Warning: some Henrietta/Louis in this chapter. Mentions of past dubious consent.

The Stray Girl and the Incompetent Mage

Chapter 27: Tristania's Holiday

...

Louis wakes, feeling an unexpected weight on his bed.

"Who?" he rubs his eyes, trying to sit up before he is stopped by a hand on his chest.

"Shhh" a female voice is heard, and Louis has to blink a few times so his eyes get used to the faint light of the moons filtering through the curtains of his room. When he can see clearly, he's surprised to find Henrietta in front of him, sitting quaintly on top of his duvet.

"Henrietta…? What are you doing here?"

"I have a favor to ask of you" she says, moving to lie comfortably next to him. Louis turns his body to face her, and looks at her inquisitively.

"Can't it wait until morning? It's already…" he raises his head to look at the clock across the room, and frowns upon seeing the late hour. "One in the morning. You should be sleeping."

"But it's exactly because it's this hour that I could come here without worrying anyone would stop me. Besides, I couldn't ask this favor of you during the day."

That piques his interest. "What is this favor about?"

"I want you to kiss me."

Louis waits, simply looking at her, sure he has heard wrong, for what the real favor she has to ask of him is. When Henrietta doesn't say anything further, he opens his mouth, but not a sound comes out of it. Henrietta sighs.

"Hello? Anyone in there? I'm sure you heard me, Louis."

"I…" he gulps, before shaking his head to clear his mind. "Henrietta, what are you talking about?"

She rolls her eyes, in a gesture unbecoming of a princess, but that Louis, being her childhood friend, knows quite well. "You told me today that you already had your first kiss, remember?"

"Y-yes… I did…" it was that afternoon, as the two were hiding away from their caretakers in the rose garden. Louis doesn't remember how the conversation reached that point, but suddenly, instead of talking about what game to play next, they were discussing their future, the responsibilities that would come with their positions, and how, at one point or another, they both would need to get married in order to continue their line.

Being only eleven years old, Louis still had not an idea what the proceedings for continuing his line would be, but he knew it required marriage, and kissing, or at least, that's what he had heard Eleonore said once in passing. He had confessed then, much to Henrietta's shock, that he already had experience in that department. Kirche had kissed him the last time she had come with her father, and although it was short and she had quickly dismissed it as a prank, it was still a kiss.

But what does that have to do with Henrietta asking him to kiss her?

"I thought about it all day" she continues, catching his attention once more. "And suddenly I realized… isn't it a bit unfair that you, being only eleven, had your first kiss before me, that I'm already twelve? So, I believe I need to rectify that. That's why I want you to kiss me" she explains, smiling. Louis quickly shakes his head, his face getting warmer at the suggestion.

"That would be inappropriate, Henrietta. You're the princess of this country, and…"

"But I don't trust anybody else! You're the only one I can ask, Louis" she pleads, but the boy continues to shake his head.

"That kind of thing is done only with the person you will marry, Henrietta. That's what Eleonore and my mother always say."

"And are you going to marry the girl you had your first kiss with?" she asks, sounding a bit frustrated.

Louis scoffs, "no way!" before quickly covering his mouth. Henrietta huffs, and she would have crossed her arms had she not been lying on her side.

"But you said kissing it's something you only do with the person you will marry. Or that kind of thing only applies to girls?" she says haughtily. Louis sputters, embarrassed at being questioned like this.

"No… I mean…"

"Besides" she interrupts, lifting her chin, "I heard my mother talking with your father a while ago. There are plans to engage the two of us, you know?" she reveals, and the information greatly surprises Louis.

"There are?"

Henrietta nods. "Yes. So, you can't make any more excuses, if we're going to get married someday, right?"

"But there's nothing official yet, right? So…"

"Wouldn't you want to practice too?" Henrietta changes tactics, getting a little impatient. "Even if the engagement doesn't happen, I'm sure our future spouses would appreciate it if we know what we're doing, don't you think?"

Louis frowns pensively at this. "I mean… I understand, I wouldn't want to go in blind and disappoint my future wife, but…" he bites his lip, starting to seriously consider Henrietta's proposition. It's just a kiss after all, no? And if they do end up getting engaged… then there wouldn't really be a problem, right?

Seeing him starting to crumble in his resolution, Henrietta beams, and gets closer to him. Louis instinctively backs away, but he's closer to the edge of the bed than she is, so he can't go any farther without risk of falling off. When she's just around thirty centimeters from him, she stops, and lifts her hand to place it on his cheek, leaning even closer towards him.

"I'm going to kiss you now, alright? If you don't want to, then now is your chance to push me away. Three… two… one…" she counts down, getting closer with each number. Louis wants to push her away, because he's still unsure about this all, but Henrietta is a princess and, despite his shortcomings, he's also curious what kissing her would feel like.

Henrietta's lips are soft against his. The kiss is short and clumsy because, even though he had already been kissed by Kirche, he doesn't really have any experience doing this. He tries to move his lips over hers, changing the angle and experimenting what feels good, but Henrietta leans away as suddenly as she had previously approached, and frowns in a way that makes Louis feel inadequate.

"That's… not what I was expecting."

"I'm sorry. I don't really know what I'm doing either…" he confesses, embarrassed. Henrietta shakes her head.

"No, it's not you" she quickly explains, lifting a small weight from Louis' heart. She bits her lip, glancing away, and if not for the poor illumination of the room Louis would have been able to see her blush. "I… I have heard you can… you can use your tongue too. I was hoping for that" she confesses.

Louis' eyes go wide, his own face starting to burn. "T-Tongue?! I… I've never… where did you hear this?" he asks, truly curious. Henrietta shrugs, pretending it's not important.

"Somewhere" then, she takes a deep breath and looks up at him again, this time with more determination than before. Her hands, that had fallen to the sides after she pulled away from the kiss, reach his shoulders again, and she leans forward until their noses are touching. Louis holds his breath, waiting for her next move. "Let's do it again, but this time, use your tongue, ok?"

"…Ok" Louis finally nods, not entirely conscious of his own thoughts and body. It feels like he's watching the scene unfold through someone else's eyes, like he's not the one Henrietta is leaning towards to kiss again. When their lips touch once more, Louis reacts instinctively, moving his mouth against hers, until, finally, very shyly; he pokes out his tongue and licks Henrietta's lower lip.

A tremor runs through his body, one that Henrietta shares. He licks her lip again, as his hands fall unconsciously on her waist, barely touching her, afraid something will break if he squeezes like he wants to. His head seems to be full of cotton, and when Henrietta finally touches her tongue with his in as a shy a movement as his, he feels like he's on fire.

After a while, it is Henrietta who pulls away, again, looking him in the eyes and panting. They stare at each other for a moment, before the girl smiles, causing Louis' heart to skip a beat.

"Now that was more like it" she says, sitting up and leaving his room before he can even collect the pieces of his consciousness back. It's only when the door closes with a soft 'click' that Louis wakes up, and, groaning to himself, turns around and covers his face with his duvet, hoping this way the universe won't be able to see the red that coats his skin, proof of his shamelessness for kissing a princess in such a lewd way.

