.Hunchback.

They were once both from the same world, until a fracas came. Everything became unjustified for her. It was a mystery for him. Now, they need to help each other, to save their kingdom, and find that an unrequited love is what they're in.

All I want is for me to have a normal life once again. To fix what's broken.

All I learned since I was a kid, "To fight is to achieve."

All I want is to end this mess, for everyone to understand, war is meaningless.

All they want is perfection. They hate any mistakes. Mistakes cause complications.

I have no family and I'm all alone

I have them, but inside, I'm all alone.

I searched for help. They don't give in.

I should ignore the imperfect and unruly.

I keep to myself.

I'm an open book.

Will the anticipated and the gullible, fit the puzzle of fate?

CHAPTER 1: THE MASKED PERFECTIONIST

"And what do you think you're doing. Slacking yourself in here when everyone else in the kingdom is working! In the height of noon!"

"I'm sorry your highness" the woman said, scared that she made a scene that displeased her Lord. "I didn't really mean it, I was-"

"Enough said! Get out of my sight!" he ordered, his back now facing her.

The servant hurriedly moves, but before she could reach the door, the prince stopped her.

"Get Rauxbert before you leave. Now, move!"

With the servant out of his room, the auburn lad sits down on one of his expensive couches, one that can make you relax and easily fall asleep to.

"Such a despicable servant" he mumbles.

***Knock—Knock***

"Come in" he said in a grunting reply, the door swings open, came in his best adviser and best friend, Rauxbert Zaigobou.

"Another fight I dare say, your highness" Rauxbert said, bowing his head, then smiled.

The young man let out a groan, "You don't know how bad that argument went through."

"I may do know about it" Rauxbert smirked, "A certain planning of marriage for you, perhaps."

"Damn, and I thought it hadn't reach you yet."

"I'm you adviser, and when it comes to royalty business, especially concerning you, I'm all ears."

"Yeah, yeah, your large ears all right" the prince said. (~~like dumbo?)

Rauxbert ignored that, "So did you call me for that reason?"

"Yes"

"And you plan to consult me as your friend, or as your adviser?"

"A friend would be better; too much fracas has been going in my head"

"Mind if I sit down?" Rauxbert asked, "No."

"Well, Li?"

"I do not like this for one bit"

"What? Being the next heir, or them moving in someone's personal space?"

"Both" and Rauxbert can't helped but laugh. "Just because I follow those old farts' orders, doesn't mean they can enter my whole life. Such unforgivable men!" Li spats out to his friend.

"Your words Li, and be careful, these grand walls may have ears" Li just grunts in reply.

"I just don't want them to mess up this much. The hell with that marriage! I don't even want it."

"Well my friend, complying with it is your only option. With that brain of yours, I know that you know why there is such thing, am I right?"

"Yes" Li growls, seeing that he has no win in this discussion.

"I'll leave you to yourself, to rest of course, because later you'll have an official meeting with the king & the army commander" Rauxbert reminded him, walking to the door.

"Every convention I attend to is official"

"As I have said" Rauxbert smirks, bows his head before leaving the room.

Syaoran glares at the door and mumbles to himself, "There's no rest day for the king's heir." He stands up and walks to his long length table, where stacks of paper are waiting to be signed up.

"Papers, papers, will there be an easy way to discharge these?" he said annoyingly. (sorry Mr., but paper shredders, in your time, wasn't invented yet, your bad ;P)

The third powerful in the Li Kingdom, the heir to the king, a rightful leader, the cold-hearted one, but loved by every woman. Li Syaoran, at the age of 15, he was already considered, and expected to do the rightful thing a king should do in his kingdom. He became a very busy man, and he learned that there's no room for mistakes. A wrong perspective that he doesn't understand at all. He was already considered as the young king, as the high council would say, and his father was very proud about it.

Shaggy auburn hair, mysterious and captivating brown eyes, and a body that would make any woman scream. That's what would they say about him, even in the kingdom, everyone would say that he has a god-like for an appeal.

On the other side of it.

Many of them say that they understand him, understand what he feels.

But on the contrary…

…no really does.

Only the man who owns himself, and the one who understands his thoughts, is him and all alone. Even his mother wouldn't understand every strand of his feelings or what he's going through.

**KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK**

"Come in"

A servant came walking in quietly, upon reaching Syaoran, she bows her head for respect.

"Syaoran-sama, Jochiko-sama has told me to inform you that he would like to talk with you about a very important matter, and told that you should meet him in the Archives" she said.

Syaoran just lazily continues to write on his paper, one hand propped under his chin.

"Ano…"

"Tell him I will, now leave me alone" he spats impatiently; the servant cringed at his words but left nonetheless.

