Healing Kisses (ch14)

EARLY RELEASE FOR MY $20+ PATRONS!

A reward for nadie95! They asked for a little something in lieu of the mobile game, set in the Black Lions/Sun Nation Armies AU! If you're not familiar with it, Claudine and Maya are the leaders of opposing armies, along with the other main girls split between the sides.

(Somehow this ended up being the longest addition to this fic yet? Okay!)

Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.

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															Chapter 14.

There is a country far, far away, where the land is sturdy from the almost-constant activities of battle.

The Black Lion Knights and the Sun Nation Army have been at-odds for generations, since before the current generations were even born, struggling for control over the entirety of the kingdom.

Control of the lands had see-sawed back and forth between each army for centuries, sometimes with the Black Lions controlling more territory, and sometimes with the Sun Nation having the most land.

But only in the recent decade, when both armies had appointed new generals to the front-lines, had the distribution of land come to balance out at a perfectly equal half-and-half seize.

It became quickly apparent to the people - both civilians and fighters alike - that the leaders of each army were equally as strong, smart, and tenacious.

The leader of the Black Lions was a fierce young woman named Claudine. The dark colors of her armor and battle gear contrasted her pale white skin and slivery-blonde hair, which she always wore down even in the midst of battle. She was sharp-tongued and quick-witted when she was leading an attack, but afterward always insisted she be the last of her soldiers to received medical treatment.

The leader of the opposing Sun Nation was a charming young woman the same age as Claudine. Her name was Maya, and she adorned armor and clothes that were the colors of sunset, with long brown hair that flowed out behind her like the mane of her horse often did when they rode into battle. She was soft-spoken, but intense, and her physical prowess in battle was unmatched. And yet, she was extremely merciful and empathetic, never wounding an opposing soldier if she could help it.

Since these two girls had come into power over their respective nations, the number of deaths in their kingdom's fighters had dramatically plummeted. They trained their soldiers to incapacitate, not slay.

Because of this, more and more people had opted to join the armies in order to fight for the honor of their respective nations, and not have to worry about dying at their first skirmish.

At this point in time, it was less of a deadly war raging across the lands, and more of an occasional meeting of sides out on the battlefield to ensure the other side wasn't slacking in their training.

Commanders Claudine and Maya were always out on the front-lines, never hiding back behind their warriors. As such, they often came to clash swords with one another directly, be it on horseback or on-foot.

Whenever they engaged, all the fighting around them seemed to pause in order to admire the two most stunning people in all the land, locked in a beautiful dance of blades. They always gave it their all, poured every last shred of energy and power into their movements, telling themselves that this would be the day of their final battle, that they would finally defeat their opponent this time…

But time and again, both girls collapsed at the same moment, or dropped their blades simultaneously, or otherwise were rendered unable to fight just as their opponent was.

Their confrontations always ended in stalemates, for years on end. As such, each held the other in the highest regard; honored and respected her adversary more than anyone else. Truly, they were admirable rivals.

But one day, it would so happen that one would prevail…

. . .

It's a bitterly-cold morning bordering winter when Claudine receives an urgent message.

"Commander Saijou!" Claudine's most trusted General, Junna Hoshimi, bursts into her personal office with a frantic cry. "The Sun Nation Army has launched a surprise attack!"

Claudine is on her feet instantly, already heading for the spot on her wall where she keeps her armor.

"That woman…" she mutters. "This time I'm going to best her if it's the last thing I do." She raises her voice so Junna may hear her. "Fetch my horse! And spread the word so that my soldiers are prepared! I won't let that damned Tendo Maya step one foot into our territory."

With a salute, Junna hurries off.

Claudine dresses herself promptly and secures her sharpened sword at her hip. She has trained intensely enough that she had collapsed many times in trying to push herself past her limits so that she may outlast and get the better of her long-time opponent. This has to be it.

"I will make it so," Claudine proclaims to herself, speaking it into existence. "Sun Nation Army Commander Tendo Maya will be mine!"

And so she readies her troops and leads them onto the plains herself, the sounds of thundering hooves blasting across the cold, hardened earth.

