[Completed] Legend of the Five Knights II: The Shadow of Justice

Episode 58: Old Wounds

The princess turned away and walked away.

"Hey, where are you going?" I called out, taking a step forward.

"I'm leaving," she said, a hint of anger in her voice. "Perhaps, you do need some time on your own after all." She came to a stop. "I know that I can be pushy at times. Maybe if I wasn't then..." She stopped herself mid-sentence and ran off.

"Setty..."

Ximena sighed. "Sorry, I just couldn't watch her talk to you like that."

I shook my head. "No. Don't apologize. I am thankful. I probably should've told Setty what you just did a long time ago. She does have an issue with enforcing her will on others. While most of the time the results haven't been bad, there might come a time when they are."

I looked down.

I guess... I'm like my mom... Letting her push me around the way my father did to her. No, she doesn't deserve to be compared to him. My father is much, much worse. Even King Osamu doesn't compare to him.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Ximena smiling at me. "I know she means well. She has the heart to be a good ruler, the only thing she's missing is wisdom. Wisdom to pick her battles. To know when it's best to act and when it's best to be quiet and let things progress on their own."

I smiled. "If you were a queen, you would be a great one yourself."

Ximena's face reddened. She slowly stepped back. "Y-you think so? W-well, I rather not be. Power, it corrupts. That girl will need someone who is both righteous and wise to help her out."

Wisdom, that's one thing I need to work on myself. I've made a lot of stupid blunders, both in the past and now...

"You corrupt? I can't imagine that," I said, chuckling. "You're the most honest and kind hearted person I know."

Ximena brushed her hair back and smiled. "It means a lot that you think that about me, but I'm not without my own faults. I struggle with giving up when I know I should."

I felt my heart sink to my stomach. She was talking about us, wasn't she? My indecisiveness was hurting her.

"Well, so does Tetsu," I said, laughing.

She smiled. "Yeah. He might actually have it worse than me. Though I think its all thanks to you?"

"Huh? What do I have to do with it?"

She shook her head. "Unbelievable. You're seriously asking that? Tetsu seemed defeated when he lacked you by his side." She put a hand on her hip. "As did you when he wasn't around. You two fall apart without one another."

I grumbled. "You're making us sound as if we're lovers or something," I muttered.

Ximena giggled. "Honestly, I do get jealous of him. He might be a bigger rival than the princess."

I sighed. "Don't say such things. Especially around the princesses."

She turned around and chuckled. "Your affection for one another goes beyond that of romantic love. It truly is a beautiful thing to see."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Is that why you had us share the same bed in Xeleria."

"Yeah, I wanted you two to be forced to face the awkwardness of your situation. It seems that it worked too! You realized while talking to him how much you needed him, didn't you?"

I scratched my head. "Yeah, I sorta did," I said, blushing slightly. It was embarrassing to admit it to someone else. I didn't like how dependant on him I was. Even after all these years, it felt as if I had barely matured beyond that wimpering kid who used to look up to his cousin and depend on him to fight his battles.