Prologue

Prologue

Maho's POV

"Maho!"

It's hot. It hurts, and it is hard to breathe.

"Maho! We have to keep moving!"

It's all my fault. I didn't mean to do. I didn't mean to!

"Maho! This way! I can see a way out!"

It's hard to breathe. The smoke is so thick and hot it burns the back of my throat and makes it hard to see. Still, I see it. An open door leading outside is only a few feet away.

"Maho! Lookout!"

Before I can even look up, I hear it. A wooden beam stapping above my head and come crashing down. I can't move. I can't even scream. All I can do is stare at the burning rubble falling down towards me. "Maho!"

<0>

"Nooo!"

I wake up gasping for breathing, my body tangled up in my blanket. It was just a dream. I hug my knees to my chest. No, it wasn't just a dream. It was a memory. A horrible memory filled with regret. One that I will never forget and forgive myself for. I didn't mean to do it. It was an accident. My heart is racing in my chest, and my headaches with the memory. We could have died. Someone else could have been hurt because of me. If we weren't home alone, someone else might have died. My body is covered in sweat, and my throat is just as dry as it was on that terrifying day. I swear I didn't mean to do it.

"Lady Maho," I jump when I hear the soft knocking on my door. "Are you okay? I could hear you shouting from down the hall."

"I'm fine," I tell, hugging my knees tighter.

"Did you have that dream again?"

Kikuyo Idegami, our family's housekeeper, is one of the few people I told about my nightmares. My mother does her best to comfort me, but she has never been good with emotional support. Kikuyo, on the other hand, is a natural. She probably knows my nightmares just as well as I do with how much I have confined in her over the years.

"Yes," I nod.

"It wasn't your fault Maho," Kikuyo gentle tells me. She has probably spoken those words to me thousands of times over the years, but it doesn't make any difference. "No one blames or hates you for what happened. I know it isn't easy, but you need to forgive yourself."

"I can't," I sob. "Not after what I had taken from him."

"Maho…" I hear my door creak open, and soon Kikuyo's arms wrap around me. "You didn't take anything from him. He even told you himself that he doesn't hate you for what had happened." We stay like this for a while until my tears finally stop falling. "Maho, you are going to be okay. Now you still have time before your mother wants to see you in her office. How about I run you a bath a prepare your favourite for breakfast."

"That sounds nice," I weakly smile as Kikuyo releases me.

<0>

Two hours later, I find myself standing nervously in front of my mother's office door. The last time she acted so formally and requested I meet her at a specific time in her office was when she punished Miho for her actions during the final match against Pravda. I take a moment to make sure my clothes are in order. Typically, this isn't a problem, but mother can get picky when she is being formal. Still, her formal mode is better than her motherly love mode. I take a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"Mother, it's me, Maho," I take the tone of voice I use when commanding my school's team and await her response.

"Come in,"

Her voice is as cold as usual, but I quickly open the door. She looks like a picture-perfect principal sitting behind her desk wearing her suit. She watches me approach, but she isn't alone. Kikuyo gives me a gentle smile as she pours my mother her tea, and Mr Nagao barely acknowledges me at all. It is not strange to see him here. He often visits my mother since our school buys are tanks, spare parts and ammunition from his family's company. If it was only him, then I would have thought this is just another business deal to buy more tanks or Mr Nagao wanting me to star in another advert. But the presence of one person makes me doubt it is something so simple.

He hadn't changed since I last saw him when we were ten. His hair may be shorter, but it is still the messy black hair I remember. His green eyes are just as warm, and he still towers over me. If I am not mistaken, he looks stronger than before. He no longer looks like the weak little boy I had to protect from bullies. But he is still wearing those gloves because… because of me….

"Maho," I turn my attention to my mother when she starts to speak. "As you are aware, our family and the Nagao's have been close for many generations. I have been talking to Mr Nagao, and we have agreed it is time to join our families through marriage. I have arranged for you to marry Mr Nagao's eldest son to achieve this."

Marriage… I look to the person I have been engaged to and see he is just as surprised to hear this as me. Did his father not tell him about this? I am glad I am good at masking what I feel, as everyone is now staring at me.

"Another thing," I look back to mother. "As you are also aware, our school is becoming coed. Mr Nagao's son will be attending the school for his senior year and staying with us. I know you two were close growing up but haven't spoken to each other in years. This will give you a chance to get to know each other again."

<0>

Kaoru's POV

"Father, why didn't you tell me about this?"

He has never been this secretive before. Ever since my mother died, we have always been open and honest with each other. He looks at me with a weak smile on his lips, and I think I see hints of regret in his eyes.

"I am sorry, my son," He hugs me. "I know you would have overthought this and asked to break off the engagement. I should have told you the truth as to why you were transferring to this school and where you would be staying. I hope you can forgive me, but I did it with your best interest in mind. You two need to talk about what has happened. You used to be joined at the hip, and it pains me to see that you two no longer talk. I pray that you can go back to the way things were between you two."

Father is right. We used to do everything together. We played, painted, read and trained in tankery together. We even taught Maho's younger sister the basics of Sensha-dō together. There was barely a day that went by when we weren't together.

"No one is forcing this marriage on you two," My father tells me. "If you two wish to break it off, then we will but please try. Even if it doesn't result in marriage and you two only become friends, please try to get along for me."

"Okay, father," I sigh and nod my head. "I'll try."