The Party

Tohru's eyes widened as Ayame put on the final touch of her costume.

"I do look like a real princess!" cried the girl as she twirled around.

"A princess, you are," said Yuki's elder brother. "And not just physically."

"Huh?"

"Please bear in mind that being a princess just doesn't mean the finery of clothes or the rank associated with you since birth," explained the snake. "Being a princess means standing tall above the rest without stepping on another. It means, having a kind heart and gentle toughness. And you have those, so you are rightfully called a princess."

The maid's eyes sparkled with tears. "T-Thank you, Aya-san. You are kind too."

"You must learn to call me big brother too, dear Tohru-kun. Since my dear beloved bro is planning to marry you, it's only right that you start practicing that."

"It's…just an act," said Tohru.

Aya's eyebrow shut up. "Really?"

Shigure motioned his cousin to not comment.

We'll surprise her, he winked.

Aya nodded comprehendingly.

Akito watched in satisfaction as Yuki glumly danced one woman after another. The king knew whom the young prince was looking for.

Guess again, dear Prince. You think you can pull one over me? Think again.

Yuki was growing desperate every passing minute.

Where is Tohru? Where is Ni-san? Where is Shigure?

He caught a glimpse of his cousin Kyo with Kagura on the balcony, talking. But aisde from them, he couldn't find the other Sohmas.

What if something happened to Tohru and the others?

He stole a glance at the king who was smirking more evilly than usual.

Does Akito know something?

He had no time to think anymore because the music of the orchestra had changed into a sweet love song. He realized that it was the tune the women had been waiting for, as evident by the way they pile up in the sidelines.

Hatori arrived in the scene, dressed formally. Shigure followed, as well as the younger Sohmas.

Yuki's heart began to beat quicker.

Tohru? Where is she?

The answer was revealed when he heard a slight buzz in the guests' area. He turned and saw a beautiful girl dressed regally in light purple gown, ornamented with only an amethyst bound on her neck. Her steps were light and graceful, and her head hung shyly, as if she wasn't used to the admiring and envying looks the people throw her way.

Immediately, Yuki left his partner, Murasaki without so much an apology. He went straight towards the just-arrived princess and bowed towards her. He then kissed her gloved hand and smiled up at her.

"You are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen," he murmured huskily. "Where have you been all my life, Princess?"

Tohru tried to calm her dancing heart, especially when she was taken to the dance floor.

The twinkle in the prince' eyes. The loving glow on his face. His praises. His smiles.

She had to remind herself that it was all an act. An act.

Oh, Kami-sama, but he's a good actor! I'm falling for him hook, line, and sinker!

As he took her in his arms as if she was as light as feather, she could feel her heart ache peculiarly.

Good Lord, I've dreamed of this every night before. To dance with a prince in a grand waltz. But why can I feel my heart break? Because this is worse than a fantasy that I woke up from right before the climax. Because I know that when the clock strikes twelve it will be all over. He would cease the masquerade, then I'll be back to the dreaming maid again.

She looked up at him, misty-eyed. "Prince Yuki?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for this wonderful night."

"It's not yet over."

"It will be," she whispered, voice barely audible.

"Tohru-san, we must talk," he said, voice urgent.

The music had ceased already, but the two were still dancing, trapped in their own world.

Akito didn't like this one bit. He stood up from the throne. "People of Kaibara, it is now time to start the merrymaking for tonight. We shall now announce two weddings: first, that of Kagura Sohma and Kyo Sohma, whose hearts will be united next week. Let's congratulate them and wish the best for them."

Applause filled the dance floor.

"And for the second wedding announcement…" He looked at Yuki expectantly.

Yuki blinked, then realized that everyone was staring at him and Tohru already. He let go of his partner and cleared his throat. "I will now choose my wife. "

But before he could speak, Akito had interrupted him already.

"Surely, you will not choose a maid for a wife, will you, Prince Yuki?" he asked in poisonous sweetness.

Gasps filled the room.

Akito got up and strode towards Tohru. He tipped the chin of the trembling girl. "You know, your humor totally delights me, Prince Yuki. Why should you choose a maid to make us laugh?"

Tohru's eyes widened, while Yuki couldn't speak. He couldn't understand what Akito was saying, or why he was doing that.

But that was irrelevant, since Akito's action was already wreaking havoc on the situation.

Cruel laughter was ensuing, and everyone were starting to look at Tohru mockingly.

"Did she really think she can get away with dressing up and pretending to be a princess?"

"She sure is ambitious, thinking she can marry a royal-blooded person."

"Her fine clothes can never mask the fact that she's just a peasant. A maid."

"How pathetic!"

Tohru's eyes welled with tears.

Akito turned to Yuki. "Now will you please cut the jokes already! Princess Murasaki might think that you're serious."

