A Monarch and an Outlaw

[Shuurai]

Shuurai was walking nonchalantly down the streets of a small village called Koharu. He was dressed as he always dressed; lavishly. He was wearing a collared shirt with some buckles on it, a cravat over it, a pair of white gloves, black pants with a strap around his right leg - close to the hip, a black coat, black boots that were pointed at the tips, and a black hat with a rare blue ice flower on top. Well, the flower wasn't actually made of ice but it was given the name ice due to the fact that it looked as if it was made of ice.

The day was a great one. The sun was shining brightly and it was the perfect day in Shuurai's opinion; not too warm and not too cold, just right. You'd think with Mt. Hakobe so close to the village that it would be colder but this was just one of those days that the weather got along, just like a cat and a dog. Shuurai was walking back to his house, a mansion really. He had gone for a little stroll around the busy village. It was busy everyday due to the villagers getting up early and just squirming around and about. If Shuurai was the king of this village, he's set up a curfew for everyone. That way, everything would be in an orderly fashion, or so he thought.

The truth is that Shuurai could be full of himself at times without even knowing it. He enjoyed the time he had power and was able to tell people what to do. It was still kind of like that. He had a mansion and had hired servant to do stuff for him. However, it just was not the same.

Shrugging that thought aside, he continued to walk towards his mansion. It was quite easy to spot really. It was a nice rich white that could be seen from kilometers away. It was quite large and lavishly decorated. Who says you shouldn't show off time from time?

While looking at his mansion, he ended up bumping into someone. He couldn't quite see who it was as he had fallen flat on his butt. It wasn't mannerly and most noble people don't do something so clumsy like that so Shuurai was a bit embarrassed. While rubbing his head and not looking up at who he hit, he asked a simple question; "Are you alright?".

[Riza_Wilder]

Riza briskly walked through the agonizingly tiny village of Koharu, trying to find something to amuse herself. Her violet eyes scanned every inch of the village, and soon enough she spotted it. A mansion. White-washed walls as far as the eye could see, and it looked quite high-end. Much better than the other housing options Riza had seen so far.

She headed towards it, her pace faster than before. It was by chance that she had come across the town, really - she was on her way to Magnolia, as she heard the guild Fairy Tail often caused a ruckus. I'm in need of a little chaos, Riza thought, cracking her neck as she came closer to the mansion. It looked even better up close, and she couldn't wait to take a peek inside. I'll just shimmy my way past any potential guards and --

SLAM

Before she knew what was happening, she was on the verge of toppling over. Onto the dirt-covered road. Such a thing was too horrifying to fathom, so Riza quickly and nimbly regained her footing. "Hey! Watch where you're going!" Eyes blazing, she took a quick breath and crossed her arms. "I could've been an elderly lady, and then I might've fallen and broken a hip, ya know!"

The woman pursed her lips before cooling down a little. As much as she loved the free fall feeling, if it was only going to last for two seconds and end in her clothes covered in filth, she wasn't buying it.

[Shuurai]

While still rubbing his head, Shuurai regained his footing. He looked at the person he ended up crashing into. 'That' person turned out to be a girl. As if falling was not bad enough, the girl managed to keep her footing while Shuurai was the one who fell. He stopped rubbing his head once he heard the girl speak. Her voice was elegant and the way she looked was divine. Then again, this is how Shuurai thought about any woman he met.

"Well, you drive a good point but the thing is, you were not an elderly lady so the outcome is different." Shuurai replied wiping some dirt and debris off his coat. In the process of falling, he managed to drop his hat but he quickly picked it back up, dusting it off and placing it upon his head. He returned his focus back to the girl.

Her light skin tone reflected the suns rays making her look all the more elegant. She had purple hair which made things interesting since most people these days don't have different colored hair. While he could have spent the whole day staring at her, he had things to attend, more specifically; his mansion. However, he wouldn't let the chance of showering this girl with fortune go away.

"Well, to say the least, I am sorry. I should've seen where I was going and I feel we got off on the wrong part of things." Shuurai said before grabbing her hand and bringing it closer to his lips. "My name is Inazuma, Shuurai Inazuma." He replied before giving her hand a light kiss. He then let go of her hand and gave a simple bow. "I feel that saying sorry won't do me justice so how about I give you a treat? You see that mansion up ahead? That is where I live and I feel that I can make it up to you by showing you around possibly?" Shuurai asked before starting to walk a bit. He was hoping for a simple yes.

