Chapter 1: prologue and a reunion (not exactly)
Summary:
awkward encounter with old... acquaintances.
Chapter Text
Her room is a mess.
The table is flipped over. The wallpaper is torn, and the tears are as tall as I am. The bed is smashed to pieces.
And she’s gone.
I left for half an hour.
I came back, and I had to fight a monster. It was here.
And now she’s gone.
She can’t be gone. She still needs to have her dress fitted for her birthday in a month. And Honami is baking a pie for her tomorrow. And Ichika was going to let her fly on her broom. Tsukasa-san and I are planning a surprise party, just the five of us.
She can’t be gone.
She’s.
She’s still around here right?
She’s not by the bed. She’s not at the window. She’s not at her desk. Or on the sofa. I can’t see the other side of the room. I need to get up.
Whose blood is this? Where is it coming from? Is it hers?
Oh. It’s mine.
I’m bleeding? Why am I bleeding?
My face. There’s blood on my face. Am I bleeding from my face?
There’s a mirror over there.
There’s something crunching beneath me as I walk. I think it’s glass.
I look at myself. My face is bleeding. I think it hurts. I’m touching my face, I can only feel skin.
It’s so quiet. But I hear everything. I feel everything.
Someone calls for her name. I don’t know who it is. I can’t recognise their voice.
How stupid. She’s not here.
She’s not here.
She’s not here.
·•—–٠✤٠—–•·
This is stupid.
Shiho’s foot slipped on some mud. She didn’t fall, but it did dampen her mood even more.
This is so, so stupid.
But Shiho kept walking. She slowed her pace, careful not to slip again.
Behind her, the town of Solis was bustling with celebration, despite the fact that it was past midnight and the main festivities were over. Even from the hills, Shiho could see the slow shuffling mass of people down below. She was in there for a while, but she ultimately decided the rowdy children and drunk adults around her were not her definition of fun.
Then again, going up a hiking trail with the humidity of summer pressing down on her wasn’t it either, but hey, at least it was quiet.
The annual Summer Festival wasn’t something Shiho looked forward to. But as an attendant to Crown Prince Tsukasa, she had to follow him wherever his royal duties led him. The town of Solis had offered to host for the first time in ten years. It was a surprise; the last Shiho had heard, it was a town with basically nothing going for it. A brutal earthquake hit shortly after their last festival, leaving the town in ruins. But now, the town was slowly remaking a name for itself.
Shiho had been there before, when her hair was kept neater, and when she still couldn’t beat the Prince in a duel. She’d been there for the previous Summer Festival in Solis, and there she’d made a promise. It was a promise made with childhood friends, and it had suddenly popped into her mind about a month ago.
It was just a childhood promise, among so many. They didn’t even talk anymore. Yet, Shiho couldn’t find it in herself to forget about it.
Sweat stuck silver strands of hair on Shiho’s tanned forehead, no thanks to the humid air. She was glad she had changed out of her formal Royal Guards uniform; hiking up in it would have been a nightmare. The full getup with the cape was suffocating enough during the festivities, let alone hiking up a hill. Not only that, the uniform, with its iconic white uniform and a blue stripe running down the middle of the jacket, would have only drawn attention to her. She didn’t need people wondering why one of the Prince’s attendants was hanging around the hills and forests.
Shiho’s foot slipped again.
For Heaven's sake, why was she doing this?
Shiho found that cursed spot easier than she’d imagined. While hiking up the trail, she’d caught some movement in the corner of her eye. Shiho instinctively reached for her sword — her reliable companion and partner, a double fuller that ran the length of her entire arm.
She quickly realised she’d just caught a glimpse of the markers their younger selves had made. It wasn’t anything fancy, just four ribbons tied onto a tree branch.
Shiho had been the one who suggested the markers, because the spot they’d found for themselves led away from the main trail, just slightly. She reasoned that finding the spot again would be difficult, so the girls had contributed their hair ribbons as a marker. The ribbons, previously bright and colourful, were now tattered and mouldy. Shiho was honestly surprised it had withstood the test of time. They fluttered in the light breeze, as if saying, You came back, you actually did!
As Shiho walked past the marker and pushed past a few overgrown bushes, she silently thanked her younger self for helping her save so much time.
She had to give their younger selves credit, the spot was quite lovely. A giant tree stump sat at the cliff of the hill, right in the middle. The tree that had stood before must’ve been rather grand because there was a sizable clearing in the surrounding area. It was surrounded by trees, and across the entrance was a drop. It wasn’t too high; it gave the perfect view of the sky and the town that sat at the bottom of the hill. Shiho settled onto the giant stump, though it felt smaller than she remembered.
It was a shame Shiho was returning to the spot alone, but there was nothing she could do about that. It was mostly her fault after all. Besides, if the four of them couldn’t fulfil that promise, Shiho could do the least to do her part. That nagging side of her couldn’t say she didn’t try.
Once she was comfortable, Shiho sat and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Shiho couldn’t hold back a yawn. She pulled out her pocket watch. 1 AM.
Shiho planted her feet on the ground and sighed. What a stupid waste of time.
Just as she shifted her weight to the soles of her feet, there came a bright flash of light.
Shiho looked up, heart racing.
A meteor shower. Streaks of white light tore across the dark purple-blue sky. They winked as they passed by, the light casting a muted glow on the trees. The surrounding stars twinkled along with the flashes of light. Shiho watched, mesmerised, and it was like she was a kid again.
From below, Shiho could hear faint cries of awe. She couldn’t help but smile. If she couldn’t share the moment with them, sharing it with the people of the kingdom was fine too.
As Shiho watched the spectacle, she listened to the sounds of the night. The voices from below blended into a soft hum, mixing with the sound of leaves rustling in the night breeze. The crickets sang along to the music played by the band down below, the ringing adding a unique touch to the melody. The night up here was calm, and Shiho didn’t at all mind enjoying the festival from a distance.
It seemed she wasn’t the only one who thought the same thing.
It took a second for Shiho to realise that murmurs were growing louder by the second. Shiho stilled, but immediately forced herself to relax. The people whose voices belonged to probably just wanted to enjoy the shower from a nice spot as well. It was highly unlikely they’d come to where Shiho was, it was fairly secluded after all.
It wasn’t necessarily those two.
A few seconds passed. Shiho could hear the sound of the voices and footsteps grow closer, then right at the entrance… then right past it.
Shiho let out a sigh of relief. She was worried over nothing. To be fair, it wasn’t unfounded in their character to remember a promise like that. She shook her head and ran a hand through her hair.
She should’ve been here with all three of them. That was the point of the promise, more than anything.
“Saki…”
Shiho didn’t realise she’d said it out loud until a few seconds later. Two fingers flew to her lips, even though nobody was there to hear her.
How shameful, to address the lost princess that way, even in private.
A loud rustling sound shook Shiho from her thoughts. It came from the right of her, north of the clearing entrance. She gripped her sword, instinct taking over again. Shiho squinted. It was hard to see in the dark, but she could make out a figure hiding in the trees. It dove into the bushes almost immediately.
Shiho shot up, sword drawn.
What in the world…?
Before Shiho could even take a step forward to investigate, another problem popped up.
“Are you sure it’s here?” said a voice, coming from the entrance. It seemed they were headed towards the secluded spot.
“Yes, didn’t you see the ribbons? I think we missed them earlier!” another one replied.
“That’s because it was too dark!”
Shiho knew she recognised those voices. The chances of running into them were never zero, but at a time like this? It felt like a cruel prank.
Emerging from the entrance were Honami Mochizuki and Ichika Hoshino. They froze when they spotted Shiho right in front of them; it didn’t help that her sword was drawn either.
Not much had changed in the last three years. Honami still kept her light brown hair at shoulder-length, though she lost the side ponytail. She was wearing a simple red dress; red had always been her colour, and it complemented her blue eyes.
Ichika’s hair was still messy as ever. Her attire hadn’t changed, even after all those years — a blue tunic that matched her eyes, and a pair of black harem pants.
Both of them looked like deer caught in headlights. Actually, Shiho probably looked like one as well.
Ichika gasped. “Shiho…?”
Shiho blinked. She gave a slow, acknowledging nod. “Ichika. Honami.”
Shiho thought she was going to vomit.
Shiho couldn’t count on her hands and feet alone how many nights she was kept awake thinking about this exact situation. For months after they split, Shiho would rehearse what to say to them if she ever got the opportunity to speak to them alone. Working under the Prince always meant there was a constant workflow, though, so she never found the time. But now they were right in front of her, and not a single word would form.
“We, uh, we didn’t know you’d be here too,” Ichika finally said. “How… how have you been?”
“Fine,” was all Shiho could say.
“That’s… good,” Ichika replied.
The tension was palpable. Shiho needed to say something, it would at least get a conversation going. And hopefully, she could find a way to apologise for what she did.
Honami tried to speak. “Chi-chan—”
“I told you to stop calling me that,” Shiho snapped.
Honami flinched. “Sorry.”
So much for an apology. Shiho didn’t mean for her words to sound so sharp.
The rustling sound from earlier started up again, only this time it was louder. All three girls shifted their attention to the obnoxious sound. Shiho was glad their attention was taken off her, but at the same time, she didn’t feel like dealing with an attacker or wild animal at a time like this.
This time, the figure was close enough that Shiho could make out some of its features. The most prominent thing about its silhouette was the curved horns that protruded from its head. Shiho couldn’t make out its body, but it looked like it was wearing some sort of flowy garb.
“Who’s there?” Shiho called out.
No response.
The leaves did a great job of casting the figure in darkness, but as they danced with the wind, moonlight slipped past the gaps. The figure withdrew from the light, but not before Shiho caught a glimpse of pink-blonde hair and a pair of red eyes.
