Chapter Four: Princess Kagura
The young Prince looked up astonished at the person who had spoken.
"Miss Honda?" he said confused sitting up and rubbing his head.
"I'm so sorry your majesty" she put the pan down, "It's just you startled me. I thought you were an intruder."
"Intruder?" he thought, "What does she mean?"
"Can I get you some ice for your head" she replied bowing.
"Yes please, but Miss Honda, what are you doing here?"
"Oh" she said smiling and grabbing an ice pack off of one of the shelves, "Well you see I live here now. This was one of my mom's cabins."
"I see" he smiled back, "But this is hardly a safe enough place for a young girl like you to be living."
"I'll be okay," she said coming over and placing the pack on the top of his head, "I can live on my own. By the way, how did you get in here?"
Yuki reached into his pocket and pulled out a key.
"I had this made when I found the cabin abandoned three months ago. I didn't know it belonged to someone. Is it all right that I came here, I mean since you own the place?"
"No it's all right" she grinned, " I had no idea that mom had left it way she did."
Suddenly a part of the roof came down. It landed in the middle of the floor. Yuki had grabbed her hand and pulled her away just in time.
"See what I mean Miss Honda? This isn't a very safe place for you to live. You could get hurt and the cabin is falling apart."
Tohru looked down.
"But what am I supposed to do? I can't go back to my grandfathers."
Yuki puzzled at that but then snapped his fingers.
"I know, you're of noble blood aren't you Miss Honda?"
"Yes."
"My cousin Princess Kagura has been looking for a new handmaiden. You would be perfect for the job."
Tohru thought about this.
"No I couldn't possibly your highness. I would be too much of a burden."
"Nonsense" Yuki replied, "The palace is a much cleaner and safer place to live then here, and everything you would need would be provided for you."
Tohru thought some more. She had often wondered what it would be like to be handmaiden, to serve others for a change. Finally with much consideration she agreed.
"Thank you your majesty for your graciousness" she bowed.
"There's no need to thank me" Yuki smiled, "Oh and you don't have to refer to me a your highness when we are alone. I would feel better if you weren't so formal."
"Okay, if you insist" she bowed again.
It took Tohru a few moments to gather her belongings. Then she was whisked onto Yuki's horse and they rode together back to the palace.
***********************
Meanwhile back at the Honda residence a dark haired young man was pacing the floor. He frowned as Tohru's grandfather explained to him that he had no idea of her whereabouts. Uo and Hana were also there.
"You were supposed to be keeping an eye on her" he seethed, "How am I supposed to inform her grandparents now of what their granddaughter has been up to?"
"Calm down Kageru" Uo replied, "Tohru's a big girl she can take care of herself."
"I don't want to hear anything from you two" Kageru snarled, "She is my responsibility, and now she has broken her promise. You both know the punishment for disobeying."
"I think Arisa told you to calm down" Hana said coolly, "We will find Tohru, but in the meantime you should concentrate on your other mission."
"What do you know about it?"
"I know enough" Hana replied darkly.
Kageru shut his mouth and with a huff walked out the door.
"How did you know about his mission Hana?" Uo asked.
"I didn't" Hana answered, "He just told me."
Uo grinned.
"There is one thing he was right about though" Uo replied, "We need to find her before someone else does."
******************************************
"Here we are Miss Honda" Yuki said stopping his horse.
Tohru stared absently at the palace. She didn't what she expected, but it didn't surprise her. All castles's looked the same.
"Are you all right Miss Honda?" Yuki asked.
"Oh yes" Tohru was brought out of her thinking.
"Shall we go?"
"Uh Huh."
**********************************************
Yuki rode his horse to the stables, and then led Tohru up the stairs to the main entrance. Shigure was pacing back and forth but a smile spread across his face when he saw him.
"Oh Yuki" Shigure replied, "Where have you been, I have been so worried about you."
"I'm fine Shigure" Yuki said exasperated, "But I would like for you to meet someone. Miss Honda this is my cousin Shigure, Shigure this is Miss Tohru Honda."
Tohru stepped forward and bowed.
"Hello your Excellency it's nice to meet you I'm Tohru Honda."
Shigure smiled wide.
"So you're the mysterious Tohru Honda that I have heard so much about."
"Huh?"
"It's a pleasure to meet you too" he replied kissing her hand, "I would hardly be so formal with me, I'm not a royal family member. I'm the advisor for the Sohma family."
