Anointed (closed)

Click, click.

The sound of the metal hitting her golden bangle was just loud enough to jar her, just frequent enough to become a staccato in the background, just audible enough to keep her from sinking to the floor of the huge room she found herself in. Had this room always been so huge? The sheer beauty and opulence of the palace could leave many gaping, and the former Queen had always maintained her home revealed a new secret at every glance. But today all Akihana saw were the empty spaces.

Click, click, click.

The crease on the bed where Arata used to sleep, the clean mat by the door where Cupcake hadn’t shed hair in weeks, the pile of rugs in the corner where Pig usually snacked. Panic gripped the kunoichi as she stopped her movement, her hands instead of practicing the small weapon withdrawing technique to instead rise to eye level. The diamond was still present on her finger. For a moment, she was sure it too had abandoned her.

“Where is my son, Your Grace?”

“You might want to sit down, Lady Akihana. You’ve missed quite a bit in your absence.”

“I want to know where my son is.”

The day was hot, Haven hot, the kind of hot she had desperately missed not a few days ago. a few days or a few months. Time moved differently in Sanctuary and the blonde had only understood it upon her return. She had been away for almost a year. About ten months had passed without her and in those ten months, everything had changed. Ninja had replaced the Queensguard, Shinobi had progressed but so had the conspiracies against them, the population of the city had almost doubled.

And Arata was a criminal.

Click, click click, the edge of the metal clashed with her bangle once more, the strength behind the move doing nothing to shatter the Hikariton construct. There were no enemies here, no point in drawing and redrawing a weapon. Was it drawing if it never made it past her wrist? Did it count if she had never intended to betray Youka? Would anything matter now that Arata was gone?

“Beggin’ pardon Your Grace, I thought I’d best tell you..” The innkeeper looked uncomfortable, uncomfortable enough for Akihana to try a small smile despite feeing like she would never smile again. The news of her son’s attack on Tsuji and subsequent flight from Hoshi was still unreal enough for her to cling to hope though enough gaps had been filled for the grief to truly set in.

“Please don’t be afraid, speak freely,” the kunoichi managed, trying to put the inn keeper at ease. The Turning Point was his entire life after all, and it worked better in the shadows. No wonder he was uncomfortable.

“Only, Your Grace’s friend’s been stayin’ with us, he is.” The man hastily expelled the words as if they tasted bitter on his tongue. Akihana could appreciate him going against his own rule and giving information about one of his guests.

“Which one?”

“Just the one, Your Grace. You used to come and see him, he had the porker, ate us out of house and home. The porker, not your friend ,Your Grace.”

The edge of the kunai collided with the bangle once more, resulting in the mind numbing click, the repetitive action the only thing keeping Akihana sane yet slowly pushing her towards the edge. If her shinobi skills were anything like her current mood, the knife wouldn’t stop, it would pierce the bangle, move on to her flesh, pierce that too and make her bleed. Or better yet it would shatter the bangle into countless Hikariton needles, each aimed for her slender frame shaking violently against dresser she stood by. Instead her hands were calm, as precise as a surgeon’s though the title of doctor would never be hers. They could draw and recede the kunai into her sleeve on autopilot and they were doing just that.

“I’m leaving for Bird Country soon.”

“But this is your home, Your Grace!”

“True, but it appears to have outgrown me. And the worse thing I could possibly do is live in denial. Princess Kanzaki is young and… I do not wish to set a bad example.”

“I’m not royalty, Princess. And I never claimed to be.”

“Which is why my Aunt trusted you with her kingdom. And I trust her decision. You will be entasked with training Princess Kanzaki, making her into a Queen Haven will be proud of. I hope I can count on you to see this task though, Lady Akihana.”

The knock came sharp, making the young woman expertly conceal her weapon once more. Standing up straight, Akihana walked to the door, passing by her own reflection in a mirror. The ceremonial emerald gown swirled around her frame, a matching emerald encrusted circlet of pure gold on her brow completing the look. She looked new and pristine for the most part if one didn’t linger too much on her dull golden eyes or the burdened gait with which she carried herself.

“Your Grace, its item for the ceremony,” Ser Kyousuke bowed, today in his religious garb rather than the armour of his post. The ceremony to officially hand over the leadership of Haven and the position of Regent to Akihana would be small and performed inside the palace with word being sent out through the city later that day. The red headed knight would be the one to anoint her in front of the gods as Princess Tehniyat, Princess Kanzaki and a small selection of guests bore witness to the legitimacy of the event. Her own son would be present.

Her son.

Click.

Ser Kyousuke’s gaze swiveled to the door he had entered through, the sound alerting him to a possible danger as his larger frame moved automatically to shield Akihana’s narrow form.

“Oh, that was me, I apologize,” the young woman spoke, eyes downcast. There was no way to tell him, not yet. Now was not the time to admit she had lost everything in the world that mattered to her.

Because as much as she wanted to sit and cry, there was a whole country at stake and once again, she would have to take a backseat in favor of those she served. Queen Shiera had always said a Queen belonged not to herself but to her people. And though Akihana was no Queen, she would try to live up to the sentiment regardless.

“Shall we?” the knight inquired politely, the concern clear in his voice.

“We had better.” It was only as they were walking through the palace halls towards the shrine when the Jugo handed her an envelope.

“From Lord Denkiteki Your Grace. He said to ensure this find its way only to you.”

“Thank you,” the blonde uttered, accepting the letter and stowing it away in her sleeve with the assortment o weapons she had been practicing with earlier. Perhaps… this one thing could wait. Just this one…

(Exit Akihana)
TWC: 1, 174
Claiming: http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t34904-hidden-arms-technique

Denied, not enough puppies
Approved