Blossom and Kuro sat on the futon, ready for the story.
Buttercup pouted and sighed, still sitting at the table, she touched the small barren tree and sighed again.
"Where the hell do I even start? Well...I guess to my Gran...My Grandma is a very strong Enchantress...Strong Noble in The Fairy World. It happened about 21 years ago...after my Grandma made a deal with Sauka Village and it became the thriving village you saw today, word spread of her King of Asheia came to her for help...the kingdom was going through a famine and plagues from the likes you would never seen. People were starving and dying, the farmers could barely grow a thing and the trade from the other kingdoms weren't really enough to survive off on; And if that was enough, the King and Queen couldn't get a child. The King begged my Grandma for help, she gave him the orb of fertility but she needed something in return. It is a Law, if something is taken from a Fairy World, something must be given from the Human world to help the balance...specifically she would need a human to become a servant to a fairy. When the King would have a child, he would give it to her, but if he broke his word, the plague and famine would return. The King agreed..."
"No way...it's like a fairy tale."
"Well the lands were healed and able to grow crops. The plague disappeared and the Queen was pregnant about a year later. When Brick was born, the whole Kingdom celebrated in joy for a strong healthy Prince but also...the King had two other mistresses and three other sons."
"Yeah...I heard about that..."
"Well the Queen didn't take it so well either. I don't really know what happened about that...I heard she lost her mind and she disappeared with their son and on top of that, it was bad with the Duke of Asheia too. Something about a crazy servant stealing their son."
Kuro and Blossom were munching on a piece of green tea cake, listening with excitement.
"I was born about four years later. It was time for the king to bring his son to the oath sealing magical altar that is deep in the Enchanted forest, and I was also there. I was only three months when the deal was made. The King tried to be clever and offer his second son instead of his heir, well besides the fact that he couldn't find him at the time... but my Grandma had another thing in mind, instead of taking him away."
Mini flashback
The Enchantress had a very long, shimmering green regal body and a wooden crown with an emerald in it on her head. She had wide butterfly wings that shimmered and greenish silver etchings all over her body. She loved her daughter, even though she didn't inherit her fairy magic but she saw hope in her new grandchild. Dai did have the greenish silver etching but only magic to make things grow that he planted but Kaoru was different. She had even wings that shimmered like hers and was a pure blooded Fairy.
She was going to take the King's child in order to trade for the Green Orb but another idea sprouted into her mind when her new grandchild( A Pure Blooded Fairy was born).
Kaoru's mom, May made sure that Dai and Kaoru were wrapped very warmly, curious about why her mother would bring them here; and The King and a woman stood on the opposite side of the altar, she had two boys in front of her. He pushed a raven haired boy to the altar and towards the Enchantress. The woman who was a Druid Noble of Flore with Royal Wolf Fauna blood in her veins, was confused until she realized what happened...
"No...No...you can't. What are you doing?" She cried out
"Sacrifices must be made." The King said with conflict in his eyes. With Brick missing, despite the arguments from the Council, he was his heir and must be given in his place.
"Sacifirces...no...NO!"She gasped and rushed to his side, she held him tightly, "No..please...he's my son. My eldest...and he is your son, your highness. " Minerva cried out.
Minerva was a quiet and somewhat shy noble with royal lineage from her cousins. She was a lady in waiting for the Queen, hoping to attach a wealthy noble. when the King desired her for her quiet beauty, her family pushed her to him. Being a King's mistress, would not only attach the wealthier nobles but bring fortune. She obeyed and the King couldn't resist her...he had plenty of affairs before but she and one other were his sole mistresses. He found her shyness quite refreshingly different from the ladies who just threw himself at his feet. She would play music like the harp and walk with him through the gardens just for a moment of quiet peace.
He cared for her very deeply, and he did love his two boys but a deal was a deal.
She had long, bluish silver hair that went down to her back and fair but plain skin, her lips were a plain peach color, she had the wolf fangs, pointy ears and claws but other than that she could be mistaken for a Fair Elfin Folk. She had lovely dark forest green eyes. She wore a long plain but sparkling silver dress with pointy shoulders and long sleeves that draped down her sides and a circlet of silver and green with live but small flowers, as a symbol of her attachment to nature itself.
