Cut to the chase.
Disclaimer: I own Mai HiME, Otome, Destiny and Zwei! Gimme your best shot, Sunrise!
Sunrise: Sue, Sue, Sue, Sue, Sue, Sue, and Sue…
Emiri: ARGH! Okay, okay, I get it. You own everything. I just own my panties, all the non-HiME characters and the plot for this fic.
Chapter 3- Potions and Panties
After an embarrassing encounter with Shizuru's personal undergarments, Natsuki left the washing room with the basket of washing on her shoulders, beginning to walk up to where the princess's room was situated. Upon reaching the impressive oaken double doors, she knocked twice and waited for a reply.
"Come in,"
Natsuki hesitantly pushed opened the doors and walked in, her vision obscured by the large basket of washing that she held in front of her. Placing it down, her eyes were met by her first up-close view of Princess Shizuru. Flaxen locks framed her porcelain face and flowed down to her mid-back, smooth and shiny and an exotic colour for this kingdom, where the inhabitants mainly had black or brown hair. She had a breathtaking curvy physique, with large voluptuous breasts. But what really struck Natsuki were her eyes. The Irises were a sanguine red, the colour of war. Natsuki had seen this colour so many times that it had become dull to her, but seeing this new perspective of crimson suddenly made the hue so much more alive.
Natsuki stood frozen for over ten seconds, prompting the princess to take on a worried look as to why her new maid had abruptly become immobile. She had no idea that it was because at the moment that she had entered, Shizuru had been wearing only a short towel after stepping out of the shower.
Realising that she was staring Natsuki quickly turned her back to Shizuru and let out a cool but slightly hurried "S-sorry for my intrusion!" and was about to walk back out the door when a hand caught her shoulder.
"No, no, don't worry. We're both girls, after all. Come, you must be tired after the party, have a seat. I'd like to get to know you better if you are going to be taking care of me from sunrise until sundown every tenday, right?"
Natsuki made an effort to relax and look casual whilst keeping her guard up and turned back around to face the girl. She followed her over to the four-poster and the both sat down on the edge.
"If you excuse me, I must get changed for sleep. Could you find my Nightwear in the end cupboard for me?"
Natsuki hurried off to do what she was told. However, the end cupboard held many different sets of nightwear, and she was unsure of which set to choose. Seemingly anticipating this, Shizuru spoke up again, "You choose. Akane used to choose mine every night…"
So, the assassin picked out a long silk crimson nightshirt with a loose fitting pair of silken trousers. Holding them carefully as not to crease then, Natsuki carried them over to the princess and held them out to her. And, to the younger girl's chagrin, Shizuru picked up the clothes and began changing into them right in front of her. Mortified, Natsuki turned around and attempted to quell the rising colour in her cheeks. Sergay had obviously failed to mention that when working as the princess's personal maid, she would have to see the princess changing. Also, if she got too over-emotional, that potion might wear off quicker if her blood was pumping around too fast and then… she didn't want to think about it.
After a few minutes, Natsuki's colour had turned back to the normal pasty that came from being without sunlight for far too long and she turned around to see Shizuru sitting back on the bed and brushing out her long fair tresses. Relieved, She walked back over there and sat next to her new mistress, waiting for conversation to be exchanged.
"So, tell me your name…" she began
"My name is Natsuki Kruger, Hime-sama." Natsuki responded, bowing at Shizuru's name.
"Alright, Natsuki. From now one we're going to be together a lot of the time, so I want you to try and call me Shizuru, okay?" the older girl asked, placing her hairbrush down on the bedside table and turning to face her.
"Alright, Hi- Shizuru-sama,"
"No, no, just 'Shizuru', please,"
"Alright, Shizuru."
"There! Now we have a friendly atmosphere established, I'd like you to tell me a little bit about yourself. Not your life story, though." Shizuru added, even thought Natsuki didn't seem the kind to talk for hours.
"My name is Natsuki Kruger. I was born on August the fifteenth, hence my name. I was born and have lived in outer Windbloom all my life, and I served as a medic in the War of Barren's Plane, and it had been my aspiration to serve the Keep all through my life."
"A true patriot, it seems. Well, Quid Pro Quo, I should tell you a little about myself, Natsuki. My Name is Shizuru Voila; I was born in winter in this very keep and have not left it since. I dislike arranged marriages, eligible bachelors and this Keep. I enjoy watching Windbloom at sunset and being able to have casual conversations with people. My last maid also called me a bit of a tease." Shizuru finished. However, Natsuki could see that she had a well constructed mask; a façade, if you like. It seemed as though this poor girl had been forced to create such a pretense to remain able to tolerate this constant paradise that she lived it. Thinking back to the code that she used with those that Sergay did work with, it was so very true of this maiden. 'Entombed we are, within our own paradise'. How very, very correct.
Natsuki suddenly snapped out of this train of thought to see that Shizuru was staring at her. Shizuru noticed that Natsuki had caught on and apologized.
"I'm sorry; it's just that we don't usually get maids this cute…"
Natsuki almost anticipated the blush that appeared on her features. The whole evening had been riddled with them; Shizuru just didn't want to give her a break.
"Ara, Natsuki seems even cuter when she blushes…"
Ara? Where did that come from? The world sounded accustomed to rolling from Shizuru's tongue. This was that first time that Natsuki noticed, but Shizuru had quite a potent southern accent.
