Author's note: Well things should be winding down soon for this story as we head for the climax. I hope to end this in just a few more chapters so be looking forward to the ending.
Chapter 13.
Saito and Louise met the elder Hiraga and Tabitha in front of the small shrine that joined the inn's property. More of an attraction now than anything else, the small shrine had acted as his grandmother's study while she had been alive. Now Saito only hoped that the secret to them getting home was buried somewhere in her research.
"Well grandson, why don't we familiars let these young ladies get started looking around in the temple?" Gramps said pulling him aside. The two girls thanked him and disappeared inside while Saito eyed the two practice swords his grandfather carried.
"What's with the swords?" Saito asked with a grin.
"I just thought I'd see what you've learned..." The old man said with a similar, but much older grin.
Saito smiled and accepted one of the weapons from his elderly opponent and squared off against him in the yard of the shrine. His grandfather knew how to hold a sword, so Saito warily circled to look for an opening.
"Take it easy on an old man now." Grandfather Hiraga said with a soft chuckle.
Saito knew he was facing a former Gandalfr and wasted no time in his attack. He didn't have a real sword which limited what he could do, but he still had more extensive training in swordplay than most young men his age. Even if his rune had been guiding his hands when he was normally fighting, if you get in to enough life or death struggles you tend to pick up on a few things.
Saito was surprised at how swiftly he disarmed his grandfather. With only a couple swift strokes he knocked the sword up out of his hands and caught it deftly. "Why aren't you fighting me seriously?"
"Who says I'm not!" The older man huffed. "Congratulations boy, you just beat and elderly history teacher."
"I figured since you were a familiar yourself..." Saito started.
"Not all familiars serve in combat son." The older man lectured as he massaged his wrist. "I just wanted to see how good you are. You're definitely better than I ever was."
Saito grinned and showed his grandfather his rune. "This helps, I'm geared specifically for combat. But still, my rune doesn't work on practice swords."
"Lucky me." Grandfather griped. "You're supposed to let old men win out of respect you know."
"Sorry Gramps." Saito said with a deep smile as he bowed to his progenitor.
"Hey Saito, are these magician uniforms from your world?" Louise asked behind him.
Saito turned to see a vision that made him certain his recurring fantasy of coming home to four beautiful young women was going to be getting a makeover.
Before him, Tabitha and Louise had changed into the traditional shrine maiden outfits that were stored in the temple. Saito openly stared with his jaw going slack. He expected his grandfather to slap him upside the back of the head, but a quick glance told him his grandfather was also similarly incapacitated.
"Y-y-y-ou don't have to stare so much." Louise stammered.
"My apologies my dear." The elder Hiraga said quickly brushing a stray rivulet of hemoglobin from his lip. "It's just the two of you remind me so much of my late wife."
"What? Both of them?" Saito asked incredulously.
"Well... yes." The old man replied defensively. "An ear here, a nose there... Those were your grandmother's clothes."
Tabitha looked down at the outfit. "It fits us perfectly."
"Yes. Yes they do." The aged teacher said wistfully. "Why don't you kids get started looking through Amelia's notes? I think I'm going to go visit her. It's been a while since she and I talked."
Saito nodded at the melancholy in his patriarch's voice as he wandered toward the footpath he remembered that led to his grandmother's grave in the forest.
"Did we hurt Grandfather?" Louise asked in trepidation.
"No. I imagine he's just missing Granny seeing the two of you like that. He really, really loved her." Saito said looking around the shrine. Bookcases covered the walls and a large cushion sat in front of a low desk where his grandmother did her reading.
Saito wasn't much of a bookworm, and fortunately his grandmother took notes in her native language. There were however some scrolls on the history of the village and occasionally the girls would have him translate something. For the most part, Saito stayed outside lounging around and napping. This was the part of being a familiar he hated. He was a being of action, taking initiative and defending his master. Sometimes though the familiar simply had nothing to do while his master did her research.
A quiet sob brought Saito's attention back to reality, where he'd been happily imagining a house full of girls in shrine maiden outfits. Saito darted into the shrine to find Louise unsuccessfully trying to console a sobbing Tabitha. As he entered, Tabitha dropped the book she was reading and latched onto him for dear life.
