Chapter Text
The room wasn’t meant to… actually be used, ever.
If you asked any servant in the palace of Alba Lilia, they would swear there were no such doors behind the tapestry in the west corridor. They'd even punish you for making up such disrespectful lies about the royal family.
And yet the youngest princess, Saki, lived in it.
Well… lived was a strong word for a kid.
The curtains were made of drawn, thick ivory fabric embroidered with delicate lilies that seemed to bloom even in the dim light. Gold thread curled through the petals, catching what little sun slipped through the cracks.
Saki liked those curtains a lot. She was sitting by them now, carefully tracing the stitched flowers with her fingers, even if her sharp nails got tangled in the delicate threads.
“Tsukasa… who made these?”
Behind her, there was the thud of a wooden sword hitting the floor. Tsukasa had been practicing (or, more accurately, declaring himself victorious over an imaginary army for the past ten minutes.)
“Ah, that?” he tilted his head. “Those were made by grandma!”
“Grandma…” Saki lowered her cotton candy gaze once more, “the one that got sick?”
“...Yes."
She shifted, pulling her knees closer to her chest. “What happened to her?”
Tsukasa puffed up. Finally, a proper question, worthy of being answered by a young prince!
“Well,” he started pacing a little because apparently stories were better when you moved, “this was more than a decade ago, even before Father was king!”
He held up a finger, emphasizing the importance.
“And… it was a few months after the curse.”
Saki tilted her head. “The curse… from the black lilies?”
“Y-Yes, that one!” He didn’t like that part of the story much, but it made everything sound more important. So, he kept going, “The queen got really, really sick… n-not sick like you, I mean… the kind of sick where the doctors whisper among themselves with frowns on their faces!”
Ah, yes, she knew that kind of quiet. “…Oh.”
“And nobody could fix it, not even the priests! But then…” he paused dramatically.
“But then…?” Saki leaned forward with wide eyes.
“A witch appeared!”
“Tsukasa, don’t say that out loud! You know magic is forbidden!” she almost jumps in place.
“I-It’s not all forbidden!” he immediately straightened. “There’s—there’s different kinds!!"
She frowned. “There are?”
“Yes!” he probably understood half of what he was saying. “Father said so! There’s bad magic, like curses and… and monster ceatures. And then there’s useful magic, like healing!”
“…So she wasn’t a bad witch?”
“No, she was a good one! An official royal healer, I think…” he nodded to himself, satisfied with that correction. “She went outside the kingdom because she needed something special to cure the queen. Something… rare.”
“How rare?”
“The rarest!” he grinned and leaned in to whisper in her pointed ear. “She found a flower.”
Saki’s gaze flickered to the curtains beside her. “Another lily?”
“But not a white one…! It was black.”
“Like …the ones from Atra Lilia?”
“…Y-Yes.”
Saki swallowed nervously. “And… it didn’t hurt her?”
“No, because it called to her! Like it wanted to be found, like it was waiting for her to just grab it and take it home!”
He didn’t notice the way Saki’s shoulders tensed. Or… maybe he did, but didn’t know what to do with it. The young prince was too perceptive for a kid, everyone in the palace claimed.
“So she brought it back to the palace,” he went on, “and studied it for a looooong time. And then, she mixed it!”
“With what?”
“With her own magic! And… her blood. Ew, that’s so gross..." he whispered that last part to himself with a scrunched nose.
Saki’s rosy eyes widened again. “T-That sounds so dangerous! Did she take her own blood?!"
“It was...” he agreed immediately. That made the story better in his eyes... I guess. “Like, suuuuuper dangerous!”
“And she still did it...?”
“Of course… because she had to save the queen!"
Saki looked down at her hands, her nails—claws—that were too long for a 6-year-old human. Which she wasn’t, obviously.
“…Did it work?” she asked.
“Pfft, obviously!” he spread his arms wide, triumphant. “The queen got completely better!”
“Oh!”
“…For a while,” Tsukasa looked at her at just the right moment to catch the illusion of her eyes fading.
...For a while?”
He scratched his cheek, suddenly less sure of how the story was supposed to sound.
“Father said it worked… she got better. She was walking again, talking, even going outside like she loved to.”
“But that’s good…”
“Yeah…” Tsukasa agreed without smiling. “…But then she got weird.”
The princess’ fingers stilled again. “Weird… how?”
