Back to the Palace

To those who have read my early E+T work, Bijin to Obake, you may find that one scene here is reminiscent of that. ^^;; I hope you guys do not mind that repetition because I thought it would be nice to put it in this chapter.

***

Yuki gulped.

What did I say? Why did I say that?

Tohru's mouth was still hanging open. "Seriously?"

What else should I say? "Yes," he said solemnly.

She scratched her cheek. "But Your Highness, I am but a maid…"

"What's wrong with being just a maid?" he wanted to know.

It was her turn to be astounded. Just a few weeks ago, the Ice Prince had scorned at her position, and now here he was, asking that?

"Anyway, if you're not comfortable with the idea then we can put up an act."

"Eh? An act?"

"Let's pretend that you're also a princess," said Yuki slowly, his mind working out plans furiously.

"Me?" Her hand flew to her mouth. "H-How?"

"I'll talk to my brother and Shigure. They'll help us," he said thoughtfully.

Tohru looked at her master curiously. "Just one question, Prince Yuki. What's wrong with those princesses in the ball?"

They're not you! cried Yuki's heart dumbly. Instead he said, "I don't like the idea of marriage. I don't like the idea of being tied down." Half-truth.

She frowned thoughtfully. "Marriage is not being tied down to someone, Your Highness. It's about living the rest of your life beside the one you love."

Yuki paused.

"There's a difference between marriage and imprisonment." She took a twig and wrote down 'bind'. "This represents being tied down by force. But put 'o' for love…" She erased the 'I' in the word and the word became 'bond'. "This means intimate attachment."

Yuki watched on, astounded.

"So the thin line separating marriage and being tied down is love." She smiled brightly at him. "As long as you love the person you are going to marry, you wouldn't notice the lifetime you vowed to share with her passing. It's like…like…"

"…imprisoning yourself in paradise," finished the prince for her, eyes softening.

Tohru was just about to ride the coach back to her house when Momiji appeared, running in full speed towards her. "Tohru!!!!"

She staggered backward when the young Sohma jumped towards her and embraced her. He was about to poof into a hare had Yuki not pulled Momiji at once.

"Tohru!" cried the rabbit, on the verge of tears. "I missed you! Why didn't anyone tell me you're here already! If I didn't decide to walk out of the palace to play, I won't see you!"

She smiled sadly. "Ah, Momiji! I missed you too, but you see, I came here only because Prince Yuki wants to talk to me." She looked at the solemn Yuki.

"No way! I will not make you leave!" Momiji turned to the guards. "Shut the door!"

"But-" the soldiers were agitated. "Prince Sohma Hatori might not like this-"

"Do it," ordered Yuki silently. "I'll take care of Hatori."

The soldiers had no choice but to do as told.

Momiji smiled. "See? Even Yuki misses you! You should have seen how hot-tempered he was ever since you left. He was always looking at the hallway where you used to sweep, and furthermore-"

Yuki covered his mouth. "That will be enough, Prince Momiji."

Her eyes widened.

He misses me?

Yuki looked at her, somewhat embarrassed. "I'll talk with you later, Honda-san. I'll have your things brought here by Shigure. You may rest for now."

She smiled. "Hai."

"I'm sorry but we have decided that we want Tohru-kun back," said Shigure firmly. "If you will not yield to the wishes of the Sohmas, then I will personally issue the order-"

"I do not care," said Hana, unfazed. "We love Tohru very much, and we will not let anyone treat her that way-"

"We love her too," assured Shigure, startling the girl. "You have no idea how much."

"But then…why was she dismissed?"

"It was King Akito's order. But we'll talk to his right hand, Hatori. They are the only ones who do not like her presence, but if we talk to him, I promise-"

"Can you do me a favor, Your Highness? If you really love Tohru-kun as you say, then make no promises. Do it. Take care of her." Hana sighed. "For some reason, she has a reason for wanting to come back to the palace despite my discouragement."

"I'm one of those," said Shigure laughing, but he sweatdropped when he felt the piercing gaze of the girl. "Ehehe, just kidding."

"Do not treat Tohru the way you treat me, understood? Or else, I'll…" Her voice dropped into a barely audible whisper, but Shigure heard it, and he instantly smiled apologetically.

"Of course not! I love Tohru-kun the way a father does to his daughter!"

Hana nodded, relieved. "Good. Because if you gave me the wrong answer, I can see that your ribs have recuperated satisfactorily and are ready to break again."

"Please don't!" he begged, hugging himself. He was alerted by the sound of a coach. "The coach is back."

Hana looked puzzled. "How did you sense it coming when it's not even here yet?"

Shigure smiled uneasily. "Good senses come with good looks, I guess."

