The Princess and The Devil - Karma Akabane x OC

F O R T Y - S E V E N : SHIRAGIKU'S SHRINE

And that Emperor was Natsume.

She does not dare even imagine the ugly sight if these beautiful children were sacrificed in the rising sun's land. For she knows that it will create an even bigger chaos; one that is not as simple as solving a problem with words and agreement in one of the treaty rooms in the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs of Japan but with weapons and nuclear and in the worst case scenario; war.

***

Sakura and Aoi stands at the side as she scrutinizes the 3 teens' movements. Hime raises her cup filled with her favourite freshly brewed tea near her lips as she consumes it sip by sip. It is still rather hot so she takes caution when she makes an attempt to drink it. By now, she is casually making conversations with Aoi as she asks about her little brother. Aoi, on the other hand, told her that her brother has an intensive tutor session from 7 o'clock in the morning and it will end a few minutes before Karma finishes school.

Jemma tries to act normal, as well. Perhaps during their walk to the garden, Hime had asked Jemma to do so. Tae didn't reach out for anything served on the table at first but then when Jemma had asked him what was bothering him, he took the first thing his hand reached and it just so happens to be a peanut butter and chocolate flavoured cupcake and it was August's favourite flavour. Tae had excused himself sometime later with the cupcake to take a walk near the fountain. Hime knows that Tae is probably mourning over his best friend and decided to tell Jemma about it.

Jem has always been an elder sister to all of them and she feels responsible to talk to the mourning boy. So, she excuses herself as Hime watch from a distance. Her heart clenches at the sight.

"So they are your new friends, Hime-sama?" Sakura asks as Hime nods slowly. She is on full alert as she watches the trees surrounding them and glances naturally on sniper-friendly locations. She would be damned if she let them get hurt. Sakura hums in response. "Forgive me, Hime-sama but they all look so normal to me." Sakura said, watching the two teenagers near the fountain. Hime turns around to give Sakura a kind smile.

"I think so too." Hime agrees. "I think all 6 of us are the same despite the different upbringing. And I guess royalty or not, we are all the same, Sakura-san." Hime said, looking down as she plays with the hem of her shirt. "In the end, we are humans so we share the same feelings although the way we feel depends on our perception on certain things and it also depends on how deep it affected us. Some are brought up in a broken house, some had more tragic stories and some had happier stories. But in the end, we will all feel the same thing when we lose someone or something we hold dear to. And those feelings are exactly what made us humans." Hime said, smiling. She wasn't quoting anyone but for some reason, Koro-sensei's face begins to take form in her mind. The yellow octopus had made her change her views on so many different things and thus raising her up into a girl she is today in only a duration of approximately 7 months

"Spoken like a true Queen." Sakura smiles proudly at the silver haired girl. She feels her heart clenches in the most painful (in a good way) way possible. Sakura has always adored the little girl in front of her. She has always been so strong and so intelligent and although Sakura has never laid eyes upon the girl, but she has heard many stories from Ichiro. Natsume would always summon Ichiro to his bedroom every time Ichiro spends time with the two siblings. In time, hirase and Sakura herself are being invited to listen to the story of the two siblings. She would always remember how Ichiro describes how Hime takes care of Haru and how they were being looked after by a boy named Karma Akabane. She remembers how Hirase would laugh louder than anyone as he coos on how cute the siblings were and he had the most respect for Hime for being able to keep her grades up while taking care of her brother.

As for Natsume, she remembers how Natsume's eyes will glint in excitement and full of love whenever Ichiro tells him about his children. Sometimes Natsume would get a tad bit too emotional for the story and had to excuse himself for the rest of the night. It is silent and not proven, but everyone knows he was crying.