Pinkshuchan: Hey guys! Hope everyone's New Year's have been good. I'm also glad that people are still enjoying my fanfic. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
Chapter 8
A Knight's Obligation
There's something tranquil about looking up at a snow white ceiling the moment you open your eyes. Your mind doesn't remember the pain and anxiety from before. Under a snow white ceiling, you feel relaxed, calm, at peace. It feels like you are floating in a world where there are no troubles; no worries. You are breathing with ease as your body is relieved of all the hurt. You wish that you could live like this for the rest of your life.
That was how she felt as soon as she woke up. She didn't know where she was or how she came to be there, but at that slight moment she didn't care. She was perfectly content as she stared up at the ceiling while lying on a soft bed. If she wanted to, she could probably fall back asleep. But she couldn't. No, it wasn't that she couldn't; it's more she wouldn't. Her intuition was telling her she needed to stay awake, for something was about to happen. She guessed right the moment she heard the door creaking open.
"Glad to see you're finally awake, Captain."
Misaki averted her gaze from the ceiling and looked over at the guests who had just came in. Standing there at the door were Naoki and Kamui. The two male knights were relieved upon seeing their captain finally awake from her slumber. They walked over to her, asking her how she felt. She simply responded with an 'I'm fine'.
"You gave us a scare when you appeared before us covered in blood," said Kamui.
Naoki nodded in agreement. "You passed out as soon you showed up, probably from all the blood you lost. Your wounds are fully healed by now, however you've been out for a whole day and a half."
She had been out for a day and a half? Misaki had wondered why her body felt heavy. She couldn't even sit up properly from the weight. She tried to recall the events that happened prior to now. She remembered how despite the deep cuts that were made onto her body she had managed to fly back to Naoki and Kamui, who had also come out of battle with injuries but they weren't as bad as their captain's. She also remembered that all the blood she lost with the amount of moving around she did had made her quite dizzy, thus the reason for why she fell unconscious the moment she reached the male knights.
Her eyes widened in despair as she regained her memories of what happened before that. The Black Winged Clan, the fact that they were after Aichi, a mysterious cavern underground that the lilac haired girl never knew existed, the lake that rested at the end of said cavern…
… And what had happened to Aichi.
"I must report to Her Majesty."
With haste, Misaki pulled the covers up from over her and tried to get out of bed, much to the surprise of her comrades. However the moment she tried to stand up, her legs trembled from the sudden movement and gave way. She would've crashed to the ground if Naoki hadn't caught her in time.
"Hey! You shouldn't be moving around so much after you've just got up Captain!" he cried out, "You should take time to rest a little more."
She glared at her subordinate. "There isn't any time to rest!" she cried out, "While we are here conversing like this, His Highness is… His Highness is…"
Misaki was trying her hardest to prevent herself from breaking out in tears. As captain of the knights of the Gold Winged Clan, she refused to show any weakness in front of anybody, especially in front of lower rank knights. Even so, that didn't stop her body from trembling in Naoki's arms. It was hard for the auburn haired knight to ignore it but figured it was best to not say anything. He didn't want to get in trouble for saying something he shouldn't.
"What happened to His Highness?" Kamui broke the ice, "Naoki and I can go tell Her Majesty in your stead."
The lilac haired girl shook her head. "No. This is something I must report myself. It was my responsibility to keep the prince safe… and I have failed. I must be the one who tells Her Majesty what happened."
The two knights stood in silence. The sight of their captain acting like this was very foreign to them, as if they were looking at another person who so happened to have the same face as her. The Captain Misaki they knew always had this air around her that appeared cold and unapproachable. She was stern and was not afraid to push the knights to their limit. There were even rumours that angering her would awaken horrible demons worse than the Void. Because of that, the rest of the knights always made sure to follow her orders in fear of her doing unimaginable torturous things to them if they failed to comply. But the person before them was not the same captain that brought terror to them, but rather she was a frail woman shaken up from the experience she had just gone through.
