Part Four.
Clef decided to go and see if Hikaru was alright. Anything to ignore the fact that Umi hated him. On the way he met Fuu and Ferio, and they informed him of the resent events concerning the young Knight of Fire. Clef just stared at them and then with a sob he allowed his tears to flow freely. Ferio looked at Clef, very confused, wondering why he was in tears.
"Clef-san, what is it?"
"I love her!"
"Who, Clef-san?" asked Fuu.
"Umi."
Fuu was shocked by his confession but not surprised. Ferio was patting him on the back. "I've made a complete mess of everything," Clef moaned.
Fuu took his arm and they steered him towards a room, where they could sit down and talk about Clef's problem and exactly how to help him.
A few hours later Umi surfaced from her bath and went back to her room. When Umi opened her bedroom door, her eyes went huge as she was confronted by a sea of blue: her room was full of blue flowers, and a note was placed on the pillow of the bed which she gingerly took and read.
To Umi
I wish to apologise for any bad feeling my action caused this morning. I do not know if this will do for an apology, but I wish you to know I am sincerely sorry and that these flowers were not made by magic, but brought for your pleasure, and all in the colour of your wonderful hair.
All my love.
Clef.
She read it over and over again especialy the part where his graceful hand writing said 'all my love'. The phrase rang in Umi's head. She dressed in record breaking time, surfacing from her room she spotted a servant and asked him if he knew where Clef was: the man told her that Clef was in the throne room with the King and his future queen.
Umi found her way to the throne room, she stopped at the door as she heard Clef say, "I think a masquerade ball is a wonderful idea, Ferio, the perfect way to celebrate your betrothal."
"You will come, won't you, Clef?" enquired Fuu gently.
"Well I'd like to, but If I ask Umi to come with me she'll only laugh at me."
Umi covered her mouth with her hand when he said that, how could Clef think that and why hadn't his magic sensed her? Maybe he was too busy with the plans for this ball. Umi decided to take full advantage of this.
"Why do you think that, Clef?" asked Ferio softly.
"Because I'm so small and I look like a child. She's so tall and wonderful, I'm sure that Umi will be afraid that people will laugh at us if I ask her to go with me." His voice was downhearted and made Umi feel sad.
"You won't know her answer unless you ask her, Clef," Ferio pointed out.
"True, maybe I will ask her." Clefs voice seemed to brighten and Umi almost wished aloud that Clef would ask her to the ball.
"There, not that hard, was it?" said Ferio. Umi could almost see the young King's smile.
Umi knocked on the door.
"Come in," Ferio called out.
Umi entered the throne room. "I was looking for Clef."
Clef's blue eyes darted to her face, wondering whether she had heard them talking. "I'm here, Umi."
Fuu looked at her friend. "We are going to be having a masquerade ball, Umi. Why don't you and Clef go to the market and pick up all the things you think we may need."
Umi smiled at Fuu and then at Clef. "That sounds like a wonderful idea." Her heart practically jumped for joy at the thought of time alone with Clef.
Clef and Umi walked from the throne room side by side. Clef looked up at Umi, wondering if Fuu and Ferio's plan had worked. "So whilst we are at the market do you want to see if we can find ourselves a costume for the night?"
"Why not. What about Fuu and Hikaru?" asked Umi.
"Their costumes are already being taken care of by Lantis and Ferio, and I wish to take care of your needs for the night." Clef watched a small blush creep into Umi's cheeks.
Soon they had left the castle behind them and were in the hustle and the bustle of the market. They ordered food, drink and materials, though Umi had no idea what they were for. They then went to a seamstress, where Umi saw the most beautiful blue dress. It was sky-blue silk with billowing blue sleeves and floating gauzy blue skirts. Umi felt like Cinderella in it. Then she looked at the price. "Oh my God, it's so expensive." She wriggled out of the dress. Then she looked at it and its matching mask one last time and quietly left.
Once she was gone to look in the next shop, Clef purchased the dress, mask, and a pair of earrings. They consisted of five different lengths of silver chain with turquoise stones on the end. He bought a turquoise choker just to finish off the outfit, and when the jewellery was wrapped, he stashed it amoughst the other parcels.
When Clef caught up with Umi, she was gazing sadly at another dress, not quite as beautiful as the one he'd just bought, but still horribly expensive. "What do you say to lunch before we look for my costume?" he asked.
