On the day they met, he was a wounded soldier.

He was known as the dark knight that served the second branch of the royal family in the north. No one knew where he had come from except that he was taken in and became the aide of the White Owl Princess.

People called him a dog, loyal and obedient to his master's every wish. A Mad Dog- fierce in battle, ruthless and unmerciful. His reputation made troubadours sing him songs of glory and evil- to which he does not fail nor deny. He pays no heed to them. Knowing that they are all true, for he knows there is no other life for him than to be the loyal dog of the White Owl until his death.

They were at war with the other three kingdoms. His rivals, deemed as the Silver Bear of the South and the Red Lion of the East. He does not involve himself in politics, that's the duty of the royal family. Besides, all they will ask of him in the end is to decrease the forces of the enemy. Kill them, break their defenses, exploit their weaknesses, become a monster who bends to their will.

Then the inevitable happened.

He panted as heavily as he can, desperate to fill air in his lungs. Doing his best to ignore the stinging pain on his left arm.

'Damn you Red Lion' he curses him and then curses himself. Was he not as powerful as he thought he was? Did the lion just got lucky and foresaw an opening in his defenses? He hates it, hates the feeling of being bested. In reality, the fight between the Bear, Lion, and Dog, was a tie but that never counts as a victory nor a stalemate- there is no such term in their mindsets; no, their proud minds tell them they have failed.

And what of the Lady White Owl? He must go and return to her this instant. He'll be sure to face punishment later for not giving them an immediate victory. His pledge to the princess comes first. However, his body says otherwise as he lay in that ungraceful heap on the cold soil. He lost too much blood and his bones were dead tired from his fight. He does not even know where he is, except from the evident trees that loomed over him, he was in a forest.

A forest? A forest in the East, most likely. That is where the three had fought after all, near the East. Again he curses, to think that he would flee. Him! The Mad Dog, fleeing with his tail between his legs. Now he lies at death's mercy in the enemy's territory.

'How degrading' he consents to his weakness as he could barely raise a finger and his eyes start to cloud, feeling heavy. 'Is this how I will fall?'

Suddenly, he hears the bristle of a bush, followed by a gasp. With his good eye, he sees a woman, her golden eyes and mouth wide and startled. Her blue hair tied into braids, the crown of her head hidden under a red hood.

Pure and innocent were his first impression and his last thoughts before finally succumbing into what he deduces as his eternal sleep.

Then his eyes flutter open to the feeling of something wet on his forehead. He still feels weak and his mind, still hazy. But his eyes were clear enough to notice the wooden roof over him.

"You're alive" he hears a soft voice beside him but he could not move his head. "I'm glad" he feels another dab of wet cloth on his face, the soft caress and cold water making him fall into slumber again.

He wakes up again and this time, he has enough strength to move his head. Looking around to see all wood and a boiling kettle hang over burning lumber in the middle of the room.

Ryo hears the soft patter of feet before a woman appeared through a curtain of stringed seashells. He then recognizes her amber eyes and before he knew it, she was before him with a small bowl.

She places her palm on his forehead "You still have a fever but it's not as worse as yesterday" she says and makes her way behind him "Here, you need to drink this to get better. Let me help you" she cradles his head up and the raven-haired, reflexively using all the strength he could muster into using his elbows to sit up.

She scoots the bowl to his lips and drinks up the warm liquid, tasting like water since his senses are still dull. Once he finishes the last drop, his head falls unceremoniously on her chest, making her squeak but otherwise, gently laid his head back down.

He pants, trying to regain his strength while hearing the faint sound of birds chirping and what sounded like chopping on wood.

When he gathered enough strength, he moves his head to the side, watching her chop vegetables while she hummed.

"Where am I?" he managed to say and the she turns towards him.

"I found you wounded in the forest. You are in my home"

"You…" he speaks slowly "Do you not know who I am?"

She stills, ceasing her cooking before turning to him, showing him in nothing more than a commoner's garb and apron, her hair tied into two braids laced with black ribbons.

