“Crusch is going to do something foolish. And you are going to protect her. You are her knight, after all.”
“I’m…Lady Crusch’s knight?”
“A true knight must always be at his mistress’s side and constantly act to keep her safe. I can think of no other knight for Crusch but you.”
A thousand emotions overflowed within Ferris at those words.
His physical weakness had long ago caused him to give up hope of wielding the sword to protect Crusch. He had exchanged that dream for a promise with his lady, but today he had looked set to lose that promise. On this day, when it had seemed he had nowhere to turn and no one to look to, he would receive a new vow instead.
“But I can barely hold a sword… Some knight I’d be.”
“It is His Highness’s will. As for the sword, let me wield it. I want you to be by my side, doing what only you can do. That is the only thing I ask of my knight.”
Crusch’s declaration sent a single hot tear rolling down Ferris’s cheek. It felt as though it would sear him, and he quickly wiped it away. Then he turned to Fourier. He knew the prince so well, but now he looked at him with an even greater respect.
“Felix Argyle, acknowledging orders, Your Highness. I will protect Lady Crusch, without fail.”
He made the most elaborate bow possible. Fourier nodded at him, then suddenly handed something to Crusch. He had specifically brought the object with him when he had heard that they were heading for Crusch’s rooms.
“What is this, Your Highness?”
“You said my consideration is gift enough for you—but it isn’t for me. Therefore, I have prepared a gift for you as well. I think it will suit you better than anything else.”
It was a long, thin, but remarkably heavy package. Crusch’s eyes went wide as she unwrapped it. She held a sword in her hands—one that was obviously masterwork quality.
“This is the best of all the blades in the royal armory. I asked Bordeaux to verify as much, so I’m sure it’s true. It is my gift to you.”
“Your Highness…I thought you were against my wielding the sword.”
“What else could I do? All my life I have seen you with the sword in your hand. That is the you that I like best. I’m sure you’ll be stunning in your dress…but in my mind, you will always be the girl who grips the sword.” Fourier had begun to flush red from speaking his mind so directly. “If you won’t give up the blade, then I hope I can at least choose the one you hold. Otherwise, you might never replace that dagger. And I might never get you back from the Lion King.”
“My Lion King has always been… No,” Crusch said, cutting herself off. She shook her head. Then she held the sword aloft and said, “I am grateful for this happiness. I promise I will do deeds with it worthy of your precious consideration for me.”
“Good! …Well, I admit that wasn’t exactly how I expected you to accept it, but just the same!”
Fourier had, in his own way, done his utmost to communicate his feelings, but thanks to Crusch’s obliviousness, they had gone straight over her head. Ferris felt bad about that, but his respect for Fourier grew even more.
Then Crusch said, “Well, let us go, Ferris. We shall help my father and return immediately to the party!”
“Yikes, sounds like a lot of work! And here Ferri’s already been so busy all night…”
But Crusch was already out the window. Ferris hitched up his dress and followed her. He stepped out onto the grass where the night air enveloped him, and heaved a sigh, wondering what they were getting themselves into.
But the desperate feeling of isolation he had felt while trying to deceive his mistress was no more.
After he had seen the two of them safely away, the first thing Fourier did was close the window.
“I’m glad to have seen them off safely…but I never did figure out exactly what was going on. I wonder what it could be? Hmm…”
As he spoke, he knelt down so he was eye to eye with the butler, whom they had simply left there. First he took the gag out of the grateful man’s mouth.
“I need you to explain a few things to me. Then you and I will have to figure out how to get through these rather dire straits. As Crusch’s representatives, we have a grave responsibility!”
And then he laughed merrily, as if this were just another perfectly normal night.
11
—The attendees of the party at the Karsten mansion were slowly growing disgruntled.
It was only natural. The celebration had started hours ago, it was already well into the night, and the mood was quite expectant. Now they were all waiting for the main event, the introduction of Crusch, the duke’s daughter. And yet the crucial person utterly failed to appear. What was more, Meckart Karsten, the host of the party, was also nowhere to be seen, claiming illness. How could the invitees not feel a little put out?
“Inviting us to a party where neither the host nor the celebrant shows up—are they mocking us?” Although no one spoke too loudly, many made such remarks under their breath.
Despite the extreme difficulty of their position, the butlers and servants did their utmost to fulfill their duties for the sake of their master and mistress. This was loyalty of the highest order.
“Erk… Even with me at the helm, it could be difficult to draw things out much longer…”
Fourier alone among the guests knew what was really going on. He used his position and a few well-placed rumors to soothe the rising discontent of the guests, but it was getting more difficult. He could divert them with amateur sword dances and decent lyurilay performances only so many times.
This left him with only one choice, a secret art passed down in the royal line. Fourier would set aside his pride as a member of the royal family and perform the trick—but just as he was about to do so, a commotion ran through the hall. It appeared to originate with the guests near the door. Suddenly the vast portal opened, and someone entered. Her long green hair danced, and she looked startling and refreshing in her military uniform.
“It’s Lady Crusch Karsten,” someone said, proclaiming the beauty’s name.