"Ok," she murmured, a little depressed.
Clef led her to a small inn, where they settled down for lunch. Clef brought out the packages during the meal and handed them to Umi. "These are for you, but you're not to open them till we get back to the castle."
Umi was shellshocked but agreed. They then continued on their shopping trip. They tried many shops but none of them did clothes in Clef's size and he came away from the market very depressed, even more so than Umi. "Well, looks like I'm stuck wearing this."
"You'll be fine, Clef," Umi said, trying to reassure him.
They arrived back at the castle. Clef walked Umi to her room and they stopped by her door.
"Thank you for the flowers, Clef, and these gifts."
"You're welcome Umi." He smiled up at her, his fringe falling onto his face. Umi brushed the fringe aside and gently placed a kiss on his cheek. Clef stared up at her.
"Goodnight Clef." Umi walked into her room.
Clef grinned and then walked off down the corridor to bed.
Umi went over to her bed, she found a note from Fuu saying that she had sorted the flowers out and the ball was tomorrow night. There were some in a vase by her bedside. Umi sat down on the bed and opened the packages. Her eyes were huge at the end of opening them. She gazed around at the sea of blue in which she was sitting. It was all the work of one man.
"Clef. . ." she murmured.
The next day Umi tried to find Clef, but it took her some time to find the ball room, and when she did, it was huge. Clef was directing the sea of people who were setting up the orchestra, the seats at the side of the ballroom, the tables, the wine glasses for the tables, and a punch bowl. The food was being prepared. Clef was using his magic to hang lengths of material across the ceiling.
Umi made her way over to him and stood next to Clef. "How's the preparation going?" she asked quietly.
"It's alright, I suppose, the usual mishaps, but nothing too serious. Are you going tonight?" he added, unable to resist the question. He was now placing the candles in the lanterns on the walls and in the gardens.
"Yes," Umi whispered, praying Clef would ask her to go with him.
"I'm glad, you should have fun." Clef looked up at Umi. He couldn't ask her to go with him, he was just too short. "You should be getting ready for the ball."
Umi nodded and left the ballroom. She couldn't help but feel disappointed, but she was determined not to let this spoil the ball.
Clef decided to go and see if Hikaru was alright. Anything to ignore the fact that Umi hated him. On the way he met Fuu and Ferio, and they informed him of the resent events concerning the young Knight of Fire. Clef just stared at them and then with a sob he allowed his tears to flow freely. Ferio looked at Clef, very confused, wondering why he was in tears.
"Clef-san, what is it?"
"I love her!"
"Who, Clef-san?" asked Fuu.
"Umi."
Fuu was shocked by his confession but not surprised. Ferio was patting him on the back. "I've made a complete mess of everything," Clef moaned.
Fuu took his arm and they steered him towards a room, where they could sit down and talk about Clef's problem and exactly how to help him.
A few hours later Umi surfaced from her bath and went back to her room. When Umi opened her bedroom door, her eyes went huge as she was confronted by a sea of blue: her room was full of blue flowers, and a note was placed on the pillow of the bed which she gingerly took and read.
To Umi
I wish to apologise for any bad feeling my action caused this morning. I do not know if this will do for an apology, but I wish you to know I am sincerely sorry and that these flowers were not made by magic, but brought for your pleasure, and all in the colour of your wonderful hair.
All my love.
Clef.
She read it over and over again especialy the part where his graceful hand writing said 'all my love'. The phrase rang in Umi's head. She dressed in record breaking time, surfacing from her room she spotted a servant and asked him if he knew where Clef was: the man told her that Clef was in the throne room with the King and his future queen.
Umi found her way to the throne room, she stopped at the door as she heard Clef say, "I think a masquerade ball is a wonderful idea, Ferio, the perfect way to celebrate your betrothal."
"You will come, won't you, Clef?" enquired Fuu gently.
"Well I'd like to, but If I ask Umi to come with me she'll only laugh at me."
Umi covered her mouth with her hand when he said that, how could Clef think that and why hadn't his magic sensed her? Maybe he was too busy with the plans for this ball. Umi decided to take full advantage of this.
"Why do you think that, Clef?" asked Ferio softly.
"Because I'm so small and I look like a child. She's so tall and wonderful, I'm sure that Umi will be afraid that people will laugh at us if I ask her to go with me." His voice was downhearted and made Umi feel sad.
