This update came a little late, but deal with it. To update last saturday would have been way too early.
Oh, about this chapter, what happens shocked even me. I certainly didn't saw it coming and almost had a heart-attack when I read it (I must read my stories since most of the time I'm only about 40 percent aware of what I write.)
I'm still a little usure of what has happened when. But I think I got it right in this chapter. The year is 1630 and the prinsess shall turn 18 when that time comes. I think Ryouko is turning 14 and Kyoko 13 this year. I'll do a research for Mokuba and find out when he was born and how old he is. Oh, and the prince has been dead for soon 2 years, since he died on Yinoko's 16th birthday.
Now that I think I have made that clear I will let you go and enjoy this chapter.
Betrayed (part 1)
Ryouko and Kyoko could not focus on anything else but the riddle of the poem for several days. When they didn't sleep they were settled in front of the fireplace in the library reading the poem over and over again even if they could replay it in their sleep by now. This far Ryouko had written an easier version of the poem and translated some of the riddles into understandable words.
The lord the poem talked about was clearly the vampire lord. Yuniko was the Battle Princess born to protect the world from the dark lord. The place where painful knots are tied is where the vampires' lives. But they were still stuck on the word they were supposed to find in between the lines.
"Opposite of grief and sorrow, save the light of tomorrow," Kyoko read out loud once again.
"The opposite is happiness and joy," Ryouko stated, though she had stated it about ten times a day.
"It does not make sense. Happiness is not resting inside the princess, that much I can tell."
"One heart still filled with light," Ryouko read from the book. "It must be the princess's heart it means."
"I wonder. The vampires are trying everything to blow her majesty's light out…"
Like that the sisters continued their arguments. Joey was with them a while each day, only to leave more confused than he was when he came.
The princess and Malin were kept busy. The council fussed like hens over the coronation and when Malin's patience was long gone, the princess was like an angel and took one thing at time. More than once Yuniko had to calm her nurse down when Malin snapped and yelled at anyone in sight to not talk to her if it wasn't of very great importance.
But however calm and collected the princess was during the days Malin noticed the change during the nights. It was soon six years since the princess made a habit of sitting in her window watching the sunrise each morning. Yuniko had dropped that habit now. She had no energy left once her long days ended, and she was chased by nightmares. Since the day they found the book and cross Malin had abandoned her own bed and slept in the princess's. That way she at least could offer some warmth and comfort during the nights.
The day before the coronation was worse than any other day Malin had lived through this far. Servants, slaves and councilmen were running around the castle to be sure everything was perfect for the day of Yuniko's coronation. The governors and lords of the kingdom had come to join the celebration and everyone was settled into rooms. A few of them had to chare because of lack of rooms when so many were going to spend a few nights in the castle. Most servants, except for the elderly ones even had to leave their rooms and beds and sleep in the small village in the courtyard. The young nurse kept her mouth wisely shut the entire day as she and the princess walked around, giving advice and answering questions, accepting greetings and congratulations from the guests.
But at the time when the evening fell Yuniko was visibly worn out. Her eyes where half closed and she hung her head. Malin was seriously worried about her friend. For even though the princess had looked like she was calm and collected on the outside the nurse could tell from small changes in her pose she was mentally worn out.
"Milady, you must go to sleep now," Malin said, not even trying to cover the worry in her voice.
The princess flashed her a weary smile. "I know. But I must go and see Unicorn once before I become queen," she said. Her usually powerful and melodic voice was hoarse and lacked the certainty she had been so careful to use the entire week. "It feels like ages since I saw her. I have not seen Sky recently either. I must see them now, for later there will be no time."
Malin nodded in understanding. It had been a long time since the princess could spend time with her protectors. And the princess always met her friends in loneliness. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate Malin's constant presence, but when she was with the animals she was better off alone.
"I will wait for you in your chambers, Milady," Malin said lowly.
"Thank you, Malin. I will come as soon as I am sure my friends are fine."
Malin nodded and turned around, heading back to the chamber she shared with the princess. But she stopped when she heard the princess's voice again.
