by Spatula Gurl
night, tears coursing down my cheek.
He gave me you, and I asked him why.
'I thought it was an angel you seek!'
He replied."
Minako nodded as she headed off to her bedchamber with Cora right behind her
and two other maids to assist her with her clothing.
Now inside the privacy of her room, she was stripped down to her underrobes.
Cora proceeded to prepare Minako's garments one by one on top of the bed, while
the two other maids fussed about her face and hair. Minako stood still in front
of the silver looking-glass, speaking not a word as the maids busied themselves
with her appearance.
Cora smiled as her eyes travelled admiringly over the heavy, gold-colored gown
in her arms. It was so beautiful. She was certain Sir
Richard would melt at the very sight of Lady Minako wearing it. She laid it
down on the bed with the slik chemise, corset, ribbons and circlet. Having done
that, she glanced at Minako, her smile turning a slight wistful. Her young mistress
had finally agreed to give her hand in marrige to Richard, the young knight.
The wedding was set two months from the week before, and since then, Minako
had been more quiet and reserved. The change in her behavior was expected, but
the calm in which she accepted the so detested fate was almost unbelievable.
Was this the same female who ran in a chaotic whirlwind just a few days ago
to avoid a meeting with her intended? Cora sighed to herself, now turning towards
Minako to dress the young lady appropriately, starting first with the chemise.
Minako looked at herself in the mirror, a faint glint of steel in her blue eyes.
She agreed to marry the young knight-lord, and she would
never forgive her father because of it. Not even when he looked at her with
such hurt in his eyes when she told him that once she was gone from his shelter,
he would never know or see a trace of his daughter again. He had gone quite
pale after that, but she did not stay any longer to see how he would further
react.
There were no more tears, she told herself bitterly as she continued to gaze
at her reflection. There, just before her, was a girl she barely knew. Her pale
face was emotionless, the clear blue eyes unblinking. Is this what she had become?
Well, no matter. From then on, she will face the future bravely, and will not
look back at the past. Never look back.
Never.
Even if she was wishing, at that very moment, to disappear from it all.
An ear-splitting scream echoed throughout the peaceful hallways of the castle.
Mumbled cries and shuffled footsteps resounded in the
stairway, and those who heard the blood-curling sound, rushed immediately to
its source.
It was Cora, with two of the other maids, Liane and Rosalind, right behind her,
tears streaking down their cheeks as they cried frantically.
"Lady Anne! Where is Lady Anne?" Cora half-shouted to the servants
gathered around them.
"What happened?"
"Who screamed?"
"What is wrong?"
"La...nako...vanished!" Liane sobbed, burrying her face in her hands.
Rosalind, who was standing beside her, was speaking just as
incoherrently.
"What is the matter?" A woman's voice sounded through the disturbance.
Upon hearing it, the servants immediately hushed their tones,
but the worried looks on their faces were apparent.
It was Lady Anne. A frown marred her aged features, as the servants parted to
give her way. Cora immediately rushed to her, her hands
clasped together, bespeaking her distress.
"M'lady, the young mistress has vanished!"
Anne's face grew ashen. "What?"
"W-we were in the chamber with Lady Minako, helping her prepare for the
arrival of Sir Richard and his men. Right before my eyes, she suddenly disappeared!"
"Search the castle!" Anne ordered. Then to Cora, Liane and Rosalind,
she said, "Come with me to her tower."
When they finally reached the chamber from which all three maids came rushing
down from, they found it empty. They searched the entire room, not caring about
the disorder they were making. Still there was no sign of the missing countess.
Anne, trembling with fright, told the maids to go. "Search the other rooms!
Now! Quickly!" When they were gone, the old woman looked
about her, one hand clutched to her chest. Tears began to form in her eyes as
she whispered brokenly, "My God...it has happened..."
* * *
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!" he roared.
Minako almost jumped back in surprise, her eyes quite wide with fear. Her initial
confusion at the sudden darkness that surrounded her,
and the whirling motion which dulled her senses, was momentarily forgotten at
the first sight that greeted her. Who was this strange, half-naked man standing
before her, shouting his question in such a loud voice which lightning from
the outside could not match? And he was glowering at her so fiercely that her
first reaction was to cover herself or run from fright. But she didn't. She
was rooted right on top of that soft thing she landed on, not even daring to
breathe nor blink.
But it was when he began to advance toward her in a threatening stride that
her fear vanished, and her own fury surfaced. One moment she was bitterly recounting
her last few days of freedom, and the next she found herself in an unknown place
with an unknown man thundering his insolent demands at her. A woman could only
take so much abuse in one day...
"Stay back!" she shouted, her voice slightly shaking. Of earlier fear,
or with present anger, she did not know, but at that moment, she
didn't really care. She quickly stood on her feet and backed away a few inches.
"I believe I should be asking you that question. I know not who you are,
but you best explain yourself right quickly! What am I doing in
here?"
Kunzite scowled darkly. If this was anyone's idea of a joke, he didn't find
it funny. "I don't know who you are, or what the hell you're
doing in my property, lady. All I know is you're tresspassing, and whoever--"
"Tresspassing!" she gasped. "How dare--!"
