"All Your Fault"
Title: “All Your Fault”
Author: Trinity
Fandom: Kamen Rider Kiva
Universe: Queen Caligula
Rating: R
Warnings: This is a much darker fic than usual. It includes mentions of rape and violence and an abusive relationship. This takes place in my darker “Queen Caligula” universe, featuring Suzuki Sakomi.
Summary: Everything is Sakomi’s fault, according to Taiga.
Sometimes, Bishop imagined that his life would be much easier if he had just dethroned Taiga, the Fangire King and not forced his daughter, Suzuki Sakomi, to marry him. By all accounts, Bishop’s only daughter was absolutely miserable and not treated very well by her husband. Taiga cared little for Sakomi, despite the things he’d done to get her to be his wife, and only kept her around to serve as his trophy, dressing her up in fine clothing and jewelry to parade her around as though they were the perfect King and Queen.
Sakomi resented being shown as though she was nothing more than a show dog or a trophy, but whenever she tried to protest, Taiga was… violent. He didn’t care to hear Sakomi’s whines or complaints and while he wasn’t as nasty to Bishop, Bishop did not appreciate the vitriol and treatment his daughter received from Taiga. Bishop knew the moment he overheard Taiga verbally berate Sakomi for her choice of shoes for a dinner, that he had made a horrible mistake. Bishop knew then that not doing enough to save Sakomi’s lover, Satoru, from death was the absolute worst thing he could have done.
So, he recruited the new young Rook, Sakurai, to protect Sakomi from Taiga’s wrath.
Unfortunately, even Sakurai and Bishop combined could not protect Sakomi from the fury of her dangerous husband. Late one night, Bishop was summoned to Castle Doran, which had been handed over to Sakomi as a present and served as her private stronghold. He found Sakurai and Sakomi holed up in a darkened room, Sakurai comforting a sobbing Sakomi.
After a moment or two of allowing his vision to adjust, he noticed dark bruises and dried blue blood on Sakomi’s pale skin. She looked as though she’d been beaten and it did not take long for Bishop’s rage to sink in. He felt guilty for forcing Sakomi into an abusive marriage.
“Sakomi…” Bishop knelt beside his wounded daughter and touched her wounds, his heart breaking and filling with rage all at once. “Are you all right? What happened?”
“He tried to force himself on her.” Sakurai replied, wanting to spare his mistress the pain of explaining it to Bishop. “I caught him attempting to rape her, so I pulled the King off her, and rushed her out. He was beating on her, too. I had to save her.”
“It’s not his fault.” Sakomi groaned pain evident in her voice. “It was mine. I should have said yes and not no.”
“Hush!” Sakurai lifted Sakomi into his arms and proceeded to carry her into her private quarters, Bishop following behind. “Don’t you DARE blame yourself! This was HIS doing! Not yours! You did NOTHING to deserve his hatred!”
“Sakurai, please, put me down.” Sakomi was trying not to go into hysterics. “I have to go back. He’s going to be angry if I do not come back.”
“Sakomi-sama, you are not setting foot in that penthouse again!” Sakurai refused to deliver her back into a situation where she would surely be killed. “You’re staying right here where you’ll be safe.”
“If I don’t come back, I’ll be safe NOWHERE.” Sakomi insisted. “Sakurai. I am your QUEEN. PUT ME DOWN.”
When Sakomi spoke to him in that firm, authoritative tone, Sakurai had no choice. As the Rook, he was a servant of the Queen and when she ordered him to do something, he did it. Gingerly, he set Sakomi down.
“Sakomi…” Bishop began, but Sakomi wouldn’t hear of it.
“Dad. Enough. If I am not back, he will find me. And you don’t want him to find me.” Sakomi then limped off, wheezing and stumbling, but managing to pick herself up and go.
“Where have you been?” Taiga’s voice was dangerously quiet as Sakomi opened the door to the penthouse, only to find him waiting for her in the dark. He was stroking the black glove on his hand in a way she didn’t like.
“With my father and Sakurai.” She said calmly. She knew that tone. She knew that she had to be very, very careful. “I didn’t stay long. Father was concerned.”
“Your father needs to mind his own business.” Taiga got up from the chair, advancing like a dangerous predator. “You are MY wife, not his. He has no business checking up on you the way he does.”
