Cinderella

Disclaimer: I do not own La Corda D'Oro.

Chapter 1: The Meeting

Back in the Olden times, also known as the Middle Ages, the English ruled over the world. It was a powerful and overwhelming era. While other lands were dominated by the English, there was a tiny little country not found on any of the maps, a land where fairies, dragons and other mystical creatures roamed. Some say they have seen this wondrous little country and thus the birth of fairytales of dragons scaring people in tiny villages and knights would save damsels in distress on their trusty steeds.

However, nobody has ever mentioned of this place which the natives call as Seiso, the mystical land. Seiso was broken up into four regions. Each was ruled by four powerful royal families. Three regions were connected to each other, while one strayed not too far from them.

The Earth Region was located at the northern part of Seiso. It was named as such as it was surrounded by all of the plants on the face of the earth and large canyons. The Earth Region was by far the largest compared to the rest. The castle was surrounded by several lush forests where the village folk lived in to protect themselves from the trolls that lived inside the swamps just opposite the forests. This region is ruled by the Yunoki family. The current head of the family would be the king's mother and the former queen as the king is in his sickbed.

The Air Land was beside it. It was located on the eastern part of Seiso. It is characterized by the strong winds that would turn the windmills all day. This land is famous for its numerous advances in technology in accordance to flying. The place is always windy and so people live on the ground. However, they were always terrorized the giant, Tiny or so he calls himself. They were all ruled over an unknown king and his family. The Air Land people did not mind as long as they knew that they were somehow guided by somebody.

The Fire Territory was the second biggest among the four. The land was covered by volcanoes that the people use as a livelihood and house made of lava rocks which were smoothen out by their top-notch blacksmiths. They were most famous for the best knight school. They needed the knights if they wanted the dragons that lived in the volcanoes to stop bothering them. They were ruled by the hot-tempered head of the Kiriya family.

The last but not the least was the Water Island. It was the only region that was surrounded by water thus the name. Although it is separated from the mainland, people have no trouble crossing over to them as all it required was a small boat to go to the land. The land is famous for being the safest and it's also the quietest in the land of Seiso. Their main livelihood was trading as they were only beside the Pacific Ocean, the gate to the outside world. The only mystical creatures that ever bother them would be the playful fairies that live around the small forest of Water Island. The kind-hearted yet strict Tsukimori family ruled over the peaceful village.

However, something was happening around Water Island as the village was bustling in noise. People here and there were scurrying with flags or decorations in their hands. The baker was busy baking cakes and sweets in his tiny bakeshop and the messengers from the castle were riding in their beautiful horses as they made their way through the crowds.

The castle was no different. The king was attending to different messengers from nobles all around the land of Seiso, while the queen was talking to the royal party planner. The maids were busy cleaning the place in their pristine white and black uniforms and the butlers were overseeing the preparations of decorations around the palace. The cooks were busy making the best food and well, everybody was busy.

But, why?

"It's almost time for the ball!" A person squealed as she clasped her hands together and danced with glee. "Cut it out, Mio," The friend of said-girl exclaimed as she smacked her head with a dirty rag. "Ouch. That hurt, Nao and this rag smells," Mio complained as she picked up her fallen feather duster and resumed her job as she dusted a priceless ming vase displayed on the long corridor. Suddenly, they both heard a thud from the other end of the hallway.

Mio and Nao turned to the direction of the noise and quickly dropped their things as they made a dash to the sound. They both ran with all their might, Mio held onto her skirt as not to trip, while Nao just simply ran. They wondered what had happened.

As soon as they rounded the corner, they stopped, paused for a minute or two and sighed in relief. They exclaimed in unison, "You scared us to death, Kahoko!" The red-head grinned sheepishly in her awkward position. She laid flat on the floor with a glimmering vase with oriental designs resting snugly in between her arms. Her one leg was up, hitching her skirt lightly. Her head was slanted and her hair was all messed up from under her maid cap.

