The Flowing Domain

Deja vu

"Princess it was just a solid statement. I did not really mean to ... make it come that way... I..." Kanno did not find any more words to say. It felt like something held him behind, making him feel hesitant. Though he wanted to make sure that he was serious and that he completed his statement till the end. He wanted to give solid reasoning and he did not want to look dumb in front of the royal herself. Was it perhaps the stereotype that every castle worker holds? Anyone mutual or close to the princess should be able to be great at reasoning and professional at his job, that was the requirement here, wasn't it? But one of the things that Kanno had in his mind was his father. Nico Hajime. Piling up small, minor mistakes may drive into major mistakes, and the royal guard as well as butler himself did not want that. He wanted to show his father that all those years that they both spent for him to be the great guard was worthy. Their blood and sweat won't go in vain.

Next thing he knew, he knelt down on the ground, his knee pressing down on the ground and his other leg in a crouched position. He looked down on the ground, pressing his hand on his chest as he tugged his collar shirt firmly. His face shifted into a much more serious and concentrated expression. "Dear princess, I am saying this to express my sincerest apologies to you in reference to the foolish behaviour that I showed up recently. I do understand that is not my place to control your decisions and planning, and I did the biggest mistake by doing so. In retrospect, I believe I deserve to be punished." Kanno would finish, closing his eyes as his heart started racing and he stayed silent, his blue hair wavering in the air as there was a silence. Princess' hum stopped, though she did not really look at Kanno. She was glancing at the roses that were in the garden, stroking their petals and taking a whiff from their strong scent that was diffused around. How could she be so calm? It felt like the princess herself and Kanno, they were both polar opposites. Kanno was a worried, overprotective man and princess Aquila was a laid back, soft woman.

Kanno still closed his eyes, and then waited for some kind of response, his head slumped down, still. Then he started to hear some kind of rustling, eventually, he felt a soft touch of someone's hand. That hand was princess' hand, which would slick his blue hair back slightly, and seemingly she had some kind of substance smudged on her finger. "I forgive you." Was heard, and Kanno would open his eyes slowly, looking up at the princess as their eyes met. Her jewel-like eyes would flash as she pressed the substance on his forehead, smudging it on his forehead which made him just stare at her. This feeling gave him some kind of flashback which reflected in the back of his head. The smell of the particular substance filled his nostrils made him even more alarmed. It felt like there was a missing piece in his head, desperately trying to find it's the spot from the crowded memories. 

Aquila smiled once again, her soft smile present on her face. Her purple hair moved from side to side on her shoulders, and eventually, she stopped touching his forehead and proceeded to take a step back. Her steps started to move forward as she whirled herself around, her heels pressed against the soft soil as she glanced back at him with the same look that she gave him 10 years ago. That glance with the corner of her eyes and over her shoulder, her hair covering her face partly and those movements, those little twirls and small steps. This garden,  the aura even gave him some sort of safe presence. They have both met in this garden, in this spot 10 years ago. The same date, same time and everything were repeated after 10 years. 

His eyes would widen before he realized, eventually, his hand would retract bak as he slowly stood up and looked at Aquila that was at the beginning of the maze. He needed more insight, he needed more answers and more action. Though as he parted his lips once he fully stood up from his position, Aquila turned around and pinched her skirt from both sides, starting to walk through the maze at a moderate speed. "Princess!" Kanno blurted out before following after her, though his pace was slower than the princess' since he was trying to remember every possible detail. How could he not remember that princess and he met before? In the same garden? It could have been such a great memory to remember, but how come it was erased from his mind? Impossible. His steps followed up and tried to catch up to Aquila's pace as both of them would walk through the zig-zag path of the maze. The expressions even were same, Aquila had an amused face on, however, Kanno seemed to be more concentrated and worried.

As Kanno was chasing after the princess, he stopped once they were in a more covered place. He would lift the leaves that acted like foliage, making sure that the leaves did not poke his head as he looked around. It was a wall made of leaves and flowers, vines surrounding the walls as some kind of spell. He stepped his foot inside, only to realize it was a dead end. They have met once again, this place gave him an intense sense of safety once again, he looked at the princess and stepped in front of her, grabbing her wrist softly as they both gazed in their eyes. They both felt some kind of mutual feeling between each other, some kind of deja vu that they both experienced. That feeling, it felt so mutual but neither of them could explain it. No, it is not love. "Princess, you should not run away like this. The maze is huge and you can get lost." He made up some kind of excuse to understand the situation. Aquila only let out a soft tee-hee before tilting her head slightly. "I know this maze by heart, Kanno. I can't get lost in it. But there is a reason why we met again. There is always a reason for everything. This isn't the first time we have ever met." Aquila would say, looking at how worried he was. Then she would glance down at her wrists that were held by him, which made him retract his hands back and keep them to himself, he can't be all touchy-touchy with a princess. 

"Your presence and this maze, this place... it gives me warmth in my heart. I do not understand. We came here to talk about your trip to Kyrenth, but now we are both distracted by this surreal sentiment or premonition. I feel like something is going to happen, though I think it could be unpleasant." Kanno explained, placing his hand on his heart as his eyebrows were furrowed. Aquila only looked at him, her pouty lips curving to a soft smile once again, shaking her head as she placed her hand on her heart as well, tugging her blue dress as she closed her eyes and parted her lips. "How can it be unpleasant if it's the warmth that is pulsating in your heart? How is it dangerous if it gives you some kind of glimpse of the forgotten memory? You got the spark of deja vu in your head, but you need to remember why you were in this garden, Kanno." Princess spoke, her voice as sweet as honey as her eyes would flutter open eventually, she eventually stepped back and leaned closer to the wall making Kanno look at her eyes for one last time as he would reach his hand out in the air as if to stop her as if something is going to happen to her.


"Do you know about this memory? This feeling? Princess, I need to know..." Kanno spoke impatiently, making Aquila shake her head slightly as she looked at him with a half calm gaze and slightly worried gaze as well. "You must find your abandoned memories. It would be wrong if I will aid you." Aquila replied to his offer, then eventually letting herself lean on the wall that was full of white roses and leaves, then vines were wrapped around her wrists as she was pulled back, her hair getting coated around the leaves as she was pushed back in the wall, her body getting sucked into the wall itself, making Kanno run up to the princess as his hand was in the air to reach out to her. "Princess Aquila!" But with the last glance, the princess was gone, out of sight. 

He would furrow his eyebrows as a frown was present on his face and so he would push himself in the wall as well, feeling how he was dissolved in nature's grasp, eventually leaving the small secret place that gives him the sensation of amiable feeling. Though it felt like he himself was falling in the void of nothingness as the leaves would suffocate him deep down as he travelled in the so-called maze where he and the princess met once again.