Kaito arrived at the palace, the sleeping child hidden beneath his cloak. The night enveloped them in peaceful calm, the sky a clear expanse unmarred by clouds. As he neared the palace gates, two entryway guards spotted him. Their eyes widened in recognition, and they rushed to greet their King, Captain Haru close behind.
Anticipating questions about his mysterious bundle, Kaito swiftly wrapped the child entirely in a blanket, knotted the end, and slung her over his right shoulder, feigning nonchalance.
Itou, one of the palace guards, called out anxiously, "Sir! Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you? We've all been so worried!"
"Thank goodness you're safe," Pioto, the second guard, sobbed, his arms stretched across his face in a futile attempt to hide his tears of relief.
"Yeah. I'm fine," Kaito replied, trying to sound nonchalant.
"IF THAT'S SO! THEN WHATTA HELL TOOK YOU SO LONG!!" Captain Haru angrily yelled, startling everyone present.
Kaito, unfazed by the outburst, calmly responded, "I ran into some trouble after meeting you in the southern villages."
"Trouble? What kind of trouble?" Haru pressed, his eyes narrowing with concern.
"Don't worry," Kaito said with a reassuring smile. "It's been resolved."
As he spoke, the blanket over his shoulder began to move slightly. Kaito tightened his grip, hoping no one had noticed.
"Your majesty! Don't avoid the subject!" Haru exclaimed, his frustration evident. "What took you so damn long to get back to the palace? I—" He paused mid-sentence, his gaze fixed on the shifting bundle. "Hmm... What's there... in the blanket?"
Kaito's mind raced. "Huh?... Umm... Haha... what blanket?"
"The one over your shoulder," Haru said flatly, clearly not buying the act.
"Oh!! That?... Hahaha. Uhm... on the way back I caught a Firlent*," Kaito improvised, naming the first small creature that came to mind.
~ (C/N = Firlent: this is a rabbit/deer-like creature with strips. Its super cute and yummy to eat. In the Living Realm its a known delicacy - let me know if you would like to see drawings of it )~
Haru sighed, pulling out his dagger. "It's childish to play with your food before eating it. Here." He reached out his hand. "Give it to me. I'll have the servants cook it into a stew for dinner."
Kaito stepped back instinctively. "Actually, it's going to be a companion for Yasushi. I do not wish to have it killed," he said, the lie becoming more elaborate with each passing moment.
"A PET!!" the guards and Captain Haru exclaimed in unison.
Captain Haru shook his head in disbelief. "Sir, you can't have a Firlent as a pet, Idiot."
Kaito's face suddenly grew rigid, his body tensing. Captain Haru and the guards noticed the change, abruptly ceasing their light-hearted dialogue. The guards stood still, sensing the rising tension. Captain Haru watched Kaito closely, awaiting his command.
"Everyone," Kaito whispered, "there's something behind you."
Captain Haru started to look over his shoulder. "I don't sense anythi—"
"Don't move!" Kaito hissed, halting Captain Haru mid-turn.
"On the count of 3, turn with weapons drawn. Understood?"
The guards nodded, slowly reaching for their weapons.
"One..." "Two..." "THREE!...AHHHH!"
They spun around, weapons at the ready, only to find... nothing.
"Sir..." Captain Haru whispered, turning back, "there's nothing—" He stopped short. Kaito had vanished.
"Where did the King go?" Itou asked, bewildered.
"THE KING WAS KIDNAPPED?!?!" Pioto screamed.
"NO, YOU IDIOT!" Captain Haru bellowed. "The King was not kidnapped!"
Realizing Kaito's prank, Captain Haru sighed in frustration. He holstered his weapon and strode towards the palace gates. "Get back to work. The King has returned safely. Relieve the perimeter guards and resume normal defensive positions."
"YES, SIR!"
As the guards scrambled to obey, Captain Haru's thoughts turned inward. A Firlent, my ass. Kaito, what the hell are you up to now?
- - -
Casually running through the forest around the outer perimeter of the palace with the child still tied inside the blanket over his shoulder, Kaito reached a lagoon and dove in. Emitting energy from his body, he created a bubble-like sphere around him, allowing him to breathe underwater. Upon arriving at the bottom of the lagoon, illuminating fish began to light up, leading Kaito to a monumental entrance, covered in seaweed and coral.
