Disclaimer: I do not own Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji (Wolf Girl and Black Prince) or any of the characters
Erika stared at the letter before her in disbelief. Her heart was racing faster than it did when she was opening the letter that determined her entire future. She waited months for the letter and prayed for the answer she saw before her now. Congratulation Erika Shinohara, you have been accepted to Hatta's Magical Academy.
"I did it!" Happy tears filled her eyes when she touched the ink to confirm that the words were real. Not able to contain her excitement any longer, she jumped to her feet and hugged the letter to her chest. This was the first step to her dream of becoming a great wizard. Her magical ability was weak at the moment but the academy was her chance to improve herself.
"Mom! Dad!" She ran out of her room to where her parents were in the living room. She hadn't told them about applying to the Magical Academy since she wanted it to be a surprise. While her parents weren't impressed by magic, the subject took up most of Erika's mind. They found power in money and Erika knew they wouldn't understand her love for magic.
She was the daughter of a merchant and expected to marry into another wealthy family. But Erika didn't want to become a wife. For the longest time she didn't know what she wanted to do until that fateful day she met a boy in the woods that introduced her to magic. From that day on she worked to become a wizard.
She had to write several reports and pass an aptitude test to be admitted so she hoped her parents would see how dedicated she was. Erika didn't understand why her parents were against her learning magic when she was born with the wonderful ability to do magic. She was lucky that her best friend, Sanda, was able to teach her how to use her magic. But her parents couldn't deny her ability now!
"I've been accepted!" She cheered when she entered the living room and held out the letter to them. They stared at her in confusion for a moment until it turned to horror as they scanned the words. Her father forcefully ripped the letter from her hands and Erika stepped back for a moment. She knew they would be mad that she didn't tell them but she didn't think they would be as mad as they were now.
"What is the meaning of this?" Her father asked her and Erika was rendered silent for a moment. How could she answer them without provoking them further? "You are a Shinohara and we do not bother with something like magic. Our family is rooted in the steel trading business and as our only child you will inherit our business. You do not have time to play with magic."
"But I don't want to be a merchant!" Erika found herself screaming before she could stop herself. While her father seemed to be seething, her mother was calm so Erika turned to her. "I want to become a wizard and I have the ability to be one! The fact that they accepted me shows that so please let me go to the academy. I'm not a teenager anymore so I can make my own decisions."
"Yes, you are not a teenager anymore but you must remember that as a Shinohara we don't have a choice. The king depends on our family for the country's trade and we cannot break that trust on a childish whim. As our successor you will follow the path we set out for you. We understand that you might not have the knowledge to run our business but we already accounted for that."
"What do you mean?" Erika was almost afraid to ask but she needed to know. She wouldn't give up her dream of going to the academy but she needed time to think of a way to convince them to let her go. No matter what they said, this was a dream she wouldn't compromise on.
"You are to marry into another trading family." Her father started. "With our families joined, new trade routes will open. Our family will maintain control over the business of course. You will produce a son and I will train him to take over our trading business. After that you can do whatever you wish. Of course we are still looking for a suitable suitor for you-"
"I already love someone!" Erika blurted the first excuse she could think of. While her father was very political, her mother believed in marrying for love. While lying about being in love might not convince them to let her go to the academy, it would get her out of an arranged marriage. "There's someone at the school that I love and want to be with. I love him!"
Erika hoped they would believe her lie as a silence fell over them. She knew that she shouldn't lie to her parents but she didn't know how else to convince them. Her mother always told her that the one true thing in life was love and Erika loved magic. She loved casting spells ever since that first she discovered it. She let out a breath of relief when her mother spoke.
"We can't force her to marry if she loves another. If this academy gives them a chance to be together, she should be allowed to go to the academy." Erika inwardly cheered at her mother's words. That glee was short lived when her mother stated the obvious hole in her plan. "Do you have a portrait of him? We can also go to your academy's orientation to meet him."
