The rot was making everyone go insane. That was the only explanation. Otherwise rational intelligent human beings would not be making such idiotic decisions.

Koga rubbed his nose gingerly, wincing where the door to Itsumi's room had hit it. Dang that girl. He'd just been asking about Hikaru because her father had asked him to. He had no real interest in her. Not unless she was connected to the royal family. Then he would have been interested.

Too bad the only person he knew that was associated directly with the Hizuri's was the wife of an Accursed. That fire was a little too hot for him to mess with. At least, not in that way. No, the only association he wanted with Kyoko or her Accursed Cain was the sort that involved a sword impaling them.

Yet here he was, ordered by Kuresaki to go with the expedition to reclaim the northern outpost.

Damn them.

At least Kuresaki appeared to have screwed his head back on. He was back to his usual self; Disapproving and demanding to everyone around him. Now if only he'd find a way to assassinate both those monsters, then Koga's full respect would return.

He passed an alleyway, no different than the others he had passed.

Except someone called out his name.

He stopped, more curious than frightened of any possible danger. He was one of the city's best fighters, second only to the General. It wouldn't be the first time a low-life had tried to come after him.

"What is it?" he called to the alley.

As someone moved into view, his curiosity increased. Now what was Kimiko Morizumi, a noble daughter doing out here in the dingy commoner streets?

Though she wore a drab cloak, he could see the perfectly curled hair under the hood. Silver gleamed from her sleeves, catching the light as she beckoned to him.

"Come with me," she said.

It was a good thing she was cute, even if this was suspicious as hell. He followed, letting her silently lead him down a few more roads before finally entering a modest house. She took him to one of the back rooms, only then lowering her hood.

Ah, that's probably why she hid her face. Part of it was marred with the rot, causing one eye to swell shut. The functioning one dug into Koga, something overpowering the innate adorable nature of her face. Well, besides those ugly marks of course.

"I've heard some things about you, Coronel Koga Hiromune," she said.

He offered a wry smile. "Flattering, but you are a bit young for me."

She clicked her tongue, evidently annoyed by his little joke. "Not like that. I mean who you are. What you stand for. What you stand against." She raised her brows in significance.

Now that had him a little more interested. Too bad he was already tired of her dance.

"If you've come just to throw cryptic words at me, then please skip to the end." He feigned a yawn, the action turning real as he fought to keep talking. "I've got to be up in like, five hours to go on that blasted expedition so if this is just an elaborate way to hit on me, please, get to the part where you confess, and we can enjoy some time together."

She sneered at him. "You're a pig."

"And you're a lone woman beckoning a man into a private room. There are a lot of ideas I could get from that."

She held his gaze, anger deepening with each second. It manifested as lines tugging at her brow and eyelid until it looked like the marks on her face would crack.

They smoothed a second later, her face the perfect mask of serene openness.

"Fine," she said, voice airy. "The point. I guess under normal circumstance, I might come to enjoy our banters. But now…" She reached up, brushing her bangs so that they fell across her swollen eye. "Maybe you're as tired of this farce as I am. I'm putting together a plan to assassinate the Accursed and his wife."

"Ambitious." And foolhardy. Like a little sheltered noble girl could come up with something the other generals, nobles, soldiers, and literally everyone else in the city couldn't do.

"Don't patronize me," she said, voice sharp. She had heard his skepticism. "I'll have you know, I'm not alone. We have a lot of people on our side, and I'm working on collecting more. But right now, you're an important piece to killing that monster."

He hummed, wondering if even listening was worth the risk. She could be a spy. The room could be bugged with listening spells. Or maybe she was full of hot air.

But she was also the first person to actually say the words. "I want to kill the Accursed."

Koga chose a cushion, situating himself comfortably on the fabric. "Well, do you have refreshments? Or will this not take very long?"

Relieved would be the word Cain would use to describe how he felt. Today his team was going to reclaim the northern outpost. Even the anticipation of doing something was a better mood booster than a full eight hours of sleep. He was practically humming in excitement.

He attracted stares as he made last-minute assessments, checking their supplies to make sure nothing was left behind. The outpost was a full day ride from the city. He'd rather they didn't have to backtrack for anything.

"Now that's not right."

Murasame sneered at Cain, a bag slung over one shoulder, a headwrap shading his eyes for travel. He was one of two commanders leading their team.

