The wind blew through her intricately tied up hair, pulling little strands of it out to whip around her face as she sailed into the harbor of this newly discovered land. It had been months since her father had sent for her from England to come join him and she was only now just arriving.
She hadn't seen him in over a year. He had left hurriedly in excitement and anticipation of new business prospects in the east. Not many knew of the incredible exports the new land had to offer and it was the perfect time to take advantage of it. "To get a leg up on the competition" he would always say.
"Be careful, Miss Inoue! If you get any closer to the edge the wind may blow you overboard. Your father would never forgive me." A dark haired woman called out from the safety of the main deck. She was practically fearless in every aspect but the ocean.
The brunette's name was Tatsuki. She was orphaned when both of her parents, Japanese immigrants, perished in a fire at the factory they were working in. Once the older Inoue had heard of what had happened, combined with his fascination for the Far East, he couldn't help but offer the child a position in his home. She was to become the Miss Inoue's lady maid and companion. Over the years the two had become inseparable.
The closer they got to the shore, Inoue could not find a single face she recognized. She was sure her father would be waiting for her to dock. He always greeted her upon arrivals, whether she was traveling the short distance from London to Bath, or a great distance, like the time she made her way to England all the way from America. A frown of disappointment appeared on her face. Perhaps he was too busy to come see his daughter to their new lodgings. His new business ventures were probably very taxing, especially since they all were so new, in a different land, with an entirely different language. Luckily she had Tatsuki to translate - sort of.
Finally the boat was anchored and the two women were directed to exit it. As the young Miss Inoue made her way down the ramp and through the crowd she noticed she must have been quite the spectacle. Every last set of eyes turned to look at her. It was no surprise as she did look different from these people. Her hair was red, her skin was pale, her garments were of the latest fashion from London - very different from the dress here. The people of this place had dark hair, their skin was tan, and even their facial features held no resemblance to the Caucasian faces she was so used to seeing back home. They even differed from her companion. Though they were of the same race, Tatsuki had the privilege of growing up in comfort where they did not. Hard labor must age people quickly she concluded.
"Orihime Inoue." A deep voice called out to her. Her shoulders tensed and she slowly turned to meet the handsome brown eyes of the man who had just spoke her name. He was much taller than the others who filled the harbor. His hair was an odd shade of red and much more vibrant than her own. He did not look completely like everyone else, yet he did not look like her. He must be mixed she concluded. Realizing that she had been staring at him for far too long, she turned a deep shade of pink and quickly looked away. He bowed and gestured for her to follow him.
"But our things..." She turned to look longingly back at the boat that held her multitudes of frocks, shoes, and books. The young man did not understand what she had said until he followed her gaze to the boxes that held her belongings.
"I will see to our cargo." Tatsuki smirked all knowingly, winked at her friend, and rushed off to attend to their things. The young woman watched as the only person she felt any comfort with disappeared into the crowd of people. After her friend had completely gone from her sight, she gazed up at the beautiful stranger who was now responsible for transporting her to her new home. His eyes met hers. She was caught for the second time and she blushed yet again. Why did he have to be so darn good looking?
The young man had never seen a white woman in person before - not even his mother who supposedly was. He had only seen crude drawings or paintings of what the Japanese assumed they looked like. No picture compared to the beauty he saw before him. From her fair skin, to the light color of her hair, and the exaggerated curves of her body, she was a true sight to behold. He never thought a foreigner would be that attractive. He was half convinced he was dreaming and would be woken up at any moment. Forgetting his manners in favor of knowing, he held out his fingers to brush her shoulder. He could feel her, therefore she was real.
He took her gently by the arm and navigated her through more hordes of people. Waiting for them some distance from the harbor was a group of men and horses. He said something to them in his own language and they took off towards the docked ship and her companion. She supposed they were going to help load her belongings and take them to where they were staying.
The tall redheaded man motioned for her to mount one of the horses. She stared back at him wide eyed.
"I can't." She shook her head and quickly backed away from the large animal. He reached for her waist and she batted his hands away. He tightened his grip on her. She began to kick and squirm in his arms. After a short battle he managed to lift the protesting girl up to sit sidesaddle. Her body froze instantly. Tears began to stream down her pink cheeks. Her breathing became erratic, her soft cries desperate. She was truly afraid. Not of him, but the horse?
"P-please, let me down." She pleaded softly as she held her shaky hands out for his. He gently pushed them back down into her lap. In one quick leap he joined her atop the horse. She instinctively buried her face in his chest. The top of her auburn hair reached just blow his nose and he could smell her sweet scent. It was foreign and intoxicating. He inhaled deeply, reveling in it. He hoped that she did not notice.
"This woman," he thought, "will be my undoing." He wrapped one arm protectively around her and grasped the reigns. Off they went with the kick of his heels.
He knew she was scared, but he also knew they wouldn't make it back to the estate in good time by foot. She was a white woman and from what he had heard they didn't travel well. The odd clothes she was wearing wouldn't allow for it anyway, so they had no other option. He rode as quickly as he could so she would spend as little time as possible on the beast, leaving the others and her belongings far behind.
