~Chapter 1~
The nicest thing about having a private jet was not having to worry about all the commoners keeping you from taking off at the right time and crowding your space. Sayuri couldn't imagine having to share such close space with more than her father or maidservant Kiku. As it was it was already feeling far too cramped with all of her luggage on board. She could have had it shipped but she couldn't decide what she found unimportant enough to leave behind for even a day. Coming home after almost two years was hard enough but to not have everything she might possibly need was just asking for trouble.
Today she turned fifteen and today she would return home with her head held high and prepare to attend her first day of high school at St. Lobelia's in just a few days. Like her mother before her and her grandmother before her, Sayuri would be first in her class and rule the school by becoming the head of the Zuka club. Nothing less would be tolerated by her personal standards. And, if she managed all of that, father might even let her keep the family company instead of giving it away to a cousin as he had always said he would. Just the thought of one of her feeble-minded cousins getting their greedly little pig hands on the Nakamura fortune was enough to make her want to vomit.
"Are you alright, my lady?" Kiku asked in her calming voice. Her blue eyes were full of care, not concern. She'd been with Sayuri through enough to know when concern was actually needed.
"Hai, I'm just a bit worried about school starting up." Nearvously, Sayuri pushed a strand of black hair out of her eyes. She'd need a haircut before school started. It was just a tad bit too long. "Schedule a time for me to meet with the best stylist in Japan for Tomorrow afternoon. My hair is becoming unbecomingly long." Picking up a strand of hair she held it up for Kiku to see. "I really do hate when it gets too much longer than a couple inches past my shoulders."
"Of course, my lady. Shall I schedule a manicure and pedicure as well?"
Glancing down at her right hand she cringed. "Yes, that would be wise." Most pressing matters now taken care of she resumed staring out the window. The ocean below her seemed to impossibly vast and blue. Truley it was such an amazing sight she regretted not being able to see more of it during her time abroad. The only times she had seen any body of water so vast had been from an airplane window. Of course she'd seen rivers and lakes in France and in America, but a river or a lake wasn't the same as the ocean. She'd have to go to the beach for the first time once she returned home to Japan. Maybe she'd even take Michiko there!
Enormously pleased with her idea she was content to spend the next half of an hour staring out of the window. Sadly even that eventually got boring. The flight from America to Japan was so terribly long. They still had alomst eight hours and she didn't want to sleep just yet. She would sleep later to get herself readjusted to Japan's timezone. Of course that didn't help her with what she could do at that moment. Resigned to boredom she turned to Kiku, "Okay, I guess I'm ready. Where are the files I've asked for?"
Reaching into a leather breifcase Kiku pulled out a stack of manila folders at least fifty deep. With a with a sardonic smile she placed them in front of her mistress. "Here you are my lady. The files on the top girls at St. Lobelia's and files from your father on possible choices for you to choose from for your fiance." Ah yes, the up and coming engagment to a boy she'd never met or spoken to. That was the other half of her great return home, she had until she was sixteen to arrange her own marriage or he would marry her off to whoever he thought was best. And not to add more pressure if her choice wasn't influencial enough she would lose the company as well. At times she thought it would best to just let her father choose her marriage partner, but this would be one of the few things she had control over in her life. She could find someone in a year.
Right?
Flipping through the folders consisting of guys first she found seven very interesting. The first was Haruhi Fujioka, a fifteen year old honors student at Ouran Academy. His looks seemed almost feminine but he was smart and if he was as indifferent to everything as his file seemed to suggest he'd make a good husband for her. He could sit back and spend money while she controlled the company.
Next were the Hitachiin brothers Hikaru and Kaoru, both sixteen. They lived with their fashion designer mother and computer software designer father. As fashionable as they were they'd just inherit more money than they knew what to do with. If she married one of them she could use them as a figurehead and run the company from the shadows. It wasn't like either of them seemed to have any great desire to run a company.
Mitsukuni Honinozuka and his cousin Takashi Morinozuka were two interesting characters she'd definately have to keep an eye on. Both were seventeen and each was an expert in their respective fields of martial arts.
