A/N: Oh. My. God. This chapter was actually longer than my longest chapter in one of my other stories, Soar, despite the other chapter being action. And bro, this is like...skipping through a bunch of scenes.

I'm not sure how many of you are involved with my other stories or have checked my profile, but right now real life is overwhelming me. Luckily I had most of this already written, but it may be a while before the next update.

Actual word count: 5817.

Age 9 (continued)

It was late morning, long after a rigorous routine of meditation and unsuccessful attempts at magic, when Yamuraiha was met by an ecstatic looking Mira. Her blonde longtime companion was nearly bouncing on her heels as she delivered the news, almost completely in one breath.

"The King is declaring a day off for all of the servants in honor of the anniversary of the fifth year of his wife's passing," Mira exclaimed, grasping Yamuraiha's hands excitedly as she relayed the news. "Everyone's getting a day off: the cooks, the maids, and even the guards, since they've shortened their shifts. I was thinking that we could go visit Histok and the rest of our friends."

Yamuraiha knew that she was definitely grinning very widely, as Mira huffed and lightly punched the girl on the shoulder. "Don't give me that look," she scolded, but the blonde's face was considerably redder than before. "I just think it'd be good for you to socialize more, and I haven't talked to Regina recently."

At Yamuraiha's knowing smirk, Mira finally gave up and just decided to drag her charge towards the direction of Isaac's mother's house. "Come on, you," she muttered.

Yamuraiha grinned.

.

.

"Ah, Histok, it's Yamuraiha and Mira!" Regina proclaimed, throwing open the door and pulling the two girls inside. "Just in time to help us with the almond cookies. Come inside, come inside you two. It's so nice to see you again, little Yamuraiha."

From in the kitchen, Yamuraiha could hear a small laugh coming from Isaac's mother. The woman popped her head out, giving Yamuraiha and Mira a warm smile as she beckoned for them to come closer. Her hands were dusted with flour, and the ivory white powder was spilt all over the kitchen floor as well. Yamuraiha glanced around the small kitchen, noting that all the occupants were covered in flour from head to toe.

"...we're trying to make almond cookies for most of the staff," Isaac explained, simply and shortly. "I think they're also trying to do some kind of coconut pastry, but it looks more like a lump of goop."

Histok let out a groan and attempted to brush some of the flour out of his hair, only managing to instead spread more flour on his hair with his hands. He blushed a furious red when Mira wandered over to him and attempted to help him, although the golden haired girl was a similar shade.

Even Regina, beautiful and kind Regina, was covered in flour, although she seemed much more at ease with it than the two male occupants of the room. Isaac's mother attempted to hoist a fallen flour bag back up on the counter, but only succeeded in dropping it again, resulting in a cloud of flour enveloping the entire room and covering it with a thin white layer.

Yamuraiha couldn't help it: she giggled. She actually, legitly and childishly, giggled, and that action caused both Histok and Isaac to glance warily at her. It was as if they were expecting her to explode or begin to tell them that they looked like idiots, and ordinarily Yamuraiha would have happily pointed out how stupid they looked, but unfortunately she was also covered in flour from Isaac's mother's attempt at managing the flour bag. Glancing at Mira, the two nodded in unison, an unspoken message passed between the two girls.

Slowly, almost methodically, Yamuraiha rolled up her sleeves and allowed Regina to tie her hair up in two ponytails for her, deciding to put her kitchen experience to best use.

.

After they had finished baking successfully not only almond cookies, but the coconut pastries Isaac had mentioned earlier, they had donated a large amount of the sweets to the sour guards who had to stay on duty to protect the palace. It was nice, especially when one guard thanked her and another complimented her on the teardrop necklace she wore around her neck.

.

For years to come, Yamuraiha would associate sweets and baking with some of her happiest moments from her childhood, just barely above board games.

