One Person

People were staring, though at this point, it was more of an odd comfort than a surprise. It seemed like that's all the villagers could do since the day Rin arrived. Hushed whispers behind raised hands, quick, knowing glances shared between gossiping old hens, rumors springing to life like new rain whenever she walked by.

The little hand grasped in hers, wasn't as used to the stares. "M..m…iss Ittt..o?"

"Rin."

"Rin. W..w…hy are they staring at us?"

She gave a quick glance around at the villagers, who quickly ducked their heads when she noticed them, and shrugged. "Didn't you know, Koji? We are very important people, you and I."

"Im…important?" He stammered.

"Why yes. If we weren't, we wouldn't disrupt their day so much, would we? Only important people warrant this kind of attention."

Koji braved a look up at her face, which shone under the harsh desert sun. There was a sheen of sweat on her brow and her hair stuck to the back of her neck, but still, he was convinced now, more than ever, that she was indeed the princess and he was her knight, just as she said earlier.

His hand became a bit stronger in hers.

The villagers never stared at him, in fact, they went out of their way to do the opposite. He was nothing more than a nuisance and they made every effort to never let him forget it. Honestly, he could have done with a bit more staring, at least then he would have mattered.

The gates of the Kazekage's mansion came into view and Koji's new-found bravery wavered. No one was allowed inside unless they had official business. What kind of business could he drum up that would excuse his presence?

Rin wafted up the stairs without a second of hesitation, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She gave him her warmest smile and he returned it, though it turned down when he saw the two formidable men standing on either side of the door.

This was it, the end of her little game of knights and princesses.

Koji wished it would have lasted a bit longer, if just for him to forget who he was and the life he'd return to. The garden he tended for his survival, the empty shack where his mother laid in bed, muttering to herself about his father and their importance, until she didn't say anything else.

He hated the memories that stunk like rotten eggs and stayed in his nose long after he passed out each night, only to be the first thing he knew when he rose in the morning.

The guards gave her a once over. "Ms. Ito."

"Ikki, Kazue."

"What is this about?"

Rin looked around, specifically avoiding the direction of the small boy who was clinging to her side, shaking beneath their cold expressions.

"What exactly? Oh! You must mean my ragged appearance? I know, I'm not up to the standards you're used to. I spent the afternoon in a classroom full of know-it-all, nine-year-olds and took the long way back. Nothing like the devil's heat to make a girl look her best."

Despite himself, Ikki smiled, but Kazue remained as stoic as ever.

The taller of the two pointed his spear at the child. "What is the meaning of this?"

Koji tried to make himself smaller than he ever had in the past, but Rin maintained her calm presence. "Oh! My apologies! This is Koji the Valiant. He will be my guard from now on."

"Your what?"

Rin tapped the spear aside and patted Kazue's shoulder. "Try not to be too disappointed. I know how much you miss escorting me around the village. Stiff upper lip and all that."

Ikki choked back his laugh. "I think you might make him cry, Ms. Ito."

She put a hand to her heart. "Aww Kazzy, I didn't know you cared so much."

Kazue straightened up. "You can't just bring any guest you see fit inside of the Kazekage's dwellings. There are protocols to follow and…"

"You know how I feel about that word." Her voice hardened, though her smile hadn't left.

Koji peeked up past her leg. "It's f..ff…fine. D..d..don't be mad at h..he..her. I'll g…g….go."

Rin bent down and turned him to look at her. "You will do know such thing. Remember? You're a brave knight and you're going to help me slay the wicked Mr. Soma's test. I can't do that without you, Koji. This is just one of many obstacles you'll face and we're not going to be afraid of two stuffy guards, right?"

"Right."

"That's a good boy."

She straightened back up, her face losing all traces of the humor it once had. "If you want to let Lord Fifth know that the love of his life has been detained at the doors of his manor, I'll wait. I'm sure he won't find that interruption a bother at all, especially with the Cleansing fast approaching and all the extra work he's had piled on."

The guards gave each other a meaningful look, before Kazue raised his spear and they parted to allow her entry.

"Smart move." She quipped as the moved forward, but not before her voice whispered in his ear. "If I ever see you point a spear at a child again, the Kazekage's wrath isn't the only thing you'll have to fear. Good day, Kazzy."

Koji shuffled along beside her, sparing a glance over his shoulder. The shorter of the two guards laughed at his partner, who gave him a sharp punch to the side.

His eyes returned to Rin, who walked with such ease, he wondered why she'd ever need a knight like him? It seemed like she was more than capable of bringing a man to his knees.

The Kazekage's manor was vast indeed, the stone floor feeling foreign beneath his feet. He'd never even been close to the outside, let alone peeked inside. It seemed like the smallest noise would echo and shatter this dream he was sure it was.

There was no way he'd been allowed in this easy.

All he'd done was offer paper to a pretty lady in his class and show her his garden. That didn't come with private escorts or the grapes she'd promised. Things like this didn't happen for street urchins like him.

Yet, as the climbed one of the massive staircases and entered a giant kitchen, the dream was becoming a reality.

Rin let go of his hand and spoke to the servants, who were quick at work on dinner. "Aoi, Niko, could I trouble you for a snack?"

The two bustling women brushed past her, wiping the sweat from their brows. "Can't stop now! We're behind schedule as it is."

"Why you asking anyway? Just take what you want and get out!"

Rin ducked under as Aoi reached for the cabinet, narrowly missing her head in the process. "I was looking for some grapes. If you don't mind?"

"Grapes, she says! Grapes! As if we aren't busy enough!" Niko called from the oven.

Koji hid by the door, certain that if he froze, no one would see him and the last thing he wanted was to get in the way of these two women.

"There should be some in the pantry. Get out! Get out! No time to waste!"

Rin sashayed to the side and opened the large pantry, securing her prize and dashing out of the roaring kitchen.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, she puffed. "See? Just one of many obstacles, indeed."

"D…do they n..n..ot l…like you?"

She glanced over her shoulder, placing the bowl of grapes in the curve of her hip and taking hold of the boy's hand again. "Actually, I think I prefer them to most everyone else in this village."

"Wh…why?"

"Because at least they dislike me as much as they dislike everyone else. We're all equal in the chef's distain. It makes me feel a part of things."

Koji considered this, as they made their way to a private study, which was around the size of his entire shack.

Rin easily settled herself at the long table and patted the chair beside her. "Okay, Koji the Valiant, it's time for you to show me what you've got. We're going to pass that ogre's test if it's the last thing I do."

Koji gingerly sat beside her, his fingers feeling especially dirty under the clean table. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Wh…why are y….y… you trying s…so hard?"

Rin popped a grape in her mouth and tilted her head in response, sliding the bowl closer to him.

Koji took one solitary grape and worried it between his fingers. "Th…the v..v..village doesn't l..l..like y..you. So, wh..why t..t..try?"

The question saddened her with the truth behind it, but she just shrugged. "The village can feel whatever they want about me. There is only one opinion I truly care about and because of him, I can put up with any test or challenge they throw at me."

"One p…p…person?"

"Mm hmm. That's a good lesson to think on, Koji. Even if the entire world is against you, if you have one person who believes in you, you can make it. The Kazekage believes in me."

"M...me too."

Rin smiled, sliding an arm around his skinny shoulders. "Thank you, my brave knight. Now, I'm going to need you to eat three more grapes before we get started."

"Ye…yes p…princess."