Author's notes: Okay, I'm starting to think I have more than one muse. I've started writing a Harry Potter fic (still not sure if I'm gonna post it or not) and I'm doing great on it. AND I've been working on a DBZ one. I've even started writing another Digimon one (Which, if you haven't noticed, I HAVE posted here) about MY version of TK and Kari's daughter from the future and her meeting her before-adult-hood parents (not to mention that I've got ideas for a sequel to that one already). Now I hate myself. I have known, for practically all of eternity, that you should never get wrapped up in writing more than one story at a time. But did I listen to myself? Noooo! But, then again, I hardly ever do. And so now, the muse who was inspiring THIS story seems to have gone on vacation and now I have a bunch more of them on my case, so... Well, to put it bluntly: I feel like my head's going to explode whenever I start to write anything. But I'm going to finish this one. I PROMISE! It might take a while (I hope not, but you never know), so, you know, if you don't see a new chapter when you check... DON'T BE DISCOURAGED! I WILL KEEP WRITING! Thank you.
Disclaimer: You know the drill, the characters aren't mine, the concept ain't mine, s'matter of fact I don't really own much of anything. ^_^
Oh! I almost forgot something! I, Android Eleven, would like to dedicate this chapter to all Taiora fans everywhere! (Especially the ones who reviewed my story ^_^)
The ARROW, the STAFF &the SHIELD
PART 10
By Android Eleven
"Hikari, where are going? Don't you have an archery lesson this afternoon?" Prince Taichi called, running down the corridor after his sister. Hikari turned to face him and nodded.
"I do, but I'm not going to it. I have... um... 'Other engagements' to attend to this afternoon." She tried to break the conversation off there, so as to be discreet concerning what these "engagements" actually were, but Taichi wasn't satisfied.
"'Engagements'? What sort of engagements?"
"Does it really matter? I have better things to do. Besides," Hikari added haughtily, "weren't you the one who tried to discourage me from taking the lessons in the first place?"
Taichi frowned, but did not relent. "Kari, that is not the point. Lord Demensa is getting paid for being here to give you these lessons and I would prefer to be paying him for actually doing something! I'm sure that, whatever these 'engagements' are, they can wait for your lesson to finish."
"Honestly, brother, would you make a Prince, even the Ishida Prince, wait for ANYTHING? Prince Takeru and I are going horseback riding in a few minutes time. So, now that you know, am I permitted to go?" Taichi's eyes widened for a moment, showing surprise, but he quickly hid it. It would not do for the King of Kamiya to have over-protectiveness fits every time his 16-year-old sister went on an outing with someone of the opposite sex. Even if it was a member of the opposite sex from Ishida, a land that had been trying to extinguish their own for the last few generations. Though Taichi himself did not know the boy at all, Hikari was not stupid and she wouldn't have agreed to go in the first place if she didn't trust Prince Takeru. So, remembering that, Taichi allowed Hikari to go.
"Thank you, Tai," she responded, using his cherished nickname. The Princess could tell that something was bothering her brother, but if she stopped to talk to him about it now she would be late for Prince Takeru. She placed her hand on his shoulder, gave him a soothing smile and left.
Taichi went to his study. There, he found Lady Sora sitting in one of the cushioned chairs in front of his desk, waiting for him.
"Good day, Taichi," she greeted. He smiled at her, trying to hide his anxiety about Hikari, but Sora had known him too long and so she knew that he was worrying about something. "Hey, what's wrong? You shouldn't be worried about anything. Both Ishida and Tachikawa agreed to come, they're both here, neither of them have tried to kill anyone yet and they all seem to like you." She gave him a reassuring smile, but then her brow furled slightly. "Well, for the most part anyway," she couldn't help but add, thinking about Sir Jyuu of the House of Kido, who had seemed quite uncomfortable around Taichi the night before. But, he only shook his head.
"No, it's not that. It's just..." he turned to look at her warningly. "If you laugh I'm going to get angry and I'm sure you know better than to anger your future king, right?"
Sora nodded. "Okay."
Taichi paused, thinking just how to say it. He took a deep breath before speaking. "Kari... has gone horseback riding with Prince Takeru."
He stopped here and waited for her to say something. Sora gave him a funny look. "So?"
"What do you mean 'So'?" Taichi yelled, jumping from his seat. "They're going horseback riding, TOGETHER! Don't you know what that means?"
Sora shook her head, bewildered.
"It MEANS that they probably fancy each other! So, the next thing you know, Hikari's going to be coming up to me, telling me that they're engaged or something. And that... that, once they're married, she'll be going off to Ishida with her 'husband' leaving me here, a foolish young bachelor, to rule this kingdom all by myself for the rest of my life. This horseback ride could ruin my life!" Taichi slumped into a chair.
Sora bit her lip, trying, as she had promised, not to burst out laughing. "Taichi, I don't think you really have to worry. Hikari and Prince Takeru have only known each other for a day."
He snorted. "That doesn't mean a blasted thing. A day can seem like an eternity sometimes."
"I know," Sora replied, standing up and walking over to Taichi's chair to look him in the eye. "But I still don't think you should worry about it too much."
Taichi sighed. "It's not just Hikari. Well, part of it is, but that's not... It's just that, well, Kari's 16. She already has suitors lining up for her, though at the moment I think that Takeru has a better chance than anyone else does. I'm almost 19. The way things are going Kari will probably be married before I'm 20. I probably won't end up married until my advisors start bothering me about producing an heir. I'll probably spend the majority of my life alone. It's kind of depressing."
Sora put her hand on his shoulder, shaking her head. "Don't think like that, Tai."
