Chapter Thirteen
"I'm sorry, Lady Sasami. I have very strict instructions from Lord Haru - The Crown Princess is resting, and noone is to see her at the present time."
The nurse on duty cast the Princess a sympathetic smile, her expression softening as she saw the girl's face fall. "I know, you're worried about your sister. But Lord Haru's orders are orders - I'm afraid I can't break them for anyone."
"Not even me?" Sasami raised beseeching eyes to her companion. "She's my big sister...doesn't she want to see even me?"
"Lord Haru said earlier that only he, your Lady Mother and Lord Takeru should be allowed admittance at the moment." The nurse shook her head. "Lady Ayeka has been badly upset, and I'm sure it's just a precaution. As I said, she's resting now. Would you like to leave a message? I can take it to her right away."
"A message?" Sasami bit her lip, then slowly she shook her head. "No. No thank you. I...the things I need to say I kind of want to say to her myself."
"I see." The nurse tilted her head, eying her small companion keenly. "Well, I'm sure things will be different on the morrow. Then you'll be able to speak to her and I'm sure she'll be glad of your company then, when she feels a little better."
"I hope so." Sasami sighed heavily. "All right. Thank you."
She turned on her heel, trailing dejectedly back the way she had come. As she reached the entrance, pushing hard on the big wooden doors that led into the Infirmary, she swallowed hard against the tears that glittered in her crimson eyes.
"Ayeka..." She murmured. "But why not? Why would Father...why?"
She made her way slowly down towards the main entrance hall, slipping out into the sunshine and being careful to shut the door firmly behind her as she went. Try as she might, she could not prevent the tears from falling - she had hoped so much to see her sister, and to be so prevented struck fear and doubt into her young heart.
"Ayeka, why won't they let me see you? Why...why don't you want me?" She whispered. "Was Yugi right? Do you...do you really hate me? Has everything always been a lie? I don't believe it - I won't! I love my sister...but oh, does she really love me as much as I love her? Or does she hate me for being born and taking Mother and Father's attention away?"
As she reached the swift-running stream where days earlier Yugi had so nearly ended her life, she dropped down onto the grass bank, sprawling headlong as if she were still a child of five or six. She buried her face in her arms, allowing her sobs to take control of her body as her grief wrenched through her young heart.
"Is it because I'm Tsunami?" She murmured. "Is it because everyone wants to hurt Tsunami, that you don't want to be my sister any more? All this happened to you because of me and my link to the Goddess. I guess...I guess if you hated me for that, I couldn't blame you. Oh, but Ayeka-oneechan, I don't want you to hate me! I love you so much...please still want me, even after everything that's happened! Please still want me!"
"Sasami-hime?"
Sasami raised her tearstained face, gazing up at the speaker with a hopeless look in her crimson eyes.
"Kamidake." She murmured. "But..."
"Your Lord Father wanted me to ascertain that you were all right, Hime-sama. To keep you company, while everything was so unsettled." Kamidake crouched at her side, putting a tentative hand on her shoulder. "You weren't at the palace. Why here?"
"Nobody wants me at the palace." Sasami hiccupped, reaching down to touch the swift running water as she did so, dispersing the Goddess's reflection with an uncharacteristically sharp sweep of the hand. "The nurse wouldn't let me into the Infirmary to see Ayeka...she said Father had ordered she was to see noone except him, mother and Lord Takeru until further notice. She doesn't want me, Kamidake. Yugi was right. She does hate me and I don't blame her. This is all my fault!"
"I don't understand." Kamidake frowned, shaking his head. "Why would you think that? Sasami-hime, nothing is your fault. And I'm sure that Haru-dono didn't mean you, when he told the nurses to prevent access. I'm sure he just didnt think about it."
"No, he meant it. I'm sure he did." Sasami sent him a helpless look. "Kamidake, I'm Tsunami. And right now I really wish I wasn't! If I hadn't been, Yugi would never have hurt Ayeka or tried to make her kill me. And I'd know...I'd know if Ayeka really loved me as much as I love her, or if it was just because of what Mother and Father did to her when I was a baby. I...I love Ayeka more than anyone, and it really hurts to think that she might not love me. That because of Tsunami, she might never love me a...again. I don't want to lose my sister! I don't want to be Tsunami any more! I don't! I hate it so much!"
Kamidake eyed her keenly for a moment. Then he stood, holding out a hand to her. Gingerly Sasami took it and he pulled her gently to her feet.