'Nee, Shizuru-sa-" Natsuki began, but Shizuru glared at her and she quickly corrected herself, "Shizuru, how did you get your southern accent, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Not at all, Natsuki: my tutor when I was small was from down south, and I picked up her accent. After that, I guess it just stayed."
They lapsed into a comfortable silence, which in the end was punctuated by an involuntary yawn from Natsuki. Shizuru smiled at her and giggled.
'Ara, Natsuki is tired from washing all my panties?"
Natsuki, yet again, took the bait and blushed against her will.
Leaving quietly, Natsuki entered the room next to Shizuru's, which was no plainer furnished, but empty, save for the duffel bag of item she had placed there earlier. As she flopped down on the bed, Natsuki's mind cleared and she innerly scolded herself for the frivolous events of the night. She was here to kill the king; not to befriend his daughter. Natsuki sighed and took the other flask out of her bag, the one that contained poison. She was to poison the king's food; making it seem as though he were ill. That was why she had to be here for a long time, so that the illness seemed natural. She also had to wait about a week until the plan could commence, for it would seem suspicious if the king fell ill the day she arrived.
Pushing this phial back in, she fumbled around for a while until Natsuki felt the cool glass of the potion. Taking it out, she swilled it around absentmindedly. She briefly wondered why she had to hide herself as such, but then remembered how awkward it would be to appear as she really was…
With another defeated sigh, Natsuki quickly got changed into her nightwear, snuffed the lights and fell immediately to sleep.
The next morning, Natsuki's strict regime of training kicked in and woke her at five hours in the morn. Rolling over to look at the grandfather clock to her left, she moaned exasperatedly, for she did not have to be awake until seven, when she was to help Shizuru get ready for the day. Even though this job was tough, Royals were often lethargic and did not rise until the late hours of the morn, and so the maids only woke an hour or so before that. Natsuki rolled back over and laid in for about another thirty minutes, then found it impossible to stay under the warm covers (As the mages that worked in the castle kept the temperature very snug at this time of year; they were in the tenth month of Hallows, named because it ended with All hallows Eve.)
So, Natsuki rose from her bed and began dressing for the day. It was going to take her some time to get used to the Maid's uniform. She moved over to her full body mirror to make sure everything was just right, and the cobalt-haired assassin's eyes widened at the sight she saw. It couldn't have been a whole day since she took the potion, but the effects had already worn off; it must have been the blushing last night. What if someone had come in earlier to check on her, or change her candles, or something of the like? It would have been disastrous! Natsuki rushed back to the bed and took another swig of the bottle of potion. She shivered again, even though it was warm, and felt the effect again, crossing over to the mirror again, she was relieved that she looked like a normal human again.
The truth was, that Kuga had only noticed this on her thirteenth winter, when she had first… become a woman. Along with the infernal bleeding that plagued her with sharp pains every month had come a surprising change that Sergay had told her to hide from the rest of the world, to hide under the cavernous hood of her cloak. This was another reason why Natsuki had been kept from Society and lacked decent communication skills.
A soft knock came on her door, and she crossed the room and cautiously opened the door.
"Ara, I wasn't aware that Natsuki wore so little to bed…" came that unforgettable southern voice. Natsuki raised her eyes to see the princess standing outside her door in her nightwear and a woolen dressing gown. The blush reflex graced her with activating again, and was helped by the warm temperature of the room.
"P-princess! What brings you to my room this early?" She managed to get out.
"Oh, I'm sorry Natsuki. I like to wake up to watch the sunrise. And, as you seem the type to be up early, I thought that you'd like to watch it with me?"
Natsuki stood there, dumbfounded. Should she graciously accept or politely deny? However, she didn't have time to ponder upon what to do, as one of Shizuru's smooth hands had already taken hers and was leading her up a set of spiral staircases and then through a tapestry, after that she pulled a torch bracket and the wall seemingly opened up…
They ended up at the very top of the bell tower, where Shizuru had been last night. The great sun was just beginning to rise above the horizon, and the whole city was cast in a hue of pink.
Natsuki shivered and made a little noise. The sunrise may be pretty, but it was Hallows and thus very cold, especially in the morning. Shizuru saw this little gesture and sidled up to Natsuki, catching her in a surprise hug from behind. Natsuki though that this might be an attack and began to attempt to wiggle out, but Shizuru's grip was surprisingly firm and very warm…
"Ara… we wouldn't want Natsuki to get cold on her first day, would we?" Shizuru whispered in her ear, making Natsuki shiver and the colouring on her face darken. The princess's hot breath caressed the side of her face, and Natsuki was suddenly all too warm. She wheeled around and pushed Shizuru away from her lightly, creating a bit of distance between them.
"Kanin na, Natsuki…" She stuttered, backing away, a look of utmost remorse on her face. Natsuki crossed her hands over her body and shuddered; bodily contact was something she couldn't stand. When she was a slave… her mind reeled at the remembrance of the whips, the harsh slaps. She could trust no one.
"Hmph," Was all that Shizuru heard before Natsuki had disappeared down the bell tower and vanished from sight.
Shizuru held her hand to her chest and watched the space where those cobalt tresses had been just moments before. Softly spoken syllables drifted into the morning breeze, but Shizuru's lament was still audible.
"Why are you hiding from me, Na-tsu-ki?"
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Please read and review. I am a very cruel author, aren't I? muhaha. I made you wait ages just for this. I'm trying to write it up to about 15k plus before I post, so that I'll never run dry like in other fics. Have fun!
Emiri