"Do I have to?" she asks.

Ryo doesn't answer for a moment, letting his mind clear of the fog of his now-slight fever. Then he snaps, panic surged him internally when he realized that he's no longer clad in his armor but what most bothered him is his bandana.

Seeing him look from side to side, Megumi guessed on what might be going on in his mind before kneeling beside where he lay.

"Forgive me, but in order for me to heal your wounds, I had to remove your armor. I hid it in the storage underneath the house and while you were asleep, I-I took the liberty of cleaning and shining it, it was not that badly damaged- I-I hope you don't mind" she flushes and he blinks, when it doesn't look like he was going to respond, she puts her hand inside the pocket underneath her chest and produces a black kerchief, embroidered with the colors of blazing fire.

Somewhat alarmed, he sits up then takes it from her a bit hastily before opening and surveying it.

"It was tied around your head and c-covered in blood. I-it was also tattered a bit so I c-cleaned it and patched it up"

Hearing her words made him frown and look at her as if she's gone mad.

"You…" he drawled "cleaned and… sewed it back?"

She nods and he still looks confused.

Why? Because this piece of kerchief is imbued with powerful magic. It was an artifact that he had always kept in his person for as long as he can remember even before he was adopted by the royal family. The cloth held a magical power that gives him a different persona, one completely opposite and different from the lazy façade he publicly gives. Once he ties it around his head, raging fire of power overwhelms him, making his senses sharper, stronger, and more dangerous, making him a formidable foe in the battlefield. However, this magical item is somehow linked to only him, rendering it useless in the hands of another. In fact, it even reacts violently when touched by anyone other than him. Case in point why the Owl Princess never tried to repeat her actions to satisfy her curiosity when she reached out to the piece of cloth once. He was almost sentenced to be hanged due to that incident.

He checks his precious item carefully and noticed the small, clean patchwork in the material. Also noting the fresh scent of mint. So what the girl says is true? If so, then why didn't it reject her when she held it out to him? How was she even able to remove it from him?

Is it because the magic wore out during his fight? Did it degrade itself to be nothing more than any ordinary piece of cloth? It couldn't be though because when he yanked it from her lithe hands, his palm felt the strong sensation of power it possesses. The fire that gives him strength continues to run through the threads despite its cuts. And if he's honest, the magic even feels stronger now than before.

He wanted to test it to be sure but it's as if he was hit on the head by the back of a sword, making him clutch his head in pain.

Alarmed by the sudden headache, the girl quickly scrambles off before returning with a small bag. She instructs him to lie down and he could only obey. The golden-eyed placed the bag over his head and Ryo sighs, as he immediately felt relaxed as something cool spread all over his head, making the pain disappear in an instant.

"You should still rest more. You still need some time to recover after all" she adjusts the blanket over him "Your fever might be gone in a day or two but your wounds are still deep"

At this point, Ryo feels too relaxed to listen and the effects on his head made him sleepy again. But before he does fall into slumber, he turns his eyes to her.

"I will sleep" he concedes "But can you tie this around my wrist?" he shows her his bandana and she nods. Tying it around his right without question.

"It must be something special to you" she comments, watching his breathing become even and eyes close.

"Yes…" he whispers "It is"

For the next few days, the dark knight stayed in the girl's house. True to her word, his fever disappeared the following day but due to the severity of some of his wounds, he had no choice but to stay put and recuperate.

He's done nothing but eat, sleep, bathe, watch the birds fly by and let the girl change his bandages.

Oh and yes, he still does not know her name.

To be completely honest, he is bothered by two things. One being that why doesn't he feel the urgent need to return to his Lady? The contract forged allowed him that, so what is going on? Is it because he is in his weakened state? Is it because he has gone too far from her side? No, on rare times he was wounded in battle before (though not as awful as now) and he once travelled at the other side of the world but still felt the connection so why? Is there a barrier that surrounds this area to block off any magic? But he could still feel the magic on his kerchief.

