Mai: I'm going to rewrite this, okay? I got too many mistakes, and it needs
to be taken down...
~~
~~
CHAPTER IX: THE SOUTH KINGDOM
~~
At the palace of the South Kingdom...
"Please, we can't meet like this any longer. I'm leaving for the Ishida Kingdom tomorrow."
"I don't care. Please, Rika. I don't want it to end like this."
"You have to understand, Ryo, that it is my duty as the princess to negotiate on the two kingdoms."
Both of them heard a galloping sound coming from the forest. Rika quickly took Ryo to the edge of the balcony. "Ryo, you have to go. My cousin is arriving already. She will not want to see me with you. Please."
The young man looked at his feet, and then faced the princess with a small smile. "Just call my name, and I'll be there." After giving the young heiress of South a kiss, he disappeared in a blur.
Rika sighed. 'That's what I get for loving a ninja.' She trailed back inside her room, her long nightdress sweeping the floor as she pass by. She looked at her mirror, where she saw a girl with shoulder length auburn hair and purple eyes glistened with tears. She raised a hand to her eyes and softly wiped the tears away on her face. 'I have to be strong. For Ryo.'
A knock came on the door. "Princess? A guest awaits you at the throne room." The chambermaid called.
"I'll be right there." She answered back, while taking out a dress and quickly dressing. She sat down on the dresser and arranged her hair and carefully covered it with her tiara. After the preparations, she exited the room.
~~
Sora entered the throne room, holding the parcel in one hand. There, in the larger throne, rests King Edward Nonaka, the high leader of the South Kingdom. When the king saw her, his face was wreathed in smiles.
"Ah! You must be Sora." He acknowledged. "Marissa had been right. You do look a lot like your mother." (AN: She does?)
Sora smiled, and curtsied. "Your Majesty. A pleasant good evening to you, and thank you for welcoming me into your kingdom."
Edward nodded. "Liliac, fetch Rika from her room, please." The chambermaid nodded, and ran off. The king turned back to his niece. "I'm sorry that my wife is not around. She had been discussing matters with the council until now."
"It is quite alright." Sora replied, idly wondering how did her grandparents reacted on her uncle's choice. "Your Majesty?"
"Please call me, uncle, child. What it is?"
"Uncle, surely you have heard of my life in the mansion?" Seeing a nod on the man's face, she continued. "My stepmother had always believed that my mother was some kind of gold-digger. And because of that, she treated me like she would treat my mother. My father had enough of her antics, and revealed to all of us who really is my mother, and how she rejected the crown. Is that all true, uncle?"
"Arthur never lied." The king replied. "That is true. All of that is true. But because of that, I owe my sister a lot more than expected. That is why I wanted to take you in when I heard that you were mistreated by your stepmother."
"Princess Rika is here!"
Sora turned to see the doors opened, revealing her cousin, the young princess destined to marry the man she loved. But she can't feel anger for that. She smiled, and curtsied as Rika approached her. "Princess Rika. I have heard a lot about you, and it is my great pleasure to meet you."
Looking at her cousin's face, Rika silently deduced that she is in a tough night. 'I wonder what happened?' She returned the smile, and curtsied as well, showing her amazing etiquette. "Good evening to you, Lady Sora." Looking at her father, she curtsied again. "And good evening to you, father."
Edward nodded. "I believe that you two would get along just fine. Rika, you wouldn't mind sharing your bedroom for your cousin, or do you want her to have a separate room?"
Rika blinked, and then smiled. "Having her into my room would we wonderful, father." 'At least I would have someone to talk to. Unlike the other people here.'
~~
"Welcome to my room." Rika said as they entered the room. Sora smiled, looking around. The young princess sat down on the bed. "You know, Sora, I'm glad you're here, at least for tonight."
Sora looked at her cousin with sudden interest. And then it hit her. "You can talk to me about anything. I won't tell a soul."
After a good thirty minutes, the two girls became very good friends.
~~
The next day, the two met King Edward and Queen Rumiko in the dining room. The queen looked more like Rika's mirror, with long dirty blond hair. After greeting the king and queen, the princess and Sora sat down.
"It looks like you two got along just fine." Rumiko smiled. She turned to Sora. "I'm really glad that you came, although it will not be long now that Rika is set for Ishida Kingdom. I never had the time to really talk to her, as I attended most of the meetings with my husband."
"It is really alright, mother." Rika said, silently eating her food. Sora looked at her. "I'm just fine locking myself in my room."
Sora decided to stay quiet at the moment as she eats what's left of her food. Looking at the Royal Family reminded her of Yamato. 'It is too late now. I can't stop the marriage. I can never stop this marriage.' She looked at Rika. 'I can't just talk to Rika like this. It is useless trying.'
"Sora, is anything bothering you?"
