Chapter 14: The Glass Slipper Melts In Ashes
Kaito had never witnessed such a raucous celebration as the one going on around him in the Sherbrooke pub. Every party he'd ever attended had been dictated by manners and custom, with tight structure and decorum. So in the face of people dancing on tables, shouting, and downing pints of beer with reckless abandon, he felt completely out of sorts. It was invigorating to be so surrounded by life, but also isolating as he had little idea of how to conduct himself.
"Cheerful voices pass across out of the bluuuuuuuuuue! Passed days were left with "0" and "1!" What's breaking my heaaaaaaaaaaaaart? Relinquishment? Or nostalogiiiiiic?!"
Meiko had commandeered a stage for herself, and even when she was clearly well past sobriety, her vocal talent still shone through. He wasn't sure if the crowd knew she actually was the Meiko, but they were certainly cheering her on.
"M-E-I-K-O! M-E-I-K-O! YEAAAAA!" the crowd began to chant.
"She's rather impressive, isn't she?"
The purple-haired doctor took a seat at Kaito's table. "Where's your friend?"
"Ah… Miku wanted to be outside…" he said awkwardly, "I don't think she handles crowds like this well."
"Hmmm…. Luka mentioned something like that…" Gakupo said putting a finger to his chin, "I hope it's not because of… well… that business."
Len plopped down at the table with the older men. "Eh? Isn't Rin with you?" Gakupo asked, "It seemed like you two were nearly inseparable!"
The blonde glanced towards the door to the outside. "I think she wanted a moment with Miku and Luka," he said, "They have… history."
Suddenly he stared right up at Kaito. "Now what's up with you?! This is a party in your honor you know! Why are you sitting still?! You're not even drinking!"
Now Kaito's nervousness crept back up. "W-w-well, this is a little unusual for me… It's not a situation I'm used to and I-"
The blonde looked particularly sly. "Now this isn't like you, you were the guy that wanted to check every rundown shop and sausage place in the Rhune! Now you're huddled in as corner and too scared to have a bunch of drinks with the guys?! C'mon Gakupo, we need to help our poor Prince out!"
Kaito looked to Gakupo for help but saw only another conspirator. "All right then! Let's start him with a blonde ale and see where we go from there!" the doctor cheered, "Bartender, we need pints, and lots of them!"
"M-E-I-K-O! M-E-I-K-O!"
"NOSTALOGIC!"
Westheim. They were finally going to Westheim.
Miku's long journey to protect Kaito was about to end.
Securing Sherbrooke secured them another path through the border beside the one being fortified at the ruins of Saint-Urbain. A telegram had already been sent across the wires directly to Kaito's uncle. They were waiting on word from him to see if he could bring them in.
His uncle was a well-connected politician. Hopefully that meant they could waive him through without trouble, political crisis or not.
After that…
As Miku pulled her coat closer to fend off the cold, she heard the door to the tavern open. She glanced up and saw Luka step through the threshold, her patched eye facing her. Luka didn't see the girl until she turned her head more thoroughly… then she seemed to be trying quite hard not to look at her. "I didn't realize you were here," she said coldly.
She began to shuffle awkwardly away from her. Miku wasn't entirely sure what to say – this woman had been responsible for so much of her torture at the hands of the Godmothers. A part of her had trouble addressing her as an equal at all.
But Luka had nearly given her life to save Kaito, still bearing the permanent injury from that attempt.
"Hey, there's nothing fun out here, you two!"
Rin slipped through the tavern door, where the sounds of the laughter and joy continued. "Ah… well… I'm not… that good with it…" Miku stammered.
Was everyone going to notice her out here? She didn't want to be surrounded by people… she never felt comfortable with it. She only made it through the ball because of the mission and-
"Come on Miku, what did we talk about? One step at a time."
She glanced towards the door, where she could barely make out the party intensifying inside. "I think that might be more steps than I'm ready for…"
Rin leaned up against the wall. "Well… you two still shouldn't be by yourselves in the cold."
The blonde looked over to Luka. "I didn't really get a chance to do it before but… thanks for taking care of Gakupo. I know he's not easy to deal with, but I owe him a lot."
"Ah… he… well, he wasn't so bad…"
"So what'd you do the first time he took a deep nap on you?"
Luka's head seemed to twitch. "I just shook him a little… I thought he'd died."
Rin started to laugh. "Oh, it's a lot faster if you hit him! He gave me a scare the first time it happened to me…"
Miku tried to imagine the small girl wailing on the rather tall older man, and had difficulty picturing it. But she was also failing to understand what Rin's plan was. 'She came to speak to me after we joined up… but…'
She watched Luka, who still refused to watch either of them. '… Luka was a handler for both of us. Surely we don't have that similarity.'
"I'm glad you're safe too," the girl added, "I was super-worried at first but when I saw Gakupo take off with you… I was pretty sure that you'd make it."
Luka started to clutch her sides, slumping down the wall slightly. "You're… surprisingly forgiving. I thought you'd be more like Miku."
Now Miku felt even more awkward being called out for her internal conflict. "I trained you both to kill after all."
"None of us are without sin."
Miku wasn't used to hearing Rin talk like this. "Rin…?"
The blonde began to kick at the snow with her boots. "We were all pulled in to this against our wills… right? And we've tried the best we can to patch ourselves up again. Sometimes it works… sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes I'm okay… sometimes I do something crazy like try to save Len over me. And wind up okay anyway because I turned out to be immune to poison gas."
In spite of the serious words, Rin still had a soft smile on her face. "I can't speak for Miku, but for me… I remember what it was to be there and what it felt to be broken into nothing. I wasn't sure at first if you were broken beyond repair or not until Gakupo vouched for you. So I wanted to at least let him try to prove it. And… you slipped more than once, but you eventually did the right thing. So… if I can start forgiving myself, I can forgive any of the lost Cinderellas."
Suddenly the din from inside the tavern started to grow. Rin cracked open the door and gasped. "You… you guys have to see this!"
