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Title: Grove of Angels
Author: Gia
Rating: PG
Pairing: None
Time: The land is Solcia, ruled by the Hikari family. It is a time of royalty, magic, and wars.
Summary: Two boys, since birth, are raised to protect the Crown Prince. Since the beginning, one of the boys has refused such a duty, until a chance meeting with the Prince. Follow from the beginning, how they trained, and their interactions. Watch as a thief joins the ranks, hair as golden as the sun's, but its intentions are dark. Who says there are no such things as angels?
Disclaimer: The story here is non-profit and for purely entertainment purposes; nor is it affiliated to Asuka Magazine, Tokyo Pop or any other publishers of DNAngel. Some of the places mentioned in my story will be taken from the video game, Eternal Ring, though nothing from its storyline will be taken for this fanfic. The characters belong to Yukiru Sugisaki and the plot belongs to me.
Author's Note: The Hiwatari mentioned in the first chapter is different from the Hiwatari mentioned in this chapter. It's not too important to the main storyline (in fact I do mention it later in the story), but I just wanted to make that distinction.
"Sleep well, little one." He whispered, drawing his hand away.
It wasn't very often the boy had nightmares, but when he did, troublesome things happened all over the palace. Kosuke, like the rest of the old guards in the palace, was aware of the magical capabilities inherent in the royal bloodline; but he had never seen magic wielded quite like the way this three-year-old wielded it. Kosuke knew that an instructor would have to be called in, along with the other tutors. It was something Kosuke would rather have spared Satoshi from but it was necessary training.
Kosuke stood silently beside Satoshi's bedside before one of the attendants called for his attention. Casting one more look at the sleeping face of the prince, Kosuke quietly strode away and outside the bedchamber.
"Yes, is something the matter?" Kosuke asked quietly.
"Not a matter, sir," the attendant began, "but neither of your charges are staying in their beds."
Kosuke sighed. If they were as easily calmed as the crowned prince, Kosuke knew his job would be a lot easier. "Very well, I'm coming back."
"Very good, sir." The attendant bowed and hurried away.
Kosuke turned back at the closed door leading to Satoshi's bedroom. He would have liked to stay longer, just in case he had another episode, but it was clear that his own charges needed him at the moment. When they reached an appropriate age, Kosuke would train them himself. Dark and Daisuke, the two boys would be more than capable of protecting the prince.
Kosuke would see to it himself that they were prepared.
By Gia
Chapter Two: The Crowned Prince's Busy Day
Kosuke tried to convey an understanding smile before he turned his attention back to Satoshi. The boy was on all fours on his bed; he was panting heavily and there was a clear sheen of sweat on the boy's forehead.
"I'm a-alright," the Prince tried speaking but it was clear that his teeth were chattering.
Kosuke took a hesitant step closer to the bed. "What happened?"
Satoshi shook his head slowly, breathing as if he couldn't get enough air. "I was taking a n-nap," Satoshi visibly gritted his teeth at the stutter but he continued, "but I had a nightmare."
He gasped suddenly before his body began to glow a light blue color.
"Prince, Prince you must calm yourself!" Kosuke yelled, this time wasting no time in approaching the bed and pulling Satoshi up into a sitting position.
Satoshi looked blearily up at him. His face cringed in pain as he sought to control the magic that was seeking to burst from him. After a tense moment, the light dissipated from his body and he slumped heavily against the Captain of the guards.
Kosuke sighed with relief. He wordlessly motioned for the two guards to leave before he turned his attention back to Satoshi. "What was it this time?"
Satoshi took a few moments to breathe deeply before answering. "My parents," he said, "I saw my parents."
Kosuke furrowed his eyebrows. 'But he said it was a nightmare.'
Satoshi gave a small, bitter smile. "I saw their assassination."
A cold expression took over Kosuke's face and he unconsciously tightened his hold around Satoshi. Satoshi was only seven when his parents were murdered but he had been kept safe while chaos erupted in the palace. The only way Satoshi could have seen what had happened was if…
"My powers allowed me to see it."