"What is it Tabitha?" Saito prodded gently as the normally unemotional girl quivered uncontrollably in his arms.
"I'm so sorry Saito, I'm so sorry. We did it, my family is the one responsible." Tabitha wailed.
"What? What's wrong?" The familiar continued.
"Saito, we're cousins." Tabitha moaned. "It was my family that attacked your grandmother's estate. I... I was curious so I looked at your grandmother's diary. There's no mistake Saito. The estate your grandmother lived in belongs to my family now. It was near the lake where you met the lake spirit. Your grandmother mentioned that she lost her older sister in the attack when they were separated. Her name was the same as my grandmother's. If it's true... I think that... the people that attacked the estate that night were my ancestors. They took... they took her older sister and forced her to marry my grandfather. We're... cousins Saito. I'm so, so sorry."
"Why? What should it matter now what happened then? Tabitha, you have nothing to be sorry for." Saito said comforting the girl.
Saito looked to Louise for help but the other girl was wrapping her arms around her and looked jealous. She quickly stepped out and left the two of them standing there. Saito didn't have a clue why she looked so angry, but since it hadn't resulted in her usual explosive fit, he counted himself lucky.
"Louise is angry isn't she?" Tabitha said with a sniffle.
"I wish I knew why." Saito admitted.
"Nobles in our world frequently marry close to their families. Being your cousin will make my family seek you out as a potential husband for me." Tabitha explained.
"Is that why you were crying?" Saito asked aghast.
"Partly. My family tends to be vicious. You've seen what happened with my mother. I've brought more turmoil into your life, and into your relationship with Louise. That's why I'm sorry." The quiet girl whispered apologetically.
"No biggy." Saito said kissing her forehead. "You wait here. I'll go get Louise calmed and we'll keep searching."
"Do we have to?" Tabitha asked suddenly.
"I better, she'll be steamed for days otherwise." Saito replied with a chuckle.
"No, I mean do we really have to go home?" Tabitha said quickly. "Can't we just stay here like your grandmother did and start a new life and forget all about the kingdoms?"
Saito understood Tabitha's pain. He knew what she was going through with her family. "You know we can't abandon those we love."
"You love someone still over there?" She quietly asked.
"No, but I know Louise and Henrietta will never rest until they find a way home. I don't think they could ever be truly happy here. And I'll follow Louise wherever she leads me because I love her. And I know you'll be there by my side as well when we return."
"Because I love you." Tabitha confessed.
"And it's because I love you too that I'm going to try making you happy in our own world." Saito promised. "Now I better go smooth things over with Louise."
Saito swore under his breath as he looked around the small lake near the temple for his errant girlfriend. She was probably going to somehow blame him for somehow against all rationality arranging this whole thing. He found the girl sitting under a tree and staring out at the water. She looked calm but Saito knew from experience that looks could be deceiving.
"You're contemplating what to do to me aren't you." Saito accused the girl softly as he sat down.
"Why not, you've collected another one." Louise fumed. She was quiet though, like she was really hurting, so Saito approached it gently.
"Tabitha has been hanging around with us for quite a while you know." Saito reminded her. He wrapped his arm around the girl. It was early autumn and she was shivering a little in the crisp mountain air.
"I never really expected much from her though. I thought she just had a crush that would eventually wane and go away." Louise admitted.
"I'm sorry." Saito said softly.
"You'd think after I had to give you up to marry Henrietta that I'd be used to it now, but every time... every time I see one of the other girls fawning over you I get so mad." Louise complained.
"It's frustrating for me too." Saito added. "The harder I fight to get close to you and only you the more these girls seem to get into my life. I wish I had just said 'screw it' to everything and flung you over my shoulder and headed for the border the second Henrietta proposed."
"You're only saying that to make me feel better." Louise accused her love. "You'd never abandon Henrietta no more than when you defied everyone to go save Tabitha."
A sudden thought crossed Saito's mind. He remembered his words to Tabitha. "We can't abandon those we love."
