Chapter 3

"Count, why won't you tell us what's going on?" asked T-Chan in annoyance. "It's like this madam butterfly ferret girl is carrying you away like a siren. If you don't tell me, or let me eat her, I'm going to ignore you and eat her anyway."

The Count sighed as he looked through his closet desperately for the proper outfit to wear to the banquet. "T-Chan, this isn't the time," he said exasperated. "I'll tell you when the time comes. In the meantime, I must look well for Mr. Yamato's banquet and I just don't have anything worthy enough for such an occasion!"

T-Chan growled with an angry glow in his eyes. He grabbed the Count's wrist and looked him straight into his duel eyes. "D, I'm your friend. I know something's wrong here. You've been to events much better than some stupid banquet. You've feasted with gods, Count! If anything, they aren't worthy of what you have to offer. So why are you acting like you're trying to impress them and win over Koruna's heart?"

D sighed. "I can't tell you, T-Chan," he persisted. "Believe me, if I could, I would. You'll know in time, but I just can't tell you now! It breaks my heart to have to hold the truth from you – from all of you. But, that just shows you how important this secret is."

T-Chan's eyes were fierce. "If you were any other, I would make dessert out of you."

D's eyes were filled with sorrow as he watched the angry man-eater stomp out of his room. At last, the Count selected a brightly colored Japanese kimono with lines of gold woven throughout the cloth. He sighed. Kimonos, despite their beauty and elegance, were heavy and troublesome to wear for a whole evening.

While he was dressing, D heard the bell to the shop ring. "Mr. Detective, is that you?" he called out. "I hope you're not wearing those silly clothes of yours. This banquet has a strict dress code."

"One that doesn't involve you in a dress?" the detective called back.

D sighed. "Is Jill with you?"

"Yep. Your woman's here too."

The Count rolled his eyes. "She is no more my 'woman' than you are 'my' detective, Orcot-san."

Leon groaned at the mention of that name. "Look, she's out here, are you ready yet?"

Count D came walking into the front room, proudly wearing his kimono, his chin held high. "What do you think?" he asked, giving a little spin to display all the colors. The detective, Jill and Chris clapped and made cat calls, Koruna scoffed and Leon began laughing uncontrollably, only to be viciously elbowed by an embarrassed Jill.

"D, you look ridiculous, but we're pressed for time if we don't want to be late." Leon rubbed his hand through his hair. "Whose car are we taking?"

Koruna shot the three an angry look. "D and I are arriving in my limo. You three can hitch-hike for all I care."

T-Chan growled loudly at the Count's feet. "She'd make an excellent stew," he muttered through wet teeth. "Please, D it'll only take an hour."

D patted the tetsu gently on his back. "Now, now, none of that."

"You best control your animals before we wed, Count, or you won't be allowed to keep them after our wedding night." Koruna hissed wickedly.

Duel eyes turned sharply to her, a threatening gleam in their normally calm demeanor. Viciously, D opened his mouth to protest until he saw Koruna's almond eyes spread into a smile. "Don't worry, T-Chan won't harm you without cause or permission. He may not be tame, but he isn't stupid." D smiled and wrapped his cloak around his shoulders. "Are we leaving then?"

The black limo parked up by the red carpet before the banquet. Like any proper gentleman, D stepped out and assisted the prude princess out of the limo. Instantly, Mr. Yamato came to greet the two, his arms wide open. He wore a big smile on his face that only caused the Count's heart to sink deeper into woe. If only the Prime Minister knew that Koruna was an imposter, but how would the Count tell him? He couldn't just tell the man that his daughter was really a ferret with some mysterious plan up her sleeve. He'd lose the shop for sure and he wouldn't have had to say no to the offer of marriage.

"Koruna, you shine like the very stars you were born under." Koruna smiled and kissed the minister's cheeks. "And Count, I can't say that kimono looks any less than stunning."

"Why thank you, Sire."

