Hey everyone. I'm back with a new chapter and some new updating information. From now on... no, don't worry, I'll still update once every month. What I was going to say was that I have gotten a new job where I'm working on the weeks, so I'll only be able to update on saturdats, from now on. Why? Because the job is so hard and I'm working with my driver licence at the same time and only have some free time during the weekends.
Enough of that. I hope you'll like the new chapter more than I do. We have yet to come pass my favourite chapter, but I'll tell you when that comes. On with the story and
The poem
Honda walked to and fro in the meeting room. He was concerned. The responsibility of a queen could not be forced upon the princess so soon. Everyone in the council knew Yuniko had to be crowned in a soon future, and Honda was not the only one who realized it could not be handled with such ease and the use of those words. The girl had just lost the last one of her family. One by one they had been ripped away from her. She lost her mother at childhood, Honda was certain the princess could still remember it. Atemu was killed at the night of her sixteenth birthday. And now she had seen her father be killed right in front of her eyes. Yuniko couldn't shoulder the responsibility awaited from a queen so soon after such a loss.
"Sir Honda. Of us you are the one closest to the princess," Ken, a middle-aged council man, stated. "You should talk to her and convince her to be crowned as soon as possible."
"I wish it was as simple to do so as it is for you to say those words, Ken, sir," Honda said, his voice filled with frustration. "But the princess is alone now. The responsibility can not be forced upon her."
"Scotland can not be without a monarch for too long," Ken stated.
"I know," Honda yelled. "But she must be given time to mourn her father."
"There is no time," Ken said and rose from his chair. He had for a long time talked and acted out of place when the king and the princess were not around. "Those monsters are coming closer every minute. We need a monarch. We can not lead the soldiers into war with those creatures. Not if it is not for her sake."
"The princess is no tool," Honda yelled. He was loosing his temper quickly. "You talk as if she is a doll we can do whatever we like with. But princess Yuniko's heart is very unstable and delicate right now. To force her to be queen will only hurt her further!"
"Be quiet you two," an older council man said with stern impatience. "The princess has always known what is best for the people. You can not say either of you are wrong, for both of you are right. Scotland needs her queen, but to force it upon her majesty now would be cruel. We have to wait her out and prepare what can be prepared. A new stone monument shall be raised at the field as soon as the snow is gone. There simply is no more we can do for now."
Joey jerked as the door beside him opened slowly. "Milady?" he asked. It was early morning, so early the sun had not arisen yet, but the east sky was slowly coloured in grey and gold,
"Can you come in?" the princess asked. Joey noticed it was not her usual confident voice. Sorrow and insecurity overshadowed any other feelings the princess may go through right now.
"Of cause, Yuni," the blond guard said and nodded. Using the princess's nickname was a silent promise she could tell him anything.
The door opened and Joey slipped inside quickly. It was shut and blocked shortly after him. When Joey turned to the princess he had to bite his tongue to not make a startled sound. The princess was as beautiful as ever. She had as long as Joey had known her been very meticulous with her looks. Now was no exception. She was dressed in a plain white dress that exposed both her shoulders and her skin was flawless, but her before so vivid eyes were void. They did not belong to the princess he knew.
"The council will force me to be crowned soon," the princess started with that same, sorrow-filled voice. "Father wished for me to become queen, and I believe he knew this would happen. But that is not what is important."
"Yuni, what can possibly be more important than your coronation?" Joey asked with low voice. The princess's eyes scared him to no end.
The princess shut her eyes tightly and swallowed hard. When she once again opened her eyes the grief she felt mixed with serious determination. "The vampire lord now has me right where he wants me to be. I stand alone without my family. Not as a person," she said raising her hand to stop Joey's violent protest that was on the way. "But as a ruler. Before I have always had some other of royal blood around me; brother, Lady Tea, mother, father. Now all of them are gone. Sooner or later the vampires will aim their attack straight at me. I can no longer let my people stay oblivious about the vampires…"
"But you can not survive this war if you can not trust in others to help you," Joey said seriously.
"I know," Yuniko whispered.
