#sinbad no bouken stories

[the-feathered-dragon-hoard]

Of course this is one of the last pannels 🤣

Sinbad no bouken - chapter 182

[ljf613]

Decided to finally bite the bullet and read Magi: The Adventures of Sinbad.

In the middle of the Mariadel arc, and whoa does it get heavy.

[pan-magi]

When I first saw that Ohtaka (or whoever on her team recommended it) called the chapters in Magi "Nights," I thought it would be neat to really commit to the Arabian Nights influence if she made the series 1001 chapters.

Don't get me wrong, it would have been an awful idea. The pacing is one of the structural issues I have with Magi. If the series was expanded to that many chapters and kept to the same plot and pace, then it would not have solved the issue. There are a few time skips that could have used some expanding on, yeah. That many chapters though though would have made the story bloated and cause more pacing issues than fixes.

Break down for Magi chapters:

Main series: 369 Sinbad no Bouken: 182

Total: 551

That is barely halfway there. Horrible, horrible idea XD.

On the assumption, again, that the story mostly stays the same and has more chapters to expand on parts more so than changing them.

Even if the series was built to be that length, I still think that's a lot. A series that long is a lot of work. Not that Ohtaka wouldn't have been able to do it, but considering that manga is published initially in a serialized format in Japan (with Magi's publisher being Shonen Sunday), a series lasting that long without cancellation or a loss of interest is an accomplishment and massive risk. I'm happy to have a completed series and not a cancelled longer one. An unfinished anime is already sad and frustrating enough to think about.

It would have been funny though.

[infintasmal]

if i can convince anyone to join any fandoms with this blog it would be

-magi: the labyrinth of magic - high fantasy, really fun world building with an exploration on gray morality. 2 seasons (25 eps each) of anime. manga is complete but we don't talk about it. and a stage play.

-honorary mention to Sinbad no Bouken, the prequel origin story. 5 OVAs, 13 ep anime, manga is complete.

-Donten ni warau - light fantasy meiji era japan, great character development, good plot, beautiful art style. manga is complete at 11 vol. anime is complete 12 episodes + 3 movies to cover the gaiden manga. two addition spin off mangas, Utakata ni warau & rengoku ni warau.

-d gray man, for self indulgent reasons. classic early 2000s shounen but better. really great characters, hard hitting plot, one of the first mangas i ever ugly cried to. manga is releasing quarterly. original anime was 103 episodes. more recently released Hallow anime is 13 eps

[minsarasarahair]

Thinking about supporting characters that became the protagonist of their own story. I love tropes like this, okay.

Sinbad - from Magi to Sinbad no Bouken(Adventure of Sinbad)

Waver Velvet - from Fate Zero to Lord El Melloi II Case Files

Zhou Zishu - from Qi Ye(Lord Seventh) to Tian Ya Ke(Faraway Wanderer)

Amagawa Hiichirou - from Rasetsu no Hana(Rasetsu's flower) to Yume no Moribito

Laojun - from Luo Xiao Hei(Legend of Xiao Hei) to Lanxi Zhen

Vincent Valentine - from Final Fantasy VII to Dirge of Cerberus

Miles Edgeworth - from Ace Attorney to Ace Attorney Investigation: Miles Edgeworth

Alucard - from Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Baili Dongjun - from Shao Nian Ge Xing to Shao Nian Bai Ma

Su Muyu - from Shao Nian Ge Xing from Legend of Assassin

[my-anime-list]

Magi: Adventure of Sinbad

Sinbad is born to parents Badr and Esra in Tison Village, Parthevia Empire. His birth is considered a significant event, the "Child of Destiny" is born. Despite living in a country facing economic instability and the aftermath of war, Sinbad enjoys a cheerful life until a stranger's arrival disrupts his peace. As time passes, dungeons emerge globally, believed to contain powerful treasures. Sinbad, now 14, is determined to explore the world outside his village, inspired by his father's words and past events. He soon encounters a traveler named Yunan, who points him towards a dungeon with the "power of a king" that can help him achieve his goals. The story in Magi: Sinbad no Bouken follows Sinbad's journey as he ventures out into the world, improving his skills and influence while gathering allies to become the High King of the Seven Seas.

[thatsitso]

OH MY GOD

OH MY GOD

I just finished reading Sinbad no bouken... WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT IT?? Why is no one talking about Magi in general?? This series is so good and Sinbad no bouken is maybe even better. I just can't stress this enough, how such a good anime/manga isn't popular....

Please watch "Magi The labyrinth of magic" and "Sinbad no bouken" and read the manga (sadly anime isn't finished and i can assure you, later in the manga it gets even better). I think it's my top 1 tbh 😳...

