Kuro kept toying with the border—they weren’t really looking to win a battle, or even a war. They just wanted to see how much honor and glory they could muster from fighting where they could, and if they broke through Gin’s defensive line, even better. That’s how Erize painted the circumstances, at least; Kyoumi couldn’t even begin to understand the determination needed to willingly sacrifice so many lives.
Utaka had been coming and going, returning home every three or four months when the battles seemed to slow down, then leaving anywhere between a month and a few days later. Four years passed since he first left—Kyoumi was fifteen, and felt useless for it. Both of her parents insisted that she didn’t do much work and didn’t fight because she was still ‘too young,’ yet Utaka admitted now that he was able to understand and talk with her better now that she was closer to adulthood.
She still held on to the feeling that there were better things to worry about than herself—she didn’t complain or mention her thoughts, so as far as she knew her parents were mostly unaware of them. If anyone knew about her own self-image, it was Sorai; the Fujita boy was more insistent than her parents in making sure she was mentally well, although he did see Kyoumi distressed more than her parents. If Utaka and Erize knew anything about her state of mind, it was because Kyoumi told Sorai, Sorai mentioned it to Takeo, and Takeo would proceed to tell one or both of Kyoumi’s parents.
Currently, Kyoumi was worrying. Erize received some troubling report or another—Kyoumi knew it was a battle summary judging by the timing—and briefly left the palace, likely to discuss it with Takeo, who went into town to please his granddaughters’ whims for the summer festival. Both Tezo and Sorai were in the courtyard with Kyoumi, the younger of the two boys wearing a concerned expression; Kyoumi herself was somewhat pacing, letting her eyes wander and take notice to some tiny thing in the garden before she got distracted and repeated the process.
“I have an easier solution to this problem,” Tezo noted dully. He wasn’t as patient as Sorai; he got annoyed with her if her anxieties were too noticeable. “Just ask your mother? Or—maybe better—look at the report yourself.”
“I’d rather wait to see what she describes it as,” Kyoumi replied, pausing for a moment. “And she wouldn’t like me leaving the palace just to ask her about it. I’ll have to wait, but… You both know my mind travels to dark places.”
Tezo took in a breath and opened his mouth to speak, but Sorai stopped him with a ‘light’ nudge—Tezo actually winced, glaring at his younger brother for a moment before Sorai explained.
He tried to say it quietly, but just like everyone else in his family, he couldn’t say it quietly enough for Kyoumi not to hear. “I know what you’re going to say and no, that won’t help. Any reassurance that comes from you is going to come out wrong.”
Kyoumi sighed. “It’s nice to know the concept of ‘whispering’ is still foreign to you.”
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Sorai took the comment in stride, casting her a smile. “Well, you know us—we show our love and affection by shouting halfway across the house to each other and saying backhanded insults. Fujita ‘inside voice’ is everyone else’s ‘screaming like there’s no tomorrow.’”
Somehow, hearing the casual conversation did make her feel better; she returned his smile with her own. Sorai perked up a little, carrying on by talking about something pleasant—the delightful little conversation managed to pull her away from her worries, if only for a little while.
Tezo only stayed in order to alert them a few minutes later that Erize, Takeo, Emio, and Jun had returned—when that was done, he left to find something else to do. That reminder, however, brought Kyoumi back to her previous thoughts, and with Sorai trailing a few steps behind her, she went to meet with Erize.
When she got close, Takeo noticed and apparently told Emio and Jun to head off somewhere else; Sorai diverged to follow them after Takeo made some gesture as a silent command. That alone was enough for her to know it wasn’t a normal situation, at least—it wasn’t often that any of the Fujita family, especially Sorai, were sent away for the sake of privacy.
Although Kyoumi reached them, she stood in awkward silence for a few moments. She wasn’t sure how to go about asking after it—even a tiny thing like that plagued her. The situation could likely be solved quicker if she wasn’t just…standing there, but it was also too late to walk away again.
Fortunately, Erize was at least partially aware of her daughter’s habits and patiently waited; Takeo didn’t seem to mind either, knowing just as much—if not more—about Kyoumi’s reasons as Erize did.
Kyoumi took a short breath and was able to manage the question; it was the only thing she would need to ask Erize for, even if it didn’t just concern her. “Whatever was in that report wasn’t good, was it?”
Erize hesitated, and ultimately Takeo answered. “Kuro’s managed to squeeze a few dozen men past Hiroki. Your father’s coming back here in case they try to raid the palace or some nonsense—however, it’s verypossible that they’ll be dead soon, so it’s just for precaution’s sake. Just keep a knife and Sorai with you, and you’ll be fine.”
Kyoumi nodded, waiting for a moment before turning to leave. She took a single step away before Erize spoke up.
“Your father might not be in the…best of moods when he gets home. If things get too rough here, I’ll send you back with the Fujita family—or over to Tsujihara territory, if I have to. You…shouldn’t have to see him like that.”
Kyoumi glanced back at her mother, who only offered a worried frown in response. Erize was afraid of Utaka getting drunk—did she think Kyoumi was still young enough not to notice? She always knew her father drank quite a bit; still, from what she heard, it was usually better while he was at home. This was just Erize’s partial way of telling Kyoumi that if he got out of hand, she would be put somewhere else.
She had protests, naturally—depending on how the Kuro soldiers moved, Fujita lands could be attacked before they get to the palace; on the other hand, the Tsujihara family was only mentioned due to their status as the most traceable branch of the royal family, and were friendly acquaintances but nothing more. She wasn’t going to say any of those things, however.
She looked back ahead of her. “All right, Mother. Whatever you think is best.”
Kyoumi walked away to locate where Sorai was, then continually prompted him at conversation until a topic stuck and they were chatting effortlessly. That was all she could do for now. Even being a princess couldn’t make her be any more of a help to others.