Disclaimer!!!!: Don't own 'em.
A/N: Hey! This is brand-new junk that I've been trying to get down for a while so tada! Here it is! Please, please, please review! Thanks!
~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kasagi Onaso ~~~~~~~~~~~
The Perfect Fairytale
Chapter one: Latin and Mages
She sat near the window, head in hands and eyes blank and obviously daydreaming. With a crack, she was swatted on the back of the hand.
"I suggest," said the man, holding the reed switch in one hand and a book in the other. "That you pay more attention, Princess." She said nothing and touched her smarting hand. "Now, how do you say 'I adore thee' in Latin?"
"Adoramus te," she said obediently.
"'Christ have mercy.'"
"Kyrieleison." She stifled a yawn as the man smiled.
"Good. I see you haven't been entirely neglecting your studies, though I might say you've been neglecting something else?" he inquired with a raised eyebrow as she yawned again. "Staying up reading until the late hours again, Princess?" She narrowed her blue-green eyes and huffed.
"Of course not." She gathered her skirts in her hands and stood. "I bid you a good day, sir." He shook his head as she turned sharply and walked stiffly down the corridors.
*
She held her skirts to her sides so they wouldn't catch in the brush as she walked into the forest near the castle walls. Behind her trod her faithful chestnut mare, Suika.
"What a useless language," she murmured, stepping over a fallen log.
"What is?"
"Latin," she responded on reflex and then whipped around. "Who're you?" she demanded, immensely annoyed at being caught talking to herself. The person who had spoken, a teen about her age (fifteen) with spiky black hair and a black cloak, grinned.
"I know who you are." Her eyes widened.
"You aren't some crazed psycho or serial killer are you?" The teen laughed, throwing back his head. She tapped her foot, eyes narrowed and hands on hip in annoyance.
"Of course not," he scoffed.
"Then who are you?"
"I'm honored milady would be asking my name," he said, eyes shining with amusement. She flicked her red-orange hair behind her shoulder in annoyance.
"And I would like an answer," she added when he said nothing.
"Ash," he answered finally, tapping his chin. "And who are you?"
"You just said you knew who I was!" she said, placing her hands on her hips.
"What was that? I didn't catch it." He was teasing her.
"My name is Misty," she said finally.
"Is that what your name is? All right then, Misty." He smiled again.
"What are you?" she asked, brushing her fingertips against the sleeve of his cloak.
"An under experienced mage," he said, smiling slyly and she drew her fingers back as if she expected him to explode. He chuckled. "Don't fear me, milady." Her eyes suddenly widened.
"I know you," she managed to whisper shakily. He smiled.
"Sound familiar?" he said, referring to when he had said the same. She brushed his words off and continued to glare at him.
"You were that one…uh…boy," she finally decided, not wanting to offend his instinctive manliness pride in calling him a kid. "Who broke into the mill down the road and stole half the wheat!" His half-smile told her she was right. "We couldn't catch you, no matter how hard we tried! You used magick to cover yourself with vines. But that was-"
"Eight years ago," he finished, half-smile still glowing on his rugged face. He sat on a rock and patted beside him, motioning for her to sit next to him. She did so, keeping an arm's length away from him. Ash cast her a side-ways look. "Now. Would you like to tell me why you're here, Misty?" She looked at him startled. He talked to her as if they had been friends for forever!
"I…I got tired of trying to learn Latin," she heard herself say. "And I just…I don't know…Want to do something I want for a change." She rested her head in her hands. "I feel caged up." She suddenly sat straight, eyes wide and unblinking. Here she was, telling this complete stranger, an unlicensed mage, things she was only just beginning to admit to herself!
"I see." He nodded as if he was counseling her, a teasing look in his eyes. "And that's why you're out here?" She flushed.
"I come here sometimes."
"With a chaperone?" he said, nodding his head towards Suika, who promptly whickered in reply. Misty's flush deepened.
"You dare talk to the Princess like that!" she hissed but he sensed there was no real danger so he smiled. "Why're you smiling?" she insisted.
"Cool your jets, milady," he chuckled and stood. "What a haughty temper thou hast!" Misty, cheeks still cherry, turned her nose to the air. "I was only jesting," he added. "Though, your chaperone is rather pretty…"
"Ash!" she shrieked, standing up and he laughed, holding his hands up.
"Meant nothing by it, milady!" he said between gales of laughter. "Meant nothing by it." They stood for a moment, staring at each other, until Misty turned swiftly on her heel and mounted Suika.
