Waking up was not a pleasant experience. Usually mornings were Kyoko's favorite time of the day. Not today. Bleary eyed and still tired, Kyoko sat up, rubbing her face to get her eyes working. They resisted her attempts, still swollen from crying.
What an awful night thought Kyoko, yawning, glancing at the window. Judging by the light peaking through the curtains, it was well past morning. She got out of bed, stretching her sore muscles, then, still yawning, threw open the curtains.
The warmth from the sun was comforting despite the light that immediately stung her eyes, making them water. It was well into the afternoon, she realized, looking at the height of the sun. Then her eyes fell on a blue and white glittering form. A crystal aster lay on her bedside, shining in the sunlight.
"How.."
She hurried over to the nightstand, then hesitated, afraid that the flower was only an illusion. There was no way...
Her hand hovered over the flower for a few seconds before she gained enough courage to try picking it up.
The flower was solid. It was here.
"Ren!" said Kyoko, tears again filling her eyes. "Did you bring this to me?" It had to be him. Who else would know this was exactly what she needed? He was a fairy after all. Did that mean he was watching over her as well like he'd promised?
She hugged the flower to her chest, feeling the pain and fear starting to drain from her. This flower was an indication to her that everything would be alright. She would be just fine.
"Thank you." said Kyoko to the room. She didn't know if Ren could hear her, or if it had truly been him that had left the flower. But his memory brought comfort to her at that moment.
Once she had collected herself, she left the room, taking the flower with her.
Right outside the her door was a guard, standing at attention in the hall. The moment she stepped out, he saluted her.
"Lady Kyoko." said the guard. "I've been requested to bring you to Duke Takarada once you've awoken. Will you come with me?"
"S-sure." said Kyoko, feeling a little nervous. She had gotten used to the relaxed attitude of Hikaru and her other guards. The formality made her a little uncomfortable. She was worried about Hikaru. There were still a lot of things she didn't understand. Hopefully the Duke would be able to shed some light on everything.
They walked through the clinic, bustling with activity like usual, but there were a few differences Kyoko couldn't help noticing. Like the presence of guards at the end of each hall, or the worried and excited whispers. A few of the physicians she noted, were giving her odd looks. Some with respect, others curiosity. It was as bad as when she had first been admitted, the way she was being started at. What had she done wrong this time?
They reached Takarada's office where two other guards stood outside. Her own guard presented her, and the others knocked on the door before letting her in. The door closed firmly behind her.
Duke Takarada looked tired. His usually styled dark hair was disheveled as if he had been continuously running his hand through it. The desk was more crowded then usual as he sat behind it, smoking a cigar. He looked up as she entered, dark circles under his eyes.
"Ah, Kyoko." he said, taking the cigar out of his mouth and standing up. "You're awake. Good. I've been wanting to speak to you."
"I have as well." said Kyoko, striding up to the duke and taking the cigar from his hand. "You need to stop smoking these. It's bad for your health."
The duke chuckled, allowing her to put out the cigar before throwing it in the trash. "You truly are a good physician through and through lady Kyoko. Always looking out for the well being of others."
She grimaced, dusting off her hands before replying.
"How is he?" she asked. She didn't need to specify who "he" was.
"Perfectly fine." said Lory. "He's still resting, or at least should be. I don't have the same ability to make people listen to me when it comes to their health that you have. But he has suffered no lasting damage."
Kyoko exhaled, letting some of the worry leave her. "I'm glad."
"It's all thanks to you from what I hear." said Lory. He leaned back against this desk, arms crossed as he surveyed Kyoko. "I heard about how you pulled most of the poison from him. Without a magic circle I might add, and that it was because of you they were able to figure out what he had been poisoned with."
"It was my fault he was hurt in the first place." said Kyoko. The poison had been meant for her after all. "I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if I'd done anything less."
"And if it hadn't been your fault?" said Lory. "What then?"
She didn't answer.
