D. N. Angel Fan Fiction ❯ Rapunzel's Prince ❯ Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

 

Disclaimer: I do not own DN Angel.

 

Warnings: None really.

 

The next morning came all too soon for Satoshi's liking. With the memory of his dream still fresh in his mind, the blue-haired youth took extra care lacing up his breeches and threw on a dark green cloak for good measure, although he knew that the sun would soon become too hot for him to wear it. Nevertheless, it helped to ward off the early morning chill as he slowly got out of the tent. As usual, only Krad, Wufei and Heero were awake, the three of them preparing breakfast. None of them, as the young prince was well aware, were what his old nurse would have called `morning people'. He silently moved towards the fire pit and kindled a fire, so that there would be hot water to make tea with when the rest of the troupe got up.

 

Risa giggled and leaned on his arm, large doe-brown eyes blinking up at him. “Are you ready for this?” She giggled and flicked her glossy dark hair back. “I remember I was so nervous the first time I had to perform…” He nodded again, remembering that it was a sign that he was listening attentively and continued staring into the fire. Truth be told, he was so nervous about his performance that he did not even remember to blush and frown at the younger twin's antics. Seeing that his attention was elsewhere, she grabbed his arm. “You're no fun,” she pouted and flounced off to help her sister prepare for their part of the show. Satoshi frowned in bewilderment before returning to the pot. It would not do any good if the water boiled over and injured him.

 

The camp slowly began to come to life as the smell of broth drifted through the area. Dark yawned widely as he sat down on the ground, already dressed in his colourful actor's garb. Quatre smiled and politely greeted everyone, with Trowa and Duo following closely behind. The braided youth grinned merrily at Satoshi, clapping a hand on the other's shoulder and asking loudly if he was ready for his first time. The question drew looks of sympathy and encouragement from the rest of the troupe, with Dark going so far as to claim that Satoshi would naturally be all right, because he was in this troupe and not with any other performers. The rest of the morning passed fairly uneventfully, and soon the chatter turned to making sure that today's acts passed smoothly.

 

They were just a few minutes away from performing now, and Satoshi was feeling slightly unsteady on his feet. It did not make sense; all he had to do was stand around with a drum and hop around like the rest of the musicians, but despite this the pit of stomach still felt as though it was weighed down with lead, and when someone brought him a pork dumpling at midday he could not bring himself to touch it. “You all right?” It was Quatre, wearing the heavy crimson robes of the official's mistress and wig slightly askew. Satoshi was about to reach up to help the other adjust it, but Trowa mysteriously appeared out of the shadows and nodded at the empty performance space. “You'd best go and set up,” the green-eyed acrobat told him. With a dry mouth and sinking heart, the younger man hurried out before Quatre pulled him back and handed him the drum. “Best not forget this,” the other remarked with a gentle smile.

 

Satoshi fought his suddenly-wobbly knees and forced himself to stand still with the drum placed just-so in front of him, hands at the ready. He saw the crowd cheering and realised that no one really wanted him to fail. All they wanted was a little entertainment, a story which they could tell their children when they got home after a long day. So he began to play, ignoring everything around him except the steady beat of the drum. Even his hops were easy, and he did not crash into anyone else as he had previously feared he might. All too soon, the play ended and the young man snapped out of his daze, only to realise that the actors were taking a bow. Then someone grabbed his hand and tugged it gently. Still slightly off-guard, the blue-haired youth let them pull him down gently and he realised that he was bowing along with the rest of the troupe. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth and although his first instinct was to push it away, he let it grow. That was what performers always did after they finished a successful play, wasn't it? They smiled and bowed.

 

“Not so bad, was it?” To his surprise, it was Krad. Satoshi shook his head. “We'll have another performance in half an hour's time. Go entertain yourself for now. Or you can help out again. It's up to you.” The prince nodded and walked off, suddenly feeling slightly peckish.

 

As he strolled through the marketplace, he found himself gawking at all the sights. He had never been to a proper one before; only seen the merchants' wagons in the palace courtyard, strung up with bright bunting and shimmering slightly from the protective charms plastered on the wooden vehicles. One stall was covered in dark wooden cages, all of which contained small, brightly coloured birds in pairs. “Lovebirds, my good man,” the storekeeper told him with a wink. “They'll bring you good luck!” Another had the most exquisitely carved little wooden boxes, with fanciful designs of dragons, phoenixes and other strange beasts that he could not name. He then came to a stall heavily draped with scarves which appeared to be made of silk and gauze. Colourful gems, most of which he recognised, were scattered over the table along with herbs and a large crystal ball, the last of which rested on a delicately carved wooden base. As though drawn by some invisible force, Satoshi moved towards it and gently picked up a piece of jade.

