Siopao: 4/30/2019 - Woo! A new story! It's been a while since I published something. I've been super busy lately so I haven't had the chance to write (I'm about to graduate with my doctorate in 3 weeks!). I was inspired by some of the otome games that I've been playing (lolol) and, of course, decided to use Gals! characters to fuel my writing. This is quite a different story so I would appreciate all of your feedback!
Disclaimer: I don't own Gals!, its characters, or any otome games.
Setting: Feudal era, Japan. If you've watched InuYasha or Samurai Champloo, I would imagine it to be similar to that.
A few terms:
Daimyo: warlords who were considered powerful allies of the king/emperor; they owned large amounts of land and protected the royal families.
Chatelaine: woman in charge of taking care of the castle's daily needs; runs errands for the royal family.
Miko: shrine priestess.
Reflection Eternal: A Feudal Era Romance
Chapter I — View of the Ocean
By: Screaming Siopao
Feudal era, Japan— It was a time of constant war between states. Lands were in perpetual divide, with bloodshed staining almost every corner in the nation. Kingdoms battled with one another in order to expand their territories and to seize crops. Only the most powerful warlords and royals were given the opportunity to thrive. In this era, peace was a commodity.
A village named Kanazawa, situated along the East Sea, was quite a curious place, for it had been untouched by war for an entire decade. In this era, accomplishing such a task was quite an impressive feat.
Due to the incomparable quality of the town's goods, Kanazawa had become extremely well-known across the land. Being situated along a rich, bountiful ocean allowed the town to become a popular spot for the finest and freshest fish and other forms of seafood. However, the lush town primarily profited from shipping out its most valuable staple, which was tamahagane, also known by the people as "jewel steel."
Tamahagane was a precious metal produced by the most skilled craftsmen, only from the village's purest iron sand. This material was then formed into the finest weaponry fit for the higher class nobles, militaries, and warlords. Over the last century, the famous tamahagane made Kanazawa one of the wealthiest villages in the region. Other villages were not so lucky when it came to wealth and bounty; in fact, many towns outside of Kanazawa were poor and barren due to war.
Kanazawa was one of the lands exempted from war during this time of turmoil, for many reasons:
One— other nations needed the tamahagane during this time of war and did not dare quarrel with the town that provided it so abundantly.
Two— other nations' blades stood no chance against the ones forged by Kanazawa's specialized sword makers. Even though the village freely shared its tamahagane, only Kanazawa's well-kept secret art of forging was able to maximize the true potential of the jewel steel, making the town the sole owners of perfect, unblemished, and flawless weaponry.
Three— the village was protected by a powerful daimyo lineage that was known for being ruthless and skilled in battle. Going up against Kanazawa's daimyo was like asking for a death wish. No other warlords stood a fraction of a chance, and those who dared to challenge the daimyo did not live to tell the tale.
In the village's luxurious castle, unscathed by the violence that surrounded it, a bored princess walked through the vast halls, causing her casual lilac kimono to sway to-and-fro. She looked out of the window, blinking at the sun's bright rays, and sighed melodramatically.
"Another uneventful day in this village," she groaned with bored tone.
Outside the window, she stared at the vast sea and the people bustling on the docks, loading up their shipments of unforged tamahagane to send out to other nations. The spring air and sea breeze tousled her dark tresses, causing a tickling sensation on her fair cheeks.
"Shall we spend the day at Toyama?" her best friend, who was the daughter of the castle's chatelaine, asked. "I can go ask the horses to be prepared for the journey, your highness."
"You know how I feel when you call me your highness, Miyuu. I told you it wasn't funny," the princess huffed, blowing her ebony bangs away from her fair face. She defiantly crossed her arms across her chest as she rolled her eyes at her giggling companion.
"Aya, I'm just trying to lighten the mood. You've been so restless, lately," Miyuu commented as she leaned on the window sill that the princess was currently staring out of. "Come on, let's go visit Princess Mami over in Toyama. She's always fun to be around. Plus, I'm sure we could catch Prince Akihito around, too."
