Runaway Royals

Chapter 1: Once Upon A Time

Another 2 years had passed by. It was the first week of summer and everyone awaited the arrival of the Yaoyorozu's. The oldest prince smiled and waved Tatami over to him. Tatami didn't look anyone in the eye as she walked up to her friend of so many years.

Tatami looked at the tiny princess, Hollybelle. She had brown hair, green eyes, and her cheeks were rosy.

"Tati!" The two year old princess shouted. She only knew a few words so her knowing Tatami's nickname was surprising. Tatami picked up the tiny princess and waited for Momo.

As the knights walked into the palace, Tatami looked around them to try and see Momo. The long haired knight opened his mouth but Tatami wasn't listening. Yo definitely wasn't listening.

"King August and Queen Murielle have arrived." The head knight said. Boring. "Princess Momo has arrived."

Tatami watched the guards move out of the way to show the royal family. The queen looked younger than ever, August hadn't aged, and Momo looked different. Her acne was gone, her chest had definitely grown she was taller than Tatami by now, and she had such long hair.

She squealed when she saw princess Hollybelle holding onto Tatami's dress. "Good morning Princess HollyBelle." Momo giggled. The child gave an awkward curtesy and went back to Tatami.

"Good morning, your Royal Highness." She bowed.

"In all the years you've known me you still call me by formalities."

"I'd rather not be imprisoned for addressing you incorrectly." She whispered. August looked at Tatami with an angry glare and looked at King Akui.

"Tatami, you know our arrangement. Ekko is in the nursery sleeping." Akui said. Tatami picked up the young princess and walked outside.

She had been promoted from a cleaning servant to the Lady in Waiting of the tiny princess and sometimes the nanny of the other children. Hollybelle enjoyed her company every time since she had jokes and she'd read to the others when they wanted to play with her.

Servants weren't supposed to learn how to read because it meant they could write to enemy countries and tell information of what's going on inside their kingdom. Tatami only learned how to read and write because Momo taught her. She made the young royals promise to not say anything.

Momo and Yo were showed to the library where they would talk and read. Tatami would join when she finished the first day of summer's work. Yo gave her a saddened look and ran off.

Tatami brought the younger children outside and held a fairytale book.

"Tell us a story!" Noelle yelled.

"That's what I am getting ready to do, silly." She giggled, booping Noelle's nose.

"We want to hear a different one!"

"Fine, fine... lets make a new one together!" Tatami said. "Once upon a time," She said, hoping they would continue.

"A girl with," Noelle played along.

"Yellow eyes!" Yazo shouted.

"And." Hollybelle tried to continue.

"Green hair," Noelle said.

"Ok. I'll continue the rest now that we have a description." Tatami smiled. "A girl with green hair and yellow eyes became queen. She had a curse placed on her when she was very young though. She had made a deal with the devil to become a queen. If she looked her father In the eye, she would lose everything she worked so hard for."

"What happened next?!" Yazo gasped. Whenever he got excited, vines would hang from the trees and pick him up.

"One day, as she sat on the throne, a woman with green eyes and green hair approached her. She shouted and berated her until the queen asked what she had done. The green eyed woman shouted 'You took my throne! This is my palace!' The queen was shocked. She had done this. As she reminded herself of what happened, her father walked inside."

"What happened to the Queen?! Tatami!"

"Maybe we should save what happened to the queen for tomorrow. I have not come up with anything yet, but I should by tomorrow." Tatami smiled. The kids pouted. "Let us go inside ok?" She said and picked up Hollybelle. Yazo and Noelle tagged along.

Princess Akali walked around the palace's exterior. Her dark hair matched the green dress she wore nicely.

Akali had never like Tatami. Since the day Tatami met her, she hated her so much for no reason.

Momo and Yo were walking around the palace and eventually bumped into Tatami. They knew that they shouldn't talk to her to avoid not getting to hang out with her for another week. Momo gave her a quick hug though.

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That evening, Tatami put Yazo and Hollybelle to bed and gave them a small kiss. She just hoped the kids said she did a good job. If not, she was stuck babysitting for the rest of the week. She loved the kids but it wasn't something she liked to do every day.

Princess Hollybelle crawled out of her crib somehow and walked to Tatami. She was wearing a light pink nightgown and she was complaining about being hungry or thirsty.

"Alright Princess. Let's go grab some food." Tatami said. It was only around eight and there was a big event going on. Something about an ally kingdom getting married. The two teenagers were definitely bored but they were forced to sit there.

The kitchen was right behind all the nobles so she would have to interfere in the party to get Hollybelle what she wanted.

She held Hollybelle's hand and prayed no one would stare at her like she was nothing more than rat waste. It would be embarrassing to have everyone look at her like that. She wanted to walk but she wasn't able to. Sure there were other servants walking in and out of the kitchen but those were the kitchen staff.

"Tati, why aren't you moving?" She asked. Momo watched Tatami get dragged across the corridor.

"Is that Tati?" Momo whispered to Yo. Yo obviously held back laugh as the event happened. "May I be excused Your majesty?" She asked. She was excused from the table and walked off to find Tatami and Hollybelle.

"Whatcha doing?" Momo asked. Tatami squeaked a bit.

"Hollybelle was thirsty and I was going to grab her something. I just realized there was an event happening. Please don't say anything about me." Tatami begged.

"Don't worry. You've saved me so many times it'd be hypocritical to say anything. I have so much to talk to you and Yo about tomorrow, I can't afford to have you stuck babysitting. Just follow me." Momo said. "You're not wearing your nightgown? Good." Momo sighed. "Just leave the princess right here and I'll watch her. There should be a few cups of wine before you leave. There is too many. Just take one and dump it out."

"Today's Wine day?" Tatami asked. Momo nodded.

Wine day was something that happened every four years. It was a symbol of seven kingdoms coming together. Every four years they'd have a ceremony and the moon would turn a wonderful wine color. On the first wine day in history, royals gained magic.

Even some non royals gained it...

(Wink wonk, guess who got magic and guess who did not-)