Sunflowers: Hey, hey, hey!
Matt: (gasps) SHE LIVES!
Sunflowers: For once, I agree with Matt, five months is WAY too long. BUT I HAVE MY REASONS!
Matt: Here we go!
Sunflowers: First, my computer broke down, witch took weeks to get it to run properly (my parents do not believe in repair people), and then I got really bad soft tissue damage and a hairline fracture on my foot, so I spent some time in the hospital, and then I found out that grade 11 is a lot harder than expected!
Matt: OK… that was full of grammatical atrocity. But anyways; Read On, you might see ME!
FICTIME!FICTIME!FICTIME!FICTIME!FICTIME!FICTIME!FICTIME!FICTIME! FICTIME!FICTIME!
Chapter 3: Tell me, Princess
This ought to have been a lovely, comfortable nighttime scene. Torches illuminated the otherwise dim room. The walls were of smooth gray stone. A red oriental rug stretched on the floor, beneath a large and comfortable looking chair and a wide mahogany table. The thick oak door was closed and bolted, keeping the room peacefully quiet.
What truly destroyed the calm atmosphere was the man sitting in that very chair, admiring his trophies mounted on the wall. Like many men who hunted, Tybalt Motamiya attached his prey's heads to plaques and placed them on the walls of his lounge. What differentiated Tybalt's trophies from other hunters' was the fact that his hunted weren't animals. Human heads aligned his walls. The base of their mounts and severed necks were stained with their own blood. Some of them had their mouths hanging open, as if surprised that their life had ended like so. Their gaping dead eyes stared right back at the large, wicked man who put them there. Many strong-stomached men would have vomited at the gruesome sight, but Tybalt usually looked at them with arrogance and pride, knowing that he had won and they had lost.
At that moment, however, Tybalt was glaring lividly at one plaque in particular. Contrarily to the others, looking at this one always made him angry. There was only one difference between this plaque and the others that surrounded it, and it was this difference that enraged Tybalt to no end.
This one plaque was empty. The gold-haired thief, whose head was to be on this mount, had not yet been captured. That fact infuriated Tybalt more than anything.
The head guard gnashed his teeth and cracked his knuckles, feeling humiliated after today's little spectacle. The brat had been right in his grasp, surrounded by twenty, twenty fully armed soldiers and he still managed to escape. Him, a mere boy against men trained to fight battles and wars for an entire country. Tybalt growled. He knew that the little bandit was smart, much smarter than the guards that pursued him. Was the boy even smarter than Tybalt himself? Was that why catching him seemed like catching smoke with your bare hands; seemingly simple but almost impossible? No, he refused to believe that that criminal, a child who has not yet faced the tests of manhood, could be cleverer than he, Tybalt Motamiya.
He ran a
hand through his unwashed brown hair and continued to glare at the
empty
plaque.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Meanwhile, the boy in question tried gulping down a few breaths to keep himself from hyperventilating. When that didn't work, T.K. attempted to assess his situation. Locked in the palace. He was locked in the palace. Stuck in the place of his dreams to meet his worst nightmare. Ignoring the Irony of these circumstances, T.K. cursed himself.
'Wonderful,' he thought. 'Just wonderful. I could have gotten away. I could have escaped. But NOOOO, I JUST HAD TO THROW AWAY MY MONEY, PRACTICALLY TEAR MY MUSCLES APART AND GET LOCKED INTO A HUGE STONE PRISON SWARMING WITH GUARDS! ALL OF WHICH ARE UNDER ORDERS FROM THE GUY WHO WANTS TO RIP MY HEAD RIGHT FROM MY SHOULDERS!'
While he was mentally scolding himself, he instinctively started walking around, slowly. When you're in a particularly dangerous situation, it isn't very wise to just stand stock still awaiting capture. T.K. looked around, his every sense heightened and alert for any sound. A nearby torch crackled, making T.K. jump back in surprise. And right into a marble stand holding a rune-like multicolored glass vase that looked more expensive than his own weight in gold… actually more like Tybalt's weight in diamonds. The delicate piece of pottery fell to the hard floor and shattered, the crash echoing throughout the silent halls. T.K. surveyed the damage and gulped.
'Genius T.K., you've really outdone yourself. Nearly being killed, getting locked into the castle and now breaking a priceless vase and probably waking up the whole palace. While I'm on a roll, maybe I'll wake up Tybalt and tell him he needs a haircut and a few pointers on hygiene! What was I thinking? What was I thinki- WHAT WAS THAT?!' He froze, blood draining from his face, as he heard soft, quick footsteps. Something was walking the halls, and getting closer. He had no idea what it was, and did not want to stay and find out.
He bolted down the twisting hallways, wondering what it could be; the steps were too quiet to belong to a full armored guard, no nobleman would rise before dawn and T.K. did not want to deal with rats at that moment. He didn't even notice when the steps sped up, turning into a run, his own frantic breathing drowning out their sound.
