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Title: Peas In A Pod, Darling
Rating: T (because of some random cursing and swearing)
Genre: AU, General, Romance, Adventure
Pairings: HiruMamoAgon, SenaSuzu, JuumonjiOC, ShinWakanaTakamiSakuraba, and othersxothers
Summary: Lady Mamori is part of the royalty, an aristocrat, and so is her younger brother, Young Prince Sena. However, things change as little Prince Sena decided to board the Devil Bats and become a pirate.
Warning/s: Major OOCs, and well, PWP, I suppose. :) And oh, the names are arranged like this: Youichi Hiruma, given name first. Well, at least for the time being. And oh, this is AU, just in case you'd ask how a pirate got an AK-47. XD.
Disclaimer: I do not own Eyeshield 21, nor its characters, not even the plot.
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Peas In A Pod, Darling
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Chapter 1
Her Circumstance
Kanojo No Jijyou
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The loud rolling waves crashed on the steep of the cliff, the morning breeze flitted between the spaces of the windows and gave the soundly asleep Lady of the Court a cool peck on the cheek. Another blow from the sea rattled the mahogany windowpane, as if trying to wake the one they just kissed. However, it did not seem to work, as the said Lady pulled up her woolen blanket over her head; her not being able to wake up immediately was not only was she a deep sleeper, but also because of the softness and comfort that the bed was giving her.
That comfort she was experiencing though was also short-lived.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
"Mmmm…" she grumbled, rolling to her side.
TAP. TAP. TAP.
She instinctively pulled her pillow and covered her head, "Uggghhh… stop it… can't… sleep…"
TAP! TAP! TAP!
The rapping on the beautifully sculpted mahogany door continued as the Lady continued her sleep. That too seemed to end soon, as her chamberlain, Kohane Wakana, continued to rap on her room's door. The Lady rolled on the other side, as she tried to keep herself from fully waking up; she was not exactly looking forward to this day. After all, who in Pete's Sake would actually want…
"Lady Mamori!" Mademoiselle Wakana said, stopping her assault on the door, "Lady Mamori, please! Lord Shouji is fuming, my Lady!"
Lady Mamori let out an exasperated sigh. She wanted to curse the Heavens, however, she was raised among the nobility, and she had found cursing, swearing, and such profanity disgusting to the ears. It would be inelegant and highly disapproving if she would.
"Yes, coming, coming…" she muttered, almost a whisper, as she disdainfully got out of her bed. It seemed, though, that Mademoiselle Wakana had heard her for the rapping had stopped. She raised her brow as she walked to the door.
Something was up, or His Majesty would not have called for her. She had a very bad feeling about what her Father was going to tell her, but she had to cope up with it for that was what expected of her. She was, after all, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Oujou.
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Knock. Knock.
"Enter," the Court's Chancellor, Ichirou Takami said. Or at least from the voice, it seemed like it was Lord Takami.
The doors opened and Lady Mamori, who was now clad in a cream and white sacque (1). An equally black wide-brimmed plumed hat rested on her hair, which was tied into a tight bun. A classic look of women part of the nobility…
"Ah, as expected from the Lady of the Court!" one of the nobles commented; "Fitting for a Lady indeed!" another said. Same thing, same line everyday that she would come by His Majesty's room.
"Good morning, Your Majesty," Lady Mamori greeted her father with proper courtesy and curtsey, after which, she turned to the other nobilities who were present at that hall, "Thank you for the wonderful opinion of my attire. It is all thanks to His Majesty, as he was the one who had given me the tutors."
"Well, as expected from the only Lady who had become an Ambassador to the East!" an elderly ambassador raised his goblet for her, "Not to mention, she was only sixteen when she entered!"
Mamori nodded curtly towards the man's direction. He was part of the International Confederation of Ambassadors, and in actuality, she could almost refer to him as her mentor in the ways of diplomacy.
"Well, my Princess," said Lord Shouji, "I do suppose you know why we are gathered here."
Mamori kept herself from raising a brow. Of course she knew, "Yes, Your Majesty. I was informed of the… rendezvous two days before, and the week before too."
"I am very much pleased that the Lady of the Court did not see jeopardy in the arrangement," an old man said. Lady Mamori immediately recognized him. She had heard about him and his Kingdom's exploits against those formidable pirates, he was General Sendou Dasumito. Beside the old General was three young men, a pair of twins and a younger boy. They seemed to be part of the Shinryuji Navy Fleet from what she could gather from their uniforms.
"Isn't that just amazing, our kingdom and yours, would finally be united after this! And oh! That chamberlain is so cute! And that girl too-" the younger man said. One of the twins reprimanded him, "That is enough, Ikkyu."
"I knew I shouldn't have separated the men from women…" General Dasumito shook his head. The other twin gave an irritating sneer at her, "And such nice curves…"
Lady Mamori had kept her temper on check, but she cannot keep her thoughts from screaming, 'How dare he! Talking about me in such a shameful manner! If it had not only because of His Majesty's request…!'
