Chapter ten!! Yay, I've never gotten this far before on a series. So I'm very surprised and very happy. Thanks for the reviews, critique and support. You guys rock.
On a more awesome note, it's a little past the one year anniversary of this wonderful fic!! I'm satisfied and ecstatic because this story has grown so much since the first time I wrote the beginning. Thanks again!
Princess Io
Ten: And Then There Were Two
"Sweetheart?"
"Naminé?"
"Please…wake up."
"Five more minutes, c'mon! I'm tired…" Naminé muffled against the pillows. She cuddled up to them, admiring their softness and fluffy exterior. A hand continued to shake her shoulder, persisting as always.
"I'm serious dear, you need to get up or you'll be late for the luncheon with my mother after your Psychology lecture. I have to go to work today and your car is still in the shop. Come now, wake up!" Hiro argued, huffing with frustration.
Naminé shook her head out of defiance, resisting the urge to sit up and leave the warmth of her comforter.
The two struggled and bickered in a continuous manner. A knock interrupted their loud banter, a voice on the opposite side of the oak door getting their attention.
"Master Hiro, your suitcase and belongings are packed in the car. Breakfast is on the table too."
"Alright, I'm coming down. Thank you." Hiro said, taking a moment to scheme a plan to convince his fiancée out of bed. After an idea passed his mind, he took action. The dark-haired man began to tickle Naminé, forcing her to roll and tangle herself within the sheets and ultimately fall off the bed.
Naminé sat up and pouted from being disturbed. It had been three months since she was released from Water Lily Hospital, and the twenty-year-old felt refreshed and brand new when she awakened.
Hiro was by her side when she awoke the first day of June. It was the start of her summer studies, and Naminé couldn't be any more for what was in store for her. Her fiancé bid her farewell as he went to work, kissing her on her forehead.
Everything seemed to have gone back to normal, and since she had been bedridden in the hospital for so long, it left the blond curious. As much as she was happy to be released and able to walk on her own two feet again, there was still something bothering her.
She wasn't allowed to see her own medical report, let alone know what had happened before and after she arrived at the hospital. Hiro's parents arrived a few days before she would was discharged, and generously paid for her hospital bill since her own parents were still overseas.
--
"Strange…" Naminé thought, typing out notes on her Apple laptop during her Psychology lecture. The subject didn't fascinate her and instead she would only listen when it involved a term paper or another assignment of some sorts.
Class ended, and with a sigh of relief, Naminé was out the door. Today was very busy regardless of the overcast weather, which gave the population all the more reason to move at a quick pace.
A wind blew past Naminé and she fought against the angered breeze. The Takamura limo had come to the side of the curb, and Duo, her driver greeted Naminé with a smile.
"Good afternoon Miss Hoshi," he started, opening the backseat door for her. "Master Hiro isn't at the estate right now, but he instructed that I—"
"I know Duo. To take me back to the house and stay put until he returns. It's…the same everyday." The young woman replied to herself, too quiet for her driver to listen to her comment.
Naminé's schedule for every day was as boring as ever. As soon as she was allowed to go home, Hiro took immediate action. He now monitored her every move, from what time she sleeps to when she goes to school or work.
For the first couple weeks, Naminé wasn't bothered at all and just considered it a way that he loves her. She calmly took his overprotective behavior as a sign of how much he cares for her. Yumekii and Ueno were now her personal bodyguards, always easy to access whenever she needed them.
Naminé was thankful for that since news reporters and column writers approached her every second of every day. Her guards would clear a path for her and she would be able to go home safely without anyone following her.
However, since she was under constant surveillance, Naminé was rarely allowed to go out on her own. If she wanted to, Hiro would have to be with her. It was annoying now, because she was always being watched and would barely be allowed to breathe on her own.
The tendencies were suffocating her, but she didn't say anything about the issue. Hiro would just come up with the same excuse he did the first time she asked. "This is for your own protection. I don't want to lose you like I almost did with that incident. It was too painful to see you in the hospital, unconscious…so please, just listen to me and you won't get hurt again."
What bullshit. Naminé was more than capable to look after herself. But knowing Hiro, he would not listen to her reasoning and just shut her out like before because he's "too busy" to deal with her at the moment.
At least Naminé was free to go visit Hiro's parents without Yumekii and Ueno nipping at her heels. They had their own personal security, so she would be "safe" under their watch as well. Naminé prepared to get dressed when one of Hiro's maids quietly knocked on the door.
"Miss Hoshi? I have a message for you from Master Hiro. I also have a package from Lady Yukiru. Would you like them—"?
