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Chapter 2
Natsume's POV:
I padded silently through the hallway to the Princess's chambers. My father had never gone easy on his sons when it came to training as a warrior and there was no one who could beat me in combat in all of Tyria, but tonight I was an assassin, not a warrior. I was going to kill this seer, and rid the world of at least one of them.
I reached the door, and slowly pushed it open. Everything was silent. I took two steps inside, and suddenly there was a light. I raised my hand to cover my face and shelter my eyes at the same time.
"Will you please close the door Natsume?" The Princess asked me, and I did as she asked, completely stunned.
She had uncovered a lantern, and now she used it to light another one. Then she patted the cushions next to her. "Have a seat." she told me, and I did as she asked again.
That was when she glanced at me, and then giggled.
I raised an eyebrow. I could not help it. She giggled some more, and then leaned back on the cushions, and then she took off the veil, and for the first time I saw her face.
I stared, and without thinking I raised my hand, and lightly stroked the scar on her cheek. It went all the way from the end of her eyebrow to her chin, as if someone had tried to cut off her entire face. She did not flinch, or react in any way to my hand, and I removed it as soon as I realized what I was doing.
She turned away from me and pulled a plate of fruit closer. Then she calmly took the knife from my hand, the one I had wanted to kill her with, and started peeling an apple.
"Just because you can see the future, does not mean that you can change it. I knew that bandits would attack me. At that time, they all thought that my guesses were just lucky. Who would believe a three year old when she said that bandits would attack if she went to visit her grandparents, especially when she was scared of her grandmother? I told my father exactly what would happen if he sent us, but he only scolded the servants for telling me scary stories." She was done peeling the first apple, which she now cut into 6 pieces, and then started peeling the next apple.
"We were attacked. My mother killed, and the blade that sliced her into two, grazed my cheek, just like I had said it would. The guards fought the bandits away, but my father had lost the only woman he loved. No one doubted me after that. No one." she said, still calm, still peeling that apple.
"You would never have killed your father and older brothers, and taken the throne, yet a seer said that you would be the next king. It never occurred to your father that when he threw you out, calling you a traitor, he made that future possible. When something happens to them, you will be somewhere else, and will survive, and will be able to go back and reclaim the throne. The seer did not lie, but the future would be different if the seer had kept his mouth shut." she said softly, cutting up the second apple.
"Then you understand why I hate seers." I told her, and her hands stilled.
"I saw you enter my room tonight. I saw you place a knife on my throat, and then I saw you leave without killing me. If I had gone to sleep tonight, I would have never seen you again in my life." she said without looking at me.
"I will still kill you." I said coldly.
"You will never kill me because no matter what I am, I saved your life." she said looking at me finally.
I was taken aback. She had complete faith in her words. How could she bet her life on this? My eyes narrowed, would she really bet her life on this?
She suddenly pointed my knife at me, and then flipped it around so that the hilt faced me.
"Take it." she snapped. I took it back and placed it in its sheath.
"Prince Natsume, no, just Natsume, swear your loyalty to me. Me and me alone, and you will be free of it only on the day that I set you free. You will be mine till then and will protect me, care for me, and listen to me." she ordered me.
I wanted to tell her to go to hell, but I could not. Those beautiful brown eyes were earnest, compelling, and above all they were honest. She did not lie, as I already knew, and something inside was telling me to trust her. I closed my eyes and made the decision. Everyone I had loved had betrayed me, so now I might as well trust this woman who was willing to trust me and my word even after knowing that I had come to kill her.
"Mikan Sakura, I swear my loyalty to you, and you alone. My blade is yours to command, and I will protect you with my life." I said, touching my blade to my chest, with the hilt pointing towards her. She smiled and turned the sword around, the point towards her now.
"Thank you. I will honor you as my warrior. Now your first test arrives." she said just as a shadow moved inside from the balcony.
I jumped to my feet, and stood in front of her, and one by one all four of my enemies materialized. They were probably robbers, and it only took me a few minutes to take care of them. I pushed/kicked the bodies out onto the balcony, and then threw them down on the terrace.
When I came back, she was sitting right where I had left her, eating an apple. I was about to tell her what I thought of her nonchalant attitude when I realized that her hands were shaking and she was white as a parchment. I knelt in front of her, and raised my hand to touch her face only to realize that my hands were covered in blood. I stopped myself. She grabbed the veil she had taken off, and dipped it in the glass of water that she had at her side, and then started cleaning my hands with it.
I noticed the tears that slid down her cheeks, and fell on my hand but made no comment. How could I have forgotten that her mother was killed by bandits in front of her when she was a mere child?
She was done cleaning my right hand and now she started cleaning my left. I fought with two scimitars and so both were equally bloody.
"You would have left me alive, but they would have killed me, and they would not have been quick about it. I could either convince you to swear loyalty to me, or I could have died by your hand. Both were better options than just letting you leave." she said softly.
My hands were clean now, and she looked at my face. Her eyes were slightly red, but she had wiped away the tears.
"Why not call for your other guards?" I asked.
She smiled sadly. "The robbers mixed a drug in the drinks, and so they will not wake till morning. I saw everything, but I saw it all too late. You were my only hope."
"Yet you were not scared." I said in admiration.
"You would have given me a painless death." she said as a matter of factly, and after a long time I chuckled.
"You are truly interesting." I told her and she smiled slightly, though I knew she was still rattled.
"Will you stay here until Tsubasa wakes up?" she asked me.
"I am your servant now. You can order me to stay." I told her and she glared at me.
"I said you were my warrior, not my servant. There is a difference." she snapped and I smirked.
"Yes princess." I answered meekly.
"I am not a princess." she retorted.
"You are mine." I told her, and I saw some color return to her face.
"Call me what you will. Now will you stay with me?" she asked getting up. I nodded as I got up as well, and then I followed her into her bedroom. She flopped down on the cushions and pulled her blankets over herself. Then she suddenly sat up again and tried to give me one of the blankets, but she could not untangle it from the others. I chuckled as I sat down near her feet on the cushions, and then untangled the blankets.
She lay back down, and I placed the blanket she had given me, back on her. She scowled at me.
"I am wearing a cloak. I will be fine. You need it more. Trust me." I told her as spread the blanket over her other one. She gave me a look, and then closed her eyes.
For that entire night I sat there, while she slept. I was amazed at how completely she trusted my word. I had sworn loyalty to her, and already she believed in me. My own family had not believed me when I swore to them that I would never hurt them to take the throne. Yet one sentence, and she slept peacefully in the room, all because of her faith in my words. All because of her faith in me.
I was never going to shatter that faith. I was her warrior now, and I would die before I betrayed her.
