Blast: This was supposed to be passed two weeks before, but ff.net seems to hate me.

Blast: I'MMMM HERERERERERERERE!! I couldn't believe I'm writing this. But what must be done must be done. The good winner, Mystique won my contest, and she wants a Kenkari, so I guess I have to give it to her. Note that this is only one chapter.

Ayame: (from my other fic, "Meeting You Again") You know perfectly well that Christaline will kill you.

Mai: (looks innocent) Christaline? Oh yeah. A certain classmate who never seems to get tired of my ramblings, and even think she's Miyako. Yeah, she'll kill me. As I'm sure all the other readers and authors of Kenyako will, too. Note that I haven't included Kenkari on my list. But I was a fan for some time, say, a week? Yeah, definitely a week. Aya-chan, you wouldn't mind to say the disclaimer? I'm getting heartburn from reading too much Ryouki fics, and the classes are starting this week.

Ayame: What does your classes have anything to do with-oh, I know. Blast_Hornet will never, EVER OWN DIGIMON! She'll never own the sweet, cute, and overly kind Ken Ichijouji.

Mai: I like Hikari, but I was more enthusiastic in making a Takari. Oh well. People who supervise my work, flame me if you like. Like I'd care. OH, and I'm hitting two birds with one stone. Kenkari/Daiyako.

~~

I sighed. My parents must be crazy. Well, I didn't think that way, but now, goodness. I'm just turning eighteen sometime this week, three days at most, and my parents are making me marry! I won't be marrying this early, if not for my older brother, Sam, to die in a combat. You must be wondering who I am, are you?

I am Ken Ichijouji, second son of the King and Queen Ichijouji. As you now know, the second in the crown. Sam Ichijouji is my dear older brother, three years older than I am. I looked up to him. He was great at most things, like archery, swordplay, horseback and literature. I could not have wanted a better brother. But it was three years ago. Kingdoms battled, and Sam was involved in it. He was just my age now when he died. And now, I am succeeding the crown. Before that, I have to get married.

My parents had arranged a wedding between me and the youngest princess of the kingdom Inoue, Princess Miyako. I have to admit, Miyako was beautiful, but I can't feel anything. As much as I want to love her, it just can't happen. Miyako was pretty much in the same situation as I am. She is in love with Daisuke, my best friend, the prince of the Kingdom just west from ours. Of course I know about them, but it seems so unvoiced that no one could notice.

Right now, I'm taking my horse, Axel (AN: This came from your list, Mystique.) to the forest that separates my kingdom to the kingdom up north. I'm not much apt at navigation, but all I know is the Motomiya's at the west side, the Inoue's at the south, the Ishida's at the east, and the Kamiya's at the north. I have heard of the Ishida's a bit, but I don't know much of the Kamiya's. They have never bothered to make contact with us. But the forest was clearly in the territory of my kingdom.

I stopped at a certain place in the forest where it is cleared of the trees. The place was quite beautiful, as if it was maintained everyday. Sam and I usually go here when he was still alive, when he has no problems to deal with in the castle. We'd play here like kids, he teaches me things I have yet to know, girls for example, and helped me with my own little problems. It was like a paradise away from home. But it was such a long time ago. I missed this place. I sat down on a rock and watched my horse walk around it.

The place was never lonely. Up on the branches, birds by couples chirped. A doe and a buck walked side by side on another part of the clearing. Sighing, I turned to my horse; the only one who doesn't have a partner. But I was wrong. A white horse had galloped inside the area, and seemed to have taken a liking to Axel. Boy, talk about partnership. I feel like the loneliest person in this small world. Birds have partners, deers have partners, and now my own horse has a partner.

Remembering that there was a stream from where that white horse came from, I walked slowly to that direction, hoping that a drink would somehow take me away from all those solitude.

Suddenly, I heard a strange sound coming from the stream, like someone singing. The song reminded me so much of the tune mother used to sing to me when I was still a child. But training had told me not to lower my guard, so I drew my sword and made my way towards the direction of the voice bit by bit. Seeing that a huge leaf had blocked my way, and the voice seems clearer now, more like a female's voice, I silently turned over the leaf. There I saw who created that soothing sound.

It was a young girl with brown hair, her back turned on me. She was sitting on the ledge a little above the stream, her feet seemed to be touching the water, as I could see her pair of shoes beside her. This alarmed me, because only Sam and I knew about this place. Noiselessly putting back my sword back into my sheath, I slowly inched towards her. It might have been successful.

If not for a small, brown twig that snapped at the contact of my boot.

She jumped a little, and turned her head slowly behind her, at my angle. Seeing her made me jump.

