Accressere
Chapter 4
by MiaVortice
*All Standard Disclaimers Apply: This is a work of fiction.
The more he watched, the more fascinating the movements became. The knight's sword moved in his hands, adjusting its angle and position while still held by two hands. The elbows, the dark-haired royal guard observed, seemed to be the power that extended, pulled back, and moved the sword.
Rei held his arms in front of him, his dominant hand over his weaker one as he mimicked the guard position of the black-haired knight training alone in the courtyard below.
"Pull back the elbow...," he muttered under his breath. His imaginary sword was moved back. "Twist the pommel...lower the pommel..."
"Now extend your left arm using your elbow," another voice instructed behind him. "Not your right forearm."
"Extend my left-" A sharp gasp escaped his lips as his arms flailed out in all directions. He jumped back, forcing his arms to his sides as he tried to regain his composure and dignity.
Smiling widely before him was the short, blond knight. "Hello!" he greeted. "Are you interested in becoming a knight?"
"What? No!" Rei shook his head, as if the very idea were absurd. He lifted one hand and adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "I'm afraid you are mistaken Sir...?"
"Hazuki," the blond beamed as he grasped his hands behind his back. "But you can call me Nagisa!"
"Sir Hazuki," Rei asserted. "As I've said, you are mistaken. I was merely observing and find the man below's form interesting."
Nagisa peered over the side and nodded. "It is different from what the royal guards use, isn't it?" he said. "You use thinner blades with a basket guard."
"Rapiers."
"Yes, and they're good for thrusting," Nagisa said.
"They're more refined in their movement and use," Rei told him proudly. "They're far more graceful than those clunky long swords you all still use. They're quite archaic, don't you think?"
Nagisa nodded. "Yes, but they serve their purpose well on the battle field. Rapiers are smaller and a bit more agile. Good for stabbing at the body quickly." He paused and chuckled. "But they are civilian tools."
Rei narrowed his eyes. "I assure you, Sir Hazuki, the rapier is more than just a civilian weapon-"
"Tool...what is your name?" Nagisa squinted.
"Ryugazaki Rei-"
"Rei!" Nagisa nodded. "The swords are tools, not weapons. They are items to be used. They can't hurt you by themselves. As a knight, you are trained to be the weapon." He drew his sword smoothly from his side and proceeded to do continuous ascending and descending cuts in front of him as he took a step forward. Rei found himself stepping back with each of Nagisa's steps. "Whatever is in your hands simply becomes an extension of you," the blond told him knowingly. "And in the right hands, this sword is far from clunky."
The movement was swift, coming up from a low position to rest on Rei's chest. The dark-haired man shuddered as his heart slammed against his chest. The circular movements of the attacks were kept close to the body, rotating perfectly in front of the knight so that each movement matched a smooth step forward.
There was no over extension of the legs or a stance that was too far distanced. It was balanced.
In the back of Rei's mind, it was also beautiful.
"Nagisa," a voice called from the courtyard below. The blond perked and lowered his sword, quickly sheathing it as he rushed to the side and lifted a hand in the air to wave.
"Haru!" he beamed. "Sorry! Did we break your concentration?"
"What are you doing here?" Haruka asked from the yard. He sheathed his sword at his side, signaling that he was done for the night.
An excited look filled Nagisa's face. "I found someone who is interested!"
"What? No!" Rei choked out. He moved to the side of the upper level and shook his head. "I'm not!"
"Don't be shy!" Nagisa assured him. "We'll train you if you feel uncomfortable with a sword."
"I'm not uncomfortable with a sword!" Rei retorted sharply. "I am not interested in becoming a knight. I am a royal guard!"
"That's not a problem," Nagisa insisted. "I'm sure you can transition over easily."
"I'm not going to become a knight," Rei stressed. He narrowed his eyes, giving Nagisa a glare as he stepped away from the side. He turned away, preparing to walk out of the quarters.
"Are you sure?" Nagisa asked. Rei froze in mid step as he felt a hand squeezing at his arm and poking his shoulder. "You have a good physique and your arms are used to holding a weapon. I think you'll fit in well!"
Rei let out a deep breath and pulled away from Nagisa, sending the shorter man a glare. "I am a royal guard," he repeated with as much conviction as he could muster. "And I have no plans to change that." He gave Nagisa a small bow of his head. "Good night to you, Sir Hazuki."
He turned on his heel and marched purposefully out of the knights' courtyard. "Good night, Rei!" he cringed as he heard the youngest knight cheerfully bid him. "And come back at any time! We're having an exhibition with Samezuka at the end of the week, so see you then!" As Rei disappeared through the gates without once turning back, Nagisa's enthusiasm dropped to a heavy, disappointed sigh. "I hope..."
"Nagisa," a voice said behind him. He turned around and saw Haruka reaching the top of the steps. "You can't force him to become a knight. I know you are trying hard, but forcing them may turn them away instead."
"I know," Nagisa admitted. "But I really want people to join. And you should've seen him, Haru. He was watching you very carefully! He's interested," the blond insisted. "I can feel it!"
A hand rested atop Nagisa's head. "I know, but don't worry too much about it."
