Hey! Just to make it clear about how this is going to be. There are going to be different stories within the fiction and each one is a different reincarnation of Natsuki and Shizuru in a specific time/era and situations. Some of the stories may be based on real facts from the past, while other will be made they will be subtly connected to each other, showing how they character has changed from their past experiences and what they had learned from their past lives.

Prologue

A myth written on an old box with yellow pages and smell that indicated mold, once had claimed that there are some people in this world who have never met, seen or even aware of each other's existence. Despite that, they are not strangers.

How is that possible? According to that book, past, present and future are all connected and time is not just a straight line. Love is the force and energy that makes it possible.

Some call it soulmates...

Disclaimer: I don't own any of those Mai Hime cahracters!

Behold my kingdom

Chapter 1

In the distant past, somewhere along when kings were ruling the world. A time when people had no rights whatsoever unless their blood was royal, that was an era when you would be happy if you leaved long enough to watch your children growing up to adulthood.

Poverty was plaguing at least 90 ninety percent of the population, while all the wealth was gathered on the few, that were usually the kings or their relatives. Long enough when the quickest transportation were the horses- an animal that was a privilege only for a few.

It would be strange to not mention that women and children were treated nothing more than properties and puppets. If a young girl ,on a very rare occasion, could find a husband who was willing to keep her in his house and not sell her to a pimp or as a slave she was considered a really lucky person indeed.

That was the time when a girl happened to be born in. A time where she felt it was a big mistake to be born into...

Natsuki was working as a gardener of the huge royal palace. A couple of years ago, her mother had become sick. Having no money for a doctor and medication, Natsuki tried to save her by using herbs, but it only gave her some extra months of leaving more.

When she passed out, Natsuki and her sister were left alone and unprotected. Their father was killed in the war a long ago too, so Natsuki and Alyssa had no parents or relatives left.

Studying about plants for a hobby all those years didn't go on a waste though. It actually saved her and her younger sister from selling themselves for a piece of loaf. One morning, the navy haired girl heard from the palace's crier that a vacant spot in the huge garden required a worker. Someone who knew about all of the different pieces of flowers, trees and herbs of that huge place. The King, Eliot VI of Windbloom, couldn't find a person suitable for that position.

Noone seemed like they could treat all of those plants in the way it was required in order for them to not whither or die. He had already hired some suggested gardeners but their abilities turned out to be deficient. The idea of hiring an ordinary person was his last resort. He didn't believe that he was going to find a suitable person for that spot, after his last gardener's death. But when Natsuki, among with twenty four other candidates ranked the highest score, much higher than the second, it was obvious that the job belonged to her...

~Sound of horse pedals entering~

"Kuso!" Natsuki coursed.

"What is it again?!" the other girl next to her asked, in a way that indicated she was used to this type of situation.

"Don't tell me you can't see this !?" the girl answered, almost shoving her bleeding finger to Mai's face.

"Of course I am! This thing flows like a river!" the orange haired girl replied teasingly, trying to calm her friend down.

Mai was the gardener helper in that palace. The one who scored second on the King's test. Her situation was similar to Natsuki. Her parents were both dead, a very usual phenomenon for that time and place, and she had a younger brother who was also sick.

"But it hurts damn it!" Natsuki protested, squeezing her finger trying to lessen the pain. "It's the second time in three days that I cut my finger on the same spot!" she almost yelled, before two hands were wrapped around her mouth, silencing her. "Maybe if they actually gave us better tools-"

"Shhh!" Mai stopped her immediately. "The King with a new wife are coming in..." she whispered, preventing the angry rant from the bluenette.

The both stood still, putting their right hand on the left side of their chest, as a sign of respect to his highness.

King Eliot was smiling. He was a man of very different smiles though. That day, his facial expression looked like he was coming from a war as a victor. It seemed so stuck up to Natsuki, that looking at him made her cringe. Of course she had to hide it very well in front of him. Eliot was a young man on an age for marriage, on his middle twenties. After his father's death on the war, his become the new King at the age of twenty two. He was an attractive tall man, with brown hair and grey eyes. That, plus his prestige as the young King was attracting the women around his Kingdom like a magnet.

