Disclaimer: Sadly, I still don't own anything and if you feel like suing
me, I hope you enjoy the feel of money. Because you're going to get a
whole whooping 43 cents!
Chapter 1
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Lady Narumi noh Satoya turned swiftly, lifting the heavy glaive up into the air. The blade whistled softly as it cut through the air. Her breath came quicker, shallower as she fought to keep going. The pattern dance she was performing was one of the most difficult one. This dance was taught only to the best warriors and they were usually the top five or so guards of the Emperor and the high priestesses of Yama, the fire goddess. She had been shown the dance only before she left the Yamani Islands the first time.
Narumi's memory was one of the best. She remembered every step of the intricate dance and taught herself the moves while on the ship that took her, Shintokami, Lady Haname noh Ajikuro, Lady Yukimi noh Daiomoru, and the rest of Shinto's marriage train to Tortall.
Narumi twisted the other direction, sweeping the glaive along the ground before swooping up again with the heavy pole arm. She remembered every bit of that trip. It was there that she met Domitan of Masbolle. She remembered his beautiful blue eyes and his well-toned arms and his cultured, yet vulgar voice. She remembered everything about him. Everything right down to his promise to wed her if she would only come back to Tortall. And now she was back in Tortall. Did Domitan still want her? Had he found someone else? Had he found a pretty blond Lady who was allowed to show her emotions? Had he fallen in love with someone else?
Narumi twirled once more and brought the heavy glaive to a stop, two inches away from the nose of the plump, pretty Yukimi, thus ending her conflicting thoughts and elaborate dance.
"That's the Dance of Fireflies." Yuki said, accusingly.
"Yes, I know." Narumi answered, blotting her face with a cold cloth.
"You aren't supposed to know that dance. You know that. The Emperor would have you beheaded if he knew." Yuki whispered in fear.
"Hardly. I highly doubt the Emperor would go as far as behead his own grandchild, much less the one he named 'Daughter of the Sun' not too long ago." Narumi said, as if being a princess wasn't too important. Or as if being named 'Daughter of the Sun' wasn't important as well.
"Another reason for him to be angry with you!"
"You have spent too much time with the Easterners, Lady Yukimi." Narumi placed her hands on her thighs and bowed to the other girl. "Forgive me for saying so." Narumi's eyes crinkled at the corners in amusement. As a first-ranked Princess, she wasn't allowed to show much more emotion. Her ability to control her emotions was one of the reasons she was named 'Daughter of the Sun'. Not only would she become the highest Priestess of Yama, she would be the most powerful warrior of her people.
"It is just as well for no other Yaman would tell you that you are insane to think that you are permitted to know the Dance of Fireflies!" Yuki bowed back to Narumi in respect.
"You know just as well as I do that as 'Daughter of the Sun' I would have to learn the dance anyway. What difference does it make if I learn it now or then? This discussion is over, Yukimi." Narumi pulled open her fan as ungracefully as Kelandry of Mindelan would have and begin to fan away the heat.
"You are just as stubborn as you were when we were children." Yuki muttered in Common.
"And you have always been opposed to all the fun." Narumi didn't miss a beat, nor did she mispronounce a word in Common, a language she had only recently learned. "I'm getting better at Common." Narumi laughed in Yamani. "Oh, go away, Yuki. Let me wash and we will go to breakfast. Then we will go to meet your Knight and my Sergeant."
Yuki scowled before marching out of Narumi's room.
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Narumi sighed, feeling the cold water run her sticky sweat off of her body. She stood in a contraption, recently invented by someone, called a shower. She liked the thing.
Above her, on the roof was a cistern of water that is pumped into it every morning. One with the Gift could warm the water if they pleased. You pulled a string in the box and water ran down the pipes to the shower and drenched you in the cold, or hot water.
Narumi pulled the string next to the first one and shut off the water. She stood for a moment and let the water drain some before stepping out of the shower. She grabbed one of the large, fluffy drying cloths be the door and wrapped herself in it. Taking another one, she wrapped her long, purple- black hair into a turban.
Narumi pulled a thin kimono of pale pink on. Then she wrapped her olive green kimono over it. The edges of the green kimono were embroidered in a darker green of leaf and vine pattern. Her stiff obi was a shade of olive green, slightly darker than her kimono. On her feet, she pulled on brown silk slippers.
