Bathing with Royalty

"My Lord."

A man in thick plated armor keeled at the feet of an elderly man. His long crimson haired was tied back, and his sword hung at his waist. He appeared ready to fight at any given moment.

"Have you come to report the progress of my son?" The king, who appeared as though he would collapse at any given moment from his old age, asked.

The knight nodded, and lifted his head to face his king, a hairless man dressed in long, orange and yellow robes. It might have been possible that he wore more jewels then he had wrinkles.

"Yes, your lordship." the knight dreaded what was to come. The king that sat on the throne that oversaw all that went on inside the Ember Palace and all the cities below wasn't know for his compassion. In fact, he was best known for his iron fist, of which the knight didn't want to collide with.

"I'm afraid that your son failed to retrieve the princess."

"What did you say, I couldn't hear you clearly. Tidis, you know I am not as young as I used to be."

The knight, Tidis, cleared his throat. "He failed to bring back the princ--"

He made an attempt to repeat his statement, but his words fell short once he was forced to the ground. As the king raised a single shaking hand, the knight was forcefully pulled down and pressed against the stone brick flooring. It was as if the king had multiplied the gravity around the man twenty fold.

"Tidis," the king tisked, "I think you, of all people, should understand what it means to fail a powerful ruler, such as myself. Now, I will ask a series of questions, all I want is a "yes" or "no".

"Is the princess alive?"

The knight gave a nod, which wasn't what the king had asked for, thus he was risen into the air, then forcefully slammed back against the floor by the waving of the king.

"Y--yes!" Tidis cried out in pain.

"Now, is she alone?"

"N..no, your majesty."

"You know who she's with?"

"Yes.."

"Please," the king gave a cruel smile. One that could be seen from any corner of the large throne room. Even if it was dimly lit. "Tell me who she hides with."

The gravitational control over Tidis was dropped. Sitting up right in his throne, the king waited for his answer.

"A mortal, named Souta Okada. At least he was a mortal." Tidis took a gasp for breath between his words. "It seems that from our information that he is.."

"What is it?!" the king changed to impatient in a mere instant.

"He saved the princess, she was wounded and he healed her wounds, with magic."

"Impossible!" the king spat. "If he could do that, then it would mean..." the elderly man's voice trailed off as his thoughts clicked into place.

"Are you even suggesting that another has been born?" the king asked, his figure beginning to shake with fury as he sat in his throne.

"Yes, lord. He is the new Aalok," Tidis was expecting the king to explode with rage, and when he didn't that made him all the more fearful.

"Tidis," the king said. "You are to gather your numbers, however many I do not care. You will go to the Mortal Plain and you will bring my daughter and this boy here. Understand?"

The knight nodded, and scattered from the throne room, knowing he wasn't to fail in this.

Once he was gone, the king sat in silence, tapping his finger against the arm of the throne. "I do believe another tournament is in order," he said to himself. He thought it over for a moment then chuckled. "Arata," he called. Not but a few seconds later a bald man appeared by the king's side. He wore the standard male servant uniform and had a bushy white mustache resting below his nose. Other then his white hair, and the lack of it, he looked decently youthful.

"Master," the servant named Arata bowed.

"Would you please inform the citizens that we will be hosting another tournament. It would seem that our traditions..." The king was choosing his words carefully. "And all it's problems have yet to die out. Inform the citizens that anyone to win will receive a wish from Dragoon himself."

The servant was consumed with surprise at what the king had said, but he did not let it show. With another bow he excused himself, simply promising that it would be done.

That was what the king loved about Arata. He was so dependable. So trustworthy. Unlike that useless knight, Tidis.

Would he be executed? The king played with these thoughts for more than a few minutes. Ultimately deciding that his fate rested in his own hands. If he could retrieve the two people, Harada and this Okada fellow. Then all would be well. And if not...

The king envisioned Tidis with hid neck on a guillotine.

That would certainly do with the king. Either way was perfectly fine. If he failed, the king knew there was someone that could succeed where he had failed.

***

"Again!"

"I'm just too tired!"

"How will you fight without a weapon?!"

Souta sighed, he stood a few feet away from the princess, facing her. She was beautiful. Even with her long hair tied back, and her wearing a track suit, she still managed to make him drool.

It was day four of his private lessons with Harada, and the forth day he wanted to collapse. When she had said she would train him, she had meant it. The princess was going into great depth about the fundamentals of a ghost and spirit partnership, and she was making Souta work even harder at learning it. It was physical training by day, and mental training by night.

And now, as they stood together, the sun setting behind them, she was attempting to drill summoning into his brain. She had explained that every spirit has a certain weapon that the ghost is allowed to wield. These weapons can be devastatingly powerful, and can even change forms as the user gets used to using it. But the first, and hardest step, was summoning it in the first place. Souta just couldn't get a hold of it.

"Princess." Souta took long heavy breaths, and wiped the sweat from his brow. "The sun has set, I'm finished for today."

"What do you think you're doing?!" Harada exclaimed as Souta began to head for the door.

"I'm going to take a bath," he said almost triumphantly. "I'm sweaty and smell horrible."