And ahhhhh I'm so confused i don't know what to think about Sinbad. Like reading this gives completely different perspective and explains so much and I- uh personally I don't know if i like him, but I have to say it that he's one of the best-written characters I've ever seen, this manga and this man are INSaNe. I can't stop thinking about it boyy, why I had read all of this in 3 days, it was a mistake-

[labyrinth-of-headcanons]

Hairpin

Chapter IX

____________________________

Main Pairing: Kouen X Chaima (OC) Genre: Romance/Drama

Like the tradition requires, Chaima was supposed to give the hairpin to the  man she’d marry. While she never believed in the day to come, for her to  really follow her mother’s words, she couldn’t have foreseen one little  accident that would turn her life around in the little time they spent  together. However, with Kouen’s sharp words and keen mind, it was only a  matter of time until she found herself falling more and more for the  prince that captured her heart. ____________________________

For the last two days, her life seemed to spiral downwards more and more. Chaima had already forgotten the few laughs and good times she had with the prince. She just couldn't decide anymore what was worse: The accident on the street, the confrontation on the first day of the royal visit, meeting the prince at night and finding out that she was nothing to him, the sleepless night she had afterwards where she stared at the ceiling for hours, or this.

No, forget everything else, this was the worse. This loud, booming voice that yelled through the whole mansion. The shrieking of her name, followed by, "Where is she?!" full of anger and discontent. It was so bad that Chaima stood up from the bench where she had sat down to eat her breakfast, the moment she heard it. And it was so bad, Chaima shivered hard even before the person of the voice reached her.

It was then that the door to the servant's kitchen was torn open, revealing a rather unappealing figure. Parizade, still in a nightgown and a mask on her face - which didn't do anything, except vanishing in the thousands of wrinkles on her face - came into the light. She seemed furious, teeth bared in anger and eyes wide open, the blood vessels clearly visible against the white. 

"You!" she screamed, pointing devaluating at Chaima, who simply flinched. "Who do you think you are? What ghosts have made you think you could just sneak into a prince's room?" Rather than questions, her words were accusations. With a trembling voice, Chaima's first instinct was to answer them nevertheless. "He asked for me to escort him-" But she was harshly interrupted by the fury on top of the stairs.

"Silence! Do you even know who these people are and how important they are to our business? Are you trying to ruin this for us, Chaima?" This time, Chaima swallowed her reply, knowing it would only fall on deaf ears anyway. Like so many times the night before, she averted her eyes, staring down and at her hands, which were wringing with each other in disgrace. Biting her lip to the point it hurt, the maid couldn't hold back her tears after all she's been through. 

So she just stood there, trembling, ashamed, helpless. Waiting for it to be over. For the silence to return. "And oh, what did I hear? You were crying when you left his room? Have you no shame, you imbecile? Have we not taught you anything in all these years that you were with us?" Maybe the lady of the house expected a reply by now, but Chaima just couldn't anymore. She stood frozen at her place, completely motionless. Even her breathing came to a halt as she was too afraid to show any form of living.

"Oh, and now she is as silent as a lamb. Where's Hama? I want to talk to the head-maid! Now!" There was some motion around Chaima who's head still hung lower than her self confidence. The other workers were scared up, trying to find Hama before Parizade could shout anymore. But their effort was wasted by the fact that the old lady was already on her way to greet the angry woman.

"My, my. What has you so agitated, My Lady?" Hama asked, unconcerned by the words that had been shouted before. "Your-" By now even Parizade's voice left her, and she cleared her throat before continuing. "Your underling has kept the prince - our guest! - company for the night. How- Just how could you not take care of this matter? What if they leave now because she angered him or anything?" After a moment of heavy breathing and somehow gaining her composure back, the lady added, "Who's going to pay all your wages if this deal goes down the drain?"

Hama remained collected at the accusations, side-eying Chaima from the door she stood at. Chaima just knew what was reflected in the old lady's eyes. Disappointment, resentment, anger. After all, Chaima had done everything exactly like she shouldn't have. She hadn't taken care of her guest's well-being like she was trusted to do and hadn't kept away from the prince like she was advised too. If anything, Chaima had proven herself to be a failure, not even capable of being a maid. An ungrateful being who lived too much in her own world.

"I'll take care it will never happen again, Lady Parizade," Hama finally assured, curtseying politely to her boss, even though her old bones weren't made for this anymore. "Hama, you better keep this promise. I don't want to see her anywhere around the house at all. I don't care what she does, but I'll have her dragged out by her feet if she comes close to the guests, hell, the prince ever again." There was only a nod in response from the head-maid, and Parizade turned around to Chaima again, holding up her finger in a reprimanding manner.

"And you!" Slowly, Chaima straightened her back, looking at the furious woman in the kitchen doorway. "If the negotiations fail because of you, you will pay for this, Chaima." Parizade had already turned on the little heel of her shoe when she remembered something to add to her words. "Not that you should expect any compensation for your work this month after what you have already botched!" And with that, Parizade was gone.

