The small group made their way slowly down the stone path that led to the private beach. The wind was cool and slightly salty on their upturned faces, playing with Mimi's chestnut locks until she was forced to tuck it out of reach behind her ears, lest she stumble over the uneven terrain when it was swept into her face.
"Oniichan, did you tell our parents where we were going?" Takeru asked, struggling with one of the heavily laden baskets. He was beginning to wonder if Shin had packed them rocks to eat.
"No, but I alerted the guards. They'll be posted at the entrance of the gardens, as usual." Yamato replied distractedly. Better to ask forgiveness than permission. He had read that somewhere, but the name of the book escaped him at the moment.
"So, they won't be joining us?" Mimi turned around, holding the front of her dress down modestly, just in case the wind decided to play any ungentlemanly tricks.
"No, princess." Yamato said.
"Good." She was decisive, and had a curious tone of relief in her voice. "Because I don't know if we would have had enough food for all of them." Yamato tried—with limited success—to hide his amused smile, not wanting the girl to think he was mocking her.
Privately, Jyou thought that they certainly had enough to feed a larger army than the one stationed in the palace, or at least that's what it felt like to his aching arms. This princess was certainly a bit strange, unlike anyone he had ever met before. Of course, he hadn't come into contact with many human girls, except for some of the maids and the serving wenches—though some of them were tales in and of themselves—so his indirect interaction with the princess was interesting. She didn't work like the other girls he knew, and seemed inclined to assume everyone would take care of her. At the same time, she was charming and sweet natured; Takeru seemed utterly captivated by her, though it was hard to discern exactly how the older of the two princes viewed her, Yamato almost seemed torn between amusement and light irritation in his regard.
Jyou felt each sidelong glance from the older prince like lightning moving up his spine. This was going to be even more difficult than he had previously imagined if he couldn't even force himself to make eye contact with the other boy. He supposed he had just wanted to see if there was any sort of truth to all the rumors that had been circulating about Prince Yamato and Princess Mimi. One serving maid had remarked that she had heard from a guard, who had heard it from his friend, that the two had been kissing in the gardens last night.
It wouldn't be the first time… Jyou found himself thinking, a tad sourly.
***
Ryo mumbled something untoward concerning womankind in general as he scrubbed down the dust-streaked wall of the currently unoccupied horse stalls. Heaven and earth only knew how he had allowed himself to be convinced to stay, though he had a feeling it might be something to do with the massive blows to his masculine pride she had so skillfully dealt.
He had tried to sneak out, a bit irked over the fact that the master of the stables refused to pay him fully for the work he had put in. It had been hard enough prying the money out of his grasping fingers, not to mention with the deductions for "room and nourishment" it didn't add up to much to begin with. Of course, he really didn't have any right to complain; most of his fellow stable boys weren't even receiving wages for their labor…then again, most of them weren't smart enough to ask.
***
"And where do you think you're going?" The voice had called out from behind him, causing Ryo to halt in his tracks with the guilty expression of a criminal. He had turned to face his accouster; only before he could get a word out she was already moving closer.
"You're Ryo, right?" When Ryo nodded his assent, the girl had sighed, running a hand through her closely cropped red hair. "Well, you've been assigned to the royal party delegation, to take care of the horses on the trip. I'm supposed to tell you to go and get fitted for some suitable attire this morning after your chores have been finished."
"Sorry. I'm leaving." Nice and brief, or at least that's what he had hoped it would be.
"Why would you want to do a stupid thing like that? Get thrown over by one of us girls?"
Obviously the expression on his face showed how close to the mark she had been, and a knowing gleam entered her rich brown eyes. Before she had a chance to say anything else, Ryo quickly spoke.
"It's none of your business. Besides," Looking at the serving wench, he remembered eating dinner sitting across from her upon occasion, which would explain why she looked so familiar. "I'm not the one who was constantly claiming that I was going to marry the prince someday!"
Her face fell swiftly, going from a cheeky grin to a hurt expression that made Ryo feel lower than the muck he scraped off the bottom of his shoes at night. That had been a low blow.
"All right, that's true." Her voice was downcast and subdued. "But at least I knew it was a dream all along. Just because you got closer than I did, doesn't mean you have to shove it in my face."
"Wha…WHAT?!" Ryo dropped the canvas bag from his shoulders with a heavy thump. "How did you…I mean, what would…did you…WHAT?!"
"I saw you two talking in the garden one night. I'm not stupid, you know. Unlike some people here, I can put two and two together." Now her voice was growing stronger as she faced him. "I didn't really know for sure, though…until you reacted like that."
"Did you tell anyone?" He gulped.
