Chapter 2: The Capturing of Princess Jeri Musami
He woke up that morning with a huge headache, thoughts hitting his head like a sledgehammer. He checked his clock in the living room: 12:14.
"Hey, Chumly!" He heard a voice from outside. He got off of his couch and looked out the door. His friend Kazu stood there, calling him out.
"What is it? I just woke up, you know..." he groggily said, rubbing his eyes.
Companion Kazu held up a piece of paper. "I can't believe I got invited!"
"To what?" he curiously asked.
"Well, Takato, I'd have thought, out of everyone, you would know what I'm talking about." He handed the invitation to Takato, who snatched it from his hands and started to read it.
YOU ARE INVITED!
KING JOSE KATOU'S ROYAL CORONATION!
ANNUNCIATION, DINNER, AND DANCE TO FOLLOW!
THIS FRIDAY, 9 O'CLOCK AT THE CASTLE HALL!
"That's today! I never get invited to these kinds of things," Kazu excitedly said. "When did you get yours?"
That was the problem. Takato didn't have one. He wasn't invited...
"Oh, I got it...somewhere..." he lied, not willing to admit the truth. Inside, he couldn't believe it! He always had good grounds with the Royal Family, despite him being a thief, they liked him.
"So, you going?" Takato snapped up in an instant.
"Oh, yeah, sure....I mean, of course I'll go," he whispered.
"Alright, Chumly, spill it."
Takato took a deep breath. "I didn't get invited. I never got an invitation," he admitted, waiting for the laugh of humiliation to befall upon him. Instead, there was none.
"I'm sure the mail carrier screwed up," Kazu reassured him. "And besides, the Royal Family knows you well; they wouldn't refuse your entrance."
Takato nodded. The crazy guy was right after all. "You're right. So, you staying here until the party?"
"You bet."
Takato laughed. Kazu was a great friend to him, always dependable and knowing the right thing to say.
"You got anything to eat?"
**************
Jeri Musami sighed. It had been only a day since she had left her kingdom, and she was already low on supplies. She was used to always having what she wanted and brought to her by her servants, but she had decided to go solo on this. It was her intent to run away and make her parents feel bad for going against her wishes, and therefore, have to cancel the wedding.
Sure, she liked boys, but boys that she had known for a long time...
-Just like the one before it all started...
She shook her head violently. No. That was not to be brought up again. Yes, there was something about this Grant Juranio that startled her, reminded her of something before, but she could not brush up on it exactly. It was weird how people, though different, could have so much in common with each other.
The sun was blazing down on the girl as she sat down on a nearby rock in the middle of Justines Forest. It was still part of Justine Territory, so she would have to keep walking before the soldiers would be forced to go back.
She looked at her outfit she had picked up; a blue knee-length skirt and a white blouse to complement it. The fabric was strong, therefore it absorbed heat. After taking a sip of her supplied water, Jeri got up and continued down the woods.
-They're here for you.
Jeri immediately turned around and glanced behind her, but saw nothing with exception of the green forest surrounding her. Looking ahead, she found the inviting sight of the Aramenia Plains, where equal rule stood for the three kingdoms Bransworth, Justines, and Delali. The encouraging view incited her to move faster, escaping that wretched monarchy.
*************
"Damn boots."
That was the teenager by the name of Ryo Akiyama, archer of Kingdom Bransworth. He was very skilled at the bow, taking enemies down with ease with the arrows, and many a girl were interested in him. He was very handsome, and very smart, two ingredients to the dream man for a woman. He stood tall, as most men of his area did, and had brown hair that was spiked with some kind of gel.
But, of course, there were some tweaks of him. Say for fact one that whenever he does meet a girl most fabulous to him, he'd either make a fool of himself or scare the girl away. Suffice to say, he wasn't good with the ladies.
He was accompanied by two men; their names were of no importance.
"Ryo," one of his partners queried, "shouldn't we pick up the pace a little bit?"
"If you didn't notice, I said, 'damn boots,'" he replied. "There seems to be a rock in my left shoe or something." He sat down on the grassy plains of Aramenia, set his bow and quiver on the ground, and removed his shoe. "Besides, we need to take a break. Hand me that canteen, will you?" he directed to the other.