Miku crept over behind Rin and couldn't believe what she was looking at. Kaito, Gakupo, and Len were standing on top of a stage, all three of them having a slight red tint to their faces, singing at the top of their lungs.
"My heart has been bewildered by you beyond imagination. Upon seeing the snow, moon, and flowers, I think about youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" Gakupo belted.
"I was unable to divert my eyes, as they had been captured by your bewitching figure with a fan held in one hand!" Kaito followed.
"How… how much did they drink?!" Rin said.
Miku had never seen Kaito this unrestrained as he flailed around on the stage, cheered on by a wild Meiko as Gumi circled the stage gathering photos. "We should never have left them alone," she whispered.
"Is… is that Gakupo's… 'charming' smile?" Luka asked oddly.
"Unable to meet, my thoughts for you overflow in this tedious night of long rain! The river of my teeeeeeeears keeps soaking my sleeves, but still there's no way for us to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!"
"Huh… the three of them harmonize pretty well," Rin laughed, "Though I've heard that song before… uh… is Len singing the girl's parts?"
She poked her head back out. "Um… it's up to you guys if you want to come in, but… I feel like I need to keep an eye on them before they do something really crazy."
Fine. Miku didn't have to party the way they were, but she could at least stay warm.
As Rin slipped inside, Miku pressed her hand in front of the door before Luka entered. The pink-haired woman looked at her oddly. "What?"
"I… I haven't decided whether… I forgive you," Miku said quietly, "But none of us would have made it this far without you. So… even if I can't forgive you, I will trust you. Don't… don't break that."
"Ohhh…. Nobody said it would feel like this when it wore off…" Kaito moaned, holding his throbbing head in the much emptier pub.
"How much did you have?" Miku asked, rubbing his shoulders tenderly.
"I just tried to keep up with Gakupo and Meiko… so… four or five pints?" he muttered.
"Yea… that was a lot, Kaito…" she said sympathetically.
"Awww, c'mon, it was fun!" Meiko said, her face as red as her coat, "I'll bet you and I could go another few rounds!"
Kaito looked utterly horrified at the concept of drinking even one more drop of alcohol. "Please, have mercy…" he pleaded.
The brunette playfully ruffled his hair. "Fine, fine, you're still young, you'll grow into it," she teased.
'Aren't they the same age?' Miku thought to herself.
The partying had finally started to die down, leaving just Kaito, Miku, and their small strange group of allies that had survived the trip across Estmarch with them. Gumi kept hovering around with her camera – Miku was somewhat worried about what kind of photos she might have gotten of Kaito. Miku had never seen the young Prince act so wildly as when he was at the height of drunkness… but even if he was regretting his choice of drinks as he clutched at his no-doubt woozy stomach, she still saw a faint trace of a smile. And it had done wonders for the morale of his newer allies to see the Prince drinking with them as equals.
"Westheim… tomorrow I'll finally be in Westheim…" he murmured happily, "I can't wait to see Uncle Naoto again… it's been years…"
He looked around to every one of his new allies. "I… I have all of you to thank. You've all sacrificed so much for me, and I can't even begin to express my gratitude."
"It was certainly a fascinating journey!" Gakupo laughed, "I never thought the night that Miku dragged you into my clinic would lead me as far as blowing up a weapons factory!"
"I never thought that the spoiled noble the Duke sent me to chaperone would help me find my dead sister…" Len said somberly.
"I never thought I'd find my brother because he had a murder rap!" Rin laughed.
"I never thought… that the night of my last ball would be the night I would finally leave the castle…" Kaito said.
'I never thought the worst night of my life would lead me to you.'
Miku wanted to say those words aloud, but found her nerves working against her at speaking so openly.
"So when the war is finally done, when I have Estmarch back… what will the rest of you do?" Kaito asked, "We all have our own countries and causes after all."
Meiko leaned back as she juggled a wine glass. "Heh, mine's easy. I'm going to retire from the service and devote myself fully to my singing career again."
She took a long gulp from her glass. "I'll have saved the whole damn continent from a real war breaking out, I'll have earned my retirement!"
"You… you'd really do that?" Gumi said in surprise, "W-w-well then I'd… I'd retire too! Then… I can just be a photographer again. Really innovate… make art… yea…"
A surprisingly strong smile crossed the photographer's face.
"Well… I don't know about long term yet," Len said, "But I haven't seen my parents in years…"
"… me neither…" Rin said softly, "So… I guess right after the war, we should go home. See the farm."
She smiled over at Gakupo. "You're welcome to come along. They'll probably want to meet you since you saved my life and all."
"Heh… well I'll have to make sure I give them my best first impression!" he said with a laugh, "Hmmm, but after that… well, I'm not sure I'll go back to the slums. This whole trip has opened my eyes to how many people are always in need."
He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I wonder how doable a portable medical practice could be? I'd treat anyone who needed it, no nationalities barred…"
There were only two left that had yet to voice anything. The pink-haired woman had been the quietest of the group all evening, largely keeping to herself. 'Well… she was our enemy… and then she disappeared…' Miku thought.
"Maybe… I could be a baker again…" Luka said softly.
"AH! Then you could bake macarons for me!" Gakupo said happily.
She started to actually smile. "Just for you, I'll learn."
Finally, every eye at the table was on Miku… and Miku realized she had no idea what she was going to do. Her every thought since the terrible ball was only on getting Kaito to Westheim safely. Now that was in reach… so what was next?
Would she stay with him as he'd asked?
Could she?
"I… I'd… like to…"
She had to think of something to say, even if she was insincere. "I'd… like to travel the world. I'm finally free to control my own path, after all."
"Wow…" Kaito said, "I'd love to do that with you."
But inside she felt hollow and empty. She had no true dream.
She wanted to sleep in the ashes, where she belonged.
She hoped Kaito didn't notice her starting to shake.
The telegram had arrived in the early morning hours with just one request. To verify the prince's identity, he would have to meet with a small retinue of Westheim's military at the border and be escorted to his uncle's manor. Naturally, his small group of allies insisted on accompanying him after everything they'd gone through. And Kaito wouldn't have it any other way. Commander Lily insisted on going as well as a representative of the Confedere – a necessary precaution. And something else seemed quite personal to her as well.
