Ren was awake bright and early the next morning, bouncing on her toes as she impatiently waited at the Poets Gate, her bags slung over her shoulder. The guards once again greeted her, but the blond, Kai, looked desperate to ask Ren a question, fidgeting where he stood and mouth twisting this way and that. Finally, he quickly said:
"So you're the new Apprentice Blacksmith then?"
The question pulled Ren from her thoughts and she paused in her bouncing, saying, "Yeah, I am." She was unable to stop the giddy smile that spread across her face at that statement, as the result still hadn't sunk in completely.
"Oh, I knew you could do it!" Kai practically squealed, now bouncing himself as he looked over at his fellow guard, "Isn't that right Shiira?"
"Mhm," Shiira hummed and nodded, saying, "This might surprise you, but we were actually cheering for you since you arrived on your first day of examination. I don't know if you remember us though, you were in such a hurry." He finished with a small chuckle.
"No I… I do remember you... You guys helped me find my way to the orientation room! Thank you so much for that! I would've been late if it weren't for you." Ren said, her eyes widening in realization.
"It was no problem!" Kai said; he reminded Ren of an excitable child, and she found it almost endearing, in a strange sort of way.
"We're happy to have helped," Shiira said; he was almost the complete opposite of Kai, calmer and much more subdued, and Ren could see the sincerity in his words. "And congratulations on your position, Miss…"
"Ren." She supplied, stepping forwards to shake his hand, "And thank you, I'm very excited to work at the palace, Mr…"
"Shiira, Shiira Eigan," he replied as he shook her hand, "And my fellow gatekeeper is Kai Ulkir. He can get very excitable…" he finished apologetically.
"I don't mind," Ren laughed, "I'm just surprised you guys were rooting for me, seeing as you didn't even know my name."
Shiira's answer came as a surprise to Ren: "We were curious about you."
"And you didn't seem stuck up like some of those other candidates." Kai added.
Ren's brows furrowed slightly at that; it wasn't hard to guess who Kai was talking about.
"So we silently cheered you on in the hopes of meeting you properly, when you came to work here." Shiira said.
But before Ren could reply, the Court Blacksmith arrived, lumbering through the gates at 9:13am; the previous night's drinking had made him later than intended, though he was somehow still joyful and wide awake.
"Good morning everyone!" he said, "Ah, you remembered your belongings Ren! Good good, we won't have to go back and get them. Now follow me and I'll show you to your new accommodations." He then turned back through the gate, gesturing for Ren to follow him.
She waved goodbye to Kai and Shiira, hoisting up the bags on her shoulder and taking a deep breath as she walked through the grand gateway; it felt more intimidating than before, though Ren couldn't work out why.
Her accommodations turned out to be an average sized bedroom with a small attached bathroom, similar rooms lining the second floor hallway of the same building; a small, two-storey complex, hidden in the gardens behind the palace.
There were many of these buildings scattered about, and they housed all of the palace staff. A few kitchens and communal areas could be found within each building, and they were frequently used by many of the staff in the evenings after their shifts were over; though they were always on call, ready to fulfil their duties whenever they were needed, even in the middle of the night.
Ren's room was clean and cosy, two windows letting in plenty of light as she set down her belongings. A desk with a gas lamp sat underneath one of the windows, and an empty bookcase was set into an adjacent wall, a single bed standing next to it.
It's nothing special, Ren thought, but it's warm and safe, and it's my home from now on. I'm sure I'll be comfortable here. As long as I'm not next to that old kitchen hag, that is…
"Right, here's your key… and here's your Palace Identification," Otsu said, handing the items over to her, "I'll give you an hour to settle in, and then I'll see you in the forge." He finished with a smile, Ren watching as he squeezed back through the doorway, being careful of his broken arm as he sucked in a deep breath.
Ren put the room key in one of the pouches at her belt, and looked at her identification necklace as she placed it around her neck. The long, leather cord came down to just below her breast, the delicate gold frame of the rectangular pendant ending in a point, with a diamond shaped bead on the end and the Royal Wisteria symbol etched above it. The engraved glass in the centre had a slight grey tinge to it, reflecting the coals and metals she worked with all day.
Ren smiled, pride swelling in her heart; she was here at last, and it was official.
The grey glass of an identification necklace flashed in the sunlight as it swung from side to side, its owner hurrying down yet another corridor. Ren clutched her arm as she hopelessly looked down another intersection, turning left after some deliberation; it had been a week since she had begun her apprenticeship at the palace, and she was completely lost, having not left the forge much in that time.