It isn't long before she can spot the opposing army on the horizon, clad in much lighter colors than her own. Even from afar, she can already pinpoint exactly where Tendo Maya's position is. It's the same as her own, right at the head of the crusade.

Claudine is filled with a familiar conviction, but a flame hotter and more determined than ever before. She calls out to her Generals, Junna and Hikari, as well as back to the oracle Kaoruko.

"Today is the day, Black Lions! We will capture Tendo Maya if it's the last thing we do!"

A unanimous shout of "yes ma'am!" cracks the air.

As Claudine rides, she motions for Kaoruko to move in to flank her.

"Now," she calls. "Being that you are a former Sun Nation Knight yourself, you are going to help me get the better of her." This is another factor to Claudine's confidence; this will be the first battle in which she will have Kaoruko on her side.

"Oh?" Kaoruko purrs. "Very interesting. As you wish, Commander."

"Tell me her deepest secret," Claudine orders. "What is the key to defeating her?"

"Now, now, I can't simply give up such vital information for free."

Claudine doesn't falter.

"Should the information you give lead to her successful capture, you will be rewarded handsomely."

Kaoruko nods in approval.

"In that case, Commander Maya - for all her perfection - has one major flaw."

"Out with it, then."

Kaoruko grins.

"She is simply terrible at hand-to-hand combat. Get her off her horse, disarm her, and you've won, Commander."

As they continue advancing, Claudine thinks back to her previous confrontations with Maya. And it's true that Claudine has never engaged her when Maya had no weapon. Anytime Maya had dropped her sword had been at the same time Claudine had done the same, out of sheer exhaustion. Claudine isn't the best at hand-to-hand either, but she can certainly hold her ground with it. She finds it very interesting that Maya supposedly lacks skill in such a vital department.

For the sake of her victory today, she is going to trust Kaoruko, in spite of the fact that she had betrayed her own nation to join Claudine's.

Looking ahead, she estimates the exact moment when their two armies will clash. Even from a great distance she finds Commander Maya on her chestnut stallion, galloping at the head of the parade. Claudine speeds up her own white horse to ensure she be the one to meet her.

The thunder of hooves persists, sending a resounding echo across the plains as the warriors raise their voices.

And then, in an explosive shout, the two armies clash and erupt in the sounds of battle.

Claudine turns her steed at the last second, raising her sword just as Maya nearly collides head-on with her, lifting her own blade to block the heavy blow. Their horses whinny as the two girls make eye contact.

"We meet yet again, Commander Saijou," Maya grunts with a smile.

Claudine growls and pushes back.

"If I've got anything to say about it, this will be the last time we'll meet on the battlefield," she declares. "Today is the day I make you mine, Tendo Maya!"

"Oh my," she smirks. "If I didn't know any better, I would say that sounds an awful lot like a proposal."

"I'll wipe that smug grin right off your face."

They charge at one another yet again, and the hard clash of metal rings out above the din of battle.

Their armies surge around the two leaders, who fight one another as valiantly and passionately as all their soldiers combined.

In only minutes, both Commanders dismount their horses and send them off, instead circling one another on-foot now. No other fighter even dares glance their way, let alone interfere; everyone in the kingdom knows that when these two warriors do battle, it is their fight and theirs alone. Neither would ever permit or excuse any kind of cowardly attack from behind on her opponent.

As Claudine readies herself for her next attack, she recalls her goal, what Kaourko had told her; her mission is to disarm Maya.

In the past, they would both attack in similar styles, wanting to demonstrate their own power, and overpower the other until she surrendered from sheer exhaustion. But it had always been a simultaneous draw or double knock-out.

Today, Claudine is changing her tactics.

She doesn't aim her blows at Maya's armor to unbalance her or discombobulate, but rather, she aims at her sword specifically.

Maya blocks and parries with such grace she more closely resembles a nymph than a human, confident and powerful in all she does.

It's like a dance in its own right, their movements sharp, complimenting one another perfectly. Each blow is met with the perfect parry, each dodge leading flawlessly into the next point of contact.

In only minutes, both girls begin to feel the ache of battle in their bodies, neither opponent holding anything back. Maya still manages to smirk somehow, and it irks Claudine that her opponent isn't as breathless as she is yet. But she keeps her cool, focuses on her goal.

