Disclaimers on everything that I don't own.
Act II,
By Winterwing3000
"Riku! Come on! You promised to come with me!" Risa whined, tugging at her sister's sleeve.
It was the night before the masquerade ball at the Northern Kingdom, hosted by the Princes and Queens of the North. It would take them half a day of travel before they would arrive at there destination, so Risa proposed to head out before morning so that they could have the rest of the half day to prepare for the dance. However, at the last minute, Riku decided to not go and was already in her bed when her twin marched into her room uninvited, dressed up in a soft black velvet gown.
"Risa. It is one hour before midnight and you know that we have to pass the forest in order to reach the northern border, right? And forests mean monsters and I'm not wasting any of our coachmen just to get to some silly ball." Riku sighed.
"You promised. So please come? This one time?" the younger plead chocolate eyes wide and glassy.
Biting back another sigh, Riku reluctantly got out of her bed and went to get dressed…
Somehow, she felt that she would regret this decision of hers…
"THANK YOU!" Risa said, hugging her sister from the back.
And she already started to…
"Now, don't hurt that pretty head of yours next time, even though I am a knight in shining armor, I can't save you every time… no matter how cute you look." Dark teased the young maid, who blushed madly and hid her face with the laundry that she was holding in the wicker basket.
"DARK!" a female shrieked.
"I hear my mother calling, so I'll be going now…" with one last wink, the prince left, strolling down the hallway, to the throne room.
"You called, Mother dearest?" Dark smirked.
Queen Emiko sat at the head of the room, on the throne and there were two other seats on both of her sides, for the both of them. Dark was, by blood, the proper heir to the throne, however, he declined the offer since he declared that it would weigh him down and he would rather have Daisuke take the job for him. Daisuke however was restricted from the throne until he was eighteen, which wasn't till next year.
And… of course, Emiko would never let them have the throne unless they were married… speaking of which…
"Is today the day of the masquerade already?" Dark said, brightening considerably.
"Yes, it is brother." Daisuke said.
"Well, then, I say that we get ready. We'll be back at your beckon Mother!" Dark bowed dramatically and dragged his brother by the nape of his shirt.
"Dark! Remember, please, act responsibly and don't leave any broken hearts in your journey in finding your "maiden"!" the queen said right as the doors closed.
Emiko let out a small laugh at their antics before sobering. Eyes downcast, she remembered her late husband.
"Kosuke, are you happy that your sons would soon be married? Please watch over Dark… he is just as reckless as I… unlike Daisuke. I'm sure that he is very much like you… but just… watch over them…"
"Invitation please, Madams." A servant asked politely, outstretched hand waiting for the white slips of parchment. The two princesses handed him their notes and was given permission rather graciously into the castle.
Risa and Riku had dressed up in gowns and masks, hair done up in the latest fashion and a brooch fastened to their breast. Risa gave a small giggle and hid her smile behind her fan.
Risa had dressed up in a teal gown with white trimmings and frills. Her brooch was a large pearl rose with dark green gemstones as leaves. Her sleeves were cuffed as was her neckline, with white lace and around her right hand was her red fan, decorated with small butterflies. She wore glass slippers and fishnet gloves. Her mahogany hair was twisted into two knots laced with pink ribbons and a few flowered clips. Her mask was a simple diamond studded bird mask with a few blue feathers prodding out of the sides of her eyes.
Riku donned a mica gown with soft red trimmings. There weren't any trimmings or frills, but the cuffs on her sleeves made her hands look elegant. A crimson sash was tied around her waist and flowed down to the floor like milk. Her hands were empty, other than the simple blue fan strung onto her wrist and her brooch was a large sapphire raindrop. She wore glass slippers on her feet as well. On her face was a turquoise mask with two white feathers on the right side of her face. Her caramel hair was weaved into a high bun with wisps framing her face and the back of her neck
People all around them were dressed in a similar fashion, though with their masks on, it made it difficult to distinguish exactly who was who. However, some could tell by their way of dress or their hair tone. But, other than that, it was impossible to spot their friend, Princess Ritsuko.
Riku shifted her gaze to the dance floor as the music changed. The violins and harps began the waltz melody and many couples entered the dance floor. Her eyes turned once more, from the dance gallery to the young man approaching her sister.
He was dressed in a pair of white pants and black tailed shirt. His red hair, which made his mask, was starch white, like snow. There was also a sword by his side, and a cape, which meant that he was of an upper class. He had a pleasant and gentle air around him and obviously had manners. The eyes behind his mask were red, bright ruby red with a luster. Clearing his throat, he asked with a hand towards Risa, "May I have this dance, milady?"
Riku felt her sister tense but then shyly took the hand. "It would be my pleasure, sir. However… my sister…" Risa trailed off, looking at her twin hesitantly, not wanting to leave Riku alone.
"Oh, my deepest apologies, fair lady… perhaps you would like to dance with me the next?" he asked apologetically, just noticing her presence and underneath his mask, turned slightly red.
Riku gave him a small smile and curtseyed, remembering her manners. "Thank you kind sir, but I would like to get some fresh air… if you may excuse me…"
The noble nodded and Risa gave her a tentative smile. Riku then took her leave, weaving her way through the many crowds and chatting couples. Reaching the glass windows, she pushed aside the red drapes and opened the doors, stepping outside into the night.
The cool summer night welcomed her with twinkling stars and echoes of water. The full moon outside was shining down on the large garden, giving the freshly watered flowers a glow.
