Yippee! Thank you to all those who have reviewed. I really appreciate the feedback since I'm still rather amatuerish at updating my stories real quick since I don't get to use the computer all the time. Oh yeah, err...Just to clear things up. I put Kimiko with green eyes since I've seen it's common for Asian girls to have green eyes (in cartoons and anime) I mean and I wanted Raimundo to seem more passionate and doe-eyed and unique since blue seems too common.
Love Is Ultimately Blind
Chapter 10: Untitled: Day Two of Return
She awoke to find herself in a totally different bed, the sheets royal blue instead of a deep violet. Instantly, she panicked. She sat up and scanned the room, frantically. Her green eyes were wide open and her breathing was fast. For a moment, she was about to scream but logic took over and she remembered all that had happen the day before. She let a soft sigh escape her lips and fell back against the pillow, closing her eyes.
She judged that it was just before sunrise as the maids haven't come in to wake her up. She gave herself a small smile and then she tossed her blanket aside. She sat up and stretched, yawning in a very unlady-like way. She laughed softly, not because of the yawn but because of the fact that there was no one here to reprimand her on the proper etiquette of a lady.
She searched around for her silken robe and found it draped over the foot of her bed where she had left it last night as she laid down in her bed and cried her eyes out. She had finally managed to fall asleep after a long period of crying which left her with no more tears.
Kimiko grabbed her robe and drapped it over her shoulders, feeling much warmer than she had in the tiny pink nightdress. She drew the curtains of the floor to ceiling windows, allowing in the first morning light and opened the French windows that led out onto a small balcony. The morning air was cool and refreshing. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breathe, savouring the sweetness of the air. In the distance, the Sun was just rising, making the sky a beautiful mixture of pink, purple and orange-yellow.
Since there was no one around, she allowed herself the most genuine of smiles ever since she had left with Iruka. She sighed deeply and rested her elbows on the railings of the balcony and rested her chin on her hands, all the while a smile on her pretty face.
True to the Romeo and Juliet sequence, there came a familiar boyish voice from below her balcony. "Morning, Kimiko," he whispered with a slight wave of his hand as he headed to the stables.
Much to her relief, it was only Iruka. Not wanting anymore Romeo and Juliet replays, she headed back into her room, shut the French windows and locked them. She sighed and opened her wardrobe, closing her eyes and randomly picking a cream coloured silk top that buttoned at the front and black pants that were boot cut. Then, she left and prepared for her day.
Half an hour later with her hair smelling like vanilla and her skin fresh and clean, she headed out to the stables and saddled Mareal. She lead her baby out of the stables, all the while crooning to the mare. She stroked Mareal's side lovingly, telling the mare how much she had missed her and how happy she was that Raimundo hadn't decided to sell her.
Once she had reached the palace gates, she jumped onto Mareal and clicked the reins, digging her heel into Mareal's side, urging her into a fast gallop. Kimiko wanted the adreneline rush just as much as Mareal did after having been cooped up inside her stable for so long without a good and long run. Kimiko tugged gently on the reins, urging Mareal into a walk as they neared the town but the mare didn't obey so Kimiko tugged harder. "Patience, my baby," she soothed, patting Mareal's neck as the horse slowed down. "When we return home, then we'll have a nice long run."
Mareal harrumphed and nodded as if she agreed. A few passerbys stared at her with awe as she passed but she just gave them a friendly smile and a 'good morning'. Mareal clipped and clopped into town and she earned a few curious stares from the village people but none of them looked at her twice. Judging by her clothes and well-groomed horse, she was of high-ranking and they were not worthy of her presence.
As she reached the centre of the town, she slid off Mareal and lead her to the fountain where a loving couple was sharing a loaf of bread. Even the pigeons were enjoying a little love from each other. Kimiko sighed and tugged off her riding gloves, tucking them into the back pocket of her black pants. "Be a good girl and don't run away, kay?" she asked as Mareal dipped her head to drink from the fountain.