Again, she brings down her sword onto Maya's with both hands pulling. Maya staggers from the hit, and Claudine is equally as exhausted from dealing it. But her adrenaline is pumping at full-force today, her desire to win now burning brighter than ever before.

Gradually, cunningly, she draws Maya into her trap, luring her with the false pretense that this is going to be just like any other confrontation. Claudine feigns frustration and desperation, allows the smirk on Maya's lips to grow ever more smug. She lets her believe today might be the day she'll best Claudine, for Claudine knows Maya is flawed by the same kind of ego as she herself is.

So Claudine staggers a bit more than usual, yelps in surprise a little louder, pants a little harder. Maya drinks it in, the sparkle of victory already in her eyes, as though thinking she's only an inch away from grasping it-

Claudine makes her move. She raises her sword with a shout, holding it high above Maya once again. The same motion she'd been doing all this time, encouraging Maya to preform the same block out of habit.

But just before Claudine brings down her weapon, she jerks herself at an angle and swings her sword downward beside Maya, missing her completely.

In that split second when her opponent is dumbfounded, Claudine positions her blade beneath Maya's, then gives an almighty yank upward. Maya's sword is ripped from her hands and goes flying into the dirt.

Stunned, Maya raises her arms instead to cover herself as Claudine swings her sword again, making contact with Maya's armor and sending her reeling. Claudine drops her own sword and lunges, knowing it's dreadfully unfair to attack an unarmed opponent with a blade anymore than she already had.

She rushes in, swinging punches and kicks at Maya's chest and legs, blows Maya is just barely managing to avoid. She clumsily attempts to counter, but Claudine is faster, much more confident in her hand-to-hand. Maya tries out a few hits, but all of them miss their mark.

Bit by bit, Claudine drives her back, until a sag in the earth catches Maya by the boot. She falls backward with a gasp, and Claudine pounces, knocking her back into the dust. Maya hits the ground, splayed helplessly on her back as Claudine pins her down by the wrists, straddling her until she can't budge. Claudine's hair falls over her shoulder, and she pants heavily as Maya struggles to free herself. Claudine laughs.

"Don't even try!" she barks. "You've lost, Tendo Maya. You've lost to me!"

"Never!" Maya writhes and tries to knock her sideways with her knee, but Claudine holds fast, balancing her weight over Maya's abdomen and out of range of her attacks.

"Please," she scoffs. "Just admit your defeat. It's quite unsightly to keep struggling when the battle is already lost."

Around them, the fighting begins to pause as soldiers notice their leaders. Gasps and yells rise up as all the minor skirmishes come to a halt.

"Commander Saijou!"

"She's done it!"

"The Black Lions have won!"

Shouts of victory and dismay rise up from the respective armies. Maya still tries to resist, but Claudine pays her no mind. She soaks in her victory, basking in it like warm sunlight.

"That's right!" she shouts out. "Let it be known that on this day, I, Commander Saijou Claudine, have finally bested the Sun Nation's Commander, Tendo Maya, in battle!"

"No… never-!" Maya shakes her head from side to side, trying to surge upward, refusing this reality.

Claudine almost pities her.

"Enough of that. It's quite unbecoming. Just admit your defeat with grace and spare what little pride you have left."

As the armies gather around them, Claudine yanks Maya up by her wrists and motions for her two nearest soldiers - Hikari and Junna - to restrain the Sun Nation's Commander. They each take one of Maya's arms and hold tightly.

It seems she's finally stopped resisting. She bows her head and says nothing.

Claudine lifts her chin, puffs out her chest, and sweeps her gaze around to all the soldiers.

"I shall be taking Tendo Maya as my prisoner now. Warriors of the Sun Nation army, you have two choices; follow me back to my territory and join the Black Lions, or limp back home to your Commander-less barracks. You'll only be delaying the inevitable, though."

She motions for her soldiers to begin forming around her and Maya so they may begin their victory march back. As they do, a few of Maya's soldiers cry out.

"Never!" a girl named Karen wails. "We'll never join the Black Lions!"

"Yeah!" Futaba shouts. "We have pride in our Nation! We aren't like Kaoruko!"

