Author's Note: I really must start getting more sleep. The plot bunnies I get sometimes keep me up. I'm starting to finish the ending of this story. I've still have about five more chapters until I get to where I was when I started watching season four. Enjoy everyone!
Chapter 9.
Headmaster Osmond looked over the scepter he'd brought from the palace. It had been left in his care for the time being. He didn't know if the bishop and duke's plan was going to succeed or not, but in the meantime he had an opportunity to look the thing over. Saito's rune had begun to react after placing his hand upon the scepter alongside Henrietta's hand. Now the aged headmaster was pouring over every book he had concerning the history of the royal family, the artifact, and its powers. Osmond looked over the books Ms. Longueville had brought to him and wondered how long the country could last without their queen.
A knock at the door brought Osmond's attention up from his study to find his wayward secretary tentatively poking her head in. "Yes, Ms. Longueville? I'm really busy and do not need to be disturbed."
"I'm sorry headmaster, it's just I've completed a search of Louise's room and found something that might be of interest." The former insurgent reported to her boss. She then quickly shut the door and brought two bottles to the desk.
The headmaster looked down at the blue and pink flower glowing strongly in front of him and whistled. "Ekulerudamaru a magical flower if memory serves correctly."
"Yes, headmaster, but do you know what they're used for?" Ms. Longueville quizzed the old man.
"No idea."
The beautiful young woman actually snorted. "Men... This flower is a common focus for young lovers. It's magic is tied to the two people to which the flowers belong and bloom as long as the two are alive. If these two flowers are glowing, it means that Louise and Saito are alive and well as is the queen most likely."
Osmond sat looking at the flowers dispassionately. He had to admit knowing that the two young people were alive was a definite boon, but without knowing where they were the country was still in trouble. "That is good news. These flowers are native to Albion are they not?"
"Yes, my father used to grow them in his garden when I was small. They're quite popular there. Louise and Saito probably got a couple of them while they were there for the war." Ms. Longueville said picking up the two bottles. "Would you like me to leave them in here so we can watch them?"
"Certainly. Could you then tell the kitchen to have my meal sent here? I'm going to be working late tonight." Headmaster Osmond said looking through his books once again.
"Yes, headmaster. I realize you must be extremely busy." Ms. Longueville said sweetly as she put the two flowers on the mantle and gathered her things to call it a night. "You haven't even tried to look at my underwear."
Osmond chuckled to himself as the girl left him to his work. "Pink." He said to himself after he was alone. He wasn't that busy after all.
Osmond picked up the book on wedding ceremonies and began leafing through it again. There had to be something he was missing...
Saito looked at his one small bed and gulped. Most young men would think that spending the night with four attractive young girls your own age in your room would be a little slice of heaven. These are all young men who have not actually experienced spending the night with four attractive young women in their room. Harsh reality was beginning to set in for Saito as he looked at his small bed which could hold one person or two if they were really close. One bed, four girls... you do the math.
"I'm sorry my room isn't very large." Saito said uneasily.
"It'll be fine." Henrietta assured him. Technically, it might be seen as their wedding night.
"Mom left out some extra futons, that will help." The young man replied starting to make a place for someone to sleep.
"Where do we go from here?" Tabitha asked the other girls.
"You are the queen Henrietta, you should take the bed." Louise advised sternly.
Henrietta looked at her and began stammering. "Th-thank you Louise, I... I... I realize it wo-would have been our we-wedding night, but the ce-ceremony was interrupted, and wi-with everyone here I..."
"I can see where your mind is at." Louise shot back with a smirk. "I said you were taking the bed. I didn't say Saito would be joining you."
"Oh?"
"We need to lay some ground rules Henrietta, woman to woman. You are our queen, but Saito belongs to me. Understand?" Louise fiercely stated.
Henrietta looked sad. "Of course. I'm sorry I assumed too much Louise."
"And I belong to Saito!" Siesta happily jibed as she latched onto his right arm. Tabitha immediately took up a position on his left.
"Fine." Louise grumbled as the two girls dragged the hapless boy to floor between them.
"I'm really starting to hate being queen." Henrietta likewise grumbled as she got into bed.
"How do you blow out these lamps?" Louise said looking up at the light fixture.
"There's a switch on the wall there by the door." Saito instructed his master.
