[isagrimorie]

Originally Posted by deathcurse

Ah, a few details first that I didn't mention before...this story takes place when Konoka, Setsuna and the gang are 21, and follows mostly the manga canon, although parts of the magical world arc may be ignored .

Here's the prologue again, and Chapter 1!

Love and Duty Come in Chains

Spoiler for Love and Duty Come in Chains, prologue:

Prologue

“I do.”

Those two words turned everything that had been hazily dreaded into something true.

“I do.”

There. It’s done. Setsuna closed her eyes. Even so, she couldn’t watch.

She couldn’t watch Konoka kiss that man. It was her one moment of weakness. She won’t have another.

She couldn’t, not for Konoka’s sake.

--

“If anyone present can show just cause as to why this couple may not be legally joined together, you should now declare it, or hereafter hold your peace.”

Setsuna kept her eyes open when Konoka looked at her. She stared straight back into Konoka’s searching, deep eyes in that pause. Stared, then looked away, silent.

Konoka didn’t look at Setsuna again.

--

“Kyo Wallward and Konoka Konoe, I pronounce you husband and wife, uniting the House of Wallward and Konoe in holy matrimony.”

“Together, may you find the strength to destroy the evils that plague our world and your Houses.”

How wonderful, Setsuna thought as she watched the married couple walk down the aisle surrounded by the Wallward guards towards the church door, that Konoka could manage to fulfill her duty to her family and yet still find a man who she genuinely cared about.

How wonderful.

--

“Setsuna, if you accept, I have another job for you.”

“I will, Headmaster.”

“I haven’t told you what it is yet.”

“What job I do doesn’t matter to me. I live to serve.”

Konoemon grunted, his white brows furrowing until they met above his nose as he peered at Setsuna, a painfully understanding quality in his stare. “As head of the Konoe family, I’m assigning you to guard our family heir. You are removed from the employ of Mahora Academy. Now, you are an employee of the Konoe.”

“Yes, sir.”

The old man watched her, then slid an officially sealed envelope across his desk. “This is my letter to the Wallward House, telling them that you are my employee and not theirs.”

“Yes, sir.”

“So they cannot ever dismiss you from Konoka’s service.”

Setsuna paused, her red eyes flashing over with a brief emotion before returning to their cool glassiness. “Yes, sir.”

“You will be her personal guardian. Even against her own desires or inclinations, you must protect Konoka at all costs. Let the Wallwards mumble about the Konoe dishonouring them, I don’t care. Your only duty is Konoka.” Konoemon stopped speaking and watched her. “Do you have any objections to your duty?”

Setsuna rose and put her fists together, Yuunagi held out horizontally before her as she bowed deeply.

“No, sir.”

--

“Se—Setsuna-san, I will be going out this afternoon to inspect the wards again.”

“Yes, ojou-sama.” Setsuna bowed, her black hair falling forward in a dark wave, blending into the black of her suit. She still dyed it, even though she had forgone the contact lenses ever since…ever since. “I will arrange for your security detail.”

“Alright,” Konoka said quietly.

She had stopped asking Setsuna to call her Kono-chan. It surprised Setsuna how much it hurt, each time she said the title, and not hear Konoka protest. Ridiculous, she knew, since she was the one who always insisted on it in the past. Her constant refusals never hurt until Konoka stopped asking. But it still sent a jolt through her heart, and she wished that she could blurt it out. It wouldn’t be that hard. Kono-chan. Kono-chan.

In the end, she couldn’t. Now…she wasn’t sure anymore why she couldn’t. Because it wasn’t the proper thing to do. It wasn’t the right thing to do.

Setsuna no longer cared why.

Because it was too late.

--

“Why are you doing this? Do you have some masochistic warrior thing, or are you just too much of a coward to fight for her?” Asuna slapped her, hard. Setsuna let her, not that she was admitting to the masochistic comment but because she deserved it. And Asuna had every right to be angry. She was the one who heard Konoka crying every night, after all.

“How can you just let her go?”

“Because he does make her happy.”

“She loves you!”

Setsuna laughed hollowly.

“I know.”

--

By the time Setsuna realized that she could have fought, that she could have tried for both their happiness, it was too late.

To the side, a servant bowed. “Lady Wallward, shall I fetch—”

“There’s no need. Setsuna-san will take care of me—of my security. All decisions will be in her hands.”

“But…very well, my lady.”

Konoka found and captured Setsuna’s gaze easily, her brown eyes still entirely trusting but missing that innocent, happy aura. “I trust her with my everything.”

--

“Secchan? Can…can you please stay with me? Stay with me, forever.”

