Chapter Fifteen: Wound
A wound heals but the scar remains.
-Proverb
xxXxx
Baron halfheartedly threw in a few mint leaves for good measure, and recorded the adjustment in his 'tea journal'. It was his third volume, since he refused to give up on the perfect blend, and keeping notes kept him from making the same mistake twice. There were so many mistakes he had already made; he couldn't spare the time to make them twice.
As the newest blend of tea brewed in the kitchen, he could still hear Haru's heart-wrenching sobs, although they had lessened in volume. Where they had once pounded against his skull like the roar of an ocean, they were now almost a whisper; still there, but not willing to leave him alone.
It had been two weeks since the locket incident, and nothing Baron could say was able to persuade his dear friends and servants that he was fine. True, it was harder to concentrate on his duties or studies with that continual sobbing in the back of his mind. It was also true that he couldn't be rid of the sensation that he was full of disgusting slime.
It was nothing less than he deserved.
He took the kettle off the stove, and recorded how much time he had allowed the mixture to seep into the water. Ready for the moment of truth, he poured a small amount into a teacup, along with a tiny bit of milk.
One sip was almost more than he could handle. In frustration, he took the rest of the batch and set it in the usual corner of the kitchen, knowing that the gardeners liked to use his bad batches for fertilizer.
Was that all he was doing? Making time-consuming fertilizer? He couldn't help but wonder if fertilizer tasted any better than his latest batch.
"Number three thousand, eight hundred and fifty two; bile," he said aloud while writing the results into the tea journal. He sighed in depression, making one of the cooks that were fixing breakfast pat his shoulder encouragingly.
"Don't worry, my lord; you'll get it right one day."
Baron said nothing, but looked at the few remaining pages in the current journal. How many of these books will it take to find the perfect blend? Shouldn't mere chance be on his side by now?
'Perhaps it would be, if I would stop thinking about the Haru mess I helped create.'
"Baron, you should eat," a matronly cook by the name of Rose urged, gently guiding him to the table, where his favorite breakfast was waiting for him. "You haven't been eating well lately."
"Haven't I?" he asked disinterestedly. Food hadn't been on his mind since…
Since when? The only times he ate anything lately was when Rose or another servant refused to stop bullying him.
"Please, my lord; we don't want you to waste away on us," Rose implored again, making him sigh and tuck into a simple bowl of oatmeal, lightly flavored with mulberries along with toast and milk.
It was a humble meal, but it reminded him of simpler days, back at the vineyard. Back when he didn't have to do any despicable deeds.
He was just heading out a side door to inspect the mulberry field when Adam ran up, calling out his name.
"… Another… messenger," he gasped.
"Oh no; what else is the king going to make me do?" Baron snapped, not in the mood for another quest, especially since it was sure to involve the wedding in some way.
Adam stared in shock. His lord had never given that reaction before.
"I'm sorry, Adam; it's not your fault," he apologized, patting the butler's arm as he walked around him for the front hall.
"… Was the Sea Maiden incident truly that bad?" he asked in shock.
"Even worse," Baron answered miserably, increasing his pace a bit.
Both he and Toto had agreed not to tell anyone of their deception, so no one was quite certain on why the lord had been so out of sorts since the mission that they knew involved the maiden of legend.
Roger was leaning against a wall in the main hall, stretching his legs thankfully. It was clear that he had just arrived.
"Please tell me you're only bringing a wedding invitation," Baron begged.
Roger smiled uncertainly, and offered him a letter. "Not exactly, my lord."
The tiny lord groaned, and reluctantly took the offering. "I'm afraid to look. I still haven't recovered from the last assignment."
"If it's any comfort, you won't have to leave home for this one," the messenger replied helpfully.
Surprised by his response, Baron found the courage to open the letter. He read through it once, and then twice, because he didn't quite believe his own eyes the first time. "Is this a joke?" he asked incredulously, since he had never seen grammar like this before.