The meeting at the border passed without incident. Within a few hours of departing Sherbrooke, Kaito found himself approaching the capital city of Bairn.
"My uncle would tell me about his home in such detail," Kaito had excitedly told Miku in the car ride over, "Maybe he just thought I might never see it… but my goodness, it's just how I imagined it! You can even see the Aerie River arching around it like a horseshoe!"
Finally, the military escort arrived at the large manor house of Councillor Naoto Fuga. Kaito grew quieter as they pulled through the gates. Even accompanied by so many soldiers, his heart wouldn't stop pounding. He wanted his journey to have mattered… he hoped his uncle was truly as kind as he believed…
He stepped through the front door into the foyer and laid eyes on his uncle for the first time in years. The older man possessed shoulder length black hair, greying slightly at the temples, thin, elegant glasses in front of his familiar blue eyes. The same color as his mother's…
His uncle at first appeared to have a muted reaction, approaching Kaito slowly with the soldiers between them. He began to worry that perhaps he'd been wrong, that his uncle had showered him with false kindness just as his parents had…
But as the Councillor was only a few feet from Kaito, his calm demeanor cracked. "You can be no one else but my beloved nephew… Kaito…" he said, tears appearing in the corners of his eyes as a weary smile crossed his face.
The older man reached out and embraced Kaito as family. He leaned into the hug – he'd so dearly missed his uncle! The guards stepping back now that their duty had finished. "My nephew… my poor nephew…" Naoto gasped, "The news only grew worse with every day… your murder, the war, my sister's death… I thank the heavens for just this one miracle, that I can hold you once more."
"Uncle Naoto. You won't believe the tale I have to share with you, but right now… I'm just glad to see you again."
His uncle backed up, lightly kissing his nephew's cheeks. "Ah, where are my manners?" he said, looking over the assembled crew, "You all worked to bring my nephew to me, right? Well we'll have quite a full house, but I'll have rooms prepared for every one of you. In the meantime, let's gather somewhere more comfortable so Kaito can share this tale of his."
Miku cradled her peppermint tea in her hand as Kaito's story of survival finally ended. For his uncle, he left out no details – not of the Cinderellas, not of his family's treachery… even speaking of Miku's assassination turned rescue.
To her it spoke of how much Councillor Fuga had Kaito's trust.
"Hmph… to think that after all this time, my poor sister had planned your death," Naoto mused, "I always feared the worst when she married into the Estmarch royal family. Something about the way your father fed into her worst traits… she was never happy being the daughter of former nobles, you know. She wanted to command men. Being courted by and marrying a King made her feel like Cinderella, she'd tell me. But even so… I'd rather this have not been the end of her. Such tragedy."
His regard for Miku seemed quite a great deal warmer than his feelings for his own deceased sibling. "I can only imagine how much pressure you were under that night. I must give you my thanks for the bravery you showed."
"Th…Thank you…" Miku said.
"But with that story done… I suspect I know what else you may seek in Westheim," Naoto said more seriously, "Especially if you brought Commander LaFleur with you."
Kaito's eyes lowered. "I… I intend to take back Estmarch. But I can't do this by myself. I have no army in Estmarch until more of it is liberated. I must plead for aid from Westheim."
Naoto adjusted his glasses softly. "I see… as expected. And I assume that despite how your parents kept the state of things from you, you are still aware the obstacle in your path?"
"The Westheim Neutrality," Lily spat, "Even when Estmarch stormed our borders, right up to the edge of Westheim, you never lifted a finger for us. Thousands of Sudlanders died for your neutrality…"
"… but not a single Westen," Naoto finished.
The coldness in which he spoke seemed quite a contrast from his more jovial demeanor. "I can't say that I necessarily agree with that logic – I wasn't a Councillor at the time. But it is the way many in Westheim see our neutrality."
"More importantly," he added, "While I am a Councillor and I could surely plead your case, I am just one Councillor. We are a democracy after all, and the people of Westheim would not allow us to break neutrality lightly."
Kaito appeared crestfallen, but not defeated. "Is there nothing I can do to convince them?" he said, "I doubt the Dawn will let Westheim be for long given their nature… once they attack Nordland-"
"They already have."
Gumi let out a gasp. "But… But I warned them! I gave them my intelligence, I told them of the attack vector…"
She looked ready to cry. "Hmmm… well, that explains why the casualties were so low," Naoto said thoughtfully, "They seemed surprisingly well prepared when the Fantasie began its bombing run. They may not have been able to prevent the attack, but it seems likely your efforts allowed the people of Nordheim to shield their civilians in time."
Gumi let out a sigh of relief. "Did they use Faerie Dust?!" Meiko asked worriedly.
"Not that I know of."
Meiko's manner relaxed. "Bloody hell though… they didn't waste any time…"
"Then it's even more apparent that I need to make my case and swiftly," Kaito said, "Uncle Naoto, would it be all right to have me appear in front of the Assembly? Would they allow for that?"
The older man looked surprised. "Well I don't see why not, but… Kaito, you would have to be a truly exceptional orator to sway Westheim's National Assembly to break their neutrality and join you in a war!"
"Kaito convinced an army to lay their arms down in Sherbrooke," Miku said matter-of-factly, "You'd be surprised how much he's learned these past weeks."
Kaito blushed as Miku smiled at him. "He understands people's hearts unlike any person I've ever met."
Naoto regarded his nephew with pride. "Well, I can certainly make the arrangements… and leave the fate of your nation to you, Kaito."
After a few days in relative calm, Miku found her paranoia starting to spike in the capital. Everything was going far too easily – Kaito's speech had been arranged in great haste. Gumi and Meiko had returned to the Nordland embassy to handle business at home. There were arrangements to be made if Kaito successfully managed to lobby for Westheim's military support. Nordland would no doubt want to join in any effort to snuff out an Estmarchian invasion.
But she knew her true foes would not arrive on planes again. There was always the chance of another Cinderella like her lurking in the city streets, waiting for the Prince. To strike him down before he had an army at his back.
