Chapter 10 - Stranger

This chapter is dedicated to JustSpiffy! Happy reading! :)

~~~~~~~~~~~

Izumi pov:

"What?" I asked while looking at Ichirou san rather dumbly.

"I said that you have been assigned to be Prince Shichiro's bodyguard from now on. His Highness was thoroughly impressed by what you did yesterday – fighting off the rebels and coming all the way to his chambers to ensure his safety. He has ordered you to become an Elite Guard to the Prince....which I assume you will consider as an honor." He said without looking at me but going through a roll of parchment that he had in his hand.

"I am honored that the Blood Emperor was impressed by me and thinks that I'm good enough to guard a member of the Royal Family but correct me if I'm wrong – guarding a Prince would mean staying in the palace by his side all the time. And that is not what I would consider and exciting job. Besides, how does the Blood Emperor know about everything that happened yesterday anyway?" I asked narrowing my eyes a bit.

"Not an exciting job? Do you think you're in a position to say that, Izumi? This is a Royal Command and you will perform it whether you like it or not. And did you really think His Highness wouldn't be aware of what happens in his palace? Everything that happens here is reported to him immediately and he is always aware of even the smallest thing takes place in his palace and country. Don't be foolish to assume anything otherwise." Ichirou san said with a scoff.

"Okay, I guess I was being a little stupid in that matter. I deeply apologize, Your Eminence." I said, sarcasm dripping off my words. "But why can't you find someone else to guard the Prince? Someone better, perhaps? I mean, it's not like I'm the best fighter in the Elite Division."

"True. You are not the best." He remarked making me twitch in annoyance. "But you fared quite well yesterday, seeing how you had taken out close to two dozen rebels all by yourself – even fighting them in groups. Sometimes it is skills that matter and not brute strength. And from what I heard from His Highness, Prince Shichiro seems to have taken a liking to you. He's very grateful to you for saving his life and has spoken about you with His Highness with much praise and positive feelings. It has been hard finding a bodyguard who Prince Shichiro is comfortable around until now so this is a chance we cannot let slip away. Besides, Prince Shichiro has already been informed of this and he is eagerly awaiting your arrival."

He turned away from me before I could protest and began giving out instructions to the others in the training hall. I just stood there, jaw slack in disbelief as I watched Ichirou san who showed no hints of wanting to talk to me about this matter anymore. I clenched my jaw and fists irked by this sudden turn of events, not happy in the least because I knew this job came with restricted movement. I would have to be by Prince Shichiro's side at all times, the chances of going out of the palace on missions was slim which, in turn, wouldn't give me many chances to find the information I wanted to find about returning to the modern world. The only thing that I probably could see as positive was that I might be able to access the Royal Library and Records Room without having to sneak in without permission.

"Hey, cheer up, Izumi! I'm sure you'll get a chance to do something exciting....guarding the Royal Family isn't exactly an easy or safe job, you know?" Haji san said encouragingly as he joined me.

"True....but it's not exciting enough and I'm pretty sure it won't have enough running around. How am I supposed to train and stay in top shape if I'm not challenged by anything?" I asked unhappily.

"You don't have to worry about that." Koharu said this time. "There's usually a cycling of roles that happens in the palace. During your training time, someone else will take the responsibility of protecting Prince Shichiro so you won't have to worry about your skills getting rusty. Besides, you'll also get a day off every week to relax and do whatever you want."

"I still don't consider that exciting." I deadpanned at her.

"Aww! Is my poor sweetheart sad? Why don't I give you a hug to cheer you up?" Haji san teased and held his arms out while stepping closer to me.

My brow twitched and I pushed his face away with my hand, squashing his nose in the process. "No thank you. I'll pass on receiving your hug that has hidden motives."

"Hiffen mofifs? I fonft haff hiffen mofifs! [Hidden motives? I don't have hidden motives!]" He said in a muffled voice behind my hand.

