Please have mercy!
I know you guys probably want to kill me for publishing another new fanfic without even updating the others, but this idea just came to mind and I couldn't let it wait!
Disclaimer: The day I own Gakuen Alice will be the day pigs fly. (I usually don't do this, but I decided to go professional. ;D And disclaimers seem fun to type.)
Your Majesty
by: momocandy XD
Chapter One - The Princess
XXX
"Please come this way."
The old man walked briskly toward a monstrous set of gold-trimmed doors, cringing as he caught a whiff of dirt and dust from the two ragged-looking boys trailing behind him.
What a disgrace to have such scum in the Royal Palace, the old man thought, his displeasure shown by the deep frown creasing his face.
The visitors, completely oblivious to their escorter's discomfort, could only gape, speechless, at the extravagant display of wealth within the Royal Palace. It was like an impossible dream, and both of them knew quite well that they didn't belong in it. Their two dark, worn figures looked horribly misplaced against the spotless white marble, and just the thought of that made the boys fidget uncomfortably.
One poked at his tattered clothes nervously and ran an agitated hand mulitple times though his disheveled golden tresses, trying to make the best of his shaggy appearance. He had managed to wash himself up before he traveled here, but other than that, there was not much he could do. A ripped, stained shirt and dirt-crusted, baggy pants were the only garments he had.
The other boy was considerably less anxious, though his sharp crimson eyes darted rapidly from side to side, carefully analyzing this foreign surrounding. He wasn't accustomed to such cleanliness, and his jaw clenched every time he thought of his little sister, who, compared to all this, had to live in a dump of a village. He still felt guilty for leaving her there with his neighbor, but her life would be much worse here, where she would have to adjust to a whole new living environment. Aoi was old enough. She could take care of herself.
"The Throne Room," the old man cleared his throat loudly as he slowly pushed open the enormous doors, making the most dramatic show for these two lowly peasants. "Behold, Her Majesty, Princess Sakura Mikan."
Two jaws dropped to the floor as the visitors were faced with a magnificent chamber bathed in rays of broken sunlight. Looking up, they saw a ceiling so high that it seemed to disappear into the clouds. At the far end of the walkway, which was furnished majestically with a soft maroon carpet, a golden throne stood, on which the faint figure of a girl sat, while another slim figure, most probably a personal maid, was positioned obediently at her side.
It was like the realm of a goddess.
"Your Highness, two commoners wish to see you," the old man said the word as if it were something revolting. "They refused to leave the palace doors regardless of my actions, so I had no choice but to bring them here. My deepest apologies."
There was a slight pause before the princess replied.
"Understood, Jinno. You may leave."
The old man bowed respectfully, but otherwise seemed rather displeased with her response.
"Thank you, Your Highness. But...are you sure you want to waste your time with these good-for-nothing—"
"Are you telling me what to do, Jinno?" the calm, challenging voice of the princess interrupted.
The old man shrank back.
"N-No, of course not, Your Highness. Simply unthinkable. Wouldn't dream of it. I—I will excuse myself now."
He gave one last, hurried bow before making a quick exit through the gold-trimmed doors, closing them securely in the process and leaving the two visitors alone.
The blonde boy swallowed. The princess certainly seemed to hold authority well. He was beginning to feel doubtful of their plan.
"Commoners, come before me and state your names," her commanding voice echoed across the room once again, jolting Ruka to attention.
The two boys immediately stumbled up the red carpet, and as they got closer, the outline of the princess became more distinct. But they could hardly contain their surprise when they saw her actual apearance. She was pretty, yes, but she couldn't have been any older than they were! However, there was this cold, regal air around the princess that made her seem a lot more mature than your average sixteen-year-old.
Once they were at the foot of the thone, the two boys knelt clumsily and recited their names.
"N-Nogi Ruka," the blonde stuttered, head low.
"Hyuuga Natsume," the one with crimson eyes replied. He had evidently more confidence, but a nervous edge was still present in his otherwise steady voice.
The princess mused over these names for a moment, and then, finding nothing special about them, continued with her inquiry.
"Why have you come?"
Ruka opened his mouth to answer like they had planned, but his words failed him at the most vital moment. Instead, Natsume, who was known for being brash with words, intercepted.
"Your Highness, we would like to take the position as your personal butlers," he deadpanned.
The princess raised her eyebrows, clearly surprised at the sudden request, though there was a hint of something deeper raging beneath her hazelnut eyes.
"And why is that?" she questioned.
This time, after taking a deep breath, Ruka was able to speak.
"Because, Your Highness, we heard that this job receives a great sum of money, and we would like to use it to save our village from its current poverty."
