'You may now kiss the bride…' said a pastor to me with a grin

Castles in the Air

Every cloud has a silver lining

Title: Castles in the Air

Author: Kanata Saionji.

Genre: Romance/ Fantasy/ Family

Story Line: Is it possible for love to sprout after you get married? And what if your partner for life is a completely different personality with dreams of their own? What if all this happens in Royalty? What if a deadline is given for your dreams? What if…? What if…? Why don't we play this "What if?" game with our most favorite pair—Kanata Saionji and Miyu Kouzuki—in this fantasy filled adventure set in the 12th century?

Disclaimer: The Author does not own the characters. Everything is the sole property of whomsoever it was created by. However the story, in the general version, belongs to the Author. Tezuka Kunimitsu is the sole property of Takeshi who created him for the amazing story on Tennis prodigy—The Prince of Tennis.

Author's words: Enjoy the story to its extreme and please, the readers can make any sort of comment. Anonymous reviews are welcomed.

Story…

'You may now kiss the bride…' said a pastor to me with a grin. I've never been more embarrassed in my whole life. What is this custom anyway? I stole a glance and saw the blonde standing next to me. She had her eyes tight shut. I feared that she might just slap me if I got any closer to her. Mizuki gave me a nudge and I turned to face her.

'Huh-Hm,' I coughed, clearing my throat; what of I had no idea. I didn't even try to look into her face. I thought may be by some miracle, the ground of the church would open up and swallow me. I cursed my dad. After all he said that he was going to preach Buddhism and now he made me get married the Christian way.

I sighed and took a step forward. Probably sensing my presence, her eyes popped open and I peered into my favorite color of all times—emerald. But that was the moment I started hating it. Because of the way she looked at me, a look I've never received in my entire life—a look that clearly said that I had no right to get closer.

As I extended my hand to try to get a balance by way of getting hold of her shoulder, she shuddered. I decided against touching her. I looked over my shoulder and saw Mikan and dad's energetic faces. I guessed that the entire hall was holding its breath.

I took a deep one and closed my eyes tight and leaned a little forward—man… I never thought I was this bold. Anyway, as soon as I did that, I heard a shuffling and opened my eyes to see her staggering. I tried to catch her but before I even had any chance she fell and her mother, being right by her, came to her rescue.

She had fainted. Obvious. I leaned back a little sighing and there I was falling… falling? Hey! I'm actually falling on my back! Ah…

'AHHHHHH……' shouted a brunette as he fell on his back from a chair propped next to a study table. Papers were spread all across the table but they were crinkled probably because of the fact he was asleep with his head over his arms which rested on the table. Now, however he was sprawled on the floor, documents and papers slowly falling on top of his head.

He was on top of his chair and his legs stood out at odd angles and his sleepy eyes were contorted in agony and pain. He muttered under his breath, 'great… lucky morning Kanata…'

Episode 6

The Internal Affairs Ministry

'I'm late…' muttered Miyu as she combed her hair in front of a large mirror. She got up and checked her dress. She was wearing a simple floral gown which reached up to her knees. Her hair was let down and was pulled back by a white hair-band. She pulled back a hair which was peeking out by her right ear. She smiled at her reflection and got a few books off the table and she opened to door.

'Hey…' muttered a disheveled Kanata, who was just about to open the door from the other side. Miyu got alarmed at his sudden appearance and took a step back. Then, realizing that it was just Kanata, she peered at him closely and saw that his hair was standing at odd angles and his robe was torn at certain places. She stuffed a giggle. Kanata blushed a little.

'What's so funny?' he asked embarrassed.

'You, of course…' she said grinning, 'what have you been doing?'

'Very funny…' he said coldly, 'but unlike someone, I have to give up my bed to sleep in a rock solid able…'

'But the last time I checked, it was wooden,' said Miyu thoughtfully. But that earned a death glare from Kanata. Seeing that she said at once, 'just kidding… go get dressed properly or Mikan will be in a tantrum…'

'Where are you going?' asked Kanata as she walked by him and turned to sprint through the left corridor.

'To Kunimitsu-san's… it's my first day as intern after all…' she said cheerfully and ran away through the corridor. Kanata looked at her dumb-struck and after she was way out of earshot, muttered under his breath, extending his hand pointing at the right corridor, 'but isn't Tezuka's office that way…?'

Fifteen minutes later…

'Ahhhhhhh!!' wailed Miyu, as she stood in the middle of a deserted corridor, looking perplexed.

