"There is a moment in your life when everything stops being about you and starts being about someone else. That person completes your existence – they are your other half. They are the one who keeps your world turning; when they are upset, your world stops.

"There is nothing that you can do to predict whom this person will be, or their effect on your life. All you can do is just drift on the waves of time, hoping that this one person who completes your existence decides to turn that responsibility into something that the two of you can share.

"You are powerless, Kaisei - simply powerless. Don't let anyone tell you that love is free. Love is a chain that binds you – be extremely careful to whom you chain yourself to."

xxxx

Seven Years Ago

The Glacial Palace, Central Celes

If beauty is fleeting, then the most beautiful things will disappear first. It's the natural order of the world. I've never met anyone who has survived this prediction.

The most beautiful things in life are the ones that leave you the fastest. Those things that you hold the most dearly, the people that let their light into your life? They're going to disappear. Once they're gone, you'll be fighting for each breath, hoping that you can claw your way back to some sort of sanity.

I choose never to hold on to anything. If I distance myself from everyone, then they will never see my pain. They won't have to feel my hurt.

These thoughts are my only friends. I lean against the wall of the carriage, our finest one that has those jade stones. Mother says that they match my eyes. Hopefully, this will help me in "snagging" my future wife - I can fornicate with some female in here and get her pregnant. Then, she'd have to marry me; she would be lucky that I wished to extend my hand to her. It was all that I could hope for. There was no way that anyone would choose me willingly.

I, the impenetrable block of stone. The one who always hides in his room instead of socializing with his peers, as his mother begs him to do. I would be the only one left standing when the rest of the world fell away. After all, that's what I've been taught to do. I am not the disappointment, the mistake.

I am not Kurogane.

Mother always tells me that I need to be more careful about what I say around him. Though this is true, I still doubt her truthfulness. He is her favored son – the only one that matters to her. It's not my fault that she was forced into a loveless marriage with a man like my father, and that I'm what came out of that. Is it my fault that she is unhappy, that she contemplates leaving this world every day?

No. I'm not the weak one. Kurogane is – he's too much like his mother. I have more of my father's personality, though I despise him almost as much as I do our mother. If I had the power, I would tear the throne right out of their fat, jeweled hands and make it my own. I have Rikuou, the next favorite to be the captain of the palace guard, right where I want him. If I bide my time and make the perfect moves to check my mother and father into a corner…

Perhaps then I will be free from the fate that binds me. Until then, my only hope is that I can find a bride who doesn't screw everything up for me.

"Your Highness, we've arrived at the palace." The driver calls.

I moan, wishing that tonight would already be over with. I am to attend some snot nosed Celestian brat's sixteenth birthday party. Needless to say, I am not excited.

"Tanaka, are you sure that you can't just…drop me off in some woods and come collect me when it's time to go home? Or let me happen by the nearest tavern – I'm sure that the locals would love the company of Nihon royalty, especially the brash, devilishly handsome kind."

I can hear the annoyance in my servant's voice when he replies back. "Your Highness, it's time to get out of the carriage."

Tanaka was no stranger to my scandalous habits. Though I was nowhere near old enough, he'd had to drag me out of the streets many times before, trying to babysit me while my parents remained ignorant of what their future king was getting into. The manservant was more of a parent to me than they had ever been, and I can say with absolute certainty that he does not like me. No one in the palace does.

Whether or not that's thanks to considerable effort on my part, I do not care to admit.

I slowly make my way out of the carriage, catching the brat's birthday present in my hands as it's thrown to me. "Make sure that this gets to him, Kaisei-sama. We don't want to insult His Highness on his birthday, do we?"

"I don't know, Tanaka. It might make for an interesting celebration if someone happens to step on Prince High-and-Mighty's toes."

The manservants scowls, flicking the reigns quickly so that he may get away from me that much faster. I turn once he is gone, afraid of looking as alone as I am in front of the others. I was the one who chose not to stay at the Glacial Palace given Nihon's proximity to Celes (and my own hatred of socializing with other people). I didn't arrive with grand caravans or floods of people. I brought myself, and this lousy birthday present – a far cry from what some of the other desperate princes and princesses of other realms were doing.

I've never shared their desperation for finding a match. I would like to live for a least a little while, and die peacefully. As a king, however, I'm not sure how much of that I am allowed.

