"Now remember Sakura; stay close to the guards, to Adeline and Sapphire. Do not trust strangers, scream if anyone even seems to be looking at you longer than five seconds -"
Before Mihkael could finish, Sakura quickly stopped him.
"Ok, ok~ papa. You already told me like a thousand times already."
Sakura rolled her eyes.
'He and Raphael talk as if they are reading from the same script of something. If I didn't know what I was planning for today, I would have said that they are exaggerating in their worries.'
Thinking about what she was planning to do, she can only laugh a mocking "hehe" to herself.
'Ah, I really feel like I'm purposely aiming for my demise by what I'm about to do in a few hours.'
"Hello you highness. Are you ready for your outing?"
Gabriel just appeared through the doors of the palace. A carriage can be seen outside that seemed humble, but displayed that a noble rides in it.
"Uncle Gabriel!"
Sakura quickly jumped in his arms and he readily lifted her up, recieving a light peck from her lips to his cheeks.
"I see her highness can't wait to go out, but their is a bit of a change of plans. My wife won't be able to go along with them, I think I'll ask my sons to go along with them."
"Why what happened?"
Mihkael was the first to speak, he got worried that there wouldn't be an adult with them if they go. Even if it was Gabriel's sons who go, they are still just 10 and 9 years old.
"My wife was found to be pregnant just today. I was worried when she started to feel sick and was nauseous all morning. We had a doctor check and was discovered she was already 2 months pregnant. The doctor said a ride in a carriage at such a delicate stage can be bad for her, so he advised that she doesn't leave the house until she passes the delicate first 3 months."
Gabriel smiled warily and didn't expect a child out of nowhere, but then he remembered what happened a few months ago and glanced at Sakura, but she seemed like any other 7 year old child, just smiling and naively looked confused at the conversation they were having.
'.... maybe I'm thinking too much.'
What he didn't know was, his suspicions was right on the dot. Sakura had Sapphire's pregnancy planned out so she wouldn't be able to go along with Adeline and Sakura to this outing.
'Phew. I escaped that one with success. It really helped me when their wedding anniversary was a few months ago. Giving that "special" incense as a anniversary present to them was the needed ingredient to make sure she doesn't go along with us. It really was a good thing to remember where Rose mother, Madalyn, hid the drug she gave papa that time.'
She snickered in her thoughts when she went to the maid chambers and opened the hidden department in the floor that Madalyn hid all her stuff, ready to retrieve them when she gets back.
"Oh ho~ well didn't we find quite a treasure trove."
Sakura whispered with a cold smile. She reaches in and retrieves a bottle with a purple liquid.
"Found you~"
She glances back in and sees a few other things, a box that she opened held jewels of different types, her eyes held a frost when she took a look at those things.
"This bitch... the most cherished jewels father has gifted mother are here. The women chose those that mother held the most precious. Heh! If she wasn't scared of father finding out, I bet the slut would have stolen mothers engagement and wedding rings."
Sakura quickly grabbed the box and put the bottle of the purple liquid inside it. She turn to the check the time and noticed she only had less than a minute left.
'From the routine that I've noticed through the years, the maids would be returning to take their break after switching with the other maids. I should leave now.'
She quickly gets up and leaves through the door, leaving it open, but just by a bit.
'The maids always leaves the door open with just enough of a crack to look inside, they did so so when anyone enters, if the door is closed, they would notice someone was in there.'
Sakura left it how it was and quickly went through the opposite way that those maids were entering, it directly lead to the garden and she walked through there to reach her own room. There she went through the window that she left open beforehand and gently closed it. She made sure take off her shoes and quicken her steps to reach her room.
'Daisy and Ivy are out getting the flowers I asked them to get, I made sure to be annoyingly specific of how I want the flowers to look, how many I want of each type and from where I want them to be picked from. I've been making this request every few times a months to make it seem like a normal routine so it wouldn't be strange if I asked them for it today like any other month. They should be done in around 10 or sominutes.'
Sakura quickly grabbed the shoes and threw them under a box she kept just for this day.
"Now I just need those incense."
She turns and looks at a delicate wooden box. She quickly opens the box she took and removed the bottle, she then closed it and hid it underneath a pile of toys she had.
Sakura runs to the wooden box beside her bed and opens it. A total number of three incense lay in it, a strong smell filled the air the moment she opened it. It held a healing and relaxing effect when taking a few whiffs, imagine how it would be when its lighted.
Sakura smiled at them and quickly uses a napkin to cover her face.
'Now to open the bottle.'
She made sure to take precautions when opening the bottle, she grabbed a pair of gloves she had that were thick, but easy to move in and she tied a handkerchief around her nose and mouth.
