Chapter Three
The pirate was named Jun-Seo, and after a long conversation with Mako, who lied through his teeth the entire time about Kiyoko, her father, the Temple, and the form of payment, he finally agreed to join their journey. His men he left behind to watch the ship, and as it turned out, they were all actually pirates for Garda. They would protect the shipments as they passed in and out of the provinces on the lake that bordered the city, and according to Jun-Seo, it wasn’t a very easy job. Pirates would come over from the more northern Sun province and then escape up one of the many rivers that passed through Garda and up through and out the Water province. Even more, the pirates from the Sun province were much more vicious.
Kiyoko couldn’t help but think about how easily Mako had defeated Jun-Seo’s men, and wondered more about where he had been trained and who exactly had trained him. Where did he come from? After seeing the business side to him, it turned out she was far more interested in his personal life. But then again, Jun-Seo seemed to be quite powerful as well, and they were both so easily able to fight for her and protect her. People had been taking care of her through her entire life, some had even died protecting her, but she had never been able to understand it. She had never even seen any of the assassins that came after her, as her father always found capable men and women to work for them, so she had never had much reason to think about the people fighting for her. Being with Mako and Jun-Seo directly made her feel much differently.
When the trio boarded the carriage around noon, Kiyoko was rattled with worrisome thoughts. She secretly felt ashamed for being weak and vulnerable and having to always depend on others. How could she ever repay this kind of kindness? This bravery? Was it truly possible that she would be able to hone her skills and become a skilled fighter if she was going to spend the rest of her life on a mountain, in solitude?
Mako seemed to notice her discomfort, but he was only able to focus on their new partner, Jun-Seo, who seemed far too interested in the Princess for his liking. Occasionally he would attempt to talk about something they might have shared in common, like a long life of combat, but Jun-Seo wasn’t interested and this agitated Mako. He decided maybe not was the time he should break out the Emperor’s rules. At least, with another person here, he wouldn’t feel as tempted to talk to Kiyoko himself.
“Miss Kiyoko,” Mako cleared his throat, his eyes still trained on the new guy, “From this point on, you should wear your veil,” Jun-Seo seemed confused by the order, watching with a very perplexed expression as the Princess replaced the tiered comb into her hair, holding the nearly-sheer fabric over her face. Kiyoko didn’t think twice about it, but now that she was covered she knew she could look at them freely without being embarrassed.
“That’s probably best,” She said quietly, “We’re getting closer to the Sun Province, and the people there are more familiar with my father…” She trailed off as Jun-Seo raised an eyebrow.
“Your father?” Jun-Seo asked curiously.
“He’s an important Lord of Aomori,” Mako hurriedly interrupted, “His politics have been controversial in the past. A scandal here and there…” Mako wanted to throttle himself, knowing that these excuses were easily caught as lies. It was simply too convenient.
Jun-Seo seemed to have an uninterested expression suddenly, but he continued, “Why would anybody target his daughter?” He leaned back in his seat, watching them. Mako and Kiyoko both sat silently, out of excuses. What had they been thinking? How could they have possibly believed they could just recruit somebody so easily, with such a weak cover story. They should have come up with something better than this. Jun-Seo didn’t seem like the type to fall for these kinds of things.
“Well,” Jun-Seo exhaled, “I think it’s more than reasonable to know who exactly I’m protecting here. A face like hers might be enough for some men, and the reward certainly sweetens the deal, but a person’s character should be taken in consideration. I don’t just work for anybody. What if her father has political views that I don’t agree with?” He seemed to be amusing himself.
“He’s right,” Kiyoko said, twiddling her fingers anxiously, “Both of you are protecting me with your lives, but only one of you know who I really am.”
“She’s the daughter of Emperor Han Miyamoto,” Mako said plainly.
“Well, then,” Jun-Seo said, looking mildly surprised, “You weren’t lying about his politics being controversial. I didn’t even know he had children. Not a very personable man, is he?” He looked over at Kiyoko again, his face finally twisting into some kind of confusion, “And the veil?”