Yet she had been forced out of the forge in order to find the Court Herbalist's because she had burnt her forearm and wrist. However, she hadn't come across the building whilst exploring the palace during her examination, only one of the greenhouses, and that wouldn't be of any help to her right now.
Her arm burning and getting redder by the second, Ren gave up, slumping onto the low wall of an enclosed courtyard, staring at her burn in irritation. Fortunately, Otsu had immediately given her a damp cloth to ease the pain slightly, but Ren could tell that this burn was likely to leave another mark if it didn't get professional treatment soon.
"Great job Ren," she muttered to herself resentfully, "This is a great way to start a new job, isn't it? Burning yourself like an idiot…"
Her continued muttering drew the attention of a young man lounging in one of the courtyards trees. Obi looked over at the figure sitting with his back to him, their hair curled into a loose bun and the straps of a leather apron tied around their neck and lower back. He lent backwards from his perch, stretching his neck as he tried to get a look at the persons face; when he managed to catch a glimpse, he recognised it immediately, and a quick look at the green curls hidden within the loose bun confirmed it.
Obi had heard about Ren's victory through the rumours that had spread throughout the palace staff; whispers about the new apprentice blacksmith with half brown, half green hair; murmurs about the girl who wore a mysterious, hooded cloak around the palace, disappearing into the forest in the late hours of dusk, not returning until the moon was high in the night sky.
And whilst these rumours weren't as numerous as Shirayuki's (she was friends with Prince Zen, after all) they were still abundant and could be heard wherever you went in the palace. And the only reason Ren hadn't heard them herself was because she had barely left the forge.
Obi had of course recognised who they were whispering about, and had simply smirked every time he had heard them; it seemed as though Ren was earning a reputation for herself already, whether she intended to or not.
He had released a quiet chuckle at the news of her success, silently congratulating her and wishing her all the best at the palace; he knew she could handle the rumours, and hoped life here would live up to her expectations.
Obi's cat-like eyes flashed with mischief as he watched Ren, and he swiftly leapt down from the tree, landing silently in a low crouch on the soft grass below. He stealthily crept towards her, her muttering never ceasing even as he stood behind her, leaning in so his mouth was millimetres away from her ear. Obi waited a few seconds before saying loudly:
"Watcha doin' Ren?"
"Ah!" Ren released a small, surprised shout as she jumped up, spinning on the spot to face her assailant, still clutching her throbbing arm to her chest. What she found was a young man a few years older than her, only a little bit taller too, standing on the other side of the low wall, hands clasped behind his back and an innocent expression on his face as he looked of too the left.
Ren slumped when she saw who it was, saying, "Obi? What are you doing here? And how did you get here?" She narrowed her eyes at him.
"There's no need to worry Miss," Obi chuckled, smiling as he looked at her, "I work as a messenger here in the palace."
"I wasn't worried, just suspicious…" Ren said.
Okay, so maybe she was just a little bit worried about Obi, should he be discovered by the palace guards. But he didn't need to know that. It'd only boost his ego anyway… probably…
Ren not looking entirely convinced by his explanation, Obi decided to change the subject before she could question him further, asking curiously:
"Did you burn your arm?"
He pointed to the offending limb which was wrapped in a damp cloth, and Ren looked down at it, saying with irritation, "I burnt it in the forge. I wasn't paying attention and it was a stupid mistake, so now I have to go to the Court Herbalist's but I have no idea how to get there! I've been wandering around for at least thirty minutes and I'm completely lost!"
She finished with an annoyed sigh, still looking down at the painful burn; the cloth wasn't helping much now, and her skin felt like it was on fire.
Obi studied her for a little while, the mischievous glint returning to his eyes as he said, "I could take you there."
"Really?" Ren said, head snapping up to look at him, "I'd really appreciate that, thanks Obi. I owe you one."
"I'll keep that mind." He said with a grin.
Suddenly he hopped over the low wall, picking Ren up bridal style with one arm hooked under her knees and the other supporting her back.
"Hey!" she shouted, a little panicked by the physical contact, "What are doing?! Put me down right now Obi! I can walk there just fine, the burn is on my arm, not my leg-"
"Relax, Miss," Obi said, looking down at her and smirking, "It'll be faster this way, and that looks like a serious burn which needs treatment as soon as."