I reach the gates, where several men with glowing, wheat-gold hair greet me. They are dressed in their finest, the cerulean blue and white colors of their country sparkling under the moonlight. I gave them my best, kingly smile and bowed, eliciting gasps from those who were lower than my station. It wasn't often that they had a prince bow to them.

"I am humbled that you would greet me at the door, gentlemen. May I ask the way to the ballroom? I wish to give my congratulations to your prince."

The men nod, great smiles spreading over their faces. "The princes, sir – Yuui-sama and Fai-sama are both turning sixteen today."

I'd forgotten that – luckily, it wasn't a huge error. Celes was closed about their affairs; besides, it was likely that they didn't want Nihon or any country knowing exactly who the ruling body was. I nodded, seeming very taken aback and bashful about what I had just said.

"I apologize! Fortunately, even though I have made such a grievous error, it seems as though I have gifts for both of them – my servants put me to shame." This brightens their faces, just as it was supposed to.

Compliments to others in their station didn't come very often from those outside of Celes; it also boasted much about your character if you didn't beat your underlings about. I wasn't one of the abusers, thankfully; it was a trait that my father hadn't passed to me. I felt that an important part of weaseling your way into someone else's royal family (through marriage, preferably) was getting to know how they treated their servants, and then behaving as such. After all, I am in Celes, where servitude is seen as an honor. It is so backwards from the way that things are in Nihon…but I cannot act like it is different. I am a professional.

After I have given them the present (a simple white box bound with a silken, sky-blue ribbon), the servants show me to a beautiful ballroom covered in cerulean blue, white, and gold – according to my father's teachings, these were the colors of the princes. There had been three chosen because they were twins; usually, there were only two colors.

'They like showing their twins off more than their jewels.' I thought to myself, trying to recall some boring lesson about Celestian politics. There was something in there that marked twins as special…or whatever. I really didn't care about what they thought. It wasn't like they had a princess that was available for marriage. The only girl child of the king and queen had died with them a long time ago.

I feel lucky compared to them. As far as I know, the princes are looked after by a member of their council. At least I have my parents – these two don't have anyone.

"The ballroom, Your Highness. Would you like to be announced?" One servant asks, peering up at me. As per my usual, I shake my head and give some graceful, princely reply.

"I'd rather merge into the party than stop it, sirs." I nod my head at them, signaling that it is time to leave me be. "But thank you for the consideration."

Faking politeness is one of my favorite things to do. It makes someone's reaction even more hilarious when you plunge your favorite knife into their neck.

I merge into the party as I wished to, hoping that I can remain unseen. However, luck isn't on my side – I am immediately spotted by several candidates, some of my father's favorite bride-to-be's from surrounding kingdoms.

'Let's see…Infinity, Soleil, Hanshuu, Oto…,' I count them in my mind, looking them up and down and judging them as closely as possible. All of these girls are okay in the looks department, though some kingdoms will offer more for their brides than others. I make a mental note to read up on them more – if I don't know anything about the country I am to marry into, I am a fool. I don't have the luxury to remain ignorant on the outside world. As the king, I will have to deal with it one day…no matter how much I want to stay inside and hide myself away from it.

For tonight, thankfully, it seems that all I will need is my charm and my wits. I can save the cross examination of these young ladies for another day. My only mission for tonight is to become more favorable in their eyes.

My father taught me once that the best way to flirt with a woman at a ball is to dance with someone else. I immediately ask a young lady who isn't one of the princesses currently throwing herself all over me if she would like to dance. She is very pretty – curly black hair drawn into long pigtails, bright eyes a beautiful shade of periwinkle; long and elegant in a pink dress with accents in roses and pearls. Her ball gown sweeps the floor as she comes over to me. I take her delicate hand in mine and kiss it, offering my dance without words.

This woman allows me to lead her through the crowd to dance, smiling kindly all the way.

"What is your name?" She asks as I turn to face her, smelling the sweet scent of vanilla on her skin.

"I am Kaisei," I say, offering her a smile of my own. I would hate to tell her that I'm only using her to bring in a princess. I figure that acting gentlemanly is one small way to pay her back for the trouble.