The second one is his thoughts about the girl. Doubtful thoughts to be exact. She claims to not know him, any time he would have believed but at a time when war is raging? And the fact that a battle took place not too far from here is really suspicious. Savior or not, she's still a woman from the enemy kingdom. How would he know that he can trust her? Is she playing the nice card and then suddenly sell him out? Stab him in the back and sell him to the enemy forces? Then again, she's been nothing but kind and careful towards him. She blushes a lot but he suppose she's just naturally flustered. She doesn't meddle nor invade his space and so far he hasn't been food poisoned.

At that thought he had to applaud, realizing that she has very commendable cooking skills. Also, there's her touch. The way she carefully handles his wounds, light and pleasant. She has a healer's touch.

Then out of the blue, a little blue bird swoops in through her window and perch itself on her shoulder. It chirps and she visibly looked alarmed. Megumi turned towards Ryo- who was sitting casually by the window while letting his thoughts drift as he watches the clouds roll by.

"You must hide, please" she pleads, grasping his hand for him to stand up. Ryo questions why but all she says is, "I will not harm you. I promise, please trust me"

He sees the sincerity in her eyes and despite his doubtful thoughts, Ryo knows the meaning of gratitude so he concedes and lets the girl hide him behind a hidden wall he did not know of.

So he sat behind the wall, the gap between the screens being his only window from the hiding place. His red eyes saw her hastily brush herself up before the sound of loud knocking hit their ears.

She rushed through the seashell strings and he could hear sounds of joyful greetings. He watched her return to the room and the one that followed behind her- even though only clad with casual clothing, made his eyes widen. The red hair, confident smirk, and infamous scar on the right eyebrow is too infamous to be mistaken.

'Red Lion' Ryo's eyes narrowed, his hand making its way to the right side of his body where the wound starts to sting the moment he laid eyes on his foe.

He wanted to yank the screen open and exact his revenge towards the eastern knight. Unfortunately he can't- couldn't even. Not in this state though.

So despite his urge, he stayed put and watched the two people interact before him. He noticed the friendly manner between them.

"I'm sorry I didn't visit sooner Megumi" he apologizes, his palms pressed together "They wouldn't let me leave until I can ride my horse."

"It's alright Souma" she smiles "It makes me happier to know that you are feeling better. I take it that means you are fully healed then?"

"Not really" he rubs the back of his head sheepishly "I came here with a few 'escorts'" he grumbles the word and Megumi giggles "I told them that I'll be fine coming here on my own, but the higher ups insisted"

She furrows her brows in worry and places her hand on his arm. Seeing her do that, somehow made Ryo feel uneasy.

"Where does it hurt?" she looks worriedly at the visible scar on his arm

"Not that one" he smiles and removes his shirt, showing her a muscular- almost flawless body (except with a few faint scars), with a clean bandage wrapped around his abdomen. Megumi traces her fingers over the white cloth. Soma closed an eye as he winces and she pulls back, muttering a quick apology.

In a way, Ryo felt pleasant seeing the redhead injured. He remembers through hazy memories how he swung a surely deep cut through his navel. He also recalls how his fist collided on the Silver Bear's face upon reflex when he poised his rapier by his throat. Then again, the Red Lion still sliced his sword across the Bear's back and pierced the blade through his side.

"Don't be sorry, Megumi!" he flails his hands "It's thanks to you that it didn't turn out to be as bad as it should have been." Shifting his hand underneath his pocket, he produced an empty glass bottle. "If it hadn't been for this potion, I might still be lying on the infirmary bed by now"

Ryo squints over the bottle he held. It looks awfully familiar…

Of course!

During their battle, the Red Lion took out a bottle shining with bright liquid. It perplexed him how he was able to stand up despite the damage on his body- wounds that were too severe to be cured even by the most potent healing potion known.

