Chapter 8.5: The Night at the Cottage
The cottage was small, and yet it was cozy and comfortable inside. There was no electricity, only candles. There was only one bed, two pillows, and one thick blanket. A wooden table was placed in one corner, with two wooden chairs, and a soft couch in front of the furnace. The kitchen was small but clean, and the cupboard was lavishly supplied with sweet bread, ham, cheese, milk, and some champagne.
"I can't believe a place like this exist in a great city." Anna said.
Yoh was building a fire. "The old man told you that he built the cottage for his wife, who wanted to escape civilization." He grinned once he managed to make a fire. "This will do." Then...
Anna panicked. Oh no, don't tell me...Yoh was undressing... "What the hell are you doing?"
Yoh grinned at her. "Undressing..."
Anna breathed hard. "I know that you're undressing but what for?"
"What do you think?" Yoh replied, the grin never leaving his face. "In case, you didn't notice, my clothes are wet, and I'm going to hang them to dry."
Yoh took off his shirt. Anna can clearly see that his body was firmly built, but she can't refrain but notice the scars. Must be from his training being a shaman. What kind of training does he undergo anyway? Worse than mine?
Yoh turned around, grinning sheepishly. "Are you just going to stand there and stare at me, chéri?"
"I'm not staring at you, stupid." Anna replied defensively. She then searched her things for a change of clothing. Good thing she bought a negligee back at the store. Better a negligee than completely naked.
"Anna?" Anna turned. Yoh was wearing a different shirt. So, he too bought extra clothing. "I'm going outside so you could change. I'll also ask the old man if he had a phone. I'll call them at the mansion so they won't worry."
Anna nodded. He was still a gentleman. Once Yoh was gone, she changed her clothes. The problem was, the moment she slipped the negligee on, she was shivering from the cold. She searched her bags for the coat she bought, but the coat added little comfort. Next time, buy furs.
Yoh came in, and once he saw Anna, he chuckled. Anna glared at him. 'What's funny?"
"Do you expect to survive the cold night wearing only that kind of material?"
He was right of course. Anna didn't answer. "Never mind." Yoh said. "Let's just eat dinner, okay?"
"What did your friends say?"
"Nothing important, really. They said they were sorry."
Anna laughed. "Sorry for what?"
He frowned. "Trust me, you don't want to know..." Yoh then poured the champagne into their glasses. "Why don't we just celebrate?"
"I don't drink, thank you."
"Uh, first-time drinker, I see." smirked Yoh.
"For your information, this would not be my first time to drink." Anna defensively replied, "Besides, we're still minors, we're not supposed to drink."
Yoh laughed. "Good girls... We're both seventeen, and I'm turning 18 next month. So I'm excused in that matter. I'm a different case, really. Why don't you just admit that you can't drink?"
"I can drink!" Anna exclaimed.
Yoh grinned. "Actions speak louder tha words, chéri."
"Issuing a challenge, are you? Fine, I can prove that I can drain that whole bottle of champagne without getting drunk." snapped Anna. "By the way, would you please stop calling me chéri..."
"Chéri means dear in French..."
"I know what that means, for heaven's sake."
"Whatever, you say, honey. Now could you please control your temper and let's begin?"
She was a heavy drinker, all right. Yoh muttered as Anna drained her glass without any difficulty. Anna still behaved properly, without showing the signs of being drunk. They already emptied the first bottle, and were halfway with the next one. Damn. Yoh said, as his vision was blurring. I think she'll win this part.
"So, considering surrendering?" Anna burst into giggles.
Good. She's already drunk. "Not yet, chéri. We still have a long way to go."
"Still expecting to win?" Anna snorted. "Why do you keep on calling me chéri?"
Now, I'm sure she's drunk. "Because you're beautiful."
"Oh come on, Yoh. Could you think of a better reason than that?"
"How about this? Anna, I love you." Yoh whispered softly. Was that the effect of alcohol?
"Men..." Anna stiffly said. "You're just drunk."
Yoh grinned. "No joke. Why don't you believe me?"
Anna's lips curved into a smile. "Prove it."
Those words did it all. Yoh leaned forward. With their faces so close, he murmured, "As you say so, chéri." Within a second, he was kissing her, tentatively at first, then more and more demanding.
Anna was taken aback with what Yoh did. Her mind was at turmoil, and dizziness was slowly overcoming her: effects of alcohol. Then, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. Maybe out of instincts, she didn't know.