It was decided. Because they didn't want to see any harm happen to their captain and because she was stubbornly insistent that she go see the queen, they only agreed to let her go see her as long as the knights accompanied her so as she wouldn't collapse and that she was to remain in bed to properly rest right after. Misaki, although she didn't want to be treated as weak in front of her subordinates, knew she wasn't in the right state to argue. She could be stubborn but she could also be reasonable. She couldn't even walk at the moment without support. With no other alternative, she had no choice but to comply to their request.
Misaki was carried through the halls of the palace by both Naoki and Kamui, lending a shoulder each for their captain. Many of the knights and maids they passed by stared at them, showing deep concern for the leader of the knights who looked so vulnerable as she was carried. After walking through many hallways, they finally made it to the audience chamber.
Shizuka was caught off guard when she saw Misaki being carried by her knights. Concerned for the captain, she rushed over from her throne towards the lilac haired girl. "Captain! Should you be wandering around like this in your condition? I ask that you go back and get some rest."
The lilac haired girl shook her head. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but I had to come to you personally to apologize. I swore to both you and the princess that I would return Prince Aichi here safely… but I had failed to do so."
"What had happened to my son?"
Misaki looked up at the queen. To anyone else, the queen looked stern upon hearing the incompetence of not just a trusted knight, but the captain of all people. However, the lilac haired knight with her keen observation skills could tell that Shizuka was trying her hardest not to cry in front of them. She was afraid of what might be said to her regarding her son, praying that he had not shared the same fate of her late husband. She wouldn't know what to do if that was the case. Misaki explained everything that had happened that night; encountering the Black Winged Clan, the secret underground tunnel, word for word the discussion between Aichi and Ren, and the mysterious lake that turned to ice the moment the young prince fell in.
After hearing everything, rather than being perturbed by this, Shizuka appeared to be deep in thought. Hearing about a lake that turned to ice after someone went in; it sounded strangely familiar to her.
"Is there something you know about this You Majesty?" Misaki asked, "Is that lake dangerous or might we be assured that His Highness is safe?"
The teal haired queen broke out of her thoughts and looked over at the captain. "I cannot say if he is safe or not… but I think I do know what has happened." She said nothing more as she made her way out of the audience chamber. Unsure of what the queen was doing, Misaki became curious on what the queen knew. Considering she couldn't walk by herself without falling down, she was about to ask Naoki and Kamui if they could help her follow Shizuka. She didn't need to say anything though, for just as she was about to voice her request, the two male knights continued to carry her as they followed the queen.
They followed Shizuka into a room with nothing in it except for some steps that led to a mirror hanging on the wall and a lantern dimly lit on the ceiling providing some needed light. The knights never even knew this room existed before, not even Misaki who had memorized every room in the palace. But for what purpose did this bare room have to the queen and what did it have to do with Aichi's disappearance?
"If what you had told me is true, that lake is the legendary portal that send those that swim in its waters to Earth," Shizuka answered, as if she could read the knights' mind, "It was created for the purpose of heading to Earth should anything happen that would force us to return there. It had been kept hidden so as not to abuse its power. For extra measures, only Lord Takuto of the Silver Winged Clan has knowledge of the lake's location. After all, who better to keep an important secret such as this than the wisest winged being in the Cloudlands?"
Something was sitting right for Misaki. "If only Lord Takuto was supposed to know the location of the portal, then why does King Ren of the Black Winged Clan know about it?"
"He probably might've stumbled onto it like Aichi did," the queen replied, "That's the only reason I can think of."
"And what does this room have to do with the lake or regarding the prince's survival?"
"It's not the room itself," Shizuka looked over at the mirror. "In case something like this were to happen, I made sure to teach both my children what to do if they were to ever end up on Earth. If Aichi really is on Earth, then he should already know to do everything he can to hide the fact that he is a winged being and try to live among the humans until the portal opens up again."
"Uh," Kamui spoke up, "Not to be rude Your Majesty, but why couldn't His Highness simply come back?"
Shizuka frowned. "Remember when Captain Misaki said that the lake froze up after Aichi fell in? That was the portal closing itself, having used up its magic just to send him there. It will take a month before the portal opens up again."
