Chapter 6: Pride
Morning came and we see Tokiya, the prince of Divell, preparing for his trip. He was busy dressing himself up while looking in a mirror. He inhaled rather deeply and ran his fingers on his soft hair.
'I don't know why I'm doing this' he thought. Just then a knock was heard and a servant entered.
"Your highness, the queen wishes to see you. She's waiting in the veranda on the main hall." Tokiya nodded and the servant left.
"Mother, I'm here." Tokiya found her mother having tea and he seated himself in front of her.
"Well?" The queen anxiously looked at his son's face. Tokiya gave his mother a skeptic look and asked, "Whatever do you mean?"
"I mean, are you sure you want to look for Lei? We have thousands of soldiers to look for him."
"I'm certain."
"At least take with you two or three guards." The queen put her cup down and kissed his son. "Take care"
Tokiya smiled and returned the action. Her mother gave a sigh and said, "Oh, it's like you're getting married!"
He couldn't help, but feel humiliated at what his mother said. After all they both knew that "Lei" is a female.
Tokiya mounted his carriage together with a servant and two guards. He didn't tell where they were supposed to go, not yet. He just asked for the chauffer to pass streets. This went on four minutes until finally his servant spoke.
"Young master, we seem to be going nowhere." The servant shakily asked the prince. Tokiya gave him a jaded look and continued to look out the window. This was nothing knew to the servant, who noticed the change in Tokiya ever since Lei discontinued his visits. It seemed like Tokiya was back to his mundane, lifeless, and sardonic manner.
Word soon spread that the prince of Divell has been looking for a certain Lei throughout the kingdom. Though they did not understand why in the world he would be looking for a man they tried to pretend they knew. That caused the carriage to be led in numerous places. It was mid-afternoon when the stagecoach stopped in front of a small shop. Tokiya's servant dismounted and went inside to buy food.
Fuuko placed the book down. She was attempting to read a paragraph, but failed. She greeted the man that just came inside the shop. Recca had attended to him, so Fuuko remained where she was.
"Say child, do you happen to know a certain Lei in your district?" the servant asked.
"Lei?" Recca rubbed his chin remembering something, "Let's see, may I ask why first?"
"Didn't you hear? The prince, who is outside right now—with me, is looking for him."
Recca could have sworn he knew Lei, but where? At that point Fuuko entered and placed five more jars of marmalade near the window for display. Recca eyed her carefully and shouted.
"YOU!" He pointed towards Fuuko, "Lei!"
The servant beamed when he saw Fuuko. He knew Lei and Fuuko was definitely the Lei they've been searching for.
Fuuko's mouth was agape and she mindlessly scratched her head. The bell softly rang as a signal that someone just came in.
"What is taking—"
Tokiya turned to where the three stood, and a feeling of relief passed him to see Fuuko. Fuuko turned to Recca then to the servant and then the Tokiya, repeating the cycle over and over.
"Huh?" she uttered.
"Lei" she heard Tokiya say it.
"Lei" she heard Recca say it again, this time with satisfaction.
"It is you!" the servant half-heartedly squealed in delighted.
'Damn' Fuuko thought.
"May I have this time to talk to you alone?" Tokiya asked and Fuuko, having thought for awhile, nodded her head. She followed him inside his carriage as quite a lot of civilians started to gather around.
They remained silent each avoiding each other's eye. Fuuko coughed and then breathed in deep.
"Stupid Recca…" she whispered.
"Excuse me?"
"Not you!"
"You seem upset to see me" Tokiya said matter of factly.
'Well, duh…'
"Pft! Are you trying to make yourself look pitiful? Please, whatever you do you cannot look like that. You are born as a prince and royalties are not meant to be pitied. Oh wait, maybe they are. After all, I do pity you. You know why? Because you have nothing but you and your stupid riches. Ha!" she crossed her arms and was not breathing with difficulty.
Tokiya brushed his bangs aside, "I know that." He seemed compose after what Fuuko said.