Kaito had understood her logic as they arrived at the Assembly building. She arrived in his company, but she would have to let him speak on his own. She would be protecting him from the outside.
Miku kissed him gently on the cheek before the car door opened. "I believe in you," she said softly.
He gave her a brilliant smile. "Thank you. I'll fight for all of us in there."
She spotted Luka lurking in the crowd, having put on her nurses' uniform one more time. They'd made a simple pact that morning – to ensure Kaito survived his speech. Luka would handle the inside of the Assembly hall, Miku the grounds. His remaining allies would be watching the speech inside.
Even so… her eyes stayed on Kaito, her nervous heart pounding, as her prince slipped away from her and into the Assembly Hall. She tried to keep her eyes out on everyone roaming the crowd… any woman that seemed out of place. The Cinderellas were supposed to be masters of deception, but they would be female.
But for the first hour of the Assembly… nothing happened. Miku could just barely hear the voices of the Councillors through the doors. She finally tried leaning up against one of them to get a better idea of the proceedings.
"… How do we know this isn't some kind of power grab!? He's your nephew, after all!"
"May I remind the Councillor that I have already recused myself from this vote?"
She felt a twinge of anger at their accusatory words and Naoto's seemingly detached response. But she tried to understand – Westheim had held to their neutrality for a solid century. Even as the Rose Wars raged, they simply fortified their own homelands. The idea of fighting a true conflict no doubt frightened them, especially given the Westen ties of the now-deceased Queen of Estmarch. And Naoto couldn't express greater emotion in a political setting lest he appear to show favor to a foreign government.
"… Prince Kaito of House Shion of Estmarch, you may now hold the floor."
Her heart leapt. How she wished she could be inside watching him speak! But this was not her place. Keeping him safe was.
She heard footsteps, watching a silver-haired boy in a purple suit enter the hall. He tipped his hat to her, revealing a little black streak in his bangs. "Anything exciting happening today?" he asked her, "Everyone's saying there's a Prince in there."
"N-nothing much…" Miku said.
'I must look ridiculous like this!' she thought, pushing away from the door.
The boy approached her carefully. He couldn't be much older than her given his height. His purple eyes looked Miku over curiously, then glanced to the guards stepping through the hall. "A pretty girl like you shouldn't be eavesdropping on politics," he said, "That much lying and cheating will rot your brain!"
Miku needed to come up with a proper cover. "I'm a refugee from Estmarch," she said, "And… and I've never seen a democratic assembly before. I… I just wanted to know how they are! But I showed up too late to watch…"
The boy laughed at her again. "You're so weird!"
He gave her a carefree wave before continuing down the lit hallways, in careful step behind two of the guards.
'What an odd boy…' she thought to herself.
She pressed her ear against the door again.
"… my gratitude to the people of Westheim, and my admiration for their years of dedication to peace. It is not lightly that I come to ask you to take up your arms against anyone, let alone in my personal aid. But in my journey to reach your fair kingdom, I've seen the terror that will be unleashed on this continent. The devastation and sorrow of the people of Estmarch, the unholy fear lived by the people of its conquered territories…"
"Territories your parents conquered!"
"The Councillor is out of line! All comments will be in order!"
"-I am not my parents. I do not share their ambitions for Uralia. I simply wish to extinguish the fires of war. As my parents began this heartless conquest, it is thus my duty to resolve it."
'He's so calm… so regal…'
She could just imagine his strong face as he projected across the Assembly hall. Even the attack on his character through his parents hadn't phased him.
'Kaito, you've grown more than you realize.'
Her listening session ended abruptly when she heard a strangled cry, followed by shattered glass. 'The Cinderella!'
Miku ran down the hall in haste, finding both guards unconscious. She ducked down and checked on them – their vitals were still solid, but they'd both clearly been choked by some kind of rope…
"M-Miss! Please, you need to run!"
She scanned the room for the voice, and spied the silver-haired boy crouched under a table. Miku ran over to him. "Did you see who did this?!"
He looked so frightened… "It was a girl! She was wearing this black dress, and she had ash blond hair… she broke out that window! She might be trying to kill the Councillors or worse!"
Miku tried to recall if she knew any Cinderellas that matched the description, but that didn't matter. The Cinderella was going to kill Kaito!
The twin-tailed girl rushed towards the window, careful to look for the girl. Was she climbing up a wall or…
That was when Miku felt a sharp cord cut into her neck. She let out a panicked choke as her airflow cut off. "You're so gullible…" the 'boy' said, tightening the chord, "I don't know how you lived this long being this stupid. You think we wouldn't expect you to be seeking a woman?"
She began to see spots in front of her eyes. She took a chance on striking him, jabbing her elbow backwards into his chest, then rapidly stomped on her attacker's foot. The cord slipped from her neck. Without even a second thought, Miku turned around and punched her foe in the face.
He leapt back to get some space. "Not bad, no wonder the Grand Godmother's so obsessed with you!" he said, drawing his pistol, "I was hoping to make this clean."
Miku leapt around, trying to stay out of the sight of the gun as he fired on her. 'The gun shot should draw the guards out!' she thought to herself, drawing a knife from her shirt.
She rolled along the ground to avoid another shot, tossing the knife at his hand and making a long gash along it, forcing the weapon to the ground. In an instant, Miku leapt forward, pouncing on him and slamming his head into the floor. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and now that Miku was right up in front of him, she could get a better look – this was definitely a woman, so androgynous she was able to pass as a boy with the right clothing.
"I won't let you kill Kaito!" she threatened, "If I have to kill you to do that, I will!"
"Heh… you think… this is about him?"
The girl coughed as Miku's grip tightened. "So long… as you have his heart… we will never stop coming… for you…"
Miku felt the girl fall unconscious. By this point several armed guards were approaching. "HANDS UP!" they shouted, "You're under arrest!"
The Assembly doors opened as a crowd began to form. Everyone watching Miku holding a girl she'd clearly beaten into unconsciousness. Their eyes frightened of her… of what she was, of what she could do… of what she'd brought with her…
"Hands up! We WILL shoot!"