Hatori's face paled. "Lord Akito!"

It's like what happened with me and Kana…no, Akito, don't do it! You did enough when you meddled with my life! Spare Yuki!

The clan head smiled at him. "Hatori, please take the maid out of this place already. She entertained us enough already."

Hatori couldn't move.

"Hatori," echoed Akito, more firmly this time.

But before the doctor could reply, Tohru, head held up, walked out of the ballroom.

Yuki snapped out of his trance. "I'm marrying Tohru Honda and no one can stop me!"

The ballroom was silenced. Even Tohru froze.

"Stay in your place, Tohru. I'll prove to them that no one can manipulate my life and get away with it," said the Ice prince firmly.

The whole room was silenced, waiting for what the Ice Prince has to say.

Tsuzuku I will soon release a fic called Juunishi Academy in my site where you can get to choose how your uh, learning experience will turn out. Here's a sample: PE with a Sohma for a teacher.

So you chose PE? Well then, you now head to the locker room to get dressed. However, you are startled by the screams of your classmates. Apparently, they caught someone peeping on them.

And you think this is an exclusive all-girls school. Geez.

"It's that perverted Literature teacher!" cried one of your classmates.

You shuddered. Thank god you didn't choose Literature!

Anyway, you join your classmates outside who were out on the field to do some warm-up exercises before you play volleyball.

The whistle blew. "Alright everyone, single file!" bellowed a baritone voice.

Your eyes widened when you saw an orange-haired guy holding up a ball, looking at you.

You then notice how sexy his piercing eyes were, just as sexy as the way his flannel shirt cling to his perspiring body.

Wow. Sweating sure becomes him!

"Honda!" he barked. "I said, 'single file'! Why are you forming your own line?"

Your face turned warm. "Eh..." You were standing all by yourself in the right while everyone else were on the other side, gaping at you as if you were an extraterrestrial. You quickly slip behind your classmates.

Real smooth move, girl.

He tossed the ball in the air and caught it with ease. "My name is Sohma Kyo, your PE teacher. My clan owns this school, and you'll meet some of them after this class. But for now, we'll concentrate on PE."

You nodded along with the others, fascinated by the casual, I-don't-care-about-formality aura that surrounds him.

"Now we'll do some stretching exercises." He let go of the ball and began to stretch his arms. "One...two..."

All of the female students couldn't move to follow him - all of them were too busy admiring the smooth ripples of muscles in his arms.

That is, everyone but you. You were doing a solo flight aerobics all by yourself. It took you two minutes and four seconds to realize that though. By then, everyone were gaping at you as if you were a wingless chicken trying to fly.

To your surprise, a hand patted your shoulder. You looked up and saw Kyo-sensei looking down at you, trying his best not to laugh at your face. He wasn't doing a very good job though.

"Great, Honda Tohru. I see that you're the only attentive student here," he said.

Your heart jumped. Darn it, he's much more good-looking up close. So what if you looked silly back there? At least you got noticed!

Later you were already playing volleyball with your classmates. However your attention wasn't on the ball but on the teacher who was furiously shouting instructions at them.

Man, he's so fine...

But you think that you can get away with those stolen glances, eh? You're wrong.

The next thing you know, you got hit on the face with the volleyball. You crashed on the ground.

See? The ball is vengeful. You should give proper respect to it next time.

But for now, you must snap out of your dizziness.

But then, you see the worried face of Kyo-sensei!

"Are you ok, Honda?" he asked worriedly.

You could die now for all you care, as long as you die being gazed at that way, but you couldn't speak. You were too busy enjoying his natural virile scent mixing with his perspiration that in turn was dripping down his forehead. No, this guy could shame any Hugo Boss or Axe guy any given day.

"Let's bring you to the clinic," he decided as he lifted you effortlessly as if you were a weightless rag doll.

Suddenly you wished that the clinic was built somewhere farther...like Hawaii?

But go back to reality, girl! You're in the clinic already!

Fortunately the school doctor was on duty. Um, erase that. It was a gorgeous school doctor who was on duty.

"What happened to her?" asked the doctor in a gravely serious voice.

Kyo laid you down the bed gently. "An accident in class. Take care of my student, Hatori."

"No problem," said the teacher.

You were sorry to see Kyo leave, but at least you got the doc. No much of a loss, eh?

You gasped when you felt him apply an ice pack on your forehead with gentle firmness.

"Don't worry. You can still make it to your next class. You still have plenty of time. Both of us actually," he said.

You vaguely remembered that you were intending to take up Values class next, but your classmates will all go to Math class because apparently, "it is the easiest Math class you'll ever attend. Your Grade One teacher is Godzilla compared to this subject's teacher".

"I'm teaching Science," Hatori said.

So what will it be?