Keep Her Safe Chapter Six
Lady Prin
Disclaimer Applies.
"Artemis... I remember you." Rei whispered, looking Artemis in the eyes.
"I'm glad." He responded. "I remember our first and only meeting. Your were three months old. Even though you had magic you hadn't learned to talk or walk yet. We played allot with Mina and the others."
"Yes, you're Mina's and her mother's guardian and adviser." Rei said.
Artemis nodded.
"Now I'm to be your adviser and guardian, until Mina is found. Mina is now Queen of her planet."
Rei looked out over the sea.
"So...I'm the only one who has a mother now... besides Serena." She muttered.
"You now about the outers?" Artemis asked.
"Yes. Michelle, Amora, and Hotaru's mothers died a couple months ago."
"The fire told you no doubt." Artemis sat and curled his tail around him. "Yes, though their planets no longer have life, they are now Queens."
"You called us, my lady?" Amora asked as she, Michelle and Hotaru knelt in front of the Queen's throne.
"Yes. Children, only Rei's mother is still alive. She is somewhere safe on Earth for now. But our forces dwindle. The treaty to the Showma Kingdom in the next Galaxy is almost final. But I need to find my daughter before I can sign it. The Showma's understand the peril my daughter is in, but they will not wait too long to have her found. Whether alive, or...dead." The Queen swallowed nervously. "We only have two Earth weeks to find her. Otherwise, they will not come to our aid when Baryl attacks. And she will attack, sooner or later. I have a job for you..."
Amora, Michelle, and Hotaru listened carefully and attentively as their Queen layed out her plan.
(I myself have yet to figure out what they will do. But give me time and I will!)...(Oh, wait! It's coming to me...I HAVE IT! And I ain't telling yet!)
Serena and Mina were awakened from their sleep by the jerk of the ship as it docked in the harbor of Japan.
They didn't know how long they had been in the ship. They spent their time sleeping, talking in whispers, and every now and then when a crew member brought them something to eat, they ate. Though they never could tell what they were eating, and they didn't ask.
They were never let out of their room, so their clothes were very dirty and smelly. Their cloaks had been taken from them when they were captured, so what remained was their simple dresses.
Mina's was blue, Serena's was dark yellow. They looked like the daughters of peasants, which worked very well for them. They were planning on posing as sisters, hoping they'd be sold as a pair.
When the ship was docked, Serena and Mina stood up slowly, stretching their unused leg muscles.
Then about four men came into the room.
One took hold of Serena, another Mina. Then one started to unchain Mina, and the other Serena.
Then, with a man holding them on both sides, they were ushered through the ship into another room. This room had a table in the middle, and a bathroom off to the side. There was a small round window on the wall opposite the door, and through it they could see the water and a partly cloudy sky.
On the table layed two dresses. One blue, one red, both with gold trim. Both accented the girls perfectly. Under the table, below each dress, was two pairs of shoes, same colors as the dresses. Also on the table, was a little wooden box, it's lid closed.
They were thrust roughly into the room, and told to wash with the water in the bathroom, and change clothes. Then the men left.
Mina tried to open the door.
"Locked." She whispered to Serena.
Serena bit her lip, then went into the bathroom.
There were two tubs of water with two bars of soap.
Serena tested the water in both.
"Warm. Wonderfully warm." She whispered to Mina.
They looked at each other for a moment.
"They're trying to make us look our best." Mina explained out loud. "They think the prettier we look the more money we'll sell for."
Serena sighed.
"I don't care. I can't stand being this dirty anymore." And she started to undress.
Mina followed her lead.
As they each settled in their own tub, they sighed with relief and contentment. The warm water helped to ease their aching bones.
After they had scrubbed and cleaned themselves (Mina had to help Serena with her hair), they dried themselves with the towels on the rack by the door.
They walked out to the table in the main room, and got dressed. Serena choose the blue one, Mina choose the red. They also slipped on their respective shoes.
Mina looked in the box. There was hair brushes, and ribbons. Plus a couple clips.
"Might as well." Mina said.
It took two hours for Mina to comb Serena's hair. A crew member came to check on them every now and then, saying nothing, and always locking the door behind him.
Mina hummed slightly as she worked, weaving pink ribbons through Serena's hair as she braided it down her back. Then she took a shiny, rainbow colored, delicate looking butterfly clip, and clipped it to the right side of Serena's head. Just behind her bangs.
Then Serena took the hair brush over from Mina and combed her hair. Then she braided her hair as well, only with a yellow ribbon. Took her about four tries, but she finally got it. Then she rummaged around in the box till she found a blue flower hair clip. She clipped that to the left side of Mina's head.