"Walk with me, Sasami-sama." He murmured. "Because I was under the impression that you had accepted Tsunami inside of yourself now. That you were resigned to what it will one day mean."
"Oh, I don't know." Sasami sighed again, nonetheless falling into step with her companion as he led the way across the palace grounds. "I thought I was. But how can I be, when I think about all the things it's caused already? I don't know what I'll do if Ayeka doesn't want to be sisters any more. What if it isn't just a mistake on Father's part - what if Ayeka really doesn't want me to go to her?"
"Your Lady sister is extremely fond of you, Hime." Kamidake said softly. Sasami shook her head, dashing her tears away as yet more fell.
"I don't see why she should be." She said bitterly. "I'm the reason everything bad comes to Jurai. I'm the reason Kagato could live on in Souja's tree. I'm the reason that Tokimi first attacked Tenchi and made Seiryo go after Kiyone and all of those things. I'm the reason that Yugi Kuroda came here and tried to hurt people - especially my sister. If I wasn't Tsunami, none of that would have happened. I would hate me, if I was Ayeka. I'm not safe to be around!"
Kamidake paused for a moment, closing his eyes as he composed his thoughts. Then his grip on the girl's hand tightened, as he seemed to make up his mind. He nodded, his violet eyes snapping open as he changed his course, heading instead towards a cluster of ferny trees that stood at the furthest edge of the palace grounds.
"Come with me." He said softly.
"Where are we going?" Sasami gazed up at him in confusion, but Kamidake did not respond. Instead he led the way through the dense tree foliage, pushing branches aside as he navigated roots and the thickly entangled bindweed that had grown across the track. At each stage, he paused to make sure his companion was managing to keep up with him, and at length they reached a clearing, where large piles of damaged sandstone lay in heaps around a sand-coated circle on the ground. Sasami took a hesitant step forward, then paused, sending her guide a confused look.
"Kamidake?"
"Do you know what this place is, Sasami-sama?" Kamidake released his grip on her hand, moving across to the pile of stone and sitting down carefully on the edge. Sasami shook her head.
"Father doesn't normally let me wander so far from the palace alone." She replied. "I didn't know that there was anything here but trees. Where are we?"
"Tsunami's shrine." Kamidake said simply. Sasami's eyes opened wide.
"What? But..."
"Yes, I know. It's long gone, now." Kamidake nodded, a grave expression touching his face. "Much of the original stone has been robbed for building houses and the place long since abandoned. But in my time, when I was a young soldier, this was my retreat. Faith in Tsunami-kami-sama was still at it's height then, and this was the place where I came each night to speak to my Goddess. Sasami-hime, whenever things were as bad as they possibly could be, this was the one place that gave me hope. The sanctuary that gave me the strength to get up each day and to fight to protect my King and my world from invading forces. Even now, coming here, I feel at peace. Don't you feel it too? This is the true spirit of Tsunami and what she is."
"A pile of crumbled stones?" Sasami asked bleakly, running her fingers idly across the edge of the nearest one, and Kamidake shook his head, taking her hand and guiding it further down the cracked slab to where a worn image of a tree had been engraved.
"No." He said softly. "The hope of this planet. The thing that keeps it hovering between life and death. There will always be bad things in the universe, and they will always seek to destroy the things that are truly good. But so long as Tsunami is here, Jurai will never be a victim to those forces. You know better than even I do how strong Tsunami's will really is - and what she is capable of. And she would not have chosen you to be her reincarnation if she didn't believe that you would be strong enough to bear her burden...whatever that burden was. Jurai needs its Goddess more than ever in these times of doubt and scepticism - that is why you were born when you were, to be Jurai's hope when your world truly needs you. The Cult of Tsunami will thrive and be strong again, under your guidance - and this planet will be at peace with itself once again. These things she prophesied, when she consigned Azaka and I to the sleep of Hades. That is why we are here, and why you are, also."
"It doesn't change what happened to Ayeka because of me." Sasami said sadly.
"No, it doesn't." Kamidake agreed gently. "And I'm sure Ayeka-sama is feeling just as wretched as you are - after all, she could have done you serious harm. But the reason you feel that way is because you love your sister so much as you do. And she loves you, too. Whatever hate Yugi put into her heart, it wasn't really Ayeka-hime who felt that way. There is a strong bond between you, as sisters, that even Yugi's evil couldn't break. That's the truth, Hime-sama. Tsunami chose well, when she chose which family you would be born into."
