"Bwahahaha! You thought Eijirou and Michiyo...! Bwahahahaha!!!" Yuuki couldn't stop laughing as she helped apply ointment onto Eijirou's cheek.
"I can't believe you would punch me, Katsuki! Ow..." Maybe Katsuki should talk less; it hurts every time he opens his mouth. He just wanted to introduce Katsuki to a fruit called longan and then he got socked in the face by an angry Katsuki! He couldn't believe Katsuki believe Michiyo was pregnant...and that Eijirou's the father! Who the heck was spreading that?! "But IS she pregnant? Why would such a rumor go around? I feel bad for Michiyo, there are some people who doesn't like her..."
"Just when I was planning to leave the Royal Court." Katsuki said to them.
"Eh? We are leaving?"
Yuuki and Katsuki started to fill in what they have found out about the red jewel and the possibility of Magic Users being killed to infuse Magic into jewels for non Magic Users. Eijirou didn't believe it at first but after much convincing, he believed it too.
"So that's why we are leaving...but where will we go?"
"I want to see if we can get close to Meiun Island and see it for myself. I might be able to remember things beyond what Michiyo remember."
"That's a good idea, Katsuki! So let's go!"
"Not yet." He wanted to leave knowing Michiyo will be safe and that Shouto promise to step up his game and protect her no matter what. He wanted to leave with a peace of mind and not be burdened with worries.
Yuuki smiled at Katsuki, "You sure are kind with Michiyo. Much more so than me."
"That girl deserves to be protected, you don't. If anything, I feel like punching you in the mouth more than half the time."
"Geez, way to show me you love me. Either way, we can't have the rumor go around like wildfire."
"We should tell the king!" Eijirou believe that if they be honest to the king, they will forgive Michiyo and they will search for the source of the rumor.
"Idiot. You seriously think the king wouldn't have heard the rumors by now? How many variations of the rumor had he heard already? You going up to him now will just boil his blood." Katsuki said to Eijirou, "This isn't you being honest. This is you jumping into the fire not realizing how much it will burn you."
"Geh..."
"I have a better idea~." Yuuki said with a very smug smile on her face.
Shouto have heard about the rumors that's going around the Royal Palace. Some of his advisors had been telling him he had to get rid of Michiyo to quell the rumors and then choose someone with a clean and pure background from the Royal Harem.
"Shouto-sama, there are so many different versions of the rumor. What now?" Momo asked him.
"The advisors are right. This rumor isn't a good thing, it's ruining the good face of the Royal Family. If the Imperial Censors hear about it, this will go down as a stain in history." Tenya agreed with the advisors; getting rid of Michiyo will get rid of the rumors.
"I believe in Michiyo."
"But why? There are so many people talking about her and Eijirou!" Tenya said in disbelief.
Shouto looked at him with seriousness in his eyes, "Because she is my wife. If I don't believe her, who will? I didn't marry her just for show." He decided to go to her quarter to see her. When he was there, he could see Michiyo talking to Yuuki. "Yuuki, Michiyo." He then nodded at Eijirou and Katsuki, acknowledging they're here also.
"Good timing, Shouto. You must have heard about the rumors." Yuuki said to him.
"Unfortunately."
"Eijirou-san and I are not a couple." Michiyo said adamantly, she's annoyed with the rumors and she'd like to get to the bottom of it. When she tried to press the servants about it, they refuse to answer and even if they did answer, they always reply with 'I've overheard it from someone else'. "Besides! Eijirou-san, he-" Michiyo looked at Eijirou and Eijirou shook his head; he doesn't want Michiyo to talk about 'that' "Never mind..."
What was that she's about to say? Katsuki looked at her and then at Eijirou, who looked a little nervous; what was he hiding? He will question him about it sooner or later because if he refused to let Michiyo talk about it, not like making him talk with force will do any good.
Yuuki looked at Shouto, "Do you believe the rumors?"
"Of course not. Michiyo is my wife."
"Shouto..." Michiyo then felt him take her hand and gave her an assuring squeeze.
"I believe you. Even if the whole world is against you, I believe you."
Michiyo smiled at Shouto's words and she nodded, "I didn't do anything to betray you. I will never ever betray you."
This was all Shouto needed as proof that Michiyo did and will not betray him.
"D'aww how lovey dovey~!" Yuuki's tail wagged happily for them, "Anyway, Katsuki, we should stay for longer."
"HUH?!"
"I would like that, Yuuki-san~." Michiyo would like that, there's hardly any girls of her age who liked her anyway so Yuuki's stay would make it a lot better.
"Of course you would like that! But this is supposed to be MY adventure, you stupid-ass wolf!" He lifted Yuuki up by the collar of her shirt with a very annoyed look on his face!
