Winds of Destiny: Converging
Once Upon A Time... Prologue
Once upon a time, in a land filled with mystical creatures and powerful magic, there lived a girl with hair like snow and eyes the color of ripened apples. Her home was a castle in a small kingdom with rolling hills and lush forests, surrounded by mountains to the east and a vast ocean to the west. The girl had always dreamed of venturing out past the boundaries of her kingdom and exploring the land, but it was not meant to be. For the girl was the only child of the King and Queen of the land, and her name was Princess—
"Eri!"
The nearly sixteen-year-old Princess vaulted over a fallen tree in pursuit of a large jackrabbit. She veered to the left and slid down the inside of a hollowed-out stump, grabbing ahold of a hanging rope and swinging herself out over a wide gorge. She landed in a roll on the other side as the jackrabbit she'd been chasing raced past her. In a flash, she instantly took off after it, using a springboard nearby to vault her high up into the air. She pounced on top of the rabbit when she fell and held tight with her arms around its neck as they both rolled down the hill toward the edge of a deep ravine. As luck, or unluck, would have it, her back suddenly hit a large, jutting rock and abruptly halted their descent.
She let out a sharp yelp and loosened her grip, allowing the giant rabbit to wriggle free. It flipped around and kicked the Princess in the chest, sending her tumbling head over heels into a shallow mud puddle. She pushed herself up into a sitting position and reached around to rub the back of her shoulder, wincing as her fingers touched the knot that had begun to form there. A shadow suddenly eclipsed her from behind, and she tilted her head back to glance up into the glaring soft pink eyes of her aunt and longtime caretaker, Lady Misaki. The Princess widened her lips in a cheeky grin and sheepishly chuckled as she reached up to rub the back of her head.
Her hands planted firmly on her hips; the irate woman just shook her head in response, her exasperation with the girl's antics clearly etched across her face. She let out a frustrated sigh as she reached down to haul the Princess up out of the puddle by her arm and began dragging her back to the castle without a word.
...
Eri winced as a bucket of clean water was poured over her head, rinsing the soap suds from her hair to run down over a few of her open scrapes.
Rubbing the water out of her eyes, she turned her head to look back at her aunt and grumbled, "How long are you going to be mad at me?"
Misaki stared back at her coolly as she grabbed her arm and began scrubbing at the streaks of caked mud splattered across it. "I'm not mad. I'm disappointed."
Eri cut her eyes to the side and muttered, "That's worse."
"Did you purposefully go out and make a mess of yourself, knowing that you were to have a fitting for your wedding gown today?" Misaki asked in a reproving tone, though she was certain that she already knew the answer.
Eri glanced up and away with feigned ignorance. "Was that today?"
Misaki dumped another bucket of water over the girl's head in response.
Eri winced and exclaimed, "That's cold!"
"Is it? Well, I must have forgotten to warm it first," Misaki mockingly replied.
The Princess stood from her crouched position in the tub and held out her arms for Misaki to dry her.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled repentantly.
Misaki glanced up at her skeptically. "Are you?"
Eri turned her eyes away and stubbornly admitted, "Not really."
Misaki let out a heavy sigh. "I know that the situation is not favorable, but the Count of Hawks Landing is the most eligible bachelor in the land."
She wished she could sound more convincing than sympathetic, but her voice typically betrayed her true feelings more often than it did not. Misaki was just as against the Princess's arranged marriage as the girl herself was. The Count had proposed the union directly following the announcement of Eri's birth. It had come as quite a shock to the kingdom, as the Count was known to be highly reclusive, rarely venturing out from his private estate. Hawks Landing sat atop a wide plateau high in the eastern mountain range, surrounded on all sides by a dense forest which was rumored to be riddled with dangerous enchantments.
