Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

All stories start the same way. It may not seem like it, but I've seen enough stories come and go to recognize the patterns. No matter how fuzzy the memories are, there is always one moment that rings clear and true, a shift in the universe. A single chord is struck, and the reverberations echo to the very depths of the world. Sometimes it's in the click of a lock, other times it's the turn of a page. In this particular instance, I suppose it would be the clink of glass as a small child decided to follow his intuition and try his hand at alchemy. But enough with my rambles, you'll see enough of me later on. It's best for you to see the story unfold for yourself anyways.

Really, Hana should have noticed something was happening sooner. She saw the way Rui had been sneaking around the house that morning, ducking out of sight whenever she saw him. It wasn't too unusual for Rui, especially if he was playing a game with Mizuki and Nene, but it still should have tipped her off that something was happening. No use blaming herself though. Right now she had to focus on fanning the smoke out of the house because her son had decided to try his hand at alchemy.
And it had worked.
Back home in Asmodean, this would have been cause for celebration. Her son, her only child, was able to turn an apple into an orange before his seventh birthday. Rui was a prodigy. In Deorid? It was a death sentence.

"Rui, tell me what you just did," Hana said as she turned away from the window. Her son smiled back at her, eyes shining with pride and he held the orange close to his heart.

"I did alchemy. I did magic."

Hana sighed. "Technically no, alchemy isn't the same as magic." Though with how well he took to it, he probably did have some magic flowing through his veins. "Rui, I need you to run to the market and call your father back home, alright?" Rui nodded and went to stand before Hana put her hand on his shoulder. "Leave the orange here, alright? And don't tell anyone about what you just did, okay? Not even dad." Rui nodded again, eyes steeling as he absorbed her somber tone.

"Yes, mom." That was the last thing he said before he took off running. Once he was out of the room, Hana let herself sink to the floor. They had to leave, now. Even if there wasn't the already risk that someone had seen the smoke and gotten suspicious, she couldn't ask her son to hide himself away. If he had talents like this, she would do everything in her power to make sure they could grow and flourish. Taking a deep breath, Hana went to start packing up their things.

“Hana? What's wrong." Taichi said, rushing through the front door, Rui right behind him.

Hana set down the satchel she had been packing. "Rui, go ahead and tell your father what you did." Rui hung his head and grabbed the front of his shirt, mumbling.

"Can you say that again? I couldn't hear you." Taichi said, bending down to be at Rui's level.

"I did alchemy."

If the situation hadn't been so dire, Hana would have laughed at how fast the color drained from her husband's face. "I've already started packing."

"I'll finish then, go tell the Kusanagis that we're leaving."

Rui's head shot up in panic. "Leaving? Now?"

"Yes," Hana said, as much as it pained her to have to uproot her son like this. "You know what the laws are, we need to keep you safe."

"But, but I haven't even said goodbye to Nene, or Mizuki!" Rui cried, tightening the grip on the front of his shirt.

"You can go with your mom to visit Nene for a bit, okay? She can tell Mizuki goodbye for you." Taichi offered.

"Okay..." Rui said, voice quieting to a whisper. Hana walked over to her son and took her hand, rubbing small circles with her thumb.

Juro answered the door, as he always did.

”Hana?“

“Hey, Juro. Sorry for dropping in on you like this, can we come in?” She asked, feeling Rui clutch her hand tighter.

“Yes, of course. Nene is up in her room if you want to go play.” Juro said.

“Thank you,” Rui said before running off.

Juro ushered Hana inside. “What happened, you look upset.”

“I need to talk with Doremi. We’re leaving today.”

Juro gasped. “What happened?”

“Rui is an alchemy prodigy.” Despite the weight the words carried, Hana couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride at the words.

A sad smile crossed Juro’s face. “Doremi will be delighted to hear it.” He beckoned her to follow him.
The bedroom was dark, fabric draped over the two windows to help Doremi with her migraines. The woman was in the middle of a double bed, surrounded by as many pillows and blankets as the Kusanagi’s could afford. She was paler than the last time Hana had been here, skin and hair almost the same shade of sickly green. Her heart broke at the state her friend was in, had been in for years.

“Hana?” She said, brightening at the sight of her friend. “I didn’t know you were coming to visit today.”

“I wasn’t supposed to.” Her voice broke. “Doremi, I’m so sorry, I have to leave.”

“What?” Doremi said, struggling to sit upright. “What’s happening?”

Hana recounted the events of the morning for her friend, going slowly to make sure she understood.

“I’m not surprised. Rui’s always been a bright kid.” A beat of silence passed before Doremi spoke again. “Take Nene with you.”

Hana felt her chest seize. “No, no you’re going to move to Heyarin with her after you get better, you’ve been planning it for years. I can’t take her from you.”

A bittersweet smile crossed Doremi’s face. “We both know that was just a fantasy, Hana. We've been searching for years, nothing can cure this curse. I’ll be lucky to last ‘till next harvest season.”

“Still—“

“Hana,” Doremi interrupted. “I can’t leave the city. I’ve already accepted that, it’s okay.” It wasn’t. Nothing about today was okay.

“I’ll join you in Soral after…” Juro paused, eyes wet.

“After I’ve passed.” Doremi finished his thought. “Please, Hana. Nene is bound to have some magic, we both know it. She should leave now before it manifests.”

Hana took a deep breath, fighting down tears of her own. “Okay.”

“I’ll tell her to start packing her things,” Juro said before leaving the room. Silence stretched as Hana tried to hold back her tears.

“You’re doing the right thing, Hana,” Doremi said.

“I hope so, I really hope so.”

They left in the dead of night. The wagon was loaded up with everything they could fit, including her and the kids, while Taichi drove the horses. When they reached the city walls, Hana couldn’t help but hug the children tighter and hold her breath. What would happen if they were told to turn back? With bated breath she watched as Taichi talked with the patrol officer, explaining their false story. (A half-cooked tale about inheriting his grandfather's farm)

The officer gave a quick glance over the wagon and waved them on, signaling the gate to open. After it had closed behind them, Hana finally felt like she could breathe again.

“We didn’t get to say goodbye,” Nene whispered.

“Goodbye to who?” Hana asked.

“Mizuki.”

“Your dad said he’d tell them,” Rui said. “Besides, we’ll see them again! We still have a show to put on, remember?” Hana smiled at the children’s optimism, quietly praying that they would be able to return one day so that they could put on their play. Kanako had been working so hard on the costumes.

Turning away from the city walls, Hana focused on the horizon.

“Look, kids.” She nudged them to turn as well. “Look at the moon.” It shone brightly, bathing the world in silver. They sat in silence taking in the world.

On some level, Hana knew the kids understood more than they let on. Nene’s face was far too somber for a girl so small, and Rui had barely spoken since they left the Kusanagi’s. She took a deep breath, once again reassuring herself that this was the right decision. Nene and her family had needed to leave the city for years but the curse prevented her mom from passing through the city walls, a cruel security measure from a man long since dead. Feeling her eyes start to prickle with unshed tears, Hana shook her head and focused back on the moon, humming a lullaby for the children.

If she focused hard enough, she swore she could see shooting stars.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

The situation wasn't ideal. Even ignoring the fact that Saki probably should be resting back at the castle, you should never stargaze under a full moon. The light from the moon would wash out the dimmer stars and you would miss all kinds of things.

“Hona, hurry!” Saki called back. “You can stargaze when we get there!” Honami looked back to the earth towards her friends.

Sure enough, they were two paces in front of her, still steadily moving through the forest to find the clearing Shiho had promised.

“Sorry,” Honami called back, sprinting to catch up with them.

“You don’t need to apologize,” Shiho said. “Just hurry, you said there was supposed to be something cool today, right?”
Honami brightened. “Yes!”

“Are you going to tell us what it is?” Ichika asked.

“No, you’ll see soon enough.” Honami giggled to herself. Even if it was a full moon, there was supposed to be a large shower of shooting stars this week. Her mom said that it was a symbol from the gods, coming every seven years to bless crops and bring good health. Saki had been wishing to see shooting stars for so long, this may be her only chance. No, don’t think like that. Saki hasn’t been sick in months, plus if the falling stars were supposed to bring good health, then surely there was no better place to receive the blessing than under the open sky itself.

“We’re here,” Shiho said, stopping. Honami took in the clearing, a large rock sat in the middle, surrounded by a sea of white flowers glowing in the moonlight”

"Shiho, this is beautiful. How did you find it?” Ichika asked.

Shiho shrugged. “Shizuku showed it to me. Does this work?”

“It’ll work perfectly,” Honami said while walking over to the rock. She climbed a little way up the side and looked up to the sky, seeing the wide expanse glittering above her. “Come on up!” She called out to her friends.

Ichika climbed up as well. Shiho helped Saki onto the rock just in time for a star to cross the sky, leaving a trail of light in its wake. Saki gasped and nearly fell onto Shiho’s head.

“Hona! Did you see that?” Saki cheered, eyes sparkling like the sky above. “Was that a shooting star?”

"Yes! This week is the Harvest Shower.” Honami let Saki grab her hand as she pulled her up onto the rock. “They happen every seven years and are supposed to bless the harvest. They’re also known for bringing good health.” Saki sat down next to her.

“I think I remember your mom mentioning it,” Shiho said as she sat down as well.

“They’re so pretty,” Ichika added, eyes glued to the sky. Honami looked upwards again as well.

Stars danced across the sky, leaving dazzling trails of light behind. It was mesmerizing. Honami had seen shooting stars before, but never to this degree. There were so many of them they seemed to light up the sky, turning the pitch black to a deep blue.

“Should we make a wish?” Ichika whispered. “That’s what you do when you see a shooting star, right?”

“I think so, yeah,” Shiho said.

“I know what I’m going to wish for.” Saki started “I wish—”

“No!” Shiho said, stopping Saki. “You can’t say your wish out loud. If you do it won’t come true.”

“Oh, okay,” Saki said. She shut her eyes tight, scrunching her face together.

Honami closed her eyes for a second, offering her wish to the gods. Please, let us stay like this forever. Playing between Saki and Shiho’s lessons, sneaking sweets from the cooks, and listening to Ichika sing whatever song she learned from the castle staff. Honami couldn’t think of anything else she would want. Opening her eyes, the stars greeted her again.

Eventually, the night grew cold and the children’s eyes grew heavy.

“We should go back, it’s getting late,” Shiho suggested.

“No,” Saki whined. “I want to stay with you guys longer.” She hugged Honami’s arm. Despite the sweet gesture, dread crept up Honami’s spine.

“Saki, you feel warm.” Too warm, especially for being outside in the chill for as long as they had been. Honami went to feel her forehead, but Saki recoiled from the touch.

“I’m fine, really.”

“Are you sure?” Ichika asked.

“Absolutely! I could stay out all night.” Saki smiled back at them.

“Still, I’d rather not push out luck. Someone might notice we’ve snuck out soon.” Shiho added.

“You have a point,” Saki added.

It took a bit for all four of them to get off the rock, but they made it out of the clearing soon enough. On the walk back, Honami kept looking at the sky. The stars peeked out between the tree branches. It was something to focus on other than Saki’s condition. She gnawed her lip as she mulled over what had just happened. Saki knew her limits better than anyone, but Saki also had a bad habit of insisting on pushing past those limits. A shout snapped Honami out of her thoughts.

Saki was limp, Ichika struggling to hold her upright. Shiho and Honami both rushed toward the girls, dread turning into panic.

They lowered Saki to the ground, letting her head rest in Honami’s lap.

“What happened?” Shiho asked.

“I- I don’t know. She was just walking next to me and then suddenly her legs gave out.”

“We need help,” Honami said.

“I’ll run back to the castle,” Shiho said.

“It’s quicker to get in through the servant’s entrance. I’ll show you where it is.” Ichika added.

The two ran down the path, leaving Honami with Saki. She brushed a stray hair out of Saki’s face with trembling hands.

“It’s going to be okay Saki, I promise,” Honami whispered. “You’ll be okay.” She repeated the phrase like a mantra, turning the words over and over.

It felt like hours. The wind howled, frigid air sweeping by the two children. Honami was shivering and hunched over Saki, trying to protect her from the cruel breeze. Her vision was blurring as her breathing turned shallow. It was terrifying. Honami could feel tears falling down her face, but she could barely bring herself to care.

”Hona?” Saki whispered, eyes still half closed. “Issat you?” She was waking up.

”I’m here Saki. You’re going to be okay, I promise. Shiho and Ichika and getting help. You’ll be okay.”

“It’s cold.”

”I know. We should have brought blankets, I’m sorry.”

“Hona, d’you think…” Saki was struggling to talk, struggling to stay conscious. “D’you think I could catch one of the stars?”

”What?”

”If we wish on stars when they fall, do they have t’grant our wish if we catch them?”

”There’s a story about that in the library.” Honami said, desperately trying to hold Saki’s attention. “The boy gets his wish, but ends up having to pay a price."

”That’d be fine.” Saki shivered, teeth chattering so loudly Honami could hear it. “I wished that we could all stay together forever. I’d pay for that.” Saki stopped talking struggling to even keep her eyes open for more than a second.

“Saki!” A voice cried out. Honami jerked her head up, frantically searching for whoever called out.

“We’re over here!” She called desperately.

Tsukasa came crashing through the brush, armor thrown on top of his sleep clothes. He slid next to the two, panting heavily. His eyes were red, panic written all over his face.

“Tsukasa,” Honami choked out. “I’m sorry—”

“There will be time for that later.” He said, putting his hand on Saki’s forehead. Brow furrowing when he felt her temperature.

“She’s burning up.”

“She was fine earlier tonight. I promise I made sure to ask her. She’s taken all of her medicine as well, I don’t know what went wrong.”

“She had a nosebleed earlier today.” Tsukasa’s voice was grim. Honami felt her heart stop. “She was supposed to rest for the day, just to make sure nothing got worse.”

Honami was about to reply when more people burst through the brush. There were several knights, along with Shiho. They rushed over to the children.

One of the knights scooped Saki up in his arms. She whimpered at the movement.

”’Kasa,” Saki slurred.

”I’m here Saki, I won’t leave you.

“I’ll carry Lady Saki ahead; the doctor should be following behind us.”

Tsukasa nodded and followed the knight back through the brush. Honami picked herself up and Shiho ran over, wrapping her into a hug.

“She’s going to be okay,” Shiho whispered. Sinking into the hug, Honami buried her face in Shiho’s shoulder. She hoped so, she would catch a million stars for Saki to be okay.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

They really should go home. Mizuki had been sitting on the street, staring at a door, for hours. Holding out hope that maybe, just maybe, if they kept wishing on the stars streaking through the sky, their friends would come back home. They were supposed to sneak out and go to the night market tonight. Yet when she arrived at their homes, one was completely abandoned. Nene’s father had been the one to tell them that two of their only friends had left the kingdom, answering the door when Mizuki finally mustered up the courage to knock.
Now here they were, sitting in the cold wishing on stars like a little kid.

The door opened and Nene’s father stepped out again, beckoning them inside.
“Let me make you some tea, it’s cold out there.” He said.

The tea was nice. It tasted like the same kind their sister liked to drink, earthy and sweet.

“So, mind telling me why you’re out so late?”

Mizuki almost spat the tea out. “Just, wanted to see how my friends were doing. That’s all.”

“And it had nothing to do with the night market happening? The one that Nene has been asking to go to all week?” He grinned.

Mizuki went back to their tea, hiding their face in the cup. “Sorry Mr. Kusanagi.” They whispered.

“Just watch out for yourself, okay?” His eyes were kind but dull. There was a sadness about the man, no matter how much he acted past it. “You should probably be heading home soon though, it’ll be morning in a few hours.”

Mizuki nodded and took another long sip of the tea. They handed the empty mug back and stood to leave right as there was a knock at the door.

“Stay here, I’ll answer it.” Nene’s dad said. Mizuki sat back down in the chair.

He opened the door to a tall man with dark brown hair. There was a girl with him too, around Mizuki’s age. Her hair was long and black, with a deep blue at the bottom. It reminded Mizuki of the night sky.

“Hello Mr. Kusanagi, I’m sorry for the disturbance. My name is Ken.”

“Please, call me Juro. Is there anything I can help you with?”

“A neighbor tipped off the guards that someone was producing suspicious smoke in the house next to yours. They’re on their way now.” You could hear a pin drop. The seriousness of the situation settling in. ”I’m here to help you get out before they get here. I’ll help you grab anything you need, my daughter will get anyone else out of the house now.” The girl waved her hand.

“Mizuki,” Mr. Kusanagi said, “You’d better get going now. Can you take them back to their house?”

“Absolutely.” The girl said.

“I’m An, by the way.” The girl managed to say while running down the street. “Juro called you Mizuki, right? That’s a nice name!”

“Why are you calling Mr. Kusanagi that?” Mizuki managed to say, chasing after An.

“Huh? He said to call him that, right?”

“He told your dad to call him that, not you.”

“Oh. Well, my mistake. What were you doing at his house?”

“None of your business,” Mizuki said.

An stopped running and held up her hand. Mizuki barely had enough time to stop before running into An. She grabbed their hand and pulled them into an alley, pressed close against the wall. Two guards walked by a few moments later. The two children waited for them to pass before continuing on.

“How did you know they were going to be here?”

“I know when most of the guard schedules are. My job is to help people get to the inn safely, and part of that is making sure that we don’t get caught.”