“That has a few reasons,” Mako replied, “Her father doesn’t want sinful men to look at her. The veil also conceals her identity, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, she stands out.”
“I’ve seen a person like this before, but a little oddity never hurt,” Jun-Seo seemed offended, “She would fit right in with my crew. A little training here and there… You had said she was going to be a priestess.”
“Right,” Mako continued, “At the Temple of Ashmora, that much was true. It’s north of here, in the Cloud province.”
“So…” Jun-Seo grinned now, looking back at Kiyoko, “I have yet to get to know her character.”
“I’m afraid she’s not very interesting,” Mako replied quickly, “She’s spent her entire life in the Royal Palace, so she’s not very smart either.” He knew he was blatantly lying, but hopefully Kiyoko wouldn’t take it to heart. He was simply trying to dissuade Jun-Seo’s interest in her. It wouldn’t be good for a business relationship.
“Well,” Jun-Seo was unaffected, “It’s an honor to fight for you, Princess.” He gave a slight bow to Kiyoko, who began turning red all over again under her veil. She was suddenly very thankful she was hidden. She even knew that Mako had just been bluffing with the pirate, because she was in fact, not stupid, but it felt nice to receive such kindness from someone. He continued talking, seeming to be at peace with situation, “I hope she doesn’t mind the scars. I’ve been in quite a few violent battles. It’s probably more appropriate for me to wear a veil.”
“No, of course not,” Kiyoko said, shocked, “Most of the men who have protected me have been covered in scars. My father was always very choosy, and he liked the men who had seen the worst injuries but still survived. He said they had the willpower to live, and that it was more admirable than anything else.” Now it was Jun-Seo’s turn to be embarrassed. He hadn’t expected such a straightforward compliment from her, and she hardly knew him.
Mako, irritated by the turn in conversation, interrupted once more, “Her father has another rule as well: he prefers casual topics to be left behind. Meaning, this chatter is unnecessary, perhaps even a hindrance. It’s our duty to make sure she makes it to the Temple unharmed, so distractions are discouraged.”
Jun-Seo looked mildly amused by the reaction and then increasingly bored, “Fine, then I suppose I’ll just take a short nap. What’s the point in traveling with others if you can’t even talk with them…?” He tilted his hat down and went silent. Mako stared back, aggravated by his lax attitude. What was the point in having an additional guard if all they wanted to do was slack off? Still, he felt bad that he had relegated Kiyoko back to being hidden and silent.
There were very few breaks during the day and even less in the evening, and because of this the group was making excellent time in getting to the Temple. The weather had been good and they hadn’t encountered any problems on the road, but getting Jun-Seo to stay awake was becoming a challenge. He didn’t seem to be taking the assignment seriously at all. Mako wasn’t sure what he would have to do, and simply resigned to hoping that the whole deal would be over with soon. He shouldn’t have expected anything different.
“Uh…” Kiyoko spoke up suddenly, “Can we stop for a moment?”
“Why?”
She fidgeted, stammering, “Uh… the bathroom.”
Mako felt annoyed that she was even slightly shy about the matter, but he assumed a Princess who had never left the Royal Palace would act in such a way. He knocked on the windows to the carriage drivers, and they soon pulled to the side of the road. When Mako began to leave the carriage, Kiyoko hurriedly pushed him back.
“No,” She said, “I can go alone. I won’t be far. Just don’t look.”
