Nanami's POV:
My eyes were heavy. Another one of my dizzy spells? Most likely. I hate being weak. I open my eyes, I was in my bed chamber. Two maids flutter into the room instantly. Were their ears so attuned they could hear my eyelids opening and closing!
"Water" I said dryly. The maids obeyed filling a small cup. I snatched it from her. I was so thirsty, like I had nothing to drink for decades.
The maid whimpered, taking off out of the room as I looked at her. None of them ever looked me in the eyes. My eyes the symbol of my power but also the draining force that betrayed my body. I threw off the smothering covers, starting to slip off my kimono. The kimono was a little short but that was for Nami's pleasure. The doors eased open and the devil himself strode into the room.
"Nanami, how are you feeling my love" He asked moving in for a kiss. I moved away acting as if to tidy myself up.
"What happened this time?" I asked, I hated his games and I hated secrecy.
"A fox wandered into the city, you just tired yourself out destroying him" Ah. A weapon, that's my title. That is my form in my fiancé's eyes. What if I hurt someone in the process of killing that thing! We are a dying race and he throws me around as if I were a feather… I'm a demon!
"I'm going out" I growled, as if I'm staying to hear the praise of my love about killing. Nami's clawed hands suddenly pierced my shoulders.
"Don't be ashamed, it's your duty as my future queen" He said stoic and cold. His eyes were bursting with rage and desire. His lips met mine with conquering force. I succumbed to it. My heart ached from the warmth of his lips but something felt wrong. Very wrong. I felt something trying to claw through the back of my mind.
RUN! You're such a fool! Run now! Tomoe!
My eyes opened in shock. I shoved away Nami's passionate hold. Tomoe? Who is she?
I suddenly took off out of the room. My legs flying at a speed that would be blinding to anyone normal, anyone not cursed with such extreme powers.
I heard the passing bakenekos gasping. To see their future queen in such an outfit and such a state. Though Nami had told me many times I was from royal decent I felt as if I didn't belong in a palace.
"My lady" I recognised the voice. Swinging round I could see it was lady in waiting. But I was not in the mood to see her. She was just another puppet of Nami. I took off again. Gah, Nami's influence over everything was so stifling!
I suddenly came to the edge of the dungeon. The door was open, the air crisp but damp. I looked at the trees in the distance. They were a fading light. Rotting away.
"Nanami, come back inside" Nami said wrapping his arms around me from behind. His lips caressing my neck.
"No…" I said holding back tears. His face nuzzled in the grouve of my body between my neck and shoulder.
"You must try on your wedding gown" He giggled almost maliciously. I breathed out as if to give my consent. He twirled me around.
"Nanami, you're so beautiful… Like peach blossoms" Peach blossoms? He was trying to hard. He and I both knew what I truly am. A bird. A bird locked in a cage.
Tomoe's POV:
My ears started to twitch. Cracking of fire? The smell of smoke-filled my nostrils. The smoke was not ordinary! In a coughing frenzy I violently woke up. We were in the forest again. This time more secluded, walls of rock shielding us all around. The smoke smelt medicinal. My eyes pierced through the smoke to find the gobin fanning burning herbs in my face!
"The fox is alive" The tengu said with a smirk. Natsu quickly jumped over. His hand slapped down on the surface of my forehead leaving a white talisman. I felt annoyance writhing up inside me!
"Natsu-sama I don't think that's going to work…" Mizuki uttered skeptically. With a heavy arm I ripped the talisman off. "Better". He could have worded it right.
"Where are we?" I asked my voice barely audible.
Natsu's POV:
"About 15 miles outside the city" Mizuki said as Tomoe got up. His eyes staring in the direction of the city. A truly anger expression plastered to his face.
"It's too dangerous to get any closer"
"Yeah and we won't have long either" Kurama scowled stamping out the small fire "Those cats are good trackers"
"Tomoe" I said, literally everyone froze. I crossed my arms "What's happened to Nanami?" Everyone's gaze fell upon Tomoe, his body had become rigid.