It's alright, Louis. It's over now. Henrietta already got her kiss, so things ought to turn back to normal tomorrow. Don't think too much about it he tells himself, trying hopelessly to sleep so he can escape reality for a moment. That's right. Henrietta only wanted to have her first kiss, and she got it. There was no other reason for them to repeat the experience, ever again. Louis keeps repeating that in his mind, over and over, until finally, he falls in a restless sleep.

However, he couldn't imagine at that moment how wrong he was, and how, for the next two years, every single visit of Henrietta to de La Vallière estate she would spend the night in his room, practicing kissing and more.

That day of Void, Louis and Sachiko have a free day from work.

It isn't the usual occurrence. Normally, the days of Void are the busiest at the inn, but because they have been working diligently for weeks straight, Scarron allowed them to have the night free so they could enjoy the day without worries of being too tired for work later. Sachiko is especially grateful for that.

"What should we do? I've earned enough money to allow us a few whims. Do you want to eat something? I really want to eat some meat…"

"We eat meat every day at the inn…"

"I know! But surely there are places where they don't sell only steak! I want a hamburger!"

"A hamburger?"

"It's like a meatball… but between two breads! And it has cheese and tomatoes and lettuce…!"

"Does that kind of thing even taste good?"

"Of course it does! Ah! We should get some fries with it!"

"Fries… fried what?"

"Fried potatoes! Don't you know?"

"How am I supposed to know if you only say fries?"

The streets of Tristania are crowded, with people going about their usual business. The bell of Saint Rémy's church rings ten o'clock. In a central plaza in De Chicton Street, Louis and Sachiko discuss about their plans for the day.

"It's still early to eat lunch" Louis says, taking a look at the clock tower a way back. After earning enough money, he was finally able to buy new clothes, though it was still another common shirt and black pants that he would never wear again once this mission was over. Sachiko too, sports brand new clothes, having paid one of the employees at the Charming Fairies' Inn to tailor some shorts for her so she would not have to wear only dresses and skirts. That, along with a black blouse and beret that's very popular among young ladies in town, make for her new ensemble, and she couldn't be happier.

Frowning at his words, Sachiko tilts her head. "And what do you suppose we do, in the meantime? Do you want to look around the stores? Oh! We can try the market! I remember there was this stall with frogs in jars that I really wanted to-!"

"Frogs in jars?! Ugh, forget it, we're not going there" he says, shaking his head and making a face of disgust. "Why do you even want that kind of thing for?"

"I didn't say I wanted it. I just want to look at it."

"That's horrifying."

"Ok, then, what do you want to do?" she asks, folding her arms. The two stop walking, standing a little away from the crowd, near an alleyway. Louis burrows his frown in thought. To be honest, he's not really into looking at the stores. There's nothing in particular he wants to buy and he doesn't believe in just looking. If you need something, you buy it. Period. He can't think of anything more monotonous than walking around, gazing at stalls and clothing stores like when Eleonore and his mother used to go out to town and took him with them. If Sachiko wants to do that then she can do it alone.

And then, he glances towards a particular building, and it occurs to him.

"Do you want to see a play?"

"Huh?" Sachiko asks, dumbfounded. Louis points at the building he had been looking at, and she turns around to see it. It's a magnificent place with gorgeous stonework walls and golden decorations. There is a red carpet in the middle of the round central hall, and lines of people waiting to get inside. Sachiko narrows her eyes, confused as to what exactly she's seeing. "What is that place?"

"The Royal Theatre of Tristain. So, do you want to see a play or not?"

"Mmm…" she isn't sure. She has never gone to a play before, so she's not sure what to expect. Is it the same as going to the movies?

"You just have to say yes or no…" Louis says when she takes too long, crossing his arms and sighing at her indecision. His tone of voice causes her to feel pressured.

"Do you want to see a play?" she asks instead. Louis blinks.

"It's only ten in the morning, and to be honest, I don't like just walking around without a purpose."

"But that's the best part of going out to town like this!"

"We have time before lunch" he continues without listening to her, walking over to the theatre. Sachiko huffs, but follows him as they get in line. It seems they will watch a play after all. She hums as she glances around, waiting to see posters or something similar that would tell her what available plays there are.

"What are they playing? I want something with mystery! Maybe a thriller or something?"

Louis looks at her with a raised eyebrow. "I don't know what kind of play they're doing right now… wait a second" he turns to one of the women waiting in line and asks her politely. The young woman blushes and tells him without a problem, apparently taken by his appearance, but backs away when she sees Sachiko glaring at her. Louis frowns, not having seen this due to having Sachiko at his back, and when he turns towards her again he answers simply. "Tristania's Holiday. It's a favorite of one of my sisters" he recalls Cattleya reading the book multiple times during his childhood.

Sachiko hums. "What is it about?"

"The prince of a country and princess of another come secretly to Tristania. They meet without knowing each other's identities and fall in love. Things happen and they discover who the other really is, so they have to separate. A sad story" he narrates the plot that he knows by heart. Sachiko snorts.

"Sounds stupid" Louis looks at her with surprise.

"You don't like this type of play?"

"I don't like mushy stuff. Can't we watch something else?"

"This is the play that the theatre is offering now. So no, we can't watch anything else" he answers with a frown. Sachiko frowns as well.

"Aren't there other plays available?" she asks seriously, and Louis looks at her exasperated.

"No. Don't you know anything about… you know what, stupid question. You probably don't" he says, sighing. Sachiko wants to complain about the way he's talking to her, but at that moment they reach the booth and Louis buys them tickets before she can do so. When he gives her one of the tickets she has a gloomy expression.

"I could have bought my own, you know? You didn't need to…"

"It's my treat, since I'm the one that suggested watching this play" he says, surprising her. She looks again at the ticket, before smiling brightly.

"Why, you do know how to be a gentleman after all" Louis scoffs.

"What are you talking about? I'm always a gentleman, you stupid woman" he responds roughly, embarrassed by her pretty smile. Sachiko rolls her eyes.

"Of course, of course, whatever you say."

They enter the theatre and quickly find their seats. However, it's still half an hour before the play finally starts. By then, Sachiko's already drifting off, bored beyond belief after Louis refused to talk to her when she suggested getting something to eat, like popcorn. What's so wrong about it? She got it wasn't the movies but surely people got hungry while watching a play too, right?

"Hey, it's starting" Louis shakes her awake, and Sachiko sits up properly, glad for it. Music resounds throughout the theatre. She's amazed at how wonderful it sounds, looking at the play intently, but…

The scenery's perfect, the music as well, and Sachiko has to admit the story isn't so bad, but… the actors. They're horrible. They exaggerate every little motion, shout rather than recite their lines, and the moment there's a musical number their voices sound very out of tune. She looks at Louis, wanting to see what he thinks of it, but to her shock, he doesn't look the tiny bit bothered by how bad the actors are.

"What" he asks flatly after feeling her staring at him for a whole minute without saying anything. He looks at her, and she frowns.

"Don't you think they're pretty bad?" she points at the stage, her voice dripping with distaste. Louis raises an eyebrow, looks at where she's pointing, and then returns his eyes to her.

"Who? The actors?" she nods. "They're not the best but they aren't that bad either."

"They exaggerate everything! It's impossible to take them seriously like this!"

"It's normal to exaggerate your gestures in order for the audience to catch what the character's doing or feeling. I don't know why you're complaining" he says, crossing his arms. Just then, another musical number begins, and he can't help but wince at the off-key voice of the lead actress. "Ok, maybe it's a little too much, especially considering this is the Royal Theatre and their actors should be nothing short of perfect, but I still don't get why you're so unhappy."