She ran a hand through her messy hair, smoothing it out and then headed to a random shop. She pushed open the door and was instantly greeted by the sound of bells tinkling from above her. The store smelled heavenly; the smell of bread baking in the oven. There were loaves of bread cooling on wire racks on each shelf, all in different shapes and sizes.
Her intention of coming to town was not to purchase items, it was actually to reaccquaint herself with the once familiar town. The smell of bread hit her at once and sent her thoughts back to when she was still a maid, working in the kitchen to help Lara. She quickly shook her head and brought herself back to the present. The store owner, having heard the tinkling of the bells appeared from the kitchen and Kimiko squealed in delight.
BACK AT THE PALACE
Raimundo knocked gently on the door in front of him. There was no answer. He knocked once more, being tempted to knock down the door. Just as he was about kick the door down, wondering if something bad had happened to the guest inside, a hand landed on his shoulder. "She left earlier this morning," a voice said from behind him, making him turn around.
Iruka stood there, a smug smile on his handsome face. "Why?" he asked, noting the bouquet of red roses behind Raimundo's back.
"Nothing!" Raimundo declared too quickly.
Iruka shrugged but knew something was up. The red roses totally gave it away and Raimundo wasn't making a big deal of hiding it. "Okay," Raimundo sighed, slumping against the wall and sliding down to the floor. "Just promise you won't tell Kimiko before I tell her. Agree?"
Iruka smiled and sat down on the floor in front of Raimundo, tilting his head to one side. Raimundo just scowled at him and as he threw the roses to one side, he groaned. "This is going to sound rather stupid and sappy," he said, glaring at Iruka but his friend just went on smiling. "I was going to ask Kimiko to the annual masked Valentine Ball."
Raimundo covered his face with his hands and peeked through his fingers to look at Iruka's expression, just in case it wasn't pretty but Iruka hadn't moved or even removed the smile from his overly calm face. In fact, it seemed as though his smile had widened into a handsome grin. "Are...you...okay, Iru?" Raimundo asked, a little shakily, scared by the super grin on his face.
Iruka leaned forward and slapped Raimundo hard. "There. That's better," he said, standing up and dusting imaginary filth from his black trousers. "I finally slapped some sense into you."
"What for?" Raimundo asked, still on the floor. He was wearing a pissed-off look on his face.
Iruka leaned down and whispered, "Kimiko will never accept your request if you approach her like that. Since when did she ever like roses?"
Raimundo stared at the bouquet of roses that were lying a few feet away from him and then back at Iruka. Raimundo just sighed dramatically and shrugged. "All females like roses so..." but he trailed off as he saw the look on Iruka's face.
"Kimiko is not like other females, doofus," Iruka said, frowning angrily. He muttered softly, "And you want to court her."
"If you're so smart, help me."
Iruka's eyes lit up and shrugged. "What do I get in return?" he asked, evilly.
Raimundo lay flat on the floor and laughed hysterically. Iruka raised an eyebrow and looked down at the laughing one, wondering what he found so funny about a simple request. "You want something in return?" Raimundo asked, still laughing and rolling about on the floor. "You must be out of your mind."
Iruka pouted and folded his arms across his chest like a little kid. "Whatever," he said with a wave of his hand. "You wouldn't be able to give me anything anyway."
Raimundo stopped laughing instantly and stood up. Iruka gave him a curt nod and turned, walking down the hallway. Raimundo watched him leave. 'He must be crazy. I wonder if Kimiko knows,' he thought, a grin forming on his lips.
Just then, Iruka turned around and gave Raimundo a death glare. "Do you want my help or not?" Iruka asked, frowning slightly at him.
Raimundo just smiled and picked up the discarded bouquet of roses before going after Iruka.
IN THE VILLAGE
Kimiko rushed herself into the arms of the elderly lady that had emerged from the kitchen and breathed in her familiar scent of cooking. The elderly lady just smiled and patted Kimiko's head like she was a little girl. "Oh Lara, how I've missed you," Kimiko exclaimed, breaking away from the warm embrace. "How good it is to see you again."
"It's good to see you too, Kimiko," Lara replied, wiping her hands which were covered in flour on her apron. Kimiko's hair was now covered in a light dusting of white flour, turning it a snowy white.
