The silence had stretched too long. Kyoko's brain reeled as it tried to come up with some way to excuse what she had said. Setsuko kept equally as silent, waiting for Kyoko to speak.
She couldn't let anyone know. Maybe she could pawn this off as something else. Yes, she was jumping to conclusions. Kyoko finally managed to slap on a grimace, her lips twitching as one half of it obeyed her and smiled.
"H-hi Setsuko." Said Kyoko through her clenched teeth. "Fancy seeing you here. Well it is the harem quarters, so it's not that unnatural. I guess I haven't seen you in a while so I just assumed you would be elsewhere."
Setsuko still didn't answer as she continued to stare at Kyoko, tilted eyes judging her every move. It made Kyoko's smile falter further.
"Ah well, I'm just going to go to my room…" said Kyoko
She moved to walk past her.
"What would be easier?"
Kyoko stopped dead, terrified. Setsuko was still watching her, body half turned to follow Kyoko's path. Kyoko had to swallow hard before answering, her mouth seemed to have done dry.
"I-I'm not sure what you-"
"With Prince Kuon." Said Setsuko. "What would be easier if you weren't in love with him?"
This was worse than talking to Julie. At least the queen had been honest with her hostility towards Kyoko. Setsuko on the other hand just stared at her expressionless. The only indication of her true feelings was her voice. It was sharp as knives and seemed to have pinned Kyoko to the wall.
"What are you- don't be silly. I'm not in love with the prince." Said Kyoko, giving a fake laugh. It sounded like a gurgle. "I was talking about… you know. The pet rat Lory has. It's sick, and I was thinking it might be easier to say good bye if I wasn't-"
"Do I look like a fool?"
Kyoko snapped her mouth shut. Silence fell again, building on itself until it felt like the air was boiling. It was making Kyoko sweat as she silently panicked.
There was no fooling Setsuko, she knew. What if she told Kuon that Kyoko was in love with him? Kuon would probably be upset at her, disappointed that she had fallen prey to love again. They had just gotten over their misunderstanding, and he would know she'd had lied to him. He wouldn't forgive her, probably make her leave the castle and threaten her if she ever came back. She couldn't have that. She wanted to stay. She wanted to learn and be with those she cared about.
"Please don't tell him." blurted Kyoko.
Setsuko raised her eyebrows. That was the most extreme expression of surprise Kyoko had ever seen her, but it was important for her to understand that Kyoko wasn't trying to win Kuon over.
"I'm not going to do anything about it." continued Kyoko, who couldn't stop now that she had started. Her anxieties started tumbling from her mouth, heedless of her head telling her to stop. "I know that there is no way that it could ever work out. I'm just a normal physician with no real family background. I'm just a friend that's been helping out occasionally and there's no way anything would happen between us. I'm not interested in pursuing him. I'm too far below him and he'd never want someone like me anyway, so there's no need for you to worry."
She stopped, slightly out of breath due to the speed at which she'd been speaking. For the second time that night Kyoko was admitting her faults to another person. Admitting why she would never suit someone like Kuon. This outburst hurt as much as the previous one.
It was silent as Setsuko continued to stare at Kyoko, face an implacable mask. Finally, she spoke.
"Well." She said. "I'm glad that you understand that."
Kyoko waited, holding her breathe for the rest of the lecture. The concubine began walking towards Kyoko, who moved out of the way automatically. She stood, baffled as Setsuko started to disappear down the hall.
"Is that it?" said Kyoko in a small voice.
Setsuko stopped, turning her head to the side to eye Kyoko. Kyoko'd imagined that Setsuko would be angry, or frustrated with her for falling in love with Kuon, yet here she was just walking away with no lecture, seemingly unbothered by Kyoko's feelings for Koun.
"You're not going to threaten me?" said Kyoko. "Or tell me to back down or that I don't suit him?"
"Why would I? You said it well enough yourself." Said Setsuko. "You won't do anything, and I don't believe you have the courage to do so. Your feelings are fickle, and you're just another number in his harem. Someone with such a weak will would never suit him. You would just bring him misery."
Kyoko stiffed at the words. Though they were similar to her own, they had an extra bite to it coming from Setsuko who seemed so sure of herself.
Setsuko began walking away again, her final words traveling down the corridor to reach Kyoko's ears.
"Do not worry," she said. "I will not say anything to him. As long as you remember your place."
Then she was gone.
Kyoko didn't move. The sounds of the other concubines drifted down the hall, muffled and unintelligible from this distance. They sounded happy, shrieks of laughter and gossip, an emotion so different from Kyoko's own.
She raised her head, a fire in her eyes as the final words from Setsuko echoed in her ears.
"Remember your place."
