D. N. Angel Fan Fiction ❯ Rapunzel's Prince ❯ Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

 

Disclaimer: I do not own DN Angel or any of the anime characters who make cameos in this story.

 

Warnings: None as yet.

 

Although still not allowed to spend long periods of time outside his chambers or participate in daily matters of court, Satoshi managed to find himself ample entertainment in the form of books and scrolls as well as the visits from his new friends and his cousin. The blue-haired prince no longer dared to mention his need to find Rapunzel, or to seek answers to the questions that the mirror had brought up. Instead, he talked with them about light-hearted matters, such as how to brew tea properly or his favourite books. It felt strange at first; as a child, he had never had anyone to talk to whilst he was sick in bed. He had grown used to being alone, and he felt a small glimmer of happiness and warmth inside whenever someone came in just to visit and talk to him.

 

He gained strength day by day, slowly recovering from the fear and shock that had preyed upon his mind without his even knowing it. Then, a month later, he was deemed fit enough to return to daily life. Nevertheless, the healer hovered around him, ensuring that he took his medicines and did not over-exert himself. He slowly became accustomed to her quiet presence, sometimes even grateful for it whenever he awoke from a nightmare and felt her cool, soothing hand on his forehead. Much to his gratitude, she did not mention his restlessness or inability to sleep soundly for more than a few hours at most to his friends.

 

Shuurei regarded him thoughtfully over the rim of her teacup. She was due to return to Sa Province the day after next, but was still curious as to what the Hiwatari heir would do after recovering from his illness. The healer claimed that he would still be fragile because of his already delicate health and the stress he had undergone in the past few weeks, but she had a feeling that the prince would not allow himself to rest for so long. She recognised the restless look in his eyes, even if he didn't realise it himself. She knew that in spite of Ryuuki's best intentions and the need for the Hiwatari kingdom to produce a leader or find a capable heir to the throne, Satoshi would leave the Khael kingdom and journey somewhere else. It might be to the east, to the lands beyond Arandakar and the Sandstone Belt, or it might be to the north, where Athena and her Saints kept watch over the lands of ice and snow. “What will you do after you've recovered?” She asked.

 

Satoshi did not immediately speak. He wanted to tell her the truth, but he knew at the same time that anything he said would likely find its way back to Ryuuki's ears, and he did not want his cousin interfering in his life. He knew that he had to keep his desire to find Rapunzel a secret; after all, princes did not have the time to go galloping off in search for something that might or might not be a figment of their imaginations, and the last thing he wanted was for his sanity to be called into question. “I don't know,” he finally answered. It was the same answer he'd been giving her for the past two weeks, but it was also the best one. It was far better than lying to her and seeing the disappointment that he knew would be in her eyes when she discovered the truth. “I've found the rapunzel.”

 

She smiled. “Thank goodness Ryuuren was around, otherwise you might never have found it,” she laughed lightly. Satoshi nodded and carefully smiled back at her, hoping to allay her fears. In any case, he highly doubted that she would find out anything about his journey to find rapunzel until Shi Ryuuki found the time and energy to send a report off to Sa Province.

 

They talked for a while longer of trivial matters, such as the Emperor's newfound taste for a street dish commonly known as a `frittata'. Instead of laughing at his folly, or his unrefined tastes, Shuurei seemed to take his predilection for the food as a part of life, and even asked what he thought of her new variation on this recipe. “What do you think, Satoshi-kun?” She asked cheerfully.

 

“I don't know,” he carefully admitted. “I've never had one before.” Most nobles never had the opportunity to touch anything that remotely resembled street food, and he was no exception.

 

“Well, perhaps you can try it next time,” she brightly suggested. Seeing that he was about to refuse, she wagged her finger at him in a warning gesture. “You're not allowed to say no,” she teased him. “It's rude, and you wouldn't think of being so churlish, would you?” He shook his head and she nodded, apparently satisfied with his reaction. A small glimmer of pleasure shot through him at seeing her warm smile, knowing that it was because of something he had done even though he knew it was childish.

 

“For goodness' sake, Shuurei,” an exasperated voice yelped. “The carriage is waiting! Everyone's already there except for you!” The Kou princess reluctantly stood up and suddenly, without warning, she bent down and placed a swift kiss on his cheek. Satoshi blinked and flushed, and she chuckled. “Take care, Satoshi-kun! I hope we will meet again soon!” In a whisk of skirts and perfume, she was gone. The young prince remained still, astounded at her actions. Then the healer returned with a flash of his medicine, and he turned his thoughts to getting out of Khael without being caught.