“After what you did to Mother, you should be thankful he didn’t have you killed.” Sakomi spat.
Taiga suddenly grabbed Sakomi by the throat and Sakomi gasped for air, struggling as his markings came out, his eyes burning with dangerous rage. “You have NO BUSINESS SPEAKING TO ME THAT WAY!” He roared. “YOU ARE NOTHING WITHOUT ME! NOTHING!” He threw her to the floor and Sakomi whimpered her bruises from earlier hurting. “You are worse than your mother, and Maya. A worthless, stupid, Queen. Nothing more than a wolf’s whore!” He kicked her in the stomach then and Sakomi screamed in pain.
“Stop…please…” Sakomi gasped for air.
“Why did I marry you, hmm?” Taiga knelt down and slapped her across the face. “Why did I sully myself with a bastard daughter like you? Oh, well, it’s all your fault, you see. You make me do these things to you to keep you in line. A Queen is supposed to be loyal and faithful to her King. A Queen is supposed to be good and pure. You… are not. You are a whore… and I have to beat it out of you.”
“…Satoru didn’t deserve to die that way.” Sakomi rasped. “You forced my mother to do your damn dirty work for you and then, when she expressed regret, you murdered her in cold blood. That was my mother! MY MOTHER!” Sakomi’s rant was cut off by Taiga kicking her again.
“SILENCE!” He yelled. “You are going to be the Queen I want you to be even if I have to force it out of you!” He kicked her again and Sakomi screamed, coughing. Blue blood trickled from her lips.
“Stop it, please!” She begged. “Please, Taiga! Stop it!”
Taiga did stop. He fixed her with a cold, angry glare. “Get your worthless self up. And clean up this mess you made.” With that, he turned and walked out, leaving Sakomi lying on the floor, bleeding and broken.
Unable to make herself move for a few minutes, Sakomi simply lay there, sobbing for Satoru, curling up into a ball and wishing it was his arms around her to comfort her instead of her trying to tell herself that Taiga wasn’t truly this way. She’d seen how he was with Kurenai Wataru, his half brother. She wondered why that Taiga didn’t care for her... perhaps she truly was a worthless Queen.
When Sakurai came over the next day, he saw his Queen sitting on a sofa, tending to fresh bruises. He almost flew into a blind rage, if not for Sakomi holding up her hand to stop him.
“I spoke of Satoru. I’m not supposed to. So, I paid for my mistakes.” She said, simply. “Don’t challenge me, Sakurai. I’m not in the mood.”
“Maya-sama would never have stood for this.” Sakurai went to tend to her wounds. “If she had known what her son was up to…”
“What could Maya have done? She was powerless and you saw how he treated her.” Sakomi’s voice got really quiet. “And apparently, Taiga likes killing Queens on top of that…”
Sakurai’s mouth fell open, but he said nothing. Sakurai hated witnessing the abuse his Queen suffered at the hands of her King. He now knew how Bishop felt witnessing the abuse between Maya and King. It was a deep secret, but Sakurai loved Sakomi and he would have given anything in the world to be able to stop Taiga… but he knew he couldn’t. Of all the Fangire, Taiga was the strongest… and he was never to be disobeyed. “Satoru would never have let this happen to you.”
“No, he wouldn’t. Why do you think Taiga had him killed?” Sakomi winced as Satoru bandaged her wounds. “Please, not so hard. It hurts.”
“Sorry.” Sakurai fixed Sakomi with an intense gaze. “You… you deserve better than this. Nothing that’s happened to you is your fault.
“It is my fault.” Sakomi replied. “I do not know how to be a good Queen. I am worthless, nothing…”
“LIES!” Sakurai paused for a moment. “Sakomi… Queen, don’t you see what he’s done to your head? The Queen I served would NEVER have allowed her King to lay a finger on her! He takes PLEASURE in beating you and making you miserable… all the while, going to his half brother and sleeping with him behind your back because he knows you will say nothing out of fear! He doesn’t love you, he doesn’t respect you and if he could, he’d have you killed!”
“Sakurai…please.” Sakomi, begged. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
Sakurai looked at Sakomi’s face, taking in the black eye, the bruised cheek and swollen lip. Her eyes were full of pain and she was pleading with him not to get himself hurt or killed. He wanted to kill Taiga for breaking her heart and running her life.