Kosuke turned to him sharply. "You have the Sight?"
Satoshi shrugged. "It's not like the Seers in the kingdom. It was just," here Satoshi paused, "a glimpse."
Kosuke opened his mouth to speak but the prince had already moved away. Satoshi pulled at his damp shirt with a disgusted look. Amidst his small episode, he had looked weak in front of Kosuke. He shouldn't have broken down over what he saw; he knew what had happened to his parents, it was no secret to him.
"Excuse me, I've caused you undue concern."
Kosuke shook his head in protest. "If it concerns your safety, then I—"
"It's over now." Satoshi cut in softly. "Please, do not worry yourself." He turned his back to the guard as he sought to change his clothing.
Kosuke was more than aware of Satoshi's penchant for taking care of himself but if Kosuke could change that mindset in any way he could, then he would take it.
"As you wish," he conceded, "and if I may, how are your lessons going?"
Satoshi turned around. "Well enough. They're still looking for an archery tutor."
"Archery? Why would they need an archer?"
Satoshi smirked. "For me."
"For you? That's not part of your studies!"
Kosuke looked so stunned that Satoshi couldn't help but laugh. "I know that," he said after laughing, "but I want to learn."
Kosuke smiled at the other's change in mood. It was rare to see the prince laugh but Kosuke cherished each moment that he did laugh. If he could keep this young man happy, then maybe in some way, he could still please the past King and Queen for his past sins. Realizing he had kept silent for too long, Kosuke rushed to fill in the silence.
"In that case, I'll be sure to advise the search."
"Thank you very much."
Kosuke grinned. "It's not a problem. We should probably get it soon, maybe by the time of the binding ceremony?"
Satoshi blinked. "Is there enough time? It's two weeks from now and you've still got to prepare your charges for that day as well."
"But on that day, my charges will become your protectors."
Satoshi shifted uneasily. "I don't understand why it has to be conducted in the town square, in front of everyone. It's so…" he trailed off, not wanting to voice his uncertainty.
Kosuke sighed good-naturedly. "It allows the people to see the crowned prince's personal guards. It's good to familiarize the people with your face as well. And if it's about your safety I—"
"No," Satoshi cut him off, "I'm not worried about that. I…" He trailed off and averted his gaze downwards. It was such a silly worry on his part that he couldn't bear to let Kosuke know.
"They can be your friends as well, you know."
Satoshi's head shot up, a small flush staining his cheeks.
"It will be fine, sire, you'll see."
"There is no need to call me that."
"Ah, well, habits die hard. And as you said, I must go prepare my charges for that important day."
"Goodbye Kosuke." Satoshi called after the departing man. As soon as his footsteps faded away, Satoshi turned back to his messy room. It was a good opportunity for him to work up some of the excess magic that had built up earlier. Satoshi tread carefully amongst the thrown objects on the floor until he stood at the center of his room. Certain tasks required certain chants or actions, but for this, Satoshi was confident that it required nothing more than the force of will on his part.
He spread his arms, watching as the tips of his fingers flashed a light blue color. Soon, everything was covered in that light and began to rise off the ground. Satoshi allowed himself a proud smile before he began directing things back to their proper places.
A young girl was tugging at her mother's dress as she pointed up at one of the buildings in the square. Feeling the tug, the mother glanced down and followed her daughter's pointed finger towards the crude window chiseled outside the stone wall of the building. "It was nothing Ceci, probably just someone who works inside."
"But mama, his hair was as bright as the sun!" The girl rejoined, spreading her arms to indicate the sun.
Her mother smiled down at her daughter's exuberance. "I'm sure it was, now let's go find papa okay?"
"Papa! Okay let's go find him!"
The mother and daughter left the stall they were standing at and headed down the crowded street. Moments later, from the very window the girl had been pointing to, a figure stepped into view. In his hands, he held an odd-looking bow and arrow. Odd in that the arrow was very small and thin, and the bow itself was gilded with black markings on the side.
