Author's Note: Ahem...so internet was cut off for some odd reason. The modem ceases to be working or something...I dunno. So with nothing to distract me from writing the next chapter...here you go! Because this is the last time you'll get a speedy release from me again. Probably...
Luckily I can still at least upload the story elsewhere after I write it on my laptop.
Disclaimers: Eh. All rights reserved to Sunrise and respective creator, blah blah blah.
Crimson Red and The Ten HiMEs
Chapter 2
"Ara...father, I am not certain I understand what you are trying saying..." A beautiful accented voice spoke out inside a single horse-drawn carriage. The owner of the voice seated in the carriage smoothed out the wrinkles in her high quality looking dress as she tried to gracefully not jump up and down because of the bumpiness the road her and her father was currently taking. Crimson red eyes flitted from outside the window taking in the beautiful breathtaking view of the nature and then back to her father who was sweating profusely, wiping the sweat off his neck with an expensive satin handkerchief with the family insignia sewn onto it.
"I-I'm really sorry, my dear. I wished that it could have ended up differently..." The man said with a similar accent towards his daughter as his eyes filled with concern and regret staring deep into those pools of crimsons. "You know I never wanted something like this to happen..." He spoke softly with a parental loving gaze.
With a breathtaking smile, she only nodded.
Shizuru could easily tell if there was another way her father would have definitely chose that option. But alas, it seemed that the remaining good fortune that they had left were quickly diminishing. Who would have truly thought that the Fujino family, aristocrats since long ago, were actually swimming in a terrible debt.
Of course, her father had always did his best to hide this little fact. Still buying toys for Shizuru when she was young. Placing extravagant food upon the table. Luxuries and peace throughout her years. She never asked about how her father was able to afford all these despite their decline.
She did always took notice that unlike many upbringings of the other nobles who they would always look down upon others that were deemed lower class, she did no such thing.
Her father have always taught her differently, poor or rich. Everyone was, and still is, human.
Perhaps it was to prepare her for the worst as almost everything was taken from their possession, saved for a few jewelry, the horse-drawn carriage, and the clothes on her back.
As the scenery went by the man seated across her let out a soft sigh. Her father had not planned that one of the noble decided that the best way to pay for his debt was to sell his daughter as a servant. Apparently the man have been enamored with his daughter's beauty.
But, of course!
Many men have came upon their doorsteps asking to court his daughter. Although the problem could have been easily solved if his daughter were to marry into another wealthy family, he would do no such thing! It was his daughter choice of who to wed, far be it for him to force her into such things! It would be the same as selling her as a servant!
So any men who asked to court his daughter would be instantly denied if his daughter said so.
No one would have predicted just how cruel a love stricken aristocrat would be. With anger and shame. The scorned man bought out every single possessions the Fujino owned, that not even nearly paying the debt, tried and also take the young Fujino heiress. Her father tried to calm the angered noble and talk things out, but with rage filling his eyes, he forcibly grabbed Shizuru.
Out of reflex from the rough treatment and unwanted treatment, Shizuru lashed out at him, slapping him across the face.
Shizuru smiled wryly at the memories as she watched some birds fly passed the window. She could still hear the echo of the slap throughout their mansion at that time...
The look of shock from the nobleman as he cradled his reddening face. His eyes flaring up with even more anger. Almost maddeningly so!
He shoved Shizuru back who was caught quickly before she hit the ground by her father. Her father glaring at the man with hatred of his own. His anger boiling up.
"I suppose that I can take payment another way." He said with a sneer. His bruised ego slowly trying to recover itself. He turned and stroll out of the doors, whispering something to one of the big bulky men that had accompanied him. The doors slammed shut with a thundering bang.
Shizuru's father inspected his daughter to see if there was any visible wounds. If there were any...nobleman or not, someone would pay...
Although...something seemed off.
Why did he just leave?
There was no way he would have just left like that...he must have been planning something.
He heard a gasp from his daughter and looked down in his arms to see her shaking visibly, eyes widen in shock. Her finger trembling slightly pointing ahead. He looked ahead to see what she was pointing at. His eyes widen in fear!
Beyond the daughter and the father was the doors the nobleman left. Smoke entering the room from behind closed doors. He whipped his head to the windows where his fears multiplied. Outside the window was fire!
The deranged man has set his mansion on fire!
He was planning on taking their lives just because his daughter rejected him!
It was madness!
Quickly helping his daughter up, he ran to his desk, grabbing a box of jewelry that belong to his wife. He coughed and choked, the smoke reaching the inside of the room. Pushing the handkerchief in Shizuru's face to help protect her from the smoke, he quickly moved aside a large painting revealing a secret staircase.