"My name is Himawari." She curtsies before me, every bit as beautiful and graceful as her name implies. Her pink form, draped in pearls and white lace, looks good against the stark black tailcoat, muted green waistcoat, and slacks that I wear. I admit that I look harsh and stern in such clothes – I prefer pastels, but my father won't allow it. With her beside me, I look much more approachable.

People draw in closer beside us as we start to dance, me traipsing around the moves as I try to remember where I've heard this name before. Suddenly, I have it – my eyes widen and I look down at her. "Princess Himawari?" I ask, suddenly remembering her.

This girl wasn't on my father's list of marriageable partners. Perhaps he didn't even know that she existed. She came from an island country that was pretty small, so unless she owned a diamond mine or something, I wouldn't find much in her family that would allow for such a match.

Himawari-sama, however, is very beautiful and very kind. At the least, I could make a case that she would be a splendid queen…and we would gain an island country to rule over. Perhaps there would be some way that I could twist this.

"I am she." The noirette spins gracefully around me. It seems, at least, that she's enjoying herself. "And I take it that you are Prince Kaisei?"

I return her smile and nod. "At your service, milady." I dip her low, then gracefully bring her back to an upright, standing position. Dancing has never been one of my favorite things, but I've always been good at it. She giggles a bit, which I find rather cute. Perhaps she would be someone that I could stand having at my side.

"I wasn't aware that I was dancing with the next prince of Nihon," Her words are calmer than another girl's would have been. She knows how to handle herself. "I am honored to make your acquaintance."

"And I yours." I smile, leading her as I have been taught to do. "I am very glad that I have come to this party, seeing as I got to meet you."

"Your Highness's presence was required for the party, as mine was. After all, it's not every day that the twin princes become marriageable." Himawari gives me another winning smile, her eyes searching around the room. "Though I haven't seen them since I arrived. I thought for sure that someone would announce their presence…,"

The noirette sounds disappointed. I wonder if she was banking on dancing with one of those stupid twins…it wouldn't be impossible, though marrying into Celes right now wasn't on anyone's list. No one wanted such an unstable country. It was on the brink of civil war, and would probably tear itself apart before one of the two sons could claim the throne.

No – I could not let a nice girl throw away her future by marrying into this terrible place. I had to get her mind on me and make it stay there.

"You are a very special girl, Himawari-sama. I would very much like to see you again after this dance."

The girl stares at me for a moment. Then, she simply tosses her head back and laughs, shaking her head.

"Kaisei-sama, your red thread isn't attached to me."

I blink once. "W-what?" Taken aback, I release her. I don't understand this. "Red thread? What in the world is-,"

Oh. That stupid fairytale.

I try to keep my annoyance from showing as she continues to speak. "It's what ties you to your soulmate! Normal people can't see it, but I can~," She giggles, holding up her pinky finger. "It's a spiritual thread tied to your pinky. If you follow it, you'll find the person that you're meant to be with!"

"Um, Himawari-sama…I don't exactly…,"

"I can see it!" The girl squeals excitedly. She looks down at the supposed thread and surprise comes over her face. Clapping her hands together, she giggles and spins around. I am beginning to think that I was wrong in my first assessment – she's insane. Completely and totally insane. I just hope that I can leave before she decides to kidnap me and take me home or something-

"Your person is here tonight! You have to meet them before you go home, Kaisei-sama!"

My eyes widen. "…My person…?"

For a moment, and just a moment, a thrill goes through me. I find myself excited and anxious all at once, wondering who they are and where they could be…what they look like, what they smell like, what their favorite kind of music is…

And then I remember one crucial fact – I don't believe in any of this mess.

"Yes! You have to go to them!" Himawari giggles, pushing me in some random direction. "That way! Goooo~!"

"Himawari-sama…?!" I am powerless to stop her…well, I suppose that I could, it would just look really bad in front of everyone. Stumbling a bit, I wonder if this is some kind of ploy on her part. Perhaps she hates me and she made up this story to get me off of her trail. Whatever it is, I want to be out of this place as soon as I possibly can be. People are starting to stare…

If there is one thing that I cannot stand, it's people looking at me this way. Himawari's crazy antics are a blessing in that way. They will enable me to get as far from the center of the room…and attention…as fast as possible.

xxxx

"I've done what I can, Yuui-sama," Himawari says softly, watching as the prince of Nihon walks away from her. She remembers laughing late at night with her best friend, closing her eyes at the sweetness of the memory. All she had ever wanted was for him to be happy.

