Falling petals

Unwelcomed Guest.

"I feel like we got caught in some type of trap."
 
"Yeah..."
 
Both boys stare at their hand while Sakura giggles at the results that appear in their game of rock paper scissors.
 
'I knew they would choose scissors first, especially if this is their first time playing the game.'
 
"Well looks like I'm 'it.' Now you guys have to hide. But now there is a time limit, I have to find you guys in less than an hour; if not, then I have to do a penalty. We will play three rounds and each one who can't find the other one when they are 'it' in one hour will have to do a penalty. How about it?"
 
"Ok. I don't mind."
 
"I reaalllyyyy~ feel like we fell in a trap. But I don't know what type. But... I'll play too."
 
"Great! Then I'll count till sixty and you all have to find a hiding spot "
 
Sakura smiles very innocently. Not showing an ounce of her mischievous thought.
 
Azazel was wary at the beginning but thought nothing after when they began the game, however Amar held a feeling of foreboding and feels this game would be Sakura's win in each round.
 
And that sixth sense of Amar was right on the money. Sakura was planning to win each round with no worries, because she was a devilish girl who thought nothing about winning in a dirty way, and that means cheating on the game.
 
'Daisy brought dresses she had her sons wear that was very common looking. She had them brought when we were deciding what I should wear incognito that time with Adeline. She even brought ones that I could use when I'm older. I think one of them would fit well in Azazel, while the ones that I wear can fit Amar.'
 
"-60! Ready or not, here I come!"
 
After counting to 60 she turns and begins to look around.
 
'Let's act a bit clueless for the first 30 minutes, then I'll go for them.'
 
"Oh where are you~?"
 
She had her hands behind her back while leisurely walking and looking around.
 
Sakura glances to a shaded area and can sense Kano behind the tree. Protecting her out of sight. While she can sense a few hidden guards in some trees.
 
After learning to control and use her magic abilities, her senses heighten. She didn't notice them because of magic emitting from them, because they are quite the pros that even Azrael, Gabriel and Ariel would have a hard time sensing them with their keen senses. The reason she can sense the few she found was because of the shadows reverberating an unknown silhouette in their area. So if a hidden guard uses the shadows as an advantage to hide their presence, then that itself reveals them to her.
 
'I can feel one of them on the left side whole two in the right. One behind and two in the area in front of me. However I feel like those aren't the only ones here, just that maybe the others that are hiding have dark magic abilities or are at a different level than those I sense.'
 
While thinking of using this to practice her magic, she quickly found where Amar was.
 
"..."
 
'This....'
 
She sees his whole legs out of a tree trunk. One that her remember has a hollow body. So it isn't a bad hiding spot.
 
'Just.... his whole legs are exposed and it feels like he isn't trying.'
 
Sakura stands by the trunk and was debating if should just call him out or leave him be till thirty minutes pass.
 
'I can act like I don't see anything, however I feel like he would feel embarrassed if we play this again with others and they downright tell him he sucks at hiding.'
 
She walks over and almost clutched her chest from the sight. He covered his face with both hands, as if that would really work.
 
'What a precious bean. This is the naivety of child who doesn't need to act.'
 
"Y-you found me.'
 
Without noticing it, he glanced through his fingers and saw her crouching while absentmindedly staring at him.
 
"Ah- yeah, hi~. I found you~"
 
She giggled a bit and stretched out a hand to him.
 
He looked at it and hesitantly reached to it. The moment his hand was in hers she grasped it and lifted him off the ground.
 
"Wah!"
 
He stumbled and fell into her arms. She held him steady and was surprised how just that much strength was able to pull him so easily. Then she noticed another surprise while steadying him; he was very light.
 
"Oh? You're very light."
 
"W-wait. P-please let go."
 
He was fully flustered and wasn't used to being so close to anyone other than Azazel or Azazel's father.
 
"Ah. Sorry."
 
Sakura stood up and lifted him to a standing position. Taking notice that while he stands in front of her they are about the same height.
 
'He really is short for a kid his age. But at least he has more meat in him than he did before. I thought he was a ghoul when I first looked at him.'
 
"It seems Zay has been treating you well."
 
"Ah. Y-yes. He took custody of me after learning I have no family to go back to. He-he has been treating me j-just a-as well as he does to A-Azazel."
 
"That's good. How has Zay and Azazel been this past few months? How are you guys treated in the palace?"
 
"Th-that's."
 
Amar was getting uncomfortable with the attention the princess was giving him. Normally someone would treat him as air or a disturbance when they get tired of listening to his stuttering. Yet Sakura listens to him with patience and continues to have a conversation with him.
 