"I'm sorry I used it all up" Soma confesses "You saved my life Megumi, in fact, now that I think about it, you always have. So I just had to come see you as soon as I can because if it had not been for your potion, I would have been dead by now" he grabs both of her hands, and for some reason, the raven-haired's throat became dry and his hands unconsciously fisted as he watched the redhead lean close and touch his forehead to the now-blushing girl. "I just had to say this to you personally Megumi… Thank you"

They stayed like that for a while with the Red Lion's sincere words floating in the air. Behind the wall, Ryo just can't help but hate the redhead even more. Not because he matched swords with him or because he's the enemy of his kingdom, but because of something else. Something that he can't explain. Just watching them so close makes him sick that it made his stomach churn and a part of him wishes to find any item he can use as a weapon and just finish the redhead where he stands right now.

The moment was broken by Megumi's giggle.

"You're wrong" she smiles "It was you who saved me. Besides, you are my friend. I'll always do my best to help you" she stands up "Wait here, I'll go get some herbs for your stomach and I'll refill this bottle for you"

For the remainder of the Red Lion's visit, Ryo could vouch that they were truly, very close friends. They spoke of how things are faring, Megumi told him how she's finally adjusted to the provincial life- it seemed that she moved here not too many moons ago, and Soma told her the state of their other friends and how the war's been affecting everyone in the capital.

"They all miss you, Megumi. We all do" he said when she was done treating his stomach.

"I miss everyone too"

For a moment, Soma was silent before cautiously saying, "Are you sure you don't want to come back to the capital?"

When the words hit her ears, Megumi pressed her lips and looked down.

"I-I've given my recipes to the kingdom. I've already helped as much as I could"

"Yeah but, not all of them…" he indicates the special potion she gave to him. "I'm not going to push you but I'd just like you to know that people still believe in you. The people, the nurses and doctors, the royal guard, and even the royal family… they still believe that the Lunar Rabbit will come back one day"

In his hiding place, the Mad Dog's eyes widened significantly. He's heard tales of an extremely talented healer that once rid the plague that nearly wiped out the entire Western kingdom. No one knew who this person was for no one has really seen them. The healer only transacted and spoke through her emissaries, which were two white rabbits and a blue bird. Case in point when the White Owl's mother had fallen ill and they sought the help of the Lunar Rabbit. He was supposed to be tasked to find the emissaries but fortunately, she appears to be within the kingdom. This was all before the war struck, of course.

It said that the title of the Lunar Rabbit originated from a single family and has been passed down through the generations. He remembers that there has been a great search for this secret family which carried on for the last 100 years but in the end it resulted in failure.

"I have not heard of that title for a long time" Megumi says somewhat sadly. She looks up to Souma "You are the only one except for my… parents, who know who I am"

"And I am honored that you have told me" he shifts "You know that I can protect you better if you come with me to the capital. Especially after what happened…"

She shakes her head "Thank you, Souma, I know you do but I am happier here. Besides," her mouth forms a sweet smile "These people need me more" she takes a deep breath "Souma, when will this war end?"

The red lion crosses his arms over his chest, brows furrowing in seriousness "Until the North comes down from their high horse and atone for their sins. Ever since their last emperor died, Emperor Senzaemon, they've started attacking the other kingdoms without remorse. They continued to refuse our proposal for peace and kept on invading even the smallest towns. They would have nearly wiped out the entire population of the Northeastern kingdom if we were not able to aid them on time. We would have lost our friends, the Aldini brothers."

The dark knight's astonishment upon the revelation of the girl's identity subsided as Souma said all this. Ryo became very confused. How can that be? He was told that the East kidnapped the late Emperor. Because they wanted to conquer the North for their own, they took and held the Emperor hostage. All this time they've known that this war was to get back the kidnapped emperor. As for the 'invasions', those were absurd claims! He has not even set foot on the Northeastern kingdom.

"Plus there are those from the South. They have broken all alliances with them and accused them that the assassin who killed their Emperor came from them. I honestly do not know why they view us as enemies but they have also refused our offers for peace and alliance"

That cannot be right, the South was an ally of the East but the East betrayed them. They have been fighting with the South so that they would gain information about the emperor but they refused to negotiate.