She's so gorgeous. Her chestnut brown eyes matched her brown hair, which showed her facial features beautifully. She looked like an angel. But she seemed surprised.

I finally noticed that I've been staring at her for a while. The look on my face must've scared her. Smiling a little, I hold out a hand. "Don't be afraid, I won't hu- hurt you."

For a second, she blinked, and then suddenly smiled. "Why would I be afraid?" she stands up, letting me have a good look at what she was wearing and all. She must be a rich girl, judged from what she was wearing. That smile just lighten her whole appearance up. "And who might you be? Why are you here?"

"I am Ken Ichijouji." I said, hoping the name didn't frighten her. Well, it has that effect on most people I tried to get along with. "And I used to go here while my brother was still alive. And you? Can I know your name?"

"You must be the prince of the kingdom down South here, right?" she asked, sweetly. I nodded, gulping down all my nervousness. Imagine that, me, a prince, getting all edgy over a girl, and a pretty one at that. "I'm Hikari. Hikari Kamiya." She stretched out a hand.

The name struck me. She is the daughter of the Royal Family of the North! I took all of my nervousness out on another ear and took the hand, kissing it, much to her surprise. When I take a look at her face, I smiled. "Well, it wouldn't be nice for me not to treat a princess formally, right?" I then let go of her hand.

"Well, I don't think it that way." Hikari answered. "The formality I've known only existed inside the castle walls and with people."

"But to me, it exists everywhere." I answered. "As long as I'm a man with discipline and respect."

~~

We walked together back to the field. "So, you are the one who have been taking care of the field?" I asked, surprised at the revelation that Hikari is the one tending the quite lovely place.

Hikari nodded. "Yes. I spend time here a lot, since I'm not needed inside the castle. My brother Taichi had that burden on his shoulders."

As we entered the field, the first we saw my horse and that white horse walking side by side like the buck and the doe. I grinned. "And if I'm not mistaken, that white horse prancing around Axel is yours."

Hikari tilted her head and blinked. "Oh, she is." With another sweet smile, she nodded. "I don't think I'll disturb them."

~~

Hours later, we were still talking about our kingdoms, the people, ourselves, those kind of things. And then the upcoming unwanted wedding came to our conversation.

"So, you are going to be married to Princess Miyako, but you really don't love her." She deduced, taking all the information I gave her in. I only nodded, looking at the small patch of those what my professors called Rocky Mountain columbine. Seeing the mix of the blue petals with white on the other side soothed me. "If I'm not mistaken, this is a forced marriage, is it not?"

"Father and mother didn't know anything about me." I replied, upset on bringing up this subject. "They just called me to the throne room, and told me that I'm going to marry her." (AN: Is this storyline familiar? If I'm not mistaken myself, I also wrote this kind of thing in my Sorato. LOL. Back to the story.)

"I think I know a story that might match yours." Hikari said. I looked at her, puzzled at her words. She smiled, and looked at a tree growing magnolia flowers. "My brother had that experience once. (AN: Some of you people here might be Mimato and Taiora fans, but I don't care. Read this: I AM A SORATO AND MIMICHI FAN!) He was going to be married to Princess Sora Takenouchi, the crown princess of the Takenouchi kingdom located across the sea. But he already loved someone else, Lady Mimi Tachikawa, a young landlady living in the kingdom of Ishida. The crown prince of Ishida, Prince Yamato, who just happened to be brother's best friend, fell in love with Princess Sora, and vise versa. They kind of negotiated on this matter on the high court of Ishida. Have you heard of the Appealing of the Three Kingdoms?"

I nodded, vaguely remembering what I've heard of the Ishida's. All I remembered was Sam telling me of the events that happened at the court, but he never told me what was the cause.

"Well, it kind of worked. And so, you know, my brother married Lady Mimi, Prince Yamato married Princess Sora, and the three kingdoms are going well. It just might work on your situation."

"How?"

Hikari rethink the situation a bit, and sighed. "I wish I could tell you, but right now, I'm out of good suggestions." She blinked again, staring up at the sky, which was already turning red and pink. "Oh my, the sun is setting!"

I looked at her direction. "Maybe you should go home now, they might be worried about you. I don't think my parents won't bother looking for me. They know I'm here. Well, that is one thing they know about me."

"So, I'll guess I'll be seeing you around." She smiled.

"You too." I returned, beaming. Hikari walked to her horse.

"Come now, Iyya, you don't want that terrible stablehand to get angry at us again, do you?" she asked, taking the reins of her horse. The white animal snorted an affirmative, and she mounted the horse. She turned to me. "Bye Ken!" Without hearing a reply from me, she galloped with her horse out of the field.

