Co-written with miss mika namariya! We own nothing. :)
One morning, Sir Hoppington awoke and emerged to find an unfamiliar young face staring at him through the glass. He gave a loud ribbit of introduction.
"I see you've met Sir Hoppington," Kyoko said, appearing out of nowhere and frightening the stranger, who gave a yelp of surprise as she turned around.
The young girl eyed Kyoko suspiciously. "Who are you? How did you get in here?" She demanded, narrowing her eyes.
"I'm the Crown Prince's bodyguard," the bodyguard said, with a polite bow and friendly smile. She didn't get the sense that this young girl was a threat to the Prince's safety, but it would be remiss of her not to make sure. "And you are?"
"I'm his future wife," the girl declared imperiously, as if daring the bodyguard to contradict her.
But Kyoko did nothing of the sort. The bodyguard did not look taken aback in the least. Instead, she swept into another bow. "Congratulations," she said. "My apologies. I was not aware of your betrothal, highness."
Kuon blanched. He had been watching silently from across the room, thinking himself unobserved. But of course, Kyoko always seemed to know exactly where he was in the room, even without looking. She had a sixth sense for his presence, it seemed. Kuon constantly had to remind himself not to read into it. The Prince had foolishly hoped that Maria's declaration might prompt the slightest hint of jealousy from Kyoko, but the bodyguard seemed to accept it as fact that he would be marrying this eight-year-old.
"Lady Maria, it's a pleasure to see you again." Kuon bowed, making the young girl turn pink as Kuon chivalrously kissed the back of her hand. He straightened, addressing Kyoko. "I'm surprised you two don't already know each other. She's the Duke's granddaughter," Kuon explained. "And we're not engaged," he added.
"Yet," Maria said cheerfully, her attention turning back to Sir Hoppington's tank. "Kuon, I have to know— who made that beautiful doll? It's such a perfect replica! Almost as perfect as the real thing! I have to have one!" Maria swirled around, looking fiercely up at the Prince, almost as if she was willing to fight him for the small replica of the Prince that graced Sir Hoppington's enclosure. Or perhaps not, since Maria would never hurt her charming Prince Kuon. But in the unlikely scenario that he refused to give it to her, Maria was already scheming on how to steal it.
Kuon pointed at his bodyguard, who gave a small nod of acknowledgement.
"Make me one," Maria demanded instantly. "Oh! But can you make it a little bigger? Not too big, though— I want to be able to carry him around with me, always," Maria begged. "Please? Please, Miss Bodyguard, I'll do anything! I'll—"
Kuon was torn as he watched the scene unfold before him. The two were suddenly fast friends, laying on the floor together, shoulder to shoulder. Maria was dictating a series of Kuon dolls that she wanted in a range of sizes while Kyoko had whipped out a scrap of paper and was dutifully taking notes, nodding along to Maria and making some rough design sketches. The Prince opened his mouth to voice his dissent— Kyoko had more important things to do than make creepily accurate models of him.
"You can do it, right? A perfect likeness," Maria said, eyes sparkling.
"I don't know," Kyoko answered doubtfully, looking between the miniature Prince in Sir Hoppington's tank and the real Prince standing in front of her. "That was the first one, and I don't think the proportions are quite right. I'd probably need to do some more observation, and the Prince is very busy," she said apologetically to the young girl.
Maria gave Kuon her best pout.
"Very well, you win," Kuon said, with a false sigh of resignation. He pulled over the nearest chair, pretending to sit haphazardly while carefully arranging himself so that Kyoko would see his good side. "Observe away."
Maria squealed with joy.
As the crown prince, Kuon was used to sitting still while people made art of him. As Kuu and Julie's son, he was even more used to it. So one would think that he could easily sit still while his bodyguard examined every inch of him to make a "perfect replica" for Maria.
"Will you please stop fidgeting?"
