Yo minna-san! ^_^ OtakuLoverlord21 here! :)
Oh my Glob...i dunno but I really missed writing fanfics after those stressful days, oh wait...finals of mine are coming...portfolios...projects...group projects, which is still a project that i will do myself because i am often the leader. Who else stands as the leader of group and mainly does all the work?! *raises hands*
Here's the fanfic i gave a hint about in Since Then...'s final chapters. The twist in their play, Romio and Juliet. :D
But u know what? I think Since Then...'s kinda underrated *sobs* speaking from another person's point-of-view(which i can do very well), that was a good read! It may not be one of the best K-On! fanfics there but i gave that fanfic a soul, a deep one for those who can feel like falling in love with your best friend and you don't know what to do...and there was this guy and lotsa obstacles to reach her heart...*sobs* do check Since Then... out, yo! ^_^
BTW hey IQzero-san! I love your review, i should give u a cookie for that! But since i ain't got any cookie and can't bake one...i'm gonna include u to my prayers along with EWAN KOH POH-san (the Filipino reviewer), BlankaStele-san (the curious one), some random guy-san and Unknown Reader-san (the readers who cried), khaos444 (the one who continuously supports) and Fujimoto-Chiaki-789-san (the cute author!)...and even to me-san, the one who cursed me on his/her review! Man, i was laughing so hard at that that i cried. Hahaha! Well, you guys are awesome, continue being one! XD thank you also to those who Faved it and Followed it! Arigatou, minna-san! :)
Spread K-On! and MiTsu! ^_^
Cat: *yawn* can't we go on to the story now?
Ol21: oh, there you are!
Disclaimer: Aww c'mon...must u splat in my face that this epic animé (K-ON!) ain't mine? *cries*
True Love's First Kiss!
'She...k-kissed me...'
The raven-haired princess touched her lips and her body heated up instantly at what happened a few moments ago.
'My first kiss...she took it...'
She never felt this way before, for she thinks that this moment only exists in the fairy tales she reads. Her mind was swirling with thoughts, her heart was unsure of what she truly feels.
'And I feel...great? N-No! I'm not in love with her! I'm totally straight! I'm not gonna fall in love with the rival kingdom's prince! Or...princess, rather-'
"Hime-sama!"
The so-called princess' train of thoughts was cut off by the call of a running, worried lady.
"Ah! Mio-chan, I f-finally found you...*huff*...I was so worried! The Tainaka prince was s-said to have been here in the c-castle grounds *huff* without the knights noticing h-him! Until a b-butler saw him going here, t-to the garden! *huff*...", the lady blurted out, palms on her knees, and panting heavily.
"O-Oh, I'm p-perfectly fine, Yui. Thanks for the concern", she smiled while feeling nervous inside. "I didn't see him nor felt his shadow here, do you know where he intended to go?"
'Thank goodness I didn't stutter that much...', the Akiyama Crown Princess sighed in relief.
She was lying. The Tainaka Crown Prince have been there, although she was annoyed by the latter's prescence, she was, at the same time, felt quite comfortable with the 'prince'. The reason? She has no clue. And the kiss? It was also the 'prince's' fault.
"Are you sure you're alright, Mio-chan? Oh and we have no idea where he intended to go...the King already sent forces to find him around the castle grounds though"
Hirasawa Yui, one of the princess' close friends and right hand in different things. Whether it's about literature, music, studies and such. Judging from Yui, she is definitely a dense air-head, but don't belittle her, once she's absorbed by something, she's incredible. Now you know the reason why she's the right hand.
Oh yes, the princess is a left-handed lady and the Hirasawa being her right hand...make sense? (Nah...)
"Oh I hope she's alright...", Mio whispered to herself.
'Wait, what?! Akiyama Mio, pull yourself together! You shouldn't care about a filthy rival!'
"Mio-chan, you seem very red...should we go inside the castle? The King must be worried and it's scorching hot here", Yui suggested, blocking the summer's rays from burning her chocolate brown eyes.
The princess stood up from the bench she's sitting on. "Well, I guess your right. I feel like I'm being boiled here...". '...Or is it just the kiss earlier? N-No! Forget about that!'
With that, the two young ladies made their way inside the gigantous castle.