Joey threw all tact aside and attacked with hard words. "So why are you doing this? You know all of us are on your side. Sir Honda can love you as your brother or father if that is what you need! Kay would join the army if you asked him! Malin would carry you if you just let her! Those girls Ryouko and Kyoko would push your back if you ever fell! I could marry you if…"
Yuniko blinked in surprise when her friend suddenly hit his hands over his big mouth and blushed deeply. She had not seen that coming, and he obviously hadn't either. "Marry me?" she asked and blinked again.
Joey removed his hands and could no longer look at his friend. The thought hadn't hit him before he uttered the words. "I… uh, I did not mean it like that. I just… well… you need someone, that much is obvious. I thought… maybe… a husband could perhaps be… you know… supporting… or something."
Yuniko couldn't help but laugh. Joey looked so funny when he fought to find the right words as he fidgeted uncomfortably and blushed deeply. "You are cute, Joey," she said and walked up to him. Joey had grown one and a half head taller than her, so she avoided embracing him as she always did with Malin. Instead she reached a hand and made Joey look at her. "I know what you mean. And I understand that you are right." She let go of his face and walked up to the window. Joey noticed confused it was not closed.
"So why are you doing this?" Joey said, going back to what he was saying before. "You are selfish if you refuse anyone to help you."
"I know," Yuniko said again as she opened the window wide. "But truth to be told… I am afraid. I am scared I will lose you too. I am scared Malin, Ryouko, Kyoko, Mokuba and everyone else will be killed…" she paused for a second, thinking back at what Aku had told her during the night. She had noticed something else as well that she had to check up soon. "It does not matter what I do. People will die. I am not enough to protect this kingdom anymore… But you are not aware of how much you help me by just being near me."
Joey looked up and saw the princess smile gently at him. He realized he had never seen her like this. It was no princess who stood in front if him. It was a young woman who had just lost her family and tried her best to stay tall in a world that tried to break her. However she acted she would end up hurt. Whatever she decided she could end up… killed.
"I do not want you to be alone, Yuni," he said lowly before he could stop himself.
Yuniko smiled at him again. "I know, Joey." This time she did not care what he thought. All of her strict moral flew out the window as she hugged him and hid her face in his broad chest. "I know so well."
Joey did not protest when the princess embraced him. He relaxed under her touch and slowly hugged her back. She was warm, he noticed… and soft. Her hair was like silk or the fur of a kitten or puppy.
"But I was serious about marriage," he suddenly blurted out, immediately cursing his own mouth. He was sure it had a mind of its own.
"You were?" Yuniko asked and looked up at him.
"No," he admitted.
Yuniko laughed again. A true, amused laugh. She had to support herself on Joey to not bend over in laugher. Joey just blushed at his own stupidity.
"But it is not a bad idea," Yuniko suddenly said, making Joey stare strangely at her. She let go of him and stepped back, looking him over. "You are of noble blood after all. Your father, though his crimes, were a high ranked lord. You have lived here long enough for the council to know you are loyal and trustworthy." She paused and looked at his slightly uncomfortable face. "And you look good," she ended.
Joey had never blushed so deeply. No one had ever told him that he looked good. Yuniko couldn't help but giggle at his beet red fate.
"You think so?" Joey mumbled, peering hopefully at her.
"I never lie," the princess said solemnly. "You are as beautiful as your heart, Joey."
"Then you possess the most beautiful heart on earth," Joey said with a slightly sad smile.
"…Perhaps. Will you kiss me?"
Joey jumped back at the sudden question. "What? Why?"
"That is what lovers do, is it not?"
Joey just stared at her shy/sly eyes. It was fascinating to see how those different expressions could bee seen in a person's eyes at the same time. But then he laughed as he realized something. "Well, this is the Yuni I know." He walked up to her and lent down.
It was a kiss between friends. Joey was just happy that the innocent, cheerful princess he had learnt to love was not completely lost. He had actually never kissed a girl before, and to think that the princess of Scotland would be his first was quite amazing. He noticed her lips were soft and tasted faintly of vanilla. He liked it.
The first thing Yuniko noticed was that Joey's lips were warm. She was used to Aku's cold lips and metallic taste. She guessed it was different to kiss a living person than a dead one. And the second thought was that this was not Aku. She didn't know why, but she whished Aku was the one kissing her now. She wished Aku was the one she would marry.
"You are quite the kisser," Yuniko said once they parted. "We should do it again some time."
"Well, if we ever marry we will have to," Joey laughed.
