Love Among Slavery
Chapter Four: Destiny's Pear
* * *
The bustling people were everywhere, making it hard to see for Hotaru as she walked almost aimlessly towards the palace. Clasped in her hands was a basket full of Asian fruits for the King. They say that he had unreasonable crave for it lately.
Hotaru was informed that specific orders were given to nearly all the food stands to deliver a basket of Asian pears to the palace today. So Hotaru was given the job to deliver the pears and she did it gratefully, especially when she could see her father.
She stumbled through the people and was tempted to crawl too. But with a sigh she waited patiently until the people passed, creating an almost clear passage. While making her way towards the palace she noticed that other people were also delivering Asian pears.
When she reached the palace gates a soldier came up to her from behind the bars. The soldier just simply nodded when he saw the basket of Asian pears and opened the gate to admit her in.
She nodded at the soldier as he led her to the palace. Suddenly he stopped and said, "You must wait here for his majesty or some other servants to receive the pears."
Hotaru nodded, but then asked, "May I put these in the kitchen myself?"
The soldier seemed to think about this and he answered, "Sure."
Hotaru nodded again as the soldier walked away. Clenching the basket tighter she began to timidly make her way towards the royal kitchen. It was then that she got to look around the beautifully decorated halls. With the velvet red carpet, unique tapestry and exquisite furnished furniture.
Without even looking she accidentally knocked into someone, making her pears drop from the basket. Gasping in terror, she quickly bent down and picked up the pears gently. The person she bumped into looked at her small figure as she rushed to get the pears back into the basket.
Once the last pear was back into the basket she got up and saw the boy she bumped into. It was the same boy who she bumped into the other day; the boy who asked for an Asian pear and paid a dollar for it.
"You again?" Heero asked coolly with an eyebrow that perked up.
Hotaru's mind suddenly exploded. One, she apologized the other day for bumping him and he was just so rude! Two, she was beginning to think he was stalking her! Three, he bumped into her and made all those precious pears spill! What if she got fired?!
"Okay," Hotaru started calmly, "I apologized the other day and you were rude to me! Plus, you made those pears spill out and crash onto the floor! What if the king complained about dents and bruises!?"
No longer annoyed by this girl, but mad. No one was supposed to talk to her like that, especially when he was the king! He then looked down to see that his attire was of a servant.
Now he knew. He disguised himself as a servant to hear the daily rumors around the palace grounds, since not many servants ever saw his face he could roam quite freely about without being discovered. He forgot to change into his royal robes!
His anger slowly disappeared, and now was replaced by amusement. It fascinated him that she was talking to him in such a manner. And since he met her in the streets, she only assumed that he was a servant in the palace.
"I'm sure the king won't mind," he said with a smirk.
The smirk only made Hotaru angrier as she said, "I'm sure he'll chop my head off."
Heero's smirk only grew at the thought, "He's a good king. He won't chop off your head."
Hotaru remained silent. If he were such a good king then why would he enslave such magnificent creatures like elves? She asked herself as she stared at the red carpet underneath him.
"What are you doing anyway?" Heero asked, breaking the silence.
"I'm going to deliver these pears to the kitchen," Hotaru answered calmly.
"Aren't you supposed to wait till a servant gets it or something like that?" Heero questioned.
"Yeah, but I want to visit my father," Hotaru told him, though she had no idea why. She had a feeling that this man would find out later anyway.
"Where does your father work?" he asked as she began to walk towards the kitchen again.
"In the kitchen, he washes dishes," Hotaru informed as she was starting to get used to his company, "What do you do?"
Heero didn't need a second thought about the question because many servants asked him that question, "I work in the gardens."
"Then why are you here?" Hotaru asked again as she went into the kitchen.
"Need a break," he replied simply.
Hotaru took that answer as she placed the basket of Asian pears on the table along with the rest of the basket. Heero silently noted the position the basket was among the others. Hotaru traveled slowly round until she spotted her father.
"Dad," Hotaru said with a smile as he turned around.
"Firefly," he said affectionately, "I knew you would come when I heard that pears were being delivered."
Hotaru smiled, "Are you okay dad?"
"I'm quite fine," he answered.
Heero just stood there in the entrance of the kitchen, staring at those lips as they carried words after words out. The conversation went on, so did the lips. Those lips glowed when she smiled and soft when she laughed. They grew hard when she was angry and if she were sad they would be dry.
He couldn't believe he was thinking about her lips and found out so much from one conversation.
When the conversation was over Hotaru got up and met up with Heero. She went up to him slowly and said, "I need to go back into the entrance and I... kind of forgotten where to go..."
Heero smirked, "Follow me."
Follow she did as they walked through the hallways to the entrance. She was behind him and realized that this rude "jerk" was actually quite nice. His smirk made her feel weak and inferior, but the looks in his eyes made her feel as powerful as him. In result she decided to befriend him.
When hey were at the entrance of the palace Hotaru turned to him and said, "By the way, my name's Hotaru. See you around!"
"Name's Heero," he said as she nodded and walked away.
Heero then went back to the kitchen and grabbed an Asian pear from Hotaru's basket. While clutching the pear, he went out to the garden. He sat down and observed its outer skin as it shone in the sunlight.
He smirked and he tried out the new name, "Hotaru..."
Heero couldn't help but think it was funny that a single pear had brought him another friend, "This is Destiny's pear." He concluded with another smirk.
