Thorns by liahime-
Six Rose Black:
Disclaimer: Liahime doesn't own digimon in the slightest, and she didn't enjoy making Ryo a suspected murderer either... sorry everyone...
The funeral itself was solemn, subjects genuinely sorry for the loss of their king. They slowly walked past the coffin, watching it being lowered into the ground. White roses were thrown in, comforting things were mumbled. Councillors competed to see who would get on the new ruler's good side. A flurry of white flowers and black ribbons were thrown in, as they vied for the new queen's attention.
The new queen sat apart from them, watching the people go by, barely seeing the councillors. For once, three generations of queen were united- mother, grandmother, daughter, all mourning the loss of one life. Beloved husband, son, father. Six feet underneath the ground.
The prime minister said something. The regent queen made a quick appearance, black make up blurred and running, voice choking. Queen mother, calm and serene, saying the final words, placing the final flower on her son's grave.
In an attempt to "celebrate life", there was a ball after the funeral. People immediately brightened up, and were happy that they wore their best black silk, and chatted about how Lady Mei's new hair color looked ugly with black, and how ridiculous that duke's floral bouquet was. Rumiko and Seiko, both used to it, put on fake smiles and retreated graciously, leaving Rika behind with the nobles, comparing sizes on floral arrangements. She stood alone, watching people dance and be happy. She wanted to scream at them, to tell them not to be happy, to be sad that her father died. But they were still there, laughing, twirling, dancing past her. Nobles all, in diamonds and black velvet, showing off, using death to their own advantage.
Happy music- a waltz, with it's "one-two-three" beat bouncing cheerfully, violins swaying lightly. They didn't care. If they were sad, they wouldn't be dancing, they'd mourn, she told herself. Mourn for him at least for a hour.
And Rika? She was sad, yes. But over it all, was anger.
-took off in the rising moonlight- the paths were lit, the moon was full. White flowers stood on their stems in the dark, seeming to float in the night. Up the hill, down the paths, and over the bridge. In the darkness, everything felt smooth. Ryo, expecting to be far in the lead, slowed down for her to catch up. Rika, right next to him, sped up and soared past him-
She had believed him. Trusted him. And here he was, on the top of the suspect list. It couldn't be-
but it was, the little voice in her head piped up. It happened.
-staring her down as soon as she came in. Cold blue eyes. Emotionless eyes... looking down at her, making her feel as if she was shrinking-
And there was more- Two sea blue eyes grinned back at the glaring princess. "My princess wild cat. Don't scratch more than you can handle."-
Kami, she was confused. It could not be Ryo. There was no reason, no possible way- her father was surrounded by guards, they had claimed to have seen nothing-
"You think that some guy called Saruwatari Tai can beat me? Of course not. " Ryo picked up one of the twigs lying on the ground and struck a noble pose. "He can't pose like me."
Someone like that didn't kill kings. Murderers didn't throw monkeys, didn't clean graves, didn't walk next to you in gardens. There was no way. No one had thought it possible, no one would have had the slightest thought that the west kingdom boy was an assassin. No one would have known. She had no clue. It couldn't be. There was no chance.
-the attack on her seemingly endless... the pain in her arms grew, her hands had started to bleed from holding the sword so hard, scratches opening wider-
-If you're hiding from work, you should go back now. The kingdom and the king don't harbor criminals."
He grinned. "It's not work I have to do... it's something worse."-
Or was there?
-
People passed by her in lines, bowing and curtsying awkwardly. Rika didn't look at them, just nodded until they left, good-for-nothing fan hanging limply in her hand. Their faces blurred together, black silk, white faces, over and over. She was numb, ignoring everything around her. She had retreated into her self and her own thoughts, and stayed silent.
Her aunt, despite the danger to her skin, actually hugged her, and Rika didn't flinch- barely- caught up in a vice like grip again. "Auntie Lili" of course though, kept her makeup perfect, tilting back tears into her eyes, for even her brother's funeral would not ruin her newly-ripe-summer-peach skin color. Dead or no dead, she was still living, she reasoned to herself, and the world did not need to see Lili with out her makeup. They never had, they never would.