As they raced forward she would not move - her face was still plastered against his chest. He could feel her body shaking, her fingernails digging into his sides, and her tears soaking through his shirt. He pulled her a little bit closer in hopes that it would comfort her. He never knew such a harmless animal could cause such anxiety.
After traveling quite some time the property became visible in the distance. He pushed the horse to gallop faster, shortening the distance between them and the house.
"We are almost there." He whispered to the girl in his arms. He knew she would not understand his language, but maybe she would understand what he was trying to do - calm her. She did not respond.
As soon as he made it to the entrance of the estate, the redheaded man slowly pushed the girl away from his body. Reluctantly she let go. He climbed down from the horse and immediately held his arms out for the woman in his care. She flung herself into them eagerly, almost knocking the both of them over.
He looked down at her face. It was still wet with tears, cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were red and puffy. Using the sleeve if his shirt he wiped the moisture from her skin.
"N-never... Do that... A-again!" She managed to spit out while smacking his chest with both of her hands in frustration. It was an attempt to push him away, but he would not budge. In fact, he barely noticed and held her gaze. She took a step backward, away from his grasp, her knees wobbled. Another step, her legs began to give away. Suddenly the world around her went black.
Her escort saved her from injury by catching her before she could hit the ground. As if she were filled with feathers, the young man lifted her into his arms and carried her towards the entrance.
Servants ran to greet the two, startled by what they saw. An unconscious woman, carried bridal style through the foyer.
"What happened, Kurosaki?" The eldest if the maids asked, obviously irritated. He was to deliver the girl in one piece and good health. "She was supposed to be handled with care!"
"The horse-" He tried to explain, but was quickly cut off.
"Bring her over here." The older woman impatiently waved for him to follow her. They walked a ways down a hallway, lined with various rooms, until they reached one of the finest living spaces the young man had ever seen. The room was filled with trinkets, hand embroidered pillows, silk drapes and sheets. So this was how the other half lived. His thoughts were cut short again. "Stop staring, idiot! Put her here!"
The blankets were drawn back to place the sleeping beauty in bed. Reluctantly, he gently laid her down. The feeling of her body pressed up against his own felt too good. He watched as the old hag started to undo the white girl's hair. Each pin she pulled from the mass of waves tumbled down like a copper waterfall. She was even more attractive with her hair down, free of the restrictions of bows and other bobbles.
"Are you just going to stand there like a pervert?" The old maid barked at him. He shook himself out of his trance and turned to leave. "Don't even think about this girl. She is too fine for the likes of you."
"No." He replied quietly.
"No...?" She waited for him to address her properly.
"Aunt." He finally responded. She was an irritating old lady, but he loved her nonetheless.
As soon as he exited a room, he felt a pain in his chest. The sensation he knew well, but hoped it was just a coincidence. He continued to move forward. With each step the feeling became more intense.
"Himeeee." A dark voice whispered. The hairs on the back of Kurosaki's neck stood on end. Panic filled his body. It was back. "I never left... King."
()()()()()
"Hime?" It was Tatsuki. Slowly Miss Inoue's eyes opened and she rolled her head to the side to see her good friend beside her bed. She gave her companion a warm smile. "You must have been so exhausted after..."
"It's okay. I need to get over my fear one of these days. Why not start now?" She laughed uncomfortably and slowly sat up to assess her surroundings. "We definitely aren't in England anymore."
"No, we aren't..." Tatsuki responded. After a rather long silence and some awkward looks the brunette decided it was time to interrogate the redhead. "So... The soldier who carted you off. He is rather handsome, is he not?"
"W-w-what?" The lady of the house squeaked. Her face turned such a deep crimson she could feel the heat stinging her cheeks. "Indeed he is, but my father wouldn't hear of it. He is a mere soldier. A very handsome, strong, brave, and stubborn, soldier."
"At least we have one pretty face to look upon." Tatsuki sighed. "Some of the men who escorted me weren't so horrible to look at either."
"Do tell!" Orihime clasped her hands together in anticipation. It was rare for her friend to show preference towards any man. Finally they would talk like women their age should.
"It's late. I should really get some rest." Just like that, the redhead's hopes of talking about all things romantic were dashed. Her companion rose from her seat and made her way towards the door. "I'll be next door if you need anything. I'm glad you're well. Oh, and your charming soldier is staying here."
"R-really? Why?" The redhead asked, smiling widely. Perking up again.
"Your father wanted someone to look after you and the house." Tatsuki rolled her eyes at her lady's enthusiasm.
"What about the others?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Some of the escorts are here as well." The lady maid knew where the conversation was going, but allowed it to continue anyway.
"Any of the handsome ones?" Another question. It was asked with almost too much excitement.
"I'm going to bed!"
"Next time I'll pin you down and make you tell me who you like!" They both laughed and said their goodnights. Miss Inoue fell back into her pillow and stretched before letting sleep retake her.