The troops that had arrived were far lesser than what it had been during the fight. All of the allied members have apparently gone back to their countries. The ones that were left were Sindrian forces.
I stood by the hall peering at the crowd of Sindrian people formed to welcome their king.
"Nervous?" Sharkkan's voice whispered from behind me.
"N-no." I replied straightening myself.
"Excited, maybe~?" Pisti teased.
"Ohoho~" Sharkkan added.
"W-what are you guys talking about?" I said blushing.
"I'm home." Sin stood in front of me and suddenly all my worries disappeared.
"Koutsuki, did you see how we struck down that monster?" Sin asked excitedly.
I had planned to ask about my siblings but seeing how excited he was with his question and imagining how tired he must be after such a powerful attack, I left my personal queries for a later time. "I did. You weren't hurt, were you?"
"Nope. I promised I'd come home to you in one piece, didn't I?" Sin said.
Before I could respond, Ja'far came behind Sin whispering something in his ear. Sin looked towards me then nodded towards Ja'far.
"Koutsuki, pardon me. There are urgent matters I must attend to." Sinbad said.
Not wanting to be a burden I replied with a smile, "Please, don't let me keep you any longer."
Sinbad gave me a look of relief. "I wish you would, though." He mumbled as he kissed me on the forehead before leaving with Ja'far.
●●●
Days have passed since the bloody fight and Sin and I haven't had a decent conversation. He has been busy with meetings after meetings that he hasn't join me in his chambers and I haven't had the chance to ask my personal questions.
As I was walking towards the library I saw a muscular man with long red hair, fanalis hair. The man was wearing clothing from the Reim empire and seemed to be lost.
"Pardon me, sir. May I help you?" I asked the man.
The man's face lightened up as though my presence was a miracle.
"Oh miss! You're a life saver. I am kinda lost." He confessed while scratching the back of his head. "I was supposed to meet with Sinbad but I got distracted by the architecture of this palace that I lost my guide."
A Reim citizen meeting with the king of Sindria is not something you would find normal.
"Oh, I see. If you would like, I could escort you to his office?" I offered.
"Really? That would be a lot of help. Thank you!" He replied.
The first minutes of our walk were done in silence. The man merely indulged himself with the palace's 'wonders' as he called it.
"If you keep getting distracted by the carpets on the wall you might lose another guide." I teased as the man suddenly stopped in front another carpet hanged to decorate the palace walls.
"Oh, sorry!" He said running to catch up to me as I turned at a corner. "It's just I don't see these kinds of designs in Reim. The patterns are weird."
I giggled. "It's okay. I was the same when I first arrived here."
"Oh, you're not originally from here?" The man asked confused.
"Yes. Let's just say I'm here for refuge." I mumbled.
"I see." Silence took over our conversation once again until the man broke it. "I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Muu Alexius. Captain of Reim empire's fanalis corps. I fought in the same battle with Sinbad."
"You fought in the same battle?" I asked hoping I could finally get some answers for my own questions. "Did you see people from the Kou empire there?" I asked, maybe too eager.
"Kou? You're originally from Kou?" He asked.
"Umm, yes. I am from Kou but now I serve Sindria. But did you meet someone named Ren Kouen when you were in Magnostadt?" I pressed further concern spilling in my tone.
Muu gave me a bit of a confused look. "How do you know the Kou empire's imperial prince?"
"It doesn't matter. Could you please tell me if the prince and his siblings are alright?" I continued.
"You've got me quite intrigued but yes. Kouen and his siblings lived through that monstrous fight and set up to meet with Sinbad a few days from now."
"What?!" I asked surprised by such an important information which Sinbad had not relayed to me. But before Muu could explain further Ja'far opened the door to Sinbad's office.
"Muu Alexius. Our king has been waiting for you, please follow me." Ja'far said as he motioned for the guest to enter the room.
Muu turned to me and whispered, "I am in your debt. How may I repay you?"
Only one idea popped into my mind in response to such an offer. "Look after Kouen, if you have the chance. I beg of you." I whispered back.
Muu was a bit shocked by my request but I managed to catch him put his fist against his chest before entering through the door.
As the guest entered Ja'far closed the door behind him and turned to face me. "What were you doing with Muu?"
His tone was more interrogating than simply conversational. "H-he got lost. I was merely helping." I answered.
He looked me up as though trying to catch any sign of me lying. "Throughout many historical records, great men have met their ill fates because of sly women. Sin may trust you but I don't."
I was a bit confused at Ja'far's sudden change of character. He used to be supportive about my relationship with Sin but now he just seems to hate me.
"Of course. As his right-hand man, it is your job to doubt everything he trusts." I replied taking a page from brother Koumei's books and going along his argument in order to avoid straining our relationship even further.
Ja'far gave a bit of a shocked expression before clearing his throat and leaving me to ponder on more important thoughts than anyone's approval of my relationship with Sin.
