CHAPTER 31: THE RETURN OF SHION

Another month had passed since Maldie had sent the letter.

Finally, Shion, nervous and restless, burst into the royal chamber. Maldie and Gari looked up at him with hope in their eyes. Maldie was holding Ayame by the arms; the girl was struggling hard but at the same time she was barely able to stand.

"...Sister," Shion said, giving her a look of worry from beneath his purple veil.

"Sixteen eyes... sixteen eyes... staring... from the sides, from within, from above, from, where I don’t want to be, they’re staring, staring... sixteen eyes..."

"She’s been rambling like that ever since I sent you the letter," Maldie sighed.

Shion took his sister’s trembling hand.

"Don’t worry. I know you’re trying to say something through all this. We’ll heal you, I promise."

He let go of her hand, then turned toward the bed where Haru lay, exchanging a glance with the doctor examining him.

"What’s wrong with him?" Shion asked, his voice trembling with fear.

Maldie’s expression softened, it was the first time she’d ever seen the prince so terrified.

The doctor, without replying, put on his gloves.

"You’ve arrived just in time, Your Majesty," he said calmly. "Your queen is going to give birth."

"W-what? That’s far too early! My children, and Haru... are they...?" Shion’s voice broke.

"Allow me to explain," the doctor said, gesturing slightly toward Maldie. "According to what your servants reported, one of the two fetuses in your queen’s womb is something far greater than a normal human. My theory is that this being has been draining immense amounts of vital energy, which caused your queen to fall into a coma. However, for some reason, it didn’t wish to harm your true heir, so its power quickened the development of both children. The safest method now would be a surgical delivery."

He spread out his tools on the nearby dresser and began sterilizing the scalpels.

Shion stood frozen, unable to believe what he was hearing. He gently took Haru’s hand, so thin and fragile after weeks of unconsciousness, even more than before.

"Please... hang on," he whispered, his voice shaking. "C-come back to me..."

A single tear fell onto Haru’s hand, and Shion thought he saw Haru move, like that single tear could wake him. He forced his emotions down, then turned to Maldie.

"Tell me everything that happened while I was gone."

Maldie sighed heavily. She knew explaining everything wouldn’t be easy. As she began to speak, Shion listened, but half of his mind was elsewhere, his eyes fixed on the bed and the doctor behind the drawn canopy.

Moments later, the cry of their first child pierced the air. Overwhelmed, Shion rushed forward, pulling the canopy aside. A second cry followed right after.

"Congratulations," the doctor said with a faint smile. "A boy and a girl."

He handed both newborns to Shion, carefully cleaned and wrapped.

At that moment, Ayame broke free from Maldie’s grasp and stumbled toward her brother, still muttering her eerie mantra. She reached her hands out to Shion.

Shion looked at her with sympathy, but chose to trust her despite her condition. He handed her the boy.

Behind him, the doctor was already stitching Haru’s wound.

"He’s lost a lot of blood," Shion said worriedly.

"Don’t worry, Your Majesty. As you saw, I used both vital and healing magic. I’ve placed enchantments on your queen to sustain her life, even through such a risky procedure," the doctor said, wiping away the blood.

Haru, pale and thinner than ever, slowly opened his honey-colored eyes.

"Huh... w-what’s happening..." he murmured weakly, dazed. He glanced around, spotting the doctor, Shion, and the silent Ayame. "Shion... did I die?"

"No, Haru," Shion said, his voice shaking with emotion. "You were in a coma... and then you started giving birth. Look – our children. A boy and a girl."

Haru couldn’t hold back his tears of joy.

"H-he’s... b-beautiful..." Ayame whispered – the first and last coherent words she’d spoken in weeks. She handed Haru his child carefully.

Haru felt the tiny, warm body in his arms, the fragile life moving gently against his chest.

"Hello there, little Shion," he said with a soft smile, kissing the baby’s forehead. "I’m so glad you were born safe and sound. You and your sister... Yuri."

The moment Haru said the name "Yuri," a shiver ran down Ayame’s spine.

"Yu-Yu-Yuri... Yu-Yuri... b-b-burns..." she stammered, her babbling growing louder, more frantic.

Shion looked at her, uncertain. Ayame, trembling, reached toward the baby girl, her fingers dangerously close to Yuri’s eyes. Shion quickly pulled the child away.