A long, dry sigh was to be heard from Hama, and some sobs escaped Chaima's mouth. "Chaima, come up here, please," Hama grunted, reaching out for the door handle while the girl nodded quietly. She left behind the whole awkward mood in the kitchen, stumbling a little on the stairs before finally getting up and out of the door. The head-maid closed it behind her, and the two moved a few steps away so they couldn't be heard.

When they reached the start of the staircase, Hama came to a halt. It was a much dreaded moment for Chaima, and she just hung her head low, knowing that the scolding wasn't over yet. "I do not know-" Hama started, sighing in between her words, "-what you thought you were doing. In fact, I do not want to know. But let me tell you this: You can be very happy about the mistress not kicking you out right away."

"As of now, you are not allowed to move anywhere inside the house. I suspend you from all the service work that I have trained you for all these years." It hurt. It hurt Chaima so much to hear this words. As if the scolding wasn't enough, Hama just knew where to hit her right. "And as a compensation for all the work you make for the others, you will wash the laundry each day - no matter who was originally on duty - go to the market and buy everything that is needed alone as well as help Alinar in the garden."

Chaima nodded, tears still falling from her eyes. "Yes, ma'am," she whispered, knowing very well she had just agreed to the most exhausting and lowest jobs there were. "Just to be very clear, Chaima: You won't show your face to anyone this month, you hear me? Not to the residents, guests nor other servants, except you meet them in the hallways. You can use this month to meditate and come back to your senses, I think that this break will do you good."

"I understand," Chaima agreed. She still couldn't bear to look at the little woman. Everything around her seemed to whirl and fall apart, and even though Chaima wasn't fond of self-pity, she just felt miserable. "Don't eat with your colleagues either, Chaima. Just take your food somewhere else. And for today…" Hama sighed again, rubbing her old hands over her face. "Just do nothing. Go into your room and make sure no one hears or sees you. I don't want to have to deal with you today, either."

With that, Chaima was left alone in the dark, cold corridor. She hugged her exhausted body, feeling both the drowsiness of her sleepless night as well as the horror her life was suddenly deep inside her. Shakingly, she stepped up the stairs of the makeshift staircase, her right leg giving out just before the last step, making her slump down on top of it. All of her strength was needed to pull herself up and go to her room, carefully shutting the door behind her just in case anyone was still sleeping even after Lady Parizades screaming.

And then, finally, she sunk to the ground, hit herself behind her dresser and underneath the roof slope, and cried. Even though she muffled her sobs in her knees, she couldn't hold back all the tears wetting the fabric of her skirt. She remained like this for an hour, before the exhaustion finally knocked her out, leaving her slouched in the same position. Not like she had any energy left to care about it.

By the time Chaima gained control over her consciousness back, the sun had already set. The darkness in the room was bothering, and the fact that she had slept for almost the whole day drained her of strength even more. She tried to stretch her back, promptly bumping her head into the ceiling. Slouching over again, Chaima pressed her hands on the part of her head where she had collided. Just great, she thought.

Crawling out of her hiding spot, she used her arms to pull herself onto her bed. Of course, there was no way she could sit upright on it either, but it seemed like a better idea to her than the dusty corner. Chaima didn't have much strength, wobbling on top of the mattress more than pulling her body up, but she managed in the end, heaving out a long sigh. As if on demand, her stomach tightened, letting out a deep growl.

It was understandable - given she didn't even eat much of her breakfast - that she'd be hungry now. Then again, Chaima didn't feel like she had any options but to set out for the day on food. Maybe it was just around the time to eat, but being seen downstairs would only guarantee more trouble. She sighed again, letting her gaze wander over the few amenities in her room. It fell upon the papers with her writing practice, and instantly, the feeling of dread returned as she saw them.

Shaking her head lightly, she looked at the floor, seeing some more loose papers that peeked out from under her bed. Something in her mind told her that if she had nothing else to do, she might as well clean. And so Chaima did. She reached into every corner and even into her books, where she used some of the papers as bookmarks. There was a moment that her mimic faltered when she went and took the papers on top of the dresser, but the next second she climbed under her bed to fish for more.

Chaima flinched when she heard the soft knocking on her door, her body jolting upwards because of the surprise. Of course, she was stopped from getting up by the bedframe, and Chaima cursed in her mind that she had decided to clean. It was her room, who cared if it was going to be unorganized? The prince would, she told herself, a longing sigh escaping her mouth.

And then it hit her. Could it be? she thought. What if the person on the door was, in fact… Chaima made haste, crawling back out from under her bed, but the door creaked a little as it opened before she got out. The person that entered had very light steps, and her heartbeat picked up when she thought about who it was that would knock on her door to see her. 

A big part of her hoped it would be him. Maybe she was expecting a lot, considering she thought of him more as a fiend than a friend by now. But it was a little spark of hope that reassured her, and who could have known, maybe the prince would have been able to save the day for Chaima. And so she braced herself as she pulled her body back and into a kneeling position. For a second, she realized she probably looked awful, giving her a sense of shame back. Still, the happiness in her stomach almost surpassed every other feeling.

