A Different Future (Discontinued)

Chapter 19: Reminiscence

Somewhere in the Kou Imperial Palace, Rakushou.

An eight-year-old Kougyoku sighed as she gazed at the sky through her room's windows. Judal had been busy with some errands recently, and was unable to keep her company. Her dolls were starting to bore her, so she slipped out of her bed after the maids tucked her in.

Hakuyuu and Hakuren's death left a huge gap inside her, especially Hakuren.

*************

She first met him when she was five, sneaking out of her room to see the flowers in the garden. It was easy to distract the maids' and guards' attention, after all, she was regarded as the princess that held the lowest status in the whole palace.

Surveying her surroundings, she found it empty, and quickly dashed towards the flower bed, plucking a few flowers off their stem, each one had a different color. Humming to herself, she started (attempted) to tie the flowers together, creating a flower crown. But, the rustling of grass behind her had stopped her hands, as she turned around, to find the second imperial prince staring at her.

" Oh, I thought I was the only one who knew about this spot, but you know about it too, huh? Are making a flower crown? And that red hair.. I assume you're one of my uncle's daughters? " The man grinned, propping himself down beside a petrified Kougyoku.

" A-a-ah.. a-a-a.. " She stuttered, startled by his sudden appearance. Her eyes started to water, making the older boy panic.

" H-Hey, don't cry! I frightened you, didn't I? Sorry, my name is Hakuren, nice to meet you, little miss! " His smile was dazzling, as bright as the sun itself.

It took her a while to calm down, before she was finally to say her name.

" I-I.. I'm R-Re-Ren Kougyoku.. N-Nice to me-meet you, H-H-Hakuren-niisama, " She lowered her head, tightly grasping the flowers in her hand.

" Don't be nervous, Kougyoku! It's just me. You were trying to make flower crowns before I came here, right? As an apology, let me create one for you, " He plucks several flowers from the flower bed, and sat down beside the small girl, happily humming a tune.

She first thought he was weird. He wasn't like any of her brothers, nor was he like the mature Hakuyuu-niisama, he was carefree and cheerful.

Intrigued by the flower crown he was making, Kougyoku crept closer towards the second imperial prince, until she found herself sitting on his lap. She kept sitting on his lap until he finished the flower crown, and placed it on top of her hair.

" It suits you! You look prettier with it on your hair. " Hakuren complimented her, as the girl shyly looked away.

" Am I.. really beautiful? " Her tone sounded sad, making Hakuren raise an eyebrow.

" What do you mean? You are beautiful, Kougyoku, " Hakuren gently pat her head, as the girl looked up into his bright face.

" The maids said that I'm not like the rest of my brothers and sisters... They said that I'm just a lowlife, and don't deserve to be in the palace. I heard that it was because of my mother.. but I've never met her before. " The innocent look in her eyes was unbearable, it made Hakuren frown.

It was true, he knew of Kougyoku's background. Her mother was a low-ranked courtesan, and got impregnated by his uncle, the emperor's younger brother. The young girl was not to be blamed, she was a mere result of the union. Yet the people around her viewed her as a low-ranking courtesan's daughter, they never acknowledged her as Ren Koutoku's youngest daughter.

" Kougyoku, you are beautiful, and they probably said that because they're just plain jealous of your beauty! Have more confidence in yourself. No matter what they say, it doesn't mean that all of it is true. They don't know how you really are, so don't let their words get into you! " It had set something inside the girl, something that she didn't possess before. Her confidence was burning, as her eyes lit with joy.

" Ha- "

" Hakuren-dono! Where are you?! It's time for training! " One of the soldier's voices snapped them out of their little motivation session, as the prince opened his mouth.

" I have to go. I'll see you here tomorrow, okay? Bye, Kougyoku! " Running out of the garden, the girl was left alone, a smile graced her lips. She felt happy that she met her cousin.

The next day, and the day after, and the next too, Kougyoku started spending her days with Hakuren, together at their 'secret hideout'. Judal joined them soon, demanding to be included into their little group after he discovered that Kougyoku had started playing with Hakuren. Sometimes the prince would bring snacks with him, and in a rare occasion Hakuyuu would join them, but Judal would stuff peaches onto their faces before either Kougyoku or Hakuren could say anything most of the time.

*************

Slowly, a year passed, and then.. tragedy struck.

Kougyoku was waiting for Hakuren at their usual spot, making a flower crown for the said man. Suddenly, she heard a scream and a set of running footsteps across the hall, with the guards and servants running frantically around. She felt confused, what could have made them feel so restless? It took her a while to understand, when the flames had started rising up the burnt wing of the palace. Forgetting the messy crown she had made, she immediately ran towards the wing, engulfed in flames, only to be dragged away by the servants.

" No!! Let me go! I need to go and save them! " She struggled against the servant's hold on her, yet the man was persistent.

" No, princess. You cannot go in there! It's too dangerous! " The servant replied, carrying her further and further away from the burning palace wing.

" No!!! Hakuyuu-niisama! Hakuren-niisama!!! "

***********

Kougyoku was shocked when she saw the dead bodies of Hakuren and Hakuyuu at the altar, their faces covered as the room was filled with sickeningly sweet incense, the fragrance prickling her nose. It had took her all not to wail loudly in front of the corpses, all she could do was bit her lips, whilst producing small hiccup sounds from her throat. Hakuren was her first friend, her brother figure, and someone she looked up to. It was hard for her to acept the harsh reality that a fine man such as him was dead.

' and you promised too... ' She bitterly thought, remembering the promise they made before the incident happened.

Kougyoku's birthday was nearing, and Hakuren had promised her to celebrate her seventh birthday with Judal, Hakuyuu and him.

" I'll definitely be there on your birthday! " was what he said, but he and Hakuyuu were gone, and Judal won't possibly remember her birthday.

She back to square one again.

*************

Sighing to herself for the second time, she was about to close the windows, before something poked her on her face.

" Yo, old hag! Miss me? " A pair of ruby eyes stared at her pink ones, completely startling her.

" Eek! Judal-chan! You surprised me! " Kougyoku shrieked, trying to hit the magi.

" My bad, my bad. Looking at the sky at this time of the night? Don't tell me you miss those two- " Noticing the change of expression in her face, Judal abruptly stopped in mid-sentence.

" And you're saying you don't, Judal-chan? For me, I'm really lonely right now, I want them back.. I want Hakuren-niisama and Hakuyuu-niisama back.. I miss them.. " She started crying, but then, felt a hand on her head. Judal wasn't insulting her this time around; he knew it well too, he missed them as much as she did.

" It's not only you who misses them, idiot.. " letting Kougyoku cry on his shoulder, he gazed at the star-filled sky.

He wanted them back, and he would do whatever it takes, even if it means going around the world and back.

And that's exactly what he's going to do.