Disclaimer: I do not own Merupuri, oh, and I've only read the first one, since our library at my school is kinda cheap.
There is no real time that I'd like this to take place, so long as it does.
Maruru fluttered behind Airi as the human girl wandered around the castle, muttering darkly. "Why would Jeile choose such an ugly girl to be his first lady?" she finally said loud enough for Airi to hear.
"I am not ugly!" Airi yelled, whirling to face the smug faerie.
"Prove it," Maruru taunted.
"I don't have to prove anything to you." Airi turned to stomp off down the cold hall.
"Like I said, ugly inside and out! No wonder Jeile is looking for a new first lady. You wouldn't do at all!" The tiny girl smirked, wings fluttering as Airi stopped dead in her tracks, her fists clenched at her sides.
"Maruru…" she warned.
"What? You thought he was really in some stupid meeting all morning? Honestly, don't you use that brain of yours for anything?" She turned as if to fly in the other direction.
"Wait…can you make me look prettier? It's not for Jeile! I just want to prove that I am pretty!"
"Sure." Maruru grinned, rubbing her hands together eagerly as she led the human girl back towards her rooms.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the big, drafty castle…..
"So it's settled, then! When Princess Mikomi and my brother come of age, they shall wed," Jeile concluded, standing to gleefully shake the visiting dignitary's hand. 'That'll keep him away from MY Airi,' he thought smugly, unknowingly imitating his faerie's expression at that same moment.
Once the other man had left, the prince fell back into his seat, sprawling comfortably as he covered a yawn. His eyes almost popped out of his head, however, when the object of his affections slipped through the door in a mere slip of a white silk gown. "A-Airi? Darling? What are you wearing?" Airi looked confused for a moment before her shy smile crumpled and her eyes filled with tears.
"Y-Y-you don't like it?"
"NO! I love it!" he hurried to correct her, rushing to her side and leading her back to his chair. "It's just ….different."
"Really?" she sniffled, rubbing at one of her eyes. Jeile smiled indulgently, slipping back into his seat and pulling her onto his lap, where he proceeded to weave his fingers into her now-curled hair.
"Yes, my mountain lily maiden," he assured her, sliding one hand down her side to lightly rub the heavy material between his thumb and forefinger. "Where did you get this gown?" he suddenly asked.
"Maruru gave it to me…I asked her to help me look pretty," Airi quietly confessed.
"Oh, no."
"What?"
"Well, you see, sweeting, Maruru has this bad habit of …arranging things to fall into my favor."
"Like the girl you're trying to replace me with?"
"What?! What the deuce are you talking about! MARURU!" he bellowed, yanking Airi after him as he stormed off to find the mischievous faerie.
"What'd she do?" the girl questioned, blushing brightly when their fingers twined together as he led her down the hall.
"That dress you're wearing is coated in pixie magic. It makes the wearer spill their most intimate and personal thoughts," he bit out, stopping only long enough to check where they were before continuing on their search.
"Ooh….did you know that--" Airi started, only to stop in mid-sentence when Jeile suddenly stopped, causing her to slam into his back. "Jeile! Why'd we stop?"
"Because, love, we found her," he told her, smirking at her over his shoulder as he pointed to the rather indignant faerie in front of them.