“Saki..?!” Honami yelped.
So Shiho wasn’t imagining it.
That thing seemed to respond to Honami’s comment, and it scurried away, hurried steps crunching the leaves underneath its feet. The crackling sound of crushed leaves slowly faded, and eventually, it disappeared.
“That wasn’t… her… was it?” Honami trailed off, turning her head to Ichika, then Shiho.
Shiho clenched her jaw. Ichika drew in a deep breath, mind elsewhere. Nobody could say, but it had to be her, right?
Shiho couldn’t seem to think, or maybe her mind was racing with questions; she really couldn’t tell. Maybe both at the same time. Everything felt unreal, and Shiho needed to lie down.
The resonant ring of the town bells echoed throughout the air. It broke the silence, bringing Shiho back.
Bells. Bells meant the end of the festival, didn’t they? Had she really been gone for that long?
Shiho hissed. “I have to go. I’m sorry.”
Hastily sheathing her sword, Shiho made quick to march towards the entrance, slipping past Ichika and Honami. The two girls only watched as Shiho walked past them. Just before Shiho turned the corner, she paused.
She shifted slightly to face them. “Hona, Ichi. I’m really sorry.”
Shiho ignored Ichika’s cry of “Wait!” as she sprinted down the trail.
Chapter 2: facade?
Summary:
investigating!
Chapter Text
Thank the stars, the next day was a holiday.
Shiho barely got any sleep that night. It wasn’t the fault of Mayor Shindou; the rooms he’d provided the Prince and his crew were more than accommodating. No, the fault fell on the image of those red eyes and pink blonde hair that was burned into her mind. Shiho spent nearly the whole night trying to come up with a reasonable explanation for whatever the hell that was.
A trickster spirit? A shapeshifter? A person who wasn’t the princess, who just so happened to have pink-blonde hair and red eyes?
And then there was the obvious answer. Of course, Shiho had taken that into account as well. But Shiho didn’t want to think about that yet.
Shiho woke up repeatedly throughout the night, and by the time the sun rose, she’d gotten, what, three hours of sleep? She wasn’t sure, but she was definitely tired.
She hadn’t even sat up when the rapid sound of shoes against a marble floor gradually grew louder and louder. It took a moment for Shiho to realise. Then, she shot up, quickly looking at the clock on the nightstand.
She cursed herself. How could she have overslept?
Bursting into the room was none other than Emu Otori, a Beastkin mouse girl. Shiho had been working alongside her for almost as long as she had been with the Prince, and despite their contrasting personalities, they got along well.
“Good morning, Shiho!” Emu stopped to a halt when she caught a glimpse of Shiho’s face. “Woah, are you feeling okay?! You look horrible!”
Emu’s long hair was tied into a ponytail, her large pink ears twitching as she gaped. She was wearing a white blouse and a pair of brown pants, which looked funny against her bright pink hair. Emu was a petite girl, but she made up for her size with her outstanding magical talent and outgoing personality.
“Thanks, I guess,” Shiho yawned. “Sorry, Emu, let me get ready for our run.”
“You look like you just went on ten runs!”
Shiho scowled, but she didn’t sense any malice from the other girl’s words. She sighed. “Really, I’m fine. Just give me a second, then we can head out.”
Emu narrowed her eyes. Then, she threw herself onto the bed before Shiho could get up.
“Emu, what are you doing??”
Emu rolled herself across the bed, stopping just above Shiho’s legs.
“What in the world—”
“What’s on your mind?”
“Excuse me?”
Emu pointed to her nose. “I can smell it. You reek of worry, and I’ve not smelt that from you for a while.”
Curse Beastkin people and their pheromone-smelling noses! “Okay fine, I am worried about something, but you don’t have to be roped into this. Now get off me.”
“Nuh uh.”
Shiho tried pushing Emu off, but for such a petite girl, it was surprisingly hard to pry her away.
“Why do you care so much anyway?’ Shiho grumbled, swatting at Emu’s arms.
“Because!” Emu retorted. “The last time you were like this was…!,” She stopped for a second.
She softened her tone. “It was four years ago. You were like this four years ago. It’s not as bad as it was back then, but still…”
Shiho clenched her jaw.
Emu continued. “I don’t want that side of you to come up again. If there’s anything I can do to help, I wanna help! You don’t have to do this alone!”
Shiho stared blankly at Emu before aggressively ruffling her hair.
“Ahh!! Shiho!!” Emu looked up, her brows furrowed. “Now my hair’s all messed up!”
Shiho mumbled an apology and gently tugged Emu’s ribbon, releasing long ropes of hair. She patted her lap, and as Emu got up to move over, Shiho shifted her legs, creating a space for Emu to sit. As she gathered Emu’s hair, she spoke.
“Okay, fine, you’re right, something has been on my mind. I can’t tell you everything yet, but it would be great if you’d help me with some investigating.”
——
Shiho was quick to leave once she had gotten enough rest. She woke up in the early afternoon, earning teasing remarks from her colleagues. She changed into a plain shirt and a pair of pants, securely fastening her sword belt on her waist. Once she was ready, she left with Emu.
They walked the streets of Solis, and Shiho realised just how different the town had become since the last time she had been there. While the general layout remained the same, the style of the buildings was completely different.
Before Shiho could comment about it, a low rumbling sound erupted from Shiho’s stomach.
“Shiho hasn’t eaten?” Emu asked.
“No, I got ready as soon as I woke up.”
“You should eat,” Emu insisted.
“I’m fine, don’t worry.”
“A bakery!!” Emu cried, ignoring Shiho’s reply. Emu scurried over to one of the buildings, pressing her nose against the window.
“They only open in thirty minutes, though,” Shiho said, pointing to a sign by the door.
“Let’s wait then! Then we can get ‘em fresh~!”
Shiho must have let her disappointment show because Emu suggested that Shiho go investigate first. After many “are you sures” and more insistence from Emu, Shiho left Emu at the bakery.
It was easier to find the ribbons in broad daylight, and somehow, they looked more depressing. Upon closer inspection, it looked like part of the yellow one had been ripped off, possibly from an animal or the weather. Shiho felt a chill, but she continued past the bushes and to the spot.
There was no one there, thankfully. The view was still as amazing as it had been the night before, but Shiho wasn’t here to sit and admire. She got to work, looking around for any clues. She wasn’t sure what she was trying to do or find, but where else could she start her investigation?
She checked the spot where that figure had been. Then she checked the stump. Then the trees and bushes surrounding the clearing. Then that spot again.
But nothing.
Shiho had expected this, but it didn’t make it sting any less.
No, okay, wait. She still had to wait for Emu. Emu had her weird nose, she could probably find something. No need to panic. Shiho never panics.
Something flew by in the corner of her eye. Something that looked like blonde hair. Shiho spun to look, heart pounding.
A bird. It was just a bird.
Shiho sat on the stump, burying her face in her hands. Good stars, she was going crazy. She needed a drink. Maybe two drinks.
Behind her, Shiho heard light footsteps. Shiho braced herself for a tackle.
“Ah, Emu, that was fast,” she said, head still buried in her hands. “Could you help me sniff around the area?”
When Shiho didn’t feel Emu’s bear hug, she turned around. “Emu?”
Oh.
Oh.
That wasn’t Emu.
No, standing in front of her was the girl Shiho had spent years grieving over.
It had to be a facade. A trick. A stolen face.
Shiho’s eyes raked over the person in front of her. Her eyes were still that pinkish red, her skin still milky. Her pale blond hair was longer. She was taller. She had horns protruding out of her skull. She wore a white toga, held together with gold jewellery and chains. She was beautiful, as beautiful as the day Shiho lost her. The day the world lost her.
She stood meekly, her presence that of a mouse — you didn’t need to tell Shiho the irony of that. Her shoulders were tense, hands fidgeting with a strand of her long hair. Her brows were furrowed slightly, her lips pressed into a thin line.
But was it really Shiho’s Princess?
The stranger lifted her arms. Shiho unsheathed her sword, almost ripping the leather interior from the sheer speed, pointing the tip straight at her. The stranger stumbled back, a look of surprise on her face.
Shiho wanted to cry, scream and jump for joy all at once. But Shiho was someone who could control herself, so she only fixed the stranger with a hard glare. She let her gaze fix on the stranger in front of her, trying to choose her words.
“What are you?” Shiho finally landed on.
The stranger’s eyes widened, bewildered by the question. Hurt crept up her face. Shiho’s heart told her to drop the sword and pull the stranger into an embrace, to wipe that look off her Princess’s face, but she stood her ground.
“Why are you doing this?” Shiho asked.
“I—” A look of confusion washed over the hurt. “I’m sorry?”
“The princess is gone. What reason do you have to wear her skin?”
“Wearing my— what??”
Shiho scoffed. “Don’t be obtuse. Why are you pretending to be the princess?”
“I’m not pretending—!”
“Bullshit!” Shiho spat. “Did you forget to conceal your horns? Are you a… a demon? A shapeshifter?”
“Demon? What, no, I’m— It’s me! Saki, I’m Saki Tenma!”
“The princess has been gone for years,” Shiho growled. “If you were her, why didn’t you come back? You look unharmed, save for those horns of yours.”
The stranger tensed. “I can’t say.”
“That’s what I thought.”
A moment of silence. Shiho still held her head high, her arm wobbly as she continued pointing the sword at the thing in front of her. The stranger took a step forward, but Shiho only raised her sword.
The stranger flinched. “Can… can you lower your sword?”
Shiho tightened her grip. “Why? So you can kill me?”
“Why would I do that?”
Shiho didn’t have an answer for that. The stranger hadn’t done anything to suggest that, but better to be safe than sorry.
