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Hai! I'm so glad people liked the fic. Wow, the last chapter seemed a little better. My little brother should throw a tantrum more often.

Disclaimer: I don't own KKJ, but it's okay now! I don't own daemons either. I suggest you read His Dark Materials if you find them intriguing.

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Maron tidied up her cottage for the last time before leaving to go to the palace.

"Let's go, Maron," Miyako said impatiently.

"Yes, yes, let me just fix a few things," Maron said. She packed the few things she had, locked the door, and walked with Miyako toward the palace...

...And bumped straight into Noin.

"Ah!" Maron said, stumbling a bit. "I'm sorry!"

"My greatest apologies, my ladies," Noin said. He turned and walked away.

"Oh! Maron!" Miyako said excitedly. "Don't you know who he is?"

"N-no," said Maron. "I always see Noin around."

"NOIN! You call him that only?" Miyako started laughing. "He's a PRINCE!"

"Whaaaaaaaaat???"

~~~~~~Chiaki's Palace~~~~~~~~

"Ohhh, Chiaki!" Yashiro called. "I was wondering. Do you like pink flowers, or white flowers better?"

"Flowers?" Chiaki mumbled absently. He was reading a book on healing. Access was a little owlet, preening his feathers.

"Of course! For the wedding!" Yashiro said with a sincere smile.

Chiaki choked. "W-wedding?"

"Silly boy," Yashiro laughed, patting his shoulder. "Our wedding is in two months!"

"Then why plan so early?"

"Because we're also inviting people from other kingdoms."

"Two months is a long time."

"Well, yes, but the day after tomorrow I'll be spending three weeks at a paradise island. My father's wedding gift."

"Yashiro, I'm a little busy right now. Just choose yourself."

Disappointed, yet determined, Yashiro went away huffily. Her daemon, which proved to be a male, was a vain peacock. (A/N: Peacocks are boys. Peahens are girls, but they don't get to have those big tail thingies. Just a scientific note.)

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~

At the entrance of the palace, ladies-in-waiting who said that the king wished to talk to her greeted Miyako.

"To break my heart again?" Miyako sniffed to Maron. But they went, after Maron was lent proper clothes.

"Ahh, Princess. Good, good."

The king looked regal in his throne.

"Your majesty requested my presence?" Miyako said, using her etiquette lessons well. She curtsied low. Maron and the ladies-in-waiting were doing the same behind her.

"Yes. It seems Chaplain now knows your true betrothed."

"And who is the man?"

"Prince Minazuki."

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~

Minazuki was coming for a visit. Chiaki ordered a room be ready for him. He didn't know that Miyako did the same for Maron.

In Maron's room, there was a wardrobe wherein Miyako filled with gifts of clothes for Maron. And in the dresser was some jewelry. A couple of drawers had keys, to keep her own private things.

Maron was treated like a guest. Miyako simply stated that Maron was her best friend, and she was treated like royalty. Chiaki's kingdom was famous for hospitality.

As a guest, she was invited to dinner in the great dining room. She put on a pink gown (A/N: you know, those semi-formal ones. Not those huge puffy ones), and a simple choice of jewels. She brushed her hair, and went down with Miyako.

The dining room was laid with a big feast. This was in honor of Prince Minazuki's visit, and as a good-bye party to Princess Yashiro.

The Chaplain, whether to make up for his bumbling mistakes, or to make up for the years he let by, somehow plotted and got his way. Minazuki was seated on Miyako's left, while Maron was on the right. Beside Maron was Yashiro, and beside Yashiro was Chiaki.

Yashiro spoke quite smugly to Maron.

"Am I not quite fortunate?" She said with a smirk. "My betrothed is the prince of this land. He is finally mine." Yashiro swooned over a ring in her hand.

"Beautiful," Maron said politely, but she disliked her. Yashiro's daemon showed how vain she was. Fin was just a little owlet, tickling her chin. But Yashiro's was still a peacock, vain at her feet and preening itself.

After dinner, Maron was alone again. Chaplain trapped Miyako with Minazuki somewhere, and Yashiro was throwing herself over Chiaki.

"I almost wish..." Maron told Fin quietly.

Suddenly Fin became a wild bobcat. "I sense Sinbad's aura! And his daemon's!"

Maron stood straight. She quickly transformed into Jeanne.

"Ready."

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~

"Getting away from Yashiro was hard," Access whispered to Sinbad.

"You don't like her, either?"

"Nah, I just don't like her daemon."

"Just because it's a male."

"I'm not a fan of Minazuki's either, nor Miyako's."

"You left out Maron's."

"I like Fin."

Sinbad could've been stabbed with a toothpick. "What?"

"I. Like. Fin." Access shrugged. Sinbad half admired his outspoken personality and carefree attitude, but was also half-disgusted.

"You will be my death," Sinbad muttered.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~

Fin, as a tiger, growled and snapped at Access.

They were at the huge palace gardens. Gardener had made a maze out of bushes and hedges. But Fin and Access informed their humans that a certain rosebush had a demon. (A/N: I wanted to cry when I put that!)

Jeanne tried to think fast. She flipped herself up a hedge, and Fin turned into a squirrel to follow.

On the other side, she searched every bush.

"We need some clue, and fast," Jeanne told Fin. Fin transformed into a cat with glowing green eyes and looked around.

"You think it might have some sort of difference," Fin muttered. Than she spotted a white rosebush with perfect petals. The leaves looked fresh, and the roses were in mature bloom.

"That must be it!" Jeanne said.

"How can you tell?"

"Well, most of the other roses are preparing for winter already."

"Good point," Sinbad said, coming after them. Jeanne quickly tried to get her cross.

"Checkmate!" She cried. The bush shook itself, and the beauty faded away. The roses shied away, and the leaves began to wilt.

A black, smoky thing emerged from the bush, screeching.

Jeanne, with her task done, turned to face her rival.

But he was gone.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~

"Why'd you let her?" Access asked Chiaki. "You know you could have beaten her."

"I don't know..." Chiaki said, confused. "I just got this weird feeling, and it made me wonder about it..."

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~

Maron was at her room's balcony the next morning.

"We did it Fin," she said. "we did well last night."

"But..."

"Yes, it bothers me, too," Maron said. "He seemed to let me do it, not that I beat him."

Then she spotted a couple in the garden.

"Miyako?" Maron said to herself, surprised. "And Minazuki?"

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Oh, Miyako seems to not mind Minazuki anymore! And Chiaki's f-a-l-l-i-n- g!!!

Hope you liked it. I won't update for awhile, I'm going somewhere