Chapter Fifteen: The Voyage's End
For the first time in years, Haru slept peacefully the entire night, and awoke with a smile on her face. She yawned happily, and stretched her arms and legs leisurely.
A glance around the small room told her that someone had been in it as she slept. But she wasn't offended in the least, eyeing a foamy bucket of soapy water that had been set next to the wall, along with a small collection of towels for a rag bath.
She scrubbed her body with the warm soapy water, wondering if it was magic that allowed it to keep its comfortable temperature or if her benefactor had been in the room recently.
Feeling a little nervous about letting anyone see her in the nude, Haru backed up against the door with the bucket and rags, so that the door wouldn't be able to open and expose her to the other passengers until she was ready.
After toweling her hair dry, she ran a small wooden comb she had found through the long brown strands until there wasn't a knot left, and helped herself to the lovely periwinkle dress that had been draped over a chair in the corner of the room, along with delicate slippers that seemed to melt against her feet like they were made for no one but her.
Her large golden brown eyes strayed to the green ribbon that had held her hair fast for two days, but she decided against tying it back into her hair.
She combed her hair one more time, performed a few body stretches, and shyly stepped out of her little room, down the hall, and up the stairs again.
Toto was the only one on deck, although he was nearly asleep at the helm as Haru emerged from the opening.
"Good morning!" she said cheerfully, making the crow man nearly jump out of his feathery hide, and stand erect like he didn't even know what 'rest' meant.
"Good morning," he said, smiling slyly around his beak as she made to walk up the stairs to him. "There's some bread and fruit in the cupboard down there. I'm pretty sure you haven't eaten since yesterday morning."
Haru stopped in her tracks as her stomach gave an ear-splitting growl. She laughed nervously, and made a U-turn for the cupboard. "Do you want anything, Toto?" she asked him as she opened the small wooden door.
"There are a few mulberries in there with my name on them," he informed her hopefully, making the girl laugh and retrieve the berries, as well as a small loaf of bread and a yellow-green apple. She walked up the second flight of stairs, and offered the crow man the handful of berries.
"Thanks," he said gratefully, popping them into his mouth one at a time as Haru took a big bite out of the apple.
The slim brunette nodded politely, since she was still chewing, and looked forward to a larger cloudbank, rising just a bit higher than the others. She swallowed her mouthful of apple, and turned to her companion. "Is that the Sky Kingdom?" she asked before taking another bite.
"It's the main piece," Toto corrected her, adjusting course slightly. "Our kingdom is actually made up of several islands that fly above the clouds. That's the biggest one, so that's where King Valorous lives. He told Baron very specifically that he wanted to meet you in person."
Haru shrugged as she finished her apple, and broke off the end of the small brown loaf to start eating it. "After the last king I met, this one shouldn't be much trouble. Is he nice?"
"He's the best," Toto answered with a grin as he reached over, and began pounding on a specific wood piece to the right of the helm. "You can even get away with insulting him to his face, as long as you voice it as constructive criticism. But not too many people have the urge to insult him, and the few that do don't dare, because they're scared that Baron will go crazy and do something awful again."
Haru giggled wickedly, and kept eating her breakfast. "Sounds like a good plan of action. Why are you pounding on that wood?"
"It's a wake-up call for the ship," he explained, pounding on it two more times. "Baron wanted to see the look on your face, the first time you see the kingdom, so he left orders to wake him and Muta before we arrived."
"He can be such a child," she giggled, offering her feathered friend the last of the bread loaf, which he took with a smile.
"Not around Muta and me, he can't," the crow man said softly, popping the bread into his mouth and swallowing it whole. "Before you came back into his life, Muta and I would have to do something outrageous to make him so much as crack a smile when he wasn't going on and on about you. And you… you can make him smile and laugh like it's nothing."
Haru shrugged as she leaned against the side of the ship. "I have the experience, and I like making him laugh. It's always been that way between us; I crack the jokes, and he laughs until it hurts." She sighed sadly. "But after he left, my jokes didn't seem so funny anymore. It's so good to have him back for good this time."
Toto grinned at her, and pounded on the wood piece again. "You know, Baron was bad enough with just me and Muta standing behind him. Once you're by his side, I think people would sooner attack a tornado than you two."
"That's the idea," she countered with a wicked grin.
"All right, we're up already, you Bird Brain," Muta hissed as he climbed out of below decks, and began rummaging through the food pantry. "There's no need to keep pounding that stupid thing!"