[Riza_Wilder]

What's with that tone? Crinkling her nose, Riza tried to suppress a shudder. It was all too familiar to her - the distinct vocal quality that came from being prideful of one's self - elegance, some called it - along with the feeling of being "above" others in status. That is what Riza heard dripping from the man's tongue, and that was something she had been trying to shy away from for four years. Well, trying not to return to, Riza corrected herself. She was fine with being around people with such a manner, so long as they weren't too arrogant. They often had the better living conditions, after all.

She noticed him looking at her - almost as if drinking her in from head to toe. A sparkle entered her eye, but a none too friendly one it was. Upon hearing the words mansion and showing you around, however, Riza's whole attitude shifted for the better. "Riza," she said silkily. She hadn't completely noticed his gesture of hand-kissing, or, at least, it wasn't prevalent in her current mindset.

Even though she despised the thought of his soil-dusted clothes coming into contact with hers, she stepped towards the man - Shuurai, was it? - and slid her arm into his, latching herself onto him. She didn't want him to think of taking back his offer, so she gripped his arm a little more forcefully than she normally would have, if the gesture were a part of her normal routine. "I've always been fond of such places from afar, but I haven't the chance to view inside their magnificent walls." Riza smiled softly and looked towards the ground, hoping to seem a little on the shy side.

In truth, she really did wish to see the inside of the mansion. Was it her first viewing of such a building? Hardly. Her previous visits, however, were of a darker attitude, where she wasn't invited, nor did she ever leave empty-handed.

[Shuurai]

Shuurai continued to walk at a slow pace. The girls name was Riza. An interesting name indeed as most people were not unique these days with name. That was one he had never heard before but it had a nice tone to it 'Riza'.

Shuurai was too busy thinking about the name Riza that he almost didn't notice her grab his arm. Well, until she had made a slightly tighter grip. Shuurai simply turned his head to look at her. It seems like she had taken up on the offer which made Shuurai happy of course.

Apparently, she was fond of buildings like this which made things interesting. She had mentioned that she had never seen one on the inside so she was truly in for a treat. "Well, you're in for a joyful surprise if I do say so myself. The inside is nothing like the outside, in my opinion anyways." Shuurai replied. He could have easily gone of on one of his lectures but he didn't want to bore the lady, not at all. He also managed to notice her smile from the corner of his eye. It was a beautiful smile indeed.

Before they knew it, they were on Shuurai's property. The land he owned was quite large as well, a 3 acre land to say the least. You could see 5-6 servants outside working on the garden and other plants. Some were doing the laundry and others were simply taking a break. Shuurai liked to give his servants breaks every now and then, to make sure they stay loyal to him. "Well what do you think of it from the outside?" he asked while stopping on the gravel path. To their sides were two rows of cherry blossom trees.

[Riza_Wilder]

"But it looks so wonderful already! I don't see how it could be any more dazzling than it is," Riza exclaimed to her new friend. She was mentally laughing at herself, as she imagined speaking with a french accent. A little french girl, ehh, Riza? Her cheeks flushed as the word french brought with it the idea of maid, and she hastened to cover the color painting her face. Don't get carried away now - this is all business. She may have been having a little too much fun playing the innocent.

As they entered the grounds, Riza scanned the area thoroughly. It reminded her of her past life, and that made her gut clench in disgust. An ill feeling seemed to spread from her core into every inch of her body, but she held in the negativity as best she could. "What lovely scenery! You must adore awaking to such pleasantries just outside your door." Her eyes skipped over the servants quickly; she didn't want to look at their faces. That would be too much like the past, and she wasn't about to let her inner demon wreak havoc upon the innocent.

A light breeze flitted across the lawn, making the tree branches dance and causing a few loose petals to slowly loft around the two, newfound companions. Riza brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and took in the scent of the cherry blossoms. That's different than before, she mused, her mood becoming a notch lighter.

"Well what do you think of it from the outside?"

"It's wonderful," Riza breathed softly, repeating her word from earlier. It really was nice - a place that met her standards of good living. A place she wouldn't mind living. Places like this, however, always had a way of cracking her general good nature. "Let's move inside, yes? I'm eager to see the rest of your world." All of a sudden, she felt sickly, the blossoms making her nauseated. Without even glancing at the servants as they passed, she led Shuurai to what she hoped to be his front door. Stay calm, Riza. You've been to many places like this before...

For some unknown reason, she was uncomfortable here. Be it the similarities to her past life, the dashing man at her side, or the sinking feeling that rooted itself deeper into her gut with every step, she was unsure. As the breeze ushered the two inside the building, Riza took one last glance over her shoulder. The doors closed within moments, and the breeze gracing those outside stopped as soon as Riza was out of sight.

Within five minutes of being there, she made the excuse of needing to use the lavatory. The man out of sight, she quickly and easily slipped through one of the windows, leaving the man and taking two bars of good-smelling soap with her.

[Exit]

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