On High Guard
Aspirator
TEN
They all knew he was honorable, almost too much. Koko frowned when he realized he didn't have the chance to convince Natsume out of it before they were here. The Commander was standing before the Queen, on her throne, flanked by her Small Council.
"I resign my position as Commander of the High Guard." The first words out of his mouth startled them all, but Koko should've known. He was honorable, and he had strong beliefs about the qualifications of a High Guard.
Hotaru recovered first, coldly asking, "And what is the reason for this sudden resignation?"
The Commander took a moment, before boldly and rather unemotionally stating, "I have fallen in love."
Amidst Tsubasa's guffawing and Yuu's stuttered surprise and Mikan's dark flush on her cheeks, Hotaru answered, "that is too preposterous a reason for your resignation. I do not accept."
He stared back at her, and Koko noted how much he had changed. Now, he could see the half-resigned defeat and half frustration in his eyes as he gazed up at the Queen.
At the silence, the Queen prodded him, "what will you do when you resign?"
He had an answer, he always did, but they all knew it was bullshit. "A private mercenary. Perhaps, a smith."
"A knight." Tsubasa offered, a little humorously. "There's no romantic restraints there."
Natsume stared at him, the same special pointed stare he always gave to those he disliked. Then he coughed. Or rather, he didn't cough. Koko almost gasped in shock - Natsume had scoffed!
After a long tense silence, in which Koko could see Mikan had nearly had three heart attacks, the Queen finally decided. "Hold on to it. After two days, come back to me, and I will reconsider."
If he was wondering what was up her sleeve, if he was cautious of her requirement, he did not show it. He bowed his head in a curt nod.
Two days later, they were back in the same set up. Natsume stood at the bottom of the steps while Hotaru sat in her throne. Mikan looked unsettled and bit her lip uneasily as she glanced between the Commander and the Queen. Koko and Tsubasa watched with amusement. Yuu, too, looked a bit uneasy, if not confused.
"Need I repeat my prior statements?" Natsume started the conversation impatiently, an edge of anxiety to his voice.
"No." Hotaru smiled, one that suggested that she had thought about making him repeat it, "I have thought on your resignation."
"And?"
"I accept."
Natsume did not react outwardly, but did let out a breath. Mikan gasped.
"On one condition," Hotaru smiled again, a bad sign for sure.
The commander nodded warily.
"You may formally resign your post as the Commander of the High Guard if, and only if, you take up duty as the head instructor for a new Alices Academy I am about to set up." Hotaru held up her hand, stopping Natsume from responding, "and…" she let out a third smile. Three smiles? Eerie, for sure. "And you must act upon your profession of love."
Natsume, for the first time, looked stupefied.
In fact, the entire small council were stupefied by the Queen's demands, even Koko.
The Commander was the first to recover. He let the edge of his lips lift up ever so slightly as he responded, "that was two conditions, Your Highness. Regardless of technicalities," a phrase that Koko never thought he'd hear from the Commander, Natsume nodded with a glimmer of gratitude, "I shall accept."
The next day, in quick succession that was so characteristic of the former Commander, Natsume stiffly proposed that Mikan marry him, in which the sorceress gleefully accepts. He then appointed Youichi to lead the High Guard in his stead. Without missing a beat, he propositioned several important 'strong suggestions' to the queen to look after when setting up that Alice Academy, the first of its kind in the world.
"Congratulations, Natsume." Koko approached him that night, grinning from ear to ear.
The former Commander glanced at him sideways, as he always did. Rather than the habitual response, Natsume gave him a curt nod. Finally, allowing him the honor of calling him by his first name.
Acknowledging the silence and its implications, Koko couldn't be happier. They stood in comfortable silence for a moment, then the advisor stated out of the blue, "It's happiness."
"What?"
"That's the answer you're looking for." The advisor repeated himself, "happiness."
"Happiness," Natsume repeated to himself. He blinked, catching on, "the emotion to be felt."
"Yes." Koko smiled.
"Hm." The former Commander allowed himself a small smile for the advisor.
The advisor then answered without the Commander having said anything, "You're welcome."
Stay tuned.