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Chapter 2


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Awake my soul
You were made to meet your maker

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"Uwah!" I squealed as the Keeper of the Wardrobe roughly tightened and straightened the fabric of my ridiculous dress.

Sawako didn't utter a word as she worked, completely focused on the task at hand. Her concentration was frightening. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror, and cringed.

The dress was a bright rosy pink, which wouldn't have been bad if not for the numerous, and unnecessary frills adorning every nook and cranny possible. The shoulders puffed out like cabbages, and the corset was so tight I struggled to breathe. The lower ends of the dress billowed out incredibly, and the fabric itched something awful.

It wasn't as bad at the peacock get-up, but this outfit was still meant to attract a lot of attention.

I choked on a mouthful air as Sawako yanked the stings of the already suffocating corset, pulling it to its maximum tightness. Or at least I hoped it was at maximum… any tighter and I was sure I would've snapped in two!

"There," she let loose a victorious sigh of accomplishment, clapping her hands together as if ridding them of dust. "You are beautiful, my princess!" Although, she wasn't really complimenting me, she was admiring her "work of art." I opened my mouth to thank her, but it came out as a constricted squeak. Lastly, she placed a small silver tiara upon my head. It was the only thing I found stylish on my body.

My father was standing behind us, patiently waiting for his turn to be dressed. Several servants were standing idly around the room, also waiting to assist the King. Apparently, Sawako had something grand planned for him to wear to the banquet.

I sighed. I had to meet some people tonight, and was not looking forward to it. I prepared myself for a prince and his bodyguard. Although I've never met anyone from Cagayake, I was quite sure I was to become acquainted with the type of people I had in mind. My father most likely invited him with the notion that I would fall in love instantly. And unfortunately, the prospective prince would be probably be thinking along those same lines.

"Your Majesty," Sawako grinned devilishly as she gestured to the mirrors, my cue to scurry along. He nodded his head and stepped up upon the short platform and held his arms out like an eagle. I moved to the side of the room, anxious to see what crazy outfit she was going to dress him in. Sometimes, I think she knew full well how ridiculous her clothes were, but somehow got a kick out of watching us cavort around in them.

The more I thought about it, the more that seemed the case. I felt my face burn from embarrassment already.

And just as I'd suspected, Sawako made a grand show of undressing and dressing my father, just as she did with me. There was a strange glint in her eyes as she did so, which unnerved me slightly. One of the servants brought in a few white undershirts, probably a special request from my father. He preferred to wear extra layers, but I mentioned this already.

After the first layers were on, Sawako seemed to prance about as she situated the rest of his attire. His tunic was encrusted in so many sparkling jewels that I was sure he could generate his own light in a dark room.

"Mm, nice, very nice," Sawako rubbed her chin and adjusted her small rimmed glasses, nodding her approval. Next, she forced a pair of skin-tight blue leggings onto the dark-haired man, earning a slight huff of pain from him. It was quite funny, considering how much effort he was putting into keeping an emotionless expression. I covered my mouth with my hands in attempt to quell any giggles. Then came the very heavy, extremely long cloak. It was also encrusted with gems of every shape and color along the outer edges. It took four servants to lug it across the floor! I think it was made from flamingo feathers, either that or dyed feathers, because it was such a brilliant pink it was almost unnatural.

The shade of blue of both the tunic and the tights clashed miserably with the bright pink of the cloak.

Now, the Keeper of the Wardrobe, namely this particular one, loved to make sure the King and the Princesses' outfits matched. It was neither a requirement nor a tradition, but for some reason my father found it pleasing... much to my mortification.

Lastly, came the crown. It was crafted from silver and bejeweled with pink topaz, to go with the feathered cape, obviously.

As expected, my father grunted his approval with a nod of his head, and nobly stepped down from the platform. The spectacle was incredibly amusing, as he was trying to be so wise and king-like despite his preposterous attire. I was grateful for my dress at the moment, as I saw then it could've been much, much worse.

Sawako bowed dutifully and shot me another glinting grin that made me uneasy once more before gliding out of the dressing room, the servants filing along behind her.

I knew it. She did make us out to be fools!

"Mio, dear," My father called from the threshold, pulling me from my reverie, "Come along now, we mustn't be late to our own event."

I nodded and trotted along after him down the corridor towards the main hall, holding my breath in anxiousness. These events never got easier for me to handle. However, the hilarity of my father's attire lifted some of my fears, and making my steps a little lighter.

That is, until I remembered my own outfit.

I suppressed a sigh as we arrived at the large doors that marked the entrance to the main hall. All of the guests were waiting on the other side. Seij and Nodoka were standing in from of the doors, prepared to escort us through them. There was no need for extra security, as many knights were stationed outside the castle walls.

I smiled sheepishly at Nodoka as she examined my father's clothes and mine. She wasn't laughing on the outside, but she was on the inside, I just knew it. But I couldn't blame her; I would've been the one laughing if our positions were reversed.