"Sharrar," she murmured, concentrating very hard. Yamuraiha hoped that some magical mist would appear out of nowhere, but her plan was not working very well. She knew that it was risky to try to perform magic in the castle, but she couldn't resist the temptation for very long. At the very least, she was working in a secluded glade out in the palace gardens that Dunya had showed her once. She had finished her kitchen work extra early, and before the cook could protest, had slipped away. There were perks to being the favorite servant of the royal family.

Yamuraiha wasn't sure if she could actually command the Rukh without using a staff of some kind, but there wasn't any way for her to obtain it. She was in a country that banned magic itself. She didn't recall any magicians who didn't use some sort of wand or staff to assist them in casting spells, but barehanded was the best she could do.

So far, her efforts had been proven fruitless. However, Yamuraiha supposed that she couldn't expect results very quickly, and resolved to keep trying. She had taken her hand at meditation as well, as the book advised for a level mindset in order to truly become one with the Rukh. She was lucky enough that she wasn't a person who needed a lot of sleep, because Yamuraiha typically slept for five hours before waking up in the early morning to meditate and attempt to do spells before heading off to do whatever menial labor the servants had set out for her for the day. Mira didn't come to check on her until five.

"Dangit, I thought that Water Magic would be sort of easy since Yamuraiha…" She trailed off. She didn't like being reminded of the life that she had stolen. Yamu was a genius Water Magician. Raiha, or Yamuraiha, on the other hand, was not. Yamuraiha preferred the nickname 'Raiha' over 'Yamu', as just thinking of her alternate self made her always want to compare.

Yamuraiha tried again, this time focusing much more on the atmosphere around her. Although there was still no result, she almost felt a...buzz around her, as if the Rukh itself was buzzing wildly. But that was probably her imagination, she concluded, closing her eyes. Only Magi could see the Rukh, and Yamuraiha was afraid of what would happen if she did.

Seeing the Rukh would be a burden. Knowing the nature of someone just from the air around them...she would much rather find out about them herself, and be wary of all. Not only that, but Yamuraiha had a dark feeling that the Rukh surrounding her would not all be pure.

She was an Abnormality.

This version of Yamuraiha, 'Raiha', did not deserve to exist again. Seeing as Raiha did not want to die, she supposed she had to live. And if she was going to live, instead of erasing the anomaly of Raiha that lived in this world, she was going to live right. If she had stolen Yamu's life for her own, the least she could do was live it to the fullest. She would redeem her existence itself: that was her one and only goal.

"One more time," she hissed. Yamu had used her wand...staff...thing to fly. Flying defied Physics for god's sake. Surely Raiha could perform magic without using a wand. She refused for the past three months of waking up early to amount to nothing, they couldn't amount to nothing. It could not. She wouldn't just guide the Rukh, for God's sake, she was going to command it. It would bow to her if she had to make it do so to perform magic. This time, pure anger fueled her as she shut her eyes, concentrating as she murmured, "Sharrar."

Hisssssss.

Yamuraiha's eyes flew open, and her jaw dropped as she saw the faintest bit of mist forming around her. It wasn't perfect, and the anger probably made her spell work worse, but it was still a start. "...yes. Yes. Yes!" She jumped up into the air, pumping her fist up triumphantly. "I did it, finally! I did it!"

She was so caught up with her victory that she did not notice that someone was approaching, so Yamuraiha was completely caught off guard when she heard a voice. The footsteps stopped in their tracks.

"...Raiha?"

Yamuraiha froze immediately at the familiar nickname. Her mind whirred with thoughts. She was caught she was caught she was caught she was done for they were going toexecuteherandshewould-

"Raiha, what are you doing?" Nick asked warily. The green haired boy stepped closer to her, his hands shaking slightly as he watched the mist warily, as if it was a curse. Knowing the way that the prince must have been brought up, he probably did think that it was a curse. "Was that just...magic?"

She had fallen silent, her mind running so fast that she couldn't keep up. Yamuraiha's blue bangs shielded her eyes, but her silence was enough for Nick to conclude what his longtime companion (she had refused to use the title 'friends', as that would imply they were on amiable terms: and their rivalry when it came to board games indicated nothing of the sort, and had refused the title 'enemies' because they knew they were more than that) had done.

