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 Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 9:49 am
There was only one word Kotaro could use to describe Ichiro’s shot. “That was…. Perfect,” he whispered softly, looking up at the prince with a small smile. For all the animosity he held for this man, he could not help but respect him more and more with each passing moment. “Impeccable form.” He allowed his eyes to stray to Takeshi, who seemed to be readying his bow for his shot. There was something inelegant about the way he stood. However, even with his massive features and ugly display, he appeared to be doing everything right. Kota’s eyes narrowed a bit but he said nothing.
Kasuke, seeming to read the boy’s mind, leaned down so he was level with Kota’s ear and whispered, “If a boar were to hold a bow, he would not look nearly as foolish as Takeshi.” Kota giggled cutely at this image and nodded, eyes still trained on his competition. When the arrow was released, he was surprised to see it land about two inches away from Ichiro’s. A good shot. Kota felt a bit uneasy. However, he knew he would simply need to do his best. For some reason, failure did not seem to be an option. He needed to beat this big oaf.
Secretly, he wanted to prove himself. He wanted to make Ichiro proud. He wasn’t sure why, but he knew he could win. He knew he could make his master and himself happy. With a deep breath, the beautiful boy stepped forward. Takeshi moved aside with a smug, arrogant look on his scrunched face-- ready to brag. “You expect this boy to defeat me, your highness. Why, he’s the size of my youngest sister, he is.” Takeshi jeered, beady eyes roaming over the small boy’s form as he backed away and crossed his arms, watching with little interest.
Kota huffed, but cleared his mind and aimed. He let the world around the circular target fade away in a haze of gray. For someone so small, the crowd was surprised to see his lovely form and the concentration in his shockingly blue eyes. Without warning, he released the arrow, letting the polished wood soar through the air like a bullet.
CRACK.
There was a gasp amongst the spectators. Jaws dropped. Kotaro blinked out of his daze and tilted his head to the side cutely as he looked at the target. He, himself, was a tad surprised to see Ichiro’s arrow split in half with his own now claiming the very center of the target between the two wooden slivers. “I apologize, your majesty,” he said in a soft, sweet tone. “But I seem to have broken your arrow.” The mocking towards Takeshi was subtle, but Kasuke seemed to have noticed because he laughed out loud.
“Lovely shot, Kota-chan.” Kasuke boomed, grinning at Takeshi. “Looks like the prince and Kota tied for first. It told you Kotaro would defeat you.”
Takeshi looked at the boy with a mix of awe, shock, and spite. “You,” he bowed a bit to the boy. “You must come from a line rich of nobility. Tell me, little one, who trained you. I must know the name of your sensei.”
Kotaro returned to Ichiro’s side and looked back at the man. “My father taught me.”
“Kotaro is Ichiro’s new servant. A birthday gift. Isn’t he just adorable.” Kasuke teased with a broad grin.
The gasps started anew.
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Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 12:45 pm
Stepping back a bit, Ichiro smiled down at Kota. "Of course. What did you expect from your prince? There is a reason Takeshi admits that I am the only one whom he expects to be bested by. Of everyone in the center, I do believe that I have the highest scores from all of the tournaments I actually participated in. Of course, I'm sure you'll show him a thing or two as well, and maybe you can enter the future tournaments too, if you like. I'm sure you would like seeing your name on the records as getting a high score, wouldn't you?" Patting the boy on the head, Ichiro watched with amusement as Takeshi stepped up to take his shot. There was certainly something unwieldy about the man, and not simply that he was big. Unlike most of the other nobility, Takeshi had never taken the care to observe proper manners, and as a result his attitude had slowly died and begun to rot. It was a shameful thing, as physically he was a bit crude yet primally attractive. However, Ichiro wasn't concerned with him past the point of being annoyed by his bragging. With a little luck, the prince thought, Kota would be able to stun the oaf into learning a lesson of some sort.