"Stop that," said Murasame, pointing at Cain's face. "You so much as look like you're about to smile and I'm going to have nightmares for weeks."

"I'm not smiling," said Cain.

"Good, let's keep it that way."

Murasame stomped to his horse, barking at the servants preparing everything. Koga, the other commander in their group was making his rounds as well. Each man had command over a hundred soldiers. Enough to both take back the potentially infested outpost and leave some to keep it safe. They had a few arcane and light engineers as well, their task to bring the outpost back to standard defensive capabilities.

Koga caught Cain's eye, pausing before offering a nod. Despite the friendly gesture, the man radiated hostility. Which, seeing the opposite would have been unusual so Cain wasn't too worried. As long as he did his job, Cain didn't care.

Cain reentered the barracks to find Kuresaki and give some last-minute commands. What he didn't expect to find inside was Kyoko standing between Kanae and Hikaru.

"Kyoko, you're supposed to be resting in the clinic."

Kyoko clicked her tongue, a habit she'd picked up from Kanae. "And let you leave without saying goodbye? I thought you knew better than that."

"I just didn't want to make you feel worse." He directed a pointed glare at Kanae. "She's not supposed to strain herself."

"Which is exactly what she'd do if you left without saying goodbye," said Kanae, unapologetic. She grabbed Hikaru by the sleeve, tugging the man away. "Hurry up so I can go to bed."

Alone, Cain took the time to examine his pseudo-wife. She looked paler than usual, fingers shaking as they tugged at her shirt hem. Crystal marks poked out from under her collar marring her skin. Even then, she was beautiful. Her black hair now hung below her collar, framing her soft cheeks and bright eyes. They shone gold with love and uncertainty, but Cain knew the fire that could be ignited behind them. A blaze so fierce it drew him in. Even now he could feel the warm glow that came from her spirit, see how it flowed through her and brightened both the room and himself.

"Sorry," said Kyoko, her gaze lowering. "I shouldn't be disturbing you before you leave. Um."

Silently, Cain stepped forward and pulled her close. Kyoko leaned in without restraint, melting into the embrace.

"Don't try and do that again," said Kyoko, voice muffled in his chest. "I don't care if I come off as one of those whiney clingy helpless types. You just don't leave without saying goodbye. You got that Cain?"

"Understood," He smiled into her hair, planting a kiss. "I may have to leave several times in the next few weeks."

"I know."

She leaned away, the uncertainty gone as she shone with pride through her fringe. "It's what we do," she said. "You fight, lead and protect. I stay behind and offer support through research and healing."

She made it sound so natural. The two of them together yet apart, fulfilling their roles for what needed to be done. It was one of the most amazing things about her. Her love meant everything to him and yet she was never satisfied with just that. She was driven, passionate, and amazing.

She was also, for the millionth time, supposed to be resting

"Kyoko," said Cain, lengthening her name in the 'you're in trouble' way.

She grinned impishly

He flicked her forehead in response. She clasped a hand over the now sore spot, pushing back with a huff.

"Don't think I won't order Kanae to cuff you to the bed," said Cain.

"I could still escape." She laughed at his frown. "Okay, okay. I'll be good. I'll get plenty of rest."

He only partially believed her.

"Thank you."

He kissed her, lingering to feel the soft press of her lips. She was blushing a delightful shade of pink when he pulled away.

"If anything happens," he said. "Call me with the necklace. I'll come running."

She nodded, eyes bright. "Be careful. I love you."

Now leaving was that much harder. Their goodbye lasted a few more minutes before Cain did the responsible thing and pulled himself away. Loath as he was to do so, he still had things to address before leaving.

He approached Hikaru first, reminding him to watch over Kyoko. The Coronel promised with great gusto, Kanae rolling her eyes beside him.

"I mean it," said Cain. "I'm leaving, which means this is when people will be stupid enough to do something."

That fear alone had almost made him stay. But he had to go. Without the outpost, they were blind to any and all attacks. This was not a mission they could afford to fail.

After another three minutes of lecturing the two about the importance of Kyoko's safety, Kanae got impatient and just left without a word. She did offer him an offensive hand gesture as she walked off.

Glad to see she was taking her job so seriously.

With that out of the way and a quick talk with Kuresaki, Cain was ready to leave. But as he reached his horse, someone else grabbed him and pulled him aside.

"Hey, so remember when you told me to keep my ear to the ground?" said Murasame. When Cain answered in the affirmative, Murasame continued. "I heard about something that's going to go down during our expedition."