 

“Good day, kind sir. How may I help you?” A slender youth, not much older than Satoshi himself, suddenly walked out from behind the gauzy scarves. The prince gave a start. “Rest assured. I mean you no harm.”

 

Satoshi took the time to study the shopkeeper. He was of average height, with delicate features that many noblewomen would have willingly died for. Unlike most of the golden-skinned individuals here, his skin was almost translucent, starkly pale in contrast with his fiery hair and deep brown clothing. “My name is Aidan. Who might you be, if I may be so bold as to ask?” The overly formal speech was almost cloying, Satoshi thought before he realised that he had grown accustomed to the actors' informal speech.

 

“I'm just…”

 

“Hardly a satisfactory answer.” Piercing grey eyes met glacier-blue and Satoshi fought the instinctive urge to draw back in surprise. Not liking the way the other seemed to be quietly mocking him, he immediately stood a little straighter.

 

“I am Satoshi Hiroyuki.” At least he didn't stumble over the false name this time, he thought tersely. Those sharp, sharp eyes assessed him for a moment longer and then a small smile curved those pale lips.

 

“Well met, Hiroyuki-san. You are not from these parts, are you? You have travelled a long way, although of course this may be explained by the fact that you are a street performer. But you did not start life destined for this road. In fact, I daresay up until recently, you had not dreamed of living the way you are now. Where do you come from?” Satoshi hastily dropped the stone in his hand and fled, afraid that this strange shopkeeper knew exactly who he was. He did not want to be dragged back to the palace, not after coming all the way here.

 

“Good grief man, where were you?” It was Duo. Satoshi realised that he had run all the way back to where they had decided to act for the day and quickly dusted himself off.

 

“Nowhere really. I…I just got lost.” Amethyst eyes narrowed and then the older boy shrugged.

 

“What? You got lost? Oh, just get changed. We're starting, hurry!” Satoshi hastily flung on his musicians' garb and hurried out just in time to fall into position with the rest of the musicians. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dark shift slightly and he began to play, forcing all thoughts of the odd shopkeeper out of his mind.

 

The second performance was surprisingly easy; this time, he remembered everything in astounding detail, as though performing heightened his senses and made him aware of all the little details in the crowd. As the play drew to a close, Satoshi suddenly found himself wishing that it had been just a little longer, so that he could have continued playing. Is this what all the other performers feel? He wondered as he bowed once more to the applause of the onlookers. He could not imagine Heero, or Wufei even feeling this sort of exhilaration. He was almost giddy with excitement, soaking up the atmosphere of their performance. No wonder Dark and Duo were so energetic; they were people who thrived on attention, and performing was the best way to get it.

 

Dark had finished counting the money as they packed the equipment. They were about to return to the campsite when, much to Satoshi's surprise, Krad announced that they would eat at an inn that night to celebrate his `initiation into the world of street performers'. Embarrassed, the blue-haired young man tried to deter his fellow actors from going to such lengths for him, but Quatre whispered that it would only be good manners to accept. After all, the blond pointed out, it was very rude to refuse such a generous gift. So Satoshi could not but gracefully accept, although he still felt guilty for letting the troupe spend so much of their hard-earned money.

 

He had never seen the like, not even at his `birthday parties' at the castle. The inn was small but brightly-lit, and filled with bustle. It was as though someone had taken the entire marketplace and transported it into the confines of a small, communal eating area. The troupe was immediately welcomed with open arms; as payment for the meal, the innkeeper explained, they would have to perform and entertain the rest of the customers in the inn. Krad raised an eyebrow at this, coolly convincing the man to let them perform one play for a full dinner. The innkeeper was about to protest, but at the icy look in those golden eyes he reluctantly agreed.

