Chapter 85

One night, after climbing up the cliffs, Genji lay on the giant rock and looked up at the stars. Except for a patch of burned skin over his chest, Genji was almost cured. The demon was still alive, but Murasaki would have enough power to kill it at the next time.

He heard flapping wings above him, and a loud caw. Genji sat up as a raven god landed next to him. He only knew one raven that would be out this late.

**Suzaku-sama?**

"Good evening, Genji-san." The raven nodded, sitting on the ground and shaking his feathers once. "Rather cold, tonight. Shouldn't you be in a warm straw bed, preparing for tomorrow?"

**I am preparing.** Genji insisted. **I'm meditating.**

"Oh really? Meditating on what subject, dear boy?"

**Myself, mostly. There are days I'm not sure who I am and what exactly I can do.**

"Hmmm…" the raven mused, blinking an eye. "A deep subject. It does bring questions that are best unanswered."

**Yeah. Like…who am I?**

"I thought your name was Genji DragonLore…"

**What my name is and who I am are two different things, Suzaku-sama. I don't know my lineage. Who is my mother? Who is my father? Where do I come from? I have no family…**

"Silly questions!" Suzaku scoffed. "Everyone knows who your mother and father are…"

**I don't!**

"What?!" Suzaku cawed in surprise. "What of them then? Where was San Masquerade your whole life?"

**She's dead.**

"DEAD?!" Suzaku stood up with his flapping wings carrying him up into the air for a few seconds. He landed on his feet and bowed his head. "Oh no…oh no…"

**I thought you knew.**

"I knew she died, but…your whole life…what happened to her? Please tell me."

**Wolf poachers shot her to death. I was only eight months old.**

"How sad…" Suzaku lamented. "And your father…?"

**I never knew my father.**

"Did Cell die too?"

**Yeah. After he fell in love with my mother. The thing is…I'm still not sure if Cell is my father or not…**

"It must have been hard being alone, with no one else of your blood…"

**A little. Everyone on the mountain is like family to me. I have a lot of friends, and the girls hardly ever leave me alone.**

Suzaku cawed in laughter.

"I've noticed the young females follow you most everywhere." He leaned his beak closer to Genji's ear. "And Murasaki-san has been taking a special interest in you."

Genji hugged his knees to his chest.

**She's been working really hard to help me.**

"She is very fond of you. She smiles when she hears your name. She cannot look away from you when she sees your face…"

**All the girls I know do that…**

"Murasaki-san is a more serious case than the others. Although she is not our leader, we all look to her and respect her as one. If she is happy, we are happy. If she grieves, we all grieve with her. You could say that she is like you: everyone in the village is family to her. She is like a daughter to me personally…"

Genji let go of his legs and stood up.

**Why should you be worried if she has a crush on me? It will pass.**

"Try not to hurt her. I know you feel the same way about her, Genji-san."

Genji raised an eyebrow at Suzaku.

**I like her as a friend. She's very nice, peaceful, hard working, and thoughtful of others. She's also very pretty…but I really don't…**

"Marcus and I had a little talk about you and Murasaki-san. Genji-san, if you love her, you have our blessings to marry her."

**MARRY HER?!**

Genji jumped so high in surprise, he fell off the edge of the cliff. He caught himself by hovering in the air and levitating back up to Suzaku.

**Marry Saki-chan?! But I…**

"Only if you love her." Suzaku assured, stretching out a wing and patting Genji on the head. "Now, off to bed with you. You need all the strength you can muster tomorrow."

Genji grinned at the raven.

**Yes, mummy-dearest.**

Suzaku chuckled as Genji hovered back down to the ground and sighed.

Great. Because of that little scare, there's no way I'm going to sleep anytime soon. I'll just walk around the forest a little…

((Hi everyone! You know a story is going to go rotten when the author asks his/her readers for help. I seem to have created a love square with Genji, Momiji, Murasaki, and Marron. Everyone please let me know which girl deserves Genji. I tried a poll on this on my page, and I wasn't pleased with the results. I'm writing a sequel to Silent Prince, and it's essential that Genji has a girlfriend by that time. Respond in your reviews or e-mails. Please, I'm begging you! I want everyone's opinion! Thank you so much! ~Masquerade))