A/N: Welcome one and all to my latest foray into the world of fanfiction, Seven Suzaku! Inspired by/based off of Hans Christian Anderson's fairytale The Wild Swans, here we will follow the Princess Miaka of Konan as she struggles to break the curse placed on her loyal guards by her jealous future sister-in-law Princess Yui of Kutou. Early chapters will focus on the build-up of Yui's feelings before the story really gets going.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi (series and characters are property of Yuu Watase); nor do I own The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Anderson. Disclaimer applies to this and all subsequent chapters of this story.

Chapter 1: A Princess Arrives

Morning broke over Eiyou, the capital city of the Konan Empire. It was a warm, sunny morning in July. Today was the day of the Emperor's betrothal ceremony. Keisuke, the young 13 year-old emperor, was to marry a foreign princess as part of a peace treaty. The wedding was to take place after the princess turned 18. Sent to Konan now in order to be brought up in the court and customs of her future kingdom, she had arrived in the capital 3 days ago and there had been a great procession throughout the city to welcome her as she was escorted into the Imperial Palace.

Inside the palace, there was a bustle of activity. Servants rushed about, making sure that every room in the palace was immaculate and spotless. The kitchens had spent several days preparing piles of food, not just for the feast at the palace that would follow the formal betrothal ceremony, but to be distributed throughout the city at the public bonfires that evening so that the people could share in the celebration.

While all this was going on, the young 7 year-old Princess Yui prepared for the ceremony alongside her future sister-in-law, the Princess Miaka. The two girls, around the same age, seemed to be getting along well enough. Miaka had been thrilled at the idea that Keisuke's marriage meant she'd have a sister, and had been eager to welcome Yui, making her a present of one of her favorite dolls when Yui had first arrived.

As the maids helped dress them, Yui couldn't help notice yet again, as she had many times in the days since her arrival at the palace, that the Konan servants paid more deference to Miaka than to her; she couldn't help but be jealous, though it certainly came as no surprise that people weren't so fond of her. Her country, Kutou, had been an enemy of Konan's for many years, so she couldn't expect to sit too high in the favor of many right away, even if her fiancé and his family seemed to accept her. The marriage had been the final hope, a seal on an alliance that would usher in peace and prosperity for the four Grand Empires.

"Girls, are you both ready?" a voice called, distracting Yui from her thoughts. The Empress Dowager stood in the doorway, waiting for them.

"Yes, Mother," Miaka said as she hopped off the stool she'd been standing on.

After the maid finished tying the sash around Yui's waist, she joined them and they headed through the palace's winding halls, out into the courtyard, and to the shrine dedicated to Konan's guardian god, Suzaku.

Yui couldn't help but feel intimidated as she knelt beside the Emperor, listening to the High Priestess's invocation of Suzaku, asking him to bless the marriage. Then she turned, first to Keisuke, then to Yui, asking them to swear vows stating their intentions to go through with the marriage. Once that was done, they turned to face the small crowd gathered in the shrine before them. The High Priestess walked in front of them as Keisuke held out his left arm and Yui her right; she then tied intertwined blue and red sashes around their arms, binding them together. "Those, whom the gods have joined, let no man part!" the High Priestess declared. Keisuke and Yui stood up and processed out of the hall, followed by the attendess.

"It'll be all right, Princess," whispered Keisuke as they struggled to walk together. "Now we go out into the city and show ourselves to the people, I make a speech about the good things this marriage means for Konan, and then the High Priestess unties us and we all return to the palace for the celebratory feast."

They stood on a specially built platform in the town square. Keisuke spoke to those assembled of how this marriage and treaty would be the start of a lasting peace that would allow Konan to enjoy prosperity. "May Suzaku's blessings be upon us as we go forward in this endeavor," he concluded piously. The High Priestess undid the bindings, and the royal party returned to the palace for the feast, while the crowd cheered joyously.

Yui couldn't remember the last time that she'd had so much fun. Due to her age, she hadn't been allowed to take part in many of the celebrations at her father's court. She was seated beside the Emperor under the elaborate cloth of estate, and served first after him, even before his own mother and sister. All the food was so good, it was hard for her to only limit herself to taking just a few dainty bites of everything, as a proper princess should; but she could barely contain her disbelief at how much Princess Miaka ate, especially of the sweet rice-flour dumplings.

Finally, after several hours of eating, and even Yui performing a few dances (some alongside Miaka or with the Emperor, some by herself) in front of the court, the Empress Dowager noticed that Princess Yui seemed to be growing tired and had one of her servants surreptitiously advise the Emperor to declare the feast at an end.

As Yui, flanked by her governess (who would soon be returning to Kutou as Yui would share her studies with Princess Miaka), approached her sleeping chamber, she heard some of the palace servants gossiping as they finished preparing the room. "So what did you think of the little Princess?" one of the maids asked.

"Pretty, I suppose, but she just seems so... serious and reserved for someone her age," the other mused.

"Yes, she's nothing like the Princess Miaka, the dear girl."

"Ah, yes... such a beauty, and so kind and gentle!"

"Yes, but the little foreign girl... she's barely spoken to anyone outside of her retinue since she came here unless it's to give orders!"

"It may work very well in Kutou, but not here! If she knows what's good for her, she'll stop acting like such an outsider and start trying to fit in! We want none of her odd ways here! It's a disgrace our Emperor is marrying a girl from that country of sorcerers!"

She'd heard enough. Yui turned and rushed off, fighting back tears, her governess following after her. By the time she had calmed the princess down enough to get her to return to the room, the maids were gone. Not for the first time since her arrival in Konan, nor for the last, Yui cried herself to sleep.

*End Chapter*

A/N-

That concludes the first installment of Seven Suzaku! I hope you all like it! Read and review!