For Her
Disclaimer: I don't own CCS. There.
wahhh. So anyway. Finals and SATS II coming up. sigh... studying my ass off, but I couldn't resist writing this one. =] It has a bit of Ella Enchanted in it. The obedience part. I don't know where this is going. As usual. Hahaha. I start these stories without thinking far into them. Ah well. I have a good feeling about this one. =]
so, ill stop talking about my life again.
Here you go!
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"Xiao Lang, you are our leader. You must leave." Inako was crying.
Xiao Lang, with tearful eyes, cried. "I don't want to leave! I love you all!"
"Xiao Lang, listen to me." Inako said with warm eyes. "One day, you will come and find us, you will save us, the commoners, but today is not the day. They are coming, the soldiers of Kaia. You must leave! They will kill you. You are the true prince of China. Your father died protecting you. Your mother we hid, and we hid her well. You do not need to worry. "
Xiao Lang looked at Akiko with scared eyes.
"Where... do I go?" I said, with trembling lips. "We have a network set up for you." She said quickly, for the rush of footsteps could be heard approaching. "First, go to the old brick house at the end of town."
"But that place is haunted!" I said with horror, remembering the rumors spread that ghosts lived in the haunted house.
"No, we spread that rumor so that people wouldn't go near it. Now, a woman will be waiting for you there, she will hide you in her house until the guards are finished looking through the city for you. Then she will direct you to get out of the country. You will hide, until you come of age and you can come back to take back the throne from Kaia." Inako said the name with a spat.
"But... but nanny... I'm only 10! That will be a long time until I come back!" I said, realizing finally what he would have to do."
Inako looked at me sadly.
"Yes...my prince." She bowed low. "You are the true prince, and the true chosen one. You will train, and be trained by the famous Wei. He is currently in Japan, awaiting your arrival. You will live in Japan."
Neighs could be heard right outside the door now.
Inako looked and quickly said, "Now, flee! For yourself...and your country!" with that, she grabbed my arm, and flung me out the back door and the soldiers banged on the door in front, demanding to be let in to search for the lost prince.
Picking myself up, and along with my heavy heart, I ran in the shadows towards the edge of town to the haunted brick house so many little children feared. I could hear behind my in Inako's house, banging and crashing and the shrieks of Akiko herself demanding the soldiers to stop destroying her house.
I reached the little brick house. I grabbed the handle of the door with trembling hands and pulled it open. It creaked and groaned the long years it hadn't been opened by a soul. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw a woman on the other end of the room looking at me suspiciously.
"Identify yourself." She said clearly.
I flashed the chain around my neck.
I sign of the royal family.
The woman immediately came forward and took my hand.
"Your highness, we haven't a moment to lose." She said whispering as she literally dragged me for the fear of ghosts coming at me was far too great. "We need to get you to the dock. That miles away, and we walk."
I must have made a face and she had seen it by the feeble candlelight, for she smiled and said, "Yes, your highness walk. For the guards are wary on the roads, and it wont do to bump into them by carriage. If we are lucky perhaps we will find a horse along the way." She said doubtfully.
We left from the back white washed fences and stole into the night.
Suddenly I heard a loud neigh.
I gasped, and I'm sure the woman must have also.
I was so scared I could have pissed in my pants, until I recognized my horse.
"Pride!" I said joyfully. The horse hand been given to me by my father. He was a beauty of a stallion. Large for a thoroughbred and built to run. Fast.
A boy climbed off it.
"Sano!" I said with surprise.
Huffing, he took Pride's reins and handed them to me.
"Mother told me to. She knew you guys had to walk. Take him, but let him loose when you get to dock. He knows the way home. Ill take care of him, don't worry." He said in one breath.
"Tell Inako thank you." The woman said.
Swinging herself on the horse, she held her hand out for me to take.
Before I did so, I turned around to look once more at my friend.
Sano's eyes held sadness, yet he attempted to hide it.
