Chapter 11

Tarou hung about the gates of Dara, waiting for his group of soldiers to ride in with the prisoners, Queen Nodoka and her daughters.

Another contingent of his father’s troops had joined him, and they lounged about the gates now, talking to the gate guards. One gate-guard desultorily questioned those seeking entrance into the city.

The prince watched as travelers, families, merchants and caravans were allowed through the gates. One such fat, little merchant had gained entrance and was waiting near the gates, chatting with one of his own men, watching as his camels filed through. The caravan guards rode up and down the line, making sure it all went smoothly.

One caravan guard made Tarou pause. Something about him seemed familiar. The guard was riding up the line, gaining speed as he rode, drawing closer to the Arun prince. The guard’s head cloth fell away and with complete surprise, Tarou recognized the furious face.

”Die, Tarou!” Ukyou screamed, her spatula whirling as her horse thundered toward him.

By God, she’s magnificent, Tarou had a moment to think before he truly realized his danger. He dropped and rolled across the ground, the flat blade of the spatula missing him by mere inches.

”Ukyou!” Another of the guards left the caravan and galloped towards them, followed by a third guard. By this time, Tarou’s guards had reacted to the threat and were attacking Ukyou with their sabres.

”Don’t kill her! I want her alive! All of them alive!” The prince shouted. He could guess who her helpers were.

Akane felt panic bloom in her chest as her horse reached Ukyou’s side. The guards outnumbered their trio by five to one, by her count. They couldn’t hope to defeat all these soldiers, and Akane had never tried combat on horseback.

”Ukyou! We can’t fight all these men¦.We have to run!” She hissed, parrying a guard’s sabre with her long dagger. She couldn’t brace herself properly in the saddle and the clash of steel against steel rang through her arm.

The Cantonian princess had a wild look in her eye. Her face was flushed with rage and determination, her lip was bleeding, and she swung her spatula like berserkers must have in the tales Akane had heard as a young child. She was trying to fight her way through to the prince who stood dusting himself off a short distance away.

”Akane! What’s going on here? Why did that dumb fool think she could take on Tarou AND his guards?” Ranma had joined them and he, too, was doing his best to keep the guards at bay.

”I think she went berserk,” Akane panted, struggling to juggle the reins and the dagger and feeling very sorry for her horse. It didn’t understand the signals she was sending it and was fighting the bit in its mouth.

”There’s no way she can reach him. We’re completely outnumbered,” her fiance said, his cold eyes fixed on the next attacker. Akane couldn’t argue. He was merely echoing her own thoughts. Damn!

”Behind you. Reinforcements.” Akane went cold on hearing that and she turned in her saddle.

Ranma scowled. “We have to get out of here. Come on. He wheeled his horse and somehow forced his way to Ukyou’ s side. She uttered a squeak as he scooped her off her horse, surprising her as well as the guards. He slashed at the guards ferociously and then slipped past them before they had realized it.

”Come on, Akane!” He obviously had a tight hold on Ukyou, who was squirming in his grip. He urged his horse away from the approaching guards and made it leap a cart in his path. Akane had no choice but to follow and hope her horse could jump as well. She closed her eyes and uttered a breathless prayer as the horse gathered itself and leapt. They landed with bone-jarring suddenness and Akane did her best to guide the horse after Ranma’s mount, which was fast disappearing down the street.

She could hear pursuit behind them, and she pressed close to the horse’s hot neck and urged it on, thankful that her short locks didn’t whip about wildly from the wind. The streets here were quite wide and not very busy, and they followed twisting, turning streets into the heart of the city. Eventually, they had to slow down. The crowds and stalls were growing thicker and the horses had to make their way through them carefully. She risked a glance behind and saw the guards grimly following.

She had caught up with Ranma and Ukyou, the latter sulking. Ranma threw the pony-tailed princess a disgusted look.

”I wish I had time to thrash you, but I don’t,” he said. “We’ll have to leave the horses. The crowds are getting too heavy.”

They looked behind and saw that the guards were dismounting as well.

”Hurry!” Ranma yelled, and practically tossed Ukyou off his horse. He jumped down to join her and Akane dismounted, too. “We’ll have to ditch the horses. Let’s go!”

The trio made their way through the crowds, weaving through dirty street children, women, vendors and stalls. The guards were gaining. The crowds were getting heavier and heavier.

A knot of women moved out the way and suddenly the trio was confronted by a group of guards, their blades out and gleaming silver.

”Damn it!” Ranma swore, as he and Akane pulled out their blades and began to defend themselves. Ukyou stood still.

Then she whipped out her spatula.

”Ranma! Akane! Run!” she cried. “Go! I’ll take care of this scum.”

”We’re not leaving you, Ukyou!” Akane yelled, wishing her blade was longer as the dagger clanged against a sword, then slid down the blade until it locked with the hilt.

