A/N: Holy Peaches! So many reviews! so many! *becomes disoriented and
faints* actually, I don't plan on getting Chihiro - you know - pregnant.
And Haku will show up, never you worry. Sheesh. -_-0 if I do happen to give
Chihiro a kid, then I'll have a lot of excuses. Trust me. Roku is insane.
ALL OF THEM ARE! BUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *hack, wheeze*
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!!!!!!! Okay.
Disclaimer: don't own Spirited Away. I DO own OCs, got that? Ya? Ya!
Chapter Started: 5/1/03
Chapter Finished: 5/8/03
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.
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Right after the last chapter
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.
.
"Royal Advisors," Roku said when all had quieted down and sat. "this here," he lay a hand on Chihiro's shoulder - she flinched it away. "-is the Princess Miai of Kamikakushi." All eyes turned on Chihiro, looking her over.
"I thought she was twelve, Roku," one man said. "she seems so young - like nine or eight years of age."
"Humans age slower - that, and her mother Yuuko is pure blood human." Another pointed out.
"Will she be - you know, Physically ready by the age of thirteen when she takes the throne as Queen?" asked another.
"That is what she and I were speaking of on our way here," Roku cut in. "we shall need to find her consort soon. They ought to be lining up by tomorrow."
"That might take a little work," one man said. "besides, why the rush?"
"The rush is that our Princess wishes to become a Queen and mother very, very soon," Roku said, and tapped her cheek. "isn't that right your Highness?" he asked. Chihiro's eyes grew the size of goblets as she realized her mouth wouldn't open, and she was nodding. Her mouth was opening, speaking - she couldn't control her body! She couldn't control herself! Panic took over as she heard - felt, even - herself say, "Anytime soon would be lovely."
They all looked at her and got identical grins. Malicious grins. They knew she was being controlled! Chihiro wanted to cry.
"I think that we should stall, though." One pointed out. "if we physically harm her, she might die. We'll need more than just those of noble birth. I think we'll need some with magic - apprentices. Young sorcerers. Every part of Kamikakushi should hold an election of sorts to send their most handsomest, their smartest, theirs that will simply - you understand - will work."
"I agree." One added.
There was a lot of murmuring, and a lot of, well, agreeing.
"Then that will be decided. In the meanwhile, what are we going to do about lessons? She has been raised by humans for twelve years, remember," Roku said.
"I suggest that she spend a day with each possible suitor," one started. "and go to lessons with them. If she shows any interest with that one, then she will spend a week with them. If WE show any interest in him, then she shall spend a week with him. Then those of noble birth that interest has been shown within - and he is smart, and we all agree - then he will help teach her from a point of view closer to hers."
Again, a lot of murmuring and agreeing.
"Then we shall do both of those," Roku nodded firmly. "when will we have all of the major sorcerers and sorceresses give her her magic?"
"Perhaps," one next to Chihiro pointed out. "after she is more... willing, to rule."
"That may take forever!" another burst out.
And so forth an argument burst around, and after a while, Chihiro heard her voice again - she hated Roku. Why was he doing this to her?
"Peace, Advisors!" her lips said. She began to cry - silent tears. They all stopped arguing and looked extremely amused.
"We'll worry about that later," one offered finally. "if we wish to start courting her tomorrow, then we have a lot of work to do. Alerting all of Kamikakushi and all."
"Yes, yes," Roku said distractedly. "good. What shall we do with her highness currently?"
"I'll handle her," the woman, who had remained silent, said. She stood. "Females relate to each other, you understand," they all laughed.
"Okay, then," Roku said. "let's get moving!" the female Advisor came over and smiled kindly down at Chihiro. Of course, Chihiro didn't fall for it, even though her body did stand up, smile prettily, and curtsy.
"Roku, you will kill yourself by exercising so much magic. Just hand her over to me. I'll find her wardrobe for the rest of the month etc., and teach her Kamikakushian courting."
Chihiro felt a wave of freedom - there was no there way to describe it. she gasped and fell to her knees, struggling to breathe through the corset. Tears dripped down her face ad cheeks, splattering onto the floor. Roku was panting, but said, "Have a good day, Princess," and left.