Syaoran's POV

I've never thought that my life would be like this, so complicated, so hard to breathe. All eyes are on me, watching every move I make, I'm a prince, I know that, the position I'm in. but in the next few years, I'll be under a new position, because currently, I'm not a just a prince that was born in a royal family. I'm a prince-slash-the-next-heir-to-the-throne.

If only for one day, I could leave all my problems, all these duties as the first prince. If only…if only I'm allowed to do such ruckus, and he'll still accept me as me.

If only one day, I could let go.

….someone who'll see me as the real Syaoran, not the prince, not the next heir, nor the man that every woman in the Li Kingdom who begs, literally, to be bed by me. Tsk!

If only.

Someday.

I'll be me.

Normal POV

He walks briskly, ignoring the people around him.

The heels of his leathered boots clunk against the marble floor, his faded brown coat flipping against the air. Forward, turn, forward, walking with authority and with thorough respect. Every servant bowing before him as he passes by.

Facing a pair of towering, large doors, he gave a knock and with a sign of entry, he proceeds.

Upon entering the room, he saw his father, quiet and still, arms crossed and attentively listening to the commander.

"Our source has told us that half of the Yobashi army is expected to be coming from Kobi river" the man said to King Jochiko.

"And the other?"

"Ah, I'm sorry Your Highness, but we still don't have any reports on their whereabouts" the commander said in an aghast tone.

"Very well, but make sure that our army is well-armed and prepared."

"I assure you, Your Highness, that you're men are in good shape for the battle in hand."

"Syaoran," the booming sound of his father echoed in the room that surprised the commander "what is your say about this?"

Syaoran, who was quiet and listening from afar, walks to the round table and said, "The plan is to annihilate the enemy, the first sector should be in the forest, covering their selves with leaves, sticks…"

"A camouflage"

"Yes, but this doesn't mean that we're coward," Syaoran implied before his father could react "we'll show them a quarter of our army but almost all of them are hidden, so that they won't decipher our movement" Syaoran said in a firm tone. "Others will be near the riverbank; since it's also close in the forest we'll have no problem about it."

King Jochiko slightly nods his head, "Well then, since we already had discussed about other matters for the war. I think that this will be enough for today. You two may go now."

"Father, I would like to suggest something" both older men looked at him; curiosity filled the commander's eyes while his father's looks were hard. The only thing about a gathering in the Li kingdom is that when the King says the final word, no one should speak another word. And I mean no one.

"What is it?" his father asked.

"I would like to suggest that we also leave guards in town because I believe that there'll be enemies lurking inside our kingdom, disguising themselves as civilians. So I think that it's right to…"

"I disapprove" his father cut him, "Leaving some of our soldiers behind does not accord in our plan. We don't know the exact number of our enemy, if we lack in offense or in defense, then there's a possibility that they'll win. So no, your plan of camouflage is enough and I will hear no other remarks from you. I think you're forgetting your place young man, aren't you?"

"No father, I am not"

"Good, now I want you to prepare for the upcoming battle" his father reminded him.

"I will" Syaoran bows his head then lefts.

When Syaoran left, his father said, "He's saying some things that I don't approve at all, things that will be the cause of the breakdown of the kingdom."

"I do agree, Your Highness" the commander lied.

On the day of war…

Syaoran's POV

As I look at the balcony, I see the warriors of Li, the well-trained protectors. The army was ready, well-armored and ready at war. There lives at stake, as I make a thought of it, and I know that they know it too.

Such noble men are they; they should be given an equal respect just like my family. Now that I think of it, why not? But of course, if a proposition like that would be told, I'll be the word of my generation, by the council in particular saying.

A knock interrupted me; he entered when I motioned him to, "Your higness, Li-sama has called for you. An immediate departure is ordered for us."

Its time.

"Tell him I'll follow soon" with the soldier bowing before me, he left.

I fix my armor once more, and then looked down at the men who'll fight with us.

As I close my door, I close my safety with it. One foot already buried in earth. Even we royals, who'll be in the war, are included.

We may have different ranks in life, but once we talk about death, there's no saying no to it. It creeps like a shadow under your foot, an entity that is always behind you, waiting for the right time scythe your life. No matter how powerful or brave you may be, you'll feel cold and empty, your soul slowly leaving you, and then you'll feel like an empty shell.

It's like a home; you can't call it a home without a word "family" within it.

It may be like an individual to, how can I call myself as me if there's no one there to help me, or to mold me, as who I should be.

Ohhh…I'm done. I feel it took me forever to finish this. Hope you love it. Please do review…I would like to hear it from you…you may leave suggestions as long there are no bad remarks to it.

Thank you for reading!

Hope to see you in my later chapters!