~Three~

No Courage to Show My True Colors That Exist

Chiriko was having a rough day. The emperor had requested an audience with the strange girl who had arrived, and yet, when Chiriko had run to get her, she was gone without a trace!

Thoughts flicked through his head as he scrambled around the palace grounds. She could have simply headed on her way again, or perhaps she had been taken back to her own world. But could she have been a spy from Kouto? Or even…an assassin? No, it simply wasn't possible…was it?

Talking voices could be heard at the gate to the gardens. Chiriko ran toward them, sighing in relief as he recognized Aiumi and Tasuki. "Miss Aiumi, your presence is requested immediately with His Highness. Please, come at once."

"It's okay, kid, I'll take 'er there." Tasuki smiled warmly.

"Thank you, Tasuki."

Chiriko sighed, letting the heavy law book slip off of his knees onto the grass. Resting his chin on his hands, he stared out across the ocean, wondering where the ship was now. He wished he was on it with the whole of his short little heart. But he did have an obligation to his family…the examinations were only a few weeks away. He had to study as hard as he could.

Letting his mind wander from the musty laws of the country, he thought about the events of the last few days, one in particular…

He had been sitting on his favorite garden bench, studying in the peace of the early afternoon. Nothing unusual.

All of a sudden, hoofbeats rose out of nowhere, and a trail of rising dust could be seen over the garden wall. He rushed out to see who had stopped at the palace.

"Onee-san!"

"It's Akiame, little brother. You don't need to be so formal with me!"

She was tall, dressed in simple riding clothes, declining the robes that most of the people from his family chose to wear, her dark hair pulled into a loose bun at the back of her neck, wisps of it falling out after the dusty ride. Akiame was his favorite sibling, probably because she didn't treat him like he was anyone special or a genius. She was just there to be his older sister whenever he needed her; funny, loving, and a good friend.

"Does Mother know you're here? Why have you come?"

"She doesn't, Dou-chan, but you must listen to what I have to say."

"All right, Aki-chan…but aren't you going to put Jirou in the stables first?" Akiame was known for being meticulous about caring for her horses.

"No, little brother, I only have a few minutes…Mother is coming, she'll stop at nothing to stop you from going on the voyage to Hokkan."

"What?…"

"Don't worry, I'll explain. Her heart is set on seeing you pass the examinations while she is still alive…I trust you're mature enough to face the fact that Mother is weak, even if she'll never stoop to show it. Please, Dou-chan, stay here at the palace and study…for all our sakes. We all want to see you succeed." She smiled, if a tad wanly, and hugged him tightly.

He hugged her back, tears forming at the corners of his eyes, knowing he'd not see her or talk to her for many months to come. "Aki-chan…"

She smiled again at the childlike simplicity of his words. "Little brother, please take everything I've said into account…if for nothing, stay for the good of upholding our family's honor…and now, I must leave you…Mother will have my head if she knows I've been gone!"

"Good-bye, onee-san, and good luck!"

"You too! I'll visit as soon as I can!"

And with a final grin and a wave of her hand, she was off, galloping off as fast as she could.

Chiriko blinked, noticing the sun disappearing below the horizon. He picked up the tome from the ground and walked back to the palace.

A few hours earlier, Tasuki and Aiumi walked down the airy halls of the palace toward Emperor Hotohori's throne room.

"Damn, I'm nervous…" Aiumi smiled self-consciously, rolling her eyes.

"Don't worry about it. Our beloved emperor is a little too vain for his own good, if ya know what I mean…just flatter him a little, and he'll let ya do anything. Trust me," Tasuki smirked.

The guards to the throne room door crossed their lances menacingly before the duo. "We were instructed to let only the girl enter."

Tasuki turned to Aiumi. "I'll wait out here."

Aiumi's heart sped up even more when the guards entered behind her, slamming the door in Tasuki's face.

Why the hell do they make all the scary places really big??? she wondered, the emperor's throne over fifty feet away, the ceilings stretching high over her head. She gritted her teeth and walked forward, her footsteps echoing off of the flagstone floors.

"Y-you wanted to see me, your highness?" she asked, kneeling before the throne. She looked up when it was proper to do so, and was suddenly startled by the general appearance of the emperor.

He was certainly not the imposing authority figure she had expected, in fact, he could not be more than a few years older than herself! His robes of royal red were embroidered sumptuously with gold and silver thread, but they paled visibly next the extreme, almost feminine, beauty of his face and features. The effect was one of ethereal splendor and elegance.

"Yes, I did…is anything wrong, miss?"

"No, it's just…this place is…you are…so beautiful."

He smiled, looking around at his surroundings adoringly. "Yes, I feel that surrounding oneself with beauty and elegance is…essential to governing a beautiful and prosperous country…"

"Guards, everything is all right here. You may return to your posts."

Once the guards were gone, the emperor addressed her directly. "Your name, miss?"

"Tsuyoi Aiumi." She answered, remembering the proper form of giving one's name.

"Chiriko tells me you have perhaps been transported here from a world different than ours, is this correct?"

"I-I believe so, your highness."

"Yes-well, as it is getting late, I will give you a room here and we will talk more tomorrow…you may go. I will have a room prepared for you."

And Hotohori, being hard to write about anyway, was gone from the fic, content to stare at himself in the largest mirror in the land.

Aiumi was glad to get out of there as fast as she could.

End of Chapter Three