Kaito placed his hand at the center of the door, which allowed him to pass through, as though he were a ghost passing through a wall. Once entirely through, Kaito stepped forward onto a narrow passageway, entering a dimly lit cavern with waterfalls grazing the side of its entrenchment, rushing into the lake beneath the walkway.
Kaito stretched his arms up into the air, untied the blanket, and lifted the child up by under her arms.
"We're home," he said happily, gawking into the child's bright eyes.
The child looked at Kaito and began to mumble, then promptly peed.
"AAAAAHHHHH! Crap... Crap... Whatta do... Whatta do!" Kaito shouted, prancing around with the child still in hand, trying desperately to avoid getting peed on.
"Kaito? ....Is that you?" a voice called out, accompanied by echoing footsteps from the end of the walkway. As the footsteps drew closer, additional light seeped into the cavern, growing brighter with each passing second.
Quickly wrapping the child back into the blanket and cradling her in his arms, Kaito walked towards the approaching footsteps. As he reached the corner end of the passageway, he was greeted by Airi holding a torch.
Pleased to see her husband's safe return, Airi moved forward to initiate a hug. However, her eyes caught sight of the child in Kaito's arms, and she stopped short.
"Kaito? ...that child you're carrying ...whose is it?" Airi asked, her voice a mix of confusion and concern.
Kaito hesitated, realizing the moment of truth had arrived. "Well, you see... ...I kinda found the child in a cave near the southern village," he admitted, bracing himself for Airi's reaction.
The cavern fell silent save for the rushing water, the tension palpable as Airi processed this unexpected information. Kaito held his breath, wondering how he could possibly explain the night's extraordinary events to his wife.
Airi bent over, bringing the torch close to the child. While examining the odd youngster in Kaito's arms, the child, stimulated by the flame, turned her head to face Airi and reached for it.
"And this child's kin? ...Where are they?" Airi asked as she pulled the torch away from the child, causing the infant to gently brush her cheeks.
"She has none," Kaito replied solemnly. "Which is why I want us to take her in and raise her. With training and instruction, I believe she will be a valuable asset to the clan."
Still looking at the child, Airi was taken in by the infant's strange appearance. Her feeling of fascination was swiftly met with a deep sense of regret. She then returned her body to an upright position, looking up towards Kaito with a harsh frown.
The cavern seemed to grow colder as Airi's expression hardened. Kaito braced himself, knowing that his wife's reaction could determine the fate of this mysterious child. The rushing water in the background seemed to grow louder, filling the tense silence between them.
"How pathetic am I in your eyes, Kaito?" Airi's voice trembled with emotion.
"Airi!?! .. I..." Kaito stammered, taken aback by her outburst.
"Do you bring this child here to insult me? Knowing that I cannot bear you anymore. Knowing of my crippling debt. Am I that much of a disgrace!" Her words echoed off the cavern walls, filled with pain and self-doubt.
Airi clenched her fists, looking down as she attempted to hold back the tears forming in her eyes. Kaito stepped closer, reaching out with his free arm to pull Airi into his chest, the child still resting in his other arm.
"You gave me Yasushi, and I could never ask for anything more," Kaito said softly, his voice filled with sincerity. "This child has not even a mother to care for her, so I decided to introduce her to the best mother I know."
The cavern fell silent save for the gentle sound of rushing water and Airi's muffled sobs. Kaito held his wife close, the child nestled between them, a living testament to the new future that lay before them. As the moments passed, the tension in Airi's body began to ease. She blushed and pushed herself away from Kaito's chest, capturing Kaito's earnest gaze as she looked up.
Her attention then returned to the child, and she reached out. Kaito gently handed the infant over, and Airi accepted the child into her arms.
"She is quite lovely, Kaito. Where is she from?" Airi inquired as she ran her fingers through the child's hair.
"I dunno," Kaito replied honestly.
The couple proceeded towards the tavern, Kaito recounting how he found the child and his encounter with Rizyo and Yuki. He carefully omitted the details of the events that occurred prior to discovering the infant, focusing instead on the mysterious nature of the child and the cryptic warnings of the elderly couple.
- -