"Do you always just sit here and read?"
The boy looked up from his book. A girl around her age smiled down at him. She had long, black hair and sky blue eyes. The boy sighed and looked back down at his book. He had short black hair and dark blue eyes. "I need to memorize it. If I am to become King I need to know everything about the economics." The boy huffed turning back to his book. "And shouldn't you be dusting something? Leave me be."
The girl pouted. "You are no fun at all. You're a kid. You need to have some fun!"
"I can't. I have no time to have fun. If I am to become King I-"
"Yea, yea I heard it already." She sighed. "How about we go play!"
"I told you I can't. And you have a job to do servant. So go clean." This girl was annoying him. He wanted her to leave him alone.
"My mom said she didn't need me to help her right now so I decided to explore the castle." She smiled warmly.
The boy looked away from his book again and up at her. She noticed a warm glow in her cheeks. Noticing this made him blush slightly. "So er… what made you to decide to bother me?"
She put her finger to her chin thinking. "Well I guess it's because I always see you studying or being so serious. You just seemed so lonely and sad so I thought maybe I'd put some fun into your life!"
He blinked at her. "You won't go away until I except will you?"
"Nope."
He sighed then closed his book. "Alright. What do you consider we do?"
"Let's go for a walk!" She grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the library.
"Hey slow down…" He stumbled behind her still be dragged by the arm. "And let go or they'll think you're kidnapping me!"
"Oh sorry." She released her grip. They walked at a steady pace towards the front gate. The guards happily opened the door for the prince and the two children walked towards the village.
"So how old are you?" The boy asked, trying to strike up a conversation.
"I'm 10 years old." She said holding up ten fingers.
"Oh so am I." He said with a nod. "So… what's your name?"
She smiled. "My name's Akemi and I already know your name Mikio."
"Hmpft. You will address me as your-highness." He walked with a strait posture.
Akemi gagged. "You are too much like a grown-up! Be more kid like!"
"I cannot. I have to be mature… for the sake of this village." He gestured his hand to show the village they were walking towards.
"Pish-posh. I think the village will understand if you act your age." She ran in front of him. "Jump! Dance! Make funny faces! Have fun!" She said jumping and skipping.
The prince looked at her strangely. "You are weird."
"I'm not weird. I am acting my own age."
"What, five?"
Akemi stuck her tongue out at him. "At least I'm not an old man."
"I'm not an old man." He protested.
"Yes you are."
"No I'm not."
"Yes you are."
"No I'm not!"
"Yeeeess you are."
"No. No. No!"
"See you are already acting like a kid!" A large grin spread across her face.
Mikio blinked at her. Who is this weird girl?
Akemi grabbed his hand. "Common old man we are taking a de-tour!" She said running off the road, dragging the prince behind her.
The boy looked down at their hands. He blushed. "Wh-where are you taking me?"
"My secret place."
"Secret…place?" Oh no what have I gotten myself into.
---
"Wow this place is so cool." Mikio said in awe. He studied the little clearing in the forest. A small stream flowed in front of them and flowers of practically every filled the area. You could hardly see grass. "I take it you like flowers."
"That's right." Akemi twirled in front of him. Her hair shimmered in the sun light. "I like to come here and just think." She fell down on her back and laid there staring at the sky. She patted the ground next to her to gesture for Mikio to lie next to her.
He sighed and walked over to her. He sat down and folded his hands in his lap. Akemi grunted. "No! Lay down! And spread out like a star. It's so comfy."
"I am comfy like this thank you." His back was straight and his legs out in front of him.
Akemi rolled her eyes. "Who knew an old man would have such good posture."
He glared down at her. She giggled.
"So… how did you find this place?" The prince studied the area.
"Oh well you see my mom is one of the maids at the castle and I come to help her anytime I can. So one time I spent practically the WHOLE day there with her. I don't know how you can live in that place! I find it so confined and… gloomy. It made me sad. So my mom said its okay for me to go home so when I left the property I just had a strong urge to run free! I needed to get that sad gloomy place out of my head and just run anywhere! So I ran not knowing where I was going and I found this place. The end."
Mikio blinked down at her. "You are weird."
"Wha, wha, WHA?! How am I weird?!" She said sitting up.
"Because you just ran. You could have gotten lost. You're such a weird girl." The prince sighed.
"Hmpft. Well I couldn't stay in that place any longer. How can you live in such a place?"
"I'm used to it. Actually I prefer it then this pollen infested place."
She got to her feet and held her arms close to her side. "Well it just so happened that I like this place better then your scary old castle!"
He stood up as well. "My castle isn't scary! You are just weird!"
They were right in each others faces. "I am not weird! You old man!" She shoved him.
"I'm not an old man!" He shoved back.
They started to wrestle. They fell to the ground tussling in the flowers. Not noticing that they were rolling towards the stream.
They fell into it with a loud splash. The two children sat it the water, dripping wet, blinking at each other.
Akemi started to laugh.
"What's so funny? This is your fault!" Mikio splashed her.
"Hey!" She splashed him back.
This turned into a splashing war. They both laughed and continued to soak each other.
---
"Heh heh… I'm drenched!" Akemi held out her arms at her side as water dripped from them.
