It was weeks now since heading East, and Prince Shoto was sick of traveling.

He'd been traveling for months.

Momo made it better...though they'd had a few small fights. Shoto was kind of grumpy in the morning, and Momo would get a little touchy if he brought up the tribe at all...which he soon learned not to do. But in the end neither of them were of a belligerent temper enough to really fight. It always ended quickly and with no real lasting hard feelings.

Actually, Shoto had never had so little tension with any company, and at least it was nice to be around someone he actually liked.

But he was tired of sleeping outdoors, and it was only getting colder.

Momo on the other hand didn't have any problem with that, but when they went through cities or towns she sometimes got very disoriented. Navigating streets was still something she wasn't used to.

But after weeks, she was getting better at it.

All in all, Shoto would have been really hopeful about getting close to his home, if it hadn't been for the looming shadow over it all: his father.

The closer they got, the more he felt compelled to warn Momo what they would be in for.

"He'll probably bluster at the servants a lot," he'd say one time. "Sometimes he dismisses them for very little...and there's always shady people going in and out. It's better not to make eye contact with them if you don't want to challenge them to cross you."

Momo always took all this very seriously, but after a while she thought Shoto might be exaggerating how bad it was. She chose not to say so though.

Finally, they were camping out on a hill only about 20 miles from the Capital, and they could see the fortified walls of the city from there.

Shoto said they should move out of line of sight--and went into a dell.

"It's been so long," Momo said. "Do you think they'll be worried about you?"

"I don't think my sister or brother would care. Father is only worried because I'm his heir," Shoto said darkly. "He doesn't really care about me."

"Oh...I'm sorry," Momo said.

Silence.

She shivered.

Shoto lit a fire with his fire dragon. Then it grew to be big enough for Momo to lean on.

"Thanks..."

"I wonder what makes someone so cold." Shoto was still speaking of his father.

"Are all fathers the same as yours?" Momo asked. 

Shoto forgot she didn't know her parents. "No, probably not. But I haven't met any other ones, so I don't know what they're like."

"Neither do I," Momo said, "but if they were nicer...but I knew Kyoka's story too... Maybe it's just as well I can't remember mine."

"You don't remember at all?" Shoto said.

Momo frowned at the fire. "The only thing I remember before the Tribe found me is...I was playing with something...sheets maybe?..and there was someone...maybe my mother, around, but I don't remember her face...and sometimes I think I sort of remember talking and laughing...and then I just remember the howling of the wolves."

"Wolves?" Shoto said.

"The Timbre wolves...attacked my family's village. That's what the leaders told me," Momo said. "But I don't remember any more than that noise." She shuddered. "Maybe I just remember that because I've heard it many times since--there's so many in the southwest.... I was told they found me in a cellar. I do not know why my parents were not with me, but Rin said she thought my father was fighting off the wolves and my mother must have tried to help. So at least they were brave, right?"

"Did...did you ever feel sorry that...?" Shoto wasn't sure what he was asking.

"That they died?" Momo said. "I guess...I always knew all of us in the tribe were orphans or else left their families. So it was normal. I was just glad there was no shame involved. Some of the girls had worse stories...ones I can't even bear to talk about. I felt lucky...and then I was the Paladin, so I never had much reason to feel sorry for myself. But...sometimes I wish I could have met them properly."

"But they were heroes, then," Shoto said. "That's good... I mean, that you can be proud of them."

Momo nodded.

"But I'd rather have my mother back than think that," Shoto admitted, "so I think it's okay if you're sorry, sometimes."

Momo smiled. "That's kind of you...but it's nothing for you to have to worry about, is it?"

"I think it is... I mean, that is, we're companions, so it's natural to be concerned," Shoto said quickly--Why was he hot?

"I suppose," Momo said. "Then...you must miss your mother a lot."

Shoto nodded, looking sad. "But I'd rather her be happy, you know, even if that means not being around me... I just want to free her."

"But of course she'd be happy around you."

"No...I'm not sure she would be." Shoto put a hand over his scar.

Momo moved closer. "Things...may change, you know...from one time to another... That's one thing the tribe teaches." She put a hand on his shoulder.

Shoto nodded and put his hand over hers to show her he appreciated it. 

Momo felt warmer than before.

* * *

The next morning they woke up early to get back on the road.

They saddled Soba and the horse Momo had finally purchased for herself from someone who didn't really seem like they were treating it well. A fine looking mare, though a bit skittish.

