Dark Arrow

By Marie Darkholme

19. Strike Back

The gates of the castle were illuminated by the torches exposed in the walls. Two guards, half awake, half asleep, were forced to break from their sleepy state when eight hooded figures approached. The rain that had been falling had soaked their uniforms, but it didn't seem enough to keep them completely aware of their surroundings. The sound of skulls in the dirt and some slapping from the horses were the only thing that announced the strangers.

The eldest of the guards hit with his boot on the other, that still remained with his eyes closed and they both assumed a guarding position with their long lances crossing the path between the stranger and the gates. "Who are you and what it's your business in Her Majesty's properties." He asked with a strong voice. The leading figure of the group pushed down his hood to reveal a red haired man with the uniform of the guard. Immediately understanding who it was, the guards bowed, mumbling apologies. Captain Motomiya made a note to remember himself of putting more competent guards on the gates. On the other hand, the guards on the walls were very alert with their bows ready. As they saw their Captain the ropes of the bows relaxed and the arrows were put back on their places.

"Captain, you're back. Who do you bring with you? We were ordered to keep strangers away from the castle." The man excused himself. "These three are outlaws that we caught." He said motioning to Taichi, Ken and Sam, They had their hands tied and a cloth over their mouths. When the Captain pushed down their hoods, they shook their heads violently. "The girls were helping them escape, but me and these two helpful men caught them all, and they are going to reply in the court tomorrow for their crimes." He continued. He did not dare to show neither Takeru's, Koushiro's nor Sora's face, afraid they would recognized them, and just gesticulated in their direction. In the dark, no one could see behind their hoods and that gave them some advantage.

The guard was perplexed by the strange group that the Captain had brought in. From the three men, he had heard about the brown haired from his brother in Oita's. He was said to be the fearless Captain of a pirate ship that claimed to be corsairs. As for him, like he had said to his brother, the name could be different, but down inside they were all the same rats. However what made him most curious was the fact that the Captain had brought two women to be arrested. Of course women had been arrested and even executed before, but for helping out two men! Even being them pirates, they could have forced the two to help them. The world is really turned upside down. He thought to himself.

With a small sign to the guards in the walls, the gates began to screak, and slowly they started opening. Daisuke galloped to the castle, with the rest of the group following him, the two helpful men on the back, making sure the prisoners wouldn't escape.

The Captain stopped abruptly in front of the prison entering. Another pair of guards was guarding the iron grades of the gate. But these one asked no questions and immediately gave space for their Captain to enclosure the prisoners. However when the two were helping two of the prisoners to climb off their horses, they found out their hands weren't so tightly tied has they should have been. Before they could let out a squeak, Taichi and Sam put them down with a strong hit in the back of their necks, making both unconscious. Picking their katana, the group entered the prison, Takeru and Koushiro covering their entering.

The prison was a rather uncomfortable, smelly and painful place to be. Daisuke was the most accustomed to the labyrinth between cells and was leading the way. Right behind him, Ken and Haruko were running as quietly as they could, followed by Sora, Sam and Taichi. Most of the prisoners was asleep and did not woke up with the sound of their steps.

For the first time in his life, the brown haired man was in a prison. He couldn't help but feel claustrophobic. So many times, guards had been close to get their hands on him and his friends…. And this was the place they would end up. The thought made his throat dry and seemed to press his heart. He gobbled dryly as he crossed the cells were thieves, bandits, rappers and who knows what else, laid asleep. It could be him, or Sam or Ken in that position and he didn't like it one bit. Neither did he like the fact that they were working with someone that he had already noticed that didn't like them. He was sure that Captain Daisuke had not yet crossed the first impression. He could see by the way he was careful not to have them on his back; the way he always seemed to be more aware of his surrounding when their were close. In his mind, he still he still thought they were merciless pirates, widows making. He could not see behind that and the fact frightened Taichi, because he knew, that in case the Captain decided to get the chance and catch them, they would have no chance against their troops.

