Poisoned Apple

Chapter 1

. . .

Imai Hotaru. The one, the only.

Her face filled every newspaper within the majestic realm of the Imai Empire. Every entrepreneur's heart and wallet has been captured by this unbelievable lady, for she was beauty and brains rolled into one.

And she is the sole heir to the throne.

What amazing things she had contributed to this swiftly revolving modern world, what burdens had she eased from the people's shoulders, alongside her father, in the place of her deceased mother, Her Royal Highness.

And what was more amazing is that she was only at the peak of reaching her eighteenth birthday, the appropriate age when the Royal Princess names the man of her life.

Which explained why every passing second sends desperate bachelors into a panic.

. . .

"Hotaru-chan, dinner is ready!" The cheerful invitation of a smiling girl rang through the princess's suite of rooms.

BAKA! BAKA! BAKA!

"ITAI! HOTARU! WHAT THE FREAKING HELL WAS THAT FOR?!" moaned the brunette, rubbing her head.

"You were too noisy, Mikan." Blowing the end of her legendary Baka Gun, the Imai Hotaru glanced at the bawling girl on the floor.

The crybaby who happened to be her personal servant.

And her very best friend.

"Stop crying. You're making yourself look uglier. I don't want to be seen walking around with you if you're that hideous," she intoned in her soft voice.

Stupendously, Sakura Mikan bounced up from the carpeted floor and beamed brightly at her stoic best friend.

Hotaru sighed. It didn't take much to make her naïve friend happy. It was quite a surprise, since Mikan, who is constantly bubbly and jovial, was an abandoned child, having an unknown past and an undefined future.

"Ne, ne, Hotaru, did you know? I heard from the kitchens that your father was planning a really, really, really, really big surprise party for your birthday!" Mikan said as the two headed for the Banquet Hall.

Hotaru nearly dropped to the floor in exasperation. "Mikan, you enormous moron. Wasn't it supposed to be a surprise party for me?"

"Yup!"

"Stupid git."

"Why, Hotaru? Did I say something wrong?" Mikan noticed her friend's annoyed aura.

The princess sighed and entered through the grandiose double doors into the ornate Banquet hall, leaving a shocked Mikan behind.

As the doors swung shut, Mikan let out a confused and frustrated groan.

"Hotaru, you idiot! You always, always, always leave me hanging! Ugh! I can't understand you!" And with this, the agitated brunette stomped off to the servant's quarters.

. . .

As the doors swung shut behind her, Hotaru braced herself for the upcoming blasts of trumpets signaling the Royal Princess's arrival.

She walked steadily to the dining table amidst the curtsying lines of servants. At the head of the empty table sat her father, His Royal Highness, the King.

Hotaru had always thought that their dining set was far too large for its own good--after all, only two people dine on it twice a day. With a sigh, she bowed deep to the King.

"Good evening, Father."

"Good evening, my beautiful daughter. Come, come, let us eat," The King's amethyst eyes, identical to her daughter's, shone with tenderness as he surveyed his only daughter.

Hotaru sat to the right of her father, the customary place of the Queen, and sighed again.

"Anything the matter, Hotaru?"

The aforementioned gazed at the King. The man before her was her only family, and it was evident on the white hair that streaked his raven locks, as well as the lines caressing his face, that he was getting old.

"Father," she began.

Her father smiled and tilted his head, prompting her to go on.

"There is no need for you to arrange a grand birthday party for me, you know,"

Smiling sheepishly, the King replied, "I shouldn't be surprised that you know about the party I was planning for you, my child. When it comes to you, even walls have ears."

Hotaru remained silent. So it wasn't a secret that she bugged the castle walls.

"But Hotaru, every princess's eighteenth birthday signifies a new beginning for the kingdom. In short, I descend the throne and the new King and Queen takes my place."

Hotaru nodded mutely. She knew the traditions of their kingdom by heart.

"My daughter, no matter how prodigious you may be, no one can single-handedly manage the entire realm. I know that, and you know that, too, as well,"

Hotaru did, and remembered well. She was young when her mother, the Queen, passed away. Her father, though consumed with grief, continued to reign, but those were the darkest days of his time.