But Taichi didn't listen to her. He stood up and paced around the room, continuing. "It's true. I don't want to marry someone who only loves me because of my station, but no other sort of woman would want someone who'd always be too busy to do anything for her. It's a lose-lose situation. I'm never going to be in love."
Sora stood up too and took a deep breath. "Tai?"
He turned slightly towards her. "Hmm?" All of a sudden Taichi felt a pair of lips pressed against his own, kissing him. His brain barely had the time to process that it was actually Sora doing this, before she pulled back, blushing furiously.
"I-I'm... I'm VERY sorry, Taichi. I, uh, I should go. Uh, now," she stuttered, backing away, towards the door. Taichi was staring at her with something close to disbelief etched in his expression.
It took him a few moments to grasp what Sora had said, so she was almost out the door by the time he reacted. He grabbed her elbow, pulling her back to him. He closed the door quickly and kissed her. Sora was surprised for a moment, but that quickly disappeared. She pressed herself closer against him. When she placed her arms about his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair, Taichi wrapped his arms around her waist and the kiss deepened in passion and ferocity.
It felt like forever and a day before they pulled away from each other, but they both needed air. Though their two sets of arms were still wrapped around each other, neither Taichi nor Sora seemed to notice, as they stared at each other. Finally Taichi spoke.
"Uh... Wow."
Sora blushed, but nodded. "My thoughts exactly."
Taichi grinned and leaned down to kiss her again. Sora responded, pulling his head down closer to hers. The two deepened their kiss once again, stopping only when it became necessary to breathe. Taichi massaged her lower back as they continued, while Sora ran her fingers through his unruly hair.
The two probably would have stayed like that forever had Koushiro not knocked on the door. As was the habit of people who liked to visit Taichi in his study, Koushiro didn't wait for an answer before opening the door.
Taichi and Sora broke apart as quickly as they could manage, but it was too late. The Grand Duke caught them in their compromising position and froze. He looked back and forth, from one to the other for a moment before speaking.
"I'll come back later."
*
Princess Hikari approached Prince Takeru outside the castle as he helped a servant place a saddle over one of the white stallions that had drawn his carriage the day before. When he saw her, Takeru smiled, and headed towards her.
"Good afternoon, milady," he said, kissing her hand.
Hikari giggled, taking her hand back. "Hello Takeru." Takeru grinned. 'She left out the "Prince" part. I'm glad she remembered,' he thought to himself happily.
"Your Highness!" a brown haired boy called out, walking towards them. "Iori and I were..." He trailed off when he caught sight of the Princess. Hikari recognized him as the boy who had tripped on the last step of his carriage the night before. Baron Daisuke of something or other, if memory served correct. He bowed.
"Princess Hikari, it's WONDERFUL to see you again!" he said, bending down to kiss her hand. "I was hoping I would. You look simply lovely this afternoon!"
Takeru cleared his throat. "Daisuke, you were saying?"
"Hmm?" Daisuke responded, too entranced by Hikari's beauty to realize who was speaking to him. He turned and glanced at his impatient-looking Prince. "Oh! Uh, Iori and I were wondering if you would like us to accompany you and your... Princess Hikari on your ride."
Daisuke tried to give Takeru a none-too-discreet look of pleading, but Takeru would have none of it. "No thank you, Daisuke. But thank you for the offer." He turned away from the half-depressed, half-infuriated Baron to face Hikari. "My dearest Princess, which of these marvelous creatures would you prefer?"
While the Princess chose one of the stallions for her ride, Daisuke stumbled sadly back to Count Iori. "Why so glum, friend?" Iori asked when he saw the older boy's gloomy expression. Daisuke only sighed. "Hmm. Sounds interesting," the young teen replied.
A few moments later Takeru and Hikari's horses were trotting over to the boys. Takeru leaned down closer and asked, "Daisuke, do you have my staff?"
Daisuke merely looked at him stubbornly, remaining silent. Iori spotted the long, thin, cloth covered bundle sitting next to Daisuke, picked it up and carried it over to his Prince, stomping on the young Baron's foot as he went. He handed it to Takeru, who thanked him, and sat back down next to Daisuke, to whom he whispered, "You would do well to remember who you're disobeying next time you refuse to do something for Takeru." Daisuke snorted.
"Oops," said Hikari suddenly as something pink fell onto the ground below her. "My rose! I-" Before the Princess could finish her sentence, Baron Daisuke had retrieved her fallen rose and handed it back to her. "Thank you," she replied graciously, placing the rose back in her hair. Then she picked up the reins for her horse and urged him slowly forwards, after Takeru.
"Not a problem, your Highness!" Daisuke piped up, running alongside her. "Anytime! Your wish is my command! I am-" All of sudden he tripped and fell to the ground while trying to keep up. He looked up in time to see Hikari giggle and wave to him.
He stood up and brushed himself off and walked back to Iori. He had a stupid grin etched on his face. "What to know something, my dear Count Hida?" he asked, facing Iori. "I think she likes me!"
Iori smiled at his friend, but his gaze drifted back to the Prince and Princess, who, he could see, were leaning towards each other, Takeru's hand brushing hair away from Hikari's face. "I don't think so, Daisuke," he replied quietly.
###
Author's Notes: I finally made someone kiss! Yeah! Well, I warned you guys in the last chapter it was a Taiora (least I think I did). By the way, if you haven't noticed, this chapter is relatively longer than most of the others. I'm doing this with all the remaining chapters (I hope), so I can get the story done in fewer chapters. Anyhow, Part XI soon, thanks a bunch and TOODLES! ^_^