"You won't know her answer unless you ask her, Clef," Ferio pointed out.
"True, maybe I will ask her." Clefs voice seemed to brighten and Umi almost wished aloud that Clef would ask her to the ball.
"There, not that hard, was it?" said Ferio. Umi could almost see the young King's smile.
Umi knocked on the door.
"Come in," Ferio called out.
Umi entered the throne room. "I was looking for Clef."
Clef's blue eyes darted to her face, wondering whether she had heard them talking. "I'm here, Umi."
Fuu looked at her friend. "We are going to be having a masquerade ball, Umi. Why don't you and Clef go to the market and pick up all the things you think we may need."
Umi smiled at Fuu and then at Clef. "That sounds like a wonderful idea." Her heart practically jumped for joy at the thought of time alone with Clef.
Clef and Umi walked from the throne room side by side. Clef looked up at Umi, wondering if Fuu and Ferio's plan had worked. "So whilst we are at the market do you want to see if we can find ourselves a costume for the night?"
"Why not. What about Fuu and Hikaru?" asked Umi.
"Their costumes are already being taken care of by Lantis and Ferio, and I wish to take care of your needs for the night." Clef watched a small blush creep into Umi's cheeks.
Soon they had left the castle behind them and were in the hustle and the bustle of the market. They ordered food, drink and materials, though Umi had no idea what they were for. They then went to a seamstress, where Umi saw the most beautiful blue dress. It was sky-blue silk with billowing blue sleeves and floating gauzy blue skirts. Umi felt like Cinderella in it. Then she looked at the price. "Oh my God, it's so expensive." She wriggled out of the dress. Then she looked at it and its matching mask one last time and quietly left.
Once she was gone to look in the next shop, Clef purchased the dress, mask, and a pair of earrings. They consisted of five different lengths of silver chain with turquoise stones on the end. He bought a turquoise choker just to finish off the outfit, and when the jewellery was wrapped, he stashed it amoughst the other parcels.
When Clef caught up with Umi, she was gazing sadly at another dress, not quite as beautiful as the one he'd just bought, but still horribly expensive. "What do you say to lunch before we look for my costume?" he asked.
"Ok," she murmured, a little depressed.
Clef led her to a small inn, where they settled down for lunch. Clef brought out the packages during the meal and handed them to Umi. "These are for you, but you're not to open them till we get back to the castle."
Umi was shellshocked but agreed. They then continued on their shopping trip. They tried many shops but none of them did clothes in Clef's size and he came away from the market very depressed, even more so than Umi. "Well, looks like I'm stuck wearing this."
"You'll be fine, Clef," Umi said, trying to reassure him.
They arrived back at the castle. Clef walked Umi to her room and they stopped by her door.
"Thank you for the flowers, Clef, and these gifts."
"You're welcome Umi." He smiled up at her, his fringe falling onto his face. Umi brushed the fringe aside and gently placed a kiss on his cheek. Clef stared up at her.
"Goodnight Clef." Umi walked into her room.
Clef grinned and then walked off down the corridor to bed.
Umi went over to her bed, she found a note from Fuu saying that she had sorted the flowers out and the ball was tomorrow night. There were some in a vase by her bedside. Umi sat down on the bed and opened the packages. Her eyes were huge at the end of opening them. She gazed around at the sea of blue in which she was sitting. It was all the work of one man.
"Clef. . ." she murmured.
The next day Umi tried to find Clef, but it took her some time to find the ball room, and when she did, it was huge. Clef was directing the sea of people who were setting up the orchestra, the seats at the side of the ballroom, the tables, the wine glasses for the tables, and a punch bowl. The food was being prepared. Clef was using his magic to hang lengths of material across the ceiling.
Umi made her way over to him and stood next to Clef. "How's the preparation going?" she asked quietly.
"It's alright, I suppose, the usual mishaps, but nothing too serious. Are you going tonight?" he added, unable to resist the question. He was now placing the candles in the lanterns on the walls and in the gardens.
"Yes," Umi whispered, praying Clef would ask her to go with him.
"I'm glad, you should have fun." Clef looked up at Umi. He couldn't ask her to go with him, he was just too short. "You should be getting ready for the ball."
Umi nodded and left the ballroom. She couldn't help but feel disappointed, but she was determined not to let this spoil the ball.