The Princess and The Mage (Tenmiko)

Chapter Thirteen - Days Away I

"Himiko!" The mage was awakened by her bug-loving companion yelling her name as he ran up the stairs. After Tenko left, she had gone back to bed in her room. "Quick! Tenko kidnapped! Her bedroom door opened and she not there nor downstairs!"

"I..." Himiko got out of bed and walked down the hall to Gonta. He waited for her answer, but the mage couldn't seem to speak. Just then, Himiko burst into tears and wrapped her arms around Gonta's neck, pulling him down to a hug and crying into his shoulder. He was unsure what to do. He had never seen Himiko cry before.

"It be okay, Himiko! Gonta will find Tenko! Gentlemen save their friends-"

"NO!" Himiko settled down just a bit, still crying, but in controlled streams of tears rather than loud sobs, "I kicked her out... Last night, we were together hanging out and... I kicked Tenko out. By now, nyeh, I'm sure she's well gone to her castle."

"Oh... Gonta see," He hugged her back, "Wait! If Himiko kicked Tenko out, why sad?"

"For the same reason I kicked her out. I felt weird around her. I didn't like how that feeling felt it was too... emotional. But now..." The tears started forming back again, "Nyehhh! I can't tell if I want her back! I didn't like that feeling but this one... hurts."

"Hmmm... perhaps Himiko love Tenko?"

"No! That's different. I know what love feels like. I love you, I love magic, I love my mermaid and fairy friends, but this... it's different, Gonta."

Just then, Gonta wanted to ask Himiko if it was a different kind of love? Romantic maybe? But he had never felt romance himself and saying things like that is not a gentleman's place. So instead he said, "Himiko, you can cry. Gonta don't mind. If sad, cry, Himiko."

She looked at him. She wanted to cry. She was going to. But that was too many emotions for her to handle leaving out in the open. Without a word, Himiko ran to her room and once the door shut, Gonta heard loud sobs. He thought it was best if he left her alone.

---

As her father had promised, Tenko was attending all of her classes. Even one she hasn't attended in years. She had her head pressed against her desk as she was drifting asleep during the boring manners class. Other young royal officials were there. Tenko wasn't quite sure how all of them fit into the royal government, but she recognized a few. One classmate, Fuyuhiko, was going to inherit the position as head of the royal soldiers and knights. Peko, his lifelong assistant, was also attending the school. Then there was Angie. Her family were the ones who brought the word of Atuta, now the national religion, to the kingdom. She was training to become head priest in the kingdom. Tenko faintly recalled seeing her at a ball once and attempting to dance with her before being separated and thrown to some degenerate she then beat up. It was odd. Tenko had been in the same school and classes as these people her whole life yet barely knew them. And it didn't quite look like they knew each other either. Perhaps it was because she was very selective over which courses she actually attended and the others could have truly been taking their positions seriously.

"Tenko," The teacher caught her attention, "This is manner's class. Is it not? Now, would you like to take a seat with proper posture? You're the princess over all. Set an example for the others, dear."

Tenko sighed, rolled her eyes, and sat up straight. (haha, its funny cuz she's a lesbian) Looking out the window, she wondered what Himiko was doing. Probably having the time of her life.

---

"You kicked her out?!" Sonia asked Himiko who was at the pond and had just broken the news to the magical being. The mage nodded, hiding her shame. "Himiko, damn it all to Hell!"

"After everything she had done for you?" Sakura asked, shaking her head in disapproval over the mage's decisions.
"Nyeh! She had done nothing for me!"

"She got you to comply with someone for once," Aoi noted.

"And she's hot!" Miu added in, being ignored by the others immediately.

"She seemed to have really loved you," Mahiru remarked as she brought the memory of Tenko speaking about the mage to mind.

"Yeah! And no one who isn't in love would even bother being nice to a short, childish mage like you!" Hiyoko chimed in. Mahiru scolded her girlfriend with her eyes and whispered to her about how the dancer herself is short and childish while the others continued the conversation.

"I-I agree...!" Mikan quietly entered the talk, "I t-though this would happen wh-when I heard her words. Sh-sh-she loved you so and you ignored her. AHH! PLEASE DON'T BE UPSET WITH ME FOR THAT! I'M SORRYYYY! It's just... I once loved someone who d-d-did not return my affections..."

"Mikan... I don't think Himiko would do anything like Junko," Chiaki hugged her friend over the shoulder to comfort her before returning her gaze to Himiko, "Perhaps you love her back?"

"Nyeh! Everyone needs to stop suggesting that!" Himiko looked over to the purple flowers she made Tenko pick in order to push her away. Then she whispered below her breath, so not even she could hear: "I'm too afraid that it's true..."