Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Shadows ❯ preparations, part 1 ( Chapter 23 )

Shadows

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chapter 14

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preparations, part 1

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Hungry and in the mood for a little company at breakfast, Shuuichi walked into one of the palace's many formal dining rooms and quickly glanced around the large room. He knew that his fiancée and his son would be here this morning and was hoping to find the two of them together. However, it didn't seem that things were working out as he'd hoped. Manx was seated at a table, flanked by several of his Ministers and Kikyou as they were no doubt _still_ discussing security for the wedding, and at the next table over were Mamoru and Hajime. The other tables were filled with various guests who had come for the wedding, the majority of them being lords and dignitaries. These were the guests who either hadn't over-imbibed at the party the night before or were here with an agenda more important than sleeping in after a night of merriment. While Shuuichi wasn't put out by their presence, he just wished that they'd leave him alone until after he finished his breakfast.

Walking past his fiancée, Shuuichi paused to kiss the busy woman on the cheek before he settled beside Mamoru. The young man looked up at him, a bit surprised, before hurriedly turning his eyes back to the half-empty plate before him. Shuuichi felt like sighing at the look, aware that the boy had every reason to be shocked at finding his father sitting near him, but he had his reasons for being so distant all these years. Last night had only proven Shuuichi's actions over the past decade or so had been correct, as Mamoru had been left in relative peace during the party, other than having to endure a lecture from Lady Meara.

"Did you enjoy the party last night?" he asked as a servant placed a plate full of eggs and ham in front of him, along with a mug of fresh coffee. Mamoru nodded his head a little.

"It seems, Shuuichi, that the boy is a bit shy today. I've barely managed to pry four words out of him." Hajime leaned closer to him with a gentle smile on his face. "He's every bit as quiet as Kikuno was."

Smiling sadly at the memory of his dead wife, Shuuichi glanced at his brother-in-law. It wasn't often that Hajime brought up his older sister, and now wasn't exactly the best time to be doing so. The young lord seemed to realize this as he blushed slightly and sat back in his chair.

"Yes, Mamoru seems to take after his mother," he lied, easily mouthing the statement. Kikuno had been such a quiet woman, prone to bouts of illness due to a blood condition. Mamoru's absence at Court was often put down to him having the same spells, when in reality he was busy running off to the Koneko or wherever else he disappeared to. The young man did appear to have inherited his mother's intelligence and kindness, at least, but little else. However, both of those traits had been allowed to flourish due to the lack of attention the Court bestowed on him, Shuuichi thought.

Mamoru was bowing his head further and further over his plate of eggs the longer Shuuichi and Hajime spoke about his dead mother. Taking pity on his son, Shuuichi steered the conversation onto a less sensitive topic, though he was pretty sure he had caught a flash of some emotion in his brother-in-law's eyes when he spoke of something other than Kikuno. Shuuichi pushed the observation aside; it was a well-known fact that Hajime had idolized his older sister and was probably unhappy about losing the opportunity to talk about her. But Hajime allowed the topic to shift to wedding preparations, at least for the few minutes before he rose to his feet and, citing pressing engagements, left the table.

Shuuichi watched the man leave, sighing lightly as he did. No doubt Hajime would be sulky with him for a day or so, and he didn't have the time to put up with his brother-in-law at the moment. Catching the sight of a courtier waving to him, Shuuichi decided he didn't want to start the barrage of questions, requests and fawning behavior just yet, and turned to gaze at his son. Mamoru was once again looking down at his plate, pushing his eggs around with his fork.

"You really should eat them, you know. You obviously need the energy. I swear you've grown at least two inches since last month." He smiled at the boy, who glanced up at him, his face carefully masked.

"I'm sorry, I'm just not in the mood for eggs this morning. Pancakes would have been nice."

Shuuichi dimly recalled Birman telling him that his son liked pancakes. If he'd remembered that he would have had the kitchen prepare them. But between his duties as a king and his desire that his only child grow up untainted by Court politics, there was much he couldn't do where Mamoru was concerned. That fact filled him with some sadness.

"Well, be sure to eat some food later on today." If he had to make a guess, Shuuichi was pretty sure the Koneko would be feeding his son later in the day, as the boy went there to spend some time with his friends and love interest. For a moment he was tempted to ask Mamoru about the boy, but it wouldn't be wise to do so right now when there were so many listeners about. The questions could wait until after the wedding, when things were less hectic. The most important thing he needed to know about the other youth was the fact that Birman had cleared him as an acceptable boyfriend for Mamoru.

Taking a bite of his own eggs, Shuuichi sighed when Mamoru didn't say anything to him. He decided to try again. "I imagine I won't see much of you the next couple days, outside of practice for the wedding."

"No sir," Mamoru quietly answered as he pushed his plate away. Then he turned to look at Shuuichi. "I don't feel up to all the parties, sir, but if you have a need for me…."

"No, there's nothing I can think of that I need you to tend to. Everything's being taken care of." There was a brief flash of pain on Mamoru's face, one that tugged at Shuuichi's heart, but as much as he would appreciate the young man's help, he much preferred Mamoru safe and happy at the Koneko than here at the palace where his brother or other favor-seeking lords would seek the young prince out and try to use him for their benefit. No, let Mamoru enjoy his free time as much as possible. In another year or two he would be old enough to start learning what would be required of him to take over Kritiker's throne.

"In that case, I'm going back to my rooms. Good day, sir." Mamoru rose to his feet and bowed low to his father, and then hurried across the room. Shuuichi noted that the Guard Hidaka was standing by the door and immediately fell in behind his son.

Looking over at the other table he found that Manx was still busy going over various details of the wedding, and he noticed that several people were edging their way to his table, now that his son was gone. Shuuichi decided he really didn't need any breakfast at all and rose to his feet, nodding his head at the people who stood up and bowed to him but not giving any of them a chance to stop him. He quickly crossed the room, ignoring the few people calling out his name, and once in the hallway turned left.

Wandering about the palace for a few minutes, Shuuichi grew bored with having to avoid people and turned into a hallway that was little used. A couple turns and several hundred meters later found him standing in a long, well-lit hallway. Along the sides of the walls were hundreds of paintings, capturing the Takatoris over the centuries they had ruled.

He walked amongst the old paintings, all of them charmed to withstand the wear of years and exposure. Shuuichi idly noted the change of style the paintings underwent and stopped briefly by the ones he enjoyed. There was the scene of Prince Asato's naming ceremony, complete with his mother's beloved beagles running all around the painting, poking their noses into everything. Queen Caitlin's coronation was held in one of the Royal gardens where the painter had lovingly rendered the flowers with amazing skill. King Shin riding into battle against a Thracian army that had thought to take by force the Kinsha Plains….

Shuuichi's pace picked up when he reached the paintings of his grandmother and father, not wanting to linger about any of them. But his attention was drawn to one of the last paintings hanging on the left wall, the one before his own coronation.

It was almost painful to look at. There he was, so much younger and innocent, smiling proudly for the whole world to see. His arm was around Kikuno's waist as her head was bent demurely, her hands tucked into the long sleeves of her kimono. Off to his left stood his father, smiling slightly, but he was the only family member present in the painting. There was no sign of Reiji, as he'd already been exiled by the time the artist had started on the portrait.

Which was why the two other men in the picture, who should have faded into the background or not been present at all, were clearly visible. Ranmura Fujimiya stood towards the far left, appearing quite happy. His pose echoed Shuuichi's, with his arm around the waist of his young wife, who as usual was half hidden by shadows. Arashi Fujimiya had always been a reserved individual, and his wedding had been the only Court function she'd ever attended.

