Secret Discoveries #19

By: SEP

Michiko watched the world swing back into dizzying motion as her sister's voice faded within her mind. Remembering her surroundings, she curtsied to her cousin Jonathan while simultaneously scolding him thoroughly. "While I appreciate your worry on my behalf, I do not believe for an instant that you are concerned for my true welfare, for should I loose my balance, you would laugh at me even as a horrified silence would fill this hall."

Jonathan made an exaggerated face as though to say, Would I ever do such a thing?

"Oh no, do not look at me that way. Anyone who is so tasteless the he dresses as a thief at the masked ball of his cousin, who is a Princess mind you, is certain to laugh at her should she stumble. You rogue! What were you thinking? Mother must have been in a tizzy when she saw you."

Jonathan laughed and bowed again, a strange gleam in his eye. "Actually, I don't think your mother, Aunt Guenevere the Queen, has seen me yet. I made sure to avoid her all night, though I could not resist the urge to offer my thanks to the true hostess for my having been invited to this wonderful masked ball."

Suddenly the thought occurred to Michiko, "But how did you know who I was?" No one else has guessed my costume as of yet."

"Oh, but I know your walk. I have taught you weapons training long enough that I could recognize you in any guise. I just taught you how recognize people by their gait alone. Also, a person's gait and posture can indicate the weapons that hey are wearing. Have you forgotten already?"

"Shhhh. No one knows about our lessons! Do you want someone to overhear us?" Yet, even as Michiko said these words, she felt a little confused. When had Crystal ever taken secret weapon lessons from her cousin Jonathan?

"Michiko, are you alright?" Michiko almost fell down at the mention of her name. Why had Jonathan not addressed her as Crystal? Worry began to well up within her, but Jonathan could not see the shock on her face which was blessedly covered by her mask. "Of course we need not worry about being overheard! We're in the middle of a masked ball, and the majority of the nobles are almost too drunk to stand at this point. Being that we are quite safe, I will scold you saying that you left sleeve is catching a little on one of your concealed knife. Otherwise you have done a wonderful job of arming yourself without drawing any notice. Anyways, care to dance?"

He bowed with a flourish, offering his hand to her in a manner that left her grinning. Despite her shock, for she realized she was wearing concealed weapons, how could she refuse such a roughish offer to dance? Jonathan took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. Once dancing, there was little time to talk. Michiko had always loved dancing, but it took concentration to dance without falling while wearing thirty pounds worth of skirts, masks, weapons, and jewelry.

The night seemed to blend from one dance to another. While she had danced with Jonathan first, other young nobles, suiters as her mother constantly reminded her, asked for dances, and it would have been rude to refuse. Despite the fact that her face was hidden, she knew her outfit must be one of the most magnificent in the ballroom, it was her birthday after all, and many young men asked her to dance. Consequently, she had not one moment to rest and think on all that had transpired.

Soon enough the music stopped, and King Arthur, her father, stood upon the dais and removed his mask. It was eleven, and the time had come to remove masks and continue the ball. First, the King made a speech praising the virtues of his currently hidden, youngest daughter, and spoke of the high hopes of the King and Queen, that she would grow to make the kingdom proud. Michiko knew this most likely meant that she was expected to secure a good, arranged, marriage with a neighboring kingdom, but she did not like to dwell on that thought much.

The King called her forward, and slowly she walked through the crowd to ascended the dais, all too aware of the eyes that followed her. She could almost hear the thoughts of all present. So there is the princess! I thought that must be her. Look at her beautiful outfit! Does she not look beautiful even in her mask?

Michiko knew what would transpire next. She would ascend the dais, remove her mask, and then all present would do the same and one by one the nobles would be announced, offer her congratulations on her birthday, and then the ball would continue until the wee hours of the night. It would be a boring process, while, of course, Jonathan would laugh at her discomfort from the corner. Sighing at the thought, she plastered a smile upon her face, turned to the throng, and began to remove her mask. Several young men seemed to gasp as she revealed her face, but Michiko was accustomed to such things. Many had noticed Crystal's beauty in her youth, and until recently, Michiko and Crystal had been one.

