The Prince And the Peasant

By goddessofmoonbeams

Summary: One exiled prince, one orphaned street-beggar, a perverted little sister, and the misunderstanding that ties them all together in a war that’s been going on for over a hundred and fifty years. What happens when the prince Arsis finds himself engaged to a peasant? Can they go long enough without killing each other to get married? Will his little sister ever learn to keep her mouth shut? Read goddessofmoonbeams’ “The Prince And the Peasant” to find out.

A/N: Ok my peoples, this is a story I wrote last year, I’m just improving it, so I should be updating this one pretty quickly. Hope you guys like it.

“There she is!” shouted one of the men. “Get ‘er!” Well this is just great, she thought sarcastically, bare feet pounding on the cold, snow covered ground as she ran from the angry village men. “You’re not getting away this time you little thief!” one of them shouted. But the girl had other plans, for she was an exceptionally fast runner after many years of practice, and her long legs carried her quickly-if not clumsily- over the snow.

She turned sharply around a corner, ducking into a dark alley, pressing her back against the cold stone wall, shivering in her thread-bare, brown dress. The girl waited until they had all passed to let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. So much for not getting away, she thought, amused.

Why always apples? She asked herself as she took out her prize from her faded shoulder bag, which she’d stolen from a messenger boy when he hadn’t been looking. Why such a big deal over such an unimportant object. Didn’t everyone get hungry every once in a while? She had only taken what she needed to survive.

Taking a big bite out, juice running down her chin, the girl caught a glimce of herself in a nearby window. She wasn’t what one would call beautiful or even pretty for that matter. Thought the girl might’ve been cute if she fixed herself up a bit. Her face was streaked with dirt, brown hair falling a few inches below her shoulders in a tangled, matted mess. At least I have my big, puppy-dog brown eyes, she thought, her best feature.

From lack of nourishment, she was much too skinny for her age, or what she thought her age was. Poor girl couldn’t even remember her own name. The only thing she was sure of was that her parents had been killed by Arsissian soldiers when she was six. Or was it seven? The Arsissians were the people her country- and many others- had been warring against for over a hundred and fifty years.

Finishing the apple, she threw the core away, and was just about to leave when a sound reached her ears. A crunchy sound, like boots crushing snow. Footsteps. Oh no! What if the villagers haven’t given up the search yet?! She thought, frantically looking for a place to hide. She remembered the last time she’d gotten caught, and still had the scars on her arms and left leg to prove it.

About an hour ago

“But Uncle, we just stopped for supplies last week!” Prince Hotaru exclaimed in disbelief. “What happened to that?”

His Uncle Tyroh gave him a guilty smile from beneath his gray-black mustache. “I might have had a few…contests,” he said, seeming to choose his words carefully.

Hotaru eyed him warily. “What kind of contests?” he asked resignedly.

His uncle smiled again, running a hand through his long, thinning salt-and-pepper hair. “I can’t quite remember,” he said innocently, but at his nephew’s glare, he added. “Food-eating contests. You’d be surprised at how much those men can eat!”

Groaning Hotaru pulled at his hair, “Uncle, not again! How many times do I have to tell you? Stopping at those shipping ports is not exactly enjoyable. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is with the war going on?”

“Excuse me, Nephew, but who’s the retired Admiral here?” his uncle rebuked.

Hotaru just growled. “Order the helmsman to dock at the nearest island.” And with that, he left the room. “And no more of your contests!” he called. Darn! Tyroh thought. his nephew sure knew how to ruin a man’s fun!

The present

As the footstep came closer, she could just make out voices. “…Arsissian ship just docked…….their prince……buy supplies.” The voices became louder, and clearer as the footsteps got closer. “Hey Hiro, what d’ya say we rough ‘em up a bit, huh?” she let out a quiet sigh of relief. It was just Hiro and his group of buddies/followers.

They were passing right by her now, and she couldn’t help but blush as Hiro caught her eye. “I think it’s time we paid Princey Boy a little visit,” he agreed, turning away. Which was understandable, why pay attention to her- a dirty little street beggar- when he could easily have any girl on the island? He had only spoken to her once and that had been nine years ago when she’d first arrived here.

