Title: Fairytales Unlimited
Author: Miss Takin
Summary: The short tale of two knights, a kidnapped princess, an unhappily betrothed couple, two indecisive dukes, and the scandalous sidestories of kitchen maids and squires for your entertainment. Presenting, Fairytales Unlimited
Chapter: Day 3, Part II: Revelations
A/N: ...yeah. Here's part two after over a year. If it didn't send out notifications, I updated the first three chapters of this story, so you should go back and check them out.
Disclaimer: Toei owns Digimon and all related names, characters, items and locations. I don't. Also, don't expect me to be all historically correct. If someone does something that was impossible in the feudal era, just let it be.
Daisuke had been sulking all day.
It was on days like these that Takeru remembered why he was even Daisuke's friend in the first place. He just wasn't imaginative enough to come up with things to do on his own, so he let Daisuke drag him along while he kept up somewhat of a façade of cool reluctance. But now, Daisuke was sulking and Takeru was bored. Not for lack of trying on the blond's part, but Takeru didn't seem to be good at anything involving emotions.
They had just eaten a late lunch, somehow avoiding Hikari the whole time. This was a feat they had never truly achieved; but then again, they had never tried. As they trudged across the courtyard, Daisuke perked up and Takeru turned to see what he was looking at.
"Oh no…"
"Hey Ken!"
Takeru couldn't stop the brunette before he began stomping toward the other squire, fuming. Ken appeared to be going in the direction of the kitchens to do God-knows-what with Hikari, but he looked up in interest at the two other boys and stopped for a moment.
"You bastard!" Daisuke exclaimed. Ken was in such shock that he only barely dodged the punch that Daisuke threw at him.
"Daisuke, stop it!" Takeru said, scared that if he stepped in, Daisuke's fists would turn on him.
"Why are you --?" Ken began, another punch cutting him off.
"You got her pregnant!"
The shock Ken was in this time prevented him from dodging, and he went flying onto the ground. Rubbing his jaw tenderly, he looked up at Daisuke in a mix of fear and anger. "Look, you have the wrong guy," he said. "I haven't gotten anyone pregnant…"
Takeru took in a deep breath. He could see where this would go. People were starting to gravitate toward the scene of the fight, and Takeru could foresee a few embarrassing secrets having an audience.
"Yes, you did!" Daisuke shouted. "Hikari! My Hikari!"
Ken's mouth moved but nothing came out.
"Daisuke, calm down," Takeru said. Murmurs were flying around the spectators who had come to watch. "This isn't the way you should be dealing with this."
"Well I'm not going to let this jerk just do this to her and get away with it!" Daisuke turned dangerously toward Takeru. "This is Hikari we're talking about--"
"Hikari's pregnant?!" Ken spluttered out finally.
There was a squeak and everyone turned to see said young woman watching in terror, her face an intense crimson red.
"Hikari!" the three squires said at the same time. She threw her hands up over her face and ran away. Ken and Daisuke immediately set off after her.
"Where do you think you're going?" Daisuke demanded, placing a rough hand on Ken's shoulder.
Ken shrugged it off angrily and said, "I am going to comfort the woman I love, if you don't mind."
Daisuke started throwing punches again, but this time Ken fought back and soon they were on the ground, punching and shouting monosyllabic insults and threats. Takeru decided he was fed up of Daisuke's temper and jumped in, trying to rip the two apart. The crowd began heckling and cheering.
"Hey!" barked a deep voice. The squires looked up as a short but intimidating young man pushed his way toward them.
"Duke Hida," Ken breathed, pushing the others away and dusting himself off.
Iori looked at them in disgust. "Are you aware that you are making a mockery of yourselves in the King's courtyard?" he said, sounding a little bored despite his harsh tone. "All of you get out of here before I feel the need to mention this when I go to see him."
Ken threw a look over at Daisuke before he angrily trudged after Hikari, a sour expression on his face. The crowd was quickly dispersing, but Iori kept his eyes locked on Takeru and Daisuke.
"Let's go Iori, we're not here to teach squires how to show respect."
A taller man jerked his head toward the castle's main entrance and Iori gave one last look to the remaining crowd before he followed his fellow duke.
Takeru let out a long breath of relief. "We got off easy," he said. "Duke Hida's never shown a drop of mercy since he took over his father's land. Ken must've known him – he recognized him right away. I bet that was the only thing that saved us."
"Yeah… whatever…"
Takeru turned to Daisuke. "You can't just jump people like that. Nothing good comes of it."
Daisuke grumbled.
"Please promise me you'll deal with this without hurting anyone else. It's out of your hands now."
