Hello, fellow FruitsBasket Lovers. It is I, Jiiachan, who may or may not be well-known for such works as Hurrah for Valium, Poke and numerous others. Welcome to La Royame, my newest and most ambitious work to date. This will be very, very long. If you want to see the end of something in a few weeks, or even months, don't read this. I fully expect this to stretch to years. There will be around 72 chapters, and quite possibly more that 700 pages.

Like I said, it is long.

Also, these are not the Sohmas we know. I have taken them and warped them, transported back in time to what could very well be late 8th century France or England, and watched them adapt. Thier basic characteristics and interactions are the same, but thier roles are really quite different. Yuki, for example, is a cold and ruthless military commander. Not to much of a stretch, really. It is the same for them all. It is quite possible for them to have fit these roles, had the lovely auther chosen to make her story medival.

A NOTE- I am not a historian. I have no time for research either. So, instead of making it purely historical, I have made up my own little fantasy land of Ecir. Anything that doesn't jive with reality... Well, just tribute that to my over-active imagination. Also, I will be posting some art for this over in Deviant Art eventually. My username is Jiia-chan.

ANOTHER NOTE- I need characters. Random people, mostly, who usually die within the chapter. Still, there are others whom I need. The first person who can correctly guess where the unusal names I come up with in each chapter come from will get to have thier character make a cameo appearance, although they very well might be slightly modified to fit the storyline. For example, for this chapter, you could guess at the meaning behind the name of Ecir, Kerris, Torrac, Souris, Kakerot, and.. .The Claws I guess. Things like Sakura and Cherry Kingdom are a little too obvious. NOTE- Kerris is a date. It's basically the equivalent of March. Ecir is the name of the continent. Torrac are the 'bad guys' Yuki and the others are fighting. Souris is the name of Yuki's knights. Kakerot is the Torracan capital city. Oh, and I expect not only the show from whence I stole it, but also why it's appropriate for the Torracs.

Anyways, thanks for listening to my drabble. Talk to you along the way!

The Battle of Cherry Hills

Yuki

Kerris 20th, mid-morning.

The Shadow Valley cut a dark line between the two warring countries. The steep, narrow vale had been a natural barrier between them for centuries, keeping the rival nations apart better than any wall. It was neutral ground, home to a people strange and alien to both parties. These pale, wraithlike 'Shadowlanders' had desperately kept the peace, painfully aware that any battle between their neighbours would inevitably be fought in their own lands. It had worked, too, for almost four hundred years.

But now, a thousand of the pale, dark-haired soldiers of the Cherry Kingdom surged down the steep valley walls to meet the red-haired, darkened horde that was the Torracan army. Where a pure stream of water had once flowed, a red mire of darkened waters pulsed through the tangled undergrowth of the valley. On either side, the tall, ancient trees had been cut to make way for cities of tents and war machines. The fires of war darkened the azure sky, making day seem like night, and night seem like one had gone blind. For all the Shadowlander's efforts, their home had still been turned into a field of battle.

High up upon the rocky hills that rimmed the Sakuran side of the valley, a young man watched the constant ebb and flow of battle. Even from that distance, the din of warfare was almost loud enough to drown out his thoughts. Almost, but not quite. His chin-length silver hair, the trademark of his Saernan heritage, blew gently with the soft spring breeze. His infamous purple eyes, unusual not in their colour, for all the people of the Cherry Kingdom bore eyes of indigo or lavender, but in their startling intensity, gazed out upon the chaos below with the same detached boredom with which he viewed everything. The flickering war-fires set spectres of light dancing across his polished silver armour, making the delicate patterns engraved upon its smooth surface shine. Despite his relatively small stature, thin frame and rather effeminate features, he stood with the confidence of a man used to being in charge. With his long, lean arms folded across his lithe chest, he looked like the prince of some ancient country, come back from the dead to lead his troops to battle.

It wasn't that far from the truth.

He was Yuki Sohma, the Snow Prince, member of the royal Sohma family, captain of the Souris Knights, and the acting commander of the battle being fought not a mile below. He was both famous and infamous, to both males and females, on every side of the war, and for every reason imaginable. His physical beauty was much talked about in every ale-house from Kakerot to Sakura City. He had even had a rather astonishing number of songs written about him, ranging from the mildly flattering to the totally obscene. His military genius was said to be rivalled only by that of his older brother, the just-as-well-known General Ayame Sohma. Several tunes had been penned about that portion of him as well, although these were usually less likely to be quite as pornographic. Still, it was not any fleeting physical charm, nor was it any number of military miracles he had performed, which had earned him his most renowned of titles.

The Snow Prince of the Shining Country could be, and quite often was, one cold son of a bitch.

Therefore, it was not without reason that young Sergeant Kakeru approached the brooding man with more than a little caution. Easing up next to him, all the while being mindful not to inadvertently sneak, the Sergeant cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Captain? The Claws are ready." The young man flicked his eyes to the Prince's face, trying to gauge whatever reaction there might be.

There wasn't any.

"Thank you, Sergeant." The Prince said, only just loud enough to be heard over the roar of battle.

" Lieutenant Hatsu!" The captain glanced over his shoulder at the waiting archer. "Prepare the signal."

With a nod and a grin, the black-haired man dipped the tip of his arrow into the flaming bowl before him and knocked his arrow, taking aim at the deepest region of the sky.

Yuki turned back towards the battlefield. His deep purple eyes seemed to pick up on every little detail, every tiny movement among all the thousands upon millions of tiny movements going on during each individual instant. Far from glazing over, they seemed to sharpen to an almost unbearable point, so intense as to make Kakeru uncomfortable. The young sergeant swore he saw one of the red-haired Torracan warriors look up at them, as if feeling the prince's eyes from all that long way away.

"Lieutenant, unleash all hell." His silky smooth voice held not a hint of a laugh, not the faintest tremor of a smile.

"Yes sir!" Hatsu grinned, and loosed the flaming arrow into the dark, smoky abyss that the firmament had become.

Yuki finally tore his eyes from the conflict below. He turned upon Kakeru, smiling a smile as cold as naked steel and just about as comforting.

"Care to join me for tea, Sergeant? Don't worry over the battle, friend. Our dear friend will take care of all the ugliness for us."

Without waiting for an answer, Yuki walked off in the general direction of the Officer's tents. Kakeru stood still for a moment, but then followed doggedly behind his young leader. After all, it was not every day he was allowed the privilege of tea with royalty.

As for Yuki, he honestly wasn't worried. Never had he fought a battle with the full terror of the Claws of the Cherry Kingdom and lost. The orange devil hadn't let him down yet, and he doubted he would do so today. Not against the misshapen rabble the Torrac had thrown against them. He would win, with enough time left over for the strange fighter to join him and his brother for supper.

In Kyo, he had absolute confidence.

So, how'd you like it? Good? Bad? Horrible? Don't know yet? Give me your opinion! Also, get going with those guesses. I need a character for chapter 2.