"I bid you a good day," she said stiffly and Ash, smiling, shook his head.
"And the same to you, lady," he said, mock-saluting and winking. He suddenly reached behind his back and pulled out a bright pink rose. He tucked it in her saddle back and smiled up at her. Misty jerked her head towards the path, Ash's laugh ringing in her ears.
*
"I wish you would eat something more, Misty," drew one of her sisters, poking her in the ribs. "All you've eaten in a quail's egg and a sip of your currant."
"I'm fine, Daisy. Just not hungry." A violet-haired sister to her right snorted.
"That's funny. Usually you eat as much as one of Benny's piglets!" Misty flicked a bit of deviled yolk at her and sighed.
"I'm worn out. That's all." The three sisters 'oh-h-h-h'-ed in unison.
"So," said the violet-haired one, Violet, smirking. "Who is it?"
"Who is who?" asked Misty, looking up from her sweetmeats.
"The lucky chap," said Lily, smirking as did her sister when the younger girl blushed. "S'what I thought! C'mon little sister."
"It's no one, Lily!" said Misty, knowing her rose-red face was not much back up. "I promise."
"A promise made is a promise broken," recited Daisy as the other nodded.
"Oh, come off it," Misty growled, pushing the platter away from her. "I'm off," she mumbled, getting up.
"Well, maybe you'll tell us tomorrow?" suggested Violet. Misty glared at them and huffed upstairs.
*
Misty went off into the wood the next day, searching for the teenage mage she had encountered the other day with no avail. She sat down on the rock they had yesterday. She couldn't see why she had wanted to see him or actually expected him to be here again. Especially after the way she treated him.
She bit her lip.
Maybe it was because he had been so easy to talk to. Maybe it was because he had made her feel so comfortable. Maybe it was because…Maybe…it…
"Hello again," came his voice and she started as he slunk from behind a tree. "Don't tell me you came back to see me?" he said, a teasing smile tugging at his lips.
"Of course not!" Wincing slightly at how harsh that came out, she smiled slightly. "Not really." Ash rubbed his eyes.
"Is she actually smiling?" Misty giggled slightly.
"Please, Ash, not now." In an instant, the teasing was gone and he cocked his head.
"What's wrong, milady?"
"Nothing really…I'm just so bored! My sisters…I know they try to get caught up with me and my life since our parent passed away. But sometimes, they try and press me too hard. Like last night." Ash sat next to her.
"I see." He didn't ask what happened and Misty felt relieved.
"And since I'm the last to inherit the throne, they treat me like I'm just…"
"Common." The fill-in-the-blank response was monotone and dull. She looked at him, startled.
"I-I…suppose," she finished, not meeting his eyes. He said nothing.
"Welcome to the real world, milady," he said softly, standing. "Not all of us are as fortunate as thee." She looked up at him.
"That I knew, Ash. But…it's like being neglected…" Realizing that the hole was getting deeper by the word, she just closed her mouth and stared at the ground. There was suddenly a warm spot on her shoulder.
"Don't worry about it, milady," he said, voice kind.
She smiled and stood.
"Thank you." He bowed, bending at the torso and then disappeared with a quick wind at her cheek. She smiled again and mounted Suika.
When she got to the castle, she was amazed to find people crowded around the entrance.
"Excuse me!" she yelled, pushing through. They split like the Red Sea and she ran up to a knight. "What's going on here?" she demanded, eyes narrowed with question. The knight turned to her just as two of her sisters ran to embrace her.
They sobbed embarrassingly loud into either of her shoulders and she shoved them. "What are you two nitwits blubbering about?" she demanded.
"D-Daisy!" cried Violet and the two went into hysterics.
"She was kidnapped," informed the knight.
"What?" gasped Misty, eyes narrowed. "By whom?"
"We don't know," said the knight. "All we found was this." From his haversack he pulled a mottled pink rose. Misty gasped lightly and took it into her hands. She reached into Suika's saddlebag and produced another rose almost identical to the one the knight found. She stared at the wilted rose, the pink form sliding in and out of focus as she fought to keep tears out of her eyes.
It looked like the rose Ash had given her.
But it couldn't be…
Could it?
Hey, hey! So here it is, the first chapter. It'll get better, pinky-swear. So, as we all know, cliffhangers are evil! So, if ya want me to continue, how about a little review or so? Hmm? Thanks! AAMRN, I promise! So, did Ash do it? You're probably thinking no…or yes? Find out later!
~ Kasagi Onaso
