Tenchi still could not get control of the horse as he rode through the woods. He clutched desperately at the animal's mane, but it reared, sending him flying into the branches of a tree. He slid to the ground and lay for a moment, rubbing his head where it had struck one of the branches. In the distance, he heard what seemed to be an argument. He collected the horse's reins and peered through the tangle of trees. In the clearing, he saw a band of space gypsies and a girl about twelve years old, with long, bright red hair wearing a hooded cloak that hung down almost to her ankles. One of the space gypsies was trying to take a strange, metal device from the girl. "Give that back! You'll break it, you idiot!" the girl cried, her small fingers clutching the device. The gypsy only laughed and said, "No way! We can use this for spare parts for our space ship," he wrenched the device free from her hands. The girl caught sight of Tenchi. "Please," she begged, "help me get it back! It's a very important invention. You wouldn't let these mean, old men rob a cutie like me, would you?" she pouted. The gypsy who had stolen the girl's invention turned toward Tenchi, "You're the prince of Jurai," he said. He quickly dropped the device and approached Tenchi. "We could get a nice ransom for you." He grinned. Tenchi's legs began to shake. "Let's just talk this over," he said. "There's no reason to fight." The he mumbled, "I don't need this kind of trouble!" It was then that they heard the sound of hoof beats thundering toward them. The royal guard appeared between the trees. The space gypsies scurried away as the royal guards broke through the trees into the clearing. One of the guards spoke to Tenchi, "I'm sorry, your majesty, but we have orders to take you back to the castle." Tenchi sighed. The girl looked up at him, "Thank you for saving me from the gypsies," she said. "My name is Washu. You're interesting." Then she asked, "Do you want to be my guinea pig?" "What?" Tenchi replied, confused. Washu handed him the strange device. It was a thin metal rod with a censor on the end. As soon as Tenchi touched it, the device began to beep and flash wildly. "What is this?" he asked. "That is my latest invention: a virgin detector," she declared, "and its reading off the charts!" Tenchi dropped the device, embarrassed. She leaned over to pick it up. He scratched his head, "You look kind of young to be all alone in the woods," he said. "I am Washu, the greatest scientific genius in the galaxy! I am cute," she smiled at him. Then she continued, "So, why is the prince of Jurai being kidnapped by his own guards?" "Prince Tenchi is running away from an arranged marriage," one of the guards explained. "I see," she answered. "Washu," Tenchi began. "Tenchi," Washu cooed, leaning up against him, "Do you think you could call me Little Washu! At least you will if you know what's good for you!" "Little Washu," Tenchi said, puzzled, "I don't like to leave you alone in these woods. And I'm sure my grandfather would like to meet you. Would you return to the palace with me?" "I would be honored," she answered. She went to her horse and returned the virgin detector to her saddlebag. She swung on to the horse's back with ease and pulled the hood of the cloak over her head. It completely covered her face. Tenchi clumsily climbed on the horse he had stolen and they road off, followed by the royal guards, in the direction of the castle. At Souja, Seiryou rested comfortably on a long, pink couch. He was drawing the outline of an elegant ball gown in a sketchpad. He called out to Ryoko who was in the other room, "Are your panties too tight? You can't pretend to be a courtier! Do you know the penalty for a servant who dresses above her rank?" “First of all," Ryoko replied, "I don't wear panties. Second, you'd do the same for me and you know it." "Me, prancing around in fancy clothes at court to buy back a servant?" he sniffed. "Why not? You prance around in dresses here for no reason at all." "I meant pretending to be a MALE courtier," he insisted. "Sure, Seiryou," Ryoko answered caustically. "They will never buy it," he warned her. "You are too blunt. A lady of the court never speaks the truth." "I'm not a lady of the court so I am already a liar," Ryoko argued. Then she said, "I'm coming out and don't you dare laugh at me." Seiryou took a small, paper fan out of his pocket. He casually fanned himself and said, "Honey, I did that years ago. Why would I laugh?" "No! Not 'come out' like that, you idiot." Ryoko stepped shyly into the room. She wore a lovely, gold gown. The color of the fabric matched her golden eyes and fell around her body like sunlight. The garment had a low neckline that accentuated her bust. Seiryou stared. "I know," she began, "the shoes are too big." "Honey, walk in like that and no one will be looking at your feet." "All this fabric and I still feel naked," Ryoko complained. "Then you