“They said… her feelings got all messed up,” he made a vague gesture near his chest. “Like, she’d laugh at things that weren’t funny, and then get really angry, and then really sad. All really fast! Even… at people she cared about, like grandpa.”
“…That doesn’t sound like getting better!”
“Father said it was because the magic was strong… I-I mean, it’s as if someone decided to inject magic on any of us, fully humans!”
Saki didn’t answer. Oh… he screwed up with that generalization, didn’t he.
“S-So they kept watching her,” he tried to pretend he didn’t notice his own previous comment, “to make sure she was okay.”
“And was she?”
“…No,” his shoulders dropped. “She started saying strange things. About… hearing something, or seeing things, or feeling like something was growing.”
“Gro…wing?” her breath caught.
“Y-Yeah. And then—”
He suddenly stopped, opening his mouth many times to then close it again without muttering a syllable, every single one of them.
“…And then what?”
Tsukasa glanced at the lilies stitched into the curtains.
“…A few days before… something happened, they said flowers started growing from her skin.”
“White lilies?” she asked, even though the answer was painfully obvious. “…What happened after that?”
Tsukasa shook his head immediately. “Father never told me that part, he says I’m too young to know.”
“...You know, don’t you?”
“…I heard the servants talking once. They thought I wasn’t listening. They said the queen…” his voice threatened to disappear, but he forced it back up like the royal he is, “they said… she took her own life.”
Ahh, “took her life”... those words should never be in a room like this, where two children play without a care in the world.
Saki’s hands curled into the fabric beside her, she didn’t show too much of a reaction. “…Oh.”
Tsukasa had sat down beside her, resting his sword across his lap. They didn’t look at each other for a long couple of seconds.
“…Tsukasa. Do you think… that could happen again?”
“What do you mean?” a frown drew itself on his face.
She hesitated. Sometimes, saying things out loud makes them real in a way.
“…To me?”
“No—!” Tsukasa immediately stood up, positioning himself in front of her. Saki flinched a little. “I-I mean—” he tried again while leaning closer. “N-No. That’s… not going to happen to you.”
“You don’t know that…”
“I do!”
“You just said—”
“T-That was different!” He cut in, gripping his sword again like it gave him the authority he didn’t actually need right now. “That was because of the flower! And the magic! And… a-and everything before that, the curse! You’re not the same…”
“I know I’m not…”
“No, that’s not what I meant—!” he seemed frustrated now. “I mean—you’re not bad, you didn’t do anything wrong!”
“…They don’t think that.”
“They’re wrong!” the words came out without a drop of hesitation… that for a second, made him sound less like a child. “...I won’t let anything happen to you. I’m going to be king, remember?”
Saki let out a small laugh. “You say that like it fixes everything, dummy…!”
“It will!” he insisted. “When I’m king, things will be soooo different!”
“How?”
“I’ll let you walk outside! I’ll let everyone see you, and I’ll tell them they’re wrong, that you’re not dangerous! And they’ll listen to me, because, duh, I’m their king and they must obey me!”
Saki wanted to believe it… from the bottom of her tiny heart, she truly did.
“…What if it’s the curse?” she whispered. “You said it affects the royal family for three generations… we’re the last. And I…” she looked down again, “I was born… like this because of it. A beast with dumb horns and dumb claws."
“That’s not the same, Saki—!”
“You don’t know that!”
“I DO!” he snapped, and then immediately softened upon catching her gaze. “I-I mean—I will!”
Saki didn’t look convinced. “...And what about you?”
“What about me?” he blinked.
“You’re part of it too, aren’t you?”
Normally, he would’ve laughed it off, or made a joke to see her smiling again. When Saki opened her mouth to continue, he suddenly turned away as his shoulders jerked.
A sharp, dry sound tore out of him. He tried to swallow it down… of course, didn’t quite manage.
“Tsukasa—?”!
The second cough was followed by a wet sound against his pale palm.
“…W-What was that?” Saki stood up to look at him, but Tsukasa clenched his red-stained fist at the speed of light.
“Nothing!”
She frowned... but he forced a grin anyway. That’s what he was supposed to do, right? That’s what heroes in stories did.
“B-Besides,” he turned again and lifted his chin slightly, “that curse isn’t going to kill me!”
“You don’t know that either… Mother said the sorcerer that cursed the family said something, right? About the crown?”
Tsukasa took a breath, and then recited: “When the crown reaches its final bearer, the bloom shall guide him home.”
