Hey guys. Sorry it's been so long. I could have posted earlier, but I wanted to wait until today. You see, as of today it has been exactly two years since I started this. So this update is kind of like an anniversary present, except in reverse. It's kind of weird that this whole big concept evolved from something as simple as me walking across my garden in the rain and looking at how white my hands had gone in the cold. Strange, how these things work. I'd also like to take this time to thank Kitty, who was this fic's first ever reviewer. I don't know if she's still reading or not, but if she is, she should know how truly grateful I am to her.
Anyway, hope you enjoy this instalment.
x-x
Ken had his arms wrapped around Miyako, his head buried in the crook of her neck. He squeezed tighter, afraid of what would happen if he let go. He was crying freely into her hair and his whole body shook with emotion. He'd spent so many hours lying awake, trying to convince himself that he could manage this wedding. But he could never shake Miyako from his mind. Her tired purity, her small smile, the way she never failed to bring him back to reality. He'd known he couldn't get out of this marriage, but he'd also known he couldn't go through with it. He was stuck… and then to be released. It was a miracle.
He suddenly felt two strong hands gripping his shoulders, pulling him away. He was dragged through the rabbling crowds and into an antechamber, with Miyako trailing after him. The door was slammed and locked after her. The two hands spun him around and he saw his mother's face, contorted in fury and embarrassment. She was turning an odd shade of purple and seemed unable to string a sentence together.
"You… she… servant! Princess Mimi… where? Alliance… Celestria… Lochney…"
Ken's father had suddenly appeared in the fray. His hands were resting on Misha's upper arms, physically restraining her. She definitely looked furious enough to strike him. The king murmured something into his queen's ear, trying to calm her down and at the very least keep her breathing. He turned to Ken, and while he looked taken aback, certainly, but there was no anger hardening his features.
"I think what your mother is trying to say, is that we do not… cannot comprehend this situation. Would you please explain? Who is this girl?"
Ken knew this moment would have to come sometime. If he and Miyako were going to be together, they would need to have his parents' approval. He hoped and prayed he would be able to explain things well enough; to prove once and for all that the love he held for Miyako was all their relationship needed. That being of royal birth was not what was important. Nonetheless, as a precautionary measure, he shifted slightly so as to place himself between Miyako and his mother.
Ken sighed, then began. "This is Miyako. I love her."
The queen spluttered, her face flushing to an even deeper purple. "Love her?" she exclaimed. "How is it that can you love her? She is a mere servant!"
Ken felt Miyako shudder slightly behind him. He knew she knew her place. She didn't need to be reminded of it. He paused, forming his speech. It had to be good, or he'd lose Miyako forever. When his words came, they were as carefully balanced and evenly delivered as his mother's had been wild and unhinged.
"That is how we met, mother. Since then we have spent much time together. She has kept me sane throughout all the princely duties I have had to perform, and that has been quite a task for her. She has stuck by me in a way nobody else ever has. She has shown faith in me, and made me realise the potential I have that I never knew was there. I do love her, and unless I am most mistaken, she loves me. This is what a relationship should be based on. Not bloodlines and not an alliance between kingdoms."
Ken's father stared at him for a moment, analysing him with his eyes. "So…" he began, still struggling with some of the finer details of the circumstances. "Did you and the Princess of Celestria organise this boycott? I must say, if that is the case, then I am most disappointed and ashamed of you."
Ken could feel Miyako's hand resting lightly on the small of his back, keeping him steady. He couldn't fall off the rails now. "No, father. I never did such a thing. I tried to accept the union, I honestly did. It was terrible, but I was prepared to sacrifice myself for my homeland, and for our family's honour. But this… I cannot deny it was a blessing for me. Princess Mimi must have seen something, had the strength to do something I could never dream of. It was truly… noble."
Ken heard his mother snort, and had the feeling that the King and Queen of Celestria were going to get an earful later. He took a deep breath, and commenced his final argument. If this didn't work… he couldn't face the possibility.
"Mother, father," he addressed each of them before wrapping his arm around Miyako, who smiled shyly. "I do not expect you to give your approval. That is too much for one man to ever hope for. But I do hope that one day you might understand. I could not… cannot marry Princess Mimi when my heart belongs to someone else. It would be unfair on both her and me."
Neither the king nor the queen said anything for a very long minute. Oratory classes don't fail me now, Ken prayed. Shifting uncomfortably, he suffered under their piercing gaze. Finally his father looked away from him, and turned his stare onto his wife. He then looked to Ken and Miyako once more before speaking to his wife.
"My dear, we have always trusted our Ken to do what is right. And he has never failed us. He has always been responsible and the very model of a prince. So are we to fail him, now that there are such high stakes?"
The queen bit her glossed lip. Ken knew she was thinking hard. She eventually replied, her words broken and uneven as she stared at the floor. "Ken… your father… he is right. The necessary arrangements will be made so that you… may continue to see this girl… Miyako. For the time being, at least. We trust your judgement, and if it leads you to her… she must be a very special young lady. She may never be Queen of Lochney; you must understand this. There is a very strong, magical power that binds a ruler to their kingdom and not just anybody is worthy. But… if she makes you happy… we will try to accept her."
