Chapter 6: Unknown Figures

Princess Ringubyu sat next to the open window in her sleeping chambers wide awake in the middle of the starry night. Her majestic rose red hair flowed behind her like a dancer whose very skilled on their toes. If one were to spot her from afar, they'll probably think that what they're seeing was a hallucination and fall immediately in love. The moon light made her eyes that were the same color -only a bit darker- shine bright.

She was puzzled. Deeply puzzled to the point it felt like nothing in the world was making any sense to her anymore. And it was all because of that… maiden! The brunette with royal purple eyes that were clearly hiding something a lot darker and wicked behind them. That awfully terrifying glare that was still stuck in the Princess's head made cold shivers run down her spine and tears build up at the side of her glossy eyes.

"That… maiden! What exactly is she hiding behind those cursed eyes of hers?! Tsk, I'll find you Nami and make damn sure to get to the bottom of whatever you're planning, you wicked nuisance!"

*Achoo!*

Yoru covered his nose before lightly scratching it due to the sudden and very unexpected sneeze. He didn't have a cold, nor the flu, and neither did the brunette felt sick of any sort.

"Well, it seems like someone's talking about me, wonder who," the young male laughed as he sat back in his seat next to the resting bed of Eriki.

Yoru spent the whole night searching and finding clues or helpful information that would help him while he was still on duty as a maiden in Palace Dragonsphire. His disciple wouldn't be awake anytime soon till the sun rises so it left him with a couple of very useful hours to dig up anything valuable. Assassins, or at least from his clan, were known for using everything gaven or brought upon them. Even a minute of unused time could sacrifice everything they've worked hard for since that extra 60 seconds could've been all they need to finish their duty. This exact situation happened multiple times when the children would be trained or taught to use their given test time to do something the elders had asked them. Most were cocky and overestimated their abilities as assassins so they spent a few minutes or so doing something completely different and not the task at hand. But when they finally decided to actually get to work, they found out that the assignments handed to them were beyond difficult and those minutes they wasted could've saved them from being a disgrace and an embarrassment to the whole family. They were ripped of their title and forced to do work on the farm, restock equipment for the accelerating children who took being an assassin seriously unlike them, and duty work like going out into the village town and volunteering to help out; but not a part of what their clan specialize and put their hearts into doing for a lifetime.

It reminded Yoru of how strict and authoritarian the Sensei's were when he was back in Shokei enjerukurasu (Execution Angel class) as just a mere student. But it didn't take long before the brunette was the most skilled and talented one in the whole class. Though, that made him a very large target to the rest of the disciples instead of a popular kid.

The brunette thought back to all those kids who thought they were above him and more powerful. Now look at them; lost and stripped of their title as an assassin and now serving as a lowlife. Though, it's not like it really matters now anyway. Since they're all… gone.

Yoru quickly shook the awful thoughts away and slapped both hands on his cheeks which ended up leaving two red handprints that started to sting.

"N-Nami-San?! Please d-don't hit yourself like t-that!"

"Hmm?"

The brunette looked up from the stack of papers a maiden had handed to him -since she probably thought he was another maiden- and told Yoru to complete them for the Prince who was still sleeping in his chambers. And there was Eriki, trying her hardest to sit from due to the various wounds she received while at the Princess Consort, with a worried/painful look on her face.

"Eh?! Eriki, you should be more focused on getting rest! Why are you concerned about me?"

"I don't want to rest! Nami-San looks very tired which is a sign you stayed up all night looking after me which you shouldn't have to do!"

"You're so adorable Eriki-Chan. You don't have to worry about me whenever I do this. Plus, what kind of sensei would I be if I just left my own disciple when they're in such a condition?"

The younger brunette was going to retaliate but the words got stuck in her throat as her face started to turn a deep red from embarrassment and shock. Yoru laughed at her expression before a sharp pain wave from what seems to be from a headache shot through him. A pained grunt came from the older brunette as he placed a hand over his forehead.

