Princess

Disclaimer: I do not own Kyou Kara Maou.

Author's Note: Welcome to the third installment of Blossoms. There is one thing I might like to add before you read this: if the people seem OOC (and I'm pretty sure they are!), I've done my best to account for it, even if it means that the genre of this fanfic might have shifted from angst to suspense and possibly even action/adventure. I also want to thank my recent reviews - kkm-crazyfan24, Incoherent Reviewer, nevynwatcher, Jan, spiralsecrets and XZanayu - thank you very much for your comments!!

And Jan, you're not entirely off about the 'triangle' comment in your review. :) I am also terribly amused at the declarations of Yuuri's idiocy.

Please let me know what you think - about my writing, the characterization, the plot, whatever! Honesty is wonderful, as I really would love to improve!

***

The Great Sage, Gracious Greta peeking out of one of his trousers' pockets, stood two feet away from the Royal Bed, looking down at the awake occupant. He noticed the King pushing something underneath the pillow as he opened the door and entered the room, but his curiosity would have to wait. Now was the time to speak. "Shibuya," he spoke in a deceptively casual tone, "did you notice Lord von Bielefeld leaving the castle this morning?"

"Maybe he went on one of his rounds or something - doesn't he do that sort of thing?" Yuuri shrugged with a slight smile, never meeting the other boy's eyes. He flung back his covers and pulled himself to the side of the bed away from his former classmate.

Murata paused - was that a tremor in the other double-black's voice? Then - "I think it might be more serious than that. Don't you think?"

Yuuri, now facing away from Murata, said in a tone that exhibited breezy disregard, "If he doesn't show up by this evening, I'll ask Gwendal to send out a search party."

Rarely is his Eminence shocked, but there must always be a first time. Yuuri did not see it, as he walked pajama-clad to his wardrobe, but both of Murata's eyebrows rose high into his forehead. "Shibuya, are you - "

"Murata, I'm going to get dressed, so if you don't mind..." Yuuri opened the wardrobe doors and took out his uniform.

"Whatever," Murata heard himself reply as he turned around and left the room, closing the door behind him.

***

"Right," muttered Murata, once the uncharacteristically blasé King was safely out of earshot. He entered the corridor and paused, for a moment, letting his mind freely wander over the particulars of the situation. The pause lasted for no more than five seconds; the Great Sage was quick to decide his course of action. An attribute acquired from the days of playing Advisor to one of the most whimsical rulers ever known to Shin Makoku.

The black-haired seventeen-year old knew all the secret passageways inside the Blood Pledge Castle and within five miles of it - a legacy of his most famous former life. He knew which mysterious door was hidden behind which portrait on the wall (there was one behind Siegbert von Voltaire leading into the pantry), and even more important, which ones were known and guarded. Armed with this knowledge, he proceeded down five different empty corridors, until he stood underneath a garishly ornate chandelier. He reached out a steady hand and pushed in a single stone slab that was sticking a mere five millimeters out from the rest of the wall, and stood back. A section of the stony wall, measured five feet across and reaching from the floor to the ceiling of the corridor, gave a low groan, much like a very quiet Morgif, and swiveled slowly until half of it was protruding into the hallway, leaving two spaces on the side where one could sqeeze in. Murata slipped through with ease, and once safely inside, he pushed another unspectacular block on the other side which returned the wall to its original location, leaving the Great Sage in a darkness that matched his hair.

Murata fumbled for a moment in his pocket (the one that did not have a flower sticking out of it), and retrieved a tiny flashlight that survived its journey encased in an airtight plastic bag in the waters between Earth and Shin Makoku. Switching it on, he carefully made his way down three narrow flights of stairs, at the bottom of which was a door. He opened it, and found himself in the Royal Depository of Weapons. In the current age of peace, this storage space was undisturbed, even more so that it was early in the morning after a grand ball.