"Yes I would! I'm coming to the door." Naminé interjected, curious to know what the message was.
Opening the double doors, Naminé was greeted by a young maid about her age, holding a neatly folded envelope, a slip of parchment paper and a large unmarked box. The object weighed next to nothing, and Naminé was all the more curious to see the contents.
The maid bowed with respect before excusing her to continue her daily chores down the hall. Naminé closed the doors again and placed the belongings on her comforter. She walked back to her full-length mirror and readjusted a studded earring she was initially putting on until she was interrupted.
Curiosity had the best of her, and Naminé disregarded her other studded earring. She picked up the folded message from her fiancé. It bared the famous Takamura seal, something she could easily recognize since she received them on a daily basis.
Naminé skimmed through the message, until her eyes came to a gradual slow when they read over small phrases. They stuck in her mind and warned her of heartache. He wasn't going to be home. Again.
--
My shining Star,
It is with deepest regret that I am unable to accompany you tonight. I have further business at the office branch and will have to be present for the remainder of the month. I am taking a plane to Traverse Town in a few minutes. I apologize again, but do not worry okay? I promise to make it up to you when I return in July. This also means that our wedding day will be postponed into either mid-July or early August. Take care of yourself. I love you.
Hiro
--
His surprise business trips weren't much of an eye opener for Naminé anymore. She had also grown used to his absences, but she didn't let it bring her down. It gave her all the more reason to go out without him knowing to see the world, see what she had missed for an entire month being cooped inside the Water Lily Hospital.
Naminé carelessly tossed the letter on her nightstand, and began to unwrap the gift sent to her from Hiro's mother. It wasn't any special occasion that she knew of, so…what was it this time around?
The young woman examined the tissue paper in a meticulous manner, but not long before peeling it back to see the concealed items.
It was yet another tailored sundress from an expensive tailor. Naminé's expression of levity had instantly been uplifted with elation, to think that Yukiru went through all the trouble to get her a brand new sundress just for the luncheon!
"I'll thank her when I see her." she thought with satisfaction, nodding to herself.
"I'm glad that you like the dress, Naminé." Yukiru clapped with emphasis. She sipped her herbal tea, admiring the fresh taste as it drained down her parched throat.
Naminé smiled and traced her finger along one of the many hems. It was certainly very beautiful; she wouldn't deny it the compliment it deserved. But thoughts still pricked her mind, awaiting release.
"I adore the dress Mrs. Takamura. But…I have a question."
"What would that be?"
"Are…Hiro's business trips always this frequent in the summer?"
Such a question took Yukiru off guard, and she was forced to think of a suitable answer. She was indecisive as to whether or not she would completely explain, and then thought of something within reason.
"Well, since my son is the heir and my husband is retiring soon, he must make sure the transfer is smooth. The employees from other branches have to know their new CEO, so that's why he has frequent trips across the globe. I'm sorry if that bothers you dear."
Naminé shook her head, tousling her locks to and fro. "Oh no, it's alright. I just…miss him sometimes. Sounds silly, but…I don't want to be alone and end up in the hospital again." Worry flooded Naminé's mind, and she wondered if her concern for her fiancé was overly dramatic.
A waiter approached the couple and presented them with their meals. Before Yukiru could respond to Naminé's answer, she flipped open her beeping cell phone.
"Still as busy as ever…I feel I might be wasting her time with my petty concerns." Naminé thought with intent, staring with distaste toward her lunch. Yukiru continued talking into the receiver of her phone as she cut into the steak she had ordered, leaving Naminé to her thoughts.
--
As the afternoon had come to a sudden close, Yukiru glanced at her wristwatch out of habit. "How unfortunate…I'm due for a plane in a couple hours. I'm sorry Naminé, I didn't get the opportunity—"
"No no, it's okay Mrs. Takamura. I'll just catch a cab or something to go back to the estate." Naminé interrupted, placing her napkin on the tabletop. She felt bad for cutting in on the conversation Yukiru was attempting to start, but she felt more distracted than anything else to even care at the moment.
Yukiru shook her head, motioning one of her bodyguards over. A young woman in a tuxedo and a pair of sunglasses bowed to her. Lady Takamura whispered something to the woman in the shades, and she nodded twice, confirming she understood.
"I'll have Robin drive you home, taking a cab is out of the ordinary. Don't worry about Yumekii and Ueno, I already contacted them and they're going to escort you home as well."