“Hi,” said a voice behind her. Startled, she quickly spun around. It was one of the village boys, his hair shaggy and brown, green eyes sparkling with curiosity. He looked to be only a couple years older than her.

“H-hi,” she stuttered shyly.

He flashed her a friendly smile, before saying, “My name’s Hiro. Wanna be friends?” She was just about to nod when an older, plump looking woman came up behind Hiro, grabbing his arm and pulling him away.

“Get away from him you filthy street urchin!” she screeched shrilly. Frightened, the girl turned and ran as fast as she could, but not before she heard what the woman said. “I don’t want you going anywhere near that girl-do you hear me?! She’s bad news!”

“Yes, Mama” he said obediently. Hiro never spoke to her again.

Quickly, she shook her head, as if trying to shake away the memory. “C’mon guys,” she heard Hiro say, “let’s go before he leaves.” The girl shivered, and not just from the cold winter air, against her barely covered skin. She had a feeling something bad was going to happen, and she had learned to trust in these kind of feelings.

Looking around to make sure the coast was clear, she set off after Hiro and his gang, keeping to the shadow so they wouldn’t suspect they were being followed. The longer she followed, the closer to the docks they got, the roar of the ocean’s waves, the cry of gulls, and the salty sea air. As they finally reached the docks, the girl could see a crowd gathered around a huge Arsissian ship, black with a familiar insignia.

As far as it belonging to Arsis’s prince, she very much doubted it. What would the prince of such a mighty, and powerful country be doing all the way out here? Bits of conversation floated to her, as she got closer. “….banished for three years now……his own father….betrayed….peace lover.” Where they talking about that prince?

“Excuse me, Sir?” the girl said, tapping a man on the shoulder, he turned. “What they’re saying- you know, about the prince,” he nodded, showing he understood, “Well, um, is it true?”

“Sure is,” the man answered in a surprisingly deep voice. “Sent into exile by his own father.”

What kind of father would do that to their son? She silently asked. Aloud the girl said, “What’d he do?”

The man looked at her a bit impatiently, as if he was in a hurry to get somewhere else. “There’ve been a lot of rumors going around,” the man finally said, “but most people are saying he spoke out against the war. So his father banished him, said he couldn’t have a peace lover for an heir. Told him to come back when he’d toughened up, or something like that.” Before she had a chance to ask anything else, the man hurried away.

There were men coming back to the ship now- big and muscled- arms bulging with enough supplies for an army. Hiro stepped right in front of one of them, his followers not far behind. “Just where do you think you’re going Arsissian scum?” he spat.

The man stared at him a moment, as if not quite sure he’d heard right. “Step aside pipsqueak,” the man ordered, trying to push past him. “We didn’t come here for a fight.”

Hiro stepped in his path again, still refusing to let him pass. “Well you got one, buddy,” he said, cracking his knuckles. Hiro brought his fist back, ready to punch the man’s face in-but would more than likely get killed himself. That was man nearly four times Hiro’s size.

A teenage looking boy who had had come up behind Hiro grabbed his arm just as he was about to land the blow, spinning him around. He had long, jet-black hair pulled up into a high ponytail, reaching just past his shoulders, a single lock resting on his forehead. From here, she could just make out the dark, dark impossible blue of his eyes, which were now flashing with anger.

Hiro’s friends-who had quickly moved from his side as soon as this teen had shown up- were starting to look nervous. “What do you think you’re doing peasant?!” the boy hissed angrily. “Don’t you ever lay a hand on one of my men!”

“Peasant, huh?” Hiro asked, smirking. “So it’s true then. The prince of Arsis has come to pay us a visit.” Hiro you idiot! She thought almost desperately. Shut up! The teenager was a good two feet taller than him, and looked to be pretty well built. He was in way over his head. But the crowd was silently cheering him on, she could feel it, and she knew Hiro could feel it, adding to his daring. “Leave,” he said.

The teen looked absolutely murderous. “You dare command me?!” he asked angrily.

“You dare think you can just waltz in here and leave without a scratch with the war going on?” Hiro countered with a sneer.