After about five to ten minutes in the underworld they reached the door that led into the palace. That door was guarded too, they knew that, but they had already made plans to cross it. The Captain knocked on the door. "Who the hell is it?" some bad mood voice replied from the other side. "Watch your mood, soldier." The Captain scolded him. Understanding who it was and the big mistake he had made, the soldier was quick to open the door, and as he did it and entered, he fell into Ken and Sam's hands that knocked him unconscious. Meanwhile, the Captain crossed the door and hit the second guard. They pushed them into the prison and locked the door behind them. Now it came the most difficult part.

The auburn haired woman was amazed by the success they were having in penetrating the castle. Of course, they knew the place from top to bottom, but yet, the easiness they had eliminating the guards, made her think, how safe the place was after all. She was expecting more resistance. They had not yet crossed paths with none of the Ishida's guards they had been warned against. All the guards they had hit were from the castle. But no surprises there, either. She was expecting them closer to their objective, deep into the castle and not guarding doors.

They started walking through the long corridor that led to the stairs to the second floor. Sora had proposed that they spread in order to make less noise and have more hiding possibilities, but the Captain had dissuaded them, saying they had more chances together if they found any resistance. But now, the girl was beginning to wonder how far he was right.

Some guards were patrolling the stairs and the corridor, and these ones weren't theirs. They reunited to plan the attack. Koushiro approached the corner of the corridor and threw one of his darts that hit a soldier square in the neck. The man immediately fell unconscious due to the strong tranquilizer. Sam ran to him and pushed him back, hiding the guard behind them. A minute later, the second guard appeared. Daisuke suspected they should be in maximum three and they knocked them all unconscious. Not seeing anyone, they continued their quest when someone surprised them from the back. There was a fourth guard, a guard from Yamato's castle.

"Hey you there." The man shouted. "You shouldn't be here." Takeru was quick to shut the man up, but he had already alerted the others, and about three guards came from the back to join the fallen one and other three from the front. Yet they were only six and they were eight, so the odds were highly against the guards. The problem was that they would put the entire castle alert to their presence. Daisuke wasn't worried about his soldiers but with the soldiers that Yamato might have possibly infiltrated there in his absence.

"That's Captain Motomiya." One of the soldiers, which Daisuke recognized as young boy that entered the squad half year ago, said. But the other five shut him up with their swords. The Captain clenched his fists in anger. Two more soldiers had arrived. By the looks of it, most of the inner guards had been replaced. Yamato was not as stupid as he might have thought at first. The plan expected his guards near the Queen's rooms, but they seemed to be everywhere inside the castle.

"Captain Motomiya, you've finally decided to join us. Hmm, and you brought company." The taller one said. He seemed to be the one leading the soldiers. Their group was surrounded, but bigger in number. They stayed in defensive positions, their backs all turned to the centre of the circle they were forming. "I don't know who the hell the rest of you are, but you..." the man approached, the others closing the circle on them. "You are wanted, alive." He continued pointing to Takeru. In her mind, Sora sighed with relief. Their plans had not yet fallen. These men didn't know who she was. It wasn't all lost yet. "As for you…" the man continued with his discourse. "King Yamato has ordered us to bring you or your head to him. I sincerely think the second is more appropriated. What about you?" with this last sentence, the man launched himself forward and Daisuke was forced to defend himself.

The other also attacked, but as there were only seven of them, Haruko and Sora were left the same opponent. "Come here, pretty chicks and I promise I won't hurt you…much." He said. The auburn haired rolled her eyes. This one must think we are easy to get. She thought. She crossed a look with Haruko and the two threw themselves over the man. Not expecting this kind of reaction, the man was taken down in two seconds, when Haruko hit his leg with one of her sais.

The two girls watched the rest of the group as their opponent laid squeaking like a little child. Taichi was taking care of his skinny adversary rather easily, and the same for the rest of them. Only Daisuke was having some difficulties. However, they had planned what to do in this situation and so, the auburn haired sprinted through the stairs. Haruko took a last look back and then followed her, hoping that her beloved Captain would defeat his opponent soon and safely.

