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Grow On You

Chapter 35

How To Die Without Dying

A/N: I apologize for the extreme hiatus this story went on. Some of you thought I was dead but reality is much simpler: FFNet was banned in my country. Some time in 2015, I realized could no longer access the site via conventional means.

But occasionally I would get messages (I'd still receive PMs, but I can't reply). And I would open this story, sitting in my laptop and work on it a bit more. And then I'd get busy with work and forget. And the cycle repeats itself.

But I get it. An unfinished story is agonizing. And so while I am able to post right now, I am announcing that I am migrating this fic to AO3. This chapter will be the last chapter posted here on FFNet, as I cannot find a way to access my account regularly and I'd very much like to see this fic to the end.

And so without further ado, I present to you Chapter 35.

General Behemoth received the news with nary but a tick of his eyebrows. Salamander cowered before him, afraid of the retribution he knew was nigh.

"So the two sisters have escaped," Behemoth said slowly. "And you came back empty-handed."

"Milord I was not prepared to risk making enemies with the Touhoushinki just for one nusemaid. I fully intend to capture her when the opportunity presents itself."

Behemoth said nothing. He had enough to think about, what with the oddness of the King and Queen's behavior before death, carefully steering the grieving Prince En to do his bidding and evading Saotome Zenjyuurou's suspicions. Because that man was suspicious. And if Saotome ever found out anything, Behemoth would have a problem on his hands.

And now this.

He took a moment to weigh his cards. With the King and Queen dead and Prince En poised to ascend the throne, it was more important than ever to make sure the infant Prince is disposed of as quickly as possible. If the Allied city-states are giving shelter to Hilda, they too had to be taken out of the picture…

A shiver of anticipation ran through him.

A war. How long has it been since Makai declared war on anyone? How long as it been since it asserted itself, flexed its military might and made people tremble at the mere mention of its name?

"Are you certain she will be there still?" He finally asked. Salamander nodded vigorously. "It is possible that she has allies. Nay, I am certain of it. At any rate I do not believe her claim that Prince Beelzebub is dead. However she is certainly crushed by the news of the King and Queen's death. It is likely that she will attempt to seek asylum with neutral parties, General. But I believe it is futile. Who would believe her?"

Behemoth fell into deep contemplation. Though retrieving the nursemaid was not a priority now, he needed to confirm if Prince Beelzebub IV really had died. That little baby was the one thing standing between him and his goals. "You may go, Salamander."

"Yes, milord," Salamander breathed in relief and started to withdraw when he felt himself suddenly pinned by his knees to the ground. Air was denied and he felt himself struggling to draw breath.

"As a reminder, you handled this matter poorly, Salamander," Behemoth said calmly from his chair. "Your bad habit of playing with your meal has caused this defeat. I except you to not repeat this mistake in future undertakings."

Salamander wanted to nod, wanted to breathe – anything! But he could simply kneel, slowly suffocating. And then, just as suddenly as it happened, the hold was released and he gasped long and grateful. "Yes." He coughed. "Yes, milord!"

Behemoth watched him scurry away like his namesake and heaved a sigh. If he could not get things in order then his coup would be bloodier than he initially planned for. Perhaps he should hurry the next stage of his plan before things could get any worse.

A plan began to take form in his mind and he hastened to the Throne Room where Prince En was. The prince was garbed in his mourning clothes and his eyes were red from crying but he received Behemoth with admirable poise. "What news have you for me, General?"

Behemoth looked at the two nursemaids, Izabella and Sachura and they silently bowed at the silent dismissal. Once there were just the two of them Behemoth spoke; "We have found the whereabouts of nursemaid Yolda and Hilda. It appears that Yolda has joined Hilda in her defection."

Prince's En horrified expression pleased him. "That cannot be true! Yolda despises Hilda. How could she join her?"

"It appears blood is thicker than water afterall, your highness," Behemoth offered wryly. "Fortunately Salamander managed to track Yolda to River Country where he engaged the two nursemaids in battle. He reported that Hilda told him a… terrible news."

"Terrible news?"

"Hilda claims that she has killed Prince Belze."

The blast of fire that brought a marble column crashing down next to them was the unmistakeable proof of Prince En's rage. "Killed him?!" He bellowed. "She has killed him!?"

"It is… of my opinion that nursemaid Hilda has lost her senses. She has however coerced the leader of River Country to give her shelter." He added. He watched Prince En's expressions carefully. The Prince being young and hot blooded as he was would feel the need to take action to punish Hilda and Yolda. Given that River Country is a valuable trade ally he would naturally send his highest general to negotiate the surrender of their criminals. It was simple as that.