A month?! The knights couldn't believe what they heard. So Aichi was now stuck in a foreign place for a month? They kept bombarding the queen with questions; asking things such as 'Is there an alternate way to get back to the Cloudlands from Earth?' or 'Was there a way they could protect him even if they weren't physically there?' But with each question asked, one thing could be noted; Aichi would have to protect himself for the whole month he is on Earth and there was no way he could return sooner.
It then occurred to them that they had no idea on what this room's involvement was with Aichi on Earth. Before they could ask, Shizuka answered as if she could read their minds. She told them that it wasn't necessarily the room itself that was important, but it was the mirror in the room that was. That mirror would be Shizuka's way to contact Aichi and see if he was safe. She was not sure if her son had been trying to contact her during the time he had been down on Earth, but she knew she would find out after getting through to him herself. The queen climbed the steps that led to the mirror and used the spell that was needed for the mirror to work. She only hoped that her son would be able to respond.
XxXxX
Aichi woke up from his nap after some time had passed. He didn't know how long, but he knew it was enough to re energize him once more. He sat up from the bed, glancing at everything within the apartment. It seemed like Kai had not returned yet. Did something happen to him? No, he was sure Kai was fine. He was probably just a little late.
His thoughts were interrupted with the sound of his stomach growling. That was right; Kai left before lunchtime so they weren't able to have lunch. Aichi got up and walked over to the kitchen; pondering about what he should eat. Aichi scourged through all the cupboards and the fridge, looking for something that looked satisfying.
"Aichi?"
Startled by the sound of someone calling his name, the blue haired boy rushed to the hallway. Was Kai home? He didn't even hear the door open. But when he checked, he found the hallway to be completely empty. Aichi stood there, puzzled by the peculiar feeling. He was sure he heard someone calling for him.
"Aichi? Aichi? If you can hear me, please respond."
There it was again. Someone was calling out to him. And he knew for sure that it wasn't Kai. That voice did sound familiar though; it sounded like a voice he had heard a lot of his whole life. He began looking around frantically, desperate to find out who it was calling him.
At the corner of his eye, Aichi saw an unusual glow. He turned out to see that it was coming from the TV. It was strange though, for he was sure the TV had been off this entire time. But before he could walk over to turn it off, a familiar face started to take form on the screen. He couldn't still be dreaming, could he? Was he really seeing what he thought he was seeing?
"Aichi? Is that really you?"
He had no doubts; that was his mother's face on the screen. Had he finally found a way to communicate to the Gold Winged Clan? He rushed over to the TV, his hands pressed on the screen as he could once again see his mother's face.
"Mother!" he cried, "You don't know how glad I am to see you. Nothing has happened to the Gold Winged Clan, right? What about Misaki? Is she alright?"
Shizuka was happy to see her son right before her. She wanted nothing more than to pull the young boy into her arms and hold him the way any mother would hold her child. But the touch of cold glass reminded her of how far apart they were. Reminded that she had been asked a question, she gave a gentle smile and responded. "Nothing has happened to the Gold Winged Clan. And Captain Misaki is slowly recovering from the injuries she had. She'll be back to her usual self within a few days."
Aichi felt relieved upon hearing that. He let out a deep relaxed sigh as he hung his head low. He had been deeply concerned for the lilac haired girl's safety. Had anything happen to her, Aichi would have been shouldered with guilt, not just because she almost got killed because of him, but because their last time together ended on such a sour note. Now that he knew she was safe, there was still a chance for them to rekindle their friendship, to let bygones be bygones, and by a month's time be reunited with nothing but smiles. "I'm glad that she's safe."
"I am glad that you are safe," said Shizuka, "You have no idea how worried I was the whole time I didn't know where you were. But now that I see that you are on Earth, all I can do is hope that you can return safely to the Cloudlands within a month's time."
The boy haired boy looked up and straight into his mother's eyes; his own cerulean eyes gleaming with determination. "You don't need to worry, Mother," he assured her, "I promise that I will come home soon." That confident gleam died down as he remembered something important. He had been filled with joy seeing his mother again he forgot that he needed to ask her something.
