Chapter Text
Moonlight glinted silver along the long, thin blade of her sword as she struck her feet firmly into the ground. She held her position across from her opponent, the tip of her weapon only inches away from its target. A cool night wind caressed her cheek softly, but the strands of red-brown hair that brushed over her forehead revealed a set of hard, narrow eyes, burning like fire in the darkness. Her breath was fast, but not labored, as she spoke.
"You're lucky I'm not out for blood."
Her opponent laughed. No. Giggled.
Annoying.
"Don't be so intense all the time, Evgenia. We were just sparring."
Evgenia lowered her sword, her eyes squinting even more with disdain. "The tournament is next week, Alina. How well we spar now can mean life or death later."
Alina scoffed. "Don't be silly. We're princesses. Even if we lose, nobody will let us die out there."
Evgenia shook her head. "Anything can happen during a match. And this isn't any tournament either. It's the Tournament of the Three Kingdoms. It's about bringing honor to the nation of Moskuwa. A chance for honor ourselves."
"Honor for us?" Alina scoffed again. "You know the Queen will take credit for anything we do. We won't be honored. We're just basic princesses."
For once, Evgenia had to admit Alina was correct. The Crystal Queen would claim all victories--like she did every tournament--as the result of her rigorous, highly developed training regimen that demanded nothing but perfection. Nothing, of course, was due to the girls' own hard work, Evgenia reminded herself ruefully. Even the gold they received from their winnings always went immediately to the Queen's treasury. The pride of knowing she had done her best remained her only prize--and occasionally, if she did exceptionally well, a new gown to wear to the celebration banquet with the other champions.
"But we are princesses," she finally said, and in the moonbeams, a hint of a smile was visible.
This time when Alina giggled, Evgenia laughed along.
Sword now sheathed, Evgenia swept across the dew-laden grass of the outer courtyard, gently taking the arm of the younger girl through hers. "Let's go in now. I've made you practice long enough."
"Thank goodness," Alina exhaled in relief as they now made their way back towards the palace. "Any more, and I'd be convinced you were turning into the Crystal Queen."
I'll never be like her. Not as long as I live.
"Like I said, I just want us both to do our best on the biggest stage of the year."
"You want to win," Alina said.
Evgenia turned up her chin. As if that was a question. "Of course I do."
"So you can go to the banquet."
Her eyes narrowed again, and a weird thump resonated in her chest. "Why would that be any reason to win?" she heard herself asking before she could stop herself.
Alina giggled that annoying laugh again. "It's your only chance to see him."
Evgenia felt her feet want to stop in their tracks, but she forced them forward, knowing the girl beside her would be able to sense any change in her movement. That was the Crystal Queen's pre-eminent command, after all. Never let any part of your body betray what is going on inside your head.
"I don't know who you're talking about." Ugh. That sounded... so unconvincing.
"Yes, you do." Evgenia could hear Alina's smile even though the darkness nearly concealed it from her vision. And then Alina's voice lowered to a whisper, and then came the words Evgenia was hoping she wouldn't say--the words that thrilled her all the same. "The Phantom."
"The Phantom doesn't go to things like banquets, Alina," Evgenia scoffed. "That's why they call him the Phantom. He leaves as quickly as he comes, every competition."
"But it's the Tournament of the Three Kingdoms. The most important competition of the year. If he wins, he'll be honored by all kingdoms of Kori, not just his own. Doesn't he have to go?"
"The Phantom won't do anything he doesn't want to, Alina, that much is clear."
But maybe he'll want to, this time. At least there's a chance.
The two young princesses nodded to the palace guards as they approached the entrance, and the gate opened for them, admitting them into the security of the palace's stone walls. Inside the torch-lit corridor, Alina lowered her voice further. In the flicker of the flames, it would be easy to miss a lurking shadow, a listening ear.
"Did you hear the rumor that the Council will make the winner of the tournament the new leader of all of Kori?"
"Seems unlikely," Evgenia shook her head.
But as much as she tried to avoid them, she'd heard the rumors, too. Tensions were higher than ever between the kingdoms, not just between the political leaders, but among the people as well. Many voices were calling for the nations to be united under one leader again as they once were long ago, for safety, for prosperity, for fair and equal opportunities for all. But just as many felt strongly that the nations had irreversibly separated, that their peoples were too different.
"You're right," Alina sighed. "It's probably just a rumor. And besides, they say the Crystal Queen would never give up her throne to a mere swordfighter."
