AUTHOR'S NOTE:
It's been three chapters and Natsume, our dearest kuro neko still didn't make an appearance! PLEASE FORGIVE MEEEE! T^T And just wait for his entry!
Be patient my dears! ;D
Chapter 3
Seventeen years passed…
"Princess… please please please get down from there now."
It's been the tenth time the princess's royal maid has asked the princess to get down from her horse yet to no avail. She was on the verge of tears by then because the princess was out of schedule already and it would be really to her punishment. Well, not like she could do anything, especially because her notices couldn't easily defeat the remarkable stubbornness of the royal brunette.
Princess Yukihira Sakura Mikan, princess of the Eastern Kingdom, blessed with good looks, pleasing personality and a bright smile incomparable to any. Apart from that she is also blessed, which is a pain for those around her, with an incurable tenacity and stupidity that is unlike any other of her kind. That is our beloved Eastern heiress.
"Please Princess Mikan. You are late for your archery class already. We have to go now." The maiden asked once more
"Give me five more minutes!" the princess yelled from afar
"Princess, come right here and dismount from Haru. NOW." The royal equerry ordered strictly
"Moouuu!" the princess whined as she recognized the old attendant's voice.
Knowing she can't defy her horse master, she dejectedly made her way back from her ride.
"Jiji!" she called once she was near enough "Just a few more minutes. A few more minutes PLEEEEEEEAAASSEEE!" Mikan appealed while batting her eyes.
"No." the equerry conclusively said
The princess sniffed hard and pouted, trying her best to make her eyes water. Still the old man was unfazed.
"No. Get down now or you'll never see the stables again."
The brunette finally dismounted from Haru, hugged the nape of his horse and dramatically ran away shouting, "YOU'RE SO CRUUUEELL JIJIIIIIII! I haaaate yooooou!"
Everyone in the stables and around the area just stared merrily at the scene before them, completely used to these theatrical displays of their loud princess. The old man just sighed and got Haru back to his stables.
.
.
.
Her eyes were set on the target. She felt that this is finally the day. Slowly, she breathe in some air and released the arrow.
"IT'S IIIIIINNN! Look! Look! It's in! YAAAYY!"
Everyone around clapped hard for the princess except for her archery teacher.
"Yes. It's in Princess but…" she shook her head despairingly
"But that's really a big achievement isn't it?! Look! I got it in!" Mikan excitedly and proudly said as everyone around nodded tearfully
Well this over enjoyment couldn't be helped since it's such a memorable day for all of them especially the brunette. After all, it's the first time after so many years of practice that their idiot princess finally got her arrow inside the ring, disregarding the fact that it was in the most outer circle. And at least, her audience thought, nothing was destroyed and nobody got hit by the arrow as was the usual thing that happened before. They sighed in relief.
"I'm getting reaaaally good at this! Ne, ne minna?" She asked cheerfully
They all nodded approvingly.
"Alright, fine, that's very good princess. You're really doing great." Her teacher said nonchalantly as she has lost her confidence and enthusiasm after years of teaching the royal heiress who has just got her arrow in the target.
"I'm getting old at this." She thought
"Ne, Shizune-ne-chan…"
She woke up from her thoughts as she looked at the brunette who was looking at her sheepishly.
"Eto… I'm really not good in archery you see…" Mikan shyly stated
"Oh. She actually knows that."
"So, I hope you'll be patient with me…" she was fidgeting bashfully "…and stick with me until I get really good at this! Since you're the best teacher I could have for this thing!" Mikan grinned hopefully
Yamanochi Shizune, the royal archery master, couldn't help but warmly smile back.
Though she was really stressed from all the years in teaching the princess, the reason why she never found herself quitting, well aside from the big pay, was because of the undying warmth and enthusiasm that her princess has inside her. She knew that she was always rough and only saw Mikan as a pain for her to carry but it was in these times that all bad things she was feeling and thinking of easily fades away with the kindness that the princess gives to everyone around her. And she was sure that all these people who stay with the brunette; the maid and the stable master, the workers, servants, attendants or everyone who were here supporting the princess, no matter how hectic it was to take care of the loud childish heiress, she knew that they can also see the beauty of their princess's heart.
