The Princess and the Angel

by Miyuki Inakamono

Part Three - Endymion

Author's Note: I'm finally continuing this... I hope there's still people who will read it. I worked kinda long and hard on this story; sorry for the pause. Dang, I look, and I noticed it's under the Katsumi Tonicha name. ^-^" Really sorry, you guys. Enjoy the rest of the story.



"You don't? How sad," Bethany muttered.

"Well, I also don't remember what flying is like, so I don't know what I'm missing," Nanshi offered.

"Do you think anyone is going to come for you?" Bethany asked, looking over at Nanshi, who was eyeing the wizard-doctor's work on his wing. She had healed the small fracture, but it was still a tad bit sore.

"I don't know. If my fall was from suicide, I doubt it. Same if I was pushed, or did something wrong and such was the punishment. Otherwise, maybe. It's been a few days now," he answered with a thoughtful expression on his narrow face.

"Oh." Bethany darted a glance away from him, raising her eyebrows at his 'nice' answer. "Well, if no one comes for you are plenty welcome to stay here with us in Correnterra."

"You are very kind, Princess, but I wish not to burden you. What with the dragons and all."

"Oh, we'll survive. We've beat them before," she laughed. "You don't actually think they agreed to sign the treaty do you?"

"I guess not," was the soft reply. Nanashi turned his attention to the huge book shelves in front of him, wondering at the multitudes of books.

Bethany smiled. 'He speaks so soft,' she pondered, 'and so calm. He carries such a sad tone to his voice all the time. I can't help but to wonder if he really does want to leave here.'

"Princess, Master Nanashi, noon dinner is ready," said one of Bethany's many servants, walking up to her and Nanashi, bowing at the both of them (something that took Nanashi a while to adjust to)

"All right, we'll be there in a minute," she answered him and he turned out the door of the library. Bethany stood, her royal gown flowing long around her.

"Come on," she told him, knocking him out of his thoughts. "My father should be home no, and you can meet him."

"Yes, Princess. I'm coming," Nanashi followed her out the room, his wardrobe now consisting of a simple tied red shirt (fit for his wings by enchantment from the wizard-doctor, never wanting to just cut two holes in the back of a good shirt) and light brown pants and leather boots. Poor Nanashi looked more like a gardener than a guest of the Princess...

@-------

"Father, this is Nanashi. He's an angel."

Tension was at the table as King Mofluer looked Nanashi over. "Angel?" the short chubby man rumbled. "Why is he here?"

'I guess she takes after her mother,' Nanashi thought.

"He fell," Bethany replied simply.

"H fell?" the king repeated, then snorted. "From where? Guardian Angels don't just fall. They come disguised. Unless of course," King Mofluer sneered, " you came from Keflai; the kingdom of gold. Come on, speak up boy."

'And how would this person know all of this? Has he been above his own latitudes before?' "I don't remember where I come from or who I am," Nanashi answered softly.

The king frowned disapprovingly. He glanced at Bethany. "I hear this 'angel' is sleeping in one of the royal guest rooms, Bethany."

She nodded. "Yes, sir, he is."

The king sighed. "I would like to see you after lunch."

'I knew this would happen...' "Yes, Father."

"As for you," the king turned his attention to Nanashi, "I suggest you be gathering what few things you have. You're moving from that room."

@-------

"I leave you for a week in the care of your guard and Nobleman Winner, and you have a stray angel that has no name sleeping in the royal guest rooms!! What happened to you?!" King Mofluer shouted at his daughter.

"But Father--"

"No buts!! I don't like it! Send him out! And that is final!"

Bethany's eyes flared. 'I know I'll regret this...' "No!! Nanashi is staying until he's better and someone comes for him! And that, my father, is final!" Bethany stormed out and almost went up the stairs, but remembered her father moving Nanashi, so she turned and glared, then hurried down the left wing and down the stairs to the servant's quarters.

@-------

Gabriella bowed in front of the angel decked in gold.

"Arise, Angel Gabriella," he rumbled, loud as thunder.

"Mighty Endymion, I have a request," Gabriella said meekly, feeling insignificant in front of the Head Angel.

"What is it then?"

"Mighty Endymion, I ask of you your permission to go to Earth and

serve as your servant to return Triton Bloom back to us here in Keflai."

"Why must you do that?" he asked in his thunderous tone.

"Triton Bloom fell, and of my own fault. He has forgotten who he is; I have witnessed it through the Looking Pools. He is staying with an Earthen princess named Eliza Bethany Mofluer, ruler of Correnterra," Gabriella replied.