Stepping between the dusty cabinets, he halted in front of one. Never having been one to take part in warfare and battle, he was not an expert at the art of swordsmanship, but there was something else that he had some skill in using, from a former life as a 'one-eyed' bandit (he really had not been one-eyed; he merely wore an eyepatch to deliver a more macho image than his lanky frame would allow) that had a curious fondness for archery . He set down his flashlight opened the doors of a cabinet, after applying a well known code to the combination lock (he obviously would know the code; he created them), and pulled out a bow. He took a moment to string it, checking for tautness. In another case, he found a quiver of arrows, and finally he located two daggers - for what was a bandit without his daggers? Murata strapped the blades on to his body with a leather belt that had been lying next to them, hauled the bow and arrows over his shoulders and made his way to yet another secret door, but not before stopping front of a dusty mirror and shining his light on himself. He rolled his eyes: truth be told, he looked slightly ridiculous, having not gained much in height since he first made his journey as Murata Ken to Shin Makoku. But it would have to do.

***

Back on the second floor, Murata once again found himself on the corridor of the Royal Bedchamber. This time, he made his way to the Greta's bedroom. He knew that the young Princess was still asleep at seven in the morning; after all, she had been allowed to stay up the previous night to watch the festivities, as well as have a dance with each of her fathers, one dance being hopelessly awkward as Yuuri tried his best to avoid stepping on his child's toes, while Wolfram led the girl in an impressive waltz across the room. He opened the door and stepped noiselessly into the unsupervised bedroom, where Greta lay asleep in a queen-sized bed next to the window, seemingly swimming in a sea of blankets and sheets.

Murata approached her, and gently shook her awake. One eye half open, the princess mumbled, "Is it time to get up?"

Murata knelt by her side, so that he would be face-level to her, and placed his hand on her own curled-up one that rested on her pillow, "Wolfram has left the castle."

Greta sat up, strangely alert at the simple sentence. "Wolfram left for good? Did he and Yuuri have a fight?"

Murata did not know whether to shake his head or nod, but said instead, "I think we should go find him. If you would come with me."

Greta gazed at the Great Sage's face for a few moments, reading what was written there. In the past few years, being a precocious child, she had seen much and learned much about the court relationships and intricacies. She rose, and with a dignity beyond her eleven years of age as a human girl, and said, "Uncle Ken, I'll be ready in a few minutes. Should I meet you in the stables then?"

Murata blinked, "You know that this might not be a...day trip?"

Greta nodded, gesturing at his bow and arrows. "I'll take the secret passageway you showed me. And drop by the kitchen."

The Great Sage let out his breath in a long quiet sigh, and managed a small smile, "Greta. Of all the people in the world, who would have known..."

"That it would be me?" Greta completed the sentence, with a shrug and a sheepish smile. "You've taught me - you shouldn't be surprised."

"And so I did. And if Shibuya realized it, he would be proud."

"If he wasn't..." Greta stopped, a tinge of red visible in the tips of even her dark-complexioned ears.

"I'll say it for you. He's an idiot. Though I guess it wouldn't be right for you to call him an idiot, you still being his kid and a minor at that."

Murata and Greta shared a secret grin, before the former reached into his pocket and pulled out the flower that had witnessed the morning's ordeal, and tucked it behind Greta's left ear. "I'll see you below." Murata stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. The princess wasted no time. After donning plain trousers and an oversized tunic (rather than her royal riding habit that would only draw attention to her elevated status), she pulled out two brown woven sacks, throwing in one of them a few extra articles of clothing, making sure to leave space for food. The other would be for Murata. After these preparations were complete, there was only one thing left to do in her room. She knelt on the floor by the wall closest to the headboard of her bed. Carefully lifting a very well-camouflaged sheet of stone away from the wall, she reached into the hollow behind and pulled out what lay concealed. A dagger, and a leather belt to hold it in place around her waist. Thus armed, she slung the two sacks over her right shoulder, holding them in place with her hand. She paused to fun the fingers of her free hand against the smooth petals of the blossom behind her ear, and then made her way to the kitchens to steal food for herself and Murata, who waited in the stables, saddled and ready for departure.

BGM/Musical Inspiration: "Kaishou" from the Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo soundtrack.