The Lost Princess
By Pursuit of Love
Summary: Sakura Mikan's on a journey to Yukihira Kingdom for she's the lost princess. But what if Prince Natsume of Hyuuga Kingdom, the enemy of her kingdom, tags along? Secrets will be unveiled, lives will be at risk, and love will be tested. Can the two survive?
Chapter 1
The Devil Stole My First Kiss
''Okaa-san, what's happening?'' her daughter asked while clutching her mother's hand tightly. ''I'm scared.''
''Everything's going to be alright, sweetie, I promise you,'' she reassured. ''Now go. You can't keep him waiting.''
''But Okaa-san, I don't know him!''
''He's a good friend of Okaa-san and Otou-san,'' the adolescent's father said with a warm smile. ''You can trust him.''
''Otou-san…''
''Go darling,'' he encouraged.
''Come with me! I won't go unless Okaa-san and Otou-san comes!''
''Sweetie, please go. Go for Okaa-san and Otou-san.''
''But,'' tears began streaming down her face,'' I'll miss Okaa-san and Otou-san.''
''I know,'' her mother responded,'' but Otou-san and Okaa-san promise you, we won't be separated forever, Mikan.''
~ The Lost Princess ~
''Mikan-chan! Oh Mikan-chan! Wakey-wakey!'' a straw-colored fella with mauve orbs exclaimed.
The blonde continued to vibrate the sleepyhead's figure until she revealed her big beautiful brown eyes. She heaved a yawn and changed from a laying position into a sitting one. The woken mademoiselle stretched her numb arms and when her vision became clear enough to perceive who was in front of her, she sincerely smiled.
''Good morning, Narumi-sensei,'' she greeted in a tender voice.
''Mikan-chan, we've been over this! There's no need for you to add 'sensei' or any honorific.''
''But you're a teacher.''
''But not your teacher,'' he pointed out. ''So just call me 'Narumi.' ''
''Ok Na-ru-mi!''
''Much better!'' he responded with a chirpy grin. ''Now, what do you want for breakfast?''
''You're choice.''
''Pancakes it is then!''
The enthusiastic chap sprung from the russet eyed girl's bed and zipped out of her room. Mikan softly giggled at the bloke's keenness. She afterwards lugged the bed sheets from her body and threw her legs over the edge of her bed. She pushed herself and stood with her own two feet. The lass shook her legs and hands to rid of the lethargy. Mikan strolled to her wooden vanity table, grabbed her hairbrush, and began to comb her extensive amber tresses.
As she stared intently at the looking glass mirror, the miss could see not only her duplicate, but also the reflection of her window. Mikan rotated her hips and gazed at it. The sunlight pierced through the glass and traveled down to the timber floor. Impulsively, she sauntered towards the window and leaned against its sill. The young brunette couldn't help, but smile at what she witnessed. There was a tall tree and on one of the sturdy branches was a nest. Three blue birds were perched on the nest, and since two were larger and taller than the other one, Mikan supposed they were the parents and that was their child. Looking at the family reminded her of her dream.
''Why do I always have that dream?'' she questioned to herself.
Before Mikan could ponder further on, Narumi called her to come downstairs for breakfast was ready. She set her comb down on her vanity desk and hastened down the stairs. She sat at the small dining table and patiently waited for the food to come. Soon, Narumi flipped his last pancake and put the well-cooked batch on the table.
''Breakfast is served!'' he declared.
''Thank you very much!'' Mikan replied before seizing an oval shaped pancake and taking a large bite out of it. ''Mm! Yummy as always!''
''Why thank you!'' he responded with his lilac eyes beaming of joy. ''It's always nice to hear compliments from my little Mikan-chan.''
''I'm not that little anymore, Narumi. I'm sixteen.''
''Sixteen? With that pudgy face of yours, I thought you were six.''
''Eh! I don't have a pudgy face!'' she opposed while puffing her cheeks.
''If you say so,'' the golden haired man replied with a playful grin.
The duo continued to devour the cluster of delectable pancakes while chatting about things that made them laugh for several seconds or even minutes. But soon things became serious.
''So last night, I had this dream.''
''About what?'' the mauve eyed bloke asked before taking a nibble of his pancake.
''About,'' Mikan hesitated, but then continued, ''my parents.''
''You're parents?''
She nodded. ''It's been repeating for several nights now.''
''What happens in your dream?''
''Well, I think I was five and my parents needed me to leave, but I didn't want to. I told them I would miss them too much, but they promised we wouldn't be far apart forever. After that, I woke up.''
''I see.''
''Narumi, why,'' the chestnut girl longingly exhaled, '' why did my parents hand me over to you?''
The buttery haired man pauses his fork near his open mouth then gradually positions it down on his plate. He sets his heliotrope orbs on Mikan's hazel ones and stares at her solemnly.