-Click-
"Shh," he commanded, holding his index finger in the air. "Do you hear that?"
"I assure you, Ryo, that it was not I..."
"Not that, you idiot! Listen..." he softly whispered, waiting for the sound to grow. It was one of most disturbance, of course he'd heard clicks before, but this one was different...
-Click, clack, the noise grew louder.
"Horses," he silently said to the two, "They're being commanded by riders, I can't see them, but they're heading east, right behind those rocks..."
"Ahhhhhhh!!!!!"
Ryo heard a loud shriek, immediately knowing the gender of the yell.
"A damsel in distress, we must save her!" He directed to his two companions.
"But Ryo, this matter is of no business to us-"
"It is if there's a girl involved! Now let's follow!" Ryo and his buddies quickly dashed up and started running toward the horse riders. There were six of them, and one of them held a beautiful auburn-haired girl. "Wow, she is pretty," he said to himself.
Ryo didn't notice how close he and his friends were to the riders dressed in black robes. Too close, as a matter of fact...
"Fire!" Came a shout that Ryo assumed came from the front runner, who was also holding the girl.
-Oh crap...
Immediately, the two riders hanging behind pulled out a bow positioned on their horses' sides, armed them with arrows, and let go of the string, the projectiles flying with deadly accuracy. The two guys with Ryo tried to dodge, but they were too slow as both were pierced square in the chest with the arrows. Their bodies shook back, then fell to the ground, dead.
Ryo noticed the two riders aiming their next darts at them.
-Time to retaliate.
The black riders released the arrows, but Ryo dodged them to the right, leaping into a somersault on the grassy plain. In mid-motion, he grabbed his bow and two arrows of his own out of the quiver on his back, armed the bow with both, turned it sideways, and released.
The arrows had just enough angle and power that it separated and nailed the two riders in the stomachs. Their bodies fell limp, and being connected to their horses, were dangling as the horses continued on.
When Ryo came to, he realized that he wasn't going to be able to catch up to the riders on horses. He didn't have one of his own, so he had the horrible notion of giving up.
-My friends are dead, all because of me...
He quickly shook his head. That's how battles are sometimes; they result in sacrifices. He would have to also, if it required the survival of his group.
-Tracks...
Ryo looked down and noticed the circle-like prints in the ground. Fortunately for him, the horses had left tracks for Ryo to follow.
-Maybe I can save the damsel in distress after all...
The brown-haired teenage archer from Bransworth continued on, searching for the captured princess of Justines.
*************
"Ow, my head..."
The twelve-year-old Suzy Wong shook the pain from her head. Even though she had a parachute, it was quite a fall. She didn't know where she was at all; thank God for her, she had a backpack full of supplies for situations like these.
She opened up the knapsack and looked for its contents. There were a couple candy bars, some water, and a change of clothes.
-I like candy, but I'm going to be sick of it if I don't find anything else to eat.
Noticing that her clothes were a bit dirty from the fall down to the middle of nowhere, she stripped herself of her pajamas and put on a red shirt with Capri's that went below her knees.
-I gotta find a place to clean my clothes.
She dug in further to her backpack to see if anything remained. She scrounged up nothing else, except for a few pieces of Delali currency. Hopefully that would carry her should she come to a town.
-Henry, where are you?
Suzy gave a deep sigh. Her brother, who had always promised to be there for her, was not here, as she figured something must have happened to him.
***************
Takato didn't have the best attire, so when he decided to go to the new King's coronation, he sported a white polo shirt with a black vest and Khakis.
"Good job, Takato, you look handsome. Now let's go," Kazu said to him. Kenta was also there. The three thieves exited out of the house and headed toward the Castle.
It was night now, and the moon shone over the kingdom of Delali like a night light. Eventually the three friends made it to the entrance of the castle hall, where the party was being held. They were about to enter, when...
"Halt," came a guard. Kazu and Kenta rolled their eyes, while Takato started sweating nervously. "Show your invitation."
Kazu and Kenta held their invitations up. The guard nodded to the two, leaving Takato. "And you, sir?"
"Um..." Kazu started.