Taichi ducked the first blow of his opponent. They were armed but they were not as dangerous as he had first thought. For the corner of his eyes, he saw Sora and Haruko throwing down their opponent. He circled the skinny man with his katana and brought it down to his legs. Daisuke had made a special request for them not to kill or hurt dangerously any of their adversaries and he wasn't just about to make the Captain think badly of him. Unfortunately, the skinny man defended the gulp and attacked him with his other hand, hitting him on the face. The corsair smiled, his headband a little off place, and brought his fist in contact with the man's teeth. The Captain had said nothing about breaking teeth. His adversary backed away and spit to the floor a muff of blood. He took his tongue to his front teeth and cut himself in the broken tooth.

The young blond broke the leg of the man that attacked him with a strong hit of his double bladed weapon. After that, there was nothing left for the adversary besides wince in pain, as his knee came in contact with the floor and his face with Takeru's fist, making him unconscious. The blond then went over to help Ken who had engulfed himself in a fist fight with a small man with a skull like face. Ken was having some advantage until the man hit him in his eyes, making him groan and bit the man's hand when he tried to do it again. However, there was something distasteful in his hand and the young dark haired backed away quickly spilling what it tasted like cat's urine. Takeru nicely finished the job, hitting the man with Ken's katana in the leg. It seemed to be the day of injuring and breaking legs. Ken thanked him with a smile as he spit what it seemed to be the last of the man hand's taste to the floor. They looked around to see that the battle was over. They had won. Was there any doubt that we could defeat these fools? Ken asked himself as he stood.

"Where are the girls?" Koushiro asked as he finished his soldier with an elbow hit. They looked around to see they were not there. "They must have followed the plan and gone to find Queen Natsuko, I mean, Miyuki." Captain Motomiya said. The others agreed and giving a last glance to their defeated adversaries, they started to make their way upstairs.

The brown haired woman followed her newest friend, and has it had revealed, her truthful Queen. Never had she heard such a story in her life. It almost looked like the stories that her father used to told her when she went to bed. Fairy tales. She used to think. In the stories, there was always a happy end, but she wasn't so sure anymore about the end of this story. She thought highly of her ruler, as a woman and as a future leader. The girl in front of her should still be young, around her twenties, more or less, and yet she had defied everyone to find a truth that she begun to doubt.

She was drawn away from her thoughts when Sora abruptly stopped her in her tracks. She had not been looking to where they were going, following the auburn haired. They had reached the corner of the corridor they were walking. "I think she's there." She heard Sora saying. "There are two guards guarding the way." She continued and turned to face the girl besides her, leaning against the wall, with her sais shaking on her hands. "Do you think we can take care of them?" she asked with a smile playing in her lips. That told Haruko that she wasn't expecting no for an answer. Rather she said yes or no, Sora would go and face the two soldiers at the doors. But deep in, her spirit told her that they were match for two men. She had seen the auburn haired defeating five men once. She could handle them alone. In fact, she would only be a burden. "At three." She heard the auburn haired say.

She took in all her courage and grabbed firmly her sais, obliging her hands to stop shaking. "Three." Came the signal. The two women charged into the two lonely men. But they were too relaxed. Something is wrong. The thought crossed Sora's mind seconds before she felt a hit on her back. Her vision became blurred and her knees failed, but she didn't release her katana. She knew she couldn't. However, she could not stop her knees from bending and from hitting the ground. She heard a wince, but she was sure it hadn't been her. Haruko. The name popped into her head, and from between the shadows that crossed her eyes, she could distinguish something falling hard on the ground. She could feel her own body failing her, but she made an effort and managed not to fall to the ground. She raised her katana and cut the air around her. Slowly, her vision begun to clear and she was able to see more three soldiers than the two that she had saw. The men were around her, a small smirk on their faces as they watched her and Haruko. They were underestimating her and now, she was going to make them pay for their mistake.

