Chapter 10

Haruhi walked briskly down the corridors to Tamaki's bedroom. She burst inside to find the prince still in his drug-induced sleep. Mori and Honey were both present in the suite, and the child-like guard happily ate a small cake where he sat. Kyoya was preparing the prince's next dose of medicine.

She went straight up to Kyoya and ripped the medicine out of his grasp. "You can't give him this," she said firmly.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded as he took it back.

Mori stood from his place beside Honey. "Why not?" he asked.

The door opened to reveal the queen. Haruhi went straight to the prince's bedside. "You can't give him anymore of that medicine," Haruhi repeated.

The queen furrowed her eyebrows. "Mori, retrieve my personal guards from outside the door, please."

He went immediately while Haruhi glared protectively at her friend's soon-to-be murderer. Two large men re-entered with Mori and the queen commanded, "Take her somewhere she won't disturb anyone. The prince needs his medicine, and I won't allow a guest to jeopardize his health this way. I'll join you in a moment."

As the guards advanced on Haruhi, she attempted to outmaneuver them several times. She leapt over the prince and the bed to the opposite side to buy herself time to retreat to another corner of the room. The guards advanced and she backed her way around the room rapidly, steps light as feathers. She would not turn her back on these men if she had a choice. While her thievery skills from food-gathering on the streets allowed her to dodge them a few times, the unfamiliar layout of the room caused her to trip over a small table and, consequently, be caught. She decided to plead with Mori, Honey, and Kyoya while she struggled in the men's grasps as they escorted her out. If anyone would listen, they would.

"Listen to me! If you give him anymore of that, he'll die! It's what killed his mother! Please," she pled.

Kyoya listened, but he did nothing. He could do nothing against the queen. What she said intrigued him, though. Accusations like those had to have some basis. After all, there's always a little truth to a lie, right?

The queen eyed Kyoya sternly for a moment before smiling thinly. "She's even more spirited than her cousin Renge, isn't she?"

He smiled and made a brief hum to resemble a chuckle as he nodded. "If you would like to turn in for the night, your majesty, we will give the prince his medicine for you."

She eyed the container of medicine first before nodding. "Thank you," she said, "Good-night, gentlemen." The woman left the room and closed the door behind her quietly.

Instead of retiring to her bedroom for the evening, she went to the solitary dungeon located several floors below the palace where her guards waited with Haruhi. "Haruhi Fujioka," she stated slowly with enunciation. "I knew you would be trouble."

Through her glaring, Haruhi asked, "How do you know my name?"

"I read a newspaper several years ago with your picture in it when your mother died. Likewise, your disgusting father dropped a picture of you when he was placed in his cell. I never forget a face."

"My dad is not disgusting," Haruhi spat.

The woman sneered, "Indeed…" She sighed dramatically. "It's just such a tragedy for poor little Tamaki, though."

Haruhi raised an eyebrow.

The queen continued her dramatic manner of speech. "He'll be just heartbroken to find out the girl he was falling in love with was trying to trick him to take control of the kingdom. Your father even worked with terrorists to try to overthrow the royal family! Oh, I wonder how he will feel about that!"

"What? My dad never--!"

"And when he learns you attempted to kill him by not allowing us to give him his medicine--"

"You're killing him!"

"—his poor heart will just break into pieces!" She smiled with a sick chuckle. "Well, if he ever wakes up, anyway."

Haruhi paled but continued to glare. "You would kill your own nephew? I don't know what kind of relationship you had with your sister, but Tamaki couldn't have done anything so bad that--"

"That is none of your business," she spat. The queen calmed into a smile and signaled her guards to follow. She led the three to go to another solitary cell farther underneath the palace. She indicated to a door.

"This is the water supply for the fountain and pond for the garden. It is also where the excess water from rain goes so they don't overflow. It fills up surprisingly quickly," the queen said. She opened the door to reveal a ladder that went nearly fifty feet down to the surface of the water. Chains were attached to the stone wall just above the water's surface by barely a foot.

The queen turned to her guards and smirked. "This looks comfortable enough for her," she declared. Her smirk widened into a smile when she saw Haruhi's jaw drop in horror.

Haruhi didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to swim.

Kyoya opened the curtains in the prince's suite. After adjusting his glasses, he went to Tamaki's bedside to check his present condition. The boy appeared to be breathing easier and in a peaceful sleep. He pondered again what Haruhi said the previous night. Could she be right?

The queen walked in unannounced. "How is he?" she asked when she saw Kyoya. Mori and Honey were absent, squeezing in some early-morning training since the prince had not yet awakened.

"He's still out and there's no sign he's in any serious distress at the moment," he replied professionally, "Overall I would say he's stable, but he could still go either way."

He crossed his arms leisurely, hooking his hands around his elbows securely. "You look tired this morning, your grace. Why don't you go to breakfast? You have been working yourself much too hard lately. I will give Prince Tamaki his medicine again for you."