It was there that they were able to escape into their stable where the carriages and horses were kept. All maids and butlers already previously dismissed due to being unable to pay they're salaries. Luckily a maid, who was also a close childhood friend of Shizuru, Senou Aoi, helped them escaped.
Unable to go back due to the nobleman's influence throughout their land, the Fujino had no choice but to leave. So here they were. In a carriage pulled by a single horse, that looked more like a small pony than a horse, driven by Shizuru's childhood friend/maid.
"Not too worry, Shizuru-sama. I'm sure everything will get better now that we're away from that lunatic." Aoi chirped happily, pulling at the reins softly to ease the pony not to overwork itself.
"Ara...are you sure you are fine coming with us, Aoi? There is no benefits with following a now poverty-stricken family." Shizuru peeked through the small window that allowed her to watch Aoi from behind. Her father coughing dryly at this, knowing her daughter was only trying to lighten the mood, albeit...with a harsh truth like that it was difficult to laugh along.
Aoi only laughed as she eased her grip on the reins. "Might as well. If you guys are gone, then the land in Garderobe would have just been filled with stuck up nobles wanting me to wash their feet or something." All three of them shivered at that. There have been many times a noble would demand that Aoi to do some sort of insane request, just because she was just a servant. One of them just so happened to have a terrible fungus like boil on their big toe. Aoi shivered at the memories of that.
Thank god, Shizuru was there to quickly pull her away from that.
"Hopefully we can start all over." Shizuru's father said, the box filled with his wife's jewelry tucked under his arm protectively. His gaze lingered on the beautiful craftsmanship of the box as his fingers absentmindedly stroke the etchings on the bottom of it. He bit his lower lip, wiping the sweat from that was dripping down his chin with his handkerchief.
Shizuru's eyes soften as she gazed at her father and the box, knowing full well what he was planning on doing with those jewelry.
"Father...if it is painful for you, you mustn't force yourself. It is the only reminder of mother." She said softly, "If I must I will find a job to help support you and I. So you can just wait at home with an apron and cook me a delicious meal." The last part coming out as a tease.
Her father's eyes widen at this as he sputtered, "Don't be ridiculous! I will not be having my daughter doing, what you would call...bringing home the bacon!"
The crimson-eyed beauty brought a hand to her mouth, letting out a soft giggle.
His face relaxed, he pushed the box onto Shizuru's lap and looked deep into her eyes. Those beautiful eyes that reminded him so much of his wife...
"Although it will be hard, Shizuru..." He said in a soft voice, "I'm sure your mother would understand the circumstances and allow us to part with her treasures."
Shizuru looked back at her loving father and smiled, her eyes closing as she sigh. It was understandable, although painful it will be, her mother would have wanted what was best for her and wouldn't mind.
"Ack!" The carriage lurched into a stop causing the two Fujino to bump their foreheads against each other.
"Ah...ow." With strange amount of elegance, Shizuru rubbed her forehead. "Are you alright, father?" She asked the man who was now seeing stars above his head. "Maa maa...just like your mother. So hard-headed and stubborn sometimes." He mumbled.
"Ara...how rude."
She looked out at the window. "Aoi, is everything alright?"
"Um..."
"Okay, little lady. Tell everyone in the carriage to get out now!"
"Ahahaha! Lookit da little poneh!"
Great.
Just great. As if it couldn't get any better...
Shizuru couldn't help but squeezed the bridge of her nose, easing the crease between her eyebrows. Her father now alert and frozen, eyes darting here and there, trying his best to find an escape route for him and his daughter.
"You didn't hear me? I said tell them to get out!" A gruffy low voice growled threateningly. Aoi's squeaking and whimpering heard from the window.
Bandits, huh? They never truly had to run into this sort of scenario...
Of course usually when they were traveling they were accompanied by many bodyguards and several brilliant looking stallions.
Not a tiny little pony drove by a maid.
"T-tell who?" Aoi asked, trying her best to feign innocence.
Shizuru bit her bottom lip. There was no need for Aoi to put herself in such a situation.
"Yer tellin me ya jes cartin aroun en ampty cerriage?!" A slightly slow voice quirked up.
"Let me do the talking, you idiot." The same voice in the beginning interrupted the less intelligent one. "You're telling me you're just carting around an empty carriage?!"
Shizuru pressed her back against her seat. Her eyes slowly glancing out the small window, taking the view of Aoi's back and several bandits in front of her.
"I could just be carting around...stuff..."
"Ey, she gat a point thar, boss. We can't jes assume she be cartin round rich fol-"
"Would you shut up. I don't have the time to try and translate what you're saying." A large bandit with a bandana tied around his forehead, several scars marking his face and arms, his chin covered in a hairy beard said in annoyance pointing the sword at the neck of a scrawny mousey bandit. He let out a shivering grin causing Aoi to cringe. "That fancy carriage is the type to be carrying people. Not as rich looking as the one we usually target. But at least it's an easy target."
