Chapter 44
Kristin woke up, her head giving a bit of an ache, and her voice lost. With her throat scratchy, she tried to call Caitlin into her room. Konan was now simply waiting to see if the war between them and Kutou would ever get better.
Caitlin heard the rough, scratchy attempts of a voice and wandered into Kristin's room. "Ah ick!" Kristin managed to spat out.
"You're sick?" Caitlin said, "oh, you've just lost your voice for the moment, haven't you? Poor Kristin. Everything bad's been happening to you and . . . wait a moment. You can't speak? You're sick?!"
Kristin gave a confused look at Caitlin, who suddenly beamed a smile.
Kristin didn't like that smile on Caitlin's face, but since she couldn't speak, she couldn't do much about it.
Caitlin bounced out of the room, down the halls, and into the great Throne Room where Hotohori sat, his finger to his temple, trying to figure out what the next move was. The rest of the Warriors were huddled at his feet. Caitlin put on a worried face, and grabbed Mitsukake by the arm, dragging him out of the room.
"I have a plan," Caitlin whispered, her sudden smile almost scaring Mitsukake. "A WONDERFUL plan . . . " and she whispered viciously into Mituskake's ear. He pulled back, laughing to himself, then put a grave look on his face, and he accompanied Caitlin back to the Throne Room.
"Your Highness," Mitsukake said, his voice grave. "I've heard from Caitlin that Kristin-sama has apparently come down with an illness."
"Kristin-sama is ill?!" Hotohori cried, forgetting about Kutou at once. "Bring me to her!"
The Warriors, confused and a bit concerned, followed Caitlin and Mitsukake up to Kristin's room, where the Priestess looked ill, but wasn't in any danger, of course.
"Kristin-sama," Hotohori cried, falling to his knees at her bedside. "Are you alright? I have news you're feeling ill."
Kristin tried to speak, but couldn't.
"This looks awful," Mitsukake said, and Kristin frowned at him. She frowned at Caitlin, knowing what her friend was obviously doing. Hotohori looked as though he was about to have a heart attack.
Mitsukake knelt by Kristin's side, and checked her out, his facial expressions being worse and worse with every checkup he made on her. Finally, with sweat running down his brow, he pulled back, and said, "There's nothing I can do. You're dying, Kristin . . . from the Icitikki Po luiwianni Dotsiranmoui datotositikis rRenemadetta demon disease."
Kristin wanted to scream, There's no such thing! It's just a little laryngitis!
"Is she going to live?" Hotohori asked, his eyes welling up with tears.
"I don't think so," Mituskake said, his voice grave. Then, he stood up. "Well, my work here is done. Gonna go have my coffee break now." And he was outta there.
Kristin was mad. Her eyes narrowed on Caitlin, but Hotohori was overly beside himself, and shouted at the others to leave the room at once. As soon as he was alone, he flung himself around Kristin, holding her tight.
"My dear Kristin-sama!" he cried. "I can't bare to let you go! You have no idea how much I missed you when you were gone, and now to have you struck with this demon disease!" Kristin felt herself melt into the great robes of the Emperor, feeling the warmth of the cloth and his skin.
She couldn't talk, but she didn't need to. So this is what Caitlin intended! To get Hotohori to smother all over her again! Caitlin was going to find herself with a black eye the next day, that's for sure . . . along with that troublesome Mituskake! (he's starting to have some attitude in this story, don't you think?)
"I can't let you leave me," Hotohori breathed. "I'll spend all night with you until you are feeling well. If only I had been with you on the journey . . . maybe none of this would have happened!"
Kristin simply hugged him back. All she needed was to stay in his arms for now. She felt warm and safe, and nothing was going to get to her.
Outside the door to her room, Nuriko, Tasuki, and Caitlin all had their ears to the door, listening intently to what was going on between Hotohori and the Priestess.
"So you set it all up, didn't you?" Tasuki whispered to Caitlin. "You know she's going to kill you for this one."
"I know," Caitlin said, still smiling. "But she deserved it. She's been away from His Highness for too long. They deserved this."
"And what about when he finds out this was all a joke, and Kristin's not going to die?" Nuriko asked.
"Uh . . . " Caitlin said, "I'll run and hide?"