The guys were half way through the stairs when they heard a wince. "Haruko!" Daisuke exclaimed with an worried look on his face. In fact, he had gone practically white, like it was a ghost that he was hearing. But the others were worried too. Their friends were in danger and they must go to their rescue. They started climbing faster than they had already till then, until something crossed their path. A group of soldiers had blocked their way. They were ten, three more than them. No sweat. Taichi thought to himself as he reached for the handle of his katana. We can take care of them without any trouble. But in his mind, something else was worrying him: the clench of swords some corridors away. Things are getting off control. They must have been alerted by the noise.

The auburn haired girl raised herself from the floor, rather quickly, sending a faint feeling through her mind and stood in a defensive position that allowed her to evaluate the situation. There were five men, armed and considered dangerous. Priorities, priorities. The leader, defeat the leader. The problem was there was no way to know which of them the leader was, that is if there was a higher patent at all. The soldiers didn't attack her and just stood there, their weapons folded, smirking.

"I don't know who the fuck you two ladies are, but you defeated our colleagues and now you have to pay the price." One of the men said, licking his lips. He had a scar over his left eye and a menacing look, but the auburn haired had faced uglier opponent before. "Are you going to attack us or you just know how to hold the katana?" the same men laughed, making the others do the same. Hmm, talking smart, right? You must be the higher patent around this scum. She thought to herself, but did not make a movement. Let them come to you, give the first step and trip. Jyou had taught her. She could see the men were getting annoyed by the waiting, but she had all the time in the world. Well, not quite, but I can be more patient than this dogs.

Suddenly, the funny man tried to hit her and for the first time, she could see the weapon he had been hiding behind his back. It was an axe with a long handle, therefore with long reach. But being an axe it also made it heavy and slower which gave her a slight advantage. She got out of the way and the blade hit the floor. Sora noted that she had to be careful not to lead them into harming Haruko that was lying on the floor.

As the higher patent attacked her, the others were quite. They seemed to think he was enough to take care of her. How wrong they were. Sora deviated from another hit and with her katana hit the long handle made of wood and made a small cut. The man laughed. "That little knife of yours can't cut through my axe." He replied. Sora took no notice to what he was saying and hit the handle again. Annoyed the man prepared to hit her again, but as he raised the axe into the air, a sound of wood breaking was heard and the metal axe fell to the ground. The weight of the axe made the strong wood break, just like Sora had predicted. Taking the man's surprise, she hit him in the stomach, making a cut over his lower chest. One out, four to go.She enthusiastically said to herself.

"Damn, we don't have time for this. We have to find the girls." Sam shouted from between the sound of metal hitting metal. He kicked his adversary in the stomach, making him fall down the stairs and probably breaking something, by the scream he gave.

Taichi pushed a man from top of him and hit him in the leg. "Cover my path, I'm going after them." He asked his friend. Another guy was preparing to hit him, but Takeru blocked the blow with his double bladed weapon. "Go!" he encouraged Taichi. Swinging his blades, the blond made the man back away till he had him cornered in the stairs' handrail. He prepared to strike him, but the man jumped off and landed safely on the floor. Takeru smiled. With a hand over the handrail he jumped from the stairs to meet his opponent and they started fighting again. Some stairs away, Koushiro was trying to escape of his adversary. The man had disarmed him, his katana lying some large feet away, impossible to reach unless he wanted to pass through the blade of the man's pudao. He could do nothing except deviating from the attacks and he was going in the wall's direction, blocking himself. With a strike of luck, he managed to make the man hit the wall and as quickly as he could he punched him in the face, breaking his nose. He dived to get his sword, before the man could see again.

Meanwhile, Daisuke and Ken were fighting back to back with two men. They switched positions every blow and that confused their opponent, since they had completely different fighting styles. The red haired man saw from the corner of his eye Taichi climbing the stairs. I have to get this over. He thought to himself. He couldn't trust those pirates, not a bit. But then it hit him. He was fighting side by side with one. In fact, the youngster was protecting his back. How can I be so stupid? Just because they did bad things in the past…but even that! I don't know who they are, but they have not given me proves of being the bad guys. His short daydreaming distracted him from the fight, and he didn't see someone aiming at him. He closed his eyes waiting for the arrow to hit him, when Sam grabbed it in the air, a hand away from Daisuke's heart. The captain couldn't help feeling grateful and stupid for all his prejudices.