"I don't like theatre. I already decided" she crosses her arms and leans roughly against the seat.

Louis pinches the bridge of his nose, out of patience. This woman, even though I invited her, even though I bought her a ticket… he takes a deep breath, calming himself. After all, he's the one that decided to come here. Sachiko has the right to dislike it if she wants. Still, he would have wanted her to at least give it a chance… "Whatever, we're already here, so let's try to enjoy what we can. You can choose where to eat after the play's done, ok? So stop sulking."

"I wasn't going to choose where to eat after this?!"

"For the love of-! Just shut up already!"

The day passed quickly after that. When the play was over, they bought something to eat in a nearby café, and then took a stroll around town because Louis felt he owed it to Sachiko to do something she wanted after she finally shut up and watched the entirety of the play. He was bored just perusing the different shops and stores without a definite goal in mind, but Sachiko looked happy, so he guessed it was alright.

And, to be completely honest, it was the only way he could see to salvage a bit what he, unilaterally, considered a date. Sachiko's dating that servant, he knows, and he accepts it, no matter how reluctant he is, but, just for one moment, was it so bad to want to pretend otherwise?

He's still not really sure why he likes Sachiko, or if there must be a reason to like someone at all, but he does, and, as pathetic as it might sound, he wants to savor the small moments he has her to himself all he can. Is there a way for Sachiko to like him? He's not sure. He considers himself pretty unlovable, knowing better than anyone the flaws in his personality and, above all, the problems that come with the nature of his relationship with Sachiko. He's not confident he can win her over at all.

And maybe it's better that way. What would he do, if, by some miracle, Sachiko started liking him? They can't be together, their different social statuses would prevent that, and if not, his family would be another problem. She's his familiar too, which makes everything all the more complicated, and she is from a different world. There isn't really a way for them to be together, even if their feelings were mutual.

Still, he can't help but dream, sometimes.

"Hey, Louis, can you take out the trash?" one of the cooks asks, just as he's finishing drying the last of the dishes. He sighs, putting down the plate and going over to do so, already used to his work at the inn and the staff sometimes asking him to do things outside of his area. As if being a dishwasher means he has more free time than the others. He had been expecting that the people at work, after finding out he's a noble, would start treating him differently or be afraid of him, but in reality, nothing has really changed. He's still an employee here, like everyone else, and thus, he's treated the same way as everyone else.

He takes the bag of trash, already pretty desensitized about these common tasks, and opens the back door to put it on the container at the end of the alley. As soon as he's done, he turns around and almost screams.

"Please, be silent!" the hooded figure that had nearly given him a heart attack covers his mouth, pushing him against the wall of the alley. Louis blinks, adjusting his gaze to look under the hood. That voice, it sounded like… but it couldn't be. What would Henrietta be doing in a place like this?

"You…" he pushes the hand away, and the woman takes a step back. Only the curve of her jaw and mouth is visible, but he's almost sure. "Is that you, Henrietta…?"

"Shhh" she puts a finger in front of her lips, before giving a small nod. Louis is astounded. Before he can say anything though, she continues. "I need a place to hide. Can you help me?"

"Place to hide?" he asks, before glancing at the backdoor he had come through. "My bedroom is in the attic, but to get there we need to go through the kitchen, and there are many cooks there."

"That's… too bad. Is there a way to get pass them without them noticing me?"

Louis thinks for a moment, before nodding. "Just follow me."

He guides her to a door further back the alley, the one that connects to the cellar of the inn. They quietly make their way up and through the establishment. The bar is crowded, so nobody notices when the two head upstairs. Once safe in his room, Louis stares at Henrietta, waiting for an explanation.

She sits down on the bed, taking off her hood, and heaves a deep sigh. "Safe" she whispers. "Thank you, for helping me back there" she says with a small smile. Louis nods.

"I'm sorry you had to sneak through a dirty cellar like that. For the Queen of our country to do that kind of thing…"

"Don't worry about it. It's actually quite the experience" she dismisses with a wave of the hand. Then, she gets serious, the small smile she had disappearing from her features. "Louis, I came here because something is happening."

"I noticed" he replies, not unkindly. He sits next to her, as Henrietta explains the situation. She suspected a noble from Tristain to be handling information to Albion, and in order to prove his guiltiness, she snuck out of the palace expecting to cause uproar. It worked, but she needed to hide until she could execute her plan, and for that, she needed his help.

"I know after everything you've done for me… after everything I've asked of you, I have no right to come here and ask for this favor, but I cannot trust anybody except you" she sighs again, "you must be disappointed in me" she laughs dryly.

"No… I mean" he clears his throat, deciding to ignore Henrietta's words. After all, now it's not the time to wallow in those kinds of things. "What you want is a place to hide, right? You can stay here, then…" he offers, but Henrietta quickly shakes her head.

"It's too conspicuous here. After all, it's around this zone I disappeared. No, what I want is a safe place somewhere far… maybe on the other side of the city?" she shakes her head with a sad face. "I'm so sorry for putting you in this situation, Louis. Actually, my original plan was to ask your familiar for protection, that's why I came here, but asking her now would involve too many people…"

"Sachiko?" he asks, surprised. "You wanted Sachiko to protect you?"

Henrietta smiles embarrassedly. "As I told you, I have no right to ask you favors. Besides, this mission might be dangerous. I don't want you to…"

"Please don't talk like that" Louis interrupts. He gives a deep, weary sigh. "I know last time we didn't part on the best terms…" he blushes just remembering his outburst, "and for that I'm sorry. But that doesn't mean I'm angry at you or anything. You know you can ask anything of me, especially if it's a matter of the Kingdom… you're my best friend" he smiles, making Henrietta blush. She glances away and clears her throat.

"So that means… you'll help me?"

"Of course" they smile at each other, before Henrietta stands up and looks around the room. Suddenly Louis is aware of just how shabby the attic is. Though he had gotten used to it after weeks of living there, Henrietta's presence reminded him of just how terrible it actually is. However, the young queen doesn't comment anything, instead walking over towards the small chest at the feet of the bed, opening it and retrieving a black dress.

"I'll need to dress like a commoner for today if I want to go unnoticed. Does this belong to your familiar?" she asks, though the answer is obvious. "Can you please turn around?" Louis does so, feeling a bit bad for borrowing Sachiko's clothes without permission, but it's for the greater good, so…

"Uh, it's a little tight here…" he looks back at Henrietta, and raises an eyebrow. The dress fits Henrietta almost perfectly, except for the chest area. Even though Sachiko isn't small sized –he refuses to acknowledge how he knows that– it seems the queen's a tad bigger. The dress hugs her figure in a more seductive, uptown girl way.

Realizing what he's thinking, Louis quickly shakes his head. "It's not bad" he reassures her. Henrietta nods, before grabbing Sachiko's make-up case, that she had bought just a week after they started working there.

"Do you know how to use this?" she asks, and Louis sighs. The answer is yes, but it's not because Sachiko taught him or anything like that. It's actually a little embarrassing to admit he used to help Cattleya with these things when he was younger. He tells Henrietta to sit down, and applies light make up to her face. Once done, he gives her a hairband and instructs her to tie her hair up in a ponytail.