Crusch turned her amber eyes to the source of the voice. The person who had spoken stiffened, but she placed a hand over her chest and gave a single, elegant bow.
“Esteemed guests. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming all this way. And for the inconveniences we have imposed on you, let me apologize in place of the master of this house, Meckart.”
The hint of surprise that ran through the room might have been due to the powerful resolve that was almost tangible in her gorgeous voice. This girl had only just turned seventeen, but her forthright attitude silenced even those who had been muttering before; they listened closely to her clear, resonant voice.
“If I could beg your further indulgence,” Crusch went on, “I would ask that you be patient just a short while longer. I wish to make my official greeting to you all in clothing more suited to the occasion.”
She stood straight and raised her head, taking in all those in the hall. Her gaze, as sharp as any blade, left the guests no choice but to accede in silence.
“My thanks—Ferris, come.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
A figure in a blue dress had appeared behind Crusch. This person, too, was quite beautiful. The figure’s hair and the hem of the dress were both in rather bad shape, but neither attendant nor mistress seemed to notice. The two of them began to walk, and as if by some silent agreement, everyone made way for them.
Crusch advanced, dressed in her military clothes; all those she passed found themselves unconsciously straightening up. The jeweled sword at her waist seemed to express her very being.
The maids began following her as she went, and then they, Crusch, and her knight exited the party hall. No sooner had they done so than the hint of anxiousness vanished from the air, and everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. All the guests looked at one another.
“I’d heard rumors about Lady Crusch, but�
��”
“They said she was mad for the sword, that she was a noblewoman who could outdo any man… So that’s what they meant, ha-ha.”
Small and trembling voices tried to make light of Crusch. But it was only a front, a way of pretending they had not just been overawed by a young woman—and those who spoke realized this best of all.
Those who had heard her voice and seen her walk by them were of one mind: the derisive talk of a girl obsessed with swords, of Meckart’s prodigal daughter, was sheer nonsense. She fully deserved the seal of her family as she was every bit the lion. Crusch Karsten was a true heir to the ways of her house.
“—”
Many of the guests, properly astonished, felt that the party had been quite eventful enough. It was safe to say none of them were expecting a further shock. But they got one, when Crusch returned after changing her clothes.
“She’s beautiful…” someone breathed.
No one knew who had spoken, not even the person who had whispered the words, so enraptured was everyone by the sight. Crusch entered the moonlit hall wearing a black dress. She had tied up her long green hair, and precious stones glittered here and there against her white skin. In her military outfit, she had seemed as sharp as her sword, but in an instant she had come to shine as bright as a gem in her dress. It seemed rude even to breathe in the presence of such a polished jewel.
The sound of her high-heeled shoes echoed as she walked, and the first place she went was to Fourier.
“Your Highness Fourier, my apologies for all the trouble I’ve caused you.”
His arms crossed, the fourth prince drank in the sight of Crusch in her dress, then he nodded in satisfaction.
“I knew my judgment was correct. Crusch, you are truly stunning.”
“Your Highness is too kind.”
“I promise, it is no flattery. If I could, I would love to keep you all to myself right now. But I mustn’t—best you show yourself to all those who have been waiting so anxiously for you.”
With a hint of red in his cheeks, Fourier nodded at Crusch. Crusch nodded back and then turned, the hem of her dress flowing behind her. With every eye in the hall on her, she made a refined curtsy.
“Please be so kind as to forgive my rudeness earlier. And for the extra moment of time you granted me, I am most grateful. I offer you all my profound thanks.”
“—”
“Thank you, each of you, for coming here today for me. I am seventeen now, too old to be seeking the indulgence of my father or any of you. Both today and in my life to this moment, I have been supported by a great many people in a great many things. So today, I would like to make a vow.” She looked straight ahead, her voice unabashed, carrying to everyone in the room. “From this day I, Crusch Karsten, shall live as a noble, in a way that shall gratify the expectations of both my family name and all of you here today. You all are my witnesses. Watch me in the future, see if I break this promise or not.”
“—”
“Forgive me once more for bothering you all with this. Please, enjoy chatting with one another. I extend to you again my profound gratitude for joining me here today.”
So her address ended, but there was no applause. Partly this was because people were overwhelmed. But partly, it was because Crusch’s words and attitude had sought no acclamation.
Despite the mood, Crusch made her way back to Fourier and extended her hand. “Your Highness, may I have this dance?”
“Um…”
Fourier, every bit as taken with Crusch as everyone else around them, took a moment to respond. But soon his usual expression had returned, his eyes sparkling.
“Yes, certainly. But of course. As it was I who made you a woman, it is only fair that I should have the first dance.”
“—?!”
He meant his words to be lighthearted, but they quickly produced misunderstanding and shock among those who heard them. Crusch only smiled gently and didn’t try to rectify the misapprehensions as she and Fourier headed for the dance floor, hand in hand.
“Incidentally, I’ll ask you what I asked Ferris—can you dance the woman’s part? I’m afraid you can’t expect me to do so.”