However, the moment she laid eyes upon the shoes of her visitor, her stomach instantly tightened, and her mood fell to its very low. No, it wasn't the prince. The outfit wasn't nearly as expensive as his, and the person couldn't even reach half of his statue. Chaima should have felt happy that it wasn't someone who would do her harm, like the lady of the house or this Ka Koubun guy she still dreaded. But she didn't. In fact, she felt nothing for the person at all.

"What do you want, Nysete?" Chaima crooked, her voice dry like straw and itching after having gone without talking for so long. Nysete popped a grape into her mouth, pointing at the plate in her hand and mumbled, "Food." Chaima must have looked very confused, but Nysete simply gave the door a light kick with her foot and then flopped down onto Chaima's bed. "You weren't at dinner, so I brought food," she explained once more, taking another grape from the well-stocked serving in her hand.

Chaima just hung her head in disappointment. This situation was awkward enough, and Nysete might just be the second most tactless person she knew - the prince being the first. "That is nice of you," Chaima whispered, afraid she might be heard through the thin wooden walls. "But you shouldn't-" Her voice stocked, and she felt the tears returning to her eyes. Chaima took a deep breath before continuing, "You shouldn't be here or doing that, Nysete." 

The black-haired maid's eyes simply fixated on her, as Nysete continued to munch on the fruits. "I don't care," she spilled between her chewing, leaving Chaima surprised by the snarkiness of her co-maid. "What are you going to do? Just waste away up here?", she made a short break to cut open a peach and eat the first slice. "You didn't even finish breakfast, and nobody has seen you since. You got everyone worried, Chaima." 

Chaima sighed internally. Now she was being scolded again. And of all people, it was Nysete who had her share on talking big, even though she was very well one of the reasons Chaima was in this disaster in the first place. "I was ordered not to go," she brought forth, trying to steady her voice the best she could. Chaima certainly had enough from being stepped on. Especially from this person eating away on all of the fruits that made her stomach growl again.

Hearing the eerie sound, Nysete grinned, cutting another piece of the peach and holding it out to Chaima. With a light blush of shame, she took the fruit and nibbled on it. It was gone faster than expected, her hunger having control over how fast she could eat something, but Nysete quickly provided one piece after another. "So, you just obeyed? So boring, Chaima," she criticized, the angelic smile on her lips not befitting for her words.

Chaima gave her the angriest look she could muster, eating away on the peach quickly. "It's partly your fault too, you know!" she replied, watching Nysete simply shrug for an answer. "I knew you weren't going to do anything with the prince. I was just teasing," she tried to explain herself. Rolling her eyes, Chaima finally got up from the ground sitting down next to her co-worker on the bed and taking an apple from the plate. 

"So, if it wasn't the thing I thought was going on, then what really happened?" Nysete asked, leaning forward to watch Chaima eat her apple. "Nothing was going on. I guess he wanted some company, and we talked about family and work." There was a stretched 'Huh' from Nysete, followed by a sigh. "That's boring. He didn't do anything?" Slowly Chaima really felt herself getting angry about these questions, giving Nysete an irritated, "No, nothing," back. 

The message finally reached over, and Nysete gave up, saying, "Alright, alright." She ate some grapes, while Chaima finished her apple, eating it down to the core, before placing it back onto the plate. Fruits were probably not going to solve her hunger for long, but they were a good start. She reached for the grapes, filling her mouth with three at a time, though when she heard Nysete's next words, the fruit got stuck in her throat, making her cough.

"I met him."

Chaima let out some loud and unpretty coughs before turning towards Nysete, who was staring at the ceiling in thought. She then met Chaima's eyes, giving her a nod as to say, 'Do you want to know what happened?' Chaima just turned around, mumbling, "Okay…" She didn't see Nysete grin at the red ears that the maid showed even from behind. "I was in the garden, doing laundry," she started, letting the words thrall off as she tried to reconstruct what happened.

"He came around and asked where you are." Chaima tried her best to stay calm, shrugging as a reply. But her heartbeat rang loudly in her ears and she had problems holding back the urge of wanting to hear more. "I said you are unwell, but he didn't seem to believe me. Sharper than his looks, isn't he?" At this comment, Chaima had to bite down on her lip, as to not smile. Yeah, that sounded like him.

"I told him you wouldn't be in service for a while and apologized for the inconvenience, and Chaima, he snorted at that." Finally, Chaima turned back towards her, a little surprised at the prince's reaction, so she asked, "And then?" Nysete took the plate in her lap and put it into Chaima's hands, searching around for something in her vest. "Then he more or less mumbled the same as you did just now and called my something like 'cocky', but I don't remember his wording anymore. He seemed like an ass, no wonder you ran out crying."