"Promise me." He insisted, as I was hoisted on my horse, "Promise me, you'll come back to finish that fight of ours." His eyes flickered for a moment," and also Akiko. Promise me."
"I promise." I echoed, and the woman kicked the horse and we rode into the woods, as Sano's figure became a size no larger than my fist, than a stick, then a dot, then nothing.
We rode, as hard as my horse could go. The sun had already started running and we had rode long and hard through the night. When we had reached the dock, a ferry boat had already been ready. A man motioned us quickly.
"Someone has already tipped off Kaia's men! Hurry! No time to lose!"
The man grabbed my hand and pulled me on the boat, and starting calling the crew to start it.
From the rail, I looked at the woman still on my horse. She dismounted, and hit the horse's flank. He rode back. I saw guards begin filling the port. I saw many pointing in our direction and shouts of anger floated to us, though I could not make out the words. They started at the woman and I panicked. But suddenly she whisked away into the woods and disappeared. I blinked. Or did she disappear into thin air?
##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### #####
I groaned. I could hear the chirps of tiny birds. Damn birds!
It was 9 years, 9 years after I have been smuggled, and seen, but smuggled out nonetheless. It took a month to get to Japan, for we avoided common trade routes to avoid being seen. Finally, after arriving in Japan, a fake identity was made and I have been hiding from the Chinese government.
True to Inako's, my nanny's word, I trained for those 9 years.
At first, I detested the training, sure that I had been sent to the devil himself. Not only was Wei a mean, and hard teacher, he did not give Xiao Lang one sentence of compliment, until the day Xiao Lang had flipped the old trainer right onto his back. After that, he seemed to acknowledge he had found a worthy advocated, but he still tried to "do him in" as he called it, whenever he could. Sneaking up on Xiao Lang every time he could, had make him keen to his surrounding and he never got into a situation without observing it before hand.
I sighed.
Getting out of bed, I brushed my teeth and walked into the kitchen, for once not totally aware the old man could attack me any moment. And that's what he did.
I felt a movement behind me. I felt myself getting flipped and I landed hard on the cold tiles.
I was finally awake.
I lunged for Wei.
"Stupid bald old timer!"
"What have I told you?! Never leave your back unwatched! What if I was the enemy? Then you certainly wont be making much movement after that!"
"Fortunately I don't hold the belief I'll be attacked every second!"
I stormed out the house.
'Really! Acting as If I'll be attacked any moment... he cane make any person go starkers.' I thought to myself.
I walked through the small village.
It was feudal Japan, and Japan was split into regions, where appointed dukes governed each region. The region I lived in was appointed to a conceited old man and if possible, an even more conceited son.
"Good thing they don't come down here often." I mumbled.
After my escape from China, Japan had been warned to look for me, certain I had escaped into Japan.
The reward for me was high, and I almost had the urge of turning myself in and asking for the money myself.
As I walked I didn't notice a wall of soldier coming at me, or the sharp glances and whispers aimed at me to tell me to get out of the way.
I ran into the first soldier.
"Out of the way PEASANT." The soldier snarled.
'Its Prince, my dear man, Prince.' I thought irritably, but held my tongue wisely and smiled dumbly, blurring myself into the crowd.
It seemed a parade had come into the small village, and for what I wasn't sure of, until I hear whispers of rumors being exchanged by gossipy women.
"Did you hear? The Duke's son found himself a wife. The beauty of Japan some call her. The man might have looks, but his personality is most rude. I wonder how long she can take him?" one said.
"I heard she had a head on her shoulders alright. The last man that came to ask for her hand, walked away with a broken heart and a nice print on his face to remember it." Another said back.
'A girl huh?' I thought amused. 'I wonder what she looks like.'
My thoughts were answered.
A royal carriage came.
I saw a dainty hand open the curtains softly and a voice sang out beautifully, "Stop the carriage please."