Louise rounded on him violently then. "I'm really frustrated here you dog! Could you try to avoid proclaiming your love for my rivals while I'm sitting here with you."
Saito grinned and grabbed the struggling girl around the waist and pulled her into his lap. While she beat on his chest he wrestled her to the ground and began kissing her passionately. "That's not what I meant."
"Then what?" The void mage shouted back defiantly.
"I mean, that when I defied the queen and went after Tabitha you stayed by my side and was willing to give up your title to help me. You love me. You don't like to say it out loud, and you won't be honest with yourself about it, but you really love me." Saito informed his diminutive master.
"I... I..." Louise stammered with a red face.
Saito grew quiet and looked down for a moment. "Tabitha's family isn't going to take 'no' for an answer are they..."
Louise grew quiet as well and looked genuinely troubled. "Probably not. Their king has no heirs and the way they do things they wouldn't be above going to war with Henrietta to get to you."
"Am I really that important?" Saito mused.
"You're a legendary war hero. Just having you associated with their military would discourage their enemies from crossing them. You did take on an army by yourself you know..." Louise whispered smugly.
"I've got to fix this too don't I..." Saito said morosely. Louise merely nodded. "Then let me hear it Louise."
Louise looked frightened, as Saito stared into her eyes. "What?"
"Let me know that I'm going through all this for a good reason. I will confess to you that I care a great deal for Tabitha and the other girls, some might even say I love them. But I love you more. I want to be with you forever, and I need to know that... you love me too. I need to know that you aren't going to hate me because I might have to be married to someone else, or father this child or that one for the sake of whatever country. My life is meaningless if you aren't in it." Saito whispered into his lover's ear as he nuzzled her close. Louise quivered on the verge of tears.
"If you ever repeat these words I'll kill you." Louise threatened. Saito just chuckled softly and pulled her close. "I love you too Saito. So much it makes my chest ache. I know I get jealous of the other girls, but I couldn't leave you even if you slept with a whole army of women. I'll be by your side forever as long as you'll stay by mine."
Saito wrapped his arms around Louise's waist and held her close to his chest. "Don't worry, I'll never say another word about it. I'm too scared too."
"Why, too frightened of your master?" Louise cooed.
"No... I just don't want to think about the possibility of an 'army' of women when we happen to know Agnes and her all female musketeer squadron..." Saito said with a shiver.
"I hope you're close to being able to summon back the queen." Duke Valliere said worriedly as he looked over the reports. "It's almost like they had them already prepared just waiting for the opportunity."
"Well, we have been fighting a lot recently." Osmond said sorrowfully. "I guess they've gotten good at mobilizing for war."
"If we don't get the queen back soon this is going to be bad. Even if she does get back in time I doubt we're going to be able to stop the bloodshed. The lords are too well prepared. We can expect the siege shortly, with winter still too far off." A concerned general reported to the Duke.
"We won't last a week Osmond." Duke Valliere mentioned to the old wizard. "Whatever you've got, you need to use it now. The queen has been missing for weeks now. If something doesn't change soon it's the gallows for the both of us."
"It will take me some time, but I'll begin the preparations." Osmond said nodding. "No matter where they are in the world I'll bring them here."
"For all our sakes I hope you're correct." The Duke agreed. "These troops will be here before the end of the week. It'll take time for them to set up, to make sure we know they mean business and then they'll be wanting to discuss terms of surrender."
Osmond nodded sadly and fell into step beside his assistant. The two were silent as they headed for the carriage that would return them to the academy. "What are you going to do?" Ms. Longueville asked.
"I'm going to prepare a ritual summoning, that's what I'm going to do." The old man said simply as he glanced out the window at the palace falling away from view.
"But, no one can do that." The young woman countered. "That ritual won't work and you know it."
"On the contrary, my dear. I can summon them from anywhere in the world." Osmond said assuredly. I only wish they actually were IN our world. The old man thought to himself. It made no sense to worry about it now. He would proceed with a ritual at least. Right now that was the only hope that any of them had.
A/N: I'm sorry, I have a thing for tomboyish women. The idea of Agnes and her musketeer squadron brings several things to mind that would make this story much more than an 'M'...