Mizuki had heard rumors about this, most everyone had. A secret network that helped protect people with magic. “You guys work out of an inn?”

“Yeah, it’s my dad’s we’re headed there now. You can stay there for a bit until the guards calm down. Mr. Kusanagi should be joining us soon as well.” Mizuki nodded, even though An couldn’t see.

The two continued running down streets, getting lost in the maze of the city. Well, Mizuki was getting lost. An seemed to know every nook and cranny of it, even which walls were crumbled enough to be climbed over. After another couple of streets and two more alleys, An stopped in front of an inn. The sign above the door read “Weekend Inn”. An grabbed their hand and pulled them inside.

It was warm inside. A roaring fire sat in the hearth; a bard tuning his guitar sat next to it. An led Mizuki to a table.

“Stay here, I’ll grab you something to eat.” An said.

“I’m not really hungry.”

“Okay then, we can wait here.” An sat down at the table, across from Mizuki. “Oh, Mr. Yoisaki!” She called out to the bard. “Could you play me more of that song you wrote the other day?”

The man looked up from his guitar. “Sorry An, I haven’t gotten a chance to work more on it. I’ll play you the rest next time I’m here.”

“Alright.” An said, turning back to Mizuki. “He’s a really good composer. My dad’s sung some of his songs before and invites him to sing at the Inn every now and again.” Mizuki nodded, not really focusing on the conversation. An kept talking about music, something about her dad, and a dream.

Ken entered the Inn, shutting the door fast behind him. Mizuki was out of their chair in an instant.

“Where’s Mr. Kusanagi?”

“Juro stayed behind,” Ken said, staring at the floor. “He wouldn’t leave his wife behind. I’m sorry, Mizuki.” His voice was heavy, he had obviously tried his best to convince the man, but Mizuki couldn’t help the tears welling up. If he had stayed behind, he had been captured. Being captured meant imprisonment at best and execution at worst, especially with the charges he was taken in for.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

The sun was just beginning to rise when Minori left for the festival. It had been a hard sell, especially since it meant that they would have to bring her new baby brother along, but Minori’s parents eventually relented. After all, this festival happened only every seven years, in line with the Harvest Shower. It was midmorning when they finally arrived in the town.

There were flowers everywhere, with banners strung throughout the town. Bards were littered about, improvising songs together and entertaining the crowd. Minori didn’t want to blink for fear she would miss something, she ended up tripping over her own feet anyways.

“The Initiation Ceremony will be starting shortly in the main square!” A herald called out, catching Minori’s attention.

“Dad,” she said, pulling on his sleeve. “Can we go check that out?”

“Will you be okay with Ryota by yourself?” He asked her mother.

“I can handle him for an hour or so, go explore.” She smiled, taking the baby from her dad. Wasting no time, Minori grabbed her father’s hand and dragged him farther into the town.

The square was so full that Minori had to sit on her dad’s shoulders to see anything. A stage had been set up in the middle of the square, and a group of witches stood atop it. They had large, simple hats and black robes, no decoration at all.

“Dad, which Coven is that?”

“I’m not sure. You can usually tell based on their hats and outfits.”

“Doesn’t Miss Chihiro have a necklace that shows hers?”

He chuckled. “Yes, she does. She’s part of the Circle of The Silver Moon, which is why they wear necklaces with a silver moon on them.” Minori hummed in acknowledgment, resting her chin on her father’s head.

A man climbed on the stage and signaled for the crowd to quiet down. After the crowd listened, he bowed to one of the witches, an elderly woman, and exited the stage. The woman stepped forward and raised her hand. The other witches followed suit, revealing their wands. In a flick of the wrist, their simple clothes changed color, from a deep black to a pale purple. Minori heard her dad gasp.

“They’re the Royal Coven,” Minori remembered Miss Chihiro mentioning them. Witches so powerful that they served directly under King Tenma.

“I hope you are all having a splendid festival.” The old witch said, voice booming across the square. “Welcome to the Royal Coven Initiation Ceremony. Each year we visit promising young witches from around Soral. Today those we have selected will be accepted into our fold and welcomed as our Sisters.” The crowd applauded. “We have chosen to hold the ceremony here this year in honor of the Harvest Shower, in hopes that the gods will bless these girls.” The crowd cheered again. Minori couldn’t help but cheer as well. There was something, well, magical about how the woman talked.

The first new initiate climbed atop the platform, a teen with dark skin, long coiled hair, and a black robe. She was briefly introduced by the old witch and then demonstrated a spell she had mastered. The weather changed briefly, grey clouds gathering above the square. Minori clutched onto her father’s head, bracing herself against the wind whipping about. When the storm dissipated, with a flick of the teen's wand, she was presented with a hat and her robes turned purple. The process repeated for the next few girls, all teens who performed incredible feats of magic. All far more powerful than Miss Chihiro, who had been the village witch since Minori’s mom was a child.

Upon the stage was a girl, the same age as Minori. She had deep blue hair, the same shade as the deepest part of a pond, and skin slightly tanned, glowing in the sunlight.

The child raised her wand and made a large, swooping gesture. A thick fog filled the square, obscuring almost everything. Minori held on tight to her dad's head, clutching on in fear of getting swallowed up by the fog. Then, a small light drifted in front of her face. It was soft and gold, floating like a bubble. More followed in a myriad of colors. She reached out to grab one and it fizzled in her palm, dissipating in an instant. A gust of wind cleared the fog out of the square, leaving all eyes on the young witch. She was making the balls of light move and change color, waving her wand around in a specific pattern. Minori couldn’t take her eyes off her.

Eventually, the girl finished her show. Minori was among the first to applaud, cheering as loud as possible. The old witch came forward and flicked her wand, changing the girl's robes to purple. She started giving a speech, introducing the new Sisters. Minori only heard one name though.
Haruka Kiritani, the witch with blue hair.

The crowd applauded once more before starting to dissipate. Minori climbed off her dad’s shoulders and ran towards the stage, desperate to see Haruka up close. When she got to the stage, there was a small group already gathered, asking questions to the young witch. Haruka was up close to the edge, standing next to the old witch from before. She had eyes as blue as the sky, they matched her hair beautifully.

“How are you so skilled?” A teen asked. “I’ve been training for years, and I still haven’t managed to master weather, much less with that level of precision!”

“Well,” Haruka began, “I’ve just practiced as hard as I can since I was little. Even when things got tough, I always tell myself that tomorrow will always be a better day.” She smiled.

Tomorrow will always be a better day. Minori stood there contemplating those words as Haruka answered more questions. If someone her age could do incredible things like that, why couldn’t she? Minori had magic, she was really good at making the chickens fly, so what was stopping her? Before she could muster the nerve to raise her hand and ask Haruka a question of her own, her dad showed up.

“Minori! Don’t go running off like that, you scared me.”

“But—”

“Come on, we should go tell your mom about what she missed.”

Minori looked back to Haruka, who was being ushered off-stage by the old witch. Her chance had passed. Taking her dad's hand, Minori started walking back.

I’ve just practiced as hard as I can.

“Dad? I'm going to be a witch.”

Chapter Text

Ichika hadn't been this nervous in years. Being called to the Duchess' quarters was nothing to take lightly. Only the Duchess' ladies-in-waiting, like her mom, went in there for any mundane reason. When any other staff was called in, it was only for the delivery of dreadful news. The Duchess was a kind woman. Whenever a knight died, she always insisted on delivering the news herself so she could help comfort those left behind. Ichika’s father was away on a mission, helping protect a village from bandits. Unless that mission had gone horribly wrong…

No! Ichika shook her head. If that was the case, her mother would have been summoned alongside her, yet she was still back eating lunch. The herald had only requested her, it would be fine. Yet Ichika’s heart was still in her throat, thinking about Saki. Saki was frail, but she was never at risk of death. Unless she had gotten sick. Whenever Saki got sick, she was at risk. Her immune system just wasn’t as strong as it should be. Ichika hadn’t seen her since she moved in with her uncle, the King, to receive better medical care four years ago. The Duchess hadn’t been able to visit recently either. The only one who had been there in months was Tsukasa, and he had returned weeks ago. Perhaps she had caught something, or maybe her health took a turn for the worse. Ichika stopped walking. She closed her eyes and took a deep steadying breath. Spiraling wouldn’t help anything. Maybe the news was good, there was always a chance. Maybe she was being reassigned to be Saki’s lady-in-waiting (like they had always talked about as kids) and would move to the crown city as well. Calmed down slightly, Ichika resumed her walk.

The Duchess called for her to enter after only two knocks at the door. Lady Tenma was sitting in her reading chair, working on embroidery. Ichika’s nerves came back in full force.

“Ichika, come sit with me.” She said. Silently, Ichika sat in the chair across from her. “Now,” The Duchess continued. “I hope the herald didn’t scare you too much, I know the reputation this kind of summoning has.”

Ichika slumped in relief, taking a shuddering breath. “Not too much, no.”

The Duchess laughed. “I promise, this is good. Would you go behind the privacy screen for me? I have a present for you there.” Ichika nodded, finding the request odd. Why would the present be hidden back there?

Regardless, Ichika went toward the privacy screen. It was a simple wooden screen with only a few engravings for decoration. She looked behind the screen and stopped dead in her tracks. There only a few feet away, was Saki. She was standing tall and had the biggest grin imaginable on her face, bouncing up and down in place.

“Saki?” Ichika gasped, tears gathering in her eyes.

“Ichi!” She cried before tackling Ichika into a hug. It took a moment for Ichika to reciprocate, too stunned to process properly. When she finally did finish processing, she hugged Saki as tight as she possibly could. Ichika pressed her head into Saki’s shoulder, trying her best not to start sobbing.

“Ichi,” Saki laughed. “You’re squeezing all the air out of me!”

“Oh!” Ichika let go, taking a few steps back. “Sorry, sorry. I’m just so, so happy.” A few tears fell down her cheeks which she quickly wiped away.

“Don’t be sorry! I’ve been dying to see you for days, but we wanted to be completely sure I was better first.”

“What?”

“I’ve been here for a while, but no one would let you visit or even tell you I was here, it sucked. But that’s all behind us now! I’m better! Well,” Saki paused. “Not like, completely cured, I still have to be careful, but I’m back to how strong I was before things got really bad. Stronger even!”

“That’s incredible I— How?” Ichika could barely believe it. She had been praying for the day Saki was able to come home for years, it was surreal.

“Well—”

“Why don’t you two go back to Saki’s room and talk about it?” The Duchess said. “I’d imagine you don’t want to stand by my wardrobe for too long.”

“Alright, Mom,” Saki said. “Come on, let’s go!” She grabbed Ichika’s hand and pulled her out of the room. It was only a short walk to Saki’s room, just a few corridors away.

It was exactly the same inside as it had been the last time Ichika had been there, the day before Saki left for the crown city. Soft colors and delicate fabrics draped all over the room. Everyone had done their best to make the room comfortable for Saki, especially since more often than not she had been bedridden.

“Okay,” Saki sat on her bed, Ichika following suit. “So, after trying everything that the Royal Coven could come up with, Uncle Noriaki looked all over the place for anyone who thought they could help. Doctors, witches, you name it they investigated it. Eventually, they found two people who could actually back up their claims. An alchemist and a witch. They worked together and figured out a way to help! I couldn’t tell you the specifics, they explained it to me, but I didn’t really get it. However it happened, it worked! From there I just had to do some physical therapy to regain my strength.”

It clicked in Ichika’s head. “That’s the alchemist that came back with Tsukasa a few weeks back.”

“Yep! Rin should still be around here too, she’s the witch, but I’m not sure where. She may have left to tell Uncle Noriaki that I’m better.”

The two girls spent a moment just smiling at each other before Ichika felt herself start to cry again.

“Sorry, sorry.” She mumbled, trying desperately to wipe her tears away.

“Don’t apologize, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Saki said, scooting closer to her friend. “Are you alright? Did I say something wrong?”

“No, I’m just really happy,” Ichika said through the tears, doing her best to smile.

Saki laughed. “You always were a happy crier. Remember that one time when Honami’s mom read us that book about the prince and his sheep? It had a happy ending, but you couldn’t stop crying.” Ichika laughed through her tears, remembering that day well.

Ichika composed herself a few minutes later, laying down on the bed. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” Saki said, laying down as well.

“It’s stupid, but I used to look at the stars and imagine that you were looking up at them too. Like we were stargazing together.”

“That’s not stupid, I did it too!” Saki said. “I would pretend that Honami was telling us the constellations again and that Shiho was pretending that she didn’t remember some of them just so Honami could keep explaining them.”

“Even though we always forgot and she would have to explain them all again anyways,” Ichika said. The memories were bittersweet, but she still treasured them dearly.

“Speaking of…” Saki said. “Race you to the library!” She jumped up and took off running. Ichika scrambled off the bed. Despite her confusion, she chased after Saki.

“Mrs. Mochizuki!” Saki called out as she ran down the hall. Ichika turned the corner and almost bumped into Saki, who had stopped in front of none other than Mrs. Mochizuki.

“Saki! It’s so good to see you again. How’ve you been, honey?”

“Good. Do you know where Honami and Shiho are? I still have to surprise them with the good news.” Ichika saw Mrs. Mochizuki’s face fall in tandem with her own. No one had told Saki.

“Oh, honey. They’re not here.”

“What?” Saki’s voice was quiet.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

After four years, Minori had yet to master a single spell. Her magic just wouldn’t cooperate with wands. Everyone kept telling her that she wasn’t supposed to be a witch, her magic just wasn’t the right kind. (Even though all the books said that magic was different for everyone, there were no “kinds” of magic. Some people just worked better with wands, and some didn’t.) None of it mattered though. If anyone would know how to get her magic to cooperate, it would be a witch who had managed to complete a task that no other could. Supposedly, the witch who had been chosen to help cure the King’s niece had arrived back at the castle. Minori’s younger brother had seen her flying across the sky as a phoenix. It was all the evidence she needed to stand at the castle gate herself, hoping that she could catch the witch on her way out to ask a few questions. Minori smoothed the front of her dress, wishing that she had robes to wear. Even a hat would be good, anything to identify herself as a witch. There was no time to worry about that now. The witch could come out at any moment—

There was a streak of gold out of the corner of her eye. Minori whipped her head up and saw a phoenix circling a castle tower. That had to be the witch. Pulling out her wand and asking any gods that could hear her pleas to let this work, Minori flicked her wrist.

It could have turned out worse. Minori had meant to change herself into a falcon, or another bird that could keep up with the phoenix, but a sparrow would do. At least she had turned into a bird this time. (Last time she had ended up as a shrew) She flew into the sky just as the phoenix started flying away from the castle. Flapping her wings for all that she was worth, Minori chased after the embers the witch was leaving in their wake.

It was a long flight, Minori followed the phoenix until she didn’t recognize any of the landscape below her, only being able to tell that it was still Soral. You wouldn’t find forests like those anywhere else, tall oak trees coating the entire countryside. When they reached a small break in the trees, the phoenix started their descent, and Minori swooped down as well. They circled each other for a moment before landing on the ground. Minori closed her eyes, willing the spell to disperse so she could go back to normal. A few moments later, she could feel her fingers again. When she opened her eyes again, she saw the witch for the first time.

The first thing Minori noticed was the big white bow on her hat. The ribbon was pristine and silky, but unlike any coven insignia she had ever seen. Then, she realized the witch wasn’t wearing robes. That wasn’t as unheard of, Miss Chihiro had never worn a robe, but still out of the ordinary. Finally, Minori realized that the witch was a couple of inches shorter than her. Her hair was short and blonde, framing the face of a girl no older than fourteen.

“Why did you follow me?” The witch tilted her head to the side.

“Are you the witch who helped cure the King’s niece?” Minori asked, setting the girl's odd appearance aside for the moment.

The witch beamed. “Yep! I’m Rin Kagamine, witch extraordinaire.” She did a small curtsy.

“Please, show me how to be a witch.” Minori felt her face burn, embarrassed that she was asking someone younger than her for help, but there wasn’t anything else she could do. If it meant helping others, giving them hope, then she would do anything.

“But you are a witch, you just did a spell.” Rin tilted her head, confused.

Minori lowered her head. “No, I’m not. I can barely cast spells, and even when I manage to cast them, they never work properly. I was supposed to be a falcon, not a sparrow.” Rin stared back at her, processing the question. Minori felt her own spirits crumble as Rin’s face fell.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know if I’d be any good as a teacher.” Rin brightened. “But I might have something that can help you! Follow me!” Rin took off running, Minori following.

Branches kept tripping her up, but eventually Minori caught up to Rin. She had stopped in front of a small cottage, vines with pale yellow flowers covering the walls of it. More flowers filled the rest of the field that it was situated in, a small stream splitting it in half. There was a smaller building, similarly overgrown, a few paces behind the cottage. That was where Rin waved Minori over too. Inside, the walls were covered with books, nearly floor to ceiling. A couple of benches surrounded a table in the middle of the room, books strewn across it as well.

“This is my library! I’ve got books about stuff from all over, but it’s mostly about magic. There’s bound to be something to help you.”

“Seriously? You trust me with these?” A library like this must be worth a fortune,

“Why not? You seem nice, and I have very good intuition.” Rin walked over to one of the shelves. “Come on, I’ll help you look.” She pulled a tome off the shelf and flipped it open.

Hours later, Minori left the library with a stack of books to study and a new friend. Rin walked her home, helping carry the books. They had spent most of the day chatting about magic and spells, so they spent the walk talking about themselves.