"And why must I send you?"

"Because it is my fault he fell, sir. And mine to retrieve him," Gabriella answered in a trembling voice.

Endymion paused, and considered. He looked Gabriella over, making her blood turn to ice at his gaze.

"Fine. Be sure to hide yourself. Now go."

Gabriella looked up in shock. "You mean-"

"Go! Get yourself prepared to go and fetch the fallen!"

"Yes, sir, Mighty Endymion! Of course!" Gabriella bowed quickly one last time, then scrambled out of the throne room and straight to Catherine, using her wings to propel her forward. After days of waiting, Edymion saw her, and was going to let her go get Triton back!

"Well?" Catherine asked when Gabriella came to an abrupt halt in front of her.

Gabriella held up a finger. "Hold on," she gasped out. About a minute later, she looked up and grinned. "He's going to let me go. Help me decide what I need."

@-------

Nanashi looked up when he heard someone knocked on the heavy doors. They looked about ready to fall off the hinges already. "Who is it?" he asked, a habit he picked up from all the times he had been sent to find Bethany.

"It's me," Bethany called.

"Oh. Come in, Princess."

Bethany walked in and struggled to get the dragging door closed again. She scowled at it when she finally got it closed. Nanashi smiled at her. She, to Nanashi's secret pleasure, sat down next to him on the bed, her silk gowns draping elegantly off the edge and trailing behind her.

"What's bothering you, Princess?" he asked tenderly, taking in the look on her face.

"My father," she said with a sigh. "He just never quits. He wants you to leave, as I think you can tell. No matter what I say, he'll keep pressing it on you until he gets what he wants. Sometimes that's useful. But others," she growled, "it's not."

"You don't want me to leave, Princess?" Nanashi asked.

She looked at him like he was crazy. "Of course not!! I told you the first day I met you, you interest me. I just have yet to figure out why!" She sighed. "And at this rate, I may never..."

"What is it you want to know?"

Frustation built up on her face. "I don't know!"

'Okay, she's not in a good mood in the least,' Nanashi noticed. "Alright then. When you figure it out, just let me know, Princess."

"Nanashi, please," she said, "call me Bethany. The constant 'Princess' title bothers me."

"Well, Bethany, I hate to say it, but I think your father is right. I am a burden to you. Because of my arrival, the war with the dragons is raging again. I want to stay, I really do, but it is for the best that I leave you all to be as soon as possible. Sorry Pri--I mean, Bethany."

She scowled at him. "Fine! Be that way. Goodbye, Nanashi." Bethany stormed away to her room, probably to sulk, pout, throw things, and participate in various other forms of displaying anger.

'Well,' he reminded himself, 'it could be worse. She could want you to leave. At least she enjoys your company.'

@-------

"Last checklist. Coat?" Catherine started again for the thousandth time; Gabriella wasn't exactly perfect.

She ruffled through the bag at her feer. "Check," she answered.

"Dress?"

"Check." They were preparing Gabrielle for leaving to Earth, hopefully to return with Triton.

"Veil?"

"Check."

"And elixer?"

"Check."

The elixer was one concoted by Doktor S, one of the five Miracle Doctors of the heavens. This elixer should have the ability to revive Triton's memory. Hopefully. It was untested since no one remembered losing their memory to be tested. Oh, well. One must hope.

"Good luck," Gatherine said, walking with her to an edge of the castle wall.

"Thanks, and I'll be sure to bring Triton back carefully."

@-------

Bethany buried her head in her pillow. No one was going to take Nanshi away from her! She needed his strength, his calm pressance, his wisdome, and his adorable ignorance, even though it was caused by amnesia. She need him. No one, father or otherwise, would take him away if he didn't want to go. And he didn't; he was only willing to leave because he felt he had to. And no one would take him away. No one.

Well, simply put, only one person could. Two.

One-the mighty Lord. Father Maxwell may have been slightly intoxicated during his service the Sunday Nanashi went, but the boy got the just of the idea and Bethany thinks he thought that God could easily pluck him out of this world and put him back in his proper one.

Two-Bethany. Oh, only Bethany could take him away. He would go anywhere for her, anywhere with her. She was the only person he really knew; the only person that really cared that he had fallen and had no where else to go. It seemed as though it never clicked in anyone else's minds that that was his situation. Of course, Nanashi couldn't figure out why Bethany herself wasn't an angel. She seemed to know more about them than he did.

Other than those two, no one could take him away. Bethany was sure of it...