Kakeru blushed a deep crimson as he walked through the immense house, trying to block out the embarrassing sounds that met his ears. He warily watched as Staci walked beside him, not seeming to take notice of anything. Kakeru began to wonder how she could stay so focused, considering the place they were in. He continued blushing crimson.

After going up a flight of stairs, Staci stopped and pointed to a door.

"This is where she told me to meet her," Staci whispered, pulling the hood of her cloak over her head, putting most of her face in shadows. For a moment, Kakeru wondered why she might have needed to do that, when she grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him in the direction of the stairs, where, at the bottom of it, some girls watched them curiously.

"What are you doing?" Kakeru demanded in a furious whisper. Staci didn't answer him, but grinned and cleared her throat. One of the girls at the bottom of the stairs took a step forward, brushing back a lock of sandy blond hair.

"Hey," Staci said in a surprisingly masculine voice. "My friend here," Kakeru could only guess she meant him. "Is looking for a--ah--"Good Time"..."

Kakeru could feel the blood drain out of his face. What was she doing...?! The sandy-haired girl at the bottom of the stairs climbed forward, flashing her thick eyelashes.

"I think I can help you..." she said, approaching Kakeru with a wicked grin. He swallowed hard, the blood rushing back to his face quickly, turning it a deep crimson color. The girl giggled, and took him by the arm, pulling him toward one of the many doors.

"I'm Mai," she said almost absently, giggling a little as she continued dragging Kakeru against his will. In his ear, he heard Staci whisper: "It's for the good of the mission."

He gaped at her, a look of pure disbelief crossing his crimson face. She merely winked at him, then walked into the bedroom where she was to meet Rina.

The blond girl sat at the window, looking as forlorn and helpless as ever. She did not look up as her friend entered the room, but gave a small sigh. This troubled Staci.

"Rina?" she said cautiously, approaching the tiny-sized girl, who said nothing in response. Staci persisted. "C'mon, we gotta go!"

Rina sighed again, and continued gazing out the window. "You know, I don't think I want to go anymore," she said in a tiny voice. Staci gaped at her.

"But this place is horrible!" she protested, spreading her hands in emphasis. Rina suddenly looked crushed, and her shoulders bunched up defensively.

"I know it's horrible here," she said, "But it'd be wrong to leave everyone else here. Everybody hates it here, but it's all we've got. Besides," she said with a little sigh, "I'd be leaving Mistress Nakaijima behind. She's been like a mother to me..."

Staci furrowed her brow. "You know, a GOOD mother wouldn't want her daughter to work in a place like this!" she stamped her foot for effect. "A GOOD mother would want something better for her daughter! You know that, don't you?"

Rina looked at her friend, her blue eyes over-bright. "I just don't want her to be disappointed with me..."

Resolutely, Staci grabbed Rina roughly by the wrist, dragging her to her feet.

"Stop your pity-party!" she commanded, "I'm sure Nakaijima would be even more disappointed if she saw you like this! Now, COME ON!"

She banged open the wooden door of the room, and gaped at the sight that met her eyes.

Kakeru stood in the center of what looked like every girl in the house, all of them giggling and petting the poor prince like some cute puppy. His hair was mussed, and his clothes were hanging off him oddly. Upon spotting Staci and Rina, he looked at them helplessly, attempting to pull himself away from the crowd of giggling and fawning women.

Staci folded her arms in irritation. "What'd you DO?" she demanded hotly of the prince, who was on his hands and knees, crawling toward escape. However, one of the giggling girls answered for him.

"He's a PRINCE!" Mai giggled loudly to the crowd of girls surrounding Kakeru. His face went blue with fear as the girls pulled him to his feet and began passing him around, hugging him and petting him like a doll.

"Save me," he croaked to Staci and Rina, who were standing in the doorway, torn between amusement and irritation. Finally, Rina, puffing herself up importantly, approached the crowd of girls.

"That's ENOUGH!" she bellowed in a surprisingly frightening voice. "Let him go! Get away!"

The crowd quickly dissapated, murmuring things like, "We never have fun," or "He was actually kinda cute!" to eachother. One girl, however, stayed rooted to the spot. Rina glared daggers at her.

