It was only twenty minutes before the start of the light sword tournament and Kyoko still wasn't there. What was holding her up? All the other concubines had already come by to wish Kuon luck before going up into the stands to watch the proceedings there. It wouldn't have bothered him as much, except that he had specifically asked her to come.
With a grimace, Kuon tightened the straps on his scabbard to make sure it stayed attached to his belt. He was sitting alone in his waiting room, privacy being one of the perks of being royalty. Ironic that he should want the opposite at the moment in the form of a certain concubine.
There was knock at the door, and Kuon sat up expecting Kyoko to walk through. But no, it was Setsuko.
"She's still not here?" said Setsuko, sliding in and closing the door behind her. "Really, where is that girl?" The concubine appeared more resplendent than usual in her festival outfit. Her long waves of hair were pulled back and hidden behind a veil, accentuating her sharp cheekbones and eyes. As always, Setsuko looked like the epitome of fierce beauty.
"She said her friend was leaving today." Said Kuon, hoping the disappointment wasn't showing on his face. As beautiful Setsuko was, he didn't find her as appealing as he once had since meeting Kyoko. "Perhaps she lost track of time."
"Hmm."
Setsuko slunk her way towards Kuon, the simple action of walking turned into a masterpiece as she swayed her body in a way that used to entice Kuon's attention. She slid into the seat beside Kuon, body turned towards him.
"How about a good luck kiss?" she murmured, closing the distance between their faces.
Kuon blocked her lips with a hand.
"Setsuko…" said Kuon cautiously. This was not the first time he had deflected her advances recently. He didn't wish to hurt her by rejecting her - the woman had been a huge source of comfort for him during his dark times - but he had no desire to betray his own heart to satisfy his physical appetite.
Setsuko drew back, grimacing.
"It's her isn't it?" said Setsuko. "I've been thinking it for a while, but now…"
"Let me guess." Said Kuon with a mental sigh. "It's really obvious?'" When Setsuko nodded, he shook his head, bemused. "Just about everyone knows but the person in question. Though it's probably a good thing. If she knew, she'd run away as fast as she could."
Setsuko gave Kuon a puzzled look. "I thought the two of you were getting along now? Why would she run?"
"I don't think it would be me that she'd be afraid of." Said Kuon, thinking about her encounter with Sho yesterday. Kyoko still had some deep scars from her previous love. She still viewed it as a useless emotion that made one stupid. At least the romantic kind. As long as her view didn't change, he had no hope capturing her attentions. That aside, he wasn't supposed to be letting his love for the girl dominate his attention. So it shouldn't matter. Right?
"I see." Said Setsuko, bringing Kuon out of his musings.
She looked thoughtful for a moment until a sound outside drew both their attention.
"Perhaps that's her." Said Setsuko, then she grimaced at Kuon. "Don't look too hopeful your highness."
Kuon turned his attention to Setsuko, suddenly feeling a little guilty.
"Setsuko." Said Kuon. "You know that nothing would have ever come from the two of us. We've talked about this before."
"I remember, and as I've said, it's fine." Said Setsuko, lips drawn into a tight frown. "But it does change our relationship at least. We will both need to seek comfort elsewhere."
Kuon didn't believe for a second that she was alright with this. Setsuko was ambitious, and he knew she had wanted to become his queen one day. He had even considered it seriously up until recently, but he had been hesitant because of his curse. Now here he was, wishing he could woo a girl he loved who - while she knew about his curse - did not understand the extent of it.
The door opened to reveal his councilor, Yukihito.
"Kuon." Said Yukihito. "Kyoko is finally here, but…"
"What is it?" said Kuon, standing up. His councilor gestured at an area in the hall.
"I think you're going to have to go to her. She seems… lost at the moment."
Confused and worried, he walked to the entrance, sticking his head out to see in the hall. Kyoko was indeed here, but she was still several yards from the door with her head down. An oppressive aura surrounded the girl, making it seem like her world around her had collapsed. Was she that upset Kanae left?
"Dyrus." Said Kuon, walking to the guard who was close by. "Give me a full report. Why is she like this?"
Dyrus scratched his beard with a thumb, looking troubled. He gestured for Kuon to follow him and they both stepped away from the others. The captain threw up a charm to veil their conversation.
"We took Kyoko to the outskirts of town to say goodbye to the female warrior." Said Dyrus. "One the way back, she suddenly wanted to take a detour. We followed and eventually ran into some musician. It was that Fuwa guy everyone's been talking about."
Irritation immediately flared inside Kuon's chest. He forced it down, waiting for Dyrus to continue.