"Oh! I almost forgot" Souma caught their attentions "Have you heard of anything weird lately, Megumi?"

"What do you mean?"

"See, since the last battle, me, the Silver Bear, and the Mad Dog were mortally wounded. I heard that the Silver Bear managed to survive but we were informed that the Mad Dog is still missing. Our spies told us that he has not yet returned to the North and is either missing or dead. If he is still alive, we suspect that he might still be around the border, trying to recuperate before returning to the North. Tell me, Megumi, have you seen anyone suspicious for the last few days?"

From behind the wall, Ryo swallowed a lump in his throat. Megumi looks away to the window and watched a bird fly by before answering.

"The birds have been singing beautifully, Souma. I assure you, I have not seen anyone suspicious. And if there is threat lingering, my rabbits would have told me"

The redhead nods "You're right. I was just making sure. You are my best friend since childhood Megumi, besides, I promised your folks that I will not let anything bad happen to you"

It was almost sundown when the Red Lion left. Megumi saw Souma out of the village, giving him a hug before going back to her tiny home up on a hill. However, when she returned, just as she passed through the string of seashells, the sharp edge of a giant, obsidian sword was poised at the tip of her throat.

Anyone would have either run and scream or stay frozen and shake with fear but she did not. Instead, her brows furrowed in worry, seeing the faint shaking of the sword as the wielder held the absurdly heavy weapon up in with one hand.

"Please drop your sword, you are not strong enough and you might open your wounds"

"Damn my wounds" he spat yet he hissed at the pain on his side, which was starting to sting "Why did you lie to him?"

"I do not lie"

"You have claimed that you did not know me, but it was obvious that you do, since you are well acquainted with the Red Lion. Why did you not tell him I was here? Do have a twisted plan in mind? Or is it because you are afraid that he will punish you in betrayal for helping a wounded enemy soldier?"

Her eyes squinted in irritation "Souma would never do that!"

"Then why?!" He nudged the sword further, causing Megumi to retreat until she hit a wall "If you sold me to him, your kingdom would have had the upper hand. I am the main force of the North, as is the Red Lion for the East and the Silver Bear for the South. You could have made a change. Without me, the Northern armies will be nothing. So why spare me? Just what are you playing at?!" he bellowed, eyes glaring and teeth seething in more confusion than anger.

Ryo's heaving breaths echoed around the small house, his hand barely holding the giant weapon up. Megumi closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them again, eyes soft as she calmly spoke her answer.

"I do not lie. I did not lie to him" she repeats "Souma asked me if I have seen anyone suspicious. I did not" she gave him no time to retort and continued "I told him that if there is a threat lingering, my rabbits would have told me. And for the last few days, my rabbits have not told me anything of the sort" she places her hand on the heavy sword, slowly bringing it down and move closer to the wincing raven-haired.

His arm gave way from the heavy weight and the giant sword dissipates, scattering with its essence returning to the shadows. Ryo sits down, the magic to summon his sword was too much for his still-recuperating body. He feels as his body is made of lead and the fatigue makes him wish to sleep for a full day. Then he winces, the wound on his right indeed opened and blood oozed, spreading through the bandages.

Megumi kneels in front, carefully opening his bandages.

"I did not lie to you" she stares in his eyes before continuing "True, I have heard of the fearsome warriors from the other kingdoms. I have heard of the Silver Bear, blessed by breath of the Earth, senses as sharp and as keen as the most dangerous of animals. I have heard of the Red Lion, blessed by the Sun, whose power can make enemies quivering with fear. I have also heard of the Mad Dog, blessed by the dark sea, who's so fearsome that he can defeat a thousand armies on his own."

The hand that she placed on his wound starts to glow, and in an instant, Ryo feels a surge of warmth, relaxing his senses, making him sigh in relief.