"She…" He gulped painfully as if he were swallowing sand "She's being controlled by Nami"
"Nami?" Kurama asked.
"A powerful bakeneko who we presume is the king of the city" I said quietly in reply. Nanami, how is this happening to you?
"Cat king? Doesn't sound too tough" Kurama passed off.
"He's controlling Nanami you idiot! How do you think I got like this!" Tomoe screeched shoving his bruised arm in front of Kurama's face. He's still not healed properly?
"Nanami couldn't do this, she's not that strong!" Kurama howled his face shocked.
"The Nanami we know restrains herself!" I shouted back. "She's not violent by nature"
"Well she obviously is, look what at she did the fox for god's sake" Kurama retaliated. I wanted to hit him so bad. But I had niether the strength nor power to do so.
Suddenly Kurama's cocky face was bleeding. Tomoe's clawed fist gave a swift jab that I as a human had completely missed.
"What the hell fox!" Kurama screeched. Giving a kick to Tomoe's bruised ribs.
"Nanami is being controlled you idiot" Tomoe said giving multiple punches to Kurama's body "If you blame her for this I swear to god I'll kill you!" My mouth seemed to open in shock. I want to kick myself for not realising it sooner.
Tomoe is in love with Nanami.
Although jealousy wrenched every microscopic tether of my existence. It was not my place as friend, master or even god to interfere in the name of my own heart.
"Stop you two we have more pressing matters at hand" I shouted. Tomoe stopped instantly releasing Kurama's half beaten body from his grip.
"Natsu is correct we need to come up with a plan" Mizuki agreed sitting down his legs crossed. I could hardly see him it was getting so dark.
"We need to get back into the city"
"How, we'd be spotted instantly" Kurama said wiping the blood from his mouth.
"We'd have to disguise ourselves" I suggested.
We all looked at Tomoe who still was fixed in his gaze towards the city.
"I don't know if I have that amont of power" Tomoe said almost as if he were giving up. "But I have a idea"
Nanami's POV:
The maids ordained me in what felt like 50 different wedding dresses. Some traditional and some were even western styled. All of them were way to flashy for my taste but the best tailors in the kingdom were hard at work so I chose one for the sake of their pleasure. And self pity.
"Ma'am Lord Nami says it is time for your royal duties as queen" My lady in waiting said as I managed to squeeze out of the final gown.
"Very well, I'll wear the blue kimono" I said, I really didn't care about clothes but I liked the blue one due to it not being weighed down with rocks and gold.
"Which blue one would that be your majesty… The aqua? The azula? The turquoise? Or the navy?" My lady in waiting, Yumi asked.
"Umm, Which one was it? The one I wore 2 days ago" I answered. How many damn kimonos do I have?
"Oh that one was discarded your majesty" Yumi said whilst arranging the other maids to gather the rest of the kimonos.
"Thrown out? Why?" I asked my voice overly loud and annoyed.
"Lord Nami felt as if it were not radiant enough to show off your beauty" Another maid whimpered.
Oh god…
I walked in to a busy throne room. Everyone was deep into conversation with each other. Nami was slumped against his throne lazily. He was muttering to Lord Fushitawa the royal advisor, a wrinkled noble who gave me chills down my spine. Nami's eyes met mine, a smile stretched across his face. He dismissed the wrinkled cat beckoning me to come over. As I walked to him, the court chatter dimmed everyone taking their positions. I had no chair, my "job" was literally to stand beside the throne and showing Nami the occasional affection. As if I were being flaunted as a trophy.
"Nanami you look ravishing" Nami purred. His eyes were wondering up and down my body. I nodded as if to say thank you. I looked at my fianceé, his gleaming gold hair had been combed back and hidden by a large ceremonial hat. His face was flawless and pale. Although he was absolutely gorgeous and many woman including myself thought so I didn't feel happy with him. Almost as if I were tethered somewhere else.