"N-Nami-San?! Oh no, you must have c-caught a headache from t-taking care of me and doing paperwork! L-Let's go and g-get Prince D-Dakuai," Eriki spoke quickly in a worried manner. Though it looks like her stuttering problem still hasn't seemed to disappear.

All Yoru could do was nod his head but even that simple action made the rather very intense headache hurt even more. The young maiden slowly but surely got up from her resting bed and removed the warm towel that must've been reheated thanks to Yoru, and slowly but firmly guided her sensei out from the resting Chamber and down the hall. Their boots clicked and clacked against the shiny marble floor that seemed to be repolished and cleaned late last night from all the rush hours of the lead maidens catching up on due work. Other maidens who were walking down the hall that looked to be going to their next destination on the Palace shot a worried look at the pair and offered to help out since it looked like Eriki was struggling to carry Yoru. Which was indeed true since he wasn't the average weight of a female but the weight of a male. But the young maiden kindly and gently refused their help and insisted that she was more than capable of carrying her sensei to where they needed to go. All the females that offered a hand were hesitant due to seeing the many tended injuries that were all over the young brunette's body but decided to let her go anyway since she was so determined.

It took quite the time -at least 30 minutes- to get to the Princess Consort but both brunettes managed to get there. Halfway throughout the whole trip, Yoru gained back some of his consciousness that he lost due to the headache that made him go black for a bit and thankfully, at least for Eriki who seemed to not be able to walk any further, took off most of the weight that was weighing the young brunette down. Though he still needed some minor help -like walking, and a pillar of support so he doesn't fall down-, it did reduce the time it would've taken to get to Princess Ringubyu by a ton.

A passing maiden who had the colors that were mostly known to be seen in the Princess Courtyard passed by Yoru and Eriki before stopping in her tracks to identify who they were.

"Hold it! Where do you two think you're going walking around like that looking all worn out? The resting Chambers are the other way so you better have a good explanation for heading to the Princess instead!"

"Nami-San is b-blanking out every o-once in a while due to h-headache. Please help g-get to Prince D-Dakuai."

The saddened maiden who worked under Princess Ringubyu shook her head and gave a very disapproving look before sighing and supporting Yoru who was starting to lose his senses again for the second time. This was most definitely not the normal outcome for doing a nightly investigation, at least not for the older brunette. The random headaches and then this big one, the random times he'll space out and lose all focus, then the times his eyes would fail him and close up. Not to mention the amount of times Yoru's brain would shut itself down to get a breather from the amount of work and papers that were needed to get finished before the next day.

"Prince Daku is surprisingly skilled in medical operations. If I get direct permission by the Princess, I can guide you two over to his residence."

"T-Thank you. I would h-hate for Nami-San t-to get in a worse s-state after taking c-care of me."

"It seems that you really care deeply for this maiden. Well, she is known to be the only person who had manage to not only talk back to Princess Ringubyu, but also act in such a oddly and distinguish manner towards Her Highness."

"What you s-speak of is not a l-lie of s-sort. I really admire N-Nami-San's bravery. She the person I r-really w-want to be."

"I noticed you don't talk in full sentences. Wouldn't it be better to see more properly?"

"I don't speak f-full in s-state of injury. I do not k-know why. It w-wears me o-out."

"I suppose I can take that as an answer. Your wounds must be serious if the bandages go up to your neck."

All Eriki could do was nod weakly as she tried desperately to keep up with her sore feet. This was the young brunette's first time doing such a thing in such a state that would normally be seen in the resting Chambers either sleeping, or taking time to relax and let the body heal up. But it just so happens that her dedication and determination to help out her sensei (Yoru) completely took over and left no turning backs.

"I in d-debt to Nami-San. Even if b-by l-little, Nami-San helped m-me."

"Hmm, I get it. I would possibly do the same thing if I was in debt to a person. And that person is Princess Ringubyu. She took me in as one of her servants and even fed me plus gave me a place in her residence to stay at. Oh how thankful and grateful I am to her. I don't know if I can offer my life to protect Her Highness but I can guarantee that every part of me is hers to own. If I can't put my life on the line, then anything the Princess asks me to do, I will follow it through to the end."

