A Witch, A Knight and The Black Cat

Chapter 2

Kumiko tried to sneak away multiple times while Shirayuki was absorbed in her work, and every time Obi dragged her back kicking and complaining. One time Obi literally dragged her back to Shirayuki's work station by a bootless foot while she moped with her arms crossed. Obi refused to return her shoe until Shirayuki announced they were heading out to the garden which he only groaned at while Kumiko stuck her tongue out at him.

As she picked herbs from the massive greenhouse garden Shirayuki managed to keep a better eye on Kumiko, but not by much. When the mundane chat stopped the herbalist would quickly get lost in her work once more leaving Obi to chase the hooded girl about the garden. By the time Shirayuki was done collecting samples Obi and Kumiko were wrestling by the exit. Obi had snatched her hood and shoved it down the back of his shirt while Kumiko was pulling on his scarf choking the man to get her hood back. They were a tangled mess on the ground, frozen by Shirayuki's intense staring.

"He started it," Kumiko blamed.

"She was trying to leave," Obi said defensively.

"I keep telling you I'm not going to leave the castle," she fought. She tightened her grip on his scarf making him pull back for air. A pleased grin quirked at her mouth.

Crouching down next to them Shirayuki held her basket in her lap as she met Kumiko's light brown gaze. "Where do you want to go?" she asked kindly.

Leaning away from the girl's kindness Kumiko slowly said, "I don't want to say."

"Is it inside the castle?" she inquired.

"Yes," Kumiko nodded.

"Then why don't you go," she smiled.

"Miss?" Obi questioned.

"I don't need constant guarding Obi, besides I trust Kumiko won't leave," she explained.

Jumping up from their entanglement Kumiko pointed an accusatory finger at Obi who adjust his scarf. "I'm not going with the hood stealing jerk," she declared.

Standing Shirayuki said, "I'm sure you two can work it out."

With a smile Shirayuki stepped around them and left the greenhouse. Kumiko leered sideways at the annoying guard as he stared after the other girl. Reaching into his shirt he pulled out her hood and tossed it at her.

As she caught the fabric Obi said, "Don't make the Miss regret trusting you."

While pulling on her hood Kumiko absentmindedly murmured, "And why is that?"

Suddenly Obi was towering over her with a murderous look in his eye. Kumiko shrunk back as her hands reached for the sword that wasn't there. "Or it'll be the last thing you do," he warned. "Understood?" He arched a brow at her.

"Y-Yeah," she muttered.

He stood there for a moment longer before disappearing after Shirayuki, leaving Kumiko with trembling legs and her heart in her throat.

Once Kumiko pulled herself together -lying to herself that Obi hadn't scared her- she exited the greenhouse and made her way to the other side of the castle. Climbing the tree she had spent the last week in spying on her brother, she perched on the familiar oak branch with a leaf stem stuck between her teeth and eyes firmly fixed on the second Prince's office.

Zen was filling out boring paperwork, while Kiki and Mitsuhide read from book and scrolls. All busy with their high titled jobs. Kumiko irritably chewed at the leaf stem as she narrowed her gaze at Mitsuhide. Her sword gleaming at his hip.

"Could run in and snag it," she whispered to herself.

Twisting her silver lock of hair around her finger Kumiko imagined the outcome if she busted into a prince's room.