A/n: This is a sequel of the story String of Destiny. There is no exact POV of this on Mikan's part so just enjoy the man's discomfort before he can make her truly his. Warning for lemon on the next chapter. -smirks-

Enjoy reading. -.-

~(-.-)~

Shuffling noises. The slow movement of the soft fabric underneath my skin sent shivers up my spine. A snuggling warmth that continued to grow with every touch and every breath. My hands reached out towards the warmth beside me and opened my eyes. Chocolate brown eyes stared at my own red ruby ones. A light glint of mischief lingered in its depths.

"Good morning," I whispered in a raspy voice. The woman lying beside me snuggled closer to my naked chest. My hands immediately wrapped its way around her waist, pulling her even closer. I inhaled deeply and her sweet scent slowly filled my nostrils.

"Good morning, sleepy head," my wife, Mikan, teased as she traced the edges of my jaw line. I hummed in satisfaction. After everything that had taken place, waking up in her soft embrace, both as bare as the day we were both born, was enough to satiate the hunger inside me. "How are you feeling?", she asked as she gently stroke my hair. I stared at her and smirked.

"Full and satisfied," I answered, grinning. She blushed beautifully. "You? How are you feeling this fine morning, my dear wife? With what happened last night, you must be sore all over." If you could make a tomato turn redder, I believe that would be the exact description of how she looked right now. 'Cute.'

She slapped my arms playfully then linked her hands to mine. I took her hand and gently planted a kiss on her palm. This was one of the best mornings of my entire lifetime. After all the hellish months our relationship had gone through, I believe that this was the reward the Fates had given us for pushing through everything with great tenacity. I smiled blissfully at everything that previously took place.

~(-.-)~

-3 months earlier-

The sound of heavy metal footsteps echoed all throughout the Travail castle halls. Together with the footsteps was the flapping of red capes. I tied the red ribbon tighter around my forehead and carefully took mental note if my sword and armor was in its proper place. Today was my fated departure. The day the royal King and Queen of Solace had ordered me to stay in Solace for one whole month to live with its people, know the different traditions engraved in each Solace-ions, and to show the whole kingdom how I, Prince Natsume of the Travail Kingdom, courts the former Princess Mikan.

I took a deep breath. This was one of the barriers I needed to breakdown before I could completely take Mikan as my own wife. My brothers, Tsubasa and Akira, helped me set up the things I would need in my journey. I stood in front of the carriage that would take me to the Solace kingdom and looked at my parents standing in the front entrance of the castle.

My mother, Queen Kaoru, smiled gently at me, walked forward and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. I hugged her tighter in return. "Be careful. Be safe. And be nice," she gently reminded me. I grinned, pecked her cheeks and nodded. King Igarashi, my father, tapped my shoulders and proudly looked at me. "Good luck my son. Let the Fates guide you with your journey," he said. And in a much more hushed tone, Igarashi whispered, "No matter what happens, don't let your pride get the best of you. Women are more vicious than the monsters and demons found here in Travail. Trust me." He grinned then winked at me. I nodded at my father, clearly understanding where the advice came from. I watched him walked back to my mother and wrapped his arms around hers. I chuckled. Yes, I definitely knew where that came from.

The carter called that everything had been already loaded. I boarded the carriage that would take me closer to her. I sat there anxiously waiting on what lies ahead in our future.

~(-.-)~

"Who the hell are you?", asked a boy with the strange silver hair. I stared down at the kid standing in front of me, who was openly glaring at me.

I just arrived a few minutes ago here in Solace from my travel. The moment I arrived I immediately scanned for the one person I was doing this all for. But she wasn't around so I took the liberty of walking around the palace grounds in search for her. I rounded up a corner going to the garden area of the palace when I bumped against this kid in front of me.

"Hey, mister. Judging from the barbaric form of your armor, I reckon you must be Prince Natsume of Travail, are you not?", the boy scanned his eyes all over me. He crossed his arms on his chest. His brows furrowed in displeasure.

I furrowed my brows as well and started counting mentally. This boy possessed a strong tongue for his age. I studied his features carefully. He was wearing a blue tunic robe and sandals. And judging from his outward appearance, I would guess that this boy was only around the age of 15. He glared at me when he noticed the scrutinizing look I was giving him. We both glared at each other for quite some time until a voice called my name. A voice I will never get tired of listening to.