The last two files were mostly for her to use as eye candy. Both Takashi Souh and Kyoya Ootori were extreamly handsome young men but already had their futures planned out for them. They didn't need a woman who wanted to run a company, they needed one who was willing to sit at home like a good housewife, spend vast amount of money, throw lavish parties and help him gain support. She was nothing like that type of woman and could never be. However, her family would be greatly bennifited if someone, say Michiko, was to marry one of them. Maybe she'd help Michiko with a marriage to one of them. That might satisfy father's desire of an engagement.
Finally done looking at the files upon files of guys she moved on to those of the girls of St. Lobelia's. However this barely took any time. For the past months she'd been learning everything she could of these girls so she didn't go to school suprised by anything. She knew everything from the financial status of each member of the Zuka club to their favorite color and smell. If she was to run the school she'd need to know everything she could about them.
As soon as she'd finished reading through every last file with a fine tooth comb she settled back into her seat. Two hours to go until they landed.
Now what to do?
The second the plane rolled to a halt Sayuri was up out of her seat and scambling down the stairs of the plane. Two years. Two whole years she'd been gone. Now she was back and was never going to leave in such a way again. The familiar kanji scattered everywhere was such a sight to behold. She was horribly tired of the American alphabet. Even better was hearing snippets of the Japanese language all around her coming from people who actually knew how to speak it! In a euphoric state she began spinning around, laughing more freely than she had in years.
"Excuse me? Lady Sayuri?" She stopped and turned at the voice speaking to her. A tall man in a suit was waiting for her, holding a door open for her to enter the limosine waiting. "Your father's been expecting you." As if punched all of the wind seemed knocked out of her along with her joy. Her father... would he be happy to see her for once? Unconsciencely she started rubbing her left arm. It was a nervous habit she'd developed years ago.
"Of course I am. Help my maid with my bags, would you?" Dropping her hands to her side she walked over to the open door. After only the slightest hesitation she gracefully climbed into the car. The second she was seated the driver started making his way from the airport to her family's main house. Kiku would travel with her bags in a second car sent solely for that purpose.
The landscape was so familiar yet foreign after all this time. Some things made her feel like she'd just been on a short vacation while other changes made her realize just how much things had changed without her being there. Had she been with Kiku she'd have voiced these thoughts but with only the driver it was too dangerous. Any sign of weakness might be reported to her father and she needed to be as strong as possible in his eyes after all these years.
As they pulled up to the main gate of her family's home she was once again taken in by it's sheer grandour. It was easily one of the largest mansions in all of Japan. Originally made as a second home for the royal family her family had inherited it when a fifth son of the royal family married her great-great-great-great grandmother. Her family's relationship with the royalty of Japan was still close and for a while she was to marry one of the Emporor's sons until he was engaged to someone else closer to his own age.
Built in the traditional Japanese castle style with the elegant lines only the Japanese could create and the stone work that made it stand out her home was too beautiful for words. Truely, she'd missed it.
As her door was opened for her at the front door she was barely able to step out of the car before a giant pink bundle of lace and tulle nearly bowled her over. "Sayuri! You're finally back!"
"Michiko!" Her little sister finally stopped trying to tackle her to the ground and looked up at her. Large brown eyes had tears of happiness threatening to overflow onto a beautifully delicate face. Ridiculously long brown hair was still pulled back into pigtails tied back with pink lace. At least some things would never change.
"Are you back forever? Please don't leave again sister! I'm missed you!" Once again she burried her face in Sayuri's dress to hide her face.
"I shall try to never leave you again Michiko. But I have stories from all over the world to tell you now! I even brought you home presents!"
"Tell me stories! Did you visit Greece? And Rome? And is Italy as beautiful as everyone says? And do the French really not shave? And what about American hamburgers? Is everyone fat there?"