"No, my lord. They are on their way, even as we speak."
Baron sighed in exasperation. "If I were a swearing feline," he growled under his breath, before patting the messenger's arm once. "Adam's probably setting aside the usual room for you; feel free to recover as long as you need to." He gave a foul glare at the letter again before tucking it into the pocket of his jacket. "It appears that I have some preparations to make. Would you mind not spreading about what happened last time?"
"The king already promised beheading to anyone that speaks of it, my lord."
Baron laughed, although it was a harsher sound than usual. "I should have known."
ooOoo
Baron couldn't help but be reminded of those last nights at the vineyard, as all the souls that lived in the castle with him gathered together in the main hall at his request. True, this wasn't exactly an emergency like the one back then, but he felt it was only fair to warn everyone.
"Thank you all for coming so quickly; you know how I hate calling these meetings," Baron apologized, since he only reserved such things for emergencies.
There was a general murmur of agreement, along with some modest laughs.
He smiled weakly, and took a deep breath for courage while showing everyone the latest letter. "I know that all of you are aware that the king is fond of giving me errands, usually of the difficult variety. Well, although this one won't call me away from home… I fear it might be the hardest one of all, including retrieving Vulcan for his majesty."
"Baron? Just tell us what the king wants," Richard implored him. "It must be important, to call a meeting."
The little kitten sighed, wishing that he wasn't always the back-up plan. "The king is having difficulty with the Sea Maiden's education. She was born into a culture quite different from ours, and from what I've gathered from the king's letter, she's not adjusting well. She has a handful of etiquette skills already, but she needs more than that to be Prince Lune's wife. Unfortunately, none of her instructors have had much success with her education."
Baron looked down, wishing the king had thought of another way to solve this problem. "Since I haven't let the king down in twelve years of service, he has assigned the Sea Maiden to my charge until the first snow fall. The king expects her to be a proper lady by that time, because the wedding is to take place on Winter Solstice."
"So, the Sea Maiden is coming?" one of the male servants asked worriedly.
"Yes, along with the prince. They've freely admitted that they have no feelings for each other, so the king is hoping enforced time together will do the trick." 'I doubt that it will work, but that's my business.' "The reason I called this meeting is to reduce the chances of… misunderstandings."
"Misunderstandings?" Richard asked worriedly.
"Yes. The Sea Maiden is…" Baron struggled to find a way to describe the strange human girl that kept intruding on his already chaotic life.
"Is she scary?" one of the smaller children asked fearfully.
"Well, sort of yes, and sort of no," Baron tried to console him. "You see, she is quite unlike the human stories we've been terrifying ourselves with for all these centuries. She is a ferocious fighter, but she refuses to offer violence to… anyone that can't defend themselves," he managed to say evasively.
The last thing he wanted to bring attention to was his childlike appearance.
"I still don't know all that much about her, but I do know that if no one gives her a reason to grow angry, she is harmless. Miss Haru has a heart of gold, but can grow quite passionate about her opinions, so it will be obvious that she is not happy about the engagement. The best advice I can give about her is to do as she requests, and try not to take offense at what she says. If you don't quite understand what she means, merely ask her to explain, and she will do so. But if she asks for anything that could lead to another escape, please inform me or the prince immediately."
At that, he sighed once more. "But she appears to be resigned to her fate, so we shouldn't have to worry about that. Now then; the prince and future princess are coming within the week. Let's make them feel welcome, shall we?"
The servants and such closest to the exits began to disperse, but not before Baron remembered something.
"Oh, one more thing," he warned, making many of them look back curiously. "Address her as 'Miss Haru', or 'Lady Haru'. She despises being reminded that she's the Sea Maiden, and I wouldn't be surprised if she's still denying her identity."
"She saved the prince, didn't she?" one gardener asked with surprise.
"She did, but she doesn't want to become part of the royal family. Please, my friends; she'll appreciate it if you don't bring up her title or destiny."