"Never forget I love you, Malin," Yuniko said tenderly.
Malin turned and curtsied deeply. The princess smiled and walked out in the still chilly air at the beginning of springtime.
It was warm in the stables. The smell of horse and hay met her and she inhaled the familiar smell deeply. The stillness in the stable easily eased the stiffness of her body and her shoulders fell into a more relaxed manner.
Shadow raised his head and greeted her with a low neigh. He was old now, but he was still one of the best horses in the royal stable. He let the princess pat his muzzle and scratch that wonderful spot in his forehead. He couldn't stop himself from trying to move closer to the treasure, only to be stopped by the rope that tied him to his place.
"I love you too, Shadow," the princess whispered and rested her forehead on the dark horse's for a long moment.
Yuniko hadn't realized how much she needed this until now. When the stress eased her muscles hardly worked anymore. Most of all she wanted to lie down in the hay and sleep her time away. But it was an important day tomorrow and Malin was waiting for her.
In her box Unicorn neighed and scraped with her hoof to get attention. She had missed her mistress a lot.
"I am sorry I have not come earlier," Yuniko apologized and hugged Unicorn's head lovingly.
Mistress tired, Unicorn said in the princess's mind. She was an animal, and as such her vocabulary was limited. She rarely used more than two words at the same time.
"I am very tired, my friend. But tomorrow I will no longer be a princess. I will be queen. But I guess it does not matter to you."
Still mistress, Unicorn stated and nuzzled the princess's stomach to prove the fact.
"Yes, I will always be your mistress," Yuniko smiled and scratched her friend's forehead. Just like her father Unicorn loved to be scratched right there. "But may it be I will not be able to see you much more after today."
Unicorn gave the princess a look of hurt. Mistress see me, she protested.
Yuniko smiled warmly. Unicorn was almost two years old now, and still she was like a child. Her love had either limits nor care for who it was directed at.
"Are you aware of how much I love you, Unicorn?" Yuniko asked and felt how the stone in her heart lifted as the warmth of being loved as something more than just her title filled it. Of cause Malin, Joey, Mokuba, Ryouko, Kyoko, and maybe even Honda loved her as Yuniko, and not only as the princess. But Unicorn's childlike love was different from theirs. Unicorn didn't ask for anything but love from Yuniko, and that she could give.
Love mistress, Unicorn agreed and nuzzled against the princess as much as she could.
"I believe she loves you very much, your majesty," a familiar voice said from behind.
Yuniko turned around and looked at Kay who sat across the stable. He had left his room to someone else and now slept in the stable.
"Yes, she just told me," Yuniko near whispered.
Kay smiled slightly and walked over to the princess and Unicorn.
Shadow suddenly snorted loudly and threw with his big head. The princess reached out a hand for him and hushed quietly. She noticed how the horse glared at Kay.
"Shadow? You know Kay. He is a friend," Yuniko said softly.
Not friend! Shadow neighed.
"He is getting old, my princess," Kay said, but didn't step closer to Shadow. "Lately he has not allowed me to come close to him or Unicorn. Though he hardly let anyone but her majesty close to Unicorn."
"Overprotective father," Yuniko smiled.
Boy not friend, Shadow neighed again. He tried to move forward and place himself between Kay and the princess, but yet again the rope stopped him.
Yuniko noticed how angry Shadow was becoming. If she didn't do something he would break free from the rope and go berserk in the stable. She couldn't let that happen.
"Hush, Shadow. Hush," she whispered and held up a lump of sugar.
Shadow stopped fighting against the rope, afraid he would hurt the princess now when she stood so close to him. He hesitatingly took the sugar from her and let her hold his head again. But he tried to keep an eye at the boy who took care of most horses here. He had heard how the male human boy had confessed his love for the young treasure for the mere in the box beside his. He had told her a lot more and Shadow was determined to not let any of those fantasies come true. But he suddenly felt so sleepy. The treasure's lovely voice and soft hands slowly lulled him to sleep.
