One Bright Day in the Middle of the Night

Chapter 17: Lunch with Warlords

My face fell as I walked up to the gate of the castle, and I saw Hideyoshi and Mitsunari waiting for me. Crap. I was no longer completely drunk but yeah, I was still a little tipsy. That was strong sake, and its only been a couple hours since I stopped drinking. Need about four or five hours for me to be sober, and that's only going to be with sleep. I'll be lucky if I don't have a hell of a hangover.

"Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea how late it has gotten?" Hideyoshi laid into me the second I got close enough.

"Evening, Princess. Welcome back." Mitsunari smiled wonderfully at me and I had to smile back. It was just one of those things. I instantly thought that the two of them made a great 'good cop' and 'bad cop' team.

"What do you have to be smiling about?" It was so damn weird. I was being cussed out by a warlord who apparently thought he was my mom. I couldn't help it and unsuccessfully tried to stifle a giggle. Mitsunari looked at me in surprise, and Hideyoshi's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Alexis....are you drunk?!"

"Ya got it in one!" I stumbled just a bit over my own feet as I was suddenly hit with a large dose of extremely tired. It's been too much. Too long of a day and all of a sudden everything caught up at once. Mitsunari caught me before I fell, and I ended up leaning heavily on him, looking up into his pretty eyes, grey as a winter snowstorm. He leaned slightly down, his face close to mine as I was in his arms.

"You have such pretty eyes, Mitsunari."

Before I had even finished the sentence, a faint blush had started to creep up his face, and he quickly set me steadily back on my feet. I sighed and patted Mitsunari's arm before Hideyoshi grabbed my other arm, more to steady me than in rebuke.

"Definitely drunk. There is no way you would say something like that to Mitsunari otherwise."

"Oh come on...He does have pretty eyes." Hideyoshi led me into the castle gates with an exasperated look on his face, as Mitsunari followed behind us still blushing but getting a hold of himself.

"Do you have any idea how worried we have all been today? You disappeared right during formations, and if it wasn't for the staff we would still be searching the damn castle for you. Luckily one of the maids saw you head into town." Hideyoshi continued to lecture me as he led me to my room.

"We were about ready to send out a search party for you." Mitsunari's words brought me slightly to my senses.

"What?"

"We were worried, Princess. You are a part of this family after all." I stopped mid-stride making Hideyoshi almost stumble.

"I...I'm sorry." The shocked look on my face must have surprised them. "I didn't realize anyone would actually be worried about me."

"Of course we'd be worried. Silly girl." Hideyoshi ruffled my hair like a big brother would.

"Cut that out!" I knocked his hand away, irritably only to have the both of them laugh at me. "Okay, okay. I get it." We made it to my room, and stopped at the doorway. I turned to the two men and made a deep bow.

"I'm very sorry to have worried you. I'll make sure to inform someone of where I am going and when I will return from now on."

"Apology accepted, and that would be fine." Hideyoshi smiled then, more amused than anything. "And we got to see you a little drunk. Good to know."

I rolled my eyes and slid open the door to my room.

"Good night"

"Good night, Princess."