"Minerva, what are you doing?" The King snapped
"I thought...you love them and treat them as your own, like you promise...but you would give them away just like this. I already knew not to expect much from you, but not this. If they go to the Fairy World, they'll never come back."
"A deal has to be made...look if you don't do it, the famine and plagues will return, thousands could perish." The king tried to be strong and hard, "I love my sons too...but Think of the mothers who would lose their child to disease...or the child seeing their parents starving, wasting away themselves. My darling, I can't let my people suffer when I can do something."
Minerva wouldn't move, she loves Xaldin and Ren Ling as if they were her very life source. She shook her head and hugged both of them.
"What if I take his place? I'm a Druid, my magic over nature, not to mention my Wolfin blood, makes me more than qualified. I'm from Flore, the Kingdom of nature itself...cousin to the royal family. I have royal blood as well. Please take me instead of any of my sweet children. They are my life and my heart."
The Enchantress sighed heavily. "I'm sorry...but it has to be a child with royal blood of the Asheia Royal Family...now then...step aside."
"Mommy, what...wrong?" Ren Ling asked, looking at her with his big light purple eyes.
Minerva still wouldn't budge...she just kissed both of them on the forehead and held them tighter and shook her head, "I will even defied even you enchantress of the Lands."
The Enchantress looked down at her and sighed, turning to look at her daughter and held out her arms, "May, may I see Kaoru?"
May nodded and gave the infant to her, Kaoru coo innocently while chewing on her fingers. She kneeled down to Minerva. Buttercup wiggled but was looking around.
"This is my second grandchild, a beauty isn't she? The contract was that the king must give his son to a Fairy...and it just so happened...My Daughter gave birth to this Pure Blooded Fairy."
"So...that means..."
"Correct my Dear, one of your sons will be promised to her and can still be in the human world. It is the same agreement that I used for my daughter."
Minerva was breathing heavily and pushed them forward.
"I must choose which of you will be good for her...would you like to see her?" She asked them. Both were frightened of the big, tall woman and did exactly as she asked. Her eyes widened in shock as there was a twinkle in Xaldin eyes and a twinkle in Kaoru's eyes, she gasped in amazement, "By the gods, you child... you would be her match. You shall be given to her...as a husband." She pointed at Xaldin.
"Husband?" Minerva looked at her.
"I have made my decision, this is to be your bride...for it is true love. You shall stay in the human world as well. " The Enchantress announced. The king sighed in joy and Minerva kissed her boys over and over.
"You mean it right?" Minerva smiled shyly.
"Come Child, the contract requires a bond...in this case, the red strings of true love." She held out her free hand. Xaldin looked at his mother, she nodded and pushed him along; and he put stuck his hand out like his mother told him while the Enchantress grabbed Kaoru's hand, there was a flash of red, a red string wrapped around both of their hands.
"So...he won't be taken away? Right?" The King asked.
"No...the contract is sealed and the balance will be satisfied by this."
"Oh my babies...oh my little precious honey dews." Minerva relished in joy.
"Who would have thought that one of your son's would be the true love for my Granddaughter. Fate is a funny thing." She sighed lovingly,"But understand that this is a marriage contract. Should this marriage contract be broken, your lands with be ravished by the famine and plague over night."She gave the King a dark look.
Minerva bowed with tears in her eyes at the Enchantress' feet, "Thank you...thank you. She will be treated like an Angel, and he'll be a gentleman."
Ren Ling wrapped his arms around Xaldin, as he shyly looked at the baby, who was giggling wildly, holding her arms out to Xaldin and Ren Ling like she wanted to be held. Xaldin reached out and she had a tight grip on his finger with a giggle.
"Now, now, my sweet fragrance, I believe you must wait until you're old enough to like him," The Echantress smiled lovingly, pulled her gently away, " Just remember, should he be even promised to another, should a ring be on another's fingers with his, or marriage vows even be said...the orb will cease to work and until he kisses her on the lips with the promise of marriage will the orb work again." She said, kissing Buttercup on the forehead, the baby smiled and kicked her small legs and long feet in the air.