My place is here in the palace. Thought Kyoko. I am to stay by Prince Kuon's side, as per Lory's request. I will not let this place be taken from me, and I will not let my feelings chase me away. I am a physician who serves the people and I will help to stop the accursed.
Love was an unnecessary evil in Kyoko's life. She had happiness here in the form of her friends and work. Neither love, or the accursed were going to take that away from her.
Though her determination burned within her, she couldn't help the sting in her heart at the thought that she would never be special to Kuon.
Lorry stood in the king's office across from Kuu. He looked like a completely different man than the one that had dined with his family earlier that evening. He had the look of a man exhausted both body and soul. Lory really wanted to just let his friend rest, but this needed to be addressed.
"I think he deserves to know your highness." Said Lory breaking the silence and returning to their previous topic. "It concern him directly. He should understand the importance of the situation."
"But don't you see Lory?" said Kuu sighing heavily. "If I tell him, he'll panic. He's probably already somewhat aware of the situation, and doesn't want us to know. If he finds out we do, he'll push us away and we can't afford that. He's already shut out Kyoko, if he shuts us out as well this battle could be over in minutes."
"I think you are underestimating your son's resilience." Said Lory. "I traveled with him after the incident, I know he can handle it."
Just as Kuu was about to answer, the door to the chambers opened. Julie walked in, shutting the door behind her and walking towards her husband. Kuu and Lory had moved to the king's private chambers after meeting with Hirotaka. They knew it was safe for them to talk here. Rosa was present as well, she stood silently in her form of an orange haired Julie.
"I wondered where you two went." Said Julie. "Were you able to talk to Hirotaka about whatever it was?"
"I was." Said Kuu standing up and walking towards his wife. "Julie, you're going to want to sit down."
The queen raised an eyebrow, catching onto the strained atmosphere between the two of them. Lory watched as Kuu led her patiently to a chair where she sat down.
"You're scaring me dear." Said Julie. "What is it? Is there something wrong?"
Kuu knelt down next to his wife, taking her hand and lovingly caressing it. Lory considered leaving the two, but he decided to stay. He had accompanied Kuu to his meeting with Hirotaka, and had heard first hand the account. He could help clarify anything for Julie if she needed it.
"Dearest." Said Kuu. "Archmage Hirotaka has been studying the relics as we requested. He's learned a lot, and we've been able to come up with some new spells to repel the accursed, but that's not all he's found out. He's also discovered the origin of Kuon's curse."
"Isn't that good news?" said Julie. "It's been a mystery for so long. Now we can cure it."
"It's not that simple." Said Kuu. "The type of curse…. What he has. It tells us part of how he got it."
"Just come out and tell me Kuu." Said Julie impatient. "I won't die from whatever it is if that's what you're worried about."
Kuu took a deep breath, glancing at Lory. The duke could see the trepidation in that gaze. He honestly wasn't sure himself how to react to this news, and neither of them knew how to remedy it.
"Kuon's curse, it's not an actually curse." Said Kuu slowly. "It's a contract. With the Dark Djinn."
"A contract." Said Julie, eyes widening. "You mean he... No he can't have."
"I'm afraid it's the only way it works." Said Kuu staring at his wife's face, trying to read her reaction. "Apparently more happened during that attack then we realized. At some point, Kuon made a wish and formed a contract with the Dark Djinn."
Julie slumped in her chair, head lowered as her eyes stared unseeing at the ground. Her voice shook as she spoke.
"But he's not an accursed right? Is this contract different? I don't understand."
"Neither did we." Said Lory. He turned to the phoenix. "Rosa can explain better what happened."
They all looked towards the phoenix, waiting for the answers. The ethereal Julie peered at them, her face void of any emotion.
"Prince Kuon did indeed make a wish to the Dark Djinn, though he did not know what it was at the time it was made." Said Rosa. "Part way through the contract, he retracted the wish, forming an incomplete connection. This "curse" is the remnant of that. If he were to fall victim to the darkness inside him, the original contract would be renewed and Prince Kuon would become an accursed."
Julie clapped a hand to her mouth, a sob issuing from her fingers. Her whole body began to shake as the fear started to overtake her.
"My dear son." She choked. "Oh how you've suffered. My Kuon…"
Kuu pulled his wife closer as she buried her face into his chest and began to cry in earnest. He began running his hand through her hair, silently soothing and sharing the pain with his wife. Lory left, giving the couple the privacy they needed. They had a lot to talk about; if they should say something to Kuon and what should be done to prevent the worst situation possible. No matter their decision, Lory would have to take extra precautions. He hated doing it, but he couldn't afford to be optimistic. It was his duty to prepare for the worst case scenarios. Once you fell, there was no turning back. Your soul was forever tainted and bound to the fate of the Dark Djinn. If Kuon ever succumbed to the curse, Kuu would not be able act against his son. Lory would take it upon himself to fulfill that duty. He'd carry that burden and his friend's hatred for the sake of the kingdom.