Kimiko was on the verge of tears but she had kept a solemn promise to herself to never ever cry, though she never actually kept the promise. She had missed Lara dearly after she left the palace to live with Iruka after Raimundo had proposed to Ashley and she had known that she would never be able to love him again. 'No, wait. Raimundo had called off the proposal,' Kimiko thought, her lips forming a small smile at that thought.
Then, she frowned. 'Maybe he didn't actually call off the proposal,' she thought, negatively. 'Maybe Queen Toria had got a wrong impression. Maybe he decided to postpone it.'
She sighed deeply. "What is the matter, Kimiko?" Lara asked, seeing Kimiko's long face and hearing her deep sigh.
Kimiko dismissed her question with an elegant wave of her hand. She stood up straighter and lifted her defiant chin, her dignity and pride returning to her. "It's nothing," she said, absentmindedly, smoothing out the invisible creases in her dress.
Before Lara could ask anymore, Kimiko launched her own question. "How about you, Lara?" she asked, smiling brightly though the smile never touched her eyes. She still was pretty down, having a very pessimistic mind. "What are you doing here in a bakery? I thought you couldn't bake."
Lara laughed long and heartily. Kimiko was surprised at the laughter but she didn't say anything, wondering what was so hilarious about her simple questions. "What is so funny, Lara?" she asked, raising a perfect eyebrow.
"It's nothing, Kimiko," Lara replied, going to her desk which was in a corner of the shop and sitting down on the wooden table. "It's just that it's been so long since I've seen you and you come and ask me those questions that I've been answering for years, it's just hilarious."
"Why?"
Lara took a deep breath to steady herself and she smiled wistfully, remembering the old days. "I've always wanted to open a bakery of my own but, as you know, I never was good at baking," she said, playing with a stray thread on her apron. She looked to see if Kimiko was listening before continuing.
"I left a few weeks after you did when Ashley moved in with her parents and pushed me to my limits," Lara lied, sighing deeply as she thought of the day that she got kicked out after arguing with Ashley.
FIVE YEARS AGO
Ashley stromed into the kitchen, pushing aside a young kitchen helper who could barely see his way with the pile of dishes in his arms that was obstructing his vision. As the forces of gravity and terrible balance took over, he fell to the floor with a loud crash, shard of glass and crystal everywhere. Instantly, everyone turned to him but their vision was averted by the terrifying and bitchy figure of Ashley who was standing right next to the poor boy who looked like he was on the verge of tears. "Can't you see where you're going, fool?" Ashley asked, grimacing in disgust. "You could have ruined my dress."
She grunted in a very unladylike way and turned to the rest of the kitchen who was all staring at her with hatred and disgust. Now, they had to answer to the head of kitchen about the broken dishes and no one actually adored the head of the kitchen, a scary woman by the name of Sofia who could kill you with a look. She was worse than Medusa. At least Medusa turned you to stone and not put any guilt into your heart but this woman kept you well and alive but she made you feel absolutely guilty that you could barely meet her eyes for a month without remembering your mistake.
The kitchen helper who had fallen with the dishes was only a young boy and he quickly burst into tears. A motherly lady who looked about forty quickly rushed to his side, shushing him quietly all the while picking up the broken dishes. Soon, another lady arrived at her side, sweeping up the broken dishes and disposing of them. "I want to speak to Lara," Ashley demanded, lifting her chin high and staring at the rest of the kitchen.
No one answered her and went back to their work, not afraid of her and her bitchiness. "I said I want to speak to Lara," she said louder, glaring at the other kitchen helpers but none of them turned to her.
"I am here," came a stern voice from behind the spoilt princess. "What do you think you are doing? Coming in and disrupting my kitchen?"
Ahsley spun around on her heel and came face to face with Lara who was giving her a defiant stare that could make anyone cower in fear but Ashley wasn't anyone. "I want to know when my wedding cake will be ready," Ashley demanded, folding her hands across her chest. "I would also like to know why haven't I be given my own maid?"