“So you have a twin brother? Does he live with you?” Minori asked.

“No, He’s still helping Mom with the inn in Deorid. I left on my own to study witchcraft for obvious reasons.”

“You mean you live all alone in the woods? You’re so young!”

“Hey,” Rin said. “I’m plenty old enough, I know how to handle myself. Besides, I don’t live alone anymore.” Rin rolled her eyes. ”I have a roommate now, she’s really nice. You should meet her next time you come over! She’s way better at explaining magic things than I am.” Rin said, stepping over a particularly gnarled tree root.

“I’d love to meet her! Is there anyone else out here, or is it just you two?”

“It’s just the two of us living out here, but people come and visit all the time! There are two other witches who also come to borrow books. I also know a lot of travelers; they stop by whenever they’re in the area.”

Minori adjusted her stack of books, keeping the one on top from falling. They were almost back in the crown city. “It’s going to take you forever to get back.”

“Not if I fly!”

“Still, I feel bad making you stay out late like this. Would you like to stay for dinner? You should at least eat something before you go.”

“Can I?” Rin’s eyes were shining, ecstatic at the idea.

“Absolutely! It’s the least I can do. Plus, my parents are going to be asking a lot of questions about why I was out this late.”

Minori went back to Rin’s library the next day, bringing along notes on the book she had stayed up late reading. (Beginners Witchcraft, a tome centered on different practical spells to be used in everyday life.) Luckily, she found her way back to the cottage, flying as fast as she could with the papers in her beak. Rin was picking flowers in the field when Minori arrived, which were immediately forgotten when Rin saw Minori, quickly rushing over to the other girl.

“Minori! Welcome back! Did you finish the books that quickly?”

“Not exactly,” Minori chuckled. “But I wanted to ask a few questions and try to practice one of these spells, I figured it would be better to do it here rather than in town.”

“Which one?” Rin asked. Minori showed her the paper she had written the instruction on. Levitation.

“Every time I try and get things to move on their own, they end up bouncing all over. I even broke a market stall once.”

“Really?” Rin was horrified.

“Really. And it was only a few weeks after we moved to the city as well.” Their neighbors would still bring it up on occasion.

“Ick, hate that.” Rin screwed up her face and stuck her tongue out.

“Would you mind giving me some pointers?” Minori asked.

“Sorry, I can’t. I’m no good at explaining things.” Rin wilted for a moment before snapping back to attention. “But I do know who is! Come on!” She took off running towards the cottage.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

Kohane hates running errands in the evening, especially when they took her to parts of town she was unfamiliar with. The crown city of Deorid was large and sprawling, Kohane had lived there all her life and she had yet to see all of it. Though tonight, she could say that she was one step closer to seeing it all. Unfortunately, she was also completely lost. Kohane had been wandering the streets for hours, long enough that it had become night. By that point, no one would answer their doors. She hadn’t run into anyone on the street either, so she wasn’t able to get directions. Now, Kohane was completely lost, and she could feel herself trembling. Horror stories of children who had stayed out late and gotten kidnapped or attacked by wicked spellcasters. Though she knew better than anyone that no spellcaster would be attacking her tonight. Even thinking about it felt forbidden, like a knight would step out of the shadows at any given moment and arrest her for even thinking about what she could do. Kohane took a shuddering breath and looked around the street, trying to see if there were any shops open, or even someone out on a late-night stroll. By a stroke of good luck, there was an Inn across the road. “Weekend Inn” was written on the sign, and there was light coming from the windows. Kohane could almost cry. She didn’t have any money on her, but maybe they would let her stay the night if she cleaned.

Running towards the Inn, Kohane stopped in front of the window. She peeked inside, hoping that the Innkeeper was still awake, and she wouldn’t be intruding. Inside there was a girl about her own age, with hair like the night sky above. She was the only one inside, though there was still a broom sweeping. Kohane stared for a moment. The broom was sweeping on its own, floating. Because of magic. The girl inside was doing magic.

The world crawled to a halt; a million thoughts raced through her mind. Pushing herself away from the window, Kohane ran as far from the Inn as she could. She kept running until she stumbled and fell into an ally, curling against the wall. Gasping for air, Kohane clutched at her chest. What was she going to do now? There was no way she could report the girl, not in a million years. Even being accused of practicing magic was enough to be executed. However, if anyone had been peeking out their window, if anyone found out that she knew—

It would be her own neck under the executioner’s axe.

After a few moments passed, Kohane managed to pick herself up. Leaning heavily on the wall, she walked out of the ally. Sitting on the ground wouldn’t make her decision any easier. She continued walking around the city, looking for anything familiar to lead her home, mulling over the decision she would need to make.

Kohane finally found herself in front of her house as the sky began to lighten. Her limbs may as well have been made of lead as she stumbled inside, quickly hugging her father. After assuring him that she was alright, just tired, she fell into her bed. One dreamless sleep later, Kohane still didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t send the girl to her death, but she couldn’t risk her own life either. A small voice in the back of her head kept pestering her, reminding her that she could do the exact same things that girl could. Her hands tingled at the memory of doing her first spell, hidden beneath her blankets in the dead of night, creating a single glowing ball of light in the palm of her hand, terrified at her newfound abilities. Kohane’s situation wasn’t any different than that girl’s, they were both just trying to survive. That was the final straw. Kohane couldn’t tell anyone, she would take what she had seen to her grave.

Unfortunately, that promise didn’t last long. Only a few days later, Kohane found herself back at Weekend Inn. This time, it was intentional. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the girl, about how easily she made the broom glide across the floor. It made her want to be able to do the same, no matter how foolish a thought it was. So here she was, preparing to enter the Inn with a basket of fresh bread as the sun set and ask for the girl to teach her magic. Kohane sent up a quick prayer to whatever god was watching that this wouldn’t backfire horribly.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Emu stopped walking through the castle gardens and looked back at her sister, Hinata.

“Of course I’m sure!” Emu said. She had thought long and hard about the decision, she had to. You don’t just abandon your royal duties on a whim. Her oldest brother, Keisuke, got married last spring. His wife, Ayane, is expecting, and their father is the pinnacle of health. The line of succession is more than secure, it’s thriving. “Grandpa left his stage to me, and he loved it so much. I can’t just let it sit around collecting dust. Besides, I’ve always wanted to perform! You remember the shows that Tsukasa and I would put on, right?”

Hinata smiled. “How could I forget? You two always put on the best shows. I know Saki and Toya especially loved them.”

“Exactly! The shows I did for them brought them so many smiles, even when things were rough.” Emu remembered how Saki would laugh at their shows, filling up the room with joy even when she was bedridden. How their shows helped Toya to come out of his shell at first, and later how they would help him cheer up after a particularly rough day. “I’m no good at balancing numbers or making laws.” Emu continued. “But I can help make people smile, just like Grandpa loved to!”

“I’ll miss you,” Hinata said, wrapping Emu in a hug. “Stay safe out there, okay? Make sure to write to us, and feel free to stop by whenever you can.”

Emu laughed. “I’ll visit all the time, don’t worry!”

“I know you will.” If Emu felt Hinata hug her just a little bit tighter, then she kept it to herself.

That had been last week. Today, Emu had finally set out on her journey. The Wonder Stage was hitched up to four strong horses and loaded with all the supplies that she would need. Food, costumes, extra cash, whatever her family could think that she would need. Now, Emu was on the road, driving the wagon herself, and making her way toward the beach. Both to bid farewell and to visit an old family friend.

Luka had been a staple in Emu’s life since she was small, one of her earliest memories was of Luka playing hide-and-seek with her. She had taught Emu and all her siblings to swim and attended nearly every party or ball thrown at the castle, Luka was practically her aunt. Emu arrived at the cottage, just a stone’s throw from the seaside. After getting the horses settled, Emu raced inside the house.

“Luka!” She called out, throwing the door open. She looked around the house but saw no one inside. Emu felt herself smile, there was only one other place Luka would be. Racing back outside, Emu headed straight for the ocean.

On the way, she tossed her shoes to the side and hiked up her skirt. Wading into the ocean, Emu continued calling for the woman. Moments later, a pink blur appeared in the water. Luka surfaced shortly after, lavender tail splashing in the waves.

“Emu!” Luka wrapped the princess in a hug, soaking her dress. Emu couldn’t have cared less. “I hoped you were visiting soon, did you set out on your journey already?”

“Yep! I have the Wonder Stage with me now, actually! I wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye.”

“I didn’t think you would.” Luka let Emu go. “Let’s get you changed; I’ll brew some tea too.”

Emu giggled. “Alright!” As she waded out of the sea, Luka stayed still for a moment. When Emu looked back, her tail had separated into two legs, and her gills had closed. Luka stood out of the water, long bejeweled smock dripping as she followed Emu.

The two sipped their tea on a rock, staring out over the ocean. A seagull passed overhead, and the salty breeze blew through Emu’s hair. She could remember sitting there with her grandfather and siblings. After her grandfather had abdicated the throne, passing the crown down to her father, he had spent as much time with his grandchildren as possible. The last time she had seen him... 

Emu couldn’t let herself cry, she had promised after all, but this was the closest she had come in a long while. The wound was still fresh, no matter how many months it had been. Luka pulled Emu close to her side, offering her silent support. The sky was beginning to turn orange, darkening as the stars began to rise. Emu hadn’t meant to stay all day, but she wasn’t complaining. She would start heading out to visit Tsukasa and Saki in the morning. (When the letter arrived last week with news that Saki was feeling better, Emu and Hinata almost had a party to celebrate.) After all, there was no rush.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

Watching the sunrise was the best part about staying up all night. The sky turning from a pitch black to a deep navy, then from navy to a pastel blue, the horizon bleeding orange, painting the clouds golden. Ena was more than happy to sacrifice a few hours of sleep to see the sky and work on her paintings. Today, she sat on her balcony basking in her own personal golden hour, supplies and art were once again safely squirreled away in places only the staff would think to check, and they were more than happy to keep quiet. As the golden light slowly faded, Ena planned out her day. There would be breakfast in the main hall, then followed by lessons. After that, she could sleep until it was time to ready herself for the ball. It was being held by the King himself, so she had to look her best. Especially if there was a chance to rub her popularity in Akito’s face. (So what if he got to hang out with the prince all day long, she was the most beloved girl in the kingdom, at least by beauties standards.)

“Lady Ena?” Mari, one of the maids, said. She was peaking her head onto the balcony, shaking slightly.

“Yes?”

“Breakfast is being served shortly, and your father wishes to speak with you.” That sent a chill down Ena’s spine. The last sit-down conversation she had had with her father… was of no importance anymore. She had moved past it.

“Thank you, Mari. I’ll be down shortly.”

Having to talk with her dad was already bad enough, having to do so with a stranger present? That was even worse. The knight looked to be about her own age, with long pink hair tied up with a dark blue ribbon. They were standing next to her father, who was sitting at the head of the table. Ena sat down in her usual chair.

“You wanted to see me, Father?” It was all she could do to keep the venom out of her voice.

“Yes. I’m sure you are aware of the rising presence of so call ‘revolutionaries’, correct?” he cut right to the heart of the issue.

“Yes.” It was all anyone would talk about these days. They hadn’t done anything to warrant the attention, in her opinion, just put up some posters on town boards. There were rumors that they were planning attacks or assassinations, but it was all speculation.

“In light of their increasing presence," Ena couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. "the King thought it would be wise to assign some of his own castle guards to other noble families, especially those closest to him. This is Mizuki Akiyama.” He gestured to the knight beside him. “They will be your personal guard from now on, just as an extra precaution.”

Mizuki stride forward and knelt before her. “It’s an honor to serve you, my lady.” 

Ena fought to avoid scoffing at the obvious flattery. “Father, with all due respect, no nobles have even been attacked. This all seems rather pointless.”

“Better to take precautions now than to wallow in regret later. Your brother will also not be attending the ball tonight. The Prince is under heavy guard for the time being, until the members of this ‘revolution’ are captured and dealt with.” He smirked, dark humor glinting in his eyes. “I’ve heard rumors that they’re considering a special execution for those involved.”

Ena’s stomach churned. “In any case, I’d like to retire now.” She stood. “If you’ll excuse me.”

When she was a few steps from her door, she stopped and turned on her heel. Mizuki was still following her. 

“Is this how this is going to work? You’re just going to follow me around all day?”

“I’m none too please with this arrangement either, Lady Ena.” Though their tone was sweet, the words were bitter. "There are plenty of things I'd rather be doing. Though this could have turned out worse for the both of us."

Ena rolled her eyes and continued into her room. Once inside, she shut the door and pulled a chair in front of it before turning to Mizuki. “I’m going to lay out a few ground rules, alright? One, what happens in this room stays in this room. You are not to report back to my father or anyone about what I do here. Is that understood?”

“Don’t worry, I can keep a secret.”

“Two,” Ena continued. “Don’t go through my stuff, don’t snoop around my room, none of it.”

“Wasn’t planning on it.”

“Three, when I’m at all ball or someone is visiting, give me space. I don’t know what your orders are but don’t be hanging on my arm all night.”

“Understood.” Mizuki sat down in one of the chairs, relaxing. “I’ll respect your privacy, you respect mine. If I need to take a few nights off, can you keep that under wraps?”

“I’m sure I can manage, I’m not helpless.”

“Oh, I know you’re not. Akito had plenty to say about how you used to beat him in sparing sessions.” That gave Ena pause.

“You know my brother?”

“Yeah, we have the same sleeping quarters. Well, had, I guess. Your dad hasn’t mentioned where I’ll be staying yet.”

“Huh.” Ena hadn’t expected that. Akito didn’t make friends easily. Before becoming a knight, he really didn’t have many friends. Even after being knighted, the only friend he had mentioned was the prince (and Ena had always assumed that was just because of how much time they had to spend together). “He told you about me?”

“Oh yeah. How you love to do art, how you nursed that one bird back to health, and…” Mizuki hesitated. They stood and walked to Ena, whispering into her ear. “How you found him practicing magic.” Ena’s blood ran cold.

 “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” They couldn’t know, Ena had to throw them off the scent. “You’re talking nonsense.” She had to protect her brother.

“Relax,” Mizuki stepped back. “I’m not going to tell anyone. I’m on your side.”

“Really?”

“I’ll tell you what I told Akito, I’m practically a magnet for magic users. You can ask him yourself.” Mizuki laughed. “I’m probably friends with more magic users than not.”

Ena eyed Mizuki still not won over. “Why did he tell you about it though?”

“He caught me sneaking out to visit one of my friends.” They smiled. “Saw her doing magic and practically burst through the door. They’re friends now too, he even joined—” Mizuki cut themselves off, jaw snapping shut.

“Well, that’s irrelevant.”

It was obvious there was more to the story, even a baby could see that Mizuki was keeping secrets.

Yet somehow, Ena was still inclined to trust them. Maybe it was the nonchalance with which they spoke about magic when most cowered at the mere mention. Maybe it was the knowledge of Akito, who she would protect with her life. Maybe it was the willingness to keep her own secrets, the ones her father hated so.

Whatever the reason, Ena let her guard down just an inch. “… Fine. I believe you.” She went to the closet and pulled out a canvas, it was a half-painted sunset. “But if Akito tells me you lied about anything after I message him, I won’t hesitate to report you.”

“Understood.” Mizuki stood and peered over Ena’s shoulder. “Whoa, that’s amazing! Akito wasn’t kidding when he said you were good.

Ena suppressed a sigh. She really did not have the social battery for this today.

Chapter Text

Rin threw the library doors wide open, dashing inside. Minori followed close behind, clutching onto her paper for dear life. Sitting down at the table were two girls, whispering harshly to each other over a pile of books. One had pink hair and a simple but colorful dress, the other had light blue hair and was wearing traditional coven robes.

“Airi! Shizuku!” Rin called out.

They stopped their conversation, and the girl with blue hair looked up. “Yes, Rin?” The girl with pink hair glanced up for a moment before picking a book up and starting to read it.

“Can you help my friend with a spell?” Rin asked.

“I’d love to.” The girl smiled.

“I’ll join too.” The other girl set her book down. “I need to get out of this room.

Minori jumped a little as the two girls headed outside, hurrying to follow them. “Right! Thank you so much.”

“Don’t mention it. Now, what kind of spell are we looking at.” the pink-haired girl asked.

Stopping in her tracks, the blue-haired girl spun around.

“I’m Shizuku Hinomori, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Hinomori like  the  Hinomoris? The noble family?

Minori did a small curtsy while processing. “I’m Minori Hanasato.”

“And I’m Airi Momoi.” Airi led them away from the library, underneath a large tree. “Now, what are we working on?”

“Oh, uh…” Minori fumbled with her paper, opening it and presenting it to her.

“Levitation…” Airi read aloud. “Starting with the basics, nice. You have a wand?”

“Yes.” Minori held it out. Her wand was a sleek, dusky brown. It was a simple design, slim tip with a thicker handle at the bottom. The only thing notable about it was a small bird carved at the bottom of the handle, an apple. Airi took a moment, admiring the wand.

“That’s really nice quality. Walnut wood, right?”

“Yes! How did you know?”

“Her grandfather makes wands!” Shizuku perked up, eyes shining. “He made both of ours.” She held out her own wand, extremely pale in color but not quite white. It had the same basic shape as Minori’s, but the tip was curved, just enough to be noticeable. There were silver engravings along the side as well, small flowers blooming along the sides.

