Loving Too Much

"Lord Akito, I want to talk to you," began Kagura, her voice serious.

"Oh?" The clan head looked intrigued. "I know how much you fear being near me. Why the sudden change of heart?"

"I want you to do something for me. It's a matter of life and death."

"Tell me."

"Order Kyo to marry me."

"He will. You and I are engaged to be married ever since."

"I want him to marry me now."

Akito smiled. "Why do I sense that there is a reason behind your sudden decision, dear Kagura?"

She looked away. "I just feel like it."

"An outrageous lie. But it's ok. I like liars," said the clan head. "Tell me, do you feel threatened by somebody?"

"N-No."

"Just…" A humorless smile spread across his face. "…checking."

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!!" bellowed Kyo as he crumpled the piece of parchment – an order from the King Akito to hold a marriage ceremony the day after tomorrow. It was a wedding between him and Kagura.

"Didn't you read the contents?" asked Hatori coolly, unfazed by the neko's sudden flare of temper.

"I did, and I object! You can't just force me to marry someone just like that!" Kyo snapped his finger to emphasize his point.

"There are no objections heard when it concerns the king's orders. So if I were you, Sohma Kyo, you better start preparing for the wedding," said the doctor calmly.

"I'm not like that goddam mouse who obeys you like a wind-up doll. I won't be forced into something I did not decide for myself!" promised the Sohma prince.

"Yuki is much more submissive," agreed Hatori. "No wonder Lord Akito decided to give him the throne anyway."

"I don't care!" snapped Kyo. "What I do care about is the way you manipulate our lives! We're not your toys!"

Hatori chose to ignore him. "Maybe we should have the wedding rescheduled at the same day as Yuki's wedding."

"The nezumi is going to get married too?" Despite himself, he was curious about his cousin's bride.

"He's going to choose one tomorrow night. There will be a ball in honor of the next-in-line king," informed the doctor. "All the princesses and noble women are invited to the ball, and the invitations have been sent all over the land."

"Why so sudden?"

Hatori fell silent.

"Oi, Hatori?"

The doctor bowed. "I will see you later, Prince Kyo. For the meantime, talk the wedding details over with Kagura."

The prince suddenly remembered his original problem. "Hey wait! I'm not going to marry-"

Hatori kept on walking, ignoring the steaming Kyo deliberately.

Yuki crumpled the invitation that Hatori handed him awhile ago. It was the invitation to the ball where he would choose the lady that he was going to make his wife.

It was forced. He didn't want this.

But what could he do?

He was powerless.

I couldn't even stand up for my convictions. I'm a spineless weakling…a poor excuse for a human being.

I wasn't able to defend poor Honda-san from Hatori.

Upon remembering the maid, his eyes saddened.

Good Lord, how I miss her!

He walked over to the window and looked at his garden. He remembered once again when he wished on the Juunishi fountain to help him find his real princess.

Only to find Tohru standing before him.

It was magic. It was fate.

It was crazy. It was stupid.

It was wonderful.

Because that's when I realized that she caught my heart since the very start.

Shigure is right. Women are thieves. They steal hearts.

Akito should have issued a decree against people falling in love. It's a crime.

I can't stop thinking of her. I can't stop missing her.

He shut his eyes tight.

I want to see her…but how?

"Oi, Yuki-kun!" said Shigure cheerfully, passing by the hallway of his room. The door was left mercilessly open, so he had no choice but to entertain his cousin.

"What do you want?" he snapped.

"Try to contain your enthusiasm, will you?" said Shigure wryly. "I'm on my way to visit Tohru-kun. I'm bringing her fruits!" He held up a fruit basket. "Want to come?"

A slow smile spread across his face. "Shigure, thanks."

"Eh?"

"Let me just get something first." Yuki hurried out of his room excitedly.

The novelist laughed silently then started singing to himself.

"Sixteen..woo hoo…sixteen…the age when boys and girls start to…fall…in love!!!"

Hatori, who was passing by the hallway, shot the singing dog a look. "I reckon you didn't drink your daily mental sanity medication today," he muttered.

"Shut up," said Shigure good-naturedly, wrapping an arm around the doctor. "Sing with me, baby! Sixteen! Woo hoo…sixteen-"

"Get your hands off me. Your endless stupidity might rub on me."

"Sixteen…do do bop, bo-bop, baby…"

Hatori rolled his eyes. God, what did I do to deserve this kind of divine punishment?

Kagura was sewing in her room when suddenly Kyo barged in, looking furious.

"What is this stupid stunt you pulled now?!" he bellowed, throwing her the crumpled parchment.

Kagura placed her needlework down and scanned the paper. She then looked up at him. "You will marry me. What's wrong with that?"

"What's wrong? What's wrong??? You dare ask as if you're an innocent little angel?" roared the furious neko. "Well, for your information, you scheming devil, I do not want to marry you now."

"Then marry me tomorrow," shrugged the girl.

"Not tomorrow and not ever!" continued Kyo. "I can't believe you have asked Akito to order a gunshot wedding! Don't you even have an ounce of decency left?"

She sat up. "We'll get married eventually anyway. You didn't make such a big deal out of this before," she said, her voice rising. "You suddenly panicked when that maid Honda entered the scene."

"Me? Me?" Kyo laughed humorlessly. "It's you who panicked! Why should I when I have no reason to do so?"

"You have!" cut Kagura. "You are infatuated with her!"

Kyo froze.

