The later it became, the more the spirits rose. Kougyoku was glad that after her conversation with Yunan the subject changed fast and also that nobody said another word about the bad things her family had done. Every now and then the names of her brothers sounded, but only to made fun of them. Kougyoku watched smiling, how the men laughed about one or another joke about her family, even though it stabbed her heart. Even Judal didn't look serious and irritated anymore. He often laughed and because it wasn't at the expense of Kougyoku, she thought that it suited him very well.
More and more men went away and she sat finally with just ten people in the big room. According to Judal these were the ones that always remained and slept off their intoxication in the house. Kougyoku looked to an old wooden stair in the corner of the house. She noticed the stair already once, but she hadn't thought about where it would lead. Apparently on the first floor there were rooms which were booked by the guests, but maybe she was mistaken. Because it was already very late now and general tiredness spread, Kougyoku thought she should also ask for a room or a place where she could sleep. She didn't like the thought about spending the night in a foreign house with nothing but foreign people, but if slowly everybody went to bed now, nothing else was left to her to do, because a look at the clock which hung behind the bar on the wall bespoke her that she had only two hours time until she would meet with Masrur again. The fact that time only passed when you had fun, was something she had learned today. Besides, it might become difficult for the princess to find the way back again to her companion. When Judal led her to the house, she hadn't remembered to memorise the way. She recognised that she had to talk with Yunan again and ask him for help.
"Should I show you your room?"
Once again the happy voice of the older lady resounded, who noticed that Kougyoku obviously fought her tiredness.
"Only if you have a free room left. I really don't want to force myself on you." she answered and Judal rolled his eyes.
"Stop being so damn polite."
Kougyoku didn't understand why someone could remonstrate against it. In the palace politeness was daily fare, even though at least Kouha didn't use to it too often, but this place was not the palace and which is why it wasn't natural that someone offered her a sleeping place. However, before she could answer something, a gesture made by the barkeeper symboled Kougyoku to follow her and she still added with a smile, that she should simply ignore Judal, who didn't like this at all. Kougyoku also thought this would be the best idea, followed the other woman and left behind her former companion. On the way to the stair she looked over to Yunans direction who had already turned around a while ago and nodded to her smiling, what she returned.
On the stair Kougyoku realised very fast how old the house already had to be. With every step the steps creaked and seemed to want to give away under her weight. The young woman wasn't sure if she would reach the top in one piece, but if other people, who had obviously more weight than her, climbed the stairs, then her weight should be a heavenly gift for the poor steps. After she mastered the way upwards, she found herself before a hall with eight rooms. Four rooms on the right side, three on the left and the eighth completely at the end of the way.
"Unfortunately, my rooms aren't very big, but I hope you still like them." the owner began to talk and pushed Kougyoku softly along the way, but then she suddenly stopped.
"I haven't introduced myself, right?" she asked and laid with a stunned look her hand to her cheek. „It's no wonder that you are so quiet! My name is Esra." she continued and started to push Kougyoku again in the direction of a room and didn't give her the chance to answer. Apparently they headed for the fourth room on the right side and stopped right in front of the door.
"I would love to give you this room because it lies directly beside the bathroom and as a woman you maybe want to visit the bathroom more often." she joked and pointed at the door on the end of the hall.
"Thank you for allowing me to spend the night here." Kougyoku spoke shyly and Esra stopped her with a wave of her hand.
"Don't tell me you thought I would throw you out! As such a young and pretty woman you have to be careful outside, especially at a time like this!"
The princess agreed nodding, even though she got sidetracked because of the sudden compliment. It wasn't something new that someone called her pretty; she heard such things in the palace every time, but to hear it from a stranger was different.
"Now let's go in, you must be terribly tired."
Esra already opened the narrow wooden door and allowed a look on a meagrely furnished room. Though the space wasn't as big as Kougyokus room at home, but there was enough space. The whole furniture was made of wood and it enclosed two beds, one at the window and one on the wall towards, a small chest of drawers and a chair. It wasn't comparable with her room in the palace, but for Kougyoku it was perfect. This was exactly what she fancied from a life beyond the palace walls. A small comfortable room, a place where she could completely be herself. Esra closed the door behind her and watched Kougyoku as she gazed at everything smiling.
