"You look wonderful, Princess."

Momoi studied her reflection in the ornate mirror before her. She wore a simple pink dress tied with a yellow obi, and her favorite blue shawl to complete her attire. Her long pink hair hung lose, framing her eyes of the same color. It wasn't that she looked bad but…she wasn't sure the look was quite right either. She wanted to look her best whilst still giving the impression that this was her everyday normal appearance. An impossible task, surely. But one she needed to get right, if she wanted to impress him…

"Forgive me," her servant tried again, interrupting her thoughts, "but you should proceed to the courtyard soon…" she knew Ogiwara was concerned that she would be late for her formal appearance to welcome everyone to her sixteenth birthday festivities to be held later this week, but at the moment she didn't really care. This look was all wrong.

"No. This isn't right. Where is that chintz?" she demanded, shrugging her shawl carelessly to the floor. She pushed past her maids with the intent to search the tables for it. If you wanted something done right…

Her desire for the chintz was forgotten as soon as her father entered the room. He was a short round man, currently dressed in his red and purple robes. Ogiwara and the maids bowed respectfully as Momoi rushed up to greet him.

"Father! What about the ceremony?" she asked. Momoi knew she was already well beyond being fashionably late; surely her father should still be in the middle of it. He wouldn't have time to come visit her, unless it hadn't started yet…

"As you can see, it's already over," her father stated, though his smile didn't leave his face.

"Oh no…I'm sorry…I'm…" She had promised her father she would be there. She'd let him down. And all those people who'd come to see her…

Her father laughed good naturedly. "Well, no matter. It was a mere formality. There is no need for you to appear before the people." Her father had always been overly protective of her, and she knew he thought keeping her out of the spotlight also helped keep her out of harm's way. Normally she would have protested (she loved being the center of attention after all) but today she thought it might be a good thing that she'd missed the ceremony.

"Um, Father…isn't there something odd about my hair?" she asked, finally coming to a conclusion as to what had bothered her about her look. It never wanted to be tamed. Her hair had always given her trouble. Her father's hair was short and always well groomed; making her wish she had inherited his looks instead.

Her father looked surprised at her sudden change in topic, but quickly set out to reassure her. "Of course not! Your beauty surpasses that of any jewel-"

"Yes, that of my face," she replied, her mood instantly improving. "I believe I was born with quite a cute face," she said, twisting a lock of her hair around her finger. "But why must my hair be so unruly? It won't behave at all!" she wailed, flailing her arms to exaggerate her point.

Her father looked unsure of how to handle her outburst, but he seemed to eventually settle for third party opinion. "That's not true at all. Isn't that right, Aomine?"

Momoi froze. She hadn't even known he was there. "Yes, King Genta," she heard Aomine's voice answer. She turned to see him bowed respectfully on the floor towards her father. "Who would ever say that the princesses' hair looks strange? If anything is not right…" he said finally lifting his gaze and glancing towards her, "…it would be her brain."

"Quiet knave!" she demanded, throwing any objects in the immediate vicinity at Aomine's face. They were effortlessly deflected. "Father, do something about this impertinent cretin!" she continued to insist, intent on getting some sort of revenge for his remark.

Her father ignored her plea. "Now, now…Aomine has been your friend since childhood," he said, putting his hands up in an effort to placate her. "And he is one of the five generals who protect his castle. He is the Wind Tribe's-"

"I don't care! If you need guards, pick someone more loveable!" She said as she grabbed a china teacup on a nearby table and hurled it towards Aomine with all her might. He caught it easily.

"Speaking of loveable, shouldn't you be trying to look more loveable yourself?" Aomine asked her. "Lord Kuroko has already arrived, after all."

"Y-you should have said so sooner!" Momoi chided, abandoning her futile quest of nailing Aomine in the face. If her beloved Kuroko was already here… well then there was only one thing to do. She quickly deserted her present company in favor of going to see him.

"Kuroko? Is that why you were concerned about your hair?" King Genta asked his daughter's retreating figure. He didn't get a response. "But why now?"

