In which Cecile has a heart-to-heart with Koroku and reaches a very, very bad decision.

I wrote this chapter long, long ago. Koroku, please talk some sense into her.

It had scarcely been a day since Cecile returned to Budehuc, but she was already positively certain that the newest resident was undeniably her least favorite person of all time.

Granted that list of "least favorite residents" wasn't very long. Jefferson's obnoxious name-calling, Branky's foul mouth, and of course now that Yuber was allegedly back and lurking around the lower sublevel somewhere...

Koroku nuzzled at her ankles as she sat on the front steps of the manor. He was trying to be helpful, but it would take more than a welcome cuddle to help. "Oh Koroku," she sighed and picked the squirming dog up in her arms, "What a mess I've made."

"Aroo…"

Cecile bowed her head, the feather in her helmet drooping. "I know, you're right. I probably was a little too rash and shouldn't have shouted like that, but... It was awful! Sir Nash was right, I knew I should've hurried back sooner!"

Cecile pulled her knees in closer and Koroku whimpered. It was barely mid-March, and the air still had a nipping chill, even with the afternoon sun high in the sky. She placed Koroku in her lap and turned to look at her shield and spear leaning against the stone wall, reflecting on her position as garrison commander. Keeping the castle safe was her duty. How could things come to this? Nash's confused expression when she offhandedly mentioned Yun was nothing compared to the panic in his voice upon hearing about Yun's new relationship. Why hadn't she paid closer attention?

I was so distracted thinking about returning home…

That wasn't entirely true, and her face felt hot with shame just thinking about it. Of course she was focused on returning home. But she was even more focused on Thomas. The castle master only sent two letters the entire winter, and she was bursting with curiosity to see how he was doing in her absence. Surely he must've been exceptionally busy, and that was why he barely wrote...right?

"It's just... when someone threatens Master Thomas...well, I can't help myself," Cecile added quietly and bit her lip. "But I probably just made things worse by getting angry and shouting."

The memory of yesterday's altercation came rushing back, replaying in her mind on a continuous loop. Watching Thomas stand his ground against the belligerent resident initially filled her with a sense of pride. How brave of him! But when things took a turn for the worse... Never did she imagine someone would actually strike out. What was she supposed to do? Of course she was going to step in and try to put a stop to things!

Koroku stretched atop her lap, pressing his paws against the fabric of her skirt before settling into a comfortable position. She scrunched the fur between his ears with a frown. "I wish Little Viki didn't teleport him off to jail," Cecile sighed. "Sending people to jail should be my job as garrison commander! It's my responsibility."

It had been a long while since the Budehuc jails actually housed a proper prisoner. Cecile searched her memory but came up short. A few times during the war she recalled ushering Wan Fu into a vacant cell to sleep off a bad hangover after discovering him passed out in the storeroom, but that would hardly count as imprisonment. Then there was the plucky boy detective, but he was more than eager to set up shop in a damaged cell. So the last time they had someone in prison…

I really can't remember. Have we ever? Maybe when my father was the acting captain of the guard?

Koroku wagged his tail. Why did he look so happy about the whole thing?

Cecile sighed again. "This is what I get for taking that trip to Caleria over the winter and getting snowed in. If only I had come back sooner. I could've stopped such a brute from ever coming here in the first place! I'd have turned him away at the castle gates and told him to go somewhere else!"

All this time...I thought I was training to defend us if Yuber decided to stir up trouble. But in my absence, someone even worse slipped by!

"And... I'm... I didn't know... while I was gone..." Cecile scratched the dog's ears as her mind wandered. Not only did she allow someone terrible to take up lodging while she was gone, but it wasn't the only development she missed.

The sight of Thomas's hand in Kinnison's was difficult to forget. Obviously something deeper transpired between the two in her absence. Something significant enough to entail hand-holding.

"I'm being foolish. It's only natural Master Thomas found someone who makes him happy," she murmured, more to herself than to her canine companion. Koroku twitched his ear as if to feign ignorance. Silly dog, he probably knew even more than she did; he was always trotting around the castle and seeing what others were up to.

