CHAPTER 4

About an hour later Oboro explained to the group that Misoka would be doing some hospitality outreach at the Palace's request so the group would have to do without him for part of the afternoon.

"That sounds like a pain." Mitsuru commented as he served himself some rice.

"I mean if it's one of the cuties from last night." Nozomu smirked as sipped his juice.

"Jeez I hope it doesn't take you too long, we said we go watch Chimako perform today." Akira said piling bacon on to his plate.

"Misoka will you be okay with all this extra duty? It doesn't seem fair." Mahiru said turning towards him.

"It's fine Princess. Someone has to do it and I'm glad to do my part." Misoka lied from behind his cup of tea. 'All these lies are getting out of hand.' He thought as he picked at his breakfast.

"Are you overdoing it? You've barely eaten?" Katsura asked looking concerned at she glanced down at his barely touched plate.

"Oh no, I'm fine. Please there's no need for concern." Misoka continued to lie. The meeting this morning had robbed him of his appetite.

"She's right, you don't have to do it all. Please let us help with the extra duties." Mahiru said placing her hand of over his.

"Please there really is no worries. I can handle this. I do believe I've been spoiled by Akira's cooking is all. This food can't compare to his." Misoka replied saying the most truthful thing all day.

"Well that is true." Mitsuru agreed in-between bites of food.

"Awwww! Thanks guys." Akira said popping his ears and tags out. His tags were wagging up a storm.

"Now everyone else willing be taking a tour my the royal garden once we finish breakfast so please don't lollygag too much." Oboro said once the group had settled down again.

Once everyone was finished Misoka returned to the room alone. He sat down at the table to try and gather his thoughts about the situation he had found himself in. "I wonder if there's something in the library here to help me out of this situation." He wondered out loud. He had looked through every book in Oboro's personal library back at the shop once he decided his answer to his engagement.

"That will have to wait until tonight." Misoka said as he got up from the table. He had lost track of time while his mind ran through his limited options.

As he walked up to Crescent lake, he saw they was barely anyone there giving them some limited privacy. She was already there sitting on a bench down near the shore but with her back to the shore so she facing the walkways and saw him as he walked down to her. She had changed into a purple yukata but her hair was still in the same hair style as this morning. "Good afternoon Misoka." She chirped as he sat down on the bench beside her, his leg barely touching hers.

"Good afternoon Aruna. Where is it you would like to have lunch?" He asked looking back up at the path at the booths near by.

"Oh, I haven't given that much thought but I didn't want to do that just yet. I wanted to show you the photos first." She said opening the kinchaku drawstring bag sitting in her lap. Out of the bag she retrieved a small 4x6 photo albums. "You seemed pretty interested in them this morning." She said smiling at him, even her green eyes seemed to be smiling.

"Oh yes I am. Thank you very much." He said she held it out for him to hold part of it.

"I went through the family album this morning and selected these for you and I didn't want lug around the big one my mom passed down to me." She giggled as flipped open the cover and flipped to the first picture. "This is your mom at 18 for her debut photos. I wasn't sure the order to put the photos, I didn't have time besides transferring them over anyways. She babbled as Misoka stared down at his mother her demon form.

Mayumi had the same silver ears and long hair. She wore light blue kimono that seemed to shimmer. Her long hair was just simply tied back and she had a demure smile on her face, her dark eyes stared up at them with a hint of mischief in them. She was so beautiful the rumors Misoka had heard didn't seem to due her justice. She also looked sweet.

Aruna sat quietly as he flipped the page to the next photo. It looked as if it was taken around the same time she still looked so young and healthy. The quality wasn't nearly as good and it was a bit blurry. Mayumi was in her human form so now her hair was dark and it was loose. She was just in her juban. Her hand was close to the lens as if she pushing the camera away. Her face was contoured into giant laugh. She looked she was having fun in the moment.

"The story my mom told me that she took this photo the same day as the first one, it was when they were getting ready for the formal photo. My mom apparently had been teasing her and joking threaten to send this photos to some magazine." Aruna said smiling down at the photo. She glanced at Misoka to make sure he wasn't completely zoned out. "I wanted to bring photos that humanize her. Professional photos are nice and everything but I think they can't tell you the whole story. So I put in some candid photos. My favorite photos are the ones taken by people who know you." She said flipping the page for Misoka.

The next photo was of two woman in their late twenties. both in their human forms but in this one Mayumi was in white pants and a pink sweater. Next to her was a blonde still in traditional green kimono. They were standing in front of where the mirror was kept on earth. The had their arms wrapped around each others shoulders. Both had goofy grins on their faces. This photo wasn't kept as neatly as the others, it shown it wear, one of the corners were even missing.

"This one is the last time they saw each other." Aruna whispered.