The coachman was surprised, but did as he was told.
Stopping the horses, he got down and opened the door.
A girl came out.
She wore a peach colored, long-sleeved gown and snow-white slippers, which immediately stained as she stood in the dirt though it looked as if she didn't mind. Her hair was in curls and her emerald eyes captivated the village and everyone held their breath.
The town felt dirty as they looked at the angel, which stood before them.
"My! Look at this village!" she said in a soft alluring voice.
Wei's voice came shouting at me in the back of my head.
"Most DANGEROUS creature. Women! They trap you like a fox! Tricky creatures!"
I snorted.
She looked at me. And I only stared back.
"Your highness... we must go meet your soon to be husband." An attendant reminded her tentatively.
She tore her eyes away from me and returned to her carriage, which led to the castle, which rested on the high hill that overlooked the villages.
I turned around to go back home to eat breakfast, when my face met the wizened ones of Wei's and sure enough, he said to me in a fierce voice,
"Most DANGEROUS creature. Women! They trap you like a fox! Tricky creatures!"
##### ##### #####
"My! Look at this village!" I said softly.
I was astounded by the poor conditions of it, and even more, the conditions of the villagers themselves.
I heard a noise.
I turned to look at a man who was staring at me, looking like he was laughing, but trying to hold it in.
I stared at him equally and we stayed this way, until my attended suggested we continue.
I took no more heed of the man as we entered the castle.
"Your royal highness!"
I saw a handsome man come running towards me.
I assumed he was my to be husband and I smiled politely.
"Prince –"
'now this is wonderful, I've forgotten his name. It was something like Takena. Or was it subari? Sumumu?'
I decided I would compensate.
"Prince Takemumu."
The prince's face froze.
The maids and servants were in bouts of laughter... or course to themselves. Only hints of smiles gave away their true emotions.
The Prince's face was red, with embarrassment, or fury, or perhaps both. I truly did not care, except this made me look bad, along with my province.
"Its... Ryu." He said with some difficulty.
"Yes... good good." I said.
I guess this was the first time anyone had been slightly rude to him, and I suppose he deserved it.
He seemed to get over it, for he was studying my face now, and seemed to like what he saw.
I smiled as charmingly as I could.
This marriage I was opposed to, but I didn't have much of a choice. So I better just charm him so he wont boss me around.
He put one arm around my waist.
Ordinarily I would have given him an even redder face than what he had on a moment ago, but I remembered my governor's voice.
"Miss SAKURA, please! Patience! And stop picking your nails."
I closed my eyes.
Oh that wretched governor! She had made my few years of adolescent times unbearable! "Don't chitchat with the maids. Don't run! Wear your shoes! Stop eating with your hands. Come read this book. Come study that history. This is the right man to choose, not this one. And for god's sake, stop picking your nails!"
I started trembling with rage and my eyes were closed and I was clenching me teeth.
"Um... Princess Sakura?"
My eyes popped open. "Yes?" I said smiling.
Prince Ryu looked like he was going to melt.
"Are you alright?"
"Quite fine." I gritted my teeth.
"Well... alright, let me show you to the chambers..." he said uncertainly as we climbed what must have been 200 steps of stairs.
He led me to a door.
"Close your eyes." He demanded.
I felt a pinprick of irritation at the order, but the curse forbade me to not obey it.
Ah yes... the curse.
Let me explain. When I was born, lets say there was a complication. By some miraculous mean, the cord was wound around my neck, as well as the rest of my body, suffocating me to the fullest extent. My mother, having given birth to me on her own, was in despair. She cried to god, the angels, then chicken next to her (she gave birth to me in a barn. She was walking home from a bit of shopping.) to help save her child. Supposedly an angel heard, and came down. Well, not exactly an angel, it was a magician. She happened to be in the area, and heard my mother's cry. She quickly, with the wave of her hand, got rid of the cord, and my mother thanked her on hands and knees. Magicians during those days were rare, and my mother believed God had touched her and I. Until, of course, the magician didn't seem to enjoy my large bouts of cries, since I had been suffocating for a few minutes, she placed a temporary spell on me that gave me what she called a gift. The gift of obedience. An order given to me, was something I must obey. If it was something like "Sakura, make your bed." I must obey it. If you said it this way "Sakura, can you make your bed?" I could ignore it all I wanted.