At the mention of Akihito, Aya's ivory skin turned the slightest shade of scarlet. She could not help but imagine the prince's long, sleek black hair and mesmerizing golden eyes. She tried to hide her blush by turning her head but Miyuu was an ever-observant girl.
"I- I don't want to visit them," Aya stammered, heat gracing her fair cheeks. "Also, you know mother forbids me from riding the horses. She thinks I'll have an accident and crack my skull, that worry wart."
"Oh, suddenly you're all shy because I mentioned Prince Akihito's name? Was it because of that meeting that both your and his parents set up last week?" the blonde girl teased. "By the way, your mother would let you take the horses to see Prince Akihito. He's their future son, after all."
Aya remembered the meeting that her father and mother set up in the castle's royal chambers just one week ago. Both of her parents were there, along with Akihito and his parents. It was a very formal and straightforward meeting; she barely even had the chance to speak. It was decided that the two were to be married on Aya's eighteenth birthday, just a few short months away at the end of the summer. She shuddered at the thought. She absolutely wasn't ready to be a bride. She had never even been in a relationship, before!
"My parents are crazy if they think that they can just set me and Aki up to be wedded. I mean… he and I basically grew up together, since Mami and I have been friends since birth. He's more like my big brother, or something," Aya tried to explain as she continued to look out of one of the high towers' windows. The bustling people in the town below looked like miniscule ants to her.
"Then why are you blushing?" Miyuu teased, poking the princess' cheek.
"Stop! It's just really hot today, okay?" Aya groaned as she turned away from her friend even more.
Okay, truthfully, she found Akihito to be quite attractive. He was a few years older and always looked out for her; she simply did not want to ruin their current easygoing relationship by slapping the heavy label of marriage on it. Things just wouldn't be the same.
Below, she watched the crashing of the blue waves onto the large, rocky cliffs. Further off, the ports were busy as boats left the harbor to deliver tamahagane to distant lands. Demand had been quite high due to the increasing commonality of war. Aya wondered what it would be like to travel to places on the other side of the country. Suddenly, she felt like a caged bird; like a soul who was born into the wrong life. She knew she should feel lucky, being born into a royal family and all, but she just could not shake the feeling that her life was missing an important aspect. She hated feeling so trapped within these castle walls.
Alright, technically, she wasn't really trapped in Kanazawa castle. Even as a child, she would go into the town almost every single day to try and make the day go by quicker. However, even that had grown to be a bit boring and redundant to Aya. She would see the same faces, do the same things, greet the same people. Heck, the entire town knew Aya to be the only princess in Kanazawa history that would wander the streets for hours, just gracing them with her lively and curious presence. She loved her village and the people in it but she wanted to see something fresh and new.
"Akihito is a prince and you're the princess of the ally village. Of course it's meant to be," Miyuu swooned. "He's handsome, tall, a great swordsman, and is obviously very interested in you… what else do you need?"
"It just doesn't feel right," Aya said. "Marriage for royalty is purely political. And plus, I didn't ask to be a princess. I've lived in Kanazawa all my life. Visiting Mami and Aki over in Toyama isn't enough, anymore, either."
"Aya, what are you saying?"
"Haven't you ever wanted to leave this castle, Miyuu? There's a whole world out there. This town, this fortress, this life… it's getting dull."
"My mother is the chatelaine, and her duty is to ensure that the castle's daily tasks are in order. I'm training under her so that someday, I can be the chatelaine, too. So you know I can't leave. I have to make sure that I'm here for whenever I'm needed," Miyuu reminded her wanderlust best friend.
"You don't have to follow your mother's footsteps. You have a choice, I don't."
"But I want to. Don't you see? Five years ago, the Hoshino royalties gave me and mother a place to belong after my father was killed in battle. In a time of turmoil, we found safety. When we had nothing, we found a home. And, for the first time... I found a best friend," Miyuu delicately spoke, her chestnut eyes softening at the last sentiment.