Well? Curious about what happened earlier? Behind the kiss? It is Author-sama's duty to narrate it to you guys, am I right or am I right? Hehehe ^_^
===R&R===
Earlier...
The Akiyama Crown Princess of the Sakura Kingdom stepped out of her room and is on her way to her favorite place, the beautiful and spacious garden when she heard rustles from the bushes.
"What was that?", she asked herself. The rustling then stopped, causing the girl to question if what happened earlier was true or just one of the works of her silly imagination.
No rustling followed nor any disturbance in the garden did. Realizing this, she shrugged the thought off.
"There's no prince that's gonna fall off a tree and sweep me off my feet suddenly. That's impossible", she murmured while walking down the short flight of stairs leading to the place she wants to go. "I wouldn't allow any prince to do that to me anyway..."
She reached her destination and took a seat on a bench under a shady tree. A picked beautiful, young rose caught the princess' attention.
She picked it up. "A rose? How could somebody pick you up when you're still so young?"
Rustling of the nearby tree and a loud thud followed the princess' alone scene.
"R-Ritsu?! What are y-you doing here?!", the shocked one said loudly, but not to loud that the sound escaped the garden.
"Ugh, man", the unexpected visitor grunted. "I want to give that to you but then I heard footsteps from the staircase nearby...so yeah, I accidentaly dropped it and hid here."
Tainaka Ritsu, the Crown Prince of the Rose Kingdom. And by the Rose Kingdom, that means that their kingdoms are rivals. Expecting from the crown heirs, they must also be enemies too, but...
"I told you to stop bugging me, Ritsu! If they saw us, they might call an all-out war..."
"Don't care."
"You might lose everything. You'll be forever banished from your kingdom..."
"Well, I think that those things might happen to you too, Mio~", Ritsu purred. "And besides, I seriously don't give a damn about those..."
"..."
"I don't care if I lose all my wealth and be forever forsaken by everybody", the 'prince' dusted herself and stood up. "As long as I got to see your face...even once a week."
The handsome being winked at the maiden in front of her, only for the latter to roll her eyes in annoyance.
"Geez, you're really difficult aren't you? And stop flirting with me. Please." The princess managed to brought out her best irrtitated voice over her usual calm tone.
"I'm not flirting with you. I really just don't care about royalty things and stuff and since I have nothing to do, I'm here. You're ONLY my option", the 'prince' deadpanned.
Hearing the honest confession, the princess bowed her head down, her face as the same shade of red as the rose she's adoring. 'I'm only assuming...I thought I was so important to her. W-Wait. W-What?!'
She decided for a comeback. "Then of all places, w-why did y-you have to hang around here? The m-most forbidden place on earth for you?"
"I like taking risks." A sly grin. "Like falling in love with a rival kingdom's princess..."
"Stop that, please"
"Mio, the Sakura Kingdom isn't our only rival."
"..."
"But you're the princess I was referring to..."
That was it. Mio felt like bursting now because of what she just heard. The Tainaka really is incredible at things like this.
'I thought she wasn't flirting with me?'
"I t-thought I was j-just an option to y-you?"
"What, so you want to be more than that to me? Is that a yes?"
The standing one kneeled down in front of the sitting black-haired beauty so they could see each other eye-to-eye, and then leaned closer.
"Y-Yes to what?"
"That's the reason why I'm not flirting with you, Mio..."
"Huh?"
"...Because I'm already serious at courting you...
Their faces were now dangerously close. Very suprisingly, Mio wasn't even inching away from Ritsu's movements.
You see, the Sakura and the Rose Kingdom are the worst of all rivals. They envy even the littlest of achievements done by the other one. Sakura trees always grow in the lands of the Sakura kingdom whilst roses only grow in the Rose Kingdom. But there's a kingdom where everything's peaceful and everything grows. The Spring Kingdom, the mountain ranges separating the two rival kingdoms. But putting those aside, the heirs are friends because of Ritsu's frequent bugging, to Mio's annoyance.
The prince also told her about the most tragic event that happened in her life.
The Tainaka Massacre, the night where the most precious people had been taken away from her.
