By the time they had returned to the surface, the long night was coming to an end. The raid was greeted by a brilliant autumn sunrise of reds, pinks, and golds as the sun peeked out from behind clouds, reflecting off of the leaded windows and the rooftops of the capital. The chill morning air carried the smell of smoke and wet ash, the aftermath of the fires that had blazed for half the night and gutted a quarter of the Commoner District before being contained and left to peter out.
Asuna didn't mind the smell in the least, just to be breathing the fresh air again after the nightmare of La Forace was its own blessing.
Compared to the ruins of Tristain's darkest prison, the most foreboding dungeons of Aincrad had been things of light and luxury. Crawling through the depths, the night had been hard fought even before swords had been drawn. Asuna didn't want to begin imagining how many men and women in the past had died in those dark catacombs.
While the Imps and the Spriggans hadn't seemed too bothered by the tight quarters, Asuna had been battling bouts of claustrophobia as they made their way far beneath the ground, acutely aware that even the Earth mages might not be able to dig them out if a tunnel collapsed or shifted. Beside her, Sakuya gave a small sigh of relief as they caught the first glimmer of sunlight, the underground travel had been hardest on the Sylphs, they all looked anxious, and if possible, even more exhausted than she felt.
Sakuya most of all, Asuna thought sadly as she gently offered the older woman a hand scaling the last few steps out into the open sky, squinting as the rising sun dazzled them. They had exited by the same route they had entered by, a half-collapsed sewer grate partially barring a tunnel that drained into the river way, not far from the Palace. They had followed old markings left over from years ago, etched into the stone walls of the underground by Captain Hammond and the other Knights when last they had been to that evil place.
Standing beside Kirito as the Knights and Faeries carried out their wounded and dead, followed by the march of prisoners, heads bowed in abject defeat. All but one, held at knifepoint by the Hogei-sen as he screamed gargled expletives through his gag. The fallen Sylph, Sigurd, would be sent to Champ de'Mars to be imprisoned and interrogated until his fate was decided.
La Forace prison stood abandoned once more, the rotting ruin having been stripped bare for anything of value related to the Conspiracy. Maps, plans, letters, receipts, reagents, budgets, equipment and provisions, personal effects, anything and everything that could be of value in ferreting out the remainder of the conspiracy and the links of the great chain leading back to Reconquista. The Conspirators had been destroying it all upon being discovered, but Mortimer had foreseen the move and instructed the vanguard appropriately. Their swift dispersal and action through La Forace had preserved nearly all of the physical evidence, if not the conspirators themselves.
It seemed that by virtue of its apparent security and prime location beneath the heart of the Capital that the La Forace had been serving as a key base in the Conspiracy's network. Who knew what might be discovered, what traitors would be ferreted out and plots ruined when there was time to study it all. Secrets that Lord Mortimer, Cardinal Mazarin, Argo, and Tristain's own strategists would be salivating to take apart.
A warm hand encircled her own, squeezing tight for only a moment before letting go. Kirito, still in his effeminate disguise, gave Asuna a small, concerned look. They had both drawn blood last night, though they had made efforts where possible to avoid killing. Asuna thought, but wasn't completely sure, thanks to the chaos and the murk, that she might have added to the blood on her hands once again. It wasn't a pleasing thought. This world, it seemed, would not allow them to live in peace, not just yet.
She smiled back bravely, shaking her head. She was okay. For now, there were other people who were much worse off who needed attention and care. Until that was done, she and Kirito would just have to manage like they always did.
"Hey, hey!" General Eugene gruffly spoke to the Royal Guard as he hovered over the men bearing his unconscious brother on a stretcher. "Careful with him."
Lord Mortimer hadn't received a scratch in the subterranean battle, unlike so many of the Salamanders and Royal Guard who had led the assault, and the Sylphs and Imps who had plumbed the deeps of the catacombs, but his previous injuries against Rip Jack had caught up with him at the end of the battle. The water mages hovering over him were muttering words of disbelief when they weren't busy chanting healing spells to encourage the natural recovery process.
"Jeez, Gene-kun, he's already survived everything else that's been thrown at him." Morgiana teased as she stretched a comforting arm around the Salamander General's shoulder, leaning against him on tiptoes. Her voice softened. "A little bumping around isn't going to kill him now. Come on," she muttered sweetly, "Let's go with the nice people back to the infirmary."
Reaching street level, the first thing Asuna noted was that the events of the last night had hardly reduced the morning foot traffic. Even after an attack, the people of the city still had to go on living, and that meant getting back to their jobs and assessing the damage. Or maybe the streets just seemed full because every mage and commoner had stopped to gawk at the bewildering procession that was emerging from under the earth.