"Like anyone will believe that! Izumi and I know that all you men here are nothing but a bunch of perverts!" Koharu said with a scoff and crossed her arms over her chest while glaring at Haji san.

"Hey! That's not true!" He whined after moving away from my hand but holding it in both of his. "I just wanted to give Izumi a friendly hug!"

"Thanks but maybe some other time, okay?" I said flatly and pulled my hand away from him.

"Some other time?? Really?! You'll let me hug you?!" Haji san asked excitedly and I raised a brow wondering why he sounded so happy about it. Maybe he was having hidden motives after all.

"I said maybe. Don't get your hopes up." I said with a wave.

"Ugh, there's no point talking to him, Izumi. You should head out now....unless you want Shogun to start yelling at you." Koharu said making me sigh in slight exasperation.

I shook my head and looked to the side while rubbing the back of my neck. I suppose I couldn't really refuse this 'mission' because it was an order from the Blood Emperor. I would have to go along with this for now and then find a way to deviate from it to a more useful and, as I mentioned before, exciting role.

"What are you still standing there for? You should head to Prince Shichiro's chambers without any delay!" Ichirou san called out with a frown and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Yeah yeah, I heard you, Chief. I'm on my way." I muttered and turned to walk out of the training hall after a wave to Koharu and Haji san.

I headed towards the palace and followed the route I had taken yesterday while apprehending the rebels. Ichirou san had told me the Prince Shichiro's chambers were very close to that of the Blood Emperor's, right next to his in fact, and I would have to meet the Prince there.

When I made it to the grand double doors of the room beside that of the Blood Emperor's, I stopped in front of them for a moment and sighed. I glanced at the double doors of the Blood Emperor's chambers that was actually more than twenty feet away from where I stood. My brow twitched as I hazily remembered the room – it was humongous with a formal area in front and the actual informal room which Haji san had called the inner chamber behind it. In all, I'm pretty sure that the Blood Emperor's room itself was bigger than the apartment I lived in back in the modern world. Did anyone seriously need such a big room?? I mean, it's just a place to relax and sleep....why make it as big as a house?

I clicked my tongue and looked away from it, not finding any reason to be bothered by it. I lifted my hand to knock on the doors but paused midway and snapped my head to my left to look down the hallway. I narrowed my eyes feeling a presence close by – like I was being watched. The feeling was strong and intense even though I couldn't see anyone around me. Either that or I was being paranoid about an attendant or someone watching me, surprised that I was here in the very heart of the Palace.

I shrugged it off for the time being and decided to look into it more later on. I straightened up and looked ahead again to knock on the doors. I raised a brow when I heard a flustered answer from Prince Shichiro who was inside and instead of merely giving me permission to enter, he himself opened the doors to make himself visible. When our eyes met, he turned bright red and stuttered incoherent syllables before opening to door fully so I could step in. I did so with an amused smile and watched Prince Shichiro as he shuffled towards his huge double bed while I shut the doors. He came to stand right next to the bed squirming, looking sheepish and embarrassed and I couldn't help but raise my brows again wondering why he was acting this way.

"Good morning, Prince Shichiro. I will be your bodyguard from now on – I was informed that you were told about this as well." I spoke up first.

"O-oh yes! Onii sama and Shogun Ichirou told me about it. I will be in your care from now on." He said with a cheerful smile through his fluster. "I was really looking forward to seeing you again, Izumi san. I am very thankful to you for saving my life and I hoped that I would be able to talk to you again sometime. I'm glad that you were appointed to be my bodyguard!"

"Right." I said flatly and looked around the room casually.

"A-ah, Izumi san?" Prince Shichiro spoke up, gaining my attention. "I have to go to the library now, for my daily studies. I do not want to keep Soutarou san waiting for too long."

"Alright, let's go." I said with a nod and walked behind Prince Shichiro as he exited his room and headed to the library in the palace.

