Author's Note: I apologize for the wait. I had absolutely no intention of letting a month go between postings, but work has been kicking my butt during the week, and the weekends were full of graduations, weddings, and family gatherings. Hopefully this chapter appeases you with the wait. I'm sure I'll get an ear-full from a couple of you by chapter's end... :D Constructive Criticism is always welcomed! Enjoy~
Ceteris Paribus
Chapter Thirteen: Treason and Plot
"Mako?"
Mako continued to bite her lip, her eyes locked on what she couldn't see out the window. The inviting cup of warm tea in her hand did nothing to soothe her growing fears.
"Mako?"
Her fingers began a dance of their own across the wooden tabletop as she sat lost in her thoughts.
Warm fingers settled upon hers and Mako started, blinking in surprise to see Takeru looking at her in concern. She attempted to smile in reassurance but it got lost somewhere in its travels to her lips.
"What happened?"
Mako's muscles tensed at his question, a twinge of pain beginning in her shoulders. She sighed heavily. "The battles appear to be going ill." She felt Takeru still.
"For which side?" He asked as delicately as he could.
"For my father's side," she answered carefully back.
He gave her a curious look.
"What is it?" She flushed at his scrutiny.
"You said your 'father's side', not 'our side.'"
Mako locked eyes with the dark, curious ones across from hers and felt the words at the tip of her tongue. How easy would it be to tell him everything? To share the burden with another who might be able to understand, in fact may be able to help? Then her eyes traveled to the leather band that was ever present around her neck and kept her tongue in check. Takeru had enough problems to worry about, he didn't need hers added on top. So instead, she glanced away, breaking away from the intensity of his stare.
"I'm not allowed to choose a side," she answered simply. "My side was chosen for me at birth, and to speak of any other would be to court treason."
Takeru's warm hand slid away from her own and she locked her limbs down to keep from reaching out and regaining the contact.
"Then why are you so tense, if you are not allowed to have an opinion?" Takeru's tone was apathetic.
Mako's eyes flashed to his and bit her lip to see that his eyes had shutters, once more blocking her out. She winced at the twist it pulled in her heart and answered as honestly as she could. "My father has a temper," she began, her voice quiet. "I fear for those both in his path and those he will seek out to direct his anger towards."
She glanced back at him then, meeting his eyes with her own.
Takeru looked at her curiously, wondering at the meaning behind her words but stopped himself short of asking when a knock sounded at the door.
Ryunosuke announced himself and entered with quick, efficient steps. Mako was on her feet at once.
"Has there been any more news?"
Ryunosuke paused, glancing between his charge and her guest, weighing his words before speaking. "Pluvia and her allies won another strategic battle early this morning, catching Aduro's fighters unawares. They are moving closer every day Hime."
Mako's fingers clenched together, halting both her elation and her fear from showing on her features. "And how has the King received this news?"
Ryunosuke couldn't hold back his grimace. "Not well."
Mako stilled, knowing all too well what Ryunosuke was implying. "How many…?"
He shook his head and kept his lips firmly sealed shut.
She tensed, only choosing to take a deep breath in and let it out slowly when she felt her lungs screaming from the lack of oxygen. She paused a moment to make sure her voice would be steady before asking her next question. "Where is Kotoha?"
"With her guard," Ryunosuke answered promptly. "I ran into them not too long ago and forewarned her of the situation. She will take precautions, Hime." His eyes watched her carefully as she nodded.
Mako felt the walls closing in closer as her thoughts raced through her mind faster than before.
"Hime?" Ryunosuke was now looking at her in concern, her features having gone slightly pale.
"I need some fresh air," she whispered.
"It is not wise to go about unattended at the present time, Hime," Ryunosuke frowned.
"I'll accompany her," Takeru's voice sounded from behind them as he rose almost fluidly to his feet.
Ryunosuke's frown deepened, still unaccustomed to Takeru speaking in such an open manner. "That may not be wise."
"Actually," Mako brightened slightly. "That may be the best choice right now."
