Set about a month after A Day With Watanuki. Lord Watanuki and Prince Doumeki's relation has progressed (deteriorated?) further than it was before.

Feel free to take it as part of Supernatural Entanglements or separate. It would be several months later.

MASQUED INTENTIONS

I

"You want me to accompany you to the ball?" Lord Kimihiro watched his guest devour the plate of pastries with something akin to disbelief.

"Hn." The other's mouth was full of pastry but it sounded like an affirmative.

Kimihiro closed his eyes and concentrated on the feel of the cup in his hands. It hadn't been that way in the beginning but the presence of the other man had become an increasing source of irritation. It was a combination of things: his habit of turning up just as Kimihiro was getting to sleep; his seemingly insatiable appetite for pastries; his severely lacking conversational skills; his generally handicapped manners and his unerring timing to show up at the worst possible moment.

Lord Kimihiro opened his eyes to see the last pastry disappear.

He suppressed a sigh. "I told you. I don't like to leave the mansion these days. You know the reasons."

Golden eyes pinned him with a stare that suggested that his reasoning was faulty. "I'll be with you."

Kimihiro suppressed an urge to throw his teacup, tea and all, at the other man's head. His fingers twitched around the fragile vessel. "What about your reputation? You shouldn't be seen with me at a ball."

The prince shrugged, gaze set thoughtfully on the empty pastry plate. "Go as a woman. You've done it before."

Lord Kimihiro just barely prevented himself from spraying tea all over his study and his guest. As it was, the abortive measure sent him into a choking fit for a few moments.

"Here." A napkin was handed across the table.

Kimihiro took it with a glare made ineffective by watery eyes. As soon as he had the cloth in hand, though, he wondered why it had been given. He'd avoided the worst, hadn't he?

Anger gave way to mortification as he spotted several drops of tea on the table. Feeling a blush rise in his cheeks, he quickly moved to clean up the mess with the cloth he held.

It was only as he did so, that he realized it wasn't a napkin at all. The monogrammed DS on the corner revealed whose handkerchief it was.

"I'll pick you up at seven." With no more pastries there seemed to be no good reason for the prince to stay.

"But-your handkerchief-" It wasn't what he'd wanted to say at all.

A shrug. "Keep it." He got up from the armchair and Kimihiro automatically followed suit.

The prince's startling gold eyes suddenly met his own as if he was going to say something momentous. A hand reached into his jacket.

Kimihiro wondered whether they'd finally come to the point of the prince's visit.

"Wear blue." A deep blue ribbon was placed on the table and then the prince was letting himself out, leaving the study as if he owned the place.

Lord Kimihiro stook standing in shock, staring at the harmless-looking blue ribbon while holding the tea-sodden handkerchief in one hand.

He was left with a feeling that things had, once again, gotten out of control. A sensation that that had become all too common since Prince Doumeki had strolled into his life.

Just the sight of the blue ribbon was enough to add a sinking feeling into the mix.

The feeling soon turned to dread. He was going to have to pay Yuuko a visit.

xXx

In the course of his visit, and he didn't know how or exactly when, Yuuko had convinced him that the prince was right. Blue was his colour.

And somehow that led to him standing where he was now, wearing what Yuuko claimed was eminently fashionable in a blue the same colour as the ribbon.

A blinding white light suddenly filled the room. Kimihiro blinked away the afterimages to see Yuuko lowering a small box from in front of her face. "Are you certain this is necessary?" The same thing had happened every time he had changed costumes and even a few times when he hadn't. He was still doubtful of the necessity of the bright light.

Not that he was one to suggest a lady lied...

A brilliant smile. "Of course, Kimihiro. Nothing could be more necessary."

Unsettled by her smile for some reason (because you know her, his mind whispered) Kimihiro turned his gaze away. The two little girls who had been running back and forth with changes of clothing were dancing around while chanting something that sounded like "Memories! Memories!"

Somehow it only added to the unsettling atmosphere.

"So this is it?" He made a half-hearted gesture at his clothes.

Yuuko tilted her head to the side and gave a firm nod. "It's perfect."

"Perfect! Perfect!"

She paused. "But we really need to do something about the hair."

Kimihiro's feeling of dread returned.

xXx

The dragon etched into the cover of the pocket watch glowed slightly and Lord Kimihiro let out a sigh. A carriage had entered the grounds and he had no doubt as to whom it could be.

Seven on the dot.

Kimihiro got to his feet, only slightly awkward in his new clothes. Fortunately the skirts were long enough that he could wear whatever he pleased on his feet. He'd politely refused the torture devices that Yuuko had offered and settled on a pair of plain black riding boots. Terribly gauche if he happened to trip and show them to the whole room but wearing them considerably lowered the chances of that happening in the first place.

And the whole situation was awkward enough as it was. Not only did he have to deal with the clothes but his hair. Yuuko had rejected any idea of wigs and Kimihiro ended up owing the lady for a wish that involved lengthening his hair to a length close to her own.

Though Kimihiro had serious doubts to the validity of a wish that had been the result of what could only be described as a pushy sale.

Now the whole mess was weighing down his head in a way he was unfamiliar with. It didn't help that the decorations she had woven into it were heavy in their own right. He had tried to protest, though he had been rather numb at that point, but Yuuko had insisted that it was vital to the authenticity of the entire costume. In the end he had found it easier to give up rather try and argue with her.

