Disclaimer: I do not own Beauty and the Beast. I also do not own D N Angel or any of its characters.
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Ever Just As Sure As the Sun Will Rise
Stage 3
It didn't take too long for Dark to whip up some new clothes for Daisuke. The castle had housed quite a few people, and no doubt some had been Daisuke's size at one point in life. The clothes were obviously over 100 years old, but they were still grand articles, made of fine velvet and silk- cloths that Daisuke would never have imagined himself even touching, let alone wearing.
After Daisuke was all suited up, Dark placed him next to the wall and backed away to get a good look at the redhead. The tailcoat was white in color- a pristine white, the kind that looked as if it had never been touched. It was embroidered with what seemed to be silver fashioned into thread. The thread formed impossibly perfect designs that ran along the hem at the bottom of his shirt as well as at the neck. A silver appliqué rested on his breast with a single diamond embezzled right at the center of his chest. At the end of the appliqué, the tailcoat slit right above his belly button with the silver embroidery running along both sides of the slit as well. Underneath this top layer was a white silk shirt, and underneath that a cotton under shirt so as to hide as much skin as possible. The sleeves were slit up to Daisuke's elbow. This allowed silk from the undershirt, hemmed by intricate lace, to cuff his wrists in a princely manner. His slacks were brown in color, and just a little loose. Since they had not been originally made for the boy, they were not the perfect fit, but he still looked grand enough to share a meal with the former lord of the land.
"Alright, well, it's good enough for now. We can get our seamstress to make you new clothes that will fit you better for your stay here later. Now you should be getting downstairs before Hikari gets fed up and retreats back into his library," Dark said, walking over to Daisuke, putting his hands on the redhead's shoulders, and marching him out of the room and down the winding flight of stairs.
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Nothing but the clank of real silverware against ceramic platters was heard for about an half-hour. Daisuke was flushing red, looking into a bowl of soup, embarrassed in front of this man who had lived in a castle all his life, knew how to act, what to do, and what to say at such an elegant meal. If only he had asked Dark to tell him what to do!
Satoshi was staring across the table at his guest, eyes narrowed, wondering what he should do. What he could do. The boy seemed to be afraid of him, though that would be understandable... But what could he do? What could he...
Daisuke looked up at Satoshi, eyes full of innocence, and caught the lord's glance. Both looked down to their meals before Daisuke said, voice a bit higher than normal, "L-lord Hikari?"
Satoshi glanced up, setting his spoon down on a napkin folded neatly to the right of his bowl. "Yes?" he asked, straightening as best he could with his hunched back and folding his hands in his lap.
"May I ask you something?"
"You just did," Satoshi replied, mouth twitching as if he were going to smile.
"I-I'm sorry..." Daisuke blushed furiously. He felt about ready to die. He couldn't put up the façade of a nobleman. He hadn't even seen a 'noble' person before last night. Daisuke just didn't know how to handle himself.
"Please ask what you were going to," Satoshi said, having abandoned his half-empty soup for talk. Daisuke did the same.
"I was wondering... When you might let me leave," Daisuke said carefully, though he knew that any way he put this, Satoshi was sure to explode.
"Why do you want to leave? I could give you everything you could hope for!" Satoshi said, his voice rising slightly.
"I-I'm sorry... But I have to get back to my grandfather... H-he's ill and I have to take care of him!"
"You're grandfather?" Satoshi asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Y-yes sir... I'm sorry, I spoke out of turn," Daisuke quieted, turning his face down to continue gazing at his soup as if there were a movie playing in it or something. He could tell Satoshi wouldn't let him go, even for his grandfather. Satoshi looked into his soup as well, though instead of the forlorn expression displayed on Daisuke's face, his held a look of deep thought.
That was how they stayed until Satoshi stood, bowed to Daisuke, and excused himself from the table, leaving Daisuke to sit for a few seconds until he left. Daisuke stood up as the door closed, sighed, looked back into the bowl of soup he hadn't quite finished, and walked to the door, only to find it open and Dark standing there, beaming.
"How'd it go?"
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Satoshi was again in the library, though he wasn't alone.
"Milord... When will you accept that I am the only one who will accept you?" Krad said tutting at the poor lord's attempts. The boy just couldn't grasp it. Krad was the only one who could feel empathetic to this boy. Krad was the only one that could love him.
Satoshi was sitting by the unlit fireplace, a book in his hands. He was not reading it, though. Krad couldn't leave him alone long enough to read it.
"It is quite unfortunate that you were among those who were granted eternal life with me," was all Satoshi said in response. He had heard this lecture so many times... So many...
"I could save you from this curse, Satoshi," Krad whispered forcefully, putting his hands on the back of Satoshi's chair and leaning in to whisper into the lord's ear.
"You know full well you cannot," Satoshi said, turning to glare at his 'servant'. "You who are akin to me, you who are of this castle. You are not to break this curse... Must I tell you what that sorceress said every day?"
"She told you to show kindness, to love and the curse will be broken!"
"She also told me to welcome strangers," Satoshi said pointedly. Krad stood straight and whirled around the chair to be face to face with Satoshi.
"You have welcomed all but one hundred strangers, Milord! Is that not enough? Why do you not let me break this curse?" Krad asked, exasperatedly.
"Because you only want my former power," Satoshi said as he stood up, put his book on the chair he had been sitting in, and walked with surprising dignity out of the library.