Minerva walked by the King and smacked him hard, "My sons are not your bargaining tools, they are flesh and blood, and they are your children. Try and remember that." She marched off, the King rushed after her.
End of Mini flashback
Blossom and Kuro were looking at her with wide shock eyes.
"So...your eyes twinkled?" Blossom squealed.
"I don't know why...I can't stand him. So...for as long as I can remember, I was pretty much force to visited the boys. I would stay in the royal Castle for months, everyone hoping there would be some stupid spark between us. I just wanted to go home...Asheia was horrible...I would walk around the streets and people would try and beat me...but of course, they normally got hit back...or in trouble. Now I did visit Flore a few times, I don't mind his mother and she's always been nice to me; Me and Butch just couldn't stand each other...we would fight every moment we got, he and Brick are the only ones who could successfully pin me down. He got his Uncle great strength to match mines and he's a Druid, while my magic is mostly for enchanting flowers and trees, making them resistance to pests and bad weather...I can even make the dirt fertile...but his magic is more of control especially trees."
"Whoa...I didn't know there were magical beings like that." Blossom took a sip of her tea.
"Oh Druids are extremely rare. His magic can even effect wind and water. One time, when I was learning how to fly when I was six, he cast a wind a spell and nearly knocked me over. Beast doesn't have the magic, but he's more Wolfin Fauna, in fact...if I remember right, he can even turn into one, which surprises his family, since none of them can...even though Brick is the Wolf breeder. Beast even helped him catch an Okuri Inu a few years ago...that's what Ashlia is ya know, a mixed breed of the two. That's why Brick can leave at night around here, no yokai or spirit would risk an Okuri Inu."
"Whoa...hey...don't try to distract me...back to you and Xaldin. Sounds like you two have been together for a long time."
Buttercup grumbled and crossed her arms, "We are not! He is a no good dirty perv. I like men with a little more muscle."
"But if he can hold you down...he does have muscle, right?" Kuro asked.
"Yeah...but I don't see any...he barely has anything on his arms." She pouted again, "Well we've hated each other for years and were trying to find a way to break the contract for years without causing the destruction of the kingdom...and about Four years ago...it happened. The King broke his promise...or he forgot...he tried to set up an Alliance with Magi's nobles...and tried to get Xaldin to marry a Viscountess. Xaldin was against it, but his Dad pushed them...the moment he kissed her hand with the idea of marriage...the Sickness came back and the crops and food almost withered over night. Livestocks were dying...it was worse than before...The King realized his error...about a week later."
"Four years ago?" Blossom blinked twice...that's when her Mother got sick and died. Was it...because of this...
"He basically grabbed Butch and Beast in a carriage to Kyotoro. I was starting to work for the Emperor Lord guy."
Mini flashback
"I don't want to." Butch looked away, he was holding an egg that him and Beast had been carefully taking care of four months. His Dad grabbed him and just pulled him into the carriage when he and Beast were finding a careful spot to place it.
"Father, what is happening?" Beast asked.
"I forgot...how stupid of me...we must find Kaoru and you must renew your vows and kiss her." His Father watched in agony at the disaster he cause. He tapped on the ceiling harder as a signal to step on it.
"Father, careful please. We paid a lot of money for this egg. It is a rare and nearly extinct species of Griffon. We are hoping to save the species." Beast and Butch were holding the eggs tightly.
Butch stuck his tongue out, "I'm not kissing that Mangirl thing." He shook his head wildly.
"Certainly after all these years you must feel something...she is your match."
"I hate her...she pushed me in poison ivy last month."
"Well you did throw mud at her big brother."
"Yeah..mud...but poison ivy...come on! If this egg wasn't a rare species I would throw it at her. I'm not getting anywhere near her."
"You must...it is for the kingdom. Our land...the kingdom will be destroyed in no time. Oh...why oh why did I forget... my thoughtlessness might have cost a 100 lives already." The King tapped the ceiling again.
The gong had rung as the King was announced at the Emperor's palace. His Wife, Lady Empress Nadia was there.
