(Nari's official design by ItsNattie on DeviantArt)
Word Count: 2,700+ Words
WARNING!: Some of the content of this chapter, SPECIFICALLY early in, could be considered triggering and uncomfortable for some readers. I have this book listed as mature, but I still want to give you all a fair warning, if content related to abuse of the sexual kind gets to you, then I IMPLORE you to avoid the paragraphs all written in italics. Should you choose to read that section anyway, I am NOT responsible for how you respond to it!
After reconciling with the Blue Dragon and returning to her quarters, Nari felt... lighter. She hardly even paid attention to the chills that still were causing her body to shiver while she snuggled under her covers. The servant girl felt more blessed than ever... she'd been given the privilege of calling the Four Dragons her friends, including the Seiryuu! The latter even said he didn't think she was a burden! And his smile... it was faint, but it'd looked so peaceful...
However, not even these wonderful events didn't stop her usual nightmares from plaguing her mind in sleep.
"Be a good girl, and I won't have to bruise your pretty face anymore."
"Not fair, boss! I wanted to have her for tonight!"
"Oh, please, you can have her after I'm done. She'll be too tired to fight ya after I'm through."
Tears streamed down the girl's face, arms trembling in the ropes that bound her wrists together over her head, connected to the ceiling above. By now, Nari's wrists were raw with rope burns, the front of her makeshift dress was ripped to the navel, and tooth-marked bruises were clearly visible even in the flickering torchlight.
Suddenly, a blunt force slammed against her from behind, and she instinctively screamed and started bawling all over again. Her body rocked forward in back in her attempts to put distance between her and the monster behind her, only to stumble back when her hair was crudely yanked.
"Never forget... I own you."
That voice she'd become so unwillingly familiar with whispered insidiously, and a large pair of hands moved up the insides of her legs to her chest. Nari's eyes squeezed shut, and she clenched her teeth to hold in any unwanted sounds they tried to force out of her.
"My ruby-eyed pet."
Nari awoke with a sharp gasp, which prompted a fit of dry coughs to rack her body. Struggling to sit up, her hands clenched over her tight chest. The coughing lasted longer than she anticipated, turning into wheezing when she tried to stand up — hearing the castle bell toll loudly above.
Covering her mouth with one hand, Nari slowly looked down at its palm when she felt something wet spatter against the skin. She pursed her lips at the all too familiar spots of thick scarlet, slowly taking some deep — albeit shaky — breaths to try and steady her labored breathing.
Walking over to her closet, Nari opened it with her other hand and pulled out her "favorite" red waist tie, rubbing the fresh crimson off on it before taking out the rest of her clothes. Stripping off her robe, Nari absently glanced at an unsightly scar through her right shoulder, then began to properly clothe herself.
Just a little longer...
Once she was dressed, Nari walked up to her full body mirror and used it to make sure her dress was arranged properly, ignoring the slight flush to her cheeks and tying the crimson sash around her waist to complete her attire.
There's still so much I want to learn from them...
The faces of each of the Four Dragons flashed through Nari's mind at that moment, picking up her blue pendant from her nightstand and fastening it around her neck. Then, she tucked it under her clothes so it wouldn't be in the way.
And... I want to know about him...
The Seiryuu's face lingered longer in her mind. Sitting on the edge of her bed and carefully brushing out her hair, Nari braided the ends together and tied them with a ribbon.
Rising to her feet, Nari lightly tapped the toes of her shoes against the floor to ensure they wouldn't slide off, then she closed her eyes, twirling in place and vigorously willing a smile onto her lips. "It's okay, "She steadily inhaled, then exhaled — breathing away her worries. "Because today is going to be another perfect day!"Pumping her fist in the air, Nari resisted another cough and rubbed her dampened brow under her bangs. "Off to work!"
Darting from her room, Nari hummed to herself while she made her way down the hall along with her fellow servants — many of which paused to greet her and strike up a conversation on their way to the dining hall. Eventually, she found herself gathering a bit of a crowd.