"Steady, steady," the man whispered to himself, ignoring the golden wisps of hair that tickled the side of his face. "Go!"
The arrow was released and traveled rapidly down into the square below, planting itself neatly into a steaming loaf of bread. The man grinned triumphantly and tapped the bow. "Return." He whispered.
The arrow began to shimmer, and along with it, the loaf of bread before both disappeared from the wooden rack that had held it. The owner of the booth hadn't witnessed the strange event since he had been occupied with helping a customer.
The two objects appeared again in the man's waiting arms. "Easy," he said while chuckling, "too easy."
The sound of the door opening behind him caused the man to turn around.
"Oi, Krad, I need to head down to the market—where'd you get that?"
Krad grinned back at his comrade. "With this." He said, brandishing the bow and the bread that still had the arrow sticking out of it.
"Oh no," the man replied, raising his hands, "I'm not touching that. That was created by some kind of sorcerer or something."
"Come on Argentine," Krad stepped closer to the other man, "it's harmless." The two could be misconstrued as brothers, though Argentine had sandy blonde-hair, as opposed to the sun-kissed tresses of the other. Krad had golden eyes while Argentine had pale purple ones; all in all, the two tended to attract more attention that was safe, at least in Krad's case. He had the unfortunate tendency to borrow rather than to pay for things.
Case in point, the bow and arrow.
"You don't know that it's harmless." Argentine pointed out, a frown marring his tanned skin. "I don't trust anything that's magical."
"What? Why not?"
Argentine sighed, brushing back his long bangs from his face. "I don't have any reason, other than the fact that it's not normal."
"Well then," Krad set the bow down and plucked the arrow from the still steaming bread. "I guess I shouldn't half this with you."
"Eh?" Argentine glanced at the bread in Krad's hands. He was hungry…
Without a word, Krad split the bread and tossed half of it to Argentine. "Didn't think you'd pass on it."
"Yes well," Argentine bit a large chunk of bread off and chewed it thoughtfully, "you can't possibly finish it by yourself."
"Oh?" Krad smirked at him over his own portion. "Then I suppose I'm lucky to have you here."
"Of course."
The two continued to eat in companionable silence.
He still kept his cheerful exterior, but beneath it all, lay an undertone of desperation. As if Kosuke were rushing to impart all he knew to the two of them. Both Dark and Daisuke were well aware of their duties; they knew that on day of the prince's binding ceremony, the two of them would be formally bound to their oaths to protect the prince's life at the cost of their own. Moreover, the two would no longer stay with Kosuke. Their sleeping arrangements would be moved next to the prince's private bedchamber. None of it was news to them but the thought that they wouldn't get to see Kosuke as often as before…
"Dark, Dark, are you day dreaming again?"
Dark looked over to Kosuke and Daisuke. "Sorry!" he called back, standing up and stretching. He jogged over to them and gave Kosuke's concerned glance a bright smile. "Back to training?"
Kosuke nodded, ruffling Dark's hair with a small grin. "We're going to focus on surprise attacks."
Daisuke made a noise of approval. "Sounds like fun."
Kosuke laughed. "Glad you're looking forward to it." His face resumed its serious expression. "But in the event someone approaches you from behind, you have to be able to disable him at a moment's notice. If they take you down, then the prince will have no protection."
The two of them nodded solemnly back at Kosuke.
Inwardly, the captain of the guards was heartened at the determination shining clearly in the two boys' eyes. Still, he couldn't help a small feeling of foreboding in the back of his mind. Kosuke had assumed it was just normal anxiety, especially with the binding ceremony less than a week away. But somehow, this was more than that. It felt like something very terrible was going to occur on that day.
Kosuke shook himself from those thoughts when he realized Dark and Daisuke were staring at him expectantly. Putting on a strained smile, Kosuke pushed his worries away and focused on training them. If what his intuition was telling him was right, then these two would need all the training they could get.