Shadow felt how strong his connection with the princess was at the moment and gave her a wave of worry together with dark blue, purple and black colours to deepen the feeling. In return the princess sent different green shades, yellow and soft blue, comforting and calming colours. Soon Shadow's head hung low in his sleep.
"What did you do to him, your majesty?" Kay asked more curious than worried.
"I lulled him to sleep. Shadow really is overly protective. He was worried you would do something to harm me."
Kay frowned at the now sleeping horse suspiciously and confused, then gave the same look at the princess.
Yuniko smiled softly. "By listening to my voice Shadow and Unicorn are better than the other horses in here to understand the human language. But you will never harm me, now will you?"
Oh, those half-lidded eyes, shadowed with tiredness. "Of cause not," Kay assured. "Never."
Yuniko felt the familiar feeling of vampires inside the shield she had created around the kingdom. She was still worried about how advanced their magic was, but at the moment she was too tired to care. If they did not come too close to the castle there was nothing she could do about them anyway.
"You look tired, my princess. You can rest at the loft if you wish. It is warm up there."
Yuniko smiled and accepted. She was still confused about Shadow's sudden dislike of Kay, whom he had always accepted before. She knew Shadow had heard Kay say something, and she would try to pry out of him.
A small lantern cast a soft light on the loft. Yuniko lay on her back in the hay close to it, and Kay lay down on her other side.
"So your majesty will be crowned tomorrow," Kay started softly.
Yuniko sighed deeply. "Yes."
"You will have to marry soon as well."
Slightly surprised and confused by Kay's curiosity Yuniko giggled shortly. "I suppose I will. Why?"
Kay didn't answer right away. He faced away from Yuniko for some time before he turned to his side, his head resting on his popped up palm so that he leaned slightly over the princess. "Do you have someone special in mind?"
Yuniko could make out a wish in her friend's eyes. She knew he had been in love with her in younger years, and now she realized he had never let go of that love. But she would have to make him disappointed. She was a princess, he was a stableman. He knew as well as her a relationship between them would never be tolerated.
"Yes," she answered his question with a soft smile. "Joey has asked me to marry him. And I said I will."
A sparkle of jealousy darkened Kay's already dark eyes. "But… he is a simple guard. The son of a robber. A low-class soldier… Why him?"
"Joey is not a robber's son," Yuniko said with soft sternness. "It does not matter what crimes his father committed, Joey is still the son of a high-ranked lord. He chose to be a solider himself because I gave him the possibility. He has proved to everyone he is trustworthy and loyal to me. The council knows it as well. Joey and I are going to be married as soon as the council brings up the subject of marriage."
Kay looked sharply taken aback, but then anger flashed through his usually kind eyes.
Yuniko was never given the time to prevent what happened next. Kay's face swiftly fell down and smashed his lips on top of hers. Kay was heavier than the princess and quickly pinned her down and lay on top of her.
"Why did you never give me a chance?" Kay whispered, his lips still on top of Yuniko's. Her lips were turning red from the rough kiss.
"Kay?"
"I have loved you ever since we were little, but you never looked my way in anything but simple friendship." Kay cut himself off with another harsh kiss. He tried to taste her, but she refused him entrance to her mouth. "I know I am only a stableman, but I am way more loyal towards you than any other man in your kingdom."
"No," the princess whimpered as she forcefully turned her face away from him. Kay's grip on her wrists was painful and his body was heavy on top of hers. "By doing this you prove you are not…" Yuniko gasped sharply when Kay started to suck hard on her neck. She cast her head at his painfully hard for both of them. But Kay just locked both her arms over her head with one hand and used the other to hold her head so that he could continue what he had started.
"Kay, please stop it. Do not make me fear you."
"You already do, Yuni," Kay's cold voice whispered in her ear. "I can feel you shiver under me. I can feel how hard your heart beats against mine. You can hate me for all I care, but right now no one will come and disturb us. I will have your innocence tonight. Then you can run to your beloved Joey or have me killed. But by then your innocence is long gone, and with it the love you receive from the animals."
Yuniko's eyes opened wide from shock and betrayal. "Who… are you?" she whispered with tears in her eyes for the first time in two years. "You are not the Kay I love. You are not the friend I played with as a child."