The final result is amazing. Henrietta no longer looks a queen, but a simple, if rather flashy, town woman.

"Good, now that I'm finished, we can go" she says. They quietly sneak out of the attic and out through the cellar door. Once outside, they see a line of soldiers going up and down the street, all busy and in an altered state.

"It's going to look suspicious if the two of us walk out of the alley just like that. They might interrogate us" Louis whispers, to which Henrietta nods. She seems to be in thought for a moment, before suddenly grabbing his arm and clinging to him. Louis gasps, but she shushes him with a smile and a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"Let's take a walk, love" she purrs, squeezing his arm between her breasts. Louis feels his face getting really hot, but tries to keep his composure as much as he can as he nods, understanding immediately what Henrietta is trying to do. Since hiding would be too conspicuous, they have to act as lovers. They pass right in front of a guard, who barely gives them a glance before dismissing them completely, and once they're safe on the main street, they release sighs of relief.

"That was good" Henrietta says with a chuckle, earning a curious look from him. "Sorry, it's just… I only had to change my clothes and hairstyle and nobody recognized me. It's funny, but also a bit sad…" she murmurs. Louis takes her hand, surprising her.

"Maybe, but don't forget we were seen by someone who probably has only looked at your face once in his life, at most. A lot of people don't really know how you look" he tries to comfort her. Henrietta remains silent for a moment, before nodding. "So, where do you want to go now? I know a few places around the area, though I think you'll want to go as far away from here as possible" he comments, walking in no particular direction.

Henrietta nods, squeezing his hand lightly. "Exactly. I'll let you guide the way, alright?"

"Where the hell is Louis?" Jessica asks Sachiko, just as the other girl is carrying an order.

She blinks, confused, and frowns. "What do you mean? He's supposed to be in the kitchen" she says as she places the order on the table, giving a small smile to the client before turning to Jessica again.

The other girl shakes her head. "He's not there. The cooks said he went out to take out the trash but never came back. We don't have any more dishes, and they're just accumulating in the sink. Can you go to your room to see if he's not skipping work or something?"

Sachiko sighs. "You know he wouldn't do that. He's too uptight to skip work" however, she goes upstairs anyway. Opening the door to their room, she calls out, but nobody answers. Sachiko crosses her arms, wondering just where in the world that boy could be, when her eyes land on a pure white gown with exquisite design lying on the bed.

She lifts it, suspicious, and glances around.

"Hey, Derflinger" she approaches the sword, unsheathing it, "you know what this dress' doing here?" she asks. The sword sighs.

"After weeks without talking to me, is this the first thing you say, partner? Really, the least you could do is-"

"I talked to you yesterday. Don't exaggerate" she interrupts, rolling her eyes. For a sword, Derflinger has quite the low self-esteem when you don't pay attention to him for more than a few hours. "And I'll like you to answer me. Louis is nowhere to be found and I don't know how this dress appeared here" she says in a slightly nervous tone. Derflinger scoffs.

"Oh, yeah. He was here about half an hour ago with that princess-made-queen. She asked him to do her a favor and you know how that guy's a sucker for her. She changed dresses and they headed out somewhere" he explains. Sachiko frowns, feeling a sudden and unexpected burst of anger taking over her body at the mention of Henrietta. She came all the way from the palace to ask Louis a favor? How dare she, after everything that happened! Does she have no shame?!

"Is that so…" she says, her voice low and dangerous. "And tell me, what is this favor Her Majesty asked of him?" she doesn't know who she's angrier with. If Henrietta for doing this despite what they had already lived, or Louis, for accepting a request from her, again.

Derflinger briefly explains the situation. When he's finished, Sachiko is fuming. She stands up and quickly changes clothes. "To ask something so dangerous from Louis again, what's her problem? I get that she's the Queen of Tristain and all that, but she can't seriously believe that…!"

"Partner, where do you think you're going?" Derflinger can't help but ask as she grabs him and straps him on her back. She snorts.

"Going to find those two idiots and give them what they deserve. It's past time someone teaches them to stop playing secret agent" she growls. Derflinger makes a disapproving sound.

"Oh, and aren't you actually doing this because you're jealous that royal woman took your man away?" he asks in a mocking voice. Sachiko gasps, her face getting red in an instant.

"My man?! What are you talking about? Louis isn't my man! That's Shiro!" she retorts, aghast something like that even came out of Derflinger. There's also another emotion pushing in her chest, but she ignores that, instead concentrating in keeping her pulse under control. "And I'm not jealous! I'm just angry because Henrietta's once again taking advantage of Louis' devotion to her, and because Louis can't say no to her no matter how much she hurts him! Don't misinterpret things!"

"I don't think I'm misinterpreting anything. But I do think you should try being a little more honest, partner. For compulsive deniers, we already got the noble boy."

"And I'm saying you're wrong! Ugh, we don't have time for this!" she gets out of the room and sneaks through the cellar in the same way Louis and Henrietta did not long ago. Once outside, she asks Derflinger in a bland voice, "so, where do you think we should look for them?"

Derflinger remains silent, pondering whether he should keep bothering Sachiko or not, before finally deciding to just let go of the matter… for now. "Well, that princess-made-queen said something about a noble named Richmond, so maybe we could start there?" he suggests.

Sachiko nods, looking around. A lot of guards are going about the place, no doubt desperately looking for Henrietta. She considers asking them for directions, but instantly discards the idea. There is no way they would answer a simple question with the agitated state they seem to be in, especially to a 'commoner' like her.

"Maybe someone else might know…" she wonders out loud, starting to walk down the street.

In the sky, a thunder resounds.

They arrive at a cheap looking lodging house, the type that Louis is very wary of. He doesn't want to spend the night there, knowing already how those types of inns are, but Henrietta insists so much, saying that no one would think to look for her in a place like this, that he ends up giving up.

They pay the price for a night and are guided to a worn out room that makes even the Charming Fairies Inn's attic look majestic. The mattress from the bed looks dirty, not a single sheet to be seen. Soot stains cover the walls and there's a damp smell permeating the whole place.

Louis makes a sound of distaste.

"For the price, they could have given us something better. What a scam" he complains.

"No, it's alright. I don't plan to sleep anyway" Henrietta sits down, and fumbles with the lamp in the nightstand right beside the bed. With a swift click from her wand, the lamp lights up.

Louis sits down on a chair, a little away from her. He represses a groan when it makes a cringing sound, disliking everything about this room. Henrietta giggles.

"Ah, sorry Louis. It's just… you made a funny face" she explains, giving him a soft smile. He returns it with one of his own, and they remain in silence for a few minutes.

It's strange how, even if the room is anything but deserving of a guest like Henrietta, her sole presence illuminates it completely, giving it a feeling as if they're not in a worn out hotel room, but a palace bedroom. Louis knows she has that ability, being from the royal family, and thus, he can't keep his eyes away from her face, as she looks at the dancing flame with melancholic eyes.

Those eyes that tell him something is wrong. He clears his throat, gaining her attention.

"Henrietta, did something happen? You look…" he leaves the sentence hanging in the air. She stares at him for a moment, before sighing.