“I promise.”

“B…Because I don’t think that I’m strong enough to do it on my own. I want my friend to be there with me, because…you make me stronger, Secchan.”

“I promise that I’ll always protect you.”

--

Despite anything Mana or Asuna said to her later, Setsuna didn’t lie then. Because she promised to protect Konoka’s body, her life and those of anyone else Konoka cared about. She never promised to protect Konoka’s heart. Because Setsuna knew.

She knew that she would be the one breaking it.

--

Konoka’s voice cut through Setsuna’s thoughts to capture her attention immediately. “Is something wrong, S—Setsuna-san?” One of her hands dropped, as if she had raised it towards Setsuna’s shoulder then let it fall short, empty.

Setsuna bowed her head, letting her loose hair fall to shield her face.

Everything.

“Nothing, Ojou-sama.”

Spoiler for Chapter 1:

Chapter 1
Konoe-Wallward House, Kyoto
May 2, 2010

“Asuna,” Konoka called, bringing her fans together before her chest. “I’m trying the second variation of Divine Wind Restore, on Target #3.”

Her friend nodded, shuffling her chair over the packed dirt lazily. “Good to go,” Asuna yawned, waving a hand idly. Konoka didn’t blame her for being bored—Asuna had waited for the hour that it took for Konoka to set up this particular trial, and she had gone through four trials earlier in the afternoon. Even the stoic Mana, standing to the side, thumbs hooked into her gun belt, actually looked visibly bored, although her sharp eyes never stopped scanning their surroundings keenly.

“You know, you really could have brought a manga or something to read,” Konoka called out, judging the distance between her and her target. “It’s really okay with me.” She wanted to call out to Mana and…to Mana and tell her that she could really sit down and still guard her at the same time. But Konoka didn’t feel comfortable trying to convince the mercenary Mana to relax.

How cruel of you…you never would have hesitated with Set-chan.

Ah, part of her mind whispered, but now you do.

“How unprofessional that would seem!” Asuna shouted back, smiling as she reclined in her chair next to Target #3. “I’m under employ by the noble Konoe family, you know!”

“Asuna…” Konoka hated it whenever Asuna brought that up. That Asuna would even joke about being just an employee of her family. She didn’t like any reminders that her friends were hired by her grandfather…that they were paid by her family.

Asuna narrowed her eyes, glints of blue and green flashing at Konoka from across the range, then she raised an eyebrow. “Come on, Konoka, give it your best shot. I’m here with my bucket of water ready.” Playfully, she held up her bare, empty hands, ready for magic-cancelling.

A light emanated from Konoka’s body, causing her robes to flutter and her hair to blow back as she concentrated on completing the spell. Konoka didn’t really expect this spell to fix the problem her family had been working on for the past six months—but still, she hoped that at the very least, it could fix the instability in the physical structure of the Koyane Wards. That physical instability was more alarming at the moment than the weakening magical properties of the wards, since at least it would take an incredibly powerful mage or demon to pre-maturely break the magical wards. But at the moment, nearly any mildly powerful creature could break the stones that the wards were carved on, releasing ancient demons into the world.

The Fujiwara Clan had sealed those demons away in the past, and until last Halloween, the Koyane Wards had stood strong and invincible on the gateway to the demonic dimension the oni were imprisoned in. Indeed, the wards were so secure nearly everyone had forgotten about them, and even Konoka had only found out that her family was charged with the responsibility of protecting the wards six months ago.

Six months ago, when the age-long wards began to inexplicably fail.

And now it was up to her and Kyo to fix them. It was why the Konoe and the Wallwards united their families, after all.

Konoka took a breath, putting all of that out of her mind. Right now, she had to concentrate on her spellwork. Evangeline’s voice echoed in her head, Watch what you’re doing, stupid girl! Do you want to blow up half of Japan? Konoka could imagine her saying, and she giggled before steeling herself.

The incantations came nearly automatically; she had rehearsed this spell so many times before. Konoka’s eyes snapped open, and she carefully enunciated the last part of her new spell, a variation of the original healing scripture before snapping her fans forward to release her magic.

“Now!” She cried in warning to Asuna.

An explosion of rainbow light shot from Konoka towards the target, colliding with it and wrapping around the stone in coloured sheets that pulsed with white glows. Konoka ran over, squinting to see the effect of her spell on the cracked stone.

“It’s working!” Asuna shouted in excitement, watching the stone glow and the cracks slowly receding along its surface.