She shivered. “Y-Yes… that. Sounds bad…”
“It sounds vague!” Tsukasa corrected. “Which means, it could mean anything! And either way, I’m not going to let some old curse decide anything.”
He pointed to her as the sunset of his eyes burned with determination.
“I’m going to be king! And when I am, you won’t have to hide anymore!”
The young prince turned away again and lifted his wooden sword to the light, ignoring the smear of crimson drying against his palm.
The same curtains, same embroidered lilies, and same filtered light that never quite reaches the corners.
That room hasn’t changed a lot until Saki turned 18. Time walks in circles there… and heads nowhere else.
She sits by the window, though not curled up like before. She learned to fix her posture over the years. The curtains brush against her bare shoulder as she leans into them, familiar as breath.
Honami stands near the small table with her sleeves rolled and a woven satchel open in front of her.
She sneaks her hand inside and lifts a colorful flower delicately between her fingers.
“This one’s from beyond the eastern ridge…” she explains. “They grow near the marshlands. The soil there is too unstable for cultivation, so no one bothers regulating it.”
Saki watches her more than the flower. “…So they’re allowed to exist without a problem?”
“…They’re ignored,” she corrects gently. “But in a good way, they don’t harm anyone… and are beautiful.”
Honami kneels beside her, carefully setting a small bundle of flowers on the stone between them. Blues, soft violets, a few pale yellows…
The princess reaches out, hesitant at first. Her sharp nails hover just above them before finally brushing against a petal.
Phew… it didn’t tear.
“They’re… softer than I expected!” her eyes suddenly light up like a little girl. “When you told me about them, they sounded… sharper!”
“They haven’t been bred to survive scrutiny, they just grow freely,” she offers a warm grin.
“Hehe, you talk about them like you envy them!"
Honami lets out a quiet breath that might be a laugh. “Maybe I do…”
Their eyes meet for a second longer than necessary, Saki looks away first.
“…D-Did you bring any lilies?” she tries to seem as casual as possible.
Honami tilts her head. “Lilies?”
Saki nods, reaching beside her. From a shallow dish near the window, she lifts a carefully preserved bundle, wrapped in damp cloth.
“I had these brought up from the inner gardens…”
“…Of course you did,” the witch chuckles.
Saki pretends not to notice that tone. Instead, she gathers a few of the lilies in her hands, turning them slowly.
“…Can you make something for me?”
“With these?” Honami blinks.
“A crown!”
“A crown…”
The princess lifts one of the lilies slightly, then tilts her head enough for the light to catch the curve of her left horn.
“…For this,” she rests a finger on top of it.
Of course, Honami folds like paper. She could never say ‘no’ to a request from her princess, let alone one as adorable as this.
“I think I can manage that…”
She shifts closer, reaching for the flowers Saki holds, and starts working: carefully weaving stems together, reinforcing them with thin threads pulled from her satchel and adjusting angles so the flowers fit just right.
Saki watches the entire process with attention. “You’ve gotten better…! They’re not looking funny anymore.”
“Hehe, I’d hope so… it’s part of my job, after all."
“Checking on me is your job! One of the few people in the kingdom that is allowed to know I exist!"
The crown begins to take shape as white lilies woven into something softer than the gold and iron the palace would call… proper.
Honami lifts it before her ocean eyes, inspecting her work. “…There, it should hold.”
Saki smiles and turns to expose her horn more clearly. “Will you~?”
The witch, folding like paper once more, hesitates only briefly before reaching up. Her fingers brush against the base of Saki’s horn while trying to be as respectful as possible.
“…It suits you, princess.”
“It doesn’t look wrong?”
Honami’s expression softens immediately. “...No, it could never.”
The princess’ fingers lift, brushing against one of the petals now resting near her temple. They feel alive in a way the embroidered curtains behind her could never be.
“…Then I’ll keep it.”
Honami sneaks her hand in again, when her fingers brush against something stiff at the bottom of her satchel. A thick paper.
“Oh…!”
She pulls it out slowly. A rolled parchment, sealed but not formally, just tied with a thin cord, practical, forgettable…
…Which is exactly why she, indeed, forgot it.
“…Right.”
Saki tilts her head from where she’s still sitting by the window. “What is it?”
Honami exhales softly through her nose.
“Something I was supposed to deliver earlier…”
“How much earlier?”
“This morning...?”
“Wah! That's bad, then…”
The witch stands, already slinging the satchel over her shoulder again with quick movements. “I need to find the prince!"