"Well, almost all my guests are here," continued the minister, beaming a proud smile. "In a moment we'll announce the dinner and then the dancing will start. For now, enjoy yourselves."

Koruna put her arm around D's and smiled up at him. Her twinkling eyes were full of mock sincerity. "Oh, Count, would you please take me to the terrace? I do long to see the view."

Count D like he was about to throw up. This wasn't normal for ferrets, especially a clan as honorable as Korunas. What did she have in plan for this behavior? Why was she targeting D? What was her clan thinking of this? Did they support her act? All these questions and more were pleading to be asked, but D feared what would happen were he to actually inquire.

"Your pets are awfully rude," Koruna snapped. "After we are married, I want all those dangerous creatures gone or in a cage."

"What I do with my pets is non-negotiable," D growled. "Perhaps you would be able to get along with them were you more respectful. Orcot can't even hear what they say and yet he respects them."

"Don't argue with me, Count," she spat. "Your pets are dangerous, and I know it. The whole world does. I will not spend the rest of my life married to a man who lives with dangerous creatures."

"My pets are not dangerous," said D through gritted teeth. "I don't know what sort of plan you have cooked up, but mind you that I will do all that is in my power to see you fail. My dealings with the pets in my shop are run by me and only me. All disagreements are non-negotiable."

Koruna's eyes flared with angry rage. She looked off at the view of the city. "Humans live so filthy," she said. D felt he couldn't disagree with her on that part. "They're so annoying too. Always getting into the business of others, believing that they have the power over us, and we have no say. You have no idea what it's like not having a place that I can truly call home. You don't know the fear one day being found by a someone who will put you in a cage for the rest of your life. You've never experienced the hurt of losing a loved one to human slaughter. You're human…..and you'll never understand what we go through."

"Perhaps you're right," said D. He let out a sigh, remembering his oath. He was there to ensure the rights of animals. His kind had been slaughtered to near extinction by humans. D and his family were all that were left. Since his youth, he had followed his oath to protect all animals and destroy the humans. Of course, it wouldn't be wise to tell her what he was. Word might get out and then he'd be in trouble. And not just with other people…..his father might get involved. D shuddered. He was backed into a corner and at the mercy of some teenage princess rodent.

Rodents always were a pest to deal with. It was in their nature. But she was treating him like a human, and D didn't like it when animals didn't recognize him for what he really was.

"Yo, Count, what're you doing out here? We're about to have dinner." D turned to see the detective looking ever-so very handsome in his tuxedo. "I hear that the dessert's made by a special waiter just for your sake."

The Count couldn't take his emotions anymore. Like an idiot, he ran weeping into the detective's shoulder. "Orcot-San, I can't do this anymore. I'm so lost, my own animals won't even back me up. I feel so alone. What am I ever going to do?"

Leon, not being the best man fit to deal with such a situation, did the only thing he thought he could. He rubbed the Count's back. "D, are you ever going to tell me what's going on?" he asked. "Is it that princess? If it is, tell me the whole story and maybe I can fix this."

The Count's sobs became small sniffles as he backed away from Leon like he had tripped or something. "I can't tell you," he said. Leon rolled his eyes. "I mean it, Orcot-San. I really can't tell you. I wish I could, but I can't tell anyone but –" D's duel eyes lit like fire crackers. "Leon, you have a car. I need a favor."

Orcot gave a thumbs-up. "Anything I can do within the law."

"We'll talk about it later." Said the Count as he adjusted himself and smiled. His smile wasn't fake, and it wasn't like all those smiles he had seen in the past. This smile was genuine and seemed like a relief.

In the dining hall, exotic foods from all over were presented before the guests. Delectable dishes steamed their scent through the air. Tender steaks and juicy turkey, the finest caviar and boiling pots of thick, chunky stew were served onto the table. Leon's one-tracked mind was brewing with hunger and ready to devour everything in sight. Jill was helping Chris cut his steak while Koruna nibbled on bits of caviar and mushroom stew.