It wasn't proper to argue with a lady in the first place and with Yuuko he always had the unsettling feeling that his words had no impact whatsoever.

A noise from outside caught his attention and Kimihiro caught sight of the carriage approaching the front drive. He picked up the pocket watch and shoved it down the front of the dress. He might have been forced into a dress but he'd be damned to the seventh ring of the afterworld before he carried one of those silly little evening bags women chose. And there was no way he was going to leave the watch, and thus Ryuu, behind.

Lord Kimihiro nearly slammed the door as he left his room. Really. The gall of the man to force him into this situation. It wasn't like he could refuse him - he was a prince after all. Kimihiro was technically his vassal. But still. If only he hadn't found out about that incident with Lady-

Lord Kimihiro paused on the landing overlooking the foyer. How exactly had the prince found out? It wasn't like anyone at the mansion could talk and the Lady concerned had been as oblivious as everyone else. Where had-

"Master." Hikideshi was in the foyer and staring up at him. His face had no expression, even faced with the sight of what his lord was wearing.

With a frown, Kimihiro rapidly descended the steps. "Hikideshi. I'll be going out tonight. Maintain the wards until I return."

The butler bowed and moved towards the door.

Lord Kimihiro followed, starting to feel a bit irked. It seemed that Prince Doumeki was simply sitting in the carriage and waiting for him instead of coming in to collect him as proper manners dictated. True, he wasn't a woman, but still. Really the man was complete cad when it came to social niceties.

His anger had carried him through the door Hikideshi held open but he froze on the patio. He was suddenly aware of the Crescent ward and the protections of the nine dragons and the two unicorns. They were powerful but nothing compared to the wards that were built into the mansion itself. He had to fight the urge to turn his back and retreat inside.

"Oi."

Lord Kimihiro's nerves twitched at the sound and he glared at the prince who stood beside the carriage. Where exactly the man had picked up the expression, Kimihiro had no idea, but every time the syllable crossed his lips it never failed to annoy him.

He had given some thought to the problem and had considered whether it was the lack of recognition that angered him so. But in the end he had simply concluded that it was the man himself. Prince or no, he was the greatest annoyance that Lord Kimihiro had the misfortune to cross paths with.

And one that had decided to linger, it seemed.

His thoughts had carried him unknowingly down the stairs but he felt it as soon as he broke through the final wards set by the stone unicorns' gaze. Irritation at the source of his annoyance faded to the background as he felt the loss of the protections that always surrounded him. It was faint but he could already sense the legions of spirits take note of his reappearance.

It was as if more eyes turned to his direction every second. It made his skin crawl.

There was a crunch of gravel and Kimihiro's head whipped round to see that the prince had moved. He was gazing at his companion thoughtfully.

As Kimihiro stood frozen before the steps, the prince's gaze ran over the lord's costume, head to toe. Golden eyes ran over the elaborately coiffed hair and the long tresses weighted down by large blue beads. Over the matching choker that concealed any hint of an adam's apple and down to the fake bust that Yuuko had been at such pains to create. The gaze stayed there for what Kimihiro regarded as a moment too long then trailed down the shimmering deep blue bodice to the long skirts. The silence seemed to stretch out as the prince stared, seemingly fixated by the fall of feather-patterned cloth that flowed out behind, bright green eyelets flashing in the lights from the lanterns either side of the entrance.

"I'm a peacock." The words were defensive - he was already unsettled at leaving the mansion's protection and the prince's unwavering gaze was making him more uneasy. The absurdity of the choice of costume hit him as soon as he said the words. A man dressed as a woman, dressed as a flashy male bird.

The prince's eyes finally rose to meet his gaze. "It suits you."

Kimihiro resisted an urge to kick him. It wasn't ladylike and, for all intents and purposes, he was a lady for the rest of the night. Besides, there was probably some sort of penalty for inflicting bodily harm on your liege lord let alone a prince.

"What are you?" The man didn't seem to have strayed too far from his usual attire, though in a more formal cut. It was starting to get on his nerves when he had put so much effort into his own appearance.

Another glance from expressionless gold eyes. "A prince."

Lord Kimihiro's eye twitched and his jaw clenched. "A prince." It came out flat rather than furious and he was rather proud of himself.

The prince seemed oblivious to the anger that was building in the other man. He ignored the repetition as if it wasn't worthy of comment. "If we don't go now, we'll be late." The words were cast over his shoulder as he strode back the carriage.

With an inaudible growl that would have scandalized any proper maiden, Lord Kimihiro gathered up his skirts and stalked after him.

The prince had opened the carriage door himself and watched the other man's approach. With no discernable expression he held out a hand as he would to any other lady to help them into their carriage.

Kimihiro ground his teeth. The prince was treating him as woman he was pretending to be. Nothing more.

He accepted the hand that was offered and without comment the prince helped him inside.

And if he noticed that the gloved grip on his hand tried to break his fingers, Prince Doumeki didn't comment on it.

xXx

I tried to resist, I really did. Well, sort of. I am weak.

But have no fear. Despite the dress I did manage to slip in some serious elements. In fact it gets more serious as we go.

Next update in a few days. Until then I am out of computer reach.