Chapter 2: Supper
Doremi, the princess of the sun kingdom, quickly got off her horse and handed the reins to Aiko. She gathered up her skirt and ran up to her room. The maids quickly undressed her and prepared the hot bath, pouring multiple scented bottles to mask the smell of the light rain and the horse and the mud… and well, the nature. After she had bathed, she was dressed into a dark pink gown and went out.
Hazuki met her outside the door; she too had bathed and changed minus the maids help. The two went out and headed to the dining hall, where the king and queen were expecting them. The opposite huge double doors opened just in time after Doremi and Hazuki had sat down on their chairs. The King and Queen came out of the door.
The king was dressed in yellow and gold with the royal emblem in the center and a crown on his head. The queen was dressed in the same colors; her stance held the air of royalty and a crown, too, was on her head.
"Doremi!" Hazuki whispered and motioned her head downwards to her lap. Doremi looked down at Hazuki's lap and saw her hands folded to her lap, the hand on top was pointing at her head.
Doremi shook her head, what was she trying to say?
"Tiara! Your tiara!" Hazuki whispered. Realization passed her and Doremi paled, in her rush, she forgot to wear her own tiara.
The king and the queen sat down and smiled a good evening at their daughter. The queen was the first to notice the presence of the princess's tiara "Melody, where's you tiara?"
Doremi was busy slicing the steak in front of her, missing what her mother said. Hazuki elbowed her "Doremi, you're Melody!"
Doremi looked up "Huh? Oh, I asked for it to be polished, it got dirty"
"Dirty?" The king asked "How did it get dirty?"
"Oh, not really dirty, I… uhm, just wanted it to be clean for the meeting" Doremi excused "right! The meeting! Because, you know, I'm meeting with Akatsuki at the Starlight graze in 4 days... I don't want him to think a princess is… uh… unladylike"
"Is that so?" The queen said and took of her own crown from her head "Well, I better get mine clean too, after all, I have to meet the eastern village. I must look like a queen to them"
Hazuki and Doremi sweat dropped. The king placed one hand on his wife's shoulder "Darling, you look like a queen, even without the crown"
"Oh you," the queen laughed, and turned to Doremi "Are you sure you don't need dear Azure to come with you?"
"No, mother, it's fine, you need her more than I do" Doremi smiled
"But, dear, you're leaving the walls of our kingdom! Without my presence" her mother said "Maybe it's better if we move your meeting 3 days from now, that way Azure can keep you company outside the walls"
"Mother, don't worry! I have Kotake with me, he may be nothing compared to Ai- Azure, but he's still a palace knight, and that's saying something" Doremi reassured her mother.
"But… What about you Wisteria?"
"Don't worry, your highness, Kotake is one of Azure's elite" Hazuki smiled "Aiko- Azure herself had ordered Kotake to protect our princess"
"Well…" The queen still looked worried.
"Dear, how about we invite Azure and Kotake tonight?" The king smiled kindly "It would ease you if they gave you their word"
#
Aiko had finished grooming her horse and was now heading back to the tower. It was where the knights of the palace stayed and where the knight in training stayed too. Aiko was at the very highest of the building, the whole ground was for her; it was also where her office is.
She striped of her shirt and took of her boots. She massaged her right shoulder while rotating it. Aiko was never one to wear female innerwear, they were uncomfortable and hot, they clung to her skin. She had resorted to wrapping a bandage thickly around her not so evident chest until above her waist.
After massaging both shoulders, she went out her room to heat some water for a hot bath. Doremi had exhausted her, not to mention the other few new knights tried to fight with her on the way to her floor. She finished half-filling the tub of cold water and left the other half to boil. She stepped out of that room and was about to proceed to ask for dinner when someone started calling her.
"Aiko! Aiko!" a voice called. She hastily turned around and was about to scold the person for entering her floor without a permission, but halted when she realized it was just Kotake.
"Kotake?" she asked confused "Why are you here?"
Kotake looked up from the paper he was holding and opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. His eyes went wide from what he was seeing. His captain was a girl, a lady. He always forgets that fact, and the fact that he was momentarily stunned from what he was seeing proved him that he was no different from his friends.
"Kotake?" Aiko called again.
"You're a girl?" Kotake scrunched his nose, his face still red from embarrassment. Now he knows what his friends meant when they said the captain was a beauty under men's clothing.
"Course I am, what did you think?" Aiko frowned "So are you waiting for me to hit you or are you going to tell me why you're here?"
Kotake shook his head "The king asked for our presence!"
"His highness!" Aiko jumped "But why? I haven't eaten yet! I haven't even took a bath yet"
"They invited us for dinner" Kotake shrugged "Hurry up and take a bath, I'll wait for you in the hall"
"A'right! I get it," Aiko ran past him and went to her room to get a clean pair of royal blue pants with a matching jacket and a white shirt. She grabbed a fresh pair of bandage and ran past Kotake again.
She poured the hot water in the tub and scrubbed herself with one hand and washing her hair at the same time. Countless times, she fell and Kotake would knock at the door to ask if she was alright, she'd say she is.