She then gently dipped the incense into the bottle, she twirled it around and removed it and turn it and grabbed the end that was just in the liquid with another handkerchief by the tip and repeated what she did with the other side. She did that with the other two incense and then carefully and gently dabbed them with the cloth inside the wooden box and closed the box after putting them inside how it was.
'Their anniversary will be tomorrow. Just give him the box as an early gift and if he asks how I knew. I'll just say Adeline told me, I've always used that excuse and Adeline simplemindedly would believe she did.'
Sakura giggles a bit when she thinks of her blank minded friend, Adeline always forgets what she said or didn't say.
'I'll make sure to tell him to use it especially today because they lose their relaxing effect after a few days and I bought it yesterday. And even if he checks to see if something was wrong with the incense after they do the deed, the liquid would already loose effect after today. So all traces would disappear.'
She closed the box and placed it back where it was.
'Knowing Gabriel, he is a man of his word, so he'll definitely use it today after I naively tell him to use it today because I want them to have it as fresh as possible so they can be relax and enjoy their anniversary tomorrow.'
***
'And I was right. She got pregnant and it is in the beginning stages, just like how I needed it to be.'
"So Auntie Sapphire can't go with me and Adeline?"
"No, your highness. Sapphire is in a very important state right now, so sadly she won't be able to go. But look, I'll ask my sons to go with you guys, how does that sound?"
'I rather drink poison.'
Sakura pouts.
"No! It was supposed to be an all girls day. Were we ladies shall gossip and socialize between each other. A no boys day."
Sakura posed in a mocking proud pose, with her head turn up and a imaginary fan in her hand, little "hohoho~" left her lips.
Gabriel smiled warily and turns to Mihkael.
"Looks like our noble lady does not want to have a bunch of rowdy boys to escort them around."
Mihkael can only sigh and think of something, then an idea appeared in his head. Sakura noticing his small expression and she smiled.
'Yup, choose that person. He is right there.'
Mihkael turns to one of the palace knights and called for him. The man flinches a bit but quickly marches over and does a knight greeting to the emperor.
"What do you wish me to do your majesty?"
The man appears to just reach adulthood, maybe around his early 20s, his eyes held a sharp look and seemed mean, as if giving off a bad boy image. His hair had a light bronze color, and a suprising streak of sangria purple, as if he colored it or something, but it is his original hair color.
His eyes held a sharp indigo color with the bronze color wrapped around it, giving it a dangerous mystical feel.
'We meet again my poor bunny. Hehehe.'
Sakura smiled in pure joy at the man, but the man trembled a bit from the look. This man was the very person who she met four years ago in a slight passing, he was the one who informed Gabriel and Uriel of the holy high priest Nicolas visit, and even advised how to dodge the priest.
"Hello, you are... Kano, right?"
The man was momentarily distracted when he heard the emperor say his name, a look of admiration and worship appeared in his eyes.
"Yes! My name is Kano Kizuki. It is an honor to be recognized by his majesty."
'Oh? It's rare to hear any japanese names, especially since this is based on European type setting.'
"Yes, I have heard much about you from your leader. He said you are a rare talent. I have called you to ask if you can ecort my daughter and her friend, is that fine with you?"
"It is an honor to watch over her highness. I would stake my life to protect her."
'Oh? Even if the little rabbit doesn't like me, he still a man who follows duty. Not bad, not bad.'
Sakura liked him more and more and became a bit more serious in an instant.
'But just like papa said, I learned that he was one of the best, a man who was a child of the viscount.'
His family had a long line of knighthood and at the beginning were given the position of a marques after the corruption era. Their ancestors used to be of the highest quality, however over the years the abilities of their generation kept going down, until last his father and grandfather were just not good at all with the sword, or any other weapon.
Everyone knew they kept their position as a noble, even if a low one, was because the emperors always remembered the contribution of their family 500 years ago, so that's why they never lost their noble title, even when other nobles believed they had no real use anymore. The Kizuki family aren't good with using their mind, mostly they were known as muscleheads or the only time their minds had use was in strategy for battles.
Yet over the years, they haven't done well. So bit by bit other nobles who viewed them as a thorn in the side always spoke about ridding them of their noble title, until it reached the lowest or just disappears. The emperors throughout the generations didn't like lowering their noble title, but had no choice when his other subjects insist on it. But they decided to never have it lower to commoner, even if they are still brought up. The emperors always said.
"Their family contributions saved many lives 500 years, and throughout the generations, they have been loyal to this empire, even if their title has been lowered bit by bit. I would not go any further! If you still insist, I will have an order to lower your nobility titles instead of theirs!"