"Obi-"
That was all Ren managed to get out before he sprinted down the corridor, causing Ren to hold onto her burnt arm so it didn't get knocked about too much and onto Obi's shirt from fear of falling.
Obi raced through the palace hallways, keeping a firm grip on Ren as he leapt over low walls and dashed up staircases, taking the quickest route he knew to the Court Herbalist's. Soon they reached the top of a staircase, and Obi raced towards one of the window-like openings at the end of the second floor corridor; a courtyard could be seen below them, with a small cluster of trees around its edges.
Ren's eyes widened as she realized just what Obi was intending to do, and her protests increased tenfold, her grip on his shirt tightening as his foot left the ledge of the window-like opening; they were suddenly flying through the air, a few strands of Ren's hair escaping her bun as the wind ripped past them.
Her cries of protest could be heard by the people in a nearby study, and if Ren hadn't been so focused on holding onto Obi, she may have noticed that they were currently traversing across the same courtyard she and Cynthia had argued in.
Zen, Kiki and Mitsuhide looked out of the large windows of the study, and could just about spot a figure leaping through the trees on the other side of the courtyard, carry someone else in their arms. They watched as the two steadily made their way upwards, hearing a woman's protest of:
"Put me down! What happens if you drop meeeeeeeee!" The two had just disappeared over the rooftop, the girl's objection turning into a shrill shout as they made their way downwards on the other side.
There's only one person that could be… The three friends thought, a little despairingly.
"Obi seems to be spending his free time well…" Zen said, a vein on his temple starting to pulse slightly in irritation.
"I wonder who that girl was." Kiki said, still looking at where the two had disappeared from their sight.
"Whoever it was…" Mitsuhide said, releasing a short chuckle, "I think Obi's flirtation skills need a bit of work."
"It's not like yours are any better." Kiki said, casually turning to put the book she was holding back on its shelf, leaving behind a stuttering and hurt Mitsuhide and a snickering Zen.
Meanwhile, Obi and Ren had arrived at the Court Herbalists, Obi gently dropping Ren in through Ryuu and Shirayuki's window, then climbing in himself.
Whilst the friends greeted each other, Obi ruffling Ryuu's hair, the stranger among them dusted off and straightened out her clothes, grumbling how Obi "didn't have to carry her" and smacking the back of his head lightly; not enough to seriously hurt, but enough to get her point across.
"But your arm needs treatment and you were lost," Obi tried to reason, rubbing the back of head a little sheepishly, "And I just happen to know the best herbalist's there are." He grinned at Ryuu and Shirayuki, who were a little confused about what was going on.
"That doesn't excuse picking someone up and carry them across rooftops without their permission. I can still walk just fine." Ren reprimanded, glaring at him slightly.
There were a few awkward seconds of silence whilst Obi tried to avoid the glare he was being sent, Shirayuki more than confused now; she wasn't sure who this strange girl was, but she didn't seem happy with Obi, that's for sure.
"You have a burn on your arm." Ryuu said nonchalantly, looking pointedly at Ren's red forearm, which was only slightly covered by the damp cloth now.
"Oh!" Shirayuki said, now focused on her patient, analysing the wound and discussing treatments with Ryuu. Soon they were preparing the correct poultice, and whilst they did so Shirayuki asked Ren how she did it.
"I burnt it on some hot embers…" Ren grumbled, refusing to look at anyone in her embarrassment, "I'm the Court Blacksmiths Apprentice and was helping him make the ceremonial swords for the new soldiers, but I put one of the in-progress swords down too hard in the hearth... hot embers flew everywhere, landed on my skin… and next thing I know I have blotchy burn marks on my arm."
"It looks painful…" Shirayuki said, now starting to apply the poultice to Ren's burn, "I've seen people cry from these kinds of burns before, but you don't seem too bothered by it."
"Yeah, well…" Ren said, cringing slightly at the pain caused by contact on the burn, "Working in a forge can get you lots of burns, ow, so I'm kinda used to it, ow."
"I didn't know the Court Blacksmith had an apprentice." Ryuu said, putting the herbs back on their shelves.
"I started just a week ago, ow," Ren said, "And only one person could be chosen out of all the candidates, so it's just me. Luckily…" she murmured the last part, though everyone heard it anyway.
"All done." Shirayuki said, smiling brightly at Ren as she stepped back.
"Wow, thank you." Ren replied, looking down at the neat bandage now wrapped around her forearm and wrist; she'd never had her burns treated by a proper herbalist before, and the burning sensation had shrunken significantly thanks to the poultice.
