“You can’t treat Lady Crusch like an ordinary person…although I guess that’s part of why I love her so much…”
“Master Ferris, there’s drool dangling from your mouth…”
“Oops! Have to be meow careful.”
That was three strikes, and the maid was not looking very pleased. Ferris knew it was silly to be so anxious over a little bit of banter, but it also looked likely to be a long night.
Okay. Time to put the smile back on his face and throw himself into receiving guests again…
“Ferris! Ferris, are you here?!”
As if in response to his thoughts, just as he was trying to turn himself into a smiling machine, a voice in the distance called his name. There was no doubt who it was—this particular manner of calling for attention could belong to only one person.
Even as Ferris registered who the owner of the voice must be, the crowd parted. There, raising his hand and calling in that familiar, carrying voice, was Fourier.
He was dressed in lustrous clothing, his golden hair and scarlet eyes both sparkling. As people realized the fourth prince of the nation was standing among them, heads began to bow.
“Hm? Oh, stop that, you’re all much too formal. I am a magnanimous and friendly young man. And I am not the center of attention on this night. Go over to the young lady’s dais and enjoy the party.” Fourier threatened to distract from the point of the evening by provoking the surprise show of reverence. Then again, since he was in fact a prince, the display of respect for him should not have been surprising—but his everyday attitude made it easy to forget that.
“His Highness… Now there’s someone else you can’t handle like an ordinary person…”
“What are you muttering about, Ferris? Um…” Fourier walked through the now-parted crowd, straight up to the maid and the boy. He looked Ferris and his dress up and down, then gave a deep and genuinely appreciative nod. “As beautiful in a dress as always! Be it a birthday party or a matchmaking meeting, I never get tired of seeing you like this! You have my enthusiastic praise!”
“Ha-ha-ha, thank you very much. You look quite dashing yourself, Your Highness.”
“Don’t I, though? I wracked my brain deciding what to wear tonight. I needed something appropriate for Crusch’s birthday party, something in which I could hold my head up high beside her. What do you think, Ferris?”
“An excellent job, my lord. You practically look a man.”
“Heh-heh! Yes, I think so, too.” He put his hands on his hips, puffed out his chest, and generally looked terribly pleased with himself. It was very much like him not to notice the jibe in Ferris’s words; this was part of his charm.
Fourier’s arrival had diffused some of the building anticipation for the star of the party, and Ferris patted himself on the chest, glad for the breather.
“But what have you been doing all this time, Your Highness? I certainly haven’t been able to entertain you. Were you in Lady Crusch’s rooms or something?”
“Ah, if only I could have been. But I could hardly spend all day in the chambers of the most important woman of the evening. Let me be clear, I did not withdraw because of the overpowering stares of the maids who were trying to help the young lady change! Nor did I wander the mansion at loose ends afterward, either!”
“Of course not, Your Highness. I’m glad you were able to find me.”
“Yes, a great relief. Frankly, I was getting rather lonely.”
The honest, almost naïve remark warmed Ferris, and he was surprised to find a genuine smile on his face. It was the first real expression of happiness he had made since the party started. The smiling and greeting had gone on so long, he had begun to think he would never be able to make a real smile again.
Not that he disliked smiling, but it was so much easier when he was calm inside. He just wished he could share his burden with somebody there, even if telling the star herself was out of the question…
“Oh well. That’s why they trusted me to watch things here—because we can’t.”
Despite his best efforts, he found this little bit of self-pity slipping out, and he used a rueful grin to cover it. When he thought of what Meckart was doing—why the duke couldn’t be there to greet the guests—he knew he could hardly feel sorry for himself. And anyway, this was the job he had been entrusted with. The important task the duke had entrusted to Felix Argyle.
“That’s all very well. But is Crusch not to be introduced yet?”
“We’re saving the best for last. Your Highness, you look as excited as a child.”
“Well, what do you want? I am excited! Aren’t you?”
“I accompanied her to the fitting, so I already got to see. Ah! Lady Crusch was so beautiful in her dress, meow! A goddess among us!”
“Grr! That’s not fair, Ferris! In fact, it’s downright cruel! Remember who did all the work so that we could see Crusch in her dress.”
Fourier crossed his arms and gave an angry snort. Ferris desperately held in his laughter.
“It was all thanks to you, of course, Your Highness. Lord Meckart knows that, and all the servants, and of course I do, too. We’re all grateful to you. Thank you very much! Heh-heh.”
“Hm, are you, now? Well, that’s good. A man must be generous of heart. I forgive you! Is my magnanimity not as vast as the sky? What do you think?”
“Oh, it certainly is. Your magnanimity is like a vast blue sky.” This wasn’t flattery; Ferris really did feel that way. In fact, he thought of Fourier as the sun in that sky. And that would make Crusch the wind, the invisible breeze that blew past that sun and through the sky. What did that make him, then? He could wish to be at least a cloud carried through the sky by that wind.
“Your Highness?”
As Ferris stood, lost in these thoughts, he suddenly found a hand in front of his face. It belonged to Fourier. The prince looked into Ferris’s subtly darkened face, then gave his usual bright smile.
