-Pruning the Roses, Part 3-

Hikita slept for only an hour. She woke with a stir, flailing like she was about to fall out the bed.

Passing over the brief embarrassment, I handed her the more detailed and scientific diaries. She read through them at a rapid pace, her expression worsening as she flipped each page.

"So, that girl, she's the 'Sable Rose' written here. It's just awful."

I hesitated.

Haah.

Handing her the last diary, I sighed, "There's more."

It was probably the right thing to do, giving it to her. Airis would've. And I'd never hear to end of it if I tried to keep the truth from Blondie.

"D-Daughters?" Hikita choked, and that damned pain in my heart ached again.

She looked at me, and all I could do was nod.

"It seems so. Virgo beating up Gemini and our killing Renault may have weakened the curse's hold on Renaire. I can only guess she abducted us so that you'd find the truth."

"Then that girl is…!" Hikita bounced up with a gasp.

I hurried after her.

She had her hand against the glass again, staring at the girl's face.

"A sister. My sister." She whispered.

"I can see now why Airis relates so closely to you."

Hikita looked at me in confusion.

"We've got so much in common. A distant parent, a younger sister, and Renault ruined both our lives."

She blinked.

"Heh," she sadly laughed and weakly smiled, "Has anyone ever told you that you're awful?"

"Hmm," I pondered exaggeratedly, "Nope, never come up before."

Hikita balled her hand into a fist and tapped twice on the glass encasing her sister.

"Okay!" She raised her voice, clapping her hands together, "There's gotta be a way to get this opened safely."

Together, Hikita and I scoured every inch of the laboratory for more journals, loot, and a key for the door.

We hit the jackpot for journals in one of the prison-like cells, finding the detailed process for draining the fluid in the tank.

Lootables were sparse.

What else did I expect?

I was sure this whole place was a veritable treasure trove for someone like my sister, Rias, but not me.

Hikita found a key, but it was for the hallway that led to her old room.

We could now unseal her sister, but our remaining trapped here for presumably another day and a half put that effort on hold.

Who knew what kind of personality a teenage wolf girl would have?

She might attack us as soon as she wakes.

I really didn't need a sister-on-sister beatdown on my conscience, so I opted for searching through the bedrooms.

Hikita took a dramatic breath and turned the lock.

A swirl of dust was kicked up as the door swung open.

She coughed.

I followed her and teased, "Cleanliness seems to be low on the priority list for the Void."

The hall was pretty narrow, and the décor was sparse. Compared to the opulent halls of Renault's palace and the decadent laboratory, this was essentially bare.

"Or maybe it's the opposite?" I retracted my previous joke statement.

Aside from the dust that had probably built up under the door, the hall was spotlessly clean.

"My room is at the end of the hall."

Hikita ignored me, occupied with her thoughts.

We passed one door and promptly found hers, just as she said, at the end of the hall.

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"Need a moment?" I asked.

"No, it's just," she hesitated, "In all my memories I can recall, my nanny was waiting for me beyond these doors. She always fussed over me, even in the worst of times. I feel guilty about how much worry I caused her."

Hikita steadied herself and pressed the door open.

"Hmm," I hummed, "Just like that, I imagine?"

Sitting on the edge of a neatly made bed was an older woman wearing the uniform of a palace main.

"Yeah," Hikita replied, dumbfounded, "Just like this."

The gray-haired woman smiled.

"You look well, Kity."

Blondie rushed the woman, her steps bounding loudly on the hardwood floor, embracing her in a tight hug.

"Her nanny, I presume?" I asked the woman who was tenderly stroking the sobbing girl's head.

"I am," She replied in a quiet voice, "I am called Zieta, Your Majesty. Please excuse my discourtesy just this once."

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"There's nothing to excuse. Since you know me, am I right to think you already know how we arrived and why we're here?"

"I do indeed. My mistress informed me of the details before she departed, though I am forbidden to leave this room until I'm asked the right questions."

"And would those questions happen to be ones about Renaire being Hikita's mother or maybe her sister Hakaze?"

Zieta smiled, "You found her diary already."

"We did."

"Would Your Majesty forgive a meddlesome old woman and indulge me a question?"

"Zieta," Hikita lifted her head, still tightly wrapped around the maid, "What are you doing?"

The older woman patted Blondie's head, "Trying to keep you safe, as I've always done."

She locked eyes with me.

"Ask away," I waved her concerns away and pulled a chair away from a lopsided table in the corner.

Her question was what I'd expected.

"How will your people treat these girls?"

It would be a somewhat complicated answer. Airis could have a differing resolution in mind after she wakes up and gets up to speed.

The rest of us were already in agreement that both Hikita and Hakaze were blameless.

Just because I expected the question didn't make it any easier to parse.

Those soldiers who experienced the pain of taking Tolin would follow Airis' will without question. So would most of the civilians, especially the devout ones whose fervor had been stoked by Karina.

But those were the minority.

The Aestori likely wouldn't have qualms—or maybe they would? Renaire's research mentioned something about pure Ixian blood, so it was possible the hostilities between the two races of elves would boil over into discrimination against the girls.

Mei had identified Hikita as a "dark elf" on their first meeting. Tensions were already high, since it was in the middle of a battle and Hikita was trying to assassinate me.

Due to circumstances, there hadn't been time for Hikita to interact with the prominent members of the Aestori that accompanied us.

At the very least, there was some tension at the beginning with Flik, but that seemed more about Murphy's death rather than Hikita's heritage.

The real concerning ones were the Vanixian Republic survivors.

Reports indicated that many had been indoctrinated by Karina's impassioned sermons, but that only made me recall what that snake-like Goddess had told Airis.