She'd named it Babushka, but called it Bushka for short.

[For y'all Momo fans, Babushka (also known as Matryoshka) is what you call Russian Nesting Dolls, which is canonically the first thing Momo ever made as a kid in the OG manga, if you look into her background. She really likes them. I thought: Shoto has his Soba, and Momo has her nesting dolls. Perfect. The name means "baby" or "little matron". Basically, baby or mother, which makes sense because the dolls are meant to look like a little family going from mother to baby.]

Bushka was slowly warming up to Momo's much gentler and kinder way of horse handling. Shoto wasn't really surprised. He thought Momo could have tamed a lion if she tried. Soba seemed to like the new mare too.

They didn't have any trouble riding up to the entrance of the city, but it happened too fast for Shoto--and too slow at the same time. He felt more of a sense of dread the closer they got.

Shoto had neglected to think of how the guard might react to seeing their long lost prince just causally ride up to the gate, and he only remembered it when they were coming right up to it.

"Oh..." he said suddenly.

"What?" Momo said.

Bushka snorted as they slowed down.

The guards looked at them...and did a double glance.

"Prince Shoto?" they said oddly.

"Yes..." Shoto said, not sure what to do now.

"You've returned?" They were shocked.

Shoto decided to play up the royalty act. "Yes, what else would I do? Did you think I would not?"

"Oh...uh, pardon us your grace. We heard you were missing."

"I believe those reports were exaggerated," Shoto said coldly. "Would you be so kind as to let us through? We have urgent business to discuss with my father."

"Yes, of course, you highness. Would you like an escort?"

"That won't be necessary. I think I know the way," Shoto said.

They opened the gates right off and let them through... Momo saw them looking at her oddly.

She pulled her cloak over her armor more self consciously. It occurred to her now she must look pretty out of place. She hadn't seen any women wearing armor since they came to the Eastern part of the kingdom.

"Are you nervous?" Shoto asked her as they road down the main street.

"Uh..." Momo faltered. Was nervous the right word for feeling like you stuck out like a sore thumb?

"I don't blame you," Shoto assumed what she was saying, "considering what we're up against."

[References!]

"Oh...well." Momo wasn't sure what to say.

"I think we should just try to avoid talking to my Father until I have time to see what the castle is like now," Shoto said. "But someone will probably tell him I'm here.... He'll no doubt want to meet you. The tribe is on good terms with the Capital, right?"

"We have always simply stayed out of each other's way, according to my mentors..."

"Well, this will be important...but if they think you're part of the reason I left, it won't be good, so make sure they understand we met along the way..."

"Diplomatically?"

"Whatever. We can't mention anything about the real reason... I don't even want to say it in the street."

"I understand that perfectly, Prince Shoto. You told me numerous times on the way," Momo assured him. "I won't breathe a word, but your father is surely going to want some kind of explanation. I think the one where you went looking for help from the Tribe is the best idea we came up with. It's not even fully a falsehood, and I don't feel good about lying-- It's against the code of the tribe to lie."

"Well, you left that tribe," Shoto said.

"Yes..." Momo said.

"When are you planning to return?" Shoto asked, suddenly realizing that Momo might not be intending to say here all that long. That thought made him sad.

"Return?" Momo looked at him blankly.

"I mean, when is your trip to the Capital going to be over? A few days?"

"Oh." Did he want to get rid of her that quickly? Momo wondered. Perhaps she was an embarrassment...

"Well...uh, I don't know... I guess if we finish our business in that amount of time," she said.

"Will you want an escort back to the tribe?" Shoto didn't like the idea of her going off alone... But would he be able to go with her? His father would never let him slip through his fingers so easily again... Coming back here really wasn't a good idea, it seemed like now.

"Oh...no, I won't be going back," Momo said.

Shoto gave her a stunned look. "What?"

But just then they were met by a huge crowd of knights and lords and gentry and all sort of people who'd heard that the Prince was returned. And that he had a beautiful lady with him who was wearing warrior's armor.

"Did he find himself a bride in the wild lands of the West?" A few people were whispering, but the two travelers didn't hear them.

They had this entourage up until they reached the castle gates and were let in. Then guards flanked them.

While it was customary, Shoto still felt like he was being put under arrest, and Momo felt like she was getting captured by a warring tribe.