Cain gestured for him to continue, face darkening. If there was so much as a whisper about an attack on Kyoko…

"It has nothing to do with your crazy wife," said Murasame quickly. "Geeze, look more like you're going to murder someone why don't you? No, it's a scheme to get you killed."

As Murasame explained what he knew, the dark panic in his chest slowly lessened. Now this, Cain could deal with.

"You don't look too worried," said Murasame, measuring Cain with a frown. "Do you even care that I had to risk my life to get this info?"

"Marginally," admitted Cain. He did have a small part of himself that liked Murasame.

But the real threat to this attack wasn't Cain's life. It would be the backlash. The consequences that could come from this. No matter what, Cain would be forced to face the problem that had started the second he had taken over the city. This would have to be handled carefully.

With no fanfare to be seen, Cain and his soldiers left the safe confines of the city. The sun rose on their right, the flame of its light spilling a dull gray across the desert sand. Unlike much of the kingdom of Ashuron, the ground was not a seamless spill of dunes. The broken hills were famous for their rocky terrain breaking the uniform serene of the desert. But with Cain's muted view, he could no longer appreciate the hues of gold and white.

For most of the journey, nothing hindered them. Cain remained on the outskirts of the group, belonging nowhere as Murasame and Koga to lead the way. He kept his attention on the possibility of an outside attack. It was strange how calm he was now that he knew to expect one from within. After days of impulsive attacks and furtive looks, he welcomed any direct confrontation against those that opposed him. He was confident that he could repel anything they threw at him.

At least, under normal circumstances.

The tower from the outpost was just coming into view when a signal from one of their scouts caused everyone to stop.

"There are skeletal undead all over the place," the scout reported. "Probably from the fort."

Which meant that the undead were likely reanimated from the bodies of their comrades. When it came to morale, it was one of the worst enemies to encounter. The monsters would be contorted into something animal while trailing remains of their human clothes and armor.

Cain cast his eyes over the horizon, squinting to see the dark shades he knew would shroud the undead. He spotted it, noting the depth.

Darkness slammed into Cain.

The attack was so sudden Cain fell from his horse. One hand clung to his chest, sweat erupting from his skin as he struggled to breathe, confused. What had happened? Why hadn't he sensed the attack? Why—

That's when he saw the vambrace shimmering black in the light.

No. He was having another attack. The darkness was trying to overwhelm him.

Knowing exactly how vulnerable Cain was right now, he struggled to stand.

The action saved his life.

A gleam of silver slashed into his shoulder and across his chest. Had he failed to stand just a second later, the attack would have taken his head.

Cain yelled, summoning arcane shields even as he struggled to retreat. He wasn't given time to collect himself as another spear assaulted him. The attack destroyed his feebly spun shield, pushing Cain back even further.

Turning feverish from the press of darkness, Cain spun in place, deflecting attack after attack as he tried to stay conscious. Threads of armor crept up his arms, engulfing his body.

"Stop."

Cain's command came out more like a wheeze, impossible to hear over the din of spells.

"Please."

Another attack pierced his leg. One broke his other shield. The press of pain and malice were filling his senses, crushing his lungs.

No.

Then a blade hit its mark. The spear ripped through Cain's side and out the other end.

Cain's vision turned white. His body spasmed from the shock and pain, trying to process the sudden loss of flesh and function.

It was yanked out before he could.

Cain fell, gritty sand scraping his cheeks as he lay, body already turning numb. He heard voices. Cheers. Angry shouts. The world around him a cacophony of emotions.

But above all else, he heard the low hum of power thrumming through his veins.

Cain rose to his feet.

Magic wrapped around his body, forming into plates of black. The red that glimmered from inside his wounds looked molten as it spread out to cover the seams between the armor. A pauldron formed across the shoulder gash, a gauntlet for the wound around his arm. A final breastplate melted across his chest for the hole in his stomach. Anywhere skin had been broken, it was replaced with metal.

And Cain wanted retribution.

Another attack came. He felt the flash of magic before the spell formed. With blade in hand, Cain struck at the center of it.

More cries. More spells. Cain's bloodlust surged as he struck again and again, snuffing out the lights that strove to break him. Inside he could feel something protesting, a buzz reminiscent of a mosquito telling him to stop. To break the connection. To be better than this.

It was a strong voice. A feminine one.

