A Month in the Courts of Li
Arrival at the Foreign Court
The procession slowed as they neared the gates and Sakura nervously smoothed her clothes. Her dress was a strapless, pale cream dress tied with a slim pink sash. Designs chased one another along the top edge of the dress, a few inches lower than her collarbones, in the same color as the sash. Her gloves reached up past her elbows and had the same designs in pink on the white leather too. She nervously glanced over at her friends, fingering the pink silk choker with the rose beryl pendant, and was relieved to see that they weren't faring much better than her.
Chiharu wore a strapless, pale, cloud blue dress edged in ribbon of a deeper shade of blue that clung to her at the top and flowed pleasantly out from the waist downward.. The back of her dress was laced up with the same blue ribbon and tied in a slim, simple bow, and a simple, light blue silk choker with a blue zircon pendant hung at her throat. Her right sandal also had ribbon that curled up almost to her knee. She was flipping through her gift book with a small, concerned frown on her face, and she was muttering to herself, Teiron at her shoulder trying to calm her down.
Meiling's dress was almost identical to that of Chiharu's except that it was not laced and instead had a wide sash of the deepest red. Her sandals did not have ribbons curling up her legs, but they had thin straps and a little golden flame shaped buckles. She held her choker in her hand, the deep red garnet that was the pendant was no longer on the length of silk but instead it had changed into the staff in her hand, for their pendants were all concealment charms for their staffs. Twin red ribbons held her hair in their customary buns and trailed down next to her straight hair, Ladon at his customary perch on top of her head. Her staff was at its smaller size, for the great staff would not have fit. The power that it could channel was less, but not a lot less, and the smaller size was also more convenient at times.
Tomoyo was the only one who seemed unfazed by their arrival at the court. Her dress was a creamy white with many ribbons. The only straps it had were two violet ribbons over her shoulders. The top clung to her body and was edged with ribbon as well as pale, lavender ruffles. The sleeves were puffed and had thin violet ribbons laced through the top nearest to her shoulders. The bottom of the puff was tied with a bow of the same, and then trailed down just above her elbows. The sleeves continued longer to her wrists where there were more ruffles, again tied by more ribbon. Her waist was encircled by an amethyst hued sash. From there, the dress stopped clinging to her form and flowed around her, the bottom hem edged in lavender lace. Her sandals were much like a combination of Chiharu's and Meiling's, thin strapped with ribbon curling up her left leg until it stopped at a bow just below her knee. Her choker was of the same silk ribbon as the ones on her dress, and held a rare amethyst spinel as the pendant. Selene was not on her shoulder and instead was the illusive glint of gold that shone from within the smooth gem at her throat.
She sat regally in her nest of pillows, gazing dreamily out the window of the carriage, watching the towns as they grew ever smaller within the forest of green below. She wished that she could ride Atlantis, but knew that the uphill climb on horseback would have done ill for her dress, so she had refrained. A princess must always look her best, especially when visiting foreign courts. It was a matter of minutes before their carriage leveled out and rode smoothly over the cobblestones of the palace walk. Her view let her see the gate of the castle as they passed under it and they soon slowed to a stop.
Trumpets were blown in a fanfare, and the carriage door soon opened.
Chiharu shivered, nervously. As the farthest away from royalty, it was her duty to exit the carriage first. She held the hand that Yue extended lightly and smoothly stepped from carriage to cobblestones without a problem. She suppressed the urge to sigh with relief. That wasn't so bad, was it now? Chided Teiron with what sounded suspiciously like a laugh. Alright, it wasn't that bad, she conceded, but as she stepped to one side, she cautiously took a glance at the prince whose gift she had created. He looks even kinder and more open in real life, she said, forgetting that Teiron could hear her. And yet his eyes don't really seem to ever open, do they, came his reply. Chiharu blushed a light pink and glanced again at the prince. He smiled at her and her blush deepened without her knowing it.
