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: The King dies with one final request, kill the bandits. Hiromi is guilt tripped into putting their leader, Ryo, behind bars. Naoko is furious and threatens to become a martyr for his sake.
Okay I know I called chapter 15 the climax of the story, but this is also sort of the climax (or anticlimax?)…confused? So am I. Read on…
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Arigatou
Chapter seventeen
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"Father? How are you feeling this morning?"
"Better since yesterday, my son. The news you brought of Naoko returning safely home has given me much joy. I only wish to see Naoko before I pass on—"
"Father, you will not pass on. You will conquer this illness and be good once again."
"No son, I will not. I can feel that it's almost my time to go. I grow more and more tired the further I sleep, and my eyesight is slowly turning black. I am at peace now, or almost that. I only wish to see my daughter, and for those responsible for her kidnapping to come to justice."
"But father, we haven't captured Prince Takuya, I know not how we can punish him."
"No, not the Honrakonese prince. I am talking of those ruffian men. I want them all executed for what they've done."
"Father…we couldn't. It is them we are indebted to, for it was them that made the rescue of Naoko possible."
"Hogwash! They must pay; someone must pay! I lie here in bed because of the fright I felt for my poor daughter."
"Sir, we cannot execute the one's who befriended Naoko."
"Befriended, ha! She is too young to understand these things. I demand at least one of them killed!"
"No Sir, it will not happen by my command."
King Satoshi struggled to sit up in bed as he looked upon his son with beady eyes. "How dare you disobey your father! Am I to be in my grave before I am respected? You will do as I say."
"No sir."
"I order it to be done."
"No father."
"Hiromi! I—" but King Satoshi never finished the words.
His breath caught him up, and his heart gave at last. Collapsing back into bed, Satoshi now lay dead, to his son's dismay.
- - -
It was above an hour later, and the four bandits were preparing to leave. That is, until they all got requests to meet with the new king of Aralon. Before noon had a chance to befall upon the kingdom, the bandits found themselves in the throne room. Soon Hiromi came in, and seated himself.
"I say," Mikitao mentioned once Hiromi was sitting. "If we are to leave soon, shouldn't we call your sister and her friend, so we can say our farewells?"
"I'm afraid to say my sister is too grieved with the sudden death of my father." The words sounded foreign to Hiromi himself. "She is mourning in her room and not to be disturbed."
"Then you must give her our sincere apologies and wish her a prosperous life." Shinji added.
"Your sincere apologies will not be accepted, for it is the fault of you four men, that my father lays lifeless."
"Pardon your highness?" Yukio asked doubtfully at once.
"He died because of an illness brought on by the sudden disappearance of his daughter." Hiromi stated bitterly.
"And now, you will want your revenge?" Ryo asked as though he'd been expecting it.
"Revenge? Revenge! You talk to me of revenge! I laugh at your intolerance. Yes, I want to highest form of revenge, and no, I want nothing to do with it! I am not a hateful man, and it is never my way to lose my self-control. But you must be put to death, all of you. It was my father's last wish, and it shall be done."
"You are quick to forget the reasons why your sister escaped. Who is to be credited for it?" Ryo went on.
"If you had never kidnapped her, there would have never been reason for you to save her."
"But we did, and we could have most easily gotten away with it. What have you to say to that?"
Hiromi was not a cruel man. He did love his sister and father dearly though, and sorrow had taken over his judgement. He began to think over what his father said, and knew that he must do his last bidding. The guilt that had washed over him was immense at his father's deathbed. Had he not tried to defend these men, who were as low as dirt? He even resorted to pleading for Naoko's sake.
"Sir, we cannot execute the one's who befriended Naoko."
"Befriended, ha! She is too young to understand these things. I demand at least one of them killed!"
"No Sir, it will not happen by my command."
These words played in his head until he realized something. These men were scum, and yet he didn't feel right to kill them off. His father had demanded as least one of them killed, which meant Hiromi didn't have to kill all four.
"After much thought of what you did do, I agree that you were a crucial help in saving my sister. Which is why, for your service in saving my sister, three of you can go. One of you must be slain for the torment you caused my late father." Hiromi could see that this did not ease them one bit.
