YUKI

Twilight sank its claws into the sky, darkening the vivid blue to a pale lavender that would soon turn to indigo. Yuki paused in the corridor, staring out the window in troubled contemplation. The hour of her private dinner with Kaname had already arrived, and despite having already declined one marriage proposal earlier that day, she couldn't shake the dread that had planted itself in her veins. What if he was bold enough to ask her again? Her fingers curled into a fist. No, she couldn't imagine him being that impertinent. Her cousin was suave, an aristocrat. Surely he wouldn't repeat his question within 24 hours.

"On your way to the frying pan?" a familiar voice broke through the haze that had settled over her. She turned, surprised to see Hanabusa approach her from down the hall. "I mean, fried delicious dinner that has been prepared for you?" Hanabusa grinned, correcting himself with a wink.

"Unfortunately." Her mouth twisted into a grimace.

"I seem to remember you being quite excited to hear of his visit."

"I was…" She shook her head mournfully. "He's thrust so much on me at once, and it's all happening so fast… I'm still not sure what to do."

"To hear the Lady Ruka talk about him, he's nothing short of absolute perfection, so it shouldn't really be a hard decision to make." He made a face. "I was stuck with her this morning. I don't think it would have been so wrong to slip a little alcohol into her tea…"

Yuki giggled, imagining the scene all too well. Her amusement didn't last long, however, as the weight of her thoughts once more pressed down against her. "He certainly hasn't made a single mistake. I have no reason to fault him."

"But…?" The knight raised an eyebrow at her, sensing the unspoken finish to her sentence.

She took a breath. "Despite his actions, which have been nothing but polite and relatively patient, there is something within me that is convinced of his insincerity. Yet, he presents the same face, the same charm, to everyone here. So perhaps I'm the one mistaken and he is a truly genuine and considerate person."

"A lie is still a lie, even if everyone believes it, My Lady," Hanabusa murmured, eyes veiled.

"What is your opinion of him, then?" she asked, keeping her voice to the barest of whispers lest someone hear.

The blond knight smirked. "I fear that's a question I'm not capable of answering without bias. Never forget that the Aidous are the Kurans' rivals for the crown."

"You don't want to marry me." She spoke the words with conviction. Despite all of his family's ambition, she was sure that he did not wish to become her husband.

He gave a short laugh. "I wouldn't be so sure, Princess. The court is nothing more than a fish tank filled with various breeds of shark."

"You don't, though."

The lord looked at her then, meeting her eyes seriously. He said nothing, but she already knew that his silence was as much of an affirmation as she was going to get at the moment. He was bound by honor to his family, as well, and could not risk denying the Aidou claim to the throne even in private conversation. All the same, she hadn't been friends with this man for so many years for nothing. She understood him at least that well.

"Good luck," he told her, patting her shoulder, signaling the end of their chat.

She winced out a smile, inhaling slowly and taking her first step down the hall. Behind her, she could hear Hanabusa's footsteps fading, leaving her alone. As her legs propelled her towards the door, towards the small dining chamber in which she and Kaname would be sharing a meal, she felt as though she was walking of her own volition towards her execution. The thought brought her a passing moment's respite of morbid amusement.

Yuki knew she could not keep her cousin waiting, however, and so she smoothed the folds of her airy pink gown and signaled for the guards standing to either side of the threshold to open the door without hesitation. As soon as she had stepped into the room, Kaname stood, a beautiful smile gracing his equally beautiful lips. Her own mouth responded robotically. All affection, all happiness she had felt previously for the lord had vanished now. In its place, she felt only a strangling suppression of duty and false pretenses.

Rather than face him immediately, the princess took a moment to appreciate the tasteful aesthetic of the chamber. The balcony doors had been thrown open, and the silken curtains trimmed in crimson fluttered in the refreshing breeze that passed through them. There was little decoration in the room itself, apart from the paintings of various important historical figures that watched passively from the walls. Although she and Kaname were making use of the space tonight, it was normally reserved for private meetings between council members. However, the servants had done a wonderful job of setting the atmosphere by adorning the table with roses and a handsome tablecloth, also trimmed in crimson, all lit by the soft flames of slender brass candles.

"Please, sit," her cousin gestured to the chair on the opposing side, which a servant proffered to her with a slight bow. She complied with another forced smile, to which Kaname said, "I'm pleased that we are able to meet like this."

"And I, as well," she murmured mechanically.