There was no room for an argument—especially not with a woman with as much prestige, class, and power like Yukiru Takamura. Naminé sighed, slumping in her seat in an un-ladylike fashion.
"Alright."
"Good, Robin. Please escort Naminé to our estate. Then report to the airport as soon as she is safely inside the house."
"As you wish, Lady Takamura."
The luncheon had come to a close, and the evening began with Naminé getting driven back to a lonely home with no one to wait for her except the maids. Wonderful.
Naminé sighed heavily as she tossed her new cell phone from one hand to another. They exchanged the small device until it began vibrating and played a ringtone. Knocked out of her stupor, Naminé attempted catching her phone in mid-air, but it slipped out of her clumsy hands and clanked on the polished tile.
She hadn't expected it to skid across the floor, coming to an abrupt stop when it bumped against Yumekii's black dress shoes. Naminé bit her lip, avoiding contact with her bodyguard when she reached toward her ringing phone.
His hand had gotten there first and she still sat on the floor, defeated. The next thing she knew he would do is checking the number and make sure it was a safe incoming call. If it wasn't…
"Miss Hoshi."
Looking upward, Naminé received her phone back. Much to her dismay, she had missed the call. There was no voice message, just a number and a text. Naminé mumbled a quick 'thank you' before standing up on her own two feet and walking toward the foyer to grab some privacy.
"One text…no number attached."
Clicking a few selections on the touch screen, the text she had missed popped up. Naminé raised her eyebrows when she realized whom the text she received was from.
Hey beautiful, just checking up on you. I'm in New York right now, but I miss you more than ever. By the way…how has Karin been? Hopefully she's not causing too much trouble for you.
-H
How relieving, Hiro had safely boarded his plane and landed in New York. That's half way across the globe compared to Twilight Town! He was so far away, and yet so close because of that text. Naminé smiled, admiring the phrase "I miss you more than ever."
Even when he was away all the time now, he still had time to tell her he cared about her.
How sweet of you to check on me. Shouldn't you be in a meeting right now? I miss you too…a LOT. Scratch that, more than you'll ever know because you're not here. Karin is fine, it still surprises me that she's your little sister…that girl is full of energy! If she was causing too much trouble for me then I'd be dead by now.
-N
Naminé chuckled at the clever remark she had typed before pressing the "send" button. The young woman made her way to her bedroom, closing the door and plopping on her fresh and clean bed.
You know it, and you love it. Yeah…but these meetings bore me sometimes. Besides, who wouldn't want to talk to their fiancée at this time of day? You're worth it hun. I do know how much you miss me, I hear it all the time when you say goodbye at the doorstep. That's Karin for you, full of spunk and always running around like no one's business. How did the luncheon go with my mother? Was father there or absent as usual?
-H
Hah, maybe I do. Well, you need to pay attention in those meetings that bore you. Otherwise you won't be a very good CEO in the near future. The luncheon went just fine, Mrs. Takamura sent me a beautiful sundress to wear! Mr. Takamura wasn't there unfortunately; he just sent his regards and apologies.
-N
I see. Yeah…you're right hun. Oh really? What kind of sundress? I bet it looked exquisite on you, like anything else you wear. Father is always like that; it doesn't surprise me that he's gone off somewhere. He's probably preparing for his retirement and what not.
-H
A white sundress with frills and ribbons alike. I'll send you a picture. I hope to get another chance to see Mr. Takamura, the last time…
-N
Yes, I remember, at the Crystal Eidolon. Hunny…I have something I'd like to ask you.
-H
Prior to Naminé's response, her phone began to vibrate again. It rang another ringtone, and this time she was able to pick it up. "Hiro—"
"I…want to consummate our relationship." His voice sounded sure, firm and brave.
"What?"
"I want to consummate our relationship." Hiro repeated, with more eagerness this time. Naminé could hear the winds from where Hiro was standing, now knowing that he was outside. She was unsure of what he could possibly mean by "consummating" their relationship.
An idea struck her mind in that instant.
"You want us to marry today? But that's not possible!"
His voice was silent on the other line. At first Naminé had thought she lost connection or service. She checked her phone and the signal bars stood tall and proud on her bright screen. Why was he silent?
"…Not exactly sweetie. More like…" Hiro sighed, it was evident he was getting frustrated; unable to spell out the message he was trying to tell his fiancée. He was quiet on the opposite line, contemplating his next thought.
Naminé sat up on her bed, poised in anticipation. What was he really talking about? She wanted to know.
And yet, at the same time, she felt afraid…
"Hiro?"
Click.
