Cain talked with Kuu late into the night and could've talked until dawn, but he knew his father needed sleep. It left his groggy when General Kuresaki came knocking at his door early the next morning. The General came accompanied by Itsumi, Hikaru, Murasame, and three others Cain didn't know by name but recognized as members of Mosall's governing council.

"What's all this?" said Cain, motioning to the group.

"We came up with an idea last night after you left to speak with the king," said Kuresaki. "We want to catch the rest of the traitors."

Which was all nice and good, but couldn't they wait until the meeting scheduled in an hour? Cain washed his face in his nightstand's basin, attempting to kickstart his brain.

"And this couldn't wait because…?"

"We want to use Duchess Momose's inauguration to lure them out."

Cain pressed a towel to his damp face, carefully dabbing away the moisture. It looked like shaving could come later. He rubbed a hand across the stubble, turning to examine Itsumi. Her gaze was focused on her toes.

"She hasn't been formally appointed yet?" said Cain

"No. There's a ceremony involved in the process and while we were initially going to scrap it to just have her be sworn in, we decided to instead use it as an opportunity."

"It's usually a public event," said one of the politicians. The man had wrinkly sun spotted skin, age permanently bowing his back. "With so much uncertainty, the presence of something familiar would help ease the city's worries."

"To which I stated it was too great a risk," said Kuresaki. "If there's a ceremony, then we're placing Itsumi and the rest at risk for an attack."

"Which we can take advantage of," said Cain, catching on.

Kuresaki sent Cain an approving nod. "Exactly."

Which was also why they couldn't discuss this in the meeting. There were likely still men both in the government and among the nobles that would betray them.

"If this is going to work, we need to make sure this doesn't leak out. Which brings me to my main question." Cain nodded at the two men he didn't know. "I assume if you brought these men here it means you trust them."

Kuresaki motioned to the men. "This is Councilor Okazaki and Etsuko. They have been sympathetic toward our leadership since the beginning."

Which still didn't tell Cain anything. Plenty of people had been "sympathetic" and even followed them until this latest coup. He folded his arms over his plain nightshirt, leveling the men with a flat stare. The younger politician shuffled his feet in nervousness while the older one simply smiled.

"And what reason do you have for listening to an Accursed?" said Cain. "Considering that this will place Duchess Momose in direct danger, I hope you can understand my hesitance to involve others I don't trust."

The older man continued to smile, the wrinkles creating waves down his face. "If you plan to lead trusting only those you know personally, you won't lead for very long," said Councilor Etsuko. "As for me? I've seen enough to know that the world is not painted in black and white. The forces of good and evil wear many faces and it's often our biases that stop us from seeing the truth. You may look evil and wield the power of darkness, but I have yet to see anything that suggests that you are an enemy to Ashuron."

Surprised, Cain shared a look with Kuresaki.

"Councilor Etsuko is the oldest member of the council," explained Kuresaki. "But unfortunately, the younger generation does not always like what he has to say. And as he does not seek power, his standing is not as strong as it should be among them."

That made a little too much sense. It was easy to imagine young, ambitious, attention-seeking nobles overlooking the council of a quiet old man. He'd seen it often enough in the king's own council back home.

Plus, he had a good point. Cain would have to trust Kuresaki's judgment. He had yet to fail him since accepting his leadership and help.

"And you sir?" said Cain, nodding to the other noble.

Itsumi spoke up for him, finally raising her eyes from her feet. "The Okazaki family has been close to the Momose family for generations. He's an old family friend and… he helped defend me during the coup."

"Alright then."

Satisfied, Cain sat on his bed, running a hand through his hair. It would be nice to get the upper hand for once. "So, what's the plan?"

They spent the next forty-five minutes going over the details. It was messy, thrown together, but it was also the best they could do with so little time. The main concern would be protecting Itsumi since she was the most vulnerable target. It helped that they had more than a few powerful men they could trust.

"My cover's blown since I had to help during the coup," said Murasame when Cain asked. "Everyone knows I support you now. Which works great because I can help Colonel Ishibashi protect the little miss."

He expected some sort of push back at the nickname from Itsumi, but it didn't even seem to register with her. She was staring blankly at the map laid out on Cain's nightstand, almost completely still. She was probably feeling overwhelmed. It didn't escape his notice that Hikaru kept sending her concerned glances.

"This will have to work for now," said Kuresaki, winding down the meeting. "I can give you more details as I figure it out, but the ceremony will take place this evening. Until then, stay safe, and keep an ear out for any rumors. If they do decide to attack, we can take comfort in knowing they had just as little time to prepare as we did."