Kristin was a puddle in Hotohori's arms. She fell asleep, and he put her down to rest, tucking her in her bed. But he refused to leave her side, and curled his body around her. So, she continued to sleep in his robes, smelling his sweet, but manly smell, and feeling his loving arms around her.
A few hours later, she woke up, and there was his beautiful face in front of her, sleep softening the worriness that had shown in it a few hours ago. His eyes parted and he was awake. Kristin smiled at him, and he smiled back, sitting up.
"I don't know how much longer you have to live, my dear, poor Kristin- sama," Hotohori said, tears coming to his eyes again. Kristin sighed. Poor guy. She opened her mouth to say something, but Hotohori continued. "I . . . I know I've already said it before, but I think I've really gotten to know you far better than when we first met. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I've truly fallen in love with you. Such a fine young maiden you are! A dear Damsel in Distress. . . Your looks are stunning, but your heart even more. You're so kind and gentle, and you have a wonderful head on your shoulders! You are a true Priestess, which makes me truly believe that you will be an even greater Empress. But I want more. Dear Kristin-sama, I wish for you to be my wife, and to carry my children in the near future. I want you as my beloved, and not merely an Empress."
Kristin was going to cry. She bit her lip, not wanting to say anything. Instead, she nodded vigorously, and hugged her Emperor, who had fallen on his knee when he made his official proposal. Just then, the door banged open, and Chichiri (who didn't know about Caitlin's plan) shoved Mitsukake into the room.
"You have to make the Priestess better," he piped up. He noticed Kristin hugging Hotohori who was kneeling on the ground, and picked up on what had happened between the two.
"Make her better, Mistukake, hurry!" Chichiri said.
Then, Chichiri left the room, leaving Mitsukake to stare with a red face at Kristin. He walked up to her, and with a rigid voice said, "Uh . . . you better get back to bed before you spread that demon disease to your Highness. I'll heal you, don't worry. Why don't you, um, Hotohori, go back to your chambers?"
"You'll pull through, I know you will," Hotohori said, getting up, and giving Kristin a pure smile of love. Kristin sighed, and allowed Mitsukake to tuck her back into bed. Hotohori left, and Mituskake got what was coming to him.
A few minute after healing Kristin of her laryngitis, Mituskake came stumbling out of the room with two black eyes and a bloody nose. Tasuki, Nuriko and Caitlin were ready to greet him.
"So, how'd it go?" Caitlin asked, eager to hear the news.
"Hotohori proposed to Kristin," Mituskake muttered, still swaying a bit after Kristin's attack on him. "And then I heal her of her laryngitis. She's okay now, but . . . I need some sleep. Good luck."
Caitlin cringed. "Uh . . . Tasuki?"
"Yeah."
"Can you be my bodyguard from now on?"
Back in Kutou, Martha woke from sleep. She felt a body sitting next to her, and her thoughts went immediately to Nakago. He had apologized! He really did care for her after -
"AUGHHH!!!!!"
Martha screamed at the Emperor's face, not expecting the great lump of "His Highness" sitting down next to her. "Ah! What are y-you doing here, y-your Highness?"
The Emperor gave a smug smile. "You're awake and doing well, I see. I was hoping you'd get me my first wish. I need the land of Konan, badly. Won't you give it to me, Priestess of Seiryu?"
Martha cringed. "Where's Nakago and the rest of my Warriors? Shouldn't they be here while I make my first wish?"
"They don't need to be here, in fact, now that you've gotten a hold of Seiryu, you don't need them whatsoever. I can get them executed and out of my face tomorrow morning, after you've granted me my wishes."
"You can't be serious!" Martha said, sitting up. "You can just kill them! They're my Warriors, my friends! We've already lost Ashitare and Soi Sauce . . . but please, don't hurt Nakago and the others! Please, they're like family to me!"
"I understand your feelings for my general," the Emperor said, "He's a nice boy, isn't he? I'd go for him if I were a girl. Even as a man I'd go for him . . . and sometimes I do. I am the Emperor, and I can do whatever I want. I'll kill off those stupid twins, that idiot clown with his girlfriend, and the demon boy with his girl! I'll Nakago, cause he's a good general, and I can use him for other things too . . . "
"NO, you sick pervert!" Martha cried. "Don't you dare touch my Nakago!"
