Wheel of Destiny

Summary: All fourteen year old Magami Hiroko wanted was to be normal, but her hopes for normalcy is shattered when a mysterious storm sweeps her off into another world. Meanwhile, the people of the Demonic Kingdom of Langlin is on the brink of war, and the search for their lost Queen is suddenly called off when Hiroko suddenly appears in the largest of the palace fountains. Convinced that Hiroko is the Demon Queen, the confused teenager is immediately crowned Queen of Langlin. As she struggles to live two lives at once, Hiroko learns more about herself and of the mysterious destiny that called her to Langlin.

A/N: Heya! Sorry about the long update! hahaha XD Anyway, here's chapter two for you!

Chapter 2: Paper Flowers

Purple skies… I must be going insane…

She glanced around and frowned. The road was unpaved, and was of dirt and was marred by tracks that were reminiscent of wheels… Wagons, perhaps? There were also the distinct mark of horses, and human tracks. Obviously, this was a well used road. On both sides of the road was forest, with trees that were tall and dark, the only light coming from the gap over the road.

Hiroko sat up to find her katana and jacket on the ground beside her. She checked the lining and her lips twitched in satisfaction when she found that her kunai and her throwing stars were still there, and slipped it on. The katana was carefully slipped out of the cloth covering, and put into the loop of her belt/scarf at her hip, which was tightened to keep the sword in place. The cloth, revealed to be a long cloak with silver fastenings, was pulled around her shoulders. The tips of her lips twitched. Sometimes, she mused, it was a good thing that she was the heir of a martial arts family.

Her head turned toward her back and her eyes narrowed. There! The sound of pounding hooves drew closer, and Hiroko ran toward the side of the road, her cloak swirling around her. She vanished into the shadows just as the rider rode past her.

Hiroko stepped put of the woods and frowned. How odd… The way the rider was dressed… It reminded her of her Great-Uncle Morinozuka’s dress uniform from the military.

She shook her head, and stepped lightly onto the road, moving swiftly in the same direction that the rider had gone. She crested the hill and gasped at the sight of the vast city laid out before her. The domes and spires shimmered while the white stones and metals in the city glowed coolly in the morning sun--at least, she thought it was morning--and shimmering ribbons of gold snaked through various parts of the city, meeting a ways out, as the river vanished into the distance.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” a voice said from behind her.

Hiroko jumped and spun around to face the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Her teal hair was cropped short, barely brushing her shoulders, and pulled out of her face with a strip of leather, her skin was lightly tanned from the sun, and her eyes were an enchanting shade of amber. She wore formfitting leather trousers, the hem of which was tucked into her knee high riding boots, and a white shirt, a leather corset around her waist, and a long-sleeved black leather jacket which ended just beneath her breasts with a high mandarin collar. Around her neck was an elegant fall of lace, held in place by a single dark blue stone set in gold.

Delicate red lips curved upwards in a sensuous smile of amusement as the woman studied the awestruck look on Hiroko’s face. “I am known as Zeliand Von Vieri, and you are?”

Hiroko blinked and said, “I am Magami Hiroko… erm… Where am I?”

Zeliand smiled indulgently, “You are on the Eastern Borders of Langlin, and the city before you is Zelengrad, the City of Steel.”

“The City of Steel?”

“Indeed.” Zeliand’s smile became hard. “I am glad I found you first. You came so close to being captured and turned into an unwitting pawn on that road, I was worried… But you vanished into the shadows so easily and quickly, that my worry was assuaged…”

She’s up to something… Hiroko’s eyes narrowed. “I thank you for your worry,” she said coolly.

Zeliand’s posture became guarded. I’m not dealing with some ignorant child like I originally thought… I will have to be careful… “Come, we must get under cover before the enemy comes.”

Hiroko frowned. “Enemy? What enemy?” she questioned, “I am not familiar with this place, nor do I have any business with you beyond our current interaction, why should I fear your enemies?”

