I know, I just can’t bring myself to write about Syaoran… hmph. Too many harem fics on the brain!
Honestly though, Ash is easier than Syaoran – or used to be easier…
Chapter 51 – Ash
As a King, I have a million gold coins in the coffers. No more monetary worries! So far, it’s been two days since I found Michiru. She and Haruka hit off right away. They’re playing another duet.
Sabrina is playing chess against Setsuna. Hotaru’s having her hair done, thanks to Minako, and Rei and I are trying to make an apple pie.
I made the crust just fine – water, flour, pinch of salt, two eggs, cup of sugar, mix, and voila!
But the apples… ugh. I never knew you had to cover the apples with lemon water… Rei is doing pretty good though. She was the one who sliced and peeled and unseeded them. I’ll never look at food the same way again! This is nothing like making instant meals in the microwave!
This is real cooking…
After I made it through the entire cooking hour yesterday without burning a single shrimp, they decided I could move on to something harder. I was expecting bread, actually, but Rei likes apple pie and hasn’t had any in a while, so…
I decided to do some more nice things. Besides I like apple pie too…
“My Lord Ashura, please hand me the baking powder.”
“Yes, Rei.” I guess I’ve gotten used to it….. they can’t change the way they’re programmed, anyways… she finishes with the apples and pats them into the pie, covering them with a crust.
“Um… that’s all?”
“Yes. Now we bake this pie for forty minutes and hope for the best.” She grins, as she takes off her white apron. I do the same to mine as I wash my flour-and-batter-covered hands in the sink.
Well, that was rather fun. I hope the pie tastes good!
I go out and help Lumberjack Leif chop a few trees. It raises my popularity. After twenty minutes, I head back to the castle.
Who’s that girl?
King Melvin has been confined to the Throne Room and Advisor Grim is talking to this girl in ragged clothes.
That’s odd… everyone on this island was pretty well off last time I checked – which was yesterday. Where…?
“Ah! Your Royal Highness!”
“Grim, what’s up?” I say, even though it comes out “How is the kingdom faring, Advisor Grim?”
“This girl is the daughter of the chief of Rellekka, Chieftain Brundt, and she begs your aid.”
“Rellekka?” Oh yes, the landmass closest to here… a region of ‘barbarians’, like my own islanders… “Very well. Let me speak with her.”
He nods, and steps back, so I can talk.
“What’s your name?”
She burst into noisy tears in response. I shoot Grim a look, but he just shrugs and leaves the room.
Argh. Crying kids are not my thing…
“Please, I would like to help, but you must tell me…”
She sobs loudly. “My sister is dead!”
“Well, how did that happen?” At least now she’s talking…
“My sister – my twin Runana was kidnapped by Frost Giants just last night!”
Frost giants! But Rellekka is quite far – at least two or three week’s distance away from the icy mountains where the frost giants live.
Oh well, who am I to debate? It’s probably another well-contrived quest plot.
“So you want me to rescue her?”
“Yes, please?” She begs.
“All right… what is your name?”
“I’m Naruru!”
… Reminds me of Princess Naru, looks a lot like her too, and those rags really don’t hide much. Shameless! I pull a spare red cloak out and toss it to her.
“Here, put this on. I’ll go rescue your sister.”
“Oh thank you great King!”
“Just shut up and get out of my sight.” Okay. So I’m not in the best of moods. But she’s a little… I won’t say it.
I’m really trying not to curse. But it’s so… ugh! All the other girls are more polite and refined!
Now to find the Frost Giants… actually, maybe I’d better go to Rellekka first… nani? Why can’t I teleport there?
“Minako?”
“Yes, Lord Ashura?”
“I find myself unable to find Rellekka? Why?”
“Oh no…” She sighs. “Only bards know the secret way there… since they have traps set up to prevent outlanders from entering.”
“Well, great… Haruka! Help!”
Haruka looks up from her lyre. “You called, Lord Ashura?”
“Do you know the way to Rellekka?”
“I do. Does this have something to do with the girl that was just here?”
“Yes.”
She gets up, sliding her lute into her pack along with her sword and two daggers. “Come with me. I can’t bring the rest of your harem, but…”
“It’s fine.”
She nods as we walk outside. Then, she starts playing a weird, whistling tune on the lyre that sounds like…
Hey, we’re teleporting!
We land in a bunch of familiar house-like structures. Yep, I guess this is Rellekka, and there’s the long hall…
I find Chieftain Brundt.
“Was your daughter really kidnapped by Frost giants?”
He looks at me oddly. “Frost giants? Don’t be absurd! Those things have been extinct for a thousand years!”
Huh? “But… is your daughter Runana gone?”
“Of course she is! She went and married prince Brandy from Miscellenia. Why?” Ah, prince Brandy… my new brother-in-law. Never mind then.
“I see….”
“What news has you brought, stranger?”
“Simply that your daughter Naruru came to me and begged for me to rescue her sister Runana from the Frost Giants..”
“Why that little liar!” The Chieftain is seething…. “I shall follow you to her. Where is she?”
“Miscellenia, my kingdom.”
“Ah, you are the new king. Pleased to meet you, Ashura.” We shake hands, and then take a longboat back to Miscellenia.
It’s a really fast trip and it only takes fifteen minutes. Wow! We walk through the grain, cabbage, potato, and other fields before reaching the castle. Naruru faints when I come back.
“So you lied to me.” I’m not happy about that! I’m a King, damn it! Besides, I wasted my time!
Although finding out Haruka’s teleportation trick was fun… but still!
Ugh! I wouldn’t have sex with Naruru in a million years! She’s a painted trollop if I ever saw one! Yuck!
Well, at least I can just banish her from my realm. Yay! So I sign the exile proclamation immediately… good bye, girl!
NOW GET OUT OF MY KINGDOM!
End Chapter
Completed 4/8/05
Yes, Naruru and Runana are from the Sailor Moon manga. I found them pretty slutty and stuck-up, so I wrote them in as characters to dislike!