"And so? What's the point of talking to me?"
"That is exactly the point. What crossed your mind to leave without word? My father's worried and my mother's always uneasy."
Fuuko wanted to ask what he feels, but she kept silent.
"Don't you understand? We accepted you and treated you well because royalties have no…life" he sighed "everyday before I met you, life was dull and I felt alone but when I met you, you were different. I knew there was something sunny about you, and that hmm… attracted me to you…"
'attracted? That's not literal right?" Fuuko asked herself.
"For your information, you don't have to worry about me. I am perfectly fine; in any case this is still my hometown. No one would dare hurt the mighty Fuu—Lei…uh..yeah" she almost blurted her real name.
"That is why I am here; to bring back the lost friendship we used to have."
"Well you wasted your time mister!" Fuuko staggered to leave through the backdoor. Tokiya felt helpless and once again alone. He bowed to Recca, who just came in to bring a load of new supply deliver, and opened the door.
"Uhm, could you please tell Lei that we miss him especially my mother." He turned back to tell Recca.
"Sure thing"
The servant, having patiently waited for his master stirred when he heard the bell ring. Tokiya gestured to him and they left the district.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't find him." Tokiya told his parents and left to his room.
Meanwhile on the other side of the kingdome, Yanagi and Recca were talking.
"I agree, if she ends this then there's no hope for her to ever get that prince." Recca crossed his arms, then rubbed his chin.
"Well, I also don't think it's fair for Fuuko. Prince Tokiya should be the one after her, right?"
Recca nodded, shook his head and then shrugged.
"And…Fuuko should be thankful that this opportunity came. Now that it is progressing, she seemed reluctant to take a step farther. Oh, this is so romantic!" Yanagi squealed.
Recca was out of words, lost in understanding Yanagi.
"Recca! "She slapped Recca's arm "I know, maybe we could work things out for them." Yanagi grinned and leaned closer to tell Recca her plan.
"We'll see." Recca's eyes gleamed.
Morning came and we see Tokiya, the prince of Divell, preparing for his trip. He was busy dressing himself up while looking in a mirror. He inhaled rather deeply and ran his fingers on his soft hair.
'I don't know why I'm doing this' he thought. Just then a knock was heard and a servant entered.
"Your highness, the queen wishes to see you. She's waiting in the veranda on the main hall." Tokiya nodded and the servant left.
"Mother, I'm here." Tokiya found her mother having tea and he seated himself in front of her.
"Well?" The queen anxiously looked at his son's face. Tokiya gave his mother a skeptic look and asked, "Whatever do you mean?"
"I mean, are you sure you want to look for Lei? We have thousands of soldiers to look for him."
"I'm certain."
"At least take with you two or three guards." The queen put her cup down and kissed his son. "Take care"
Tokiya smiled and returned the action. Her mother gave a sigh and said, "Oh, it's like you're getting married!"
He couldn't help, but feel humiliated at what his mother said. After all they both knew that "Lei" is a female.
Tokiya mounted his carriage together with a servant and two guards. He didn't tell where they were supposed to go, not yet. He just asked for the chauffer to pass streets. This went on four minutes until finally his servant spoke.
"Young master, we seem to be going nowhere." The servant shakily asked the prince. Tokiya gave him a jaded look and continued to look out the window. This was nothing knew to the servant, who noticed the change in Tokiya ever since Lei discontinued his visits. It seemed like Tokiya was back to his mundane, lifeless, and sardonic manner.
Word soon spread that the prince of Divell has been looking for a certain Lei throughout the kingdom. Though they did not understand why in the world he would be looking for a man they tried to pretend they knew. That caused the carriage to be led in numerous places. It was mid-afternoon when the stagecoach stopped in front of a small shop. Tokiya's servant dismounted and went inside to buy food.
Fuuko placed the book down. She was attempting to read a paragraph, but failed. She greeted the man that just came inside the shop. Recca had attended to him, so Fuuko remained where she was.