"Everything happened, Louis. This war… that night…" she looks away, suddenly ashamed, and he doesn't need to ask what she's referring to. The night she had been kidnapped by Prince Wales. It probably still hangs badly in her conscience. Without thinking, he stands up and goes to sit next to her. Henrietta leans on him as he passes an arm around her shoulders. "I'm so sorry for what happened. I was selfish, I…"

"Please, you don't have to…" Louis tries to comfort her, but she shakes her head.

"No, I have to. I was wrong. I thought of no one but me, and for that so many people died… I saw it all happen, the way they killed them, limbs flying, their screams…" she shudders, and Louis holds her tighter. "And then with you… I thought about what you said that night, about all the things I've done to you… and I'm sorry…" she starts sobbing, repeating the words 'sorry' over and over.

Louis caresses her hair, trying to calm her down. He doesn't need her apologies or anything of the sort. Actually, though he is assured in the fact she feels guilt over her actions, it makes a great deal of uncertainty weight down in his heart hearing her like this. He doesn't want to think of that night or the many things he said to her in the heat of the moment, or how she, herself, might feel about their common past and the things she once did to him. In that moment, the only thing Louis wants is for her to feel better, to comfort her and make her forget her worries. But he can't do more than hold her, until her body stops shaking and her breath returns to normal.

Once that happens, she slowly raises her head and dries her tears with the back of her hands. She's blushing, and under the light of the lamp she looks gorgeous. But it doesn't make his heart beat faster. It never has and it won't now. And that reassures him. Of what, he's not sure, but he's happy about it, even if he doesn't know why.

Without thinking, he places a hand against her cheek. Her eyes are red and puffy, and after his gesture they're also open in surprise. Louis doesn't pay attention to that, and instead rests his forehead against hers.

"I told you not to be sorry. I said a little more than I should have that night, but now it's alright" he smiles. "You cannot change the past, and I don't blame you for your decisions. I understand what you tried to tell me that night. When you're in love… you can't think straight…" Henrietta simply stares at him, dumbfounded. Her eyes are wide, and Louis thinks her breath has become a bit shaky, but he can't be sure.

Then, she lifts her hands, placing them on each side of his face. "Louis…" she whispers, her voice soft, getting closer…

A thunder resounds, the light illuminating the whole room for less than a second. Henrietta yelps, jumping away and covering her ears with her hands, trembling. Louis blinks, confused.

"Henrietta…"

"I don't like the rain… that night, it was raining…" she explains, shivering almost violently. Understanding, he sighs, and hugs her as he whispers comforting words in her hair. If just a little, she seems to calm down, even as the trembling continues, increasing slightly every time a thunder sounds.

The place wasn't difficult to find: a neighborhood for nobles, with big mansions and orderly and elegant streets. What's difficult is discerning which of the enormous houses belongs to the so called Lord Richmond. Sachiko stops for a moment, looking around and biting her lower lip in thought. The rain has picked up, and she had to pull on the hood of her parka to keep herself from becoming completely soaked. Not that it helps much. She's sure at the end of the night she's going to come down with something.

Getting frustrated, she wonders if she will have to knock on every house until she finds the one she's looking for, when she sees a figure mounting a horse approaching the place from a distance. She runs towards it, until she comes face to face with a blond woman wearing armor.

"Stop!" she says. The woman looks down at her, raising a delicate eyebrow. Her light blue eyes, almost completely covered by the hood she's wearing, examine her for a moment, making her feel uncomfortable. Sachiko feels like she has seen her before, but she can't place her face, so she decides to simply ask; "do you know by chance where I can find Lord Richmond's house?"

The short woman nods after a moment, pointing at a path right behind her. Her eyes, however, don't leave her face for even a second. "Why are you looking for Lord Richmond?" she asks. Her voice is strong and her tone commanding. Sachiko thinks for a moment, debating within herself whether to tell her the truth or not. She doesn't know this woman after all. However, another look at her makes her reevaluate.

The woman is wearing a robe with a lily coat of arms sewed on it. She recognizes it as Henrietta's personal coat of arms, from the times she had visited her with Louis in the palace. There's a sword at her hip, but, more importantly, there's also a gun attached to the other side. Sachiko has never seen a guard armed with one before. She has no wand, so she suspects she might be a commoner. However, the coat of arms is what finally convinces her. She must be someone close to the queen to wear it.

"My name is Hiraga Sachiko, and I'm Louis de La Vallière's familiar. My master disappeared around an hour ago with the Queen, so I'm looking for them. I've been told they might be around here or at least where Lord Richmond is" she explains, lifting her left hand to show her the runes inscribed there.

The woman looks at her hand hardly, making Sachiko feel as if she's staring into her very soul, until finally, she nods and gestures with her head behind her.

"Then come with me. Her Majesty has told me about her best friend Louis de La Vallière and his human familiar. I want you to tell me how you know about Her Majesty disappearing with your master, and who told you about Lord Richmond."

"My sword witnessed a conversation between them and told me everything" she says, taking the offered hand and getting on the horse with the woman's help. She's surprisingly strong, for someone so delicate looking.

"Your sword?" she asks with incredulity.

Derflinger takes the cue to speak up, "that's right! I told partner everything!" causing the woman to gasp in surprise.

"An intelligent, sentient sword! I never thought I would actually meet one in my lifetime."

"That's right! You must be really honored, getting to know someone like m-"

"Now's not the time, Derf!" Sachiko interrupts, rolling her eyes. The sword complains a little, but she easily ignores him, glancing at the woman intently. "As you can see, I'm aware of the situation. We should head to Lord Richmond's house immediately."

"I would say" she spurs her horse, and as they're on their way, Sachiko realizes she doesn't know the woman's name. "I am Her Majesty's musketeer, Commander Agnes" she says simply when asked before the two disappear within the darkness of the night.

Louis holds Henrietta as she trembles, waiting for the rain to let out. Luckily, it starts to diminish after a while, and with it, Henrietta's shaking disappears little by little. Once it's nothing but a drizzle, Henrietta puts her hands on his chest, and pushes in order to put a little distance between them. She sniffles, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Thank you, Louis. A-and sorry too, your shirt's wet…" she says, glancing at his chest with embarrassed eyes.

Louis glances down, seeing it's true, but shrugs it off. "It's not important. Are you feeling better?" he asks with concern. She gives a weak nod. Then, she smiles softly.

"I still haven't thank you properly for what you're doing. The information you give me is really important, without it, we would have never found out someone was leaking information from the palace. You're doing a fantastic job" she whispers. Louis' mood lightens up slightly after hearing this.

"I hope. I'm just glad for being useful to Your Majesty. Though all the information is recollected by Sachiko. She's the one being a waitress at the inn. I only wash dishes" he reveals with a regretful expression. Henrietta tilts her head to the side.

"Your familiar… Sachiko, right?" he nods. "She seems like a really cheerful person" she compliments, even though she's frowning slightly. She remembers that time at the palace, when she said 'you better heed your own advice first' after she told Louis not to use his power recklessly. Even now, those words haunt her in every reunion with the military committee, when she has to make a decision about the war, and when she reads Louis' letters, relating the rumors from the street. Her disapproving face is always in her mind's eye, making her wonder what exactly she's doing with this war.

"Henrietta?" Louis calls her, snapping her out of her daydreams. She shakes her head, giving another soft smile.

