Princess, a Prince, Knights and... Tennis?

Sakuno wants to be a regular girl, but she's not. She's a princess, and is by law not allowed to leave the castle until her eighteenth birthday. That's three years away and too long for her tastes. So she and her cousin Tomo devise a plan to sneak Sakuno into the Young Ladies and Knights in-training Academy, also known as LKA. Sakuno dresses up as a lady of the court, pretending to be a new student. With Tomo's help she begins to create friends, and is having the time of her life, until guess who she meets. None other but her knight and shining armor, Ryoma. What is going to happen now? Read and find out

*Notes from me.

Hey everyone sorry for not updating I forgot I hadn't posted the chapter for this story until I had someone remind me. Please read and enjoy!!!

BlackDove of Blessings

Thoughts

Talking

EXCITEMENT or YELLING

Prologue

Sakuno walked the halls of the castle, her footsteps echoing through the now empty halls. It was late, way past midnight, but she couldn't sleep. Today would be her fifth birthday and she wasn't happy at all. Sakuno had never been let out of the castle, instead she was kept either indoors or in the enclosed gardens. No one but her servants, bodyguard and her immediate family where allowed to see her. It was law that the heir to the throne was not to live the castle until their eighteenth birthday, a law put in place a long time ago to insure that they heir was protected from being targeted for assignation. As Sakuno's father put it, every time she asked to be allowed to leave, "You can't kill an heir if you don't know what they look like."

Sakuno sighed. She wouldn't be eighteen for another three years, but she couldn't stand it for another day. "But it's useless; I'm not going to be able to get out of here until my father says so." Sakuno continued down the hallway, and into another corridor. This corridor led to the enclosed gardens. The only placed that Sakuno could see the sun, and run, be free. Well at least as free as an enclosed garden can be. As she walked the moonlight shown thru the high archways that lead to the garden. Sakuno stopped to look over it. There were hundreds of different flowers, all of which Sakuno tended herself. No one touched it without her permission. Sakuno smiled at the moonlit flowers, their soft petals all reflecting the different shades of colors thanks to the moons insignificant light.

Sakuno did everything in this place, from weeding to watering, from hoeing the soil to picking them. Sakuno especially loved the smells the waft around the enclosed area. I soft smell that didn't overwhelm a person, but just enough that it made you relax, smile, and be happy.

Sakuno was about to step down the staircase to roam the garden, when suddenly she heard a noise. Looking around Sakuno squinted to see through the darkness. There on the other side of the garden and in the next breezeway, Sakuno noticed a shape of a boy forming. Sakuno crept behind the pillar so as not to be noticed, if she was found outside her room at this time, she'd be in a lot of trouble.

But as she silently watched, the figure of a boy in squire fatigues entered the garden's grounds. He was wondering the garden's stopping every now and then to smell a flower, or knock a pebble from the pathway. Suddenly he stopped a few paces from Sakuno's hiding place. Sakuno's breathe stilled in her lungs. Now that the boy was closer, Sakuno could see his face by the moonlight. He was beautiful. Sakuno shook her head at the description, but couldn't think of a better one. She could tell that he had darkish hair, and light eyes, strong hands that went to the handle of the rapier on his side. Sakuno could tell from years of looking from the tower rooms onto the practice fields that the boy knew what he was doing.

"You better come out; I know you're behind the pillar. If you are here to do harm, or spy on me, I'd rather face you head on." The voice was strong, confident, sure that he could define himself against whatever opponent faced him. Sakuno blushed as her heart sped up; it was beating so hard that her chest was hurting. "What should I do? He can't see me; he'll turn me in for sure." "I said come out."

Sakuno knew she had no choice, taking a deep breath, she took a step down and faced the boy, head held as high as her shyness let her. "G-g-good evening, sir, I was just taking a walk to clear my head, and you scared me." Sakuno looked him in the eye; she could swear his eyes glowed in the dark. "I-I'm sorry for interrupting you."

The young man, as Sakuno now realized, took his hand from his rapier. He seemed to be reading her mind, as he smirked at her.

"Don't you know that this is the princesses, personal gardens, you're not supposed to be here." The boy smirked, causing Sakuno's face to redden in irritation.

"Well you're not supposed to be here either. You certainly don't look like a girl to me." Sakuno's clamped her hands to her mouth in astonishment. She couldn't believe she'd just said that. She never raised her voice, to anyone but something about this person made her act impulsively on her feelings. Sakuno started to bow in apology, when she heard a snicker. Looking up she realized that the boy was trying not to laugh and was apparently not succeeding. Instead of making her madder, Sakuno felt her lips form a smile. The boy's laughter seemed to escape him once he realized she wasn't going to be mad and the silent garden rang with their conjoined laughter.