"Oh, Miyuu," the princess whispered as she took her best friend's hand. "I don't mean to sound like a spoiled brat. I'm happy to be here with you, I truly am. I love my parents and I love Kanazawa but… It's just, I know there's something else out there waiting for me. The world is so vast; I want to experience it all."
"It's violent and scary out there, Aya. I've seen it with my very eyes. You wouldn't want to see it, trust me," Miyuu said, referring to her traumatizing childhood spent outside of Kanazawa.
"I just can't help thinking that I'm missing out on life. I know it's dangerous and I know war is everywhere but I can't help what I feel."
"I understand. It's just—" suddenly, Miyuu stopped mid-sentence, her eyebrows furrowing as she stared off into the distance.
"Hm? Miyuu, what's wrong?" Aya chirped when she noticed her best friend's distracted gaze.
"Aya, look," the blonde girl said as she pointed towards something in the distance. "Over on the other end of the town, past the hills. There's smoke."
"That's… towards the mountains, isn't it? And there are also boats down there, too. On the southern border's docks." Aya intently eyed the smoke stack rising above the forest trees.
"Looks pretty serious, even from here. I'll go inform somebody to go and— hey, Aya!" Miyuu said as Aya zipped right past her.
"I'm going to go check it out! Go tell the commander about it, 'kay?" Aya shouted as she briskly ran through the halls and hurried towards the stairway. Miyuu frantically flailed her dainty arms in a panic.
"W- Wait! The commander?!" Miyuu blushed profusely.
"Yeah! I'm sure Yamato-san would love to see you, anyway!" Aya replied hastily as she sprinted down the flight of stairs. In a moment, she was already gone.
"That princess," Miyuu huffed frustratedly. "She springs onto any bit of action she can get in this village."
Outside, Aya ran through the castle gates and out into the town. As she ran through the downtown area, the townspeople greeted the princess with kindly gestures and bows. However, she had no time to put on her usual composed and graceful face for the public. She was too busy scanning the roads for a familiar face.
"Hey, Aya!" a familiar voice shouted. The princess spun around to face the person she was looking for. "You in a rush or something?"
"Ran! There you are!" the princess exclaimed as she saw a copper-haired miko in a white haori and red hakama. She must have just finished with some prayers in the nearby shrine, Aya thought.
"What are you doing out here, running around in your pretty lilac kimono? You're going to scruff it up," Ran said. Ran was the village miko, or priestess, and also happened to be one of Aya's best friends, along with Miyuu and Mami. The two met while undergoing archery lessons while they were children.
"There's something strange going on at the southern border of the town. I think there's a fire at the docks down there. Can I borrow your horse?" Aya desperately asked. "You know the castle horses are off-limits for me."
"Of course but I'm coming with you! The queen would kill me if anything happened to you," Ran stated as she ran off to retrieve her brown stallion drinking from the nearby freshwater brook. She swiftly mounted the horse and galloped towards where Aya stood, offering a hand to her friend. "Climb up!"
"Thanks!" Aya spoke as she took her friend's outstretched hand. Quickly, she sat behind Ran and clutched onto her for stability. "It looked pretty serious from the watchtower. Let's go see what's going on."
"Shouldn't we be letting the town guards and soldiers handle this?" Ran said as she ordered her horse to run towards the southern docks. "I mean, it could be dangerous. Even with my arrows, I don't think I can fend off a daimyo, if one happened to be waiting for us."
"Sounding less confident than usual, Ran. Didn't you always used to boast that you were a hundred times better at shooting than I was?" Aya scoffed. "Or maybe that was all talk, after all."
"Oh, shut it, princess. I could shoot arrows around you all day," Ran bragged.
"That's the priestess I know. And, don't worry, I've already asked Miyuu to go inform your brother to send his men. Let's get a head start; the guards will meet up with us soon."
"Let's hope that we can count on that bonehead brother of mine. Still can't believe he got the Commander position," Ran stated as she tightly clung onto her horse's reins.