 

Satoshi had often been told how lucky he was to have so much good food by his nurses, but truth be told, that hot meal in the inn tasted better than anything he'd ever had as a child. He was still not a big eater, but somehow he managed to finish all the food on his plate and even ask for more. Duo attacked the food as though he had not eaten for years, whilst Riku and Risa both picked at the dishes, claiming that too much food would prevent them from performing well on the streets. Even as they ate, they talked about all manner of things, and Satoshi was astonished at the breadth of the troupe's knowledge; Krad was a surprisingly adept scholar who could discuss any given topic, Wufei had apparently spent most of his childhood in a country that prided learning above swordplay, and Quatre was extremely well-versed in politics. Heero and Trowa preferred to stay silent, occasionally nodding in agreement whilst Satoshi found himself gradually being drawn into conversation. He was in the middle of a particularly heated argument with Krad about whether or not Kou Shuurei had made any substantial changes to Sa Province (he prided himself on having actually met her) when Dark interrupted. “Goodness,” the dark man said with a teasing smile, “I think that's the most I've ever heard you say at once!” Satoshi blushed and ducked his head whilst the blond simply ignored his partner. Then those amethyst eyes turned slightly more serious as the other rose to his feet and clapped his hands for attention from the rest of the table. Everyone slowly fell quiet, still surrounded by the babble of the rest of the room.

 

“Right then, as you are all aware, today was Satoshi's first performance.” There was a murmur of laughter at this. “As such, we are gathered here to celebrate this momentous occasion.” Dark raised his tankard. “A toast, to our new musician!” Everyone laughed and raised their cups, congratulating Satoshi on making it through the day. At that moment, Satoshi felt a wave of gratitude and affection sweep over him. Lowly street performers they may be, but they had done more for him in the past seven days than his father had ever done in the past sixteen years. Without really thinking about it; something that he would have never done just a month ago; he stood up and held his tankard aloft. The rest of the table looked at him and slowly fell quiet as he began to speak.

 

“I…” Suddenly, standing up and making an impromptu speech did not seem like such a good idea. “I would like…” He swallowed again, mouth sudden dry. “I would like to thank you all. For…for helping me, and not just leaving me to fend for myself. And, um, thank you very much for letting me perform with you.” His knees chose to give out right at that point, and he almost fell onto the bench. Everyone laughed and clapped, and someone immediately shovelled more food onto his plate.

 

The ale must be going to his head, Satoshi dimly thought as he tried to clear it of the fog that surrounded his thoughts. He heard Dark tell the audience yet another story whilst beside him, the twins provided the sound effects and sent the patrons into another round of laughter. “And that,” Dark concluded in a high-pitched voice, supposedly the voice of the duke's sister, “is how three blind men tricked the Duke of Pusan.” The room roared with approval and clapped enthusiastically. Satoshi laughed too; it was a humorous story, more so perhaps because of the drink. Riku and Risa then launched into song, and Dark quietly slipped away to rejoin the table. He wedged himself comfortably between Satoshi and Trowa, nodding to the brown-haired acrobat and clapping the younger man's shoulder. “Having a good time?” He asked kindly. Satoshi nodded, not sure if he could speak.

 

“Thank you so much,” he blurted out, unsure of what else to say. “For everything.”

 

Dark chuckled. “Hey, it's not every day you have your first street performance, right?” Then he took a closer look at the other and burst out laughing. “A little flushed with excitement, are we?” Satoshi frowned.

 

“Of course,” he replied. “It's very hot in here.” For some reason, the other performer seemed to find this remark extremely humorous.

 

“What's so funny?” Satoshi demanded. A part of him wanted to crawl and hide in embarrassment, but the alcohol did a sufficiently good job of dulling it. Dark continued to laugh and just shook his head. Sulking slightly at being treated like a child, Satoshi refilled his tankard and took another large swallow. Ale wasn't so bad, he thought.

 

Dark finally stopped laughing long enough to tell him. “I think you've had enough,” the purple-haired man sad as he tried to tug the drinking vessel out of the younger man's hands.

 

“Are you saying I'm drunk?”

 

The actor gulped. He had never seen Satoshi quite like this before; it appeared as though he would be an aggressive drunk. Well, what was it his mother used to say? Oh yes; it was always the quiet ones you had to watch out for. “Of course not,” he said cheerily. “But surely you wouldn't prefer to stop and watch the twins? I don't think you've ever seen them perform, have you?”