Yuniko giggled and then made her way over to the door. "We should return to our posts now," she said. "I have worried you enough for some time."
Joey snorted. "Malin is always worried about you."
The princess paused in her movements. "I guess. She really is a little hen."
Joey just smiled and together they walked the way to the meeting room to face the council. Their childish plans about marriage would stay unknown for now. But as soon as the council brought the subject up she would tell them about their plans.
"Milady, are you sure about this?" Honda asked slowly. The princess had just walked in and announced the coronation would take place in five days. That should give the kitchen staff enough time to prepare for the banquet afterwards.
"There is no time for hesitation now," the princess said and her voice left no room for arguing. "The people of Scotland can no longer stay oblivious about the vampires' existence. With me on the throne there is this small chance the people will not panic. If they wish to rebel against me, then let them, for I have not been just on them."
"And what if they decide to attack the castle?" Ken asked idly.
"They will not. Either way we have to tell the people the entire story, not just what is important. If we also tell them the evil is after me and that I will fight it, they should stay on their edge. I can not believe there is someone stupid enough to attack my back when I fight a war with vampires who see no difference between soldier and farmer. All they see is food after all."
The princess's words made sense. She was more than right with every word. But Honda was still insecure. He could not believe the princess was so strong she could rise after such a loss as the one last night. She had not been able to look at anyone. But whatever pain the princess felt was hidden where no one could see it.
The princess ended the meting early, leaving the preparations about the coronation in her trusted men's hands. But suddenly she felt shivers down her spine. Someone was staring at her with not so friendly eyes. But when she turned she saw no one looking at her.
"Milady?"
Yuniko turned to Malin who stood close to the door. Behind her Ryouko and Kyoko was peering at her like shy children.
"I am sorry I worried you, Malin," Yuniko apologized.
"It is not that."
"Ryouko, are you fit enough to be up all ready?"
Ryouko hid further behind Malin. "I… your majesty found me right on time, so I am fine. Your majesty should not worry so much for me."
Yuniko smiled softly. "I promised your mother to take care of you. Of cause I worry then."
The princess saw the clear need of touch in Malin's eyes. She had been scared out of her mind last night when she saw the princess get caught by a vampire and lifted from the ground. So had Kyoko who didn't even dare to look at the princess's face.
"Come with me to the library," she said. "There are many things the four of us need to settle."
The long walk to the library was awkwardly silent, everyone deep into their own thoughts. Joey, who had not left the princess's side since they left her room, could only think about the morning's events and was bothered by the princess's refuse to trust anyone to support her, even if she knew she would not make it out of this story alive.
Ryouko went through the previous day's events again for what felt to be the hundredth time. She had gone out with Kay at noon. They had dressed after the warm weather and the winter cloak just in case. She realized that without the cloaks they would not have made it back to the castle alive. Ryouko were curious about horses since she knew nothing about them. She had never learnt to ride since only rich people could rent a horse from the inns. Kay had told her much more than she could remember and because of the conversation and training they failed to notice the dark clouds before snow started to fall. The storm came suddenly and they had the wind in the face when they turned back to the castle. In just a few minutes of walking Ryouko was freezing. When she was travelling with her mother they would always find shelter in the surroundings before the storm hit. But if they didn't return to the castle the princess would be worried. Ryouko had been ashamed when the princess suddenly appeared in front of her. She had worried her after all.
The white-haired girl could not help the little voice in the back of her mind that screamed that it was her fault the king was dead. That it was her fault the princess had been out in the storm. There was nothing that said it was not so after all.
Kyoko was afraid… and ashamed of herself. Last night she had realized that if anything happened she would not be able to defend herself or her friends. Of all four girls she was the only one who could not fight. As soon she got the chance she would ask Joey to train her. The thought of fighting still scared her, but whatever pain she would feel during eventual battles would not compare to the pain she had seen in the princess's face after the king was taken away.
Malin was hurt and scared, but most of all she was angry. Angry with the vampires that hurt the princess constantly. Angry with herself for not being enough to support and defend her friend and mistress. Angry with the king who had let himself be killed right in front of his daughter. And hurt because it felt like the princess was pushing her away. That pain just fuelled her anger. Once they were alone Yuniko would have a large piece of her mind, that much was for sure.
Once they reached the library the princess calmly dismissed everyone that was in there. Everyone left without question. The princess's authority had grown a lot since her brother died.