Airi rolled her eyes. “Enough about my grandfather. Levitation, let’s focus.”

“Ah, right.” Shizuku sat down, her wand laying at her side.

“So if you’re just starting out, I want to see what you know of the basics.”

“Oh, uh, I’m not actually starting out.” Minori shuffled her feet. “I’ve been doing this for a while.”

Airi paused for a minute, staring at her. “… do you just want to fine-tune this spell?”

“No, I—” Minori took a deep breath. “I can’t do spells, not proper ones at least. My magic works just fine but—It’s— Let me just show you.”

She set her wand on the ground and held her hand out. A small light ball formed in the palm, which she quickly let float away. The process was repeated, except this time the light fell to the ground and rolled a bit before dispersing. Then, she picked up her wand and waved it in a small circle. Nothing happened. She tried a second time and a third, but not even a spark appeared.

“It’s been like this ever since I got my wand. I’ve asked so many different witches but…” She shrugged.

“Huh…” Airi looked at the sky. “That’s… I’ve never heard of anything like that before.”

“Neither had I!” Rin pipped up. “But that’s why I thought maybe we could help. All these books have to have something in them, right?”

“Right!” Shizuku said, standing up. “I’ll help you look through everything, there’s got to be something.”

“Besides that, why are you stressing over this?” Airi said.

“Huh?”

“Your magic works just fine. Why are you so worried about being able to use a wand?”

“Well, because I want to be a witch. You can’t be a witch without casting ‘proper’ spells and ‘proper’ spells require a wand.”

“But why are you so dead set on being a witch. You can still do whatever you want without being a witch. It’s not like our spells are something you can’t do with just plain magic.”

Minori looked up at the sky herself, staring at a cloud passing above. “It’s because people trust witches. They give people hope. That’s what happened to me, actually. I was a really clumsy kid. It got to the point where other kids in the village would avoid me because something always seemed to go wrong when I was around. But when I went to a festival once and saw an initiation ceremony. What one of the initiates said really stuck with me. Tomorrow will always be a better day. It gave me hope to keep trying, that one day I would be able to do something great, or even just make it through a day without breaking something. It helped me more than they could ever know and if I can help someone else like that…” Minori smiled, she could still remember that day like it was yesterday.

Airi sighed. “You really know how to sell a story. Alright, I’ll help.”

“Hooray!” Shizuku cheered, grabbing Rin. “Let’s start now! I think I saw something about wand compatibility in a book last week.” The two witches ran off, leaving Airi and Minori alone with the trees.

“Well, Shizuku’s found her newest project. We won’t be seeing her for the next hour.” The two girls giggled. “If you can’t use your wand, we can at least practice the motions and how the spells work. Come on, I’ll make you some tea. We can talk it over.”

The cottage was cozy and cute. A vase full of wildflowers sat on the small table in the kitchen. A staircase sat in the corner, framed by several paintings of the sky. Airi was rustling through a cabinet, sitting on the floor and laying out various boxes on the floor.

“Do you take honey with your tea?”

“I’ve never actually had it,” Minori admitted.

“Oh, you have to try it, I live for honey in my tea. Does wonders for your throat too.” Airi pulled out a jar of honey and set it on the table before going back to the cabinet. “Where did this tea go.”

“It’s okay if you can’t find it.”

“No, now it’s a matter of pride.” Airi stood up and brushed the dust off her skirt before walking over to the stairs. “Haruka? Are you up there?”

The name sent a chill down Minori’s spine. A flash of dark blue hair and clouds raced through her mind. It was a common enough name, but it was forever tied to that witch. Minori turned her head as someone came down the stairs, Haruka probably.

“Did Rin run off again?”

“No, I can’t find the tea. Do you know where it went?”

“Yeah, Rin moved it to the upper cabinets. Here, I’ll show you.” The girl walked over to the cabinets and Minori couldn’t help but stare at her back. The girl’s hair was short, it went just a little way past her chin and was slightly longer on the left. It was a deep blue, the same shade as the deepest part of a pond.

“Haruka Kiritani?” The name slipped out before Minori could think.

The girl turned around, light blue eyes brimming with confusion. “… yes? Have we met before?”

“Ah, I’m Minori. Sorry, I— I saw your Initiation Ceremony.”

Haruka’s eyes cleared and she smiled. “I see. It’s nice to properly meet you.” She went back to the cabinet and pulled out the tea. “Here you are, Airi.”

“Did the Royal Coven need something from Rin’s library?” Minori asked.

“No, I live here. Rin and I have been roommates for a month.” Haruka was quiet for a moment. “I left the coven.”

A bee landed on the wildflowers, it was the loudest sound in the room.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” Minori said.

“No, no. It’s alright. Are you here for the library?”

“Partially.”

“We’re actually helping Minori learn magic,” Airi interjected. “She’ll be coming around more often.”

“I see. Good luck, Minori.” Haruka said. With that, she went back upstairs.

As soon as she was out of sight Minori buried her head in her hands.

“That was so bad…”

“It really wasn’t, don’t sweat it,” Airi said. “I can assure you Haruka has heard worse things than a misplaced question.”

“Still…”

“Minori, you’re fine.” Airi smiled. “If you really feel that bad you can apologize the next time you see her. Now, let’s focus on figuring out how to teach you magic.”

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

Saki was curled around herself deep within the library, the conversation with Honami’s mother replaying itself in her head.

“What do you mean? Where’s Honami? Where’s Shiho?” Saki felt her chest tighten, dread pooling in her stomach.

Honami’s mom took a deep breath. “Let’s sit down, okay honey?” She led Ichika and Saki over to the library, sitting all three of them on a bench. “Do you remember me talking about one of my friends, Ms. Yoisaki?”

Saki nodded. “You knew her from when you studied in Deorid, right? She was a historian?”

“Yes. We kept in touch even after I moved back to Soral. Do you remember me mentioning her granddaughter, Kanade?”

“Briefly.”

“Well, her son, Kanade’s father, had an accident. He’s still alive but in a very unstable condition. He lost most of his memories as well. Ms. Yoisaki is currently helping to take care of her son, but she’s very old and needs help to care for herself as is. They’re both in a care wing now. Kanade’s mother died when she was young, so she had no one to take care of her. Ms. Yoisaki reached out to me, she was concerned for Kanade’s well-being and asked if I knew anyone who could help. Honami insisted on going.” Honami’s mom took a moment to compose herself. “She’s been in Deorid for the past few years. As for Shiho, she became a knight and is currently on assignment in Heyarin.”

Saki glanced over at Ichika, whose eyes were stuck on the floor. She looked guilty, like a kid who had been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Ichika had known. Everyone had known, and they didn’t tell her. Her friends had been in different kingdoms for  years  and no one had told her. Not even Tsukasa. Not even her parents. Saki raced off into the library, ignoring Ichika calling after her. 

Saki pressed her forehead into her knees even harder, fighting back tears. She had spent so long praying to be able to see her friends again. Even though being able to see Ichika again was incredible, knowing that Shiho and Honami were far beyond her reach hurt. It hurt so much that she felt sick, her stomach felt ready to turn inside out at any moment. She needed to see her friends again more than anything, but the only way that would be possible would be for Saki to leave her family behind to travel. She didn’t want to choose between the two. She  couldn’t  choose between the two. Yet her heart was being pulled in two different directions. No matter what she chose it would hurt. Saki took a deep breath and lifted her head, leaning it back onto the bookcase. She knew that a part of her would always be missing if she didn’t find her to see her friends again.

Finding a way to see Shiho again wouldn’t be too hard. If the assignment wasn’t a permanent one then she would come back eventually (even if the wait would kill her). Honami though, there may not be a way to ever see her again. Deorid’s borders close more and more every year, and the knights patrolling them take greater care to check who enters the kingdom. Then an idea clicked. If Saki showed up with a royal knight at her side, saying she was there to visit Toya, then they might let her through. Plus, Toya would be more than happy to help her find Honami. If she went to Heyarin and asked for Shiho to be reassigned for a diplomacy mission…

It just might work.

“Saki.” It was Ichika, slowly approaching Saki. “Are you—”

“I’m going to Heyarin.” Saki stood up, dusting off her skirt.

“What?”

“I’m going to find Shiho, then get her reassigned to a diplomacy mission to Deorid so we can find Honami.” Saki looked at Ichika. “That’s what I need to do.”

It only took a moment for Ichika to nod. “I’ll come with you.”

“Really? You don’t have to—”

“I want to.” Ichika was firm, resolution shining in her eyes. “I just got you back, no way am I going to lose you again. Even for a bit. Plus, I want to see Shiho and Honami too.”

“I’ll go talk to my parents.” Saki smiled. “I think I’ve earned a little bit of travel time after being cooped up for so long.”

“I can talk to my mom as well.” Ichika smiled as well.

By some miracle, Saki’s parents were more than amenable to the idea, Ichika’s mom as well. With their support secured, the two girls set about figuring out what they would need to bring with them. In the middle of Saki deciding which dress would work best for conveying her royal status should she need to prove it (while also being able to travel well), Tsukasa burst into her room.

“Kasa! Perfect, do you know how best to fold this dress up? I know there’s a way to get it to fit in this bag—” Saki stopped as Tsukasa met her eyes. He was angry. Saki hadn’t seen Tsukasa angry in years. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” He parroted back. “Mom and Dad told me you’re planning on running off to Heyarin on your own.”

“Not on my own, Ichika is coming with me.”

“That’s not— Saki, you just got better. We don’t even know if the cure will hold for a while or if we’ll need to call Rin to renew the magical bonds. Rui’s been working on making more of the medicine, but we don’t know how often you’ll need to take it.” Tsukasa’s voice was growing louder by the moment. “If you leave now who knows what could happen.”

“I’m not going to stay cooped up in a castle for another four years,” Saki said, feeling her own anger start to grow. “I’ve spent years waiting to be able to see my friends again, to go outside, to do things. I’m fine now, what’s the problem? It’s my life!”

“That doesn’t mean you get to be reckless with it!” They were yelling back and forth now.

“I’m not being reckless!”

“Yes, you are!”

“You don’t get to make decisions for me, you’re not in charge of me!” Saki dropped her dress on the ground and started pushing Tsukasa out of her room. “Get out!”

“What?”

“Get out! If you’re just here to yell at me, I don’t want to hear it.” Saki kept pushing Tsukasa.

“Fine then!” With that, Tsukasa stormed out of the room, leaving Saki alone.

Saki picked the dress up and threw it at the door as Tsukasa slammed it behind him. She wanted to scream until her throat hurt. How dare Tsukasa act like he knew so much more about her health than she did. How dare he try to scold her. Their parents were fine with her decision, why was he making such a big deal out of it. Saki felt hot tears fall down her face as she sat down on the floor, feeling like a child again. She hated being angry at her brother, she hated fighting with him.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

Losing herself in music was second nature, always had been. Kanade could remember sitting with her mother and father around the hearth as they composed. Her father played the guitar as her mother hummed the melody, making lyrics up as the song came together. Kanade would close her eyes and listen to them create for hours. Sometimes she would still find herself composing at the hearth, pretending she could still curl up in her parents’ laps. Today though, she was curled up in her bed with her father’s guitar. The song was struggling along today, something about the chord progression just wasn’t sitting right. She needed something different, but she didn’t know what. There was a knock at her door.

“Kanade?”

She set the guitar down. “Come in.”

Honami opened the door holding a bowl, a delicious smell following her. “I have dinner. It’s stew.”

Kanade felt herself smile. “Thank you.” She took the bowl, spoon laying across the top. “You don’t have to keep cooking for me.”

“I know, but I want to. Besides, last time I saw you cook you managed to burn the meat and undercook the potatoes.” The roommates laughed together.

Honami took a moment to compose herself. “Would you mind if I made pie tomorrow? I know you haven’t had much of an appetite lately, but…”

“Pie would be amazing. If we don’t eat it all, we can share it with the neighbors and Yuki.” Besides, however much they both loved eating the pies, baking them was what Honami enjoyed most. Late at night, years ago when Honami had just moved in, she had told Kanade that making them reminded her of home. Of her mom, her friends… everything she had left behind to come and help Kanade. Kanade smiled, gazing at Without Honami, she didn’t know where she would be today. (A small part of her, one that had gotten quieter in recent months, knew the answer. Either rotting in the dungeons or six feet under. Whether it would have been by her own hand or not, Kanade didn’t want to dwell on.)

The point was, Kanade would go to the ends of the earth if Honami ever needed her. No questions asked. Honami was talking again, regaling her market trip, and Kanade sat back to listen. The stew was warm, Honami’s words were like honey, and Kanade was tired. Soon enough, Kanade found herself nodding off. Honami took the half-eaten bowl of stew from her, letting the composer slide onto her shoulder to rest. Kanade wanted to fight the feeling, she had to finish this composition, but she gave up. The composition could wait until tomorrow. After all, she had a long night ahead with Yuki. A nap now would do her good.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

Not even a week after Rui arrived at the castle, Nene and his parents had gotten word that Rui had been offered a permanent position as Lead Alchemist for the Tenma family. They had agreed to come join him in the castle, but they hadn’t been able to find anyone willing to drive three people. One man agreed to take Rui’s father but couldn’t make room for anyone else. Taichi had promised to send a carriage for Nene and Hana as soon as he could, but Nene had gotten impatient. The walk wouldn’t be nearly as long as waiting for Taichi to arrive, then him sending a carriage, waiting for the carriage to arrive, and then riding all the way back. Yet here Nene was with sore feet, a nearly empty food sack, and a bad sunburn. She couldn't even find it in herself to marvel when a dragon passed overhead, casting a large shadow over the earth. The carriage had probably already arrived for Hana at this point. Nene wanted nothing more than to sit down and let herself melt into the ground, yet she had to keep going. If nothing else so she could complain to Rui about not sending them a carriage himself. Nene stepped off the path as a farmer drove a cart filled with wheat past her. As she waited for the cart to pass, Nene sat down against a tree, giving herself a moment of rest. She hadn’t sat down since waking up after all. A few moments of rest wouldn’t do any harm.

“Hello? Are you okay?”

Nene felt someone gently shaking her on the shoulder. Nene grimaced and peeled her eyes open, trying to make sense of the situation. Sitting in front of her was a girl with short pink hair and eyes to match. She looked concerned, presumably for Nene.

“I’m fine,” Nene mumbled, glancing behind the girl. There was a carriage waiting on the road with four horses.

“That’s a relief!” The girl grinned. “When I saw you laying on the side of the road, I got really scared.” Nene found herself focusing on the sky. There was something about it that was off…

“Is it sunset already?” Nene exclaimed. She must have fallen asleep. “That’s a whole day wasted, crap.” Nene let her head fall back and hit the tree trunk.

“Where are you headed?” The girl asked. “I have plenty of room! I could give you a ride.”

“I’m headed to the castle of Duke Tenma.”

The girl brightened. “That’s where I’m headed too! We can ride together.” She stood up and offered Nene her hand. “I’m Emu, what’s your name?”

“Nene.” She grabbed onto the hand, hoisting herself off the ground. “Nene Kusanagi.”

“Well Nene,” Emu brushed off her skirt. “I’d be more than happy to help take you to Castle Tenma. What do you say?”

Nene didn’t even have to think about it. Stranger Danger be damned, her feet  hurt . “Sure, why not.”

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

The Inn was quiet today, even for the slow season. An was wiping down the counters for the third time that day as she waited for her dad to come back from his meeting. It was supposedly with the “leader” of the “revolution". An scoffed. Revolution her ass, they were nothing but a bunch of angry idealists. Their posters were bringing too much attention to the real rebellion going on, the one that her father had been leading since An could remember. They had spent years building their support network, helping magic users escape, and planning how to finally change things once and for all. Yet it was all in jeopardy because a couple of stupid people couldn’t keep their mouths shut. An took a deep breath. Getting angry wouldn’t do any good. The door opened and An turned her head. There was a girl about her own age with long hair done up in two pigtails framing her cute face. She was holding a basket, a tantalizing smell floating across the room.

“Welcome to Weekend Inn! Are you checking in for a night?” An called out. The girl froze, clutching the basket to her chest.

“Ah, no. I’m actually here to see you.”

“Oh? I’m sorry, I don’t remember meeting you before.”

“We haven’t. Met before that is.” The girl shuffled the basket in her arms. “Sorry, I’m not making much sense.”

“Believe me, I’ve heard weirder.” An walked towards the girl. “I’m An Shiraishi!”

“Kohane Azusawa, it’s a pleasure. Oh, I brought some bread I made. As a present.” Kohane held the basket out for An to take.

“Thank you!” Dinner tonight would be amazing. “So, what is it you wanted to see me for?”

“It’s a bit… private.” Kohane glanced at a couple of patrons sitting at tables.

“We can go in the back, it’s no trouble.” An set the basket on a table as she passed by it, leading Kohane.

The “back” was really just where they kept food and other supplies, a glorified storeroom as far as anyone was concerned. (No one needed to know about the safe room beneath the floor, covered up by several crates.)

“So, what is it?” An kept her tone casual but didn’t let her guard down. Just because Kohane was cute didn’t mean she was free of suspicion. Spies could look like anyone.

“Well…” Kohane fidgeted with her hands. “I was lost around here a while ago and happened to make my way here. I poked my head in the window since I saw lights on and I— I saw you. I saw you doing magic.” An felt her blood run cold, she knew exactly the night Kohane had been talking about. She had been so tired, and it was so late she let herself slip and use magic before covering the windows.  Stupid . Before she could beat herself up further, Kohane bowed her head and spoke again. “Please teach me.”