 

It took him a while to plan his departure, but he knew that he had to leave before his cousin's thoughts turned once more to regaining control of the Hiwatari kingdom. However, he still could not lay his hands on maps of the surrounding lands, which he knew would be essential now that he did not have the benefit of an experienced guide any longer. He could not ask anyone about such things; they would only tell the emperor, which would likely result in his being monitored so closely that he would be lucky to relieve himself without the Inner Court knowing. He owed his cousin his life, and perhaps a greater debt than was repayable in one lifetime, but nothing would stop him from finding Rapunzel, or returning back to the land in which he was born.

 

He wandered about the palace aimlessly, hoping against hope that he would somehow be able to stumble upon the mirror again. Just as he was about to open a door to see what lay inside, he heard his name. “Hiwatari-dono?” It was Kouyuu.

 

“Ah, Kouyuu-san,” he said quickly, too quickly. At that moment, he could have cursed the official for showing up, but the other seemed to be lost in his thoughts again. “Where are you going?”

 

True to form, the aqua-haired official flushed an unhealthy shade of red. “Um, well, where are you going?” He quickly asked.

 

Satoshi quickly looked at the scholar and raised an eyebrow at the pile of scrolls that rested in the other's hands. “I was thinking of paying a visit to my cousin,” he mildly said.

 

The look of dumb relief on Kouyuu's face brought an involuntary twitch to his lips. “Of course, of course,” the aqua-haired minister agreed with all too much haste. “I was headed there myself. I'll come with you.” So they walked to the Emperor's private study, where he held council with his most trusted ministers every morning.

 

The blue-haired prince blinked at the scene that met his eyes. Ryuuki lounged on his chair, an aura of despair and gloom surrounding him. Kouyuu heaved a sigh of exasperation and almost threw the stack of papers onto the other's grand desk. “Stop moping,” he said briskly. “How will Khael function if you whine and groan and wail whenever Shuurei's not around?” Shuuei hid a smile behind the large sleeve of his ceremonial robes and not for the first time, Satoshi envied his cousin for having friends. Even when the man was acting foolishly or blinded by his feelings for Shuurei, they simply smiled and chivvied him along whilst comforting him at the same time.

 

“Ah, Satoshi,” The emperor smiled at him. “How are you?”

 

“I'm fine,” the blue-haired prince replied carefully. “I was thinking of travelling for a while.” Ryuuki's fine eyebrows rose slightly, but to his credit, he did not immediately burst out into protest.

 

“Why?” Satoshi was surprised, but hastily smoothed his face out once more.

 

“There are things I need to do before I can…return home.”

 

The Emperor of Khael frowned slightly. “If you're looking to muster men, I promise you that I will mobilise every man in Khael to fight for you. I will send messages to the other nations and Houses that stand with me, if you so wish.”

 

Satoshi shook his head. “It's not about alliances or re-taking the country,” he replied softly. Brown eyes softened and for a moment, the prince could almost believe that his cousin understood. Then they hardened slightly, and the Hiwatari knew that he was now talking to not his cousin, and certainly not lovesick Shi Ryuuki. He was talking to the Emperor of Khael, a man powerful and intelligent enough to ascend to the throne amidst the bloody chaos that had almost ripped the entire royal family apart.

 

“I do not wish to return home yet,” he finally said.

 

Apparently, this was not a good enough reason for Kouyuu. “You can't just -“ The aqua-haired minister began before his counterpart placed a firm, warning hand on his shoulder.

 

Ryuuki barely spared a glance for the other man. “Duty is not a piece of clothing, to be worn only occasionally,” the emperor mildly commented. “You, of all people, should remember that.”

 

“And this is exactly why I wish to travel,” Satoshi said shortly. “I have been constantly surrounded by reminders of my parents, and my father. Perhaps he put his faith in the wrong people, but he has paid dearly for it. I do not intend to return to a country that bays for my blood.”

 

“You will not leave here,” the emperor stated bluntly. “I refuse to let you outside the borders of my country, for your sake as well as mine. Heaven forbid that I let any member of my family recklessly wander about, as though he were on some countryside jaunt. I will not allow you past the gates of this palace, if that is what it takes to make you see reason!” Satoshi felt desperation welling up inside him. The desire to find Rapunzel or at least figure out the mirror's enigmatic message grew stronger with each passing day, and he knew that to ignore the feeling would be to deny himself yet another thing in his emptier than ever life. He did not know what he would do after accomplishing this deed, but for now, it was enough incentive. As though in a dream, he felt his knees hit the floor.

 

“Please,” he whispered hoarsely into the floor amidst shocked gasps. Even the Emperor seemed taken aback, although of course there was no way to gauge the effect of his actions without looking up. “Please, your royal Highness, most great and mighty Emperor of Khael. Please, I beg of you, let me go.” Silence echoed in the tiny chamber.

