by Brandon Chen
“But this is my post! Shouldn’t I—”
“Turn around. Otherwise….” The soldiers all unsheathed their blades in unison and pointed the gleaming tips at Keimaro, their hands shaking ever so slightly. The timorous soldiers definitely didn’t seem ready to combat the rumored member of the Royal Guard who had been assigned to protect the princess. They all thought of him as simply a random braggart from the slums that managed to score a lucky position in the princess’s guard. Now that they faced Keimaro in person, for some reason, the boy was giving them an ominous aura—one that relieved them of all their previous bravery and left them sapped and shaking in their rattling knight armor, which creaked with every movement.
“Ah, how ponderous. A group of brawny knights ganging up on a member of the Royal Guard? Show proper deference. The adversity of such a high position is esoteric in comparison to you, those who lounge around all day simply gambling amongst yourselves and drinking to the point where you hardly even know your own place. You torpid fools ought to lower your swords and bow,” a voice said from behind Keimaro, and the boy turned to find General Mundo standing behind him with his slicked-back hair and gleaming armor. “Lower your blades and resume your positions. As for you, Riku Hikari, was it? Follow me.”
Keimaro looked at the superior for a moment and supposed that it was more of an order than a suggestion. He couldn’t deny this man; he was a general. So, the Royal Guard followed the general as they descended the steps. He couldn’t help but think that it was unlikely that the general was just randomly wandering and saw the event occurring. Without a doubt, he had been following Keimaro or at least intended to see the princess himself. Though, the first idea seemed more likely since the general had asked him for a walk. What on earth could this man possibly want to talk about?
“I heard about your trial with the king,” General Mundo said, breaking the silent barrier between the two of them. “That is quite the feat, if I do say so myself. You’ve managed to impress even the king with your talents with the sword. I have heard a great many things. I wish that the king had asked for you to come into the ranks of the guard sooner, actually. With the recent assassination last night, if you had been there, perhaps we could’ve saved some lives.”
“Perhaps,” Keimaro said.
“So many men were lost just from a simple swipe of Keimaro Hayashi’s hand. Can you believe it? Dozens of men were killed. Men with families. I can’t imagine what the families must feel like today after finding out that one of their loved ones was incinerated by Keimaro’s flames. Last night’s events will only arouse rage within the civilian population.” General Mundo sighed. “But then again, what can they do? And what can we do? We are simple humans. We don’t have powers like that monstrosity of a boy. Born a demon and now he’s got abnormal fire powers to match. How much deeper into darkness will he fall, I wonder?”
“I was asking myself the same thing, sir,” Keimaro said, wincing at the mention of how he was a monster. I don’t need some old man telling me what I am. He kept his calm and watched as the general tittered like a child. It looked as if he were up to something, but Keimaro simply waited until the general collected himself.
“At any rate, the king has told me to send a letter to Darius, the prince of Faar, telling him to come home. He is one of the most skilled humans in existence with a blade. I’m sure that he would be intrigued to have a sparring match with you before the king,” General Mundo said. “I was just wondering if you’d be up to the challenge, is all. After all, I wouldn’t want to force you into fighting an opponent that you’d be uncomfortable in combat with.”
Keimaro raised an eyebrow as they reached the end of the staircase and stopped descending. The general noticed and turned to look at the guard. The boy’s eyes were wide and filled with heat and glee. However, not a single crack of a smile formed on his lips. “My only issue is … if I hurt the prince, will there be any penalty?”
“Not at all.”
“Then this’ll be fun,” Keimaro said with a small chuckle, his eyes glimmering though they remained black as the shadows of an abyss. “You can count me in.”
“He will be here in a few days,” General Mundo said with a wave over his shoulder as he began to walk away. “I congratulate you on your new position, by the way, Riku. I’m sure you’ll do great.” The general gave a wicked smile that spread across his lips, though Keimaro couldn’t quite see it.
Keimaro watched the man walk away, frowning to himself. There was something off about General Mundo. There wasn’t any specific reason but Keimaro’s intuition told him to be careful about Mundo. A part of him wanted to go and follow the general to find out what was so fishy about him, but he had other things on his mind. Keimaro turned to leave the castle instead. If those guards wouldn’t let him go in through the front door to get to Aika, there would always be alternate ways to get in.
After finding an open window, Keimaro began to climb up the side of the castle. It wasn’t exactly difficult, but was more psychologically strenuous than it was physically. Many tiles were loose, but he found plenty of windowsills to grab on to, and his upper-body strength was honed to the point where it didn’t even strain him to climb. However, the thought of getting caught or even falling haunted him throughout his ascension. He was paranoid. Even the slightest of sounds would make him glance downward to see if soldiers were wandering around below. Fortunately for him, there weren’t. With his white tabard, he blended in partially with the color of the castle. He hadn’t thought of how long the climb to get to the princess’s tower really was. It didn’t seem too far, but it felt like he had been climbing for ages. His fingertips were beginning to ache, and he wondered how he was going to get back down. Each breeze made him want to fall or just release the castle and flow with the wind—though he knew realistically he would fall and probably die, or at least break every bone possible.