"The Phantom is not just a mere swordfighter," Evgenia shot back indignantly, and then quickly shut her mouth. But it was too late.
"Ah hah," Alina giggled.
Evgenia had already recovered. "I'm talking about his special abilities, Alina."
The younger girl paused mid-step. "Zhenya. Do you really believe in all that? What people are saying? Do you think he really knows... magic?"
The word sent a shiver down Evgenia's spine.
"I'm not talking about magic," she replied calmly. "Even if magic was real--which it isn't--it's forbidden in all the Kingdoms. The Phantom would never risk being disqualified from competing. Besides, the Phantom doesn't need magic. There's just something different about him. Something extraordinary... something--"
"Yeah, you're in love with him."
"I am not!" Evgenia shushed her, looking around to see if any courtesans were within earshot. "I just envy his skill."
"What about that other rumor?" Alina pushed, her voice even more teasing.
Evgenia swallowed, but pulled the other girl's arm, leading her down the hallways to the princesses' chambers. "What rumor?"
"That the way to unite the nations is much simpler."
Evgenia's eyebrow raised. She hadn't heard anything about this other rumor, but something about the way Alina was talking... wait.
"What are you talking about?"
"They say," Alina drawled the words out, her eyes dancing. "They say they may betroth the winners of the men and ladies' tournaments. And then, once Heian and Moskuwa are united, Nishi will be forced to join the alliance to avoid being conquered. And then--
"What are you talking about?" Zhenya interrupted her, an involuntary blush beginning to warm her cheeks. "That's ridiculous. Heian, Moskuwa?" she sputtered. ...Betrothal?
"Exactly. The Phantom. You."
Blood was rushing to her face now. "Where do you even hear this nonsense, Alina? That--that doesn't even--nobody even knows who will win, anyway."
"Of course it will be you. You've won everything this entire year. And the Phantom--like you said, he's special. He's the favorite for sure."
Evgenia shook her head. "You never know what can happen. After all, there's Nemesis."
The younger girl full-on cackled, and Zhenya hit her arm, glancing around again in fear they had attracted unnecessary attention.
"We've had this argument 20 times already, Zhenya. You don't think Nemesis will win. You believe completely in the Phantom."
She did believe he would win. There was no one better in all of Kiro, for many reasons. And she couldn't lie--she had imagined this exact scenario--her winning, him winning. But... a betrothal...?
No. A political alliance. If what Alina said was true, would that make the Phantom the king of a united Kiro, and she, the... queen...? No. How could it be possible?
"It's ridiculous," she repeated firmly. "They'll never do any of this. The Phantom won't even show his face. We don't even know his real name. How could he possibly become king? Much less rule an ancient empire?"
Alina shrugged. "It's just a rumor."
Zhenya rolled her eyes, exasperated, as they reached the door to their chambers.
"But maybe it'll motivate you?" Alina giggled. "A betrothal is definitely more exciting than a banquet."
"I never said I wanted to be betrothed to the Phantom, Alina." Zhenya lowered her head in frustration, pushing the heavy door open in front of her.
The sound of Alina sucking in her breath sent a jolt through her, and then another, worse one came when she looked up. Straight into the cold, displeased eyes of the Crystal Queen.
"And just what were you two doing outside your room at this late hour?"
Evgenia quelled the urge to tremble and instead lifted her chin, determined not to be intimidated by the tall woman's condemning tone. She had nothing to be ashamed of. Her hand clamped down on her sword. "Training."
The Queen glared down at them. "Not hard enough if there was still energy for giggling. And talk of betrothals."
How she had heard them through the thick wooden doors, Zhenya had no idea.
"I know about the rumors," the Queen declared, sweeping across the floor of their chambers, her blonde waves shimmering in the candlelight as she shook her head scornfully. "They're preposterous. How can the marriage of two fighters unite three completely different nations? The Phantom is only a commoner. His political power is barely more than a street urchin's. A betrothal with a princess is out of the question."
"How do you know the Phantom is a commoner?" Zhenya interjected, a little defensively. "Nobody knows anything about him."
"Oh, use your head, Evgenia," the Queen returned sharply. "We would know if he was a prince or a nobleman. He would either be on the Council or identified as one of their sons. He's not. He's a nobody."
"Nemesis is a prince," Alina chirped. Evgenia glared at her.
"Even if Nemesis wins, there will be no betrothals. Politics is much more complicated than you girls could ever comprehend. So get those ridiculous ideas out of your heads, and go to sleep. Training begins again tomorrow at dawn."
