One Week Ago…
The moment she waved, Gabriel's soul left his body—
The throne room looked expensive enough to start another war, with polished floors, gold trim, and chandeliers big enough to crush a wagon... Courtiers stood in neat lines on both sides, pretending not to stare at us while absolutely staring at us. The king stayed calm on the throne, but the princess stepped forward like she had been waiting all day for something fun to happen.
"Hi, everyone!"
Her voice bounced through the room, bright and casual, like this was a garden party and not a formal diplomatic meeting... A few nobles flinched, one older minister looked at the ceiling like he wanted divine intervention.
"Bow!"
Gabriel hissed the word through clenched teeth without moving his smile, and I dropped my head so fast my neck cracked -- Togashi bowed at the same time, smooth and perfect, because of course he did. I followed half a beat late, because my brain was still trying to process the princess looking directly at me.
"Welcome to the North Kingdom—"
The king sounded warm, measured, and completely in control, which was comforting for exactly two seconds... Then I felt Gabriel's shoe press hard onto mine, and I remembered he thought I could start a diplomatic incident by breathing wrong.
"Thank you for receiving us—"
Gabriel's official voice came out polished and noble, like he had been born in a palace and not in a muddy town where he used to punch grain sacks for fun... He stepped half a foot in front of me while speaking, which was subtle if you had never met him and hilarious if you had.
"We are honored to be here—"
Togashi added that line in his flat, clean tone, and three courtiers looked shocked he could talk -- that was fair. He usually saved words for emergencies and sword warnings.
"Takashi—"
The princess said my name like she was testing how it felt.
I froze.
Gabriel froze harder.
I had not introduced myself yet, which meant she either read the envoy list before we arrived, or she was just built different... Her white hair caught the chandelier light and almost glowed, and her pointed ears twitched a little when she smiled.
"Do not answer—"
Gabriel's whisper barely moved the air, but I heard every panicked syllable -- he was still smiling at the king while dying inside. If stress could kill, I would have needed to heal him right there.
"Your Majesty, Prince Foxu sends his respect and gratitude—"
Gabriel raised the royal letter with both hands and did not look at me once -- he was doing that thing where he talks more when nervous, which always sounds professional until you know him. Then it sounds like verbal barricading.
"He also sends sweets from the southern capital—"
I almost looked up from that, because Prince Foxu had definitely not sent sweets -- Gabriel added that on the spot because he needed a new topic and grabbed the first harmless thing his brain found.
The chamberlain standing near the throne glanced at the gift chest beside us, then glanced at Gabriel, then decided not to challenge reality today -- smart man.
"Sweets are good—"
The princess nodded like this was the most important thing said so far... She took another step forward, and Gabriel shifted another step forward too -- it looked less like diplomacy and more like a slow dance where one person was terrified.
"Diana—"
The king said her name gently, but there was a warning in it.
She stopped moving, but only physically... Her eyes stayed on me with the kind of attention that makes a person suddenly aware of their posture, their hair, and every dumb thing they have ever said in public. I focused on a crack in the marble floor and prayed it would open.
"Please forgive my daughter. She enjoys making formal rooms less formal—"
The king smiled again, and the whole court relaxed by one inch.
That one line explained a lot -- it also made me more nervous, because girls who enjoy chaos and girls who like me are two circles with dangerous overlap.
"No apology needed—"
Gabriel answered too fast.
The king's smile sharpened just a little, like he noticed Gabriel was running defense and found it interesting... Togashi saw it too. He shifted his weight and put himself at my right shoulder, turning our trio into a weird wall.
"We are grateful for your hospitality—"
I said that because I had to say something eventually, and because not speaking at all would look suspicious.
Gabriel stepped on my foot again.
Not by accident.
I kept smiling because pain is temporary, and embarrassment is forever.
"Your healer speaks—"
The princess looked delighted, like she had won a game no one else knew we were playing.
A court lady near the columns actually covered her mouth to hide a laugh -- great, we were already entertainment.
"Our healer speaks only when necessary—"
Gabriel's smile got brighter in the way dangerous animals get bright eyes.
That answer was technically polite and spiritually hostile -- I stared at the floor harder. Togashi moved half a step again, and now I could only see the princess if I leaned left around his shoulder like an idiot.
"He looks healthy for a healer—"
She said it like a compliment and a challenge at the same time.