"Let the court hearing commence" Nami called as the guard let the first group of commoners enter our field of vision.
"Your excellence" A elderly cat dressed in straw hat gleamed as he bowed. A farmer. "I am Suzuki Haro. One of the wells on my land has caved in and the fields need to be sown" He mumbled humbly. I couldn't help but feel sympathy for the man. Running a farm in a dying city must be hard.
"What do you grow on your farm?" Nami asked coldly, was he already in a foul mood? He usually gets very bored with this.
"Wheat" The farmer mumbled again.
"Very well you may have 50 copper coins in which to fix your well" Nami said more focused on clutching my hand then listening to the farmer. 50? Could the farmer afford such a job with such little money? "Next!"
About 5 farmers, 2 school teachers and 15 commoners later we were coming to the end.
"Next" Nami mumbled, he was very bored now. I am slightly thankful about the fact he didn't throw anyone in the dungeon.
"Your majesty" Two armour covered cats said while pushing forward to other figures tied in ropes. "I am the bounty hunter umm... Boba Fett" The cat said behind his mask I could see tufts of blonde hair, which was very unusual to see in commoners. "And this is my partner Akitasha" He said gesturing to his shorter companion. He had intense violet eyes that seemed to be fixed on me. Yeah yeah it's only a face.
"We have captured two demons that were planning a kidnap attempt on Lady Nanami" The court gasped. Nami seemed to finally be intrigued. The two demons. One was a crow tengu, it was obvious from the fact he had a pair of large wings on his back. The other was… I don't know some silver hair guy?
"And why would these two creatures want to kidnap the Princess?" Nami didn't look convinced. These "bounty hunters" could just be looking for some quick cash. "As far as we are aware the Princess' existence and location are both secret. Only a Bakeneko would know" Fushitawa shouted. Another problem with the wrinkled cat is he could understand or take "insolance". It was probably his favourite word.
"And as far as we are aware the kidnappers have been hired by a land god by the name of Mikage" said Boba very coldly. He was pissed off but was he lying? Who was this Mikage?
"Mikage? He no longer resides at his shrine… What possible need could he have for the Princess?" Nami asked. Although these bounty hunters may have been lying I was worried for them. Nami was incredibly devious and cunning. One wrong move they could be imprisoned or worse executed.
"We have no idea we are just reciting what we've heard from these assholes" The violet eyed cat said. His gaze hadn't left mine the entire time he spoke. My heart rate started to soar.
Boba then removed the gag on the crow. "Look just give Nanami and the fox back and you don't have to get hurt" He said. This guy was a jerk even in the face of mortal peril.
"The fox? Oh that fox" Nami grinned. "The Princess killed that fox, he is merely ashes in the wind"
"You're lying! Tomoe is too powerful" The crow screamed. Tomoe? That name! Tomoe is the fox I killed! For some reason I felt tears swelling in my eyes.
"I'm afraid so… It's too bad you were caught by these two" Nami's expression disappeared falling back to stern "Would you two please remove your helmets?" Why was he asking that? Did he not believe them to be cat demons? They complied. The Cats had both very forgettable faces. Niether one was even comparable to Nami's hearstopping beauty. But one of the cats eyes. The eyes that never left mine. They were so familiar! But both of them were cats there was no denying it. Why is Nami suspicious?
"Well welcome!" Nami called in triumph "You must be tired from catching these two… Feel free to occupy the spare guest suites in the north wing" Boba Fett looked surprised. The other cat looked suspicious. He was at least smart. Nami was up to something that was for sure.
"Well court dismissed" Nami said colliding his hands "We hope to see you all at the wedding in 3 days" He then clutched my hand leading me back towards our suite. The last thing I saw was the two kidnappers being dragged to the dungeons. The violet eyed cat looked furious.