Chapter 24: Duty Bound

Reito’s letter said Sakura would be “sleepy” after the dohame wore off, but the reality was far beyond that. She’d slept through the night and well into the next day, to the point that Kazuki had been afraid she wasn’t going to wake up. When she’d finally started to stir mid-afternoon, he’d nearly suffocated her from holding her so tight. Though the events of the day before shouldn’t have left any toll on her body, she remained so tired that Kazuki had to carry her down the stairs.

Settling her in the living room, he went into the kitchen to make coffee, followed by Karasu.

“Is she okay?” Karasu asked.

“I think so. I do not understand, though. The dohame should not have had this much of an effect.” Kazuki set the coffee things on the tray, then began making a sandwich since Sakura had missed breakfast. “Since the effects of the dohame lasted longer because she is human, perhaps the aftermath will as well.”

“I guess that makes sense.”

Kazuki nodded. “We’ll just make sure she rests. We already cleaned the house, and I can go pick up dinner shortly. Still, if she is not better tomorrow, I will insist she visit her doctor just to be safe.”

The rest of the day she was almost docile as she lay tucked in some blankets on the floor of the living room, her head on Kazuki’s lap. At times, he’d look down to find she’d fallen asleep. When evening came, he picked up some take-out, which she ate at the same semi-lethargic pace with which she’d eaten the sandwich earlier.

They’d barely gotten the table cleared off when she nodded off again. Kazuki carried her upstairs. He was too afraid she’d hurt herself in the shower alone, so he took her in the shower with him. With her sitting on the stool, he washed her as quickly as he could while staying ready to catch her if she tilted over. She fell asleep while he was carrying her to bed. Even when he lay her down and covered her, she didn’t stir.

When morning came and the alarm went off, she woke up the way she always did. Other than a mild bit of strain around her eyes, she looked normal again as she said good morning and kissed him. He only relented to her going to school when she promised to call him to come get her if she started feeling unwell again and that she would alert Akari and Hina as well so they could help her.

It was early afternoon when someone knocked on the front door. Sakura wasn’t due from school for another couple of hours, not that she would need to knock on her own door anyway. Kazuki muted the game show on the television and activated his glam spell before going to answer it, Karasu following close behind. An uneasy feeling settled in his stomach, making him walk faster.

His mouth gaped as he stared at the tall, lithe man with flaming red hair at the other side of the door. “Reito!? What are you doing here?”

“Lord Reito!” Karasu peered out from behind him.

“If I may enter, My Prince?”

“Of course, come in.” Kazuki led him to the living room. “Um, would you like some tea?”

“Yes, please, that would be nice.” Reito paused to bow in front of the shrine before sitting at the kotatsu. Kazuki darted to the kitchen, his mind racing. Why would Reito come here and why now? He set the tray as fast as he could and returned to the living room.

Reito took two sips before speaking. “Thank you. It has been a long time since I’ve made this trip, and it left me a bit parched. My age is catching up to me it seems.”

“Has something happened to my father? Is Yuji okay?”

Reito set his teacup down.

“I wish I could say I came simply to check on you, but that would be a lie.” He paused, his gaze softening. “Princess Aya came to visit you a few mornings ago, to try to persuade you to reconsider your refusal of mating. She stayed, despite being told you were out of the country, planning to wait for your return. I’m sorry, My Prince, but this morning she was found in her chambers, dead.”

Kazuki’s throat caught. “Dead? Aya? She can’t be. No. I…how?”

“She was strangled.”

His heart aching, Kazuki’s head fell forward as he cried. Vaguely, he felt Karasu’s arms come around him. He could barely fathom it. Aya, so bright and beautiful and full of life. Before all the mess with the mating, when they’d simply been friends, her musical laughter, her impishness, had always made him smile. Even when she was being selfish and spoiled, she’d been adorable, with keen awareness of what she was up to and that sweet smile ready to butter up even the most hardened soul.

Kazuki finally looked up to find Reito holding out a handkerchief, a compassionate expression on his face. Kazuki dried his face and patted Karasu’s arm in silent thanks.

“Do we know who did it?”

“Nothing’s been confirmed yet. Aya’s attendants claim to have seen and heard nothing, despite being in the next room. The guards have detained them for now to be safe. However,” Reito hesitated, turning his teacup on the table before continuing, “there are rumors that Prince Yujinasanarama returned to the castle sometime during the night and that he was last seen near her room.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Kazuki banged his hand on the table. “Yuji would sooner die himself than harm her. You know how much he loved her.”