I did not know how to respond to that, mostly because I still was not sure what a healer was supposed to look like in her head... Weak and dusty, maybe, soft hands and bad posture -- I had all of those except the weak part.
"Thank you—"
The word slipped out before Gabriel could intercept it.
His shoulder jerked.
Somewhere behind us, a nobleman made a sound like he was trying not to choke on his own amusement... I could feel Gabriel's rage radiating off him in quiet, organized waves.
"Takashi—"
This time the princess said my name slower.
I looked up for half a second on pure reflex, and that was enough to meet her eyes -- bright silver, sharp, curious, the kind of eyes that looked playful right before a person did something reckless.
Gabriel coughed loud enough to shake the windows.
It was fake.
It was also impressive.
Half the room looked at him... A guard near the throne tightened his grip on his spear. Gabriel bowed his head and turned the cough into a perfect apology so clean I almost respected it.
"Forgive me. The road dust—"
The king looked at him for a long beat and then nodded.
He absolutely knew that was fake -- he just chose not to call it out. I was starting to think he might actually be enjoying this.
"You have come a long way for peace—"
The king leaned back, and the whole room shifted back into official business.
Gabriel visibly relaxed... Not fully, just enough to breathe. He began the formal report we had rehearsed, outlining our route, the state of the border roads, and the prince's intentions regarding the treaty.
"The South remains committed to the marriage accord—"
Gabriel's tone stayed steady now, and he was good at this when he could focus... He knew which details to emphasize and which to skip. He sounded sincere, which mattered more than sounding clever in rooms like this.
"The council fears sabotage from hardliners on both sides—"
Togashi added that piece without embellishment.
Several ministers exchanged looks at the word sabotage... The chamberlain wrote something on a small tablet. The air in the room tightened, and for one blessed minute no one looked at me.
"We have similar concerns—"
The king's voice dropped lower, and the humor drained out of the moment.
This was the real reason we were here -- not pageantry, not speeches. Someone on one side or both wanted the treaty dead, and a dead treaty meant dead soldiers soon after.
"We appreciate your honesty—"
Gabriel inclined his head the exact amount of polite.
I could see him settling into the meeting now, finally getting traction... His shoulders lowered, his breathing evened out, he probably thought the worst part was over.
Then a servant approached with tea.
The tray trembled.
I noticed it because healers notice hands first -- the servant was young, maybe new, and terrified of spilling in front of the throne. The cups rattled softly against the silver tray with every step.
Gabriel noticed me noticing.
His eyes widened.
"Do not—"
He mouthed the word without sound.
I had not moved.
I had not even inhaled.
This is my life -- I can get blamed for thoughts now.
The servant reached the princess first and bowed to offer the cup... Diana turned too quickly to look at us again, and the edge of her sleeve clipped the handle. The cup tilted, tea splashed over the tray and onto her hand.
It was not a serious spill.
It was barely a spill.
It was still enough for every muscle in Gabriel's body to lock.
"I am fine—"
The princess looked at the wet sleeve and laughed lightly.
No blood, no broken skin, no emergency -- just hot tea and a startled servant one second from fainting. I stayed exactly where I was and did nothing, mostly because Gabriel looked ready to tackle me if I blinked.
"Careful—"
The king's voice stayed calm, but the servant went pale and dropped to one knee in apology.
I felt bad for the kid... Togashi felt bad too, which I could tell because he looked at the servant for a whole second longer than usual.
"No harm done—"
The princess took the fresh cloth a maid offered and dabbed her hand.
She kept smiling while she did it -- that should have lowered the tension. It did not... Gabriel still looked like a man standing on a trap door.
"Continue—"
The king gave the order, and the meeting moved on.
We discussed escort routes, ceremony dates, and which nobles from each side would oversee the exchange... It was dry, detailed, and exactly the kind of talk that makes people think diplomacy is boring until they realize one wrong word can start a battle.
"Will your party remain in the capital for observation?"
The king asked the question directly to Gabriel.
Good choice -- if he had asked me, Gabriel might have thrown himself through a window.
"We will remain as long as needed—"
Gabriel answered with perfect composure.
That line was true, but his eyes flicked to me after he said it, and I knew what he meant -- we will remain as long as needed and no longer than the exact second before Takashi causes a problem.
"Good—"
The princess folded the cloth and handed it back to the maid without looking away from me.