Kay's eyes once again flashed with anger and the hand that held the princess's face moved to her throat. "Stop trying to fool me," he hissed angrily. "You never loved me. You always say you love the people around you, but you do not. You only say it so they will fall to your feet and prise you."
Yuniko couldn't breath. She opened her mouth in vain attempt to get air through her blocked throat, and Kay saw his chance. He leant down and kissed her again, this time with nothing stopping him from tasting the inner regions of her mouth. He released her hands, which immediately tried to force his hand away from her throat. But Kay didn't mind her actions. His free hand travelled down her body and roughly grabbed her breast.
Yuniko screamed, or at least tried to, into Kay's mouth. Kay stopped kissing her from lack of air. The hand that squeezed her throat moved down her body.
"Stop it, Kay. I beg you," Yuniko gasped.
But the stableman had everything he had ever wanted right under him. He would not let this opportunity slip through his fingers. As Yuniko grew older the more beautiful she got, and the pain of knowledge in his heart that he was only a mare stableman cut deeper every time the princess smiled at him. For many nights during the years his dreams was filled with nothing but the princess in just this position. But in his dreams Yuniko welcomed him into her arms and begged him to take her, to let her marry him, to start a family with him. That was the way he wanted it to be. But it was impossible for anything like that to ever happen between him and Scotland's most powerful woman. And the sharp dragger cut deeper into his heart. And now he hears the princess has accepted Joey, a man he thought was just a low and simple son of a robber, to marry her. It cut his heart in two. Jealousy finally got the better of him.
"Yes, beg for me," he whispered as he sucked painfully hard on her neck. His hands started to pull up her dress. "For I will have you tonight. No matter what."
Yuniko fidgeted and tried to eel out of Kay's hard grip, but his hands got under her dress's skirt and grabbed her tights.
"Do not do this, Kay!" she whimpered. "What drives you to this? You have always known the difference between us. You have always known I have a duty towards Scotland."
She gasped again when Kay suddenly bit her over her throat, stopping her breathing once again. She tried to get him off of her by clawing at his face and try to kick with her legs. But everything was in vain. The world started to blur as she slowly lost consciousness. She felt with fear how his hands worked with her underwear. Kay grinded against her and she could feel his hard manhood through his pants.
'No!' her mind screamed. 'No! Joey! Malin! Father! BROTHER!'
Kay was suddenly lifted off her roughly by a shadow. On its own the princess's hand reached out and snapped away the pearl that hung around Kay's neck. Yuniko gasped for air and looked at Kay who tried to fight the shadow, but she had no chance of making out whom or what the shadow was.
Cold but comforting arms embraced her and she was carefully pulled against a familiar chest. She looked up into Aku's compassionate eyes, and fainted.
Kay didn't know what happened. One second he was about to force himself on the girl who had invaded his dreams for so long, but the next he was ripped off of her by stone cold arms.
"So you are trying to rape my sister in a moment of weakness?"
"Prince Atemu?" Kay gasped, before trying to pry the dead prince off of him, but the cold grip only tightened.
"No one hurts my little sister. No one takes away her innocence. Not as long as I am allowed to stay among the living."
Kay saw how another man, this one black clad with moonlight coloured hair and narrow, blue eyes, pulled the princess close to his chest. He saw how lovingly he held her and jealousy immediately fuelled his system. But it was to no use. Sharp teeth pierced the skin on his neck and started to suck his blood out of his very veins. Too late he realized that both the one holding him and the one who carefully straightened out the princess's dress were vampires.
Kay wanted to scream. He wanted the princess to save him, like she had done to everyone else inside the great wall. She had given him a pearl that she said was the best protection against the evil he could ever get. Why wasn't that pearl protecting him now? Why didn't the princess fight back the vampire holding her so lovingly? Why did she look so relaxed in his embrace?
Kay slowly died with his unanswered questions. Atemu sucked him dry more out of pure anger than actual hunger.
"How is she?" the former prince asked once Kay was emptied of every single drop of blood his body possessed.