"We'll never betray Commander Tendo!" Mahiru pipes.

But Claudine pays no mind to any of them. Her head is in the clouds.

She's finally done it. Tendo Maya is hers.

She leads her victorious army back across the plains as they all rejoice and shout. The Sun Nation's soldiers bow their heads and trudge away, muttering in dismay without their beloved Commander to guide them now.

Claudine relishes in the praises of her soldiers and commends them for their valor in return. She glances back at Maya occasionally as they walk, but the other girl never raises her head. Claudine clears her throat and drops back a pace to walk beside her hostage.

"I must say, it was rather admirable that not one of your soldiers chose to abandon the Sun Nation. Though in retrospect, they'll be joining me eventually." She goads all she pleases, tossing her hair importantly over her shoulder.

Maya doesn't raise her head nor speak in return.

Before much longer, they arrive back at Claudine's palace. As the soldiers return to their barracks to shed their armor and tend to their wounds, Claudine orders Maya to be taken to a holding cell in the dungeons.

"I'll be there shortly," she says to Hikari and Junna. "Until then, you two are to keep an eye on her." She then struts up to Maya and lifts her chin up with two fingers, forcing her to look into her captor's eyes. "When I'm through with you, the Sun Nation won't have any secrets left to keep from me."

Maya glares back at her, teeth grit, but still refuses to say a word.

Claudine lets her go - for now - and retreats to her chambers for the moment. She removes her battle armor and adorns something a bit lighter and more breathable. Though she's really doing her best not to show it, she's almost childishly giddy from her victory.

I've done it. I've defeated her, and now Tendo Maya is mine.

How long she's waited for this day…

Wasting no time, she hurries to the lower levels of the palace and heads straight for the dungeons. She holds no other prisoners, so Claudine simply follows the guard's motions to direct her to which cell Maya is now being kept at.

When she enters the room, Kaoruko, Hikari, and Junna are all there, having put Maya into the cell with heavy iron chains cuffing her wrists behind her back. Maya kneels on the cold stone floor, keeping her head bowed and her mouth closed.

Claudine walks in with an air of importance about her.

"She still isn't speaking, I assume?"

"No ma'am," Hikari replies. "We've tried to interrogate her a bit-"

"No more need for that," Claudine says. "I'll take it from here."

"You know," Junna says. "You could always try torture. Nothing too severe, of course. Unless-"

"Honsestly, how boorish," Kaoruko sighs. "We aren't that barbaric here, are we?"

"No torture," Claudine nods. "For now." She steps into Maya's cell slowly, motioning for Kaoruko to lock the doors behind her. "You three will be on-guard tonight. Clearly, you must come fetch me if I fall asleep. With how stubborn this one is being, I anticipate I might be here all night."

Claudine kneels down in front of her prisoner and crosses her arms in front of her chest - a luxury Maya doesn't have with the shackles. Maya lifts her head just a little and chuckles wryly.

"I must admit, I would enjoy it if you were to spend the night with me, Saijou Claudine."

"Oh! So she can speak!" Claudine announces. "Would you like to continue with the flirtatious dribble, or tell me what I want to know upfront so I can leave you to serve out your solitude sentence in peace?"

"If giving you answers means you're going to leave me, I'll never speak a word," Maya declares.

Claudine feels her eyebrow twitch.

"I see you're going to subject me to my own form of torture in return."

"It would be my pleasure," Maya smiles.

Claudine rolls her eyes.

"Unfortunately for you, I'm immune to such trickery."

"It isn't trickery at all," Maya says. "I truly do admire you, Saijou Claudine. Both as a rival and as an equal. Don't you feel the same way about me?"

"Of course I do," Claudine mutters. "But enough leading the conversation! Might I remind you that you are the prisoner here?" Claudine reaches out to grab Maya's chin, once again making her look into her eyes. "Now, you're going to tell me everything I need to know. To start, I admit the Sun Nation has always had a better economy than ours. It's simple really; you're going to tell me how you manage it."

Maya doesn't struggle or resist her - it seems she doesn't mind being handled by Claudine specifically. She simply grins, and even leans her face to one side so she may feel Claudine's touch a bit better.

