21. Kitsuki

Chapter 21

Kitsuki

E verything had become murkier after Kitsuki's visit to Fersen. He had expected to see a simple ring, not a silver dragon guarding the magic meant to keep Maseo safe. The only thing more troubling than the form the ring took was his dragon's reaction to it. That primal part of him was practically preening at their handiwork. Kitsuki's head hurt too much to figure out why.

Instead, he headed to the barracks in search of his uncle. He found Jaega running drills in the outdoor ring. All action stopped when Kitsuki approached, as everyone bowed to their king. Kitsuki tilted his head in acknowledgment before he gestured at Jaega. "May we have a word in private?"

"Of course." Jaega whistled to get someone's attention. "Lieutenant Latya, please take over while I speak with our king."

She trotted over with a salute. "Yes, General." Without missing a beat, she took over the drills.

Kitsuki waited until they were seated in Jaega's office before broaching the uncomfortable subject. "I find myself in need of one of your men."

Jaega arched an eyebrow. "What an unusual request. Of course, any of my soldiers are at your disposal. Do you have something specific in mind so I may make recommendations?"

Kitsuki had promised his intended to take care of the problem he had created. He refused to disappoint Auslin. "I need a spy to go on a private mission. Preferably, one extremely skilled at tracking and the art of discretion."

"Then Lieutenant Rylan Norkon is who you want. He is a master of gray areas with getting things done discreetly." Jaega studied his nephew with curiosity. "What do you need him to track for you?"

"Not what. Who. I need him to find Maseo."

The older shifter blinked in surprise. "Kio's old dalliance partner? What use is he to you?"

Kitsuki sighed before explaining the situation. "It is embarrassing to admit, but I unintentionally put him in danger. I promised Auslin I would send someone to warn him of the risk he suddenly finds himself in because of my thoughtlessness."

"Do you not find Auslin's attachment to Maseo strange?" Jaega rubbed his beard pensively. "They should be natural enemies, and yet they are not."

"I believe Auslin identifies with him closely because of what they both went through with Kio. Rightly or wrongly, he feels protective of Maseo."

"And you have somehow endangered him?"

"There was an incident at the castle earlier. Nasume got past our defenses to confront me in private."

Jaega's eyes went wide in surprise. "What did Tyrian say?"

"That there would be disciplinary actions against those who let Nasume into the castle. One of them recognized him as the king of Kunushi. Nasume convinced them we had summoned him, so they allowed him entry."

Jaega's brow furrowed. "Did Kizoshi arrive? She has impeccable timing at stopping his harassment."

"No, and that concerns me." Kitsuki feared there was a deeper purpose in his sister allowing the incident to occur. It was another reason he wanted her to visit soon. "But in my anger at Nasume's sudden appearance, I let my emotions get the better of me and put Maseo at risk of Nasume's murderous rage by implying I had a sexual interest in him." Kitsuki regretted his actions, but it was too late to change them. The best he could do was mitigate the situation.

Both of Jaega's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Do you?"

"Of course not." Kitsuki bristled at the implication. "I will not deny he inherited his father's handsomeness, but my heart belongs solely to Auslin. However, it seems Auslin's pleas for leniency with Maseo have softened my previous rage toward him. He is such a pitiful creature. I cannot help but feel some compassion for his terrible situation. I did not intend to make things worse for him."

"I must admit, Auslin's arguments at dinner the other night on Maseo's behalf made a great deal of sense. It was impossible not to be moved by Maseo's plight. Being hated by his father and abused by his partner is an awful life to live. I could not help but root for Auslin to show Maseo how true love can change a person."

It echoed Kitsuki's own feelings. "I do not wish to feel the same, and yet I do. It is why I said such foolish things in front of Nasume in my anger." Kitsuki didn't know what had come over him. "I owe it to Maseo and Auslin to make the situation right by warning him to avoid his father for the time being and offering him protection."

"Protection?"

Kitsuki took the navy blue pouch out of his pocket and passed it over to his uncle. Jaega gave an impressed whistle when he took the ring out of the bag. He slid it onto his pinky finger to activate the dragon fire magic within the diamond. "This isn't exactly a subtle message, is it?"