Without warning, something thudded into the mask which Michiko was still removing from her her face. The force of the impact knocked the mask out of her hand and pushed her sideways. Glancing at her fallen mask, Michiko was shocked to see that the "something" was a black arrow whose shaft had pierced and lodged itself within the mask instead of burrowing into her head. In her shock, time seemed to slow within the ballroom. Courtiers looked confused, still not comprehending what was happening. Her father, King Arthur, looked down at his daughter, and the look of shock and fury slowly rising to his face was almost comical.

Wham. An arrow hit her father in the shoulder. "NO!" screamed Michiko, but her voice was lost in a sudden tumult. Thump. A searing pain in Michikos left leg suddenly drew her attention. Before she could assess the situation, guards swarmed the dais using their bodies as a shield to protect the royalty before them. Some guards fell with arrows protruding from their bodies, but Michiko saw little of the carnage since Jonathan had suddenly appeared, picking her up, and carrying her into one of many hidden rooms that led off the ballroom.

Michiko was breathing fast, irregular, breathes. "Michiko, calm down." The voice belonged to Jonathan, and the goofy grin he had worn hours earlier was gone. "I see that you are wounded." Jonathan gently took both of Michiko's hands and looked her in the eyes. "Michiko, you will be fine, and you will live, but in order to get you out of the castle alive, I need to you to calm down and focus on your training."

Jonathan's words had a strange, calming effect. Michiko found herself breathing slowly, her heart no longer racing as it had been moments before. She took another breath and then stock of the situation. "Jonathan, please go behind a curtain so that I can care for my wound." Even in her state of shock she would not clean a leg wound in front of her male cousin.

Jonathan smiled, happy that Michiko was coming back to her senses. She scowled at him in return, and he quickly disappeared behind a tapestry to his left. "Alright, I see the arrow cut my leg deeply, but the head of the arrow is not lodged into my leg," Michiko informed him.

"Good," Jonathan responded from behind the tapestry, the relief in his voice almost palpable. "Staunch the bleeding using some of the material from one of your petticoats and change into a pair of breaches and a tunic which are hidden in the chest against the wall. Also, arm yourself. We need to leave the castle now, because, as is abundantly clear, it is not safe for you to be here tonight."

Michiko was weary, confused, and still in shock. Despite this, she quickly bound the gash in her leg and changed as instructed. While undressing she found two throwing knives strapped to her calves and arms. Also, the sword in the chest seemed to be the perfect length for her to use, while the weight felt proper and comfortable at her side. What is this? Since when do I know how to use throwing knives and swords? The implications of the weapons felt beyond the grasp of her numb mind, but the shocks seemed to be unending.

The last shock came when she turned around and stared at a full length mirror which she had not noticed when they first entered the room. The young woman in the mirror, while just as beautiful as Crystal, looked completely different. Michiko looked sideways to see if another woman was in the room. Her shock was understandable considering that her reflection showed not a fair, blond, curly haired, green eyed maiden, but a tall lean warrior, with straight, jet black hair. Michiko's only resemblance to her old form were her eyes, sparkling green eyes that were similar, if not the same, as those of her sister Crystal. She let out an involuntary squeak, and Jonathan came bounding out from behind the tapestry with a sword fully drawn.

"What is..." His question died as he realized everything was fine and she had finished dressing. He nodded approvingly at her outfit. "Please braid your hair so that we may leave with all haste."

But Michiko could not possibly move. Why has my visage changed to drastically? Why is Jonathan addressing me by my new name? Yet, most importantly, why were people trying to kill me? Indeed, who am I? Turning slowly, brimming with confusion, pain, and panic, Michiko looked Jonathan in the eyes, causing him to step back in alarm. "Jonathan." She said his name in a low, commanding, voice that demanded respect, froze his bones, and made him shiver. The air began to undulate in the room, her upset becoming a physical force, "WHAT IN THE BLAZES IS GOING ON?!?"

*****

Part 20