I do not own Princess Tutu.
:: Chapter 8: Rue's Castle ::
Ahiru swept the dirt across the floor impatiently. It felt as if she was back to her daily life; as if the everything else had been just a dream. How strange...
It had been one month since the ball. One month and there had been no sign of anyone. Mytho had gone within the first week to see Rue, and since then, no one had visited her, not even Fakir. He had promised her that he would come within a week, but it seemed that he had not managed to complete his quest after all. Or he had deserted her. The idea that he had forgotten her brought a lump to her throat and a twist to her stomach. She didn't want this because she'd seen his sincerity back then. She wanted to believe that he was coming for her. There had been a problem, perhaps.
But she was worried. For herself and for Fakir. What if he had gotten in trouble?
Pike had tried to comfort her. She had danced, sung and acted for Ahiru. But nothing had cheered up Ahiru's depression. She knew it was silly, and she would never have thought like this before. But now, she simply felt a little tricked for hoping for something that never came.
"Ahiru! Can you help me clean up the kitchen?" Pike asked in a sweet manner as she came into the room. "I'm cleaning the shelves and whatnot, but I would like your assistance to sweep the floor, if you don't mind."
Ahiru shook her head. "Not at all. I shall help you right away." She followed Pike quickly, and as she did, she winced in pain. Her back had been aching since at least a week ago, mostly due to her lack of sleep and food. She wasn't sick, but she didn't have the will the eat properly and she was too restless to sleep.
They went down to the kitchen, a breath of fresh air overwhelming them. Pike had obviously opened the large kitchen windows, and as Ahiru began to sweep the floor, she could smell and nearly feel the town's aroma. A strong odor of bread was in the air, a divine, mouthwatering smell of yeast. Then, also, the faint smell of old leather; leather that had been used in a horse's saddle or in boots. The smell of old leather that had lived a long life, that had been used so many times that it brought a chill to Ahiru's spine as she imagined all the things it had been through. Finally, the faint sound of horses trotting along the stone-paved streets, the sounds of people negotiating over purchases, the sounds of a sword being forged by a sword-smith, and finally, the faint sound of children laughing and screaming as they played a game.
All of it made Ahiru feel nostalgic, as she remembered where she had been truly raised. Even if she did possess some noble blood...did it really change anything? She was still the maid of this household, after all. But these little things had comforted her, and had made her realize that even if she did not possess all the fancy dresses and music, she was still content with this life.
This was what Fakir had told her. She was lucky because she could assimilate with the common folk, and see them with all their values. Maybe one day she could make him discover this feeling.
"Are you feeling better today?" Pike inquired, smiling. "I find that thinking early in the morning is the best way to relax."
Ahiru laughed. Pike had read her thoughts, as Ahiru had thought she would. Now that she came to think of it, perhaps Pike had asked for her help simply so that Ahiru could hear and smell the town early in the morning. "Thank...thank you Pike," she whispered like she really meant it. "Oh, and yes, I am feeling much better, all thanks to you."
Pike grinned deviously, obviously content that she had made her friend so happy. "I'm glad...You have been very somber these past days, and I was beginning to worry for your health."
Ahiru nodded. She grabbed a bucket of water and a piece of cloth as she began to scrub the floor. A whole minute went by before she began to talk. "I was just...worried. But—but now I realize that there is something nobles will never feel, and that is the satisfaction I feel after a long day of kneading bread, or from seeing the smiles that the children have as they come home from playing, even if they are starving and covered with mud. That is something I have felt, and...no one can take it away from me. Besides, I haven't given up on Fakir just yet. He gave me this pendant," she showed her the necklace, "as a promise, and I don't believe it's over just yet. I worry, though."
Pike seemed to be in heaven as she heard this. "That was very deep, Ahiru," she laughed. "You know, nobles sometimes think that they can feel this, when in fact they don't. If only they were not all so...decided on what the life of a maid was, they might come to find the little things in life that make a human being truly happy. To me, the jewels, the dresses...they're all lovely to look at, yes...but they're just materialistic things, aren't they?" Pike said. Ahiru looked a bit sadly at her friend, knowing how much she loved all the jewelry. "However, Ahiru, you must not hate a whole class of people."
Ahiru smiled sheepishly. "You're right Pike. I can't put all of them in the same basket...Lady Rue, Sir Mytho and even Fakir were all too good to me for me to be able to do that." She clutched the necklace.
"You keep mentioning Fakir in your conversations," Pike teased her. Ahiru flushed red, just a bit.
"It's—not like that. Fakir and I...we're friends. No, it's more than that...I can't tell you the details, Pike, but he and I share a history that we need to prevent from destroying him...and his family."
"It's...so fresh. To see you like this. I remember you would talk of Mytho all along, and I know that it did not end the way it was supposed to. But I'm glad, even if it's not love as you say, that you care for someone," she smiled, hesitating. "May I confess something?" Pike added.
Ahiru nodded, wondering what this was all about.