"Hime?"
Mako rushed about the room to collect a few items, stuffing them into pockets as she went. "We'll be in the usual place," she informed her loyal friend. "Will you come find us when the King's temper has dampened?"
Ryunosuke nodded but still looked like he was holding back his protests.
Mako grasped Takeru gently by the wrist and tugged him after her. "We'll be fine," she called back over her shoulder to Ryunosuke. "Look after the others."
Takeru followed behind Mako at a respectful distance as she moved quickly but stealthily through the beautiful, airy halls. Her eyes darted constantly about but otherwise her face remained as stoic as ever when out and about the palace corridors.
He felt the tenseness of the palace grounds thickening around them the further they traveled from Mako's private quarters but could not seem to spot another living soul as they walked. The sun shone brightly outside but it felt as if the warmth of its rays fell short of the palace itself, almost as if a cold chill was creeping along, shadowing their footsteps. It made him feel antsy, his fingers automatically moving to grasp the hilt of a sword at his hip that was no longer there.
Mako paused in an archway her eyes scanning every corner of the open grounds before nodding discreetly to Takeru and stealing their way across the tiled floors and around clear blue pools.
It wasn't until the familiar view of the fountain that hid the entrance to Mako's hideaway came into sight that she breathed out a quiet sigh of relief.
On near silent feet they moved across the grassy area until she halted beneath her favorite tree, a small smile of ease finding its way across her features. She looked up at its leafy green branches as they whispered in the breeze, almost as if they were greeting her arrival.
Mako smiled then, a tiny bit of weight releasing itself from her shoulders. She turned to Takeru with an impish grin. "Can you climb?"
Takeru blinked at her question. "Climb?"
"Yes," Mako nodded toward the tree behind her.
His eyebrows vanished into his hairline in surprise. "Can you?"
Mako's answer was a playful, confident smile as she jumped to catch a low-hanging branch and began pulling herself up into the branches, her skirts swirling around her. When she had settled herself onto a sturdy limb she looked back at the astonished prince-turned-slave below her and waved. "Follow me," she called down in a quiet voice and turned her face back toward the branches above her, climbing higher.
Takeru stood rooted to the spot for several long seconds in complete bafflement before shaking his head with a captivated smile and reached for the branch she had hauled herself up on. As he climbed, he felt relief at the stretch and pull of his muscles as he maneuvered his way upward. The smooth but textured bark made for easy gripping and the tree was old enough to have produced many strong, thick branches to make for an easy climb. He stopped only when he was a branch below Mako, her smile bright as she watched him.
She had settled herself into a natural nook in between the trunk and a limb, her body seeming to curve into the spot as comfortably as if she was sitting on her favorite settee back in her rooms. Her vibrant red skirts and gold embroidery made her look like an ornate flower amongst all the jade colored leaves and he paused in his climbing as he stared at her, his heart seeming to tumble about in his chest for a moment at the sight of her smile.
She was so relaxed up here, seeming to be a part of nature itself, like the tree's own spirit come to life. The play of shadows and light across her figure gave her an almost unearthly appearance and Takeru was entranced by the sight, unable to look away as he finally pulled himself up to sit on a branch next to hers, so close they were nearly touching.
Mako breathed deeply and sighed in contentment. "It's been far too long since I've been up here."
Takeru could only stare, feeling as if he was looking at another woman entirely from the quiet, reserved one he saw on a daily basis.
Feeling his stare, Mako flushed. "What is it?"
Takeru shook his head. "You just seem…more at peace here."
Mako smiled. "I told you before, remember?" She looked up at the many branches and deep foliage above her. "The one place you can feel safe…
"People rarely come to this corner of the gardens as it is," she continued. "And no one would expect a princess to have climbed into a tree. The only people who know about it are Kotoha and Ryunosuke." She glanced over at Takeru. "And now you." Her smile was gentle. "We will be undisturbed here for a while; it is okay to relax."
"Aduro's King…"
Mako tensed at Takeru's hesitant, searching question.