But at the actual door to the front hall of the castle (and Momo had never seen anything like it up close-- she gaped at the stone walls and the turrets and towers and banners) there was one less imposing surprise for them.

[Dark Castle Wallpaper from desktop nexus]

A finely dressed young woman and man who both looked a great deal like Shoto were waiting in the hall, with some servants attending them.

"Fuyumi? Natsuo?" Shoto was a little caught off guard. He didn't think they'd come meet him outside of the court room.

"Shoto," Fuyumi said, as the two of them got off their horses.... Servants took them away. Momo didn't like that, but since Shoto allowed it, she assumed it was the custom and said nothing.

"Princess Fuyumi?" Momo questioned, as she thought Shoto had once mentioned his sister's name being that.

He nodded.

Fuyumi embraced Shoto, to his great surprise. "Where have you been? We though you were lost for good! Or dead.... And who is this?" She looked Momo up and down. "A warrior? Or is she a mage? She looks like a goddess."

Momo supposed she might send the aura of a paladin on her.

Prince Natsuo was staring at her too, with undisguised awe, but then he turned to Shoto. "You really gave us all a fright.... Not that I blame you for running away from here, but you could at least have left a note. We thought you could have been kidnapped."

"I didn't see any reason to." Shoto pulled away from Fuyumi. "We have never been close, so I did not think you'd really notice if I was gone for a while."

Fuyumi looked hurt. "Why...Shoto, I know we're not very close.... I mean, we don't really mingle, but we're still your family. We still love you.... I know we are not so good about showing it, but we certainly worried about you."

Shoto blinked, astonished.

Momo thought what he said was a little cold. But she supposed she didn't know the situation very well.

She bowed and then curtsied to the two royals. "It's an honor. I am Princess Momo of the Western Warrior Tribe of Creati."

"Oh...really?" Natsuo did not talk much like a prince, she thought. But that was all right. It didn't matter.

"You brought home a princess?" Fuyumi said in a tone any one other than these two innocent, sheltered royals would have recognized.

"Yes, sort of. She has a diplomatic purpose," Shoto said.

"Oh." Fuyumi looked kind of disappointed.

"Is it betrothal?" Natsuo asked outright, but she shushed him. "Don't speak out of  turn. What if someone hears you and spreads a rumor?"

"He rode in with her. I'm sure it's already spreading," Natsuo grumbled.

"Where is Father?" Shoto asked the dreaded question.

"He was in his council room, but if he's heard you're here, he'll no doubt go to the throne room and wait for you," Fuyumi said. "And you'd better go see him, or, you know...someone is liable to get punished."

She shivered.

Shoto looked down. "Any word about Mother?"

"No," Natsuo said. "But that's just as well. No news is good news. If something changed we'd have heard it."

"Momo, are you willing to go now, or would you prefer to wait out here a while?" Shoto was already slipping into more formal speech now that he was at home.

Momo felt horribly small and commonplace. 

"Well, uh, whatever you think is best..." she said in a quiet voice.

Shoto didn't know what would be best...but she was clearly terrified to meet his father. He couldn't blame her.

"I'll go in first."

"Forgive me, little brother," Fuyumi bowed, "but I believe it might be better if you go in together. If Father catches her loitering out here alone, he'll assume the worst. Better to explain right off. And then you can tell him about why you actually left."

Shoto saw some sense in that. "That's true.... If that's all right with you, Princess Momo."

Momo nodded. "Of course."

"It's a shame you can't change out of those travel clothes..." Fuyumi said. "But I'll tell the servant to get some new things ready for you right away. When would you like a hot bath?"

"What is that?" Momo asked.

They gave her a strange look.

"You know...a bath?" Natsuo said. "Hot..."

"Oh..." Momo blushed. "I'm sorry. The warriors only use cold water... We live outdoors mostly. I just thought it might be something new."

"You poor thing. You have to try it." Fuyumi was horrified. "Cold water! How have you not caught your death? It's so drafty in the castle too... You too, Shoto, you look filthy, uh, with all due respect of course. It happens when you travel outside... And new clothes of course..."

"I don't know if I need--" But Shoto never got the chance to finish. Fuyumi clapped at the servants, and they raced to do all those things.

 * * *

Momo found the castle accommodations to be extremely strange: fur rugs, banners on the walls, suits of armor lining the hallways.

But all this didn't bother her so much as the never-ending feeling she was being watched.