I made a mental map of the route we took through the palace to the library. It was a big room with huge shelves of hand written and hand sewn books, with ladders here and there to help reach those kept at an unreachable level. There were two desks on one side of the library – one big and grandly carved and the other small but with almost the same amount of grandeur. Soutarou san was standing next to the smaller desk to which Prince Shichiro walked. He and Soutarou san exchanged greetings but I was rewarded with a rather sour look from Soutarou san before Prince Shichiro sat down to begin his lessons.

I was jobless the entire time. All I had to do was stand silently a few feet away from Prince Shichiro, on guard and completely bored out of my brains. After about two hours, I began to feel restless – I was shifting on my feet every few minutes and looking around hoping that something would happen and save me from this boredom. Thankfully, my wish was granted and I looked at Soutarou san when he stood up.

"Prince Shichiro, I'm afraid I will have to leave you to study on your own for a while. I have an important meeting with His Highness now." He said and bowed.

"I understand, Soutarou san. You may leave. I will continue my studies on my own." Prince Shichiro nodded with a smile.

Soutarou san excused himself from the library without sparing me a glance. When Prince Shichiro and I were finally alone, I let out a deep sigh and gave my body a stretch. I looked back to Prince Shichiro when he chuckled softly while looking at me.

"Were you that bored, Izumi san?" He asked.

I merely shrugged and looked around the library once. "Prince Shichiro, would you mind if I just have a look around? Do some light reading, perhaps?"

"Sure! You may do so, Izumi san. But just make sure you don't go to that section – it's restricted, even for me." He said pointing to a set of shelves arranged at the very back of the library and surrounded by wooden partitions to make it seem like a small room of sorts.

It caught my interest and I decided to check it out sometime later. But for now, I nodded to Prince Shichiro with a smile and walked towards one of the shelves to just look through some books. Unlike how the title of the book and the author was written on the spine in modern books, it wasn't the case here. If I wanted to know what the book was about, I had to pull it out and see the title on the front. However, the books were arranged subject-wise with the subject itself mentioned on the top of each shelf. I scanned through the subjects that interested me and pulled out a book or two that looked colorful and mildly appealing.

When I was going though the history section, I came across a book titled 'Historic Legends – A Leap Through Time'. Curious about its contents, I flipped a few pages while scanning what was written. It was kind of fantasy-ish with nothing I found useful but just before I could shut the book, something caught my eye.

"The Wizard and the Water God?" I asked more to myself and furrowed my brows.

The author had written about a wizard, a man practicing forbidden magic and spells, using his ability to control the spirits of nature to alter the flow of time. Apparently, controlling water was the easiest way to alter the flow of time, followed by lightning, earth, fire and wind. However, rather that proving the existence of magic and someone who could use it – for it was never really witnessed by anyone before – there were vague hints of something unusual happening, something unexplainable happening.

There was an illustration showing something that had appeared close to a century ago on the shore of a village in the East – it looked like a motorbike. There's no way a motorbike existed in Feudal Japan! Time travel had happened before, not with a person but with an object. It was possible that a person could have come here through a wormhole in a water body but they had probably not made themselves known out of fear of becoming the center of attention.

I continued to read in hopes of finding the appearance of another wormhole – one that had been spotted somewhere. There was too much of a description of how the surveying was done, how the security was increased, where the security was increased and all that mumbo-jumbo after the unidentified object had been spotted. It went on for pages and pages, wasting sheets and my time. I wanted to find information about a possibly witnessed wormhole, dammit!

"What do you think you are doing?" I heard a voice which I ignored.

I flipped a few more pages to skip a majority of unnecessary writing.

"Girl! I asked you a question! Are you trying to disrespect me?!" The voice called again and I clicked my tongue.

"Give me a minute, will you? Jeez, you're so loud...." I mumbled and read through a few more lines.

"Put that book down, now!" The voice bellowed and I finally tore my gaze away from the book to look at the person who called me with a glare.