"How thoughtful of you," she answered. She raised one hand over her mouth, stifling a yawn. "I appreciate the help, thank you." The queen watched him withdraw the medicine from his pocket before she left the room.

Once he was sure she was gone, Kyoya retreated to the restroom. He concluded that he was unsure if the lack of medicine was helping, but it definitely wasn't hurting him. Unlike the night before, he dumped the entire container's contents in the toilet rather than just one dose. He pulled out another container of placebo tablets and put them in Tamaki's medicine container. They looked exactly the same.

He flushed the toilet and returned to the main area in order to settle on the small couch. He waited several hours there in silence even when Mori and Honey returned. By noon, Tamaki finally stirred and opened his eyes groggily. Kyoya watched while the prince scanned the room slowly, likely not seeing half of what he looked at.

When he sat up in bed, Kyoya stood to greet him. "Good morning, your majesty. How are you feeling?"

He brushed his hair out of his face, still gathering his bearings. "Kyoya?" he asked. Tamaki looked around the room again, his memories floating back to him slowly. "What happened? How long have I been asleep?" he asked slowly.

"You had another episode," the advisor replied, "You have been asleep since yesterday morning."

"That long?" He swung his legs over the side of the bed, and he began to rub at his bandaged neck absently to examine the injuries. "Bring me some clothes, would you?"

"You should stay in bed today and rest," Kyoya advised. Nonetheless he gathered a set of clothes for the prince. He gripped Tamaki's upper arm to pull him to his feet since the lack of movement had weakened his muscles. Once he was sure Tamaki's balance was secure, Kyoya handed him the clothes.

"Thank you," the prince said. "Could you tell the kitchen I would like three hard-boiled eggs with toast? I also would like Haruhi to see me immediately; I have to discuss things with her."

Kyoya nodded and left the room with Honey and Mori so Tamaki could change clothes. The young bodyguards remained outside the door while Kyoya followed orders. When he returned, Nekozawa and the head doctor were examining Tamaki's health again. The prince seemed displeased Kyoya returned alone.

"Where is Haruhi?" he demanded.

"No one has seen her this morning," Kyoya replied, "and she isn't in her room."

"What?" Tamaki momentarily forgot the doctor was listening to his heartbeat and took a few steps toward his advisor. "Who saw her last? Did she say anything yesterday?"

"I believe the queen saw her last," he answered. "She was behaving strangely so the queen talked privately with her."

All eyes—except for Nekozawa's—turned to the door as the queen entered. She looked around the room, smiling when she saw her nephew. "Tamaki, you had us all worried," she declared, "Your father has been worried sick!"

He wasn't so cheery. "What did you say to Lady Haruhi?"

Her smile faded. "Why don't you sit down?" She cast a brief glance to the doctor that told him to pause his examination and move to the side of the room to "review his findings thus far." Queen and prince sat on the bedside.

She brushed Tamaki's hair gently to one side like a mother to her baby. "I don't know how to tell you this, dear, but Haruhi isn't who you thought she was."

At first, he thought she was simply meaning she knew Haruhi wasn't Renge's cousin. The expression on her face told him there was more to the story. He decided to stick to his story of having no possible idea what she could be talking about. "What do you mean?"

"Her father and her work with a group of terrorists that are trying to overthrow the royal family. Last night she tried to kill you by not allowing us to give you your medicine."

He suddenly felt like he had been kicked in the stomach. Haruhi lied to him? "What? There must be some mistake! She would never do something like that!" His mind raced with all sorts of explanations of the story. Maybe something was said that was misinterpreted or blown out of proportion? Or maybe…

"Let me speak with her. Immediately," Tamaki commanded.

She took his hands in hers. "She's not in the castle, Tamaki."

"Well, where is she, then?" he demanded.

"I told her I wouldn't put her in jail if she left right away, so she did."

He felt his body go numb. "How…?"

"I'm sorry," she sympathized with another stroke of his hair, "Some people just aren't who they seem to be."

Tamaki said nothing and continued to be in complete confusion and disbelief. She patted his hands and stood. "Try not to think about her and rest," she advised. "I have some matters to attend." She turned swiftly and left the room.

He continued to think in silence. Without looking up from his hands, Tamaki asked Nekozawa, "Has she left the city walls?"

"No," he replied.

Tamaki tried to think where Haruhi would go after leaving the castle. A gentle hand touched his arm and he saw it was the familiar young form of his mother. She didn't need to speak for Tamaki to reach his conclusion. "The twins," he muttered.

He stood quickly. "Mori! Honey!" he announced, "Meet me in the garden after I've finished my breakfast."

"What for?" Honey asked innocently.

Tamaki thought a moment about how to phrase his response. "I need to… take a little walk."