HER STUBBORN HIGHNESS
I am a knight bound in service to her majesty yet she wishes me to be something more. But every time she asks, I respond with my vows as a knight but are my feelings just that of a knight? With these enemies arising, will I be able to tell her the truth or will I be consumed first before so.
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Hey Lo! Here is the second chapter. If you have any questions don't be shy to ask. I will be answering the reviews here in the chapters too. Replying one by one in private messages can be a very tiring task so I only do that when I wrote oneshots but for multi, i reply here.
Anilissa - I am so sorry about that. My breaker was not read by the site when I uploaded the chapter and I was in a hurry to upload the story. Thank you for reviewing. Andbthat line of Natsume just went to my head while I was typing.
loveisfun, newroz and Elimina Alice - here is the chapter. I hope you enjoy it. And thank you for reviewing.
For those who read, favorited and followed the story, thank you so much.
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Tears were shed as the coffin of the beloved king was lowered six feet below the ground. Mikan being the only relative stood in front of the assembly adorning her black clothes for mourning. The armors of the soldiers were changed to that of grief. No one wanted this to happen, especially on a festive night.
It was three days ago when the assassination of King Izumi happened. Being a king beloved by his people, no one knew who could be behind this. It was only common rumors that said that the assassination could have been the work of the dark creatures.
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Creatures of the shadow exist in the world. Some even live with people, though they are veiled from the human eye. Some hidden in the dark shelters of caves or mountains or even deep within the ocean where light cannot reach.
And among these creatures, there exists the race feared by all. Hideous to look at, voices piercing to the ear when heard. They were demons but humans called them Rogue. These creatures did not abide by the rules of nature. They care not if you are prey or predator, man or cub as long as you are weaker than them, they will hunt you.
The humans avoided attack from this race because 40 years ago, a barrier was cast by the queen of the realm. She put a spell that prevented the Rogues from attacking but now, that barrier was failing. And the Rogues have been waiting. The dark lord could not hold in his desire for blood. He had the human king assassinated.
And now, they prepare for war.
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A week has passed after the dead king's funeral. The kingdom was abuzz. It was coronation day after all. And while awaiting the ceremony, our duo was inside a room.
"Natsume?"
"Yes, your majesty."
"Mou~ there it is with the formalities." Mikan pouted which made the raven sigh.
"Mikan... I - "
"What did you want to tell me after the ball?" Mikan interrupted.
"..." Natsume stared at Mikan before delving deep in thought.
"Natsume?"
"I don't think it's a good topic to bring up." Natsume looked away.
"Does it have anything to do with my father?" Mikan sat cross-legged on a chair with her hands resting on her knee.
"No, but - " Natsume stopped in his tracks. His conversation with the king and his father before the ball, could it be that the king saw his death ahead? If that was the case, it's now or never.
He walked to Mikan and kneeled on one knee in front of her.
"Mikan, I am your knight bound to you for eternity. Would you accept me if we were to be bound differently?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your father could have seen something for him to push me, so I cannot ask you the question directly yet. But if ever a chaos ensues and we survive after that..." Natsume rested his forehead on top of Mikan's rested hand.
"Natsume, you are not acting like you at all." Mikan lifted her free hand and put it on Natsume's head.
"...if we survive, will you take me as your half... for eternity?" Natsume finished, lifting his head and looking into Mikan's eyes while taking her hand that was on his head into his.
"Natsume... Are you - ?" Mikan was out of words to say and she looked like she wanted to say no. Natsume was starting to fear that what Izumi said about her falling out of love could be coming true.
He looked down and sighed. He was about stand up when Mikan's hand touched his cheek and she made him look at her. When he looked, he saw a gentle smile on her features.
"Natsume, you don't know how long I have waited for you to tell me how you felt for me. And now that you have repaid my love, who am I to say no?" She smiled her usual smile. A smile that said she loved him and Natsume could not contain his happiness, he hugged her.
"Mikan, my queen." He cupped Mikan's cheeks and was about kiss her when the door slammed open.
They turned to the door and saw Hotaru with a blushing Ruka. The two of them blushed hard, well Mikan did and Natsume cleared his throat while Hotaru was busy taking pictures.
"Imai, Ruka, what are you doing here?" Natsume asked, now standing up.
"Well, if you two love birds haven't forgotten, it is her coronation day?"
"Oh, right." Mikan said as she stood up her chair. Before she could go to Hotaru's side, Natsume pulled her and whispered to her ears.
"Tonight, expect that we continue where we left off." He smirked, Mikan blushed at what he said and because his breath tickled her when he whispered.
Hotaru gave the blushing Mikan a teasing look and the two women went ahead as the stoic one supported the other who was probably going to fall on her weak knees.
