Tears of a Dove

IX: Split

"Sir!" someone ran into Castle Valé, shouting. "Kazu, sir!"

"What is it?" Kazu grumbled.

"The Princess has gone missing!"

Kazu stared out a window, ignoring the man that was deeply concerned about Miku's whereabouts.

"Sir?" the man asked. "D-Do you want to do something about it?"

Kazu slowly turned to him. "If I wanted to do something about it, I would have said so, now wouldn't I?"

"B-But..."

"That girl betrayed me. I don't care where she is. She'll be back any day now."

"But, that's not..."

"Don't say another word!" Kazu stood and screamed. "Leave my castle, now!"

"Yes, sir..." Like that, the man with the important message was demanded to leave the King's presence.

Kazu scoffed. "Unbelievable," he mumbled to himself. "Do you really think you'll find him out there?" He sat back down in his throne. "You're gonna die out there. I'll be standing over your grave shouting 'I told you so.' Look at what you could have done with this place." He thought for a moment. "You could have been the leader. Who am I kidding? You wouldn't be able to lead anything. So ignorant, that girl. One day you'll learn. One day."

"Kazu?" Queen Yukina entered the throne room slowly.

"What is it?" Kazu asked harshly.

"What's going on? Why am I hearing everyone rambling about Miku?"

Kazu did not respond.

"Kazu, answer me! What's going on? Why won't you tell me anything?"

"She ran away, Yukina!" Kazu screamed at her. "Let her learn her mistakes! For fourteen years that girl has done nothing but disobey me! It's for the better that she's on her own."

Yukina gasped, covering her hand with her mouth. "How could you say such a thing?"

Kazu approached Yukina, in direct proximity. "I do what I want. I say what I want. We're the South Division now." He slowly walked away.

"Kazu! Kazu, stop right now! Wait!"

Kazu stopped in front of the doorway without turning around. "If it's about Miku, I don't want to hear it. If you say it anyway, you're not going to like what happens-"

"Where's the Kazu that I know and love?" Yukina began to tear up. She brushed her gray hair out of her face. "What happened to you? You first break the country's peace, then you shun away from your own daughter? Think about what you're doing! This needs to stop now!"

"I've thought about this for a long time now. I know exactly what you're doing. Which is why I'm divorcing you, effective tomorrow." Kazu walked out of the room.

Yukina began to cry and scream. "What? Kazu! Kazu, no! Why?" She knelt down on the floor. "Why...?"

~~~~~~~~~~

"...then you hold it steady. Try to hold your breath and stay completely calm. Then... pull back and fire."

Arwel focused his energy while he looked down the barrel of a rifle he was being trained to use. There was a target, roughly thirty feet in front of him. He pulled the trigger as the bullet flew and the gun recoiled back. He lowered the gun while slightly breathing at a fast pace.

"How did I do?" Arwel asked.

"You did well," Patterson said. "Take another shot."