That gave An pause. “Teach you?”

“I can do it too. Magic, I mean. Sorry, this is probably really weird. I just—”

“No, I get it.” An said before she could stop herself. This could still be an elaborate trap, but there was something about Kohane that was so sincere.

“You do?”

“Absolutely.” An had seen similar situations more times than she could count. Almost every magic user she knew had gone through the same thing. Discovering their magic, the fear, the self-hatred, readjusting their entire perspective of the world. It was a lot. Very few managed to embrace themselves, even those active in the rebellion. “Tell you what. You’re more than welcome to come around whenever you want. If I’m not busy tending to the Inn, I’ll teach you what I know.” Kohane’s eyes were blown wide.

“Thank you so much, I—” The blonde stopped. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

“Well, stick around until we close. Then show me what you can do.”

The two girls became fast friends as the day melted away, sky dripping from blue to pink as the sun sank below the clouds. As the last guest paid for their meal and left, Kohane helped An to sweep the floor. Properly this time, no magic.

“This place doesn’t seem to have a lot of residents.” Kohane mused. “There isn’t a single person booking a room tonight.”

“Well, it is slow season. The new travel regulations aren’t doing us any favors either. Most of the money we make comes from people stopping in for food and drinks. We’re honestly more of a tavern than an inn.” An explained. “Besides, I’m not complaining. No one staying the night,” An threw a sheet over a window. “No one to see us practicing.” She covered the rest of the windows before making her broom sweep on its own again, gliding along the floors like a dancer.

“Wow…” Kohane was in awe.

“So, what can you do?” An asked, sitting on top of a table.

Koahne took a deep breath and held her hand out. A small light ball formed in her palm. Kohane let it float into the air before it quickly dissipated. “That’s about all I can do.”

“Have you tried doing anything else?”

“Not really, no.”

“Alright, well… try doing something like this.” An pointed at a chair and made it move away from the table.

Kohane did the same thing, calling upon the same warmth that would transform into light. The chair moved a bit. Not nearly as much as An had done, but enough.

“There you go!” An cheered. “You’ve got it!”

The evening wore on. Eventually, they had strewn a packet of seeds across the floor and were making them sprout, dancing around the room letting An’s broom clean up the mess as they went. It was the most fun Kohane had had in years. She twirled, feeling free for the first time.

Then the door opened. Two cloaked figures stepped into the inn. Kohane stopped dancing, blood running cold. This was the end. The first figure took off their cloak, revealing orange hair, armor, and a sword at their hip.

“Akito!” An jumped up, rushing to the knight. “I didn’t expect to see you tonight.”

“Well, Toya needed some space.” Akito gestured to the other figure who took their cloak off. They had blue hair, half a shade lighter on the right, and a small mole under his eye. Kohane’s heart stopped, blood not even running cold. That was the prince.  Prince Toya Aoyagi .

She may as well have just cast a spell in the throne room. Kohane felt her legs give out, falling amongst the sprouts she had helped grow. Her breaths came short and fast, desperate for any shred of air she could grab.

“Kohane?” An asked, running to her side. She looked from Kohane to Toya before realizing what had happened. “Oh, oh no. Kohane, it’s fine. He’s on our side. They’re not going to tell anyone, okay? They’re magic too.” She gestured to the two. “Show her.”

They both rushed over. Toya,  Prince  Toya, cupped his hands. When they separated, there was a small snowman sitting in one palm. It was enough to shock Kohane out of her panic. The mere thought of the prince being a magic user was so absurd Kohane didn’t know how to process it. He grabbed her hand and pulled it forward, slowly sliding the snowman into her palm. It was frigid, snapping Kohane out of her panic-induced daze. Everything felt real again as she let herself breathe, soaking in the cold that spread to her fingers.

“Kohane?” An asked, hand hovering over her shoulder. Unsure if the touch would be welcomed. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Kohane took another deep breath, piecing herself back together. “I’ll be fine.”

An smiled. “Good. Akito, your turn.”

The knight pointed at the snowman and sent out a small line of flame, melting its head. “That proof enough?”

“Plenty.” An said. “I think we need something to eat. I’ll go ahead and start something. Any requests?”

“No, thank you,” Toya said, shaking his head. “Whatever you think of is plenty.” Kohane and Akito nodded, not minding as well.

“Alright!” With that, An left. Leaving Kohane alone with the two nobles. A few moments passed before Toya broke the silence.

“I’m sorry, we never introduced ourselves. I’m Toya Aoyagi, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Toya bowed slightly.

“Ah, I’m Kohane Azusawa, your majesty.” Kohane curtsied.

“You don’t have to call me that,” Toya said, face turning red. “Really, just Toya is fine.” Kohane nodded, a bit flustered herself.

“And I’m Akito Shinonome.” Akito gave Kohane a curt nod before resting his hand on his sword hilt. “How long have you known An.”

“Akito,” Toya scolded. “You don’t need to interrogate her.”

“I don’t mind, really,” Kohane said. “We really just met today, but I’ve known of her for a while.”

Akito narrowed his eyes. “Go on.”

With that, Kohane prepared to explain herself for the second time that day.

Chapter Text

Saki sat by the castle gates, nervously picking petals off of a daisy. There had been enough to make a whole bouquet this morning, now there were only six left, not counting the one she was holding right now.

After her fight with Tsukasa, their parents had conceded that waiting a month to be certain Saki was stable was a good idea. They had said they supported her decision to travel completely, but it would make everyone feel better about the arraignment. (Her mother brought up the very convincing fact that if she left now, Tsukasa would insist on either himself or Rui joining her. Maybe even both.) Saki loved her brother to death, but if staying home for a month is what it took to get him off her back, then so be it.

That didn’t make the days pass any faster though.

A small silver lining was that Emu would be arriving soon! The nature of her visit was, as she put it, “Strictly business with Tsukasa”, though the passage right after was all about being delighted to see Saki again. Thinking about seeing Emu again, getting to finally explore the woods together again, was the only thing keeping her sane. Which is why she was sitting outside, passing the time in any way possible, even if it meant mutilating a few flowers. Anything to let Emu arrive sooner.

An hour and four daisies later, Saki could see someone coming down the path. With a splash of pink in the distance, she knew it was Emu. Forgetting the daisies, Saki started running. Emu jumped off of the carriage, letting the horses lead themselves, and raced to meet Saki. They crashed into each other, Emu bowling Saki over until they were sprawled on the ground, laughing and hugging each other close.

“It’s been so long!” Emu said. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in years!”

“You saw me last summer!” Saki said, relishing in the warmth of Emu’s embrace.

“Details, details.” Emu waved Saki off, pushing herself onto her feet and helping Saki up. “Oh, you should meet my friend!” Holding onto Saki’s wrist, Emu took her back towards the carriage which was still trotting steadily forward. Saki had been too excited at seeing Emu to notice, but there was another figure in the carriage.

It was another girl with long seafoam green hair, two locks tied off in front with the rest loose and free. She was holding onto the reigns so tightly that  Saki  was nervous. When they got closer, the girl called out to them.

“Emu! You can’t just run off like that, I’ve never driven one of these before.”

Emu laughed as they came right up alongside the carriage. “You’re doing fine! Here, we’re coming up!” She gave Saki a boost up to the driver’s seat, squeezing herself in as well. The driver’s seat wasn’t big enough for three people, but they made it work. The girl handed the reigns over to the Emu as soon as she was situated.

“Nene, this is  Lady  Saki Tenma,” Emu emphasized her title, playing it up for effect. “She’s who Rui helped heal. Saki, this is Nene Kusanagi. She’s Rui’s friend and she also has an absolutely gorgeous voice.”

Nene flushed. “You don’t have to introduce me like that.”

“It’s nice to meet you Nene!” Saki said, “Rui’s told me a lot about you. All good things don’t worry.”

“Do you know where he would be at this time of day? I’ve got something I need to tell him.”

“Probably in the library with my brother, Tsukasa. They’ve been getting on like a house of fire. Apparently, they both like some of the same playwrights.”

Emu’s eyes lit up. “Really? Do you know which ones?”

“Probably Carolyn Miyajima. Rui’s been obsessed with her work since we were kids.” Nene supplied.

“I love Carolyn Miyajima!” Emu squealed. “I recommended a few of her plays to Tsukasa last winter, I’m glad he took a look, I think he’d really relate to one of her earlier plays…” Emu continued talking, going into how the protagonist's internal struggle reminded her a lot of Tsukasa, as well as being a subtle commentary on the political situation between Marlon and Aixeria at the time. At some point, Saki’s knowledge of theater ran out and she just let Emu talk, doing her best to keep up. She spared a glance to her side. Nene was understanding a lot more than she did, jumping in and agreeing or adding on to Emu.

Saki let herself settle into the gentle sway of the carriage as they made the final stretch to the castle, listening to the two girls discuss symbolism and metaphors in stage direction.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

Every couple of days, Minori would come to visit Rin. Each time that Airi or Shizuku were there, they helped her learn a new spell. Or attempt to learn. Half the time the spell would backfire, half the time the spell wouldn’t even work. But Minori would just dust off her clothes (or stomp out the fire) and try again. Airi couldn’t help but find herself respecting the girl. Her tenacity was infallible and the only time Airi saw her spirits damped was when Haruka was around. More specifically, when Haruka left after watching her train. Minori had confided in the rest of the witches about how she knew of Haruka and what she had meant to her, so it made sense. To have your idol, the one who had inspired not only your outlook but your  life , give up on the dream that they held so dear must be crushing. Airi couldn't exactly empathize, but she knew a feeling similar enough.

(Memories of sending letters to any coven she had ever heard of, no matter how small, practically begging for acceptance. Always being one step behind the other witches, never being the first pick. Seeing the sons and nieces of coven members who could barely cast an illusion getting accepted in a heartbeat. The constant sayings, "You're just not the right fit.". "Talented, but not the right personality.")

Airi didn’t dwell on any of it though, she focused on solving the problems that she could. Like what on earth was going on with Minori’s magic. When asked to describe how using magic with a wand differed from using magic without, Minori answered accordingly.

“Well, when I’m just using magic on my own, it just kind of happens. I will something to happen, some warmth fills my hands, and it just happens. With a wand though, the warmth gets stuck. I always have to push it  through  the wand, if that makes sense.”

It didn’t make sense, not in the slightest. Airi had never heard of someone’s magic getting “stuck” in a wand and she was certain that this was the root of the problem. She had poured over dozens of books with Shizuku and Minori to find a similar experience. Rin had even written to some acquaintances about searching through their own libraries. None of them had responded yet, but that wasn’t a huge setback. They had barely made a dent in Rin’s library, so there was still plenty to look through.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

Despite her better judgment, Ena let Mizuki grow on her. Akito had written back, confirming that Mizuki had been truthful, and though they may be a bit odd at times, they meant no harm. Again and again, Mizuki would help Ena hide her art supplies when an unexpected visitor arrived. They kept Ena company on late nights spent painting by candlelight and was surprisingly good at keeping a conversation going. Which is how Mizuki had managed to convince Ena to sneak out in the middle of the night. A late-night conversation about Mizuki’s plans to visit the shared friend of both them and Akito led to Ena finally voicing curiosity about said friend. Instead of answering any of her questions, Mizuki invited Ena to come and see the friend for herself.

Which is why Ena was clad in her plainest gown and a dark cloak, sneaking through the mansion halls. Mizuki a few steps ahead of her. Cloak concealing their own face, armor shed for this outing and replaced with a simple dress like Ena’s. Mizuki waved Ena down a small side hall, leading her to a small door straight outside.

“Servant entrances are rarely guarded since only the staff know about them,” Mizuki said with a smirk. “Surprisingly, no one thinks that it might be the staff that have the most to hide.”

 “And with the plain dress and cloaks hiding out faces…” Ena said.

“… even if anyone sees us leave, they’ll just assume that we’re servants.”

“This is actually brilliant,” Ena mumbled. “You can’t have come up with this on your own.”

“People have been doing this since long before you or I were born. We’re just the latest in a long line of rebellious teens.”

Mizuki led Ena through the streets, taking the noble farther from her mansion than she had ever been without supervision. Winding through the long streets, knowing that her father would lose his mind if he knew what she was doing, was exhilarating. Even with the looming threat of being caught or recognized, Ena knew she would do this again in a heartbeat. The streets were well-lit thanks to the almost full moon, both a blessing and a curse. It was easier for Mizuki to lead Ena, however, that also meant there were fewer shadows to hide in if any patrols happened by them. After a while, Mizuki stopped Ena in front of a building. Ena barely had time to read the building's sign before being pulled inside. Weekend Inn.

Inside the inn, two people were talking quietly to each other, a man with greying hair who was leaning over the countertop and a girl whose hair faded from black to midnight blue. They both turned towards the door, relaxing when they saw Mizuki.

“Hey, Mizuki!” The girl said, walking over. “We weren’t expecting you tonight.” She turned towards Ena. “Who’s your friend?”

“An, meet Ena Shinonome. Ena, meet An Shiraishi.”

Recognition dawned in An’s eyes. “You’re Akito’s older sister! He talks about you all the time.” She turned towards the man. “We can talk freely, Dad. She’s kept Akito’s secret for years.”

An’s father nodded, walking out from behind the counter. Seeing the scar on his forearm, long and jagged, triggered Ena’s memory of a ball held long ago. “You’re Ken the Great.” A knight, captain of his own battalion, who had almost single-handedly saved Deorid from a siege by a small independent nation. After his grievous wounds and the death of his wife in childbirth, the hero had been allowed to hang up his sword and retire at an early age to care for his only daughter. Who, Ena realized, would be An. “I—” Ena couldn’t think of what to say.

“Please,” Ken said. “No need for any of that. I’m just Ken Shiraishi now.” The man looked haunted at the mere mention of his title, causing Ena to quickly shut her mouth. “Do you kids want me to get you something to eat?”

“We’re good for now,” Mizuki said, smiling. “I just came to introduce Ena to An. Prove that Akito did manage to make some friends. Speaking off…” They glanced around the inn. “Doesn’t Akito normally visit with Toya on Fridays?”

“Normally, yeah, but there’s that big festival in the main square tomorrow. Toya’s gotta make a public appearance so he didn’t want to be out all night.”

“Oh well,” Mizuki pouted. “I’ll just have to tell him about this next time I see him.”

“Can I ask,” Ena managed to say. “What  is  all this? Are you just a group of magic users who’ve found each other? You seem much too coordinated for that to be it.”

An grinned. “You’re right, we are more than that. We’re the rebellion.”

Ena said the first thing that came up. “You’ve been putting those posters up?”

An’s face fell immediately. “No, don’t confuse us with those posers. We’ve been operating for years trying to help people and figure out a way to fix this mess of a kingdom. Those guys showed up, put up some posters which are threatening our operations, and don’t even seem to care that our support network could crumble just because they refuse to wait. They’re so insistent on—” Mizuki put their hand on An’s shoulder, stopping her thoughts.

“That’s a jerk thing to do though,” Ena said. “If they really want to help, why not cooperate with you all? More people fighting for the same cause…”

“Exactly!” An exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. “We could use their help! My dad talked with them, and they have so much good information, but they refuse to cooperate! They think that by not already making a big move against the crown, we haven’t done anything of importance. We’re just floundering around. But have they helped hundreds of magic users flee this kingdom? Have they set up safe houses and safe towns throughout the kingdom for those who don’t want to leave their homeland?” An was fuming. “We’ve done so much, we’ve lost so many people, and—”

“An.” Mizuki stopped her, “Breath. Getting angry at them won’t change their minds.” An glared at her friend before relenting.

“You’re right. Forget them.” An took the requested deep breaths. “Hey, Ena. What embarrassing stories of Akito can you share with us?”

A few hours later, Ena and Mizuki said their goodbyes. Ena had wanted to stay longer, but Mizuki brought up the festival. If Toya was making an appearance, then Ena’s father would probably want the whole family to go out as well. More publicity was always a good thing. Either way, it would be nice to have a chance to see Akito in person again. Ducking into an ally way, Ena couldn’t help but giggle.

“What’s so funny?” Mizuki whispered.

“Nothing. I just really enjoyed this. We should do it again.”

Mizuki smiled. “Absolutely. Especially if I get more stories about Akito as a kid.”

Ena giggled again, but before she could reply a song cut her off. There was a haunting melody floating through the air. Two voices sang along, though Ena couldn’t the words out. “What’s that?”

“You’ll want to see this.” Mizuki led Ena out of the ally and then a few streets over. There were two figures, also wearing cloaks, though their hoods were down. A girl with long silver hair was strumming a guitar, the other had a flute, though she wasn’t playing it, and deep violet hair that barely reached her shoulders. She looked familiar.

Mizuki and Ena stood across the street from them, listening to the music. A few others were sitting around as well, all enjoying the performance. Ena could make out the lyrics now. It was a song about loss, the singers lamenting the disappearance of someone dear to them. After they finished the song, one of the singers raised the flute to her lips. Ena recognized the melody immediately; the song was played at almost every ball she attended. Ena had never heard it anywhere else. As the guitarist began to sing their part, Ena couldn’t help but hum along. The other listeners started to stand up and leave.

“This is always their last song of the night,” Mizuki whispered. “It’s lucky we managed to catch them.”