"Raiha...do you realize what you have done?" His voice raised in panic. "Magic is outlawed in the kingdom, you idiot! And you, you especially...they've been watching you for signs of magic because of your father. How can you be so stupid? Why would you put yourself at risk?"

Her ears were still buzzing as instead of the partly shocked, partly exasperated, and partly angry face of Nick in front of her, she saw and heard different words from a different life. ("They're gone! They're gone...and they're not coming back. Why do you keep hurting yourself? How can you be so stupid? You're free now...you're free...")

"I wanted to!" Her sudden reply left him stopping in his tracks. Her voice broke as she repeated, her fierce teal eyes meeting his surprised stormy gray. "I wanted to, okay?"

"I thought you were…" His voice broke off as he shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "Never mind. We need to get you away from here before they notice...you'll be killed, Raiha. Neither Dunya nor I will be able to stop it."

"Why would you care?" She threw back, and Yamuraiha knew that she was just digging a deeper hole for herself but she couldn't find the will to stop talking.

"We are your friends," he said firmly, and that sudden confirmation of status was enough to throw Yamuraiha for a loop as she simply blinked at him in surprise for a moment. A red, heated blush spread over his face as he looked away, face contorted into a scowl. "What, do you want me to repeat that again for you?"

"N-no, I just didn't expect…" Yamuraiha really didn't think that they were that way. She was just Raiha, the girl who was not a part of this world. She wasn't someone who actually deserved to have friends: she had stolen this life for her own. She didn't belong here.

There was a brief moment of silence as Yamuraiha just watched Nick's face grow redder and redder.

"Ah, just forget it," Nick said quickly. "But we need to get you out of here. I suspected that something like this might happen, especially since you were always sneaking off somewhere during the morning-"

"How'd you know?" She blurted out, and the boy gave her a flat look. Ah, right. Forgot that he was a crazy super-prince that woke up at early hours to do paperwork. She usually helped him with that in the evening now, after she finished all her chores as a servant. He probably noticed her absence every once in awhile. A bitter laugh resounded from her. "Well, I've been found out."

"This isn't funny," he hissed, shoving the girl along. "I've alerted Isaac and Dunya. You're going to be heading out of this country as soon as possible. Head to the Central Desert. Heck, head to Balbadd. Just get out of my father's reach, or he'll have you…"

Yamuraiha never got to hear him finish his sentence, as the world turned black.

.

.

.

"Fuck," Yamuraiha swore in her first and native tongue. Luckily no country in the world spoke English, or she might have been in more trouble than she already was in. Groggily, she opened her eyes and immediately took in the situation. The room was completely white, and she was strapped to a completely white chair. Were they going to try the white room treatment on her?

If so, Yamuraiha was going to just call bullshit and meditate. She could handle a bit of isolation: she'd suffered through plenty of that in her past life.

"I am not sure of what you just said, but I don't think it was very pleasant," a voice said behind her. Yamuraiha inched her head to the right, and her eyes widened.

"King Al-Qadir," she addressed as respectfully as she could, although a bit of sarcasm seeped into her voice as she met Dunya and Nick's father's eyes. "A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."

"You must be wondering why you are here and not dead," he mused, and Yamuraiha immediately flinched. He paused for a moment, his eyes undeniably hard as he examined her from head to toe. He continued to stroll back and forth in the room, his paces almost mesmerizing as her eyes followed him. Finally, he stopped pacing as he stood still, saying, "Well, to answer, my daughter and son have both taken a liking to you, although I can not discern why. Perhaps you bewitched them."

"I would never," she hissed at the accusation, her pupils dilating. Although the words felt slightly unnatural on her tongue, the slight edge of affection that leaked into her voice was true. "Princess Dunya and Nick...Prince Nicholas are my friends."

"No matter." The king easily waved away the matter, and he stepped a bit closer to her. "It would be terrible if Dunya would begin to ignore me or cry just because I killed off her little magician friend. But at the same time, I can not let you go alive as long as you are a threat to Musta'sim. What, now you might say, should I do? Kill you and be done with the matter? Or let you go?"

