The White Darkness

By Helbaworshipper

False Treaty Arc: The Seno Signature

She felt like she was floating at the moment. If it weren't for the wooden branches around her and keeping her in place, she might have even liked the feeling. However, she could tell the tree itself was moving according to the will of the strange figure with green eyes. The figure's body was currently in a position where she could barely see it. It also didn't help that for some reason it had put some cloth over her eyes. Nothing that made it that she could only see black, but it was enhanced with something. The moment she thought she could see something it'd drain something out of her.

The tree had stopped. Slowly the branches let go of her as the figure once again walked with her. She wanted to ask a question, so she tried to grasp at least the energy for that.

"We're going to the flower garden."

"Flower garden?" She repeated with a softer tone. Somehow the figure was warmer than before. Almost welcoming despite the situation.

"Yes, you have a visitor."

"But I can't see anything."

"That will be fixed in a moment." The sound of soft soil and Lotis flowers filled her nostrils. A part of her wanted to remain here forever. As she felt the figure set her down against something soft, yet warm, she felt the cloth leaving her eyes. There was no longer a destroyed kingdom. Yet, it was a beautiful and uninterrupted piece of nature. She sat up slowly to see a woman in a Lotis Master uniform. Her black hair flowed behind her as she smiled.

"I'm glad to see you are alright. The power you used to purify earlier must have hurt."

"Yes, it did… but I'm used to it."

"Is that what you think Lotis is?" The woman's hand slowly touched hers. She felt so familiar and yet an enigma. "It should not hurt to use the Lotis to help people." She blinked as the woman said it.

"It always hurts," she answered, the woman's mouth forming what looked to be a very neutral expression. "Even before Mayura got her tutor, it hurt." She felt something trying to come out of her slowly. "I shouldn't allow it to go out, even if I can do it. That's what everyone said." Her body felt cold as she felt the impact of the words. The woman's hands felt warm.

"It won't always hurt." The woman's hands left, but she felt the warm arms now. "He'll make sure. It'll never hurt again." Never? Who was the person who would never? Her mind tried to focus as the warmth slowly made her mind slip away.

It was a strange bed she was sleeping in. She tried to remember once again what she had been dreaming about. It felt like she was strangely detached so even the smallest detail felt like it would flee away from her. She felt warm, though, so… Perhaps it was a good dream? She started to sit up slowly as she looked rather blankly at the decoration of the comforter. It was the royal emblem of the Wakamiya kingdom, though it was an older one. Perhaps they would change it when Mayura married Kyo.

"Your highness," a voice spoke, familiar in tone. She looked up slowly to see a black-haired maid and felt all the confusion go away. She started to get up slowly from the bed as the woman moved closer.

"It's been a long time, Kayna."

"Not that long," the maid did not seem at all to mind the hug she gave. If there was something about this trip that she knew was not an issue, it would be that she had some allies here. Her body moved back a little as she spoke again.

"Is there a reason you're here?"

"Kyo wants to be sure to have time." She blushed a little at the way the words came out. She nodded for a moment as the woman led her towards her bath. To be fair, she did have maids in her own way. At this time of morning, however, most were making Mayura beautiful and giving her encouragement. She didn't want the already building pressure to make this event fail.

Having a moment of quiet was rare for her. More so because Eric was always aware of when she could or couldn't have a lesson. She wondered vaguely how Kayna got away with getting her into this special place. It was where she would always have tea and lessons with Kyo and his mother. The woman was always tired, but did not seem at all to show it in her voice. Though the time spent here was a mere hour most of the time, it felt right.

Moving over the well known path, she took the chair she always did. Even now, the feeling of the Lotis she had left behind was enough to encourage her. She brought a hand to the table and imagined what it might have been like if she were still here. So deep in her thoughts, she forgot for a moment why she was here.

"Kayna said you'd be here, but she didn't know if you wanted tea." Perhaps a part of her was still in her memories. She moved up from her seat and walked towards him with a calm smile. The two hugged without any reservation in their movements. For this moment, it truly was a good reunion. It was when the two were thinking again that they understood what it might have looked like.

"Ah," Alice slowly started to let go, but she felt his arms pull her closer. He was shaking. She could feel all of his emotions simply trying to tell her something. She slowly held him back until he was ready to moved.

"Father's been..." He started to move to sit down. She followed and took her spot as Kayna carefully placed the tea try down. "He's been harder lately."

"I imagine it won't be any easier in the future." She spoke, quietly pouring him a cup of tea. The roses around them let out a few petals. The enclosed rose bush area was not allowed for most people. It was thanks to the power of Kyo's mother, former Queen Wakamiya. Though she supposed it would have been easier to force it, no one had broken it. It was some unspoken rule.