Ren

The darkness over his mind shattered.

Cain blinked, vision clearing as he finally became aware. What met him was the sight of Murasame, swords crossed with Cain as he stood over a wounded soldier. The Coronel's eyes were wide, brows draw deep in determination even as his whole body shook. Cain immediately broke away, heart trembling as he took in what lay around him.

Scattered in the sand were a dozen bodies of his men. For a panicked moment, he saw rivers of red, blood marking the yellow sands in a permanent stain of his sins. But no, he could still see the aura of life within each one. None of them were dead. Yet.

"Cain." Murasame hadn't lowered his weapon, spells ready at his fingertips as he regarded him. "Have you calmed down?"

"No… No, I—shoot!" Cain pressed a hand to his eyes, shaking as he realized his armor hadn't dissipated. The red light between the seams pulsed in tandem with his racing heart. He needed to calm down.

The others weren't going to wait.

"Get back!" Murasame shouted at his men, "Idiot, listen to your orders. He won't attack if you don't attack him first."

More scuffling, shouts. Another voice yelling for everyone to stay back. Cain lowered his hand, watching the discourse racing through the group. Murasame had his back to Cain now, the only barrier between Cain and the other men. No. He wasn't alone. The other commander Koga was there as well. Looks like Cain had chosen well. Between the two of them, the soldiers were finally started to back away.

"We need a medic," said Cain, pointing to the downed men. "Murasame."

"On it."

Cain moved away from the fallen men, not letting himself glance down to see how bad the damage was. It would only encourage more self-loathing, an emotion that would not help his current state. He kept his distance while Murasame organized the medics to start treating the injured.

With the crisis averted, Cain sat on a rock, focusing on his breathing. It helped, bits of his Accursed armor slowly disappearing into his skin as wounds mended almost instantly. But it wasn't going away completely, resisting him with every breath.

"Sir?"

"What is it, Coronel Koga?" said Cain, hands still over his eyes. He sensed the man standing before him, a good distance away.

"We... may have a problem."

No shi—

Cain lowered his hand, glowering at the commander. "Something else you wish to enlighten me on?"

Despite the glare, Koga didn't back down or seemed phased. He kept that blank open look on his face as he jerked a thumb behind him. "The men, they won't go with you into battle. At least, not willingly in my experience. When soldiers have a commander they don't want to follow…"

"People die." Cain was well aware of this, having seen it happen with incompetent leaders in the past. Koga was right. Were they to fight the undead, a lot of men would die due to poor morale rather than numbers or skill.

Cain swore. Then swore again for good measure. This wasn't working. The attack he had been so confident he could bat away had transformed into this mess. They needed the outpost, but he really didn't want to sacrifice more men than was necessary. They were low on numbers as it was.

His arm ached under the pressure of the relic.

…There was a different option. One Kyoko would scold him for, but at least no one would die.

"I'm going." Cain stood up, turning his back to Koga.

"Wait, what-!"

"I'm taking care of the undead," said Cain, already sprinting away. "Follow when the coast is clear."

With a spell to increase his speed, the soldiers disappeared behind him as Cain as he sped across the sand. Mind still hazy, Cain clashed through the line of undead.

Cain was unsure how long he fought. Could have been minutes. Could have been hours. Spells flew without pause as he tore through bone and sinew. He released every surge of emotion he felt, tearing blindly through the lines of the enemy. He received more injuries as he fought, each one blossoming into a piece of armor until the cuts beneath had healed. A constant loop of pain, protection, healing then exposure.

Eventually, there was nothing else to fight.

Cain stood on a brick wall, his mind finally clearing. Ashes of undead lay scattered, remains of necromancers, Wurms, and echidnas in the mix. There had been a lot more monsters than they'd assumed.

He was exhausted, both from the physical battle, and the mental one against his nature. Every piece of armor was gone now, his skin smooth and unbroken. But it would take a while to remove the grime and blood ground into his pores. All he wanted to do was slide to the ground and rest. But he couldn't. Not until everything was set straight.

The men arrived an hour later. He watched them enter from his perch on the wall. Most deliberately avoided his gaze. Some started in shock at the carnage before them. More than one glared openly.

Cain jumped down, approaching Murasame.

"Coronel," said Cain.

To Cain's surprise, Murasame grabbed him by his shirt and dragged him away. Once he'd placed a healthy distance from everyone, he rounded on Cain.

