Tohru blinked. She was in a comfortable bed--underwater?! Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she remembered last night.
(Begin Flashback)
It was dark. The sun had already set and Yuki and Ayame had escorted her to her room. They had apologized that they had to place her in this small room, but they couldn't risk letting the king know they had a visitor. Tohru had only gaped in astonishment. This room was bigger than the apartment she shared with Hana and Uo! It was plainer than the other rooms they had passed to get here, but she preferred it this way. There was a simple rug on the floor and a bed carved out of pink and yellow coral against the wall. Across from the bed, there was a large closet, which contained court clothes that would fit her. The last piece of furniture was a heavy-looking desk with a matching chair. Ayame had mentioned that her window overlooked the palace gardens while drawing the curtains shut. Yuki had pulled out a pretty conch shell the size of her palm. Then they had explained to her that she could communicate with them just by whispering their names into the shell phone. Then they had left her to rest, bidding her good-night. Approximately five minutes later, she was shook out of her drowsiness when she heard Ayame's voice whispering, "Tohru-chan! Tohru-chan? Is this thing on?" Tohru realized that it was her shell phone, so she slipped out of bed and picked it up.
"Hello?"she whispered uncertainly. Ayame boomed right back at her.
"Hello Tohru-chan! Here's the plan!"
"Um...plan?"
"The one I told you about in the library, dear Tohru-chan! Don't tell me you forgot already!"
"Ah! Operation Perfect Princess, right? But how can I be the perfect princess to c-capture Yuki-kun's heart?" By now she is blushing at the word choice Ayame had used.
In his lavish chamber, Ayame grinned happily, then said, "Easy! I set it all up already! Five other Sohmas will be helping you win Yuki's heart!??He paused to listen to her shriek of surprise with satisfaction. After she regained the power of speech again, she choked out, "H-how, Ayame-san?"
"Since you have no idea how to act like one, they will teach you how to dance, dine, and behave like a true princess! The schedule will be sent to your room along with your breakfast tomorrow. Toodles!"
And then he hung up.
Tohru had sat there, shocked for a few moments, then slowly put the shell phone down and glided back to bed. After twisting and turning for another hour, she finally fell asleep.
(End Flashback)
And here she was now. She threw back the covers and swam to the window. Pulling the curtains aside, she gasped in awe at the majestic sight. The palace garden was a beautifully lush place. From her vantage point she could see the entire three-mile cultivated area. There was a long, snaking path that wound all over and there were a lot of benches to rest on. Many different types of coral, kelp, and sea flowers grew there. Tohru was so busy admiring the beautiful garden that she failed to notice that somebody had come into her room until she heard a soft "ahem" behind her. Spinning around, she noticed a mermaid that looked a little younger than her, with curly black locks and dark skin. Her tail was an exquisite scarlet, and she was wearing a black vest with white buttons and a little poufy hat. She was holding a tray full of food and staring at Tohru with a curious expression.
"Ah! Good morning," exclaimed Tohru, bowing slightly.
The mermaid agitatedly said, "No, miss. You aren't supposed to bow to me. It's the other way around!" She had a beautiful voice that had a melodious accent.
"Ah! Sorry! I'm Tohru. What's your name?"
The curly-haired mermaid was confused. Who was this mergirl and why did she apologize to her, the maid? What if it was just a test to see how well she treated royalty? She decided to answer her question.
"Amina, Tohru-sama. I'll be your personal escort. Your breakfast is prepared." Amina showed her the tray that she had brought in.
"You don't have to call me Tohru-sama. Just Tohru."
Lifting the cover off, Tohru gasped at the enormous quantity of food the kitchen had made.
"This is a lot. Amina-san. Would you help me finish it?"
Seeing Amina's surprised expression, she hastened to explain. "It is too much for one person, and you look hungry. And I would love to have company."
The mermaid hesitated, then shyly lowered herself next to Tohru. Then she withdrew a tightly wrapped scroll out of her vest pocket and handed it to Tohru, saying that Ayame-sama wanted her to deliver it to Tohru. She thanked Amina and picked up a pair of chopsticks carved from yellow coral. Staring at the strange-looking food, she didn't know what to eat first. There was a big bowl of squishy purple jelly, three different kinds of kelp salad, and various fruit-like berries. Amina, however, had already started eating the salad, using her own chopsticks that she produced from her pocket. Feeling queasy, Tohru sharply reminded herself that kind merpeople had worked very hard to prepare her food and she should enjoy it. She picked a green berry the size of a apricot, and nibbled on it. A sour sensation overwhelmed her tastebuds, and then it turned sugary. After a few more bites, the berry stopped being bitter and became sweet entirely. While they were eating, Amina told Tohru about her job.
"My ancestors came from a far away ocean, thousands of miles away from Furuba City. My great-grandma, grandma, and mama have all served the Sohmas for many generations. I have been helping my mama do cleaning since I was six, but I'm old enough now to be an escort. My training ended on the last turning of the moon, so Ayame-sama wanted me to escort you." By that time, Tohru had finished her third berry and was sampling the purple jello. It tasted...fishy. She had a strong urge to spit it out, but instead she swallowed it and ate some kelp salad to get rid of the taste. Unlike Tohru, Amina had no problem with the fish jello; she devoured it with gusto.