"I'm sorry. I got caught up in some memories. You know… I would like to get to know your familiar better" she suddenly says, surprising Louis. "I think… she can give me a good eye-opening about various situations" she comments quite mysteriously. The boy frowns.

"What do you mean by that? Did something happen with Sachiko?"

"Oh, not at all. It's just…" she bites her lip, before sighing. "It might just be me, but there's something about her… something different from any other person I've ever met. Dare I say something… otherworldly" she says, causing Louis to tense. There's no way for Henrietta to know, to even begin to imagine how true her words are. And yet, they're so close to the truth Louis can't help but feel nervous. To think other people would catch up on Sachiko's aura being different than that of ordinary people… "I can't help but think her opinion will be really valuable" she continues, unaware of Louis' anxiety.

"…she does have a way about her that-"

As he's saying this, someone suddenly knocks on the door. They freeze, hearing the rough voice of a man calling out; "Open up! Open the door! It is the royal police! We are searching for runaway criminals hiding in this inn! Open up now!"

Louis and Henrietta look at each other.

"Just our luck" Louis groans. "They're not looking for you, but they still are from the palace…"

"It's alright, let them go away, stay silent" Henrietta instructs.

However, the knob begins to turn. These guys are really insistent. Henrietta clicks her tongue in a very unlady-like manner, displeased.

"Not good" she complains, before grabbing Louis by the shoulders and pushing him on the bed. At the same time, the soldiers kick open the door, but freeze when they see the young couple making out on the bed.

"…T-they seem to be sheltering from the rain, and enjoying it a lot…"

"Damn, let's finish up checking the others."

The door is closed, and Henrietta pulls away from Louis. Her face is flushed. She looks away, embarrassed.

"Sorry for that" she mutters.

But Louis doesn't answer. He stares at the ceiling, his eyes wide and his breathing shallow. Henrietta just… she just…

As fast as he can, he drags himself as far away from her on the bed as is possible. Henrietta's kiss is not something unfamiliar to him. At one point in his life, it was even something he looked forward to, no matter how uncomfortable it might have made him at the beginning. But now is different. After Wales, after Sachiko, he can't just ever feel at ease with her anymore. Not with this kind of thing.

"Louis" she whispers, and his eyes snap back towards her. Before he can say anything, her lips are back on his, slow, deliberate, trying to coerce him into accepting her. When her tongue brushes against his lips, he finally pushes her back, albeit gently, by the shoulders. Henrietta blinks, as if just waking up from a dream, and looks at him confusedly. "Louis…?"

"Don't do that" he asks, standing up. He sits again on the chair, refusing to look at her, his face feeling hot. Silence envelops the two, so thick it's almost unbearable, until Henrietta laughs, self-deprecatingly.

"I see… I didn't even realize… I'm sorry, Louis" she whispers, voice low and full of shame. Louis sighs.

"I'm not eleven anymore. You can't just… I understand the first kiss was to fool the police, but the second…" he's fumbling for words. It might be better to keep quiet and forget the matter altogether, but something is pressing against his chest, an unknown emotion he just can't contain anymore. "Why would you even…?"

"I'm lonely" she says, simple words that need no more explanation. Louis deflates, but he shouldn't be surprised. When it comes to Henrietta, it's always only about her and her needs. "I'm so… lonely… I know it's been almost two months, but… but it feels just like yesterday. I haven't had time to process it all… or grieve…" she starts crying, silently, and Louis feels like he's drowning.

"Henrietta…"

"It was wrong of me to try to use you as a distraction. I promise you I won't try anything again, so… could you please… please just hold me?" she lifts her arms, calling him over to her. Louis doesn't move, his whole body full of tension, but Henrietta doesn't desist. "Please… as a friend… it's all I ask…"

A few seconds pass, before, finally, Louis stands up. He walks over to her, and before he can properly sit on the bed, she's already leaning on him, clinging to him as if her life depends on it. Louis can do nothing more but hold her, as he has been doing ever since they stepped foot in this inn. Without knowing how or why, they end up lying on the bed, but Henrietta keeps her promise, and doesn't try anything with him anymore.

She only cries, until, after what feels like hours, she falls asleep in his arms.

Louis looks at the flame of the lamp dancing, unable to do the same.

"I think I know where I saw you before" Agnes suddenly says, catching Sachiko's attention, who only looks at the back of her head curiously. They are both sitting atop the horse, hidden behind a tree and some bushes and keeping watch over what the other woman has told her is Lord Richmond's house. Despite wanting to go in immediately to look for Louis and Henrietta, Agnes had stopped her, telling her they had to wait. For what, she isn't really sure and the woman had not answered when she asked, but she had been so commanding and sure when telling her their orders that Sachiko had little choice but to accept and stay put.

"What are you talking about? Have we met before?" she asks, surprised at the implication. Agnes nods, but her eyes are glued to the house. The rain from before had eventually turn into a light drizzle, but her clothes are still wet. It's a little chilly, and she wants to get closer to Agnes to at least share some body heat, but the older woman looks so serious and straight-laced she's afraid of doing so. She is actually very surprised she has initiated casual conversation after being quiet for almost half an hour.

"A few months ago, at the training grounds of the Manticore Corps. I was practicing my swordsmanship and you were up in the balcony, watching… you had a cloak then, so I thought you were a noble" she explains. Sachiko frowns, trying to recall when she could have been at that kind of place wearing a cloak when…

"Ah! I remember! Wow, was that you?" she looks at Agnes with new, sparkling eyes. "You have really good memory! I totally forgot about that. But wait, aren't you a commoner then?" she asks, frowning. She might be wrong, but didn't one have to be a noble in order to be part of an Imperial Corps, more so the commander of one?

"Was. Her Majesty appointed me as a chevalier not long ago. The Musketeers is a brand new corps made out of only women with no magical abilities, whose sole purpose is to protect and obey the Queen" she says, surprising Sachiko.

"Women with no magical abilities? You mean, commoners?"

"Yes."

"But then, why are you a chevalier? And how did you become one? I thought commoners could not become nobles by law…"

"As the commander of an Imperial Corps, I must be a noble. I accepted the title simply for convenience, as otherwise the people at court would have complained even more. And the Queen herself knighted me. Not much one can protest when it comes to that" she shrugs. Sachiko hums.

"You're right…"

"He's here" Agnes says then, and Sachiko looks towards the front of the house immediately. A figure in horseback is leaving the mansion. They wait for a few seconds before Agnes spurs her horse after the figure, all the time keeping a small distance.

They rapidly pass the residential area and enter a suspicious district. The figure disappears into a secluded alley, Agnes' horse quietly following. They see the figure descend his horse and enter a hotel. Agnes ties her horse to a pole and gestures for Sachiko to follow her.

They elbow their way through the mass of people at the bar, until they can see the figure from before –a boy– going up to the second floor. From the staircase, Agnes tries to see through which door the boy entered, but they have already lost him. Clicking her tongue, she turns to Sachiko and gives her an appreciative look.

"Take off that thing" she commands, pointing at her parka. Sachiko frowns, but does as told. She leaves her things on the floor out of view, behind Agnes, and leans towards her like the woman asks her to. She's trembling, her white tank top completely wet and see-through by that point. Her bra is showing and it's just too embarrassing.