Glancing back at his younger self, Shuuichi recalled how happy he had been that day, married to a woman he was quickly falling in love with and who he knew would make him happy. He had his father's approval, a rare thing in and of itself, and his two best friends had been by his side. Since it was his day he'd been able to wrangle Ranmura back to Court, and no one had been able to slight the young lord about his choice of a wife and subsequent fall in social standing. Ranmura had happily returned from his self-imposed exile to share Shuuichi's joy, and so that the three of them could be together once more….

Behind the disgraced lord stood a tall man, several years older than Shuuichi and Ranmura, with long hair and an impassive expression. Shion was in sober contrast to Ranmura, his formal robes grey and light brown whereas Ranmura, his blue-black hair falling onto his face, was dressed in the Fujimiya colors of deep purple and silver. Just from the picture alone one could tell what opposites the two men had been, but they'd been his best friends, balancing out each other and Shuuichi. Ranmura had been his constant companion while growing up; a cheerful, supportive presence that he'd always been able to turn to. Shion… had been just as important, even though he hadn't met the Swordmaster until he was in his teens. With Shion, he'd had his first….

"My apologies, Sire, but your fiancée wondered if you were all right. I believe she was curious as to why you left breakfast so suddenly."

Starting at the voice that had broken through his thoughts, Shuuichi turned to find Kikyou standing beside him, a worried expression on his face. For a moment the man reminded him of Ranmura, due to his slim build and handsome face. Then Shuuichi remembered that Ranmura was dead and shook his head.

"I'm fine. Is something wrong?"

"The Captain wanted me to mention that you have a meeting with Lord Yueng and the Thracian ambassador in another ten minutes. Should I ask the gentlemen to reschedule?"

Wishing that he could curse out loud, Shuuichi again shook his head. "No, I'll be right there." Sighing instead, he turned around and headed for the opposite end of the hall where he knew the pair of Guards who constantly shadowed him were respectfully waiting. So much for a brief respite for introspection, although if he'd reflected any more of the past, Shuuichi's whole day would have been colored in sadness and thoughts of what might have been.

That wouldn't do him any good right now. He had a wedding to plan, one that would end better than the last one if he had anything to say about it. And once the event was over, Shuuichi had a couple weeks of peace and quiet to look forward to alone with his new bride. There were times when thoughts of the honeymoon were all that kept him sane lately. But first, he had a few more hectic, annoying days to get through.

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Kikyou watched his king walk away from him then turned his attention towards the portrait the man had been studying. All the Guards knew that King Shuuichi would often escape to this forgotten corridor of the palace when he needed some time alone, and so it had been no surprise to find the king here. What did surprise Kikyou was the painting he'd found King Shuuichi standing before.

One would think the man would want to forget about his previous wedding, considering what had happened later that evening. But as he examined the picture, he noticed the smiling figure of Lord Fujimiya and felt that the deceased lord's image explained things. Kikyou had been a young boy when the lord had left the capital, but over the years he'd heard about how close King Shuuichi and Lord Ranmura had been. It was easy to see why the king would remember him to this day as he gazed at the happy, handsome man. Ranmura had a quality about him that was clearly evident, emanating from a still image rendered in oil paints and canvas.

Leaning in close, Kikyou stared at the infamous woman by Ranmura's side. She was a lovely thing with long, auburn hair and pale skin, and one could see why the highborn young man had all but thrown away his title for her. For some reason she reminded Kikyou of someone else, but he couldn't quite figure out who it was. Something about her stance, her straight, thin eyebrows and long lashed, slanted eyes….

Ah well, it would be something for his mind to puzzle out later, trying to figure out who it was he'd met that resembled the woman so. Right now he had more important things to do than stare at an old portrait. There were hundreds of little security details that needed tending to, and a luncheon he had to attend.

Straightening out his long jacket as he walked down the quiet hallway, Kikyou's thoughts suddenly lighted on Aya. He hadn't seen the man for a couple days, having decided to let him… cool off a little. But that didn't mean he hadn't thought of Aya, about why Aya hadn't liked the presents he'd given him and what kind of hold Kudoh had on the man. The redhead was all one big mystery to Kikyou, one he worried about more and more each day. He'd have to stop by soon to give Aya his latest present and try to entice the stubborn man to attend the royal wedding with him. Surely that would get him a favorable response. If only he knew a little bit more about Aya, had the slightest clue of his background and a better feel for his true personality. That information would help Kikyou woo the quiet man away from Kudoh, which he passionately wanted to do. He'd have to redouble his efforts to find out about Aya after the wedding.

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Aya sat on his bed with his legs tucked against his body with his arms wrapped around them. The cuts on his arms had finally healed and he'd regained some of his strength back, but he still felt tired and his body ached when he moved. Yohji and Nagi had left him alone so he could rest, but a nightmare had awakened him a short while ago and he couldn't fall back to sleep. He'd decided to wait for Yohji to return before lying back down again.

There were several books on the nightstand, some of which Yohji hadn't read to him yet, but Aya's attention was focused on the desk across the room. He couldn't prevent himself from staring at the furniture, at one drawer in particular. The one housing Aya-chan's soul.

The soul-sphere had been left alone since Schuldig had obtained it, though Botan would be arriving later that evening to examine the sphere and try to figure out the spells associated with it. They would free his sister after the wedding, when the Takatoris were dead and couldn't feel their magic being tampered with. Aya wanted the upcoming battle to be over with just so he could finally release his sister's soul. He couldn't take feeling her suffer much longer.

The sensation of someone crossing the shadow wards he'd set up outside the bedroom made Aya turn to stare at the door. It hadn't been Yohji or another bound crossing them, and as the person knocked on his door Aya caught a familiar whiff of magic. For a second he allowed shadows to form around the door, ready to attack the Guard when he stepped into the room, but then Aya remembered that he'd be endangering too many people he cared about if he did so. Someone would be sure to notice if the new Captain of the Guards suddenly vanished. The shadows faded away just as Kikyou opened the door and entered uninvited.

The Guard was dressed in his uniform, carrying another damn silver and purple package. Aya felt a growl build in his throat, but he was too tired from ordering the shadows about to voice it. He settled for a weak glare as Kikyou smiled at him and crossed over to the bed.

"Most people wait for an invitation before entering private rooms," Aya managed to snap, leaning back against the pillows in exhaustion. For a moment he wondered how the man had snuck into the Koneko, and then tried to calm his fears when Kikyou sat down on the end of the bed. A part of him panicked at being alone in a room with a human since he was in no condition to fight back, barring ordering the shadows to rip Kikyou to shreds. Which was a method that would all but shout `kage' to anyone investigating the man's disappearance.

"I would have, if I'd been certain that you would've invited me in," Kikyou smoothly replied. Aya had to wonder why the man wouldn't leave him alone. It couldn't be because of his looks: he was too thin and pale to be attractive. Maybe the man was just trying to annoy Yohji or something. Suddenly thinking of his mate, Aya could feel the blond's emotions, his fury and concern that something was making Aya upset and panicked. He knew that it wouldn't be long before Yohji returned to the Koneko.

"Why would you want to be somewhere you aren't wanted? Just go away," Aya said, feeling himself growing tired from both the discussion and the stress he was under. Kikyou kept shifting closer to him, making him press against the headboard in an attempt to keep some space between them.

Frowning, Kikyou seemed to realize that Aya was inching away from him. He tucked back his long strands of hair and held out the package to Aya. "Here. I know you said you didn't want any presents from me, so this will be the last one, at least for now. Take it."

