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Chapter Two: Raindrops
The night had passed fitfully for Yumi, but morning brought to comfort as the sky was darkened with the promise of iminent rain.
Yumi shoved the dress brutally into the spacious trunk. Brushing the dust off her hands, she drew herself up and gave the truck a kick for good measure. Her maidservant, Aelita, stood off to the side, and seemed to be torn between informing the princess that it was not her station to be packing her own things or joining in on Yumi's trunk abuse. She was not overly thrilled abou the move either. Sense prevailed though and her voice came meekly in the large room.
"Y-Your highness?" Yumi turned to adress her servant.
"Yes, Aelita? If it's about me packing my own things, I'd rather you didn't say it. I've had my fill of being a proper princess today."
"Forgive me, but may I at least help? His Highness would have a fit if he knew you were packing your own trunk." Yumi opened her mouth to respond, but a mild tap on the door cut her off. Yumi recognized the knock as that of a servant, probably a young vassel of her father's. Nobles knocked with authority, three sharp taps. The maidservants gave two knocks that were neither loud nor soft, a happy medium. Those who were unfamiliar with the part of the castle reserved for royal chambers knocked timidly. Those who knew of her family reputation as the 'black sheep' also knocked timidly, except for those who she was personally aquainted with.
Aelita moved to open the door. Sure enough, it was a young lad wearing a tunic bearing her father's emblem. He bowed uncertainly to Yumi, and the Princess realized that he must have heard her kick the truck, and he must think her a violent maniac.
"His H-Highness wishes m-me to inform you t-that you are not to p-pack your own things..." He trailed off meekly, fidgeting noticibly.
Yumi sighed. "Of course I can't. Dismissed." The boy turned tail and nearly ran out of the room. She shifted her attention back to Aelita. "He knows me too well. You win, Aelita. Should I pick them out and you put them in the truck?"
Aelita nodded solemly, laughing internally at the poor boy. Yumi was by no means a cruel person, she simply didn't like the ways of a princess. Those who mistook her tomboyishness (AN: is that a word?) for rudeness or weirdness needed to get to know her. She only hoped that the French nobles would give her a chance.
The packing went quietly for a few minutes, except for a few exasperated moans from Yumi upon finding a particuarly bright or frilly dress. The solitude was interrupted again by yet another knock. This time Yumi opened the door, being closer to it and annoyed by the interruptions to her packing system.
Flinging the door wide Yumi confronted the interlopers with all her regal fury. "You can just go tell my father that I'm not packing my own things, so he can stop sending you up here, thank you very much!" She was about to slam the door shut when she paused to look at those she had just yelled at.
"Well, that was a nice welcome," one said sarcastically. Yumi took him in first. He was dressed in the traditional clothing of a royal knight, though he wore no helmet. He had blonde hair with one patch of purple in the front. His companion was dress similarly, with brown hair.
"Um...." Yumi flushed. 'Oops. That was bad..' "I'm sorry, I thought you were one of my father's vassels come to pester me to be proper again..." Luckily Aelita had joined her.
"Won't you please come in," she asked courteously, bobbing slightly in a curtsy.
"Thank you," the brown-haired one spoke. Yumi and Aelita stepped aside to let them pass. They bowed to Yumi as they entered.
"Princess Yumi, I presume," mused the blonde-haired knight.
"That is correct, but I am still in the dark as to who you are," Yumi informed him.
He grinned sheepishly. "Sir Odd, and this is Sir Ulrich. We were sent by your father, but not to scold you into being proper. We are to be your guards during your journey and during your time in France."
"'During my time in France,'hah! You make it sound as though I'm coming back! They intend to marry me off to this Prince Jeremie! I doubt I'll ever see this castle again!"
"Well thinking like that won't get you anywhere," reasoned the one identified as Ulrich. He smiled at her. "You never know what might happen."
Yumi heard the familiar sound of rain slapping against the stone walls outside. "I don't know what you think is going to happen, but I hear wedding bells."