The auburn haired ducked and felt the sword of the man cutting the air above her head. But she wasn't quick enough to deviate from the kick the other man gave her. She fell to the ground. Licking her lip, she tasted her own blood, dripping from her injured lip. She rolled back and stood. Haruko had been left some metres away and she couldn't see her anymore. At least, I've managed to get them away of her. She thought but that didn't tranquilize her. After defeating the funny man, the other had charged her all together, and it was getting difficult to avoid all their blows. She had already injured one, probably killed him, she wasn't sure. She didn't look enough time to him to be sure, but he was out of combat, that she was completely positive. She raised her katana in the air and blocked another attack at the cost of her left hand, which she used to hold the blade. She gritted her teeth in pain and stood enough to kick the man in his groin sending him to a corner holding his intimate parts. Another block and she was hit by the third man, again in the face. If I keep like this, my face will turn like a bubble. She thought to herself. Scolding herself that that wasn't the moment to be thinking of that, she couldn't help being amused. Lately she had begun to have a special care with her features.

The blow wasn't enough to send her to the floor, but the punch of the man she had kicked was. She could feel the man coming closer and she knew she had to do something. She rolled to the side when the first hit came and with an acrobatic movement, she injured the second man in his arm. However the first was already over her. He grabbed her right wrist so she couldn't use her katana. Sora couldn't move. The man was preparing to grab her other wrist, but she punched him. Unfortunately they were two and the second grabbed her wrist. She could feel the tension rising within her. She didn't like this sensation of having a man on top of her, holding her like that. Her fear was beginning to take over. In a last attempt to get free, she hit the man with her forehead and broke his nose. The man released her to cover his injured nose and Sora took the moment and hit the second man with her fist. Then she pushed the first off her and prepared to face the second. He punched her in the stomach making her spit blood from her cut lips, but she replied him with a crushing punch in the ribs. They were fighting hand to hand and Sora didn't see the first man recovering from his broken nose and heading towards her with a knife. He prepared to give her the final blow when something hit him. Blood began dripping heavily to the floor and the man's face was petrified in a mask of pain.

Finishing her opponent with a strong blow that made him unconscious, Sora turned to face the man, still with his knife in the air, ready to attack her, the point of a katana coming out of his belly. The man fell dead to the ground to reveal his killer. Taichi was behind him, his blade dripping blood, not only from its latest victim but from others that he had injured in the way. "Are you okay?" he asked her with a worried look. She smiled and cleaned the blood off her chin with the back of her hand. "I'm fine. Thanks." She replied. They froze in their spots for a moment, the heat of the fight still making their hearts pound, but being quickly replaced by another feeling. Then they clicked off it. "We have to check Haruko." The auburn haired informed picking her katana and running to where she had left her friend.

The brown haired woman was beginning to come to her senses. She rubbed her neck in the place she had been hit, her sais lying by her sides. "What happened?" she asked herself. She then saw Sora running to her, followed by Taichi. They stopped sharply as the girl struggled to get on her feet, but the steps remained as the rest of the group joined them.

"Is everyone alright?" the auburn haired woman asked. Yes and nods by everyone. She approached the door. It was locked but that didn't mean much to her. Not bothering to look for the keys, she forced the entrance with a wire. Taichi gave approving murmurs as he smirked and Ken eyed her surprised. The locker gave a small clinch and it opened with the usual sound that old doors make when opening.

