“It’s so… so hot,” Noriko said.

“Yes, my lady,” Mika said, diligently.

Dija, one of the few non humans in the entire group, coughed. “Indeed,” she said, a pointed tone in her strumming cat-like voice. “As you’ve said a hundred times already.”

Both the women, Mika and Dija, took to calling the princess “my lady” now to avoid attracting the wrong attention, but they were still lacking a proper false name.

They pressed on, Princess Noriko in the middle, Dija behind and Mika to the front. The two loyal handmaids never left her side. Well, maybe they did when she needed to be alone, or otherwise required further privacy. Not that she was used to having much privacy anyway.

Have any of them recognized me?

Dija had been quite apprehensive when the leaders of their group, which looked to her to be three men and a woman, had looked over their way, their stares lingering a little too long as they conferred among themselves.

But the Dija’s fears had been alleviated when they otherwise ignored them as did most of the members in their group. To them, they should simply look like high-class visitors from the palace, especially since Dija had Noriko removed her outer kimono.

What she wore now was… somewhat scandalous, but at least her royal robes were nowhere in sight. If nothing, she thought, Dija is quite the capable woman. If any of them could stay alive during this catastrophe, it was her.

But she hadn’t abandoned the princess. She was ever the loyal servant. Noriko smiled as she wiped her brow.

“What?” Dija asked suspiciously.

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. You turned with a smirk on your face.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Fine, be that way.”

“You’re quite irritable, Dija,” Mika said.

“Why do you think I’m irritable, cub?”

Mika giggled. Being called “cub” never seemed to get old with her. She thought it was very funny. She had even lashed out at Dija playfully once, making cat claws and yowling sounds, much to the older handmaids disgruntlement.

“We could shave you.”

Noriko couldn’t help but snort with laughter at that one. She didn’t usually make the cat eye the butt of her jokes, but anything to lighten the mood. Today Dija was taking them quite stoically, but now she was at her limit.

“That’s enough, Mika.”

The younger handmaiden sighed as she kicked at a clump of grass. The hill was getting steeper now. All of them were, and they were all three panting with the exertion required of traversing this path to the Western Temple.

Some old ladies passed them by—farmers by the looks of them. Noriko loved the outdoors, and she would have found this to be a splendid adventure had it not been for the attack on the palace, her missing father and brother, and her nation being under attack from some unknown enemy with mysterious motives.

The princess wanted answers so badly, but neither Mika nor Dija had any. The man, the westerner in the kimono seemed to have some kind of an idea, or at least that’s how he presented himself.

Noriko didn’t think she should leave Yukai City, much less Mikuma, but what else could she do? She had to get to safety. Those attackers would be after her.

Father and brother may already be dead.

She felt a knot form in her stomach.

“You’re very”—Dija panted—“quiet now, Princess—I mean, my lady.”

“They could be dead.”

“Indeed.”

“Dija!”

“What?”

“For an old cat eye you do seem to lack proper compassion at times,” Mika chided.

Dija sighed. “I’m sorry, my lady. The facts are that we don’t know what happened. They may both be fine.”

“Or they may not be…”

“Do you see, Mika? She’s bent on being negative. If that’s what you want, my lady, then there’s nothing I can do for you.”

Noriko stopped at a log crossing the path. It wasn’t touching the ground there because of the branches and the roots propping it up, and along the trunk were twigs. She tried to get past them, but they were scratching her arms.

“Let me,” Mika said.

She moved to pull the twigs back, but then Dija came forward, simply grabbed the branch and ripped it off.

Mika was clearly taken aback at the cat eye’s aggression. “What?” Dija asked.

“I… I just…”

“You’re very strong, Dija,” Princess Noriko said.

“Indeed,” she said, helping Noriko cross the log by pulling her forward by the hand. “Try to think positively. Worrying will do you no good.”

She sighed. “You’re probably right.”

“Of course I am.”

“What’s happening,” Mika asked, stopping short on the path ahead. “Why is everyone stopping?

“Perhaps you should go ask someone who knows,” Dija retorted.

Mika nodded, loping off. Out of the three women, she had the most energy among them.

“Thank you, Dija,” Noriko said.

“I’m sorry… for being… well…”

“You on a bad day?”

Now it was Dija who was taken aback. “Is this how I really am?”

“Mhm.”

She seemed to take pause at that, gave it some thought. “Well, I’m sorry. It’s very hot out today and I’m not wearing my night clothes like you are.”

Noriko laughed, and Dija snorted at her own deprecation.

“We will get through this, my lady. I promise you.”

Noriko smiled. That really did make her feel much better. “Thank you.”

“It seems they called for a break,” Mika said, trudging back.

Dija squatted. She didn’t seem relaxed, but apparently that’s how cat eye stood when relaxed.

Noriko found a patch of grass and Mika sat next to her.

“I wish we had some food,” the young handmaid said.

“Me too,” Noriko said. “My stomach is begging with hunger.”

Dija rolled her eyes. She never was one to complain. She thought it was a waste of time complaining about things that no one could change. Perhaps it was.

But it makes me feel better, Princess Noriko thought.