Oh some more pronunciation- “Brunet” is pronounced “Bru-nay” (it’s French), “Alves” is pronounced the way it looks, _not_ “Al-ves” and “Aldrich” is pronounced, “Ald-rick”. Also, in Greek mythology, Alcestis gave her life for her husbands. His time had come, so she chose to die in his wake because she loved him so much. Awww.
August Moon
Part 6 : Fine Time
©MM T h r e a d s
Naru watched the two well-dressed men enter the dining room and gasped. The first one looked familiar, she didn’t know from where, but he looked like she had met him before.
The man who trailed the first one easily distracted her.
He wasn’t very tall for a man, he stood at about five foot, seven inches she guessed. He had a long, thin body with an angular face to match. He had pale skin and the brightest green eyes Naru had ever seen. His hair reached a little past his small shoulders, was dirty blond in color, and lay around his delicate face in tight ringlets. If Naru hadn’t recognized the man at first she could have sworn he was a she.
Naru figured this would be the last place she would run into Zoisite.
The first man approached Naru eagerly. He was tall, had an average build, and had short blond wavy hair and gray eyes with a hint of blue in them.
Naru knew she had seen him somewhere before, but she couldn’t recall where.
The blond man bowed and then clasped one of Naru’s hands. “My name is Jadeite Alves.” He kissed her hand. Naru blushed. “And it is a pleasure to meet you.”
Zoisite cleared his throat.
“Oh, This is my companion Zoisite Brunet.” Zoisite nodded in acknowledgement. “We are both guardians to Endymion, Prince and future ruler to the Earth Kingdom.”
Jadeite moved back into a more formal stance.
“I apologize for the informality of our meeting… When you’re around royalty as much as we are, any opportunity not to follow etiquette is taken… but if this makes you uncomfortable…”
Naru shook her head. “No, no. I prefer it this way.”
Jadeite smiled. “Joanne told me your name was Naru.”
Naru nodded. “Uh-huh. Osaka. Osaka Naru.”
Jadeite gave a wry smile. “A pretty name for a pretty girl.”
Naru blushed again. Why was Jadeite hitting on her so much?
Zoisite rubbed his chin. “If you two don’t mind, I’m going to sit down. Dinner should be served soon.”
Jadeite nodded to Naru and the two followed Zoisite’s lead and sat down. Jadeite pulled out the chair next to where he sat and seated Naru there. Zoisite sat across from the two.
Naru looked down the long table and wondered why they weren’t seated at a smaller one- she guess at least 20 people could be seated at one time. The table was a dark brown in color, and had five exquisite candelabras placed down the table. They looked to be a copper, though they were slightly tarnished. Ivory candle wax dripped down almost all of them.
“Where is this building?” Naru asked, breaking the short silence.
“I think Zoisite is more qualified to answer this question.” Jadeite responded, looking up at the blond man.
Zoisite grinned. “My father runs this Duchy.” He cleared his throat and sat up a little. “Four duchies surround the capital- Brunet, Alves, Calder, and Aldrich. Right now we’re exactly a two days ride north of Alcestis. This building here used to be and old farmhouse, but my father converted it into a kind of ‘way station’ for those on the King’s clock who needed to stop for a rest.”
“Alcestis?” Naru asked confused. Both Jadeite and Zoisite looked at each other.
“Alcestis is the capital of the Earth.”
“Oh.” Naru responded quietly.
Jadeite cut in. “You really don’t remember anything do you, Naru?”
Naru began playing with her placemat nervously. “No. All I remember is my name.”
Jadeite and Zoisite looked at each other again.
“So you don’t know where you came from, then?” Zoisite asked quietly.
Naru shook her head. “No.”
Jadeite sighed slowly. “If anything should come to you, please tell us. We want this mystery solved as much as you do.”
The large doors to the room opened up again, and with the coming of their meal brought silence as well.
Naru chewed her food quietly wondering why they weren’t discussing anything. She was so used to small talk during a meal, Naru began to worry… what if they had seen through her? What if they thought she was a spy?
Or maybe it was just old world etiquette to not talk during a meal.
The silence did allow Naru to think.
She remembered Zoisite perfectly. He was one of Queen Beryl’s shitennou, and also had ordered the death of Nephrite. Why was he one of Endymion’s guardians?
It must have been his job before he fell to the Dark Kingdom.
Naru giggled quietly at that thought.
Then there was this Jadeite… he looked so familiar to Naru.
Where had she seen him?
That train of thought paused as another thought came to her.
After Zoisite came Kunzite. She knew that, one of his youma had attacked her mother’s jewelry store. Usagi had told her that.
Naru began to remember that another had come before Nephrite.
It was Jadeite!
Naru smiled slightly again.
That means Queen Beryl had four tennou, three minus Nephrite… Zoisite, Jadeite and Kunzite had to be the three ‘friends’ Daun was talking about.
Naru had found Nephrite.
Well almost.
Naru had to figure out a way to get to the capital; maybe Nephrite was there now.
Naru finished her meal in quiet happiness.
After the three finished their meal they moved into the sitting room so they could talk some more. Zoisite sat lazily, draped across a large cushioned armchair, smoking a cigarette and occasionally taking a sip from his glass of port.