"However, despite of that, I know that the Red Lion is Souma. My dear, brave, passionate, and kind friend who I grew up with since I was very little. But aside from him, I do not know the man who bears the name of the Silver Bear. Similar to that, I do not know the man behind the Mad Dog." She leans closer, her eyes and words full of sincerity and honesty "I do not know you"

And just like that, his wound stopped bleeding, Megumi returned with a fresh roll of clean bandages and wrapped it around his wound.

"I may be the Lunar Rabbit, but my power is not as effective against an injury inflicted by powerful magic such as the Red Lion's Sword of Sol. I know it will not mean as much but on behalf of the Red Lion, on behalf of my friend, I apologize" she bows her head.

The open display of weakness makes Ryo numb. His heart beats wildly in his chest, making him feel emotions he does not understand. Never has he experienced this and everything is oh so new. He does not know what to do.

He lowers his head "Why did you help me? If you did not see the Mad Dog, then who did you see?"

"I saw a man. A much wounded man determined to live. I saw a man wanting to see the sun and live for another day. He wanted to live and since I have the power to grant it, I saved him."

"Fool, he is a stranger. You do not know what he has done. You do not know how many lives he took, the number of families he caused such heartache by taking their beloved uncles, brothers, sons and fathers." He looks at her "You helped a dog, a worthless, disposable pawn, a mindless puppet whose purpose is only to obey his master's words. You saved no one"

"Perhaps. Perhaps it may have been a lost cause. Maybe I have wasted my time and energy. Maybe what I have done was a very bad mistake. But if you ask me again why I helped that man," she looks up and smiles "It's because I want to"

"You…" he finds himself tongue-tied, not knowing what to say. Then he finds the corners of his lips turning up, giving her a small, yet sincere smile "...are very strange"

He thanked her.

As the days rolled by, Ryo has been doing mediocre chores and tasks to spruce his muscles back into function (he reasons that but in truth, he figures that it is his best way in returning the favor). From sweeping the floor to washing the dishes, he's volunteered to do such menial labor until he has strength enough to chop down wood. Fortunately for him, the small village they reside in is a humble town close to the ocean. Their provincial setting kept them safe from any war. It was a perfect, secluded area to for anyone who wants to start anew. Everyone is kind and though they are familiar of the present war and the Three Swords (The Silver Bear, the Rapier of Gaia; the Red Lion, the Sword of Sol; and the Mad Dog, the Giant Sword of Abyss), they do not know what they look like.

And since he has to settle in wearing commoner's garbs, he will not have to fear walking around wearing his dark armor and rouse suspicion. As far as the villagers know, he is a private patient of the girl- Megumi, who came from the farlands for the purpose of recuperation. They do not know that she is the Lunar Rabbit, just a young woman who is very talented in healing. However, others would tease them of being lovers.

He would chop lumber for them in the nearby forest, accompany her to the market and carry her bags, they would even stop by the shore and just fish. It has been a while since he felt the cool breeze of the sea. He grew up in a port town after all. They kept at this until it became a routine, eventually, they became closer and he told her stories of what he can remember of his unpleasant childhood to the tales he went through under the royal family's errands. In turn, she too, opened up to him. She told him of her simple life, she even trusts him enough that she told him how she got her title and power as the Lunar Rabbit from her father, and how the war killed her family- resulting her to live in this provincial town to relief herself of her nightmare.

The time they spent together were not fruitless as they became closer and closer each day. What was once a denial cannot be overlooked anymore. His heart, never beat like this for anything- for anyone. His sword remains loyal to the White Owl but his heart, he discovers, beats for none other. He thought of it impossible. It has deprived him of it for years. Could not even remember the last time he felt such emotion- in fact, never.

And what's worse- better, is that she feels the same. She walked on dangerous waters. Heard the tales of a monster that nearly killed her friends, she saw the giant beast of the shadows with obsidian claws, razor teeth and blood-red eyes. However, she saw something else. Beneath all the exterior was a harmless boy. A boy just begging to be loved. Strong, passionate, loyal, gentle, and kind. She fell in love.