''We've been over this,'' he said in a low voice. ''It's…it's complicated.''
''How so?'' Mikan asks with her eyebrows scrunched. ''Did…did they not like me? Did they not want a child?''
''Your parents loved you, Mikan!'' he demurred.
''Then why did they give me away?''
''Things happened and sacrifices had to be made,'' he murmured while staring fixedly at the plate of pancakes.
''Things? What things! What sacrifices!'' Mikan exploded with her face altering to a dark shade of scarlet. ''When are you going to tell me these things?''
''When you're old enough.''
''Old enough? I'm sixteen!'' she countered back. ''I could get married!''
''Not under my watch.''
The brunette blinked numerous times at her guardian before bursting out into a fleet laughter. Narumi, seeing his important person smiling couldn't help, but join in the merriment. Ultimately, the duo couldn't take much of the tingling sensation in their stomachs, so they eventually calmed down.
''Don't worry, Narumi, I don't want to get married at sixteen.''
''The female students in my class want to and they're only fourteen!'' he exclaimed. ''Why is it different for you?''
''I'm still young. I want to do plenty of other things before I settle down with a husband.''
The blond chap smiled. ''That's my Mikan-chan. Wise like an owl.''
''An owl? Why an owl?''
''I don't know, it's just a phrase.''
The twosome continued to consume their pancakes with less enthusiasm and in awkward silence. Both were brooding about their small fight just minutes ago. Mikan was so puzzled on why her parental guardian couldn't tell her the reason why her parents left her. It's suspicious, she thought. Narumi, on the other, mentally apologized. He felt guilty he had to keep it a secret from her.
When the two finished their last pancake, they looked straight into each other's eyes.
''Narumi, I'm sorry for yelling at you.''
''No, I'm sorry. I know that you can't help wanting to know why your parents did what they did, but trust me. I will tell you.''
''When?''
''When the time comes.''
The amber eyed mademoiselle genuinely smiled. ''That's good enough for me.''
Narumi smiled back at the young girl and mentally thanked that woman for Mikan had the same kindness as her.
''My throat has gone dry from all the yelling,'' the chestnut girl remarked as she caressed her dehydrated gullet. ''Do we have water?''
''No, I will have to get water from the lake today.''
''Do you want me to get it for you?'' Mikan generously offered.
''Will you?''
''Sure!'' she answered with a great big smile. ''Let me just get changed!''
A couple of minutes later, Mikan emanated downstairs dressed in a pale tan blouse, a leather belt that fastened around her petite waist, a mud-brown long skirt, and frayed boots. She beamed at Narumi who was analyzing the daily newspaper.
''I'm heading out now, Narumi!''
''Take care!'' he advised while waving adieu to his little girl.
Mikan clutched the silver knob and lugged the door. She took one more glance at the fair-haired chap before departing from her cottage. The brunette headed towards the stables where all the horses Narumi and her owned were. She patted and feed all of them before trying to decide which one she should take riding today. A small gasp escaped from her lips when the answer stood in front of her.
''Pepper!'' she jubilantly shouted and petted the mare's head.
''I'll take you out today. It's your time to shine.''
Pepper was called Pepper because she loved peppers especially red peppers! She's the youngest horse out of them all. She's two, well, two and three quarters to be exact. She has never been rode on, or at least not yet. Mikan unlocked the gate and guided the fledgling outside. The amber haired girl gently caressed the inexpert mount. When Pepper seemed relaxed enough, the brunette pressed her palms on her horse's back and pushed herself up. She then threw her legs over to each of her sides and rubbed her belly.
''Good girl,'' she commented before clutching the leather reins and whipping them. ''Let's go!''
The fledgling piercingly nickered and kicked her front legs up. When they came in contact with the ground, she began galloping. The auburn girl was startled at the speed Pepper was constructing, but soon gave a proud smile at her. The mare was the first of few to sprint this fast at their first jaunt. Usually, mounts would keep it slow and just trot, but she wasn't any ordinary horse. This is what made Mikan smile proudly at her.
~ The Lost Princess ~
''Good job, Pepper!'' she remarked and stroked her abdomen. ''We made it to the lake in seconds!''
She hopped off her trusty steed and seized the bucket that was attached to the saddle. She ambled to the edge and kneeled. Mikan dumped the vessel in the water then hauled it out when it was completely full.
''That's good enough,'' she said and lugged the pail besides her.
The amber haired lassie positioned her hands on the pasture behind her back and leaned backwards. She loved the odor of cluttered grass, the warmth of the sweltering sun, the serene sound of oblivion, and the breeze blowing through her chocolate locks. The tranquil girl sealed her hazel eyes shut and enjoyed what Mother Nature had to offer.
Suddenly, a high-pitched whinny interrupted Mikan's relaxation. She flung her eyes open and whipped her head around to see what the racket was. Her orbs broadened when she saw Pepper running haywire. She bounced onto her two feet and hastened towards the hectic horse.