Louise turned off the light and then Saito felt the weight of a hand against his chest before Louise laid down on top of him. "Do-don't get the wrong idea you dog. I'm just laying here to make sure nothing happens with the maid while I'm asleep."
"Killjoy."
"Shut it."
Saito lay there praying, hoping beyond hope that things couldn't get any worse when they did. "Saito that tickles, stop poking me there." Louise giggled.
"Wait a minute, I've got his right arm." Siesta noted suspiciously.
"And I've got his left." Tabitha supplied.
A long silence hovered in the air for a moment before realization brought a fist down on Saito's head. "You perverted dog!"
"I can't help it Louise!" Saito whined to his girlfriend. "What am I supposed to do when the girl I love is laying on top of me like that?"
"Well, I guess it can't be helped." Louise groused with her usual 'happy grumble' as he liked to call it. "Be grateful you dog."
"Trust me, I am." Saito whispered into her ear as her head returned to his chest.
"What do you think is happening back home?" Siesta asked sleepily.
"War most likely." Henrietta replied quietly. "I imagine that the different factions vying for the throne started preparations the moment we disappeared from the chapel."
"It must suck having those vultures hovering around you all the time." Saito told his queen. "Are you sure marrying me is going to put a stop to it?"
"We have to get back before we even have a chance." Henrietta told him. "Fortunately, we have time since it takes time to mobilize soldiers for war. I just hope we can get back before it's too late."
"How long do you think we have?" Saito asked.
"It's hard to say. Even if we return before the open fighting starts the nobles might simply continue down that road since they've already gotten the armies ready. If they've already gotten into a position to take the country, whether or not I'm actually on the throne is a matter of semantics." The troubled queen explained as she rolled over to look down at the four of them in the dark. Saito looked up to see her face. She was hurting.
Louise sat up and joined her friend on the bed. Henrietta was now crying as Louise hugged her close. "It'll be alright Henrietta."
Louise tried to comfort her friend as best she could and then crawled into the bed. "Siesta. Tabitha."
"Yes, mistress?" Siesta answered warily.
"Henrietta needs a shoulder to cry on so I'm going to sleep up here. Tomorrow night you two can have the bed." Louise ordered the young maid.
"Agreed." Tabitha answered as she and Siesta snuggled close to his sides.
Morning arrived as it usually did over the country of Japan, light pouring over the cityscape filling in the alleys where night reluctantly let loose it's tenuous grip on the morning. At the home of the Hiraga family, the peaceful morning was getting off to a rather unusual start. For starters, no one was yelling at him.
Saito woke with only one girl in his arms. In this case, the girl happened to be Tabitha. Louise and Henrietta were quietly sleeping in the bed, and Siesta was absent. From the smell he guessed she was already in the kitchen. Saito tried to extricate himself from Tabitha but the slender girl squeezed as he tried to move. "Just a little longer Ivaldi. It's my first time getting to sleep with you and wake up in your arms and I've only had you to myself for a couple hours."
Saito relaxed letting Tabitha curl up closer to him. She was as light as Louise, and of all the girls he knew how to handle her the least. She was always so quiet, which made it hard to understand her. He figured she must genuinely love him, after all she'd been clinging to him for dear life since returning from Gallia with him. Saito pulled her close and could see she was happy to be with him, but still he wondered. "Tabitha, why do you love me, when you know I love Louise?"
"You're the first person to care about me enough to risk everything to save me. All my life I've only ever read about heroes willing to risk their lives for the people they cared about and even then it was usually for the women they loved. If you loved me enough to fight for me, I'm going to return it." Tabitha explained.
"Personally, I think the dog is just too stupid to realize when the odds are against him." Louise growled as she rolled over to look at them. Saito froze. He was cradling Tabitha against his chest after all.
"Well, he has a nice butt too." Tabitha added.
"You have to admit Louise, he does have a nice bottom." Henrietta remarked from somewhere behind Louise.
Louise turned red and got ready to make his morning more normal when Tabitha rolled on top of him. "That reminds me. Good morning Ivaldi."
Saito had been kissed by Tabitha before, but this one was new. She was on top of him, he could feel her entire body through her pajamas, and oh yes... she was using tongue. Saito could see Louise above him getting ready to come down and murder him. Siesta was one thing, Tabitha was a completely different matter.
