"Carlo, get this girl a Repelling Cloak," the king ordered the man. The little man disappeared and returned with a cloak the same gray shade as the cloth covering the young king. The king took the cloak and wrapped it firmly around Rina's shivering form. He gently steered her into the castle. Once they were inside, he looked into her ruby eyes and stroked her cheek. He looked so concerned.
"Madam, may I ask why you were out in the rain, freezing to death?" he asked. His blue eyes were stern.
"Waiting for you. I'm the 'International Greeter'," Rina stuttered from the cold. The king looked her over.
"You can't be more than eighteen years old!" he exclaimed.
"You're a good guesser, your highness," she said. He smiled shyly.
"Please call me Fax, miss," he whispered. Rina was appalled. Call a king by his first name? She blushed and motioned to him. He followed her to his guest chamber. Fax was staring quietly at the floor as Rina unlocked the door. It disturbed him that she hadn't spoken since he asked her to call him by his name. She was possibly the most beautiful woman he'd ever met, and he wanted her to like him. He was getting rusty, if the all he'd done was frighten the girl to silence. She turned to him and gave him the key.
"Please, madam, I didn't mean anything by asking what I did. It's just important to me that I am seen as a person, not a thing. Listen to me, blabbering my mouth off at you, when I don't even know your name," he begged.
"Rina Inverse-Gabriev. I… it isn't your fault, F-Fax. I'm just not used to calling outsiders by their given name. I've only got this job because of my parents anyway, so I'm really not worthy to," she began. Fax placed his hand over her mouth. "Shhh," he whispered before kissing her gently on the lips. Rina melted into him almost immediately. He wrapped his arms around her and carefully stroked the line of her spine. After a moment of what was, to Fax, far to little romance, he pulled back and looked into those sparkling garnet eyes. Rina could read those too-pale-blue eyes very easily. He was very interested in her. He kissed her again, more briefly.
"Thank you, Rina. Please, I beg you to let me see you again tomorrow, after my meetings. Please!" he was pleading with her. She nodded.
"M'kay. I guess that'd be okay. My room is upstairs in the west tower, where my family lives. Come right after your meetings and tell Elsa that you're there to see me and not to ask my dad about it. He'd never approve of me seeing any man," she said softly. Fax slipped into his room relieved. Rina collapsed. Her best friend Xeldor Metallium caught her as he materialized from, seemingly, mid air. He grinned at her.
"Did I just see you kissing the King of the Other Continent?" he asked in his rather nasal voice. He sounded a lot like his father Xellos. Blonde hair spilled over her shoulder as she relaxed her entire frame into her friend's hold. He giggled at her in a way that only a Mazoku-Dragon could. Rina smiled up at him.
"Royalty is interested in me! Not that little Sapphire, not that I don't love her, but you know, she's kinda, well, over-advertised. Besides, my over-protective father can't tell a king what to do!" she said. Xel grinned and the pair walked off down the hallway.
Fax woke the next morning and dressed in black robes, customary to his continent. He went and had breakfast with the royal family. Rina was there with her parents. He winked at her and she blushed but smiled. Her father glared at him, and Fax sent Gourry Gabriev a soft smile that said "What are you gonna do about it, chump!" This made Rina giggle. Her friends joined her. A blonde boy was the only one not laughing and he was smirking, amused. His eyes were a deep violet and they were squinty like the Mazoku across from him. Fax met his eyes. The boy grinned. When breakfast was finished, the Mazoku boy dragged him roughly aside.
"You had better take care of Rina! Mazoku don't obey laws," the boy said. Fax gave the boy a stern look.
"I couldn't treat a woman badly if I tried, sir," he growled. The Mazoku grinned.
"I'm Xeldor, and luck be to you, Rina's a rough catch," the boy said before disappearing into thin air. During his meeting, he got a pretty good picture of who the adults in Saillune were like. Which was to say, far more diverse than those from his country. The queen, Amelia wil-Telsa Saillune-Greywords, was a hyperactive justice freak, who adored poking fun at his look to Rina this morning. Her husband, King Zelgadis Greywords, was constantly apologizing for her. Her sister, Naga Mari, was being her usual annoying self and Fax was about to go insane, when Rina's mother came in followed by her husband and the Mazoku and Dragon pair.
"All three of you shut your God damned mouths. The poor kid just got here and you're already making him ready to leave!" the little redhead growled. She looked just like Rina, only a little smaller in the chest area and even that wasn't by much. She explained the things that the king and queen were supposed to have explained over an hour ago and adjourned the meeting. Gourry Gabriev was looking at him angrily. Lina stopped Fax briefly, out of her husband's hearing range. And Fax smiled at her.
"Thank god you arrived when you did," he said wiping his brow.
"Rina's waiting for you in her room. If you hurry, you can make it before Gourry does," Lina Inverse-Gabriev told him, "And no matter what my husband says, I think you're a fine young man, and Rina needs someone like you." Fax smiled before sprinting off to find his Rina. The maid, Elsa, led him up to Rina's tower room, just as her father stepped into the foyer. The young king breathed a sigh of relief at knowing that Gourry couldn't see him in the spiral staircase. Rina was on her bed, looking out the window. He coughed softly. She looked up at him and beckoned him over to the bed. She had her black hair in a ponytail and he couldn't take his eyes off of her.
"Hello, Rina," he said.
"Fax, I have a question?" Rina whispered, "Why me"
"You were the only person save your mother who has been at all polite to me, here. I also find you very attractive. Ninety percent of the women in my country are flouncing Nagas who need to get some class. You've shown me in the few moments we've known each other, that you are a lovely girl with more class than the classics. I just ... well ... do you believe in love at first sight?" Fax concluded. Rina looked at him for a moment.
"I do now, Fax. However, you need to know that I've loved before, but those I loved had come to court the princess, not her noblewoman friend. They thought of me as nothing. They even walked past me while I was shivering in the rain for them, without a second glance. They didn't even notice me, even though I adored them. Then I expected the same from you, but you didn't do that. You made sure I got warm and didn't immediately ask what Sapphire looked like. You seemed so genuinely interested in me, then you kissed me. That ... was my first kiss ... ever," Rina whispered, "You are everything our fairy tales talk about when they describe Prince Charming." Fax leaned over and kissed her gently one more time.
"Thank you," he whispered.
"Why?" she replied.
"For giving me that very special first kiss," he sighed, hugging her tightly. Rina smiled silently to herself then leaned up to kiss him. Fax was beaming.
"Rina, you know of the Ball in my honor, right?" he asked. She nodded.
"I want you to accompany me," he said. She blushed but nodded again. A soft sigh escaped Fax's lips as she nuzzled him. He kissed her silky, black hair and stood.
"I've got to go now, my love. I will see you at supper," he said softly.
"Okay. Fax, I ... I may be shy right now, but don't worry. Once I know you, I'll loosen up," she smiled. He touched her cheek lovingly before leaving the room.