"Who knows," Aomine lazily answered, helping himself to some of the tea and snacks that had been prepared for the princess.

Momoi, meanwhile, was making a run for it. She'd hiked up her dress and was sprinting full speed to the guest chambers where Kuroko usually stayed. Several of the palace guards called out to her as she sped past, but she paid them no mind. All she was concerned about was Kuroko, her most precious childhood friend. It had been so long since she'd last seen him, but today she'd finally get to…

In her hurry, she ended up running into someone she first assumed to be a palace guard. At least, until she heard them speak.

"Whoa, there." Momoi would know that voice anywhere. She looked up to see kind blue eyes complimented by short spikey hair of the same shade. Kuroko. "You're as energetic as ever, Princess Momoi," he greeted her. "But I must ask, why the rush?"

"I-I heard you had arrived, so I came to meet you…" It sounded so childish. She had wanted to impress him, show him that she had grown into a proper lady. It appeared her plan was off to a rough start. Kuroko smiled and reached up a hand to pat her head. "How considerate of you," he thanked, looking amused. He's still treating me like a child… she lamented.

"A-anyway, you can stay for a while this time, can't you?" she asked blushing slightly. Don't let him notice, don't let him notice…

"Of course. I came to celebrate your birthday this week, after all," Kuroko said, making an exaggerated bow. "You're going to be sixteen…you really have grown up. Anyway, where are King Genta and Aomine?"

That's who you care about!? Not me but…

"I need to say hi to them. I'll see you later, Momoi," he said to her before taking off towards the king's chambers, leaving her alone.

"He treats me like a child…a child! And I perfumed my clothes with my finest incense all morning! I applied only the highest quality lotions and makeup…"

"And they've all gone to waste," commented Aomine, who was lazily munching on some of her snacks he'd pilfered. She hadn't notice him pop in out of nowhere.

"You be quiet!" She scolded him. But she was too depressed to be truly angry. Stupid Kuroko… She missed how things had been before, when they were younger.

"Momoi what's wrong?" a much younger Kuroko asked her.

"Go away!" her younger self scolded him. She just wanted to be left alone…

"I heard you haven't been eating lately," Kuroko persisted, reaching out a hand to her shoulder in comfort. "King Genta has been worried-"

"QUIET!" she shouted, smacking his hand away. And then she began to cry. But as always, Kuroko knew just how to comfort her. He took off his outer robe, more like a jacket really, and draped it over her head. "It's all right," he told her. "This way you can cry and no one will see."

And cry harder she did. "I haven't been able to sleep without Mother beside me!" she confessed. Kuroko looked at her solemnly. "I'd heard the Queen recently passed away," Kuroko started, "…I'm so sorry Momoi," he told her. Momoi continued to cry her heart out. It hurt Kuroko greatly to see her in pain, but he didn't know how he could help her. But after a few minutes, he came up with something.

"I know! I'll be your mother, Momoi! But first you need to eat," Kuroko said, pulling a fruit out of one of the many folds in his robe. "You can have this pear of mine." His kind gesture was interrupted by a growl from his stomach. And despite herself, Momoi laughed.

Kuroko had stayed true to his word, even accompanying her to sleep just as her mother had. "I'll hold your hand until you fall asleep, just like the queen did," he told her. "If you shed tears, I'll wipe them away so no one will see. So please, smile tomorrow!" he said, as cheerful as ever.

Momoi reflected fondly on the memory. Stupid…my heart was beating so loudly it made it harder to sleep. But then, Kuroko was always so kind…

The next morning, Momoi was determined to claim Kuroko's attention. She'd woken up early and had the servants prepare some of Kuroko's favorite treats for them to share. She just knew this plan was going to work. Bursting through the door to his guest chamber she greeted in an overly cheerful voice:

"Good morning, Kuroko! I have some of your favorite treats! Would you like…to…" she trailed off. His rooms were empty. Trying her best not to get discouraged, she set out in pursuit of him. She passed a few more of the guest rooms before running into her father, who was being trailed by Ogiwara. "What's the matter, Momoi?" her father asked her. Clearly he could tell she was upset. It was Ogiwara, however, who was the one who discerned why. "If you're looking for Kuroko, he's with General Aomine. I can take you to them, if you'd like."