Daisuke rolled his eyes before he caught Takeru's. Reluctantly, he nodded. "I promise," he said.
Takeru knew Daisuke would do his best to stay true to his word, and he let out another sigh of relief before suggesting they go find something to do.
"Your Highness?"
Jyou stood before the throne, waiting as the King watched him quietly. Iori stood at the back of the hall, interested to see what would happen.
"Do you know why I asked you to meet me?"
Jyou looked down at his feet. "I have a vague idea, Your Highness."
The King smiled a little. "Regarding my daughter…"
Jyou made eye contact with the King with a grave look on his face, and he was surprised to see the King's eyes sparkling a little in amusement. "Yes?"
"I think that we should make the announcement upon my daughter's return. It seems appropriate."
Jyou gasped and brought his hand up to his chest. "Your Highness – I don't know what to say."
The King's smile widened. "I suppose there isn't much that needs to be said, other than to decide on a date for the wedding."
Jyou could hardly contain his joy as he nodded. "Thank you, Your Highness."
"What is it that you thought I brought you here to discuss?" the King asked in mild interest. It was quite plain to Iori that King Takenouchi had a great deal of love for his son-in-law-to-be, and he genuinely enjoyed speaking to the duke.
"Your Highness, it's nothing more than my worry for your daughter," Jyou said, a little falter in his voice.
The King nodded, but the smile remained. "I have faith in my knights."
Jyou nodded, but his eyes returned to his shoes. How could he have faith in two men he had never met?
"And I have faith in my daughter. She will return safely."
Jyou smiled up at him. "As do I."
The King nodded and gestured that he was free to go, and Jyou walked as calmly as he could down the hall. Iori followed him out the door, a smirk on his face; very aware of the feelings his friend was containing.
The door closed, and Jyou let out a hearty laugh, an exclamation of joy.
"I'm getting married!" he said, holding his arms wide as he looked down at Iori. "I'm finally getting married! Sora and I will be spending the rest of our lives together! No more hiding!"
Iori couldn't help but feel an immense happiness for his friend as the older man continued to rejoice in broken sentences.
Suddenly he turned to Iori with a bit of a shocked expression. "I'm getting married," he said. "Married." Finality in his voice suggested what Iori could see coming a mile away.
The young duke had to roll his eyes. "Oh for Heaven's sake, leave the worrying for later, Jyou. You're getting married."
Jyou placed his hands on either side of his face, and then he broke back into a smile. "I'm getting married!"
He was there. He had just come in the door, and she was watching from a safe distance away as he shrugged off a cloak. He was an impossibly tall man, the type that emanated sinister thoughts and made you shiver when he let his eyes slide over you.
Lord Vamdemon.
Sora had heard that it was Lord Vamdemon himself who had come into her room and snatched her away from her family, friends and fiancé, and so it was by default that she had at the least a strong dislike for him.
"Has she been found yet?" he asked in a smooth voice.
"No, my Lord," a soldier said, letting a bit of his fear slip out.
"Well how many places are there for a woman to hide?" Lord Vamdemon said. "Find her."
Sora took a deep breath and started creeping away. She would have to get over her immediate fear of him, and quickly.
"I have a question," Taichi said casually. Up until that point they had walked along in almost total silence, but obviously this had given Taichi some time to think, and to wonder about his comrade.
"Yes?" Yamato said.
Taichi sighed as the thought of how to word the question. "Well, you know how you said there's more than meets the eye?"
"… Yes, go on…"
"Do you think that's the case with me?" Taichi asked, looking intently at Yamato's face for some sort of reaction.
Yamato raised his eyebrows and glanced at the other knight. "That's hard to say. I don't really know you that well, after all."
"Oh come on, that's not true," the brunette said. "We've been alone together for two and a half days, except for that Princess Mimi incident" – he suppressed a giggle, much to the bane of Yamato – "and I've learned tons about you."
Now Yamato was interested. "Like what?"
"Like the fact that you're not actually heartless like people think you are, you just don't show how much you care when you don't have to. Like… you think things through, and that's what makes you a good knight. Like--"
"Where did you get all that?" Yamato asked, cutting him off before he had to hear anymore. All of this praise, especially coming from the other knight, was uncomfortable.
Taichi shrugged. "Just paying attention, I guess. You're a surprise around every turn, Ishida."
"Oh," Yamato said, looking away in slight bewilderment. Now he felt a little guilty for not paying attention to Taichi as well as the brunette had paid attention to him.
"You haven't answered my question," Taichi persisted.