"They had a loud fight and I decided to step in since I wasn't sure if he was going to hurt her."
"Good." Said Kuon, voice hard. "If you ever see him again, keep him as far away from Kyoko as possible. He is not to be within 50 feet of her."
Dyrus blinked at Kuon's hostility. He probably would have commented on it if Kuon hadn't made a gesture for him to continue his report.
"While I dealt with the musician." He continued, "Kyoko left with the other two guards and ran into Reino."
Kuon's eyes widened as Dyrus continued the report, telling him what had happened. He conveyed what his men had told him before going into detail about his fight with Reino.
"His magic was powerful." Said Dyrus, a troubled frown on his face. "He had some very strange spells that I'd never seen before, yet he wasn't strong physically. If I had to guess, I would think he was more of a support type of fighter based on the tricky nature of his spells. I would have had him if he hadn't gone for Kyoko near the end of the fight."
Kuon felt his heart stop a moment at the thought of an accursed attacking Kyoko. It was as he had feared, Reino was targeting her. It was a good thing Dyrus had been there or else who knew what would have happened.
"If I may, your highness." Said Dyrus, looking fierce for a moment. "I think it is well past time for the rest of the guards and council to know about the Accused. Had I not been told of this due to your poisoning, I don't think I would have been prepared for that fight. It's already hard enough to fight dark magic without light magic, please don't make it harder by not letting your guards know what they're up against."
"That is not my call to make Dyrus." Said Kuon. "I'm sure the king will discuss it in detail with his councilors when he gets back."
"It's not smart to keep it quiet. We know the enemy is here and yet we don't prepare our leaders in case they decide to attack."
"As I said. The king will discuss it when he gets back." He hesitated. "Surely you realized part of the reason why he hasn't brought it to their attention."
The soldier fell silent.
If everyone knew about the accursed being back, then that would mean explaining all the king knew about them. Which would then include more details from the attack five years ago and the curse Kuon had sustained.
It was both out of love for Kuon and for his country that Kuu chose to keep quite. Most people would not take kindly to knowing that the crowned prince, blessed by the light, was also cursed by the dark.
Panic would settle on the people as they realized the Accursed were back and their prince was cursed by them. Worst case scenario, the people could revolt against the king since it was his son that was cursed. A civil war would do nothing but hurt the country and its people if they chose to over throw their ruler. Once something was sensationalized, reasoning couldn't control a mob, no matter what evidence was laid before them.
They could always choose to keep it a secret, but with everyone on high alert for any sort of dark magic, the likelihood of someone finding out was much higher. And of course that didn't even include the reaction of their neighboring countries. That was a whole other monster of a problem.
Overall, it was a messy situation with no perfect solution. Should they risk being attacked before being able to calm the situation down, or spread the truth, knowing it could bring the kingdom down just as easily?
"I'm starting to think you may be right." Said Kuon, grimacing at his train of thought. "At this point, it's probably time to let the others know of their existence and prepare for the oncoming fight."
Kuon paused at the thought of others knowing about his curse. About his sin. For a moment, his insides churned at the idea.
He shook his head quickly to rid himself of his insecurity. "So Reino attacked. That's why Kyoko is like that?"
"I don't believe so." Said Dyrus, allowing the subject to be changed. "She seemed fine a first. It wasn't until later that she started acting strange. While I was speaking to the other two, Kyoko and Sho - who had come to help during the attack- were talking. The arguing was getting heated and I was about to step in when Sho kissed Kyoko."
Hot white anger flooded Kuon's systems. He couldn't register anything around him, the curse fluctuating and lapping up his anger with pleasure. He struggled within himself for a moment to stop the curse from spreading.
"...shoved him away and I told Sho to leave. Kyoko was in a daze the rest of the way back. I wasn't sure if… Prince Kuon?"
"It's nothing." Said Kuon, quickly replacing the furry on his face with a passive calm. It was harder than it should have been. The curse finally calmed, simmering just below the surface of his control. "Thank you for looking out for her. It seems that we were right to worry about Reino."
And that idiot as well.
"Indeed." Said Dyrus looking at Kuon with a frown.
"If you'll excuse me. I'd like to talk with Kyoko now." Said Kuon
"Of course."
Dyrus bowed and Kuon approached the girl. He wasn't sure what he was going to do in that moment, but he did know what he wanted to do. His mind was a mess, fueled by the different emotions he had just experienced in the last few minutes.
He needed to calm down and he needed her soothing presence to do so, that's all there was to it. It had nothing to do with his jealousy. None at all.
Kyoko didn't seem to notice when he guided her away from the others and into the waiting room. She did, however, jump when he closed the door with a snap.
