Feelings
"I'm fine now, brother. Malphas can help me heal such a trivial thing. Like a fever can kill me." She argued with Aoren who is currently nursing her in her room.
"Djiin of good nature and puppetry---"
"Stop." He then flicked her forehead causing her chant to be stopped. "Don't use your magoi too much. I can help you with this. Rely on me too. I'm your brother, aren't I?" He said, sulking at how she was acting.
"I just wanted to pamper you since it has been so long since I was able to see you like the little princess you are back in Xue. Brother is just happy to be taking care of you." Aoren covered his face with his hands as he whines childishly.
"I-I get it! So please stop that." She pulled his hands away from his face and saw him smiling. "You--!"
"Then Yukiko, please drink this medicine I developed using herbs for your fever." He gave her a small green pill. Yukiko just drank it with no questions or hesitations so Aoren wont bother her anymore. A knock was then heard from her door. Before a purple haired man and the magician of the eight generals entered her room.
"Good day, Aoren-dono, Yukiko-dono." Greeted Yamuraiha with a smile. "King Sinbad and I came to visit and help Yukiko-dono recover faster."
"There is no need for that. I have everything under control here. I can take care of Yukiko myself so you can just leave." Aoren replied as he washes a cloth.
Sinbad then stepped forward and placed a bouquet of Snow Drop on her empty flower vase beside her bedside table.
"Since the ones that you bought had probably withered by now, I went ahead and bought you some. I hope that it can help in your steady and quick recovery." He gave her a caring smile then sat on her bed. He then reached out to her to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear.
Yukiko immediately blushed and covered her face with her plain white yukata sleeves. She can practically hear her heart beating in her ears as she evaluates the situation.
"You--!" Aoren immediately stood up and pointed at the flowers. "Those flowers have a special meaning in them when you give them to someone of the opposite sex! Take it back!" He panicked as he tries to give the flowers only to be stopped by Yukiko.
"Brother, it's no big deal. He doesn't know about it so let it be." She said in a meek and small voice which almost made Sinbad pounce on her and hug her for being so damn adorable like he always do. "Sin, I'll be fine. Thank you for your concern. You too, Yamu. So, can you just leave us? Aniki is doing well at taking care of me. He may not look like it but he knows a lot about medicine." She gave them an assuring smile after she put down her sleeves.
"If you say so." Sinbad stood up and motioned Yamuraiha to follow him. His smile faded as soon as he exited her room.
"I can't believe it." Aoren complained as he cut the the stem of the flowers into its proper lengths. "A Snow Drop is something symbolizing a very important thing for us. You should've told him."
"I thought that you're going to support me with my quest for love?" She laughed slightly as she adjusted the towel on her forehead. "..but..I appreciate those flowers. It gave me the courage to confess. I want to tell him my feelings so that when the time comes that we have to part ways, I'll have no regrets. If he accepts my feelings...I might stay here for a bit longer and leave the job to Setsuna."
Setsuna is their former maid back in the palace. They found her in Reim and she became freed by the two. Now, she stays there as the head of operations to sought out the other citizens of Xue.
She is a household member under Aini. She was able to find over a hundred of them and bought them back using the treasures used in the dungeon. Some of the citizens also became Yukiko's household members, most of them were former soldiers and members of the parliament. They serve under the djiin Gusion, Malphas and Procel since it was the djiins that Yukiko has in control back then.
"..if he doesn't then I'm fine either way. Because I know that I'll have a special place in his heart, still..even if it's just a friend." She took a stem of Snow Drop and looked at its glistening white petals.
"A Snow Drop is given to the opposite sex symbolizing your pure and undying love for him or her. Since the Snow Drop can able to withstand such a harsh and cold climate in the alps of our land, where they originated, your love for the receiver can withstand the trials too." Aoren reminded her about the story of Snow Drop.
"I know that. Granny often told us that before her passing." She closed her eyes. "I'll tell him my feelings as soon as I recover. Then we'll finalize our plans."
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A couple of days passed and Yukiko finally recovered completely from her fever. She got up early to finish the work that piled up since she was absent due to her sickness. After that, she proceeded to the market to do her usual rounds and catch up to the latest happenings. She was absolutely trying to evade Sinbad since she was going to confess to him afterall. She can't look at him in the eye and just being near him makes her heart beat quickly.
"Lady Yukiko, how are you doing? I heard that you caught a fever from Lord Aoren when he went to buy some herbs from me yesterday." Said the vendor of the herbs shop they frequent.
"I'm doing fine now. Thank you for your concern." She replied with her usual smile. "Are Snow Drops still on sale? I want to purchase a stem." Yukiko asked the man as she pays for the herbs she bought.
"Ah, look no more. I'll give you one. I think the Snow Drops sold out next door when the people saw King Sinbad purchase a bunch of them a few days back. I think I should import some as well." He then went to a vase near the huge window of the shop. "My wife takes care of these and preseves them as long as she can. I'm sure she wouldn't mind it I give it to you, Lady Yukiko." He smiled as he hands her a long stemed one with the flower looking so alive and blooming.
"Thank you so much!" She thanked him gratefully and gave him the salute of Xue before heading out. She was looking at it as she mutters to herself on how she would confess. "Today is the day."
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Back in the palace, Jafar is currently walking with his King to his throne room. They were discussing some matters until Jafar brought up the topic about Yukiko.
" I think that they are planning to leave Sindria, Sin." The white haired chancellor informed his king. "But I can't find any solid proof of it. It is just my hunch. Aoren-dono is really careful and Yukiko is as carefree as she is since she arrived."
"So my words are still not deep into her heart. If she leaves now, I know that she'll be on a long journey and return to Sindria is a 100% out of the two's option." Sinbad looks rather troubled on how he can make the two stay.
"Their kingdom is basically destroyed beyond repair with its citizens scattered throughout the globe. Taking it back is just idiotic. Parthevia is still quite strong and seeing them as a peaceful country, I believe they don't have any military prowess. They are practically weak for being invaded that easily. Their parents bowed down to the General in hope to stop the invasion. That's the symbol of a once shard blade that became dull after being put away for so many years."
"Then you should marry her. She is a great asset to Sindria. Having six djiins under her command and a master of magoi manipulation. She is well-educated and a great swordsman. She also knows of a forbidden martial arts technique that can paralyze a human body by hitting pressure points. She can be a queen that your people wouldn't mind having."
Sinbad then stopped and looked at Jafar with an expressionless face.
"I do not have any intention of marrying someone like her. She has a weak mental state and can be easily triggered by mentioning her fallen kingdom. She may be a master of six djiins but she ever used them in a real battle or war making her unexperienced."
Jafar looked at him, a bit stunned by his harsh comments about Yukiko.
"I only want her here so I can use her as a line of power to protect Sindria. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't and will never have any feelings for a woman like her. I'm surprised that she fell for my words and actions so easily when I thought that she is an absolute monarch. I guess acting nice to her back when we were still children paid off." He added the resumed walking to his destination.
Jafar shook his head then sighed as he proceeds to follow him but stopped when he noticed something hiding behind one of the pillars in the hall. He immediately lashed out his darts and rope but it hit nothing but a flower vase, causing the said object to shatter.
"What's the matter, Jafar?" Asked Sinbad when he heard the noise.
"Nothing. I just thought that someone was here. Must've been my imagination." He took back his darts and looked at the broken vase and the scattered flowers. What stood out the most was a Snow Drop with its petals crumpled and its stem broken several times.
"Hurry up, Jafar. The other generals are probably there already." Called out Sinbad and Jafar immediately followed him.
Outside, a storm was brewing in the skies.
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