Just wanting to get the Guard out of his room before Yohji showed up, Aya chewed on his bottom lip as he gingerly accepted the present. Using a sharp nail he easily sliced through the gift wrapping and upon opening the box found an elaborate mask, done in gold silk with amethyst beads all over the expensive fabric. Aya stared at the mask for a moment, until his hands started to tremble from exhaustion and he set it aside.

"Why this?"

"Because I want you to attend the ball after the king's wedding with me. I can have a costume that matches the mask made for you within a couple days, one that I'll pay for. Please say you'll come." Kikyou smiled at him, the expression charming and hopeful.

Aya shook his head as he handed the present back to Kikyou. "I can't."

"Why not?" The Guard refused to accept the box, so Aya set it down on the bed before wrapping his arms around his chest. He was still cold from the loss of blood and still upset at a human male's presence being so close to him. Aya could feel Yohji's emotions and knew his mate was even more agitated now and hurrying here to deal with the perceived threat to him. He needed Kikyou gone before that happened.

Sighing, Aya shook his head. "I'm not feeling well." He fell silent after that statement, his only action being to wrap his arms around him even tighter.

Kikyou eyed him critically for a moment then leaned in closer. "You're paler than usual, and too thin. I'd heard rumors that you've been unwell again, but I thought that maybe you were hiding from whoever it was who hurt you a week ago. Is everything all right? Do you require any help or medical attention?"

Aya shook his head, not wanting to say another word to the man. Why wouldn't Kikyou leave him alone? He had to get the man to leave before Yohji arrived and a bloodbath ensued. Aya tugged on one of his eartails in irritation, thinking about how Yohji wasn't going to let him live down Kikyou bothering him, yet again, while his mate wasn't there to look after him. He'd never again get Yohji to leave him some time alone in peace in the near future.

"If you need anything, Aya, and I do mean anything, please contact me." Kikyou's face was earnest and pleading, but Aya could smell the lust that radiated off the man, making him feel more nervous by the moment. The feel of stolen bound magic wasn't helping the situation either, and he started to shiver from exhaustion and cold.

Kikyou immediately picked up one of the blankets lying on the bed and sat next to Aya, tucking the soft material around him. While grateful for the warmth, Aya had to bite back a snarl at the human's proximity. He tried to bat Kikyou's hands away but all his traitorous limbs did was shake and pull the blanket tighter to him.

"Aya… I don't know why you remain here, when you're obviously sick and afraid of someone." Kikyou shifted closer and brushed back Aya's bangs. The touch made him lift his head and try to snarl, but the sound came out more like a whimper. Painful memories surged through Aya's mind, causing his body to still as it waited for the abuse to start, abuse he had to submit to….

"I don't think Kudoh can help you, not if you're reduced to hiding in his room. I, however, can. Why you won't let me, I don't have a clue. But I'll give you anything that's within my power, including my promise to keep you safe and well. Come to the wedding with me, and I'll take care of you from now on."

Aya's panic grew as Kikyou leaned towards him, intent on kissing him. He tried to jerk his head aside, but the man grabbed him by the chin and held him still. His fear flared as memories of the night in Hirofumi's carriage overwhelmed him, and Aya let out a slight whimper when Kikyou pressed their lips together. But with the fear was an unaccustomed feeling of outrage that a human was touching him again, determined to hurt him. He suddenly realized that this wasn't a Takatori, and even if it was, the man had no power over him. Not with his sister's soul safe in the desk drawer and Yohji and Nagi nowhere around to be harmed in his place. The whimper turned into a growl, and Aya lifted his left hand, barely managing to land a blow with enough strength to force Kikyou away from him. He instantly scrambled to the other side of the bed, forcing the shadows to remain still and not attack his assailant as he crouched on the soft mattress.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Kikyou demanded, his eyes narrowed in anger. He held a hand up to the side of his head, his fingers probing through his thick black hair as if to feel for a lump. "You act like I was…."

"Aya, I didn't know you had company. What are you doing up here, Kikyou?"

Aya glanced over at the door, which had unexpectedly opened to admit both Schuldig and Masato. The younger bound had a smile on his face, an expression that was little more than lips pulled taut against sharp teeth. Behind him Masato didn't even bother faking a pleasant look and was openly glaring at Kikyou. There was a tickle of magic in his mind, and Aya opened his thoughts to the soul gaki-bound.

<Yohji said something was happening to you. What the hell has this asshole done now? Want me to kill him for you?>

`He tried to kiss me again, and his death will only cause us unnecessary problems, so unfortunately, no.'

"I came here to see Aya, since he seemed to be hiding away lately. I wanted to make sure he was all right and to extend an invitation to him." Kikyou's face was calm once more, belying the anger and frustration that Aya could smell emanating from him. He shifted further back on the bed, letting the shadows fall around him and trail soothing touches along his skin.

"I'm fine, if tired. But I won't be able to attend the reception," Aya lied smoothly. Kikyou glanced his way, a flash of anger in his eyes that quickly faded as the look turned into a puzzled stare. Uncomfortable with the attention, Aya lowered his head, letting his long bangs fall onto his face. He felt torn between calling the shadows to hide him and ordering them to rip Kikyou apart, and knew he could do neither. So he ignored the Guard, doing the same as he'd always done when he'd been forced to attend the Takatoris for hours on end. However, from across the room, shadows gathered around the cherry wood desk.

<Oh boy, this guy has it bad for you, Aya. You remind him of someone… of a couple someones actually….> Schuldig broke off the thought when Masato growled very low in his throat. Only a bound with their enhanced senses could hear the noise, and it caused Schuldig and Aya to stare at the succubae-bound and wonder what was setting him off.

"Well, I think Aya has had enough visitors for today. He needs all the rest he can get, the poor cat." Aya managed to work up a glare for the other redhead at that remark, causing Schuldig to smile for a brief instant. The expression faded when he turned to look at Kikyou. "As for you, don't you have more pressing matters to attend to, Kikyou?" Schuldig's voice had taken on a mocking tone.

"A few, but I felt that a visit with Aya was just as important." Kikyou turned to look at Aya, extending a hand as if to touch him. Aya couldn't help flinching away from it, causing Kikyou to purse his lips and to look at him with wonder for a moment. Then he smiled sadly and bowed his head.

"These meetings never go as I'd planned, Aya. Ah well, I hope you get better soon, and if you change your mind about the ball, just send a message to me through any of the Guards. I'd gladly accompany you for the night. If not, I won't be able to see you for another week or so; as your friend has pointed out, I have a few important matters to attend to. But I'd welcome a chance to see you, if you feel like extending an invitation." Kikyou bowed slightly and turned to face Schuldig. He leaned close to the man, and over the sound of Masato growling again Aya heard the human whisper to the redhead.

"I'll be keeping an eye on him, to make sure that he `recovers' adequately. I don't like how often he's been sick lately. It seems to me that perhaps Kudoh isn't doing a very good job of watching out for his lover."

Schuldig looked furious, but as soon as he opened his mouth to issue a retort or insult Masato's growls became loud enough to be heard by Kikyou. He immediately shoved his elbow into his mate's side, making Masato sputter and cough. While this was going on Kikyou graced Aya with one more look and walked out the door.

Once the door was closed Schuldig turned to face his lover. "What the hell got into you back there? I mean, yeah he's an irritating and insulting prick, but you were about to rip his throat out! I sensed that from your thoughts."

Masato rubbed his sore ribs and glared at Schuldig for a moment, but the look soon turned into one of confusion. "I… I don't know what the hell happened there. It felt like he was challenging you, challenging the both of us, and I had to do something."

