KudoEdogawa presents...

""Knighthood: The Spirit of the Knight""

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== III ==

Shinichi walked tiredly onto the training grounds; Hiro had already started to train the new soldiers. Shinichi scratched his head and said good morning.

"Good morning, general!!" Hiro shouted energetically at Shinichi.

Shinichi whipped around, "Good morning, gen-"

Hiro laughed uncontrollably. "Yes, my squire..., very funny."

"Is love really that powerful to make you forget that you're general now?" Hiro teased.

"What do you mean?" Shinichi looked away, slightly blushing. "HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO ASK YOU TO HIT HARDER, TORO?"

Hiro nudged the general, "You know exactly what I mean. So tell me, what did you do with the Princess last night?"

"Huh?"

"Don't play dumb with me, you and the Princess did not disappear from the feast at the same time to do nothing."

"Alright men," Shinichi shouted at the trainees. "Target practice, your target will be Hiro!"

The trainees turned to look at Hiro. "I'll shut up," he whispered and left.

~*~

It was a lovely day; the warmth of the sun brought and unusual peace to the castle. The king was in a good mood, he could be seen wandering around in the royal garden with Princess Ran. Shinichi sat silently in his room on the third floor, occasionally peering out the window, down at the garden, at his princess.

A third figure entered the garden, Shinichi squinted; it was Hattori. He walked across the field and to the king, they seemed to be talking. After a while, Hattori bowed to Ran and left with the king. Ran wandered the the fountain and sat down on the edge of the large, grand fountain. She place her hand inside the cool water and then splashed some onto the grass. Birds fluttered out of the trees nearby, Ran's gaze followed them into the sky and saw Shinichi looking down at her and she waved. Shinichi smiled faintly and waved back.

"Come down here!" She shouted.

"Now?" Shinichi replied.

"Yes, now!"

"Why?" Shinichi shouted back.

"Because!" Ran shouted again, but Shinichi was no longer by the window. Ran stared at the empty window, confused. She searched the sky as if Shinichi have turned into a bird and flew away.

"Because you misses me?" A voice said; Shinichi was walking through the castle's back door, into the garden. Ran smiled as he approached. "Or do you?"

"Of course I do." She moved closer to Shinichi and tried to hug him, but Shinichi pull her away. "What's wrong?" She questioned.

"It's too dangerous," Shinichi said seriously. "Out in the open, broad daylight, it's even more unacceptable now that I've been promoted to a general."

"Oh, you and your we-shouldn't-be-together speech!" Ran muttered angrily and turned away.

"Aw, Ran," Shinichi said as he grabbed her wrist and hugged her from behind.

Ran smiled and they giggled and talked. Behind a certain window, hidden in shadow, a certain someone hissed angrily and stared at the unacceptable couple. A trumpet sounded in the distance, Shinichi looked up at the flag of the kingdom wavering in the air.

"I wonder what happened..." Shinichi muttered. His question was answered by the approach of Heiji.

Heiji strode across the field, not daring to slow his pace and his expression stern. He came before Shinichi and kneeled. "General Shinichi, the King requests to see you the the royal conference room. It is urgent."

"Alright," He said and turned to Ran. "See you later," he smiled and left with Heiji.

The two soldiers walked silently down the stony corridors, their expressions stern. If it's the conference room that Shinichi was summoned to, something serious must've happened.

"What are you planning?" Heiji asked unexpectedly.

"Planning what?" Shinichi questioned.

"Don't play games with me," Heiji said as they walked on. "You cannot possibly be with the Princess, no matter how good of a general you make, the Princess must marry a Prince of a foreign country. You, on the other hand, are an orphan, raised by our kind-hearted King, your identity and family background cannot compete with an actual prince."

"What do you know about my family?" Shinichi snapped as the approached the door to the conference room, neither of them looking at each other.

"Come to me tonight if you wish to know," Heiji said and smiled smugly, "I bid you good day, general." And he ascended up the stairs next to the conference room and exited from the corridor.

Shinichi pushed open the pearl-decorated doors and came into a room with a long table, lined with chairs. At the end of the table, was seated the King, and on one side of the table was seated a steward of a foreign country. Their expressions were stern and were talking in low voices.

"Sir?" Shinichi said as he shut the doors behind him.

"Ahh, Shinichi," said the king, looking up. "Come, have a seat, we have something to discuss."

Shinichi walked down the aisle next to the table and seated himself on the other side of the table, facing the steward.

"Shinichi, this is the steward from Samuihon, our allied kingdom in the north. Their kingdom was recently attacked by the Yamijin, a tribe of hunters from the east."

"Our king has fallen," the steward said. "The castle has been taken and more of their tribe are coming in from the eastern gate. Our princess was capture and currently trapped in the castle, waiting to be wedded by force to the chief of their tribe."

"The remaining warriors and peasants from Samuihon are housed in the Western Dormitories," the King continued. "I want you to gather a hundred fifty warriors from our land and form ten units. The survivors of Samuihon has one-fifty able-bodied soldiers as well, their numbers are separated into ten units as well, led by Hattori. You and Hattori shall lead the battalion to Samuihon, defeat the Yamijin, and rescue their princess, which is the most important, do you understand?"

"Yes sir," Shinichi replied.

"Either victory or failure in battle, the princess must be brought back. Princess Kazuha of Samuihon must be rescued." The King said.

"Yes, your majesty," Shinichi stood up, bowed, and exited.

Two weeks later, three-hundred men left the kingdom of Beika to battle, with General Shinichi in the lead, Hiro and Heiji not far behind. Princess Ran watched from her window and whispered softly, "Return alive, Shinichi." She retreated from the window, sat on her bed, and sobbed.

Shinichi marched, he was going to fulfill this task, but his mind refused. . .

~*~

"So you've come at last."

"What do you know about my parents' deaths?"

"Do you really wish to know?"

Silence, and hesitations.

"Yes."

"You do, do you? Well I'm afraid I have not the heart to tell you. Who knew if you could maintain a good relationship with those in the kingdom."

"Just spit it!"

"Alright, if you insist: The King commanded the assassination."

"What?"

"Did you not hear me? The King commanded the assassination of your parents."

"That's a lie!"

"No, it isn't. Your father, Kudo Yusaku, was gaining too much power, and the villagers favored him. The King feared that his reign be overthrown and his crown place on your father's head. Pity, isn't it? You were that close to become Prince Shinichi, then you can actually marry the princess."

"Shut up!"

"Your much-respected fatherly-figure, the King, MURDERED your parents."

~*~

"It's just a lie," Shinichi repeated to himself, his voice barely heard amongst the trotting of the hooves.

"Sir?" Hiro questioned.

"It's nothing, Hiro, keep riding."

Heiji approached him from the left, until they were so close that the horses might knock each other over. Heiji leaned until his lips were physically touching Shinichi's ear and whispered, "Just ask the king. . ." He moved away and grinned.

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Yes, again, Heiji is OOC, but all the characters are a bit like that.

Read and Review please~~