[Completed] Legend of the Five Knights I: Rise of a Guardian Angel

Episode 42: Jealousy

Akari led Takuya to the golden gates leading to the palace grounds. They had been opened earlier, but now they were closed. Standing guard were two soldiers, one female, the other male. Both of them held spears of white gold.

"Lady Akari," the guy said, his face turning red as soon as he realized who it was. "What brings you here?" His brown eyes shifted to Takuya. "And who is this gentleman?"

Takuya chuckled. He had never been called a 'gentleman' before, despite having inherited his pa's noble title of 'count'. The title had been granted to his father during his time as a Seven Hill under King Orlin. Not that he'd ever made his nobility known. His younger siblings, however, lacked titles. In their clan, knightly titles were only inherited by the eldest.

"This is Sir Serrano's cousin, Takuya."

The two guards gasped. "Wait, are you by any chance the son of Sir Tekeshi?" the woman asked.

Takuya smiled and nodded. "Yeah! I'm his oldest son. I'm actually here to see my siblings and Ma who came here for a meetin' with the kin'."

The two guards exchanged glances. "Your siblings? Ahh, you must mean the young man who came here with Sir Serrano and the girl and woman whom Lady Setsuko let inside."

The young man tilted his head at them. He had no idea that his ma and sister had met the first princess on their way. "I think so..." he responded.

"Well, either way, if Lady Akari here trusts you then please come in," the male guard said. The two guards tapped the ground with their spears, causing the golden gates to open.

Akari pulled him inside, running down a winding pathway of black stone large enough to allow two-way vehicle traffic. The path cut through a garden of wisteria, sage, zinnia, marigold, and other thousands of plants with either purple or orange blooms. He smiled as wisteria petals flew past him. They were so pretty, zipping past the air like birds. They reminded him of Kasai no Ki's annual spring cherry blossom festival he had once attended during one of his hunts.

He held out a hand as he walked and watched his palm to see if a petal would land on it. Indeed, an entire petal landed on the center of his right hand. The young man giggled as he closed his hand. He covered the petal in a cloak of prana before tucking it away into the pockets of his blue harem pants.

Akari sped up suddenly until the two were going thirty miles per hour. After a dozen minutes, the duo arrived at a pair of gates adorned in gold leaf. Takuya's eyes widened as his eyes shot straight up. The building could be a city all of its own!

"Shocked, eh?" Akari asked, snickering. "Honestly, I was too. This is the largest palace by volume that I have ever seen, and I have seen all of the palaces of the other major clans."

Takuya nodded as he tried to get himself together. He lowered his head slowly and pushed the doors open. Instantly he felt like he was back at the old palace as various statues dotted the lobby.

Akari giggled as she walked on ahead of the shell shocked young man. "Come on, don't you wish to see your brother? I suggest you ask around. Meanwhile, I am off to see if there's a doctor in the house to look over me."

Takuya shook his head to snap out of his daze. "W-wait! I'll come with you!" he yelled, chasing after her.

***

['Present']

Takuya and Akari glanced around one of the many hallways of the palace. This section of the palace resembled a hospital. It even smelled like one.

Akari stopped as she noticed that one of the doors at the far end of the hall was open. "This way, there might be a doctor there. Maybe he or she has information on your family's whereabouts too. I did hear that your brother would be part of a tournament, so chances are he might've been treated."