"Masato, he's human. You shouldn't have reacted like that." Schuldig tugged on his hair as he frowned at the older bound.

"Yes, but he's using bound magic. He has a ring charmed with succubae-bound blood." Aya allowed the shadows to settle around him finally, still finding it hard to control his true nature. He could smell Kikyou on the bed, fueling the anger and fear inside him until he wanted to snarl and tear something apart.

"A ring? Huh, wonder why I never picked up on that before," Schuldig mused as he leaned against Masato. The older man wrapped his arms around his mate, and the three of them fell silent for a few moments. Then Aya lifted his head to look at the door.

"Yohji's coming."

Schuldig and Masato shared a worried glance and headed straight for the door. "Uhm, be sure to tell him how we helped you out, and I hope you don't mind us not sticking around," Schuldig said as he peeked out into the hallway. "We better go make sure he doesn't run into anyone on his way to the room." He waved at Aya before darting outside, Masato at his heels.

Aya didn't have to wait more than a minute or two for his mate to arrive, spending that time and precious energy warding the room with shadows and calling enough to him that the bed and its surrounding area were blanketed in darkness. Soon enough Yohji barged into the room, the wards giving him no trouble, and immediately rushed over to the bed.

"What the hell happened now? Wait… I can sme-"

Grabbing hold of the lanky blond's tunic, Aya pulled Yohji down onto the bed with the last of his strength. He fastened his mouth to his mate's, lying on top of him as Yohji's shock washed through him. This is what he needed: to feel his mate, to know he was safe from pain and degradation because the man was here with him, giving him the strength to fight his fears. The contact helped to soothe his soul somewhat, but Aya still felt out of control over himself.

Yohji started to kiss him back, his hands sliding under Aya's shirt and along his skin. Pulling away so he could breathe in a shuddering breath, Aya purred for a moment and nuzzled Yohji's neck until the man tilted his head back. Then he sucked on the golden, salty skin, hard enough to leave a bruise as he ground his hips downward. Yohji started to purr and rock his hips up against Aya's, his hands tracing down Aya's chest to start working on the laces of their pants.

For one brief moment Aya wondered what he was doing, wondered why he was filled with the desperate need to take Yohji, to be inside his mate until all he could smell and taste was Yohji. The intensity of that need scared him, filling his whole being until the wonder and fear faded away. The world took on grey tones; everything was rendered into light and dark, except for Yohji. Fighting against exhaustion and pain, Aya focused all his attention on his mate, on the need that filled him and took over everything. He didn't know why he was acting like this, but he was too tired to fight his desire and instincts. Falling into impulses and bursts of pleasure, Aya lost himself in the darkness.

*******

Rubbing a hand along the back of his neck, Yohji stared down at his sleeping lover. Actually, comatose better described Aya, who was lying utterly limp and still on the bed. It reminded Yohji of the other night, after Aya had just been bled and then laid on their bed.

"Cat… what the hell was that about?" First he'd felt Aya's panic and anger, the feeling fluctuating during the entire time he'd hurried back to the Koneko, and then he'd been pounced on the second he'd stepped into the room. To say that it had been unexpected was an understatement, as Aya had had barely enough energy to sit up earlier that morning. Even with all the strength Yohji had been sending his lover since the spell had been cast, Aya had been too tired to do much more than sleep and sip some tea. Aya certainly hadn't seemed up to completely ravishing Yohji when he'd reluctantly left his lover to run a few errands that afternoon.

But in a way it hadn't been Aya who had made love to him, not really. Like the other night, Aya's bound nature had totally taken over, had pushed the man on even when Yohji could feel how tired his mate was. The sex had been extremely passionate but brief, and his throat still throbbed from the last bite Aya had given him.

What was he going to do? Aya was slipping more and more into his demon nature each day, probably because of the stress he was under. Would things return to how they'd been a couple weeks ago after Aya-chan was freed and Prince Reiji and his family dead? A shiver of fear ran up Yohji's spine at the thought that maybe they wouldn't.

Yohji knew he tended to lose himself in his succubae-bound nature from time to time, but he didn't have anywhere near the amount of trouble returning to normal that Aya did. When the man woke up, would it be as Aya or kage? That's what worried Yohji the most at the moment, and it had him worrying about what he would do if it were the latter. He needed Aya to return to him. Stroking his fingers through Aya's hair, Yohji continued to frown at his lover.

<Yohji?>

Snapping his head up, Yohji realized that he hadn't heard his name being weakly called out loud, but in his thoughts. He concentrated on thinking of Schuldig, since he was the only one who bothered to talk to Yohji telepathically.

<Ah, thanks for the help. It gets harder and harder to talk to you this way every day. How is Aya?>

`He's passed out at the moment. Can you tell me how the hell Kikyou managed to get up into our room? I know it was him bothering Aya since the room reeks of the bastard.' Not to mention he'd found the present after the sex was over and Aya had collapsed.

<From what I picked out of his thoughts, he's had someone watching the Koneko the past month or so. The spy let him know when you left the inn, and he timed it just right to sneak in while no one was manning the door. Let me tell you, you're really on his shit list at the present. The prick can't figure out why Aya is still choosing you over him.>

`Because we're mates.' Yohji bared his teeth and snarled then lowered his head to nuzzle Aya's hair. They were mates, and no one was going to come between them with that bond linking them together. He sank down on the bed, molding his body around Aya's and stroking the man's cool skin, sending him trickles of energy in hopes that it would make the stubborn idiot wake up.

<What's wrong, Yotan? You're upset about something, and it's not just Kikyou.>

Sighing, Yohji allowed Schuldig deeper into his thoughts, showing him snippets of Aya's reactions the past couple weeks. Surprisingly, the thief didn't make any snide comments about the images related to sex.

<I… I'll have to talk to Mom about this, if you don't mind. I can understand Aya's humanity slipping a bit because of all he's suffered lately, but it shouldn't be that hard for him to regain it. Only flesh gaki-bounds have a problem like that. It might have something to do with him being a kage.>

`Go ahead and speak to her. As great as the sex has been, I can't take much more of this. Each time it happens I have this stabbing fear that Aya won't come back, and that I've lost him.' Yohji kissed Aya on the nose, smiling sadly when his love didn't wake up to glare at him and rub his face. He spent a few seconds wistfully thinking of what life would be like after the wedding, when there wouldn't be any more bloodlettings or abuse to sap Aya's strength. Nor all this stress to take Aya's human nature away from him.

<He'll come back to you, Yohji. You're his mate. As long as you're there for him, he should come back to you. So enjoy the sex while you can. I know I sure as hell am.> Schuldig's thoughts suddenly became coloured by pleasure.

Gritting his teeth, Yohji refused to think about what might be making his friend feel that way. `Schu, keep in mind that you have to be able to walk if you want to fight properly at the wedding reception.'

<Hmm, very good point there, Yotan. Guess that settles who's on the bottom this time. Hee, poor Masato. It'll be his turn to limp.>

Gagging softly, Yohji buried his face in Aya's hair and purposely blocked Schuldig from his thoughts. The last part of the conversation was definitely more information than he needed or ever wanted to know. He inhaled the scent of roses and tried desperately to think of something else.

"You better come back to me, cat. If you leave me alone here with those two sluts I really will go crazy."

*******

Yoru sat in the quarters Eto had assigned him, ignoring the bustling of the servant there to clean his rooms. He stared at a piece of gold that, until a few weeks ago, had encased a stone made of a kage's tear and blood. He'd kept the jewelry in anticipation of the day when he'd be able to replace the stone. But according to the runes spread before him on the table, even that was doubtful.