"Captain Hammond. You've returned." One of the musketeers who had been left to guard the entrance saluted sharply. "I trust that it was good hunting Sir."
"At ease." The bone-weary Knight-Captain waved his hand. "This excursion has been profitable to say the least. We've succeeded in all primary and secondary objectives. Please send word back to the Palace. We have taken a large number of the Conspirators prisoner and will require cells staffed by men trusted by the Crown and the Fae Lords."
Looking past the Knight-Captain to the defeated men bound in their own shackles, the musketeer nodded and whistled to one of his nearby subordinates.
"So." Kirito whispered, swaying lightly on his feet. "What now?"
"We make our report, I suppose." Asuna said. "And then I think this will be over, for us anyways."
Silently, Asuna considered. There was definitely going to be a lot of fallout from the events of this evening, even if it didn't immediately lead to rooting out the entirety of the Rebel Conspiracy. The damage to the Capital alone was going to cost a lot in terms damage to businesses and repairs, and the brazen attack on the Gala would definitely damage the reputation of the Crown which had failed to provide adequate security. But worrying about that was the job of people like Sakuya and Cardinal Mazarin, who thrived in dealing with exactly those sorts of problems. Now that the fighting was over, there really was nothing left for her and Kirito to do but wait and see what the future held.
"Something wrong?" Kirito asked as they made their way through Tristain's streets, side by side.
"No, nothing." Asuna shook her head. "It's just that, well, Yui-chan is probably going to want to scold us once we get back."
Kirito's curious expression turned into a thoughtful frown. "We did leave her upstairs…"
"The whole night." Asuna finished.
High Tristainian society did not consider an official social engagement like a Royal Gala to be an appropriate place for young children. Traditionally, those too young to be attending either the Academy or serving in the military were not permitted to attend such events and were frequently given other diversions at home for the evening, cared for by family or trusted servants. Those children who would not or could not be left at home were encouraged to socialize with their peers in smaller gatherings arranged by the hosts.
Thankfully, Queen Marianne was a very understanding woman and had made it a normal practice for the children to be entertained elsewhere in the Palace and private gardens where they would be near at hand but not caught underfoot in the political dealings that they weren't yet considered ready to participate in. The children would be well guarded, far from any likely danger. And it had certainly been an opportunity for Yui to meet and interact with children her 'own age', something that she'd had precious little experience with in her short life.
That hadn't stopped their daughter from all but throwing a tantrum that she wouldn't be right at her mother and father's side the whole night, fiercely displeased to be 'coddled' yet again. She'd been left attended on the palaces second floor with dozens of other children during the Gala, and as the only child of the Fae present had surely been a novelty among the Noble children, though the attack prematurely ended it.
Asuna was all too reminded of the events hosted by her family. Yuuki Shouzou had hosted and participated in dozens of events and gatherings for RECTO Progress Inc.'s management, shareholders, and other leaders in the gaming, VR, medical, educational, and defense industries for  decades . The Yuuki main family gatherings were if anything even worse.
The main Yuuki family had been managing banks in Kyoto for over 200 years, since before the Meiji restoration. Asuna's father had built RECTO Progress from nothing into a globally respected hardware and software manufacturer in only one generation thanks to the main family's financial assistance. Asuna had hated the yearly gatherings at the main family's Kyoto estate, the adults always discussing their children's accomplishments in national competitions and general exams. Over time Asuna had begun to recognize a sense of malice at the family gatherings, which she now realized with the benefit of retrospect were probably organized to rank the Yuuki children, to find the most exceptional of them and groom them for leadership in various companies owned by the extended family. It was poisonous, nothing like the warm love and lively meals she now had with her new family.
Asuna's mother had thrived in the challenge and responsibility of the family gatherings, and had seen to her thorough education in etiquette. Asuna had hated all of it, she'd felt like an NPC. Being the second child of one of Japan's largest industrial conglomerates was exhausting and so  fake.  She had never been allowed to be her own confident self, always instructed by her parents to be subordinate, a second-rate presence while other, pre-approved, universally boring boys were allowed to court her. Never allowed to be anything less than the best in any aspect of sport or school, never given the freedom to be herself.
Asuna had, in an act of rebellion, borrowed her older brother's copy of SAO and the NerveGear while he was away on a business trip. She'd listened to so much discussion around the dinner table of SAO, especially during the beta. Her father and brother had spoken of it as a whole new world, so she'd gone into it as an escape, a distraction from her miserable life at home. And it had all led her here, through the death game, Sugou's depravity, and eventually here to Halkegenia.
