The room was dark and lonely. Teru had hung a lamp for him which shed the bare minimum of light necessary for reading. Shion held the little scroll between his hands, against his bent knees. It wasn't a long text, but Teru had been right. There were many words he was unfamiliar with and had to tease the meaning out of.

He leaned his head back, rubbing at his tired eyes.

It had been three days now. He only knew because he'd kept count of the times Lord Teru came to him with food. He'd seen nothing of Yuma. It was entirely possible Teru was the only one who knew where he was. That thought terrified him. He'd slid the screen open once or twice, just to reassure himself he wasn't trapped inside.

Lord Teru had been outwardly kind to him, but he still seemed untrustworthy. Shion had spent many hours trying to figure out exactly why. He'd never been deceitful. In fact, the man was sometimes so honest it felt downright awkward. He wasn't sure how Teru knew all the things he did, but Shion didn't really know how his own intuition worked, either. Lord Teru was calm and rational. Normally that should've inspired at least some measure of trust, so why- why did Shion have such a dangerous feeling about him?

A small measure of additional light spilled into the room. Teru had returned. Another day was ending.

"Is Lord Hatori here?"

"No, Shion." The man sat down beside him. "Not yet."

"Do you think it will be safe to leave here soon?"

Teru paused. "My cousin gave a rousing speech to Kamui's men, reminding them they would be dealt harsh punishment for infighting and questioning the loyalty of those who would insist on squabbling over the death of a man who is, after all, no longer their master." He gave Shion a tight-lipped little smile. "This, of course, does not offer you any particular protection, but the man you pardoned may yet survive."

With a heavy sigh, Shion began to bind up the scroll. Teru pressed at his fingers, urging the movement to stop. He stared down at the hand lying over his own.

"Have you finished reading?"

He nodded.

"I want you to tell me something. What kind of war are you fighting? Who are your opponents, and why does the conflict exist?"

He blinked in sudden surprise, gazing up at the man who sat so close to him, regarding him so intently.

"Once you have answered these questions, tell me how you intend to defeat them. Is it better to run, or to hide, or to fight? Can further skirmishes be avoided, through negotiation, or persuasion, or deceit?" One of Lord Teru's fingers tapped pointedly at the scroll. "Read it again, with all this in mind."

"Surely my lord already knows the answers to these questions?"

Teru smiled at him. "One should never trust anyone else's conclusions. They may not share the same goals as you." He leaned over Shion's legs and placed the tray he'd brought on the other side, lingering over him for a moment before drawing back. "Once you have found your own answers," he murmured, "you may leave this place."

"But what if my answers are wrong?"

"Reason carefully, and they will not be."

He found the man's smile reassuring. If this situation Shion had found himself trapped in could be compared to a war, Lord Teru was making an attempt to help him survive it.

A sudden thought struck at him, odd and unignorable.

Why? Why did he care whether Shion lived or died? Was there some sort of battle being fought here as well? Was Teru one of his opponents, and, if so, how could he possibly hope to defeat him?

Run, or hide, or fight.

Negotiation, or persuasion, or-

Deceit.

Lord Teru stood watching him for a moment with an unknowable smile.

Sighing, Shion watched him go. He supposed he ought to approach the most pressing issue first. This war he was fighting- it was, first of all, for survival, but really for acceptance, for some small sense of recognition, for the slightest measure of respect. Yuma might've had some advice for him on this subject, if he had only shown his face. Of course, such a man must be very busy, but still-

He'd known what had happened. He'd talked to the soldiers about it. Shion couldn't help but feel a bit abandoned.

Was that what Lord Yuma wanted? Or was Teru purposely keeping them apart? Many things the man had said and done seemed to support this conclusion, but why should it matter? With most men, Shion would have suspected jealousy, but, with Teru-

That didn't seem quite right.

He was becoming distracted. Shion stretched out his legs and tried to lay down.

It was the same war he'd always fought. The only truce had come in those fleeting moments with Kagamine- Kagamine, who had accepted him and treated him like an equal. He wondered what would happen when Lord Hatori finally arrived. He sincerely hoped the boy would be cherished and loved. He deserved at least that much.

As for Shion himself-

There was nothing for him but this cold, empty little room.

Kamui's soldiers were angry with the guard for what he'd done, and they were angry with him for excusing it. What right did some outsider have to pass judgment on one of their own? He'd overstepped his bounds, but what else could he have done? The man had wished forgiveness specifically from him, as he'd been the one most offended among those who still lived. Shion believed what he had done had been justified. He saw no reason to doubt it.

He'd faced conflict with his master and had simply run away. That had seemed the best option- he was so far outmatched, without any ally to speak of. Allies, he considered silently, could be very useful- but one could never be sure until that allegiance was tested-

*Remember what you have said.*

That familiar chill chased down along his spine.

Running was no longer an option, and he could only hide for so long. Actual fighting was out of the question. He had to find some way to stand firm and gain the soldiers' acceptance. Surely there were those among them who would benefit from his medical knowledge-

Lord Teru would know who they were. Would he be willing to tell him?

"I choose persuasion," he murmured into the darkness, “and at least a temporary alliance."

He yawned. After spending all that time translating the specialized text, then processing all these dense and tedious thoughts, Shion found himself rather exhausted. In the morning, he'd do as Lord Teru had asked and review the writing as well, but, for now-

The memory of the man’s touch burned against his skin.

Could it be possible that Lord Teru was jealous, after all?

That he was trying to keep Shion all to himself?

He laughed. Surely he must be truly exhausted to wonder about such things.