Hello there everyone! This is my second fanfic, and unlike the last one, I wanted to make this a progressive story.
The setting is somewhat Victorian/Medieval/Renaissance all kinda mashed together and the kingdom and city names are all made up.
In this story Kyoko gets her revenge *Spoiler Alert* by becoming a knight instead of joining show biz. The first few chapters are VERY close to the manga but I don't plan to keep it that way. I really only did that so I could get the whole revenge theme going.
Disclaimer: I don't own Skip Beat or the characters.
Kyoko raised her hand and gently knocked on Sho's bedroom door. "Sho, I have the tea you asked me to fetch for you."
"Well what are you waiting for? Bring it in already!" Sho lectured from inside the room.
Kyoko turned the handle and the door opened with a quiet groan. She scanned Sho's bedchamber. His chamber was much larger than Kyoko's. While she had only the essential items, Sho liked to live a much more luxurious lifestyle. His curtains were purple silk, the dressers dark ebony, and the rug on the floor was actually the pelt of a snowy white bear. And in the middle of the room, atop a king sized bed, sat Sho. His blonde hair gorgeously reflected the morning light; he looked like a prince. Kyoko felt a sudden blush creep up on her cheeks when she realized Sho wasn't wearing a shirt.
It wasn't until a few moments later that she finally registered the irritated scowl Sho was giving her. "Why are you just standing there?" he barked. "I'm thirsty!"
Kyoko gingerly stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. She held out the cup of tea for Sho and he greedily snatched it from her, practically downing it in one gulp before handing it back.
"Sho, are you training today?" Kyoko asked, taking the cup from him.
"Of course I am! If I don't train every day how can I ever hope to beat that guy?" Kyoko knew exactly who "that guy" was. He was Ren Tsuruga, the most talented and respected knight in all of Shaldorn.
"What time will you be home?" Her large golden eyes were filled with hope; hope that Sho would say he was coming home early for once.
"What the hell does it matter?" Sho got up from the bed and moved towards the dresser, taking out his training uniform.
"S-so I can have a meal ready for you when you get back, of course! And a bath too, if you want." She reached for Sho's arm but he immediately jerked it away, ignoring the obvious hurt in her eyes.
"I don't need it," He grumbled as he started tugging down his pants.
Kyoko took this as her cue and quickly exited the room. Once outside, she let out an exasperated sigh. Sho was never in a good mood lately, but she could understand. Training was extremely stressful and took its toll on him. Sho had always known he was destined for greatness. He had no desire to run a little inn like his parents wanted, his dream was to become a knight at Euthoria Palace. He would climb the ranks and become a powerful and respected knight that outshined even Tsuruga Ren. The best part was that Sho had asked Kyoko to accompany him, and together they ran away to Ayelia, the capital of Shaldorn.
Kyoko had always been fond of fairy tales; stories about princes and princesses. Her favorites were about the unloved girl wearing tattered rags who eventually transforms into a beautiful princess and is admired by everyone. Of course, she knew she would never marry a prince. But what if she could literally have her knight in shining armor? That would be something.
A smile tugged at her lips when she thought of how hard Sho was working to achieve his dream. And even though Sho was irritable and somewhat bitter towards her now, he still needed her. Besides, once he reached the top everything would be alright again because Sho wouldn't be nearly as stressed out. They would finally be able to enjoy their life together.
The thought lifted Kyoko's spirits and even caused her smile to widen. Yes, everything would be fine. As long as she helped Sho achieve his dream it would be okay. Kyoko cleared her mind of all negative thoughts before removing her apron and grabbing her coat from its hook. She slipped it on and headed out the door.
Outside, the spring breeze smelled mostly of mud, but there was a hint of freshness in the air as the flowers were finally beginning to bloom. People bustled by on foot or in wagons, likely carrying goods they planned on selling in the market that day. Kyoko didn't have anything of her own to sell, so instead she worked for Taisho and his wife. They owned a restaurant, and although it was tiny, the food was delicious and very popular with people around the area.
Okami-san spotted Kyoko and waved.
"Good morning, Kyoko-chan. You're early today," Okami-san stated with a warm smile on her face.
Kyoko returned the smile along with a slight bow before replying, "Yes, I wasn't busy at home so I thought I might be able to help you set up for the day."
Okami nodded and motioned to a stack of food crates next to Taisho. "Feel free to help with those," she said.
Kyoko smiled and turned towards Taisho. "Good morning, Taisho," she chirped.
Taisho merely grunted in response before turning away to unload more crates.
"Thank you! Please come again," Kyoko smiled at the customers before handing them their change.
After they left Kyoko strode over and began to clean the table they had just sat at. She had just started wiping it down when Okami appeared beside her.
"Kyoko, we're not very busy it seems. Perhaps you can take the rest of the day off," she suggested.
Kyoko nearly dropped the teacup she was holding. "What!?" she exclaimed. "I can't miss work."
The woman let out a small sigh and placed her hand on Kyoko's shoulder. "It's okay," she said. "We're not busy today; I'm sure I can handle it here with just Taisho. Besides, you haven't had a day off in nearly three weeks. Wouldn't you like a little time to relax?"
Kyoko pondered this for a moment and was about to protest before a thought came to mind. If she left now she could surprise Sho with his favorite treat! He had said that he didn't want anything when he got home, but surely he was just being considerate. After all, she worked hard to support the two of them and he probably didn't want to bother her.
"Thank you, Okami-san," she smiled before handing over her apron.
Okami-san didn't even have the chance to reply before Kyoko was out the door and racing through the market. Such an energetic girl, she thought.
So what did you think? Feel free to leave a review, especially something with constructive criticism. Oh, and I'd really love some ideas if you have any. My goal here is to write something people can enjoy so don't hesitate to suggest something or point out any mistakes.