Chihiro tried to jump to her feet and bolt, but her legs got caught up in all of her skirts and she tripped and fell painfully, knocking the air out of her. This is not a good thing to do while wearing a corset.
"Careful, Miai Hime," the advisor woman said, helping her up. "the skirts are hard to get used to." She didn't even pause as Chihiro finally was able to suck in tiny gasps of air, "My grandmother was human, and she and I were very close. I understand how hard this must be for you... Chihiro, was it? Chihiro. Nothing like a nice pair of jeans and a T-shirt, huh?" she took something small and brown and held it to her lips.
"Eat, princess."
Chihiro swallowed it.
Chihiro was shocked by the woman's soft tone, and looked up at her, still backing away slightly, struggling to breathe properly. "Who... are... you?"
"I am called Miyako. Come with me and we'll get that corset loosened. You'll need to get used to it, though," Chihiro, despite herself, followed wheezing. They came to a gigantic room, with two large double-doors.
"This is your room, Prince - I mean, Chihiro."
The room was big - as in BIG - and dome shaped roof was covered in little yellowish dots. Glow in the dark stars. And had an amazing chandelier. The warm, soft carpet was a light pink, and a magnificently large canopy bed (king size? Double king size?) with some of the most luscious softest looking blankets and delicate lace curtains was in the middle of the room, on a slightly raised part of the floor. It was circular shaped. On the far was one BIG window, with lightly woven lace curtains covering it. the sun and blue sky shone through. Under the window was an enormous bookshelf, covered with books. On the left was what looked like a closet, and between the closet and the window was a small doorway that lead to a small - yet impressive - bathroom. On the right side was a vanity, a space which had the light clicker. Then from the light clicker to the doorway where Chihiro was standing awestruck was a small mat thing, that had a variety of different colored fabric-boots.
"It's amazing," Chihiro said.
"Isn't it? wait until you see the ballroom." Miyako pushed Chihiro in a little bit, and Chihiro took off the little booties (she still inwardly snickered at that) while Miyako closed the doors, and locked them.
"Here, here," she said, and Chihiro held still while Miyako undid her many dresses, laying them carefully over a raised knee, and loosened the corset. She did not take it off.
"Leave it on," Miyako ordered, and Chihiro crouched embarrassedly where she was while Miyako took her many skirts and dresses and lay them in front of the closet, which she opened. Chihiro couldn't stop a small gasp - what was this, every kind of dress in every kind of color and every kind of style? Chihiro tried making a tree diagram with the different dresses and colors in her head, but it didn't work out.
The closet was about as big as her room had been at her old home, and stretched in a bit far. Miyako clicked on a light (revealing that it, too, had a chandelier, if small) and threw a pair of underpants at Chihiro. She caught them gratefully, then scurried in after the woman.
"Miyako?" she asked hesitantly. "did Roku... did Roku really," she swallowed. "kill my dad?"
Miyako paused from where she was riffling through some silks. "Chihiro, you will first have to acknowledge that your REAL father, your birth father, was King here. As for the father that you loved, that raised you, that cared for you; yes. Roku did kill him." Chihiro's shoulders began to shake, and Miyako abandoned what she was doing, knelt (she was tall) and hugged Chihiro. "I know it must really hurt you, Chihiro," she said. "the father you loved is gone. Murdered, and you hurt even more knowing that you can't do anything about it. and the father that you never met is dead, murdered, and you're angry at him for not loving or caring for you, and either way you couldn't care any less about him at the moment. You'll start wondering soon, though. And Yuuko - your mother - is being used against you. nothing is going your way, Chihiro, and I am very sorry for that."
Chihiro accepted it. she finally accepted it, and sobbed uncontrollably into Miyako's shoulder.
"Shh, it's going to be okay in a little while, Chihiro, I promise. The pain will wear away - but the next few days you are going to hate, I'll tell you that." She pulled away and cupped Chihiro's cheek.
"would you like to see your mother?" she asked softly. Chihiro nodded, still crying silently. "Okay," Miyako said. She took the corset off of Chihiro - to which Chihiro was thankful - and gave her a strapless belly shirt, is what it looked like, and a very tight one. Very tight.