The girl blinked several times, eyes roaming before they focused on him. Her face turned red.
"P-prince Kuon! When did you get there?"
"I've been here for a while." Said Kuon, "I think it's you that's been far away."
Kuon folded his arms, leaning against the door as Kyoko started her torrent of flustered apologies. He kept his face passive as he studied her frantic one, wondering how he was going to proceed.
"I heard about your run in with Reino." Said Kuon, "You weren't hurt were you?"
Kyoko stopped mid apology to finally look at him. "No. Captain Dyrus protected me."
"I'm glad to hear that." He said, noticing that she was shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Yet you are nervous. Did he say something to you?"
Kyoko nodded, then walked towards him, leaning closer. Intrigued, Kuon leaned forward as well.
"That Beagle said something strange." She said, voice low, despite them being the only ones in the room. "He said something about not letting 'it' be purged, and that there was light magic inside of me."
"Light magic?" said Kuon, confused, mostly at the name she used to describe Reino. "I know Dyrus put some protection spells on you but those were all arcane magic. He can't use light magic."
"I know. It's strange." Said Kyoko, leaning back and tapping her cheek with a finger in thought. "I'm not a descendant of the royal family so it can't be coming from me. Anyway, it sounds like this light magic was the reason why that strange dark energy didn't stay in me the last time Reino attacked."
"I see." Said Kuon, thinking. Was it possible that he had been unconsciously using his light magic to protect Kyoko? It was the only explanation he could think of. He was still far from prefect with his control and the magic might have acted on its own, responding to his desire to protect her. Or perhaps it was just protecting the source of its ability to manifest. It was either that or Reino was lying, which was also a possibility.
In the end, Kuon didn't care where it came from as long as Kyoko was safe.
Kyoko suddenly gave him a furtive look, biting her lip. "I'm sorry. I didn't tell you, but this was the second time Reino has harassed me."
"I knew about the first time." Said Kuon, trying to keep his new flare of irritation at bay. "But in the future I would like you to tell me when something like this happens."
An emotion Kuon couldn't read flickered across her face for just a moment before she smiled at him. "You are too kind Prince Kuon, caring about all your concubines. But I wouldn't want to bother you with my troubles."
You'd trouble me more by not telling me Thought Kuon, but he let it go. She was sure to just misconstrue that statement as well. Honestly, if she had any awareness at all, the girl would at least be suspicious of his feelings for her.
"Regardless." Said Kuon. "In the future, you will let me know. At least as a friend."
"Ah, of course."
Was that a moment of disappointment on her face? Or was he just projecting his own feelings into the interpretation. A second later, Kyoko's expression contorted as if she had smelt something bad. There was no way Kuon could misinterpret that one. She was thinking about Sho.
And this was where Kuon wasn't sure how to console her. He remembered a moment from their childhood when Kyoko had talked to 'Ren' about kissing.
"I want it to be with Sho." Kyoko had said, eyes sparkling like they tended to do. "My first kiss will be on our wedding day where everyone will see our love for each other. It will be some magical!"
Irritation flooded Kuon's thoughts and he felt a portion of his restrain snap.
"So, was it that shocking to have your first kiss stolen?"
Kyoko's head jerked up, staring at Kuon. "How did you-"
"Dyrus." Said Kuon, nodding towards the door. "He told me about your run in with Sho."
"But how did you know it was my first kiss?"
Because I'm your childhood fairy friend. "Because of how you're behaving." Said Kuon with a shrug. "You're completely over reacting to the whole situation. So he stole a kiss from you, big deal."
"But it's my first kiss." Said Kyoko, making a big gesture with her arm, as if that would overrule his argument. "My first kiss! It's a sacred magical thing for women and a moment that should be cherished, not mocked and stolen."
"If that's reality for you, then you must have been living under the sands your whole life." Said Kuon. He noticed that Kyoko was finally displaying tells of frustration.
"Just because you don't think fidelity is a sacred thing doesn't mean that the rest of us don't."
Ouch. That was a low blow. But at least she was fighting now instead of moping.
"It didn't count." Said Kuon firmly. "He gave you a kiss, but you didn't kiss him."
Kyoko, who had a finger raised in an accusatory fashion - no doubt to start ripping into him with insults - paused.
"What do you mean?"
"You didn't give it to him." Said Kuon. He pushed off the door, taking a step closer to her. She was now peering up at him, eyes wide with hope and fear. She was looking to him to sooth her, to calm her worried heart. In this moment of vulnerability, he was there to anchor her.