"Worn out, shocked and unconscious," Aku answered. "Otherwise fine."
Atemu went up to his friend and sister to examine her for any possible injuries. Her lips were swollen from the rough kisses, her neck was bruised from the sucking and red where his hand had grabbed her throat and almost choked her. Where Kay had bitten down the skin was just barely keeping her blood from flowing out.
"His soul deserves to be thrown into the deepest dens of hell," Aku whispered with hatred, something that was anything but rare in his voice.
"She called for me to save her," Atemu whispered, almost inaudible. He touched the golden pendant that rested in the small hole between her collarbones. "I gave her this the same day you took me away. I heard her call out to me through it."
"You are her brother, Atemu," Aku smiled and held the princess closer to his chest, wishing his body was warm so he could offer her his body heat. "She will never stop loving you."
Sad but grateful blue eyes met his. "I know," Atemu whispered. "We have to take her back to her room. Malin will be worried sick if she stays here much longer, as late as it is."
"That girl will never let us in," Aku said, his voice dark from distrust and bitter knowing.
"She may let me in," Atemu comforted. "If she sees my face she may let me in. I have not changed enough for her to not recognize me."
Aku looked down at the unconscious princess in his arms. "Will you let me kiss her first?" he asked hopefully.
Atemu smiled amused before he nodded. He looked out over the boxes of horses below. Some of them had awoken from the princess's muffled cries, but Aku's magical sleep powder caused them to fall asleep again. He just hoped all of them were still alive. Yuniko would never forgive him if he had let Unicorn or Shadow or any of the horses die.
Out of the corner of his eye Atemu watched Aku tenderly kiss the princess's swollen lips. He knew Aku would never hurt his sister on purpose. The love the other held for the young princess had grown all too deep.
"Here you have your precious sister," Aku said with a slight smile. "I trust you to protect her as if you were me."
Atemu gave a lopsided grin before he took his sister bridal style and jumped down to the hard earth floor, landing lightly on his feet.
"I will watch your back, Atemu," Aku whispered as he followed his friend outside. "If Crow would appear."
Atemu just nodded and let out his wings. He hoped he would be able to talk to Malin. He knew how much the girl valued trust and honour. Others' as much as her own.
With Aku's help Atemu took flight into the air. As immortal his body was unaffected by his surroundings and the darkness and moonlight made him weightless when he wanted to, but with his sister's extra weight he had a hard time making it into the air.
The night was silent, as always when they hunted. Atemu had already fed, but Aku needed blood too this night. Luckily the night was still young. Maybe they could ask Malin to take someone.
Malin was just becoming nervous where she sat, dressed in white nightdress made of cotton, on the princess's wide bed. She hoped the princess hadn't fallen asleep in the stable. Yuniko seemed all too tired to care about the vampires. What if they took her away when she was sleeping?
A soft knock on the window caused the young nurse to jump. At first she could just see a shadow through the glass and was about to scream for help, but then she noticed the princess's pale face in the vampire's arms.
Swallowing her scream Malin rushed over to the window and opened it. She reached for her friend, but the vampire lifted her out of Malin's reach.
"Malin, it is me."
The dark skinned nurse looked up at the distantly familiar voice, just to have the shock of her life. "Your… your majesty?"
Atemu smiled kindly at her, but his smile had changed. Before, it was always warm and welcoming, now Malin wanted to run away from him. Those sharp fangs in his mouth were very obvious, and even more dangerous as there was a tingle of blood on them. She looked at Yuniko again as the supposed dead prince silently made his way inside, just to forcefully swallow another scream at the sight of the ruler's bruised throat.
"Your majesty? What have you done? How could you…?"
"I was not the one who hurt her," Atemu said, his soft voice slightly cooler. "Stableman Watson's son was the one."
"Kay? Are you trying to fool me? Kay would never try to…"
"Force himself on the princess?" another voice said as Atemu gently placed the princess on her bed.
Malin turned to see another vampire in the window. This one had moonlight coloured hair, glowing blue eyes and ghostly white skin. Dressed completely in black he was the perfect picture of a vampire sprung from her nightmares. The only thing with him that was not a part of her nightmares was that he was awfully handsome. Just like Atemu.