As they continued playing the song, Ena studied the flutist's face. Wracking her brain for where she could have seen her, Ena kept thinking about the balls. Plenty of commoners were hired to play the music, but with the way that the girl held herself, she was a noble. Ena stared at the girl, running through every noble family she knew. The Natsunos didn’t have a daughter, this wasn’t Futaba Natsuno or any of her sisters, the Williams’ daughter was blonde, the Asahina’s…

It clicked. Mafuyu Asahina, the only child of Yua and Hideyoshi Asahina. Mafuyu was known for being the golden child of nobility. A child prodigy who had taken a keen interest in the castle archives, upon her fourteenth birthday the Asahina’s had announced that Mafuyu planned to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a doctor. She never stepped out of line, never missed a step in a dance, never said anything that didn’t please the crowd. Despite all that, here she was playing music on the streets late at night.

The song ended and Ena was brought back to the moment. She and Mizuki were the only two onlookers left. Without a second thought, Ena walked towards the musicians.

“Your songs were incredible.” Ena pulled her hood down, gesturing for Misuki to do the same.

“Thank you.” The guitarist said. “That means a lot.”

“I’m Ena Shinonome.” Recognition dawned in Mafuyu’s eyes. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“I’m K, and this is my partner, Yuki.” So, they used alias’. Smart.

“Do you do stuff like every night?” Ena was still talking to K, but she directed the words to Mafuyu, sparing a glance in her direction.

“Most nights, yes,” K answered.

“Not on weekends though.” Mafuyu cut in. “We need to take breaks.”

“Of course, right. Where do you normally play?”

“Why?” Mafuyu asked.

“I want to come watch you again. And—” Ena stopped herself before deciding to throw caution to the wind. “I want to sing with you.”

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

The festival was loud, unbearably so, and Akito was normally a fan of big social events. God knows why Toya had decided he wanted to dive headfirst into the crowd. A group of children raced past them, followed by two women calling out to them. A couple was holding hands nearby, leaning into each other. Sellers called out their wares and street performers filled the air with songs. They weaved through the masses, occasionally stopping at a stall and perusing the wares. There were plenty of farmers with produce and animals for sale, but also many smaller vendors. Toya ended up buying a bolt of fabric that he mentioned that Saki would like, which he held in both his arms, hugging it tight to his chest like an old toy. They lingered just a little too long at an artist’s stall, causing Akito to cave and buy some paints for Ena. It was getting close to her birthday anyways. (He pointedly ignored the look Toya had given him when he handed the paints over, lacking a satchel to carry them in himself.) They walked around a bit more before resting against a wall. People gave them a wide berth. Even if they hadn’t been able to recognize his face, the crown on Toya’s head and royal knight at his side were more than enough to signify who he was.

“What’s this festival even about?” Akito grumbled. “I don’t remember anything happening in March.”

“You remember a couple of years ago when they found the safe house in the middle of winter?” Akito did, it had been a horrible blow to the rebellion. “They held the executions of the rebellion member’s last march. With the other rebellion starting to make their presence known, Dad wanted something to remind the people about his triumph.” Toya spoke low, letting his anger simmer instead of boiling over, careful about the eyes upon them.

“That checks out.” Akito hated it, but it was far from the worst thing Harumichi Aoyagi had done.

“We should go drop this off,” Toya said, pushing off the wall and gesturing to the fabric in his arms. “I don’t think my father would be too pleased if I gave a speech while holding this.”

Back at the castle gate, Akito whistled loudly. Two knights from the guard tower raced down, awaiting orders. Sometimes it paid to be high rank.

“Could one of you please hand this off to some of the house staff? Just tell them to put it in my room, I’ll attend to it later.”

“Yes, sire.” One knight said, bowing before he ran into the guard tower.

Akito spoke up as they made their way back along the empty streets. “I’ve been talking with a couple of the guards; I think public opinion is turning in our favor.”

“Really?”

“I found a couple of newer members talking about how it doesn’t make sense that magic is a sign of evil. Especially since children can have magic.” Akito still remembered hearing of the schoolhouse raids years ago. They had struck the most fear into him as a child, the knowledge that children would be thrown in the dungeon for having magic made it easy to assume that they would be executed for it as well, even if those executions were never made public.

“That’s good.” They fell into silence, meandering along. The festival was coming up ahead, and the crowds starting to appear in the distance.

They slowly integrated themselves back into the masses, weaving around families and couples alike. Toya wanted to head back into the market, Akito could tell by the way his eyes kept drifting back to it, but they had to go towards the stage.

Akito had mixed feelings about the stage. It was a permanent wooden platform in the town square, about five feet tall. It was used for many things. Akito could remember watching theater troops perform atop the stage, acting out stories from long ago. Sometimes auctions were held there when someone had a prized animal to sell. Speeches were held there, along with many a midnight meeting between spies from within the knights. However, the glaring sore upon every good thing that had ever happened upon the stage took physical form in the guillotine sat atop it.

The wooden planks making up the stage were stained a dark brown, pools of dried blood that have accumulated over the years. Not every execution was held here, but the vast majority were. Very few prisoners were declared important enough for their deaths to be made a true spectacle in the palace courtyard with the nobility watching from balconies. Everyone else was herded to the town square just as dusk began to tint the sky. 

A permanent reminder to the people of this kingdom of what disobedience entailed.

A permanent reminder to Akito of the fate that awaited him should he ever be found out.

Yet he swallowed his feelings. There was no room for that now. Akito could talk about it later that night with Ken. Right now, he had to put on his own performance atop the stage. King Aoyagi approached his son once they came into his line of sight, flanked by dozens of guards.

“Are you prepared for the speech?” The king spoke to his son, words clipped and cold.

“Yes, sire,” Toya responded, tone equally cold and distant. The protective mask he wore around his father went up in an instant.

“Good. I will give my address, then you will take my place and give your own.” With that, the king walked away, heading straight for the stage. Toya followed behind the king’s entourage, Akito alongside him.

“You’ve got this,” Akito whispered, offering Toya what support he could.

“Thanks,” Toya whispered back. The crowd of people parted for the royal procession, allowing them easy access to the stage, even though it was surrounded by the crowd on all sides.

They arrived at the stage and the king mounted it with his entourage. The crowd quieted almost instantly, giving him their attention. The king began his speech, but Akito didn’t hear a word of it. Pressed against the stage, he scanned the crowd. It was rare that the royal family made appearances as public as this, the risk was too high. However, the king had made it clear that he and Toya were going to address the populace from the town square. Something to do with sending a message to the revolutionaries, Akito hadn’t really cared.

The king finished his speech and descended the stairs, allowing Toya and Akito to ascend. A couple of guards stayed atop the platform with them, and Akito stood to the left of Toya, slightly behind him. He did another scan of the crowd, checking for anything out of the ordinary. As Toya took a breath to start his speech, Akito noticed someone edging their way to the front of the crowd. There was a dagger in their left hand. A throwing dagger. It quickly left the person’s hand. Without a moment to spare, Akito tackled Toya to the ground, feeling the dagger fly past his head. One guard raced towards the assassin, sword at the ready, but several more quickly raced towards the stage, overwhelming the knights. Akito pulled Toya off the ground and yanked him back down the stairs. The crowd was panicking, racing as far away from the fighting as possible.

Amidst the chaos, assassins kept coming. Toya drew his own sword, and Akito quickly moved behind him as the assassins surrounded them. The assassins drew their swords, ready to attack. Akito could feel Toya pressing their backs together, readying himself for the attack.

The first assassin to lunge for Akito had dark green hair. He ran forwards, sword raised, but Akito didn’t let him bring it down. His own sword stopped the blade in midair. Akito pushed the blade to the side, pushing it out of the assassins’ hands. It flew away, falling somewhere outside of this circle. Akito quickly thanked whatever deity was watching over them that the crowds had mostly made their way out of the square. Left defenseless, the assassin ran after his sword.

One down, dozens to go.

More assassins lunged for him, and Akito lost himself in the fight. He moved on autopilot, nothing mattered except the sharp clashing of metal on metal and the back pressed against his own. As long as Toya was still there, holding his own, he would be fine. There was a small moment of clarity where Akito could take in the town square. Empty of civilians, the only occupants were assassins and knights fighting each other. Akito felt an assassin slash his chest. Akito hadn’t felt this grateful to be wearing armor in ages, it hadn’t managed to hit the skin. Throwing himself back into the fight, Akito focused on pushing the assassins back, making them retreat. If he could just get Toya out of there…

One by one, Akito managed to knock the assassins back. They fled, clutching their wounds and scrambling after weapons. Toya was still fighting behind him but was holding his own. Akito ran to aid the nearest knight, helping him to knock the assassin out. The knight ran towards another assassin and Akito did the same, knocking the man back. Something was wrong. Akito turned away from the knight he had just rescued, and back to Toya.

Time stood still.

Toya was still fending off the assassin that Akito had left him with, but another was poised to attack him from behind. Toya wasn’t wearing armor. Akito was too far away; he wouldn’t be able to reach him in time.  Unless…  Akito couldn’t afford to think ever a second longer, Toya’s life was at stake. He dropped his sword and reached out his hand. He sent a fireball straight at the assassin.

The assassin was knocked aside, thrown across the square by the large blast of heat, but everyone else stood still. Akito, personal knight to the prince, had just done magic in public. He had just signed his own death warrant. Someone tackled him from behind, pressing him flat against the ground and holding a blade against the back of his neck. Cheek digging into the ground and blood pouring out of his nose, Akito watched as chaos unfolded around him. The knights dropped whatever fight they had been engaged in and charged straight toward Akito. The assassins took the opportunity to flee, dashing away from the square. Somewhere behind him, Toya gasped. The reality was sinking in, but Akito kept himself composed. He could fall apart later. For now, Akito focused on doing exactly what he was supposed to. He stayed still as the knights put him in chains. He let himself be lifted off the ground, only planting his feet when the knights gave him a nod. His nose was still bleeding, soiling the front of his armor with red. Voices swirled around him, a cacophony of worried tones and harsh words.

Sparing a glance behind him, Akito locked eyes with Toya. The prince was being held back by several knights, staring at Akito with wide, desperate eyes. Without saying a word, Akito stared back, trying to convey everything.

After all, it was the last time they’d see each other until the execution.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

Tsukasa loved his parents, he really did. However, he could not fathom how they were so calm about all of this.

“So, to recap,” He began, falling back into one of the chairs that littered his father's study. “You are perfectly fine with Rui, the alchemist who you just hired, leaving his position to go join a theater troupe with Emu. Leaving us without an alchemist capable of making Saki’s medicine right before you’re about to allow her to travel the world without any aid other than Ichika?” The words were snappish and cruel, which he knew was unwarranted.

“Tsukasa, dear.” His mother said. “You know that’s not what’s happening here.”

Duke Tenma stood up from his desk, walking over to Tsukasa. “We did indeed hire Rui to make Saki’s medicine and provide other aid around the castle, however, Saki has spent these past few weeks learning how to make it on her own and has mastered it. We have plenty of other staff employed that are talented in magic and alchemy already, so if Rui feels his talents would be put to better use elsewhere far be it from us to tether him down. His parents will still be provided for as agreed in our contract, and they have given their blessing as well. Emu’s troupe has also promised that if we are ever in need of Rui’s assistance, she will not require him to stay without a very grave reason. The journey to Heyarin, while long, is not particularly hazardous, plus both Saki and Ichika have learned plenty of foraging and fighting skills alongside you. They will be fine. When they reach Heyarin they will be joined by Shiho who has become an extremely accomplished fighter. If I’m remembering correctly, she’s even beaten you in a spare more than once.” Tsukasa fought to keep from meeting his fathers’ eyes.

“Son, I know you have a kind heart.” Duke Tenma bent down in front of Tsukasa, right at eye level. “You want to protect those you love, to swaddle them up in your arms and shield them from whatever troubles may come their way.” He chuckled. “I’m the same way. Watching you prepare to take the burden of leadership upon your shoulders, seeing your sister starting to make her own way out into the world, it terrifies me. But you know what?” Tsukasa spared his father a look, righteous fury slowly draining from his heart. “If I keep you two tucked close to my side like that, you’ll never grow and learn to spread your wings. If Saki is ever in any danger, if she needs help in any way, she can always come to us for help. And if need be, I will be the first to spring to her aid.” The Duke rested a hand on Tsukasa’s shoulder. “I would not have given Saki my blessing if I thought she was unable to handle this journey, just as I would not have let you begin to shadow me if I hadn’t thought you ready.”

“Does that make sense?” Lady Tenma added, standing up and walking over as well.

“…yes.” Tsukasa relented. Every instinct was still screaming that Saki needed to stay here where it was safe,  anything to stop her from collapsing again , but he squelched them down.

“Good. I know it’s a hard lesson to learn.” The duke laughed, “You should have seen me the night after you asked to begin training as a knight.”

Lady Tenma laughed as well. “I spent all night reminding him that all lessons were taught with wooden swords and the worst you could get was a bruise. He was worried out of his mind.”

Tsukasa found himself laughing along with them. It sounded exactly like something that his father would do. He could remember hearing talks about making the trainees wear padded armor “just in case”.

A squawk from the window drew the family’s attention, a single pigeon sat there, a scroll of paper tied to its foot.

“Ah, it’s probably one of Toya’s letters.” Tsukasa beamed. He was very used to pigeons arriving for him at odd hours of the day, he and Toya wrote to each other often. While most kingdoms employed witches or other magic uses to carry their mail, turning into birds themselves to move faster, with Deorid’s starch stance against magic, they only allowed mail by pigeon or person. He carefully untied the letter and went to break the seal, stopping just short of doing so.

“This isn’t Toya’s seal.”

“Who's is it?” Lady Tenma asked.

“King Aoyagi’s.” A deep unease filled the room.

“Well, go ahead and read it for us, will you?” Duke Tenma asked.

With a slight tremble in his hands, Tsukasa broke the seal and started reading aloud.

“Duke Tenma, as per the agreement reached last year, I’m sending word that we’ve carried out three executions in the past month.” Tsukasa felt his stomach turn. “I’ve included the information at the bottom of the letter. However, there is more I must tell you about this month. Most importantly, before the executions on Monday—” Tsukasa felt his throat close and his head spin. It couldn’t be true, it couldn’t.  

“What’s the matter?” Lady Tenma asked, rushing to her son’s side just in time to hold him as his knees buckled. Tsukasa could vaguely hear his father read the rest of the letter aloud and his mother gasp in shock, sinking to her knees alongside her son.

Chapter Text

Saki knew Emu had to leave, but it still hurt. Even more so that she was taking Nene and Rui with her. Saki had grown to love the alchemist and singer in the time she spent with them, and she knew that Tsukasa had as well. She had seen the way that his eyes lit up around the people who loved theater just as much as he did. Yet even when Emu had offered Tsukasa a place in the troupe, he had declined. Saying something along the lines of “My duty to the kingdom comes first”. Some dumb knight-future-duke nonsense.

Which is why Saki was putting her cross-stitching skills to use, making Tsukasa a wall decoration passive-aggressive enough to make her point (“Put yourself first for once and go do something fun, the kingdom won’t burn down in a week if you leave. And let me leave too. Haven’t forgotten that bit.”) without actually saying it.

Imagine her surprise when Tsukasa burst into her room, face pale and arm wrapped around a satchel overflowing with clothes.

“’Kasa? Are you okay?” Saki stood. She had never seen her brother this panicked before, not while fully conscious anyway.

“Saki, I—” The words were stuck in his throat. He dropped the bag and rushed towards Saki, pulling her into a tight hug.

“What’s going on? Did something happen?” A million thoughts rushed through Saki’s head.

“I don’t want you to worry.”

“Kind of late for that.” Saki squirmed out of the hug, looking Tsukasa dead in the eye.

He hesitated.

“Tsukasa. What’s wrong.” It wasn’t a question; it was a demand.

“We don’t want you to worry—”

“We?”

“Me and mom and dad. We don’t want to stress your heart out too much.”

“Again, a little late for that. Was there a fight? Did someone get hurt?” Tsukasa’s face tightened just a bit. “Someone did get hurt.”

“Saki—” Tsukasa cut himself off, putting his thoughts in order. “Someone did get hurt, badly, and someone else got caught up in it, but you don’t need to worry about anything. I’m going to go help.”

“Tsukasa—”

“I’ll be fine. I’ll just be away for… some time. But so will you, so you won’t have to be preoccupied with worrying about me.”

“I’ll be away?”

“Mom and Dad talked with me. I’m sorry, I was being overprotective and babying you, I’m sorry. They’re fine with letting you travel, and so am I.”

With that, Tsukasa pulled Saki into one last tight hug, said goodbye, and raced out of the room, calling back about having to catch his ride.

Saki was left standing in the middle of her room, wrapped in a blanket of confusion and worry, yet determined to not let a second go to waste. With brisk steps, Saki raced to find Ichika.

They had some packing to do.

She would figure everything else out along the way.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

When Shizuku arrived at Rin’s library, earlier than usual, she found Airi sitting at the table, head buried in her arms.

“Airi? Are you okay?” Airi pointed towards a piece of paper without raising her head. Shizuku picked up the paper and didn’t even need to read past the first line . 

Ms. Momoi, you are a very talented witch. However, we are unable to accept...

Another rejection letter. “Oh, Airi…”

“Don’t.” She snapped.

"I thought you stopped applying to covens last year?" The reason why went unsaid.