After some murmur of assent, he gave them leave to disperse. Baron turned away to go through a smaller door, sighing once more.
"My lord? Is there another problem with the Sea Maid- I mean, Lady Haru?" Richard inquired as he followed the little kitten down the hallway.
"… You could say that," Baron admitted, looking at the floor in shame. "She despises me."
"What? You?" Richard asked with shock.
"I helped trick her into coming to the kingdom, and then agreeing to the engagement. Believe me, she has incentive."
"But… if she hates you so, is it wise for the king to assign her education to you?"
Baron had to keep himself from growling ominously. "He doesn't give a care what anyone feels other than himself. All that matters to him is that she marries Lune and presents him with a grandson in the near future. The king is probably the only one that wants this marriage to happen, and it's making everyone else miserable, especially Haru."
Richard was silent for a bit, as he followed his lord to the guest chambers for an inspection. "That's why you've been so out of sorts, isn't it? You hated having to trick her."
"More than you can imagine," Baron groaned, as her echoing cries began to grow louder in his mind. "She's been told repeatedly that I wanted no part of it, but… well, the prophecy understated the phrase 'possessing her own mind'."
Richard stared at him, and sighed heavily. "I'm certain her anger will pass, once she understands the king is to blame."
Baron fought back a bitter laugh. "If she ever fully understands that, it will be his death, even if Vulcan says she doesn't have it in her to kill." On impulse, he took out the letter to read it again, a bemused smile on his lips.
"Of course, I'll be fascinated by Lune's explanation as to why his father suddenly feels it's necessary to include the word 'babe' in every other sentence."
ooOoo
Baron tried to focus on his paperwork, but he kept looking out the window. It didn't face any of the roads, but Toto had promised to tell him when Lune and Haru arrived. He distractedly tapped his thumb against the desk, trying to look at the numbers that were staring at him. They almost seemed to smirk back, mocking his inability to command them for the present.
He groaned, and pushed them away. How could he focus on his books when he knew that any second, his calm life at the castle was about to be turned upside down by a human girl he couldn't escape?
At least he had been given enough warning to prepare a room to something he was certain Haru would like, along with informing the cooks what things to never serve as long as the Sea Maiden was within his walls. His grip on the arm rest stiffened, remembering the strange urge he had gotten to leave his mother's harp in her room. But he wasn't ready to let go of such a treasured heirloom, and he wasn't certain that he could handle music like what he had heard on the cliffs to come from his beloved mother's harp.
Even if such music didn't seem to truly suit the Sea Maiden.
His study was suddenly cast into shadows as Toto hovered outside the window. "They're approaching. Would you like to take the fast way down?"
Baron looked up with a grateful smile, happy to postpone the battle of the book balancing for a time. Nonchalantly, he walked around the desk, and onto the windowsill in order to hop onto his friend's back. The window was too small for Toto to come through, and Baron's body was willing to let him do that much, at least.
Toto must have warned people on his way to retrieve Baron, because his servants were scrambling about with slightly panicked expressions as the two flew past large windows.
Then the kitten became distracted by a luxurious carriage, with four thankful- looking guards on each corner of it. He bit back a laugh, wondering if they were to keep riff raff away, or to keep Haru from running away.
No. If it were the latter, the king would have sent at least a regiment.
Toto landed in the courtyard in front of the castle, next to Richard, who had managed to beat them. But the old steward was covering some violent gasps as Baron slid off the crow's back.
"Now Richard; I've told you to take it easy," Baron told his friend as the carriage pulled in front of the castle.
"I… I'm fine, my lord," the old cat assured him with a tired smile. "You're almost as bad as my daughter, you know."
"Perhaps you should start listening to her," the little kitten countered, although his attention was already divided as one of the soldiers opened the carriage and worked loose a small set of stairs for it.
Lune stepped out first, and smiled a little weakly at Baron. "Greetings."