"No problem. I'm Shirayuki, and this is Ryuu." She said, shaking Ren's hand and gesturing to the quiet boy who was sitting at his bench.
"Ren." The blacksmith replied.
However, when she looked over at Ryuu, Ren finally noticed how young he was, and how small.
"How old are you, Ryuu? If you don't mind me asking."
"12." He said, preparing himself for the usual spiel of disbelief that was sure to come.
"And you're an apprentice here?"
"Er… No, I'm… er…" He mumbled, looking down at his feet.
"Actually, Shirayuki's Ryuu's apprentice. Half pint over there is a fully fledged Court Herbalist." Obi said, coming to the young boys rescue.
Ren blinked a couple times as she stared at Ryuu, the boy becoming more anxious by the second, before she finally said:
"That's… awesome!" Ren rushed over to his side, asking questions a mile a minute, "You must be a great herbalist, working in the Royal Court at such a young age! How long have you been here? When did you decide to be a Court Herbalist? How long did you study for? Do you know every plant there is? Is it hard to teach someone older than you? You must have extraordinary talent." She had a huge grin on her face, in absolute awe of the young boy; his achievement was such an inspiration to her.
It was only when she heard the snickers of Obi and Shirayuki behind her that she noticed the shocked and overwhelmed expression on Ryuu's face.
Oops, Ren thought, I got a bit overexcited there… poor kid doesn't know what hit him.
"Heh… Sorry." Ren said, taking a step back and twiddling her fingers sheepishly.
"It's okay…" Ryuu said, having recovered from the unexpected admiration this older girl had expressed.
"Ryuu isn't used to that kind of reaction," Shirayuki said, her giggles receding, "People normally just don't believe him."
As Ren turned to face Shirayuki, she finally noticed her bright red hair (she had been distracted, okay?) and she made the connection. Her whole body tensing up, she held her breath and a faint blush dusted her cheeks.
She wasn't a stand-in actress, Ren thought, she's an Apprentice Court Herbalist.
"Oh my god I am so sorry." Ren said, "I didn't realise it was you. Please forgive me." She finished with a small bow to Shirayuki, wishing for the ground to just swallow her up where she stood.
"For what?" Shirayuki asked, blinking a few times at the girl in front of her.
"We've actually met before… on Open Castle Day I complimented your hair, which was covered at the time, and I ran away before you could reply. It was rude and disrespectful of me, and I apologise." Ren explained, still bowed.
"You don't need to apologise for anything," Shirayuki said, a soft smile on her face and hint of sternness in her tone, "It was nice to get a sincere compliment from someone. I was actually going to thank you but you disappeared into the crowd so quickly! So thank you. And stand up! You look a little ridiculous, bowing for no reason." She laughed good naturedly, hands clasped in front of her.
"Right…" Ren said, straightening up and twisting her fingers as she laughed nervously, "I'm relieved to hear you weren't offended, though."
"Of course I wasn't! I've dealt with lot worse because of my hair, a compliment was a nice change." Shirayuki smiled and shrugged.
"So, how long have you been an apprentice here, Shirayuki?" Ren asked after a brief pause.
"Quite a while now… Though my exam still feels like it was only yesterday." She laughed.
"Ha, I know how you feel… I still feel like I'm in a dream right now, that I'll wake up one day and it'll all be gone…" She sighed before asking, "How many people got in during your exam? I met an apprentice herbalist called Higata during my examination, did he take the exam the same time as you did?"
"Yeah, we were the only two to succeed, actually," Shirayuki said, "I got locked in one of the greenhouses overnight by someone too, but I'm still here now." She laughed at the memory fondly.
Ren laughed with her, saying, "Trouble with other candidates… I know that feeling…"
"What happened during your exam?" Shirayuki asked.
"Oh," Ren said, noticing her slip up, "I just had an argument with some of the other candidates, nothing serious really."
Obi, whose attention had previously been on some open books lying on a bench near him, now listened in to the girl's conversation, remembering the argument to be much more serious than Ren was letting on.
"Well, luckily for us, you were the one who was chosen." Shirayuki said, noticing the slightly pained look that had crossed Ren's eyes, "It means I finally got to thank you for that compliment."
"And I wouldn't have been able to meet you properly if I hadn't got the job," Ren said, the small smile on her lips now disappearing, her head bowing as she said, "Though, I'm not really sure why I was chosen… There were much better candidates than me, I'm sure… My burn is evidence enough of that." She clutched her burnt arm to her chest, shrinking slightly.