Erika tried not to panic and forced a smile. "Of course, I have a photo in my room!"
Fortunately, she thought of a way to continue her lie. She made sure to close her door behind her so her parents wouldn't be able to see her. All she needed was a picture and a man, something she could make with her illusion magic. While her special ability wasn't very practical, she found it very useful now. She smiled to herself at the thought that her dream was so close to her now.
"Demonstra mihi vestis paper hominem ad imaginem suam accederet Academia magia." She took out a blank paper and an ink jar from her desk. Erika concentrated on the ink as she placed an incantation on it. After the ink glowed slightly, she poured the ink over the paper. The ink spread until it covered the paper and faded to the image of a handsome man.
The man in the picture was rather handsome and tilted her head at the name signed in the bottom corner, Kyouya Sata. The man had intriguing crimson eyes and she wondered if a man could have such a strange eyes colour. She didn't think much more about it and went to show the portrait to her parents.
Now she only needed to create an illusion for them to meet at the orientation then she would be able to study magic. Her parents would be too busy to visit the academy so they wouldn't discover her lie. With that in mind, she went down to face her parents without knowing the truth about the man in the photo.
"I honestly thought your parents wouldn't let you come to the academy." Erika's best friend, Sanda, told her when they had a moment alone at the orientation.
"It was hard convincing them," Erika admitted with a shaky laugh. She was glad that her parents were busy talking with the professors so she could speak with Sanda freely. "But I got my mother to agree by saying that my boyfriend went to school here. I knew my mother would say that I should be with the one I love so I made up a boyfriend."
Erika handed the photo to Sanda who raised a brow at it. She was about to continue to explain her plan when Sanda commented, "this man looks familiar. When you were casting your spell, did you remember to cast it so that it would show a false image of a man? If you didn't, then the ink will show an actual student at the academy."
Erika thought back to the spell she used and unfortunately crashed into her answer. She stumbled back after bumping into the person but didn't tumble to the floor. Instead, she felt a strong arm around her waist, catching her before she could fall. She started to stutter a quick thank before she looked up to see intense eyes staring down at her in concern- the same intense crimson eyes as the ones in the photo.
"Damn it!" Erika screamed and Kyouya didn't know how to react for a moment. He never had a woman give him such a reaction. Her large brown eyes reminded him of a scared puppy as they darted around the room until they landed on an older couple. As they started to walk towards her, she grabbed his arm and started running. "I'm sorry about this sir!"
Erika had never run so fast in her life but by the time she ran out of energy she found herself in the courtyard outside the academy. She looked back to the man she had dragged behind her but couldn't read his expression. He no doubt thought she was crazy and she didn't blame him. To her surprise, he didn't look angry when he asked. "Do you want to tell me why you dragged me out here?"
"I'm sorry," was the only thing Erika could start with. She slumped onto the bench near them and thought of how to explain her lie to him. As she was thinking, the man sat next to her. He didn't say a word, allowing her to gather her thoughts and she found that comforting. As she worried over everything, she felt something on her forehead.
"You're sweating." The thing she felt on her forehead was a handkerchief. He gently wiped the sweat from her brow and the gesture made her heart race. He was looking down at her with such kind eyes that she couldn't help but think of the fairy tales her mother read to her when they were little. He could be the prince to save her from her parents and free her. "I'm Kyouya Sata. If you want, you can talk to me."
"My name's Erika," She purposely left out her surname so he wouldn't know about her family ties. He seemed kind enough so she started to explain the situation to him. She didn't know how he would react but knew that her lie was over and she would have to face her parents. "I didn't mean to drag you into this. I just wanted to learn magic."
"I see… I think I get the gist of your story. You're an illusion wizard? That's a rare ability and takes a lot of skill to master," He noted and she nodded proudly. Erika didn't tell him that she was hopeless when it came to any other kind of magic. His next words shocked her though. "So all you need is me to pretend to be your boyfriend?"