Asuna smiled at Kirito, squeezing his hand as they walked past the crowds before the Palace's gates and through the gardens, now heavily damaged by the firework artillery and the resulting riot. If it had all led her here, to him and Yui, she wouldn't ever regret any of it.
When they had left for the Prison, Asuna had only had time to let Yui know that everything was alright before ordering a recently arrived and mildly concussed Caramella to keep her put and out of trouble. Yui had liked that even less than being left with the other children, but in hindsight, Asuna still believed it had been the correct choice. Whether Yui liked it or not, her life was fragile, Asuna would not put her in danger. Of course, that also meant she was looking like the Strict one all of the time.
"We'll have to make it up to her." Kirito observed.
"We'll think of something." Asuna agreed.
Maybe a day out with just the three of them, someplace nice and peaceful. Arrun lake was beautiful in this season, and Kirito had mentioned that he wanted to teach Yui to fish. They could make it a picnic and maybe invite Liz and Silica and Leafa to come along too. But even that might not be enough. Asuna only realized how 'not enough' it might be when they made it back to the Palace, still a beehive in the early hours of the morning as they stepped through the open doors of the grand ballroom.
Wales had commandeered the larger space sometime in the night as the nerve center of the ongoing efforts to organize the response to such an unforeseen attack. Asuna had only been part of the earliest phases, advising Wales and the other officers on how to best use the Faeries at their disposal, specifically, communicating the orders and requests of the army men into orders that the Fae, with less martial experience, could carry out.
Wales was leaning over a table for support, his old wounds acting up again after a night of furious activity, as he spoke with a blonde, female musketeer, Lieutenant Agnes.
And curled up close by, Wales' jacket thrown over her as a blanket and Caramella standing vigilant watch, dozed Yui. She must have had to beg Caramella to stay down here, waiting for them. Face scrunched up, seemingly intent on sleeping through everything that was going on around her. Even the cry of Princess Henrietta.
"Sakuya!"
The Princess couldn't miss their arrival, shouldering through a crowd of squawking advisers bidding for the attention of her mother, Henrietta proceeded swiftly to the Lady of the Sylphs, taking Sakuya's hands.
"Sakuya, are you alright? You weren't roughed up by those men, were you?… Ah, your cheek!"
Henrietta reached up, tenderly probing where a bandage had been done up beneath Sakuya's left eye. Standing back, she took in Sakuya's disheveled appearance, ruined clothing, and her look of utter exhaustion. Sakuya had been told by Royal Guard water mages that the cuts on her cheek, her only real injuries of the chaotic night, would with their care be unlikely to scar. But that didn't mean that there wouldn't be other scars.
Asuna felt her mood darken as she considered Sakuya's likely experiences of the evening, judging from the state her yukata had been in when she'd first been recovered from the prison. Her own imprisonment at Sugou's hands had come dangerously close to Sakuya's experience on more than one occasion. In fact, Asuna was confident that her sole saving grace had been that, in his sadism, Sugou had been too intent on prolonging her suffering as a way to wield power over her. She still wasn't comfortable talking about it.
Was Sugou bluffing when he'd threatened to overwrite her memories and personality, replacing her love for Kirito with similar feelings for that… monster? Had he really fallen so far? And what did that say of her father's judgment, who trusted Sugou, even before her imprisonment in the death game?
Most of the time, she just wanted to forget, to let the wound scar up and then slowly fade until maybe one day she could tell Kirito and Liz more than the carefully sanitized details she had deigned to offer. But what Kirito had told her of Sugou's ploy in the final week before the Transition, done with her father's blessing, had left her deeply disturbed.
Sakuya seemed to be doing the same as Asuna, hiding the depravity she'd endured and putting on a strong front for everyone. Asuna could see it as she pulled away from Henrietta, lying to the Princess' face that everything was perfectly alright. Maybe it would be again soon, but not right now. Luckily, Sakuya had her own trustworthy people, her own friends she could count on.
"Yeah, don't let her fool you." Alicia, back to her old self, the hissing, enraged cat from the night before vanished, slapped Sakuya heavily on the back as she spoke loudly. "Sakuya-chan's a tough cookie!"
"I'd really rather not be compared to baked goods, Alicia-chan." Sakuya teased almost normally, though the shadows under her eyes betrayed how fragile the mask was.
"Eh? Then maybe a super dense block of Tofu?"
