A/N: BLEACH, me don't own… On with story… :-P…

Every girl in my village wishes to be like Cinderella. Have a fairy godmother, who gives her a pair of glass slippers, find her prince charming and live a happily ever after…

That is… every girl except ME…

My name is Kurosaki Karin, and I'm absolutely nothing like your average nineteen (soon to be twenty) year old girl.

I also lack any step-mother and step-sisters. Heck, the only members in my family are my father and older brother. Though, they are both away at the moment and so I'm currently alone. Not that I particularly mind it…

I was also supposed to have a twin sister, but she didn't make it in birth and so the baby never saw the light of day. My mother died that time too.

I have heard my father say once that he and my mother had decided to call us Yuzu and Karin, so since I had taken the second name, my sister was supposed to be named Yuzu.

That's what I always call her at least when I talk to her spirit. Not that I could see her mind you, but it felt better to talk to her as if she was there with me sometimes.

Anyway, as I was saying, I was far beyond waiting for my prince charming to come on his white horse so as to save me.

Being raised by an only father and a brother would do that to you. I acted more like a boy than a girl.

Actually, I think that if it wasn't for the noticeable curves that had taken residence in my body since I started my teen years, and for my hair that went a little past my shoulders, I wouldn't pass as a girl at all.

I was currently on my way to a wide field on the outskirts of my village where my friends and I play soccer from time to time.

That's right, my only friends are guys and I'm perfectly fine with it.

I also wear guys' clothes as to make it less awkward when I'm with them. Even though I am a girl, I don't want them thinking of me like that and so treat me differently.

When I arrived there, they were already waiting so I just apologized for being late and we begun playing with the ball I had brought.

Toshiro Hitsugaya was currently on his way to town in search for a bride.

That's right, a bride…

His mother's speech from this morning was still echoing in his mind.

"Toshiro, you are already twenty years of age and you have yet to find yourself a bride. In two months time you are going to turn twenty-one so you don't have much time."

He looked at her weirdly. It wasn't the first time she brought up marriage in a conversation but she had never before sounded so sure and absolute.

"What do you mean mother…?"

"I mean that as a prince, you must already be married before you reach your twenty first year of age. It was like that from the beginning so you are not gonna be the one to change it."

"Yeah… You have told me this countless of times before, but I still don't understand where you are going with this."

"I want to say that if you haven't found a girl to marry you by the end of the week, I will take it upon me to pick out for you."

He was sure that with that his mother meant he will have to marry his cousin, Hinamori Momo.

He couldn't afford that to happen. He grew up with her and it resulted in seeing her as nothing else than an older sister.

Besides, since her parent's death, she lived with him in the castle, so he knew all about her secrets. She viewed him like a little brother as well, and he knew that she already had a guy she liked.

He couldn't let his mother ruin that for her. No… He wouldn't let his mother ruin it.

This is what brought him in this stroll in the middle of the evening in the town. He only had his personal maid with him and two guards.

Matsumoto couldn't shut up about pestering him to take her together when he went out since this morning. She was practically the woman who raised him, even if she was only thirty-two herself, and so, even though she made him mad with every little thing, he couldn't bring himself to say no to that request. He knew how much she liked going out in the village.

He was out for the whole day and he still had to find someone who interested him in any way. All the girls he met just swooned at him and that bored him. He hated easy girls.

He turned to Matsumoto…

"Can we go home now…? If I see one more girl act like a horny teenager, I will lose it, I swear."

He looked at him with pity. She saw how all the girls they had encountered till now and there was not even one that acted normal when they saw him.

At least, normal like a person, 'cause they acted exactly like how everyone did when they saw the prince. His snow white hair and cold teal eyes were to die for… that's what everyone talked about at least.

She couldn't find him attractive no matter how much she tried, if she tried. She was the one that raised him so she knew him since he was a toddler. It would be like liking your own brother. That she couldn't do.

She just sighed and nodded her head as an answer to his question.

She made it in a way that they at least took the long way home, in case they met someone new.

Who knew she could be so right in her hopes…

When they passed by a field, they noticed five people playing a ball game that Toshiro used to like. She couldn't bring herself to remember what it was called, but she informed him all the same.

"Hitsugaya-sama… Why don't you go and have a little stress reliever with a game? There are some people there playing what-its-name…"

"It's called soccer Matsumoto… and, why not… after this day, a good game of soccer can probably be the best medicine."

After his declaration, with a determined face, he started making his way to where the game was taking place.

As expected, when the players noticed the prince himself coming their way they stopped what they were doing. Who would want to irritate Hitsugaya Toshiro…?

Karin was about to throw the ball in the net of the opposing team, when she noticed that the rest of them had stopped paying attention and were looking at something or rather someone in the distance.

She turned in the direction her friends had gone and noticed that the idiot enough to dare intrude with their past-time was the prince of this land himself.

Hmph… Prince or no prince, he had no right to do so. She would give him a piece of her mind.

She stormed to where they had gone and were currently talking.

First she looked at her friends and then glared at the prince who was looking at her with an amusement and confusion in his face.

"What do you want to be here…? Got bored in the palace and decided to come and have a little fun outside?"

All of them were looking at her. Even though Matsumoto's and Toshiro's face betrayed confusion, her friends' though showed only worry.

"Karin… What are you doing…? Don't you know who you're talking to…? Do you want to end in the dungeon or something…?"

Kabuki, one of her friends found his voice and whispered to her. She just turned to him.

"Of course not you idiot… I…"

"Wait, your name is Karin… Ha-ha… But that's a girl's name…"

Toshiro's interruption was rewarded with all of them to turn their attention to him. He was laughing his head off, and even Matsumoto was looking at him weirdly. She had never seen him like this before.

Karin just looked at him like he was crazy before answering with a 'duh…' tone in her voice.

"Well, of course and it's a girl's name you dobe. I am a girl you know…"

The laughter stopped and he looked at her unbelieving.

"You are…?"

By the look that everyone gave him, he realized that she might as well be a girl. Even if she acted and looked nothing like, she did sound like one and if he looked at her closer from another angle, she did seem to hide curves under all those loose clothing.

He just smirked.

'Mother would be furious if I bring her a girl that looked like that. She may even stop this ridiculous idea that stuck her in the head about me getting married.'

He turned to Matsumoto…

"I think that I found the one we were looking for. Girl… you are coming with us to the castle to be my wife."

Karin was speechless. Why this arrogant little twerp-prince…

"I am what…?"

His exterior had returned to a cold one yet again.

"I didn't know you were deaf. I said... you are coming with us to the castle. You are to be my wife."

Matsumoto was confused when she first heard him announce that this girl was the one, but when he repeated it, she started having an idea of what was going on his head.

She just looked at him warily to see their reaction.

This girl, Karin, was a strong-willed one, she should give her that.

She didn't give up without a battle, and a battle they did. They decided on one game of soccer… if she won, he would leave her alone, but if he won… she would came with him to the castle without any more arguments.

Unfortunately, for Karin, she lost. The one goal that was supposed to go in was stolen by him and so resulted in him winning.

With many silent protests, she went with him.

Hitsugaya had a triumphal smirk on his face as he showed the way to the castle, with Karin and Matsumoto following.

Matsumoto was sure that if the treats that the girl said were to come true, her master wouldn't live to see the next dawn.