Though it was a very understandable and honorable reason, the princess's lips only curved into a smirk.
"Of course—money. I should've known. How foolish. I must give you two bravery for confronting me with such a trivial matter."
Natsume felt his mouth fall slack at those heartless words.
"Trivial...? Trivial? Are you fucking kidding me—" He could say no more as his angry words were then muffled by Ruka's frantic hand.
"Shut up!" the blonde hissed angrily.
But before either of them could try to recover themselves, there was a sudden glint of silver metal, and suddenly, they found themselves at the end of a dangerously sharp sword, the point hanging only an inch away from their faces.
"How dare you use such vulgar words in the presence of Her Highness! Apologize, now!" The figure that had been standing beside the princess upon their entrance now ordered them with the most terrifying stance.
At once, Ruka bowed on shaky kness, his head practically touching the ground. Natsume reluctantly followed.
"We are very sorry," they apologized in unison.
The girl, who had short black hair and striking amethyst eyes, crinkled her nose in disgust as she sheathed her sword, then resumed her former position beside the throne.
The princess smiled, but it was an icy smile that chilled them to the bone.
"My apologies. Hotaru can be a bit aggressive."
Ruka shivered unconsciously. He had never heard such an understatement. He could still feel those fierce violet eyes fixed on him, eyes that looked like they'd seen death before and wouldn't mind seeing it again.
"So, do you still wish to become my personal butlers?" the princess asked, her curly auburn hair spilling forward as she smoothed the ruffles of her elegant gown.
"Yes," the boys replied firmly. That was a given, no matter what.
She eyed them condescendingly.
"You are aware of the weight of this request, are you not? You are just mere commoners. How can I be sure that you will do your job well? And I would hate to contaminate the Royal Palace with your filthy upbringings."
It was all Natsume could do not to go up to that damned golden throne right then and there and strangle the princess to death.
"We understand that our request may be unreasonable, but we are begging for you to give us a chance," Ruka pleaded.
"And why should I do that?" the princess persisted stubbornly. "You are no more than lowly peasants who yearn for money. There are many impoverished villages out there. What makes you two so special?"
Ruka bit his lip uncertainly. This was the one question that they had been worried about. Because there was nothing that made them better than any of the other villages. Luckily, Natsume's quick wits came to the rescue.
"However, Your Highness, I believe that we are the first of these penniless peasants to confront you, yes?" he phrased cleverly. "And true princess's see to the happiness of all of their subjects."
The brunette's expression hardened.
"Are you implying that I am not a true princess?"
Natsume didn't even hesitate.
"Exactly."
Hotaru's hand immediately flew to her blade, but the princess stopped her before she could slice the boy to pieces.
"Princess!" Hotaru protested, but the princess just shook her head.
Natsume thought he saw something in her dark, churning eyes...something like...guilt?
"Leave. You cannot become my personal butlers," she ordered the two boys coldly.
"Why?" Natsume demanded.
"You are in no position to question me."
Ruka stood up defiantly, finding confidence.
"Your Highness, that isn't fair."
The princess's expression darkened.
"Life isn't fair. Live with it. Now leave, before I let Hotaru do as she wishes."
Natsume ignored the murderous glare that the black-haired girl was giving him and stood up as well, irritated. "Look here, Princess. We're only doing this so we could save our village. I don't give a damn about you. You can go die in a hole for all I care."
"You—!" Hotaru growled, but was once again halted by the princess, who was watching Natsume intently. For a fleeting second, Natsume thought he saw some kind of pained expression visible behind her usual blank facade. But it could've been just his imagination.
"There's probably thousands of servants working here. Why the fuck can't you just add two more?"
He was getting fed up with the princess's spoiled attitude. It was no wonder that the Sakura Kingdom was in such a chaotic state. If they really had such a selfish ruler, Natsume was surprised that the capital hadn't entirely collapsed yet. He and Aoi and Ruka were suffering—his village and all of the villages around him were suffering—and it was her fault. It was all Princess Sakura Mikan's fault. And yet, the girl could still enjoy such luxuries! She could still have such a wonderful, rich life.
He hated her.
It was just that simple.
He hated her.
"That's not the problem, boy," the princess sneered, breaking him from his thoughts in the most unpleasant manner. "I wouldn't care if you wanted to become a servant. The more, the merrier—don't you agree? But being my personal butler is a whole different thing, now isn't it?"
Natsume gritted his teeth.
"You...You should be happy that we're actually willing to enter your slaveforce. You lazy, spoiled bitch."