The Queen's luxurious gown rustled as she made her exit from the room, and then at the door, she paused to look over her shoulder.
"That's not long from now."
Zhenya's eyes burned holes in the back of the woman's fine clothes.
Don't you know I train at night because it's the only time I actually enjoy it? her thoughts yelled. The door shut in response, as if to assure her the Queen definitely did not care.
Beside her, Alina groaned, dropping her sword onto the floor with a loud clatter. "Ughhh, I'm soooo tired."
"Alina!" Evgenia scolded, rushing to retrieve it. "You'll wake the other girls."
"So what," Alina sighed. "They have an unfair advantage--more sleep than us."
Normally Evgenia would have chided her about her attitude a bit more, but she was also tired from their strenuous exercise, and her brain was still clouded with thoughts as she made her way into the sleeping chambers. The Tournament of the Three Kingdoms had enough weight, enough pressure, enough stress as it was, without adding the factor of it possibly being something even bigger politically. In this the Crystal Queen was correct--it would be better to just forget all about the rumors. After all, it wasn't as if she had any control of what happened. The only thing she had control of was herself--her training, her mental preparation, her strength, her will to win.
And she had to win.
A nervous shiver rippled through Evgenia. It was so close now. Could she do it?
Now at her bedside, Evgenia sank onto the covers, facing the wooden nightstand next to her pillow. She lifted the latch of the jewelry box that sat there, withdrawing her most beloved bracelet, her lucky charm. A braided red cord, tied into a circle, its only ornament a small, round green stone. She rubbed the smooth stone nostalgically, taking a deep, calming breath.
"You always wear that bracelet when you fight." Alina's curious voice interrupted her personal reverie. She was already perched on her own bed, only a few feet away from Evgenia's. "Where's it from, anyway?"
"It's from a long time ago," Evgenia replied simply, evasively. She turned her body away, hoping Alina would catch the hint that she was done talking now. Alina was her cousin and her teammate, but she had many cousins and many teammates, and as much as Alina talked with her, she was sure she talked with the other girls as well. So she would train with her, as the Crystal Queen wanted, but she wouldn't trust her. Not with her most precious thoughts. And this one was a precious one.
Because this bracelet was from someone precious to her as well.
She was eleven years old when she met him, the summer after her mother died. Her father, pitying her for being all alone at the manor while he was away for weeks at a time with official duties at the palace, finally caved in to her pleas to attend a prestigious tea ceremony class at the Heian countryside palace. More than her interest in the tea classes, though, she had hoped to meet and make friends with other young girls of nobility like her.
Instead, she met Prince Yuzuru.
It had been on a night like tonight that she'd first seen him, sparring with an imaginary partner in the outer courtyards of the royal villa with only the moon to illuminate his tall, slender form. She'd seen men at the manor sparring before, of course, and never once had it even caught her attention. But now, suddenly, watching the way the young boy stepped and turned, watching how his hands wielded his weapon with fluidity and precision, she was spellbound. From her window she watched him for nearly an hour as he lunged and thrusted, attacked and retreated, all with a rhythm that seemed almost musical, with a beauty that defied her understanding of the sword. This was not just a game or a sport or even a means of defense. It was more than that. It was an art. It was a dance. It was everything, all in one, and the synergy was thrilling and addicting to watch.
And she knew, right then and there, she had to learn it for herself.
Prince Yuzuru had seemed surprised at her boldness when she had tugged his sleeve in the palace the next day, hoping her guess at the silhouette from the night before was correct. Standing there in the middle of the inner courtyard, the dark-haired, dark-eyed young prince let a moment pass as he took in the diminutive form of the girl in front of him.
"Teach you to fight?" he had repeated her near-demand with a small smile curving his lips.
Evgenia had looked away, crestfallen, thinking he thought her stupid and childish--he was clearly several years older than her. But it turned out Yuzuru had thought neither. That evening he found her alone in the garden, and even now Evgenia could still remember the bolt of lightning that seemed to pass between them as he handed her a long, bamboo katana. He left without a word--but from that moment on, he came for her after every tea lesson. Within a few days, they began meeting after every evening meal, too, training until it was too dark to see anymore. And then before she knew it, he was waiting for her in the morning outside her door--and suddenly every spare moment she had and every thought in her head was now completely consumed with training with him. Evgenia soaked up his knowledge like a sponge, and Yuzuru was clearly pleased to pass it on... judging by how much he talked, anyway, Evgenia smirked to herself. Each lesson became longer and longer, their conversations slipping away from only sword fighting--and then the inevitable happened.