Lory noticed someone walking towards him. The corridors were mostly empty due to the late hour, but someone appeared to still be roaming the halls. They passed under a lamp and Lory recognized it as Shin.
"Hey." Said Shin, raising a hand in greeting. "You should be in bed Takarada"
"As should you." Said Lory, reaching Shin. He stopped, subtly sending out a spell. It swept the area, registering that no one was around, either visible or not. A second spell soon followed, isolating them so no one could hear their conversation.
"What do you have for me?" said Lory.
Shin made flicking motion with his hand. A sheet of parchment appearing from the air, which he caught before handing it to Lory.
"More names of missing people." Said Shin. "There's a lot more than we realized. A few families were keeping it quiet, but if you flirt with the right girl you can learn all the gossip."
"I'd tell you not overdo it but I know you won't listen." Said Lory.
"Naturally."
Lory perused the list for a minute, frowning at some of the names. Most were from noble families, no pattern of age or gender. They did seem to be concentrated in the capital as well as the cities around the hollow sands. It was likely the enemy was congregated somewhere in that area.
"This is a big help." Said Lory. "Anything else to report on?"
"Not really." Said Shin. "Kanae seems to be recovering fine. She had a stumble during practice but it's understandable since her essence is still recovering."
"Good." Said Lory. "I'll have her start guarding Kyoko in a few days. Keep an extra eye out for anything suspicious."
"That includes dad right?"
The statement was said flippantly, as if he were talking about something as inconsequential as the weather, but Lory knew Shin well enough to see through the fained indifference.
"I wish it wasn't like this." said Lory. "But denying the truth won't help the situation."
"Assuming it is the truth."
Shin ran a hand down his face, rubbing tired muscles as he let loose a sigh. "I'm not sure what's worse Lory. That he's probably betrayed us, or that I can believe it of him so easily."
"Do you need a break?"
Shin shrugged. "Can't afford it. If uncle Kuu can keep going, I guess I can as well."
"Good man." Said Lory. "Take care of your cousin as well. He takes too much upon himself."
"He's a big softy that way." Said Shin, then he took a proper look at Lory, narrowing his eyes. "Something else happened didn't it? What did Hirotaka have to say?"
"Nothing I can tell you." Said Lory. He trusted Shin, but this had nothing to do with trust. The fewer people that knew, the better. "Just… keep your eyes peeled. Especially tomorrow."
Tomorrow was the ceremony of the champions. Rosa would grant each warrior a gift and an immense amount of light magic in exchange for their arcane magic capabilities. The ceremony would increase their manpower as well as the kingdom's moral. There was no way the accursed would waste such a good opportunity to wreak havoc.
Let's just pray nothing goes wrong. Thought Lory.
Kyoko woke early the next morning. At first she couldn't remember why she was looking forward to this day, all she could think of was the previous night and her confrontation with Setsuko. As she lay on her bed thinking, it came to her: today was the day the champions would be blessed by Rosa. It would be an exceptional day for the kingdom. The ceremony would begin at noon, when the sun was highest, a symbol of the phoenix's power. She had been excited for the ceremony, but now all she really wanted to do was talk to Kanae. Her thoughts were all still so confused from the previous night. Sliding out of bed, Kyoko quickly got dressed and hurried to Kanae's room and knocked on the door.
"It's open." Said the voice from inside.
Kyoko pushed open the door, stepping inside. The room was simple, it had all the necessities, but none of the splendor of the concubines quarters. It was one of the many rooms in the palace reserved for people like Kanae that were there for an extended, but not set amount of time.
Kanae looked up from the side of the room, currently in the middle of tying up her black hair into a high ponytail.
"Kyoko." Said Kanae, sounding surprised. "What do you want?"
"I just wanted to visit." Said Kyoko, walking into the room and sitting on the bed. "Is that what you're wearing to the ceremony?"
"Yeah." Said Kanae, looking down at her simple dress. "I don't want to keep borrowing your dresses. I look like some fake dolled up noble When I do." Its sleeves hung off her shoulders, only a yellow belt adding decoration to the plain outfit.
"You look stunning no matter what you wear." Pouted Kyoko. She felt like all the jewels in the world paled in comparison to Kanae.
Kanae gave a hum in response, checking her hair in the small mirror on her night stand. She tucked in a few loose ends before braiding the ponytail.
"How was your walk with prince Kuon last night?" said Kanae. "There seemed to be some odd tension between you two."
Kyoko smiled to herself, Kanae really was amazing, before turning sparkling eyes on her.
"Kanae, you were watching and concerned for me!" she said, teasing her friend.
"Mo! It's my job. Literally. I'm wouldn't be good at my job if I didn't notice."
