"Mireya-dono," Zen called.
"Ah! Yes, Your Highness!"
"You should give yourself a break. I'll come back to you when I need you. Right now, I need everyone to not know that you're here so stay with Obi until then," Zen smiled.
"Yes, sir. I will wait," Mireya nodded.
Mireya could almost feel the teasing smile from Obi burning a hole in the back of her head.
Zen's face fell sullen and nonchalant, "Obi, shut up."
"Wha?! I didn't say anything!"
As Mireya laughed sheepishly, Kiki certainly couldn't hide her disappointment. Zen finally sighed and went on his way with Kiki following behind him. Mireya politely bowed as the prince and his aide took their leave.
The night was quiet with a few gentle sounds of the crickets and fire crackling from the fire torches. After a while, Obi jumped up the stone windows ledge and leaned against the wall. Mireya patiently waited, keeping her posture straight and attentive as she looked outward towards the forests. Perhaps it may even be the same direction as her former home.
"I didn't get the chance to properly thank you," Obi said.
"Oh! It's alright, you're welcome," Mireya smiled politely.
"I tried asking you earlier but I was being kinda rude about it so, how did you learn to use a bow and arrow?"
"I taught myself in secret. I came across it five years ago. It was just laying there in my family's stables. A beautiful bow with a quiver full of slim feathered arrows. I thought for sure it was someone else's but after I came back every day for a whole week and it was still there, I decided to take it. I played around with it whenever I had time."
Mireya chuckled, "I know that wasn't responsible of me. Who plays with a weapon?" She continued.
"Anyways, little by little, I started to become the type of person I never thought I could be - strong. I learned more and more about myself and archery. Instead of the typical etiquette and sewing, I found comfort and beauty in this one little hobby that I decided for myself…"
Obi felt compassion for her. He knew a thing or two about weapons himself, of course. The bow and arrow was perfect for her. Her resolve to do what she needed to do was decided a long time ago. No amount of abuse or power-hungry mongrel was ever going to take that away from her.
"Remember that 'Young Miss" I was talking about earlier?" Obi asked.
"Yes?"
"I think you and her would be really great friends," he smiled.
"What does she do?" Mireya was excited to make friends for the first time in her life.
"A court pharmacist."
"Wow! That's amazing! I'm terrible at eating medicines. Luck for me, I don't get sick easily," Mireya laughed.
Obi chuckled, "I'm sure she would be able to whip up something for you, just in case you do."
Looking back towards the forest, Mireya's hopeful face slowly turned melancholy.
"What's wrong?" Obi asked.
"...It's just that… I wish my family could have let go of their pride. Or their cowardice, at least. We could be happy together if they would have just trusted the Crown."
"Unfortunately, there are quite a few people who are like that."
"I wonder if my own mother would have been any different…"
Obi paused, "So, your mother is…"
"Yes. She was also a twin. My uncle Soya is practically my father's right-hand…"
"Wow, drama." Obi felt concerned. Her family was more entangled in this than he thought.
"Yes, sorry. It's quite the story," Mireya chuckled.
"Oh, no, it's fine. Anyways, you have so many people being misled down their own paths of pride and cowardice yet you decided to choose the truth. You're breaking a lot of chains," he said in a gentle tone.
Mireya's eyes widened in awe. She never realized that she was capable of doing anything until just over an hour ago. This night turned into the first night of the rest of her life.
"I am, aren't I?" she beamed. The gentle wind blew again just like the moment she shot her first arrow. Like the moment she went to the archery shop in town for the first time. Like the moment she snuck in a book on archery techniques from the private library. Like the moment she got her first injury from the string strap. All of it has been led up to this moment.
"Yep!" he grinned.
As they continued peacefully in silence, they could hear the door down the hall open. Obi perked up as Mireya promptly put her hood on and hid behind a nearby support pillar around the corner. Before Obi could look at her, she was already hiding. He wondered if she had to be good at that with all the practice of sneaking around she had to do all these years.
"It's me," Prinze Zen called.
"Your Highness!" Mireya returned to normal and walked back.
"What's next?" Obi asked.
