Chapter 8: To Windy Castle

Lord: Morning already? I remember I had some bad nightmare last night. Oops, Peony, why are you lying on me? Is this some kind of... Oh, black hair? Lily, this time you stole Peony's dress?

Lily: Yes...uh...No! I just borrow it. Her dress is full of her scent. It smells so nice. Even I am a maiden it still can control my mind to some extent. Want to sniff it a bit, my lord?

Lord: I have already sniffed a lot ...uh...no.. I mean I don't want to.

Lily, shoving herself into him: Smell it, my lord.

Peony, in her towel: Have you two had enough of fun? Lily, please stop stealing dresses from maidens while they are taking a bath. You know full well that we have only one dress as they're a part of our body. Please give it ba.... Eh? My lord, you are staring at me in my towel?

Lord: No, no, no. I'm just listening to what you are talking. I'm not looking at your towel and what beneaths it. Not at all.

Peony: Hmph! Then you won't mind if I do a bit of dancing here.

Lord thinks: [Huh, what? why? On my bed?]

Peony starts to dance and spin on the bed while wearing her towel.

Lord thinks: [Oh, it's OK. I like it. Go on]

Peony spins faster and faster. Her spinning body looks really beautiful and her scent spreads all over the area.

Peony: Oops! My towel.

Her towel fell down while she was dancing.

Peony is sitting on the bed with hand covering some part of her body, blushing.

Peony: Could you look away for a sec, while I rearrange my towel?

[A few seconds of silence later]

Peony: Fine! Look all you want. We are just a piece of your...

Lily: Seems our lord has lost his consciousness since your towel dropped, Peony.

Peony: Oops. I'm sorry. But first give back my dress, Lily.

[A while later]

Peony, in her usual dress: Good morning. You just wake up, my lord.

Lord: Hmm...I thought I have been awake for a while and I don't remember exactly, but something interesting has happened.

Peony: I'm sure you were dreaming, my lord. Is it a good dream or bad dream?

Lord: I'm not sure. Kind of scary, I think.

Peony: Hmph!

Lord: Wha??

Peony: Nothing, my lord. Please continue.

Lord: I think I lost consciousness too easily. These nosebleeds, these blackouts. I'm too weak.

Peony: Please take care of yourself, my lord.

Peony: Lily, don't let anything exciting happen to him.

Lily: .....

Peony: Almond asked me about our oracle. Yes, I know her well, and I think it's time we should give her a visit.

Lord: You mean you want to go with us. I thought you like to stay in your room.

Peony: I like my room but recently I did it a bit too often.

Peony is blushing.

Lord: Did what?

Peony: Oh, never mind. Exercise is generally good for health and...

Peony: I haven't seen her for quite some time and very few maidens know her, I think I will go with you myself.

Alicia: Help! There is a corpse in the jar.

Lily: Uh...that's my friend, Minny, and she is not dead yet.

Peony: Alicia, Almond told me about you. Welcome. Please enjoy your stay.

Minny: Hello, your name is Alicia, right? Let me sleep a bit more.

Peony: Let go my lord. Lily, Minny, take care of our guest, OK?

[On the castle's grounds]

Lord: Violet, could you go bring Holly? This time I won't forget her again.

Violet: She doesn't want to go, my lord.

Lord: Wait a sec. I will go and....

Violet: Don't worry, my lord. She seems to be very happy today and I heard she mumbling something like...kiss...kiss.....

Lord: Oh, OK. I think I get it.

Iris: I think I get it too. [giggle] and Ruby won't come this time. She wants to play with our new guest Alicia.

Peony, shouting: Giant trent, come here.

Iris: Aha. You haven't seen our new trick, Peony. The power of white stone. Angel! Come here right now.

Nothing happens.

Peony: Is this your new joke, Iris. It's not very funny but I don't mind.

Violet: Angel said this morning that she will be busy today.

Iris: I just notice that the stones are not shining. Perhaps this is a sign that she is not available?

Wevil: We can walk, Iris.

Iris: Hmph...You walk? I always have to carry you.

Wevil: [giggle]

Iris: I should give these stones to everyone. Here everyone gets two each.

Peony: OK. Let's go. It's 3 hours to the north by giant trent's walk.

[The path to Windy castle]

Lord: Holly doesn't come with us again.

Violet: Let her be, my lord. She is a kind of person who is easily satisfied with what she get.

Peony: Did you give anything to her, my lord?

Lord: No..no.. I think violet means friendship and understanding.

Peony: Hmm..suspicious.

Iris: There is no human around where we're going to, right, Peony. So, you don't have to go into doll mode, wevil.

Wevil: Nice.

Lord: This Isabelle. She is controlling our northern territory?

Peony: There are not many trents growing around here, but still some. This place is quite far from our castle and the other maidens. We agreed to send her here because she likes living alone. About her oracle power, I just know today that she has it, or otherwise I must have put it into some use.

Lord: Well, I haven't seen Sola for quite some time. You sent her somewhere?