"Mai, I said to go away," she said. The sandy-haired girl glared back at her, crossing her arms and fixedly rooting herself to the spot. Rina sighed with annoyance and turned to Staci, who was helping the rigid-looking Kakeru to his feet.

"Shall we go?" Rina asked of her, and Staci gaped at her before nodding. Mai, looking stricken, opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it. Rina, looking smug, proceeded to walk past her in such a fashion that she would go red in the face. However, Mai gathered her wits at an amazing speed, and she ran to the railing of the stairs.

"HEY!" she called, catching the attention of the group that had just been told down. "Er... Rina just kissed our handsome prince and now she's trying to leave!"

The group of the girls seemed suddenly immense as there giggling exterior turned to one of absolute fury, they scrambled up the stairs, each looking nothing less of blood-thirsty.

Rina paled immeditately, but stood her ground, ready to defend herself. Staci, however, would have none of that. She snatched the blond-haired girl by the wrist and pulled her back into the room, Kakeru following closely behind. For the sake of buying time, Staci closed the door and bolted it behind them, then looked about the room frantically.

"THE WINDOW!" She said abruptly, taking both Kakeru and Rina by the arms and flinging them forward. Working fast, she unlocked the window and slid it open, putting one leg out the window immediately.

"We're going to have to jump!" she said, then, to Rina's horror as much as Kakeru's, she flung herself out the window. Rina began to breathe hard and looked about the room in a panic.

"Oh, there HAS to be another way!" she squeaked, "What do I do, what do I do, what do I do, what do I--"

The door to the room began to splinter from the pounding it was receiving from the angry mob of women outside the room. Kakeru, thinking rationally, grabbed Rina by the wrist and pushed her toward the window.

"No time for thinking!" he said, then, with a certain kind of care, he pushed Rina out the window. The tiny girl screamed at the top of her lungs as she fell, the layers of her dress flying up around her head.

Then she landed, and was surprised to note that the ground was surprisingly soft...

She opened her eyes and looked beneath her, hearing groans of pain. Staci was crushed almost to the ground, though underneath her was, apparently, a man in a tin suit. Rina recognized this man as a knight, and she stood in a hurry to free him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" she said, ignoring Staci, for the moment. The knight rubbed his head painfully, not really acknowledging Rina's simple apology.

"LOOK OUT!" a shout came from overhead, quickly followed by the cascading form of Kakeru. The knight looked up with wide eyes, then sighed, as if knowing what was coming. Again, he was crushed under the weight of a falling person.

Kakeru, however, was quick to gather himself, and he jumped up as soon as he had fallen. The knight, looking quite pained, stood with him, rubbing his head automatically.

"This is, indeed, an odd way to make the aquaintance of thy companions," he mumbled to a nearby horse--or what they thought was only a horse. From behind it suddenly emerged Keiko, looking slightly red in the cheeks.

"Well, thank you for breaking our fall, Sir Knight," Rina said shyly, obviously intent on making a good impression on the first knight she had ever met. The knight smiled genially at her, then turned to Keiko.

"Might I venture to ask a favor of you, Your Highness?" he asked. Keiko nodded in affirmation as the knight continued. "I would ask of thee to allow me to join your company." he said almost shyly, and Keiko couldn't help but grin.

"It would be a pleasure to us!" she said brightly, and the knight smiled. He bowed graciously.

"I thank thee then, Prince Kakeru."

Keiko flushed while the rest of the company gaped. She'd have some explaining to do...

Kakeru looked at Keiko with a deadly glare. "What the heck is he TALKING about?!!?"
Kakeru walked furiously towards Keiko, but was stopped dead in his tracks. The knight had drawn his sword and now had it pointed at Kakeru.
"Umm.. It's okay Sir Jiro," She sweatdropped. "This man is.. ..Prince Kakeru."
Jiro furrowed his brows in confusion, and looked from one to the other. "Then, who are you??"
"Who IS that?" Rina asked curiously to Staci.
"Her highness, Princess Keiko, of course!" Staci answered.
"HER?!?!?" Jiro's mouth gaped open. He looked closer at Keiko. "I should have noticed! You ARE a girl!!"
Staci, Kakeru and Keiko all said in unison, "SSSHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
"I didn't realize." Jiro put his hand on his head. "Your highness, I must bring you to Lord Obari.."
Keiko looked in horror. "You CAN'T!!!"
"Are you that cruel here in Sosaria, Knight? Why would you do such a thing, sentencing your own Princess to DEATH?!"
Jiro looked in shock. "Death?! But.. I.. What do you mean?! The great Lord Obari would never.. Why would he command that you be killed?"
"I don't know!!" Keiko cried.
"We really should get out of here!!" Rina exclaimed worriedly.

