A Ruler

"You all seemed to be accepting this condition quite easy?" Shigure commented, he had told the generals, who will say it to those under them, about the plan regarding the war, and all of them have accepted it quite easily.

"We have seen her strength, we may have been drunk and didn't use our abilities but she still defeated us in sword fight your majesty," one knight answered.

"She asked us to defend for 15 minutes, it is reasonable for us so giving her a chance is alright, your majesty," another answered.

"But why would she be fighting with us sire?" Gato asked.

"We are planning on creating an alliance, and this will be one of the conditions for us to accept their proposal. If she can end the war with the minimum possible casualties then we will be in an alliance with them, in return they'll impart with us the training they've been doing to improve the strength of their knights," Shigure replied.

"But why do we have to defend only sire?" another asked.

"That shall be answered once this war is over," Shigure replied.

"But why would we be following them? We can wait for her to end the war at the same time fight, your majesty. We barely know them," Gato retorted.

"Are you questioning my decisions sir headknight?" Shigure asked in return.

"No sire, it's just, they suddenly come and say that they wanted to ally with us, and we accept it that easily?"

"So you are questioning my decision. Very well then, we barely know them but I can clearly say that their character are far much better than those who I already know for so long," Shigure replied without any emotions in his voice.

This sentence caused everyone present to be taken a back. This seemed like he was pertaining to someone.

"I wish to understand what you mean, your majesty," Gato replied.

"Just as I said it. No hidden meaning. Then that shall conclude our meeting, go on and inform your subordinates," Shigure replied as he turned his back.

"Yes, your majesty," the generals replied as they glanced at Gato.

They've noticed how distant their king is to their headknight. Gato had been with him since the reign of Shigure's father. But some of them remember how close Gato and Shigure was when he was young. He was like a big brother to Shigure and Haruka.

Gato, on the other hand, could only grit his teeth. He would be stupid if he didn't know that Shigure was referring to him.

'Did he know?' he thought as he walked out of the tent.

*****

"They have accepted your condition," Shigure said. After coming out of the tent he went to where Akihiro is.

"That's great. I was nervous they wouldn't accept her condition," Akihiro replied.

"Akihiro," Shigure looked at Akihiro seriously.

"I have told Haruka and the reply came today," Shigure said causing Akihiro to look at him wide eyed.

"You needed her in this war, I've noticed how you avoided this topic even before we came here. Eureka have already told you that giving Haruka lesser time to think about it would inconvenience her more. At the same time looking at your attitude, you were planning on letting her decide after the war and would let her be until she decides to come, you were planning on returning without her, weren't you?" Shigure commented.

Akihiro could only smile bitterly. Indeed that was his plan. By saying it after the war they will have lesser time facing her, that means they can just wait for her answer even when they have returned to Aurora. Then pick her up once she had decided.

"You should speak with your knight. She said that you no longer have that much time, another matter will be over if she followed your decision. And try to talk with her without thinking about her decision making and not confiding things to her king. That girl is truly perceptive that it scares me," Shigure suggested.

"You've spoken with her?" Akihiro asked baffled.

"I have, the day before we left."

(Flashback)

"You always stand here," Shigure started upon approaching Eureka.

"This place is high enough to overlook the kingdom's city. At the same time you can feel the coldness better in a high open place, your majesty," Eureka replied not looking at him.

"Why do you make decisions on your own?" Shigure asked after a long while of silence.

"I grew up making decisions on my own," was her respectful answer.

"But you have your higher ups right now."

"I have. But if I think that the decision my king is doing will only bring disaster, then I will make a decision on my own. Even though I am charged with insubordination I wouldn't mind, if my decision will stop more death then I can lay my life in front of the king and let him kill me with his own sword. If the decision is delayed until we left Archic kingdom then he would lose more important people to him," Eureka replied.

"More important people?"

"Yes, your majesty. He'll lose more if he tries to delay. So this knight will beg his majesty, would you please tell her about the condition of her joining us if we win this war without waiting for my king's decision? I will take all blame once he gets mad, I will take whatever punishment he shall give."

"You really are confident, aren't you?" he asked after hearing her out.

"Cause my capabilities allow me to do so, your majesty."

(End of Flashback)

"Dai call for Eureka, tell her I need to speak with her," Akihiro said seriously after Shigure left.

Not long after.

"Shigure told me to talk with you," Akihiro started after she greeted him.

"Could it be about my asking of him to speak with her in advance , your majesty?" she asked despite knowing the answer.

"Indeed that is what this is about."

"Is it possible for me to answer without sir Dai being here?"

Akihiro furrowed his brows before signaling Dai to leave.

"You'll lose them both, your majesty. If she won't come with us right after the war," she went ahead without waiting for him to ask first.

"Lose them both? What are you talking about."

"You have them, your majesty. What everyone thought, you didn't have," she replied.

"Can we stop with the quizzes and just tell me, what is it that I'll lose."

"If we don't do something about her ability being sealed in the shortest time possible, you'll lose those who are in slumber ever since they were born," she sighed and said.

"You-"

"Yes, I know your majesty, I know. That is why you can't keep on delaying the matter at hand. That is why I had asked king Shigure to tell her already."

Feeling that Akihiro is still shock she had decided to bow down and leave.

'She won't allow any more death, she won't allow anymore destruction,' another thought from within, still listening.

*****

"What happened to your talk?" Yukimura asked upon seeing Eureka who is with Azusa and Raven.

"What talk father?" Raven asked not understanding what his father is asking.

"I'm talking about what did this knight said to his majesty, after your talk I couldn't speak with him no matter what I say or do," Shigure looked down at Eureka with an obvious frown.

"The king needs to accept the reality of everything. He thinks that by waiting everything will be fine. By finding the right time no one will get hurt. I just made him realize the graveness of his uncertainty, sir."

"What did you tell him?"

"Something that only he and I would know."

"Why would you know about it?"

"Are you really asking me that sir? What other reason would I know something that others don't?"

Yukimura opened his mouth but remembering that Azusa is with them, and seeing that Eureka shows that she has no plan on telling her, that the reason is because she came from the future, he decided not to speak but only glanced at his son.

After that talk that night he had asked him if he has an idea of where Eureka came from, Raven answered with, "Even if I have, I wouldn't voice it out not until she says so herself, until she decides to finally be open about it."

"You truly are heartless right now, aren't you? You must have dropped it like a bomb to him," Yukimura said afterwards.

"If you slowly tell things it'll just delay it even more. Making him realize what he's doing right now instantly is better," Eureka replied.

"Maybe for others, but I don't think everyone could handle it."

"If you are a ruler you have to accept even the harshest thing, you have to harden your heart and have the resolve to do anything no matter how many tears could be shed. Being soft will not help you at all. If you have to kill even those who are closest to you, do it. If what they'll bring will only be disaster then kill them, if you want to be a ruler then-"

*SLAP*

This loud sound shocked Raven and Yukimura. Eureka on the other hand just turned towards the one who slapped her.

"Stop it. You can't do everything with harshness."

Azusa with tears in her eyes had slapped Eureka.

"A ruler should only think about the kingdom," she replied not minding her reddened cheek.

"YUKIMURA AND EVERYONE, come quick Akihiro had lost control of his abiility," suddenly Shigure shouted at them.