"We- we were t-treated with a b-bit of dislike from the o-other kn-knights. S-sir Zay was con-confronted b-by the other kn-knights a f-few times. If the ones h-he was in the squad with ha-hadn't arrived to he-help him, then he wo-would have b-been harmed b-by those in the-the noble kn-knights."
 
"I see..."
 
Sakura narrows her eyes at what Amar just told her.
 
'It seems for now the situation isn't too dire for me to have to step up. However, I can't let those ignorant greedy bastards ruin what I have accomplished so far.'
 
"Hey Amar."
 
Sakura leans close to him, scaring him at how close she was.
 
"W-wai-!"
 
"I have a small favor to ask, but you can't tell either of Sir Zay nor Azazel."
 
She looked intently at his eyes. A look of mischief was displayed in her face, however, if you look at her eyes, it held a serious tone.
 
"W-what is it?"
 
He was curious of what favor she would like to ask him. To him, he can't thing of much that he can do for her. He's just an orphan, while she is the princess, the heir to an empire. So his curiosity won over his embarrassment and he leaned closer to hear her.
 
"If someone messes with you guys, you have to inform me about it. Do not keep quiet just because you guys 'don't want to make the situation worse.' For me, not solving that problem is the worst situation. Ok?"
 
"? Why do you want to help us so much?"
 
"Huh?"
 
"We are strangers. You are a princess who
nust receive a lot of love and care and there must be a lot of friends around you, so why do you worry about us who are just common, or maybe even below common people?"
 
This was the longest Amar has spoken without stuttering and he didn't beat around the bush when asking her this question.
 
"..."
 
Sakura tilts her head and wonders how she should answer him, she hadn't expected him to respond this way and just thought he would agree with the naivety of a child.
 
'However, seeing as he can ask me such a question without worrying for any type of retaliation, it displays that he still has the naivety of a child. So I can still use that.'
 
She smiled at him, a smile she knew was hard to read to those who don't know her that well.
 
"We survived something no normal kids would have. I felt an attachment to you guys after almost dying in that horrible place. Knowing people I had hidden and escaped with hurt in my palace just because I didn't know what difficulties you are put through by others would hurt me as much as if knowing a close friend being hurt."
 
She reaches her hands out to him looking at him with sincerity in her eyes, enough to fool a child who hasn't seen much of the outside world.
 
And Amar was a boy who only held memories of being in an orphanage till a certain age and then taken to the village to just be locked up. The only gaze he ever received from people their was disgust or disdain.
 
Only recently he was given a different look by others, so he easily believed Sakura's gaze.
 
He looked at her outstretched hands and hesitantly reached out his hands to hers. Smiling, Sakura tightens her hold, not too tight or too light, but enough to give a security that she won't let go easily.
 
"To me, we survived something that we had a low chance of ever surviving. And I had grown fond of both- no, to all three of you guys. Zay, who helped me by becoming a distraction. Azazel, who didn't have to but made sure to carry me out of the cave, even while malnourished and hurt himself. And you, who had stayed beside us, who was strong enough to not cry and was wise enough to listen to Azazel and me without running around. To me, a deep bond was formed and I don't want that bond to be broken. That is why I care so much for you guys and just wish to do my best to help you guys when you're in danger."
 
Her eyes held a caring gaze, one that was hard to deny.
 
"Or... is my care unnecessary and bothersome?"
 
While saying those words, her gaze sadden, appearing downcast at the thought her care wasn't needed.
 
"N-no! I didn't mean anything b-bad by asking you why. I-I was just confused w-why you would c-care for us to worry I-if we get h-harassed or not."
 
Again he stuttered his words in panic, trying his best to cheer her up when he noticed her expression.
 
"Then do you believe me? Will you tell me if anyone tries to hurt or do something to you guys?"
 
"Y-y-yes. I-I'll tell you when th-that happens."
 
"I'm glad!"
 
A beaming smile replaced her melancholy expression. Amar almost looked away with how bright her smile was.
 
"Well, we should finish this talk now, I bet Azazel is waiting for us to find him. It has already passed thirty minutes."
 
Sakura happily begins to walk while still holding one of his hand, Amar was still trying to process the whole conversation that just happened that made it end that way.
 
'If Amar is here. Then Azazel should be hiding somewhere close. Both boys from what I can see seem to have a deep bond, so Azazel would worry about leaving Amar too far, while Amar would be too scared to go too far as well.'
 
Sakura glances around and stealthily began to spread her senses. Her awareness connected to the shadowy darkness of the shade cast by the trees and by the shadows cast by people. Not even a second passed and she noticed a small shadow cast by a child around her age above a tree she is walking under of.
 
