Castle Thief {A Momojiro Tale}

Chapter 15

     "Oh Jirou," Momo whispered, feeling tears in her black eyes. She flung herself at Jirou in an embrace. Jirou glanced to the guard to the right of them, but returned the affection to the best of her abilities with her bound hands,
Resting her head on Momo's shoulder she told her, "It'll be okay"
"No it won't," Momo whimpered, "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault," and in a moment the guards yanked Jirou back, making her stumble, "I'm so sorry," Momo whispered, "forgive me, I'll get you out of this."Jirou didn't look comforted, but she didn't have a choice but to be dragged away.

The door behind Momo opened quietly, "Your Majesty," Arisu said, "follow me to your room please." Momo didn't really have a choice either, but she held herself up confidently and lead the way to her rooms. Skirts sweeping behind her dignifiedly.

The halls looked different than usual as Momo stormed through them. Usually lavish, now they seemed skeletal. The portraits of her ancestors leered down on her as if they knew what she did. The bright lanterns in each sconce light even the corners up harshly.

Arisu trailed behind her quietly until Momo got to her room. She slammed the door behind herself and sank down its frame; combing her fingers through the plush carpeting on her floors, frayed. She felt another thread come undone, then another and another. It wasn't until she looked down to see the havoc she had wrought on both her nails and the carpet when her nose began to sting, and her eyes watered. Compose yourself Momo. She took a breath, this is not the time for weakness. Kyouka needs you to be strong now. So she would. She would pull herself together and get Jirou out of this.

Momo hoisted herself up and wiped the tears from her eyes. Sorting through the remaining books in her room for something, anything that might help.

Several volumes revealed nothing helpful. She had to admit the laws were unfair, swayed heavily to the wealthy, the court system swamped with fees for counsel or even for a trial at all. But, scouring the fine print, she encountered a glimmer of hope. It read, "Those who lack legal representation or guardian will be exempt from trial by royalty and will be allowed to represent themselves in fair trial, if a figure of authority steps forward to claim them as a charge, they will be granted fair trial."

Jirou had no attorney or guardian, she was a poor orphan. And with no one to represent her she would be allowed a proper trial even if no one stepped forward to represent her.

A grin spread across Momo's face, "That's it," she whispered, she would have to show her father right away, even he had to adhere to the laws. She pushed down on the door handle to open it but it didn't budge, "Arisu?" she called through the thick door. She knew Arisu could hear her. "Arisu, please open the door. I need to see my father."
Arisu's voice floated back, "I'm not allowed to open the door Highness." she said hesitantly. Momo groaned in frustration, she was no use in here. So far away from her father, from any way to make some impact on Jirou's predicament. So far away from Jirou she felt so helpless.

She fought sleep, but overtaken by hunger, retired to her bed, not even bothering to take off her boots. But her dreams were not pleasant,

Dressed in finery, Momo careened down the great hall, strange music drifting through the walls. She never seemed to get any closer to the end. The portraits repeated as she ran, they loomed out of their frames, "we know" one said, not moving its mouth. "who do you think you are?" another scoffed, "you should have been a son, not a daughter. It would be so much better for the kingdom."
"No!" Momo squeezed her eyes shut tight, "get out of my head!" the things she heard whispered behind her back all her life. The things she had tried to ignore.

The unmoving portraits thinned as she raced towards the door that never got closer. The image of her father appeared in place of the door, "Father!" she cried, "Please, you need to listen!"

     And suddenly, she was right in front of the door, "You will never rule," his voice boomed, "your impertinence is ruining this kingdom."
     "You're wrong! I have held up our values since the day this crown was placed on my head." Momo reached for the door handle, "You are destroying the very nation you vowed to protect. And It's my job to return it to the way it was supposed to be." Momo said firmly.

     With that, she opened the door and stepped through, but instead of a throne room on the other side, it was the castle's dungeon. Momo strode to the cell where she knew Jirou to be, looking small, she reached her hand through the bars, "It's all your fault," Jirou said dully, "why would you do this to me?"
     Momo took a step back, "What?" Jirou's eyes glazed over, "I didn't mean to," Momo trailed off, "You said-,"
     Jirou grasped the bars and they melted away, "Don't you see?" a tear trickled down her cheek, "This prison," Jirou reached towards Momo and cupped her face in her hands, "is of your creation."

     "No no," Momo said, "I'm helping you," she put her hands over Jirou's own, "I swear I won't abandon you."Jirou's eyes dropped, but Momo could tell she didn't believe her. "Look at me," Momo whispered, "you don't deserve to be locked up in a dungeon. It's not you're fault." the same words Jirou had said to her just this evening.

It didn't matter how long her father delayed listening to her, she would change his mind. She would fix the entire law system if she had to, it was her job as future Queen of Heyna.