"Yamato-san is very brilliant and extremely skilled in battle. He was the top in his class, so it's only right that father appointed him Commander of the military. Plus, I think Miyuu's taken quite a liking to him," Aya giggled.
"Poor girl," Ran said, shaking her head.
Within a few more minutes of fast-paced riding, both Ran and Miyuu arrived to the southern docks of Kanazawa. After tying up the horse at a safe location, the two curious girls hid behind some shrubbery to see what all the commotion was about. In the distance, they heard loud shouting of unfamiliar men. The source of smoke was a large boat, which had burst into flames and was currently on its way to sinking into the sea salt ocean.
"That's… Ogata-san's boat!" Aya heatedly whispered as she recognized its shape and design. "Where is he? Is he safe?" she frantically said as she scanned the region for the old man. On the sandy beach, there were four burly men clad in forest green armor. Aya furrowed her eyebrows; she had never seen these soldiers before.
"Look, on the dock! Ogata-san is kneeling there, watching his boat sink," Ran pointed out quietly. "Damn it, looks like those bastards in the green stole his shipment of tamahagane, too." Without a doubt, there was a large pile of the jewel steel on the sand that had yet to be forged into weapons.
"Ah, one of the men is approaching Ogata-san," Aya observed. She had a terrible feeling brewing in her stomach.
"Old man, we'll be taking this shipment from you," the leader of the group said in a low, taunting tone. He had an emblem engraved onto his armor; it looked like a five-petal cherry blossom flower, from what Aya could see.
"Please, you've already taken the tamahagane. You've even taken my boat, my only source of livelihood. Please, just spare my life," Ogata softly asked as he humbly bowed his head.
"Yeah? Why don't you beg a little more? I want to see some tears," the tall man clad in green armor scoffed. "Or do you not value your life that much?" he continued on as he raised his blade to strike the bowing sailor.
"Ogata-san!" Aya gasped as she got up from the bushes and rushed onto the sandy beach. She couldn't bear to just sit there and watch; after all, Ogata-san had always been kind to her whenever she visited the town; he often shared treats and gifts that he happened to pick up from other distant lands. Some of her favorite reference scrolls and books were souvenirs from his travels. She always looked forward to his returns, ever since she was a small child.
"W- Wait, Aya!" Ran yelped as she suddenly saw Aya bolting through the sand and towards the docks. "What the hell?! Mouu, why me? The queen's going to have my head," Ran complained as she sharply readied her bow and swiftly removed an arrow from the quiver on her back. Like the rest of the swords in Kanazawa, Ran's arrowheads were reinforced with the purest and strongest form of tamahagane. "If I can pull this off, that princess owes me."
"Stop!" Aya yelled loudly as she knelt in front of the old man Ogata, shielding him from the towering man.
"P- Princess!" Ogata said as he looked up, stunned. "What are you— You shouldn't be here, princess!"
"This isn't right, Ogata-san! These men are stealing from you! They're stealing from Kanazawa!" Aya boldly stated. She then shifted her eyes towards the tall man before her, who had now lowered his razor sharp blade and was eyeing her intently. "This means you're also stealing from the Hoshino royals. I won't stand for this!"
"Oh? And what do we have here... A little mouse?" the man droned on in his low voice. Aya saw the malice in his dark eyes. They were the eyes of the devil. "What are you going to do, princess?"
"I—" she started, but then an arrow quickly zipped past the man's face, grazing the skin on his rugged cheek. The arrow landed in the water, sinking along with the boat.
"What—" he said as he quickly spun around. "She brought reinforcements?"
"Damn it, I just missed," Ran cursed from within the bushes. "Aya, get out of there," she whispered hoarsely as she struggled to ready another arrow. This was the first time she ever had to use her archery during a real-life moment of peril and her nerves did not allow her hands to remain as steady as she would have liked.
"You little brat," the soldier said as he turned back towards Aya and Ogata, who were still kneeling on the dock. Aya still held the same look of resolve on her face, despite being unarmed. "I'll be sure to deliver your pretty little head back to your cowardly mother and father. This marks the end of Kanazawa's peaceful decade," he said as he raised his sword to strike one last time.