should feel right at home," Seiryou replied. "Now come here, honey and let's see what we can do with this hair of yours." He began combing Ryoko's wild hair. "Just look at these split ends!" Seiryou remarked. Then he said, "Remember, when you go to court, you will be dealing with a whole crowd of people like Kagato and Ayeka, only hopefully better dressed. You keep your head held high and remember, you are no one's inferior." As Ryoko was making her way to the castle, Tenchi rode up to Souja. He was accompanied by one if horse by its reins. Kagato stepped out of the house to greet the prince. Ayeka and Sasami followed close behind him. Kagato's eyes rested on Tenchi like the eyes of a hungry, wild animal, waiting for the right moment to strike its prey. "Why Prince Tenchi, to what do we owe this honor?" he asked. "I'm returning your horse," Tenchi explained. "Oh?" Kagato inquired. Tenchi scratched his head, "I kind of borrowed it this morning. I think I scared one of your servants, a young girl with a really good arm." He rubbed his face where the carrot had struck him. Kagato frowned, "She's a mute," he said. "Mute?" Tenchi questioned, "Oh no, she spoke quite forcefully." "Oh did she?" Kagato's voice was cold. "It comes and goes. No matter, you are always welcome to anything on my estate, isn't that right, ladies?" he turned to his nieces. Ayeka smiled at Tenchi and curtsied. "Hello, Lord Tenchi," she said. "Oh, hi, Miss Ayeka," Tenchi shifted uncomfortably. "It is so nice to see you again," she told him, gazing up at him from her large, amethyst eyes. "Uh, you too," Tenchi laughed nervously. He looked at the younger girl, "Hi, Sasami!" he said. "Hi, Tenchi," she replied. "Have you come here to play?" "Well," Kagato spoke before Tenchi could answer, "may I congratulate you on your engagement." "Th-thank you," Tenchi stammered, "but my future marriage is still under negotiation." "Do I take this to mean that you are not betrothed?" "Oh, is it true?" Ayeka asked hopefully. "I don't know, Miss Ayeka. We will see." He sighed. The guard let the horse off the line and motioned to Tenchi that it was time to go. "Please come again, your majesty," Kagato said bowing. He watched Tenchi through narrow eyes. "Yes, please do. Good bye," Ayeka said smiling. Ryoko dashed toward the castle. A few men stood guard at the gate, but they parted as she walked by, letting her pass. Once inside, she began to walk more slowly, holding her head high. She glanced around at her surroundings. She was in a large square. Crowds of nobles stood about. As she looked around, she noticed a horse-drawn cart supporting a cage made from tree branches. The cage held a group of prisoners. All but one of the captives were huddled in one corner of the cage. They appeared truly miserable. One prisoner was in tears and another was repeatedly banging his head against the branches that imprisoned them. The only captive not squashed in that corner was a young woman with bushy blonde hair. Ryoko heard a familiar voice. "So I was in the basement of Mater Kagato's house and it's just filled with so much junk. Nobody ever goes down there. I was looking for some candlesticks and suddenly I tripped and hit my head and all these old crates and a chair fell on top of me." Ryoko looked around at all the nobles again. She set her jaw firmly and with her head held high, she made her way toward Mihoshi. She could hear Mihoshi's voice growing louder, "I must have lost consciousness or something, because everything went black and when I opened my eyes there were two large white snakes hissing at me. Well, you can just imagine how frightened I was. I grabbed a chair and hit them but they kept coming back at me. Then, suddenly the room was filled with smoke and a little elf with bright, red hair stood before me." "Guard! Please let me out!" one of the prisoners hollered. "Excuse me, but I haven't finished my story yet," Mihoshi said. "Please don't interrupt. Where was I? Oh yes, well, then the little elf froze the snakes in mid air. I mean they were just hanging in the air frozen. And then she touched them and they crumbled. She must have had magic powers. Well, I was still feeling kind of frightened when she turned and looked at me with green eyes, like a cat's eyes. She just looked at me. I guess I fainted, or maybe she put a spell on me because everything went black and when I woke up she was gone. Isn't that strange?" "Tsunami give me strength," Ryoko whispered as she approached the cart. The driver was just about to leave when Ryoko grabbed the reigns of the horse. The animal reared. "I have come to pay the debt against that girl!" Ryoko declared. "She is my servant and I demand that you release her!" "Listen, I'd love to be rid of this annoying bimbo, but she's already been bought and paid for," the driver said shortly. He attempted to urge the horse on, but Ryoko held the reigns tightly in her hand. "I have twenty