Now, perhaps there was a chance of that. If she could help Yuui in any way, she wanted to. He had given her so much – now it was time for her to give back.

The pieces would fall where they may now. All she could do was hope that they would find a way to find one another's true selves…and not the garbage that they were currently buried in.

xxxx

Since the crazy princess didn't exactly give me a specific place to head to, I continue on in a straight line. Part of me thinks that it would be wise to just turn around and head back to the party; the other part reminds me that she would be there, as well as a gaggle of giggling girls to deal with.

No, solitude in some forsaken part of the castle was the only option I would allow myself right now. If anyone found me, I could always say that I was looking for somewhere to use the restroom. With the size of this place, I could easily get lost for the remainder of the party…perhaps the remainder of my life. The only thing I would regret would be the looks of shock and terror on the faces of my family. Where would they find their next king now? Poor, delicate little Kurogane would have to stand up and grow some balls, to bend under the weight of being the next ruler as I'd had to do all these years. He wouldn't be such a favorite then, would he?

My plan of getting lost is derailed when I discover that the steps I had decided to take only lead in one direction. They climb up and away from the ballroom floor, twisting like vines around the southern side of the massive room. They end at a gilded pair of paned glass doors left open tonight, billowing blue curtains gently caressing the open space as the wind stirred them into a glittering dance.

I was at the top of the stairs before I noticed the figure standing there, back facing me as he leans against the railing of the balcony beyond the glass door. Wispy wheat-gold hair was tied back in a white satin ribbon, matching the flowing fur cloak that trailed on the floor behind him.

That strange thrill that made its first appearance when Himawari-sama told me about my special person comes back. She had told me that my string led this direction; there was nowhere else for me to go. Was this person standing here the supposed love of my life? Did I even want to find out? After all, there was no way I could ever hope to be with such a person. Luck like that didn't happen for kings. Hell, luck like that didn't happen for me – ever.

But still I came forward, knowing that this 'red string of fate' was most likely a bunch of bullshit…yet curious at the same time. Before I could stop myself, I was calling out to the figure.

"You aren't cold out here?"

I had never seen a cloak whirl around so fast. Before I knew what was going on, I was staring into the glittering blue eyes of a Celestian male, stark against his paper white skin. Barely pink lips separate in shock; the nearly feminine face looks almost frightened as those captivating orbs discover that I am standing there.

"Who…who are you?" He asks, the glittering crown in his hair catching my eye now when it had escaped my notice before.

I bow low, a smile illuminating my own face. This was classic. I knew that Himawari-sama had to be trying to make fun of me now. There was no way that anything she said was true. Red string of fate be damned – this was not my soul mate. My father would never stand for it…and neither would I.

I straighten myself before one of the crown princes of Celes, shrugging my shoulders as I do. "My name is Kaisei. I am the heir to the throne of Nihon." His eyes widen in shock again, almost trembling before me. I don't understand what he's so afraid of, or why he seems so weak. I mean, I knew that I was a few months older, but this was crazy. A future king could not act so scared in front of other future kings! If he wanted an alliance with Nihon, then he was going to have to at least pretend that he had his crap together.

The prince swallows nervously, looking around the balcony as though he's searching for something. "You're alone?" He asks, verifying his question for himself.

"I am, Your Highness." I assure him, taking a few steps closer. "I did not realize that you would be up here. If I frightened you, I apologize…but now I feel as though this were a stroke of luck. I was hoping that I could offer you congratulations on your coming of age."

The sound of laughter breaks the silence between us, shattering my expectations into a thousand shards.

"You traveled a rather long way to spew such lies at my feet, Kaisei-san. You don't have to strain yourself to be nice to me for your kingdom's sake."

This time, I was the one who was taken aback. "…What…?"

A spark of realization lights up the prince's eyes. "Oh! I suppose that Himawari-sama was probably the one who sent you up here – she's always talking about her red string of fate, right?" A sad, but nonetheless beautiful smile spreads over his face, not quite chasing away the misery I see floating in the depths of those twin, cerulean oceans. They are the eyes of someone who does not know how clearly they display his emotions. "I apologize on her behalf – I will make certain that she doesn't bother you for the duration of the party, Kaisei-sama."