Waiting achingly for Kota to let his arrow fly, the prince let out a small breath as he heard the flick of the string and the feathers slicing through the air. Ichiro followed its path carefully with his eyes the entire way. As soon as he heard the cracking of wood, he could only stare and blink in stunned silence, wanting to be sure of what he saw. Once he could clearly see the split arrow, Ichiro did what he had so long kept himself from at the center. Bursting into laughter, the prince couldn't do much more than keep his stance and try to control himself. After a few moments, he slowed his chuckles and smirked callously at Takeshi. "You should have believed us when we said you would be beat," he managed through his continuing chuckles, brushing his gorgeous purple locks from his eyes. "And what Kasuke says is true! Kota was given to me by my parents rather recently. I admit, I chose him purely on looks, but was pleasantly surprised to find he excelled in other areas as well."
Leaning down slightly and putting an arm around Kota's small shoulders, Ichiro continued, "You know, Takeshi-san, if you had a fraction of Kota's sweetness, you would not only be a much more pleasant person to be around, but you might embarrass yourself less often as well. Which, might I add, you seem to have done quite efficiently today. And he may be the size of your little sister, but he's a bigger man that you'll ever be." Moving his hand to Kotaro's hair, Ichiro glanced down at him fondly with a soft smile and tousled his hair. Just as he was about to resume his lecturing, one of the servants from the palace walked over to them and bowed before whispering in Ichiro's ear. The entire time, Ichigo would not let the satisfied smirk drop from his lips, but nodded once or twice before dismissing the man. Turning back to his audience, the prince said, "Well Takeshi, you've been spared the further humiliation of any subsequent rounds. It seems I am required back at the palace immediately. Perhaps we can knock you down another peg some other day."
Leading Kota away with a gentle hand on his back, Ichiro leisurely went to the changing rooms without saying another word. "Change back and keep your things together, we need to leave quickly," Ichiro instructed quietly, finally letting his facade drop into a concerned frown. Hurrying to change into his kimono, Ichiro finally had everything in order and hardly waited for Kota to finish before once again leading him out and back to the carriage that had brought them there. The slave from earlier had obviously walked there and was already running back to the palace to report once more. As they took off, Ichiro said nothing, not even looking at Kotaro and having already forgotten where they had just been and what they had been doing.
When they arrived, Ichiro stood and spoke with one of the servants who received them before sending them away and walking into the throne room where his parents awaited him. Stopping in the door, he looked back at Kota with a hint of worry and ordered a servant to take him back to their room, or into one of the gardens, or to get him a snack from the kitchen; whatever the boy felt like. As he entered the throne room, a familiar woman stepped up to Kotaro and said, "Well, what would you like to do?" Sizing him up, she crossed her arms and waited, staring at him impatiently. She was the same young woman who had met the prince in the hall once before and had given Kota the same look of annoyance and disregard as before. "Just pick something, okay? You're lucky the prince is so fond of you or I would just put you to work." Even though she was a servant, she had none of the humble grace or quiet, respectful patience of any of the other women.
As they stood there, an older man passed by slowly, staring at the floor forlornly and obviously deep in though. On his face rested one of the few pairs of glasses ever seen in Japan at the time, and his long, thick hair was held back in a braid, although it fell thoughtlessly over his shoulder. As he passed by, the young woman called, "Oi," to him flatly, which somehow managed to stop him in mid-step. Stumbling a bit as he turned to look, the man's eyes finally seemed to focus on the world around him once more. Approaching the pair with an apologetic smile, he asked, "Did you say something?" to which the woman merely gave him a dumb look, as though he had just said something offensively stupid.
"Tell me what happened," she said without excuse or explanation, staring at the man as though she owned the palace and he was her servant. "Ah, that," he said, obviously uncomfortable with her order as he wrung his hands nervously. "It's...he's dead. I really must go now," he hurried to excuse himself and hastened off on his earlier path. Sneering after him with disgust, the slave looked down at Kota again as if she'd forgotten he was even there and said, "Pick something already, you useless pup. Unless you're dumb?" It obviously wouldn't have surprised her had Kota been completely incapable of speech, and made no pretense that she wished to make adjusting to the palace easier for the boy.