"It's been quite a day, Commander Saijou," she says. "My memory is becoming quite hazy. But perhaps a kiss could help me think straight?"

Claudine snorts, but she hears her guards giggling.

"Yeah," Junna mutters. "Kissing a girl will help you think straight all right."

"I think it's sickeningly romantic," Kaoruko sighs. "Enemies to lovers has always been such an invigorating story, no?"

"Quiet!" Claudine snaps. "We are not lovers, nor will we ever be!" She lets go of Maya and crosses her arms again. "Fine then. Keep silent for all I care. It won't end well for you. In the end, I'll be the one deciding whether or not you're fed any food or water. In fact-" She claps once. "Hikari, be a dear and bring me some supper, would you? And you three should eat as well. I know you haven't eaten since early morning, and that battle must've taken it out of you. And the same must go for you, no?"

She smirks, turning back to her prisoner. Maya still maintains her smug smile in spite of her position.

"Feasting my eyes upon the beauty before me shall sustain me for quite some time."

"You're unbelievable. I really will torture you, you know."

"To be tortured by you would be like a dream come true."

Claudine scoffs. "You're vile, you know that?"

She keeps trying to get information from Maya for a while, until Hikari returns with four small trays of food. She slides one under the bars for her commander and gives the others to Junna and Kaoruko.

As the three guards begin to eat and enjoy themselves, Claudine makes sure to place her own tray right at Maya's knees so she can smell everything.

"Looks good, doesn't it?" she taunts. "My chefs are some of the finest in the land." Claudine picks up her fork and plucks up a juicy piece of steak. She puts it slowly into her mouth and makes sure Maya is watching. "You know, if you would just tell me about your economy, I'll gladly share some of my food."

She can tell Maya is in desperate need of something to eat by the way she eyes the food and swallows. But she still tries to maintain her flippant and flirty attitude.

"Being my hands are tied, would that mean you would feed it to me mouth-to-mouth?"

"Ugh! You're an animal!" Claudine moves her food away from Maya and eats at her leisure.

All the while, she continues trying to extract information from Maya, and all the while Maya remains steadfast in not saying anything other than a flirt or joke to get a rise out of her.

As anticipated, Claudine spends many hours of the night in that cell with her, trying all different methods on her.

She tries stroking Maya's ego, singing her praises and compliments to see if it will make her leak anything useful.

She tries asking her about herself - her past - and in turn shares about herself to try and ease her into it.

She tries flat-out threatening her.

But Maya never gives her what she wants. She just keeps making nonsensical flirty comments.

It's well past midnight when Claudine begins to feel her consciousness dragging at the corners of her mind. Kaoruko brings them all blankets, even one for Maya.

"We can't have her getting sick," she reasons. "It would be quite a pain."

"Bigger of a pain than she already is?" Claudine grumbles. But she accepts the blankets nonetheless, though for now she only drapes them both around herself. She gives Maya a haughty look. "If you want yours, you'll have to talk."

Like the rest of them, Maya has grown weary and tired by now, but she still does her best to sound unfazed.

"Will you drape it around me?" she asks. "I can't exactly do it myself."

"Talk first," Claudine demands.

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

"You and I both know you damn-well can."

"Not about my nation," Maya sighs. "Only about my admiration for you, Commander."

"Honestly, even at this hour of the night you're still keeping up that act?"

"It isn't an act. There is nothing to 'keep up' at all. It is truly how I feel."

But the seriousness of Maya's comment is jeopardized when she suddenly sneezes.

Claudine glances back to catch Junna's compelling glance. The Commander sighs.

"Fine… But I'm only doing this so you don't catch cold and become even more of a nuisance to me, understand?" She removes one of the blankets from her shoulders and rises up onto her knees, inching cautiously closer to Maya. Maya looks up at her with a grin.

"You are so very kind, Commander Saijou."

"Shut it. No funny business, do you hear me?"

"I wouldn't dream of it."

Maya sits perfectly still as Claudine takes each end of the blanket in her hands and fans it out across her back. This position requires that she be awfully close to her, however, and it isn't long before Maya is leaning her head on the front of Claudine's shoulder.

"I beg your pardon. But I've nowhere to rest my head."

Claudine quickly finishes adjusting the blanket over Maya's back and shoulders so she can move away.