The Emperor slammed Martha back down on the bed, his ugly face close to hers, breathing hard. "Didn't you hear what I just said?" he growled. "I am the Emperor! I can do what I want! I'm going to make you my Empress, and I'm going to kill off your 'family' and do whatever I want to that general! You can't tell me what I can't do! I'm the Emperor!" And with that, his lips devoured Martha's, as she struggled under all his weight.
He sat up, grinning wildly. Martha protested, and tried to wiggled out of his grip, bad he slapped her hard across the face.
"You do as I say, and grant me my wish!"
Martha whimpered. Then, she called out, "Kai-jin!"
A great light appeared around her, and a symbol glowed on her forehead. Then, she closed her eyes.
"Ask for Konan, Martha-sama."
"I wish . . ." Martha felt the tears in her eyes. He was going to hurt her. He was going to kill off her friends and her most dear beloved was going to become a personal toy for the Emperor! But, Martha knew what she had to do, and would not let the Emperor have his way. No, she'd be destroying the lives of innocent people if she let the Emperor have his way.
"I wish for peace among the land of Kutou," Martha said quickly, "that all the citizens in this land will no longer be in the havoc of war, and that Kutou may longer be a horrible place of war, without need of more land! I wish for Peace!"
"What are you doing?!" The Emperor shouted.
A great voice from the sky spoke to Martha, "Your wish shall be granted. I shall send the armies of the Emperor's back to his palace, and a new Emperor will be established so that this may never happen again, and this land can remain in peace."
"What?! NO!!" The Emperor yelled. The light faded, and the Emperor growled at Martha. "How could you?! You've lost me my position of Emperor! How could you?! I'm going to see that everyone's killed, even your stupid general!"
"You can't," Martha said, smiling, "You're no longer the Emperor. Your orders have no power over the men here any longer."
The Emperor growled, realizing his mistake. Then, Martha felt a strong fist come to her face, followed by another and yet another. Several kicks were made at her, and her body was picked up and thrown to the ground. Martha didn't fight back. She knew she had no chance. At least she had saved everyone else. She let the Emperor kick her some more, before storming out of the room, screaming out his fury.
Kristin woke up, her head giving a bit of an ache, and her voice lost. With her throat scratchy, she tried to call Caitlin into her room. Konan was now simply waiting to see if the war between them and Kutou would ever get better.
Caitlin heard the rough, scratchy attempts of a voice and wandered into Kristin's room. "Ah ick!" Kristin managed to spat out.
"You're sick?" Caitlin said, "oh, you've just lost your voice for the moment, haven't you? Poor Kristin. Everything bad's been happening to you and . . . wait a moment. You can't speak? You're sick?!"
Kristin gave a confused look at Caitlin, who suddenly beamed a smile.
Kristin didn't like that smile on Caitlin's face, but since she couldn't speak, she couldn't do much about it.
Caitlin bounced out of the room, down the halls, and into the great Throne Room where Hotohori sat, his finger to his temple, trying to figure out what the next move was. The rest of the Warriors were huddled at his feet. Caitlin put on a worried face, and grabbed Mitsukake by the arm, dragging him out of the room.
"I have a plan," Caitlin whispered, her sudden smile almost scaring Mitsukake. "A WONDERFUL plan . . . " and she whispered viciously into Mituskake's ear. He pulled back, laughing to himself, then put a grave look on his face, and he accompanied Caitlin back to the Throne Room.
"Your Highness," Mitsukake said, his voice grave. "I've heard from Caitlin that Kristin-sama has apparently come down with an illness."
"Kristin-sama is ill?!" Hotohori cried, forgetting about Kutou at once. "Bring me to her!"
The Warriors, confused and a bit concerned, followed Caitlin and Mitsukake up to Kristin's room, where the Priestess looked ill, but wasn't in any danger, of course.
"Kristin-sama," Hotohori cried, falling to his knees at her bedside. "Are you alright? I have news you're feeling ill."
Kristin tried to speak, but couldn't.
"This looks awful," Mitsukake said, and Kristin frowned at him. She frowned at Caitlin, knowing what her friend was obviously doing. Hotohori looked as though he was about to have a heart attack.