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 7:24 pm
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Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 5:30 pm
Kotaro knew something bad had happened. He could sense it in every move his master made-- every word he spoke. Small body trembling slightly, he hurried to dress as he was ordered and stuck close to the man’s side as they departed. In his heart, he knew he couldn’t leave right now, no matter what opportunities were presented to him. His Master was in a state he had yet to witness and he would do his best to behave. The concern in the man’s eyes was enough to tell him this was a serious matter.
He smiled faintly as his Master handed him over to a servant girl with orders to fetch him whatever he wanted. Even in a frantic situation, the man still managed to think of him. For some reason, that softened Kota’s heart. However, the moment the prince left, it hardened instantly. It seemed the girl had no sense of manners whatsoever. He was quite accustomed to outspoken, rude village girls. However, after spending the past couple days around royalty, he found himself scoffing slightly at her.
How could she speak down to someone she barely even knew? There was a difference between being an independent female and a bitter-tongued wench. He instantly found himself disliking the girl. She was insulting and seemed to encompass every bad peasant stereotype with her accent and vulgar tone. Running a small hand irritably through his soft, dark hair the boy merely shook his head in disgust, turned on his heel, and left. He knew the basic direction of the bedroom. He truly didn’t see any point in indulging in such horrible company.
“I’m not mute and I’m perfectly fine on my own, miss,” he quipped. “You can return to whatever remedial task you were doing before our Lord Ichiro gave you orders. I know the way back to Master’s bed chambers and I have no intention of spending the day with someone so obviously disinclined to show even the common courtesy of a simple greeting before resulting to a bitter tongue. It is apparent from your over-exaggerated looks of irritation that you would rather gouge out your own eyes than be of any use to me.”
With a soft sigh, he calmly headed towards his Master’s room. What he didn’t expect upon his arrival was the sight of a young man about his age trifling through Ichiro’s things. “What are you doing,” Kota questioned with wide eyes, blinking when the taller boy swiveled around with panicked eyes. He seemed to relax when he noticed Kotaro’s peasant clothing.
“Woah, little one, you gave me quite a scare.” he purred, holding a small sack filled with tiny gold trinkets that would probably go unnoticed in such an ornately-decorated room. “Don’t panic. I just thought I’d grabs a few little presents for myself while the palace is in an uproar.”
It was at that moment, Kota noticed the Prince’s new book tucked under the man’s arm. “I apologize, but I can’t allow you to take my Master’s things. Please, if you must steal refrain from entering this room and that book is off limits.” he stated calmly, making the bigger servant laugh outright. The boy’s eyes narrowed with interest as he slowly approached Kota, smirking faintly.
“What will you give me for it? How about a kiss? A single kiss and I’ll give everything back.” he hissed in a low, playful tone. The smaller boy leaned up and pressed his pressed his lips against the other man’s gently, taking the book from his grasp. He hardly expected the door to swing open.
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Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 6:59 pm
Sitting in the throne room before his parents, Ichiro spoke with them quietly and calmly. "Yes, the messenger told me the gist," he answered, and awaited a full explanation. It seemed as though rumors and theories had already begun circulating among the servants of the household, and there would be little hope in attempting to stop them. However, there was a much more pressing matter at hand; a criminal loose in palace. Worst of all, there were no witnesses, and no clear motive. While it had obviously been no accident, that didn't mean it had been planned or that it would happen again. Yet until someone was brought to justice and made to answer, there would be no rest within the walls of the palace, and extra guards had already been hired to watch the rooms of the royal family at night. "Are there any particular suspects?" Ichiro asked carefully, wanting more information. Of course there were those slaves who had behaved badly in the past and those who had shown particularly ill temperaments. However, there were no certain answers yet.