“He’s probably avoiding you,” the beast teases.
Honami pauses mid-step. “…W-Why would he—”
“You’re the one who tells him to rest.”
“T-That’s my job, princess…”
“And he hates it, he told me so!”
“…That’s also part of my job!”
Saki’s smile lingers. “…Good luck, then~!”
“...I’ll need it, thank you.”
She hesitates at the hidden door, just for a moment.
“I’ll come back later!” she adds with a smile before leaving.
Honami moves through the palace’s halls quickly, weaving between servants and guards with the parchment now tucked securely in her hand.
Ah, the throne room doors are open. Maybe he entered a few minutes ago—
“Well, well, well…” the king looks up and laughs, “if it isn’t our most reliable messenger!”
“Y-Your Majesty…” she bows respectfully while trying to catch her breath.
The queen, beside him, tilts her head with an amused smile.
“You look like you’ve lost something important, my dear…”
“I-I haven’t lost it!” Honami shakes her head quickly. “I just need to deliver this to the prince…”
“Ah. Then you have lost something important,” the queen lets out a soft laugh. “He’s been impossible to pin down all day, even for us.”
The witch presses her lips together. “…Do you know where he might be?”
The king and queen exchange a glance that makes it clear that they’re absolutely clueless, as much as she is.
“...Try the training grounds,” the king offers.
“Or the gardens,” the queen adds.
“Or,” the man continues, “wherever documents go to be ignored.”
“T-Thank you!”
As she turns to leave—
“Tell him,” the queen calls after her, “that avoiding meetings is not a royal duty, no matter how creatively he interprets it!”
At this point she doesn’t bother to reply, just nods, offers an awkward smile and walks faster.
The training grounds ended up being a dead end, and the gardens too. Which leaves…
“…Shinonome!”
She finds the prince’s most trusted knight near the outer corridor, leaning against a pillar like he’s been there for hours… and plans to stay there for several more.
He spots her immediately and raises a brow.
“Ah, Mochizuki. Let me guess, you’re looking for him.”
Honami doesn’t even try to pretend otherwise, she’s desperate by now. “Y-Yes!”
“Yeah, I saw him.”
“Where?”
He pushes off the pillar, stretching like a feline. “Stormed past me like the world was ending, complaining extremely loudly the whole time. He does that when he’s reading something he doesn’t like.”
“…Which means?”
“Library.”
Akito starts walking past her, then pauses. “Oh—and, just so you know? He said something about Atra Lilia. Didn’t sound like he was in a great mood about it.”
…When is he ever, when it comes to Atra Lilia?
“…Thank you, Shinonome,” her lips draw a kind smile.
“Good luck dealing with him,” the ginger shrugs.
The library doors are closed… that’s a bad sign. Instead of knocking, she opens them up enough to slip inside…
And immediately, a familiar voice reaches her ears.
“…—absolutely ridiculous!”
There he is.
“They can’t even agree on their own boundaries,” he continues, pacing between the long tables with papers scattered everywhere. “One document says one thing, the next contradicts it entirely—how is anyone supposed to negotiate with that?!”
He doesn’t seem to notice as she takes slow steps closer.
“They’re inconsistent, volatile, and completely unwilling to cooperate,” he grabs another sheet and scans it with visible irritation. “Honestly, it’s no wonder they were exiled in the first place! They’re deeply insufferable!”
Honami closes the door behind her and the sound clicks, making him freeze mid-step.
“Ah… Honami.”
“You’re hard to find, my prince…” she sighs.
“I’ve been busy!”
“I can see that…” she gestures with her chin at the chaos of documents.
Tsukasa scoffs, running a hand through his hair. “This is a mess! Every report from Atra Lilia contradicts the last. Trade routes, territory claims, internal disputes… there’s no structure!”
“You don’t sound surprised,” the witch studies him up and down.
He picks up a third document, barely glancing at it before dropping it again.
“They’re impossible to work with, always have been! They create problems and then act like the world is unfair for reacting to them! Honestly, after everything, it makes so much sense why they were all punished!”
Honami steps closer and holds out the parchment, not daring to comment on that last sentence.
“I think… this might be part of why you’re frustrated.”
Tsukasa looks at it and then at her. “…What is it?”
“Something you should’ve had this morning.”
He grabs the parchment, reads it carefully, and…
“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Tsukasa exhales sharply through his nose, dragging a hand down his face before reading the last lines again, in case he got something wrong. Nope.