Nagisa nodded. "Oh, I did come to see you with a purpose," he piped. "The garrison is closed now, so we saved you some food. Mako said he'd bring it to your room. It's your favorite - grilled mackerel."
To the untrained eye, Haruka's slight perk of his head and the momentary pause of his body would've been missed, but Nagisa saw it.
"I am a bit hungry now," Haruka stated. "Thank you, Nagisa." Proudly, the blond nodded. "You should go get rest, too," he said. "We have an early day tomorrow."
Her room always had a nice sea breeze and that morning was no exception. One of her windows was always left open in order to let in the fresh air, even if the young woman, who was currently sprawled face down on her modest bed, wasn't doing anything to make use of it.
As she stirred from her sleep, she could hear the ocean crashing into the cliffs below the temple. It was quite calming and she recalled that the night she had spent in Samezuka was actually quite a fitful night, having been unused to the lack of ocean sounds.
A knock came from her door across her room as Gou buried her face in her arms. She was sure it wasn't time for her to get up yet.
"Priestess Kou?" one of her usual attendants asked. "Priestess Kou, are you awake?"
She held her tongue to keep from replying that 'no, she was not'. She further nestled herself under her sheets.
"Priestess Kou," the attendant repeated. "Princess Chigusa is here to see you."
"Eh?" Gou squinted her eyes. "Hana?" She pushed herself up, lifting a hand to wipe the remaining drool from the corner of her mouth as she slid her legs over the side of the bed and stumbled to a vanity table. "One moment!" she called out. "Allow me to change!"
"Yes, Priestess...what, Highness?" Gou ran her brush through her hair to quickly straighten it before reaching for a ribbon to tie it up with. "Er...alright...Priestess!"
"In a moment!" Gou repeated.
"Princess Chigusa requests your time immediately. She says it is urgent!"
Gou furrowed her brows, but none-the-less grabbed informal robes and quickly slipped into them. She slid her feet into a pair of comfortable sandals before heading towards her door and pulling it open.
"What is it?" she asked.
A hand immediately clamped on her wrist. "Let's go!" Iwatobi's princess announced before pulling her forward.
"What? Hana!" Gou choked out as she stumbled forward, after the royal. She hadn't even had a chance to really wash her face or put on any of her usual jewelry. "What are you doing here so early? What's going on?"
"I saw something yesterday," the princess said in a serious voice as she dragged her friend forward, ignoring the curious looks of others in the temple as they made their way to the front. "And I think you'll want to see it, too."
"Eh?" Gou blinked. "What am I going to see?"
"You'll see when we get back to the castle." They reached the front of the temple and a royal guard who had been standing by the entrance stepped forward.
"Your Highness, your carriage is-"
"I see it, Ryugazaki," Hana cut him off quickly. "And I told you I did not to be escorted to the temple. You were to wait with my carriage."
"Forgive me, Your Highness, but I was under strict orders to-"
"Never mind," Hana sighed tiredly. Ahead of them, a footman opened the door to a carriage and the princess climbed in. Gou, still unsure of why she was being picked up from the temple that early, got into the carriage with her.
"Hana, why are we going to the castle?" The carriage jerked forward.
"I heard from the head priestess last night that you are on duty later today, so your morning is free," Hana smirked, proud of herself. "I thought you'd like to watch your brother training before the exhibitions at the end of the week."
Gou's red eyes went wide. "I didn't think about that!" The royal crossed her arms over her chest and nodded, satisfied. "Thank you, Hana!"
The brown-haired young woman let out a small snicker. "I'm sure you'll find their training most enjoyable."
They reached the castle and Hana quickly ushered her out. Even as they cut through the castle's interior halls and one of the courtyards, then two gardens, the princess's royal guard was following behind them. As they turned a corner, he furrowed his brows.
"Your Highness, the knight's courtyard is in that direction," the glasses-wearing guard pointed out as his steps slowed.
"We're not going to the courtyard," the princess said with a wave of her hand. "We're going to the southern garden!" Gou furrowed her brows. That garden overlooked the beach.
"Why are we going there?" Gou asked as she found herself chasing the princess down one of the stone paths that led of the edge of the garden.
"Because," Hana panted slightly as she stopped at the low wall and extended her hand over to the beach view below. "They're down there."
Gou stepped forward and craned her head over the side. She heard the rhythmic counting and the occasional shouts before she saw who they belonged to. Her eyes went wide as a handful of men were seen jogging in two lines towards the castle walls. From the footprints on the sand, she could see multiple tracks, meaning they had been running back and forth.
Hana chuckled. "Every morning since the second day, they've been doing endurance running," she explained. Her lips pulled upwards into a smug smile. "Shirtless."
Gou was leaning over the low wall, her eyes glazed over as an elated look graced her face. Her friend knew her far too well, a small voice in the back of her mind chided, but it didn't matter.
"Those deltoids...those traps...," she sighed happily. "Look how they move...so smooth and defined...oh...beautiful."
Behind them, Rei's eyes crinkled up with discomfort as he listened to the Water God's priestess oggle the knights. He didn't really know her, but he certainly wasn't expecting to see her divulging in such an activity.
"I think our knights are actually quite good-looking," Hana pointed out as she leaned against the wall with Gou. "Not to say that Big Brother Rin or the knights from Samezuka aren't."