The meal had only just begun, but already she had switched to programmed answers, letting the lord steer the conversation where he wished. She kept her comments brief, though flowery, and focused the majority of her attention to the food, which was superb. The master chef of the palace had organized and arranged the entire event, starting with a light salad of tomato and egg and working its way towards the main course, which she knew would be roast pheasant recently caught today during the hunt some of the lords had engaged in earlier. Despite the exquisite flavor of the food, Yuki found that she had entirely lost her appetite.

"You seem troubled," her cousin's words jolted her out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry for any undue distress I've caused you. Please, do not fault me for my affections towards you."

"Oh, no, I don't… I couldn't…" she fumbled for a reply.

"I'm convinced that you must hate me," Kaname let one side of his mouth pull up in a woeful smile.

"I would never hate you," she replied quickly, alarmed. It was true that she didn't hate him. She felt pressured, panicked to make a choice, but hatred had never crossed her mind. Or was this merely a manipulation? Her head was spinning.

"Then prove it to me." He reached across the table to take her hand gently. "Let us promise to wed, so that I can be sure of our mutual affections. We needn't marry immediately. I only want to return home with my heart at ease, to know that you won't slip away from me when I've only just found you."

Her heart began to flutter franticly, desperately demanding release from her chest. She had hoped that the conversation would not once more turn to this; at the very least she hadn't expected it so soon. The room was spinning. If she married this man, would her every day become a never-ending theatrical performance, a dance to which she could scarcely invent steps before the next was necessitated?

"Dearest cousin," she began carefully, examining her plate as she gathered her thoughts before returning her gaze to his face, "If I had to give an answer now, being honest with myself, I would have to decline… I'm afraid I'm still nothing more than a child. The custom is longer courtship, is it not? In time, we could visit one another, gradually learn more about each other, and then… Then I could reach a decision that would give me peace and satisfaction. I don't want to be impulsive in such an important matter. There is not only the kingdom to think of, but also myself." She knew she was being selfish. She knew that, yet she couldn't stop herself. The words were out of her mouth before she realized she was uttering them, echoed with a purple flash across her mind like a burst of lightning. If they waited, even just a short time longer, she would be able to spend more tranquil days with her knights… She would be able to breathe freely, even if only for a while longer…

The brown eyes across the table abruptly plummeted to black. A cold smile touched his lips, though the mask of gentility remained intact. "Princess, I'm afraid I do not have the luxury of time that you speak of. I didn't want to put more undue pressure on you, but I'm not growing younger, and the nobles in my own court are becoming…anxious. They desire for me to choose a bride very soon. I had not put much consideration into marrying you before I came, I'll admit, but after meeting you… Truly, you are the only woman I wish to call wife. I beg of you, please grant me this so that I may return home in happiness instead of grief…"

"My Lord, if you can but delay them a while longer…" She swallowed, fighting to keep her hand from shaking within his grasp.

"I cannot. I need your answer now, or it will be too late." His tone brooked no compromise.

Had the façade cracked, or was she merely afraid? Beneath his stunning features lurked a shadow, swimming there beneath his skin like a patch of rot. Her other hand clenched into a fist in her lap. How could she trade the comfort and bliss of her current life, of her close friendship with her knights, for a lie? If she married her cousin, her life would become nothing more than a farce, her love and her every smile pretended. No, she couldn't do it, she couldn't. She wouldn't.

Suddenly confident, she removed her hand from his grip. "Then, with all due respect, I must decline your offer. I'm terribly sorry. I hope you can find it within your heart to forgive me for this. And if you manage to find a way out of your situation, then perhaps we can discuss this matter again in the future." She permitted him a small smile. Before awaiting his reply, she stood and said without a trace of regret, "I'm terribly sorry. Please excuse me. I shall leave you for now so that you might have a moment to yourself."

With that, she exited the chamber without a backward glance. For the first time in days she was able to draw breath without feeling that crushing pressure sink into her bones.

A/N: Woop! Technically it's still Saturday so HA! I'm not late on the upload! So that's a good note to end on for now! The next chapter will be out the week after next. So, since I can publish the chapter any day of the week really, I just wanted to ask, what day do y'all prefer? Is there a day better than Wednesday? Just let me know and if the majority prefers a different day of the week or to move the chapter releases to a weekend, let me know! Personally, I prefer a weekday since I will probably be very busy on the weekends and I'm afraid to miss a chapter, but seriously I want to do what you guys prefer so be honest and let me know!

Also! Since you guys have to wait a while for the next chapter, I made a little video trailer type deal for the fic. It doesn't show all of the characters or even all of them equally and obviously their clothes and stuff isn't right but I hope you enjoy it anyway! You guys can find it on my YT channel earthlyxangelx2 or by adding /watch?v=WR2GFBRAAjU after the Youtube link...since I can't link anything on FF, which sucks! See y'all soon!