Strange in the Night
Disclaimer: I do not own Barajou no Kiss.
A/N: Let's begin, shall we?
Anise scrambled backwards, too shocked to even scream. The stranger surged forward, covering her mouth to muffle any sounds. Her eyes widened, and even though it was night, the bright glow of the moon put everything in a stark contrast. The man was tall and imposing, with a long cloak that covered his body entirely. What terrified her most was his mask, pale like a corpse with paper thin slits for the eyes and mouth. She struggled to escape his grasp, trying desperately to reach her dagger she kept hidden for this purpose. But much to her dismay, Anise suddenly remembered that she had given it to the blacksmith to be sharpened. Just as she was about to bite the eerie man's hand, he spoke.
"I mean no harm to you unless you bring it upon yourself." Cautiously, as if to prove his point, he let her go. He remained on guard in case he needed to silence her again. But Anise had other plans. She had witnessed the dizzying speed of how quickly the masked man could move, and she knew even without him saying he could kill her at a moment's notice.
"Who are you?" She whispered, slowly walking backward toward the safety of her room. She wasn't particularly comfortable on the balcony, with the wind blowing and having only a thin shift on.
"It's of no matter to you of who I am. What I know though is." She pondered his words, wondering if it was worth the trouble to continue pestering him. Evidently, he must have guessed what she was thinking.
"It will help you with your current... predicament." The voice was muffled; no doubt the man had cloth underneath the mask. Yet the voice was strangely and irritatingly familiar, like a half forgotten dream. Cold fingers of dread slipped down her back as she remembered the guards that surrounded her room.
"Did you harm the guards?" She asked sharply, concern tingeing her voice. This was obviously not what he thought she would say, so curiously he asked:
"What is it to you? They are just guards to you, worthless pawns if you will. Why does their well being matter to you?" There was no contempt in his voice, rather it was as if he was testing her. Anise sighed. Of course there would be prejudice on how she would think. After all, she was a princess. To most people, that meant spoiled rotten brats who cared only for themselves.
"What do you mean worthless pawns? Are we playing a game of chess?" She asked in a calm voice, "To me, each one of them is just as important as a queen. Without them, how would the kingdom function? Laws would be broken, thievery and murder as far as the eye can see." He said nothing, and to her surprise he chuckled.
"I see... so that's the type of person you are. Heh, you rarely see that type of mentality among royals anymore."
"What type of mentality?" Anise questioned, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"The type where a person puts others before themselves," He said. For a moment, Anise could have sworn she saw a glint of an eye. "The type where someone doesn't give a damn about what happens to them, as long as a majority of the population is safe. It's both a blessing and a curse. Remember that."
Debating about asking him what he meant by that, she shook her head and decided to focus on his previous words.
"What do you mean you have a solution to my predicament?"
"Ah, but I never said I had a solution girl," the intruder sneering as he spoke. The man seemed to change personalities faster than Anise changed out of dresses. One second he was complimenting her on policy, the next he was criticizing her choice of words. Breathing deeply so that way she wouldn't yell at him, she said sweetly:
"Oh how silly of me to mess up my word selection in a topic we had digressed so grossly from, and pardon me if it was one where we barely even discussed." The man twitched. It was obvious that he knew that she was mocking him by the honey sweet voice and the emphasis on certain words. "Now, if you would be so kind, I humbly request that you assist me in my predicament," completing the sentence with the widest grin on her face. Though she hid it most of the time, she had a tongue sharper than steel. Now it was the stranger's turn to breathe deeply before he said:
"I can tell you where the attackers are going, and their reason behind it."
Intrigued by this, Anise asked, "How in the world did you get this information?" All the sarcasm in her voice was gone. "My informants haven't even told me of this until today, and they're-"
"The most corrupt two faced dogs you will probably have the misfortune to hire." Anise was stunned.
"Wh-what do you mean corrupt and two faced?" She asked hesitantly, afraid of the answer.