"You would do that for me?" Erika jumped to her feet, full of energy again. She didn't know why he would agree to help her so she could only assume that it was out of the kindness of his heart. Even if it was out of pity she was truly thankful for his offer to help her. To think there was such a kind person that would go out of his way to help a complete stranger and-
"Then turn three times and say 'woof'." Erika was shocked by the cold voice behind her and how it had come from a voice that was so kind only a moment ago. She turned to look at Kyouya but there was an ominous aura around him now. He tilted hard ruby eyes up to her, "Do you think I would do something so troublesome for free?"
He stood and she didn't realized how tall he was until he was standing over her now. "It seems like we can solve each other's problems. You need a boyfriend and I need a dog. If you're willing to agree to my terms, I'll help you with your farce. I don't care either way if you accept or not so I won't tell your parents the truth if they approach me but I won't lie to them either."
She didn't know how to make sense of the paradox he said. Why did he even want a dog? Gone was the prince she saw only a moment ago and before her now was a man with cold, indifferent eyes. But weather it was the prince or sadist before her, her answer would be the same. "Who would agree to that? Of course I'm not going to be your dog! You ba-"
"Erika, why did you run off like that?" Erika turned at her mother's voice behind her and she cursed her ever increasing bad luck. Why was the world damning her over one lie when all she wanted was to learn magic? She quickly looked to Kyouya but his face was indifferent. With her mother quickly approaching her, she made a rush decision.
"Woof!" She screamed as she took his hand. Emotion finally appeared on his face but she didn't know if she should trust the kindness his smile suggested. She refused to turn in a circle for him but at the moment she had no choice but to play along with him a little. She had no intention to be his dog and there was no way he could force her to be one. Once her parents left, they would never meet each other again.
"You actually agreed?" Erika's brow twitched when he chuckled. His dark smile quickly changed to a kind one when her mother reached their side. She seemed oblivious to the situation since she continued to smile at the pair. Erika had to wonder about Kyouya since he was able to change his attitude so quickly. He didn't hesitate before placing an arm around her shoulder.
"You must Erika's mother. She has told me a lot about you." Kyouya smiled charmingly at her mother and shook her hand like a gentleman. "I must apologize for not being able to meet you sooner but I have been rather busy. Erika was just telling me how excited she was to be attending the same academy as me. Thank you for letting her attend and I'll make sure she's taken care of."
"Of course I can't say no when my daughter's happiness is at stake. You don't need to worry about your father. I'll talk to him so you won't have to marry someone you don't love." Her mother said with determination. Kyouya fought back a laugh as he watched mother and daughter interact, exchanging trusting smiles. What a falsehood it all was.
"But now I understand why you wanted to keep your relationship a secret. It must be difficult to maintain a relationship with a prince without adding the social pressure that comes with it." Her mother noted and Erika eyes went to Kyouya immediately but he didn't react. A prince? Surely someone as heartless as Kyouya couldn't be a prince.
Unfortunately, her mother continued to shock her further. "I was so proud of you for finding a suitable match on your own that I told everyone in the hall! They were shocked but I told them that you wouldn't lie to me. Some of my old friends are professors here so I asked them to keep an eye on you and tell me how you two love birds are doing."
Erika's heart stopped knowing that her mother was going to be keeping track of her. She thought that her lie would end with this one meeting but now she needed to lie to the entire academy. Her mother was staring at her so trustingly that she could respond. What was she going to do now that she dug herself an even deeper hole?
"What are you going to do now?" Kyouya asked Erika once her parents left. They were sitting on the roof of the academy and she stared into the distance at her parents' carriage leaving. Kyouya invited her to the roof saying that they needed to talk in private. "Are you going to continue with this lie of yours or are you going to tell them the truth?"
She didn't know if he was giving her a way out or something else but considering the circumstances she couldn't find a way out of her hole besides lying further. If she doesn't continue her lie, everyone in the academy would look down on her and even worst they would look down on her parents as well. She would be force to leave the academy she dreamed of and marry a man she never knew.