gold coins. That should be more than enough for her, and if you don't cooperate, I will take this matter to the king!" "It was the king who sold her!" the man argued. "She is the property of the royal labor force." "Property!" Ryoko began to get angry. “She is not property, you arrogant jerk! You can't chain people up and trade them like possessions! Release her!" "Get out of my way!" the driver roared. Suddenly, a voice said, "You dare to raise your voice to a lady?" Ryoko looked up to see Prince Tenchi. He had ridden into the square while she was arguing with the driver. Now he dismounted from his horse. He stared at her for a moment. She curtsied. "Damn," Ryoko thought. Her heart began to beat faster and she felt as though she had knots in her stomach. The prince's eyes studied her face then traveled down to the low neckline of her gown. He blushed and laughed nervously. "I meant no disrespect, highness," the driver explained to Tenchi. "I have orders to take these thieves to be shipped to Pluto." Ryoko heard her voice saying, "My servant is not a thief, and those who are can't help themselves." "Wh-What do you mean," Tenchi asked her. "If you allow your people to be grow up uneducated and in an environment where they are surrounded by crime from childhood, and then punish them for crimes they learned in that environment, then what can you conclude, your majesty, except that you first create thieves and then punish them." Tenchi considered this. He scratched his head, "That's a good point. Release the prisoner," he ordered the driver. Ryoko curtsied, "Thank you, your majesty." "Ryoko!" Mihoshi wailed. The driver opened the door of the cage and released her. The other prisoners in the cage cheered loudly. Mihoshi fell on the ground and grabbed hold of Ryoko's ankles. "Oh, thank you for saving me!" she sobbed. "Get up, you bonehead," Ryoko hissed. "If they find out who we are, we'll both end up in prison!" Mihoshi choked back her sobs and got to her feet. Ryoko said, "Prepare my space ship at once." "But you don't-" Ryoko cut her off, "Just go and prepare my space ship." She gestured in the direction of the gate and whispered, "Wait for me by the bridge and don't do anything stupid." "Oh, oh, yes of course," Mihoshi replied. She bowed to Ryoko and then walked off. Ryoko turned back to Tenchi. She curtsied again. "Thank you," she said again as she turned to leave. "Hey, wait," he began to follow her. "Don't I know you?" "No," Ryoko said. She kept walking. "I thought I knew every courtier in this province," Tenchi said. "Well, you were wrong," Ryoko replied. "Do you live around here?" Tenchi continued to follow her. "I'm visiting a cousin." "Who is your cousin?" he asked. "Uh, she's my cousin, of course," Ryoko was beginning to feel desperate. Tenchi stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "Are you trying to get out of telling me your name?" he asked. In all her life, the only man Ryoko had ever known was Kagato. At his best he treated her in a way that was dismissive and cold. At his worst he was violent. But this boy was not any of those things. He smiled at her. His eyes were open and kind. "Please," Tenchi said, "a name, any name." Ryoko blushed. She smiled. "The only name I can leave you with is Lady Hakubi." At that moment, Nobuyuki, on his way to the hot spring with a white towel tied around his head, hollered to his son, "Oh, son! They found you! Your grandfather wants to speak with you!" "Oh, man!" Tenchi complained. He turned to excuse himself, but the young woman was gone. >From atop the castle wall, Washu watched Ryoko leave. She had witnessed the entire incident. Now she smiled proudly as she watched Ryoko disappear through the castle gate. Yosho sat calmly in the royal drawing room sipping tea. Nobuyuki was leaning on the windowsill, peering through a pair of binoculars in the direction of the hotspring. The guards lead Tenchi into the room. Washu followed closely behind him. "Tenchi," Yosho began, "who have you brought with you?" "This is Washu, she is the number 1 scientific genius in the galaxy." Washu cut in, "I'm the greatest scientific genius in the universe." Yosho frowned. He said, "I had heard that you died in a laboratory accident." "Well, I didn't." Washu answered mysteriously, but she did not offer an explination as to where she had been for the past 17 years Tenchi continued, "I found Washu in the woods being attacked by space gypsies. I thought she could stay here with us for awhile." Yosho nodded in agreement. He said, "Perhaps you can impart some of your wisdom on my wayward grandson." He then turned his attention to Tenchi. "Tenchi, you will be restricted to the castle grounds." "Grandpa, no!" Tenchi protested. Yosho calmly reached for the teapot and poured himself another cup of tea. Only when he had accomplished this did he say, "I cannot have you acting so irresponsibility, you are the crown prince of Jurai." "I