Jadeite sat next to Naru on the couch. Thankfully Jadeite didn’t smoke, but he did drink an awful lot- though not enough to cause him to lose his composure.
Naru still sipped at her glass of wine from dinner. Normally she would drink more, but she was so nervous, she didn’t want to drink too much and make a fool of herself.
“So Naru, again I have to ask you, you remember absolutely nothing as to who you are and how you ended up in the middle of the road?” Zoisite asked slowly, sipping at his glass.
“No. Nothing at all.”
Zoisite breathed in slowly, and took another sip from his glass, telling Naru that he wasn’t particularly comfortable with the answer she offered.
What could she tell them?- Hi, my name is Naru and I’m from the future. I’m here to stop you from giving your soul to the most evil being in the entire universe.
Her name would have to do for now.
“Since you know nothing of your past, you have nowhere to go after you leave from here?” Jadeite asked, turning to Naru.
Naru nodded in agreement.
“Zoisite and I are leaving for the capital tomorrow, you may join us if you like. These roadways aren’t too safe, I’d hate for you to be injured or kidnapped.”
Zoisite shot Jadeite a hard look.
“Well, if it’s okay with both of you.” Naru responded.
Zoisite tried to hide his scowl. “Yes, perfectly fine.”
Already beginning to feel the growing tension between the two guardians, Naru decided it was time to leave.
“Since it will be an early morning tomorrow, I better get some rest. I don’t want to delay you two.”
She rose from the couch, and Jadeite did the same, half a second later.
“Then Miss. Naru, I will see you bright and early tomorrow. I’ll tell Joanne to wake you.”
Naru smiled in gratitude.
“May I show you to the door?” He asked.
Naru blushed a little.
“Oh no, that’s alright, but thank you.”
Jadeite took her hand in his and kissed it again. “I thank you for your company tonight.”
Naru smiled a little. “Good night Jadeite, Zoisite.”
Zoisite only nodded in response. Naru had a felling that was all she was going to get out of the man.
Naru left the room quietly and hadn’t even finished closing the door when the two began to argue. Naru left the door open a crack.
“Jadeite, what the hell are you doing?” Zoisite asked angrily.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh you know. Mooning over that strange girl like that. Offering for her to join us tomorrow. She could be a spy, we don’t know anything about her.”
“I don’t think she’s a spy.” Jadeite said in defense.
“And how would you know? Because she’s a girl, because she’s just so pretty?”
“Zoisite,” Jadeite began in a more commanding tone. “I don’t like pulling rank but I will. I found Naru, so she’s my responsibility. I’m not going to leave her here alone without a clue as to whom she is. We’ll take her to Alcestis and leave her there. Maybe she can find some idea as to who she is there.”
“Or maybe she won’t and will just seduce you and find out every secret out prince has, and then use it to destroy our monarch.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I’ll just tell Kunzaito-sama you disagreed with me, so when I get in trouble, for once you won’t have to talk your way out of being reprimanded.”
Zoisite was silent for a moment. “Fine, do whatever you want, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Not wanting to hear them continue, Naru left the hallways and took the stairs back up to her room.
It had already been only a few hours of being in their company, and she already knew they didn’t trust her.
Not that she expected they would.
It was a little after dawn, when Naru had met Zoisite and Jadeite in the stables, preparing to leave. They were dressed in the similar uniforms to the ones they were wearing the previous night. They had off-white uniforms on now, and were much more plain. They had tan riding breeches on, and black knee-high boots to mach. Long, thick, brown riding capes flowed down their backs.
Naru felt incredibly inferior to them. Joanne had given her a pair of brown tweed pants, some old black, ankle-high lace-up boots, an ivory tunic and a gray sweater. She had also given Naru a small shoulder bag that had some bread, cheese, dried fruit and a flask of water for her to have on the road.
Both Jadeite and Zoisite’s mounts stood patiently in the middle of the aisles in crossties as the two guardians tacked up them up.
Naru looked down both ends and realized the she was probably going to walk.
“Did you need any help?” She asked the two. She didn’t know the first thing about horses, but she figured she would at least be polite.
“No, that’s okay.” Jadeite responded. “We’re almost done here. Just have to secure the saddle bags is all.”
“Peter.” Zoisite called. “Get Naru’s mount out for her.”
Naru smiled in relief. They weren’t going to make her walk after all.
“Peter will be with you in a minute, Naru.” Zoisite said as he tightened his horse’s girth. “It’s better if you wait outside for him, it’ll be less crowded here.”
Naru walked back out the front doors and into the mounting ring.
The sun began to peek over the horizon now, and rays of light streaked through the thin clouds that dotted the sky. It was going to be a beautiful day. It was a little chilly now, but the light from the sun would warm up the land.
Naru hadn’t seen the outside of the house until today. The house was built next to the face of a cliff to the right, and to the left, trees and open field was all she saw. A few horses grazed in a pasture in front of her. One was a small dapple, another a large palomino, and even a few chestnut shires nibbled on the grass. Naru thought horses were beautiful creatures, but had never ridden one before. She prayed she wouldn’t fall off and make a complete fool of herself.