Snarling, he tossed the precious metal away from him, startling the young man busy changing the sheets on his bed. The servant hurriedly tugged the bedspread straight and fled the room, no doubt to rat on him to his lord about how he was going insane. Yoru bared his teeth at the closing door. The fool. All of them were fools, but he needed Eto and the small army he'd assembled. Yoru knew exactly how strong the man's forces were after forging stones for the mercenaries so they could cross the palace wards. Yet still the runes only showed him darkness and death.

Picking up a carved black stone he immediately sent it the way of the gold. Damn shadows. Everything pointed to the fact that there was indeed another kage alive and somehow tied into current events, but Yoru couldn't figure out exactly how. But he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the creature had to be connected to Prince Reiji somehow. The man had seemed too smug the other night at the party, which Yoru had attended in disguise. No, Reiji was definitely up to something….

If he did have a kage hidden away and was planning on using its blood for an attack, the prince and his allies were in for a rude surprise. The oni, enraged beyond comprehension by their capture, would tear apart anyone using kage blood. So that threat was effectively neutralized. But the stones still mocked Yoru with failure….

Cursing the damn stones, Yoru shoved the rest of them off the table and onto the floor. He didn't care what lies they told him, he would emerge victorious when all was said and done, and he'd have the kage blood he needed when he did. Then he'd be able to reverse his dreadful aging, and his name would be spoken in the same tones of awe and fear that Kritiker and Esset's legendary wizards were. The one difference was that no one would forget _his_ name.

He wouldn't let Fate get the better of him this time. Muttering under his breath, Yoru rose from his chair and fetched several of his priceless spell books. There were preparations to be made, and he'd wasted enough time consulting silly stones.

*******

Feeling his mate stir beside him, Yohji tossed aside the book he'd been reading and looked down at Aya. He held his breath as he waited for the man's eyes to open and focus on him, desperately trying to sense if it was Aya or the kage who was waking up. A pair of violet eyes blinked for a couple moments, then Aya moaned and tucked his head against Yohji's chest.

Smiling in relief, Yohji started to purr and stroke Aya's hair, sending him energy as he did. He could feel Aya's utter exhaustion through their link and in the way the man's body trembled. Sitting up on the bed, he pulled the unresisting redhead onto his lap, lifting Aya's chin so he could kiss him.

The gesture of affection earned Yohji a soft purr and a half smile. Aya pulled away to look at him, a smile tugging at his lips, and then curled up against Yohji. Reaching over for some tea in a cup spelled to keep it warm, Yohji handed his lover the cup and held him as Aya gulped it down.

"You feel even more tired than this morning, love."

"Huhn." Aya finished the last of the tea and held out the empty mug with shaky hands as he stared at the teapot. "More."

The curt answers were beginning to make Yohji wonder if his lover was completely back or not. He poured another cupful of Cass' special blend and watched carefully as Aya gulped that down as well. When the cup was held out again, Yohji seized it and placed it on the nightstand, earning a whimper from Aya that soon turned into a snarl.

"Yohji…."

"Aya." Yohji grabbed the man's chin, for once not caring if he got bit. While Aya glared at him he examined his mate's face and eyes minutely, anxious until he felt Aya's anger melt away into confusion and concern.

"It's you cat, isn't it?" Please let it be just Aya.

"It's me, Yohji." Aya grasped the hand clutching his chin and tugged on it until it let go. Yohji immediately threaded their fingers together. "What's wrong?"

"What's the last thing you remember, Aya?"

Aya's brows knit together. "I… Kikyou was here." There was a flash of fear and anger that made Yohji growl softly, but Aya ignored him and continued. "Then Schu and Masato arrived, saying you sent them. Kikyou left after that, and Schu and Masato were right behind him, then you arrived…." Aya's eyes went suddenly wide and the faintest of blushes stained his cheeks.

"What did I do to you, Yohji?" Aya's voice was soft, and Yohji could feel the man's panic and fear.

He smiled and tugged gently on an eartail. "Nothing I'm really complaining about, all in all. Just some fantastic sex that would have left me with a serious limp if I'd been human." Yohji leered at his lover, but when Aya didn't seem amused he used the eartail to tug him forward and kissed him again until Aya relaxed against him.

Gradually pulling back, Yohji sighed and held Aya tightly. They remained silent for several minutes, Yohji playing with an eartail while Aya stroked a finger along his bruised neck. It was Aya who eventually broke the silence.

"You're worried about me."

"Yeah, Aya, I am. You scare the hell out of me when you go all kage and show no sign of returning to normal. I know you can't help it… I just fear that the time will come when I won't get you back." Yohji stared at his mate sadly while his fingers wrapped crimson strands around his index finger.

Gazing back at him, Aya nibbled on the bottom of his lip for a few seconds. Then he sighed and fixed Yohji with a serious look. "I don't know why this is happening now, or how to stop it. It's… as I said, it feels so natural to give in to the darkness inside me, almost as if I'm freeing myself."

Yohji's mouth tightened into a grim line at those words. He knew from Cass and Schu that Aya was pure demon, whereas he and the others weren't. If Aya gave in completely to the `darkness' inside him, there was no humanity lurking within to help his cat return to him. Aya seemed to guess his thoughts as he smiled sadly and resumed stroking Yohji's throat.

"Did anyone ever tell you why it's very important for a bound not to break a promise, and why we so rarely make any?"

The question surprised Yohji, and after racking his brains for a minute he couldn't come up with an answer. All he could recall was Cass admonishing him to never make a promise he didn't intend to honor, and Jei saying something similar about that not too long ago.

"It's because we're magical beings," Aya continued. "We're tied to magic, filled with it, and magic… it doesn't like broken promises." The redhead paused and chewed some more on his lip as he seemed to search for words. "All magic involves a… sacrifice of sorts, either blood or energy. It requires commitment, and if the caster breaks his or her part of the bargain, at best the magic will fail them, at worst it will turn on them. As magical beings, we're sort of handicapped in the same manner. Our words are our oaths, a binding we've willingly taken on, and to break that with impunity…." Aya shook his head. "I've heard of bounds completely losing themselves to their demon natures by recklessly breaking oaths, or of their powers turning on them or those they love. Before our kind were betrayed and persecuted, we used to be respected for that aspect of our nature. It was considered an honor if a bound made a promise to someone.

"What I'm trying to say…." Aya sighed again and tucked back a strand of Yohji's hair. When he spoke again it was in a sibilant tone of voice that made Yohji shiver, and his eyes glowed with intense emotion.

"I swear to you, Yohji, on my very soul, that I will always return to you. No matter what, I won't leave you. If I ever go too far into the darkness, if I ever get lost in it, just call me back and I'll return. As long as you want me, I'm yours."

Feeling a tightness in his chest, Yohji bent his head to brush his lips against Aya's, never breaking eye contact with the man for a second. "I accept your promise and intend to make sure you always honor it. If you ever go too far away I'll call you back in an instant. I'll want you forever, Aya, this I swear. I'll never let you leave me, and I'll never leave you."

They stared at each other for a moment, and then, purring softly, Yohji kissed his love. Aya kissed him back, tasting sweet from the tea, and for a moment both of them forgot all about their exhaustion and fears. When they broke apart Yohji poured the last of the tea and handed it to Aya, who rested against his chest as he drank. Pressing a kiss against Aya's temple, Yohji concentrated on thinking about Schuldig until he felt an irritated presence in his mind.

<What?>

`Sweet gods, don't tell me the two of you are still going at it,' Yohji snapped in exasperation, trying not to think about how long it had been since he'd last spoken to Schuldig.

