Castles in the Air

Every cloud has a silver lining

Author: Kanata Saionji

Genre: Romance/Drama/Fantasy

Summary:

Season III is finally here! It's December—the month of snow and the King's birthday. The interns are appearing for their final exams, the results of which mark the end and beginning of many things. The Royal couple—Kanata and Miyu Saionji—are getting closer day by day forgetting their differences and almost a couple already. But… what's this…? A finale without a twist…? That is so not happening… Wait and read the final season of "Castles in the Air" and see if the golden couple finally will end up together… or not…

Disclaimer: The characters belong solely to whosoever created them. But "castles in the air" belongs to the author in the general pattern. Thank you.

Dedication:

I would like to dedicate this chapter to this special girl who inspired me for this chapter. The following chapter would be sadder than it was originally intended mainly because of her… because of the fact that I might not be able to see her often again…

If you're reading this, you should know that this is for you…. I'll miss you a lot…

Story…

'Mizuki…' she gasped.

'Miyu…' he said warmly with a smile, 'I heard the big news… congrats…'

'Thanks…' she said with a cheerful smile, 'when did you come back…?'

'Just some time ago…' he informed with a smile, 'I had to return… I wanted to tell you something…'

'What is it…?' asked Miyu, raising her eyebrows.

Mizuki got hold of her hand lightly and said, 'I love you, Miyu…'

Miyu's heart almost stopped.

'I've been in love with you all along…' he continued, 'I didn't tell you earlier because I wanted you to fulfill your dreams…'

'Mizuki… I…' she stuttered.

Before she could finish Mizuki hugged her lightly and she felt herself go red. She never knew that the day would come when Mizuki expressed his undying love for her. What was she to do…? Mizuki was the first guy that she ever liked… but…

Miyu withdrew and with a smile said to Mizuki, 'I like you a lot too Mizuki…'

Episode 28

Kanata and Miyu Saionji

Mizuki took a step back and asked with a raised eyebrow, 'Like…?'

Miyu smiled and said with a cheerful air about her, 'Yes Mizuki… I really do like you… a lot…'

'But… Miyu…' stuttered Mizuki frowning.

'I'm sorry I was not able to say "I love you too…",' said Miyu with a sad smile playing across her lips, 'and I don't think I ever can… maybe if you had told me this earlier I would have but now…'

'But now,' said Mizuki a similar smile across his lips, 'But now, there's Kanata, right…?'

Miyu gave him a small smile and nodding her head said with patches of crimson decorating her cheeks, 'you were right Mizuki… Kanata is way too good… and a year is way too long a time… I was bound to fall for him eventually…'

Mizuki cleared his throat lightly and asked with a slight quiver in his voice, 'when did this actually happen..?'

'I guess…' started Miyu looking sideways at the walls, but not really seeing it as in her mind's eye, she was looking at the brunet who haunted her thoughts ever second, 'I guess with the little of things…' she turned to look into Mizuki again and said with uncontrollable happiness, 'from his immature attitude to his cocky nature... everything about that idiot made me fall for him…'

Mizuki smiled as he saw Miyu's emerald eyes gleam with unmasked love for the auburn eyed King.

'He's always puts other's safety before his own…,' continued Miyu walking over to the window in the corridor and with a chuckle added, 'I should know… I experienced it first hand, after all…'

She opened the window and the cold night's breeze swept over her, making her blonde hair lift up a few inches. She closed her eyes lightly, her hands still grasping the ends of the window.

Mizuki's eyes softened as he saw the blonde standing there, looking beautiful with a small smile playing across her lips—a smile he was sure he could never have directed towards him—a smile filled with love for a guy who deserved her.

Miyu opened her eyes lightly and then said with a smile, looking up at the night sky, 'he is cold at sight but… there is a beautiful and comfortable warmth beneath all that ice…'

'I know…' muttered Mizuki, with a smile that was half-way between happiness and despair.