'People are suffering in this country, and that prick lives happily on his palace with a new addition to his Harem every week.' she angrily thought, struggling to prevent a fist to be formed on her left hand.

The King was galloping on his strong brown horse, while the horses of his guards and a second horse were following him.

Natsuki squeezed her eyes a little, trying to be as discreet as she could, zooming at the unfortunate girl who was going to be added Eliot's collection of women.

Her emerald eyes flew on the skin of that woman. It seemed silky and porcelain like. Smooth like milk. Her hair were long and fell at the level of her lower back. The color was light brown or better, chestnut.

In a quick glimpse, emerald caught the color of those eyes. Red like fire.

"Mai..." Natsuki whispered with her eyes secretly widened, when the horses were gone.

"What is it?"

"This girl..." Natsuki replied still stunned.

"That girl...?" the other gardener wondered, pointing at the horse that carried the king's new wife.

"I-I know her from my village...she doesn't seem happy to be here!" Natsuki said, restraining her self from yelling again. For a bizarre reason, her heart was running really quickly inside her chest. That feeling was similar to anxiety, but not as depressing though.

Mai put her hand on her mouth, trying to be polite to her friend's out the blue note.

"HAHAHA!" she finally burst on laughter after not being able to make it go away.

"Maai!" Natsuki angrily protested.

"Hah..I'm sorry Natsuki..." the orange haired girl said, weeping away a tear from her eye. " You know all of these women are extremely lucky to be with the king, instead of being forever sold in the market, right? The life on the palace for them is privileged. Only the best get to be in there though..."

The bluenette's eyes widened again.

"How is it a privilege to be on this man's harem?! How is it a good thing to spend your life as a prisoner of his wishes?! " Natsuki said on clenching fists.

"Wow, please calm down...someone may hear you!" Mai said on a low tone, whispering it.

Natsuki forced herself to calm down. She knew that Mai was right. If anyone heard her talking about the king or his harem like that, the punishment was surely death. Her sister was not going to survive without her for sure. That's how it was at that time.

You didn't like the King or his orders? You had any objections about the political system and doubted the Royals' decisions? You were a woman who thought you were equal to men and not a potential slave?

Death.

"Look, we both know we can't have everything. Our options can never be good. But we can choose the less bad ones. I'm sure this girl feels very lucky to be here. You should feel lucky that you have this job too. Heck, I feel lucky about being on this job. If it wasn't for this...Takumi...Takumi whould..." Mai tried to finish but, tears flooded her eyes. Soon, she was bursting into her friend.

The bluenette remembered her mother's words. 'Always stick with the people close to you, if you want to survive. Never let go of your sister or friends if you make any'

A tear rolled down her cheek as well. "There there." she said to her friend, trying to calm her down. "Takumi and Alyssa are going to be fine as long as we stick to our duties."

Mai nodded to Natsuki and whipped out her tears. Noone should see the gardeners crying. It was certainly an act that the king may thought as suspicious.

"Well, well..." a sudden voice made the two workers to startled by the surprise and fear. It was the woman Natsuki loathed the most. Rei Takaneshi. A blonde busty girl with long hair and brown eyes. The king's most favorable wife in the harem, and the biggest prick of them all, as Natsuki thought.

"Were you two slaves crying?" she asked mockingly. "Why so?" she faked compassion. "Maybe you want me to tell that to my husband so he can help you?" she said on the most mocking way. She seemed like she really enjoyed belittling- as she thought- the girls.

"You IDIOT!" Natsuki screamed.

Before Mai could even realize it, her friend had thrown herself on the blonde and Natsuki's palm was going to land on Rei's cheek.

"Natsuki NO!" Mai screamed as she managed for some split seconds to stop the gardener's hand from hitting the face of the blonde.

"Hmph..." Rei sneakily smiled. It seemed as if she liked to provoke Natsuki, so she would hit her. "How is your sick brother Mai? Is he ok?" she asked the orange haired gardener on her usual provoking tone.