Yamuraiha stayed silent for a moment, but years of experience with politics from her past life (smile, my dear, her father's voice whispered in her mind) helped her make her decision easier. She had to remain calm, keep her emotions concealed. Any kind of information at this point was extremely important and essential to her survival. Clearing her eyes of any fear, a small smirk crawled over her features. Self confidence. She straightened her posture and smoothened out her facial features to a neutral expression as she leaned in closer to him. "I propose a deal."

"A deal?" The man looked amused, as if he already had predicted she would do such a thing. Yamuraiha was undeterred.

"You are losing the war against Magnoshutatt," she stated bluntly. She closed her eyes, recalling all the knowledge she had gained through accessing castle gossip through Mira, as well as the tidbits of information she had gleaned from long hours of working with Nick on the country's paperwork. "Your own people are against you, and the people of the court can not be trusted. My allegiance is not to you, but your children. However, it is undeniable that I am a magician, and a well-known magician's daughter."

Seeing that the man would not interrupt her, Yamuraiha took a deep breath and prepared to seal her fate. She was about to make a deal with the devil, sell her soul to a cause that she didn't particularly care about, sign up for a life of deceptions and lies. (Then again, her past life wasn't too different.) "I can get into Magnoshutatt," she said quietly.

There was a glint in the man's eyes now, a terrifying, predator's glint.

It was mirrored in Yamuraiha's own eyes.

There was a silence for a moment.

"You will get into Magnoshutatt," he said silkily. "And say that you escaped certain death from execution thanks to the help of some reckless and well-hearted servants. You will learn their secrets, you will climb up in the ranks until they can do nothing but tell you their secrets. And if you do not return, well…" The man trailed off for a moment.

Yamuraiha inwardly smirked. There was nothing the man could really hold against her, as Dunya and Nick couldn't be hurt. She was about to earn her freedom-

"What about your dear attendant's head as a price?" The man finished, his eyes looking like a snake's. "Or perhaps dear Isaac's mother?"

...damn her conscience.

"Three conditions," she said after a long moment of silence and contemplation. The tides had been turned significantly, and Yamuraiha honestly did not expect for the King to actually know about her connections with the other servants. A severe miscalculation, and one that she would pay for dearly. However, it was Yamuraiha who was doing the favor for him. They could kill her, execute her in the most excruciatingly cruel way possible. However, she knew he wouldn't. Not after the deal she had proposed.

"One, you do not contact me. I contact you. I can't have them suspecting me in the case that your men slip up. I can figure out the way things go around there. Two, you will not touch a hair on neither Mira nor Isaac's mother, nor any of the other servants that I have come into contact with. Three, our contract has a time limit. I will supply you with information until whenever this war ends, but after I am free. With no constraints, with no connections to this country."

"This sounds horribly one-sided," the King mused.

"You'll take the deal," she stated confidently. The two of them locked gazes, and despite the fact that her physical appearance made her look much smaller and younger than the King, she still held her ground admirably.

Finally, after another long period of silence in which Yamuraiha simply held her breath and hoped, the King nodded his head in assent before turning around and exiting the room with a flourish, signalling for the guards to release her constraints.

Yamuraiha, despite being released from the heavy chains that held her body immobile, felt as if there were even heavier weights settling on her body.

Skill took time. Both Yamuraiha and the King knew that, and that was why he allowed for her to stay in the palace for two more months before she would be sent to Magnoshutatt as a spy.

In the meanwhile, the King had gathered all banned magic books that he had not ordered to be destroyed just for Yamuraiha to learn from.

Although she still lived in the palace, she was kept on close watch by two guards, and she was not allowed to make contact with Dunya nor Nick. The King had given her a staff, made of tempered steel. The staff in some way reminded her of one of those hooked swords from China, as it curved inwards into a hook, but instead of a sharp pointed bottom, the staff was decorated with several intricate runes that Yamuraiha had ordered etched into the metal surface. If she brushed her hands over the runes, they seemed to glow for a moment.