"The thing I'm most curious about is how you knew about Kuon's curse in the first place?" said Lory scratching his chin. "Only me and close family are suppose to know about that."
Kyoko immediately felt guilty. "He had a headache." she said. " He came into the clinic for medicine when you weren't here. I got upset when I saw all the medications he had been taking and made him promise to use a different method before I gave him the medicine."
"Which was?"
"Massage therapy mixed with aroma therapy and pulse magic."
Lory frowned. "You gave Kuon a scalp massage for his headache? You do realize that it wasn't a normal headache don't you?"
"It has something to do with the curse and his inability to control his light magic doesn't it?"
Lory raised an eyebrow at her. She kept going, hoping to explain before she lost her nerve. This was awfully impertinent of her to be making all these assumptions about the prince after all.
"The treatment I gave him isn't a normal massage." said Kyoko, speaking in a rush. "I was able to sooth his headache as well as the surface of his curse. That's when I saw it, and I know he's been having trouble with his light magic. So, it would make sense that the curse, which is made up of powerful dark magic, would be causing the trouble with his light magic, as well as causing adverse reactions in his body. Which in this case manifested itself as a headache. "
"You figured all of this out from one massage?" said Lory, sounding disbelieving.
"Well... and a few others things." said Kyoko, trailing off. The reports of his dark mood swings, the menacing aura he had been emanating the first time she met him, coupled with the seemingly kind and humble nature he displayed at times. It didn't make sense. They all pointed to the same thing. Kuon's curse was causing him all sort of emotional and physical pain. A struggle within himself of light over dark. Good over bad.
"How much of the curse were you able to identify?" asked Lory.
"Almost nothing." said Kyoko, shaking her head. She wasn't very good at sensing in general compared to others. Then there was the fact that it had been hidden by layers and layers of protective magic. "I'm not very well versed on curses."
"I see."
Silence fell between the two. Kyoko couldn't help fidgeting, unable to look at Lory. Would she be in trouble for figuring out such an important secret? Kuon was a child of the king after all, blessed by the light and the guardian over the land. If people know that he was cursed, the faith and support of the people would diminish, possibly causing all sorts of problems.
She heard Lory move from the desk and approach her. He raised a hand, and she flinched, but it fell on her shoulder, giving her an affectionate pat. She peered up at Lory, and saw that he was smiling kindly at her.
"Thank you." said Lory. "For taking care of Kuon."
"Of course!" said Kyoko, relived. "I am aiming to be a physician after all. It's my job."
"Speaking of that." said Lory, walking back to his desk. "I have something for you."
He pulled a scroll from the table and handed to her. She took it, unrolling it with interest. Then froze.
"The physician's test?" she said, not able to completely process what this meant. "You want me to take it?"
"In three days, if possible." said Lory. "They only hold it twice a year and I'd rather have you licensed now rather then later."
"But I'm not ready." said Kyoko, feeling panicky. Who wouldn't? She had just been told that she was expected to take a life changing test in a few days with almost no preparation. There were still tons of things she hadn't learned about.
"Kyoko." said Lory, the calm in his voice helping her think straight. "When you first entered this facility, you already had the knowledge and qualifications to become a physician."
"Really?" she said.
He nodded. "The only reason I didn't just give you a license right then and there was because of two things. The first being that even I can't do that because of protocol. The second reason is because of who you are. We had to ease people into the idea of having a female physician in the palace first. Let alone one with such a humble background. Once you were accepted as a woman, you could take it no problem. Considering recent events, I'm willing the hurry along the second reason."
"You mean the poisoning?" said Kyoko. "Or.. are you talking about the nature of Aya's murder?"
Lory's expression grew dark. "You saw the scene." said Lory. "Did you understand what had happened there?"
She swallowed. "Not exactly." said Kyoko. "But there was only one kingdom that used dark runes that looked like that." The Accused, the society of an old fallen kingdom that worshiped dark magic and it's destructive spirit.
