Normal's POV
It was all too easy.
The heartbroken emperor, the lost princess, the abandoned prince, the infatuated captain of the Silver Sakura, the brother who is in love with his dead twin and the rebellion.
Everything.
It was a child's play in her calculative green eyes as she had checkmated in her mind. All her pawns are moving in the way she had wanted and now everything is acting under her mercy.
She is now in a house on top of a hill far away from the burnt down Japanese version of Versailles.
Akahana caresses Haru's head and sighs contently. She has everything she has ever wanted now. It's perfect. It's a shame how the events took place and how it all turned out. If only Natsume had given her the love she has ever wanted. Maybe.. Just maybe.. The lese majesty isnt needed. Hime could have lived and ruled next to Haru. But that isnt the case. Hime is Shiragiku's daughter and Haru's her son. It's as clear as day whom Natsume loves more. A bitter smile makes it way on her beautiful features. Even in death Shiragiku just needs to live on within the people she loved. "Haru, you might not understand it but I did what I had to do to make sure you get what you deserve." The beautiful lady tucks a few strands of Haru's hair behind his ear and watches him stir in his sleep. She quietly hopes that at least while her son is sleeping, let the poor boy have good dreams for he had cried himself to sleep and hasn't really gotten a shut eye since 7 days ago. He would wake up and cried bloody murder every night and wouldn't really sleep until he passed out. Today is a rare occasion. He has been sleeping for 30 minutes and hadn't woken up.
But something is off. She could feel it in her bones.
Why aren't the students of class 3E coming? Surely the pink haired Artificial Intelligence and the man who works with Japan's Ministry of Defense know where she is now that she has Koro-sensei. But it's been rather quiet the past few days. A few complaints about tourists taking pictures here and there but nothing major ever reaches Akahana's ears. The hill that she lives in have a scenic view and had become an unofficial site for those craving for a touch of nature for their social media thus she had brushed it off the moment her beloved soldiers reported to her. The black-haired beauty, however, was more ready to attack her deceased daughter's classmates and Irina but even the said blonde assassin didn't come.
Although she is feeling uneasy, the Silver Sakura who had sided with her are patrolling the parametres every day of the hour and that makes her a bit secure. She couldn't help but wonder why everything is so easy on her part as well. Even the ministry lets her live alone despite not knowing what truly happened. They aren't searching for the 'terrorists' nor the ones who had committed lese majesty. The news claim that the government found Hime's body, all burnt down near the premises of the garden and several other bodies and they are finding for her husband's body. A few officers from the ministry came every day to check up on her and Haru. A shame that they would have never guessed the emperor is locked in the dungeon of the house. Akahana hums a tune Shiragiku had taught her when they were younger when a large figure was tossed to the ground, ruining another patch of her already dead rose garden. With an irritated sigh, she moved Haru's head away from her lap and tucked him properly in bed. When she looks out the window, she couldn't help but stare at the euphoric expression her brother wears before slamming a weakened Koro-sensei down again and again. At least one of us is having fun.
"Who is the fearsome god of death now?" Ichiro shouts and Akahana grimaces at the sight of her brother. It was unsightly.
"Take it down a notch, Ichi-niisama. Grudges are ugly and they are starting to show on your face." She replies casually from the window and Ichiro does not find her statement amusing.
"Jealousy is hideous too. I guess that's why you have to hide from the world." Ichiro muses, stepping away from Koro-sensei. "Better hide the child too now that he has stabbed his only sister." Akahana had asked him vaguely regarding Hime's affliation when he returns with Koro-sensei at their old house on top of the hill admist the dying red roses. 'Did you find her?' She had asked and he had replied the truth.
'No.'
Akahana smiles at the comment. Of course, he doesn't understand. He's just another one who is blindly in love with nee-sama. Disgusting.
"Careful, nii-sama. Wouldn't want to admit to the world that you agreed to kill nee-sama too that night because she found your love for her disgusting." She didn't want to hear his reply and walks away from the window and closes it. She switches on the fan instead for Haru and changes the wet cloth on his head before leaving the room and into the dungeon. As soon as she steps foot in the dungeon, the screams of agony bounce off the walls of the dungeon followed by whiplashes elicited by Akihito.
Akihito stops the moment he heard Akahana steps into the dungeon. Natsume had grunted and coughed a few times in Hana's presence and he tugs on his restraints the moment he saw his wife. "Akihito, do you mind leaving us for a few minutes?" Akahana asks, not giving Natsume a single glance.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I am, darling. It'll be just a short while. Take a short break and look after Haru for me, yeah?" Akahana caresses the captain's cheek before giving him a kiss. Without a single complain, Akihito raises Akahana's hands and kisses her knuckles before leaving the two.