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"Hold still!" the shrill voice said as Daisuke shrunk away from the needle that was trying so hard to push itself into the fabric that now hung loosely on Daisuke's shoulders.
"Ow!" Daisuke yelped as the needle found a nice spot to jab Daisuke for the 19th time.
"You wouldn't get jabbed so much if you'd just stay still," two indignant brown eyes glared up into the redhead's face as said redhead was wiping away a tear born from the sting of the needle.
"Then don't be so forceful!" was Daisuke's reply as Dark entered the room again.
"Risa, be nice. I doubt he's had to be tailored by a stranger. He probably made his clothes himself." Daisuke nodded in response to Dark's comment.
"I could see that once I laid eyes on those... scraps," Risa said, curling a lip in disgust to this commoner's old clothes. She had been working with fine cloths and threads for her whole life. She had been taught to sew clothes fit for a lord, which she had done, in fact.
"Scra-Ouch!" Daisuke said as the needle penetrated his skin... Yet again.
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The room slid slowly into view... Black dots erupted in front of his eyes as he sat up. Where was he? It was dark... And cold... Why was he here?
Most importantly, where was Daisuke?
The old man was wide-awake now, breathing a bit heavier than normal, and looking around this room. He was... on a bed. It was light and fluffy as well... Really comfortable. Too comfortable. It was cold in this room, though... Stones... The room was made of stones... Who had enough money for that? Where was he?
There was a fireplace, but no fire. He wanted to stand up and light the fire himself, but he felt so weak... Where was Daisuke?
A wooden door opened and a rather horrifying person stepped in. The old man gasped lightly, fighting for consciousness.
"Good, you're awake," the boy said, smiling lopsidedly.
"Who-who're you?" The old man was breathing even more heavily, though his body didn't seem to be doing anything with the extra oxygen, like, oh say, keeping him conscious.
"Lord Hikari of Castle Eiree. Who are you?" The blue haired man was stepping closer to the old man on the bed
"Daiki..." the man said before fainting yet again.
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Krad was in the library yet, standing furiously in front of the fireplace. Why couldn't Satoshi understand this... He, of all people, should know what it is like to be stuck in a castle and not be able to leave. He, of all people, should feel this pain. He had to give up his rule because of this stupid curse! No one wanted to be ruled by a monster... It was a miracle he was allowed to keep the castle. Of course, he was physically unable to leave it, as was all that had been in this castle when the curse had struck. Even the souls of the dead had a habit of walking through the halls, unable to leave the castle even after death. This was their fate until Satoshi came around and looked to Krad to break this spell. No one but Krad could... No one...
The door to the Library opened and a girl came in, short brown hair rustling as she busied herself with try to clean what was already clean. Suddenly, aggravated by the intrusion, Krad punched his fist into a bookcase, knocking it over and splitting open his knuckled. A rather colorful strain of cursing followed as the blonde strode out of the room, not even caring that blood dripped from his still-balled up fist onto the usually-impeccable floor.
The servant named Riku growled at the retreating back as she walked over to the fallen case and struggled to set it upright. Damn maniac. Couldn't keep his temper for 20 minutes... It really was a pity he couldn't die, nor leave.
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"There. It's all sized," Risa said as she helped Daisuke pull the clothes off himself, trying to keep from getting scratched by the needles that dictated where Risa would sew the soon-to-be garments. "I'll take this back to my room to finish, then. Good day," Risa said over her shoulder to Daisuke and Dark, who was sitting on the bed, arms crossed, looking quite unlordly. It was a good thing he wasn't the lord of this castle. It made Daisuke shiver how weird this castle would be with him as Lord. Or rather, how much more weird it would be.
"She'll have that done by tomorrow, or if she's really into it, this evening," Dark said, praising Risa's sewing skills. After all, everything that this man wore was also made by Risa, as she had nothing much better to do since they had quite a supply of cloth as well as more than enough time to herself. No one was growing, no one was changing... Might as well sew for the servants to keep yourself busy, right?
"O-okay," Daisuke said, stepping off of the stool that he had been standing on to help Risa decide just how long his pants should be. He tossed his old tunic on, feeling nervouse being half-naked in front of this person who was sitting on his bed. He had kept his pants on throughout the sizing as Risa had said it would be okay to do so.
"Don't worry, she's the best that ever was, and 136 years of practice certainly does no harm. You should see her wardrobe. It takes up a whole room. So does Hikari's. It's all amazing work, too," Dark said, certainly a friendly servant. Maybe 140-or-so years of living in the castle makes one forget about courteous behavior. That is, acting as if he was in a court.
"Well, I shall leave you be, I suppose..." Dark said, standing up and walking past Daisuke to the door.
"No! Wait..." Dark had just opened the door when h looked back.
"Yes?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"C-could you teach me how to act in front of Lord Hikari?" Daisuke asked, his face turning a brilliant shade of red that would give Rudolph's nose a run for its money.
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A/N: Yey! No more writer's block, I hope! Instead a mega cold that has kept me home for the day, coughing and gagging on this really, really bad taste in my mouth and that really, really bad sick smell that just makes me feel even more sick.
Darn 20-degree weather (Fahrenheit) and a jacket that barely gives warmth... Along with wet hair that froze on me... -growl- Anyways- here you go, the 3rd chapter.
Please review.
--Chiisai Hito
P.S. I forgot to say last chapter, but y'all are pretty smart. Guessed it! And I did fix my dilemma. Now to tackle the next one! (Not that I know what it is yet.)