Why on earth was he risking everything just to see the princess? Something as suspicious as this could be seen as an attempted assassination or kidnapping. He couldn’t possibly be risking his capture for a simple girl! Just to see her, how ridiculous was he being? Nevertheless, he continued onward, pulling himself further up, until he finally grasped the stone railings of the balcony. He hauled himself upward, panting, slightly exasperated from the climb. He landed swiftly and silently as a feather on the balcony floor. The boy glanced back over the railing and almost whistled at how far the drop was. He now towered high over the entire city and could see all the brilliant lights as he had from his own room except to a much greater extent. Now he could see over the walls and out toward the vast fields that surrounded the city. He could even see the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Keimaro smiled to himself and then turned to see the silk curtains of the balcony blowing to the side. His eyes widened as the curtains gusted, and he saw Aika without her shirt, putting on her nightgown. His eyes gazed upon her smooth, young skin, and a light blush came across his face. He coughed and immediately regretted it because Aika’s face snapped to his. She screamed.
Within a single second, the guards barged through the door, brandishing their swords. “What happened? Princess! Are you okay?”
“Yes! Yes! I’m fine!” Aika stammered. “I just saw a bug was all! There’s nothing to worry about!” She squealed, her face red as she pulled her blanket around her body. “Now get out of here! I’m not dressed!”
***
The soldiers all flushed red and quickly piled out of the doorway without taking a single glance at the balcony. As soon as the door to her room was closed and locked, Aika turned to face the balcony, but she didn’t see him anymore. She could’ve sworn that she saw Riku. Her face was red as she slowly began to walk toward the balcony, her white nightgown wrapped around her. She stepped onto the soft marble floor with her bare feet, feeling the slight shiver of cold run through her toes. The soles of her feet padded against the floor gently, and she looked around.
The boy stepped out from the side of th
e balcony, his foot touching gracefully on the railing. A hood was pulled over his head, but he wore his white Royal Guard tabard. He gave her a small smile as he touched down on the ground in front of her. He had been hiding on a ledge next to the balcony. He was fast; she gave him that. But how did he get up here?
Aika glanced past Riku at the railing and shook her head in disbelief. “How did you…?”
“I climbed.”
Well, that answers that, Aika thought. But she couldn’t believe it. No ordinary human could climb that high. She brushed the hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. “Why are you here, Riku? You realize this is against the rules, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I got it,” Riku said, rubbing his neck with a sigh. “I just wanted to check up on you. After all, that’s my job, I guess. I wanted to make sure that you were all right after that explosion in the city and then the assassination last night….”
I feel like I know him, Aika thought, biting her lower lip. There was something about him. She felt as if she had met him before and that they knew each other. But, this was only the second time they had even talked. And what kind of soldier cared so much about a princess? Who would climb dozens of stories just to see if the person was okay—particularly if that person were a complete stranger? When Aika looked into the dark pools of his eyes, she saw something familiar, but what was it? Her heart fluttered when their eyes met. Heat rose up in her. “Do I know you?”
***
Why had Keimaro come up all this way? To see her? No, he wanted to tell her something. He wanted to tell her everything. He lowered his eyes when she said those words: Do I know you?
Yes. Yes, you do!
Then he bit his lower lip, trying to hold back the words that wanted to leave his mouth. For now, he was just Riku Hikari, right? Not around her, I’m not. His heart throbbed, and when he looked at her, an image appeared in his mind.
The beautiful blue skies that stretched for miles and miles that urged him on to explore the world. Keimaro could see himself at the age of fourteen, sitting underneath the beautiful apple tree that had once topped the hill overlooking their village. A light breeze sent every single blade of grass swaying as if they were dancing with the wind. And in a moment’s glance, Yata appeared, sitting on the grass beside him. The two of them were laughing and joking with each other, but Keimaro couldn’t hear anything. They simply smiled, enjoying the view and the wonderful weather. And then Aika appeared in the image, standing over them with her dirty dress, scolding them for something. But the two boys were simply laughing, inviting Aika to relax with them.
If the Bakaara massacre hadn’t happened, then maybe that dream could’ve become a reality. Maybe they could’ve been the best of friends. The three of them.
A tear formed in Keimaro’s eye and streaked down his right cheek, gathering at his chin. It fell gently and hit the marble floor, dispersing into multiple droplets as it hit. He lowered his head as his heart ached, wishing that he could return to that happiness—sitting underneath the apple tree, free from everything with his friends. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve and raised his head. He had to show her.
Aika’s eyes widened when she saw the glow in Keimaro’s irises, a flashing red that was unmistakable. She didn’t move, and her mouth dropped open as the two of them stood in silence, looking at each other. “You’re….”
Keimaro’s eyes returned to their dark color, and he gave her a small smile. “Yeah.”
“K-Keimaro? It’s you? It’s really you! All of this time, I’d thought you were dead from the massacre. I mean, until I heard that you were in the city and—”
Aika was interrupted when Keimaro leaned forward suddenly and locked lips with her. The wind gusted as they kissed, sending waves of heat between the two of them, sparks igniting almost instantly. Aika’s face blushed bright red as Keimaro pulled back, and she was silenced by the action. She reached out and slapped him, practically shaking. But Keimaro didn’t even react; the smile was still printed on his face.