The kingdom's ancient weapons and training master held up the line, causing a wave of grumbles to ripple down as the nobles waited.
"You OK, Rika?"
She nodded slowly.
"Good girl." He hugged her, in such a fatherly gesture that the peoplebehind them gasped. "Stay strong, chin up." It was a shock, they murmured, to have a white haired training master and a princess be so close. In fact he showed more affection than the king, bless-his-soul-may-he-live-in-peace-forever, did himself.
Rika would have made it through the reception safely after this, but for one person.
A loud popping of gum at the end of the line woke her from her silent thoughts. Priscilla, in black, low cut- very, very, low cut- velvet, stood in front of Rika, looking completely sympathetic and fake. "I'm so sorry for your loss, princess," she said, loudly. "I speak for my country when I offer my most sincere condolences." She snapped her gum, just loud enough for Rika to hear. "Your poor, dead father. He must be so happy now." She moved to walk on.
Rika looked up, glared at her, and took the other princess's gloved hand, squeezing it tightly-until it turned slightly white without blood underneath the black cloth. Priscilla let out a small squeak. "You-you ruffian! I'm the next heir after you, you do know-"
"I speak for my country, Priscilla, when I say you are a total brat, and daughter of the lowest dog and most wart-covered toad there is." Rika spoke quietly.Anyone watching wouldn't have suspected a thing wrong. "Please crawl back under your slimy rock and shut your filthy mouth." She let go, and Priscilla massaged her hand, whimpering as Rika walked off.
A prince stopped her, and asked her if she wanted to dance. He was smiling a little while he said that, and while he smiled, he mumbled some comforting words through his perfectly straightened grinning teeth.
She glared at him.
He waited for an answer.
Instead, he was slapped with the good-for-nothing fan and left stunned as he watched the princess silently walk off, out the ballroom doors.
"I take that as a no, then?"
And turning the corner, Rika ran. Down the steps from the ballroom, out into the garden. Scratches from thorns half cut away opened up in her skin, pain shooting up into her wrists. She sprinted past the plants, away from the palace once again, running until her breath grew ragged and she was far away from the palace,from the cold eyed councillors, from the dead body of her father with gold coins weighing the lids of his eyes closed.
She sat on the ground, underneath a huge old pine, far away from the music. The clouds hung bleakly over the sun, making the light come down soft and filtered. Everything was muted, like a watercolor painting that had been left out in the rain. No flowers, no music, no people in black... Just silence.
Her father was dead.
And she was not going to cry.
Gone. Forever. There was no rewinding the past.
And the last words she had said to him- "Absolutely not, father. Leave immediately."
He had left.
And not returned.
Words had become reality. Tiny drops formed in her eyes, but she defiantly didn't let them spill, tilting her head back. It's the sun. I'm not crying. It's sun.
Her father.. Buried six feet cold under the ground. She knew it happened, but she tried to keep avoiding it. If she never thought of it-
The little voice in her head piped up. I thought you hated him? He stuck you in your room, locked you up. And now you're engaged to some person you barely know
Yes, but still..
I hate crying, I never cry. I never cry. she reminded herself once more. More drops- from the sun, she told herself- pooled up in her eyes. She was not crying.
The little voice in her head continuedcheerfully. Why aren't you happy? You're the queen, you don't have to marry that prince. You can do whatever you want. Isn't that what you wanted?
Almost every problem she had in her life had vanished at her father's death. But- despite screaming, getting locked up, becoming engaged- she'd trade them all back if her father was alive. She had screamed at him, was constantly mad at him- but to have him dead...
Because no matter how angry you get at someone, you still love them, even at least atiny bit, right?
The tears, no matter how far back she tilted her head or shut her eyes, came out. And for the first time after her father's death, the princess cried.