"I'm sorry your highness, my husband isn't here-"
"Where is Kaoru?" He asked desperately.
"Please...give us a moment to find her. We are in disarray...one of my servants is gravely ill. He was in Asheia, where there was an outbreak..of such...I honestly don't think he should be here, but my Husband won't hear of it."
Kuro was floating upside down between Hirono and Miyako and whispered, "She's in the gardens."
"She's in the garden." Miyako repeated.
Beast had disappeared while The King pushed Butch into the garden, while holding his egg still. He gave him flowers.
"You must kiss her...please...for the Kingdom."
Butch groaned and pouted as he walked into the garden...he heard splashing and grunting from down the steps...
End of flashback
Blossom was ready to stand on edge, "Then what happened next? Wait...those steps...Was it that Kappa...were you fighting the Kappa and Butch came to rescue you." Blossom sighed lovingly. The gong rung...
"Oh...time to go..."
"What but what happened in the garden?"
"Good night, Lady Empress."
"Oh you rotten brat!" Blossom pouted and laughed as Buttercup stuck her tongue out and rushed out of the room, holding Fang.
"Just when it was getting good. I'll force it out of her tomorrow." Blossom laughed as Bushi came and and picked up the trays, "Thank you Bushi, I hope you have a good rest. I would like to thank you for all you've done...I hope for a good night Bushi." Blossom bowed her head and the wooden woman cracked another smile and floated with the door open.
Four years ago...the King broke the marriage contract...my mother died from the plague four years ago...is the King responsible.
Buttercup was sleeping peacefully in the small servant quarters, since she was really the only one. All the servants were pretty much spirits, the samurai warriors either stood guard with their seals or slept in one large room with the other samurai warrior. Her room was medium size and down the hall from the kitchen. Chihiro or Belle slept in the room right beside the kitchen's entranceway. She sat up when she heard some thump. She groaned, there was a lantern above her head. She didn't need a lantern too much, only the really dangerous yokai bothered her like the ghosts.
There were heavy footprints and something stumbled...and a hiccup. Fang looked at the screen and hissed with a cautious growl.
Its probably...nothing...she shrugged her shoulders as she saw the shadow...her heart normally stop as the screen door slid open...
"Hey Dragon fly."It was Xaldin, holding a ceramic jug. He yawned and stumbled a bit, "Mind if I spend the night?"
"Yes I do...I should have known you would try something...but not something so stupid, "She stood up, walked towards him and whispered, "Go back to your room before-"
Her eyes widened...as a pale ghostly light was shining just around the corner in the hallway.
"Oh...I forgot to mention, I was being followed."Butch shrugged his shoulders, "I think it likes me...but I'm only interested in you."
Buttercup turned pale as a light blue glow came around the corner. The spirit was that of a woman who was holding a lantern with a peony on it. She was beautiful but her neck was contorted to the side, it's corneas were black and it's eyes were gray. It smiled gently at Butch but when it saw Buttercup, it frowned. It contorted it neck again and opened its jaw wide, revealing its sharp teeth and let out a horrible scream.
"Son of a bitch." Buttercup pulled him in and closed the screen door. She grabbed one of Miyako's emergency scrolls and placed it on the door. The scroll stuck to the door but The spirit knocked wildly and hard with a scream.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
Butch grabbed his jug and drunk, Buttercup snatched it from him and had to take a long swig herself, she coughed several times and took another drink just to keep her calim. She was terrified of ghosts, the spirit servants around the palace were completely different than these kinds...
"Oh...now that's really hot." He stood up but she pushed him back down.
"Don't even try me. You just brought an Otsuyu to my *beeping* door." Her lantern was dimming like crazy and the screams were loud, she covered her ears, trying hard not to panic, "Damn...even I won't let you go out there...but I wish I could kick you out."
She yelped and just huddled in the furthest corner of the room. Fang was hiding under the futon, the ghost hammered on the door. Buttercup's fears got the better of her, she was shivering.
"Tiger?" Butch reached for her...