"I can't be everywhere at once." said Lory. "And I don't know what else is coming. I would feel more comfortable knowing you were there. This incident is a perfect example of why I need someone near Kuon that knows all of what's going on with him. If you hadn't known about his curse, he would be dead."
"I understand." said Kyoko, hugging both the scroll and the flower to her chest. She was a little intimidated, especially about the accursed, but was also excited. She was going to finally become a licensed physician!
"Also." said Lory. "Once you pass, I have decided what branch you are going to be working in. I'm going to enroll you into the Arcane Syndicate."
Kyoko nearly dropped her bundle. "What!?"
"You will be studying to become a Cleric." said Lory, ignoring her scandalized look. "I've already got a teacher willing to teach you. He's actually quite excited to have you as a student given your work and reputation."
"B-but Duke Takarada." said Kyoko. "You can only become a cleric if you can use light magic. I can't. How can I become one?"
"The Arcane Syndicate is currently working on redefining the title." said Lory, "You will be the first cleric that does not possess light magic." He grimaced. "It will be hard. Like before, many will be looking at you to fail, but I have confidence that you can do it."
She continued to gape at him. How was she expected to use magic to heal others when she didn't posses any light magic? It was like telling someone to walk without using their legs.
She started to protest again, but he cut her off.
"Kyoko." he said. "Did you use light magic to take the poison out of Kuon?"
"N-no." said Kyoko.
"Then there are obviously things you can learn that can be used to help others." said Lory. "We don't teach you how to draw out poison here in the clinic. That's something the syndicate would have taught. You obviously have the aptitude to learn, so I'm going to have you learn. Besides, the points of clerics is to use the combined efforts of medicinal and magical knowledge to heal others. Light magic is not always necessary to do that."
Kyoko swallowed, thinking about what he had said. She had always wanted to learn more about magic, and not just to improve the pulse magic. If she went to the arcane syndicate, they would teach her about magic circles, runes, and who knew what else. It was a opportunity to die for!
"I would be honored to have the opportunity." said Kyoko, giving a low curtsy. "I won't disappoint you, I promise."
"I'm sure you won't." said Lory, smiling
Kyoko thought for a moment.
"May I ask you a question?" said Kyoko.
"Sure."
"Do you know what happened to Hikaru?"
"Hikaru?" He frowned, "Oh! You mean the guard that helped you out of the prison."
"Yes." said Kyoko. "Is he alright? Was he punished?"
"In the records, that's what it looks like." said Lory, walking back to the desk and shuffling some parchment. "But truthfully, it's an opportunity to re-train and climb the ranks. He's been sent away for now, but by the time her returns to the palace, his position will be considerably higher then before."
"That's good." said Kyoko, feeling another weight evaporate. It felt good to finally be getting all her answers. "I was afraid he'd be in huge trouble." It was too bad she wouldn't see him for a while. She was sad he wouldn't return to be her guard again, but at least he hadn't been thrown in jail forever.
"One last thing." said Lory. "About Aya poisoning you and Ruriko's involvement in the whole thing. Keep it to yourself."
"Sir?"
He took out a piece of parchment from the table and handed it to Kyoko. She skimmed over it quickly. It basically stated that Kuon had been poisoned by an assassin, and that said assassin had also killed Aya. It also claimed that she, Kyoko, had been the one to find the poisoned prince and had saved his life. The assassin had been caught and was now awaiting trial in jail.
"This is the cover story we are using for this incident." said Lory. "For obvious reasons, it wouldn't be a good idea for the actual truth to get out."
It made sense. Ruriko was a duchess, and thus was expected to serve the royal family. Yet she had poised the prince, albeit on accident. The people wold lose confidence in the families ruling over their cities, which could lead to rebellion. Then there was the Accursed. If the people knew their magic had been used in the palace of light...
Kyoko couldn't help but feel a little bit uncomfortable lying to everyone about the whole incident. She knew the world wasn't perfect. Almost nothing was. Yet it was still hard to see that even those that were supposed to protect them had flaws they had to cover up for the sake of keeping appearances. She understood why it had to be like that, but it still stunk.
