Sheets and Armor

Chapter 11

"You fight today! This evening, we get this out of the way."

"What?!" Both princes were shocked. "Your majesty, this is too sudden."

"I know but my daughter is growing tired of the wait. It is messing with my head. Let's get over with it already. I've seen you practice each one of you."

"Yes, we have but..." Brown’s complaint was cut short by the king.

"No buts Brown, get to it already. The longer you stay here, the more time you waste the time that you would have spent on preparing yourself."

It was abrupt the princes thought once the king had called them in that morning to announce the fight. However, they were up for the challenge. They dreaded disappointing Shinja. They masked their nervousness and agreed to the king's order.

Silver in his room made final touches to the sword he was going to use in the fight. Brown was in his room too practicing the words for his speech for when he won the fight. He heard a slight knock on his door, he rarely received guests in his room since their arrival to Green kingdom.

He was amused and for that matter could not guess who was at the door. He opened the door and Shimi showed up. She stood there as though she was meant to be there. As if she had been given an invite.

Brown was impressed by her balls. She held a fruit basket in her hands. Her caramel gown hugged her bodice, her bosom was bulging out of the seams of her dress.

When had she got time to dress up so nicely?

All the people in the palace were up and down in preparation for the fight, even her sisters. Brown did not realize that he was lost in thought until Shimi woke him.

"Aren't you going to ask me to come in? Am I not allowed to come at such a time?" she asked with a smile. Somehow, she was certain that he would not kick her out.

"It is okay. Please come and make yourself comfortable. I have to warn you. My room is in a mess. I am preparing for the fight."

"I know you are that is why I am here. You do not have to worry about the room. I would be surprised if it were spic and span at such a time."

She laughed. He did too. He did not understand why he was being nervous around her. After all, she was the one in his room not the other way around.

"Do you want a glass of water?" he scratched the back of his neck.

Water? Really Brown, really! Wow! You are doing a great job of not making a fool out of yourself well done. His thoughts were messing with him. Why he was being like this, he could not explain.

"Water is fine please thank you" she smiled at his sweating form. He moved to grab a jug from the table. He caught it but his hands were shaking so did the jug.

Shimi walked to him and put her hand on his. The air around them turned hot. He dropped the metallic jug on the ground and it clanged all over the room. The sounds seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. The jug and its contents would cater for themselves; more important things were at stake.

The atmosphere in the room changed. With a searching gaze, she looked into his coffee brown eyes. Like two unlike poles, they were drawn to each other.

How had he never noticed her before? She had the loveliest eyes.

He touched her bodice causing a fire to course through her veins. They embraced each other and were like that for a long-time till in their mind’s reminder of time for the fight came up.

"Oh my God! The fight! We forgot about the fight." Shimpi was screaming on top of her voice, eyes wide open bulging out of her skull.

"Darn it!" Brown winced. "I must get ready."

"I must go. My sisters will be here any minute to clean up and prepare for the fight. I have to come along. Heavens! They must be looking for me now."

She was almost out the door when he pulled her back. He lightly pecked her on the lips. It must have had a dizzying effect on her, because she drowsily opened her eyes. Then as if remembering where she was, what was upon them, she dashed out of the door.

Shimi sneaked out of Brown's room, ran into her room and slammed her door which almost woke Shinka from her siesta.

~*~

Before the fight

~*~

Shimi asked Shimpi to escort her to Brown's room in the evening. The king had instructed the girls to go in and help the princes get ready for the fight.

Having entered Brown's room, Shimpi picked up things off the floor to tidy up the room. While Shimi sorted out which garments the prince would put on under his armor. She organized his armor; helmet, breastplate, belt, shield and the rest. She put everything where he could easily reach for them.

As she went close to the closet something familiar caught her gaze. Shimpi noticed her sister lost in something.

"What is it Shimi?"

"There is something here that I think I have seen somewhere before."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"It looks like... like... like Shinja's charm book."

"What do you mean Shinja's charm book? How did it get here? You know she does not let go of that book, ever!"

"But it is in Brown's closet. I am sure of it, Shimpi."

"No, you are not. For what we need is already out on display. Please do not go into his closet. What if he finds you?"

"He will not." She said that as she pulled the closet open with a strong pull. There it was Shinja's charm book. She had been so sure she had seen it through a hole in the closet. She had not been wrong.

"Oh my God!" Shimi exclaimed.

"I told you I had seen it. Now you believe me?" Shimi was so shocked her sister's cockiness did not bother her.

“Does this mean…?” Shimpi raised her eyebrows in question and wariness.

“No, Shimpi, let us not get ourselves thinking of thi—” She paused when she heard bootfalls, “Did you hear that?”

“Yes, yes I did.” Her sister panicked, besides herself, she did not know what to do or where to go.

“Quick! No, not that way. This way! Shut the closet first. Yea, now turn, act normal.”

“It's not that easy.” Shimpi cried.

“It is. Just do not think about it, okay? Breath.” She held her sister’s shoulders to steady her. Boot falls had them rushing to shut the closet. It had to be Brown returning to his quarters. They were able to return to what they had been doing as though nothing had happened. They did not bother taking out the charm book from where he had hidden it.

It would have been too obvious that they had been snooping. That would not look good. Shimpi was lost in activity; she did not realize the guilty look her sister wore whenever her eyes met Brown's. It went without saying that their exchange was more than they put across.

~*~

Sheets and armor

~*~

Shinja was shy but mostly embarrassed to go to Silver's room again. Her sisters had suggested that they return his beddings as they went in to help him with getting ready. Shinja refused to join Shimki. She begged Shinka to go in her place instead.

