Savage and Graceful Beginnings

"The skill of the Ki-Tanean tribe is unmatched by all outsiders, therefore a Ki-Tanean must marry a Ki-Tanean, even if the tribe were to communicate with outsiders. The Ki-Tanean blood and skill must stay pure"

--From the sacred texts of the Ki-Tanean tribe

Relena had locked herself in her room and wouldn't come out. Candy worried about her daughter. Jaden had gone and tried reasoning with her, but that just made matters worse. The only thing Candy could think of was trying to get Aleu to coax Relena out.

"Relena, there's no reason to kill yourself just because you have to marry Zennimaru! We'll think of some way out of this, I promise!" Aleu exclaimed. Candy had to leave the room for a minute and deal with the one of her other daughters when Aleu had said that last part.

Relena opened up the door, "Come in Aleu," she said.

Aleu always had liked Relena's room. The girl had some interesting tastes in decorations like no other Ki-Tanean dared to. She had all kinds of things in strange places in her room. Some of her knives were right next to her bed, stuck in the wall so she could grab them at a moment's notice. Relena had also tacked up a crude drawing of Zennimaru that already had several knives stuck in it.

"You think I can get out of this marriage?" Relena asked.

"Not as a Ki-Tanean, but an outsider can do whatever they want," Aleu replied.

Relena stared, "But I am a Ki-Tanean, I can't change that," she snapped.

"You can leave the Ki-Taneans. We can both run away from all this! You and I can go out into the world together! Do whatever we want!" Aleu exclaimed excitedly.

"That's all well and fine for someone only half Ki-Tanean, but for me? I'm a full-blooded Ki-Tanean and I have to produce more full-blooded Ki-Taneans," Relena said, "And it looks like I'm going to have to produce them with Zenny."

"Relena, you can't give in and allow this marriage to happen! This is Zenny we're talking about!" Aleu said.

"Don't think I don't know that? I'm the one who has to marry the bastard unless we find a way out," Relena said.

Aleu looked upset, "I gave you a way out. I'm going to leave the Ki-Taneans, I have it all planned out, and you're my best friend! We can go together!" she snapped.

"Aleu…I don't think this is such a good idea. Neither one of us are full adults and you're not fully trained," Relena said.

"We're the same age!" Aleu growled, "So you're two months older than me, we're pretty much the same age! I'm going to be an adult Ki-Tanean soon too!"

Relena sighed, "I suppose with my skill and your…outsider half…maybe we can survive outside of the Ki-Tanean village. I'll tell my mother I agree to the marriage, and we'll leave under the cover of night," she said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Alimaru walked out to his private garden wearing nothing but his kimono. This was his garden, and nobody else was allowed out here, not even his sisters. He liked to come out and think about things. Sometimes he'd go out and do the one thing he really liked: he'd sing his heart out. Alimaru had always wanted to be a singer like his mother, but he didn't have enough money to take lessons and be a professional. Every cent he made went either towards his sisters' futures or to get necessities. Lily, Holly, Violet, Petunia, and Daisy would have better lives than their older brother; Alimaru was going to make sure of it!

Alimaru listened to the music of the birds, the sounds of nature, and that's what inspired a lot of his music. He wrote his own songs, but he rarely had time to come out to his garden and be alone and sing. He sang his sorrow knowing that nobody could hear it. If his sisters knew he was an assassin, it would tear them apart. It was already tearing him apart enough, nobody else needed to get involved, particularly not five young girls.

When he was done singing, Alimaru decided it was time to open up the flower shop for the day. He hoped he'd make more money for his sisters, even though running the shop didn't help him get a girlfriend. No, his sisters came first; his own hormones came last, even though he was fifteen and wanted a girlfriend desperately.

"Violet, go out in the flower garden and start working on that order from the other day, Petunia and I will take the orders for today," Alimaru said. They had several gardens, but only Alimaru's was private. Alimaru's sisters liked to play in the other gardens, and sometimes they'd get a little destructive which was one of the main reasons they weren't allowed in his. He loved his sisters, but he didn't want anything to happen to his favourite plants: his mother's roses.

An attractive young woman was waiting to buy some flowers. Alimaru decided he had to at least try and strike up a conversation, just like always.

"Hello sir…um…ma'am…" The girl began.

Alimaru was insulted, "I'm a boy!" he just about screamed.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just…"

"Look, maybe I do have pink hair, and maybe I do wear a women's kimono, and I look a little like a girl, but I'm male! We don't have a lot of money, it was my mother's kimono, and it was the only one that would fit me. I'm not a girl," Alimaru complained.

"I said I was sorry. How much are these seeds?" The girl asked, holding out a package of seeds.

"You really think you can afford those? Those are very rare; I'm one of only a few breeders of that plant in the entire world. That particular breed of marigold is going to cost a pretty penny," Alimaru said.

"This is because I called you a girl, isn't it?"

"Yup."