Mako did not find this to be a good idea, but wasn’t sure if he would be able to argue with her. The Emperor had said to listen to whatever the Princess said, but what was the correct etiquette in a situation like this? He didn’t necessarily want to be standing right next to her the whole time either, but he wasn’t in the habit of transporting people. Nevertheless, he let her scamper off into the woods, but stood outside the carriage and leaned up against it, trying not to stare too intently in the forest. The foliage was sparse enough, so he knew there were definitely getting closer to the Sun Province. He had only been here once before, when he was sixteen and traveling with a group of bandits. The years had been long…
Kiyoko could hardly see where she was going now that the sun was beginning to set, but she wanted to be absolutely sure that Mako wouldn’t be able to glimpse her. After hiding behind a particular thick tree for a moment, she turned to return the carriage. In an instant, there was a hand cupped over her mouth and a knife was pressed against her throat. She could feel very bulky and sharp items pressing into her back and was too terrified to scream. She watched in horror as the small pieces she could see of Mako faded out of view. She couldn’t even see who was dragging her, but she knew they were much larger than her. Kiyoko thought that maybe if she bit his hand she could chance an escape, but the dagger at her throat was beyond sharp, and if she moved too suddenly, her throat would be sliced open. She wanted to scream and cry all at once. She didn’t know what to do.
After a few silent moments of her holding back scared tears, her feet digging trails into the dirt, she was then thrown into a clearing where she saw at least a dozen masked men and women surrounding her. They looked frightening, but Kiyoko was desperate. She was too far away now for anyone to hear her, but she knew that it wasn’t looking good for her. She wasn’t ready to die, and these people wanted to kill her. These were the religious fanatics she had heard about, but never seen. They were who wanted to steal her soul. Her legs shook slightly as she thought about running. It was impossible. There was no way out of this…
“You are the Blessed Princess, are you not?” One woman called out. Kiyoko was too afraid to say anything, her entire body beginning to tremble. She was trying to watch them all at once, but there were just too many.
“You didn’t need to ask,” A man close to her laughed, “Look at her, look at her clothing. It’s obvious.” Kiyoko watched him as he moved slightly towards her. He was covered in various weapons, and slurring a bit as he spoke, “It’s a shame we have a little fun with her first…” He turned more directly towards her and Kiyoko’s heart sunk. She was as good as dead. She couldn’t hear the last thing he said, as her blood was rushing faster than it ever had before. Tunnel vision began kicking in.
It seemed like instinct at first, but Kiyoko felt her body move on it’s own. She darted forward at the man, grabbed one of the sharp pointed instruments on his chest, and then jumped up and stabbed the man in his throat. Blood gushed violently, immediately drenching the surrounding area, including Kiyoko. The man slumped to his knees quickly, before drowning on his own blood. Kiyoko was still shaking, but now all of the eyes of the fanatics were trained on her in shock. She still held the small dagger. As long as she held it, she had a chance. She would defend herself as best as she could. She tried not to look at the growing pool of blood around her feet, or the fact that her knees felt like they would give out if she even attempted to move. She had never been so terrified in her life. Kiyoko wanted to collapse, to weep, to scream for help. She wasn’t strong enough for this.
The next few moments were surreal. A red vapor began draining itself from the surrounding fanatics, filling the air, before their bodies started seizing wildly. They were stunned. Nobody seemed to know what had happened. Kiyoko looked around wildly but saw nothing, and then suddenly… The blood around her turned into a massacre. One after the other, the fanatics fell, losing limb here and there, and then falling to the ground, dead. The dagger fell from Kiyoko’s hand and she grasped her own throat, unable to breathe. Her chest felt like it was seizing, and finally she could stand no longer. Her vision was incredibly blurry, from blood, tears, and whatever else, but she could see the dark hair and tall figure of Mako dropping from the distance. His sword was a bright red, and in an instant, he was by her side.
Kiyoko fell forward instinctively into his arms, terrified beyond exhaustion. It felt like forever that they sat there with her crying on his shoulder. Mako was horrified at his own negligence. If he had been even a minute later, she would have died. What was she even thinking, going so far away from the carriage and so far from his view? His heart was beating fast; he hadn’t intended to use that power ever again for as long as he lived. He had managed to keep that promise for a long time, but protecting her seemed like the most important thing in the world. He wasn’t sure why exactly, but the relief he felt at her relative safety was more than he could ask for. What were they going to do now?