"Yes," Gou nodded. "They're all very well toned. It's not surprising that they're tournament champions."
"They have nice faces, too."
"Look at the way the muscles on their sides move with each movement, Hana! The stretching, the contracting...," Gou sighed.
"Are you even listening?" Hana raised a brow.
"Do you think they do their training dressed like that in Samezuka?" Gou mused, her eyes raking across the various bodies as they approached. "Probably not, due to the sun and heat...that's a shame."
Hana sighed. She'd lost Gou. "Ryugazaki," the princess ordered as she looked back at the guard lingering behind them. "Have the kitchen staff prepare breakfast and bring it out here. The priestess and I will have the morning meal outside."
"Yes, Your Highness." The dutiful guard bowed and rushed to the hall.
Hana looked back at Gou and nudged her playfully. "So...who do you think looks best?"
"Makoto's traps are always a favorite, but Haruka's deltoids...," Gou trailed off, her face scrunching up as she tried to make what she deemed a difficult decision. Perhaps if she were to combine the two...
"Not of them!" Hana sighed. "They don't count. They're like your brothers. Ah," she shook her head. "And you can't pick your brother, either."
"Hmm...from Samezuka, then," Gou rubbed her chin and squinted. Her eyes were automatically drawn to the captain jogging at the front of the line. Perhaps it was because, aside from her brother, he was the most familiar of the guests. Every now and then, with every other step, he'd yell something and the knights would reply.
Broad shoulders, smooth skin, well-defined muscles that seemed to melt into each other rather than stick out too jaggedly. His body was balanced and his shoulder to waist ratio was...rather good.
"I like the captain," Hana said as she rested her elbows on the wall and held her head in her hands. "He's tall and commanding..."
"Break to stretch!" the orange-haired captain's deep voice ordered, causing the lines behind him to break apart as the knights moved to stretch their bodies.
His arms rose over his head and he stretched to the side, emphasizing the muscles along his chest and back. Gou's face heated up and her chest suddenly felt like it was swelling. He was certainly built like a warrior with a larger frame than her brother's, yet still lean and flexible.
"He's not bad..." She knew it was an understatement even as she said it.
As he turned, he lifted his head and caught sight of the two young woman peering down at them from the castle.
Seijuurou blinked. Had he been running for too long and collapsed? He could've sworn that one of them was the priestess.
"Ah! It's Gou!" the blond Iwatobi knight called out earnestly. Nagisa stopped in the middle of his stretching and raised an arm in the air, enthusiastically waving at the priestess and the princess. "Gou! Gou!" he shouted.
Her eyes narrowed. "It's Priestess Kou!" she shouted back on instinct. Seijuurou barely held back a muffled laugh.
"Good morning, Priestess and Princess!" Makoto greeted with a bow. Haruka and Rin both followed, with Nagisa only doing so after he realized that the others were as well.
"Good morning, knights!" Hana greeted as regally as she could for someone who had just been caught eyeing the men. As they returned back to their stretching, she noticed the Duchy's captain looking towards them. Behind the wall, she grasped Gou's arm. "He's looking at us!" she whispered.
"No, he's not. He's stretching," Gou pointed out. Hana wrinkled her nose and looked at the young priestess with disbelief.
"Not your brother," she replied in a low voice. "Captain Mikoshiba."
"He is?" Gou looked back at the orange-haired man.
Seijuurou forced his face not to flush as her eyes fell upon him. Silently, his mind chanted a mantra: don't do anything stupid, don't do anything stupid.
His hand rose slightly and gave her an awkward little wave, as if he were uncertain of what else to do. Idiot!
"Did he wave at you?" Hana asked, her eyes widening. Her friend had told her that they met in Samezuka and that he had escorted her back. Then, the other day, Gou had told her that the visiting captain had come to the temple to get some things blessed and he had seemed very touched at the handkerchief she had embroidered for him. The princess' eyes narrowed. Coincidence? She was starting to doubt is was so.
"Who?" Gou asked. She heard Captain Sasabe's voice below yelling for them to do one more jog up the beach and back before they would go get breakfast.
"Captain Mikoshiba!" Hana exclaimed, exasperated. Gou had clearly not been paying attention. A small part of the royal suddenly pitied the orange-haired captain. If what she suspected was true, then he had a long, frustrating fight ahead of him.
"I don't know. Was he?" The princess ran a hand down her face. Gou looked back at the knights as they began jogging away. Hana shook her head.
That poor, orange-haired captain...
He knew that he was going to be sent documents to review and agreements to look over even while he was abroad. He couldn't escape his duty, after all, nor did he plan to. He was raised to be responsible. Unfortunately, Seijuurou had not foreseen that documents would be sent to him every day.
Messengers from Samezuka seemed to have been sent out one after another with messages from the other captains, his superiors, as well as the men he left to lead the remaining knights in his absence. They were coupled with piles of papers he had to read and sign off on as well as applications he was asked to review.
This was some way to spend his morning; barricaded by files and packages in his guest room at the knights' quarters, hunched over a desk and signing his name for what seemed to be the billionth time. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he looked out his window. It boasted a nice view of the town and, if he looked outside of it, he'd see the ocean as well.