"Now we can talk about what is most important," Yuniko started as she walked to the far end of the library where the high windows let in the rich sunlight.
"And what is most important?" Malin asked. Yuniko snapped up some sort of contempt in her nurse's voice and felt how a dragger stabbed her heart.
"The war," she answered quietly. "I have figured not all vampires are throughout evil."
"How can you say that?" Joey asked heatedly. His temper was getting the better of him at the thought of everything the princess had lost to those godforsaken creatures. "How can you say that after all they have done to you?"
"My brother is one of them," the princess said as a matter of fact. "He can not be evil. I refuse to believe he will ever be completely on their side."
"The prince is one of them?" Kyoko asked wide eyed. She had thought the prince was killed by the vampires as the princess called them.
Yuniko nodded slowly. "It was shortly after Malin came here my brother was attacked the first time. I have been told the vampire who almost took him away that time poisoned my brother's blood. And on the night to my sixteenth birthday he came back for my brother, and left with him as well."
Sadness was clear in the treasure's eyes, but no tears were seen in them. But Malin only got angrier with the princess. She wanted to jump up and scream and kick the princess, yelling at her to give in to her sadness. She wanted to princess to cry out everything. Malin could sense the heavy stone in Yuniko's heart that refused the princess her tears. It was not fair.
"I have talked to three of the vampires, one of them being my brother," Yuniko suddenly confessed.
Joey lost his jaw and could just stare at the princess, not being able to believe it was true. Ryouko and Kyoko shivered at the thought of talking to one of those creatures from last night.
"Have you talked to them more than once?" Malin asked, not looking at her friend.
Yuniko just nodded. "One of them is named Crow. He has lost one eye and has… greyish hair I think. I have not looked at him so much. He was the one who tried to take me away last night…"
"Hold it, Yuni," Joey suddenly cut off. "You mean you have talked to those monsters in person? When? Where?"
"Every now and then when they come for me," the princess said simply, as if it was obvious. "And therefore I have been able to ask a few questions about them. I do not know exactly how it works, but vampires are undead, living dead. The only thing they know is their hunger, and desire."
"Desire?" Ryouko asked confused? "What can such monsters desire?"
"I believe it is individual from one to another since all of them were regular humans once. The vampire lord I am not so sure of though."
"Vampire lord?" Kyoko repeated. "They have a leader?"
"This is simply what I have worked out on my own from what I have been told, so I may as well be wrong. But to answer your question; yes. I believe it is something like this; the lord lives somewhere in the north with the rest of his… 'pets' so to say. He uses their desires to make them do what he wants. As far as I know he is the one who have ordered to expose me."
This time Malin looked up with eyes wide with sudden realization. "That time… at the field."
"Was a set up so that the vampire lord could test my strength. For the vampires I am not a usual human princess. They call me Battle Princess. Before mother left she told me something happened when I was born. I believe that whatever happened is the reason the vampire lord's desire is me."
"You?" Malin whispered with fear in her wide, purple eyes. "He makes you suffer…"
"Only to make me an easy target," Yuniko finished her friend's sentence. The princess was inwardly glad Malin had not stopped talking to her. "The lord is after me, and the one eyed one is after me as well. But Crow's desire is only to have me. The night of my brother's death I heard him say he would marry me…"
"WHAT?" Joey burst out, but as soon as he realized the yell came from him he blushed deeply and looked anywhere but at the girls that stared strangely at him.
"Yes," the princess continued, trying hard to keep a straight face. "He said straight to my face he loves me and that he would be the one I marry. But his heart holds no love. Only desire. Crow only lusts for my body. This far I have been lucky there are those who defend me. The first time it was my brother, though as a vampire. Last night it was Sky who saved me."
Malin gulped. "Sky… do you know how he is, Yuni?"
"I can still feel him in my heart. He will be fine in Joel's care. I can not believe the vampires' poison work on animals as well. But talking of which. What happened with the vampire that touched my blood? I only remember seeing it lying in the snow."
The tree girls made disgusted faces before Malin spoke up. "I took a look at it this morning. The flesh was burnt to the bone and smelled as if it had been dead for a long time. But… why did it react like that just by touching your blood, Milady?"
