Chapter 7: Wake Up A Princess
Warm and comfortable, were her first thoughts. It had to have been a bad nightmare. What had happened when she and Maria had been studying? One moment, she was studying with her ImÅuto and the next, she was being held tightly by a large clawed hand, soaring above the Isle of Japan. She wasn't even sure what part of Japan she had seen in her dream. Was it Tokyo or, more inland?
Her stomach growled from hunger. KUON! I was supposed to have dinner with Kuon tonight. I'm late! Her eyes popped open to a bedroom fit for royalty: feathered pillows and mattresses; purple silk sheets and comforters; fur-clad, marble floors; gilded mahogany doors; intricately carved mahogany furniture; walls covered in gold and silver embroidered damask tapestries; softly glowing, gold and crystal sconces and polished silver mirrors. "Where am I?" She breathed out in wonder. The room made her feel like a princess. She thought as she looked up at the gossamer silks draped on the large bed's canopy.
KNOCK... KNOCK...
"Who's there?" She asked with worry in her voice.
"It's just me." Answered the white-haired, handsome older male with golden eyes. "I brought you something to eat, Kyoko."
She furrowed her brow. "Who are you?" She asked nervously with a little bit of a pout. "And why am I here?"
He sighed as he sat a tray of bread, cheeses, fruits and meats with a small pitcher of grape juice on her bedside table with two crystal glasses, then sat on the antique armchair next to her bed. He sighed, took a strawberry and bit into it, before pouring the drinks. He thought a moment and finally answered. "Well... The answer to your first question is a little complicated and I'm sure that you probably won't believe me." He said a little sheepishly.
Her eyes narrowed and she raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow at him. "By all means... Explain."
Oh my... She does resemble her mother. "Well... I'm your father." He figured it would be best to just come out with it. Rip the bandage off, so to speak. There was just no other way to tell her after impulsively snatching her up like a maiden in a medieval fairy tale. He had finished the paintings, hung them and began thinking of her again. He had meant to approach her a bit more sanely but, once he discovered her identity, he couldn't resist.
"Sorry..." He mumbled to the floor with his head down in shame. "I didn't mean for our first meeting to be so... hmm, barbaric?" He chuckled wryly as he raked his fingers through his white locks.
Oh the things she wanted to say to this man that had left her to the fate of her mother, Yayoi Fuwa, Shotaro and his little worshipers. However, the strict mannerisms that had literally been beaten into her, forbade her from being completely disrespectful to this wretch of a man that would leave a pregnant woman and his unborn offspring. Could she even trust him to be truthful if she asked him why? Well, it couldn't hurt to ask and at least listen to the story that has to tell, could it? "Why did you leave?" Her tone was a bit more caustic than she had intended and she inwardly winced.
He sighed. "I would like to leave that explanation for another time my sweet daughter. I need for you to understand what we are before I can tell you. Then you will understand why I left your mother. All I can tell you on that subject at the moment is that I never intended to leave a child of mine without a father." He told her with sincerity.
She didn't understand why, but she could sense that he was telling the truth and although it got under her skin and bit into her heart, she would do as he asked. "I guess I can wait." Her tone was a little dejected. "But I need to let everyone know that I'm okay."
His eyes went wide with realization. "Oh! Sorry... I suppose my methods would be a little of a shock to those that didn't understand our situation." He motioned to the roll-top mahogany desk with gold hinges and handles, and beautiful little carvings of dragons and roses in the corner. "There's stationery in your desk. Just write a few words to those you wish to contact and I'll be sure that the notes are delivered to them quickly." He instructed.
"I'll write the notes, but I'm not so sure that's going to do it, Ue-sama. After what happened, they will most certainly not believe a letter telling them I'm okay." Kyoko reasoned in an almost scolding tone.
His eyes went wide at the vague honorific she had used and her reasoning to use more than just letters. "Kyoko... I'm your father. You need not use honorifics of that horrifying sort with me and as far as the contact with your friends, I will allow you to call them. I'm not a heartless monster." He told her with furrowed brow and a childish pout.
Kyoko groaned internally. "I appreciate the allowance, but as for calling you Father... I'm not sure I can yet. I'm not really comfortable with something like that and I don't know you."
He sat deeply in thought of his dilemma then looked up at his daughter. "I was known to your mother as Kazushi. You could call me that." He offered.
Well, I call Lory, Ruto and Kuon by their given names, even Date. "I suppose I could do that." Her stomach growled again.
He chuckled and offered her the plate he had brought for her. "Here, you must be hungry. After you eat I will give you a tour of our home and then you may call your friends after I pick up a phone for you to use tomorrow."
She gave him a weak smile at the reminder of being away from Maria and Kuon and nodded. "Thank you Kazushi-sama."
He sighed. "I suppose we'll have to work on that."
She called him when she was certain that he would be finished with his work and alone where they could speak to one another. She wanted to keep their call private. She knew how his new manager could be sometimes, a little overly excitable.
He answered the unfamiliar number that had dialed, wondering if someone had called the wrong number or, if it were someone he knew dialing from a borrowed phone. That someone being Kyoko.
"Hello?" His voice sounded a little hopeful but hesitant and broken.
He heard a sigh of relief. "Kuon?"
He closed his eyes and breathed out a breath of anxiety that he had been holding for days. "Thank god... Are you okay?"
"Mmhmm, I'm fine. I'm sorry." She apologized in a small voice.
He furrowed his brow. "Kyoko, you didn't do anything. What happened? Did you get away from your kidnapper? Are you hurt? Where are you so I can come get you?" He rapid fired questions.
She giggled. "I'm okay, Kuon. It was a misunderstanding. I was taken for my safety by my father. I'm going to be staying with him for a little while. He wants to teach me how to control myself. He saw me on the news at the parade and got worried."
He sighed in relief. "Are you sure you're okay? He didn't hurt you when he took you, did he?"
"I'm fine Kuon... He didn't hurt me." She assured him softly.
"I miss you Kyoko." He murmured into the phone.
She smiled. "I miss you too. Don't worry. I'll try to learn everything I need to quickly, so that I can come back soon and I'll try to write and call you as much as I can."
"I love you, Koi." He didn't want to stop talking to her, he was trying to avoid the inevitable ending of the call that he knew was coming up shortly.
"I love you, Kuon. I really need to call Lory and Maria. I just wanted to let you know first. I'll try to call again tomorrow." She assured him.
"Okay..." He sounded a little disappointed to end the call. "I get off work around seven or, I could just call you. The number's on my caller I.D."
She giggled. "That would be nice. I'll talk to you later?"
He smiled. The call had relieved him of a lot of stress and comforted him with the knowledge that she felt safe. "Okay... I'll call you tomorrow when I get off work." They said their good-byes, ended their call and he programmed the new number into his cell phone.
When all was said and done, she had reassured her adoptive father that she was safe. She had contacted Maria over the phone and was forced to talk to her by video-chat, due to the fact that Maria didn't believe her when she told her she was safe and unharmed and needed visual proof that it wasn't a lie to make her feel better. Lory explained to Maria after the call, what Kyoko's true nature was and how she needed to do this to protect herself and keep those around her safe. Maria understood this and made an internal vow to learn more about herself also and keep Ren-sama safe. It was the least she could do for her very special Onee-sama. She thought as she smiled softly while petting her large tarantula Gertrude.