"Sharrar," she held out the staff, focusing on channeling her concentration solely on the tip of the staff as she closed her eyes, willing the Rukh to condense and form the eerie mist it had on that day. Slowly peeking her eyes opened, a grin spread across Yamuraiha's face as she noted that the mist was much thicker today, almost completely blocking her vision of what was behind it. She had basically gotten the hang of Sharrar after two or so days following the incident, and quickly Yamuraiha had begun to improve after figuring out how to cast the spell. She couldn't use the Rukh, only guide it to its destination and will it to do as she wished.

The only problem was getting the Rukh to follow her guidance...she felt as if it did not want to be guided nor manipulated, and at those times she would command it. Force it to follow her. (Honestly, Yamuraiha would have made a terrifying tyrant of a ruler if she wanted to be, but nonetheless she would never go down the path of becoming a King nor Queen: she liked to be in control, and she knew once she had that power she would never let it go.)

After figuring out that key concept, it had been much easier for Yamuraiha to figure out the rest. She was, after all, an adult in a child's body, and if she had the mindset, it was only the physical strength she really was missing. And even that was beginning to not be as large of a disadvantage than she originally thought, as Yamuraiha still kept in exercise by darting around the palace grounds.

Water Magic wasn't the only thing that Yamuraiha was trying to focus on, however. She recalled from the book she had read that Blue Magicians were usually well suited to Sound Magic as well, and thus she had been trying a few spells that the books had. There was even a trick where she could use sound waves to implant suggestion in someone's brain through the nervous system, and that fascinated Yamuraiha to no end. She recalled something along the lines of one of Sinbad's djins being able to manipulate his men's minds, although it was hard for her to conjure the exact memory of that. Time dulled everything, after all.

Yamuraiha was able to create a Borg with little to no problem now. If she closed her eyes and just concentrated a little, a glowing yellow sphere would encase her before she knew it. The only true command she had to give was for the Rukh to concentrate around her enough so that it could manifest strong enough to become visible and usable to the naked eye. Then, she could order it to resist any attacks and attempts at moving it. That was a useful spell in its own way: Yamuraiha was sure there were other ways she could use it in order to be more efficient. Perhaps she could attempt to create a Borg around something other than herself and even trap it, like water. It would be interesting if she could turn a shield into a prison. Who knew how many uses it could have in the future for her?

A servant approached her, looking slightly apprehensive but haughty at the same time. Ah, wait, Yamuraiha recognized him. He wasn't a servant: it was the King's Royal adviser, Ekhbar if she recalled correctly. It was whispered that he had the most power in the palace after the King, as he was the person who always whispered I'm the King's ears during meetings. Yamuraiha had suspected that he was planted by Al Tharmen for a while, and immediately she was on her guard.

"Lord Ekhbar, if I'm not mistaken?" She acknowledged, bowing her head a degree in respect, not allowing any suspicion to play on her face.

"I should feel surprised you know my name, lowly magician daughter, but I'm afraid I don't. I have heard plenty of delicious rumors about you, although to my annoyance that pesky King still hasn't allowed me to see you." The man leered over her, his brown eyes flashing with something akin to insanity for a moment before they reverted back into their original state. Yamuraiha only caught the look because too often in her past life she had seen the same thing in the mirror.

...oh, yeah. There were rumors of the adviser being a paedophile, but she actually didn't believe in those rumors until she saw the glint in the man's eyes. Bluntly, while keeping a straight face, she asked, "Do you like children, Lord Ekhbar?" (Yamuraiha had always had a strange sense of humor in her past life.)

The man did not look taken aback at the comment, which made a small part of Yamuraiha disappointed because she really wanted to see the man unnerved. She wasn't a complete sadist, although she did take amusement whenever she was the person manipulating the situation. "I do not like them in the way that you are implying, my dear," he answered smoothly, his lack of a reaction earning some respect from Yamuraiha. "But I am very interested in people like you."