Yuniko sighed and looked out of the window. She had hoped she wouldn't have to tell her friends this. "There is something in my blood that is poisonous for, not only vampires, but for evil in general. This means that a drop of my blood is the best protection a human can ever have towards evil… why I have given it to you."
Her friends' eyes widened in shock and sudden realization.
"This," Ryouko whispered, showing the pearl around her neck. "This is your blood?"
"The pure material mixed with my blood, yes. Using my magic I can distillate it, free it from the colour of blood, so that no one would become suspicious. I figured you would not accept it if you knew what it really was."
Malin stood up slowly and walked over to the princess. Roughly she took her treasured princess's right arm and pulled up her sleeve to expose the scar in the crook her arm.
"You idiot!" she suddenly yelled and hit her fists on the princess's upper chest. The pain, hurt and anger in her could no longer be held back. It came out with such a force Joey and the sisters did not dare to interfere. "Why? Why do you have to go so far just to protect us? Why do you have to suffer on your own? Why can you not be completely honest towards me? How can you lie straight to my face and say you are fine? Why must you push me away? I love you, Yuniko! Why can you not just let me do that without keeping me away from you? You promised I could stay close to you! Can you not even keep that simple promise?"
Yuniko was at shook. Malin cried loudly and griped her shoulders so tightly it hurt. There was nothing Yuniko could say to her defence, for all that Malin blamed on her was true. Not even an explanation could she give. At the moment she felt like a monster. A monster that faked smiles and laughs just to hurt her surroundings.
Slowly Yuniko embraced Malin's trembling body as the girl continued to cry loudly. It would be a relief to cry, but she knew she could not.
Ryouko walked up to the two and softly embraced both of them from the side. She too had tears in her eyes, tears of helplessness. Kyoko clung onto the princess from her other side, holding the treasure's dress firmly and cried for the same reason as her older sister. Joey walked up and embraced Yuniko and everyone from behind. He rested his head on top of Malin's, bitter knowing shining in his eyes. If the princess died, Malin would kill herself.
"I will not ask you to forgive me, Malin," Yuniko whispered. With everyone so close she could not avoid letting the others hear, but at the moment it did not matter. "You are right when you stat that I am pushing you all away from me. The only reason I can find is because I am afraid. I am just as afraid as everyone else. But if I let it show Scotland will fall into the hands of Chaos. I have to stay strong and not let my fear and uncertainty show. But you, Ryouko, Kyoko, Joey, Mokuba, Honda… you are all so important to me. You make me wish I was an ordinary princess, not the Battle Princess at war with the evil of north."
"…You should never regret being born into this world," Ryouko suddenly said. The princess looked down in the slightly shorter girl's gentle, brown eyes. "Mother often told us that. Every life has a purpose. It may not look like it when you are working in dirt from morning to night every day until the day you die. Many humans believe we are born, live and then just die. But all of us are born into a certain role of life, and we have to fulfil that purpose. It is God's will."
Yuniko smiled softly and rested her head on Ryouko's. "I know that you are right," she said. "We do all have a purpose, and mine is to defeat the vampires."
When Malin finally stopped crying Yuniko led her to the chair she had occupied before. Once Malin sat in the chair again the nurse spoke up with a voice hoarse from crying. "You said you had talked to three of those monsters; the prince, Crow… who is the last one?"
Yuniko hesitated with her answer. "His name is Aku," she told her friends then. "He is the one who turned Atemu into one of them. He is the one who led the army of undead towards the castle four years ago and killed father Scot. And he was here last night as well."
"That guy must be the lord's general or something," Joey hissed.
"Possible. But Aku is not throughout evil," the princess stated, making everyone look strangely at her. "It is true Aku is the one who have taken my family away from me. But each time I have talked to him he has asked for forgivingness and explained he have to follow the lord's commands. And each time I meet him I feel no evil from him, at least not if it is only him and me around. Four years ago at the battlefield Scot walked in on me and Aku. The gentleness he showed towards me vanished and he attacked father Scot. I can not remember the event clearly since I fainted."
"Have he also asked you to marry him?" Joey asked mumbling.
Yuniko couldn't hold back a short laugh. "He has told me he loves me. But not worded his desire to marry me. So you can be calm, Joey."
"Have you asked her majesty to marry you?" Kyoko asked curiously, looking closely at Joey who looked away to hide his deep blush.