She was wearing a simple white gown with long sleeves. On her neck was a beautiful golden chain necklace. Simple, yet it suited her.

"Ready?" she asked me as I approached. I shook my head in the negative and felt shivers run through my veins at the prospect of all those people… surrounding me… giving me all their attention… the entire time… can't breathe… suffocating…

"Breathe, Mio!" Nodoka grabbed my shoulders urgently and I sucked in a mouthful of air, which hurt a little considering the corset.

"T-Thanks…" I sputtered, trying to catch my breath.

"Er… your welcome," she sighed, giving me a sympathetic look. "I wouldn't worry too much. But if it gets to be too much for you to handle, just find me and we can leave, ok?"

"Ok, I will," I smiled and returned my focus to stop my hands from shaking.

"Plus, my dad probably won't leave your side, considering how serious he is about his job," Nodoka whispered good-naturedly. I glanced at the muscular man, who was standing erect and facing forward dutifully, a stern expression on his face. I did feel safer when he was around, but that was probably just because of all the chain mail. There was a long sword attached to his hip, the golden sheathe and hilt decorated with blue sapphires.

Suddenly, the muffled sound of fanfare trumpets sang out from the other side of the door. All four of us straightened our postures. I could barely hear the voice of a man just outside the thick wood, but he was probably plowing through our long introductions. I kept clenching and unclenching the itchy fabric of my dress.

Then, the large doors creaked open slowly, very slowly, allowing the light to shine on our faces one by one; too dramatic for my tastes.

My father stepped out first, raising an arm in a lazy wave to acknowledge his people, who applauded vehemently in his wake. I trotted in behind him, ducking my head as it lit up in a deep blush. My father cleared his throat and looked at me expectantly.

Oh yeah, I forgot to wave.

I lifted my hand, and the crowd exploded an even louder applause. I cringed, silently begging any god to save me from this nightmare.

"Welcome, one and all!" My father announced from his large throne, arms open in a friendly gesture. The throne next to his was my mother's, but now it was mine. Both were situated in front of a long wooden table, which was loaded with ever kind of food imaginable. "I cannot express my gratitude enough for your presence in my humble kingdom. However, I know you all are hungry, and I must be boring you. Therefore, I will cease my blabbering! Enjoy the feast!"

Only the highest ranked individuals were allowed to sit at the King's table, but there were other tables stationed around the large room, which were also well supplied with food. Within minutes, the majority of people in the hall were stuffing their faces. I myself had a hard time eating anything; I was still really nervous. I told myself to clam down. The socializing wasn't even going to begin until after supper, so there wasn't much sense in worrying now.

Soon, once everyone had a goblet or two of wine, the atmosphere began to loosen up. I'd just finished a glass of my own, and was feeling slightly more at ease. So, I sat back and simply watched the festivities for a while, free from the incessant gazes of everyone around me.

Seij was seated the right of my father, and Nodoka was at my left. I couldn't recognize any other faces, except some of the servants, who were quite busy. They were buzzing around like bees, filling goblets, cleaning spills, and whatnot.

Two servants in particular caught my eye. I didn't remember ever seeing them before, which peaked my curiosity. There was a tall blonde one, with long hair and blue eyes, and a shorter brunette, whose hair was fixed with a headband made of cloth. The blonde had just dropped a plate with a loud clatter, but no one really paid it any heed. The brunette shot her an exasperated look and waved her arms about animatedly. But she didn't seem angry as much as she did fearful. The blonde was covering her mouth and shaking her head in fervent apology, bowing over and over.

The shorter one seemed to take a deep breath and patted the blonde on the shoulder. The latter seemed to relax. Both glanced around before returning to their duties.

"Hey, Nodoka?" I turned to my friend.

"Yes?"

"Did you see those two servants over there just a moment ago?"

"Yes, the one who dropped something and the girl who scolded her?"

"Yeah, have you ever seen those two before? Usually I can at least recognize the faces of all our servants. Are they new, or am I going crazy?"

"No, I've never seen them before either, but I think they're probably new. I heard we were looking for more servants because of tonight, so it's highly likely that's the case." I nodded in agreement. This banquet was pretty important, so the demand for more servants was bound to go up. However in all honesty, this event was simply an excuse to show off the wealth and power of Houkago, mostly to scare off potential enemies and maybe gain a few allies.

It was why my father was always ranting about strength and weakness. Any sign of weakness could be an advantage for the enemy.

Suddenly, my father stood and tapped his fork on his goblet a few times, earning silence in seconds. This marked the end of the meal. I sighed and stood next to my father as he made more announcements, but I wasn't really paying attention. People began to melt from the tables and out into the large courtyard just outside.

Nodoka and I followed behind my father closely, who was chatting animatedly with Seij.