Sora looked up at them, and smiled. "No, nothing really, Your Majesty." She looked back at her food. "I was just thinking."
Rumiko and Edward looked at each other. Rika sighed, knowing that she needs to save her cousin from being bombarded by questions by her parents. She stands up. "Father, Mother, I would like to take Sora to the Palace Gardens. I want to be the first to take her there."
"Sure, dear." After the affirmation of the two, Rika took Sora towards the garden.
"Good thing they didn't decide to ruin my day." Rika said as they finally arrived. She looked at Sora. "Is there something that you should tell me, Sora?"
Sora looked at the flowers that cover the gardens like a bed sheet, her eyes clouded with tears. "I wish I never left him." The princess stared at her, confused. "We lied to each other, yet, we loved each other dearly. I know those lies didn't matter. But our duties got in the way."
Rika placed a hand on her shoulder. "I have a feeling that you would reunite with the one you love." She looked at the flowers and picked a lavender and gave it to the lady. "I promise that."
'There is no way that you could keep that promise.' Sora thought as she accepted the flower. 'But to honour the memory I had, I will believe.' "Thank you, Rika."
~~
Later that mid-noon, Rika set out for the Ishida Kingdom. She sat down on the carriage, carrying a small booklet. She remembered Ryo's words clearly as she laid eyes on the booklet.
FLASBACK:
'This is my journal, princess. I have no secrets to hide from you. If life seems bored, read this.' Ryo said, handing the princess a small booklet. Rika studied the thing with keen interest, and looked at him.
'Thank you Ryo, I'll treasure it. And one more thing: Don't call me 'princess'. It is not appropriate.'
'It is appropriate. I'm only a ninja, and you are the daughter of the Royal Family.'
'We are not in a caste system here, Ryo, so don't talk like that.'
END FLASHBACK
"But that system is what destroyed my life completely." She finished, opening the pages carefully. Ryo, she discovered, was a good writer. His adventures were carefully written down, in perfect detail.
~~
Sora sits down in the garden, now tending the flowers. She loved looking at them, as if the colourful plants are telling her to calm down. She looked up the sky and back at her work.
"You seem to have a career in that." A voice from behind surprised her. She turned around, to see a young man, with dark brown hair and blue eyes that reminded her of Yamato. He was dressed in a regular huntsman garb. He studied the flower arrangement. "Not bad."
"Thank you." She turned back to her work.
"Lady Sora Takenouchi, isn't it?" he asked. After seeing her nod, he smiled. "I'm Ryo. Ryo Akiyama."
Sora stopped at the surname of the guest. She have search in her library, and she have heard of the bloodline of the Akiyama's. They were known to be a clan of deadly ninjas. But looking at Ryo's appearance, he doesn't look like a killer.
"So, Princess Rika really decided on going to Ishida Kingdom." Ryo deduced, the air suddenly getting stuffy.
"As if she had any choice in the matter." Sora replied. "It wasn't my choice being here, too. I was yanked from my loved ones back home."
"Loved ones?" Ryo tilted his head. "I heard that you were mistreated back there."
"You don't understand." Sora said. "Not all people were cold-hearted there. Although father can visit me here...the person I wanted to see the most can never talk to me properly again."
"Why? Does he have a talking impairment?"
Sora sighed exasperatedly. "Are you really that dense? Oh wait, you don't know. I take that back. You see, I had someone I cared for back there." Seeing the look on Ryo's face that tells her that he understood, she continued. "He is going to married. And I am here. I was send here. I really don't want to leave him, but I promised father."
"Hmm, looks like we're on the same boat." Ryo chuckled. His face changed into solemn when Sora looked at him. "There was a person I really loved, and she is still living, mind you. But now, she had to move away, and I will never see her again the same way."
"Why? Do you have a vision impairment?"
"Don't get wise on me, Lady Sora. You know what I mean. She is going to get married, and..." he stopped when he saw her expression. "What's wrong?"
Sora stared at the man, thinking things faster than a Need For Speed Ferrari. "Ryo, can you tell me who is that person you are just talking about? I'll tell you who he is if you'll tell me who is that person." She raised her right hand in pledge. "I swear, this will be just between the both of us."
Ryo glanced at the flowers, and picked a lavender, and gave it to Sora.
'My suspicions are confirmed.' "Princess Rika."
"Yes, and she is going to marry..."
Sora didn't let him finish. "Rika is going to marry Prince Yamato Ishida, who happened to meet me before I went here."
The words dawned on the ninja. "You don't mean...you...and His Majesty..."
"Yes, that is true."
Ryo blinked. What a twisted fate.
~~
Mai: It really is a twisted fate. And don't complain on the couples. They will never change. This is the mains...
Major Sorato, Mimichi, Kenyako and Ryouki, and minor Takari.