"You!.." Harada whispered under her breath, as she did so she marched up behind Souta, only a few feet away and grabbed at his wrist.

But she pulled at him a bit more forcefully than she'd meant, and when he turned to face her he lost his footing and tumbled to the ground. The only issue was that Harada fell too, only she was beneath him. It was that cliche Souta had seen in almost every romance anime he'd watched, when the guy and the girl fell, in the process they ended up kissing. Their lips landing upon each other, and the two giving in to the love they obliviously shared. Well, it went something like that.

Souta fell to the ground as Harada forcefully pulled at him, her attempt to keep him outside. Once she did so Souta fell atop of Harada and together they landed on the soft grass. As they did so he felt like someone was pressing down on his head, and he couldn't go against the force. Unwillingly, his head was brought down, and Harada was overcome with shock as Souta pressed his lips to hers. Unlike the traditional aspects of closing your eyes when you kiss, Souta's eyes along with Harada's only widened at what was happening.

Souta didn't know why, but he didn't break away, not until he was smacked. Harada, after recovering from her shock, brought the palm of her hand against Souta's cheek. From the supernatural force of her being a ghost, Souta was knocked away, and landed on his back. Before he was even capable of processing what all was happening, Harada was at her feet. Hovering about him. Her large, double edged sword, Gram was in her hands.

Her teeth were gritted together with anger, her face flustered with blush, her eyes seemed like they were twitching. Souta couldn't tell.

"You!..."

Harada tightened her grip on Gram, As she spoke. "What do you think your doing?!" In a mere instant she exploded, not that he blamed her, but he didn't like the look in her eyes mixed with the sword in her hands.

"H..Harada," Souta was stuttering to get his words out, fearful that She may stab him. "It was an accident, I didn't mean to k..k..kiss you. So please.."

"You moron! Perverted beast!"

"Ahhhh!"

The sounds of Souta and Harada fighting became all that was present in the orange afternoon. While Harada hadn't cut him, she sure tried. Souta was lucky enough to make a few lucky dodges, and avoid Gram all together. That was one thing he could think he training for.

***

"Ah.." Souta let out a breath of relief as the overhead shower faucet began to drench his body with hot water. As the coat of swear dissolved, it was replaced by the soothing drops of aqua pellets. It was nice and besides the sounds of the running water, it was peacefully quiet. As he coated his hair, with shampoo he began to think to himself. His thoughts leading to the examination of his golden spirit seal. Souta almost couldn't believe that everything had happened. And in such a short amount of time..

Souta reached to the shelf that made up part of the shower's tiled wall and grabbed at the bar of soap. He scrubbed at the surface of his hand, a part of him was hoping that the seal would begin to fade, and even wash away completely. But the other part of him, well he knew better. Sighing to himself, he returned to soap to the shelves, his thoughts were so out of place he began to think about the shower itself. It was large. That was the thing he was just noticing. Souta guessed that about three people could stand with a comfortable amount a room at once. The thought was rather convenient for what was to come.

See, almost immediately after, no more than five seconds, a light knock could be heard on the bathroom's door. The knock was so faint that Souta disregarded it for a moment, thinking that he hadn't actually heard anything. But when it was followed by a louder knock he knew someone, more specifically Harada was standing outside the door.

"Yeah?" Souta asked as he rinsed the shampoo from his almond hair. "What is it Harada?" As Souta mentioned her name, he could almost swear he heard her jump from surprise on the door's other side.

"Eh?!"

Souta went quiet and waited for a moment..

"I'm coming in.." Harada said at last. But she didn't say it casually, or with any form of confidence. No, her voice was low, almost inexsistant. She did as she said and entered the bathroom. Through the steam filled room, and the sliding glass door of the shower, it was hard to make out anything.

"Excuse me.." Harada said. Her prior quiet voice tone was now louder and more embarrassed.

Souta turned his back to the shower's door and covered his most delicate parts with his hands. Careful that nothing was shown. It was then, with his back turned that he waited for the sound of the door to open then close, signaling that Harada was then gone.

However, he was surprised when he heard the sound of the shower's door being opened. It wasn't much, just one small click following another.

"Huh--"

Souta made an attempt to investigate by turning his head but he was stopped.

"Souta Okada don't you dare turn your head around.." Harada's tone was serious, like the sane tone of voice she took before she considered stabbing him, but it quickly wavered. It altered into..embarrassment?

"You can't see me like this.." she said quietly. "S..so..so don't even think about peeking!"

"..."

Souta kept his flustered face turned and himself covered. He heard The sound of something hitting the floor and when he looked at his feet he saw the white cloth of a towel. Both him and Harada were exposed!

Or so he thought. But having his head turned he wasn't able to see that Harada stood facing his back wearing a bikini. It was a light blue two piece, that fit her body amazingly. Something like you'd see in a summers modeling catalog. Harada reached for the body wash, it was part of her original attempt to wash Souta's back. This was her plan to grow closer to the boy. Sure, they had spent lots of time together recently, but she wanted to be closer to him than anyone else. Selfish maybe, but she was serious at her desires. She'd work her hardest to make them a reality.

