This story is part of the Wanderer series.
In the dark, candlelit halls of the palace, Kaori and Miu walked at ease, dressed lightly with sandals and simple nightwear, their footsteps padded by the long carpet running down the hall. Despite their informal appearance, the vibrant colors of their clothes still conveyed their high status. Miu still did not drop her mannered air, her arms still crossed in front of her, hands gripping the other’s wrist, even though the sleeves of her nightwear were too short to cover her forearms. Kaori followed her mentor closely with her arms swaying by her sides and her chin kept down, her eyes narrow and drowsy, navigating the halls only by the peripheral sight of Miu’s feet. She stifled a yawn, not wanting to betray her weariness, even in the company of her closest brethren.
“Kaori, dear…” the older girl began. “The princess will be convening the board tomorrow at eight in the morning. Sleep well tonight. You must wake up early.”
The younger girl, all of a sudden, became very stiff, shoulders rising. Miu, eyes forward, did not notice.
“Will you be there?” Kaori eagerly asked, shining an anxious glance.
“Yes, of course, dear,” Miu assured.
But this did not put her at ease. “Will… the princess be there?”
“Yes, she will, dear. The princess is dedicated to the project at this point.”
Glancing down, Miu finally noticed the discomfort of the little girl.
“Is something troubling you, dear?”
The girl did not immediately answer.
“Do not worry if we did not make suitable progress on the Budding Mist, dear,” Miu assured once more, tilting her chin up. “I will tell the princess you are doing well. The princess will surely understand the challenges we face.”
The candlelights flickered as the two of them walked by, dancing their shadows against the other wall. Kaori remained silent a little longer, before eventually speaking up.
“I-it’s not that…”
Her uneasy voice attracted Miu’s gaze once more. This time, she stopped in her tracks, the young girl stopping with her.
“Kaori, dear…” This time, there was a hint of concern in Miu’s voice. “Is there something else bothering you?”
Kaori avoided Miu’s gaze. “It’s… her…”
The older girl was puzzled for a moment. Recalling Kaori’s previous words, she came to a realization.
“The princess?”
Almost flinching, Kaori glanced up, her eyes lighting up with panic. She brought her hands up, fingers curling as if she were gripping the air. Her mouth silently stammered, almost as if she were warning Miu not to say that name.
Seeing the fear on her face, Miu turned towards the girl and crouched down, reaching out to hold one of Kaori’s gripping hands and putting her other hand on the girl’s shoulder.
“It’s okay, dear… It’s all right… The princess is not here.”
Kaori backed away, crouching down to the floor as well. “Don’t…” she whimpered. “She’ll hear you…”
“No she cannot,” Miu assured with a hushed voice. “Her presence is not nearby. Trust me.”
She kept her head down, ducking her head under her hands. Miu let Kaori’s hand slip out of hers, moving to pat her head.
“There is no need to be afraid of her, dear. We are good to her.”
Hearing the sound of soft sniffling, Miu stroked her head, trying to comfort her. Miu’s expression became motherly, a mixture of pity and surprise with how quickly the little girl broke down.
“You don’t know what she’s done…” Kaori eventually whimpered.
Miu slightly straightened, uttering a closed-mouth gasp. The girl did not immediately elaborate.
“What do you mean?”
Under the grip of her hands, Kaori slowly shook her head back and forth.
“She…”
Stammering, her voice abruptly cut off. Her head raised slightly, her teary eyes briefly darting to the side, as if she was afraid they were not alone.
“She killed the people from my village… with her eyes.”
Uttering another sound, Miu took in her words without another word of her own. She thought deeply for several moments before her surprise turned to confusion.
“With her eyes…? What do you mean?”
Lowering her hands off her head, Kaori moved them down to her face, wiping her eyes with her knuckles.
“I saw them fall to the ground… Then she walked in, cut open my cage, and took me away.”
Miu relaxed her shoulders, stroking Kaori’s head again.
“She was freeing you, dear,” Miu asserted, in a tone that sounded more like she was assuring herself. “She freed you.”
Kaori said nothing, keeping her gaze low to the floor. Taking two crouched steps closer, Miu brought her into her arms and hugged her.
“Wanderers like us…” Miu began, patting Kaori’s back. “We do not fit into this world. That is why they cage us up like animals.”
She simply sniffed.
“Even the empire’s subjects fear us. But not here. Not in this palace.”
Lowering her hands, Kaori squinted at them, wiping her knuckles with her palms before wiping her eyes again.
“We are accepted here. And we have the princess to thank for that.”
Letting Kaori out of her embrace, Miu moved her hands to the girl’s shoulders and gave her a very subtle and playful shake.
“You know, dear, before I came to the palace, I was a slave.”
Kaori looked up, her pinkened eyes meeting the soft, yet somehow grave stare of Miu’s eyes.
“I was a slave to the Horde. Chained like a beast and subjected to their experiments.”
Blinking, Kaori dropped her gaze, unable to hold it any longer.
“The princess saved me from that life. She is a person of good heart. She understands what we have been through. She herself is a Wanderer.”
The girl stayed silent. Eventually, Miu sighed, and patted Kaori’s head again.
“If it makes you feel better, dear, I am sure those villagers are not dead. They were put to sleep. That is the power of life magic.”
Giving the girl a light shake in the shoulders once more, Miu prodded Kaori to stand up.
“Come, dear. You should get to sleep.”
Obeying, the girl stood up, giving her face one last wipe.
“We have a long day tomorrow. Let us get to sleep.”
With a silent nod, Kaori followed Miu as they resumed their walk down the halls, towards their bedroom.