the very first second of silence the sound rang loud and clear.

It was a scream, one of pure desperate panic and terror. It was coming from somewhere inside the forest on the other side of the carriage.

Almost at once Matt was shouting orders. "Sound the signal for defense positions!"

One of the riders near him brought a curved horn to his lips and sounded a series of deep, low, bursts.

Mimi started to open her carriage door, but Matt pushed it shut. "Stay in there!" He ordered. "And pull the goddamn plates over the windows!"

The Princess nodded reluctantly and began to slide the heavy steel shutters over the opened windows.

Matt looked around wildly as the scream came again. "You five!" he pointed to five of his men riding behind the carriage. "With me!"

Without another thought he went charging into the dense forest, his horse leaping over the first line of tangled bushes. He heard the scream again and pointed his mount towards it. He spurred his horse on as fast as he dared, but he also loosened his grip on the reins and let the snorting beast choose its own way through the maze of crooked trees and overgrown shrubs.

He was not sure how long he had been riding when he caught sight of Jun. She seemed to be an extension of her pale brown charger as they galloped parallel to him, about fifty yards to his left. He risked a few quick glances around himself, and noticed that other horseman besides the five behind him were plunging through the forest.

The scream came again, this time with others rising up around it, and Matt thought he saw a clearing up ahead. The acrid stench of burning flesh reached his nostrils, repulsing him, but at the same time making him feel strangely confident. There was battle and death up ahead. He was nearing his element.

His mind was suddenly filled with images from years ago. He had been born with an evil inside him, that he knew. But the evil was as much a part of him as his arms and legs, and that was why he blamed himself for what had happened to his family. Matt thought the evil had led the Marauders to him, not simple chance. The Marauders, his masters, knew about the evil somehow, and they forced it to the surface. They made him fight for his life, such gruesome, uneven battles that the only way he survived was by letting the evil take control of him.

Matt did not remember much of the next few years. All he could recall was a universal numbness that left him uncaring and unfeeling. Only in battle, in killing, did he feel anything at all, and that which he felt was a sensation of pure ecstasy. And he thought he remembered a shallow feeling of contentment, something that came to him when he began to realize that the Marauders, those who had made him what he was, now feared him.

Then there was the day when the evil relinquished control. It was like waking from a bad dream. One moment there was darkness, and the next he was on his horse, riding down some old trail. The horse wheezed as it ran, its feet falling heavy with exhaustion. Matt remembered that his armor was slick with blood and sweat. And in his hand he griped the handle of a broken sword. The trail had led to the burnt out farm that had once been his home, and it was there that everything that had happened finally caught up to him.

Matt had not felt the evil, the darkness, since. Not even when he probed the depths of his soul could he make it stir. And as time passed, he began to lose his fear of it. Mimi's flashing eyes and tender embrace had helped greatly in that.

So it was that Matt did not worry about keeping his darkness in check as his horse cleared the final hurdle of shrubs and landed in the clearing. All at once he absorbed the scene, a small village, no more than twenty crude mud huts, half of which were burning. Women and children screaming as foot soldiers in black chain mail herded them into the center of the clearing, the original scream lost in the chorus. The dead or wounded men sprawled out in the dirt.

Jun, and other riders soon burst out of the forest around him. And without waiting for any orders, charged ahead to engage their apparent opponents.

The soldiers in black, and Matt saw terror and surprise in their eyes as the Tachikawans bore down on them. Most did not even attempt to fight, but only turned and ran. The ones who stood and raised their swords did not last very long. Matt struck two of them down almost immediately. And out of the corner of his eye he saw Jun cut the throat of another. But that was all he saw in terms of opposition. The soldiers in black who had stood their ground, or even just hesitated, had been cut down in moments. Those who had fled into the forest were being pursued.

Matt and his riders wheeled their horses around looking for more fight. The roar of battle was still running through them, keeping them on edge. It was the sight of women and children cowering on the ground, too afraid to even scream anymore that finally brought Matt fully to his senses.