She dropped the girl and fell to her knees, obeying the orders as she held up her arms.
'I've… I've ruined everything…'
"MIKU!"
She heard Kaito's voice as the handcuffs slipped around her wrists. "What are you doing!? Miku!" he shouted, breaking through the crowd, "Oh no… Miku, is that another…?"
He stepped up to the soldiers, who looked surprised to see him. "I can assure you, whatever happened here, Miku was the victim!" he said.
"It doesn't matter who you are!" the lead guard said, "Our hands are tied until this is processed!"
Miku could hear the whispers.
"What kind of violent company is he keeping?!"
"That girl… she looks so innocent… is she some kind of assassin?!"
"Where does a prince find someone like that?"
Now they were associating her actions with Kaito… she fought back tears as she was hustled out of the Assembly, fearful she'd ruined all of Kaito's hard work… she'd made his journey worth nothing…
Kaito paced around his Uncle's house impatiently. He'd wanted to storm into the police station himself before Naoto grabbed him and pointed out the wisdom of not intervening in Westheim's police force. He hadn't wanted to throw his royal weight around – he merely wished to attest to Miku's character. But he couldn't act like they owed him anything. He had to leave Miku's fate to the justice system.
Sure enough, Miku was released in the early afternoon – when the victims of the assassin awoke, they were able to testify to the woman, "Flower," being the assailant, backing up Miku's story of fighting back in self-defense. Yet even with her innocence proven, she was so shaken by the experience that all she wanted to do was rest. Kaito acquiesced to her request, but the incident still rattled his nerves.
"I'm sure everything will be fine, Kaito," Gakupo said, resting on a lounge chair as he watched Kaito continue to pace around, "You at least managed to finish your speech."
"It's not just that… that they think so little of me that they'd even invade Westheim just to take me out. What if other people had died?!"
He was tired of being chased around. He longed to strike back at the Godmothers that kept sending their Cinderellas after him… but they were far too ethereal a foe.
"That's damn low of them to come this far," Len remarked, seated on a small stool, "And pretty brazen if you think about it. How'd that girl even manage to cross the border?"
"She was sending a message."
Luka re-entered the room, having changed out of her uniform and back into a more comfortable black coat, pink blouse, and black trousers. "That you're not invincible."
'Vile,' he thought to himself.
But more than that… he thought of how much the attack had likely rattled Miku. She never stopped being on guard, even in a place like this. 'We've nothing left to do but wait for a decision,' Kaito thought to himself, 'There must be something I can do to help relax her nerves. She deserves it.'
An odd idea popped in his head. "Ah… you're not busy tonight, any of you?" he asked politely.
"Uh… no?" Len said, confused, "What have you got in mind? A night on the town?"
"I think it might be best to stay in the manor tonight given the security," Kaito said, "But if we're going to do that, we can still try to make things pleasant. Now… I wonder where I could find a dress shop… and… ah, Luka, you wouldn't happen to know Miku's measurements?"
The pink haired woman turned oddly red. "What kind of a question is that?!" she said, offended.
"Ah! Don't worry, I'll get you one too! And another for Rin…"
"Heh, does Prince Charming have a plan?" Gakupo asked in intrigue, "And should I phone the Nordland embassy and summon back Miss Meiko and Miss Gumi? I suspect if I tell Meiko there's alcohol here, they'll both come…"
He wanted Miku to understand the depth of his feelings for her. He wanted to reassure her. He wanted her to finally feel safe.
"Yes, let's do that. Luka, can you help me out? I… don't know the first thing about buying women's clothing."
"Hmph. Honorable to the last. I'll fetch Rin, I suspect she'll want to get involved as well."
Kaito never thought he'd be doing something as mundane as going clothing shopping with a woman that spent most of her life trying to kill him, but the fact she was willing to help him out gave him some confidence. Miku wasn't the only one broken by the Godmothers…
Miku ran down the white stairs, leaping over them in a panic as she scurried away from her crime. Her knife dripped with blood as she fled, praying none would spy her in her escape.
She'd waited with him for too long… she'd wormed her way into his heart and now she'd ruined him…
As she passed the last step one of her glass slippers fell from her feet, but she hurried so that she hadn't even time to fetch it… leaving the slipper behind…
Miku snapped awake at the sound of a knock on her door. She tried to banish the new nightmare from her mind. As she'd been so weary from the stress that she'd slept in her clothes, she saw no point in delaying the visitor's entrance. "Come in!" she called.
The door cracked open to reveal Rin, giggling happily as she held a white box in her arms. "Special delivery!" she said.
The blonde girl rested the package on Miku's bed and took a step back as the twin-tailed girl removed the lid, pulling out a long white gown with a black ribbon at the waist and feathered sleeves.
"Why did you bring me a dress?" Miku said in shock. She stood up and lay the garment against herself… the skirt ran all the way to her ankles…
"Because… you've been formally invited to Prince Kaito's ball tonight," Rin said, her face affecting a proper accent as she performed a noble curtsy, "The festivities shall begin promptly at seven o'clock, in the ball room of Fuga Manor!"
"A… a ball?" Miku began to grow nervous at being surrounded by people again…
"Yes… it's a very exclusive guest list. Only Prince Kaito's closest friends are attending."
Rin was having far too much fun with this.
Miku ran her hands along the silken dress. The sleeves looked like wings… she glanced inside the box and spied a black choker, white gloves, a white headband, and white high heels.
And a card.
To Cinderella
Love,
Prince Charming.
Miku's high-heels clicked along the hardwood floors. They were far more comfortable than glass slippers. Somehow Rin and Luka had picked out the perfect measurements for the dress as well.
She pushed open the doors to the ballroom with her gloved hands…
… and waiting on the other side of the doors was Kaito. He wore a white uniform with blue cuffs, collar, and sash, the jacket and cuffs trimmed in gold. His golden epaulets sparkled in the low light as he bowed before Miku, sweeping a white gloved hand in front of him.