Not much was known about the Count himself, other than that he was devilishly handsome and favored many powerful rulers throughout the land. Why he had taken such an interest in their trivial kingdom's newborn heir was a subject of much conjecture, not only within the boundaries of their own lands but throughout much of the rest of the realm as well. His initial proposal had not explained his interest, only his desire to have her sent to his manor upon her sixteenth birthday for them to be privately wed — a condition which had never quite sat well with Misaki. However, the prospect of forging an alliance with the powerful Count had been too rich of an opportunity to pass up, and the King and Queen had readily agreed.
"Why do I have to be the one to marry him, though?" Eri complained as she stepped out of the tub. "I've never even met the guy."
Misaki tossed a simple white shift over the girl's damp head and began fixing the laces as she explained, "Because it is your duty as the eldest daughter of this kingdom's ruling family to forge strong alliances and protect our people. The Count has many powerful allies throughout the land that our meager kingdom could benefit from."
Eri trudged over and plopped herself down on the stool sitting in front of a wide vanity so that Misaki could fix her hair. "I get all that. But I don't wanna be a wife, Misaki! I wanna be an adventurer!"
Misaki rolled her eyes. "This again."
Eri's eyes lit up and began to sparkle as she started to enthusiastically explain her life's ambition. "I wanna travel the land! Visit all of the different kingdoms and try all their food! I wanna sail the seas and fly with the giant birds! But most of all—!"
"Yes, I know," Misaki cut her off exasperatedly, tugging on her hair to calm her down. "You want to slay a dragon."
The Princess threw her arms into the air and exclaimed, "I wanna live a life of excitement!" Her arms dropped to her sides, and her shoulders slumped as she twisted her face into a scowl and grudgingly trailed off, "Not politics..."
"Perhaps you should not have been born a Princess then," Misaki wittily remarked as she twisted the girl's long hair up into a braided knot at the back of her head.
"As if I had a choice in that," Eri grumbled dejectedly.
Misaki gently laid her hands on the sullen girl's shoulders in a gesture of comfort, catching her eye in the mirror and sympathetically telling her, "I know it's not fair, Eri. Believe me; if there was a way for you to have your freedom and still forge the alliance with the Count, I would help you to do it in a heartbeat."
Eri lifted the corner of her mouth in a reluctant grin, reaching up to cover one of Misaki's hands with her own, and said, "I know. Thanks, Misaki."
Misaki returned the girl's sad smile and gave her shoulders a soft squeeze before urging her up from the stool. "Quickly now. Let's finish getting you dressed. You know how testy the Clothier gets when you keep him waiting."
Lady Misaki sat in the window of her bedroom, combing through her long dark hair as she stared longingly at the moon above her. She was lost in thought, brooding over what to do about Princess Eri's unfortunate circumstances, when a loud hissing sound suddenly caught her attention.
"Psst!"
She leaned out a bit to look around for the source of the noise.
The sound became more insistent and was quickly followed by a hushed voice calling out, "Down here!"
Misaki glanced down at the bushes below her window to find a woman in a dark cloak looking up and waving at her. As soon as she noticed her, the woman reached into her cloak and pulled out what appeared to be a grappling gun, aiming it upward and shooting the hook up toward the window she was currently leaning out of. Misaki quickly jumped back in alarm, narrowly missing being impaled by the device. The woman abruptly vaulted in through the window and threw her arms out from beneath her cloak to reveal her rather scantily clad and voluptuous body.
"I am the Great Sorceress Midnight!" The woman grandly introduced herself.
Misaki just blinked at her in muted shock.
The self-proclaimed sorceress hugged her arms around herself, her face lighting up with a rosy blush as her expression suddenly melted into one of sheer ecstasy. "Your delicious inner turmoil called out to me. I just couldn't resist the sweet taste of your despair!"
Misaki could practically see sparkling roses surrounding the woman as she wriggled in sordid delight, and she instantly thought to herself, 'Who is this weirdo?'
"Um, how can I help you, Great Sorceress?" She asked aloud, grimacing a bit in mild discomfort at the woman's antics.
