Karmagisa: Our Fate Upon The Crown

13 | Maiden

<Karma>
Once I came back from the other building where the knights were convening, I stopped by once more at Nagisa's chamber door.

The two guards that stood side by side seemed rather tense when I walked closer.

"My King." They both bowed down. "The Queen bid us to tell you not to enter for he is sleeping again." He explained.

"We apologize." The other one added and they both bowed their heads again.

"Really now? How stubborn is he?" I placed my hands on my hips and shook my head in displeasure.

The could see the two guards emitting their nervousness and I left it at that.
Is Nagisa really sleeping, at this hour? I looked over at the guards once more and they were startled.

"No need to be so tense, men." I assured and then walked off. Am I really that formidable? With their size, muscles, and training, they could easily pin me down. Oh right... they would lose their heads if they did that.
•••
<Nagisa>
It's great enough that these archery fields were empty. I would suspect that the men would be training today but I guess I came at the right time.
The field was enclosed with gapless silver colored fences, that were at least 12 ft tall. Such as that if an accident were to happen, loose arrows wouldn't endanger anyone around the premises.

I️ placed my quiver on a stand in one of the lanes. I️ examined my bow, caressing the arm of it and held it steady. When was the last time I used it? Ever since I came here, I had forgotten about training. Of course I had it on me but I haven't used it.

I positioned myself, grabbed an arrow and brought them both up to my face. My hands and body started to move on their own and it all became muscle memory. Aim. And shoot.
The arrow hit the center of the target with a wood tearing sound. Sitting upon the red of it, the arrow did not miss and that gave me relief.

I grabbed another arrow and readied myself again, and just kept shooting until there was no space left on the target.

"You're quite skilled aren't you."

Someone startled me from behind and that threw off my accuracy at the last second. The arrow went flying into the silver fence as it deflected with a small tap against it and fell on the ground altogether.
I turned around and saw a girl wearing one of the palace guard emblems, with a sewn patch of a white stripe that indicted that she was an instructor and brown stripe of an archer specialist.

"You could say so." I answered, shaking off the fact that I had let an arrow head go to waste.
She stared at me and crossed her arm.

"Name." She spoke.

Huh?

"Um... it's."

"Who said that you could use the archery fields?" She stood closer and squinted her eyes to make herself intimidating. Who is she exactly?

"Sorry, I thought I was allowed to." I️ retreated back.

"I see that you have a noble crest." She sighed and dropped her arms by her side. "I'll let it go this time, but without consent from you know, you'll get in a lot of trouble." She warned brushing her long dark brown hair back.

Ah, she doesn't know that I'm the Queen.
I nodded my head and smiled. I kind of figured that not everyone knew who I actually was. There would be no point to explain either.

"Thank you." I nod my head forward.

"So? How long have you've been shooting? You're obviously not an amateur." She grinned.

"Maybe when I was five?" I pondered.

"What about moving objects?" She raised her arm and pointed at the birds above us.

"What?" I blankly stared.

"Hit that flying bird." She demanded.

I did what she said with hesitation and just shook it off. With a sigh I faced the bow towards the sky and spotted the bird. Steady and release!
The arrow zipped through the air and impaled the feathered creature.

"Not bad. Great actually." She patted my shoulder.

"My name is Kayano, Kaede. I️ regulate and train the archers." She stuck out her hand and I shook it. "And I️ didn't catch your name, sorry."

Well, you did interrupt me.

"Shiota, Nagisa." I introduced. "Nagisa is fine. What shall I call you? Lady-."

"Kaede is fine with me." She gleamed. "I never liked the title of Lady anyways."

With a change of attitude, I felt like I could actually get along with her. She seems friendly? Maybe the acting tuff part is just the accommodate her rank.

"Who escorted you here?" She asked.

"Uh. Um, the King?" I questioned myself as I spoke. Was it right for me to say it? Who else could I have said without giving myself away?

"The King you say! The younger one right?"

"Y-yes. Akabane." I replied.

"A handsome one at that too! I've seen him training with the knights, his sword skills are truly spectacular!" She oozed with joy.

We ended up both taking a seat on the bench and talking. She spoke greatly about Karma and how she became an instructor at the palace.
But there's been a question lingering for awhile now. I wonder if she knows anything of it.

"What do you think about the Nameless Queen?" I brought up. "What's the word around that?"

She widen her eyes.

"The Nameless Queen?"

"Yes." I nodded.

"Well around the palace, I only know that certain people know her identity. While in town everyone is trying to figure out which noble family she came from." She explained.

So I'm kind of safe aren't I? But I find it rather odd that no one has connected the dots. If there was any that were left behind in the first place.

"Is there any luck?" I wondered.

"I'm not sure actually, but I know that they're awaiting for her arrival. I can't wait to see her myself! As she sits upon the throne with the King. And I will be alive to see it."

I found myself chuckling at her remark.

"You're so passionate." I stated. "It's just the King and Queen."

"But that is it. It's because it's the King and Queen and no other. You see the generations to come will always see the rebirth of the Original Crowns. Why? Because it's the kingdoms destiny to fulfill the treasure from thousands of years ago. It's only natural." She buzzed on with agreeable points.

"And what if it happened to stop altogether. A time where there was no rebirth?" I tread onto the more darker ideas.

"Surely the gods are punishing us then. Stripping us from our only light. I perceive that chaos will arise, death, and more dreadful things I wish not to speak of. It would be terrible." She spoke.

I listened to her reasoning and nodded my head.

"It would be terrible indeed."