Chapter 1 : The west garden

In far far away country, there is a kingdom name Otonokizaka Kingdom ruled by Minami Queen. The queen is known for kind and generous heart with beautiful 3 daughters who are admired and been told that they are the most beautiful girls in the Kingdom.

The eldest daughter has long smooth purple hair with gentle emerald eyes who like to grow flowers, Nozomi. The second daughter with angelic singing voice and like to sewing clothes. Her name is Kotori. And the last daughter who always shy but good at cooking name Hanayo.

Aside from the great royalty, this Kingdom always safe and won many battles because of good the good soldiers. Lead by the golden hair captain who mastered in sword skill name Eli along with the archery general who has golden eyes and long blue hair name Umi.

With kind heart royalty and strong army, this Kingdom is at peace and become a place where everyone dreams to live for…

"Hya!"

The blue hair girl shouted after release the arrow from her bow and the result is hit in the bull eyes.

"Still practice at this late again, Umi?"

Umi turn her head to the sound and quickly kneel as she sees the person.

"Captain Eli! Sorry for my rudeness. I didn't know you were here."

"Now now, there is no need for you to kneel before me. We are technically the same rank…It makes me nervous when you did that everytime. Eli pat Umi's shoulder and make her get up from the ground.

"Ah…sorry I guess it's my habit." The golden eyes girl got up and scratches her cheek.

"Well, I wouldn't blame you…After all, you are Kotori princess's personal guardian so you have to always be this humble for the princess."

As Eli mentioned the princess name, Umi cheek get burned and become red. "Captain! You don't have to say like that! It's shameless."

"Haha, you don't have to be so angry. I was just teasing; anyway your princess is calling. She is waiting at the west garden." Eli wink to the archery general with playful smile.

The blue hair girl's face getting redder and mutter softly. "Ah…well I will be going…thank you captain."

Umi half run half walk to where the princess is waiting and when she reach the destination she has witnesses the most beautiful sight in the world. The graceful long grayish hair princess is sitting on the grass, singing while playing with some butterflies that fly around the flowers. The archer gulps down her nervousness and slowly walks behind her princess and kneels down.

"Yo…Your highness…you shouldn't sit on the dirt like this. Your skirt will get dirty and your maid will be worry." Umi gently pick up the grayish hair princess' hand and kiss on the knuckle gently.

Kotori smile and hold Umi's hand softly. "I'm sorry Umi-chan, but sometimes I just can't help it ehehe…and beside I don't think Nico-chan will get mad over the dirty dress right?"

The solider sighed as she make both of them stand. "If you say so your highness. By the way, I heard that you wanted to see me. Is there something matter?"

"Hmm…so I have to have something to call you? Am I a bother?" Kotori fake pouting as she looks at her personal guard.

"Ah…no…I didn't mean it like that…I thought that there is something that your highness needs me to fulfill…" Umi tried to explain while she notices that her hand is still link with her highness so she quickly releases her grip.

"Mou…Umi-chan…all I want is for us to spend time together just like old time sake. Is that too much to ask?"

Umi look straight to her princess's eyes and start to recall her childhood memories. She was told by the adult that when she was founded in the abandoned cabin when she was only one year old. At that time, the one who founded her was a captain from Otonokizaka army and decide to brought her back to the kingdom and raise her as his own child. He trained her hard everyday to make Umi become strong so she could be qualify to get in the army position. However, Umi was still a kid and with those hard times training always makes her suffer. So one day, she ran away from the practice and hide in the west garden of the palace, sobbing alone.

"I'm scared…" A blue hair child crying as she hugged herself in the corner of the garden. She think about whether she should go back to her adopted father and get punish or hide here forever and could possibly die from starving.

"Who's there?" A small voice calling out, make Umi shudder in fear.

"Eeeek! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please don't kill me!" Umi shouted as loud as she could while keep her eyes shut prepare something bad to happen to her.

"Shh! Don't be so loud…people will hear us. Are you ok? Are you hurt?" The smaller hand close Umi's mouth to make her silence. When Umi notice how small of the hand is she opened her eyes and looks at the person.