***
At first the girl didn't seem to care what Kota said, scoffing at him and mostly pretending not to be listen. Staring down at him with dull, bored eyes, she said, "Yeah, actually. I probably would. Even without my sight I would probably still be more useful to the royal family than you are. I mean, think about it. How many times has the prince even used you since you were brought to the palace? I'm willing to wager not a single time. You see, he's holding back from hurting you even when he should. I don't know why, but...whatever it is, it means you're useless!" Crossing her arms across her chest, the young woman watched Kota walk away as she pouted. Once the boy was out of her sight, she turned on her heels to return to her work, but paused mid step. Remembering what had just happened in the palace, she thought about the prince's orders to watch after Kota, and what the prince might do to her should anything happen to the boy on her watch.
Growling angrily, she whirled around again and ran off the way Kota had went, knowing her way to the prince's room just as well. Arriving in no time, she slid open the door with flourish and was about to tell the kid off for wandering away, when she realized that he was not alone in the room. Raising an eyebrow, she looked from one to the other before catching sight of the things in their hands and their kiss. "You little creep!" she shouted with fury, glaring down Kota and lunging forward. Grabbing the smaller boy by the arm and putting him in a headlock with her free arm, the girl threw out her foot in an attempt to trip up the other servant. Watching as he hurried to stumble out of the room, she shouted for backup, calling out with an angry yell that a thief was loose. Even as the boy was scurrying down the hall, there was a satisfying thump that made the young woman smile evilly.
A few guards finally made their way to the scene, two taking the taller servant, who had been caught by the young twins in an impressively coordinated tackle. The third guard came into the room with the girl and Kota, shooting the boy a loathsome look as he asked what had happened. Letting go of Kota just long enough for the guard to firmly grasp his arm, the young woman explained that she had caught the two boys stealing and conspiring in the prince's room, and that she thought Ichiro would be quite interested in hearing it himself. With a severe grunt, the man led Kota out of the room and back down the halls the way they had come, the other boy being dragged along and the girl in tow.
***
When the crowd reached the throne room and the two servants were brought in and forced to bow before the prince, the young woman scampered in along side of them and hastened to bow herself. Giving them all a strange look, Ichiro began, "The Emperor and Empress just left if that's..." but was stopped by one of the guards shaking his head. Glancing at both Kota and the other boy, Ichiro frown at them both before asking, "Kaida, would you mind telling me what's going on here?" Walking over and sitting down formally on the chair which was normally his mother's, Ichiro tapped a finger against the wooden arm as he stared down at all of those before him.
"Of course, Prince," she said with satisfaction, still not using proper manners. "Like you told me to, I was watching after the boy," she said, looking over her shoulder at Kota, "but he went off ahead to your room, saying he knew the way himself. When I finally got to your room to keep an eye on him, you know, with what's just happened in the palace, I saw him kissing that other boy, and both of them were were holding your personal possessions," she related, but without much emotion, keeping as straight a face and calm a voice as she could. "When I realized that they were stealing things from your room together, I grabbed the smaller one and called for help. Luckily, Reiko and Sen caught the taller one before he got far, and these three guards came to help us bring them before you."
It hadn't taken long for Ichiro to realize where the girl's story was headed, and he had fixed his intent and hateful gaze on Kota for a good part of it. "Is that so?" he said, sounding almost amused, but with a dangerous expression. "Thank you very much, Kaida. I shall reward you when I am less occupied. Guards, you know the punishment for theft in the palace. For now, put him into the prison and I shall set a date for a public display. As for Kota...leave him here with me. I believe I have something special to say to him." As the others bowed and left the room, Ichiro never took his eyes off of Kota, waiting only for the satisfying sound of the doors booming shut. Closing his eyes and exhaling deeply, the prince shook his head and stood up. "I thought I was being nice to you. But perhaps I was too lenient. After all, you told me yourself that you would escape one day. I was foolish to think you would attempt to leave me empty handed. I was also foolish to leave Kaida with you. She's a good girl. I shouldn't have put her in this situation."
