Shirahime-Syo

Golden Lion Tamarine

Chapter 2

Overture: Purin Fong

Frozen Feelings

"Okay mommy, I'm off to play in the garden!" "Have a nice time, dear," said the queen to her daughter. The queen sighed. The garden . . .

Not too long ago a king had come to arrange a marriage of Purin to his son. The negotiations had not gone well. "She shall marry my son or I shall steal her on her twelfth birthday!" Today was Purin's tenth birthday, but, of course, she didn't know that. They'd been celebrating her birthday five monthes later than it really was.

Purin skipped outside wearying a loose yellow dress. It had flaring sleeves which fell down to her pale wrists and the flowing skirt rustled and swirled in the wind. She was picking lillies in the warm sunshine with her playmates when a game of tag started. A boy she had never seen before entered with them. "Hello! Who're you?" Purin asked excitedly. It was always fun to meet new people. "I am here to play with you," answered he. Purin looked him over and finally said, "Okay!"

The game of tag started the the children swarmed around the garden. Footsteps resounded behind Purin and she looked back to see the child who was 'it' running after her. She let out a shriek of laughter and she ran behind the gazebo. She tripped over a stone and let out a small cry. Strong arms caught her before she touched the ground. She stood herself up and brushed herself off. Purin turned around to find that the person who had helped her was the new boy. She bowed saying, "Arigatou!" "douitashimashite, purinsesu," he quaintly replied and smiled. Purin smiled too and ran off.

When dinner-time came they had a picnic. The new boy sat down next to Purin, as did most of the children. They all sang "happy birthday" and Purin blew out her candles. Everyone clapped and the cake was dished out. As the sun was setting, the new boy turned to Purin and said, "Thank you." Purin turned to ask what he was thanking her for and found that he was gone.

The next year, at the same time, the boy re-appeared. When he came Purin shouted, "Hey, you're the boy who came last year but didn't stay after sunset!" The boy nodded. "You never told me your name though. What is it?" asked she. The boy smiled. "I am here to play with you," he answered, the same as the last time. Purin smiled and shrugged. "Come on, let's play!" and she dragged him off by the wrist. "Come on, guys, I have something to show you!" she shouted to the other children.

They all followed Purin out of the gardens and off of the palace grounds. They entered into a forest and Purin crawled beneath a bush which led into a clearing. "Look at these!" she shouted. Vines andexotic flowers grew upon crumbled stone ruins. Jungle tree leaves spiraled down around them and shafts of sunlight glinted onto the place through the tree canopy above.

"Hey, this would be a great place to play hide-and-go-seek tag!" one of the children shouted a suggestion. The other children chorused in agreement. "Then we shall play!" shouted Purin. "Last one to the ruins is it!" shouted another child and the horde of children took off running. And thus the game started.

Purin grabbed the new boy's hand and said, "Come on, let's hide over here!" She pulled him into a dark cramped corner. After a while footsteps echoed by as the 'it' child walked past, looking for any of the children. When he had gone Purin stood and prepared to run to the safe. She looked back at the boy and met his eyes. She gasped and paused for a moment, unable to do anything. The boy looked back at her and asked, "Do you love me?" Purin blinked. "What is love?" But the 'it' child shouted, "Ah-hah!" and Purin had to run for the safe.

The boy looked sadly after her as the sun set in an array of brilliant colors. His yellow princess. He sighed and watched the sun sink below the horizon and whispered, "I love you," to Purin, though she could not hear him, as he vanished.

And when her twelfth birthdate came, he appeared at her playground once more. Purin looked at him and smiled. She had not forgotten about when he asked her if she loved him. However, she was not going to show that she remembered. "Come on, play with us!" she shouted. Soon a game of tag had started in the gardens.

"When you get tagged you have to wrap you hands around a lily, like this!" shouted one of the children and demonstrated by standing with her back to the long necked flower and placing her hands around it. "You can only come off it if someone un-tags you!" shouted the same girl. Then the game started once more.

Purin felt a hand on her back and someone yelled, "Tag!" Purin stood with her back facing the nearest lily and placed her hands around it. The new boy soon ran by. He stopped where Purin was and she said, "Hurry, un-tag me!" He looked at her strangely, as though he wanted to do something, but he didn't and he brushed her arm with his hand as he un-tagged her. She smiled and shouted, "Thanks!" before running off.

Later on, the boy came up to Purin when she was alone and asked her, "I have something toask you, will you come with me?" Purin smiled and nodded, saying, "Sure." The boy wrapped his strong arms around her and they both vanished.

They re-appeared in the ruins they had seen before. "Hey, we were here last year!" Purin exclaimed. The boy nodded. "So what did you bring me here to tell me?" She asked innocently. The boy looked into her eyes once more and she couldn't move. She felt herself unable to, and she didn't want to either. She felt a certain attraction to him, but couldn't explain what it was. Was it that love thing he had talked about last time?

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Purin's heart raced and a tingling sensation went up her back where his hand was.She kept her gaze at his amber eyes and asked, "What are you doing to me? I have never felt this way before." He smiled and looked down at her. "You, my purinsesu, are in love."

Purin smiled gracefully and he pulled her into a close embrace. He leaned toward her and Purin's eyes widened in shock and slowly fluttered closed as the boy kissed her deeply. Their lips parted and Purin whispered, "I love you."

The boy smiled and wrappe dhis arms around her once more. They vanished from the clearing an appeared at the edge of the gardens. "The sun is setting and I fear I must be going, purinsesu." Purin smiled. "Return soon."

Purin walked back to the palace, feeling as though she was dancing on air. She entered into her room and took off her clothes. She hummed to herself as she slipped into the warm bubble bath her maids had prepared. "You may go now," Purin excused her maids and waved them away. They scuttled out of the bathroom and Purin sank into the bubbles and warm water.

She closed her eyes and felt a slight whoosh, as though the window had been opened. She opened her eyes to see that a boy with very pale skin and black hair stood by her tub.He was dressed in dark turquoise clothes and wore a hat of the same shade upon his head. "Are you purinsesu Purin?" He asked. "Yes, but could you come back later? I'm taking a bath," Purin answered.

"Will you marry me?" he asked. "For real or for pretend?" She asked. "For real," answered he. Purin made a face at him. "Of course not, I'm much too young, andyou are much too old," she answered. A cold chilling breeze rushed by.

"Are you sure?" theman asked. Purin nodded. "Yup, why?""I am purinsu Kaito. You were promised to me on this very day. I shall give you once last chance. Will you marry me?" Purin shook her head. "Never!" Kaito shook his head saying, "So be it." He grabbed her wrists and vanished with her.

They re-appeared in the clearing. Purin was wearing a fluffy dress the same shade as Kaito's suit. It had slitted sleeves and was low cut. "Are you sure you do not wish to marry me?" He asked. Purin nodded affirmative. "But why have you brought me to these ruins? You know I have been here before." Kaito smiled. "Yes, and that is why when I freeze you, your feelings will freeze with it. I'll come back when you are sixteen. Then maybe you will have changed your mind!" and a chilling fog of ice and snow rushed though.

When the snow cleared, Kaito smiled. Purin was frozen there. She was a deathly pale white with a tinge of icy blue. Her dress was frozen solid and would not break or chip away. She was a living statue. His princess would grow and blossom and maybe, in time, she would love him or he would freee her feelings and would tell her she was in love with him. Kaito smiled and vanished.