"Natsume?", Mikan asked. "Natsume! You're here already!" She smiled broadly and ran towards me. I smirked at her and opened my arms for her. She ran towards them and I immediately wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her closer to my body. She wrapped her arms around my neck and looked up. "When did you arrive? Why didn't you see me first? You were already strolling alone here in Solace without me. How could you?" She flooded me with questions then pouted. I merely chuckled at her cute childishness and pinched her nose.

"I just arrived a few minutes ago. I wanted to see you the first thing I arrived but I didn't know where to find you so I took a little stroll to see where I could find you. And how could I? You were the one who wasn't there to greet me when I arrived," I countered all her questions with a quirked brow. She smiled ruefully and batted her eyelashes.

"I'm sorry," she pouted. "Aunt Serina asked me to help her with the upcoming festivity. I couldn't just deny her request. But I promise I'll greet you next time!" I hugged her tighter but careful enough to not suffocate her air supply.

"I'll be looking forward to that, my lady," I said, slowly lowering my head. I was about to capture her lips when an annoyed cough stopped me from my actions. We both looked to were the strange cough came from and I remembered the strange child I just met minutes ago. The young boy glared even harder at me. I glared back wondering what the problem was with this strange child.

"Pardon me for ruining the touching moment between the two of you. But are you forgetting that I was still here?", he drawled sarcastically. He narrowed his eyes at me as Mikan slightly pulled away.

"Youichi! I didn't know you were there," Mikan laugh uncertainly and hugged the boy tightly.

'Youichi?'

She turned around and smiled brightly at me. "Natsume, meet my younger cousin and the crowned prince of Solace, Prince Youichi." The boy named Youichi looked at me with pure hostility. I gave the same type of hostile greetings to him as well. We stared hard at each other, electricity bolts clashed together with the intensity of our gazes.

~(-.-)~

A small banquet was held the night of my arrival. I was seated next to Mikan, the king of Solace at the head of the table with his wife, Queen Serina, to his left, followed by their son to her right. The clinking of dinner utensils the only sound heard as each person took their time in eating the prepared sumptuous meal. King Kazumi raised his glass and an attendant immediately poured some wine on it. He slowly swirled the red liquor on the glass then looked pointedly at me.

"So…," he drawled, taking everyone's attention. "How was your travel, Natsume? I'm sure the travel wasn't that bad since our lands here are more civilized and pastured compared to the harsh terrains of Travail." Everyone stopped eating as he took a sipped of his wine and waited for me to answer. Mikan looked at me worriedly then gave a warning look to her Uncle.

"Yes. It wasn't that bad," I smiled politely. Kazumi grunted in reply. "Compared to Travail, Solace is a lot peaceful and cheery. I was sleeping the whole duration of my travel while getting here." I continued to eat the meal in front of me and heard him grumble under his breath. A sudden kick in the shin made him yelp. I watched in amusement as he silently glared at his wife who was innocently eating her own meal. I coughed, trying to hold back my own laughter.

After a few moments of silence, Queen Serina smiled at me and politely said, "I hope you enjoy the duration of your stay here, Nastume. The Solace moon festival is coming and it would be a good chance for you to mingle with the people of our kingdom." I studied the woman in front of me. Beauty was deeply engraved on her gentle face. Her eyes spoke of wisdom - wisdom which the Solace Sight had given her. Mikan once told me that her Aunt held the most powerful eyes in all of Solace after her mother who died years ago.

'Aunt Serina taught me how to use my own Solace sight. She was the closest thing I had for a mother figure. Both she and Uncle Kazumi gave me love, shelter and a family when my parents died. I'm very grateful to them for everything,' she said, a wistful look on her face.

I saw Mikan smiled gratefully at her Aunt for stopping her Uncle. I felt happiness brimming within me. 'At least she's happy. That's all the matters,' I thought then nodded at the queen. "I hope to enjoy my stay here as well." Taking Mikan hand to mine and gently squeezing it. "Please take good care of me." I added whilst grinning. She stuck out her tongue and haughtily lifted her chin.

"I'll be teaching you all of the Solace-ion traditions. So better prepare yourself for an intensive Solace education," she said with a cheeky grin. Such an impertinent woman, I chuckled.

