AN: HAPPY NEW YEAR! I figured that since I have the time, this is a good time and occasion to post an update. School turned out to be much more hectic than I thought, so I've had about no time to write. Usually by the time I finish all my work, I can't do anything besides go to bed. It's been a hectic end to 2013, to say the least. For those of you who don't follow me on tumblr and therefore don't know, this story is officially on a hiatus-type status. I just can't possibly update it regularly, as you can see. This is an exception because HAPPY NEW YEAR! :)
I'll try to update again if I have a pocket of spare time. I hope that although the chapter is not exactly cheery, an update makes some of you guys happy! Please review, and I hope you like it! -Kate

The next morning, Byakuya and Touko set out on the final leg of their journey. Touko looked up at Byakuya, who was on horseback, and smiled to herself. Byakuya seemed focused on the traveling, but Touko was content to let her mind wander back and forth between her ongoing story and memories of last night. She could barely believe her recollections as she thought of the pair withdrawing from the kiss to talk late into the night about anything and everything, except the future. The conversation was, of course, speckled with more kisses here and there. Touko covered her blushing face in embarrassed excitement over the thought of spending more time like that with Byakuya.

Byakuya brushed some dirt off of his suit, and Touko asked, "Why do you always wear a suit? Wouldn't it be better to wear traveling clothes?"

"As an heir, one of my obligations is to constantly look presentable. It's hard for you to understand," Byakuya said. It was yet another fluctuation from a warm to a chill attitude, one of a few that had punctuated the night. Touko had tried to put them out of her mind.

She sighed and faced away from him and continued walking. She knew that in order for anything to work out between them, he had to remove the distance he seemed to occasionally establish. She wanted to be able to fully understand him, but she wouldn't be able to do so if he pushed her down like that all of the time. She had neither the status nor the boldness to remove the distance. She was afraid of losing the relationship that, to her, was precarious at best.

A servant on horseback, an unusual sight, rode past her and ahead of the group.

"Where are they going?" Touko asked Byakuya.

"We've almost arrived," Byakuya said, "so he's going ahead to alert our hosts that we will be there shortly and to make sure that everything is ready."

"I see," Touko said. She felt so lonely below the heir and his world of hosts and secrets. "Do you want to come down and walk with me? Like that one time before?"

Byakuya looked away from her and then looked back and said, "I don't think I should. We can spend time together later, when we're alone."

"Oh." Touko, who had been extended her hand in preparation to help Byakuya off his horse, withdrew her hand and crossed her arms. A few minutes later, the servant from earlier rode back, paused to tell Byakuya that "everything is clear," and then proceeded past them to report to the Togami parents.

Touko crossed her arms tighter as a sense of foreboding began to slowly approach her. She looked up at Byakuya, who had, she saw for a moment, been looking at her, but Byakuya quickly looked away.

"Why are you so cold all of a sudden?" Touko said quietly. "What about last night?"

Byakuya uncomfortably adjusted his glasses and pretended not to hear her. Touko felt her heart sink. Did last night mean nothing to him? Was he really just manipulating her all along? The sense of foreboding grew as their final destination came into view.

It was a mansion similar to that of the Togami estate, but smaller. While Byakuya's home was constructed with grey stone, this one had a marble exterior. Despite this, however, it had a much more open feel than Byakuya's forbidding castle. The welcoming atmosphere that greeted the convoy as they passed through the gates did nothing to ease Touko's nerves.

As their presence was made known, servants from this new estate came out and, speaking words of respectful welcome, escorted the Togami family into the front entrance and the servants into the side entrance. In the flurry of activity, Touko found herself in the latter group. Her stomach knotted as she found herself surrounded by people she didn't know, both from her convoy and this new mansion. A kind-faced, elderly servant guided Touko to a modest room on the edge of the servants' quarters. It was one of the closest rooms to the rest of the estate.

"Due to your special position, Mr. Byakuya Togami requested that you have this room specifically. I hope it is all right with you, Ms. Fukawa."

"I-it's completely fine, great, thanks." Touko found she had a stomachache.

"Are you okay? You seem pale."

"I'm fine," Touko said. "It must just be, ah, my complexion in the light or something."

