The Royal Servant
Chapter 1, With A Band Of Gypsies...

Author's Notes: Nothing to say except this is the next chapter and I hope ya enjoy it. ^_^
E-mail me to tell me if I should keep writing this or not.

Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.
means a different language
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sun rose over the horizon as a beautiful blue-haired 20-year old girl ran into the violet caravan. Her hair was in disarray and blew wildly around her wonderfully molded features. The magnificent angel wore a short, ripped, orange, silk skirt and matching silk pants with a small orange top that was cut off enough to show her whole stomach. Akane looked like a carefree amazon, and in a way she was.

Inside the caravan were swords and tiny trinkets hanging all over the place. Several candles burned brightly in the dark room creating a night scene although it was still day outside. A violet-haired 20-year old girl sat on a blanket in a corner of the caravan cleaning a long sharp sword with a purple hankershief. Akane walked over towards the gypsy and waited as she stood up and hanged the sword back up.
"Where are we being sent to this time, Shan?" Akane asked casually.
The other girl raised her dark violet-eyes and smiled brightly at her friend, "Why, we're going to the Terian Castle of course. Isn't it wonderful, Ne-ne? A prince."

Akane noticed the sparkle in Shan Pu's eyes and said in an amused tone, "Why do I have the feeling your actually looking forward in this Prince of Teria's home?"
Shampoo laughed and said in a dreamy voice, "Because I am, Ne-ne. Just imagine, a prince." At this point, Shan Pu gave a sigh to emphasize her point.
Shan Pu wasn't finished with complimenting her prince, however, "Oh, Ne-ne, they say he's really so, sooo terribly cute and devastatingly handsome. They also say he's so strong and is the best martial arts fighter ever! Isn't that great?"
Akane giggled, "They also, happen to say that he is an arrogant, egotistical jerk that can't be nice to someone if it killed him. He also happen to be engaged to the Duchess of Nomiya who also happens to be a big pain in the butt as I heard."

Shan Pu just smiled at her friend's bluntness, "So what, I don't care, Ne-ne, I've already decided on him."
The other girl gasped, "So, you've decided to to bless him with your first time and share his bed?"
"No, of course not," Shan Pu said reasonably.
Akane looked confused, "Then what if your so infatuated with him?"

That was when Shan Pu smiled triumphantly, "I am going to marry him!"
Akane looked appalled, "Marry him? Are you crazy, Shan? He's an outsider!" Both girls understood why she looked so shocked. The gypsies led a free life, without law or restrictions. Although, gypsies were sold into servitude all the time, they always returned to their band of caravan. Gypsy women were allowed to sleep with an outsider, married or not, in fact their husbands even allowed it. However, gypsies never married out of their band of caravans to an outsider, it was simply unethical, untraditional, unbelievable, un-

Akane smiled brightly at her friend, "Tsu-tsu isn't going to be happy, Shan."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ranma walked out of his large chamber and saw Ukyo running towards him, smiling brightly. As she reached him, Ukyo gave a low curtsy and clasped both his hands in her own.
"Oh, Ranchan, you would not believe how brazen and unladylike the female servants have become. I mean they had not had the luck of being given a proper education, but their behavior has been absolutely absurd!" Ukyo said dramatically. The tall girl really was a sight to behold with her long, brown hair and wonderful figure. She was extremely ladylike and polite too. Ranma figured he wouldn't mind having her for a fiancee. After all she was pretty and sweet, right? Women couldn't be better then that. The Fates laughed at him and said, "He ain't seen nothin' yet."

They chatted and walked hand-in-hand into the dining where Ranma found out that his fiancee had dismissed his servant, because she was being to uppity towards her, so he would be getting a new one. He had found nothing wrong with Leiza, but then again she hadn't been "uppity" to him, whatever that meant. The hall was filled with people, servants, and children, just as Ranma expected it to be. The Terian Castle was always filled with guests that were or important status in society. Ranma had asked his mother why she bothered going to the Dining Hall every breakfast, lunch, dinner, and supper. Nodoka had to told him it was to "maintain face". Personally, Ranma thought his father just came for the grub.