Kyoko's smile turned warm. Her friend was obviously concerned for her, but was unsure how to handle the situation. They were both new to female friendships after all. Kanae was Kyoko's first real female friend, and Kyoko was hers.
"It… was nice." Said Kyoko, thinking back to last night. "I'd been worried because he had distanced himself from me recently. I thought we were friends and he seemed to stop caring about me."
Kanae finished her braid, walking over to the bed and sitting on the other side.
"Why was he avoiding you?" said Kanae. "That doesn't make any sense."
"I had no idea." Said Kyoko, shrugging. "At first I thought that he was upset at me because of the kiss I gave him on the cheek during the tournament, but it turns out I was wrong. He apparently was afraid about how involved I had gotten in this latest incident with Reino. He was trying to keep me safe."
"By pushing you away?" said Kanae, shaking her head. "I agree with Lory, Koun's an idiot. Well, can't say I blame him. It is his fault you've become involved in all of this."
Kyoko grimaced. She didn't like hearing people say that. She honestly thought it was exaggerated. If being around Kuon really was that dangerous, they would have warned the whole harem.
"Did you enjoy the dinner yesterday?" asked Kyoko, changing the subject.
"The food was good." Said Kanae. "I've never had so many different types of meat before."
"It's true. They really are royalty, eating such great food all the time."
She laid down on Kanae's bed, staring at the ceiling as she remembered the delicious food she had been able to eat. Although she didn't really get to start eating till the queen had relented her endless barrage of question. Thinking back on the conversation, she remembered something that she'd been meaning to ask Kanae.
"What was your master like?" asked Kyoko. "The one that taught you how to fight?"
She felt the bed shift, then a rustle of fabric as Kanae laid down as well, head near Kyoko's. She too stared at the ceiling, expression blank.
"He was very strict." Said Kanae. "His lessons were tough, and his conditioning tougher. The man didn't budge an inch when it came to proper protocol and behavior. He had this thing he would do if I did something well. His face would slip into a funny grin. It wouldn't last more than a second before he would be scowling again. Then he'd would scold me for slacking and double my training."
Kyoko gave a weak smile. It didn't sound particularly pleasant, but to each their own. Kanae was talking about him with an extra reverence in her expression. Obviously he had meant a lot to her.
"He was stubborn, didn't listen, and couldn't cook to save his life, but he had flute he would play occasionally." continued Kanae. "He would play the most beautiful songs after particularly tough missions in respect to those that had died. He valued life, never killing unless he had to. It was such a strange paradox."
"What happened to him?" asked Kyoko.
Kanae didn't move for a moment. She eventually pushed off the bed and walked across the room. Kyoko sat up as well, watching as her friend went to stand by the window, staring outside with folded arms.
"It was just a stupid escort job." Said Kanae. "A bandit got a lucky shot on him. I was too far away to help."
"That's so sad." said Kyoko. Her heart ached for her friend. Kanae's expression was guarded as always, but some of the pain she felt showed. Kyoko gave a sniff, catching the attention of Kanae. She walked over to Kyoko, bending forward and forcing Kyoko to look into her eyes.
"He was getting old." She said. "He had slowed down a lot, got injured one too many times. It was just a matter of time. He always wanted to go out fighting."
"Why are you the one comforting me?" muttered Kyoko.
"Because you're the big baby." Said Kanae, now standing to her full height and putting her hands on her hips. "Now, are you going sit there and cry all day, or are you going to help me with my makeup?"
Kyoko whipped away her tears, recognizing her friends need for a subject and mood change. She jumped up with her face glowing. "I'll do my very best! Risa has taught me some awesome techniques."
"I just hope I don't regret this." said Kanae, sitting down in the chair. Kyoko happily put makeup on her friend, doing her best to remember all the lessons she had learned. She chatted idly with Kanae, talking about the ceremony and her training. At one point she had to profusely apologize for poking Kanae in the eye with a brush.
"Do you think everything is going to be safe?" asked Kyoko, thinking about the accursed.
"If anything happens, the guards will be ready." Said Kanae. "They were briefed on the situation. Captain Dyrus has set up several traps in case they do try to interfere. I'd like to see them try anything with the king and phoenix there anyway."
"That's very true." Said Kyoko.
There was a knock at the door. Curious, Kyoko put down the brush and opened it. Her heart stopped when she saw the last person she'd been expecting: prince Kuon. He stood looking resplendent in his formal attire, or maybe that was just her rose tinted glasses.
"Prince Kuon." Said Kyoko, still trying to get her heart under control after this unexpected encounter. "Good morning." As she calmed, her heart warmed at the memory of the previous night when Kuon had said he was concerned for her, and at the thought of calling him by his name. She still didn't have the heart to do so now, but maybe in the future when she didn't have an ulterior motive for doing so.