Meiling hurriedly let Ladon into her pendant before taking Yue's hand and stepping out of the carriage on her turn. She took in the whole scene, regiments of the royal guard out to meet them, the King Li, Queen Yelan, and the Princes all out on the main steps. The king and princes all wore almost identical sets of clothing. High, white collar in the Chinese style, a delicately embroidered over robe, that reached the ground, and loose pants of the same white material as the shirt. The over robe itself was loose around the neck, had long, wide sleeves, and when the king raised his hand to greet her, she noticed a flash of white and concluded that under the robe was one whole suit of white. The robe split near the hips, had a front half and a back half, and had a sash of thick silk around the waist.
Sakura held tightly to Yue's hand as she stepped out of the carriage. He led her away to one side as she was announced as princess of her country. Her eyes looked at the prince whose gift she had created and then to the sword that hung at his waist. Well, they all had swords at their waists except the prince Meiling had been assigned to follow and the queen, but Sakura blushed with embarrassment. Kero! He already has a sword!! What am I to do? This is going to be so embarrassing.... Kero sighed. It was customary of Sakura to be flustered. Don't worry. You have to remember that your sword was made from magic, and that one, no matter how fine, could probably not compare. Sakura laughed mentally and then smiled. She didn't notice how the other prince blushed.
Tomoyo smoothed her dark tresses on last time before taking Ion's hand and stepping out of the carriage and onto the cobblestones. She swept her dress up in an elaborate curtsy as the crier announced, "Crown Princess Tomoyo of the Kinomoto Kingdom." She caught the eyes of the eldest prince and saw him wink subtly at her. No one else seemed to notice and she colored slightly in remembrance of last night's events. His smile seemed to broaden, though she couldn't be sure, and with Ion at her side, she entered the palace.
Main Reception Hall
King Li nodded to each of the royal females in turn before introducing his own family. "I am King Li, this is my wife Queen Yelan, and our four sons, Eriol, Yamazaki, Syaoran, and Ken. We are indefinitely pleased to have you in our court for the month. The princes will lead you to your chambers."
Tomoyo stepped forward before the princes could escort them away. "The Kinomoto Kingdom would first like to present gifts to the Li Kingdom." Ion and Yue carried in boxes of gold and bolts of precious silks and satins.
King Li nodded to her. "The Li Kingdom will send gifts back to the Kinomoto Kingdom when you return."
"We also have gifts that we wish to present the princes with," spoke up Sakura, and nodded to Tomoyo. Smiling, Tomoyo motioned for Ion to bring up her gift and stepped up to Eriol.
"Prince Eriol, I present to you this book filled with ancient spells, their histories, and the stories behind them. I hope you enjoy this gift from my kingdom," she said, speaking to him clearly and smiling her innocent smile.
Eriol stepped closer to her until he had almost invaded her personal space. "I thank you greatly, lovely princess, for getting this book that I have from long since desired. I hope you enjoy your stay with us," he paused momentarily, then continued in a whisper that was meant for her ears only. "You have strong, powerful magic, my princess, but you must be wary when you use it. There are things working here that even I do not understand." He pulled away, taking the book from her hands, the polite smile back on. It was a complete change from the worried look, filled with concern that she had seen in his eyes only moments before.
Startled, she pulled back as he bowed, curtsied automatically, and withdrew, heart pounding from the second encounter with the mysterious Prince Eriol.
Sakura stepped forward, sword wrapped in light linen cloth in her hands. "Prince Syaoran," she said, "I present to you this sword. It can cut through almost any material, can only be wielded by your hands, and swings as silent as the falling of a feather. I bequeath you this gift from my kingdom." She unwrapped the sword and held it out to him.
Syaoran stepped forward, his eyes already marveling the craftsmanship of the sheath. Taking the sword from her hands, he pulled it out of the sheath, marveling its perfect balance and keen edge. He gave it a few experimental swings and was surprised when she held out a thick bar of steel. He tested it magically to see if it was rigged, but it wasn't, so he slashed at it, half expecting it not to go through. At first he thought he'd missed the bar completely, but it fell to the ground, split in two, and he realized that the sword was so powerful that there had been no resistance. "A fine and wondrous gift, princess," he told her, bowing his thanks. She blushed pleasantly and he found himself liking the cute shade of pink that crept across her cheeks. What am I thinking?! He asked himself, turning a light red with embarrassment.