"General Behemoth," Prince En said finally; "After the funeral you will accompany me to River Country."

Behemoth was about to agree when he caught himself. "… Acompany you, your highness?"

"Yes." Prince En's face was grim. "I will go and retrieve the murderer of my brother with my own hands."

Panic siezed him but outwardly he was calm. "Your highness I do not support this. The nation is in mourning and you are needed here. Please allow me to be your emissary and capture this vile woman."

"But she killed my brother!"

"And she will receive the punishment she deserves," Behemoth said soothingly. "Please, Prince En. Remain here to prepare for the mourning."

Prince En settled back in his throne doubtfully but nodded. "I heed your counsel, general. But do not fail."

Behemoth bowed, hiding his satisfied smile. "Your Highness, these old bones will not be defeated yet. Have faith," His eyes burned darkly; "She will not escape me."

Peace is a relative term. While the tranquility of Kugayama's palace was certainly the embodiment of 'peace', most of its occupants would argue that a day that they did not have to fight for their lives was 'peace'.

They were gathered in one of the palace's underground rooms usually used for training, now converted to a makeshift war room-slash-laboratory-slash-infirmary for Kugayama's boisterous guests.

"Is there nothing you cannot do?" Takayuki demanded accusingly at the small, bobbing shape that is Folcass Rachmaninoff. In response it wobbled as if contemplating the question and then raised one of its appendages. "I confesh… I have never learned to play the pianoforte."

"I could throw you in soup," Takayuki growled at the Mu's flippancy. "I could chop you up into bite-sized pieces and serve you with syrup. I could shave you like furikakke on rice -"

"You hungry or somethin'?" Tatsumi asked with a raised eyebrow. "Cause I'm hungry just listening to your threats."

"That's not what I was going for!"

Hilda paid the exchange no mind – she had learned early on that such goading and outbursts were merely banter and nobody really intended to chop anybody up into soup.

"He wouldn't taste good anyway," Lamia said absently as she repeatedly tested the wavelengths against the chokers sitting around Hilda and Yolda's necks. Unlike the suppression bracelets the choker disrupted their wavelength signature without actually affecting the wavelength itself, allowing Hilda and Yolda to fight at full strength if needs be.

If only, Lamia thought with a pang as she watched Yolda fiddle with the clasp on her necklace. Because Takayuki's question was a loaded one. After Aoi confessed that she had no idea her attack would cause that kind of damage let alone know how to reverse it they had turned to Folcass, believeing him to have the answer.

Alas, the answer was devastating. The attack's damage was permanent and though Yolda could still use magic, she was far removed from her peak capability.

It was a terrible blow.

But their main priority was to keep themselves hidden. Salamander had returned empty-handed and it was likely another, stronger soldier will be despatched to kill them. They had to prevent the tracking spell from being used, and for that Folcass had come up with the brilliant solution of using a wavelength signature disruption spell. He had initially wanted them to be inscribed in bracelets but the sisters had protested vehemently against yet another set of manacles, so he compromised and inscribed the spell on some leather that Lamia then fashioned into chokers.

"Your magic levelsh are shtable now," Folcass told her. "Mid-level elemental shpells are fine, but shtay away from space magic. Theresh no telling what it will do to you."

Hilda, who was listening in on the conversation from the outside motioned to Alaindelon. "Please stay by Yolda's side now, Alaindelon." She said in a low voice.

"Milady, I am your weapon."

"She has greater need of you than I," She said simply. "What kind of sister am I to leave her kin unprotected?"

"… As you wish, milady."

She watched as Alaindelon turned into his bird form and flew up into a high perch. It was then that she noticed Tatsumi was watching her. Prince Belze was on his lap, a small cloth toy clutched in his tiny grip and cooing happily.

She raised a questioning eyebrow.

"You really are sisters."

She sniffed. "I didn't think your eyesight was that bad, Oga."

"Can't we get a word in without drawing blood, damnit?" He growled. "I was just sayin' that you two fight like there's a war between you, but in the end you'd always end up taking each other's back."

Hilda's gaze softened as she looked away before something occurred to her. "Oga, why did you run to her?"

"What?"

"When I was… unconscious. How did you know where to find Yolda?"

He frowned slightly as he tried to remember. "I don't know. I was just following something on instinct."

