WITH STRENGTH IN THE HEART

This spring is so warm in the palace! The cherry blossoms are blooming in pastel pink petals, the sky is clear and the sun is shining brightly; I guess it wants to touch me with its rays to make me cheer up; out of such a beautiful day I am the only one who can't be happy.

The fountain spurts the crystalline water where my reflection is denoted as a mirror; my tender tears fall very often surrounding my cheek until they fall and join the water; but the surprise of a person makes me give a tremendous jump.

"SOSHI!" I exclaim furiously. Soshi is my best friend, my greatest advisor since I was 8 years old: he came to the castle with his parents to work, until an incident in the outskirts of the kingdom took his parents' lives; we always supported each other and my father let me proclaim him as my royal advisor and my best friend. When my mother died he was by my side always.

"I'm sorry princess," he apologizes in laughter, "I just wanted to see how he was doing and well...  I rushed to give him a good scare," he explains with a chuckle.

Since we were kids he loves to scare me, he says I look adorable and sometimes he scares me to tears. He's immature at times, but even so, he gives the best advice and is the voice of reason.

"And how do you want him to be?"  he asked rhetorically with a very angry expression, "besides.... There is nothing you can do to cheer me up, I honestly don't feel very well..." she explained sadly sobbing.

 "Was it her father?"  I nodded slowly.

"My father is selfish! ... He just wants to get me engaged to someone I don't know. I would be subjected to live with someone I don't love" my tears run abundantly down my face.

"But... Princess, aren't you in love with your cousin Satoshi?" he asks me uncertainly.

"Well... Yes, but my father doesn't accept him because he is a relative" I bite my lower lip-..... I want him to be the one to marry me..." I smile unhappily.

My mind starts to reflect those wonderful memories of that time: 8 years ago Satoshi and I were very close, inseparable, but that feeling grew and we started to see each other as two lovers. He used to say that when he grew up, he wanted to become the emperor with me to reign together, but my father forced him to leave the palace... I still don't recognize the reason for that command.

" His cousin wasn't coming for his birthday?" I look at him attentively, my eyes widen wildly, my face lights up and my sadness dilutes a little. I didn't know he would be at my 16th birthday party! "His cousin will come in two days to celebrate his birthday, when he is there, you have to do your best to change his father's mind" Hearing Soshi's plan, I smile enthusiastically.

"Soshi what a good idea!" I jump up and down with joy.

"But there's a problem," says Soshi, "Her fiancé is also going to show up at the party..." My expectations and illusions fall to the floor, "but you have to convince her father not to hold the wedding and make it seem that Satoshi is a better party and that he can rule by her side.

I raise my eyebrow and smile, nodding slowly.

"I think it won't be a bad idea if we give it a try" we agreed to do the "plan" so that my father would give me his permission to marry Satoshi; although, I'm really not sure if Satoshi still has feelings for me, what if he is no longer in love with me like he was back then? Or if he is already engaged to another girl? Maybe with a much prettier and smarter woman? I'm really nervous to death; curiosity, excitement and nerves make me desperate.

I put on my best clothes, excitement overwhelms me and I feel like I'm in a dream. I look at myself in a full-length mirror, the pastel pink Kimono, with a light blue ribbon, the sleeves were pink with light red embroidery.

The shoes are the finest and most expensive, lilac colored with a bow on the tip, the makeup is very natural highlighting my cheeks and lips, the hairstyle; loose hair with small braids that surrounded part of the hair and bangs did not get any change.

I admired myself in that mirror, with the best comments and compliments and admired everything I was wearing, be it the dress and the sparkling jewelry. Soshi unsuspectingly arrives in my room almost throwing himself on me, he looks like he had run two valleys, he looks tired.

"your cousin... He's here! ... He is with his father ... " he said wearily.

I leave the room quickly, I begin to search every corner of the castle and no trace of him. I search the throne room, the front yard and the main entrance; it's like looking for a needle in any corner of this huge house. I go to look for him in the backyard, I find him with my father talking about a subject that in their faces seems to be very serious, because in their gestures it was observed that they were arguing.

I am so mesmerized by how much Satoshi has changed in 8 years; his hair was long and black, it covered part of his back, his eyes are no longer so tender as a child, now they are so defined and intense light blue, he is so tall that he reaches the emperor himself or more, his figure and his face are so manly, with very marked features. I am paralyzed, my father leaves the place without even noticing that I am watching them, while Satoshi only has a melancholic and furious expression, it was the first time I saw him like that.

His face turns to notice my presence, he just smiles; I run to hug him very tightly with all the strength of my heart so nostalgic remembering...how it has been so long that my arms felt lonely without receiving his affection and warmth. My eyes crystallize from the accumulated happiness; I intertwine my arms to his hips, I rest my face in his lap and my eyes end up melting in his white fabrics, he doesn't notice me trembling, not even saying a word, he wants me to cry quietly on his chest.