 

Satoshi watched the twins sing and dance for a while before turning to Dark. The effects of the alcohol had not completely worn off yet; much to the older man's dismay. “Why does Risa always grab my arm and giggle when she sees me?” Those cool blue eyes fixed on him with the kind of intensity that only a drunken person could muster, and Dark gave the other a weak smile in reply. At another time, perhaps, this question would have amused him to no end. Call it age, he thought wryly. All he wanted to do now was to make sure that the musician did not wake up the next morning with a hangover; it was market day tomorrow, and everyone would have to be on top form if they were to recover some of the money spent in the inn; a few performances would undoubtedly not be enough to cover the debt they had racked up tonight.

 

“I'll tell you if you stop drinking.”

 

“Fine! See if I care.” With a petulant glare on his face, Satoshi turned around and joined in Duo's boisterous conversation with a few of the other patrons at the inn. Dark rolled his eyes - Krad was right, kids were a pain - and was about to walk over to the innkeeper to see if they could drive the price down a little more when a snatch of conversation from the dice table flew by his ear.

 

“Here, wanna try some?” Dark whipped around and saw Duo holding his cup to Satoshi's mouth. Likelier than not, the actor knew, it contained spirits rather than just ale, and in the blue-eyed musician's state it would likely knock him out. He was about to stop them when Satoshi took a large gulp and coughed, obviously not used to the burn.

 

“Are you going to stop him?” It was Krad. Dark glared and shrugged.

 

“He's old enough, he can make his own decisions.” For some reason, the other blond's presence always riled him up. “I'm not his father.” In fact, now that the other man had shown up, Dark was more than happy to let Satoshi drink himself into a stupor. Quatre and Trowa, and likely Heero all believed that his reaction to the blond was somewhat irrational and rather childish, but quite frankly he didn't care. He chanced a quick look back and silently cheered when he saw one of the pretty serving girls refill Satoshi's cup with the much stronger liquor. The young musician did not hesitate, much to Dark's joy; he immediately tossed it back as though he had done so his entire life. Krad made a sound of disapproval behind him, and Dark beamed.

 

Dark was just about to reveal his hand when there was a sudden crash and raucous laughter filled the air. He turned to see that Satoshi, much to the amusement of everyone else, had finally passed out and fallen off his chair. An extremely drunk Duo was now attempting to carry him, aided by a not-much-more-sober Quatre. The two men staggered and wobbled like a pair of fools and Dark sighed; there would be hell to pay now. Krad crossed the room in two quick strides and one swift movement, flung the comatose youth over his shoulder. “Would you happen to have a room?” He coolly asked the innkeeper's wife. Awed by this display of strength, she immediately showed him up to a small but comfortable room, where the blond left his burden. The troupe of performers was thus forced to stay in the inn for the night, sleeping in the stables and attic. The twins, on the other hand, were allowed to stay in the kitchen because the innkeeper's wife interceded on their behalf.

 

The crowning glory of the night came when Satoshi, finally feeling the effects of all the alcohol he had imbibed, woke up feeling very sick indeed. He managed to throw up over the side of the bed, but most unfortunately this was where Wufei's blankets had been placed. The dark man was, needless to say, utterly disgusted, and risked walking to the river alone in the dead of night to wash the vomit off his clothes. Satoshi was not so lucky; still woozy from the drink, he threw up once more early in the morning and promptly fell into a drunken sleep, with evidence of his night's activities still on his clothing.

 

Next morning:

 

“Get the hell up.”

 

Satoshi slowly cracked his eyes open, suddenly all-too aware of the throbbing pain in his head. At first, he thought that a thief had struck him over the head repeatedly with a stout wooden stick, and then he became aware of the stale, bitter smell in the room. The bright sunshine struck his eyes with unprecedented force and he hastily shut them again, wanting desperately to turn over but knowing that to move in his current state would likely result in agony.

 

“Get up, damn you!” A pair of hands seized him and hauled him out of the bed.

 

“Wufei?” He managed to whisper. “Please, don't—“

 

He was forcibly dragged up, aggravating the battle going on in his head, and the sunshine burned his eyes once more. “You and I are going down to the river. You will wash yourself, and your clothing, and we will then return here. Now, for the love of all that's good and holy, stand up!” Satoshi barely managed to keep himself from falling over by immediately grabbing the other performer. His knees felt like water, his entire body ached and the pain in his head made him almost want to collapse and whimper in agony. “Eat this.” Something was shoved into his mouth and he forced himself to chew slowly, again taking heed of the drumbeat mercilessly pounding in his head. “Let's go.” Step by painful step, Satoshi Hiwatari made his way down to the little river and forced himself to wash in cool water. What happened to me last night? The last thing he remembered was sitting next to Duo and trying that strong drink; something the braided man had called shaiden.