When I said the magician said "temporarily", that's all she meant to do. Until she tried to take it off, it wouldn't. The magician sheepishly went away, leaving me with the spell still on (I think its more of a curse than a spell) and forever having it the rest of my life.
My mother protected me against the curse whenever she could. My father, though a good man, would have used the curse against me, so the secret was kept from him too. My brother was informed of it by my mother, and she insisted he must protect me whenever he could and of course he agreed.
And now, I was being ordered by my soon to be husband. I could never tell him, or he would use it against me too. I was very aware of that.
I felt myself automatically close my eyes at his demand.
I felt his hands take mine as he lead me into the room.
I could feel his excitement.
"Ok... now, open them!"
An order.
I opened my eyes, and gasped.
The room was beautiful.
The walled were peach and pink colored all at once, and the bed was a soft satin. A candle chandelier fell from the ceiling, illuminating the room with a brilliance of yellow. The large balcony welcomed in the blue of the sky, and the soft carpets felt a little velvet mouse's fur to the touch.
"Its... beautiful." I had to admit.
His eyes showed a pleased, and a little arrogant look.
"Well of course! I only get the best." He said a bit snobbishly.
I was wary. I had heard of the prince as being conceited and downright arrogant. Possessive too. And that was what I was most afraid of.
I was like the wind. I could only fly free.
I looked out the balcony and saw a large cherry tree right next to it.
I formulated a plan in my head, and grinned.
"Prince Ryu." I cooed to him
"Y-Yes!?" he said gulping, his arrogant manner disappeard.
"I'm...not feeling quite myself. I'm tired from the trip." I hinted.
"Oh... do you need a massage?" he said.
"Um...no... I need some rest please." I said.
'You need to spell it out to him.' I thought.
"Oh, yes. Im sorry. You must be very tired. Well, if you need anything, ring for the maid. Good night for now." And he bent forward and kissed me on the forehead. "Rest well."
I stood rooted there as he left the room with a faint blush on his cheeks.
"Hmm...right." I mumbled.
I locked the door.
I strode over to the balcony and observed the cherry tree. It was about two feet away, and to my eyes, very climbable.
I grabbed the nearest trunk and started descending down it.
When I was almost near the ground though, my foot slipped.
"Oh crap!"
But I felt the wind rise against my falling body and I fell softly onto the grass.
I looked around me and saw no one. But I had felt it. Someone had used magic to save me. But who?
##### ##### #####
I breathed out a sigh of relief.
I had watched, ever since the princess had entered the vicinity of the castle. The girl made me part nervous. Something about her was bugging me. I had felt a slight aura around her, and I wanted to check it out.
I saw her go to the balcony, with the prince beside her.
I frowned.
Then, they went back in, but then the princess grabbed the tree trunk near her and started hoisting herself down it, until she was two-thirds down the trunk, when she slipped.
I quickly whispered spmething under my breath.
The wind changed.
I saw her float down softly and the expression on her face wasn't complete surprise, but more like a curiosity.
Wei came up next to me, and stared.
"This is not like you." He said simply.
"I don't know what I am anymore." I answered while staring at the Princess, who was laughing and dancing on the beautiful front lawns now, and for a moment, was the center of the universe.
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I know I know. Nothing juicy has come up yet. I assure you there will be though. =]
I feel like im writing some kind of philosophical novel. Yehh. Hahaha
Well, hope you enjoy. Ill write more later.