Now it was Mai's turn to get extremely angry at the blonde.

"Get away from here idiot!" Natsuki yelled.

"Don't do anything stupid Natsuki" Mai advice. "This is what she wants you to do!"

It was true. Rei thought of herself very highly. When she had gone inside the palace, she had completely forgot that she used to be poor like everyone else. Her main goal was to be the King's first wife. To become the Queen. She already thought that this was going to happen, so she enjoyed to mock the less fortunate ones.

On Natsuki's case though, it was a little different. Rei didn't like the bluenette's personality at all. She used to provoke her in every way she could, so Natsuki would finally hit her. And the rules were clear about this.

If someone dared to defile any of the King's wives, the punishment was a torturous death by burning them alive. Rei knew about Natsuki's easily provoked nature, especially when someone mentioned her sister or family. That rebellious girl was certainly a broken little dog after all, Rei used to think on a sarcasm.

"I should get going. There is something more important than you today in the palace." The blonde smirked as she turned away and left.

"That..." Natsuki formed tight fists. After some moments though, she rethought of those words. 'Somehing more important today?'

"M-Mai?"

"Yeah?" the girl asked. She had already turned back at her duty, trimming the flowers.

"What did she mean by taking care of something in the palace?"

The orange haired gardener moved her shoulders up, as an indication of not knowing. "How should I know? She's crazy anyway. Look, Natsuki stop paying attention to that prick. We should just focus on our jobs here, ne?" Mai said to her friend, while looking at the flowers and how much they were glowing. "Besides, you know how her life goal is to become ." the girl said on a mocking way. "Maybe she's going to be after that new girl or something..."

"That's what I thought too!" Natsuki agreed, by folding her arms.

"Anyway, we should move on from the flowers to the trees. It seems like we'll leave late today again." Mai said on a tired tone. "By the way, you said you know this new girl?" she asked curiously.

"Y-yeah...she's from the same area as me." Natsuki said lowering her eyes. "I've seen her around, but never talked to her. She was pretty popular in my village too." the bluenette informed on a low tone, still looking down the ground while she was watering the flowers.

"I see...no wonder why the King choose her to join the harem." Mai stated, putting her finger on her chin. "I mean, she was pretty attractive, right?"

"I...guess."

"Hope that Rei doesn't cause her much trouble."

It was a well known fact how the blonde lusted after the King and the position of Windbloom's new Queen.

"Let's move now shall we? I don't want to be very late again Natsuki!"

The gardener just nodded. The new girl didn't seem like the rest of the women in that harem. Everyone inside that harem seemed like a cheap girl, having nothing more than their good looks and body.

But that girl...she was different. Natsuki could feel that. It was sad that she would have to be among those women.

'A ruby among the dirt...that's what it is going to feel like...' the bluenette mentally said. After that thought, her heart felt like it become a little heavier for no reason. She put her hand on her chest, but it didn't seem like there was some injury there. Maybe it was just her imagination.

0~0

Shizuru just walked in her room. The one in so many at that palace, where each girl would sleep every night and consider as her new home. She sighed in relief when the servant let her bags inside, and left. She put her head on that door, closing her eyes.

She wished that this was all a bad dream, that she would wake up from in the morning. But it wasn't. She looked at her room. It surely seemed bigger than she expected. Walking down the paths of that big place, she noticed how all the girl were gazing at her. Death glares that felt like a warning. Everyone in there wanted the King, and Shizuru being the newest addition, it was certainly a threat for them, as well as their newest mocking object.

Shizuru was well aware of how those things worked inside the King's harem. Everything was a competition she didn't wish to be a part of. Heck, she hated it so much, she couldn't even think about it. The brunette was never going to accept being on that harem. But if you happen to catch the King's attention, you really can't decline him for long.