Ken was dizzy with relief as he held Miyako close to him, murmuring, "Even if all we have is the here and now, that is enough for me."
x-x
Leaving behind the mess she'd so expertly made, Mimi deftly escaped as fast as her shoes would allow her. Ripping her wedding dress off, she left it in a pile of silken folds on the floor. Throwing her veil to the wayside also, she was now getting away in a strapless brassiere, five petticoats, and her jewel studded high heels. It would have been an odd sight for anyone watching, indeed, but she could never hope to blend into a crowd wearing a dress such as hers.
Exiting the castle, she wove through the gardens at a swift pace, making her way for the stables. She was running away. Again. She didn't know where she was headed this time; all she knew was anywhere was better than here. She knew she'd left much confusion behind, and that if she were any kind of responsible person she would stay to help sort it all out, but she couldn't. Her mother would be liable to declare her insane and lock her in a tower for the rest of her foreseeable life. It was no option.
Entering the stable, she grabbed a stranded riding jacket and threw it over her shoulders. Even if she were going to be a social outcast forever, she wanted to maintain just a little dignity. She was not about to go riding across the country in nothing but her underclothes. Approaching the nearest horse, a chestnut Arabian with four white stockings and a white blaze, she began to tack him up. Her father should never have taught her how to ride.
Searching for the bridle, she was shocked to say the least when she realised that someone was holding it. Squeaking, she recoiled. She'd come so close. And now they were going to drag her back to the castle and insist upon her marrying Prince Ken. Well, she wasn't going without a fight. She knew basic self defence, and what she didn't know, she could improvise.
It took her some time to realise that the man holding the bridle was not grabbing her and dragging her away, and that he was in fact her wedding planner.
"That was a very brave thing you did just now." He said, moving to put the bridle on the horse.
Mimi, still rattled, fiddled with a stirrup. Clearing her throat, she replied, "I must disagree. It was a very foolish thing to do. What did it accomplish?"
Pausing in adjusting the straps on the noseband, Leonard turned to look at her. "More than you can ever imagine, my dear!" he replied, surprised. "You brought two people in love together. They can be happy now, something that would have been beyond their grasp if not for you! But much more than that, you have taken your destiny into your own hands! It is a wonderful thing…"
Mimi was cynical as she cut him off. "I hardly think I had any lasting effect on Prince Ken's love life. He may be able to be with his servant girl lover for now, but somehow the system will break them up. Their happiness will be fleeting; you can have faith in that."
Leonard passed Mimi the reins. "You can have faith that their love will triumph over all obstacles presented it. And, mademoiselle, I believe if you leave now you can double your winnings."
Turning away from his shrewd look, she mounted the horse. He had no idea what she had been through with Matt. He had not seen the look of betrayal that had been slashed across his face; the look of pain that had crossed his eyes. No matter how she felt, that was never going to be again. And beside all that, then there were the far simpler practical reasons.
"I do not think so. Even if I thought it possible that we could be together; that he still had feelings for me, I would not know where to find him. He would not still be in the city, and even if he were, I could never stay here. I must get out and I must get out now. I shall live the life of an exile. This is no hope for what you propose. All is lost…"
Patting the horse's neck as Mimi steered it out of its stall, Leonard called, "When all is lost, and darkness reigns, light can be rediscovered in the most unlikely places."
When all is lost and darkness reigns…
She had heard that somewhere before. But where? She chastised herself. This was not a good time for a mental block. The words echoed so strongly, but why, when, who had said them?
Of course! The Guardians!
… Light can be found in the forgotten city of Altair.
Altair! When all light has faded and all hope has dimmed, what you desire can be found in Altair! Well, now was as good a time as any. She had literally nothing to lose, and everything to gain. Wheeling her horse around, she frantically asked,
"Monsieur Leonard, do you know the way to Altair?"
Smiling as if he'd known the question was coming, he replied, "Take the south road to Melduria, then go east through the Bethadian Forest. It is a three day ride in prime conditions. You should pack supplies."
Mimi resolutely shook her head, feeling her carefully up-styled hair fall down her back. "There is no time. Thank you, good sir, for forcing me to see how blind I was. I shall not forget your kindness."
And with that, she gave her horse a strong kick, riding out of the stable door and into the unknown. Watching her figure getting smaller and smaller as it moved into the distance, Leonard turned back to the castle. Legions of guards and restless citizens were swarming out of every exit. He would, naturally, head them off, saying he had seen her running in a north-easterly direction. The girl needed time. She needed to see that romance need not end in heartbreak. She needed a second chance.
x-x
And that's the end. Hope it was worth waiting for. Happy anniversary, and review!
Emma's useless facts about nothing in particular
Americans on average eat 18 acres of pizza every day.