"I kind of left my invitation at my home," Takato said slowly. "I guess it's not too much trouble if I go in, I mean, you guys know me pretty well..."
The guard stood straight. "I'm sorry, Takato Matsuki, but you must have your invitation presented here in order for you to attend. Besides, one was not issued to you."
Kenta gave the guard a look. "Look, Guard whatever-your-name-is, you know damn well..."
Takato didn't want this. He gave Kenta a hard elbow in the ribs. "Shut up, will you?" he whispered to him, which prompted him to stop. "Go ahead, you guys," he motioned to Kazu and Kenta. They stood still for a moment, shook their heads, and walked in.
Kazu turned his head one last time and saw the wink in Takato's eyes.
"Oh man," Kazu said. "Chumley's going to do it again."
**************
Takato walked around the castle. He had to attend; he was missing food, dancing, fun, girls, and just about everything else in between.
-How to get in?
He turned a corner and noticed a guard standing in front of a back entrance. He was alone; at least what Takato saw. Grabbing a piece of paper he found on the ground, he slowly strolled to the entrance, getting the guard's attention.
"I'm here for the party," he said casually, as if talking about the weather.
"I'm sorry sir, but you cannot enter through here. This is not to the hall," the man said sternly.
"Yeah but," Takato was up to the guard now. "I have the invitation right here-" immediately, Takato threw a right cross at the guard, knocking him out instantly as it blew him across the face. Seeing his accomplishment, he quickly dragged the unconscious body over to the nearby trees as he stripped the man of his clothes and put them on. They were a bit tight on him, and he didn't like the idea of red and blue mixed. He also grabbed the knife, knowing that he may have to use the weapon.
Realizing that he couldn't get through the main entrance because he had already been thrown out there, he went to the entrance that the knocked-out guard was stationed. He closed the door behind him and walked down the halls of the castle. It was carpeted with red, and candles were lit everywhere. He had been here before, because he was a good friend with the previous king, and he knew the establishment pretty well.
Takato looked at a nearby clock which read 8:30. He still had a half-hour to burn.
-Might as well see who this bastard is that didn't invite me.
Takato took a left down the lighted hall as he came across a set of stairs. He was sure that the new king was in the conference room; he just knew it. Besides, there wouldn't be guards there if he wasn't there.
He approached the two guards positioned at opposite sides of the double doors at the top of the stairs. "Guard 15c, to clean up refreshments for the king," he said with all the confidence in the world.
The guard on the left nodded. "Go on."
Takato entered the door smiling. It paid to know how things work in the kingdom.
The door revealed another stairway, this time going even further up. Takato sighed.
-I need to get in shape.
He eventually reached another set of doors which were not guarded. He took a deep breath and opened the door.
Out of all the rooms in the castle, he had not been in the conference room, not once, and it was all new to him. It was bigger than he thought, the table sure to hold at least twenty people, though there were only about six people. Three of them were robed, one was a physically-fit man with an armored vest and roughed up jeans. Takato did not know who he was. Another was a red-haired teenage girl, no older than he, who wore a brown jacket- cape, a purple shirt, and tan Capri's whom Takato immediately recognized as none other than General Rika Nonaka, tough-girl.
And the third one, well, Takato had never seen before, so he assumed he was the new ruler. The idiot who either didn't invite him, or got the invitation screwed up with the mail carrier. He was middle-aged, and he wore a red robe and a weird-looking tunic that made the thief lightly snicker.
-That guy needs a fashion check-
He immediately stood erect, eavesdropping to the conversation that was being held.
The King spoke up first. "I assume your ideas are being carried out as planned?"
One of the black robe guys nodded his head. "Yes, your Majesty. Princess Jeri Musami of Justines has been kidnapped as of 1400 hours and she is being held captive as we speak."
-Princess of Justines?
King Jose nodded. "And you two, General Nonaka and Dramen, you have gathered your armies?"
The built dude replied. "We are ready anytime, your Majesty."
"This army will crush any opposition that Bransworth and Justines may throw at us," General Nonaka added.
"That is good," King Jose answered. "As long as we have it."
