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The stench of blood caught Throné's attention first.
As the eight of them stepped into the village, they saw no signs of life. Red and black banners battered against the wind, and Throné heard Agnea gasp sharply as she spotted the first corpse. She jolted backwards, almost into Throné, and Throné laid a steadying hand on her shoulder. Agnea slapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide in fear.
"Those are my brother's banners," Hikari said, frowning.
"This is so awful…" Agnea whispered, her face pale. "I don't understand… We need to help…!"
Hikari shook his head sadly. "Mugen is not one to leave survivors when he conquers."
"Then what's the point of expanding his empire if there's no one left to rule over?" Throné said, perhaps a touch too flippantly.
Agnea's fingers balled into fists. "But still, we have to at least look!"
"You're right," Hikari replied. "If even one person has survived, it is our duty to help them."
"Let's just hope there aren't any of Mugen's soldiers around…" Throné muttered. The group hadn't encountered any since leaving Sai for Ku, where Kazan awaited to begin the final battle against Mugen, but a sense of unease still followed them.
Agnea remained close to Throné as they searched the village, and more than once Throné saw Agnea's eyes dart to her bare throat. After Lostseed, Throné would've preferred Agnea to remain behind, but selfishly she'd been relieved when Agnea insisted on staying with the group. She wasn't yet ready to say goodbye to Agnea's smile.
Now, however, guilt clawed at her chest as she watched Agnea move cautiously, hesitantly around the village. The stench of blood was overwhelming, but nothing Throné wasn't already used too. However, seeing the grief on Agnea's face as she checked fallen bodies for any signs of life and peered through broken windows hurt more than she wanted to admit. Dark, dried blood stained the ground, and many corpses, young and old, held expressions of terror. Many buildings had been burnt, and a charred stench too lingered in the air. The silence itself was almost deafening, and Agnea's shoulders quaked as she knelt beside the body of a woman, whose side had been slashed deeply. Throné could only hope it had been a swift death.
"Is there anything we can do for… for the fallen?" Agnea asked as her voice trembled. "To leave them like this seems so disrespectful…"
"I can say a prayer, if you'd like," Temenos said, kneeling beside Agnea. "But with just the eight of us, it would take far too long to grant each person a proper burial."
Agnea wiped her eyes with her arm. "But after we defeat Mugen, we'll be able to come back, right?"
Throné inhaled sharply. "Agnea—" she began to say, reaching for Agnea, but Ochette's voice stopped her.
"I smell someone!" Ochette exclaimed, and Mahina hooted beside her. "Someone alive!"
"Let's remain calm," Castti cautioned as she touched Ochette's shoulder. "We don't want to frighten them."
Agnea was quick to jump to her feet, and the desperate hope in her eyes made Throné's heart ache. Mahina flew forward while the group followed, past a building that was once likely the tavern. They soon came to another, smaller building, a house that had been partially burnt, and Throné heard Osvald's breath hitch. Mahina perched at the entrance, the door having fallen from its hinges, and hooted again.
"Mahina says there's someone inside," Ochette said, her beastling ears flat against her head. "But they're really scared too…"
"I will look for them." Castti stepped forward. "If we all go in at once, we might frighten them further."
"Let me go with you," Partitio said. "I know it ain't likely to dangerous, but better safe than sorry, yeah?"
Castti smiled weakly. "Yes, you're right. The rest of you, remain out here."
"Please be safe," Agnea said softly.
Both Castti and Partitio nodded, and headed into the ruined house. Agnea let out a deep sigh and slumped to her knees, and immediately Throné knelt beside her. "Are you all right?" she asked Agnea.
Agnea gave Throné a weak reassuring smile. "I'm fine, really. It's just… a lot to take in at once."
"There's no need to push yourself," Hikari said as he knelt at Agnea's other side. "Perhaps we should rest outside the village tonight instead of pressing onward."
"It's getting late anyway." Throné touched Agnea's shoulder. Truth be told, she wanted to get away from this desolate place as soon as possible, but if the group made camp outside the village, she hoped the stench of blood wouldn't be as strong.
"But…" Agnea bit her lip, and her shoulder beneath Throné's hand trembled. "No, you're right. Thank you."
As the group waited for Castti and Partitio, Agnea remained close to Throné, and rested her head against Throné's shoulder and held her arm. Agnea was always freely affectionate and never frightened of Throné, and that hadn't changed even after learning the true cost of Throné's freedom in Lostseed. But it had been Throné's choice to remain with the group; she had yet to see Agnea shine at the Grand Gala.
