Roubando o Seu Coração
Chapter 6: Competition
Hopefully you guys are enjoying this story. Sorry this took so long to post, finals started and it's been a drag studying for all my subjects, but I know that's no excuse. Luckily finals end on Thursday so I should update more frequently, depending on what I'm doing at the moment. If you haven't noticed, I wrote another story, so go check that one out as well….Since it seems there are no questions, on with the show:)
Disclaimer: I don't own, you don't sue... Simple as that!
"-means talking
'-means thoughts
italics means memories or a flashback
Usagi tumbled backwards but caught the railing with her hand that was not holding on to the tray. So maybe being a maid was harder than what she expected, but she didn't know she had to balance a tray full of empty plates and cups almost piling up to where she couldn't even see. She definitely wasn't cracked up to be a maid. Not tripping and having gracefulness were two abilities that were not her strongest.
On top of not being able to see over the plates and cups, she was going down stairs . . . one of her worst nightmares. 'One more step girl, you can do it,' she thought to herself. Success! She had done the hard part, now she had to get the tray into the kitchen. As soon as she took another step, she tripped, sending the tray flying out of her hands.
"Aaaaaaaaaah!" She closed her eyes and waited for the crash of the tray and the sound of the plates and cups crashing. She never heard either and as she scraped herself off of the floor, she saw someone standing over her. She scrambled up, almost knocking the tray out of the said person's hand.
She blushed out of embarrassment. "S-sorry. Clumsy of me, heh." She laughed nervously.
Jadeite smiled down at the now blushing brunette. "No harm done. Are you okay? I'm sorry I didn't catch you, I really didn't mean to catch the tray either, it just landed in my hands."
Usagi shook her head. "Don't worry; I'm used to falling on the ground. I'm really sorry about everything, nothing landed on you, did it?"
"No, my clothes are fine. By the way, I'm Jadeite." He smiled at her.
"I'm Serena, pleased to meet you."
"Well, Serena, do you need any help?"
"Oh! No! You don't have to worry about me. I'm sorry that I bothered you." She took the tray from his hands and was about to bow but remembered what she was holding and stopped. She smiled instead and nodded her head saying, "Good bye!"
She heard the soft thudding of his feet on the floor and walked onwards, hoping her memory didn't fail her in finding the kitchen. She walked on for about five more minutes and turned a corner, finally finding something familiar in the castle. She turned around, and using her back, she pushed the swinging door opened, leading her into the kitchen.
The hot air hit her face, making her body feel sticky. She walked over to the sink area, setting the tray down and wiping her brow. She sighed, thanking Artemis silently for training them so hard or she wouldn't be able to lift all these trays and carry them around.
She glanced at the dirty dishes and decided that she needed a break so she looked around for Makoto. Walking into the cooking area, she nearly ran into the other cookers, who were busy running from one corner to another, ingredients in their hands. One of them shot her a dirty look, muttering to the blonde girl next to her. Ignoring them, Usagi headed to where she thought she saw Makoto.
"Serena! Over here!" Usagi stopped walking, remembering that her name was Serena now and turned around, seeing a tall red-haired woman waving to her. 'Opps, forgot Makoto has red hair now.'
"You forgot, didn't you?" Makoto asked as Usagi approached her.
"Heh, what do you mean by that?"
Makoto eyed Usagi suspiciously. She could always play the stupid blonde really well, given that most times she really was oblivious to what was going on. "Never mind, I'm almost done cooking what King Endymon asked for. Will you take it to him?"
Usagi sighed. "I really wanted a break!" She glanced at the dirty dishes that kept piling up and shivered. 'Anything's better than doing dishes, I guess.'
Makoto looked from where Usagi was staring to the now brunette young woman. She stifled a laugh. "Usagi, have you been using the washing machine to wash the dishes?"
Usagi's eyes grew big. "Y-you mean . . . there's one here!"
Makoto's composure broke and her laugh vibrated in the room. When she had a hold on herself again, she looked at the teary-eyed Usagi. "Ah, hon! It's o.k. I mean, you found out now . . . right?"
Usagi sniffled. "I guess . . . but I had to wash all those nasty, gross, dirty dishes! I thought I was a maid, not the washer!"