"Pleasant journey?" the kitten asked politely.
"Pleasant enough," the prince assured him as Haru hopped out nonchalantly, to the side to avoid bumping into him.
She still managed to accidentally knock his elbow with her wrist. "Sorry," she immediately apologized, stepping away to look around her. She was now in a lavender dress, and somehow managed to keep a grip on her long navy coat. A lavender ribbon had been woven into her long hair, holding it away from her curious face. She took in a deep breath; clearly enjoying the salty sea air.
Baron could hear Richard give a soft gasp, as he stared at the maiden of legend.
"Haru, we've been through this; you're supposed to wait until I help you out," Lune sighed tiredly.
"Why bother when I'm capable of getting out on my own? Hey, careful, Yuki," she suddenly admonished, breaking off what was obviously an ongoing debate.
The servant girl nearly tripped on the small set of stairs, but was immediately caught by both the prince and Sea Maiden.
Baron blinked once in surprise. 'Of course. Why wouldn't Haru's personal maid come along?'
How strange that he hadn't thought of this possibility; especially considering his feelings for her. He quickly ran through his mental checklist for Haru's accommodations, delighted that everything he had provided was enough to cover for Yuki as well.
"Haru's right; you really should be more careful, Yuki," Lune admonished as he and his intended helped the maid back to her feet.
"I'm sorry, your highness," Yuki murmured, looking at her feet self-consciously.
Haru wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders, missing the look of terrible pain in the prince's eyes. "You're just not used to traveling for so long, Yuki. It's all right."
"Perhaps all of you would benefit from a bit of rest," Baron spoke up before Haru could notice Lune's depression. "Gerard, Adam; would you mind taking their luggage to their rooms?"
"Right away," Adam agreed as he and his brother stepped forward to do as requested.
Haru's large, rounded eyes flickered to Baron at the sound of his voice. They hardened defensively, but at least they did not turn glacial. "It's nice to see you again, Baron, Toto," she said in a neutral tone, as if reciting worn-out lines from a play.
Toto bowed politely, although his expression was somewhat melancholy.
"Likewise, Miss Haru. Would you care to see your accommodations? I'm certain the journey was tiring," Baron assumed.
"Not for me, but Yuki could use some rest," Haru responded, casually supporting her maid, who was stepping unsteadily, and keeping her gaze to the cobblestones.
"I see. Please follow me."
ooOoo
About an hour later, Baron was sitting in the rooms he kept ready for Lune, rubbing his forehead sorely as the prince unpacked his own luggage.
"My friend, please tell me what your father's gotten me into this time."
Lune sighed, and hung up a casual shirt in the wardrobe. "Well, to be as honest as possible… we have found out the hard way just why Haru laughed so hard at the thought of becoming my wife."
"Care to elaborate?" Baron pressed.
"Well, she's dead clumsy when she isn't being violent, she's hopeless at the finer rules of etiquette, and she can't keep her opinion to herself!"
"Not to mention the fact that she happens to be bad at golf?" Baron asked with a smile.
Lune only shuddered. "She says it's not just golf. Anything involving airborne objects ends in unconscious people. After Father tried to teach her and got hit in the head for it, he decided that maybe she knew what she was talking about."
Baron scoffed a small laugh. "Is that all? The king wishes me to cure her clumsiness and teach her to hold her tongue?"
"Frankly, that would be plenty in itself. But please don't attempt to make her a good golfer; Father still has nightmares about her technique."
The little kitten laughed, knowing that it was the very least that the monarch deserved after everything he had done to Haru.
Not to mention what he had forced Baron to do to her...
"She seems a bit calmer than when I last saw her," the kitten managed to say, fighting back the echoes of her cry that were still lingering in his mind.
"I think a lot of that has to do with getting away from the palace. She hates it there."
"Enough to prefer staying in my home?"
"Easily, even if she thinks the only redeeming quality you have is your taste in hats."