“Yes, I am aware of this. At this point, I do know that fresh traces of his scent can be found in and around the room.” He held up a hand to forestall Kazuki’s interruption. “That said, no one in the castle has come forward who actually saw him. They’ve just repeated what they’ve ‘heard.’ I have people trying to find the source of the rumors. However, despite our efforts, they continue to spread.”

Unless he heard it from Yuji’s mouth himself, Kazuki wouldn’t believe it, wouldn’t believe that Yuji was so far gone that he would harm Aya over his mistaken belief that Kazuki was going to mate with her. Besides, Karasu had told him about Sakura. “Has word been sent to Yuji yet?”

“I sent a messenger to the Forest of Kuragari where Karasu saw him last. He had not returned yet when I left to come here.”

“What about Father?” Kazuki knew it was a pointless question. If his father had returned, he would have sent word. But he had to ask, hoping to somehow avoid what he knew was coming.

“There has been no word from him as yet either. It is enough to make a fox go silver.” Reito’s heavy sigh filled the space between them. “My Prince, I know you wish to remain with Lady Sakura, and thus far I’ve been able to allow you that indulgence, but things have changed. Princess Aya’s parents will be in an uproar as it is. Imagine if they find out this situation is being handled by a lowly attendant? And the people may well go into a panic if you do not return to keep the calm. This is not the time for our kingdom to be without a ruler.”

Karasu jumped up. “But what about Sakura? She’s getting worse, and she doesn’t have that much longer. We can’t just abandon her now!”

Reito ignored him, instead watching Kazuki with that relentless steady gaze. It went without saying. Kazuki knew what had to be done, but the pain ripping through him made him want to cry anew. He covered his eyes with his hand, unable to take that pitying stare anymore.

“Karasu.” Kazuki reached out and tugged at the boy’s hand until he sat down again. “He…he is right. No matter how much I love Sakura, Aya’s death could be seen as an act of war, especially if it is not handled to Osgavenda’s satisfaction. How could I continue to live here knowing our kingdom was being torn apart? If she knew I was even thinking about it, she would yell at me to go, to take care of my responsibilities. You know this as well as I.”

“I know, but…!”

“We’ve been here for over a month in human time now. That means our people have gone without a visible ruler for a full year and that I have let this thing between Yuji and I fester for just as long. I hoped he would at least resume his duties if I was not there, believing this was purely an issue between us. But he has not returned. If I am to truly give myself to Sakura for the rest of her time, I must resolve this thing with him and ensure our kingdom will be at peace.”

Kazuki glanced at the clock. Two o’clock. Part of him wanted to stay long enough to see her, to kiss her again, hold her. But he knew there was no more time to spare. Reito was calm, but his being there alone was a sign of how critical this was.

But, still, he couldn’t stop himself from asking. “Can we take her back with us? It will just be a few hours until she comes home.”

Reito was shaking his head before Kazuki even finished the question. “From what you have told me of Lady Sakura’s condition, it isn’t possible. You do not have enough magical power to transport two via a gem, and while your power might be sufficient to enable her pass through the portal, it would be too taxing on her. It could very well kill her to even try it. In truth, I cannot remember the last time a human without some latent magical abilities did so and lived to tell about it. If by some miracle she did make it over, she’d be under intense scrutiny. Would you want to subject her to that sort of welcome?”

“I know. You’re right.” Taking someone else between the worlds on one gem required significantly more magic, particularly if the other person had no innate magical powers to contribute to the spell. Nor would he ever gamble her life on his abilities to enable her to pass through a portal. His father could do it, if he were home…but then, if his father were home, he wouldn’t have to leave at all. And bringing a human mate to court now? That would be an insult to Osgavenda.

With a shaky breath, he forced himself to retrieve a pen and paper. He knew if he waited until she came home to say goodbye, his resolve would crumble. Reito and Karasu remained silent, watching as he wrote a letter to her to explain his absence. He filled the first page and part of the second before scrawling his signature on the bottom. After he folded it, he held it out to Karasu.

“Master Kazuki?” Karasu looked at him, confused as he reached for the letter.

“I trust you as I do few others, Karasu. That is why I am asking you…no, pleading with you, please watch over her, my precious Sakura.”

He knew it was a lot to ask, that Karasu would most likely want to go home with him. But Kazuki would at least keep that part of the promise, to never leave her alone again. Though Karasu’s bottom lip trembled, he nodded, holding the letter against his chest. “I promise.”

“Thank you.” Kazuki stood and hugged him tight. “Send word through the tree if anything happens. We’ll keep you updated, and I’ll be back as soon as possible.”