"It's just for today. The person that was supposed to do that got sick. How about you take this tray of food to Mamoru and then meet me here again so we can eat together. How does that sound?"
Usagi brushed her eyes and sniffled again, nodding her head in agreement. "Can I have a piece of cake?"
Makoto grinned. "You can have your pick from the ten that I've made."
Usagi's sad face broke out into a full out smile, her eyes beaming. She did a little dance happily. "I'll meet you here in five!" With that she grabbed the tray and hurried out, leaving a grinning Makoto in her wake.
She was lost. Lost, lost, lost, lost, lost! She was about to bang her head against the pillar that graced the wall to her left.
'Why don't they make maps for people like me!' She thought helplessly, tilting her head up and cursing her luck. It had been more than five minutes, more like 15 minutes, and yet she was somewhat where she started. Makoto was either done waiting for her and had already begun to eat, or knew she was lost and was waiting for her.
Usagi wanted to cry at her stupid knack for getting lost. Just as she was about to break down, she heard footsteps heading her way and turned to see who was coming. A young man with raven hair came walking by and Usagi ran towards him, excited that she finally saw someone that could help her out.
"Excuse me, sir, but I'm kinda lost," she blushed, feeling embarrassed because this was her third time asking for directions.
He glanced down at the petite woman carrying a tray in her hands, his sapphire eyes recognizing the dishes. "How about I take this and you tell me where you're headed?"
Without waiting for her reply, he took the load off of her hands and pressed a small button underneath it, making the whole thing disappear. What was left of the whole tray was a small ball that the man placed inside his pocket.
With a startled gasp, Usagi stepped closer to him. She now noticed he was extremely tall, a full head taller. But nonetheless she yelled angrily at him, "What did you do!"
He blinked, a little surprised by her outburst. "It's easier to carry it like this."
"Where did it go? What did you do?" Usagi was near hysterics. It was the king's food after all.
"It's in my pocket," said the young man, tapping his pocket for emphasis.
"Do I have a stupid sign across my forehead? Because you want me to believe that all, all the food is in your pocket? Not only that, but that it took the shape of a ball when you did all this!"
'If she puts it like that, it does sound a little farfetched, but everyone here knows that that's what happens when you press the button.' "Are you new?" He finally asked the strange brunette.
Usagi's eyebrow twitched from annoyance. "Is it that obvious Einstein?"
Mamoro ignored the crude comment. 'So she doesn't know I'm the king. This day might not be so boring after all.' "Everyone knows the easiest way to carry the trays is to carry them the way they were built. That means turning them into a ball for easier storage and it's also easier to carry."
Usagi felt really stupid now, blushing from her ignorance. 'It would be nice if people told me these things!'
"For newbie's, they don't tell them until the second or third day about it. It's a little practical joke they play."
"I don't see the humor in it at all," Usagi grumbled.
"That's because the joke's on you,' he pointed out.
"Thanks for making it obvious," Usagi said dryly.
He smiled, taking the ball from his pocket and handing it to her. "I think this belongs to you."
Usagi's eyes grew big. She had forgotten about the king's food. She snatched it from his grasp, turned around to walk away, remembered that she didn't know where she was going, and turned back. "Um, exactly where is the king's chamber in this place?"
"Funny you'd ask that, I was just heading that way. You can follow me if you'd like."
Usagi nodded her head and followed him, thinking about how late she was in getting the king his food and making Mako wait so long. "Is the food going to be cold when he eats it?"
Mamoru glanced at her before answering. "No, another trait of the ball is that it keeps the food very warm."
"Oh, that's good."
"By the way, my name's Mamoru."
"Serena."
They walked in silence until Mamoru stopped at a door after a few minutes. "Here we are. Why don't you leave me the food to give to him, so as not to bother you any further?"
'Then why the hell did I have to go all this way!' Usagi screamed in her head. "Yea, fine. Here you go." She handed him the ball.
"I made you walk here so next time you won't get lost. I wouldn't want you to think that I wasted your time by dragging you here when I could've just taken the food back there."
"I never thought otherwise," Usagi lied. "Nice meeting you, Mamoru."
