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: I'm updating fast because I found myself with extra time on my hands today. Oh, how I love being lazy in the summer.
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Arigatou
Chapter seven
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"You know, I no longer feel rough from riding a horse." Suki yawned her words to Naoko that following morning.
"That is because you are finally used to riding, my lady. And you prove to be an excellent rider at that." Yukio smiled, passing her some morning food. "Quick learners always make the best of difficult situations."
"Well, you may feel used to ride, but I am still sore from sleeping by a tree. The ground is starting to look like a better place to rest." Naoko answered, rubbing her shoulder.
"Naoko, you know you could always just use one of our blankets and pillows instead. I, Mikitao or Shinji would gladly give it up for you to be comfortable. We are accustomed to roughing it."
"Thank you for the offer, but I'll accept it the day Ryo does too." Her voice sounded determined.
"Ah, it is never a wise thing setting one's standards by Ryo. He can rough it out more then anyone else I know."
"I won't let him have the satisfaction of beating me. I'll give in to comfort the day he does."
"Suit yourself." Yukio laughed, handing her some food too.
"Hey Yukio, can I have some more food, just this once? I know our supplies are limited, but Ryo and Shinji just left moments ago to wake the horses and will be back any moment."
"Alright, but this doesn't reach Ryo, okay?" Yukio looked at all four of them.
"We won't tell, you can count on us." Suki nodded, and Yukio snuck Mikitao more food.
"Eat it fast, they return any moment." Yukio said warningly.
"No troubles there." Mikitao grinned, wolfing down his second helping.
"The way he eats reminds me of a beast in the wild." Suki mumbled.
"Tell me about it." Naoko mumbled back in awe.
"Okay, it's down. Thanks Yukio, that was great." He handed Yukio back his bowl just seconds before Shinji and Ryo returned.
"The horses have awakened, and the blankets and pillows have been put away. If you are all ready to go, then lets proceed." Ryo announced.
"One second, I have to put away all the bowls." Yukio opened his sack and starting putting them in.
"I don't know if I'm going be able to ride with such a sore back." Naoko groaned.
"Something the matter Princess?" Shinji looked in her direction, hearing her words.
"Oh sorry, I hate to be a bother. It's just that sleeping against a tree for the past three nights has not been the most comfortable thing."
"Well, I think then you should no be sleeping against trees anymore. There is an alternative." Shinji replied.
Ryo, who heard both of them turned away to hide his triumphant grin.
"No, its perfectly okay. I'm not going to shy away from a little pain. I'll just have to get used to it I suppose."
"You are a truly resilient young woman," Shinji stated, walking behind her. "Very well then, but let me help you for the ride today. May I?"
"You may." She answered though she wasn't sure what he was going to do
Naoko shoulder's tensed up a bit when Shinji put his hands on them and began to give her a massage. Only it was no ordinary massage, Shinji seemed to know exactly where to place pressure because moments later, she began to feel the pain deteriorate slowly.
"Wow, that feels so amazing." Naoko sighed.
"Yes, it's an old family secret. Always works when one of us felt to nervous to perform." Shinji chuckled.
"Well whatever it is, please don't stop, it's taking to pain away." She closed her eyes and smiled in ache relief.
"Pardon me Princess," Ryo sneered. "Though we are all worried about your sufferings, its time to get going. Shinji stop that at once."
"I hope that helps you some." Shinji took his hands from her shoulders and nodded to her.
"Oh, I feel wonderful now, arigatou." She turned around and bowed her head in thanks.
"The rest of us are waiting." Ryo uttered coldly, breaking Naoko's smile.
The rest of them mounted on to their horses and set off for another say, another adventure on its own.
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"Another day, another chance for those bandits to slip through our fingers." Hiromi spoke with grinded teeth as he tugged at his reigns for the horse to quicken pace.
"They will be captured soon enough Sir. We have a good five days before they reach Honrako." Kanitsu replied.
"But we have already wasted three, and this day is close to being half gone. Time adds up. How much longer will you demand breaks as my sister is subjected to the filth of dirty commoners?" Hiromi growled.
"Is she to suffer anymore days because you have over five more to waste?" he continued. "It is not just about getting her back before she reaches Honrako, but is about getting her back so that she has as little time to spend in the company of those thieves as possible."