"Yer so smart, boss!"
"Just shut up..."
Sighing, Shizuru stood up from her seat. Her father motioning her frantically to get back down. Ignoring her father's pleas, she opened the carriage door and stepped out with grace and elegance, her mother's prized box tucked beneath her arm.
"May I help you fine gentlemen?" She asked with her hypnotizingly beautiful accented voice. Several bandits let out a loud whistle and catcalls, but she ignored it as she looked up at, who she presumed, was the leader without faltering.
The bandit leader looked at her up and down, inspecting her as if she was a piece of meat and licked his chapped dry lips. Aoi blanched at the sight.
"Of course you can, little lady." He said taking a step closer to Shizuru, an eyebrow slightly raised when she made no attempt to move back or anything.
Either she was very gutsy...
Or very stupid.
Somehow this just reminded him of another encounter similar to this that ended up with him and his bandits completely stripped of all clothing and possessions. Bandits being robbed! The irony of it!
He shook his head. There was no way this would happen again. Especially since this little lady didn't even seem like she knew how to do any sort of thing. His eyes glanced up at the carriage. Noticing the father gripping the side of the door, sweat dripping down his face as he tried his best to look intimidating and sending an aura of "You touch my daughter and you'll be dealing with me."
Of course the effect with have been a bit more effective if he wasn't trembling and was on the verge of tears.
Shizuru let out a polite smile turning her head towards her father. "Please do not stress yourself father. Go back into the carriage and relax."
How would her father relax at a situation like this?! Her daughter. Surrounded by bandits. All of them looking at her with hungry eyes.
He...he could probably take them all on though!
...If they came at him one at a time...
"Don't you know that an area like this is dangerous, princess?" The leader smirked, placing a grimy hand on Shizuru's shoulder. A hiss of anger was heard from the carriage. Shizuru laughed softly, peeling the man's hand off her shoulder. "It doesn't seem as dangerous to know good folks like you are watching out." She said teasingly with a charming smile.
"Oh god. Her smile, it's blinding..." One of the bandit shrunk away, covering his eyes with his arms.
The leader quirked an eyebrow. This reaction was...really different. Was she just playing along. Or did she truly not know what was going on?
"Lady...are you...retarded?" He asked staring straight into the crimson red eyes.
"MY DAUGHTER IS NOT RETARDED, YOU MISCREANT!"
"Father! Mind your blood pressure!"
The bandit scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Well...this is getting awkward..."
"Indeed. I apologize for my father's outburst. He can be a tad...overprotective."
"No no. Don't apologize. I'm the one who should be apologi-wait a minute. What am I saying?!"
This was getting beyond ridiculous now! Whatever happened to the usual; swoop in, steal stuff, possibly kill some people, rape some women? All that bandit stuff! This women was throwing him off guard. What worse was...he couldn't help but be drawn into those red eyes and that beautiful smile. Especially when she hid her mouth with the back of her hand and giggled.
Can women really giggle like an angel like that?!
The bandits were definitely not used to this. Usually women would be crying and screaming. Not giggling.
Oh no, not giggling.
"Girlie...you do know we're bandits, right?"
"You certainly do look the part, yes."
Cocking his head to the side he looked down at the woman. "Bandits...as in...bad folks who steals and possibly rape women like you?"
"Ara...why would you do that now?" Shizuru asked, tilting her head to the side also, copying the motion of the leader.
Really now?
"Because...we're bandits? It's our lifestyle."
"Did you chose this lifestyle?"
The question threw the leader off guard. What was this? Why did she even ask that?
His eyes narrowed as he licked his lips, glaring at the woman emotionlessly. This...was going nowhere. Perhaps they should get to know each other...
He grabbed Shizuru by the shoulders, happily taking in the surprise evident in those crimson red eyes.
"A-a-and then...and then...he told me that I was no better than a farm animal!"
"Oh dear me. How terrible of him!" Shizuru rubbed the sobbing man's back, consoling him like a mother. Shizuru, her father, and Aoi were all seated around the campfire with the bandits. Several of them trying to offer her father a drink to which he politely declined, but was forced to guzzle it down anyways.
"He doesn't understand though...it wasn't my fault that I got into a carriage crash before when I was younger and gotten these scars. But...to not allow me to...to..." Again the bandit leader was on the verge of tears.
"Sh sh, it's alright." Shizuru tried to console the sobbing grown man, her arms barely able to reach around him and she pat his shoulder and offered him a handkerchief.
He nodded and took the handkerchief before blowing his nose on it, returning it to Shizuru with it dripping with snot. Shizuru cringed a bit as she held the very edge of it between her forefinger and thumb. She quickly flicked it away behind her.