Kuon quickly clasped his hands behind his back to stop himself from doing something stupid with them.
"You didn't give it to him." Said Kuon again. "Your intention for the other to receive your first kiss cannot be stolen. He might have pressed his lips against yours, but you did not return the gesture. Therefore, you did not kiss him."
Her lips fell into a small 'Oh' as the cloud of emotions disappeared from her eyes. The usual shine soon filled them in full form.
"I didn't kiss him." Said murmured, breaking into a revived smile. "Thank the goddess."
She fiddled with her necklace for a moment, deep in thought. Kuon was content to watch her sort her feelings through what he had told her. It was more a trick of the mind than a fact. He was lucky that it had calmed her down, for both their sakes.
She turned back to Kuon, a question in her expression.
"We're at the stadium." She said with a frown. "The tournament! Did I already miss your first fight?"
"Not yet." Said Kuon. "I should get called to go on any minute."
"Ah." Kyoko clapped her hand together, then eagerly reached for her beaded bag. She looked inside, then back up at Kuon.
"Come here a second." She grabbed his wrist and led him to a chair where she pressed on his chest, compelling him to sit down, which he did. What did she have planned this time? Her actions peaked his curiosity.
"Close your eyes for a moment." Said Kyoko, looking thoroughly too cute as she practically shone with glee.
"Why?" said Kuon, wishing to delay.
"Just do it." Said Kyoko impatiently. "It's a surprise."
He gave her a look before obliging. There was a soft clink and a pressure on his chest. It felt like Kyoko was fiddling with the front of his robes. A second later, a delighted "Finished!" signaling it was alright for him to open his eyes, which he did.
Kyoko stood in front of him beaming, and looking down Kuon saw what the present was. It was a pin. It was round with a hole in the middle, and made out of what felt like ceramics of some sort. There where intricate patterns painted bright hues of red yellow and green, and at the bottom hung three small ceramic phoenix feathers.
Kuon reached up to finger the trinket.
"It's something that we do in my home city." Said Kyoko, suddenly looking nervous. "We have our own small tournament where almost anyone can join. A fighter will have a friend, family member or lover make some sort of charm for them to wear. It's supposed to carry our feelings and desire for the victor to come out victorious. I thought about getting you a prayer rune, but I figured you got a ton and I wanted to do something different…"
The girl trailed off.
Kuon continued to stare at the pin, a feeling starting to swell within him. Kyoko had been giving everyone but him a token from the festival. He'd be lying if he said the fact that she hadn't given him anything yet hadn't hurt him. Now here she was, giving him something different from what she got everyone else. If Kuon thought that he was getting special treatment…
"This is not good." Muttered Kuon, fingers brushing the delicate pin.
Hurt flashed across Kyoko's face. "I'm sorry. I've never made one before so I know it's not that great…"
"That's not what I meant." Said Kuon quickly realizing he had hurt her. "I like your present very much. It's wonderful."
"Oh." Said Kyoko, her expression relaxed but her shoulders were hunched, still warry of him. "What did you mean then?"
"I can't wear this out to the fight." Said Kuon simply. "It's too precious to risk getting ruined in a tussle."
Her shoulders finally relaxed, shaking her head at him with a bemused expression. "Nonsense. That's the point of this charm. If you don't wear it than what's the point of its existence?"
"But what if it gets broken?"
"I'll fix it."
"If it gets lost?"
"I'll make another one."
Kuon paused. "Will you make me a new one for me at each tournament in the future?"
This time it was Kyoko's turn to pause. That was a good sign. That meant she understood the implication of the question. He was asking for more than just a trinket to wear. He was asking if she wanted to stay near him. If she expected to be around for the next festival in three years.
Kuon did his best not to hold his breath.
"If Prince Kuon still desires it." Said Kyoko slowly. "Then I will make you another trinket."
"If prince Kuon still desires it." A passive way for her to say, "If you still want me to be here,"
A smile split across Kuon's face. In an instant she had blown away all of his trepidation and despair. A loose, simple commitment had filled him with hope. He reached for her hand, carefully bringing it up with his own. His lips pressed on her knuckles, placing all of his gratitude into the gesture, savoring the feel of her soft skin.
She may not care for him in the way he hoped, but she was still his strength. If she was here, then he felt like he could take on anything. Her kindness and soul still gave him courage.
He drew back, looking up to smile at her. "I'll look forward to it then."
Her whole face had turned red, which was to be expected. Kyoko was not used to shows of affection of any sort. Neither of them moved, each staring at each other.
There was a knock on the door.
Kyoko twitched as the moment was broken and quickly withdrew her hand from Kuon's.