The two gentlemen left were engaged in a silence war in which the winner will be determined whenever the other would speak.
Ruka started to beam like there was no tomorrow. Natsume raked his hair.
"What the hell are you smiling for? It's creeping me out." Natsume complained, Ruka won this war.
"You came clean didn't you?" Ruka smiled teasingly.
"What kind of thoughts do you have, you perverted blond? You did not even let us start anything."
"Eww, bro. What I meant is that, you finally told her how you felt?"
"Not really, I haven't but I made my reservation."
Ruka gave a hearty laugh.
"Let's go to the ceremony." Natsume said, tired of Ruka's teasing.
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The ceremony commenced as it should. There were no suspicious characters or sounds except the snores of an old noble who fell asleep. After Mikan was made queen, she read her father's left will and ordered the execution of the requests there were immediately.
The ten individuals who were to become Mikan's personal staff were removed from whatever job they have at the castle except for their heritage of being heirs to their families. They were to live in the castle. The next was the retirement of Hyuuga Ioran as general. It was the king's wish that Ioran was to retire as a general and live with his family, as the head. But before doing so, he was tasked the final job of choosing the people to replace Ruka, the Yome twins and Tsubasa in ther posts.
The rest of the will were edicts and laws the king wanted to be done to ensure the people's safety when the assimed chaos ensues.
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Mikan sat on her throne, tired after talking with every single guest in the party. Natsume handed her a champagne which she took and drank in sips.
"Your majesty." Hotaru came up to Mikan and Natsume with a bow.
"Hotaru, you need not to bow to me or speak in formality." Mikan gave a tired smile.
"But we are in public, your majesty."
"Oh. Right." Mikan cleared her throat. "What business do you have?" She said returning to her queenly posture.
"Our scouts led by Kitsu have returned. They report a great storm arising in the south."
"Storm? In the south?" Natsume raised a brow.
"The south is..." Mikan gasped. "The south is where the Rogues reside. Could it be...?" Mikan did a gesture that indicated she was thinking.
"Mikan, the assassin... Was he?" Natsume asked, realizing something.
"Yes. Hotaru, the assassin that I shot..." Mikan asked.
"It was confirmed that it was a rogue. They are acting up now that the spell on the barrier is near expiration."
"Summon a meeting with the ten and the other generals. I expect that we are about to enter war."
"Will we alert the citizens right now?"
"No. That will cause panic. We'll have them informed after we meet." Natsume said earning a nod from the two ladies.
"Then we'll have the meeting first thing tomorrow morning." Mikan said and Hotaru excused herself.
"Is it time for you to retire, Mikan?" Natsume asked.
"Yes, it is. I need some sleep." Mikan replied in which the raven nodded. She was accompanied by Natsume to her quarters and the guests were sent home for night.
Mikan sat on her bed thinking. A knock sounded and she confirmed the entry. The door of the adjoining room to hers opened. It was Natsume.
"Mikan..."
"Natsume?" Mikan replied, acknowledging his presence.
The raven walked to Mikan's bed and she could see that he was out of his usual uniform. He sat on her bed.
"Why are you still awake?" Natsume asked.
"I was thinking." Mikan replied.
"Now that's rare." Natsume teased.
"Mou~!" Mikan pouted, making Natsume chuckle.
"You know, every time you pout, it makes me want to kiss you." With this said, Mikan retracted her pout, earning again another chuckle from the raven.
"I just can't sleep." She finally admitted.
"Want me to stay here until you sleep?"
"Will you?"
"If you want to."
"Then please."
Natsume lifted the covers and was about to enter when Mikan stopped him.
"What are you doing?"
"I changed my mind, I am going to sleep with you tonight."
"What?"
"You don't want to?"
"Well... It's not like that." Mikan blushed.
"What's the problem? Besides, I did make my reservation and confirmation."
"Reservation?"
"Of being your half. So basically, I can be considered your knight and boyfriend, right?"
Mikan facepalmed. Sometimes she just does not get what he is thinking. She did not argue anymore and went in the covers with him. She blushed at the thought of them sleeping together. They would just be like husband and wife.
Mikan was broken from her blushing reverie when a pair of strong arms hugged her waist and pulled her close. She was stunned but she cuddled into his chest wherein he rested his chin atop Mikan's.
"Mikan... I love you..."
Mikan's eyes widened. Did she just hear what she just heard?
"I have loved you ever since I met you. Seeing you grow into such a lady needs a lot of self control. I could lose it anytime. I love you so much." Natsume said as he hugged her closer.
"Me too. I love you too, Natsume." Mikan said as she hugged him too.