Meiling stepped forward to the Prince Ken and extended her hands. "I, Countess Meiling Wei present to you from my kingdom, this scroll. It holds many techniques that have almost been lost, and is spelled to keep it from wear."
Ken stepped forward and took the scroll from the countess' outstretched hands. Opening it, he examined the techniques, and the first one he saw was the one that he had struggled to complete a few days ago. His eyes widened. They were all here, ancient techniques, how to execute them, how to learn them, and how they were created. To Meiling, it seemed that his gratitude was thanks enough, and the funny feeling that she got whenever she had looked at him intensified.
"You have my eternal thanks, countess," he said. "You might not know how precious your gift has been to me. I will treasure it forever."
"I do," Meiling whispered almost inaudibly, face pink.
"What?" Ken asked, puzzled.
"I do know how precious the gift is," she whispered before returning to her spot.
Finally, Chiharu stepped forward, book in her hands. "Prince Yamazaki, I, Countess Chiharu Mihara, present you with a gift from my kingdom. A friend, the daughter of our court scribe, Lady Naoko Yanagisawa helped to compile this book." She handed him the book.
"Thank you, countess," Yamazaki told her. "Incidentally, did you know that the giving of gifts started long ago in the deserts? When one tribe met another for formal gatherings, they would both have to travel long distances, so it was the custom for both tribes to exchange water and fruits when they met, as a sign of goodwill. Unfortunately, when the chief's son of one tribe accidentally poisoned the other chief's wife, they decided water and fruits, or anything else that could be ingested, should not be a gift, so they started giving things that could BUY those things instead. That's why when one royal family visits another they bring gold and riches."
Chiharu laughed delightedly. "You're even better than Naoko! And you will like this book. It holds many tales just like the one you just told me. I am sure your highness will enjoy it."
The king, slightly flustered by the thought of more of Yamazaki's confusing tales hurriedly asked his sons to show their guests to their rooms.
Tomoyo and Eriol
Tomoyo shivered almost imperceptibly as she walked beside Eriol. He had seen through her concealment charm, no mean feat for anyone, and had talked to her through a mind connection. Selene, what do I do? I can't help but feel a little afraid of him. She felt Selene pat her comfortingly in her mind. Don't worry Tomoyo, something will come up. I can feel it.
"Princess," Tomoyo jumped slightly out of her mental conversation and turned to Eriol. They were alone in the hallway and she couldn't help but feel unease at their seclusion from everyone else. Eriol nodded to her slightly and confusion made her tilt her head to one side, curious. A dark, midnight blue beam of magic aura emanated from the clasp at his collar. It was a curious, golden sun shaped thing with a feline design much like the one her key pendant held when Selene was inside, but from the dark light came a feline Guardian, much like her own. He was just like a blue identical counterpart to her Selene.
Her own amethyst spinel shone as Selene exited the Guardian holding world. "Spinel Sun," she greeted formally. "I didn't know you were Prince Eriol's Guardian."
"Selene Moon," Spinel answered. "Likewise."
"Wait, Selene, what's going on?" Tomoyo asked, confused and bewildered.
Selene turned to her creator. "We Guardians are the creations of great mages, but Clow Reed created a universe for Guardians. It's where we go when we enter into your pendants. Spinel Sun and I met in that universe. We aren't allowed to speak of who are masters are, but we can talk about ourselves, our personalities, and our magical powers."
Tomoyo nodded her understanding. "Prince Eriol,"
"Please, leave the prince off, it seems too formal," the prince countered.
Tomoyo nodded again, "Eriol-kun, what were these things working here that you did not fully know about?"
