Sinbad and Yukiko
"Sinbad..Wake up.. King Sinbad.."
The voice kept on resounding inside Sinbad's head waking him up. He was temporarily blinded with the sunlight after he heard his curtains being spread opened.
"Yukiko-- I mean Your Majesty! You don't have to do this. I sincerely apologize for not being able to wake him up early."
"It's fine, Jafar. I don't really have anything to do without this guy accompanying me since he promised to. If I move around by myself, some may interpret it wrongly."
Hearing the familiar female voice of the one who used to wake him up every morning made him immediately sit up from his comfortable bed.
"Yuki--hmphrff!!"
"Sin! Put on some clothes!" Jafar covered him with a sheet and pushed him down his bed before regaining his composure. "I'm sorry. I knew this would happen. He must've drunk a lot last night while I wasn't watching."
"N-No..I-I'm used to it. Just a little bit surprised that's all." She stuttered a bit before looking away. "Since he's awake now, I'll be taking my leave. I'll be by the shopping district's entrance by noon. I moved the time since it seems that you still have a packed schedule.." She hurriedly left, slightly slamming the door in the process. "Good morning by the way.." she whispered.
"Sin," a cold voice called him, "get up already!" Jafar yelled followed with a smack of a giant pillow to his face. "Her Majesty even went out of her way to get you! Your late so move it!"
• • • • •
'Yukiko was in my room this morning. That's a surprise. She was even calling me without any honorifics and--'
"My king, is there something that is bothering you?" Asked Yamuraiha who paused her report when she noticed that their purple haired king is kind of distracted.
Sinbad looked at her before upon being broken away from his train of thoughts about this morning's happenings. Waving a dismissive hand, he urged her to continue with her report.
"Well then.."
Yamuraiha continued her report about a new spell and a potion she mixed at her quarters. He heard the door open and saw a woman in an all to familiar blue kimono enter the room. She just stood by the door with Jafar who immediately greeted her and strike up a conversation.
"He'll be finish in a moment. Thank you for going out of your way to come and get him again."
"There is no need to be so formal, Jafar. Aren't we friends? Just disregard my current position for now. I am here like a visitor and again, a companion to King Sinbad until the summit." She explained while trying to shake off the awkwardness in the air between them. They did disappear suddenly two years ago and now an ally to the world superpower, The Kou Empire.
"It seems that I can't finish like this. I'll just report to you again after you're free." Yamuraiha's statment snapped Sinbad out of his trance. He didn't realize that he was already staring at Yukiko and Jafar at the far back side of the room.
"Take care today, my King." She giggled since she found his action cute. "Do your best!"
"Yamura--!!" He was cut off by his mage subordinate running away like a little child.
He fell back on his chair with a small blush on his cheeks as he reflects on his action.
"Ah, it looks like he's finished with his audience." Jafar pointed out and walk towards him with Yukiko walking beside him as they continued to chat.
"Yukiko! I thought that you'll be by the shopping district?" Sinbad asked to rid off his blush from seeing her and the memory of this morning.
"It seems that I can't go out the palace by myself afterall. My lords are all busy, so there is no one to escort me out. The last time I went out, was when I was dragged out by someone on his own whim." She said in a teasing manner which just made Sinbad a bit surprised at how she acts in front of him right now.
It was casual.
The wall that seems to separate them when she returned to Sindria was slowly vanishing.
"U-Umm.." he cleared his throat, "Sorry about that. I haven't really apologized fomally for..you know.." he replied, a bit hesitant to look at her directly.
"If I may be so bold to ask of you, where are your Lords, Yukiko-sama? Aren't they supposed to be the one with you always?"
"Reiji and Midoriko were called back to the motherland due to an emergency which they refuse to tell me about. Kurosaki-nii is fetching Brother from Kou to come here." She explained. "They left at dawn. Hinahoho and Drakon saw them off. I thought they told you."
"Well it was the dead hours of the day afterall. We were all already asleep. At the very least someone saw them leave. We'll be stumped to know the next morning they just suddenly vanished!" Sinbad laughed at his own statemet, but then he saw Yukiko's awkward expression. It was like he was referring to her and Aoren's disappearance from over a year ago.
"You're right, King Sinbad.." she replied in a now normal tone. As if silently saying that she wants to move on to another topic.
Jafar can sense the tense atmosphere surrounding the just lively throne room. Seeing Yukiko's solemn expression, and Sinbad being regretful of the words he just uttered, he can't help but feel as if it had happened before.
Back to the time when Yukiko had had her encounter with the dangerous dark mage, Xerxes. The same mage who brought their country down. That was when the two's relationship began to fall apart.
Feeling somewhat responsible for bringing up the topic and wanting the two to revert back to the light mood from earlier, he decided to break the ice hoping he won't fail this time.
"How about you have breakfast first before going out? Aladdin and the others are already at the dining hall. It'll be a great change of things to dine with others don't you think?" He suggested.
"Well, I haven't really eaten breakfast properly yet.." Yukiko trailed off before being immediately guided by Sinbad out of the room.
"Then let us dine with the others!" He joyfully replied as they walk down the hall. Yukiko just laughed a little at how the two looked relieved that she finally smiled.
- - - - - - ••••• - - - - - -
"Don't cry, Alibaba! You still have us; your friends!" Was what Yukiko and Sinbad heard as they stood at the outside dining hall's entrance.
Inside they saw the crying Alibaba being hugged by Aladdin, Olba, and Sharrkan as if consoling him.
"No! I want a woman who'll love me for the rest my life!" The blond cried out that earned laughter from those who saw the scene.
"..on second thought, why don't we just eat at the market? You know, while we stroll around." Sinbad suggested to her.
Yukiko looked back at the scene and to Sinbad before nodding as an agreement.
"Let's do just that. The children are having a good time it'll be quite bad if we destroy the mood." She walked ahead of him, opening her paper parasol to shield her from the sun's rays. "Bright and sunny as always here down south. My skin is burning."
"Let me hold that for you." The purple haired king then took the parasol from her hand and held it instead. Now they are under the same shade and are quite close to each other. It was too late for him to remember that Yukiko didn't really like anyone invading her personal space. He nervously sneaked a peek at her expression and rather than flushed and flustered, she was smiling at him.
"Thank you, Sin.." She giggled a bit, hiding her lips behind her sleeve that she brought up. "Oh, is that alright? For me to call you so casually?"
"...yes. I am fine with it.." He replied absent-mindedly. 'I missed it..' he whispered to himself.
Unbeknowst to them, despite not entering the hall, Some people saw them and pointed them out as they walk down the paved path to the palace gates.
"Isn't that Yukiko-san and King Sinbad?" Pisti pointed out as she bites down on her meal.
"ARE THEY REALLY?!" Yamuraiha sprang up from her seat and ended up even toppling Sharrkan over along with the others who were consoling Alibaba earlier as she ran towards the arched windows.
"Should we go and follow them?" Hinahoho snickered as if plotting something.
"It is best to leave them be." Jafar intervened to the Generals who were already getting ready to follow the two.
"Just let them be with each other. Just the two of them." He looked at the two who appeared to be having a fun conversation since they were laughing as they walk. "I've never seen Sin smile like that for over a year.."
It didn't take long before the two disappeared from their sights.
Yukiko and Sinbad were finally together again. Just like before.
- - - - - - - - - - • • • • • - - - - - - - - - -