The King has forgotten all of his beloved,
He keeps his treasure one,
His only shining jewel,
Inside of his daughter,
The Jewel of Moonwalk.
(from Mizuwari City's Old Poetry)
"Ah, so this is Mizuwari City?" the black bird chirps, admiring the beauty of the small but crowded city.
"This is Mizuwari City, Kir," the young boy repeats the bird's words with a calm smile, letting his eyes to wander. He tucks his hands inside of his trenchcoat's pockets.
"Well then...," the bird named Kir turns to look at the boy, resting itself on the boy's shoulder, "...where is our target, Jing?"
The boy smiles at his partner and answers the question simply, pointing a high tower with his finger, "There."
"It's inside a tower?!" Kir speaks loudly, earning attention from citizens around. It's not because of a talking bird but because it mentions about the tower.
"Don't say it out loud, Kir," Jing walks to the tower location while the black bird follows him, flapping its wings slowly. "I will get the Jewel of Moonwalk. Whatever it takes."
"Of course you will," the bird smirks with confidence. "Nothing can get in the way of King of Bandit, right?"
Jing just chuckles at his partner's words since he has heard it a million times.
"But I want to find lovely girls here!" Kir grabs Jing's sleeve, stopping him from continuing his steps. "Can I find one? Love journey is waiting for me!"
"I'm sure your love can wait," Jing quickly grabs Kir before it flies away to flirt girls. "Our target takes priority first."
"Hey! You don't even know who the owner is!" Kir blurts out the reason for it to run away. "The only information we know is the fact that the shine of Jewel of Moonwalk when you put it under the moonlight is really beautiful. Only that, Jing!"
Kir stops struggling from Jing's grip and hits his head lightly with its wing, "Before you send the announcement letter to the owner, you must find more information!"
"You said it all like you're going to help me," Jing doesn't loosen his grip on the bird, dragging it along with him. "However I have found more information while you're flirting with the waitress during our lunch."
"Really?!" Kir sounds surprised yet excited by its partner's sudden statement. "What kind of information?"
Jing doesn't answer until they reach a tree. He leans his back against the trunk of the tree and releases the bird, "The owner of the Jewel of Moonwalk is the King of this country. Since Mizuwari City is the capital city, the residents of the kingdom stay here."
"However since ten years ago, the King lost his beloved wife because of an illness. He also lost his oldest son for war and his youngest son due to an accident. The King finally became stressed after the recurring incidents," Jing crosses his arms together, closing his eyes to remember the exact information.
"His only beloved daughter is his only treasure. The Jewel of Moonwalk, people said, captured the King's heart. It makes him forget every painful incident. The King treasures the Jewel of Moonwalk so much that he seals the Jewel of Moonwalk inside of his own daughter," Jing explains the details carefully. "To protect it, the King even locks his daughter inside that tower and never let the Princess out from there."
"A Princess is inside that old tower for ten years?!" Kir raises its voice but it quickly covers its mouth, realizing that it can make them suspicious.
"That's terrible!" it hisses with shock all written on its face.
"Of course it is," Jing straightens his body and continues to walk to the tower. "You can consider this target as saving the Princess as well, Kir."
"But what do you mean by the Jewel of Moonwalk is 'inside' her body?" Kir tilts its head, wondering about the meaning of the sentence.
"I have no idea about that for now. Well, anyway, we can't storm in the tower easily because the King hires people to guard around the tower," Jing stops his steps when they have arrived in front of the castle gate. "It will be a quite difficult mission."
He doesn't enter it because there are guardians all around. Jing turns to the bird and tells it, "Here we are. The castle of the King."
"Wait a minute!" Kir whispers to him with disbelief. "You come to the castle without knowing how to enter the tower?!"
Jing laughs softly, "I did say that it's difficult but I never said that I can't go inside the tower."
"You see, there's a way to enter the tower. A guardian will not stay at place for the whole day. There must be shifts for them," Jing walks backwards, taking another way to get closer to the tower. "When they change their shifts, we can go inside the tower, right to the Princess' room, from the only window."
"Ah!" Kir grins as it finally understands their plan. It stops when Jing also pauses his steps, staring at the high stone wall which blocks their way to the tower.
"Well then, it's time," Jing grabs Kir with a wide smile on his face. "Fly me there, Kir! No complaint or you will never see the Princess!"