"Maybe you're right. I panicked." Kagura stood up and hugged him tight. "But that's because I love you so much. I cannot bear the thought of losing you!"

He untangled himself from her arms. "You don't love me. Real love is not possessive. I am not an object you own."

"Of course not!" Kagura cried. "You are my sun, my moon, my star! My sun rises and sets at your feet, Kyo! Your presence is my life! I worship the ground you walk on. I love you much more than anyone in this world…even myself!"

But he didn't even look affected by her words. "No matter what happens, I will never marry you. No one can force me to…not even Akito." He turned his back on her.

She started to tremble. "K-Kyo…"

"What?" he asked curtly.

"Don't you even love me…a little bit?" she asked, her voice breaking. "W-We can start from there. I-I promise to teach you how to love me."

Kyo's fists clenched. "I'm leaving." His voice was set in finality. "I will go back to the woods to train."

"I-I promise to make you happy… I'll do anything. J-Just don't leave," she begged.

"Good day, Kagura," he bade before leaving.

The girl collapsed, eyes welling up with tears.

Her vision blurred as she watched the slowly fading away image of the boy she loves.

Kyo…why? I love you so much, and yet you hate me with such equal passion. Am I wrong to love you too much?

She leaned on the wall.

Why else should I bother to live?

My sun, my moon, my star…he left me.

I am wrong too, I guess. I shouldn't have poured my whole heart out in loving me. I should have left even a piece just for myself.

Then I wouldn't have feel this utterly destroyed.

Tohru was working in the field when she suddenly heard a commotion. She looked up and found Hana looking at the crowd mobbing around the expensive-looking coach.

Looks familiar…

Hana gasped. "That's Prince Shigure's coach!"

Despite herself, Tohru felt warmth rush in her heart.

Shigure-san!

Hana must have read her mind. "Tohru, after all that they did to you…you're not going to show yourself to them, are you?"

She paused. "Hana-chan…"

But she had no chance to reply because the coach stopped right in front of them! The door opened and out came Shigure, dressed in a dark coat and trousers. "Tohru-kun!"

"Shigure-san!" She eagerly rushed towards him. "How are you? Wow, you actually passed by here just to greet me? Where are you going?"

"Whoa, whoa!" The Sohma laughed, oblivious of the swooning women behind him. "Actually, we came here to visit you."

"We? Visit? Me?" she echoed.

"That's right," said a familiar voice.

Tohru's eyes widened.

Prince Yuki Sohma stepped down the coach, holding a bouquet of white and pink roses still moist with water. She nearly fainted when he handed her the flowers. "For you."

Suddenly, the swooning females, the curious onlookers, Hana, and even Shigure faded from her vision.

It was only Yuki and the flowers.

"Please take it, or he might assume that you are mad at him," said Shigure, breaking the trance.

Yuki nodded. "I picked them from my garden."

"T-Thank you."

Shigure smiled at Hana dashingly. "Hey! You're that maid who broke my rib when I asked you to massage me, right?"

"You…still remember," said the girl in a low, ominous voice.

Shigure jumped. "Ehehe!"

"I'm very sorry about what happened. What Hatori did was…downright shameful and unbecoming of a Sohma." Yuki bowed. "I'm sorry. Please forgive his rudeness."

Tohru and the rest of the onlookers gasped.

"Is that really the Ice Prince?" one voice called out.

"Must be."

"Let's get his autograph! It is said that he rarely leaves the palace!"

"But why is he here? And why is he talking to Tohru?"

Shigure waved his hands wildly. "Hel-lo? I'm a Sohma too, you know."

The crowd ignored him. "Your Highness, may we talk to you?"

Yuki looked very uncomfortable. "Ah!" He suddenly pulled Tohru into the royal coach. "Shigure, I'll be back."

"Eh?" But before the elder Sohma could react, the coach was riding way already.

"Gee. Thanks, Yuki. You sure are considerate," he said. "Are you going to make me walk home?"

Hana stared at him darkly. "We must talk."

"That's what we are doing now."

"Alone."

"Alone?" Shigure grinned. "Sure!"

"It's about Tohru."

The Sohma turned serious. "Sure."

Yuki sighed, relieved to be away from the crowd.

"P-Prince Yuki, you came all the way here just to visit me?" Tohru smiled. "Do I owe you something?"

Yuki looked at her, smiling. "I wanted to see you. I miss you."

Her heart skipped a beat.

"It's been days since I've last seen the clumsy and tardy maid of the palace, and the place had been anything but normal ever since you left," he explained, looking away. "For me and for the others, I mean."

Before Tohru could ask, the coach had stopped already. They were in the palace.

Yuki got out of the coach. "Come, Honda-san." He helped her out then tugged her towards his secret garden.

Soon they were in front of the Juunishi fountain, looking up at the shoots of the water silently.

"There will be a ball tomorrow night," began Yuki. "Where I get to choose my wife."

"S-So I heard," she whispered.

Her heart wrenched.

"S-So you need me to pitch in to help polish the silverware or clean something?" she asked.

"Honda-san…" He looked at her, emotions in turmoil visible in his face. "Please…promise me that you'll be there."

"E-Eh?"

"Please?" he begged. "I don't want any of the women that would be present there."

Her heart jumped.

"And I…"

"Yuki-kun…?"

He looked down. "I want you to pretend to be my fiancée," he finished lamely.

She was shocked. "W-What?"

tsuzuku