Hikaru pulled Itsumi aside once they left Cain's room. Well, pulled wasn't the right word. Hikaru would never be so rude as to tug on her arm. Still, he caught her attention and they paused letting the others leave first.

She made eye contact with Cain as he swept past, feeling like he could see through all of her insecurities and hesitancies with just a glance. He was a prince after all and a great leader. He probably didn't expect much from her.

"Are you sure about this?" said Hikaru, for probably the dozenth time.

"It will be fine," she said. "I'm already a target, at least this way it can be on our terms when there is an attack."

Hikaru gave her a look, one that said he could probably read past her bravado as well. He'd been opposed to the idea the second it was brought up. While he hadn't said those words exactly, it was obvious in the looks he gave her as well as the dozen times he'd already asked if she was comfortable with the plan.

"Everyone else is already taking risks," she continued. "I 'll need to as well. If this can help stop more killing in the future, then I have a duty to do it. Besides—" she gave him a shy smile. "You'll be there to help protect me, right?"

"O-of course!" said Hikaru. "I've already told Kanae and she's watching over Lady Kyoko so I'll be free to help."

So earnest, it was endearing.

She tucked some hair behind her ears, ignoring the smarting of her wrist from the rot.

"Come on," she said. "We don't want to be late for the meeting."

"They're going to use Itsumi as bait?"

"Looks like it."

Kyoko gave Kanae a leveled glare. "Would it kill you to at least pretend to show some concern for her?"

"Excuse me, but she sent men to kill me. She has yet to apologize for that."

Such a beautiful display of childish petulance always managed to bring a smile to Kyoko's face. She stifled her laugh with a hand, not quite succeeding as it slipped out. Kanae huffed, pressing a foot against Kyoko's bed to tilt back onto two legs of her chair. If she wasn't careful, she was going to tip.

"Well, her dearest Colonel Hikaru will be there to protect her, so she'll probably be fine," replied Kanae in a dry tone.

"I think they're cute together," said Kyoko.

Kanae pulled a face. "And I thought he had better taste. What is it about spoiled brats that make men lose their heads? It must be the play on their ego. Get a dainty flower that needs protection and suddenly they lose all sense."

There were many things Kyoko could comment on, but she chose the low blow. With a sly smile, she innocently said. "Is that how it was with you and Shin?"

The legs on Kanae's chair thumped as she set it back down. "No, the man never had any sense to begin with. And I take offense to that. Since when have I ever needed protection?"

"Probably never."

"Dang straight."

Kyoko chuckled, looking down to observe Hiroaki as he took a few more measurements of her marks. He did this every day to chart their progress as well as assess Kyoko's condition. And while Kyoko was never given access to the charts, she knew the marks were progressing faster than before. A permanent frown had buried itself into Hiroaki's delicate features as he pressed the measuring tape from elbow to mark.

As much as she hated it, Kyoko was no longer trying to leave her room. Her strength had plummeted in the last twenty-four hours, and so had her spirits. She just didn't have the drive to stay active that she usually did.

Plus, she'd had another dream last night about Rosa.

She'd been in the middle of the desert again, this time wondering for what felt like hours before she found the empty palace. The flame inside had been even weaker. She'd cupped her hands around the flame, begging Rosa to come back. To tell her how to save everyone. But the demi-goddess hadn't said a word. Her light had blinked out and Kyoko had found herself in bed, drenched in sweat and shivering.

A part of her had been happy to even have confirmation that Rosa was still in her, even if she was weak. She'd already told Hiroaki about the dream, writing down as many details she could remember. So far, they hadn't found anything useful.

"When is the next trip into the caves?" said Kyoko.

"Tomorrow." Hiroaki finished writing his last measurement, packing up his ledger and medical supplies. "I'm feeling pretty good about this trip. We're going to be going deeper into the caves, taking extra tinctures to extend our stay. We're going to be looking for the fig tree's core. The tree is still emanating a small amount of light magic which makes me suspect that if I can find the source of that light, maybe I can study it and find a way to convert it into something that can help you."

"Not to mention the inhibitor will be done in a few days," said Kanae, leaning back in the chair again. "It will be nice to have some tangible progress."

Kyoko agreed. With the army of monster less then a week away, she was starting to get anxious. They were still nowhere near recovered and ready enough to fight. Their defenses were much stronger thanks to the time Cain and the others had taken to bolster them, but she still felt nervous about their chances.

"Now, just take it easy," said Hiroaki, sounding more like a plea. "You'll be feeling better in just a few days, so, just take the time to rest."

"Sure, I got it," said Kyoko.