I sighed. Here I am again, without a companion. Taking Axel's reins, I walked out of the field that made a dream came true. A small dream that ended up talking to the most beautiful angel that walked this world.

~~

But I was definitely wrong on being alone. The next day, I found her, waiting there on the field, greeting me with her charming smile, and spend another wonderful day with her. And so with the next day, and the next. And the day came that she told me something she'd never told anyone before.

"You know what, Ken?"

"Huh?"

We were both sitting on that ledge where I first saw her. Our feet were soaked with water.

"I never became this close to anyone else." She started. "Like I never had talk this much to someone my age. Sure, Takeru and I talk, but it was occasional. His kingdom is far from mine. So I never got the chance to talk to him if there's something new that pops up. He didn't even know that I've been here for the past five years..."

I just closed my mouth and let her continue. She was letting me into her life, and it was best to be a good listener and hear her out.

"You know what? You are the only friend I've got outside the walls of the castle. You always listen to my problems, and helped me get through all of those. And the same I do for you." She tilted her head upwards. "I feel like...never being alone."

" 'Cause you never are." I said. I looked at her. Damn, why is it my heart beats faster than normal when I do that?

Much to my surprise, she faced me. Well, it wouldn't be a big deal if her face weren't that close to me, but it is. Embarrassment crept my face and turned it into a tomato. But that was only for a moment. It suddenly went serious, but my heartbeat is still thumping like crazy. It was like...telepathic. I inched towards her, and to add to my amazement, she did the same. When my lips touched hers, I felt the whole world just stopped what they're currently doing. At first it was merely a small peck, but she pushed on. I don't know how to really desribe the feeling I'm getting right now. And there, I realized, when we parted...

I have fallen in love with her.

I have fallen in love with the Princess of Kamiya.

And it was...fantastic...

We both stared at each other's eyes, looking deep into each other's souls. I tipped her chin with my hand and pulled her to me, meeting again for another kiss.

When I released her, she turned her gaze back at the pond, eyes starting to form tears. I blinked. Terror gripped me. What if...she doesn't return those feelings? Stupid, stupid Ken Ichijouji! Think before you act! I have never felt so stupid in all my life!

"Hikari...I didn't mean to be..." I was cut off.

"Don't be." She interrupted, turning to me. She wiped some of the tears away. "I just didn't believe that you would ever return what I feel for you...that's why I cried."

I gulped lightly. Another mark on your stupidity chart, Ichijouji! The girl obviously loves you as you do to her. I wiped the last of her tears with my thumb. "Hikari...I..I love you. You don't know how much..."

Hikari took my hand that was clasped on her cheek with her own. "Ken, never forget...I love you...as much as you love me..."

(AN: Do you know how awkward I'm feeling right now? I'm too mushy, please slap me!)

~~

The next day, I arranged a meeting with Miyako, Daisuke and Hikari. I have to settle this down before taking the whole thing to my parents, Miyako's parents, and Hikari's parents.

We all agreed on our plan, so it was proclaimed tomorrow, at all the four kingdoms' throne rooms. There was no shock from the Motomiya's, but hell broke loose at my kingdom and Miyako's. The Kamiya's were passive with the new changes, since it was only the second child getting married. I had a heart to heart talk with my parents, and they finally discussed about it with the Kamiya's. The Inoue's and the Motomiya's are having a stable relationship as of late, so it was no problem that the two would get married.

It was a long month before they decided. Hikari and I were to be married on the next full moon.

~~

Two nights before the wedding, I went to the field with Axel. Looking at it made me remember. Memories that changed my life, turned the wheel to another new direction.

I heard rustling from the nearby trees. I turned around sharply, causing a certain brown haired princess to nearly faint from fright. "I'm sorry I disturbed you." She walked to my side. "Thinking?"

"Yes..." Was my only reply. Hikari looped her arm to mine.

"I never thought I'll see this night." She said, looking at the same direction I'm looking. "Who do you think will tend with this field now that I'm going to be a queen?"

I smiled and turned to her. Clasping my hands on the sides of her face, I replied, "This field will stay the same as it is because we will both take care of it. It is also a king's right to have a leisure time, is it not?"

"I think so..." she smiled.

~~

Mai: YES! I'M DONE WITH THE WHOLE WEEK OF TORTURE! So, this will be the first and the last Kenkari I'll make. I hope this satisfies your quench for Kenkari and Daiyako, Mystique. Well, the Daiyako isn't that pronounced, but I think it served its purpose. So, that's that. Reviews!