"My prince." Said an attendant as they poked their head in. "It is time for you to go on stage. They are waiting for you."
"Thank you. I'll be right there." Said Kuon, irritated at the interruption, He wanted more time with Kyoko, and the mood had obviously been good… but he had his duties to fulfill.
The attendant nodded and left. Kuon rose from the chair. He was about to give his goodbye when he noticed her expression. It was again twisted in the way that showed she was thinking about Sho's kiss.
Jealousy and irritation were becoming all too common an emotion for Kuon's liking. He knew that walking out onto that stage with them still mixing in his chest would not bode well for the strength of his light magic. So his next move had nothing to do with his desire to wipe Sho from her mind and replace it with him. That would be ridiculous.
"Kyoko." He said, making her attention snap back to him. Her golden eyes widened in surprise as he leaned down towards her. Horror was evident in that expression and at the last second, Kuon changed the course of his destination, placing a kiss on her cheek.
"Thank you." He murmured. "For the gift."
"O-of course!" squeaked Kyoko, cheeks flushed.
Kuon drew away quickly, lest his desire to kiss her overcame his reason. The two of them left the waiting room, Kyoko parting halfway to go in the stands to watch with everyone else. He tried not to laugh as she hurried away, still flustered by his gesture from earlier.
Her behavior, that expression, those were all because of him.
Kuon let out a loud sigh, running a hand through his hair. Who knew he was such a jealous petty person?
Night had fallen in the city, the streets and stands all quiet as its residents slept. The moon quietly lit the cool night with it soft glow, shadows hiding those that chose to venture during its reign. Two such people crept through the streets, feet muted with spells to keep their presence cloaked.
They hurried, winding through several back allies and tight corners until they spotted a small light. Creeping closer, the shadows arrived at a small open section of a street where a single caravan was lit by the warm glow of a single ball of magic hanging overhead. The caravan was currently surrounded by several people. Each person was dressed in a dark garb, wraps hiding their faces as they shuffled through the contents.
Two people stood out from the rest. On was dressed in a resplendent garb, standing with arms folded as they watched. The other was visibly sweating as they rambled to the taller man, whipping his brow with a stained cloth.
"I swear Duke Takarada, I had no idea. I would have said something the second I suspected anything. Honest."
"Yet you didn't report the incident." Said the taller man, Duke Takarada. "You knew you were supposed to report any attack to the committee. Because you didn't, you've been spreading your cursed goods to the unsuspecting citizens of Ashuron. You've become an accomplice to a grave crime."
The man shook even more, sputtering his apologies. He was cut short when the Duke held up a hand.
"I believe you didn't know." Said the Duke, and the man visibly relaxed for a second- "But we will still have to confiscate whatever we can't purge and you'll have to pay a fine. You will also be placed under strict observation until the magistrate decides if any further punishment is needed."
The Duke waved his hand and two people came from the shadows to lead the still shaking man away. Takarada sighed, rubbing his temples before speaking to the air.
"I know you're there Kuon."
Kuon walked out from the shadows, Yukihito following. He stood next to the Duke, arms folded and expression telling the duke that he was not happy.
"When were you going to tell me?" said Kuon "That there were caravans selling items containing dark seeds in them?"
"After the tournament was over." Said Takarada. "How did you find out about tonight?"
Kuon gestured to Yukihito, who gave a timid smile. The Duke gave the counselor an approving gaze.
"I'm impressed. Looks like I underestimated you counselor."
"Are you going to explain to me what's going on?" said Kuon.
The Duke's mustache twitched in a smile. "Might as well since you'll just find out yourself anyway. A month ago we started getting several reports of caravans being attacked, yet nothing being stolen. I was curious so I went to investigate one incident myself, which was where I was during your poisoning."
"I took one of the sensors with me, using it on each victim to see if they had been infected, but it all came up negative. I was about to give up when I thought to scan the items being sold."
"So the items have seeds in them." Sad Kuon, now searching the caravan. He spotted several marking spells on the items, but couldn't detect the seeds themselves. Only a few people could see the seeds with unaided eyes, Kuon not being one of them. It took a highly complex and powerful magical item to identify them inside people, and even then you could only use it if you could use powerful light magic.
That was one of the reasons most people weren't diagnosed until the curse had taken most of its course. So far the effects they were aware of seemed to include exacerbating the dark feelings inside a person and eventually lead them to transforming into an accursed creature. Sometimes a person was cognizant of the seed and chose to follow the "voice" in their head that directed them.
"Wait a moment." Said Kuon, thinking to the conversation with the merchant. "You mentioned something about purging the curses to the merchant. Does that mean you've figure out how to destroy the seeds?"