"It'll work as a makeshift corset," she explained while Chihiro continued to cry and wonder why the seams didn't rip. Miyako helped Chihiro into a slip, then a dark blue dress that sleeves showed her shoulders, and came to a hook in a ring on her middle finger. She helped Chihiro pull on some tight-like things, and tied some dark blue booties on her bare feet for her.
Then, after giving her a tight squeeze, lead her out and down to the dungeons, to see Yuuko again.
Yuuko and Chihiro embraced through the bars again, and they both cried. After a while, Miyako came and said that she would have a lot of things to tell Chihiro, but she would take her to see Yuuko whenever she could. After some talking, Yuuko finally trusted Miyako (as well as she could), even though she had no other choice, and Chihiro left, looking sadly back again.
"First above all and most important you'll need to understand the rules of courting here!" Miyako announced. The said learner scowled.
"I don't plan on courting or being courted, so, if you'll make this quick - I have to find a way to get home."
"Though you may not have accepted it, this IS your home, Chihiro. Miai Hime. And whether you want to or not, Roku *will* find a suitor for you, so suck up, take a deep breath; I know you're going through a lot. Your blood father WAS the king here. So. First of all, tell me about courting on Earth and I'll tell you what to change to fit our, er, accommodations, so to speak."
Chihiro sat down on the bed that was supposed to be hers.
It was too much to take in.
A princess? Her?
That fact there wasn't so bad, really. However, it would have been easier if she had been a princess somewhere ON EARTH, her father - or, the man who raised her? Wasn't dead, and her mother, oh, say, THE QUEEN.
Otherwise...
Tears still pushed at the back of her eyes, and Chihiro quickly thought about the problem at hand.
If she and Yuuko were to escape, Chihiro would need to... she smirked self- consciously. Social engineering, anybody? Yuuko did that on a daily basis.
And like it or not, Chihiro would have to suck up to Roku et al to get what she wanted.
As long as Yuuko was safe.
Chihiro fingered the orb at her neck and frowned. She hated this place.
"I've never, er, "courted" before," she told Miyako hesitantly. "on Earth, I'm considered a bit young for that."
"Well here you're supposed to be doing it," Miyako reminded, once again going through Chihiro's closet. "if you do something to piss Roku off, I'll try to keep Yuuko alive," Miyako added, sensing where Chihiro's hidden thoughts lay. "isn't there anything about courting you know? Anything?"
Chihiro shrugged. "there's the girlish fantasies that all girls my age have," she muttered. "that my hero will come one day and sweep me off my feet, rescue me from my fears and troubles. Then we'd get married and have a family and live happily ever after." Chihiro tried to shrug off the abrupt thoughts of a certain-green-eyed-somebody named Haku that slipped up.
"as for courting, well, we "Earthlings" call it dating. And on dating, the guy is supposed to take the girl on a romantic moonlit walk and out to dinners and movies, and woo her in the day time, and cuddle with her at night time, and love her and she's supposed to love him. Then when the guy works up enough courage, he proposes to his one true love and they get married." Chihiro smiled a little. "and there's planty of different ways to propose, and all the guys these days use those so that they don't have to look the girl right in the face and deal with possible rejection that way."
Miyako raised her eyebrows. "Care to name a few?" she asked.
Chihiro was now giving her the ghost of a grin now.
"I saw a couple in the newspapers, when I was younger. And in my old home, there was this great big billboard that had a proposal written on it, and once even I've heard great big balloons and jets have the message attached to them. My mom even said that she heard a proposal on the radio, a while before I was born. Of course there's the get-on-bended-knee-and-beg routine as well." Chihiro sighed. "but I suppose here that the father arranges it like and all, medieval and stuff."
"Wow. You humans certainly don't know how to keep a secret. Imagine being rejected after all of that!"
"I guess maybe the girl feels bad about rejecting the guy, so accepts just for the publicity stunt. I had always figured that would be the cowards' way out - but if they truly love each other, then it's sweet and romantic and everybody ends up getting invited to the wedding." Another sigh. "I used to wonder if my guy would do that for me. but he barely did anything, and it's still larger than life." Chihiro closed her eyes. "just holding his hand is like a dream come true."
Miyako stared, then snapped out of it.
"Wait a minute, you mean, you've already got a boyfriend?"
