DISCLAIMER: I don't own MKR, CLAMP does. Am just one crazy fan. And all of these stuff I had written or will write is a product of my imagination and my imagination only....Yada...yada...Don't sue me.

DESTINED TO BE

Prologue

The young Lantis Solville was just darn glad that he was finally permitted to leave the room. Of course, it was not expected for a boy in his fourteenth year to listen to the boring discussion his father and his friend was very much engaged to, yet he just had to stay for the sake of formality.

He almost smiled as soon as he heard Lord Shidou suggest to his father that maybe the "…young Solville must be feeling quite bored and would like to explore the mansion…"---well, almost. He smiling would be definitely out of character…besides, he and his father had to decline, again for the sake of formality. Their host insisted though, and his father had no choice but to let him leave.

And so the young Lantis Solville found himself walking with a youth of the same age as him, the eldest son of their host whose name he could not remember since he paid little attention when they were introduced.

The young Shidou, whatever his name was, started reciting their mansion's short history soon after they walked out of the room. The youth, who obviously had no interest on the task that was assigned to him, didn't even bother to fake his enthusiasm (or lack thereof). Instead, he spoke in a dry monotone that would have brought Lantis to sleep if only they were not walking.

Lantis could not blame the boy for sounding so dull. If he was in his young host's position he would have sounded the same way himself…or even worse. Who would have ever considered the task as interesting anyway?

"…The old barn became like a big fencing hall after that…" he heard the young Shidou say to him. It was then that Lantis' mind stopped wandering.

"A fencing hall, you say?"

"Yes, a fencing hall…" the boy answered him, now aware of the reason of his guest's sudden curiosity. "Do you fence, Solville?"

"Lantis, please. And yes I do. Do you?"

"As I told you earlier, my father teaches fencing. Therefore, I and my siblings were taught the art at a very young age. Why, even our youngest…"

"Satoru! Satoru!" a boy about two years younger than them was shouting as he ran towards them.

"What is the matter, Masaru?" the elder boy, whom Lantis finally learned to be named as Satoru, asked the younger one.

"The Baron's son has been bullying Kakeru again…" Masaru said. After suddenly realizing that Lantis was also there, he lowered his voice as he continued, "…and you do know what happens after that…"

"Indeed I do…Where is Kakeru?"

"Pretty beaten up…I had Luke carry him to his room…but the problem is…"

Satoru then turned back to Lantis. "I am sorry but if you are willing to wait here I will continue the tour later on after I settle this…err…unexpected incident."

Lantis silently nodded and watched the two boys leave towards the area where Satoru had said the fencing hall was located. It did not take long until he decided to follow them though…for he had a feeling that this 'unexpected incident' was something that he would not want to miss.

"I thought you agreed to wait…" Satoru started to say.

Lantis shrugged and said, "I figured that if your father learns that I was left all alone all of a sudden…the result would not be pretty…"

Satoru sighed and then said, "Maybe it would be so.  I have no choice but to let you go with us although I have one favor to ask you…"

"What is it?"

"Not a word to my father about what you will see later on…"

"You have my word…"

"Over there brother!" Masaru said, pointing at what looked like a group of youngsters shouting and watching two young boys have a duel. "I tried to stop them…but I couldn't…" From what he was seeing, it was very clear to Lantis that the smaller boy was more skillful than his opponent and was currently winning the fight. Indeed this young boy was very talented in fencing and had already earned Lantis' admiration and respect.

"And nobody came to help you?"

"Well as you can see they are very busy watching…" The three ran to the ongoing commotion. "If Father learns of this…"

"You two! Stop this instant!" Satoru said, breaking off the two boys.

"But he started it!" said the younger one, who was a redhead wearing a cap. "He insulted Kakeru and started beating him up…"

"Your brother is a weakling!" said his opponent, a tall boy who seemed to be a very proud.

"Enough you two! Haven't Father told you that duels are not allowed in here?" Satoru said. 

"I was getting bored," the haughty boy replied with a smirk.

"Just because you were getting bored William does not mean you can just beat someone up…"

"That's certainly right!" said the redhead.

Satoru then turned to the redhead. "And you! Look at you! If Father hears of this I do not know what will become of you!"

"But Brother…!!!" the boy whined.

"Go and get changed!"

With a deep sigh, the boy finally agreed, "Yes, Brother…"

"Ha-ha-ha!" William said. "That'll teach you to mess up with me, little one…"

"Why you…"

"That is enough! Go back to the house…now!" Looking at the group of boys who watched the fight a while ago, Satoru said, "Well? Your show is over. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Encouraging a fight like that…and you call yourselves gentlemen. Besides, all of you should be home by now. Practice sessions are over." Head bent low, the boys started leave.

"He was really good…the one with the red hair." Lantis commented to Masaru who was still standing beside him.

"Oh yes…very good. She's almost as good as Satoru too."

"She?"

Masaru then started laughing out loud. "Hahaha! Oh sorry…Hahahaha!...But…that was really…Hahaha…our youngest sister…Hikaru. I don't really blame you if you mistake her as a boy though."

A girl? That redhead was a girl? Of course with the cap she was wearing, it wasn't obvious at all…and she was dressed like a boy.  "Your father taught her too?"

"It started out as something like of a game of 'pretend' at first. Father found it amusing to actually teach his daughter fencing. Eventually she ended up learning it with the other boys in the class…"

"So that boy, William, knew he was having a duel with a girl?"

"Yes…which makes him worse of a scoundrel he really is…But of course the other boys were very intimidated by him so nobody dared to contradict him. The Baron spoils his child rotten you know…"

"I noticed he was pretty proud…"

"Pretty proud you say? You are being too discreet…"

It wasn't so far away where William was sitting and looking for something else to do. Suddenly noticing Lantis, William approached him and then said, "You are new here…"

"You can say that."

"Do you fence?"

"Yes."

"Fence with me."

"No."

"Are you a coward?"

"No, I had just seen enough to know that it would be a waste of my time."

"He is not a student here William, but a guest of my father," Satoru said, which made Masaru quite glad for arriving at the right moment. "And I doubt that the knowledge of you treating the future Earl Solville in such a lowly manner would be good for your father's name. It is common knowledge that he is a distant cousin of the crowned Prince---distant, but a cousin nonetheless…Come Solville, let us continue the tour."

*          *          *

"What is this? Where is Hikaru?" their host asked his sons who are now sitting in front of the table.

"She would be here soon Father," Satoru answered him, looking cautiously at Lantis. "She just needed to change since she came home quite filthy today."

"Papa!" they all heard someone shout behind them.

"Ah! Here's my little girl By the way, this is Earl Glenn Solville, a great friend of mine. He and his son, Lantis, will join us for lunch."

"Aren't you that young man who was with my brother at the fencing hall?" the young girl inquired. Lantis noticed Satoru give his sister a sharp glare before he answered her question.

"Yes."

"How did you like the tour Lantis?"

"It had been quite…interesting."

"I bet it was boring," the girl interjected.

"Hikaru! That is not how a lady should react! Go apologize to our guest at once!"

"But papa! I didn't say anything bad!"

"Do not contradict me, little one…"

"Sorry…"

Lantis almost smiled at the young girl after hearing her apology. It was as if she wasn't the same girl who was fiercely fencing with that William earlier. "I can see that you have one smart daughter there…" Lantis heard his father say. "How old is she now again?"

"She is in her eighth summer already…"

"Really, such an adorable little girl, don't you agree son?" Lantis could only nod in reply.  "Maybe in ten years or so, you might get to marry her…"

"Ewwwww!!!" they all heard the girl say.

"Hikaru!"