'Found you~'
 
"?"
 
Amar was confused with Sakura's sudden stop and couldn't see her expression since he was behind her, so he hasn't noticed her smirk from locating Azazel.
 
"I wonder where Azazel would hide? It has already been around forty minutes since the game started."
 
Sakura turns around and puts her free hand under her chin and appears to concentrate on the thought of where Azazel would be hiding.
 
Amar then took notice of the location they stopped at and quickly realized where they where.
 
'Uh oh.'
 
"Hey Amar."
 
"!?y-yes?"
 
"Give me a little hint. I won't tell Azazel you helped me. How about it?"
 
"T-that w-wouldn't be f-fair."
 
His head moved side to side in quick succession in adamant denial in informing her the location of his friend.
 
"Darn. Fine, I'll just have to look on my own."
 
Before he could sigh in relief at her quick response, he felt sweat run down his spine at her next action.
 
"S-s-Sakura!? W-why are you c-climbing up!?"
 
"Well duh! I can see better in higher ground, so I need to climb up to get that advantage."
 
"I-it's dangerous! Why not just lo-look around some m-more?"
 
"If I do that, then I'll be wasting more time. And I have less than twenty minutes. So I can't waste anymore time."
 
"I-I don't think t-thats a g-good idea."
 
Amar glances up the tree and sweats some more when he saw her getting ready to climb up.
 
"W-wa-!"
 
"Ok, ok~"
 
A small shadow jumps down from the high tree, surprising Sakura. The one who jumped was Azazel who chuckled at her eyes widening at his appearance.
 
"You found me. Ha-"
 
"Are you dumb! How can you jump from that height!"
 
Sakura hurriedly checks Azazel.
 
"Did you twisted your ankle? Did you sprain something!? I'll ask Kano to take you to check a royal doc- no, a royal healer!"
 
"No, I'm fine, really!"
 
Both boys were stupefied by her overly aggressive worry.
 
"Are you sure?! You just jumped from such a height and you're saying you aren't hurt? I don't believe it one bit!"
 
"I'm fine! Really. Look."
 
Azazel spreads his arms wide and turns in a circle to allow her to check his whole body. He moves his legs and ankle after to display no discomfort in his movements.
 
"See?"
 
Sakura still held some worry but it was obvious her previous panic lessened. She breaths a sigh of relief when seeing his movements.
 
"Next time don't do something as dangerous as jumping from such a height. You can get injured."
 
"Ok, I will make sure to watch out for next time."
 
Hearing his words, Sakura was reassured and felt she can trust him.
 
'I can't have him injured or weak, those are the best preys for that disgusting corruption. Especially now when I still have a few traitorous nobles roaming around this areas, luckily none too close to my palace or garden.'
 
"Your highness."
 
A voice disturbs her thoughts an she turns to it.
 
Kano walks out behind a tree and walks toward them.
 
"Sir Raphael calls for you. He informed me an unexpected guests arrived."
 
"Ah, unexpected guest means unwanted ones. Either a snobbish noble or those from the Divine k- oh, I keep forgetting. Their influence keeps growing so now they are an empire. What was it?.. ah! The Holy empire."
 
Her tone was light, but it obvious held scorn and even a bit of hatred it someone took a deeper notice to it.
 
Kano nods.
 
"The holy empire made an unexpected visit and quickly came over."
 
"Heh, why am I not surprised."
 
Sneering at the news, she lightly chuckles and was already heading to her palace.
 
"Well then, I believe it is best to head in and play a different game."
 
"Oh? And why is that?"
 
Started, she quickly turns to the voice, Kano already sensed the group and was already in a more stable position. The only reason he didn't unsheathed his sword was because of who was with that unwelcome guest.
 
"You... Why are you here?"
 
Sakura frown at the man in her garden. She walked forward and grabbed Azazel and Amar and hid them behind her and Kano.
 
"It has been a year since we last saw each other. Yet I sense a hint of annoyance from my appearance."
 
"How can that be. You are just overthinking it Sir Caspian."
 
Yes. The unexpected guest was Caspian, one of the holy knights who appeared in the beginning years of her sudden transmigration to this world. The one she knew held the heroine and her mother somewhere hidden from her father.
 
The one who the original Sakura killed first in her life.
 
"It is a pleasure to see you again."
 
"I am glad. For I am truly happy to see you again as well, your highness."
 
Both held a smile in their lips, one with amusement while the other with distaste.
 
This meeting would bring an unexpected surprise to Sakura. How? That will be told later.