He did, however, notice when he ran straight into someone, knocking the both of them down to the ground and began rolling down the hallway, one on top of the other. When they finally hit a wall and stopped rolling, T.K. sat up. He groaned, paying no attention to the person he was straddling, his eyes shut from the pain in his nose. He rubbed it, as it was sore from being bashed into someone else's forehead. His eyes snapped open. Forehead?! No soldier was that short. He both heard and felt the person below him gasp.
He slowly shifted his gaze to the one he was currently lying across. When he saw who it was, his eyebrows shot up and heart leapt to his throat.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Kari tossed and turned in her bed, unable to find slumber. She sat up and punched her already soft pillow a few times and falls back down to attempt some sleep. And failed. She couldn't understand how she had suddenly developed insomnia. It wasn't not as if she were trapped in living hell. Odaiba was everything she and her parents could hope for. The palace was gorgeous. The nobility was pleasant, despite being a little snooty. The food was delicious and featured many of her favorites. And Prince Yamato, or Matt, as Tai called him, proved to be a handsome gentleman. And it was wonderful to see her goofy older brother again after so long.
And it wasn't just her. Yolei was also enjoying herself, immediately spotting Ken, one of Prince Matt's young guards, and engaging him in conversation. Which, in actuality, meant that she did most of the talking whilst the quiet, dark haired young man listened and blushed. Kari smiled at the memory; perhaps the purple headed girl aught not have started of with "Hello, I'm Yolei and you're gorgeous.", but that was a manner of opinion.
This really was the best arrangement that one could expect.
So why did she keep picturing the nameless bandit she had seen on the street every time she closed her eyes?
She sighed and kicked her covers off. She certainly could not sleep now. Slipping a thin robe over her lace trimmed nightgown, Kari put her slippers on and tiptoed out of the room so she wouldn't wake Yolei.
She
walked down the torchlight hallway, looking for the kitchens. She
hoped that one of the cooks could make her something hot to drink,
like tea or hot chocolate(1). She completely ignored the fact that
she had no idea were the kitchen even was. It was only after going
down two flights of stairs, up another one, through a hall full of
mirrors, around a group of snoring guards and into another hallway
that she admitted she was lost in the enormous castle. How anyone
found their way around this place without a map
was beyond
her.
Right when she decided to turn back a loud crash echoed through the palace halls, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. What could have made that noise? Curiosity getting the better of her, she began walking briskly toward were she thought the sound might have originated. She was almost there (she hoped) when she heard an entirely different sound; fast, thumping footsteps running away. Without even thinking about how very stupid it was, Kari ran after it.
'Who could be running in the middle of a palace in the dead of night?' she thought as she ran through the palace in the dead of night. The halls twisted and turned in every direction. Left turn, right turn, middle fork, u-turn, it was impossible to keep track. It certainly didn't help that her nightgown kept tripping her.
Just when she was bending over to lift her skirt up, she ran straight into a tall someone. Both going to fast to simply stop, they crashed to the floor and began a spinning, tumbling ride down the hallway until they hit a wall and stopped; Kari pinned down beneath the stranger.
She shook her head to get rid of her dizziness. She felt the person on top of her groan and sit up. Kari opened her eyes and gasped; the boy from the street, the one that had permeated her thoughts the instant their eyes locked, was straddling her. His eyes were closed and he was rubbing an obviously sore nose. As if on cue, his eyes snapped open and shifted to meet hers. Those eyes seemed even more beautiful the second time.
"It's you." He said breathlessly. He then seemed to realize that he was lying right on top of her. His face flushed as leaped up off of her. He extended his hand to help her.
His hand was large and rough, but gentle as he held hers. His long fingers caressed her small, soft hand as he pulled her up from the floor. She looked up into his eyes, those beautiful pools of blue that had captivated her at first glance. He stared right back at her, as if looking for something in the windows of her own soul.
Their silence was broken when the boy started to talk. He started talking VERY fast.
« I'm sorry princess! Truly I am. I didn't mean to run you over. I just really didn't want to get caught trespassing. I'm in enough trouble with the law as it is. Not that it isn't nice to officially make your acquaintance. I mean, you've been on my mind all- I mean your arrival has been, Oh boy. » Kari had to try very hard not to laugh out loud. He was babbling and even beginning to blush. This boy was being just too cute.
« What's your name? » she interrupted. The blond blinked a few times before answering.
« T.K.. My name is T.K. » Well, he kept his answer considerably shorter.