His hand tightened on his writing utensil as his fingers hovered over a piece of parchment. If he wasn't stuck doing catch-up work, he would've joined his men on the boating trip around the bay and surrounding islands with the Iwatobi knights.
Captain Sasabe offered to take them on his boat and the Samezuka knights, who had never been to the ocean, were eager to take him up on it. Seijuurou sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He looked back at the paper in front of him. Someone had to keep an eye on the knights and so, he assigned the most senior of them to the job.
That hadn't gone well a few hours ago, when the next most senior knight - Rin - had a visitor.
The Priestess had arrived early in the morning with the hope of spending the day with her brother. Rin, however, had been assigned as a chaperone for the younger Samezuka knights and could not go with her.
From his room, Seijuurou had heard Rin telling his sister he had a duty and when Sir Tachibana offered to bring her along, as he was sure Captain Sasabe wouldn't mind - it wasn't official knight training, after all, the Priestess had hissed that it was fine and that she didn't want to get in the way.
Her sharp words made him cringe and, admittedly, he had been afraid to go outside and accidentally be confronted by the disappointed and upset young woman. It was his fault to begin with anyway.
If he had only been able to keep up with his work load, then he could've gone with his knights and Rin could've spent his free day with his sister.
Seijuurou shook his head, trying to shake off the guilt. He had a reason and it was an important one. His reports back to Lord Samezuka could prevent a war and that was far more important than a bay cruise.
He drew his words across the paper once more, making sure to be clear and methodological in his explanations.
In his few days there, he had made general observations and a few small ones that hinted at a non-threat. First, the rumors Samezuka heard were wrong. Iwatobi was not amassing an army of knights. If anything, they were struggling to get recruits. He could count one and that had only been because Sir Hazuki had stressed the importance of their upcoming exhibition in order to 'convince Rei'. Whoever 'Rei' was.
Seijuurou also noticed that despite the large amount of royal guards, they were no match for an army. They didn't have the weapons or the training to count as such. At the most, they did a fine job with guarding the royal family and escorting goods around town and doing patrols, performing emergency services, and acting as the security for various events, but they wouldn't do in a full out battle.
They didn't even carry military level weapons, let alone trained with them. How was Iwatobi planning on winning a war with them? It would've been suicide.
Best of all, the first night, he had listened carefully to the nobles and government officials present at the welcome dinner. There was a distinct lack of animosity or concerns about Samezuka or war. Merchants didn't seem to be experiencing any major problems, either.
"Then where are those rumors coming from...?" the captain muttered to himself as he crossed his arms and leaned back against his chair. Eyes narrowed. Hadn't Lord Samezuka said that the rumors were coming from the merchants?
A low rumble came from his stomach and he sat up straight. His eyes lowered as he placed his free hand over his midsection. He glanced out the window again, to confirm his suspicion. It was midday and he hadn't eaten yet.
Carefully filing away his report, he covered his ink and put away his things before pushing himself away from the desk and standing up. He raised his arms over his head and stretched. He could hear bones cracking and grimaced. He supposed a quick walk through down be good for him. He could get something to eat and drop off some messages, as well.
Red eyes seemed to glare at the various pastries laid out before her as she pointed to a small, cream-filled puff. "Six of those."
The old woman on the other side of the counter gave her an uncertain look. "Are you certain, Priestess? You already ordered two boxes of a dozen."
"I'm not going to eat it all at once," Gou huffed. She was just going to munch on them as she continued her wanderings throughout the day. Besides, she was hungry. She had skipped breakfast in order to get to the knight's courtyard and spend time with her brother.
When that fell through, she had simply stormed off and not gone home to eat as was her original plan. She didn't even realize how long she had been wandering the city, wallowing in her irritation, until she felt her stomach protest her hunger.
Rather than go somewhere and get a full meal, she opted for her favorite food: cream puffs.
"Then, will that be all, Priestess Kou?"
She nodded and the old baker's wife began plucking the cream puffs from the display and into a paper box for her to carry.
As she waited for her pastries to be boxed and readied, Gou stood to the side of the small shop with her arms crossed and her lips in a tight line. Once more, her brother had picked his duty over her and the family. It shouldn't have been so surprising considering where he now lived, but it was frustrating, none-the-less.
Within a few days, he'd be gone again and she didn't know when she'd get the chance to spend time with him. He knew that, too, and instead of taking his free day as he should've, he was overseeing the other Samezuka knights.
"Captain Mikoshiba is unable to do so. He doesn't have a free day today due to the paperwork he has to go over,"Rin had told her. It wasn't really an apology, now that she thought about it. "As the most senior knight, I have a duty."
"But you promised you spend your free day with me!" Gou had countered. "You told me when you came to visit!"
Wisely, Makoto and Haru stayed out of the argument as Nagisa tried to distract the visiting knights by constantly reminding them of things they needed to bring with them on the boat.
"Next time," Rin had assured her. "Two days after the exhibition, I'll have another free day."
"How do I know you won't be assigned again?" she demanded. She barely had time to ask how his trip went when he came to the temple. After she had begun to doze off, he insisted she retire for the night and swore he'd spend time with her again some other time.