Inside, only darkness could be seen. The entire room was covered in shadows. But as they entered and their eyes adjusted to the lack of light, they began to distinguish details in the silent room. But what Sora saw first, was the figure of her aunt sitting in a chair in the middle of the room. The Queen smiled a faint smile. Her features seemed different. The auburn haired found her older and weaker. The woman raised, her size still imposing, and walked to them. Their breaths seemed to be suspended as the Queen took the Queen's hand and, kneeling on her old knees, she kissed it and bowed as the lowest servant, the slave does to his ruler, to his owner and master. "I deserve everything you might have prepared for me, My Queen, but please save and spare my daughter." She murmured humbly.

Light. It seemed like days or even months since the last time that a brighter light had entered her pupils. The track of time had been long lost. But now, what was really bothering her was the fact that everyday it went by, she felt ever so slightly more tired, weaker, sicker.

Hikari cuddled in the corner that the walls that enclosure her made in the opposite side of the door. It was the only place she felt better. The bed was too large, too lonely, too dark. At least, sitting in front of the door, she could see some of the light during the day through the breaches. The window brought her no comfort has it had been locked and the days were too dark to let some light cross the solid windows.

She didn't know how many days had went by since she and Mimi had been captured, since she couldn't see the sun rising or diving into the earth. However, it felt it had been more than just a few weeks now. It felt like years, but she estimated the time in one month and half to two months.

The brown haired licked her lips, dry, incrusted. She knew she had lost weight. Her hair was thinner than ever and she did not dare touching it afraid it would begin falling. Her skin was no longer pale, but dark, covered by several layers of dirt that she could not remove. Sometimes she cried, fearing her fate, fearing, not the end, but the path to the end. She was beginning to think if it hadn't been better if Yamato had killed her from the beginning instead of leaving her to die starving or at the hands of some disease. She coughed a little. Maybe that disease isn't so faraway.

Standing, Hikari walked, her legs beginning to fail her, to the table where her ration was. Li Hong made her best, but since some time, the girl had mysteriously disappeared and another servant had taken her place in handing meals to her. Since then, she had received no more messages and her food, if it could at any time be called food, had deteriorated. She was sure that Yamato had discovered what the girl was doing. She feared what the monster would do to the poor servant. Her time had been occupied in divagations. In the first days, maybe the first weeks, she had searched the room, looking for a way out or planning an escape, but after three attempts she decided to give up. The place was too well guarded for her to escape. If it was Sora. She always has the brightest ideas. She thought. She wondered where her friend was. She was losing her hope like she was losing her light. She felt that something, something very bad must had happen so that her friends had not yet came to her and Mimi's rescue.

Other times, her mind travelled through other worlds. She mumbled songs to herself in the loneliness of her prison; thought about the live she would have with Takeru: how many children they would have, their names, how they would grow up; she thought about the past. And in that past, a memory that she had forced herself to repress, seemed to be more awake than ever. The memory of her brother, before their father died and her mother married other guy. Before her brother… Even today, she couldn't bring herself to say the word. She did not accept it. Never. And lately the feeling that so many years ago had made her hate her stepfather was returning. The feeling that her brother was alive began haunting her again and that made her even sadder. She could not be hanging herself in memories like that. Hanging! How ironic. That was what Yamato told he was going to do with me and Takeru. Maybe I just ease him the trouble and kill myself. No, no. What the hell am I saying? I must have hope. If he hasn't kill me yet is because my love is alive and he's coming to my rescue. I must keep my hope. But…oh, Takeru where are you! I need you… The sobs enveloped her in another unhappy state.

Some rooms away, Mimi struggled to get loose. "Let me go. I swear to you that when Koushiro comes here, I'm going to kill you with my own hands, you bastard." She shouted. However, the man that was stubbornly trying to grab her could do nothing to the fact. He hated having to push a woman like that, but if he didn't, it would be his head being pushed down the walls of the castle, and his family suffering consequences that he did not want to imagine. He could picture his two young daughters being….He shook his head. He would take this Princess to his King whatever it took.

Since some weeks ago, the Princess had refused to leave her chambers, even at King Yamato's request. And she had denied him the possibility of entering her room. Twice he had to chop the door to enter, when the woman blocked the way with furniture. And he would always find her sitting in her bed, her arms crossed over her chest. Yamato had hoped that within time and a lot of threats, Mimi would accept her marriage and her fate, especially after knowing that one of her best hopes of getting out of there was dead and the other was being haunted to dead too. But his plan went just the opposite and after crying the dead of her friend, Princess Mimi had become even more stubborn.