Followers exchanging their devotion for ideals, and ultimately betraying their allegiances when those ideals aren't upheld to their wish-wash standards.

Overthinking the issue would get me nowhere.

"Hikita is already a valuable member of my retinue. Without her, we would still be knocking on the doors to Renault's palace. She saved countless lives. How could my people would discriminate against such a decorated hero? I'll personally guarantee her prosperity in the aftermath of this war."

Zieta's expression remained unaffected, surely implying my answer hadn't sated her query.

I sighed.

"It's hard to say. It would be a different story if Hikita could vouch for her sister, but we know nothing about Hakaze except she's currently suspended in a vat of goo. The old empire was a multi-racial nation, but that was mostly populations of elves and dwarves, even more so in the Republics. Other classifications of demi-humans aren't unheard of, but were extremely rare."

"There's only one thing I can promise," I continued, "I have no intention of prosecuting either Hikita or Hakaze. Not for their actions taken under the effects of a curse, and certainty not for inheritances outside of their control."

The elder nanny finally seemed to find my answer satisfactory. She pointed at a wardrobe opposite us.

"There is a folio in the lowest drawer, hidden under a false bottom. It is something the children may need. If you truly believe your people could accept them for who they really are, take the files with you. If you have doubts… destroy the documents and pretend they never existed."

My face scrunched on impulse. Nonetheless, I walked over to the wardrobe and began fishing out clothes to reveal the secretive hidey-hole.

I lifted the panel and flipped open the sleeve, grabbing the first jacketed paper.

What could be so controversial that I'd need to burn it?

ROYAUME DE'RENA–ARCHIVES ROYALE

 

WARRANT OF NOBLESSE

This warrant, along with the signature of His Majesty, King Jacques de la'Rena [Jacques du'Renault] and the National Seal, solemnly confirms the noble appointment of Crown Princess has been bestowed upon His Majesty's firstborn, Hikita Renaire, and they will hereafter be known and referred to as such as Princess Hikita Renaire de la'Rena.

 

King Jacques de la'Rena

I slowly slipped the jacket cover back over the document and turned straight-faced toward Zieta.

"Hell of a thing, this."

"Your thoughts remain unchanged?"

Hah? Unchanged?

Hikita was Renault's fucking daughter.

Not only did the document serve as proof that Renault was operating a quasi-shadow kingdom behind the façade of a Republic, it basically gave Hikita complete and total control over said kingdom with Renault now dead.

I collected myself. Nothing had changed. The blonde-haired girl, a decade my junior, wasn't responsible for circumstances out of her control. Renault's fixation on a blood debt, whatever feud he had with my family, would end with him.

"A lesser woman might be shaken. I remain resolute. Hikita will be lauded a hero. If anything, it may be easier to sell a much better story with this."

Hikita herself had grown interested in the contents of the folio. I handed it over and pulled out the next document.

RÉPUBLIQUE DE LA RENA–ARCHIVES NATIONALES

 

CERTIFIED COPY OF BIRTH RECORD

This is to certify that the following is a true and correct copy of statements appearing on the record of birth of the below named child, as filed in this archive.

NAME OF CHILD: Hikita Renaire DATE OF BIRTH: 14 Gemin'æni Ix 5521 PLACE OF BIRTH: Axio NAME OF FATHER: Jacques du'Renault MAIDEN NAME OF MOTHER: Valerie Renaire

RÉPUBLIQUE DE LA RENA–ARCHIVES NATIONALES

 

CERTIFIED COPY OF BIRTH RECORD

This is to certify that the following is a true and correct copy of statements appearing on the record of birth of the below named child, as filed in this archive.

NAME OF CHILD: Hakaze Renaire DATE OF BIRTH: 21 Libri'æni Ix 5523 PLACE OF BIRTH: Axio NAME OF FATHER: Jacques du'Renault MAIDEN NAME OF MOTHER: Valerie Renaire

Aside from the girl's birth certificates, the remaining documents were an assortment of supporting evidence against Renault, the Renaultian consulars, a gaggle of high-playing politicians in all three republics, and some so-called Grand-Marshal of the Maarin Republic.

I tucked them all back into the file jacket.

"This is real?"

Hikita was holding her warrant of nobility with shaky hands.

Zieta's rigid composure wavered, and she answered with a simple "Yes."

"I don't understand. If it's true, why…"

Why did all these things happen? Why was she subjected to such a terrible curse? Why would her mother be forced to perform those experiments? Why, why, why?

That sorrowful 'why' could've been so many questions.

I had those same questions myself.

Zieta's reply left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"We don't know," she said in a weak voice, "In the early days of the Republic, the king struggled to accept his new roles and limitations as only a figurehead. My mistress, your mother, was a noble in the old kingdom and held a high political rank as a consular in the new republic. They had an unofficial relationship for many years."

"Things began to ravel when he started blaming the Empire for things that made little sense. Without proof, the majority of the inner court ignored him. Mistress stayed by his side, and as time passed she was blessed with children. The king and a minority of loyalists continued operating as if the Kingdom was still in power. That's how that document came to be."

"About a year after Hakaze was born, the king's delusions worsened, and his contempt started to include all non-humans. Mistress and the children were isolated, as the small group of loyalists had grown. Renault's insanity became more than words and became doctrine. Before her fifth birthday, Hikita was stolen away in the night and afflicted with an ancient Revan Natori curse…"

Zieta paused.

I knew the rest. The last decade of political unrest and faction brawling with the Renaultians.

The conclusive end: my father's death, at the hands of Renault's own daughter, and Renault's death, by the daughter of the man he ordered dead.

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