The Game Plan

"I told you he was sneaky."

Miterhause whispered to Yamamoto as Shagswell chatted with the waitress. They sat in a cozy corner in the castle's large dining area, where instead of the traditional long table, several smaller tables were placed around the room. The setting was perfect for smaller groups of people.

"He pulled a fast one on you, didn't he?" she said with a gentle smile. She nodded knowingly when Yamamoto agreed. "He's like that sometimes. You wouldn't know whether he would be serious at one point then suddenly fooling around in another. No real harm done, dear, you'll get used to him. He's being doing that to me for a long time now."

Yamamoto nodded again, taking comfort in the editor's words. It was not much of an issue really, but she was actually ready for a long argument when the man conceded so quickly. She thought it would had gone on longer. She forced herself to relax. This was a meal after all, and a free one at that.

"Thank you," Shagswell murmured to the waitress as she took their orders and walked away. He then turned to the women in front of him, smiling widely. "So, ladies! How are we to go about this?"

"As long as you let her do her work, Orion," Miterhause said, wagging a finger at him. "She's going to have to be present in all of the activities for the next three days here. I don't want you pouting and complaining. And don't give me that look too!" she said when Shagswell gave her the same innocent look as he did before.

"I'm not complaining, Samara," he replied, taking a sip from his glass. "It's just that I'm concerned that I would look unapproachable."

"Not really, Lord Shagswell," Yamamoto said. "I've also asked Miss Miterhause about having extra security in here as well. I do believe that fans will allow a bit of inconvenience if it means they would get to see you. They will understand." They paused when the waitress came back with a floating tray behind her. Their food was then placed down in front of them.

"Exactly," Miterhause said and started to cut into her tenderloin steak. "So what if there's one woman constantly hovering around you, Orion? I thought you like those things."

"This is different, Samara. My life is on the line," Shagswell said, spearing his fork into his salad. He turned to Yamamoto, who was delicately eating some grilled fish. "How is your food, Irika?"

"It's delicious, thank you," she replied, looking at her dish. Her grilled fillet of salmon with lemon cream sauce was really good. It was a far cry from her usual fare of rice balls and sautéed vegetables. She never knew that fish could be seasoned in this manner.

They finally agreed on the plan as the meal progressed. Yamamoto will be around Shagswell at all times, but she will not be wearing her uniform in order to blend in with the rest of the crowd. This will give her a bit of anonymity as well as a chance to sweep through the crowd, looking for who was a likely suspect.

"What will happen if you do finally manage to capture the culprit?" Miterhause asked curiously. They were now on dessert, and they ordered a cheese platter and some fruit.

"They will be questioned, then subsequently charged of course," the young woman replied. "Attempted murder if we catch them while on the act, though, I don't want things to go that far. I'd have to investigate again on the letters Lord Shagswell received. If we can manage to trace it to them and prove it that it really is them then we can do other steps on it."

"But if they see me with you always, don't you think they'll just wait until the tour ends and then take that opportunity to kill me instead? You might never get off this assignment, my dear," Shagswell said to Yamamoto, and his eyes twinkled a bit. The thought of having her always with him didn't sound bad at all.

"So you are suggesting to put yourself up for bait?" Miterhause said, giving him a slightly incredulous look. "I don't want you playing hero, Orion. You've done enough of that already."

Enough of what, Yamamoto wondered. She forced herself on the topic at hand. "You have a point, Lord Shagswell," she said. "But remember we're dealing with a fanatic here. Part of a stalker's profile is their persistence. I could put a wall around you, and they'll find a way to break through it nonetheless. No, I don't think my presence will be much of a deterrent. You are too much of a focus for whoever threatened you that everything else is either secondary or non-existent at all. "

Shagswell sighed. "All right, I give up. We'll do it your way," he said, and raised up his hands in mock surrender.

Miterhause clapped happily. "Finally! You saw the light. I offer a toast then: to the success of the tour and Orion's safety."

"Hear, hear," Shagswell fervently agreed as their glasses clinked together. He then noticed that Yamamoto used her water glass and that her wineglass was empty. "Irika, I thought you had your wine."