"Are they truly back?" said Kyoko, voice low. "The A-Accursed. Have they returned?"
Her heart was thumping, wishing Lory would call her a fool for even thinking it.
It was a futile wish.
"They have."
"Is it safe here?"
"No." said Lory grimly. "They're after the Hizuri family. I plan on making sure they don't get to them. Will you help me?"
Forcing down her slight panic, she swallowed. The Accursed had become an old nightmare used to scare children to keep them in bed. Some adults were terrified to even mention their name. To learn that her childhood nightmares were alive and killing...
She thought about the curse Kuon had on his soul. The mass of darkness she had glimpsed. This last time she had seen it, some of the protection on it had cracked, giving her a bigger glimpse into what was inside. Just remembering it made her want to cry.
I want to help him she thought, shocked by the strength in this realization. It wasn't just because she was a physician, nor was it out of pity. Kuon had saved her by bringing her to the palace, then had let her stay after realizing she wasn't a threat. She respected his strong will and drive to do what was best for his kingdom. He could be a bully and liked to tease her, but she respected him. A lot.
"I want to help." said Kyoko, feeling strengthened by her resolve. It might be dangerous. She would be lying to say she wasn't scared of the Accursed. But Accursed or no, she wasn't going to leave the harem until this was over. "Just let me know what I can do."
Lory nodded approvingly at her expression.
"Just work on getting certified for now." he said. "And take care of Kuon. He's particularly bad at taking care of himself"
Lory watched Kyoko leave his office, wondering just what else her presence in the palace was going to change. The girl had an incredible talent for pulse magic, especially in a society that had started to lean on magic circles like a permanent crutch. The ability to sooth Kuon's curse was already a miracle in and of itself. Some of the strongest clerics could barely do what she had done.
True, there was no way for her to completely cure him with her abilities. It would have been like telling her to paint the palace with a toothbrush, then proceed to restart her work every morning. The curse on him was just so powerful and extensive. Kyoko's powers weren't an answer, but it could at least be a salve. A part of him was starting to wonder how much of that was because of Kyoko's ability, and how much of it was because of Kuon's trust in the girl. Lory had noticed the change of Kuon's attitude over the past month and every source pointed to Kyoko.
Lory sighed, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his temples. He was just glad that there was one more person that he was able to trust. He couldn't find it in himself to doubt Kyoko in any way, though he should. The trip away from the castle had confirmed a few things, one of which being that someone was giving away information from within the palace. He didn't know who, but it was nice to cut one suspect from the list.
"...or what if someone had slit your throat!"
Kuon sighed for the millionth time since the conversation had started. Really, his mother became completely unreasonable when it came to him and his father.
"There is no reason to worry about that happening because it didn't." said Kuon, resisting the urge to throw something. "I'm doing fine mother. Worrying is just going to make it worse."
He had bullied one of the physicians to give him a relay-well. The metal basin was balanced on his lap as he sat upright in his bed. He was technically following Lory's instructions to stay in bed.
The image of Julie Hizuri scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
"I can't help but worry." she said. "I'm your mother. It's my job."
"Perhaps you should take a few vacation days."
He could tell she was resisting the urge to roll her eyes.
"In any case." she said, "Your father is on his way home. That's why he's not here. He should return near the end of the festival. Just in time to see the finals of the light tournament."
"He's coming home?" said Kuon. He decided not to tell his mother that he might not be participating in the tournament. Now was not the time for that discussion. "I'd have thought you would be the one to come home with the way you're complaining."
"Why do you think I'm in such a foul mood?" she said. "And be more respectful Kuon. I am your mother."
"Of course." he said, humoring her. "But it's a legitimate question."
"We played for it." said Julie. "Rock, paper, scissors."