The scent of roses and dirt reached her nostrils and Riku inhaled deeply, enjoying the change of scenery. At home, roses were rare and lilies were everywhere. It seemed that the roses couldn't be fertilized and withstand the sweltering heat and mucky swamp-like habitats nearby the Southern Castle, whereas the Northern lands were in a steady climate of rain and dryness.
Walking out to the rail, she leaned forward with her hands on the cool metal and savored the feeling of the summer breeze. Sighing, she propped her chin with her left hand and stared up into the sky.
"Do you not enjoy the dance, fair lady?" a masculine voice asked from behind her, filled with suaveness and charm.
Abruptly, she smoothed down her slightly wrinkled gown and turned around to face her addresser. In her mind, she gasped at the sight.
The man was taller than her with violent purple hair that gleamed in the moonlight. He was dressed all in black with silver lining. A sword rested by his hip and his hands were covered in ebony gloves. He wore a black masks with a visible smirk growing at the corners of his mouth. The eyes were what had taken her breath away…
They were purple, lighter than his hair, but had a light shade of red in them. They were twinkling with mischief and curiosity. Snapping back to reality, Riku flushed unconsciously and replied with a firm tone.
"No, the dance is wonderful. I'm just taking in some air… and you sir?"
He chuckled heartedly. "No need to get defensive milady. I'm merely wondering why such a beautiful woman like you have yet to be asked to a single dance by the many nobles who have gathered here tonight."
"Well, I suppose that I am not as beautiful as you say sir." Riku said, eyes slightly narrowing. So… this male was trying to charm her into dancing with him…
"I daresay, that you are wrongly informed. Perhaps, they have poor observation skills." The stranger said with a grin.
"Sir, if you would please allow me to enjoy the fresh air, then leave." She said, not liking the way he was trying to get his way with her.
"… If I had offended my lady in any way, do forgive me. I was only offering you a dance. Whether you refuse or accept, you will not be leaving this kingdom without at least one dance with moi, mademoiselle." He said flashing her a set of pearly whites, holding out a gloved hand for her to take.
Undecided, Riku stared at the hand then at the face, which demeanor changed dramatically. No longer was he smirking or grinning at her, but looking at her with dark intense eyes and a solemn face.
It would be rude of her not to accept but… would she really dance with a man who acted like a free-lance bachelor who drew girls in with his charms and then… most likely drop them the very next day or second?
"Milady?" he asked again, this time, somewhat… pleadingly?
Biting her lower lip, Riku slipped her hand into his larger one and gave a small curtsey with a swish of her dress. He returned her manner with a bow and pulled her in gently, lacing his fingers with hers and wrapped his other hand around her slim waist.
Riku kept her distance, body pulled as far from his as possible. Her eyes were concentrated directly at the red curtains behind him and then to the swaying pairs. The romantic music flowed from inside and lingered on the outside, filling the tense atmosphere with peace and serenity.
Riku closed her eyes and allowed herself to be lost in the music, letting the stranger lead their dance. She closed her eyes, not feeling the strong arms around her waist, slowly pulling her into his own body as they circled the balcony. She did not feel him lower his head close to hers until she felt his cool breath against her face.
Immediately, her eyes snapped open, stunned brown ones staring straight into the dancing purple. His face drew closer to hers, breath tingling on her parted mouth.
Caught in a trance, she felt her heart beat faster; face starting to heat up and something warm building up in her stomach. Without even blinking, Riku could barely digest what was happening once she felt his lips crash down onto hers. Their masks glanced off each other slightly and their hair collided with each other, mixing luster violet with crimson wine.
In a distance, she heard the music stop and the great tower's bells chime, twelve times. Behind her, she felt something being tugged at and her feathered mask slipping off from her face. Finally realizing what the man was doing, Riku pushed against him and slapped him with her right hand.
The man's face turned to the side from the force of the blow and his own mask fell down to the bridge of his nose, revealing to her the entrancing orbs that had captured her breath. Picking up her skirt and peeling her mask from her face, she fled into the darkness of the night.
AN: Thank you for your support! And I know that er, some of the characters a bit out of character. Since I haven't read the whole series and watched only three episodes of the show, I didn't quite grasp the whole character analysis. All I know is that, Dark's a big flirt, Risa's a worrywart about class and social ranking and crushing on Dark, Riku's a real spit fire and tomboy, Daisuke is really nice and shy and likes Risa (but got rejected)…
If you have any friendly advice or comments or concerns or questions about this story, please let me know! Thanks! And review!
Ivory Nightshade: Thank you for the praise! And I hope that this will turn out, as I wanted to, without any of my crazy twists or sharp turns in things that always ends up screwing the fiction up. And if I'm about to cause something … weird to happen, do remind me!
Peeps: Thank you! Though, I'm not sure it is THAT good! You should check out Lady Lithe's DN Angel fics! They're really wonderful and cool! And quick updates will occur once July comes! Because I'll be having my summer vacation then!
Rachel: thank you! And I won't be stopping this story! I'm having so much fun writing it!
Ella Hiwatari: Thanks and review soon!
Osparrow: Thank you very much! And for the compliment as well! I'm usually horrible at grammar and have a lot of mistakes all over the place, so I'm going to re-edit the whole story once I finish to correct anything I need to. And even though I don't really support SLASH myself, I am tempted to write one, though not for this anime. I was thinking more of Digimon Season 2. Taichi and Yamato make a very good pairing!
Moonjava: Moon! Yay, you reviewed! –huggies-. Thank you so much!