"Just as I suspected. The three of you have to be the ones to help. That means you, too, Mireya-dono. You will go with Obi and Kiki to help Tsuruba-dono. I will be here with Tariga-dono," Zen concluded.
She straightened her posture once more, "Yes, sir."
A small but heavy silence fell on the group.
"Please stop calling me 'sir,'" Zen blushed.
"Ah, oh, Yes, Your Highness?"
"Better."
From the small nosy breaths and ruffled snorts, Mireya could tell Obi was trying to hold in his laugh again.
"I guess I'm not good at social things?" she thought.
"By the way, Mireya-dono. How confident are you on horseback?" Kiki finally spoke.
"Very! I can still use my bow and arrow, as well."
Obi gave a gentle one-note whistle, "That's pretty cool, actually."
"Yea, that is very impressive. I'll be relying on you, then," Zen chimed.
"Oh, no, I, uh…" Mireya stammered.
"Let us get going, then," Kiki led the way to the horses.
As they mounted onto their horse, they gave their prince a swift goodbye and galloped off into the dark forest. As Kiki took a peak behind her, she saw how Mireya's posture was very relaxed and steady. She smiled to herself thinking of how she managed to get so good despite being self-taught.
Eventually, as they deeper into the forest, Obi signaled them to follow him. Mireya figured it must be that Obi found footprints. Even in this dark night, he could see something so small in detail.
"His Highness has such wonderful friends," she thought.
They then could hear a clashing of swords as they got closer. She could see a few figures in the distance, but couldn't tell which one was Tsuruba. Until a few more gallops later, she finally saw him.
He was bloody with a white cloak. His hair seems shorter now, but she vaguely remembers him when he caught a glimpse of him when they were younger. It was his father's funeral. The same face of despair and discontent. A little boy caught in the middle of his own family's arrogant snares.
A pit was felt in her stomach, so she swiftly mounted her bow to her right hand with her string pulled back with her left and kept her back straight as she galloped closer to the chaos. She released her arrow, at the same time pointing her bow downward to give it more speed and precision.
A loud clanging sound echoed through the forest as Mireya's arrow hit a kunai that was heading for Tsuruba. She then swiftly jumped over her alarmed horse and landed behind Tsuruba. She peeked at Tsuruba over her shoulder. Her suspicions were confirmed. He was bloody and tired. The one thing that surprised her was that he looked straight into her emerald eyes with such wonder and admiration. Usually, men would stare with boredom, arrogance, or scorn. She noted to herself that his puce eyes were quite beautiful.
Tsuruba was utterly shocked, "Who…?"
"Due to this situation, His Highness said that the three of us had to be the ones to help."
"The three…?"
Obi and Kiki revealed themselves, straightening themselves to be ready for battle.
"I am Kiki Seiran of the Imperial Knights, who are you?" Kiki demanded.
"Do we look like knights to you?! Take'em out!" one of the assassins shouted.
Suddenly, a shadow appeared behind Kiki.
"Kiki-dono!" Tsuruba yelled.
Within the blink of an eye, Mireya's bow was mounted, an arrow was released and shot through the attacker's heart.
As the man falls to the ground, Kiki astoundingly looks at Obi who had his own unreleased kunai at the ready then at Mireya. Even the attackers were dumbfounded.
"And now you save my life," Kiki smirked.
"I swear your reactions are faster than mine. Scary…," Obi grinned.
Mireya smiled back in response.
"GET THEM!" one growled.
Mireya immediately stepped back near the trees. Her bow and arrow was best for mid to long distance, plus she needed to help anyone who needed cover. Kiki, Obi, and Tsuruba were doing great on their own so no one was coming for her. She counted six people left but she was always open to the suggestion that there could be more. As another tried to go behind Tsuruba, she shot him through the back. She then supported Kiki by shooting the attacker through his hands that was holding his sword then through his throat.
Some blood was splashed on Kiki, "My apologies, Kiki-dono!"
"It's fine! Nice shot!" Kiki continued fighting.
Finally, after all six of them were defeated, they set a fire torch down so that they could take a break. No longer scared off by the noise of violence, the sounds of crickets and frogs were starting to come back. However, the clouds were starting to thicken around the moon.