At war

[Kensuke]

Ken smiled. "You're doing so well." He commented. "I'm proud of you, Sara." He smiled in her direction.

"Hey, do you think we'd get in trouble if we went up?"

"I'm not sure... But it is what we've been looking for. Do you want to risk it? Or should we ask the queen?"

 

[shadowoftheheart]

"Ummmm ... I feel like taking the chance! Again, she has placed me in authority. I'll take all the blame if we're doing something we shouldn't be."

Sara squeezed his hand, and opened the door. Not locked, that was a good sign.

"Come on!"

 

[Kensuke]

Ken followed her up several flight of stairs that led up to the top of the tower. It had a view of the whole kingdom.

Ken stood there, looking down on the kingdom, holding Sara's hand. "This... is nice." He muttered.

 

[shadowoftheheart]

Sara was awe-struck. She had never seen so much ... stuff! She saw the little village where she grew up, and the woods she used to play in. She never really thought about anything existing beyond the woods and the village and the castle. Yet ... there it was. And ... all beyond her reach. Slaves were not to leave the castle, except with permission, and of course escorted. The king feared slaves escaping.

"Is all this ... the King's lands?"

She stepped sideways, closer to Ken. She squeezed his hand gently and leaned her shoulder against his.

 

[Kensuke]

"It is." Ken nodded. "Up until that mountain." Ken pointed towards a mountain in the distance.

"But his armies are getting more territories as we speak."

 

[shadowoftheheart]

"Wow. I didn't know there was so much ... world out there."

She squeezes his hand again.

"Where are you from? Can you see your old home?"

She points out her old village, and the woods she used to play in when a child.

 

[Kensuke]

Ken shook his head. "No. I come from a different country. I came to expand my studies... instead I was enslaved." Ken said, looking down at the ground.

 

[shadowoftheheart]

Sara gasps loudly. She releases his hand, but only to wrap her arm around his waist.

"Oh no! How did that happen? Oh, that is terrible."

Sara frowned. He shouldn't be a slave, then. She gave him a tight squeeze as if to say everything would be alright somehow....

 

[Kensuke]

Ken sighed, remembering his aweful past. "I became a slave..."

"...Because I didn't have enough moeneh to cross the gate to the kingdom, unless, I was enslaved."

 

[shadowoftheheart]

"Oh no!"

She hugs him tightly.

"Oh Ken. Poor, dear Ken. Well, you can be my scholar still, how's that sound?"

 

[Kensuke]

ooc: I only now realise how I butchered the word money o_o'
ic:

Ken shut his eyes and smiles "That sounds great..."

"I am glad you're here, Sara." Ken said, as he turned and looked at her in the eyes.

 

[shadowoftheheart]

Sara smiles and gazes into Ken's eyes.

"I am so glad you are here, my wise scholar."

She grins, and hugs him tightly again.

 

[Kensuke]

Ken smiled, and hugged her back. He had a hand around her waist, and another combing her hair with his hand. "Sara..." He looked at Sara, and suddenly couldn't help himself.

He kissed her hard on her lips.

 

[shadowoftheheart]

"Yes Ke ... Mphgrh!"

Sara was very surprised, and her first instinct was to pull away. But, Ken's hand on her head kept her lips pressed to his (whether he meant to do so or not) and she relaxed into it. She moaned softly, and as she had with the Queen, pressed her lips more firmly into his, parting them slightly

 

[Kensuke]

"Sara..." Ken sighed, and hugged her. "I'm sorry about that... I just wanted to."

Feeling his answer was invalid, Ken continued. "I really...like you." He said, with an emphasis on 'like'.

 

[shadowoftheheart]

Sara was breathless. She just held Ken for a moment. When she finally felt her lungs working again, she looked up into his eyes.

"No. No sorry. I like you too. I ..."

She closed her eyes.

"I cannot let the Queen know. I believe she would punish me for liking you. But ... I don't know. I feel that I should ... ask her. But as soon as I do, and she says no, we would never see each other ever again. Oh, Ken! Just ... hold me!"

She sighs deeply.

 

[Kensuke]

Ken held her tightly. "Even if the queen would forbid it... I'd take a thousand whip smacks on my back... To be with you."

 

[shadowoftheheart]

"No Ken. No, I would take all your whip-lashes for you. I am the top slave. I am responsible, solely, for what happens here. I want you to fear nothing!"

Sara shivers slightly.

"But ... thank you for saying so. I ... What are we going to do now, then? I ... I want to be with you. But ... I want to be with the Queen too. What ... what?"

She sighs deeply, so confused.

 

[Faremistress]

The queen continued wandering the halls of the castle.

She paused when she came to the tower the King had taken her too. She heard Sara's voice and started to go up, but stopped when she heard Ken speaking to her. She knew she had every right to be there, but it just felt wrong to invade them. She left the tower, hopefully un-noticed, and headed back to her room. She could tell it was a private moment, and hoped Sara would trust her enough to confide in her.

She also wondered what they had done with Betsy. Sara was in charge of her, and the queen hoped she was taking good care of her.

She hoped Sara would help Betsy overcome her resentments by showing her how good it could be. And by lso showing her that she was worth something.

The Queen poked her head in the bedroom and saw the king was still napping so she quietly shut the door. She was not ready to face her feelings for him just yet.

 

[Kensuke]

Ken kept holding Sara. "I think... we should go see the queen... And ask her." He said.

 

[shadowoftheheart]

Sara sniffled, resting her body against Ken's.

"Okay. I ... I guess if we don't ... we would get into trouble. Umm ... Okay."

She pulled away from his grasp, and took his hand.

"Come on, hon."

 

[Kensuke]

Ken squeezed her hand and followed her to the stair way. They heard footsteps from the bottom.

"Is anyone... there?"

 

[shadowoftheheart]

Sara squeezes Ken's hand, and almost drags him into the hall.

"Hello? Hello??"

Sara begins to scamper off in the direction of the Queen's room, glancing back every so often to make sure Ken is keeping up (not entirely necessary as she has his hand firmly in her grasp).

 

[Kensuke]

They both arrived outside the Queen's room, and they saw the Queen standing there, outside her room, looking away.

"Okay... Let's ask her..." Ken whispered to Sara, nervous.

 

[therufus]

The Queen poked her head in the bedroom and saw the king was still napping so she quietly shut the door. She was not ready to face her feelings for him just yet.

Dispite shuting the door quietly the King woke from it. He first noticed that the Queen was no longer with him. He gets up and puts his clothes back on and steps out of the Queens room.