"What the actual hell man!" he said, keeping his voice down despite the agitated tone. "What the hell was that? Great way to deal with the problem. Are you trying to act the part of an evil overlord? Or does it just come naturally?"

"It wasn't on purpose," said Cain through gritted teeth. "You think I wanted to hurt those men?"

"I don't know. You looked pretty excited about it at the moment."

Cain stopped, ice freezing his veins as he let that statement sink in.

"What makes you say that?"

Mursame grimaced. "You were smiling as you fought."

If there was ever a flashing sign that things were bad, it would be this. He'd been partially conscious through the fight but he didn't remember relishing in the experience. Was he… losing sight of himself?

"Shit," muttered Cain. "It's getting harder to control. Ever since they took away my relic…"

"So blaming it on the General now, are you?" grunted Murasame, unimpressed. "Look, I said I'd help if I thought you were helping us, and right now, I'm not so sure about my choice anymore. I almost wish the attack had worked."

Cain's hand balled into a fist, arms shaking.

The look Murasame gave Cain was long and searching, eyes hard and mouth set. He was an ally, but a tenuous one. Cain would do well to remember it.

Murasame sighed, looking tired.

"You were lucky," he said. "No one died this time. But Cain… this isn't good."

"No, it's not."

This was probably the worst possible outcome, minus one where Cain killed everyone. Even then he could have blamed it on the monsters. More than one problem would arise from this. Though they'd secured the outpost, only time would tell if the sacrifice had been worth it. Cain had been overconfident. He just hoped he could pay the price for his lapse in judgment.

For once, Kyoko was exactly where she was supposed to be. Waiting for her wellness exam with Hiroaki. Granted, she was there five hours early and technically in the wrong room, but it was the right department and that's all that mattered. Her guards had given up at this point, realizing that it would take more energy to convince her to go back to her room only to come here later.

In the few days she'd been unable to get past either Kanae or Hikaru, she'd missed out on the research the team had done on the rot. And they had done a LOT of research. It was like their lives depended on it or something.

She flipped through the study journals and tomes, waving down a physician when she had a question but mostly keeping to herself. The labs were literally across the hall so she could check them out once she was all caught up.

Buried in the latest report, a guard tapped her shoulder.

"Lady Kyoko. I've been trying to get your attention."

Jolted from her book, she set it down. "Oh? What is it?"

In answer, he pointed.

Itsumi Momose stood in front of Kyoko's desk, chin high, arms folded and mouth set. Dressed like always in a long skirt, she bore all the appearance and air of a duchess. Beads glimmered from a headdress and linked around her shawl, cascading around her covered arms. Technically a patient, Itsumi usually wore a standard patient dress. Not today. She was dressed for business, probably busy taking notes for the meetings Cain was missing.

Kyoko cocked her head.

"Oh, hey! Sorry, didn't see you there," she said, offering a smile.

Something flickered through Itsumi, breaking her confidence for an infinitesimal moment before it was back again. It felt odd to Kyoko, sitting there with a silent Itsumi standing like an imperial statue.

"Do you want to sit down or something?" said Kyoko, gesturing to a chair. When Itsumi didn't move she continued. "Can I help you?"

The question seemed to set something off. Itsumi broke her stillness, stalking toward Kyoko with such intensity it was frightening. Kyoko jumped as Itsumi slammed her hands on the desk, pressing on her palms to lean forward.

"This is so ridiculous!" said Itsumi, heedless of the others in the room trying to quietly read. "I've been going in circles for days now and just can't figure it out."

"Wha—"

"And then I come in and you're just ignoring me and I'm sure you're still angry but then, no, you just didn't see me. I was just being an idiot again."

"I'm sorry?" said Kyoko, because she had no idea what had prompted this storm and really wanted it to end so people would stop glaring. The Duchess was riled up, more so than she usually was. At first glance, it looked like anger. But the edges of her words felt too fragile.

Indeed, at Kyoko's apology, Itsumi clamped her mouth shut as if she'd been slapped.

"That's not what—" said Itsumi, voice breathless. "I didn't… Why would you even apologize?"

"Because you kind of looked mad," said Kyoko. "And I wanted you to be un-mad."

Itsumi leaned back, pinching the bridge of her nose in an action reminiscent of Kanae when she was exasperated at Kyoko.