Serena sat down the brush on the table, and Mina and her faced each other.
After a moment of studying each other, Mina sighed.
"Well, we certainly look like sisters." She said with a slight smile.
Serena smiled in return.
"Yeah."
Before either of them could say anything else, the door opened again. They turned to face the man who entered.
Obviously he was the Captain, for he was dressed more elaborately, then the crew members. With a blood red vest with gold trim, long black trousers, tall black boots, and rings on all his figures, and jewels on his big black Captain's hat, he looked like royalty. His black goatee was well trimmed, and curled slightly at the tip.
He servade them with mild approval.
"You've done well! You'll both sell for a pretty price. Maybe you'll sell for the price I would've gotten for all the other girls had you not released them."
He stared at them with hard eyes. Both Serena and Mina stayed silent, but kept staring defiantly back at him, in the eye.
He circled them, looking them up and down. When he came back in front of them again, he stood up straight, and clasped his hands behind his back.
"Now!" He barked. "What are your names?"
Mina spoke for both of them.
"My name's Mani. This is my sister Rena."
"How old are you, Mani?"
"Fourteen." She replied.
"How old are you, Rena?" He asked.
"I don't know." She replied.
Both the Captain and Mina looked at her in surprise.
"How can you not know how old you are?" He asked angrily.
"What day is it?" Serena asked calmly.
"I asked you a question!" The Captain almost screamed. "When I ask you a question, you answer, hear me!"
"Oh, I hear you." Serena replied. "I'll even bet that the whole of Japan could hear you. But I can't answer that question till I know what day it is. I don't know how many days I've spent on that boat. My birthday may have come and gone already. So I can't really answer the question, till I have what day it is."
Mina stood stock still. She'd never heard Serena make such an intelligent comeback to anything before. It took all she had not to laugh.
The Captain stood dumbfounded for a moment. Contemplating what she had said. In the end it made since.
He resumed his calm exterior.
"It's July second." He said.
"Then I am now fourteen." Serena replied calmly as well.
Mina almost gasped out loud. Serena's birthday was on June 30th. Which meant that she had been fourteen for a whole day! Queen Serenity was supposed to have met her and given her back her birthright on her birthday. Queen Serenity had to actually be touching her to give it back.
The Captain nodded in satisfaction.
"Allot of people will pay allot of money for servants as young as you." He turned to one of the two guards that had come into the room with him and were standing by the door. "Take them with us. I've decided the starting price for them. They go on the market now."
And Serena and Mina were swept from the room to meet their destiny.
Four hours ago they had been led into the city, and made to stand on a raised podium. Their hands had been tied behind their backs with rope, and when they were standing in the right position, their legs had been tied together around their ankles. They couldn't go anywhere.
They had been made to stand there for four hours, while prospective buyers looked them over, and talked with their captors. As they understood it, they were being shown, and in one more hour there would be an auction, and they would be sold to the highest bidder.
But Mina was not making it easy.
She'd make ugly faces at the people who went by, and stick out her tongue out at them. She did everything to look repulsive, stopping short at calling names. She'd never sink that low.
And Serena just stared at her with a raised eyebrow. She understood why Mina was doing this, but she had never seen her do this before. It wasn't very Mina like.
Right now Mina had stopped with the ugly faces, and just resorted to yawning.
Both of them were tired, and the streets were almost empty.
Suddenly, Serena got an elbow in the ribs from Mina.
When Serena looked, Mina was pointing to the four guards that were supposed to be watching them. They were talking to a couple of young women. Their backs to their captives.
Serena and Mina couldn't run, but they could hide.
Serena followed Mina's lead as she sat down quietly, but quickly, at the edge of the podium, and slid off. Then she followed Mina's lead as she sat down on the ground with her back to the far end of the podium. They could not be seen by the guards. The podium had an overhanging ledge. They scooted up underneath it.
In a few minutes they heard shouts from the guards. Then they felt and heard the pounding footsteps as they ran across the podium, and leaped over the edge. They kept running in that direction and rounded a corner. Soon gone from sight.
Mina then instructed Serena to lay down on her side, where her feet were behind Mina. Mina then used her hands to untie Serena's feet. Then Serena did the same for Mina.
But before they could untie their hands, the guards came back their way. There was no way they could not miss their captives.
"Run!" Mina shouted.
They broke cover and ran in the opposite direction from the guards.
They eventually ran into a place where the crowds were thicker, and they soon lost each other in the crowd.
But they kept on running.