"Both you and Ryunosuke mentioned his temper. Is this why we are hiding?"
Mako's smile was bitter, her voice soft. "Yes." She pulled her knees in close to her chest, wrapping her arms around them in the process to rest her chin on top. "He lashes out with his anger. It is best to stay out of his way when he is riled up; with the war turning ill for his favor by the day…after the victory Pluvia gained early this morning…it was best to make ourselves scarce."
Takeru's head tilted slightly to the side as he listened to her words. "You were afraid he would remember I am here." It was a statement, not a question.
Mako nodded quietly, her face grim. "If he were to stumble across you today you would might not be alive to see a new dawn."
He heard no lie in her words, only bald truth.
The rustle of leaves filled in the silence between them for a moment as they sat lost in their own thoughts.
"Thank you."
Mako turned to Takeru with a small smile. "Of course." She started, her heart banging against her ribcage when she realized how close in proximity they were and sat back hurriedly, trying and failing to tamp down on her sudden blush. She fumbled through her skirt's pockets and produced two thin books from inside their folds, handing one to Takeru.
"I brought these," she rushed through her words to cover up her embarrassment. "I thought we might be here for a few hours, so I snatched some reading material off the tables to occupy our time." She tried to hide behind her veil as she waited until Takeru grasped the offered book.
With a smile he watched as her usually steady fingers slipped across the book she was trying to open, diving her nose hurriedly inside to hide her face. Eventually he turned to his book, noting with surprise and a feeling of warmth that it was one he had already been currently reading in her quarters.
They passed the time largely in silence except for the stir of a breeze amongst the branches or the rustle of a turning page, but Takeru was continually distracted by Mako's every minute movement. The way her fingers fluttered over a page, the quirk of her lips, the darting of her eyes about the pages as she sat engrossed in the words it showed her. His fingers itched to tug aside her veil, smooth away the strands of hair and trace the contours of her face. He wondered if he pressed his lips to hers if he'd feel that tugging sensation once more, that pull like two pieces of thought coming together as once, finishing for the other what one started.
Time wheeled by and all too soon Mako began stirring, her eyes darting from her pages to glance up at the passage of time of sunlight and shadows against the foliage. Takeru could see the tense set of her shoulders slowly returning as they both realized they couldn't hide away from the world forever; their time of peace was up.
It was Mako who broke the silence.
"I think we should begin to venture back; enough time has passed for Father's ire to have settled down for the moment." Her eyes wandered to the palace she couldn't see through the branches. "I wonder why Ryunosuke hasn't come to get us yet." She fiddled with the pages of her book. "I hope Kotoha and Chiaki are okay, and that someone told Genta about what he should do." She felt gentle fingers settle on her forearm.
"I'm sure they're fine," he assured her. "Genta keeps his ear to the ground; he would be well out of harm's way if it ever tried to seek him out. And I'm sure Chiaki's protecting Kotoha more fiercely than even we can imagine." An interesting development that one turned out to be…
He noted that while the crease of worry between her eyes had diminished, her eyes still appeared troubled. "Shall we go find out?"
Mako nodded, smiling slightly when he squeezed her arm gently. She placed her hand on top of his and squeezed back in gratitude before tucking the books away and making to maneuver out of the tree.
Getting into the tree had always been an easier feat than getting back out of it, at least where skirts were concerned. True, she wore pants that more resembled leggings underneath most of the time, but skirts entangled themselves in stray twigs all the same. So as not to snag her clothing or head veil on anything she moved slowly and carefully, Takeru reaching the ground long before she did.
When she finally climbed down to the last branch she made as if to bunch her skirts up about her to make the final jump to the ground but stopped in surprise when steady arms held themselves out to her. Takeru's eyes danced at her sudden shyness as she let go of the hems of her skirts and reached out with her own arms, leaning forward to slide off the branch with as much grace as was possible.