"Say child, do you happen to know a certain Lei in your district?" the servant asked.
"Lei?" Recca rubbed his chin remembering something, "Let's see, may I ask why first?"
"Didn't you hear? The prince, who is outside right now—with me, is looking for him."
Recca could have sworn he knew Lei, but where? At that point Fuuko entered and placed five more jars of marmalade near the window for display. Recca eyed her carefully and shouted.
"YOU!" He pointed towards Fuuko, "Lei!"
The servant beamed when he saw Fuuko. He knew Lei and Fuuko was definitely the Lei they've been searching for.
Fuuko's mouth was agape and she mindlessly scratched her head. The bell softly rang as a signal that someone just came in.
"What is taking—"
Tokiya turned to where the three stood, and a feeling of relief passed him to see Fuuko. Fuuko turned to Recca then to the servant and then the Tokiya, repeating the cycle over and over.
"Huh?" she uttered.
"Lei" she heard Tokiya say it.
"Lei" she heard Recca say it again, this time with satisfaction.
"It is you!" the servant half-heartedly squealed in delighted.
'Damn' Fuuko thought.
"May I have this time to talk to you alone?" Tokiya asked and Fuuko, having thought for awhile, nodded her head. She followed him inside his carriage as quite a lot of civilians started to gather around.
They remained silent each avoiding each other's eye. Fuuko coughed and then breathed in deep.
"Stupid Recca…" she whispered.
"Excuse me?"
"Not you!"
"You seem upset to see me" Tokiya said matter of factly.
'Well, duh…'
"Pft! Are you trying to make yourself look pitiful? Please, whatever you do you cannot look like that. You are born as a prince and royalties are not meant to be pitied. Oh wait, maybe they are. After all, I do pity you. You know why? Because you have nothing but you and your stupid riches. Ha!" she crossed her arms and was not breathing with difficulty.
Tokiya brushed his bangs aside, "I know that." He seemed compose after what Fuuko said.
"And so? What's the point of talking to me?"
"That is exactly the point. What crossed your mind to leave without word? My father's worried and my mother's always uneasy."
Fuuko wanted to ask what he feels, but she kept silent.
"Don't you understand? We accepted you and treated you well because royalties have no…life" he sighed "everyday before I met you, life was dull and I felt alone but when I met you, you were different. I knew there was something sunny about you, and that hmm… attracted me to you…"
'attracted? That's not literal right?" Fuuko asked herself.
"For your information, you don't have to worry about me. I am perfectly fine; in any case this is still my hometown. No one would dare hurt the mighty Fuu—Lei…uh..yeah" she almost blurted her real name.
"That is why I am here; to bring back the lost friendship we used to have."
"Well you wasted your time mister!" Fuuko staggered to leave through the backdoor. Tokiya felt helpless and once again alone. He bowed to Recca, who just came in to bring a load of new supply deliver, and opened the door.
"Uhm, could you please tell Lei that we miss him especially my mother." He turned back to tell Recca.
"Sure thing"
The servant, having patiently waited for his master stirred when he heard the bell ring. Tokiya gestured to him and they left the district.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't find him." Tokiya told his parents and left to his room.
Meanwhile on the other side of the kingdome, Yanagi and Recca were talking.
"I agree, if she ends this then there's no hope for her to ever get that prince." Recca crossed his arms, then rubbed his chin.
"Well, I also don't think it's fair for Fuuko. Prince Tokiya should be the one after her, right?"
Recca nodded, shook his head and then shrugged.
"And…Fuuko should be thankful that this opportunity came. Now that it is progressing, she seemed reluctant to take a step farther. Oh, this is so romantic!" Yanagi squealed.
Recca was out of words, lost in understanding Yanagi.
"Recca! "She slapped Recca's arm "I know, maybe we could work things out for them." Yanagi grinned and leaned closer to tell Recca her plan.
"We'll see." Recca's eyes gleamed.