A/N: Sorry if you've been waiting on this fic! It seemed less popular than the others, so I put my time into those. But here's the next chapter, at last; forgive me for anything that contradicts whatever I may have written previously.
Chapter Four: Two in the Forest, A Fateful Date
At seven years of age, Prince Masaya knew his place—it had been clarified for him on several counts, by several people; if he'd had any doubts at all, they'd have gladly corrected him.
His parents—the king and queen of Seashell Cove—told him his place was that of "the honorable, rightful heir to the throne." They never really elaborated on the meaning of this, insisting that it was self-explanatory.
His instructors believed his place was—depending on what they instructed him in—either in the special palace classrooms or out on the practice courts. None of them seemed to be able to grasp the idea that the young prince might have wanted to do anything else—anything that wasn't chosen for him.
And his sister—yes, even his I-don't-care-about-royal-duties younger sister had an opinion on this matter—Princess Minto insisted that her brother's place was in the palace, obeying orders (who was in charge here anyway?) and doing his duty as the kingdom's only prince. Of course, the slightly-bratty girl mostly pursued this viewpoint because it meant that she deflected all pressure from herself to her brother.
There was only one person who didn't lecture the prince about royal duties. And after today, if he managed to tell the girl the only secret he'd ever kept from her, her attitude would likely change as well.
The dark-haired boy—for, despite his royal lineage, Masaya was still a child like any other—pulled on his navy-blue oiled cloak. Checking in the mirror, he made sure that it cast shadows over his face so that he couldn't be recognized. With more than a little hidden excitement, the heir of Seashell Cove headed out into the rain.
His destination was the nearby merchant town, named Port Conch—just like its seaport.
Seashell Cove was by the sea—the Sapphirus Sea, an excellent venue for trade.
Of the many seaports in the kingdom, Port Conch was the most well-known. The many storefronts were slightly faded but in better condition than many people's dwellings (especially peasants'). Of all the towns and villages in the kingdom, this one was by far the best.
All the wealthiest seamen did their selling and trading here; Port Conch was known all over the kingdom for its prosperity. It was also infamous for its outrageous prices, but the trading goods were high-quality, and the port's currency was of higher value than any other in Seashell Cove.
The cloaked prince moved quietly, unnoticed, through the bustling town. Amazing aromas and merchant's cries greeted him with every step he took. Everything here seemed calculated to overload the senses. In fact, not even cold, aloof Princess Minto was immune to the exciting environment. The few times she'd been coaxed into coming, she had returned home with a much lighter purse (figuratively speaking, of course; no self-respecting noble lady would carry her money on her person) and many intriguing new belongings.
Calmly the dark-haired boy walked on, barely taking in the bustling businesses, more anxious than he let on. Where is she? We agreed— It wasn't so much worry for her safety as selfish concern. He feared that if he didn't tell her today, he'd never get up the courage again.
"Hi, Aoyama-kun!" chirped a small redheaded girl. She was sitting on the steps of one of the town's few sweets shops, her vivid hair hidden under a coarse-quality cloak. For a moment, the simple sight of her sweet, round face lifted Masaya's spirits.
Of course—I should have known she'd be here. Not only does Ichigo love sweets, but her family owns this shop. "Hello, Ichigo. How are you?"
"Great! Come on, let's go!" Eagerly she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the forest.
Carefully jumping over sticks and dodging trees, the two children raced through the woods happily. It was the middle of summer—though the rain would lead one to believe otherwise—and both looked forward to picking some blackberries; hopefully the recent showers hadn't ruined them all.
Hand in hand, the boy and girl finally slowed as they approached the wild "garden" they regarded as sacred. For only here were they free: free of all their heavy secrets, free to be themselves, free to enjoy the day together.
"How's business?" Masaya asked politely, knowing his friend was extremely concerned with her family's shop's welfare.
"Not bad," replied Ichigo, who knew her companion wasn't as interested in economics as she was.
Reaching into his pocket, the prince reassured himself that the object he'd brought along was still inside. "Ne, Ichigo, it's your birthday, isn't it?"
Her brown eyes lit up. "You remembered!"
"Of course I did. Happy sixth, Ichigo-hime." Not noticing the happy flush on his best friend's cheeks, the dark-haired boy pulled out a delicate gold-work necklace. "Anyone else would tell you this is too mature for you, so you should probably save for a few years. But I think once you're ten, no one will object to your wearing it."
Curiously the girl tilted her head as she took the beautiful gift, regarding the giver more warily than she had in years. "Where did you get something like this, Aoyama-kun? It must have cost a fortune!" Silently her companion groaned. For such an adorably thickheaded girl, she would have to get suspicious now of all times!
Taking a deep breath, Prince Masaya made up his mind to confess the truth. "Ichigo... there's something I haven't told you. About me."
Even more on her guard than before, the redhead clasped her palms together, the way she always did when anticipating bad news. "Well...?" she prompted patiently when the boy fell silent.
Just then, two black-clad figures appeared from behind the trees. "So this is where you get to, Masaya-sama," reproached one as the other gracefully moved toward Ichigo, who instinctively closed her hand, hiding the necklace from sight. "You should know by now, there's nowhere you can go where we, your royal bodyguards, won't find you."