"I'm not mad," said Itsumi. "I came here to apologize." And before Kyoko could speak, Itsumi was spilling her guts out for everyone in the room to hear. "I just don't know where to start. I… I can't believe I'm so bad at this. But I wanted to say I'm sorry. For not believing in you, for not even trying to listen to your side. I was just upset and angry and… I know it's not an excuse. I really shouldn't have said such awful things to you when you were in the cell. And you were sick. I've been such a horrible friend."

Finding a break in Itsumi's monolog, Kyoko shrugged. "Eh, I've had worse friends."

Itsumi paused, breath caught on her next words as she stared.

"At least you didn't manipulate people to throw me out of an organization," said Kyoko. That had technically happened twice. "Or try to poison me. Or nearly crush someone with berserk magic. Or lie and use me my entire life only to steal my discovery and take all the credit."

Woops. She'd gotten a little too personal with that last one.

Kyoko shrugged again, this time to get rid of the ugly memories.

"I mean, all you really did was say some mean things and annoy Kanae with some second-rate henchmen," continued Kyoko. "And while I was upset at the time, you did help save me and Cain's life. So, if anything, I should be saying thank you."

"You—" Itsumi blinked, transfixed as if she'd never seen someone like Kyoko before. "You must have had some terrible friends."

"Some of them aren't so bad."

A smile cracked across Itsumi's face, one that Kyoko mirrored. With that, the informal poise of her upbringing disappeared as Itsumi pulled up a chair. She finally lowered her voice to a respectable volume and the others in the room left them alone.

"I really am sorry it took so long for me to come see you," said Itsumi. "I guess I just didn't know how to face you."

"It's not surprising. Things have been a little crazy."

"That's an understatement." The smile disappeared. "How are you feeling? I heard you're not doing too well."

Now that was just a lie. Kyoko vehemently corrected all of Itsumi's preconceived notions. It wouldn't do for her friends to be under the wrong assumption that she was incredibly ill. However, it didn't look like Itsumi was going to listen.

"I'm just saying, If Hiraku is to be believed, you're not that great at taking care of yourself," said Itsumi. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

Deciding it was time for a topic change, Kyoko latched on to the perfect distraction.

"'Hikaru', you say?" said Kyoko. "Not 'Coronel Ishibashi?'" She'd heard all about the Duchess's recent suitor from the man himself. Teasing him about Itsumi was quickly becoming one of her favorite pastimes.

Color bled into Itsumi's cheeks as she fought to keep a straight face.

"Well, when two people reach a certain level of familiarity, it becomes appropriate to address each other informally," she said. "And it's not like I wasn't… before. Sort of." She suddenly frowned deeply, placing a hand to her chin. "Come to think of it, what did I call him before this?"

"Probably Coronel Ishibashi."

"Probably."

They dissolved into grinning giggles, Kyoko's heart lightening. She had missed this with Itsumi. It was nice to have a friend back. And while at first, she wasn't sure what to think of Itsumi pursuing Hikaru, she'd seen the effect it had on him. Call her a bleeding heart now that she was in a relationship, but it was wonderful to witness their feelings blossom.

"You know what the craziest part of this has been?" said Itsumi. "It's been realizing how wrong I was about him."

Kyoko's heart plummeted.

Okay, maybe she had been counting chickens a little too early.

"What do you mean by that?" said Kyoko, keeping her emotions level.

"I mean, about who he is." Itsumi pointed to one of her palms. "On one hand, I see a steady commander. A hero of our city and a brave respected warrior. But then I spend time with him and…" she flopped her other hand over, pointing at it with mounting agitation. "He's such a goof!"

Kyoko scratched her head. "And… that's a bad thing?"

"It was just unexpected." She lowered her hands, the pink returning as she muttered. "And actually, really endearing."

Kyoko's grin grew so big it could have split her face. "Good," she said. "He'll be happy to hear that when I tell him."

"Oh my gosh Kyoko, you wouldn't dare!"

Kyoko would dare. If only because it would make Hikaru's day. Kyoko was sick of seeing his face marred with worry lines. Anything that could bring him even a minute of respite was worth using.

They bickered good-naturedly for a while, Kyoko eventually promising that yes, fine, she'll keep her mouth shut about Itsumi's comment. But overall, Itsumi looked happy, practically glowing as they talked about Hikaru. And boy, did Kyoko have stories for Itsumi. The duchess choked on air after hearing one particular story about a frying pan and dress shirt.

