The day that I would meet the love of my life finally came, and I can assure you I've never been so nervous in my life. However, I didn't show it, a future king can't show weakness. I was standing in the center, waiting for the carriages, with Lord Haruka behind me at my left and my brother at my right, Zen's friends behind him. But this formation was broken when my brother's messenger sneaked behind me.
"Excuse me your highness, I am sorry for forgetting to tell you this piece of information but with everything else I must have forgotten" he apologized, only my brother, lord Haruka and I were able to hear him with how low his tone is "During war princess Sakura, two more friends and I were a team, we fought together in the borders of our kingdom stopping the enemies from invading us… At least until our friends fell in love and had a baby. Jasmin, our female friend, was about to give birth during her seventh month… it was early but war wasn't the best conditions to have a child. The four of us were running for a safe shelter for her when we were ambushed… our two friends died, but not before princess Sakura used a dagger to open Jasmine's stomach and save the baby. She was named Yurika, she was adopted by my princess and I was named her godfather. If you ever want to have her as your queen you will have to accept and love her daughter as if she were yours. Otherwise, not even the love she has for you will help you. Cause she loves Yurika more than you… as a mother should" with that said he returned to his place, l three of us shocked and speechless.
"Are you ready to be a father aniki?" Zen asked me slowly, not knowing if his question was out of line.
"I don't know... but if it is with Sakura, maybe I am" I answered with a slight smile.
"Oh, goodness... I am going to be an uncle" Zen thought out loud, it was easy to see how much he was panicking. I should really start teaching him to hide his feelings, it will not be very good later one when he takes political duties.
"Relax little brother, you have your messenger to teach you everything you need to know about being Yurika's uncle" I assured him. Whatever he was going to reply was interrupted by the sound of trumpets, which signalled the arrival of guests "She's here" I said out loud, mostly to myself than to anyone else.
Then two carriages came through the gates, one of them surrounded by five horses mounted by, who surely are, her selective team of silent assassins. Zen's messenger told me about them, they were chosen and trained by her to guard her daughter and herself, and to fulfil any mission she orders them. But what they are very well known for is how they can ambush someone and kill them, to then disappear as ghosts. No one ever can link anything they do to them or their princess. Not even her family knows that they aren't just simple guards. How Obi knows about that... well, he used to be part of that team before he fled Japan. It was a big surprise to everyone, no one thought that he could have been an assassin. A thief and Schafer maybe, but not an assassin. But if I thought about, his abilities not only were espectacular whenever he fought but also were very different from a soldier or knight. He always attacks the weakest points of his enemies, for a clean and fast death... as a profesional assassin.
I was snapped out of my memories when one of the guards dismounted his horse to open the carriage's door. He extended his hand to help his princess descend. I stopped breathing when a dark beauty appeared, she had long straight raven black hair, pale white skin and bright onyx eyes. Eyes that shone with an innocence that shouldn't belong to someone who saw the horrors of war and the manipulation of the royal court, but they also had an edge that told you that she was looking for danger at every corner and when it appears she will be more than ready for it.
"That's Sakura-hime" I heard Obi telling my little brother and his friends.
"Welcome to our kingdom princess Sakura, it's an honor to have you here" I began getting closer to her, I grabbed her hand and bowed to kiss it's back, before flashing her one of my most honest smiles but without looking too desperate "And that must be your beautiful daughter Yurika, it's a pleasure to meet you as well young princess" I told the small girl that had just descended from the carriage.
She looked exactly as a copy of her adopted mother, the only difference was that her hair was chocolate not raven black. Also, you couldn't see anything but innocence and happiness in those young eyes. You could easily say that this girl didn't suffer anything in her short life. When Yurika smiled brightly at me, making the sun itself feel jealous at how bright her smile shone, I knew that what my brother's messenger meant. You couldn't meet this little girl and not like her, it was imposible. When my gaze returned to the dark beauty that holds my heart I saw a flicker of surprise in her eyes. Surely because most royals are bigots who would treat Yurika as an inferior because she was adopted and never consider her Sakura's true daughter, even less call her princess.
Good, it seems like I am on her good side... for now at least. I really hope she forgives me for leaving her alone for two years without even a goodbye letter. I thought sadly.
"The pleasure and honor it's all ours prince Izana. And congratulations on your coronation" she replied, smiling brightly at me. It really made me question if she was only Yurika's adopted mother, they had the same smile.
"Thank you my lady" I replied "Would mind joining me for a stroll later? I've been told of your love for nature, and our palace's gardens are known for being one of the most beautiful ones".
Her expression never change, but I could see a glint in her eyes. I've pissed her off, she's always been the one with the information, but now she is in a strange land that she doesn't know and has found out that personal information about her has been revealed to a possible enemy.
"I would be honoured your highness… but may I know from where you found that information?" She asked sweetly, but I knew she knows.
Oh, what a delight she is. Manipulative, smart, beautiful and ruthless. A killing combination that has me on me knees. I thought smitten.
"Rumors" I answered, kneeling down to pat her daughter's head softly and kindly. However, when I got up I stopped for a second to murmur to her "But I believe you know who told me that" two can play this game.
She looked at me, for the first time since she descended the carriage she looked at me with curiosity "It's been a long time Obi, how's been life outside of Japan?".
"Better than I ever imagined possible, my queen" he almost purred.
"It's good to know where your loyalties lay" she said it with such a sweet tone and an innocence in her eyes that if you weren't paying a to her every moment, like I have been, you wouldn't have been able to see how the light in her eyes gloomed giving her sweet expression a darker meaning.
"I do only serve to please, my princess" Obi replied, aware of the danger he was in but not a bit worried at all. It made me wander how close they really were. The dark dangerous glint from before changed to one of confusion and frustration, she really doesn't like at all to be played with.
"Please let Obi escort you and your daughter to your chambers. Once you had rested from the long journey we can have our walk" I offered her.
She looked at me, eyes slowly analysing me. Surely trying to find any sign of danger or threat in me, when she didn't find any she accepted my offer politely and followed her ex soldier inside my… our castle. The short wait was even worse than the one before she came here, maybe because I finally saw her and she is so close but at the same time so far away.
I hope that she accepts me, if she doesn't… I don't think I'll be able to stand rejection twice. I thought worriedly, while I waited for her in the garden I built specially for her.
In one of her letters she confessed that she was worried that her father would make her marry someone who wasn't from her country and she'll have to change for him. That she wished that if that ever happened she would have a private garden where a small temple was in the right corner so she wouldn't have to betray her religion. Plants from her country specially a sakura tree, in the left corner, whose branches grew above a small lake where koi swan freely, so she wouldn't miss her country so much. And lastly bit not least a small Japanese traditional building in the center where she would be able to practice her dancing and make her own tea, so she wouldn't loose her traditions.
I was so immersed in my thought that I didn't notice someone entering, until said person gasped. I was ready to send them to prison only for entering, everyone knows it's banned to enter here. This place was meant to be only for her and me. However, I stood frozen when I saw that the one that entered was my bloody princess. A cristal clear look of pure shock adorned her face. Behind her I saw a smirking Obi closing the doors to give us privacy.
That damned bastard! I cursed in my head.
"He told you" I stated, there was no question of that.
"I didn't want to believe it, even when I saw the letters. You could have just stolen them… but this… this is a clear sign of your love for me… you love me, don't you?".
"More than anything" I replied honestly.
There was no way I could lie when I had the love of my life looking at me with such an open and ungraded expression. The next thing I knew I had an armfuls of princess… future queen if we want to be technical. At the end I didn't have to worry at all.