An attack of an unknown terrorist claimed the lives of her parents, the Rose King and Queen, and her brother, Prince Satoshi. While the 15-year old Tainaka Crown Princess had been kidnapped for a future ransom. The whole Rose Realm was filled with dread, knowing that there have been an attack and primarily, losing their king. The former princess fought back her captors. Using all the strength that's left in her, she planned on taking revenge. Her captors were much stronger, almost leading her to her demise. Seeing her limp, almost lifeless body, the terrorists left her alone, thinking that she was dead and useless.
That night was her worst, but unbeknownst to the golden-eyed, she was in the midst of the Spring Realm. The queen of the said kingdom came to her aid. The Kotobuki Queen of the same age as hers brought her to her second life. As what Ritsu told Mio, the former became close friends with the Queen.
The blonde then kept her, for her only living family, her twin sister, was mysteriously lost, or so what Mugi told Ritsu.
The now-Crown Prince grew up in the Spring Kingdom, with revenge plotting inside her heart. She thinks that the one behind the anonymous attack was the Sakura Kingdom, realizing that the realm was their greatest nemesis, to which Ritsu apologizes to Mio later on for her false theory. Ritsu came back to her falling kingdom a couple of years later, claiming that she was the King's son from another woman. Then the king-less kingdom caught hold on her golden-amber irises and strikingly ochre hair, which were only held by those with the royal blood. She became prince, following their Rose Kingdom's unbreakable tradition that only men could lead their kingdom. 'Ritsu' was still her name for she claimed that their 'former princess' coincidently had the same given name by the King of Tainaka Era (for the kanji of her name, Ritsu, can also mean 'law' and 'commandment'), which were surprisingly not judged by anyone.
Her plans on avenging escalated, leading to the Sakura and Rose Kingdom to engage in the Great Kingdom War. The heated engagement left Ritsu's kingdom into a huge economical crisis, known as "Fall of the Fifth", since the golden-eyed was the fifth generation founder.
The battle lasted for a year, but before numerous people die, the Tainaka prince saw the beauty of the rival kingdom. The daughter of her arch nemesis. The one that made her forget for the first time the broken hearted state she's in regarding her family's assassination. The one that made her heart soar again after she felt that her love for Mugi was unreturned.
The Sakura Crown Princess, Akiyama Mio.
From then on, she stopped the attacks. The war ended. Several months have passed and the Rose Kingdom remained dormant. Little did everyone know that the Tainaka Prince have been befriending the princess inside the Sakura Castle's grounds secretly, much to Mio's abhorrence at first.
Mio eventually loved the prince's company long before she can even call her butler or the knights to take the prince away from her. Although it's only been months since Ritsu decided to hang around there without anyone noticing her but the black-haired princess. The 'Prince' Ritsu, during those times, told her pretty much everything. Like who she really was, what she's doing in her kingdom, and even about the letters and chases she would receive from her battalion of fangirls coming from different kingdoms, even from the rival realm's.
The Akiyama, also, has hundreds of men fantasizing about her. Suitors would fill the guest hall up almost everyday. But, to the kingdom's dismay, Mio never found someone who can make her heart race rapidly. Just this human in front of her, making her heart go mad with just her gestures.
Going back to the matter at hand, Ritsu's face became even closer. If you were to stand a few meters away from their spot, you would think that they're having a lip-lock.
It really was a jaw-dropping matter that it was Mio who closed her eyes first rather than the dominating Ritsu.
Closer...
Closer...
Breath mingling...
Lips almost brushing against each other...
"THAT BASTARD OF A PRINCE MIGHT BE IN THE GARDEN! GO NOW!"
Well, almost...
Let's remove the 'almost' part, shall we?
And before Mio could even analize what have been said, Ritsu closed her eyes and the threatening gap. She just stole the other girl's first kiss.
"Farewell, Princess..."
Mio finally snapped her eyes open.
The Tainaka Prince dashed away to God knows where.
'...my first kiss...'
Leaving Mio touching her lips, stunned and flaming.
'She...k-kissed me...'
===R&R===
The next day...
'Gah! Forget about that idiot already!'
Here the princess was, frustrated about her own thoughts.
"Mio? Mio-chan?", knocked someone outside her room.
Making her way out of the covers, she stood up and managed to open her door.
"Good morning, dear."