That time had come and her brother was going elsewhere without her.
"You know," Makoto had offered. "This is an informal activity. I'm sure Captain Sasabe won't mind if Gou joins us."
Rin's eyes had widened as he turned back to his sister. "That's a good idea," he urged. "Gou, why don't you come with-"
"No, thank you!" she replied curtly. She was not going to be an after thought! "I'd hate to be an inconvenience to you."
"Gou," Haruka and Makoto called, trying to placate her. She turned her back to them and began marching out of the courtyard. "Gou, you're not an inconvenience. Gou!"
"Gou!" Rin shouted. She ignored him and continued until she was outside the castle.
Her lower lip trembled as she now waited for her cream puffs. She was tired of being forgotten by her brother. She had put in so much effort: crossed a desert, begged the temple, tried her best to make time to see him on this rare occasion and he didn't seem to care.
"Stupid Brother," she muttered. Brush her aside, will he? She was perfectly capable of entertaining herself when she wasn't on duty. "Stupid knights...stupid Captain."
She had misjudged the orange-haired man. If he were as responsible as he shoud've been, he would've gotten on that boat with Makoto and the others instead of shoving his responsibility on to her brother.
A small bell rang behind her as the door to the bakery opened. "Welcome!" the woman behind the counter greeted.
"Hello." Gou tensed. She knew that voice. "The restaurant next door recommended your cream puffs for dessert."
Her eyes crinkled up. How dare he? Wasn't he supposed to be working? What was he doing in town, eating out and gorging on sweets? Clenching her fists at her sides, she turned around to confirm her suspicions and only grew angrier when she realized that it was indeed who she thought - Samezuka's visiting captain.
The movement caught the corner of his eye and Seijuurou turned towards the petite figure wrapped in a thin blue cloak. His eyes widened as a wide smile spread across his lips.
"Priestess!" he greeted, lifting up a hand to give her a slight wave. "Fancy meeting you here!"
Her face was reddening as her inner fury culminated. Gritting her teeth, she turned towards the baker's wife. "I retract my order!" she stated proudly. "I no longer want the cream puffs!"
She whirled around and Seijuurou stepped to the side as she brushed past him without so much as a glance.
"Priestess Kou?" he choked out as she grabbed the door handle and shoved it forward before marching out. He looked back at the old woman behind the counter, as if asking for an explanation. She looked just as surprised as he did.
Outside, Gou made it to the street corner two buildings away before she heard her title being called after her by the man who, at the moment, she didn't want to see. Refusing to turn around, Gou began to cross the street, feigning ignorance.
"Priestess Kou!" Seijuurou called out. "Priestess Kou! Are you alright?"
"Just keep walking. Don't turn around and acknowledge him," she muttered to herself as she forced herself forward.
"Priestess Kou!" He sounded closer. "Priestess, is something the matter?" A flustered man appeared in front of her with a worried expression across his face. "Are you hurt? Is something wrong?"
She grit her teeth. "No," she replied curtly. Without another word, she stepped around him.
Seijuurou turned around. "Priestess," he repeated. He followed behind her. It was fairly obvious now that she was ignoring him. "Priestess, have I upset you?" he asked unsurely. "If I have, I know not how."
Gou stopped in front of him and Seijuurou froze in mid step. He tensed in his spot as she turned around sharply and sent a sharp glare in his direction.
"Why are you following me?" she frowned. "Isn't it clear that I do not wish to speak to you."
That hurt more than he cared to admit. He didn't want her upset with him. "Priestess, I would like to know, at the very least, what I have done to you that causes your anger towards me."
"My anger is caused at your inability to go about your responsibilities properly and subsequently assign my brother with a task that is supposed to be yours!" Gou nearly yelled. There - it was out.
His shoulders slumped down. He should've known that was the reason. Seijuurou took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Priestess Kou, I had no choice but to assign the overseeing duties to Sir Matsuoka. He is the most senior member of my party here, after me. As such, the responsibility would fall upon him."
"However, if you were competent in your position, it would not have been necessary to pass the responsibility on," Gou countered.
Seijuurou frowned. "Priestess," he began seriously. "You know nothing of my responsibilities and let me assure you, I am doing what I can to complete them in a timely manner. I did not wish to hand the responsibility to your brother, but it would've been negligent of me not to. Do keep in mind that while he is here, he is still a knight of Samezuka and therefore duty bound-"
"Priestess Kou!" a voice filled the street and the burgundy-haired woman leaned to the side to look past Seijuurou. Her red eyes went wide as she saw two attendants dressed in their robes trying to make their way up the street to her. "There she is!"
She paled. She had been caught.
"Priestess!" the other one called frantically. "What are you doing!? You are not allowed to go without escort!"
Seijuurou looked from the scrambling men to the young woman in front of him. Had she run away? "Priestess-"
Her small hand clamped around his wrist and she pulled him forward. "Come on! Don't stand there!" she growled as she wove through the crowded street. "They're going to catch us!"
"You mean catch you," he clarified. Why he was allowing her to drag him through the city was beyond him, but even his heart was starting to pound knowing that they were being chased. Or was his heart racing because she was holding on to him? He wasn't sure...and he didn't care. "Did you leave without telling them?"