He stared at her a moment longer, like he couldn't be sure if she were serious or not. Then he left.

Kyoko had just settled back into the covers when there was a knock at the door. She called for them to enter and Cain came in.

A smile came immediately to Kyoko's face. She unconsciously made as if to reach for him, then froze in her tracks.

Cain had barely stepped into the room. He hung beside the door, dark eyes boring into hers. She detected worry and guilt within them.

Oh. It probably wasn't a coincidence that Cain had come in right after Hiroaki had. He'd probably been waiting for a new report on Kyoko's health. And if his response was to hang back…

Kyoko pulled her hand back to her chest, her smile fading.

"They about to start?" said Kanae, either unaware or ignoring the tension between them.

"Yes," said Cain. "I just wanted to let you know. I don't know if they'll take this opportunity to target Kyoko again."

Kanae's grinned, the expression downright terrifying. "I sincerely hope they do."

He sent her a disapproving look and still, he hung back. While his gaze was directed toward Kyoko, she felt that he wasn't really seeing her. Well, Kyoko didn't need any more doom and gloom. She forced a smile, hoping for once she could fool him.

"Please be careful," she said. "I know you'll take care of Itsumi, but don't forget, they're after you as well."

"I'll be careful."

He hesitated, lingering for one long moment.

Then he left.

The door shut on Kyoko's smile, prompting tears to erupt.

"Shoot," she grumbled, rubbing at her eyes. Since when did she get so sensitive? She hated how many times she'd broken down in front of Kanae. That would just worry her friend more.

"Hey." Kyoko forced herself to meet her gaze. Kanae nodded down at her spear. "Have I ever showed you how to sharpen a weapon before?"

Kyoko blinked, then gave a wobbling laugh. "No. I don't think you have."

"Now that's just neglectful on my part."

She spent the next hour showing Kyoko how to sharpen both her daggers and spear. It managed to keep Kyoko too occupied to imagine what disaster was happening at the inauguration ceremony.

Itsumi had been to a few inaugurations in her lifetime. Some had been small, others were large and lavish. One had consisted of a quiet evening with important politicians being sworn to office in a room with less than fifty people in it. But this? This was something she'd never seen before.

People swarmed the city streets. The attention rivaled that of the attempted execution trial of Kyoko and Cain. They crowded rooftops, hung out of windows. In any other circumstance, the turnout would be a good omen.

That was not the case now. The crowd seemed to be divided up into people who were either curious, or downright livid. She could hardly hear Councilor Okazaki reciting the ceremonial speech, preparing to present her to the people where she'd give a quick speech before taking her oath. There was so much yelling. So much confusion. The throngs of guards kept the people from throwing things, but it couldn't stop their voices.

"This is probably their doing," grumbled Murasame beside her. "They're hoping to either provoke Cain or use it as a distraction so its harder to detect them. It was probably easy to rile the people up before this started. We'll have to investigate what they were told after this is over."

Based on the few words she could make out from the crowd, it sounded like they thought she'd aligned herself with Cain to overthrow her father and gain command. Which, if anyone knew even a smidgen of their family political history they would know how idiotic that was. Her older brother didn't want command, and Itsumi was expected to one day take over. Why burn so many bridges forcing the issue when waiting a few years would yield the same result?

Well, it's not like logic had proved to calm people like her father, so she could see why that wouldn't help now.

Councilor Okazaki finished his speech and Itsumi stepped forward front and center of the platform. She'd dressed in her formal gown, gold and red sash thrown over one shoulder and sweeping to the ground. Threads of golden chains dangled from her head and she had applied a generous amount of makeup to cover her fatigue from the rot. She knew she looked the part. Now she just had to play it.

"My people," she said, her voice magnified with a spell. "Today should be a day of celebration. A moment in history that bears homage to the traditions of our predecessors. While I stand-"

The people's voices rose to a sudden roar. She stopped her speech, so surprised that it took her a moment to continue.

"While I stand here today—"

Their voices rose again.

"If you would just hold a moment."

They started booing. It was useless. The voices from the crowd were so overpowering she couldn't hear herself speak.

This was so frustrating. She couldn't start her new rule like this. Her toes ached from curling against her sandals.

"Please, just-!"

The booing got louder. Someone had to be taken away. The crowd was more interested in that drama than anything she had to say. She really had no control. No ability to force the crowd to stop. She would never make the people see her as the rightful Duchess.

The worst was that she could feel the eyes of the other politicians and nobles on her. Feel their judging assessment as she fell apart. They all probably thought they could do a better job. Hell, Cain could probably shut them all up with just a look. Why did she ever think she'd be ready for this?