 

“Why do you want to go so badly?” Ryuuki's voice was still as calm as ever and Satoshi took a deep breath before answering. He would need his wits about him, now perhaps more than ever.

 

“There's no reason to keep him here,” Ryuuren suddenly said. Everyone turned towards the Ran prodigy, who merely looked at the Hiwatari prince.

 

“Don't be stupid,” Shuuei snapped. “What if—“

 

“I will keep watch over him myself,” the younger one retorted. “I intend to leave soon, and he can come with me then. If you so wish, I will—“

 

“No.”

 

The Emperor appeared to have made his mind up firmly. “Honoured cousin, rise,” he commanded. When the prince did not obey, his eyes narrowed slightly. “Do not grovel so. It is unbecoming and does not speak well of me.” Satoshi reluctantly rose. “I cannot let you leave, both for your sake and mine,” the brown-haired man gently said. “The guilt of losing you, should you return to your country and meet with misfortune, would not allow me to show my face for weeks. I cannot let you leave, not when you are still recovering from your ordeal.” Satoshi slowly nodded, eyes closed.

 

“My deepest apologies, your Majesty,” he said shortly. “I did not intend to behave in this way.” He swept out of the room in a swirl of robes, leaving a stunned number of officials behind. Shuuei glanced over at Ryuuren, whose dark eyes seemed lost in thought as though they were seeing something else. Try as he might, the young general could not repress a shudder.

 

I was wrong, he thought to himself, repeating it over and over again. I was wrong about Ryuuki, Shuurei, Shuuei, Kouyuu, all of them. They don't really care about me. None of them do. They just want me back on the throne so that their entire system of alliances doesn't break down. Satoshi closed his eyes and leaned against the low wall, ignoring the heat that rippled around him in waves. I'm nothing but a pawn to them. Not a family member, not a friend, not even an acquaintance. He turned around and stared out at the bright sun and the endless stretch of sand dunes, rolling into the distance. He now knew what he had to do.

 

A mere month and a half later, Satoshi Hiwatari slipped out of the castle grounds and vanished amongst the numbers of merchants and farmers making their way into the capital. By the time the emperor found out, he was long gone. Needless to say, Khael erupted into a flurry of activity, each province issuing notices and posters with descriptions and a rough drawing of the Hiwatari prince. Of course, no one found him. By the time they called the search off, the blue-haired youth was back in his old kingdom.

 

His calm exterior belied the fear and apprehension that curled up in his chest like a heavy rock. As he travelled towards Ginka, where he knew he would be able to find a reliable guide to take him back to the kingdom, ominous rumours reached his ears. Some were of resentment against the prosperous Hiwatari kingdom, which was still in the throes of civil war and starvation; others were of the new men rising to power. Above all, one name stood out: Lord Caelen. No one knew where he had come from, or how he had risen to power. All they knew was that he brought a powerful force of mercenaries and fiercely loyal soldiers, and that he had the devil's own luck. All his enemies had fallen at his feet, sometimes without ever having made their true intentions known.

 

Nevertheless, nothing would stop him from returning to look for Rapunzel. Satoshi travelled through the land, quietly paying everyone to remain quiet. Wherever the innkeeper seemed a little too interested in his story, or appeared to remember what the quiet, withdrawn former prince of the Hiwatari clan looked like, he would drop a little extra gold into the man's hand and softly buy his silence. This worked well enough; at least, until he reached Ginka.

 

The first time Satoshi saw Ginka, Khael's prosperous capital, was during some sort of festival. He had read of it in books, but never had he expected to see anything of the sort. He slowly walked through what appeared to be the main road, ice-blue eyes taking in the sights, sounds and colours. Jugglers tumbled across his path, street performers banged on their drums and competed with street hawkers and pedlars to draw people. He cautiously approached a rosy-cheeked, middle-aged woman holding a tray of colourful flowers that smelled heavenly when a tall man, a street performer obviously, jumped in front of him. “Excuse me—“ The prince began.

 

“Ah!” Amethyst eyes regarded him, their corners crinkled in amusement. “My apologies, good sir.” He bowed flamboyantly. Satoshi did not know what to think. “Would you like some flowers from this lovely lady?” He moved gracefully aside and gestured to the motherly looking flower-seller, who laughed merrily and flapped her hand at him. “Or would you prefer mine?” The man suddenly leaned forward, flapped his hand once and behold! A small bouquet of flowers seemed to erupt from the palm of his hand. “For your lady love, perhaps?” Satoshi smiled and carefully tried to edge aside, but the other persisted.