He shook his head. "Not here my princess. I will escort you to your quarters before continuing." Spinel few by his ear and Selene perched on her shoulder, both Guardians alert. Tomoyo decided to let the princess comment slide. She would correct Eriol later.
It did not take long for them to arrive at her chambers. They weren't as resplendent as her Chambers Royale at her own palace, but they were lovely all the same. For a few minutes she marveled at the quaint furnishings of the rooms before turning to Eriol. She found him in the parlor room, sitting in one of the plush armchairs at a small round table. She took the chair opposite him and sipped at the cup of tea that he had conjured up. "Please continue about the things, Eriol-kun," she requested.
"I see you are not to be deterred. Indeed, they are odd happenings. Father is worried. You have seen my brothers and I practicing our magic and our martial arts," Eriol smiled at her blush, "but this is all because recently, magic has been attacking our palace. At the moment, the Shield cards of my brothers and I am protecting the palace, but we cannot hold the protection for long. That is why you have to be careful when you do magic. Because our shield will not last for long, we must call it back often to replenish the power, and when that happens, me must use as little magic as possible, for working magic is what attracts the power that attacks us. We've tried everything we could, but we still can't seem to trace the power back. Our magic reaches a certain point and then it just disappears. We've never been up against something like this. It isn't magic, it's un- magic."
Tomoyo hesitated momentarily before laying a pale white hand on Eriol's. "My sister Sakura and our cousins Meiling and Chiharu will surely help you and your brothers." She fought down the blush that threatened to rise and pulled her hand away.
Eriol caught her hand again. "Princess, why do you pledge you and your family in a battle that is not yours?" he asked.
"We are here, are we not? We can do at least this much to protect ourselves as well, and our kingdoms are allies. We are also mages, so it is as much a threat to us as it is to you, and please, call me Tomoyo," she said, extricating her hand from his grasp.
Spinel and Selene looked up from the book they were reading together on the couch. "Is she allowed to do that?" he asked curiously, "You know, pledging the help of her family like that." Selene nodded. "She's the crown princess after all, and only her family and her other mage friends know about their powers." Spinel nodded, reassured, and they turned back to their book.
"I must thank you Tomoyo-san for the book you gave me. It will prove to be very useful. I know you and your family meant these gifts to please us, but just because I have been searching through the many magic books in our palace library, that doesn't mean it is just for this one occasion. Your book will help us greatly, and I will treasure this creation of yours." He paused as if searching for a topic of conversation. "What Book do you have?" he asked.
Tomoyo smiled, for this was a question she liked. "If you wouldn't mind, I'll tell you about the Books my friends and I have first, then you can tell me what Books you and your brothers have." Eriol nodded to this and she continued. "My sister Sakura, who is sixteen, holds the Book of Stars. She received it from our mage-master Kaho Mizuki-sensei. Meiling is holder of the Book of Flames, the magic Book handed down to the mages of her family line. Chiharu is mistress of the Book of Sky, the Book of her family. Naoko holds the Book of Spirits, and she can speak to the ghosts of people who have died. Rika is holder of the Book of Earth, and keeps the lands in our kingdom healthy. I have the Book of the Moon, one of the two Books that Clow Reed himself created."
Eriol smiled, "Ah yes, the Book of the Moon. You gather your strength directly from Clow Reed then, do you not? But also, you gather your strength from the holder of the Book of the Sun, often called the Book of Clow, because the Book of the Moon is less known. I must thank you Tomoyo- san, for I have been long searching the holder of the Book of the Moon, and I didn't find her until today."
Tomoyo looked up at him, confusion and realization mixed in her eyes. "You mean, you have..."
Eriol nodded. "Yes Tomoyo-san, I am the holder of Clow Reed's Book of the Sun.
Sakura and Syaoran
"Thank you Princess Sakura for the sword," said Syaoran quietly as they walked down the silent halls.
She shook her head, "It's Sakura. Being called a princess is too formal ne? I would call you Li-kun, but as your brothers are all Li-kun, you don't mind if I call you Syaoran-kun right?"