Mitsukake knelt by Kristin's side, and checked her out, his facial expressions being worse and worse with every checkup he made on her. Finally, with sweat running down his brow, he pulled back, and said, "There's nothing I can do. You're dying, Kristin . . . from the Icitikki Po luiwianni Dotsiranmoui datotositikis rRenemadetta demon disease."
Kristin wanted to scream, There's no such thing! It's just a little laryngitis!
"Is she going to live?" Hotohori asked, his eyes welling up with tears.
"I don't think so," Mituskake said, his voice grave. Then, he stood up. "Well, my work here is done. Gonna go have my coffee break now." And he was outta there.
Kristin was mad. Her eyes narrowed on Caitlin, but Hotohori was overly beside himself, and shouted at the others to leave the room at once. As soon as he was alone, he flung himself around Kristin, holding her tight.
"My dear Kristin-sama!" he cried. "I can't bare to let you go! You have no idea how much I missed you when you were gone, and now to have you struck with this demon disease!" Kristin felt herself melt into the great robes of the Emperor, feeling the warmth of the cloth and his skin.
She couldn't talk, but she didn't need to. So this is what Caitlin intended! To get Hotohori to smother all over her again! Caitlin was going to find herself with a black eye the next day, that's for sure . . . along with that troublesome Mituskake! (he's starting to have some attitude in this story, don't you think?)
"I can't let you leave me," Hotohori breathed. "I'll spend all night with you until you are feeling well. If only I had been with you on the journey . . . maybe none of this would have happened!"
Kristin simply hugged him back. All she needed was to stay in his arms for now. She felt warm and safe, and nothing was going to get to her.
Outside the door to her room, Nuriko, Tasuki, and Caitlin all had their ears to the door, listening intently to what was going on between Hotohori and the Priestess.
"So you set it all up, didn't you?" Tasuki whispered to Caitlin. "You know she's going to kill you for this one."
"I know," Caitlin said, still smiling. "But she deserved it. She's been away from His Highness for too long. They deserved this."
"And what about when he finds out this was all a joke, and Kristin's not going to die?" Nuriko asked.
"Uh . . . " Caitlin said, "I'll run and hide?"
Kristin was a puddle in Hotohori's arms. She fell asleep, and he put her down to rest, tucking her in her bed. But he refused to leave her side, and curled his body around her. So, she continued to sleep in his robes, smelling his sweet, but manly smell, and feeling his loving arms around her.
A few hours later, she woke up, and there was his beautiful face in front of her, sleep softening the worriness that had shown in it a few hours ago. His eyes parted and he was awake. Kristin smiled at him, and he smiled back, sitting up.
"I don't know how much longer you have to live, my dear, poor Kristin- sama," Hotohori said, tears coming to his eyes again. Kristin sighed. Poor guy. She opened her mouth to say something, but Hotohori continued. "I . . . I know I've already said it before, but I think I've really gotten to know you far better than when we first met. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I've truly fallen in love with you. Such a fine young maiden you are! A dear Damsel in Distress. . . Your looks are stunning, but your heart even more. You're so kind and gentle, and you have a wonderful head on your shoulders! You are a true Priestess, which makes me truly believe that you will be an even greater Empress. But I want more. Dear Kristin-sama, I wish for you to be my wife, and to carry my children in the near future. I want you as my beloved, and not merely an Empress."
Kristin was going to cry. She bit her lip, not wanting to say anything. Instead, she nodded vigorously, and hugged her Emperor, who had fallen on his knee when he made his official proposal. Just then, the door banged open, and Chichiri (who didn't know about Caitlin's plan) shoved Mitsukake into the room.
"You have to make the Priestess better," he piped up. He noticed Kristin hugging Hotohori who was kneeling on the ground, and picked up on what had happened between the two.
"Make her better, Mistukake, hurry!" Chichiri said.
Then, Chichiri left the room, leaving Mitsukake to stare with a red face at Kristin. He walked up to her, and with a rigid voice said, "Uh . . . you better get back to bed before you spread that demon disease to your Highness. I'll heal you, don't worry. Why don't you, um, Hotohori, go back to your chambers?"
"You'll pull through, I know you will," Hotohori said, getting up, and giving Kristin a pure smile of love. Kristin sighed, and allowed Mitsukake to tuck her back into bed. Hotohori left, and Mituskake got what was coming to him.