Soon enough Castti and Partitio returned with a little girl, who clutched Partitio's hand tightly. Her clothes were dirtied but not burnt, and her hair was long and loose. While Throné wasn't the best at determining a child's age, she looked to be a few years younger than Osvald's daughter Elena. The hollow look in her brown eyes was particularly familiar.
"These are my friends too," Castti said gently, and she introduced the girl to each of the travelers. The girl remained silent and her expression impassive, but Throné saw her gaze linger a moment longer on Mahina.
"And Agnea here is a great cook!" Partitio added as he knelt to the girl's eye level. "So you wanna join our little group for supper?"
The little girl only nodded.
Partitio and Temenos did one final sweep of the village to ensure there were no other survivors as the rest of the group made their way to the edge of the village, away from the corpses and Mugen's war banners. Briefly Throné wondered if it was safe to camp here, but Ochette said neither she nor Mahina sensed any soldiers nearby. As Agnea and Osvald prepared a fire for cooking and warmth, the little girl let Castti examine her for any injuries, but still said nothing.
"It's like what happened to Elena, isn't it?" Agnea said as she stirred the pot of stew over the fire. It was a simply-flavored stew, as none of the group had much of an appetite right now. That no one had vomited at the sight of such brutality was a minor miracle in it of itself. "She didn't say a word as we traveled from Gravell to Conning Creek."
"It isn't such an uncommon response to trauma," Osvald said softly. He touched the heavy shackle around his throat, and as tired as she was of the scent of blood, Throné couldn't say she was sad that bastard Harvey was dead.
"Your daughter has you and Lady Clarissa to care for her," Agnea replied. "But that girl…"
"We'll do what we can for her," Throné said. "And first things first, we give her food."
"Right, one step at a time," Agnea muttered to herself, and returned her attention to the stew.
The girl kept close to Castti, and Mahina carefully crept over to her while Ochette now helped Agnea with the stew. Throné thought it odd to see Ochette and Mahina apart, and again noted the girl's attention on Mahina specifically. Mahina let out a quiet hoot, and slowly, hesitantly, the girl reached out a hand to pet Mahina's head. The girl's empty expression didn't change, but her shoulders relaxed just slightly.
"Mahina, what are—?" Ochette began to say, turning her head. "Oh, I see now."
"Jealous?" Throné teased.
Ochette shook her head. "Mahina's always been good with children."
"Elena liked Mahina too," Osvald murmured.
Partitio and Temenos soon returned from their search, and Throné wasn't surprised they were alone. Their expressions were hollow, and neither spoke.
The stew was soon finished, and Throné helped Agnea divide it into nine bowls and pass around to the group. Agnea gave the first bowl to the little girl, who accepted it without comment or even looking up at Agnea. She stared blankly at the bowl for a moment, and only dipped the spoon into the stew when Mahina hooted at her, and she dutifully swallowed a small bite.
"You don't need to eat all of it," Castti said gently to the little girl. "Just enough to regain some of your strength."
Thus a somber air lingered over the group as they ate. Castti and Temenos tried asking the little girl a few more questions, but when she remained silent, they didn't press her further. Throné thus refocused her attention on Agnea, who looked toward the ruined village, and the war banners were just barely visible. She was unusually withdrawn, and Throné couldn't blame her.
"We won't lose," Agnea said at last. "Hikari will be a better king than his brother."
"The crown is a heavy burden to bear," Throné replied.
A soft smile spread across Agnea's lips. "I believe in Hikari."
Despite herself, Throné smiled too, faint as it was. If Lostseed couldn't extinguish Agnea's resolve, then perhaps Throné had nothing to fear.
"Hey Agnea, how 'bout a dance?" Partitio suggested once the group was finished eating. "I mean, only if you're up for it."
Agnea's eyes grew wide. "Are you sure?"
"Of course." Throné patted Agnea's shoulder. "A dance sounds wonderful."
"Well, if you insist." Agnea inhaled deeply as she stood and made her way to the center of camp. She carried herself now with more certainty, and all eyes were on her, including the little girl's. "Now, watch me shine!"
After a moment's pause for effect, Agnea began to move, raising her arms as her skirt fluttered with her turn. She danced more slowly than usual, and belatedly Throné recognized it as the dance she had shared with Throné in Winterbloom, after failing to kill Father. Agnea's smile was gentle as she danced; it was a calming dance, meant to promise a dawn after a particularly harrowing nightmare. Or perhaps it was a dance of the hope inherent in acceptance, to stand again after falling. Throné smiled too as she watched Agnea dance; when had she grown so poetic?
But just as it had done countless times before, Agnea's dancing both calmed her and made her heart race, and thus she dared to hope for more. The little girl's gaze was also fixated on Agnea, a bit of light returning to her eyes. Beneath the night sky, Agnea shined brighter than the stars above.