“Queen. I do not serve him. I serve you. And I will protect you. No matter what.” Sakurai stood firm. “I promise.”
Suddenly, the door opened and there was Taiga.
Sakomi gasped and then turned to Sakurai. “Sakurai. Leave. Now.” She tried to make her trembling voice as authoritative as possible, but Sakurai was having none of it.
“Queen…”
“SAKURAI.” Sakomi wanted to whimper, but she forced herself to speak as best she could. “Leave.”
“What’s going on here, Sakomi?” Taiga asked, his voice taking on a tone Sakomi had learned to utterly fear. “Why is the Rook here?”
“I came to check on the Queen. Bishop insisted that I come see her because if he lays eyes on you himself, well… there is no telling what he might do.”
“SAKURAI!” Sakomi did scream then, straining her voice. “Please. I told you to leave. That’s an order.”
Sakurai didn’t budge for a moment, but the pleading look in Sakomi’s eyes told him to listen. He then left the apartment, but did not go off the floor. He was not about to leave his Queen to die.
“Are you sleeping with the Rook, Sakomi?” Taiga asked. “Is that why he was here? Are you fucking him behind my back?”
Sakomi was shaking in terror. “No, Taiga. I’m not. Sakurai is my servant. He worries for my safety.”
“LIAR!” Sakomi found her face stinging as Taiga slapped her across the face, knocking her down. “You ARE fucking him! I should have known!” Taiga then picked her up by her hair and threw her across the room, sending her into the dining room table with a crash. “What, am I not enough for you, you stupid, bitch? I’ll show you enough!”
Sakomi tried to crawl away, knowing that if she didn’t get away from Taiga now, he was going to do something that hurt a lot.
But Taiga was having none of it. He managed to pin Sakomi down to the floor of the apartment. “I will show you who you should be loyal to!”
“Taiga, NO!” Sakomi shouted at the top of her lungs. “NO! DON’T!”
Sakomi’s shrieking from the other side of the door was the final straw for Sakurai. He changed into his Lion Fangire form, backed up and then rammed through the door with such force that the door went flying off the hinges.
Sakurai didn’t stop. He rammed his body into Taiga, knocking him off Sakomi. He scooped her up into his arms and vanished into a storm of red rose petals. He had finally had enough.
Taiga was left alone to scream into nothingness.
Sakurai gently laid Sakomi down in her opulent bed chamber. By the time they’d reached Castle Doran, she’d passed out from her pain. Sakurai tended to her wounds, using tender care to clean her up. Sakomi even bruised and bloody, was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
And he was still hopelessly in love with her. But she was the Queen… and he would never be worthy enough for her love.
Sakomi was still asleep by the time Bishop blew into the castle, fully enraged. “WHAT DID THAT BASTARD DO TO MY BABY?!” Bishop roared, Fangire marking showing up, four shades darker than usual. “What has he done!?”
Sakurai’s voice was very soft. “He raped her.”
Bishop nearly exploded. “He did what?”
“I didn’t see it… but I heard enough to know exactly what he did.” Sakurai closed the canopy curtains around Sakomi and ushered her father out before he woke her. “I saved her. Satoshi. This has to end. She cannot live like this anymore. We have to do something.”
Bishop was seething with rage. “HE VIOLATED MY BABY?!”
“SATOSHI!” Sakurai yelled. “First we get her out of this marriage and then you can take his head off!” He sighed. “We need a plan.”
“We need no plan.” Bishop reached inside his coat and pulled out a special charm he’d had made for just such an occasion. “I have this.”
“What is that?” Sakurai asked.
“It’s something called ‘Ret Con’. It was originally a drug, but then someone reformatted it to be able to actually change timelines. It’s not really supposed to be used, but I cannot stand watching Sakomi suffer another second.” Bishop sighed. “It will reverse everything and take Sakomi back to when Satoru was alive. Only you and I will have any memory of this timeline and we’ll be able to save Satoru’s life…”
“…and dethrone Taiga in the process. Satoshi, it’s ingenious.”
When Sakomi awoke, Sakurai had prepared the drug for her and was awaiting her rouse from slumber. “Queen…”
“Sakurai, you saved me.” Sakomi murmured. “Thank you.”
“It was nothing.” Sakurai put the drink down. “Are you okay, Sakomi-sama?”