She mercifully ceased her disturbing squirming before striking a pose and winking at her, "Oh, it's not about how you can help me; it's about what I can do to help you."
Misaki blinked in confusion. "Help me? With what?"
The sorceress produced a small, round vial from inside her cape, sweeping around to wrap her arm around Misaki's shoulder and telling her in a somewhat conspiratorial tone of voice, "This little potion is the answer to all of your problems, deary."
She took the offered bottle in both hands and asked, "What does it do?"
"It will disguise your likeness, making you appear as the person you wish to save from her undesirable fate." Midnight trailed a slender finger along the line of Misaki's jaw, turning her face toward her. "And allow you to accept it in her place."
Misaki stared into Midnight's bright blue eyes in astonishment. Her? Take Eri's place?
'Would that even be possible?' She thought to herself in wonder.
The more she considered the proposition, the more plausible it began to appear to her.
Staring down at the small glass bottle of shimmering purple liquid in her hands, she asked in a breathy voice full of nervous anticipation, "How long will it last?"
"One day and one night only, so use it wisely," Midnight's low voice warned in her ear.
That would be just long enough to fool the escort scheduled to take Eri to the Count's manor in the morning. The two of them had never met nor exchanged any correspondence, and as far as she knew, the Count had never inquired for any information about Eri after his initial proposal. He had no idea what she looked like. Misaki felt her heart begin to flutter in her chest. This impromptu plan might actually work.
She anxiously glanced up at the sorceress. "What do I owe you?"
Midnight swept away from her toward the window, the same smutty blush from before reddening her cheeks as she struck another pose and announced, "You've already paid, my dear!"
The flamboyant sorceress tossed another small vial at her feet and vanished almost as suddenly as she had appeared in a giant plume of shimmering pink smoke.
Misaki coughed as she waved her hand in front of her face to dispel the smoke, thinking to herself in exasperation, 'Sorcerers and their utterly inconsiderate use of concealment potions!'
The fog around her dissipated out the open window fairly quickly, and she swiftly closed the shutters behind it. Walking over to her bed, she sat down on the edge and timidly stared down at the potion in her hands. There wasn't much time for her to consider the possible ramifications of following through with such deception. She would just have to have faith that the benefits would outweigh the drawbacks, whatever they may be, and everything would work out for the best in the end.
Taking a leaf out of the Princess's book, Misaki decided that it was perhaps better to ask forgiveness rather than permission in this particular instance.
Princess Eri stood on a platform in her dressing room, staring dejectedly at the reflection of herself in her finished wedding dress while several handmaidens fussed with her hair and accessories. The closer it came to the time for her departure, the sicker to her stomach she began to feel.
The door behind her opened, and someone walked into the room. The Princess paid the newcomer little heed until a familiar voice suddenly dismissed the others. "I'll take it from here."
Eri glanced up at the reflection of her aunt standing behind her in the mirror. "Misaki?"
The handmaidens all bowed and quickly left the room, leaving just the two of them standing together in the ample space.
Misaki tilted her head to the side and smiled with a warm expression as she gazed at her reflection. "You look beautiful."
The Princess made a conscious effort to reply with a genuine smile. "Thank you."
Misaki sighed forlornly. "It's a shame that you won't be able to wear it to your wedding today, though."
Eri blinked in confusion. "Huh?"
She brought a large bag out from behind her back as Eri turned around to face her and said, "Happy birthday, Eri."
The Princess took the bag from her aunt and opened it, seeing several metal plates and some sort of soft, hide-like material inside. She looked up to Misaki and asked, "What is it?"
"Enchanted armor," she replied.
Eri widened her eyes in shock. "Encha—?"
Misaki nodded. "I ordered it specially made from the Clothier this morning. It will protect you on your adventures."
Still reeling from the suddenness of the situation, Eri could only stare back at her aunt and stutter, "On my—? Wha—? How?"