"Then I will be killed if that is what you truly wish." Ryo claimed stepping forward, his expression full of defiance.
The other three bandits opened their mouths to argue at once but Hiromi silenced them.
"No, the bandit is correct. He is, after all, the leader of your group and it is an old rule that the leader is responsible for every mistake; it is his job to take the blame. You shall be executed tomorrow, till then…guards." Hiromi called to the men who stood behind him. "Take the thief to the dungeons, and see that it's impossible for him to escape."
Ryo did not bother to fight the guards when they grabbed hold of him and forced him out of the throne room. The three other bandits all watched in horror as their commander was arrested and taken away.
"Now, the rest of you, leave my site." Hiromi grumbled.
- - -
"Hiromi!"
King Hiromi sighed to himself and gestured for the door servants to open the doors of his private study, to allow his sister entrance.
The moment she came in, he knew he'd better be prepared for her anger. The expression that donned her face was absolute fury, and she clutched her hands hard, as if she were to punch someone at any given moment. "Brother!"
"Be at peace Naoko. A princess never raises her voice and acts in such an unladylike way."
"Unladylike! I most certainly will act unladylike and raise my voice when it is necessary. I have a mind to thrash you with my rage, and set you ablaze with my scorching eyes. How dare you! How—"
"Now sister I repeat, clam yourself so I may explain. You are not yourself it would seem. The loss of father has clouded your better judgment."
"No brother, I would say that falls on you alone. How am I to begin to comprehend today's ordeal. Suki and I go to say our goodbyes to four bandits, only to find that one of them is being locked up and sentenced to death on a fancy my father had while he was ill, and my deuce of a brother is following it through!"
"Naoko, there. You have gotten that out of your system, now can we talk reasonably?"
"Reasonably? Hiromi, he's dead, okay? I loved my father and a part of myself died along with him, and I shall mourn for him for quite sometime. But my mourning won't make me ever forget that though I loved my father, I never did my king. He was a terrible ruler, and never governed the country properly. It was you that pointed out to me that all his decisions were poorly made. Cannot you see that now you are just obeying one more of his amiss resolutions?"
"Even to his dying moment I didn't give him the respect I should have. He deserved more from his son. That man being held in the dungeon kidnapped and put you through an unnecessary escapade. It won't be overlooked."
"That man, as you so call him, gave me a journey more exciting then anything else in my life. I've matured a lot since then, and I've learned to respect people like him, people less fortunate then us. I've been sheltered and kept ignorant of so many things and it was about time I experienced life outside. I owe him everything."
"You owe him nothing. The other three bandits have been left to go on, and you must be content with that."
"If there is no other way—" Naoko began, striding to the door.
"What are going to do?" Hiromi asked.
"I die before he does." She answered, leaving the room.
Prince Hiromi wanted to stop his sister from exiting and demand an explanation, but he was dumbstruck by her words. There really was no explanation for her behaviour. Why was she so stubborn, though he knew the answer. She was a real loyal one, and she'd have fought her brother to save any of them. But to give up her own life for it? Hiromi didn't think she'd ever go to such lengths. She wasn't thinking clearly, oh no. She was a passionate one, and her mind was being overtaken by her heart, Hiromi decided in the end.
He remained in his study till the late hours came, and then someone knocked on his doors. It was one of the castle guards coming to relate some news to Hiromi.
"Sorry to bother you my grace, but your sister, she's—"
"Good Lord! She isn't—!" But Hiromi chocked on his words, as he gripped his desk hard enough for splinters to dig into his skin.
"Sir, she tried to get into the dungeons earlier to see the captive, but we told her that you had forbidden anyone to see him. So she ordered that she was to be locked up too. We just looked at her amazed, but she is the princess, and we had to follow orders. She is now locked up in on of the cells below."
"She's still alive then!" Hiromi regained his breath and was on the verge of relief tears.
"Oh course, we haven't tortured her at all." The guard seemed horrified at the King's words.
"Alright, then if she wishes to spend her time in the dungeon, so be it. Tomorrow morning I will go and see her myself, and I am sure by then she'll have changed her mind and be thinking straight again."