Evgenia missed a tea class.
The headmistress found the two of them in the cherry orchard, sparring, all sense of time lost. Evgenia was sentenced to scrubbing the floors of the teahouse as punishment--and Yuzuru couldn't bear it.
"A princess, cleaning the floors," he had muttered when he'd found her there. The next thing she knew he was next to her on his knees, his own brush noisily working as fast as possible.
"A prince, cleaning the floors," she teased, biting her lip, but the soft, steady look Yuzuru had given her melted her smile away for some reason, her stomach feeling a unfamiliar, fluttering twinge.
She tore her eyes off his, swallowing.
"At least they didn't say we can't train anymore," she managed to say.
"If they had... we would have, anyway," he whispered back, and when she looked at him this time, he was grinning like a cat.
Yuzuru was careful not to let her miss another tea lesson again, though, and the rest of the summer passed without incident--but it passed quickly... too quickly.
The night before she left he asked her to meet him again in the cherry groves, and it was then that he hugged her for the first time. Evgenia had still not forgotten her surprise at how solid his body had felt through his robes... and how much--and how long--she wanted to linger in his embrace. At some point he stumbled away, fumbling in his sleeve for something.
"So you don't forget me--I mean, what you learned," he choked, tying the red cord hastily around her wrist.
"You have one, too," Evgenia murmured, touching the matching bracelet on his hand. "Is it... so you don't forget me, too?" she teased.
Yuzuru huffed. "Something like that," he pretended to scowl.
"Or, you know, you could just write to me," she smirked.
"Huh?" the older boy guffawed.
Yuzuru wrote to her for two years.
And then, one winter, the letters stopped. At first Evgenia wondered if Yuzuru had tired of her, or found something--or someone--else to occupy his time, but there had only been beautiful things in his letters... how he had so much he wanted to show her, what new things he was learning, how he hoped they would meet again soon. So for there to be an abrupt end, something must have happened. Something was wrong, she was sure.
And then word came of a fire that had consumed an entire village in the northern region of Heian.
She'd known in her heart the truth, but still, she cried the day she sneaked into the palace library in Heian years later during a competition and found his family name in the record books. Prince Hidetoshi and family--wife, son and daughter--among those killed in the fire. As the tears spilled down her cheeks in the darkness of the library, she finally admitted it to herself. Prince Yuzuru had been her first love.
"The Tournament of the Three Kingdoms is the most important competition of the year, Evgenia," Yuzuru had told her, one of those beautiful summer days on the sun-splashed hills outside the countryside palace. "One day I'm going to fight there, and I'm going to win." His eyes had gleamed with excitement and hope.
"I'll never be good enough to fight there," Evgenia had said wistfully in response, looking down as she twirled a wildflower in her fingers. "I've only just begun."
Yuzuru turned toward her, and before she knew it, his hand had slipped under her chin, lifting it up so she looked into his warm brown eyes. That twinge fluttered through her heart again, still unfamiliar-- but this time she realized she liked it.
"You can do anything if you try hard enough," Yuzuru had said with conviction. "And if you believe."
"I..." Evgenia had faltered, words unable to form due to the blush she was fighting under his touch.
"Anyway, I believe in you," Yuzuru had said, his hand dropping. "You're going to be a great swordfighter, Zhenya. Both of us are."
He would have been, Evgenia was sure of it. He had been young and inexperienced then, but Yuzuru had had all the makings of being a top swordfighter--maybe he could have even beaten the Phantom now. If only he had had a chance to find out. If only--
Well, there was no if only. Prince Yuzuru was gone, and only Evgenia was left--Evgenia, who had tried her hardest and believed her hardest, who, despite all the odds, despite her late beginnings, despite the fact that she was smaller than the rest of the girls, was now the top-ranked female swordfighter in Moskuwa.
And now she would find out if she was the best in the Three Kingdoms. Of course she was fighting for herself, to find her value and worth, outside of what the Queen claimed or demanded. But she was also fighting for something else--and it was not for a banquet, or for a chance to see the mysterious Phantom up close, or for some remote chance to become queen. She would be fighting for him.
Because he was the one who got her here. He had given her the inspiration, the knowledge, the foundation, the strength of mind, and most of all, the love for the sword and the craft. He had taught her what it really meant to fight. She would fight in honor of him.
She would win in honor of him.
Evgenia brought the bracelet to her lips, leaving a soft kiss on the center stone.
And she would never, ever forget him.