Miyu dropped her hands from the window and placing them lightly on the window-sill looked down at the dark gardens below, 'this one year had been like a fairytale, Mizuki… there were a lot of tears, laughter, warmth, despair and… love…'

She took in a deep breath, closing her eyes and then opening them again, turned to Mizuki and said with a determined sort of voice, 'I'm really sorry Mizuki… But Kanata's the best thing that ever happened to me… and I don't plan to leave him… ever…'

Mizuki gave her a warm smile and said, 'actually, I can't say I'm surprised… I think I was almost expecting all of these from you…'

Miyu smiled at him.

'I guess you are going to tell Kanata how you feel about him…?'

'Yeah…' she replied cheerfully, a little crimson around her cheeks.

'I'm sure he feels the same way…' said Mizuki, tilting his head lightly with a smile.

'Only one way to find out…' said Miyu smiling and with a small nod, turned to leave.

She hadn't taken one step when Mizuki called her back.

'What is it, Mizuki…?' she asked, turning to look at him curiously.

'Well…' he said and then looking into her emerald eyes with a serious look in his asked, 'what if you are given a choice between Kanata and being a Minister, Miyu…? What would you rather give up…?'

Miyu's heart almost stopped but she then looking determinedly into his eyes said with a smile, 'the ministry of course…'

'But…' he asked, frowning, 'it's been your dream for years… and you know Kanata just for a year now…'

'Because Mizuki,' she said, 'the reason I wanted to become an Internal Affairs Minister was because I wanted to help the people to live a better life…'

She paused and then said with her emerald orbs filled with warmth, 'but I'm sure that they'll lead a better life without me because they have a wonderful King… a King who really cares about them… and just able to be by his side forever is much better than anything else… I love him and the Kingdom loves him even more…'

'Good luck then…' he said after a minute of giving her a calculating look.

She gave him another nod and left the corridor and traced her steps the usual route to the King's Study, her heart beating so fast with excitement of what she was going to do. Her mind fluttered with memoirs with him and she couldn't help but smile at the fact that for the first time in her life, she had really fallen for someone—for real.

Before she knew it, she was standing outside Kanata's study, catching her breath.

'We heard about your success Your Highness,' said one of the guards stationed outside the door to Kanata's study, 'congratulations…'

The other guard gave Miyu a smile that indicated that he agreed with the former.

Miyu gave both a cheerful smile (well, she couldn't stop from smiling), and asked, 'the King is in, I presume…?'

'Yes Your Highness,' said the guards, bowing.

Miyu took in a deep breath as excitement filled her heart again as she realized what she was about to do. She lifted her right hand and her knuckles inches away from the door, she closed her eyes.

With a resolute look in her emerald eyes, she knocked softly on the mahogany door.

There was silence.

'Come in,' called a muffled voice, she recognized at once as the Brunet King. But it sounded sort of strained as though he was suffering from a head cold or something.

She opened the door with a cheerful smile but it dropped a little as she faced the dark room. She was a little surprised at the darkness that enveloped the room. There was only one light in the entire room—the small table-lamp on the Table, laden with an assortment of official looking papers and some books.

Kanata looked up lightly as Miyu entered the room. He shifted his gaze at once to the paper that occupied the middle of the desk, right before him.

'What are you doing in the dark…?' asked Miyu, with a smile as she closed the door behind her, blocking out the light that streamed in from the well-lit corridor outside.

Instead of replying to her query, he said, not looking up at her, 'congratulations on getting into the ministry…'

Miyu frowned. There was something different in that tone of his. It sounded nothing like the Kanata she knew. Something was wrong and she knew it…

'Kanata…' she started but he cut-across.

'I got it passed this morning,' he said and pushed the paper in front of him to the latter end of his table, 'It just needs your sign…'

Miyu frowned and walked towards the table to see what he was talking about. She bent a little forward and from the light of the table-lamp, she studied the contents of the official looking paper.

Her emerald orbs widened in surprise. She looked at the brunet and a tear escaped her eyes in shock.

'You passed it… the pact for our annulment…?' she asked, with a quiver in her voice and a slight shade of hope that he'd reply in negative.