"Good morning." Said Kuon, smiling at her. "How did you sleep last night?"
"I slept well." despite her encounter with Setsuko. "What about you?"
"I slept very well thank you." Said Kuon. "I came to escort you to the ceremony this afternoon."
"You did?" said Kyoko. "How did you know I was here?" She hadn't told anyone that she was coming to Kanae's room this morning.
"I asked the guards." Said Kuon.
Ah, that made sense.
Kuon nodded to Kanae, who was standing behind Kyoko. She had her arms folded, a carefully passive expression on her face as she looked at Kuon. "Good morning Lady Kanae. I hope you are well."
"Well enough Your Highness." Said Kanae, stiffly. "And you can drop the 'lady' title. I'm still just a normal mercenary."
"With your permission." Said Kuon nodding respectfully at her. "Are the two of you ready to leave? We want to be a little early."
"We were just about to leave." Said Kyoko, looking at Kanae. "Are you ready to go?"
"I am." Said Kanae. She came to stand by Kyoko, lacing her arm through Kyoko's as if she were escorting her. "I actually planned to escort you to the ceremony today."
"You did?" asked Kyoko, her heart filling with glee. She completely missed the vicious glance Kanae shot at Kuon and his own nonverbal response of blinking at her in surprise. Instead, Kyoko latched herself onto Kanae's arm, giving sounds of glee that her friend wanted to escort her to the ceremony.
"I'm so happy Kanae! You really are my best friend."
"Stop jumping, you're going to yank my arm off."
"You really care a lot about your friend don't you Kanae?" said Kuon, he was smiling again, but there was a subtle edge in the expression. Kyoko had no idea why that was coming out. It had been a while since she had seen that fake smile.
"Of course." Said Kanae, her straight expression never changing. "After all, I am the one that will stay by her side to protect her."
"Yes, and you've done a great job of that so far." said Kuon. the sparkles in his smile somehow increasing.
Kyoko looked from one to the other, unsure what had caused the tension.
"And we're off!" said Kyoko, dragging Kanae with her by their linked arms and breaking up the intense stare down between Kanae and Kuon.
They reached the throne room. There were several rows of chairs, many of these already filled with people. There was a section about five rows back for the concubines. Most of them were already seated, talking to one another. Kuon led the two of them to that area, many of the occupants turning to see their prince enter. When they reached that chairs, Kuon gestured to them saying.
"They set up an extra chair for you as well Kanae, as Lady Kyoko's special guest."
"Thank you your highness."
"I will be sitting with my family." Said Kuon, nodding at the chairs at the head of the room. "I hope to see you after the ceremony Kyoko."
"Of course." Said Kyoko. He probably wants to take up my offer to sooth his curse.
Kuon smiled, then slid his arm out of hers, trailing his hand down to take her own. She watched, her confusion turning to mortification as he pulled her hand up and kissed the back of it.
"Until later then." He said, his eyes sparkling.
Kyoko couldn't move, just watching as he walked towards the front of the room. She didn' even register the other people muttering around her.
That idiot! What was he doing to her innocent heart? He had no idea the effect his actions had. And her in public again. Those rumors were never going to die down. She sat down in her chair, dazed as her gloomy thoughts overtook her.
Kanae's watched her friend as she sank into an obvious mess of her own thoughts. It was an interesting reaction to the prince's obvious advances towards her. It looked like he had gotten over whatever hesitancy he'd had before and planned to openly pursue her. Especially with a public display like that. She could hear those nearby still talking about the kiss on her hand. An innocent gesture as they went, but it was still a gesture publicly claiming her as his. The rumors would probably help.
The thought didn't make her too happy. She didn't trust him with Kyoko. His feelings appeared to flip flop too much for her liking, and Kyoko needed someone who wouldn't waver. The girl had suffered enough when it came to idiots taking advantage of her.
She let her friend continue to ruminate as she examining the area around them. She immediately spotted the different spells and guards dotted surreptitiously around the room. Those were mostly decoys, meant to distract the enemy from the real defenses. Those alone would make it difficult for the accursed to pull a stunt like they did at the festival.
Her attention changed as she noticed someone approach. It was a woman with long wavy hair. Her slanted eyes were on Kyoko as she approached slowly, as if gliding. Even Kanae was somewhat impressed by her presence. She obviously wasn't a warrior, but she presented herself with all the force of one. It was then Kanae noticed the blue and gold choker. So it was another concubine.
Kanae didn't like her.
"Well that was an interesting spectacle." Said the concubine.
Kyoko snapped out of her daze, her face blanching when she saw who it was.
"So much for your promise." The woman continued.
"It's not what it looks like." Said Kyoko. "We're just friends."