"Yes sir."
"But one more thing," Hiromi enquired. "The cell you put her in, was it anywhere near the other man's cell?"
"Well she demanded to be put in his cell sir—"
"What!"
"But, we told her that on your order no one was to visit him." The guard added hastily.
"And so?"
"So she was put in the cell across from his." He finished.
"I see, the Princess thinks she's sly, does she?" Hiromi mumbled to himself
- - -
Naoko had been watching him since she was locked in her dungeon unit. A tiny window with heavy bars was placed up high in his cell, so high he couldn't reach it. He therefore laid back on the stack of hay provided for the prisoner's comfort, and he looked through the window up at the moon and stars. He had been looking through that window when Naoko first came, and he had never bothered to turn his head to even glance at her. It had now been over an hour, and yet still he remained unturned, looking up at the night sky through bars, and Naoko remained silent observing him doing so. Finally, after endless more minutes of this going on, Ryo finally looked down, turned his head to his hay, and closed his eyes.
Naoko by now no longer felt sympathetic. She grew irritated and could no longer keep quiet.
"Bandit, don't even think of going to sleep."
Ryo opened one eye and looked at her. "Why not?"
"I've spent a great deal of time here because of you, and I am most likely to remain here all night, and forever more until my brother is ready to give in. I am doing you the favour so don't ignore me."
"I am not ignoring you. I am going to sleep. No one asked you to come here." And with that both his eyes were closed off again.
"What insolence! I have come on my own regard to keep you alive, and you do not care."
"I am tired, and I am going to sleep. I truly do not wish for you to subject yourself to such harshness on my behalf, I'm not worth it Princess. You have never been in a dungeon before, have you? Leave here."
"Ah, I see what you are thinking. I am a lady and therefore cannot bear a night in a dungeon. But you are wrong. I am strong and if you can survive a night here, I can survive a thousand of them."
"Everything is a competition to you, is it not?"
"Only where you're concerned."
Ryo smirked. "Could it be because you wish to prove yourself to me? To impress me? Am I to be honoured to think that?"
"No, I do not care in the least what you think. You opinion used to mean something, until you became the man who had no respect for the woman who was giving up her free life so he could have his."
Ryo only smiled at this. "But I told you Princess, I didn't ask you to. I would rather you not, for it would be a shame to lose your life for mine, wouldn't it? But you are not risking your life; you know very well your brother would never kill you. You will stay here one night, and then he'll give in to you. You give up nothing but time and one night's comfortable sleep, and I thank you for that. Still, you cannot call this giving up your free life, for you would never do such a thing for me. This way you are guaranteed to be free."
"Is that the reason for your ignoring me? You believe I only do this because I know my brother would never kill me? Because you think I won't be here longer then the night?"
"Yes."
"How sorry I feel for you then Bandit. My brother is more stubborn then you realize, I believe him capable of leaving me here a week before he starts to feel bad. But even so, you are right he could give in tomorrow. So this doesn't prove my loyalty, but you must know, that if it was Prince Takuya instead of Hiromi and I had the risk of dying, I would of gone through with it."
Ryo looked at her a second. "You know, I actually believe you Princess."
"Because you love me?"
"Maybe."
"Really?" Naoko was so shocked at his answer, she sat right up.
"No, I was just jesting. Do you love me?"
"No, not at all really." She answered, leaning back on her wall.
"Well listen Princess, this has been nice but, I really am tired so—"
"Go ahead." Naoko responded and Ryo closed his eyes and soon fell asleep.
- - -
As usual, Ryo was correct. Hiromi came in the morning to see if his sister had changed her mind. He walked into the dungeon to find Ryo awake and leaning against the back wall watching the sleeping Princess.
Hiromi banged on the bars of her dungeon and she woke up with a start.
"Sister, have you had enough of this?"
"I could go for years in here brother." She rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
Hiromi unlocked her bar doors and walked inside.
"Come out of this place, you are a princess."
"Not until my demands are met." She answered resolutely.
"Come out and we will talk." Hiromi responded so she exited her cell.