She jumped and smacked his hand, she was so much more jumpy and she was breathing heavily, wiping away her tears,"Why did you bring her here? You know I hate ghosts!" She was covering her face.
"You're crying? That's even hotter. Make me wanna protect you." He licked his lips, He hit his cheeks to focus, "It's not time to be turned on, it time to be a concerned. Even though, she's even cuter like this, that scared expression...I'm not use to seeing that. Damn, she's so beautiful...I want to squeeze those legs...no Butch, focus...she's scared...she's scared of ghosts...be concerned. Remind her of her cuteness later."
"But...why does it want to attack now? It just kept following me and just kept talking to me."
Buttercup was breathing heavily, "You ass, they go after men...and hate women. It saw you talking to me and now...if it breaks through...it'll kill me...and rape you while sucking out your life force."
"Well...that's not fun."
Her head was resting on her knees, she jumped with another hard thud.
Butch jumped into action, he wrapped his arm around her, she cried, " Got off!"
"C'mon Tiger, stop being so cute...either I kiss you...or you drink. It'll calm ya."
"Why do you do stupid things like this?" She snatched the jug from him after another ear piercing scream brought a shiver down her spine, she took another swig.
"Well, I fell asleep in the dining with the other samurai and had to go to the bathroom...I couldn't find a pot...so I just went outside. I saw her...Uncle always tells us when we see a spirit, it's best to walk away, calmly." He hiccuped after taking a swig and slurred his words a little before he could speak, "So...there I was...I forgot where my room was...and I stumbled into the kitchen and found a fill jug of plum wine. Then...I was wondering why Beast left me...and She was still following me...and whispering in my ears but I didn't listen...something about, hello kind stranger...and spend the night...then I thought about you, and how I said I might get to the good part later...so I was stumbling in the dark because my lantern was just so dim...I found your room though."
Buttercup took a few more swigs as he was finished and her mind was dull. She tried to push him away but he took a swig himself.
"You...can just...go to hell." She laughed a little and hiccups, "No..no...no...I can't...I must stay focus. My mind has to stay sharp. I think...I've had enough."
"You know..why don't you want to marry me...I've waited until you...were old enough...I think we should just tied the knot."
"Because...I don't like you...pig." She forgot all about the hammering and the ghost's scream. Her head leaned against his forehead, when she missed pushing him away.
"I like you...I love you...what will it take...to make you...say I do." He tried to kiss her but she back away with a drunken smile, but their foreheads were still touching, "Damn...I think you've gotten cuter."
"I...I...I don't...know, "She snickered, she bit her bottom lip, "Maybe...I don't want...anything...maybe...what you gave to...auntie." Their noses were touching, "Why the hell...do you...love...me...what changed..."
Their eyes twinkled brighter than ever, their fingers entwined, revealing the red string that wrapped around both their hands.
"What...well...it take...if you want that cherry blossom tree...I'll give you one...I..."He tried at another attempt but she still held back but he was able to get a light peck, "I'll give...you...what..ever you want...my flower..." His free arm wrapped around her back, "Just say...yes..."
"No..."She swallowed hard and tried to resist.
"Yes..."
"No...you jackass." She felt weak as their lips brushed up against each other. His free arm was on her back, just between her wings, pushing her to him.
"You're so beautiful...so..." He kissed her shoulder and her neck.
"No...stop...we've...had too much." She moaned looking up at the lanterns. He kissed harder than ever before then gave her a wicked smile before giving her a light bite on the neck. She didn't even winced, she just moaned as he licked her neck.
"Not until...you..tell...me..what it takes to...make you say I do..."
"I...I...don't know...just stop..." She tried hard to focus but her mind was muddled.
"Then the Rainbow Cherry...blossom...I'll grow...you...for one." He stopped and looked up at her, "You'll marry me...right?"
"Yes...no...I don't-" She snickered and was pushed into the long waited light kiss...followed by another...then a deep one. The red string glowed brighter than ever.
"Just say yes?" He pushed her down onto the tatami mat and smile wickedly as he got another deep kiss as she was falling asleep.
"Yes." She hiccuped and closed her eyes. The red string glowed brighter at the agreement.