It wasn't until after the third story that Kyoko noticed the strain around Itsumi's smile.

"Something wrong?" said Kyoko.

The edges of Itsumi's lips curled. "I just… old habits."

Kyoko rose a brow in question.

"I'm still jealous," she blurted out, looking immediately apologetic. "Sorry, I know it's not fair."

"I'm not bothered by it." Or else she wouldn't have lasted in the harem for a single second. "As long as we can still be friends."

"Of course." Itsumi smiled guiltily before her expression changed into something Kyoko couldn't place. "You really are…" She cleared her throat, strength returning as she spoke. "What about you and Cain?"

"What about us?"

At Kyoko's blank stare Itsumi gasped dramatically. "I mean you two seem to have it so nice. How do you two make it look so easy?"

Kyoko blinked, smile flat. "Easy?"

"Besides all the doom stuff, obviously." She waved it off. "I'm talking about your romance. You can't have known each other for too long and yet you both seem to be, I don't know. Happy. You trust each other and… I guess I envy that as well. That connection." Itsumis gaze drifted to her lap. "I just hope that one day I can get to that point as well."

It took several minutes for Kyoko to process what Itsumi was saying. Her first knee-jerk reaction was the immediately inform her that she, Kyoko, was the last person to admire when it came to romance. Her track record was terrible. The second reaction was to smile stupidly at the thought that someone could look at her and Cain and see how much they cared for each other.

It was the third reaction that she decided to voice.

"It may look easy," said Kyoko. "But it hasn't been. And more than once we've acted like idiots hurting each other when we should have been the ones to help."

Her fingers traced the blue sapphires on her necklace. He'd bought it during the light festival with no knowledge of when he'd actually give it to her. Looking back, their dance had been so stupid. So full of insecurities and fear. Nothing could change that. All she could do was learn from her mistakes and move forward.

"I think that's one reason why I'm fighting so hard," said Kyoko. "Because we've finally connected. This incredible piece of happiness is finally mine and I won't let that be taken from me. Not this time."

Her father had been her hero. Sho, her best friend and love of her life. Her career at the palace had been a literal dream come true as she had thrived with friends and a comfortable life. All of it had been taken from her in one way or another. All the things that had filled her with light and purpose had ended.

Not this time. She wouldn't let the same thing happen to her and Ren.

Itsumi was eyeing her with that strange expression again, seemingly unaware of the intensity of her gaze. Feeling a little awkward, Kyoko gave a strained chuckle.

"So um, yeah, you shouldn't try to emulate me and Cain. So far your communication tops ours by a long shot. I yelled at him the first time we met." As adults anyway.

"What? But didn't he… you were one of his concubines." She said it more like a question than a statement.

Thank goodness she was keeping her voice low. Kyoko leaned forward as if she were telling a secret. "Because he was suspicious of me. We hated each other for a good while. Or at least, I hated him."

It took only a little prompting from Itsumi to begin walking down memory lane, giving her a brief overview of the disaster that was their early friendship. Obviously, she kept some things out. For security reasons and some things were just too personal.

It was partway through the story of the dinner with his family that she stopped. A soldier was talking to one of her guards, gesturing toward her.

"What is it?" said Kyoko.

"Nothing you need to worry about," said her guard.

"I'll decide that as it obviously concerns me," said Kyoko, her voice coming out with a bite. "Now, what did this soldier just tell you?"

Warry, but obviously breaking under her gaze, the man relented. "It seems Cain's party has returned."

"And?" prompted Kyoko. This should be a good thing. The look in their face said it wasn't.

"It seems there was an incident," said the soldier. "A lot of rumors are going around, and a lot of them aren't good."

"Then let's hear them," said Kyoko, gesturing to the man. "State your report."

Obviously still reluctant, the man spoke. It was only through concubine training and fighting through worse situations that she remained calm through his report.

"Thank you," said Kyoko dismissing the man with a nod. "I'm going to go see Cain."

"No. You're waiting here for your appointment with Mage Hiroaki," said her guard. Another nodded with enthusiasm. Itsumi hovered nearby, a fist to her heart in anxiety as if she too wished to protest.

Like hell she was waiting here. Defiantly glaring at her guards, Kyoko exited the room without looking back.

Thanks for reading!

Due to scheduling conflicts, updates will now be every other Tuesday. I promise I won't disappear.

-Blushweaver

I have read this.

-Imouto