"I'm not the type given to gossiping about things that could…hurt others." She stared him in the eye for a long time before finally continuing. "You're a coward."
"C-coward?! Hey, listen, I was planning on leaving anyway! Yamato has nothing to do with it!!" It was obvious she didn't believe him. "I'm looking for—"
"It doesn't matter. You're just running away. You know…it was hard to give up my dream at first." Ryo tapped his foot impatiently; the sooner this girl got done with her lecture, the sooner he could get out of here!
"But then, something strange happened; as time went on, it began to hurt less and less. Before I knew it, another dream had taken root. One always comes to take the place of the dead one…if a day comes when it doesn't, then you might as well die with it." She was looking past him at something Ryo didn't see, a dreamy smile crossing her face.
"So you found another guy." Ryo said, still inwardly upset at the slight to his masculine bravery. That snapped her out of her reverie.
"Yeah, if you want to put it like that." She replied, looking as if Ryo had shoved a lemon into her mouth. "But at least I didn't run away."
"I'm not going to run away!" The words were out of his mouth before he had time to think properly.
"Sure…" He voice was doubting, which just made Ryo even more irked.
"I'm not!" He insisted hotly, sounding much younger than he really was. "I'll be in that room before you are."
The girl fixed him with a glare, but then she smiled at the boy in spite of herself, both of them stubbornly refusing to give an inch, staring each other down…it was amusing in a way. "I suppose I'll see you in the fitting room, right? Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go talk to Shuu—" The way she said his name left no doubt as to who the current object of her affections was. "—About a few more things and pack my bags."
Ryo said nothing, knowing he had been deftly outmaneuvered, but still trying to clutch what little pride he had left carefully around him. Suddenly it did seem kind of funny, the two of them standing in the dirt and dust, exchanging insults and glaring at one another; what a fine pair of consorts they would make!
"Hey! What's your name?" He called after her rapidly disappearing figure. She at least owed him that much.
"It's Jun!" She called back over her shoulder, tossing him a wink.
***
Okay, so maybe it wasn't completely her fault, Ryo reflected. With his current assignment it wasn't as if he was going to spend a lot of time around his ex-lover anyway. The castle that contained the High Council was quite a ways off, as a matter of fact. Perhaps it would relieve the itching of his wandering feet for a while, and he was beginning to feel as if this place was…well, as much a home to him as any other.
Briefly he considered thanking Jun for making him stay, but then decided against it. He just wouldn't tease her quite so much about her crush on the "prince of the kitchens" while they were en route and fulfilling the duties of their stations. He sat up to wipe the dust off of his forehead and sent a quick, bemused prayer winging Shuu's way; he was going to need it dealing with that girl.
***
Takeru was surprised, upon opening his picnic basket, that Shin had packed them rocks, four to be exact. Underneath was an ornate, though moth-eaten and obviously rarely used, picnic blanket. The three boys worked at spreading the gigantic spread while Mimi watched from her nearby perch on a flat largish rock a few steps away, looking over what Shin had packed with a critical eye. Jyou positioned each rock at its proper spot at the corners before the boys stepped back to view their handiwork. The sound of the ocean filled the air, as did the tang of salt saturated winds blowing in from the calm waters. Behind Mimi, one could see the blue of the water kissing the horizon, extending into infinity.
Yamato began unpacking the remaining baskets, flopping down upon the blanket with a heavy sigh. Takeru soon kneeled beside him, with Mimi following to recline in a demuringly languid position. Jyou watched them from an outsider's perspective, feeling uncomfortable. It had taken him so long to fully comprehend how to act and respond to royalty, having never come face to face with anything resembling monarchy in his whole life. However, his lessons had been well learned, and now he felt like an outsider pressing his face to glass, unable to touch what was inside no matter how close he might be. There were times when he held on to his realization that these princes were still people…nothing more or less, but it was difficult when so many people held them in such esteem and awe.
His mixed emotions came to an abrupt point when Takeru finally noticed that he was standing. The younger boy motioned cheerfully to the older one, smiling.
"Jyou, come sit over here!" He called, pointing at a spot in between his brother and Mimi, across from Takeru himself. Jyou found himself shaking his head, ingrained lessons overriding his basic impulse to do as the boy suggested. It wasn't…proper. Takeru's smile faded and he looked confused. "Jyou, what's wrong? Did I do something to offend you?"
Yamato looked up at these remarks passing so naturally from his brother's lips, as if it was of dire importance what a kitchen boy thought of him! Yet…Yamato could almost understand his brother's emotions; he had a sneaking suspicion that this was that same boy he had met in the courtyard that one morning, the one that had to be reminded to bow and had left without being dismissed…the boy he had met so many months ago, washed up on the shore as if forcefully ejected from the ocean itself.
