The Princess and The Mage (Tenmiko)

Chapter Sixteen - Lonely in Company

The royal kids were waiting outside the class as Tenko approached from down the hall.

"Huh? Why haven't you guys entered?" Tenko asked them all.

"The teach ain't here yet!" Ibuki shouted. She was going to be the head of entertainment one day. And man, was she fit for the role. "Hey Tenki-Tenki-Tenko, who are these two cuties with you today?" Both the maid girls blushed at this comment, especially Mikan. (For such a homophobic kingdom, there's a lot of gays)

"They're new maids. The one with purple hair is Mikan and the one with pink hair is Chiaki. While I was out for that one week or some, I ran into the forest village they lived in and met them. I told them about jobs at the castle if they ever needed it and well, here they are," The princess said before adding, "And if any of you degenerates try to touch them, I'll break your skulls!"

"Can Ibuki request consensual cuddles?" The energetic girl asked.

"Huh?!" Kazuchi, who would be the head of infrastructure, asked, "Ibuki, is that not kinda fruity?"

"And you aren't?" It was Byakuya. The man Tenko's father planned to have her married to, "You all look a bit queer to me. And we haven't even exchange long conversation."

"Wow! Even the princess? Throwing bold accusations, Byakuya!" Angie said, in her always cheerful manner.

"Especially the princess," He remarked. Tenko didn't deny it.

"Me too?" Fuyuhiko glared at him, "I know you ain't calling me fucking gay!"

"I'm not here to tell you how gay you are. Just pointing out my observations which seem to clearly be true."

"Are you bringing this up because of our engagement?" Tenko asked, cocking her head to the side.

"No. In fact, I am looking forward to it. Moving up in power will be a good thing. Can I not just make an observation?" He remarked in an annoyed tone. He was just confusing Tenko, so she decided to drop it.

"Wait, Tenko, you're engaged?" Chiaki's asked her.

"Unfortunately, yes. Part of my father's new regulations," The princess sighed.

"Ahh! S-sorry you have to marry such a a-a-ass face," Mikan trembled.

"Ass face?!" Byakuya put his hand over his chest, expect he wasn't faking the offense at all and truly took the insult.

"Hey! Don't yell at, Mikan, you degenerate!" Tenko readied her hands to fight

"Byakuya is yelling at Mikan?" Ibuki questioned, "Kick his ass, Tenko! No one messes with Ibuki's friends!"

"We're friends already?" Chiaki's asked, to which Ibuki put an arm over each one of the fairies' shoulders and nodded.

"Ee! Th-thank you! I don't have many friends..." The girls went on with their conversation as Tenko decided the take her chance and started beating up her fiancé.

"Holy shit!" Fuyuhiko yelled and everyone burst into commotion.

The three girls finally noticed and Chiaki started making mental notes for her report back to Himiko:

- She's being forced to marry someone she hates

- She is under a bunch of strict regulations she hates

- She can't hang out with the one friend she had anymore

- She was crying in her room before they got there

- She said she was doing awful

- She seemed careless with everything

Things on the list weren't looking good. Chiaki had to get this all to Himiko as soon as possible. Although, she dreaded the mage's response.

———

Soon enough, the teacher finally showed up and brought an end to the fighting.

"Everyone! This is not the kind of behavior I expect from our future leaders. I am very disappointed in you all. Now... although everyone will be in trouble, who started this?" After the teacher asked this, fingers immediately pointed to Tenko. She did a double take at the mass blame being put on the princess. That teacher taught astronomy/astrology and all about the stars. So unlike the dance and manners teacher, she knew Tenko to be a good student and was unaware of the habits she had to skip classes. Despite this, with partially unanimous blame on Tenko, she could not deny it and sent the princess home for the day.

———

The princess had gone home with the maids and to avoid her father's anger, the friends hung out in the garden behind the castle.

"Hey, look!" A red-headed gardener said to her blonde companion, "Tenko's over there with Chiaki and Mikan!" Mahiru and Hiyoko walked over to the others, with Hiyoko holding onto the taller girl's arm. When they reached the majestic fountain that the girls were sitting at, they came over mid-conversation:

"So yeah, we were sent by Himiko because she wanted to see how you were doing," Chiaki explained to the princess.

"She was... worried about me?" Tenko asked in utter disbelief, unconsciously putting her hand over her heart.

"I think so. Himiko is an amazing friend and all, but her emotions... I can't understand them. I'm not even sure if she can," The pink-haired hairy sighed as she laid down on the ledge.

"And that's okay!" Tenko proclaimed, "Because... I'll take forever if I have to in order to understand Himiko! She deserves to be understood!"

"I'm glad," Chiaki smiled at the girl's love for the mage. She hoped it would work out. Just then, she caught sight of the gardeners standing by them. "Oh, look. Mahiru and Hiyoko."

"AHHH!" Mikan, who was previously drifting off--not quite sleeping, but close--sprang up at the name of the blonde girl. She fell backwards into the fountain water, "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" Chiaki and Tenko were about to help her up when Hiyoko pushed them out of the way. Everyone looked scared of wha she was going to do. She was never the nicest to Mikan; so when she pulled her out of the water, it caught everyone off guard.

"Geez, I'm not gonna kill you!" Hiyoko laughed.

"H-huh?!"

"I had lots of time to talk to Hiyoko today," Mahriu said, putting her arm around he girl's shoulder as Hiyoko snuggled into her side, "She promised to not be so mean to everyone, especially Mikan, from now on."

"T-thank you!" Mikan was clearly happy at the new improvements, as was everyone else.

"Well, moving on to other matters," Chiaki instructed, "Someone needs to travel back to report to Himiko. I say we send at least two people but no more than three. Anyone want to go?"

"Me and Mahriu can!" The blonde said, wrapping her arm tighter around the red-head who giggled.

"Alright!"