"Please do!" Momoi implored. Having Aomine there as well wasn't ideal, but at this point she'd take whatever time with Kuroko she could get. Her father looked uneasy with her request, but decided he would come with them as well. Momoi followed the two of them to the training grounds, where they found both Kuroko and Aomine on horseback, with a quiver of arrows strapped to their backs.

"No fair Aomine! How could you set me aside and have fun with Kuroko?" Aomine was supposed to be her bodyguard. And she certainly hadn't given him permission to go run around with the object of her affections.

"Now, now…they haven't seen one other in some time either," King Genta pointed out.

Momoi would have had a retort for that, but the boys had set off and she didn't want to miss seeing them in action. Kuroko's horse was in the lead, likely due to the fact that Kuroko himself was so much smaller and lighter than Aomine. As his horse approached the target, Kuroko knocked an arrow and let it fly. It landed in the ring outside the bullseye. Not to be outdone, Aomine quickly shot an arrow of his own at the same target. It hit dead center. Both men reined in their horses. "Well done, Aomine," Kuroko congratulated him.

"You were pretty good yourself, Lord Kuroko," Aomine replied.

"Next time I'll strike dead center as well," Kuroko remarked, holding up his bow and mock firing an invisible arrow. The image looked gorgeous to Momoi. "I want to do archery with Kuroko too!" she declared. Her father's reaction however, would have made one think she'd asked to become a bandit. "No!" Her father pleaded with her. "You mustn't handle weapons! I don't even want to let those two use them…"

"Then you use them!" Momoi demanded.

"But I would get hurt," her father reasoned, casting his gaze off to the side.

"You coward!" Momoi cried, "You know, you're just…"

"Momoi!" Kuroko had ridden over to where she was standing. "If you want, I'll let you ride with me."

"Okay!" she eagerly agreed, quickly running around to Kuroko, much to her father's horror. "Kuroko!" her father shouted close to anger, but he was ignored as everyone was focusing on getting Momoi onto a horse. Even Aomine had dismounted in order to help. "Relax. We'll both hold on to you," Kuroko reassured her.

"But could you hurry it up a little?" Aomie complained as he tried to boost her up to sit with Kuroko. "You're so heavy that I might die if I have to support you any longer."

"Be quiet or I will beat you down!" she threatened, turning her head to give an absolutely menacing glare to Aomine. Kuroko, however, chose to ignore their bantering. "Don't worry," he told Momoi, reaching out a hand to help her up. "You like horses, don't you?"

"I-I do…" Momoi blushingly replied as the two males settled her on the horse in front of Kuroko. But I like Kuroko more.

"Just entrust yourself to me," Kuroko said, as he urged the horse forward into a walk. She had assumed Aomine would ride alongside them, but he had decided to cool off his horse and take it back to the stables himself instead. They had gotten about a quarter of the way around the arena when Momoi had a horrible thought.

"You seem accustomed to this," she started. "Have you ridden with lots of women before?"

"Ah…" Kuroko answered with a strange look on his face, "that's…"

"I'm right aren't I!?" Why did I even ask? I should have known…

"You're mistaken," Kuroko quickly assured her. "There have been a few discussions of engagement but nothing is decided yet. Let's not talk about this, okay?" he pleaded. "I don't want to burden you with things outside of your concern."

He's treating me like a child again. I need to fix this. "I-I've had offers of engagement too!" she blurted out.

Kuroko stopped the horse. "Really? From whom?" he asked surprised.

"A-Aomine, for one." Idiot! Out of all the names I could have given him, Aomine's makes it too obvious that I'm lying! I can't help it that I haven't been involved in any real engagement discussions, and Aomine is the only one I could think of who's close to my age…but we don't even get along at all! "Um…I meant…" Momoi started to correct herself, but Kuroko beat her to it.