After they finished sharing Tohru's breakfast, Amina bustled to the closet, saying that Tohru's top was not suitable in the palace. While Amina was busy ruffling through the various garments, Tohru unrolled Ayame's scroll. His handwriting was full of elaborate loops and cursive.
Dear Tohru-chan,
Good morning! What a beautiful day for
Operation Perfect Princess! If you're reading
this, it probably means that Amina already
gave it to you. Such a nice mermaid...
Anyway, your five teachers will be
busy having their own lessons,
but after lunch, they will be free.
All your lessons will be under one hour,
and you'll receive a five minute break between each one.
After lunch, Kagura will be teaching you
How to Behave (Like A Princess).
Hatsuharu and Isuzu will be teaching you
Dancing and Resisting.
Momiji will be teaching you
Dining Etiquette.
And
Kyon-kyon will be teaching you
Royal Ties.
Feel free to explore the
Royal Garden,
Or the
Royal Library.
Ta ta!
His Royal Highness the Sixth,
Ayame Sohma
Tohru reread the scroll, trying to figure out what resisting or Royal Ties were. They didn't sound all that fun. Finally she noticed Amina holding a dress.
"Tohru-san, put this one on!" Tohru stood up, and Amina helped her out of her blue swimsuit top and into the dress.
It was a wonderful dress, with a simple green floral print. It clung to her chest and waist, emphasizing them, then flowed freely around her tail. Amina then wound thin gold chains around Tohru's tail, then a matching bracelet and necklace. For the finishing touch, she teased Tohru's hair up into a ponytail, then tied it back with a shiny gold ribbon. Tohru really felt like a princess right then and there. Draping a matching green shawl around Tohru's slender shoulders, Amina asked her if she would like to visit the garden. Tohru joyfully agreed, and Amina confidently led the way. Tohru was glad Amina was there to escort her; without her, Tohru felt like she might've gotten lost in the endless twists and turns of the hallways. Finally, they reached the garden. Tohru breathed in the fresh air-er??water with happiness. Meandering through the many different beautiful seaflowers was very relaxing. Suddenly, Amina pulled her off the main road and onto a smaller trail. Gesturing for her to follow, Amina rounded a corner and disappeared. Tohru followed her, flapping her tail awkwardly. When she rounded the corner, she almost bumped into Amina. She slapped a hand over Tohru's open mouth and ducked behind a clump of seaweed. Amina pointed with her free hand at a merman who was gardening the little patch of land, filling it with blooming flowers and many berries, including the green ones they had for breakfast. Amina whispered, "Yuki-sama comes here to garden. Go talk to him!" Then she nudged her. Tohru swam out behind Yuki and waited for him to notice her. As if he sensed her presence, Yuki turned around and stared at her briefly.
"Good morning, Tohru. You look amazing. Did you sleep well?"
She blushed, and her heart pounded fast when she heard Yuki complement her. What is this funny feeling? Tohru was so flustered that she didn't answer Yuki's question until he bent down and waved his hand in front of her eyes. "Earth to Tohru."
The half-mermaid snapped out of it and blushed even darker than before. "Huh? Oh, yes! I slept great."
Yuki laughed. She looks so cute like that...wait--WHAT?
When he stopped laughing and looked confused, Tohru started to worry. "Um, Yuki-kun? What is this place?"
"This? This is my own little garden patch. Call it a secret base, if you will."
Tohru got excited. "Ooh, a secret base? The neighborhood boys would have one, but they never let girls go inside..."
While Yuki and Tohru were talking, Amina pulled a shell phone out of her vest pocket and called Ayame.
"Hello? Ayame-sama, this is Amina."
"Mina-chan! How are they?"
"Great! They'?�re chatting up a storm."
Ayame giggled, "Wonderful! I smell a beautiful flower blossoming. And its name is LOVE! Keep an eye on them a call frequently. Byeee, Mina-chan!"
"Good-bye, Ayame-sama."
After she hung up, she spied Tohru admiring Yuki's plants.
"Wow! These are really pretty flowers!"
"I only have small ones. If you want to, I can show you blossoms the size of a merperson."
Tohru, forgetting Amina, squeaked, "Really? Let's go!"
So Yuki and Tohru swam off, Amina tailing them and pouting slightly over being forgotten.
A/N: Whee! Chapter 9 is here! Tohru's lady-in-waiting, Amina (Mina-chan to Ayame), is in cahoots with "His Royal Highness the Sixth, Ayame Sohma." The plot thickens...
In the next few chapters, Tohru will meet the other Sohmas. (Imagining Tohru meeting Kyo...)
Tohru: "Hello, Kyon-kyon-san."
Kyo: "WHAT?! Who told you my name was Kyon-kyon?"
Tohru: -getting nervous- "A-ayame-san, Kyon-kyon-san..."
Kyo: "...AYAME!"
-giggles- I can't wait...
Extra fun fact! "Amina" means truthful/trustworthy in Arabic and Swahili, and later in the story, that's exactly what she will be... (Ooh, it's a HINT!)
Please R&R!
Ja ne!
mimi-chan
xxfirebubblesxx