Mamoru waited until she had left and walked into his room. He didn't know why he didn't tell her he was the king, or that only his friends called him Mamoru and everyone else knew him by Endymon. He shrugged his thoughts off, walking to the table to eat his late lunch.
Usagi nearly tripped over her own two feet as she rushed back to the kitchen. 'Makoto better have saved me a piece of cake!' Screeching to a mid-stop so she wouldn't miss the turn, she ran into someone. With a side ways apology, she ran to the kitchen, only stopping when she was inside. Catching her breath, she looked around for Makoto.
She spotted her friend sitting on a stool in the kitchen, and walked up to her. "Hey," she said feebly.
"Hey."
"I'm so sorry; you probably already ate without me, all by yourself. Now I feel bad, but it really wasn't my fault . . . except for the getting lost part, but then this guy started making fun of me because I didn't know how to properly use the tray, and then he followed me-"
Makoto dropped the recipe book she was reading and clamped a hand over Usagi's mouth. "I got it. I figured you'd be late so I waited."
Usagi smiled. "You did? That's wonderful . . . hey! Are you implying something?" She narrowed her eyes at Makoto.
"That you're always late? No, I was just . . . yes, yes I was." She grinned as she grabbed Usagi by the wrist and dragged the pouting woman to a door.
"Where are we going?"
"We do have to eat. You didn't think we'd eat at the kitchen, did you?"
"Well . . . no . . ."
Makoto just shook her head. "You're a hopeless cause, hon."
Usagi grinned. "And that's why you guys love me!"
Rei wanted to throw something, anything, at the man in the same room as her. When he leftfor his meeting, or wherever he had to go, she thought it wouldn't be so bad. Wrong. She was so wrong. Never in her life had she been more wrong than this.
After he left, she had cleaned up the bathroom, gross, and tidied up his room. When he came in, she was sitting on the couch, reading a magazine she had picked up in his room. She had asked him what she needed to do next, and he just said to stay there for awhile. Shrugging, she obligated, reading the magazine with mild interest.
The pompous jerk had the nerves to dress in front of her. Of course she only noticed when she glanced in the mirror. The worst part was he glanced at her with a smug look and asked if she liked what she saw.
She was going to throw him out the window. Nobody would notice . . . ok, maybe that wasn't the brightest idea, but it was the only one that would satisfy her at the moment.
"Well?" He asked, waiting for her reply with a grin on his face.
"Trust me, I've seen better," she replied hotly, not being able to hold in her anger.
He smiled at her playfully. "We'll just have to change that, won't we?" He finished dressing and turned to face Rei again. "Since you're done here, for now, you can eat lunch with me."
Rei narrowed her eyes, but didn't say anything. To hell if she'd let this man ruin their job. She'd just have to work on her temper. She nodded her head, crossing her arms and waiting for him.
"Good. Why don't we eat outside, it's such a beautiful day out, don't you think?"
"I think that sounds wonderful," she said, forcing a smile on her face.
They walked in silence, Rei never taking her eyes off of what was in front of her. She would see him sneak glances through the corner of her eyes, and she wanted nothing more than to smack him and tell him to stop looking. Of course she was cursed to be nice to the jackass for as long as they were here.
That didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun. "If you want to impress a woman, you shouldn't stare."
He smiled. "Is it making you uncomfortable?"
She shook her head, a little laugh coming out of her mouth. "Not at all, actually, I was wondering what was going on in that little head of yours."
Jadeite grinned lazily, his blue eyes full of mischief. "Well, I guess you'll find out sooner or later."
For some strange reason, that sent a little chill up her spine, and she didn't like it one bit. "If you're lucky."
He laughed this time, a whole-hearted laugh that vibrated from his chest. "Here we are."
Rei glanced around; surprised that she hadn't noticed they were even outside. 'Maybe that was what caused me to shiver.'
They were in a beautiful garden, with different flowers of all different shapes and sizes. Roses, tulips, lilacs, and bulbs could be seen, all with a variety of colors. She could smell the sweet aroma of the flowers, and she smiled a little, liking the variety of scents that reached her nose. She glanced a little to her left and saw something that surprised her; casablancas, her favorite type of flower.
He followed her gaze and saw the flowers planted there. "You know what those are?"