"I'm sorry that my boys showed you their anger." she spoke compassionately and looked ashamed to the ground. Kougyokus smile didn't disappear, while she turned around to the old woman. The fact how warmly Esra entitled the others almost made her grin.
"Sometimes I have the feeling that Yunan is the only reasonable out of them. Please don't be angry with them." she sighed and looked over to Kougyoku.
"I'm not, they have their reasons."
Esra smiled again when she heard these words. She really seemed to be afraid that Kougyoku wouldn't like her and the men anymore.
"They are glad that they can live in peace now and forget the pain. They are doing well since a long time, only Judal doesn't want to forget …"
She became quieter by the end and saw tensely to the ground, like she wasn't sure whether she should tell Kougyoku about it. The smile of the princess disappeared and she saw anxiously to Esra.
"What's with him?" she asked carefully and hoped to not overstep her boundaries. Though Yunan had roughly explained what happened to everyone, he maybe consciously didn't tell her about Judal. But maybe the young man was burdened by something even the Magi didn't know about.
"Judal is still very young …" she started and looked up again. "More time should pass."
Kougyoku nodded slightly and tried to signal Esra that she had understood. The older woman started to smile again.
"You two are very similar to each other when it comes to your past. He also lost his parents when he was just a baby."
Her smile didn't disappear, but in her look lay grief when she saw past the princess out of the window.
"He surely was surprised when he heard your story, because out of all he can understand your pain best."
Kougyokus heart contracted when she listened to Esras words. Judal understood her? When Yunan said that Judal liked her, was it because he thought, they would be similar to each other? Did he hope for assistance from a person who should have been through similar things? Kougyoku didn't know what she should think and she briefly closed her eyes, only to look afterwards in the friendly face of the hostess. A woman who she had to lie to like she did to all the others.
All these people, whom she already locked into her heart, looked at her like she was the poor, small girl who had lost her parents and was on her own since her birth and this although in truth they had invited an odious member of the royal family. If they would find out who she really was, then this would be a slap in the face for everybody and especially for Judal.
"As you can already imagine, the royal family was responsible for the death of his parents."
Kougyoku closed her eyes firmly and wound her arms slightly around herself. She already anticipated what the older woman would say now, but to hear that she really was right touched her deeply. This was too much for her. Was her family so awful? Did they hate them this much?
"Have I said something wrong? Aren't you well?"
Esra carefully strode up a few steps to the young woman, any time ready to look after her. That the whole story around the royal family depressed Kougyoku so much, she already recognised, but she thought that Kougyoku was just a very sensitive and compassionate person.
Softly she pressed the princess down on the bed on the window side and sat down beside her with an alert look. She gazed at her, but Kougyokus eyes looked empty, while they were directed upon her lap. Esra feared that she had frightened the girl off or made her afraid, which is why she tried to calm her down.
"Don't worry! These things happened a long time ago and since king Kouen rules, everything isn't so bad at all. About the justice under the population, nothing seems to have changed, but in contrast to the former king, Kouen seems to be anxious to kill hardly any innocent civilians." she spoke quietly and hoped that Kougyoku would start to smile. She really did, but her smile looked a bit sadly. To kill less people was no excuse.
"It's not your fault, so don't worry. We are doing well and also Judal has more important things to do then to be upset every single day."
Esra almost beamed at her and so Kougyoku was forced to put on a frank smile again. She was right. All those horrible things happened a long time ago and therefore it wasn't the fault of her brothers, which is why she shouldn't condemn them. Perhaps it was real that the citizens felt unfairly treated, but this is something she maybe was able to change. When she was at home again, she should talk to Kouen about it, just out of curiosity. Well, maybe she should rather speak to Hakuei …
"I'm alright. I will try not to think about it." Kougyoku promised and emphasized her words with a gentle handshake which she gave the older woman.
"I'm relieved to hear that." she answered and rose again. "Then I should let you sleep."
Esra gave her a short, but warmly hug which Kougyoku surprised. With the words that she should contact her, if she needed something, she walked with big steps to the door and left with a small wave.