She looked both ways frantically and after a few more minutes' pause shouted, 'I'm LOST!!'

She broke down crying in vain and hoped that nobody shall pass by her in such a devastating state, especially Kanata. But one part of her hope lasted as a person did come, but it wasn't Kanata.

'Who is it?'

First the voice of a warm male echoed through the empty corridor. Miyu looked up and stood up just in time to see a blonde of nearly seventeen coming from one end of the corridor. He had bushy blonde hair and azure blue eyes. His azure eyes, framed behind rectangular spectacles, gleamed in curiosity. At the sight of Miyu, he jumped and bowed at once much to Miyu's embarrassment.

'Your Highness…!' he chirped, 'I shouldn't have walked through…'

'What are you saying?' asked Miyu with a raised eyebrow and walking closer shaking her head, 'I'm just an apprentice to Mr. Kunimitsu-san…'

'That's impossible!' piped the blonde, 'I saw your Highness at the church getting married to Kanata!'

'Yeah…' started Miyu looking away disgruntled when something in his statement struck her. She said, 'Hey! Wait a minute! You called me "Your Highness" but you called him by his name… how come?'

'Well…' said the blonde, 'He always insists on calling him by his first name… it's something of a rule here…'

He gave a smart laugh that caught Miyu at once. She smiled and said, 'if that's the case, everybody should call me by my first name as well…'

The blonde raised his eyebrows and said with a small smile, 'for that I should first know your name…'

Miyu smiled and replied, 'Miyu… and you?'

She extended her hand. The blonde took it and said with a smile and his eyes closed, 'Nozomu… Nozomu Hikarigaoka… at your service'

After a few seconds Miyu said, 'I have to go now… I'm already late…'

'Did you say Kunimitsu-san?' asked Nozomu suddenly.

'Yeah… why?' asked Miyu turning around.

'Well… I think his office is outside the castle, in the backyard of it…' said Nozomu thoughtfully.

'What?' asked Miyu dumb-struck.

'Didn't you know?' he asked curiously, 'if you had taken the right from Kanata's bedroom, you would've reached it in minutes… who pointed you this way anyway?'

'Apparently no one did…' said Miyu cursing Kanata for keeping silent when she had started sprinting the wrong way.

Nozomu smiled at her and said, 'why don't I show you a short cut there?'

'A short cut?' asked Miyu, curiously.

'Yeah… Kanata showed it to me the other day…' he said and added, 'and anyway, if you're any later on your first day, Kunimitsu-san will definitely be ticked even if you're the king… He just hates it when people don't follow the rules…'

Miyu gulped. She hadn't heard that about Tezuka Kunimitsu. All she had heard about him was that he was presently twenty years old and had competed against Mikan Yamamura for the post of Chief Minister in the Arts and Literature Ministry. But on failing, he refused to take up a post below Mikan. So, pitying him, Hosho Saionji had given him the post of Chief Minister in the only ministry where no one worked or even took the exams to enter it—the Internal Affairs Ministry. When Miyu had heard that, she had wondered many times as to why no one wanted to be the minister of Internal Affairs Ministry. She thought it was a good idea to take care of the internal problems of the country.

'Miyu, are you feeling ok?' asked Nozomu waking Miyu up from her thoughts.

'Yeah…' said Miyu at once, 'where is this short-cut anyway?'

'Right this way…' said Nozomu and he started walking to the end of the corridor. Miyu followed without a sound. As they reached the end of the corridor, Miyu motioned to turn towards the next corridor but stopped as she saw Nozomu stop. He turned to a massive portrait of a beautiful brunette lady wearing long azure blue dress and a small baby boy, also with brunette hair, on her lap. Both were smiling happily. Miyu recognized the baby boy at once. That bushy and straight brunette hair and his auburn eyes were too much for Miyu to miss.

'That's Kanata isn't it?' asked Miyu thoughtfully.

'OF course…' said Nozomu moving his right hand along the dress that Kanata was wearing in the portrait. He was wearing dark blue robes and a brooch shaped like wings was seen on his tiny shoulder.

'So, that's Kanata's mother?' asked Miyu but instead of a reply, as Nozomu touched the brooch on the portrait, the portrait opened up inward revealing a dark pathway. Miyu jumped at once.

'Wow… this is the short cut…?' asked Miyu.