"People like me...servants? Magicians? People ostracized from civilization?" Yamuraiha guessed, and although she should have been prepared for what came next she still found herself flinching at his answer.

"Abnormalities, little girl." The man answered, his hands beginning to tremble from either anticipation or excitement...or both. "They told me that the Rukh acted unnaturally strange around you, but I hadn't expected something like this…"

Yamuraiha tried to hide the myriad of emotions she was feeling in that one moment by instead continuing the conversation. "Like…" she prompted, her heart racing. This information...this information was important. It was the answer she had been searching for: why was she in this world? What would her presence do to it? How?

"The Rukh...with Magi, the Rukh is drawn towards them. With you, it almost feels as if they shy away from you. So, so interesting," he murmured, and in that moment Yamuraiha realized that she was probably in danger and had to get away. Al Tharmen would undeniably use her for their own benefit if they realized that she had foreknowledge of the world. It seemed as if they had figured out that something about her existence was...off, but none of them could predict something as outlandish as reincarnation from a world where this world's future was already sealed.

Lord Ekhbar must have noticed her change in behavior, for he said easily, "Rest, child, for I have been ordered not to harm you. I have come to tell you that you will be sent to the magicians tonight."

...tonight?

Flashes of all of the faces that she would have to leave behind flew through her mind as unknowingly, Yamuraiha's grip on staff tightened.

"Yes. Gather your things, and you'll be escorted out tomorrow morning at the break of dawn. You will be provided a map, whatever meager amount of food the kitchen will provided, and a hood. That is all."

It was sometime deep into the night when Yamuraiha's teal eyes opened, and with as much grace and finesse that she could muster, she slipped out of her room. The hallways were dark, dimly lit only by candles mounted to the wall and spaced out about one every five feet. She looked around for guards, but seeing that there were none, she made her way to her destination.

Turn left, then right, then slip into the kitchen and head to the third table. She moved quietly, making sure to keep her footsteps light as she creaked open the hidden passage that she had discovered once while helping in the kitchen.

She entered the dark passage and made her way down several paces before stopping in front of a wall and pushing it open a smidge. Yamuraiha waited for a few moments, listening with her breath held for any sounds of guards or such, but when she heard nothing, she proceeded to enter the room.

"Why are you here?" The voice almost asked immediately, and she couldn't help but feel a smile quirk at her face from hearing his voice again.

"What, can't I visit my favorite prince?" She drawled slowly, keeping her voice quiet.

"I am fairly certain that I am the only prince you know." Nick said, pushing himself upwards and out of bed as he stood up to observe her. "You don't look too different. I would have expected something...more."

She let out a breathy laugh, one that seemed to lift several of the weights on her heart. He didn't hate her, despite her being a magician. That thought made Yamuraiha's heart soar. "I'm leaving at dawn for Magnoshutatt," she stated simply, and although it was dark in the room, she swore she could see Nick's eyes darken.

"I heard," he said swiftly. "Have you talked to Dunya?"

"Nope. They've been keeping a close eye on me, after all," Yamuraiha replied, although her eyes flickered over to the passageway that she had entered his bedroom through. "Although if I have time...no, it would be better not to involve her with me any more than she needs to right now. But I know you, and so I had a favor I wanted to ask of you while I'm gone…"

"Take care of Isaac's mother and all of the other servants you interacted with?" Nick guessed, ever observant as she allowed herself to smile at that. He really did know her.

"That," she confirmed. "And also, take care of yourself and Dunya."

At this point, Yamuraiha hesitated. She knew that in a few years there would be a revolt, and the royal family would be killed. But if she informed Nick, she knew that she would not be able to escape from the grasp of Al Tharmen. Never. But Nick was intelligent enough, and he had spent enough time with her to understand that everything she said had a meaning. "There are shadows in the castle," she said solemnly, and at this Nick's eyes seemed to sharpen. "Beware."

Yamuraiha forced a smile onto her face as she turned around and rested her hand on the secret entrance. "There was a time when I was helping out the cook with some soup. I happened to turn away for an instant, and although I thought that things would be okay, the soup boiled over. Don't be stupid."

