<Nagisa>
During breakfast Karma had spoken little and only looked up a few times to acknowledge me. Why wasn't he talking? Should I start the conversation? I don't like the fact that he isn't speaking to me, wait- but why am I so worked up by this?
By the time we finished breakfast, leaving the dining hall, and about to go our separate ways, we were greeted by Karasuma and Kaede.
"Oh! Hey!" Kaede started waving at me excitedly, but then Karasuma planted his giant hands on her head and pushed her down, as he went down with her.
"Good morning, my King." He said sternly.
"Morning." Karma replied lightly.
"And to you as well." Karasuma looked up at me and Kaede stared with wonder.
"Good morning." I awkwardly said back.
They both got up and Kaede gleamed blissfully, like how she usually does. She grabbed upon my arm with a slight tug and pulled me in close.
"Oi.." Karasuma seemed like he was troubled by her movements and was about to pry her off me, but what can he do? Without making anything suspicious.
Karma just looked off and didn't care for what was happening between us. Why is he acting so aloof?
"What a surprise Nagisa! It is in my favor that I was able to find you! There's news that I must share!" Kaede giggled.
"My King, there is a ceremony that will be taking place later on this night, with multiple of our good men will be given ribbons by the current Crowns. Before that there is a training taking place where many of our skilled men are going to convened and it would be an honor if you would present yourself." Karasuma insisted.
"Karma that sounds great." I nudged his arm, "it would be a great opportunity to look at the men who will support in the later years." I explained.
"Yeah..." Karma said unfaithfully.
"You're coming to!" Kaede spoke loudly, "I told my men that I had acquired such a fine man with great archery skills."
"Is that fine?" I asked Karasuma.
"Why of course you're welcomed." Karasuma nodded his head with pleasure.
I turned towards Karma about to say something, but he was rather reserved and quiet. Quite unusual actually.
When both of those two went there own ways, and Karma was about to leave as well, I stopped him.
"Karma what is troubling you so early in the morning?" I confronted him with a worrisome intent.
"It is not I that you need to worry about, you need to worry about yourself. Until then, please don't concern yourself with me." Karma words stabbed me like daggers. Why?
"I don't understand." I said.
"I don't expect you to but I want you to figure it out yourself Nagisa. Only you can find your resolve. In the meantime, I'll be waiting." Karma soon the walked away and down the giant halls, before he disappeared entirely.
Tch, and just yesterday you were oozing with content. How can he just change his ways like that?
I sighed and straightened out my head. For the time being, I must get ready for the palace event. For some reason I'm actually nervous.
But I won't be going as the Queen, I'm just another noble aren't I?
••••••
When Kaede had brought me along into the crowded grounds of all the palace knights, it struck me with awe of how extraordinary this was. There was even a small handful of females who attended the training as well.
Ah...? But what about the kingdom itself?
Kaede tapped my shoulder and had seemed to notice my uneasiness.
"It would be careless of us to bring all the knights here. This is only 1/4 of them, the rest are still stationed where they're supposed to be." Kaede handed me the relief I needed and it settled it.
Then I saw Karasuma walking with Karma by his side and he wore his formal attire, one that clearly displayed that he was the King.
With him like that, he was glowing with a grand aura of the King that everyone glorified. Then there was me, casual, and normal onlooker.
"Nagisa! Come this way, I'll introduce you to some of my men." Kaede tugged me along and I followed her.
"Terasaka!" Kaede shouted, "come towards me, I've brought him, the one I told you about."
Both Kaede and I faced a tall bulky man with brown and blond spiky hair. He squinted at me, trying to make me inferior and I just diverted my eyes. I didn't want to get in his bad side, I did not want to make enemies here and now.
"This runt?" He stared at my noble crest and shyly looked away and cleared his throat. "I-I mean, this guy?" He came back trying to fix himself.
"Cut it out." Kaede slapped his back.
"Sorry, sir." Terasaka submitted to my class and bowed his head. "I've heard interesting things about you. If you don't mind, will you demonstrate?"
For some reason, I truly wanted to burst out laughing. That formality of his doesn't fit his image. I think I liked it when he was a little snappy.
I stuck out my hand to greet him.
"It would be an honor, my name is Shiota, Nagisa."
"Terasaka, Ryoma." He said after with a blushing expression of embarrassment.
By then there was a lot of men that surrounded us, and I felt utterly overwhelmed, thinking that I would disappoint them. But with Kaede by my side like that, it wasn't as bad as I perceived.
They all found my archery skills to be god-like. But it isn't about me is it?
I looked over to find Karma on the side and he was training with the other knights in swordsmanship. The way he held the sword, how he swiftly maneuvers around them, as if that sword were another arm of his.
It was graceful and beautiful, even if his eyes shouted threat and blood.
But something unsettling caught me off by surprised, I could strangely sense someone else's bloodlust. With utter panic I looked around until Terasaka and Kaede got ahold of me.
"Do you feel that?" I asked them.
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Kaede questioned.
Terasaka shook his head and I found it outrageous that amongst these men and women here, who were honed to protect this land, wouldn't notice this deadly intent to kill.
I shoved the bow in Terasaka's hands, never mining the quiver hanging on my back, and quickly paced towards the crowed that surrounded Karma.
"W-wait Nagisa! Where are you going!" Kaede shouted, with Terasaka following behind me.
I know this feeling. It's not safe here!
"Karma!" I exclaimed and before I knew it, I saw him fall back on his rear, with a burly man pointing his sword at Karma.
That bloodlust that no one suspected, is from that man.