"Lady Miku. Thank you for attending."
For the first time since the doomed night she'd met Kaito, he appeared every inch the Prince he truly was.
And as he straightened up, reaching out a hand to her, his wonderful smile inviting her in, she reached out and grabbed his hand tightly. Her heart pounded so hard she had trouble finding the right words, but she managed a welcoming smile all the same.
He'd done all of this for her after all.
She gazed around the room, seeing the people that had made the long journey with her all in one place again. Meiko wearing a sparkling red gown at home on a makeshift stage, Gumi in a simple green evening dress and hovering around with her camera… Rin dancing in a white gown with a black trim along the bust, her partner Len in a simple black tuxedo… Luka in a black dress with a red ribbon around the waist, making conversation with Gakupo, who wore a regal white suit with a purple waistcoat… even Lily was in attendance, awkwardly nosing around the food spread in a black and yellow evening gown…
She heard a gramophone start up, and she spied Naoto placing a record on the surface, playing a calm piano waltz. "Miku… this is just for us," Kaito said warmly, "After everything you and I have been through, I wanted to celebrate our safe arrival. You made this happen. Thank you. My Cinderella."
Meiko took her cue to start performing. Another show for the Prince of Estmarch, but this time it wouldn't erupt in violence. And honestly… she thought it was rather romantic. 'They came together because of a war,' she thought, 'Crazy how many people it pulls together.'
Gumi's camera flash made her aware of herself. 'Better give her a few good poses!' the singer thought to herself with a smirk as she started her song.
"Every time I touch, I feel wistful… We still have and share the feeling… Hold the feeling you forgot tight in your hand…"
"You're surprisingly good at this!" Rin teased her brother as he danced with her across the floor, "Who taught the butler to dance?"
Her brother laughed easily. "I never learned properly, I just spent a lot of time watching the Duke's guests doing it… I guess I picked something up!"
He looked her over carefully and Rin hoped he wasn't about to ask where she'd learned. She always tried to put up her brave front, but having so much regular contact with her old life kept making her question herself. She didn't want the burden any longer… she just wanted to be the Princess that danced with her loyal Knight.
"Rin… when you go home with me… are you going to stay?"
So his actual question took her by surprise. "I mean… I want to. Certainly, for a while."
"But?"
He looked so scared of losing her again.
"Well… after everything that's happened… I realized how much I love medicine. I mean, Len, I mixed a cure to a toxic gas! I… I saved lives… I don't want that to stop…"
She felt so guilty now to leave her family again. "Well… maybe when the war is over…" Len pondered, "The Royal Medical Academy in the Capital is where Gakupo went, right? I'm sure he could put in a good word for you."
He tried to perk up for her. "You could do a lot of good, and… well, the trains to the Grunebelt should start running again once the war is over. It wouldn't be hard to visit you!"
"Len…"
Rin loved Gakupo like family. How could she not? He'd raised her from the gutters, and gave her life purpose again. But she also always yearned to have a brother again. Her other half.
Meeting Len was a miracle of fate. "Well, I mean, I won't leave the farm right away! I'll have to earn enough money to pay for the schooling first! I wouldn't dare ask mama and papa for it, they've done enough!"
"What?! You should ask Kaito to pay for it!" Len exclaimed, "Don't Princes usually hand out rewards to people that help them?! I mean I'm planning on asking for at least a castle or something!"
The twins burst into laughter, continuing their dance along the floor as if they'd been dancing for years…
"Forever I love you… forever I believe you… The words thrown in the sky still ringing in the memory..."
Kaito swept Miku in his arms across the dance floor. He reflected that until the night he'd met her, his only dance partners were his instructors. But he still felt confident enough in dancing with Miku that she was his favorite partner. She easily slipped into his movements, as if she'd been born to dance with him.
He didn't want to speak and ruin the rush of being with her in a moment of peace. In the sorrow and chaos, she'd propped him up, never letting him collapse. For just this evening, he wanted to show her his own strength. That she could rely on him.
Even when she smiled though, he still saw it. The aura of sadness that rested in her heart. No matter how hard he tried to shatter it, it remained steadfast.
His Cinderella shouldn't have to worry so… maybe if he brought a swift end to the war he could finally heal her soul?
"Forever I love you… forever I believe you… Any day, whenever I close my eyes, you are there..."
Gakupo fumbled with his wine glass. He'd never felt this nervous before. All right, so maybe most of his ventures with women were unsuccessful, but he'd never been seriously trying in the past. He certainly loved getting lost in the eyes of a beautiful girl, but beyond the occasional date, he was far too much of a bumbler to progress that far.
And frankly, he knew he was playing with fire as he watched Luka standing by herself, eyeing some of the food. Even among people she knew, she was clearly still uncomfortable being around people normally. She'd been shattered so thoroughly. He'd read many books on psychological trauma, he understood to some extent what she was experiencing. But he couldn't quite heal it.
He didn't want to fix it just because he was doctor.
He wanted to heal it because… he…
"Ahem!" he said, coughing into his white gloves, "I quite enjoyed those cheesy balls!"
She looked at him oddly. "They're called malakoffs," she corrected.
Nonetheless, she took one into her black gloved hand and took a bite. "It's… not bad…" she said, "They're quite fond of cheese in Westheim, aren't they?"
Gakupo grabbed a small plate and scooped some cheese squares onto it. Something to go with the wine, and to keep him busy. "Indeed, I've never had so many!" he said.
He offered the platter forward. "Would you… ah… share these with me?"
'Great, cheese, that's romantic. I'm terrible at this.'
He tried to recover by going for the charming smile. Now she was looking at him even more strangely.
The charming smile never worked, did it?!
But she did grab a toothpick and stick it into a cheese square. 'Good work, charming smile!' he thought to himself, 'Now… for… the next step…'
"I want to be by your side just a little more… the dawn is coming nearby…."
Miku stood quietly with Kaito in front of one of the great windows. It was far too cold outside for her to walk in the garden with him, but they could at least watch the stars while enjoying the music and each other's company. "Miku… when you said you wanted to travel…" Kaito said.