“Better to be safe than sorry,” Shiho echoed.
“Shiho—”
“How do you—” Shiho forgot how famous she was for just a split second. “Never mind. Do not use her voice to say my name.”
“Chi-chan, please!”
“I said—” Shiho froze, nearly dropping her sword. “What did you just call me?”
The stranger’s mouth curved slightly, a semblance of a smile, a hopeful smile, appearing on her face. “Chi-chan. Chi-chan, it’s me, please believe me.”
“Like hell I would!”
“What in the world?!” another voice rang out from behind the stranger.
The stranger spun around to look. Shiho looked past it, following suit.
Emu finally arrived, with a basket of bread in hand. She looked utterly stunned and baffled, if her gaping mouth and wide eyes had to say anything.
Shiho wasted no time. Still pointing the sword at the stranger, she walked over to her colleague. “Emu, we have to go.”
Emu pointed to the stranger. “Is that—?”
“No clue. We have to go.”
“Chi-chan, no, wait please—“
“Chi-chan??” Emu cried.
Shiho grabbed Emu’s arm with her free hand. “Spell. Now!”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
With a flick of her wrist, a white circle floated around the knight and her colleague. Shiho hated these spells, but better than risking having this stranger chase them down to the town.
The stranger had been standing stiffly, but as the white circle floated down, she took one shaky step forward. “Wait. Waitwaitwaitwaitwait, wait!”
The last words Shiho heard before they were gone were, “Come back!”.
Shiho found herself in the foyer once the trip was over. She felt sick, not just from the spell.
“Shiho, you’re hurting my wrist.”
Shiho tore her hand away. “Sorry. I’m sorry.”
Emu put her hand on Shiho’s arm; she was too short to reach her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“Does it look like it?”
Emu pursed her lips. “What do you want to do now?”
Shiho let her knees buckle, and she collapsed onto the marble tiles. “I don’t know.”
“We’re leaving tomorrow morning.”
“I know.”
“You should report this to the Prince.”
“I know.”
Emu sat down beside Shiho. “It was definitely her.”
Shiho didn’t reply to that last one.
Notes:
so
Chapter 3: that first day
Summary:
the knight and the princess
Notes:
i forgot to put notes when i first uploaded this chapter my bad everyone,,
looking back at this a day later, there’s so many typos omfg
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Shiho knew from a young age that the world was unfair. The first time she was met with unfairness was when she wasn’t allowed to join the Royal Guard, the elite force meant specifically to protect the Royal Family, at age four. It was preposterous. Unfathomable. Unjustified. Asinine. Of course, four-year-old Shiho didn’t use words as big as those, so she just stuck to ‘unfair’.
The alternative was to watch her father’s knights train. She could learn by watching, and then she’d definitely be able to join the Royal Guard.
Shiho would visit her father almost every day after school. She came by so often that the castle staff knew her by name by the time she was seven years old. Shiho’s father was pleased that they had a shared interest. He let her be, just warning her not to disturb the knights as they trained, before going back to his duties as Captain of the Guard.
When Shiho would visit her father, she’d drop off her bag and grab the wooden sword she kept there, then run off to the training grounds. Once there, she’d lock onto her target. She’d try her hardest to mimic their movements, though hers were more awkward than she would have liked.
Her focus wouldn’t waver, and more often than not, her father would have to call out her name multiple times before he caught her attention whenever it was time to go home. He wouldn’t try to go near her because, for a kid, the swing of her sword was strong. He was often the victim of an accidental, yet hard, swing to the shin.
“Shiho, you need to be more aware of your surroundings,” her father would say while soothing his shin.
Shiho always suspected that her father’s words weren’t just meant to apply to her swordplay. She knew he meant well, but he, and seemingly everyone else in the world, was constantly on her case about her attitude. All her peers were so needy, complaining to teachers about her.
It wasn’t like she didn’t like them, though. She just wanted to play as knights, but no one would play with her. So, instead of bothering other people, she stuck to herself. How did that make her rude?
Shiho didn’t understand those people, but then again, she didn’t care to. Why should it matter what other people thought about her?
That’s what Shiho often responded with when adults would lecture her, then they’d purse their lips and say, “You mustn’t be so blunt.”
Change came one day, in the form of a girl.
That day, Shiho was in her usual spot. It was a balcony that was once used to oversee the soldiers while they trained, but with newer amenities having been made available, it was rarely ever used. Not many people even knew how to get up there, but Shiho did. And somehow, so did that girl.
Shiho had just been peacefully training. She was trying to pull off a move she’d seen one of the knights do. It was hard to see from afar, so she honed all her concentration into observing that knight, then carefully mimicking each and every movement. She hadn’t even realised the girl was there until she almost swung her sword at her.
Shiho stumbled back, surprised by the face staring straight at her. The girl looked to be her age, but she had such a tiny presence. The girl was strange; she wore these dreadful clothes that didn’t seem to fit her right. Her hair was a silky blonde, but it was hidden by a hood.
The two girls stared at each other for a good few seconds. Then, the girl spoke up.
“Hello. I’m Saki.”
Shiho blinked in response.
Saki fidgeted with her hair. “I want to be your friend.”
Shiho’s eyes flickered to the side, then back at the girl. “Um. Why?”
“I see you around here a lot.”
“I have never seen you before in my life.”
Saki’s eyes widened. “Really?”
Shiho shook her head. “Do you come here often?”
Saki took a second to respond. “Yes. My brother works here.”
“Um. Well. I don’t think I know who your brother is either.”
“That’s okay.”
The girls fell silent. Shiho shifted her gaze away from the girl because the girl’s stare was creeping her out. When neither girl said anything, Shiho made to turn away from the stranger.
“You’re the only other kid I see,” Saki blurted out.
Shiho furrowed her brows. “Don’t you have friends?”
Saki looked taken aback by Shiho’s blunt question. She shook her head.
Shiho winced. She spoke without thinking again. “Sorry, that was rude of me.” She shifted her weight to her other leg. She didn’t really want to deal with another kid. “Anyway… I won’t be a good friend. I come here to train, not to play.”
“What are you training for?” Saki asked.
Shiho straightened. “I’m going to become a knight,” she declared. “And I won’t have time to play.”
“That’s okay. I can just sit here and watch.”
Shiho frowned. “Okay, fine. Just don’t get in my way.”
“Yay!!” Saki exclaimed. “Thank you, uh…”
“Shiho. My name is Shiho Hinomori.”
“Chiho? Chiho!” Saki said Shiho’s name like it was a blessing. “Thank you, Chi-chan!”
Shiho didn’t bother to correct her.
What a weirdo, Shiho thought. “Just don’t get in my way.”
And that was what Saki did. When the two would “hang out” — Shiho didn’t know what else to call it —, she would sit at the far end of the balcony, watching Shiho train. Shiho eventually got used to her stares and continued training.
Then one day, while Shiho was working on that super cool move by that super cool knight, Saki suddenly stopped her.
“What is it?” Shiho frowned.
Saki pointed down to the dirt field. “Are you trying to copy that knight there? The one with the light hair?”
Shiho nodded. “Why do you ask?”
Saki hesitated before asking to hold the wooden sword. Shiho was annoyed, but complied.
“I was thinking that you were doing it wrong, because—” Saki slowly moved her arm, mimicking the action the knight did perfectly. “—it would be hard to swing the sword while you turn the other way. I think you should try turning the other way.”
Saki gave the sword back, then stepped back so that Shiho could try it out herself. Shiho mimicked the move, a mini version with smaller movements, before she readied herself. She took position, and tried Saki’s modification.
She did it perfectly.
Shiho turned to Saki once she landed on her feet, eyes sparkling. “I did it!”
“You did it!” Saki squealed. She ran towards Shiho, pulling her into a hug. Shiho stiffened, which didn’t go unnoticed.
Saki pulled away quickly. “Chi-chan, do you not like hugs?”
“It’s not like I don't like them, it’s just unexpected…”
Saki gasped. “I’m sorry! I’ll ask next time.”
“You don’t think that’s weird?”
“Nope.”
Shiho came back the next time with a bunch of hair accessories, old ones that her older sister Shizuku didn’t use anymore. Shiho gave them to Saki, insisting that she take them.
“Thank you for helping me,” Shiho mumbled, not making eye contact.
Saki lit up. And oh, how she beamed.
Shiho wanted to capture that smile, to keep it in her pocket and nuzzle it whenever. So, despite Shiho’s prior warning, the two became best friends.
The two hung out regularly. There were a few days when Saki looked a little worse for wear. Shiho was always worried when she saw Saki in that state, but Saki would insist that she was okay. Shiho would begrudgingly relent, but her concern never did.
Then one day, Saki collapsed.
In hindsight, it wasn’t unexpected. It was the height of summer, and the training grounds, while sheltered, were outdoors. Saki looked ill yet again, but this time, Shiho was adamant that Saki go home. Saki was just as adamant about staying.
“We can hang out once you get better,” Shiho tried to reason.
“But what if I don’t get better??” Saki retorted.
“Of course you will!” Shiho cried.
Saki was almost convinced.
When Saki collapsed, Shiho panicked. Somehow, Shiho managed to haul Saki onto her back, running down to the grounds. Her father was in a meeting, and there was only one other person she could go to: Saki’s brother.
Of course, Shiho didn’t know who Saki’s brother was, but she figured someone did, right?
The knights weren’t too pleased when a little kid suddenly came bursting in, yelling about some brother and interrupting their training. But when they saw another child on her back, they got curious. Then, when they realised who the child on Shiho’s back was, their curiosity turned into panic.
Shiho was glad people were concerned about her friend as much as she was, but she felt like their reactions were a little much. She swore she could hear something saying “Get the Prince!” a bunch of times, but she could barely hear anything amidst the chaos.
