Chapter Fifteen: On an Clear Day, I Can See Forever
Aelita set the books down on the coffee table in Yumi's chambers with a thump that made the Princess and Naomi jump slightly. Yumi's tears were gone now, but she still looked strained. Aelita was begining to get the distinct impression that loved sucked royally, no pun intended.
This conclusion was drawn form both Yumi's experiences and her own. Aelita knew she had never had a shot at the Prince at all, but one could dream. Now it seemed he had found his true love. Dispite her conviction that she could never have him, the fact still stung the maidservant.
Yumi saw the troubled look in Aelita's eyes. "What happened," she asked automatically.
"Nothing," Aelita assured her calmly. Both Yumi and Naomi eyes her suspiciously, but didn't object to the statement in favor of letting Aelita tell her when she was ready to.
The rest of the day had passed uneventfully due mainly to the fact that Yumi had refused to leave her chambers even for meals, which Aelita and Naomi took turns fetching for her. Ulrich had returned but had not spoken as far as the girls were aware of.
All through the night Aelita could hear Yumi tossing fitfully on the four-poster bed, doubtlessly dreaming of the day's events. Naomi's quiet breathing had failed to lull Aelita to sleep, and she was forced to lie awake with her own troubled thoughts.
Aelita wasted no time in the moring. As soon as the first rays of the sun began creeping through her window she was up and drssed for the day. She roused Naomi and Yumi, and the princess looked considerably better dispite her uneasy night.
Ulrich and Odd were already at their posts. It was a mystery to Aelita how they worked out the night shifts, but they were always there when needed so she couldn't complain much.
Scarcely an hour after awakening Yumi was ready for breakfast. Taking a deep breath to calm her shaking nerves she opened the door.
"I'm going down to breakfast," she told her guards, and swept down the hall in a near-run. Ulrich's face took on a pained expression, but he remained silent. Odd noticed this but said nothing. His fellow guard had explained his deed to him, so Odd understood the gravity of the situation.
Yumi heard the trumpets from the dining hall. Jeremie was there also, along with various other nobles, and they streamed out to the courtyard to see what was going on.
The Japanese Princess's breath caught in her throat at the sight. Pulling in through the gates was a single carraige. This would not have been overly remarkable save for the fact that it was nearly identical to the one in which Yumi had arrived. And that the face peering out of it's window at them was her sister's.
Once it had stopped moving Yumi rushed forward out of the crowd as Sissy's footman opened the door for her. She stepped out in all her pink-dressed glory and beamed widely at Yumi.
Yumi gaped at her. "Sissy....?"
The younger girl hugged her shocked sister. "Who else?"
Yumi pushed her away but held on to Sissy'd shoulders, gazing at the girl up and down in disbelief. "Why are you here?"
Sissy laughed. "What, no 'Great to see you'? Father sent me to check up on you. Surprising you was my idea."
Yumi's eyes narrowed. "What, you mean he doesn't trust his gorotsuki choujo," she spat sarcastically. (she said that he didn't trust his rogue eldest daughter)
The crowd grew restless, and Yumi realized that Sissy had not been introduced and that they had been speaking in Japanese. She looked around and saw a page. He would do. She stalked over and whispred Sissy's title in his ear. He nodded and proclaimed it loudly. The crowd seemed pleased and dispersed.
"Well, that was certainly interesting," commented Jeremie, apparently the only one left. Sissy eyed him with what was obviously disdain.
"And who do you think you are to address us," she snapped in perfect French. "Probably some kitchen boy."
"Actually, Sissy, this is my iinazuke, Prince Jeremie," Yumi corrected her, stifling a laugh as Jeremie's face grew hot. The younger princess's eyes popped in surprise.
"My apologies," Sissy said, but didn't look particuarly sorry about it.
"Not a problem," Jeremie told her.
Yumi shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I will show you to my chambers," she informed her sister, and started out before Sissy could object.
Yumi was grateful to shut her chamber doors behind her. Ulrich and Odd had bowed to Sissy in shock upon seeing her, she was the last person they expected. Aelita too was surprised, but she hid it well. Naomi's face mirrored Aelita's.