"Stableman Kay has always loved my sister, has he not?" Atemu asked, never turning his attention away from his younger sister. He carefully covered her with the blanket and softly, like the touch of the wind, moved strays of golden hair out of her eyes.
"Y-yes," Malin confessed quietly.
"Not every man is capable of keeping his heart pure and at place. When jealousy hit in nothing can stop it from doing what one most desire."
Malin looked back at the princess, still being carefully looked over by Atemu. The former prince's care for his little sister still shone through his entire being. She couldn't stop the tiny smile that tugged the corners of her mouth upwards. The bond between brother and sister was not completely broken yet.
Malin felt a soft gust of air hit her face and turned her head, only to almost yelp, hadn't the moonlight-haired one covered her mouth in a warning gesture.
"This is the first time I see you awake," the vampire said, his blue eyes glowing even brighter.
Malin's hands sought the pearl around her neck, surprised it hadn't reacted yet.
"The princess's blood will do no harm to me as long as my interests are not to harm you," the vampire said calmly, noticing the nurse's searching hands.
"Wh-what do you know about that?"
"We must leave soon," Atemu's soft voice was heard from the window. "Aku still have to feed, and the night will not last forever."
The moonlight-haired vampire started towards the window, knowing what Atemu meant, but he heard a change in the princess's heart rate, and couldn't ignore it. The princess was waking up, and he could not let her, not yet. She needed to rest.
Looking over at Atemu Aku knew the former prince thought about the same thing. The princess's brother nodded at him.
"Malin, please stay quiet now."
Malin hardly had time to register Atemu's words before Aku was at the princess's bed, hovering over her like a hawk over its prey. She was about to scream at him to leave her alone, when she felt a cold hand clasp over her mouth and Atemu's blue eyes hypnotised her.
Aku breathed on the princess's face, the air from his dead lungs was not as strong as his usual, magical sleep powder. But if he used the powder Yuniko would die.
Hearing the princess's heart calm down into a steadier rate Aku relaxed, but the look of the sleeping princess was far too tempting. He couldn't stop himself from leaning closer to her and once again kiss those warm, soft lips. He wished she had answered his confession, wished she had told him she loved him too. But he knew she didn't. He was a vampire, her greatest enemy, the source of fear in the people. She would never allow his love, never lower herself to even consider putting enough faith in him to fall asleep in his arms. She did tonight only out of exhaustion. Nothing more. The only thing she may feel for him was slight respect. And why she let him kiss her was only for the comfort.
"Let us leave, Aku," Atemu's said, breaking through Aku's depression.
"As you wish, my friend."
Turning around Aku noticed the nurse sleeping in the other bed. So Atemu had mastered the sleep spell? Impressive.
The vampires left the castle to hunt outside the lines of Scotland, partly because the princess's barrier still was trying to remove them from the land, and partly because of the princess. After all, they loved Yuniko just as much, only in different ways.
Yuniko awoke with a start as someone knocked carefully on the door. Her memories of last night were blurry, and most of all she wished to forget them. Kay had actually tried to take away her innocence. He had admitted it himself.
But there was something in her memories that were just out of her reach. Something about a shadow… and glowing blue eyes.
The knocking on the door was heard again and Yuniko's almost grasped memory slipped between her fingers.
Looking down at herself the princess noticed she was still wearing the same cloths as the day before. She hoped whoever wished entrance to her room wouldn't catch up her slightly disorganized and uncharacteristic appearance too much.
"Milady…" Mokuba lost whatever he was about to say to stare at his pretended big sister with wide eyes. In his eyes she looked tired, worn out and almost broken. Her eyes were almost void of the usual bright light that used to shine in them as long as the errand boy had known her and her hair needed to be washed. She still smelled of horse, hay and sweat.
"Please come in, Mokuba," the princess said kindly and a kind smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
"What have happened to you, Milady?" Mokuba whispered. The princess could easily read his worry.