After a good few minutes, a blonde boy who looked to be a few years older than Shiho ran into the grounds, face contorted with worry.
“Are you Saki’s brother?” Shiho asked the boy.
The boy looked taken aback, but he nodded. “Yes, I am. Who might you be?”
Shiho introduced herself as she passed Saki to the boy. He listened intently as Shiho briefly explained the gist of what happened.
“Thank you, Hinomori-kun,” the boy said. He bowed as much as one could with a child in their hands. “See you later.”
Shiho wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but he was running into the castle by the time Shiho thought to ask.
A few hours later, Shiho found out just who her best friend was. Their first meeting suddenly popped into her mind. Shiho wanted to crawl into a hole and die — she was rude to the princess!
Shiho’s father shook his head, mostly amused. “You need to be more aware of your surroundings, Shiho.”
A day passed before Shiho was allowed to visit her friend. Saki looked better, she had the guiltiest look on her face. She stared at Shiho with a trembling lip, watching as Shiho approached her.
Shiho cautiously approached her friend and placed a gentle hand on hers. Saki flinched slightly at the sudden contact.
Before she could say anything, Shiho pulled Saki into a hug.
“I’m not mad at you,” Shiho mumbled into her friend’s shoulder. “So don’t cry.”
Saki sniffled. “I’m sorry.”
“I know you are.”
“I just didn’t want you to treat me differently.”
Shiho pulled away slightly. “Why would I do that?”
“Because I’m a freak who can’t be healed with magic, and I can’t go outside or I might get hurt.”
Shiho hugged Saki tighter. “You’re not a freak. You’re my best friend. Always and forever.”
Shiho left the room once Saki calmed down. Poor girl had worried herself into a tizzy, and now she was fast asleep. But before she could leave, the boy from earlier stopped her.
“I didn’t get to introduce myself earlier, I’m Prince Tsukasa,” the boy said. A cheeky smile spread across his face. “Or you can just refer to me as Saki’s brother.”
Shiho flushed in embarrassment. “I’m sorry I didn’t recognise you or Sa- Princess Saki earlier.”
Tsukasa laughed. “No, it’s okay. It’s quite amusing now to look back on it.”
He softened. “Thank you for helping my sister, and for being her friend. My parents aren’t too happy that she was sneaking around, but they’re grateful she found someone to talk to.”
Shiho stared at Tsukasa. “You love your sister a lot.”
Tsukasa smiled. “Yes. I do. She’s the most precious person in the world to me. And that’s why I want to find a way to thank you for what you did today.”
He clapped his hands. “Is there anything you’d like?”
Shiho opened her mouth to say no, she was just helping her best friend, but then an idea popped into her head.
It was a daring ask, but the worst he could do was say no, right?
Shiho drew in a breath for courage. “Can I spar with you?”
Notes:
ahhhh the semester is over, i have more time to write now!! thank you to everyone who has been supporting me so far! comments are soooo appreciated 💕💕💕
Chapter 4: revelation
Chapter Text
When Shiho was fourteen, she won a duel against Prince Tsukasa. He was eighteen, taller, and stronger — but she was faster and sharper. She had outlasted him, exhaustion hitting his body long before hers. She took on the challenge with confidence, and her victory proved to the kingdom just how skilled she was.
At sixteen, she fought a Hellboar, a fiery demon pig accidentally summoned by an amateur witch. The creature stood nearly as tall as she did, but Shiho struck it down in a few clean blows. She wasn’t even properly armored. All she had was her sword and a dream.
To be a knight of the Royal Guard meant facing the unexpected with composure. One needed more than just skill. They had to stay calm, sharp, and steady under pressure. Shiho had proven herself to be all of those things, time and time again.
Now was not one of those times.
She was pacing in front of the Prince’s door, muttering to herself. Circling aimlessly, finger pressed to her lips, trying to figure out what the hell she was going to say to her colleagues.
Emu had gone off to gather the rest of the crew, so Shiho was alone with her thoughts. She had no idea how to approach the subject. How would she even start? Should she just be direct? Should she be gentle with it?
A loud “ker-chunk” sound startled Shiho out of her trance. The doors swung inwards, and holding their handles was none other than Rui Kamishiro.
“Fufu, I knew I heard someone outside. It was strange when that clacking sound wouldn’t go away,” Rui chuckled, tucking a strand of his purple hair back. His tall frame towered over Shiho; she always thought he’d be better as a knight than a witch.
“Kamishiro-san, you frightened me,” Shiho gasped, her hand on her chest. “May I come in?”
Rui made room for Shiho to pass. “So formal, even after all these years…”
The room was in a state of mess. The Prince had certainly made a home in the Mayor’s guest suite. Even though the stay was only for a weekend, mountains of paperwork had been dumped onto most pieces of furniture.
“Guess the work doesn’t stop even on holidays,” Shiho observed, lifting a stack of papers off the velvet sofa. She placed them on the floor because the coffee table in front of her had more than enough stuff sitting on its surface.
“Unfortunately,” Rui mumbled, resting his arms and chin on the top of the sofa. “Did you need something?”
“Yeah, but I need His Highness here as well. Is he still asleep?”
“Er, no, but he’s a little occupied right now. But if it’s urgent, I can call him over.”
He was definitely asleep. Knowing him, he had been working until the sun came up. “Great, then that just leaves Emu and Kusanagi-san.”
“Woah, woah, the whole team?” Rui raised a brow, leaning over, now hovering over Shiho. “What’s the big news?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
Rui exhaled, dipping his head towards his chest. “Okaaay…”
As Rui flounced towards the bedroom, Emu welcomed herself inside with a kick to the door. Nene, another witch with silver hair similar to Shiho’s, followed behind her. Nene was just a little shorter than Shiho, but next to Emu, she looked like a giant.
“Pardon the long wait, I was packing up my things,” Nene said. She scrunched her nose at the piles of paper in the room. “I’d say I’m surprised about all this, but I’m really not.”
Shiho snorted humorlessly. They both knew they’d have to help to clean up the mess before they left.
Nene and Emu settled into the opposite sofa. The three of them made some small talk. Despite working on the same team, all of them rarely ever had the time to talk to each other outside of work. Nene was often working with Rui in their workshop, and Emu and Shiho had missions and assignments to do. They talked about Emu’s adventures, Nene’s grievances with Rui’s tidiness, and Shiho’s complaints about her soldiers, how they’ve been slacking off.
“Not everyone can be a famously skilled knight, Shiho,” Nene teased.
Shiho leaned back on her seat. “I’m not asking them to be as good as me—”
“Are you bragging?” Emu grinned.
“Hey, I’m only being honest!” Shiho chuckled. “I just want them to put in the effort. They think just because they are good enough to work under me, they can screw around.”
“Suffering from success, it seems.”
Shiho turned around to see Rui emerging with a very dishevelled-looking Prince Tsukasa, who had clearly just woken up. His blonde hair was tousled from sleep, and he was still in the clothes he’d worn the day before.
“Morning, Prince Sleepyhead,” Nene snickered.
“I’ve been awake this whole time, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Tsukasa yawned. “What’s going on with your knights, Shiho?”
“Ah, they’re just a little too relaxed for my liking. They don’t take things seriously.”
“Maybe we have to be more selective with recruits,” Tsukasa grumbled.
“You don’t have to go that far,” Shiho reassured. “Don’t worry, I’ll whip them into shape.”
The Prince took matters regarding the Guard very seriously, especially after Saki’s disappearance. He’d tasked Shiho to oversee and train recruits, mould the elite among the elite. After all, he trained alongside her, and who better to take up the task than someone with skills on par with his?
Sleepy orange eyes looked towards Shiho. “If you say so. You needed something?”
Shiho straightened. “Yes, there’s an urgent and pressing matter that needs to be brought to your attention,” she prefaced. “I will need all of your input as we discuss this issue. I advise that you all stay calm as I share the news.”
“I’m sure it can’t be that bad.” Tsukasa folded his arms, standing behind Nene and Emu’s sofa. Rui took a seat on the sofa’s armrest.
Shiho nodded, but when she tried to speak, it came out more like a croak. The rest gave her an understanding look, waiting patiently as she collected herself. She closed her eyes, took one sharp breath, and finally spoke.
“I have reason to believe that Princess Saki is alive.”
There. It was out.
She opened her eyes to see their reactions. Rui’s mouth was parted to form a small ‘o’. Nene sat straight, her expression matching Rui’s. Emu was looking over nervously at Tsukasa. Shiho followed her silent cue.
All she got was a sullen glare. His fingers were gripping the sleeves of his blouse, nails digging into his skin.
Shiho cleared her throat, interrupting the heavy silence, and continued. “Er… The night of the festival, I had excused myself to take a hike in the woods. There, two other people saw a strange figure lurking about. This afternoon, Emu and I went to investigate, and I saw the lurker again.”
She swallowed dryly. “She had these horns, but other than that… She looked just like her. It sounded just like her. Just. Older. ”
“Sounded?” Nene asked. She leaned over slightly. “She talked to you?”
“Yes, is that an issue?”
Nene shook her head. “Not really, no, but the possibility of a shapeshifter or illusion magic is significantly decreased. It takes up a lot of mana to change your voice with your appearance.”
“Exactly why I think it could actually be her. I wasn’t too sure, so that’s why I wanted your input, since you’re a shapeshifter yourself.” Shiho turned to Rui. “Kamishiro-san, you specialise in curses, right? Is there anything that could penetrate the Princess’s high resistance to magic?”
“No, the Princess is nearly immune, and I doubt there are curses that powerful. Even if there are, it’s definitely locked up.” Rui confirmed. “If it’s not a shapeshifter, maybe she could be a demon? With the horns?”
