Alecie led Sakura to her room located a few hallways down from the boys. "This is where me and you are going to be staying." She said as Sakura looked around the room. It was a stone room with two beds, and a couch for sitting and a small window near the ceiling letting the girls have a view of the stars.
"Nice." Sakura said entering the room. The two girls prepared to go to bed as Sakura took the soaring stone out of her pocket, her wings fading as she set it on the bed.
"What do you think our chances of convincing this counsel to let us help are going to be?" she asked the princess. Alecie looked at her sitting on the side of the bed.
"I honestly don't know. It could go both ways." She said. Sakura nodded as she moved across the room.
"I have another question. Why did your father think that I couldn't fight because I'm a girl?"
Alecie looked apologetic. "Cloudrunner girls aren't allowed to fight. It's always been that way. My father says that it's a man's job to protect his family. And it is the king's job to protect those who have no family, like widows and orphans."
"That may be true, but sometimes the guys need help." Sakura said. "I've saved Ryo a few times." She said thinking of the whole fire incident back when they were still fighting against each other.
"Really?" Alecie asked interested. "How?"
"Well there was a fire, and I got him out. Although I was the one who started the fire." She added sheepishly. Alecie tilted her head to the side.
"I'm afraid I don't understand."
"Long story." Sakura answered with a grin. The two were silent for a moment when Sakura broke the silence.
"I have kind of a personal question to ask you." She said. Alecie looked at her.
"What?"
"Do you like Rowen?" she asked. Alecie ducked her head trying to hide the blush arising in her cheeks.
"No." she said unconvincingly.
Sakura raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Alecie turned her head to look out the window.
"It's not like I could do anything about it even if I did." She said softly. Sakura looked her puzzled.
"Why not?"
"he's an earthwalker; I'm a cloudrunner. I'm a princess, and he's not a prince. My father would be furious; he would never give his consent to even date him. Even the thought of it goes against the law. My father would probably disown me."
Sakura gave a small smile. "I know what your talking about." She said. Alecie turned from staring out the window to the woman sitting on the bed across from her.
"How could you? Ryo looks like one of those guys that every parent dreams for their little girl to marry."
"He is." Sakura said. "But I didn't really have a normal parent." Seeing Alecie's confused expression Sakura launched into detail.
"You see, my father, he wanted to rule the world. The only thing standing in his way was a group of five warriors. And I bet you can guess that Ryo was one of those five." Alecie looked surprised.
"How did you two end up falling in love?"
Sakura smiled. "Well, I was sent on a spy mission, and I was to earn their trust and find out why my father couldn't beat them. So I did, I stayed with them and sometime between when I first met him and when I actually told him, I fell in love."
"Looks like me and you and I aren't so different after all huh?" Alecie said. Sakura nodded with a smile.
"Both forbidden to love a Ronin, but we do anyway." Alecie blushed but didn't deny the statement. Instead she lay down on her back, staring up at the stone ceiling.
"Sakura, How does your father treat you now that your married to Ryo?"
Sakura turned her head away, looking at the wall for a minute before answering. "My father is…gone." She said.
"You mean dead?" Alecie asked quietly. Sakura shook her head.
"No, just….gone." she answered. She really didn't feel like telling Alecie that her father was banished to the spirit world, and that it was partly her fault that he got there and she still felt guilty about it too. Even if it was the right thing to do.
"How is he just…gone?" Alecie asked trying to understand.
"Long story." Sakura replied.
"Everything about you seems to be." Alecie said with a small smile. Sakura frowned then returned the smile.
"yeah..I guess that's true huh?" she said with a laugh.
"What was your fathers name?" Alecie asked curiously.
"Talpa." She responded. Alecie's eyes widened.
'Talpa!'