-
She didn't know how long she had been there. It seemed so short, but the sun had moved far from it's morning position in the east. The red-eyed princess stood up, brushing pine needles off the black dress, picking up the blue cloak-
The blue cloak. She looked down at it. It was a familiar deep-sea blue, stretched out as if it was a piece of the ocean cut out into fabric. It was the color that only graced Western kingdom's warriors cloaks- that's where she had seen it before.. It was well worn, warm, and big enough to cover her completely. It was so soft, so warm that she almost curled back up under the blue stretch of cloth. But then she realized where she had seen the blue before. It was...
The same blue in the eyes of a certain suspected west kingdom assassin.
She threw it onto the ground as if it was coated with poison and deliberately walked across it, smearing it with mud. The princess spit on it. Walked on it more. In minutes, she had finished attacking the cloak, venting out anger until it still looked like the ocean- but post-pollution, post-oil spill, and post-half finished "build your own island" project.
Rika looked down at the completely mud-stained cloak and wondered why in the world she did that. For all she knew, it could have been anybody- which made it worse, she thought. West kingdom warriors were not only Ryo, and it couldn't be him. After all- suspects don't stay around the scene of the crime long.
Almost embarrassed- and certainly confused- by her flash of immaturity and anger, she picked it up, searching for the nearest place to clean the cloak.
There were streams cutting across the palace grounds, and Rika found one near the old pine tree. It rushed past willow trees never pruned, deep and swift. She dunked the cloak into the water, letting the mud wash itself away in the water.
She retied her hair, scolding herself. Ryo is gone. You will never see him again, except at a hanging, a trial, and a condemning. So stop thinking about him. So stop being a little kid. You're queen now.
The little voice, in a whiny mood, chimed in. But you would make a bad queen anyways.
Shut up. Rika was thoroughly annoyed with whatever stupidity her conscience had for her now. She pulled the still dirty cloak out of the water, slapped it on the nearest rock, getting it promptly covered with pale sand.
Cursing her bad luck, Rika pulled the cloak up and looked for any identification. Maybe she should just give it back to him, completely sandy. In the bottom corner, there was a small patch, witha message scribbled in pen.
If you find this, please return to the wonderful person who should be wearing this but isn't. Mail or hand deliver to:
Akiyama Ryo
c/o Sword Hall 7, Palace of the West
West Kingdom
Return (laundered, hand-wash only, don't use smelly soap please) it immediately. Thank you.
Ryo had been there. Ryo had seen her, stayed there, had his cloak over her.
She expected herself to be mad. She was mad at him, boiling angrily inside. But some tiny part of her traitor brain wondered about him. Worried about him. Wanted him safely out of the kingdom.
She snapped at herself. He's easier to catch. It's a good thing. The only good thing about him leaving the kingdom is that he's out of my sight. If cloaks could drown, Rika had drowned the cloak underneath the freezing water.
"Hey, wildcat." Someone's voice floated out across the stream. "I want the cloak." It was.. Ryo? The same hair, the same height. He sounded like Ryo, stood like Ryo. He balanced on one of the rocks, arrogantly grinning at her.
Rika's eyes narrowed. "Akiyama."
"Princess." He bowed sarcastically.
Rika glared across the water. "Happy?"
He laughed, annoyingly smug. "It was a pleasure helping you to your throne, my lady."
"Don't bother with it again." There was something disconcerting about him. He didn't seem like Ryo, but it had to be. Something was different about him.
"You're mad, aren't you." He nodded sympathetically. "And sad. You must be so depressed. You must want an end to this misery."
"It will end when you're gone, Ryo."
He looked taken aback. "Ryo?"
"Don't play dumb with me." If there was some way to stop him-
The youth sighed. "Nobles. You're all the same." He pulled a dagger out of what had seemed to be air. "Guess this should end now." He tilted the knife back. "Last words?"
"RIKA!" Someone- sounding like Ryo- ran up behind her. "Rika, move! Now!"
She turned to look at him- and there was a second Ryo. Exactly the same. The second-Ryo threw himself at her, pushing her out of the way as a knife rushed past her.
"You really are boring, brother of mine." Another knife flew by. "But at least you're consistent. I'm leaving now. Farewell, see you at home, dear little sibling."
The Ryo- one of the Ryo's- on top of her looked down at her. He had pinned her close to the sand, almost enveloping her. "Leave, Rika."