Hilda frowned. Yolda had told her that she was terrified upon sensing Salamander. Did Tatsumi latch on to that fear?

"Oga," She said suddenly as she approached him and lifed Prince Belze out of his lap. "Humor me."

"What?" He looked at her incredulously. "Want me to put on a freakin' clown's nose or something?"

Hilda smiled with a glint in her eyes and Tatsumi felt a shiver run down his spine. He never liked it when Hilda smiled like that.

"Let's play a game." She purred.

Aoi finished her tale and took a deep breath.

The story, when summed up, took no more than twenty minutes to tell. Ikaruga Suiten did not interrupt Aoi even once; but her expression grew more and more severe until by the end of it, her whole posture was rigid and fists clenched like each word was a blow she had to endure.

"The King and Queen, dead?" She finally growled. "And it was that conniving snake Behemoth's plan?"

"That is what Hilda and Yolda told us," Aoi said miserably. "Lady Suiten, I know we are not really allies with Makai but the little Prince does not deserve to live a life on the run. Hilda doesn't deserve to carry the burden of crimes she did not commit. And Yolda – " Her breath hitched; "I have done something truly terrible to her."

"… It is the consequence of battle that injuries and death may befall us. Any of us." Suiten sighed before groaning. "And now you have returned to us of your own will despite the story remaining unfinished – why is that, Aoi?"

Aoi steeled her resolve. "I need your help, Lady Suiten. I need to contact Lord Saoto – "

"ABSOLUTELY NOT."

Aoi flinched at the cutting interjection. If she thought Suiten was tense earlier, she was downright murderous now.

"There is absolutely no chance in hell that I'm going to ask anything from that miserable worm. Ever." Suiten spat.

"He is the only one who knows Hilda is innocent. He needs to know what is going on, Lady Suiten. Please!" Aoi prostated herself with her forehead pressed to the ground, eyes squeezed shut in desperation. "I want to help them and right now this is the only thing I can do. I swear on the blood of Kunieda, if you grant me this one wish I will never ask for anything else ever."

"… Will you forget your folly with the Chimpira prince?"

Prince Izou.

His face, his grin, his warmth rose unbidden in her mind's eye and Aoi forced down the lump that had suddenly swelled in her throat. It made the words she wanted to say harder, but it spoke volumes of her resolve to even speak them at all.

"I will. Prince Izou will no longer exist to me."

"Lord Saotome."

He blinked and realized it was dark and he was sitting on the battlements. He had come up here to contemplate the tangled web that he was now faced with – such was his concentration that many hours must have passed without him realizing. He turned to look at the messenger who interrupted his solitude and arched an eyebrow when he saw that the messenger was not alone. A woman dressed in Reddo robes was with him, garbed as a courier. "What?"

"This messenger was looking for you, sir. She wished to see you directly without delay." The Reddo messenger then stepped forward and with a rather haughty tilt of her chin, held out a letter. Zenjyuurou eyed it warily, knowing full well that any missive from Reddo would most likely be from his ex-wife. The last time she sent a message was right after they separated, and it contained only three words:

Don't dare come.

It spoke volumes of how much Zenjyuurou feared her wrath when only three words were enough to keep him away.

And now she sent another one?

"She couldn't wait until after the funeral?" He growled and the messenger merely held out the message for him to take. Deciding that it really couldn't be any worse than the previous, three-word-threat he snatched the message and unfolded the paper. Typical Nazuna, didn't even use nice stationery paper. The message appeared to have been a grocery list at some stage in its life – a small point to lord over her (if he ever got to see her again, that is). The messenger did not move but clearly disapproved of him manhandling her missive. "I am told to bring back a reply."

Zejyuurou swiftly read through the message and frowned. And frowned. And then looked up. The Reddo messenger arched a delicate eyebrow. "Would you like to give your reply now, Lord Saotome?"

"Is she serious!?" He demanded incredulously.

"I do not know what you mean – "

"IS SHE SERIOUS!?" Zenjyuurou bellowed and crumpled the ball before throwing the message to her. "That's my fuckin' answer!" He roared and stalked off.

The Reddo messenger bent down to pick up the note but it was snatched by his escort. Smoothing out the message, he read:

Zen,

If you remember when I left you, I was pregnant. I told you the baby died. I lied. Now he asks about his father and I wish to tell him you are dead. Will you die for me?

Nazuna.

The messenger looked at the Reddo girl, who shrugged. "It appears to be a domestic."

"Yeah but… If I were Lord Saotome I'd be mad too."