=-= Miss Kit Taylor
To my angel EH
Disclaimer: I don't own CCS. There.
wahhh. So anyway. Finals and SATS II coming up. sigh... studying my ass off, but I couldn't resist writing this one. =] It has a bit of Ella Enchanted in it. The obedience part. I don't know where this is going. As usual. Hahaha. I start these stories without thinking far into them. Ah well. I have a good feeling about this one. =]
so, ill stop talking about my life again.
Here you go!
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"Xiao Lang, you are our leader. You must leave." Inako was crying.
Xiao Lang, with tearful eyes, cried. "I don't want to leave! I love you all!"
"Xiao Lang, listen to me." Inako said with warm eyes. "One day, you will come and find us, you will save us, the commoners, but today is not the day. They are coming, the soldiers of Kaia. You must leave! They will kill you. You are the true prince of China. Your father died protecting you. Your mother we hid, and we hid her well. You do not need to worry. "
Xiao Lang looked at Akiko with scared eyes.
"Where... do I go?" I said, with trembling lips. "We have a network set up for you." She said quickly, for the rush of footsteps could be heard approaching. "First, go to the old brick house at the end of town."
"But that place is haunted!" I said with horror, remembering the rumors spread that ghosts lived in the haunted house.
"No, we spread that rumor so that people wouldn't go near it. Now, a woman will be waiting for you there, she will hide you in her house until the guards are finished looking through the city for you. Then she will direct you to get out of the country. You will hide, until you come of age and you can come back to take back the throne from Kaia." Inako said the name with a spat.
"But... but nanny... I'm only 10! That will be a long time until I come back!" I said, realizing finally what he would have to do."
Inako looked at me sadly.
"Yes...my prince." She bowed low. "You are the true prince, and the true chosen one. You will train, and be trained by the famous Wei. He is currently in Japan, awaiting your arrival. You will live in Japan."
Neighs could be heard right outside the door now.
Inako looked and quickly said, "Now, flee! For yourself...and your country!" with that, she grabbed my arm, and flung me out the back door and the soldiers banged on the door in front, demanding to be let in to search for the lost prince.
Picking myself up, and along with my heavy heart, I ran in the shadows towards the edge of town to the haunted brick house so many little children feared. I could hear behind my in Inako's house, banging and crashing and the shrieks of Akiko herself demanding the soldiers to stop destroying her house.
I reached the little brick house. I grabbed the handle of the door with trembling hands and pulled it open. It creaked and groaned the long years it hadn't been opened by a soul. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw a woman on the other end of the room looking at me suspiciously.
"Identify yourself." She said clearly.
I flashed the chain around my neck.
I sign of the royal family.
The woman immediately came forward and took my hand.
"Your highness, we haven't a moment to lose." She said whispering as she literally dragged me for the fear of ghosts coming at me was far too great. "We need to get you to the dock. That miles away, and we walk."
I must have made a face and she had seen it by the feeble candlelight, for she smiled and said, "Yes, your highness walk. For the guards are wary on the roads, and it wont do to bump into them by carriage. If we are lucky perhaps we will find a horse along the way." She said doubtfully.
We left from the back white washed fences and stole into the night.
Suddenly I heard a loud neigh.
I gasped, and I'm sure the woman must have also.
I was so scared I could have pissed in my pants, until I recognized my horse.
"Pride!" I said joyfully. The horse hand been given to me by my father. He was a beauty of a stallion. Large for a thoroughbred and built to run. Fast.
A boy climbed off it.
"Sano!" I said with surprise.
Huffing, he took Pride's reins and handed them to me.
"Mother told me to. She knew you guys had to walk. Take him, but let him loose when you get to dock. He knows the way home. Ill take care of him, don't worry." He said in one breath.
"Tell Inako thank you." The woman said.
Swinging herself on the horse, she held her hand out for me to take.
Before I did so, I turned around to look once more at my friend.
Sano's eyes held sadness, yet he attempted to hide it.