A knock came to the door. "Miss Hoshi?" It sounded like Ueno; Naminé could recognize his deep accented voice anywhere.
"Yes?" She asked, the tone of her voice apathetic. Hiro was about to ask her something very important, and instead he hangs up and she gets interrupted again that night. Tonight just wasn't her night of peace and quiet.
What could possibly make this evening any worse?
"Um…where are we going?"
Duo watched Naminé's uneasiness sink in, and he smiled. "To the main estate Miss Hoshi. Master Hiro requested you live there for a while until his return."
Naminé nodded and turned her attention toward the window. The skies were beginning to change and clouds covered the stars she admired. A frown graced her features; rain was upon them. The depressing weather just added another notch in Naminé's distracted mind.
So many things have happened since her release from the hospital. A question that she had come across would never leave her conscious, and she was confident to receive an answer in any way she possibly could. But…knowing Hiro, the experience may have been painful for him to endure. What would she do?
The woman sighed heavily, pondering upon the events of bidding her fiancé goodbye. As she gazed into the mirror, something else caught her immediate attention.
Her hair, once golden and emitting light…appeared flat and indifferent. She creased her eyebrows and shook her head in defiance. Surely it was just the light–since it was raining there was no sun for her hair to reflect and shine from. But…
She blinked in disbelief; were those things her eyes? Each pupil was dull, exposed, and above all, deprived of light like her hair. It's as if she looked possessed by an unknown force, unable to control her own body.
There was something eerie…something strange and indifferent. Yet Naminé hadn't noticed until she peered at her own reflection.
This same image wasn't what it displayed before she left for the luncheon with Mrs. Takamura. So why did she look like this now?
Something strange had flashed on the mirror when Naminé continued to gaze toward it. A face…a face that wasn't her own appeared before her.
It had eyes just like hers; bereft of sparkle and blank like the living dead. Their expression held no type of emotion save for the crimson colored tears that streamed down their cheeks.
"Who…is that?" she asked herself, mouthing the words that refused to produce sound from her restricted voice box.
I'm sorry…
Snapping her head in another direction of the limousine, Naminé thought she had heard a voice. Something was calling out to her, but she didn't know who or what—even why.
The car had come to an abrupt stop, jerking Naminé out of her stupefied state. The door to her right had been opened by Duo. He held out a black umbrella above Naminé's head to prevent her getting soaked by the blistering rain.
It still felt so strange, for her to suddenly be removed from Hiro's estate and transferred to the main Takamura house. This residence was where both Mamoru and Yukiru lived, aside from all their other vacation homes across the globe.
The location rivaled that of a kingdom! Naminé felt uneasy while walking alongside with Duo. "Miss Hoshi, I sense you are nervous about your staying in the Takamura estate."
She looked to him and sighed, placing a hand on her chest. "Yes, a little. It's just…so big."
Duo chuckled and smiled with assurance, "Do not worry about it. You'll be used to it until Master Hiro returns."
Naminé nodded silently and clenched her fist.
--
"Welcome, Miss Hoshi." A ring of voices said professionally, surprising the young woman.
Naminé was awed, never in her life had she seen so many maids and butlers in one particular place! They were all in two rows that faced each other along the distance of the main foyer. Their individual uniforms were pressed and cleaned to perfection, the contrasting white and black colors captivated Naminé's attention.
This establishment, this…was all so overwhelming.
Before she had the chance to breathe in the new air that swam around her, two maids approached her. One introduced herself as Cara, while the other was known as Delilah. Their names were quickly forgotten as they lead Naminé to her quarters, as ordered by Master and Lady Takamura.
Up a large spiraling staircase and down various halls that were bustling with maids and butlers, Naminé and her two 'caretakers' had stopped in front of a pair of mahogany doors. The gold doorknobs shined, and practically blinded Naminé.
The maids opened the doors simultaneously and motioned for the young college student to enter the room. She looked to them with uncertainty—but they only smiled and coaxed her inside. Naminé complied, and Cara and Delilah closed the doors behind them. The soft clicking sound had been swallowed up by conversation and gentle footsteps.
Naminé's new bedroom simply took her breath away. There were just too many words she could use to describe the uniqueness and majesty of the proximity! Cara had called for Naminé in another room that extended the one she was standing in. The girl failed to respond, and was given time to her thoughts.
A word from the author…
Awesomeness! Another chapter knocked out of the way. I'm quite satisfied with this one, and yet…it left me brainless. Okay, well going to go write chapter eleven. Don't forget to vote in my poll on my profile if you already haven't. Thanks again!