She didn’t object when he picked her up, but as he walked back, Mako couldn’t help but think about about what he had seen from the treeline. She had acted so carelessly, and she had taken the life of another without much hesitation. It was those rumors of the Royal Family again. There had always been something strange about them, and there was certainly something strange about Kiyoko, but now it felt like he had proof. No sheltered Princess would act in such a way normally. Was he impressed? Was he suspicious? He wasn’t sure anymore.
When they arrived back to the carriage, he set her down inside. Jun-Seo immediately began to stir, took one glance at Kiyoko, and then his mouth dropped open. It certainly wasn’t a sight he expected to see upon waking. Kiyoko herself seemed to be in shock, her hand still gripped as if she were holding the dagger. Mako was also covered in blood and the carriage drivers were watching through the windows in horror. There was nothing anybody could do. The only thing Mako could think of was a change of clothes. Without speaking, he started unpacking different outfits from the luggage. If not for Kiyoko’s sake, but for the sake of any onlookers they happened to stumble upon the next day. He laid out an outfit for Kiyoko across the seat and then pulled Jun-Seo from the carriage. Once outside, he explained what had happened. |
“It really is that serious,” Jun-Seo said ominously, “I had a feeling… but it’s ridiculous to think you can take it from someone?” Both Jun-Seo and Mako looked to each other skeptically, an uncomfortable silence between them.
“That’s why they’re called fanatics,” Mako eventually replied, “It was my fault. She went out of my sight. I think it’s best if we…” He didn’t know what to say anymore, “She’s going to be a bit upset.”
“Obviously!” Jun-Seo looked offended, “She’s a princess! This is unjust. A delicate lady should never witness that kind of thing.” Mako felt annoyed at this description of Kiyoko, especially after he had seen her so instinctively save her own life, but he withheld comment, “Sit with the carriage drivers for a bit, I need to talk with her.” Jun-Seo shrugged.
“I suppose they should know what happened too.”
When Mako reentered the carriage after changing into clean clothing, Kiyoko slammed into him and began crying all over again. He sat her down, knocked on the window for the carriage drivers, and then sat with his arm around her, wondering what he could possibly say to make her feel better in this situation. She was smart enough that she didn’t need to be told that she did the right thing, but still… it must be hard to cope with. He remembered the first time he had taken a life…
“When I was eight,” Mako began, “I lived in a village far in the west, named Iora, hidden in the desert and incredibly isolated…”
“I’ve read about it,” Kiyoko whispered.
“The place is corrupt, filled with men who would kill one another for a single coin,” He continued, “There were fights in the streets daily and families were found starved to death all the time. It was a terrible life, but it was the only one I knew. Both of my parents had been killed by bandits when I was seven, so I spent most of my time stealing or doing small jobs for money. There wasn’t much someone my age was able to do since it was too dangerous to send me out on any kind of scouting missions, so in the end I was mostly ignored. I got by okay with what I stole, but more than once I found myself in a tough situation, and I knew that I would be punished if I got caught. Over the winter I started teaching myself how to fight, and for a kid, I was pretty good.
“One of those night, I finally got unlucky and ended up getting caught trying to steal something more valuable than what I usually went for,” Mako paused, thinking back on the memory, “A simple punishment wasn’t enough in this man’s eyes. He saw me as something less than vermin that deserved to be stamped out, not a kid that had simply made a bad choice. I knew I had no other choice…” Mako knew there wasn’t much point in continuing the story, but Kiyoko’s tears had stopped falling and she was now listening intently, still pressed hard against his chest. He was breaking every rule the Emperor had given him, but at a moment like this he knew had to, for her sake.