“Oh, of course… why wouldn’t it be that.”
He lets the parchment fall onto the table with a dry slap.
“A rogue practitioner of black magic,” he recites, “detonates a structure—a church, of all things—on disputed ground, and now both sides are claiming violation of jurisdiction.”
A bitter laugh escapes from his lips.
“That’s perfect! That’s exactly what I needed today!”
Honami watches him carefully, starting to frown. “They’re requesting intervention…”
“Sure, I gathered that.”
“They’re also—”
“I know what they’re also doing,” Tsukasa cuts in. “They’re escalating, like always. One incident turns into three, three turns into ten, and suddenly we’re dealing with—what? A political disaster over a building that… shouldn’t even exist in that location?!”
He gestures at all the papers with a sharper voice.
“Completely irresponsible, and somehow it always becomes our problem! They can’t regulate their own people, they can’t maintain stability, and now we’re expected to step in and clean it up—again—”
Tsukasa abruptly stops when his shoulders hitch. He tries to ignore it and hold it in, but it just causes the cough to hit harder the second time. Tearing through his chest like something is trying to claw its way out.
Honami moves instantly. “Prince—!”
He turns away, bracing a hand against the table as it keeps coming. Until… of course, it gets to the familiar wet sound against the parchment. Red spills across it before he can stop it, blurring the ink and dissolving the words.
The urgent report collapses into something completely useless in seconds.
“Let me see…” she moves his hand away from his red-stained lips.
“I’m fine…” it comes out thinner than he wants.
Caught between the blood on the parchment, lies a white lily petal. This has been a recurrent thing during the last years.
Honami’s expression tightens. “…It’s worse.”
“I-It’s just the same…”
She reaches for a cloth, pressing it gently into his hand.
“…Okay. It’s been worse these past few days,” he admits.
“I noticed…”
He lets out a humorless huff. “Of course you did.”
The eldest prince stares at the ruined parchment.
“…Do you ever think about it?”
“About what?” she stills.
“…Whether I’ll actually make it that far.”
“My prince—”
“I mean it!” he cuts in, quieter but more serious now. “This doesn’t exactly look… promising. The rest of my family’s curses are not related to health issues… only mine, for some reason. Do you think I’ll live long enough to become king?”
Honami’s throat tightens. “…Yes, Your Highness.”
Words come out firmly, even if… she doesn’t fully believe it.
“If I don’t…” Tsukasa continues, and trails off for some seconds. “Damn it. I wish Saki hadn’t been born like this.”
“What?” her ocean eyes widen with surprise.
“I mean… if something did happen to me, she could’ve succeeded me. Pfft, she’s smarter than most of the court anyway.”
“…That’s not a fair thing to say, prince…”
“I know,” he mutters. “That’s the problem.”
“…There might be a way, though.”
Tsukasa glances at her. “A way for what?”
Honami hesitates, feeling the words caught on her throat.
“I… heard something,” she begins slowly. “During my last trip. About a mage in Atra Lilia.”
That’s enough to make him frown. “That’s not encouraging, right after I hear about a mage blowing up an illegal church—”
“He altered someone!” Honami cuts in. “A… beast.”
“…Altered how?” he freezes.
“Honami, that’s not possible.”
“T-That’s what I thought too…”
“Yet you seem to believe it.”
“I believe someone believes it… enough for it to spread.”
Tsukasa looks down at the table. “…Even if it’s true, why would they help us? Me?”
“Because… they’re still under Alba Lilia. They’re judged by Alba Lilia’s Supreme Court, and pay our taxes…”
“That’s… complicated. And you still seem to think we should try.”
“I think… that doing nothing guarantees nothing changes,” she holds his gaze with a quiet kind of determination.
Tsukasa looks away again, weighing the situation. He has the ability to make rooms feel smaller every time he actually starts thinking deeply about something.
Finally… he exhales, after a long minute.
“…Fine,” Tsukasa runs a hand through his hair, already looking more tired than before. “Go fetch Akito for me.”
Alba Lilia smells like pressed flowers and polished stone… like something carefully maintained.
Atra Lilia smells like damp earth. Even of… ugh, absolutely disgusting smoke and things that don’t ask permission to exist.
“Charming...” Tsukasa mutters under his breath, not even bothering to hide the disgust. Good, let them look.
Beside him, Akito doesn’t laugh or even react at all. His hand hasn’t left the hilt of his sword since they stepped past the last marked boundary… and it’s very clear it’s not going back there anytime soon.