She finished with a flourish of her skirt and bowed deeply in the little girl's direction. "Thank you, everyone!" she exclaimed.
"That was beautiful, Aggie!" Ochette cheered, and Mahina hooted in agreement.
Hikari nodded. "Yes, your dancing was as excellent as always."
"What did you think?" Castti gently asked the little girl.
The girl lowered her gaze to her hands folded in her lap, but gave Castti a brief nod.
Agnea knelt in front of the girl and smiled at her. "If you want me to dance for you again, just let me know, okay?"
Maybe it was only Throné's imagination, but she caught the ghost of a smile flicker across the girl's lips.
Eventually the group retired to sleep. Hikari would take watch for the first half of the night, while Ochette and Mahina would take the second half, and the little girl slept close to Castti. As Throné lay in her bedroll, she scanned the sleeping forms of her other companions, although she doubted any of them slept restfully. The stench of blood still lingered.
"Hey, Throné," said a soft voice from beside Throné. She turned her head, and saw Agnea awake in her own bedroll. She smiled sheepishly and add, "Sorry, did I wake you?"
Throné shook her head. "I still feel rather restless," she replied, her voice equally quiet.
"Yeah, same here. It's just…"
Even against the backdrop of night, the shadows in Agnea's gaze were deeper still. Throné held out her arm and said, "You can sleep with me, if you want."
Agnea stared wide-eyed for a moment, and then quietly slipped into Throné's bedroll as Throné wrapped an arm around her to draw her closer. Throné could offer this amount of comfort, at least; more often these days did they seek out comfort from each other like this, such as after Gravell and Lostseed. Agnea nestled into Throné's embrace, and her familiar warmth was welcomed. "Thanks, Throné," she whispered.
Throné remained silent. Since Lostseed - no, further back than that, since Crick's death in Stormhail - Agnea often awoke in the middle of the night, fearful and restless. She tried valiantly to hide it, but nothing got past the eye of a trained snake like Throné. Yet, what more could Throné do for her? When Temenos had joined the group, he hasn't expected to lose a dear friend. Crick's death had been a shock to all of them. Even Osvald's journey for revenge had turned into one of hope when he learned his beloved daughter was still alive. However, Throné had always known her journey would end with the deaths of those she called "Mother" and "Father." She had traveled with Agnea knowing that she would dirty her hands with blood.
Agnea let out a deep sigh, and her breath tickled Throné's skin. "We can't take that girl to Ku with us, can we?"
"No, we can't. But we'll decide what to do in the morning. She will be safe - we can ensure that much."
"She's lost everything. I can't even imagine how much that hurts." Agnea fell silent a moment, chewing her lip. "I wish we could do more for her…"
"Your dancing made her smile for a moment." Throné laid her hand on Agnea's hair; for whatever reason, Agnea had never shied away from her touch. "It's a start, at least."
Yet Agnea only sighed again. "Seeing that village destroyed, and everyone dead… how can anyone be so cruel…?"
"Some people thrive on cruelty," Throné muttered bitterly, and thought not only of Claude, but Harvey as well.
"But I'm glad we were able to find that girl." Agnea smiled weakly, although tears gathered in her eyes. "It's not entirely hopeless…"
Throné's chest tightened. "Agnea?"
Tears rolled down Agnea's cheeks, and she burned her face in Throné's chest to stifle her sobs. Wordlessly Throné's arms tightened around Agnea's back, and she pressed a careful kiss to Agnea's hair. Throné was selfish. She knew that better than anyone. She'd killed without remorse for her freedom. She took what she wanted. She felt the sobs that raked through Agnea's body; sweet, kind Agnea, who even smiled at a thieving snake like Throné. But even snakes were drawn to warmth, after all.
Agnea soon calmed and fell asleep, and Throné held her close through the night. It was the least she could do, even as she longed for more.
By dawn Agnea seemed in better spirits. She and Partitio helped heat the leftover stew for breakfast, and the little girl remained closest to Mahina. Osvald kept his distance from the girl, not wanting to frighten her with his imposing stature. Throné and Hikari packed away the rest of the bedrolls, and Throné glancing at Agnea out of the corner of her eye did not escape Hikari's notice.
"You're worried about her too, are you not?" he asked gently. "These past few weeks have been difficult for all of us."
Throné thought again of Lostseed, and touched her throat. "Do you think she's been acting differently lately?"
Hikari was quiet a moment, contemplating Throné's question. "We do ask much of her, and she always has a smile for us. Now she follows me into a warzone…"
"And I'm the one who dragged her into a place like Lostseed."