"Very well. I'll take my leave then."

Alone, Touko sat down on the small bed. She stared at her empty, small hands and wished Byakuya was with her so that his hands could fill hers. She sat in that position for what felt like hours, but may have been minutes, she couldn't say. A brusque knock pierced her discontented thoughts.

"All servants are to promptly report to the main hall!"

The same voice moved down the hall, knocking on everyone's doors. Touko stood up and made her way to the main hall by following the tide of other servants. The hall was an extravagant room, two stories high and decorated with tapestries on the wall, a chandelier, and beautiful yet elegant plants along the room's edges and bundled near the doors. Unwilling to push through the crowd, Touko remained at the edge near the door to the servants' quarters.

The hall, Touko mused, truly felt like it came out of a fairytale. She admired the room, the classy glass lighting and the roses by the doors. However, as she continued comparing the room to a fairytale setting, an uncomfortable notion began to form in her mind. She pushed it out of her thoughts to the best of her ability as an elegantly dressed man made his way to the center of one end of the room.

"Hello, both to residing and visiting staff!" The man's voice echoed through the hall. "I gather you all to this meeting for joyous news. Though this should be no surprise to our visitors," the man chortled, "The Togami family has arrived at our estate safely. We welcome you warmly. Most warmly of all, we welcome Togami heir Byakuya Togami. The purpose of this visit is for our families to become acquainted with each other, and I hope from the bottom of my heart that Byakuya and Mayumi can grow close in these following months!"

Touko felt as if the ground had been kicked out from under her. So, that's how it is… She thought numbly. That's what it was all about. She became aware of servants applauding, but she couldn't bring her arms to move.

A slender woman with wavy blonde hair that reached her hips went to the master of the estate. She wore a long, dark blue gown and smiled widely as Byakuya strode to meet her. He didn't match her smile, but extended his hand to take hers.

Touko couldn't watch anymore. Before she could think about proper behavior, she bolted from the hall. She ran back to her room, luckily not getting lost. She slammed the door, locked it, staggered to her bed, and began to cry.

"So that's what it was all along, huh?!" Touko said. "Just a… just a way to pass the time?! Had me completely fooled. I was right all along. I was so, so wrong to trust you. I thought that letter, that kiss, that everything, I thought it actually meant something! No. No, it didn't mean anything at all to you. I'm just…I'm just nothing. I was so stupid to think that—I can't believe I actually thought it would happen. I thought that I would be happy. I thought wrong. You tricked me, played me for a fool. Well, I hope you're happy. I hope he's happy. He better be, because how could I ever be after he treated me like dirt?! I was too caught up in my stupid fantasies to see that I was just a stupid side character, no, side characters actually have a purpose. I was just an extra. Just a random name tossed in to fill a short purpose and then thrown away. I can't believe I actually thought I was a main character. No, no, I'll never be that with someone like Mayumi there. I could never compare. There was obviously going to be someone like her eventually, what was I thinking? I wasn't thinking because I was so disillusioned!"

Touko's words dissolved into incoherent babbling. Eventually, her crying overwhelmed her ability to speak, and she choked on her words. Pausing in her rant to whimper and try to breathe, she became aware of a pounding on her door that was increasing in volume.

"Touko! Touko! Let me in!" It was Byakuya.

"Why should I? Go away!"

"I can explain!"

"There's nothing to explain!" Touko stumbled to the door and leaned against it, pressing her face up to the crack. She hissed, "I understand, don't worry. It was just a game because you were oh so very bored traveling. Well, congratulations! You won! You had me completely duped. But the game's over now. So just leave me alone."

"I can do whatever I want, and if I want to stay here then I'm going to stay here." Touko could feel Byakuya's breath passing through the crack in the door. She withdrew her cheek quickly. Byakuya said, "You've got it completely wrong. All that out there, that's the game. This is what's real."

"You're wrong, you're lying to me," Touko sobbed.

"No, Touko, you need to believe me. I've never lied to you."

"Clearly you never told me the truth, either. And I don't need to believe anything."

Touko stood up and returned to her bed. She settled into the bed and faced the wall. Byakuya's attempts to speak to her fell on deaf ears.