The maiden had a happy and genuine smile that looked to tapdance it's way onto her lips as her dark golden hair bangs framed the side of her surprisingly pale, smooth, tired face. Looking at it before thinking back to what the maiden said, Eriki couldn't help but tear up. The brunette genuinely admired her sensei from the start since she (Nami who is Yoru) took Eriki under her as an assistant. But she never thought about anything that the dark golden haired maiden told her as something she'll do for Nami-San. The tears flowed from her crystal blue eyes and down her bandaged face. The brunette didn't want anyone to notice she was starting to cry but her body betrayed her as a hiccup came out and then a snuffle that caught the other maiden's attention.

"Ah, why are you crying? Did I say something that could've upset you? Haha, my bad. I tend to let a lot of things slip by accident."

"N-no. I not cry b-beacuse of what said. I n-never thou-"

"Eriki-Chan never thought of anything that you've spoken about before. And because of how sad and genuine it sounded, she started to cry."

The sudden voice of Yoru who was just out of it gave a surprising fright to the two female maidens who were close to just dropping the older brunette.

"Hey! At least give us a sign you came back to life again!"

"You s-scared us Nami-San!"

"My bad. But Eriki has been using her voice more than needed. So I just wanted to cut it short so she wouldn't have to go mute and have to go through more resting days. It's not exactly a pleasant idea to just lay down for days on end. Your body can get really stiffened up like an old lady."

"I guess that is true. Ah, but look, all that talking used up the rest of the time we had to reach the Princess Consort's residence."

Yoru gave a smile as he caught a sniff of what would happen to be freshly made food. His stomach growled hungrily as it echoed out and was most definitely heard by the two maidens.

"My, I've completely forgotten to eat the day before. Looks like all that work made me unaware of how deprived of many things I was."

"I'll let the Princess handle the decisions of what I must serve you. The cooks that were assigned to make exquisite food for Her Highness are very skilled and experienced in the kitchen. I'm sure they can make something that would suit your taste."

"That would be so fantastic if so. I'm sure anything will do."

"Yes, anything will do. If you count being held captive for a while."

Yoru's eyes widened as the sudden entrance of another voice belonging to another person suddenly made their appearance from behind them. The two maidens were stunned and frozen in place from their brain going into a phase called amygdala. The older brunette quickly pushed the two girls aside before a pair of surprisingly strong hands could wrap around one of them and hold them captive. Both Eriki and the dark golden haired maiden's backs hit the wall of the Palace as they looked on in pure fear and shock as Yoru was crouched down with his back turned to them with arms spread out as a way to protect the two from any further harm.

"Well, well, well. I would have thought such a simple task as to take a specific brunette would be difficult, but now that I got to see your face up close, I'm more than certain you're the one we're looking for. But getting a hold of you seems like quite the challenge itself."

"What business do you have with me?"

"Oh, it's not me who has business with you. It's actually my Sensei who asked to take you to him. So I'm just following his orders as you can most likely see."

"Tsk, as if I'd believe that. If I remember correctly since it was basically only a minute or so ago, you tried to abduct Eriki. So tell me, why should I even dare to go meet this old man?"

"Well, I was going to give you a simple and short explanation, but the fact you disrespected my Sensei, I don't think that is no longer an option. He did say I could use necessary lengths if needed; which, and mind you, I didn't want to result in using since it would've been rude of me to use on a lady."

"Shoot your best shot, I'm more than sure-"

"N-Nami-San… I feel… not g-good… It hurts m-much…"

Yoru was starting to sweat. Not only was he in a not-so-ideal situation with two defenseless maidens behind him who were leaning up against a wall, Eriki, the one he offered to take under his wing, was starting to feel worse. The older brunette didn't want to let the opposing side take advantage of the situation one bit, but he needed to check if the young girl would have enough time to get medical attention and stop any more wounds from opening again.