Meanwhile, Otaru had finished buying the supplies, and hurriedly, but cheerfully headed towards their meeting spot. He felt something poke his back. "Hey.." He started to turn around.
"Turn around and it will be the last thing you do." A voice told him. "Now hand that bag over."

Something in the back of Otaru's mind itched at him, telling him that the voice that spoke to him was familiar. Going against his best judgment, he timidly turned around to face his assailant, and a familiar flash of flaming red hair met his eyes. He smiled weakly.

"Prince Anji!" he exclaimed, taking the red-haired prince by surprise. He blinked, sword gleaming in his hand and pointed directly at Otaru, who had, without realizing it, backed up a step.

"Hey..." Anji said, his eyes widening with realization. "You're that serf boy from the castle, aren't you?" The prince said this with uncertainty in his voice and Otaru, thinking fast, took the opportunity to hide his identity.

"N-no!" he stuttered, waving his hands in front of him defensively. "I--er--don't know what you're talking about...?"

Anji pointed accusingly at him. "You ARE the serf boy!" he declared, "The one who was in the closet with my sister!"

Otaru began to panic as the prince raised his sword once more. "M-might I ask," he said, "What you're doing here, Prince Anji?"

The prince, not letting down his guard, arched an eyebrow inquisitevely. "I could ask you the same thing..." he said menacingly. Otaru took another step backward, the rough, grainy surface of a building pressing against his back. Anji approached him, sword hovering inches from his chest, and Otaru swallowed hard, awaiting the inevitable.

Then a strange sound met his ears, and he opened his eyes which he had only just closed out of fear. He stifled a laugh at the sight he saw. Prince Anji, looking almost like a dried-out log, was grasping his stomach, moaning one word: "food..."

A feeling of compassion swept over the serf boy at the sight of the starving prince, and he reached into the sack tied to his belt.

"When's the last time you ate, Lord Anji?" he asked quietly. The red-haired prince looked at the boy, his eyes looking hollow. Then, without warning, he lept at the sack Otaru had just opened, and dug through until he located some type of morsel. Otaru watched in awe as the prince devoured an entire loaf of bread in mere seconds.

Grinning like a child, the prince looked to Otaru thankfully before vigerously shaking the boy's hand. Otaru flinched but tried to look pleased all the same.

"You just saved my life!" Anji nearly sobbed with gratitude, then, much to Otaru's surprise, the prince grabbed him by the shoulders and began to walk with him down the street.

"So, where are you headed?" Anji asked genially, and Otaru cringed. Was he always going to be this way...?

"Er... I was just going to meet my companions..." he answered cautiously, not trying to give too much away. Anji smiled, however, and slapped the serf boy on the back.

"Well, we better hurry!" he said, starting into a jog. "We don't want to keep your companions waiting!"

Otaru's eyebrow twitched as he watched the red-haired boy jog away. "He doesn't even know where to meet them..." he murmured before following after the jovial prince.

"M'Lord," Otaru sweatdropped. "My friends are THAT way.." He pointed.
"Oh, right.." Anji shrugged, and hurriedly walked in the direction pointed by Otaru.
Otaru sighed, then followed. He expected as much. The Prince would NEVER consent to following a servant like himself. It just wasn't done. Otaru wondered if he would be blamed for Keiko's disappearance. 'Probably..' He thought. Not that he minded. He would much prefer himself getting in trouble than her. Atleast he had places to hide, no strings to tie him down. She had a family, and a life, and people who loved her and.. He suddenly felt incredibly saddened. He had none of those things. But he would find his family, he would see his parents again, he would have people who loved him once more.