"What?" Kir raises its eyebrows with confusion. "Won't you send the announcement letter first to the King if you want to steal the Jewel of Moonwalk?"
"Who said that I will steal the Jewel of Moonwalk now?" Jing retorts the question. "I just want to check the battlefield. Now, fly, Kir!"
Kir heaves a sigh and finally takes Jing as strong as it can, flying pass the stone wall. The guardians walk away to change places with other guardians. Kir, along with L, manage to enter the tower from the window just in time so the guardians don't notice their presence.
"You must pay me equally for this, Jing!" Kir whispers as it releases Jing after he lands his feet on the tower; the first part of their plan has done successfully.
Both of them are in a simple but beautiful room with only two wooden doors and one window, the one they entered from.
"Who are you?"
A soft voice echoes in the room. They turn to see a girl with long hair and blue eyes, standing at the corner of the room with confused expression. She is holding a book in her hand, wondering who just entered the tower from the window.
"WOW! What a beautiful lady!" Kir blinks with amazement as it makes its way to the girl but Jing stops it immediately.
"Are you the Princess?" Jing asks her politely, preventing Kir to slip away from his grip.
The girl takes a step closer to them and answers, "Yes, I am. Who are you?"
"Our apology for our impoliteness," Kir mumbles quickly, wanting to get closer to the girl as soon as possible. "My name is Kir, Princess."
Jing bows slighty to her in a gentleman manner, "I'm Jing. May I know your name, Princess?"
The Princess puts a curious expression but she answers it anyway, "Amaretto. My name is Amaretto."
"Amaretto?" Kir mentions the adorable name. "Such a beautiful name. It suits you perfectly!"
"How can both of you reach this place?" Amaretto decides to ignore the bird, staring at Jing. "No one is allowed to come here except the maids and my father."
"Forgive us, Princess Amaretto," Jing smiles to him, bowing to her. "We just arrived in this city. After we heard the story of yours, we thought that we can be your friends. Someone you can talk with."
Amaretto keeps silence for seconds but then she smiles softly, "Thank you..."
Jing thinks that it's the right moment to ask her the question so he straightens his body to look at her, "Princess Amaretto, may I ask you a question?"
"It's alright to call me by my name," Amaretto steps closer to the stranger. "You come here secretly, don't you? Ask it before anyone notice your presence and try to catch you."
Jing smiles slightly and asks her without hesitation, "Is it true that the Jewel of Moonwalk is inside of you?"
The Princess doesn't say anything as she is slightly taken aback by the question. She walks to the book shelf and puts the book back to its place before asks, "Do you know about the incidents of this Kingdom?"
"Do you mean about your mother and your siblings?" Kir cuts in, studying Amaretto's expression.
"Since that day, my father locks me inside this tower. All the maids and guardians only come here to do their duties. After that they will leave me alone," Amaretto leans her back to the shelf. "When I was a child, I tried to reassure myself that my father locked me here for my good. I finally realized that he did this for the Jewel of Moonwalk..."
Amaretto looks up until her eyes meet with Jing's, "Is this jewel more valuable than me?"
"Princess Amaretto...," Kir murmurs vividly, feeling sad after listening to her story. It never expected that the beautiful young girl must suffer such a sad loneliness.
"Princess?" a voice from outside of the room breaks the silence. "Who are you talking to?"
Amaretto quickly pulls Jing to her bed and covers him with her blanket. Jing understands that she is trying to hide him. Kir itself pretends to be a statue on the bookshelf.
An old woman enters the room and looks around, looking for someone else in the room besides the Princess.
"No one," Amaretto answers her calmly, pretending to check the books. "Maybe you heard something else from outside."
The maid frowns because she is pretty sure that she heard the Princess was talking to someone. She looks around once again before excuses herself from the room.
Kir, which has held its breath for seconds because of nervousness, sighs in relief. Jing pulls off the blanket and looks at the Princess.
"Are you here for the jewel too?" she finally asks the question which has been crossing her mind the moment Jing asked about the jewel where about.
Jing stands up and asks back, "What if I say 'yes'?"
For his surprise, Amaretto points her right eye with her index finger, "It's in my eye."
"W-What?!" Kir covers its mouth, afraid that the maid will enter the room again.
"What will you do, Jing?" Amaretto whispers slowly but the hint of sadness is obvious in her tone. "Are you going to take my eye out or maybe kill me?"