"Mother?" the young prince continued, "Are there supposedly any other members of the Gold Winged Clan here on Earth?"
That question caught Shizuka by surprise. She had never thought her son would ask that. "Not that I am aware of," she replied, "Why do you ask?"
So there weren't any. Aichi felt disappointed that there weren't any allies from his own clan here on Earth. "I ask because if there were, I could probably stay with them until the month ended."
"Where are you staying now?"
The big question. The blue haired boy knew that his answer would not please his mother, but he didn't want to hide the truth from her. He took a deep breath. "I'm currently… staying with a human."
At first, there was no response. All the queen did was blink a few times in reaction to what the prince had just saying. She repeated what he had said as a question, wanting confirmation. Aichi nodded hesitantly. Shizuka sighed. She didn't look angry but she did look disappointed.
"Aichi," she spoke disapprovingly, "It's too dangerous to stay under the same roof as a human. What if he were to find out you are a winged being?"
The blue haired boy laughed sheepishly as he scratched his head. "Yeah… about that… well, he… kinda already knows. I was unconscious when I got to Earth and…"
Misaki, who could hear the entire conversation from where she was, pushed out of her subordinates' hold and rushed over to the mirror in anger. "Your Highness!"
Aichi was shocked to see the captain there at first but his shock quickly turned to worry when he noticed her stumbling. Naoki rushed over and managed to catch her before she fell to the ground. Shizuka moved down the steps, for she could tell that Aichi and Misaki wanted to talk to each other, but stayed close enough since her presence is needed for the mirror to work.
"Misaki," Aichi cried out, "Are you okay? You look pale. You should rest or something."
"How can I rest knowing that you are trapped there on Earth for a whole month while with a human that knows who you really are?!" the lilac haired girl responded in frustration, "Time has erased the human's memories of the winged people to the point where our existence is considered a myth to them. If you have been found out, who knows what kind of danger you'll encounter. You must find another place to stay in until the portal opens up again."
"Where else should I stay? I have no idea about how to survive down here and there aren't any other members of the Gold Winged Clan down here. I don't have any other options."
"But that human knows you are a winged being! He could try to hurt you!"
"I know he won't."
"How do you know?!"
"I just know!"
Everyone in the room was shocked to hear the prince raise his voice like that. Misaki stared at Aichi, who stared back at her with a confident expression. She couldn't understand why he would go so far to protect a human, especially one who he had barely known in such a short time. Aichi continued on; his expression showing no signs of faltering.
"I know it sounds strange," he began, "I've only known him for a couple days so it's naive of me to trust him as much as I do. But despite this, when I ask myself if I can trust him or not, I feel certain that I can. He hadn't done anything bad to me in the time I've been here so far and he's gone through so much to help me."
Misaki managed to regain her composure after that statement, but it didn't mean that his words didn't affect her in some way. "Even so, that doesn't necessarily mean you can trust him. He could be luring you into some false sense of security-!"
"That's not the only reason." Aichi's expression softened as he brought his hand close to his chest. "I don't know why, but something inside of me keeps telling me that this is not the first time we've met. It's crazy since he's a human and I've never even came here to Earth until just this recently. Even so…"
Shizuka looked up at the mirror in surprise. Aichi's words had brought cause for alarm. How could Aichi find a human familiar? There were very few winged people around that knew of the lake's existence and even less of those that know the lake's location and humans most certainly have no way of going to the Cloudlands. The only way Aichi could find a human was if the human reminded him of someone else or…
Her eyes widened. It couldn't be that, could it? It was certainly possible given the circumstances. If that was the case, was Aichi truly safe? Misaki was thinking the same thing; she was unsure if she could really say that Aichi was safe with the person he was staying with. She was about to object more when Aichi's face returned to the determined look he had before.