"But it is you he wants to see not me." Shinka whined.

"Please Shinka, I will owe you. Just do this for me, please." Her lashes batted across her rosy cheeks.

"Okay, okay, fine I will do it. Jesus! Are those tears that I see?!"

"Thank you! Thank you!" she jumped off her bed and kissed Shinka on each cheek. She blinked away the tears from her eyes.

~*~

Silver's room

~*~

"What do you want? Is it my blankets and bedsheets again?" he said without turning to face the girls when they came in. He sounded angry because that is what he wanted them to think but he was teasing.

"No, Silver, we are here to help you dress up for the fight." Shinka answered. Thinking of how odd the prince's remark in getting them to come in was. So rude! Shinka thought. If she could smack his face, that would be a pleasant experience but none of that now, they had to get him ready for the fight.

All that Shimki did was scoff in her fist. The look on her sister's face told her all she needed to know. Her sister was plotting a way to teach the prince some manners. She would pay a lung to know what that plan was. She stifled a giggle when she saw Silver's face crestfallen when he turned to see that it was only Shinka and Shimki and not Shinja that had come to help him.

"Why isn't Shinja with you?" His brows furrowed in confusion, more like dismay but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

"It is us you get Silver. Quit sulking so we can start." Shinka dashed to his side where he was sitting on the bed. Shimki knee what was up next.

She could not help laughing at poor Silver. He was being forced to face the ruthless Shinka. She had him exactly where she wanted him and he would do exactly what she said.

"Get up, we have to put you into your armor ASAP!" she dragged him off the bed, "Come on already, we do not have time to waste."

Shinka turned Silver around so that she could put on him the breastplate. Shimki was laughing through all this and doing a lot of nothing so she asked to excuse herself. Shinka was so engrossed in the task at hand, she did not even hear her leave. She was like a mother bird and her young, patting her big boy-child here and there, making sure he was well dressed.

When Shinka was done with everything she went and called Shinja to do the final touches. Now she knew she had promised Shinja that they would get everything done but the sulking boy-child before her eyes tugged at something in her heart; she would grant him his wish and bring the all so beautiful love of his life to him. She eye rolled at how childish he was being. He did not smile and only grunted when asked for consent on something. Shinka thought he sounded more like a disgruntled piglet than a grown man.

~*~

"I cannot go there in Shinka. Please do not make me do this." Her voice tore up, nearly breaking, almost causing Shinka to change her mind.

"You have to Shinja. He needs you. You should have seen his sulk when he realized it was I and not you in there." She shrugged as if to explain that it was a heavy reason as to why Shinja should go into him. She stared at her sister stubbornly, daring her to refuse and see what she would do. Shinja sensed her resolve, which is why she gave her next remark a lot of thought before uttering it.

"Alright, fine! Because you will not let me be until I do it, I will go. Happy?" She did not fail to look at her with pleading eyes just one last final tiny tiny try, maybe her sister would reconsider.

"Now that is a good girl." Shinka patted her shoulder and looped her hand through her elbow leading her to the door.

Gah! Today's just not my day, I guess. Shinja huffed and puffed but that still did not change her sister's mind. Where was luck when you needed it?

~*~

Shinka knocked on the door with Shinja at her side, shifting from one foot to another. The little bird could not quit with the nerves.

I need to get her in there before this silly nerve-racking thing runs into my blood. I have a feeling it's contagious. Shinka was having thoughts of her own. Thank God, the door went ajar as soon as the knock hit the door. When Silver opened, Shinka pushed Shinja inside before she changed her mind and left them alone, Shinja and Silver. Narrating to her sisters about the event leading to that and how wide Shinja's eyes flew open before she was locked inside Silver's room—would be a lovely tale to retale.

The flighty thing nearly fell backward into her arms and she doubted if she had strength enough to hold both of them afloat.

Shinja and Shinka falling on the floor before the prince! Now that would be a sight to behold.

Shinka shook her head smiling and headed in the direction that would get her to her sisters fast.

~*~

"Bring me my sword please." Silver requested Shinja gently. On doing this, Silver held her hand and did not let it go.

Oh, come on! Don't you want the sword anymore? Shinka thought as she halted in her step to pick the sword.

Was he being weird? Or was she being weird? Or were they being weird together? Gah! Shut up already.

"I am sorry, Shinja for all the problems I have caused you. But before I win or lose this fight, please look me in the eyes and say to me only three simple words I love you."

Yeah there was truth in the last three words. Why he demanded that she say them now was not for her to decipher. But the truth is, she could not hide her feelings anymore, she drew closer to him, kissed him desperately on the lips. She pecked him on the forehead and said to him.

"I love you Silver. I love you with my entire being." Her eyes roamed all over his face as if in doubt that she had said those words out loud finally. Her sisters, especially Shinka, would be proud. I mean she was proud of herself right now.

"You have made me the strongest man, now, I will go and fight for our love and I will win. For you I will." She felt her heart throb quite oddly in her chest.

Was this what it felt like to be in love? I might die from all this erratic pulsing deep down low in my chest. Well, get out of here dumbo before you make a fool out of yourself. Yeah right, I have to go. With that final thought, she stepped out of his embrace and headed straight for the door.

On her way out, she risked a wave without much surety that her nerves wouldn't betray her. Alas! They did not!

She left and went into Brown's room. In Brown's room she wished him good luck and walked out. She did not kiss him but pecked him on his right cheek.