"Do you really think that's true?" Sasami eyed him doubtfully. "That it doesn't matter to them if they become targeted because of me?"
"I think that Tsunami knew they could handle it." Kamidake said quietly. "Just as she knew, when she chose Azaka and I, that we would be able to handle it, too. We gave our lives for you once, Sasami-kami-sama, and we'd do so again if ever you asked us to. You know that."
"I would never ask you to do that for me, Kamidake." Sasami said seriously. Kamidake smiled.
"Well, you never know what the future might bring." He said simply, getting to his feet. "And I, like Azaka, am always at the disposal of my Lady Tsunami."
"And Lady Sasami? Her too?" Sasami asked hesitantly. Kamidake's smile broadened.
"Yes, of course, Hime." He agreed, amusement in his violet eyes. "That's a part of my duty that I would never relinquish."
Sasami sighed heavily, gazing down at the carved tree once more. Then,
"I hope you're always here to give me such good advice, Kamidake." She murmured. "Sometimes I can't see things so clearly. I guess I'm too close to it all, especially this time. But...but I want to see Ayeka. Whatever Father says, I need to...to speak to her. So I...I'm not going to give up this time - I'm going to make them let me in and if they won't, well, I'll just have to find a way to sneak in instead. Even if Father is mad at me for doing it, I still have to know. And if she is angry, well, I need to try and make her not be. I need to know how she feels, and if...and if she still wants to be my sister, after everything that has happened. Because I want it more than anything. And if...if we do have to start over from scratch, well, I...I need to start somewhere."
"I think that would be a good idea, Sasami-sama." Kamidake said gravely. "So shall we head back towards the palace?"
"Yes." Sasami hesitated, then flung her arms around the knight, taking him off guard. "Thank you, Kamidake. Tsunami knew what she was doing when she chose you and Azaka to look after me, too."
"I'm glad you think so." Kamidake laughed, shaking his head slowly. "And I'm sure that your Lady sister will be glad of your visit."
"I sure hope so." Sasami admitted, biting down hard on her lip as she considered. "But either way, well, I...I'm gonna go find out!"
As they drew closer to the palace complex itself, they almost collided headlong with Prince Haru himself, and as Sasami gazed up at her father, she impulsively reached out to grab him by the hands.
"Papa, why can't I see Ayeka?" She asked. "I want to see her - please, why can't I?"
"Sasami." Haru bent to her height, offering her a smile. "Are you still worried about your sister and her regard for you?"
Sasami sniffled, nodding her head slowly, and Haru hugged her tightly.
"Ayeka wants to see you, but she's tired and I've been bad and made her rest." He said softly. "And just as soon as she wakes up, I promise, you'll be the first visitor she has. Is that all right?"
"Really?" Sasami's eyes lit up with hope, and she pulled back from her father's embrace, searching his eyes for any sign of falsehood. "You mean it? She really wants to see me?"
"She really does." Haru nodded. "Sasami-chan, whatever that creature Yugi may have told you, Ayeka loves you very much. Don't ever doubt that, all right? My girls have always shared a special bond and it takes more than a misguided demon to break it, doesn't it?"
"Of course it does." Sasami's eyes sparkled and she gave a little skip and jump, turning to Kamidake with a wide grin.
"Ayeka wants to see me after all!"
"Didn't I tell you it would be all right?" Kamidake eyed her fondly. "No need to cry all those tears, Hime-sama. Ayeka-sama is just tired. That's all."
"Thank you for keeping an eye to her, Kamidake." Haru said gravely, and Kamidake bowed before the Prince, offering him a smile.
"It's always my pleasure, Lord Haru. I take Lady Sasami's welfare very seriously indeed." He said softly. Haru looked thoughtful.
"That's good." He said at length. "Because Ayeka said other things to me too, Sasami, and I wonder if she might be right. Things about you, and how much I prevent you from really seeing Jurai court life. You are growing and very quickly now too."
"Papa?" Sasami stared at the Prince in surprise, and Haru grinned, touching her cheek affectionately.
"If there are things you want to know, then come to me and we'll see what we can work out." He said gently. "I don't want to make all your decisions for you as you grow. You need to make some of your own, so when you think you are ready to come sit in on the Council, or speak about Tsunami to people, then I will trust your judgement. You have wise souls like Azaka and Kamidake to advise you already, so I will have faith in you to make the right decisions yourself from now on. All right?"