“No, she wasn’t a demon,” Emu clarified. “Didn’t smell like one.”
“Are you sure?”
The question from the Prince was asked so quietly, Shiho almost didn’t hear it. Even then, it was chilling.
Emu stared at Tsukasa, equally stunned. “…Yes. Yes, I’m sure.”
Tsukasa only replied with a “hm”.
Shiho folded her arms. “You don’t believe me?”
Tsukasa scoffed at her. “You really expect me to believe it was actually Saki?”
Shiho frowned. “Your Highness, I didn’t want to believe it either—“
“She’s been missing for years. Four years and two months to be exact. If it was her, why didn’t she come back?”
“I asked the same thing, but—!”
“And the horns? Sorry, last I checked, my sister didn’t have horns coming out of her skull!”
“Tsukasa-kun,” Rui interjected. He gave the Prince a look. A gentle, but firm look.
Tsukasa reeled back, forcing his shoulders to relax. He was heaving, his posture stiff and rigid. “My apologies. I just,” — he sighed — “you can’t expect me to believe it so easily, can you?”
Shiho clenched her jaw. He was right, she couldn’t expect that from him. Other than Shiho, Tsukasa worked harder than anyone in the search for the Princess all those years ago. They’d exhausted all their efforts, so a sudden revelation like this seemed like a cruel prank at best.
Even then, in the years that Shiho had known the Prince, she rarely ever saw him lose his composure like that. He’d always put up a brave face, only breaking in private. He’d thought no one ever knew, but Rui and Shiho had seen his mask crack a few times before. Rui saw it more than Shiho had, but Shiho had seen Saki’s own mask crack similarly to her brother’s. The Tenma siblings were similar like that.
“Wait, there is one more thing,” Shiho realised. She shifted her attention towards Rui and Nene. “Kamishiro-san, do impersonators, spirits or whatever, retain the memories of the person they’re, well, impersonating?”
“I don’t think so? Why does that—”
“Kusanagi-san?”
“Huh? Oh, um, no, they don’t.”
She shifted her attention back to the Prince. “Your Highness, she… she called out to me. She called me ‘Chi-chan’.”
A terrible gasp escaped from Tsukasa. He covered, no, he clawed at his mouth, his face a painting of absolute horror.
At the gasp, Rui rose from the armrest. He studied the Prince before wrapping an arm around him, squeezing and rubbing his shoulder. Tsukasa lowered his head, leaning slightly into the embrace.
Nene looked expectantly at Shiho. “I’m sorry, but what’s going on?”
“Oh, right, you oonly started working here after her disappearance,” Emu said.
“Princess Saki used to call me ‘Chi-chan’. She’d misheard my name the first time we met, and the name stuck,” Shiho explained. “Are you sure there’s no way that an impersonator could know that?”
Nene put a hand on her chin. “Well, it’s not impossible. The impersonator could have retained her memories with a few complex spells.”
“But considering Her Highness’s extreme resistance to magic, it’s highly unlikely,” Rui added. “There’s also the possibility that the impersonator followed Her Highness around for some time, stalking her before they took her form. Or the most obvious answer, that it is actually her.”
Tsukasa lowered his hand, and spoke shakily. “Shiho, are you sure she called you… that name?” His voice was hoarse, no louder than a whisper.
Shiho glowered. “I’m very sure. Emu heard it as well, didn’t you, Emu?”
Emu nodded and pointed to her ears. “Loud and clear.”
Tsukasa drew in a long breath, rubbing his forehead. He took a few dazed steps back, pulling away from Rui.
“Um, Shiho, you mentioned two other witnesses?” Rui asked, clearly trying to change the topic. “Do you know them?”
Shiho grimaced. “The word ‘know’ is rather strong.”
“It’s a yes or no question.”
“Then, no, I don’t know them.”
Rui tilted his head. “Why were they there with you if you don’t know them?”
“They were there by coincidence,” Shiho stated firmly.
Rui eyed Shiho, but he didn’t press further. “Okay… Well, we’ll be going back to the castle tomorrow morning. I think it would be best to cool off, then revisit this once we’re back home.”
Shiho nodded. She was more than happy to leave.
“If that’s all, I’ll be in the bedroom,” Tsukasa announced. In a few long strides, he was walking past Shiho, towards the hallway.
“I'll think of a plan by the end of the week!” Rui decided as he followed Tsukasa. They both disappeared, then came the distinct slam of a door.
Shiho let out a long groan as she sank into the sofa. She’d usually be more dignified, but she didn’t really care at that moment. Emu walked over, patting Shiho’s shoulder.
“What now?” Nene asked, to no one in particular.
Shiho slowly looked to face Nene. She looked around, then let out a sarcastic laugh. “Well, these papers aren’t going to clean themselves.”
Chapter 5: yearning
Summary:
a trip down memory lane (almost literally)
Chapter Text
The Royal Palace of Sekai sat atop a large hill, looming over the capital city below. It was a grand structure, acting as a landmark as well as the home of the Royal Family. Its white exterior walls gleamed in the sunlight, it almost looked like it glowed. Tall towers and posts surrounded the main building, every one of them filled ever since the princess’s disappearance. Each roof had blue flags stemming at the summit, fluttering in the light breeze, showing off the crest of the kingdom — a star.
“Home sweet home,” Tsukasa mumbled as he stepped out of the carriage. Everyone followed after him, stretching as soon as their feet hit the ground. Shiho was exhausted, and she wanted nothing more than to go back to her normal routine. But before she could leave, she felt a hand on her shoulder.
“Get some rest while Rui comes up with the plan. The last few days have been difficult for all of us, especially you,” Tsukasa said.
“Yeah sure, thanks,” Shiho replied, waving her hand.
“I’m serious, I don’t want you doing any work. Get some rest.”
Shiho scoffed lightheartedly at her senior. Like he had the right to say anything. “Same goes for you then.”
Shiho made her way to the Knights Hall, a building on the castle grounds for the Royal Guards that were on call. Most of them took monthly shifts, but Shiho was one of the few who lived there full-time.
The foyer had tall ceilings that reached the height of two floors. Across the front door was the entrance to the common room, two staircases on either side of the arch, which led up to the dorm rooms. As Shiho made her way through the hallway, her knights greeted her with a salute; even out of uniform, Shiho was widely recognised. Shiho responded with simple a nod and headed into her room.
When Shiho realised there was no work waiting for her on her desk, Shiho went back downstairs to check with the clerk. Shiho didn’t think Tsukasa was that serious when he told her to take a break. She didn’t think that he’d go to the lengths to pass a message. The clerk refused to give her any work, telling her the very obvious lie that there wasn’t anything for her.
Shiho was annoyed, but she gave a quick “thank you” before leaving. Shiho went to her room and tried to relax — for approximately five minutes. Then, she got up and decided to go for a walk.
Muscle memory was a funny thing. It had been years, but she still managed to find herself on the same route she used to walk with them.
As children, the group’s favourite activity was walking the castle grounds. Saki wasn’t allowed to do much other than that, but the three other girls didn’t mind at all. They enjoyed each other’s company. It didn’t matter what they were doing so long as they were together.
Her feet led her to the gardens, where they’d look at flowers and the occasional small animals. She walked across the pond bridge, where they would have fed the fish and ducks that swam by. Shiho always told them not to do it, but Saki would end up convincing her in the end.
Shiho dug around in her bag, pulling out a half-eaten loaf of bread. It was meant for the ride back home, but Shiho couldn’t finish it. She plucked out the bits of loaf, throwing them into the pond. She smiled as she watched ducks fight, tossing more to break them up.
Someone called out Shiho’s name. Shiho looked towards the sound and saw Emu scurrying towards her.
“Shiho!”
“Hey Emu. Do you need something?”
Emu shook her head. “No, I was just wondering what you were doing. I thought you were in your dorm!”
“I was there earlier, but I don’t have any work to do. Right now, I’m just. Feeding ducks. I guess. ”
“Ooh, looks fun! Can I feed them too?”
Shiho nodded, breaking the loaf in half. Emu climbed onto the bottom rail, locking her feet between the balusters. Shiho continued throwing the bread in small chunks, while Emu mainly aimed to throw her chunks as far as possible. The hungrier ducks chased after Emu’s chunks, so Shiho was able to feed the few that hadn’t eaten as much.
Emu finished her bread earlier than Shiho did. Shiho offered to break off another piece, but Emu declined.
Emu shifted in her position. “Actually, Shiho, I wanted to talk.”
“Talk, huh?” Shiho threw another piece of bread. “Did Tsukasa put you up to this?”
“No, I wanted to talk to you myself,” Emu pouted. “I wanted to know how you’re doing after all… that happened.”
“I’m fine, Emu.”
Emu crossed her arms. “Are you sure? I was looking everywhere for you earlier. Usually you would’ve been training at the training hall or reading at the library, but you’re here feeding the ducks.”
“I can’t take a break from work once in a while?”
Emu raised an unamused brow. “You? A break? From work?”
Okay, maybe that wasn’t the best excuse.
Shiho’s gaze drifted to the bread in her hands. “Really, Emu, I’m fine.”
Shiho felt Emu's eyes bore into her as she threw the last bit of bread. She dusted off her hands, turned to Emu and gave her a tight smile. “But thank you. For worrying about me.”
Emu returned the gesture.
Once Emu left, Shiho quickly journeyed off to the next stop — the Portrait Hall. The Royal Portraits spanned generations, and there seemed to be new details each time they looked at them. She didn’t like walking here; the Princess’s portrait at the far end felt like a dreadful reminder.
After the Princess’s disappearance, Ichika and Honami tried to keep up the tradition. Shiho remembered how they’d at least managed to get through the garden without it being too awkward. But once they’d reached the Portrait Hall, Saki’s absence felt too present.