"I am not sure. I only remember walking to the stable to see Unicorn. I met Kay and…" Yuniko frowned slightly in concentration. What had happened? She couldn't tell Mokuba Kay had almost taken her. No one would ever know about it. "I do not remember coming back."
"Milady has worked far too much lately," Mokuba stated. "You should rest more."
Yuniko smiled as she sat down in a chair. "I know, my little brother. But today is the day of my coronation. I can not back down from the throne, especially not now when Scotland is in the deepest need of me."
Mokuba fidgeted uncomfortably. He had had nightmares the whole night about the princess getting ripped away from him forever. And the princess's appearance didn't help any.
Yuniko let out a deep sigh, but it caught in her throat as she became aware of something smooth in her hand. She looked at her fisted hand.
"Are you all right, Lady Yuniko?" Mokuba asked, having noticed her sudden stiff posture.
Yuniko glanced up at her little friend before looking back at her hand. Mokuba walked up to her and watched as the princess opened her firmly closed fist to reveal…
"Kay's pearl…" Yuniko whispered.
"But… that means he is no longer under Milady's protection," Mokuba whispered with wide eyes.
The princess's hand trembled, and the pearl fell to the floor from between her slender fingers. She had let Kay die. Aku must have come and killed him. Those blue eyes she remembered so faintly became clear… but if those eyes were Aku's… who was the shadow that caught Kay? Yuniko guessed Aku hadn't been alone last night.
Grief, failed responsibility and guilt finally hit the princess full force. With a deep, hopeless sigh Yuniko fell back in her chair and half lay in it, something she had never in her life done before. She wished she could cry. Then the stone in her heart would not be such a heavy burden to carry. She wished she could laugh again. Wished she could laugh at herself. Laugh until she cried. Laugh until everything was gone. She wished she could be angry and throw a fit… but she couldn't do any it. Of everything she wished she could do, there was only one single thing she could do; fight back.
"Lady Yuniko?" Mokuba said hesitatingly. Tears were burning in his eyes. He was afraid. Afraid of what had happened, of the princess appearance, of the vampires, and of the fact that Yuniko; the purest heart on earth, would lift her protection from anyone.
"I am so sorry," Yuniko whispered to all and nothing. "I am so sorry for everything."
Mokuba decided to be a real little brother for once. He walked up to his pretended sister and princess and crawled onto her lap. The princess looked honestly confused at his actions, but didn't shoo him away. The sixteen year old errand boy hid his face in Yuniko's neck and sighed, letting his breath tickle the princess's sensitive skin.
Yuniko felt she should do something, but wasn't sure of what. No one had ever sat on her lap before, and she herself had never done so to either of her parents. She could clearly sense the younger boy's need of comfort though and carefully hugged her little friend close to her body.
Mokuba closed his little hand around the material of the princess's dress, unwilling to let go. He didn't keep his tears back anymore, and they wet his pretended sister's dress.
Yuniko felt how Mokuba cried, out of uncertainty, confusion and fright. But as Mokuba's tears flooded down the small boy's cheeks, she could feel the stone in her heart ease a little. It had happened once before; when Malin had cried her heart out on her. It was like Mokuba too cried for her as well. Slowly it filled her heart with new hope and a real smile grazed her face once again. She hugged the smaller boy even closer to her warm body, feeling like a mother and sister at the same time.
"Yuniko…"
"Hm?"
"…Did something happen… between you and Kay?"
Yuniko tightened her grip slightly. "Kay betrayed me," she whispered truthfully. "I can not protect someone who I can not trust."
Mokuba pulled away from the princess's chest to look at her with teary eyes. "I will never ever betray you, Lady Yuniko," he stated with determination in his wide, grey eyes. "I will protect you until the day I die, and after that I will watch you from Heaven."
"So will I," Malin's soft voice stated as the nurse made her way over to the chair.
"Good morning, my beautiful friend," Yuniko greeted with a forced smile. "We have a lot to do today. So Mokuba. Could you please go and tell Marie I need a bath?"
Marie was Lisa's best student ever. A young, grey-eyed girl with strawberry blond hair and heart-shaped face. But she was very stern and strict.
