|Smoke| Book 1 in the Dream Series

Aki

Kemuri woke up. Her head hurt. Everything hurt. Her vision was blurry. Her thoughts swam. Voices whispered to her. She wanted it to stop. STOP! She screamed, in her head. 

"Kemuri?" A pale face floated into view. It was her father. His normally cruel face was wet with tears. What happened? Kemuri thought. Her father stroked her forehead. 

"Aki, a guard, slammed into you. In full armor." Father gestured towards a pretty girl with red hair and glasses. Her face was worried and she rushed over when she saw the Kemuri was awake. 

"Oh my God, I am so sorry! I-I wasn't paying attention, my Princess! I hope you can forgive me." Aki bowed, tears falling. Kemuri nodded. Aki smiled. "Thank you." She pecked Kemuri's cheek as a sign of gratitude. Yet Kemuri blushed. Deeply. Aki blushed back. She turned away, clearing her throat. 

"Now, I'm sure it was an accident." Father said gently. "Please don't worry." Her put an arm around Aki. Kemuri wrinkled her nose in disgust. Her father, trying to make a move on a probably around 18 girl. Her father was 47. Ew. 

"Y-yes it was." Aki stepped away. Father moved closer. She looked around. "Uh, I have to go." She mumbled, clearly uncomfortable. 

"You got a serious concussion." Said the nurse. "Your head collided with Aki's armor." Kemuri nodded. She clutched her head soon after. 

"I know." The nurse said soothingly. "It'll hurt. I'm sorry." She rubbed Kemuri's bare back gently. Kemuri realized  that her hospital gown only covered her front. She laid down. The nurse nodded, seeing her discomfort. 

"I'll leave." Nurse (As Kemuri was calling her, she didn't know her name) bowed. Kemuri could see scars on her back. Maybe she was wounded? I don't know. Kemuri thought. Nurse left. Aki walked in. 

"Uh-can I talk to you?" She asked. Kemuri nodded. She patted her bed. Aki sat down. She wasn't in her armor, just a simple red sleeveless shirt and jeans. Her blue eyes sparkled. She wasn't Japanese, Kemuri noticed. 

"So, I'm really sorry. I can't believe I gave the princess a concussion..." Aki wrung her hands. She seemed extremely worried. Kemuri felt touched. A guard, when they bonked into her, usually just said sorry quickly, bowed, and left. But Aki was different. 

"Second, uhm, your father, the King, I'm uncomfortable around him. He tried to rApe me one night and keeps on trying to kiss me." Kemuri was shocked. How could he? Darn my father! She shouted into her head. Aki scooted closer, shivering. Kemuri smirked. 

Aki smiled sheepishly, understanding her look. "Yeah, I shouldn't of worn this..." She said, rubbing her arms. Kemuri looked around for an extra blanket. She stood dizzily up. Aki looked away, blushing fiercely. Kemuri sat back down quickly. She'd forgotten. A smile appeared on Aki's face. She started laughing. 

"You shoulda seen the look! You have pants on, you know." Kemuri looked down, embarrassed. 

"Anyways....I feel safer around you. Doesn't your father not really bother to look at you? And aren't you kinda 'invisible' when you walk through the halls? Kemuri shook her head in a yes. Her father hardly payed attention to her, and she was almost invisible in the halls. Aki would probably be safer around her. 

"Also, can we be f-friends?" Aki stammered, looking down. It was as if a guard couldn't be friends  with a princess. Kemuri nodded happily. Aki took that as a 'Sure!' She grinned. "Yay!"  Kemuri grinned back.