“You could at least pretend to relax,” Tsukasa glances sideways.
“No.”
“…Right.”
They keep walking, receiving no acknowledgment beyond the occasional glance that lingers between people. It’s not every day the crown walks into a place that was built to live without it, of course.
Whispers follow them, not very subtle ones:
“They’ve got nerves…”
“Thought they didn’t come here anymore!”
“Look at him—”
Tsukasa overhears that one and fixes his posture, moving his shoulders back and lifting his chin. While… stepping into a room where everyone already decided they don’t like you.
Akito shifts slightly closer to him. “…You sure about this?”
Tsukasa doesn’t break stride. “No.”
“Pfft, at least you’re honest. Why on Earth would you even want to come—”
A figure leans against a half-collapsed wall as they pass. An older man, with an expression that’s somewhere between amused and unimpressed.
“…That’s the prince?” he doesn’t lower his voice, and doesn’t need to.
Tsukasa hears it anyway, and keeps walking. The man clicks his tongue.
“Looks fragile.”
Akito stops instantly, but the prince doesn’t. He takes two more steps before realizing—
“Akito.”
“Say that again!” the knight takes out his sword.
The other man raises a brow. Oh, he enjoys this.
“I said,” he repeats, pushing off the wall, “he looks like he’d snap in half if the wind picked up.”
“Akito,” Tsukasa’s voice gets firmer.
But… Akito’s already stepped forward. Of course, the man doesn’t back down. This isn’t Alba Lilia. Respect isn’t given here, t’s earned.
“Oh? Touchy knight…”
“You’re out of line!”
“And you’re out of place.”
Tsukasa steps between them before it goes further.
“That’s enough! Shinonome, get back here!”
Akito doesn’t move. “He insulted you.”
“I heard him!”
“And you’re just going to let that go, as a royal?”
“…Yes.”
Akito’s jaw tightens, and the man laughs.
“Wow,” he smirks. “That’s your future king? We’re doomed.”
Tsukasa doesn’t look at him, he won’t give him the satisfaction. But his hand curls slightly at his side anyway.
“…We’re not here for that.”
“Good… get your dog. It would’ve been embarrassing if this turned into something!” the man keeps yelling, even as they walk away.
Finally... the cottage Honami mentioned comes into view.
Akito shifts beside him, impatiently scanning every possible angle like something might jump them out of the walls.
“…You think he’s even here?”
Tsukasa doesn’t answer, he just knocks again but harder.
Finally, the lock clicks. The door creaks open just enough to reveal… someone smiling.
“Well, well…” the man tilts his head as if he’s greeting expected friends instead of two very out-of-place visitors, “this is unusual~!”
Tsukasa studies him. Messy purple hair, golden eyes that are too sharp to match that tone, clothes that look like they’ve seen more experiments than proper use…
“…Wait. You’re Kamishiro Rui, right?”
Rui’s smile widens like a feline’s, another way of saying 'yes'.
“You’re terribly easy to identify. That saves us both time.”
Akito’s olive eyes widen. “…You’ve got to be kidding me! You’re the one responsible for the incident at the church!”
Rui hums. “Responsible is such a flexible word… I was just playing.”
His hand tightens on his sword again. “Oh, you’ve got balls—”
“—Akito.”
Tsukasa’s voice cuts in, and the knight exhales hard before coming back like an owned dog.
“I need to speak with you,” he takes a step forward, already hating this situation too much. Perhaps he wants to go home.
Rui glances past him, at Akito, and then back. “…Privately?”
“...Yes.”
Akito turns immediately. “No, you’re NOT getting privacy with a guy like this!"
“There are matters youu're not allowed to know about, Akito.”
“Let me repeat: I’m. not. leaving you. alone. with someone that blew up a church.”
“This is delightful,” Rui smirks and then raises his voice, “you can wait outside~!”
The ginger snaps his gaze to him. “Excuse me?!”
He gestures casually over his shoulder. “I’ll even make sure you’re entertained…”
Oh great, that sounds like a threat.
From somewhere deeper inside the building, another figure steps into view. He has a quieter aura, and a posture straight in a way that contrasts sharply with everything else here.
Rui beams, like he’s presenting something genuinely wonderful.
“Oh, perfect timing,” he says. “Akito, was it? This is Touya!”
The knight doesn’t look impressed, at all.