It still felt like a lot to try and get used to her newfound "popularity," and it was also... overwhelming. Nari smiled nervously at all of the servant girls, trying to keep a flow of separate dialogue with each of them.
Upon arriving at the Dining Hall, Ji-Yeong was there to greet her in the usual spot — eyes coolly rested shut whilst she leaned back on a pillar with arms crossed over her chest. Immediately, Nari excused herself from the crowd and bounded up to her friend with a bright smile. "Good morning, Ji-Yeong!!"She exclaimed, rocking on the balls of her feet energetically — nearly falling into her friend when she involuntarily swayed a bit too far forward.
"H-Hey!"The older girl blurted, cheeks heating with embarrassment while she rested her free hand on her hip. "Yeesh, you're even more bouncy and clumsy this morning than usual."She said, running her fingers through her bangs. "You really need to get your bangs fixed."She added, turning to enter the dining hall.
"Sorry, sorry!"Nari said with another giggle, straightening her feeble posture and following behind her friend with an unfaltering smile.
"Anyway..."Ji-Yeong sighed, the pair walking to fetch their food. "What're you going to do next week?"
"Do?"Nari tilted her head, confused. "Um... work?"She replied, following her friend towards their usual table. "Why?"
Ji-Yeong's brow twitched slightly. "Do you even know what next week is?!"She exclaimed, startling her companion, who immediately jumped. "It's the day King Hiryuu descended from the heavens!!"
"N-No way, that's actually documented?!"Nari's jaw fell slack with awe and her eyes rounded.
"Yeah, King Hiryuu documented it himself!"Ji-Yeong grinned, looking down at her friend. "It's in the castle archives. You should check it out if you get any free time."
"I-I just... can't believe I didn't know sooner. The dragons never told me-!"Nari was stopped short when she bumped face first into someone, squeaking and stumbling back in surprise. "I-I'm sorry!"
When she looked away from Ji-Yeong's direction to see who she'd bumped into, Nari was startled when the first thing she saw was the young woman's flowing obsidian mane. Then, when the dark-haired female turned to face Nari, her deep grey eyes that'd been previously hidden by her bangs framing the sides of her face came into view.
"Oh, it's alright!"A small but warm smile spread upon her features, long black lashes fluttering slightly when she blinked curiously. "It's my fault; I heard you mention the dragons and just... froze. Forgive my asking, but you know them?"
Ji-Yeong perked a brow at the other servant girl. "Of course she does; this is Nari! She's the one who took down that gross Advisor!"Draping an arm over Nari's shoulders, the tall girl smirked. "Are you new?"
"I-I didn't "take him down" Ji-Yeong!"Nari exclaimed with a nervous smile, quickly ducking away from her friend's arm with a now slightly paler complexion.
"Advisor Hye?"The woman asked, slowly blinking at the taller blonde and turning her head back to Nari. "No, I'm not new, I just don't... really pay attention to the other servants."She admitted sheepishly. "My name is Jin-mi; I'm one of the King's maids."
"No way!!"Ji-Yeong's jaw dropped in astonishment. "You're pretty high on the servant ladder, aren't you!"
"Ladder...?" Nari murmured to her friend curiously. "I didn't know the servants had a ladder, too."
"Not exactly... why don't we sit and I can tell you a bit?"Jin-mi offered, gesturing to their trays of food. "If we don't eat soon, we'll never get to finish before work."
"Oh, right!"Nari and Ji-Yeong both exclaimed in realization.
When the trio had taken their seats and took a few minutes to eat, Jin-mi absently eyed Nari's overgrown bangs. "So..."She began, setting her chopsticks down. "Everyone knows about the class system, the ladder. The King sits at the top, of course. Then you have the first-class: his court, government officials, and nobles. Next is the second-class: peasants, followed by the third class artisans and, lastly, fourth-class merchants."
"You forgot one, "Nari interjected softly with a small smile. "Slaves."
The other two girls paused a moment, then Jin-mi smiled nervously. "Oh, right. Anyway... we're technically second-class peasants. We just have a few special privileges because we work in the palace, but even among us servants, there's a ladder of sorts."