Descending the stairs before the throne, Ichiro looked around the room briefly and stamped his foot when he did not find what he wanted. Calling for a servant angrily, he ordered they bring him his sword and dagger, and waited in silence until he had been obeyed and he was once again alone with Kota. "You heard what I said to the guard, correct?" the prince asked, drawing the shining katana from its wooden sheath.
"We have a special punishment here in the palace for thieves. We believe that the best way to stop an unwanted behaviour is to make it more difficult to perpetrate." Looking up at one of the high windows near the ceiling, Ichiro smirked, remarking "By the end of this week, that little lefty friend of yours will learn to be right-handed." Chuckling deviously to himself and sheathing the sword, Ichiro walked easily over to Kota, until they were quite close and said softly, "Now, I wouldn't want to ruin your perfect record at the center. So, I'm not going to cut off your hand after all." Holding Kota's hand and petting his wrist with the sheathed dagger, the prince continued, "But, you still must learn your lesson, and so, you will finally understand why my parents felt you were necessary."
From the pair of scabbards, the prince unwound the thick cord that held the two together. Setting the long blade down on the floor away from them, the prince slowly circled Kota, and said, "I want you to remember this pain you're going to feel. Every time you think of doing something bad, I want you to feel this pain again, like a knife in your back." Suddenly, the prince swung the short scabbard against the back of Kota's head, knocking him to the floor. Tossing the dagger aside, the prince smiled and pulled the cord taught between his hands. Lashing out at Kota, the prince held nothing back, allowing his fury to guide his hand as it saw fit. Not only had Kota's greed surprised him, but also the betrayal of his loyalties. After all that talk of being so innocent, it seemed as though Kota had found a lover among his own kind. It wasn't unusual for servants to fall in love, but just the thought of Kota being with another boy made Ichiro loose his mind.
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Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 7:35 pm
Kotaro could not believe the situation he had gotten himself in. the moment the door swung open , he knew he was in trouble. However, he never would have thought he would be accused of thievery. In fact, before he could even explain his side of the story calmly and quickly, he was literally tackled by the blood-thirsty girl. It seemed she had even fabricated a story for him. “I didn’t steal anything!” he cried as the guards came and began marching him to the throne room.
He would never steal from Ichiro, especially something so precious. He hoped to God that the man let him explain what had happened. He had only meant to get the book back. After all, he knew that he could not have defeated the thief in a physical battle. Sparing a kiss in order to save his Master’s priceless book had seemed like the right thing to do. The image of the man’s distraught face upon hearing that his book was stolen had been much to grave a thought for Kotaro to bear.
However, it seemed that Kaida was set on telling her story. He parted his lips to speak as she spewed mistruths to his Master. However, a large hand of one of the guards fell over them, muffling the words. He almost screamed in frustration. He didn’t CARE if he was punished for kissing the thief to get the book back. He simply did not want Ichiro to think he would ever deliberately try to hurt him in such a way. He felt a sense of relief when the man said they would speak privately, thinking perhaps now he would have a chance to explain himself.
Surely the Prince would not believe such horribly things so quickly from the lips of that obviously spiteful girl. She had glared and hissed the story with such hatred and spite, something that had festered long before the supposed ‘crime.’ Surely, the prince would see that he had developed no free time to meet the thief, having spent his days by Ichiro’s side.
However, it seemed Ichiro thought little of him.
However, the words that escaped the man’s lips-- so full of rage and hatred-- made Kotaro’s throat run dry. And then…. The punishment. The boy had not expected it and when the brutal treatment came he was truly unprepared. His screams echoed throughout the room-- filled with more pain than he had ever experienced before. There was a fury in the prince that frightened him-- that made him realize why so many people feared the man he had been developing such an intimate fondness for.