"Take a stab at it." The man replied dryly. Seeing her struggling to come up with an answer, he said, "Here's a hint; the pockets of your enemies are deep and generous." When she got it, the colour from her face drained from shock then flushed red with rage.
"They were bribed?" She hissed, eyes narrowing until they were nothing but slits, "Those curs!"
"That they are, but it does not matter currently," the masked man said, "what matters is that you are informed of your enemies motives and strategy."
"Why do you want to tell me this? What are your motives?" She asked suspiciously, crossing her arms.
"My motives are my own and that should be none of your business. However, I will tell you this; I don't give freely, information had a price."
Digesting this, the pinkette asked, "What is your price, then? Gold? Silver? Gems? Or is it less material?"
"It's nothing of your concern; all I ask for is an answer to a question of mine." He said stoically. Anise pondered on the tall man's words. Is he really serious? An answer to a question is all he wants?
Deciding she could take the risk, she said, "All right, I'll play your game, but you have to cough up the information first."
"Very well, I can do that deal. Your adversaries are planning to head west to a certain town."
"Which town, and why west?" She asked quizzically, tilting her head in confusion.
"How should I know?" He asked, miffed, "It was difficult enough getting this much information, and on top of all thing, this isn't my kingdom. Now-" He said, holding up a slender hand to silence her, "Do you want me to continue, or will you keep interrupting?"
"Please continue."
"Very well. The exact purpose for this is to capture the spice caravans." Anise blanched. The spice trade was a key figure in getting income for her kingdom.
'If the caravans were captured, then we would lose a significant portion of our income.' She thought, her mind thoughts swirling like a whirlpool. That could prove to be harmful in the winter when we need funds for food, or to hire new recruits. Dear god, if the raid is actually successful...
"I don't see how we could survive that." She whispered out loud, cradling her head in her hands.
"Then don't let it happen." She looked up, suddenly face-to-mask with the man. Crouching so that he was still on her eye level he continued; "Send your troops to the west, lay an ambush. If you do that, there is a chance that the raid would be foiled."
"Why should I trust you?" She demanded, not suspicious but still cautious. It wasn't the first time a complete stranger had offered her information about an attack, though it was the first time were they'd broken into her room. "How do I know you're not lying, deceiving me for your amusement?"
"You have no reason to trust me, it is your own choice whether to believe me or not. And even though your council helps you with your decisions, it's you who has the final say in the matter. Remember that." Dropping her head back into the cradle of her hands, Anise sighed. Everything he said was true. She did have the veto of power, and she had used it before, but hated doing so. In my opinion, everyone should have a say in the matter.
Suddenly feeling frustrated beyond all means, she cried, "What's in the west that makes it so desirable? Most of our caravans come from the east! Why aren't they going there instead?"
"How should I know?" He asked, walking back towards the balcony, "This isn't my kingdom, it's yours."
"How much time do I have left to make a decision?"
"A month if you're lucky, a week at the least. Now, if you'll excuse me," he gave her a short bow. "I will be leaving. Farewell till we meet again." With astonishing grace he hopped over the railing and disappeared from sight. Crying out, Anise ran outside, fearful of seeing a splatter of red on the ground. To her astonishment, there was no such mark. There was, however, the theatre mask he had worn. Picking it up with trembling hands, she turned it over to see a short note scribbled on a piece of paper.
"Sleep."
She burst out laughing, out of all the things he could write, telling her to sleep? Still chuckling, she slipped back into her bed and before she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, she thought;
Hey, he didn't ask me a question...
(*Insert Line*)
"Wakey wakey my princess!" Anise grunted in annoyance and snuggled into her pillow deeper trying to block out the annoying voice. "Oh, how sweet you look my angel! I long for the day where I can hold you in my arms." Anise shifted uneasily, the voice was getting clearer, which meant that she wasn't asleep. Lifting her head, she looked straight into the eyes of one of her possible fiancés, Mitsuru Tenjou.
"The morning makes you look a goddess, even the glorious sun is jealous of you." He cooed, reaching forward as if to touch her face. A resounding slap echoed through the room as the result. Anise scooted as far away from him as she could, face burning red.
