“My Lady, Lord Morimoto is here to see you," A servant announced, her eyes not gazing anywhere else but the floor. It was improper for anyone like her to lay eyes on royalty without permission. The princess was already beset with three attendants, dressing her, putting ornaments into her hair, and fetching an elaborate obi to tie her dress in place.

“Send him in," Lady Watanabe replied, to the shock of her attendants. It was likewise improper for a man to be in the same room as a Lady while she is half-dressed. The Princess was no simpleton and perfectly knew this, but chose to ignore it, anyway. Royalty is Royalty, after all, and her servants obliged, opening the door to let the Thaumaturgist in.

“Leave us," She instructed. Her attendants bowed, and left into the ante-room. As Lord Morimoto entered the room, the princess was bunching her clothes around herself haphazardly, hastily fastening it with her sash, making sure no inch of skin save her hands and face be visible to her guest. Her face did not bear any sign of inconvenience, though, and she still received him warmly.

Upon seeing this predicament, Yuuichi stepped back, immediately looking away and apologizing. “I was not informed that you were dressing.”

“I don’t mind, Your Lordship," She replied. “You are here to ensure my safety today, and the least I could do is to cooperate.”

Yuuichi tentatively looked at her. She was smiling, even though her state of undress was a bit scandalous for him to see. How could she be so trusting? He was momentarily distracted and almost forgot what he went there for, but soon extracted a pewter bracelet from his pocket. It was simple in design, and had a delicately thin metal wire running along its length. He handed it to her.

“Please wear this. It’s a Sorcerous Instrument Lady Fujimori made. If anything is to happen to you, and I am not in sight, please break the metal wire. It would allow me to tell where you are.”

She laughed softly. “I’m touched that you and Lady Fujimori went through all the trouble for this. Thank you," She bowed, causing part of her dress to come undone.

Yuuichi’s eyes were fast and they immediately shut. He covered his face and turned around. “I should leave. Please excuse me," He bolted towards the door.

-

Any city the size of Reinaguchi is bound to have several marketplaces. In the fourth district, along the Northern bank of the Hakuryu River stands the Morning Market. Known for both freshwater fish caught right off the river, Seafood sent from the Kingdom’s distant shore, as well as various produce from the vast fields of the Kingdom. Then there is the First District Market, where the King’s Road which runs from the southern mountain passes terminates in a grand bazaar for merchants selling all sorts of wares made from within Shin Rikoku, and across its borders. Along with a few smaller markets dotting all around the city, they all simultaneously celebrate the coming of the summer harvest, as well as the wealth trade has brought in a festival known as Market Day.

During Market Day, People flock to the marketplaces for the spectacle and the greatest deals they’ll see all year round. Festivities and competitions abound, with merchants selling at dramatically reduced prices as well as free food and drink from the greatest cooks in the city. Music fills the air, clashing with exploding fireworks all day long, and continuing on until late at night.

In short, Yuuichi wanted nothing to do with it. For one, he couldn’t read in all the noise, and for another, he had to keep an eye out for the Order of Kuusai’s number one target stepping outside the protection of the palace. Unfortunately for him, the king saw this as an opportunity to strike back at the Order, asking the Royal Guard to assist the City Constabulary in apprehending anyone who seemed suspicious.

Describing Watanabe Akira as “ruthless” as he used his beloved sister as bait would be an understatement. Yuuichi was given the most unwarranted display of confidence he had seen, from the Watanabe Family, no less. So there he was, anxiously standing behind the princess, who seemed not to mind the target painted on her head and enjoyed the festivities from an elevated booth provided to the guest of honor. Along for the ride was Lady Katagiri, who was basically just there to make sure nothing served during the fair’s gastronomic sections was poisoned, or if anyone approaching the princess was secretly an agent. Yuuichi’s instructions were to keep the princess safe, if even the precautions they took were to fail.

And for the most part of the day, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Yuriko was dressed in a magnificent Dark Green kimono embroidered with creeping vines and ferns; her hair was worn up for once, festooned with ornaments resembling summer flowers. She looked splendid as she addressed the crowd, declaring the fair to be open, as well as judging some of the competitions. She didn’t even cough all that much. As noon came, Yuuichi was beginning to think that him thwarting their reconnaissance bug the other day made the Order reluctant to try anything weird.

Mid-afternoon came. A parade had passed through the market square, right in front of the booth where the princess was seated. A band of musicians were playing festive music, enticing all of the townsfolk to dance and join the parade. The music was intoxicating, likely laced with some magic that made it sweeter. Normally, those things were par of course during festivities, so that wasn’t much of a concern for Yuuichi. But what was concerning was the fact that the princess would not, or more accurately, could not, resist the urge to dance herself. Once the crowd had seen that she was dancing along, they had collectively decided to invite her down into the fairgrounds to dance with them.