Standing just a few feet away from Prince Shichiro was a man in royal robes, wearing a top knot crown similar to that on Prince Shichiro's head. He was probably in his early twenties and stood tall and haughtily. His long brown hair was tied just a little above the end with a white hair tie and his grey eyes were filled with annoyance.

"Who are you?" I asked sharply though I didn't move from where I stood.

"I-Izumi san! You shouldn't talk to him that way!" Prince Shichiro hollered meekly while sending a nervous glance at the man.

"How audacious! Do you wish for me to show you your place, wench?!" He barked and even flared his nostrils a bit in obvious displeasure.

"P-please, Onii sama! She doesn't know w-who you are and I'm sure she d-didn't mean to be rude! Izumi san is actually a really nice person!" Prince Shichiro whimpered.

"Onii sama?" I asked curiously.

"That's right! I am his elder brother and I assume you understand what it means. I am a Prince! Now, are you going to continue to disrespect me and act mannerless or will you at least try to retain some of your self-respect?" He spat.

My brow twitched in mild irritation because of the way he had spoken to me. Was this guy the Blood Emperor?? If he was, he was way different from what I thought the Blood Emperor would be. This guy didn't even look intimidating and neither was his presence. He just seemed like a prideful, stuck-up and bossy aristocrat who expected the royal respected treatment wherever he went.

Nonetheless, I pushed down my temper and shut the book in my hands. I then bowed ninety degrees. "I apologize for my behaviour, Your Highness. It is an honor to meet you."

As if.

He scoffed and looked away from me as I straightened up. "What an unpleasant morning. I was hoping to do some light reading but my mood has been upset and I don't wish to be around such sleazy company."

I resisted from rolling my eyes and bowed again, though just forty five degrees this time, as he stomped past me. Prince Shichiro seemed mildly worried while watching his brother but not even half as anxious as he did seem when he had spoken about the Blood Emperor. Thanks to his behavior, I was sure that this Prince wasn't the Blood Emperor and merely a member of the Royal Family.

"You know," The prince spoke when he had just taken a step past me. "I would suggest you learn your place in the presence of those much above you....filthy peasant."

I twitched at that and narrowed my eyes at the floor. I straightened up and chuckled, causing the prince to stop walking. I turned to look at him and noticed that he had turned his head to stare at me with a narrow gaze.

"Filthy peasant?" I asked amused. "Your Highness, this filthy peasant is a member of the Elite Division, trained and set up to protect the Blood Emperor and his family. We may not be as rich as you or live as luxuriously as you do but we put our lives on the line every single day to ensure all of your safety. And don't you dare make fun of peasants – they are the reason you have food on your platter, clothes over your body and a roof over your head. If anything, they should be considered the most important citizens of the country....not an ungrateful and arrogant prince like you."

"What did you say?!" He barked and turned fully to me.

"Would you like me to repeat it?" I mocked with a smirk.

"You insolent wench! You dare to disrespect me?! I will not let this go so easily! I will make sure you're punished for your behavior! I will have you executed by the Blood Emperor!" He hollered before walking out of the library furiously.

"Yeah right...." I scoffed and shook my head. He was planning to squeal to the Blood Emperor to punish me? How childish and amusing!

"I-Izumi san! What have you done?! Why did you talk to him like that?! Oh no....n-now you'll be in really big trouble! Onii sama....what if he does order you to be executed?" Prince Shichiro asked worried.

"Who exactly is he?" I asked, ignoring what he had just said.

"He's Araishi Onii sama..."

"He's not the Blood Emperor, right?" I clarified.

"No...but he is the eldest of us brothers and sisters." Prince Shichiro responded while staring at the floor.

"The eldest? So the Blood Emperor is younger than this prince? I always thought that the throne and authority were passed on to the eldest of the family...." I said slowly.

"That....is true." He said hesitantly. "A-actually, I'm not supposed to talk about the details but....I feel like I can trust you, Izumi san. So I'll tell you."