“I just hurt.” Sakomi murmured, softly shuddering as Sakurai touched her face. His touch sent shivers up her spine and she had to fight the urges he stirred in her. “Sakurai… you’ve been so kind to me. You saved my life so many times… but why? It can’t just be loyalty…”
Sakurai knew that once Sakomi drank the drug and the timeline was reset, that he would never get a chance to tell her what had been in his heart from the moment her father had introduced them. “Sakomi…” Sakurai began. “I am this way, protecting you… because I love you. I know I am just the Rook and you are the Queen, but I love you! I wish… I wish you could have married ME and not Taiga! I would never have been this way to you! What Taiga does… that’s not love!” Now that it was out, he couldn’t stop. “Queen…I love you. I would have given my life for you. I just…” He sighed. “Drink this.” He handed her the goblet. “You’ll feel better.”
Sakomi took the goblet, smiled softly at him and then whispered, “I love you, too.”
Sakurai’s heart swelled and when she kissed him, he wished he didn’t have to reset the timeline. He wanted more kisses with Sakomi, more time with her… he almost didn’t want to give her back to Satoru. But he knew… she would be happier with the man she’d always loved.
Sakomi drank the drink then and her smile was the last thing Sakurai saw.
“…Sakomi? Sakomi! Wake up, love!”
The achingly familiar voice made Sakomi’s eyes open slowly and she found herself nearly blinded by morning sunshine and a brilliant smile. “I’m up, I’m up…” She murmured groggily.
“No, don’t rush.” Fujimori Satoru’s handsome face warmed considerably as he cupped Sakomi’s face in his hands. “I just wanted to watch you wake up. You’re so cute.”
Sakomi’s eyes widened as her vision focused. “Satoru? But I thought…oh, I had a terrible nightmare…”
“It’s okay.” Satoru soothed her. “It was just a dream. You’re awake now and with me.” He kissed her forehead. “Now, how about breakfast? I’ll make pancakes.”
Sakomi smiled softly. “I’d like pancakes, thank you.”
Satoru smiled and went off to make food. Sakomi looked into the mirror across the bedroom and bit her lip. It had all been a dream… hadn’t it?
Author: Trinity
Fandom: Kamen Rider Kiva
Universe: Queen Caligula
Rating: R
Warnings: This is a much darker fic than usual. It includes mentions of rape and violence and an abusive relationship. This takes place in my darker “Queen Caligula” universe, featuring Suzuki Sakomi.
Summary: Everything is Sakomi’s fault, according to Taiga.
Sometimes, Bishop imagined that his life would be much easier if he had just dethroned Taiga, the Fangire King and not forced his daughter, Suzuki Sakomi, to marry him. By all accounts, Bishop’s only daughter was absolutely miserable and not treated very well by her husband. Taiga cared little for Sakomi, despite the things he’d done to get her to be his wife, and only kept her around to serve as his trophy, dressing her up in fine clothing and jewelry to parade her around as though they were the perfect King and Queen.
Sakomi resented being shown as though she was nothing more than a show dog or a trophy, but whenever she tried to protest, Taiga was… violent. He didn’t care to hear Sakomi’s whines or complaints and while he wasn’t as nasty to Bishop, Bishop did not appreciate the vitriol and treatment his daughter received from Taiga. Bishop knew the moment he overheard Taiga verbally berate Sakomi for her choice of shoes for a dinner, that he had made a horrible mistake. Bishop knew then that not doing enough to save Sakomi’s lover, Satoru, from death was the absolute worst thing he could have done.
So, he recruited the new young Rook, Sakurai, to protect Sakomi from Taiga’s wrath.
Unfortunately, even Sakurai and Bishop combined could not protect Sakomi from the fury of her dangerous husband. Late one night, Bishop was summoned to Castle Doran, which had been handed over to Sakomi as a present and served as her private stronghold. He found Sakurai and Sakomi holed up in a darkened room, Sakurai comforting a sobbing Sakomi.
After a moment or two of allowing his vision to adjust, he noticed dark bruises and dried blue blood on Sakomi’s pale skin. She looked as though she’d been beaten and it did not take long for Bishop’s rage to sink in. He felt guilty for forcing Sakomi into an abusive marriage.