Mio picked the expensive looking vase from Kahoko's arms, looking at it with keen interest. Nao picked the crystal post where the vase had fallen from, Mio placed the vase on it before polishing it with Kahoko's rag, while Kahoko picked herself up. The red-head dusted herself clean, fixing her fallen cap and her dirtied uniform. As soon as everything was fixed, Nao scolded, "You should be more careful, Kahoko! The things here would cost you more money than five small houses." She paused, rubbing her temples. Kahoko sheepishly bowed her head in shame, while Mio just looked on at the scene.

Kahoko squeaked out, "I'm really, really sorry, Nao." She twiddled her pointer fingers nervously as Nao sighed. The brunette patted Kahoko's head and sighed again, "It's alright as long as you didn't get hurt. It's a good thing that you were able to catch it anyway. You ARE new in this business." Kahoko gave out a shy smile. She had just started a week ago and instantly she befriended the brunette and her friend.

"Well, I hope you girls had your fun."

The three maids visibly jumped as another voice surprised them. Mio quickly turned around and gasped, "Oh, Mr. Akihiko." Kahoko turned around to look at the young-looking middle aged man. He was wearing his suave brown suit as usual and his yellow silk dress shirt. His black hair was sleek and clean, while his brown eyes held an indifferent gaze.

"Well, don't just dilly dally in the hallways. Get back to work." Kira Akihiko announced coolly and with a wave of his hand towards the right, Mio and Nao gave Kahoko an apologetic glance before they scurried away. Well, Nao managed to give Kira a menacing glare before she left. If he did notice it, he didn't make a comment of it as he looked down on Kahoko. Kahoko gulped as she held tightly onto her rag, squeezing it tightly in her hands.

Kira Akihiko was in charge of the maintenance of the castle. He was also a personal assistant to the king and queen, along with a few chosen others. He taught the prince a few subjects to substitute if ever Hiroto Kanazawa was not around or he was playing around with that fat cat. He knew…he just knew that this girl would be trouble one day.

Kira narrowed his eyes before whipping up a bucket from one of the passing maids. The maid was surprised at first before she realized it was him. She quickly bowed and went to get another bucket. Kira scoffed, thinking if he had been somebody else, she would have scolded him. He was interrupted from his train of thought when he heard Kahoko shift her black shoes on the carpeted floor. His eye twitched, not only was this girl annoying, she was also impolite. He shoved the bucket onto the poor girl. He smirked lightly when she let out a small "oof" as her dainty hands grabbed the bucket from him.

"Get water from the well outside," he commanded. The girl didn't ask why which was a good thing. She excused herself before running into the direction of the gardens. On his face, a faint smirk lingered on his face before he went back to attend to other matters.

"WHO DOES THAT MAN THINK HE IS ANYWAY?!" Kahoko screamed, scaring a few birds as they fluttered away. She flung her arms up to the air as the silver bucket she held swung to and fro. She stomped with a few blades of grass flying here and there. She growled visibly as she stomped further into the maze-like garden. The garden was decorated and filled with beautiful flowers and prettily shaped bushes. It was almost as big as the whole village. It was also the place where they harvested some of their fruits and vegetables.

Kahoko, unmindful of her surroundings, continued her way into the garden. She was still on the verge of tearing Kira Akihiko's face apart which was probably what caused her to accidentally walk into the green labyrinth. She kept on stomping further and further into the maze and when she finally realized where she was, she was standing on a leafy corridor with four more corridors branching towards it.

The red-head gulped, trying to find her way out. She heard from other people that keeping a hand against the wall would help her out. She tried it, but it only got her even more lost. She groaned, "I was supposed to keep my hand on the wall FROM the start." She whimpered as she looked at the rusted bucket in her hand. "How did I get into this much trouble to only get a bucket of water?" she complained, sitting down on the grass.

Well, she wasn't the only one lost in the labyrinth though the term "lost" would be inappropriate for its other occupant.

Somewhere deeper in the maze, a little glowing circle twirled around, spinning around crazily. It let out a sigh as the circle suddenly popped as a boy, no bigger than a hand appeared. He had elf-like ears with bright blonde hair on the top of his head. His hair adorned small purple leaves. He wore a blue outfit and blue shoes, and held a tiny wand. His eyes were the brightest shades of blue and it clearly held boredom in them.