Aya shut her eyes tightly, anticipating a strong blow at any moment.
"Not so fast," another deep voice said as he stepped in front of Aya. She heard the clashing of blades and shuddered at the shrill, high-pitched ringing that always reminded her of death and war.
"Y- Yamato-san!" Aya exclaimed as she recognized her savior. "Miyuu got to you just in time!"
"Alright! Good going, bro!" Ran whispered from within the shrubbery. "I mean, I wasn't going to miss the next shot but I'm glad he made it out here, anyway," she sighed with relief.
"Princess Aya! Old man! Get out of here, now," Yamato commanded. Another dozen of Yamato's men had already seized the other soldiers in green and made sure that they did not haul back any of the steel. Aya quickly helped Ogata stand and they ran off towards the sandy beach, where more castle soldiers were waiting for them.
"Commander of the royal miliary," the soldier in green grunted. There was a menacing grin on his frightening face. "Nice of you to join us."
"We've got you outnumbered. Surrender now or prepare for a battle," Yamato confidently declared, his sword still clashing against the enemy's. The keen commander did not fail to notice the strikingly familiar emblem on the strange man's armor.
"You won't see the last of us," the man darkly said as he stepped back in retreat. "In fact, tell your king that this is only the beginning. Tell him to prepare his best soldiers for our next encounter."
In a swift motion, before Yamato could even reply, the dark soldier and his other three men had quickly retreated into the dark forest that lead into the mysterious mountains.
The Kanazawa soldiers were about to pursue the perpetrators when Yamato signaled for them to fall back.
"No, leave them. We don't have enough men in case they lead us to an ambush. Our priority right now is to protect the king and queen," Yamato stated as he glared at the shrubbery within the mountains that the green-clad strangers had just run into.
"Aya! Are you alright?" Ran shouted as she left the safety of the bushes and bolted onto the sand. "You almost gave me a heart attack! You big, stupid, idiot princess!" Only Ran could get away with speaking to royalty in this manner.
"What? Ran!" Yamato exclaimed, a vein popping in his forehead. "You're here, too? I knew I smelled trouble!"
"It's not her fault!" Aya defended. "I asked her to take me here! So please don't scold her, Commander."
"You nearly got yourself killed, princess," Yamato said in a low tone, calming down a bit. He was a very mature, level-headed man and was just glad that no one was injured. And as much as he thought his little sister was an annoyance, he was relieved to find her safe, along with the princess.
"I just couldn't sit there and watch. Ogata-san almost got hurt! Those cruel men were trying to steal his tamahagane and even burned down his boat. That man was about to strike him with his sword!" Aya explained. By now, the said boat had already sunk deep into the ocean. Aya made a mental note to make sure that it was properly replaced.
"And that could have been you that he struck, instead, princess," the old man Ogata softly spoke, his head bowed lowly. He sobbed gruffly, shaking his head. "My lowly life is not worth your sacrifice."
"Ogata-san, don't say that," Aya said sadly as she held his withered hand. He was like family to her.
"Someday, you will rule over Kanazawa and lead its people with your grace and wisdom. Please promise that you will not be brash or careless with your life like that ever again. You've only got one chance at life; it's something that's precious which you can never get back," Ogata solemnly spoke, leaving Aya speechless as she looked at the sand beneath her feet.
She had never thought about losing her life before; she simply acted on impulse, wanting to save someone else's, not realizing that she had directly endangered her own. She thought about Ogata's words: life is precious.
Ever since she was born, war and death surrounded her; it's all she had ever known, all she ever heard about. Warlords constantly fell in battle and soldiers always perished during their sworn duty to protect and serve— it's just something she knew to be true, like a fact from a book. Within the castle walls, she was immune to the war that plagued other surrounding nations. She had been so jaded with the idea of death that she did not even realize that it could someday be a reality that affected her, too. Life was something you could never get back.
