The Hyouzan

Aboard the Hyouzan, the Kouri royal ship...

Princess Pirika lifted her skirt up to her knees. She hated the smell down there. She had sneaked out of her cabin and tiptoed towards that part of the ship where they were keeping the traded goods including newly caught seafood. She zigzagged her way into the maze of crates and barrels until she found the wooden box that she was looking for. The crate had a fragile sign stamped on it. She knocked on the wood 7 times in a rhythm she had practiced with the boys before they left port. She had been doing this for a few nights already, bringing food with her to last them for the next day. The top portion of the box slid open and a disgusted Prince Ren popped out followed by a seasick Lyserg.

"What took you so long and where's our stash?" The prince of Kaminari demanded from her.

The princess folded her arms and scowled at him. "I won't be bringing you anymore. I'm sick of going down here. I'm transferring you to my cabin. Plus, I have some grave news to tell..."

Prince Ren lifted himself up to get out of the crate. "Let's save the news for later. I want to get out of here myself. Duke puke here is making our prison box filthy."

"I don't feel good..." Lyserg tried to steady himself by holding onto the side of the wooden crate.

The Kaminari prince placed his friend's arm over his shoulders to support him as they walk. "Not your first time to sail, huh?" he smirked remembering the words his friend had said to convince him to let him come.

Princess Pirika glared at them from in front. "Please be quiet..." The Kouri princess whispered and beckoned them to follow her upstairs when the coast was clear.

She led the boys into her cabin and quickly locked the door behind her. The Kaminari prince sat his friend down on the bed. Not a minute had passed when Lyserg made a gagging sound and ran towards the toilet.

"Argh! I think I sat on some of Lyserg's puke!" Prince Ren exclaimed as he checked out his pants.

"You can bathe if you want. I think there are boy clothes in the drawers. This is my brother's cabin and his ship after all."

The Kaminari royal welcome the thought of changing to fresh clean clothing. The sailor boy attire that the princess of Kouri provided them did not appeal to him at all.

"That would be excellent. What is the grave news you wished to share with us by the way?" he inquired.

"Ammm.. I heard rumors from the crew of the ship that sailed next to us asking for fuel. They said that the Kaminari royal ship was bombed... There were no survivors... "

The prince slowly sat down on the bed in utter disbelief. The Raikou was gone... and so was Bason, his most trusted bodyguard. He had been with him ever since he was a child even more frequently than his parents. He had supported him in everything he did. He had even allowed him to travel to an enemy kingdom just to search for Anna.

During the final moments of his life, Bason had prevented anyone from going into the prince's cabin because he wasn't really there. Prince Ren and Lyserg hid in a crate which was traded with another merchant boat as instructed by him. Princess Pirika ensured that the crate ended up in the Kouri royal ship.

And now Bason's dead...

"If you did not come with me, you could have perished, too.. " The Kouri princess sat down next to him and squeezed his hand. The still shaken Kaminari heir reeked of vomit but she did not mind.

"Ehem," a newly showered Lyserg went out wearing a pink bath robe. "Do you mind Princess if I borrowed one of your brother's clothes? I overheard you had some stored here..."

"I don't mind", the Kouri royal stopped herself from giggling.

At the Kouri palace throne room...

"Your Highness, there have been sightings of enemy troops past the borders of Kasai," Pino Graham, Kouri's youngest general reported to the king. "One of our spies came back this morning. He said some small towns in Kasai's peripheries were burned to the ground. He barely escaped."

King Horokeu Usui furrowed his brows in deep thought. He had never imagined that he would be experiencing war in his lifetime. Kouri was prepared though. He and his father made sure of it. "Has King Mikihisa been informed?"

"I believe so. Ryuu and Manta are on their way home, " Pino replied.

"Kasai is our natural shield. If she goes down, we would have to fight back. Please prepare our men. See to it that our recent purchases would come into use, " the Kouri king ordered. "Is there anything else?"

"We also received reports that the Raikou had been bombed briefly after it had departed from the Port of Morphia."

King Horo Horo gripped the arms of his throne. "And our ship and Kasai's?"

"Only the Kaminari royal ship went down. Ours is on its way home. The princess is in it. She had sent a telegram that she is bringing home some guests. There had been some trouble with the ball she attended." Pino took out a sheet of paper from his uniform.

"What?! How come you read it without asking for permission first?" King Horo Horo snatched it as soon as Tona, his bodyguard took it from the general.

"Er... We always filter letters from your sister, Your Grace. I don't think you would want to see it... " Pino scratched his head.

King Horo Horo began reading aloud.

"Hey, horseface. I'm coming home. The Friendship ball was a disaster. Someone seems to be plotting against my friends. So I am bringing them with me. Don't forget to wear new underpants so you don't stink. - Pirika"

Aboard the Hyouzan, the Kouri royal ship...

"We're almost there," the Kouri princess announced when she and her friends went out to the ship deck. They could see the kingdom's port from afar.

Prince Ren glared at her. The girl revealed earlier that she had actually telegrammed her brother about her friends who would be coming over. The whole "hide in a crate" plan was her way of getting back at the Kaminari prince for making her cry at the ball. The captain of the ship knew but he had no idea that one of the guests was from the other two kingdoms.

"Never in your wildest dreams that you would be setting foot in enemy territory." Lyserg chuckled at his friend who was looking solemn. He was just happy to bask in the warm sun and taste the salt in the breeze. He was feeling much better now that he was outdoors. "Penalty is death for trespassing. Aren't you afraid? You would literally be walking to your execution grounds."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take," Prince Ren answered him. He looked forward to seeing his fiancée.

They travelled in silence for the next half an hour, unsure of how they would be treated by the king of Kouri.