Chapter 31

Sayou glanced at the woman in his arms and sighed in contentment. He hugged her just a little more tightly when he noticed her distressed look. "What's wrong?" He murmured into her ear.

Erika shook her head. He knew that she was worried about something. "Nothing." She lied as she snuggled into him.

"Erika, tell me. You only get that look when you're concerned." He pointed out.

Erika sighed. "I'm worried about the Princess." She shrugged a little. "Just a hunch. I can't help but think that someone is conspiring against her." She looked up at him. "Not like Morizumi, but something that might affect her for the rest of her life." She admitted.

Sayou smiled softly, she had changed so much in the past months. "Do you want us to look into it?" He asked softly.

She looked up at him a little surprised. "You don't mind?"

He chuckled while stroking her hair and shook his head. "I don't mind. If she's not allowed to choose, it should at least be a fair fight." His thoughts were along the same lines as hers. He suspected that someone would do something to unfairly advance themselves during the tournament. Something like that was a given. Historically, it had happened before. Why not again?

She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Thank you Sayou."

He smiled softly. "You needn't even ask Milady."

They were most certainly an opposing looking trio, Lory's LoveME Girls all decked out in their natural armor which by the way, matched. He couldn't help but think that they were all destined, as he observed them training. They moved like a well oiled machine in their advances and motions. He had to admit, if anyone dared to harm the princess, they would have some very formidable foes to deal with.

"Kotetsu, I think it's time my girls graduated from the LoveME Section." His voice held a tinge of sadness. Of course he would need to hold the ceremony before Kanae left for her filming in America in a week.

Kotetsu glanced at his friend and smiled. "I think perhaps they've graduated from my training also. This course is no longer a challenge for them. It would appear the same for Lord Kuon and Sir Yuki too." He told him.

Lory looked at him a little surprised. Yashiro was one that he most certainly didn't expect to advance in his training like that. "Sir Yuki?"

Kotetsu nodded. "He is on par with Lord Kuon at this point. You did well choosing him for him." Kotetsu complimented.

Lory nodded in thought. "He does have potential, but I didn't expect him to push himself so far." Lory told him distractedly. He couldn't help, but wonder why his LoveME girls were training like that. He turned to Kotetsu. "Could the girls be training for the tournament too?" He asked a little curiously.

Kotetsu looked a little shocked. "Why would they do that? Unless... Hmm, unless Princess Kyoko has decided to invoke the Old Rules... But I would think that she wouldn't, seeing as she and Lord Kuon have such a close connection. You don't think that she has doubts regarding his loyalties to her, do you?"

Lory shook his head. "I honestly don't think that's it. She's not that way. I think there's more to it than that. Just in case, could you make arrangements for Lady Kanae to train while she's away? I want my girls to be fully prepared for the upcoming events."

Kotetsu nodded. "I will make sure that she is fully prepared. My grandson would have my head if I didn't." He snickered.

The thing about Kanae and Chiori training for the tournament wasn't that they would personally participate, but they certainly weren't going to stand by like useless decorations after what she'd revealed about her vision. Traditionally, for many years the Princess' Honor Guard was just for show. For the first time in several hundreds of years, it would not be. They were not about to allow anyone the chance to harm their best friend in any way, psychologically or physically.

At this point, it couldn't be proven that Reino had anything planned, but they certainly weren't going to let their guard down. So, they would continue to train and allow Erika and Sayou to do the task they'd appointed to themselves. They were told that if there was anything that could be found, the pair would let them know immediately.

Sayou, and the others with him, had spent a great deal of time investigating anything that could possibly happen to either stall the tournament or, influence it unfairly in the favor of any of the contestants. There had been a couple of suspicious instances, but nothing that the security force had missed. He just couldn't shake the feeling that a particular participant was giving him. It was Lord Reino. The man acted more strangely than usual, but didn't give any clues away. It was almost as if he knew he was being observed or he had someone that had alerted him that he was under suspicion.

Sayou groaned a little as he sat down next to Erika, and she pulled his head into her lap. "Something wrong?" She asked as she gently stroked his hair and eased his tensions.

He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of her fingers massaging away his troubles. "I can't seem to get anything on him... It seems like he knows we're watching him."

She nodded. "Do you think he does?"

He sighed and shook his head. "I don't think so. If he did, I don't think he would be spending his evenings with his groupies."

Her fingers stopped and she scowled as he looked up at her. "He's still screwing other women while vying for the Princess' hand?"

Sayou nodded. "There isn't anything in the rules that states that he can't. It's not even something that's forbidden after they marry either."

Her brow furrowed. "That pig. I do hope that a more suitable match wins her hand. From what I've heard, she deserves far better than something like that." She huffed.

Sayou reached up and caressed her cheek, calming her. "That's why we're looking into these things, my lovely Mistress."

She nodded in agreement.

"I'm not going to be gone that long. Just long enough to complete filming. Uesugi-dono made arrangements for me to train at a center there, so you'd better not slack off while I'm gone." Kanae warned the pair standing in the airport lobby with her.

"I promise Mōko-san." She whimpered with tears.

Kanae groaned and Chiori giggled inwardly at the display. "Mo, stop that! I'm not leaving forever. I'll be back with at least a month to spare before the tournament."

"I know, but it just seems like such a long time to be without being able to see you." She mumbled.

Kanae rolled her eyes. "What? You don't have a phone or internet access?"

Kyoko perked up. "You don't mind?"

"Ugh, of course not or I wouldn't have mentioned it." She rolled her eyes.

"Flight 204 to Los Angeles now boarding at gate 15a."

Kanae glanced in the direction and Kyoko's tears began to flow anew. She pulled both her friends into a hug, pulled away, grabbed her carry-on, and waved to the pair as she left.

Chiori wrapped her arm around Kyoko's and tugged. "Come on, let's get out of here and go get some lunch before we start to worry those guys." She nodded in the direction of Kyoko's bodyguards. She knew that if she'd mentioned inconveniencing anyone, Kyoko would hurry along, and she was correct.