Yamato looked back up at him. "I don't know, Taichi. I guess there's nothing about you that has really surprised me all that much."
He looked a little disappointed, and Yamato felt even more guilt. This was not the way he pictured this adventure going.
"You know, I'll prove it to you," Taichi said.
"What?" Yamato asked, clueless.
Taichi smirked. "I'll prove to you that I'm not what people think I am. I know that you probably think I'm an attention-seeking jerk, but I'll prove that I'm more by the time we're done. I don't know how, but you'll see."
"I don't think you're an attention-seeking jerk." Yamato was in a tough position. He had not re-evaluated what he thought of the other knight, and now as he began, he couldn't sort his thoughts out long enough to tell what exactly it was that he did think now.
Taichi smiled at him. "Doesn't matter. You'll see."
Ken and Hikari sat in the garden, glancing awkwardly at anything that wasn't the other person. The interchanges they had exchanged were brief and overwhelmingly lackluster, and now Ken picked at the grass as Hikari held a hand over her stomach and just listened to the ripping greenery at her left.
"Hikari--"
"We have to go see my father."
Ken looked up at her, staring at her face for some hint of emotion. The majority was sadness, but he had yet to find it in himself why this was such an unfortunate event. He only knew that it was what it was.
"Yes, I suppose we do," he replied.
Hikari clenched her eyes shut for a moment and then looked up at him with glassy eyes. "Ken, I know you probably didn't want to marry me, but it's inevitable now. I wasn't going to tell you until I had made up my mind…" She buried her face in her hands. "I feel like I've ruined your life. I'm so sorry…"
Ken was shocked. He placed a hand on her arm and brought himself closer, feeling a need to wrap her up in his arms and keep her safe.
"You haven't ruined my life Hikari… it's just happening a bit faster than I expected, that's all. I guess all of my procrastinating really came back to haunt us," he told her, making sure she was looking into his eyes to see that he was genuine.
She sighed and stood up, dusting off her skirt. "Tomorrow then. First thing in the morning, we should go see my father. We'll keep this" – she rubbed her stomach absently – "our little secret until after we're married. I don't need him to hear about it beforehand… I can't even imagine…"
Ken smirked and stood up. "For now, perhaps it's best to get as much sleep as possible. If we're going to see him, I should be as prepared as I can be."
Hikari smiled sweetly at him and they parted without another word.
"Stop struggling, girl. Or I'll yell."
Sora struggled. She dug her heels into the carpet and pulled with all her might against the hand on her wrist.
"I said stop struggling. Neither of us wants me to yell. I'll be a hero if I bring you to Lord Vamdemon by myself, and if I have to yell for back-up, you don't even want to think about what will happen when those other guys see I have you."
"I won't give up!" Sora hissed, careful to keep her voice down. No, she didn't want him to yell, but she didn't want him to be a hero either. There was a distinct conflict of interests between them, and it revealed itself with each labored step he took towards Lord Vamdemon's personal chambers.
"Then I'll yell."
"No--"
Sora threw herself down on the ground, making the guard wobble in his next step. Taking this opportunity, she closed her hand around his wrist and pulled him down with her.
He yelled.
She grabbed the sword he had stolen from her, got up and started down the hall, but he was still yelling behind her. She heard his footsteps start up – he was running after her. She didn't know what to do, her heart was racing and her eyes bounced from wall to floor to other wall looking for something – anything.
Torches. Fancy fixtures on the wall, but it was fire. She reached up, broke off a burning piece of wood, threw it back at the guard and brought her arms up to cover her face.
There was a horrified yelp, and she lowered her arms.
He was running in the opposite direction, calling out warnings. The fire was spreading, and it was spreading fast. The rugs were old and dried out – doors were made of wood that hadn't seen water for years. Everything about the castle was dry and ready to burn, and it did.
Sora ran as fast as her legs could carry her, back towards the entrance, coughing on smoke that was quickly seeping its way through the labyrinth of passageways. She ran until finally, she found the grand entranceway. Fire had already reached it. It seemed she had gone the long way around. The flames were almost close enough to lick at the huge double doors, which had already been opened by retreating soldiers.
Finally, she had found her escape.
"Not so fast, Princess."
The color drained from her face, and she turned to see a giant shadow of a man standing across the entrance hall. She stopped dead – he was closer to the door.
"Did you think I would give you up this easily? Let this castle burn, I still want that throne."
Now, he was between her and the door.
She took a deep breath, letting it out shakily. "Let me out," she demanded, though not as forcefully as she would have liked.
His lips curved into a disgusting smile. "No," he replied. "I'm afraid I can't allow that."
He took a step toward her.