The king got up from his chair and walked around. "You all must make damn well sure that it does not get stolen. I did not plan this for fifteen years of overtaking this kingdom just so you could lose it. You know that this is the future of Delali we have in our hands, and you guys had better not screw this up."
-What is it?
The king turned back to his seat. "We must attack as soon as possible. We should probably go for Bransworth first; they're the strongest, and it would be good to get them out of the way. General Draman, will you take care of that?"
"My army will destroy the kingdom with little effort."
"Then I entrust you with this." Out of his pocket King Jose pulled out a necklace, holding a small stone. "The Stone of Power will be more than enough for you and your army to take out that pathetic area." He handed it to the General.
Before Draman could take it, the king closed his hand. "You'd better not lose it." He opened his hand again, letting Dramen snatch it.
General Rika Nonaka shook her head. "I must be excused right now," she said. The king nodded.
"As you wish." With that, the seventeen-year old general got up from her seat and exited the room past Takato.
-I can't believe what is going on. So this is the bastard that will rule our kingdom...
"You there!" The king called to Takato. He stood up straight, nervously.
"Yes, your Majesty!" He exclaimed.
-Oh man, things are about to get bad...
"I believe you have a job to do," the King pointed out. Takato nodded, walking up to King Jose's table and picked up the remaining dishes that the attendants had left for him to get and put back in the castle's kitchen. Takato tried to hide his face, but Jose (as we will now call him) caught sight of him.
"By any chance, you couldn't be a Matsuki, would you? Your eyes give it away," Jose pointed out.
-Oh crap, man...
"That is correct," he spat out, nearly dropping the plates.
"Takato Matsuki, if I am not mistaken. Your father and I had been good friends before he died, you know?"
"Um, no sire, I did not know that."
Jose chuckled. "I didn't know you were a guard of this castle. You are dismissed."
-Man, good to get out of here. I've heard enough.
Takato bowed to the so-called 'king,' turned around and exited the room. When he was gone, Jose looked at General Dramen.
"He is a thief, right?"
Dramen nodded. "That is right."
Jose nodded. "I also want you to take care of him. I'm afraid he may be a wrench in our plans.
***********
To be continued...
He woke up that morning with a huge headache, thoughts hitting his head like a sledgehammer. He checked his clock in the living room: 12:14.
"Hey, Chumly!" He heard a voice from outside. He got off of his couch and looked out the door. His friend Kazu stood there, calling him out.
"What is it? I just woke up, you know..." he groggily said, rubbing his eyes.
Companion Kazu held up a piece of paper. "I can't believe I got invited!"
"To what?" he curiously asked.
"Well, Takato, I'd have thought, out of everyone, you would know what I'm talking about." He handed the invitation to Takato, who snatched it from his hands and started to read it.
YOU ARE INVITED!
KING JOSE KATOU'S ROYAL CORONATION!
ANNUNCIATION, DINNER, AND DANCE TO FOLLOW!
THIS FRIDAY, 9 O'CLOCK AT THE CASTLE HALL!
"That's today! I never get invited to these kinds of things," Kazu excitedly said. "When did you get yours?"
That was the problem. Takato didn't have one. He wasn't invited...
"Oh, I got it...somewhere..." he lied, not willing to admit the truth. Inside, he couldn't believe it! He always had good grounds with the Royal Family, despite him being a thief, they liked him.
"So, you going?" Takato snapped up in an instant.
"Oh, yeah, sure....I mean, of course I'll go," he whispered.
"Alright, Chumly, spill it."
Takato took a deep breath. "I didn't get invited. I never got an invitation," he admitted, waiting for the laugh of humiliation to befall upon him. Instead, there was none.
"I'm sure the mail carrier screwed up," Kazu reassured him. "And besides, the Royal Family knows you well; they wouldn't refuse your entrance."
Takato nodded. The crazy guy was right after all. "You're right. So, you staying here until the party?"
"You bet."
Takato laughed. Kazu was a great friend to him, always dependable and knowing the right thing to say.
"You got anything to eat?"
**************
Jeri Musami sighed. It had been only a day since she had left her kingdom, and she was already low on supplies. She was used to always having what she wanted and brought to her by her servants, but she had decided to go solo on this. It was her intent to run away and make her parents feel bad for going against her wishes, and therefore, have to cancel the wedding.