Peony: No, I haven't assigned any task to her. All maidens have some level of autonomy. But whatever she is doing, I'm sure she is trying her best for us.

[Somewhere in radish market]

Sola: Oh my god, this sausage is sooooo good. This hamburger too...munch...munch. Juiciest steak I ever eat. I should have found this place sooner. Better use up all these gold coins before going back to the castle. I'm so rich now.......belch..

[Windy castle]

Iris: At last, we are here. Hey, Wevil, wake up already.

Wevil: I want to go into doll mode today. zzz

Iris: .....

Peony: I haven't met her for quite some time. Her personality is kind of distant. Please don't be offended if she doesn't give you as much respect as it should be.

Lord: I'm OK with any level of respect, as long as she doesn't attempt to kill me outright.

Peony: [giggle] That, I can assure you. She is one of the maidens after all.

Lord: Let get in. Hmm..this door is heavier than normal doors.

A furry humanoid creature jumps out and lodges herself into the lord.

Cotton: Hi, my name is Cotton. I was born just last month but I always want to see you. Let me hug you like this for a while, my lord.

Isabelle, kneeling: My life is yours, Lord of Yggdrasil, I am one of the maiden born to serve you. My body and soul belong to you alone.

Lord: Please stand up. Never kneel before me again.

Peony: I'm sorry I underestimated your charm...mumble...mumble.

Lord: Oh, by the way. The rhyme, where did you hear it from?

Isabelle: I don't remember exactly. Someone said it first.

Peony: Sounds like a silly rhyme, my lord. I don't know who started it.

Iris: Oh, and this thing that is still clinging to our lord.

Isabelle: Cotton, stop clinging to our lord. You are a woman now, stop acting like a child like that.

Cotton: But I thought physical contact between men and women is what adults do?

Isabelle: You are still too young for that, Cotton.

Cotton: Hmm...I'm too old for it, while still too young for it...hmm...

Iris: Sometimes I don't understand it myself. [smile]

Lord: Let her do it for a while. I'm OK with it. She seems to be so happy.

Isabelle: In that case, Cotton, please take care of our guest. My lord, please enjoy this castle and its surrounding as if it is your home, because it is. Everyone, please excuse me.

[In the garden]

Lord: How come does she has a castle? The trents built it?

Iris: Well, I don't know.

Peony: That's the story before you were born, Iris. It's rather bloodshed, so let talk about it some other time.

Lord: Cotton hmm? Is this a trent or a maiden?

Cotton: I'm a maiden, my lord.

Iris: I don't know, but it looks like a maiden way more than Wevil. Ouch! Stop biting me, you trent doll.

Lord: Ahh..I forgot to ask Isabelle about her oracle power. Let do it later then.

Peony: I want to know what too. How come she never told me about it.

Lord: Cotton, do you want to go live with us at our castle?

Cotton: I'd like to, but I think I shouldn't leave Isabelle here alone. There's no other maiden around here but me.

Violet: That's OK. Each and every maidens shall have their own free will.

Lord: Violet, you stole my line!

Violet: [giggle]

Peony: I didn't expect Isabelle to be this obedient to you. She is not like Isabelle I remembered. Perhaps the yggdrasil's curse has a strong effect on her.

Lord: Curse? Are you talking about what Sola called yggdrasil's blessing, or magic?

Peony: It's a curse, my lord, binding us together against our free will.

Lord: I'm OK if you want to call it that way. I'll find a way to release you from the curse, if that's what you want.

Peony, blushing: Stop using this trick on me. I don't want to be released from the curse yet. Too much trouble.

Lord: Oh, about what happened in your room that day, I'm so sorry.

Peony: Please excuse me. I have some work to do.

Peony walks away.

Lord: ....

[In a quiet corner of the castle]

Peony: You made me remember that event again. I was trying so hard to forget it, because when I think about it....

Peony: There is no one around, and this sofa is so soft. Perhaps I should...umm... it feels so good I can't stop myself right now.

Violet: The lord wants to check the surroundings, do you want to... eh? What are you doing here all alone?

Peony: [panting] No, I'm not doing anything.

Violet: Let's go then.

Peony seems upset.

[In front of the castle]

Lord: Let's go Peony. I will never talk about it again.

Peony: Yes, let not talk about it, because every time I thought about it, I ....umm...never mind.

Iris: Did something interesting happen that I don't know about... hmm...hmm..

Lord: Let stroll around the surroundings together.

Wevil: Everyone. To the forest.

Iris: You guys haven't answered my question!

[In the forest nearby]

Violet: The wind is pretty strong everywhere around this castle. Probably that's how it got the name.

Iris: The legend says that very long time ago, a blue dragon burst the mountain top away with its breath. Then it became a plateau like it is today.

Violet: Wow. What a powerful dragon, blowing away half of the mountain.

Iris: Legends are not always true, Violet. Perhaps in fact, it's a natural phenomenon.

Peony: Wait! Did you sense something, Violet?

Violet: Sense what?

Iris: Yes, look at that tree over there. We are about to see the birth of a new maiden.