"It's alright. You don't have to tell me about it if you're not supposed to." I said, using a bit of reverse psychology to make him actually find the need to tell me about this after all.

"No, I want to tell you, Izumi san. You're my bodyguard and one of the Elite Division. I don't see what is wrong in you knowing a little about the Royal Family – it will help you protect us better, right?" He said with a smile and I resisted a smirk. "Ryuusei Onii sama and I are the only children born to our mother – the previous Empress of Nihon. The others of our family, our brothers and sisters, are sons and daughters of Father's consorts. The throne can be passed onto only a legitimate son and so Ryuusei Onii sama was crowned the Emperor before Father passed away. Onii sama was only fifteen then and...."

He shuddered for a moment, wrapping his arms around himself as if he felt cold. "In just three years, he became the most powerful and feared emperor Nihon has ever seen....at least, that's what I've heard from everyone I've seen and met. Then there's the massacre that was led by Onii sama....even though I was just a child then, I remember it like it was yesterday. The screaming, the blood, the killing...."

His eyes had gone wide now and he had begun to hyperventilate. I was curious about the incomplete information he had given but surprised by the way he was reacting now. He looked like he was having a panic attack and I knew that if he didn't snap out of it soon, he could hurt himself.

"Prince Shichiro!" I called, not hesitating to step closer to him and grab a hold of his shoulders.

"If anyone stands in his way....if I stand in his way....if I disobey or doubt him....no! I don't want to be killed! I want to live! I will never disobey you, Onii sama! I will never desire anything that you possess! I don't want the throne! I don't want anything! I just want to live!" He said through choking wheezes.

"Prince Shichiro! Snap out of it!" I yelled again and he sucked in a sharp breath, seeming to return to the present.

He didn't breathe and watched me dead in the eyes, fearfully. He had broken out into a cold sweat and he was trembling. It took a moment for him to fully snap out of his daze but when he did, the tension in his muscles loosened up and his shoulders slumped. He breathed deeply and heavily and I let go of him as he took a few wobbly steps away from me.

"I-I'm sorry....I-I don't know what came over me. I j-just...." He stuttered airily and wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve.

"It's alright, Prince Shichiro. I'm just glad that you're okay." I said.

He returned it weakly and sat down unceremoniously at his desk. He drank some water to help him calm down and then leaned back on his chair with his eyes closed. I narrowed my eyes just a bit, unnoticeably so I wouldn't give any wrong signals to whoever had been spying on me all morning. I had the feeling of being watched when I first went to greet Prince Shichiro in his room and it hadn't faded for even a moment until now so I wanted to be a little cautious and not give him any sort of hint about me.

What massacre was Prince Shichiro talking about? One that was led by the Blood Emperor himself, no less? It wasn't all that surprising to hear that the Blood Emperor came to power when he was just fifteen or the fact that the previous emperor had many children from many wives. And it most definitely wouldn't be surprising to hear that he had executed his enemies and those who opposed him in order to secure his place on the throne. However, I was puzzled as to why Prince Shichiro was so terrified because of it. I had heard that he was greatly adored by the Blood Emperor, and protected, so why did he fear his brother so much? Why did he confess in his moment of panic that he would be as submissive as possible because he just wanted to stay alive? Was the Blood Emperor truly someone who would kill his own sibling to keep the throne and ensure that things always happened the way he wanted it to?

I had read and watched stories depicting siblings killing each other for power – was it the same setting here as well?

But considering how fearful Prince Shichiro is of the Blood Emperor, I doubt he would be harmed in any way. I may be wrong in thinking so but perhaps Prince Shichiro wasn't even being seen as a threat or a hindrance in any way to the Blood Emperor and was being protected and catered to merely because he was a prince, a member of the Royal Family.

I felt a little sad for him. I don't think he had ever got the chance to love his brother the way siblings would. He was living in constant fear, respecting his brother out of the fear and obliging to everything that was ordered of him. Is that what all Royal Families were like?