I looked at a pillar... A really nice pillar, carved ivy pattern, great craftsmanship, solid work -- I would have complimented it if Gabriel had not banned compliments.
"I want to show them the east gardens later—"
She said it casually, but every noble in the room heard it.
Gabriel's soul left his body again, this time with luggage... Togashi stared straight ahead like a veteran soldier hearing incoming artillery and accepting his fate.
"The envoy schedule is full—"
Gabriel replied before the chamberlain could breathe.
That was not true -- the schedule existed mostly in his fear now. I almost admired how fast he lied under pressure.
"I can make room—"
The princess tilted her head, and I could hear the smile in her voice.
She was not being mean -- that was the problem. She looked genuinely interested, maybe curious, maybe playful, maybe both... Gabriel heard only danger, because Gabriel is a wise man with trauma.
"The prince requested a full written report tonight—"
Gabriel invented a second schedule item and doubled down.
I almost turned to look at him from sheer respect for the commitment... Prince Foxu had requested no such thing. The prince had actually told us to rest and avoid embarrassing him, which we had already failed before dinner.
"We write fast—"
That came out of my mouth before I could stop it.
The room went silent for one beat.
Gabriel slowly turned his head toward me, and I felt my ancestors judging me... I had not flirted, I had not even tried to help, I just responded to the fake schedule because the lie was so obvious my brain wanted to fix it.
Togashi moved one inch and blocked my line of sight to the throne entirely.
This was not a coincidence.
This was a formation.
"Diplomatic writing takes care—"
Gabriel smiled so hard I thought his face might crack.
I nodded because there was nothing else to do when your captain is one second from murder.
The king watched all of this with the calm expression of someone observing a complicated board game... His fingers tapped once on the armrest, and then he raised his hand to close the discussion.
"We have heard enough for today—"
The chamberlain stepped forward immediately, smooth as clockwork, and the court shifted back into ceremony mode... Servants moved, ministers straightened, guards reset their stance, the meeting was ending, and I could feel Gabriel's relief like warm wind.
"We will review the details and send our response by morning—"
The king's final words carried across the room with practiced ease.
This was the formal close -- we had done it. We had survived the first royal meeting without a scandal, a kidnapping, or a marriage proposal... That counted as a miracle in my current life.
"Thank you for your time, Your Majesty—"
Gabriel bowed deep and held it.
Togashi bowed beside him... I followed exactly on pace this time, because I value my toes and my continued existence.
"Welcome to the capital, Takashi—"
The princess dropped that line into the silence right as we straightened.
It was not loud... It did not need to be. It landed right between my ribs and in the center of Gabriel's nightmare... I looked up on reflex again, because apparently I do not learn.
"Thank you, Princess—"
The words came out polite, short, and totally normal.
Gabriel still looked like he wanted to file for emotional damages... Togashi stared at the far wall, but I caught the tiny twitch at the corner of his mouth, and that was basically him laughing.
"We will see each other again—"
She smiled when she said it.
The court reacted in tiny ways all at once -- a minister blinked, a maid looked down too fast, a guard shifted his stance. The king did not move at all, which somehow made it funnier.
"Envoys, this way—"
The chamberlain saved us by stepping in before Gabriel answered something illegal.
We backed away in proper form, turned at the correct line, and followed him toward the doors... Gabriel walked stiff as a board. Togashi looked calm enough to nap. I tried to act like my heart was not punching my ribs for no reason.
The giant doors closed behind us with a deep, final thud.
Gabriel kept walking for five more steps, then stopped in the corridor and grabbed both of my shoulders... His face looked pale, offended, and deeply tired all at once. He opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again like he had too many things to say and none of them belonged in a palace hallway.
"We survived—"
I said it because the silence was getting weird.
His eyes narrowed.
That was the wrong thing to say.
"We barely survived a greeting—"
He spoke in a whisper that somehow felt louder than shouting.
Togashi leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, finally letting that tiny almost-smile show for real... It lasted one second and vanished, but I saw it. I was going to hold onto that for weeks.
"Anti-flirting formation worked—"
Gabriel pointed at him like he had just found the only sane person left in the world.
"Yes. Exactly. We are doing that all week—"
I looked from one to the other, then back toward the throne room doors, where I could still hear distant court voices through the stone... The meeting was over, the mission was still alive, Gabriel looked ten years older, and the princess had learned my name…
This quest was already a bad idea…