Sure, she liked boys, but boys that she had known for a long time...
-Just like the one before it all started...
She shook her head violently. No. That was not to be brought up again. Yes, there was something about this Grant Juranio that startled her, reminded her of something before, but she could not brush up on it exactly. It was weird how people, though different, could have so much in common with each other.
The sun was blazing down on the girl as she sat down on a nearby rock in the middle of Justines Forest. It was still part of Justine Territory, so she would have to keep walking before the soldiers would be forced to go back.
She looked at her outfit she had picked up; a blue knee-length skirt and a white blouse to complement it. The fabric was strong, therefore it absorbed heat. After taking a sip of her supplied water, Jeri got up and continued down the woods.
-They're here for you.
Jeri immediately turned around and glanced behind her, but saw nothing with exception of the green forest surrounding her. Looking ahead, she found the inviting sight of the Aramenia Plains, where equal rule stood for the three kingdoms Bransworth, Justines, and Delali. The encouraging view incited her to move faster, escaping that wretched monarchy.
*************
"Damn boots."
That was the teenager by the name of Ryo Akiyama, archer of Kingdom Bransworth. He was very skilled at the bow, taking enemies down with ease with the arrows, and many a girl were interested in him. He was very handsome, and very smart, two ingredients to the dream man for a woman. He stood tall, as most men of his area did, and had brown hair that was spiked with some kind of gel.
But, of course, there were some tweaks of him. Say for fact one that whenever he does meet a girl most fabulous to him, he'd either make a fool of himself or scare the girl away. Suffice to say, he wasn't good with the ladies.
He was accompanied by two men; their names were of no importance.
"Ryo," one of his partners queried, "shouldn't we pick up the pace a little bit?"
"If you didn't notice, I said, 'damn boots,'" he replied. "There seems to be a rock in my left shoe or something." He sat down on the grassy plains of Aramenia, set his bow and quiver on the ground, and removed his shoe. "Besides, we need to take a break. Hand me that canteen, will you?" he directed to the other.
-Click-
"Shh," he commanded, holding his index finger in the air. "Do you hear that?"
"I assure you, Ryo, that it was not I..."
"Not that, you idiot! Listen..." he softly whispered, waiting for the sound to grow. It was one of most disturbance, of course he'd heard clicks before, but this one was different...
-Click, clack, the noise grew louder.
"Horses," he silently said to the two, "They're being commanded by riders, I can't see them, but they're heading east, right behind those rocks..."
"Ahhhhhhh!!!!!"
Ryo heard a loud shriek, immediately knowing the gender of the yell.
"A damsel in distress, we must save her!" He directed to his two companions.
"But Ryo, this matter is of no business to us-"
"It is if there's a girl involved! Now let's follow!" Ryo and his buddies quickly dashed up and started running toward the horse riders. There were six of them, and one of them held a beautiful auburn-haired girl. "Wow, she is pretty," he said to himself.
Ryo didn't notice how close he and his friends were to the riders dressed in black robes. Too close, as a matter of fact...
"Fire!" Came a shout that Ryo assumed came from the front runner, who was also holding the girl.
-Oh crap...
Immediately, the two riders hanging behind pulled out a bow positioned on their horses' sides, armed them with arrows, and let go of the string, the projectiles flying with deadly accuracy. The two guys with Ryo tried to dodge, but they were too slow as both were pierced square in the chest with the arrows. Their bodies shook back, then fell to the ground, dead.
Ryo noticed the two riders aiming their next darts at them.
-Time to retaliate.
The black riders released the arrows, but Ryo dodged them to the right, leaping into a somersault on the grassy plain. In mid-motion, he grabbed his bow and two arrows of his own out of the quiver on his back, armed the bow with both, turned it sideways, and released.
The arrows had just enough angle and power that it separated and nailed the two riders in the stomachs. Their bodies fell limp, and being connected to their horses, were dangling as the horses continued on.
When Ryo came to, he realized that he wasn't going to be able to catch up to the riders on horses. He didn't have one of his own, so he had the horrible notion of giving up.