Kari felt her eyebrows raise. « T.K.? Truly? That's your name? »
« It is now. My mother used to call me something different, something longer, but I can't remember it. Most of my memories of her are fuzzy; she died almost twelve years ago. Since then, I've been T.K. »
« Oh. I'm sorry… T.K. »
« Don't worry, yu-your majesty. »
« Kari. I can't stand that stupid title. »
« Alright … Kari. Do you know, I mean, do you have any idea how to get out of here? »
The princess shook her head. « Actually, no. I have no idea how to even get back to my room. »
The blond sighed. « Well, we can't just stay here. The guard shift should be changing right before dawn. »
« Are you suggesting we just start walking and hope to find the right path? »
« Got a better idea? » When the girl of his dreams replied that no, she didn't, T.K. took her hand and the two started walking.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Tybalt Motamiya's night had not gotten any better. First, a fairly stupid servant interrupted his fantasizing about a screaming teenage boy drenched in his own blood to deliver his midnight snack. Then, he found that the useless lackey had delivered his meal so late that the rabbit pie was ice cold. And, just as he was about to flog the skin off the buffoon's back, another servant came and told him that the Prince wanted to see him.
Well, he couldn't keep that spoiled brat waiting, could he? What was with young men these days? They were pampered princes, outlaw orphans or bumbling morons like his own son. But at least Davis achieved some form of intelligence when he had a sword in his hand. No one could deny the fact that Daisuke Motamiya was the best young fighter that the soldier barracks had seen so far this year. It really was a pity that he had to follow every pretty girl around like some love-sick puppy. His thoughts were once again interrupted when, before he knew it, he was at the crown prince's door.
And, before he knew it, he was storming out of Prince Yamato's bedchamber. That little twit had called him to find out what time the horse barracks would be open! He was no stable boy. Tybalt Motamiya was a man. Tybalt Motamiya was an angry man. Tybalt Motamiya was an angry man stepping on a piece of broken glass.
He yelled out in rage (not pain, a little piece of glass in his foot was not considered enough to merit a yelp of pain). He looked down to see a priceless vase shattered on the floor. Someone had been in here. Someone who didn't belong. Where were those guards? Five armored guards just ran in, still blinking sleep from their eyes. Tybalt saw red.
These men were in for a rude awakening.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
T.K. and Kari had just reached the top of another staircase when they heard it.
« YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGH! » an intense cry of utter fury shook the floor. It was a miracle that no one else woke up. Kari turned to her companion to see the blood drain from his face.
« Tybalt. » he whispered. He had heard that scream all too many times when he escaped from the head guard and his men. He clutched the princess' arm tightly and pulled her to a run. He was not staying there too long.
So they were back to running through the twisting hallways. They probably would have kept going if Kari hadn't heard snoring. 'Yolei!' she thought.
« WAIT! » Kari said. She grabbed onto a door handle and flung it open. And there was her room, complete with a sleeping lady-in-waiting. She pulled the blond into the room with her and locked the door.
T.K. looked around, admiring the beautiful room with awe. Of course, they eventually fell back onto the beautiful girl who was catching her breath in front of her balcony. Balcony?
« Perfect! » He rushed past her and looked over the ledge. It was only the second story (not too high) and there was some soft looking grass right below. He was about to climb over the railing when-
« Wait! » he turned around to see his princess, standing right behind him. « I'll never see you again, will I? » T.K. blinked, 'Why did she care?'
« No, you won't » he answered, trying not to seem as disappointed as he felt.
And then he felt something completely different from disappointment. Kari's soft, full lips had just slammed themselves on top of his. T.K. was having his first kiss. He closed his dinner-plate wide eyes and kissed her back. Soon, it wasn't just her lips on his, but her fingers in his hair and his hands running down her body, taking in every perfect curve lest he forget it. It didn't matter that he had to run, that they had to breathe. They were each other's air. Lost in their own nirvana.
At least, they were until a particularly loud snort from the sleeping Yolei caused them to jump away from each other. While T.K. got used to breathing oxygen, he remembered that the guards would change within the hour.
« Goodbye. » He half-whispered before jumping off the balcony. He landed somewhat awkwardly before he took off running to the gates, hardly daring to believe what had happened that night.
Kari stared after him from that balcony, touching her lips. That's when Yolei actually woke up.
« Kari! Have you been up long? Did any thing interesting happen? »
Kari just looked out the window, at the rising sun.
'Yes Yolei,' she thought. 'It was a VERY interesting night.'
FICOUT! FICOUT! FICOUT! FICOUT! FICOUT! FICOUT! FICOUT! FICOUT! FICOUT! FICOUT! FICOUT! FICOUT!
Sunflowers : That was a bit longer than usual.
Matt : And WHY am I not in this one again?
Sunflowers : Yeah, you were.
Matt : IMPLIED!! And what's with T.K.? Does he have Superman's stamina or something?
Sunflowers : Just because YOU failed gym class doesn't mean you can pick on your gorgeous little brother!
Matt : Says Miss 55/100!
Sunflowers : I still passed. Read & Review please!!!!