"Oh, good morning to you too, Mom", Mio smiled at her mom.
The Queen of the Sakuras, smiled ever so caringly at her daughter. Her gentle smile turned to something quite mysterious after a few seconds though.
"Mio-chan, have you been thinking about someone?"
"S-S-Someone?!"
"Oh dear, no need to be in denial here", her smile never vanished. "So, who's the lucky guy?"
"G-Guy?!"
"Is it not?"
The princess was blushing madly that she bowed her head. Yes, she was thinking about someone, and NO, the 'lucky' person is not a guy. Just one more question would kill her...
"In love, are we, Mio-chan?"
Yup. Well, did it?
"N-No...I d-don't like h-him..."
"Well, as the saying goes: The more you hate, the more you love! I'll go on ahead, be in the dining hall, dear!", then the mother walked away.
Women really know what's the truth and what's not after all.
===R&R===
Meanwhile in another part of the earth...
"Who's there?", a certain prince spoke with authority.
Cracking of fallen autumn leaves, snapping of twigs and rustling of trees.
She stayed still sitting on a branch of a tree, she was about to unsheath her dagger when...
"BOO!"
"YAAAHH!", frightened Ritsu screamed.
A demonic figure with white hair and dark ruby eyes clad in a seducing Kuro Lolita with black little angel's wings attached to her back entered her vision. But something's seems off. Something heavy was against her.
Without taking her eyes off the mysterious girl on top of her, her ever-so curious hands wandered to know what the heavy thing was.
'Big and...soft...'
"H~yaan!"
"Eh?"
"You're touching my...m-my...ooooh~"
Shifting her eyes towards what she was touching on the lass's chest area, her face heated up instantly.
Big and soft...nope, it's actually bountiful and super soft. And you all know what I was talking about, don't cha? ;) (Sure we do *nose bleeds*)
"Gaah! I-I'm so sorry!", she immediately removed her hands on the soft spot and in panic, she fell off the branch.
'Owwww~'
Fortunately, a thick mass of leaves caught her on the ground.
"A-Are you...Mugi's twin?"
Long, wavy hair, deep colored eyes, angel-like wings and signature eyebrows. This lady really looks a lot like the Spring Queen, except for the colors.
"Oh, you don't know me? What a shame...", a smile gracing her features. "How could someone forget her own bride?"
The suspicious lady leaned closer and wrapped her arms around Ritsu's neck, sending shivers down the latter's spine.
"B-Bride?!"
"I've always been in the shadows since we were young. I was so shy. I couldn't even talk to you. I've been feeling so distant, and so I ran away", the lass mumbled under her breath. "It was always been my sister that gets your attention! And now, it was the Sakura Princess!"
Cold sweat dripping from the prince's temples. "S-So you're Mugi's long lost twin...", was the only thing she could say beyond both fear and nervousness.
"Well, have you seen my sister?", the seducing lady traced her slender fingers on Ritsu's chest.
"W-W-What?!"
As if searching for her lost sister, the white-haired shifted her body upwards. Her assets engulfing the poor prince's face under.
"Umpphh-!"
"Ricchan, stop sucking them~ or I'll...I-I'll..."
(That Seikon no Qwaser...)
The suffocating being squirmed her head out. Only for her head to appear between the lustful lady's breasts.
"Gaah! Why are you seducing me?!"
"Seducing you? Oh dear...", she bit her bottom lip, driving Ritsu crazy. "I just want you to be mine. But you know, someday you'll be..."
The lady then got up and flipped open the silver pocket watch loosely placed in her pocket.
She gasped. "I'm runnin' late!"
The ruby-eyed left Ritsu dumbstruck and lying among the autumn leaves. Her mouth was agaped by the sudden events.
'Who's that girl...exactly..?'
"My twin sister."
Another lady popped out, who must've red Ritsu's expression. But unlike the previous one, this lass was wearing a decent Shiro Lolita matching her wavy blonde hair and cerulean orbs and has white little angel's wings. She was offering her hand for the fallen prince which was gladly accepted.
"Gosh Mugi, I've been waiting for you! I've been whispering to the pink rose a hundred times now..."
