Ningyō no Ohimesama (The Doll Princess)

First Meeting

{MIHO'S POV}
I must say, Dad works fast. I didn't expect my absence to be noticed until at least a day had passed.

The distinct clinking of metal is what wakes me up. It's around noon, judging by the sun's position. There are dozens of knights combing the streets in full battle armor, calling out my name.

I huddle as low as I can, burying myself amongst the trash. They peer into my alley, but I'm well-hidden.

Once the sound of the knights' clinking armor has faded, I inch closer to the alley exit. Now I can hear a pair of women speaking outside one of the restaurants. The citizens are abuzz with gossip.

"Sami! Have you heard the news yet, girl? The knights are looking for the princess because she disappeared from the castle last night!"

"Oh my! Was Miho-sama kidnapped?"

"My sister is a maid in the palace, and she told me that there hasn't been a ransom note yet."

"You mean Miho-sama ran away?!"

"Geez, what a fool. I'd love to be a princess, living in the lap of luxury without lifting a finger. You'd have to be crazy to run away from that!"

"Shhh! Mina, there are knights everywhere! You don't want to be charged with contempt for royalty."

"Oh please, everyone knows that Miho-sama is a lazy freeloader compared to her siblings. If she did run away, this is probably a half-baked stunt for attention. Ha! Wanna bet how long it'll take the guards to find her and drag her back?"

The other, Sami, pauses then says, "Three days?"

"That spoiled princess? Heh, she'd be dead by then. I betcha this'll all be wrapped up in three hours."

The two women giggle and walk inside the restaurant together, leaving me with brand new open wounds on my heart. I clench my fists. My public image is way worse than I thought.

It takes a while to get out of Wolkitra. I'm hungry, so I first have to force myself to eat leftovers that were thrown out this morning in more trash bags.

Then I have to sneak through back alleys, looking conspicuous with the cloak held above my head to hide my hair color and pretty face.

Some people see me and tell me to scram, probably thinking I'm a homeless orphan or thief.

As soon as I'm far enough away from the castle city that there are no longer any patrolling knights, I uncover my head. Miles of open road lay ahead of me and I feel... free. Lost, but free.

I walk aimlessly down the road, falling into a pattern. I hide whenever I see people or carriages approach. When the sun sets, I scurry some distance from the road and pull underbrush around me to make a nest. Then I curl into a ball and fall asleep.

I wake up at the break of dawn, find my way back to the road and continue walking. Luckily I brought a waterskin, but my clean water ran out quickly and I'm forced to collect snow or rain water. Eventually, I don't even know what day it is.

Once, I woke up to find a rabbit chewing on my hair.

"Not... food." I tried to tell it, but I guess this rabbit never learned to be afraid of humans. Or it simply didn't see me as human.

I admit it, I'm in a sorry state. My black clothes are torn and dirty. Mitsuhide's white cloak is no longer very white. I smell and I've lost weight. The snacks I packed didn't last me very long either.

Finally, I see a welcome sight: a forest. Thanks to Mom's bedtime stories, which were mainly her research, I should be able to find some edible plants.

Fatigue all but forgotten, I run towards the treeline. I feel more comfortable in the woods. Finally, I find what I'm looking for.

The current is lazy and it's not very deep. I don't even know if it's clean or safe, but I jump in. I wash the grime from my hair, body, and clothes as best I can. After wringing out my clothes and leaving them to dry on a sunny rock, I find burdock, chicory, amaranth, and even some wild blackberry bushes.

My stomach isn't happy about the selection, but at least it's no longer empty. Once my clothes are fully dry, I put them on and sigh. Now I feel a lot cleaner and better than before.

A twig snaps behind me. I spin around, expecting a wild animal. What I see is more surprising.

It's a human boy. He's my age, maybe a little older, with black hair. His clothes are even more dirty and ragged than mine, but what draws me in is his eyes.

They're red. Bright, clear red eyes—like rubies burning with a fiery light. They're beautiful and dazzling. I'm momentarily mesmerized.

The spell is broken when he winces in pain. I look down and see how badly beaten the red-eyed boy is. His clothes are torn, but this damage was done by a blade. The boy was clearly attacked.

"Can you help me?" He pleads, nearly falling over. I catch him and put his arm over my shoulder, leading him toward the stream.

I lie him down, then take off his shirt to assess the damage from the attack. He doesn't get embarrassed or try to stop me, which I appreciate.

Most boys blush when I come near, just because I'm pretty. This one isn't overly conscious of me.

He definitely doesn't recognize me as one of Clarine's four princesses, although his shirt is made from high quality material. Perhaps he's a backwater noble's son, escaping violent kidnappers.

I treat the deepest wounds first, just how Mom taught me. I silently apologize to Mitsuhide, then rip his cloak into thin strips. I dunk the strips in clean water, then ring them out. They aren't sterilized, but they'll just have to do.

I use some cloth to stuff the wounds first, then apply pressure. This should help with the healing process.

I wrap up his injuries, and silently encourage him to drink clean water. He obliges. I also bring some edible plants, which he eats obediently.

"Thanks." The red-eyed boy appears sleepy. His head lulls side to side. I get the feeling that he's like me; this is the first time he's relaxed in days.

"Sleep." I tell him, then slap a hand over my mouth. The word came out of nowhere. I don't know how it happened. This is the first time we've met, yet I feel an indescribable comfort in his presence.

This red-eyed boy might the key to helping me express myself.

He falls asleep and I curl up next to him. Even without the cloak as a blanket, I'm not cold. In fact, as I drift off, I feel warmer than I have in a long time.