Syaoran shook his head, blushing like a cherry. Sakura didn't notice.
They arrived at her rooms shortly afterwards. Syaoran made sure Sakura could find her rooms again, and then suggested they visit the sakura trees out in the orchard. Sakura, with many smiles and laughs, agreed.
At the orchard, Sakura stared up through the blossom laden branches of the sakura trees, weaving a few blossoms into a small weeping willow wreath. Turning to Syaoran with the wreath in her hair, she laughed at his look of surprise. She handed him a sakura. "They're so pretty and delicate, and they only bloom for a week. I'm so glad we came right now!"
Syaoran was about to reply when a black bolt of lightning shot down from the sky. Grasping Sakura's wrist, he pulled her behind him, his new sword already in his hand. A flick of his wrist was all it took to nullify the dark blast of magic, but when he turned back to Sakura, he saw the look in her eyes. He sighed. It looked like he was going to have a lot of explaining to do.
"Um...hehe Sakura I..." he trailed of helplessly.
She looked at him. "Start from the beginning and go slowly."
"....and so," he wrapped up, "there's a shield around us for the most part...though that bolt must have gotten past a weak point, and we don't want your family in danger. We didn't know your family had mages and all, for the demons are attracted to working magic."
Sakura nodded understandingly. Calling out her staff, she took out her Shield card and patched up the weak spot in their protection. "There, now you don't have to use more of your energy," she stated. She giggled at Syaoran's look of astonishment. He looked back and forth between the staff still in her hand and the sword at his hip.
"You made this?" he asked, clearly mystified.
Sakura nodded, suddenly blushing again. "Tomoyo-chan looked up some ancient books in our library and found how to make magical weapons. We can all turn our staffs into different weapons, but of course, we all favor something in particular. I like to use the short staff with blades at both ends, like a cheerleading baton," she explained. "Tomoyo-chan and Rika- chan back at home both like the fencing saber, though Tomoyo-chan is very good at archery too, and Meiling-chan doesn't need weapons because she fights hand-to-hand. Then again, she changes her staff into two small blades to use while fighting, so I guess you could say she likes that. Chiharu-chan likes to use a long staff of wood, but it has no blades and the ends are capped in magical symbols that move around funny when you stare at them for too long. Naoko-chan at home doesn't fight, but she and Tomoyo-chan are excellent strategists."
Syaoran laughed. "You and your friends are very talented. It is too bad that so few people can admire your skills."
Meiling and Ken
Ken pored over the scroll in his hands, leading Meiling off with him towards her chambers. Even though he was reading it intently, he never bumped into the walls or anything. Finally, they arrived at Meiling's rooms. "I hope you don't mind, there a little plain," he said, still reading.
"Are you kidding?" she asked. "These rooms are a lot better than the ones I have at home. After all, I'm a countess, not a princess." She paused as he kept on reading. "Do you have any practice rooms here?" she asked curiously. "Sitting in a carriage for a week hasn't done any good for my daily practices."
This caught Ken's attention. "You practice martial arts?" he asked, surprise evident in his voice.
Meiling nodded with a grin. She had found something to catch this prince's attention. "I've been taught ever since I was really little, and the same goes for all the others. Even Tomoyo and Chiharu. If you take me to a practice room, I'll spar with you or something." It was a rash decision she was making most likely; she hadn't practiced in a week, and Ken was probably a lot better than her, but if this caught his attention, so be it.
He grabbed her hand and led away the blushing Meiling. Well, that's one person eager to practice, she mused quietly. Or he just wants to grab your hand, countered Ladon. LADON!! Her mind shriek was practically deafening, but her embarrassment was just as loud in Ladon's ears.
They arrived, breathing a bit harder than before, Ken pulled off his heavy over robe, and tossed it over a chair. There were three of them in the room. It was a well lit place and the room they were in had good, solid floors for running on and pushing off of. She was glad, she hated to slip and fall.