As it ended, soft sobs escaped the small, frail boy and his body began to tremble from head to toe. Any witness would say he had been treated roughly, even more so than the Prince usually treated those who crossed him. Completely shaken, the battered boy struggled to move away from the man as much as possible. He was shock, in pain, and truly hurt. “I didn’t--” Was all he whispered-- tone cracked and broken. “You didn’t even… let me explain. I’ve been with you this whole time. Do you think me so stupid as to steal something precious to you and run off with a complete stranger.” He wanted to run away. He hated this man-- hated him to his very core. The prince… certainly wasn’t the man he thought he was-- warm and gentle.
It was then that a guard burst through the doors, looking a bit disorientated. “Y-your highness. The thief… was very adamant about correcting Kaida’s story.” The man stammered out, leading the Prince aside and explaining what the thief claimed had occurred-- from everything Kotaro said, to the deal the boy made at the end, knowing he was larger and stronger. “That… is his story. He said he didn‘t want to see someone… so tiny hurt for simply trying to protect his Master‘s treasures. Though I suppose it‘s too late.”
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Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 8:39 pm
As the beating began to wind down, the prince himself became winded, having exhausted himself in his blind rage. As his arm dropped to his side and he staggered slightly, he put a hand to his forehead, and took a moment to gather himself. Just as he was taking another look at Kota, a guard ran in and pulled him aside. Listening to the man with little interest, the prince merely crossed his arms and said, "And you really believed him? So easily? Think about it, now. They were partners. The other one knows that Kota holds more favour with me. What's more likely is that he's trying to clear Kota's name so that at least one of them will be able to carry on with whatever their plan was, although I hope they've both learned their lessons. Remember, a liar steals the truth just as a thief steals valuables. You cannot trust criminals, no matter how small." Glancing over at Kota again, disregarding the boy's claims and the guard's hesitant looks, the prince ordered, "In any case, bring in Xue Shao. I think it would be best for him to treat Kota now."
Walking back to his mother's throne, the prince sat down, the cord from the scabbards sitting on his lap and his chin in one hand. Staring over at where Kota leaned on the floor, he said, "I would be inclined to believe you if you hadn't been so open about your hatred for both me and the palace. Don't think I've forgotten how you said you planned to escape no matter what, and how you looked at me like I was a monster. Well, if nothing else, at least now you have good reason to think me a monster, and I don't mind. Obviously it is not worth my time to befriend you. It's a shame, really. I enjoy your company, you know. More so than that of most other nobles. Yet, there are some things I cannot get past, betrayal being one of them. Though I must give you credit for the front you've put up until now of being so sweet and innocent. It was quite convincing until you let Kaida catch you."
Just as he was about to continue, the large doors swung open again, and the man with a braid and glasses walked in briskly, though he paid respects to the prince first and foremost. "By your order, my Lord," the man said, bowing and waiting for the prince to give him word. Giving Kota a nervous smile before walking over to him, the man knelt down gently and looked over his wounds before even touching them. "Just relax then, boy. I'll have you feeling better soon." Reaching into his bag, the man took out a small pot and some bandages. When he opened the lid, a minty yet bitter smell drifted out. Dipping a few bandages into the pot, he placed them across the cuts and larger welts on Kota's back before rolling out a fresh layer of bandages overtop to keep them in place. "Hmm...not much else I can do," the man said, sitting on his knees and staring at Kota's back as he mulled over his options. "I guess...just don't move around too much until it's all healed. Also..." leaning in closer, the man whispered into Kota's ear, "don't get on the prince's bad side. You should start making up as soon as you can." Packing his bag quickly, he bowed to the prince and asked to be summoned again should there be any need.