After a few moments of being stunned, she gathered her bravery to speak again. “W-Why did you do that!” she exclaimed, flustered. “I’m a princess! You can’t just—”
“I just did,” Keimaro laughed warmly and took a step back to lean against the railing of the balcony. “You didn’t have to enjoy it, Aika. You really are beautiful, and I’ve always wanted to do that. I remembered that you were pretty before, but now when I see you, I really can’t help myself.” He exhaled, looking over his shoulder at the view of the city. “I suppose you’re wondering what I’m doing here then. You know, it’s weird. I don’t know why I climbed this high to see you either.”
“Why are you posing as Riku Hikari?” Aika asked, touching the railing and turning toward him. She tried to push the kiss to the back of her mind. “What’s the point in that? Are you out to kill my father?”
“If it was something as simple as that, I could’ve just done it when I had my hands around his throat last night,” Keimaro murmured with a shake of his head. “No, it’s not him that I want. For the most part, my concentration is on the Bount organization. Although your father’s men are the ones that destroyed my village, the only reason they were able to invade was because of the Bounts. Not to mention, they took my sister from me and killed my mother.” He growled, squeezing the railing tightly. “The reason that I am here is that I want to make sure that you’re all right, that’s all.” At least it’s part of the truth. “Members of the Bounts have infiltrated the government, and they will try to target you. I am here to ensure your safety. Though, I just blew my cover a couple of seconds ago, I suppose.”
“You really must trust me,” Aika laughed lightly. “You know, I might not be the same girl that you remember from four years ago.”
“I figured that you owe me one anyway.” Keimaro winked at her. “After all, we saved your life in the forest twice.”
Aika pushed him playfully, and Keimaro laughed.
“Did you end up getting a power from the meteor that we discovered in the forest?” Keimaro asked abruptly. “Yata and I got one.”
“Yes, I did,” Aika said, looking out at the city, her eyes wandering amongst the glowing lights. “I gained an odd ability to heal. Whenever I get a cut, it automatically heals, which is why you won’t find a single scar on my entire body. I can use the ability to heal other people as well, but that’s all that I’ve learned so far.”
Keimaro now knew the purpose of the three powers. The meteor was supposed to give god-like powers to a single person who absorbed its energy through physical contact. At least, that was what Z had said. If the powers were evenly distributed, then each of them got a fraction of the total power that the meteor could’ve provided. Aika got the power to heal. Yata got the power to protect. And Keimaro got the power to destroy. If those powers were all put together, then they would cause devastation on a massive scale if used improperly. So, that was the power of Kuro. The mere thought of his awakening was enough to bring a shiver down his spine.
The young boy’s stay on the princess’s balcony was prolonged as he began to engage in conversation about their past and attempted to catch up on what had happened over the years. He couldn’t help but realize that Aika didn’t treat him like he was a terrorist. She didn’t seem to have even the slightest bit of hate directed toward him despite the fact that he had injured her father. And he felt guilty for doing what he had done.
He didn’t know why. Perhaps it was because he was beginning to strengthen his friendship with Aika once more, and he felt bad for hurting someone she held close. But, in the end, he knew that what he should’ve done was murder the king right then and there. In the deepest and darkest parts of his blackened heart, he also wished that he had simply squeezed the life out of the king’s throat and ended this whole charade in a single instant.
But as the boy talked to the princess more and more, his thoughts of revenge began to be pushed to the very back of his mind, and his heart thumped every tim
e she giggled at a joke or remark that he made. He felt heat rising in his body, and for once it wasn’t anger, annoyance, or hatred. Unfamiliar with this foreign emotion, he ignored it and ended up falling asleep at her bedside after hours of talking. And for the first time in years, there was a smile on his face as he slept.
The Prince
It had been several days since Yuri had spoken to Keimaro in Aladdin’s mansion. How long did that idiot expect him to wait before he could save Lena? His friend was sitting in a dungeon being tortured every day, and he was expected to just sit there and wait until her execution was announced? What kind of logic was that?
The werewolf sat isolated in the room that Aladdin had provided for him. The noble had left the house early that morning in hopes of asking Gavin and Yata a question regarding their previous mission underground. He still had not returned. The snow-haired boy lay on his king-sized bed and stared at the ceiling with his arms outstretched on the purple and yellow blankets. He hadn’t seen Keimaro since that day either. It looked as if he were actually taking his job seriously in the Royal Guard. How the hell can he take the job seriously when he’s the one who will be assassinating the king? He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly. That bastard is probably off enjoying himself and forgetting about Lena, isn’t he?
Yuri had almost forgotten what her laugh sounded like after so many days of being separated from her. Noah was gone and now Lena? How could he call himself their squad leader if he couldn’t even protect them from getting captured? He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. It was settled. He had to go and get her himself. He didn’t care if Keimaro or Aladdin weren’t ready. He remembered the instructions that Keimaro had given him. He didn’t care if Aladdin had ordered him to stay inside of this damn mansion. He had to go out there and save Lena. He couldn’t allow her to suffer anymore—not more than she already had through her life. She deserved better. Much better.