"Obari knows I'm here!" Keiko said hastily, as they ran to the gates. "One of them almost got me, but this Knight saved me."
Kakeru raised an eyebrow. "He did? Against his own men?"
"I thought it was a local guard simply harrassing a beggar boy, then he called him, or should I say, HER, 'Your Highness'." Jiro shrugged. "I merely assumed, since I heard news of your escape, that is was you, your Highness."

As they got to the gate, they looked for Otaru.
"Great.. He's.. Late.." Keiko said, gasping for air, because she was out of breath from the run.
Rina was completely confused. Prince Kakeru, Princess Keiko, and Sir Jiro, all travelling with Staci? Sir Jiro... He took off his helmet, and she looked at him once more. He brushed back his ruffled auburn hair with his hand. Rina blushed at his handsome face. Two figures caught her gaze, and she looked to see a red haired boy, and a brown haired boy coming their way. The one with red briskly jogged towards them, while the other followed, looking somewhat depressed.
"Who have you brought with you this time?!" Kakeru exclaimed.
"This is.." Otaru sighed. "His Highness, Prince Anji."
Rina gasped. "Another one?!" She exclaimed in pure shock. Staci quickly covered her mouth.
"What do you mean by that?" Anji raised an eyebrow.
"Nothing. She's..." Keiko searched for a word. "Dilusional! That's it.."
Rina looked at her angrily.
"Oh." The shining armor of Jiro caught Anji's eye. "Ah, a Knight. Atleast one of your friends is worthy of my presence."
Keiko and Kakeru fumed at this. "I'll have you know, I'm-" Kakeru started.
"He's a noble." Keiko said nervously, as she placed a hand over his mouth. "His name is.." She thought a second. "..Harold! Yes, his name is Lord Harold."
'HAROLD?!?!?' Kakeru shouted in his mind.
Staci giggled, and Rina seemed all the more confused.
"Yes, M'Lord. This is Staci, Kei, Ka-, I mean, Lord Harold, and..." He trailed off.
"Oh!" Keiko said. "Otaru, and Anj- Your Highness, meet Sir Jiro, and Rina."
Otaru bowed to each, and they bowed to Anji.
"It's not every day you meet a Prince dressed up as a commoner, huh?" Anji said.
Th others sweatdropped. "You have no idea." Rina said.

As most of the girls and Nakaijima went off in a mob to find Rina, Mai sat alone on a small wooden chair. "It isn't fair.." She said to herself. Silent tears fell down her cheeks, now that she was alone. 'I don't have to take this..' She silently crept out the door, and hastily made her escape.

