Welcome to the second chapter of As Love Grows! I know I said I won't publish a new chapter until I've finished For Eternity, but that story is taking an eternity to finish so I put up the second chapter for that and I thought I should do the same for this story (since the chapter was finished).
Warning: Chibi-yullen, chibi-everyone!
Enjoy!
Chapter 2.
One year later, in the summer.
"Brother, are you sure about this? I mean, it's like we're betraying Tiedoll…" Mana said as he, he's brother and son, Allen, rode in a carriage through the city of Li Sar. The city was the largest city on the mainland, at least five times the size of Aed Sorh (where King Marian Cross' castle lay) and buzzing with noise from all the people there. The city was built in a way so that there needn't be walls around the city – the houses themselves where the walls. Tiedoll's palace lay in the middle of the city – hovering over it like a beacon.
"As long as he doesn't find out about this", Cross said and put his hand on the brown haired boy's head who was sitting opposite of him. The boy pouted and pulled away from the touch. During the last year he'd become more used to people being near him, he understood that they wouldn't hurt him – like the ones on the streets (not that he remembered much from that time anyway). Though, some things he didn't understand were why he was wearing this frilly dress, and why his scary, red headed uncle had forbid him to cut his hair. Mana had told him that Uncle Cross had a strange way of having fun, and that dressing Allen in girl's clothing and have his hair grow long was apparently very funny.
Allen looked out through the window of the carriage and was awed by everything he saw: it was so many people! There wasn't at all this many people in the town he and Mana lived in, the town Aed Kor was small, it was more of a large village, and in one end was the Walker residence.
"Allen", the boy turned around to face his uncle.
"Yes, uncle?" He said politely.
"This summer you'll only be called by your nickname: 'Alene'. The people we're visiting are used to that name, so don't go around saying your name's 'Allen'", Allen frowned and looked at Mana for confirmation, the man nodded and Allen sat down and was quiet the rest of the trip.
"Boys! Gather round!" Tiedoll called his sons and the four boys did as they were told. "This summer we'll have an important guest, King Marian Cross of Aederia and his brother Prince Mana Walker and the latter's daughter Princess Alene are arriving in just a moment. I want you all to be on your best behavior! I do not tolerate any bullying or mean pranks, do you understand?" The boys nodded and said 'yes'.
Just then a carriage drove in through the palace gates and Tiedoll quickly had his sons stand in line. He stood next to his oldest son and waited for the carriage to stop. It did right in front of the five and the coachman quickly opened the door and a tall red headed man stepped out first, followed by a slightly shorter man with short, brown hair. The latter man turned around to carry a small child down to the ground. Tiedoll stepped forward to shake Cross' hand.
"Welcome to Li Sar, Cross!" Then he shook Mana's hand. "And you too, Mana!"
"And this must be Alene. Hello, you might not remember me, but we met last year at Cross' castle", he let out his hand to Allen who shyly took it and then they shook hands very gently. Cross glanced at the four boys standing in line.
"Are these your sons?" He asked Tiedoll, who smiled and went to introduce them.
"Yes, this is my oldest son, Marie Noise", Tiedoll put his hands on a tall boy's shoulders, the boy didn't have any hair and he was olive-skinned. Marie bowed politely and said:
"It's a pleasure to meet you, your Majesty", Tiedoll smiled and went to the next boy who had short, dark brown hair, the boy looked a little nervous.
"This is my second son, Chaoji Han."
"H-hello, nice to m-meet you, your Majesty", Chaoji stuttered and bowed, but not as gracefully like his older brother.
"This is my third son, Daisya Barry", a boy with short, light brown hair smirked and bowed as he said:
"Nice to meet you, King Cross", Then Tiedoll put his hands on the last boy's shoulder.
"And my youngest son, Yuu Kanda, have you already met", Yuu made a quick bow and said:
"Nice to meet you", Cross smirked and took Allen's hand so that he stood in front of the four princes.
"This is my niece, Alene Walker", he glanced at him and Allen got the drift, he curtsied and said.
"It's nice to meet you all", Cross let go of his hand and Allen sneaked a quick look at Mana who nodded approvingly. Tiedoll clapped his hands once and said happily:
"Now that we're all introduced! Why not take Alene for a tour of the palace, boys?" Marie politely stepped forward to Allen and said:
"Do you want to get a tour of the palace, princess?" Allen looked at Mana again who nodded and Allen quietly said 'okay'. Marie took his hand and they both walked towards the large garden, the other three boys followed, although Yuu sulkily.
A few minutes later they came to a small grovel field with soccer goals on either side. Daisya laughed and ran towards it; he found a ball in one of the goals and started kicking it.
"Hey, princess! Ever played soccer?" He asked loudly and kicked the football so it rolled to Allen. He looked at the boll and then shook his head.
"No, I've never played it", he said. Daisya smirked and walked to him.
"Huuuuh? You've never played? But soccer is like the best sport ever! I can't believe that you've never played!"
"W-well…" Allen mumbled but Daisya was already running back to the field while kicking the ball. Allen watched as Daisya kicked the ball, with great accuracy, to the goal – it went in all the time.
"Yo, Chaoji, Marie! Up for a game? We have to show lil' princess what soccer's all about!"
