Chapter 7: A shocking discovery

I knew how stupid it was for me to tell Haruto about my journey to Baku forest, so I didn't, but I trusted him more than myself but that strange feeling in me is telling me to shut up. There was no doubt I knew something was amiss. Actually my Katana is my best friend. I remember telling Haruto about the history of my Katana when we went to the moonlight bridge. I told him that the Katana is a special sword passed from generation to generation, it has helped our ancestors win many battles in the past, with its golden handle and sharped razors, it was made by a sorcerer named Aiko, she was the most famous and professional sorcerer in the whole Japanese history, although she is alive, but she is 102 years old. She made the sword indestructible, but only one thing could destroy it, it was the blazing fire of Amarna which was located in Hyou kingdom. For the past few decades, no one ever knew this history except for my family members, it was forbidden to tell an untrusted person, but I told Haruto since I trusted him with my life.

I couldn't tell Haruto I was going to forest, so I told him":

"I want to check out the village, do you mind coming back early from the forest, so I can go check out everywhere?" I asked

"Can I come with you?" He asked

"No you can't? I barked

"Why? He asked me surprisingly

"I mean you have to say with Yua until she gets better" I responded

"But she is already getting better" Haruto said even when he saw Haruto was not showing any sign of improvement. So now, I have to be a guard, but I would do for Haruto and am pretty sure he would also do anything for me.

I knew Haruto was curious and he wanted to follow me but he respects my opinion. We both exchanged pleasantries and he left.

I had to look after Yua for some hours before Haruto came back so I could go back to Baku to check the state of my family.

" Hina, thanks for taking good care of me" Yua said

"It is my pleasure" I responded.

"I would love to repay you back, but these might be my last few days on earth." Yua said.

"Yua, I have told you times without number that you should stop saying that, you will live long" I responded.

There are somethings I don't like, which is being overdramatic, Yua has been saying that she would die for the past few days, and she hasn't, and I can't tolerate over dramatic people.

"Do you think I have a problem?" Yua asked me again. I couldn't stand this weird conversation, so I just told her no. But really, she does have a problem, one minute we are talking and she is happy and the next minute when she sees her brother with me, she is angry, I always thought she didn't like me, but I didn't really care.

A few minutes later, a knock came on the door, I wondered if Haruto already came, which will be better for me as I would be able to come back from the forest a little early if Haruto came back early. But you could guess who it was, it wasn't Haruto, it was rather the jerk from the circus Kane.

"What are you doing here?'' I asked him as I eyed him continuously

"I am here for you obviously" He said

"Get out please'' I told him furiously

'' Look at me, I am a prince, I can give you anything you want, unlike some dirty hunter" I asked him.

"The last time I checked, I asked you to get out, I didn't ask you for your status quo the society and see who is calling someone dirty, I am sure your slaves wash your invisible wears or even take your bath for you" I replied him

Haruto is a very neat guy even if he is a hunter, I knew that for sure. I could see Kane's two body guards laughing with their hands covering their mouths, Kane used his left hand to slap their faces together.

"What are you two cowards laughing about?'' Kane asked his two bodyguards

"Sorry, your majesty, we both chocked on our saliva" They both said.

"Shut up you idiots" Kane told his bodyguards

"Look Hina, you won't get away… He had barely even finished his sentence and I slammed the door in his face.

I went back into the house and I hoped he never came back. Yua was fast asleep and I was happy at least I won't have to engage in anymore weird conversations. I waited for seconds, seconds turned into minutes, I waited for minutes, minutes turned into hours yet Haruto was nowhere to be found. I had one option in mind, I wanted to leave Yua and go to Baku, but I promised Haruto I would stay with his sister but I had only one option, either Haruto or my family. But, you know what they say, family first. While Yua was fast asleep, I grabbed some left over rice balls and meat, I put it in a container and then I put it in an old sack I grabbed my Katana which I always used in case I needed to protect myself from hungry or dangerous creatures and a lamp. I felt bad for leaving Yua alone most especially since I promised Haruto that I won't leave his sister. But, on the bright side, I told Haruto to come early from hunting and he didn't, so we both broke promises to each other. I wonder if Haruto is okay? He hasn't been home since. I took a break before I got to Baku forest. On a normal day, migrating from Koda to Baku forest always took 5 hours. So in 5 hours 30 minute, I got to Baku forest.

I walked to the deep end of the forest before I saw the sacred stone. It was called the sacred stone because it was very big and heavy in weight, not because it was in any way really special or something. When I got to the stone, I saw 2 envelopes, I read the first letter which was put at the right hand side of the stone because we usually started things from the right. It contained thus:

The royal kingdom of Ei sei,

The king/ royal subjects

Dear, Hina

The prince of Hyou came and he has threatened that if you do not marry or if you do not come out of your hiding place, he will destroy the kingdom. Please you have got to come home, we need you.

Yours truly,

Your kingdom.

Tears rolled down my cheeks, would I eventually be lured into the marriage I don't have interest in, I just hope I won't disappoint Haruto. I opened the second letter and it said thus

The royal kingdom of Ei sei

The king/ royal subjects

Dear Hina,

Help us, the soldiers of Hyou kingdom are overpowering ours, they are killing our women, the children. We need you to do whatever their prince wants.

Yours truly,

Your kingdom.

My tears were more powerful, to me the prince didn't want to marry me, he wants to enslave me. I rested on the stone for a while and I ate the cold rice balls and meat before I continued my journey. It took me many hours before I got home. I eventually continued my journey so I could go back to Haruto's house. I knew I couldn't travel home that night because it was late and I needed to inform Haruto about this latest development before I could go home.

In 5 hours thirty minutes, I got to Haruto's house, it was at the dead of the night, before I could get into the house, I saw Haruto and Yua were arguing over something and lucky enough, the window was not soundproof their conversation was:

" Haruto, you are my man, I can't afford to share you with Hina or whatever her name is" Yua said

"Sweetheart, its only for a little while, and by the way, where is she?" Haruto responded

"I thought you knew where she was, I thought I had to pretend to be sick while prince Kenji destroys her kingdom, so she won't have to go anywhere" Yua said

"What! Because of this act of yours Yua, prince Kenji might not pay us our full pay" Haruto said

"Well, he better pays us accurately, it is not easy for me to watch my man is being shared with me" Yua said

"And you think it is easy to act lovesick?" Haruto interrupted

"Who knows where she is now? We better look for her tomorrow, if we do not look for her, we will be inviting trouble." Haruto told Yua

"Whatever, it's not like I care about her or anything, I am only doing these so we can get the money" Yua said and she pulled down the curtain and turned off the lights. Luckily, she wasn't able to see me.

I fell on my knees, Haruto betrayed me, all the fun times we had, the fun, the jokes, nothing was real.

My lamp went off, and I had nowhere to sleep except the forest and I was definitely going back to Haruto's house. I walked in the dark and lonely forest with, I couldn't see it. Before I knew it, someone stole my Katana from my back strap and everything went dark like I fainted.