Chapter 4: What? I DON'T Like Her... I Think.
"Raimundo, the Royal Family Members are holding a banquet today! You are allowed to bring a friend!" Omi squealed."So? It's not like I'm going to bring anyone."
A picture of Kimiko flashed in his mind.
"I suspect you'll bring me?" Sophia stood at the door way.
"No I won't. In fact, I have a friend in town, and she'll gladly except!" Raimundo declared.
Sophia was absolutely outraged.
"A commoner? A GIRL? Surely Raimundo, you would choose me over her?" Sophia asked hopefully.
"How about no? She's way nicer than you."
He didn't even believe the words he just said.
"You must LIKE her then!" she teased.
"Do not! You aren't even supposed to be saying that!"
Raimundo got off his chair and kicked Sophia in the stomach.
"Stay out of my room too!" Omi slammed the door for him and asked "Raimundo, are you sure you don't like Kimiko?"
"Who asked you anyways Omi! Stop messing with my head!"
Raimundo ordered him out of the room, and read the invitation once more.
Tonight?
Fine, Raimundo had about one hour to get ready, one hour to ask Kimiko out.
Raimundo
slapped himself on the head. "I don't like her! Do I? No I don't! Well
there's a chance..." He stepped out into the hallway and tip toed away
to the Temple Sage.
Kimiko ran her fingers through her hair. What was so special about this day?
She had a weird feeling in her stomach, what was going to happen?
Ever since she had kissed Raimundo on accident, she avoided him at all cost.
Which meant not exiting the Temple."Kimiko! Someone is at the front door." Master Fung called to her."Yes Master, what does this person look like?"
Her hands reached for a potion when Master Fung added "I do believe it is the Prince."
She literally dropped the bottle on the ground, but she caught it just in time with her foot.
"Okay Master, I'm coming!"
Kimiko walked through the hallway and opened the door.
"Kimiko." Raimundo stood at the door.
"Why are you here? Do you need something?"
For some reason, Kimiko didn't feel that mad at him.
"It'skindofadate,butcanyoucometothebanquetwithme?" He said a bit too quickly.
"Pardon?" Kimiko couldn't help but laugh inwardly when he turned slightly red.
"It's kind of a date, but can you come to the banquet with me?" he mumbled.
"Yes! That would be positively wonderful! Let me get dressed!" Kimiko ran to her room.
Why did she have this tingly feeling? It was just a dinner with the Prince. She pried up a loose floor board and sighed.
This was her only remembrance of her family, a silk dress.
Kimiko hugged the dress to her chest.Her mother gave it to her when she wasn't an orphan... She took off her old rags, and carefully, she slid into the dress.
Her body fit perfectly in it. It was a short sleeved Kimono, made of silk, with Japanese words written on it.
The dress reached down to her ankles...
"Kimiko? Where are you going?" Keiko entered the room and gasped when she saw the stunning dress.
"Raimundo invited me to a party."
She cast her glance downwards and waited for Keiko to say something.
"Kimiko! I'm so proud of you! It's a rare occasion to have anything to do with the splendid Prince!"
They both hugged and Keiko joked :
"I bet you're going to catch the Prince's eyes."
Kimiko smiled and skipped over to Raimundo, to her so called 'date'.
"You look... Ravishing."Raimundo looked her up and down and adjusted his crown.
"You don't look too bad yourself." Kimiko commented.
Raimundo didn't think so though.
He was wearing the simple robes, and a medallion.
"What are you staring at?"
"Nothing." he replied.
"Let's get going then."
The Wind blew softly over both of them, this was one thing Raimundo was aware of.
"It's nice out today. Have you ever thought the Wind as graceful and loving?" asked Kimiko.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
She shivered when a breeze brushed past her.
He was about to offer her his cloak, but he resisted. Why would a Prince be nice to a regular person?
Unless he liked her.
"The palace is beautiful! Raimundo, I didn't know you lived in such a lovely place."
Kimiko laughed dreamily, something else danced in her eyes but Raimundo couldn't put his finger on it.
"Open your eyes already Rai! Look around here, it's romantic, with the moonlight shining, the breeze blowing my mind away."