“He’s very kind, extremely patient, quite charming, actually~! He’s friendly, you’ll get along well..."
Touya nods once.
“I’m friendly,” his unchanging expression doesn’t seem to agree with that.
…That’s it. That’s the introduction. Woah, amazing.
Akito looks back at Rui. “…You’re kidding.”
“Not at all,” the sorcerer replies brightly. “Go and bond like besties~!”
Tsukasa pinches the bridge of his nose.
“…Akito.”
“No.”
“Akito.”
“Absolutely not.”
“SHINONOME.”
“…If you die in there,” Akito mutters after a while of silence, “I’m blaming you.”
“Fair.”
Tsukasa steps inside, Rui steps back to let him in… and the door closes.
The interior is… clearly not what Tsukasa expected, less chaotic than the outside. But it’s still wrong, in a way that’s hard to define.
Too many things half-finished, and…things that look like they shouldn’t exist at all. Probably illegal.
Rui walks past him, like he’s not hosting a prince who could legally ruin his life with a word.
“So, what exactly brings Alba Lilia’s golden crown to my humble doorstep?”
Tsukasa doesn’t waste time. “You’ve performed transmutation on living subjects.”
Rui pauses, and then turns.
“…That’s a very bold way to phrase it. I’ll agree or not depending on why that brings you here.”
“I’m not here to tolerate games, Kamishiro…”
“Then why come at all?” he teases without a drop of shame.
“…Because I need something only you can provide, according to what reached my ears.”
The sorcerer tilts his head, seeming genuinely curious now. “Oh?”
“If you attempt to twist this conversation, or use it against the crown in any way… I will issue an order for your immediate capture and send you to a public gallow for everyone in Alba Lilia to celebrate your death.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful,” he chuckles. “You walk into my home, accuse me of a recent explosion, and then threaten me before asking for help? Very useful, Your Highness.”
Tsukasa doesn’t react. “I’m setting terms… this is serious.”
“…Very well…” he sits down at the table, crossing his legs. “I’ll hear it. Tell me what you wish for, darling.”
“There is someone…” he begins, “within the royal family. She was born with… traits that the kingdom does not accept, due to the royal curse, you probably know about it. She has been kept hidden for her safety.”
Rui’s eyes sharpen, seems that caught his interest. “…Go on.”
“I have reasons to believe that you are capable of altering that.”
“That’s a very delicate way of putting it~...”
“And I expect you to keep this delicate!” Tsukasa snaps. “You will not speak of this outside this room.”
“Of course not.”
…That was too easy, there must be a trick here. Tsukasa doesn’t trust it for a second.
“If you so much as IMPLY—”
“Yes, yes, I’ll be hunted, captured, terribly inconvenienced, tortured until my eyeballs graphically come out of my skull, hanged publicly, incinerated publicly…” Rui waves it off, amused. “You’ve made that part very clear.”
The prince exhales sharply. “…Good.”
He continues anyway, explaining enough for Rui to easily understand what’s being asked of him. And every few sentences:
“—this does not leave this room.”
“—you will not repeat this.”
“—you will keep your mouth shut about this matter.”
And… Rui nods along each time, amused.
By the end, he makes a long, long pause. So long that it even makes Tsukasa consider calling Akiyo.
“…You’re asking for two things,” he says finally. “A transformation… and a cure.”
Tsukasa stills. “I didn’t—”
“You didn’t say it,” Rui corrects, stepping closer. “But you didn’t have to.”
His chest tightens… and then it hits, the cough. This one is more violent than the previous one today.
It folds him forward slightly, with one hand bracing against the table as it tears through him again.
Red spills between his fingers, and with it the white petals that fall soft and obscene against the dark wooden floor.
Tsukasa breathes in and out, uneven. That was the worst of the week, at least.
“…Charming,” Rui murmurs.
Tsukasa wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, staining his ruffled shirt of crimson.
“…Say nothing.”
“Aww,” he coos, voice dripping with theatrical pity. “How tragic…”
Tsukasa’s glare could cut glass. “CAREFUL.”
“Oh, I am,” Rui assures him. “I’m being very careful, prince."
The sorcerer steps away towards a cluttered table near the wall, letting his fingers brush past bottles, notes, half-finished constructs… until he picks something up.
A small vial, with a pale and faintly luminous liquid inside.
“…You know,” Rui turns it between his fingers, “I might happen to have something for that.”
Tsukasa’s focus snaps to it instantly. “W-What is that?”
