A Life Unlike Any Other
Chapter 03 Written by Koizumi TsukiyoA/N: I guess I would just continue since I'm quite happy with the reviews. Arigatou to you all! ^-^
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As a new day arise, Princess Hikaru walked out to the castle's garden, taking in the rich intoxicating fragrances from the flowers, which blends in perfectly with the salty fresh smell of the sea.
"Mind if I join you, Hikaru-hime?"
Hikaru turned around in surprised, giving a deep bow, "Of course, Ferio-ouji."
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Ferio asked, looking cordially at the view in front of him, "Even if I've been here all my life, I can still stay here for many hours."
"It has everything I can ever imagine," Hikaru said kindly, "A lot different than my home though…"
"May I have the honor of hearing about it?"
"Certainly!" She chirped, gesturing the entire kingdom with a graceful movement of her arm, "Just like Cephiro, we have a pillar to protect the Shidou's Kingdom on which my brother, Satoru-aniue, rules. Mostly, the pillar would not only pray for her people but to give thanks to our three gods; Rayearth, Selece, and Windham, for protecting us."
Ferio nodded interestedly, "Then what's so different between Cephiro and the Shidou's?"
"The lands," Hikaru recited, closing her eyes to picture her home, "Our kingdom are full of life where the winds always blows in a perfect rhyme, protected from the fire of erupted volcanoes from our enemies as the oceans glittered beautifully beneath us."
"A place where I would love to see," Ferio said with a soft smile, "Not to be rude, but a Kingdom that secured, why would you want more allies?"
"It's our Pillar's wish from Satoru-aniue's request…"
"Request?"
"He was worried for the Pillar's future and wanted everything best for her where she would not pray forever for the well-being of his people. He wanted to lighten her prayers from more protection of other allies."
"Exactly like Emeraude-aneue," Ferio interjected smoothly, looking into Hikaru's astonish face, "A life to only pray for other's safety was never an easy one. Zagato feared for her welfare very much and was able to make her life changed after…"
"…He confess his love for her," Hikaru finished, giving a sad smile. "And loving your ane-ue, you agreed with every wish she made for you."
"It seems like we're both in the same position, Hikaru-hime," Ferio said, closing his eyes, "Both of us are only agreeing to follow along with the other's wish without any complaints. Tell me, are you regretting it?"
"Are you regretting it?" Hikaru countered, giving a smile at the shock look that crosses his face, "To me, as long as my ani-ue is happy with the request. Then I have nothing to dispute about…"
"Wouldn't your Pillar say something though?"
Silences was the only thing heard from between them as Hikaru looked into Ferio's curious brown-amber eyes with a smile on her own lips, "I am the Pillar…"
(Flashback)
"Hikaru-chan! What don't you understand?" Umi reprimanded to the silence Princess, "Even if Satoru-kokuou requested it, but you should at least say something!"
"Umi-san, you know how Hikaru-hime means to Satoru-kokuou and her other two brothers," Fuu ventured, standing behind the Princess, "They only want what's best for Hikaru-hime…"
"Aren't you worried for her too, Fuu-chan?" Umi asked in an angry voice, "If they want everything the best for her, then they shouldn't force her to go to Cephiro while fighting with the other Princesses to marry Ferio-ouji!"
"He didn't force me, Umi-chan," Hikaru finally spoke, looking up at her servant and friend, "He requested it for me…and I agree."
"But is this what you truly want?"
"For the people of Shidou's and for Satoru-aniue-"
"I'm not asking about them, Hikaru-chan," Umi interrupted bitterly, "I asked if this is what you wanted?"
Fuu held her hand onto the Princess's shoulder, "Hikaru-hime…"
"Yes, this is what I want," Hikaru finally answered, looking at Umi strongly in the eyes, "It is what I had chosen to do. I can make my own decision, Umi-chan."