Toto gasped thunderously. "Behold!" he boomed, gesturing at Muta with a wing. "It rises from the grave!"
"I was never in the grave, you giant chicken!"
"Can't you tell the difference between a chicken and a crow?!"
"Of course I can; I'm not the bird brain here!"
"You already called me a bird brain, you idiot!"
"Idiot?!"
Haru stepped aside long enough for Toto to pounce on Muta again so that she could take another turn at the helm. 'I think I can understand why this wouldn't be funny after the first few days. Poor Humbert.'
Almost like the thought alone had summoned him, the door from below decks opened to reveal her beloved as he set a light grey silk hat between his ears. Baron looked at the feuding cat and bird, sighing tiredly.
"Good morning, Humbert," she said softly, making him turn around in order to face her.
He smiled warmly, his eyes glowing appreciatively as he looked at her. "Good morning, Haru. Sleep well?"
"Very well," she answered, taking in his new outfit. It was the finest she had ever seen him in, although she was certain that it was more modest than what the other nobility wore. It was a simple light grey suit that matched the top hat, with a crimson vest and navy bow tie for contrast. He even had a cane in one hand.
"That's a good look for you," she complimented him, making her beloved purr softly.
"Thank you, love. Have you had anything to eat?" he asked as he looked through the food pantry.
"Yes. I'm fine now. Um, I hope you realize that I don't know how to land this ship, or put it to a dock… what's the proper term?" she asked while blushing with embarrassment.
"Make berth," he answered her, chewing politely on a small loaf of bread as he walked up the stairs to the helm. "Don't worry, Haru; it's always a little tricky the first few times. If needed, I'll do it myself and practice with you later."
"Thanks," she said gratefully, turning the helm slightly to dodge the cloud.
"No, Haru," Baron corrected her, putting his hands over hers again. "The cloud's an illusion to fool the land dwellers below. This is the correct way to approach the capital, love."
Angling his wrists strangely, the tall feline urged the ship into a wide circle around the cloud before piercing it. The brunette leaning against him stiffened as the thick grey mist ran over the ship like an avalanche, but Baron kept the ship going in a firm course as his two friends kept wrestling across the deck, too lost in ridiculous insults to notice or care about the cloud that enveloped the Sky Kingdom's capital.
Once the sunlight returned, Haru opened her eyes… and gasped.
It really was a giant floating island! She couldn't even see the other side of it, because the ship was nearly level with the side of the island. As far as she could see, the edges of the island were bordered with ships, or standing empty for other ones to arrive. The piece of the island she could see looked like a regular waterfront, with spiraling towers that gleamed from within the noisy city. Of course, air front would probably be more appropriate, considering the circumstances.
With his hands still over Haru's, Baron gently guided the ship into one of the empty spaces, Toto and Muta hopping off in order to securely tie the flying boat onto the wharf.
"Well, dear?" the orange and cream feline asked the slim brunette as he took her by the hand and lead her down the stairs and towards the plank his two best friends had set up for them. "What do you think of it?"
"I… I…" Haru stuttered as Baron led her down the sturdy wood. "I'm… speechless," she said after another minute of stammering.
Baron laughed at her, and drew her arm closer as he tipped his hat at an approaching squirrel man holding a clip board. "So was I, the first time I saw it. Good morning, Mr. Evans."
"Good morning, my lord," the tall red squirrel said as he fussed with his clipboard. "His majesty has already taken care of the docking fee and has an escort ready to take you and your companions to the castle. Good morning, my lady," he said respectfully with a cheeky grin to Haru, bowing respectfully.
"Good morning," she said, instinctively bowing back.
But then Baron held her arm fast, so that she couldn't bow very much. "Thank you for your help, Mr. Evans. Toto, Muta, we need to get going!" he called over one shoulder.
"Coming," Toto called back, smacking Muta with one wing to get him to drop the last rope, and start running for the open carriage that Baron was leading Haru to, as she nodded at Mr. Evans one more time. But the strange thing about this carriage was that it had nothing to pull it.
"Why did you stop me?" she asked him as he helped her into the carriage, with Muta and Toto on the other seat.
"It wasn't to be rude, I assure you," he soothed her, nodding politely at the waiting driver, who nodded back and started playing with a strange series of buttons and knobs before turning a wheel in front of him that looked suspiciously like the ship's helm. The carriage began roaring softly, and rolled away from the docks smoothly. Haru inhaled softly in alarm, gripping her beloved's shoulder as he smiled teasingly at her.