<Need I remind you of how many hours you spent in your room, and the bath, and the damn garden of all places, right after Aya and you become lovers? It's a miracle your ass isn't as pale as his from the lack of sunlight.> Schuldig's scathing reply was laced with enough indignation that Yohji actually had to smile.

`Yeah, well, we didn't know better, and we're both young. You're sleeping with Gramps there, shouldn't you let him get some rest before you give him a heart attack?'

Schuldig's mental snort came through loud and clear. <A heart attack isn't the issue here, hemorrhoids are. As for Masato being old and easily worn out… hee, there's truth to older men having more stamina.>

Yohji made a face even though his friend couldn't see it. `I don't want to know a single thing about your sex life. All I want is for you to ask Jo or Ani to bring up some more tea and some food for us. Aya's awake, and the damn little demon's off with Omi, most likely doing even more perverted things than you and Masato, so that leaves you as errand boy.'

Instead of the expected `get your own ass out of bed' that Yohji was waiting for, he actually felt some concern from Schuldig. <How… he's all right? I don't think you'd be joking around if he wasn't….>

`It's like you said, Schu, he came back to me, and he always will.' Yohji smiled as Aya started to purr sleepily against his chest. `Now my main concern is getting some food in him.'

<Okay.> There was silence for a moment. <Jo's gonna bring something up, so you better be decent. She was about to charge up the stairs and drag you out of bed by your hair when I explained to her that Aya needed some recharging, but she stopped when I said you were the one on the bottom this time.> Schuldig chuckled as Yohji gritted his teeth, not too happy that his friend was sharing details of his sex life with _Jo_ of all people, even if it did save him from getting his ass kicked. The woman was sure to tease him about it at some point in the future.

Then Schuldig suddenly became serious once again. <Yotan… can I ask you a question?>

`Yeah, sure.' Yohji tugged on an eartail and winced when Aya managed to snatch his hand and lightly clamp his teeth on one of his fingers. "I am not a damn chew toy, you sneaky cat. Keep this up and I'm gonna have Jo save some bones for you to gnaw on instead of me."

Aya hmphed and glared at him, but both of them knew that as bites went, that had been a love tap. So Yohji smiled and kissed the man on the nose to really give him something to glare about.

<It's like I said, the two of you are so incredibly mushy it's unbelievable.> Schuldig's thoughts were humorous for a moment then went back to being serious. <Aya and you… I mean… gods, how do I ask this? Don't you ever think that you're too close, even if you are mates? I… you two should really see how you act around each other.>

`We're mates, Schu, how are we supposed to act? I love him so much, and I know he feels the same about me. We can _feel_ each other, and that….' Yohji smiled again as Aya began to lightly nibble on his marked neck. `It feels so natural, the way we are together. And we'll probably only get worse when this is all over, and Aya can give more of himself than he can now.'

<Give himself….> Schuldig's thoughts took on an uneasy and almost fearful cast. <Okay, thanks for being so honest. Just so you know, though, the two of you are already pretty sickeningly sweet together. I'll probably start gagging if you get any more than that.> But the humor this time seemed forced, causing Yohji to wonder what his friend was really thinking.

`As if you'll ever see us, what with being tucked away with Masato in a bedroom all the time, Schu. Now quit your bitching, you're just jealous.'

<Maybe, and maybe not. But I'm glad that things worked out okay, Yotan. Now let me get back to my boyfriend before he pays you a visit. You should know by now how jealous you succubae-bounds can get.>

Wishing his friend goodbye, Yohji looked down at Aya, who was gazing at him in curiosity. "Apparently, we're so cute together it's sickening."

"Hn." Aya tucked his head under Yohji's chin. "Food?"

"Nice to see you're so concerned with our images, love. And food is on its way, oh monosyllabic one. Remind me to continue that discussion about manners sometime soon." Aya was still for a moment, and then Yohji barely had time to yank the blanket up enough to cushion his shoulder from a set of sharp teeth sinking into it. Letting out a yelp, he then started to growl as he flipped Aya onto his back, straddling his mate's waist as he tugged on Aya's bottom lip.

"Come on you little bastard and open up! I'm going to remove those damn fangs of yours if it's the last thing I do! Let's see you try and gum me from now on!"

Aya hissed back at him and weakly struggled beneath Yohji, managing to nip his fingers when they got too close to his teeth. Yohji could sense his mate's amusement and knew that Aya felt his, and he reveled in this moment of silliness after all the angst they'd been through lately. Still acting enraged, he growled at Aya while he pulled some wire from his bracelet.

"Come on, don't be a scaredy-cat and open up! I'm gonna yank the damn things out by their roots!" Aya just hissed and squirmed some more, as much as his exhaustion would allow. Yohji was starting to feel all of his blood rush to a certain body part and began to wonder if he should put a stop to things before it got out of hand. Aya was too weak at the moment for another round of sex, after all. He reluctantly let go of the wire and glared at the man, barely keeping a smile off his face.

"Fine, be stubborn. Maybe I should just settle for beating your ass whenever you bite me. What do you think of that?" Aya suddenly went still, a sense of uneasiness filling him and making Yohji think that maybe he'd taken the joke a little too far. He opened his mouth to apologize when he heard Jo speak.

"_I_ think that if you try to do that, you'll be the one getting your ass kicked, Yohji Kudoh. Now get the hell off him."

Looking over his shoulder, Yohji found Jo standing in the doorway, a tray of food in her hands and a furious look on her face that would send any member of the Koneko scrambling for the nearest hiding place. Swallowing a very large lump in his throat, Yohji climbed off Aya then used his mate as a shield.

"Ah, Jo, I can explain this, honest I can."

Aya, the bastard, radiated amusement while Yohji started to whimper in face of the look Jo was giving him.

*******

Botan knocked twice on the door to Yohji and Aya's room, and when the blond called out for him to enter, he wearily opened the door and did as he'd been bid. After staring dumbly at the empty bed for a moment or two, he looked around and found the couple curled up on the window seat. Yohji's arms were wrapped around Aya, who was cocooned in a lovely quilt and had rested his head on Yohji's shoulder. The kage still looked paler than normal, but Botan was heartened to see that he wasn't as white as he'd been the night of the spell.

"Botan, don't take this personally, but you look like shit. Do you want a cup of tea? It's Cass' special blend." Yohji gestured to the tray set on the seat beside him, containing a huge pot of tea, some mugs and a plate heaped with cookies and tarts. The sleeve of his pale yellow shirt almost fell into an already poured mug that was cooling in the evening air.

Perking up at the idea of some tea, Botan hurried over to the couple. Yohji smiled as he poured a cup and held it out to him, and Aya even held up the plate of sweets once he managed to work an arm free of the quilt. Botan gulped down the beverage, his mouth hardened to guzzling hot fluids after his years of late night studying, and he then placated it with a tart filled with soft cheese and cherries. He groaned in pleasure.

"Have you been getting any sleep?"

Brushing away the crumbs around his mouth, Botan nodded his head. "At least three hours today alone." Yohji made a face at him, one that made him smile. "I know, I plan to sleep some more tonight, if the gods allow. But I've been very busy casting spells. If I could take a look at the sphere now, I'd be that much closer to being able to collapse in my bed."

Aya tensed as soon as he mentioned the sphere, his face becoming blank of all emotion. Yohji's smile slipped, and he held his mate closer to him, bending his head to whisper something in Aya's ear. The kage closed his eyes for a moment and sank back against Yohji. Botan just stood there, uncomfortable and feeling like an ass for ruining what had been a pleasant moment.

