Heart of a Diamond: A Rakta Diamond Story

A Few Years On

It had been twelve years since Rakta had first shown up at the gates of Diamond Castle. Twelve years spent training in the deadly, lovely art of war.

Rakta was nineteen, the princess a year younger. And he was now old enough to know just how far away she truly was from him. He understood Masuta's warning now, rank an unshakeable, invisible line between himself and Avinos.

The years before he had come to the castle seemed hardly worth remembering.

Rakta had loved the Princess for as long as he could, or cared, to remember. So he had always loved her, watching as she learned to write and dance and whatever else it was princesses were supposed to learn.

It had gotten him in trouble with his own teachers when he'd paid more attention to Avinos than to his own lessons of fighting and shooting and whatever else it was Aces were supposed to learn.

He wasn't supposed to love her.

Not like this.

"Ace!" Masuta's harsh voice snapped Rakta's attention back to his teacher. He turned, trying to pretend like he hadn't really been watching Avinos read in the sunlight, a summer breeze playing gaily with her bright hair.

He met Masuta's unamused gaze steadily, wiping his face clean of any emotion that might betray him.

Masuta sighed and shook his head, his red hair now shot through with white. Rakta waited until his teacher looked up at the sun and asked, "Have you eaten today?"

Rakta, startled by the concerned question, shook his head. "I haven't had time."

Masuta eyed Rakta's lean, strong frame. "Well then, on with you, lad. How are you supposed to fight anything looking so much like an underfed broom?" Rakta opened his mouth, trying to protest, but Masuta waved a hand. "I'll be by the east wall in two hours," he warned. "If you know what's good for you, so will you."

He turned away as Rakta saluted, his eyes already wandering back to Avinos, a violent argument beginning to take place in his mind. He stood there for a full three minutes before he shook his head and turned sharply on his heel, intending to go directly to the kitchens.

But he hadn't been fast enough. Or fate was just tempting him instead of the other way around.

"Rakta!" Avinos' voice rang across the garden, and his steps automatically slowed, drawn to her the way a magnet was attracted to its opposite.

The princess set her book down and hurried across the smooth, green lawn where Rakta had spent the past three hours in physical training with Masuta, pushing his body into demanding, unforgiving positions that ensured not only strength but flexibility as well. Rakta looked around in vain for his shirt, then remembered that he hadn't bothered to bring one.

His cheeks grew warm as the princess approached, a small smile playing around her mouth as she eyed him, taking in his state of partial undress. Rakta looked down, embarrassed and pleased.

Then he shook his head. She was a princess. She could look at whomever she wanted, whenever she wanted. Rakta was not granted that same freedom and he shouldn't be pleased by her attention either. Merely tolerant of it.

He started when something was tossed at him and caught it, his reflexes not abandoning him even as his common sense tried to. Rakta looked in puzzlement down at the white cloth in his hands, then unfolded it to find a shirt. Quickly, he put it on, his heart starting to slow as he felt he was finally able to meet the princess's gaze.

She smiled brightly. "Now you can come with me," she said.

Avinos grabbed his hand and pulled him along, Rakta still unable to resist the strange, wonderful creature even to this day. But he was able to ask, "Where are we going?"