"As far as we know, these tracks may be of other people, for how could four bandits and two hostages only have two horses? Indeed, they may have taken another trail after all, and might be reprimanded by other knights as we speak." Harue suggested.
"That is something I thought once as well. Two horses, as you say the tracks indicate. My sister's ladies-in-waiting said they had four. Perhaps we had been following the wrong tracks, so it would be wise of us to go off trial, into the woods. But the question is which way, due west, or east?" Hiromi thought out loud.
"I can answer that myself my Lord." Continued Harue with a gleam in his eyes.
"Though Honrako is due straight south, the palace is off to the south-west, as I recall. Perhaps it would be wise for us to start edging west."
"Brilliant Harue. That we will do." Prince Hiromi pulled his horse's reigns and changed directions.
They got off the road that the bandits has been traveling on, and went into the west side of the woods.
"But I could have sworn Honrako palace was due east, like all palaces built around these kingdoms." Takashi mumbled to himself, bringing round the end of the search party.
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"That man is the most unbearable man of my acquaintance. Really! Such rudeness, such horrible conceit!"
"Yes Princess, so you've said about four times in the last hour."
"Have I? I deeply apologise Shinji, it's just, I have never met someone, so, so-"
"Captivating?"
"Ha! Like that would ever be! What gives him the right to be in a bad mood all day?"
"The same that gives you the right to complain about it." Shinji bit back his humorous smile, looking out into the dark lake.
"I must be acting very childishly for you to say that." Naoko sighed, leaning against the boulders she sat around. "But I cannot help but be angered by his vulgar manner."
"Try not to think of it then. Think of the beautiful lake for us to view. See how it balances nicely beneath the night sky? It fades in the distance, bringing about such a mystical feeling." He deeply breathed in the air, taking in the serene sight before him.
"It is stunning," Naoko nodded. "Such a lovely view. To think, you've come out here away from us every night to play your flute. I know you usually like having solitude now, so I must say arigatou for letting me join you tonight. I never realized there was a lake so near by, as we've been traveling south."
"Yes, I prefer playing at night in front of a lake or ocean, to anything else."
"I also realize you dedicated your life to playing for those who couldn't afford to listen to musicians, Mikitao told me so, but I was wondering if I could be an exception. I would dearly love to hear and see you play."
"How could I say no to that?" He smiled and took out his flute, which he kept tucked away within the layers of his shirts.
Shinji looked out into the lake again and began to play. Princess Naoko adjusted her seat on a small boulder and closed her eyes. All sorts of images when through her mind as he played.
After a while, Shinji's song finally came to a close and Naoko opened her eyes.
"That was beautiful. Your music speaks for itself."
"Arigatou my lady, but I only play one song a night. It is the way I've adapted to ever since giving up music and becoming a bandit four years ago. It's been a painful thing to give up though."
"You can still go back to being a musician. You are still quite young, are you not?"
"Four and twenty to this day, but not for many months more. Yes, I knew I am still quite young enough to pursue a life as a musician, but there is something in that profession I detest. You see so yourself, I enjoy solitude at night to play because a musician's life is solitude. He may play for crowds, but he travels all around and does not keep acquaintances for long. He works alone. This is something not even I could tolerate. Being a bandit means I have comrades, something I wouldn't give up for music."
"Yes, in some ways, I feel as though I could relate. I only have three friends in the world, if you could even call them that. Suki, is my dearest of them all. Akiko I am also fond of though she can be brainless at times, and Kana is always scolding me. Still, if you asked me to choose, I'd give up my ranking as a Princess, before giving them four up. It's a sad life for a Princess, you may have already guessed by now." Naoko looked out into the lake and began feeling an unusual mix of sorrow and regret.
"If you wish not to be a princess, why do you continue to be so?"
Naoko looked away from the lake and at him for a second. "Continue to be so? What other way is there?"
"Run away, of course." Shinji smiled, putting his flute back into his robes.
"Oh that is quite impossible. The guards around my palace are so tight-"
"Then you must escape while you are out of the palace, and away from any guards."
"But the only time I've ever been free from any guards or servants has been-"
"Now. Exactly." Shinji's eyes began to flash.
"Run away now? You mean, from all of you?" The idea frightened her.
