Fastidioso

Mafuyu woke up to the sounds of knocking against what she assumed as the door. Sweat drips down her neck, heart is pounding. Her vision clears and she's somehow back inside her room. It looks way different to how it was ten years ago. Her belongings were all tossed out and replaced with just a mattress and a mannequin with a fresh set of Mafuyu's uniform. Her closet consisted of her sleepwear, which wasn't much either. 

Oh, she's had the dream again. 

“Mafuyu?” The door burst open. 

Immediately Mafuyu brings back the act once she he realizes who's come to visit: her his father. It's strange, these three months they've only spoken four times. Why was he here now? The older man looks equally as tired as she he does. The King blinks as he stares at Mafuyu before turning his gaze away once they make eye contact.

“I am glad to see you're awake,” The King mutters, gaze remaining avoidant, “You would have frozen to death if it were not for one of the royal guards spotting you. You should be thrilled I did not speak of this with your mother. What were you doing?” Mafuyu could tell the King was angry. Yet, his voice was too calm to be any sort of threatening.

Mafuyu drops her his head. “I apologize, Pa. I went out for a walk and I must've been more exhausted than I realized…” Mafuyu lies.

“In that case, I believe you shouldn't leave today.”

Mafuyu shakes her his head. The purple-haired couldn't dare worry her his parents any longer. The only ones that should worry about a weapon was, well, the enemy. “I am okay, really. We shouldn't prolong this war. I'm ready to go right now.”

The King shakes his head. “Mafuyu… give me an hour. Go say goodbye to friends if you so desire,” He says as he prepares to leave the room. The King doesn't dare look at Mafuyu's direction anymore, “Um, Mafuyu…”

Mafuyu raises her his head with a tilt. She He would have smiled if it weren't for the King's back to her him. “Si, ¿Pa?”

“Nada, forget about it,” The man says while leaving the knight's room.

Mafuyu sighs, her shoulders dropping. 

What in the world was she going to do in an hour?

Maybe she should just lay down again. But what if the dream returns? The prince takes out the map from her vest, looking down at all the locations. There's only three left unsearched: the Kingdom's major cities. Though it wouldn't make sense for her dearest to be there. If Mafuyu remembered correctly, she didn't like the busy-

Oh right. Mafuyu gave up.

Her chest feels empty. Slowly her fingers grip tightly on the map, watching it begin to tear in its fragile state. Mafuyu clenches her teeth, her breath hitching as the map rips in two. Then her shaky fingers bring the two pieces together and once again she tugs the paper. The tearing paper echoes in Mafuyu's ears. She brings the four pieces together and tears them apparent as well.

She does this until she no longer can.

Yet it wasn't enough. Mafuyu grabs one of the torches that lit up her room. Carefully, she places each individual piece on the flame, watching it quickly turn black and crumble. As each piece became ash, the more Mafuyu felt like she was buried in snow. Maybe she was imagining things, but her fingertips had become blue again. Each burning piece made her shiver. Her teeth began chattering. 

There was one piece left. 

Mafuyu couldn't move. She was frozen. 

Could she really give up? 

The piece left is that of the flower field behind the palace. It made Mafuyu's heart sink. 

Even if she didn't want to give up, she had to. Mafuyu was leaving again. And it wasn't a quick journey. The Kingdom of Shinonome was quite far. To reach it you'd have to traverse through two smaller Kingdoms.

Two closer Kingdoms. 

Mafuyu knew that the majority of peasants didn't stay in one singular Kingdom for too long. Perhaps, her dearest had gone to live in one of those Kingdoms?

The search wasn't over, Mafuyu concluded. The thought of that made the chattering of her teeth stop. For some reason, she didn't feel like laying down again, she felt like she could run forever. What was this strange feeling?

Maybe she'll go search the city once more.

…

Mafuyu was surprised to find a hoard of people marching around the palace entrance. They seemed fairly angry, raising banners and pitchforks. She would have ignored it, thought as the Prince of the Morning, maybe seeing what her citizens demanded would be a wise choice. 