I'd much rather prefer those of the PDST than a messed up family like this. Being with siblings – well, I considered those of the PDST like siblings and family rather than colleagues – was the most fun life in the world! We laughed, cried and went crazy together, stood by each other during tough times, celebrated together during any success and even made fun of each other in every chance we got. This kind of serious relationship between the Blood Emperor and prince Shichiro was not what I would call a family.

"Izumi san?" Prince Shichiro spoke, interrupting me from my thoughts.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"I do not think I can concentrate on my studies now. I'm sure I would feel better if I get some fresh air and a change in pace...will you escort me to the city market?" He asked weakly.

"Of course. And I will ensure your safety until we return to the palace." I said with a smile.

"Thank you. Let's head out then." He said and stood up.

I waited for him to pass by me and I followed him out of the library and down the palace hallways. We went to his room first so he could change into commoner robes – one that wouldn't stand out amongst the crowd in the market. Well, I suppose he would look like a rich kid but not like royalty and that would be enough to ensure he didn't become the spotlight.

Once he was ready and had received permission to go out to the market from the Blood Emperor through a messenger, we headed out of the palace and to the busy streets of Sei'an.

>>Timeskip

"What a boring day...." I muttered with a groan as I soaked in the hot water of the bathhouse.

Koharu chuckled beside me, shaking her head. I deadpanned at her and she held up her hands in defense which caused me to sigh. I sunk lower into the water and made very unladylike bubbles with my mouth.

"One day as the Prince's bodyguard and already tired?" She mused while scrubbing herself with whatever primeval soap she used.

"Not tired, not in the least. Just dreading the days ahead because there's absolutely nothing to do while I'm with the prince." I said flatly. "This really isn't my kind of job! I need excitement! I need action! Just standing in one place all day watching some royal kid isn't what I want to do!"

"Well, you don't really have choice in the matter, do you?" She said.

"True...." I mumbled and sighed deeply again. "Besides, I have a feeling that I've been assigned this job so an eye can be kept on me. This might seem a little improbable but I'm sure someone has been following me all day. I've felt a looming presence when I was in the palace and in the market when Prince Shichiro was on one of his tours."

"You were being watched?" Koharu asked narrowing her eyes a bit.

I shrugged, showing her that that's what I thought but didn't bother with anymore details. She frowned and hummed while leaning back on a boulder with a hand at her chin in thought.

"That's unexpected....why would anyone want to follow you and keep an eye on you anyway? What makes you so special?" She asked more to herself before giving a rather cheeky grin. "Maybe the Blood Emperor is smitten by you."

"Oh shut up, Koharu." I said with a roll of my eyes. "Honestly, what is with you and getting all goo-goo eyed over him?"

She chuckled and shook her head. "Like I said, Izumi, you're still a child at heart. When you're a little more mature, you'll understand. Besides, I'm not goo-goo eyed over him, just curious to get a look at his handsome face."

I stared her down for a moment placidly before excusing myself and getting out of the water. Unlike what she had thought, I wasn't that immature. I knew what a crush was and what a relationship was and what it meant to be infatuation with someone of the opposite gender. But I wasn't interested in any sort of romantic relationship at the moment, especially with men in this primeval era. Besides, my goal of earning money and traveling the world overpowered any desire to fall in love after finding 'the one'.

After a long day of doing absolutely nothing, I needed some fresh air. I didn't bother waiting for anyone and I finished up with my dinner. I picked up a pear and took a crunchy bite out of it as I headed out into the gardens for a casual stroll. The tension that had built up between my brows eased out slowly thanks to the fresh air and the comfortable silence. I quickly finished the pear and threw away the core and continued my casual stroll.

Someway through my walk in the garden, I came across a bamboo patch. There was a clearing in the middle of it and I took the liberty to lie down on the grassy ground to watch the stars. I put both hands under my head as support and rested one of my legs over the other. I narrowed my eyes slightly while thinking about the presence I had felt following me all of today, which wasn't there now. I had tried to find the person several times but he was pretty good at being evasive and out of my sight. I had a hunch that I was being watched and screened but whether it was the Blood Emperor or Soutarou san or Ichirou san who was behind it, I didn't know.