Leaning forward, Konoka was about to inspect her spell closer when a small movement in the corner of her eye distracted her. Mana had moved in closer the moment Konoka had approached her new spell, but that wasn’t what Konoka had noticed. She was so used to people moving around her that she didn’t even notice anymore. No, there was only one person who never ceased to catch her eye.

Konoka wondered with startling pique if she should feel happy that Setsuna cared about her to worry, or if she should be annoyed that her best friend didn’t have faith in Konoka’s invented spells. Asuna had explained to Konoka the concept of a near and distant guard, and despite the logic of her and Mana’s skill sets, Setsuna would always be the one patrolling in the distance, avoiding contact. Her childhood friend would only ever close in if she felt like Konoka would be in danger.

If it wasn’t a spell that she had cast herself, Konoka would unquestioningly have been touched.

“It can’t just heal the stone, it has to sustain the change,” Konoka commented aloud, forcing herself to turn her attention back to her experiment. “I tried to add in a looping component to the healing magic, so that it won’t—”

Suddenly, the stone pulsed, and Konoka leapt back as it started to vibrate ominously, shimmering with chaotic light.

“Get back!” She heard Mana shout, and things happened so fast they blurred together in Konoka’s vision.

Asuna sprang from her chair and dove for the target stone, her hands outstretched to cancel out the spell.

Something slammed into Konoka from behind, catching her up in strong arms and pivoting her out of the way until she was entirely shielded from the blast zone.

A soft clunk sounded, and Konoka blinked, seeing the stone roll across the ground before crumbling anticlimactically into a small pile of gravel. Harsh breathing sounded in her ear, and Konoka instinctively tucked her cheek into her would-be saviour’s shoulder. Her hands rose to touch a tense wrist before Konoka was suddenly released, making her stumble slightly in surprise.

“My apologies, Ojou-sama,” Setsuna’s quiet voice sounded from behind her. Konoka turned around to see Setsuna bent into a low bow before she straightened, her red eyes startling Konoka as they always did. It wasn’t like Konoka cared about their colour! Set-chan was Set-chan…But her Set-chan’s eyes were always so cold and sad and tired now.

“It’s…it’s nothing, Set…” Konoka paused, and took a breath. “Setsuna-san. Thank you for protecting me, in case Asuna didn’t reach the spell in time.”

Setsuna only bowed again, silently, before making her way back out to her previous position. Konoka watched her go, knowing that her disappointment was clear on her face and thankful that only her friends were there to see. It was hard to watch her dearest friend all day and yet fake indifference around the distant Setsuna and her husband’s servants…

“Um, Konoka?” Asuna reminded her gently. “Your spell?”

“Yes,” Konoka said, distractedly. “I think I overdid it…the Koyane wards are much stronger than my test targets and they’ll likely be able to handle the healing loop…but I can’t be sure. I’ll have to do some more reading on it…”

“Konoka-san?” Mana spoke up now. “My shift ends in ten minutes. May I suggest that you relocate to within the house, to ensure your security?”

Glancing at her, Konoka caught Mana’s eyes flicking sideways at Setsuna, then back at her with a slightly pleading expression. It took Konoka a moment to realize the hint. That’s right…Set-chan had been guarding me since this morning. She probably hasn’t eaten all day.

“That sounds like a good idea,” Asuna jumped in decisively. “Konoka, let’s go to my room and discuss tomorrow’s plans like planned?”

“Huh?” Konoka blinked, blushing as she accidentally gave away her utter lack of foreknowledge of that plan. But it’s not like Mana or Setsuna would have fallen for that lame excuse anyways, so no harm done in the long run… “Sure. Mana-san, can you tell Set-chan that I’ll be safe with Asuna in her room, and that both of you should get a paid night off?”

Agreeable as always when it came to money, Mana nodded. “I’ll let Setsuna know.”

Take care of her for me, Konoka wanted to tell Mana, but she held her tongue.

Asuna didn’t have the same hesitation in speaking once they were in her room with the door closed and out of earshot. “Konoka, you have to just talk with her.”

“I talk with her lots every day,” Konoka answered obstinately, flopping unlady-like onto Asuna’s bed. She tugged at the collar of her formal kimono, having let her Magister robes fade away.

Asuna glared at her, then sighed, sitting backwards on a chair and leaning her chin on the backrest. “Well, how are you feeling? I know that today didn’t go as you hoped…”

“Can we please do something else?” Konoka pleaded, smiling weakly. She knew that the moment Kyo came home, it was back to discussions about the wards, or more about their new household details…and Konoka dreaded either.

Her old roommate laughed, bending over to scoop something up. “Want to play Mario Kart?” Asuna grinned, passing Konoka one of the controls.