Henrietta grabbed Louise in a hug wrestling around with her childhood friend, and as the queen giggled and Louise fumed, Tabitha managed to get up from on top of him unscathed.
"My turn!" Henrietta called playfully, rolling off the bed onto him and kissing him forcefully as well.
"Henrietta!" Louise whined as her queen and friend joined Tabitha, getting ready to head to the bathroom to get ready for the morning. "When do I..."
"Right now." Saito growled hungrily as he pulled his girlfriend off the bed onto him and began kissing her passionately. He then started down her jaw to her neck finding her most ticklish places.
It was several minutes before Saito released Louise to the annoyed stares of the other two girls. "Why don't you kiss him first tomorrow Louise?" Henrietta recommended flatly.
"Why, so you can try to go longer?" Louise shot back happily, slightly out of breath with a blush to boot.
"Bingo." Tabitha affirmed as the girls headed off to get ready for breakfast.
He hated to admit it, but being home with all these girls really did have him in a very good mood. Saito quickly readied himself and headed for the breakfast table where he found an absolutely dazzling breakfast waiting for him. Siesta was just putting the last of the dishes out for them as he entered.
"Good morning Siesta." Saito intoned as he patted her on the bottom since none of the girls were around. As the buxom girl jumped and turned to face him he kissed her warmly too. "Thanks for making breakfast."
Siesta was bright red and speechless as he chuckled and sat down at the table. He was just about to dig in when his mother came in the door. "It's about time you got up. Siesta's been up for hours. She saw me off this morning. What happened, your girlfriends keep you up?"
"Good morning mother, breakfast is ready." Siesta said happily.
"You realize she can't understand you right Siesta?" Saito asked from where he was sitting.
"I can still welcome her home." Siesta replied as Saito translated the welcome.
"Thank you Siesta." Mrs. Hiraga offered amicably.
"Uh, Saito?" Louise called from the hallway. "Can you help me with something?"
"What is it?" Saito called back.
"We're having problems trying to figure out how to get dressed in these clothes." Louise reported uneasily.
Saito snorted his morning tea through his nose and was coughing uncontrollably while his mother pounded on his back. "I'll... I'll... I'll be right there!"
"I think I better go check on the girls instead." Mrs. Hiraga said suspiciously as she gauged her son. "Your reaction looked a little too happy. You come too Siesta, I think I can guess what they're calling about."
Saito was left to his meal in peace and quiet. It had been a long time since he'd been home and while Siesta's breakfast was marvelous he still had a craving for good home cooked Japanese food. After a few minutes, he finished off his tea and was quite happy to be alive as he got up to head for the couch. That was when the hallway door opened.
It was a good thing his tea was empty as the cup tumbled from his hands to the floor. Saito sank to his knees in awe, tears coming to his eyes at the vision of beauty in front of him. His mother had brought kimonos for the girls to wear. As the girls stepped into the room, he couldn't decide where to look first. As his eyes wandered across each of their lovely faces he finally let his eyes fall on Louise.
"I take it I still have the eye?" Mrs. Hiraga asked her love-struck son.
Louise was radiant in a pink kimono that matched her hair, with white birds in flight embroidered across it and a crimson obi. Next to her, Henrietta was wearing a lavender kimono with one large pink blossom at the shoulder and an obi of the same color. Not to be outdone, Tabitha was equally elegant in a deep blue kimono with much lighter blue bamboo stalks covering her left side with a black obi. Siesta however stole the show. Her Japanese heritage made her look the most natural in the formal attire. Her kimono was jet black covered in purple leaves with a silver obi. Add the fact that all the girls were blushing, staring, and smiling at him cutely because they were in such alien clothing; and Saito didn't stand a chance. He was a Japanese male and such noble grace and beauty as this echoed through his soul clear down to his ancestors. It was then that Saito realized that he could never leave them. If he had to carry a sword the rest of his life and spill the blood of a million men, monsters, and mages, he'd protect these girls with his life until his final breath.
What he hadn't realized was that his jaw had been hanging open. He was only made aware of this when his mother politely closed it for him. Then she slapped him... hard. "Snap out of it son, and don't you dare drool on the carpet."
A/N: What can I say? I like melancholy drama every now and then. I just love the word poignant...