It was strange…but there was something about the boy that made you want his approval. He carried himself as if he was unaware of the difference in their rank, as if he had to remind himself of what constituted as the proper behavior around royalty. He had no inborn awe of the princes, Yamato realized, remembering the boy's muteness and the way he had stared into Yamato's eyes without guile…like he had been born that very second and had yet to grasp the way the world worked. Most likely that was the reason, Yamato thought to himself.
Yamato, unlike Takeru, hadn't taken the time to take a good long look at the merboy's expression. He hadn't recognized the swift intelligence quickening behind those twin ebony windows, the affection to be read like words off a page for the younger of the two princes. Takeru's eyes grew more bewildered as he read the merboy's face.
"No? Then what is it? You're my guest…you can join us. Please come and sit down."
"You can join us"? Jyou found himself echoing the sentiments in his head, puzzling over them. I can't…that's the problem.
Yamato fixed his eyes upon the kitchen boy's face for the first real time, all perceptions blown away in a single instant. His heart skipped a beat at the awareness locked in the other boy's gaze; a bird trapped in a cage, beating its wings against the bars frantically.
"Please." Yamato wasn't aware of the word leaving his lips, and yet there it was, suspended in the air like a bell's distant echo.
And Jyou took his seat quietly, not allowing his inner turbulent emotions to mar the surface of his face.
Both Mimi and Takeru inspected the sudden tension between Yamato and Jyou with confusion, but didn't make a sound. Yamato spoke again, turning his eyes towards the expanse of water in the background. Jyou knew these words were also meant for his benefit, though.
"I'm sorry."
Had the merboy known how rare and priceless those two words were coming from the crown prince, he would have prized them all the more.
***
Takeru smiled at his guest, an angelically sweet curve of the lips. "Jyou, you seem distracted. You want to go swimming, don't you?" Jyou regarded the younger of the princes with frank amazement; how was it that this small boy could comprehend so fully what his emotions were?
Jyou had been looking out upon his homeland, wondering if this was anywhere near Valley of Iridescent Coral. He had only been there once of twice in his lifetime, but most of his brothers regarded it as a favorite haunt. Though it could be dangerous, considering how close it was to the surface, the adventurous boys could always be counted upon to bring back a branch of the amazingly colored coral for their sisters. It became a game to see who could find the most vibrantly colored sprig, often taking dangerous risks to obtain it.
The Princess Mimi would probably like that sort of thing, Jyou decided, recalling how his youngest sister's quiet gaze would smolder with adoration when they presented her with her share of the spoils, not to mention his other sister's squeals of bliss. Jyou had decided it was probably further to the south, though; much too far to swim to today. It was a bit of a pity, he was sure that Prince Takeru would appreciate a branch as well.
Still, to feel the salty water's caress on all sides of him, no boundaries as to how far he could swim, the familiar weight of water moving through his lungs…the longing in his eyes was palatable.
The sand was harsh against Jyou's hands as the group sat on the beach, watching the waves roll in and out in a steady comforting melody. Yamato was sitting closer to the water than the rest of them, allowing the waves to tickle his feet as he wandered through a familiar memoryscape.
"The water looks wonderful!" Mimi exclaimed. She had left her shoes on the picnic blanket like the rest of them, and was currently engrossed in the feeling of working sand into the crevices of her toes. "It's such a pity I can't swim…"
Takeru looked at her, eyebrows arched in surprise. To him, she might as well have said 'it's a pity I don't know how to walk', or breathe. Living by the ocean as the royal family did, it was almost impossible to conceive of not knowing how to swim.
"Go ahead," Takeru said, turning back to Jyou. "I don't mind if you want to go swimming, and I'm sure no one else does either."
Jyou turned the thought over in his mind for a few moments before struggling to his feet and slowly taking off his shirt. Mimi made a noise behind him, and he turned to find six pairs of eyes watching him expectantly.
"How indecent!" Mimi continued, turning her face to the side. "Why on earth are you disrobing in front of a lady?!" Jyou blushed and hurriedly groped for his shirt, clumsy fingers unable to grasp its folds, almost as if it was burying away from him into the sand.
"Milady." The voice was Yamato's, almost inaudible over the rolling thunder of the surf. "One can hardly expect him to swim with all his clothes on. I'm sure he wasn't going to take off his lower garments. Your purity is still intact."
"You mean, you have to expose your body when you swim? How horrible!" Mimi exclaimed, drawing the folds of her dress closer, as if afraid someone was going to rip them from her and demand she jump into the water. Yamato sighed; sometimes he thought girls were a completely different race entirely.