Narumi dropped the cloth from her hair and begin to pull a comb through her hair. She brushed it straight and then separated a portion from the left side and braided it. Once done, she did the same on the right and to a portion on the back of her head. Then she looped the three braids to look as if they were curtains draping on a window. Into her hair she plaited cherry blossoms of the palest pink, matching her inner kimono.
Then Narumi applied the thinnest layer of white rice powder as she could get away with and colored her eyelids a simmering green paint. Her lips were painted with a simmering pink color. Narumi then stood and exited her room.
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"Princess." The Yaman men called out in respect as they bowed to her. The Tortallan men stood and bowed to her as well calling,
"Lady." Narumi bowed back to them and stepped aside so that they could greet Yukimi as well. Narumi glanced around the crowded inn looking for a table. Narumi sighed in annoyance when she saw the only table that had room for Yuki and herself was the table where Kenichi sat.
"I suppose we must sit with Kenichi." Narumi whispered to Yuki. She pulled her pink fan from her obi and flicked it open. She held it so that it covered the lower portion of her face and glanced over at Yuki. She had done the same thing.
"Oh how I loathe the man." Yuki answered. Narumi led the way to the table and stood slightly behind Kenichi, waiting for him to acknowledge the two women. Kenichi continued to fork spoonfuls of food into his mouth. One of the other men, Tenshi nudged Kenichi. He glanced up and looked at the two women for a moment.
"What may I do for you Ladies?" He stood and bowed mockingly. Narumi took a deep breath and bowed back to him.
"May this unworthy servant of the Emperor sit with you?" She asked, still low in her bow. Yuki was only a syllable or two behind.
"Do you think that I, Kenichi noh Ajikuro, would really lower myself to eating with poor excuses for Yaman women?" He spat, only to cause the surrounding Yaman soldiers who had heard to jump to their feet, each ready to defend their Princess. Narumi sucked her breath through her teeth, trying to calm herself down. "Marrying Easterners like dirty little pigs. Pathetic Easterners at that. It is not surprising that a proper Yaman Man could not be found for either of you."
"I pity you." Narumi spoke, the soft, deadly tone the only indication of her hate for the man. "No, I feel sorry for the woman who will one day marry you. As Daughter of the Sun, I will see to it that the only woman who marries you will be one who deserves you. I pity your closed mind and you. You are a sorry excuse for a Yamani." She turned and stalked off. "Bring me breakfast in my room." She murmured to Tenshi and left the inn.
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"And you say I have spent too much time with the Easterners." Yuki commented as she plopped down on the couch next to Narumi.
"He spoke ill of Dom and Neal." Narumi answered as if they were the answer to everything. "I don't like it when people speak ill of my friends. And he spoke ill of you."
"Princess? Lady?" Tenshi poked his head into Narumi's room. "I have brought you breakfast."
"Come in, Tenshi-chan. You are always welcome." Narumi stood and bowed to the man who was like a brother to her.
"You are still upset." He observed, setting the food-covered tray down. Narumi made a face and looked up at him.
"You certainly are observant today." She said, her eyes leaping with amusement. Leave it to Tenshi to find a way to cheer her up. She picked up a turnover and quickly ate it. "Do hurry and eat, Yuki. I wouldn't want to be late meeting our men."
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FIN DE CAPITULO UNO
That's it for chappie one! It isn't nearly as long as I want it to be, but sadly, I've got to get to doing homework. It's nearly 8 o'clock and I've still got to finish my Algebra stuff, Spanish worksheet, and I've got like 4 chapters in Lord of the Flies to read and Analogy Stems chapter 1-20 to memorize and each chapter is like 25 stems...BLAH!
"That's what you get for spending 3 hours talking to people online and then spending an hour writing this!"
SHUT UP DRANIC! For you're information, I got my history paper written and I finished that evil take-home chemistry test! And that time I was online talking, I was getting Gillar Dig by Emma from Lene and I was getting chemistry help from Geanise and Priya and I was talking to Nyssa about school and colleges. Thank you very much! And I spend a good part of the last hour eating dinner!
"Sure..."
*Stuffs Drannic's jar into the closet. *
Hey everyone! Promoting some good Danish Pop Music. Gillar Dig by Emma. I've no clue what they're saying, but it's a good song. Great for dancing and working out to.