"I know this is going to sound silly but...you remind me of myself. When I was fourteen, I fell in love with a man. I was young and you might even say foolish. Every day, when I went to buy some bread, I would see him. He was tall and handsome, although he had no money at all. He earned his meals by entertaining people, by performing acrobatics and whatnot, and he stayed around for some time. A few times, I purposely bought too much bread so I could give him some." She stopped her tale to giggle at the stupidity of a young girl in love. "And he thanked me every time, and he would make me laugh so much...Oh, Ahiru! He called me pretty and we talked every time we had the chance to."
Ahiru waited, her heart aching already because she knew this was not going to end well. However, she wondered why Pike had never told her of this man. Seeing how she was not continuing her story and seemed to linger to hear some kind of response to her tale, Ahiru could not help but tell the truth. "He sounded like a gentleman."
Pike sighed as she continued her tale. "Oh, he was. But—well, one day, it seemed like everything was going to end perfectly for me. You see, he found a job as a blacksmith. He had finally found the stable job that he needed to live properly. He worked hard every day, and whenever he saw me, he would point me out to his master, and he even told him once: 'That's the girl who cheered me on, who did not give up on me. I think I may very well be in love with her.' I overheard this conversation once, and my heart fluttered with happiness. And one day, as I headed back home, he was there. He told me that when he had enough money, he would buy a small house on the outskirts of the town, and then he would marry me. I was in heaven, as you may imagine."
Ahiru smiled, wondering why she had never heard any of this. Pike had been working for Uncle since she could hold a plate in her hands. It grieved Ahiru that she had never chosen to tell her any of this. "But then, what happened?" she inquired.
"My happiness ended one week later. I witnessed the whole thing, so I know that this is the true story. It was a foggy day, and no birds were singing, as they usually were. I was walking up the street, passing in front of the blacksmith shop to go buy bread, when I heard the clashing of swords. I was a bit frightened, but I turned my head to look. What I saw scarred me for life: five soldiers were fighting against the man I loved, and at last, his sword fell to the floor. They grabbed him violently and yelled that he was under arrest for mass murder. He was taken away, and he saw me just as he was being dragged away. All he could say was 'I'm sorry.' And that was the end of my story," Pike said abruptly, turning away from the other girl. Her voice remained calm, but Ahiru could detect a few waves of sadness. "I've never told anyone because...I do not know why, myself. So you see, men of any station in life can deceive us. I don't hope that it will finish so tragically for you, though."
Ahiru caressed Pike's face as she hugged her tight. "I'm sorry Pike..."
Pike smiled, about to say something, when a loud, booming cry engulfed them. Uncle barged in, looking half furious, half shocked.
"Ahiru!" he roared, making her yelp. He was obviously drunk, but he did not seem in the mood to scold her.
"Y-yes?" She gulped, while Pike looked away to dry off her tears.
"This!" He slammed a letter on the table. "This is a letter written by Lady Rue. You must know who she is, surely," he said, his tone rather demanding. He let himself fall on a chair, looking at her for a response.
"I do know a Lady Rue, Uncle," Ahiru bowed, "but I do not see why she would do me the honor of writing to my uncle."
"Do you not?" He frowned, waiting. Ahiru shook her head, a bit afraid. "Humph! Well, she says here that you've made the most exquisite impression on her, and that she desires that you come to her castle for a whole week!"
The girl gasped, suddenly very stunned. She could not say a word, not even a whisper. She felt Pike tense up next to her.
"Well, I do not know how you bewitched her, but I have no wish to go against the wishes of such a noble lady. So you will pack immediately, and take the carriage to go over there," he ordered, looking at her with resentment. "Who knows? You might find yourself a nice husband and finally get yourself out of this house!"
Ahiru smiled slightly, bowing her head respectfully. There was going to be none of that, but it would serve no purpose to tell Uncle so.
"Begone from my sight!" he shouted then, as if his patience could no longer be stretched. She quickly curtsied again and hurried out of the room with Pike following closely behind.
She wondered how could the tables have turned in such a short amount of time. However, one thing was on her mind. This would be an occasion to find where Fakir had gone to.
And this would be a good chance to learn more about her family's whereabouts.
X
"My dear friend!" Lady Rue exclaimed, reaching out to take Ahiru in her arms. "It's been too long!"
Ahiru returned the hug, wondering if she had done anything special to deserve such effusive treatment. After all, the two had been acquaintances, perhaps friends, but they had not been on very close terms. However, she decided to be as kind as possible to Rue, who was her hostess after all. "Yes it has, Lady Rue," she said as she smiled sheepishly.
"Don't wait in this cold...Come along!" Rue said, offering her arm elegantly. The girl murmured a quick 'thank you' and took it gladly as they began to walk down the paved path.
The carriage had arrived in the middle of a huge garden, which actually looked more like a wondrous forest. With the large pond filled with ducks and the exotic plants growing everywhere, only the stony path made it clear that this was in an estate. The distant black fence that surrounded this beautiful place was not visible through the foliage.