She nodded her head, feeling a little bit numb. She felt a prickle in her mind, a memory, maybe, but she pushed it aside. "They are my favorite flowers," she said softly.
He went over to them, plucked one out, and handed it to her, a soft smile on his face. She smiled at him, not really knowing what to say.
"How about we sit down for lunch, ne? I'm getting a little hungry."
Ami rubbed her neck from the soreness. She had finally convinced Zoicite that she knew what she was doing. At first, he watched her carefully, but after an hour, he trusted her enough. They had gone back to work as soon as they had finished lunch.
It was a bit awkward at first, but soon they were chatting amiably about one of his latest projects. She had given him some pointers. Ami thought he'd be a huge flirt, from his first impression, but he had acted like a complete gentleman.
Ami glanced at the said man, and caught him staring at her. She felt herself blush, and glanced down, concentrating on her work. This was no time for her to start acting like a teenager with a crush.
After two more hours, Zoicite yawned and stretched, looking over at Ami. "Well Amilia, I think I'm done for today, and you?"
Ami decided to lie and say she was too. If she wanted to, she could work the whole night, something she often did when they had important missions. Of course all the other girls would chew her out for it later.
"I've been thinking of what you said."
"What would that be?"
"When you mentioned the stones, my curiosity got the best of me."
"Is that a good thing?"
"It all depends. We're ditching this to work on something else. You don't mind do you?"
"Are we going to work on the stones then?"
Zoicite nodded his head, a smile appearing on his face. "I figured since you knew so much about it, you could help me."
Ami blinked. This couldn't be any easier. She felt like it was just handed to her on a silver platter. She hoped the rest of the girls were having the same luck as she was.
"What are we waiting for?"
Minako followed the white-haired man to a secluded room. She couldn't help but smile a little at the way he was acting. He turned around and addressed her.
"Ms. . . ."
"Mina Yatsura, but you can just call me Mina," she smiled, winking at him.
"Mina, you are the person I ran into this morning, ne?"
Minako laughed. "Yes, sorry about that. I was in a hurry."
"Are you, by any chance, the new librarian?"
"Well . . . I was the librarian. Let's just say sitting down all day doesn't appeal to me."
"No, I imagine not."
"Well, if that's all you have to say, I'll be going now. I've got places to go . . . and a new job to find."
"Actually that's what I wanted to talk to you about."
"Really? Do you know who will hire me?"
"That all depends," he said, eyeing her.
"On what?" She asked, also eyeing him.
"Meet me tomorrow in the training grounds. I'm sure you know where that is." He gave her a little cold grin.
Minako laughed. "It seems like the stone cold general has got jokes." She walked up to him until their bodies were touching. Grabbing his shoulders, she pulled him down so she could whisper in his ear. "Just tell me the time, Kunzite, and I'll be there."
She pulled away, smiling sweetly. Kunzite could still feel her hot breath on his ear. He stood there, transfixed, not knowing what to say. "Seven's fine then," she said, amusement showing all over her face. She blew him a kiss, turned around, and walked out of the room.
Makoto finished putting the pot away in its rightful place. She sighed, wiping her brow. Today, to say the least, was hectic. Worrying about Usagi and cooking sure took its toll on her. Sitting down, she placed her arms on the counter, resting her head on it for a minute. She must have dozed off, because the next thing she knew, she was being shaken awake by someone.
With a yelp, she got up, startled. She glanced around and groaned to herself. Of all the people that could have woken her up, it just had to be him. Wiping away at her apron, she searched for something to say.
"Rough day?" He asked, smiling a little.
She felt herself blush. "Yeah, sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep."
"Don't worry about it, I understand. Are you too tired to take a walk with me?"
"No, but . . ." She glanced around the empty kitchen. "I'm the only one on duty."
"I talked to Malinda. She said she'd be here, so you're free."
"In that case, I'd love to."
He smiled, leading the way out. They walked side by side as he navigated through the castle.
"So where are we going?"
"That's a secret," he said, winking.
She laughed. "Ok, I guess that's fair."
"Trust me, you'll love it."
She blushed, wondering where he was leading her. He opened a door for her, and the cool breeze hit her, making her shiver a little. She wrapped her arms around herself, looking around. They were outside, where, she didn't know. There was a little coble stone pathway leading somewhere. She guessed that was where they were going.
