New Command, New Scars
The alliance with the Sea Witch, Queen Leona, instantly transformed the strategic map. The combined naval power of Pheurika Island and the Aurekawa Citadel provided a massive deterrent against the Hidden Clan Leader's plan to create economic despair through piracy.
King Hayate and Consort Neshuda decided to remain on Pheurika Island for several critical weeks. The Citadel was stable under Captain Torvin's command, but the volatile, newly formed naval alliance required the King's charisma and the Consort's absolute resolve to hold together.
Neshuda took command of the Coastal Defense Fleet, spending long, grueling days on the water coordinating patrols, training the pirate captains in proper military discipline, and establishing new supply routes. Hayate managed the diplomatic side, negotiating trade rights and sovereignty details with Queen Leona.
The physical separation during Neshuda's long patrols was difficult for Hayate.
One afternoon, Hayate was locked in tense negotiation with Leona about the division of captured pirate assets. He felt a sudden, deep lurch in his stomach, quickly followed by a rush of adrenaline and overwhelming relief.
Hayate immediately excused himself, finding a quiet corner. He closed his eyes, steadying himself. He knew Neshuda was in immediate danger.
A few hours later, Neshuda returned, his face grimy, his clothes soaked with sea water.
Hayate rushed to him, ignoring the protocol. "What happened? I felt a sudden drop, Anchor, a real one. Did you fall?"
Neshuda smiled tiredly, pulling Hayate into a tight, damp hug. "Just a small skirmish, my love. A new pirate crew, eager to prove themselves, tried to escape our patrol. I had to board their ship. I slipped on the wet deck, that's where you felt the lurch. It was brief, but I almost went overboard. Captain Torvin's training kicked in."
Hayate pulled back, his eyes shining with fear and profound love. "You scared me, Neshuda. That fear was too real. Don't take unnecessary risks."
Neshuda lifted Hayate's chin, his gaze serious. "You felt my fear, yes. But you also felt the absolute resolve to survive, didn't you? The moment I nearly fell, my whole being screamed: I have to get back to Hayate. The bond is our best warning system, King. Trust it."
Hayate felt the truth of Neshuda's words and the fierce love behind them. He kissed Neshuda, a sweet, lingering promise to always trust the warrior's instincts, both physical and reflected.
The Rivalry of Two Warriors
Winter was their constant liaison. She quickly developed a grudging but powerful respect for Neshuda's disciplined leadership. She was always present during training, watching Neshuda's close-combat drills, her eyes missing nothing.
Her envy of Neshuda, though positive, was palpable to Hayate. He felt it through the bond as a persistent, low-grade dissatisfaction and a spike of fierce ambition whenever Neshuda successfully commanded the fleet.
One evening, Neshuda was reviewing coastal patrol routes with Winter. Hayate watched from the audience chamber's entrance, feeling the rising pressure of Winter's focused scrutiny.
Winter finally spoke, her voice sharp. "You are good, Consort Neshuda. But you rely too much on the King's healing aura and his bond. You fight like you know you can be saved. Out here, there are no safety nets. You'd be better if you trusted only your own blade."
Hayate felt Neshuda's intense concentration waver, replaced by a sudden, hot wave of defensive anger. Neshuda kept his face perfectly calm, a testament to his discipline.
"The King's love is not a weakness, Outrider," Neshuda replied coolly. "It is the only absolute certainty in a world of spiritual and political betrayal. It makes me stronger because I have everything to lose, and everything to fight for. I don't rely on his saving me; I rely on his existence to fuel my resolve."
Winter's green eyes narrowed, her respect deepening. "I have never known a certainty like that. But I still believe your close-combat defense is lacking. You are too concerned with protecting the King, and not enough with protecting your own core."
Neshuda paused, looking at her with a strange seriousness. "Then teach me, Outrider. Train me in your way. I will not allow arrogance to be my downfall."
For the next week, Neshuda and Winter engaged in brutal, secret training sessions in the hidden jungle clearings of Pheurika Island. Neshuda would absorb Winter's fast, ruthless close-combat techniques, integrating them into his own Guardian style. Hayate stayed far away, but he felt every crushing blow, every painful joint lock, and every surge of physical exhaustion through the bond.