"Get off me."
Ryo stood up, looking at her awkwardly. "Ah..I'm sorry."
Rika looked at him, not glaring- this was worse. She stared at him, and he could almost see the hate and anger as a physical thing, spiraling into him.
"I want an explanation. Now."
"Look Rika, I'm sorry, ok? But not now-"
"Sorry? Sorry? Sorry doesn't cut it after you end up at the top of the suspect list for the guy who killed my dad. I want to know why, Ryo. Now."
Ryo sat on one of the rocks, ripping the bottom off his cloak. "Look, I didn't kill your dad." He wrapped the cloak around a cut on his arm, wincing as he knotted it tightly. "It wasn't me."
"Sure. They all say that, Ryo."
"Rika, I swear. It wasn't me. I might have thought about it- but I swear, I never even got close to it."
"Then who was it." Rika kept staring at him. "Tell me. Explain."
There was a slight crackling sound, like leaves burning, behind them. Ryo looked alarmed. He turned to Rika.
"Do you trust me?"
"What? Don't get off topic." Rika wanted answers.
"No, seriously, Rika." He looked at her, not smiling for once. "Do you trust me?"
"Ryo- what is going on-" The crackling sound was even louder, and it sounded closer than ever. Ryo took her hand, pulling her behind him.
"Rika, trust me on this. Just jump when I tell you to, and hold your breath. You swim, right?" He looked rushed, sprinting away from the crackling noise.
"What in the world is going-"
"JUMP!"
mistral-chan- thank you for the lovely fanfic award- I'll remember to polish it.. Haha.. Thank you!
DigiChick- yes.. I made Rumiko disappear for now, because she'd just get in the way. Haha I'm kidding of course. She comes in later.. Thank you very much, hope you like this chapter. Yep.. Ryo's brother is in the story now.. anyways, I'll try to update soon!
corruptedgoddess- I'm not being pushy or anyhing.. But if you ever get the fanart done, please show me! I wanna see very much.. thank you for the moral support- it helped a lot..
shadowcat- thank you very much.. whispering back when I typed most of this, I wasn't supposed to be on the computer either..
Dolce Saito- I hated having Ryo as suspect too.. T-T but it had to be done.. I'm sorry.. But.. I'm glad you liked the chapter..
Hellomimmy- ah.. Hope you like what I did in this chapter... thank you very much!
My Dream's Shadow- glad you liked it.. Hope you like this chapter too..
asn water- ah.. I hope you like this chapter... Yeah.. Rika's growing up more now..
Strawberry'd- I worked on the formatting thing, but the horrible upload thing messed up the lines.. So I tried to fix it. Does this make it bettter? (I was trying to fix it before but I was too lazy to finish it.) Ryo doesn't have a bro in the anime.. I just gave him one now. .. Hope you like this chapter.. (and hope you get to Korea some time soon..)
kunoichixxkanna- Glad you like it.. Updated asap this time- no more laziness..
rose-white- Thanks for reviewing- hope you liked this chapter.
Lil' Lilo- I'm sorry for Rika (and ryo..)too.. Thank you!
flying monkey therapist lady-snow- haha.. thank you..
Sparkling-Ruby Gem- wow.. You reviewed really really fast.. The new chapter didn't officially show up on my computer (outside of live preview).. Sorry for the wait.. Hope you like this!
authoress comments:
aish.. I normally don't write this way, but I hope you like the chapter anyways... killing people off in stories is hard for me.. It seemed easy at first- but there's always everyone that's left behind, and it's hard not to make things ooc... which I did in this chapter.
AUGH LIAHIME IS HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THIS... anyways... there's the random burst of frustration from me.. -coughs- I really, really hated having Ryo a killer-suspect, so I rushed this chapter some... but I hope you like this chapter anyways. Thank you for reviewing everyone!
I really might rewrite this chapter... I always say that, but this time, I really might do it.. please vote yes/no ok?
AUGH I MUST RUSH AND UPLOAD THIS BEFORE MY DEAR PARENTS COME TO KICK ME OFF THE COMPUTER
-rushing liahime