"Promise me." He insisted, as I was hoisted on my horse, "Promise me, you'll come back to finish that fight of ours." His eyes flickered for a moment," and also Akiko. Promise me."
"I promise." I echoed, and the woman kicked the horse and we rode into the woods, as Sano's figure became a size no larger than my fist, than a stick, then a dot, then nothing.
We rode, as hard as my horse could go. The sun had already started running and we had rode long and hard through the night. When we had reached the dock, a ferry boat had already been ready. A man motioned us quickly.
"Someone has already tipped off Kaia's men! Hurry! No time to lose!"
The man grabbed my hand and pulled me on the boat, and starting calling the crew to start it.
From the rail, I looked at the woman still on my horse. She dismounted, and hit the horse's flank. He rode back. I saw guards begin filling the port. I saw many pointing in our direction and shouts of anger floated to us, though I could not make out the words. They started at the woman and I panicked. But suddenly she whisked away into the woods and disappeared. I blinked. Or did she disappear into thin air?
##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### #####
I groaned. I could hear the chirps of tiny birds. Damn birds!
It was 9 years, 9 years after I have been smuggled, and seen, but smuggled out nonetheless. It took a month to get to Japan, for we avoided common trade routes to avoid being seen. Finally, after arriving in Japan, a fake identity was made and I have been hiding from the Chinese government.
True to Inako's, my nanny's word, I trained for those 9 years.
At first, I detested the training, sure that I had been sent to the devil himself. Not only was Wei a mean, and hard teacher, he did not give Xiao Lang one sentence of compliment, until the day Xiao Lang had flipped the old trainer right onto his back. After that, he seemed to acknowledge he had found a worthy advocated, but he still tried to "do him in" as he called it, whenever he could. Sneaking up on Xiao Lang every time he could, had make him keen to his surrounding and he never got into a situation without observing it before hand.
I sighed.
Getting out of bed, I brushed my teeth and walked into the kitchen, for once not totally aware the old man could attack me any moment. And that's what he did.
I felt a movement behind me. I felt myself getting flipped and I landed hard on the cold tiles.
I was finally awake.
I lunged for Wei.
"Stupid bald old timer!"
"What have I told you?! Never leave your back unwatched! What if I was the enemy? Then you certainly wont be making much movement after that!"
"Fortunately I don't hold the belief I'll be attacked every second!"
I stormed out the house.
'Really! Acting as If I'll be attacked any moment... he cane make any person go starkers.' I thought to myself.
I walked through the small village.
It was feudal Japan, and Japan was split into regions, where appointed dukes governed each region. The region I lived in was appointed to a conceited old man and if possible, an even more conceited son.
"Good thing they don't come down here often." I mumbled.
After my escape from China, Japan had been warned to look for me, certain I had escaped into Japan.
The reward for me was high, and I almost had the urge of turning myself in and asking for the money myself.
As I walked I didn't notice a wall of soldier coming at me, or the sharp glances and whispers aimed at me to tell me to get out of the way.
I ran into the first soldier.
"Out of the way PEASANT." The soldier snarled.
'Its Prince, my dear man, Prince.' I thought irritably, but held my tongue wisely and smiled dumbly, blurring myself into the crowd.
It seemed a parade had come into the small village, and for what I wasn't sure of, until I hear whispers of rumors being exchanged by gossipy women.
"Did you hear? The Duke's son found himself a wife. The beauty of Japan some call her. The man might have looks, but his personality is most rude. I wonder how long she can take him?" one said.
"I heard she had a head on her shoulders alright. The last man that came to ask for her hand, walked away with a broken heart and a nice print on his face to remember it." Another said back.
'A girl huh?' I thought amused. 'I wonder what she looks like.'
My thoughts were answered.
A royal carriage came.
I saw a dainty hand open the curtains softly and a voice sang out beautifully, "Stop the carriage please."