"I'm sorry, Lady Ahiru. Your luggage shall be brought to your room. I made your carriage stop a bit early...I just wanted to show you around a bit. I know how much you love seeing gardens, right?" she asked, smiling conspiratorially. Ahiru blinked, cringing a bit at this. Had Fakir told her about their meeting? With her free hand, Rue brought a lock of her brunette hair back, her reddish eyes still looking intently at Ahiru.
The girl took no notice of the last part of her sentence. "Yes, thank you. I do love walking," she said a little stiffly, looking away and pretending to be interested in a plant. Just as she said this, she heard a distant 'quack'. Her eyes widened and she smiled. She had always loved ducks!
Grinning now, she watched all the small ducklings running everywhere. It was such a touching sight.
"Do you like ducks?" Rue asked, obviously noticing the grin on Ahiru's face. At Ahiru's enthusiastic nod, Rue observed, "You know...now that I see it, you remind me a bit of a duck." Ahiru blinked, her eyebrows rising. Was this a compliment? Or perhaps not. "I mean that in a good way, naturally!" she added, reading her expression. "Ducks are adorable, but always seem to be a little helpless. Yet, one will surprise you by flying away."
Lady Rue seemed sincere, and she did not have the courage to question her further on the subject. Ahiru realized she was exhausted. She did not have the energy to debate the topic further.
She decided she might as well hit the bull's-eye right away. "Lady Rue...do you know anything about the Capulesia family?"
They stopped walking and Rue raised an eyebrow out of curiosity. "The Capulesia family?" she asked and Ahiru nodded slowly. "Hum...well, I've heard of them. The nemesis of the Montecchi family. But all I've heard are only children's tales. Nothing more," she said dully, as she began to walk again. Ahiru stared at her back momentarily and then ran a bit to catch up to her pace. "Why are you interested?" Rue added, not turning around.
"Ah—that is, I..." Ahiru hesitated. "I want to learn more about the Montecchi family and I know they're closely intertwined with the Capulesia household...er, in a bad way naturally b-but..." shemumbled, at a loss for words.
Rue tilted her head towards her, grinning. "Do not worry. I understand. If you want to research more about them, I recommend my father's library. We possess some of the rarest works, and many books that deal with Verona, so if you are going to find anything on them, it has to be here. You are free to wander in and out as much as you want, Lady Ahiru," she told her, taking her arm again as they began to finally arrive to the castle. The castle was a magnificent thing, authentic and ancient, and Ahiru gave a little shiver. This had lived through centuries!
"Thank you..." she whispered, her heart suddenly a little more content. She wanted to ask her about Fakir's current location, but decided to tackle the subject later.
Looking back, Ahiru bit her lip. She hoped Pike was all right. She had left her so quickly that they had barely the time to discuss her problems. She gulped, suddenly feeling like a horrid friend. She would not forget to write to her.
X
Her search for information was mostly in vain, as the only new piece of information she had learned were the names of the Capulesia household: Lady Henriette was her grandmother, and she had but one son: Sir Federico, who had been betrothed to Lady Flora, which had ultimately led to...Ahiru.
She sighed heavily, throwing back her hair which she had let loose.
This felt like it had led to absolutely nothing. It was all good to know their names, but how on Earth would this help her find her grandmother? Her frustration seemed to have reached its limit, and she hated this feeling: she enjoyed being happy, serene and calm. But this whole search had made her cranky.
She stayed there another five minutes, until she heard footsteps approaching. She sighed, thinking Lady Rue would come to see how her search was going. She hid her notes, and pretended to be interested in a random novel that lay on the table.
However, as the person boldly stepped in, she realized it was not Lady Rue. At all.
"Fa-Fakir!" She got up, her tone a bit startled and squeaky. It was a surprise to see this man...now of all times. He looked as serious and as cold as always, although his hair was slightly messy."Why are you...?"
"I've come to my cousin's house and I learned you were here... Lady Ahiru, I believe I owe you some form of explanation..." He sighed, looking slightly sorry.
She was not of a spiteful nature, and she was too happy to see him to mind. She nodded, sitting back down and inviting him to do the same.
"You had me worried for a while...but I'm so happy to see...you," she mumbled, blushing, and quickly changed the subject. "Were any of your searches fruitful?"
"I'm sorry, I know you must be very mad at me..."
"Oh no...ah, I am not the type to dwell on these sort of things...I know it was impossible for you to write to me because of my uncle and...I just am happy to see you have not completely forgotten about me." She smiled.
He scrutinized her. "Anyway. Let's get to the point, shall we?"
"Yes!" Ahiru agreed, detecting a mild feeling of embarrassment in Fakir's face.
"It is all uncertain...But I am fairly certain that I have discovered your grandmother's whereabouts," he finally admitted. "I intend to go check on this tomorrow morning."
"Oh my..." Ahiru blinked, very stressed just at the idea of knowing her actual, living grandmother. "Um, Sir Fakir—?"
"Yes?"
"Would it be a burden to you if I came with you? I would really...well, um—like to meet her." She hoped this would make sense to him. He shrugged.
"I would not have wanted it in another way," Fakir assured her, sending her a goofy grin.