"Of cause not! What makes you even think the thought?"
Malin glanced at the princess questioning. When Yuniko nodded the nurse could not hold back her rich laugher. "You have! You have asked Milady to marry you!" she laughed.
"I have not!" Joey denied loudly, blushing like mad.
Malin, Ryouko and Kyoko bent over in laugher and not even the princess could stop herself, even if she honestly tried.
"You are cute, Joey," she said and smiled.
"And you are mean to me, Milady," Joey muttered.
"My dear Joey. I can keep no such secrets for my nurse. She can figure them out faster than you make them."
Malin felt a lot better now when she saw her best friend and princess laugh from her heart again. Joey was invaluable treasure. It was unbelievable how easy he could make the princess laugh just by his sheer cuteness. He had a funny nature that the princess found amusing. They would make a good couple if they married. But at Joey's cute denial she could not help herself.
Someone cleared his throat and attracted the five friends' attention. Councilman Ken stood there with a serious frown on his face.
"What do you wish for, seeking me out here, Sir Ken?" the princess asked, covering her annoyance under a patient mask.
"I simply desire the princess's presence during the meeting concerning her majesty's coronation. There are a lot of things you must know."
"The meeting will be moved till this evening. I have much more important things to discus with my friends," Yuniko said calmly.
Ken bowed slightly. "Forgive my ignorance, your majesty, but I can not see the importance of your conversation,"
"We happened to fall off topic for a moment," the princess explained, never letting her annoyance show.
"Once again forgive me my ignorance, your majesty. But how can a serious issue turn into something so entertaining it makes your majesty laugh?"
Malin noticed how the princess's back became straighter and how she stretched her limbs. Yuniko was becoming impatient and irritated. She also noticed the spark in Ken's eyes. He had something in mind, but she could not figure out what. If the princess could not get rid of him Malin promised herself she would kick the man far out of the princess's sight.
"Apparently you find my amusement not suiting me," the princess said and her eyes narrowed slightly. "But it is not yours to decide my acts and reasons. If you keep talking out of place to me you will soon be searching for a new job. And I believe you do not desire such a punishment in those rough times."
Annoyance was clearly seen in Ken's poisonous green eyes. He did not like to be told off by a woman younger than him. In his opinion there should be a man on the throne, not this little child of a girl.
"As you please, your majesty," he said lowly and bowed. "I will inform the council about your decision."
Yuniko was silent as she watched her councilman walk out of the library. "He has changed with the years he has spent in the castle," she stated worriedly.
"He is taking too much freedom in his way to talk," Malin agreed. "Obviously he is not found in taking orders from Milady."
"He looked like Milady was just a twelve year old little girl," Kyoko stated.
"That is what he believes me to be," Yuniko informed with a frown on her beautiful face. "He will mean troubles on me in the future. But I can do nothing about him at the moment. Without evidence of crime I can not send him away."
"Just be patient, Milady," Joey said, glaring in the direction Ken had disappeared to. "He is up to something nasty. Just wait him out and you will have a bunch of reasons to throw him out."
Yuniko nodded her head sadly. Ken had been so loyal towards her father, but that did not have to mean he was going to show the same loyalty to her. Her innocence did not have the same effect on humans as on animals.
"Father once told me I can find the answers of the mystery around my own birth here in the library. Will you help me find them?" she asked, getting back to the reason she had taken them here in the first place.
"Of cause," Ryouko said with a smile. "Are we looking for a book?"
"I can not say, little Ryouko. Maybe are we looking for a passage or some kind of clue in here. Malin and I have searched through the library once before. But five pairs of eyes sees better than two. The five of us should be able to find something. I believe we will know what it is once we find it."
Everyone nodded determinedly and started looking for whatever it was. Ryouko looked through any suspicious looking book she laid her eyes on. Kyoko, thinking logical as always, looked behind the lines of books to find any hidden book. Malin and Joey quietly discussed the library's possible hidden passages with help of the pattern in the ceiling, the floor and the way the bookcases were placed. Yuniko slowly walked up and down the bookcases, trying to feel out something.
It was late afternoon when Kyoko suddenly called from the top of a bookcase. "Princess, I have found something!"
Joey and Malin abandoned the open fireplace they had been examining. Ryouko took the bible she had just picked out with her in her rush. But still Yuniko, who had been almost in the opposite part of the room, was there first, catching Kyoko when she almost fell down the high ladder.