Her cheeks burned with humiliation as the first tear slipped free and down her cheek. Damn it. She saw Hirkau from the corner of her eyes, stepping forward as if to comfort her.

No, she had a job to do. Even if she was incompetent, she'd see it to the end.

"I know most of your will never support my leadership," she choked out. "I doubt most of you can even hear what I'm saying. But I will not let that discourage me from doing what is best for the city and for the people of Ashuron."

Something flashed in the corner of her eyes. At the edges of the crowd, she saw magic bursting into action.

Most people hadn't noticed. They were too busy jeering at her or the guards. She hoped it would stay that way. Their worst fear was that the revolt would come from the crowd putting the people in danger.

Instead, Itsumi signaled toward Councilor Okazaki, the man who would stand as the officiary as she took her oath. Speeches meant nothing if they couldn't be heard. Better to just get this over with.

"I, Itsumi Momose, do solemnly swear to uphold my duties as Dutchess of this region. To uphold the laws of the land, to support the true royal family and pledge my loyalties and devotion to the demi-goddess of sun and fire."

For years Itsumi had pictured this moment. Imagined what it would be like to stand in front of the crowd while her life changed forever. Never once had she imagined it like this. No cheers. No celebration. Just an empty ache growing slowly in her chest. That had to have been the biggest sham of a ceremony she had ever seen. This was to be the start of her history of Duchess of the Broken Hills?

Ready to be done, Itsumi stepped off the stage and back to her guards, wondering if those in the front could hear a single word she'd said. She approached Cain and Kuresaki, the two men in deep conversation. By what she could catch, it sounded like they had managed to round up the rest of the rebels.

"So it worked?" said Itsumi. "We got everyone."

"It appears so." Kuresaki nodded to two men standing near the edge of their ring of men, chained and guarded. "Those two were the leaders. We're just making sure we didn't miss anyone, but it worked. They didn't even have time to implement their plan before we caught them."

She let out a breath, expelling much of her insecurities and worries. At least her actions hadn't been in vain. With this, everything should be a lot safer.

Cain, to her surprise, reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You did well," he said in that dark deep voice of his, a touch of pride hidden in the rumble. "That wasn't easy for you."

She grimaced. While a part of her cringed that someone had alluded her obvious distress, she was also glad that someone had noticed her efforts. It gave her a much-needed crumb of confidence.

And I guess, more than anything else, it was nice to be ahead of the opposition for once.

This time when she looked for Hikaru with the other guards, she didn't shy away from meeting his gaze. The man met her eyes instantly, giving her one of his signature goofy smiles and a thumbs up. She managed a chuckle, sending one back in reply.

"Let's get back to the city hall," said Itsumi.

They had just started making their way through the outskirts of the crowd when it happened.

A loud bang came from a building one block from them. The sound was so loud that everyone stopped, staring in that direction.

"What was that?" said Itsumi, looking to Kuresaki. "Did we have men there?"

"I'm not sure." The man's eyebrows sunk into his forehead casting a glower across his features. "We already swept that area. It should be clear."

Another bang sounded from the building, this time shaking the house and causing a few people at the top to fall off. Itsumi gasped, heart freezing as she watched them descend. People scurried away from the building, causing a sudden rush of panic through the crowd. The guards around her readied defensive spells and something dark streaked past her toward the building.

Then it exploded.

"No!"

Itsumi threw her hands over her face. The blast pushed her back, buffeting her against the defensive spells and tearing the circlet off her head. Someone placed a hand on her shoulder, steadying her so she didn't fall.

It took a few seconds to reorient herself. When she did, she couldn't exactly make out what had happened. There was too much dust in the air and too many people in her line of sight. She thought she saw some rubble hanging midair, the house blown to bits, but she couldn't be sure. The worst was the noise. The panicked screams of people as they either scrambled back for safety or pushed forward in curiosity.

The hand on her arm gave a tug.

"Let's get you out of here," said Colonel Murasame.

"But—" Itsumi wasn't sure what to do. She was supposed to do something, right? But her mind was blank.

He tugged again, and this time Itsumi let him take her away, hurrying away from the madness.

Thanks for reading!

Wishing to be mindful of Im0ut0's schedule, updates will now be on Wednesdays.

And I'm really tired. Not much to say but I'm alive. Mostly. Thanks for reading and stuff and yup. Ugh, I still have to name the chapter.

-Blushweaver

Why hello lovely people who are reading this, I hope you are enjoying this story. Life seems to be quite bleak and explody right now for our heroes. But I must away to work like some sort of adult which, I have unreliably been informed, I am.

-Im0ut0