"It's no fun around this maze anymore. I've been here a thousand times and I know this labyrinth like the back of my hand," the tiny figure sighed, lazily floating in the air. He was the fairy of music, Lili. He folded his arms behind his head and he sighed again, "I wish something would happen around here…nothing ever happens in Water Island."

He continued to drift uselessly in the air, humming some unknown tune. As he flew backwards from left to right of the intricate grass labyrinth, he could have sworn he heard some sort of sound when he collided to a wall. He was sure that wall couldn't have been grass, because it didn't feel itchy and didn't make a crunch, the sound that he heard went more like "oof".

Lili quickly flew off the girl's face. The girl groaned, rubbing her nose. She whined, "What was that?" Lili peered at the fallen bucket on the ground and Kahoko was still wincing as she felt her reddening nose. Lili merely shrugged and sighed, "Just a commoner…"

"Who's there?" The red-head exclaimed glancing around her surroundings as she looked left and right from panic. Lili gasped, and then he observed the girl very carefully. Her flaming red hair was pulled back in a tight bun with a few loose strands of hair poking out here and there. The white cap on her head and the black and white uniform was made out of its usual lace

So, why?

"Eek!" she suddenly shrieked as her giant auburn orbs grew wider. Lili could've sworn that she was staring directly at him. "W-what are you?!" she stuttered, shakily pointing her index finger at him. It was official…she can see him. Lili was very, very, very curious. He circled around the girl several times, checking her out. No matter how many times he looked at her, she was just a commoner.

Kahoko stood there, trying to swat at the creature who dodged them effortlessly. Seeing as her attempts were feeble, she grabbed the fallen bucket and swung the metal container hard. However, she had swung too hard and was sent into a 360 degree spin.

Lili had managed to dodge it the first swing, but he didn't know that a second one shortly followed it and with the right momentum and timing, the bucket hit his poor head hard. The contact made a huge clang and Lili was sent flying out of the maze.

Kahoko landed on the green grass beneath as she let go of the bucket. She gasped when she noticed that the bucket had a small dent in the form of the little creature. She picked it back up and squeezed the handle tightly as she marched forward to find the exit again. This time, her instincts helped her. She just hoped that no one would notice that the bucket had a bonus on it.

After about an hour or so, Kahoko finally spotted two hedges that were NOT connected to each other. She ran straight into it and sighed in relief when she finally spotted the well beside it. She tied the bucket to the rope sticking out of the well. She tested it, tugging on it before dropping it to the seemingly bottomless hole. She heard the bucket hit the water with a splash. When she was sure the bucket was filled up, she hoisted it up and untied the rope.

She grabbed the bucket which was heavier with the force of gravity. She decided that since she was in a hurry. She would have to walk through the stables to make the trip faster. She brisk walked across the huge garden all the while making sure that the water did not spill. She sighed in relief when she saw the straw and wood stalls.

Suddenly, she could hear the hooves of a horse, pounding onto the ground. She dared to look at the rapidly approaching footsteps. The horse was barely a meter away from her. She stood there frozen in fear when she suddenly heard felt someone tug her out of the way. She gasped in shock when the horse galloped on where she was supposedly standing. "Are you okay?" a person inquired from behind her. She shakily nodded her head.

The person spun her around and brown met brown. Her savior had rugged green hair with a few hay in his hair. He wore a dirty white long sleeved shirt which was topped with a brown vest and brown pants that were folded up to the knees. They were close enough that Kahoko could smell the strong scent of nature and grass on him.

The tall, dark skinned man realized their distance and quickly let her go. He rubbed his head sheepishly before extending a hand and said, "Wow that must have been some experience. I'm Ryoutaro Tsuchiura by the way." Kahoko took his hand in hers and shook it. She replied, "I'm Kahoko Hino. Thanks for saving my life back there."