"None of us expected what we found in Lostseed. But I've fought in wars. I know what my brother is like. I should have foreseen this carnage, and yet…"
"You've a kind heart." Throné tried to smile. "You head to war to be a better king than Mugen. You have grand dreams for the future. I killed my own kin for freedom, that's all."
"I also intend to kill kin, and freedom is not such a small thing," Hikari muttered. "And that man who claimed to be the founder of the Blacksnakes - I cannot say his death saddens me."
"I've never smelled such vile darkness," Ochette said as she and Temenos approached Throné and Hikari. "You're nothing like that man, Néné. You have a kind heart too."
Temenos smirked, although it was not unkind. "If you didn't, Agnea would not be so smitten with you. That is what you're worried about, is it not?"
Throné frowned; how much of her conversation with Hikari had Temenos and Ochette overheard? Temenos especially wore that all-knowing look of his that allowed nothing to pass by unnoticed while hiding his own thoughts.
Ochette spoke again. "Aggie is braver than you think, Néné!"
"That… is true, I suppose," Throné said numbly. After all, they had met in New Delsta when Agnea stood up to those two thugs threatening Throné's puppy friend, and later Throné was barely able to keep up with Agnea as she rushed to confront that pompous theater manager. "She's also quite reckless and pushes herself too hard."
"I fear that describes all of us," Hikari added with an awkward laugh.
"All right, breakfast is finished!" Agnea announced.
She and Partitio passed around warm bowls to the rest of the group, and she sat beside Throné and flashed a smile. Throné gave her a brief nod in turn; she would never refuse Agnea's company. Still the ruined village lay in view, but the stench of death wasn't as strong.
"We need to decide our next course of action," Castti said once the group finished eating. "We cannot bring this girl to Ku with us."
"But we won't leave you here either," Partitio said to the little girl as he sat at her other side, and she held Mahina in her lap.
"What about the orphanage in Sai?" Osvald suggested. "It isn't that far from here."
"It is still a few days' travel," Hikari replied. "Perhaps we should split, with half of us continuing to Ku while the others backtrack to Sai."
"I can take her to Sai!" Agnea suddenly exclaimed, and when everyone else's attention snapped toward her, she sheepishly added, "I-I mean, it'd be good to introduce her to Laila and the others, right…?"
"I'll accompany you as well," Throné said, and caught both the surprise and excitement on Agnea's face.
"However, at least either Temenos or myself should continue on to Ku," Castti said.
"I can head to Sai as well," Temenos responded with a smirk. "If you remember, I am good with children."
Even the little girl gave Temenos a dubious look, but otherwise didn't object.
Partitio knelt in front of the little girl. "I'll come with you too, if you'd like. Sai's a little rough 'round the edges, but everyone at the orphanage is real kind, I promise!"
The girl remained silent, and glanced over her shoulder at the ruins of her village nearby. Her lip trembled, and Mahina hooted softly.
Temenos' expression softened. "I know this is difficult, and I will not pretend to understand the pain you are going through, but I can at least promise that Sai will be safer for you."
The girl was unmoving a moment longer, and then nodded slightly without meeting Temenos' gaze. Ultimately she didn't have a choice, Throné knew. All she could do now was place her trust in a group of strangers. Throné glanced at Agnea out of the corner of her eye; then again, she herself had done just that when Agnea and the others stumbled into New Delsta, and then they had gone on to add Osvald and Temenos to their number. The difference, of course, being that Throné had chosen to sever her ties to her "family" while this girl had lost hers to senseless carnage.
"I suppose it's settled, then," Hikari said. "Agnea, Throné, Partitio, and Temenos will accompany the girl to Sai while Castti, Ochette, Osvald, and I will continue—"
Mahina hooted suddenly, interrupting Hikari, and Ochette gave her a puzzled look. "Are you sure?" Ochette asked. "It's better if I fight with Hikarin—"
Castti touched Ochette's shoulder. "What is she saying, Ochette?"
Ochette chewed her lip. "Mahina wants to go with Aggie and the others, but…"
The girl's eyes lit up for just the fraction of a second, and Mahina hooted again.
"Ochette?" Agnea said, taking a tentative step closer.
"We've never been apart, you know." Ochette sighed, and smiled weakly. "All right, I understand." She turned to face the little girl. "Mahina will come with you too."
"Are you certain, Ochette?" Throné asked.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Ochette's smile widened. "I mean, just look at them." The little girl again petted Mahina's head, her eyes just a little less hollow.
"After we're done in Sai, we'll head to Ku as quickly as possible," Agnea said to Hikari. "We won't be apart for long."
Hikari smiled. "I hope that when we meet again, Ku will be at peace."
The group packed away the rest of their belongings and supplies, and after a final chorus of goodbyes, Hikari, Castti, Ochette, and Osvald set out west for Ku. Agnea watched until they were out of sight, her hands tightly clenched, and Throné touched her shoulders. "We'll see them again soon," she said to Agnea.
