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Chapter 1

YORU


A very angry girl with pale blond hair and bright blue eyes was adjusting a heavy lance, bracing it under her right arm and lowering it until it was level to the quintain in front of her (a dummy painted like a warrior) so that it was angled across her mare’s whithers on the left. Then she kicked the black horse into a run and vented all her anger and frustration as she stood and leaned forward and struck the center of the painted shield with her lance tip so hard that it shattered. Tyou of Drathir trotted her mare back over to the quintain dummy that stuck in its half turn. Dismounting, she watched as her personal servant scurried to pick the broken pieces of lance up.
“Good hit,” a boy with blonde hair and gleaming blue eyes said with a grin. Neither Tyou nor the boy wore armor, only the dark blue tunic; the blond-haired boy wore a pair of loose, black breeches like Tyou’s silver ones, thick riding boots, and stockings.
“I bet you can’t do better, Washi,” Tyou retorted to her brother, Washi of Drathir’s remark. Washi smirked and picked up a lance, tossing it a few times up and down to get the weight of it, leant back, and threw it as hard as he could towards the second of three quintains. The quintain’s shield broke off and rolled on the ground for a moment before it stilled, leaning on that shaft.
“I think I just did,” Washi said grinning and ruffling Tyou’s hair, “You have to try harder little sister.”
“I’m not that much younger than you!” Tyou growled defensively, resting her hand on the hilt of her gold sword, her bracelets jangling. They were a constant reminder that she was engaged and she tore them off, throwing them as hard as she could and crossing her arms as she pouted.
“Now, now Tyou,” said a husky male voice as a pair of heavy boots thudded near. “Those were expensive.”
“And they’re a token of Prince Chicken’s looove,” Washi teased, bumping his sister’s shoulder. “Ow!” He exclaimed as his muscular father whacked him in the back of the head.
“Where’s Princess Cockroach’s necklace for you brother? She made it special for her little baby, her little p-” But Tyou too was cut off by a whack in the head from her father.
“Here.” He grunted putting them back in her hand. “I expect them on and fixed by the time Prince Niwatori arrives for dinner. And Washi,” he said as he rounded on his son who was playing with a heavy leather ball, “I expect to see that necklace on for Princess Gokiburi.”
“Yes Father…” The two grumbled.
“Good.” And with that, he walked off across the grassy field that was surrounded by a dirt track and in through a heavy wooden door that led to the castle.
“Better go put on your pretty little dress girlie girl,” Washi taunted, pushing Tyou and leaping on his bulky black stallion.
“I was gonna say the same to you!” Tyou shouted after him, mounting her own horse and galloping after him into the stables. She leapt off the saddle of her horse and tackled him to the ground, twisting his arms around behind his back.
“Get on outta ‘ere if yer all gonna do that!” shouted an angry looking boy who came around the corner with a shovel, but bowed apologetically when he realized whom he was speaking to. “So sorry yer ‘ighnesses,” he murmured, backing away quickly.
“Please, stop going so fast your Highnesses,” panted Tyou’s personal servant, a girl with ropy brown hair that was hanging over her shoulder limply and brown cat ears that were drooping from exhaustion.
“Sorry, Kiku,” Tyou said as she took off her riding boots and stuffed her stockings in them. Washi did the same and they padded barefoot out of the stables and through the stone corridors that were sometimes covered with carpets, and walls that were covered with tapestries, paintings, vases, and many weapons, along with some rare animal skins. But never anywhere in the castle would one find something belonging to a unicorn, except for the silver unicorn that wandered through the halls, for it was part of the Queen’s emblem and sacred to them all.
“Ushinau, put my boots in my room and tell Nouhau to start me a bath.” Washi ordered a girl with red-orange hair and golden eyes. She nodded and flew, her small white wings flapping, up a flight of stairs to her left.
“Same for me, only can you lay out one of those Goddess ugly dresses for me?” Tyou dictated. Kiku nodded and bounded off up another staircase to the right.
“How long do you think that will take them?” Washi asked stopping and peering around.
“About half-an-hour seeing as Nouhau isn’t here and Kiku doesn’t have the key to my room.” Tyou said with a grin, letting the brass key roll across her fingers and dropping it in a blue vase with silver designs.
“Then let’s go!” Washi cried, and the two ran for the side door in the kitchen that led into town, both pulling on the basic cloth shoes with thin soles that waited by the door.