Ukyo pleasantly let go of Ranma's arm as soon as they entered the Dining Hall and went to greet the guest. *She would make a fine hostess...* Ranma thought. *...another good quality for her flawless personality.* Ranma knew he should be happy he had such a perfect fiancee, but he simply couldn't help feeling that there was something more. Something stronger. Something that was able to bine his no-nonsense, all-honor mother to stay with an honorless man like his father for over 20 years. Ranma laughed at himself. He was a prince, he shouldn't waste his time on such trivial matters. On things that couldn't happen. On things that only gypsies talk of...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shan Pu smiled dreamily and hummed to herself as the wagon entered the large elegant castle. Akane flopped down next to her and slapped her arm gently.
"Hey, what'cha thinkin'?" she asked looking out the wagon window to try and see what Shan Pu was looking at.
"My future husband, the Prince of Teria," Shan Pu sighed as Akane snorted. ",Did you know his name was Ranma, Akane? Ranma. Ranma. Ranma. Isn't it absolutely beautiful?" Shan Pu said.

Akane couldn't hold her laughter back any longer and broke down laughing as the rest of the girls in the wagon stared at her odd behavior.
"I think...hahahahaha...that you should...hehahehahah... meet...him...hahahahaha ...first...hahahahaha...before you....hahahaha...pass...hahahahaha...judgement," and with that the girl passed into another round of hysterics.
Shan Pu scowled, "I don't think you should laugh at my future husband, Ne-ne. After all, you don't want me to tell the other servants at the Castle about Ryo, do you?"

Akane immediatly stopped laughing and stared wide-eyed at the gloating purple-girl. "You wouldn't!" she finally managed.
"Oh, wouldn't I?" Shan Pu taunted getting back at Akane for teasing her. Akane gave a yell before lunging at Shan Pu and both girls fought. The other girls backed away fearfully from the fighting until they saw both girls sat up lughing.

"How many bruises you got this time?" Shan Pu asked. Akane counted her bruises before replying, "Only 4, you?"
"Damn, I have 9, your getting better," Shan Pu said in a disgruntled tone.
"No, your getting worse," Akane laughed.

The other girls eyed each other curiously as the two best friends chatted and laughed as if nothing had happened. One message passed voiceless through their minds, *We're going to have to work with them for the next nine months?!*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the wagon stopped in a small yard inside the castle gates and the 17 girls and 9 boys walked out, an elderly plump lady with glasses and an apron walked up to them. She told them her name was Mrs. Wasuki and that she was basically the boss of the servants in this place. She also told them her husband was the cook. As Mrs. Wasuki passed Akane, she blinked once before reaching to give the girl a big hug.

"Ne, darling, is that really you?" Mrs. Wasuki asked excitedly.
Akane hugged her tight, then let go gently, "Oh couse it's me, Mamees, who else would it be, but your darling Ne?"
Mrs. Wasuki dabbed her apron to her eye, "I have to tell Mr. Wasuki this. He'll be so happy! Those gypsies sold you again, sweety? I never should have let you go with them again. Is that girl, Shampoo with you this time, darlin? She always has been a bad influence. I tell you, them gypsies-"

Akane interrupted her gently, "Her name's Shan Pu, Mamees, and I like living with the gypsies. Also, no they didn't sell me, it was my turn for work. It's only for nine months, Mamees."
Mrs. Wasuki scowled, "Only nine months with my darling Ne, no I won't allow it. You stay here at the Castle with me, dear and I won't have any of'um gypsies around you no more."

Shan Pu joined in, "Lady, better listen, after nine months, Ne-ne go home. Go back with Shampoo to gypsies."
Mrs. Wasuki gave a humph and led the new batch of servants off to the Servant's Quarters.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Servants' Quarters were small rooms with 12 beds, 6 on each side. Akane and Shan Pu were put into the room with 10 other girls. Mrs. Wasuki had left Akane promising to come back later with Mr. Wasuki. Akane fell onto the bed and fell fast asleep.

#####Flashback Dream#########
A 12-year old Akane stared tearfully as Cologne hugged her.
"I don't want to stay here, Hiba-chan! I want to go with you and Shan Pu!" Akane protested weakly as the elderly lady smiled.
"You can't go with us, Ne-ne. Shan Pu and the other children are going to live with different families while we are away. Don't worry, child, you will love the lady here, she is very kind," Cologne said reasonably before climbing into the wagon. The band of caravans rode off as Akane waved silently at them.