"Why did I tell such a stupid lie?" Erika whispered to herself and leaned her forehead against the gate framing the roof. Once again her impulsive nature forced her into a corner but this time the consequences were more than she could handle. She was thinking so deeply about her situation that she didn't notice Kyouya stand next to her.
"What is magic to you?" He asked her. Kyouya had been silent the entire time and she was surprise the first thing he said to her was unrelated to their situation. She thought he would laugh at her misfortune, considering how cruel he was earlier. His face was expressionless so she could only assume that he was teasing her and felt irritation take over her sadness.
"Happiness," She gave him the same answer a boy told her when she was young. She smiled as she remembered the boy that introduced her to magic. Kyouya's eyes widened at her answer before he began chuckling. How dare he laugh at her answer when he was the one that asked her? She couldn't stand the thought of anyone laughing at something she loved.
Erika puffed her cheek and created the image of a star in her cupped hand. "With my magic I can make people happy. I can show people something beautiful and even if it's an illusion that happiness they feel is real. My magic isn't powerful or practical but if I can use it to help others, I'm happy. Why are you laughing? What is magic to you?"
He stopped laughing when she threw back the question at him. His tone was low when he answered, "I don't know but I know that it doesn't bring happiness."
Kyouya's eyes were cold and she stopped to wonder what could've caused him to speak of magic such. He was attending the Hatta's academy so he must be studying magic. She didn't know what kind of magic he used so thought of any kind of magic that could bring the user pain. It couldn't be dark magic because the academy would allow a dark user to attend the academy.
"But it seems like helping you would be entertaining to say the least?" His words brought Erika out of her thoughts. "If magic is really important to you then I'll pretend to be your boyfriend on the condition that you become my dog. We'll be helping each other so it's a fair trade."
After a moment, Erika asked. "What so you mean by saying that I need to be your dog? You can't force me to do anything crazy like… you know, anything a real couple would do! You must feel like you can do whatever you want because you're a prince but-"
"I'm not a prince and I'm no richer than you are," Kyouya interrupted her. "That's just a stupid nickname our peers gave me."
"Because of your stupid act?" She remembered how she was fooled by it only a moment ago. She thought he was kind and charming like a prince but now she could see he was tarnished. If only they knew the dark prince he truly was. If only he wasn't the only person capable of helping her stay in the academy and maintaining her family's name.
"I hate to say it but I don't have a choice but to accept." She held out her hand in a sign of agreement. When he took it, she tightened her grip and made the most threatening smirk she could. "But know that even if illusions are my specialty I can still use offensive magic. I am the most powerful wizard in my family and I won't hesitate to turn you to ash with fire."
Kyouya chuckled and placed a hand on her head. His touch was much gentler than she thought it would be after seeing his true dark prince side. She didn't know why his usual cruel smile looked teasing now. "How many lies can one wolf girl tell in one day? Don't try to get in too much trouble since we're going to be in a fake relationship now."
He turned to walk back into the school and gave her a small wave. Erika placed a hand on her head, still feeling the warmth of his hand. Who was the dark prince truly?
Kyouya closed the door behind him and leaned against it. He clutched his chest where his heart throbbed in cold pain. While Erika was impulsive when telling her lie, he was stupid for agreeing to help her. But the words that cursed him echoed in his ear now and he pushed himself off the wall.
Maybe with her magic she could be the one to save him from the curse placed on him years ago.
Dark heart covered by ice, you will know nothing but the storm, until you can see a sweet illusion for what it truly is.
I don't know if I'm going to continue this but I thought of this idea when I was thinking about the first chapter of the manga. While I like the manga I had to admit that it had a really weak opening so I thought about how I could improve it. The main issue (to me) was Erika's motivation so I tried to create a better one for her and give her decision more stakes.
Since I don't want to do a complete retelling so this is going to be an AU and won't follow the manga point for point but I'll keep everything in character. I also change the setting to a magic academy since I love my fantasy :P