The man shrugged and casually said, "Just doing my job as a citizen." Kahoko laughed slightly before she noticed that the bucket was not in her hand anymore. She turned again to that spot and winced, "The bucket…" The bucket had capsized and the water had spread across the grass and appeared as dew. "Mr. Akihiko is going to kill me!" Kahoko screamed in panic. She then looked at Ryoutaro with pleading brown eyes. A green eyebrow rose as he looked at her questioningly. When he finally got the message, he immediately denied her, "No way. I'm not giving into those puppy dog eyes of yours."

After a few moments, the bucket was refilled again, but it wasn't anymore in the maid's hand, but rather it was in another's. Kahoko's companion sighed for the third time. She clasped her hands together and apologized. Ryoutaro merely mumbled, "I wonder how you were able to con me into doing your work…" They entered the castle through the kitchen where the royal chefs were bustling with work as they ran around here and there. They ducked when a tomato had come, flying out from nowhere and continued on inside.

When they had reached the long corridors of the castle, Ryoutaro gave the bucket back to Kahoko. He reminded, "Be careful and don't trip again. I won't be around anymore to draw you more water." Kahoko laughed at the comment and then, she asked, "Do you work on the stables, Tsuchiura?" The said man scratched his head and nodded. She smiled before saying, "See you around, stable boy."

She turned around quickly. She giggled when she heard Ryoutaro huff at her. She then heard the messy clomping of his boots on the carpeted floor as he made his way back to the kitchen. It was then that she realized that Kira Akihiko was going to kill her…very, very soon. She quickly made her way back to where she was working before. Mio and Nao were still dusting the vases and other ornaments. She sighed in relief when she saw Akihiko was nowhere in sight.

She jumped in surprise when a mustached man came out behind her. He was balding and looked around his 50's. He was stout and wore a red striped shirt with a pair of black pants that reached to his knees and knee-high socks. His nose was pointed and his black eyes stared at her in disgust. He was one of the messengers, a so-called follower of Kira Akihiko and the most disliked person among the staff. His name was Frederrick Monsterque though most people just liked to call him Fred the Monster.

In his eerily high-pitched voice, Fred announced, "You three shall be in charge for the meantime of cleaning the prince's room. You shall prepare his bed, draw his bath and oh yes, straighten out his room." He clapped his hands when the maids did not budge. "Chop, chop, ladies. Sir Akihiko does not like lazy, no-good maids and oh, I'm looking at them." He added, smirking before leading the way. It took all of Nao's will and strength not to pounce on the rude man. They started walking behind him and kept there distance a foot away from him. Whispers were exchanged between them.

"I've been waiting for this chance to even catch a glimpse of the prince!"

"Oh stop it, Mio. You sound like a lovesick fool."

"Have you guys ever seen the prince before?"

"Nope."

"No, but I hear that he's very handsome and that he has amazing skills on the violin!"

"Oh yeah. He got that from the king and queen. They are, after all, also talented. The king can play the violin, while the queen is mighty good on the piano."

"Amazing. Ugh, this bucket is killing me."

"Here let me help you, Kaho. What took you so long anyways?"

"Yeah. I heard Mister Akihiko cursing where the blazes have you gone to."

Kahoko's gulp was very much audible. She stammered, "Err…i-it's a long story." Before they could question any further, Fred had announced that they had reached the prince's quarters. The girls stared at the huge doors leading to the prince's room. The doors were the size of trees and were littered with intricate designs of musical notes and an orchestra playing on the bottom of the door. Fred pushed the door open and the girls' mouths nearly dropped to the floor.

The room was as big as three small houses. The king-sized bed to their right was colored gold and its wallpaper was beige with brown rectangles that were arranged in a straight horizontal line. The window frame was colored white when one peered unto it, they would get a clear view of the beautiful, clear water and the bustling village. The prince's desk was beside the window. It was made of mahogany which was said to have been imported from another country. Surprisingly, it was neat. The scrolls were arranged neatly in an elegant black case. Papers were placed on top and were clipped together.