Yoh controlled himself and released her. "So, was that enough?"
Anna shook her head. "I'm not that kind of girl, Yoh."
Yoh sheepishly smiled. She was making it hard for him. Then, he kneeled in front of her, took a velvet box from his pocket, and took her hand.
Anna watched in shock. He was serious. "Yoh, wait, I think you're going too fast..." Yoh put his fingers on her lips to silence her.
"Listen to me first, okay? I was lost that day, no direction, no sense where to go. I typically planned to run away from my problem that day so that once and for all I could do what I wanted to do, without orders, without others interfering with my life; that was when I fell on top of someone, a girl who was a complete stranger to me. I don't know why, but I felt different when I met you... you gave me something I need... you were different... that's why I had no second thoughts on taking care of you... I love you, Anna. I really do. Maybe it seems impossible for someone to fall in love in just weeks... Believe me its not... I really do love you Anna... I won't ever let you go..." Yoh opened the box, revealing an emerald ring, an heirloom for generations. "Would you be my princess forever?"
Anna smiled. "Why not? Just assure me I'll live a comfortable life."
Yoh smirked, putting the ring on Anna's finger, before kissing her passionately. "You'll be living like a queen, chéri. Believe me." And he meant every word of it...
At the mansion....
"Wow, Hao!" Horo sniggered. "I can't believe it worked!"
Hao grinned. "I told you... Nothing is impossible with Hao Asakura."
"Let's toast then... To the Future King and Queen..." They all laughed, raising their goblets.
"Master Yohmei, Mistress Kino, it was confirmed." Keiko announced. "There was indeed the presence of a being, great in power, other than Yoh."
"Who could it be then?" Mikihisa asked.
Kino sighed. "The only person who could possess that kind of power was the great itako who should have been engaged to Yoh."
Keiko stiffened. "How was that possible? The itako you're talking about disappeared the night before she was supposed to be engaged to my son."
"The strange thing was that her aura could be felt close to Yoh." Mikihisa added.
Kino looked at each of them. "That's what we're going to find out."
Yohmei breathed hard. "Summon Tao. He has work to do."
** Hi... hope you guys are satisfied...next chapter... Anna finds out about the truth... Thanks for my reviewers!
The cottage was small, and yet it was cozy and comfortable inside. There was no electricity, only candles. There was only one bed, two pillows, and one thick blanket. A wooden table was placed in one corner, with two wooden chairs, and a soft couch in front of the furnace. The kitchen was small but clean, and the cupboard was lavishly supplied with sweet bread, ham, cheese, milk, and some champagne.
"I can't believe a place like this exist in a great city." Anna said.
Yoh was building a fire. "The old man told you that he built the cottage for his wife, who wanted to escape civilization." He grinned once he managed to make a fire. "This will do." Then...
Anna panicked. Oh no, don't tell me...Yoh was undressing... "What the hell are you doing?"
Yoh grinned at her. "Undressing..."
Anna breathed hard. "I know that you're undressing but what for?"
"What do you think?" Yoh replied, the grin never leaving his face. "In case, you didn't notice, my clothes are wet, and I'm going to hang them to dry."
Yoh took off his shirt. Anna can clearly see that his body was firmly built, but she can't refrain but notice the scars. Must be from his training being a shaman. What kind of training does he undergo anyway? Worse than mine?
Yoh turned around, grinning sheepishly. "Are you just going to stand there and stare at me, chéri?"
"I'm not staring at you, stupid." Anna replied defensively. She then searched her things for a change of clothing. Good thing she bought a negligee back at the store. Better a negligee than completely naked.
"Anna?" Anna turned. Yoh was wearing a different shirt. So, he too bought extra clothing. "I'm going outside so you could change. I'll also ask the old man if he had a phone. I'll call them at the mansion so they won't worry."
Anna nodded. He was still a gentleman. Once Yoh was gone, she changed her clothes. The problem was, the moment she slipped the negligee on, she was shivering from the cold. She searched her bags for the coat she bought, but the coat added little comfort. Next time, buy furs.
Yoh came in, and once he saw Anna, he chuckled. Anna glared at him. 'What's funny?"
"Do you expect to survive the cold night wearing only that kind of material?"
He was right of course. Anna didn't answer. "Never mind." Yoh said. "Let's just eat dinner, okay?"
"What did your friends say?"
"Nothing important, really. They said they were sorry."