Agnea glanced up at Throné, her blue eyes filled with both uncertainty and hope, and she tried to smile. "Yes, you're right!"
The day drew long as Throné and the others followed the path back to Sai. The little girl held Partitio's hand as he and Agnea chatted animatedly, familiar cheer returning to their voices. Mahina perched on Partitio's shoulder, and to see said owl without Ochette was a strange sight indeed.
Temenos soon fell in step with Throné, behind Agnea and Partitio. "You've been watching Agnea rather often lately," he said carefully.
Throné allowed herself a brief smirk. "Is that so strange?"
"No, of course not." Temenos matched Throné's smirk. "So I am not surprised you chose to accompany us to Sai instead of continuing to Ku."
"With your healing magic, I'd have thought you'd be more needed in Ku."
"Perhaps." Temenos' expression grew grave. "But I was not being factious when I said I am good with children." He paused a moment, and his fingers tightened around his staff. "Do you think me selfish?"
Throné frowned. "Why are you asking me that?"
Temenos gave Throné a mirthless smile. "I could not save the pontiff or Crick, but if I help that one little girl, will I be absolved?"
"You've helped many people, Temenos," Throné said, using his name for emphasis. "If you hadn't stopped Kaldena, that darkness would've caused untold destruction."
"And yet, I still do not know who was pulling her stings…" Temenos muttered.
"If you're selfish, then so am I. If I can protect Agnea from the horrors of war, will I be absolved of my sins?"
Temenos' eyes widened a moment, but then he smiled, unreadable but not unkind. "You are better than you think, Throné. If you are honest with Agnea, I don't believe you will regret it."
Throné said nothing more in reply. Temenos rarely spoke of Crick's death. Since that tragedy in Stormhail, Temenos was slower to smile, but the resolve in his eyes burned as strongly as ever. She looked ahead to Agnea and Partitio, and the rapport between them was as warm as ever. They too had shed tears for Crick.
"Just as you choose to continue to travel with us, so does Agnea," Temenos said. "You would do well to remember that."
"Tch." Throné clicked her tongue, but she could not argue with Temenos. Smug and guarded as he could be, his words now rang true.
By noon, the group found a shaded spot near a stream to rest. The little girl sat with Mahina in her lap and patted her head, and the rest of them ate a cold meal of cheese and bread. There was little game to be found around here, and Throné doubted that girl would react well to the butchering of a beast right now.
Partitio sat with the girl and showed her on a map the path they would follow to Sai. The girl still said nothing, but she appeared to be listening to Partitio, at least. That she didn't seemed frightened of men was a relief, and Throné had heard stories of soldiers' brutality when razing villages. Whatever that girl had witnessed, perhaps sexual violence hadn't been one of them; a small mercy.
Agnea sat beside Throné and smiled at her, but too soon silence fell between them. Agnea held her trembling hands in her lap, and Throné reached for her shoulder, but then thought better of it. Though that ruined village was behind them, the sight of such destruction still lurked at the edges of their memory. Throné could say she was used to such violence, but Agnea wasn't. However, as Temenos had said, Agnea had chosen to travel with them, still chose to, despite all that they had witnessed. She hadn't turned away from Throné after Lostseed. None of them had.
Agnea inhaled deeply. "Hey, Throné," she said carefully, "am I being cowardly?"
Throné raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"
Agnea let out a humorless chuckle. "Because I have a reason not to go to a warzone just yet."
"It isn't as if we can bring that girl to Ku with us, for many reasons."
"But don't you think it's cruel? I promised Hikari I'd help him take back this throne, but instead I'm using that girl as an excuse to avoid bloodshed…"
"Agnea." This time Throné did muster the courage to touch Agnea's shoulder. "Whatever your reasons, Hikari would not think you cruel or cowardly for not wanting to witness a war."
Yet Agnea didn't seem convinced. "I'm still a naïve country mouse, huh?"
Throné hesitated. "What brought this on?"
"You're right, that was a silly question," Agnea muttered, her cheeks flushing scarlet. "Forget I asked."
"Shall we be off now?" came Temenos' voice before Throné could reply. "We've still much ground to cover."
"Ain't no point in pushing ourselves too hard, though," Partitio said, fanning himself with his hat.
Fortunately, the sun was not particularly brutal as the group resumed walking, thanks in part to a salve Castti had given them to help protect their skin. Temenos, of course, still complained that his cleric's robs were ill-suited for this heat, and Agnea now wore her teal shawl around her shoulders. The little girl held Agnea's hand as they walked, and Mahina flew above them, watching for any danger. Briefly Throné wondered if the battle for Ku had already begun.