“Sakomi…” Bishop knelt beside his wounded daughter and touched her wounds, his heart breaking and filling with rage all at once. “Are you all right? What happened?”
“He tried to force himself on her.” Sakurai replied, wanting to spare his mistress the pain of explaining it to Bishop. “I caught him attempting to rape her, so I pulled the King off her, and rushed her out. He was beating on her, too. I had to save her.”
“It’s not his fault.” Sakomi groaned pain evident in her voice. “It was mine. I should have said yes and not no.”
“Hush!” Sakurai lifted Sakomi into his arms and proceeded to carry her into her private quarters, Bishop following behind. “Don’t you DARE blame yourself! This was HIS doing! Not yours! You did NOTHING to deserve his hatred!”
“Sakurai, please, put me down.” Sakomi was trying not to go into hysterics. “I have to go back. He’s going to be angry if I do not come back.”
“Sakomi-sama, you are not setting foot in that penthouse again!” Sakurai refused to deliver her back into a situation where she would surely be killed. “You’re staying right here where you’ll be safe.”
“If I don’t come back, I’ll be safe NOWHERE.” Sakomi insisted. “Sakurai. I am your QUEEN. PUT ME DOWN.”
When Sakomi spoke to him in that firm, authoritative tone, Sakurai had no choice. As the Rook, he was a servant of the Queen and when she ordered him to do something, he did it. Gingerly, he set Sakomi down.
“Sakomi…” Bishop began, but Sakomi wouldn’t hear of it.
“Dad. Enough. If I am not back, he will find me. And you don’t want him to find me.” Sakomi then limped off, wheezing and stumbling, but managing to pick herself up and go.
“Where have you been?” Taiga’s voice was dangerously quiet as Sakomi opened the door to the penthouse, only to find him waiting for her in the dark. He was stroking the black glove on his hand in a way she didn’t like.
“With my father and Sakurai.” She said calmly. She knew that tone. She knew that she had to be very, very careful. “I didn’t stay long. Father was concerned.”
“Your father needs to mind his own business.” Taiga got up from the chair, advancing like a dangerous predator. “You are MY wife, not his. He has no business checking up on you the way he does.”
“After what you did to Mother, you should be thankful he didn’t have you killed.” Sakomi spat.
Taiga suddenly grabbed Sakomi by the throat and Sakomi gasped for air, struggling as his markings came out, his eyes burning with dangerous rage. “You have NO BUSINESS SPEAKING TO ME THAT WAY!” He roared. “YOU ARE NOTHING WITHOUT ME! NOTHING!” He threw her to the floor and Sakomi whimpered her bruises from earlier hurting. “You are worse than your mother, and Maya. A worthless, stupid, Queen. Nothing more than a wolf’s whore!” He kicked her in the stomach then and Sakomi screamed in pain.
“Stop…please…” Sakomi gasped for air.
“Why did I marry you, hmm?” Taiga knelt down and slapped her across the face. “Why did I sully myself with a bastard daughter like you? Oh, well, it’s all your fault, you see. You make me do these things to you to keep you in line. A Queen is supposed to be loyal and faithful to her King. A Queen is supposed to be good and pure. You… are not. You are a whore… and I have to beat it out of you.”
“…Satoru didn’t deserve to die that way.” Sakomi rasped. “You forced my mother to do your damn dirty work for you and then, when she expressed regret, you murdered her in cold blood. That was my mother! MY MOTHER!” Sakomi’s rant was cut off by Taiga kicking her again.
“SILENCE!” He yelled. “You are going to be the Queen I want you to be even if I have to force it out of you!” He kicked her again and Sakomi screamed, coughing. Blue blood trickled from her lips.
“Stop it, please!” She begged. “Please, Taiga! Stop it!”
Taiga did stop. He fixed her with a cold, angry glare. “Get your worthless self up. And clean up this mess you made.” With that, he turned and walked out, leaving Sakomi lying on the floor, bleeding and broken.
Unable to make herself move for a few minutes, Sakomi simply lay there, sobbing for Satoru, curling up into a ball and wishing it was his arms around her to comfort her instead of her trying to tell herself that Taiga wasn’t truly this way. She’d seen how he was with Kurenai Wataru, his half brother. She wondered why that Taiga didn’t care for her... perhaps she truly was a worthless Queen.
