Bara no Scarlet
Chapter Six
Revelations
"A long time ago, so long now that those alive today only dimly recall a myth or legend about it, there was a handsome Prince and his younger sister. Ironically, while he was a Prince, she could not be a Princess, for she was possessed of powers that marked her as a witch."
Anshii paused in her storytelling, looking at the faces of those who sat at the table with her. Juri, Miki, Touga… they looked vaguely familiar with the story. Nanami looked irritated and bored. She wasn't surprised that Nanami wasn't interested in the story, but she was determined that she'd only tell it once.
"The Prince and his sister traveled the world, the Prince coming to the aid of every Princess in need, every Princess who called." As she spoke, memories flickered across her eyes, and she saw everything in vivid color, as if it had only been yesterday.
"He was a loving but foolish Prince, often exhausting himself rescuing the Princesses who never learned their lesson." She laughed quietly, spreading her hands.
"And still, his sister loved him and supported him, all the while hating the Princesses for what they were, for the attentions they got from her brother. She hated them all the more because she could not become a Princess. No matter how desperately she desired it, she could not give away the powers she had."
Nanami played with a puddle of water that an ice cube had made on the table while the others listened. She didn't understand why she had to be here, listening to that woman talk. Everyone else seemed so attentive; it made her want to throw water on everyone, especially Anshii. Couldn't they see that woman wasn't worth their time?
"So she watched her brother nearly kill himself over and over to rescue these Princesses, healing him as she could, trying to keep him alive, when everything seemed bent on destroying him," Anshii continued, seemingly unaware of Nanami's traitorous thoughts.
The faintest wisp of a smile crossed Juri's lips as the words brought an unbidden but not unwelcome face to her memory.
"And one day, when her brother had rescued not one but two Princesses, he was weak and needed rest, but the people called to him again. Another Princess needed aid. His sister stood up, and told them that her brother was tired, and needed rest. The people of the town didn't believe her, and she was forced to flee the town with her brother."
Again, she could smell the hay in the barn; see the injuries her brother had suffered. The villagers yelled in the distance. She closed her eyes briefly to shut it all out. "In order to protect him, she used her powers to grant him sleep… the kind of sleep which is only brought on by powers which she had."
Silence fell across the group, and Miki's blue eyes looked to Anshii's green ones. "How long did he sleep, Anshii?"
Anshii's voice was quiet and wistful when she replied, looking to Miki with sad eyes. "He sleeps still in the castle that exists outside of time."
For a long time, no-one spoke. Each was lost in his or her own private thoughts, secret musings that none felt necessary to share. Finally, Nanami looked over with annoyance and opened her mouth. "And just what was the point of you telling that story?"
Green eyes flared with anger as Anshii looked at the blonde. "Because I was the one who sealed a part of my brother Dios away in that castle. All of that was my doing." She pointed angrily to the ring on Nanami's hand. "Your precious ring was crafted by my hand in an effort to prevent the monster that my brother has become from unleashing horror on this world!"
Nanami looked disbelievingly at Anshii. Her voice grew haughty as she spoke, her clear disdain for Anshii evident. "So you're telling us that you're the witch in the legend? You were the Rose Bride. All you did was sacrifice yourself endlessly."
To everyone's surprise, Anshii nodded. "Yes. The Rose Bride is the one who sacrifices herself for others around her. She protects those she is connected to, obeys them, devotes herself to them. But she alone is the key. And now, Utena is the Rose Bride. Even though… even though I betrayed her in the end, she still chose to protect me from Akio."
"Betrayed her…?" Juri asked, blue eyes searching Anshii. So there was more to it. Juri had known that something had happened between Anshii and Utena, but she hadn't been able to decide what.
A wash of pain and shame crashed over the former Rose Bride. "I brought forth another sword, one that should never be wielded. With it, I stabbed Utena and took the Sword of Dios from her and gave it to Akio."