A few times she though she saw a shadow move on its own. She remembered Shoto speaking of there being dark magic in this place. It made her shudder.

She didn't enjoy herself at all because of this.

Shoto didn't either. To him, home just felt like a hollow prison he returned to as little as he could.

Both of them hurried through their refreshments and spiffing up and then were escorted to the throne room. Momo wasn't sure she wanted to follow the guard, but she decided resisting would be unwise. Fortunately, they met up with Shoto along the way.

Momo thought he looked different in his more royal attire...and sadder.

Shoto glanced at her, now adorned more like an Eastern lady, and thought to himself that she probably would resent it. Though it suited her all right.

Fuyumi was kind enough to wait for them outside the throne room.

"I hope the dress is to your liking, Princess," she said.

"Oh...yes, it's so soft." Momo had never worn silk or satin before.

"Oh?" Fuyumi hadn't expected that to be the reason. "I see... Yes, I suppose... Uh...Shoto, father is waiting..."

She swallowed. She seemed to want to say something else, but be unable to think of how to say it.

Shoto waved at the guards to let them in. His expression looked like he was ready to go to a funeral, but it was also angry, Momo thought, behind the grimness.

Momo lost any confidence she had about meeting the king, but she was determined to act her part as princess and not show it. She squared her shoulders and followed Shoto inside.

The throne room was long, dark, and drafty. Candelabras lit the edges of the room, and a huge fireplace was behind the throne, probably to give it warmth, but it contrived to make it look like the entrance to an inferno.

King Enji, who Momo knew at once was the king just from his look, was sitting in a large, not very comfortable-looking throne.

Some servants, scribes, heralds, and knights alike were lining the walkway and eyeing the two newcomers.

Momo heard a few whisper, "It really is Prince Shoto."

 "I thought he'd never return." 

"Who's the beauty with him? Did he go to find a bride?" 

"She looks foreign."

Momo tried to pretend she couldn't hear them.

Shoto bowed the stiffest, most reluctant bow imaginable as he reached the throne. Momo bowed too. She didn't know how to curtsy. But the king raised an eyebrow at the gesture like it surprised him.

"So you've returned, my wayward son," he said, his tone as cold and foreboding as this room.

Momo felt heat faintly from the fire, but there was somehow still a chill in the air. It was clammy...made her get goosebumps.

"Yes." Shoto's tone implied he was not going to explain himself any more than necessary. "As I always intended to."

In front of the court, King Enji would not acknowledge that Shoto had left without warning. It would look bad, so instead he said, "And I see you've brought a friend. And a princess, no less. Could it be you are finally taking the matter of succession seriously?"

"Princess Momo is here for diplomatic purposes only, Sire," Shoto said stiffly. "Perhaps it would be best to discuss it privately."

The court murmured some surprise at this.

"Very well." King Enji seemed just barely to hold his temper. "There is another matter to attend to at the moment anyway." He motioned his hand.

Suddenly someone stepped forward. The shadows had hid them mostly from view until then. They were wearing all black.

It took Momo a second to recognize one of the ruthless bounty hunters that had almost kidnapped Shoto and killed some of them before! One named Tomura, if she remembered right.

He had later found them again, and that was when the 8th had perished...just barely saving them in the process.

It had taken her using her paladin magic before to defeat his black magic of destruction, which made him furious at her especially, and here he was just standing in this courtroom like nothing had happened? 

Of course his reddish eyes were glaring at her out of his hood rather menacingly...but he said nothing.

"One of my chief bounty hunters does not usually disappoint me," King Enji said. "Care to explain, Prince Shoto? Why did you send him packing in the manner you did? Surely you could have at least given me a message?"

Shoto glared at Tomura.

"He tried to kill my companions. He is clearly working for the Dark Lord. You can tell by his magic and appearance alone, Sire. How can you employ such a scoundrel?"

"Watch you tongue--!" began Tomura crossly, but King Eji turned to give him a frigid look. He stopped warily, but his eyes burned with hatred.

"Is this true?" King Enji demanded.

The court murmured again.

"Perhaps I had a good reason to suspect they were not true companions," Tomura hedged. "Anyway, none of the little fiends died, so it's no matter."

That was not the right thing to say.

"No matter?!" King Enji said. "I see, you usurper. Then it is true you are allied with the Dark Lord himself?"

Momo wasn't seeing the logical progression of this accusation, but she held her tongue.