"Erm. That's not…"
A strained but genuine smile on Sakuya's face turned into surprise once more as Alicia turned around plowed into her with a hug. "Whatever. The important part is that you're back safe and sound now." Bouncing back like a rubber ball, Alicia grinned mischievously, poking at her chin. "Of course, since we rescued you, it means you have to do all the clean-up work."
"Oh?" Sakuya put a hand gently on Alicia's head, mussing her friend's hair. "Is that how it is?"
"Nyah. That's how it is!" Alicia confirmed.
"Lady Alicia is right." Henrietta said. "We're all relieved that you're safe. And for now, that's all that matters. I must apologize, however." The Princess looked ashamed. "You and the other Lords were endangered because of us. The old tunnels so close to the palace were overlooked, no one in the Royal Family has thought to use them in decades. And the Royal Guard emphasized my own protection rather than securing all aspects of the grounds. I fear that there will be consequences to this oversight."
"Nothing that can't be fixed or forgiven." Sakuya promised with a small bow to the Princess. "Though, I might like to sit down for a while first and hear all of what's happened. I imagine this has ruined plans for your announcement?"
The Princess nodded again, wringing her hands nervously. "Y-yes… for the time at least. Cardinal Mazarin has suggested we may still be able to make a reversal of this situation though, that is, if we can root out the remaining conspirators in the next short while."
"Then we may be in luck, Princess." Captain Hammond announced.
"Captain?" Henrietta tilted her head.
"We secured quite a number of Prisoners during our infiltration and assault on La Forace." The Captain folded his hands behind his back as he reported plainly. "Most are likely to know little, but some of them are suspected to be leaders among the traitors. We may be able to extract some useful information from them when their stories are taken together. And besides that, we've also uncovered other materials that may prove most illuminating."
"You mean, expose the rest of the conspiracy?" Henrietta's eyes widened. "Is that really possible?"
"With what we already know from our investigations," Captain Hammond said confidently, "And what we may uncover now, I'd say it's very possible Princess."
"I see." Henrietta looked reflective. "What of the prisoners. Who are they?"
The Captain's expression sobered. "They are largely low-ranking officers and second or third sons of minor houses. More worryingly though, there are a few persons I recognized, members of greater houses that had been badly impacted by lands lost to the Transition. And there are a few I couldn't recognize, but by the look of them are likely from Albion.
Henrietta frowned, hesitating before steeling herself. "See to it that the families of the men from Tristain aren't allowed to leave the country or go into hiding. We must find the answers, find just how far this conspiracy goes."
Hammond nodded, his mouth curling in distaste.
"Then… please see to it at once Captain and report back promptly."
"As you wish, You Highness." Turning to the Sylph Lord. "And Lady Sakuya, if I might ask that you come along with us. I would like to hear what you can tell us about the traitor Fae you captured."
"Oh?" Sakuya's smile faded. "What do you wish to know?"
"I would very much like to no more about this man." Captain Hammond said. "So that I can begin his interrogation and find his remaining allies before they can flee or disappear."
Something changed in Sakuya's eyes, a glint of something hard-flecked that hadn't been there just before. The smile returned, but it wasn't the same smile at all, much too venomous. "Oh? Then I would be happy to help… .Captain."
Asuna looked to Henrietta as Sakuya and Hammond walked off to the palace dungeons.
"Then we should probably report in too. To whoever…" Asuna looked about. There were lots officers, Captains and Generals, and high ranking Nobility who had leaked back in after the Gala had been interrupted. But it wasn't clear at once just who was in charge.
"Wales is managing everything right now." Henrietta told them. "At least until he can hand things off to General Gramont." She stepped up and whispered softly in Asuna's ear. "Try to get him to rest, please, he's been at this all night. I would tell him but…"
Asuna could only imagine how that would go.
"It's sometimes convenient having the same friends." Asuna finished for her. She found it a little flattering that Henrietta thought so highly of her, even if it did mean things like this from time to time.
"I would have asked Miss Caramella." Henrietta apologized. "But she's lacking in a certain… "
"Tact?" Asuna smiled knowingly.
"Y-yes." Henrietta blushed. "That's a certain way to put, in any case…"
"Princess. Princess!" Cardinal Mazarin was beckoning to Henrietta from across the room with one hand while staving off a wave of angry Noblemen with another. From here, it sounded like word had gotten out about Lord Mortimer's survival, and the claims of an imposter. Hopefully the imposter's remains would lend credence to the circumstances of the assassination plot.
With a last courtesy, Henrietta hurried off once more, leaving Kirito and Asuna to speak with Wales.