"I will do neither," Jing smiles softly and turns to grab the black bird, walking to the window. "It's more than enough for today. I take my leave then, Princess Amaretto."
Jing gives a sign to Kir that they will leave the tower now from the window, the same way they entered the tower.
The guardians finally notice the intruders and try to chase both Jing and Kir just to end up with failure.
"The Jewel of Moonwalk...," Amaretto murmurs as she runs her hand to touch her right eye. "When will you stop taking my place in this world?"
A night has passed since Jing and Kir arrived in Mizuwari City. They even have sent the announcement letter to the King, to tell him that they will take the Jewel of Moonwalk tonight.
"It's really difficult, isn't it, Jing?" Kir sighs heavily, looking around with worried expression. The King has added the guardians around the tower to ensure the safety of his treasure. "Aish, this will be a long night."
Jing looks at the tower, sweeping the yard with his eyes carefully to make a detailed plan in his mind. He is standing on the rooftop of a house, thinking about both the way to enter and exit the tower safely.
Being the King of Bandit who is well known as the tricky and smart thief, Jing doesn't afraid at all about the maximum guard for the jewel. It somehow makes him more excited for the great challenge.
"The moon is shining really bright tonight, Kir," a smile form on his lips as he fixes his white tie.
"It's not the time for poetry, Jing!" Kir complaints, flapping its wings impatiently. It has noticed that the time for their plan is approaching.
"I know," Jing smirks confidently. "It's show time!"
Jing quickly jumps from roof to roof until they reach the tower. The tail of his trench coat flutters behind him, gaining the attention from the guardians.
"It's him!" one of the guardians shouts out loud. "It's the King of Bandit!"
The other guardians look up to the night sky and prepare their swords to take down the thief. When Jing has landed safely on the ground, they run to him and stab him with the swords.
The next seconds, all of the guardians have fainted due to the smoke inside of the balloon they stabbed. Jing used his favorite trick by using a balloon with his form to trick the guardians while he actually has sat at the edge of the window with Kir.
"Great trick, Jing!" Kir praises its partner and laughs. "You got that!"
"So you're the King of Bandit, Jing?"
Jing turns around to face Amaretto. The Princess stands with sharp gaze, looking back at the thief. "You're going to steal the Jewel of Moonwalk, aren't you?"
"I will...," Jing approaches the Princess and reaches out his hand to touch her cheek, "...but I will never do any harm to you."
Amaretto can feel her heart just skip a beat by his touch. She takes a step forward and states firmly, "Then I guess you will never have the jewel."
"I don't have the title 'King of Bandit' for nothing, Princess," Jing takes out a beautiful silver flower from his pocket, placing it near his lips. "Have a good night sleep, Princess."
He blows the flower until Amaretto inhales the magical powders. She falls asleep because of the magical powder. Jing catches her in time, laying her down on the floor carefully.
"The sleeping flower only work once for one person, Jing," Kir tells him, looking through the window to make sure the guardians are still asleep. "Grab the jewel now and let's run."
"I know...," Jing mumbles, looking at the girl. He tucks her long hair behind her ear so he can see her face clearly under the moonlight.
Jing feels a tug in his heart as he touches her right eyes gently. He knows that Amaretto must be really sad by her loneliness for years. If he takes away the Jewel of Moonwalk, the King will never protect Amaretto anymore.
"L!" Kir hisses with panic tone. "They are going to wake up soon! Don't waste our time!"
Jing clenches his fists in silence, feeling uneasy since this is the first time he feels the hesitation to snatch a treasure right in front of him but he must takes the decision quickly or he will get caught by the guardians.
"I'm sorry, Princess."
"Are you awake, Princess Amaretto?"
Amaretto opens her eyes slowly and finds herself is laying on the grass. There is a black trench coat on top of her; Jing put it on her so she will not get cold because of the night breeze.
Jing stands right next to her while Kir is on his shoulder, admiring the beauty of the Princess with wide grin. Amaretto looks around to make sure that she is not dreaming, gazing at the night sky.
"You...," Amaretto mutters with disbelief tone. "You brought me out from the tower?"
"Well, actually I brought the Jewel of Moonwalk to be exact," Jing gives a genuine smile as Kir shoots him a deadly glare.
"Yeah...," Amaretto drops her gaze, clutching the trench coat weakly. "I mean that..."