 

At the inn:

 

Krad glared at the troupe, all of them a rather pitiful sight as they nursed hangovers. None of them would be making much money today; well, none of them save for Riku and Risa. The twins were already gone by the time he had woken up; they were likely already performing on a street corner somewhere. “I hope you enjoyed yourselves last night,” he dryly said, “because that will be the last time any of us gets a decent bed to sleep in.” Dark was about to temper this statement, but was cut off by the blond. “Now, I suggest you quickly find a way to get rid of those nasty, nasty headaches, because,” he grinned evilly, “we're going to be performing at this inn tonight to repay our hosts' many kindnesses.” A collective sort-of moan rose from the little huddle of people and then they scattered, some returning to their rooms and others merely collapsing on the hard wooden benches.

 

“Ah, wait,” Dark called. Everyone groaned collectively once more. “Anyone seen Satoshi or Wufei this morning?” The question went unanswered and Krad rolled his eyes once more.

 

“This is all your fault,” the blond growled quietly at the other man. Dark ignored him and went to check on the troupe, just to make sure that they would be fully recovered by noon.

 

Satoshi and Wufei:

 

Satoshi decided that sunny morning that he would never, ever drink to excess ever again. The pain simply wasn't worth it; why did people like to do this regularly? He remembered what the castle was like the night after a large party; the entire place would be quieter than usual, and some of the castle servants would look distinctly more exhausted than usual. “What happened last night?” He managed to ask. The other shot him a withering look.

 

“You drank too much.”

 

The blue-haired youth stared up at the other. Was this really the same, intelligent man he had discussed literature with last night? Wufei had seemed much more approachable then; was that also an effect of the alcohol? Still trying to ignore the savage thump of drums and tambourines inside his head, the blue-haired youth carefully got out of the river and looked around for a place where he could change without being seen. “Just do it already,” the other growled. “It's nothing I haven't seen before.” Satoshi saw a small bundle of dry, clean clothing close to where he'd placed his wet ones and realised that the dark-haired man had brought fresh clothing as well. He looked gratefully at Wufei, but the other appeared to have spotted something interesting in the other direction. Satoshi frowned and hastily pulled on the tunic and hose. When he picked up the light cloak, something yellow rolled out. He carefully reached down and picked it up.

 

“What's this?” Dark eyes glanced peremptorily his way and Wufei shrugged.

 

“A banana.”

 

Satoshi felt a little better from his cool bath, but some parts of his mind were still trying to pull themselves together. He looked at the yellow…thing in his hand dubiously, wondering how to eat it. Were you supposed to just put the whole thing in your mouth or peel it? What was it like on the inside? He looked up at Wufei, feeling a hot blush cover his face at having to ask what was obviously such a stupid question. “How do you…?” Wufei stared at him until he looked away, then walked over. Yanking the yellow fruit away, the dark-haired performer snapped the top briskly and peeled the yellow skin away in strips.

 

Still slightly embarrassed that he could not have figured it out himself, the young prince gratefully took the fruit and began to eat. It had a slightly mushy texture, but was still quite sweet. “It's good for your headache.” The blue-haired youth glanced up in surprise and winced as the sun hit him full in the eyes.

 

“Thank you.” They quietly made their way back to the inn.

 

When they got back to the inn, they found the rest of the troupe cleaning up the place. They were, Wufei noted, in better shape than they had been in the morning. Of course, he had no intention of working the tab off; the only reason they were doing this in the first place was because of Dark's insistence that they all celebrate Satoshi's `deflowering'. He just barely bit back a snort of derision; trust that idiot to come up with such a crude term for someone's first street performance. Well, thank goodness the boy turned out to be some good, because an extra, useless mouth to feed would have resulted in chaos. Then again, knowing how soft Quatre was, they would have probably still let him stay.

 

“Wufei. Satoshi.” Krad walked over, looking none-too-pleased. The reason for his displeasure was evident; the stains on his sleeves pointed to an hour spent raking out the cold ashes, and the grease on his clothing indicated that he had not too long ago come into contact with what was likely leftover roast meat. Krad was likely the pickiest member of the group, even more so than the two girls. “Where have you been?” Still suffering slightly from the previous night, Satoshi winced as the blond's voice seared through his brain.

