Complete summary: Princess Naoko knows her father is a horrible ruler, but no one suspected his selfish ways would end in her being kidnapped. Now traveling through her Kingdom Aralon, across wilderness into the enemy country Honrako, Naoko and her servant friend Suki soon learn that their kidnappers, the four bandits of Quentia, might not be so bad after all.
A/N: Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Chapter 3, here we go. ;)
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Arigatou
Chapter Three
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The carriage continued down the rocky path, cutting through wilderness, and the four ladies sat as comfortably as possible for such terrain, knowing they still had a couple hours left to go.
"Alright, how many hours has it been now?" Akiko said impatiently.
"I would think above six, closer to seven. Which leaves us with only three hours, judging by the sun in the sky." Naoko leaned forward, peering out of the carriage window.
"Princess, I do not think it is wise of you to stick your head out like that. It is improper for a royal young lady."
"Relax Kana, it's not like her head will fall off or anything." Suki sighed.
A moment later Akiko spoke again.
"Do you smell something burning?" She sniffed the air.
"That is not a lady like thing to do." Kana said disapprovingly.
"Yes I do." Princess Naoko answered, ignoring Kana and sniffing the air too. She looked out her window and gasped. "The wheel is on fire! This one, right behind me!"
"What!" Suki stood up and threw herself to Naoko's window. "It is! The carriage is on fire!"
"We'll all be burned! I'm too young to be made into ash! To young, and beautiful!" Akiko wailed.
"Calm yourself. This is not the time to panic." Kana grabbed Akiko's arm and shook her.
"No, this is the time for us to get out. Hello there, driver!" Naoko called out of her window. "Driver! One of you! Can you hear me!"
No answer came.
"It's no use Naoko." Suki screamed, looking out of her own window this time. "Look back on the road behind us, both the drivers have fallen off. They are just lying there on the road, helpless. I'm surprised we didn't hear them tumble off their seats."
"No drivers! We are in a driverless carriage, with four horses at the front running madly with no director, and to make matters worse, the carriage is ablaze!" Akiko screamed hysterically.
"The carriage is not ablaze! Only the wheel is." Kana corrected her.
"But how long will it be till the rest of the carriage catches fire?" Suki added with great alert.
"We have to get out of here!" Akiko jumped out of her seat.
Naoko opened the carriage door. "Do we just jump? Is it safe?"
But there wasn't time for anyone to give an answer, because a man on a horse rode up fast by the carriage door.
"Ladies, your carriage is on fire." He said, possibly a little too simply considering the situation.
"We know good sir. Could you help us out of here?" Naoko responded.
"Yes, my friends are back there, please jump onto my horse and I'll bring you to safety. There are two other gentlemen behind me that will help the others." He said, bringing his horse closer.
"Thank you." Naoko nodded. "Akiko, come here. You are the most afraid so you go first."
"But-but, you are the-"
"Forget what I am, and what you are to me! Just go!" Naoko grabbed Akiko's arm and pulled her to the door.
Akiko did what she was told, and Naoko helped her jump from the carriage to the gentlemen's horse.
"My friends behind will come to get the rest of you." The man said before riding ahead with Akiko.
"Alright, when the next man comes, Kana, either you, or you Suki go before me."
"But Princess, we live to serve you. Your life is valued above ours-"
"Not where I'm concerned Kana. Now look another man's coming."
"Greetings ladies," Spoke the second gentlemen, who had just come up beside the carriage door. "Please one of you hurry, my horse cannot ride at such pace as your four horses of the carriage can for much longer."
Before Kana could disagree more, Suki grabbed Kana's arm and pulled her up.
"Go!" She shoved her.
Kana practically fell from the carriage and almost missed the horse, but the awaiting man grabbed her and helped her catch her balance. Then without another word, he rode on, and not long after a third man, the biggest of them all, came on what also looked like to be the biggest horse yet.
"Suki you go."
"No Naoko, I won't do that."
"Ladies, I can take you both on this horse, please hurry, your entire carriage is on fire now."
It was true; by now the fire from the wheel had spread with the wind, and the wheel was almost completely destroyed, while the rest of the carriage was glowing with scarlet flames.
"Alright, but you first." Naoko insisted, clearing the door for Suki.
Suki knew that the fastest way for them to get out of there was not to argue, so she did what she was told. After she jumped safely onto the horse and moved up to make room, Naoko, put a foot forward, and did her best to jump onto the horses back. Once ungracefully but safely on, the man slowed the horse down as the abandoned carriage rode on. He steered his steed to the side of the road where the two other men had stopped.
"But what is to happen to the four horses attached to the carriage? Is it likely that they can escape before the flames reach them?" Naoko enquired, as the man on her horse got off, and helped her and Suki down.
"The fire is most likely to burn those reigns setting them free before it reaches the horses themselves." The man reassured.
"Thank you good sir." Both Naoko and Suki bowed to him in thanks.
"Yes, thank you all." Kana, who was now off her horse, bowed in gratitude as well.