Truth be told, she was relieved too not to witness that bloodshed yet. She could only hope the others were safe.
Partitio fell in step beside Throné. "Agnea looks like a big sister, huh? Too bad we still don't know that girl's name."
"She hasn't said a single word to us. It isn't so surprising."
"Yeah, I know, 'specially with what happened with Elena and all." Partitio let out a heavy sigh. "And I know it's for the best, but it still don't feel entirely right we're makin' a bunch of decisions for her."
"There isn't much else we can do," Throné said, and ahead Agnea spoke with Temenos. "Her home is gone and her family dead."
"And she's so young too…" Yet Partitio managed a weak smile. "But the Platts are good folk, so I'm sure she'll smile again someday."
Throné fell silent. She noted how Agnea smiled at the little girl while holding her hand, and she told the girl about the Platts and Laila and the other children of the orphanage, and how her mother had once visited Sai and taught a young Dolcinaea how to dance.
"…and now Dolcinaea's one of the biggest stars in Solistia!" Agnea exclaimed. "She's a little… prideful, but I'm sure that deep down, she has a kind heart too."
A smile tugged at Throné's lips. Leave it to Agnea to try to see the best in everyone. But Agnea was always going on about how Throné was a good person too, and Throné didn't want to doubt her.
The group set up camp by evening. The girl kept closest to Agnea, so Throné and Partitio cooked while Temenos tried to ask the girl a few more questions, but no one was surprised when she remained silent. Even Agnea and Partitio were mostly quiet as the group ate, and Throné saw the little girl cautiously offer a piece of meat to Mahina, who graciously accepted. With half their group elsewhere, it didn't quite feel complete. Throné hadn't realized how accustomed she had grown to traveling with everyone else. Would that she had the chance to go on a journey with Donnie, Pirro, and Scaracci, she thought bitterly.
She sighed and stared at the bowl of soup in her hands. Another part of her wondered where Alpates was now. She still carried that clouded mirror shard.
As night fell, the stars were especially bright against the darkness; they were never so visible in New Delsta. The little girl had fallen asleep with her head in Agnea's lap, and Agnea smiled gently at her and laid a hand on her hair. Throné watched closely, wanting to see more of that smile.
They hadn't spoken much since their conversation earlier. Carefully, silently, Throné moved to sit beside Agnea, who gave her a surprised look. If Agnea was avoiding her, then perhaps she was being selfish, knowing that Agnea could not move without disturbing the girl. But she was a thief at heart - she took what she wanted. However, Agnea simply smiled and rested her head against Throné's shoulder. Still neither of them spoke, but Throné didn't mind. For now, just being near Agnea was enough.
"We'll be happy to take her in," Madam Platt said after the group had arrived in Sai and explained things to her and her husband. "That is, if she'll have us!"
"It's kinda boring here, I won't lie," Laila added, "but it's not so bad either."
"Laila!" Mister Platt scolded half-heartedly, unable to stop a smile.
The little girl looked up at Agnea, whose hand she held, and Agnea gave her a brief nod as Mahina hooted in agreement. The girl was still a moment longer, as if contemplating, and then nodded slightly in turn.
Agnea smiled. "I'll introduce you to everyone! The Platts are really nice, I promise!"
"I'll wait outside," Throné said. "Take your time."
Agnea, the girl, and Mahina followed the Platts into the orphanage. The farther away the group got from Mugen's destruction, the more Agnea seemed her old self. She even danced a few times for the girl, and Throné couldn't help but notice a new sense of longing in those dances. Sometimes when their eyes met, Agnea quickly looked away, her cheeks a deep crimson.
"I reckon I'll get some more supplies," Partitio said to Throné and Temenos. "Maybe by the time we reach Ku, Hikari and the others will already be celebratin'!"
"We can only hope," Temenos said softly. "But the road to recovery is often long."
"Yeah, I know." Partitio rubbed the back of his neck. "But I'll do whatever I can to help."
Throné touched the dagger strapped to her thigh; even if they arrived after the fighting was finished, the city would still bear the scars of war for years or even decades to come. Sai was proof of that.
Partitio left Throné and Temenos alone in front of the orphanage, and for a bit neither of them spoke. Throné didn't mind; vaguely she could hear the chatter of the town. Although touched by war, Sai still lived. People called this place their home, no matter how much Dolcinaea wanted to erase her past.
"I'm sure the other children will welcome her too," Temenos said at last. "Many of them also know the horrors of war, so they will be understanding."
"Perhaps you should share one of your paper plays with them," Throné teased.
"That isn't such a bad idea." Temenos smiled faintly. "It is amazing how open some children can be when speaking through a puppet." He gave Throné a knowing look. "Or even adults."
