Csilla: I apologize for the delay... first I was able to get a job after losing my last, got food poisoning (will be writing a one-shot on it 'cause it was quite a good story), and now I have a really nasty cold.
Chapter Eleven: The Close Call
A half hour before seven, I opened the door to see Kimizuki stationed right outside, a sheathed sword hanging by his side. He immediately straightened himself before turning to greet me, "I've been ordered to escort you to the grand hall, Mikaela"
"Are all the candidates being escorted?" I glanced around to see several guards, all with sheathed swords hanging by their sides, posted every so often at the candidates' doors that were scattered down both sides of the corridor.
Kimizuki nodded his head slightly in response before he turned and began walking away, with me following in step. It was then that I noticed how every guard, we walked passed, straightened themselves before relaxing the moment they thought they were out of Kimizuki's sight. Curiosity piqued, "So are you a general or something? Everyone seems to be on pins and needles as we passed them," I asked him the moment we turned down a new corridor.
"Ignore them, they're all idiots that are afraid of something they don't want to understand and thus are pointless to bother with..." Before I could ask him what he meant, he stopped outside a pair of double doors, opened them in one fluid motion, and stepped inside.
I hurried after him, following him closely until I noticed this was the room they had brought us to the first day. My pace slowed as I made a mental note that aside from myself and Kimizuki, there was only a few other guard/candidate pairs already inside. I continued to peer around the room before my eyes landed on Yuu across the room, sitting beside an older raven that, without a doubt, was the king.
"If you'll excuse me for a moment," was the only warning I got from Kimizuki before he walked over to where Yuu and the king were seated. I watched as he bowed before the two then walked over to the person standing besides Yuu. A small brunet, who immediately smiled the moment Kimizuki was standing beside him.
"Mika," Akane's voice drew my attention away from the scene. There was a knowing smile tugging at her lips as she approached before standing beside me, whispering a low voice: "So how have you been? Has anyone else find out yet?"
I've known Akane long enough to know which question she preferred to have answered first: "Yuu-chan knows now," I replied in a low voice.
"Really? Now? And you're still here," I glared over at her, "Wow, I'm just surprised he didn't recognize you sooner. I mean, you two were best friends as kids, but then again you two haven't seen each other in years..." she trailed off and I was sure she was done so I moved my gaze back up to where Yuu sat, masked boredom etched into his features. There was a soft inhale beside me before Akane spoke up again: "Anyway I had my meeting with him the other day, do you want to know how it went?" She asked, her eyes soon drifting over to where Yuu sat.
I let my gaze travel back over as well as I muttered a quick 'sure', but only momentarily. Something shifting to my right drew my attention over to the new additions in the room: more guards and candidates arriving.
"After we talked a little about me, he asked about you… If anyone else saw what I did when the topic shifted over to you, every girl in here would hate you" Before I could ask Akane to clarify what she meant by that, she added in a playful tone: "His eyes, Mika. They went from that dull princely gaze he currently has to the one I remember from when we were all kids in less than a second..."
Our conversation ended there as the king rose to greet all of us, "I'm sure a lot of you would like to retire to your rooms very soon so I will make this quick, I've been informed that there is a liar among the candidates. One of you were mistaken and has yet to resolve this," all the heat left my body as he spoke and my mind raced with questions. I was careful, wasn't I? Did Yuu or Akane turn me in? No way! R-right?
The king nodded his head at the soldiers standing closest to him as I shut my eyes, I really didn't want to see the look on everyone's faces as they learned the truth about me. I didn't want to see the look on Yuu's face as he watched me being dragged away by the king's soldiers. I didn't want to be separated from him. Not yet. Oh god, not yet!
A rustling from across the room followed by a sharp inhale had grabbed my attention enough that I was watching as a tall figure with a ponytail was carried out. Whispers around me told me the person's name: Makoto Narumi.
From where I stood, even I could tell what it was that Makoto had kept hidden: she was actually a he. Like me. I have to admit I was in slight disbelief, I never expected someone else to have also been mistaken as a girl. It seemed a little surreal.
"I apologize for the inconvenience, now for those of you who haven't had the chance to have your personal meeting with the prince: the solders, whose care you've been placed in will inform you" As if on cue Kimizuki reappeared to my side, as Akane excused herself, and bent down slightly to whisper the time and date. Tomorrow afternoon.
While the king continued on, I felt something being placed in my hand. I glanced over to see Kimizuki offering a folded piece of paper, without needing to ask who it was from, he quietly explained: "His Highness asked me to give this to you,"
I discreetly unfolded the note to see 'you really should leave… that could have been you' scribbled in Yuu's handwriting. It was clear he was worried that the person the king was talking about was me – not that I could blame him, I thought it was me as well. I carefully folded the note back up before slipping it in my pocket, "Could you give the prince a message," Kimizuki sighed, "Just tell him 'no',"
"...fine..." We both turned our attention back onto the king, who had just finished his speech and was dismissing all of us.
[ - YUU - YUU - YUU - ]
Am I wrong not turning Mika in?
I mean, Guren would-
Actually I have no idea how he would react...
Wait, why am I even-?!
Wait, what?
Guren knows?! How the hell could idiot Guren know about Mika? Especially when I didn't even know about it until recently...
No wait... the stupid king is talking about someone else.
Thank god...
Csilla: I'm really glad everyone is enjoying this fanfiction~ THIS TIME KIMIZUKI IS GONNA HAVE A HAPPY(IER) ENDING! :3