However, before Shirayuki or Obi could reassure Ren, the door to the room slid open, revealing the large silhouette of a lumbering man.
"Because you have talent Ren!" A rumbling voice exclaimed from the doorway, all heads snapping to the source in surprise, "Your determination, your eagerness to learn new things, your extraordinary skills in the forge… How could I not give you the job?!" Otsu squeezed through the doorway, ruffling Ren's hair with his good arm as he said, "You were the best candidate out there, and I have not once regretted my decision. We all make mistakes, after all."
Ren backed away from Otsu's hand, shooing it away like a fly; he seemed to be making a habit out of the action. Ren was still in shock about what he had said, but the others all had smiles on their faces; the blacksmiths timing couldn't have been better.
Otsu continued, releasing a deep laugh and pointing to his broken arm as he said, "I mean, look at me! I've been out of commission for weeks! It's been killing me, not being able to do anything! But you're keeping the forge alive Ren! You are a vital part of this palace now."
"I-I know that…" Ren said, now embarrassed that there were so many witnesses, "I just felt so stupid for making such a simple mistake…"
"What's done is done. Besides, it's all fixed now." Otsu said, a wide smile on his face, "Although, you were taking so long I decided to come look for you."
"Oh, right… I er… Got lost." Ren said, shrugging, "But Obi… helped me find my way here." She looked over at him pointedly, but the young man just smirked in return. "I guess I should get back to work then." She was just about to say her goodbyes when Otsu said:
"Actually, I have some liquor to collect from the Chief Herbalist, so you can stay here a few minutes longer." He then swiftly left the room, leaving behind some very confused teens. Otsu had had a strange look on his face when he had seen the two girls and Obi standing near each other and interacting, like he knew some special secret. But they soon dismissed it as the silence stretched on, Ryuu having returned to his work.
"Hey Ren," Obi said, "You never did tell me if your hair was natural."
"Your hair?" Shirayuki asked, looking between the two.
"Yeah, its green on the ends," Ren said, turning around so Shirayuki could see it, "And no, it's not natural. I actually dye it with some crushed plant dye."
"Really?!" Shirayuki said as Ren turned back to face her, "I knew certain plants were used for dyeing, but I didn't know you could dye your hair with them!"
"Mhm. My dad would teach me about the plants that grow in the forest surrounding my village, but my mum discovered that they could be used to dye my hair." She laughed as she remembered her dads face when he came home from the forge to find his daughter with half green hair, their kitchen floor and her mums hands also dyed green, like the forest had exploded inside their house.
"What plants do you use? It must be a mixture of blue and yellow dye, right?"
"Yeah! I mix the dyes made from the Woad plant, which produces a blue dye, and a plant called Dyer's Greenweed, which gives you a yellow dye."
"That's amazing! Ryuu! Did you know about this?"
Obi watched in slight fascination as the girls excitedly talked about plants and the different kinds of dyes they produced, Ryuu sometimes being dragged into the conversation; it seemed they had bonded instantly over the subject, and whilst Obi knew the extent of Shirayuki's love of plants, he hadn't expected Ren to have the same kind of enthusiasm.
She's just full of surprises, Obi thought as he continued to watch from the corner, an amused and content smile on his face.
Otsu soon reappeared at the door, some bottles now clutched in his hands as he said, "You ready to go back to the forge Ren?"
The pair were broken from their conversation, Ren reply with a less than enthusiastic "Yeah."
"I'll wait for you outside." Otsu again left with that strange look on his face, like he was smiling at something no one else could see, sharing a private joke with himself that he would never share with anyone else.
Ren said her goodbyes, ruffling Ryuu's hair as she passed him.
Damn, she thought, have I already picked that up from Otsu?
"It was nice seeing you again, Obi." Ren said as she walked through the door, looking over her shoulder as she waved to them. "Hope to see you all soon."
Obi and Shirayuki waved back at her, Ryuu quietly saying goodbye as Ren disappeared from view. But it wasn't long before she poked her head back around the doorframe, saying:
"Not that I want to hurt myself again and have to come back here to get it treated, it would just be nice to see you guys again sometime…" she trailed off awkwardly, her gesturing hands just about visible to them, "O-kay, well… Thanks for the bandage! See ya!"
Obi and Shirayuki laughed as they once again called out their goodbyes, Ren finally leaving the Court Herbalist's building and heading back to the forge. Obi then stretched his arms over his head lazily, arching his back as a few things clicked and popped.