Shocked, Chaima gasped at her choice of words. "Nysete, what are you saying? He's a prince! A-And that's not the reason I ran out crying!" Nysete let out a long sigh before breathing out, "Well, you get the point." From her vest she pulled out a brownish bag. It looked very fine and expensive, wasted on both Nysete and Chaima. "He gave me this and…" She took a moment to pull out one more thing from the pockets inside of her clothes. It was a piece of paper, folded neatly. "This. Saying I should deliver it to you."

Handing both of the items to Chaima before getting up from the bed, Nysete walked over to the door, halting before she opened it. "You know. Even though he seems like a very stuck up person," she stopped her words, looking at the items in Chaima's hands before up and meeting her eyes. "I kind of get the feeling that he does like you." And with that, she was out of the door, shutting it behind herself and leaving Chaima behind. 

She didn't even have the time to thank Nysete for the food before the maid vanished in the dim light. Chaima put the plate aside, not feeling so hungry anymore. Instead, she felt rather warm, the last words of her co-worker still in her head, and her cheeks flushed with a pink color. Standing up, she walked over to her drawers, getting a box of matches from it and lighten the candle next to her bed. She put the plate on the floor and got out of her own shoes, before crawling into her bed and under her blanket, clutching the things she had just received from Nysete to her chest.

It felt so soft and delicate in her hands, probably because it was so different from her roughed up skin. She wondered if this had any deeper meaning to it or if he was just trying to fish her for the job offer. However, she still felt happy, knowing he had gone out of his way to get her something. Inside of the bag, she could feel something long, round, and sturdy. It had some archings, making her wonder if it was decorated. 

Pulling on the braided strings that held the bag together, Chaima remembered the letter. Once she got the strings loose, she picked up the paper and held it into the light, far away from the fire, so it wouldn't burn. There were only a few words, typical for the prince, but Chaima took her time to read them, wanting to make sure she got everything right.

[roloko-karlstein]

I miss Falan and Arba so much I wish we would’ve gotten the rest of Magi and Sinbad no Bouken animated.

Well then again maybe its for the best if SnB didn’t unless they skip the Maader arc. That was the most fucked up shit I viewed in a long time.

[crystallinevessel]

more tag dumps

[huntersmoon1]

Check out her writing she’s very good!

[nnayomaise]

Looking through Sinbad no Bouken Manga once more and noticed Vittel has scars on his arms? Anyway heres a comparison between Vittel’s scars and Ja’far’s scars.

Note: Mahad does NOT have similar surgical scars, its just Vittel and Ja’far who do. Vittel’s scars are only visible when he lengthens his arms, Ja’far’s are only seen they’re thrown into the chasm in the Artemyra arc. 🤔

I’m still bitter over them never telling is the story behind Ja’far’s scars

[ohtaka-shinobu-stan-account]

Ohtaka is good at foreshadowing and tends to drop hints about future developments in the story long before they actually happen, so this panel in chapter 121 makes me think Ohtaka might’ve had a mini-arc planned for Morgiana in Katargo (probably fighting the slave hunters Masrur mentioned) but had to scrap it due time constraints. In Sinbad no Bouken we see the slave hunters and how Masrur came to know about them, so it looks like Ohtaka was able to utilize the concept in the end.

[toxic-gorgon]

if your still doing match-ups, could you please do one for me for sinbad no bouken. I'm kind of short so i'd probably kick someone's ankle for short jokes, and how my friends describe me is "pretty chill" however when I don't really know anyone around me i tense up, get shy as hell and try to find a place to hide till I see at least someone I know. I also really like to argue for fun and light tease my friends i care about. But really hate it when they tease back.

Alright, after much consideration, I believe that Mystras Leoxses is your match!

 Mystras likes outspoken and tough women, but he also doesn’t mind how tense and shy you can be. He’s fun-loving, supportive, and more extroverted than you, so he’ll do most of the talking if you want him to.         

Mystras has huge amounts of respect for women. A bit of a pervert, but still respectful about how he chooses to treat them. This in no way means he’s not loyal, because he is. He has a strong conviction and his conviction will always be strong with you.                                                       

He’s playful too! Playfully teasing you, but never anything mean. He can take teasing too, so let him have it! He’s chill as well and isn’t really one for arguing for fun, but he’ll challenge your ideas in his playfully charming way and have a discussion with you.                                                             

He has a curious and adventurous nature. No doubt Mystras will drag you around to learn new things and listen to interesting stories about the world. He likes exploring new ideals, instead of being closed off and conservative. He’ll encourage the same for you, but won’t force you if you’re not ready.