"... I did." Airi lifted her head, resting it atop her arms. Her eyes were rimmed with red. "Seeing Minori— I don't know. Her annoying tenacity made me think that maybe I could actually have a shot at this. If I just tried one more time—” Airi caught her breath. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter. I’m a lousy witch anyways."

"You’re not, Airi," Shizuku said, crouching down to be at eye level. “You’re a wonderful witch. You’re incredibly skilled, and are the most—”

“Just stop, Shizuku. I get it.” Her voice was despondent.

"Airi, I know—"

“Just stop.” Airi snapped, cutting Shizuku off. “What could you possibly know about being rejected over and over and over again for no good reason?” Tears spilled out of her eyes and her voice broke. “You’ve never been rejected in your life! You’ve got talent, you’ve got looks, and you’ve got a noble lineage stretching back for ages! How could you possibly understand someone like me? Everyone praises you no matter what you do. I can’t get anyone to give me a second glance no matter how hard I try.”

The two girls stood there a moment, basking in the deafening silence. Shizuku felt a knife twist in her heart and tears spring to her eyes. Airi’s face fell after a moment of thought, but Shizuku was out the door before any other words could be exchanged.

Shizuku didn’t even bother transforming, she just ran. Branches hit her face and brambles tore at her dress, but Shizuku didn’t let it stop her. She just needed to get away. The words would have hurt coming from anyone, but coming from Airi, they cut even deeper.

Airi had met Rin because she needed a specific herb, Shizuku had met Rin through one of the elder witches in her coven. The two witches met each other in the library.

“Found you! Your Shizuku Hinomori, right? I’m Airi Momoi, and— Are you okay?”

Shizuku uncurled herself from her chair, tears still falling down her face. In front of her was a girl with bright pink hair and a dark maroon cloak. “Ah, I’m sorry. Do you need to read here? I can go—”

“No, no. It’s fine. Did something happen? Are you okay?” The girl, who Shizuku now registered had introduced herself as Airi, asked.

“There’s just been a lot going on…”

“Tell me about it,” Airi said, pulling a chair up to sit with Shizuku.

“Well,” Shizuku began. “My parents suggested that I join a coven. I’ve always been naturally strong with magic, but I never expected to actually become a witch. When the coven accepted me, I realized how underprepared I was, and I’ve been trying to catch up because I’d hate to be a burden on the other members, but I keep hitting walls, and everyone is expecting so much and the other coven members keep whispering about me and —”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. Skill will come with time. You clearly have the work ethic to make improvements, so as long as you keep that up you’ll be fine. Besides, you don’t have to be the most skilled magic user alive to become a witch.” Airi smiled. “Being a witch is about using your magic to uplift others. To help them. To give them hope.”

“Really?” Shizuku’s tears began to still.

“Yeah. The only thing that separates witches from normal magic users is our wands and titles. The wands help to amplify and focus magic, which is important, sure, but the title of “Witch” is what really matters. When people hear that a witch is coming to help them, they know everything is going to be okay. No matter how complicated the problem is, no matter how much is depending on them, witches always come through.” Airi reached into her satchel. “Here, take my handkerchief and dry your tears. A pretty face like yours should be smiling.”

Shizuku grabbed the handkerchief. “Why?”

“Because we’re in this together now! I’m applying to join a coven right now, we can help each other.” Airi gave her a wide grin, completely open and genuine.

Shizuku felt a smile grace her own face.

Now, Shizuku couldn’t stop the tears no matter how hard she scrubbed with her handkerchief. She was huddled within the roots of a large tree, relishing the solitude. It was because of Airi’s encouragement she had been able to improve so much, to become confident in her own skills despite what everyone else had said. 

“I can’t believe Shizuku was assigned to help the Duchess. She mastered that spell last week.”

“It’s because her family is noble. That’s all they care about.”

“I hear it’s because the Duchess is trying to get her son a wife.”

“The Coven Head is already trying to make Shizuku out as the figurehead. I guess all that matters is a pretty face, that’ll get the sponsor to give us more funding.”

Through all of it, Shizuku had clung to the words that Airi had told her. 

“ Being a witch is about using your magic to uplift others”

Yet in the same breath, she had said;

“A pretty face like yours should be smiling.”

…

“I can’t do this anymore,” Shizuku whispered to herself. 

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

It was a lovely day to begin their journey. Nene was taking a nap in the back of the Wonder Stage, while Rui sat up front, talking with Emu as they drove away from the castle. Emu soaked the sunlight in, basking in the warmth it provided as she listened to Rui explaining some of the special effects he had planned for their shows. It would have been an entirely peaceful drive if a voice hadn’t called out far behind them.

“Wait!”

It was Tsukasa, red-faced and nearly out of breath. Emu stalled the horses and jumped down, Rui following her.

They jogged over to meet with Tsukasa as he stopped to catch his breath, bending over to clutch his knees.

“Tsukasa? What’s going on, is something wrong?” Emu asked.

“Did something happen to Saki?” Rui asked, skipping any pretense.

“Saki is— She’s fine.” Tsukasa panted. “That’s not— What I’m—”

Emu shushed him, “Take a minute, you’re exhausted. Let’s get you some water.” Emu gently grabbed onto Tsukasa’s arm and led him towards the Wonder Stage.

When they arrived, Emu asked Rui to grab Tsukasa some water. While Rui slipped into the back of the Wonder Stage, Tsukasa placed his hand on Emu’s.

“Emu—”

“Tsukasa, breath. You must have run the whole way here.”

“Emu— Is your offer still allowed?”

“My offer?” Emu asked.

“To join— Join the troupe. Can I still— do that?”

Emu was taken aback. “Yes, absolutely. I— We would be overjoyed to have you!”

“Good, because—” Tsukasa’s breathing was evening out, “I need to come with you.” Rui came back with the water. Tsukasa started guzzling it

"Why?" Rui asked.

"It's—" Tsukasa took a deep breath and looked at Emu. "It's Toya, he's been kidnapped."

Oh dear, I'm sorry. I've gotten ahead of myself. We missed everything that happened yesterday, in Deorid that is. You must be terribly confused. Here, don't worry. I'll take us back to the day of the festival and we'll go from there. It'll make much more sense then, I swear.

Getting summoned to her father’s study wasn’t what Ena had expected to happen that afternoon, especially without Mizuki at her side. That was reason enough to be on guard. However, her mother sitting in an extra chair, crying quietly into a handkerchief was what really set the alarm bells off. An angry father was one thing, Ena had learned to expect that long ago, but her mother was a very hollow woman. The most emotion she had ever seen her genuinely express was disappointment, and tears were reserved for displaying sympathy at funerals.

Ena took a seat across from her father, folding her hands in her lap in proper posture, and gathered every drop of strength she had. Whatever conversation they were about to have, it would be difficult.

“You wanted to see me?” She asked.

“Yes, we’ve received some news from King Aoyagi. At the festival today, there was an assassination attempt on the prince. While the assassins were thwarted, they revealed a traitor within the knights.” Ena could feel her blood stop flowing, her body turning to stone in a desperate attempt not to react. “Your brother was discovered to be a witch.” Sharp nails dug into her hands. “He is currently being held in a cell and is scheduled to be executed in two days, the moment executions are allowed to commence.”

“I know this is a lot to process,” Ena’s mother interjected. “The fact that that demon was masquerading as your brother, as my son—" She cut herself off, tears with the same sheen as glass jewels rolling down her face.

Ena just focused on the nails digging into her palm, praying that she wasn’t spilling blood onto her dress.

“Have your maids ready your finest dress, as well.” Her father said, already having moved on. “You remember the special executions I was telling you about? For those involved in this ‘revolution’? They’ll be employing them for your brother, they’re bringing back the traditional methods. You’re dismissed.”

Ena took the chance to leave immediately, steadily rising from her chair, hands still clutched tightly together, before walking back to her room.

The steps were slow and methodical. Taking her down the hallways as if wandering through a thick fog.

When she did arrive at her room, Ena carefully opened the door, prying her hands apart, before closing it carefully behind her.

She took all of five steps before collapsing onto the floor.

There were too many tears to see through. Ena couldn’t catch her breath. Everything was too loud. The walls were closing in. A thousand swords were being stuck into her from all angles.

Akito had been caught. He had been caught and was going to be killed.

Her baby brother was going to die.

Ena choked down a sob, grabbing at her sides. It felt like they would split open at a moment’s notice, spilling her guts all over the floor. But what would that even matter?

She had promised to protect him.

She had failed him.

Time kept passing, but Ena couldn’t tell if it went by in seconds or in hours. Her choked sobs were the only clock she had. When her door swung open, Ena couldn’t even lift her head to see who had entered. She didn’t particularly care either.

A gentle hand touched Ena’s shoulder, trying to coax her out of her ball.

“Ena?” It was Mizuki. Their voice was raw and cracked.

“They’re going to kill him.” The words were muddled and waterlogged, fighting to even make it out of Ena's throat.

“Ena, it’s going to be okay.”

“In what world does this turn out okay?” Ena snapped, pulling herself off of the floor enough to look Mizuki in the eye. “They’re going to kill him. Akito is going to be executed. They’re—” Her father’s words came back to her. Traditional Method of Execution. “Oh my god, they’re going to burn him.” Decapitation was a gruesome way to go, but it was a merciful death in comparison to being tied to the stake and burned alive.

“Ena, come on, stay with me.” Mizuki kept a firm grip on her shoulders, keeping Ena from melting back down to the floor. Their eyes were rimmed with red. “Ena, listen to—”

“Take me to him.”

Mizuki was stunned. “What?”

“Take me to Akito, to whatever cell he’s in right now. I have to see him, I have to get him out of there, please!” Ena desperately pleaded.

“Ena, I can’t do that. Even talking to Akito right now could be seen as treasonous. You could be executed as well.”

“I don’t care if I get executed!” Ena screamed, fresh tears falling as she grabbed onto Mizuki’s collar. “I never cared. I’m no good at politics, my art is shit no matter how hard I try, and all anyone cares about is my face, and I don’t even care about any of that anymore, I don’t! I’ve accepted it. I know I’ll never do anything worthwhile to help any of the people suffering right now. I accepted all of that because it didn't matter as long as Akito was safe. I don’t care if they skin me alive, I don’t care if they boil me in acid,  I don’t care .” Ena was sobbing now, clinging onto Mizuki’s collar like it was her lifeline. “I don’t care about what happens to me, but they can’t hurt Akito. They can’t.” Ena’s voice broke as she slumped into Mizuki. “They can’t.”

There was almost silence for a moment, broken only by Ena's sobs. Then, Mizuki took a deep breath, hugging Ena to their chest.

“Ena, I know it sounds impossible, but I promise you things are going to work out. Akito is going to be okay, but I can’t take you to him.”

“Why the hell not?” Ena tried to sharpen the words, but they fell flat. Pathetically weak.

“Because we’re working on it, I promise. Toya sent word to An and Ken the second he was able. They knew about Akito’s imprisonment probably before most of the prison guards did, and they’ve been putting together a plan to get him out the entire time. And it’s going to work.”

“…you’re sure?”

“Absolutely positive.”

“Are you going to see him?” Ena asked, giving in to the fragile hope.

“I should, yeah.”

“Can I give you a letter to give to him?”

“Absolutely.”

And despite everything, Ena let herself believe Mizuki. Ena grabbed onto the fragile hope like the lifeline it was and put all her faith in that hope.

Even so, the tears never stopped falling.

Chapter Text

There was an energy in the air. Something sharp and exciting, yet also petrifying. Kohane was in her room, curled underneath the quilt her mother had made for her, hand-stitched during the long months of pregnancy. It had been far too large for her as a baby, but enveloped her perfectly now, offering comfort after a particularly heinous morning. 

News had reached their part of the city of the assassination attempt just as dawn peeked over the horizon and with it the revelation that one of the prince’s own guards had been a magic user, one by the name of Akito Shinonome. Kohane hadn’t stuck around to hear much else. She did, however, catch that they were asking for firewood donations.

The small mercy was that she wouldn’t have to attend the execution. Her parents had never allowed her to attend one before, they wouldn’t start now. No matter how “momentous” or “exciting” it would be.

Her mother did, however, come into her room a few hours ago and gave her the small knife they kept to aid in cutting hair. “I’m not going to make you, it’s entirely your choice.” She had said. “But people are more suspicious now than ever. Some women at the market brought up the old stories again, about Witches gaining power from their hair.” She too had much shorter hair.

An had arrived an hour later, teary-eyed and with news she wasn’t supposed to share. “I’m going to be leaving.” The other girl had said ”We have a plan to save Akito, to get him out of here, but I’ll be escorting him to safety. I won’t be coming back. I came to say goodbye.”

Now Kohane stared at the knife from within her quilt, making a choice.

On one hand, asking to join An was dangerous. More dangerous than anything. Plus, she had her family to worry about. There was Count Pearl whom she had to take care of, the sweet old lady down the street to she helped garden, a group of kids whom she was helping to teach to read, so many people relying on her. Who knows when she would be able to return.

Yet, Kohane had opened a door she couldn’t close. An had been teaching her more and more about her magic, about how it worked, how to harness it, everything. Even if she stayed, there was always the risk of discovery, the risk of someone finding out and reporting her magic. If it came to that, her whole family would be under investigation. Even if she hid it, never used it again until the day she died, Kohane would suffocate. After finally having a space to let that part of herself into the open, to be fully  known , she couldn’t go back. There was no one to safely open up to, but she would crack eventually. Even now her fantasies were nothing but pulling her parents aside and telling them, but she would never know if it would be safe.

Kohane grabbed the knife and stared at her reflection before grabbing a fist full of hair.

It was jagged, but she could smooth it out later. Kohane threw off the blanket and ran to get her knapsack.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

Deep within the dungeons of Deorid was a small cell, sequestered in its own corridor with hundreds of markings along its walls. Akito had spent hours memorizing the markings by candlelight, carving them deep into his own brain. Each one told a tragic tale. Tally marks counting the days, last words, farewells to loved ones, claims to innocence, and names upon names upon names. Several of which Akito recognized. 

It was the cell reserved for those with magic, supposedly designed to prevent magic from being used, with blessed bars and herbs packed between the stones. (It couldn’t have prevented a child from casting their first spell, but the armed guards and maze of a dungeon kept the prisoners contained anyway) Regardless of ability or true threat, all magic users were kept here as they awaited their fate, from the frailest of elders to the strongest of knights. 

Across the room, sitting in a rickety chair, was the on-duty guard; Kotaro Mita. The two knights had kept an awkward silence the entirety of Kotaro’s shift. Akito wouldn’t have called them friends, but they had known each other for years, having gone through training together. Kotaro was carving a small toy as time passed, some sort of horse last time Akito had cared to look. 

Then, Kotaro spoke; “Can I tell you something?”

Akito pulled his eyes away from the wall and looked over to him. “What?”

“If I tell you something, will you tell any of the other guards? Try to use it to bargain for a lighter sentence?” Kotaro asked, leg bouncing with nerves.

“We both know that wouldn't work. I’ll take it to my grave.” Akito smiled at his own, morbid joke.

“You remember the twins, right? My little siblings?” 

"Yeah? You've mentioned them before."

Kotaro took a deep breath to prepare himself. “Hinata is like you.” 

“She can do magic?” All Akito received was a curt nod, Kotaro tensing up when the words were spoken aloud. “What about Sora?”

“He can’t, at least as far as we know. The whole family knows about Hinata, she made some toys float as a baby, but… we don’t know what to do. Getting permission to leave the city is getting harder and harder, but the longer we stay—” Kotaro glanced at the wall. At the names. “I’m scared for her.”

Akito took a moment to think, then decided that Kotaro was trustworthy enough to at least be extended an olive branch. His family deserved a chance. “Talk to Arata for me, will you? Tell him I wanted you to have the dinner he owed me.” 

“What?”

“You want to help your sister? Ask Arata for that dinner. He’ll figure things out from there.” It was the most basic code within the rebellion ( “I want to join or need help, here’s who sent me your way .”) and the least Akito could do. One last life he could try and save.

A few hours later the change of guards came, and with the replacement, someone Akito didn’t recognize, came Mizuki. Their face was scrunched up and full of practiced fury.

“You  bastard .” Mizuki hissed. “How could you— how  dare  you.”

Mizuki kept talking, harsh words falling effortlessly from their mouth, but it didn’t hurt Akito. All it did was remind him of a conversation years ago, over a bland ration dinner and weak tea, where the two knights had made their fallback plan. If one of them were ever caught, the other would feign complete ignorance and denounce the other in any way shape, or form. They were known to be friends, and any lingering fondness could cast suspicion on the other. 

“You’re lucky that your sister seems to feel sorry for the likes of you.” Mizuki’s voice shook, eyes starting to water as they threw a letter at him. “Rot in hell.” With that, they stormed out of the room, Kotaro quickly following them out. 

The new guard was a young, scrawny kid with watery blue eyes, a mop of deep blue hair, and dusky skin. Probably only recently knighted, if at all. How he ended up guarding such a high-threat prisoner was beyond Akito. They sat in silence, minutes bleeding into hours as the candlelight grew dimmer. The letter Mizuki had thrown into his cell sat taunting him. Akito tried to open it, he really did, but when he split the wax seal with his family crest on it, a sprig of honeysuckle fell out, along with the scent of Ena's perfume. Emotions threatened to spill over and Akito had to set the letter aside. 

He was never going to see Ena again. Never going to hug her or see her art or argue or  anything .