"Your wedding cake?" Lara scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "We were not asked or even ordered to make a wedding cake, especially not yours and I presume you have brought your own maid."
Ashley did not say anything and Lara nodded in triumph. "There, that's settled. You have your own maid. You do not need to be given one and there was no order for a wedding cake," she explained with straight face. "There was no annoucement of an engagement either. Now, we have to return to work so please kindly leave the kitchen."
Ashley growled and stormed out of the kitchen, swearing under her breath.
PRESENT
"Continue," Kimiko said, firmly but gently, wanting to know the rest of Lara's retirement from the palace.
Lara frowned for a moment before smiling slightly as she realised that Kimiko was no longer the naive little girl who had came with pride-and defiance-to the castle. She was now grown-up and a lady, no longer the maid who waited hand-and-foot on the prince. She had received formal training and proper education to be prim and proper though she still had the same defiance, courage and pride that she had when she had first arrived. "I packed my bags that very night, left a note for the prince and left in the middle of the night when everyone was sound asleep," Lara finished.
She had told the tale a thousand times to those who knew her and had wondered why she was no longer working at the palace. Lara had too much pride and dignity to tell them that she had been fired though it wasn't her fault. She couldn't help being sarcastic to the princess. 'After all, she is spoilt, isn't she?' Lara thought, reassuring herself as Kimiko scrutinised her.
"You haven't told me about how you opened the bakery," Kimiko said, smiling warmly with a slight twinkle of mischief in her eyes.
Lara sighed dreamily. "Now, that is a tale to be told though I can assure you, it is rather boring," she said, her eyes growing misty and distant. She looked at Kimiko and then continued, "A friend of mine gave it to me. She said that she was too old to be working in the kitchen anymore so she gave it to me."
"But you haven't an inkling on how to bake," Kimiko offered, wanting Lara to continue her story.
Lara then burst into hearty laughter. "Well, before opening this bakery, I did work as a waitress in a bar to earn some money to go to baking school," she said.
"I assume that baking school is actually learning from a baker who couldn't earn enough and offered baking lessons to people who wanted to learn for a small payment."
Lara nodded and Kimiko added, "But the baker was a fake, am I right?"
Lara burst out laughing, slapping her knee heartily. Kimiko smiled in triumph as she had guessed correctly. Before Lara could say anything else, Kimiko added, solemnly, "But you are lying. At least about the part about leaving the palace."
Instantly, Lara stopped laughing and Kimiko smirked.
AT THE PALACE
"It's all very simple," Iruka explained as he entered Raimundo's study. "All you have to do is give her a small handwritten note and of course, an invitation."
Raimundo raised his eyebrows, watching Iruka settle comfortably into a red velvet high-backed chair but he didn't doubt Iruka's advice. After all, his best friend had been living with Kimiko for five years though none of them had ever written to him. 'Maybe Kimiko forbid him to, not wanting to remember her life here,' he thought, settling behind his desk. 'I can't blame her for thinking that.'
He sighed loudly and Iruka turned to him. "Is anything the matter?"
Raimundo just stared at his friend and laughed loudly. "You know, Iruka," he began, resting his chin on his hand, "you are acting more like a female now than ever. Has living with Kimiko finally rubbed off on you?"
Iruka stared at him for a few moments and shrugged, before bursting into laughter. "That's a funny way to put it. I always thought that Kimiko was rubbing off on me," he said, smiling slightly, "but she hasn't changed one bit except for being more secretive and less social and neither have I."
At first, Raimundo thought he was joking but judging by the sober look on Iruka's face, he was speaking the truth. Kimiko was indeed less social and more careful with her actions and her words. He prayed silently that he wasn't the cause of that but who was he kidding? He was the one who had hurt her with his proposal to Ashley and all his coldness and flirtations with her. Once more he sighed but this time, Iruka didn't look up as he was engrossed in a book that he had randomly plucked from the shelves of books that lined both the left and right walls.
'Okay,' Raimundo told himself, digging around in one of his drawers for a piece of parchment. 'I can do this. I am going to write a small handwritten note to Kimiko, telling her of my intentions to invite her to the annual Valentine's Masked Ball.'