Her fingers curled around the black sash at her waist. "Did you have anywhere in particular in mind?"
She tried to make up an answer to fill the hollowness inside of her. "Maybe… the Union? We talked about running away there… what if we just visited? We could cross the ocean together."
"Done. I think once the war ends, we could even recommission the Fantasie for it. Better than the wretched thing being used for war."
For a moment Miku dreamt of flying above the clouds, with Kaito pressed up against the window and taking in the world below. A smile crossed her face. She'd only been talking, but now it almost sounded achievable.
She leaned into his body. "Anywhere else?" Kaito said, "Frankly, I expect I'll be going all over the continent when the war ends. I'll have a lot of amends to make. And… so much to see. All those places I feared I'd never go when I was my parents' prisoner."
He kissed the top of her head. "You set me free, Cinderella… thank you."
That night she'd been brought to tears imagining Kaito's swift end when he had so much that he yearned for. Now she was being brought to tears at his infinite possibilities. How many of them involved her? Kaito certainly seemed to be planning with her in mind but…
"Don't let go of my hand you hold, not to be washed away…"
Somehow Gakupo had managed to coax a dance out of the reticent pink-haired beauty, and he was loving every second of it. All right, he barely knew what he was doing stomping along the floor, but he was improvising decently enough and Luka was taking her time with him. Ballroom dancing wasn't exactly something a doctor was expected to know.
But for all her difficulties in socialization, there was a strength in Luka's hands as they wrapped around his own. A sureness of purpose. The blue in her remaining eye remained a mystery, but he could see a spark of life reflected in it that had been missing when they'd first met.
This woman had been a beacon to him when he was on the brink of death. When he found himself questioning everything about himself and his purpose. Maybe others would find her cold but he'd seen too much of her now – the conflict that beat inside her and the ultimate strength she possessed to fight her way through it. He didn't want to lose her.
"Luka… I…" he started to say.
She put a finger over his mouth, silencing him. "I just… I just want this right now…" she said, "You're doing wonderfully."
"Forever, I love you… Forever, I believe you…"
Kaito wanted this evening to last forever, but he could see a weariness to Miku's movements. He didn't want to force her into the point of fatigue. "Are you done, milday?" he said.
"You've been wonderful to me," Miku said softly, "You know everything about me, and you treat me like I'm really royalty."
"Of course," he said, "You're the person I love, Miku."
He slipped his arms around her and she leaned into his strong hug. "I've loved every minute of this, Kaito," she sighed, and he thought she sounded happier. "I wish… I wish time would stop. And we'd always have this moment."
He slipped his hands along her face, and was surprised to find tears. "Miku… is everything okay?"
She brushed them away again. "I'm just… happy…"
She tilted her head up, leaning in… he kissed her soft lips, trying to draw the tension out of her and replace it with peace. He completely trusted her. He felt no fear.
"The words thrown in the sky is still ringing in the memory…"
"You may be welcoming a new family member soon, Councillor," Lily said with a smirk as she watched the couple kissing.
She glanced over and found the older man looking nervous as he nursed a wine glass. "I trust in his judgement," Naoto said diplomatically, "Whoever that girl really is… she brought him back. It's up to my nephew to decide how to handle certain complexities of royal… affairs."
She tried to discern if the nervousness was over the class conflict or simply an uncle worrying about losing his only nephew. The man had no heirs to his name – so the young Prince was the closest thing he had to a son.
Naoto glanced over to Lily. "Speaking of… I believe you said you won't be taking the throne should Sudland be liberated?"
Lily clutched at the stem of her glass. "It's better this way. Heh, maybe we'll learn something from Westheim after all."
As she watched the couples (romantic or otherwise) enjoying themselves, she found herself reminiscing. Once upon a time, Lily had been a princess and she'd attended balls just like these. "My last ball as the heir to Sudland… happened right as the war broke out. My parents tried to hide the truth of things from me, just for one more night. I never knew how terrible things were going to get, but only a few months later… that palace, that ballroom, were no longer mine. And I was nothing."
"I'm terribly sorry," Naoto said. "Your people… and you… were wronged. But words alone can't mend this."
At least he was trying. "One thing will, and that's getting this army so I can get Sudland back. I may not ever have a palace again, but I'll be damned if I can't get a country."
"I think Kaito should be quite confident. His oration skills notwithstanding… as upsetting as the near assassination was, that Flower girl provided quite a useful boon. She was easily identifiable as a member of the Dawn, so now they've disrespected our sovereignty to attack our seat of government. I spent the rest of the afternoon drafting a case that under the circumstances, the Dawn has declared war and we now must defend ourselves."
So typical of a politician. "So you get to keep your neutrality and help your nephew in one fell swoop."
The Councillor sipped his glass. "Whatever path you take… you have to learn to be savvy to every opportunity. I believe that Kaito understands people's hearts well enough that he'll understand this by the time he's coronated. I have utmost faith that he will turn things around."
"That good will finally flow from Estmarch."
"Forever, I love you… Forever, I'll never forget…"
"Gakupo. I've killed 15 people. And even now, I feel no remorse for it."
She stared at him, searching for a reaction. "Your past means nothing to me," he said carefully, "I know what happened to you."
"But you have to accept that about me. I'm not innocent. You are."
He seemed unusually nervous – she knew what he was trying to say and she was trying to stop it. She wasn't ready to accept it, and hurting him wasn't her goal.
"Thank you for this evening. I'll remember you like this. As my 'prince.'"
"I see… you're leaving."
She wasn't going to get out of this without hurting him, was she? Why did she care? Did she?
Did she dare?
She curtsied politely to him, as she'd been taught. She could perfectly mimic the actions of nobility thanks to her training…
As she started to walk away from him, she crossed a hand against her chest, feeling a knot inside of it. She wanted something more than just an image to remember Gakupo.
She turned back, rushed forward, and flung her arms around him…
He was clearly surprised by her impulsiveness, so much so that he almost forgot to actually kiss her goodbye.
"There is something I must do. Alone. If I survive… I want to know that you'll be waiting."