"Only if they're inside inanimate objects." Said Takarada. "We're still working on a permanent cure for people."
"The seeds." Said Yukihito, who was kneeling down and examining a silver bracelet. He didn't touch it, instead frowning at the item. "Can they be transferred from the item to a person? Is that why the accursed are spreading these infected items? To spread the seeds through the city?"
"It appears to be their plan." Said Takarada.
Kuon felt himself shiver. The thought of thousands of his people being infected… it was beyond worrisome. It was frightening! He knew the terror and damage a dark spell could inflict on a person, even when they resisted it, and these dark seeds were especially destructive. To have them spread through the whole city would be catastrophic.
"Why haven't you kept me informed?" asked Kuon. "Why am I only finding out about all of this right now?"
"Because you had enough on your mind." Said Lory.
Kuon opened his mouth to argue but Lory kept going. "You had regressed in your progress with the curse and you're still recovering from the relapse. Also, you've been in charge of the festival, bogged down with making sure appearances convey what we need them to. While you worked in the light, I worked in the shadows. You learned what you needed to know and nothing more."
Kuon wanted to argue, he really did, but he also knew it would be useless. Lory was in charge of this portion of the kingdom, the secrets and investigations, even though only few knew of his true role. Kuon didn't call the shots here, Lory did. Besides, he was still only a prince. In a lot of ways, Lory was above him in the hierarchy. Only the king had more power than Lory in these things.
"I want you to spend more time with Kyoko tomorrow." Said Lory.
The comment was such a big deviation from their current topic that Kuon was thrown off guard.
"Why?" said Kuon, wondering where this was coming from.
"Because tomorrows fight is going to be tough." Said Lory "You need to be as prepared as possible. These last few days of fighting you could squeeze by with little pick me ups, but not with tomorrow's fight."
Kuon had successfully won each duel during the light sword tournament these past few days. Tomorrow was the finals, and not surprising, him and Hidehito Kajima would be going against each other. The festival finished after a large party, the fight being the last big event that drew in everyone from the festival. It was imperative for moral that the kingdom's prince won.
The prince had made sure Kyoko come to visit him before each fight, sometimes supplying him with her healing massage, sometimes just talking. Kuon looked forward to those moments each day. At first she had been a little warry of him from the incident where he had kissed her cheek, but she had pulled herself together in the end.
"You need to be stuffed full of light." Continued Lory. "Kajima is a good fighter, albeit not as good as Shin when he actually tries-"
"Hey! I resent that." a voice said.
From the other side of the caravan, Shin came out, dressed in the same dark garb and simple tunic as the others. Unlike the others, his face was fully exposed. He came forward, all usual grins and open gestures.
"Kuon, Yuki, good to see you two." He said, nodding to them both, then turned to Duke Takarda. "I'm better than Kajima even when I don't try!"
"So this is what you've been up to while you were away." Said Kuon, looking between Shin and Lory. "Huh. How long has Shin been helping you out with the seeds?"
"Long enough." Said Lory. "Purging the seeds is not easy and takes a lot of light magic. Shin's played a huge part on reducing the number of stray seeds in the area."
Now this was just getting ridiculous. How much was going on behind Kuon's back that he didn't know about? He hated being left in the dark.
"If it makes you feel any better, I think you still know more than I do." Said Shin, the man guessing the reason for Kuon's scowl. "I only found out about the Accursed a little bit after your concubine died. Thought all these seeds were just from some psycho."
"I see" said Kuon glancing at Lory. "I should probably mention this; Dyrus is also starting to get concerned. Says this is getting too big for us to keep quiet, especially after Reino attacked Kyoko…"
"Once the festival is finished, your father plans to have a meeting." Said Lory. "Dyrus is right. Things are getting too large to keep quiet anymore."
One of the other men called for Lory to come over. The Duke excused himself for a moment to see what they were looking at.
"At least I got some questions answered." Said Kuon, looking at the mess. The only problem was that it brought up just as many as it answered. Just how many of these seeds had gotten past their security?
Shin clapped him on the shoulder suddenly, grinning at him. "Even Uncle Kuu doesn't do it all himself." Reassured Shin "Besides, you can't be the only useful one. Would you rather I wasted time drinking and gambling?"
"You still do those things."
"Oh, right. Forgot about that. Would you like to join me? I know some places that will still be open this late."
"No thanks." Said Kuon, shrugging off the hand. "I have one last thing to do before going to bed, and you shouldn't skip out on this."
"Next time then?"
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Kuon and Yukihito bid Shin goodbye.
