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"How do you feel?" You ask her.
She flexes her fingers, giving you a small wave. "Better. The doctors said it wasn't fully healed yet, though," Hitoka sighs.
"I'm genuinely sorry," you say, sitting in a chair cross from her, "but I know this won't compensate for what happened."
Hitoka is silent.
Her room is elegant; large bed, windows overlooking the courtyard, and she was even provided gowns. She doesn't wear them, though, and is still in her mangled clothes from the dungeon. At least she took a bath, although she won't allow the maids to help her.
She even acts out of place.
She won't take any food unless it's simple bread and water, and she doesn't even sleep on the bed provided.
You sigh. You've given her everything, but it will never be enough.
"I know it must be tough, but I have a few questions for you," you smile, "if that wouldn't be too much trouble?"
"You can't reverse what's been done, no matter your position or power. The past is irreversible, and the future is uncontrollable."
Her words from when you first met echo in your mind.
"Whatever," she replies, looking at her hands.
"Okay, then," you take a deep breath, "Do you know anything about a tree called Maki?"
Maki, the wood Izuku uses for his figures.
Her eyes light up with recognition. "I've heard of it."
You stay quiet, willing her to continue.
"It's a tree only grown in the Toshinori Kingdom. They say it's very rare," Hitoka says, "and apparently very flammable. Not like normal wood..."
"...so much so that it may even cause a fire."
Hitoka looks oddly interested.
"How do you know so much about it?" You ask, trying not to raise suspicion.
"Oh." She sighs, and a nostalgic smile graces her face, "My Mother loved reading fairytales to my brother and I. There was this one where fire and Maki, the wood, fell in love. They burned each other out. Only ashes remained. But it was only a silly children's story, although a pleasant memory for me."
You nod. "Okay. I also have another question, though."
"Go on."
"Have you ever heard of the League of Rebellion?"
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"You know, I thought I had this all figured out," you sigh, sitting next to Shoto on a couch in the hallway.
"I suppose, although you got closer than I did," Shoto smiles, "feels like you've been doing everything since you got here."
"All I've done is play detective," you laugh, "what have I done that you couldn't have?"
"No, really, I mean it," he says, turning to you, "I couldn't have figured out about Maki. I probably wouldn't have reached out to Sir Izuku in the first place."
"Shoto..."
"I'm not great at talking to people. Sometimes it's hard to say what I want to say. That's my character flaw, I guess," he says, not looking at you anymore.
"Well, I jump to conclusions. It's hard to believe that I'm ever wrong. That's my character flaw," you smile, hoping to cheer him up.
He grins. It's small, but it's there, and you feel better.
You and Shoto's relationship has always been one of comfort and solidation, and you can't help but wonder if he feels anything more.
A marriage arranged to unify two kingdoms, one that you secretly opposed...
...but now you wish for it to happen.
Does he? Will you ever be anything more?
Surely the kiss meant something. Surely the gestures of kindness and secrets meant something. Something to him.
"Hey Shoto," you say nervously, "remember that . . . kiss?"
You hesitantly look at him, but his face is blank. You realize how close he's sitting.
"Kiss?"
Your heart drops. "Oh, well n-nevermind I-"
"I think you're going to have to remind me."
Suddenly you're kissing, he's kissing, you hear a maid giggle but you don't care. His lips are on yours, his hand gently caressing your face, the other pressing against your back, bringing you closer to him.
You melt at his touch, and there's something else there, something that wasn't there the first time.
Passion, desire.
His quirk is roaring, cold, hot, cold, hot. Everything all at once and you wonder if yours is too.
You can feel your quirk, the power flowing from you to Shoto, through your lips and powering his.
You pull away.
You rest your forehead on his, and he doesn't take his palm off of your cheek.
"Do you remember now?" You ask.
You both laugh, both blushing like there's no tomorrow.
"It makes me wonder if that was really just your second kiss, princess," Shoto whispers, "The palace staff is going to love this."
"Oh, I'm sure Takahashi has already heard and is heading this way to watch," You laugh, sincerely hoping he isn't.
"Speaking of Takahashi," Shoto says, "don't you think something's going on with him?"
"Actually, yeah," you reply.
"I don't want to say it, but I'm going to say it," he pauses. "What if he's involved in the poisoning somehow? It would be easy for him to-"
You stand up. "I-I'm sorry, but I have to use the ladies' room."
You hear him mumble something as you walk away.
It's not possible. Takahashi would never hurt someone right?
But that's what he's trained to do. He's a gaurd, after all.
One of the only people you can trust . . . committing high treason? Against not just the Todoroki Kingdom, but others as well?
All thoughts of the kiss leaving your mind, you storm to where Takahashi is.
If there's something going on, you're going to find out what.
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