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“Saki!! I’m here!!”
“Tsukasa!! Hello! Did you bring my tea?”
Tsukasa quickly brings out the tray, filled to the brim with multiple snacks and a nice, warm cup of green tea. “They’re all right here, eat all you’d like!”
Saki looks at the table Tsukasa had just finished setting up. Eyes looking over each pastry.
Macarons, different types of cookies, and other sorts of pastries perfectly sorted and lined up, it almost looked more like a mini dessert feast than a tea party.
“Come join me Tsukasa! A tea party can’t be done with just one person!”
“Well, who am I to defy the princesses orders?” He said as he took a macaron.
“By the way, did you finish the mission I had gave you?”
“Done swiftly and perfectly! Just as a star servant should!”
“THAT’S PERFECT!! Thank you Tsukasa! You’re the best servant here!”
Truly, an amazing servant she had.
Fast, bubbly, and fun to talk to.
And loyal until the very end.
Saki’s standing on her balcony, looking down at the massacre that’s happening right before her eyes.
The blood splattered all across the kingdom's gardens as soldiers' bodies seemed to be tucked away in the very same flower corner where she used to have tea.
Not to mention all the footsteps of her own servants fleeing the castle! What cowards they were.
Well. She supposes at this time is the time for her to accept the fate she’ll have. At least hopefully those barbarians who barged in will give her a graceful death.
As she was thinking, she suddenly felt her dress being tugged at harshly from behind.
Such careless actions they are doing to her- but when she looked around, all she saw was… Tsukasa…?
“How dare you- Tsukasa?? What are you doing here- and- why on earth are you wearing my dress??” Tsukasa looked down at her with a slight smile before he draped a huge coat onto her shoulders along with a pair of clothes.
When she got a closer look at him, she realized he was wearing hair extensions to match her signature pigtails. Perfectly stylized, just like how he always did it for her.
Tsukasa gently patted her head, “don’t worry about it, just go and change your clothes, and get away from here, ok? They’re almost here.”
He spoke in such a manner she’d never seen before, a sort of softer and less brash tone, almost as if he was trying to comfort her.
“I’ll take your place and wait here while you run away, ok?”
….what?
“Tsukasa- You- what are you-”
“Hey, hey! It’s alright, a star servant can handle anything! No one will ever know you got away, so don’t worry. Besides…”
“As your older brother, it’s my duty to take care of you.”
…her… brother…?
She could barely choke back her tears before Tsukasa started ushering her to the door before she could even get a goodbye in.
It all happened too fast, the door was already closing behind her, and she could only say one thing before she ran down the palace hall.
“I’m sorry-!”
Tsukasa watched as Saki ran down the hall, before he quickly closed the door and headed out to the balcony, just taking a minute out there with the small birds who used to be in a big cage, now setting them free into the air while waiting.
Soon enough, a door suddenly burst open. Revealing two people in armor.
He recognized both of them as soon as they walked in. One in blue, a knight and princess, Ichika. The other in red, Honami, who took action and pointed her sword at him as soon as she saw him.
It pained him to know they hated his dear sister so much that they’d do this.
“Your highness- no, Saki. We’ve come to capture you. You’d be wise to come along with us.” Honami said.
"For all your sins you’ve caused throughout the lands we will make sure your punishment is served.”
Tsukasa took a deep breath, ‘ act like Saki, what would she say?’
“...HOW DARE YOU?? You dare defy the princess of this nation-” Tsukasa tried in his best high-pitched voice.
“You’re no princess to us anymore Saki. You’ve become nothing more than a demon in a human suit.” Pain flashed across Ichika’s eyes as she tied his hands together and led him outside.
As they walked to the dungeons Tsukasa only had one thought.
‘...if she’s a devil then I shall be one too, I’ll bear your fate Saki, I wish you the best.’
Just a few more minutes until the bell chimes.
Standing up here, on top of a small stage at the entrance of the palace. It reminds him of the older days.
When he and Saki used to go there, putting on small hand-crafted puppet shows for any crowd that’d listen. A ton of the townsfolk would gather around and see what kind of show the two royal siblings had prepared for them.
Saki would sit atop at the highest point, smiling, dancing, and singing with grace as they recounted stories.
In the end, each one of them always walked away with a smile.
…
Now the crowd's expression is a little different from what it used to be.
Instead of claps and applause, all that’s below him is just the yelling of the masses, the chanting to kill the “daughter of evil.”
Perhaps this was the story he was meant to take.
It almost feels… sort of calm up there. Even with all the shouts and everything, he feels strangely at peace.
The fake pigtails he had worn were still blissfully swaying in the wind, as the two knights gestured for him to head for the guillotine in front of him.
Before he does, he gives them a “thank you” as he heads forward.
As he slowly walks up, he notices a familiar head of blonde hair right at the front of the crowd.
He slowly sets his head into position in the guillotine, and gives her a smile.
He’s glad to know she’s still safe.
‘ Don’t you worry Saki, I’ll always be right by your side,’
‘So just smile for me in a better life, ok?’
As the clock hits noon, the bell chimes.
“Perhaps if one day, we’re reborn together, and our sins are forgiven, we can be together again. Brother and sister.”
“So he still hasn’t woken up?”
“Yeah, seems like the show he did yesterday probably knocked out all his energy.”
“It’s honestly a bit strange seeing him sleep in for once, considering he seems to have a strict sleep schedule.”
“I know right?? I’ve seen him wake up past 7AM until now!”
“What do you think he’s dreaming about?”
“...Hmm… I don’t know! Guess I’ll ask once he wakes up, c’mon! Let’s go back to songwriting Ichika!”
“Yeah, let’s go.”