“No worries, Your Highness. I know both the male and female parts. I would certainly be happy to let Your Highness dance the woman’s steps, if you’d prefer…?”
“That might be interesting in its own way, but I don’t think it would look right for you to be supporting me in your dress.” Fourier offered a wry smile.
“In that case,” Crusch replied, “I shall be the woman.” Then she signaled the orchestra with a look, and they began to play.
A man and a woman dance under the moonlight, the party just as it should be.
—The guests will remember the steps the pair takes as their measured, elegant movements draw the tumultuous day to a gentle close.
12
“Still, I wasn’t sure how things were going to turn out for a while there!” Ferris said.
It was the day after the party, and the main players had all gathered together. Crusch was seated next to Ferris, and he clung to her arm as she patted him on the head.
“I must have made you very anxious, Ferris,” she said. “I’m sorry for that. Without you, who would have treated my father’s battlefield wounds? You’ve done very well as my knight.”
“Aww, you don’t have to thank me. Just keep petting me…”
“Look at you two,” Fourier grumbled. “One night away together and I can’t pry you apart.”
Ferris pursed his lips. “How long do you plan to stay here, anyway, Your Highness? The party’s over. You don’t have any reason to stick around. What about your job?”
“Try to chase me out, will you? Grr, when did my friends get like this?”
“Maybe exactly because you said I was your friend, Your Highness. Meowch!”
“Ferris, that will be enough. Don’t disrespect His Highness,” Crusch said with a firm tug on one of his ears. She nodded at Fourier. He crossed his arms at all this, but soon raised an eyebrow in Crusch’s direction.
“There’s something I want to say to you, too! First of all, why are you back in that outfit? What happened to your women’s clothes? This isn’t what you agreed.”
“Your Highness, my promise to my father was that I would dress appropriately when we were in public and when it was otherwise necessary. He has allowed me to dress this way at home, and so I shall.”
Crusch was back to her all-too-familiar military uniform. It in no way reduced her beauty, but those who had seen her the night before could not help longing for her to wear a dress again.
“Yes, and I’d like to talk to Meckart, too. I heard everything from your butler, Maloney, after you left, and I thought I would die of fright. Giant Rabbits! Were you able to drive them off in the end?”
“We sure were! Lady Crusch charged right in and gave those bunnies what they had coming! When Ferri got there, Lord Meckart was out of action with a battle wound, so I don’t know what would have happened without her…”
“You overstate the matter, Ferris. Even without me, Bardok and the others would have taken care of things. If there is anything to be proud of, it’s that my blade was of some small use, as was your healing.” Crusch attempted to brush off his praise, but Ferris was still very proud of what she had done.
In reality, Meckart had discovered his own powerlessness the hard way. All the demon and non-demon beasts that normally lived on Foutour Plain had lost their homes to the Giant Rabbits and were running rampant. That was when he had received his wound. They had later made contact with Crusch, and her support and careful judgment had been crucial in pulling victory from the jaws of defeat.
Above all, everyone who had been part of that battle would speak of Crusch’s sword technique—the skill that would later be called “One Blow, One Hundred Felled.”
By the time the party had ended the night before, Ferris had already begun to hear the appellation “the Valkyrie of the Karst
en Lands” applied to her. He thought it was a very appropriate nickname.
“All the same, it remains that I defied orders. My father shouted at me until his throat was raw. And I’m once again forbidden my sword and my land dragon.”
“Even though Lord Meckart broke his promise, too… Well, that’s a dad for you!” Ferris commented.
“There are a few things I myself would like to say to him once he’s recovered,” Crusch agreed. “Until then, I will get a little taste of my father’s work.”
Meckart had decided to vacate the mansion for a few days while his wounds healed. During that time, it fell to Crusch to administer the ducal domain. Her eyes suggested she rather looked forward to it.
“I like the expression on your face,” Fourier said.
Crusch’s eyes went wide with surprise, then she smiled. “Yes, perhaps it is a good look. Last night I had some experiences that would normally be difficult to gain in a number of ways. I suppose Father wouldn’t be happy to hear me say this, but I feel as though yesterday’s offense finally allowed me to become myself.” Her face was as clear as a fine day as she described her feelings. Her smile was perfect, and Fourier was utterly captivated. As the prince worked his mouth, trying to speak, Ferris got a mischievous gleam in his eye and gave Crusch’s arm an especially tight squeeze.
“And! And, you said wearing a dress wasn’t so bad, didn’t you?!”
“I was somewhat anxious before I put it on, but when I tried it, I found it could have been worse. From now on… Well, I suppose I could use such a thing to sleep in.”
“I think that’s perfect! Ferri is happy to dance with you in your usual clothes, but if we could both be in dresses, that would be ameowzing!”
“That’s something that bothered me! Should a woman in a dress really know both parts? Or…wait, do I have that backward? Should a man in a dress know… Hm? What…? What am I even asking?!”
Fourier had managed to confuse himself with his own outburst. Crusch and Ferris looked at him and sighed in unison, but this only caused him to laugh once more.
The Dream of the Lion King Page 10