"I want to be sure it's right to marry Mayura. Every time I just..." He smiled a little as she spoke. "I just feel like I'm a puppet being moved around. Father can't even manage to be nice to me."

"He's probably trying not to practically force you into your test." She held her own tea cup. "Did… Mayura cast something during the parade?"

"She said she cast Shibi."

"That's odd, I didn't feel any Shibi."

"What are you talking about?"

"I noticed after awhile with Eric's training that I could tell when and how powerful a word was used." She lifted her hand up for a moment. "Like how in this area there's still a strong Riiya mixed with Manou."

"That's new," he looked a bit more interested. "What do you know was cast?"

"Aleto," her voice spoke with a bit more confidence than usual. "I know because I cast it."

"Then why did..." He let go of his thought and smiled. "Well, you were one to put your all into things. So, what events are you going to?" His relaxed posture finally seemed to let go of all the stress that it was holding.

"So far Mayura only wants me to attend the ball after the signature. I can't imagine that your father wants to see me more than necessary."

"At least he won't be demanding you behave." The two chuckled a little as they took another sip of their tea.

The ability to be the star of a show was really only in one's dream. At least for her this was very abnormal. When Kayna had heard she was not given a special custom dress for the ball, Kyo put up some money for what felt like a production of dress making. She wasn't sure how to accept something so costly. Somehow, Kyo had put it on the Seno family's shoulders. She couldn't exactly know what strings he had pulled, but it must have been powerful. None of her family had objected.

So here she was, standing in probably the most elaborate suite to get a dress made. She could barely keep up on which maid or which servant was asking her a question. It didn't surprise her, though, that someone with not so honorable thoughts had come in. She could tell the person was not from the Seno kingdom. The woman's blonde hair was pulled into two pig tails that curled a little at the end. From what she could tell, the woman was trying to size up how to deal with her.

"What sort of woman takes her sister's place in this room?" She blinked for a moment, surprised at the statement. Her shoulders ached from the constant measurements. "I heard that instead of allowing the honorable Mayura get a custom dress, they're only giving you one."

"If that was true, then why did my sister get a custom one done weeks ago?" Alice asked, surprising herself when she spoke. She remembered the whole production because she saw it for a moment going into her lessons. "She shouldn't need another when she hasn't worn the one meant to match her fiance's, right?"

"Then why are you getting a dress made? Shouldn't you have had one made too?" The woman smiled, as if thinking she found something. A part of her wondered what this woman meant. "I heard that she was crying over not receiving a gift from Prince Kyo for the treaty. How do you explain your selfishness?" A part of her wondered what this girl meant. She tried to gather words while everything stopped around her.

"I know not of your rank, but I was told that one who did not have a custom dress would be laughed at." She answered as she remembered some of the details from her studying. She had been near the places to hide and read a bit not long ago. "If Mayura really needed something more, there would be no need to have someone know about it other than the family."

"And you? What if Kyo did this so he could spend more time with-" Her mind reeled a little. The woman's blonde hair was blurring a little. Normally she was out of the spot light so this felt worse. "Mayura's the one who everyone wants. You're just the unnecessary-" Her body fell back a little and she felt something hold her protectively. The swirl of emotions around were too much at the moment. This figure was comfortable.

"Baroness Ooishi, what sort of business do you have with my student?" She started to be able to see the woman more clearly. She vaguely remembered her when she was younger trying to bully her. Still, it was strange that she knew where to come exactly. Slowly her eyes looked up to see Eric's stern gaze ahead. "The agreement between the Seno and the Wakamiya kingdom was that the lack of dress was their error. It was meant to happen weeks ago, but due to the materials her highness had desired, there was no time to get another dress made."

"Certainly a tutor like yourself should not lie." She seemed to be shaking a bit. Alice could sympathize with her on that. "Why would someone as honorable and gracious as Mayura Seno need such extravagance?"

"You give a lot of credit to a woman you only know through rumors." He looked down towards Alice slowly. "This was a bit much even for your training level."

"I'll be okay, let me take care of this." She slowly steadied herself up and left the safety of his arms. Taking a moment to balance her mind, she spoke. "If for any reason, Mayura truly needed another dress made, I would give her this room in a heartbeat. I am simply here on request from Prince Kyo and my parents to have a dress suited for my station."

"So you say," the blonde turned and walked off. She vaguely wondered for a moment, though… how had Eric gotten there? He certainly wasn't there when she first came in.