I won't change any of these pairings. NEVER! LOL
~~
~~
CHAPTER IX: THE SOUTH KINGDOM
~~
At the palace of the South Kingdom...
"Please, we can't meet like this any longer. I'm leaving for the Ishida Kingdom tomorrow."
"I don't care. Please, Rika. I don't want it to end like this."
"You have to understand, Ryo, that it is my duty as the princess to negotiate on the two kingdoms."
Both of them heard a galloping sound coming from the forest. Rika quickly took Ryo to the edge of the balcony. "Ryo, you have to go. My cousin is arriving already. She will not want to see me with you. Please."
The young man looked at his feet, and then faced the princess with a small smile. "Just call my name, and I'll be there." After giving the young heiress of South a kiss, he disappeared in a blur.
Rika sighed. 'That's what I get for loving a ninja.' She trailed back inside her room, her long nightdress sweeping the floor as she pass by. She looked at her mirror, where she saw a girl with shoulder length auburn hair and purple eyes glistened with tears. She raised a hand to her eyes and softly wiped the tears away on her face. 'I have to be strong. For Ryo.'
A knock came on the door. "Princess? A guest awaits you at the throne room." The chambermaid called.
"I'll be right there." She answered back, while taking out a dress and quickly dressing. She sat down on the dresser and arranged her hair and carefully covered it with her tiara. After the preparations, she exited the room.
~~
Sora entered the throne room, holding the parcel in one hand. There, in the larger throne, rests King Edward Nonaka, the high leader of the South Kingdom. When the king saw her, his face was wreathed in smiles.
"Ah! You must be Sora." He acknowledged. "Marissa had been right. You do look a lot like your mother." (AN: She does?)
Sora smiled, and curtsied. "Your Majesty. A pleasant good evening to you, and thank you for welcoming me into your kingdom."
Edward nodded. "Liliac, fetch Rika from her room, please." The chambermaid nodded, and ran off. The king turned back to his niece. "I'm sorry that my wife is not around. She had been discussing matters with the council until now."
"It is quite alright." Sora replied, idly wondering how did her grandparents reacted on her uncle's choice. "Your Majesty?"
"Please call me, uncle, child. What it is?"
"Uncle, surely you have heard of my life in the mansion?" Seeing a nod on the man's face, she continued. "My stepmother had always believed that my mother was some kind of gold-digger. And because of that, she treated me like she would treat my mother. My father had enough of her antics, and revealed to all of us who really is my mother, and how she rejected the crown. Is that all true, uncle?"
"Arthur never lied." The king replied. "That is true. All of that is true. But because of that, I owe my sister a lot more than expected. That is why I wanted to take you in when I heard that you were mistreated by your stepmother."
"Princess Rika is here!"
Sora turned to see the doors opened, revealing her cousin, the young princess destined to marry the man she loved. But she can't feel anger for that. She smiled, and curtsied as Rika approached her. "Princess Rika. I have heard a lot about you, and it is my great pleasure to meet you."
Looking at her cousin's face, Rika silently deduced that she is in a tough night. 'I wonder what happened?' She returned the smile, and curtsied as well, showing her amazing etiquette. "Good evening to you, Lady Sora." Looking at her father, she curtsied again. "And good evening to you, father."
Edward nodded. "I believe that you two would get along just fine. Rika, you wouldn't mind sharing your bedroom for your cousin, or do you want her to have a separate room?"
Rika blinked, and then smiled. "Having her into my room would we wonderful, father." 'At least I would have someone to talk to. Unlike the other people here.'
~~
"Welcome to my room." Rika said as they entered the room. Sora smiled, looking around. The young princess sat down on the bed. "You know, Sora, I'm glad you're here, at least for tonight."
Sora looked at her cousin with sudden interest. And then it hit her. "You can talk to me about anything. I won't tell a soul."
After a good thirty minutes, the two girls became very good friends.
~~
The next day, the two met King Edward and Queen Rumiko in the dining room. The queen looked more like Rika's mirror, with long dirty blond hair. After greeting the king and queen, the princess and Sora sat down.
"It looks like you two got along just fine." Rumiko smiled. She turned to Sora. "I'm really glad that you came, although it will not be long now that Rika is set for Ishida Kingdom. I never had the time to really talk to her, as I attended most of the meetings with my husband."
"It is really alright, mother." Rika said, silently eating her food. Sora looked at her. "I'm just fine locking myself in my room."
Sora decided to stay quiet at the moment as she eats what's left of her food. Looking at the Royal Family reminded her of Yamato. 'It is too late now. I can't stop the marriage. I can never stop this marriage.' She looked at Rika. 'I can't just talk to Rika like this. It is useless trying.'
"Sora, is anything bothering you?"
