I stood nervously waiting in the Second Prince's office. The attendants the prince referred to as Kiki and Mitsuhide, stood watch over me. Like a pair of guard dogs, I felt like if I even looked at them wrong they'd bite my head off. I wasn't even sure how long I had been waiting, but it felt like an eternity.
Finally, I heard the door open.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." The prince's voice sent shivers down my spine. He made his way to his desk and sat down. "Now then, who are you?"
I needed to think vague answers. I'm dead if he finds out the truth. I did my best not to tremble.
"The name's Katsumi, Your Highness." I was starting to sweat when the prince locked eyes with me.
"You have my thanks, Katsumi. If you hadn't found Shirayuki when you did, I would have lost her."
"You're welcome." Now please let me go.
"I would like to express my gratitude, but before that, I would like to hear your side of what happened."
I explained that I was out looking for herbs when I heard someone scream. I told him how I fixed the wound and I hoped he wouldn't hurt me for being so rough with Shirayuki's clothes. Then I explained how I found Miko. I left out the part that I was a ship captain and that I had taken Miko there. If he knew I had any ties to the sea, he'd probably figure out exactly what I was.
"I see… I would love to simply pay you and have you be on your merry way, however, I can't put a price on Shirayuki's life."
Shite! I was hoping he would just toss me some money and let me go. I didn't want to be here longer than I had to. I just wanted to go back to the sea and never set foot in Clarines again.
The prince pulled out a stack of papers and held them out to me.
I tried to keep my legs from trembling as I stepped forward and took them.
"What's this, Your Highness?"
"I would like to give you a position at the castle. All of these are entry level and have plenty of room for you to move up. You'll be paid well and anything you choose will have my seal of approval."
No! No! No! I don't want a job! I want to leave! Why does fate hate me? If I don't accept his offer, he'll get suspicious. F***. Why did I agree to come here?
I did my best to calm myself before speaking. "I accept."
"Good. As soon as you've made your choice, let me know."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Now, there is one other issue."
Oh great! What could he possibly want now?!
"Do you have a place to stay, in Clarines?"
Uh oh… "No, Your Highness, I don't…"
"Then I'll see you have accommodations here at the castle for the time being."
GREAT! THAT'S JUST GREAT! I'LL BE WATCHED EVERY MINUTE! WHY NOT JUST HANG A SIGN ON MY BACK THAT SAYS: I'M A PIRATE! IF I LIVE IN THE CASTLE I'LL BE FOUND OUT FOR SURE!
I forced myself to take a breath. "Thank you, Your Highness." Again, if I refused he'd become suspicious. Any normal person, with nothing to hide, would have no reason to refuse.
"You're welcome. You are free to leave."
He didn't have to tell me twice! I turned on my heals and walked out as fast as I could without arousing suspicions.
Finally, I was out of the suffocating office and was able to breathe easy again. I made my way to a courtyard and sat on the grass. I sprawled out all the papers and looked at the options that the prince had given me. After an hour, I still didn't see anything that interested me. I let out a long aggravated sigh and flopped back on the grass.
"How did it go, Kitty Kat?" Miko inquired.
I rolled my eyes at her nickname for me. "Fine, except now I'm stuck working here. I just wanted to leave."
"I know the feeling."
"None of these jobs peak my interest." Even if they did, I didn't want to accept it anyway.
"Did my father say it had to be one of those?" She mischievously implied with a smirk.
"Whyyyy? Did you have something in mind?" I looked at her with new curiosity.
I did my best to disguise myself as a man, which was no easy task considering my large bust needed to be bound. I hated it, but It needed to be done. My long hair was tucked up into a hat and I had practiced my male voice.
I stood in front of the man in charge and handed him my application.
He looked at me with disdain and doubt. "Sooo, you think you got what it takes, huh?"
"Yes, sir." My voice still sounded a little fake but I had to make the best of it.
"You sure? Cuz let me tell you something, pretty boy. This ain't a game. This is real, hardcore, kill or be killed stuff."
I mentally rolled my eyes. If only he knew.
"I'm sure."
"Alright… but don't say I didn't warn you."
He approved the application.
I turned to leave.
"What kind of a name is Kat anyway?"
"It's short for Katsuo."
"Well, Kat… Welcome to the palace guard."
I prepared for my first shift by dressing in the guard's uniform before I left my room. I took a breastplate that was one size too big, this way, I didn't have to bind myself. It looked kind of funny, but it did its job. I also chose the uniform, for over top, a size larger to try and hide my curves. The only thing that fit properly was the hat. I didn't have any pins or anything, so just tucking my hair up would have to do.
When I was certain that I was ready, I checked in for my first shift. I felt much safer now that I was in a disguise. The captain of the guard led me to my post.
"Hara!" The captain called.
The guard at the gate turned and saluted the captain. "Yes, sir?"
"Pretty boy, here is your new partner. Show him the ropes and explain how things work."
"Yessir!"
The captain left and it was just me and my new babysitter.
"So, pretty boy, what's your name?" He asked with a cheesy smile on his face.
"Don't call me that. The name's Katsuo, but you can call me Kat."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Nosuke Hara."
That's right, people get called by their last names when it comes to official stuff. Nosuke and I took our stance on either side of the gate. I remained silent. I didn't need to make any friends here, but there was something about him that was intriguing.
I stared at him out of the corner of my eye. His chestnut brown hair peeked out from under his hat. His face seemed kind and his hazel eyes were nothing out of the ordinary. Now that I was looking closely, I'd say he's about my age.
There was nothing unusual about him, yet I found myself drawn to him.
I must have been staring too long because he caught me. I quickly turned away.