"I think that sounds nice. Congratulations!"

This is too cruel!

"You're too cruel Kuroko!" Momoi wailed out loud in the dining area later that day while she was waiting for the servants to prepare dinner for her and her father. "How could you believe that lie!" she moaned, dropping her head into her hands.

"Your marriage may not be a lie after all," her father spoke up. "It would only be natural for you to be betrothed by now."

"No!" Momoi cried. "I want Kuroko to-"

"You can't have Kuroko!" her father shouted at her. Everyone present in the room froze. Momoi recovered first, moving to stand so she could look her father in the eye. "Princess, don't-" Ogiwara warned her, but the words burst forth out of her mouth anyway.

"I don't want to hear you speak of my love life. I'm-"

"Momoi I have always given you what you desired," her father interrupted, his tone solemn. "Beautiful hair ornaments, earrings, a royal villa and a flower garden…I would give you anything that is not a weapon. But no matter how much you wish it, I cannot give you Kuroko. You are the princess of the kingdom of Teiko. The man who marries you will become the next king."

"Kuroko is of royal blood…" Momoi started, but her father interrupted her again.

"True," her father agreed, "but it is my duty as king to choose my heir."

"Kuroko is a fine man," Momoi said, her voice shaking. "You're a cowardly king who is too afraid to touch a weapon."

"I am indeed a cowardly king." Her father sighed, turning away. "Your mother was captured and killed by insurgents. Such dangers go hand in hand with being a part of a king's family. That is why I have chosen not to remarry." He turned back towards his daughter and locked his gaze with hers. "You want Kuroko to be happy, do you not?"

"I don't understand. I don't understand at all…" Does that mean it's all right for the man I marry to meet with misfortune? Am I not allowed to be happy? Unable to deal with her emotions, Momoi fled the room.

She ran all the way until she reached the courtyard, when she slumped to the ground in a secluded area to cry. But even if Father did allow it, in Kuroko's eyes I'm still the same child I was back then. "Kuroko and I were never meant to be," Momoi sniffed, burying her head in her arms. Even as distraught as she was, she heard someone's footsteps. "Who's there?" Momoi demanded. She didn't want to see her father right now, and if a servant had stumbled across her crying like this, she needed to make sure they wouldn't report to her father about it. But no one answered her. "Aomine, if you're playing a prank on me again, I'm not in the mood!" she scolded. But it wasn't Aomine who reached out from behind the corner. It was a man she didn't recognize. But she knew one thing; this man was most likely her enemy. No, no it can't be… She quickly got up and ran back in the direction of her father. "Your mother was killed by insurgents…" She had to get away. But it was unlikely she could outrun him, especially as she was in a dress. When she turned the next corner, she ducked into the first room she came across, and threw her body against the door as a barrier. The room was dark, so she didn't think he'd check for her in here, but she wasn't going to take any chances. But in the darkness, she missed someone grab her from behind, and cover her mouth with their hand so she couldn't cry out for help. She tried desperately to anyway, while trying to claw their hand off her mouth. "No! Someone please…someone help!" And when she finally was able to move their hand down enough that she could scream, she called not for her father, not for her bodyguard, but… "KUROKO!"

"Momoi?" She turned to look at her "attacker" but was able to make out their features even in the non-existent light. "Kuroko…?"

"I'm sorry. Did I frighten you?" Kuroko asked her. "I did come in without warning." He moved away from her for a moment to turn on the lights. But when she continued to sit on the floor immobile, he became concerned. "Momoi…?"

"…A strange man came after me…" she said finally. Kuroko went to open the door and take a quick look around. "There's no one there," he told her when he had come back.

"That can't be! I…" They ran away. A castle guard would have said something…. She wrapped her arms around herself and tried to shrink as small as she possibly could. "Momoi!?" Kuroko immediately knelt on the floor next to her, but she didn't even notice. Were they targeting me? Because I'm the King's daughter?