Heat flooded Kitsuki's cheeks. "Fersen blamed my dragon for the ring's form."

Jaega hummed with interest. "Fascinating. My mate outdid himself. That is as fine a barrier as the one on Auslin's old sword. Even a Divine weapon would struggle to break this magic." Jaega put the ring back in its pouch and passed it back to Kitsuki. "For what it is worth, I believe you are choosing to do the right thing. Do you have any idea of Maseo's whereabouts?"

Kitsuki shook his head. "Auslin does not know where Maseo lives now that he is no longer traveling with Kio. Given his relationship with his father, I think it is safe to say he is probably not in Kunushi or Reflorna." Nasume's cousin ruled the latter kingdom and shared his terrible opinion of Maseo. The half-shifter had few allies.

"I dare say Norkon will enjoy the challenge of finding him a great deal." Jaega called out, "Grisden, are you there?"

Jaega's loyal personal attendant entered the office with a low bow. "I am always at your beck and call. What may I do for you and His Majesty?"

"Please find Lieutenant Rylan Norkon and bring him here."

Grisden bowed again. "As you wish. I will attend to it right now." Without another word, he disappeared in the blink of an eye. He might have been an elder, but there was no one better at his job.

In no time at all, he returned with Norkon. The raven shifter entered the room with a bow. "You summoned me, General?" He didn't seem surprised to see Kitsuki.

Jaega gestured for him to sit in the chair next to Kitsuki's. "Please, join us. Our king has a particular request that I believe your skill set is perfect for."

Kitsuki waited for Jaega to explain the task, but he remained silent. It left Kitsuki with the uncomfortable task of explaining what he required from the lieutenant. "I need you to find Maseo Venrik, the son of Nasume, and deliver something to him. I do not know his whereabouts or where he was last in residence. It may be a fool's quest, but I would appreciate you attempting to find him. No matter what, this mission requires absolute discretion. No one can know you are working on my behalf to find Maseo."

Norkon perked up at the request. "Understood. I won't let you down, Your Majesty. I'll find him, no matter how far I must travel."

"We will, of course, compensate you for your efforts and give you anything you need to accomplish this task. If you can find Maseo, you will receive a significant bonus."

"Thank you for your continued generosity, Your Majesty. I need a little time to pack, but I will be ready to depart within the hour."

"I appreciate your willingness to help. General Jaega will give you what you need to deliver to Maseo before you leave."

"In that case, I will prepare myself. Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty, General Jaega." He saluted before leaving to take care of his preparations.

Kitsuki hesitated before making a request. "May I use a sheet of paper and an envelope, please?"

"Of course." Jaega passed them over, along with a quill. "Are you certain you wish to write the letter and not Auslin?"

Kitsuki hesitated. "Ideally, Auslin would write this. But he has mentioned a few times he fears Maseo hates him. I am concerned Maseo would dismiss the warning coming from him."

"I can see the sense in that. In that case, it is best you handle it yourself."

After Kitsuki took a moment to compose his thoughts, he began writing.

Maseo,

I am aware this letter will rightfully be met with skepticism, but I have reason to be concerned about your father attacking you. I regret to inform you that his jealousy regarding me now poses a dangerous risk to you, through no fault of your own. For your own safety, please take care to avoid traveling to Kunushi and Reflorna for the time being.

Kitsuki paused, pondering his next words.

"May I offer a piece of advice, nephew?" Jaega asked.

"Always." Jaega's counsel was wise and worth listening to.

"Say what you are struggling not to say. You will feel better for having said it than holding back."

It did not seem so simple. "But it is out of character for me to express concern for his well-being."

"Perhaps that will make him take the warning seriously. The last thing you want is to regret not telling him, and then the worst happens."

Kitsuki was silent for a long moment before admitting the truth. "I do not understand why the thought of Nasume hurting Maseo distresses me to the point of doing something this extreme. I should not be doing this at all."

"It is the right thing to do, nephew. That is why you are doing it."

"But I used to find him repulsive because—" Kitsuki stopped as an uncomfortable realization set in.

Jaega looked at him with concern. "What is wrong?"

"My frustration with him was more than his role in indirectly hurting Auslin." How had Kitsuki not realized that sooner? "I wanted him to have enough respect for himself to leave Kio and their farce of a relationship like Auslin had. I thought it was because I wanted Kio to be alone."