"Do you know, Princess?" Jing takes a seat next to the Princess while Kir leaves his shoulder. "Actually I can release the Jewel of Moonwalk from your eyes with a little bit of magic."
"But if you release it from me, I have no value anymore," she tells him about her thought. She hates the Jewel of Moonwalk but she realizes that the jewel is the only thing that makes her valuable for her own father so she never complained about it.
"I don't think so," Jing cups her right cheek gently and finally covers her right eyes with his hand, casting some ancient spells he has learned from ancient book from antique bookstore yesterday; this is the reverse spell of sealing the jewel inside of Amaretto.
The next second they know, a beautiful jewel stone in moon shape is already in Jing's hand. Just like what the rumor said, it shines really beautiful under the moonlight. Even Kir locks its eyes on the jewel with amazement.
"You have it now," Amaretto clears her throat awkwardly, feeling really sad because she knows that her father will not care about her anymore now. "You can leave now..."
"I really wish I will go just with this jewel but...," Jing stops, rubbing the back of his neck. He is trying to find the right words to say to the Princess, noticing that she is really sad because of the jewel.
"But?" Amaretto tilts her head, wondering about what he is trying to say. "But what?"
Jing sighs and scratches his cheek with his finger, "I was planning to steal the jewel and leave this city. Just that simple. But I guess I just want something else now."
Listening to his words makes her more confused. Amaretto doesn't have an idea about what he is talking, "What do you mean? The Jewel of Moonwalk is the only treasure for this country."
The charming thief places his hand on Amaretto's cheek with his other hand. He caresses her cheek gently, smiling to her sincerely, "If you want any stars in the sky, I will steal the stars for you."
Jing moves her long hair behind her ear slowly, "If you want drops of water from any waterfall, I will take them for you."
He trails her hair with his finger and kisses it, "If you want the light from the sun, I will give it to you."
"I think...," Jing takes her hand and kisses it, "...you've stolen my heart, my Princess."
Amaretto blushes really hard by his confession. Her heart is beating uncontrollably as heat creeps to her cheeks. It's the first time someone confesses to her ever since she was locked in the tower.
"Will you stay by my side?" Jing tells her his request, intertwining their fingers together. He doesn't care about how hard his heart is beating against his chest because he doesn't want to break their eyes contact at all.
"I-I-I...," Amaretto stammers, stumbling with words. She is speechless because of the sudden 'proposal'.
"Hey! Don't flirt here!" Kir suddenly kicks Jing's back, causing the anti-climax moment between them. "Those are my words! Why did you take them from me?!"
Jing tosses Kir away with his hand easily and puts the Jewel of Moonwalk on Amaretto's hand, "I always steal a jewel but I guess this time it's my turn to be stolen by the most beautiful jewel."
He leans closer and lands a kiss on her forehead, "You're my most valuable treasure, Amaretto."
Amaretto can't help herself to smile shyly. Even though she knows that maybe this is just a trick from a thief who she just met yesterday, she is sure that Jing is telling her the truth.
"Jing, can you grant one wish for me?"
"Is it alright, Princess Amaretto?" Jing asks her once again as they walk out from the city. He takes a glance at the castle while Amaretto puts her cloaks on her shoulders. "Maybe we will never return here again."
They walk pass the city gate and, fortunately because no one ever saw the Princess' face except the maids and guardians, they pass the guardians easily, leaving Mizuwari City together.
"It's for the best," Amaretto answers with a smile. She stops her steps and looks at L, "And please stop calling me 'Princess'. I'm not a Princess anymore."
Jing is surprised by her statement but he smiles and pats her head, "You're forever a Princess for me, Amaretto."
Her heart beats really fast just by listening to Jing's voice and her name combine together. She blushes again because of the charming smile.
"You left the Jewel of Moonwalk for your father and you'll travel with us?" Kir lands on her shoulder, wondering if the girl is serious with her decision. "We're thieves, you know."
Amaretto just smiles sheepishly and looks at L, "Thanks for letting me to have the jewel, Jing."
"It's nothing," Jing pulls her closer so he can kiss her forehead. "I have more valuable jewel with me."
While Amaretto is cupping both of her cheeks, feeling the warmth with her hands, Kir tries to attack Jing because of jealousy. Jing chuckles and takes Amaretto's hand with his, smiling to her, "Shall we go, my Princess?"
Her lips turn into a perfect curve as she nods, "Yes."
She knows that a long adventure is waiting for them.