Yoru gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes at the friendly smiling person who was wearing dark blue mixed with black clothing. They didn't have the appearance of an awful or ruthless person at all. The young male observed and studied their face features and body structure. Dark circles under the eyes and multiple lines that indicate that this guy doesn't sleep a lot, a firm and built body structure, and silky black hair just like Prince Dakuai that was tied up in a messy bun.

"Che, does this Sensei of yours have a medical chamber that can provide care for my disciple?"

"Hmm, I suppose so. Even though you haven't met him yet, he seems to favor you. I'm sure that other girl can get help."

"Fine then. I see no reason to continue this any further. Eriki won't make it if we take too long, so hurry up and get us to this Sensei!"

"Sheesh, I'm doing you a favor yet you're still so demanding."

"If this was your mother on the line in your arms in this situation, I can rest assured you'll yell the same thing."

"Well, I suppose you've got me there."

Yoru picked Eriki up and held her firmly but gently so as to not press too much pressure on the reopening wounds that were starting to bleed through the bandages. The brunette looked back to see the other maiden who shot Yoru a worried look while fidgeting with her hands. But all he could do was give her a reassuring smile before making a gesture that she should get back to work at the Princess Consort's residence.

3rd Person POV: Maiden of Princess Ringubyu

Nemurenai could feel the anxiety rising up from the pit of her stomach. Tired rose red eyes watched as the three walked away to who knows where.

'No… I can't just trust the fact that they'll be safe. Wait, they wanted to get to Prince Daku right? Then, I should go and inform him of the situation!'

The maiden quickly steadied herself from her deprived and worried state before turning on her heels and rushing over towards where the Prince was taking residence. It wasn't far at all, though it was a minute or so walk, it was quick and effortless to get there. Nemurenai knocked on the large rose pink framed doors before making her announcement of arrival.

"My sincerest apologies, Prince Daku, but I have very important information to put upon you!"

Some seconds passed. The dark golden haired maiden could hardly even swallow because of how little it was she'll go to the Prince to tell him confidential information. But it wasn't long before the doors opened up and right there standing next to them was none other than the silky black haired Prince.

"What could you possibly have to tell me that requires my intel? Why not go to Princess Ringubyu?"

"Please, it has to do with those two brunettes from the other day. Her Highness would certainly lash out atl me about telling her something that would prove useless to her."

Dakuai's eyes widened before moving aside to let the trembling maiden inside. The Prince walked over to his working desk and sat down as he went back to continue working on previous papers he started before getting interrupted by Nemurenai who was fidgeting quite a lot even though she was standing before him.

"Now tell me, what about those two? If I remember correctly, the last time I saw them was last night back at the resting Chambers."

"Yes, but something I couldn't just shake off happened to them so I came to you."

"Well, what was it?"

"If I recall correctly, Nami and Eriki were their names. They've… been taken."

The black haired Prince completely stopped all movements as he registered what was said. Taken? To where by who?

"What?!"

"A suspicious person who tried to capture us said something about how their sensei wanted to meet Nami since they favor her. But almost kidnapped the young girl who I'm guessing was Nami's disciple instead. She protected us but Eriki started to go unconscious because her wounds started to open since all I could see was blood starting to soak the bandages. Now Nami is carrying the girl in favor of seeking medical attention and to not cause any problems with the unknown person.

Dakuai rose from his seat in pure anger and his hands shook violently. This… feeling, the Prince has never felt it before. He already knows who the actual person hiding behind the face called 'Nami'. And it only confirmed which Nami they were talking about because of the mention of the other brunette, Eriki.

"We cannot let this get out of our hands! I… no, we… will have to go and get them back! Surely this isn't as dangerous as it sounds, but from people we don't even know, we can't trust this for a single second."

Nemurenai was shocked as he heard how protective of the two brunettes the Prince was, but shook her head and nodded firmly with a determined look on her face.

"Yes, Prince Daku!"