"What have you fond, little Kyoko?" Yuniko asked, still holding the somewhat disorganized Kyoko firmly in her embrace.
The younger held up a thin book with red and black cover triumphing. On the cover "Battle Princess" was written with silver letters.
"I found it in a hidden locker at the top shelf," she said smiling proudly. "It was creaked open so I got suspicious."
"I am so proud of you, my beautiful star," Yuniko prised her little half sister and hugged her closer to her chest. Kyoko blushed but smiled happily none the less.
"Battle Princess," Malin started as she brushed dust away from the book's cover. "That is what the vampires call you, Milady."
"And I believe I know why. Somehow the vampire lord knew of my ability the moment I was born."
The girls and Joey settled in a sofa close to the open fireplace. Yuniko took the book and opened it carefully. At the first page was an ink-drawing that seemed to be copied from a painting. Without colour it was hard to see who the person in the middle was, but they all knew it was a woman. No male would ever even dream of fighting in a dress. The woman stood with her sword raised over her head and screamed at the monsters that was hovering over her. Everywhere were monsters' ugly faces that seemed to try and take a bite of the girl.
Yuniko turned page and looked at the rhythmical written lines of words. Four lines on every page.
"It is a poem," Ryouko stated surprised.
"It looks like it," Yuniko agreed. "According to father it was written by father Scot's grandfather.
"Father Scot was a priest and close friend of prince Atemu," Malin explained for Ryouko and Kyoko, who had never met the priest.
Yuniko read the poem aloud.
In times of fear and pain
They will break the binding chain
The Battle Princess born again
To protect the world of men
---
What is gained is what is lost
Win the battle at all cost
Stripped of what is beautiful
The lord will still be vengeful
---
In a place where belief is not
Bonds are tied in this painful knot
Trust is what is torn
And love is all too worn
---
Sorrow and grief in the darkest night
One heart still filled with light
The word I seek is now and then
Shining through the darkest den
---
Give me once again this feeling
The lord for it is kneeling
The opposite of grief and sorrow
Save the light of tomorrow
---
Only clues can I give you on the way
Before you in the battle pass away
This light will never leave your chest
If so you give in for eternal rest
---
What is it the dark lord wishes to hide?
Your love, your home, your pride?
The star in her heart is hiding
And the darkness itself is blinding
---
With only this I leave you here
To find the rest on your own, my dear
The star in her is the word I seek
In its light even darkness will retreat
Joey couldn't help but scratch his head in pure confusion and tiredness. Of everyone in the library he was the one who didn't get a thing.
"Clearly the text reveals something we have to find in between the lines," Malin stated and leaned back. "The only question is what."
"I do not think the meaning behind the poem is hidden," the princess said slowly. "I am positive it throws the word it seeks right at our faces without once mentioning it."
"What is the word, Lady Yuniko?" Joey asked.
The princess sighed tiredly. "I do not know. But still I am sure I have the answer of my questions right here, showed up under my very nose. Still I can not see them."
"Can not find the forest for all the trees," Ryouko said quietly for herself.
"Excuse me?" Yuniko said with eyebrows raised in confusion.
"Oh, forgive me," Ryouko quickly said. "It is a saying I heard once. It means that you can not see the answer though it is right before your eyes and that you are too concentrated on the different parts to see the whole thing."
Malin was about to scold the white-haired girl when she noticed the black book in her arms. Yuniko had also noticed it.
"What do you have there?" the princess asked, her eyes locked on the black book.
Ryouko looked down and noticed the bible she had found. "Oh, it is only a bible I picked out right before Kyoko called. I took it with me in the rush."
"There should be no bibles in here," Malin said with a slight frown. "Bibles are only allowed to be owned by the church and the priests. It is not allowed for anyone, and I mean anyone else, to own a bible."
Ryouko looked at the book as if it was about to explode right in her arms. Malin's words freighted her.
"Please, let me see it, Ryouko," the princess said and reached out to take the book.
Ryouko looked at the book and then at the princess. Slowly she handed the bible to her half sister. Yuniko let her hands run over the black leather cover. Immediately she noticed it was hard. Not soft like every other bible she had held before. Actually it was no book at all.