“I’m guessing you want to see your little dove?” Tyou said with a grin. She was talking about the Witch that lived in the town. Washi was insanely in love with her, and Tyou loved to poke fun whenever she saw her foolish brother at it.
“Shut up and go buy a ribbon or something.” Washi grumbled as he walked off into the crowd of people.
The town was always filled to the brim with all kinds of people: Ladies and Lords in elegant clothing on horses, merchants crying their wares, commoners purchasing foods, giggling girls, handsome men, and laughing children. Gossips were chatting away about the missing Barran Princess as she passed. Aside from being colorful in people, there were bright colors from bangles, fruits, bells, ribbons, dresses, suits, horses and pets along many other fascinating things besides. One usually did not see poets or people who wanted quiet in this town because of the noise that came from all the people and creatures. However, though she was not in that part of the city, there were pirates that attracted many unfavorable people because the pirates often brought slaves from other countries to sell on the docks.
Tyou walked sedately down the street, resting one hand on her sword’s hilt and her other hand on her dagger’s hilt. She enjoyed her trips to the marketplace where her father had forbid her and Washi to go. Mainly because of the fights they started.
“Hey!” Tyou exclaimed as she felt the leather bag at her side stir. A man had casually untied her purse as he walked along side her and had almost made off with it, if not for the fact that Tyou now had his wrist in her steel grip.
“Yes miss?” He asked with a gooey smile.
“What do you think you’re doing?!” She exclaimed, tugging the purse out of his hands.
“Merely taking your purse.” The man replied simply, before transforming into a snake and wrapping around the purse before changing into a hare a bounding speedily off through the crowds.
“Get back here!” Tyou shouted, leaping over children and animals while pushing through the adults. By doing so, she left many angry people in her wake. Loosing sight of the hare, Tyou stopped for a second to look around. The crowd had thinned in this area of town, but she saw the flick of a cat tail rounding a corner and sped after it.
She had just rounded the corner herself when she was roughly grabbed by her waist. Tyou had no time to scream as a grubby hand clamped over her mouth. “What are ye doin’ here little girl?” Asked a voice in her ear and she felt a crude dagger bite into her neck. Her hand automatically went to the own dagger but the large man said, “Don’t even think about girlie.” Tyou’s hand slid off her dagger and allowed him to lead her down an alley and around a few corners in hopes that she would be led to the one who stole from her.
“I thought I told you to stop bringing in strays.” Yet another man said, he had pitch black hair and a gaunt face. The man’s eyes were closed, but Tyou was sure that when open, they would be coal-black. The man was laying on his back, stretched out on a raggedy couch, his arms under his head.
“She came herself.” The man who had Tyou grunted.
The man with dark hair motioned for the other to uncover her mouth. “Do you know what can happen to a Noble as pretty as you darling?” he said, finally opening his eyes and looking at her. Tyou was right, his eyes were like coal. They even seemed to glow.
“Get a hug?” Tyou asked sarcastically.
“You can leave.” He said and the man behind Tyou returned his dagger back up his sleeve and left, slamming the door behind him. “A 16 year-old female Princess in the thieves vicinity…What could you possibly want?” he mused, though he seemed to already know the answer.
“I want my money back.” Tyou said angrily, her blue eyes flaring. The man seemed in his mid thirties but seemed to become younger before her eyes. In a few moments he appeared a young man with silver hair though his pitch black eyes still remained.
“Fine,” the teen said and tossed a black leather bag at her, it was different from hers but it seemed to have the same amount. Tyou was confused, she was sure that she would have had to take it by force. This was most unusual. The teen suddenly knelt down and began drawing strange symbols in the dirt floor. “By the way, I’m Yoru.” Before Tyou could say anything, the room became hazy and when it righted itself, she was standing next to a ribbon stand.
“Oh there you are Tyou!” Washi said. He looked giddy and a little pink.
“Yeah…” Tyou muttered as she looked about, trying to figure out how she had gotten there.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she said shaking her head and turning to look at her brother and his large stupid grin. “What did your little lovie want? To tell you to get away from her again?”
“I have good n…Oh you wouldn’t understand, you’re too young,” Washi said as he walked away.
“I’m two seconds younger than you and look older too!” Tyou shouted angrily, chasing after him and shoving him into wall.