Mikio pointed and laughed.
"Hey you're wet too!"
They stepped out of the water and into the flowers. "I have to go back before my father notices I'm not studying."
"The king is very strict isn't he?" Akemi asked.
The boy frowned. "He gets very upset with me when I'm not mature like he wants me to be. He's scary when he yells."
Akemi frowned as well. "Well how about this. We meet here every… Friday and have fun like today! That way you can get away from your father and your boring studying."
The prince nodded. "Okay."
So each week I would anxiously wait for Friday to come. I put up with my fathers yelling and lectures and I went on with my studying. Then when Friday finally came, I would sneak out of the castle and go back to see Akemi once again.
We became great friends. Playing games or just lying there and talking. I told her about my father who was always yelling at me and my mother. And how my mother now hardly ever speaks or smiles because of my father's mental abuse he put her through. I told her how I want to change this Kingdom and make it a better place. I told her my dreams and my fears.
And she listened intently. She would lie there silently and listen to everything I had to say. It was great to have someone to talk to. I found myself developing feelings for her as we got older. Then when we were 14 at my ceremony of becoming the next king, I pulled her from the crowd and dragged her to back.
"What's wrong Mikio?" Akemi asked as he let go of her hand.
"Well Akemi… we have been best friends for a while now… and well… I…" He started to blush.
"Yes?" She leaned in closer.
"I… I… After a while I started to… like you… like more then a friend. So I wanted to say…" He gulped. "I really like you." Mikio finally blurted out.
"I really like you too." She said with a slight blush on her cheeks as well.
"Really?"
"Yes."
They moved into a kiss.
After that we kept our relationship a secret. If my father found out that I was dating a servant, I would no longer be seen as his son in his eyes. A year later my mother was found dead in her room. The doctors said that the cause of her death was her blood clotted and stopped her heart. Rumors went around the castle that my father had beaten her to death. The rumors slowly died down after a few more years. At that time I knew it was time to come clean with my relationship with Akemi. After many years of secrecy, I finally found the courage to tell him.
"You stay here. I don't want you to be in the room when he starts to yell. You might get hurt." Mikiosaid outside of the doors that lead to the throne room.
"No. I will come with you and stand by your side." Akemi held his hand and squeezed it affectionate.
The boy smiled. And they opened the doors. Akemi let go of his hand and walked slowly behind him.
Their hearts pounded out of their chests. This was very frightening for them, but they knew that they had to do it.
"Yes?" The former king's voice boomed. The
"Father I have something I have to speak to you with." Mikio said with the most firm voice he could conger up.
"Speak." The old man looked so intimidating to Akemi, she hid father behind Mikio.
"Well father it's…" Mikio didn't know how to put it. Dammit I should have thought of something to stay before I got in here!
"Who is the trembling servant hiding behind you? Be gone!" The old mans voice made Akemi flinch.
"That's what I want to speak to you with." Mikio gulped. "Her name is Akemi. I have been with a relationship with her for four years now."
The former king's eyes widened. "Is this a joke Mikio?"
"No. I am very serious."
"It doesn't seem that you are! Do you think being with such a, such a, commoner is serious? How dare you betray this family! How dare you betray me! Your own father who raised and cared for you!"
Akemi whimpered. She has never been so scared of a human being like this. His voice bore right into her heart.
"I forbid you to ever see her again! I will have her and her family arrested and we will act as this has never happened. Now take that scum out of my sight!"
"Yow cannot speak to the woman that I'm going to marry like that!" Mikio shouted back at his father.
Akemi blinked. Marry? Her face went completely red. "Mikio…"
He grabbed her hand a braised for what was about to happen next.
"Marry?! You are going to marry a servant?! You are not my son! What happened to my promising son?!" The old man stood up from his throne.
"That wasn't men father. You made me that way. I can never be what you want me to be. I am not you and will never be you! Akemi helped me realize that!" Mikio felt a weight get lifted from his shoulder. He has wanted to say that to his father for years now.
The old man's eyes narrowed. "How… How dare you speak to me that way. You-" His eyes widened. He clenched his chest then fell to the ground.
"Father? Father?!" Mikio rushed to his father's side. "Quick call for help!" He called to Akemi. She nodded and ran out of the room.
My father had died from a heart attack that day. Two years later Akemi and I had gotten married. I have never been happier. Then after three years of happiness we decided to have a child. That was when my son was born.
Then many years later Akemi announced that she was pregnant. I was shocked and happy. Then soon after Yumi was born into the world. She was the first girl in many decades to be born into this royal family. A girl with violet eyes and a strange birthmark. She had been possessed with the spirit of our family.
Akemi started to weaken after that. That's when I changed. I have slowly started to become more like my father. A work-a-holic. A man of seriousness. A man who was hardly seen with his family. I hated myself.
When my precious Akemi had died. It felt like the world had ended. And when Yuki had left, I had treated Yumi no better then my father had treated me. When she had needed me most I neglected her. I had buried myself in my work, distracting myself from the truth.
But now I see the truth. I see my daughter the way I used to see her when we still a happy family.
But now it's too late.
"Father! DAD!"
Yumi… I'm sorry…
--