The coachman was surprised, but did as he was told.
Stopping the horses, he got down and opened the door.
A girl came out.
She wore a peach colored, long-sleeved gown and snow-white slippers, which immediately stained as she stood in the dirt though it looked as if she didn't mind. Her hair was in curls and her emerald eyes captivated the village and everyone held their breath.
The town felt dirty as they looked at the angel, which stood before them.
"My! Look at this village!" she said in a soft alluring voice.
Wei's voice came shouting at me in the back of my head.
"Most DANGEROUS creature. Women! They trap you like a fox! Tricky creatures!"
I snorted.
She looked at me. And I only stared back.
"Your highness... we must go meet your soon to be husband." An attendant reminded her tentatively.
She tore her eyes away from me and returned to her carriage, which led to the castle, which rested on the high hill that overlooked the villages.
I turned around to go back home to eat breakfast, when my face met the wizened ones of Wei's and sure enough, he said to me in a fierce voice,
"Most DANGEROUS creature. Women! They trap you like a fox! Tricky creatures!"
##### ##### #####
"My! Look at this village!" I said softly.
I was astounded by the poor conditions of it, and even more, the conditions of the villagers themselves.
I heard a noise.
I turned to look at a man who was staring at me, looking like he was laughing, but trying to hold it in.
I stared at him equally and we stayed this way, until my attended suggested we continue.
I took no more heed of the man as we entered the castle.
"Your royal highness!"
I saw a handsome man come running towards me.
I assumed he was my to be husband and I smiled politely.
"Prince –"
'now this is wonderful, I've forgotten his name. It was something like Takena. Or was it subari? Sumumu?'
I decided I would compensate.
"Prince Takemumu."
The prince's face froze.
The maids and servants were in bouts of laughter... or course to themselves. Only hints of smiles gave away their true emotions.
The Prince's face was red, with embarrassment, or fury, or perhaps both. I truly did not care, except this made me look bad, along with my province.
"Its... Ryu." He said with some difficulty.
"Yes... good good." I said.
I guess this was the first time anyone had been slightly rude to him, and I suppose he deserved it.
He seemed to get over it, for he was studying my face now, and seemed to like what he saw.
I smiled as charmingly as I could.
This marriage I was opposed to, but I didn't have much of a choice. So I better just charm him so he wont boss me around.
He put one arm around my waist.
Ordinarily I would have given him an even redder face than what he had on a moment ago, but I remembered my governor's voice.
"Miss SAKURA, please! Patience! And stop picking your nails."
I closed my eyes.
Oh that wretched governor! She had made my few years of adolescent times unbearable! "Don't chitchat with the maids. Don't run! Wear your shoes! Stop eating with your hands. Come read this book. Come study that history. This is the right man to choose, not this one. And for god's sake, stop picking your nails!"
I started trembling with rage and my eyes were closed and I was clenching me teeth.
"Um... Princess Sakura?"
My eyes popped open. "Yes?" I said smiling.
Prince Ryu looked like he was going to melt.
"Are you alright?"
"Quite fine." I gritted my teeth.
"Well... alright, let me show you to the chambers..." he said uncertainly as we climbed what must have been 200 steps of stairs.
He led me to a door.
"Close your eyes." He demanded.
I felt a pinprick of irritation at the order, but the curse forbade me to not obey it.
Ah yes... the curse.
Let me explain. When I was born, lets say there was a complication. By some miraculous mean, the cord was wound around my neck, as well as the rest of my body, suffocating me to the fullest extent. My mother, having given birth to me on her own, was in despair. She cried to god, the angels, then chicken next to her (she gave birth to me in a barn. She was walking home from a bit of shopping.) to help save her child. Supposedly an angel heard, and came down. Well, not exactly an angel, it was a magician. She happened to be in the area, and heard my mother's cry. She quickly, with the wave of her hand, got rid of the cord, and my mother thanked her on hands and knees. Magicians during those days were rare, and my mother believed God had touched her and I. Until, of course, the magician didn't seem to enjoy my large bouts of cries, since I had been suffocating for a few minutes, she placed a temporary spell on me that gave me what she called a gift. The gift of obedience. An order given to me, was something I must obey. If it was something like "Sakura, make your bed." I must obey it. If you said it this way "Sakura, can you make your bed?" I could ignore it all I wanted.