Otaru looked concerned. "Four horses.. Seven people.. That means.."
"AHEM.. Be right back." Jiro said, as he went around the corner. a few minutes later he returned with a brown horse. "Mine noble steed." He smiled.
"FIVE horses." Otaru pondered.
"I'M not walking." Keiko pouted.
Anji narrowed his eyes. "You are a man, you have legs. Let the WOMEN ride the horses." He looked at 'Kei' in disgust.
"Hey!! What are YOU doing here anyway?" She put her hands on her hips.
"How dare you, you-"
"You stuck up-"
"WHY YOU-"
"Sibling rivalry.." Rina laughed. Everyone looked at her in different expressions. Otaru looked in horror, Keiko looked in worry, Anji looked in shock, Staci looked in anger, Kakeru looked in amusement and Jiro looked in embarrassment, as he sweatdropped.
"Wh-wh-wh-WHAT?!!?" Anji looked from Rina to Kei, Rina, then Kei, Rina, then, Kei.. Kei.. Ko... KEIKO! He looked closer to see his sister's face. "KEIKO?!?!!?"
"Yes??" Keiko said in a VERY non-chalant sort of way.
"IT IS YOU!!" He hugged her, then pushed away from her, and grabbed her shoulders, shaking them, in too many mixed emotions to name. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!?!?!"
"I can't believe you Sosarians. A Prince, acting so roughly with thine sister, whom is of royal blood, in PUBLIC display.." Kakeru looked in disgust.
"What was that??! Wai a minute, Sosarians?" Anji raised an eyebrow. "I've never met any Lord Harold in the castle courts. Where art thou from, 'Lord Harold'?"
"Allaras." Kakeru said. "I'm a reprasentitave of the GREAT Prince Kakeru."
Keiko giggled. "Give it up. There's no reason for you to hide, now that he knows who I am. Anji, this is Prince Kakeru.."
Anji looked at Kakeru. "Really, dear sister. If thou wishes to escape from marriage, it is best to do so AWAY from thine betrothed."
Keiko narrowed her eyes. "I didn't KNOW I'd be wandering around with him. Do you think I did it on PURPOSE??"
"You might. After I heard you dragged that serf boy into a closet to do-" He blushed. "Whatever it is you did, I don't know WHAT to expect from you." He said. He turned to Otaru angrily. "And I have been meaning to talk to you about that.."
Kakeru looked in shock. This was beyond humiliation. She would rather have a servant than him, a Prince?!
"What?! I was TALKING to Otaru.. Nothing more!" She shot a mean look at Otaru, who sighed. "RIGHT??"
"Yes, M'Lady.." He said quickly, as he blushed furiously. Kakeru, Keiko and Anji all stared at him. "It's true!"
"I should have realized. I've seen how you stare at her," Kakeru sneered.
Otaru blushed furiously. "W-w-what?!!"
"Huh?!" Keiko blushed aswell. Anji was ready to punch Otaru.
"Hm.. It might just have been my imagination, but weren't YOU also staring at Keiko?" Staci said bluntly to Kakeru.
"Me?! I.. I mean.. I would never.." Kakeru blushed.
Keiko's eyes opened wide.
"Really, this is getting interesting!" Rina smiled. "We really should leave soon, I-"
"Soon is an understatement, Madam," Jiro said hastily, as he hopped on his horse, and pointed towards a mob of angry women and soldiers coming their way. He grabbed Rina beside him, and Anji jumped onto a horse, along with Keiko, who held her hand out to Staci.
"Come on!!" She said quickly. Kakeru and Otaru both got onto the last two horses, and they quickly road as fast as they could away from the people.
"Hurry!! Their gaining!!" Anji yelled. The women had already stopped, but the soldiers kept coming. Jiro rode closer to Anji, and instructed Rina to get onto his horse. She jumped behind him, and almost fell. He grabbed her and held her close to him. She blushed slightly, then watched as he brave Knight, Sir Jiro headed towards the nine or ten men to take them on single handed! He drew his sword and prepared to start the battle.

"Charge!" Prince Anji yelled stupidly. But everyone had already gone ahead with out him. "Hey! Your suppose to waite for me! I'm the prince!" He whinned.
"Oh, put a sock in it will you? LETS GET GOING!" Keiko yelled over her shoulder.
"Fine," he said destaitingly. As he rode a head of Keiko she heared him mumble something like "no respect.... their own prince....don't go without me....hmph!"
Keiko giggled a little at her older brothers childish behavior before following after him.

Kakeru hadn't been expecting everything to be so violent. He thought they would be just knocking over a few fat soldeirs and then running before they brought out the real guys. But from the looks of it they had decided to bring the "real guys" out first.
He was suddenly worried about himself. But more importantly he was worried about Keiko.
He rode over to her horse and said, "Kei, you and the other women get out of here. This is gonna turn nasty."
"But I wanna help-!" she yelled over all the clashing of swords, but was cut off by Kakeru.
"NOW!" he said desperatly as they neared the battle.
"Fine." she said angrily, turning around to gather all the other woman up.

Otaru charged to battle, determained. He had never been a war person, but he felt it his duty to protect the women. So protect he did, at least he tried.
"ARRRRR!" a fat soldier on a stupind little pony yelled, charging at him with full speed, his spear pointed straight at his heart.
Otaru emeadiatly stopped, feeling all the energy and determination suddenly wash away, and his old war-hating soul was back.
But, to his relief the old geizer lost his ballance and fell off right before he reached Otaru. But he had mannaged to knock Otaru off his horse.
Everything slowed down for Otaru.
He heared the clashings of sword, saw the horses hoves run around and splash around in the mud. Then the sun disappeared and it started raining.
He felt as his head hit the hard ground and the cold mud splashed into his eyes, sending a stinging feeling threw his whole body.
And then he felt as everything whent cold and black. And he remembered no more.