”I’ll be fine! You two need to do what you came here for!” Ukyou swung her spatula in a massive arc, sending soldiers sprawling.

”Shut the hell up, Ukyou!” Ranma couldn’t believe the stupid girl. No way was he going to leave her in the hands of these men. After all, he told himself, he could still use her.

“Tarou wants me alive, you idiot!” Ukyou cried. “And that’s exactly where I want to be, too! Now, go!” With those words, she flung herself into the group of guards, who, caught by surprise, tried to avoid stabbing her.

“More guards!” Akane pointed. Up the street, even more guards were approaching them. It was a classic two-pronged approach. Ranma cursed out loud in frustration. Ukyou was being held fast now, and she was too far to reach before the group of soldiers approaching from up the street got to them.

“In here!” Ranma grabbed Akane and pulled her into a dark, grimy alley. They began to run, jumping over trash bins and broken wagon wheels.

Out of the gloom, a tall peeling wooden fence suddenly loomed in front of them. It was thick and a good ten feet high.

“Jump!” Ranma cried. Weaving his fingers in a cradle, he mimed a throwing action. Akane understood. She placed her foot into his cupped hands and his strong arms heaved her over the fence.

Suddenly she heard the clash of steel on Ranma’s side of the fence.

“Oh, no!” Akane dragged a large wooden box upto the fence. Climbing it, she peered over the top to see Ranma fighting three guards. A fourth was closing in from behind.

“No you don’t!” she yelled, and flung her dagger like a throwing knife at him. It pierced his shoulder and he went down with a scream. Ranma gave the third guard a last kick, grabbed Akane’s dagger and pulled it out, and leapt over the fence.

“Are you all right?” Akane asked, her anxious gaze checking him for wounds. Ranma flashed her a quick, cynical smile.

“Thanks to you. I hope you don’t regret it later, Akane,” he said, a glint in his clear grey eyes.

There was shouting behind them. After exchanging a look, the pair took off again down the alley. It intersected another alley and they followed it up, until it finally ended at a very high stone wall. The two of them stared at it.

“I can’t jump that,” Akane panted. “All this sheer black marble makes it impossible.”

Before she knew it, Ranma had scooped her up in his arms. She felt him tense and then he sprang up, up, onto the wall, balancing there lightly, and then sprang down into the interior. They glanced around cautiously.

A bouquet of scents assaulted their noses. Akane recognized the perfume of flowers and oranges. They stood in a large, perfumed garden of intoxicating beauty. Orange trees stood in tidy rows, and thousands of flowers bloomed in flowerbeds, on bushes and spilled riotously from baskets and low circular stone fences that encircled a large gushing fountain with statues in the middle. Birdsong filled the air, and they caught flashes of color at the edges of their vision.

However, this was not the most remarkable thing. What made the duo stare was the almost-naked girl.

She stood a few feet away from them. Her hair flowed in long inky curls past her hips, and her large, kohled eyes surveyed them with some degree of astonishment. Fat gold bracelets encircled her wrists and gold jeweled armbands encircled her upper arms. Jeweled anklets closed around her ankles.

She wore only a dark purple bodice, so tiny that her generous bosom all but spilled out, and transparent harem pants that revealed every delicious inch and curve of her limbs in loving detail.

Akane could feel the heat of Ranma’s blush. She herself could feel her eyes bulging.

“Aiyah! Shampoo have visitors!” The girl exclaimed. “Is death to be seen in garden of king’s courtesans. You such brave men!

Ranma groaned. “The king’s courtesans? How in the entire world did we end up here?”It was tradition that a king kept courtesans. It was fact that any male who was not a eunuch or the king and was caught in the company of a courtesan was instantly executed.

Akane suddenly realized she was still in Ranma’s arms. She tapped his chest and he let her down to stand on her own feet.

Shampoo had been walking toward them, though Akane privately decided the courtesan wiggled way too much. Her hips swung with every step, creating a pleasing sway to her walk. She sauntered over to Ranma and slid a perfectly manicured, pampered finger down the line of his chest.

“You come to see Shampoo?” she asked coyly, flirtatiously peeking up at him through her long, thick lashes.

Someone could trip over those, Akane thought uncharitably.

Shampoo placed her hand high on Ranma’s arm and squeezed lightly. Ranma watched as her eyes widened in appreciation. She tugged at him lightly.

“We go in, I serve you delicacies…whatever you want.” Her admiring gaze left no doubt on the nature of the ‘delicacies’.

“Um, Lady Shampoo...” Ranma began, and then paused as they all heard the sound of booted feet running toward them.

“Quickly, you must hide!” Shampoo ushered them both in through the wide windows into the black-marbled mansion behind her. They followed Shampoo as she led them through richly carpeted and furnished rooms to a sitting area. Bright cushions the color of jewels spilled in abundance on the marble floor. What really drew their attention was a marble bath, the size of a large pond, set in the middle of the room. Silver and gold taps gleamed, and steam rose from the water.