"... boyfriend?" she'd never thought of Haku as a boyfriend before.
"Um, well, we haven't seen each other in a really long time, so I'm not sure if we could be classified as boyfriend and girlfriend ..."
"Oh, Miai Hime!" Miyako cried. "life would just be terrible for you if you were to get married when you already love somebody else!"
"Who said I intend to marry? I didn't, and I think that *I* am the one who chooses who *I* marry!"
"It isn't done like that!" Miyako sighed, running a hand through her long, dark purple hair. She pushed a petite little pair of glasses up her nose and shook her head a little. "I continue to forget, Chihiro, please excuse my manners." She paused.
"Okay, courting, or "Dating" as you call it, is done differently here. First of all, no getting touchy feely in public - got that? No hugging, no kissing. You spend time together and talk. That's pretty much it - then there's differences between Kamikakushi and Earth; never speak when a man is speaking, always bow before a man - even if you are a princess, you won't have to when you're Queen - never raise your voice to a man, do what ever a man tells you to do..." she listed these things on and on.
"Then why are you a Royal Advisor or whatever you people call it," Chihiro asked when she finished.
"Because I'm special," Miyako replied sweetly.
"... Oh."
Miyako blinked at her. "What's wrong? Do you feel okay?"
"... No." Chihiro whispered, clutching her suddenly disruptive stomach and leaning over, eventually falling to her knees, resting her forehead on the ground.
"It must be an after-affect of Roku's spell," Miyako informed her. "come on, up you go; you'll survive. Hurry, now! There are only certain things that you can talk about too."
Chihiro looked up a little bit.
"There are rules to talking?"
"Duh," Miyako informed her sternly.
Chihiro groaned again; and threw up.
"Ai! Too much human blood to react so terribly," Miyako shouted. "I'll be right back and explain the rest to you later, then."
She left, and a few minutes later some servants - servants! - came in and cleaned up the mess, and a man dressed in the usual medieval garb they had here told Chihiro that all she needed was some rest and some food.
Chihiro hated it. She really did.
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A/N: Okay, I've got two ideas on how to bring Haku into this story! He comes to Chihiro or Chihiro goes to him - which would ya like? Gotta tell me, I really don't know which to do. I kind of favor the Chihiro-going-to- Haku one, but hey, I'm not the reader. 'nyway.
Disclaimer: don't own Spirited Away. I DO own OCs, got that? Ya? Ya!
Chapter Started: 5/1/03
Chapter Finished: 5/8/03
.
.
.
Right after the last chapter
.
.
.
"Royal Advisors," Roku said when all had quieted down and sat. "this here," he lay a hand on Chihiro's shoulder - she flinched it away. "-is the Princess Miai of Kamikakushi." All eyes turned on Chihiro, looking her over.
"I thought she was twelve, Roku," one man said. "she seems so young - like nine or eight years of age."
"Humans age slower - that, and her mother Yuuko is pure blood human." Another pointed out.
"Will she be - you know, Physically ready by the age of thirteen when she takes the throne as Queen?" asked another.
"That is what she and I were speaking of on our way here," Roku cut in. "we shall need to find her consort soon. They ought to be lining up by tomorrow."
"That might take a little work," one man said. "besides, why the rush?"
"The rush is that our Princess wishes to become a Queen and mother very, very soon," Roku said, and tapped her cheek. "isn't that right your Highness?" he asked. Chihiro's eyes grew the size of goblets as she realized her mouth wouldn't open, and she was nodding. Her mouth was opening, speaking - she couldn't control her body! She couldn't control herself! Panic took over as she heard - felt, even - herself say, "Anytime soon would be lovely."
They all looked at her and got identical grins. Malicious grins. They knew she was being controlled! Chihiro wanted to cry.
"I think that we should stall, though." One pointed out. "if we physically harm her, she might die. We'll need more than just those of noble birth. I think we'll need some with magic - apprentices. Young sorcerers. Every part of Kamikakushi should hold an election of sorts to send their most handsomest, their smartest, theirs that will simply - you understand - will work."
"I agree." One added.
There was a lot of murmuring, and a lot of, well, agreeing.
"Then that will be decided. In the meanwhile, what are we going to do about lessons? She has been raised by humans for twelve years, remember," Roku said.