Akiko followed their lead, though she was still staring blushingly at the first man who helped her.
"May we know the name's of our rescuers?" Akiko giggled after a pause, still staring at her rugged rescuer.
"I am Ryo." He said bowing, and not noticing her slight blush.
"I am Shinji." Next said the gentleman who had helped Kana. He was easily the most handsome of the three gentlemen, and his voice likewise the deepest.
"I'm Mikitao." Said the final one, who was by far the most burly, thick and tallest one of them all.
"And if you will all wait one more moment, you will meet Yukio." Ryo half-smiled, looking off into the woods.
As the girls looked at each other in awe of the past events, the fourth and final man soon came. Yukio, the shortest and youngest of the four, smiled warmly as he came up.
"So commander," He said addressing Ryo. "Which one is the Princess?"
"What?" All four girls said at once.
"But how do you-" Kana began.
"Why by your lovely carriage of course." Shinji answered before she finished asking.
"But we did not intend keep all four of you." Mikitao informed them.
"Keep us?" Naoko voice sounded doubtful.
"Do you ladies not wonder just how flames came about your carriage? Oh, the young and naive." Yukio sighed.
"You caused this?" Akiko no longer blushed. Her eyes filled with terror.
"Bright girl." Ryo laughed.
"To kidnap the Princess?" Kana's lips tightened in fear.
"Yes, but we come to the problem of having four ladies to choose from, instead of one." Mikitao answered mildly.
"That is not hard though. Theses two are dressed in very poor wear that only a servant would be seen in." Ryo nodded to Akiko and Kana. "These two are not her. There for, you two ladies will be set free. But not until you do us a little favour."
"Do you a favour?" Akiko squeaked.
"Why yes. You must go back to King Satoshi, and tell him that the Four Bandits of Quentia have kidnapped his daughter and have brought her and her servant to Honrako Kingdom, on Prince Takuya's orders. If he wishes to see his daughter again, he must forfeit in the war."
"And if we refuse to leave the side of our princess?"
"Then all four of you die, and the king will go on thinking Prince Takuya has his daughter alive." Mikitao answered.
"It is above seven hours from here to the palace. You intend us to walk?" Kana went on.
"Oh no dear lady. That would take you a week, and we want to be properly chased by the King's knights." Shinji laughed.
"But we don't know the way back. Are you giving us horses?" Akiko asked in a mousy hesitant voice, as if her curiosity was just barely winning the battle against her fear to talk.
"You will receive horses, but not ours. As for directions, the drivers down the road will wake up eventually." Ryo smirked. "You will get two horses, and share them with the drivers. The drivers will lead you back home."
"Now, you'll be needing horses, right?" Yukio grinned, taking out his pouch of silver dust. He sprinkled some on the ground and then mumbled an incantation no one could make out. Seconds later, two grey horses had appeared on the road out of nowhere. "Here you are mi'ladies." Yukio grabbed the horses by the reigns and brought them closer.
Both Kana and Akiko backed away in fright, but then realizing that they would all be killed otherwise, they allowed Mikitao to help them mount the horses.
"But if the King forfeits the war, the Princess and her servant will be set free correct?" Kana asked seconds before setting off.
"That is the deal Prince Takuya has set. We are just the deliverers, and not knowing of the true plan." Shinji replied grimly.
And without further questions, Kana and Akiko, the latter with tears streaming down her face, set off.
"Now, to figure out which is the Princess." Mikitao sighed.
"But this is a hard one. One wears silk, a sure sign of a princess. But the other wears a witch's outfit, something servants do not." Shinji commented to himself.
"Could it be possible the Princess has a sorcerer for a friend that she brought along?" Ryo suggested, regarding the ladies as if they objects instead of living beings.
"No, she has no magic aura coming from her. She has no powers that I can sense." Yukio confirmed.
"Then if she is not a witch, why does she does dress like one? I do not think a servant would." Shinji spoke.
"No, I don't think so either. But all the same, the other is dressed more like a princess." Ryo observed further.
Princess Naoko could no longer be quiet as they talked about them. It was simply too unnerving! "Good sirs, tell us, what are you planning on doing with the servant and princess, once you find out which is which?"
"Well, the princess stays alive so she can be given back to her family once the war is called off, but seeing how two other servants have gone to tell the King, the third is no use to us," Ryo answered calmly. "So she will have to be disposed of."
Suki, who usually donned a cheerful smile, was shaking with fear. She dared not speak a word in front of the bandits.
"Disposed of? Do you mean, killed?" Naoko's words came out slowly and carefully.
"To put in more obvious terms. How words can play tricks on one." Yukio uttered mysteriously.
Suki let out a little simper. She didn't want to die. Knowing in that moment that they would kill her was more frightening than words could describe.
Naoko took a step forward to them and kneeled down. "Good gentlemen, I am Saikuya, loyal servant to Princess Naoko. I am dressed in the sorcerer cloth of my mother, though I myself am not with magic. I live to serve Princess Naoko; so do not harm my mistress please. I give you my life to protect hers."