Sasami's eyes became big with wonder, and Haru laughed, hugging his younger child tightly once more.
"I'm glad you are all right, Sasami-chan." He said warmly, and Sasami cuddled up against her father's frame, comforted by the arms that held her.
"Everything is going to be all right now." She murmured. "Everything. I just know it is."
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The Council Chamber was quiet as Seiryo pushed back the doors, stepping apprehensively in through the imposing arched entrance and glancing around him, biting his lip as he debated the reasons for his summons. After the events of the previous day, Jurai was still in something of a disarray, and when Azaka had arrived at the Tennan estate, bringing a message from the Emperor, Seiryo had been concerned at the nature of the sudden call. After all, he mused now, resisting the urge to turn tail and flee, he had been abusing his priveleges, his training and his probation in every way possible since he had become embroiled in the cracking of the Kuroda file. And now the whole business was out in the open, he half-wondered whether his King intended to punish him further for his breaches of security.
"You have made good time, Lord Tennan."
Azusa's voice startled him out of his reverie and he glanced up, meeting the Emperor's gaze with a trepidant one of his own. Azusa raised an arm, beckoning for the nobleman to join him and not without misgivings, Seiryo did as he was bidden, hastening up the steps to the uppermost dais and dropping to his knees before his King.
For a moment there was silence, then Azusa rested a hand on his shoulder.
"Stand before me, Lord Tennan." He said softly. "And meet my eyes."
Slowly Seiryo stood, struggling to maintain his composure as the Emperor's gaze ran thoughtfully over him. Then, Azusa offered a slight smile, bowing his own head towards his companion.
"You are proving to be one of the most unusual young men I have had on my council for some time." He remarked slowly. "First you go all out to betray me, and then you risk your life and your status to protect your planet. You don't do things by halves, do you, Lord Tennan? It's either all or nothing."
Seiryo's malachite eyes sparkled with surprise, and the Emperor's smile broadened. He gestured towards an empty seat, indicating for Seiryo to sit down and the man did so, even as his Emperor made himself comfortable once more on the ornately carved throne that had borne the Kings of Jurai for generations long since past. He eyed Seiryo keenly for a moment, then nodded.
"Your methods are unconventional." He said at length. "Tell me, when you came in possession of this file, why did you not bring it to my attention at once? Surely you knew that we wanted closure to the Sumire case."
"I wasn't sure that your Highness trusted me." Seiryo said quietly. "Considering my previous record, I wouldn't have expected you to believe me - in fact, you might have thought me complicit."
"And the file came into your hands from that young friend of Ayeka's? Miss Makibi?"
Seiryo nodded.
"Did you seek to protect her, also?" Azusa asked enquiringly. "Heisting top secret files is a serious offence in itself, after all."
"I had a debt to repay Miss Makibi." Seiryo said simply. "But I was the one who broke into the file. She doesn't have those skills, so she should not be blamed. I took it upon myself to tackle the file itself. She may have inadvertently brought it from Headquarters, but I was the one who read it first."
Amusement flickered in Azusa's dark red eyes and he nodded.
"You needn't be so prudent or circumspect, Lord Seiryo." He said gently. "Neither you nor Detective Makibi are going to face any further action for this business. In fact, Jurai are indebted to both of you for pursuing it. You have, I see, a considerable array of skills from your days at the Galaxy Police...so long as you know for future reference that I do like to be kept abreast of things occuring on my planet, I would not be surprised if we don't find ourselves making good use of them as time goes on."
"My Lord?" Seiryo eyed the Emperor warily, and Azusa chuckled, shaking his head.
"There are many things about you which I don't understand, yet." He admitted. "And other things which I don't know how to explain. Your father's death, your devotion to poor Tokimi-san...your willingness to become involved in secret plots to expose and destroy demons that threaten Jurai. Whether you are a threat or an asset to this world, I'm not quite sure. But I'm interested to find out."
Seiryo flushed red at this, shaking his head.
"My father died of an unfortunate accident." He said frankly. "And if Lord Haru was to dope me with your truth serum, I would tell you the same thing. I did not kill him. I have taken lives only in the pursuit of my career with the Galaxy Police - in a situation where it was kill or be killed. If that means I have blood on my hands, then yes, I am a killer. But Father's death was not my doing. I may have wished for it to happen,and I won't pretend I didn't loathe the man with all my heart. But I did not kill him. I swear it on the Tennan family name, my King."