"I suggest that she spend a day with each possible suitor," one started. "and go to lessons with them. If she shows any interest with that one, then she will spend a week with them. If WE show any interest in him, then she shall spend a week with him. Then those of noble birth that interest has been shown within - and he is smart, and we all agree - then he will help teach her from a point of view closer to hers."
Again, a lot of murmuring and agreeing.
"Then we shall do both of those," Roku nodded firmly. "when will we have all of the major sorcerers and sorceresses give her her magic?"
"Perhaps," one next to Chihiro pointed out. "after she is more... willing, to rule."
"That may take forever!" another burst out.
And so forth an argument burst around, and after a while, Chihiro heard her voice again - she hated Roku. Why was he doing this to her?
"Peace, Advisors!" her lips said. She began to cry - silent tears. They all stopped arguing and looked extremely amused.
"We'll worry about that later," one offered finally. "if we wish to start courting her tomorrow, then we have a lot of work to do. Alerting all of Kamikakushi and all."
"Yes, yes," Roku said distractedly. "good. What shall we do with her highness currently?"
"I'll handle her," the woman, who had remained silent, said. She stood. "Females relate to each other, you understand," they all laughed.
"Okay, then," Roku said. "let's get moving!" the female Advisor came over and smiled kindly down at Chihiro. Of course, Chihiro didn't fall for it, even though her body did stand up, smile prettily, and curtsy.
"Roku, you will kill yourself by exercising so much magic. Just hand her over to me. I'll find her wardrobe for the rest of the month etc., and teach her Kamikakushian courting."
Chihiro felt a wave of freedom - there was no there way to describe it. she gasped and fell to her knees, struggling to breathe through the corset. Tears dripped down her face ad cheeks, splattering onto the floor. Roku was panting, but said, "Have a good day, Princess," and left.
Chihiro tried to jump to her feet and bolt, but her legs got caught up in all of her skirts and she tripped and fell painfully, knocking the air out of her. This is not a good thing to do while wearing a corset.
"Careful, Miai Hime," the advisor woman said, helping her up. "the skirts are hard to get used to." She didn't even pause as Chihiro finally was able to suck in tiny gasps of air, "My grandmother was human, and she and I were very close. I understand how hard this must be for you... Chihiro, was it? Chihiro. Nothing like a nice pair of jeans and a T-shirt, huh?" she took something small and brown and held it to her lips.
"Eat, princess."
Chihiro swallowed it.
Chihiro was shocked by the woman's soft tone, and looked up at her, still backing away slightly, struggling to breathe properly. "Who... are... you?"
"I am called Miyako. Come with me and we'll get that corset loosened. You'll need to get used to it, though," Chihiro, despite herself, followed wheezing. They came to a gigantic room, with two large double-doors.
"This is your room, Prince - I mean, Chihiro."
The room was big - as in BIG - and dome shaped roof was covered in little yellowish dots. Glow in the dark stars. And had an amazing chandelier. The warm, soft carpet was a light pink, and a magnificently large canopy bed (king size? Double king size?) with some of the most luscious softest looking blankets and delicate lace curtains was in the middle of the room, on a slightly raised part of the floor. It was circular shaped. On the far was one BIG window, with lightly woven lace curtains covering it. the sun and blue sky shone through. Under the window was an enormous bookshelf, covered with books. On the left was what looked like a closet, and between the closet and the window was a small doorway that lead to a small - yet impressive - bathroom. On the right side was a vanity, a space which had the light clicker. Then from the light clicker to the doorway where Chihiro was standing awestruck was a small mat thing, that had a variety of different colored fabric-boots.
"It's amazing," Chihiro said.
"Isn't it? wait until you see the ballroom." Miyako pushed Chihiro in a little bit, and Chihiro took off the little booties (she still inwardly snickered at that) while Miyako closed the doors, and locked them.
"Here, here," she said, and Chihiro held still while Miyako undid her many dresses, laying them carefully over a raised knee, and loosened the corset. She did not take it off.