In fact, it wasn't just the desk that was neat. The whole room was clean enough that it had seemed like they need not clean it anymore. Kahoko though spotted a particular section of the room that seemed to have been recently used. The bookshelf was made of wood from the Earth Region's strongest tree. It was made to hold books that could weigh tons though the top of the bookshelf was neat…the bottom was a different story. Thousands of thin books were crammed into any available space. Kahoko went near it and examined one as she picked it up. To her, it didn't seem at all interesting. They were all figures, swirly and straight figures, and dozens of them on four small lines. She had never been educated though she knew well enough that these were called, "musical notes". She traced her fingers across the pages. She looked like she was memorizing the notes, like she was in a trance.

A cough snapped her back to reality as she quickly placed the book back in its place. Fred had not yet left the room and had been standing behind her. She noticed that Mio and Nao had disappeared. They had probably gone to the double door just opposite the main entrance of the room. Fred got her attention again as he told her in that irritating voice of his, "Get to work, maid. Don't just daydream there. Move!"

Kahoko flinched before she reluctantly rearranged the scattered books. Fred smirked in satisfaction before he literally waltzed out of the room. She grumbled, "I could just kill him…"

"What was that?" Fred asked as he reappeared at the door. Kahoko immediately looked up and faked a smile before saying, "Nothing, sir." The messenger glared at her and with a huff, left the room. The redhead sighed in relief before growling. The notebook in her hand was almost ripped to pieces until she was interrupted…again by another voice though this time, it didn't sound like Frederrick. It sounded a lot more masculine, but not as masculine as Ryoutaro's.

"What are you doing to those score sheets?"

Kahoko turned her head slowly and when she was finally facing the person, she came face to face with his leather boots. She hurriedly stood up and looked at the guy, the score sheets in her hand. Two words came across her mind when she looked at the guy: handsome and aloof. He had pretty face. That was no mistake. With those piercing gold eyes, cute nose and white, porcelain skin, the only thing that seemed to ruin it was the seemingly permanent scowl on his face. Somehow, Kahoko knew that that frown of his was always on his face. His hair was the unusual color of blue.

He wore a silk black cape on top of his blue, beautifully made double-buttoned coat. The pin and badges on his outfit glimmered smugly and she noticed that he had worn black trousers to complete it. He held onto his cold stare as he held out a gloved hand like a silent order to hand him the pieces of paper in her hand, however, Kahoko didn't get it as she stared at the outstretched hand. Just then, Mio and Nao came out of the large bathroom. Mio gasped as she curtsied and Nao followed suit, while as Kahoko was still in the dark. The young man sighed, "Hand me back my score sheets."

That was when realization hit her.

He was the prince…the prince?!

Kahoko handed him the object in her hand as quickly and politely as possible. She bowed slightly before squeaking out, "Yes, your Highness." The prince dismissed her with her with a cold stare as Kahoko immediately walked out with Nao and Mio closely following behind her as they excused themselves.

As soon as they exited the room, Kahoko slumped against the closed door. Mio and Nao quickly went down by her side. She covered her eyes with her hands in anguish and said, her voice muffled, "I've embarrassed myself in front of the prince!" Nao merely patted her back, while Mio was seeing stars. "He's gorgeous! A dream!" the pep girl squealed excitedly. Nao sighed in exasperation as Mio continued on while still patting Kahoko. She then told the redhead, "At least, that would most probably be the last time you'll meet the prince. We never see him much anyway."

The words she spoke were more or less true, but that was all about to change as the little fairy left alone in a tree slowly regained consciousness. "Ow…my head." He grumbled bitterly, clutching the poor bump and then he winced from the pain. He then remembered, "Oh, yes! I need to inform the elder!" He flew excitedly towards his village. This was news…BIG news.

Author's Note: I decided to leave it off here. So, it's La Corda D'Oro in Medieval period. I'm following to the original plot closely with a few twists of my own. I am foremost a LenKaho fan and I planned for this fic to be one though now I think it would all depend on the readers. I want you guys to vote who would end up with Kahoko and yes, it's definitely going to be a little ShimizuxShouka. Here are your choices: Len, Ryou, Etou, Azuma, Kazuki, Kaji. Remember the one with the most votes, I would stick with that pairing. So readers, I might not be able update this fic quick, but I will try my best. Sorry for any grammatical and spelling errors and wish you all a Happy New Year! Enjoy. –Z-san

PS. I badly need a beta!