"If you keep this up, I'll be resting your head on a pedestal," she grunts. She moves away again, once more crossing her arms with a frown. "Are you about ready to tell me what I want to know yet?"

Maya sighs, feigning some other ailment now.

"You know, I've become terribly hungry…"

"Good. That's the point of torture."

"I do believe I might speak if I had some food, though."

"Now hold on just a minute," Claudine snaps. "Don't you try to turn this around. If you talk, then you get food. It's not a negotiation. You're a prisoner."

"Actually…" Kaoruko chimes in again from the other side of the bars. "It might be best to give her just a bit of food. We wouldn't want her keeling over, now would we? Again, such a pain that would be…"

Claudine snorts, but glances back at her tray from supper. She'd left a small slice of bread, and now she picks it up. She looks from the food to Maya.

"This is all you're getting," she warns. "Even if you insist on keeping quiet for days on end, I'm not giving you any more food."

"If you were to hand-feed it to me, Commander Saijou, I am certain that the mirth I would experience from such an act would single-handedly fuel me for weeks to come."

"You are so infuriating…" Claudine heaves an agitated sigh, but understands she has no choice in this matter. So she moves close to Maya once again and holds out the bread for her, turning her face away to hide the heat she feels in her cheeks.

Maya makes a fuss, of course.

"Oh, Commander Saijou Claudine, you truly are so merciful, so lovely. I shall enjoy every second of this bliss."

"Just shut up and eat before I change my mind!"

Maya chuckles, then takes a bite of the bread.

Claudine doesn't look at her even once throughout the process as Maya chews, swallows, and takes another bite. She does, however, pull the bread away when there's only a bit left, sensing that Maya may try to pull something distasteful, like licking Claudine's finger.

Claudine smugly eats the final piece herself.

"Terribly sorry, but I don't think you deserved to finish that meal."

But Maya isn't upset like Claudine had hoped. Instead, she's happily shocked.

"Oh my, Commander Saijou. I never knew you'd be so bold as to accept an indirect kiss."

Claudine nearly gags. She can hear her three guards trying not to laugh. With a snarl, she rounds on her prisoner again.

"Why you… You're lucky I haven't strung you out to dry yet…"

"Once I tell you what you want to know, you'll have no reason to continue feeding me, blanketing me, and speaking to me, no? Therefore, it is in my best interest to stay silent on the matters of my Nation."

"Oh, just you wait," Claudine growls. "Maybe I was kind to you this first night, but it won't be so enjoyable once I really get serious. I can promise you that."

"I very much look forward to it, Commander."

Maya doesn't waver, but neither does Claudine. They maintain a hard mutual glare just before Claudine tries once again to crack her.

Another hour passes by into the night, then another, until all five girls are beginning to nod off.

Claudine's three guards recall they must stay awake until Claudine is safely out of Maya's cell. But Kaoruko agrees to stay up and lets the other two rest for now.

Claudine and Maya have been at their fruitless game of back-and-forth for nearly seven hours now, and though both are showing clear signs of fatigue, neither is willing to go down first. As always.

"My, my, Commander Saijou," Maya mumbles. "You seem… rather tired. Perhaps you should close your eyes for a moment. I would love nothing more than to glimpse your adorable sleeping face."

Claudine gives her a half-hearted growl in return.

"You must be… the most infuriating woman in all the land. I'm sure of it…"

"Only for you, my dearest Commander…"

Both of them barely have any sense left at this point. Claudine knows she should give up and finally leave the dungeon for the night. Two of her guards have already fallen asleep, and she can hear Kaoruko yawning.

She'll come back refreshed to interrogate Maya in the morning…

But just as they are equal in battle, they are equal in wakefulness. As soon as Maya slumps in her chains fast asleep, Claudine also falls sideways onto her blanket and curls up on the ground.

From the other side of the bars, Kaoruko jingles the keys.

"Finally."

Claudine's consciousness comes back to her before she opens her eyes.

The events of yesterday come rushing back to her, and suddenly the feeling of lying on the hard dungeon floor makes sense. Her guards hadn't removed her…

She instantly senses something is wrong.