With that, Ichiro dismissed the doctor and continued staring down on Kota, thinking deeply with a blank face. After sitting for a few minutes in silence, the prince sighed, his face changing to a weary frown. "I really did think I could trust you, Kota. I don't know why, though. I suppose part of it was your skill with the bow, and how sweet you always seemed. I assumed your were different from the other poor servant boys around the palace because you were so special. Why couldn't you have just been a good boy and spared me the trouble of all this?" Shaking his head and sighing again, the prince looked over at the wall rather than continuing staring at one of his biggest disappointments.
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Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 9:12 pm
What could he say? It was at that moment Kota realized there was nothing he could do to convince the prince of his innocence. He was tired-- everything hurt. He just wanted to curl up and die. At that moment, he truly hated being of such a low station. It was as though every word he spoke fell on empty ears. “Meiko caught me kissing the lips of another man and holding you book in my arms. She did not hear me plotting to take your things nor did I put up even the slightest fight when she grabbed me. Believe what you will, but I will offer no apologies for a crime I did not try to commit. I am a peasant, my lord, not a thief. The two do not go hand in hand.”
The small boy managed to get onto his knees, staying in a kneeling position before shakily pulling himself to his feet. “I may hate you and this palace, more-so now than before, but I respected you as an intellectual. It seems I was mistaken. You acted on the tale of a girl who claimed to see a second-long exchange and fabricated the rest in her mind. One whom, if you had any eyes, obviously holds no high opinion of me as I’m guessing many of your house servants don’t. And why should they? I do no work, you haven’t ‘used’ me until now, and I was practically living the life of a noble.” He met the man’s eyes and shook his head with exhaustion. He wasn’t sure if new tears were falling down his cheeks or old ones had simply stained them-- but he could feel the wetness.
His small fists clenched as he forced himself to his feet, nearly yelping in pain at the very action. “Did you even consider that I hardly had any time on my own to meet that ridiculous thief and fabricate an intricate plan of escape? I have spent much of my time glued to your side. If I was going to escape, it would certainly not be in broad daylight,” he gestured towards the windows which allowed sunshine to trickle into the room. “Or in such a time of obviously increased security which that thief was too foolish to notice. And I would never escape in pairs. The addition of another person ALWAYS slows one down.”
A heavy sigh escaped the small creature and his eyes strayed to the ground as he gave in and slid back to his knees. The pain was far too much. “No, Master, you cannot trust me to stay with you. I will run away because now, not only do I want to return home to people who love and care for me, but I also want to escape this place that contains a monster such as yourself. It is a good thing that you ‘don’t mind’ me seeing you as such because I always will from here on. You took my first kiss. I decided one after that would be a suitable price to have a book I knew was precious to you kept safe in your room. I respected you enough not to let someone take your things, Ichiro. If you would rather believe that I am a thief that somehow managed to plot this all along in my nonexistent time away from you, then so be it.”
He had said all he could and in truth, the outcome did not matter. He was still all alone in a palace full of people who despised him. He wanted the man to believe him-- to see that he was a good boy. Was that so wrong. Weary eyes looked up at their prince-- true hurt and exhaustion showing. They were not the eyes of a criminal. “I don’t know how… to prove my innocence, my Lord. I don’t think it’s possible to do so. Do you want me to grovel-- to cry? Do you want me to beg forgiveness and admit to these ridiculous charges? What do you want from me, my Lord? The only wrong I committed was granting a kiss to someone other than my Master.” he whispered shakily.
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Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 3:43 pm
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Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 5:56 pm
Tilting his head slightly, the prince stared down at Kota with a mix of pity and indifference. While he had no reason to believe anything that the boy said, he wanted their time together to be as peaceful as it had been before. "I thought you told me a friend from your village had stolen your first kiss?" the prince mentioned, more distracted with the minute details of the boy's pleas than their actual message. Sighing once more, the prince managed to find it in his heart to forgive. "Kota, I would rather we put this incident behind us, if we can. As I said, I will not have your hand removed, and at least now none of the other servants can call you useless." Although Ichiro had never mentioned it to Kota, he had overheard other servants complaining about how easy the boy had it, and Meiko herself had encouraged him regularly to hit him.