I wasn't really bothered by being followed even though it did sound pretty creepy. The fact that I was unable to comfortably go about with getting information on my ticket back to the modern world was what annoyed me. I was wasting time trying to fit into this world and lifestyle and I didn't need another hindrance, especially when I had just got my first clue to the possibilities of time travel through wormholes in the ocean. I had to get my hands on that book again and the only way to that was by pulling through uneventful days of guarding Prince Shichiro. I would have to suck it up until I had what I needed.

"What a bother, seriously." I muttered under my breath and closed my eyes.

Barely a few moments passed and I snapped my eyes open upon hearing the sound of a flute. I sat up with a start and looked in the direction from where I could hear a rather melodic tune. I stood up and silently made my way to the edge of the bamboo patch and looked out with a narrow gaze. Much to my surprise, I noticed a man sitting on a big boulder next to the koi pond playing a flute with his eyes closed. He had long dark hair that was left open, reaching well past his hips and with the ends to rest softly on the boulder on which he sat. His posture was straight and strong, his shoulders broad and powerful.

I could tell he was royalty from his clothes. He wasn't the same person I had met in the library today but I guessed that he was another one of the Blood Emperor's siblings. How many siblings did the Blood Emperor have anyway? And more than that, what was this guy doing out here alone? At this time of the night too?

I felt the need to find out about him – make sure that he is a prince and not an enemy – so I straightened up and walked out of the bamboo patch and towards him. He heard the crunching of the gravel under my feet and stopped playing the flute as I got closer. He slowly opened his eyes, revealing brilliant turquoise orbs, and moved the flute away from his lips. He looked up at me and smiled just a tiny bit, calmly, comfortably. He looked harmless as he sat there unarmed and absolutely relaxed but there was a hint of danger reflecting in his sharp, icy eyes.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" I questioned curtly.

"Am I not allowed to wander the gardens of the Blood Emperor? I'm not an enemy, if that is what you are wary of." He said in a deep and low but silky baritone. There was a mischievous smile playing on his lips as he watched me which only made me narrow my eyes further.

"You are of the Royal Family then?" I pressed, not ready to back down without a proper answer.

"You could say that." He said with a nonchalant shrug.

"I don't like halfhearted answers. I don't care if I come off as rude but I want a proper answer. Are you or are you not a member of the Royal Family?"

"Quite hostile, aren't you? Are you always like this with strangers or have you come to dislike me on our very first meeting?" He asked with a chuckle. It was mildly sinister and caused a light shiver to run down my spine.

I clenched my fists tightly refusing to show any weakness. I wasn't afraid of this guy and I wouldn't let something as silly as a dark chuckle make me feel in any way intimidated.

"I am someone who protects the Blood Emperor and his family and I cannot allow anyone to stir trouble within the palace. Tell me who exactly you are, now." I demanded harshly.

"I'm related to the Blood Emperor. Is that enough to make you see me as no threat?"

I watched him silently for a moment. He continued to look me in the eyes with a smile, showing no hints of lying. He wasn't lying but there was something that I found off about him. Whatever the case, since he was related to the Blood Emperor, I had to show him some respect.

"I see. I apologize for speaking to you rudely and hope that you retain no hard feelings for my behavior." I said and bowed my head.

"Raise your head, Love." He said making me clench my jaw and fists at the name he called me. "I know you were just doing your job of protecting the Blood Emperor and those of the palace. I appreciate your dedication to your duty."

I straightened up and looked at him again. "Thank you. I would like to ask you one thing though – why are you here alone? Surely you are aware that it isn't safe for someone of the Royal Family to be so unguarded in a place like this and at this time too."