~FLASHBACK~

Eliot used to take his usual strolls at night down the paths of the village. Shizuru was working in the local market with her cousin, Arika. When the King first laid his eyes on her, he smiled. He stood there obviously checking the brunette from head to tow. When Shizuru didn't smile back, but tried to avoid his gaze out of hidden disgust, he became even more interested in her.

"What do we have here..." Eliot said, grabbing her from the wrist. Shizuru's body protested really hard on his touch, but she had to endure it if she wanted to get back home alive.

Not only she could never find a man attractive, but that man was repulsive to her for being the wealthy king that left the people starve while he enjoyed the merits of his privileged life on the expense of the poor people of the country.

She turned her face back, managing to put the perfect deceiving mask for 'His Highness'.

She smiled, after bowing in front of him on a very lady like manner.

Eliot smiled but, kissing her hand. "You my lady. What is your name?"

The brunette didn't want to tell her name. She didn't even want to look at him. The more upset she felt, the better the mask was becoming.

"It's Shizuru my King." she said very politely to him, on her usual melodic tone.

Her voice was ringing like a song to his ears. Her posture and eyes were mesmerizing...

"What a beautiful name for such a beautiful lady." he politely said, while smiling at her.

That was the night Shizuru was first spotted by the king. In her gut, she had a really bad feeling about that. The next night Eliot proposed her to join his Harem. Shizuru tried to decline, but she looked at her cousin and the king's guards around her. That was a subtle warning of things to come if she ever dared to decline the most important man of the country.

The choice was either be one of his wives, of watch all of her beloveds dying.

0~0

The door of that big room, that was Shizuru's new home was knocked.

"Come in"

A short haired girl with freckles got inside. She seemed shy and resembled nothing like the women from the harem.

"I'm your room's attendant and the King's messenger to you." the servant informed, bowing down at the brunette's knees.

Shizuru felt really bad on that gesture. "Please get up." she just said to the girl.

"O-Ok!" the girl immediately got up.

Shizuru sighed. "Look, you don't have to bow in front of me. I'm just like you." She said.

The servant's eyes widened and she coughed.

"Are you ok?" Shizuru asked the flustered girl.

"I-I'm fine. Thank you."

"What is your name?"

The girl started coughing again. She was used to the rude, demeaning comments of the women from the Harem. But a girl from king's collection talking to her like she was...a human? That was the first time she ever witnessed something like that!

"I-It's Yukino my lady." she politely said, still scared though.

"I'm Shizuru. Nice to meet you." she added, reaching her hand to the servant, in order to greet her.

That move made Yukino scared again. "I'-Im sorry. " she said really quickly

Shizuru's hand remained empty on the air, as Yukino would never dare to even touch one of king's wives. After a moment of realizing that the greet wasn't going to be returned, the chestnut haired girl removed her hand back.

"Th-The King is going to be ready in less than half an hour. He said that you should be ready for tonight too and take a bath."

Shizuru flinched at that. Of course she had completely denied her duty at the first night in that palace, which was being at the King's mercy for anything he wished from her. Her heart started beating really fast and cold sweat came down from her neck. Her red eyes widened, as they struggled not to reveal the feelings behind that mask. The feelings of fear and disgust.

"Thanks you." she finally said, on a cold tone.

Yukino bowed quickly in front of her again. "Our palace's gardener is going to come and prepare the room in a moment. She's the one wearing the working suit with the kingdom's stamp on the shirt. If anyone else come here beside her, don't open the door." the freckled girl informed.

It was true, jealous women from the harem may try to kill the new additions right from the first night. The king wouldn't be able to find who that was out of all of them, or even if it was even one of the women from his harem. So it was going to be really easy just killing her without getting caught.

"Thanks a lot." Shizuru said honestly to Yukino.

"I-It's nothing." the servant said. "Please be careful one-san." she added, and the she quickly left.

Shizuru sighed once again. She locked the door, taking the advice from Yukino. As the time was coming though, the brunette wondered if getting killed would probably be better than staying in that palace for the rest of her life. She didn't want to admit it to anyone but herself, but committing suicide was one of her last resorts. She was filled with sorrow after her parents death and she had noone to love beside her cousin. She always felt so alone, so empty. And being on the king's harem now, had sky rocketed those feeligs to a point of making her thinking about her only options.