"Here, it's a bit chilly out now." He took of his jacket and placed it on her shoulders.
Makoto thanked him, slipping the jacket on. His scent surrounded her; the smell somewhat familiar to her. She took a deep breath, the smell of wilderness and a hint of cinnamon reaching her scenes.
"Better?"
She nodded her head, tightening the jacket. Following him, they walked in silence, and Makoto couldn't help but glance at him. He was staring upwards, and she did the same, her emerald eyes looking at the stars.
"It's beautiful," she whispered.
He smiled, glancing at her. 'Yea, you are.' "Did you know the stars map out our destiny? Each star tells a part of our life."
Makoto stared at him, getting a sense of déjà vu. 'I've done this before . . . but when?' She pushed that thought to the back of her mind. "Really, what does it say about me, then?"
He looked up. "I'm not sure. The stars are being stubborn tonight."
"Let me guess, you're lying!" She grinned, teasing him.
"I wish I was." He looked up at the stars again, his eyes searching for something. Makoto saw the worry flicker across his face before it was gone.
"We're here. Now, close your eyes, I don't want you peeking."
Makoto closed her eyes and felt his hands on her face, his body pressed against her back. She felt her whole body heat up from the contact. He led her through the door and she felt something soft under her feet.
"Ok, stand there, but not open your eyes just yet." She felt him leave her back, and she felt a little disappointed. He grabbed her hand and placed it on something soft. "Now you can open your eyes."
Makoto opened her eyes and saw a horse staring back. She smiled, stroking the black horse's mane. "Is it a she?"
Nephrite nodded his head, also smiling.
"She's beautiful. How did you know?" She turned around to look at him.
"Know what?"
"That I love horses?"
"I didn't. I was hoping you did, and I guess I got it right."
"Want to ride her?"
"I thought you'd never ask!"
He laughed, opening the gate and leading the horse to Makoto. He gave her the reign and went to retrieve another horse for himself. "I assume you know how to ride one."
Makoto was already on the horse, waiting for him. "Yes."
He mounted as well and led the horse out and into the night. The wind blew across their faces as they trotted around the grounds. The stars twinkling above gave them enough light to see a few feet in front of them. Makoto took a deep breath, relishing his scent twisted with the scent of nature.
"Are you up for a challenge?" She asked him, her adrenaline pumping. For some strange reason nature always excited her.
He smiled. "I never turn down a challenge."
"In that case get ready to loose because I've never lost to anyone in my life." She smiled sweetly at him.
"What do you propose?"
"A race. Whoever wins gets bragging rights as to who is the better rider."
"Let's make this more interesting. If I win you must go on a date with me tomorrow night; if you win . . ."
"If I win you have to cook dinner and clean up afterwards." She could hardly contain her excitement. She was going to kick is royal ass and enjoy doing it.
"Fair enough. It's a three mile ride from here to a small temple outside the stable grounds. Whoever gets there first wins."
"How will I know what it looks like?"
"I'll be waiting for you when you arrive," he said arrogantly. He could feel the adrenaline pumping throughout his veins and he enjoyed ever last bit of it. He knew this woman would be a tough competitor, but he would come out victorious. They stopped their horses and as soon as Nephrite said three, they shot out, neck in neck with each other.
"I forgot to mention my horse is faster. He is male after all." Nephrite yelled back to Makoto, who was lagging behind a few paces.
"Go ahead and smile, it'll make my victory that much sweeter when I wipe that grin off of your face." Glancing down at the black horse, Makoto leaned down to her ear. "Come on girl, we're not going to let two arrogant males beat us! Let's squash their male ego to the dirt where they belong." Patting the mare's neck, Makoto threw away the whip Nephrite had given her. She would never strike an animal as long as she lived.
She continued to talk and pat the horse, and soon gained ground, being a few inches from Nephrite. She glanced at the man next to her. "Unlike men, females don't have to use brute force to get our ways."
Nephrite glanced her way and saw she was not whipping the horse to make it go faster. An astounded look grazed his face as Makoto pulled ahead, the whip no where in sight. For some strange reason he was getting extremely aroused by just watching her ride. Shaking his head to clear those ridicules thoughts, he whipped his horse to get closer to her.