"...then you shouldn't be stupid either, Raiha," Nick said slowly after a moment of silence. "My father…"

She stopped him before he could say anything else as she gave him a smile, half bitter and half resigned as they met eyes. His stormy gray orbs and her aquamarine blue. The world seemed to stop in that moment as they both stared at each other for a moment, unspoken words being exchanged through their movements alone as she said simply, "Thanks. I won't."
She pushed the entrance open, but hesitated for a moment and whispered under her breath, "I'll miss you."

She knew he heard her, but she slipped out before he could reply.

It turned out that Yamuraiha didn't have time to say goodbye to Mira, Dunya, or any of the others. She had barely returned to her room before there had been a knock on the door. She made sure to make a show of waking up as the door opened, but froze as she recognized the figure.

"Histok," she whispered, identifying the knight that had lived with Isaac's mother. The young man gave her a half smile and a wink as he motioned for her to come with him. She followed him and the other soldier that was next to him, staff in one hand and a small pack in the other. Her eyes glanced up at Histok in slight surprise. "Why?" she asked.

"It was the least I could do. I switched with one of my other friends who wasn't going to escort a magician out. Delia...Isaac's mother, and Regina wanted to say goodbye. They wanted to let you know that you'd always be welcome with us. And Mira...she's not taking your forced exile very well," Histok said hurriedly under his breath.

"Histok…" she said, and that caught his attention. "Take care of them. Protect them, please. I'm going right now, but I...I will be back. I will be back for them, I promise. Tell them that."

The man cracked a wry smile at her, but there was some kind of sad glint in his eyes that gave away his inner turmoil. "Yeah. I'll protect them, I promise."

Yamuraiha was surprised once again as she recognized yet another figure standing at the gate. It was the boy in the kitchen that she had worked with frequently. He looked the same as when she first met him: timid, quiet, but still committed to his task.

The kitchen boy held out a bag of food. The size of the bag was much larger than she expected, and when she looked inside Yamuraiha recognized several of the goods. Most of them were the specialties of each of the cooks that worked in the kitchen. Several of the pastries that she had stolen as a young child were also included in the sack, and she could immediately tell the it was the Head Cook, Albert, who had made them by the intricate frosting decorations on top.

She felt tears well in her eyes, but refused to let them fall. "Thank you," she whispered hoarsely, and the kitchen boy gave her a smile.

"We'll miss you," he said softly. "The cooks were making them all last night when they heard you were being taken away." Castle gossip, it seemed, got around extremely quick.

Yamuraiha couldn't help it: a mischievous grin slipped on her face as she couldn't resist to mess with her guide and friend as she turned to Histok again. "You know," she said casually, grip tightening on the bag of goods to make sure they didn't fall. "Mira likes you."

"I know," Histok grumbled, looking away embarrassedly just like the tsundere she knew him to be deep down. His face seemed to redden even further as he muttered, "Stop grinning like that."

"Heh," she couldn't help but laugh. Slinging the bag across her shoulder and gripping onto her staff tightly, she turned back around and towards the path that would lead her away from the castle. "See you later," she called over her shoulder, her feet moving quickly even though they felt as heavy as lead.

And then she left.

From the castle, high above at the top of a spiraling tower, two green haired members of the royal family stood in front of the window, watching silently. The younger of the two stifled a sob before hugging her brother, while the taller and elder one muttered under his breath, "Stay safe, idiot."

Goodbye.

A/N: Thank you guys. So, so much. I appreciate all of your support, and woah is this story picking up a lot of speed or what? 87 follows and 64 favorites? You guys are amazing, and I can never express my gratitude to ya'll.

Do drop a review if you have time. :D I'm always open for new viewpoints and ideas. I actually have a question: what would you guys like (or think) will happen to Nick, Dunya, and all of the servants Raiha's befriended? I have a lot of different ideas, so it'd be nice to hear some feedback.

Thanks for reading! :) Until next time.