Not only would they be custom-made, but they would be blessed by the kingdom's priests. Holes would be cut in the back for Satoshi to reveal his wings, the proof of his pure lineage to the throne.
After the fitting, Satoshi would return to training; then meet the advisors to discuss the land's condition. Trading, money, everything would be meticulously planned for the rest of the year so that the kingdom ran smoothly. Then a late supper before Satoshi was allowed a reprise from the day's activities. In all actuality, the routine would continue until the day of the binding ceremony.
Satoshi knew that as crowned prince, he would be inheriting more than just the title, but the responsibility. When the day came that he would be crowned as king, Satoshi would have some years of experience to support him in his new position. For now, Solcia's land and kingdom would continue without a king, but a prince.
"Focus," Kei barked when he noticed Satoshi's attention stray, "and be prepared!"
Kei pushed off from the ground and dashed toward Satoshi. The prince seemed to be frozen in surprise before putting his sword up and blocking the powerful blow. They pulled back an instant later and began striking at one another. The exchange continued for several intense minutes before Satoshi managed to knock the sword from Kei's hands and hold his own sword against the man's neck.
"Secede."
Kei gave him a proud smile and accepted the hand offered to him. "Pretty good, prince, pretty good."
Satoshi accepted the approval quietly. Kei chuckled under his breath at Satoshi's aloofness. He knew Satoshi could be more enthusiastic than this but Kei had only witnessed it when the boy was around Kosuke. Kei had a feeling that Satoshi didn't approve of his tendency to act goofy around others, but it was just his way of interacting with people. It was really no matter to Kei whether Satoshi approved of his childish behavior or not, because to him Satoshi would always be a child he wanted to protect in his eyes.
The two had an eleven year difference between them, so rather than assume the surrogate father role that Kosuke seemed to have taken, Kei liked to think that he filled the older brother role quite nicely. It was still debatable what Satoshi thought about all of this but Kei was content in his own musings.
"You can go ahead and freshen up. You've have studies after this." He placed a hand on Satoshi's shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze.
Satoshi allowed the contact, even showing a small smile if Kei's eyes weren't fooled, before leaving the training room. Kei turned back to the room and returned the two weapons. After this, he was planning on looking in on the search for a competent archer for the prince. More than a few of the guards had voiced confusion over teaching the prince such an art, assuming the sword was the only practice worthy of the king. Kei didn't exactly share the same feelings but he was proud of Satoshi's interest in other things.
He left the training hall and proceeded down the hallway. He would have to cross the grounds before making it to another section of the palace. Unlike the sand-colored structures where the market was held, the stones of the palace were made of white marble. When the sun was in its highest position, the palace itself blazed so brightly that one could see it from quite a distance. Certainly, the spires that stretched from the top of the palace would attract just as much attention: a myriad of thin spires curved inward, reminding the people of wings. Indeed, they were the one physical characteristic to name identify a royal.
Moreover, it was the reason the ruling family of the land of Solcia were referred to as the Ivory Dynasty.
'Ivory dynasty, hm?' Kei mused to himself, glancing down at the floor he walked on. As soon as Kei reached his destination, he could already make out a string of men standing inside. One of the training halls in this particular building had been altered to open to the outside. Stretching some meters away from the room were eight tall wooden structures with black rings painted on them. There were over a dozen holes in each post though not a single arrow law on the ground.
"How are my men faring?" Kei called loudly, grinning to see some of the younger men jump at his call.
"Oi, oi, Kei, don't startle the new recruits."
"Protective as always, Funabashi!" Kei returned, walking up behind the other man. He ruffled Funabashi's stocky black hair, easily evading the swat that was directed at him. "Any favorites yet?"
Funabashi sighed and looked back at the practice range. "Decent, but I'm not really comfortable with any of them teaching the prince. Do we really have to do this?"
"The prince wants to learn archery. I don't really see the problem."
"We don't specialize in archers. They're meant as a combination with our mages, that's all."