“So, the training I had been practicing in my spare time had paid off,” Mako continued, “I killed the man, but it wasn’t quick and he suffered. It was somewhat like what happened tonight. I thought I would never forget his face, and I was right. You carry their deaths with you, even if you were only defending yourself, because death is a painful thing. It feels severe, but the world is cruel and sometimes there is no other way out,” He could tell her breathing had become slower, “I ended up joining up with a raiding group not much longer after that, though I wasn’t very useful immediately. When I left Iora, I wasn’t much different than the child I had been… I might as well still be a raider. ‘Mercenary’ is a fancy name for relatively the same thing.”
“You’re more than that,” Kiyoko said back quietly.
“You don’t have to say that,” He replied, “I know it might not be something you want to hear, but you ended up buying time for me. The others were so stunned by you, they could only stand there. If I wasn’t who I am, I wouldn’t have been able to see that kind of opportunity.”
“What did you do to them?” She asked suddenly. Mako knew she was referring to his power. He hadn’t intended to ever share that information with anyone, especially not her, nor had he even expected to use it, but he seemed to be in a bind. There had been a calling inside him that demanded it. Was it just anger? Fear? Something more?
“It’s called Siphoning,” He answered, his voice grim, “It’s forbidden, even by your father. I’ve sworn to never use it again. You essentially take the life force of the person you’re stealing from and in turn become more powerful. It has more properties than I can explain in just one conversation but it’s incredibly dangerous. The Church and the Royal Empire are highly against its use, with the punishment usually being death.”
“You risked all that for me?” Kiyoko was vaguely familiar with ‘Siphoning’ because of the threat of those powers against her own, but she had never expected him to be one of those people.
“I saw no other way out,” He said back, unsure if he was even telling the truth. It was possible he could have relied on his own swordsmanship to take them all down, but his gut had told him it wasn’t enough. His power is what managed to weaken the group at an instant, which made his sword attacks easier accomplish… but it was wrong, “I won’t use it again. It’s inhumane.”
“It saved my life,” Kiyoko said in a hushed voice, “You saved me.” She exhaled and then wiped her tears, “Thank you. I’ll make sure my father hears of your bravery and how you saved me. I won’t mention the Siphoning,” She sniffed hard, “I want to be able to protect others too. I don’t want to be defenseless anymore.”
Mako was startled by this, but felt he needed to remind her, “Once you’re at the Temple you won’t need to be able to protect yourself. The security there is sufficient. You’ll like spend the rest of your life in peace.”
“Right,” Kiyoko said dully, “The Temple.”
“It’s what your father wants,” Mako said, as gently as possible. He had a feeling that her relationship within the Palace with her family might not have been typical in comparison to the average person’s, but that was to be expected.
“Tell me a story from your life,” She said, ignoring his expression at her changing the subject. He didn’t think any more stories from himself would be beneficial to them, if anything she needed to get her mind off of needless death.
“How about you tell me one from yours?” He wasn’t sure why he was asking these things anymore. He wasn't sure why he was still holding her or why she was still holding him. Whenever he and Rina went on a missions together, things like this never happened. But what was he supposed to expect from a Princess? Wasn’t it only natural to feel compelled by their presence?
“When I was five I fell into a small pond in the garden,” Kiyoko started, “The one who had been watching me didn’t see me fall in and I ended up sinking like a rock. I know I was young, but I remember thinking ‘I don’t want to die’. Something within me happened, something I couldn’t control, but I was launched out of the water, and when I hit the grass I started crying. My guard saw that I was soaking wet and began to panic. I was so confused, and his fear only made me more afraid. When my father found out, he explained to me what I was and that the Goddess had protected me with her blessing. He said one day those types of things would come natural to me and I would be able to speak with the Goddess as casually as I am speaking to you…” She paused, “I’ve never had anything similar happen since.”