"Misaki," Aichi looked straight into her eyes as he continued, "I understand that everyone is worried about me. I'm sorry to make you all feel this way. I never wanted to cause grief to you all. However, given the circumstances I only have one thing I wish to ask of you; to trust that I will be able to make it home in my own way." He grinned. "Besides, how can I be worthy of becoming the Gold Winged Clan's future king and be responsible of protecting everyone if I can't even protect myself?"
"Your Highness…"
"Don't think of it as me in danger. Consider this a test of how I can fare on my own. Or do you really think I'm not capable?"
The lilac haired girl shook her head. "I'm not doubting your skills, Your Highness. It's just…" She wanted to say that she was worried about his well being. She knew very well that not only was the prince well trained in swordplay and very intelligent in academics, he could also be very gullible. She worried that Aichi's very trusting nature could lead him into a danger he wouldn't be able to escape from. And the worst thing about it would be that she wouldn't be there to help him if that happened. She hadn't felt this helpless in a long time, not since back then.
She needn't say anything more though, for Aichi had known her long enough to tell that she was worried about him. He frowned. He was unsure of what he could say to ease her concern. He didn't think there was anything he could say. However, there was something he wanted to say; something he felt important to say.
"I'm sorry, Misaki."
Misaki's eyes widened from the sudden apology. "No, I should be sorry. I should trust you."
"No, not for that," The blue haired boy averted his gaze downward, finding it hard to keep eye contact with her, "Back at the library… those words I said… I really didn't mean it… I was just so frustrated that-!"
"Your Highness."
Aichi looked up to see Misaki staring straight at him with her hand pressed against the glass of the mirror. If she was really there with him, that hand would've rested on his shoulder, to gently assure him that she had no ill feelings towards him. But they were in two completely different worlds, only able to see each other through a looking glass. There was only another way she could express herself and let her feelings get through to him.
"It's fine," she replied, "We can talk about this another time. Just… come back home safe."
It got silent. Aichi didn't expect Misaki to say anything like that. Well, truth be told he did, but the way she worded it was different than he thought she'd say. She said to come home safe, but didn't bring up the importance he was to the kingdom or anything like that. Could he take it to mean that she personally wanted to see him safe; that like him she really cared about him, not as a prince and future king, but as a friend?
Not long afterwards did Aichi nod. Both prince and knight remained like that until Shizuka climbed back onto the steps. "Sorry to interrupt but the magic won't last much longer."
It was true; they had been conversing for a while. With little time left, they said their farewells before the connection between them disappeared, returning the objects of communication back to the way they were. Misaki still had her hand on the mirror, clenching it into a fist as she prayed for Aichi's safety.
After that, Misaki was carried back to her room where she could rest. After all, she could barely stand in her current state and it wouldn't be good for the kingdom to let her weakness be shown so easily. Plus now that she knew that Aichi was alright for the time being, she was a little more at ease. The moment she laid down on her bed, she slowly began to fall asleep, making sure she rested to bring her energy back.
Once they were sure their captain was resting, Naoki and Kamui quietly left the room. They walked around in silence until they got to the courtyard. After that, they didn't know what to do. Their prince was on Earth, their captain was bedridden. What could they do in that situation? Were they supposed to just sit around until Misaki was better? Until Aichi returned to the Cloudlands?
And then something occurred to Naoki. It really did surprise him to see Misaki act the way she did. Compared to her usual persona, she acted more reckless and overly emotional. And the trigger for that change was the trauma of what happened to the prince. He brought this up to Kamui while also wondering out loud why this would be the case, especially since it is a rule among knights to not let their personal feelings get in the way of protecting the kingdom and the royal family.
"It is because their relationship is more than just one between royal and knight."
Both boys turned around to see Shingo there. The royal advisor had a serious look on his face, obviously aware of the situation at hand. He walked towards the knights, his hands resting behind his back.
"This was something I had learned from my grandfather who was the previous royal advisor before he retired," Shingo began, "I don't know all the details but apparently His Highness and the captain are childhood friends. They've known each other almost their entire lives. From what I gather, the captain's parents were also once knights, which is possibly how the two were able to meet like that."
"I had no idea they were that close," said Kamui, "No wonder the captain acted the way she did."