He prodded the ends of the table and firmly avoiding her teary gaze replied, 'yeah… I passed it earlier than intended…' with a smile added, 'seeing my good performance as a King, Tezuka said I was qualified to pass this earlier than New Year…'

'Kanata…' she gasped, tears ready to break free from her orbs.

He remained silent. If it weren't for the partial darkness, Miyu would have been able to make out the teary shade in his sharp auburn eyes.

Miyu closed her eyes. She felt as though the Earth beneath her feet were slipping away. She felt suddenly empty which was weird seeing as she was just filled with too much to contain a few minutes ago.

She opened her eyes as she suddenly realized something. He never snapped back when she called his name. Not again, she thought. Everything was going bad again.

She bit her lips slightly and then, taking a deep breath asked, 'do…' he looked up a fraction of a second, 'do you… do you want me to sign it…?'

There was silence. The darkness of the room enveloped the two as a cool breeze passed between them as the night air entered the room through the open window.

Finally, Kanata opened his mouth. But it was not an answer to her question.

'Funny…' he said with a sad chuckled, 'I remember me asking you a similar question one day…'

Miyu frowned a little. Then, her emerald orbs opened wide as she remembered what he was talking about.

'Would you be okay if I get married to her…?'

'You wanted me to do something Miyu…' his soft and broken voice brought her back to reality as tears threatened to flow down her soft cheeks, 'and I guess for that, this is necessary…'

'So, yo-you should really marry her after we get separated this De-December…'

She bent a little and in fury, pulled out the quill on the stand. She dipped it in ink and placed it inches before the point where she was required to sign. He could hear her heart beating in her throat.

She could feel his gaze on her back. She glanced about the paper and her eyes fell upon his signature. She sniffed and a single tear feel right on top of his signature. She pulled herself together and started signing.

Miyu Sa—

She stopped wondering whether to go on. She didn't know what to do. Everything went blank for a second. She could feel her heart breaking and her eyes hazy from all the tears that were welling up. She could feel her leg shaking a little and her entire system breaking down.

'Kanata's the best thing that ever happened to me… and I don't plan to leave him… ever…'

'I never thought he would…' she thought as she closed her eyes tightly, trying in vain to forget that she loved him… trying to forget that she was heads over heels in love with him.

'If he wants this… I should give it to him...' she thought, 'after all… this is the first thing that he has ever asked me…'

She opened her eyes again and finished her signature.

ionji

She stood up straight and fighting back tears looked right into Kanata's eyes and said before he could turn away, 'I'm done…'

He nodded lightly and said, 'I guess that's it… a carriage is ready for you at the entrance… I'll send your stuff through tomorrow…'

Miyu bit her lip preventing herself from crying out loud at the thought that he was kicking her out. But she didn't mind. She needed her Mother's Lap right now. So, she nodded as well and turned to leave. She reached to the handle of the door, tears almost leaving her eyes.

'One minute Miyu…' he called suddenly.

Miyu stopped by instinct. If it had been her mind that had been in control, she would've left but her heart still was unable to move away from him for it belonged to him—whether he likes it or not.

But, she didn't turn. She sensed him move away from the table. She was able to feel his presence right behind her. She closed her eyes.

'I…' he started, trying to find the right words, 'I… I would be needing the ring back…'

Miyu's eyes shot open and a tear flowed down in agony. A sudden fury filled her entire system. His negligence towards her emotions was driving her to anger. She turned towards him, staring right into his auburn orbs, her eyes flaring up in anger and then with tears still flowing down her cheek, she tried to remove her Wedding Ring from her finger.

But unbelievably, it never budged. She pulled with anger and despair but it never moved away. It never came out.

In all her anger, she shouted at the brunet, 'Your the one who put it through… you take it out yourself!'

She extended her right hand towards him, her eyes filled with a lot of emotions.

Kanata looked at her stunned for a few seconds and then taking a huge breath, first grabbed her right hand gently with his left. Miyu felt a pulse and sensed her heart start beating at an enormous speed. He then, with his right hand, gently tried to pry away the wedding ring—which nearly a year ago, he had put through her finger in the midst of plenty.

