A Cinderella Story: RK Fairytale

Chapter 14: The Assassins At The Wedding Ball

REVISED: 05 February 2019

14. The Assassins At The Wedding Ball

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Misao ran out of the door and down the road as fast as she could. She knew Yahiko was behind her, a part of her heard him calling. But it never matters anymore; soon, she will reach the gates of the palace. She was already tired but she will never stop running, she needs to save his life.

The palace loomed ahead, lit from the courtyard all the way to the towers. A long row of horse carriages stood, waiting for their masters to call. She saw Shishio's horse carriage – it was unattended while the other carriages have grooms and coachmen. No one dared to stop her as she passed by. She ran to the gate, expecting to see some faces she knew but a strange man glared at her instead.

"Please, I must get in! I need to speak to the guard Sanosuke!" She was gasping, not wanting to alert the assassins of her knowledge of them.

"No one is allowed!" he said and suddenly everything inside of her screamed that this was all wrong. Everything about this guard was really strange, something tells Misao that she had met this guard before...

She mumbled a quick 'never mind' and ran away. Taking a deep breath, she headed to the garden where the first ball was held.

Again, the strange guard stood in her path. His face was masked by the shadows. She froze as the man stepped closer and the moonlight revealed his face. It was Soujiro, the man who had kissed her. A smile spread across his features as she turned to run away. For all three steps, she eluded him but he proved that he was quicker than her. His hand was tight around her arm and she began to struggle...

"Now, now, little girl, I just want to look at you..." Misao tried to look down, to look to the side, anywhere but not to his treacherous face... "You're that little wisp of a girl named Misao, aren't you? Or I daresay, Sukunami Akari? How did you escape?" his hand caught her chin and made her look at him. Soujiro gave her a warm smile...

"Let me go!" she twisted her arm to get free but he would not budge.

"Not until you answer me!"

"Please let me go!" Misao pleaded.

"Most likely, no..." Soujiro laughed.

She wanted to cry, tried to think fast but her arm was hurting from his grip. If Soujiro did not knew her, Misao would probably have the chance to sneak out the samurai guards...

"Are the guards so ill-mannered and so ill-trained that they would abandon their post to harass a young maid?"

They both turned to the voice.

Empress Okon stood under the column of the gate as she watched the two with a brave look. Her intense brown eyes regarded the offending man with contempt while offering Misao a passing glance. Soujiro's grip stiffened as Misao almost cried in pain.

"She was behaving suspiciously, your Highness." Soujiro said.

"Majesty..." Okon corrected and opened her lovely fan. "Or was it is you who acts suspiciously, Soujiro? You've been away for a while..." Her face became bored as she observed them up and down.

"Yes, your Majesty, I act so suspiciously from the very beginning and all of you in the castle failed to notice it. Tell your family that death awaits them..." Soujiro answered and without any warning, she shoved Misao hardly to the Empress as he disappeared quickly.

The Empress caught Misao and quickly set her down. For a moment, both of them looked around and tried to find any trace of Soujiro but he was completely gone. Okon huffed as she dusted off her kimono and looked at Misao with a flare of concern, "I do believe that you wish to speak to my son?" she asked.