The exiled Prince of Albion was no less harried as he passed instructions to the officers around him, moved tokens around the maps, and generally did his best to do a half dozen jobs at once. If he was still using the improvised scheme from last night, Asuna observed, then the last of the fires looked to have been put out. Instead, the effort seemed to be concentrated on locking down all of the known passageways that intersected the surface.
"Wales?" Asuna nodded.
"Ah, Asuna and… Midori." He gave Kirito a tired smirk, as if it was the funniest thing he'd seen since last night. "I've already received word from Lord Zolf's guards, but I'd like to hear from you two as well."
Asuna and Kirito exchanged glances. "What would you like to know?" Asuna asked.
"Your impressions of the men you fought, for one. Especially the spells they used and the way they were cast. The techniques behind battle-magic are taught differently throughout Halkegenia, and even the slightest details you noticed could help us trace the origin of the Conspirators." Wales explained. "Also, anything out of the ordinary prior and during the… attempt on my life."
A wince was shared by everyone around the table. Without advance warning, Asuna might have still seen what was happening in time, but the assassin would have simply waited for his chance to strike when nobody could hope to stop him. She and Kirito had been led to believe that Halkegenian magic techniques did not permit a perfect, undetectable disguise and so she had not been giving enough scrutiny to the faces she recognized. The situation had been incompetently handled by them, all things considered.
Caramella was happy to voice the question that had to be on everyone's mind. "Okay, mind telling us just how an entire building full of elite-ultimate badass Knights managed to let someone waltz in wearing Mort's face?" The boisterous swordswoman gestured to the men standing guard around the perimeter of the room. "I mean, I thought that was like half the reason you kept these guys around?"
"That is the issue at hand." Wales admitted, stroking his chin. "Though, if you believe that there is no way to steal another's form without being detected, I must unfortunately inform you that you're mistaken."
"Mind elaborating?" Caramella asked.
"Skirny." The swordswoman nearly jumped at the soft, monotone voice that emanated from behind her, as if its master, a slight girl with hair so blue Asuna would have thought she was an Undine had managed to teleport.
"Jesus!" Caramella squeaked.
"Dame Tabitha." Agnes observed coolly. "So, you've seen this or the like of it before?"
"Tabitha?" Both Yui and Silica had mentioned her, but Asuna would never have connected this slight, frail-looking girl with their descriptions of a powerful Gallian Dragon Knight. In fact, Tabitha looked as far removed from that reputation as anyone in this reality could be.
A miniscule nod of the slight girl's head. "Magical Doll Skirny." She elaborated. "Flesh Golem. Blood Puppet. Bone Mannequin…" She continued listing off names, each more disquieting then the last. "Tool for infiltrators, a body of living flesh, won't be detected by magic."
Asuna's eyes widened. This was bad. If Reconquista was using tools like this, tools that couldn't be detected by Fae or Noble magic, the implications for the future were awful. It had missed no one's attention that the Imposter was able to passably fraternize in his assumed guise among even Tristain's Nobility, the men and women of the nation who would have been most capable of detecting tricks of Halkegenian magic. If Reconquista could wield such tools, they couldn't be safe or take assured refuge anywhere, and no one could be fully trusted.
"Must be very stylish." Caramella muttered sarcastically, echoing Asuna's unspoken fear. "I'm sure all the assassins will be using them in a couple of years, huh."
And then a sigh of relief came from everyone gathered as the girl shook her head. "Very limited. Needs blood, fresh, or properly preserved. Decays as the blood rots."
"Also incredibly difficult to procure." Wales added. "They're the product of combined craftsmanship between high level Earth and Water mages. In fact, I'd always thought they were just a myth. They would have needed a dram of Lord Mortimer's own blood to even attempt this ploy."
"No." Tabitha confirmed." Not a myth."
Uneasy muttering throughout the room with that revelation.
"Even if it's difficult to create these things, they're still going to be a problem for us if Reconquista can even theoretically make more." Kirito observed, lashes fluttering as he thought. "We're going to need to come up with a counter to this."
"Dogs." Tabitha offered simply.
"The Skirny begins to deteriorate after its creation." Wales explained. "Trained dogs should be able to scent the difference."
"Yeah, dogs trained to keep a nose out for walking pseudocorpses." Caramella observed. "Don't think we have a lot of those laying around."
Wait, had Wales just said scent? Asuna raised a hand hesitantly. An encounter from a happier time not too long ago came to mind. "Ah, Wales. It's just, I might know some people who can help?"
"Oh?" The Prince's brow rose. "Some of the Fae," he surmised.