Kougyoku dropped sighing down on the bed. The evening was more successful than she had expected. She had got to know many nice people and unfortunately, was cleared up about things she didn't want to know. But she promised Esra that she wouldn't worry anymore. When she was at home again, she could try to change some things and then all persons involved would feel much better immediately. However, everything wasn't as easy as she had imagined. First of all she had to go home and it would be the best if nobody found out about her night tour. In this moment the fact, that she wanted to talk to Yunan and ask him for help, so that she found her way back to Masrur and he could get her to the palace in time, came to her mind. However she couldn't go down again right now to speak to the Magi, because then all persons present would want to know what the both had to discuss and above all Judal would probably complain again. Therefore, nothing else was left to her, than to hope that she could reach Yunan with her words. She fixed the wall on the opposite side of her bed and felt strange when she started to speak in the empty room.
"Yunan … I hope you could do me a favour. Please meet me at five o'clock in my room."
Afterwards she briefly closed her eyes and lay down on the bed.
A floor deeper sat Yunan at the bar and had closed his eyes, while he concentrated upon something. Kougyoku was nearby; therefore he heard her voice as if she stood right beside him. A smile spread out on his lips again and his glance was fixed on his glass.
"All right."
Two hours hardly passed when a cold draught swept through the room and tore Kougyoku out of her badly needed sleep. A bit panicked she looked around startled and almost started to shout when she discovered the blond man in her room.
"Good morning." he greeted her, but Kougyoku still needed a while to realise where she was and who stood in front of her.
"Did you sleep well?" the man, to whom she could meanwhile assign the name Yunan, asked. She nodded slightly.
"I would have knocked, but then I would have woken him." the Magi apologised friendly and made her crooked her head.
"Him?"
With an elegant movement Yunan opened the door and showed hence a sleeping Judal who lay down in the hall beside her room door and snored quietly in a less than comfortable position. Kougyoku looked even more confused.
"What is he doing?"
"Sleeping, I guess." answered her opponent and closed the door carefully. It would never have occurred to her.
"Does he always sleep in the hall … on the ground?" she wanted to know and stretched. Yunan shrugged and explained that he was seldom in the first floor in the morning hours. Kougyoku accepted his explanation, because she actually didn't care where Judal slept, as long as he wasn't in the way and it was comfortable for him.
She slightly winced when her naked feet touched the cold ground. In the palace it was always pleasantly warm, so she didn't know what cold feet were.
"Why do you need my help?" Yunan wanted to know and he watched Kougyoku how she combed her long hair with her fingers.
"I have to get back to Masrur, my bodyguard. He was the one who made all this possible and now I have to go back to the palace, before somebody notices that I was away." she explained and Yunan nodded knowingly.
"He is on his way."
"You can hear him?" she asked superfluously and he nodded smiling.
"He seems to like to talk with himself."
Kougyoku laughed. This was just what she had expected from him. She already rejoiced that she soon would be able to tell him about everything and everyone.
"Are you ready? If we hurry up, we can spare him the way."
Kougyoku looked with a pensive face to the door and thought about whether she should use the bath here. If Judal lay beside her room, the stakes were too high to wake him up and then she had to explain him everything. Therefore, she decided heavy-heartedly against a short stay in the bath and affirmed Yunans question.
"How can we meet him?" she asked and Yunan grabbed a thick branch armed with ivy which he had placed in the corner of the room.
"We will fly."
Kougyokus eyes widened and Yunan laughed slightly. He couldn't be serious!
"Don't worry, I don't fly too high and not too fast."
His smile was honest and avoided every objection. He already held the branch in a horizontal position which started to float immediately. He swung his leg across the firm stick and for a second with his big hat he looked like a witch on a flying broom. Obviously, Kougyoku had no other choice then to imitate his movement.
"Hold on tight!" he called over his shoulder and made her grab his waist immediately. This situation looked familiar to her. Yesterday Masrur left the palace with her almost in the same way and now it was the time to return to this place. Now with less quickness than the Fanalis, Yunan flew with her through the narrow window and steered in the sky, over the trees. Kougyoku took a look down and noticed fast that flying was pleasanter than jumping.
She looked over her shoulder and saw to the big wooden house in the back. Her feeling told her that she hadn't seen this house for the last time and hoped that she would soon get the chance to visit the others again. However, to make this possible, she had to meet with Masrur safely.