So, they stopped. That wasn’t the sole reason, though.
Shiho could’ve — she should’ve — handled herself better after the Princess disappeared. She shouldn’t have pushed them away. She shouldn’t have yelled at them that day. She should’ve tried to apologise sooner. Truly, she only had herself to blame for the lack of contact between her and the two of them.
And what was even worse, she hadn’t changed at all. She tried, she really did, in all these years, to change. She tried so, so fucking hard.
But it was clear from that night she hadn’t changed. Not one bit.
She left the Portrait Hall quickly.
The last stop was the Princess’s room, because Saki would have been tired after all that walking. Technically, no one was allowed in there except for the maids, but no one came by that side of the castle anyway.
After Shiho moved to the Knights Hall, she rarely ever came back to the room. She tried her best to avoid that part of the castle altogether. But something about the past few days, the way everything seemed to be coming back to haunt her...
The room felt like it was frozen in time. The maids weren’t due to clean for another week. All the pink furniture was covered in a thin layer of dust. Shiho ran a finger across the table, scrunching her nose at the accumulation. Flicking the dust away, she walked over to the wall next to the balcony door. She could still see the claw marks’ faint outline underneath the wallpaper and on the doorframe. Shiho refused to even look at the door on the adjacent wall, the door to the connecting room; her old room.
Shiho sat on the bed, wrinkling the pressed pink sheets. The bed had been replaced since the previous one had been reduced to mere splinters, but it still felt the same as it had been when she had those sleepovers as a kid: soft and safe.
She gripped onto the edge of the comforter, knuckles white as the comforter bunched in her grip. That was probably how Saki felt that night. Cosy and secure, under the impression that her Royal Knight was nearby and ready to protect her from anything. She trusted Shiho completely, and why wouldn’t she? Even as kids, that was their dynamic; Shiho was the protector, Saki was the protected.
The mattress creaked as Shiho shifted. She looked towards the balcony door, the scene from that night flashing into her mind. The mess of the room, the moonlight that had streamed past the curtains, and the deafening silence.
Fuck.
What was supposed to be a singular tear became a series of sobs. It was all too much. So much happened in just two days. Everything was coming back. Shiho just wanted it to stop.
Everything just needed to stop.
——
The sound of her name took a second to reach her. Shiho shot up, immediately regretting it — her head felt heavy. Everything was blurry, but she could make out a figure hovering over her; a pink figure.
“Shiho,” Emu repeated, her voice soft and gentle. “There you are. I was looking for you.”
Shiho looked away. She realised how silly she looked — she’d found a way to wrap herself in the Princess’s old blanket, her entire body entangled. Emu didn’t acknowledge the scene in front of her; at least that gave Shiho some of her dignity back. Shiho rose from the bed, hiding her face.
The room was strangely dim. Shiho looked past her shoulder. The window behind her showed a blue sky, but it was turning into a light yellow, the sun dipping into the horizon.
Just how long had she been in there? Or maybe she’d taken a long time on her walk. Or maybe she left the dorms later than she thought.
Shiho wasn’t sure.
Emu put a tiny hand on Shiho’s. “Rui’s come up with a plan. There’s a briefing two days from now, 1 PM.”
Shiho managed to croak out a “thank you”.
Emu gave her hand a sympathetic squeeze. She nestled next to Shiho.
“Shiho. Shiho, could you do something for me? Can you try to match my breathing?”
With a hasty nod, Shiho swallowed hard, her breath stuttery as she tried to slow down. She didn’t even realise how difficult it was to breathe, but now it was almost suffocating.
One gulp of air, one puncturing release. Another gasp, another exhale. A few more. Many more. Then finally, one hazy breath in, one hazy breath out.
Emu rubbed Shiho's back. “Are you feeling better?”
Shiho nodded.
“Do you want to talk?”
Shiho shook her head.
“…Okay. I’ll go now, but if you ever need me…”
Emu let her sentence hang before squeezing Shiho’s hand again. She got up to leave, the door closing behind her. Leaving Shiho alone.
Shiho flopped onto the bed. She definitely felt better, but now she was just mortified. How pathetic, to have sobbed to the point of breathlessness, and even more pathetic to have been caught. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Emu, it was just, well, embarrassing.
She let out one last groan before forcing herself to get up. She attempted to remake the bed, but realised quickly she wasn’t as good as the maids. She gave up and started making her way back to her dorm room. She ignored the confused stares from her peers, who were probably wondering why their superior was marching with such vigour.
As Shiho walked towards her desk, she realised that there was a short stack of paper that hadn’t been there before. Looking closer, there was a note next to it. There weren’t any words, just a small, adorable drawing, which resembled Emu a lot.
Shiho smiled to herself. As she pulled out her chair, she took a mental note to thank Emu the next time she saw her.
Chapter 6: a second reunion
Summary:
Shiho can't seem to catch a break
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Much of Shiho’s success, she believed, could be traced back to Rui Kamishiro. Her sense of strategy in battle was basically honed by Rui’s quiet, acute observations — for years he’d seen her train alongside Tsukasa. While she had initially kept her distance, she grew to, at the very least, tolerate his unwavering stares. It was only when his advice helped Shiho secure that pivotal victory did she start to hold him in such high regard.
Then when it came time to work together, there was nobody more capable to execute Rui’s ambitious plans than Shiho herself.
That was why she would never be fully opposed to Rui’s ambitious ideas. While his methods were unorthodox, they were undeniably effective, and often the best course of action. Shiho trusted him, because he always knew how to handle any given situation.
Shiho tried to tell herself that, the words like a mantra in her head — but with Ichika and Honami sitting at the table, she thought that maybe, just maybe, this was the one time she needed to speak up.
Rui greeted her as she opened the door to the meeting room. “Ah, Hinomori-kun! I’ve already briefed these two, come, sit down!”
Ichika and Honami spun their heads around at the mention of Shiho’s last name. They looked just as surprised as Shiho felt.
“The rest of the team are with Mayor Shindou in the other room, so it’s just us for today. This is Ichika Hoshino and Honami Mochizuki, Mayor Shindou’s assistants. Now, if you would take a seat—”
“Um, Kamishiro-san, could I have a quick word?” Shiho interjected, avoiding eye contact with her old friends.
Begrudgingly, Rui excused himself, following Shiho to the corridor.
“Hinomori, are you alright?”
“Uh, no, what are they doing here??”
“I just told you, they’re Mayor Shindou’s assistants.”
“Assi—” Shiho looked around incredulously. “Assistants?!”
“Yes, now why are you shouting??”
Shiho lowered her tone. “Okay, well why are they here?”
Rui stared incredulously at Shiho. “Because they’re part of the plan, Hinomori.”
“Why?!”
“They’re very capable witches! They’re the ones who single handedly built Solis from the ground up! Now will you please get your act together?!”
Shiho put her hand on her forehead. No wonder they were there that night. They lived there. They built the damn place.
Rui started stalking towards the door, but before he could push the handle, Shiho yanked him back by the arm.
“Hinomori—!”
“What did you tell them?” Shiho scowled.
“I told you, I just briefed them about what we’d be investigating!”
Her grip tightened. “What exactly did you say to them?”
Rui huffed and tore away his arm. He pulled out a small notepad from his trousers pocket, flipping through a few pages before shoving a page in Shiho’s face. “Here. Read the highlighted points.”
Shiho grabbed the notebook, doing as the witch said.
- Introduce yourself (important!!!)
- Introduce the investigation (from tsukasa: refer as “reported phenomenon regarding the princess”)
“You said it exactly like that?” Shiho asked, pointing to the second point.
“Yes, Tsukasa specifically told me to phrase it that way,” Rui grumbled. “Why—”
“How did they react?”
The witch threw his hands up. “I dont know, they– They were shocked?? Didn’t say anything??” His tone made his words sound more like a suggestion than a statement. “Now what is with you? Why are you asking me all this?!”
The notebook shut with a loud clap. Shiho thrusted it back to Rui. “Because they were the other witnesses.”
Rui’s brows shot up. Shiho clenched her jaw. “We were all childhood friends, the four of us — including Her Highness. Since you and the Prince were always busy with work, you probably didn’t see them much. We, er, split… after Her Highness’s disappearance, and that night was the first time I’d seen them in what, three? Four years?" Shiho let out an unamused chuckle, pulling at her face. “How has this happened twice in just a week?”
Rui softened. He sighed, folding his arms. “Do you need a minute?”
“No, just… just go in first. I’ll come in after you.”
Rui returned to the room, and Shiho followed suit after a few deep breaths. She considered the farthest seat away from the witches, but she decided that would have been too immature of her. So, like the mature and sophisticated adult she was, she pulled out the chair right across from them.
Only she tripped while slipping into seat, and a snort escaped from Ichika.
Shiho flushed. “Hey!”
Ichika waved her hands in defense. “Sorry, I’m sorry!”
“You never change, Ichika,” Shiho tittered as she sat down. Shiho caught herself. “Er, Hoshino.”
Ichika’s shoulders dropped at Shiho’s correction. “You don’t have to be so formal… Shiho.”
Rui cleared his throat, much to Shiho’s relief. “So, Mochizuki, Hoshino… Hinomori told me about your shared history. And she told me you both were there with her that night?”
“Told you…?” Honami mumbled under her breath. Then she blinked, drawing in a long breath of air. “Oh, um, yes, we were there. Pure coincidence, actually.” She laughed awkwardly to finish her last sentence.
“Oh, really? That’s great!” Rui cried, pulling out his notepad again. “So, could you tell me what you saw? What did you feel— ah, in terms of mana of course! Was there a strong presence? Were there any recognisable trails or traces?”
