Kotaro steadily poured the freshly brewed black tea into two identical, ivory cups.
"Thank you very much", I smiled, out of all of them Kotaro was the only to treat me as a princess like I deserve even if I did at first call him a mute.
"You must be exhausted princess, I have set a clean kimono for you", he said sternly.
"Yes, I'm not used to the trek, I must look awful", I said before taking the first sip. In the castle I never exerted myself to physical tasks, having to walk and be out in the sun all day has definitely been taking its toll on me.
"So what have you been doing?", I took another sip.
"Excuse me?", he asked.
"I meant, what sort of ninja tasks were you performing; assassinations, reconnaissance, or perhaps training?", calmly I asked.
Kotaro looked straight at me, it was a little surprising to see such a stern gaze, admittedly I slightly tensed up, immediately wishing I could retract my question.
"I was surveying the forest", he began to talk "Nobukatsu has set up blockades in order to catch you, originally you were to traverse through the forest but it would be wiser if Sasuke took you through the mountains".
"Will we be travelling today?"
"No, I was requested to allow you rest and since I am to survey Nobukatsu's movements in this area, it also works in my favor", he said still gazing.
I looked away to the floor, to the walls, to the steam rising from the tea cup, anywhere but at him. It was obvious he was the most serious of the bunch but it was too serious, it was a bit difficult to engage a conversation since it looked like he hadn't smiled in a long time.
"I-I'm going to lay down for a bit", I stammered my excuse to leave.
I let out a lengthy sigh as I walked through the narrow hallway, and into the room at the end of the hall. Which was petite but oddly charming. The rays of light pierced through the window so perfectly, it was a relaxing sight. Even if I wasn't tired it gave me enough comfort. I sat down slowly, closing my eyes as I untied my hair from its bun and letting it flow onto my shoulders. When I reopened them, Kotaro was sitting in the corner of the room.
"Kotaro?!", my heart felt like it would burst from fright. "Why are you here?"
"It is my duty to watch over you at all times", he said so obliged.
"What if I need to change?"
"Then I shall turn around", he responded.
"And what if I'm bathing, are you supposed to join me or something?", I said outraged.
"No, I will simply be waiting outside the door", he said so straight faced.
"Unbelievable…", I said under my breath "Am I not allowed a moment to myself?"
"That is when the enemy will attack, to prevent your death we are to watch you the princess, every second, we are to become your shadow".
I did not think becoming a ninja princess would be more intrusive and annoying as being the princess of Tsu, but I was clearly wrong. More than ever that feeling of me being some kind of trophy was more truthful than before. None of them actually want to know me, they just want to use me to unite them all together.
"Well since I stuck with you, can I at least get to know you?", I said rifling through the items he had set out for me, I retrieved the comb and started managing my hair.
"There isn't much that is interesting about me", he simply responded, I raised my eyebrow and he knew I wanted him to continue talking.
"What about your childhood?"
"I spent most of my childhood training, sharpening my skills to be the ideal ninja", he said coolly.
"Most of my childhood was spent training too, obviously not with knives or anything like that, but to be a perfect lady, one who is on display for everyone to gawk at, like a bird in a cage", I stopped combing my hair mid-way and hugged my knees into my chest.
"But it's impossible, I will never be the person people expect me to be…"
Several minutes passed and we said nothing to each other, can he not tell I'm upset?
I'm so used to consolement from others, whenever I was upset the servants would talk sweetly to me, even if I didn't gain any happiness from it, at least they did something about it. But then again, he had no obligation to keep me happy, just to keep me alive.
With that thought I tucked myself into the sheets and closed my eyes.
Terror struck into my mind when I thought of being the ninja princess, I know I agreed to it but that was mainly because I could leave the castle, I have no understanding of what it means, or the dangers I may face. What if Nobukatsu does capture me, would he execute me on the spot or bring me to his father? But then what would Nobunaga do to be if he had me, I have not heard good things about the man. If I was to die, would they just replace me with another girl?
Suddenly I felt something, like a foreign presence, infiltrating my heart. I could feel its cold, bony fingers tap on my heart. It amplified my fears, and made me break in a cold sweat. It was a spirit, I recognized that other-worldly feeling it had, it was attracted to my fears, feeding off it. I always have an affiliation with spirits, but it was usually a rare occurrence. It made me feel so empty, so short of breath, like I could die at any moment but I couldn't wake up, I was paralyzed. I desperately fought the internal struggle until I let a scream loose and my eyes opened.
"Princess?!", Kotaro rushed to me side.
"I can't do this", I said almost in tears "I'm not the right person to be your ninja princess, you need to find someone else"
He sat beside me now, looking away as he spoke.
"There is no one else that can do what you have to do", quietly he said "We need you, because you are the only one who can unite us"
"What if Nobunaga finds me?", I clenched onto his tunic panicked.
"Princess, we won't let anything happen to you, I will die in order to keep you alive if thats what it requires", he said unflinching "Now please get some rest"
"I can't sleep..", I said laying down, staring at the ceiling.
He unclenched my hand from his tunic but I quickly grabbed his hand.
"Please let me do this", sounding teary I pleaded.
"If that is what the princess wishes", he said.
"My mother used to do this for me when I had trouble sleeping, before she… died"
Again I closed my eyes, I could feel the warmth of his hand and it felt like the ice caused by my fears was slowly melting. I thought of my mother and her gentleness, it help drift me to sleep, peacefully.
Finally I woke up, feeling better after what happened, I rubbed my eyes and opened them to see not only Kotaro but Sasuke sitting in my room watching me.
"You've got to be kidding me…"