'Now ends our marriage… now ends "us" Kanata…' thought Miyu as he tried to pull out the ring.

After an entire one minute, he retrieved both his hands from hers but Miyu could still feel the ring intact on her ring-finger.

'I'll just get it back later…' he murmured.

Miyu nodded lightly and turned. She took a deep breath and opened the door and left—with the door still open-wide. The two guards stared in surprise as they saw the blonde run out of the room, her face filled with tears.

They turned just in time to see the brunet King close the door with a snap.

~castles in the air~

Miyu ran the length of the entire way to the entrance. She had bumped into quite a lot of people on her way but never stopped once. She was unable to hear anything right. Everything around her was a blur. Her tears were shedding so bad that it was even a wonder how she had made it right to the entrance without falling over or getting lost.

As promised, the carriage was waiting to take her back to where she came from—the Kouzuki Mansion. She sniffed and got into the carriage. The driver got on as well as he saw the blonde get in.

'Kouzuki Mansion,' she said through her tears.

And the carriage took off. She couldn't even dare to look back at the castle as the carriage moved out through the gates. She clutched her hands together on her lap and tightened them just as she did with her emerald orbs. Tears flowed down freely and she knew that she could not stop them…

What could have been the best day of her life turned up side down and she could think of no other worse day to match this one.

She sniffed and then opening her eye lids small enough to make out er teary emerald orbs, she whispered, 'I hate you Kanata…'

~castles in the air~

One pair of auburn eyes contracted as they followed a particular carriage as it rattled out through the gates of the main castle.

Kanata closed the curtains to the window in his study that opened out to the main entrance and closing his eyes, touched the frame of the window with his forehead. A single drop of tear escaped his closed eyes and it made its way slowly down his handsome face.

'I love you Miyu…' he whispered, with his eyes tight clenched and his hands on the window-sill with a tear rolling down his cheek.

The Grandfather Clock in the study chimed nine-oh-clock. Usually, it meant that he would have to leave the study or wherever he was and make his way to their room… no… his room.

But today… but today it was different.

Kanata opened his eyes and extending his right thumb up to his face, brushed away the tear. Then, gulping lightly, he made his way back to the table. He hadn't taken one step when the door burst open with a bang.

For one wild moment, he thought it might be Miyu. But—

'Akira…!' gasped the brunet in a croaky voice.

'Kanata SAIONJI!' shouted the raven haired with all the anger she could muster, 'WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?'

Kanata, rather than retorting, gave her a smile. Akira was a little taken aback but that did not stop the angry azure-eyed teenager.

'I just dropped by when I bumped into Miyu in the main entrance… Kanata, why is Miyu leaving…?' asked Akira, her voice a little controlled but her anger not any less.

Kanata walked up to her and then he walked right past her and closed the door. He made his way back in front of her and gave her another strained smile.

'It's nice to see you back Akira…' he said, smiling.

Akira, who had known him all her life, knew better than to trust that stupid smile of his. But she couldn't stop herself from getting dazzled by that ever-so-rare smile of his.

'Kanata… please… wh-why did Miyu leave…?' she asked, pleading.

'Because…' he started and then unable to continue, he suddenly said with an even wider smile, 'because… you and I are getting together, remember…?'

'What…?' gasped Akira, unable to register what he had just said.

He flashed her, another smile, with his eyes closed and said, 'did you forget already…? I was supposed to get married to you, remember…?'

'Kanata…' she shuddered, her heart freezing up, 'please… Stop joking..!'

'Why would I want to do that…?' he asked, with another smile.

But, how many ever times Akira told herself that that smile was not what it seemed and it must be pain inside him to smile at her like that, she couldn't help but feel… or ever hope that for once it was genuine and it was directed to her.

'Kanata… you're serious…'

It was not a question.

He obviously knew that for he gave her another acknowledging smile.

'Why, Kanata…?' she asked, painfully.