"I don't drink alcohol while on duty," the young woman simply replied, drinking her water. Miterhause giggled while Shagswell sighed again in exasperation.

That night after dinner, it was quiet, and Yamamoto took the opportunity to relax. After her bath, she idly sharpened her sword, running a whetstone along the sharp blade. The light grating sound was crooning music to her ears, and her mind was calm as she did her work.

There was a knock on the connecting door, and she blinked a few times before sheathing her sword and approaching it. She saw Shagswell, already in his sleeping robes, his head cocked to one side. "First question," he quickly said before she could speak. "Are you off duty?"

"Well, yes," she answered slowly, not knowing why he would ask that.

He then gave her a bright smile. "Good then! So now would you please have a glass of wine with me?"

"Oh," she said, pausing for a while. Then she shrugged. "Very well, sir."

"Finally!" he said. He then swung his arm from behind him and handed her a wineglass already half-full with red. "I thought you'd refuse again; my arm was getting tired."

She sighed, but took the glass and gave a small sip. "Thank you," she said, feeling the sharp liquid slid down her throat.

"You're welcome," Shagswell replied, smiling. Very welcome, he thought as he gazed at her. She wore a light blue kimono that served as her sleeping robe. Her hair also was let down, softly framing her face. It made her look softer and all the more lovely.

He was glad he persevered. Even during the dinner she would not take wine, and for some reason that made him want to see her have one even just a little bit. She was too formal sometimes and he really wanted to put her at ease with him. He leaned against the doorframe, enjoying the sight of her while she drank. "So, nervous about tomorrow?"

She shook her head, her long hair swung slightly behind her as she moved. "I am ready," she replied. "I believe we covered everything that needs to be covered. We'll have to see tomorrow then."

He shook his head, giving her a bemused smile. "You are quite the remarkable woman," he said. "I've never seen someone so composed and sure of herself."

She inclined her head to one side, acknowledging his compliment. "I have to be, or I make a mistake. I have your life to protect, and I cannot ignore that duty. I would not have the courage to face myself in the morning if I knew I did less than what I can do."

"Spoken like a trooper, like they say," he said. He was about to say more when his door knocked. He furrowed his brows. "I wonder who that is," he murmured.

He padded to the door and peeked through the eyehole. "Ah, it's you!" he said, and opened it to reveal Miterhause' secretary.

"Good evening, Lord Shagswell," she said, who blushed when she saw him. She gave him several sheets of parchment. "Here are the papers you requested from Miss Miterhause."

"Thank you, Lavinia," he said, taking them. "Would you like anything to drink?"

"Oh! No, thank you. I need to be up early tomorrow."

"Pity. Well, goodnight then, my dear."

"Good night, sir," the girl said. When she saw Yamamoto at the connecting door, she blinked in surprise, but then apparently remembered why the Hit Wizard was there. She inclined her head to her as well, then left.

"Here they are," he said as he went back to Yamamoto, shuffling through the parchments. "All the letters my most 'ardent' admirer sent me. I'm quite surprised you'll be having an evening read with this. It's not exactly a bedtime story."

Yamamoto gave a faint smile. "I'm not looking for one. I might find a clue in these. Don't worry, I don't dream."

"You have some Dreamless Sleeping Draught?"

"No, I just don't dream," she said. She took the letters from him and began to skim through them.

Shagswell slightly frowned. "I'm not sure I follow."

Yamamoto looked up from her reading. "I don't dream. I've been trained to suppress my dreams. Or rather, to not remember them if I do have one."

He was flabbergasted. He stared at her. "Trained? You've been trained?"

"Yes, since I was a child. My family has trained me for magical combat, aside from my brothers. Dreams are very distracting for us."

He was speechless. She looked very serious, and realized that what she said was true. He couldn't believe that any one would try to stop dreaming! He quickly forced a calm nod. "Is that so? Very well, I guess I shouldn't keep you. Good night then, Irika."

She smiled as he took the now empty wineglass from her. "Good night, Lord Shagswell. See you tomorrow. Thank you again for the wine."

"My absolute pleasure," he said, giving her a charming smile. As soon as he closed the door, though, he frowned. That casual remark on her not being able to dream was a little disturbing, and he worried for her. Who was this young lady?