Lord Takami coughed, taking the other twin's attention, "Lady Mamori, he is one of the Admiral's sons, the newly ranked Commodore Agon, and he will be the one you will…" he pointed to the other twin, the one who had commented about her figure.
Lady Mamori's eyes grew wide as she turned to the Chancellor, 'NO!'
Lord Takami avoided her eyes, "… be engaged to, and after your… wedding our Kingdom and Theirs will become one."
'No…' she thought, 'No… that can't be true! His Majesty will not allow such…' she turned to her Father, who seemed to be rather pleased with things, '… Father…'
A loud burst of applause and tinkling of glasses erupted from the nobility, after Lord Takami had made the announcement. After all, the Kingdom of Oujou was known for its defense on Land while the Kingdom of Shinryuji was famous for their voyages against the ferocious devils of the sea. The unity of arms that the marriage of the Prince and Princess of the Kingdoms would make such an impact in the alliance of Kingdoms. No one noticed that the Lady paled, except those who knew her personally.
"Lady Mamori…" Mademoiselle Wakana whispered, looking worried at her Lady. She glanced at Lord Takami, who like what he did to Lady Mamori, looked away. She felt a nudge on her side and looked up. It was Prince Haruto Sakuraba, Lady Mamori's older brother.
"What the hell happened here…?" he asked. Mademoiselle Wakana answered with all politeness, "My Lady, Your Majesty's younger sister, has been engaged with Commodore Agon of the Shinryuji."
"WHAT?" Prince Sakuraba's mouth gaped open, "Surely Father wouldn't want that to happen!"
"But His Majesty approved." It was Sir Seijuro Shin, one of the leading Knights of the Kingdom, "We had a meeting a week before, and His Majesty looked rather excited."
"Did he really…?" asked Mademoiselle Wakana. Sir Shin nodded, "However, it seemed like it was rather forced."
"What do you mean by that?" asked Prince Sakuraba.
"The muscles of his face seemed to contract more than usual," Sir Shin answered with all due seriousness.
'The movement of His Majesty's muscles' Prince Sakuraba immediately thought. Just then, he remembered something, or rather someone, "Wait, have you seen my little brother?"
"You mean…? Oh no, I haven't seen him for a while," Mademoiselle Wakana replied meekly. As Prince Sakuraba was about to ask Sir Shin if he had, a small figure walked forward amongst the nobility.
He was shorter than those of his age, and unlike the other members of the nobility, the young boy seemed not to have any special endowment. A small voice escaped his lips, "Is that… what you really want… Mamori-neechan?"
Murmurs and whispers imploded in the hall. He had just called her "Mamori-neechan"! The young boy was eyed by the nobility with raised brows, while his Father asked for an asipirin.
"Little Sena…" Lady Mamori muttered. Out of her 17 brothers and sisters, Little Sena was her favorite. He knew her from inside out, and she as well. He was like her son. And then it hit her. He just called her "Mamori-neechan"! She gave him a questioning look, "Little Sena! Who taught you that rude language?"
"That… well, is not the question, right?" he replied with a hunched back and his voice quivering, "I mean, getting married… I'm sure Mamori-neechan wouldn't like that-"
"Please, stop calling me like that, Little Sena…" Lady Mamori muttered calmly as she walked to her little brother, "Didn't we tell you already, you're already sixteen, you should know the rules, Little Sena."
"B-but… you don't want to get married…" Little Sena mumbled, looking a little down. "Mamo… Lady Mamori… you… er…"
Lady Mamori smiled at her younger brother and ruffled his hair, "It's fine, Little Sena," She turned to the nobility, "I apologize for my younger brother's language. He's still a kid."
"Well, if Lady Mamori says so, then it must be true," A fellow nobleman commented, followed by others' comments. Lady Mamori looked at her brother, who looked even more down. She felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Oh! Big brother!" she exclaimed, "Since when…?"
"Just today," He smiled. Lady Mamori must admit, her beloved brother really was that handsome, "Do you have a minute or two, My Princess?"
"Should I bring Little Sena too?" she asked. Prince Sakuraba nodded, "That would be better."
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The three royal siblings walked together to the castle's porch, Lady Mamori walking hand-in-hand with Little Sena, and Prince Sakuraba holding Lady Mamori's hand. They sat on the circular chairs on the porch, and Prince Sakuraba's expression stoned.
"My Princess, do you really want to get married?" he asked her. Lady Mamori sighed, "Do I have to answer your question, when you more or less already know what my answer is?"
"Then why did you not ask His Majesty to reconsider his…?"
"I know what is happening on the sea, My Prince," Lady Mamori cut him off, "Those pirates-", Little Sena flinched, "-had been ransacking our ships lately, and our stock of food and clothing had decreased in such an alarming rate. I am not such of a spoilt and selfish Lady. I cannot stand children starving and dying… even more so that I cannot do anything about it."
"But there are other ways, My Princess!" Prince Sakuraba argued, "We could try anything! Anything!"
"But My Prince, you too, have married for the Kingdom, right?"