"Wait here a sec Meiling-san," "Meiling," she corrected automatically. Ken smiled. "Meiling then, wait here. I want to change into more comfortable clothes. You might look in that room behind you. There weren't many people who liked to fight, but we still have clothes from when Mother was your age."
Meiling nodded, headed into the room, and closed the door behind her. She concentrated; thinking of what clothes would be comfortable to fight in. She came up with a pair of white pants that resembled the ones that Ken wore, and a short sleeved, form-fitting over robe of red. Satisfied with her mental picture, she called for her Create card and soon, those exact clothes were in her arms. Storing her magical things away, she hastily changed out of her dress and into the fighting clothes. She hadn't thought up of shoes, but she didn't mind, for she practiced better barefooted.
Opening the door she almost crashed into Ken. She opened her mouth to apologize, but the stern look in his eyes made her stop. For a moment, she thought he was going to shout at her, but then the look in his eyes disappeared. "Meiling! Ready? Alright then, let's get started. First one to get knocked out the circle is the loser, agreed?" Meiling nodded, noticing the wide circle of blue drawn on the floor.
She focused on Ken and stifled a small squeak for he was wearing white pants, identical to the pair she wore, a short sleeved silk shirt in light green that wasn't buttoned up at the front, and no shoes. She shook her head lightly. It wouldn't do any good to get absorbed in staring at him during the battle. It was most likely the thing that would make her lose. Stiffening her resolve, she took her place opposite him and sunk into a battle pose.
"You fight hand-to-hand?" Ken asked.
"Yes. My cousins and friends prefer fighting with weapons, but there are always times when one isn't armed. I decided I'd rather be able to fight without weapons at all then to depend on them needlessly." Meiling concentrated on the shift of his legs, the subtle changes in his skin, and suddenly, she was dodging his attacks.
They were both pretty evenly matched, Meiling's speed making up for her weaker blows, and soon they were both panting from light exertion. "You're very good Meiling," Ken said. "But I've been holding back, and there won't be any more of that now." Meiling laughed. "Then I shall do the same." Their blows sped up until they were two human shaped blurs, one light green, the other a deep red, until Ken had cornered Meiling at the edge of the circle, he lunged, thinking to force her out of the circle without hurting her. Meiling grinned and used his shoulders to vault over him, using his momentum to knock him out of the ring. Just as she turned back to smile at him triumphantly, and hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, and the two of them landed in a tangle of arms and legs on the ground.
Meiling sat up, surprised that she wasn't hurt. Then she realized just exactly what she was sitting on. "KEN!!! I'm so sorry!! I didn't realize I was sitting on you!" She kept apologizing profusely, but Ken just laughed. "I probably shouldn't have pulled you down with me," he said. She hurriedly scooted off him, blushing embarrassedly. He sat up and winced, the air having been knocked out of him. "Don't worry, I'll be fine," he reassured her. It was almost amusing how he felt the urge to reassure this girl.
Meiling sighed. Guys usually never said anything when they got hurt. Hiding her aura, she laid a bit of healing on him, making him feel as good as new. Anyone without magic wouldn't have known the healing. She knew she was being careless, but it was partly her fault for this happening, totally her fault if you counted the whole thing as her suggestion, but she really couldn't help feeling bad.
"Meiling," the word wasn't a question, it was a command. More like a demand for answers, Meiling thought, an uncomfortable chill going down her back. Tomoyo-chan was not going to be happy about this... "Meiling, that was magic." It wasn't an accusation, it was a bold statement, and yet, there was something funny about it. Ken didn't sound the least bit afraid of it, which was how other people usually reacted. At least, that's what Mizuki-sensei had said.
"Meiling," she turned to face him. "I..." She paused, not quite knowing what to say, when a hand tapped her shoulder, and she looked up. "It's ok, I know." Light beamed from the chain and pendant he had been wearing around his neck, and an olive green Guardian came out. She stared at him in shock. "You...you......how?" She could hardly get the words out of her mouth she was so stunned. Ken laughed. "It looks like we both have some explaining to do."