There was thrill of falling for an instant as she realized that she had let go of her solid branch with nothing to stop her from making impact with the hard ground below her but the trust in someone else's arms when suddenly she was engulfed in Takeru's embrace, her arms about his neck and his solidly around her waist.
Mako's heart pounded in her chest so hard she swore Takeru had to feel it himself. She flushed as she marveled at the strength and apparent ease he had caught her with, his grip steady even now. She pulled back slightly to see his face and was immediately caught up in his gaze.
As if propelled by some other force, Mako leaned forward, her eyes sliding shut as their lips met.
Once again, time seemed to still around them, the world going silent as if it holding its breath to allow them to exist in another time and place far from where they physically stood.
A warm, safe place, away from the constant troubles and worries of their everyday lives.
Arms gripped each other tighter as if to detract any space between them as humanly possible, realizing that this kiss was different from the last.
It was simultaneously invigorating and soothing, intoxicating in its potency as yet unnamed feelings bubbled dangerously close to the surface.
Mako's hands slid from around his neck to cup his face as the kiss deepened, completely forgetting decorum and the thought of watchful eyes.
For better or worse, however, one person would never let them forget.
"Hime!" Ryunosuke's scandalous tone pierced through the world they had encompassed themselves in, shattering the moment in an instant.
Mako and Takeru jerked back, their breathing ragged as they fought to get themselves under control while Ryunosuke stalked closer, a dark scowl on his face.
Takeru let Mako slowly slide to her feet, her legs a little unsteady but her eyes still solely focused on Takeru's.
"Hime!" Ryunosuke called again when he was only a few feet away. "What in the world were you thinking?!"
Mako felt a little off-balance as she realized that while she was embarrassed, a new feeling of irritation at the interruption was blossoming forth.
"Are you both mad?" Ryunosuke continued his head whipping from one to the other. "Did you completely forget where you two currently stand? You're in the King's backyard! Under his very own nose and now is the time you chose to indulge in – in this!" He waved at the pair of them. "Right when the King is at his most agitated?"
When he didn't receive a response from either of them he turned back to Mako.
"You're in the Women's Sanctuary," he pleaded with her to remember. "Do not forget the number of enemies you have here." He glanced at Takeru. "Either of you. What you are indulging in is foolish and reckless. And you –"
"Is Kotoha okay?" Mako interrupted Ryunosuke's tirade.
He was pulled up short by the question, nearly tripping over his own tongue at the sudden change in conversation.
"She's fine," he assured her. "And so are the others."
"Then we should get back inside," Mako insisted, taking the lead as she began to stride across the grass. "As you mentioned Ryunosuke, this isn't a safe place to be for neither actions nor conversations of this sort."
Takeru glanced back at the First Princess' caretaker and the way his face seemed contorted between wanting to continue his lecture and the good sense to continue it elsewhere as they followed Mako's footsteps through the gardens.
Wisely, Ryunosuke kept his consul as he followed along the hallways but the moment the door to Mako's quarters had been shut behind them he stood his ground.
"Hime," he ground out between his teeth, his arms fully crossed over his chest. "A word, if you please." He nodded toward Mako's private rooms.
Mako closed her eyes tightly for patience, huffing out the barest sigh of annoyance before leading the way to her own rooms, nodding toward Chiaki in greeting where he stood near the windowsill.
As the doors shut smartly behind the pair, Chiaki looked over at Takeru with raised eyebrows. "Dare I even ask?"
Takeru shook his head and settled himself deeply into a chair, bracing his elbows upon his knees as he attempted to study the pull between himself and Mako. Trying to figure out what he was going to do with it now.
"You heard about our allies getting closer?"
Takeru nodded.
"So what's the plan?"
Takeru looked up to see Chiaki's eyes trained on the closed door across the room from them and he sighed deeply. "I don't know," he admitted. "But we'll figure something out." He glanced over at Mako's note taking supplies and rose to gather a blank sheet, fresh ink and a writing stylus.
Chiaki glanced over. "Have an idea already?"
Takeru shrugged. "I don't know, but it couldn't hurt." He glanced up at the solidly shut door to Mako's room and then the one leading to the hall, pausing in his ministrations.