"Masaya... sama? Royal bodyguards?" repeated the girl, jumping to her feet. Her dark cloak swished around her legs, revealing a dainty gold-on-white embroidered hem. Too fancy and costly for a sweetshop family's daughter. She whirled to face her friend. "Does that mean... You're...?!"
"Prince Masaya-sama of Seashell Cove," sneered the advancing black-clad man. Surreptitiously the redhead slid the golden pendant into the inside pocket of her cloak as he reached her. "And who might you be, little girl?" A flash, and soon there was a dagger at the child's throat.
Contrary to everyone's expectations, shy, sweet Ichigo merely looked contemptuous. "None of your business. But I can tell you that my family will be very displeased if they hear how you've treated me." There was a razored edge to her sweet voice, one that no innocent child's speech should have.
"Oh? And just who do you think you are? Surely not... Princess Ichigo of the Great Kingdom?" Both guards burst into laughter.
The girl's face twisted, but she said nothing.
A blade whistled by, knocking the knife out of Ichigo's captor's hand.
A third black-hooded figure stepped out of the shadows. Scooping up the redhead—the other guard seemed to shrink away from this intimidating newcomer—he warned, "I'm sure it would be better for all of us if you didn't manhandle my sister so." A characteristic flick of his hair, and the hood fell away.
Relieved, Ichigo wrapped her arms tightly around the blonde's neck. "Ryou-nii!" Hiding her face in his shoulder, she whispered, "I was so scared..."
Tenderly her brother drew the young princess's hood over her vibrant hair. "Don't worry anymore. I'm here now; it's all good," he reassured her affectionately.
"Ichigo!" Aoyama tried to step forward, but a guard immediately placed himself between his young charge and the dubious brother-sister duo. "Are you—could it be that-?"
The redhead barely spared her now-ex-best friend a second glance. "I don't want to see you ever again, Prince Masaya-sama. Do you hear me?" Because if I do, then... well... I don't think I'd be able to keep from forgiving you. But I really shouldn't. You lied to me for years about who you really are. So it's best for all of us if I never see you again.
The days that followed had been painful, as the playful princess had been bereft of her favorite amusements. Still stuck in the royal family's seaside mansion in Seashell Cove's Compromise Territory, her usual amusements weren't available. Ryou and King Keiichiro were busy with who knows what; Queen Zakuro had stately duties that she felt must be prioritized over her adopted daughter. Alone in the castle, there wasn't much for a just-six-year-old girl to do.
Prince Masaya tried to see her a few times, always wanting to apologize and make up. He'd been turned away by the servants on three consecutive days before his guards got wise and managed to keep him from leaving the castle altogether.
"I still think a tournament is a really st—unintelligent way to decide who we must marry," Ichigo murmured to her brother.
The blonde shook his head. "You know that I agree with you—but Mother does not. And neither do King Pai and King Deep Blue. At this point, just trying to have the tournament cancelled might cause a war among the kingdoms."
"I know—I don't sleep through politics every day. Sometimes I actually pay attention."
"Oh, you do? I wouldn't know—I'm always too busy taking notes to see whether or not you're still awake."
Even throughout their easy sibling banter, the prince and princess of the Great Kingdom managed to keep politely interested looks on their faces as King Keiichiro—who knew how Queen Zakuro had managed to pull him from his laboratory?—began to go over the official rules of the tournament.
"... May the best nobleman win," finished the king. A quick glance at his heirs made him proud; though they must be bored, it didn't show at all in their body language.
The two visiting princes were already glaring at each other, competitive male-dominance auras out and rapidly expanding. Princess Ichigo pulled her brother over to talk to Princess Retasu, ignoring his clear discomfort with her plan. She didn't cast a single glance at the heirs of Seashell Cove, and neither did Prince Ryou: while it may have taken the redhead a while to remember Prince Masaya, the blonde never forgot anyone who made his sister unhappy.
Suddenly Ichigo let go of her brother's hand and hurried over to where the two princes were waiting to enter the arena for the first test.
Aoyama's heart leapt. His childhood friend was still so charmingly sure of herself, and she had the real grace and dignity of a young lady now. For a moment he allowed himself to hope that she wanted to make up.
Pointedly not looking at the boy she felt had betrayed her and her family, the redhead nervously bunched up her skirt in her hands. "Prince Kisshu—"
He seemed to read her thoughts. "I don't need luck, Ko—Princess Ichigo. But thanks anyway. So I take it that you wouldn't mind if I won?"
Her brown eyes dropped to the floor. "I don't want to get married just because my fiancé won a stupid tournament," she confessed. "But as Princess of the Great Kingdom, I must, right?" Then her eyes met his. "But if it's you, I won't mind so much." Before her courage could desert her, the redheaded princess rose up on tiptoe and kissed the favored prince on the cheek. "For luck," she managed to whisper before hurrying to take shelter behind her brother.
Prince Masaya's glare gained intensity, but Prince Kisshu now seemed unperturbed.
"Let us commence the tournament!" announced the king.
A/N: Reviews would be nice, so that I know whether I should continue publishing chapters of this fic, or just keep it for my own entertainment.