“...An antidote.”
“…For what.”
“For you.”
“Explain…?”
Rui lifts the vial slightly, letting the light catch through it. “Refined extract, stabilized, filtered… white lily sap.”
The blond freezes.
…Of course it is. Of course it would be that. Rare doesn’t even begin to cover it, it’s almost impossible to acquire in any meaningful quantity. White lilies almost never drop that specific kinf of sap.
“T-That’s not… something you should have…!"
“And yet…~”
Tsukasa moves too fast to be measured, and his hand reaches… but Rui pulls back just as quickly, slipping it neatly out of reach.
“Ah-ah-ah,” he sings. “Careful, Your Highness, you might trip…”
“Give me that, you’re not supposed to have it as a citizen of Atra Lilia!"
“Nope."
Tsukasa’s expression darkens. “You’re in NO position to—”
“Oh, I think I am… in fact, I think I’m in a perfect position. You want this.”
The prince doesn’t deny it… not like he can, anyway, he just almost died right in front of this guy.
“And,” the sorcerer continues, “you want me to help your… hidden royal problem. All while ensuring none of this reaches the wrong ears.”
Tsukasa’s jaw tightens. “…State your terms.”
Rui’s smile widens. There it is… took them long enough.
“Cooperation~!”
“That’s extremely vague! Be specific!"
“Legal access,” he smirks. “To certain areas… certain materials.”
“ABSOLUTELY NOT.”
“Relax, I’m not asking for your crown jewels~...” Rui waves a hand. “Just… less restriction, for me to know more about the princess I'm supposed to help. I can't help her if I don't know her at all, hm?"
Tsukasa thinks about it… for less than he’d want to. Is he really this desperate, for a prince?
“…Limited authorization, Kamishiro. Case-specific, and supervised by me 24/7.”
Rui considers it. “Hmmmm, that's so boring..."
“It’s what you’re getting! You will also provide me documentation of your work… every procedure and result, and I’ll check it all letter by letter!”
“Awww, you don’t trust me?"
“HOW COULD I—?!”
“…Fair,” he taps the vial against his own palm. “And in return, I provide treatment… and assist with your transformation problem.”
Tsukasa steps closer again, close enough to make the space between them mean something... hopefully intimidation. Hopefully.
“…If you betray this agreement,” he says quietly, “I will make sure there is nowhere in either kingdom you can stand safely.'
Rui doesn’t flinch. If anything… he looks interested.
“Ah, how exciting…”
He extends the vial, and Tsukasa takes it in the blink of an eye. Can’t risk himself getting toyed with again, after all.
“…We have an agreement, then,” he claims.
“Mm,” the sorcerer hums. “We do.”
“...I’ll be leaving, then—”
“—One more thing.”
Tsukasa exhales, already tired of that tone. “What do you want now.”
Rui tilts his head, loosely clasping his long fingers behind his back.
“The dosage is simple… once a day, preferably at the same time. Pick any hour you want, and repeat it.”
“Oh… sure, that’s manageable,” the prince analyzes the vial in hand, shaking it lightly.
“Oh, certainly, it’s not the difficulty that’s worth mentioning.”
“…Then what is?” his eyes narrow with suspicion.
“Side effects~!”
…Of course. There are always side effects for this magical crap.
“Be specific.”
“Well,” he hums, pacing a slow half-circle around him, “given the nature of the condition we’re dealing with, and you being fully human, the body tends to respond in… expressive ways.”
That’s NOT an answer. Tsukasa’s patience snaps just a fraction.
“Kamishiro.”
“Flowers,” Rui gets bored and simply spits out. “Petals, minor manifestations in areas where, strictly speaking… they shouldn’t appear.”
A pause.
Then, with a small tilt of his head—
“Though, to be fair,” he adds, “they already don’t belong in your lungs~!”
“…Where… would they appear,” he straightens, trying to hide how shaken he is by this… fun fact, as the sorcerer treats it.
“Oh, that’s the interesting part!”
“I’m NOT in the mood for—”
“Yes, yes, you never are, I got that already…” Rui waves it off. “It varies. Surface-level. Just temporary… usually.”
Tsukasa doesn’t like that word, at all.
“…Usually.”
Rui doesn’t elaborate. Instead, he turns away, already losing interest in the topic.
“Now then! We should discuss something far more relevant, like… when do I get to meet the damsel in distress?”
…Tsukasa, indeed, fully just wants to get home now.