"Well, I suppose you don't really have to," Takeru explained. "But I think it makes things a lot easier. If, for example, you were to try and swim in your dress, you'd probably sink."
"Swimming nude is the best." Yamato couldn't help but smirk at the scandalized blush that wrested control of the younger girl's features. It wasn't very nice of him, teasing someone so innocent, but he couldn't really help it. Watching the other boy "disrobe", as the princess had put it, had been…nice, until they had gotten sidetracked on to this pointless debate.
Yamato found himself half wishing Jyou would take his snide comment at face value. That would be interesting…for many reasons.
The boy's skin had a healthier tinge to it than the last time Yamato had seen him, like alabaster with the lightest dusting of rose-pink blush. There were faint scars running along his back that hadn't been there the last time, that was a bit worrisome, but the overall effect was of ever-changing blue framing a single perfect statue made of the finest white stone, the ocean providing a sparkling backdrop for the ethereal picture.
Jyou walked into the water, and, without warning, Yamato wanted to yell at him to stop where he was, not to go any further. Yamato had the most bizarre feeling that the kitchen boy was going to vanish from their very sight, that the ocean would claim him for its own once again. He was trying to grasp on the edge of a dream, even as he began to wake up.
The waves seemed to part around the dark-haired boy; he didn't stumble as most people did when confronted with the pounding of the surf. He was a part of the water, moving with the very rhythm of the water carrying him along. His head ducked beneath the waves, eyes opening as their thin protective sheath came into play to shield him from the salty water's effects. He inhaled a deep breath of water, rejoicing as the comforting heaviness filled his lungs once more.
It was hard to swim without his fins, but by clamping his legs together and wriggling in the same manner he was used to, he found he could pick up a nice bit of speed. A huge rock jutted into view, lording over the surrounding area, its peak providing a timeworn island about five feet square. Fish were swimming in and out of pockets in the rocks. Had Jyou been hungry, he might have caught one to eat; it had been a long time since he had tasted raw fish…but he was still full from lunch and was too sluggish to put any real effort into stalking and capturing his prey.
His goal was quite a way out to sea, but Jyou thought he could make it with ease. The sun was still high in the sky, a golden halo flickering through the distorting water, and he rather thought it would be nice to stretch out on the rocks for a bit, soak up some warmth.
***
"It's cold!" The princess squealed, Takeru having coaxed her down to the water's edge. She jumped a bit as a wave reached up to touch the hem of her skirt, giggling.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." Takeru said wisely, unconciously scanning the ocean for some sign of his friend's head. He was getting concerned, though Jyou's dark hair might make him difficult to see in the water, Takeru almost thought he hadn't seen the other boy come up for air once…as if the ocean was a giant maw that had opened and swallowed the kitchen boy in one fluid gulp.
Yamato was pacing back and forth, foam and water sloshing in his wake, the bottom of his pants clinging to his skin for dear life. He was obviously just as worried as Takeru, even the princess was looking at the waves now and then, as if trying to fight off a growing anxiousness. Finally Yamato's eyes fixed on one point that met the horizon.
"I think I see him." Yamato remarked, reaching to pull his embroidered tunic off. He motioned to a small island a ways from the shore. Takeru's eyes widened.
"Do you think he's trapped there?" Takeru asked.
"I don't know," Yamato admitted. "But I'm going to find out."
Mimi had demurely turned her gaze from the half-undressed prince, but remarked "Please be careful…it wouldn't be very nice if you drowned!"
Yamato didn't answer, too busy wading into the waves until he was far enough to swim, his blond head moving up and down like one of Takeru's wooden bathtub toys from when he was a child.
***
The sight of the ocean stretching around him brought an old song to Jyou's mind. Though he might not be able to vocalize the notes, the music swelled inside his head as he gazed out upon the water. It was a lullabye, a nonsensical sweet tune about a quiet mermaid that liked to sit and watch the fish swim by from her hiding place in a bed of swaying seaweed. The song documented her slow transformation into a plant herself, until by the end she moved with the current she so loved for all eternity.
A strange sound struck a discord with the melody, like someone crying inconsolably. There was a splash to the right of his perch on the rocks, and the mornful sound grew louder, punctuated by a fit of coughing. Jyou swung his gaze to meet the source of the noise, only to fall back against the rock with a harsh thud.
Chestnut brown hair, slick and beautiful as one of the exquisite castle tables, which was kept perpetually polished until they shone like stars. Eyes, the color of grass on a clear morning, dew-laden with tears.
His youngest brother stared up at him.
End of Part Nine
To be continued…