Indeed, the Tainaka prince had been waiting for the certain girl. Kotobuki Tsumugi, the Queen of the Spring Kingdom also called the Queen of Fairies. As told earlier, the Spring Kingdom are the mountain ranges separating the two rival kingdoms. Where everything grows and multiply. The kingdom where wizards, witches, sorcerers and mages dwell only. Where there's supposed to have eternal peace but...
"Oh sorry about that, I've been searching for my sister again until I heard someone falling off a tree seconds ago, which I now assumed was you..."
"What did your sister do this time?"
The said menacing twin was creating havoc, silently...
"She just ran off by the time I finally caught a glance of her..."
"Oh so you already found her, after all the years of searching...", the Tainaka mumbled. "Well, why do you have to find her? Can't she live on her own?"
"Ricchan, I told you already that Miyuki is my exact opposite. She creates chaos and causes havoc whenever unattended. She can fool someone because she has the ability to turn herself into anybody."
"Oh right..."
They sat under a shady tree. With Ritsu deeply thinking about something and Mugi smiling brightly at her friend even though she knows that her twin, Miyuki, can drive the world in chaos in any minute now.
"How are you and Princess Mio?", the blonde asked.
The addressed person continued to look up. "She never said 'yes'...I think she hates me now..."
"Oh what did you do to make her hate you?"
"I always bug her..."
"And?"
"...I kissed her...on the lips..."
The Kotobuki just continued to beam at the prince, making the latter very confused.
Turning to look at her companion, the golden-eyed asked. "What, you're not suprised?"
"No", the queen leaned closer to whisper. "You once did that to me a couple of years ago and you thought I was sleeping..."
Mugi giggled at her companion's priceless reaction.
Panic immediately enveloped the blushing prince's face. She wanted to speak but the fear of stuttering held her tongue.
"Oh don't worry, Ricchan. I'm not after you, but Miyuki is..."
"W-What?!"
"Going back to the matter at hand, I'm not suprised you kissed her. Knowing you, I'm sure it was coming..."
Ritsu was dead silent. Blood rising up to her cheeks and squirming.
'Why the hell am I only encountering one-sided love? In the past, Mugi, and now, Mio! Why?'
"Ricchan, do you need help or anything?", Mugi inquired. Concern was written all over her face.
But knowing Ritsu and her pride...
"No, thank you. I don't need any...", the ever-so stubborn Ritsu denied.
"Why were you waiting for me then?"
'Shoot...'
"Err...I-Is it forbidden f-for me to see the q-queen of my fantasies?"
"Ricchan, you need to make her fall for you, am I correct?"
'Curse Mugi and her inborn psychic talents...'
"...S-Something like that...y-yeah..."
"Well, I'm sorry. But I don't have the magic for that, Ricchan", she stood up. "But I'm sure that if you two are destined, you'll eventually be together and nothing can break you two apart forever..."
"..."
"And if she doesn't like the kiss, then she should return it to you!"
"Mugiii!"
"Fu fu~"
===R&R===
Meanwhile...
"Wow...she's not here today."
Mio wondered why isn't the pestering, or so what she called her, prince here. Speaking of the prince's coming, the princess suddenly remembered what happened the day before.
'My first kiss...'
"Mio-chan!"
She turned around, but the person she was looking for wasn't it. "Come here, quick!"
Coming closer to the source of Yui's voice, the noise of commotion going on became more audible.
"Let. Me. Go!", a voice of an elderly woman roared.
"Take her out of here! Commoners aren't allowed inside the Sakura Castle!"
The woman squirmed and squirmed inside the knight's arms. She continued doing this until she saw the girl she was looking for inside the castle.
"Who are you?", asked the approaching Akiyama princess.
An old woman with white, wavy locks and ruby orbs clad in a black robe was looking for her. And several knights are there to stop her from getting near the princess.
"Look, madam, the King is not here. Please leave", Yui said firmly, assuming that the unexpected guest was looking for their master.
"I'm not here for the King...", she stopped squirming because the princess asked her and she should not be bothered in replying in kind.
"Then why are you here?", Mio asked once again.
The mysterious being held her hands up and from the thin air between her palms, black aura engulfed it. Among the darkness appeared the most forbidden thing in their kingdom.
A blood-red rose.