[labyrinth-of-headcanons]

Hairpin

Chapter VIII

____________________________

Main Pairing: Kouen X Chaima (OC) Genre: Romance/Drama

Like the tradition requires, Chaima was supposed to give the hairpin to the man she’d marry. While she never believed in the day to come, for her to really follow her mother’s words, she couldn’t have foreseen one little accident that would turn her life around in the little time they spent together. However, with Kouen’s sharp words and keen mind, it was only a matter of time until she found herself falling more and more for the prince that captured her heart. ____________________________

There Chaima was again, having an awful deja vu. She sat on the same chair as the day before, cowering like a scolded child. Chaima knew her posture was terrible. The prince did probably notice her sudden change of heart too, and he sighed in reply. "It's not like I am going to pick up the topic from yesterday," he mumbled, ushering her to pucker her lips and nod. She leaned back slightly, placing her clenched hands into her lap.

Shyly, she looked up at him, knowing this had taken a way too serious turn. Had she been too careless all the time? Was she going to pay the price for being a little cheeky and presumptuous with her words before? Chaima couldn't possibly know what was going on in that tense stare of the prince. She figured that even 20 years of marriage wouldn't give her any knowledge about how he felt at all. But she knew from looking deeper into his eyes for a few seconds that there was no malicious intent in the impulsive red.

"Yes, of course… I am sorry, Your Highness," she replied. Chaima had to swallow down a big gulp, stuck in her throat. The burning of tears was already shooting up her nose, ready to spill any minute now. If another outburst would help her again? Questions over questions, all in her mind, Chaima could feel how she was spiraling down the line of overthinking again. In an attempt to remain calm and collected, she let out her breathe and bit her lip, sitting upright in her chair and facing Kouen.

"I thought we were over this issue already," he said, his voice clear and definitive. Chaima could only stutter out a 'Huh?', not exactly knowing what he means with his words. "Stop tearing up the moment I sit you down to talk. It makes you look like a child." Swallowing hard, Chaima nodded. She should have replied something, but she didn't - no, she couldn't. If she had dared to open her mouth, tears would have spilled more than words.

Nodding again, Chaima used all her strength to hold back the bad feelings that were pushing her over and over anew. She could hear him sigh, this time sounding way more upset than the other times before. "Come on now…" he grunted. Unexpectedly, he leaned forward and gripped the front legs of her chair with his hands. Chaima couldn't help but flinch and pull away her legs over the sudden closeness they had, while she clutched the borders of the seating space.

With a powerful half-lift, half-tug, Kouen brought the chair closer to him, together with Chaima, who still had lifted feet and wide eyes even though it was over very fast. She wanted to question his doings, but all that left her mouth was a squeaky, "What?" From one moment to the other, there was a soft chuckle playing around his lips again, though it was gone in a matter of seconds.

"Nothing," he explained. "I do not want to speak so loud, just because you are sitting so far away." Chaima let out a half-hearted 'Okay,' before breathing out. She noticed how she suddenly felt much closer to reality again and not so much in her thoughts. Even though his actions had been sudden, somehow being near him relaxed her more. However, she felt as if the two were breaching their noble-servant relationship a little by just how close they were - the clothes over their knees touching already.

"What-" She cleared her throat for a moment, having forgotten about it cramping under her stress, before continuing, "What do you want to talk about, Your Highness?" His shoulders seemed to relax a little as he noticed her getting a grip on herself. Chaima felt shaky still, but he didn't seem to want to cause her any harm just like any other time before, leading to her believing all these fears were in her head. Internally, she promised to be patient now and listen to him.

"I wanted to tell you about my family." Shaking her head in disbelief, Chaima could only let out a 'Huh?' in reply. Again, he had completely taken her by surprise. From all he could have said, he chose this and left her baffled. She felt unsure of how to ask him to continue, uncertain if she even wanted to hear about it. But when he said, "Or not?" sounding rather disappointed about her disinterest, she shook her head profoundly. "Please do, Your Highness."

With a satisfied grunt, his body relaxed even more, and he looked up as he searched for the right words. It would be the first time he'd have to really speak more than just a short sentence, and in all honesty, it made her anticipate his tale even more. "I have quite a few siblings. Most of them are sisters, and they are either married or at home, except for," he paused his words, pointing his finger at the door, "Kougyoku, who is with me right now."

Chaima couldn't hold back from turning away from the prince to look at the direction he was pointing. Of course, she didn't expect to see anything but the movement gave her a moment to think about the princess. Chaima couldn't really describe their 'meeting' as such since she only had served the princess tea before. And yet, she still remembered the delicate features and dignity the royal seemed to emit.

"Your sister is very pretty…" Chaima mused, thinking back of how beautiful the princess was. "You think so?" he replied, making her snap back into a position to face him. "You don't?" she hummed, making an emphasize on the last word. She sounded way more teasing than she thought it would, but since there was no bigger reaction from him, it didn't seem to bother Kouen too much.

"She's my sister. How am I supposed to tell," he simply murmured, reaching under his hair and around his neck. It almost seemed like an embarrassed reaction, and imagining this, Chaima couldn't help but smile. "Your Highness really should tell your sister that she's pretty, you know. Girls like to hear that… I think." Kouen grunted, his hand coming back forward and running over his chin, down his goatee. "You think? Do you not like to hear it?"