"As long as it takes."
"Anyday, whenever I close my eyes, you are there…"
Kaito clutched Miku's bare body to his own, not wishing to let the heat of the last few moments fade. The idea of the scandal he could create was far from his mind. All he focused on were Miku's soft eyes as she stroked his hair.
"Cinderella…" he whispered.
She tightened her hug around him. "I love you, Kaito," she said, "Please don't ever forget that. No matter what may happen."
He felt sleep finally pull at his mind. "I could never doubt you."
As he began to drift off, he remembered the fairy tale the way his mother always read it to him. "Miku… why does Cinderella always run?"
"Hmm?"
"At the end of the ball… the Prince clearly loves her, but she flees from him. My mother always said she was embarrassed of her ash and soot."
Miku seemed to be giving the matter some thought. "I think… it's because… she was afraid that the Prince would hate her true self. Not just the ashes, but her heart."
"Cinderella… should trust the Prince…"
His weary eyes closed on a wonderful evening, confident that his own Cinderella would be waiting when he opened them again…
Miku began to release Kaito, ensuring he was properly asleep. He'd not drank much wine this night, but he'd certainly had enough to make him sleep more deeply than usual. She rested him along the pillow and slipped cautiously out of the bed.
She watched him like a hawk for any signs of waking as she put on her long clothing, all the way to the point that she was buttoning up her overcoat. She looked at the lovely silken dress and debated whether to take it with her or not.
'No… it should stay here. I won't be able to wear it after all.'
She started to zip up her bag when she saw the precious artifact wrapped up. Tossing a glance back to Kaito, she tried to steel her heart. Why did he have to see her as Cinderella?! Why was he so obsessed with her leaving?
She unwrapped the object and set it on the table next to his head, hoping it would be the first thing he'd see in the morning. Then… maybe he would understand.
"I thought I'd find you here."
Miku froze up at the sound of Luka's voice behind her as she crossed through the gates of the manor. She turned to see her former mentor, dressed in similarly casual clothes, leaning again a fence post. Miku didn't know what to say, and it was hard to read Luka's face as she was looking out into the street, her patched eye the only one facing Miku.
"No, you don't need to explain. I know. Flower threatened you personally, didn't she?"
The twin-tailed girl nervously clutched at the strap of her bag.
"And now you realize we're the same. We don't belong in this place. What we are, what happened to us, it still hasn't ended. Maybe… maybe it's never going to end.
The woman finally turned her head enough that her remaining eye was on her. "So what did Kaito say when you told him?"
The guilt began to eat away at Miku's heart. "He doesn't know. He'll… he'll know when he wakes up."
Luka turned away again. "I thought you closer than that. Telling Gakupo goodbye was the hardest choice I've made – and I've made some terrible choices."
She didn't owe Luka anything. She was leaving… she never had to see Luka again. She started to turn. "Do you even know where you're going?"
No, she didn't. Far. Far away. Maybe to Estmarch again. Somewhere she could disappear.
"So, no then."
Luka's ability to read her was infuriating – she felt like she was back under her thumb again. "I'll give you a destination then. Do you remember your hometown? The place where you grew up?"
"I…"
Miku blinked as she tried to recall it, but everything felt so hazy and blank. "That's on purpose. Ones like you, with family alive, they wear you down to break your attachments. When words and violence aren't enough, they use drugs. Probably one of the poisons you were slipped in your immunity training, to make you more suggestible to what they wanted you to believe…"
'No… it can't be…'
She tried harder and harder to remember, but the haze refused to lift. She tried to recall her stepmother, her stepsisters… hadn't they mistreated her?
She slept in the ashes so she could become ash like them.
The wretched thought seized her and now it felt all the truer.
"I found out where you came from. Aschenputtel. It's in Estmarch, along the Sudland borders. I can't take you there personally, but I think you need to go there. You can't make any choices about your life if you don't know where you came from. This is all I can give to you. It's not even close to making up what happened but…"
"… thank you. Please, stay safe, Luka."
With that, Miku grabbed her bag close and ran off into the darkness…
The tones of the midnight church bells briefly awoke Kaito from his slumber. He clutched his head lightly as he felt a slight hangover. "I didn't even drink that much…" he muttered.
That was when he realized he was the only occupant of the bed. He bolted right up in surprise, staring at the empty spot where Miku lied when he fell asleep.
"No…"
He scanned the room in a panic, looking for any signs of intrusion. Had he missed it?! Had she been hurt or –
…he saw the lone glass slipper resting on his night table. As he reached out to touch it, everything became clear. His heart shattered as he realized Cinderella had run away.
A/N:
Hey, yea, you guys were sure enjoying those ships, sure would suck if I fired a couple of torpedos at them…
*boom boom*
Westheim is modeled on Switzerland to an extent, and yes, Switzerland's neutrality in conflict is one of its best-known traits. I feel a bit awkward broaching the subject of neutrality given that the Swiss sat out two World Wars, but I went ahead because the storyline here is very different from actual history. I'm not a huge pro-war person, but I also recognize that sometimes conflict is unavoidable – and in this story, there is no way out for Kaito. Gakupo has been balancing the difficulty of maintaining a pacifist stance in a violent time, and I never ever thought that would become so painfully relevant to the present day. I'm not trying to make a statement on the necessity of war or killing, but I am trying to get to the moral quandries people face and in a violent world, there isn't necessarily an easy choice. What's important to me is ensuring that the choices the characters make are internally consistent with the way they view the world and the events they experience.
On a less heavy note, I also modeled Westheim's government on Switzerland's, though for story purposes I've simplified it to ensure I can move the plot a little faster.
Song Credit: Meiko gaining ground for all the stories I did where she was a character and never got to sing! I had to get yuukiss' "Nostalogic" in here, it's one of her most famous songs! Her song during the ball is "Close My Eyes" by Shu-tP and kaya (and MIRIAM sings the chorus.) I also couldn't resist having Kaito, Len, and Gakupo in one spot and not throw down with some VanaN'Ice and I went with "Setsugetsuka".