The forbidden flower dropped on the princess's slender hands sent by the woman.
"A sorcerer!"
"From the Spring Kingdom?"
"A rose made among the blackness..."
"Black magic, I say!"
Surprised gasps were heard from the knights. They didn't even bother arresting the woman anymore, instead, they were stupefied by the scene and the fact that there was a rose in the Sakura Castle. Roses were highly forbidden, especially inside the castle grounds. Anyone in their kingdom who would possess such flower would receive punishment from the King himself. And now their princess has it, what now...?
"The redness of the flower represents eternal love...", the woman then exclaimed. "...And the rose itself represents Aphrodite's prowess..."
'Red...rose...Aphrodite...'
The mysterious lady continued. "...It's from your lover, your Majesty..."
'Love...lover...'
"...Ritsu?...", the ravenette absent-mindedly uttered.
'She sent this to me?'
"M-Mio-chan? You and the Rose Crown Prince has something going on?!", gasped the curious Hirasawa beside her.
"Princess, you're in a relationship with the rival prince?!", was heard from one of the knights.
"We're just friends, nothing much...", the Sakura princess calmly whispered to the rose in her hand, eyes lovingly locked to it.
"B-But, friends?! T-That's..."
As if awaken, one of the knights shouted. "Seize the woman already, for bringing such thing!"
But the occult woman dispersed into the wind long before they realized that she was gone. Along with the poisoned rose...
===R&R===
A few weeks have passed but the prince's shadow was never then again seen inside the castle grounds making the princess grew very worried inside but decided to keep it to herself.
Ritsu never showed up because the fear of Mio getting seriously angry at her always stops her from getting nearer the Sakura Kingdom. Angry at her, because of the kiss. Angry at her because she just stole the princess' first kiss.
She decided to leave it just that and wander somewhere to love someone else instead. But a certain rumor made her return towards the most forbidden place for her.
The rumor that a fox's howling can be heard from the Sakura Castle everynight since a cryptic woman gave a rose to the Sakura Crown Princess. The rose was assumed from the Tainaka Prince, because it is a rose. That's why everybody from the whole Sakura Kingdom was utterly angry at her. And because of the brewing issue, the King of the Sakura Kingdom announced an all-out war against the Rose Kingdom and declared that he himself would lead his legion.
"Ricchan, have you heard about what the Sakura King said?"
"No, Mugi. Tell me?"
"The Akiyama Princess have been known to transform into a fox every night since a rose was sent to her!"
"A rose? Roses have no effect like that! A sorcerer, Mugi. The rose wasn't from me..."
"I know. The sender was said to be an old woman and has white, wavy locks and ruby eyes...Miyuki?"
"She transformed herself into an old lady. Why would she do that?"
"My twin wants you only to herself...maybe she thinks that punishing your love interest can make your heart jump for her..."
"Gaaah! What would one do to make the spell vanish from Mio's body, Mugi?"
"True love's first kiss, Ricchan. The kiss must be her first and must come from her true love...But..."
"But I already took her first and I think she hates me...What now?"
King Natsuhito of the Sakura Realm decided to reward the 'Crown Prince' position to whoever that can lift the bewildering spell off his precious daughter for eternity. The news spread like wild fire. As expected, the quantity of men continuously courting the diamond of a princess doubled, (no, farther than that that Author-sama can't find the right words to describe this) only depending on the spell-lifters from their respective homelands. But neither of the wisest of them nor the most educated one claimed the unreachable reward for the knowledge of the enchantment was never known before. Leaving this matter unresolved was the reason why our oh-so cool hero got her issues staight and slick with the troubled king.
Ritsu, being the prince of her kingdom, stood in front of the Rose Realm's thousand-men battalion. Not because she wants to lead their legion in the war, but because she wants to do something else which surprised both their kingdoms.
"Mere boy, you can't lead an army!", the rival king had shouted. "You're the reason why Mio can't be herself anymore!"
The two legions had the encounter in front of the Rose Kingdom. The Sakura King was willing to fight and kill for his daughter while the opponent he's referring to has no intention to do so.
"I'm not the one who sent someone to gave that poison of a rose to Mio!", Ritsu spatted back. "I can't do something like that to her, I love your daughter!"