Finally he came to the idea of sending three of his servants to get her. He threatened them saying it would have to be the Princess in his chambers or their head down the walls and their lovely wives and children at the care of his Counsellor. He now waited in his impatient room for their arrival. He was extremely happy with himself. Everything was going has he had planned, well, except for Mimi that is. But sooner or later she would accept his plans and maybe one day even love him. After he got married, all his problems would be erased. Queen Natsuko would soon be over; Takeru would soon be capture and give him the pleasure of crying for another woman and as for the rest he didn't give a shit. That stupid little captain can't give a step without his Queen ordering him, and soon, he won't have a Queen, but a King and when that time comes, I will personally take care of him. As for the professor, he must be devastated with the guilt of living his protected alone with an old lady. He laughed to himself. Everything is going great.

Just then, he began hearing yells. He smirked as he watched Mimi being literally dragged to his room. Her hair and her dress were a mess and her face was flushed from the effort and the yells. The servants dropped her in the middle of the large chamber and quickly retrieved closing the door behind them. Mimi stood quickly in hopes of still catching them, but they closed the door on her face. She beat her feet on the ground in annoyance, but did not turn to face the person she knew would be waiting for her sitting at his long couch. She could almost swear he was smirking in her back. Straitening herself, she slowly turned, her eyes darting him with knives.

"Such aggressively. I would expect that from your diseased friend, but not from you, Princess." Yamato smirked. "Don't you dare speaking about her, you murder." Mimi shouted. She saw him standing, his face hardening, but she showed him no fear, even though, inside, she was shivering with terror. He approached her. His blond hair reminded her of the stable boy, Takeru. He wore long black pants and an also black chemise with the usual kinglike tunic. The chestnut haired couldn't help backing away. But there weren't many steps to give, since she was standing at the door. She felt his chest touching her and had to look up to face his eyes, those two cold blue orbits.

He lifted his hand and Mimi closed her eyes, expecting for the hit, but it didn't came. Instead he caressed her face, down to her neck and pushed her into a kiss. Putting her hands over his chest, the girl tried to push him away, but she couldn't as he involved her with his other arm, pushing her against the door. He was obliged to let her go, when it occurred to her the brilliant idea of biting his lip.

"You can be such a bitch when you want." He replied, licking his lips. "But I can be as harsh as you want me too." With that, he pushed violently against the door. Mimi would have swear he had broken her ribs, but he hand's. he compressed her with his body. He liked the rush it gave him, feeling her feminine curves so close, much more than when he was having his intercourses with some of the concubines he had, that gave themselves rather freely to him. He liked when they fought. Once again the idea of what it would be like to possess the auburn wildcat crossed his mind.

"See my love, I can play hard." He said moving away. "However, it was not to play with you that I called you." He walked to the bed and only then Mimi saw what was lying there, so white and pure. A wedding dress. "I hope you like the wedding dress I chose for you. Of course that if you don't you can always choose another." With that, he made a door open and within it, there were about twenty wedding dresses. The chestnut haired opened her mouth in astonishment. There were beautiful kimonos there, but of course she wasn't just about to pick any of them, because she wasn't going to marry him. "But you will my darling, whether you like it or not, we are going to be bound by marriage and then I'll be King. Don't forget about it, because after I become King of both my and your kingdom, I'll have to purpose for you, and well, women die very easily, even Queens. If you know what I mean. So you better accept it and live with it, or better with me, or…well…I got all the women I want. How many of them wouldn't like to be Queens, even if they had to put up with Me." His laugh could be heard through the corridors.

Hello people. I'm back from Tunisia and I've wrote this chapter in a record time of three days. Hope you like it. I was really looking forward to write it.

Thanks to all reviewrs and don't forget to review this one.

Marie