"Let us go to my study and discuss this." Hiromi said walking to the stairway.
"No, I don't set foot out of the dungeon until he is freed." She threw a glance at Ryo.
"Naoko, you are being ridiculous."
"No," She responded, walking over to Ryo's cell and standing before it. "I am not. You kill him, you have to get past me first."
Hiromi looked beyond his sister at the face of the ruthless bandit. A smile played on his face, and Hiromi felt as though the prisoner was mocking him with a smirk. He turned back to his sister.
"What is this man to you? Why should you be so impassioned to save his life?"
"Because I owe it to him, for the person I am now." Naoko's glare was determined.
Hiromi looked one more time at Ryo, expecting to see his taunting grin again. Only Ryo was no longer looking at the King. His full attention was now directed to the Princess, who had somehow stunned him by her recent words.
A revelation poured down on Hiromi at the moment. Looking at Ryo, then back at his sister, and then back to the bandit once more, he finally realized what had been hinted to him during the journey home.
This was the end; he knew there was no longer anything he could do. The man had to live, or surely—he wouldn't put it past his sister any longer—she would revolt and kill herself as well. But he was a bandit of all things! Not a nobleman, a count, courtier, baron, duke, or prince. Just a lousy thief!
"You win." He sighed after the long thought.
"I win?" Naoko looked at him is amazement. "Just like that?"
Hiromi looked at her irritably. "If you want to prove your loyalty more to the rogue you're going to have to find another way. I resign this. Free the man." He nodded to the guard who stood by the wall with the keys.
"My gratitude, your highness." Ryo said, once the cell was open and he exited it.
Hiromi glared at him for a second. "You could have escaped at any moment, couldn't you have? I was counting on it. As much as I loved my father, I couldn't kill a man I owed my sister's freedom to, and yet I knew I had no choice but to respect his last wish. I was hoping you'd just escape and give me the excuse not to. You've disappointed me."
"My apologies your grace," Ryo laughed, "I was going to escape in the middle of the night, but then your sister had to go and play faithful dog on me. If she hadn't have come, I would have left."
"Wait," Naoko interrupted. "You mean you never wanted to kill him?"
"Oh course not sister. I am not that type of man. I only did it to honour father, and I hated the thought that I would have to go through with it. Everything would have worked out had you not gone and stayed here a night."
"So you mean you could have just broken out?" Naoko said, casting her eyes back to Ryo. "And you Hiromi were hoping for it?"
"I didn't want to admit it, but yes. What you said about father was true. He was a good man, but a horrible king."
"Naoko you've known me long enough to know I could have broken out at any moment." Ryo shook his head in disappointment.
"Now I feel the fool!" She exclaimed with embarrassment.
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End of ch.17
A/N: one? One left? Am I serious? Completely. And the last chapter is the second smallest, so it'll be short (and hopefully sweet). I said I'd get it all posted before September, and I will!
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Like I'd tell you, sorry Darcy, isn't an option, he's not a fairytale boy (though the idea is appealing enough). I'll talk to Disney for you, okay? As for last update, well, this is even faster (I think). Hope this chapter was great too! (adoring fan, hahaha, I love ye).
Miss SJB, hey thanks for reviewing, you think it's awesome? You're awesome! And so if Princess Bride, corny yes, but that's part of its appeal.
Narnialover, yeah those dragons were funny. Suki and Yukio, getting married, k-i-s-s-i-n-g, yay! As for Ryo and Naoko well...
Gina, yes his highness was a complete moron, luckily Naoko wasn't forced into marrying him. As for Suki and Yukio, sigh, I wonder what their wedding night will be like, HAHAHA. Never fear, the story may almost be over, but there's always the next one
Laurashrub, okay okay, stop with the scary eye glare, the King died because of it! My book boy would have to be Ivan Smetski from this book called "Enchantment" by Orson Scott Card, but how could I forget about Dimitri from Anastasia? (I used to love that guy!). Oh, and many thanks for subtly pointing out that I called Garret Gavin (how could I!) My mistake, thank you, I fixed it. As for him staying blind, yeah I liked that about him, I think it's dead sexy.
-rayko.