A few minute after healing Kristin of her laryngitis, Mituskake came stumbling out of the room with two black eyes and a bloody nose. Tasuki, Nuriko and Caitlin were ready to greet him.
"So, how'd it go?" Caitlin asked, eager to hear the news.
"Hotohori proposed to Kristin," Mituskake muttered, still swaying a bit after Kristin's attack on him. "And then I heal her of her laryngitis. She's okay now, but . . . I need some sleep. Good luck."
Caitlin cringed. "Uh . . . Tasuki?"
"Yeah."
"Can you be my bodyguard from now on?"
Back in Kutou, Martha woke from sleep. She felt a body sitting next to her, and her thoughts went immediately to Nakago. He had apologized! He really did care for her after -
"AUGHHH!!!!!"
Martha screamed at the Emperor's face, not expecting the great lump of "His Highness" sitting down next to her. "Ah! What are y-you doing here, y-your Highness?"
The Emperor gave a smug smile. "You're awake and doing well, I see. I was hoping you'd get me my first wish. I need the land of Konan, badly. Won't you give it to me, Priestess of Seiryu?"
Martha cringed. "Where's Nakago and the rest of my Warriors? Shouldn't they be here while I make my first wish?"
"They don't need to be here, in fact, now that you've gotten a hold of Seiryu, you don't need them whatsoever. I can get them executed and out of my face tomorrow morning, after you've granted me my wishes."
"You can't be serious!" Martha said, sitting up. "You can just kill them! They're my Warriors, my friends! We've already lost Ashitare and Soi Sauce . . . but please, don't hurt Nakago and the others! Please, they're like family to me!"
"I understand your feelings for my general," the Emperor said, "He's a nice boy, isn't he? I'd go for him if I were a girl. Even as a man I'd go for him . . . and sometimes I do. I am the Emperor, and I can do whatever I want. I'll kill off those stupid twins, that idiot clown with his girlfriend, and the demon boy with his girl! I'll Nakago, cause he's a good general, and I can use him for other things too . . . "
"NO, you sick pervert!" Martha cried. "Don't you dare touch my Nakago!"
The Emperor slammed Martha back down on the bed, his ugly face close to hers, breathing hard. "Didn't you hear what I just said?" he growled. "I am the Emperor! I can do what I want! I'm going to make you my Empress, and I'm going to kill off your 'family' and do whatever I want to that general! You can't tell me what I can't do! I'm the Emperor!" And with that, his lips devoured Martha's, as she struggled under all his weight.
He sat up, grinning wildly. Martha protested, and tried to wiggled out of his grip, bad he slapped her hard across the face.
"You do as I say, and grant me my wish!"
Martha whimpered. Then, she called out, "Kai-jin!"
A great light appeared around her, and a symbol glowed on her forehead. Then, she closed her eyes.
"Ask for Konan, Martha-sama."
"I wish . . ." Martha felt the tears in her eyes. He was going to hurt her. He was going to kill off her friends and her most dear beloved was going to become a personal toy for the Emperor! But, Martha knew what she had to do, and would not let the Emperor have his way. No, she'd be destroying the lives of innocent people if she let the Emperor have his way.
"I wish for peace among the land of Kutou," Martha said quickly, "that all the citizens in this land will no longer be in the havoc of war, and that Kutou may longer be a horrible place of war, without need of more land! I wish for Peace!"
"What are you doing?!" The Emperor shouted.
A great voice from the sky spoke to Martha, "Your wish shall be granted. I shall send the armies of the Emperor's back to his palace, and a new Emperor will be established so that this may never happen again, and this land can remain in peace."
"What?! NO!!" The Emperor yelled. The light faded, and the Emperor growled at Martha. "How could you?! You've lost me my position of Emperor! How could you?! I'm going to see that everyone's killed, even your stupid general!"
"You can't," Martha said, smiling, "You're no longer the Emperor. Your orders have no power over the men here any longer."
The Emperor growled, realizing his mistake. Then, Martha felt a strong fist come to her face, followed by another and yet another. Several kicks were made at her, and her body was picked up and thrown to the ground. Martha didn't fight back. She knew she had no chance. At least she had saved everyone else. She let the Emperor kick her some more, before storming out of the room, screaming out his fury.