Shangri La Pt. 1

100: Prudent

( Still in Flashback! )

"Yah– Why're we here?" Katsuki asked, annoyed that he followed his older sister to be the stables for the palace. 

Yu effortlessly turned around and looked at him quite seriously and replied; "Because this is where you'll be working." 

"Ah– What?!?! Why this place?" 

"Because I know you, and you can handle keeping this place clean and all the horses here to be well kept. It shouldn't be hard to keep this place maintained at all times, huh?" Yu laughed as she crossed her arms while looking at their surroundings. But as much as she sounded like she was joking, Katsuki didn't think the same way. 

"Yah– Can't you at least let me be closer to where those Knights are?" 

"Nope, because all you'll do is just joke around and slack on working here. The only way for you to become a Knight is by earning that title, and you haven't done that."

"Then what about you? Clearly you've been here since you left home and have a good lifestyle here." 

"Only because I worked my butt off to get to this position. The only reason I became a maid as soon as I got here was because I worked hard to save that Knight from that time it came to our home. Maybe if you didn't slack off and could've helped me, then things would be different now, but I'm not letting you get this the easy way and become a Knight like that. Have you even properly trained to become one?"

"Ah– I-I–" 

"Uh huh. Start cleaning up this place and maybe I'll help you more. And one last thing; you can't reveal to anyone that I'm your sister, because I don't want people to assume the worst about me." 

"Yeah yeah, fine. But you better keep your part of the deal." 

"Yes yes, now get to work."

"You– We will be having an important guest arrive here soon?" 

"Yes, Miss Takeyama, as he's an old friend of mine, and though he hasn't visited me for a while, he is much more important than any other guest we've had come here. I'm not sure if you were serving us the last time my friend visited, but you mustn't treat him without any respect." the King spoke. 

'Hmph– If this is the close friend to the King, then I know exactly who he is and how much of a pain in the neck he was the last time he was here.' Yu thought, keeping silent when she knew the truth already. 

"I will have everything set and fully prepared for his arrival, Your Majesty." 

"Good, as he will be here much longer than the last time, if not permanently." the King, which caught the blonde's attention.

"'P-Permanently', Your Majesty?" 

"Yes, as I hope that if things run smoothly on this visit, then I will have him engaged with my daughter; the Princess." 

And with that sentence, Yu froze in shock, as that was the last thing she wanted to hear from the King. 

"I-I–" 

"Is that a problem to you, Miss Takeyama?" 

"E-Eh? O-Oh no, Your Majesty! I will have everything prepared, Your Majesty. Excuse me." Yu finished with a stutter as she made a quick bow and left the throne room with her body shaking in fear. The second she left the throne room, Yu tried to walk these thoughts off, but she couldn't as she rested herself against the stone cold wall and tried to process everything once more.