-My friends are dead, all because of me...
He quickly shook his head. That's how battles are sometimes; they result in sacrifices. He would have to also, if it required the survival of his group.
-Tracks...
Ryo looked down and noticed the circle-like prints in the ground. Fortunately for him, the horses had left tracks for Ryo to follow.
-Maybe I can save the damsel in distress after all...
The brown-haired teenage archer from Bransworth continued on, searching for the captured princess of Justines.
*************
"Ow, my head..."
The twelve-year-old Suzy Wong shook the pain from her head. Even though she had a parachute, it was quite a fall. She didn't know where she was at all; thank God for her, she had a backpack full of supplies for situations like these.
She opened up the knapsack and looked for its contents. There were a couple candy bars, some water, and a change of clothes.
-I like candy, but I'm going to be sick of it if I don't find anything else to eat.
Noticing that her clothes were a bit dirty from the fall down to the middle of nowhere, she stripped herself of her pajamas and put on a red shirt with Capri's that went below her knees.
-I gotta find a place to clean my clothes.
She dug in further to her backpack to see if anything remained. She scrounged up nothing else, except for a few pieces of Delali currency. Hopefully that would carry her should she come to a town.
-Henry, where are you?
Suzy gave a deep sigh. Her brother, who had always promised to be there for her, was not here, as she figured something must have happened to him.
***************
Takato didn't have the best attire, so when he decided to go to the new King's coronation, he sported a white polo shirt with a black vest and Khakis.
"Good job, Takato, you look handsome. Now let's go," Kazu said to him. Kenta was also there. The three thieves exited out of the house and headed toward the Castle.
It was night now, and the moon shone over the kingdom of Delali like a night light. Eventually the three friends made it to the entrance of the castle hall, where the party was being held. They were about to enter, when...
"Halt," came a guard. Kazu and Kenta rolled their eyes, while Takato started sweating nervously. "Show your invitation."
Kazu and Kenta held their invitations up. The guard nodded to the two, leaving Takato. "And you, sir?"
"Um..." Kazu started.
"I kind of left my invitation at my home," Takato said slowly. "I guess it's not too much trouble if I go in, I mean, you guys know me pretty well..."
The guard stood straight. "I'm sorry, Takato Matsuki, but you must have your invitation presented here in order for you to attend. Besides, one was not issued to you."
Kenta gave the guard a look. "Look, Guard whatever-your-name-is, you know damn well..."
Takato didn't want this. He gave Kenta a hard elbow in the ribs. "Shut up, will you?" he whispered to him, which prompted him to stop. "Go ahead, you guys," he motioned to Kazu and Kenta. They stood still for a moment, shook their heads, and walked in.
Kazu turned his head one last time and saw the wink in Takato's eyes.
"Oh man," Kazu said. "Chumley's going to do it again."
**************
Takato walked around the castle. He had to attend; he was missing food, dancing, fun, girls, and just about everything else in between.
-How to get in?
He turned a corner and noticed a guard standing in front of a back entrance. He was alone; at least what Takato saw. Grabbing a piece of paper he found on the ground, he slowly strolled to the entrance, getting the guard's attention.
"I'm here for the party," he said casually, as if talking about the weather.
"I'm sorry sir, but you cannot enter through here. This is not to the hall," the man said sternly.
"Yeah but," Takato was up to the guard now. "I have the invitation right here-" immediately, Takato threw a right cross at the guard, knocking him out instantly as it blew him across the face. Seeing his accomplishment, he quickly dragged the unconscious body over to the nearby trees as he stripped the man of his clothes and put them on. They were a bit tight on him, and he didn't like the idea of red and blue mixed. He also grabbed the knife, knowing that he may have to use the weapon.
Realizing that he couldn't get through the main entrance because he had already been thrown out there, he went to the entrance that the knocked-out guard was stationed. He closed the door behind him and walked down the halls of the castle. It was carpeted with red, and candles were lit everywhere. He had been here before, because he was a good friend with the previous king, and he knew the establishment pretty well.
Takato looked at a nearby clock which read 8:30. He still had a half-hour to burn.
-Might as well see who this bastard is that didn't invite me.