"You don't owe her an explanation." Said Kanae, cutting across her friend's protest. The other woman now had her attention on Kanae, whose insides were slowly simmering at the woman's attitude towards Kyoko.
"You are that mercenary." Said the woman, her sneer showing her opinion of Kanae. "Such a vile thing, a woman mercenary. I feel ashamed to have you sitting among us."
"Oh?" Said Kanae, her voice lined with an undercurrent of anger. "We both sell ourselves for money, the only difference is I win."
The woman tilted her head, considering Kanae before a sinister smile spread across her lips.
"You have a good friend Kyoko." Said the woman. "See that she behaves herself so you don't lose her."
Kanae kept glaring as the woman walked away, sitting as far from them as possible.
"Who was that?" said Kanae.
"That was Setsuko." Said Kyoko with a sigh. "She basically number one in the harem. Thank you Kanae, I really appreciate you standing up for me. I'm still not used to her."
Kyoko had fallen back into a slump, the depression around her doubling from before. Kanae awkwardly patted her on the back.
"Er, don't let her bother you." She tried, horrible at comforting. "She's just jealous."
"But she shouldn't be." groaned Kyoko. "I'm just a friend. Those stupid rumors just make everything worse."
I want to punch you. thought Kanae, but she decided that wasn't what female friends were suppose to do. The prince was trying to be as obvious with his affections as he could be, but Kyoko was missing all the signs. She was so against love thanks to her past that sometimes Kanae thought that part of her brain had died. This only seemed to prove it.
Another person approached, this one more welcome than the previous one. Just barely. They grabbed a chair, and plopped it down in the middle of the row, right in front of Kyoko.
"Why the glum face?" said Shin, ruffling Kyoko's hair. "Smile. It's a glorious day of celebration and unity."
"Shin!" said Kyoko, trying to calm her now tangled hair. "You surprised me."
"It's not hard when you're not paying attention." Said Shin, he then turned to Kanae, sending her a wink. "Good to see you Kanae. You look wonderful like always."
"You're in the way." Said Kanae.
"How do you mean?" said Shin, looking around.
Kanae gestured at his chair. "It's in the middle of the aisle."
"But I wanted to sit by Kyoko." Said Shin. "Unless you're willing to give up your seat."
"No."
"Then how about this." said Shin. He leaned back, patting his lap. "You can sit here."
Kanae's eye twitched. "There would be too many witnesses."
He sat straighter, hope in his face. "For you to sit in my lap?"
"For your murder."
Kyoko let out a laugh, undoubtedly thinking Kanae was joking.
"It's always fun being around you two." Said Kyoko, smiling brightly at them. "I feel much better. Thank you."
Kanae felt her face falter, muttering under her breath about Kyoko being embarrassing. Shin took her gratitude in stride, giving a half bow while seated.
"I am here to serve." He said. "If you ever need-"
"Shin aren't you going to come sit with us in the royal box?"
Kanae looked up, to see who the voice belonged to. It was the king's brother Masato. She recognized him from the dinner last night. He wore a long burgundy robe with a sash thrown over his shoulder. He was looking at Shin expectantly, waiting for his son to answer. Kyoko, and even a few of the nearby concubines had turned to watch the exchange.
Shin smiled his usual smile.
"Nah, the view from here is better." He said.
Masato seemed disappointed with the answer.
"Your mothers will miss you." Said Masato.
"I'll attend to her later."
There was a short pause, where Masato stared at his son, some sort of internal battle occurring. Finally, his father shook his head in resignation.
"I'll be sure to let her know."
Masato left, walking up to the front to join the rest of the royal family. Kanae's eyes narrowed as she watched Masato. He took a seat by his wife, talking to her briefly before she glanced towards them. Kanae could see the disappointment on leandrea's face. Shin was currently talking to one of the concubines sitting behind them. He hadn't seemed to notice his mother's disappointment.
There was obviously some undercurrent of tension in that exchange. It appeared that Shin did not get along with his parents. His carefully relaxed attitude sparked her curiosity against her will.
"Do you not have a good relationship with your father?" asked Kyoko when there was a lull in the conversation. Apparently even Kyoko had noticed the tension.
"What makes you say that?" said Shin.
"Your fairy aura dimmed around him." Said Kyoko.
Kanae had no idea where that had come from. Shin blinked at Kyoko, then a huge smile crept across his face. He leaned closer to her, beckoning for her to do so as well.
"You see Kyoko." He said, voice lower than usual. Kanae could still hear him however "The truth is; I don't trust my father. He's actually an incubus and he sucks away my happiness with his presence."
"Oh, that is so sad." Said Kyoko. "No wonder you don't want to sit with him."
"That's not what an incubus is." Said Kanae.
"Then what is it Kanae?" said Shin.
