The Princess and The Mage (Tenmiko)

Chapter Twelve - The King's Decree

Tenko stood in front of her father.

"TENKO! DEAR! WHAT HAPPENED? WERE YOU KIDNAP? DID YOU RUN AWAY? I NEED AN EXPLANATION!"

She couldn't tell him why she ran away or that she met the mage who made her heart boom or that she saw mermaid and fairies or any of the ventures in the forest.

But she couldn't say she was kidnapped either. If she did, there would be a wild man hunt for her non-existent capturer that would conclude with a dead end or an innocent person taken to the dungeons.

"Father... I'm fine."

"Fine?! How can you be fine?! You disappeared for over a week! The whole kingdom was worried sick! If you were gone, who would take the throne? What-"

"Fine!" Tenko shouted, "I ran away. Dad... I hate it here. My only friend is Nagito who I'll be forced to married one day and just to have no power over my kingdom, which honestly, I don't really want to have power over. I don't want to sit next to him my whole life as an accompanying face. God! Why don't you get it? You, you... degenerate!"

Tenko's father was shocked. "I-I thought you and him were getting along so well! He's the only prince you haven't attacked!"

"And that's really an honor considering what trash I am-" Nagito started before being elbowed by Hajime who then whispered;

"Now is not the time." Between his teeth, low enough so the king couldn't hear.

"Yeah cause..." Tenko couldn't out him, "he actually respects me and when I told him I don't want to marry him, he was okay with it! God! Are you stupid?!"

"TENKO!" He yelled, "Boys, thank you for bringing her back. But please, escort yourselves back home." They nodded and left. "Tenko, I will not be disrespected like this. What is wrong with you?!"

"Nothing! But everything is wrong with YOU! You and all the other degenerate males! Listen up. I. Am. Gay. GAY. Homosexual. Lesbian lesbian lesbian lesbian lesbian lesbian. And I will NOT be marrying a man! You hear me? NEVER. EVER. EVER!"

"TENKO!" He slammed his foot into the ground, "I DONT KNOW WHAT KIND OF SHIT YOU DID WHILE YOU WERE OFF ON YOUR LITTLE ADVENTURE BUT I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF IT! THIS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR IT, YOUNG LADY! NOW... go to your room. You won't be picking and choosing your lessons from now on. You'll attend all and I'll make sure of that. And you will be marrying a prince. And if I were you, I'd be wise and settle with Nagito, a man you can hold your temper around. God damn it, a whole kingdom is depending on our bloodline and I will not let it die because you think you're a lesbian."

"I am a les-"

"Tenko! No. You're. Not. You want to rebel. You look at our village girls and because you despise the god given life you have, you envy theirs. Placing these girls on a pedestal. Drop it. These girls are just girls. They can't give you the throne or the childern that a man can provide for you. The sooner you realize this, the better. Now go."

"Fuck you..." Tenko ran pass the king and up the stairs, reaching her room. When she got up, she collapsed on her bed in tears. She hugged her pillows and wishes they were Himiko. Despite being yelled at and thrown out, Tenko still needed the mage so badly. There was something in Himiko that she had not reached yet. Now she worried the red head would live her whole life without it.

"Oh you're back! Tenko, dear, I was just putting away some new..." Kirumi, the castle maid, saw the princess crying on the bed, "...dresses that arrived..." She ran to the princess's side. "Oh, honey! What's wrong? Is it something that happened while you were gone?"

"No, it's fine Kirumi it's just..." It wasn't fine. Both knew that. Tenko hugged the maid and burst out in tears in her arms. "I HATE IT HERE!" She balled, "M-my father p-put unfair r-restrictions on me and... I d-don't want to be a princess I..." Tenko looked up at Kirumi then grabbed her face, pulling her into a kiss.

It wasn't a good one. Tenko was still crying and wished it was Himiko in her room and the maid was unsuspecting and it was short and messy in the not-fun-nor-hot way.

"Oh, Tenko... dear I'm afraid I don't feel that way," Kirumi said.

Tenko wiped her mouth and face. "Me neither, it's just... I don't want to live without kissing a girl. I met one in the woods but she doesn't love me back and... I'm afraid I'll never meet her again. Or any other girl outside of servants after my father heard me say I'm a lesbian. Sorry about that Kirumi."

"Don't worry, princess. As long as I'm able to help," She hugged Tenko, who collapsed in her arms, "Do you need time alone, honey?"

"Yes please..." Tenko said and with that, the maid patted her shoulder and left the room. Once Tenko heard the footsteps completely disappear, she collapsed on her bed in tears—muffling her sobs with the pillow.

Now, she would be forced back into her boring life. Even more boring than before with the new rules her father put in place. Even worse, he was very set on the marriage to a prince, especially that prince being Nagito.

She didn't want to marry him and he didn't want to marry her either. Tenko didn't want to fuck up her life like she did to her own.

In that second, Tenko thought if she could rewind time to prevent herself from searching for the curse caster, would she? The face of the red headed mage came to mind and the answer was clear:

No. She would not.

At least in her shitty life, Tenko could now have a escape with the memories of the girl she so adored.