"And you are now realizing it perhaps was because you could not bear to see Kio torture Maseo when he did not deserve such abusive treatment?" Jaega's gaze was sympathetic. "Do not be so surprised, nephew. You have always been a caretaker. It is what makes you such a magnificent king. Your heart and sense of justice cannot stand by and let such atrocious things happen without trying to make it better."

Kitsuki continued mulling through the issue. "But I—if I am truly being honest with myself, sometimes I started fights with Kio to distract him from taking his anger out on Maseo whenever I came across them arguing in the past. It never felt like a fair fight for Maseo. Watching Kio treating him cruelly was like seeing a young pup getting kicked. It compelled me to punish Kio for his abhorrent behavior."

"Is that not showing concern for Maseo's well-being?"

"But why ?" Not knowing bothered Kitsuki.

Rather than answering, Jaega asked a different question. "Did you ever interact with Maseo on his own?"

Kitsuki shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Like Auslin, Maseo was always respectful of me as king and apologetic for Kio's behavior. They both were always unfailingly kind, even though they should have hated me for being related to Kio."

"How could they hate you when they did not hate Kio?" When Kitsuki said nothing, Jaega continued. "Other than being related to Kio, did you ever do anything directly to make Maseo hate you?"

The implications made Kitsuki's head swim. "Not that I can think of."

"Then could it be possible he will receive this note and ring as another example of you saving him?" Jaega leaned back in his chair. "Because I have yet to hear a reason for him to hate you."

"But he surely must. I was always so cold to him."

"Respectfully, you were cold to everyone. But I am sure that still felt like warmth to someone who is so used to being ignored or abused. To me, it sounds as if you were one of the few people looking out for him, albeit in your own aloof way."

"I suppose so."

Jaega steepled his fingers together. "Could this be the reason Kizoshi did not appear to stop Nasume, as she usually does?"

The question hit Kitsuki hard. "You are suggesting the need for me to warn Maseo is why she did not interfere?"

"It would be very like your sister. Perhaps there is a specific reason Maseo needs your ring to protect him. If that is the case, you must do this to play your part in his fate."

Kitsuki remained silent, his mind reeling from the perspective shift his uncle had helped him see. He wanted to protest that it was ridiculous, but Jaega's points rang true. "It is unsettling how I genuinely fear for his safety now. It troubles me I am responsible for placing him in harm's way. I am disappointed I let my anger get the best of me."

"Then use this letter to make things right. Unburden yourself by telling the truth. I can guarantee you will feel better about doing so."

Kitsuki sighed. "You are correct, as always, Uncle."

After taking a deep breath, he resumed writing.

While I cannot offer you protection in person, I have enclosed this ring for you to wear. It has been enchanted with my magic to form a protective barrier around you that only a Divine weapon can break. Any normal weapons or magic are powerless against it, so long as you wear the ring.

You will perhaps find it difficult to believe, but it would sadden me if something happened to you because of a misunderstanding with your father. Please be careful. This message and ring are not meant to disturb you. Instead, it is an expression of my genuine desire to keep you safe from a distance. You do not deserve to face your father's wrath. You never have.

Be well,

Kitsuki

Satisfied with his message, Kitsuki slid it into the envelope.

"Feel better yet?" Jaega asked.

Weirdly, Kitsuki felt unburdened after writing the letter. "I actually do."

"Then that means you did the right thing." Jaega gestured for the envelope. He stamped it with the royal wax mark of the Ariake clan to seal it closed. Kitsuki passed the pouch with the ring in it to his uncle, who slid the envelope inside it. "Perhaps we should add some money to help Maseo. It could prove useful if he is in a tough situation."

His uncle's thoughtfulness touched Kitsuki. "Agreed."

"I will take care of securing funds for him, then ensure this pouch is delivered to Norkon for safekeeping," Jaega said. "If anyone can find the lost pup, it is him. He has never let me down before."

Kitsuki hoped it was enough to protect Maseo from the harm he had unintentionally inflicted on the half-shifter. Maybe once Maseo was safe, the guilt would stop weighing on Kitsuki's heart.