As she he got closer, their angry chanting became much more clear.

“End this war!”

“Stop sending our children to their deaths!”

“Peace over violence!”

Mafuyu clears her his throat before making an appearance. “What seems to be the problem?” She He asks with a head tilt. The protests stop, looking at the purple-haired prince. There's fear in some of their eyes, in others anger. 

“It's the Prince of Death,” Mafuyu heard the murmurs between the group.

“You royal imbeciles are selfish! We know that you started the war for personal gain!” An angry man spat at Mafuyu, “You're using us, sending us to die in a nonsense war! If you have any sort of backbone, end it!”

Mafuyu is unsure of how to reply. Would a smile be out of place here? And the war, her his parents started it? That didn't seem right. They wouldn't have sent Mafuyu away if they were doing defense. Yeah, they had said it was necessary to protect the Kingdom from the opposing threat. 

Mafuyu smiles, hands behind her his back. “You must be mistaken. We didn't start the war,” She He says with a slight attempt at humor, “I was sent away for ten years to protect you all from the threat. I'll be fighting for you. I promise. But I also need the help, that is why we draft men.”

“Absolutely brainwashed,” one of the protests said, making Mafuyu wince. 

“You don't know anything, prince!” 

“Of course the boy would believe anything his mama says!”

“¡Estúpido!”

“We should make a move.”

“Yeah! Teach those royals a lesson! Starting with Mama's boy!”

“Are you kidding, this is the Prince of Death! We'll wound up with our throats slit!”

Mafuyu steps back. What would be the right thing to say? The crowd became louder, spitting on Mafuyu. Their shouts become echoing growls of foul beasts. Mafuyu's best bet was to draw out her his sword and scare them away. But wouldn't that be unjust? What can she he do then? Mafuyu can't calm them down. It's pointless. Mafuyu can't act her way out of this one. Oh dear, the world is blurring and spinning again. The ice takes over her knees, weighting them down. They're weak. The prince falls.

“¡Basta! That's enough!” the back of Mafuyu's head hits something soft. She feels hands under her arms. The voice is androgynous, loud and full of venom. Perhaps it was who caught her.

Once her vision clears she can see the protestors slowly disperse, muttering between them. Mafuyu could only make out pale fingers clutching onto the underside of her arms, and the twitching of someone who's carrying more than they have the strength for. She needs to get up, but she can't. The ice on her knees haven't melted away. Her brain was still foggy. 

“Oye, mi Príncipe. Are you okay?” The androgynous voice asks. It wasn't gentle at all, nor did it sound worried.

Mafuyu finally musters the energy to stand up, feeling the fingers release her hesitantly. She doesn't turn around to face the person just yet. With a cough, Mafuyu draws out a smile.

“Pardon me. Thanks for your…” Mafuyu says as she he turns around. The act nearly slips as her eyes widened, now having met the stranger.

White hair. Pale face. White and blue uniform.

Mafuyu blinks. Could this be it? her dearest had, at least what she could remember. Mafuyu couldn't even remember her face at all. Surely, her dearest would have recognized her by now. And this was unfortunately a man… he was too much. Nothing that resembles her quiet and gentle dearest.

“Sir?” Mafuyu is able to muster. 

The white-haired knight nods. “¡Si! I am Sir K, at your service. I will be accompanying you on your journey by King's orders!” He chirps, looking at Mafuyu expectantly with dull eyes, a shade of light blue that was nearly gray, “I have your horse ready and your bag! We are good to go whenever you desire!” Now looking at it, his white hair was also derived from the glow she remembered. This hair was dirty and tangled, typical of knights.

“No need. I'm fine,” Mafuyu says, hiding her face from the stranger. His appearance was painful to look at. She hates the false hope he gave her. Mafuyu snatches the horse and bag away from the white knight, “Tell His Majesty that I ordered you to stay behind. Again, thank you for your help. I'll be leaving now.” 

She had to get out. She can't be with this man anymore. 