''Pepper!'' she cried.
Mikan took hold of the bridles and tried to calm down her frantic Pepper, but to no avail. The russet horse was shrilly whickering, jolting her head, and trying to push her owner off. The brunette was so confounded. Why is Pepper suddenly frenzied? Mikan thought. Unexpectedly, the hysterical mount kicked the chestnut girl in the face and soon, Mikan's world turned dark.
~ The Lost Princess ~
Mikan's head was throbbing. She just wanted to scream on the top of her lungs, but was too weak to. The wounded girl was puzzled. All she could see is darkness, nothing else. The lass tried to think, but groaned. The pain increased. She concluded not to do anything that would worsen her condition. Suddenly a voice called out to her. It was unfamiliar, but even so, it wakened her.
''Oi, wake up.''
Her eyes fluttered half-open. The vision of the young sixteen year old girl was blurry, but she could make out what was in front of her. A pale lip. It was opening and closing and sounds came out, but she couldn't comprehend them. However, she knew the noises came from a man's deep voice. A nose. It was very petite for a normal man. Silky black hair. In Mikan's opinion, it looked like it belonged to a raven. And finally, crimson eyes. They're the color of an elegant and graceful rose, but also the metallic taste of pure blood.
''Wake up.''
The half-conscious lass flashed her eyes several times, before she could clearly see.
''Are you going to stare at me all day?'' he said in a swaggering attitude.
She dismissed the cockiness since it wasn't her first priority. ''Where am I?''
''Hell.''
That one word immediately made Mikan fully awaken. She jerked from a laying position to a sitting one and on the top of her lungs, screamed.
''Oh my God! I died! How is that possible? I was just getting water for Narumi and now I'm dead!''
''Oi, I was just-''
''But why am I in Hell? I did nothing wrong! Well, there was the time I lied to Narumi about doing my homework, but that was it!''
''Oi, would you shut up,'' the miffed lad hissed.
The berserk Mikan rotated her head to see a peeved man. She gasped and stayed frozen with her mouth wide open.
''Are you...?''
Shit, he thought, I'm caught.
''The Devil.''
The raven haired man simply couldn't help, but marginally drop his jaw and raise one of his eyebrows. On the other hand, the chestnut girl bubbly gazed at him, waiting for a reply.
''What?''
''You have red eyes! You must be the Devil!'' she concluded.
His cerise eyes twitched. Before he could tell her she was a complete idiot and that she was clearly mistaken, Mikan went on her knees and started to bow.
''Oh please! Please spare me!'' she desperately beseeched.
Suddenly, pain was inflicted on Mikan's head. She winced and rubbed the bump which was growing by the second.
''Why did you do that?'' she said with her russet eyes tightly sealed.
''Because stupid, I'm not the de-''
The suppose devil couldn't finish his sentence. Words couldn't come out of his mouth and the reason for that was...something was on mouth. And that something was a pair of lips. And who's lips you might ask? The one and only Sakura Mikan. He didn't know how this possibly happened. He just met her. He doesn't know her name. Why would he want to kiss her? But for some reason, may it be his tingling stomach or pounding heart, he wanted to keep feeling the sweetness of the deranged girl's lips.
Her heart was pounding. Why? Mikan wondered. She just got flicked by this conceited jerk. She presumed her heart was beating so rapidly because she was incredibly provoked. When she was about to jeer at the bloke, she felt something situated her lips. It was...soft and...warm. Curious what was on top of her lips, she gradually unsealed her orbs. Instantly, her cocoa irises expanded to their full extent. The ''Devil'' was touching her lips and to be more specific, what was touching her lips was his lips! She couldn't see his crimson irises anymore for they were sedately closed. Was this just a mirage? Mikan thought. Maybe another dream? She quavered when the stranger placed his palm on her cheek. Wake up, Mikan, she screamed in her head. But even though she commanded her brain to wake up, it wouldn't. It isn't a dream, she thought.
The raven haired man was massaging her lips with his. Unconsciously, she let a groan escape and other sounds she didn't know she could produce. He kept nibbling on the girl's lower lip, demanding for entrance. She let him enter. Why am I letting him do this? Mikan thought. He hurt me! With all the strength she could gather, Mikan lifted her hands and shoved him off her. The lost of breath madame clutched the collar of her shirt and deeply inhaled. When she had enough of clean air, she raised her fingers to her no more virgin lips. She wanted to scream at the jerk who stole her first kiss, but the only words that could come out of Mikan's mouth was-
''The Devil stole my first kiss.''
A.N. (9/18/2011): I am proud to say that The Lost Princess is my tenth story! I just know it's going to be one of my best fanfic ever! Thank you all for supporting me in my last stories! I hope all of you will support me in this one as well. Well, hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Reviews and constructed criticism would be very much appreciated!