They walked through the streets, no longer worrying about being quiet. The calm of the city was deceiving, silent except for the occasion scurrying of a desert creature. Who would guess that the Accursed were within the city at this moment, spreading their evil through the lands.
"What is your opinion of this?" said Kuon.
Yukihito pushed up his glasses. "I think we need to make use of our resources. We need Rosa to tell us what she knows about the Accursed. She was the one that fought with your ancestor to defeat the Dark Djiin in the first place."
"Rosa, Huh." Said Kuon, the Demi-God was an odd one. She hardly gave straight answers when asked questions, and sometimes her decisions didn't make sense. A sudden dark thought crossed Kuon's head.
"The Accursed are bad enough." Said Kuon. "Do you think they managed to resurrect their master this time around?"
Yukihito flinched. "Let's ask that question when we're not walking alone in the dark. We're almost there anyway."
After a few more minute they arrived at their destination. It was a large stone home, decorated with its own desert plants in the front. Obviously the occupant had some money if they could afford beautification of their home.
The two walked to the front steps, Yukihito raising a hand to knock once. The door immediately opened to reveal a woman with wavy brown hair and a scowl. She wore a long dress, strips of multicolored cloth decorating her person, marking her as a minstrel.
"You're late." She said. "We expected you at least two hours-" her eyes found Kuon's and she stopped herself short.
"Your highness." Said the woman, giving a quick curtsy. "I did not realize you were the one that requested…"
"I hope you'll excuse the lateness of this request, Lady Shoko." Said Kuon, motioning for her to rise.
"It's no inconvenience." She said, pulling herself together to gracefully invite them into the house. It was mark of her professionalism that she recovered so quickly. "Please, do come in."
The two of them walked inside, Shoko quickly leading them into a furnished room. In one of the chairs sat a very grumpy looking musician, his back turned to the entrance.
"Sho, your clients are here." Said Shoko.
"'Bout time." Barked Sho, standing up. He turned to them, obviously irritated. "You were scheduled to show up hours…"
He trailed off, his eyes finally landing on Kuon. The man visibly bristled.
"What the hell are you doing here?" said Sho.
"Sho!" said Shoko, striding forward quickly to put a hand on his shoulder. "Please, behave. This is the crown prince of Ashuron."
"Oh, I know who he is." Said Sho through gritted teeth. "He's not welcome. That's what he is."
"Sho Fuwa." Said Kuon firmly. "I've come to make you a deal."
"A deal?" said Sho, confused. It didn't last long as he became irritated again. "I don't want to make any deals with you, you rapist!"
The kingdom of Ashuron could live without their prince, it really could, 'cause Kuon was going to go to jail for the murder of Sho Fuwa. He plastered a large smile on his face, sure he was popping at least two blood vessels at the strain.
"We have two proposals for you." Said Kuon, gesturing at his counselor. Yukihito took out a rolled up scroll, holding it up for Sho to see. "This one is an offer to entertain a noble family. It's a good deal and will pay very nicely."
"I'm not interested in anything you have to offer." The boy snapped. He batted away the proffered scroll, a quick spell reducing the parchment to ashes. Shoko cried out at Sho's actions, asking what he was doing.
"That's too bad to hear." Said Kuon, "Because the other offer is for you to go to jail."
"What!"
The exclamation came from Shoko, who turned her head sharply to Sho. "What did you do this time?"
"He physically assaulted one of my concubines." Said Kuon, gesturing for Yukihito to pull out the other scroll. He took it, holding it out to Shoko. "I can hold him for as long as I want, since the incident is related to the royal family."
"Now wait just a minute." said Sho, snatching the scroll from Shoko's hands. This one was also reduced to ashes as he jabbed a finger towards Kuon. "What is this about assaulting a concubine? I did no such thing."
"Do you not remember chasing down Kyoko Mogami the other day?"
Recognition dawned on Sho, who growled "Yeah, I remember saving her life!"
"And then you promptly forced yourself onto-"
"-As long as we're talking about physically assaulting someone," interrupted Sho. "You forced Kyoko to become your concubine! How are you not in jail for your actions?"
"Because I have the right to do what I want with what is legally mine." Said Kuon, dropping his bright smile. He didn't know how Sho knew he had forced Kyoko to become a concubine, - the boy was probably just guessing - but Kuon was done playing games. Kuon had given him a chance to back off nicely, but it looked like he wasn't going to give up unless Kuon made him.
"And this is your true face isn't it?" said Sho, eyes narrowing at the prince. Shoko was physically trying to hold him back at this point, but he shook her off, coming to step face to face with Kuon as they glared at each other. "I wonder if Kyoko knows what you are. You're just a pompous self-important noble who thinks he can take what he wants."