"Good" Agnes nods, not looking at her but staring up the stairs. She puts her hands on Sachiko's shoulders, making her nervous. When the boy gets out of the room and Agnes manages to confirm the door, she leans in and gives Sachiko a kiss.

Sachiko tenses, her eyes wide and her face starting to flush. Agnes is a bit forceful, squeezing her shoulders as if telling her to relax. However, the gesture only makes her more aware of what's happening, and she tries to wriggle free, in vain.

After a few more seconds, Agnes finally releases her.

"W-what are you doing?" she practically shouts, her voice trembling even though she's trying hard to maintain an even tone. Agnes shrugs.

"Relax, I don't swing that way, this is duty" she says, pointing outside, where Sachiko sees the same boy from before through the window, straddling his horse and leaving. She blinks before blushing even more, realizing why Agnes had done that.

"Neither do I! But was it really necessary?" with Agnes is already two women! She has kissed two women! Why is it the same amount as the men?!

Agnes turns to the stairs, nodding. "I needed to know which room he came from. Come on, we don't have any time to lose."

Sachiko wants to protest, but the older woman is quickly leaving her behind. Mumbling to herself, she recovers her things and goes after her.

Not making a sound with her footsteps, Agnes silently approaches the door. She squats, gaining impulse, before Sachiko stops her. "You're going to give yourself away if you don't get it on your first try" she whispers.

"And what do you suggest?" she asks seriously. Sachiko grabs Derflinger's hilt with her left hand without unsheathing it. She just needs to touch a weapon for a moment to feel the sudden burst of energy coursing through her body. Taking a few steps back, she charges, giving the door a strong kick and taking it down.

The man inside screeches, standing up from the table he was leaning on and making to grab his wand. However, Agnes is faster. She takes out her sword and stabs it just centimeters from his hand, preventing him from reaching for his only weapon.

"Do not move!" she shouts.

Because of the commotion, people from the bar and neighboring rooms go to see what's happening, but Sachiko shushes them away. "This is just an arrest. Please don't come closer" she says, and they all withdraw almost instantly, not wanting any trouble.

Agnes asks Sachiko to handcuff and watch over the man as she searches for something on his desk. She stares at the noble, wondering. He is not Lord Richmond, that much she's aware of. "Who is this supposed to be?" she asks, because she believed they would be apprehending Richmond, not some random man.

"Albion's rat. A link on the enemy's side" she explains, before finding what she's looking for. She approaches the duo and yanks the man's hair until he's looking at her. "Now, you will spill. I have the letter, so you're going to tell me who is giving you information and where."

The man says nothing, glaring at her with disgust, so Agnes takes out the gun from her belt, pointing it at the side of his head. "Now" she commands, terrifying both the noble and Sachiko.

By dawn, Sachiko already knows perfectly well everything that's going on. She follows Agnes to a familiar place: The Tristain Royal Theatre. In front of the building, two figures are waiting, and Sachiko feels the rage she had all but forgotten rise once again when she sees just who those two figures are.

"Louis!" she calls, running towards them. The boy raises his head, and looks surprised at his familiar's approaching form.

"Sachiko?!" he exclaims, before out of nowhere she hugs hum, snatching all the air from his lungs. "W-W-What?! Don't do that!" he yells, trying to push her away, his face already a ripe red color. Sachiko pouts, separating with reluctance and crossing her arms.

"You disappeared yesterday" she says in an accusing tone. He raises an eyebrow, turning a bit away so his red face won't be so obvious. His heart is still beating fast. Why did Sachiko hug him all of a sudden?

"Sorry, I didn't know I had to inform you beforehand" he says with sarcasm, covering up his embarrassment. She rolls her eyes.

"I was worried something happened to you! Luckily Derflinger heard your conversation. Why did you have to go…?" she's ready to start rambling when her eyes suddenly land on Henrietta. Although she knew she had taken one of her dresses with her, and even though she doesn't even like those dresses to begin with, the sight of her wearing it makes her boil with anger.

The young queen gives a nervous smile, sensing the change in mood. "I apologize for taking Louis without permission yesterday, but it was important" she says, before realizing Sachiko's eyes are on the dress. "Oh, and I hope you don't mind I borrowed this for a little while. I promise to return it to you once I have it cleaned" she grabs and edge of the dress and tilts her head innocently to the side, looking for forgiveness.

This just makes Sachiko even angrier.

However, she knows better than to act on her feelings. She is still a queen, after all. Not counting Louis and Agnes are there. She can't just dismiss her in front of her childhood friend and commander. With her head a little cooler after thinking of the consequences, she lets out a reluctant sigh.

"S' alright. You don't have to worry about anything, Your Majesty" she shrugs, trying to show as much respect as she can and doing a good job at pretending she doesn't care. Or at least, she hopes so. She can speak with Louis about his obsession with doing Henrietta favors later, when they are alone. For now, she can keep her head low.

Henrietta smiles at this, just as Agnes puts a hand on her shoulder. "The Manticore Corps are almost here, Your Majesty. I'm waiting for your orders."

The queen nods. "Thank you, you did really well."

Then, a group of people appears in front of the theatre. Even if Agnes had not called them by name Sachiko would have recognized them immediately thanks to their magical beasts. She tries to look for Domenic and the other boys she had met that day at the palace, but they are not there. Perhaps they still haven't made it to knights?

The commander, seeing Henrietta from a distance, runs towards them, arriving just a few seconds later at their side. "Your Majesty! We were worried! Where were you? We have been searching for you all night!" he exclaims anxiously, at the verge of tears.

Henrietta raises a hand. Compared to before, her demeanor has changed completely. She was no longer the girl looking slightly nervous at Sachiko's enraged glare, but a regal ruler. The change was quite something to behold.

"I am sorry for causing you anxiety. I will explain later. For now, Commander, just follow my orders" she says. The commander eagerly nods, waiting. "With the corps under your command, please encircle the Royal Theatre. Do not let anyone in or out."

"As you wish" the commander replies, bowing. He turns around and starts giving out commands, barely sparing a glance for her and Louis, although it's obvious he's recognized them. Henrietta turns to the boy.

"Thank you… for everything. And I apologize once again…" she begins, but Louis shakes his head.

"It's alright. You have a mission to complete, no? You should go" he replies, smiling. Henrietta smiles back.

"I do. Wish me luck" she winks, showing once again her mischievous side, and leaves. Agnes, having some other secret things to do, mounts her horse and rides off somewhere. In the end, only Louis and Sachiko remain.

Louis heaves a deep sigh. "What a night. But I'm worried, letting her enter that place alone. She told me to stay here, but…"

"She'll be alright" Sachiko replies in a harsh tone. Louis looks at her, frowning.

"And just what's the deal with you? You looked about ready to murder Henrietta a few minutes ago. Really, what to expect from a common girl like you" he scoffs. Sachiko growls.

"Well, sorry for worrying about you!" she shouts, some tears prickling at her eyes. Louis takes a step back, surprised at the intensity of her reaction. "When Derflinger told me you went off with Henrietta the first thing I thought was that she was doing it again! Taking advantage of your devotion to her like you said the day she was kidnapped! I was, no, I am angry because of the way you always do everything she says even though it hurts you! I cannot even begin to say how incredibly-!"

