Karmagisa: Our Fate Upon The Crown

38 | Wilted Souls

<Karma>
By the time the family medical specialists did an examination on Nagisa, the carriage that was supposed to take us back was delayed.

We all waited outside of the guest room, with Yuriko holding onto my arm, firmly not letting go.

"Karma? Do you think he'll be fine?" She asks with a glum expression.

I bent my knees down a little to level our heads and enough for me to look into her eyes. I patted her head with assurance as she sniffled from the scare from earlier.

"Nagisa will be fine. Things like this actually happen a lot." I brought up, "if he made it out of those, I'm confident that he'll make it out of this too."

"I hope you're right." She pouted her lips, "but everything went wrong when he touched the sword. Are you sure he is the Queen?" Yuriko eyes widened from an unrelated correlation.

"If you're talking about the curse the sword possesses for those two touch it that aren't the reincarnated, you're mistaken. Nagisa is the Queen. That I swear my life on." I replied.

Yuriko kept quiet and patiently waited until the specialists came out. And when they did, they bowed their heads to us. Nothing on their face shouted bad news.

"He's awake." They spoke.

"Thank you." I nodded my head.

"Please, can you tell us what's the matter with him?" Yuriko came forward, releasing my arm.

"Darling, where are your manners?" My mother sighed and pulled Yuriko back.

"Lack of sleep I would say. There's no doubt it's from fatigue. He just got light headed and fainted." They explained, "my King, I would suggest that he should take some time to rest when he gets back. Nothing that can strain him." The oldest physician turned to me.

I glanced over at mother and father and from their expression, agreed as well.

"Thank you very much." I shook their hands and asked to see Nagisa without anyone else around.

Yuriko looked troubled but submitted to the commands and my parents respected it.
I went in and closed the door quietly to see Nagisa confine himself to such a isolated sight. He was sitting straight up under the covers with his knees to his chest and arms wrapping around like a human rock. His head laid on his knees and he glanced up to see me.

"I'm sorry Karma." He apologetically spoke and I could hear the cracks of sensitivity in his voice.

I sat down on the edge of the bed and comforted him to the best of my abilities.

"No worries." I assured, "did you happen to see Queen Yua?" I brought up.

"N-no." He replied, though it seemed like he had something else on the tip of his tongue, but instead swallowed.

"Please be honest with me." I reached for his hand and he flinched. "You're safe, Nagisa."

"I saw it." He spoke again and looked down at his lap, "the night when the Mad King ordered the slaughter of the noble families. When I touched that sword, I saw it." He repeated.

I gripped Nagisa's hands tightly.

"We should head back to the palace for now alright?" He didn't say anything and refused to look in my gaze.
•••••••
<Nagisa>
I really felt bad for leaving in the state that I was, especially in front of Karma's parents. However, he insisted that they were fine with it. But my pride and dignity just couldn't take the blow very well.

Once we made it back to the palace, both Karma and I were interrupted by the boisterous galloping of horses. From a far sight, it was hard to make out who the people were.

At the same time, Karasuma burst through the main palace doors with a frantic expression on his face. For the first time, I've never seen him so distraught. Like someone had died.

"My King," he started looking beyond at the carriage coming our way, faster than normal.

"What is it Karasuma?" Karma asked with concern.

"Kayano, she sent a messenger bird while you were out. I'm afraid it's a grave situation." Karasuma looked briefly at me and made a fist with his hands.

"How long since?" Karma inquired.

"20 minutes ago." Karasuma answered the finally the carriage proceeded into the gates of the palace with knights locking them right after their abrupt arrival.

Both Karma and I hurried over the carriage, with the burning wheels that you could smell.
Kaede jumped out from the front seat and whipped the carriage door opened.
The palace designated doctors stormed pass both Karma and I, with a few knights following behind.

"He's injured very badly, please seek to the wounds." Kaede trembled as she spoke.

I tried to look over to see who it was, but the crowd of people made it difficult. However another one was emerging from the carriage itself. It's Aika.
That was when Karma gripped my wrist tightly, as he saw the person himself.

"N-Nagisa." Aika broke into sobs and collapsed on the ground when she stepped of the carriage steps.
Kaede in response knelt beside her and tried to help her stand, be the broken soul had cease to have life to do so.

That ignited the only idea in my head. I pushed passed the knights and saw what my mind failed to imagine. Mamoru.

He had bruises on his arm, cuts on his face, and worst of all he has a stab wound from a small dagger of sorts.

Aika crawled over to my feet and laid her head on my boots. She was awfully a terrible mess. But still beautiful despite the rains that cascaded down her pale cheeks.

"F-forgive me, forgive me." She bellowed in agony, torn from the inside out. "He protected us," her voice ceased to exist after the strain had caught up to her. Just cries and sobs. Karma's grip got tighter.

I still couldn't comprehend that this was happening.
The doctors hurried to tend the major wounds at hand, before sending him inside to finish.

I could only watch in utter silence as I watched my own brother on the brink of death. Who could of done something so horrid and violent?
I was motionless until I felt Karma release his grip around my wrist, leaving a mark. The physicians carried Mamoru inside the palace and Karma's urged me to follow.

I turned around to see Kaede knock her head down in shame, while holding her right arm in an awkward position. And Aika who remained on the ground with her head to the stone pathway.
I walked over and patted Aika's shoulder.

With the calmness I could ever be in the state of shock that I am. I tried to steer away from my paralyzed state and find comfort. Even when it was unattainable.

"Aika, please tell me what happened."

She stared into my wavering eyes as she held her breath, from crying anymore. She shook her head and couldn't speak at all. Like a mermaid without songs.

Kaede stepped forward and looked away.
And the little girl from before, stood at her side. She stared in the direction of the palace and then at me.
By then I already knew the words reminiscing in my head.

"It has begun."