And with that, all the scheming nobles were silenced. And the Kizuki family respected and believed in their emperor even more.
'And now Kano was born and is a promising youth who will bring their family to greatness again. Well, that was how it was said in the game, he even became Rose's personal knight and was secretly in love with her, but she only viewed him as a great friend. Hehehe, who would have thought my little rabbit was that very knight.'
His appearance in the game was like those of minor characters, it didn't show much of their facial features, and from Sakura memories, she never interacted with him because he always protected Rose from a distance. And he always glared at her because he though Sakura was bullying his noble lady.
"Look at that Sakura! You now have someone to take you, aren't you happy."
Gabriel turns to her with a smile and looks relieved. Sakura quickly put on an act, even when she actually aimed for this.
"No! He is a boy, and boys aren't allowed to go! Humph!"
She turns away from Gabriel with her arms crossed and with a pout.
Gabriel sighs and turns to get help from Mihkael. Mihkael smiles and walks in front of Sakura and lightly pokes her pouting cheeks. She looks up at him.
"But Sakura, he isn't gonna be just any type of boy going along with you. He will be your personal knight, your knight in shining armor. And you can brag to Adeline that you had the best knight escort you around. Isn't that amazing?"
Sakura eyes brighten in realization and looked like she heard something amazing.
"Oh! That isn't so bad! Ok papa, I'll allow it. For now on, he would be my personal knight right?"
"Uh..."
Mihkael quickly looked toward Kano and couldn't agree so quickly. He only said that because he just needed someone close to her for today and using the image of a personal knight in shining armor was a girls pure fantasy. But a personal knight forever is if a knight choose to follow you for their whole life, and he didn't want to rob Kano's right to choose himself.
However, Kano walked up to Sakura and lightly held her hand.
"I would be an honor to have her highness choose me to become her personal knight. I shall be beside you for as long as you wish and will protect you with my live. Would you give me the honor to do so?"
"Yay! For now on I have my own personal knight in shining armour."
'Hehehe strong knight get!'
Sakura quickly reached to Kano, but he didn't know how to carry her, and he was in armor, so he was worried it would hurt her delicate skin.
"Then after this, we will have an official knighting of Sakura's first personal knight. It would be of the highest quality. Kano, please go and change out of your armor, I need you to go incognito with her highness."
"Understood! Then your majesty and your highness, I shall be back in less that 5 minutes."
He quickly bows and quickly runs from their side. Sakura smiles at the appearance and can see that he was a naive serious man, Gabriel and Mihkael can see the same thing and can only lightly chuckles at the man's adorable appearance to quickly complete his task.
"Ah! Now I remember where I have seen him?"
"Hmm? What do you mean Gabriel?"
"It is that, I have met the boy a few years back, at that time, he would really have been considered a boy, now he is a young man."
"Where?"
"When I and Uriel left seclusion of our experiments. That day the "holy" high priest Nicolas appeared. He was the young knight who informed us of their visit and even tried to help us in trying to dodge the area they were at."
"Oh?"
"And her highness Sakura seemed to have taked a liking to him at that time."
"Oh really."
Mihkael glances at his child and just sees a innocent smile, he narrows his eyes but quickly relaxes it.
'.... no way my child would plan all that, maybe I'm overthinking it.'
And just like Kano said, he returned less than 5 minutes, he was breathing deeply and had a bit of sweat by the side of his face.
Sakura smiled and reached her hand for him to hold. He was frozen, but stiffly reached out. His hand was big so she was only able to hold his fingers. Seeing her tiny hand trying to hold his own, he really took a good look at her.
'Her highness.... is so small and fragile.... a child who needs protection and care....'
He feels her hands clutching his fingers in a tight hold. He can sense a feeling of resolution oozing out from her, as if ready for a battle. He watches how she waves goodbye to the great magician and to the emperor, and watched how she leads him out, with her hands trembling a bit.
'Now, I finally got my most powerful game piece and I changed the fate of Gabriel's wife! Fate lost and I won a point. And soon, Kano appearance will be the most crucial to change Adeline's fate. Everything has been going how I wanted it to, just a bit more, and I would win this battle against this world.'
A look of expectation and excitement showed in her eyes, but a hint of fear of failing didn't escape her mind either. But she won't let it discourage her, the only thing that calms her from the danger she will walk in was that Sakura dies when she is older, her existant is needed for the development of the game, so she can't die now. That is what made her walk through the gates and enter the carriage. She looks out through the window and can see her father. His worried image while watching her go on made her smile.
'Don't worry papa, I'll be back soon. And with victory in my hands.'
What Sakura didn't expect was that in a few hours, her plans would go to hell. Fate won't stay still and allow her victory without fighting back.