Kimiko twirled around and sighed.
"I just wish you could see what's around you Rai."
Did SHE just call him RAI?
What was Rai? No one ever called him Rai!
Kimiko also said romantic!
It wasn't like they were dating or something!
"I think it's nice." Raimundo whispered.
"Really? Finally, you see something that I do! It's like you can't see love, but you can feel it."
Kimiko drifted off again and approached the gate.
The lights were dazzling.Everything in the castle was high quality, and it amazed Kimiko.
She gazed at his face. He didn't seem to like this at all, there was dislike in his eyes.
"Hello
darling! Where's your friend? She must not have shown up because I
don't see a little scrawny idiot running around in this place."
A young women, about the same age as Kimiko, laughed.
"So who is this my Prince? Another part of a different royal family?"
Raimundo glared.
"She
just happens to be the magnificent girl I was talking about you git!
Her name is Kimiko! So Sophia, you should stay the HELL out of my
business!"
Several eyes were on this argument.
Kimiko felt so little now, people were talking openly about her.
"That girl shouldn't be with the Prince!"
"She's just a witch!"
"Kimiko is a name that is used for evil!"
Now she couldn't stand it. "Raimundo, I have to leave." she whispered.
Kimiko broke out of his grasp and exited the castle.
She wandered into the forest, and wiped her eyes.
Kimiko's
thoughts: "I was clumsy enough to let myself fall in love again... With
the Prince! I could not have... He has a flattering bride already, so
why did I even try and talk to him? Those green eyes didn't hold what I
thought they did. I was hurt more than once..."
Somehow, she ended up sitting down on the exact same rock Raimundo sat down on.
"I was too careless..." Two tears dropped from her eyes.
They fell into the water, with a soft splash.
Somebody fell in love with her once, and they ended up breaking her heart.
"There's no use falling in love anymore! They'll break my heart and leave me to die!"
She was sobbing now.
Kimiko
got up, and accidentally dropped the piece of fire fern in her hair.
"Bye Raimundo! I never did love you!" Tears splattered rapidly on the
ground, she got up and ran directly into the darkness.
"What are you all staring at pests? There's nothing to look at except for a Prince and a fool!" Raimundo bellowed."Raimundo, where did your friend go? I thought she was going to-"
He felt the Wind rushing past his ears.
"Don't ever try and TALK to me AGAIN!"
Everything flew off the tables, and in the confusion, Raimundo left the banquet, with Omi at his side.
"Master! I did not think it was wise to enrage the guests." Omi warned.
"What
do you know? It's not like you have all these weird things happening to
you, and then finally just liking some simple girl!"
Raimundo didn't care if Omi knew or not now.
"Nothing will make sense to you, Omi. I don't even feel like a human! This Wind! What's wrong with me Omi?"
Omi opened his mouth, and closed it again.
"Raimundo, are you sure you won't tell King Charon I told you this?" asked Omi.
Raimundo nodded.
"You are a mage. Kind of... There are only four great ones. I happen to know three other ones." Omi stammered.
"What nonsense is this? I can't be anything! Just a stupid Prince! I don't even know anything about magic!" Raimundo shouted.
"Come, come. Then we have much to discuss."
They arrived at the water fall.
"Raimundo, you know what a mage is, don't you?" Omi asked.
"No! They aren't alive anymore. That's all I have heard."
Raimundo closed his eyes and sat down. "They are still alive Raimundo! I am one of them! So are you."
Only the water could be heard now.
"Impossible. It's just a bunch of weird happenings! There's no such thing as magic!"
"Then how do you control the Wind?" Raimundo stopped yelling and frowned. "I don't control the Wind! Look at this!" Raimundo waved his hand in the direction of Omi, and Omi flew off his rock and into the water. "Then what do you call that?"
"A coincidence!" Omi crawled back on the land and sighed. "Raimundo, if
you do not believe this, then your whole life is just one big fantasy."
Raimundo saw something red flash on the ground.
A bright red piece of fire fern... Kimiko!
"Omi, I need to go, tell me later about this mage thing!"