"Give me your best shot then, my lady." I kissed the back of her hand which earned a blush on her cheeks. A forceful cough brought my attention back to the people sitting with us. King Kazumi was grumbling under his breath, Queen Serina was clearly enjoying the romantic flirting in front of her, and Youichi wished he was somewhere else.

The attendants came in and took our plates away then served the next course of our meal for the evening. Wine was also poured to each glasses and another comfortable silence engulfed the room. "Do you have any other plans while you're staying here in Solace?", Youichi asked all of a sudden. I stared at the boy with his chin resting on his hand, propped to his armchair. The way he looked at me was calculating. I didn't like it none the least so I merely nodded my head. "Oh? Care to tell everyone what those plans are?", the boy smirked challengingly. What a troublesome kid. I was about to answer when Mikan cut me off.

"He's going back to Earth after the festival. He still has some things he needs to attend to. So…," she laughed uneasily. Her uncle immediately quirked his brow.

"You mean you're not staying for the whole month?", he inquired or more like demanded. I opened my mouth but was once again cut off.

"He's in the basketball team. The finals for the tournament come in 3 weeks so his team needs to prepare for it. Plus, he needs to finish his studies over there," she supplied one after the other, smiling broadly at everyone. I would have been amused at her action if only her Uncle didn't have the urge to choke me to death. Good thing, the polite smile on Queen Serina's face stopped him from doing such action. The bratty prince was choking at his own laughter. If I didn't love this troublesome girl I might be the one choking her to death. I sighed in exasperation.

"Yes, what every Mikan said is true. If only she had let me explain it more clearly," I glared at her. "I do intend to go back on Earth after my 2 weeks or so. I am well informed that your festival lasts for 2 weeks. I would like to continue learning about your traditions with Mikan as my instructor while we're staying on Earth. I have some obligations left there and I cannot just leave them without properly finishing them," I explained in a way that Solace-ions could understand.

"Wait, you're taking my niece with you?", the king asked.

"Yes," I answered.

"You're not taking my niece!"

"Kazumi…," Serina warned.

"Uncle…," Mikan whined.

"Go father," Youichi supported his father happily. He received a warning look from his mother.

"But he's supposed to stay here for a whole month! He was supposed to undergo harsh treat, I mean, he was supposed to learn it all here. And not on Earth!" He whined at his wife. Queen Serina sighed at her husband's childishness and smiled apologetically at me.

"I understand your reasons Natsume. You only want to finish your responsibilities but you did agree to stay here with us for a whole month's time," she explained slowly. "And my husband and I would like you to adhere to the agreement." She looked pointedly at her pouting husband then back at me. My respect for the woman for controlling her husband grew. She reminded me of how my own mother controlled my father when he was acting the same way as King Kazumi. My father's words echoed through my mind. Women were truly ferocious.

"Don't worry your majesty. I intend to adhere to your wish to stay for a month's time. Which is why, I intend to go back here in Solace as soon as possible." The queen nodded her head clearly happy with my answer.

"Please take good care of my niece."

"I will. I hope she takes good care of me too," I grinned at the girl beside me who pinched my nose without warning. "Hey!"

"I won't go easy on you. So better prepare yourself, your highness."

"I'll be looking forward to it."

~(-.-)~

The whole two weeks flew by while I learned all about the Solace kingdom and its people. The kingdom was really a lot peaceful compared to Travail. The sun was brighter and there were plenty of luscious greens growing to the wide flatlands where animals were pastured well. Everything was guided by the Solace Sight which gave them more boosts in acquiring new knowledge about the universe. And every year the people all throughout the land gives their gratitude to the god of Solace who gave them the power of Sight. The annual Solace-ion moon festival was the most awaited part of the celebration. It was a night of constant drinking of the best wines stocked, nonstop eating and drinking, and of course, foretelling one's true love bonding. I would have been skeptical about the whole true love foretelling if I didn't experience the said 'bonding' with my destined one.

I studied the lively noise outside my room. A large bonfire was placed at the center of the palace courtyard and people were merrily dancing around it. I tightened the golden sash tied around my waist, rolled the sleeves of my white robe up to my elbows, took a slight glance at the mirror then walked out of the room.

