Kanari winced as a sharp pain shot through her wrists. They were painfully sore from the hours she laid on her bed, digging her nails into her own hands. Her dreams had been restless, and soon she'd found herself flitting in and out of consciousness, never truly awake or asleep.
Images of the manor, her parents, and the king had all swirled together in a hazy mess. Yesterday was a tiring jumble she wished she could just forget. Sleep was not even kind enough to take her away from her troubles, teasing her relentlessly with its light touches before yanking away its comforting influence.
The morning sun caught on the edge of her glass, twinkling radiantly. Kanari glanced at it, only to see her own face reflected on its surface. Sighing, she looked away.
The visit to her childhood home brought back a tsunami of emotional turmoil she thought she'd locked away forever. Memories whirled around her like the raging winds in a storm, never letting her truly grasp onto one.
Not only that, but the unsettling feeling she used to get when she saw her own reflection came back. The universe must be laughing at her, for no matter how long she left it all behind, no matter how far she moved on, every time she saw her own reflection, she saw him.
The person who haunted her dreams.
The person who lurked in the shadows of her mind. The person who broke her to the core all those years ago. The person who left her as a broken pile of shards, shattered beyond all hope for recovery.
The same hair color, the same vivid blue eyes. She truly lost the game that was genetics.
Did she not suffer enough? Why did she have to be reminded of how close they were? How alike. How easy it might be to slip onto the same path.
The power of the sword lies in the will of the wielder. Objects are never inherently good or evil, only the actions of those who use them can determine that.
Perhaps, that was what scared her.
The talents she'd been gifted with and the skills she'd honed could one day be used to harm, rather than protect.
She'd found out a long time ago that when it mattered the most, she was incompetent.
How could she ever trust herself?
"If you're not going to eat that, I will."
Ayato's voice suddenly whispered in her ear, making her jump. She looked to her right to see that he had appeared by her side, his face mere inches away from hers. He was eyeing the chunk of pancake speared on her fork, a smirk on his face, though Kanari noticed his smile was dimmer than usual.
"You scared me," she mumbled as Ayato moved away sat down on his usual spot.
"Evidently," he replied, looking over the table wearily. He examined the selection before him half-heartedly, before sighing.
"Dandelion wine is far too strong. How are Mondstadian people even alive?" He complained, taking a sip of water.
"No one forced you to drink three glasses," said Kanari softly, unenthusiastically biting the food off her fork.
"My head feels so heavy," Ayato groaned, resting his head on his hand.
Kanari stared at him blankly. He was always so calm and composed. Between them, she was usually the vulnerable one —not that she wanted to be reminded of that fact— so his behavior was... strange. The signature sly aura about him was gone, replaced by exhaustion.
"You should eat something," she said after a few minutes. Ayato had not moved from his position, with only the gentle rise of his shoulders indicating that he was still alive.
"I'm not hungry," he responded, his eyes fluttering open.
Kanari sighed. "At least drink the ginger tea," she said, gesturing to the porcelain kettle sitting in front of him.
"That's not usually there," Ayato remarked, not actually acknowledging her suggestion. His gaze moved to her, scanning her carefully.
"Your gloves are different," he said finally, after a long pause.
Kanari only shrugged at his observation. She'd put on a longer pair this morning in an attempt to cover up the red scars on her wrists. It worked rather well, hiding the marks completely. What it could not hide, however, was the relatively obvious fact that she changed gloves. A fact that did not escape the observant eyes of Kamisato Ayato.
"Just drink the tea," She reminded him, trying to change the subject. "Ginger tea will help with your hangover."
"Who prepared this?" Asked Ayato as he reluctantly poured the steaming amber liquid into a teacup.
"I asked one of the servants to brew a pot," Kanari answered, stabbing a strawberry and popping it into her mouth.
Ayato blew on the tea for a few moments, before taking a sip. "It would taste better if you made it," he remarked.
"I am your royal advisor not personal attendant," she retorted, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.
Ayato chuckled, some of his usual vigor returning. "How did you even know I'd get a hangover?"
"Oh, please, like it's possible to not be hungover after that drunk display you put on yesterday," she said, stifling a laugh.
All the color on Ayato's face suddenly drained, his eyes wide as he heard her words. His hand paused in midair, the teacup shaking gently. He stayed very still for a moment, a horrific realization slowly dawning on him.
"Oh my god," he whispered, placing the cup on the table gently. He turned to look at Kanari with a mortified expression on his face. "What happened last night?"
Kanari tried and failed to subdue a grin as she stared at his panicked state. Oh, how the tables have turned.
"That—" she pierced a chunk of pancake "—is for me to know, and you to never find out."
Ayato looked even more panicked once she said that. It was a rather entertaining affair for her at this point.
"Did I say anything... strange?" He asked tentatively, a worry lining his face.
Kanari could not figure out why his behavior was so amusing to her, but she couldn't resist smiling smugly at Ayato's nervous reaction to her teasing. Such a state was rare for the witty king. It was positively endearing.
"Maybe, maybe not," she responded, waving her fork tauntingly. "I might tell you if you stop teasing me for a day or two."
Ayato seemed to consider this for a moment, pressing his index finger to his lips. A small smirk slowly appeared on his face as he stared at her.
"All right, then. Keep your secrets," he said, taking another sip of tea.
Kanari frowned suspiciously. Ayato was definitely planning something. The man would never just back down that easily.
"I'll just tease you until you tell me."
He grabbed her forearm suddenly, holding it still as he cheekily bit the piece of pancake off her fork. As he chewed, he gave her his usual smirk, obviously amused by her affronted expression. Though he'd completed his goal, he held onto her arm, his grip unrelenting.
"Excuse me what—"
The door burst open.