Chapter Two: Raindrops
The night had passed fitfully for Yumi, but morning brought to comfort as the sky was darkened with the promise of iminent rain.
Yumi shoved the dress brutally into the spacious trunk. Brushing the dust off her hands, she drew herself up and gave the truck a kick for good measure. Her maidservant, Aelita, stood off to the side, and seemed to be torn between informing the princess that it was not her station to be packing her own things or joining in on Yumi's trunk abuse. She was not overly thrilled abou the move either. Sense prevailed though and her voice came meekly in the large room.
"Y-Your highness?" Yumi turned to adress her servant.
"Yes, Aelita? If it's about me packing my own things, I'd rather you didn't say it. I've had my fill of being a proper princess today."
"Forgive me, but may I at least help? His Highness would have a fit if he knew you were packing your own trunk." Yumi opened her mouth to respond, but a mild tap on the door cut her off. Yumi recognized the knock as that of a servant, probably a young vassel of her father's. Nobles knocked with authority, three sharp taps. The maidservants gave two knocks that were neither loud nor soft, a happy medium. Those who were unfamiliar with the part of the castle reserved for royal chambers knocked timidly. Those who knew of her family reputation as the 'black sheep' also knocked timidly, except for those who she was personally aquainted with.
Aelita moved to open the door. Sure enough, it was a young lad wearing a tunic bearing her father's emblem. He bowed uncertainly to Yumi, and the Princess realized that he must have heard her kick the truck, and he must think her a violent maniac.
"His H-Highness wishes m-me to inform you t-that you are not to p-pack your own things..." He trailed off meekly, fidgeting noticibly.
Yumi sighed. "Of course I can't. Dismissed." The boy turned tail and nearly ran out of the room. She shifted her attention back to Aelita. "He knows me too well. You win, Aelita. Should I pick them out and you put them in the truck?"
Aelita nodded solemly, laughing internally at the poor boy. Yumi was by no means a cruel person, she simply didn't like the ways of a princess. Those who mistook her tomboyishness (AN: is that a word?) for rudeness or weirdness needed to get to know her. She only hoped that the French nobles would give her a chance.
The packing went quietly for a few minutes, except for a few exasperated moans from Yumi upon finding a particuarly bright or frilly dress. The solitude was interrupted again by yet another knock. This time Yumi opened the door, being closer to it and annoyed by the interruptions to her packing system.
Flinging the door wide Yumi confronted the interlopers with all her regal fury. "You can just go tell my father that I'm not packing my own things, so he can stop sending you up here, thank you very much!" She was about to slam the door shut when she paused to look at those she had just yelled at.
"Well, that was a nice welcome," one said sarcastically. Yumi took him in first. He was dressed in the traditional clothing of a royal knight, though he wore no helmet. He had blonde hair with one patch of purple in the front. His companion was dress similarly, with brown hair.
"Um...." Yumi flushed. 'Oops. That was bad..' "I'm sorry, I thought you were one of my father's vassels come to pester me to be proper again..." Luckily Aelita had joined her.
"Won't you please come in," she asked courteously, bobbing slightly in a curtsy.
"Thank you," the brown-haired one spoke. Yumi and Aelita stepped aside to let them pass. They bowed to Yumi as they entered.
"Princess Yumi, I presume," mused the blonde-haired knight.
"That is correct, but I am still in the dark as to who you are," Yumi informed him.
He grinned sheepishly. "Sir Odd, and this is Sir Ulrich. We were sent by your father, but not to scold you into being proper. We are to be your guards during your journey and during your time in France."
"'During my time in France,'hah! You make it sound as though I'm coming back! They intend to marry me off to this Prince Jeremie! I doubt I'll ever see this castle again!"
"Well thinking like that won't get you anywhere," reasoned the one identified as Ulrich. He smiled at her. "You never know what might happen."
Yumi heard the familiar sound of rain slapping against the stone walls outside. "I don't know what you think is going to happen, but I hear wedding bells."