Women in various stages of undress lounged around on the cushions, on divans and even in the pool. Akane wanted to cover Ranma’s eyes. The women tittered and began to question Shampoo.

“More visitors, Shampoo?”

“Who are they?”

“Have they come to steal a glimpse of us?”

“Shampoo no have time for silly questions, sisters!” The purple- haired courtesan glared at the women. “Guards coming to look for these men. Must hide them.”

The women looked delighted.

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Ukyou clenched her teeth. Seated in front of a guard on his trotting horse, she slowed her breathing to reduce her panic. She flexed her bound wrists and hoped she wouldn’t fall off the horse. The gait jarred her and made her seat precarious, not that the guard or any of his fellow guards would care.

Remember, this is what you wanted, she told herself. Soon, you’ll be face to face with that barbarian again, and that’s what you came to Dara for.

She hadn’t thought she’d be facing him bound, though. Not again. Memories of her wedding night crashed through her. Long, knowing fingers clamped over her breast, hands with bracered wrists holding her down, and in her mind’s eye, Ukyou saw mocking green eyes and a sardonic smile. She shivered. It didn’t matter. She’d come a long way since that night. She was no longer a helpless maiden. Somehow, she was going to find a way to thank Tarou for that.

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Ranma and Akane considered each other. Ranma, now in girl form, wore a red bustier set with tiny red zircons, and filmy red harem pants. Her feet had been inserted into golden shoes with the toes upturned. Akane wore similar outfits. Ranma couldn’t help giving Akane’s outfit occasional glances. She had never imagined the short-haired girl could look so sultry.

Akane was blushing furiously. Her legs were completely exposed. The transparent cloth revealed a lot more than it hid.

A tall, black-skinned man in silk pants and a vest strode into the hall. He stood eyeing the bevy of beauteous women who regarded him through limpid eyes, their faces modestly covered by veils. It was Aziz, the man in charge of the harem.

“Ladies,” he said, “the king’s guards believe there are intruders within these walls.” He held up a large hand at the cries of outrage that emitted from the women. “I have informed the guards that I shall check for them myself. No men are allowed here.”

He paused. “Now, each of you will come up to me, and I will check to see if you are indeed a woman.” He was well acquainted with the practice of dressing up men in women’s clothes. Sometimes, men even shaved, and unless he checked properly, it would be hard to tell who was truly a woman. He had already sent attendants to the women’s rooms to check for intruders.

Slowly, the women formed a line. As each stopped before him, Aziz reached out and softly squeezed the breasts of each woman with his hands. Satisfied with the result, he would wave her on, and the next would stand before him.

“I don’t know if I can stand some guy pawing at me,” Ranma whispered.

“Is okay. You have magic that make you women, yes?” Shampoo whispered. Finding out that Ranma could ‘fake’ being a woman had surprised her. “Aziz is eunuch. He no can do anything to you, even if he want.”

“Oh.” Ranma frowned. Hm. That made sense, she supposed. Imagine it’s a girl, she told herself. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of Aziz, who apparently had no problem with the women leaving their veils on even as he was touching them intimately. She clenched her teeth. Aziz’s hands were harmless. She remembered to breathe when he released her. She moved on to join Shampoo. Akane, next in line, stiffened, but was quickly waved on.

Aziz, satisfied with the women, left to tell the guards they had been mistaken.

Shampoo quickly grabbed the opportunity.

“Now you all turn men again, and we will.entertain you,” she said to the trio.

“I’m not a boy!” Akane felt her face turning red. Shampoo looked surprised. “Really? But you have very short hair. And so manly. Shampoo thought you was boy for sure!”

Ranma grabbed Akane’s rising fist.

“Lady Shampoo.” His expression was polite. “You have our thanks for hiding us, but we really have urgent business in Dara.”

“That’s right.” Akane wanted to get out of the filmy harem clothes as soon as possible.

Shampoo crossed her arms. “What so urgent you no have time to spend with beautiful women?”

“We have to see the king,” Ranma said rather shortly. Now that they were actually in the city, she suddenly wanted to confront the king as soon as possible. She felt a moment’s regret. They had left Cologne behind in their haste, without any chance to say farewell. She could only hope that the old woman would find her grand-daughter.

“King Kunou?” Shampoo’s eyes lit up. “Why, he is coming here tonight! To his harem.”

Ranma and Akane stared at her speechlessly.

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Notes: Wow, I can see the end approaching. A couple or three more chapters, and I’m done!!

NEXT time: Will Tarou have his wicked way with Ukyou yet again? Is Ranma REALLY impervious to Shampoo? Where is Nodoka? And everybody else, come to think of it? Click the button and please review! :)