"Leave it on," Miyako ordered, and Chihiro crouched embarrassedly where she was while Miyako took her many skirts and dresses and lay them in front of the closet, which she opened. Chihiro couldn't stop a small gasp - what was this, every kind of dress in every kind of color and every kind of style? Chihiro tried making a tree diagram with the different dresses and colors in her head, but it didn't work out.
The closet was about as big as her room had been at her old home, and stretched in a bit far. Miyako clicked on a light (revealing that it, too, had a chandelier, if small) and threw a pair of underpants at Chihiro. She caught them gratefully, then scurried in after the woman.
"Miyako?" she asked hesitantly. "did Roku... did Roku really," she swallowed. "kill my dad?"
Miyako paused from where she was riffling through some silks. "Chihiro, you will first have to acknowledge that your REAL father, your birth father, was King here. As for the father that you loved, that raised you, that cared for you; yes. Roku did kill him." Chihiro's shoulders began to shake, and Miyako abandoned what she was doing, knelt (she was tall) and hugged Chihiro. "I know it must really hurt you, Chihiro," she said. "the father you loved is gone. Murdered, and you hurt even more knowing that you can't do anything about it. and the father that you never met is dead, murdered, and you're angry at him for not loving or caring for you, and either way you couldn't care any less about him at the moment. You'll start wondering soon, though. And Yuuko - your mother - is being used against you. nothing is going your way, Chihiro, and I am very sorry for that."
Chihiro accepted it. she finally accepted it, and sobbed uncontrollably into Miyako's shoulder.
"Shh, it's going to be okay in a little while, Chihiro, I promise. The pain will wear away - but the next few days you are going to hate, I'll tell you that." She pulled away and cupped Chihiro's cheek.
"would you like to see your mother?" she asked softly. Chihiro nodded, still crying silently. "Okay," Miyako said. She took the corset off of Chihiro - to which Chihiro was thankful - and gave her a strapless belly shirt, is what it looked like, and a very tight one. Very tight.
"It'll work as a makeshift corset," she explained while Chihiro continued to cry and wonder why the seams didn't rip. Miyako helped Chihiro into a slip, then a dark blue dress that sleeves showed her shoulders, and came to a hook in a ring on her middle finger. She helped Chihiro pull on some tight-like things, and tied some dark blue booties on her bare feet for her.
Then, after giving her a tight squeeze, lead her out and down to the dungeons, to see Yuuko again.
Yuuko and Chihiro embraced through the bars again, and they both cried. After a while, Miyako came and said that she would have a lot of things to tell Chihiro, but she would take her to see Yuuko whenever she could. After some talking, Yuuko finally trusted Miyako (as well as she could), even though she had no other choice, and Chihiro left, looking sadly back again.
"First above all and most important you'll need to understand the rules of courting here!" Miyako announced. The said learner scowled.
"I don't plan on courting or being courted, so, if you'll make this quick - I have to find a way to get home."
"Though you may not have accepted it, this IS your home, Chihiro. Miai Hime. And whether you want to or not, Roku *will* find a suitor for you, so suck up, take a deep breath; I know you're going through a lot. Your blood father WAS the king here. So. First of all, tell me about courting on Earth and I'll tell you what to change to fit our, er, accommodations, so to speak."
Chihiro sat down on the bed that was supposed to be hers.
It was too much to take in.
A princess? Her?
That fact there wasn't so bad, really. However, it would have been easier if she had been a princess somewhere ON EARTH, her father - or, the man who raised her? Wasn't dead, and her mother, oh, say, THE QUEEN.
Otherwise...
Tears still pushed at the back of her eyes, and Chihiro quickly thought about the problem at hand.
If she and Yuuko were to escape, Chihiro would need to... she smirked self- consciously. Social engineering, anybody? Yuuko did that on a daily basis.
And like it or not, Chihiro would have to suck up to Roku et al to get what she wanted.
As long as Yuuko was safe.
Chihiro fingered the orb at her neck and frowned. She hated this place.
"I've never, er, "courted" before," she told Miyako hesitantly. "on Earth, I'm considered a bit young for that."
"Well here you're supposed to be doing it," Miyako reminded, once again going through Chihiro's closet. "if you do something to piss Roku off, I'll try to keep Yuuko alive," Miyako added, sensing where Chihiro's hidden thoughts lay. "isn't there anything about courting you know? Anything?"