Before I knew it, Sin's conversation with Muu had already ended and I stood in front of the door as Sin wore a surprised expression as to why I stood with a frustrated expression on my face.
"Koutsuki, what's the matter?" Sin said approaching me with a concerned air.
"Sin we need to talk." I whispered as I walked away from him, my mind filled with thoughts of doubt and fear and my body unknowing of what to do but to walk away.
Inside me. A feeling of betrayal, disappointment, and anger were somehow mixing together.
●●●
"Take me with you." The words that came out my mouth confused Sinbad.
"You know what I'm talking about, Sin!" I demanded.
Sin's once confused face became that of sadness.
"No. I can't." He replied shortly.
"What? What do you mean No? Sin, I want to go. I want to see my siblings." I held his arms but he refused to look at me.
"Sin, I beg of you. I want to-"
"I can't. It's too dangerous out there." Sin reasoned.
"What?! Dangerous?! It's a diplomatic meeting Sin! Don't play me for a fool!" I said in a louder tone.
"It is diplomatic but we need to be practical! We're meeting with people from Kou!" Sin retorted in an equally high voice.
"In case you've forgotten, I came from Kou! I am one of its people!"
"You're Sindria's queen now!" Sin yelled.
I didn't like bringing up titles into conversations but I will not lose the chance to meet with my siblings.
"You're right. I am the queen. I demand to go." I said authoritatively.
Sin's brows smashed against each other at what he had heard.
"As the king I forbid it!" He said as he walked towards the door planning to end the conversation.
I quickly ran to block the exit desperately thinking that everything would be lost if Sinbad walked out of the room.
"Sinbad, please. All I want is to see them. I won't even talk with them. Please, I beg you." Koutsuki said trying to reach out to him.
"No, means no!" Sin's voice boomed inside the chambers, his brows furrowed, and his eyes showed anger and exhaustion.
I was stunned by his raised voice that I stood in front of him wide-eyed with my mouth agape. He must have realized he had shook me and recomposed himself.
"I'm sorry, I- I didn't mean to..." He muttered as he reached out to embrace me.
"I understand. You must be tired." I said as I let him envelope me with his strong arms.
"I didn't mean to make you...cry." He muttered as he held me within arms reach.
True enough tears of helplessness had flooded my eyes but I didn't like looking more helpless so I hastily wiped them with the sleeves of my dress which seemed impossible as they kept dripping.
"I just..." I sniffed.
"I want to meet them just one more time. I didn't get to say goodbye properly. I just want to meet my family." I said as I gave up wiping my tears and just let them line my cheeks.
Sin bought me over to sit on the side of our bed. He knelt down and took my hands and kissed them.
"Forgive me..." He started as I stopped sobbing to listen properly.
"I've been too greedy. I wanted you all to myself that I did not see how much it's suffocating you." He sighed into my hands.
"But Sin, you were only trying to keep me safe. I-"
"I thought I was too. But overtime I-" He stopped as though unsure of what to say.
"Sin?" I urged.
He gave a long sigh before continuing.
"Overtime I started doubting if you truly loved me. I started thinking, what if you stopped loving me? What if you got bored waking up to see my face beside you in the morning? What if you want to go back to Kou and leave Sindria. I dunno what I would do. I have grown accustomed to your laugh, your smiles, even your shouts." He gave a tired smile as he finished.
His words woke me. I was the one who was being selfish. I should be the one apologizing.
"Sin. Stop. I had been selfish and doubtful too. You just came back from fighting that horrible thing and all I could think was my siblings and when I had learned that you were meeting my big brother and you didn't tell me I just thought of really horrible things and felt such awful feelings." I searched his eyes for forgiveness and he readily gave it to me.
Sinbad gave a hearty laugh as he moved to sit besise me.
"For a moment I thought you were gonna say that the only reason you married me was so you could spy on me." Sin said.
I shrank and gave a weird giggle hoping he wouldn't see through me.
"Hahaha, Sin. That joke was so funny. Hahaha."
"Seriously though you don't have to pretend like you didn't thought about it." He whispered in my ear as he grinned devilishly.
"I...ugh...I'm sorry." I stuttered
"No worries." He said as he let his back touch the sheets of the bed.
"I thought about that at first too. But what can I say. I fell in love with your leg the first time I laid my eyes on it." He said as smug as ever.
If this had happened a couple of weeks before I would have choked him, but Sin and I had gone through quite a lot in the past few weeks.
"I guess I could say the same with those fluffy tails of yours." I said lying beside him.
Sin and I both laughed. For the first time, we talked as open and honest as we could. Talking with him felt so liberating that somehow everything felt alright.
The world may be in turmoil and at war, but inside these four walls on top of a fluffy bed, two adults were having a tickling fight.
—※—
This chapter is long over due. Please accept my apologies as I am trying to finish academic requirements in time for the scheduled graduation.
This is a non-thoroughly checked and read chapter so I apologize for spelling and grammar errors. As well as, OC-ness. (^_^*)