Throné frowned. Temenos wore that unreadable mask of his again. "What do you mean?"
"Perhaps I should ask you and Agnea to put on a paper play. She cares for you greatly, and I imagine she would say so without the use of a puppet. You've seen how she looks at you."
"Temenos—"
"And while you may think me hypocritical or overstepping my boundaries, you are still my friend, and I do not wish to see you hurt by regret." Temenos' expression turned serious. "No matter the blood that runs in your veins, you are deserving of happiness."
"Regret, hm?" Again Throné tapped the dagger at her thigh, hoping to stop her fingers from trembling. "Do you speak from experience?"
It was a cruel question, she knew. Yet Temenos still answered, "Yes."
Throné missed Crick too. They all did. Temenos had smiled more easily around Crick, and his teasing of Crick had betrayed a certain warmth and vulnerability. Yet a gap had remained between them, one that Temenos had hesitated to reach across, and then it was too late. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Our journey together has not just been one of loss," Temenos said quickly. "Think of all that you have gained, and the choices you are now free to make."
Throné let out a low chuckle. "Sometimes I forget you're a cleric."
Temenos smirked. "And it is a cleric's role to guide wayward sheep onto the right path."
And Alpates had said Throné had a light within her, she thought silently to herself. But Agnea's light would be brighter still.
Night eventually fell, and Agnea and Partitio agreed with Throné and Temenos that they should remain in Sai until dawn and then make their way to Ku. The Platts invited them to spend the night, but still Throné felt restless, so while Temenos prepared a paper play for the children, she slipped away outside. Since leaving Lostseed, she often felt restless these days; she was free now, but the road ahead wasn't as clear as she had hoped.
Thus she wandered the slums of Sai. Were this New Delsta, she would help herself to a few valuables, but the callous side of her would say the people of Sai had little worth stealing while Agnea would say she simply had standards. Throné chuckled darkly to herself; but even Father and Mother had told her not to aim so low as a thief.
She soon came to the raised platform on which the statue of Cuani Bristarni had once stood, a symbol of hope so callously destroyed. But it was also where Agnea had thought the stubborn Laila to dance, allowing a spark of hope to blossom into a brightly burning flame. Throné could understand Dolcinaea's desire to erase her past, but that was an impossible wish. She touched her bare throat. She knew that all too well.
And still Agnea smiled for her.
"I figured you'd be here," came a welcomed voice.
Throné turned her head, and Agnea stood at the top of the stairs; Agnea never tried to hide her presence. "How is that girl doing?" Throné asked carefully.
"She's watching Temenos' play now," Agnea replied as she stepped closer to Throné. "And she didn't seem overwhelmed by the other children. I hope she'll be happy here."
"We may be able to visit again when we're done in Ku."
"That would be nice."
Silence soon fell over the two of them, and they both stared ahead at the ruined pedestal. Throné glanced down at Agnea's hand and longed to reach for it, but instead remained still. She was a thief, but she only stole lifeless, material objects. When Pirro had asked her what she truly wanted, she'd never been able to answer. Only when she had nothing left to lose but her life did she muster the courage to reach for something truly valuable. Yet though she was free now, she hesitated again.
Agnea took a step closer to the empty pedestal. "Mama wasn't a mother yet when this statue was put up, but Madam Platt told me it was called 'Mother's Hope' to honor her desire for children, but… maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that Dolcinaea destroyed it."
"Oh? What do you mean by that?"
Agnea folded her hands over heart. "The people here idealized my mother, but I don't think they truly remembered her. Some of the younger people didn't even recognize a dance. I know that's unfair to say, and with all the wars there's little reason for joy, but…"
"Clinging to a memory won't change things," Throné murmured.
"Yes, exactly! And I think Laila understand that, even if she didn't quite know how to express herself. She wanted this town to be able to dream again."
Again Throné touched her throat, now free of that collar, and thought of Mother, Father, and even Claude. "If you've forgotten how to dream, can you truly call that living?"
"But I know it's not that simple." Yet Agnea tried to smile. "Still, thanks to Castti, Edmund and Commander Griff are able to work out peace between Sai and Timberain, and once Hikari's king, no one will have to worry about Mugen's tyranny ever again."
"Ever the hopeful one," Throné chuckled softly.
A faint blush spread across Agnea's cheeks. "Mama told me that the dawn always comes, whether or not you're ready for it. But it's never too late to get back on your feet when you stumble."
"Your mother sounds like a wonderful woman. I wish I could've met her."
"I do too," Agnea whispered, lowering her gaze.