Mokuba dried his tears and smiled, happy to see his sister smile again. She looked much healthier when smiling. "Only if Milady will wear flowers in your hair today," he said with a mischievous smile.
"We have a deal," the princess nodded.
It looked like the entire people of Scotland had come to see the new ruler of their land this evening. The simple people were crowded outside the great walls, the richer lords and noblemen inside. Everyone as eager to see the woman behind many rumours with their very own eyes.
The high priest, a very strict old man, stood on the highest top of the great wall waiting for the princess. He was dressed completely in white and was carefully shaved. The only hair visible on him was his thick eyebrows. But the high priest was, just like Ken, unsure about the princess's capability to rule Scotland on her own. She was strong, yes, that was undeniable, but she was a woman. A lonely woman on the throne was nothing the high priest had any high thoughts about.
The gate to the castle opened completely to reveal the procession of councilmen, priests, a few servants and the princess-soon-queen. Her mere appearance demanded respect from everyone who was looking at her and her beauty hurt many eyes.
Just like the high priest Yuniko was dressed completely in white. The elegant dress had taken many servants night and day of the five days from the princess's announcing about the coronation. The material was of white silk with much embroidery of even whiter silk, mostly flowers, the symbol of purity and innocence. The dress had long, wide sleeves and an even longer train that Malin and a very stiff Ryouko lifted up so it wouldn't get dirty. Yuniko looked more like a queen and ruler than her mother, grandmother and any of the former queens ever had. The only thing the high priest frowned at where her bare shoulders.
There had actually been fights about this part of the dress. Some servants wanted to follow the English fashion and make a turtle neck on the dress, but others meant that the princess looked strange in high necks since she was often or always seen with bare shoulders or a low neck-line. The princess herself had had to step up and design the neck herself. So now the dress just barely covered her shoulders.
And, just like she had promised Mokuba, the princess's hair was tied with white lilies in the blue of her hair to not be in the way.
The procession of priests and councilmen stopped at the base of the steps where the princess walked up alone. Malin and Ryouko stood as guards on each side of the steps to pick up the train of the princess's dress when she came down again. The place for the coronation had been carefully cleaned from everything, so the dress should be fine.
In a slow but steady pace Yuniko walked up to the high priest. He bowed for her and she nodded graciously in return. A red mat, very old but clean and cared for, was lying before the high priest's feet and Yuniko kneeled on it and put her hands together. From below she locked like a saint. Over her head the high priest read a holy text from the bible, but since it was in Latin not everyone understood what he said.
After the holy text, meant to bless and warn the new queen of Scotland, the high priest returned to his native tongue with long speech about Scotland's history, about great kings who had made Scotland what it was until now. Yuniko started to feel how her knees protested about being rested on for so long, but the princess showed no sign of discomfort.
Finally the last partcame , where the queen's crown would be set upon Yuniko's head.
"With God's blessing, the golden crown will rest upon your head for the rest of your life!"
The thin crown was finally glittering from around Yuniko's head as she stood up to greet her people as queen.
"My people!" the princess called out clearly over the sea of heads below her. "This is a wonderful day to start a new era. Just like you have a duty to me, I have a duty to you. In return of your trust I will protect you and this kingdom until Heaven decides my time on earth is coming to an end. I know you all live in worry about rumours that have been speared through the latest years, and I will start my time as a ruler to confess something to you all. From north, beyond my kingdom, a dangerous threat is rising. This threat is knows as Evil, Vampires, beings of the darkness of night. Those creatures are undead, dead, but still alive. But as long as I sit on the throne I can secure you I will keep those monsters far away from here, and from Scotland. Tonight, and for many days ahead, this darkness will not harm anyone under my protection. And you are all under my protection. Let the sun now set for a lost era, and let it rise again over a new day with new light!"
"LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!" the crowds yelled three times from below.
The queen smiled like the sun that set in west. On the three hills in south, west and east, huge flames from traditional bonfires reached for the heaven above and lighted up the villages around. Tonight no one was afraid. The new queen had promised them all security.