"Don't go repeating anything you hear from Shin." Said Kanae, who stared pointedly at Kyoko, ignoring the idiot grinning at her. "It's a bunch of nonsense."
"That's just mean!" exclaimed Shin, trying to look innocent. "I meant what I said about my father."
Kanae tried not to rise to his teasing, but she couldn't help it, they spent much of the next five minutes arguing about what a incubus was. She knew he had changed the topic on purpose, but she let it go. Now wasn't the place to ask those sorts of questions. It wasn't like it was any of her business anyway.
Most of the champions had arrived. They were stationed in the side room, waiting for when the ceremony would start and they were called out to the throne room. Lory did a quick head count, noticing they were short one. Where was the champion for the Woods family?
"Are you looking for someone?"
Jelly had appeared next to Lory, smiling brightly at him. He couldn't help but notice the all-white dress she was wearing. With her deceitfully young face, it added to the illusion of innocence.
"Duchess Woods." Said Lory. "Where is the champion for your family?"
"You're looking at them." she said spreading her arms wide.
Lory was surprised, he didn't think that a female would be chosen as a champion. Most dukedoms were too prudish, and stuck on appearances for them to consider a female champion. "Duchess, are you sure about this?" he asked, the concern showing on his face.
"Positive." Said Jelly, giving Lory a wink. "The other poor soul we chose for the job was complaining so much, there was no way my family could make him a champion in good conscious. So I thought, who better to do it than myself." The change didn't make Lory happy, partially because it was decided without him being informed, but mostly because it was Jelly.
"I doubt you'll be taken seriously, even as a champion." Said Lory. "You'll be the only woman."
"Since when have I allowed anyone to boss me around?" said Jelly. She grinned a sinister smile, the expression clashing with her previously innocent appearance. "They laughed at me for all those years because of my pitiful excuse for light magic, but now I'll be able to go toe to toe with any of them!"
"So instead of the arcane witch, you will become the light witch." Said Lory flatly, referencing the nickname many had given her. She was known to have a temper on her when she didn't get what she wanted. Lory would have a talk with Kuu and make sure she was more of a support during this war. Jelly didn't have any combat experience whatsoever.
"Be careful Duchess. The second you accept that contract, you will be painting a large target on your head."
Jelly patted his hand affectionately, like parent patronizing their child. "Don't you worry, I'm not an easy target to hit."
Kuu sat front and center waiting for the champions to come, and the ceremony to begin. The atmosphere here was one of tense anticipation, and he wasn't the only one that was scanning the room looking for signs of trouble. There was no way the accursed weren't going to try something. They had already let one golden opportunity go by without incident. He'd been so sure they would strike at the speech, but there'd been no sign of them. He wished, but did not really believe that would be the case today. This was something they couldn't ignore. With the blessing of the champions, they would increase their manpower exponentially. It would be a huge blow to the Dark Djinn. As Kuu pondered, trying to figure out what the accursed would try, Dyrus walked up and saluted.
"Sir! I come to give my report." he said formally.
Kuu nodded, and Dyrus came closer, sending out a small sphere that covered only the two of them.
"We've done a thorough sweep looking for signs of dark magic, but we came up with nothing. Our precautions are all in place, and my men ready to fight. Should anything happen, your Majesty will be well protected."
"Thank you Dyrus." said the king, "But I hope it does not come to that."
"As do I, but should it happen, we will be prepared."
Kuu nodded in response, and Dyrus saluted again before dropping the sound bubble and walking off to tend his guards.
"Oh goddess, please let this go smoothly." Kuu prayed silently.
Kuon watched as Dyrus saluted and walked off, his body language so sure. And yet his father looked, if anything, less certain. He wanted to know what Dyrus had told Kuu, but the ceremony was going to start any minute, and it wasn't worth it to go to the king throw up a bubble and asking what had happened. It was just... he was on edge, and he wanted to know what was going on. He felt restless and uneasy, and he couldn't pinpoint the reason. A couple times he nearly asked Yukihito (who was sitting next to him) if he felt it, but he was sure to get some sort of reply about how he was just missing Kyoko. "Honestly" Thought Kuon a little exasperated., "the man is more in love with the idea of them as a couple than than I am…. No actually that isn't true."
A trumpet sounded, breaking him from his thoughts
The champions marched in dressed in reds, and yellows and and all the colors associated with the Phoenix. They were intimidating to behold, but Kuon was distracted from this grand spectacle by that feeling growing. What was causing it?
"Yukihoto, do you feel that?" asked Kuon, finally unable to stand it.
"Feel what?" he responded, glancing at Kuon.
"No, nothing." Kuon said quickly, scanning the crowd, not even trying to pay attention to the blessing ceremony. Where's it coming from?