"Take care of them." He ordered. "Check their injuries as best you can and then get them to a medical wagon."

He kept his eyes on the forest where the soldiers had fled, not letting himself relax until he saw his men return. Some with blood displayed on their swords.

"Matt." He heard Jun call in a curiously anxious voice. "You should look at this." She was kneeling beside the body of the man she had killed, and as Matt rode up he quickly saw what it was that had gained her attention.

Beneath the black mail, the dead man had on a bold red shirt, proudly displaying the midday sun that was the seal of the House of Kamiya. Sharps rays of golden light shot out of the sun, indicating that the Kamiyian king was at war.

"Shit." Matt whispered. He felt a sudden sorrow pass through him, and he was not quite sure why. He heard the sound of rustling leaves, and seconds later Mimi, accompanied by Izzy, Miyako, and few guards, emerged from the forest and stepped into the tortured little village.

A shameful blush crept into the faces of Matt's riders, and they bowed their heads like guilty children under a mother's inspection. Embarrassed by the crimes committed even though they were the ones who stopped them.

Mimi took in the entire scene with one vast sweep of her soft brown eyes. Her shoulders slumped as she saw the dead Kamiyian soldier, and a despairing look came over her face.

The look made Matt understand his own sudden sorrow. He and Mimi, and probably everyone else had been hoping that Kamiyians were not truly their enemies, that there was some explanation behind the march of Tai's army into Ishida. They had been hoping that Kamiya was just another pawn in the shifty game they suddenly found themselves caught up in. And one ruthless attack on a helpless little village was all it took to rip those hopes into tiny pieces.

Matt got off his horse and walked over to Mimi, intending to comfort her. But he stopped short when he realized that his princess was trembling with rage, all the sorrow and despair suddenly changing to anger.

"Fine." She said. Her fists were clinched and there was thunder in her eyes. "If they want war, we'll give it to them."
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Lord Rolen could not remember a time when he had been happier, he was giddy even. And all of it was because fate had chosen to shine on him. He was living a life of luxury in the same castle that had housed the Ishidian king for centuries, now rebuilt from the crumbling ruin it had become after King Justin's fall. Powerful men heaped wealth at his feet, beautiful women attended to his every wish and desire. And his power spread with every passing moment.

Across from Rolen sat the same awkward man that had first come to him months ago. The man's bleach white skin seemed positively eerie in the flickering fire of the hearth. And his bold yellow eyes reflected the light as those of a cat might. He sat perfectly silent and motionless, the absolute opposite of Rolen, who squirmed and laughed in his drunkenness.

"Have some wine." Rolen said to him in too loud a voice. "It'll put a little color in those bland cheeks of yours, eh?" he chuckled to himself.

The pale man folded his long, spindly arms in his lap. "My apologies for not being able to share in your mirth. But my masters and I still feel some uncertainty in regards to your plan." He flashed Rolen a warning smile, showing off his rows of sharp little teeth.

"My plan is bearing fruit even as we speak." Rolen answered back. "That old, naive fool Artur is leading the Kamiyians right into the thick of our trap. And the Tachikawans will be ready and eager to meet them, as I've made sure of today."

"And that does trouble me." The man said with a dramatic frown. "What would have happened if any of your disguised men had been caught and interrogated?"

"Bah." Rolen dismissed the question with a wave of his hand. "They knew nothing in the first place. And besides, I had a slow acting poison put in their morning meals. They would never have lived long enough to be interrogated." He laughed at his own cleverness.

"Face it my gangly friend. The only way we shall not succeed is if your masters do not hold up their end of the bargain."

The pale man tensed up as if he had been personally insulted. "Our forces are massed at the Northern gate of the mountains. They await only a sign that all is ready."

Rolen leaned forward in his chair, a dark, ravenous glint in his eyes. "Then we have nothing at all to worry about."
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