When I said the magician said "temporarily", that's all she meant to do. Until she tried to take it off, it wouldn't. The magician sheepishly went away, leaving me with the spell still on (I think its more of a curse than a spell) and forever having it the rest of my life.
My mother protected me against the curse whenever she could. My father, though a good man, would have used the curse against me, so the secret was kept from him too. My brother was informed of it by my mother, and she insisted he must protect me whenever he could and of course he agreed.
And now, I was being ordered by my soon to be husband. I could never tell him, or he would use it against me too. I was very aware of that.
I felt myself automatically close my eyes at his demand.
I felt his hands take mine as he lead me into the room.
I could feel his excitement.
"Ok... now, open them!"
An order.
I opened my eyes, and gasped.
The room was beautiful.
The walled were peach and pink colored all at once, and the bed was a soft satin. A candle chandelier fell from the ceiling, illuminating the room with a brilliance of yellow. The large balcony welcomed in the blue of the sky, and the soft carpets felt a little velvet mouse's fur to the touch.
"Its... beautiful." I had to admit.
His eyes showed a pleased, and a little arrogant look.
"Well of course! I only get the best." He said a bit snobbishly.
I was wary. I had heard of the prince as being conceited and downright arrogant. Possessive too. And that was what I was most afraid of.
I was like the wind. I could only fly free.
I looked out the balcony and saw a large cherry tree right next to it.
I formulated a plan in my head, and grinned.
"Prince Ryu." I cooed to him
"Y-Yes!?" he said gulping, his arrogant manner disappeard.
"I'm...not feeling quite myself. I'm tired from the trip." I hinted.
"Oh... do you need a massage?" he said.
"Um...no... I need some rest please." I said.
'You need to spell it out to him.' I thought.
"Oh, yes. Im sorry. You must be very tired. Well, if you need anything, ring for the maid. Good night for now." And he bent forward and kissed me on the forehead. "Rest well."
I stood rooted there as he left the room with a faint blush on his cheeks.
"Hmm...right." I mumbled.
I locked the door.
I strode over to the balcony and observed the cherry tree. It was about two feet away, and to my eyes, very climbable.
I grabbed the nearest trunk and started descending down it.
When I was almost near the ground though, my foot slipped.
"Oh crap!"
But I felt the wind rise against my falling body and I fell softly onto the grass.
I looked around me and saw no one. But I had felt it. Someone had used magic to save me. But who?
##### ##### #####
I breathed out a sigh of relief.
I had watched, ever since the princess had entered the vicinity of the castle. The girl made me part nervous. Something about her was bugging me. I had felt a slight aura around her, and I wanted to check it out.
I saw her go to the balcony, with the prince beside her.
I frowned.
Then, they went back in, but then the princess grabbed the tree trunk near her and started hoisting herself down it, until she was two-thirds down the trunk, when she slipped.
I quickly whispered spmething under my breath.
The wind changed.
I saw her float down softly and the expression on her face wasn't complete surprise, but more like a curiosity.
Wei came up next to me, and stared.
"This is not like you." He said simply.
"I don't know what I am anymore." I answered while staring at the Princess, who was laughing and dancing on the beautiful front lawns now, and for a moment, was the center of the universe.
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I know I know. Nothing juicy has come up yet. I assure you there will be though. =]
I feel like im writing some kind of philosophical novel. Yehh. Hahaha
Well, hope you enjoy. Ill write more later.
=-= Miss Kit Taylor
To my angel EH