"Momoi," Kuroko called gently to her, wrapping his outer cloak around her as he had done when they were children. "It's all right," he told her. "I'm here."

"K-Kuroko she sniffed, before abruptly pushing him away. "No…I can't be with you…"

"Why not?" He asked, clearly hurt.

"Because…" If you stay with me, you'll be in danger.

Kuroko stood up slowly and walked back over to the door. "If you'd rather be with Aomine, I'll take you to his quarters," he said softly. "He's your betrothed, isn't he?"

"That's not…" Momoi started, a flood of tears coming on. No Kuroko, that's not it…you don't have to leave…so…

"You don't need to hide it," Kuroko told her. "I'm sure Aomine would be angry if he knew the two of us were alone here."

"Kuroko, I have always…!" She forced out before dissolving into an inconsolable mess of tears. I can love you can't I?

"Let me walk you to your room,"Kuroko said, ignoring her earlier outburst. "I'll call a guard."

Momoi stood up and reached out for him, "K-Kuroko, I…" She couldn't have been more surprised when he smacked her hand away. It was something he had never done before.

"I'm sorry," Kuroko said, though he sounded more monotone than apologetic. "Please don't come close to me. I may make a mistake."

"…Huh…?"

"That is, a moment ago, it sounded as if you were saying that you…"

"And if that wasn't a mistake?" Momoi asked. He was looking at her as though she were a ghost. "If that weren't a mistake would that upset you?" she asked again.

"…I can't let this happen," Kuroko said eventually. "I can't let myself see you as a woman."

"So what was I until now?" she asked curiously.

"Huh? Oh, well…a younger sister, perhaps?" he answered sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"I knew it…" she mumbled, hiding her face behind her hands.

"I'm sorry," Kuroko apologized again, running his hand through his hair. "I'm unfamiliar with things like this…"

He…he's actually blushing…! Emboldened, Momoi decided to press further. "So you're engagement was a lie then?" she asked hopefully.

"I just meant such discussions had come up," he said, twisting his thumbs together nervously. "I'm not engaged yet."

It's now or never. "Kuroko, do I look like a woman to you?

His eyes kept darting nervously between her and the door. Eventually though, he did speak, looking at the door, "At the least, I could not sleep holding hands with you anymore. My nerves would prevent me from sleeping," he said turning back to her.

She let out a small laugh. "Well, that's fine. If you've given me even the slightest consideration, that's enough for now." I still love Kuroko, Father. I may not know anything about kings or kingdoms yet, but…just being by his side is my greatest happiness.

Five days later, her birthday banquet was held at the castle. Many nobles and emissaries from various regions came to give her their regards.

"Sixteen years old," her father commented to her. "How much you have grown!"

"My hair still won't cooperate," Momoi whined. "I wanted to wear it up today," she complained.

"Or maybe not. You're still only concerned with your hair…" her father lamented.

She didn't even bother with a reply, as she saw Kuroko waving to her from the other side of the room. "Coming, Kuroko!" she called.

"Momoi, wait!" her father called after her. She spared him only a brief backwards glance before continuing on to her destination.

Kuroko led her out of the palace and into the courtyard. "Why did you bring me out here?" she asked.

"Close your eyes and hold out your hand," he told her. She did as instructed, and felt him place something cool in her palm. "You can open them now." Her sight revealed an ornate hair ornament in the shape of a flower. "I thought it would suit you so I wanted to give it to you personally," Kuroko told her smiling.

"My hair…it's unruly and it won't behave at all…this wouldn't look right on me," Momoi said sadly.

"I disagree. I love your hair, Momoi," he said reaching up to run a strand through his fingers. "It's beautiful, like the sky at dawn."

How simple am I? Just like that, I suddenly love my hair!

"What are you two doing?" Momoi's bodyguard asked, once again appearing out of nowhere.

"Aomine!" The two shouted in unison, both jumping apart.

"His majesty is looking for you, Momoi," Aomine informed her, crossing his arms.