Makoto could hear him getting closer so she bent down, encouraging the horse. Patting the mare, she felt the tight muscles and sweat of the horse. 'Come on girl, just a little bit further,' she thought.
They were still neck in neck when the silhouette of the temple loomed by. Makoto could hear the horse's deep breathing as they raced on. She also noticed that both horses were tiring; running full out for three miles caring humans wasn't easy. She just hoped since she weighed less, she had an advantage.
She saw Nephrite slipping behind, and then heard him whipping the horse. Suddenly her anger began to boil, and she was even more determined to win to show him a lesson. By some miraculous grace, Makoto pulled ahead, her anger seeming to fuel the horse. As soon as she passed the temple, Makoto pulled on the reigns to slow down her horse to a complete stop.
Nephrite pulled beside her a few seconds later, and Makoto noticed his chest rising up and down. "I'm surprised; you beat me without ever whipping your horse."
"Males might be stronger and faster, but women have more stamina," Makoto said stiffly, getting off of the horse and petting her.
Nephrite followed her example, her statement still fresh in his mind. Whether she had meant it sexually or not, his brain had conjured up an image he would have liked to get rid off.
"I change my mind. Instead of you cooking, I would rather have you never whip another horse in your life. I'll teach you if you have trouble adjusting."
She sounded so cold when she said that, almost as if she was mad. He glanced at her, from her rosy cheeks to her emerald eyes, and saw that she was a bit mad. "I'm sorry my whipping the horses offends you. I'll learn how to not whip them and cook you dinner since I made you so angry with me."
Makoto looked at him, his sincerity washing away her anger. The prickling in her mind continued, and she took a step back, holding her head. Nephrite got off of the horse, not being able to hide the worry in his face. "What's wrong?" He asked, going over to her.
As soon as he took her arm, Makoto felt electricity spark from the touch. She heard him ask her something, but he sounded far away, and the only thing she could hear was another voice in her head. Her vision became hazy and she felt a tugging at her mind.
Makoto tied her auburn curly hair in a high ponytail, sighing in content when the wind blew across her exposed neck. It was too hot to be indoors today so she had ventured outside. Walking to the forest, she ran her hand across a tree bark, relishing the fact that she was back home.
She smiled as she saw two animals fighting over a seed that had fallen. She grabbed another one by her feet and tossed it to the loser. It grabbed it, turned it over to inspect it, and satisfied with what it saw the small animal ran away with the seed in its mouth.
She couldn't help but laugh at the creature. She started walking further into the forest, heading to her safe haven. After a couple of minutes walking, she heard a snapping twig and with one fluid motion, she was in a defensive position, her eyes searching for the cause of the noise.
Her eyes narrowed when it landed on the intruder. "You!" She spat, feeling like her day was ruined now.
The tall man with chestnut brown curly hair stepped out, his hands raised in a surrendering way. "Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you."
"You're mistaken. I'm angry, not frightened. It would be wise to know the difference between the two the next time."
He smiled, amused by her bluntness. "Do tell why you're mad."
Makoto uncrossed her arms and stood a few inches away from his face. She wouldn't let his height intimidate her, although she was used to staring down at people and not up. "I'm not one of those bimbos who'll swoon every time you smile. I think you're an arrogant jackass who needs his ass kicked by a female to set him straight."
He smiled again, his blue eyes sparkling with eagerness. "Is that a challenge?"
Makoto smiled, leaning back a little. "I do have one in mind, yes."
"I have been waiting for a good challenge, let's hope you won't disappoint," he said with a laugh, his voice making the small hairs on Makoto's neck rise.
"I've never been one to disappoint." She started walking without glancing back at him. He followed her, his eyes watching her slender legs move with ease around the forest. She really did have nice legs, he thought as he continued to follow her.
"You really shouldn't look at me like that now that you're engaged," she said behind her back, an amused little smile gracing her lips.
"Just because I'm engaged doesn't mean I can't stop having fun." He walked beside her now, gazing at her from the corner of his eyes.