 

Wufei took the chance to answer. “I took him down to the river to clean up. My deepest apologies if you needed him for anything.”

 

“Ah. Well, since you're both back and clearly in better shape than some of us—“ At this his mouth twisted in a wry mix of amusement and slight distaste—“you can go talk to the innkeepers about work. We perform here tonight.”

 

By noon, Satoshi fully understood why the castle maids had complained so about scrubbing an entire corridor. His shoulders and back ached from bending over so much, and if his knees were not bruised by now they soon would be. He shifted uncomfortably and scrubbed at a particularly stubborn spot on the floor, not liking its ugly grey colour or the way it clung so desperately to the floor. “Hey, Satoshi. I never thought you'd be so good at dice…or like shaiden so much!”

 

He felt slightly sick at the mere mention of the drink. “I don't want to talk about it.” He was proud of how steady his voice was in spite of the late night and all the excitement. “Thank you for…everything though.” Duo waved the last part off.

 

“No, seriously. Did you like the shaiden? How did you get so good at dice?” Dice? What dice? Satoshi did not remember touching any dice at all.

 

“What?” He whispered. “I…was playing dice last night?” Duo laughed.

 

“Good grief, just how much did you have to drink?” At the look of sheer embarrassment on the other's face, Duo whistled and clapped the other on the back with one soapy hand. “Well, it was your party. And if the man of the hour can't get drunk, who can?” He threw back his head and laughed, which in turn made Satoshi wonder how the braided boy could recover so quickly.

 

“Get back to work!” Both young men hastily ducked down and began to scrub the floor once more, with Duo shooting a mischievous look at Satoshi as he contorted his face to imitate the innkeeper's. The blue-haired youth was suddenly very thankful for his ability to hide amusement; he was sure that the innkeeper would not appreciate knowing exactly what Duo thought he looked like.

 

The rest of the day passed quietly, with Satoshi learning how to clean windows and tables for the first time in his life. When Quatre curiously asked if he had ever done so before, Satoshi found himself unable to answer the question honestly. Thankfully, the blond appeared to understand and had left him alone after a few hastily given instructions on how to quickly get rid of stubborn stains. After that day, the young prince silently swore to himself that should he ever be fortunate enough to have his own house, he would never spill food or drink on it; he understood the servants' plight all too well now. Dark and Duo, meanwhile seemed determined to cheer everyone up by singing and telling jokes as they worked. However, their efforts were thwarted by the other actors' silent stoicism. Satoshi had always been under the impression that street performers were always happy and carefree, with the way they told their tales, but he knew better now; it was all an act. After what felt like the hundredth joke about a camel's hump, Krad finally snapped. “Shut the hell up.” He growled as he flicked a duster across the windowsill, wiping up anything that might have been left on it with a grimy rag. After that, the only sound in the inn was the sound of cloth swishing across wooden surfaces, and the occasional rustle as someone made their way across the room.

 

“Hey, Satoshi.” He wearily looked up at Duo, wondering how he had managed to get stuck cleaning the place with the talkative performer. So far, the braided man had managed to keep himself sufficiently entertained by making up little plays for the cleaning tools in his hands; namely a basin and a cloth. He had also recited so many stories about the rest of the troupe that Satoshi was sure that he would never be able to look Heero in the eye without recalling his temporary stint as a young woman or Krad as an incorrigible womaniser. Then again, it was better than being forced to make conversation. He knew that he was nowhere near as interesting or lively as Duo was; he had never seen a tsunami come and sweep away an entire island. He knew nothing of grand underwater palaces, ruled by creatures that were half-fish and half-man, or birds that lived on mountain tops and were big enough to carry off sheep. He could not tell a story to save his life, nor recall any interesting incidents that would make someone laugh. “Do you want to learn how to tightrope-walk?” Startled at this abrupt question, he nearly dropped the broom and flushed at how clumsy he was.

 

“Not really.” A little voice whispered that he should try it, just to see what it was like. Perhaps he'd find that he was actually a prodigy at it. He ruthlessly pushed it away. He was Satoshi Hiwatari. It was a miracle that he'd been able to learn the drum so quickly already. Besides, he wasn't really here to become a performer. He was just tagging along until they reached the borderlands. Then he'd leave, and things would return to the way they were.