"Is that so? Tell him I'm resting in my room," she replied, heading off to do just that. The mood had been ruined with Aomine's arrival.

"I figured this was what was going on," Aomine said when Momoi had left. "I'm sure you could persuade the king, Lord Kuroko."

"You misunderstand, Aomine. And would you stop calling me 'Lord'? Just call me Kuroko, like you used to."

"I am well aware of my place. But more importantly, do you not sense something?" Aomine asked, turning his head to survey the influx of guest continuing to enter the palace. "I can't place it clearly, but something feels off…like something evil has made its way into the castle."

Kuroko placed his hand on his chin and titled his head to the side. "Now that you mentioned it, Momoi said something similar. It may be wise to keep an eye on those entering and leaving today."

"Understood. I'll increase security in the courtyard. You stay with the princess," he said dashing back towards the banquet hall.

It was late, and Momoi had been cooped up in her room for hours now. She hadn't originally planned to stay there this long, but it had started raining heavily and she didn't feel like getting soaked. She was currently looking at her reflection in the full length mirror attached to her wall. Kuroko said he loved my hair. But as happy as the recent memory made her, the feeling was quickly doused by another memory. No matter how you wish it, I cannot give you Kuroko. Momoi felt sure that if she could just talk to her father again, she could change his mind. She had been able to about everything else, after all. Determined, she decided to brave the rain and seek him out. I can't forget Kuroko. I'm sure father will understand.

Although she ran to her father's room as quickly as she could in the rain, she still arrived in front of the door thoroughly drenched. She noticed the door to her father's chambers was already open. That's odd…a guard should have closed it from the rain. She took a quick look around, but there were no guards in sight. How careless not to post guards here…come to think of it, I don't remember passing a single guard on my way here. Momoi was afraid. But she figured she would be safer with her father than she would be standing in the rain alone. She pushed open the door and entered her father's quarters. What she saw made her blood freeze.

She saw her father, being stabbed through his chest with a sword. "Father…" As the assailant pulled the sword out, her father fell motionless to the floor, and Momoi screamed. "FATHER!" She ran to his side and moved to hold his head in her arms, but stopped at the sight of the pool of blood that was forming around him.

The other person in the room spoke up. "Oh…you were still awake." Kuroko. "K-Kuroko, quickly, call a doctor…" she begged.

"King Genta will not wake again," Kuroko stated, eerily calm. "I killed him." It was then Momoi finally noticed the sword in his hand and the blood on his clothes. And what happened next was a blur.

"It's too quiet," Aomine stated from his guard post outside the courtyard.

"Here," Ogiwara offered, handing him something to drink. "You must be tired from patrolling this place non-stop.

"You're considerate as always Owigara," Aomine said, taking the drink offered.

"Are you sure it's alright for you not to be with the princess though?" Ogiwara asked. "I mean, you are her bodyguard."

"I wouldn't want to interfere," he replied simply. "The princess is with Lord Kuroko."

"Then, her feelings have finally reached him!?" the servant asked excitedly.

"Who knows?" He took a gulp of the drink. "I'm sure it's only a matter of time though."

"You know the two of them well, don't you?"

Aomine sat down on one of the steps. "I've been watching them for a long time. I just…well, how should I put it? I want them both to be happy," he finished, looking up at the night sky.

Momoi, meanwhile, had been thrown to the ground in the training area by her own castle guards. "Prepare, Princess," one of them spoke, drawing his sword. "All of this is for the Kingdom of Teiko."

Momoi was too shocked with horror to even attempt to run. It had to be a bad nightmare, none of this made any sense. I loved no one but Kuroko since we were children…how could he be capable of something like this? The guard brought down his sword to end her life. And in that moment, she could only scream. "KUROKO!"

But it was not he who saved her. Rather, it was her bodyguard, who dove in like lightning and swung his halberd in an arc of vengeance. After dispatching her would be assassinator and several of the nearest traitorous guards, Aomine raised his weapon at the one to whom he'd had the princess entrusted. "What of the meaning of this…Lord Kuroko?"