"Ok, ok, I got it!" Louis puts a hand on her mouth to stop her rambling, and she fights back for just a moment before reluctantly relaxing. She looks at him with an accusatory look and he rolls his eyes. "Geez, if I had known it would affect you so much… can you stop talking for five minutes so I can say something?" he asks seriously. He can feel the way she purses her lips, but she nods, so he releases her. He sighs, collecting his thoughts before saying; "alright, I thank you for worrying about my wellbeing and for my feelings, but it's really unnecessary. What happens between Henrietta and I should not concern you. I mean, I'm grateful for the gesture, but…"

"But you don't want me meddling in your affairs with Henrietta, is that right?" she asks, frowning. He nods.

"Exactly. And you shouldn't use her name so freely. She is the Queen, and therefore, you should…"

"You know something Louis? You're an idiot" Sachiko interrupts, before walking away. Louis blinks, taken aback at her words, but when they finally catch up with his brain, he frowns, starting to walk after her.

"What did you just call me? How am I an idiot, huh?"

"You just don't seem to understand anything, do you?"

"Why are you so angry, again?"

"If you don't understand, then that makes you even more of an idiot!"

"Stop calling me an idiot, you stupid woman!"

"Who are you calling stupid?!"

"Obviously you, stupid!"

Three days later, Louis is washing the dishes at the inn. Scarron had deducted them the money from the night they were out helping Henrietta enact her plan, but neither he nor Sachiko care much about that. He's more worried about how everything went after they left. He knows from rumors that Lord Richmond is dead, but the details are lost to him.

He sighs. Since that day, he and Sachiko don't talk. She's angry at him because of reasons he can't comprehend, and even took offense at the fact he doesn't understand what's wrong with her! That alone was enough to make him angry as well, and because of that, they had ignored each other for the past few days.

Although to be honest, he misses hearing her voice or seeing her smiling at him already. However, he won't be the first to break the ice, and so, he waits, sulking to himself.

As if she had read his thoughts, she enters the kitchen. He rapidly does his best to ignore her, but she stands right in front of him and crosses her arms. "The Queen is here" she whispers, her tone icy. He looks up at that and she turns around, urging him to follow her.

In a room on the second floor, two people are seated around a table. He recognizes one as the blond woman he had seen Sachiko with the other day, while the other, who is obviously Henrietta, has a hood over her head. Sachiko closes the door behind them and they sit down.

"Good night, Louis" the queen removes her hood, smiling softly at him. Louis returns the smile, but doesn't miss the way Sachiko seems to tense at this. He huffs internally.

"Good night, Henrietta, and…" he looks at the blond woman.

"Just Agnes" she says, shaking his hand. Louis nods, before turning back to Henrietta.

"So, could I know the reason for your sudden visit?" he asks politely.

Henrietta takes something from inside her cloak and passes it to him. It's a tiny box wrapped in gorgeous golden paper. "As a small thank you for the other night… I want you to have this" she says. Louis takes the box as he shakes his head.

"It wasn't necessary. Helping you was my honor" he opens the box, seeing a row of gourmet chocolates in it. He smiles. "Are these from that famous chocolatier?" he comments in a light tone. Henrietta nods.

"I had them especially made for you. I hope you still like chocolate?" Louis nods, and she sighs with relief. Then, she turns to Sachiko. "And I also want to give this back to you" she gives her the black dress she had borrowed a few days ago, pressed and folded in a delicate bag as if it is a luxury item. Sachiko accepts it with a bow, but says nothing else. Henrietta sighs. "I guess you already know what happened with Richmond, don't you?" she asks, looking at the both of them.

"He's dead" Sachiko says dryly. "They say you killed him" she looks at Agnes, who gives a dismissing shrug.

"He was threatening me, but I guess I was lucky."

"You look wounded, are you sure you're alright?" the black-haired girl asks, this time with a softer tone. Agnes nods, smiling just a bit.

"Yes, Her Majesty took care of much of my injuries. For that I'm grateful" Sachiko nods, and goes back to her little shell.

In that moment, Henrietta realizes something. "You two know each other already?" she asks, curious. Sachiko blushes, but Agnes laughs.

"Oh yeah, that was an unforgettable night, wasn't it, Hiraga Sachiko?" she says, sipping her drink with the smile still on her face. Sachiko blushes even more at that.

"Undoubtedly, Commander Agnes, but I have to say it left a lot to be desired, the way you came up with the plan…" she desperately tries to get back at her. Agnes rolls her eyes.

"It was the only way to locate the room without the messenger suspecting us. What I did was necessary."

"Um, sorry to interrupt, but… what are you talking about?" Henrietta asks, staring at them both.

"Nothing, just that to trick the enemy we had to kiss, and Sachiko here seems to be a little mad at me for it" Agnes answers, laughing again. The girl covers her face with her hands, completely embarrassed. "Oh, don't make that face, you have to admit it was hilarious!" she gulps down what rests of her drink and keeps laughing. Sachiko sighs.

"Sure, whatever you say…" then, she notices from the corner of her eye the way Louis and Henrietta look at each other, before averting their gazes, blushing. The two had been reminded of their own kisses after Agnes mentioned hers with Sachiko. At their coy display, the young girl feels the blood going to her head, this time from a different emotion. Did something happen between them she's unaware of?

"W-well then, since there are a few more things to do, we should get ready to leave, Agnes" Henrietta says briskly, standing up.

"Eh? I thought we were going to have drinks all night long?" the blond woman asks, confused.

"I'm worried about your wounds…" the queen mutters with concern. "Well then, Louis, S-Sachiko, if you forgive us…" Henrietta hurriedly leaves the room. Agnes, who looks completely lost, follows.

That leaves just the two of them, again.

"Well, since this was it, I better go back to work" Louis says indifferently, also trying to leave. Sachiko reaches for his sleeve and stops him. "Huh? You want something?" he asks in a cold tone. The girl sighs.

"I'm tired of being mad at you, since I realized you won't understand anything soon…"

"Sachiko…" he says in a warning tone.

"B-but I saw something and…" and she has no idea why she cares, but she does, and the doubt is eating her alive, "did something happen between you and Henrietta that night?" she asks, slowly raising her head and looking at him with watery eyes. Louis blinks, surprised at that look, and quickly turns away, as her expression is making him feel light-headed. Is she even aware of the kind of face she's making?

"Nothing you need to worry about" he answers too quickly for her to believe him. She opens her mouth to protest but he's faster. "Why do you care so much, anyway? I told you already, my business with Henrietta has nothing to with you."

"I-It's not like I particularly care…" she tries to lie, because even herself doesn't understand it. She doesn't want Henrietta to take advantage of Louis anymore, but there's also another feeling she keeps pushing back, unwilling to acknowledge it. "It's just…"

"Ah, you're so noisy" Louis manages to get his arm free, and before she can react, he opens the box with chocolates and puts one inside her mouth. "Here, have one, they're tasty. And I accept your apology" he says, walking away. Sachiko stands up.

"Mmm, mmm!" she calls out, but he's already gone. She wants to say 'I wasn't apologizing' and then insist about the thing with Henrietta, but Louis' right, the chocolate is tasty, and it would be a shame not taking her time to savor it correctly.

N/A: Let me introduce you all to another love triangle: Sachiko/Louis/Henrietta. And this one, oh, this one's going to be angsty as hell.