Anna laughed. "Sorry for what?"
He frowned. "Trust me, you don't want to know..." Yoh then poured the champagne into their glasses. "Why don't we just celebrate?"
"I don't drink, thank you."
"Uh, first-time drinker, I see." smirked Yoh.
"For your information, this would not be my first time to drink." Anna defensively replied, "Besides, we're still minors, we're not supposed to drink."
Yoh laughed. "Good girls... We're both seventeen, and I'm turning 18 next month. So I'm excused in that matter. I'm a different case, really. Why don't you just admit that you can't drink?"
"I can drink!" Anna exclaimed.
Yoh grinned. "Actions speak louder tha words, chéri."
"Issuing a challenge, are you? Fine, I can prove that I can drain that whole bottle of champagne without getting drunk." snapped Anna. "By the way, would you please stop calling me chéri..."
"Chéri means dear in French..."
"I know what that means, for heaven's sake."
"Whatever, you say, honey. Now could you please control your temper and let's begin?"
She was a heavy drinker, all right. Yoh muttered as Anna drained her glass without any difficulty. Anna still behaved properly, without showing the signs of being drunk. They already emptied the first bottle, and were halfway with the next one. Damn. Yoh said, as his vision was blurring. I think she'll win this part.
"So, considering surrendering?" Anna burst into giggles.
Good. She's already drunk. "Not yet, chéri. We still have a long way to go."
"Still expecting to win?" Anna snorted. "Why do you keep on calling me chéri?"
Now, I'm sure she's drunk. "Because you're beautiful."
"Oh come on, Yoh. Could you think of a better reason than that?"
"How about this? Anna, I love you." Yoh whispered softly. Was that the effect of alcohol?
"Men..." Anna stiffly said. "You're just drunk."
Yoh grinned. "No joke. Why don't you believe me?"
Anna's lips curved into a smile. "Prove it."
Those words did it all. Yoh leaned forward. With their faces so close, he murmured, "As you say so, chéri." Within a second, he was kissing her, tentatively at first, then more and more demanding.
Anna was taken aback with what Yoh did. Her mind was at turmoil, and dizziness was slowly overcoming her: effects of alcohol. Then, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. Maybe out of instincts, she didn't know.
Yoh controlled himself and released her. "So, was that enough?"
Anna shook her head. "I'm not that kind of girl, Yoh."
Yoh sheepishly smiled. She was making it hard for him. Then, he kneeled in front of her, took a velvet box from his pocket, and took her hand.
Anna watched in shock. He was serious. "Yoh, wait, I think you're going too fast..." Yoh put his fingers on her lips to silence her.
"Listen to me first, okay? I was lost that day, no direction, no sense where to go. I typically planned to run away from my problem that day so that once and for all I could do what I wanted to do, without orders, without others interfering with my life; that was when I fell on top of someone, a girl who was a complete stranger to me. I don't know why, but I felt different when I met you... you gave me something I need... you were different... that's why I had no second thoughts on taking care of you... I love you, Anna. I really do. Maybe it seems impossible for someone to fall in love in just weeks... Believe me its not... I really do love you Anna... I won't ever let you go..." Yoh opened the box, revealing an emerald ring, an heirloom for generations. "Would you be my princess forever?"
Anna smiled. "Why not? Just assure me I'll live a comfortable life."
Yoh smirked, putting the ring on Anna's finger, before kissing her passionately. "You'll be living like a queen, chéri. Believe me." And he meant every word of it...
At the mansion....
"Wow, Hao!" Horo sniggered. "I can't believe it worked!"
Hao grinned. "I told you... Nothing is impossible with Hao Asakura."
"Let's toast then... To the Future King and Queen..." They all laughed, raising their goblets.
"Master Yohmei, Mistress Kino, it was confirmed." Keiko announced. "There was indeed the presence of a being, great in power, other than Yoh."
"Who could it be then?" Mikihisa asked.
Kino sighed. "The only person who could possess that kind of power was the great itako who should have been engaged to Yoh."
Keiko stiffened. "How was that possible? The itako you're talking about disappeared the night before she was supposed to be engaged to my son."
"The strange thing was that her aura could be felt close to Yoh." Mikihisa added.
Kino looked at each of them. "That's what we're going to find out."
Yohmei breathed hard. "Summon Tao. He has work to do."
** Hi... hope you guys are satisfied...next chapter... Anna finds out about the truth... Thanks for my reviewers!