She snorted. "You might want to be careful when you're around Rei then." She saw him wince and laughed, enjoying the scene that popped into her head of Rei screaming at him. She sighed, remembering the whole ordeal.
One day all five of them were chatting about the cute prince that had arrived, and the next they were engaged to his generals. Of course their parents had known before, but they chose to tell them the day of the announcement. It wasn't really their faults, it was their stupid ancestors.
The generals were also mad, but they were enjoying themselves now that they had seen the women they would be marrying. Makoto didn't see why they were mad in the first place since they were the ones who brought up the whole contract.
Rei was furious, snapping at anyone who came near her, Minako was a bit surprised, a little mad that she'd be tied down to any man, Ami had kept to herself, even more distant than usual, and as for herself. . . she didn't really know how she felt about the whole thing.
She was really looking forward to falling in love and then getting married, but as it turned out, she wouldn't be getting the wedding or love life that she'd dreamt about. She sighed again, getting angry at the Silver Alliance for conjuring such a stupid contract.
Nephrite's hand on her back snapped her from her thoughts, and she turned her head to look at him. She was surprised to see an apologetic look on his face, but that was all she got from him. From all the generals, she wouldn't have minded so much if she had to marry Nephrite, she seemed to get along better with him than all the rest.
'I got stuck with the stone-cold Kunzite,' she thought unhappily. Deciding to post-pone all her worries, she glanced around the forest where they had walked to. There was a large pond with a waterfall in the middle of the forest that no one knew about. It was her favorite spot that she hadn't showed anyone until now.
"Here's the deal, you see that waterfall?" She asked, pointing to it just in case. Nephrite nodded his head, a small grin appearing. "We both have to swim over there, climb the rocks, jump from the waterfall, and swim back here. Whoever finishes first wins."
"Sounds easy, but let's make it more thrilling, shall we?" His eyes turned a deeper blue, from what, Makoto could only guess. She nodded her head meekly.
"We both have to strip down to our undergarments, it'll make it a bit easier for you to swim without all that extra weight you females call dresses, and you won't be able to complain about losing to me because of it."
Makoto blushed, but nodded her head. She began to walk away to undress when he stopped her. "I wasn't done princess."
She eyed him suspiciously, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms. "Continue."
"We both have to wager something, and the winner gets it. I'll. . ." He smiled mischievously before continuing. ". . . wager myself. You can have me for a day. I'll be your personal pet. I'll clean, cook, get things, be a messenger, dress you, undress you. . ." He smiled charmingly, letting her think about what he meant by all that.
Makoto's heart skipped a beat and she hoped it was from his smile and not what he implied. She felt herself turn scarlet from thinking about it. "I'll wager. . ." She looked around uneasily, not knowing what to wager.
"How about we both wager ourselves to make it easier." From the look of his eyes Makoto knew he was challenging her, and she never backed down from a challenge.
"Fine, if you loose, you belong to me for a day. If I loose, which is highly unlikely, I'll belong to you."
"Sounds good to me," he said, beginning to take off his uniform. Makoto turned around in a hurry, a blush appearing on her cheeks, and headed to the biggest rock she could find. Undressing to only her bra and panties she stepped out of the protection of the rock, feeling uneasy.
Nephrite was standing with only his boxers on. He watched as Makoto walked up to him, her eyes cast down, seeming to find his feet interesting. 'She is an extremely beautiful woman,' he thought as he let his eyes roam over her body. She had on a matching green bra and underwear. She was extremely tall, which was a major turn on given that he was also tall himself, but she barely passed his neck.
She was also very tan, curvy, and the right size in all the right places. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her. He heard her clear her throat and he looked up, not at all embarrassed that she caught him gawking.
Makoto was also having a tough time not gawking herself. It was a rare moment when she caught herself half-naked with a gorgeous man in the same state. She made herself look from his abs to his eyes. "Ready?" She didn't know if she could form a full sentence yet.
He smiled, liking the way she kept blushing and averting her eyes away from his body. They waded into the pond and he saw her shiver a little from the coldness. He watched as she held her breath and went underwater, appearing again after a few seconds. He held his breath, not trusting what would come out of his mouth if he didn't. 'Did she have to do that? I'm having a tough time controlling myself around her as it is.'
