The Princess and The Mage (Tenmiko)

Chapter Three - Castle Hall Rumors

Tenko and Nagito had continued these meetings in the garden. Their parents were thrilled and thought a marriage was not far away. Ha, they were truly clueless. Just as the two had expected. With the rulers thinking their children had found love, they stopped constantly pushing suitors into their arms.

One day at one of these meetings, Tenko had showed up. But Nagito wasn't in sight. This was odd. The garden where their weekly tea had been hosted was at Tenko's castle. Nagito's parents always ensured that he was at the castle garden early for the meetings. After all, they believed a gentleman should never be late.

Tenko sat down at the gazebo, awaiting her degenerate friend. He came in running with sweat and red flush across his pale skin.

"What the hell?"

He continued running and practically fell into his chair at the tea table.

"Slow down!" She calmed him down, "Explain."

"Okay, okay," He took a deep breath, "My kingdom is under attack by an evil sorcerer. Our hunters went out on their first hunt this year, and they came crying back. Their weapons had been turned into squashes! Ha! A bit funny. Anyways, they were crying to me about it. To give them a restock or whatever. They'll be getting one soon."

Tenko waited. She had realized Nagito had a pattern where he would talk and then, after pausing, add on some huge twist of good or bad luck.

"Anyways, I started running here after I realized I was late to be early and then I think I encountered the sorcerer!" He filled up his tea cup, "I took a short cut through the woods and my movement was slowed down. A curse, perhaps. Oh great, just my luck! An evil sorcerer..."

"A sorcerer?" Tenko's eyes lit up. She loved magic. Not only that, but because of the halt in new suitor introductions, Nagito hadn't found anyone for Tenko. Perhaps this sorcerer could find Tenko a lover.

——— (I'll do these for time skips btw)

As Tenko walked through the halls, she heard whispers about what Nagito had told her earlier.

"A sorcerer has cursed our neighboring kingdom!"

"Don't go through the forest! Your movement will be cursed!"

"No one has seen him. Just his magic!"

"What a powerful being must be behind this?!"

"We must protect the princess!"

"So this sorcerer... will he target us too?"

Tenko took this all to heart as she wondered about the possibilities the sorcerer's Magic's would bring. She took small steps down the hall to here all these words. Since Tenko was coming back from a meeting with Nagito, she was wearing a dress longer than her normal dress length which was just above her knees to make her aikido practice easier.

She got into her night gown and stared out her balcony at the stars. Tenko noticed they were beautiful. Almost magical. On the topic of magic, she also looked into the forest for any sign of the sorcerer. The new talk of the town.

Nothing.

The trees just swayed with the winds, casting moving shadows into her bedroom. The moon was also beautiful. But god, it felt so lonely. Tenko, though she hated to admit it, was jealous of Nagito and his knight. She just wanted to find love. And as much as she appreciated the least degenerate of the degenerates and her newest friend, Nagito, friendship wouldn't clench her loneliness.

Under the moonlight, Tenko had made up her mind. Next morning, she was going to get Nagito and perhaps a few knights their age who were willing, and set off to find the sorcerer. If the sorcerer's magic was so great, surely it could bring her love.