Yumi and Sissy sat across from each other, Yumi in the large chair and Sissy on the couch with the table between them. The sisters were engaged in a battle of wills.
"Why did you come," Yumi demanded.
"Because father sent me," Sissy repeated.
"But why did he send you? Certainly not to say hi."
Sissy sighed. "I'm here to make sure you marry kitchen-boy out there." Aelita and Naomi, who had busied themselves with making the bed in order to hear the conversation, exchanged raised eyebrows at Jeremie's newfound nickname.
Yumi rolled her eyes. "How did I know?" The question was rhetorical.
"So how have things been for you," Sissy asked in an attempt to change the subject.
"Intersting," Yumi told her, and proceeded to fill her in on everthing up to the kiss the day before.
"He kissed you!" Sissy's voice jumped an octave with the shriek.
"I kissed him back, technically," Yumi defended. Sissy grew more agitated.
"Father will be in fits when he finds out," she squealed.
Yumi hung her head at Sissy's ignorance. "That's why he's not going to know, at least not until I decide what to do about it." She smoothed an imaginary fold in her dress, afraid to meet her sister's gaze.
"What do you mean, 'until you decide what to do about it?'" Yumi could feel the younger girl's eyes boring into her even from across the table. "You can't possibly be considering...But that breaks every rule in the book! Yumi, you can't, you just can't!"
"I can do as I please, Sissy," Yumi informed her with the old fire back in her eyes.
"Sister dear," Sissy pleaded. "I only want what's best for you...."
"Are you saying you would rather I marry royalty and live miserably than marry for love?" Yumi's eyes held a dangerous glint. For the second time in two days she missed the door creaking open.
"I'm saying you should consider your actions! Can you possibly be in love with a guard?"
"She should be in love with who makes her the happiest." The girls turned to see that Jeremie had entered. He turned to Aelita. "I need to speak with you."
The maidservant nodded and left the remainder of the bed to Naomi, hoping that the other girl would fill her in on the rest of the discussion later. Her heart ached to see Jeremie, no doubt he wanted more advice on how to romance this girl he was in love with. At least she could be friends with him.
Aelita set the books down on the coffee table in Yumi's chambers with a thump that made the Princess and Naomi jump slightly. Yumi's tears were gone now, but she still looked strained. Aelita was begining to get the distinct impression that loved sucked royally, no pun intended.
This conclusion was drawn form both Yumi's experiences and her own. Aelita knew she had never had a shot at the Prince at all, but one could dream. Now it seemed he had found his true love. Dispite her conviction that she could never have him, the fact still stung the maidservant.
Yumi saw the troubled look in Aelita's eyes. "What happened," she asked automatically.
"Nothing," Aelita assured her calmly. Both Yumi and Naomi eyes her suspiciously, but didn't object to the statement in favor of letting Aelita tell her when she was ready to.
The rest of the day had passed uneventfully due mainly to the fact that Yumi had refused to leave her chambers even for meals, which Aelita and Naomi took turns fetching for her. Ulrich had returned but had not spoken as far as the girls were aware of.
All through the night Aelita could hear Yumi tossing fitfully on the four-poster bed, doubtlessly dreaming of the day's events. Naomi's quiet breathing had failed to lull Aelita to sleep, and she was forced to lie awake with her own troubled thoughts.
Aelita wasted no time in the moring. As soon as the first rays of the sun began creeping through her window she was up and drssed for the day. She roused Naomi and Yumi, and the princess looked considerably better dispite her uneasy night.
Ulrich and Odd were already at their posts. It was a mystery to Aelita how they worked out the night shifts, but they were always there when needed so she couldn't complain much.
Scarcely an hour after awakening Yumi was ready for breakfast. Taking a deep breath to calm her shaking nerves she opened the door.
"I'm going down to breakfast," she told her guards, and swept down the hall in a near-run. Ulrich's face took on a pained expression, but he remained silent. Odd noticed this but said nothing. His fellow guard had explained his deed to him, so Odd understood the gravity of the situation.
Yumi heard the trumpets from the dining hall. Jeremie was there also, along with various other nobles, and they streamed out to the courtyard to see what was going on.