Mako didn’t know what to say back, but he thought it was unfair to lay such a heavy burden on such a young child. She might have lived differently than himself, but he couldn’t even imagine having grown up in such a confusing and secluded environment. It took something that most people didn’t have, and he knew finally what he wanted to say, “I think you’ve been very brave.” The silence that came next was not of discomfort, but peace. Nothing else was spoken between them, and the two fell asleep as they sat.
The next morning, Mako woke up to Jun-Seo sitting across from him and Kiyoko still curled into his chest. Blinking a few times, he had to remind himself that the night before had not been a nightmare after all. He looked down at the Princess, whose hand was now bandaged tightly. She must have injured it when she attacked the fanatic. It’s not like she would be used to handling daggers, but who bandaged it? It must have been Jun-Seo, who was looking thoroughly displeased. Mako didn’t want to wake Kiyoko, but felt it necessary to at least clear things up with their new partner.
“I think she will be okay,” He said, though he wasn’t sure how certain he was of that yet, “But more importantly,” he cleared his throat, “Have you heard of these fanatics? Do you have any information on them at all? You’re a pirate, so surely you’ve been to many places.”
“You’re a mercenary,” Jun-Seo shrugged, “Surely you’ve also been to many places.”
“The Princess was never my concern before,” Mako replied.
“And the same is not true for me?”
“Do you know anything or not?”
Jun-Seo frowned, “I’ve heard of them. There’s a large amount of them in the Sun Province. It’s possible word traveled from the port, but it would be impossible to tell. Of course, any number of people who were aware of this journey could be suspect, even the Emperor himself.”
“He would need motive,” Mako rolled his eyes, feeling like he wasn’t going to be getting any useful information out of the pirate.
“Ah, right,” Jun-Seo yawned, “The reclusive Emperor we both know so well could be completely sane. He’s definitely thinking of his daughter first.” Mako was appalled at the sarcasm, but couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. The Emperor’s methods were certainly unusual, but it meant nothing other than he was paranoid for her safety. But was he paranoid enough to risk his daughter’s life to save his own? “Apparently, I make some sense,” Jun-Seo continued, “But, I guess you wouldn’t want the little Princess to know that you doubted her father.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, if his Royal Highness were to see a sight such as this! His daughter unveiled! In the arms of a mercenary! Still stained in blood from a battle the night before! Must I go on?” He smiled to himself, “I have no objection, personally, but I think there are some who would take serious offense to the Princess being left alone to fend for herself against fanatics.”
“It was a mistake,” Mako narrowed his eyes at him, “But this,” he nodded to their current entanglement, “Is nothing personal.” Jun-Seo rolled his eyes.
“Fine, whatever you say,” He sighed, “After all, I’m just here for the money anyway. It’s no business of mine whether or not you get overly friendly with the Princess.” Mako might as well have been shooting daggers out of his eyes, which appeared to overjoy Jun-Seo, but Kiyoko began stirring from her sleep just as Mako was tightening up his fist.
“Oh,” She slid away from mako, “I’m sorry for falling asleep on you. That was… indecent.” Jun-Seo looked like he was overwhelmed with glee at the interaction, and stared pointedly at Mako, as if hinting at him to make some moves on the girl.
“Eh,” Mako stammered, “It’s fine.” Jun-Seo’s face fell at the lame retort.
Kiyoko took no notice and instead glanced out the windows, examining the scenery, “It looks like we’re in the Sun Province, you can tell because the forest has thinned out a lot. That means we aren’t far from Kasah City.”
She propped herself up and pressed her face up against the window, just like she before the trauma of the night before happened. She even seemed unconcerned, and Mako couldn’t help but wonder if Kiyoko was ignoring her feelings. When it had happened to him, he had stressed over it for months, but he also hadn’t had much time to truly dwell on it. He had lived in a violent environment, and hunger would drive a person to do desperate things, and even as a child, he understood most things couldn’t be helped in certain situations. But, perhaps Jun-Seo was right in pointing out his overly friendly relationship with the Princess. He had tried avoiding it at first, but it just happened so naturally, he wasn’t sure how he could have truly prevented it. In any case, it was time for him to get serious. As far as he was concerned, they were not entering dangerous territory and the Princess’s safety was the only thing he needed to focus on.