“This is no time to be looking unlike yourself, Ferris. This is all because you’ve been forcing yourself to smile, going this way and that like a puppet on a string. Take my hand—we’re going to dance.”
“…I’m no good at smiling, huh?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. I just thought you looked different from usual. How long have we known each other? Five years already? It’s only natural that I should know my friend’s smile inside and out.”
“Do you consider me a friend, Your Highness?” Ferris replied, raising an eyebrow at the unexpected word. That caused the prince’s handsome face to take on a serious cast. He gave Ferris a questioning look.
“It’s been five years, we don’t hesitate to converse with each other, we even share our little secrets… If this is not friendship, then I have no friends. What have you considered me all this time, Ferris?”
“Well, I… It’s just, I would hate to be presumptuous…”
“Hah! I am giving you permission here and now. There is no presumption. Ferris, you are my friend. Stand proudly beside me and share my joy in all things. Yes? Is it a promise?”
It was classic Fourier: forceful and without much consideration for either the other person’s situation or his own station. But the words were like salvation for Ferris, and he was deeply moved. He looked at the ground, suddenly finding himself on the verge of tears. He took several deep breaths. Only after he had calmed the wave of emotion did he look up. There was a teasing smile on his face.
“Then, Your Highness, perhaps I could ask you for one song before our beloved Lady Crusch arrives?”
“Seeing as how I already asked you—yes, of course. You can dance the woman’s part, can’t you? I certainly don’t know how.”
“Relax. Actually, the woman’s part is the only part I know.”
“Well and good, then—because I only know the man’s part!” Fourier puffed out his chest, and this time Ferris really couldn’t resist a burst of laughter. Then he looked at the maid beside him; she gave him a forceful wink as if
to say, Let me handle the guests. He nodded, grateful for her thoughtfulness.
“Let us dance, then! Follow me!”
“Of course, my lord.”
Fourier was full of enthusiasm, yet when he held out his hand, the gesture was gentle. He escorted Ferris to the dance floor, looking tall and brave. At the sight of him, Ferris put a hand to his chest, his heart just a little bit lighter.
“By the way, Your Highness, you’re wrong about how long we’ve known each other. It hasn’t been five years. It’s been six.”
“Hmm? Is that right? Hmm. Well, it matters not. In light of how long we will know each other, it is but a small thing. Don’t you think so?”
“Gosh… Well, if Your Highness says so.”
At the middle of the dance floor, they faced each other and joined hands. Ferris suppressed a smile, but the edges of it tugged at his lips. Fourier saw it and smiled, too, and then the music began.
They started dancing, tracing the steps in the dazzling orange light of the sinking sun.
Night was falling, and they waited anxiously for the person they were all here to celebrate. The birthday party was just beginning.
10
“Your Highness, I never knew you were so well built. I can feel my pulse racing.”
“Can’t you, though? It’s because I am such a fine young man. But, um, stop blushing and snuggling up to me like that. It gives me a very strange feeling!”
“Aww… Weren’t you telling the truth when you said we were friends, Your Highness?”
“Of course I was! B-but I’m concerned that if things go any further we’re not going to be just friends anymore! Stop teasing me! Who do you take me for?!”
They had finished their dance and left the floor to thunderous applause. They were walking through a corridor of the mansion, heading for Crusch’s rooms, Ferris teasing Fourier along the way.
He had nearly forgotten his assignment, caught up in the dance as he was, but he was supposed to be making sure that the party went smoothly. He was surprised by how much he felt he had been able to contribute to that goal. The next objective was to make sure Crusch was properly dressed. She would soon need to be ready to be presented to the party.
“As a man, Your Highness, you can’t come in the room,” Ferris told Fourier. “You’ll see her dress when everyone else does. Come on, shoo!”
“What? And to think, you were treating me so very kindly up until this moment. Anyway, I had no intention of trying to force my way into Crusch’s rooms. I only thought she might be nervous and wanted to be here to comfort her.”
It sounded like an excuse, but Ferris gave in to the nobility of it and permitted the prince to accompany him. Anyway, it was certainly true that Crusch might be a bit anxious about appearing in front of a crowd in a dress. It was possible that having Fourier along would not be a complete waste.
With this in mind, the two of them arrived at Crusch’s rooms. Ferris knocked on the door.
“Lady Cruuuusch! It’s Ferris. Can I come in?”
“—Ferris. I’ve been waiting for you. Enter.”
The same masculine voice as always greeted him and invited him to come in. He and Fourier entered the room—and then went completely stiff.
“I see you have His Highness with you. That is unexpected.”
Crusch was not in a dress, but in the military uniform they were so used to. No problem. She just needed to take off the men’s clothing and change into her dress. The issue was what was at her feet.
A butler was sitting there, bound and gagged.
“L-Lady Crusch?! What’s going on here?!”
“I understand your surprise, but stay calm. Maloney is unharmed. I only tied him up because I couldn’t have him getting in my way. I’m sure the next maid to come by will set him loose.”
“You tied him up. Why did you tie him up?”
“You know I’m bad at beating around the bush, so let me be direct. Where has my father gone?”