Yohji looked up at him after a minute. "Okay, now you can examine it. Aya's released the shadow wards around the damn thing." Aya hissed quietly and opened his eyes. He made a snapping sound with his teeth, one that made Yohji start and jerk his hands downwards before cursing softly.

"I've warded the room, which should help negate any minor spells on the sphere." Aya's voice was subdued, hinting at the pain and weakness that didn't show on his face. His crimson hair fell over his eyes, hiding them from Botan's sight.

"A good idea. If there are any spells on the sphere to alert its… former masters to the fact that someone is examining it, that ward should block the warning." Botan hadn't thought of that possibility until just now, and he silently cursed himself for forgetting such an important fact. He must be even more tired than he'd thought.

Striding over to the desk, his hands paused for a moment before opening the drawer. If Aya had indeed warded it with shadows and hadn't lowered the wards… Since he didn't die the moment he touched the wood he assumed that Aya had done as he'd said. Gingerly lifting the silk wrapped object out of the drawer, Botan sank down in the chair by the desk and slowly unwrapped his prize.

There was an inhalation of breath when the sphere was revealed, and Yohji again murmured to his lover. His hands trembling slightly, Botan bent his head to gaze down on what had caused so many people so much pain. If it wasn't for this sphere, Aya would be free, his sister's soul would be awaiting reincarnation, and countless people wouldn't have died at Reiji Takatori's orders. As it was, at least now King Shuuichi wouldn't be killed on his wedding day, and there was hope of diverting a disaster that would shake Kritiker to its core.

Clearing his head of troubling thoughts, Botan began to examine the spells that comprised the magical object. He had to admit that whoever had created it, probably Masafumi since it had required so much energy and skill, had been brilliant. Luckily there were no spells to alert the wizards when someone other than themselves touched the object, but Botan could sense the spells linking the sphere to them. Those connections had to be blocked, or stealing the thing would be for nothing when the soul gaki within was released upon the Takatoris' deaths.

"Aya, is there a way for you to ward this so it can't tell when the Takatoris die?" He glanced over at the pale man, whose face was bent and completely hidden behind a curtain of hair. Yohji was massaging his shoulders.

Lifting his head, Aya nodded and held out a hand. The quilt fell away, leaving the kage clad only in faded grey pants and a green shirt that Botan had seen Yohji wear on several occasions, causing Aya to shiver. The room, even with the benefit of a pleasant breeze, was warm from the summer temperatures, so Botan assumed that Aya was still suffering from blood loss and cautiously handed the sphere to him. Yohji's cupped his hands underneath Aya's, helping to support the precious object.

Aya bent his head again, and several minutes passed in silence. As Botan watched, shadows converged around the sphere, eventually sinking into the glass. However, he noted with interest, they didn't cause the sphere to darken. Then Aya was holding the sphere out to him, his eyes glittering with pain as he looked up.

"It's done. I… also encased the soul gaki within my shadows to keep it away from Aya-chan."

Botan retrieved the sphere and carefully wrapped it back in the silk. Not a word was said until he placed the glass ball back in the drawer, and the moment he was done shadows swarmed around the desk, deadly sentinels once more guarding something very precious to their master.

Clearing his throat, Yohji gazed at Botan. "So Aya's shielding it right now. Why can't we break it and let her go free?"

"Because, that would result in the shattering of innumerable spells, which he couldn't hide from the Takatoris. It's one thing to hide the sphere and to block a specific spell or two, but to destroy it… At the very least, Masafumi would feel the soul gaki being killed or released, causing him to investigate the false sphere, and he would soon divine that something was wrong. Three guesses who he'll seek out after that." Botan pointedly looked at Aya.

Yohji sighed and muttered under his breath while Aya poured a cup of tea with shaking hands. Falling silent, Yohji helped to steady the pot and lift the mug for Aya, and after a few sips he pressed a tart into his lover's free hand and urged him to eat. Feeling tired himself, Botan edged near the bounds and held out his empty mug. Yohji instantly refilled it for him and tossed him a cookie.

"Okay, so we have the soul sphere, and Aya-chan is safe. As soon as we come back to the Koneko after the battle, we can free her and never have to worry about her being used against Aya again. What now? It's Thursday night, and the wedding is Saturday. Is everything ready?"

Botan shrugged his shoulders. "Ask Crawford or Cass, not me. I have several weapons I need to make, offensive spells I need to prepare, and a half dozen other things. But I think all the two of you need to be worried about is showing up and fighting." He looked at Aya. "Will you be well enough to do so?"

"Yes." That was it, just the one word, but it was said in a sibilant tone of voice that made Botan tremble. Candlelight reflected in Aya's eyes, turning them silver, and Botan suddenly remembered all the stories he'd learned about kage. Yes, Aya would be ready, even if he had to sacrifice himself. He sincerely hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Finishing off his tea and snatching another cookie, Botan smiled wearily at his two friends. "Very well then, I'm heading back to the palace. I'll spend a little time coming up with the best way to release Aya-chan's soul before I get some rest. I advise the two of you to get the sleep I'll be missing out on, and I most likely won't see you until Saturday. Be well."

The couple wished him the same, and Botan headed for the door. Pausing to look over his shoulder before he left, he saw the two men kissing each other, Aya's hands buried in Yohji's hair while the older man cupped his face between his. For a moment Botan wished with all his heart that he had the time to spare for a quick stop by Cassandra's, but knew if he visited his lover he wouldn't want to leave and do the many tasks that required his attention. Sighing wistfully, he exited the room and closed the door behind him.

*******

Masafumi mentally groaned as he accepted a cup of tea from one of the many servants roaming around the Rose Garden where there was a small gathering of nobles and dignitaries whiling away the evening by having an outdoor tea. He was here representing his family, while his father was at the small get-together the ambassador from Thracia was throwing, and his brother Hiro was partaking in a gathering of nobles off by the royal stables.

What he wouldn't give to be back in his quarters, enjoying a lovely evening with his ladies. He hadn't been able to spend much time with them lately, and he missed their presence. Soothing, brilliant Hell, sweet, eager to please Tot and seductive Schoen. For a moment Masafumi felt a pang as he thought of quiet, watchful Neu, forever lost to him because of his father and that damn Guard. Well, neither man would live for much longer. Once the kage had taken care of Shuuichi and his family, his father's days were numbered. Masafumi planned on using the creature to quietly kill the man in his sleep a day or two after the coup. He was sure no one would mind Reiji's death, not after he killed his own brother and possibly his own son, and Masafumi would see to it that those two did not die alone. No, it would be a very bloody takeover, and people would be relieved to see the man they'd associate with the event die soon afterwards.

Then Hirofumi would have the throne, and Masafumi his revenge for Neu and all the time with his ladies and his studies that he wanted. He longed for the future, but still had to get through the next couple days. And several boring gatherings just like this one. Gods, how he wished someone would spike the damn tea, just to liven things up.

"You appear as if you're not enjoying the party, Prince Masafumi."

Hearing a dry, gravelly voice speak from his left side, Masafumi turned and found Lady Meara standing by him with a dour look on her face. Not that there was anything unusual about that; the woman always looked upset about something. But she had a brilliant mind and was intensely loyal to the current king, so Masafumi smiled and bowed to her. He wouldn't give the old battle-axe any cause to suspect anything of him.

"I'm afraid not. It's a bit of a letdown after last night."

"Hmph. I look at this as the calm before the storm." Lady Meara shifted closer to Masafumi, her eyes locked on his. "Tomorrow night the revelries will start, in the city if not here at the palace, and after the wedding… there will most likely be parties for the next week or two. Consider me boring, but I'm very grateful for the lull in excitement."