Chiaki caught the look and moved toward the door leading outside. "I'll stand guard over this door," he informed his leader. "With the way Ryunosuke sounds to be fixing up, his lecture could go on for some time."
They both glanced over at the door, indistinct voices emanating from behind it, the exact words lost behind the thickness of the wood.
Chiaki sighed. "I'll bet he's lecturing Kotoha in there too just for good measure." He glanced back at Takeru. "I don't know what you guys did this time, but stop doing it so that their 'Mother Hen' keeps catching you. It's really a pain in the ass to have him glaring at all of us all the time like we're the mortal enemy."
Takeru's eyebrow quirked up at the term usage and Chiaki rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, I know." He waved away Takeru's unspoken words and stationed himself at the doorway, his every nerve alert for any presence on the other side of the doors. They were too close to the finish line to trip now.
"It was a kiss Ryunosuke!" Mako yelled louder than she had intended. She was embarrassed at getting caught again when it felt like such a private, intimate thing, and her irritation as such was getting the best of her.
"And can you honestly tell me it was just a kiss?" Ryunosuke countered, his voice rising in response but his stance firm. "Just a harmless experiment? That you didn't feel anything else? Can you honestly tell me that you don't feel the need to "test" it again and again until it blindly develops into something you can't handle with a clear head anymore?"
"Ryunosuke!" Kotoha was shocked.
Mako felt the words stab at her heart, but she simply crossed her arms across her chest and held her ground, her usual court mask slipping into place. When she answered, her voice was cool and distant. "What are you getting at?"
"I'm just trying to protect you," he explained, trying to keep his frustration under control. She had never used that façade with him before, and it felt like a smart slap in the face that jolted him back in place.
"You've worked so hard," he continued, appealing to her logical side and wincing inside as he did so. It was an underhanded tactic, but he had to make her see sense. "You're so close to obtaining your goal. Are you willing to risk all of that for one man? For a named slave?"
"He wasn't always a slave Ryunosuke," she reminded him, her tone brittle in its frostiness, but he could see that some of what he had said was beginning to push through.
"So you have decided to believe the rumors then?"
Mako nodded. "In this instance."
"Why? What changed your mind?" He couldn't help asking, curiosity getting the best of him.
She hesitated for a fraction of a minute before plunging ahead. "He told me himself."
Kotoha gasped, her hands flying to cover her mouth. "So he really is the Prince of Caelestis Via?"
Mako looked her sister's way. "Yes."
"And you believe him?" Ryunosuke cut in.
Mako nodded again, this time with an assurance she felt deep within her. Whatever else Takeru may be keeping from her, she was sure this was not one of them.
Ryunosuke watched his princess for a long moment, studying her set jaw and resolute eyes. He sighed deeply and raked a hand through his hair. He'd have to find out exactly how much this foreign prince had divulged later but at least Takeru had finally trusted Mako with that much.
"So what do we do now?" He asked, his eyes fixing on hers.
Mako's mask slipped and her arms dropped to her sides, disarmed at the look on Ryunosuke's face – resignation, anxiety and fresh determination. "What do you mean?"
"Now that you know for sure that he is the heir to the throne of the country you've been communicating with for months in secret, you can't very well let the King get his hands on him." Ryunosuke's tone was calm, but it sent a chill down Mako's spine all the same. "If the King kills him while he's under your protection…"
Mako sat heavily in the chair at her side and buried her face in her hands, that feeling of being overwhelmed breaking loose from that lock she normally kept it under.
She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and Mako looked up to see Kotoha trying to smile bravely for her. Mako's hand reached up to grasp her sister's and squeezed it tightly, coming to a decision in a moment of perfect clarity. She turned to Ryunosuke's expectant face.
"We get him out."
When he gave her nothing but a confused expression in answer, Mako elaborated. "We have to protect him. We have to get Takeru out of here, away from the palace and safely behind his allies' lines."