Aiko quickly wrapped her chest, a little loose from the rush but still covered, and wore the shirt. She put on the royal blue pants and the matching jacket with the gold royal emblem on the right collar. Kotake had been wearing his knight uniform with the royal emblem too, the uniform was yellowish gold.
She went out and tied her hair up, making it appear neat and Kotake threw her sword at her. She put on the white belt and slid her sword in position.
#
Aiko and Kotake stopped in front of the large dining hall doors and fixed their appearance.
"How do I look?" Kotake asked.
"You look fine; seriously" Aiko assured him "Doremi wouldn't mind"
Kotake blushed "The princess?"
"Well you are crushing on her aren't you?" Aiko laughed. Kotake blushed, "Is it too obvious?"
"Nah! Everyone likes the princess, who wouldn't?" Aiko patted him on the back "Bet if I was a guy, I'd like her too. If not, then maybe Hazuki"
The two entered the room and bowed to the king and queen, one hand on the front and one on the back "Your highness"
"Aiko!" Doremi patted the sit beside her. Aiko slightly shook her head and looked back at the king and queen.
"Azure" The king greeted us "Please, take a seat"
Doremi gave Aiko a grin again and patted at the seat beside her, making sure the king and queen see her hand going up and down. Aiko reluctantly sat beside her, and Kotake stood behind Aiko's chair. The servant served a plate of steak in front of her and she nodded in thanks.
"Your highness, to what do we owe this invitation for?" Aiko asked.
"Ah, we wanted your word. As you know, our daughter is leaving outside the walls soon, right?" The king said.
"Yes, your highness. I had asked Kotake to assist her," Aiko said and Kotake slightly bowed "Kotake is my first in command, I trust him even with my life"
"With your life, that's a big stake" The queen said "Thank you, Azure, that reassures me. Kotake, why don't you sit down and eat dinner with us"
After dinner came the dessert, the queen stood up and excused Aiko. Aiko glanced at Doremi, who shrugged. She followed the queen to the huge balcony, a good feet away from the table.
"Azure, tomorrow's trip, I need you to do something for me" the queen said "A small favor"
"A favor… your highness?" Aiko asked unsure.
"I need you to dress as a lady tomorrow" the queen said.
Aiko paled "A- a lady, your highness? Like gowns?"
"Yes, gowns" she nodded "I was invited, you see, by the king of the kingdom of mill. He told me I was not to bring any knights with me. So I need you to pretend as a lady"
"Gowns" Aiko gulped and tried to look for an excuse "But if they try something, I won't be equipped with my sword"
"I'm sure even without a sword, you can handle" the queen smiled slyly.
Aiko groaned silently. The queen smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder "Thank you, Azure, I'll send you your gown tomorrow, and a bagful, I need you a lady all in all, until we come back. That is your mission"
Azure bowed again, one hand on her stomach and one on the back.
#
The next day, Aiko had talked to the Doremi and Kotake before she left for a small trip around the kingdom "I have cleared all the demons nearby the path up to the clearing for you. You have no need to worry much, Kotake can protect you, and this is from the oracle, she gave it to me for my trip, but you need it more at the starlight Graze. It will act as a quick port to the castle, it can take 10 people easily" Aiko handed a small rock to Doremi "you can only use it once, crush it with your heel"
"Thank you, Ai" Doremi hugged her and she rode the carriage together with Hazuki and the King.
Kotake climbed up his horse, Aiko pulled his ears to her "Take care of her Kotake, I trust you! When I come back and see a single wound on the princess, you are dead" she warned.
And with that, the carriage, along with the several knights, left for the weekly kingdom stroll. Aiko turned around and sighed, she had her own troubles to take care of now.
Half of the palace knights left with Doremi and the King. The other half were now preparing and patrolling, they know without their captain, the risk was higher.
After all, she was equivalent to an entire army. She was just that strong.
#
Aiko went up to the room the queen had ordered her to stay, to get prettied up. She was dragged into the room, stripped of her clothes and was dragged into the tub filled with lavender. They scrubbed every inch of her until her skin went red and cleaned her dirty nails.
They then brought her out and took out a petticoat brassiere, Aiko shook her head "Oh no, I am going to wear a gown missies, but I am not, never, going to wear that!"
They tried making her wear it, but in the end, they let her wear her bandage, they didn't spare her with the tightness though. Then they dressed her into a blue gown, after getting dressed, Aiko pushed everyone outside and when she was alone, she strapped a garter into both her thigh and slipped a dagger.
She sighed and glanced at herself in the mirror, her hair was neatly tucked into a high bun with floral ornaments and several gold ones. Her dress has a slight dip in the chest and Aiko scowled, she pushed the dress higher.
"This is the last time I'm wearing a dress!" Aiko grumbled and held the skirt higher, she went down while grumbling. The queen was outside in front of the carriage. Aiko bowed, but the queen stopped her "You have to do it right"
The queen curtsied and Aiko followed "I'll go get my horse, he's just-"
"A lady cannot travel through a horse in a dress" The queen said "We shall ride the carriage"
Aiko bowed, but stopped and curtsied before stepping inside the carriage uncomfortably.
Cookie: I have received reviews! Hurrah! Don't worry guys, those of you who are waiting for the Flat 4 to introduce themselves, they are bound to appear in the next chapter xD