I scanned the area for any signs of the Solace royalties. Some of the ordinary folks greeted along the way when they recognized who I was. I saw the king and queen chatting with some men who I reckoned were the elder scholars of Solace at the podium built for them while their son was surrounded by plenty of young Solace girls who wanted to have a chance dance with the crowned prince. I chuckled at his uneasy expression. He was clearly not enjoying the shameless attention he was getting. 'Good luck to you kid,' I thought, smirking. I continued to survey the area. Furrowing my brows, my eyes searched for a certain woman with long auburn hair and chocolate brown eyes.

And then I finally saw her. Mikan was garbed in the same white robe with Solace-ion designs carefully woven on the dress hems. Her hair was braided together, at the end was a pair of white flowers that kept the braid in place. Wings were placed at her back of her robe and flower band was on her wrist. Feeling as if someone was watching her, she turned her head towards my direction. Both our eyes met and a shock of electricity flowed all throughout my body, sending shivers down my spine. Smiling broadly, she purposely walked towards me, in that graceful yet alluring pace I love of her.

My arms immediately wrapped itself around her waist and pulled her closer. I buried my face at the crook of her neck, inhaling her intoxicating scent. "You look beautiful tonight, princess," I whispered in her ear. I felt her body respond and her hands made their way around my neck. She merely nodded her head. I knew she was blushing furiously.

The soft cheery festival melody floated which signaled the dance of bonds. Each pair who had found their own 'true love' slowly walked towards the large bonfire and danced in tune with the song. I slowly pulled away and offered to her my hand. "Can I have this dance?" I asked, grinning.

"What? No added cheesy lines?", she chuckled and took my hand. I guided her towards where the other couples were already dancing and smirked.

"I don't need cheesy lines to make the evening more romantic. The mood has already been setup to be cheesy to begin with." I twirled her once then pulled her to my arms. Placing a hand on her back, our bodies easily joined with the rhythm.

"So you think this festival is cheesy?"

"It's cheesy in its special way. And this is tradition. Traditions are always cheesy especially ones with large bonfires and couples dancing." She laughed airily. I love her laugh. I looked solemnly at her and she stared back with love shown in her eyes. "I love you…," I said, capturing her lips.

"I love you too," she whispered back.

~(-.-)~

The portal that led to Earth was slowly opening in front of us. We both glanced at the people behind us. I heard Mikan saying goodbyes to her family and reassuring her stubborn Uncle that she would be back soon. And I knew her cousin was glaring daggers behind my back.

She smiled broadly at me and squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Are you ready?" Excitement was clear in her voice.

"As I'll ever be," I chuckled. The both of us jumping inside the now fully opened portal. I didn't anymore see the conniving look both his Uncle and cousin shared with each other.

~(-.-)~

"Mikan! You're back! You're safe! And you're with him!", her friend, Anna, greeted Mikan with a tight hug then widened her eyes when she saw me. "Wait. You're with him. Why are you with him while visiting me? He's not gonna do something bad, is he? My mom is here." She worriedly studied my appearance. As if waiting for another head to pop up.

"Good. Looks like I'm unwanted," I deadpanned. Mikan laughed at the awkwardness of the whole situation.

"Relax Ann. Natsume here won't do anything. So just relax and take a breather, okay?" she chuckled and shrugged her worries aside. I saw Anna take another worried glance at me then let the both of us inside their house. She led us to their living room then prepared some snacks and drinks for the 3 of us.

"So…," Anna awkwardly started. "You two are finally together, right? I-I mean, I read the last letter you sent me Mikan and you told me you're already, uhm, uhh.." She searched for the right term.

"Engaged," I supplied while drinking my juice.

"Yeah, that," she said lamely. Then took her own drink. I chuckled at her. A small red tint colored her cheeks.

"Yes, we are basically engaged. But it's not that easy," Mikan smiled at her then took a bite of her sandwich. "We both need to stay at each other's kingdom and see how each race lived. You know like an exchange kind of thing."

Anna nodded in understanding then looked at me. Her eyes scrutinized me then at Mikan who was happily munching the food in front of her. "I see. So, where will you be staying here on Earth? I mean, why are both of you here on Earth in the first place?"

"Basketball and school," I answered seriously.

"For fun," Mikan replied with a grin.

"Ewww.. Natsume, you seriously came back here on Earth just for school? Maybe I'll accept basketball but school? Seriously?", Anna looked incredulous. Mikan laughed at her outburst. "Don't you have like training schools in Travail? Or can't you afford to go to one? But aren't you a prince?"