"Lies!", the mad king spatted. "You were the cause of the Great Kingdom War! You're nothing but a trash who keeps on commanding your kingdom into misconception! Attacking my realm with no true reason!"
The King let his horse gallop towards the place where the prince stood. Fortunately, Ritsu saw that coming so she ran for it. Her legion was ready to charge but she stopped them.
"I can't let you be my daughter's lover! You think we should just believe that you're not the one behind the spell?! Don't fool us!"
Now Natsuhito was slashing his sword towards the seems like hero's spot, which was expertly dodged by the very skillful prince.
"I took her first kiss! Let me be her true love and save her from the filthy enchantment, my Lord!", the last two words said by the prince not only made the two legion's mouth agape but also made the Sakura King utterly shocked.
"I know I've been a fool on waging war against your kingdom with nothing but falsehood but...I'm willing to pay...", Ritsu exclaimed. "...I'm going to save your daughter, I'm going to let my life at stake, Your Excellency!"
The King remained silent for the turn of events shocked the hell out of him.
"I regret everything that I've done to harm you and your realm! Everything that my family did to your kingdom for centuries, I deeply apologize, Your Royal Highness!"
Centuries of rivalry of the two most powerful kingdoms, never did anybody hear one royalty call his enemy as high as a 'Lord' nor any unreachable honorific.
"Please, Your Majesty! Let me see her and be her one true love!", this time, Ritsu kneeled before the King, head bowed lowly and hands on her knees to express great respect. "Let me lift the enchantment off the Sakura Princess! Even if you don't accept me, please let me do something for her...please..."
The following unexpected events made possible by the rival prince made the King's charges stop and his eyes widened. "Y-You took her f-first kiss..."
"I'm sorry, Your Highness! I just love her too much!"
"Y-You just c-called me..."
Knowing the Rose Kingdom's unreachable pride, what their prince was doing almost turned black into white. And what's more unbelievable in their encounter was that, instead of the King laughing at the lowly prince because of her humble doings, however, his flaming iron of a heart melted for the golden-eyed. Which made the prince earn respect from King Natsuhito.
"Yes, my Lord. I'm willing to do anything for the princess. Whatever it takes, I'll do it!", clear endless love and motivation was written all over the Tainaka's face when she looked up and faced the king.
'This young lad is flabbergastingly marvelous! Never did I saw someone kneeling without hesitation before his rival with so many people witnessing. Never did I encounter some suitor who I can feel endless love for my daughter...', the Akiyama thought.
Think about your enemy kneeling before you without hesitation in front of thousands of people, can't it melt your heart. Well, for Author-sama, it can. ^_^
(Cat: Well that escalated quickly!)
(OL21: Yeah, yeah...)
The thought of the Tainaka taking his daughter's first kiss never bothered him anymore. This time, all he want is for the spell to be lifted from Mio's body. And by that...
The King finally smiled. "I'm pleased by your doings, Prince Tainaka. I'll let you do something about my daughter's current case, but in one condition..."
"Sure! Anything, my King!"
The strict ruler exclaimed. "Make sure that you're the one and you can make the enchantment end or your head is the price..."
"I won't let that happen..."
"Be in the castle tomorrow morning then. Let's see what you can do!"
Maybe talking about things really can settle things down and finish a long-term rivalry in a promising way.
Always remember that letting your pride down can't kill you (Well, the 'PRIDE' itself won't kill you but when depression comes, 'YOU' yourself might end your life. Pray and try to level your pride in every situation ^_^). No man in history was said to had been choked to death because of swallowing his own pride! ^_^
(I'm soooo good at this!)
===R&R===
The next morning...
"Only the Spring Queen knows about the fastest treatment...", Manabe Nodoka, the Sakura Kingdom's Head Sage said after examining the sleeping princess. "It's true that the 'true love's first kiss' can surely cure the princess but it takes a long span of time for true love to blossom at the same time between two individuals. Unfortunately in the princess' condition..."
"What?", both the King of Sakuras and the Crown Prince of the Roses asked at the same time.
"Oh Mio-chan...", the Queen was very worried. Well, who wouldn't?
"The enchantment must be lifted as fast as possible or it can get worse, possibly making Princess Mio a full-fledged fox or it can take her life instead..."