He smiled and said, 'because this is how it was meant to be… from the beginning…'

A tear dropped down her cheek as she saw her friend standing before her, enduring hell for no apparent reason.

Akira closed her eyes, trying to digest what was happening at the moment. She didn't know whether this was real at all. It had always been her dream to be with Kanata. Now, that dream is voluntarily coming to be taken by her. But somehow, she felt sad. Somehow, this seemed not right.

'Akira…?'

His broken voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up questioningly, trying very hard to hide the feeling of hope from her façade.

'Ca-can I get a hug…?' he pleaded, his auburn orbs inches away from breaking down with tears.

Akira bit her lip as tears flowed down her cheeks freely. She nodded lightly and the brunet took a step forward and embraced her gently. An amazing tenderness enveloped her in the partial darkness—a tenderness, she had never experienced with Kanata before.

It was as though he had returned back to the stubborn twelve-year-old again. She closed her eyes tight, thinking.

~castles in the air~

'This is ridiculous!' exclaimed Mikan furiously as she dropped the morning newspaper on the Internal Affairs Minister's table.

Tezuka looked up lightly from his desk. He glanced up at the Literature Minister and then shifted his gaze to the paper she had slammed on his table across all his other works.

{Saionji Kingdom}

{THE DAILY NEWSMAN}

The King and The Queen Annulled?

Reports from many parts of the town indicate that the Queen of our Saionji Kingdom, Miyu Kanata Saionji, was found to have left the castle at twilight yesterday. The seventeen-year-old Queen, daughter of the mot successful business couple, Yuu-Miki Kouzuki, had been married to the King Kanata Hosho Saionji for a year now. They had been one of the most beautiful, picturesque Royal Couples that the Saionji Kingdom has seen for decades. Known for their disagreements and frequent quarrels, the couple had been in bad terms all through the year. But there had been times when they had showed real romance and love—like at the Ball at the Hanakamachi Mansion and at the Ball at the castle itself…

Inside source has provided us with exclusive information that the couple have separated for good. The Deeper we dig, the more disturbing it gets. The King has scheduled a wedding with his child-hood sweat-heart, Akira Kenshi Kijoyu, in three days—on the day of his eighteenth birthday.

And it will be years before everybody forgets that exactly a year ago, he had married Miyu Yuu Kouzuki. Unless, our King has a real reason and ready to tell us why this sudden changes, we are just to hypothesize that he is on the verge of getting married every year on his birthday.

For more information on the King and his Accomplishments—Page 3

Why? When? How did the two divide…?—Page 5

Akira Kenshi Kijoyu... Possible Witch…?—Page 6

Kanata and Miyu Saionji… possible get back…?—Page 8

{Saionji Kingdom}

Tezuka went through the entire paper before making any comment. Mikan tapped her feet impatiently wanting him to finish it soon. But she didn't like the look on Tezuka's face one bit. It was not anger, like she felt. Not despair… or ever concern… it was indifference—as though he knew this would happen.

He finally put down the paper and looked up at Mikan through his spectacles.

'Come on Tezuka…!' she exclaimed, 'we have to teach that brat some sense…'

'What…?' asked Tezuka, surprised.

'What do you mean what…?' asked Mikan, disbelievingly, 'did you even read the paper…'

'Yes…' said Tezuka clearly, 'he obviously is making his own decisions… we can't do anything direct about that… he's the King… not us…'

'But Tezuka…' started Mikan, obviously torn between hurt and anger, 'what about Miyu…?

'I said we can't do anything direct…' he pointed out, his nose back into the paper.

'What do you mean…?' Mikan frowned.

Tezuka merely gave her a small smirk.

End Episode 28

A/N: *sigh* Finally, my examinations are over. But that doesn't officially mean that I can be cheerful… I really need all the sadness I could muster to write this Story… so, please… shout at me as much as you can for making this story sad.

Now, for today's thought…

Only fools and dead men won't be able to change their minds… Fools won't. Dead men can't…

-John H. Patterson