Honami recoiled. “Um, It was a little dark, and I don’t recall any significant presence. From what I can remember.” She eyed Ichika, who nodded in agreement.
Rui retracted, visibly disappointed. He tucked his notepad away. “That’s okay. It was never going to be an easy investigation, but no harm in hoping.” He clapped his hands. “Now, let us get back to the topic at hand!”
With the flick of his wrist, a chalkboard appeared behind Rui, filled to the brim with hastily drawn words and arrows and circles. Ichika and Honami exchanged looks.
“That’s… a lot.” Ichika leaned against the table, trying to get a closer look.
“Yes, unfortunately there’s not a lot to go off of, so I figured I’d try to cover all the bases!” Rui said.
Rui kicked off the meeting with discussion about Phase One. This phase was to be experimental — gather information about the stranger through interactions and investigations. The phase would last over the course of a month at the very least.
Detainment was off the table. Rui had brought it up to Tsukasa on the ride home, because it would be easier to study the subject if they were stuck in a prison cell, but both Shiho and Tsukasa were firm.
Once they have gathered enough information, it would be brought to the team at the castle, and that’s when they make the choice.
Whether to kill the imposter, or to move on to Phase Two.
“Kill…?” Honami gasped. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, exchanging looks with Ichika. Shiho grimaced slightly as well, even despite her years of experience under her belt.
“Of course,” Rui replied matter-of-factly. He didn’t elaborate much on that. Though, Shiho supposed, there wasn’t much to say.
The operation was meticulously detailed, running the meeting long. While Rui was enthusiastic, he wasn’t cruel. So despite his rambling, he gave them breaks in between, during which the girls were left to their own devices.
Shiho was grateful for the breaks, but there came another problem.
Nothing of note happened during the first break. Ichika and Honami lingered around the snack bar nearby, chatting quietly as they got their energy back.
During the second break, they didn’t leave the table. Shiho didn’t want to face them for thirty minutes straight, so she opted to be the one by the snack bar that time, even though she wasn’t particularly hungry. She would catch fleeting glances from the two witches as they talked, which just made her feel awkward.
The third time, they excused themselves to the connecting room. Shiho didn’t intend to eavesdrop, — or at least, that’s what she told herself — but when she passed by a few times, she swore she’d heard her name mentioned a few times. Maybe it was just paranoia. Maybe she was being a snoop. But one thing was for sure; she was anxious as hell.
Shiho had expected this. They must have been reluctant to work with her, and she didn’t blame them. She didn’t want to work with them either, but it wasn’t because she hated them. It was far, far from it.
The last thing she wanted was to make them uncomfortable, and if her presence was doing that, she would gladly remove herself.
And considering everything she’d done to them, and how she treated them just days ago, she was almost certain they wanted nothing to do with her.
The fourth break was when Honami spoke up. After a silent conversation with Ichika, she raised her hand.
“Pardon me, I should have asked earlier,” she said. “How exactly do the two of us play a part in this? Surely Shi— Hinomori can do this on her own?”
Rui smacked his forehead. “Did I not go through that?! Ah, how could I forget? My deepest apologies, I got too excited!” He flicked his wrist again, summoning another board.
The other two witches offered reassuring smiles as Rui walked toward the new board.
“You all know about the Princess' difficult relationship with magic, yes?” Rui began, pointing to a corner of the board. “But there’s clearly some sort of magic at play, and I need your help.” He gestured to Ichika and Honami.
“Why us?” Ichika frowned.
“Oh, but who would be better to support Hinomori here? I wasn’t aware that you all were childhood friends until recently, but that definitely helps!”
Shiho felt herself flush. Rui was not helping.
“Besides, you two are very talented witches, if your efforts in Solis have anything to show. I’m sure you’re more than competent. You will collaborate with us using Shiho’s intel.”
Ichika and Honami only nodded.
The lack of reaction made Shiho’s insides twist. Their faces were unreadable. If you aren’t okay with the plan, say it now!
Rui paused mid-step. "...Shiho?"
Shiho didn’t realise she had said that last part aloud. Her hand hovered over her face, mouth agape.
Honami glanced at Ichika, mouth pressed into a thin line. Ichika returned the look.
Shit!
Ichika didn’t let Shiho take back her words. “What makes you think we aren’t okay with it?” Ichika asked, calm and curious.
“Just…” Shiho scrambled. “You both are Mayor Shindou’s assistants, aren’t you? I’m sure you both have a lot of work on your plate already.”
Shiho looked to Rui, silently begging for help. But Rui read the situation wrong, because—
“Perhaps I should… give you three a moment…”
She silently cursed him as the door closed with a gentle click.
“Shiho? Are you feeling alright?” Honami asked.
”Yes, I am, I’m just…” Shiho trailed off — not for the lack of words, but for the flood that she was holding back.
After a few moments, she sighed and ran a hand through her hair, her hand traveling from her head to the side of her neck. “Look, I know I messed up back then. I wasn’t there when it mattered. I’m not here to beg for your—”
Shiho paused. That felt wrong.
“I’m not trying to run away,” she corrected. “But… you guys don’t look very happy to be here. If you’re not comfortable with the plan — not comfortable working with me —I want you both to say it.”
For a moment, silence.
Then Ichika’s lips twitched. “Shiho, we don’t feel that way. We never did.”
Shiho frowned. “What…?”
“Why would you think that?”
Shiho’s frown curled deeper. “Because you both were whispering, and, um, looking at me a lot,” Shiho rambled, looking down at her lap. “And you guys looked super unsettled when Kamishiro-san mentioned killing. I know you both aren’t very used to stuff like that, and, I, uh, if you can’t handle that stuff, you shouldn’t push yourself, and…”
Shiho trailed off, heat rising up to her ears with each word she said.
“Shiho, pffft—”
Shiho’s head snapped up, confusion contorting her features.
Ichika was laughing.
She was laughing.
“Ichika!” Shiho cried, heat burning her whole body.
Ichika bit back a yelp. A smile broke on Honami’s face as well, and spoke for the other witch instead. “No, Shiho, we were worried that you were uncomfortable!”
That did it. Ichika couldn’t hold it in. She started giggling, clutching her chest. “Oh, Shiho, you haven’t changed either!”
The laughter felt warm, like the first fire lit in winter. Like a sip of water after a run, or the comfort of your blanket after a long day.
And most importantly, it felt wonderful.
Soon, Honami and Shiho joined in as well. Shiho wasn’t sure exactly why she was laughing, but the only thing that mattered was that it felt so good.
Their laughter eventually turned into breathless grunts and aching sides, joy echoing in the room.
A lazy smile settled on Ichika’s face. “You haven’t changed,” she repeated.
Shiho’s jaw settled, tightening faintly. “I tried to. I promise.”
Ichika's eyelids fluttered in surprise. “Why would you ever try to do that?”
Because…
Shiho opened her mouth.
But no words came.
The door creaked open, a set of curious amber eyes peeking through the small crack. Then, Rui swung the door open.
“Are you ladies alright?” Rui asked, his voice gentle.
Shiho glanced back at her friends, then back to Rui.
“Yeah,” she said, a small smile tugging at her lips. “We’re alright.”
Notes:
hi, hope youre all enjoying the fic so far! just so you know, i will be taking a break after i post chapter 7. im super new to writing fics and i realise i should probably write it all in one go rather than write it on the weekly lol. will take note of that in my next projects. the break will probably be for 1-2 weeks!
but anyway, thanks for reading! see you in the next chapter~~
Chapter 7: sentiments
Chapter Text
The rest of the meeting went better than expected. The tension was lifted, the weight now replaced with a strange, but comforting lightness. Shiho didn’t know what to make of it, but she wasn’t complaining.
Once the excitement simmered, Rui walked over to a section of the board, brushing aside pinned papers that blocked a few more that were hidden underneath. “Now that we’re briefed on Phase One, let’s move onto logistics! Hinomori, you’ll be working on-site. Don’t worry, you’ll be given proper accommodations. There are vacant houses in Solis available for your stay.”
“You didn’t even let me say anything,” Shiho scowled half-heartedly. “But okay.”
“Sorry, did you say vacant houses?” Honami cut in. “I’m certain there aren’t any left… Am I remembering wrong, Ichika?”
Ichika put her hand to her chin. “No, I’m pretty sure we had just welcomed a new family a week ago. The next set of houses will only be ready by next year’s fall.”
“That can’t be right,” Rui said, voice low. He reached for his notepad, mumbling to himself as he flipped through pages. He paused on the page he was looking for. “Here… Mayor Shindou had said that there were available houses.”
Honami pinched the bridge of her nose. “Did he forget? My word…”
Rui folded his arms and tilted his head. “That is a bit of a predicament. Are you sure there’s no vacant housing? How about the inn?”
Honami shook her head. “No, and the local inn is still recovering from the Summer Festival. There are… lasting effects from the festival, so it’s not equipped to house guests long-term.”
“Issues?” Shiho probed.
“Some guests got a little too excited, causing severe damages to the rooms and facilities,” Ichika groaned. “We thought we were prepared to handle a large number of people in the town, but I guess we’ve still got some things to work on.”
Shiho uncrossed her legs, leaning forward slightly. “Were there any more damages from that weekend?”
“Yes, there’s the town square and a few bars,” Ichika said, rubbing at her temple, a little weary. But when she caught the crease in Shiho’s brow, she softened. “But don’t worry, the Crown has given us a good sum of money to restore the town. Besides the inn, the damages aren’t too severe.”
Shiho let her shoulders drop at Ichika’s smile. “Oh, I see. I hope the restoration goes well.”
Before the moment could stretch, Rui cleared his throat. “So, about the housing situation…”
Heat crept up Shiho’s cheeks. “Right, yeah, my apologies. Um, so what do we do?”