"Right. Ogata-san, I need to interrogate you for the report. Princess, I'm sorry, but I need to tell the king and queen about this entire incident— including your involvement," Yamato said, interrupting her thoughts.
"But— I—" she stammered in attempts to bargain but then sighed in defeat. "Yes, I understand."
"I'm sorry but… there's no way I can cover up something this big," Yamato explained as he placed a hand on her dainty shoulder. "Please be more careful, princess. You've got a lot of people looking out for you. Miyuu was very worried when she approached me earlier."
"I'm sorry, Yamato-san," Aya apologized in a heartfelt manner as she bowed lowly.
"Just go home. Both of you," Yamato scolded two younger girls before him as he rubbed the area between his eyes. "I swear, sometimes I feel like a babysitter rather than a military commander."
o0o0o0o
Later that evening, after she had received a major scolding from her mother— the worst one to date— Aya could not help but still meddle in the whole ordeal with the strange, green-clad soldiers. She found herself wanting to be more immersed in the situation, no matter how dangerous it ended up being. After today's incident, she felt as if she had an obligation to protect her people.
She sneakily stood outside of the briefing room, where Yamato was currently giving a full report to the king, the queen, and their council. She was never allowed into those meetings, even though she had begged her father numerous times, trying to convince him that she was mature enough to take part in the decisions made in Kanazawa. Alas, like in previous occasions, she had to remain outside the doors and listen in on the conversations in secret.
"Are you absolutely sure that's what you saw, commander?" Aya heard her father ask.
"Yes, sir," Yamato's voice echoed from the other side of the large, sliding door. "I'm positive. He wore the five-petal cherry blossom emblem on his right arm."
"Then, the reports from the surrounding regions are true," the king's voice followed. "The Katase clan's soldiers really have made it this far into our province."
"Yes, sir, it seems like it," Yamato responded. "The encounter today was most-likely just a warning. He sent just a few of his soldiers but I did not see their daimyo in the region when we scoured the immediate area."
"They must have a secret fortress nearby," Aya heard her father murmur. "It might even be in the southern region's mountains. There's so much unexplored land there, it would take weeks to find them."
"We'll send men out to the mountains at dawn. We will also take action to scour the town for any spies," Yamato said.
"Very well. Thank you commander," the king said. "You've done well. And thank you for bringing my daughter home safely. I don't know what I'm going to do with that girl…"
"Despite the carelessness in her actions, your majesty, the princess was undoubtedly brave," Yamato declared. This caused a bit of a smug smile to grace Aya's lips.
"She's a foolish girl," Aya heard her mother say, instantly wiping the smile off her face. "But I'm just glad no one was harmed. She would do anything for these townspeople, that girl. Who knew she'd even risk her own life?"
"Aya! There you are!" Miyuu said as she ran down the hall and approached the princess frantically. "I've been looking for you all night. You had everyone worried! Your mother was—"
"Shh, Miyuu! My father and Yamato are in there discussing what we're going to do, next," Aya shushed her friend as she placed her index finger over her lips.
"Spying again? You really don't change," Miyuu said, rolling her eyes. Nonetheless, she couldn't help but join in on the eavesdropping. It was one of their pastimes in this castle. The two girls listened on, each placing an ear against the sliding door.
"Your highness," Yamato continued, "I know that our military and guards are highly trained. However, we need to ensure that the tamahagane, farms, docks, and villagers remain safe. Shall we ask the Honda royalties for assistance?"
"No, they've already got a lot to deal with over there in Toyama, what with their troops still recovering from a recent raid. Plus, the Katase clan is not to be taken lightly... so we also we need to take larger measures."
"Then, sir, do you mean…?" Yamato asked, his voice trailing off. There was a long period of silence in the room before anyone spoke again.
"Precisely," the king stated. "After a decade of peace here in Kanazawa, we finally need to call on the presence of the Otohata daimyo."
Reflection Eternal: A Feudal Era Romance
Chapter I — View of the Ocean — End.
Siopao: I would appreciate your thoughts! I know this is not the normal Gals! fic but please let me know what you think!