Baron looked up. "I beg your pardon?" he asked incredulously.
Lune shrugged a little as he finished unpacking, and set the luggage bags in the corner of the spacious room. "Her exact words, my friend. She likes your hat, but that's about it."
The small kitten took off his hat, and looked at it from all sides, as if rediscovering it. He had taken excellent care of it, with only minimal wearing on the very tips of the brim, and on the inside edge of the brim. Other than that, it still looked new.
Who'd have thought that a human would think so much of it?
"Here's an idea; start wearing a hat like mine," he suggested with a laugh, setting it back on his head.
"Ha ha; you're hilarious. Besides, I think it'll take more than a hat to fix this," Lune fretted, now pacing the room.
"I take it you haven't grown the slightest feelings for her yet?" Baron asked sadly.
Lune laughed harshly. "That's just it, Baron. I like and respect her for what she did for Yuki, and for me. But… romantically… I can't even put that word and her name into the same sentence!" he yelled, holding his hands to his head. "I feel like Father's encouraging me to marry a sibling or an aunt, even though she's younger than either of us. It feels wrong!"
Baron sighed in sympathy. "Yet destiny demands it."
"I wish I could hang the firebird that first gave us the Sea Maiden's Song," Lune growled mutinously, still pacing like a mad cat. "I might have been able to elope with Yuki, and then there would be nothing Father could do to come between us."
"Except remove Yuki's head as soon as she's out of your sight," Baron replied glumly. "He wouldn't stand for peasant blood to enter the royal line."
"Despite the fact that Haru's a self-admitted peasant girl, too," Lune snarled under his breath. "Father is such a hypocrite!"
Baron smiled weakly, since he agreed on that score one hundred percent.
The prince sighed, and sat on a chair close to his oldest friend. "I just wish there was a way out of this engagement. I'd do anything to keep Yuki safe, but I'd do almost anything to avoid a future with Haru."
Baron patted his shoulder comfortingly, although he had to stretch a bit in order to reach it. "Who knows what the future holds, Lune?"
"Vulcan does, but I can't get him to give me any information whatsoever."
"He rarely does," Baron reminded with a grim smile. "I've noticed that firebirds as a whole seem to enjoy laughing at cats."
Lune groaned in agreement, holding his head between his hands. However, after a moment of hopeless despair, he looked up to give Baron a sly smile. "But there is something that the two of us can laugh at. There is something that can get under Haru's skin other than the engagement."
Baron looked over with interest. "Oh?"
"You remember how Vulcan predicted that Haru would toss both advisors out the window, correct?"
"How can I forget?" Baron replied drily.
"Well, as it turns out… Natoru admires a girl that can do that."
The little kitten stared at his friend in shock. "You mean…?"
"He follows her all over the palace like a lost pet, no matter how many times she tells him to 'beat it', whatever that means," Lune laughed, falling across the bed's surface in his mirth. "He'll reply with a strange compliment, and Haru tosses something heavy at him or just tosses him out of the room! He acquired many bruises before we managed to leave for here."
Baron shook his head in amazement. "Out of all the stupid things he has ever done… this one takes the cake."
"He has the sense not to act like that in front of Father, but…" Lune sighed tiredly. "… Frankly, I think even Father has feelings for her. If you hadn't saved my life years ago, and he had somehow found out she was the Sea Maiden, I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to marry her himself."
Baron sighed, having suspected something like that since the king asked if she was beautiful by human standards. That, and the fact that he kissed Haru's hand, which was usually reserved for gentlecats much younger than his majesty.
"Speaking of your father," Baron said slowly, "Would you care to explain the overuse of the word-"
"Don't say it," Lune snarled, sharply breaking out of his mirth. "I'll be happy if I never hear that word again as long as I live."
Baron stared at his friend in shock. "… Lune?"
The crown prince growled, and started cradling his head between his hands again. "Let's just say that Haru's taken a vow to never attempt explaining 'human slang' to my father again."