This was clearly my cue to leave, but I wasn't taking it. "I didn't even know you would be up here!" I protested, realizing that the only reason for my behavior was that he had sized me up so completely in a matter of seconds. He wasn't fooled by my actions.

The boy smiles at me, shrugging his shoulders. "I suppose I can give you that one. But as for the rest, I am certain of your intentions. Such underhanded means of friendship are not necessary here. I give you my word that your people will be protected from the evils that lurk-,"

"Would you just shut up?"

My eyes widen as his do. I realize that I've made a grave mistake – talking down to a prince, especially a Celestian prince could have any number of repercussions. My father would see this as unforgiveable, and there were a number of things that he could do to punish me for my screw-up. I wouldn't see the sun again for weeks, much less Rikuou!

I open my mouth to apologize profusely, but I am cut off by the huge grin on the prince's face.

"Maybe you're not as full of it as everyone says." He grins, smiling up at me with a smile that could light up my whole world, if I'd let it.

I couldn't. I would not let this little pipsqueak get to me. He wasn't going to be my friend, nor would he ever possibly be anything more to me. Whatever Himawari-sama's power was, it was stupid and she didn't know anything.

"My name is Yuui, by the way." The prince holds his hand out to me, the smile on his face somehow penetrating deep into my chest. I can't help thinking that he's almost too beautiful – that looking at him makes me wish I could just…

'No.' I shoved that thought deep down in my chest, frowning as I took the hand to shake it. "Nice to meet you." I murmur back, enthusiasm fleeing for the hills. I wasn't going to pretend for this guy anymore; he could already see right through me. What was the point?

"You're considerably more grumpy when you're not trying to bullshit me~ Is it because you're actually a really horrible person, Kaisei-sama?" The blonde asks, making me want to do nothing more than throw him over the side of the railing. I glower at him, trying to seem as though I am more powerful, more in control than he could ever hope to be. I will not be brought to my knees by a mere boy.

"So what if I am?" I demand, haughty words pouring through me before I can stop them. "That doesn't mean that I'll change anything just to gain your approval."

"On the contrary, Kaisei-sama~," The boy chirps, smiling up at me. "I never said anything about wanting you to be a better person. In fact…I'd appreciate you much more if you were twisted deep down inside that small little heart of yours."

His words grow dark just as his expression does, the haunting in his eyes revealing itself for the first time.

"If you're just as despicable, just as dark and hopelessly twisted as I am, Kaisei-sama…then let's be friends."

In that moment, I notice two things – the first is that this boy appears more stupid than I first thought. The second, that his hand is still clasped around mine as though it's been desperately searching for something to hold on to. I wasn't prepared to be someone's strength. I needed too much of that for myself. I couldn't be there for him every second of every day; I didn't have the patience for that, nor did I want it.

But friends? Friends is manageable.

I shook the small, frail hand once more, trying my best to suppress the strange excitement welling up in me. "Don't come crying to me if I'm more trouble than you bargained for, little prince." I snap, fixing him with my best glare. "I'm not going to kiss your ass for the rest of our lives."

"I wouldn't have offered if I thought that was what you were going to do, Kaisei-san." The boy nearly purrs my name, putting extra emphasis on the demoted honorific he has deemed to bestow upon me. "All I want is someone to share my misery with. Do you think you can handle that?"

I roll my eyes and let go of his hand. "Oh, lay off the 'woe is me'. We all have hard lives." I am curt with him. I don't want him to think that I was going to feel sorry for him. Where I came from, pity was weakness. Everything that isn't brutal, warlike, and manly is deemed useless. I'm not going to lose face in front of this boy. I'm not that weak.

The boy looks up at me. That smile never leaves his face.

"You first, Kaisei-san."

Before I can ask him what the hell he is trying to get at, his hand is wrapped around mine again. This time, however, Yuui-sama's grip has a considerable strength. He's dragging me back down to the party before I can protest, before I can do anything to stop it. In fact, the little bastard drags me right into the middle of everything and tells me to introduce him to the princesses. It's almost as if he is pressing my buttons on purpose, looking for the one that will make me explode.

For some reason, I don't mind. If anything else, his constant desire to piss me off is what makes me want to stay.