"You-you get out of my room this instant!" Tenjou to his credit, bowed and left, throwing an air kiss to her before he left the room. Anise let out a strangled scream and buried her head into the pillow. Can I not get one moment of rest? Or do I have to constantly fend off room invaders? She debated about staying in bed for the rest of the day, only to have her plan ruined by the rumbling of her stomach. Grumbling, she slipped out of bed and put on breaches and a loose fitting shirt. Damn it if she got any stares, after all the shit that happened to her, she felt entitled to wear something comfortable today. Sneaking out of her room she sped down the halls toward the kitchen.
"Damn it!" She swore again after she faced another dead end. Stomping off in another direction, she growled. Most of the time Ninufa would come to her rescue, fluttering by on his little bat wings and saving the day. However, for some reason today he was strangely absent, and even her calls for him went unanswered.
"If only Kaede and Mikage were here." She thought glumly. By a proxy message from one of the guards she happened to run into to, the two were visiting the violette's parents. Preoccupied with her thoughts, she smashed her face right into a door.
"Owowowowowowoowowowow!" She whined, holding her nose. Since there was no blood and it didn't hurt when she moved it, she knew it wasn't broken. Rubbing the injured body part, Anise glared at the door. Opening it just for curiosity`s sake, she looked upon a room filled with pigeon holes. There were perhaps thousands of them and each one had a scroll inside. Shocked at the discovery, Anise looked around for any clue as to what this room was.
The Hall Of History
She snorted, not impressed by the name. "What an original name, wonder who came up with it?" She muttered sarcastically. But despite the lack of creativity in the naming, her curiosity was piqued. Picking up the only book in the room, she wiped away layers of grime to see the title.
The Complete Tale Of Lumenina. She frowned, as far as she knew, there was no country called Lumenina that existed. Sitting down, she opened the book and read the introduction.
Throughout the ages, the country of Lumenina has remained strong despite numerous attacks. The vast lands, fertile soil and the sheer amount of wealth is has made it desirable by many, and often neighbouring countries have waged war desperate to obtain the bounty that our land contains. Thanks to equally powerful allies, Lumenina managed to pull out of such encounters victorious.
Anise smiled. It looked like the country had similar problems to her own kingdom. Continuing reading, she gave a small gasp.
Lumenina is renowned for another trait, the worship of her holiness, The Dominion. The goddess was rumoured to have been nigh on invincible in battle, and when accompanied by her knights, she was an unstoppable force. The people of Lumenina worshipped her and prayed to The Dominion for victorious battles. Thanks to such habits, Lumenina was given the nickname of the goddess herself. Though the name Lumenina still stands, it may very well be forgotten, and the new name of The Dominion be written on all official documents.
'Lumenina is The Dominion?' She thought, eyes as wide as saucers. 'No wonder I've never heard of it! Father still signs all the official documents, I bet if I were to take a look at them, I'd see the name "Lumenina" instead of "The Dominion."'
"This might help me figure out why the attack is going west!" She hissed, and flipped of the table of contents. Eyes racing down the page, she saw the chapter she was looking for.
'The West and Its Trade' Flipping to the page, she began reading.
Though most of the goods normally exported come from the north and the east, the west has a key item that is often overlooked, which provides a significant amount of profit. Indeed, the spice saffron is overlooked from the spice trade, but in reality the saffron makes much more than any other spice. Most of the spice comes from the small town of Glendale. The key season for...
Anise stopped reading. Finally she had managed to get the information she so deeply desired. Here, in the pages of the insanely large book was a motive, and a very big motive indeed. She stood up quickly, and sat down just as fast, her head spinning from lack of sleep and food. The council meeting had cut straight through dinner and it was far too late back then to ask the cook for a meal. Rising slowly, she took the book and walked out of the giant archive.
'I'll take it, just in case I can't find this place again. Who knows when I'll need to use this thing again?' After all, she herself knew that she had a horrible sense of direction. Closing the door as quietly as she could, she began walking, deciding to go outside.