Anywoo, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'll have another soon!
~Icebyrd67 (February 16, 2003)
Chapter 1
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Lady Narumi noh Satoya turned swiftly, lifting the heavy glaive up into the air. The blade whistled softly as it cut through the air. Her breath came quicker, shallower as she fought to keep going. The pattern dance she was performing was one of the most difficult one. This dance was taught only to the best warriors and they were usually the top five or so guards of the Emperor and the high priestesses of Yama, the fire goddess. She had been shown the dance only before she left the Yamani Islands the first time.
Narumi's memory was one of the best. She remembered every step of the intricate dance and taught herself the moves while on the ship that took her, Shintokami, Lady Haname noh Ajikuro, Lady Yukimi noh Daiomoru, and the rest of Shinto's marriage train to Tortall.
Narumi twisted the other direction, sweeping the glaive along the ground before swooping up again with the heavy pole arm. She remembered every bit of that trip. It was there that she met Domitan of Masbolle. She remembered his beautiful blue eyes and his well-toned arms and his cultured, yet vulgar voice. She remembered everything about him. Everything right down to his promise to wed her if she would only come back to Tortall. And now she was back in Tortall. Did Domitan still want her? Had he found someone else? Had he found a pretty blond Lady who was allowed to show her emotions? Had he fallen in love with someone else?
Narumi twirled once more and brought the heavy glaive to a stop, two inches away from the nose of the plump, pretty Yukimi, thus ending her conflicting thoughts and elaborate dance.
"That's the Dance of Fireflies." Yuki said, accusingly.
"Yes, I know." Narumi answered, blotting her face with a cold cloth.
"You aren't supposed to know that dance. You know that. The Emperor would have you beheaded if he knew." Yuki whispered in fear.
"Hardly. I highly doubt the Emperor would go as far as behead his own grandchild, much less the one he named 'Daughter of the Sun' not too long ago." Narumi said, as if being a princess wasn't too important. Or as if being named 'Daughter of the Sun' wasn't important as well.
"Another reason for him to be angry with you!"
"You have spent too much time with the Easterners, Lady Yukimi." Narumi placed her hands on her thighs and bowed to the other girl. "Forgive me for saying so." Narumi's eyes crinkled at the corners in amusement. As a first-ranked Princess, she wasn't allowed to show much more emotion. Her ability to control her emotions was one of the reasons she was named 'Daughter of the Sun'. Not only would she become the highest Priestess of Yama, she would be the most powerful warrior of her people.
"It is just as well for no other Yaman would tell you that you are insane to think that you are permitted to know the Dance of Fireflies!" Yuki bowed back to Narumi in respect.
"You know just as well as I do that as 'Daughter of the Sun' I would have to learn the dance anyway. What difference does it make if I learn it now or then? This discussion is over, Yukimi." Narumi pulled open her fan as ungracefully as Kelandry of Mindelan would have and begin to fan away the heat.
"You are just as stubborn as you were when we were children." Yuki muttered in Common.
"And you have always been opposed to all the fun." Narumi didn't miss a beat, nor did she mispronounce a word in Common, a language she had only recently learned. "I'm getting better at Common." Narumi laughed in Yamani. "Oh, go away, Yuki. Let me wash and we will go to breakfast. Then we will go to meet your Knight and my Sergeant."
Yuki scowled before marching out of Narumi's room.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Narumi sighed, feeling the cold water run her sticky sweat off of her body. She stood in a contraption, recently invented by someone, called a shower. She liked the thing.
Above her, on the roof was a cistern of water that is pumped into it every morning. One with the Gift could warm the water if they pleased. You pulled a string in the box and water ran down the pipes to the shower and drenched you in the cold, or hot water.
Narumi pulled the string next to the first one and shut off the water. She stood for a moment and let the water drain some before stepping out of the shower. She grabbed one of the large, fluffy drying cloths be the door and wrapped herself in it. Taking another one, she wrapped her long, purple- black hair into a turban.
Narumi pulled a thin kimono of pale pink on. Then she wrapped her olive green kimono over it. The edges of the green kimono were embroidered in a darker green of leaf and vine pattern. Her stiff obi was a shade of olive green, slightly darker than her kimono. On her feet, she pulled on brown silk slippers.