"Yes, I know. I always have. You always told me."
They were in silence for a few moments.
"Can I kiss you?" Natsume asked and Mikan nodded.
Natsume pulled apart from their hug and he cupped Mikan's cheek. He kissed her forehead, her nose then finally her lips. It was gentle, as if he was wallowing in the softness of her lips.
He kissed her again until she responded. They kissed until Natsume's tongue grazed Mikan's lip asking for entrance. She obliged and have it to him, her hands snaking to his hair playing with them pulling him closer to her and deepening the kiss. Natsume pulled away as they needed air.
"Mikan, I am losing my control. What should I do?" Natsume asked as he rested his forehed on Mikan's.
"Then lose it." Mikan said as she was the one who pulled Natsume into a kiss where he now was on top of her.
"Are you trying to seduce me, my queen?" Natsume smirked as they broke away and Mikan took off his shirt.
"Well, I think I may have been the one who was seduced, my knight..." Mikan kissed Natsume as her hands roamed through his perfectly sculpted front.
"...or should I say, my king." She giggled.
"You are one sly girl." Natsume said as he kissed her, taking off the garment she was wearing.
That night they shared was the night their love was repaid. It was not spoken in words but it was done under that bed's sheets.
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"Are we certain of this storm?"
"Yes, it was confirmed by our head scout Yome."
"Have you identified the cause of the storm?"
"It seems that the rogues are arising."
"What?"
"That cannot be."
Mikan rubbed her temple as she listened to the generals as they convened about the storm.
"Silence!" A voice boomed. Every person in the room turned their heads towards tha owner of the said voice.
"I guess this means that we are to engage in war?" Mikan asked.
"That is the only answer if we ever confirm this storm already." Answered the commander who replaced Ruka, Mochiage.
"Then here are my orders..." Mikan stood from her seat and looked at the map using her alice to create icons that meant her orders. "...Captain Mochiage, prepare your trrops and have them armed. We must be ready for when they attack. Lieutenant General Sono, you must wait and meet up with the General at the Leaf Pass. Position your troops there and await my orders, you will be the vanguard."
"Why don't we meet them at the border, your majesty?"
"The border is too far, if we hope to replenish our supplies, we might not make it."
"What about the citizens?"
"I will have Misaki and Hotaru to handle that. Can you do it with your doppelganger alice and Hotaru's inventions?" The two women nodded.
"Where will they be?"
"They will be sheltered in the Keep for the meantime, where they can store food for days and there will be air that can sustain them."
"What if they will be attacked?"
"They won't I casted a barrier in the keep."
"If you could cast a barrier, why not cast it again so that we can avoid this war?"
"This war is inevitable whether I can put up a barrier or not. I cannot put a new one as long as the old on is still standing, it would cause a disturbance. It might end up into a different barrier and the spells could get confused."
"Alright. I apologize, your majesty."
"It's fine. Next time let me finish." Mikan gave a stern look. "Koko, Kitsu and Sumire, check the behaviour of our attackers. I will have Ruka's alice inserted in you so we can send messages through his animals." The three nodded.
"Anna, make sure we have provisions that could last for days, in case this war does not end in one. Nonoko, check the medicines, you will be assigned to head the medical team. Can I trust you in that?" The two girls nodded. "Anna, I will seek aid from the Ibaragi house to lend us a hand in stocking the food with their ice alice. And I will have Imai Subaru to be there with you, Nonoko."
"General Persona will lead the vanguard. I sent word to him already. Captain Mochiage will wait as the rear guard. Captain Anju, the west plains and Captain Hibiki, the east. We will not have them surround us. We will win this fight. Lastly, can I ask Tobita to aide in the evacuation? Your alice can be a great help to Misaki and Hotaru, some citizenz can be a bit stubborn. Tell them to bring only what is necessary, if you carry too heavu load, you would travel slower and haste is a must in this time." Mikan rested her hand on her hips. "Oh, Ruka, send some of your animals to the places that the three cannot scout."
"Your majesty, can we suggest that you stay in the shelter of the castle with Hyuuga?"
"I cannot stay here while you fight."
"But we insist. After losing the king, it caused great sadness to all. We cannot lose you too."
"I would rather that I d-" Whatever it was she was going to say, Natsume stopped her. She looked at him and at her generals. "Fine. I will stay."
As she said this. Her generals' faces lit up as if happy that at least they can have their queen to be safe.
"Then this meeting is dissmissed. Commence mission."
"Yes!"
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About that particular scene, I did not dwell into details since I do not wan to change the rating. And I am sorry if this is fast. Something came into my mind and I have shifted the plot in my head.
Look forward to the next update.