"Oh I'm sorry."
"That's quite all right."
"Shigure" Yuki interrupted, "I have brought Miss Honda here to be Kagura's new handmaiden."
"What a splendid idea. She's of noble blood and she is just the right age," Shigure said walking around her, "Not to mention she's very cute."
Tohru began to blush.
"Shigure" Yuki replied irritated, "Will you take her to Kagura now, and try to behave yourself."
"Oh yes of course" Shigure grinned sheepishly, "This way Tohru."
"Goodbye Miss Honda" Yuki bowed, "I shall see you soon I hope."
Tohru bowed back.
"Oh Yuki I nearly forgot" Shigure stopped at the foot of the stairs, "Akito has been looking for you."
Yuki sighed and nodded.
********************************************
Shigure led Tohru up the flight of stairs and down a stone hallway.
"So tell me Tohru have you ever worked for royalty before?"
"No but I am willing to do everything I can to help the princess. And anything I don't know I'm sure I can learn in no time."
Shigure smiled.
"You'll do."
He stopped at a door in the middle of the hallway.
"Kagura has been informed that her new handmaiden shall be arriving soon, so go on in and introduce yourself" he patted her head.
"Thank you" she said softly as he walked back down the hall.
Tohru knocked on the door.
"Come in!!" a young girls voice rang out.
Tohru took a deep breath and stepped inside.
************************************************
Inside the room was colored green. A girl who looked to be about two years older than her was sitting at her dressing table brushing her medium length brown hair. As she saw Tohru enter a smile spread across her face immediately.
"Oh thank heavens you are young!" she shouted, "My last handmaiden was so old and didn't have a thing to talk to me about. Don't' you just hate that having no one to talk to. I do. So that's why I had to get rid of her. I'm Princess Kagura. What might your name be?"
"I'm Tohru Honda" Tohru bowed, "It's a pleasure to meet you your highness."
"Oh no no no" Kagura replied, "No formalities. I will call you Tohru and you will call me Kagura. We are going to be such good friends."
Tohru's head was spinning. This was the Princess? She was so unlike anyone she had ever met.
To be continued.
Next Chapter: Princess Kagura Part Two
The young Prince looked up astonished at the person who had spoken.
"Miss Honda?" he said confused sitting up and rubbing his head.
"I'm so sorry your majesty" she put the pan down, "It's just you startled me. I thought you were an intruder."
"Intruder?" he thought, "What does she mean?"
"Can I get you some ice for your head" she replied bowing.
"Yes please, but Miss Honda, what are you doing here?"
"Oh" she said smiling and grabbing an ice pack off of one of the shelves, "Well you see I live here now. This was one of my mom's cabins."
"I see" he smiled back, "But this is hardly a safe enough place for a young girl like you to be living."
"I'll be okay," she said coming over and placing the pack on the top of his head, "I can live on my own. By the way, how did you get in here?"
Yuki reached into his pocket and pulled out a key.
"I had this made when I found the cabin abandoned three months ago. I didn't know it belonged to someone. Is it all right that I came here, I mean since you own the place?"
"No it's all right" she grinned, " I had no idea that mom had left it way she did."
Suddenly a part of the roof came down. It landed in the middle of the floor. Yuki had grabbed her hand and pulled her away just in time.
"See what I mean Miss Honda? This isn't a very safe place for you to live. You could get hurt and the cabin is falling apart."
Tohru looked down.
"But what am I supposed to do? I can't go back to my grandfathers."
Yuki puzzled at that but then snapped his fingers.
"I know, you're of noble blood aren't you Miss Honda?"
"Yes."
"My cousin Princess Kagura has been looking for a new handmaiden. You would be perfect for the job."
Tohru thought about this.
"No I couldn't possibly your highness. I would be too much of a burden."
"Nonsense" Yuki replied, "The palace is a much cleaner and safer place to live then here, and everything you would need would be provided for you."
Tohru thought some more. She had often wondered what it would be like to be handmaiden, to serve others for a change. Finally with much consideration she agreed.
"Thank you your majesty for your graciousness" she bowed.
"There's no need to thank me" Yuki smiled, "Oh and you don't have to refer to me a your highness when we are alone. I would feel better if you weren't so formal."
"Okay, if you insist" she bowed again.