A beautiful small grayish hair girl with the same color eyes wearing green elegance dress looking at Umi with curious. Umi has one idea that this girl could be the same age as her judge by the look and the height "Hey…Who are you? Why are you here? Don't you know that this place belongs to the palace?" The grayish girl asked couple questions which make Umi can't follow.

"Ah…Umm…I… My father is a soldier…I came to the palace for practice but…" As soon as Umi mentioned about practice her tear start to flowing again. "But I don't want to! It's tiring and my body always sore after practice. I am only five! I want to have fun like every other kid! I…I…I don't know…maybe father hates me. I'm not even his real daughter…WAH! " Umi keep crying about hardship she has been through makes the other girl look at her with sad eyes.

"There there don't cry." The grayish girl pat Umi's head with sad smile to calm Umi down but the result is opposite. Umi is crying harder and harder

"I guess it must be hard for you huh? You keep crying a lot…hmmm… what should I do…Ah! I get it. Wait here ok?" The green dress girl ran to another corner of the garden while Umi trying to calm herself down.

For awhile, the girl ran back with flowers in her hand and gave them to Umi. "Here! I will give these to you. My mother told me that these flowers called Anemono…Anemomy…ah no no… oh right! It's Anemone. Isn't it beautiful?"

Umi look at the flowers and took them in her hands. "Th…Thank you…yo..You are?"

The other girl quickly introduces herself. "Oh my name is Kotori.

"Ko..Kotori…? Like a small bird?"

"Yup! That's me and you are?"

"U..Umi"

The grayish hair girl smile brightly as she heard the name "Umi-chan! What a cute name. Nice to meet you, Umi-chan."

Umi saw Kotori's smile and that makes her heart race a bit so she bit her own lips and move her hand to hold on to Kotori's.

"N..Nice to meet you too. Thank you for the flower I will cherish them."

"No problem, anyway I think maybe you should go back to your father."

"I can't…He is mad at me. Because I ran away from the practice." Umi is on the verge of tears again.

Kotori holds on Umi's hand tightly and smile. "Don't worry! How about I go with you and we apologize to him together? That way you don't have to get scold alone."

"You will?"

"Yes! Since we are friends now right?

"F..Friends?

"Yes! Well you are my first friend ehehe… To be honest I rarely got anyone around my age to talk to beside my sisters so you are the first one!"

"Ah…same here, you are my first friend too…"

Kotori beam a happy smile as soon as she heard from Umi. "Great! It's like destiny. Isn't it?"

Umi nodded her head and smile shyly.

"Hmm…anyway I think we should go together. Let's go?" Kotori hold Umi's hand again and drag her out of the garden but as soon as they about to reach the door there was a bee flying toward them and Kotori squeak out of fear.

"Eeeeeek! Bee! Noooooo get away! I'm scared!"
Like a reverse situation, now it's the grayish hair girl who cried out loud while Umi is calm about it.

"But it's just a bee…"

"Noooo! Get him away! Mother told me that bee can sting us to dead! I don't want to die! AHHHH! Help"

Umi saw how Kotori is frightening for the bee and feeling want to protect her first friend so she look around and find a giant branch stick. Umi grabbed the stick and try to brush the bee away from them while Kotori unconsciously get behind Umi and hold on to the blue hair girl's shoulder tightly.

After 2 minutes, the bee fly away but Kotori still has her eyes shut and hold on to Umi never let go.

"The bee is gone, Kotori."

"No! I think I still hear him flying around."

Umi smile a bit on how cute of Kotori is and gently patting her head. "I would never lie to my friend. Open your eyes and you will see that the bee is gone."

Kotori make a peek and slowly open her eyes. She looks around to make sure that there is no sign of that creature anymore and sigh in relieve.

"Thank God…I thought that we are going to die." Kotori said as soon as she found herself is safe.

"You are overacting. Anyway, we are fine now you can let go of me." Umi said with a blush on her face when she saw that Kotori still holding on to her.

"Eh…but holding to you feel nice though." Kotori is pouting and let go.

"A..Anyway, I am going to see my father. Let's go Kotori."

"Okay! And by the way thank you Umi-chan for protecting me. You were so cool back then"

Umi face is bright red and refused to look at Kotori. "It's just a bee! Nothing to be scare about and I am not cool."