At his words, Chaima felt a little as if she was caught in a lie. "I- I don't know? Nobody tells me I am… I mean, not that it was necessary." There was a short moment of silence between them. She felt how the embarrassment ran through her cheeks and ears, leaving them red. When he replied with, "I see," she didn't think too much of it. However, the prince once again managed to catch her in a spiral of emotions, though this time, it was a warmer, exciting, and goosebumps producing kind of race.

"You are pretty, Chaima." In combination with his full, mature voice and the words she felt a shiver run down her spine. Her heart set out for a few leaps, so did her breathing. When she finally came back to the situation she was in, Chaima let out a loud, ungodly laugh. The next moment her hand hit the prince's knee with a loud thud. She had retracted her arm the second after, and her face displayed a mix of shock and horror. Now she had really done it.

"S-Sorry about that, I was taken aback," she stuttered, very monotonous and without picking up her eyes from the knee she had just slapped. From the corner of her eyes, she could see his body shake, starting very softly to harder by any second passing. She was so sure that he'd kick her out right now, start the drama she had expected the day before. Helplessly, she tried to remember the ways of how she wanted to disappear into the night, watching him shake with anger in front of her.

Or so she thought. The next thing she heard was a long, exhausted breather, followed by the deepest, most lovely laugh she had ever heard. It sounded very different from his previous chuckles, but he hid his face by placing his elbows on top of his thighs and leaning into his hands, so she couldn't make anything out from his expression. All she could muster up to say in this situation was, "Are you alright, Your Highness?" with as much worry in her voice as she could find in herself.

"First, you hit my knee, and then you ask if I am alright? Is that how it works, Chaima?" he responded, still laughing between his words. Blushing profusely, the maid had trouble determining if he was angry or not, leaving her confused and unsure about how to proceed. She sunk back into her chair, ashamed about her behavior, and apologized again, though quieter this time. "I'm so sorry, Your Highness…"

However, he just waved it off by using his free hand. Kouen was still humming in an amused way, but it slowly trailed out. "Be more careful how you treat royalty in the future, Chaima," he mused, finally looking back at her. There were small wrinkles under his eyes from laughing, and he seemed to be in a good mood. However, it didn't take long for the smile to slowly dry up and his unreadable expression returning as he waited for an answer.

"I will, Your Highness! I promise!" she brought forth. Chaima was still ashamed about what she did, but she felt like it wasn't so bad anymore when she looked at his sparkling red eyes, which still had some amusement in them. "Good. So…" his voice trailed off as he thought where their conversation had stopped before. "I have 8 sisters, though technically one is my cousin. And after me, there are two brothers in the line of succession as well as my last remaining male cousin."

Chaima nodded thoughtfully, trying to take in all the information she was gaining. "So you are… the first prince?" she wanted to know. The answer was obvious, but she felt like clearing it up anyway. Kouen didn't bother with answering. However, he nodded curtly, continuing his explanation. "My father is the current emperor of Kou, and at his side is my stepmother." He turned his attention away from his story and back to her to ask, "Understood?"

Chaima quickly replied, "Yes, Sir!" giving him a warm smile. She realized now that the lesson he tried to teach her was because she had admitted to not knowing much about him, and she was thankful for the knowledge he provided. In hindsight, it might have not been the most useful, but she was happy to learn anything that she could. "So no slapping the crown prince anymore, you got this?" he reprimanded, but there was the hint of amusement vibrating in his voice, and Chaima couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, Sir!" she repeated, chuckling still.

"My family is indeed important for me," he continued, picking up at the subject from the very afternoon. Chaima nodded sympathetically, understanding the feelings he must have. "But you know…" she started, thinking wisely about the words she wanted to use for once. "Isn't it exhausting sometimes?" The two of them stared at each other for a moment, their eyes finally meeting again after so long.

With horror, she slowly realized the expression on the prince's face. While he had looked rather amused and light-hearted just seconds prior to her question, now his face slowly turned into a grimace. She had to realize once more, just how hard to read his features where and how they were unreadable for her if he didn't let her in the first place. The way he fixated her could either be anger, maybe frustration, but certainly displeasure.

"Do you think it's hard, Chaima?" The way her name rolled off his tongue was sharp and it had no lightness in it, weighing heavily onto her. "I- I just meant…" He didn't let her finish, progressing with his speech in the same displeased tone, crossing his arms in front of his chest. It must have been the most aggressive stance he had shown her so far, and she disapproved of how it affected her mood in a negative way.

"I thought you'd understand. As the oldest too, these are no thoughts you should harbor." Aside from having been scolded most of the last few years, right now his words were so much worse than any before. Chaima realized that she had forgotten. Forgotten he was a prince. A man of his own ideas, his own ideas. Kouen would never waver in front of someone like her, a lowly maid. There was no way he'd show the slightest bit of weakness for her to exploit.