Chihiro shrugged. "there's the girlish fantasies that all girls my age have," she muttered. "that my hero will come one day and sweep me off my feet, rescue me from my fears and troubles. Then we'd get married and have a family and live happily ever after." Chihiro tried to shrug off the abrupt thoughts of a certain-green-eyed-somebody named Haku that slipped up.
"as for courting, well, we "Earthlings" call it dating. And on dating, the guy is supposed to take the girl on a romantic moonlit walk and out to dinners and movies, and woo her in the day time, and cuddle with her at night time, and love her and she's supposed to love him. Then when the guy works up enough courage, he proposes to his one true love and they get married." Chihiro smiled a little. "and there's planty of different ways to propose, and all the guys these days use those so that they don't have to look the girl right in the face and deal with possible rejection that way."
Miyako raised her eyebrows. "Care to name a few?" she asked.
Chihiro was now giving her the ghost of a grin now.
"I saw a couple in the newspapers, when I was younger. And in my old home, there was this great big billboard that had a proposal written on it, and once even I've heard great big balloons and jets have the message attached to them. My mom even said that she heard a proposal on the radio, a while before I was born. Of course there's the get-on-bended-knee-and-beg routine as well." Chihiro sighed. "but I suppose here that the father arranges it like and all, medieval and stuff."
"Wow. You humans certainly don't know how to keep a secret. Imagine being rejected after all of that!"
"I guess maybe the girl feels bad about rejecting the guy, so accepts just for the publicity stunt. I had always figured that would be the cowards' way out - but if they truly love each other, then it's sweet and romantic and everybody ends up getting invited to the wedding." Another sigh. "I used to wonder if my guy would do that for me. but he barely did anything, and it's still larger than life." Chihiro closed her eyes. "just holding his hand is like a dream come true."
Miyako stared, then snapped out of it.
"Wait a minute, you mean, you've already got a boyfriend?"
"... boyfriend?" she'd never thought of Haku as a boyfriend before.
"Um, well, we haven't seen each other in a really long time, so I'm not sure if we could be classified as boyfriend and girlfriend ..."
"Oh, Miai Hime!" Miyako cried. "life would just be terrible for you if you were to get married when you already love somebody else!"
"Who said I intend to marry? I didn't, and I think that *I* am the one who chooses who *I* marry!"
"It isn't done like that!" Miyako sighed, running a hand through her long, dark purple hair. She pushed a petite little pair of glasses up her nose and shook her head a little. "I continue to forget, Chihiro, please excuse my manners." She paused.
"Okay, courting, or "Dating" as you call it, is done differently here. First of all, no getting touchy feely in public - got that? No hugging, no kissing. You spend time together and talk. That's pretty much it - then there's differences between Kamikakushi and Earth; never speak when a man is speaking, always bow before a man - even if you are a princess, you won't have to when you're Queen - never raise your voice to a man, do what ever a man tells you to do..." she listed these things on and on.
"Then why are you a Royal Advisor or whatever you people call it," Chihiro asked when she finished.
"Because I'm special," Miyako replied sweetly.
"... Oh."
Miyako blinked at her. "What's wrong? Do you feel okay?"
"... No." Chihiro whispered, clutching her suddenly disruptive stomach and leaning over, eventually falling to her knees, resting her forehead on the ground.
"It must be an after-affect of Roku's spell," Miyako informed her. "come on, up you go; you'll survive. Hurry, now! There are only certain things that you can talk about too."
Chihiro looked up a little bit.
"There are rules to talking?"
"Duh," Miyako informed her sternly.
Chihiro groaned again; and threw up.
"Ai! Too much human blood to react so terribly," Miyako shouted. "I'll be right back and explain the rest to you later, then."
She left, and a few minutes later some servants - servants! - came in and cleaned up the mess, and a man dressed in the usual medieval garb they had here told Chihiro that all she needed was some rest and some food.
Chihiro hated it. She really did.
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A/N: Okay, I've got two ideas on how to bring Haku into this story! He comes to Chihiro or Chihiro goes to him - which would ya like? Gotta tell me, I really don't know which to do. I kind of favor the Chihiro-going-to- Haku one, but hey, I'm not the reader. 'nyway.