Ryunosuke started. "Hime, if the King finds out –"
"And if Takeru dies?" Mako cut him off, already knowing the answer. "Caelestis Via will sever ties with us; they'll see it as a betrayal of their trust – something we've worked so hard for, for so long to obtain. Do we dare risk that?" Her eyes were steady as she watched Ryunosuke searching her for her resolution.
"But Mako," Kotoha started, her voice shaky and face pale, "if Father finds out it was you…"
"He would kill you Hime and he wouldn't think twice about it, First Princess or not," Ryunosuke continued where Kotoha had trailed off unable to speak the words aloud. "And it would be public."
Kotoha's hand tightened on Mako's shoulder and she tried to squeeze her hand back in comfort, knowing it was largely a lost cause.
"Do you think Takeru could live with that?" Ryunosuke didn't relent, but Mako started slightly at the use of his name. Ryunosuke always referred to Takeru as her "guest," never by name. "Are you willing to die because of what you might feel for him, as noble as your intentions are in aiding his escape?"
Mako shook her head and Kotoha and Ryunosuke looked at her in surprise until she explained. "It's not about my personal feelings, Ryunosuke. It's about this kingdom," she spread her arms wide, "It always has been."
She took in a deep breath to steady herself, knowing full well the weight of her words. "If my father discovers the truth, if he does kill me, it won't be because I'm willing to die for one man." The determination in her eyes was strong and her will unbending. "I'm willing to sacrifice my life for my country, as I always have. As I always will."
The two regarded each other silently for a long time before Ryunosuke finally nodded. "Then I will help you, even if it means adding another grotesque ornamentation to that wall." He bowed deeply to her then in a sing of his utmost respect and sincerity. "I would proudly die beside you."
Cold fingers grasped hers. "Me too." Kotoha's mouth was set firmly, even as her limbs trembled.
"Kotoha," Mako sighed as she stood and tucked a stray curl behind her sister's ear. "You have a chance for love with Chiaki. Don't throw that away so rashly."
Kotoha frowned. "What about you and Takeru?"
Mako shook her head. "We're not the same. This isn't love." Her brows furrowed as she tried to define this intangible thing between them. "It is a shared curiosity, nothing more." She felt the lie as it left her lips but stood by her words all the same.
"It would be love Mako," Kotoha retorted, not fooled for an instant, "If you just gave it a chance."
Mako hugged her little sister close, embracing her tightly to hold back the emotions that threatened to overtake her at Kotoha's words. Everything inside her screamed that those words were the truth, but Mako couldn't afford to indulge in them. "You know I can't," she whispered instead. "There's too much at stake."
Kotoha pulled back from her sister's embrace with a frown. "Then how come I can risk it?"
Mako couldn't stop the soft sigh that escaped her lips as she moved to cup her sister's face in her hands. "Kotoha, you're my sister. I care more about you than anyone else in the world. I love you and am more than grateful and proud of you for willing to die beside me, but you have another role to play in this." She met her sister's eyes steadily, hoping to convey what her heart wasn't allowed to say. "If something happens to Ryunosuke and me, I need you to live. When the time comes I want you to find Chiaki, and the two of you are to lead Takeru and Genta to safety. Can you do that for me?"
Kotoha's eyes filled with tears that quickly spilled over but she nodded, biting her lip against a sob and embraced her sister as tightly as she could.
Mako swallowed past the lump lodged in her throat, returning the embrace with as much strength. "Find Genta," she whispered to Ryunosuke, determined to keep her tears locked within her eyes. "Bring him to my quarters to join Chiaki and Takeru. Kotoha and I will be with you shortly."
Unwilling to bring himself to break into the emotions tumbling between the siblings, Ryunosuke simply bowed low in response before taking his leave on silent feet.
Kotoha's arms tightened around her sister and Mako found it hard to breathe, but whether that was from her sister's interlocked arms or her own feelings bubbling up and over she couldn't be sure.
"You'll be okay," Mako promised. "One day it will be okay."