"Is everything okay?" He inquired.
"Of course! Why wouldn't it be?" I didn't know what was wrong with me.
"You don't need to be nervous."
"I'm not nervous." That was a lie, but I couldn't let him see my weakness. Not when that weakness can get me killed. "Being a castle guard is one of the easiest jobs on the planet."
Nosuke let out a chuckle.
"What?"
"Give it time and I'm sure you'll figure out that being a palace guard here, is different than anywhere else."
I was confused by what he meant but figured I'd find out on my own. I should ask him about himself. Men always seem to like that.
"So, Nosuke, how long have you been here?"
"I started when I was fourteen, but I was only 'in training'. I just became a full fledged guard a month ago."
"Did you always want to be a castle guard?" Or was he forced into it like I was?
"Pretty much. My parents have a farm about an hour's walk from here. When I was seven, I told my parents that I wanted to be a castle guard. My dad knows some swordplay, so he taught me everything he knew."
"Must have been nice…" I mumbled to myself. Hearing him talk about his parents… it made me feel even more lonely. I didn't have anyone here.
"Hm?"
"Nothing. Don't mind me."
"Did I say something to upset you?"
"I'm fine. Don't worry about it."
"Okay then… What about you?"
"What do you mean? What about me?"
"What do your parents do?"
My heart ached at his question. I had no idea what they would be doing if they were still alive. And when they were alive, I was too young to care.
"I don't talk about my parents." I told him.
"Why not? Didn't they approve of your job choice?"
I felt my frustration and hurt rising. What part of my statement was hard to understand?! "No… That's not it…"
"Then what is it? Did they-?"
"They're dead! Alright?!" I didn't mean to snap, but he just kept pushing. Even after all this time, admitting it aloud was still hard for me. It just made it all real. I didn't want it to be real. Most of the time I could keep it tucked away, but then people would bring it up and I'd have no choice but to remember.
"Oh… I'm sorry…" Nosuke turned to me and locked eyes with me. "Do you have friends or anyone to help you out?"
I fought desperately to keep my tears at bay, but one managed to sneak out. "I do… but they're not in Clarines…"
Nosuke wrapped his arm around my neck and pulled me close. "Then count me as your first friend in Clarines!"
This was sweet and all, but I couldn't have him this close to me. If he chose to turn this into a hug, there would be a chance he would figure out I was a woman. I removed his arm from around me, careful not to knock my hat off, and stepped away from him.
"Alright, but don't grab me like that. I don't like people touching me."
"Sorry… Pretty boy."
I glared at him. Even if he was trying to lighten the mood, that wasn't the way to do it. "I thought I told you not to call me that."
"I have to call you that."
"No. You really don't."
"It's the captain's nickname for you. Everyone gets one and they have to answer to it for the first month of service."
I couldn't help but groan. I hated that name when the Phoenix crew called me it and I hate it now. However… If everyone got one, then that must mean Nosuke had one too.
A smirk crossed my face. "So what was your nickname, farm boy?"
He blushed slightly with embarrassment. "Old Mcdonald…"
I burst out laughing. That was way worse than 'pretty boy'.
"Aaanywaaay… enough about me. How did you end up in Clarines? And why didn't you bring your friends with you?"
I let out a sigh. "It's a long story."
"Our shift just started, we have time."
Why did he have to be so insistent? I took a deep breath and carefully explained what happened. I told him I was with my friends in Tanbarun and I went off searching for herbs. I lied and told him that the ship I was on was a merchant ship. This way, I could still be honest about why I was in Tanbarun. The only person I wouldn't tell about my time at sea, would be Prince Zen.
When I started explaining the part about finding Miko and Shirayuki, I was able to use a little more detail. I gave him just enough detail so that he wouldn't ask too many questions.
"That makes sense. Prince Zen is known for rewarding those who go out of their way to help."
Yeah… Unless they're pirates. I doubt my welcome would have been the same if he found out.
"My dad used to be a sailor too. Did you ever have trouble with pirates?"
I cringed inwardly when I heard the question. I always tried my best, to be honest. It was the only way to break the stigma of all pirates were liars. I was going to have to get creative with my answer.
"We did our best to avoid them." Especially the Dark Phantoms. We only crossed swords when they attacked first. Our mission to kill their leader was the only exception.
"Were you ever captured by pi-?"
I slapped my hand across his mouth. That question was way too specific and I wasn't going to let my cover unravel just because some cute guard decided to get curious. Wait a second… Did I just think he was cute? I shook my head to remove the thought.
"No more questions about pirates!" I ordered.
He removed my hand from his mouth. "Alright, pretty boy, don't get your panties in a bunch."
"I really hate that nickname…" I grumbled.
"Why don't you grow some facial hair then? It would make you look tougher."
"Believe me, I would if I could." I scoffed.
"You can't?"
"Nope."
"Then I suggest you get used to the nickname. I've got a feeling it's gunna stick."
Finally, my shift ended and I returned to my temporary home inside the castle walls. I stripped down to my skivvies, flopped onto my bed, and stared at the ceiling. My ship would be leaving port tomorrow and it was the first time I wasn't going to be on it. I didn't know when I would see my ship again, but I knew it wouldn't be for a while. Being in Clarines was going to see to that, nevermind the fact that I was in the castle at the moment.
I tossed and turned for a couple of hours and was unable to sleep. It was too hot in here. I got up and opened the window to my room. The cool evening breeze floated in and I could hear the trees whisper outside.
I flopped back down and took a deep breath. The air felt good and as I closed my eyes, I could almost picture myself back on the Phoenix. Before too long, my body finally relaxed enough and I was able to sleep.