Natsume had remained passive the whole time as he watches the woman whom he calls his wife betray him for a younger soul. He had always regretted the day he married Akahana. He was supposed to take care of her the way Shiragiku would have wanted him to. Instead he became a vile man who takes what he thinks he deserve. He had always told himself that Higanbana needs a mother to grow but had never considered Akahana's feelings towards him. In Natsume's eyes, Akahana is definitely beautiful. She deserves someone who loves her and protects her. She deserves someone her age, handsome, loyal and could spoil her.
"You're not going to say anything?" Akahana asks. It was her first time seeing him after the commencement of Operation Wardah.
"What's there to say?" Natsume looks old, spent and tired. Now that Akahana sees him, her heart still tugs to see him so broken. "I'd ask you to let me go but we all know it's never going to happen."
"Hime.. No, Higanbana is dead." Akahana said and she sees how Natsume's cold greyish blue eyes turn from passive to deep sorrow. His sobs are heard as she watches how her husband mourns for the death of his daughter. "They found her body." She said, wanting to see more of his reactions. "Burnt and has some stab wounds near the garden." His wails got louder every second and she was reminded of the way he cried when he found Shiragiku red with blood on the marble of her apartment.
"My princess... My sweet princess." Natsume cried. His heart hurts. He had lost the only thing he has of Shiragiku. What was the purpose of being an emperor? What was the purpose of all of this? He did all of it for Hime. He worked hard, toppled his brothers and worked day and night for the throne. He felt like he is being sucked into a black hole. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think and all he wants is the pain in his heart to end his life. His broken foot, his bleeding wrists and torso can't match the pain in his chest for losing his daughter. All he ever wanted was to give Hime a good life. He just wants her to be able to live the way she wants it to. So where did it go wrong? Why is this the outcome of his hardwork? 'Darling I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. All I ever wanted was to give you and Haru a good life.'
'Haru.' He is suddenly reminded of the part where Haru stabbed Hime before leaving with Hana. "Haru.. Where is he?" 'Haru might be in danger. I have to save him.'
It caught Akahana off guard. "haru?" She questions. She would have never guessed her husband would call out the name of her son.
"Where is he? Where is my son?"
"Your son?" Akahana questions, bile raising in her throat. She's feeling sick. Since when did her husband acknowledge Haru as his son? "You can't take my son now that you've lost your daughter."
"Hana, what are you talking about? He's my son as much as he is yours. I can't lose them both." Natsume cries. He knows that he hasn't been a good father to Haru for he is always busy looking at Hime. Somewhere along the way, he realises this and tries to make it work. That's why he had both of them return to the palace, anyway. "Please let me see my son."
Hana's beautiful features harden at her husband's words. She flips her black hair in front of him and stares at him long and hard with her asparagus green eyes. The same pair of eyes that his beautiful, beloved deceased wife used to own; the characteristic green eyes that run in the Fujisaki family. Natsume sees how transparent Hana actually is in front of him and she has always been transparent amongst the three siblings. She has always worn her feelings on her sleeve and did everything that she could to help him back when things were rough between them. Back when Natsume didn't have a dime and lost a wife and has no idea how to support his infant daughter, Akahana had come to him like a merciful rain in the desert and he was a traveller who had lost his way in it. It was never like a mirage with Akahana. He receives the water that her rain brought and drank it quickly to quench his thrist without thinking of the consequences. He had gotten greedy with her. He didn't want an oasis he wanted an ocean. And that's exactly what he had gotten. The ocean. And not before long, Natsume realises that he couldn't swim.
"I'm sorry, Hana."
It was the last straw for the black haired woman. Until the very last moment, he couldn't love her the way she had wanted him to. Even if she had gotten him a son.
"All I wanted was for you to look at me properly." She whispers, heart breaking at every second. Even now, she loves him. She loves him so much but all he ever wanted was Shiragiku. The black haired woman swallows down her cries and turns to leave. She couldn't stand to be with him any longer.
"I did look at you properly." Natsume shakes his head a little as a million memories flashes over his eyes as he looks at Akahana, his wife.
Hurt.
It was all that was reflected in Akahana's eyes.
No amount of sorrys can ever mend her heart and Natsume knows it.
***
Back in the mountains of the satellite campus, all 29 students of class 3E are gearing up and suited up.
"Are you ready?" Karma asks, his calculative and mischievous golden eyes flash in the dark setting of the mountain. The students are grouped into 6 teams who have their positions and posts assigned to.
They all have one singular mission. Go in, 31 people (Hime, Irina and Kamakura included), go out 34 people after they've rescued Koro-sensei, the Emperor of Japan and Hime's little brother. Not one person left behind and not one person shot down.
"Let's go."
***
I wanted to publish all of the story in one go but you guys have to be patient with me. I'll be publishing 2 chapters in a day until the end of this book. And i promise I won't ghost out on you guys anymore. I'm sorry.
I'm not dead, I promise.