Karmagisa: Our Fate Upon The Crown

60 | Good Old Days

<Karma>
Before we left, I made sure to send letters through our messenger birds to the noble houses. With enough time to prepare knights and horses, the Kuro family was the first to reply within 30 minutes.

The Duke himself asked if he could join us personally, while his own men patrol their territory and help with border control.
At first I was a bit skeptical about it but, when I told Yua, she said that it would be better if he were to accompany us.
With all of us on the same page, we gathered our horses and set out to the Kuro manor first. From there we would delineate a plan to further regulate the hunt for Shiota, Hiromi.

We mounted on our horses with a good number of thirty knights with us. The rest were split up amongst authoritative higher ranks like Kaede and Teresaka. Noble families themselves had the abilities to order knights stationed in their territory, as well as those of the Tempus Five. Originally, Karasuma would of lead a group himself; however he insisted to follow me as the personal knight for my bidding.

The current King, as we spoke to him prior sent out more knights than we requested for this. Essentially we need as much people as we can, but with our numbers as is, plus how everyone is in the kingdom, finding one woman is not that hard.
Unless I am wholeheartedly wrong.

Though, the current King will do anything he can to capture the one who led the attempt assassination of the current Queen. And ever since she had woke, I haven't set foot in that room once.

"Wait, I'm coming along."

We turned our backs to see Princess Irina in her military uniform and a sword sheathed on her hip. Only recently when women began to join the Kingdom's military, their uniforms had to be altered from dresses, plated with armor to basic attire like the men. Similar to what Kaede would wear during training with her group.

I tilted my head and asked,
"Did you get permission to leave-."

"I'm not a mere child. I don't need permission to fight for this kingdom." She looked over at me with redden eyes. She's been through a lot, especially with her mother in the state that she is. I could only imagine the stress she is under.

She bowed her head and walked towards Karasuma and stared at him.

"You should stay here." He told her.
Yua sighed and faced forward, as her horse started to  walk slowly away from the group.

"At this time and age. No one wants to be pitied. Hurry now, we must not waste time." She spoke as I caught up to her with my own horse.

Initially, Karasuma allowed Irina on his horse and they rode together. We all advanced towards the Kuro estate, which was near Magnolia Landing, slightly farther in a desolate area.

Yua confidently kept ahead and I couldn't help but to admire from behind. She is a strong and brave woman, who is the backbone of this kingdom. Yua leads with example and I can justify that she was a great leader of the people back in her time.

"Karma." She said my name.

"What is it?" I replied, glancing over in wonder.

Yua's expression changed a little, but became stone right away. Like she didn't want to lose face with simple conversations. She shook her head and apologized.

"Never mind."
••••••
We finally arrived at the Kuro estate with the high security greeted us without fail. All of us except for the knights continued down towards the manor and dismounted from our horses. Next we were led inside the main house by a few footmen.

Everyone had already entered first and I found myself lagging behind. Just a couple of steps before entering, I stopped and stared at the view of the estate and the land in which the family bears.

"Beautiful isn't it?"

I turned my head to the side to see King Roka, resting his hands behind him. Like me, he stared off into the nature of it all and the everlasting view. The waving dark trees that festered around. It wasn't necessarily sunny outside, rather grey, but bright enough to know it was morning and close to noon.

"Now you show yourself." I smirked with a little tease, "I've been wondering where you've gone since the ruckus began." I raised a brow at him.

King Roka lightly chuckled,
"My apologies, but I think it's a good learning experience."

"Heh?" I blankly reacted.

"You've been dealing with it just fine. Though, I think the current King acted a little hastily, don't you think? But I would blindly too the same if I were honest."

"Wait, what about Yu-."

Before I could finish he looked over at me with a carelessly despondent expression. As if he didn't want me to ask any further.
But there is so many things I have to ask; the lingering thoughts that I've been wanting to ask Yua but-.

"You know that she's here." I said.

"I know. I'm well aware. That is why I also didn't want to drop by." He awkwardly spoke, "it's not like she can see me in her state, though I'm quite shocked. I didn't think she would get involved."

"Everyone else too." I commented.

The fact that Yua has the ability to take over Nagisa's conscious and body, still leaves me in wonder. And what Yua said to me when we were alone too. Maybe those two can finally-

"If you want, you can-."

"Don't be a fool. It wouldn't be the same." He shook his head with the stern voice, "you think I would be happy to see a face other than Yua's? It may be her mind and personality through another voice, but who would I be looking at?"

Right then, everything that Nagisa and I have been afraid of had been torn. Even if the slightest bit seemed one-sided, Roka said it himself. Who would we be looking at? When I look at Yua, she is not Nagisa. Like Roka's understanding, they are separate from us entirely as only Yua can satisfy him.
If only it would of been clearer then, maybe I could of saved Nagisa. But this reincarnation has made us fear the epitome of love.

"Karma? Why are you just standing there?"

To my left, it was Yua who had caught my attention. She came through the doors and stood beside me.
Though, am I bad for seeing Nagisa before me? Despite the fact that it isn't him? I can't help but to miss him like this.

"I was just-."

When I looked back for Roka, he had vanished into thin air once more. As he left behind a essence of sweet camellias behind.

Yua followed my previous gaze and sighed. She hid her face so I couldn't tell how she was at the moment. Then she spoke under her breath, a bit audible and I heard,

"Roka...