"Un." Asuna nodded. "Something like that." The more Asuna thought about it, the more it made sense. "If they're up for to it. I'll have to ask first and learn if they can do this, and what they think about helping us."
"Then I ask you to do it quickly." Wales shook his head, speaking as Asuna's friend rather than the disciplined commander he'd been through this long night. "But before that, you both should get some rest. Even for Faeries, it's been a very long night."
"Excuse me, and it's been an easy night for you?" She walked up and poked the Prince firmly in the chest. He staggered back a step, a very convenient reminder of his own exhaustion. Frowning, Asuna shook her finger at Wales. "I think it's been even harder for someone like you." The Prince's expression soured at the reminder, of course he wouldn't like what she as going to say. "When was the last time you slept?" The Prince opened his mouth. "In a bed?" And stopped, hesitating to reply now that his little white lie had been preempted.
"It… has been an eventful week…" Wales admitted. "And I have been most busy. But…"
"But General Gramont is right there." Asuna pointed to where the Gramont the Elder was slapping his youngest son on the back after hearing something from one of his older brothers. For someone who'd just been through a night of hell, he didn't look it. She supposed that was a quality of leaders, they couldn't ever look tired in front of the people they led. Which meant they had to know when to rest and let someone else lead. "Let him take charge, that's why Tristain has Generals."
"B-but the city perimeter is still a mess." Wales waved vaguely to one of the maps. "And there's no guarantee there haven't been sabotage attempts using last night as a diversion. We…"
"I'm sure General Gramont and Admiral La Ramee know all of that." Asuna asserted firmly. "Just leave them some instructions and go get some sleep."
Wales sighed, defeated. He looked exhausted, and abashed after being told off by her like a child. "Did Henrietta put you up to this?"
"I would have done it for your own good too, with or without her." Asuna warned, eliciting another sigh.
"There's no winning this battle, is there?" The question was asked to Kirito.
Shrugging effeminate shoulders, Kirito smiled. "I decided it was a broken fight a long time ago."
At last. "I'll tell General Gramont to take charge." Wales raised a hand quickly. "After I leave my instructions."
The victory BGM played in Asuna's head as Wales waved them off to get some rest, dismissing Caramella as well who by all rights shouldn't have been on her feet after taking a hard knock to the head. It would be best if they all got some sleep, but first… .
"She really wanted to wait for us, huh?" Kirito asked Caramella as he smiled down at Yui. In that form, he less resembled Yui's brother or father and more her older sister, stroking a loose strand of hair from the innocent girl's cheeks as her nose twitched, lips moving in the depths of some little dream known only to her.
"Yeah. Sorry about this." Caramella rubbed the back of her bandaged head. "I tried to get her to stay put, but…"
"It's okay." Asuna promised, carefully nudging the young girl's shoulder until she stirred, eyes blinking sleepily.
"M-Ma-Mama?" She asked squinting. "Nnn, Mama!" Clumsily burying her head in Asuna's shoulder as she was lifted into her mother's arms. "I knew you'd be back. I definitely was just waiting!" She said it like a mantra, one that she'd been repeating to keep the bad thoughts at bay while Asuna and Kirito went and did something dangerous once again.
"You were worried." Asuna stroked the girl's hair, feeling her go stiff and then her shoulders tremble. "Shh, shh, there there." Asuna felt the hot wetness against her shoulder. "We were worried too." Worried that if they hadn't succeeded, Yui and everyone else would have been in much more danger. "But you shouldn't sleep in chairs like that Yui-chan, come on, let's go back upstairs for a little while."
Nodding, silent save for a small squeak, Asuna took Yui, carrying the drowsy, half-asleep girl towards the doors that would lead them upstairs to their guest rooms in the upper palace. They were almost through the doors when they were intercepted by a now familiar blonde boy, catching up from behind panting. "Miss Midori. Miss Midori!"
Kirito cringed at the name, but didn't let his mask slip as the boy jogged up to them. "Oh thank the Founder you're still alright. After you went with the Royal Guards on that raid… What were you thinking?" The boy's eyes, despite being ringed in shadows, were communicating visible concern and worry. If the object of that look, that concern had been anyone other than Kirito, Asuna thought she'd have found it cute. Now however, especially given what the boy didn't know about 'Midori… .'
'Oh.' She thought, and suddenly wanted to cringe in embarrassment. 'That poor boy.'
"Aye? Guiche? Worrying about your not-girlfriend at a time like this?" The older Gramont beside him mused. "Are you sure you aren't courting her?"