Narumi dropped the cloth from her hair and begin to pull a comb through her hair. She brushed it straight and then separated a portion from the left side and braided it. Once done, she did the same on the right and to a portion on the back of her head. Then she looped the three braids to look as if they were curtains draping on a window. Into her hair she plaited cherry blossoms of the palest pink, matching her inner kimono.
Then Narumi applied the thinnest layer of white rice powder as she could get away with and colored her eyelids a simmering green paint. Her lips were painted with a simmering pink color. Narumi then stood and exited her room.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
"Princess." The Yaman men called out in respect as they bowed to her. The Tortallan men stood and bowed to her as well calling,
"Lady." Narumi bowed back to them and stepped aside so that they could greet Yukimi as well. Narumi glanced around the crowded inn looking for a table. Narumi sighed in annoyance when she saw the only table that had room for Yuki and herself was the table where Kenichi sat.
"I suppose we must sit with Kenichi." Narumi whispered to Yuki. She pulled her pink fan from her obi and flicked it open. She held it so that it covered the lower portion of her face and glanced over at Yuki. She had done the same thing.
"Oh how I loathe the man." Yuki answered. Narumi led the way to the table and stood slightly behind Kenichi, waiting for him to acknowledge the two women. Kenichi continued to fork spoonfuls of food into his mouth. One of the other men, Tenshi nudged Kenichi. He glanced up and looked at the two women for a moment.
"What may I do for you Ladies?" He stood and bowed mockingly. Narumi took a deep breath and bowed back to him.
"May this unworthy servant of the Emperor sit with you?" She asked, still low in her bow. Yuki was only a syllable or two behind.
"Do you think that I, Kenichi noh Ajikuro, would really lower myself to eating with poor excuses for Yaman women?" He spat, only to cause the surrounding Yaman soldiers who had heard to jump to their feet, each ready to defend their Princess. Narumi sucked her breath through her teeth, trying to calm herself down. "Marrying Easterners like dirty little pigs. Pathetic Easterners at that. It is not surprising that a proper Yaman Man could not be found for either of you."
"I pity you." Narumi spoke, the soft, deadly tone the only indication of her hate for the man. "No, I feel sorry for the woman who will one day marry you. As Daughter of the Sun, I will see to it that the only woman who marries you will be one who deserves you. I pity your closed mind and you. You are a sorry excuse for a Yamani." She turned and stalked off. "Bring me breakfast in my room." She murmured to Tenshi and left the inn.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
"And you say I have spent too much time with the Easterners." Yuki commented as she plopped down on the couch next to Narumi.
"He spoke ill of Dom and Neal." Narumi answered as if they were the answer to everything. "I don't like it when people speak ill of my friends. And he spoke ill of you."
"Princess? Lady?" Tenshi poked his head into Narumi's room. "I have brought you breakfast."
"Come in, Tenshi-chan. You are always welcome." Narumi stood and bowed to the man who was like a brother to her.
"You are still upset." He observed, setting the food-covered tray down. Narumi made a face and looked up at him.
"You certainly are observant today." She said, her eyes leaping with amusement. Leave it to Tenshi to find a way to cheer her up. She picked up a turnover and quickly ate it. "Do hurry and eat, Yuki. I wouldn't want to be late meeting our men."
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
FIN DE CAPITULO UNO
That's it for chappie one! It isn't nearly as long as I want it to be, but sadly, I've got to get to doing homework. It's nearly 8 o'clock and I've still got to finish my Algebra stuff, Spanish worksheet, and I've got like 4 chapters in Lord of the Flies to read and Analogy Stems chapter 1-20 to memorize and each chapter is like 25 stems...BLAH!
"That's what you get for spending 3 hours talking to people online and then spending an hour writing this!"
SHUT UP DRANIC! For you're information, I got my history paper written and I finished that evil take-home chemistry test! And that time I was online talking, I was getting Gillar Dig by Emma from Lene and I was getting chemistry help from Geanise and Priya and I was talking to Nyssa about school and colleges. Thank you very much! And I spend a good part of the last hour eating dinner!
"Sure..."
*Stuffs Drannic's jar into the closet. *
Hey everyone! Promoting some good Danish Pop Music. Gillar Dig by Emma. I've no clue what they're saying, but it's a good song. Great for dancing and working out to.
Anywoo, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'll have another soon!
~Icebyrd67 (February 16, 2003)