Honami grit her teeth. “I’ll see if Mayor Shindou would be willing to house you, seeing that he was the one that caused this mishap.”
“As much as possible, I’d like Hinomori to have her own space,” Rui said. “But if there really aren’t any available houses, we’ll have to settle on that.”
Ichika gasped suddenly. She got up then pulled Honami aside, facing away from the other two. Shiho couldn’t make out what they were saying.
“Is everything alright?” Shiho asked.
The two witches spun back around, as if they’d forgotten Shiho and Rui’s presence.
Ichika cleared her throat. “We do have a vacant house — on our land. We aren’t using it anymore, so Shiho can have that entire house to herself!”
Shiho blinked. “Wait, seriously?”
Honami and Ichika nodded at the same time.
“Why aren’t you using the house anymore? Is there something wrong with it?” Rui asked.
Ichika laughed. “No, no, we just moved in together!”
Shiho blinked, again. “Moved in together? But why?”
Ichika fixed Shiho with a funny look, and Honami only chuckled. When Honami raised her hand to cover her laughter, her ring finger glinted. On it was a gold ring, where a simple blue gem shimmered in the evening light.
“O-oh!” Shiho exclaimed
Rui clapped his hands to gather everyone’s attention. “So it looks like we have the housing situation sorted out. Hoshino, could you brief me a bit on the house?”
While Rui and Ichika spoke, Shiho let herself zone out. Quite frankly, as long as she could sleep in a warm bed at night, Shiho didn’t care where she slept.
Besides, there was a bigger issue — Ichika and Honami were engaged. And she didn’t even realise.
Her eyes swept lazily across the room, darting between various furniture, before it fell on Honami. She was staring vacantly at the table. When she noticed Shiho staring, she gave the knight a clumsy smile. Their gaze lingered on each other for a beat too long before breaking away.
The silence between them was a bit awkward, but not uncomfortable. Even then…
”So… You and Ichika?”
Red bloomed against Honami’s cheeks again. “Hm? Oh, um, yes…” She opened her mouth to say something more, but then she closed it quickly. She looked away again, seemingly unsure where to let her gaze rest.
Shiho fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve. She glanced around again, before she straightened her posture slightly. “How, uh, how long have you two been…?”
Honami paused, lifting her head slightly as she concentrated. “We’ve been together for almost a year now.”
A year?
“A year…!”
Honami smiled. “Yes, and a wonderful year at that.” She adjusted her hair. “We actually skipped the dating part… We’ve been engaged for a year, but we haven’t decided on a wedding date. It sounds silly, but we’ve already known each other for such a long time, so we thought — why wait?”
Shiho stayed silent. Honami noticed, snapping out of her prattling. She winced, rubbing her neck. “Ah… I’m sorry we didn’t tell you sooner.”
“No, no, it’s okay,” Shiho reassured. “I just…”
Shiho couldn’t form the words. So instead, she excused herself.
Summer in Sekai was warm, but that year felt especially humid. As Shiho left the room, the evening air hit her immediately, sweat forming on her forehead already. She unceremoniously removed her uniform jacket, tucking it under her arm. Then, she walked away from the meeting room and the hallway where it resided.
She walked and walked, until she was in the garden. She walked over the bridge, past the statues and decorative bushes and towards one of the courtyards. She sat herself down on a stone bench. Before she could even think, a familiar voice called out to her.
“Shiho? What are you doing here?”
Shiho turned to Prince Tsukasa, who was dressed in simple evening wear; or at least, as simple as a prince could get.
Shiho bowed her head. “Good evening, Your Highness. I could ask the same to you.”
“I spotted you while I was walking back to my chambers. Aren’t you supposed to be in a meeting with Rui and Mayor Shindou’s assistants?”
Shiho looked away. “I was. I just needed a break.”
Tsukasa shot her an amused look. “You? A break? Wow, Rui must have put you through hell for you to be this worn out ”
“Har, har, very funny.” Shiho rolled her eyes, making room on the bench for the Prince to sit.
He followed her cue, sitting beside her. “But seriously, is everything alright? You look troubled. More than you have already been these days.”
“What’s with everyone suddenly being so worried about my mental wellbeing lately?”
“We’re always worried,” Tsukasa said. “We’ve seen what happens when you’re at rock bottom.”
Shiho fixed the Prince a look, but couldn’t find it in herself to let it hang. She drew in a long breath. “Your Highness, have you met Mayor Shindou’s assistants?”
Tsukasa shook his head. ”I’ve not met them yet. I couldn’t greet them this morning, and I spent the entire day with Mayor Shindou doing admin work.”
“I see.” Shiho let out a humourless chuckle. She lifted her legs, pulling them to her chest.
“Are they causing you trouble? It must be brutal if you’re that affected.”
Shiho tilted her head. “I guess you could say that. Remember Hona and Ichi?”
Tsukasa narrowed his eyes. “Your childhood friends? Yeah, but what do they have to do with…”
Shiho stayed silent. She could almost hear the gears turning in his head.
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
They didn’t say anything for a few seconds, letting the sound of flowing water fill the silence.
“I see why you needed a break,” Tsukasa finally said.
“It’s not that— well, it’s not just that,” Shiho said. “They’re engaged.”
“Wait, seriously? I mean, I knew it, but, okay, woah.”
“That was my reaction as well,” Shiho chuckled, a small smile curving her lips. “Their gems on their rings are the other person’s colour.”
“That’s adorable.”
“Yeah.” Then Shiho’s smile dropped slightly. “But they’ve been engaged for a year. A whole year, and I didn’t know.”
Tsukasa’s features softened. “Shiho…”
“But I know I can’t blame them.”
The Prince paused.
“Do you want to work with other people instead?” Tsukasa asked gently. “I can get Rui to run a little memory spell so they’d forget any information he told them, and—”
”Good stars, no,” Shiho said quickly. “We’re fine. I think. We’re at least at a point where we can joke around like old times.”
Shiho continued, “But yeah, I mean, it was my fault we split, so it makes sense they didn’t tell me. It’s a little awkward, but I can deal with it.” She pulled her legs even tighter. “Plus, even if that… thing… doesn’t end up being Her Highness, this could be my chance to make things right.”
Tsukasa smiled faintly. “That’s very noble of you, Shiho.”
“It’s the least I can do. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but I don’t care.”
For another moment, they both stayed quiet.
Then, Tsukasa spoke, voice barely louder than a whisper. “Wishful thinking huh?”
Shiho turned to the Prince. “Your Highness?”
He hesitated. “Shiho, could you lend me your ear?”
Shiho nodded. “Of course, my liege.”
Tsukasa let his mouth hang before he finally spoke. “I don’t think I’ve ever believed that Saki is truly gone.” He ran a hand through his hair, bunching it in his fist. “Is it foolish of me to hope that Saki’s out there, somewhere? That this stranger could actually be her? Be honest.”
Shiho considered her words for a moment.
“Yes, incredibly so.”
Tsukasa looked at her, startled, but not angry.
“But you wouldn’t be the only fool, Your Highness,” Shiho admitted. “It’s been four years, two months, and nine days—”
“Eleven days,” Tsukasa corrected.
Shiho tittered. “Eleven days. It’s been that long, but the thoughts of Her Highness never seem to go away. A lot of times, I catch myself thinking about the life that we— that she could have led. I look at things, like a flower or an animal, and wonder what Her Highness would say. Or I’d buy an extra cake at the bakery, forgetting that she’s not here to eat it.”
“…Is that so?”
“It’s like… My brain knows that she’s not here, but my heart can’t seem to catch up,” Shiho finished.
Tsukasa let his hand drop away from his hair. “You put it beautifully. Ever consider poetry?”
“I’m not creative enough for that,” Shiho shrugged. ‘Besides, I wouldn’t have the time.”
Tsukasa responded with a light chuckle. He ran a hand through his hair again, brushing aside stubborn golden locks from his brow. His hair wasn’t nearly as golden as the Princess’s, but in the light of the evening sun, you could barely tell the difference.
“I miss her,” Tsukasa admitted absentmindedly. “I miss her so much.”
To anyone else, that statement would have already been a given. However, the Prince would have never openly said such a thing, and not because of pride — everyone in the kingdom and beyond knew how deep the Prince’s love for his sister ran. But a vulnerable ruler puts their kingdom at risk.
The words from his mouth were only ever said to Shiho. Somehow, it felt like they were the only two people who shared the same grief. Everyone else didn’t seem to understand. Rui and the others only gave him support. His parents barely talked to him.
But Shiho?
She understood.
Maybe it was because it was her fault. Maybe because Shiho knew that a small part of him had resented her for Saki’s disappearance.
But she was the one who screamed Saki’s name, alerting the other guards. Despite the onslaught of soldiers he’d called, she was the only one who managed to keep up with him, sprinting into the forest and trying to follow the winged creature, even when they were both exhausted. Despite the cruel way he treated her for months after the incident, she stayed. Part of it was duty, but there was something deeper.
She knew the pain. She felt the exact same pain.
Shiho looked up to the sky, admiring the orange hues. “I know, Your Highness. I know.”
Tsukasa stayed silent. For just a moment, he seemed to relax. It wasn’t much, but it was enough.
Shiho let out a puff of air before she sprung up from her seat, dusting off invisible dirt off her lap. “I should probably go back to the meeting. Rui might come for my head if I don’t return soon.” She bowed. “Thank you, sir.”
The Prince gave a silent nod. He got up to leave, but then he abruptly stopped in his tracks. He turned around, and gave Shiho a hesitant pat on the shoulder.
I’m counting on you.
kakaja on Chapter 1 Fri 30 May 2025 08:21AM UTC
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