"I was supposed to be with my brother," Gou answered sharply as she stopped at a street corner and looked from side to side, wondering which way she should go. "But because he was assigned to go with the knights today, that plan did not go through."
"Then why didn't you return to the temple?" Seijuurou asked. She tugged his arm and dragged him to the right.
"I didn't feel like it!"
"Priestess Kou, wait for us!"
"Ugh!" an irritated growl escaped her and he couldn't help but grin at her frustration. "I thought I left them back at the castle!"
Seijuurou looked over his shoulder and could see the two attendants still keeping up with them. If he recalled, she had left the castle quite some time ago, meaning the attendants must've been searching for her for over half the day already. He was moderately impressed at their dedication.
He slowed down and pulled back, turning his wrist to grasp hers as he came to a stop. Gou whirled around and looked from her hand to him. Her eyes narrowed. Was she going to turn her in? She opened her mouth to demand for him to let her go, when he pulled her into an alley.
"Take my cloak," he instructed as he released her wrist and began shrugging off the heavy black cloth covering his body. "You're easy to spot in your blue hood."
His large hands placed the the cloak over her shoulders as she stood there, unsure of what to do. Seijuurou pulled up the hood and tied it closed beneath her chin as he straightened it out around her. He was tall and the cloak had been tailored to fit him; not a petite young woman.
"It's dragging," Gou stated lamely as she lifted one foot, only to keep it hidden beneath the fabric.
"That's good. They won't recognize you," he said.
"Priestess!?"
"They're coming!" Gou hissed. She wanted to run, but felt his arm go around her shoulders and gently turn her away from the street. They loomed over a stand selling fried fruit and he help his arm around her shoulder to keep her from fleeing.
"Just look down and don't make any sudden movements," he instructed in a low voice. "They won't recognize you in my cloak."
She wasn't entirely sure she had agreed, but fixed her eyes on some dried fruit slices. Behind her, she could hear the familiar sound of charms clinking against one another as the temple attendants passed in search of her. Silently, she prayed that they wouldn't ask her to turn around or try to peer into her hood, even as she knew they had no reason to.
"I can't see her," she heard one of them exclaim, defeated.
"Let's continue to the Matsuoka estate," the other suggested. "She may have been heading there."
Gou remained rooted in her spot, waiting for them to leave. She couldn't check without turning around and she had to fight every urge to in case they hadn't.
Beside her, the visiting captain handed a coin to a girl selling the dried fruit and picked up a small paper bag with some dried orange slices in it. He turned around and looked past her. "It looks clear," he said before putting a piece of fruit into his mouth. "You're free to go."
"Are you sure?" Gou asked as she carefully pushed back the hood of the large cloak.
"I'm certain," Seijuurou replied. "Are you going to continue hiding?"
"I'm not hiding," Gou asserted. "I am simply trying to have time to myself." He raised an eyebrow as she turned around and began marching in the opposite direction. Seijuurou furrowed his brows and stepped after her.
"Priestess," he called.
"Don't follow me!" she said told him firmly.
He didn't go any further, but did call out. "May I at least have my cloak back?"
Gou stopped. Her eyes widened as she remembered that she was still wrapped in warm cloth that dragged across the ground with on her. She suddenly felt its weight on her shoulders as she remembered that he had put it on her in order to help, all without question.
Guilt tugged at her. She was still upset that her brother had been given a sudden responsibility that resulted in her disappointing day, but the captain clearly had no other choice and even knowing she blamed him, he had gone out of his way to aid her once more.
He wasn't a bad person, her mind pointed out. Her pale hands grasped the edges of his cloak. He was actually quite the opposite.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She turned around and began tugging the cloak off. "My apologies, Captain," she told him as calmly as she could. She slid her arms from beneath the fabric and the masculine scent that had wrapped around her faded, making her suddenly miss it.
Seijuurou kept his distance from her, waiting until she was able to get the cloak off. As she stepped back, her foot came down on the fabric and his eyes widened. Gou faltered, tugging on the cloak to give it to him as she stepped on it. It pulled her feet from beneath her and, suddenly, she was falling backwards.
"Priestess!" As she fell, she was vaguely aware of his hands grasping her wrist and pulling her back. It was enough to help her regain her footing, but in his rush to save her from colliding with the ground, the good captain stumbled past her and missed the edge of the curb.
Gou whirled around, watching him as he tripped over his feet and collided with a wooden barrel beside a booth. "Captain!"
Water splashed up, wood cracked; freshly caught fish poured out and yelling from the fishmonger, whose catch they had just knocked all over, filled the street. Gou visibly grimaced as she looked down at the man sitting on the ground, his back and arms resting against a toppled barrel as he seemed to stare out in front of him with a look of disbelief, wondering what had just happened.
Seijuurou slowly lifted his eyes and met Gou's wide, red ones. They slowly narrowed. "Back to the knights quarters," he told her in a low voice. She bit her lower lip and stepped back. He pushed himself up and rose to his feet, never taking his eyes off her. "Now."
Gou swung her legs on the wooden bench pushed up against the wall that surrounded the courtyard. She had been told to sit there and wait for him while he went to wash himself off and change after she had wordlessly followed him back to the courtyard.
