A Meeting of Deals
“What do you think of my father's bastard child?”
While finding time. Sakura asked her father, or rather pleaded for him to allow her to have a small audience with Caspian; The Holy Knight of the Holy Empire. After many such pleadings, her father finally relented but he had given her a condition; she will have Raphael stay in the room with her. She is not allowed to send him away.
Knowing she will have no way out of this, she had no choice but to agree, albeit unwillingly. So that's why at this moment while having Caspian across from her with both Kano and Raphael behind her. She decided to ask this one question directly to Caspia.
“!?”
His eyes widened and he gave a quick glance over to Raphael. Sakura just shrugs her shoulders at his movements.
“He stays or we aren't allowed to have our small meeting.”
“I see… how much does he know?”
“The flower being held in your garden. However I did forget to inform my father of the caretaker's unfortunate accident.”
“I see… your father?”
"He agreed to not burn down your ‘garden’... as long as we have an understanding.”
“oh? And what can that understanding pertell your highness?”
“The deals we agreed on.”
“Deals…? The flower re-”
“Yes, Deals. Not just the one about the flower, but of the potion.”
He furrowed his brow. He wanted to ask what she was speaking about but was still aware enough of this whole ‘potion.’ talk was something she had informed her father.
“Ah… the potion.”
He glances over to Raphael and can tell his body tensing of this talk about an ‘potion’. His gaze went back to Sakura.
He has Interacted with her for a few years now, and he knows she is no ordinary child. He sensed she was one who was above her peers in intelligence, yet because of her usual appearance of a beautiful and naive child he never believed it was anything above that. However when she met him suddenly that day in the bouquet and the information she kept handing him that he has no way of knowing a child so young can get, he learned she was more than just a slightly more intelligent child, and her coldness even above that of any normal child.
He was wary of Sakura; even more so when she threatened to dispose of Rose. Usually he was a cold man, he had agreed to protect Rose's mother because she was carrying a royalty. He sheltered them to use them yet the moment the girl was born; he had sensed a deep connection with the child, he could not let anything wrong happen to her even if he made a deal with Sakura.
He believed it would be easy to block any danger to Rose and if he has to, kill Sakura to protect Rose. Although that was his thoughts in the beginning, through each and every interaction he has with Sakura: he now knew it would not be as easy as he thought.
‘Something about this child tells me not to underestimate her anymore. If I do, I might end up finding myself dead with no salvation.’
“I know it will take you some time to find a way to obtain the potion, and we have been working with an understanding of that. So even if father is adamant on receiving the potion as quickly as possible: I am not.”
“Sakura!?”
Raphael's startled voice broke through to their conversation, something he was trying so hard not to do. But hearing the words she just spoke startled him.
“Raphael. I know what you and father are thinking, I knew you all believed I would change my mind and quickly ask for the potion, however there are reasons why we can not receive it at the moment.”
“However-!”
“please!”
“!”
“Do not interfere anymore Raphael. Remember you are here to watch over me; not go over me in my decisions.”
“...”
He clenched his jaws but listened with understanding. He backed away and stood still.
“Apologies for that display. But as you can see: we are a bit tense about the potion and the possibility of finally having it in our hands.”
“No, it is quite understandable.”
“Yes, but I know if we begin hurrying to retrieve it, we might lose it all together. That was why you were moving so carefully to obtain it.”
Putting on an exhausting expression she waited for him to agree so she could continue on with it.
“Yes… it has proven difficult on my part to obtain it with the obstacles that are in my way.
“Exactly! That's why I do not wish to pressure you Caspian. But I do have new information on the potion; however our exchange has been a bit… one sided lately Caspian.”
Caspian had taken a more solemn expression the moment he heard her words.
“Remember Caspian. We had a deal that should benefit both of us. Yet you have received benefit after benefit without really giving me much… I see nothing benefiting me through this deal.”
Her somber words appearance tells how much she meant each word.
“Well I have done quite a bit for you, your highness. The garden-”
“Remember Caspian: I may be a child, but my mind works beyond one. Finish that sentence if you truly believe it will be enough.”
A sneer left her lips with that last sentence.
“...”
He had hoped that bringing up her sister being kept in his empire with the fear of war and such could be used, but he knew what she meant; even if one of her Deals was to keep that child covered in his empire, it still benefited them the most since that child received such a strong love from their goddess of light. They would have already kept and protected that child even with the disadvantages of war.
“... you had said we needed to keep the child safe and raise her tier… and the potion.”
“I did, didn't I? But Caspian, I see you haven't trained that child anytime soon.”
“!? She is merely a child! Not old enough to be taught magic yet!”
Caspian raised his voice and the outrage was visible. Kano placed his hand on the hilt of his sword while Raphael released a bit of his energy yet Sakura just smiled at Casian.
“You truly take me for a fool Caspian.”
“Wha-”
“She can use purification magic now.”
“””!?”””
Those words stilled the tense atmosphere and Raphael quickly glanced at Caspian’s reaction and by that moment of silenced shock displayed in it, Raphael quickly deduced that what Sakura said was correct.
“Your highness. I do not know if you have not received a bit of education on magic, but let me inform you that at the age of 8 can you begin the process of accumulating magic.”
“I know.”
“Then why-”
She didn't want to waste time with his pretext so she cut him off again.
“I know Caspian.”
“...”
“I know her abilities have manifested this year, yet I as well know not once have you sent anyone to train her in her magic so she can accumulate more and rise in tiers. Remember Casian; protect them both and raise her tier so she can be ready when we need her. But look what happened Caspian, you have broken both parts from my side of the deal.”
“...”
She raised her hand and displayed two fingers up.
“Protect them both and raise her tier. But contrary to those two things. One is dead and you deny training her.”
She places a finger down for each thing he did. Displaying the broken deal perfectly for him.