Suki looked down at Naoko with a horrified expression. She knew Naoko was a caring loyal friend, but she could not believe that the Princess would give up her life to save her servant, regardless of them being dear friends.
"Well Princess Naoko, come this way." Mikitao smiled, grabbing Suki's arm and directing her closer to them.
"Wait." Ryo stopped him. "She is not the princess. She is." He looked at Naoko with a grin.
"But Ryo, the girl said she was a servant. Why would the Princess give up her life for a servant?" Shinji asked.
"Because we have a extremely courageous Princess with us, it would seem. But this girl is the Princess."
"But how can we be sure. She's wearing an elegant silk dress. The other is clothed in witch's garments."
"Yes, the Princess thinks she's clever, but I can see it in her eyes. She is no servant. She carries herself too royally. Look at how she addressed us. A servant does not speak so liberally." Ryo insisted.
"Well, to make sure, you better let us both live, don't you think so?" Naoko offered the suggestion hopefully.
They all laughed.
"Yes, you are a clever one. Trying to confuse us, though we already know the truth." Ryo said in a half-amused, half-irritated voice.
"Dear ladies, surely you didn't believe us when we said we would dispose of the servant." Shinji questioned coolly.
"Yes, we were jesting greatly." Mikitao laughed in assurance.
"You both shall live to be traded back of course. A flower has more worth with every petal." Yukio quoted.
"Enough of this though. We need to start our journey, seeing how we have two possible princesses on our hands now. Saikuya, as you call yourself, come here." Ryo instructed, walking over to his horse.
Princess Naoko, seeing that there was no point in arguing, walked over to him and his horse.
"Seeing how you are a clever one full of tricks, I think it wise you ride with me. I do not count on you trying to escape by tricking my other three friends. You see, your mind games won't work on me. Up you go, and do not try and ride away when you mount my horse. He will only go when I tell him too, so there is no point." He laughed.
"I'll take the servant, I mean, second princess." Mikitao offered, directing Suki to his horse, and helped her mount.
Shinji soon mounted his horse, and Yukio summoned a new horse out of his magic dust.
At last, after Ryo helped Naoko to get on his horse, he mounted on behind her and grabbed the reigns, and all four horses set off.
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"Not that I want to help my kidnappers," Naoko said to Ryo as they continued down the wilderness path, "but isn't Honrako the other way? We are going in the direction of Renalia."
"I am quite aware of that." Ryo said indifferent to her question.
"Do not worry Princess," Mikitao called from her side, "We won't hand you over to the wrong kingdom. We are first riding to the closest town to get food supplies, and then we shall be on our way."
"Thank you for telling me sir, but I am not the princess. I told you my name was Saikuya."
"Well Saikuya, I am not a sir, so you can call me Mikitao, if you don't mind." He chuckled.
"Yes and please call me Shinji, for I am a bandit and no gentlemen either." Shinji called in his deep voice from behind her.
"You may call me the magician." Yukio smirked. "Oh if preferred, Yukio. Though I myself never call anyone by his or her real name. You my princess, I will call you, well I suppose I will call you Saikuya, since it isn't your real name. And you fake princess, I suppose I can call you princess after all." Yukio laughed in his strange way, looking at Suki.
"Is he right in the head?" Naoko asked Ryo in a low voice so not to offend Yukio.
"You will remember, Saikuya, I am your kidnapper, not your friend. Don't bother making conversation with me." Ryo replied dryly. "I know you only do it as a means of making us all so friendly and found of you that we will set you free. However, I must let you how that I always complete my jobs, and have never once done the un-bandit thing and set my victims free."
"I do not make conversation with you as to turn your opinion of me. I care very little of what you think, and I don't believe there is much of a chance of me or my princess changing your minds. I am aware that the sooner we get to Honrako, the sooner her father calls off the war and we are safe. So I am only talking to pass time, and hope to get to Honrako soon. Believe me, I do not desire your conversation, bandit." Naoko used her smug voice, letting the final word roll off her tongue as if it were an insult.
"For a servant, you talk so superior milady." Ryo smirked, but then said no more.
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End of ch.o3
A/N: Yay, another review! I'm excited to think someone's reading this! So, now the bandits have come (Ryo, sigh—is it healthy to have a crush on a fictional character you've made up yourself?). Actually, I had to change his name before posting this, because well, I had given him the name "Rei" back when I was fourteen, which of course is a female Japanese name, whoops, so now I know better ;)
Anyway, chapter four coming soon, I can guarantee it's going to be the longest chapter in this whole story, (don't know if that's a good or bad thing) but you'll see.
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Okay, so yesterday (July 20th) I turned seventeen (go me!) Anyway, in honour of my birthday, I'm posting this as a present (or an unwanted gift, depending really) for you today. Anyway, I got a Lupin/Tonks cookie cake upstairs with my name on it (literally) that needs to be finished, so ciao.
-rayko.