Just a note... I don't really remember Renge all that well so she may come out a bit OOC...
Kyouya
After Father had told me that I was going to marry Lady Renge I knew there was no way to persuade him otherwise.
I met with her the following week and quite a few more times after that. Lady Renge was—rather she still is—a nice and calm girl but there were a few times when something would upset her and her seemingly sweet smile turned into a merciless scowl. It was a little startling at first but the next moment she was back to her old self. She was a peculiar girl and one that I wouldn't allow myself to get too close to.
Lady Renge had invited me to her father's estate for the day. I had been to her home three times, this being my third. She said there was someone she wanted to introduce me to—a friend who was having their first visit to the Southern Kingdom. I didn't necessarily want to meet her friends and have more people's feelings added to the guilt I was already bearing. And I think it was because of that guilt of using Lady Renge, I didn't have it in me to say no to her.
"Kyouya!" Lady Renge ran over to me, clinging onto my arm once I approached the front door. "I'm so happy to see you. My friend got here not too long ago and is waiting in the backyard."
Before I even had time to say 'hello' to her, she was already pulling me into the house. There was no doubt that she was a bit headstrong. Even now, my father thinks she is a little too forward but since she isn't exactly as high in status as we are it's okay for her to behave differently. From the first moment we met, she had only ever called me 'Kyouya.' Both of our fathers were upset at her mindlessness in addressing me that way but she only gave them questionable looks. "I'm going to marry Kyouya anyway. I don't see the problem in addressing him by only his name now."
She made a good point but it still made me feel bad because I didn't want to marry her.
Lady Renge walked through the house and straight to the backyard. It was a spacious yard. Almost like a nice farm but with more flowers and decorations for that upper class feel. Lady Renge, still holding onto my arm, scanned the area with her free hand over her eyes to block the sun's rays. When she spotted her friend she shouted a gleeful "there she is!" and pulled on me again. I still had no idea who this friend was but it wasn't long before we approached the back of a young woman. She wore a light flow-y lilac colored sun dress that reached to just above her knees, white one inch strapped heels and she was carrying a white parasol. It was only after she had turned around that I got a look at her face... and my heart nearly leapt out of chest.
"Kyouya, I'm sure you've heard of her." Renge smiled as she gestured to the woman to her right. "This is Haruhi! Princess of the Northern Kingdom."
Looking at Haruhi, being here in the kingdom I was nearly ashamed to have her see, I couldn't believe she was here before me and it was obvious she had similar feelings if not the same.
"Haruhi," Renge continued, "This is Kyouya the Prince of-"
"The Southern Kingdom." Haruhi finished for her, speaking with a slow elegant tone. The look of shock was still visible in her eyes but I could tell she was fighting to not let it show. "I know," She said softly, "we've met."
Then suddenly, as if lightning had struck down of her, Haruhi looked at Renge with a look of fear that melded together with her shock. "Lady Renge... when you said you wanted to introduce me to your fiancé, you mean to say..." She trailed off, her finger hanging loosely pointing at me.
I looked down at Renge. She nodded her head with her smile so bright. "Mhm. Kyouya and I are getting married. Isn't that exciting?" She looked up at me then back at Haruhi. "So how did the two of you meet?"
The both of us were hesitant to reply. We both knew Lady Renge had no idea of the kind of past we shared together. I stared at Haruhi, watching her mouth and just as she opened it to respond, I jumped in. "The first time we met was at Princess Haruhi's eighteenth birthday."
As I glanced back at Haruhi, the expression on her face was still that of disbelief, maybe even more so than before as a result from what I said. Our stares never wavered for the second that felt like eternity and I had almost forgotten that Renge was still hanging on to my arm.
"You were there that night?" Renge started to speak slowly, as if she were aware of the lie that I had just told. "I can't believe that I didn't see you!" Her attitude perked back up in a instant.
"Lady Renge!" The three of us turned our heads in the direction of where the voice was coming from. An older woman was standing at the door in the shade of the house. She called Renge's name once more.
"Oh phooey." Renge said with displeasure. "I'll be right there!" She turned to us and apologized. "I'll be right back so don't go anywhere. Either of you." She demanded with a smile.
When she left the two of us alone, I found that despite the want and need to talk with Haruhi, I couldn't bring myself to speak up. We stayed silent, me standing in the sunshine while Haruhi twirled her parasol between her thumb and forefingers.
"So... you're marrying Lady Renge?" Haruhi had turned her back to me when I wasn't looking.
I slid a hand into my pants pocket while I adjusted my glasses with the other. "My father arranged the marriage about two weeks ago." I paused and thought about Lady Renge and the short times that we spent together. "Lady Renge is... she's a nice girl" were the only words that came to mind to express how I thought and felt about her. Nothing more, nothing less.
Haruhi didn't turn around to face me and I didn't want to make her. What was really bugging me though was that I wanted to know what she was thinking but without asking, I would never get the chance. Just when the tension between us couldn't become any more suffocating, Renge had finally showed up again. I was amazed that I felt relieved in having her presence with us.
Haruhi had politely asked Renge if anything was wrong, bringing her under the parasol as well to shield them from the sun. They talked some and then Renge brought me into their conversation. I didn't say anything unless Renge asked me something. After a while, Renge brought gave Haruhi a tour of her house once we walked back inside. Haruhi tried to keep her focus concentration on Renge but I caught a couple of her glances as we walked throughout the estate.
About thirty minutes into Renge's tour, Haruhi seemed to be more comfortable with my being there. Or maybe she had forgotten I was around. Once her gaze stopped at me for a short second, she would quickly turn away and revert back to stuttering her sentences.
We had finally made it into the living area of the house when Renge looked at me, annoyance and worry riddled over her face. "Kyouya, you've been so quiet. Is something wrong?" Renge tugged at my suit jacket.
I smiled at her. "Nothing is wrong. I'm just suddenly tired."
"For the past thirty minutes? Don't lie." She slightly teased.
"Ah, I'm sorry to interrupt you all." Another voice came from the entrance to the living area.
"Emilio? What... are you doing here?" I asked him.
Emilio bowed to me. "His Majesty sent me here. He requests your return home." He turned to Renge, "His Majesty would also like to send his apologies for taking Prince Kyouya on such short notice."
"I see. Well, it's alright." Renge walked over to Haruhi's side and smiled. "I have Princess Haruhi to keep me company."
Emilio simply nodded his head although he seemed surprised that she was here. I walked over to Renge and took her hand in mine, bringing it up towards my lips. When I let go, I straightened my back and said goodbye to them. Emilio escorted me outside and just as we exited, a black car adorned with the flags from the Northern Kingdom drove up to the entrance. The gates opened and the car pulled up into the front of the house.
"Prince Kyouya, we must go." Emilio had the door to the carriage open. I paused for a moment while I watched the driver walk out of the car then I stepped up into the carriage.
Expecting that I was alone, my heart nearly stopped at the sight of my father sitting on the other side of me. He didn't say anything—the look on his face was enough to show what he was thinking as he turned to me from looking out the window. "What is the Princess doing here?"
I was hesitant to respond. What would Father do after knowing the daughter of whom he despises to no ends, was doing here in our kingdom? Our home? "She was visiting Lady Renge," I told him.
Father didn't say anything to me. But I could tell he was thinking about something.
The door to the carriage closed and soon we were heading back to the palace.
Hey everyone! So I'm pretty sure I have planned out the rest of the story. I just hope it doesn't seem too rushed. Anyway, I would like to give credit to xxXDreamFan98Xxx for helping me with ideas on how to write the rest of my story! Thank you all for reading and hope to see you soon. :)
~Bliss