They both fell in love.

Even though his wounds are fully healed, even though he regained his strength to return to the battlefield, to return to his sworn princess, neither of them brought the topic into discussion. For neither of them wanted to.

Because it would mean that they will have to part.

However, such peaceful and carefree days did not last. The news spread like wildfire even to their secluded, provincial village. Even her bird and rabbits chorused her the same song. There will be an all-out attack to the North. Many days has passed and word that the Mad Dog has still not returned to the North. It was only a matter of time before they all assumed that he is dead.

~0~

"Spirit is from the breed of the legendary Kazegami, the fastest horses to have ever raced the earth. I will lend him to you" she explained while securing the reins of the horse. Whispering words that he did not understand to the animal before continuing "As long as you follow the twin peaks and stay on the hidden path I told you in the Great Valley, I assure you, you will arrive at the North just in time with the East and South armies without being detected, maybe even sooner. I have also packed you some provisions, oh and I will lend you my bird to help guide you on the way"

She looks up, he does not answer, and he just stood there, torn. Even though he is already clad in full armor. Head down with the shadows of the night blocking her view of his face.

"Ryo?"

"I do not want to go" he whispers.

She looks away "You have to" she spoke with conviction but her shaking tells otherwise "You swore your sword, your service to the royal family of the North. Defying your oath will defile you of your honor as a knight"

"I do not care about my honor. That oath means nothing to me"

"Do not lie, Ryo" she looks up, smiling sadly at him "It does not suit you"

He does what he's always wanted to do. He stretches out his arms and hooks it around her. One around her head and the other, around her waist. Pulling her as close as he can to him without hurting her. They stay like that until she reciprocates, wrapping her arms around his back. Her height only granted her to lie her head on his armor but despite the hard metal, she could clearly hear the beat of his heart. It almost brought her to tears.

"I do not want to go" he whispers, breath close to her ear, lips almost kissing it. "I want to stay… with you"

"I would like that" she replies honestly "But you have to go"

"I know…"

He pulls back enough for him to see her face illuminated by the moonlight.

"I will find a way to end this war. Now that I know that all of this war was rigged, I will find a way. We can finally end this. And once this is all over," he takes her hands in his, kissing each of her knuckles "I will ask for the royal family to release me, whatever they ask me I will do it and once I am broken of my chains, I will return here" he looks into her eyes "and come back to you"

She smiles, placing a hand to cup his cheek where he holds it with his own, turning his head to relish her warmth and kiss her palm.

"I have nothing to give you, for now. But know this, you own my heart and I…"

He trails off, and she continues to smile.

"Then take this" she places her hand on his chest and a part of the armor disperses. Her hand glows oh so brightly and when it faded, it showed him a metal ornament. Pinned to his dark clothing underneath the armor. It shaped like a rabbit, with the crescent moon behind it, the metal shone with brilliance, inlaid with white diamonds of the rarest kind. Her brooch.

"You can't-"

She places a finger over his lips, "Take it. If you have given me yours, then it is only fitting that I gave you mine"

"I am honored"

Again, he takes her hand and entwines their fingers, he rests his forehead against hers and they just stay there, relishing each other's company, engraving it into memory for one last time. Just who knows when will be the next time they can hold each other again?

Then the mighty eagle's screech echoed through the skies, a flock of them sang their songs of upcoming battle. The army will be marching.

Its time.

With that, he lets go of her hand, mounts the steed and secured his kerchief around his wrist before taking hold of the reins.

"Be safe, Ryo" she says and with one last, lingering look, he nods.

"I promise. Wait for me, Megumi"

And with the flick of their reins, the stallion ran through the forest into the direction of the North. Her bird followed closely above them to guide them on their way.

Megumi could only pray for Ryo's safety, hoping that this will be the last war.

Might turn into a two-shot depending on your responses.

Ciao~!