"That is a different matter," he snapped back. "I was a Knight before I was a Prince, I will be willing to lose… love for the sake of the Kingdom. However, you, My Beloved Sister, need not to gamble your life with…" he glared at Commodore Agon, "… him. I believe you are aware of his… other voyages."
"His voyages with his women?" asked Little Sena. Lady Mamori and Prince Sakuraba glared at him, "Sorry."
Prince Sakuraba sighed, "Well, technically, Little Sena is right… how did you know about it anyway?"
"… Well, a friend of mine… The Commodore had taken fancy of her. She came back crying though," Little Sena shrugged. "We had no idea what had gotten into her, although ever since, we had never seen even a single strand of her hair."
Little Sena began to fiddle with his little feet. He looked tired somewhat, but whatever it was, it must have been taking a lot of his time.
Lady Mamori straightened up, "I have no intention in being another person's belonging, My Prince. You do not have to worry about me. After all, I am a very capable woman." She smiled. Prince Sakuraba held her hand, "I'm just worried about you, My Lady. It is not about capability or such, I believe you could defend yourself, however… the Commodore is not an ordinary person, you do know that, don't you?"
"This is my first time meeting him, so with all due respect, I have no idea of who the man is," answered Lady Mamori, "He may very well be a beast with a good heart… maybe."
"Are you sure you will not regret this decision, My Lady?" asked Prince Sakuraba, "If you have doubts-"
Little Sena looked at them with furrowed brows, as if not understanding a single word they were uttering. It did not surprise Lady Mamori, as Little Sena was not exceptionally bright like her or the Chancellor.
"Of course I have my doubts, My Prince," replied Lady Mamori, "However, when my duty to the Kingdom calls… how could I resist it?"
"If you truly want something that is the only time you do not have doubts, Mamori," Prince Sakuraba squeezed his sister's hand, "I had gone past that, and it was a terrifying phase in my life as a Knight… but I place my trust in you… that you do know what you are doing."
"Brother," Lady Mamori muttered, "Of course I do."
Prince Sakuraba pulled his sister towards him, and embraced her. He kissed her forehead, and Little Sena's too.
"I must be going then," he said. Lady Mamori gave him a inquiring look, while Little Sena a quizzical one. He smiled at both of them, "I do have my family waiting for me, you know. And oh, our Kingdom will be hosting a Grand Ball the day after tomorrow, would you care to join?"
Lady Mamori and Little Sena looked at each other; the little boy stammered his positive answer, while their sister smiled, pleased, "I haven't been out for a while."
"Then I will be waiting for you two, I'm sure His Majesty won't be coming, but at least you two…" he smiled.
"S-see you, Big Brother," Said Little Sena meekly. Prince Sakuraba nodded as he disheveled Little Sena's already messed up hair.
"I will be seeing you real soon, My Prince," Lady Mamori said with a hug. She held tight to her brother, and then let go.
Lady Mamori let out a rather incensed sigh. She was planning to have a simple tea party with Misses Sara and Ami(2), and she had to cancel that, or she wouldn't be able to go to her brother's ball.
"Is Lady Mamori all right?" asked Little Sena, looking a little worried for his older sister. Lady Mamori smiled for him, "Of course. Why shouldn't I?"
"W-well," Little Sena scratched his cheek, "I-I don't know… I j-just had a feeling."
"No need to worry. I am fine," She patted his windswept hair, "You should go and rest now, Little Sena. Staying up late wouldn't do you any good, and be sure that you eat before you go to bed, alright?"
"Hiiieee…"
"No buts," she placed her hands on her hips, "And, let's get inside, it's getting too cold out here, you might get influenza or such."
Little Sena nodded. He watched his older sister smile and greet their visitors. He just hoped she wouldn't try to kill him once they board the ship.
Hopefully.
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Along the Amefuto Sea, a rather ragged looking ship stayed afloat amongst the planks and splintered woods. Three shadowy figures were on deck. A devious smirk was plastered on one of their faces as he read a small invitation for the ship they had just hijacked.
"Kekekeke… interesting, isn't it, fucking fatty? A ball… Kekeke… I could now see fucking heaps of loot! Kekekeke!" the man grinned evilly and swung an AK-47 over his shoulder. The largest among them sighed, "Some people just do terrible things…" (3)
A terrifying howl echoed above the sea as the demon shot another round of bullets in the air.
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A/N: Hiya all! It's me… again, trying to make another fic. And no, it's not that I'm abandoning "Where My Heart Is"… it's just that it's a little frustrating. That's all. LOL. XD. And oh, this is most especially influenced and inspired by Pirates of the Carribean. See title. :) And oh, I got the idea for the Chapter title from "Kareshi Kanojo No Jijyou". :) So if ever I got the meaning wrong, that's my answer. LOL. XD.
(1)Sacque – those really posh gowns that Europeans around the 1400's wore.
(2)Sara and Ami – I'm not sure on the names of Mamori's friends, so these may be wrong. LULZ.
(3)This was someone(Kurita)'s line in ES 21, 1st Down. Go figure.
OOC? Please read and review! It helps the author, y'know. XD