Takato took a left down the lighted hall as he came across a set of stairs. He was sure that the new king was in the conference room; he just knew it. Besides, there wouldn't be guards there if he wasn't there.
He approached the two guards positioned at opposite sides of the double doors at the top of the stairs. "Guard 15c, to clean up refreshments for the king," he said with all the confidence in the world.
The guard on the left nodded. "Go on."
Takato entered the door smiling. It paid to know how things work in the kingdom.
The door revealed another stairway, this time going even further up. Takato sighed.
-I need to get in shape.
He eventually reached another set of doors which were not guarded. He took a deep breath and opened the door.
Out of all the rooms in the castle, he had not been in the conference room, not once, and it was all new to him. It was bigger than he thought, the table sure to hold at least twenty people, though there were only about six people. Three of them were robed, one was a physically-fit man with an armored vest and roughed up jeans. Takato did not know who he was. Another was a red-haired teenage girl, no older than he, who wore a brown jacket- cape, a purple shirt, and tan Capri's whom Takato immediately recognized as none other than General Rika Nonaka, tough-girl.
And the third one, well, Takato had never seen before, so he assumed he was the new ruler. The idiot who either didn't invite him, or got the invitation screwed up with the mail carrier. He was middle-aged, and he wore a red robe and a weird-looking tunic that made the thief lightly snicker.
-That guy needs a fashion check-
He immediately stood erect, eavesdropping to the conversation that was being held.
The King spoke up first. "I assume your ideas are being carried out as planned?"
One of the black robe guys nodded his head. "Yes, your Majesty. Princess Jeri Musami of Justines has been kidnapped as of 1400 hours and she is being held captive as we speak."
-Princess of Justines?
King Jose nodded. "And you two, General Nonaka and Dramen, you have gathered your armies?"
The built dude replied. "We are ready anytime, your Majesty."
"This army will crush any opposition that Bransworth and Justines may throw at us," General Nonaka added.
"That is good," King Jose answered. "As long as we have it."
The king got up from his chair and walked around. "You all must make damn well sure that it does not get stolen. I did not plan this for fifteen years of overtaking this kingdom just so you could lose it. You know that this is the future of Delali we have in our hands, and you guys had better not screw this up."
-What is it?
The king turned back to his seat. "We must attack as soon as possible. We should probably go for Bransworth first; they're the strongest, and it would be good to get them out of the way. General Draman, will you take care of that?"
"My army will destroy the kingdom with little effort."
"Then I entrust you with this." Out of his pocket King Jose pulled out a necklace, holding a small stone. "The Stone of Power will be more than enough for you and your army to take out that pathetic area." He handed it to the General.
Before Draman could take it, the king closed his hand. "You'd better not lose it." He opened his hand again, letting Dramen snatch it.
General Rika Nonaka shook her head. "I must be excused right now," she said. The king nodded.
"As you wish." With that, the seventeen-year old general got up from her seat and exited the room past Takato.
-I can't believe what is going on. So this is the bastard that will rule our kingdom...
"You there!" The king called to Takato. He stood up straight, nervously.
"Yes, your Majesty!" He exclaimed.
-Oh man, things are about to get bad...
"I believe you have a job to do," the King pointed out. Takato nodded, walking up to King Jose's table and picked up the remaining dishes that the attendants had left for him to get and put back in the castle's kitchen. Takato tried to hide his face, but Jose (as we will now call him) caught sight of him.
"By any chance, you couldn't be a Matsuki, would you? Your eyes give it away," Jose pointed out.
-Oh crap, man...
"That is correct," he spat out, nearly dropping the plates.
"Takato Matsuki, if I am not mistaken. Your father and I had been good friends before he died, you know?"
"Um, no sire, I did not know that."
Jose chuckled. "I didn't know you were a guard of this castle. You are dismissed."
-Man, good to get out of here. I've heard enough.
Takato bowed to the so-called 'king,' turned around and exited the room. When he was gone, Jose looked at General Dramen.
"He is a thief, right?"
Dramen nodded. "That is right."
Jose nodded. "I also want you to take care of him. I'm afraid he may be a wrench in our plans.
***********
To be continued...