"I wanna see the baby due~!"
"What baby-?!" At that very moment, Katsuki realized what Yuuki was getting at. He grinned rather maniacally, "I get it. How many more months?"
"3 to 4." Yuuki answered with a cheeky grin.
"Alright. I'll leave it in your hands. Eijirou, you come with me."
"Eh? Why?"
"Because we're going to do something different."
"What about the rumors?"
"Yuuki will sort that out." He believe in her plan because she was strong and will succeed in her own way.
"Can I come along?" Shouto asked Katsuki, he wanted to do whatever they're planning to do as well, "Tenya, Momo, keep watch out Michiyo and assist Yuuki on whatever she wants."
Good, now Katsuki and Eijirou have Shouto on his own, talking will be made easier without the Royal Knights close by.
"Tenya, go and tell the cook to make us a lot of treats~! Michiyo, Why don't we make a swing? Momo, start creating some stuff for me." Yuuki began to list some items she wanted from Momo.
Michiyo looked excited about the idea of a swing. She had never been on one before so she thought it'd be fun.
"Huh? I get the other stuff, why do you want that???" There was a particular item in there and Momo doesn't understand why Yuuki would want that since it had nothing to do with making a swing.
"Shouto said you need to do anything I say~!"
"Hmph! Fine." Momo made that thing for her anyway, "What do you want me to do with it?"
"Put it in Michiyo's room. We don't need it for now."
Momo didn't like the idea of having to listen to Yuuki but she will do that for because Shouto told her to listen to Yuuki.
"As for you, Tenya, build us a swing while we eat our treats."
"HUH?! I am a Royal Knight!"
"I am aware, but your prince gave you his royal command to do as I say so. Michiyo, let's eat~."
"Wow~! So many different treats! Ooh! dumplings!"
"In other words, people who cannot use Magic are making people with Magic to infuse their Magic into jewels in order for them to use Magic without wasting their own stamina." Shouto's now made aware of what's going on. "That's why you want to leave the Royal Court and head to Meiun Island. Shouto wandered around the study room in thought, "Meiun Island is special because nearly everyone from that island is blessed with Magic. Michiyo is unlucky, she's born without it despite being born on that island."
"Since I was a highly trained guard who can be by Michiyo's side, that means I must have been born on that island. I might be able to uncover more of my past there." Katsuki said to Eijirou and Shouto.
"Then you should head to the island as soon as possible. I'm sorry this rumor is putting your journey on a halt."
"No worries about it, Shouto! We care about Michiyo too!" Eijirou reassured the prince, "Katsuki's just doing his duty as someone who was supposed to guard Michiyo."
Katsuki's thinking about the day where he forgot everything. Days before the tragedy, a travelling monk told them of his premonition, and then next thing anyone knew, a rebellion started. People started to wish to kill Michiyo and people came to her defense. Both sides were slaughtering one another and only ended with Michiyo burning all the people within her vicinity. The biggest question was...who was the travelling monk? If that monk KNEW there was a tragedy coming, how come Michiyo's single life could quell it? "I don't believe the life of a single person can appease some God's will. If God wants to kill, he will kill. He made humans...to him, every life is the same. No life is more significant than another."
Eijirou and Shouto both nodded, they agreed with Katsuki; God made humans...if he willed for the destruction of humans, how can the life of one human change his mind? It just doesn't make a single sense.
"Whoever the travelling monk was warning, that tragedy made by God...it's merely someone who thinks they are a God."
"So you're saying someone must have orchestrated for the people of Meiun to slaughter one another." Shouto paused and then he slowly looked up from thinking, "That someone could be the one who murdered my brother."
That's why Katsuki wanted to leave for Meiun Island real soon. He wanted to see that island for himself. Also, he wished to stop the fire that's still burning to this very day...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's already the third month.
Mirei was having a quiet time of enjoying tea in her own quarter. She's happy each day because everywhere she goes, whenever she went for a stroll, she could hear everyone talking about Michiyo's stomach. Everyone was talking about how Michiyo had gained weight especially at the stomach area. Mirei had some servants go near the Wasurenagusa Palace to look at Michiyo and the servants have been reporting Michiyo had been feeling sickly too...these were mostly likely the signs of of pregnancy, and the fact Michiyo said she's not feeling well and declined to socialize with anyone made it even more suspicious.
"I want to see for myself. Wouldn't it be funny that the rumors are true after all~?" On her way to the Wasurenagusa Palace, she saw the king and queen. She greeted them both and she had an idea in mind, "I heard Shouto-sama is training in the Wasurenagusa Palace."
"Is that so? I shall go there and witness his progress."
"Shouto is a hard worker. I want to see him too. Shall we go together, Mirei-san?" Rei asked Mirei.