" How could you leave me alone!" I exclaim with burning tears "you are a fool...." I feel the warmth of his soft hands, caressing my black hair, it's the same shade as the one Satoshi has. "It's a dream come true" after such a long time I can be completely happy again, it was worth the wait.... Also... I can tell he feels the same affection as he did a couple of years ago and that comforts me, to know... that he still loves me without saying a single word, without giving me explanations.

We sit on the bench by the fountain, the sun makes the water in which it was dripping look very bright and creates a very peaceful atmosphere.

 "How have you been my princess?" She asks me with a huge smile which I do not want to erase, it is the only thing that remains after a long time, it is part of her essence that beautiful smile of innocence that still remains on her face.

"Well... I've been good" I try to hide it so I don't have to tell her about the engagement.

"You know you're bad at pretending, tell me, did something happen?" I can't look for the right words to tell him, I'm just frozen "Tell me my princess" he said very tenderly nailing his gaze so penetrating that makes me melt; I lower my gaze not to make eye contact, I'm scared to have to see him without using the right words not to discourage us in this special moment.

"I'm going to... a ... Engage ..." Satoshi's smile slowly fades.

"... So it's true..." he said sadly, "You like someone else, don't you? I think I missed my chance."

" What are you talking about? I don't like anyone else," I explain, he looks me in the eyes and brings his hands to my pink cheeks.

"... So... You can say... What do you like me?" I nod a couple of times I don't want to hide my feelings anymore.

"But... I don't know... If you like me... You" I look into his eyes; his pupils start to glow until they get closer, I feel his breathing and I notice it's accelerated, he touches my face softly with his hands, I don't resist either and I close my eyes slowly to just feel the touch of his lips. First it was caresses until I feel how they meet, the warm kiss is wrapped with a magical and unsuspecting sensation, my heart goes so fast, I decide to treasure that wonderful moment.

During the party, most of the young princes came to claim my hand, but my father denied them, I came to wonder why his attitude to the proposals, wasn't that the reason for the party? Satoshi approaches me with a glass of rice wine, he close to me, causes the envy of all men. Many nobles approach me asking for a dance piece, after which I refuse their proposals. It seems that my father doesn't mind that I have rejected all the young men, it is seen that he is happy talking to the rulers, most of all the ruler of the city of Kai.

"Do you think your father will want you to marry the son of the ruler Kobayashi?" Soshi asks with his mouth full.

"I don't know..." I answer worriedly. I swallow forcibly, we still don't know who is the candidate that my father chose, I don't want to know either, I only know that the person my father is willing to commit me to will be a great annoyance for me and my teeth. Suddenly the announcer makes us pay attention to him with his loud voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the fiancé of Princess Hamasaki Naomi, Prince Akiyama Hiroki!" she concluded. Everyone murmured as no one knew that name.

They opened the doors and the young man appears, he is tall with long wavy reddish hair, his manly face with intense black eyes; although he is quite handsome his expressions are cold and dominant, his frown a little frowned and serious, his eyebrows of the same tone bushy but not exaggerated, what most captivated me was that red hair as intense as the fire or the sunset, I must admit that it is quite attractive that shade of hair so interesting, so much so that the maidens were more perplexed at his appearance, although personally Satoshi for me is more attractive, I'm just curious about the hair and his gestures so serious.

He comes closer and closer to me, his look is so threatening that I feel very intimidated; he stands in front of me and bows.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Akiyama Hiroki, I am the son of the rulers Matsumoto Takuya and Akiyama Kaori, I come from the city of Momoyama" he concludes, the murmurs of the guests are heard throughout the room.

"Momoyama? I have never heard of that city" said Soshi very confused. It is strange this young man, I do not know who he really is or if the city he comes from is really, it is a mystery, I feel a little uneasy, because it makes me something suspicious that I had never heard that place, plus the murmurs of the people did not know it either; However, what is bothering me the most are some looks, but they are not just any looks, it is as if they were watching you every second; I have had this feeling since the morning, it is as if they were judging me and spying on you and no matter how much I measure from side to side I cannot notice someone suspicious with a look like that and without knowing where this strange feeling comes from, I can't understand it. I feel a little dizzy.

" Naomi, are you all right?" Satoshi asks when he sees my distracted expression, as if I'm sick or very worried.

"Yes... It's just that I have a very strange feeling" I confess "it's as if I'm being watched... Don't you feel that?" He looks at me very strange "I think I went crazy" I said between laughs not to worry him and not to feel this strange discomfort.