"Gyeong-hui sits at the top, no doubt, "Ji-Yeong noted, holding a cup of water to her lips.
"Sort of... yes. She's the servants' head, though since she's a woman, I imagine male servants try to take shots at her position every so often."The more Jin-mi explained, the less Nari paid attention to her food and listened attentively. "Then you have the King's servants. We serve directly under his majesty; some help him dress in the morning, others follow him around the Palace to fulfill any whims he may have, others ensure he knows what his schedule is, some have even tested food for him... to be safe."
"Wow... so you're like his last line of defense!"Nari exclaimed with a fascinated expression.
"His... what...?"
Ji-Yeong couldn't help but snicker at Jin-mi's dumbfounded look. "Here we go."
"His last line of defense! Think about it!"Nari pressed, trying not to pout at Ji-Yeong's light tease. "A lot of enemies probably want bad things to happen to King Hiryuu, the guards or dragons can't always be there, but you all are always around him! He can always rely on you."
Jin-mi felt her face heat up significantly, subconsciously lifting the side of her hand to cover her mouth. "So you're saying we're meat shields."She finally said, averting her eyes with a blush still clinging to her cheeks.
"A-Ah, that's not what I meant!"Nari panicked and stood up, waving her hands around and sweating profusely. "I-I meant that... ooh... I'm sorry!"
Then, Jin-mi began chuckling, pulling her hair over her ears that'd flushed red. "You're so... unusual! I've never thought to look at myself like that, a "last line of defense"! That's so optimistic!"She said before her chuckles turned into outright giggling.
The tension and concern slowly drifted from Nari's shoulders, and she exhaled, smiling nervously. "Phew..."She sat back down, wiping the coat of sweat from her brow.
"She got you pretty good; you're all sweaty!"Ji-Yeong teased with a smug grin. "Didn't you say something like that to me when we first met, by the way? So uncreative!"
"I-I didn't stay that exactly!"
"How terrible, and I thought what you said sounded so special."Jin-mi decided to add to the playful banter.
"I-I still meant it!"
Both older women chuckled at their fussing friend, who hid her face in her hands out of embarrassment. "You're adorable!~"Ji-Yeong remarked, playfully poking Nari's cheek with the back of her chopsticks.
"A-A-Anyway!"Nari stammered, shaking her head and looking at the two. "W-With the King's birthday next week, shouldn't a celebration be planned?"
"Birthday...?" Ji-Yeong and Jin-mi both asked with bewildered expressions.
"Well, yes! It's the day he descended and took human form. He chose to be reborn as a Human! So it's like his birthday, right?"Nari reasoned, folding her arms on the table. "At the very least, we should get gifts for him."
"Maybe... but what present do you get for the King?"Ji-Yeong hummed, propping her chin on the back of her palm.
"Well... in the time I've served him, King Hiryuu has always wanted peace for Kouka more than anything."Jin-mi added, glancing out the window beside her thoughtfully. "However, I'm doubt that's something any of us peasant folk could give him."
"You're both right... maybe I could ask the four dragons?"Nari wondered, leaning her head back and humming. "They all probably knew him before he became King, then they each drank the dragons' blood."
"That's a good idea!"Ji-Yeong beamed. "They visit you during work a lot, don't they? I remember the Ouryuu shows up a lot in the mornings, start there!"
I forgot the dragons have taken a liking to her... Jin-mi thought and looked between her new friends. "I can try to find something out from his majesty, too, perhaps."
"Let's do it!"
*****
"His majesty's birthday?"
After breakfast, Nari and her friends each split off to do their individual chores for the day. While on her way to tend the garden, she soon ran into the Ouryuu as Ji-Yeong had expected.
"Yes! I want to find a gift for him before next week."The girl nodded profusely, leading to Zeno chuckling at her apparent determination.
"That's really generous of you. Are you sure you want to be spending on something like that, though?"The blonde asked, resting his hands on his hips. "Don't get me wrong, I think it's a nice idea, but I know a lot of the servants are sending most of their payment to their families back home."