“—”
As Crusch’s amber eyes bored into him, Ferris’s throat constricted with terror. His reaction only made Crusch more certain. She put a hand on the window of her room. They were only on the first floor; she could climb out easily. And she was obviously about to.
“W-wait, milady! Where are you going? And how will you know to go there?”
“My destination is Foutour Plain. My father is headed there because of a disaster… Demon beasts. He left the mansion with Bardok and some other confidantes, intending to arrive there tonight. Am I wrong?”
Terror piled together for Ferris; he could only tremble. He couldn’t imagine anyone had let the secret slip to Crusch. But she had such a clear grasp of the circumstances that a leak seemed the only possibility. How had it happened?
“I knew it would be impossible to get everything from one person. So I went one by one, piecing together the fragments of what each person knew. And you just gave me my proof, Ferris.”
“Oops…”
“I will stand by my father’s side. Perhaps I will not be any help. Perhaps they will mock me, saying I hadn’t needed to come. But I must go. When our most loyal retainers gather to the lion crest, shall I be lolling about in a gown, waiting to hear what becomes of them? I shall not stand for it.”
Of course she would say that. They had known that was how she would react the moment she heard of it, and that was why everyone in the household had worked so hard to keep it from her. But the young woman’s singular genius and exceptional sharpness had undone all their efforts.
“Wait a moment, Crusch! Who said you could do such a thing?” Fourier called out from beside Ferris, who had been cowed into silence.
Of course, Crusch was not able to ignore him. “Your Highness…” she said, her tone more subdued than before. “Please, forgive me. I must do this in order to be who I am. I swear I will make up for being so rude to all my guests. But I am a member of the ducal family. You must let me go.”
“Don’t try to rush the discussion. It isn’t a question of going or not going at the moment. First and foremost—I don’t have the slightest idea what’s going on! Isn’t Meckart in bed with a fever? That’s what I heard. Although, looking at Ferris, I don’t suppose it’s true.” He glanced at the cat-boy, whose shoulders were trembling, out of the corner of his eye. “Well, regardless.” He shook his head. “I don’t know exactly what Ferris and Meckart are planning, but it is you I have trouble forgiving, Crusch. What has led you so astray?”
“Astray, Your Highness…?”
“If you truly have pride in the blood of the servant of the Lion King that flows through you, it is your duty not to make a waste of today’s festivities. It isn’t yours to decide which is more important, the battlefield or the birthday party. Nor is it you who will ultimately determine your reputation—I won’t let you forget your vow to see this through.”
“—”
Crusch’s face tensed slightly at Fourier’s stern words. Ferris, looking on, didn’t fully understand whatever it was that most seemed to strike home with her. A most important thing seemed to have been communicated privately between Fourier and Crusch alone.
“Forget…? No, it is as Your Highness says. But I… I must…”
“Lady Crusch…”
Ferris knew all too well the pain, the wave of emotion that swelled in Crusch’s heart and threatened to swallow her. Her pride as a member of the ducal household now warred with the layers of her identity that she had built up. Both were indispensable parts of her; without either one of them, Crusch could not be Crusch.
“Your Highness, are you telling me to stay here, put a fake smile on my face, and…?”
“—? No, I’m saying no such thing. I think you’re still misunderstanding something.”
“What?”
Fourier’s perplexed expression evoked sounds of surprise from both Crusch and Ferris. Fourier’s eyes sparkled at the unusual reaction of both attendant and mistress, and then he gave one of his toothy smiles.
“Listen. What I am trying to say is not that you must protect your position as a member of the duke’s family. It is that you must protect who and what you are as Crusch Karsten, the duke’s daughter.”
“What do you mean by that, Your Highness?”
“You wish to support your father, and you must go through with this birthday celebration. Both duties are equally demanded of Crusch Karsten, the duke’s daughter. And she must not fail in either but see them both through, just like the you that I know.”
“—?!”
Fourier spoke with all the confidence of someone who was saying something very simple. And while he seemed to think he had given a fine bit of advice, the young woman listening to him looked troubled by this paradoxical opinion.
“Of course it would be ideal to do both,” Crusch said. “But realistically…with my strength, I couldn’t…”
“Wrong again. You have me. You have Ferris. You aren’t alone.”
“Your Highness…”
“Who hasn’t been at a party where things didn’t quite go according to schedule? What with all the celebrating and the drink… If the star of the show is a little late, the master of ceremonies will find some way to buy her time. Perhaps I could do a sword dance,” Fourier said, striking a pose as if dancing with an invisible blade. This caused Crusch, who until that moment had been standing dumbfounded, to blink. Then a soft smile came over her face.
It was natural and beautiful enough to ensnare the hearts of both Ferris and Fourier.
“Your Highness’s concern for me is a greater gift than any other. Let my person and my heart be given utterly in loyalty to you. Thank you very, very much.”
“Oh, stop, stop! I feel most awkward when you speak to me that way. You and I are friends. We mustn’t let the little things worry us. More importantly—Ferris!”
“Er—yes, sir!” He straightened up as the prince abruptly called his name. Fourier gave him a pat on the shoulder.
The Dream of the Lion King Page 9