"I remember this day."Misoka whispered touching the protective plastic. "We went to Kyoto to visit them. It wasn't a long visit only a few hours." Misoka said as his mind began turning up memories of the trip. How he thought the train ride was exciting until it become too long and his mother asking him to please be patience that they would be there soon. How he was playing in a field with a young child that the woman had brought with her. How he ate ice cream with her. "You were there." He gasped looking up at her.

"Yes, I begged my mom to tell me about that day so often before she died. I think it was one of her favorite days too, even if it was more bittersweet for her." Aruna said looking into Misoka's dark eyes hoping he would say what she couldn't.

"I think if my mom knew what was going to happen it would have been bittersweet for her too. She died out long after this. I think the trip had been too hard on her." Misoka said shutting the book not wanting to look at anymore pictures.

Aruna wiped a tear from her eye and quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, I've always been told I'm too emotional." She said opening her bag back up digging for her tissues.

Misoka reached into his cardigan pocket and handed her his handkerchief. "There's no need to apologize for anything like that and there's no need to cry she died a long time ago." He said as she wiped her eyes.

"It doesn't seem that long ago to us here." She sniffled trying to stem off her tears.

"I meant no harm." Misoka said watching her recover.

'It's now or never.' He thought looking away. "Do you actually want go through with this engagement?" He asked standing up and facing her.

"Huh? Yes, why wouldn't I? Why don't you?" Aruna asked stunned as she too stood up too after placing the book to the side.

"If my life wasn't on the line then no I wouldn't." He answered as his fist balled up. This entire arrangement was ridiculous to him. He hated how he couldn't figure out a way out of it neither even after hours of research.

Aruna went pale and looked shocked, her knees gave no out on her and she slumped back on to the bench.

"I don't mean to be cruel but we don't know each other and I don't see how you can be happy with this arrangement. This is an archaic practice that I think doesn't have much use in this day and age." Misoka said making no attempt to soften the blow he was dealing her.

"No, we don't know each other but we can learn. How I resent my choice? I know your life is on the line, how could I hate the choice that would save your life? I don't know you but you're a person. How can I make a choice to kill someone? Who wouldn't make the same choice?" Aruna asked trying to keep her voice even but couldn't managed it and as it broke she began to cry again. She didn't try to stop this time and let her eyes flow.

Misoka was shocked as she hid her face behind the handkerchief and let her sobs rock though her body. 'I made the decision a long time ago I would kill to complete my mission and protect my friends but she's never had to make that choice.' Misoka thought. He sighed as he sat back down beside her and gently placed his hand on her back and slowly rubbed up and down to calm her. "Is that what you think? That if you say no that I will be killed?" He asked once she had calmed down.

She sniffled as she lower the handkerchief revealing her red face and eyes and tried to response but just nodded instead.

"If my life was not on the line would you still be willing to marry me?" Misoka asked dropping his hand from her back and placing it on his knee.

"I don't know honestly, I've never given it any thought because it's not how our situation is. I would like to think I would make the same choice. This engagement has been played up so much for me. To me it's not a burden but a duty." Aruna explained after taking a deep breathe.

"If your uncle agrees to keep the engagement as it is you will willing become my bride?" Misoka asked a little stunned by her dedication to someone she barely even knew. The last word had cause them both to blush a little.

"I'm not going to change my mind. You're stuck with me." Aruna said teasing him a little.

"Well then Aruna I guess we better get this date going." Misoka said standing up and holding his hand out to her.

"Yes I guess we should. What would you like to eat for lunch?" She asked as she took his hand and stood up.

"Do you think they have takoyaki?" Misoka asked tucking her hand into his elbow as they left the lake area.

"I believe they do." Aruna replied smiling at him.

"It seems they're getting along." Oboro said as he placed the mirror down. He had used some of his magic to watch the scene.

"Yes, but it seems like a rocky start." Katsura said getting up from the table they had been sitting at to watch the couple.

"Everyone has to start somewhere and theirs wasn't going to be easy. I think this is the best we really could have hoped for. Maybe I should have told him sooner about this, waiting until we really started making process on the moon drops was a mistake. " Oboro said folding his hands over the table top calmly.

"You did what you thought was the best. We both know you exhausted every research option you had before you told him. No modern person wants to be told his bride has been chosen for them. It hasn't worked for many years. I agree with Misoka it is archaic. I hope Lord Shirogane abolishes that rule." Katsura said pouring them each a glass of water.

"Let's hope they can make this thing work, after all divorce isn't really option here neither." Oboro said sighing deeply.

"Well that's something else I hope Lord Shirogane will address." Katsura said bringing the glass to Oboro. She placed her hand on his shoulder comforting Oboro.