Nari quieted, slowly closing her slightly open mouth. "I'm sure!"She then said, a smile breaking across her face. "Do you know what King Hiryuu would like? You've known each other a long time, right?"
"H-Hey, you make me sound old when you say it like that."The boy smiled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. "Truthfully, though, I'm not sure. The King before he ascended to royal status was always..."Zeno's words drifted off along with his thoughts, then he chuckled to himself. "He was a bit funny but really caring. The only thing he ever seemed to want was for other people to be happy, even at his own expense."
"Really?"Nari hummed quietly, clasping her hands together at her waist. "That doesn't help too much with finding him a gift... but it does tell me a bit about his majesty as a person."
"If you'd like, I can tell Hakuryuu, Royokuryuu, and Seiryuu about your little quest!~"Zeno offered, hands clasping behind his back and leaning forward closer to the servant girl's face. "Could you do something for me, though? In exchange?"
"Do something?"
"Yeah!"The boy grinned widely. "I wanna see your eyes!"
"M-My eyes?"Nari was taken aback, subconsciously lifting a hand to her bangs. "Why...?"
Leaning a bit further forward, Zeno squinted in a small attempt to see through the violet strands covering the top half of the girl's face. "Well, because King Hiryuu said they're beautiful — like pretty garnets!"
"K-King Hiryuu said that?!" Color flooded to Nari's face, and her hands shot up to cup her already damp cheeks in embarrassment. "Th-That's not—!"The King thought her eyes were... pretty? How? No. She'd have to think about that later... Zeno was getting a bit too close for comfort. "A-Alright...! Just... not so close?"She yielded timidly.
Noting the increased paleness of Nari's face, Zeno stood up straight again and nodded with a sheepish little smile. "Sorry, I may have gotten a bit too pushy."
"D-Don't worry about it, "Nari replied with a downcast gaze, raising her hands and steadily parting the obscuring violet curtain.
When she looked up again to meet Zeno's gaze, the boy's eyes were wide, and his mouth almost made a perfect circle shape. In the sunlight pouring between the columns of the outer hall, Nari's red eyes practically glowed.
The Ouryuu could vaguely make out flecks of amber hidden within the crimson from the short distance between them. "Wow... his majesty really wasn't kidding!"
"Y-You think so?"Nari asked, averting her gaze and holding one of her arms while, nonetheless, keeping an, albeit meek, smile glued to her face.
"Of course! I wouldn't lie to you, miss Nari!"Zeno exclaimed cheerfully. "Your eyes are lovely! Almost like Seiryuu's!"
"I-I wouldn't go that far-!"Nari waved her hands in denial. Her eyes could hardly be compared to those of the blue dragon!
"Oh?"Someone interjected, the pair turning at the voice that was then followed by the tap of something heavy and metallic hitting the tile floor. "That's some fancy praise there, useless."
Author's Note: Finally, I have a cover for the book! ^^ Y'all can thank ItsNattie on DeviantArt for this amazing cover! She's the same person who also brought Nari to life with a character sheet, I've been commissioning OC designs from her for almost 3 years and she never ceases to blow my expectations out of the water!
Also, thank you all so much for being so supportive of this book thus far! I never thought this little hobby FanFic of mine would get to over 200+ reads in such a short period of time! (I'm, of course, comparing it to other Fanfics I've published before. NONE of them grew this fast! I'm absolutely astonished!) I want to give a special thanks to NotchesAndBullets who has been so incredibly supportive of me, in particular, with this project!
In truth, I only made this Fanfiction because of her Shin-ahxOC Fanfiction "The Varied Path." So PLEASE, go check it out! Her OC, Calista, is an amazing character, her relationship with Shin-ah is well-paced and meaningful, and she's always so responsive to her readers' comments! She's the reason I wanted to take my own shot at a YotD OC, which I didn't think I'd be able to do before, lol!
Stay creative in these hard times, my puzzle pieces!