The princess glanced up at Malin who frowned in suspicion. "It is a box," the nurse stated whispering.
Kyoko, Ryouko and Joey leaned closer as Yuniko grabbed the cover in order to open the bible-shaped box. It easily clicked open and the princess slowly revealed the inside.
Whatever the girls and Joey had been expecting it was not what they found in the box. It was a crucifix, big as Yuniko's slender hand, made of pure silver with a midnight blue jewel was attached in each edge. At the top edge a thin chain turned the crucifix into a necklace. Yuniko immediately felt this cross was meant to be carried by her. In her heart she would more than happily place the chain around one of her friend's necks, but the cross called out to her and she knew she could not give it to anyone else.
"Why would such a thing be hidden in the castle's library?" Kyoko asked, as logical as always. "I mean… if no one but the church is allowed to own a bible, would not someone get suspicious to find one here?"
"Most books in here are used for studying," Malin told the younger two. "The library has grown ever since it was built and every king has given it their own gift of books, Yuniko's father as well. If the king himself placed a book on the shelves here, especially in a bookcase that is used rarely, it would not be noticed."
"When the council and their pupils are looking for books they can not see what they are not looking for," Yuniko filled in. "Have you never experienced that? That when you are looking for a certain object you pass things you may have been looking for before, but since it is not what you are interested in you pass it, never once noticing it was there."
The girls and Joey nodded in understanding.
Yuniko took out the crucifix and pulled the thin chain over her neck. It felt natural to have it there, resting on her chest. The metal was strangely warm under her touch and she felt how magic examined her body, heart and soul. It seemed to be satisfied and the magic tied a bond between the silver cross and the princess's heart. It really was meant to be hers.
"It suits your majesty," Ryouko said quietly, noticing how the dark blue jewels brought out the colour of the princess's bright eyes.
"Where father got this from I do not know," the princess said and caressed the cross's smooth surface lightly. "But it is meant for me. It is filled with magic that is now tied to my own."
Joey looked at the cross around his friend's neck and then flipped up the book to the drawing in the beginning. "The cross is right here," he said, showing the girls the drawing and pointed at the cross around the girl's neck.
"Is that woman… you, your majesty?" Kyoko asked and her blue eyes widened as she moved them from the drawing to the princess.
"No," the princess stated firmly. "But as the poem reveals I am not the first Battle Princess. Look here. It says 'The Battle Princess born again'. The woman on the drawing is the one who came before me."
"So the vampires have been defeated once before?" Joey asked wide-eyed. "Then why are they here now?"
"Because of me," the princess said lowly, anger and regret mixing in her eyes.
"It is not because of you, Yuni!" Malin said in a demanding tone.
"The former Battle Princess sealed the evil away over five hundred years ago. When I was born the seal was broken and the vampire lord was set free. Since then he have been growing an army beyond the northern woods."
"Yuni? How can you be so sure? This morning you knew as much as us about this," Malin said, her voice low and her eyes wider than they had ever been. Fear and confusion could be seen in them.
Yuniko looked down at the cross resting at her chest. "The cross gives me knowledge," she said calmly.
The door to the library opened and Honda stepped in with an annoyed look on his usually calm and collected features. "Your majesty. The council wishes your presence in the meeting hall right away. Sir Ken has sent me to bring you there."
"As I said, Milady," Joey said with a snort at the thought of the councilman Ken. "Soon enough you will have a bunch of reasons to throw him out of Scotland."
"I long for that day," Honda muttered.
"Now, now. I can not accept my friends to talk bad about my councilmen, even if they may deserve it. I will come, Sir Honda. And you should not worry so much about me. It is not good for your health. If Lisa was still young she would bind you to your bed if she noticed you do not get enough sleep."
Honda bowed respectfully for his princess and smiled kindly at her. Honda had never admitted how much he had grown attached to the young princess. He sometimes felt like her uncle or older brother. No one in the council respected the princess as much as him.
"Joey, return to your duties," the princess ordered with firm but friendly voice as she hid the cross pendant inside her dress. "Ryouko and Kyoko, you could try and figure out the riddle of the poem."
"Yes, your majesty," her three friends said and bowed/curtsied for her. Malin followed Yuniko like her shadow, as she always did.
"Do not stay up too long," the princess called over her shoulder as she disappeared out of the door.