Recaply:

"Wow, you sure do clean them up well," Alexander noted the difference in the room.

"Thank you, I am going to talk to the lord about more supplies though. This is horrible!" Ryann said angry at the lack of supplies needed for most of them.

"Why are there so many wounded anyway?" she asked.

"We are warring with the demon kingdom of the Northern Lands," he said bitterly.

"The Northern Lands?" she asked confused.

Chapter 3: Her Kimono

"Yes, We started warring with them about a week ago," he said.

"This is all from one week!" she asked disbelieving.

"Yes, we were not prepared for this and the demons are so very powerful," he said sadly.

Oh no, my kingdom is attacking this kingdom! But why? My kingdom doesn't rebel against humans like this. Some one has to be controlling them.

"I see, I shall go now. Good evening, Alexander!" she said cheerfully as she walked through the matted doorway.

She began her trek back to her room in the lavender evening sky. Around the second corner, Ryann saw the lord sitting in a garden alone. He gazed up at the sky in what looked like thought. She watched him as she walked, but she didn't pay attention where she was going. She bumped into a chest and started to fall back when someone grabbed her hand and pulled her up.

"I am terribly sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going!" she apologized.

"Ryann don't worry about it. I was just looking for you," said a familiar male voice.

"Oh, Kamaru! I'm glad it was you I bumped into and not someone else," she smiled, blushing.

"I'm glad to bump into you, too," he said laughing.

"So emm what did you need?" she asked shyly.

"Well, its 6 so that means it's time for dinner," he said.

"Oh, dinner…"she said, thinking she hadn't eaten all day.

Kamaru heard this with her gargling stomach and he laughed.

Ryann laughed embarrassed and they began their walk to the servant's kitchen for dinner.

She ate and drank happily next to Kamaru, laughing at his jokes and making a few of her own. For a while, she forgot about her warring kingdom, the wounded soldiers, and her current position as a lowly healer. Ryann was just happy.

The kitchen was decently clean, with a pots sitting on shelves and a stove in the middle. The servants ate around the fire pit on weaved plates, all enjoying each other's company. At the end of dinner, everyone helped to clean up and they all walked out together toward their quarters but everyone went to the left out of the kitchen while Ryann set out to the right.

"Ryann where are you going?" asked her new friend Celeste.

"My room of course," Ryann answered nonchalantly.

"But..the servants quarters are this way…" she said confused.

Ryann shrugged, "This is the way to my room."

"Oh, ok…See you tomorrow!" Celeste yelled over her shoulder as she ran to catch up with her other friends.

Kamaru walked up beside Ryann and fell instep with her. The walked in a content silence as Ryann admired the stars. She loved the night dearly, with the cool dark sky and the bright moon and stars. It was so mysterious and alluring.

"So what did you think of your first day at the castle?" Kamaru said, breaking the silence.

"It was good. I love all the people here. They're all so kind to me," she said arriving at her room.

"Do you love me?" whispered Kamaru.

Ryann's eyes went wide and she turned them on Kamaru's calm face.

"G-g-g-goodnight Kamaru," she stuttered as she swiftly slid her door open and shut.

She quickly undressed and got under her sheets, thinking over what just happened. Kamaru asked her if she loved him….after one day….

Ryann didn't sleep again that night. She had the same nightmares and when she was awake, she thought about Kamaru.

About the fifth or sixth time, she went outside for some air. She was sweating and the night's cool breath always calmed her.

She sat on the edge of the wooden walkway in front of her door. She stared up at the clear night sky and admired the stars. She found the moon and it was almost full. Her heart began to race.

It's almost full, what shall I do when it is full? I must disappear on the night of the full moon and I'll come back right after dawn…

She was shaken from her thoughts when she heard footsteps. They were coming her direction. She stayed were she was and pretended she didn't know someone was approaching. They paused at the corner and spoke.

"Hello, Lady Ryann."

"Good evening, my lord," she greeted formally, dropping her head.

He walked and sat a few paces away from Ryann, leaning against a support beam.

"Can't sleep?" he asked.

"Not very well, my lord," she said timidly, afraid to offend the lord's generosity.

"Me either," he said agreeing.

"Why can't you sleep?" he asked in curiosity.

"Nightmares, my lord," she answered sadly.

"Oh, I thought maybe you didn't find your room to satisfaction," he replied looking up at the sky.

"My lord, I assure you, that room is wonderful," she spoke convincingly.

"Uh-huh…..So what did you think of your work today?" he asked.

"It was great, I loved helping out. I never got to do anything like that at home," she gasped at what just slipped out.

"Where did you come from by the way?" he asked now thoroughly curious.

"I uh..I uhh…I came from a castle a few miles to the east," she said, not completely lying.

"And you call it your home?" he questioned.

"Uh..yes, my lord, I lived there my entire life," she again replied, not really lying.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"I-I-I-I uhh worked directly under the lord," she answered again with the half-truth.

"Who was the lord? Hmm..from the east….Was it Ishimiro?" he asked.

"Uhh…Yes my lord, it was," she answered, happy for the lord's way of thinking.

"He's a nice enough person. Is he the one who gave you such nice clothes?" he asked starting to let his eyes wander.

She let her eyes fall on her skirt and she started to remember when her father gave them to her on her birthday.

flashback

She sat at a table with a large number of gifts with her papa sitting next to her.

There was a huge amount of food in front of her and she was smiling and laughing.

It was her fifteenth birthday.

She opened all of the gifts and thanked the guests who gave them and at the end of the pile of gifts, her papa gave her a box wrapped in beautiful paper.

She squealed in delight and hugged her papa as she grabbed the box.

She tore off the paper excitedly and gasped when she saw what was inside it.

It was a white two-piece kimono with black borders made out of fine silk.

"Papa, its beautiful."

He smiled. "That's not all it is. Turn it over."

She did and didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"What is it Papa?" she asked confused.

"Spread your wings out for me," he said with some sort of secret hidden in his lively eyes.

She did so and he grabbed one of the feathers. He placed it in the middle of the kimono top and it went through.

"Wow Papa!"

end flashback

She began to sob holding her hands to her eyes.

"Ryann?" Lord Griffin asked confused.

"N-no, my p-p-p-papa gave it t-t-to me," she cried.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you!" he apologized.

"Excuse me, my lord." She stood up and bowed letting her tears melt into the boards of the walkway. She took a few steps toward her door but she stopped and added something.

"I'm sorry my lord, but could you get more supplies for the infirmary?"

He stared at her, so very confused.

She took in his silence and then finished her walk to her room and quietly shutting her door, letting her tears fall.

Griffin stood up and then mentally slapped himself on the way to his room.

Good going Griffin! Upset her! Good job!

Tada! Wasn't that chapter sad? Poor Griffy doesn't know what he even did! Lol im so evil to him even tho I luv him. Review please!