Brightening, Konoka giggled, tying back her kimono sleeves so that she could move easier. “I hope you’ve been practising!” She teased.

Asuna hit the player box, letting the powering up music be her answer as she grinned wickedly. Soon they were both seated on the bed, furiously trying to force the other off the side of the track. Asuna’s room was soundproofed—Konoka had no idea why, while Asuna and Mana had a snarky debate over whether it was a subtle insult or a compliment to Asuna’s job as Konoka’s secretary and research partner—and so they could play the game music as loud as they wanted to.

“Anyone going to come looking for you?” Asuna asked as she crashed into Konoka’s Mario character, her thumbs mashing on her controller.

“I told Ethan-san that I would be researching all day, and to not be disturbed unless it was something important,” Konoka replied as she quickly sent a row of bananas onto the track behind her, which Asuna began swerving around. The Wallward servant was Kyo’s old friend and was excellent at keeping things in the large house running but terrible at making new decisions. Ethan would always need to check every change in routine with her personally, interrupting Konoka during the day often. Konoka liked him though, even if he seemed to hate Setsuna for some reason. “I’ve only really started researching the new healing spells this week, since we had to set up the house and all, so they won’t think it’s weird.”

“Ha!” Asuna cried out triumphantly as she hit Konoka with a Koopa shell and cut past her around a bend. “So! How have the last few weeks been for you? I’m sorry I didn’t call, it’s unbearably tiring to sort out all the paperwork details of your life so that you can move cities…you’re lucky that you don’t have to deal with it yourself!”

“I wouldn’t have to deal with it anyway, Asuna,” Konoka said in amusement as she struggled to catch up, using one of her speed mushrooms to try and narrow the distance. “I grew up in Kyoto, remember?”

“Oh yeah. Okay, I’ve been here three days, and I have to say…does everyone act better-than-thou around here?”

“Asuna!” protested Konoka. “I’m sure that they don’t mean it that way…the Wallwards are a little more…aware of status than we are. It’s not surprising, since they’re a pretty new family. Are they bothering you? Should I talk to Ethan-san about it?”

“Ah, don’t do that!” Asuna said hastily, and her distraction cost her the lead as Konoka passed her. “Crap! No, I can live with it…they don’t seem to take me very seriously though, and that pisses me off. I guess I’ll just have to show them that I can do my job.”

“You’ll be great, don’t worry!” Konoka let out a happy giggle when she crossed the finish line first. She immediately hit the start button to play again. “There’s a great training yard here, and the library is just amazing! Kyo brought a lot of his personal library here, and I’m amazed at some of the books that he has. He told me that he has more on an electronic database, but I haven’t had a chance to look yet.”

Asuna glanced at the door nervously, even though she knew that no one could overhear them, and Konoka bit back a sigh, knowing the type of question that her friend was about to ask. “So, how’s he treating you?”

Konoka hated being right about that kind of thing.

Set-chan isn’t here…you can tell the truth, Konoka reminded herself. It wasn’t that she wanted to lie when Setsuna could hear her, or that she had to lie…Konoka just could never feel comfortable talking about Kyo when Setsuna was in earshot.

“He’s okay…we didn’t have a honeymoon or anything since he wanted to get to work on the wards as soon as possible.” Konoka shrugged, feeling torn between disappointment and relief. “It’s all…really confusing.”

Asuna bumped her knee with hers sympathetically. “What’s confusing?”

“Just…I do like him.” She hung her head, biting back tears. Her Mario lost momentum and crashed into the side of the track, stopping while all the other characters whizzed by. Asuna hit pause and turned around, concerned.

Konoka bit her lip, shivering slightly. She smiled though, setting her game controller down carefully to hide her trembling. “He’s a nice guy. He’s really devoted to helping us out with the wards, and if I ask him for something he’s really good at doing it for me. We like talking about books together.” She trailed off, realizing how banal she sounded.

“Ah,” Asuna said quietly, sadly, understandingly. Konoka knew that her friend could fill in the gaps herself.

But he’s not Set-chan.

But I don’t love him.

I really like the first chapter, especially after the angst of the prologue... its not that this didn't have some pain but its like there is some easing of it and I like how you added in the talk between Asuna and Konoka showing their friendship and sometimes you need a friend like Asuna, someone who's willing to talk with you without pressure but still willing to talk some sense to you or, if you can take it, shake it into your stubborn head.

Mana was also a bonus, anytime there's a Mana I celebrate, she is such an awesome no nonsense character. All the drama is just white noise to her, she has a job to do and she'll do it really well.