Two months. It had been two months. Takayoshi had spent countless hours reading everything the library of Helio had to offer, and had found nothing.
Nothing on how to break a curse cast by a god. Nothing on how to sever the magic that had tied him and Cricket together. In fact, he could not even find the book which he had used to cast that spell in the first place. It was as if it had never existed at all, or it had ceased to be twenty years ago.
Two months, wasted.
He shut the book in front of him, resisting the urge to lean forward and press his forehead to the back cover. It would do no one any good to sulk. Least of all Takayoshi. Maybe if he could go back to Father's room, the summoning circle would still be there. Maybe he could learn something from that. It would at least be a start. It would be more than what he had currently. He would take anything at this point. Any hint. Any clue. Any—
"Oh no. What is it?" Claudia asked, drawing Takayoshi's gaze from where it had settled on the embossed leather in thought. She was watching him, her dark eyes narrowed in suspicion, or perhaps concern.
"What is what?"
"Something must be wrong. You just slammed that book closed."
Takayoshi looked down at the book, brows pinching together just a little and then back up at Claudia. "I did not slam it closed."
"Well, as close as you'll ever get to slamming a book closed. So..." Claudia set down her pen, and leaned forward. "What's the matter?"
Takayoshi's head fell forward, and he closed his eyes for a moment.
"Yoshi," Claudia said, tapping her fingers on the book in front of him. "Talk to me."
"I am researching curses."
"Yeah, you said that when we first met."
"Specifically, how to break a curse. Or two... rather."
When he looked up again, Claudia was frowning at him, her dark eyes had definitely narrowed in concern. She leaned back in her chair, shut her own book, and shoved her notes aside to give him her full attention. "Someone cursed you. Twice?"
Takayoshi let out a breath, his shoulders relaxing, not slumping, or slouching because he would never. It would be a relief, he decided, to tell someone else. To have someone help him with this, since his sister seemed either unable or unwilling.
"One of them, I cast myself," he said by way of a beginning, and then the tale unraveled between them in the muted sounds of the library. He did his best not to watch as Claudia's expression grew more and more grave. Her lips tugging down at the corners, fingers twitching to take notes, or reach out perhaps. When he was done it felt like a weight had been lifted. Like laying himself bare before his friend had been exactly what he had needed to gain perspective on all of it.
Claudia let a long breath out through her lips in a whistle, fogging her spectacles as she leaned back in her chair. "That's... that's a lot, Yoshi."
"A lot?"
"Yes, you cursed yourself? And the prince of Lunette, inadvertently. When you were five? And you were cursed by Venus? That's... it's a lot."
Takayoshi nodded, he supposed that it was as she had said, a lot. He had never really thought about it in the terms of someone who was on the outside. Someone who perhaps had never been cursed by a god just for petty vengeance.
"And there was nothing at all here to help you?"
Takayoshi shook his head. He had looked. Everywhere. If there were something to find he would have found it. He had been thorough, and he was desperate. He would have found it.
"Then we'll just go somewhere else to research. I heard about this ancient archive when I was in—"
"We?" Takayoshi felt his eyes widen a fraction as he watched her. Claudia had already begun to leaf through a sheaf of papers in her satchel, ink-stained fingers skidding over the ruffled edges.
"Yes, we. I'm going to help you figure this out. That's what friends are for, right? Besides, this ancient archive I read about when I was in Cytherea... well if I could find it, I'd be a legend."
Claudia laughed, shaking her head, but Takayoshi had largely stopped listening. She had said we. She had said she would help him. He did not have to do this alone. That was... it was... a relief.
"And anyway," Claudia was still talking when he started listening again. Her eyes wild and animated. Her hand flew across the page, scribbling down notes in a neat scrawl. "The texts say the ancient archive has been around since the gods first created the kingdoms. If that's true, it should certainly have something about Venus' curse on the line of Helio."
"And dragons," Takayoshi added, his mind already working over a list of all the things he would need to research once they found this archive. Because it was not a question of if, it was a question of when. They would find it. He would have his answers.
"Dragons?" Claudia looked up from her notes.
"Yes, that is what the prince is turning into. I think it might have to do with something I said when I cast the curse." Takayoshi's eyes drifted down to where his hands were folded neatly in his lap, guilt tightening in his chest. It had been his fault. A dragon. That is what he had asked for. A dragon. That is what the curse had given him.
"Dragons too, then." Claudia nodded. "We'll need to plan a trip to Cytherea. Hopefully before we're snowed in up here."
"We have a fortnight to get down the mountain. I will speak to Uncle and Sister about preparations for our journey. You should gather any information you deem pertinent before we leave." Takayoshi rose from his chair, bowing in farewell to Claudia.
"Uh... sure, I'll do that." Claudia cocked her head, a grin twitching at her lips in wry amusement. "Do I need to worry about getting supplies or anything?"
"No. I will handle all of that. Just pack your things, and gather your research. We will leave in two days." Takayoshi began gathering up the books he had sprawled across their table into a neat stack to put on the return cart.