“Hey, now,” Jun-Seo said to Kiyoko, “He said you were stupid.”
Mako and Kiyoko both looked at the pirate awkwardly, neither of them sure how to explain his previous lie. Even if one of them was brave enough to admit something so personal, was it really worth explaining? Kiyoko decided to use this opportunity to explain more of the situation in the Sun Province, now that it was essential.
“I’ve been meaning to get around to this, actually,” Kiyoko said grimly, sitting back down, “I don’t know much, but I did try and learn what I could while I was in the Palace, and since I sat in most of his meetings I’ve picked up information about these fanatics. They call themselves ‘Risen’ and there are more in the Sun Province than anywhere else in the country. Unlike the outer provinces, the Sun Province is in the center of the continent nearly, so there are people from all over that gather and trade in the Capital, Kasah. Unfortunately, this could cause more problems than anything else.”
“Hey,” Jun-Seo whispered to Mako, “She really is smart.”
“Walking the streets, I could go relatively unnoticed,” Kiyoko continued, “The only people who have seen me without my veil have been my family and a few guards here and there. And you two of course. But people who have heard of my existence have no doubt also heard many rumors. While being Blessed is rare, I’m also not the only one, but typically you don’t see us out in the world because most are brought to the Temple. To anyone looking closely, who also had any knowledge of me, it could unravel into a disaster right there, and because there are so many people, it’s also good cover for anybody trying to kill me.”
“They were quite brazen taking you right under our noses,” Jun-Seo noted.
“True.”
“There’s no reason for us to stop in Kasah,” Mako argued, “If we just keep going we could make it to the Temple in a week, tops.”
“Well,” She sighed, “We won’t get to Kasah until tomorrow anyway, but if you want me to stay in the carriage, I will. I thought it would be a good opportunity to get some supplies before taking the last leg of the trip. But Jun-Seo can do the shopping then.”
Mako thought about how once the Princess got to the temple, it would be unlikely she would ever get to leave again, and he suddenly felt guilty all over again. Begrudgingly, he groaned out, “No, it’s fine. We’ll be vigilant. It’s not like we could trust that guy to handle our money.”
“You’re the one who hired me,” Jun-Seo shrugged, “But you’re probably right.”
“Just...” Mako paused, looking to Kiyoko, “Use discretion. We can’t afford to have another situation like last night.” Kiyoko’s eyes dropped and she looked away, feeling guilty for having caused so much trouble again.
“I need to learn how to protect myself,” She sighed.
“You don’t need to worry about that anymore,” Mako reassured her, “I won’t be letting you out of my sight again.” Kiyoko blushed slightly but was not convinced.
“I don’t want to have to depend on anybody else anymore,” She answered, “Good men and women have died for me my entire life. I want to be the one saving myself this time,” Mako and Jun-Seo watched her silently, unashamedly captivated. Kiyoko took no notice, lost in her own thoughts, “I’m supposed to learn these types of things in the Temple, but I don’t think it can wait anymore. I know I can’t learn as much as I need to in the time given, but if I don’t try I will have already failed,” She turned to Mako suddenly, “Please, teach me.”
Jun-Seo seemed to be eagerly awaiting Mako’s response, but all were disappointed when he said, “No, absolutely not.”
Kiyoko looked like she would throw a tantrum. After what had happened the night before, how could he possibly be so dense? If anything, it proved she was meant to be a stronger individual, she just had never had the opportunity. He was the perfect person to teach her! “Please,” she said again, “This is important.”
“You’re the Princess,” Mako said back sternly, “A sword doesn’t belong in your hands.”
“Then as Princess, and daughter of the Emperor, Han Miyamoto,” Kiyoko spat back, “I order you to teach me.”
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