"Well! I've got to practice more more more more so father would be proud of me!" said Mikan as she took another arrow "I can't wait to see him look proud when I hit…" she shot one and it placed near the former one she shot "…it bulls eye! You'll help me right ne-chan?"
Mikan beamed at her archery master whom she has referred ever since she was still a child as her onee-chan. Shizune smiled back and then regained her cool composure once again.
"Yes. That would mean I have to double your training." She said strictly
"Moouu! Everyone keeps getting strict with me." Mikan pouted, "Even so, if ne-chan helps me I'd have to bear with it!"
"Alright, now take another shaft and I'll tell you why you keep doing it wrongly. And this time, listen carefully and concentrate. Is that understood?"
"Hai!" the idiot saluted and took one arrow as instructed
"Okay, now prepare your stance."
Mikan stood up on position, draw her yumi, a traditional Japanese bow, far back her ear
"All set!"
"Now I'll enumerate all your mistakes. One…" Shizune went behind Mikan and pushed her student's back. "Straighten your back. You have to stand real straight from your shoulders to your feet. Always keep in mind this posture. Next, your feet…" she pushed Mikan's feet with hers gently "…should form a v shape and not set too widely apart so you won't lose your balance."
Shizune took a step back and observed Mikan.
"That's better. Now…" She clucked her tongue "Prepare your stance again."
The princess set herself. This time, focusing real hard on what she's been taught for a hundred times by now.
"Very good princess. Now your most crucial mistake is the releasing."
"Eeehh?" Mikan lowered her bow, "But isn't that just releasing the arrow? It's the easiest."
"No, no I meant the moment just before it. The ultimate drawing before you release it. The Kai. That's the most vital part that will determine a good shot. Now your mistake as I've observed is that you close your eyes just before you take your shot and you tense your body with the pressure of the bow just before you release it and that's what's wrong. You have to concentrate hard. You have to combine your physical, mental and spiritual energies together so that…" Shizune stopped seeing Mikan looking at her with wide eyes.
"You don't get it do you?" she asked
"Yes!" the brunette replied
"You really shouldn't answer that so cheerfully." Shizune sighed again and thought hard "Ahhh! I don't know how to explain this to you really but well it's 'KAI'. It's just like putting your mind, body and soul together. Like meditating! But without closing your eyes!" she immediately added when she caught Mikan trying to meditate with closed eyes.
Shizune started pacing back and forth. For being a master in archery and teaching a lot of students, really, this brunette was the most challenging person to teach.
"ALRIGHT NE-CHAN! I think I got it. Hmm. Kai. Ok. Kai… It's just like meditating without closing my eyes right?" she asked as she took another arrow
Shizune just nodded hopelessly.
"Ok then!"
The princess inhaled and exhaled and then began preparing, giving her full attention to every step. As the brunette proceeded, Shizune watched her expectantly, noticing that the princess is finally doing it all in the right and most precise way. Everyone around was all staring hard.
"Yes, that's it. Next is finally the Kai." The archery master thought
"Concentrate. Meditate. Put my mind, body and soul together. And my heart…" Mikan thought
Just then, as everybody was intensely focused on the princess's practice, Harada Misaki, Mikan's personal attendant was hurrying to the archery dojo. She was huffing hard and was sweating a lot from running but she was too worried to care. She must get to the princess immediately.
While Mikan, finally grasping the Kai, thought,
"Daddy's going to be really happy."
The princess then released the arrow.
Just as Misaki entered from the dojo's door looking so pale that Mikan who immediately saw Misaki knew something was wrong. Everyone around including Shizune, who were all turned towards Misaki by then, also realized the heavy aura brought by the lass.
"Princess…" Misaki gasped for air "The King…"
That was all Mikan needed to hear before running back to the palace followed by everyone…
…leaving her last arrow silently sticking on the center target.
To be continued…
I know this is kinda long but the next chapter's going to be even longer. xDDD
Even so, I hope you all will continue reading it! Ohohoho~
Thanks for reading this chapter! Natsume will come soon guys, just be patient XD