She had reached for the white bottle of body wash, but stopped as she noticed the long, thick, white line that stretched across Souta's back. It was a scar. It was massive! Moving from his right shoulder and down to his left thigh and back up in a never ending glide.

"Hey, Souta?" Harada asked.

"Y...yes?" he stuttered. For a brief moment Harada saw how flustered and embarrassed he was, she took a small moment to acknowledge that it was rather cute of him. But she retained control of her original thought and prayed that it wasn't a serious and touchy topic for him.

"Say Souta, how did you get this scar?"

"Eh..."

It was obvious that he wasn't expecting the question, and as a result his voice and emotions died down into sadness. As if Harada's question was forcing him to relive every second of the moment when he received that mark.

But in a sense, Souta had already given her the answer to the question. Almost as soon as she asked it, she had a vision. A premonition of the past. One of the effects from her harvesting a portion of his soul. She knew every last thing about him after all.

She saw a young boy, no older than ten laying on his stomach. The setting seemed to be some abandoned warehouse of some sort. The child, Souta, was tied down to the table he lay on by his wrist and ankles. The sound of sirens could be heard close by, police attempting to reason with his kidnappers. Two men were there, one was shorter and so skinny he looked like he was snap at any moment. The other was a larger man with arms as thick as a street light. They both wore black mask to keep their faces hidden.

"Hey...maybe we should stop. I'm pissed and all, but this is a bit much!"

As the larger man heard the smaller man's words he sighed to himself. And before the other man realized it, he was unconscious. The man had beaten him away from reality.

"You know?" he asked to the crying child. Souta looked horrified.

"Your father put a lot of good people out of a job, now what am I going to do for my son?" The man pulled a large knife from a sheath at his side.

"I'm sorry kid, but it's only fair that I get even. I need to make sure your dad never forgets me." He raised Souta's shirt up to reveal his back.

Harada did her best to avoid watching the next bit, and pulled herself from the vision. She almost forgot she was in the shower with Souta.

"My parents had a lot of people that didn't like them," Souta was saying. "Some of them went to extreme lengths to get even, but it's okay. That's all in the past."

Harada couldn't see his face because she had forced him to face away, but somehow she knew he was smiling.

"Say Souta," Harada said after a moment of silence. "Can I wash your back?"

"Huh?!"

Souta was surprised and didn't have the slightest idea what he should do once Harada placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Please?" she asked.

"..b..but why?!" he asked. Almost demanding an answer.

"I heard that this is a way that people grow closer. They bathe together."

"That's what guys do!" Souta complained.

"Then think of me as a guy." Harada voiced her answer as if it was a perfect solution. She was surprised when Souta denied it.

"Harada, I'm afraid I cannot look at you as I look at men. You're far too beautiful and your figure is too...amazing."

"Eh...?" Harada didn't immediately process what he had said. His words causing her to look down at herself. Her medium sized breast that were concealed in the winners of her bathing suit, her flat stomach, her long legs. He liked all that?

Harada was focused to remain on target, and she did so grabbing the white bottle of body wash.

Here I go! She said to herself.

Coating her hands in the silky, smooth liquid she spread it across Souta's back. She felt him shiver as she did so.

He was so calm when he found me in his bed..so why is he so embarrassed now?

Harada finished applying the body wash and proceeded to the next stage of her plan. It was rather clever in her opinion. She had almost filled out all the steps of "Operation Make Him Mine." It was some article she had found in a random magazine. She didn't know why Souta had a magazine for girls to make better friends with people, but she was glad she had found it.

As she went forward with the final step she blushed and sucked in her breath. She was prepared to do so. As long as it was Souta, well she didn't mind. She pressed her breast against his back, and placed her hands on his shoulders, which she found to be rather firm.

Souta however was basically drooling over the scenario. But he began to get worried, as certain covered areas were becoming unable to remained covered.

"Hey, Souta?" Harada who was completely flustered as she moved her breasts up and down his back asked. "Do you...does it feel good?"

Souta's eyes widened, no only at the question, but at the small bits of blood that were trickling from his nose.

"Y...y..yes!" he admitted in s rather energetic tone. "Your breast feel very nice!"

"Huh?..."

"Huh?..."

The two we're baffled. Then at almost the same time, they glanced towards the tiled floor, where the top piece of a blue bikini lay.

It was then that Harada noticed her bare breasts pressed against Souta's back.

"..."

"Harada?" Souta asked. "I think you dropped something."

"...."

As the seconds continued to pass Harada became more and more flustered. Slowly she bent over and picked up the half of her bikini to have fallen. "Don't you dare look at me!" Harada demanded.

"Yes ma'am!" Souta said not daring to look her way.

Once she was sure he wasn't watching, she opened the door of the shower and stepped out. Then she opened the door of the bathroom and dashed down the hall.

All Souta knew was that she had yelled "You pervert!" as she did so.

Souta shook his head, and uncovered himself. His thoughts wavered about his scar as he washed the soap from his back. How had he gotten that again?