The royal advisor nodded, pushing up his glasses. "The captain knows very well there's nothing we can do at the moment. All we can really do is wait until His Highness manages to return home safely himself."
Naoki lowered his head. He felt guilty about the whole thing. All he had wanted to do was the help the prince but this had to happen instead. If he had actually followed orders and made sure Aichi didn't leave the castle instead of making that stupid compromise, then this wouldn't have had to happen. If only he could do something to fix this, like if he knew how to bring Aichi back to the Cloudlands sooner or if the prince was stuck for a whole month like he's supposed to and he does manage to come back safely, to do something that would prevent the situation from repeating itself.
And then it came to him; the story of the Red Winged Clan. King Ren had told them that the Red Winged Clan was supposed to be real, but were exiled due to something called 'the tool'. Thinking about it, it seemed like Aichi already had the feeling the Red Winged Clan was real, but did not know anything else about them. It would be a lie to say that this mystery did not make the auburn haired knight curious, but his gut was telling him that uncovering this mystery could possibly be very important. Plus, maybe the prince would actually stay put once he learns everything?
"Hey, four eyes!" Naoki spoke up, "What do you know of the Red Winged Clan?"
Both Shingo and Kamui stared at the auburn haired knight in surprise. What made him bring up that topic? Adjusting his glasses and regaining his composure, Shingo replied, "Just about as much as anyone else would know; they are a clan of myth. Why would you ask such a stupid question?"
"What if the Red Winged Clan was actually real?"
"That's absurd! There is no proof that they exist!"
"The night of the incident, I came along with His Highness to these castle ruins. His Highness seemed sure that that was the Red Winged Clan's castle, but when we bumped into that Black Winged King guy, he confirmed His Highness's suspicions."
"So wait," Kamui spoke up, "Does that mean the Red Winged Clan really does exist?"
"Wait just a moment!" Shingo interrupted, "If the Red Winged Clan truly isn't fictitious like we were to believe, then where are they now?"
Naoki shook his head. "I was told that they were exiled… I don't know where though. But I'm going to find out!"
The auburn haired knight was about to turn around and walk away before Shingo swiftly glided over and blocked the knight's path. "Now hold on, you idiot knight! I don't know if you are aware but King Ren is quite infamous for his deceiving nature. He could be sending you on a wild goose chase."
"But suppose that-!"
Shingo brought his hand to cover Naoki's mouth. "That is the key word; suppose! That does not necessarily mean that the existence of the Red Winged Clan is a fact."
Naoki grabbed Shingo's wrist and forced his hand off his mouth. "Maybe, maybe not. I'd still rather see the truth than be kept in the dark about it."
The royal advisor sniggered. "A knight has more important things to do than go on some silly adventure just because he's curious."
"I'm not doing this for myself," Naoki stared at Shingo with a determined look, "I am doing this for His Highness. He constantly went out of his way to free himself from the binds everyone kept him under because he wanted to know the truth behind the Red Winged Clan. I can't just sit back and laze around while there's something like that troubling His Highness. As a knight of the Gold Winged Clan, it is my obligation and duty to see to it that His Highness is not distressed, no matter the reason."
"Yes, that's a knight's obligation but…" Shingo was at a loss for words. Usually he would be able to argue with Naoki no problem due to the level of his intelligence. But at this moment, the auburn haired male looked very serious and sure, talking like an actual knight and not some imbecile in armour. Could he have finally matured? No, no one could possibly mature like that in such a short time. Even so, there was nothing else to explain it.
With nothing but silence answering him, Naoki continued; his eyes glowing with confidence. "I'm going to search for those answers to help put His Highness at ease, and you ain't gonna stop me."
"And just where will you find them?" Shingo, who had finally recovered from his surprise, asked.
Naoki just shook his head. "I don't know, probably back at those ruins? I'll figure it out" Noticing that he wasn't gonna get anything but backlash for his choice of action, he continued to walk away.
"Wait!"
Kamui, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke up. He ran over towards Naoki and stared up at him. "Listen Naoki! Those Black Winged guys could still be there at the ruins. Who knows what they'd do to you if you go there."