When Sakurai came over the next day, he saw his Queen sitting on a sofa, tending to fresh bruises. He almost flew into a blind rage, if not for Sakomi holding up her hand to stop him.
“I spoke of Satoru. I’m not supposed to. So, I paid for my mistakes.” She said, simply. “Don’t challenge me, Sakurai. I’m not in the mood.”
“Maya-sama would never have stood for this.” Sakurai went to tend to her wounds. “If she had known what her son was up to…”
“What could Maya have done? She was powerless and you saw how he treated her.” Sakomi’s voice got really quiet. “And apparently, Taiga likes killing Queens on top of that…”
Sakurai’s mouth fell open, but he said nothing. Sakurai hated witnessing the abuse his Queen suffered at the hands of her King. He now knew how Bishop felt witnessing the abuse between Maya and King. It was a deep secret, but Sakurai loved Sakomi and he would have given anything in the world to be able to stop Taiga… but he knew he couldn’t. Of all the Fangire, Taiga was the strongest… and he was never to be disobeyed. “Satoru would never have let this happen to you.”
“No, he wouldn’t. Why do you think Taiga had him killed?” Sakomi winced as Satoru bandaged her wounds. “Please, not so hard. It hurts.”
“Sorry.” Sakurai fixed Sakomi with an intense gaze. “You… you deserve better than this. Nothing that’s happened to you is your fault.
“It is my fault.” Sakomi replied. “I do not know how to be a good Queen. I am worthless, nothing…”
“LIES!” Sakurai paused for a moment. “Sakomi… Queen, don’t you see what he’s done to your head? The Queen I served would NEVER have allowed her King to lay a finger on her! He takes PLEASURE in beating you and making you miserable… all the while, going to his half brother and sleeping with him behind your back because he knows you will say nothing out of fear! He doesn’t love you, he doesn’t respect you and if he could, he’d have you killed!”
“Sakurai…please.” Sakomi, begged. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
Sakurai looked at Sakomi’s face, taking in the black eye, the bruised cheek and swollen lip. Her eyes were full of pain and she was pleading with him not to get himself hurt or killed. He wanted to kill Taiga for breaking her heart and running her life.
“Queen. I do not serve him. I serve you. And I will protect you. No matter what.” Sakurai stood firm. “I promise.”
Suddenly, the door opened and there was Taiga.
Sakomi gasped and then turned to Sakurai. “Sakurai. Leave. Now.” She tried to make her trembling voice as authoritative as possible, but Sakurai was having none of it.
“Queen…”
“SAKURAI.” Sakomi wanted to whimper, but she forced herself to speak as best she could. “Leave.”
“What’s going on here, Sakomi?” Taiga asked, his voice taking on a tone Sakomi had learned to utterly fear. “Why is the Rook here?”
“I came to check on the Queen. Bishop insisted that I come see her because if he lays eyes on you himself, well… there is no telling what he might do.”
“SAKURAI!” Sakomi did scream then, straining her voice. “Please. I told you to leave. That’s an order.”
Sakurai didn’t budge for a moment, but the pleading look in Sakomi’s eyes told him to listen. He then left the apartment, but did not go off the floor. He was not about to leave his Queen to die.
“Are you sleeping with the Rook, Sakomi?” Taiga asked. “Is that why he was here? Are you fucking him behind my back?”
Sakomi was shaking in terror. “No, Taiga. I’m not. Sakurai is my servant. He worries for my safety.”
“LIAR!” Sakomi found her face stinging as Taiga slapped her across the face, knocking her down. “You ARE fucking him! I should have known!” Taiga then picked her up by her hair and threw her across the room, sending her into the dining room table with a crash. “What, am I not enough for you, you stupid, bitch? I’ll show you enough!”
Sakomi tried to crawl away, knowing that if she didn’t get away from Taiga now, he was going to do something that hurt a lot.
But Taiga was having none of it. He managed to pin Sakomi down to the floor of the apartment. “I will show you who you should be loyal to!”
“Taiga, NO!” Sakomi shouted at the top of her lungs. “NO! DON’T!”
Sakomi’s shrieking from the other side of the door was the final straw for Sakurai. He changed into his Lion Fangire form, backed up and then rammed through the door with such force that the door went flying off the hinges.