Kei narrowed his eyes as he watched one of the archers stand and take aim. The arrow left its bow and lodged itself in the wooden post, quite close to the center of the target. 'That was pretty good.'
"I just saw a really good shot there, that kid over there—"
"Takeshi Saehara," said Funabashi, barely glancing over at Kei's outstretched hand.
"Why not him? He's got great aim and he looks to be about Satoshi's age."
"Which is exactly why I don't think he's the one. He may be the prince's age but he acts less than half of it."
Kei slid his eyes back to his friend. "So he plays around a bit, that doesn't diminish his skill."
"He's too young to teach."
Kei threw his hands up in the air. "Alright, it seems to me that no one will meet your standards."
Funabashi frowned. "I just want a good teacher for the prince. Surely you do as well?"
"You know I do but it would've been nice to find a tutor by now."
"The binding ceremony," Funabashi acknowledged, "I know but every instructor was meticulously picked. This shouldn't be any less."
Kei nodded in resignation and continued to watch the rest of the archers practice. After a moment of silence, Kei's head shot up. "I just had a wild epiphany, Funab—"
"I don't want to hear it."
"Oh come on, don't be like that."
"It's stupid."
"You didn't even hear it yet!"
Funabashi looked over at his friend's pleading face. He always secretly thought that Kei looked very similar to Satoshi. 'Maybe a distant cousin?' But records never mentioned any living blood kin to the prince so Funabashi had kept his own wonderings to himself. In any case, even if there was some distant blood connection to Satoshi, there would be no question as to who would ascend to the throne.
"Fine, let's hear it."
"How about you pick two, no three of our best archers and we hold a kind of tournament during the binding ceremony so that we can see if any of the citizens of Solcia are harboring some raw talent in—"
"No."
"But—"
"No, it's an important ceremony."
"Then after, we hold the tournament."
"Why should we involve the citizens of Solcia?"
Kei rubbed his face in exasperation. "Look, it would be a good opportunity to have the general populace feel that they are apart of the protection of the prince."
"Since when has fostering good will been a priority for you?" Funabashi asked suspiciously, staring hard at his friend.
"Hey, don't be like that!" Kei raised his hands. "I just think it would be a nice way for the prince to enjoy himself after having to stand through all the chanting and what not. You know…" he trailed off slowly.
Funabashi's eyes widened in realization before softening into a gentler expression. "With the attention on the tournament, it would be a good opportunity for the prince to sit down with his new protectors. Maybe take their first step in friendship while watching the tournament?"
It wasn't really a question, rhetorical on Funabashi's part. He knew that Kei liked to look out for Satoshi, especially after his own father had been very much against assigning the two boys to the crowned prince. Kei's father had perished in a mild scuffle in the east while Kei was still in training, but the result had been an immediate promotion to his father's position.
Kei mourned silently for his proud father's death but from what Funabashi had seen, Kei had been better off meeting Kosuke as a consequence of it.
"Alright, I'll ask Kosuke what he thinks about it. Maybe he can talk to the advisors."
A wide smile spread across Kei's face. "Thanks."
"Don't get your hopes up just yet," Funabashi warned, "I still have to see what Kosuke thinks about it."
"Sure, sure," Kei waved away his concerns, "but still, thanks for considering."
Kei stood up and stretched his arms. "I think I'll take a short nap. I'll meet you later tonight and we can both talk to Kosuke."
Funabashi nodded. "I'll see you then."
He waved Kei goodbye and settled down in a chair to continue watching the new recruits. 'Maybe there is some merit in Kei's suggestion,' Funabashi thought to himself as he watched three young men step up and take aim.
'I've already got an archer in mind,' his eyes slid to Takeshi, 'so two more to go.'
So I've already got maybe the next two chapters planned out in my head; which is pretty exciting although I'm dreading it. It means I've got to really structure what happens when I reach the point I have in mind. Well, that worry will come later. I'll just get the chapters I can get out, out.
I hope everyone looks forward to the next chapter and I'd love to hear what everyone thinks about the story so far.