"I see." Azusa looked thoughtful. "I am inclined to believe you. Lord Takeru has mentioned to me, since Seiji-dono's death, that there were concerns about his financial suitability. His...control of the Royal finances. But I have taken a look at the records and found nothing out of place. You have worked hard to take up the reins since then - I appreciate that."
"Father made some wrong decisions." Seiryo bit his lip. "But he did not appropriate royal money, Lord Azusa. And I have paid off all of his outstanding debts with my money from the Galaxy Police. There is no risk to your money at my hands...I am not my Father's son. When I swore my oath to you I meant it. I am loyal to Jurai - I'm not a threat."
"And Lady Tokimi?"
"Tokimi is impaired, and she needs me." Seiryo said quietly. "I won't forsake her. We have a bond between us, because the same evil magic hurt and scarred us both. So with your permission, I will continue to care for and protect her as a part of my own family. She has noone else on this world who will do it for her, and she means noone any harm. She shouldn't be blamed for Kihaku's magic."
Azusa sat back in his chair, eying his companion keenly.
"I have already intimated to Lady Washu that Tokimi is welcome on Jurai." He said softly. "But if you do not blame her for these acts, Seiryo-dono, why do you persist in punishing yourself so harshly for your own?"
"My King?" Seiryo stared, and Azusa nodded.
"You have worked tooth and nail to establish yourself in a position of loyalty within my court." He said carefully. "You have paid Unko's fees in person without complaint, and you said yourself that you seek to make amends to Detective Makibi for your misguided actions while under Kihaku's influence. You have withdrawn from the Galaxy Police, although considering your recent activities on Jurai, you seem to be missing it excessively. You put your life in danger to help protect my nieces...and yet you are not at full fitness yourself. You have inherited your father's messy dynastic position, with no experience or training on being a Lord of Jurai, whilst having a young sister and a terminally ill mother still within your care. You have never asked for my help, Lord Tennan - do you mistrust your Emperor so much?"
"I..."
"Family pride can go too far, my boy." Azusa rested his hand on Seiryo's shoulder, shaking his head.
"I have struggled to make you out, and now I think I have your measure. I have no further doubts in your loyalty or your intentions towards Jurai - but I don't want you to feel that the Imperial Throne is unsympathetic."
"Thank you, Lord Azusa." Seiryo bowed his head slightly, gathering his wits. "I appreciate that. But really, there is nothing that you should worry about. Suki is far from helpless, and I have always had her support. And my mother's health has been a concern for a long time - there is nothing to be done there except to see that she is comfortable for as long as we have her."
"I see." Azusa pursed his lips. "And your own health? I have heard much of your exploits with the Galaxy Police - these are the deeds of a fit, energetic young fighter. And yet here you often seem tired, withdrawn and troubled, and I'm afraid it promotes mistrust from those around you. I alone know that you were quite unwell when you first returned to Jurai, from your sister's plea to sit on the Council after your hearing's verdict. But that was six months past. Do these things plague you still?"
Seiryo hesitated for a moment, then he raised his gaze to his Emperor, meeting the man's eyes with honest malachite ones of his own.
"Yes." He admitted. "But that's my burden to bear, not the throne of Jurai's. It will not prevent me from doing my job, and I am strong enough to overcome it. My experiences with Tokimi have taught me more about myself and what I can master than anything else my life has thrown at me. I won't run away from those lessons."
"Fine words, Seiryo-sama." Azusa nodded his head. "And I am glad to hear such resolve in your voice. Six months ago, the matter distressed me greatly. That one of our own would be so caught up in negativity...to forgive you and trust you to rebuild your life was always a gamble. And yet, with the arguments of Lady Washu so persuasive in my mind, I bowed to her judgement. She is a wise woman, even if she is an enigma in her own right. And that being so, I listened to what she said. I think she has been proven right, in her assessment of Tokimi's magic and your true will."
He grasped Seiryo tightly by the hand, a warm grin crossing his face, and in that moment, Seiryo saw a different side to the Emperor from the composed, often solemn King that headed Jurai's council.