"I can't confirm or deny that kind of charge on so little evidence--" Tomura began again.

"If you cannot deny it, I must assume it is true." King Enji raised a scepter. "You are hereby banished from my kingdom. Consider yourself lucky I'm letting you live. A charge like this could result in death, but I consider it more fitting to send darkness-infected scum like you back to the dark lands where you slithered out of. Remove him from my presence."

Some knights moved towards Tomura, who hissed in shrill voice. "Traitors! Rapscallions! I won't forget this! You wait, you puppet of a king! You'll all pay for this, especially you, you little witch." This to Momo, who flinched.

Shoto stepped in front of her, but Tomura didn't come near them. Instead he vanished into some kind of black smoke--or mud... It seemed to spatter out. The knights grasped at nothing.

One of the ladies in the court fainted promptly at seeing this.

King Enji brushed the whole matter off. "He won't dare show his face here again, and that's a mercy. I believe we should retire to dinner. And you can tell me what your purpose is, Lady."

He meant Momo.

The way he said it reminded Momo of when she was about to get a test of strength in the Warrior Tribe. Not like the king really was interested in her purpose.

Prince Shoto was frowning, even as they exited through a side door.

"Your father believed you so easily," Momo ventured. "He didn't even try to find out if it was true."

"Court here is not like your tribe," Shoto said. "The King's word is law. You understand?" He sounded angry. "There is no justice. And he knew Tomura was an agent of the Dark Lord already, I told you. He sent him. That was only for show. He can't come out and admit it in court. It would spread... Don't trust him, Momo, not even for a moment."

"You mean...he made an example of someone he employed just because you said...one thing?" Momo was horrified.

Shoto nodded. "That was what I thought he would do. I figured if I didn't get rid of that fiend, he'd try something as soon as he got the chance. Not that I like that Father let him go... I think he still intends to use him...but he'll have to wait a bit at least. We should leave as soon as we can."

"Will...will we be allowed?" Momo was not accustomed to asking if she would be allowed to do things...but already she sensed that King Enji was not a man to just let you do as you pleased in his house. Her freedom as a warrior might not do her much good out of her own territory. She'd read enough history to know that.

Was coming here a mistake?

"I'll make sure we can escape." Shoto saw her look. "I did it once... Don't worry...just try to act like you didn't notice anything until then. The less he suspects of us the better."

Momo was far better at hiding her feelings than Shoto was, if it came to that. She wondered if he intended to keep acting so sullen.... Perhaps he couldn't help it, but surely the King would not let him go so easily a second time. She noticed the guards were following them very closely even now.

* * *

Outside the Capital, Tomura the Bounty Hunter tumbled out of the magical portal he'd used to escape.

"That was too close." He brushed himself off crossly.

"Sir," Kurogiri, his companion/servant said, "what happened?"

"That little brat Prince sold us out!" Tomura raged. "The king let him, just so to save face. I hate royals!"

"He hadn't much choice, if that was the case. Arguing with his son would look weak," Kurogiri said. "I'm sure he will reach out to us again once things have cooled. In the meantime we should lie low."

No," Tomura said, smiling suddenly in a very unsettling way. "That little prince is back, and so is that detestable paladin of his. But I didn't see the new holder with them."

"Unless he is the new holder," Kurogiri spoke.

"No, I could sense it." Tomura opened and closed his hand. "It's not one of them. I'll bet you anything it was that useless brat with green hair, the one who ran up with him. He must have been given the power."

"If that is so, we could look for a year and not find him," Kurogiri said.

"Not so," Tomura said. "He'll be bound to use the SOL. We can still find him if we just find a way to track down stories about it. Rumors will start to spread. And if we find him first, we can restore our standing with the king--and then overthrow him, just as Master wishes."

"Indeed." Kurogiri never seemed to get any more or less cheerful, so this might be his vote of confidence.

Tomura straightened. "It's time we rounded up the Convocation of the Cursed. We have a new target."

"Very well, sir," Kurogiri said. "And perhaps we should also appropriate some new horses."

Tomura became business like. "Well, I know where we can get some, no questions asked."

[And you thought I'd forget about them in this volume. Ha!

Sorry it's been so long. I was finishing my other story, but I plan to go back to updating this one now. Hopefully it'll be finished soon. I have more stories coming too.

By the way, how do you think Enji came off? Does he seem as scary as in the show? He translates pretty well to fantasy dictator, I think.]