She heard the distinct ‘clop’ of horse’s hooves on the stable floor, and then the more muffled version on the hard packed earth of the area in front of it.
Naru turned around to see Jadeite and Zoisite lead their horses out.
They were the most beautiful horses Naru had ever seen.
They stood almost 17 hands, and were a soft chocolate brown in color. Zoisite’s mount had a small white snipe on the end of its nose, and Jadeite’s horse had two white socks on its hind legs.
Peter followed in another moment with Naru’s horse. It was considerably smaller compared to the other two, was a beautiful bay in color, and had four socks around its ankles.
Peter led the horse in front of Naru and waited for her to mount.
She stared up at the horse, and then the saddle, and then the stirrups and shot an unsure look to Jadeite.
She caught his eye as he was partially mounted. Without a fuss he kicked his foot back out of the stirrups, brought the reins back over the horses head and handed them to Zoisite, who was already atop his beast.
Jadeite walked quickly over to Naru and smiled. “Need help mounting?”
Naru nodded. “I’ve never ridden a horse before?”
“Really?” He asked, surprised. “I never would have guessed.”
Naru smiled awkwardly. “I’m sure I’ll pick it up fast; how hard could it be?”
“A lot harder than you think, but I’ll keep an eye on you, don’t worry.”
Naru smiled. “Thanks.”
“Here,” Jadeite said. “I’ll give you a leg up." Peter passed the reins over the horse’s head and into Naru’s grasp. Jadeite stood behind her and placed her hands on the pommel and cantle of the saddle. She instinctively raised her left leg and Jadeite grasped it and helped push her up into the saddle. Naru gathered the reins in her hands and shifted around in the saddle a moment. Jadeite placed the stirrups on the balls of her feet and patted her leg.
“Peter will explain the basics to you, just so you know how to get out of the mounting area alive. Lady is a pretty docile horse though, she shouldn’t go running off on you.”
Jadeite smiled again before he dashed off back to his horse. He vaulted up onto the horse with ease that made Naru even more envious of this second nature skill both guardians possessed.
Jadeite watched Naru as he settled into the saddle, and found the stirrups with his feet.
“She doesn’t know the first thing about horses does she? Zoisite asked quietly.
Jadeite shook his head. “No. Absolutely nothing.”
“You don’t find that a little odd?”
Jadeite shrugged.
“Everyone on earth knows how to ride- no matter the social or financial status. Why wouldn’t she?” Zoisite said as he pulled on his black riding gloves.
“She’s suffering from memory loss, remember?”
Zoisite frowned. “Even so, it would still feel familiar to her. By the looks of it, if you hadn’t told her, she would be facing backwards in the saddle right now.”
“So then what are you saying Zoisite?” Jadeite asked, turning to him.
Zoisite shrugged slightly. “Very few know how to ride who live on the moon. It’s usually mostly royalty and the wealthy, and even then, it’s still only a few.”
Jadeite shot Zoisite a surprised look. “Are you implying she’s from the Moon Kingdom?”
“There’s not a doubt in my mind. She can’t be lower class; her manners were too polite to suggest other wise. We, all of Endymion’s guardians, and including him are familiar with all royalty on Earth. And I’m positive you haven’t met her… and neither have I.”
“What about a servant?”
“Could be… but I don’t think so.”
“I’ll tell Joanne then to have a messenger sent to the capital, and have them send a message to the Moon Kingdom telling them we’ve found one of their natives. Messengers will get there faster than we will.”
“No, no. We’ll do as you told her, take her to Alcestis, maybe she’ll remember something there.”
“Should we tell her she’s from the Moon Kingdom?”
“No Jadeite, because if she is a spy, we don’t want to let on that we know it’s her.”
Jadeite gulped. Could that sweet girl really be a spy? He thought nervously as he watched her slow approach to where the two guardians sat.
Zoisite gathered his golden curls at the nape of his neck and tied them down, then shook his head to find the loose strands and allow them to settle.
Naru smiled nervously as she reached the two. “I think I’m getting the hang of this now.”
“Great,” Zoisite said quickly. “Now let’s go then.”
Zoisite led the small group down the long laneway leading to the main road at a brisk trot- he would have gone faster but he didn’t plan to have Naru unseated for another few hours.
Zoisite watched a flock of birds fly overhead through the clear, blue sky and breathed in deeply. He just loved mornings like this- so calm, so clear, so peaceful, so refreshing.
Zoisite looked behind his shoulder momentarily to see Jadeite riding next to Naru; making sure she was comfortable and doing okay. But Zoisite also knew the other reason why Jadeite rode next to her.
Why was he doing that? Jadeite didn’t know who that Naru girl was. She didn’t even know who she was. Zoisite was already convinced that she was a spy from the moon; she had to be. The fact that she knew nothing about horses was a dead giveaway, and he knew she wasn’t royalty around here, and even if she was a servant to someone in these parts, she would know how to ride and tack a horse.
Zoisite looked over his should again to watch Jadeite’s usual clumsy interaction with the girl.
Zoisite had to give the guy credit though; he sure knew how to pick them.
End Part Six.