It was a beautiful night, the stars shone brightly, and the moon reflected enough light to make the candles unnecessary. The air was cool against my heated skin, a sharp contrast from the crowded warmth of the great hall.

"Ah, there you are, Prince Kentaro of Cagayake, Son of His Majesty, Toru Yoshida," My father's voice rang out as he shook the young man's hand. The boy was about my age, with dirty blonde hair, green eyes, and a confident smile. He was wearing a traditional prince's uniform.

Then, my father turned to his slim companion. "And his loyal guard, Juro Ito."

Juro had mid-shoulder length black hair, which was pulled back into a low ponytail. He also seemed about my age, which made me wonder about his fighting skills. To be able to handle a job such as his at such a young age…

"It's a pleasure to be here in your presence tonight, Majesty," said Kentaro with a bow. My father waved it off.

"No, dear boy, no need for such formalities. Come, I'd like you to meet my daughter," he ushered me forward, and I bowed stiffly, despite my father's attempts at diffusing formality.

"H-Hello, I am Princess M-Mio Akiyama… p-pleased to make your acquaintance," I managed, finding the ground quite interesting.

"Likewise, Princess Mio," he seemed genuinely friendly as he gave me a wide smile, and returned my bow. I couldn't quite read his expressions, but he didn't seem to mean any harm.

My father tried to initiate conversation between us, asking about the state of Kentaro's kingdom, the health of King Toru, and so forth. I simply stood to the side and listened, glancing around often for Nodoka or Seij, but neither was in range for some odd reason.

Soon, the voices of my father, Prince Kentaro, and Juro drifted to the back of my mind as I found myself taken by the soft music of the minstrels. I'd always had a strange fascination with music, and often pestered my father to allow me to learn an instrument. But, he asserted that playing music was a petty and unnecessary skill for a future Queen. I obeyed, but grudgingly so. I settled for sitting and listening to the royal minstrels every chance I got.

I hadn't realized my eyes were closed until Prince Kentaro's questioning voice pulled me from my daze.

"S-sorry… could you run t-that by me again?" I muttered, face ablaze with shame.

"Would you like to dance?" He held out his hand politely. I glanced at my father, who nodded expectantly. Taking a deep breath, I took his outstretched hand.

He led me to a small clearing reserved for dancing and bowed before me. I bowed back, and he placed a hand on my waist and laced his fingers through the other one. I couldn't stop myself from blushing at the close contact, but then again, I blushed at just about everything. I put my unattended hand on the puffy fabric of his shoulder pad.

We waltzed silently for a few moments, slightly awkwardly. I was on trying to be in time with the music, but the Prince was terribly off. Too bad he was the one leading. Dancing out of sync to the music was like running fingernails down a rusted tin can. I cringed on the inside with each step. He seemed to sense my discomfort and tried to break the ice.

"These clothes are mighty uncomfortable, aren't they?" He chuckled, rolling his shoulder for emphasis.

"Y-Yes, I agree," I was a great conversationalist.

He glanced over at Juro. "Bodyguards are lucky, they are allowed more comfortable attire."

I nodded once more, but I couldn't see how chain mail could be more comfortable.

Thankfully, the song ended. The minstrels announced they were taking a small break, so the Prince and I separated. We took a stroll side-by-side through the courtyard, weaving in and around the various guests. I continued to mumble affirmatives and nod as the Prince spoke, not really paying attention to what he was saying. I glanced over my shoulder constantly in search Nodoka, as I was becoming very tired.

Finally, I spotted her standing next to Seij, who looked to be engaged in polite conversation with an ambassador of some sort. My eyes lit up as I veered to her direction, catching Kentaro off guard for a moment.

But something made me freeze in my tracks.

Several meters beyond Seij and Nodoka, were the nameless servants from before. Which wouldn't have been at all unusual if not for the scene that was unfolding before my eyes.

The taller blonde was entertaining a rather inebriated guest by making strange faces, which he seemed to find so hilarious that he was in tears. The rotund royal was doubled over in laughter, waving his hand for her to stop. While this was going on, the brunette with the headband was walking behind the man very slowly, pretending to have a destination somewhere in the distance. However, as she was passing the distracted man, I saw her reach into his back pocket, removing a small bag of what I assumed to be coins, and continuing her merry way.

I couldn't move; I couldn't speak.

Luckily, the Prince, curious as to what divided my attention, was watching the scene as well.

"Thieves!" He shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the now wide-eyed brunette. "Thieves in the palace!"


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"Cliffhanger! Cliffhanger in the palace!" XD

Yeah... sorry. But the next chapter is already started, so it won't be long. :)

Maybe you see where this is going? Or maybe you're more confused? Hehe...

Let me know if you see mistakes, I usually upload these late at night when I'm super tired, so it's always likely that I've skipped over a stupid mistake. Don't worry, it won't hurt my feelings, lol. (If I had feelings.) :|

...Kidding. XD

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