"I am proud to have you sworn onto my Council, Lord Tennan." The Emperor said sincerely. "And I feel that you can only go upwards from here. You may consider your probationary period at an end. You are now in my trust, and as such, your movements are no longer restricted to Jurai. I will ensure that Takeru knows to release the Unko back into your custody, and my brother has already been instructed to pass your travel papers back to you - although understandably he is preoccupied with his daughter's welfare at the minute, he will see to it as soon as he can."
Seiryo stared at the Emperor in speechless silence, and Azusa's grin broadened.
"You are forgiven for your past deeds." He said softly. "Stand, Lord Tennan. I don't believe I've made a mistake - have I?"
"No, my Lord." Seiryo obediently got to his feet, bowing before his King and then meeting his gaze with a genuinely warm smile of his own. "And I appreciate it. The past year has been a trying one for me and for my family, but that we can begin to put it behind us and move on...that's what we all want, now."
"Then I will see you, no doubt, at Council session as usual tomorrow morning." Azusa said contemplatively. "That is all I wanted to see you about. Just remember that next time someone passes you a highly encrypted top secret file, your first duty is to inform your Emperor!"
Humour sparkled in Seiryo's eyes and in that moment he felt a genuine respect for his companion. He nodded his head.
"I will remember, my Lord." He agreed. "If there's a next time."
"Unfortunately, on a planet as prominent as Jurai, it seems likely that there will always be a 'next time'" Azusa said ruefully. "But it comforts me some to know that, when it occurs, I have a fully trained Agent of the Galaxy Police fighting on my team. That is all, Lord Tennan. You are dismissed."
"My Lord." Seiryo bowed again, then withdrew from the Council Chamber, his mind whirling as he ran over the conversation in his head.
"I never really thought about Azusa as a man before, but maybe I've under-estimated the role of a nobleman of Jurai after all." He mused. "Perhaps I should stop looking back towards the Galaxy Police with regret. It strikes me that there is a future here for the Tennan family...but most of all, there's a future here for me, regardless of how much I've changed. Father might be turning in his grave to hear Azusa-heika place such trust and faith in me...but it doesn't matter. Father's ghost no longer hangs over the Tennan name and nor does the reputation of grasping, ambitious greed. I've learnt enough about wanting the world - and the consequences for trying to achieve it. Things will be different now, but I think they'll be all right...for all of us. Being a part of Azusa's council might not prove to be as boring or as predictable as I first feared. My King has faith in me...and for the first time in my life, that actually means something to me. Who knows? Perhaps I am cut out to be a Peer of Jurai, after all!"
"Lord Tennan?"
As he left the palace conclave, a voice called his name and he turned, seeing the Prince Consort standing watching him hesitantly. Seiryo paused, faltering for a moment and then bowing his head in deference to the man's status.
"Lord Takeru." He said softly.
"I believe I may, in part, owe you my wife's life." The Prince Consort spoke awkwardly. "I don't fully understand everything that happened, but I still feel that I am some way in your debt. And I'm not quite sure how to thank you."
"I am sworn to defend and honour the Emperor and the Crown Princess." Seiryo said impassively. "Is it not my duty as a noble of Jurai to do so?"
"Well, yes it is, but..."
"I see." A droll smile touched Seiryo's lips. "So you believe the Tennans so devoid of honour that you can't imagine any of us keeping the oaths we make?"
"Lord Tennan..."
"I have made mistakes." Seiryo spoke quietly. "There's no escaping that. But I am not a demon. Tokimi and I have both been freed from the spell we were under. You now know it first hand, Takeru-dono - what black magic can do. You would never doubt Lady Ayeka's true nature...yet you persist in doubting both mine and Tokimi-sama's intentions. Not everything is as it seems. Just because I could not stand you as a boy doesn't mean that I'm against the Crown or my Emperor. The King realises this - he has just invested me with his trust. Perhaps you could try to do the same, now that the crisis has been averted? Kihaku's magic made me do things I would not normally do. Yugi Kuroda's did the same for Ayeka. That is all."
"I'm sorry." Takeru acknowledged, and Seiryo was amazed to hear the sincerity in the other man's tones. "You are right, Tennan-dono. I've applied different rules to you and to Ayeka because of our history. Ayeka could very well have slain people while under Yugi's spell. It doesn't mean that, now the spell is broken, that those things were her true will or intention. And I should not be so quick to judge you and yours. Should I?"