"In the Sky Kingdom, men bow, but women curtsy," Baron explained, keeping one arm firmly wrapped around Haru's shoulders. "I love you plenty, dear, but I think it would be best for you to practice privately before trying a curtsy in public."
"What's a curtsy?" the slim brunette asked curiously.
Muta and Toto grinned evilly, and pointed to the side of the moving carriage. Haru looked over casually to see many common people staring right back at her, some that looked like humans, and others that were in varying animal forms. As her gold-tinged gaze passed over them, the men bowed as Baron had done before revealing himself, but the women grabbed their skirts delicately and kneeled from the waist, their heads dipping forward slightly as they spread the full length of their skirts out a little.
Haru nodded her head politely at them, and leaned back into Baron's warm embrace. "Oh. I think it looks a little silly, but I'll learn it."
"Oh, and all the bowing down there doesn't look a little silly?" Muta snorted indelicately.
"Not as silly as imagining you doing either activity," Haru retorted before she realized that she was saying it instead of thinking it. She slapped one hand over her mouth in horror, since she didn't insult friends unless they deserved it, but it was just a tad too late.
Toto burst into helpless laughter, slamming one fist into the side of the moving carriage as Muta flushed darkly. Even the driver coughed a couple of times, like he was biting back a few waves of mirth himself.
"Be quiet, you bird brain!" Muta snapped at the crow.
"But… but… she's right!" Toto panted between his bursts of mirth.
Baron smiled mischievously as a few chuckles escaped his throat, and leaned his head closer to Haru's as the insults began to fly once more. "Not bad, but refrain from the insults while we're inside the castle, please."
"I'll try," she promised, leaning into his warmth again. Suddenly, she remembered the reason for the unintended insult. "Um… won't I need to curtsy for the king?"
"Not this time," he assured her, kissing her cheek tenderly. "I got King Valorous to promise on a private audience for your first meeting, and he understands that you don't know our customs yet. Everything will be just fine, love."
Haru smiled with relief, and cuddled into Baron's side happily. "You always did have a good eye for details."
Aside from the constant bickering from the giant feline and crow on the other side of the carriage, the rest of the ride was uneventful.
Haru couldn't stop looking around the capital as the buildings and populace passed by. There was so little that resembled the world she knew. The style of the buildings soared, the streets were strangely clean of debris, and the entire capital practically reeked of contentment and good cheer, so unlike the atmosphere she had been forced to grow used to down below.
'I think I could get used to living in a place like this.' "Um, Baron?"
"Yes, dear?" he murmured softly, opening one of his eyes to look at her as he loosened his hold slightly.
"Ah, mm," she tried to say, but then shook her head before nestling it comfortably into his shoulder. "Never mind. It's not important."
"It might be," he disagreed, squeezing slightly. "Go on."
"Well… why would a place like this want to raid the world below, a few centuries ago?" she asked tentatively.
"Oh, that," he chuckled. "The Sky King at the time was young and rather restless. He made a practice of running down there every few months to explore. He met and fell in love with the current princess, and approached her father for her hand. The older king flat out refused, since he had promised her hand to a rich lord already, although the princess loved the young Sky King dearly. All the raids and such were just to pressure the king below into cancelling the other engagement so that he and the princess could get married. It certainly explains why the kingdom below took such effort to forget about the Sky Kingdom, doesn't it?"
"Only a little," she giggled, rubbing her cheek against the slightly stiff cotton of his jacket sleeve.
"We've arrived, my lord," the driver said politely, pulling the strange carriage around the front of a tall beautiful castle that gleamed in the sun.
Toto and Muta had dissolved into another fistfight, and rolled out of the carriage as they pounded on each other angrily.
Baron sighed as he stepped out neatly and held a hand out to Haru to help her out. "Are you two going to finish soon, or should Haru and I go ahead on our own?"
"Go on! I need to show Bird Brain a thing or two, once and for all!"
"Like a lard ball could teach me anything!"
"Lard ball?!" Muta howled angrily.
Haru shook her head and groaned as Baron linked arms with her, and began leading her up the stone steps. "How long have they been fighting like this?"
"Since they were children," her beloved replied in a bored tone, tipping his hat to the liveried servants that opened the huge doors for them. "Let's leave them to their amusements, dear. The king is waiting for us."