"I should get going too." He said, going over to the window, "The Master is probably wondering where I am. See ya half pint, Miss." He nodded to Shirayuki before jumping back out of the window he had come through.
"Bye Obi!" Shirayuki called. She stood by the window for a few moments, and some pieces of the conversation they had just had resurfaced in her mind; particularly things Ren and Obi had said.
"You never did tell me if your hair was natural."
"It was nice seeing you again, Obi."
"Again?" Shirayuki asked, looking over at Ryuu. But the boy simply shrugged, uninterested and immersed in his work.
When Obi returned to Zen's study he found that they were all looking at him with slightly amused expressions, though Zen did look a little annoyed by his tardiness.
"Whaat?" Obi asked a little warily.
"We think your flirtation skills need some work." Kiki said, straight to the point.
"We saw you carrying a girl across the courtyard," Mitsuhide explained as Obi only looked confused by Kiki's statement.
"And she didn't sound too happy about it," Zen laughed, "Whatever happened to asking a girl out to dinner first?"
"Yeah, cus that's what you did." Mitsuhide muttered, looking to the side as Zen growled at him, his brows furrowed in anger.
Obi blinked a few times as the two men argued; he had forgotten his route took them past the study. A smirk soon found its way onto his face though, saying "You would know if I was flirting, Master. My talents are much better than that."
"Oh really?" Zen laughed, Mitsuhide's comment forgotten for now, "In all seriousness though Obi, who was she?" he asked curiously.
"And why were you carrying her?" Kiki added, clearly unimpressed.
"She was someone in need of help and was lost, so I simply showed her the way to the herbalists." Obi vaguely replied, shrugging one shoulder.
"By carrying her across the roofs?" Mitsuhide said disbelievingly.
"It was the fastest way." Obi said, shrugging again.
"Mhmm." They all hummed in unison, turning back to their work and clearly not believing Obi, but dropping the subject for now.
Obi simply sighed as he leant his back against the wall by the balcony doors, looking out into the afternoon sun and leaving the conversation as it stood. He'd only decided to carry her to see her reaction and get a laugh out of it, but having seen the panic that had flooded her eyes, Obi decided he wouldn't be doing something like that again, not without Ren's permission.
It was strange though, he thought, the panic was only there when I first picked her up, not when we were moving. Sure she was shouting a lot, but it wasn't the same kind of fear…
Obi continued to ponder this for a while, but decided it would just have to be something he asked her himself; whenever he next saw her, anyway.
A/N: Ah, so the moment of truth has finally arrived: can I write cannon characters accurately or will they end up OOC? Hopefully not the latter, but let me know if that happens! This chapter is shorter than the rest, and there's a lot of dialogue, but I hope you guys enjoyed it none the less! As always thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favourited and followed, it makes me smile so much. Like, I will read a review 10 times during the day I get it because it just makes me smile, and I do a little dance when I see someone has taken the time to write a review. I'm not kidding, I genuinely do that.
Review Replies:
LilyAllycia:Funny you should mention a redemption arc... but that would be way in the future. So something to look forward too?
ImagineNation (Guest):I mean, who doesn't love Obi? I, personally, think there should be more of him (which is why i write so much off him). And how did you think Ren would mirror Shirayuki's trial? Was it the hair thing? If it is my reasons for Ren having not as much trouble as Shirayuki is that its only half of her hair that's green. And whilst it is a strange colour, it is a forest green, not as bright as Shirayuki's apple red. She still gets some unwanted attention because of it, and as you now know there are rumours spreading about her in the palace, but bear in mind she's lived in an isolated village all her life, so not many people go through there, making her an unknown. Hope that clears it up?
I also sometimes wonder what would happen if Ren and Obi got together, I've even daydreamed about scenarios which'll never be written, so please, do carry on imagining! Tbh, i'd quite like to hear the things you guys come up with, it'd be interesting from a writers perspective.
Finally... you guys are going to love me (by which i mean your not going to at all) cus I'm without a laptop for another week! Woo! Not only that, but I'm here to give you the exciting news that I like to drag things out! Basically my plans are thus: Chapter 11 is when Ren finally joins the group for good. Exciting right? That's not to say there wont be any long interactions with the cannon characters (there will be, I promise). So... please stick with me, I just don't want their friendship to happen over night (believe me I know it often doesn't).
So whether you liked what you read or not...
PLEASE REVIEW!
-Limegreenarcher