"We've fought together in the past, but it's been a while. We encountered one another tonight and together defeated a Conspirator golem and took the Imposter's head." 'Midori' diplomatically nodded to Guiche. "Your son did most of the work in those battles, and he fought well." Kirito shrugged, turning back to the doors only for a hand to land on his shoulder, urging him to stay.
"N-no! Not that. It's…" Guiche's face reddened, mouth working as if he couldn't quite find the words. "Please… I mean…" Guiche shut his mouth tightly, struggling to hold in whatever he was trying to say, and then blew out a long, low breath. "I just worry about you… I mean… I worry on behalf of err… uhm…" He trailed off, growing flustered.
Somehow, Kirito had picked up something about being a girl, because the next part was surprisingly gentle. Placing his hands on Guiche's shoulders, he smiled kindly. "Guiche, I get it. And it's really sweet." He shook his head. "But you don't have to worry about me. And you definitely shouldn't be putting me up on a pedestal. You've got someone else for that, someone who needs you."
"I… erm…" Guiche looked shame faced. "But… that's not why…"
"You're still here, Mister Gramont?" Lieutenant Agnes asked as she approached the group. "Good, we still need you to report on the pursuit last night, and the exact circumstances by which Captain Gramont lost his entire left leg below the knee."
"Oh my?" Asuna whispered, looking quickly between the two brothers. "Is there anything that can be done for him?"
"It's not a problem. In fact, it's almost a tradition among Gramont men to lose something in the line of duty." The Elder Gramont brother replied. "He can afford a false leg, probably as good as our Da's. Of course, he's no hand with earth magic so it won't work as good as Da's but…"
Asuna was still busily digesting the fact that she'd just been told that General Gramont had a prosthetic leg. Looking back over to the slender, foppish man, currently speaking with Wales as he prepared to retire until evening, the odd little tapping motions he made with his hand against his thigh suddenly made much more sense. There certainly was a lot more to learn about magic, both Faerie and Halkegenian, if they were going to survive in this world.
"Sir Bjorn will take your report now if you would just head to the other room." Agnes finished. "I also need your account of the fight with Monsieur Janglers, Miss Caramella… Miss Caramella?" The swordswoman was staring the musketeer down, cheeks turning red, never breaking eye contact. "Is there… .something you need to say?"
"O-one thing actually." She stuttered. "That thing that happened?"
'Thing?' Asuna wondered, looking to Kirito who was just as oblivious.
"I already told you not to think anything of it." Agnes said indifferently. "Like I said. It's hardly like you could be my type."
Caramella seemed to come to a decision then. Cheeks burning redder, she stepped up to Agnes, "Miss Caram -", and in a single swift motion, took hold and drew the musketeer into a kiss.
"Mmph!" Eyes gone wide, Agnes fumbled at her belt for the hilt of her sword, and then stopped, relaxing slightly as the kiss went on, and on… and on. Lips locking tenderly with the swordwoman's, her cheeks reddening to match Caramella's own.
Kirito stared, Asuna stared, Yui rubbed her eyes sleepily and nodded like this was nothing new. Most of all, all color drained from the faces of the two Gramont brothers and then returned almost as quickly in a vivid flush. A faint squeak escaped from Guiche.
"Brother? Brother, are you seeing this?" Guiche whispered under his breath.
"Two." His brother agreed seriously. "It's two."
Finally, Caramella pulled away, taking a deep breath as she left a very confused and flustered Agnes holding a hand over her mouth.
"Oh Yeah?" Caramella wiped her lips. "Well I can tell you right now, you're  my type. And by the way,  that's how you kiss a girl! Put that in your report."
Turning on her heel, Caramella began to swagger off triumphantly and then paused at the door, giving Kirito a leer that after this latest showing made Asuna want to go for her rapier. 'She… she wouldn't…' Asuna thought. She'd better not!
"And Midori-chan." Caramella looked serious for a moment, before resuming the leer tenfold, eyes roaming up and down Kirito's ruined dress.
"Err, yes?"
"Seeing as Jack didn't show up, it's occurred to me that this whole exercise and your fancy dress was completely pointless. Still  totally worth it." Caramella was snickering all the way through the door, leaving Kirito to go through every possible shade of purple.
Asuna leaned close to Kirito. "Are you okay?" She whispered.
"Never again." Kirito breathed. "Never, for as long as I live…"
"O-oh." Asuna decided it was best that they hurry on before this got worse.
Through the wide double doors to where stairway leading to the second floor, and then, again. "Miss Midori!"
