Chapter Two: Drowning, Drowning

While the young, white haired foreigner sulked in the metal cage, King Tamir stared at her in curiosity, unable to wrap his head around the idea that a little girl like her would be able to break in a damn palace and steal a heavily protected artifact right under their noses.

He looked at the object in question, held by tanned fingers also adorned with rings and bracelets.

Then he looked back at Yui.

'How the heck would she be able to steal this?'

He thought. This girl, by looks and behavior, was obviously a foreigner of some sort, but he didn't believe the Japanese had this air of...well, cluelessness.

She literally looked like a scared-as-heck bunny, that would flee at any moment, hiding behind that curtain of white hair.

Speaking of white hair, it seems to be quite exotic. Maybe if he just nonchalantly ask her to be in his harem, the girl might end up agreeing.

What? No love is too young for the great king Tamir!

Of course, there was still the matter at hand. How to deal with this suspect of a thief.

And, by that, he meant intimidate the hell out of them. He was a serious king that loved his country, but even he doesn't mind having some fun in this king job.

King Tamir kept his overpowering gaze as he opened his mouth to a question.

"So you are the girl who outran police cars and a helicopter."

Well, it came out as more of a statement.

The girl was clearly scared out of her wits as she jumped at the sound of his voice, nodding meekly.

"So you must also be the person who wants to stop the reign of my 800 year old family."

King Tamir watched the Japanese girl carefully. So far, she looked absolutely oblivious. It was almost like talking to a brick wall.

Then, out of nowhere, her black eyes narrowed suspiciously.

'Ara? Where did that come from?'

The king thought, mildly surprised. He didn't expect that kind of expression from an otherwise cute and unsuspecting girl.

"You think I'm the thief."

Well, clear as crystal and quiet as a dormouse, Tamir was not at all expecting that straightforward tone. It almost made him feel guilty.

And with that statement it was as if all realization hit her the moment she said that sentence and only stared at him with a grave face, waiting for his response. Her cute black eyes now seemed to be staring right at his soul, bringing out all the guilt he had.

Maybe he pushed her too far.

King Tamir, liking a staring challenge ever so often, did not comply and merely stared back at her, keeping eye contact.

'No matter what... Do NOT lose eye contact.'

He instructed himself and lifted his head higher.

"From the small coincidence of me being there at the wrong place at the wrong time, you think I am able to steal a bracelet that beautiful? Within the hour I arrived to this country?" Yui quietly inquired, staring at him. No, it wasn't a glare, of course not! Yui would never glare at someone for a misunderstanding.

It was more like an honest gaze that would eventually bring the truth out of this mess.

Yui tightened her hold on her father's brown glasses, but almost dropped it at the sound of the butler's voice.

"Are you accusing his highness of falsehood?!" Ivan immediately accused, his eyes piercing angrily at her. Amazingly, what Yui said made him so frustrated at her that a few strands were now out of place on his head.

"W-what, no... I didn't mean to insult, sir. I just wanted to know why I am stuck in a cage now." The white-haired girl backed away as far as she could in the tiny cage, away from Ivan, and sdjusted the glasses back on her face.

"Ha..."

Yui and Ivan faces jerked back to King Tamir's direction.

"HaHaHa..!" His Highness King Tamir was laughing. Laughing.

"Your Highness... Might I ask what is so funny?" The tall man asked, a bit worried about his king.

Tamir calmed down after a few more seconds and smiled.

"Ha... Ivan, the girl has a reasonable response. She's in a cage for reasons she does not know." He said, smiling. He liked this girl.

"I agree that you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Forgive us." For a King to say pardon, Ivan was shocked but bowed as well.

"Please, tell your story."

That's when Yui proceeded to tell the two gentlemen that when she left the airport, a man knocked right into her at the street, stealing her luggage in the process. Yui quickly caught up the thief seemingly right in front of a police office and two officers came out blowing a whistle.

The luggage snatcher escaped and Yui was left on the ground with the bracelet. When the two officers saw her with the object at hand, they tried arresting her.

Yui had panicked and immediately started running, eventually police cars chased after her but couldn't catch her until the assistance of a helicopter that blew her away.

"I see. So the two police officers misinterpreted the situation and you panicked, bringing the bracelet with you as you ran." King Tamir summed up in one sentence, and Yui nodded gratefully until she heard Ivan scoff.

"Highly implausible. One who is not guilty would not run."

King Tamir merely smiled.

"True, but she had good reason to panic. Besides, I believe her."

"Y-you do?" Yui exclaimed, hope finally returning to her eyes.

'Oh, what a relief! The King is so much kinder than most people think!'

She thought happily, despite Ivan's disbelieving sigh.

"The king is always a man of his word." Ivan bowed once again, resolving to remain silent for the rest of the discussion.

"Now that's over, want to be a part of my harem?" King Tamir said excitedly, laughing.

"Pardon?" Yui blinked blankly.

'What did he ask? Harem? Be a part of it?'

"Umm... No thank you." The japanese girl responded nervously as the good king laughed it off.

"Well I had to try." He said with a large smile. He seemed... warmer. Much more welcoming than moments before, she noticed.

"Ivan, go fetch my sons. I have something to tell all of them." King Tamir motioned.

Ivan bowed, said:

"Of course, my liege."

and walked away.

"You too." Tamir said to Yui, shocking her.

"M-me?" She echoed, surprised. What would a king of a country want to say to a student, now that the problem's been cleared?

"Yes. Something very important." King Tamir replied, still holding the golden bracelet.

"Very important indeed."

Just then she heard footsteps, many footsteps, coming from the hall and soon into the throne room.

"Here they are." The king smiled, and Yui could only wait to see who 'they' were.


.

.

.

End of Chapter two! Thank you firetruck, Demon-SheWolf, and Nightwatcher3d for reviewing! This chapter was kind of rushed so please pardon the mistakes and hpefully chapter three will come much faster!

Happy Reading!