It took Tohru a few moments to gather her belongings. Then she was whisked onto Yuki's horse and they rode together back to the palace.
***********************
Meanwhile back at the Honda residence a dark haired young man was pacing the floor. He frowned as Tohru's grandfather explained to him that he had no idea of her whereabouts. Uo and Hana were also there.
"You were supposed to be keeping an eye on her" he seethed, "How am I supposed to inform her grandparents now of what their granddaughter has been up to?"
"Calm down Kageru" Uo replied, "Tohru's a big girl she can take care of herself."
"I don't want to hear anything from you two" Kageru snarled, "She is my responsibility, and now she has broken her promise. You both know the punishment for disobeying."
"I think Arisa told you to calm down" Hana said coolly, "We will find Tohru, but in the meantime you should concentrate on your other mission."
"What do you know about it?"
"I know enough" Hana replied darkly.
Kageru shut his mouth and with a huff walked out the door.
"How did you know about his mission Hana?" Uo asked.
"I didn't" Hana answered, "He just told me."
Uo grinned.
"There is one thing he was right about though" Uo replied, "We need to find her before someone else does."
******************************************
"Here we are Miss Honda" Yuki said stopping his horse.
Tohru stared absently at the palace. She didn't what she expected, but it didn't surprise her. All castles's looked the same.
"Are you all right Miss Honda?" Yuki asked.
"Oh yes" Tohru was brought out of her thinking.
"Shall we go?"
"Uh Huh."
**********************************************
Yuki rode his horse to the stables, and then led Tohru up the stairs to the main entrance. Shigure was pacing back and forth but a smile spread across his face when he saw him.
"Oh Yuki" Shigure replied, "Where have you been, I have been so worried about you."
"I'm fine Shigure" Yuki said exasperated, "But I would like for you to meet someone. Miss Honda this is my cousin Shigure, Shigure this is Miss Tohru Honda."
Tohru stepped forward and bowed.
"Hello your Excellency it's nice to meet you I'm Tohru Honda."
Shigure smiled wide.
"So you're the mysterious Tohru Honda that I have heard so much about."
"Huh?"
"It's a pleasure to meet you too" he replied kissing her hand, "I would hardly be so formal with me, I'm not a royal family member. I'm the advisor for the Sohma family."
"Oh I'm sorry."
"That's quite all right."
"Shigure" Yuki interrupted, "I have brought Miss Honda here to be Kagura's new handmaiden."
"What a splendid idea. She's of noble blood and she is just the right age," Shigure said walking around her, "Not to mention she's very cute."
Tohru began to blush.
"Shigure" Yuki replied irritated, "Will you take her to Kagura now, and try to behave yourself."
"Oh yes of course" Shigure grinned sheepishly, "This way Tohru."
"Goodbye Miss Honda" Yuki bowed, "I shall see you soon I hope."
Tohru bowed back.
"Oh Yuki I nearly forgot" Shigure stopped at the foot of the stairs, "Akito has been looking for you."
Yuki sighed and nodded.
********************************************
Shigure led Tohru up the flight of stairs and down a stone hallway.
"So tell me Tohru have you ever worked for royalty before?"
"No but I am willing to do everything I can to help the princess. And anything I don't know I'm sure I can learn in no time."
Shigure smiled.
"You'll do."
He stopped at a door in the middle of the hallway.
"Kagura has been informed that her new handmaiden shall be arriving soon, so go on in and introduce yourself" he patted her head.
"Thank you" she said softly as he walked back down the hall.
Tohru knocked on the door.
"Come in!!" a young girls voice rang out.
Tohru took a deep breath and stepped inside.
************************************************
Inside the room was colored green. A girl who looked to be about two years older than her was sitting at her dressing table brushing her medium length brown hair. As she saw Tohru enter a smile spread across her face immediately.
"Oh thank heavens you are young!" she shouted, "My last handmaiden was so old and didn't have a thing to talk to me about. Don't' you just hate that having no one to talk to. I do. So that's why I had to get rid of her. I'm Princess Kagura. What might your name be?"
"I'm Tohru Honda" Tohru bowed, "It's a pleasure to meet you your highness."
"Oh no no no" Kagura replied, "No formalities. I will call you Tohru and you will call me Kagura. We are going to be such good friends."
Tohru's head was spinning. This was the Princess? She was so unlike anyone she had ever met.
To be continued.
Next Chapter: Princess Kagura Part Two