He had to admit that the younger male had a point. He hated to admit it, but the Black Winged Clan definitely had a lot of strong warriors among them. He could still remember the battle he had against the big guy, the one the king called 'Tetsu'. Even when Kamui rushed in to help, it wasn't enough to take that guy down. It was a good thing though he had a sense of morality and honour, otherwise he would've killed them both. Instead, he only wounded them just enough to call the fight over before backing off and leaving to search for his king. Naoki could feel his entire body ache just remembering everything. But if it was a bad idea to head to the castle ruins in case the Black Winged Clan was there, where else could he go to find the answers he needed?
The raven haired male continued. "However, I do know some guys who might be able to help. I'll even take you there myself!"
Both Naoki and Shingo were surprised by Kamui's words. "But Kamui, what about the princess?" the auburn haired knight asked.
Kamui nodded. "It's true that I decorate myself to protecting the princess."
"I think you mean 'dedicate', Kamui," Shingo corrected him.
"Whatever! For me, protecting the princess is most important! But I will still do anything to help His Highness if there's something I can do. And if what Naoki said is true, this could not only help His Highness, but possibly the entire kingdom too. After all, it distresses both Her Majesty and the princess when His Highness goes off like this."
This time it was Naoki who was at a loss for words. He never thought that anyone would be willing to help him. He couldn't stop a big smile from creeping up his face. He was happy that he had a comrade joining him and thus he didn't have to do this alone. He placed his hand on Kamui's shoulder.
"It's good to have you on board!" Naoki exclaimed, giving him a thumbs up. Kamui grinned and nodded, returning the gesture by giving him a thumbs up of his own. They were about to leave until…
"NOW WAIT JUST A MOMENT!"
Shingo, who was fuming from the two knights ignoring him, stormed over towards them and halted them by grabbing the collars of their armour. "You'd be mistaken if you think you can just leave without orders from Her Majesty or the captain!"
Naoki scratched his head. "Well obviously if we ask, neither of them will let us leave."
"Exactly! Therefore you must stay put!"
"Well, sometimes you've got to break rules if you want to do good."
"You call that 'doing good'?! I call it being rebellious!"
"Shingo."
Naoki was looking straight in the royal advisor's eyes. Shingo was trying to avoid his gaze but failed. He did not like the way the auburn haired knight was staring at him. It made him feel rather uncomfortable, like as if he was in the wrong or something. But there was no way he was in the wrong, right? He was trying to keep everything orderly so the kingdom wouldn't fall apart. There was no way he was going to let a couple of knights disrupt that order just because… they wanted to do something that may be helpful to the prince...
"Shingo," Naoki repeated himself, "Don't you want to do anything to help His Highness? Or are you that obsessed with following whatever order keeps you from doing what you feel might be right?"
The royal advisor just stood there in thought. He didn't know how to respond to that. After a minute he did take a breath as he was about to retort, but nothing came out. There had been something nagging inside of him that something was wrong, but he chose to be blind about it. He treated the prince's actions as a form of grief for his late father or a rebellious state considering his age. Never had he thought that prince would be desperately searching for answers of something that had been kept hidden from everyone and with reasons unknown. He let out a sigh of surrender as he kept his gaze away.
"I can't promise I won't say anything about this if this is addressed by either Her Majesty or the captain," he replied.
Naoki smiled. He knew Shingo wouldn't be completely keen on the idea, but it was assuring that he wasn't trying to intervene anymore. He gave his thanks before he and Kamui flew off to their destination. Shingo was left alone in the courtyard, looking up at the sky. He let out another sigh.
"I really hope that what you're doing is for the best."
Pinkshuchan: And finally the chapter is done. Probably not one of the better chapters I've written, but these were events I felt needed to be addressed in the story. I didn't want the characters that are still in the Cloudlands to just sit around until Aichi returns, so every now and then there will be a chapter that focuses on the events in the Cloudlands. Next chapter will go back to focusing on Kai and Aichi so until then! Read and Review!