The captain was wet and reeked of fish, so he made her wear his cloak back in order to avoid having to carry it and passing the fishy scent to it. Of course, they couldn't leave until Captain Mikoshiba had properly apologized to the fishmonger and paid for the wasted fish. It always physically pained her to see him handing over a handful of coins just because he had come to her rescue once more.
As he bowed to the fishmonger, he sent her a look telling her apologize as well.
Gou stammered an apology while clutching his cloak against her chest. Then, they began the trek back to the courtyard. People seemed to steer clear of the tall, wet man as his boots made odd 'squish' noises on the ground with each step. Part of her felt embarrassed for him, while another part felt guilty.
She hadn't expressed her thanks for saving her - from both the attendants and a fall, even after she had yelled at him earlier. The walk back had been in silence and she wasn't sure how to break it. So, she dutifully remained. She was not ungrateful and told herself that when the captain returned after his quick bath, she would properly apologize and then thank him.
She just hoped he would return soon.
Gou sighed and looked around the empty courtyard. This was her first time there without one of the knights. When she had come to visit in the past, at least one of them or Captain Sasabe were present. The yard suddenly seemed foreign without them.
She stood up and slowly walked around. Practice equipment was pushed to the side, including a few dummies and targets. Wooden wasters were collected in a large barrel beside the storage door.
Red eyes flickered around. No one was watching...
Small hands grasped one of the wasters by the grip and pulled out. Giddily, Gou stepped back and held the wood practice sword up. From the tip to the pommel, it would've gone from the ground to her shoulders. She didn't think it was a long when she saw the knights lift them; then again, they were taller than her.
Walking to the middle of the courtyard, Gou tried to mimic a position that she had seen the knights doing. One hand went on the pommel, the other gripped lightly just below the guards.
Then she brought it down and felt her body being pulled forward at the weight. Her eyes widened as she quickly took a step forward to keep from falling. Perhaps she was doing it wrong. Lifting the sword over her head, she prepared to strike downwards.
"You're leaving your body open," a voice said behind her. Her surprised scream filled the courtyard in response.
"Ah!" Her hands immediately released the sword and she let out a yelp as it fell on top of her on its way to the ground. Her hands quickly rose.
"Oi!" The voice scolded. She rubbed her head, where the sword had fallen on top of, as she followed the male body that suddenly appeared beside her and bent down to pick up the discarded sword. "Don't just drop it; you'll damage the sword and hurt yourself."
Seijuurou grasped the grip and stood up in front of her, frowning as he dusted off the hilt. In front of him, Gou's eyes were wide as they raked over the smooth, taunt muscles of his bare shoulders, arms, and chest. Drops of water that came from his still-wet hair slid down his sun-tanned skin, hugging every dip and swell.
He looked back down at her and lifted his hand over her head. "Are you hurt?" he asked as he moved his hand gently over the top of her head, as if searching for some sort of wound. "These aren't toys, Priestess. They may be wooden, but they're still dangerous and you can get hurt."
He was too close. She could feel her face heating up as her eyes fixed on his strong collar bones and the flex on his biceps as he checked her head for injury. A large hand stroked her hair back soothingly and she swallowed hard.
"Priestess," he repeated as he lowered his arm and looked at her seriously. She wasn't answering and it was starting to worry him. "Are you alright? Does it hurt?"
"No!" her voice was louder than it should've been as her eyes dropped. Silently, she hoped he hadn't caught her staring at him.
"Are you sure?" Seijuurou asked.
"It's fine!" she insisted as she took a step back to try to distance herself. She looked up and cursed her decision. She could clearly see how his belt and pants hung on his hips and the bones and muscles and fit perfectly into them. His body was better than she had thought and the sight of it only half dressed made her skin suddenly heat up and flush.
Seijuurou's brows knit together as he studied her face and followed her gaze down to his stomach. His eyes widened as he turned around. "My apologies, Priestess!" he said. He quickly crossed the yard to get to a shirt that he had dropped when she released the sword above her head. "I didn't mean to show you such an indecent sight. Please give me a moment to dress properly."
Her hands were twitching, wanting desperately to stroke and study the firm muscle of the 'indecent sight'. Gou bit her lip and clenched her hands to keep them to herself as she watched the captain slowly pull the shirt over his body. He had gorgeous back muscles as well. It was almost disappointing to see the shirt cover them.
"It's fine," she muttered, seemingly entranced. He turned around and walked past her. Instead of putting the waster back into the barrel, he reached over and grabbed another one.
"Here," he said as he walked back to her and handed her a shorter sword. "This is a bit shorter and will be better for your height." Gou looked at the sword unsurely and made no move to take it. Seijuurou raised a brow. "Do you not want it?"
He was letting her use it? "Can it?" she asked carefully.
He chuckled and handed the sword to her once more. "If you're alright, yes. Let's see your guard again."
Hesitantly, Gou took the sword. He stepped beside her and held his waster in a guard stance. Furrowing her brows, the dark pink-haired priestess mirrored his pose. "Now what?"