'Of course…' was Nozomu's reply, again. He was smiling smugly at the pathway. He turned to Miyu and started, 'it will take you nearly fifteen minutes to come out of the path and as soon as you see a thin ray of light, don't run… walk and you'll come out into a garden… actually the backyard of the palace… anyway, turn to your right… you'll see a building—that's the Internal Affairs Ministry'.

Miyu smiled cheerfully and hugged Nozomu. Nozomu blushed at once. He started stuttering something but Miyu was too preoccupied to notice.

'Thanks a lot Nozomu!!' she exclaimed letting him go.

'Any—any time…' he stammered, still red around his cheeks.

Miyu smiled widely and disappeared into the pathway leaving Nozomu speechless. He felt really warm and after a small shake of his head started walking away with a small smile adoring his lips and tiny red spots on his cheeks.

'How much longer do I have to run like this?' Miyu asked herself after nearly ten minutes of running into the pathway. The pathway was completely dark and Miyu had to stop at unordinary places and touch the wall around her to make sure she wasn't going the wrong way, again. After a few more seconds, a tiny ray of light appeared at the end of the pathway and Miyu started to slow down.

She emerged out of the pathway and was surprised to find a Sakura tree glaring back at her. She reached to it and looked up. It wasn't the blooming season so all the leaves looked green and warm. The tree reminded so much of her home. She smiled to herself at the thought of her home and turned to her right and her jaw dropped at the sight of The Internal Affairs Ministry.

She ran to it in a wide sprint and was in disbelief even after looking at the sign at its entrance. The sign clearly hadn't been replaced for decades because it read:

'InTErnAl AfAAircE MYsTEryy'

'It's sure a mystery all right,' muttered Miyu, her head hung. She still couldn't believe what she was seeing. The ministry was completely cramped. Litter was probably the only decorative item that the ministry suited itself to. She was unable to believe that she had dreamed and dreamed of one day working at a ministry which was the general litter box of the entire castle—so much was the garbage that was littered everywhere in and outside of the battered old building. Not to mention that the building itself looked like it could fall and collapse anytime. Miyu took an involuntary step backward and turned to run away before tears could find their way out of her eyes when a mocking voice called behind her.

'Running away already loser?'

Miyu turned with fury and anger and was sure enough face to face with the only person who have till now been able to get her to her wits end, the King of the Saionji Kingdom—Kanata Saionji.

'You…' muttered Miyu and she found herself going red, not with embarrassment but with anger. She charged up to him and with her hands in her hips started shouting at him.

'How dare you!' she started, 'why didn't you tell me the right way to the ministry and ha! What a joke! How can anyone call this a ministry… a horse stable would be cleaner…'

'Actually I think you haven't seen Sandy's stable yet…' interrupted Kanata with a sincere look on his face, 'clean would be an understatement…'

'That's…' started Miyu but she was interrupted again as Kanata went on.

'But actually, this is more than you deserve…' he said, 'a loser doesn't deserve anything more than this… wouldn't you agree?'

'Are you being mean to me because I'm a woman or is it cause,' she paused and finished with a wide tint, 'I'm a woman?'

Kanata looked at her thoughtfully and replied after a few seconds, 'I think I'd go with the first one…'

'Kanata…' she started.

'Damn Kanata,' he said lightly with a raise of an eyebrow and a small smirk.

'You're such a Male chauvinist!' she exclaimed.

'What's all this noise?' A voice asked from behind Kanata.

Miyu looked over Kanata's shoulder while Kanata turned a little to see who it was. Kanata's face broke into a wider grin. Miyu gulped at the sight of her new teacher and mentor, the one and only—Tezuka Kunimitsu—the Chief Minister to the 'Internal Affairs Ministry' or maybe 'The InTErnAl AfAAircE MYsTEryy' as the board to the office reads.

Tezuka Kunimitsu was more than a shock to Miyu. Contrasting to the character of the building, he looked well there is no other word for it—cool. He had well kept bushy greenish hair and his eyes were giving her a cold look from behind his wired rimmed rectangular spectacles. She froze at his sight and wished she could just disappear. Kanata's constant sniggers didn't help her either.

'Who are you?'

That was the last thing that Miyu thought Kunimitsu would say. She looked up at him and started stuttering. She didn't know what to say. She was completely at sea. She looked at Kanata and was furious to see that he was trying very hard to stifle his laughs.

'Are you deaf?' asked Tezuka, this time more coldly.