"No. You are cool. I would never lie to my first friend. Right?" The grayish hair girl gently tap on Umi's shoulder.

"Ah yea whatever…"

Umi and Kotori walk out from the garden and as soon as they reach the palace hall. They saw many maids and soldiers are running around, searching for something.

"I wonder what's wrong." Umi thought to herself as soon as she was about to ask her friend a voice is calling out.

"YOUR HIGHNESS! Where were you?! we were looking for you! Thank God you are safe!" One of the maid kneel before them and panting.

Umi is confused. Why did the maid kneeling and calling them your highness then a thought hit her when she saw a painting on the big wall. It was a painting that Umi always ignore when she passed by. A painting of a beautiful queen and three princesses and when she looking more carefully she can clearly see that one girl from the painting is standing right next to her. The grayish hair girl named Kotori is this Kingdom princess.

"You guys are making a big deal! I told you I wanted to go out and play instead of study in the library. I'm sick of it!" Kotori making a grumpy face as soon as the maids notice her presence.

"Even so… Please tell us where you are headed. So we could at least follow you and protect you for your own safety." The man came from behind walk pass the crowd of the maids and kneels before Kotori and this man is Umi's father, Otonokizaka army captain.

"F..Father!" Umi saw her father and tremble.

Captain looked up and saw his daughter's face, he quickly grab Umi's arm and force her to kneel right beside him.

"Umi! What are you doing! I was looking for you and you should kneel down to our princess."

Umi is on the ground looking up at Kotori with disbelieve eyes.

"No…please do not kneel for me... please stand up…" Kotori tried to make all of the people standing up.

"I am deeply sorry for my daughter's behavior your highness. I will make sure this will not repeat again." Umi's father bow down and push Umi's head to bow down the same to show how deeply sorry he was while Umi was still confuse and don't know what to say.

"Please…Umi-chan is my friend and beside you are her father is that correct?"

"Ah yes that's right she is my daughter. Did she do anything disgraceful to you, your highness?"

"No! No! Not at all! In fact, she protected me from the bee! I should be thankful and hopefully that her father would not punish her for escaping from training…Is that okay?" Kotori looks at the soldier with pleading eyes make Umi's father gave up and sighed.

"Yes your highness…If that what you wish for."

"Yay! Isn't that good? Umi-chan….Umi-chan?" Kotori noticed how her friend still looks at the ground and not moving.

"Umi, princess is talking to you." Her father pokes Umi's shoulder.

"Ah…ummm yes…err..Thank you y..Your highness…I will be going. Sorry for my rudeness…Goodbye." Umi ran to the training ground without turning back even though the princess is calling her name many times. She knew that she will get scold from her father later but she didn't care. Her first friend became a princess and further more she made a princess came with her to apologize with father. This is out of control for Umi and she doesn't know if she will have a right to face with her friend anymore. After she reaches the training ground she kneels to the ground sobbing and wondering why did her first friend has to be a princess.

"Umi" A deep voice is calling out her name. Umi know who that was and response.

"Yes father…" Umi got up from the ground and prepare for her punishment but instead she feels a big hand patting her head softly.

"I'm sorry, Umi…Maybe I was too hard for you because you are my only daughter and I love you. Since the day I met you…I promise to myself that I will protect you and make you become stronger so even if you get abandon or alone like that again…You will survive and can live on."

"Father…" Umi look at her father and starts crying.

"But I guess I was wrong to force you to do things that you don't like. From tomorrow, there will be no training for you. You can do whatever you want as long as you don't make any trouble. I will always support you in any decision you make. But please don't run away like that again. It scared me to dead when I can't find you anywhere"

Her father hugs her tightly and gently rubs her back to comfort. The blue hair girl starts to cry out and hug her father back. Even though she is adopted but he still raising her and loving her like she is his real daughter. Umi thought to herself that she is fortunate to have him as her father.

"I…I'm sorry father…I am so sorry for running away…I will never do that again…I will always listen to what you said…and I want to continue training…So I can become strong."

"Are you sure Umi?"

"Yes…I want to become a soldier just like you. So I can protect myself and I can protect my friend…I mean princess!" Umi makes a determined face which makes her father proud.

"That's my girl." Her father gently pokes on Umi's forehead.