Kanari swore she'd never moved faster as she jerked her arm off the table, whipping away from Ayato's teasing face.
King Diluc, Princess Fischl, and Ayaka all walked in, each of them looking rather awkward. Ayato, upon noticing them, slowly moved away from Kanari, the smirk sliding off his face.
Ayaka slid in beside Kanari, her eyes flickering between Ayato and Kanari. She raised her eyebrows, having evidently caught their positions earlier. Kanari gave her a small smile, unsure of how to respond.
"Good morning."
King Diluc sat opposite of Kanari, with his daughter on his side. Nodding slightly as he uttered the greeting, he began to peruse the plethora of food on the table. Princess Fischl also looked upon the breakfast eagerly. Both of their demeanors were bright, no trace of the hangover that gripped Ayato.
Kanari glanced at him, the corners of her mouth twitching. There was a shimmer of surprise in his eyes as he watched the Mondstadians act so casually, as if they didn't just have some of the strongest wine ever last night.
"Good morning," he replied, bringing his teacup to his lips. "You've risen earlier than usual today."
Kanari continued eating her breakfast solemnly as they conversed. She and Ayato usually finished their meal before Ayaka —and in this case, King Diluc and Princess Fischl— arrived. Now, she was unsure of what to do in such a situation, so of course, she did what she did best. Stay silent.
"I'd like to have a private conversation with you after breakfast," the Mondstadian king said, directing his words at Ayato. He glanced at Kanari for a second, obviously meaning to exclude her.
Ayato let out a tiny sigh before nodding. "Of course," he agreed, smiling coldly.
"Princess Fischl and I are going to have a friendly duel in the training hall later," Ayaka began, looking at Kanari. "If you're free, would you like to come?"
Kanari hesitated, looking at Ayato nervously. He nodded at her, a little grudgingly, but willing.
"I would love to join you, Your Highness," she said softly, not quite making eye contact.
"Perfect!" Ayaka exclaimed, serving herself a waffle from the platters on the table. "Seeing as you were a knight, you can help give us tips."
"I doubt any Inazuman knight would know something I wouldn't," Princess Fischl remarked, her tone snarky.
Everyone but her father stared at her blankly, shocked to hear such a statement escape the princess's lips. After a moment, Kanari let out the tiniest of sighs.
What was she, if not used to such behavior?
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"En garde! Ready? Fence!"
In the ornately decorated royal training room, Kanari stood leaning on the wall, watching the two noblewomen as they stood in position, awaiting her signal. A small crowd of knights had gathered to watch the duel. Usually, they wouldn't be allowed in the room, but Ayaka had greeted them enthusiastically, smiling as they asked to watch.
Kokomi, her arm still bandaged, slipped beside Kanari. She gave her a look of intrigue, to which Kanari responded with a shrug.
As she yelled the signal, the princesses began their battle, both hesitating for a moment. Ayaka lunged first, the épée tip shining. Princess Fischl dodged her attack swiftly, leaping back with vivacity.
The duel had begun.
As they fought, the sound of their blades echoed throughout the room, clanging with each parry. Kanari watched intently, her observant eyes catching every little detail.
The renowned Kamisato Art of Tachi Jutsu was evident in Ayaka's movements. Kanari knew that she would not miss a single parry, for that was her specialty. The Inazuman sword arts focused on parrying your opponent's blade and using your strength to overcome theirs. Though it included fast movements, its techniques would not help her lunge.
Meanwhile, Princess Fischl's movements were as swift as lightning. Her style was speedy, but not quite steady. Had Ayaka combated with an equally quick technique, she could very much be thrown off her feet.
Kokomi oohed and aahed with the crowd as the princesses fenced on, while Kanari stayed silent. The outcome was hard to judge, for their different methods complemented each other rather well. Their skill was of similar level, so at the end of the day, it was only their technique that would decide the winner of the duel.
Then, Princess Fischl feinted, successfully tricking Ayaka. With the tip of her épée landing squarely on Ayaka's shoulder. Kanari walked over to the pair as the knights gasped dramatically at the sudden ending.
"Halt," she said, though they were already still. They exited their stance, returning to a more normal way of standing.
"Princess Fischl is the winner of this duel," she decreed. Her tone was not loud, but it reverberated through the room anyway.
The knights began to clap politely for the blonde princess. A wide grin immediately spread across her face as she took in the applause.
"Hah! Even the sword of Inazuma could not defeat me," she declared triumphantly, a smug look on her face. "Would anyone else like to challenge me?"
The brash remark sowed surprise in everyone. Such an assertive mockery of their nation. Tension mingled in the room as the knights eyed the foreign princess with subtle disdain.
Ayaka glanced at Kanari, disappointment in her eyes. Though she held her head high as she walked off the mat, defeat hung in the air around her. Kanari gave her an encouraging look, making her smile a little.
"I'll duel you, Your Highness."
Gorou stepped out of the crowd, already dressed in fencing garb. From the looks of the people around him, he'd been obviously dared to. Princess Fischl raised an eyebrow at him but did not object.
"En garde."
"Ready?"
"Fence!"
As Gorou began fencing the princess, Kanari turned to Ayaka. She didn't even need to watch to know the outcome. She'd been training with Gorou for years. He was no match for the skillful princess.
"Your Highness, could you continue to referee for me? I need to go do something for a moment," she murmured, Ayaka's disappointment sparking a fiery determination in her. It was disgusting, boasting like that. Utterly exempt from the proper manners any decent person should have.
It was time to teach this raven a lesson.
༺❊ꕥ❊༻
END OF CHAPTER 23
Author's Note: Happy birthday to ayato!!!!!!!!!!! our favorite blueberry boy <3 I couldnt fit a bday chapter in, but maybe when its almost over i'll add one in. I'll have to check the timeline though