don't care," Tenchi replied. Yosho took another sip of tea. "You must learn to care. You have been born into the royal family of Jurai, and with that comes specific obligations. You have a power that has not been awakened yet. It is a great honor and a great responsibility to rule over the planet Jurai and learn the secrets of Tsunami. And you must have a bride who can suitably help you in these tasks." "But Grandpa, I don't want to marry Sakuya. I heard she sleeps with a doll of me. That's just plain creepy!" Yosho snorted. "I heard that, too," Nobuyuki said, turning from the window. Yosho glared at his son-in-law. Nobuyuki quickly returned to his peeping. Tenchi sighed, "Please, Grandpa, I want my marriage to be for love. I don't want it to be a business deal." Yosho smiled, "Oh, so it's love you seek?" He was silent for a moment. Then he said, "Alright, Tenchi, let's see if we can reach a compromise. I let your mother marry for love, and you can't do much worse than she did." "Huh?" Nobuyuki turned around. Yosho ignored him and continued, "In five days we will be having a ball in celebration of Startica. I give you till then to find this love you seek. You will announce your choice by midnight at the ball, or I will announce it for you. Do we have a deal?" Tenchi nodded. "Five days to find the one true love of his life. That sounds fair." Washu remarked. But she smiled. Back at Soja, Ryoko changed back into her ordinary work clothes. She was hungry. She made her way to the kitchen, but to get there, she had to pass through the dining room. Ayeka and Sasami sat at the table playing cards. Ayeka looked up when Ryoko entered the room. "Somebody's in trouble," she sang. Oh, I'm sorry, Ayeka, is Kagato angry at you because you weren't able to seduce Prince Tenchi?" Ryoko taunted. Ayeka shook with anger. Ryoko laughed loudly. She did not hear Kagato softly creeping up behind her. She was not aware of his presence until she felt his fingers close around her throat. "You stupid girl," he whispered in her ear. Ryoko clutched at Kagato's fingers, but his grip was strong. She could not breathe. Kagato threw her into a chair. She coughed painfully. "What did I do?" Ryoko could barely speak. "Think really hard." Ayeka and Sasami remained at the table. Sasami sat frozen, her eyes filled with tears. Ayeka looked pale. Her cards were still clutched in her hand. She was used to Kagato verbally abusing Ryoko, and she had seen him shove or slap the girl many times, but she had never witnessed violence of this kind. Now she stared at him, an expression of uncertainty on her face. Sasami coughed. She caught Ryoko's eye and mouthed, "The horse." "Prince Tenchi stole our horse this morning," Ryoko whispered. "Very good," Kagato said mockingly. "That would explain why he returned it this afternoon. I will not tolerate your deceitfulness in my house." "I did not try to deceive you. I-" Kagato cut her off. "You are completely useless," he said. Then he continued, "How dare you let the prince surprise us. Years of planning and you almost destroyed it. Fortunately, Miss Ayeka was dazzling. She and the prince had quite an interlude." Kagato stepped back. He studied her for a moment. Then he grabbed her again, closing his fingers around her neck. "The prince said you were forceful. Is this true?" Ryoko gasped, "I called him a horse thief. I saw someone stealing the horse. I didn't know it was prince. Please, I can't breathe..." Sasami burst into tears. "No!" she wailed. She pushed her chair back from the table and ran out of the room. Ayeka remained seated. She had never put her cards down and still clutched them in her hand. Her knuckles were white. Kagato released Ryoko. He began to laugh. Ryoko sat in the chair, her whole body shaking. "Ryoko, my little slave, you really are common, aren't you? Calling the crown prince of Jurai a horse thief!" He laughed loudly. But his laughter was interrupted by a loud crash from the next room. They heard a voice from the next room say, "Oops! Oh, I'm sorry!" "What's going on out there?" Kagato called out. Mihoshi entered the room holding two halves of a broken vase. "I'm sorry. It slipped from my hand. I'll be more careful next time, I promise." Kagato stared at her, "What are you doing here?" "Me? Well, I'm cleaning, of course. It's my day to do the dusting in the sitting room. That's what I always do." Kagato growled, "I sold you, you idiot. How did you get back here?" "Oh," Mihoshi replied, "they let me go." She giggled. "Prince Tenchi saved me as I was just about to be shipped off to Pluto. He said that I was to be released and so I came home." "Very well," Kagato said icily, "return to your work." He looked back at Ryoko. She stared up at him. She laid her hand against her throat as though she were protecting herself. "You may return to work as well," he told her. "Thank you," Ryoko whispered. She slipped out of the chair and ran from the room.