A bottle of ink and a quill was always on his table, ready for him to approve of any rules and sign any legal documents and also for him to write to his neighbouring countries on political matters.
The piece of parchment he had pulled from under a stack of unsigned documents which he should have signed a long time ago bore his insignia at the bottom. It was a gorgeous combination of a lion with a crown under the lion and a circle of fire around the whole combination. The parchment itself was cream coloured and had the texture of rice paper though it wasn't so fragile. It was thick and smooth.
He dipped his quill into the bottle of ink and held the pen over the paper. 'You can do this, Raimundo,' he told himself, taking a deep breath.
Quickly, he started scribbling the first words that came to mind. His quill scratched on the parchment, a familiar and loved sound that reminded him of the times he had sat at this very desk writing out new laws and signing papers. He bit his bottom lip in a satisfied way as he signed his name at the bottom of the parchment before leaning back in his chair, breathing a sigh of relief.
Before he could do anything else, Iruka snatched up the parchment and rolled it up. Raimundo looked at him in disbelief and annoyance but Iruka said in a reassuring tone that had Raimundo sighing in amusement, "It's so you won't change your mind about this."
Raimundo smiled wearily and smiled inwardly. Iruka was an expert at reading people. If he hadn't snatched up the parchment, Raimundo would have already crumpled it up and flung it across the room or maybe throwing it into the fireplace. "I'm going to leave this in Kimiko's room," Iruka said, tying the parchment with a red ribbon and stuffing it into a pocket on his pants.
With those words he left, leaving Raimundo slightly confused.
IN THE VILLAGE
Lara stared up at the girl-no, woman-before her and sighed deeply, staring at her fingers. "Dear Kimiko," she began softly, almost a whisper, "you are really becoming more and more observant."
Kimiko crouched down to meet Lara's eyes. Her own were understanding, ready to hear any explaination for the lie that had been weaved so well that she almost believed it. She could see through it though, after a while of careful thinking even though she had only known the older woman for a short while. "I don't understand," Kimiko said, gently, taking Lara's hands in hers. "Why did you leave the palace? You were devoted to it, like no one else I've ever seen."
Lara sighed and told Kimiko about the arguement she had with Ashley and that the princess had kicked her out. At once, Kimiko's eyes become cold and hard. "How dare that little bitch," she growled, standing up after Lara had finished her story.
The older woman sighed and waved her hand as if dismissing the matter. "It's alright, Kimiko," she said. "I would have gotten fired sooner or later when Raimundo marries Princess Ashley. She was already running the house like the missus when I left."
"Lara," Kimiko said, firmly, the coldness and anger still in her eyes. "Raimundo never planned on marrying Ashley. It was all a lie. Queen Toria said that Raimundo had called off the proposal and no marriage was being planned."
Lara was shocked but she didn't show it. She kept silent, earning her a frustrated sigh from Kimiko. "I've got to leave. I need to get back to the castle," she said, softly. She placed a light kiss on Lara's cheek and left.
AT THE PALACE
Kimiko sneaked into the palace through the back door. The place was still quiet except for the hustle and bustle of the servants, preparing for the day. She had sneaked in through the kitchen door but none of the kitchen help took any notice of her. They were too busy preparing breakfast that they didn't even see her as she literally crawled across the floor and under tables. She used the servants' stairs to get to her room as she was afraid that by using the main staircase, she would dirty it with her riding boots.
She giggled to herself as she entered her room and locked the door behind her. It was almost like the old days when she would sneak out to the stables after her father had gone to sleep and talk to the horses there. She would return to the main house when she was tired or when the sun rose. She rarely slept as she had too much on her mind. She would take the servants' stairs and there would be the one squeaky board that her father had purposely left there to alert him when she left the house after dark.
She sighed deeply and pulled off her riding gloves, tossing them into the cupboard where they landed on a pair of white pants. She examined her room to see if anything had been disturbed or signs that someone had entered and touched her things. Thankfully, there was none. Releasing a sigh of relief, she settled down in front of her vanity mirror and smiled at her reflection.