Miyu finally found her voice. She didn't want to look like an idiot on her first day. 'I'm so sorry,' she exclaimed with a bow and said, standing up straight, 'My name is Miyu… Miyu Kouzuki… I'm here as your new intern…'

Tezuka gave her a calculating look and stole a glance at Kanata. Kanata reluctantly nodded and Tezuka, turning to Miyu, asked, 'aren't you Miyu Saionji?'

Kanata looked at Tezuka disbelievingly and so did Miyu. They both contained themselves for another second and Miyu said with a determined voice, 'I am sir… But the King wished that I should not get any preferential treatment so… so he asked me to continue with my maiden name till I finish my apprenticeship…'

'When did I say that?' asked Kanata and with the look that Miyu gave her changed at once to, 'I mean… of course…' he gave a hollow laugh and added, 'so shall we begin the opening ceremony with the other students as well…?'

Tezuka gave both a glare and preceded inside going, 'yes… we shall…'

Miyu sighed and followed Kanata and Tezuka into the decrepit old building. While they were walking through a dirty looking corridor, Miyu moved towards Kanata and whispered, 'what are you doing here?'

'I'm the king remember?' he ridiculed, 'I have to be here to present the three of you apprenticeship hood's certificate… and a formal identity…'

'Oh…' was all she managed to say. But something in his sentence caught her attention, 'what do you mean three?'

At that moment, they turned and entered a room. Miyu looked into the room and she found her answer. The room appeared like a class-room. It had four small chairs with benches at its front and one main chair with a long table, facing the other three chairs. Two of the three chairs were already occupied by two young ladies of not more than seventeen years. One had short purple hair and as she was standing to greet Kunimitsu, Miyu saw that she was really tall and looked a little athletic. The other was a charming girl with double plaited greenish-black hair. Both had a warm look about them that Miyu found it easy to smile back at them when they gave her a welcoming smile.

Miyu was standing beside Kanata up until now. Tezuka had been looking at her for a long time with a cold look in his eyes as though trying to get her to her proper seat without saying it. But Miyu was looking at the two girls that she didn't notice. Kanata gave her a small nudge at her shoulder with his. She looked at him and at Tezuka and slightly red got to her proper seat to the right of the girl with purple hair. Tezuka motioned them to sit down.

'Now that our little princess is here…' said Kunimitsu with a cold look directed at Miyu. Miyu moved uncomfortable in her chair much to Kanata's delight. Tezuka gave both a stern look and continued, 'well… let's get back where we started… all three of you introduce yourselves to Your Majesty…'

'Good Morning, your Highness…' started the one with greenish black hair, 'My name is Aya Konishi…

'Hey Aya!' said Kanata warmly, 'you're welcome to call me Kanata…'

'Of course, your Highness…' exclaimed Aya.

Kanata raised an eyebrow and Aya said at once with a small smile, 'Kanata…'

A small smile crossed Miyu's lips as she saw Kanata's lips forming a usual catch phrase that he usually uses with her when she utters his name. Miyu realized that he seemed to be using to a very fair few people—Mizuki and herself.

'Hey Kanata… It's Nanami Tenchi' said the other one.

'Nice to meet you Nanami…' said Kanata and all the four in the room turned to Miyu. Kanata muttered, 'and now the spoiled brat!'

Miyu gave him a death glare and got up. She realized that Tenchi and Konishi were looking at the two with a look of confusion. They hadn't expected the king to act all informal to strangers and all cold and heartless to his own wife.

'I'm Miyu Kouzuki…' said Miyu through gritted teeth. Kanata smirked.

'Kouzuki…' he said, 'may I know why you were late today?'

'I—I got lost…' she muttered, going red.

'Tezuka?' called Kanata invitingly, 'take over…'

Tezuka looked at Kanata for a moment and turned to Miyu and started.

'Lost, you say? And you call yourself the queen? Don't you even know that at every corridor of this kingdom there has been placed a map of the entire palace and its grounds? If you didn't even know that what kind of a ministry will you make? And you are the queen… you are a disgrace to this ministry… this might not be the best venue but a ministry shall always be a ministry let it be operated in a manor or just under a tree… '

Miyu was looking at her feet and her emerald eyes were starting to get blurred. She was controlling herself from breaking down and if this went on any longer, she'd sure to break down crying. She didn't want that to happen—especially in front of Kanata.

'You might be the Queen of this kingdom but when you decided to run for the ministry, you are just an apprentice under me and you should remember that when you run late to my class again…' Tezuka took a small breath ha and asked, 'did you get that?'