"I want you to come too, Mako," Kotoha couldn't help the sob that escaped.
Mako felt a tear trail down her cheek and hide itself in Kotoha's hair. "I know," she whispered. "I know."
"What are you going to tell Takeru?"
"Only what I have to; as much that will get him out of here as safely as possible."
"He's going to ask why you're not coming," Kotoha's tone was insistent as she looked at her older sister with worried eyes. "He'll figure it out, even if you don't answer him. He's smart, as smart as you are."
Mako's lips rose in the barest of smiles as she ran a hand through her sister's hair. "I know."
"What are you going to do then?"
Mako sighed. "I guess I'll figure it out if and when the question comes up."
"I don't like this plan Mako."
"It is not the most ideal," she admitted. "But it is the best we have." She hugged her sister close once again before releasing her. "Come, we need to wash our faces before we go through the doors. I don't want to start this conversation off on the wrong foot; best not to alarm anyone before it's absolutely necessary."
By the time they had freshened up and stepped outside the doors, Ryunosuke had returned with Genta and the three men were glancing at the princesses' caretaker and confidante with questioning glances.
"Please, sit," Mako indicated the chairs in the room as she and Kotoha sat themselves at the small table that held the Agnitio pieces. Ryunosuke stood just behind them, positioned for support and assistance as he stood in perfect posture, his will set to follow Mako's with whatever decision she made.
Chiaki chose to lean up against the wall near the door, his arms crossed over his chest as he felt the tension rising in the air. He had an ominous feeling about this little get together; something inside him was nagging that he wouldn't like the outcome by the day's end.
Genta plopped himself down next to Takeru who was seated on a couple of cushions against the wall opposite of Mako and Kotoha. He glanced around the room, noting the tense set to everyone's shoulders and attempted to crack a grin. "What happened? Did someone die?" He quipped.
Mako and Kotoha winced at his words and Genta dropped his smile, abashed. He'd heard the rumors circulating, but couldn't believe they were true. Just because you were the king and angry didn't give you the right…
Mako took in a deep breath to steady herself before releasing it slowly, making eye contact with the three newest members to her chambers before plunging ahead. "By now I'm sure you've all heard the news of what has transpired today with Pluvia, Caelestis Via and the rest of their allies. Just as I am sure that you have heard of Aduro's King's response to such news…"
She closed her eyes and sighed. "I won't beat around the bush." She looked across the room. "Takeru, Genta, the two of you are in more danger than you realize. Aduro's King will not have forgotten about Takeru completely, but with time it may have passed had the war been going in the King's favor. Now, however, he will be obsessed with saving face after this blow of defeat."
She locked eyes with Takeru. "He will come for you now. It's only a matter of time. The manner in which he comes for you will depend entirely on his mood and whim. I cannot say what he will do, or how long it will last, but even if he lets you live for a little longer while he comes up with new ways to prolong your shame and humiliation, eventually he will kill you." Mako clenched her hands together in her lap to try and stop them from shaking, even as her voice remained steady. "It may be in a few weeks or a few days; the closer Pluvia and her allies' get, the shorter your life will be."
She wrenched her eyes away from the steady, dark ones gazing at her, trying to put a stopper on the emotions that were surging up inside her at the thought of Takeru's imminent departure from this world.
"Be that as it may," she continued after a moment, glancing back at Ryunosuke and Kotoha who both nodded, their faces grim in determination. "I believe we have found a way to get you out of this predicament. It is simple but risky." She looked up at the tense guard by the door. "We will need your help with this too Chiaki, if you are willing."
"What are you proposing Princess?" Genta asked, all usual traces of amusement having vanished from his face and voice.
"We –"
Chiaki made an abrupt, jerking motion as he all but danced away from the door, his mouth opening to call out a warning that never came as a sharp knock sounded on the door an instant before it burst open.
Everyone in the room was on their feet in an instant, but their limbs froze at what greeted them on the other side of the door.
"Hello my beloved daughters," a voice filled the horrified silence left in the opening door's wake.