One would be wrong. Granted, every other time he had posed for art, he had not been madly in love with the artist, which might have something to do with it. He could not help but squirm under her sharp, analytical gaze. Though really, he should have felt more like a lab specimen than anything else. The sketches and measurements she was noting down were scarily accurate.
"Ooh, that looks perfect!"
Right, and Maria was there, too. She had not wanted to miss a single second of time with her beloved… or with her newly acquired big sister. Sir Hoppington was certainly growing on her as well, as evidenced by the fact that he was sitting at the table with her, snacking on grubs. Kyoko's story of his heroism for the fairies had done as much in winning the small girl over as Kuon's obvious fondness for the frog had.
"Ribbit." He patted the table with a mucousy foot.
Kyoko nodded seriously and made an adjustment to her sketch.
Kuon just sighed to himself and wondered at the things he did for love.
If Sir Hoppington had one complaint regarding his new exalted status and living quarters, it would be the number of daily visitors. Sharing an abode with the prince of the realm meant that people were coming and going at all hours of the day and night. Kyoko was always welcome, of course. Sir Hoppington would be terribly lonely without the bodyguard, since nobody else seemed to understand him — at least, not the way she did. Even the prince had trouble communicating with the frog at first. Initially, Sir Hoppington had been rather indifferent to the young man, but the lanky giant had eventually grown on the amphibian. Which was quite a good thing, as it seemed to Sir Hoppington that he was now the Prince's confidant in many important matters. The Prince had a tendency to think aloud, muttering under his breath as he composed official correspondence or rehearsing his speaking points for the unending slew of council and chamber meetings. And Kuon spent a great deal of time lamenting to his froggy companion about Kyoko's obliviousness to his affection. Sir Hoppington listened with as much patience as he could muster for his ruler, although privately the frog thought the prince was going about trying to woo Kyoko entirely the wrong way.
While Sir Hoppington didn't mind listening to the Prince's love woes, he was much less sympathetic towards another young man who frequently came by the Prince's chambers to complain about his heartaches.
Sir Hoppington did not like Sir Kijima. The frog thought the human knight was rude, not to mention noisy. The human knight had none of the dignity that should accompany the title, dropping by the Prince's chambers with no regard for the time and throwing himself down on the chaise lounge to bemoan his latest ill-fated attempts at courtship with whichever Count's daughter or lady-in-waiting was his paramour that day (or in some cases, hour). Such inconstancy was not befitting of a knight, and Sir Hoppington would loudly croak his disapproval. Unfortunately, this usually only prompted Sir Kijima to talk louder.
Kanae stumbled in on one such occasion, glancing cooly between Sir Hoppington's hostile crouch, the Prince's long-suffering look, and Sir Kijima, who was sprawled dramatically over the furniture.
"What's with the gross, slimy dude?" Kanae had asked.
"See?!" Sir Kijima popped up immediately, looking triumphantly at Kuon. "I told you, nobody likes frogs!"
"I meant you," Kanae said, her nose wrinkling with disdain as she looked the knight up and down. The Archive would have continued, except that at that moment Kyoko plummeted out of the ceiling, rolling forward to absorb the momentum of her fall before springing to her feet in front of Kijima.
"Frogs are not gross!" Kyoko said, poking the knight in the chest so hard that Kijima involuntarily took a step back. "And how dare you refer to him in such a manner?! Sir Hoppington is a knight of this realm, the same rank as you! Apologize at once!" she demanded.
"Why should I?" Kijima retorted. He leaned down over Kyoko, attempting to flirt by taunting the girl with what was (at least, in his mind), a devastatingly charming grin.
Kyoko was decidedly not charmed. "You insulted Sir Hoppington," she explained through clenched teeth. Kuon looked between the two of them, apprehension prickling between his shoulder blades at the growing tension in the room.
"So what?" Kijima grinned. "Poor Kyoko." He gave the bodyguard a playful frown, amused by the strange bodyguard's fiestyness. "Her favorite pet has been insulted! Whatever is a lady to d—"
"You will answer for your words," Kyoko interrupted in a steely tone. "Tomorrow, at dawn."