 

“Oh, my good man! Do not be so cruel!” In a dramatic gesture, he fell to his knees and clutched at his chest as though mortally wounded. “Spare me a glance, a look, a smile, anything! Do not leave me like this!” Suddenly, the other members of his troupe; they had to be a team, as they all had matching clothes; rushed forward, yelling and surrounding the youth.

 

“And so,” a blond man declared grandly, “begins our tale.” Someone gently pushed him back and Satoshi hastily moved, embarrassed at the purple-haired man's actions. Nevertheless, a part of him wanted to stay and watch, for he had never seen a street performance before.

 

The story itself was an old one; the tragic tale of a poor farmer who gave up everything he had to win the favour of his lord's daughter. Nevertheless, the troupe infused it with humour and soon a crowd had gathered, clapping and cheering at all the right places. Satoshi had never seen such a lively performance before. When the farmer finally laid his life down for the daughter's wrongs, he felt a small prickle behind his eyes whilst some of the audience was sniffing and openly taking out handkerchiefs with which to wipe their eyes. “And now, most kind audience,” The `farmer' called, rising to his feet, “you have heard our tale. We do not ask for much, but a little food or token of appreciation would be most welcome!” He swept the wide brimmed straw hat off his head, and began to move around the crowd. Most people put in a coin or two, and Satoshi reached into his pocket only to feel emptiness. He frowned and reached in a little further, and suddenly his fingers came back out into the air. The blue-haired youth paled and frantically began to search his pockets, fighting the rising dread in his throat.

 

He must not have concealed his anxiety very well, for as the performer passed by, he once again felt the full force of those cheerful amethyst eyes. “Goodness, what have we here?” He was pulled to his feet by a firm yet gentle grip, and the man looked at him carefully. Satoshi looked back, desperately hoping for help, but knowing that none would come. “Methinks we have a thief here!” The performer spun away, deftly tossing the hat full of coins to one of his fellow performers.

 

“You mistake me,” Satoshi stammered out, taken aback. The crowd was muttering darkly, and he hoped that the performer would not accuse him of stealing anyone else's money.

 

“I am never mistaken!” The man declared dramatically, the lilt in his voice showing that he was acting. “But we will speak of this later. For now, watch, laugh, and be merry!” The musicians behind him struck up a merry tune, and the performer danced away, his lithe body twisting and jumping in time to the music. The audience began to laugh and clap, and the mood became lighter. Nonetheless, something told Satoshi that he would do well to see the dark-haired actor at the end of the day.

 

He stayed around the troupe for the rest of the afternoon, smiling a little at their antics and wondering how they could be so skilled when many of them showed an inability to read; they must not know, or else he would have likely been taken to the mayor of the city to be sent back to the palace like a parcel.

 

Evening fell and Satoshi slowly, cautiously approached the actor. He had not said anything more to the blue-haired youth, and certainly he had had more reason than most to ignore the young man. After all, Satoshi reminded himself, he was not a prince or an honoured guest any more. He was just another face in the crowd, another pair of eyes in the large numbers of people swarming around the troupe. He eyed the back warily, unused to the raucous laughter and the sheer energy that emanated from everyone, even when they were merely returning to their shelters after a hard day's work. “Um, excuse me—“ Then suddenly the purple-haired actor raced forward to help another group of women raise their tent, and he could no longer say anything to the other without shouting. He followed quickly. “Um, sir, could you please—“

 

His voice was drowned out by the chatter of the performers, but the blond man who appeared to lead the team noticed him. “Dark!” The man barked. When the purple-eyed performer did not respond, the golden-haired actor walked over and to Satoshi's shock, placed a solid hit on the darker man's head. The prince saw them talk for a while before those sharp eyes glanced his way once more and the actor came over, whistling a tune that sounded much like one he'd heard at home. A small pang of wistfulness shot through him and he was surprised; he hadn't expected to hear anything that reminded him so much of his childhood.

 

“Oh, it's the penniless youth,” he laughed. Satoshi frowned; he did not like being mocked. Something must have shown on his face, for the other leaned down slightly, long purple locks brushing across his face gently. “Don't sulk like that, the girls won't like you,” he teased.

 

“I don't care.” The actor appeared surprised, but he took the short sentence in stride. His merry laughter rang throughout the air.

 

“Is that so?” The blue-haired prince frowned. He could not shake the feeling that he was being mocked, although for what he could not say. It was as though he was being laughed at for being him, merely for the act of existing. “Well, then you're a confident fellow! But why, if you are indeed as confident as you act, did you stay here? Why did you not move on, or spend some time visiting the Red Lantern district? Their company would be far more entertaining than I, or my good friends, could ever be. Are you truly penniless, or you merely did not wish to contribute to our dinner funds tonight?”