"You always beat him at that game." said Kuon, not understanding. He had never heard of his father winning once against Julie. The woman was a master at reading people, despite her ridiculous nature. People tended to drop their guard around her, which made it possible for her to manipulate them. Of course, he didn't think she realized this, nor would he ever tell her. She'd probably be hurt he saw her that way.
"Of course I won." said Julie with another flip of her hair. "Which is why I sent Kuu back."
"You sent- That makes no sense."
"The battle went badly." said Julie, her expression turning sober. "The criminal band refused to surrender, even after being surrounded. They caused a lot of problems for local towns before we were able to get to them all. They were an especially gifted bunch of killers and thieves."
"How's dad holding up?" said Kuon. He knew how much is father hated bloodshed. The previous king, Kuu's father, had been a warrior, causing all sorts of wars between the neighboring kingdoms. After he died in battle, Kuu had spent the last 25 years building a peaceful kingdom instead. Kuu had a kind heart, and always tried to spill as little blood as possible.
Julie let out a long sigh. "Not good." said Julie, sounding tired. "He had to fight quite a lot this time around. After we heard about you almost getting killed, I decided it was time to send him home. Me and your uncle are handling the rest of the clean up."
"That was probably a good idea." said Kuon.
"See Kuon, this is why you need to find a woman and get married." scoffed Julie. Her tone had returned to a scolding one. "Where would Kuu be if he didn't have me looking after him? One man can't do it all himself. He needs a woman to look after him. Kuu takes care of the kingdom, and I take care of Kuu."
"Who then takes care of you in return." said Kuon, the corners of his lips twitching. His parents had to be the most affectionate pair he had ever seen, despite being married for 23 years. One would think they would have passed the honey moon stage a long time ago. It was sometimes very embarrassing to be their son. "Anyway, I've got plenty of women looking after me. You don't have to worry so much."
"Those concubines don't count as people." said Julie. "Those are sluts. They're just looking to get something from you." To say his mother had always disliked the harem would be an understatement.
"Never mind." said Kuon, not wanting to start that argument again. Julie was completely unreasonable, though after talking to Kyoko, he was starting to wonder just why he still had the harem.
"You don't have to worry about me mom." he repeated. "I'm doing fine."
His mother paused. "Alright Kuon." she said. "But please, promise to talk to me if you need help. I'm always here for you."
"I know." said Kuon, only feeling slightly guilty. She didn't know how much his inability to use light magic was affecting him. "Thanks. I'll be sure to call you again tomorrow."
The image faded as the connection was cut off. Kuon placed the basin the side table and then slid under the sheets. That conversation had taken a lot out of him. He felt tired, despite his very awake brain. The poison had weakened his body considerably. He was starting to wonder if he would be able to even lift a sword once his cousin returned, despite sleeping constantly.
He closed his eyes, fighting the frustration growing inside him. He did not enjoy feeling so helpless.
Welcome back!
Thanks so much for everyone's patience! I really needed that break. I have outlined ~95% of this next arc, and let me tell you, I'm glad to be writing this rather then just outlining.
Updates will continue to be once a week.
And to answer all questions, I'm doing great! Thanks for asking. I don't understand why I should stay away from green water, but I will try. Yup, we're going into the Katsuki arc. Kuon's cousin makes me laugh. XD (no, it's not Reino. =P) He's going to be fun to write. I'm super flattered that you've read my story so many times Aria! My (attempt at drawing an) interpretation of prince Kuon is comming up. Thank you guest for telling me the link was broken. I'm trying to fix it. Yes, Imouto is my sister/beta reader. And thanks to all the compliments in general! Everyone's supper supportive!
I hope you will all enjoy this next arc. Get ready for some fun times! And thanks for reading/reviewing and all that jazz. :)
-Blushweaver
Dear readers,
I do not think you understand the great fervor with which Blushweaver outlined during her "break." I would come home from work and Blushweaver would be like "Imouto! Welcome home. Hey I was thinking that if Kyoko..." Every. Single. Day.
Thanks for reading.
Imouto