"I could never consider you boring, milady." Masafumi turned a bit of his charm on the woman, but not enough to make her wonder what he was after. "I've heard of too many of your infamous debates with those foolish enough to try your wit to think that." Lady Meara had the reputation of having a very sharp tongue, one she wasn't afraid to use. It was rumored to be almost as sharp as her wits.

"Hmph." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared slightly at Masafumi. "I'm surprised you heard about it, all the way in Timbergrey Castle."

Reminded of his exile, Masafumi forced the smile to remain on his face. "My family has always been concerned with the goings on of the Court."

"You should be more concerned about the country as a whole, and not such a small population of it," the woman snapped. Masafumi was hard pressed to remember that she was the Minister of Diplomacy. Dear Meara was definitely not showing much tact at the moment.

"I've always been very concerned about Kritiker as a whole, I assure you."

Lady Meara stared at him before sniffing and holding out her right hand. Immediately a servant hurried over to her side to hand her a cup of tea. She sipped the hot beverage for a moment before gesturing to the roses blooming around her. The air was fragrant with their perfume, so strong an aroma that a deep breath could make one lightheaded, and the greenery of the garden was broken by a profusion of colour. Masafumi swore that there was every shade of red present and accounted for, from deep pink to a crimson so dark it appeared black, interspersed with blooms of white, peach and yellow. There were even a few bushes with purple roses the same colour of the kage's eyes.

"I remember this garden when I was a child. There used to be blooms here of the palest pink that smelled so sweet the Royal Gardner would limit how much it bloomed. The bush still exists, but it was moved to a garden on the east side of the palace. Princess, then Lady, Kikuno much preferred red roses, and for a betrothal present King, then Prince, Shuuichi had the Royal Gardner alter the Rose Garden. She left just enough of the other coloured blooms to break apart and highlight the various reds."

Wondering what point the woman was trying to make, Masafumi nodded his head. "Eiko is a genius at designing gardens."

"Eiko did her best, even though it broke her heart to alter the Rose Garden, because it was Prince Shuuichi's request. She thought of the young prince as a good man and wanted him and his bride to be happy. Princess Kikuno was also thought of rather highly. She so loved this present, and some of her ashes are buried here." The lady stared intently at Masafumi, and he felt his smile grow bitter. He wondered if she dared to lead this conversation where he thought she might.

Lady Meara paused for a moment, finishing off her tea and held the cup out for another servant to take it, who received a curt nod of thanks from her. "Yes, Princess Kikuno was much loved, making what happened the night of her wedding that much harder to take. She is missed to this day and is thought of often… along with the tragedy that happened to her."

Yes, the Minister did dare to bring up the offense that had sent his father, and of course him and his brother as well, into exile. She was the first person to do that their entire stay here, at least to Masafumi's face. He gritted his teeth together and made a show of turning to look at the rose bush nearest him, bending down to sniff a scarlet blossom as he regained his composure. Then he straightened up and looked at the old woman.

"I, of course, am very well aware of the tragedy that befell Princess Kikuno."

"I imagine you are," Lady Meara dryly replied.

Continuing on, Masafumi smiled at the old witch. "I won't speak of the matter, which from my understanding is not as clear cut as yours seems to be." The lady snorted but didn't speak. "I am here to wish my uncle good luck and happiness on his marriage, and I hope that he finds all the joy that escaped him with his first."

"Yes, do just that, and then return to Timbergrey Castle."

"That is up to the king to decide, Lady. I will do as he bids, but I hope to offer my services to him as he seems to have no suitable heir at the moment. To be perfectly honest, he could use some family around him until he has an heir of age to take over his responsibilities."

Lady Meara snorted again, this time much louder than before. "Prince Mamoru is almost of age. The king has no need of you or your brother."

Resisting the urge to bare his teeth at the woman, Masafumi shook his head and smiled sadly. "I have no desire to slander my own cousin, but I know what the Court thinks of the boy. He spends all his days hiding in his room, too frail to attend Court. If I may be blunt, Lady, one of the things that cheer the populace the most about this wedding is the prospect of more heirs, one of which will be suitable to assume the throne at King Shuuichi's death." He carefully made no mention of himself or Hirofumi.

"Don't believe everything you hear, Prince. Prince Mamoru… he is his _father's_ child, and like him will be a credit to the name Takatori. I look forward to the time he assumes the throne, for I feel that he will be a good king. I'm not alone in that presumption either." Lady Meara tilted her head to the side and narrowed her gaze on Masafumi. "He doesn't waste his time with hunting or… other pursuits of pleasure. He is intelligent, strong of mind and body, and caring. The only reason he doesn't assume more responsibility at Court is because of the king's wishes. Please keep that in mind when you make plans to remain here at Court. There is no reason for you and your brother, and certainly not your father, to remain here after the wedding."

"Here I thought you were the Minister of Diplomacy, Lady Meara. May I say that this conversation has been shockingly blunt for one in your position?" Masafumi dropped any pretext of charm and scowled at the older woman, who smiled back at him brightly.

"To be a good diplomat is to know when to be subtle and when not to be. I've spent the past couple weeks watching your family try to insinuate its way back into Court and felt it would be best to speak to one of you before your hopes get too high. You will be sent back to your estate once the wedding is over, several others and I will make sure of that. We have long memories, unlike the fawning fools who have kowtowed before you during your visit." The smile was dropped for a look of animosity.

"We have long memories indeed, and can clearly recall how the Princess never cared for your father, and how demure a girl she was. We know the truth of what occurred that night, and this garden serves as a testimonial to that event." Lady Meara reached down and plucked a rose the colour of blood, brazenly breaking the rule that stated no one but the Royal Gardner could harvest any flowers. She inhaled the rose's scent and tossed it at Masafumi. He barely managed to catch the bloom.

"Being the Minister of Diplomacy, it was felt that I would be best to deliver this message. The others wouldn't be so kind, let me assure you."

"Hirofumi and I are being punished for our father's… indiscretion. Have you ever thought of that?" Masafumi asked as he crushed the rose.

Lady Meara regarded him through slitted eyes. " Perhaps it was unfair that you were exiled along with him, but blame that on your father. He refused to allow anyone else to raise the two of you. But it's too late now. I look at your cousin, and then at your brother and you, and I can tell the difference. The three of you take after your respective fathers, for good or ill. Need I say that in some cases, there is more ill than good?" That said, the woman bowed the slightest bit and moved on, walking away from Masafumi as if he was an insignificant irritant that she was leaving behind.

Snarling, Masafumi tossed the crushed rose aside then forced himself to calm down. He had suspected that there would be some people who weren't happy about him and his family returning to the capital, no matter how long their exile had been. He just hadn't expected so blatant a declaration such as what he'd just heard. But in the end, nothing changed. There would just be a certain Minister and her friends that the kage would have to deal with when Hirofumi took the throne.

One thing was certain, if Lady Meara was so supportive of dear Mamoru, despite the general opinion of the Court that he would never be king, that meant others shared her opinion. There had been some thought to letting the boy live, since it was possible he was Reiji's child, but not now. If he lived, there would be supporters for Mamoru to take the throne, not Hirofumi. Once his father heard of this, it would no longer be up to the kage's discretion if the boy lived or not. Reiji would never tolerate a competitor for the throne, not at all.

Smiling evilly, Masafumi thought of how the bitch would live just long enough to see her precious Mamoru be killed before her eyes and see Hirofumi made king. Then again, maybe he wouldn't send the kage after her. Maybe his ladies would much prefer handling the matter themselves.

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