Mr. Yamato looked over to a rather lost Count D and winked. "Don't worry, Count," he said cheerfully. "The guests don't know it, but it's all vegetarian. I found these recopies outside a prison here and decided to use them as my menu for this evening. Go ahead, it's all for you."

D smiled at Mr. Yamato and wondered if his real daughter was this polite. If she was, then perhaps it wouldn't be such a difficult decision. He looked over to the false Koruna who merely nodded at him. There was only one conclusion that he could draw from all of these ridiculous actions. The world had gone mad.

Leon and Jill were at the other end of the table talking to a pair of Asian guests. At one point, the detective pointed to the Count. Clearly they were discussing him, but D didn't seem to care. At the current state in time, D was simply waiting patiently for dessert while he delicately picked at a small dish of potatoes.

The dessert was even more exquisite than the meal. Strawberry cakes and chocolate tarts with lemon bars and English Earl Grey tea. The Count nearly fainted with all the succulent foods around him. The food tasted so divine as it cascaded down his pallet that D was brought to tears. He felt it only proper to pray to the gods in thanks for whatever he had done to deserve such good karma, but he was too busy eating dessert and drinking tea.

After a time, the guests had stopped eating and the conversation grew rather loud. Mr. Yamato stood and tapped his glass with his fork. "My friends and honored guests, may we all adjourn to the ballroom where my daughter has her first real dance with her husband-to-be?" The people clapped. D's stomach suddenly felt very heavy and he leaned over to Yamato in confusion. "Sire," he whispered, "I do not wish to embarrass you, but I have made no promises to be your daughter's husband." Yamato's eyes glared at D as though they were ready to eat him.

"By that you mean?" D knew that he was referring to the contract.

The Count smiled. "Well, you must understand, Sir that this kimono is twelve layers. It's made for special events, but not for dancing."

"Nonsense!" Mr. Yamato laughed. "If that's all you fear, then fear not! My family makes fine kimonos, and has done so for centuries. A twelve-layer is just as fine to dance in as any other, as long as ballroom dancing is all you wish to do." Yamato winked. What was with his constant winking? It was becoming rather bothersome.

Count D let out a sigh of annoyance. He reluctantly bowed and held his hand to Koruna. "My dear, Lady Koruna, would you honor me with a dance?" The princess took his hand and he led her to the ballroom.

Jill stared after them. "Isn't it sweet?" she swooned. Leon grunted. "Leon? Aren't you going to ask me to dance?"

Leon's mind was still occupied with what had happened on the terrace. He had never seen the Count so afraid. Even when that vampire was around, D's fear wasn't wholly sincere. But when he fell into Leon's shoulder before, he was trembling in fear. Whatever business the Count was buried under wasn't good. This man had connections with the mayor, the mafia, and many other powerful people yet this Yamato princess seemed to have him tied up in a dangerous jam.

"Ow! Leon, that was my foot," Jill scorned while they danced. Leon still wasn't fully focusing. "Look, Leon, I know you're thinking about the Count so let me put your mind at ease. He wants you to meet him at the shop tomorrow morning around five. I know you usually don't wake up until twelve now, so I won't go home with you tonight." She winked. "But that doesn't mean I'll never come back." Jill left a kiss on his neck before excusing herself to the washroom to rest her now blistering feet. As cute and charming as Leon was, he couldn't dance for a can of old beans.

Koruna and the Count were practically flying across the dance floor. The princess looked ethereal, and the Count was very dashing, much to Leon's amazement, seeing as he was wearing a dress. Even Chris was dancing with a young lady. The girl seemed about his age and they were smiling and laughing together. She was Asian, wore her hair in a bun and a decorative kimono. What was it with all the kimonos? Hadn't anyone noticed the weather outside?

Leon groaned when Jill came back and took his hands. "We don't have to dance anymore, do we?" he asked. Jill giggled and led him to the terrace.

"Look, Leon," she said, "It's a new moon."

"Do you know if the Count's really going through with this?" Leon asked, still distracted by the previous conversation with the Count. "I know for a fact that he doesn't love this girl."