Chiharu and Yamazaki
She realized that Yamazaki wasn't the most talkative of people, but whenever she mentioned something trivial, it always seemed to make him go off on one of the stories. This had been his third or fourth one so far, she'd lost count after listening to the first two, and she didn't think it was going to stop anytime soon. Finally she couldn't stand it any more. "STOP!!" she cried, throttling him gently like she did to her older brothers. "You'd think the sky was green and the stars would come out as butterflies during the day!" she declared. The infuriating prince was still grinning, even though her hands were around his neck.
"You know," he said, one finger tapping her nose gently, "The whole thing about the sky turning green,"
"ARGH!!" Chiharu cried. "Listen Prince Yamazaki, I didn't come here to listen to your stories non-stop. Even Naoko-chan isn't like that! At least she knows when to stop those creative tales and facts that seem real but aren't." She sighed. "Never mind. I'm sorry I yelled at you."
Yamazaki just grinned at her. "Do you ever open your eyes?" she blurted out, and gasped. "I'm sorry, that was rude of..." She was cut off by the light finger on her lips and the 'me' that she had been about to say never got past her throat.
She stared deeply into two pools of deep blue-gray, almost like a storm cloud. "I do open my eyes," Yamazaki whispered softly, the words barely reaching her ears. Chiharu blushed, suddenly noticing their proximity. She didn't quite understand how he could have gotten into her personal space so quickly, except that her hands were still around his throat. "Mihara-san, there is something important that I need to tell you, but not here." Chiharu nodded slightly, her hands loosening their grasp on Yamazaki's throat. "Follow me."
This part of their walk to her chambers was completely different from their walk up until now, and it gave Chiharu silence to think. He opened his eyes, and he's different now. He changed personalities so quickly, it's almost like they aren't the same person. Maybe it runs in the family? I wonder if it means anything, his opening his eyes. And... she blushed, they really were very nice eyes. She glanced at his back curiously. He was walking just a bit ahead of her, leading the way, as silent as Tomoyo could be when she wanted to. There was something in the set of his shoulders that worried her, because he seemed suddenly very closed, blocking her out just as he had been so open a few moments ago. I shouldn't have shouted at him...it was rude and I must have sounded so mean. I wonder if he'll forgive me. I hope... She bumped into Yamazaki with a soft "ow".
He turned around, his eyes soft. Taking her hand, he led her into her rooms, directly to the bedroom. Chiharu blushed bright red. It was, after all, her bedroom for the next month, and here she was, sitting on her bed with a prince beside her. "Mihara-san, before I tell you this, I have to ask for your secrecy." She looked up at Yamazaki, his eyes still open and nodded. "But most of all, I have to ask for your belief." Yamazaki looked solemnly into her chocolate colored eyes, and smiled as she nodded. "Alright, I and my four brothers have been attacked by dark magic for a few months now. Some of it is dark magic anyway; the rest is un-magic. We've tried tracing it, but at one point, it disappears. We can't understand it. That's why we practice martial arts and magic so much these days. Of course, you can't know that, but we have. My brothers and I are mages. Surprised?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.
Chiharu shook her head. "I'm a mage too," she whispered softly, avoiding his eyes and fiddling with the fabric of her dress that lay across her knees. "Tomoyo-chan, Sakura-chan, Meiling-chan, even my friends at home, Rika-chan and Naoko-chan who helped make your gift. They're all mages." She let Teiron out, and he perched on one of her shoulders.
Yamazaki smiled, letting his dark eyes close. "I guess that means that we don't have to worry about any of your retinue running off, does it Mihara- san?"
Chiharu shook her head, eyes dancing. "Chiharu, please Prince Yamazaki. Have you thought of what to do about these attacks?" she asked.
Yamazaki nodded. "Yes, we have Chiharu. And please call me Yamazaki," he answered with a smile. Their talk drifted to the subject of strategies.
Hi! Thank you all my kind reviewers! Please check out my profile page, there's a notice about this fic. Oh, and...Review? Please?
Cobalt Rose