"All right. I can do that."
He scooped them up and headed toward the main doors. His boots stopped, creaking just a bit as he turned back to look at Claudia again. "And Claudia."
"Yeah?" Her head was still ducked over the paper she had begun to scribble on, likely writing down whatever she would need to take with her.
"Thank you." Then Takayoshi turned, and returned the books to the cart on his way out of the library.
"You've just gotten back," Atsuko said, her expression something complicated and almost pained. Takayoshi struggled to look at it. He had been back a year, but he knew that was nothing to Atsuko who missed him whenever he was gone. It was unfair to her, to leave so soon, when she depended on him to help with things. But he would do as he had to.
"I know. And for that, I apologize, Your Highness." Takayoshi bowed his head to his sister.
"Shishi, please don't."
"And why should we consent to this?" Uncle asked.
Takayoshi looked up to meet his sister's eyes. He did not need to tell her that he was not asking. She understood that he was not looking for either of their approval, he was merely informing them of his decision. Still, her eyes asked him to reconsider. To at least wait until the season had changed and he would not have to travel in the snow.
"There is no proof that this archive even exists," Uncle continued, either not noticing or not caring about the silent conversation happening between the two children he had raised. Likely not caring. Takayoshi could not imagine that he had not noticed. "It's just a legend. You could spend your entire life looking for it, and never finding it."
"Then I will spend my entire life," Takayoshi vowed.
Uncle choked on air, his eyes widening before narrowing again. "You most certainly will not. We will give you a year. And when you return, you will consent to meet the matchmakers. That's my final word on the matter."
Takayoshi blinked, his brows raising just slightly. "With all due respect, Uncle, I was not asking, and I will accept no such conditions."
Uncle sputtered, outrage making his goatee quiver. "Then you are not going!"
"Uncle." Takayoshi took a breath, letting it settle some of the irritation he felt clenching hot and vice-like at his insides. "I do not see where you can stop me. I am going."
"I forbid it!"
"I am an adult, you cannot."
"You will go against your family? Your queen?"
"If I must." Takayoshi's gaze flicked to his sister, but she did not appear as if she would interfere. No, in fact she had leaned back in her throne looking very much amused by this whole interaction. He would have to find a way to get back at her for that later.
"You... You've never gone against me before! You never used to be so obstinate!" Uncle's finger shook where he had it pointed at Takayoshi. His rage washed the color from his face and made it a lighter grey than before.
Takayoshi would have shrugged, if he were the type to do such a thing. Instead, he stared pointedly at the shaking finger, wondering idly if Uncle realized how rude it was to point at people.
"That's something that little miscreant has taught you," Uncle hissed.
Fury lanced through Takayoshi before he could even identify the emotion. Heat licking at his stomach, and making his heart race as his eyes snapped to Uncle's face and narrowed threateningly.
"Honestly, it's no surprise that boy has no respect for his elders, or the rules of a monarchy considering where he came from. An orphan, found in the—"
"Cricket is not a miscreant," Takayoshi said, tone sharp and brittle. He had never talked back to Uncle, not in all his life, not like this. Never contradicted him. But this, this was too much. "Cricket gives respect where it is deserved."
Uncle opened his mouth to say something, perhaps to berate Takayoshi further. "You—"
"We leave in two days. I do not know when we will return, but I will keep Your Highness apprised." Takayoshi bowed deeply to his sister. "I appreciate any help or supplies Your Highness could provide us with."
"You will be taking Lady Durante with you?" Atsuko's eyes twinkled just a little, as if she knew the answer, and approved.
Takayoshi nodded.
"Very well. I'm glad you've made a friend, big brother."
"Two days?! And when will you be back?!" Uncle shouted when he finally got his tongue to work around his ire.
"As I have said, I do not know. But I will keep Her Highness informed of what Lady Durante and I find. I appreciate your understanding, Your Highness." Takayoshi kept his waist bent into a deep bow, to hide the small smile playing at his lips.
Atsuko descended from the dais, her hands reaching to pull him upright again by his shoulders, and give them a firm squeeze.
"You can't just— We won't just— Takayoshi!" Uncle's words, though still loud, and angry, had faded to the back of Takayoshi's awareness. His protests no longer mattered, Atsuko had agreed, and she was queen, she had the final say. Not that if she had forbidden the mission, it would have stopped him, they both knew that.
"Be safe, Shishi." Atsuko pulled Takayoshi into a tight hug, pressing her face into his shoulder. His arms lifted to return it, awkwardly patting at her back as his chin hooked over her head. "And please, consider what I said. Consider what Prince Cricket might want. You deserve to be happy, Shishi, and if he makes you happy then you deserve him."
"I will think about it, Koko." Takayoshi gave his sister's shoulder a small squeeze, before stepping back to put space between them and bowing low at the waist again. "Thank you, Your Highness."
Atsuko bowed in return, just as low, in mutual respect.
With a small twitch of a smile at his lips, Takayoshi rose, and left to arrange everything he and Claudia would need on the road, his steps perhaps a little lighter than they had been before.
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