Act 1 Tea
Princess Komiko and Princess Seraphim went upstairs as I followed them, they went to the dining room, as I went to the lounge room.
The room was quiet large, enough to for a party of 20 to comfortably socialize with each other.
The walls were made of thick wood, painted with gold and red decorated wallpaper, the clear glass windows giving light to the whole room.
In a red velvet couch, I placed the heavy sleeping Lizel, looking at her peaceful sleeping face, I was tempted to leave her like this, to sleep until the guest had left but I know she would hate me if I did.
So with a gentle move, I touched her forehead, breaking my spell.
“Huh? Shiro? What. . .” She was confused at first but then focus returned to her eyes, as she pushed me away.
“You! where’s that shorty!” She said angrily, as her hands transformed, once again becoming furred, muscled and clawed, I wasn''t scared of her out burst, as placed my hand over hers.
“List Lizel, princess Komiko told me she isn’t the one.” I said, telling her what the princess told me.
“I. . .I. . . I trust you Shiro and the princess, but I’m just not sure. . . please, can you leave me Shiro? I want to be alone.” I nodded, as I gave her a hug that surprised her and then left her in the lounge.
I saw my sister Nanami, taking out a tea party set, from the dumbwaiter, and placing it on top of a cart.
“Sis? Let me be the one to deal with the guests, can you take care of dinner?” I approached and spoke to my sister as I know it should be 4 in the afternoon right now.
“Shiro! Are you sure?” She asked, a little surprised.
“It’s fine sis, plus the lady wants me to be at her side as they speak.” I said as my sister nodded, telling me to be polite, and then went down the stairs to the kitchen.
With my sister dealt with it, I pushed the trolley cart and went to the dining room. I opened the door to see the two princesses and hoped that the house would stay intact.
Act 2 Proposal
The room was silent as I entered, both princesses had their eyes closed, it’s fascinating how both dressed so similarly, dressed in white frilled, black form fitting noble dresses, with their only jewelry being their gem inlaid silver tiaras.
“Excuse me, princesses.” I spoke as I went towards the table.
I prepared their tea, for princess Komiko I prepared green tea, with a hint of cold whole milk, and a cube of honey, then stirred the drink with a tea spoon and with a tap the warm drink steamed.
I placed it in front of princess Komiko with a plate of bitter dark chocolate cookies that I reheated with a silent word.
“Heat.” And they too steamed and smelled newly baked.
“Princess Seraphim? Do you have a preference for tea?” I asked gently, as I noticed princess Seraphim watched my casual display of preparing tea.
“I prefer dark tea, Shiro.” She said, smiling as her rosen eyes almost shone in excitement.
“It will be done princess.” I said with a small bow, as I started singing a song, with no lyrics, just the rhythm of an old nursery rhyme.
As I reached into nothing but then pulled an extra tea cup first, then a bag of fermented and dried black tea leaves and then a plate of sweet cookies.
I then placed the tea leaves in the pot then stopped my singing as I spoke softly of a word.
“Water.” With my word I summoned hot water, filling the pot and kept boiling for a few seconds before steaming.
“Princess, would you like Honey and milk?” I asked princess Seraphim, she nodded so I added a hint of cold milk and half a cube of honey, and with a strike of a teaspoon the cup stirred itself as it steamed lightly.
I placed it in front of princess Seraphim, when I was done with preparing it, with the freshly baked sweet cookies.
“Seraphim, as Impressive as my vassal is when it comes to tea.” Princess Komiko started after a sip of her tea.
“Having tea with me wouldn''t be your only reason for coming all this way from the kingdoms of the Nether-realms.” She continued as her indifferent eyes focused, gazing toward princess Seraphim.
“What did you come here for?” Princess Komiko asked directly, towards a slow sipping princess Seraphim, as a small smile clung to her lips after her sip.
“I’m certain you know of the current environment of our family, of what our siblings are trying to achieve.” Princess Komiko kept speaking as I walked the trolley to the side and moved to be standing parallel to Flenna as she stood at princess Komiko’s left.
Stolen story; please report.
“Oh, I am aware, sister.” Princess Seraphim finally spoke as she placed down her cup.
“We, the descendants of the king, our fated to murder each other, in the royal family’s game.” I was silently surprised as someone so young started speaking of such things, how old was princess Seraphim?
“The one who matures first or survives the royal game becomes the next overlord of a realm.” Is that how it really has to be? I thought as I glanced down at my new mistress.
I’ve lived as an Ottoman Janissary before, a minor lord, but close friend of Bayezid the first, I was not unfamiliar to succession wars, but. . .
I saw how much killing his brothers, cousins and uncles had changed him, from the thunderbolt that had brought the eastern romans to their knees.
To a broken man of alcohol and women, that fears even his children, a man asks me every evening to watch over him sleep.
Many of his kids would have died if I wasn’t able to smuggle them out the capital with there mothers.
I still remember the regret of his last words to me, and the self hatred I saw in his eyes of himself and of the empire that made him do what he needed for himself, for his family, and for his people.
“However, for now, I am not here to fight you sister.” Princess Seraphim said, as her eyes met her sister’s.
“Oh? Then, what did you come for?” Princess Komiko said, amusement starting to paint her face.
“I came for an alliance dear sister.” Princess Seraphim answered directly, to the sudden light frown of princess Komiko.