"After all there are fruit trees and vegetables, and with my luck, I'd get lost again." She muttered.
(Scene Change~)
Stepping into the shadowy grove, she began plucking as many fruits as she could reach. Apples, cherries, plums, peaches, hell even nectarines which she normally disliked. Sitting down to eat, she heard a familiar voice above her:
"Is my company that desirable? Or are you prone to seeking me for no apparent reason? Why are you here anyway?" Looking up, she saw the heir to Lusraron and another one of her possible fiancés Mutsuki Kurama. Swallowing the bite of apple, she retorted;
"Well beg my pardon if the fruit orchards just happen to be your lurking place, I had no clue of that. Also, sorry for not being able to find my way to the dining hall, because my lack of direction is clearly my fault." The last sentence dripped with sarcasm. To Mutsuki's credit, he didn't seem angry, only indifferent as usual.
"I never asked for your pardon, nor did I criticize you, I merely asked why you decided to come here," he said calmly. Anise swallowed an angry remark; he did ask her why she was here.
"Because I have no idea how to get to the dining hall, and tying into to that, I haven't had any food for the entire day." Right on cue, her stomach growled embarrassingly loud. Raising an eyebrow, Mutsuki slipped off the branch as gracefully as a lynx, landing without the slightest bit of noise. Before Anise could say anything he gave her a small basket. Wondering what was in it, she opened to find some bread, cheese and a flask of cider.
Sincerely confused Anise looked at the raven haired man and asked, "Why did you do this?"
Not meeting her eyes, he looked up at the sky and said, "I noticed your absence during the morning and assumed that you would be hungry. I noticed yesterday that you came here for food, so I made the assumption that you'd come again." Anise was speechless. Though the way he had phrased it was stiff and awkward, the meaning behind his words and actions was clear. He thought of her well-being and acted upon it. 'How sweet, in an odd way.' She thought, looking at him more closely. Before, she had thought he had as much emotion as an ice cube, now she was debating on whether it was true. Looking up from the basket to thank him, he was gone. Shaking her head in annoyance at his flight, Anise sat down to eat the more filling meal.
Leaning back against the tree, she heaved a sigh of content. Now full and having more energy, she pulled out a paper and quill to begin a battle tactic. Say whatever you wanted, Anise firmly believed that breaches and a shirt were much more comfortable than a dress, not to mention much more serviceable. Sketching out a rough outline of Glendale and the towns around it, she began planning.
"No, if they attack from here then we'll be open for an attack from the back... No, if they attack from there, then they'll be open for an attack, they'd be stupid to do that..." much of her mumbling was like little snippets of she was thinking in her head. Soon, her page was covered with crossed out lines and blots, scribbles of makeshift armies and the odd word or two. To a casual stranger, it would seem as if she was planning a pretend attack, after all, princesses never did anything worthwhile these days.
That was where Anise planned to prove them wrong. Most of the population thought that the female highborns were spoiled beyond measure, but that was false. Sure there was the occasional whiny brat who depended on their parents for pretty much everything, but mainly princesses were quite capable of commanding a kingdom, even more so than men at times. So there she sat, planning strategy after strategy, finding all the little flaws and seeing which would have the least casualties.
"Dominion damn those wily bastards, they have all the advantages!" Anise scowled, she had tried every idea possible, and so far all had led to the defeat of her troops. Laying the piece of paper aside, she rested her head on her knees. 'I've tried every strategy I know and even then some! Yet I've the feeling that I'm missing something... '
"Are you okay, miss?" Lifting her hair out of her face, she saw warm gold eyes looking at her. Seiran Asagi, the little prince from Caelua crouched by her side with a worried looking expression.
Managing a small smile she said, "Yes, I'm fine. I just have a... problem, that's all."