 

“Why not?” The other pouted, leaning on his mop to rest.

 

“I…I'm not very good at balancing. I'm clumsy.”

 

Duo looked thoughtfully out of the window. “I bet you'd pick it up really quickly. You're not clumsy at all. You didn't fall over when you had to dance with the drum.” Satoshi shook his head again. Why wouldn't Duo just leave him alone?

 

“No.”

 

“Are you afraid of heights?”

 

“No.” Unbidden, Satoshi's mind flashed back to when he had still been very young, and he had been playing with some other children at his party. They had decided to climb a tall apple tree `to see what was beyond the castle walls'. Afraid of falling and breaking the rules, Satoshi had refused to do so. The other children had taunted him until he'd finally snapped, and tried to climb up. He had immediately slipped back down, and the others had laughed at him even as tears stung in his eyes. The troupe could think he was good for nothing but playing the drums, but he refused to climb ever again. It was too dangerous, and he did not want to humiliate himself again.

 

“I really don't understand why you keep thinking you're bad at something even though you've never tried it.”

 

“It's dangerous.” As the words slipped out of his mouth, the whole idea suddenly began to seem childish and embarrassing. After all, he had escape from the palace with an angry horde and an entire army on his tail. He'd slipped out of his cousin's palace with the intention of travelling, on foot and alone, back home to chase after something that he'd heard from a mirror, of all things, and he'd survived losing his money not one day after arriving in Ginka. As though sensing his thoughts, Duo beamed at him.

 

“Well, it's not so bad. We'll catch you if you fall.” Even more incentive to stay on that rope, Satoshi thought wryly. He highly doubted any of the others would even notice should he slip. They'd likely think it was part of the act until he became a bloody mess on the ground. “So, you in?”

 

Satoshi could not believe his own ears. “Yeah. Why not?”

 

“YOU TWO! Stop loitering!” In a swirl of muddy, soapy water, the two hastily got back to work before the inn opened for business. As he scrubbed the floors, the blue-eyed prince felt a small tingle in the pit of his stomach at the thought of learned to walk on a tightrope, and for the first time in his life he realised that it was excitement. Repressing a small smile lest the innkeeper's wife think he was laughing at her, he returned to the bucket for a fresh helping of water.

 

Khael Palace:

 

“Your Highness, I think this solution would be the most effective in restoring peace to the kingdom.”

 

Tired golden eyes glanced from one minister to the next. “What do you say, Shuuei?”

 

The young man hesitated slightly. “Sire, perhaps it would be best to exercise caution; after all, we do not even know whether—“

 

“The time for thoughts is past! What is most needed now is to prevent the former Hiwatari kingdom from tearing itself apart! The quickest way to do so is either to conquer, or to locate the prince and put him back on the throne!”

 

The room dissolved into chaos and finally Ryuuki could stand it no longer. “Silence, all of you! Silence!” The noise slowly ebbed away as all the officials turned to look at the Emperor. With a great sigh, Shi Ryuuki made his decision. “As Emperor Shi Ryuuki of the Khael Empire, I formally declare war upon the Hiwatari Kingdom.” A great cry rose from all the ministers; some bowed their heads in dismay and groaned whilst others immediately began making plans for battle. “Should anyone hear so much as a whisper of our royal cousin, Prince Satoshi Hiwatari, you will immediately investigate and report your findings. You are dismissed.”

 

When the Emperor returned to his chambers that night, he collapsed on the bed. He only hoped that this war would unite the Hiwatari kingdom until his cousin decided to reappear and claim the throne. “Ryuuki, are you sure this is wise?” It was Shouka, with Reishin at his side. “The country is still in chaos—“

 

“We need to prevent the civil war from spreading to our borders. Already we have lost much trade to rebels and bandits. I will not have this country ruined from a war that is not even ours to begin with. Good night.” Seeing that there was nothing more to be done, the pair left the room.

 

As a result of an overwhelming work load and an extremely hectic life, I am sorry to announce that I will have to give up a number of stories. Although I will continue to write Rapunzel's Prince myself, I am giving up some fics for `adoption', so to speak. For more information, please see my homepage on ff.net, and if you would like to take on any of them please send me a PM/e-mail and we'll work out the details from there. Thank you for supporting me, and I hope to hear from you soon.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

trichloroethane