"Look" said Yukihoto, nudging Kuon to get his attention. The champions stood facing the crowd, each one had a magic circle glowing beneath them, and above them, Rosa was rising. As he watched, she seemed to grow until her wing span extended to all the champions, and her light! She was glowing so brightly he could hardly look at her. Some of that light trailed off the phoenix, and began to circle around the champions heads like a halo. It was so majestic and inspiring, Kuon could feel his spirits lifting. But then...
Like a silent bomb, surge of dark, putrid magic washed through the room. It seemed to immobilize him, and steal his breath. As he sat choking for air, he saw the halos of magic change. Darkness seemed to be bleeding into the light. Everything good became corrupt, runes of binding become runes of destruction. The force of the change pushed everyone back, reeling at the shadows that now covered their souls.
People screamed, jumping out of their seats and tripping over eachother the run away. Kuon got to his feet with the intention to help. A wave of dizziness hit him, and he fell. He couldn't move, an oppressive weight on his chest crushing him. His limbs shook with the effort to raise his head.
The ceremony was still going, except it was no longer a ceremony of light. It was a ceremony of death. A circle of dark runes stretched overhead, engulfing all of the champions in its arms. He saw the nearest champion crumbling, trembling as dark smoke trailed from their body. It was draining their life, consuming their soul. Then, one by one, they all threw their heads back, black fog issuing from their mouths, rising and growing. It then started thrashing, melting in the air as if fought to live.
"And so the champions fell, their light god unable to protect them from the darkness."
Kuon's eyes bulged. The Dark Djinn stood not five feet from him, hooded face towards the billowing darkness. It was encircled by flames of shadow, the robe billowing in the wind pressure from the spells.
"You!" cried Kuon, his voice coming out as a gasp.
"Nothing has changed Prince." Said the Djinn. "You are still helpless as before. Weak to do anything. Too weak to accept real strength, and this is the result."
Kuon struggled to answer, but his voice wouldn't come. He was drowning, his vision blackening as his consciousness started to slip. He could hear the Djinn's laughter as its image began to fade.
Kuon felt something break. The darkness shattered, light flooding back in. Though he was barely conscious, Kuon understood what had happened. Rosa had broken through the spell.
Kuon gave a large gasp of air, senses returning with a vengeance. Every inch of his body was drenched in cold sweat, muscles trembling from weakness. He couldn't make sense of the noise around him, too intent on remember what it was like to just breath again.
He felt someone grab his shoulder. He turned, his surroundings coming back into focus. His mother beside him, Kyoko and Yukihito kneeling by him as well. Both women were distraught, Julie crying in relif.
"Oh thank the goddess you're alive." She cried.
Kuon tried to move, Kyoko helping him to sit up.
"Don't move too quickly." She said. "You were thrashing. We don't know if you broke anything."
Kuon groaned, putting a hand to his head. It was pounding, the ache making it hard to think. He forced his way through the pain, looking around.
The throne room looked like a war zone. The seats had been scattered to the wind, not a single one left standing. Many people were still running, some laying down from injuries, others helping their friends and families. The guards were spreading out, helping and calming everyone.
The worst of it was the platform. The remnants of such a vile curse caused his stomach to turn. Burned into the stone were the dark runes, trails of smoke still smoldering in the charred remains. Each of the fallen champions were spaced evenly around the edge of the circle. None of them were moving.
"The champions…" said Kuon, trying to stand.
Kyoko moved, letting Yukihito help him stand, and walked towards the nearest champion. Kuon hobbled after her, staring at the body below him. Kanae hovered protectively over Kyoko as she knelt down and put her hand over the champion's body.
She drew back, swallowing hard. She kept her head down, voice low as she confirmed his worst fear.
"He's dead."
Thanks for reading!
And thank you all for your incredible words of encouragement! I was thrilled by the response to the previous chapter. Yay for progression.
My friends, I am out of the country by the time this posts. (Imouto will post it for me) I will be gone for ten days and I honestly don't know if I will be able to finish the next chapter before the next scheduled post. I will update my profile as soon as I know more. I did not even finish this chapter before I left so I left a portion of it in my sister's hands.
Speaking of my sister, she has finally started writing something to post on FF. A couple things to say. First, she's a better writer than me. (In my opinion)(It's not true). Second, it's a crackfic. (Keep in mind that I patterned Shin after her) Look forward to it. Her pen name is Im0ut0 XD
-Blushweaver
Hey peeps. It is true that Blushweaver left, and left a good portion of this chapter to me, so if you see any obvious typo's please let us know in your review. As I have been writing a crack fic, (as she informed you) it was definitely a mood shift to finish this chapter. You will have to wait until Blush weaver gets back before I post my story though, I think she would murder me if I posted before she could read it. Also, Blushweaver gave me explicit instructions that should she die on her trip (not really likely) that I must finish her fic for her.
As always, thanks for reading!
Imouto