[Private] >>>Thirteen Kingdoms<<<

[otaku_lady89]

Spoiler

Some sort of diplomat was supposed to visit today. Juri wasn't sure what, nor did she bother double checking with her attendants. As Queen, she was never second guessed. She was always right. It was infuriating, and also releiving, because it meant no matter what, she was right. Even when she was wrong.

Today, she was intent on being wrong. In fact, she was so intent on being wrong, that she was making her Kirin give her a ride. She wore her crimson robes, the ones marking her Queen, and a sword that she couldn't use at her side. Juri even forced her Kirin, her Genki, to carry her from the castle and towards her country. She wanted excitement. She wanted something new, and she was going to get it.

When the noble beast's hooves touched the ground, she jumped off, which allowed him to shift back into his human form. His eyes looked at her, sad and solemn, but his hands shook.

"Are you certain you do not wish to attend to affairs of state today?" He asked, but it was another question to Juri's ears. 'Did I choose wrong?' Of course he had.

"Absolutely certain. I wish to go for a long, long walk. Perhaps I will find danger along the way." She smiled, eyes bright and excited. With that, she turned and walked, the Kirin following helplessly behind her.

Two hundred years was a long time to rule a country. Two hundred years was a long time to find an obsession, obsess over it, and then lose interest. Two hundred years, she'd been alive and alone. She had no family, her father had died two years after she took the throne, refusing to become a Sennin. She'd had no mother, and no siblings. She was alone, except for Genki. And he was more interested in the job than in her.

 

[Raesha]

Meiri trekked through the forest brush, twigs and leaves snapping off on her clothing as she passed by. The kaikyaku trailed slowly behind her, unused to this sort of terrain. Sometimes she felt irritated with his slowness, with his lack of knowledge of how things worked here, but she knew that she couldn't blame him. He was from a completely different world. It had apparently taken her mother decades to become used to their world, and even then she could only get by because of her father. So she put up with him, even when he lagged like this.

"Hurry up," she said, glancing over her shoulder and speaking in Japanese. "If we're caught out here after dark, it'll be trouble."

"Yeah, yeah, you said so before," Haru said, sighing.

"I really mean it this time," she scolded. "The youma are getting worse. If we get attacked, I can't promise that I'll be able to protect you."

Haru snorted. "Please, I've seen you fight. You're amazing."

Meiri huffed, but didn't argue further. She knew that Haru could be as stubborn as she was, so there was no point. As the day wore on, even Meiri grew weary, but they were still at least an hour from the closest rike, and she had no idea if there was a yaboku nearby. Soon, she heard rustling in the trees. She stilled, putting a hand out to stop Haru from walking further. A youma? She thought. The rustling grew louder, and she drew her sword, readying to defend the two of them. She hid behind a tree, forcing Haru behind her, waiting until the noise grew close enough. When it was but a few paces away, she leaped out from behind the tree, sword ready to cut any foes down, and came face-to-face with the royal crimson, and a beautiful face.

 

[otaku_lady89]

It happened within seconds. A swordsman burst from behind a tree, and in the same instance, Genji pushed Juri away behind his slight form. She was infinitely more precious than he, and he couldnt stand the thought of her being hurt.

He intoned, "You stand before the Queen of Gen. Kneel, and offer obeisance." He readied to call on his Shirei, should this swordswoman start aiming for a fight. Behind her was a man in strange clothing, with strange hair. A Kaikyaku? He couldn't be sure.

 

[Raesha]

Meiri's jaw dropped, her jaw agape, and it was all she could do to stand there and stare at the two figures before her. The Queen of Gen, and the Taiho? What in the name of the heavens were they doing here, in the middle of the woods? She had heard nothing in the last town of her Majesty leaving the palace, let alone to the middle of nowhere. Then, her shock turned to disdain. What was she doing here, when there were matters of state to attend to? Surely there could be little so important that it would draw her this far away. There had been a terrible plague just a year ago. Meiri had known it all too well.

She sheathed her sword, but did not prostrate herself, merely narrowed her eyes at the Queen and her kirin. "Not very smart, are you?" Meiri remarked, perhaps unwisely. "You do realize that if I cut you down, she would die anyway, don't you? Have some more self-preservation." She eyed the Kirin, and then turned her sharp gaze onto the Queen, trying to suss her intentions out. "Though I would say you have a startling lack of it in any case, coming here when the youma are plaguing this area."

-

Haru watched Meiri snipe at the two figures, not bothering to veil his amusement. He hadn't known Meiri long, but he had quickly learned that she had quite the sharp tongue. Soon, he worried that she would get on their bad side - they were obviously important. The Queen, the white-haired man had said. It would probably be a good idea not to make her too mad. "Now, now, Meiri, settle down," he said, stepping from his spot by the tree and slinging an arm around her shoulders. Though she glared, he continued anyway. "No need to get so feisty. I'm sure they have their reasons. Such a beautiful face surely wouldn't deign to be here if they didn't." Though the Queen was objectively pleasing, his attention was solely on the man. Naturally, of course. There was something alluring about him.

 

[otaku_lady89]

Meiri's sharp tongue and beautiful face drew the very bored Juri's attention. How strange that her whim should bring her here, where there were random people. She found herself smiling. Grinning even. Her hair was tugged at by branches and leaves. There was just something amazing about being spoken to this way. Disrespect was rare in the palace of the kingdom of Gen. She'd gotten rid of any troublemakers during her first hundred years in reign.

"Self preservation isn't required when one is favored by the gods." She shrugged. "Things will work out my way one way or another." Arrogance, however, was not removed from someone when they became King or Queen.

-~-~-~-~-

This was the part of this brilliant woman he hated. Genki held back a sigh, asking the most important question. "If its so dangerous here, why are you bringing a kaikyaku through such dangerous terrain?"

He bristled, the kaikyaku's words about a beautiful face putting him on edge. Did he intend to seduce the queen? Turning towards the blonde man, he let his crimson eyes blink once. The man was clearly an outsider. Poor man. He would never fit well in this world.