His Majesty continued, the essence of command present in his tone.

"We shall hold a ball on the eve of your birthday. All invited will be the noblemen of the nearby empires. It is time for you to choose, Hotaru. I expect you to decide astutely. The land's future depends on your choice."

"Yes, Father."

And with that, they continued the rest of their meal in silence.

. . .

"Mikan-chan! Mikan-chan!"

Down in the Laundry Room, Mikan was washing bed linens when a midnight blue-haired girl burst into the room.

"What is it, Nonoko-chan?" Turning, she saw that her friend was glowing with excitement.

"They're going to hold a ball on the night before the Princess's birthday!" Nonoko said breathlessly.

"The surprise party? Anna-chan told me about that already, Nonoko-chan," replied Mikan.

"No, no, apparently, this ball is where the Princess will choose the new King, and on the Princess's birthday is also the Coronation of the new King and Queen, namely Hotaru-sama and whomever man she chooses!"

"Really?" eyes wide with curiosity, Mikan stood up and wiped sweat from her forehead. "A ball…it's like a fairytale!"

Ogasawara Nonoko nodded in agreement. "It's going to be a really big ball, though. All the princes and nobles from all over are invited. It will surely be extra hard work for us."

"Yeah… Oooh, Nonoko-chan, I want to go to that ball, too! All those food! Just thinking about the food makes my stomach grumble! Howalon! Aha! I'll ask Hotaru to allow us to go. Oh, I'm so excited!"

"Excited for what, Mikan-chan?" A red-haired girl surveyed Mikan, who was jumping up and down, from the doorway.

"Ah! Misaki-senpai! Have you heard about the ball for Hotaru's birthday? Ne, have you? Have you? You have, haven't you? Can we go, too? Please, Misaki-senpai, can we go? Please? Pretty please with chocolate and cherry and extra whipped cream and Howalon on top? Please, Misaki-senpai?"

"Yeah, Misaki-sama, may we go? Please?" Even Nonoko was pleading.

"Whoa, Mikan-chan, Nonoko-chan. one thing at a time!" Their beautiful senior grinned, perplexed at the young girls' sudden urge to attend parties.

"First off, of course I know about the ball. But I don't know if we can attend, Mikan-chan. It'll be very busy,"

Mikan withered. "Oh. I- I see. Well, there are more parties to come, right?" She smiled brightly and went back to washing the linens. "I was really looking forward to a break, though."

Harada Misaki gazed at her pitiful kouhai. Of course she would want a break. Who wouldn't? Though Mikan never did complain, she had been relentlessly serving the royal family since her childhood.

"Ah, Misaki-san, the King is calling for you," Umenomiya Anna, the cook, appeared in the doorway.

"Right on. Good night, everyone. Good night, Mikan-chan," Misaki headed out of the Laundry Room.

"Misaki-san sure does a whole lot, ne?" Staring after the disappearing figure, Anna leaned beside Nonoko against the counter.

"So, what's up? Mikan-chan, is there anything wrong?" The newcomer asked, sensing Mikan's aura.

"We can't go to Hotaru-sama's birthday ball, can we?" Anna guessed. And she knew she was right.

"I-I know we're going to be busy. So it's really no big deal," Mikan smiled at the two, who surreptitiously glanced at each other. They knew Mikan was no party girl. The reason why she wanted to attend so badly was her best friend.

"I'm going to sleep now, guys. Good night!" Mikan bounced out of the room after hanging the laundry up.

. . .

Up the grand staircase, into wide hallways, Mikan pondered. Hotaru was nearing eighteen. She was about to reign as Queen, officially. Somehow Mikan sensed that Hotaru was going to leave her.

"Stupid. I'm not going anywhere," a voice said behind her.

Mikan turned and smiled at Hotaru. "Hotaru! What are you—?"

Ignoring the question, Hotaru said, "Whatever happens, you are you, and I am I. Not even rankings can change that, you know,"

"Hotaruuu!!!" Touched, Mikan ran to hug her best friend, only to bang on the wall.

"Don't touch me, booger-face." And with that statement, the Princess walked away. And Mikan could only smile.

. . .