Miyu nodded and Kanata noticed a small drop of water (more specifically tear) fall on the dusty floor.

'Huh-Hm,' coughed Kanata before Tezuka opened his mouth to start, again. All the four in the room turned to look at him.

'I think we'd better get to the main ceremony… I'm a busy man Tezuka… I'm not here to listen to your lectures man… I get that more that enough already…' he said lazily. Tezuka understood and muttered, 'very well…'

After nearly fifteen minutes, during which all the three girls were given official permission to enter the palace and leave it without being searched brutally, Kanata turned to leave. Just then, he turned to Tezuka and asked, 'aren't you going to give her any punishment Tezuka?'

Tezuka leaned closer to Kanata and muttered in almost a whisper, 'will you be okay if I give her a punishment that'll make her fall asleep as soon as she's finished?'

'What's that supposed to mean?' asked Kanata crossly.

'Well…' started Tezuka with a small smirk.

'Shall I suggest a punishment?' asked Kanata realizing what he had meant.

'Go ahead…'

Miyu gulped. This sure isn't going to be good.

'This office of yours is a little dirty don't you think?' asked Kanata with a small smirk and a twitching eyebrow.

'Kanata…' started Miyu furiously.

'Damn Kanata,' muttered Kanata as he turned to leave the dirty old building.

It was late. He knew it was late. Of course he did. It was nearly ten. Yet he was still up on top of his bed going through parchment after parchment trying to read them all but he was just too sleepy. Mikan had asked him to go through sign a treaty that his father had left a little incomplete. The Treaty was directed towards the Sasaki Kingdom. As soon as his quill passed over those tow words, Kanata stopped—wide awake. He remembered something—more like someone. But before he could ponder, the door to the room opened and a strong smell of dirty water and sweat followed it. He looked up from his work to see a blonde walking towards him half-focused. But at the sight of the smug brunette on top of the bed, she was wide-awake.

'You…' she said accusingly pointing her index finger.

'What?'

'You make me want to kill you!' she exclaimed her emerald eyes burning with fury.

'You make me want to puke,' retorted Kanata, 'jeez… go take a bath first… or pour some of that water in the flower vase…'

He smirked and turned to his work wit ha small smirk and as he was just about to underline an incorrect statement, water came pouring down his head and on his papers and on his favorite quill. He looked up at the blonde who was now holding the flower vase, which he had moments ago asked her to pour on herself.

'Kanata, I did pour the water like you said…' she said innocently, 'I don't seem to smell anything different on me…'

'Why you…' started Kanata and ran after her. She ducked and turned and they were running around the bed. Miyu was up front trying to escape. Kanata was close behind her trying in vain to catch her. At one point, while she was at one side of the bed and he the other, with one swift move, he climbed on top of the bed and as she tried to run away from the bed, he caught her wrist just in time but with the two pushing either way, the two fell on each other and on the bed.

'Ow…' wailed Miyu. He massaged her head and opened her eyes only to stare into perplexed auburn ones. She turned a deep shade of magenta at once. She was on top of Kanata who was on the bed and their faces were inches away from touching. Miyu was only half-conscious as to what was happening. So was Kanata. He was as red as a freshly picked tomato. He couldn't move at all. Not even an inch. The closeness between the two was irrepressible but neither was able to move a muscle at the moment.

At that exact moment, the door to the room opened and a shrill voice erupted going, 'Kanata! Your Dad sent us a let—Oh my god! I'm sorry… I should've knocked…'

'Mikan!' shouted Kanata and unbelievably, the two split. Miyu sat down on the bed Japanese-style and Kanata was right behind Mikan, stuttering.

'Mikan… it's not what it seems...' he muttered desperately.

'Aww… you two are married… of course it is what it seems…' she said slyly, 'I should just be leaving…'

'Mikan…' called Kanata and ran after her, leaving the room and Miyu alone.

Minutes after they were gone, Miyu touched her cheeks slowly and felt them getting warmer by the minute. She turned red at the thought of what just happened. A small smile caressed her lips and she slopped into the bed. Well, after about a few minutes, she got up reluctantly for a long shower.

End Episode 6

Tune in for the next episode of

CASTLES IN THE AIR
Every cloud has a silver lining.

A/N: I forgot to upload a thought last time but this one's especially for you Akira Kijoyu, for noticing my stupid words at the end of the episodes.

"Swords can win territories

But not hearts.

Force can make heads bow

But not minds"