It was painful for Hayate, but he allowed it. He knew Neshuda was hardening himself for the inevitable confrontation with the Hidden Clan Leader. Neshuda was training his body to survive the pain that Hayate would feel.
The Eastern Powder Keg
Meanwhile, Hayate was dealing with the political fallout from the mainland. The Galthor Empire had finally responded to his diplomatic mission—and their reply was not peace.
The Galthor Emperor viewed the Aurekawa Citadel's internal crisis as an opportunity. Their troops had aggressively seized three key trading ports along the disputed Eastern border, claiming they were 'securing stability' after Narakka's coup.
The greatest source of tension, however, was Henudra.
Henudra, the cynical, ruthless spy, was too successful. He had managed to infiltrate a minor Shadow Sect cell operating near the Galthor border, gathering details on the Clan Leader's supply chains and their recruitment methods.
However, he was recently captured by a Galthor patrol.
Hayate felt a flash of frustrated fury when the report arrived. "He was supposed to be discreet! Now he's a political pawn for the Galthor Emperor!"
Queen Leona, surprisingly, offered Hayate excellent political advice. "The Galthor Emperor doesn't care about the traitor, King. He cares about your reaction. He wants you to send an army to rescue Henudra and spark a full war. That will destabilize your newly won kingdom."
"He is right," Neshuda said, emerging from the training grounds, bruised and breathing heavily after a session with Winter. He settled beside Hayate, radiating resolve. "We cannot move an army. But we cannot let the Galthor Emperor use Henudra's intelligence either."
Hayate felt the deep, cold, reflected focus from Neshuda. He knew what Neshuda was suggesting.
"A diplomatic extraction," Hayate murmured. "A show of force, but not military force. We will send a single, precise delegation to the Galthor border to demand the release of Henudra and the return of the seized ports."
"And who will lead that delegation, my King?" Leona asked, her eyes gleaming with political calculation.
Hayate stood, placing his hand on Neshuda's broad shoulder. "The Consort will lead it. He is a diplomatic necessity now. The Galthor Emperor knows that any harm to the Life Anchor is an act of war. Neshuda will go to the border, backed by a single detachment of my most loyal Guardsmen. He will negotiate the peace and retrieve the information."
Neshuda looked at Hayate, his dark eyes filled with absolute loyalty. "I accept, my King. But the risk is immense. This is a cold, calculated game of political war."
"I know," Hayate said, taking Neshuda's hand and bringing it to his lips—a private vow in a public setting. "But you are the strongest weapon I have, my love. You are a shield that cannot be broken. And I will feel every tense moment of that negotiation, every slight, every danger. The bond will keep us honest and safe."
The Long Separation
The day of Neshuda's departure for the Galthor border was difficult. The political mission was more dangerous than any skirmish with pirates.
Hayate stood with Neshuda in the Citadel's main courtyard, watching as the Consort prepared to ride out with Captain Torvin's contingent.
"Promise me, Neshuda," Hayate whispered, pulling him into a tight, lingering embrace. "Promise me you will not take unnecessary risks. Your body is mine now, and I cannot bear the pain of your political maneuvering."
Neshuda held Hayate tightly, channeling his full sweetness and resolve through the bond—a comforting balm against Hayate's anxiety.
"I will be a pure diplomat, my love. A cold, disciplined negotiator," Neshuda vowed. "I will not draw my sword unless you tell me to. I will retrieve the intelligence and return to you. We will face the Clan Leader together."
He pulled back, his eyes fixed on the King's. "I will miss you, Hayate. The silence will be too loud."
"I will miss your warmth," Hayate admitted. "But our minds are linked. I will be reading the Galthor negotiations through your emotions. And I will send you every ounce of my resolve to keep you strong."
Neshuda nodded, then mounted his horse. He rode out of the Citadel walls, the embodiment of a new era: a diplomat whose strength was not his title, but the absolute, loving bond with his King.
Hayate watched until the Consort was a distant speck on the horizon. The silence in the Citadel was suddenly overwhelming, broken only by the faint, distant echo of Neshuda's determination—a steady, low hum in his soul.