"No, not exactly. The dangers in this forest are too great for you to do such a thing. There is also the possible chance of you running into your father's knights. No, I mean run away with us. Stay with the bandits, as Mikitao told me Yukio suggested to your friend Suki. I agree with Yukio she should stay, and so should you."
"But, I can't. You are all giving me away to Prince Takuya for the money-"
"At present plans. You have about four more days to change that. I am already in your favour, and you could bet Yukio is too. Mikitao only needs a little softening. As for Ryo, well as I said, four days."
"Ha! Ryo! I don't see him letting me off. He despises me. He has been grumpy all day long, since he woke up."
"Oh no princess, not since he woke up." Shinji couldn't surpass his smile this time around.
"Why are you smiling so?" Naoko noticed his grin and thought it odd.
"I am smiling because I am trying to stop myself from laughing. Though I can stop a laugh, it is too much a struggle to banish a smile." He went on.
"Yes, but why?"
"Because, Ryo was not in a bad mood when he woke up. He was in a bad mood the moment he saw me giving you one of my family's famous massages."
"But…" Naoko failed to understand him.
"You see, the man in my family always used it as a way to attract women, by impressing them with the massage techniques. He knows this little fact, as I told the bandits about it long ago, but what he doesn't know, was that I wasn't trying to impress you, I was just trying to help you out."
"I don not see why that should upset or concern him." Naoko answered bitterly.
"Oh, you are a clever one, just as he said before, but you are naïve when it comes to these things. He's jealous."
"Jealous? Ryo is jealous? I don't see why."
"Ah, for a woman, your intuition is lacking."
"How so?"
"Silly lady! Ryo does not have a beautiful Princess being so kind and attentive to him, as I, Yukio and Mikitao have."
"You jest with me."
"Princess Naoko, open your eyes. When we first met you, you appeared to be the average lovely and rich princess. But you've proven to be a witty, clever and independent one, a damsel after Ryo's own heart. The poor man is torn apart by his pride and uncontrollable feelings."
Naoko's eyes widened. "You sound quite confident in your thoughts. Am I to suppose you are not alone in them?"
"I will confess, Mikitao, Yukio and I have all noticed this and spoke of it earlier. As I said before, you have four days to convince Ryo to let you stay."
"For a bandit, you seem to be very perceptive of other's secret feelings."
"Why lady, as a bandit, I could not disagree there, but you forget I am also a musician. Music is always described as the food of love, but not many realize that it is sound of love as well. As a musician I can sense love as soon as I could a lovely tune."
"Shinji, please don't get offended if I say that I had greatly respected your opinion, till now. To ever consider that repulsive bandit you call a comrade, who singles me out for his torturous ways, would ever feel any range of passion towards me, would be laughable, if I found it anything near funny."
"I've insulted you?"
"No, not at all, do not think it. Just do me a favour as a friendly companion."
"Yes, we are friends, indeed."
"Then the favour I ask is that you never again reproach me with such a ridiculous notion."
"That I can do." Shinji bowed, and Naoko walked back to the little campsite everyone else was at.
Mikitao was fast asleep off to the side. Yukio and Suki were sitting by the fire and conversing. Ryo was nowhere in site.
Naoko sighed as she looked up at a tree and sat herself by it. Knowing she'd have any other rough sleep, she closed her eyes to get it over with.
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End of ch.o7
A/N: So I've got a relative who's just got into writing and she's started posting a story here too with a similar vibe to mine (we both like that whole Japanese Feudal era thing), so if you got time, check her story out, her penname is "Lady-of the-stardustButterflies" and her story's called "Tanomi no Tsuna" which means "Last Ray of Hope".
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Necia, you're absolutely right, it would be strange for Suki to stay with them. What was Yukio thinking when suggesting it? Who knows, but I guess he can't see the bigger picture like we can…he's just trying to help in any way he can. Anyway, Belles united; bookworm's been my nickname since before I was born (I blame my mother).
Syd, thanks for reading, I hope 2 days is soon enough :)
like i'd tell you!, pocohonas has such a beautiful spirit, it good to know there's people out there that think like her. As to Suki staying…eh…well, you'll have to wait and see, though as far as it stands, the bandits still are planning to hand them over. Only time will tell. As for the famous comment, I think my head just exploded, you're too nice.
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-rayko.