A/N: I've had a moment of clarity and have decided to delve a bit deeper into some of the mystery here. Thanks to Elder-Master like always.
(Obsidian Palace: Nanoha's apartment)
"Milady! You must not!" Suburu pleaded as she held Nanoha back from the door. The latter was supposed to stay in her rooms at all times, but now it seemed as if she was trying to escape.
"Suburu quit being such a stick in the mire! I want to go out!" Nanoha proclaimed as she nearly reached the door. However her constitution started to wane as she weakly fell backwards.
"This is why Milady can not go out." Suburu said as she guided Nanoha to a fainting couch.
"If I was not so sick, then I …" Nanoha started, but then stopped as she found reverence in the moment and allowed Suburu to fix her robes. "… I would go outside!"
The truth was that Nanoha could not remember what outside was like, save for her encounter with the 'guest' last night. Days, nights, hours; all seem to melt into each other in Nanoha's eyes. Even still she tried so hard to remember what outside was like, or when the last time was she attended a dinner party. But it was to no avail, which frustrated her greatly. Nevertheless, she remained cheerful, even if she didn't feel cheerful. Suburu and the others had been so kind to her, even if she could not remember how she got to the palace or if she had been there before.
"Yes Milady." Suburu agreed as she pulled a blanket over Nanoha. Suburu felt helpless as to how to help her master. Suburu remembered another Nanoha, a stronger and more decisive Nanoha. The Nanoha that has saved her from certain death and the Nanoha she both idolized and adored.
This person was not that Nanoha. That Nanoha had disappeared and no one knew where she had gone. Or was that what they kept telling themselves?
"Suburu, I cannot remember a time when I was not weak. Was there ever such a time?" Nanoha queried.
"I don't know, Milady." Suburu lied.
"Really? You cannot remember?" Nanoha asked again.
"No, I cannot, Milady" Suburu lied again. It had more or less been passed down that no one was to discuss the Nanoha of the past for fear it might upset the Nanoha of the present. But Suburu could not help but want to grab onto Nanoha's shoulders and show her the sorrow in her own eyes. But there was a time and place to everything.
"Suburu? Is there something wrong?" Nanoha asked with undying innocence.
"No Milady, there is not. Please excuse me." Suburu excused herself and then exited out the door and promptly latched onto the door frame and allowed the anger to flow from her being.
"Why must I keep lying to her? She does not remember! She does not remember anything! She is like a child. She… she is not the woman who saved me!" Suburu seethed.
"She is who she is. She may always be this way." Teana said as she rounded the corner with a face of concern.
"I hate it! I hate all of it. Why must we play this silly game?" Suburu spat with venomous words.
"You must trust Lady Hayate. She is suffering as well. There must not be any mistakes." Teana said as she wrapped her arms around Suburu's stomach. "Please love, please, let me comfort you." Teana said as she put her ear to Suburu's back.
"I just do not understand it." Suburu said barely above a whisper.
"That is fine; it is not your place to understand." A familiar voice said from behind them. Suburu promptly broke from Teana's grip and glared at the crippled Hayate as if to say 'this is all your fault'.
"It is also fine if you hate me. This is how things must be." Hayate said firmly as she glared back at Suburu.
"You may have pain, Lady Hayate. But at least you can remember!" Suburu shot back.
"If you cannot be a grown woman instead of a girl, retire to your apartments and remain there." Hayate said sharply without backing down. "You are the one who has been permitted to tend to Nanoha's needs because it is your heart that she resonates in the most. That can be changed if you do not wish to follow the scenario."
"Oh your master plan Lady Hayate? What a fine mess it's turned into."
"I grow weary of this." Hayate said tersely. She glared back at Suburu as if to say 'as if you could understand'. "You are dismissed for now. I have things to discuss with Nanoha."
"As if I would." Suburu stated.
"Dismissed. I do not have time for this. Either find your wits or be removed. " Hayate commanded. Suburu moved away. She disappeared down the hall and out of sight.
"Lady Teana, find something that will relieve her stress. She cannot continue to function if she continues to be this tense. And I will not have her near Lady Nanoha if she is not of sound mind." Hayate requested. The firm expression that once played across her features was gone, replaced with a warm expression.
"She does not listen, but I will try." Teana said as she was reminded of the growing hole between Suburu and herself. But if she framed Hayate's request as an order, perhaps she would be able to gain at least some of her love, as opposed to none at all. Teana then left swiftly in the same direction as Suburu.
"Do you wish something else be done?" Zafira asked from behind.
"Suburu is only expressing what I am too weak to express. It is refreshing to see some of my own frustration in someone else's face. Suburu is hurting; she is grieving for Nanoha's memory. She willingly accepted that role, and so she will have to carry it through, despite my own misgivings." Hayate said allowing her gaze to drop into her lap.
"We will follow you as is our destiny as knights." Zafira said unwavering. There was no greater purpose then to serve his Lady. Hayate smiled at the statement. She constantly fought with Vita and Signum over the path of things. Shamal said nothing, but she didn't have to. Hayate could see the implicit trust in her eyes.
"I am eternally grateful and gracious to have you all." Hayate said as she began to shake. It seemed as if she would have her moment here and now.
"I am scared Zafira. I am scared of what has happened and what will happen. I always wonder if it will work out as I believe it should. But in the same breath I did choose this path. The three of us did, because it was the only way." Hayate said as she began to weep.
"I think that you are just master. All will be done as you have foreseen." Zafira offered not entirely sure of how he should respond. But apparently it was enough as Hayate stilled and wiped her eyes. "Let us go. If Nanoha senses my uneasiness, it will make her uneasy."
"As you wish." Zafira said as he pushed the door open and then after moving Hayate into the room, closed it behind him.
(Obsidian Palace: Main galley)
Fate felt somewhat queasy after hearing that response from Vita. So she had decided to venture into the kitchen. Perhaps she could find something there to calm her stomach.
"After I settle my stomach, I will find Lady Hayate and apologize!" Fate said to herself as she hoped to galvanize herself. But it didn't seem as if it was working.
The galley was quite busy as preparations for lunch and dinner had already begun. The noise of bustle seemed to distract Fate's thoughts. She continued to look around and was surprised by the size of the kitchen and the supplies it held. The only stack of barrels probably contained enough preserved meat to feed her for two seasons.
"Excuse me, Lady Fate" a voice said from behind fate. Fate spun around to find a woman who had darker orange-ish hair, there was some dark red to it, but it was not crimson like Vita's. Fate seemed strangely calm around this person, as if she knew her, but could not place her.
"Yes, I am looking for something to calm my stomach." Fate replied to a friendly face.
"You could have asked a servant." The woman responded as the peaked hat on her head slipped a bit to reveal a pair of fluffy ears. The dog eared woman quickly fixed her hat and pulled Fate aside before she could say anything.
"Please do not tell anyone of my secret!" The dog eared woman asked.
"Why do you have such strange ears?" Fate asked, putting aside her doubt.
"I was born this way; please do not ask anything else!" The woman stated. Fate could see the expression on the woman's face, as if she had screwed up in some way. But she seemed nice enough Fate thought.
"I will not tell anyone." Fate said with a warm smile.
"Oh, thank goodness." The woman said as it seemed her 'ears' had relaxed and the hat threatened to come back down. "I will bring you some soup and bread." The woman said as she walked back into the kitchen. Fate shortly departed, but could have almost sworn she saw a bushy tail under the long uniform that the woman wore as well.