As the guard struggled to find and light a new candle, Akito picked up the letter and shoved it down his shirt. Partially to keep it safe, the next guard change was probably coming up soon and it was technically contraband, partially because - as dumb as it sounds – the idea of having a piece of Ena next to his heart made things just a little more bearable. Maybe they'd even let him tuck the honeysuckle behind his ear before the execution. (Just like Ena used to do) 

The guard was becoming more and more agitated as time went on, fiddling with the key ring-

Why did this kid have the key ring?

There were almost as many security measures in place to keep those keys safe as there were to keep Toya safe. The rebellion had been planning ways to steal it, or at least copy it, for as long as they had known about its existence. It had the keys to every cell in the dungeons, it would make a full jailbreak possible. How did this random kid have it? A million questions boiled inside of Akito, but he didn’t voice a single one aloud. On the slightest chance that he was wrong, he wasn't even supposed to know about the ring's existence. It would make them double down on the investigation, and they might find something. It wasn’t worth the risk.

A horn blared in the distance, muffled through the layers of stone. The alarm. There must have been a disturbance at the castle gates.

Two moments later, there was a distinct knock at the door. 

One-two-three one two one two three-four.

That was rebellion code.

The guard stood up so fast he knocked the chair over. Striding over to the cell, he shoved one of the keys into the lock. The door opened.

“Hurry, we don’t have much time.” The guard said.

Akito stood up and stared down the guard.

“You know where the secret passage is in this hall, right?” Akito nodded. “Okay. After you knock me out, go there. There should be someone to take you to the next checkpoint inside.”

“What’s going on?” Akito asked.

“I’m with the rebellion, we’re getting you out. Take the key ring with you and knock me out. It'll look like you only used magic, no one will know."

Akito could barely process what he was saying. “I’m not knocking you out.” 

“Please, this only works if you make it look like you broke out on your own.”

“I’m not punching a kid! You could get brain damage!” 

“I’m fifteen and I volunteered to do this. You helped smuggle my dad out, you're one of the only reasons he's still alive. Please, there isn’t much time, let me repay you." The words were rushed, tumbling over each other.

"What's your name?" Akito asked.

"Junpei"

"Thank you, Junpei." Akito punched him. Hard.

The kid flew back and slumped against the wall. 

Grabbing the key ring, Akito slipped out the door and down the hall. If he remembered, from here to the passage it was three left turns, two right turns, five paces straight, then you pressed the smallest stone on your left…

There was a light rumble as the secret passage opened. After making sure that doorway closed entirely behind him, enveloping him in total darkness, Akito created a small ball of light, letting that lead his way. There was an intersection of passages up ahead, if memory served correctly, his guide was probably waiting there.

There was a light at the end of the tunnel, literally. The guide must have brought a lantern to the intersection. It was warm and bright and everything that Akito needed after the day in the dungeon. 

Akito entered the intersection. The lantern was set on the ground, and the guide was leaning against the wall, dressed in plain black clothes.

The guide was Toya.

Before Akito could even move, Toya had pulled him into a tight hug, bending over to bury his face inside the crook of his neck.

“Toya-”

“Shut up.” 

Precious seconds ticked by, Toya keeping Akito trapped in his arm. Then, he pulled away slightly, just enough so that he could look Akito in the eyes.

“ Never , do something like this again. Ever.” Small tears ran down his face.

“I-”

“No,  no . You listen to me. Never pull some stupid, self-sacrificial move like that again. You could have- I could have  lost -.” Toya pulled Akito close again.

“Hey, hey, Toya. I appreciate it, but we’ve got to get a move on. At least, I think? Maybe you could fill me in a little on the plan here.”

“Yeah,” Toya pulled away, wiping his eyes. “I can do that.”

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

Toya explained everything while guiding Akito through the passageways. How they got Johnathan on the guard rotation, how they staged a fight along the castle wall, how Toya was sneaking Akito out of the castle through the secret passageways to meet with An, how he was getting smuggled out and taken to…

“Well, I’m not entirely sure where you’re going. Ken and An kept it a secret, but An’s going with you so it’ll be fine. Everything is going to be fine.” It had to be.

After the explanation was over, the walk was spent in tense silence. The looming knowledge that one misstep, one overheard whisper, and it would all be over kept them quiet.

The secret passages were long and winding, intentionally made for those unfamiliar to get lost within them. Toya, however, had spent countless evenings wandering them, charting their paths deep within his heart. It was an escape from everything. From lessons, from his father, from guards, from balls, all the most suffocating parts of nobility. Now it was their escape from death. A fitting turn of events, seeing as they had been created to save the royal family in case of attack; centuries ago, when the castle was first built. Even though, ultimately, they would be the royal family’s undoing. Toya had been more than happy to map out the passages for Ken.

Toya stopped walking, putting an arm behind him to stop Akito. There was another light up ahead, along another intersection. He didn’t have time to speculate who it could be, Toya simply blew his lantern out and prayed that he had been fast enough for the other person to not notice. 

It was no use; the light was growing ever closer. Toya pressed himself and Akito against the wall. Maybe they wouldn’t see them?

Light shone on Toya’s face.

Blinking through the blinding light, Toya saw deep blue hair and a silver medal on the figure’s chest. He knew who it was.

Chief Advisor to King Aoygai, Kaito Fuyuki. His father's right-hand man.

Toya’s throat closed. There was no way they would be able to buy his silence and Kaito had helped teach him to fight. There would be no overpowering him either. It was over. 

They had failed.

“They had to change the rendezvous location, I’m here to take you there.”

It took Toya a moment to process that Kaito was the one talking. To them. About the rebellion.

“Seriously?” Akito asked.

“Yes. Some knights were snooping too close for comfort near the Inn tonight, so you two have to meet them by the old Millers' safe house. I was the only one who knew where to find you two. Hurry, this way.” Kaito started down the right passage. Toya was only able to move after Akito nudged him along.

Right. He had to focus on getting Akito out of here. He could reevaluate his worldview later. Taking the lead, just in case Kaito was hiding a weapon, Toya pressed on.

The corridors grew increasingly narrow, closing in on the escape. This part of the passageways had been made as an afterthought, a last-minute extra escape route made in extra space. Luckily for them, it came out not even a mile from the old Miller safe house. The stone wall opened slowly, carving out a shape just large enough for humans to fit through. Kaito exited first, to allow both teens to leave.

They stood basking in the humid spring air for a moment, staring as the last few rays of sunshine dissipated into the night. “I’ll leave you two to it,” Kaito said, walking back towards the entrance. Then he turned back, “May Leon protect you.” A name not spoken in Deorid, at least in public, for centuries. A small blessing from the religion long since scorned from Deorid, banished alongside magic and all things thought to be corrupt, during the last war. A simple saying that carried the punishment of branding for its mere utterance.

Toya floundered for the response, quickly searching through everything Tsukasa had told him about the old faith. “And Lola you.” It was probably incorrect, but Kaito smiled either way. The meaning of the newfound revelation between the two understood silently.

As the wall closed again, Toya grabbed Akito’s hand and pulled him towards the safe house. They had made it out of the castle, but it wasn't over yet. Guards swarmed the streets at all hours, and if they were caught on their way to the old safe house...

It wouldn’t come to that.

I  couldn't  come to that.

Toya pulled Akito into a small alleyway, avoiding a guard outpost. The stillness was chilling, but any sounds were terrifying. When Akito finally steered them towards the house, Toya felt like the strings on a violin, pulled taught by a child still learning to tune.

Pressing flush against the door, Toya gave the secret knock for the second time that night. The door opened two seconds later.

Kohane’s face greeted them, framed by recently cut hair, pigtails now barely brushing her shoulders. There was no time to ask about her new look, as they were ushered inside and into a too-tight hug from An.

Ken broke the silence. “We don’t have much time. I suspect the distraction will only last a little while longer. Put these on,” Ken threw Akito a bundle of plain, dark clothes. “When you’re ready you’ll slip out through the gap in the wall. There’ll be a wagon waiting with horses already hitched up, you’ll hide under the false floor, you know the drill. It’ll be cramped but-”

“No worse than being hung, I know.” Akito finished the phrase. “Am I allowed to know where I’m going?”

“To live with my sister. She runs an Inn a ways out in the countryside. The wagon should get you there in the early hours of the morning. You’ll still be able to help us, but no one will have ever seen you or anyone from your family out there. They won’t even know who they’re looking for.”

“Perfect place to hide in plain sight.” An added. “Kohane and I are coming too, it’s been forever since I’ve seen my aunt, plus us going to help her out will make your arrival less suspicious.”

After a beat of silence, Toya took his chance.

“I’m coming too.” The room went silent at his declaration. “After tonight my father will assign me a new personal guard if he ever lets me leave the castle again. There will be so much security that I’ll never be able to so much as send you a message. This is my fight too; I can’t just sit idle and pray that you all will be fine.” Toya looked at Ken, mustering all his etiquette lessons on how to appear as intimidating and royal as possible. “Even if I can’t stay in the same place as them, even if I have to go into deep hiding for months before you let me help, I can’t stay here.”

Two beats of silence, then Ken let out a deep sigh. “Fuyuki told me this would happen eventually. I’ll grab an extra pair of clothes. You two will really have to squeeze in.” With that, he left the room and Toya nearly slunk to the floor in relief.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

An gave the wagon’s fake flooring a once over before spreading the hay out over top to complete the illusion. While there weren’t many checkpoints from here to her aunt’s inn (at least from the directions she had been given) they couldn’t take any chances. Especially not with Toya along for the ride as well. Getting herself settled into the driver’s seat, An picked up the reins and set the horses on their merry way. Kohane huddled beside her, practicing their cover story under her breath. There was a tug at An’s heart, a sudden reminder of how new Kohane was to all this. She had barely known of the rebellion for a month, and she had already been roped into an extremely dangerous mission, dragged away from her family and home.

There was no time for regrets. An couldn’t afford to doubt the plan now. It had worked so far, and any lost innocence could be mourned once they were all safe. For now, she focused on guiding the horses down the right path, asking the slight glint of the moon for her protection. Insects filled the silent air, lending their own small support to the traveling teens.

A long while into the journey, An spared a glance over her shoulder, and startled when the tall walls seemed little more than trees in the distance.

“Kohane, look.” The other girl pulled herself up, blinking back sleep. “Is that…?”

“The capital? Yeah.”

“It looks so small,” Kohane whispered, almost reverent.

“Have you ever been outside the city before?”

“No.”

“Me either.” An giggled. “Dad always talked about letting me visit my aunt, but it was always too risky.”

“Has she always owned the inn?”

“No, she started the inn… I want to say eight years ago? She had been smuggling people out of the capital since forever, that’s when I would get to see her, but eventually, we needed a permanent waypoint. She volunteered and became the inn proprietor. Apparently, she still did a few smuggle runs the year right after that, but I haven’t seen her since.”

“You must miss her a lot.” Kohane stared at the ever-shrinking city, but her eyes seemed to unfocus.

“Are you okay?” An whispered.

“I can’t- I don’t know when I’m going to see my parents again.  If  I’m going to see them again. I didn’t even say goodbye, I just left them a letter.”

Tears pricked An’s eyes. “I’m sorry. You didn’t need to come with us. We can still get you back home-“

“No.” Kohane rubbed her eyes. “No, I’m not going back. I can’t keep hiding myself there. I’ll make it back home one day, and then I’ll be able to tell my parents- I’ll be able to tell them about  me .” Determination flooded Kohane’s face and she turned forward. “How much longer do you think the trip is?”

“We have one checkpoint we need to pass, but after that, it shouldn’t be long before we see the inn.”

They made it past the checkpoint as easily as could be expected. When An was finally able to make out the inn in the distance, she shook Kohane from her half-slumber once again. An guided the horses to the side of the building and stalled them, tossing the reigns to Kohane and jumping from the driver's seat. “Hitch them up for me, will you? I’ll go get my aunt.” Kohane nodded and slid down as well.

Pushing the door open, An surveyed the inside. Eyes gliding over the lone patron passed out over a drink and landed on a tall woman with short, fashionably cropped hair wiping down tables.

“Aunt Meiko!”

Meiko turned around and broke into a grin. “Could that really be An?” Leaving the table to hug her niece, Meiko laughed. “You’ve gotten so big!” They stood together for a moment before Meiko pulled back, mood leveling out. “Do you have the ‘cargo’?”

“Yep! Safe and sound, with some extra as well.”

“Extra?”

“I’ll explain outside.” An eyed the lone patron. Dunk beyond consciousness or not, they couldn’t take the chance.

“Of course. Give me one moment to put this rag up and I’ll be out. Be a dear and start unloading for me?”

“Yes ma’am!” An spun on her heel and headed back to the wagon.

When she got there, Kohane was gently petting one of the horses' necks. An swung around the back and started sweeping the hay back, making way for them to remove the fake floor.

“Having fun down there?” She said.

“Loads,” Akito grumbled; voice muffled. “Just hurry up, I’d like to get some feeling back in my legs.”

An chuckled and got the rest of the hay handled. Meiko came out a moment later and helped her pull up the first board, then the second, then the third. That was enough space for Akito to start worming his way out.

Out of the corner of her eye, An saw a boy around Junpei’s age. His hair though was a bright yellow, with large curious eyes a deep shade of teal. She paused for a moment, fear spiking, before Meiko noticed the boy.

“There you are. Len, go double-check that the rooms are all set up, will you? Oh, and get the other girl something hot to drink. Make a whole pot of tea.”

“Yes ma’am!” Len said, scurrying back into the Inn after grabbing Kohane.

Akito finally freed himself from the wagon, jumping down to shake the hay from his hair. Meiko bent down to start moving the other floorboard before stopping. “An?”

“Yes?”

“Is that who I think it is?” Meiko was staring at the sliver of Toya’s face that could be seen.

“Yeah, and I can explain I swear.”

“I can’t wait to hear it.” Meiko wasn’t  mad , per se, but seeing the Crown Prince, next in line for the very throne they were fighting against, couldn’t have been expected.

“I’m very sorry about all of this, Ms. Shiraishi,” Toya said.

Meiko laughed. “Please, none of that ‘Ms.’ nonsense. Just call me Meiko. Besides, that’s not even my last name.” She started pulling up the boards again, An joining in.

“It’s not? But aren’t you-“

“Yes, I’m Ken’s sister and An’s aunt, but as far as anyone else is concerned Meiko Shiraishi was killed in a raid several years ago. It’s much easier to work in secret under a new identity.”

“Which you never told anyone.” An shot back. “You don’t even sign your letters anymore.”

“Again, brand new identity that I’m trying to keep as unrelated from the rebellion as possible.”

The boy from earlier, Len, came back right as they were helping Toya climb out. “Everything’s set up. We only have two spare rooms though; the rest are full. Is that okay?”

“Yeah!” An cheered. “Me and Kohane can share, and the boys can take the other room. It’s a done deal.”

“That’s not your-“ Akito started before Meiko cut him off.

“Perfect. We had only planned on you and Akito, otherwise we would have held two other rooms.” Meiko snapped her fingers. “I almost forgot! You haven’t met before. An this is Len, my son.”

The words didn’t set in at first, An only realizing that Meiko really had said  son  when Akito looked back at her, confusion written all over his face.

“I have a cousin?” An asked, shock and delight bleeding together. She jumped down from the wagon, pulling Len into a tight, spinning hug, laughing all the while. “I have a cousin!”

The spinning stopped abruptly after a moment. “Wait,  how  do I have a cousin? Dad would have told me.”

“Ken doesn’t know.” Meiko’s face had dropped, dropping the levity she had been trying to

“What?”

“I found Len and his twin sister while traveling seven years ago, about a year after I opened the Inn. I couldn’t tell anyone about them over letters on the off chance it could have gotten intercepted and tied back to us.” Meiko shook her head. “But enough about that. We can talk more in the morning. You all need a hot drink and some sleep. Len, go get three cups together, please. I’ll show everyone to their rooms.”

The Inn had four official floors. The main floor housed the tavern and food storage, and then two floors of rooms that could be rented out above that, with two rooms that Meiko and Len lived in. There was also a basement, for wine, mead, other food goods, and additional storage. (There was also another basement below that, which was used to hide refugees. Meiko promised to show them in the morning.)

An and Kohane were staying in a room on the third floor, while Toya and Akito were on the second, right next to Meiko’s room. The room was cozy. There was a single wide bed, draped in knit blankets with two soft pillows. Two pairs of spare sleep clothes had been laid out for them, a welcome surprise as neither girl had a chance to pack her own before fleeing.

“Fair warning, I’m a kicker.” An said as she climbed under the covers next to Kohane. “If I get too violent feel free to just push me off the bed.”

Kohane giggled. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“No, seriously. I gave my dad a black eye once.”

“Really?” Kohane was lying on her side, staring at An.

An rolled over to stare back. “Really. I was seven or eight and had just had a nightmare. I don’t remember what about. Anyway, my dad let me sleep in his bed. He woke up with my foot jammed into his eye.” Both girls laughed.

“Your dad seems nice. I wish I had been able to get to know him more.”

“Don’t say it like that. We’ll see him soon enough, I’m sure of it! Your parents too.” An gave Kohane her brightest smile, despite the doubt creeping into her own heart.

Sure they had made it out with Toya, the  prince , which was sure to get the ball rolling even more, but how quickly? To what end?

“Really?”

Squashing it all down, An laid her hand over Koahne’s. “Really.”