She watched as Misaki lifted a small vial of purple liquid to her mouth and began to drink it. As soon as the bottle was empty, her body began to shimmer, and within seconds, Eri was looking at a carbon copy of herself standing in front of her and wearing Misaki's clothing. She lifted her hand to her mouth and gasped.
"Because I will be taking your place," her doppelganger spoke in her own voice.
"What!?" Eri loudly exclaimed.
She could hardly believe she was seeing and hearing. Misaki had just transformed herself into—well, her. And now she was saying that she'd be going to the Count in her place?
The thought of the Count sobered some of her shock, and she trailed off in concern, "But then that means..."
Misaki reached out and placed her hands on the Princess's shoulders, calmly looking her in the eye as she said, "I told you if there was a way for you to have your freedom and still forge the alliance with the Count, that I would help you do it in a heartbeat."
"But what about you?" Eri woefully insisted.
A small, soft smile spread across her own face as Misaki replied, "My free-spirited niece gets to live the life she's always dreamed of." Her smile dimmed, and her eyes dropped a bit. "And I get to marry the most eligible bachelor in the land. What is there for me to be unhappy about?"
The Princess could tell that her aunt was not being sincere about the later part of her statement. Misaki had been taking care of her for as long as she could remember, and in all that time, the woman had never pursued any form of romantic interests. She had dedicated her life to caring for Eri, and now she was about to make an even bigger sacrifice; marrying a man she'd never met so that Eri didn't have to.
Eri clutched the bag in her hand and stared back at her sadly. "Misaki..."
Her hand lifted from her shoulder to cup her face, and the soft expression returned to her features. "Go. Be happy, Eri. For you and for me."
Eri teared up as she was overwhelmed with intense emotion, and she dropped the bag to throw her arms around the woman. "Thank you! I'll never forget this!"
Misaki's arms wrapped around her, and she heard her voice whisper, "You're welcome."
The two women quickly exchanged clothes, with Eri donning her brand-new armor. They hugged and said their goodbyes before heading out of the room in opposite directions. Eri promptly packed up some provisions and grabbed several pieces from her hidden stash of weaponry, securing them to the holsters on her belt before throwing a hooded cloak over her shoulders and making for the back door. She hesitated for a moment, turning her head to look back toward the castle's entryway where Misaki was sure to be hugging her parents goodbye before heading off in a carriage that would take her to the Count's mountaintop estate. She sincerely thanked the woman once again in her thoughts before turning and heading out the back door.
Eri came up short suddenly at the sight of a familiar, scruffy face surrounded by wavy black hair that fell into a pair of dark, dour eyes.
"Shota-sensei!" Eri exclaimed in greeting to her longtime tutor. "What are you doing here?"
"Did you really think we'd let you travel around the land all by yourself?" His gruff voice asked as he stepped toward her. He grabbed her bag from her and slung it over his shoulder before turning and walking off toward the tree line, calling out to her over his shoulder, "Let's go."
She should have known that they would have hatched this plan together. Shota had been Misaki's one true friend growing up within the walls of the castle and the only one she would have trusted to look after Eri in her stead. Not that she was complaining. Eri rather enjoyed the surly man's company—when he wasn't lecturing her on paying attention to his lessons, that is. A broad smile spread across the Princess's face, and she hastily jogged off after her traveling companion, eager to embark on their adventure.
But alas, that is where the young girl's story ends for now; for this is not the tale of Princess Eri's adventure to become one of the most renowned warriors in all the land. No, that is a story for another time. This is the story of her aunt, Lady Misaki, and her journey to becoming the Countess of Hawks Landing.
~ Author's Note ~
Welcome to my fantasy AU pet project featuring Misaki and Hawks! I'm totally in love with this story. I feel like it fits my writing style very well, and I hope that you enjoy it too! It was written based on the fantasy art that Horikoshi did for one of the popularity polls. As with most of my stories, this is primarily a romance, and there will be mature themes (eventually). I'll try to post chapters weekly as I have time. Please feel free to drop me a comment if you like it!
XOXO
L0LSAT