* * *
Silver Author
Chapter Four: Destiny's Pear
* * *
The bustling people were everywhere, making it hard to see for Hotaru as she walked almost aimlessly towards the palace. Clasped in her hands was a basket full of Asian fruits for the King. They say that he had unreasonable crave for it lately.
Hotaru was informed that specific orders were given to nearly all the food stands to deliver a basket of Asian pears to the palace today. So Hotaru was given the job to deliver the pears and she did it gratefully, especially when she could see her father.
She stumbled through the people and was tempted to crawl too. But with a sigh she waited patiently until the people passed, creating an almost clear passage. While making her way towards the palace she noticed that other people were also delivering Asian pears.
When she reached the palace gates a soldier came up to her from behind the bars. The soldier just simply nodded when he saw the basket of Asian pears and opened the gate to admit her in.
She nodded at the soldier as he led her to the palace. Suddenly he stopped and said, "You must wait here for his majesty or some other servants to receive the pears."
Hotaru nodded, but then asked, "May I put these in the kitchen myself?"
The soldier seemed to think about this and he answered, "Sure."
Hotaru nodded again as the soldier walked away. Clenching the basket tighter she began to timidly make her way towards the royal kitchen. It was then that she got to look around the beautifully decorated halls. With the velvet red carpet, unique tapestry and exquisite furnished furniture.
Without even looking she accidentally knocked into someone, making her pears drop from the basket. Gasping in terror, she quickly bent down and picked up the pears gently. The person she bumped into looked at her small figure as she rushed to get the pears back into the basket.
Once the last pear was back into the basket she got up and saw the boy she bumped into. It was the same boy who she bumped into the other day; the boy who asked for an Asian pear and paid a dollar for it.
"You again?" Heero asked coolly with an eyebrow that perked up.
Hotaru's mind suddenly exploded. One, she apologized the other day for bumping him and he was just so rude! Two, she was beginning to think he was stalking her! Three, he bumped into her and made all those precious pears spill! What if she got fired?!
"Okay," Hotaru started calmly, "I apologized the other day and you were rude to me! Plus, you made those pears spill out and crash onto the floor! What if the king complained about dents and bruises!?"
No longer annoyed by this girl, but mad. No one was supposed to talk to her like that, especially when he was the king! He then looked down to see that his attire was of a servant.
Now he knew. He disguised himself as a servant to hear the daily rumors around the palace grounds, since not many servants ever saw his face he could roam quite freely about without being discovered. He forgot to change into his royal robes!
His anger slowly disappeared, and now was replaced by amusement. It fascinated him that she was talking to him in such a manner. And since he met her in the streets, she only assumed that he was a servant in the palace.
"I'm sure the king won't mind," he said with a smirk.
The smirk only made Hotaru angrier as she said, "I'm sure he'll chop my head off."
Heero's smirk only grew at the thought, "He's a good king. He won't chop off your head."
Hotaru remained silent. If he were such a good king then why would he enslave such magnificent creatures like elves? She asked herself as she stared at the red carpet underneath him.
"What are you doing anyway?" Heero asked, breaking the silence.
"I'm going to deliver these pears to the kitchen," Hotaru answered calmly.
"Aren't you supposed to wait till a servant gets it or something like that?" Heero questioned.
"Yeah, but I want to visit my father," Hotaru told him, though she had no idea why. She had a feeling that this man would find out later anyway.
"Where does your father work?" he asked as she began to walk towards the kitchen again.
"In the kitchen, he washes dishes," Hotaru informed as she was starting to get used to his company, "What do you do?"
Heero didn't need a second thought about the question because many servants asked him that question, "I work in the gardens."
"Then why are you here?" Hotaru asked again as she went into the kitchen.
"Need a break," he replied simply.
Hotaru took that answer as she placed the basket of Asian pears on the table along with the rest of the basket. Heero silently noted the position the basket was among the others. Hotaru traveled slowly round until she spotted her father.
"Dad," Hotaru said with a smile as he turned around.
"Firefly," he said affectionately, "I knew you would come when I heard that pears were being delivered."
Hotaru smiled, "Are you okay dad?"
"I'm quite fine," he answered.
Heero just stood there in the entrance of the kitchen, staring at those lips as they carried words after words out. The conversation went on, so did the lips. Those lips glowed when she smiled and soft when she laughed. They grew hard when she was angry and if she were sad they would be dry.
He couldn't believe he was thinking about her lips and found out so much from one conversation.
When the conversation was over Hotaru got up and met up with Heero. She went up to him slowly and said, "I need to go back into the entrance and I... kind of forgotten where to go..."
Heero smirked, "Follow me."
Follow she did as they walked through the hallways to the entrance. She was behind him and realized that this rude "jerk" was actually quite nice. His smirk made her feel weak and inferior, but the looks in his eyes made her feel as powerful as him. In result she decided to befriend him.
When hey were at the entrance of the palace Hotaru turned to him and said, "By the way, my name's Hotaru. See you around!"
"Name's Heero," he said as she nodded and walked away.
Heero then went back to the kitchen and grabbed an Asian pear from Hotaru's basket. While clutching the pear, he went out to the garden. He sat down and observed its outer skin as it shone in the sunlight.
He smirked and he tried out the new name, "Hotaru..."
Heero couldn't help but think it was funny that a single pear had brought him another friend, "This is Destiny's pear." He concluded with another smirk.
* * *
Silver Author