The Japanese Princess's breath caught in her throat at the sight. Pulling in through the gates was a single carraige. This would not have been overly remarkable save for the fact that it was nearly identical to the one in which Yumi had arrived. And that the face peering out of it's window at them was her sister's.
Once it had stopped moving Yumi rushed forward out of the crowd as Sissy's footman opened the door for her. She stepped out in all her pink-dressed glory and beamed widely at Yumi.
Yumi gaped at her. "Sissy....?"
The younger girl hugged her shocked sister. "Who else?"
Yumi pushed her away but held on to Sissy'd shoulders, gazing at the girl up and down in disbelief. "Why are you here?"
Sissy laughed. "What, no 'Great to see you'? Father sent me to check up on you. Surprising you was my idea."
Yumi's eyes narrowed. "What, you mean he doesn't trust his gorotsuki choujo," she spat sarcastically. (she said that he didn't trust his rogue eldest daughter)
The crowd grew restless, and Yumi realized that Sissy had not been introduced and that they had been speaking in Japanese. She looked around and saw a page. He would do. She stalked over and whispred Sissy's title in his ear. He nodded and proclaimed it loudly. The crowd seemed pleased and dispersed.
"Well, that was certainly interesting," commented Jeremie, apparently the only one left. Sissy eyed him with what was obviously disdain.
"And who do you think you are to address us," she snapped in perfect French. "Probably some kitchen boy."
"Actually, Sissy, this is my iinazuke, Prince Jeremie," Yumi corrected her, stifling a laugh as Jeremie's face grew hot. The younger princess's eyes popped in surprise.
"My apologies," Sissy said, but didn't look particuarly sorry about it.
"Not a problem," Jeremie told her.
Yumi shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I will show you to my chambers," she informed her sister, and started out before Sissy could object.
Yumi was grateful to shut her chamber doors behind her. Ulrich and Odd had bowed to Sissy in shock upon seeing her, she was the last person they expected. Aelita too was surprised, but she hid it well. Naomi's face mirrored Aelita's.
Yumi and Sissy sat across from each other, Yumi in the large chair and Sissy on the couch with the table between them. The sisters were engaged in a battle of wills.
"Why did you come," Yumi demanded.
"Because father sent me," Sissy repeated.
"But why did he send you? Certainly not to say hi."
Sissy sighed. "I'm here to make sure you marry kitchen-boy out there." Aelita and Naomi, who had busied themselves with making the bed in order to hear the conversation, exchanged raised eyebrows at Jeremie's newfound nickname.
Yumi rolled her eyes. "How did I know?" The question was rhetorical.
"So how have things been for you," Sissy asked in an attempt to change the subject.
"Intersting," Yumi told her, and proceeded to fill her in on everthing up to the kiss the day before.
"He kissed you!" Sissy's voice jumped an octave with the shriek.
"I kissed him back, technically," Yumi defended. Sissy grew more agitated.
"Father will be in fits when he finds out," she squealed.
Yumi hung her head at Sissy's ignorance. "That's why he's not going to know, at least not until I decide what to do about it." She smoothed an imaginary fold in her dress, afraid to meet her sister's gaze.
"What do you mean, 'until you decide what to do about it?'" Yumi could feel the younger girl's eyes boring into her even from across the table. "You can't possibly be considering...But that breaks every rule in the book! Yumi, you can't, you just can't!"
"I can do as I please, Sissy," Yumi informed her with the old fire back in her eyes.
"Sister dear," Sissy pleaded. "I only want what's best for you...."
"Are you saying you would rather I marry royalty and live miserably than marry for love?" Yumi's eyes held a dangerous glint. For the second time in two days she missed the door creaking open.
"I'm saying you should consider your actions! Can you possibly be in love with a guard?"
"She should be in love with who makes her the happiest." The girls turned to see that Jeremie had entered. He turned to Aelita. "I need to speak with you."
The maidservant nodded and left the remainder of the bed to Naomi, hoping that the other girl would fill her in on the rest of the discussion later. Her heart ached to see Jeremie, no doubt he wanted more advice on how to romance this girl he was in love with. At least she could be friends with him.