“Nuh uh! I have to make sure you're okay! His Majesty mentioned you were overworking yourself, and just now with the protestors, he's right. You cannot do this journey alone,” He snaps back as Mafuyu climbs on the horse.

Mafuyu forces back the act. “I said I'm fine,” She He says with more threat in her his voice. The horse begins to gallop away. Mafuyu doesn't look back.

“W- Wait!”

No matter how much she tried to steady her breathing, it was as if her ribs had crushed her lungs and deprived them of all air. Her arms shiver, teeth chattering violently. She doesn't even notice the citizens moving out of the way as the horse seems unstoppable, yelling at her to be more cautious. She doesn't notice the dirt road coming to a dead end, a flat brick wall straight ahead. She doesn't command the horse to take a turn. The horse waits and waits for its next signal as it continues running forward.

The black steed stands on its hind legs as it can no longer go forward. Mafuyu's completely taken off guard, falling off the saddle. The horse neighs disapprovingly, or at least Mafuyu imagined so. She can see its hooves so close to her face. Her back aches in pain.

She prays they'll crush her head. 

“¡Príncipe!” An exhilarated voice rasps. 

Oh no. 

How did he catch up?

Mafuyu scrambles to her feet, attempting to climb back on the horse once again. She feels her throat closing in on her, heartbeat in her ears. She can't look at this man. She leaps but immediately fails. Her legs are weak again. 

She has no choice but to face him. 

Mafuyu turns around to see the white knight slowing down, gasping dramatically for air. “W- Why must… I'm going with…” He attempts to speak but only comes out as wheezes.

“I've told you, sir. I'm doing this journey alone. Stay here, that's an order,” Mafuyu says with more seriousness in her his voice.

The white knight looks up at her him. “I’m a Shinononononomome Knight. I don't take orders from you,” He finally says as the man finally catches his breath, “His Majesty has commissioned me, so I only take orders from him.”

Mafuyu feels her his eyes twitch. “It's Shinonome.”

If the white knight could get any paler, he would. “Whatever,” He scoffs.

Mafuyu draws out his her sword. “You wear white, the uniform color of the enemy. And I've been living with the Shinonomes' for the past ten years. I know each and every knight. You're not fooling anyone,” She He says. The white knight only stands there, as if processing everything Mafuyu has said. 

“Well, obviously you won't remember me as I've been away from the Kingdom for eight!” The white knight snaps back, “Are you implying I am a spy? How dare thee!"

Mafuyu's running out of ideas to get this man away from her. 

“If I pay you, will you leave?” Mafuyu finally says.

The man shakes his head. 

This man was so unnecessarily stubborn. It's almost like he wants to torment her. 

“I am a knight myself. I don't need a knight. I don't need someone to look after me. I am the Prince of the Morning. General of the royal guard. I can handle myself.” Mafuyu cracks out a smile once more, perhaps that would reassure this man that she was fine. Maybe a smile will allow her to get away with it just like other times.

The white knight laughs, making Mafuyu boil in irritation. “Then why did you nearly run into this wall, hm?” He mocks before stepping closer to Mafuyu. The prince backs off. He steps closer.

What was he doing? 

Despite being way taller than the man, Mafuyu can't help but feel small as her back hits the brick wall. 

“Why aren't you confronting me, o’ great one?” He muses with a grin before backing away, “You may be tough out on the field, but clearly alone you can't stand for nothing.”

The act. It's falling apart.

“Well, it's settled. Let's get out of here before nightfall,” The man says as he picks up Mafuyu's bag, throwing it over his shoulders. He bows down slightly, tapping the saddle of the horse while dragging the lead, “Hop on, ¡mi Príncipe! What are you waiting for?”

Mafuyu blinks. She doesn't know what to think or if she can. Her eyes meet his darkened eyes. She can't tell if he's mocking her or was genuine. He's sorta staring blankly, like he couldn't care less whether she listened or not. Though clearly his irritating words said otherwise. But why did he care? Was he a knight of great devotion? 

Defeated, Mafuyu obeys. Though one thing is for certain.

She hated him.