"It would be a first if an Imada didn't judge a Tennan at first glance." Seiryo said sardonically. "If you want the truth, though, I don't suppose I did it for you or even for Lady Ayeka's sake, in the end. I did it for Tokimi, because she was being made a scapegoat and I don't like her being bullied. And I wanted to help Lady Sasami, because of all of the Imperial class, she has always treated me with equanimity and respect. Through her association with my sister, I have come to know her and I consider her a genuine friend of my own, too. I may have sworn no oath of fealty to her, but I would fight in her name if ever she asked me to. She is a true Princess of Jurai, Takeru-dono. And I would do anything it took to defend her for being so, too."
"I see." Takeru fell silent for a moment, digesting this. "Well, I have misjudged you once too many times, I admit that. I am grateful for what you have done, Seiryo-dono. Any doubts in my mind about your motives have been erased and I'm sure Ayeka understands how much you did in this matter, too. I know she'll want to thank you herself, somehow."
"I want no reward." Seiryo said flatly. "There's nothing the Crown of Jurai could offer me that I don't already have."
Takeru stared at him, floored, and Seiryo offered another slight smile.
"I am not quite the man I was when we fought over Amane." He said softly. "We all grow up. Sometimes it just takes a little longer, that's all. You did not see me at my best when we fought on the Earth...but the Galaxy Police taught me to be self-sufficient and strong in ways you've never had to experience. Kihaku's dark lure taught me that the most important thing I have is my family. Lady Suki and my mother. And Tokimi too, now. She's as much a part of my family as they are, these days. Whatever you think of her, I understand what she's been through and I won't forsake her because of that. Regardless of what you think of her Kii origins."
"Lady Washu is also Kii. Tokimi will not be judged on that basis." Takeru said gravely. "She has been sorely treated, Seiryo-sama, I am sorry for that. And I will do all in my power to ensure such treatment does not happen again. You have my word."
"I appreciate that." Seiryo inclined his head slightly.
"And what of Lady Sasami? Will you swear fealty to her, now, in the aftermath of this?" Takeru eyed him keenly. "Haru-dono has mentioned a couple of times since Ayeka's incapacitation how Sasami will need retinue of her own now she's come of age. Will you wish to be a part of that?"
"That is for the Lady Sasami to decide." Seiryo said quietly. "Not me."
"I almost wonder, the way you speak, whether you plan to approach Lord Haru for Sasami's hand in marriage." Takeru observed thoughtfully. Seiryo's eyes widened in shock and anger.
"Is that what you think?" He demanded. "That I seek to advance my own position by claiming loyalty to Sasami-sama? We are not all Imadas, Takeru! We don't all marry Princesses to make us feel more important about our own roles in things. I told you. There is nothing the Crown can give me that I don't already have. And I do not want Lady Sasami's hand in marriage. You are an idiot if you don't realise her heart is spoken for, anyway. And as for me - I have no interest in marrying royal blood. It's more trouble than it's worth, this Jurai power. I am heartily sick of magic and anything connected with it."
"I'm sorry. I meant no offence." Takeru held up his hands. "But what do you mean - Sasami is spoken for? Lord Haru is very decided..."
"Open your eyes, you fool." Seiryo snapped, and Takeru bristled at the tone in his voice.
"You forget yourself."
"No...I found myself." Seiryo returned neatly. "I found myself in this world of mad politics and magic-worship called Jurai, and I'm beginning to find my place in it at long last. I am loyal to my King, and I have much respect for his integrity and his strength of character. But I will speak plainly to you, because you are a fool. And if you don't want to be swept away by mayhem when your wife becomes Queen, I advise you start learning about things beyond the confines of Jurai's court. There is a lot more out there than the squabbling of noble men and women looking for land and prestige. Ayeka-sama may be aware of it, but you are not. And if you ever hope to make her a decent Prince Consort, it's high time you realised that Jurai's position in this universe is far more external than you give it credit for. So long as this is Tsunami's world, people will seek to destroy it. You must be prepared for that, or we are all doomed to death."
With that he turned on his heel, pulling his cloak more tightly around him as he made his way purposefully towards the chamber's exit.
"Lord Tennan!" Takeru called him back and at the doorway, he paused, turning to gaze at the Consort expectantly.
"Yes, my Lord Consort?"
"I will bear it in mind." Takeru said simply. Seiryo started, then a slight smile touched his lips.
"Then maybe you are a better choice of Prince than I've given you credit for." He said softly. "Good day, Lord Takeru. Give my regards to the Lady Ayeka and wish her a swift recovery."