Sora looked up at them, and smiled. "No, nothing really, Your Majesty." She looked back at her food. "I was just thinking."
Rumiko and Edward looked at each other. Rika sighed, knowing that she needs to save her cousin from being bombarded by questions by her parents. She stands up. "Father, Mother, I would like to take Sora to the Palace Gardens. I want to be the first to take her there."
"Sure, dear." After the affirmation of the two, Rika took Sora towards the garden.
"Good thing they didn't decide to ruin my day." Rika said as they finally arrived. She looked at Sora. "Is there something that you should tell me, Sora?"
Sora looked at the flowers that cover the gardens like a bed sheet, her eyes clouded with tears. "I wish I never left him." The princess stared at her, confused. "We lied to each other, yet, we loved each other dearly. I know those lies didn't matter. But our duties got in the way."
Rika placed a hand on her shoulder. "I have a feeling that you would reunite with the one you love." She looked at the flowers and picked a lavender and gave it to the lady. "I promise that."
'There is no way that you could keep that promise.' Sora thought as she accepted the flower. 'But to honour the memory I had, I will believe.' "Thank you, Rika."
~~
Later that mid-noon, Rika set out for the Ishida Kingdom. She sat down on the carriage, carrying a small booklet. She remembered Ryo's words clearly as she laid eyes on the booklet.
FLASBACK:
'This is my journal, princess. I have no secrets to hide from you. If life seems bored, read this.' Ryo said, handing the princess a small booklet. Rika studied the thing with keen interest, and looked at him.
'Thank you Ryo, I'll treasure it. And one more thing: Don't call me 'princess'. It is not appropriate.'
'It is appropriate. I'm only a ninja, and you are the daughter of the Royal Family.'
'We are not in a caste system here, Ryo, so don't talk like that.'
END FLASHBACK
"But that system is what destroyed my life completely." She finished, opening the pages carefully. Ryo, she discovered, was a good writer. His adventures were carefully written down, in perfect detail.
~~
Sora sits down in the garden, now tending the flowers. She loved looking at them, as if the colourful plants are telling her to calm down. She looked up the sky and back at her work.
"You seem to have a career in that." A voice from behind surprised her. She turned around, to see a young man, with dark brown hair and blue eyes that reminded her of Yamato. He was dressed in a regular huntsman garb. He studied the flower arrangement. "Not bad."
"Thank you." She turned back to her work.
"Lady Sora Takenouchi, isn't it?" he asked. After seeing her nod, he smiled. "I'm Ryo. Ryo Akiyama."
Sora stopped at the surname of the guest. She have search in her library, and she have heard of the bloodline of the Akiyama's. They were known to be a clan of deadly ninjas. But looking at Ryo's appearance, he doesn't look like a killer.
"So, Princess Rika really decided on going to Ishida Kingdom." Ryo deduced, the air suddenly getting stuffy.
"As if she had any choice in the matter." Sora replied. "It wasn't my choice being here, too. I was yanked from my loved ones back home."
"Loved ones?" Ryo tilted his head. "I heard that you were mistreated back there."
"You don't understand." Sora said. "Not all people were cold-hearted there. Although father can visit me here...the person I wanted to see the most can never talk to me properly again."
"Why? Does he have a talking impairment?"
Sora sighed exasperatedly. "Are you really that dense? Oh wait, you don't know. I take that back. You see, I had someone I cared for back there." Seeing the look on Ryo's face that tells her that he understood, she continued. "He is going to married. And I am here. I was send here. I really don't want to leave him, but I promised father."
"Hmm, looks like we're on the same boat." Ryo chuckled. His face changed into solemn when Sora looked at him. "There was a person I really loved, and she is still living, mind you. But now, she had to move away, and I will never see her again the same way."
"Why? Do you have a vision impairment?"
"Don't get wise on me, Lady Sora. You know what I mean. She is going to get married, and..." he stopped when he saw her expression. "What's wrong?"
Sora stared at the man, thinking things faster than a Need For Speed Ferrari. "Ryo, can you tell me who is that person you are just talking about? I'll tell you who he is if you'll tell me who is that person." She raised her right hand in pledge. "I swear, this will be just between the both of us."
Ryo glanced at the flowers, and picked a lavender, and gave it to Sora.
'My suspicions are confirmed.' "Princess Rika."
"Yes, and she is going to marry..."
Sora didn't let him finish. "Rika is going to marry Prince Yamato Ishida, who happened to meet me before I went here."
The words dawned on the ninja. "You don't mean...you...and His Majesty..."
"Yes, that is true."
Ryo blinked. What a twisted fate.
~~
Mai: It really is a twisted fate. And don't complain on the couples. They will never change. This is the mains...
Major Sorato, Mimichi, Kenyako and Ryouki, and minor Takari.
I won't change any of these pairings. NEVER! LOL