A Mask of White
By: Adazula
Story Description: Princess Hana of San Fransokyo has always hid behind a mask of white and red lips. She has always been told what to do, what not to do, and who to respect. But she when harms her brother and runs away, she thinks no one could ever love someone like her. That all changes when she is taken in by a shelter and given a second chance to be loved again. Female Hiro!
Inspired by The Lost Prince by Onewiththescar and Gimme Shelter. This is not going to be a complete rip off from The Lost Prince or Frozen.
Hana hides behind the mask of white and red lips. Behind the perfectly done up hair with antique ornaments hanging from it. She hides behind the beautiful kimono and bright obi that is adorned on her small body.
That's what a princess must do. To hide her emotions. That's what Hana must do.
She is the princess to the kingdom of San Fransokyo. Sister to the soon to be King Tadashi. According to Callaghan and her instructor, she must be graceful and poise. She must never let her King see her true emotions. She must never let anyone see her true emotions
She remembers the song that Callaghan taught her when he separated her from her brother when they started their royal lessons
First thing you mustn't do, is disobey your teacher
Rule number two, keep your temper under control
Last but not least the most important rule
What ever else you do, never harm your King
If so much as break one,
You will regret this for the rest of your life...
Her training was a nightmare. When she so much as let a hint of emotion show on her face, he slap her across the face or get her instructor, Tomihatsu, to do it. He punched her when she did not follow directions correctly. He basically beat her whenever he did not see perfection from her.
The lessons were conducted privately between her, Tomihatsu, and Callaghan in her room. No servants. Not even Aunt Cass is allowed in without permission from Callaghan. He says that they are a distraction. She didn't even dare to ask for Tadashi, because she didn't want to distract him from his duties.
It all started when she and Tadashi's birthdays have passed one year. She was nine and he was fifteen. The time had come for Tadashi to train to become the King of San Fransokyo.
" It is very important that we must start training immediately." Callaghan stated at breakfast the day after Tadashi's birthday. " We have a lot to cover when it comes to serving your people and god help your sister if she is to be our princess."
" Relax Callaghan. She has five years before I become king. She'll make a great princess to San Fransokyo." Tadashi said assuringly before they heard the door slam open.
Hana comes running into the breakfast room wearing her dark blue cotton kimono on and her black hair down and very messy.
" Tadashi! Today's a perfect day to go the garage and build that hovercraft you were talking about!" She wearing a very silly smile pointing to outside which is very rainy.
" Sorry Hana. I can't. I have to start my lessons remember?" Tadashi said. And Callaghan snorted his disapproval.
" Oh. Right." Hana said disappointed as she adjust her little black obi. She really didn't put on the kimono properly. Again. She hates wearing kimonos. It maybe the dress code of a royal, but she prefers what normal kids wear. Jeans and a Tshirt.
But she must reluctantly follow the code of a royal. According to Callaghan.
" Alright. I think now your lessons must begin." Callaghan said to the kids with a cold hard stare at little Hana's face. She did not know that her life was about to change. Forever.
At first she never took the sudden changes seriously. She thought once her brother had time, he would be with her like he would always promised her and fulfilled. But it never happened. He never once gave a little time to his sister.
Every time she wanted to play, Callaghan forbade her. He said that she was a distraction and her presence would ruin her brother's potential future. Eventually she gave up and sadly accept the new terms on life.
Six months after her brother started his training, the time had came for Callaghan to start training Hana to become a princess. On that day, she made a vow to become the lady she was to be. For her kingdom and her brother.
That was easier said than done.
" I hate kneeling. It hurts my knees." Hana complained once again. She's beginning to really become agitated by the nonstop lessons. She hasn't slept for over two days because of it.
Because San Fransokyo is a Japanese American city/kingdom, many Japanese traditions are practiced in the palace. Including the wearing of kimonos for the women on special occasions, and dining on the floor at a low table. Men would sit cross legged. Whereas Women would kneel and Hana hated it.
" Kneeling is the proper way for a Princess to sit. We don't cross our legs like the men. It's inappropriate." Said Tomihatsu.
" How come the men get everything?!" She said before instructor had slapped her in the face.
" A Princess does not talk back!" Tomihatsu screeched with Hana's tears shedding from the pain. " Now I said kneel!"
Hana shakingly kneels on the mat despite how uncomfortable the position is on her knobby knees.
" Good. At least we're getting somewhere." The woman mutters.
" I see your practicing your calligraphy. Very good." Tomihatsu nodded approvingly at the girl who is at her desk with the ink brush in hand and patch of paper.