"Sure, Chaoji said and ran to the field as well, Marie smiled apologetically to Allen before taking off too. The three went into positions – Marie as goal keeper, and Chaoji and Daisya fought for control of the ball. Allen watched the game intently; he was brought out of his stupor when Yuu took his hand and dragged him towards a bench.
"They'll play for awhile, be better if you sit down", he said and pushed Allen down on the bench.
"You didn't have to push me down, meanie!" Yuu looked away but Allen could see a small blush forming on the dark haired boys cheeks.
"Sorry", Yuu said before sitting down on the bench as well. Allen turned his attention to the game again, but now and then he sneaked a peak at the boy sitting next to him, Yuu was sulking, as if he didn't want to be there, and Allen couldn't help but ask:
"Why aren't you playing?" Yuu glanced at Allen before looking towards his brothers.
"I don't want to", he answered briskly.
"Why?"
"I don't like soccer."
"Okay."
About a half an hour had went when another boy showed up. He was running towards the two on the bench and yelled with an obnoxious voice:
"YUUUUUUUUU-CHAAAAAAAN!" Yuu stiffened and tried to make himself smaller, but that didn't help as the boy jumped on him so that both fell down on the grass. Allen stood up, hoping that no one had gotten an injury. But the boy on top of Yuu was pushed away as the dark, long haired boy struggled to get up.
"Don't call me by my first name, stupid rabbit!" He yelled, and then he stood up, the other boy stood up too. He didn't look fazed at all by the other boy's hard words but continued smiling as if the day hadn't been better.
"Yuu-chan! It's been so long! Old Panda was so mean and didn't even let me write to you! I've missed Yuu so much!" At that the red head boy tried to hug Yuu but instead hit the ground as Yuu side stepped.
"I said: don't call me by my first name! It's Kanda!" The boy stood up and fixed the green bandana that had slipped down to around his neck.
"You're as grumpy as I remember Yuu, haha!" Then the boy noticed Allen standing by the bench looking at the two worriedly. "Yuu, who's this?" Yuu, who will now be called Kanda, dusted off his pants before answering.
"That's Princess Alene, King Cross' niece", the red head boy walked up to Allen and smiled welcoming.
"Welcome to Ligoun, princess! My name's Lavi, nice to meet you!"
"Umm… nice to meet you too, Lavi", Allen said and made a small curtsy.
"Wow, you're really cute, I can't believe that you're King Cross' niece, you don't look like him the slightest! But maybe you look like Prince Walker? That must be it, right?"
"I was adopted by Mana Walker…" Allen said quietly.
"Oh, that explains it!" Then Lavi turned to Kanda again and said: "So what are you all doing here?"
"Daisya and the others are playing soccer", Kanda answered and Lavi looked at the field where the three boys were playing.
"Ooh, soccer, it's been awhile!" Lavi left the two and ran towards the field while shouting: "HEY, can I join?" The brothers stopped playing and Marie shouted back:
"Sure, we can divide into teams of two."
"Great!" Daisya said and teamed up with Lavi and Marie teamed up with Chaoji. Allen sat down on the bench again, and Kanda did too.
"Is Lavi your friend?" He asked.
"No, he thinks he is, but he's annoying", Kanda said and played with a loose string from his shirt. Kanda then noticed that even though it was a very warm summer day, Allen was wearing a long sleeved dress and gloves. He stared at Allen and the cross dressing boy noticed the stare and looked at Kanda again.
"What are you staring at?" Kanda quickly looked away and blushed from having being caught.
"I was just wondering why you're wearing a long sleeved dress and gloves", Allen looked at his arms, particularly his left Kanda noticed, and bit his under lip, and he turned his gaze towards the game again and didn't answer. Kanda looked at Allen, but didn't ask again. It wasn't his business anyway.
The years went by and one summer, when Kanda, his brothers, father and to his dismay Lavi were visiting Cross' castle in Aed Sorh, they met Princess Lenalee Lee and her big brother Crown Prince Komui Lee. Lenalee was one year older than Allen and she often visited him in Mana's residence in Aed Kor.
She knew that Allen was a boy, but she'd been strictly told to not reveal that to the visitors from Ligoun, or anyone else for that matter. Lavi and Kanda was two years older than her so Tiedoll, Mana and Lenalee's parents had found it good to have the four kids play together – which they did whenever they were together.
The four of them became good friends and Lavi and Lenalee had decided to make a club with the four as the only members – though Kanda was against it at first, but after having a small chat with Lenalee one on one he'd changed his mind. They called themselves the Black Order and they had made Lenalee their leader.
Their club activities consisted of them planning what they were going to play or what prank they were going to do – Lavi was in charge of the pranks, and he often invited Daisya to plan with him. The two of them were known as the 'Prankster duo' and every time someone (most likely a servant) saw them together they knew that something was up.
Kanda was usually the one to watch out for people who would put a stop to the different pranks they were doing, and Allen was the one that distracted people or lured them in to the prank – as did Lenalee sometimes.
They had a happy childhood with many laughs, and they thought that they would always stay together like this.
But then everything changed.
Dun dun dun...
Just a note about this story: the intro-part is kinda long, I won't get to the main happenings until about chapter 6 or something, but I have the whole story figured out so don't worry!
Seya next time!