"Shizuru-sama..." Aoi whispered, staying as close as she could to Shizuru. "We...been here long enough, don't you think?"
Shizuru looked at the setting sun. "Ara, you're right, Aoi!" She pat the man's shoulder and stood up, giving all the men around her a blindingly dazzling smile. "I must thank you Leader-san for letting us accompany you and telling me that heart wrenching story. No matter what they say do not listen to them! For you are also human too! All of us are!" The bandits all cheered in response, raising their mugs in the air, clashing one another.
"I'm sorry, but we must go now, we are already behind schedule." Shizuru said softly, a collective moaning and groans replaced the cheers. The leader sat up straight and took a deep breath. No longer sniffling and stood up. "Quit your moaning! Can't you see that we took too much of the princess' time! C'mon, men! Help her load some supplies and send her off with a cheer!" The bandits replied with cheers once again as they were off loading several crates and such onto the carriage.
"Ah, you are too kind, Leader-san. But you don't have to do such a thing for me."
The leader looked at Shizuru, placing his large hands on her shoulders again, this time more gently. "I don't have to, princess. But I want to." He spoke out, "You are the first one that ever treated all of us as if we were humans. Us! Humans!" A collective cheer followed his laughter. "You got guts, girlie. We like that. Now get on before it gets too late." He motion for Shizuru to get on the carriage.
Shizuru looked back at the leader, sending him a beautiful smile. "Thank you again, Leader-san. You are too kind."
"Call me Tracy." His gruff voice replied, ignoring the laughter of his group.
So what if he had a girl's name? They got a problem with that?
Giggling, she waved at the bandits as Aoi climbed on the driver seat. The tiny pony now replaced by a dark night colored horse. The carriage moved forward. This time with more ease as the stronger horse pulled. The pony trotting along behind the carriage, no longer having to haul anything.
Shizuru moved the curtain at the window of the carriage door and waved at the bandits one last time. "Thank you...Tracy-san." She giggled pausing for a moment, "Don't listen to whatever they say. I'm sure you will become a wonderful composer!"
As the carriage slowly disappeared from view, the leader, Tracy, took a deep breath. Behind him one of the bandits fluttered his eyes, winking at him teasingly and a high-pitched voice. "Yes, Tracy-san, I'm sure you can become a wonderful compo-"
Without even moving, Tracy elbowed the mocking bandit in the face.
"That princess certainly is a charmer..."
"Tch...watching that makes me feel like I just inhaled the Gingerbreadman village." Reito gagged in disgust as he waved his hands across the smoke, the vision of the carriage disappearing.
"I think one would call it. 'It is so sweet. I am getting diabetes.'" Miyu said stoically as she stood on the stand causing Reito to jump in surprise.
"Oh god. You're still there?!" "I have been here the entire time."
"Lovely to know..." Reito watched as the cauldron turned into a bluish color, the liquid slowly showing the vision of the princess of Fuuka.
"Two Princesses stand in my way. One is freezingly cold like ice. Another is scorchingly hot like fire. How shall I take care of the Ice princess now?" The man chuckled, dipping his chalice into the cauldron, rippling the vision of Natsuki.
He lifted the cauldron in the air towards Miyu. "May these princesses live long and prosperous." He said jokingly, downing the content.
'They indeed will...'
Author's Blabbering: Eh. This chapter went way over the word limit I planned to have. Wanted each chapter to be at least around 1k-2k. Mm...whatever.
I...I really like the idea of misunderstood bandits. They're fun to write about. Especially when quirky main hero/heroine pretty much confront them about it in a strange manner. I dunno why...I just wanted to write Shizuru joining the party of bandits. She'll be joining lots more parties in the near future. *cough**cough*
Yeah. This chapter was more of a...view of what happened to Shizuru. Was actually wanted to go straight into the story, but was worried I wouldn't have enough to write about. I love writing a character's backstory. They're the most fun to brainstorm.
Usually I'd see that the deranged lover/fiance/etc would have been Tomoe...I wanted to stray off that path since I already had some cliches going with Reito being the evil mastermind.
I don't honestly have any hated characters in Mai-Hime/Otome (Although the main characters are my least favorite, I admit. *cough*Mai*cough*Arika)
Anyone who can guess the whole bandit thing is based off of wins uhm...shoot, what do author reward readers these days? Ah yes! A cookie! I don't know how I'll give you dear readers one, but I assure you when you're randomly eating a cookie it is probably thanks to me.
I'm a tad worried that no one is taking interest in this story. But will continue to write on for those who have given this story a chance. I admit the summary and title can put some off. If someone can come up with a better summary and title, please feel free to suggest one to me.
...Overprotective loving Papa Fujino is best Papa.
RRWhitey signing out!