Silver Princess

7. When They Met

When the princess was ten, she asked her oldest brother if she could learn how to use the sword. Zen had his close aides teach her a little but she still needed confirmation from her oldest sibling. He was a little hesitant at first but gave in to the determination lit up in her eyes. Her thirst for knowledge was immense; she wasn't satisfied with just learning the art of medicine, she wanted more.

Her nose was always buried in a textbook while she sat at the side of the practice room when her brothers and their aides were sparring. She started to feel left out and her curiosity for the sword grew.

"I'm okay with it." Fifteen-year-old Zen grinned from the side. "I think Kiki will appreciate it, too."

Izana sighed, thinking about it for a few more seconds before nodding. "Okay, as long as you focus on your studies."

"Okay!" Aki cheered, running to her brother and hugging him. "Thank you, Izana-niisama!"

A few months later, Aki was headed to Tanbarun on a learning trip. One of the castle scholars joined, along with a guard. Aki didn't mind until they got into town. A small festival was going on and Aki wanted to explore but the guard was strict and forbade her to leave his side. The disinterest the scholar showed and the attitude of the guard made Aki feel suffocated.

They were pushing through the crowd to the city library and Aki took advantage of the pushing and bodies of people slip past the guard's view, sneaking into the nearby alley.

Aki grinned. Mission successful. She was glad she decided to wear her casual clothes; it made everything easier. She gripped her new sword and ran down the alley to the other side. The alley was wide with wooden boxes strewn about. A groan was heard behind a few of those boxes and she stopped, slowly turning to the sound. Aki held her breath in, softly stepping forward to the crates.

She heard heavy breathing followed by a few more grunts and concluded that it was a young man. Her left hand was resting on the hilt of her sword, ready to pull it out if necessary. She peered around the wooden boxes and gasped when she saw a young man laying on the ground, bleeding out from a large gash on his side. She reached into her satchel that was hanging on her waist, pulling out some medicine and gauze, and immediately kneeled to help him.

"Don't touch me," growled the young man, glaring at her.

Aki blinked. "I'm trying to help you."

"Don't need it. Go away."

"But you're going to die!"

"What if I want to?"

Aki froze for a few seconds. The man smirked as he had won but it was wiped off his face when she recovered and flared back at him, smacking his hands away from his wound and pouring the alcohol on it. He cried out, hitting the ground with his fist.

"You type of people annoy me; there is always something to live for, you shouldn't give up just because your life isn't as grand as you were hoping it would be."

"What would you know?" He gasped, eyes squeezed shut from the sting. "You're just a little girl."

"I know how it feels to run away and how one would feel helpless at their situation when it doesn't go the way you wanted it to." She shot back. "Age doesn't define what you experience in life."

"Haha... I guess... you're... right..." he panted, eyes slowly closing from exhaustion.

Aki sighed, continuing to patch up the unconscious man.

-

The teen woke up, seeing an unfamiliar ceiling. He quickly sat up and instantly regretted it, clutching his side in pain. Through gritted teeth, he looked at his surroundings; the room looked expensive and large. Looking out the window, he recognized it as one of the more expensive inns in the city. The water was running in the bathroom and he heard it shut off, the door opening.