" Let me see your work...Ah!" Tomihatsu screeched. Hana wasn't practicing calligraphy. She was drawing designs for robots.
" Uh..." Hana laughed nervously.
" You insolent child! Oh just you wait til I tell Callaghan. You're going to get it now!" Tomihatsu stomped away taking the calligraphy designs as incriminating evidence.
That night he beat her so much, that she no longer dared to pull that stunt again. To assure herself that it won't happen again, Hana even threw away everything that had to do with robotics.
" Hana. Are you sure you don't want any meat. I mean just a bowl of rice and tea isn't that sustainable." Cass asked the girl who is slowly eating the small bowl of rice with chopsticks.
" I'm quite content Aunt Cass." The now ten year old said quietly and politely. Which is a 180 from the child she knew three months ago.
" Tadashi wish he was here. I mean it is your birthday." Cass said trying to have a conversation with her niece.
" It's understandable. One must sacrifice for the good of the people." She said.
" Yes for something like war, but it's just education. It's your big day. Well he did ask me to give you this letter." Cass said as she handed the girl an envelope.
Hana opens the envelope from her dear brother.
My dearest sister,
The lessons has been going great. I'm learning something new each and everyday. Who knew how much there goes into being a King! I've heard that you have just started your lessons as well. I hope they are going well for you. Knowing you, you're probably fighting tooth and nail to get your way. Just remember to listen to your teacher. Even if things sound unfair, it's for the reasons that you will understand. I hope to hear back from you soon.
- Tadashi
" Even Tadashi wants me to be good." Hana thought sadly.
" Sweetie. Is there something wrong?" Cass asked concernly. Seeing the sad expression adorned on her niece's face.
" No but thank you Aunt Cass. Now I must get back to my lessons." She said before bowing to her Aunt and rising from the floor to attend to her lessons.
" Where has this family gone wrong?" Cass said to herself.
For the past couple of months Hana has written letters to Tadashi and received replying as well. It has become the only life source she has to tolerating the abuse. She would rely on it heavily to get her through each and every single long day.
Cass has been the unofficial royal mailman. She would bring the letters between the kids and made sure they got to them.
Hana would usually make smart comments and make jokes about her instructor behind her back in her letters. She could imagine Tadashi laugh about it hysterically. Oh how much she missed her brother's laugh.
She also made sure that Tomihatsu and Callaghan would never see her with the letters. Otherwise she would be in big trouble. She would always hide them under her mattress between the many layers of silk sheets and comforters.
One day it all changed.
She heard the door slam open and both Callaghan and her teacher march to the girl.
" Callaghan...Ow!" She screamed as he punched her in the face.
" Letters! You have been sneaking letters behind our backs." Callaghan snarled.
" I didn't think it was harmful." She whimpered as she cradled her bleeding nose and cheek.
" Do you realize that you are ruining everything for your brother by distracting him like this!?" He yelled at her.
" No." She says in fright.
" You might as well burn down the entire city because of your antics!" He continued to yell. " I would have throw you out of this palace if you weren't the princess! Though you can't seem to do anything right! You are the worst princess in the history of the world. Do you know that?"
" Please. I'll be a better princess. Just tell me what I have to do." She begged.
He snorted, " If you want to redeem yourself and this kingdom, there is one thing you can fix on the spot."
Her eyes weld with tears as they watched her angrily with the calligraphy brush shaking in her hand as she makes the strokes of the letter she knows she will regret for the rest of her life.
It took even more effort just to fold it neatly and stow it in an envelope.
" Here." She said as she holds the last letter in her hand.
The letter was snatched from her by Callaghan as he marches away with it in hand.
Tomihatsu let out a " Hmph!" By slicking away on her graceful feet from the room. Leaving the poor girl to cry alone.
She keeps on crying as she remembers the words that she wrote in that letter.
Tadashi-
Please don't write to me ever again. I'm sorry.
-Hana
So I decided to give this post this story after writing five chapters about it sub-consiously. At first I did it to get it to get out of my system, and put it to rest. Now I'm obsessed with this story and want to write it all.
I'm not going to completely rip off Onewiththescar. The only thing like the Lost Prince I'm going to do is have her run away from the palace. She has her own thing going with doing a frozen inspired story. This is more based on the movie Gimme Shelter, but not really too much. I mean Hana is not going to be pregnant or anything like that. This is about her finding love in her life that was once taken.
I always wanted to do something where my main character is in a role where she is puts on a cover and is majorly comflicted with herself. Again this is not based on frozen.
Please Review or follow if you want me to continue this.