"No, Mio-chan, this can't be happening...", whispered the whimpering Yui beside her.
"We need to call the Queen of Spring now!", ordered the King.
Ritsu brought out a pink rose out of her pocket and kissed it...lovingly?
"Hey, Mugi..."
Out of nowhere, out of the blinding flash of divine light, came the winged queen with her cascading blonde locks and with a hint of blush on her angelic face. The scenery almost made the men in the King's throne room go crazy.
She felt Ritsu's kiss on her right cheek, which made her hand land on the cheek and avert her eyes from the now-smiling-at-her Tainaka. 'R-Ricchan...you can just w-whisper to the rose, y-you know...'
"Magic!", exclaimed the King.
"Don't worry, your Highnesses. The prince and I are good friends. And that rose was especially for calling me...", recovered Mugi stepped down the air and started to cast a spell that can detect the impurities in the sleeping Akiyama's body.
The white light signaling the presence of her magic vanished, therefore, she finished her casting. "The blossom of the Crescent Moon...that flower only can lift the vicious spell faster with its aroma..."
"But where do I find this exotic plant?", questioned the mentally stressed prince.
A sad façade. "Unfortunately, Rikkun, the flower is said to be found only in the unremoted depths of my Kingdom and can only be seen at night, hence the name. No one has seen the flower ever since the Great Kingdom War. I'm sorry, even I can't do anything about this..."
The King and Queen looked like they just mourned. Colors from their usually happy face drained out. The Akiyama slouched back in his throne, with his hands clasped with his crying wife's.
"What now...", he sadly whispered.
Determination in Ritsu's heart never left nor became weak. But instead, the determination just became bigger. 'This looks like a challenge from the Heavens...'
"I'll find the Crescent Flower no matter what and bring back the princess you knew, not the beast!", she exclaimed. "I'll do it! And if ever I failed you, my King, my life is the price..."
"Rikkun, you must know that if you find the enchanted flower, its aroma must envelope the princess immediately for its fragnance can't stand long when held by beings...", the winged Queen of Spring explained. "And also, only the seeker of the flower and the person to be healed can go on the journey in finding it, for the blossom might wilther easily because of the human's natural scent exposure..."
"Mugi-chan, can't there be anything of your power that can cause the flower to live longer?", asked the Hirasawa, treating the queen as a close friend already, as expected from Yui...
"I'm sorry, Yui-chan, but there's nothing I could do more...", and Mugi replied in kind.
"The plant is really sensitive and very rare, huh?", Nodoka pointed out.
"Yes, you're absolutely right, Manabe-san." Mugi turned to the Rose Prince. "Rikkun, are you sure about this?"
"I can never be more doubtless than I am now, Mugi. I'm going to throw my life for this quest, for Mio..."
"Never die for my daughter. If she knew about what you're doing for her, I'm sure that you'll make Mio fall for you..."
The King instantly lighten up by the presence of the Tainaka Prince's undying love for his daughter. And with that...
"Very well then. Never fail me..."
"I never failed anybody, Your Highness", the golden-eyed prince beamed in utmost determimation. "I thank you for the trust you've bestowed on me even though I've been your realm's most hated rival..."
'Can they make it through my enchanted kingdom's forest? Fu fu~', the Spring Queen smiled mysteriously, whispering only to herself.
O/N: Hohoho! Love it? Hate it? If ur confused at certain details in this tangled tale, u are free to ask in ur reviews and ur Author-sama will answer u right away! ^_^
Oh, and i accept criticism and bashings...? I dunno, just tell me if there's something wrong or anything! Even ur personal lovelife coz i ain't a 'Loverlord' for nothin'! Nah man, i'm serious about giving advices to those who stumbles in the subject called 'love'. ;) Just PM me, kay? :P
And about my other fanfic, Whispered Words, it's currently on-hold since i seriously got the writer's block this time and, ugh...mou~ it's damaging mah brain...
"If you're a great observer or a heavy MugiTsu fan, you will notice something somewhat incredible other than the hints i give..."
This is it for now! Ja nee~! (Psst, IQzero-san, i'm waiting for I see the world in a different light after I met you 's update, y'know? Hahaha! Check it, minna!)