Sakurai didn’t stop. He rammed his body into Taiga, knocking him off Sakomi. He scooped her up into his arms and vanished into a storm of red rose petals. He had finally had enough.
Taiga was left alone to scream into nothingness.
Sakurai gently laid Sakomi down in her opulent bed chamber. By the time they’d reached Castle Doran, she’d passed out from her pain. Sakurai tended to her wounds, using tender care to clean her up. Sakomi even bruised and bloody, was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
And he was still hopelessly in love with her. But she was the Queen… and he would never be worthy enough for her love.
Sakomi was still asleep by the time Bishop blew into the castle, fully enraged. “WHAT DID THAT BASTARD DO TO MY BABY?!” Bishop roared, Fangire marking showing up, four shades darker than usual. “What has he done!?”
Sakurai’s voice was very soft. “He raped her.”
Bishop nearly exploded. “He did what?”
“I didn’t see it… but I heard enough to know exactly what he did.” Sakurai closed the canopy curtains around Sakomi and ushered her father out before he woke her. “I saved her. Satoshi. This has to end. She cannot live like this anymore. We have to do something.”
Bishop was seething with rage. “HE VIOLATED MY BABY?!”
“SATOSHI!” Sakurai yelled. “First we get her out of this marriage and then you can take his head off!” He sighed. “We need a plan.”
“We need no plan.” Bishop reached inside his coat and pulled out a special charm he’d had made for just such an occasion. “I have this.”
“What is that?” Sakurai asked.
“It’s something called ‘Ret Con’. It was originally a drug, but then someone reformatted it to be able to actually change timelines. It’s not really supposed to be used, but I cannot stand watching Sakomi suffer another second.” Bishop sighed. “It will reverse everything and take Sakomi back to when Satoru was alive. Only you and I will have any memory of this timeline and we’ll be able to save Satoru’s life…”
“…and dethrone Taiga in the process. Satoshi, it’s ingenious.”
When Sakomi awoke, Sakurai had prepared the drug for her and was awaiting her rouse from slumber. “Queen…”
“Sakurai, you saved me.” Sakomi murmured. “Thank you.”
“It was nothing.” Sakurai put the drink down. “Are you okay, Sakomi-sama?”
“I just hurt.” Sakomi murmured, softly shuddering as Sakurai touched her face. His touch sent shivers up her spine and she had to fight the urges he stirred in her. “Sakurai… you’ve been so kind to me. You saved my life so many times… but why? It can’t just be loyalty…”
Sakurai knew that once Sakomi drank the drug and the timeline was reset, that he would never get a chance to tell her what had been in his heart from the moment her father had introduced them. “Sakomi…” Sakurai began. “I am this way, protecting you… because I love you. I know I am just the Rook and you are the Queen, but I love you! I wish… I wish you could have married ME and not Taiga! I would never have been this way to you! What Taiga does… that’s not love!” Now that it was out, he couldn’t stop. “Queen…I love you. I would have given my life for you. I just…” He sighed. “Drink this.” He handed her the goblet. “You’ll feel better.”
Sakomi took the goblet, smiled softly at him and then whispered, “I love you, too.”
Sakurai’s heart swelled and when she kissed him, he wished he didn’t have to reset the timeline. He wanted more kisses with Sakomi, more time with her… he almost didn’t want to give her back to Satoru. But he knew… she would be happier with the man she’d always loved.
Sakomi drank the drink then and her smile was the last thing Sakurai saw.
“…Sakomi? Sakomi! Wake up, love!”
The achingly familiar voice made Sakomi’s eyes open slowly and she found herself nearly blinded by morning sunshine and a brilliant smile. “I’m up, I’m up…” She murmured groggily.
“No, don’t rush.” Fujimori Satoru’s handsome face warmed considerably as he cupped Sakomi’s face in his hands. “I just wanted to watch you wake up. You’re so cute.”
Sakomi’s eyes widened as her vision focused. “Satoru? But I thought…oh, I had a terrible nightmare…”
“It’s okay.” Satoru soothed her. “It was just a dream. You’re awake now and with me.” He kissed her forehead. “Now, how about breakfast? I’ll make pancakes.”
Sakomi smiled softly. “I’d like pancakes, thank you.”
Satoru smiled and went off to make food. Sakomi looked into the mirror across the bedroom and bit her lip. It had all been a dream… hadn’t it?