"Sister!" he shouted, a mix of shock and anger in his voice. "What’s gotten into you?! Take her out of here, now!"

"Yuri burns, Yuri burns, Yuri burns, Yuri burns, I have to... put out the fire...!" Ayame screamed between panicked, whispered fragments.

Gari and Maldie leapt at Shion’s command. Gari grabbed Ayame tightly by the waist.

"Sorry, but you’re coming with us."

Ayame shrieked, thrashing wildly, words spilling out of her mouth with no sense or meaning.

"Shion... your sister’s starting to scare me," Haru said quietly, fear creeping into his voice.

Ayame’s hands began glowing with golden light. Gari had no choice – she struck Ayame on the head, carefully but firmly enough to knock her out without causing real harm.

"I’ll go with you," Maldie said.

"There’s no need," Shion replied calmly. "Stay here, Maldie. Gari, call one of the maids to her chamber and have her guarded. I’ll visit later."

"U-understood..."

Gari left the room. Shion let out a shaky breath. So many emotions raged inside him, he could barely keep control.

He turned toward Haru – the light of his life, his peace – and smiled faintly, seeing him holding their son with such love.

"I’ll send the invoice to your office," said the doctor, who had finished packing his things and had clearly been waiting for a good moment to leave.

"I’ll reward you generously for everything you’ve done for us."

"Your generosity is appreciated, Your Majesty, but truly, it’s not necessary. Just make sure to pay on time."

The doctor bowed and left.

Only the three of them remained.

Haru finally let his emotions pour out, tears of pure happiness streaming down his face.

"I never thought I’d experience something so beautiful," he said softly. "Never in my life did I imagine I’d become someone’s mother and wife... and so soon at that..."

"I’m glad, Haru," Shion said, smiling gently and taking his hand. "I feel the same, but I can’t really show it. I just can’t."

"It doesn’t matter," Haru said through tears. "What matters is that we both feel it."

"You’re right," Shion replied, his voice thick with emotion, gently holding Haru’s hand tighter.

After a moment, he turned toward Maldie.

"Maldie, please," he said, handing her Yuri.

"I-I don’t know if I deserve this, Your Majesty," she stammered.

"Maldie, when my parents died, you raised me like your own child. I’ve waited for the right time to thank you. From this day on, I release you from your duties as a maid. I want you to help Haru raise our children, especially at times when I will be away from the palace. We will tell them that you are their grandmother."

"G-grandmother? But that was just my job!" she said, stunned.

"You put more heart into it than duty ever required. I saw it in your eyes, how you cared for me and for Ayame. Let me show you now what I couldn’t express before, through words or emotion. Welcome your grandchildren, Maldie."

"...H-hi, Yuri," she said softly, her voice trembling. "A-and hello, little Shion..."

That day, even the usually tough Maldie shed tears of joy.

*

A few hours later, Haru sent Gari out to buy a double cradle as quickly as possible. The half-dragon burst in, the new piece of furniture tucked under her arm, grinning from ear to ear.

"Found the prettiest one I could!" she said proudly, setting down a wooden, hand-carved cradle covered in leaf and flower patterns.

"Put it by the bed, on Haru’s side," Shion instructed. "We both agreed that’s best."

"Got it, boss!" Gari said, moving it into place.

Shion laid sleeping Yuri down gently, while Haru placed sleeping little Shion beside her.

"Wow, you carried that all the way from the city center?" Maldie asked, dusting the shelves nearby. "You’ve got some serious muscle."

"Thanks, heh," Gari said with pride.

"I’ll go see Ayame," Shion said. "I need to know what’s happening to her. Watch over them."

"Of course," Maldie replied.

"Wait, darling," Haru said softly. "Aren’t you forgetting something? We haven’t seen each other in so long..."

Shion smiled lightly, then walked over to him. He kissed Haru gently and whispered,

"I love you, Haru."

"I love you too, Shion," Haru replied, returning the kiss.

After a moment, Shion headed toward Ayame’s chamber. He wanted to speak with her, to finally understand the meaning behind her strange words.

...but when he entered her room, he found it empty.

The window was wide open.

Shion rushed to it, panic rising in his chest. A rope hung from the windowsill.

Was she kidnapped?

No signs of a struggle... could she have escaped on her own? She had enough strength to do that all along?

We have to find her quickly.

Then, on the floor beneath the window, Shion noticed a letter.

He picked it up and began to read it.