Opening her eyes, Claudine sits up sharply and gasps.

The shackles that had held Tendo Maya last night sit open and empty before her.

Claudine finds herself covered by two blankets now.

She whirls around to face her sleeping guards.

"Where is she?! What is the meaning of this?!"

Both Hikari and Junna jolt awake in a panic.

"Eh? What's going on?"

"She's gone?! But how-?"

Claudine jumps to her feet, tossing the blankets off herself as she throws the cell door open. The keys clatter to the ground.

"Where's Kaoruko?" she barks. "And where is my prisoner?!"

"Kaoruko-?" Junna looks around, but can't spot her. "She was in charge of the keys-"

"You don't think…" Hikari trails off.

Claudine feels a burning anger boil in her chest. She's about to storm out of the dungeon and tear the kingdom apart searching for Maya when a small slip of paper catches her eye. It's laying out in the hall, clearly meant to be seen.

Claudine snatches it up and glares at its contents. Everything is written in neat calligraphy. Claudine feels her fury mounting as she reads:

My dearest Claudine,

I had a wonderful time being your prisoner. However, I regret to inform you that even though you bested me in battle, I was two steps ahead.

I sent Kaoruko out to join your army under the farce of being a traitor of the Sun Nation, but in truth it was her duty all along to free me once you inevitably made your capture. You did, in all honesty, defeat me on the battlefield, so please take pride in that. But now that you have captured me once, Kaoruko's act is over, and she has returned to the Sun Nation with me.

I very much look forward to the next time we meet. Perhaps then, it will be me who captures you.

Very truly yours,

Commander Tendo Maya.

P.S. Thank you for doing me the honor of showing me your adorable sleeping face. I will be sure to never forget it.

Claudine wants to scream. She wants to scream so loudly that Tendo Maya hears the echoes of her rage all the way back at the Sun Nation's palace. She crumples the paper into her palm and seethes.

"Why that… infuriating woman- You'll pay for this, do you hear me, Tendo Maya?! And you too, Kaoruko!"

Behind her, Junna and Hikari have more or less figured things out for themselves.

"No wonder Kaoruko told you Commander Tendo's weakness," Hikari says. "She wanted you to defeat her all along so Maya could be brought here, and then Kaoruko could escape back to the Sun Nation with her."

"It all makes sense now," Junna sighs. "Kaoruko was the one who suggested giving Tendo food and a blanket. She was looking out for her real Commander's wellbeing."

"That snake-" Claudine hisses. "She'll pay for this. And that Tendo Maya, too! Once I get my hands on her, I'll-!"

"Easy, Commander," Junna says, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Don't you think your getting worked up is exactly what Tendo wants from all of this?"

"Yes," Hikari agrees. "Let's go have some breakfast, shall we? We can begin planning our next move."

Claudine snarls one last time, digging her nails deeper into the paper in her hand. But she eventually follows her only two remaining loyal knights to the dining hall.

And though she'll never admit it to anyone, Claudine still keeps that blanket Maya had used on her bed, and that note she'd written her under lock and key in the back of her wardrobe.

"And cut!"

Nana's voice echoes across the stage, and the medieval scenery Claudine had painted in her mind all throughout the play rehearsal melts back into Seishou's auditorium.

The group of students who had been watching applaud and commend the actress' for a flawless run-through of their upcoming play.

Claudine glances toward the curtain just as Maya emerges, still dressed in her costume like a knight.

"That was quite the splendid performance, Saijou-san."

"Not bad yourself, Tendo Maya. It helps that your character is just as infuriating as you are, so I really don't have to act all that much."

"It's the same for me," Maya purrs. "Even though it was only a feigned slumber, your sleeping face truly is adorable."

"Oh, shut up!" Claudine flicks her hand at her. "Now hurry up and change out of that costume. I'm starving!"

Maya smoothly catches her hand and kisses it.

"As you command, Ma Claudine~"

"Mechante…"

And the two of them head off together to join their friends, already looking forward to their next performance.

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A/N: The main request was mainly for the scene of Claudine needing to hand-feed Maya and take care of her as a prisoner. All the rest came around that. And I'd wanted to keep this canon-verse like the rest of this fic, so I just had it all be a play in the end~