Much to her surprise, it was he who ended the awkwardness that dared to fall upon them. He sighed once more, though without any sound resonating from it. That was probably something you had to learn as a noble too: Never complain, never show what you think. Chaima knew for a fact that he must have noticed her hesitation and the shame that befell her. All she could think about was, How dare I to overstep my boundaries again and again? It was hard to explain for her, why she kept on doing it, and she had no words for all her late actions towards him.

The prince would not apologize. A small part of her wished he would, but he just kept on with what he wanted to say to her. "Don't you like your work?" Chaima hesitated for a moment, before shaking her head hard. "No…" she swallowed before continuing, "I like it very much, Sir. It's good work, they pay good, I am happy." She averted her eyes, turning her head away in submission. All she said was just the same, learned answer she had given him before.

"Again, this. I thought we were over it." Chaima could only shrug lightly. Suddenly, she just felt exhausted. Exhausted from the terrible up and down, exhausted from trying to read him, exhausted from his mood, jumping every time she spoke with him. Now she remembered why she had been so adamant about not getting involved with anyone before meeting him. These interactions would cost her the last nerve for sure.

It was his fingers gripping around her chin, turning her head towards him and so that she'd look up at him. It wasn't hurtful, but it still made her uncomfortable. The prince had barely any restrictions on himself, and he had a shockingly, tactless way of doing things. Apparently, she must have spaced out again, much to his dismay. But to use this to redirect her attention back to him, seemed like an awful way to her.

However, as soon as she met his gaze with her own, he let go, satisfied with finding a spark in her eyes again, sure that she was back. Chaima, on the other hand, felt not as positive. She felt helpless and also scared of the man before her. Kouen was unpredictable, and that drove her and any future interactions these two may have into a corner. For once, she wondered if he had his fun, toying with her like this. Maybe it was some part of his personality, just so he could bear all the things he had to go through in his life.

Chaima felt endlessly conflicted when he returned to talking to her. "Please tell me what you really think," he almost whispered. Kouen didn't need to speak any louder, and neither did Chaima, as they were sitting close to each other still. His polite manner made her heart jump for one time only, having him treat her so equally respectful meaning a lot to her. However, if she hadn't been so confused and worried about her situation, she would have thought he tried to remind her to be quiet while confessing to him, as to not risk anything.

"So far, the best luck I had at a workplace. But it doesn't change the fact that the people are awful, I constantly worry about things I shouldn't, and I haven't seen my family in years and probably won't see them for the rest of my time here which could be forever." Chaima halted, taking a deep breath and looking up to prevent the tears forming in her eyes to spill. "I am grateful, and I want to support my family, but sometimes…" Looking down, she tried to hide her face from him, not wanting to show him the emotions he'd scold her for asking of the prince before. "I just want to go home."

She felt rough skin against hers as he placed his hand carefully on her arm. It felt warm, pleasant even, and she cursed her heart for leaping since she still felt upset about his behavior. However, his answer to her words didn't give her much time to hide her tears. When the prince opened his mouth, it felt like a shock to her. As it turned out, they had been right. "If that's the case, you should come back to the palace with me. I am sure your work there will be more to your liking, and some free days to spend with your family will probably arise." Everything became so clear to her now.

This time, it was he who sounded as if he had memorized these words. Chaima may be not the brightest star on the horizon, but she wasn't an idiot. He had shown her some sympathy, brought forth her weakness, and now attacked to his advantage. Whatever she had imagined the two of them to be - the thought of them being something like confidants finally forming in her head - in the end, she was just workforce for him. Someone he felt was just right to serve his every need. Someone just as manipulable as her.

The chair she had sat on banged loudly as it fell backwards, hitting the floor. For a mere second, the thought of her having to pick up the chair and clean it crossed her mind, but her flight instinct was too strong. Her body was suffocating. She felt endlessly ashamed and used. Millions of questions shot through her head, all of them just catering to 'What were you thinking, Chaima?' and she had no answer to that. Or maybe she had, but she didn't allow herself to let it manifest, too scared of its meaning.

The next thing she did was forcefully pull back the sliding door and leaving the room in a panic. She left behind the fallen chair, the cold and forgotten tea, and a concerned prince. It was not like he'd understand what was going on in her. She didn't expect him to. But all she knew was that it hurt. It was a painful burn deep inside her, and no matter how hard she tried to deny her wounded feelings, they were there.

In the rush, Chaima didn't notice the watchful eyes that saw her storming out of the prince's room and flee into the servant's corridor. The first daughter of the house just stood there, wondering why her maid would make that kind of face, while leaving the room of the noble. And she thought about it for a while until finally, she realized that it was something she shouldn't keep to herself. Mother will be furious to hear that, she thought. Poor Chaima, she added to it. Love would never be easy. Not for Alyia, not for her boyfriend, the neighbor, and not for the maid.

[magibigbang-blog]

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