Zeliand’s shoulders stiffened. It seems that this will be more difficult than I thought… “It is because you are unfamiliar with this place that you should fear them,” she said, as she sensed a familiar presence closing behind them. Damn… It’s Aki… I have to get her away as quickly as possible! “They would not hesitate to take advantage of the unwary, especially since you do not understand our customs!”

“Take advantage of me as you are attempting to?” Hiroko said, standing her ground.

Zeliand’s face twisted into a snarl. “You know nothing!” she growled, drawing her saber. “You will come with me, girl, even if I have to take you by force.”

“Hiroko!” A woman’s voice called. “Hiroko!”

Hiroko glanced up in time to see a woman in a military uniform with a drawn sword riding hard toward her, while flanked by two other soldiers.

“Hiroko!” the woman cried.

“Damn!” Zeliand snarled, and whistled.

A horse leapt out of the brush, and she swung herself into the saddle and reached down to grab Hiroko. The woman swung her sword, and Zeliand jerked back, and turned her horse and galloped down the hill and toward the city. The woman pulled her horse to a stop as the two soldiers galloped past her, chasing after Zeliand.

“Are you alright?” she said, “My name is Mitsuko von Waluarde, Captain of the Queen’s Riders.”

Hiroko nodded mutely, and pulled the folds of her cloak close about her.

Mitsuko looked at the girl worriedly. She was a warrior, Mitsuko could see, she carried a blade with familiarity and ease, and had barely blinked when Mitsuko’s blade missed her face by inches. And yet… When facing Zeliand, she had stood tall and unwavering, but once Zeliand departed, the girl shrank into herself and stood with her shoulders slightly hunched, and her eyes cast either toward the floor or a point over the shoulder. Was this little girl child who lacked self-confidence truly the successor of the First Queen?

Unacceptable.

Mitsuko silently vowed that if this child would accept the position of Queen of Langlin, she would do everything in her power to raise this child to have more confidence in herself and her abilities. Until then, she would protect her as best she could, the First Queen willing.

“Well, then, that’s good.” Mitsuko smiled at Hiroko. “Beware of Zeliand von Vieri, for she is a criminal. Once, perhaps, she was a loyal servant of the Crown, but ever since the Race Wars, she has turned traitor. The next time she approaches you, you should run in the opposite direction.”

Hiroko nodded mutely and Mitsuko frowned.

“Is something wrong? Are you lost?”

Hiroko paused then nodded again. Mitsuko sighed. This was going to be a long day. She just knew it.

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Hiroko wasn’t quite sure what was going on, all she really knew was that for a brief moment, she had been full of confidence, and the next, she had forgone any masks that she might have normally donned to hide her weaknesses. Perhaps that was why she was riding on the back of Mitsuko von Waluarde’s horse, clinging to the older woman’s waist for dear life as the horse galloped along the road at neck breaking speeds.

“Umm… Do we really have to go this fast?” Hiroko murmured.

Mitsuko gave the girl a tired look. “You must understand. You have an enormous amount of power here, if only because you do not know our ways and customs, therefore, people would be willing to overlook any mistakes you make, although over time, that tolerance will wane. Zeliand has approached you, most likely intending to use your ignorance of our people and their ways to her advantage. There is also the fact that you resemble very much, our late Queen Amaya no Shinzo. People here are long lived, and many still remember her face. You are vulnerable in the open. Until we can get you to safety, you are a walking target, so we must make all haste.”

“Err… Just out of curiosity, why are you helping me and how did you know my name?”

“Well… That’s a bit harder to explain…” Mitsuko sighed. How to tell the girl that she had only been calling the name that the First Priestess of the Ever Pure First Queen’s Palace had given her? “Well, The First Priestess told us that a child bearing the name of light would come, and I was simply calling out the first name that came to mind. As to why I am helping you… Your ignorance of this place and our customs makes you an effective weapon against us. By the will of the First Queen, we who await her successor, I will not allow an innocent to be used.”

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…And so it came to be that I arrived in Langlin… At the time, I was content with her answer, but had I been wiser, I would have suspected that she had other intentions for me. But if I had known, I doubt that I would be as I am now, and for that I am truly grateful…