“You will learn to hold your tongue, boy,” he said through clenched teeth. Hiro swung at him, but the prince caught his fist inches from his face, forcing him roughly to the ground. “I’ve had just about enough of you,” he said, placing a foot on Hiro’s chest.

Pointing at one of his men, he shouted, “You there! Take this imbecile to the prison cells to be executed!” obediently, the man bowed, easily throwing Hiro over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, heading toward the ship.

To this day, the girl still had no idea what came over her, but some force had caught hold her forcing her to push through the crowd and shout, “No! Stop!” and as soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted it, but the girl had already said it, might as well go on.

The prince turned in her direction. “Who said that?!” he demanded.

Pushing her way through to where they were practically face-to-face, she answered, “I-I did.” This was definitely what she wasn’t used to. The girl rarely spoke at all, much less in front of a crowd and heir to the Arsissian thrown.

He eyed her coldly, as if she didn’t deserve to be the bug stuck to the bottom of his shoe. What’s you name, girl?” the prince asked after a moment.

“Kanna,” she said, almost immediately. Where’d that come from? She asked herself. “Please,” the girl said, “take me instead.

He looked almost amused at this. “Does he mean something to you?” he asked, eyebrow raised slightly.

Lie girl! Lie like the wind! A voice screamed. “He’s my brother,” she told him. Out parents just recently passed, and my brothers’ and sisters’ will starve without him there to make the money.” As an after thought she added, “They don’t need me. I’m just an extra mouth to feed.”

The prince looked thoughtful, and she knew he was on the edge of deciding. “Please,” she begged.

He hesitated a moment, then, “Let the boy go!” he commanded. “Take the girl!” ‘Kanna” suddenly found herself surrounded by soldiers, and the man that had been holding Hiro threw him to the ground where his buddies immediately went to help him up.

On the ship

“Prince Hotaru! You’re bringing a woman aboard?!” Exclaimed an elderly man with a huge belly who looked surprised but slightly pleased. So that’s his name, Kanna noted.

Hotaru regarded the man warily. “It’s not what you’re thinking, Uncle,” he said quickly. “I’ve just decided it’s about time I got myself a servant.” At his words, Kanna immediately felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her. So he’s not going to execute me.

The older man chuckled. “And just what might I be thinking, Hotaru?” he asked with a grin that told you exactly what he’d been thinking. The prince rolled his eyes, walking away before muttering an “I’ll be in my room.”

“Don’t mind my nephew,” the man told her. “He’s just not used to being around women. He smiled, “My name is Tyroh, but you may call me Uncle Tyroh. Or just Uncle if you wish.

She nodded, not exactly sure what else to do. “And just what might your name be? He asked her.

“Kanna,” she said. Might as well, it looked as if she’d be here a while.

Tyroh smiled again, warmly. “It’s nice to meet you Kanna,” he said, as if he really meant it. “And such a pleasure to be in your presence.”

“At least there’s one decent person around this hunk of metal,” she muttered.”

He frowned at this, “You’ll have to excuse Hotaru. He hasn’t had much of a woman’s touch in his life. His mother died when he was just a child.”

Kanna’s eyes widened. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said sincerely.

“It was quite a shame,” Tyroh agreed, “she was such a wonderful woman, and just thought the absolute world of Hotaru. Please try to understand, he’s had a rough life.

Nodding her head, she stuttered, “Y-yes of course. I’ll try.”

Later

Stopping her vigorous scrubbing on the wooden floor, Kanna wiped the sweat from her brow. She had been on Prince Hotaru’s ship for nearly four weeks now and he had been working her like the dog he apparently thought she was. It took almost all her will power not to just drop her dirty scrubbing rag and jump over-board. Just then the object of the nightmare that was her life entered the room. Kanna glared at him in pure contempt.

He just smirked, used to her glares by now. “You missed a spot,” the prince told her.

“You mean the one you’re standing in? she retorted, looking pointedly at his dirty boots, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“No, I mean that spot,” he said, pointing.

Kanna looked around her at the perfectly clean floor. “What spot?!” she said, starting to get annoyed.