"Then rot in jail at your leisure." Said Kuon. "You can holler all you want, but the reality is I can send you to jail and no one would bat an eyelash. Or, you can take the other deal, leave this city and never return."
"We'll take the other deal." Said Shoko, still pushing against Sho's chest with her whole body weight. "We'd be honored to take something the prince offered us."
Sho opened his mouth the argue but Shoko snapped at him. "You will keep your mouth shut Sho. You obviously don't understand the severity of the situation. Physical assault on a royal concubine could be execution on the spot without question."
It was very satisfying to watch the color drain from Sho's face. His glare lost some of its spark as the understanding of the situation fully hit him. The boy seemed to have finally realized he was dealing with a prince, not just a common noble.
"You will leave at first light." Said Kuon, He gestured in the air, the ashes of the first scroll coming together to reform its original form. He gave the parchment to Shoko. "If you're still here when the guards come by, you will both be arrested."
Slightly pale herself, Shoko took the parchment, bowing at the "generous offer".
With their business done, Kuon and Yukihito turn to leave.
"This isn't over you know."
Kuo paused, looking at Sho, teeth clenched in frustration.
"She doesn't belong with you." Growled Sho. "She never will. Her heart will always belong to me."
"Time changes many things Sho." Said Kuon, eyes darkening. "I doubt your place in her heart will last long."
With that, they left the house and ventured back into the night. Kuon let the cool air calm his heated face, still angry at the conversation. The kid had a talent for getting under people's skin. It was after a few minutes of walking that his noisy counselor finally made a comment.
"It's curious." Said Yukihito, as they continued through the night. "Who would have guessed that Sho, who so ruthlessly betrayed her, actually loves Kyoko."
Of all the things for Yukihito to comment on, that was not what he expected. Kuon couldn't help but snort. "He doesn't love her Yukihito. He just sees her as a possession."
"I wouldn't be too sure on that." Mused Yukihito, obviously thinking out loud. "He did risk his life saving her. That's not something a normal person would do, let alone estranged friends. And based on his accusations towards you, he obviously cares for her, albeit in a twisted way."
Yukihito paused, then narrowed his eyes at Kuon. "That's why you're sending him away. You don't want him to snatch her up. You saw the potential for a rival and chose to get rid of him."
"I'm just protecting her from a potential stalker. Kyoko doesn't need baggage like him around." Said Kuon, ignoring the accusations.
Yukihito made a sound that indicated just how little he believed that statement. The prince chose to leave him be, thinking about Sho and Kyoko.
Yes, the man obviously cared for Kyoko, though how that was possible since he had been the one to both steal her work and chase her out of her home city was beyond Kuon. Perhaps he didn't realize what he felt until she had left. Or maybe his ego couldn't take the bruising of her forgetting him.
Whatever it was, Kyoko deserved better than that, and Kuon was determined to make sure she got everything she deserved and more.
And that started with getting Sho Fuwa out of her life.
Thanks for reading!
Mourn for me! I sprained my thumb last week and it still hurts! Typing takes forever and hurts! But I still update because I love you guys/Kyoko/Kuon.
lMissMysteriousl: yes, there will be an arc that addresses Kyoko's mother, but it's not for a while. (I probably won't follow what is being revealed at the moment in canon.)
I just realized, Shoko's name is like putting Sho and Kyoko's name together. Bleh.
chainedheart999: I'm actually impressed that you noticed that Sho's character was off. I actually did that on purpose. When it comes to Sho, keep a loose memory. If you're paying too close attention to this Sho compared to the canon Sho, you'll see some differences in character development and such. This is because I have changed his role in this story because I don't like his role in Skip Beat. By changing his role, it effectively changes some points in his personality/motivation. (Oh, and I hope I made it obvious, but his reason for hating the prince is because Kuon took claim over Kyoko, who he sees as his.)
TLDR for above: Sho has some minor character changes compared to cannon, but is still a prick.
And as for the mention of light magic in Kyoko in front of the brothers, they didn't hear it. Reino wasn't talking loudly enough. :P (Plot holes ftw)
As a reminder, updates are bi-weekly on Wednesdays. (I wish it was weekly, but life happens constantly.) Thanks for the reviews and love!
-Blushweaver
So I was editing when Blushweaver calls me, and asked me where I am in editing. With out thinking, I answered: They're in the slinky night and they just found all the stuff! I have the gift of description. (A/N: the sad part is that I knew where she was with that comment.)
-Imouto