And she did. She slipped from her booth and started jubilantly celebrating. Her face drunk in the new experience anyone sheltered for the past three years would understandably have. It didn’t look like she was a sickly noble part of a council that was keeping the country upright. She blended right in; a vision of green, black, and gold swirling, fluttering among a sea of people. Like a beautiful butterfly dancing in the air, as if she’d belonged there all her life.

Yuuichi and Hanayo watched from the booth, still wary that she could be in danger at any moment. But both felt that it would have been so wrong for the Order to ruin such a perfect day. Hanayo’s hand was, nonetheless, clutching a trinket she wore at her neck – one that allows her to see the intentions of people. She had been scanning everyone in the vicinity of the princess in order to determine if an enemy agent was close by. So far, she couldn’t sense anything wrong… Perhaps they wouldn’t attack today.

Her eyes fell on the man beside her. Lord Morimoto was wearing quite an uncharacteristic expression: he was faintly smiling. He had been famous in the skysteel seats as someone with a perpetual blank expression, something she shared with him. But for once he looked happy, as if the happiness of the fair had osmosed into him somehow. She let her qi trickle into her necklace as she looked at him, and peeked into his mind.

“You find her beautiful," She said.

“I didn’t give you permission to look into my mind," He flatly replied. The indignation was hollow.

“You didn’t say I can’t.”

Yuuichi sighed. “That is true," He looked at the sight of Yuriko dancing with the crowd. “I guess at least one of us is happy. Even if that person has a huge target painted on her head. And that’s probably enough for me to be happy as well.”

“So Lord Morimoto does have a heart after all, huh? Is that why you’re willing to put yourself in harm’s way?”

Lord Morimoto did not answer the question. “Why her? Of all people? Why is she a target?”

Lady Katagiri answered matter-of-factly, “She’s an easy target. Her chronic illness makes her unable to manifest her Awakened powers.”

“Then why not have the court physician treat her?” This was a trick question. Yuuichi already knew the answer. Miri told him that she had tried to do so, but failed.

“The second rule of magic states that you cannot affect what you do not know. Perhaps it is prudent for her to avoid healing sorcery until it can be ascertained what her actual condition is.”

Yuuichi had other ideas. His mind towards the charred records, and the secrets he discovered blanketing the capital. The expertise of the Watanabe family to craft an alibi so airtight felt almost sinister.

“I wouldn’t be surprised, though," Lady Katagiri noted, keeping a sharp eye on the dancing maiden. “That her highness being invited to this occasion is not a coincidence. At some point, this sort of thing had to happen.”

Yuuichi eyed the Angyo Onshi. “What makes you say that?” He asked.

“If you’d recall”, She stretched, wondering if Yuuichi could ever recall any of the discussions at court, given how glazed his eyes were and how distracted he looked. “The Spring Harvest wasn’t exactly bountiful. Last winter was terrible and the ice barely melted enough for the usual crops to be sown. Then there’s the fact that this summer won’t be kind, either. The storms are expected to be brutal.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Yuuichi seemed unconvinced.

Hanayo sighed. “As expected of you, I guess," She lamented, remembering that the Morimoto Family has no land to its name. And even if they did, their Lord would not be atypical to the apathetic nature of those in the capital. “His Highness is trying to lift the spirits of the people. Majority of the festivities were paid off from the Watanabe Family’s pocket, after all. The last thing we need is the people rebelling against us.”

Yuuichi recalled the conversation the preceding day. “You suspect they’ll succeed?”

Hanayo shook her head. “We’re already doing all we can. I hope not. The sooner we can get to the bottom of the crisis, the better. Preferably before the big storms start rolling in. We’re in the process of emptying out the Royal Treasury to import as much grain as possible from all over the place. Hekiya has been generous enough. Washinoyama, not so much.”

Lord Morimoto was not paying attention anymore. He was rapt in thought.

Lady Katagiri attempted to probe his heart again. “Why do you care? It wouldn’t be logical for you to get involved in all this.”

Yuuichi declined to answer once more. “We should be down there," He went down into the crowd, keeping his eyes on that little dancing butterfly. Lady Katagiri followed suit.

The music went on, and reached a fever pitch, approaching its climax. Yuriko began to sweat in the afternoon sun, but her smile never left her face. She followed the beat, matching the crescendo of the heady music. One wild jolt of her leg made her collide with a young boy, no older than ten, holding a basket of fruit, stopping her from her frenzied dance. “I’m so sorry," she said, bending down to help the little boy up. The boy was on his knees, seemingly unharmed, but refused to take her hand. Instead, he raised a fist in the air.

Hanayo felt it before Yuuichi did. She screamed in the loudest voice she could muster, “LADY WATANABE, GET OUT OF THERE!” Meanwhile, Yuuichi darted towards where she stood, trying in vain to close the gap. Something caught his leg, causing him to fall to the ground. The little boy’s fist had slammed into the ground, causing the earth the shake and buckle, and a wall of rock sprung up, trapping the princess and the boy. In one fluid motion, the wall collapsed in on itself, and the occupants inside were gone.