The next day…

"Lady Kagura, please eat. You're going to starve yourself to death!" wailed the maid, but the princess stubbornly scowled.

"Get that tray away from me! Just let me die then!" She hugged her pillow still wet from her non-stop crying since last night.

"No, I'm sorry, but Prince Hatori ordered me to force-feed you," said the maid.

"I don't care!"

This was the scene that Tohru saw while she was passing by the hallway. She expected to see the Prince Kyo in his room, but to her utter surprise, it was Kagura lying on his bed, crying while hugging a pillow. She decided to enter the room.

Upon seeing her, Kagura stopped crying. Her eyes burning in anger pierced her. "What are you still doing here? Didn't Akito and Hatori send you away already?"

Tohru smiled. "Prince Yuki ordered me to return." She looked at the tray casually. "So how's the breakfast? I cooked it myself, so I hope you like it."

"Really?" Kagura said in interest. She took the plate from the maid.

Tohru thanked God silently. Now Kagura-san can eat.

But the plate of food flew to her. The eggs slid down her apron. Kagura smiled self-satisfactorily. "I feel much better. Thanks, Tohru-kun," she said sarcastically.

Tohru gaped at her. "Lady Kagura?"

"I don't want to see you here in my Kyo's room. GET OUT!!!" she screamed hysterically.

"What's wrong?" Tohru asked the maid.

To this, the helper said, "Prince Kyo left yesterday after he received the order to marry her as soon as possible."

"AH!"

Kagura started crying all over again. "It's all your fault, Honda Tohru! If it weren't for you, then Kyo and I would be happy now!"

She bit her lip. "Kagura-san…"

"Now that he left me, why else should I live," said Kagura, sobbing.

Tohru approached the princess. "Leave us alone, please."

The maid nodded and shut the door.

"What do you want?" snarled the princess.

"I'm sorry, but this is for your own good," said Tohru before she slapped the crying princess.

"A-Ah?" Kagura was stunned.

"Will killing yourself make Kyo come back to you?" she asked gently. "No. You'll only make him feel that he won, because he finally got rid of you. Instead of doing this, why don't you just fix yourself and snag a new guy much better-looking than him and show him that he's not your life. You can survive without him. He's just another guy who was too stupid to see what a great girl you are!"

The princess was stunned by her tactless words. "How dare you speak to a prince that way," she said quietly.

She laughed uneasily. Her mother taught her before that a few quick harsh words do more wonders than long hours of gentle persuasion. Besides, Kagura was not the type to treat like a baby. She was mature and level-headed, only blinded by too much love.

"But I'll think about it," said Kagura. "Now leave me alone. I'm going to eat and see how good a cook you really are."

Tohru smiled and nodded.

Upon closing the door, she sighed.

I cheered Kagura-san up, but in the process, I antagonized poor Prince Kyo! Oh boy. Okaasan, I messed up!

"Love is never easy," said Haru, sitting by the treetop. "In the process of learning to love someone, you must let go of yourself. You have to risk that when you unite your heart with someone, and it turns out that you are not meant for that person, you'll have to begin another journey to discover yourself again. How long that journey would be?"

"Only God knows," said Kisa, who was sitting with her bible underneath the tree. "Haru-san, will Kagura-san survive the journey?"

Just then, a plate flew out of the window. "HOW DARE YOU DO NOT INCLUDE LEEKS IN MY BREAKFAST?!!!! GIVE ME LEEKS!! GIVE ME!!!" screamed Kagura's voice, shattering every eardrum of every person within the vicinity of the palace.

"Does that answer your question?" asked Haru dryly. "Or then again, that may just be denial."

Kisa nodded comprehendingly.

Kyo, gasping for breath, pulled himself out of the rapids of the river. He lost his focus in his jump so he fell down the river.

What made him lose concentration?

He spotted a pig nearby, and he stupidly thought it was Kagura, only it wasn't.

"Not that I miss her or anything," he told himself as he dried himself. "I don't. I love my freedom!"

But then, Kagura's face flashed in his mind jeeringly.

"Oh hell, I'm hungry. Just hungry so I'm thinking completely stupid things," he grumbled. "Gotta find some food."

The boar appeared again, and it took him a Herculean effort not to scream.

"Shigure?"

The novelist looked up and found Yuki standing on the doorway of his room awkwardly. "Oi, Yuki-kun!"

"I need your help."

"Oh?"

"It's about Honda-san."

Shigure's eyebrow shot up.

"Interesting," said the elder Sohma. "Come in."

Yuki let himself in the room, inhaling deeply. Once and for all, he must settle the issue of his feelings for Tohru and what to do with them.

tsuzuku