The door knocked and Shizuru got startled, making her thoughts to stop.

"Who is it?" she asked on a seemingly calm tone. Deep inside her, she was trembling though.

'PLease, not the King...' she wished.

"I-I'm the gardener...I came here to prepare your room." a voice said from behind the door.

Shizuru exhaled in temporary relief.

"Please...come in..." she said to Natsuki, while opening the door. When she looked at the girl, she almost smiled forgetting the situation she was in.

Crimson met emerald, and the navy haired girl felt a knot on her stomach.

Natsuki stood there for some seconds before entering the room. The gardener was holding a basket full of red and white rose petals.

"I here to prepare your room..." the gardener said, avoiding the gaze of those eyes.

"I know..." the brunette replied, sounding nothing like excited at all.

Natsuki walked towards the double bed and after straightening perfectly the sheets, she started purring the pedals all over the bed. After that, she entered the bathroom, filling the bathtub with water, while purring some extremely nice smelling herbs and flowers inside. Shizuru curiously followed her, watching the bluenette preparing the tub.

"This is for you and the king for tonight." she informed the chestnut haired girl. Her tone sounded as neutral as she could. For some reason though, she couldn't help but feel bad for the brunette.

Natsuki was used to preparing the room's for the king and his wives every night, so feeling this didn't make any sense to her. She should be used to that by then. She was always reminding herself that those women actually enjoyed being the king's companion.

Shizuru noticed how the gardener was tensed up. "I see." she just said, trying to break the silence. That voice though, made Natsuki only more surprised as she almost jumped from her position. Her emerald eyes finally looked at the woman near the bathroom's door.

'Kuso that feeling again...' she mentally coursed herself again.

Little did she know that Shizuru was more upset that her.

'She seems...familiar...' the brunette thought. At that, her heart protested a little. Did she know that gardener from before?

A look at those emerald eyes, reinforced that feeling. They seemed so...familiar. Her heart started beating for seemingly no reason. It felt familiar. She approached the gardener more, still holding the gaze they were exchanging.

"What is you name?" she just asked, while the distance was becoming lessen without them noticing.

"M-My name is..." the bluenette tried to say, but the sound of the door opening was heard.

Natsuki gulped and drifted away from the girl immediately. "Looks like my work here is done."

"Wh-What?"

"The king is here" the bluenette just said. A strange feeling started burning inside her chest. The hate for that man's being was overwhelming her. She could still manage to hide it though.

Heavy steps starting walking, as the man was whistling mischievously inside that beautiful room.

Natsuki turned off the water, as she avoided looking at the brunette for any more.

Eliot was at the door of the bathroom, looking at his new wife with a bright smile. His grey eyes were lighting up as Shizuru's gut felt twisting on his sight.

"You are released for today, slave" the brown haired man said to Natsuki.

The bluenette just nodded, hiding her hatred filled thoughts for him as she walked out of the room.

When the door closed, Natsuki's heart felt like it was going to be sank. She put her hand on the left side of her chest. What was that feeling? Was it that she felt sorry for the new girl? But why would she? That was what everyone from the Harem desired anyway.

Natsuki sighed once again, walking away from the room, down the hall. She ignored all the glares from the rest of the women from the harem. That was something she was used to every night anyway. When she would prepare the room for one of the King's wives, the rest of the women would look at her like they were about to kill her. Heck, like that was even her fault!

The gardener went out from the palace, while Mai was waiting for her on the entrance. They homes were almost an hour and a half away from the palace, and they walked that path twice per day.

Mai smiled at her friend when she was finally released. "Let's go home Natsuki" The gardener just nodded. "Is there something wrong?" Mai asked, putting Natsuki's bag on the girl's back.

"I-I'm just tired Mai." she faintly smiled. "Let's go"

"That's the spirit!" Mai cheerfully said, as they both started walking off that palace for the night.

0-0