The princess's eyes widened in shock. Her mouth opened slightly, and from it uttered three broken words.
"How...dare...you..."
She slowly removed her hand from Hotaru's arm, her hazel eyes filled with a silent fury.
"Go, Hotaru."
Natsume had never seen a girl move so fast.
Before he could even blink, the warrior was upon him.
His stunned crimson eyes could only watch as Hotaru raised her sword, its golden hilt flashing in the sunlight...
He vaguely heard Ruka yelling in the back.
"Natsume, run! Can you hear me? Natsume!"
The sword came down...down...
"Dodge it, Natsume! Left! Left!"
At the very last second, he felt himself roll to the side.
Pain in his right arm.
Fire.
Blood.
And then it was over.
Ruka immediately scrambled over to him and tore off a piece of his already ripped shirt, trying his best to stop the blooms of red already spilling from the deep cut running a short length along his best friend's right arm.
"Natsume! Natsume! Can you hear me? Are you okay?" he cried frantically.
A pair of disoriented crimson eyes fluttered open and Natsume slowly sat up. He groaned, trying to shake away the black and red spots that smudged his vision. His arm felt like it was being bathed in flame.
"I'm fine, Ruka. Let me stand."
Ruka was about to protest, but then, glancing at the princess, decided that there was no time for that. He reluctantly helped Natsume up, careful to keep his injured arm suspended.
"Hey, you," Natsume nodded toward Hotaru, who was currently using a wet towel to clean his blood off of her sword. "You could've killed me. Why didn't you?"
Her emotionless amethyst eyes met his.
"The princess is not fond of murder. That was just a minor punishment."
Natsume raised his eyebrows and couldn't resist an incredulous laugh.
"Not fond of murder? Not fond of murder?" His crimson eyes flashed with angry contempt as he glared at the princess. "Well then, does the princess know how many people are fucking killing themselves out there because they can't take life anymore? How many people are dying because there's nothing else they can do? And why? Because of you, princess. You and your shitty, heartless ruling. The whole reason why this kingdom is such a disgrace is because of you. I'm a fucking orphan because of you. It's all your fault, you murderer."
"Shut. Your. Mouth." Hotaru stormed over to him and brandished her sword at his throat. "Or else, I swear to God, I will send you to a place worse than Hell."
But despite the warrior's defense, the words had already took their toll. The princess looked like she had just been smacked hard across the face. She blinked a few times, only to revealed shattered brown eyes. Her tiny frame quivered as she sat in shock, almost threatening to break. Her thin lips parted and she took a shaky breath.
"Fine...fine. Do as you wish, you wretched boys," her words trembled as if she had been severely tramautized.
Natsume smirked inwardly. So the princess had finally been put in her place.
"I...I will give you one month. One month to serve in the Royal Palace. Come October thirty-first, if you two have not yet left the palace doors, I will not be held responsible for anything that might happen."
"Princess, you aren't serious—?" Hotaru studied her with a mixture of unreadable emotions swirling in her amethyst eyes.
Natsume wasn't fazed by the threat, mainly because he didn't understand it. But that didn't matter.
"Believe me, Your Highness, as soon as we receive enough money to support our village, you will never see us again," he promised, panting slightly due to the fact that his wound was still losing blood.
"Very well," the princess gave a small nod. "Hotaru, go prepare two rooms."
"But—"
"Hotaru."
The princess and the warrior met eyes and shared a silent exchange. Then Hotaru sighed.
"As you wish, Your Highness."
She bowed and stepped aside so that the princess could stand.
"Return by the curfew at ten. Your rooms will be ready then," the princess informed the two boys.
She gave Natsume and Ruka one last, frigid glare before disappearing with Hotaru through a silver door at the right.
One month, huh? Natsume thought as his crimson eyes watched the silver door creak to a close. A smug smirk settled onto his lips. That's more than enough time. This'll be easy.
If only he knew then how much would change within a month.
So...was it boring? Maybe...probably...most likely...
I'm expecting this story to be pretty long, but then again, all of my other stories are supposed to be pretty long too, except for the fact that none of them have reached higher than ten chapters yet.
I know I have to update a lot. Please don't kill me.
On a happier note, Fall break's just started, so I'll try my best!
And don't forget to leave a review!
I hate liars, so please don't be one. Critics, on the other hand, are very awesome people.
-momocandy XD
P.S. If any of you readers live in the tri-state area and have experienced the wrath of Hurricane Sandy, I hope that you and your friends and family are all fine. I live in NJ, about an hour from the coast, so I didn't get much damage, but I've watched the news and seen how serious it was. I feel so sorry for those people... :(