Jill sighed, frustrated. "Well, Leon," she began, "To be completely honest, I'm surprised myself about this whole engagement. But I support D, and this is his choice."

Leon lit a cigarette, much to Jill's annoyance. "I'm not too sure it is his choice," he said. "When I spoke to him, he was terrified. And he keeps saying he's looking for another way. And more so, she doesn't like his animals. And D would NEVER willingly marry someone who didn't like his animals."

Jill shrugged. "Maybe he feels obligated to please the Prime Minister of Japan," Jill suggested. "You don't think it's blackmail, do you?"

Leon nodded. "Actually, I do," he stated. "Look, Jill, she's rude, she hates him, he hates her, she doesn't like sweets, she eats meat, disrespects me, hates his pets and to top it all off she doesn't even like Buda. Isn't that just a little bit odd?"

Jill nodded. It was awfully strange to see the Count marry a dame who had no respect for him or what he cared for. Though he didn't think Leon was in the ballpark about her dislike towards Leon, she heard his point loud and clear. "I know exactly how to deal with this then, Leon," she said. "Remember? I've always been better with blackmail than you." She winked and went back into the ballroom where she greeted Mr. Yamato.

"Detective Jill, if I remember?" he asked with a smile. That smile was always happy. Jill never liked people who always smiled. It was always the happy ones who hid the worst secrets. But Jill was a smart detective and knew when to keep her mouth shut, unlike her gun-toting boyfriend whose motto was "Shoot first, ask questions later." She smiled and nodded to the prime minister and greeted him curtly. "Are you and the detective enjoying yourselves this evening?"

Jill nodded. "It's so nice seeing him wear something other than those ratty old jeans," she said. "And this whole wining and dining experience is more than a great change from hamburgers and a double feature on a Friday night."

"And the boy?"

Maybe Jill was wrong. The Prime Minister was sincere in his concerns. There was no need to suspect him of doing wrong. He wasn't trying to get information out of her if he remembered to be concerned for Chris. So why were the Count and Leon so suspicious of the engagement? And why was Mr. Yamato pressing for his daughter to marry a man she didn't love? "Chris is having a ball, if you'll pardon the pun. He seems to be enjoying a dance with that young lady over there. They seem to be getting along well."

Yamato's almond-shaped, Asian eyes peered over at the boy and his partner and grinned. "I see he has good taste," he said. "That's Yo-Ling, a Chinese debutant to a very ancient and powerful line of nobility."

Jill tilted her head. No wonder she was dressed so richly. "Wow. Well, it looks like they've hit it off nicely," she said. "Speaking of pairs, how's your daughter?"

Yamato's smile flipped to a frown as he stared at Jill with a confused look. "What do you mean?" He asked. "She told me that most of their courtship is spent with you and the other detective. She says that things are going well and she cares deeply for the Count. You did not know of this? She tells me that you are one of her friends."

Jill's brow twitched suspiciously. She had only ever received and perceived rude behavior from Koruna. "Of course, I know much of her happiness with the Count. I simply wondered what she thought about the engagement in the beginning. Didn't she have a lover of some sort?"

Yamato shook his head. "We've kept her untainted as the contract states. She is to be completely clean for the Count. Her lips can never be touched by another man. As a matter of fact, the Count is the only one we allow to kiss her hand. She has awaited the day she would meet the Count for some time now."

"Pardon my curiosity," Jill began, "but isn't it strange to have waited all these years for them to meet? Why not introduce them when they were younger?"

Yamato's hand drifted off to the side limply. "All a matter of timing and events, my dear, it took a great deal of effort to allow enough time for the Count to make his decision next week at the ball."

"Next week?" Jill was rather shocked. "I didn't know that. Well, I'll let you get back to your guests, while I attend to my date. It was nice talking to you though." And she had learned a lot from this little conversation. This little princess was playing her father and mistreating the Count. She was two-faced and cunning. That was a deadly combination.