"On the count of three, ok? One . . . two . . . three!" They dived in, surfaced, and started swimming to the rocks, their bodies cutting the water as their long strokes pushed them onward.
Nephrite was ahead by a little bit, but Makoto didn't mind. She was going to pace herself until the very end, where she would use the last ounce to beat him. Out of all five of the girls, Ami was the best swimmer, but Makoto came in second. The only reason Ami always beat her was because she was one with the water, at least that's what Makoto kept saying to herself so she wouldn't feel bad about losing a competition.
Nephrite began climbing the rocks, grunting when he felt a sharp sting on his leg. Ignoring it, he heard Makoto start climbing as well. As of right now, he could beat her easily, but the race wasn't over. He glanced over and saw that she was climbing with ease. He frowned. 'So she's a good climber, that doesn't mean she can win.'
Makoto hid the smile that threatened to escape when she passed him with ease. Climbing was her thing, and she'd be damned if anyone beat her in it. Heaving to pull herself up and over the last rock, she took a few steps back and ran, jumping and diving down again.
She saw the brief flash of Nephrite's frame, and then she felt the cold water hit her body. She resurfaced and as soon as she started swimming, she heard the splash. Nephrite saw her just ahead and pushed himself, gaining ground with every stroke. Soon, they were right next to each other. As the shore loomed nearer, Makoto saw Nephrite pull ahead, get out of the water first, and touch the rock.
Since she lost, she hung out in the water, fixing her bra and underwear to make sure everything was in place before stepping out. She wrapped her arms around herself to keep the cold wind from hitting her. She glanced at Nephrite, who was grinning madly. She inwardly groaned. 'What have I gotten myself into!'
"You lost," he stated, feeling continent that she had indeed lost.
"So?" She snapped back, rubbing her arms and wishing she had the ability to dry herself like Rei could. She cursed the wind and the weather, which had turned fowl, like her mood.
"That means you belong to me for a day," he continued like he hadn't heard her snappy remark.
Her eyes flashed, but she didn't reply, choosing to gather her clothes instead. Her whole body was shivering now and she looked up to the sky, realizing it was about to rain. Normally she loved a storm, but right now it was the last thing she needed. "Follow me." She began walking towards shelter, knowing a cave they could stay in until the rain stopped.
He followed her silently and as soon as they reached the cave, it began to rain. She put on her cloths and sat down, wishing she had a nice fire to keep her warm. Nephrite sat down beside her and gently put his gray coat around her shoulders.
"That should keep you warm."
She smiled but shook her head. "I can't take this; you'll catch a cold without it."
"Nonsense, I want you to have it. Let's see if I can make a fire. . ." Gathering up twigs and leaves that were in the cave, he set them in a circle and looked straight into the pile, concentrating hard. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and he seamed to have a pained expression on his face, but as soon as he relaxed, a small fire leapt up from the twigs.
"Well, it's not the best, but I guess it'll do for now."
Makoto gaped at him. "You control fire!"
He chuckled, drawing nearer to her. "No, no. This is just a little trick I picked up from Jadeite. Making that little flame leaves me exhausted though."
Makoto glanced outside and bit her lip. "It's going to be awhile before it stops raining." Drawing her knees to her, she wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees.
Nephrite leaned against the wall of the cave and couldn't help but shiver a little, hoping she hadn't seen it. Makoto saw that he was cold and got up, walked to him, and sat back down on his lap. Leaning back, she rested her head on his shoulder.
She felt him stiffen at first, but then he relaxed, wrapping his arms around her and enjoying the physical contact her back against his chest did to him. She turned her head a little and he felt her breath against his neck, making the little hairs on his neck rise. He hoped the rain would never stop, because he wanted to stay like this forever.
Before he felt her drift to sleep, he whispered in her ear, "You still belong to me for a day, princess."
'I'm starting to see nothing wrong with that,' she thought before falling asleep. Nephrite glanced at the sleeping Jovian Princess, swearing he heard her say something.
In the next chapter you will see what happens to Makoto in present times and finally the girls first plunder on the castle! Also, we'll have more on the other girls.
For all of you that are worried about the couples that I listed, don't worry it won't happen like that. All will be explained as the story progresses. Sorry if this chapter was confusing.