Her questions were completely asked in an innocent kind of way that Mikan bawled over in laughter. I glared at both women. 'Of all the things that this girl could even just…'

I lifted my fingers and counted one at a time. "One, I am a prince. Although I am the third one, I still am. Two, the kind of trainings we usually have in Travail got something to do with building our body strength. Travail's lands are dangerous to those with insufficient strength to battle even just the normal sandstorms. Three, I don't like school for the reason you think it is…"

"And what reason would be the thing that you're thinking which I might be thinking also?", Anna inquired. I was very sure there was sarcasm hidden in her innocent tone. I twitched in annoyance. Mikan wiped tears in her eyes and slowly gasped for air.

"He likes school because he can have peace in quiet over there," she supplied, chuckling. The other girl looked at Mikan in confusion. "He's lazy doing his tasks in Travail so his making schooling here on Earth as an excuse to escape from all his responsibilities as a prince."

"Ohhhhhh…..," Anna finally nodded in understanding. "You should be more responsible, Natsume." I mentally slapped myself as Mikan laughed out loud once more. Anna's mother brought some added refreshments for us and we waited until she left to continue with our discussion. "So Mikan, are you staying with us again?"

"Hmn? I dunno," Mikan answered the question in between bites.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I'm supposed to tutor this man about Solace traditions while here on Earth. If I stay here, he'll have to constantly come over. So I don't know, really." She took another bite of her chocolate cake and smiled blissfully.

"You'll be living with me," I answered, taking a bite of the cake. "I can't let you stay here in Anna's house. Not when there aren't enough guards to watch you."

"Hey! I'm not a prisoner! Why should there be guards to watch over me?," she glared. I poked her forehead and looked at her seriously.

"I don't want the same event to happen again. While we're here on Earth, you won't go off alone without close supervision from me," I said with a smirk.

" Meanie~" She pouted. "I was just careless. It won't happen again."

"I won't take any chances."

She stared at me for quite some time and saw the conviction in my eyes. She sighed knowing that it was pointless to argue with me on that matter. I grinned at her and pecked her cheeks. Blushing, she ate the cake in front of her with much enthusiasm.

~(-.-)~

"Here we are," I said opening the brass gates that led to the white 2-storey house. Blooming red roses were carefully planted on the side of the pathway while topiaries of different shapes and sizes adorned the backyard. I turned back to see her awed expression of the place.

"Wow. Do you live all alone in here? I mean, it's not as big as the palace in Solace or Travail but you kind of live in luxury in standard Earth living," Mikan commented as she roamed her eyes all over the part of the house. I shrugged as I carried our baggage towards the front door.

"I don't live here by myself, technically. The landlady who owns the place would come once in a while to tend to the garden since I don't know anything about plant growing," I explained, opening the door for her to come in. "After you…"

I dropped the luggage on the living room floor then walked towards the kitchen. I saw her go through several doors, checking on them. I took a can of Pepsi then went back to the living room. "Drink?" I asked and threw the can at her which she easily caught.

"You don't have that much things in here," she noticed. "Is it really okay for me to live here? Won't the landlady be angry with you for letting me stay?" I shrugged.

"I'll just tell her the truth that you're my fiancée. Although I'm not sure how she'll take that," I looked aimlessly at the floor.

"How many rooms?"

"4 rooms total. Then 1 is the bathroom. You'll be staying at the room in front of me." I grabbed the bags then walked up the stair with her following suit.

"You won't pounce on me while sleeping, will you?" Mikan teased as I opened her room's door and placed her bags on top of the bed. I quirked a brow at her.

"I'm not that desperate that I'd resort to pouncing you. I'd rather take my time in savoring you, princess," I chuckled, pulling her in my arms. She blushed at our close body contact. "'Sides, the house is all ours. Who's there to stop me to do what I want?" I asked, smirking. Right then the door burst open and revealed both my father and mother together.

"Yoh!," King Igarashi greeted, wearing a brown shirt and red jacket. Then glared as he saw the position I was in with Mikan. "What are you two doing?"

"I should be asking you that! What the hell are you two doing here?", I shouted in confusion.

"Hello you two!," Kaoru smiled broadly, a strange pillow with faces was held in my her hand.

TBC.