Throné chewed her lip. Agnea had been loved by her mother, and Agnea loved her in turn - that much was clear. In contrast, Throné felt little for her birth mother, hadn't even known her name until recently. Why Marietta had chosen Claude in the end, whether what Father and Mother had said about her was even true, Throné would never know. But perhaps it didn't matter. The Blacksnakes were finished. Soon no one would remember who their leaders or founders had been.
Agnea again turned toward the broken pedestal and reached out, as if trying to grasp something unseen. "Mama…" she murmured, and in the moonlight she appeared almost ephemeral, and Throné's heart froze a moment.
She jolted forward, wrapping her arms around Agnea's waist from behind, and Agnea let out a squeak of surprise. Throné drew her closer, and that warmth was so very real. "I'm glad we met," Throné said, her voice also a whisper as she rested her chin on Agnea's shoulder.
Agnea's blush seemed to glow, but still she smiled as she tilted her head against Throné's. "Me too," she replied, laying her hands over Throné's. Her fingers were soft and gentle, but they too held a dagger's callouses.
The two of them stood in silence, with only the stars as their witnesses, and Agnea's warmth in the chill night air was welcomed. Agnea rested her head beneath Throné's chin, a sweet smile on her lovely lips. If time could freeze in this moment, if she could always hold Agnea close like this, perhaps she wouldn't mind, but then she wouldn't be able to see Agnea shine at the Grand Gala. Her eyes trailed downward, over Agnea's bare throat; they were both free, and there was still much of the world they had yet to see.
"Throné," Agnea said, her voice unusually quiet. "I know I'm not as strong as you or the others, but I don't regret going on this journey, not one bit."
"I told you once that I can't stand weaklings." Throné's arms tightened around Agnea's waist. "If I thought you weak, I wouldn't admire you so much."
"You admire me?" Agnea's eyes widened, and then a familiar smile crossed her lips as she turned to cup Throné's face between her hands. "I remember now - that was also when you asked if I'd ever fallen in love."
When Agnea received that love letter from a fan, Throné had felt such a frightening jealousy, and later, when the topic of childhood friends had come up, she was relieved when Agnea clarified that Gus was only a friend. "Now that I think about it, you never answered my question," she said carefully, quietly.
Agnea was silent a moment, tracing Throné's lips with her thumb. Once, Throné would never have allowed another so close, and the longing in Agnea's gaze was more than she had ever dared hope for. Another moment passed, and Agnea lifted herself onto her toes to press her lips to Throné's.
Sometimes, it was nice to hold a treasure that was freely given instead of taken.
As she pulled back, Agnea took Throné's hands into hers and let their fingers lace. "I know I said once I don't really have time for romance," she said, her voice a touch shaky, "and soon we'll be especially busy with restoring Ku and then the Grand Gala, but maybe when our journeys are over…?"
Throné allowed herself a smile; Agnea was never afraid to dream. "That does sound nice. I could act as your bodyguard if you still desire to travel, and perhaps one day we'll be able to settle down together."
"And we could adopt a dog or two! You said it yourself, after all - dogs love you!"
"Yes, that they do." Throné chuckled quietly; it was because of Agnea saving her little puppy friend that they had met in the first place. "Right now, though, what I want most is to see you shine at the Grand Gala."
Agnea simply smiled, and Throné bent her head to kiss her again.
"I'll see you all at the Grand Gala!" Agnea said to the Platts and the children the following morning.
"Take Dolcinaea down, for all of us!" Laila exclaimed.
With another chorus of goodbyes and the little girl giving Mahina one more hug, Throné, Agnea, Partitio, and Temenos gathered their belongings and supplies and prepared to leave Sai for Ku, where Throné hoped Mugen was already defeated. Agnea cast one more glance at the orphanage, and the group saw the little girl hesitantly approach them.
Agnea bent to her eye level. "What is it?"
The girl clutched her hands tightly, staring at her feet. She inhaled a deep breath and raised her head. "Taiyou," she muttered. "My name… it's Taiyou."
"That's a lovely name," Partitio said from beside Agnea. "Nice to meet you!"
"Yes, it is." Agnea smiled. "And the Platts are good people, I promise."
The girl - Taiyou - stared a moment longer at the flower pin in Agnea's hair. "Could… could you dance again…?"
Agnea's smile brightened. "Of course!"
As Agnea danced, she drew a crowd, and the newfound joy on Taiyou's face was a sight to behold. Throné smiled too, watching the woman she had fallen in love with dazzle. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Temenos give her a knowing smirk.
Even if she could never forget the stench of blood, there was still joy and love to find in this world. She was free now, free to love who she wished, and if Agnea saw fit to love her too, who was she to argue? There was strength too in hope, after all.
Little by little, they would reach for the dawn together.