“Then I can say the same thing to you. Your part of the deal was that you will not inform your father of Rose.”
“Hahaha! Tsk tsk tsk!”
She laughed lightly And raised a finger, waving it side to side to his words.
“My part of the deal was to inform you of traitors in your kingdom and help you make it into an empire. Me not informing my father was to make that happen, and if you think about it; your kingdom has become an empire; and those traitors in your empire should have been killed off with the files I gave you in our last meeting.”
“...”
What she said was right. When he recalled the day they made the deal. She had done exactly what she had told him for his part of the deal to be accomplished, but in spite of that, none she had asked for was accomplished.
He did not know where she had learned of her sister's extraordinary ability to accumulate magic at this age, but just as she said, he did not want to train her yet because he was worried it would harm her so he had a magical item crafted for Rose to use so it can suppress her ability to accumulate magic. And with Rose's mother dying again the deal was broken.
“... what do you want?”
“That is more like it.”
She smiled at him and calmly took a light sip from the tea placed before her. Knowing full well she has the upper hand and taking her time to display so to Caspian.
Raphael knew Sakura since she was just born, yet he felt like he had just witnessed another side of her again in just moments. Kano respectfully and loyal retained beside her, not once a change of expression to her words and actions.
“I need you to give me Holy water that was purified by the Pope himself, nothing below him like the Cardinals and Archbishops.”
“!?”
The amount of times she had left him speechless kept accumulating and before he could even word an objection she continued with her words.
“as well as the Feather of the Holy Eagle.”
“!?... The feathers can not be given to just anybody. Much less a holy water purified by the pope himself.”
“Well I'm not just anybody. I am the daughter of Mihkael Eternity, the Emperor of the Eternity empire. I am Sakura Serenity, the heir of this empire.”
She did not want to hear an excuse out of his mouth. She just wanted to hear his agreement to her demands.
“Do you understand what you are asking for? Those items are both so dear to my empire. The holy water made by the pope is given to only the cardinals while the Holy eagle does not shed that many feathers. So each feather is counted and protected because of their holy properties.”
“I know, but it would be easier to get and may even ease up my father's tension with your empire.”
“...”
For a moment Caspian has forgotten that her father now knows where his bastard child is, and the possibilities of war happening anytime soon weighs heavily on Caspian. Their kingdom has accumulated enough power to become an empire, but they are still not at a level where they can win against the Eternity Empire.
“Well?”
“... I understand. I will try my best to get you those items.”
“I hope soon Caspian. It will do you good that you do not forget. After all, the only thing keeping my father from not destroying your empire is because of the potion.”
“!?... I see. Understood.”
He gives a light nod and stands up.
“Ah I almost forgot.”
He narrows his eyes at what she will demand next, but the only thing Sakura does is raise her hand to Kano and him handing her an envelope he kept in his breast pocket.
“Here… the information on potion.”
Handing it to Caspian he gently takes it and places it in his pocket. Doing a light bow he bids goodbye while Raphael leads him out of the palace.
“I believe it went quite well, don't you Kano?”
“Yes, your highness. This meeting was wonderful. I expect nothing else from our princess.”
Smiling up at Kano she takes another sip of her tea and takes a bite of the refreshments left. Taking one she beckons Kano to lean toward her, he complies and she feeds him a macaroon. He follows along and does what she asks. Eating the macaroon.
“It is a macaroon, less sweet than the macaron you had last time. Is it good?”
“It is quite good.”
“I knew you'd like this one better. I can tell the macaron was not to your liking.”
She giggles in her hand when remembering the light front between his brows when he ate the strawberry macaron she fed him.
He remained quiet and kept his usual stoic appearance yet his eyes gave off a warmth and tenderness when seeing his princess laugh.
“Sakura.”
Raphael arrives at that time and watches how harmonious this appearance is. He did not want to ruin it but knew he could not wait to ask her what she was thinking.
She raised her hand to stop him from saying another word and softly shook her head.
“The potion is as you have heard just now; still something hard to obtain papa Raphael. The location is difficult to locate and if we become too desperate and cause a ruckus people over there will find out what we are looking for, and the difficulty will reach impossible for it to get in our hands in the end. You must understand. I'm not trying to waste time. I'm trying to get it by using the easiest and less difficult route that may cause us to lose it forever.”
‘But then again, I really am just wasting time.’
Her inner thoughts contrasting the words she just spoke however not once did her face reveal her lies.
“What about the envelope you handed him? With it wouldn't the difficulty lessen?”
“Yes, but not by a lot. It's just a description of the area I witnessed from one of the dreams.”
She calmly answers while he can only sigh at the way things went.
“Then what if the things you had asked for? Why do you need them?”
“...”
“Sakura?”
He immediately understood that her silence was her buying time to come up with a story. Even after the whole revelation she has done, he understood it will be hard for her to put her full trust in them. Her emotions are a complex mix Of things. One where she feels at ease and more relaxed after revealing all to them, yet even now; she still feels an unease To fully count on them.
That is why he will not pressure her to tell them like last time. He will accept whatever she says unless it would endanger her own life then he will fight to know more.
“... I can not say at the moment.”
“!”
“I will not lie. Just know right now it is not the time to tell you yet. Will you wait for me to reveal It to you when the time comes?”
“!... yes. I will wait.”
He smiled affectionately toward her. Sensing that she is trying to change, he did not care if it's just a small one, Just that it was a change from what she has been doing.
“Thank you.”
“? For what?”
“For being our precious princess.”
He gently held her and lightly kissed her forehead, causing a bashfulness to reach her face at his sudden affection. But she decided not to mind and contently hugged him, her actions asking to be spoiled like a child. He happily complied and carried her outside, feeling that she would love a walk in her garden after the meeting she had.