Her face was streaked with dirt from a gallop through the countryside and rolling about in the early morning dewy grass. Dust and dirt had stuck to her wet cheeks as she rode on the dusty dirt road, urging Mareal to her limits and the old mare enjoyed every bit of it. Her hair was a mess, already coming loose from her usually neat ponytail and she was very sure that there were going to be split ends.
What pleased her the most was the colour in her pale cheeks and the brightness of her eyes. She had never felt so alive in the past few days. Riding was really a good remedy for just about anything from anger to boredom. She stretched and removed the band that held her hair in the ponytail. She reached for her brush when her fingers brushed something smooth yet rough.
Looking onto the table, she discovered that it was a roll of parchment held together with a red ribbon and a cream coloured envelope. She frowned slightly. "Why would there be a roll of parchment on my table so early in the morning?" she asked herself, thinking to see if she had any documents or letters to be read.
Not recalling any, she picked up the roll of parchment and untied the ribbon. She unrolled the parchment and read:
Dear Kimiko,
This is a bit awkward for me to write. To cut long explainations short, I would really like it if you were to be my date for the annual Valentine's Ball. Please say yes, Kimiko? I know that I don't have an explaination as to why I'm inviting you but I'll offer you an explaination for everything from the very first day we met up till today at the ball if you'd be my date. Please.
Raimundo
Kimiko frowned and crushed the parchment in her hand. Her heart thumped angrily in her chest and she fought to hold back her tears. As soon as she had read those words, memories of the years before rushed back to her. She took a deep breath and told herself, "Kimiko, you will not cry over him anymore. He is a useless, selfish brat."
She threw the crushed parchment into a corner of her room, not bothering where it landed. As tears blurred her eyes, she picked up the cream coloured envelope and opened it. Inside was a card the colour of lavenders with printed writing in gold announcing that the day after tomorrow was the Valentine's Ball and that Lady Kimiko Tohomiko was cordially invited.
She took a deep breath and slipped the card back into the envelope. She didn't want to be Raimundo's date at all, no matter how much her heart told her she needed to be close to him and listen to what he has to say. "Empty promises," she whispered softly to herself. "He's nothing but a big, fat liar."
Just then, there came a knock on her door. Gasping, she quickly brushed away the tears that had managed to squeeze out and said, softly, "It's not locked. Come in."
She held her breath, waiting for Raimundo's figure to grace her room but thankfully, it was only Iruka. "Good morning, Kimiko," he said, bowing low.
Kimiko curtsied in return. "Have you received your invitation to the ball?" Iruka asked, smiling hopefully. "I hope that Raimundo's been nice."
That's when Kimiko saw it. She knew that Iruka had a say in the stupid note that Raimundo had sent her along with the invite. In fact, judging by the smile on his face, she was pretty sure that he was the one who had asked Raimundo to sent her the note instead of the invitation only. She narrowed her eyes at him and asked, "You asked Raimundo to send me that foolish note, didn't you?"
Iruka looked shocked. "How could you accuse me of such a thing?"
Kimiko allowed a small smile to appear on her lips. "I haven't even said what the note was about and you've already gone one step ahead, suggesting that you did ask him to."
Iruka just shrugged and Kimiko frowned. "If you did send it, you would know that my answer would be no," Kimiko said, shaking her head firmly.
"But-"
"But I will be attending the ball on my own, if you already have your own date."
Iruka just sighed and nodded. Kimiko shoved him out of the room and leaned against the door, sliding down until she sat on the floor. She willed the tears to come but surprisingly, there was none. The only thoughts in her mind was Raimundo's reaction when Iruka would tell him he was rejected and then...she laughed out loud, hysterically.
Okay, the ending was rather awkward but...it still is hilarious. Please R&R...I've decided to make Kimmy stay for a few more days so it's not going to be only three days. Capice? It took me so long to write this. It's much longer than my usual chappies and pretty short and un-informative if you ask me. Please tell me if Kimiko cries to much...I'm trying to make her as hard-headed and headstrong as I can so she won't be your typical feminine damsel-in-distress.
Love,
Dragon of the Moon