The little girl sensed someone behind her and turned to see a plump lady with glasses look down at her.
"You're a pretty little thing, aren't you? Well, cuteness don't matter here, got it?" she snapped. Akane nodded fearfully and gulped.

"Is Ne-ne to be servant?" the little girl asked with a thick accent that sounded natural.
"Ah, you were not taught proper language, were you? Well, what am I to expect a child raised by gypsies? I'll teach you and by the time they return you will be able to speak divinly. To answer your question, no you are not my servant and I am not your master either. Why the very idea! Well, I guess you can call me a temporairy mommy, how's that?" Haroumi Wasuki speculated.
Akane's eyes turned hopeful, "Mamees?"
For the first time in many years, the old lines smoothened in Haroumi's face and she smiled warmly down at the small child, "Yes, I'm your mamees, Ne, darling."
#####End of Flashabck########

Akane woke up to find that it was only 2 past noon and that Shan Pu and the other girls were still sound asleep. She walked silently out of the room into the garden. Akane knew she shouldn't wander about the palace, *Ladies do not dally, loiter, or wander aimlessly for no apparent reason or motive...* she remembered what the past ladies in the villages tell her, *...too bad I'm a gypsy and not a lady...*

So, Akane wandered through the, somehow unguarded, gardens sighing at the lovely flowers. She spotted a red-haired girl examine a flower nearby. The girl did not look like nobilty or royalty with her ordinary clothes. Akane tapped the girl on the shoulder and the redhead jumped around surprised. Akane dismissed the red-head's strange outright stare at her. After all the person that everyone stared at was Shan Pu with her extroardinary beauty.

"Hi, my name's Akane, want to be friends? I'm a servant here and you are one to, so we will see each other around," Akane chirped brightly.
The red-head stared at the other girl's dazzling dark brown eyes that swirled brightly with life before being able to answer her question, "O-okay, m-my n-name's Ranko. I-I-I'm not allowed of the garden, though so you have to come here, is that alright?"

"Oh course! Wow! I have a new friend now," Akane smiled happily as she pulled Ranko to a near-by bench to sit down.
"So, are you new here?" Ranko asked curiously, "...not that I would know."
Akane's smile got even brighter, "Yeah! I'm a new servant here with my best friend Shan Pu. I'm a gypsy, you know."

Ranko's eyes widened in amazement, "Gypsy?! Wow! You are so lucky!"
"Why?" Akane asked curiously.
Ranko grinned, "Because you get to go anywhere you want! Your free and nobody could hold restrictions on you anywhere. I wish I was a gypsy."
"You can be, you know. When my hiba-chan comes back in nine months to collect me and Shan, we'll take you along," Akane said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, but I can't go!" Ranko exclaimed.
"Why?"
Ranko sighed, "Akane, let's make a pact, you don't ask personal questions of me and I won't ask personal questions of you."
Thinking of that and her past Akane smiled and agreed.

"So, what do you work as?" the red-haired girl asked.
Akane's face contorted, "I have to be a personal maid to the prince of Teria, what's-his-name? Um...Ranma! Yeah that's it!"
Seeing Akane's obvious dislike, Ranko questioned in mild curiosity, "Why don't you like him?"
"He's an arrogant, rakish, overconfident, pampered, egotistical, family-give-him- anything, cry-if-he-breaks-a-nail, wussy prince who's family gives him everything he wants," Akane said angrily.

Ranko looked for a moment as if she was furious before she burst out in hysterics of laughter.
"Have you... hahahahaha...met him...hahahaha...yet?" Ranko asked wiping tears from her eyes.
Akane thought about this before realizing the ironic situation and broke into fits of laughter hearself. Ranko stopped at the magical sounds of Akane's laughter and stared wonderously at the girl.

"Akane, I have to go now. You will come back tomorrow, right?" Ranko said as she stood up.
"Of course," Akane smiled.
"Good, bye," Ranko yelled as she ran towards thegreen shubery and disappeared.

Akane smiled as she walked back to the room she shared. She had made a new friend today, too bad she had to start working for that stupid prince tomorrow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~