Kirito looked ready to reach for his swords this time, hands only staying as Montmorency smiled from where she had been standing, waiting patiently beside the doors, probably for Guiche, but judging by her focused gaze on Midori, probably not..
"How can I help you, Monmon?" Kirito asked, tone and expression beginning to show severe strain.
Then, the water mage and youngest daughter of the Montmorency family smiled shyly. "Well, actually… .I just wanted to thank you, for everything."
"Uhm, everything?" Kirito frowned, scratching at the back of his head.
"Yeah. Everything." Montmorency repeated. "With Guiche that is. You know, I didn't believe it at first, but he really looks up to you, and…"
"And?" Kirito watched her, warily.
Montmorency blushed as she took Kirito's hands and squeezed them tightly. "I'd like to ask, if it's possible, don't go and vanish from his life again. You mean a lot to him. And… I think you're really helping him to grow." A look of faint melancholy. "We've been talking a lot lately. There are things you can share with him that I can't. With what's happening, with what's about to happen, I think Guiche will need that even more. So please don't stop being his friend, and please don't betray the trust he puts in you."
"O-oh." Kirito squeaked. And then in the smallest possible voice. "Of c-course."
Asuna didn't know if Kirito was about to scream or break down crying. With the speed and deftness that she more often employed on the battlefield, she took Kirito by the wrist, smiling to Monmon. "Midori-chan will definitely consider it. But she's had a very, very long last few days, and I think it's about time that we both get some rest before we're needed again."
"Ah. Of course!" Montmorency waved her hands quickly. "By all means. I didn't mean to keep you. Good night, or erm, morning!"
At last they were free, ascending the stairs, finally free from the crowds on the lower levels. Kirito seemed to sense this, beginning to sway as they reached the second floor landing, and gaining a pronounced wobble by the third.
"I remember you staying up all night grinding." Asuna chided, seeing his exhaustion. "You can't tell me it's that bad just yet."
"In Aincrad my body didn't get tired, just my brain." Kirito mumbled, squinting through deeply ringed eyes. "And I didn't sleep much in the last two nights with all the etiquette lessons. Geez. Caramella is right. This was stupid…"
Kirito leaning against her for balance, Yui in her arms, Asuna didn't have the luxury of dozing off until they got to their shared room. Closing the door with her foot, Asuna carried a half sleeping Yui to the couch and went about laying out a night shirt, sitting the girl upright so that she could pull off her dress and put on her sleep clothes. Aided by Yui's small size and generally cooperative demeanor when sleeping, Asuna still wished for the convenience of the game menu, it would have made these sorts of things so much easier.
'Though, I wouldn't have had that convenience back home either.' She mused.
A loud -flop- came from the bed as Kirito literally collapsed atop the blanket, the long night finally catching up with him. "Kirito-kun, be sure you leave room for…" Asuna stopped as she realized what was wrong. "Kirito-kun. You can't… sleep like that."
Kirito had certainly been tired, to say the least. He'd neglected to remove the filthy remains of his ballroom gown, which was now closer to a ragged cocktail dress after losing most of its frills thanks to a bit of creative 'shortening' that had allowed for the quick removal of the more cumbersome elements. More importantly, he'd neglected to dispel his mimic form… .
Her efforts to stir him were met with failure, merely causing Kirito to curl up tighter and then start grumbling cutely in his sleep. At last she surrendered, accepting that it would just have to be worked around this one time, regardless of his inevitable embarrassment. Setting Yui on the bed, the next challenge was Kirito. Easy enough once she'd laid out her own spare nightgown.
Luckily, Kirito was almost as easy to handle in his sleep as Yui, which made undressing him a lot simpler then she had expected, that was, until she got the dress off and then paused, brow twitching.
'Black.' She thought. 'They're black.' She shouldn't have been surprised, but she wondered if Kirito had thought through the implications. More likely he'd just chosen them out of habit thanks to the color. Had he always been so wedded to black even before SAO? Either way, getting the gown over Kirito's head, arms into the sleeves so that the garment covered him like a tent, and then laying him back down beside Yui, Asuna quickly changed herself, drawing the curtains to darken the room before climbing into bed.
Laying with her head propped on a feather pillow, she was treated to the sight of Kirito resting his chin atop Yui's head as the warmth of the young girl caused him to migrate in his sleep until he had both arms around her, cuddling up to Yui like a child's doll.
Asuna had to admit, it was pretty cute.
Which left her wondering, giddy from lack of sleep as she drifted off.
'I wonder if Kirito ever thought of what it would be like if he was the Princess and I was the Prince?'