Brushing some hair from his face, Ichiro shook his head before saying, "I can see you and Meiko don't exactly get along. I don't know what it is about the two of you, but she really is a good girl, and she holds a lot of seniority here for a servant her age. I'm not asking you to be the best of friends or anything like that, but please try to get along with her. It will make you living here easier on all three of us." In the past, Ichiro had noticed Meiko's severity, but she was usually reasonable and took care of the other servants like her own family. However, it seemed as though she'd taken an immediate disliking of Kota. Deciding that he would speak with her about it the next chance he had, Ichiro turned his full attention back towards Kota, who looked as though he was still recovering from his blows. What Ichiro had forgotten was that Kota was very new to being a slave, and obviously not used to being hit. Scolding himself silently for being so aggressive, Ichiro wondered if it would even do him any good later to be easier on him.
"Oh, and thank Xue Shao when you get a chance, would you? It certainly was rude of you not to." Feeling oddly detached from the world around him, the prince wondered how long it would take Kota to trust him again. Of course, it was of little import and it might never happen, but Ichiro thought it would be interesting to watch. Standing up, he walked over to where Kota kneeled on the ground and held out a hand. "Well, tell me how much you hate me. There is a murderer loose in the castle. We know not who, and a servant was killed rather violently sometime last night from what we know. Do you despise me so much that you would risk sleeping in servants quarters tonight? Or would you prefer the safety of my room?" While Ichiro wasn't sure which the boy might choose, he found it almost like an experiment to give him the option. Was his distrust and brutality enough for the boy to risk death rather than be near him?
((Ahhh, short post is short. Sorry, my brain is just exploding atm. >.>))
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Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 6:42 pm
(oh crap…I forgot about the stupid peasant boy)
Kotaro-chan was suddenly feeling very tired. “In all honesty I’d forgotten all about him, as awful as that sounds.” And it was awful. Since when did pieces of his past seem inconsequential? He had no idea that he was going through a process most slaves went through-- forgetting pieces of their old past in favor of making memories centered around their new lives. However, this didn’t bother him as much as the prince’s complete dismissal of the very core of his entire plea. That, in itself, was perhaps worse than the entire beating.
With a turn of his head, the boy rejected the man’s hand. His large blue eyes seemed to shine with hurt. He didn’t want to do this anymore. He just wanted to go home… where people actually cared for him. He felt so… rejected here. He had never despised a group of people more. “I will not be accepted into the servant’s quarters. You know that damn well. However, if it is possible I would like my bed moved to the other side of your room, my lord. Please,” he whispered shakily, forcing himself to stand on his own. His entire body quivered in pain. “And as for Meiko, I will only offer her as much civility as she shows me.”
He said nothing as he forced himself to walk in the direction of the man’s quarters. Every step he took was small and he felt as though he was being stabbed from all directions by a thousand knives. When he reached the Prince’s room, he silently took his own bed and dragged it with effort to the other end of the room. No more finding himself snuggled against the man’s chest. No more kissing. When Ichiro stepped into the room, he looked up at the man, kneeling silently in his own bed.
Exhaling with effort, the boy laid himself down, wincing slightly in pain. “Milord, please don’t expect things not to change. Our time together now… will not be so peaceful and serene as it was before. I am a whipping boy. That is all I am. I will not be a companion as well any longer.” he sighed, gesturing towards the single book on the floor-- the one he had foolishly tried to save. “I’m sure there are other servants willing to learn the mystical stories of the West.”
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 7:16 pm
((I am now in Japan and have a s**t ton of homework as well as group excursions and other random things. I might not be able to post for a while. D: But I promise I will get to it if I have any free time.))
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Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 9:09 pm
Mini-bump so this rp doesn't get lost
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