Laughing Sayuri pulled her little sister back off of her. " I shall tell you all about the world once I get settled in." Looking up to the front door the familiar faces of the servants who serves her faimly welcomed her in. The second car with her luggage and Kiku pulled up shortly after and she went with her bags up to her room. The right wing of the fourth floor was her own personal wing with her sister's rooms in the left wing of the same floor. From the looks of things no one had done more than dusted in all of her time gone. Her canopied bed was still made to perfection in it's ivory sheets. Famous art pieces from all over the world hung on the walls and plush earth toned carpet cushioned her every step.
Throwing herself down on her bed she allowed herself a small smile. If Michiko was so happy to see her things would be okay. Michiko was surely one of the most important people to her and she would do everythnig she could to protect her now that she was home. Not that she seemed to need protection.
As the last of her baggage was carried in Kiku came to her door as well. "Your father would like to see you now." The lack of a smile told Sayuri Kiku's opinions of her father hadn't changed either.
"Alright. Can you send someone up to carry the gifts for him down with me?"
"Of course."
Straightening her clothes and fixing her hair in the mirror she glared into the eyes of her reflection. Strange green eyes stared back at her. It was all the fault of her eyes that she was even in this mess in the first place. These strange eyes that made her stand out. She'd have to be sure to get brown contacts before school started to keep them from showing.
A polite knock at her door told her someone had come to carry her bags for her. Motioning to the large suitcase near the door she strided out of the room, expecting him to follow. Down on the second floor in the very back of the house was her father's office. If he wanted to meet with someone he always did it there. Her father's personal servant was waiting at the door and opened it for her as she approached.
Sitting behind his large ornate wooden desk was her father, hands folded together, elbows resting on his desk. The past two years had added a bit of silver at his temples but not too much to make him seem old instead of distinguished. Cold brown eyes set in an emotionless face let nothing of his thoughts show. She entered his office and curtsied to him until the door closed behind her.
"Hello, father." When he refused to say anything in greeting to her she continued, resisting the urge to rub her arm. "I've brought you many gifts from across the globe. The finest of sweets that could stand the plane ride, a new watch from a collection not coming out for months, the latest news on many over seas companies that would benifit us as well as invitations to the homes of many great and powerful people in many other countries. They're all hoping for you to come visit sometime to disucuss business deals that I believe you will find most agreeable." As she named off each thing the servant pulled them out and presented them to her father.
For another long minute he just sat there, staring at her. Finally he picked up the first in a stack of inviations. The smallest widdening of his eyes was enough to tell her she had done well. That first was from the Queen of England herself, inviting him to come view a horse race with her next season. "Well, maybe you aren't the failure you used to be." Knowing better than to respond Sayuri kept a polite smile on her face until he spoke again. "You start at Ouran Academy in two days time."
"Ouran? But father, I thought we agree on St. Lobelia's? Isn't that where mother went? And there I can-"
"I don't care what you want." His cold words shot an arrow through her heart. He was going to crush her dreams like nothing. Like the promise he made her a year ago was nothing but words.
Forcing her rising temper down she put a smile back on. "Of course, father. Forgive me for questioning you. But can I inquire as to why Ouran is a better choice for me?"
Silence. She hated when he used silence to make her squirm. "If you are to find a husband you must attend a school with a male population. At St. Lobelia's I'd have to arrange a marriage for you and I was under the impression you wanted to choose your own husband." He got her. So it was the school of her dreams or the rest of her life with someone. Great.
"Of course, father. I'm sorry. I should've understood that long before."
"Yes you should have. Now leave. Uniforms will be here tomorrow for you."
With a bow she excused herself from his presence. As soon as she was back in the saftey of her own room she finally allowed herself to express the anger she felt. Picking up a picture of her as a child she threw it against the wall and watched as it shattered. "Damn him!" Even years later he was still making her life as difficult as possible. More pictures were thrown until she just wanted cry over the injustice of it all.
A hesitant knock at her door preceded Michiko opening the door and barely poking her head in. "Are you okay sister?"
Breath. Deep breath. "Of course, Chiko. Come here, I have presents for you." For the rest of the night she told her sister stories of everyplace she had travelled and gave her gift after gift from each corner of the world. They spoke until they fell asleep together in her bed.