He shrugged and held up his flute to look over it still smiling. "I needed some time alone to relax. Besides, I have nothing to worry about now that you're here."

"What if I hadn't come here and you had been attacked? It's not wise for you to have been here even if you did want some time alone." I said flatly.

"Well, I haven't been attacked now, have I? Why worry about something that didn't happen? You're here now and you can protect me if someone doest try to sneak up on me." He said coolly.

I was at a loss of words at his carelessness. I looked away from him resisting a sigh. Seeing how he was speaking against whatever I was saying, there was no point trying to make him understand that he should be more careful.

"By the way," He continued, making me meet his piercing eyes. "Did you like the tune I played on my flute?"

"It was interesting." I commented. I didn't want to sound positive or negative about his flute skills even though I did find the tune he had played melodious and quite pleasing to the ears.

"Smart answer." He responded with a light chuckle and stood up. "Your comment was mildly positive though so I will thank you for the compliment. It's very rare for me to have audience and even rarer for them to compliment me."

I clenched my fists as he stood, realizing that his appearance was much more powerful and intimidating that what I thought it was. He towered over me even though we stood a good ten feet away from each other, he was broad, thoroughly toned and mildly buff and had an unexpectedly pressurizing aura around him. I decided not to let it bother me much though and I watched him passively.

"If you are done playing your flute and having time alone, would you like me to escort you back to the palace?" I asked after a moment of silence.

"That is appreciated. Let us go." He said smiling and began to walk towards the palace.

I fell in pace with him but stayed two feet behind as we walked. When we made it to one of the main entrances of the palace, he stopped walking and turned to face me. He lifted his flute and brought it under my chin to make me lift my head a bit. I was uncomfortable with what he did but I didn't say or do anything because I didn't want to upset someone of the Royal Family in any way, even though this guy didn't look like a squealer like Prince Araishi who I had met this morning in the library.

"You're quite a beauty....I'm especially charmed by the fearless spark in your eyes. Tell me...what is your name, Love?"

I inhaled deeply to stop from snapping at him to not call me that name. I couldn't even turn my gaze away from him because he still had his flute under my chin, unmoving and steady.

"Izumi, Your Highness."

"Izumi....a lovely name, and I think it suits you well." He commented with a smile and finally moved his flute away from me. "I would love to chat with you for a little longer, Love, but there are things I must take care of. We'll meet again soon and we'll talk more then."

My eyes went wide in sheer shock when he stepped closer to me, put his hands on my shoulders in a firm yet gentle grip and placed his lips on the center of my forehead in a kiss. I clenched my fists so tightly that I felt the pain from my nails digging into the skin of my palms. He pulled away after a moment, smirking playfully, and swiftly headed into the palace leaving me fuming and in disbelief.

"I cannot believe that audacious little...!" I cursed under my breath and looked in the direction he had gone with a seething glare.

He calls me beautiful and says he's charmed by my eyes and then kisses me on the forehead. I don't care if he is a prince – he had no right to kiss me without my permission! And it was so annoying to hear him call me Love! I told him my name so why did he still call me Love after the introduction?!

Letting out a deep breath to calm my frustration a bit, I turned away from the palace and stomped my way back to the barracks. This guy was annoying to say the least. He had worsened my mood and I was sure I was going to be bitter for the next few days. Whatever the case, what's done is done and I couldn't change the past.

All I could do was hope that I never got to see this guy ever again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Woah, Izumi got to meet two other princes on the same day! With such contrasting personalities to boot! Prince Araishi is a squealer and the second prince seems to be a hotshot....perhaps a womanizer too since he kept calling Izumi 'Love' and even kissed her on the forehead XD

Aww, Izumi is not happy with her new job in the palace. She wants some action and adventure but is stuck babysitting Prince Shichiro. But she did get something good out of it - vague information from a book and the story of the massacre in the palace led by the Blood Emperor O.o

What's going to happen next??

Stay tuned! ;)

Vote!

COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT!!!

:D