“An alliance?” Princess Komiko asked, her voice mistrustful yet amused.
Princess Seraphim nodded, her smile vanishing as she became serious after a bite of one of her cookies.
“For us, the youngest of the royal children, the only way to survive our fate is an alliance!” I cannot see my princess but I felt in our connection that she was interested.
Which is good, because I was planning to atleast find a way to spare her from killing some of her siblings, atleast some like those forced to fight by the people supporting them as a figurehead.
“On the surface it’s fine, and I would accept it, but is it the truth?” Princess Komiko started as she rested her head on her hand.
We should have started talking about signals that she can use to command me to do things, like now I don’t know if she wants me to check for hidden dangers or she’s just getting bored.
“Are you really content to rest under my shade, or would pretend to be my ally and kill me in my sleep. . . So which one is it Sera?” Princess Komiko said with no heat behind her words, nor any venom, but I actually felt her love.
And I think princess Seraphim noticed it too, as she smiled with a giggle as she listened to her sister.
“Well it doesn’t matter really, as my answer is no. So begone with you sister, get out of my house.” I was a little shock by that, and thought princess Komiko would atleast play a bit of her sister’s game.
“Sister! Would you really damn, me to the wolves!?” “Thump!” The princess said angrily as she slammed the cloth covered wooden table, and then started crying, covering her face.
I was surprised by the outburst, but then I saw the tears were a bit too real. She isn’t really crying but why?
“Sob, sob, sob.” The young princess sobbing.
“You''re being dramatic, little Sera. Now I doubt that you came here without anything else prepared, what else did you plan?” The words of princess Komiko silenced the acting of the younger princess.
A pause of silence was made, before a giggling was heard as princess Seraphim started laughing as she unclasped her face from her hands.
“Impressive, I guess negotiations are over now dear sister?” The young princess was standing as she said this, as princess Komiko finished her tea.
“It’s a shame, that makes us enemies now, sister.” Princess Seraphim said sadness and excitement in her voice.
“We were born enemies, Sera.” Princess Komiko answered, as the manor started shaking.
“Then I will make the first move sister, bye, bye!” The windows crashed as the entire room was suddenly enveloped in grasping vines, as the young princess was carried away by Frannel out the broken window.
“Take care of yourself beloved sister!” We heard from outside the house as princess Seraphim yelled.
Princess Komiko stood in surprise as I started to recite a poem of frost and cold.
Act 3 Trent
The entire room was covered in grasping vines already trying to clutch at me and the princess who was trying to run towards the other side of the room.
“It''s a Dancing Trent! Shiro, we need to leave!” The princess yelled as she ran, but then her leg was grabbed.
“Ah!” “Thud” The princess fell down, shoulder first, as her thigh high covered booted legs were grasped by the vines.
“The leaves drop like memories, fading in the chill,
A quiet falls into Nostalgia, it’s time to turn still.
The sun, whispers secrets wrapped in a blanket of gray,
While shadows, stretch across the fields turning green to fray. . .”
With my last words my warm breath turned hot as I saw steam as I breathed out and then all the grasping vines in the room turned still, with a coat of white and blue frost.
With my spell casted, I walked over to the princess as Flenna was crushing the vines off her.
“Are you okay princess? My spell only affects this room so we have enough time to plan.” I told her as I helped her up but I noticed she was babying her left shoulder.
“Can I see that princess? I know how to realign shoulders.” I told her, she looked me in the eyes before nodding and pressing herself to my hands.
It really was dislodged, which is good. cause a fracture would be a hell of a thing to fix even with my magic.
“Pain ender.” I spoke softly after I saw the faint green glow enter the princess. And then I did a quick push and pull.
As I placed the joint back to its socket, the princess was surprised, as I noticed her eyes widened just a little bit.
“That spell, it’s like anesthesia, does it last long?” She asked, as I helped her stand but then her whole body suddenly tensed, and then relaxed.
“No, it only lasts for a minute usually, but the effects get shorter the worse the injury.” I said as I rubbed at her shoulder as she stretched her arm.
“We need to move, Flenna open the wall.” Princess Komiko commanded Flenna as she pushed on the wall for it to swing and reveal a bushwhacker mounted on the false wall.
“Huh, so that’s how you hide your weapons princess. . . can I have a sword?” I asked as she put on the gas tank and then pulled on the ignition. “BZZRrr!”
The wacker was actually pretty silent when it was on, much like her chainsaw. I wonder if Flenna modifies them or if the princess does it herself.
She looked at me and then pointed at the grandfather clock on the side I went there and opened it and saw a sheeted unguarded Wakizashi, a bit longer than my forearm.
Does she have weapons in all the furniture? I thought as “BANG!” The door was kicked open by the princess as I finally heard screaming.
“What are these things!” It was Lizel, so I picked up the weapon and started running after the princess as I thought of another spell, something I can use without destroying the house.
Then as I got past the door I saw the entire corridor filled with the grasping vines, and an upside down Lizel trying to pull off three vines trying to fully wrap her. . . is this monster like a Venus flytrap or is the wrapping a defense mechanism?
Those were my last thoughts as I was grabbed from behind and got pulled away from the group.
“AHH! HELP!” I screamed quickly as I was grabbed and thrown out the window, my head hitting something hard as everything turned dark.