Hotaru sighed, exasperated, stepping closer, “That one, right there,” he said, pointing to an area on the floor that was just as clean as the rest of it.

“Oh, I see it now!” she said, smiling mischievously as she picked up her soaking rag. “Right there!” Kanna exclaimed, smacking him in the face with it.

He immediately grabbed her wrist in a vice-like, pulling her to his armored chest. “You’re lucky I don’t believe in hitting women,” he hissed, releasing her.

“Gee, look at that,” Kanna said, extending her arm to examine her fingernails-which were quite dirty from all the scrubbing she’d been doing, “sheer terror.”

Hotaru’s eyes widened in anger. “Why you little-“

“Prince Hotaru!” Tyroh called excitedly, sticking his head in the room. “Prince Hotaru, I have wonderful news! Come here!”

Looking back at Kanna, Hotaru growled, “I’ll deal with you later.”

With a low, sweeping bow she answered smartly, “Looking forward to it milord.”

Eavesdropping is wrong, eavesdropping is wrong, eavesdropping is wrong, “Kanna told herself over and over, after Hotaru and Tyroh had slipped into a nearby room. But it was just too darn tempting. So as silently as she could, Kanna quickly ran up to the door, pressing her ear against it.

“I just got the letter today!” she could hear the obvious excitement in Tyroh’s voice.

“Well, get on with it Uncle,” Hotaru said impatiently.

“I-it’s your father! Tyroh said, his voice sounding even more excited, if such a thing was possible. “He-he say- he says you can come back! He says you can come home!”

Silence, as if Hotaru hadn’t quite heard, then, “When,” a gulp, “When exactly did he say I could come home?” Hotaru asked, the urgency in his voice evident.

And then Tyroh, “As soon as possible!”

The door burst open suddenly, sending Kanna to the floor where she landed on her butt, hard. Prince Hotaru and Tyroh were looking down at her. “Since I assume you heard out conversation,” the prince said, lips twitching from a held back smile, ”you will polish my armor. We arrive at Arsis in two days.

At the Arsissian palace

“Auntie Rae! Auntie Rae!” shrieked an overly excited ten-year-old. Oh boy, Raeonna though resignedly, here we go again.

“Rin, what happened to your face?!” she exclaimed, for the girl had a big bruise on her cheek, and a long scratch on the other. “Have you been fighting with those boys again?”

Rin nodded, probably too excited to even understand the question. “Brother’s coming home!” she practically screamed. “He’s coming home, Auntie Rae!” hugging her, she laughed. She was quite the pretty little girl if it weren’t for that stupid haircut. On onside of her raven head, her hair came to just below her chin, where on the other side it only barely covered her ear.

Raeonna still couldn’t believe she’d been stupid enough to cut her own hair. “I know Rin, I heard,” she said, hugging her back.

“I just can’t wait to meet Brother’s fiancée! I bet she’s the most beautiful lady in the entire world!” she exclaimed, pulling away. “I miss Brother always yelling at me to get out of his room. Now that he’s engaged, he’ll probably do it a lot more cause-“

“Rin!” Raeonna said in warning tones. “What have I told you about talking like that?”

The girl took a deep breath before saying, “You said: Rin, don’t talk like that! It’s very inappropriate and most definitely not ladylike!” Rin, said, reciting word-for-word, for she had heard it many, many, many times.

“That’s right,” Raeonna said, “now don’t make me repeat myself.

She nodded, saying, “Ok,” only to forget seconds later. “Auntie Rae?, Rin asked worriedly. “Do you think Brother will remember me? It has been an awfully long time, hasn’t it?”

Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that,” Raeonna assured her. “Though you’ll probably give him a heart-attack with that hair of yours, you’re quite….unforgettable.”

A/N: All right my beautiful and ridiculously intelligent readers you, tell me what you think. Now, I’m just doing this in my spare time, and have already finished this story, so don’t worry about it not getting completed. And those of you who are reading my other stories, don’t worry, I’ll still write on them too. Wow! Three stories at once! I didn’t think I could do it, but I can. I’m determined to. Well, R&R. Reviews are always appreciated. Yours truly, always and forever

-goddessofmoonbeams.