"I suppose I'm just being silly, right? I want Master Thomas to be safe and happy, and…"

An unwelcome sensation wriggled in her stomach.

"I... I'm just jealous that I wasn't here to help protect him too! That's all!" Cecile abruptly rose to her feet and sent Koroku tumbling back to the ground.

"Arooo…"

"No no, you're right, I'm being selfish. Here I am fretting over silly things, while Master Thomas is recovering! At least Luca is in jail until he learns to behave…"

Koroku sniffed at the dirt. He was such a good listener.

"When Miss Yun mentioned dating someone named Luca… I never thought he'd be… well, I didn't think he'd be like that, Koroku!"

Koroku did not seem the slightest bit fazed by her uneasiness and resumed scratching behind his ears.

Although the news of her friend's new relationship came as a shock to Cecile, she figured this was just one more piece of information Koroku was already privy to. When Yun made mention in her last written letter about her newest relationship, Cecile never imagined it would be with someone so… scary.

A violent new resident, Miss Yun's new relationship, and… Master Thomas's connection with Sir Kinnison… just how much did I miss while I was gone?

Keeping tabs on the relationships of castle residents wasn't exactly part of the garrison commander's duties. Yet if one relationship impacted the safety of everyone, and another involved the well-being of the castle master… well, those details were relevant information that a proper guard captain would want to know in order to do their job. And the only course of action remaining was to do the absolute best job possible to make up for her absence. A job that would ensure Thomas continued being happy, the castle residents continued being safe, and Yun…

"Miss Yun…" Cecile groaned and buried her face back into her hands. "Koroku, why would Miss Yun decide to date someone so horrible?!"

"Arooo…"

"I know, I know… she is really, really nice."

"Arooooooooooo…"

"Koroku! How horrible! Miss Yun wouldn't just date someone because they're tall."

"...Arooooo…"

"Well, of course she's kind! So… so obviously she must see something in him."

Koroku yawned.

"You're right, I should make myself busy and check in on the prisoner!"

"Aroo...?"

"Don't you give me that look, mister!" Cecile reached back down and ruffled his fur. "After all, I'm the captain of the guard! This is just part of my duties! Miss Yun must see there's something good about him, otherwise why would she make such a decision?"

That's right… Miss Yun is a shaman. If anyone knows things, it would be her. So there really, truly must be a reason!

The gears in her head turned as she tried to make sense of the logic behind her friend's incomprehensible choice. Yun wasn't the type of person to make impulsive decisions. Meaning her reasoning must be grounded in something. Something she knew, or could see… or sense. Maybe it had something to do with the spirits?

Cecile frowned as she dwelled on the possibility. Spiritual matters weren't typically something she was very good at sorting out. She usually relied on gut instinct when it came to such matters. Her father was never a religious man, so neither the Grassland spirituality nor the teachings of the Goddess were part of her childhood. The young guard couldn't fathom what kind of life advice the spirits would impart, but she assumed it was obviously helpful. She sighed and ran her hand along Koroku's back. "I just can't figure it out. This would be so much easier if we were all friends…"

Friends.

Finally something clicked.

"That's true… The best way to bring people together is to become friends," she mused. "After all, that's how we won the war. We all banded together and put aside our differences. We never would've won the war if we weren't friends! Right, Koroku?"

"Arooo…"

"That's exactly what I mean! If Miss Yun believes there's a good reason...then...then I'll make him my friend! That'll show him—!"

For the first time since the scuffle in the hallway, Cecile felt encouraged again. This was just the right remedy for the problem! With renewed vigor she scooped up her shield and spear. Making friends usually came easy to her, so naturally this was the best solution.

But not only that...having a distraction from the other unsettling thoughts and unwelcome feelings involving Thomas and Kinnison was a comfort. It wasn't proper for the captain of the guard to let such things cloud their judgment. It wasn't proper for the captain of the guard to think about those sorts of things… especially when they involved the master of the castle.

She was determined to turn this Luca fellow from brute to buddy. After all, how difficult could it be? Maintaining the peace was her most important duty, and more importantly...

If I can make him my friend…

Master Thomas will never get hurt again.