Mirei smiled beautifully and she accepted the offer. Her smile looked very elegant but really she's looking forward to a dramatic opening.
Katsuki, Shouto, and Eijirou had been training one another in hand-to-hand combat. Katsuki figured he shouldn't rely on Magic all the time and that it should only be used during an emergency.
"Even though you can harden your body, there is a limit to how long you can hold onto that form!" Katsuki had been training enough to not release all of his Magic at once. He controlled the output of the Magic he needed to use so he wouldn't tire himself out so easily! "Die!" He started to rapidly use his explosions on Eijirou, making his rock hard defense weaker and weaker until the finishing blast sent Eijirou flying to the ground!
"Again, it's Katsuki's win." Shouto mumbled to Tenya.
"That Katsuki-kun...I can't believe he's that skilled. Even with amnesia, his body hasn't forgotten how to fight on a physical level."
"It might be the memories his body have."
"His body's memories?"
"If you do something with your body every day, you can do it easily because the signal your brain sends out will be a lot quicker." Shouto could hear laughter and she saw Yuuki pushing the swing that was built for the purpose of having fun. Michiyo was sitting on the swing, having so much fun.
"Higher! Higher!"
Michiyo's having so much fun with the new swing, it felt so nice to feel the wind going back and forth like that.
Shouto smiled at the innocent scene of Michiyo having fun. She's smiling a lot more ever since Yuuki came into her life and he thought that's a huge improvement to her wellbeing.
Michiyo asked for Yuuki to stop the swing, "I feel a little nauseous."
"Michiyo, are you okay? Here, have some tea." Eijirou poured some tea out for her and carefully hand it to her.
"Thank you. You're a mess, Eijirou-san."
"I have to train and get stronger, it can't be helped. What about you? You uh..."
"Hm?" Michiyo touched her stomach, "What?"
"I-I can't exactly say you've gained weight."
"You just did."
When the King and Queen showed up with their many servants and Mirei, Katsuki and the others got down on their knees to greet them both.
Enji looked at Michiyo and Eijirou before looking at Shouto, "Shouto, I've heard that you are training here so I came to check up on you."
"Right. Training have been well. Katsuki haven't been holding back on me, I can train seriously."
"There's no way you can ever beat me when your stupid men allow you to win, you stupid prince!" Katsuki exclaimed loudly in front of Shouto's parents.
"Shouto! I thought you mentioned he is your friend, why is he speaking to you like this?!" Enji asked in a rather annoyed way.
"I like the way he speaks."
"Don't overwork yourself, Shouto." His mother said to Shouto, she's happy as long as her son was happy so it was all good.
Mirei glanced at Michiyo, who looked like she was trying to avoid being seen by Enji or Rei; Michiyo kept behind Yuuki. "Michiyo-hime, it's nice to see you are well. How are you doing? My! Haven't you gained a lot of weight!" Mirei said in an exaggerated way, "I see you have been pigging it out ever since you have been feeling well. I don't blame you, the new companions Shouto-sama brought in are both eye candies."
Enji breathed in and then out, everyone knew it was out of anger.
"Oi, you fucking bitch, you came here to say that?" Katsuki said to Mirei, not caring if he was being rude to a beautiful girl. She really was a beauty, long flowing black hair, her eyes a beautiful lavender color, and her voice was like an angel coming to grace everyone with her blessing...but Katsuki doesn't care about that sort of thing because he thought the girl was rude to Michiyo for no damn reason in front of the king and the queen.
"Michiyo-hime, are you okay? Your stomach has gone pretty big..." Rei said with worry in her tone.
"Michiyo-hime has been eating a lot~! I wanted to eat a lot of palace food so she had been eating with me~!" Yuuki said in a cheerful tone, "She was so thin when I met her! Praise me for helping her look healthy~!"
Enji looked at Yuuki and then at Michiyo, "Why do you two look the same?"
"My boobs are bigger by 0.05 mm." Yuuki corrected Enji.
"Your Majesty, that is clearly a stomach of a three month pregnancy. You are a father to four children, and you don't know the difference between fat and a baby bump? Fufu..." Mirei said to Enji and then she eyed one of her servants.
The servant she eyed at suddenly stepped forward and got on her knees, "Your Majesty, there is something I have to tell you! Michiyo-hime and the red haired guest over there had been seeing Michiyo-hime on many nights!"
"Oh?" Enji would like to hear more.
"Michiyo-hime and the red haired guest is always at Guren Garden. The two of them are always together and I am afraid the baby in the stomach could be..."
"Shouto! Is your wife cheating on you before your eyes?! I will not tolerate this!" Ah, the king's VERY angry...so angry that his fire based Magic was leaking out from him in a burning blaze.
But seeing the king like this, Yuuki smiled...