The next morning, Sir Hoppington was sitting on a velvet pillow, which was being held by the prince. While the frog was busy snacking on any insects that breezed by, Kuon was wondering where things had gone so horribly bizarre. He, the crown prince, was holding a plush cushion with a frog on it, waiting to watch a duel between his bodyguard and one of his knights over the frog's honor. Oh, and the frog also happened to be a knight. Can't forget that.
When Sir Kjiima arrived forty minutes after the appointed time, he found the image of the crown prince holding a frog on a pillow was certainly amusing. But it was a much less interesting sight than Kyoko. The bodyguard hadn't noticed her opponent's arrival, absorbed in bending her body into a pretzel as she performed her warm-up stretches. Beside her on the ground, reverently laid out on top of a cloth, was an elegant and deadly looking sword. Set into the pommel was a large gemstone, with beautiful facets and a delicate hue that looked more suited to jewelry than a blade.
"Er… she isn't serious, is she?" The knight asked, looking dubiously at the prince.
"She certainly looks serious. You'd better prepare yourself, " Kuon said with feigned nonchalance. In truth, the prince was nervous. Kijima easily had sixty pounds on Kyoko, not to mention a much longer reach. It was impossible not to feel a twinge of worry as Kuon saw his bodyguard dwarfed by Kjima's larger frame. Kyoko was strong for her size, and lightning quick. But would that be enough? Deprived of her usual advantages of better positioning and surprise, and without her arsenal of throwing knives, would she be able to prevail? Kuon hesitated. Perhaps he should intercede, even fight Kijima himself. After all, he was as much within his rights to defend Sir Hoppington as Kyoko. The prince was about to step forward, but an outstretched arm from Kanae stopped him.
"Don't interfere," she said.
"I—"
"You'll hurt her professional pride," Kanae said, silencing the prince. "Besides," the girl added, "it's not Kyoko you have to be worried about."
The certainty in the Archive's voice was heartening, but nothing could entirely quell Kuon's agitation. Few of the nobles bothered with duels anymore, preferring cutting remarks and the ruthless court gossip machine to swordsmanship. Drawing blood for an honor duel had been outlawed over a century ago, and nobody had been injured in decades — at least, not on purpose. That didn't mean an accident couldn't still happen.
The prince was relieved when Kijima physically balked at the idea of raising a weapon against the young woman. When the knight complained, Kyoko shrugged.
"Very well," the bodyguard said easily, dropping into a boxing stance and bringing up both her fists.
This, apparently, was not any better. Sir Kijima protested at the thought of swinging a saber at a woman— swinging his bare fists was inconceivable. The knight again began to loudly object.
Kyoko cut him off.
"Choose," she demanded.
Reluctantly, Kijima picked up his weapon.
Kyoko nodded sharply and strode off, her sword glinting in the morning light. Sir Kijima was taking his time, busy blowing kisses to the smattering of female spectators who had gathered. The small crowd mostly consisted of castle guards and serving maids, but Kuon thought he spotted a bundled figure that looked suspiciously like his father.
Kyoko waited with barely-concealed impatience at the center of a large circle of well-packed dirt. She had to restrain her ghostly helpers from tripping the human knight. Injuring him beforehand would not be playing fair, and this was, after all, a duel. She needed to fight fairly, no matter how funny it would be to see him trip over "nothing" and go sprawling in the dirt. Especially since he was clearly not taking this seriously. Her eyes narrowed. But this was not about that. This was about avenging Sir Hoppington's honor.
Kyoko locked eyes with the knight. "Are you ready?"
"I'm always ready," Kijima said suggestively, taking up his position across from her.
Sir Hoppington let out a deafening croak. The duel had begun.
Kyoko lunged forward, forcing Kijima to scuttle backwards and out of the way as he managed an awkward parry just in time.
