Dragon Heart | #Wattys2022

III - Converging Paths

You're back," Kona couldn't hide her relief when she saw Gil enter her office at the Chiji's HQ. "Any word on Trident's plans?" She didn't beat around the bush. She didn't want to keep Gil in her office any longer than necessary, especially since the seasoned Senshi doesn't have any Academy seniors assigned to work directly under him on mission assignments for the students' practical learning.

"So far everything's quiet back in Doragon," he reported. "No unnecessary movements from Trident," he added.

"Is he still in Donagonnohi?"

"It's his main base of operation, but he, as expected, cannot access the main palace so he's locked out of the throne room."

"And he will remain locked out forever," Kona vowed. "Anything else?"

"Nothing else to report, however," Gil paused, hesitating to ask what he'd been wondering since his conversation with Lex last night.

"However?" Kona prodded.

"I'm wondering how my kids are doing in school. I heard they became friends with Haru and his friends."

"Yes, they have," Kona nodded, eyeing her most senior of Slayers specifically assigned to her protection detail carefully. Gil's been a Slayer long before she ascended the throne, and even before she took over as Queen of Doragon, Gil's been her constant companion as per her father's instruction; he was delegated to become her personal bodyguard and went with her everywhere. "You're wondering if they've figured out that Haru is their Rida," it wasn't a question but a statement. She was able to read her most loyal retainer like a book given the number of years they've known each other.

"I'm that obvious, huh?" He let out a nervous chuckle and slapped his hand at the back of his head.

"Meh," Kona gave a nonchalant shrug, but a ghost of a grin hovered over her lips. "It came from years of me knowing you. And the answer is no, this generation of Slayers haven't shown the tell-tale signs that they recognized Haru as their Rida," she confirmed.

"So the spell cast on Haru worked," Gil wasn't sure if he should sound relieved or worried. When Haru was first sent to visit Takibi when he was younger a spell was put on him to cloak his true powers from leaking; it was also to camouflage what he really was from prying Readers.

"Yes, it's holding," Kona's shoulders sagged just slightly. "Tina and Drake reinforces the spell twice a year to ensure it's still tightly locked."

"His father still doesn't know about him?" Outside of Drake, Tina and Tenzo, Gil was the only other person who knew of Haru's paternity and was sworn to secrecy like the others were. Haru's paternity was a tightly guarded secret that Kona doesn't want to get out; it was bad enough that some of the villagers suspect Haru was Tenzo's lovechild masquerading as his nephew to save face around the village, she doesn't want any more suspicions about his true paternity to surface and cause more problem in the future not just to Takibi and the whole of Kasai, but also beyond the countries of Elseworld.

"No."

"When will you tell him?" It was an old argument they've had over and over since she told him of her harebrained plan years ago.

"Maybe never," was her flippant response.

Gil glared at the woman seated behind the desk across from him. He watched Kona grow up from the carefree toddler he first met to the woman working alongside one of the most powerful man on this side of Elseworld. Having no family of his own because of his line of work, Kona became a surrogate daughter-slash-sister to him; he was overprotective of her and would put his life on the line for her. And her choice to not let Kash know the boy he adores was actually his son pains him.