"What type of problem? If it's about the attack in the south, I'm sure I can help you figure out something." Anise gaped, was it Seiran who visited her in the night? 'No,' she decided taking a closer look at the now sitting boy, 'he's too short and too sweet to be that man. But I wonder, how does he know about the attack?' Deciding to ask him this, she opened her mouth only to have him say;
"If you're wondering how I know this, your council isn't so tip lipped as it should be..." The blue haired boy blushed, as if embarrassed by actions that he didn't do. Anise sighed, though her war council was excellent when directed the right way. But they could be, at times, complete idiots. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Anise redirected her attention to the boy sitting beside her.
"Take a look at this," she said, handing him the scribbled piece of paper, "if you can see anything that I haven't thought of, feel free to tell me." There was no more noise as they sat in silence, the small prince looking over her past strategies while she gazed up at the sky planning the weapons needed and the forces required.
"I found a way for you to win with minimal casualties." Snapped out her thoughts, all of her focus was on him. Scooting over so that she was looking over his shoulder, Anise asked;
"How? And how much time do we have to assemble the troops in order for it to be successful?" From studying maps when she was younger, Anise knew where each and every town was located, and from that how long it took to assemble troops and such. Thus, she knew how long each type of attack would take in terms of time, and how many were needed to make it successful.
"It would have to be an ambush, and it would have to be along this ridge here," he said tracing the point in her makeshift map with the quill, "and it would take perhaps a week or so to marshal your troops."
"How many would we..." Most of the conversation went along like that, with the pinkette asking questions and the boy answering each of them.
"Heh, you're really mature for someone your age!" She exclaimed admirably. It had taken her years to get the concepts behind planning attacks and capturing territory.
"What do you mean 'Your age'?" He asked, clearly quite puzzled, "You do know that I am seventeen, don't you?" Anise's jaw dropped. This cute boy, or so she thought, was seventeen? The oldest she'd give him was fifteen, and even that was being generous!
"Wait-so if you're seventeen, then how old-"
"Are Mutsuki and Tenjou?" He said calmly, finishing her question. "Twenty and twenty-two respectively. Though I'm not sure as to how one calculate Mutsuki's age, considering he's-"
"A Dark Stalker?" Anise said, interrupting him this time. Seiran looked at her with a shocked expression; evidently he had not expected her to know that.
"How do you know this? Even the wisest nobles know little of them." She understood why he was shocked, not needing his explanation. Itsushi himself had known little about them, and Anise knew he was among the wisest in terms of his knowledge.
"My tutor told me of them when I was younger, though even he doesn't know that much about them. So how do you know about them...?" She struggled, not wanting to be impolite or rude when addressing him.
"Seiran, you can call me Seiran." He said kindly. Anise nodded her thanks before wait for his answer.
"I know about them because of the agreement between our kingdoms." He said. Seeing her confused look, he elaborated. "Back when Caeula was still a new kingdom, we made a treaty between Lusraron and Valkoinenia, as long as they would assist us if we were in danger we would provide services otherwise unavailable in their countries."
"Like what?" Anise asked curiously.
"Mainly medical care, although we do a bit of trading with food and all." Seiran answered. The pinkette nodded to herself, medicinal care was, and still is important, what with diseases and illnesses.
"So before they signed the treaty they told the rulers what they were?" She asked hesitantly, not wanting to intrude too much.
"Yes." Suddenly aware that they were both leaning in toward each other, Anise sprang up and stammered;
"Uh-uh, I re-really ne-ne-need to start planning the ambush, thanks for your help!" With that, she fled toward the castle face aflame.
(End of Chapter)
A/N: I am soooo sorry for the late chapter! My dear U.S.B failed and died on me, ;n;
Also, I've been reading Homestuck, and it has consumed my soul.
HAHAHAHAH I WIN
I WARNED YOU ABOUT HUSSIE BRO
I WARNED YOU DOG
Also, THE GAME.
Thanks to my friends Karen and Charmaine for editing this! I shudder to think what it would be like without their help...
Thanks to those who review/fav/follow ANY of my stories!
Farewell~ TheUnluckyShipper
(P.S, the words in caps lock where by my friend.)