 

Satoshi could not answer, for fear that he would be laughed at. Then again, he supposed telling the truth would not come amiss; it appeared that this performer had already discovered the problem. “I…”

 

To his visible relief, the man smiled and straightened up once more. “You can come with us,” he amiably offered. “For a while, at least. But mind yourself,” he added sharply, “you'll have to work for our company! Where are you headed to, may I ask?”

 

That was an easy question. “The borderlands, between here and the Hiwatari kingdom.” Dark threw back his head and laughed once more, much to Satoshi's ire. There was nothing funny about his answer; at least, not anything that he could detect.

 

“Hiwatari kingdom! My goodness, you are a funny one. That joke alone would earn you enough coppers for a bun!”

 

“What's so humorous about that?” Satoshi asked.

 

The purple-haired young man waved a hand carelessly. “Oh, nothing, nothing at all. Pretend I never said anything. Here,” he quickly said, changing the subject, “we're headed that way too; the wind tells me that we'll be finding plenty of audiences looking for a good laugh, no matter how fleeting it may be. And who knows? Perhaps we'll find ourselves playing for the king, or lord, or whatever's in charge that day. Would you like to come along?”

 

Satoshi thought about it. This man in front of him seemed odd, and it was hard to tell what he really thought, but he didn't seem like a bad sort. Truth be told, there were worse people to take up with, and chances were that if Ryuuki was still looking for him, he would be more easily ignored if he were travelling with a group of players rather than on his own. “I accept your offer,” he softly replied. Amethyst eyes lit up as though they were genuinely glad to hear those words, and the man spat in his palm, extending it. Satoshi swallowed and clasped the offered hand, trying desperately not to cringe at the slick feeling.

 

“Bit of a newbie, aren't you? Well, I'll take that anyway, though I recommend that you spit in your own hand. Shows sincerity, you see? Anyhow, let's get you introduced and you can start helping us out. Any skills you'd like to tell us about before we set you to washing dishes, clothes and running errands?”

 

Satoshi thought about it. “I can read,” he offered.

 

“Psh, no one needs that. You don't see us reading very much, do you?” The entertainer waved a hand dismissively. “Anything else you can do with those soft, lily-white hands? Act? Sing? Dance?” Satoshi hastily shook his head and the other sighed in disappointment. “All right then,” he said finally. “You'll just be our odd job boy then.”

 

“What's your name?” The performer seemed taken aback, and then he laughed once more. This man seemed to laugh at everything, Satoshi noted.

 

“Oh, my, silly me, I've forgotten the most important thing! Though you, lad, are just as brave, taking up with a ragtag bunch whose names you don't even know! Right then, I'm Dark, Dark Mousy.” He bowed elaborately once more and Satoshi finally realised why he could not read the man; it was as though he was always acting, even when not in front of the audience. “The blond man there, who's always hitting me, is Krad. He's the narrator and leader of our little troupe, although between you and me, he's quite a harsh bugger.” The prince cringed a little at the language and the actor laughed. “Embarrassed? You'll hear much worse once we're done with you. Now,” he returned to the task of introducing the performers, “those two pretty twins over there are Risa and Riku. They sing and dance, and generally draw people to us. Risa's the chatty one, and Riku's the tough one. That boy over there with dark hair and deep, deep blue eyes is Heero, really quiet one so don't take offense if he just ignores you. The one with the long braid is Duo, really talkative but a great guy for when you need to just,” Dark grinned at this point, “relax. The guy over there with what looks like a deformed cowlick is Trowa, I'd think he was mute if I didn't actually hear him ask for a smaller target during his performances but he's great with knives, tumbling and animals. The blond is Quatre, I swear he's our resident medium but don't tell him I said that, and finally there's Wufei, the only one who fits in here. He's got a bit of a temper so don't take it too personally if he shouts at you. Got it?” Satoshi nodded slowly, at which Dark clapped him firmly on the back. “If you need anything, come find me. Otherwise, go ask Quatre since he's least likely to scare you.” The younger one stiffened slightly at this perceived insult, but the amethyst-eyed man's tone showed no malice. “Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to drop a few, gentle words into Krad's ear about you…say, what's your name?”

 

“Satoshi H-Hiroyuki.” If Dark thought anything of his almost-mistake, his face did not show it.

 

“Right then, Satoshi, let's get you all sorted out.”

 

Happy belated Chinese New Year everyone, and hope you all have a wonderful Year of the Ox! Thank you for reading, and hopefully I'll see you all again soon!