Umi hooded her eyes underneath her bangs, "You surely had grown…"
"But at least we would still be together!" Hikaru added, grabbing Fuu as all the three girls hug, "Our friendship would never end! Marrying Ferio-ouji or not, you two would always be my greatest friend!"
Fuu nodded in agreement as they break apart, "We still have a few more weeks until going to Cephiro. Why don't we think of something else?"
"You two go ahead, I'm going to go and make ice cream cake for the three of us," Umi said, looking up with a wink as she walked out the door, "Don't wait for me though!"
"Great!" Hikaru cried out, slapping her hands together happily, "Please hurry back soon, Umi-chan!"
"She's right though, Hikaru-hime," Fuu whispered once Umi is gone, "Is marrying the Prince of Cephiro the kind of wish you wanted to complete?"
Hikaru could only look away from her question…
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"Hikaru-hime…"
Hikaru looked up from her desk, tilting her head to the side in confusion at Fuu's sad look once she entered her room, "Are you alright, Fuu-chan? What happened? Where's Umi-chan and the ice cream cake?"
"The dessert is in the dining room as promise," Fuu replied, lowering her head, "But Umi-san…she's missing, Hikaru-hime…"
(End Flashback)
"Hikaru-hime?"
Hikaru snapped back to the present, looking into Ferio's concern face as she smiled, "Something wrong?"
"Never mind…" Ferio replied, giving a low bow, "It's a great pleasure meeting you, but sadly, I must take my leave."
"Thank you for your time, Ferio-ouji," Hikaru whispered, returning the bow while Ferio nodded, walking away. Watching his retreating figure, Hikaru gave out a heavy sigh as she walked the opposite direction towards the beautiful large fountain. Seeing the place already occupied by a tall dark knight, Hikaru would have turned around and leave if he hadn't stop her.
"I could leave if that's what you desire, Hikaru-hime…" He said with a bow, looking down at her with emotionless brown-gray eyes.
Hikaru's eyes widen, as she quickly shook her head, "Of course not! I thought you wanted to be left alone…erm…"
"Lantis," He introduced himself quickly before looking away uninterestedly. Hikaru gave a large sweat-drop, sitting down on the rails of the fountain.
She shifted uncomfortably from the silences, "Do you always come here to think, Lantis?"
She gave him ten minutes…
"Sometimes," He finally answered with not even a single movement.
"Oh…" Hikaru trails off, lowering her gaze to the running water of the fountain. Her thoughts about the mysterious knight soon leads to her missing friend as her face hides in the shadows from her bangs. Umi-chan…
Her ruby eyes widen in shock once she felt the tenderness of a leaf below her right eye, catching a single drop of tear she had never notice before it could drips down her face. She looked up into Lantis's face as he held the leaf in his hand and spoke, "A Pillar and Princess of Shidou's should never cry unless she gave up everything."
"Lantis…?"
He gently set the leaf, which held her tear, down onto the waters of the fountain. As Hikaru watches it floats, she looked up when Lantis stood, giving his bow before walking away. She stays there, gazing back to the floating leaf as a gentle smile crept on her lips.
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From the top of the castle near the window stood Fuu, who was watching the Princess with a smile, a book held tighter in her hands, "As you said before, you can make your own decision, Hikaru-hime…Umi-san was right, you should not make any decision for the sake of others, but mostly for yourself…"
"I'm sorry, am I interrupting?"
Fuu blinked behind her glasses, facing around to meet a pair of brown-amber eyes, "Ferio-ouji…"
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Hidden in the shadows by the castle's wall near the garden, Umi looked up at Fuu from the window, then back to the redhead by the fountain with a large smirk on her face, "So that man was Lantis who Mira-chan knows…now I definitely know my reasons for being here in the first place."
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hime : Princess
ouji : Prince
kokuou : King
aniue : Old term for older brother
aneue : Old term for older sister
^-^*…I hope you all remember these Japanese suffix by now cause I won't be putting these up no more.
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