Their father had found out what they had done and was very angry indeed. He had turned the small gathering into a small party and the siblings had been rather late.
“I don’t want to dance again!” Tyou raged as the Prince Niwatori asked her for yet another dance. He was very handsome and muscular, but most people knew that if faced with a challenge he would shy away from it. This was why he had the nickname Prince Chicken from Tyou and Washi.
Across the marble floor, Washi was having similar problems with Princess Gokiburi of Anulo. When the Princess had first come to the castle of the Drathir Royals, she had had a cockroach in her purse that slithered out…but she put back in. Gokiburi said it was good luck, but was still dubbed Princess Cockroach. She was not very pretty with disgustingly flaky black hair and coal black slanted eyes, she had dry coppery skin, wide nose and lips, and was rather chunky.
“I’m tired my Lady.” Washi explained as politely as he could. He had tried to sit down and Gokiburi pouted, making her look even less attractive, next to him in one of the gilt chairs along the wall. Washi was fingering an ugly, lumpy gold chain necklace with some dull looking rubies that were poorly cut and loose in their clasps.
Tyou was looking around, tired and annoyed when she noticed a person hiding in the shadows with silver hair and glittering eyes. Yoru? She thought to herself as she watched him. But Yoru disappeared as a clump of young ladies and their escorts passed in front of him.
“May I walk you back to your room?” Niwatori asked Tyou who had started to move slowly away. Tyou sighed and said finally,
“If you must.” He hooked his arm in hers and walked her down the hallway. Tyou’s pale blue silk dress barely brushed the ground as she gripped an edge of it with her other hand. They walked up a stairway in silence and turned left so that they were in Tyou’s hallway. “Good night.” She said shortly, taking off as quickly as she could for her door. But Niwatori had grabbed her hand and pushed her roughly against the wall, coming in to kiss her. She too was shocked that he actually had any strength to do anything at first. But Tyou recovered soon enough and she pushed hard on a pressure point on his neck with two fingers so that he fell limp. Then she kicked him in the side so that he toppled down the stairs and patted her drawn up hair with a gloved hand.
“Men today.” Said a voice behind her and she turned around, her arm already heading for a punch. But Yoru caught her by the wrist and tutted. “I’m not going to do what he did, don’t worry my little flower.”
“Why are you up here?” Tyou asked angrily.
“I’m the King of Shadows, it wasn’t that hard. You really must get better security.” Yoru said casually, letting Tyou’s hand drop from his.
“Get out!” She exclaimed, pointing at the stairs.
“Don’t worry pigeon.” Yoru had stuck his hands in his pockets and sauntered over to the stairs. “Till we meet again.”
“Let’s hope it’s not too soon…” Tyou grumbled, she was thoroughly done with this day.

But the next day was even worse for the Princess. Not a second after she had awoken to what appeared a good day she was summoned to the Throne Room. Her mother and father sat on their silver and gold thrones on an elevated platform, and an angry Niwatori and parents stood in front of the raised dais.
“Daughter,” the King said crossly. “Is it true that you attacked Prince Niwatori?”
“Yes,” Tyou replied defiantly, sticking out her chin. The queen, with her pale, almond face sighed and buried her face in her thin hands (that were surprisingly strong).
“Very well then.” King Hashiru looked disappointed at his daughter and turned his hard, squarish face to Niwatori who was grinning. “Tyou, you will be married to Niwatori at the end of the month. He has also said that you must give up fighting in return for his kingdom to never attack ours and aid in the attack against Barra.” Tyou’s lips moved but no words could come out. It was one thing for her to get married to a man she thought lacked brained and was cowardly by the end of the month rather than three, but to also have to give up fighting? This she could not do.
“No,” was the only word that could finally escape her lips.
“Then we will be forced to attack you by dawn tomorrow!” Niwatori’s father shouted angrily, his plump face turning red.
“You do not have a choice in the matter.” King Hashiru said shortly, motioning for his daughter to leave. Queen Mieru was fidgeting with her heavy velvet gown of blue that had a silver bodice, but glanced up sadly as her daughter stormed out of the Throne Room.

(don't judge it by it's first chapter sweatdrop )