"Extend your arms," he said, slowly doing the motion so she could follow. "Just as you feel yourself about to lean forward, pull back on the pommel," he instructed, keeping his eyes on her hands to make sure she was doing it correctly. "And take a step froward with your back foot."
She moved a step ahead of him. "Like that?"
"Don't take such a big step," he said. "But yes, good job. You just did a descending cut."
A wide smile filled her face. "Really?"
"Really," he chuckled. "For the priestess assigned to the knights, I would think that you've witnessed these enough to know what they are."
Gou let out a small huff. "I've never tried them, though. I'd watch my brother and the others before, but no one ever gave a sword and showed me."
"You should've done what you just did now and take one for yourself," Seijuurou told her. "Step back and let's do it again."
Gou nodded and followed his instructions. "That would've been inappropriate and I would've been scolded," she pointed out.
"I won't scold you," he told her as he adjusted the sword in her hands. "I like that you don't hold back."
Her hands tightened on the hilt and turned red as she went through the descending cut once more. "Captain," she began, trying to distract herself. "I apologize for my rudeness earlier today. I was upset and I took it out on you."
"I have thick skin; it was nothing," he told her. "Keep your feet apart; you need to be stable." She nodded.
"And thank you for helping me, too," she said as she drew her arms back. "You didn't have to." She made her cut. "You've helped me so many times already."
"What kind of a knight would I be if I ignored a young woman in need?" he pointed out as he circled her, checking her posture and making minor corrections. "You're not bad."
"Really?" she asked, turning towards him.
"Really."
"Can you show me more?" He lifted his head up and met her earnest gaze.
"More?" he repeated. Gou nodded.
"I've always wanted to try, but no one has bothered to teach me," she admitted. "Nor do they have the time..." She trailed off and smiled weakly. "Then again, you're a visiting knight. I doubt you have time to. Nevermind," she shook her head, retracting her request, and turned her gaze forward. "It was a silly request."
He watched as she moved through the cut once more. Her movements were jerky and her trajectory wasn't consistent, but she seemed to enjoy doing it. There was nothing wrong with that.
"It's not silly," he said solemnly. "And I have time at night, after I'm done here."
Gou stopped in mid cut and turned look at him, surprised. "Captain, you need not entertain my curiosity," she assured him. "You've already done much for me. I am already indebted to you."
"I could use the instructing practice," he replied as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. The young priestess lowered her slow lowered her arms. "Are you free after your duties at the temple?"
"Lord Samezuka," a man's voice said behind the wooden door. "A message from Captain Mikoshiba has arrived from Iwatobi for you."
From his seat, the head of the desert duchy rose. "Enter," he called out. The door opened and his secretary walked in, bowing as he handed the other man an envelope. "It's about time he replied. He's been there for a few days already...," he muttered out loud.
"Lord Nitori has also arrived for your meeting, Lord Samezuka. Shall I send him in?" his secretary asked.
"Give me a moment," the younger man said distractedly as his eyes scanned the letter.
The secretary said nothing as Lord Samezuka pulled the letter from the envelope and began reading. Two pages hardly seemed like a thorough report, but from Captain Mikoshiba's words, it seemed that there wasn't much to report on.
The noble's lips tightened into a frown. He quickly folded the letter and looked back at his secretary. "Send in Lord Nitori."
"Yes, my lord." The old man nodded once more before slipping back out the door. Lord Samezuka paced his office as he heard voices outside before the door opened once more. "Lord Nitori, my lord."
"Thank you, you may go," Lord Samezuka dismissed. The secretary bowed once more and left the two family heads in the room. Once the door closed, the head of the duchy looked towards the older nobleman and gave him a small bow. "You have excellent timing, Lord Nitori. I just received a letter from our good captain who is visiting Iwatobi," he said as he lifted up the letter. "Have a look."
Lord Nitori took the letter and unfolded it. "Is this all?"
"Unfortunately."
He waited in silence as the other nobleman scanned the letter. Lord Nitori's eyes narrowed. "I don't like what I'm reading."
"Neither do I, Lord Nitori, neither to do I," Lord Samezuka agreed coolly. "Captain Mikoshiba doesn't see the knights as a force to be controlled by the nobles, but carrying a duty to keep the peace of our duchy. If what he writes is correct and he sees no reason to get into a war with Iwatobi, we will have problems."
Lord Nitori tossed the letter on to the desk distastefully. "We need the Mikoshiba knights if we are to successfully go through with this plan of yours."
"I'm aware, but the Mikoshiba family won't give it up so easily and as an old, well-loved family, any force against them will be met with resistance from the people," Samezuka pointed out. "Luckily, we can go around them."
Lord Nitori looked at the duchy head suspiciously. "How exactly?"
"Just continue having those men spread the rumors," Lord Samezuka urged. "I will take care of Captain Mikoshiba."
Lord Nitori frowned. "Samezuka, I do not like the tone of your voice. I will have no part in the dismissal of such a talented knight who is loyal to the duchy."
"I will not be dismissing Captain Mikoshiba," Lord Samezuka assured him. "I will just make it so that his time here and his control over the Mikoshiba knights becomes quite limited."
A Note From the Author:
Hello! Thank you for reading! I will be a bit slower in updating the next few chapters due to a heavy workload at work. I appreciate your patience and your time!