"Oy!" He shouted, pivoting his sword to block another attack. "Stop! Moving! So! FAST!"
The knight stepped backward out of Kyoko's striking range, giving her a wide berth as he began to circle around. A bead of sweat formed and began to trickle down, but Kijima had no time to wipe it away. He didn't dare take his eyes off of the girl in front of him for even half a second. The knight grit his teeth as he blocked another blow, the clang of the swords reverberating through his arm with enough force that Hidehito could feel it in his clenched teeth.
By contrast, with the exception of a slight narrowing of her eyes, Kyoko looked perfectly normal, even bored. She wielded her sword with the same comfort and efficiency she had with a kitchen knife. It was obvious to Kijima that he was outmatched. The thought was almost a relief to the knight, who had been worried about how to gallantly disarm Kyoko without making the bodyguard lose her pride or position (Kijima had no desire to get the fascinating young woman sent away from her post at the palace). Now all Hidehito had to worry about was holding out long enough so as to not be thoroughly embarrassed in front of the spectators.
"You're toying with me, aren't you, Kyoko dear?" Kijima taunted, daring to throw a wink at the guard and earning himself two quick jabs that were mere centimeters from skewering his kidneys. The knight yelped. "In any other context, your advances would be most welcome," he continued gamely, hoping to distract her. "Though I'm partial to a more private setting, myself."
Kyoko feinted, then spun, aiming a strike at Kijima's shoulder. The knight once again managed to block in time, but was wildly off balance. Taking advantage of her opponent's poor footing, Kyoko landed a solid kick, then swept her foot around to hook Kijima's leg, toppling the knight to the ground in a heap, his sword clattering to the ground. Kyoko used a flick of her wrist to fling the sword out of reach, a foot on Kijima's chest pinning him to the ground and her sword point hovering near the side of his neck.
"Y-yield! I yield!" Kijima cried instantly. "You can't damage a face like this!"
Kyoko stepped back, sheathing her sword and reluctantly lending the knight a hand up. He took it, but instead of letting her jerk him to his feet, he kissed her scarred knuckles.
Kyoko yanked her hand out of his grasp, turned on her heel, and stormed over to Sir Hoppington (and the prince) in disgust.
"Nicely done," Kuon said as she appeared at his side. Sir Hoppington ribbited his approval. Kyoko nodded sharply in acknowledgement.
Kijima, chuckling to himself, got to his feet and brushed dirt off of himself. "Indeed! I wouldn't mind throwing down with you again sometime." His wink suggested that he did not mean another duel.
"I am more than willing to fight you again if need be." Kyoko leveled him with a stare as he approached. "But first…." She gestured towards Sir Hoppington.
Kijima sighed. Right. He had to apologize to the frog. "Sorry, froggo old pal. I take it back. You're not gross." His mouth twitched. This was by far the most absurd thing he had ever done. Well, after fighting over a frog's honor.
Kyoko nodded approvingly and was about to melt into the shadows when Kanae spoke. "Good job."
"Mokoooo!" Kyoko tried and failed to pounce on her best friend. "Thank you! I never could have done it without the magic of Princess Rosa, though."
Kanae rolled her eyes. "Sure."
Princess Rosa? Kuon thought. He opened his mouth to ask, but was distracted. Across the field, his father was grinning with a very knowing look in his eyes. Oh, great. Time to make a quick escape. "I think Sir Hoppington is getting tired."
Kyoko finally stopped trying to hug Kanae and popped over to examine their frog. "True. This is a lot of excitement for him. He's not usually awake for this long. Shall I escort him back to his tank?"
"I'll come, too. I've got some paperwork to finish." And a way to avoid whatever is making Dad grin like that.
Kyoko took the frog and his pillow from the prince, their fingers brushing in the process. Kuon tried to pretend that the sparks he felt were just static, and that his cheeks just turned red from the sun.
Across the field, Kuu grinned even wider.
Digital cookies if you can tell who wrote which parts!