"Yes, and Kami-sama, if you don't get the hell out of here, I won't even
bother to have you arrested by the police! I'll take care of you
myself!"
searched for an exit that could not be found in the strange dungeon she was
in. Turning around, she saw that the silver-haired man had already caught up
with her, and had now taken hold of one of her wrists in a death grip.
"You're not going anywhere, you thief!" he growled.
"Thief?!" she shrieked, then kicked him squarely in the shin for the
insult. She dashed out of his reach right after, hearing him roar
in anger. But there were only so much space she could run into, and she soon
found herself cornered once again.
"See here," she said, taking hold of a tiny, gold-threaded pouch slinging
from her side and throwing it to him as he drew nearer. "You are mistaking
me for some common thief I do not even know. You can have all my gold if you
release me! I can give you more, if the sum does not satisfy you."
allow she didn't look much like a thief, especially in that heavy dress. "Then
what exactly are you doing here? Is this some kind of a practical joke?"
he snarled angrily.
want to keep up this game, fine. But we'll do it my way."
Backing away as he now advanced towards her, she tripped on her dress, her elbow
turning something from the wall before she caught herself in the tumble. A creak
from it made her look up to see a part of the wall suddenly edge itself from
its original surface. Her eyes lit up as it dawned to her, quickly as it happened,
that this was the escape path she was looking for. She wedged it open and ran
like mad to the other room, shutting the 'wall' behind her.
She stared at her left wrist, which was cuffed to the brass bars of a pillowed
long-seater. She pulled her arm away, but was only met with the clashing sound
of metal against brass. "W-what is...?"
Her protest was cut short as a tall frame shadowed above hers. She gulped nervously.
He was staring down at her with a grim expression, and she dreaded what he might
do next, now that she had nowhere else to go...
This was Ryougo's doing. It had to be. It explained the princess-like costume
AND the girl's presence. This was just one of his elaborate gimmicks. It was
so like Ryougo to send one of his women to him, like the way he jestingly presented
a pair of handcuffs to him--the very ones which bound this girl to the seat--on
his last birthday. 'Enjoy,' he jokingly suggested, giving him a wink. Kunzite
could've saved him the kindly gesture and informed him that in his bed, women
never had room to act out ridiculous fantasies...
Dragging his thoughts back to the girl, whose nervousness apparently did not
lessen despite his lack of words, he then wondered how Ryougo managed to sneak
this female inside his private suite. Sure, Ryougo had been invited a couple
of times to this very place, but unless Kunzite had anything to say otherwise,
his suite was under full security. Not just anyone could even come twenty meters
near the territory. The grounds and the gates were under constant supervision,
and the hallways were even wired with surveillance cameras. Someone from the
staff should've informed him beforehand if there were visitors waiting for him.
And certainly, none of these guests were allowed inside his suite. They should've
been made to wait elsewhere. Kunzite almost shook his head in disbelief. Ryougo
had really outdone himself this time.
But what was Ryougo thinking? Kunzite's eyes roamed about the girl's features,
and noted their distinctive innocence. That alone proved how dangerous her attractiveness
was. Hers was a beauty that aroused protective and possessive instincts from
a male. And perhaps...even uncontrollable lust. All the more reason why Ryougo
would pick someone like her.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" a female voice broke through his
thoughts.
She then heard him speak in a deep voice: "How about, 'Who are you?', for
the nth time?" he asked her.
She returned his intense gaze with a puzzled one, not completely comprehending.
But she did reply a split-second after, barely thinking, pressured under his
undivided attention. "Aino Minako--" she said, then abruptly stopped,
berating herself for stupidly giving away such information to a stranger.
"Well, Minako," he said to her, "I'll forget about this if you
will. Tell Ryougo that although his offer proves tempting, I am not interested
as of the moment."
She stared at him oddly. "W-what are you talking about?" she asked
him, her voice faltering a bit at her confusion.
He frowned at her, and the seconds tolled by in silence. "Where do you
live?" he suddenly asked her after a few moments.
The unexpected question surprised her. Minako opened her mouth to reply, but
she stopped...not because she refused to volunteer more information about herself,
though. She stopped, because suddenly, her mind went blank...and she didn't
know what to answer.
"Where do you live?" he asked again, the tone of his voice more insistent
than before.
"I..." She paused, seeming to recollect her thoughts. Finally, after
a few moments, she sighed. "I don't know..." she finished.
Kunzite raked his hand through his hair and gave a frustrated sigh of his own.
Well, if anything, Ryougo had meant to make the girl stay for the night. And
the morning, too, probably. Was it his concern of his if she didn't have any
place to stay tonight because of Ryougo's elaborate plan?
Well...yes.
He couldn't just turn her away at this late hour. And calling security was out
of the question.
So was sharing a bed with her.
He gave a slight shake of his head and rubbed his temples. Since he was too
tired to bother fussing about this blonde beauty, he decided on the only acceptable
solution.
She had to spend the night inside the suite.
Send comments to: Spatula Gurl ucchan@gurlmail.com
I only decided to separate their thoughts at the last minute, inserting the
"~~~~~~~" for more definition. ^^; Gome!
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