Author's notes:
Happily Ever After Chapter 2: Reluctant Duties
~Happiness is always hard to find. Oftentimes, it is said to be a treasure buried so deep that precious few ever find it. And those that do find it discard it with the clouded notion that it is not really happiness at all. But happiness is not buried treasure, nor is it difficult to find. It is within the reach of every person in the world. The only thing is, we never know what it looks like.
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Shigure glared at the princes as he paced back and forth before them in his sitting room. Several more gilded chairs were brought upon his request and now the four princes of Sohma sat in them. Momiji looked thoughtful, Hatsuharu was indifferent, as usual, Yuki was cool and calm though a flash in his purple eyes showed annoyance to the last prince sitting next to him, and Kyou refused to meet anybody's eyes.
Shigure made another round from one side of the wall to the other, just pacing and glaring. Finally he stopped his pacing and folded his arms across his chest in the effort to appear extremely angry.
"For all your years in learning and books, you still haven't figured out what it means to be a diplomat."
His voice was hovering above that of a whisper and showed the strains of trying to keep his voice from rising to the infamous yell that all four knew very well. And all four perked up as each mind plotted the best way to get him to lose his temper.
"Do you know what a diplomat means?" Momiji started first.
"Of course I do! I'm not a personal advisor for nothing!" Shigure hissed indignantly and began his pacing again.
"What is it then?" Momiji asked with a serious face and all the other princes fought down a snicker as Shigure's pacing paused for just a second.
"Eh, why, it means being friends with other countries in order to keep peace and ties secure." Shigure answered and stopped his pacing again to stare at the princes suspiciously.
"Nope." Kyou spoke up, his lip curled in amusement. "It means an official representing a country abroad in order to manage international relations." He quoted and Shigure shot his famous death glare at the orange head prince.
"Same difference." He muttered. Score one for the princes.
"And do I have to remind you that there will most likely be many balls held in your honor...and Akito did give me permission to choose which company you will keep during that time..."
He let the sentence fall and gave himself an invisible pat on the back as each prince, even Hatsuharu, all paled at Shigure's threat. Score ten for Shigure.
"You wouldn't." Kyou said daringly though his red eyes showed hesitance as the advisor flashed a sly grin. Shigure leaned against the table behind him and pretended to look at his nails for invisible smudges of dirt.
"Based on my knowledge of the nobles living around here, there must be hundreds of young girls just waaaiting," he stretched the word out joyfully. "To snag a prince from another kingdom."
"Fine, we apologize, happy?" Yuki said and started to get up from his chair. But Shigure warned him down with a look.
"Nuh uh, Yuki, I've got the upper hand now and I intend to squeeze every bit of enjoyment out of it as possible. Akito had also sent along several gifts as a way to show that the two kingdoms are in peace with each other, one of them being something fairly special as he ordered me to give it to her personally. I will however, entreat you four to give it to her at the ball tomorrow night, understood? And then, "He rubbed his hands together in a gleeful manner that frightened the princes even further. "A full night of dancing and chatting for my four favorite princes in the kingdom."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"The nerve of them!" Kagura exclaimed angrily as she held out the ribbon and lace sleeping gown for Tohru. The queen shook her head at the lacy ensemble and Kagura took out a pair of pants and shirt with a sigh.
The dinner had been a little too quiet after that incident, even though Yuki and Kyou manage to snap out of themselves and Tohru accepted the Sohmas' slightly embarrassed apologies. With only the gentle clink of dishes and the quiet chewing of their food, the air felt heavy and tense without words. Tohru couldn't stand the silence and ended up chatting away on the most irrelevant things she could think of. From the weather to how she was building her garden. The only good thing was that she had noticed Prince Yuki perking up at the sound of a garden.
"You can't really blame them, I mean, I just became queen and I haven't even taken any lessons about it, so how would I know how to be a queen?" Tohru buttoned the last button of her tannish yellow pajamas and sat down in a gold lined chair.
"Typical, of course you try to take all the blame to yourself." Kagura muttered as she started to braid Tohru's hair into a long tail in the back. "They at least should have had the senses to know that the reigning monarch always greets diplomats when they arrive. Even I know that and I'm a servant."
Tohru turned around from her seat to give a face to her friend.
"No, not a servant. An advisor and a high friend to Queen Tohru of Honda kingdom. I think that's a very important position and one that requires much honor and trust, neh Kagura-chan?" Kagura patted Tohru's head with a warm smile and began to usher the queen into bed.
"You better rest, you have that stupid ball tomorrow. I can't believe all the nobles forced it on you! You're not just an image on the throne, you know!" Kagura began ranting again, her dislike for nobles clearly showing.
"I think it's quite fair, they do want to see the Sohma princes and we haven't had visitors for a long time. And I think a ball might brighten up the mood around here." Tohru began defending again but Kagura just waved her words away and pulled the blue velvet curtains around the bed with a gruff goodnight.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Something was poking at her face. She gave a tiny whimper and turned her body away from the poking finger but the finger grew more insistent. Ah, another royal day.
"H-hai." Tohru sighed out and struggled to sit up. As soon as she did, someone jumped on her bed, causing her to bounce up and down and fully wake up. She quickly rubbed her eyes and stared at the grinning blonde haired prince who was lying down on her bed.
"Ohayo!" He sang out and quickly sat cross-legged. "What events do you have planned for us today? Can we tour the palace? Let's have a picnic! Or we can go horseback riding! Can I spend the whole day with you?" He said excitedly. Kagura then came into the room with Tohru's dress for the day. She draped the light yellow dress over a chair and sat down next to Tohru.
"Momiji-chan, give Tohru a minute to wake up."
"Ah, I'm already awake! What time is it Kagura-chan?" Tohru asked as she slid off her high bed and onto the rose-carpeted floor. She wiggled her toes in the softness of the carpet and then stretched her arms out to shake off the last of her sleepiness.
"The other princes have already eaten and are awaiting your plans for the day." Kagura relayed as Tohru walked into her dressing room. She quickly poked her head out the doorway in dismay.
"Nani??!!" Her pajamas flew up in the air as the queen swiftly slipped on her dress and plopped down before her dressing table. Kagura took a yellow ribbon from a long gold box with a border of tiny white pearls.
"Calm down Tohru-kun, they only just finished their breakfast, you still have some time. And you are not leaving this palace without some food." Kagura ordered as her nimble fingers combed Tohru's hair into a low ponytail, allowing for a few strands to artfully decorate her delicate face. Momiji looked on in interest, a content smile on his face.
"Neh, Tohru-kun, are you engaged?" Momiji suddenly asked. Tohru turned around with a dazed look as Kagura whisked off to retrieve a cloak.
"Ano, Prince Momiji, what makes you say that?" Tohru asked.
"Call me Momiji-kuuuun." Trilled the blonde haired prince.
"Ah, Momiji-kun, what makes you say that?" Tohru repeated.
"Just curious." Before Tohru could answer Momiji straightened up and regally lifted his arm up for her to hold, making him age five years as he gave a courtly bow. "Shall we meet my brothers? They get easily annoyed if they are kept waiting."
Tohru gave a smile and laid her hand on top of his arm, allowing him to lead her outside. Servants threw open the doors leading to the pathways interconnecting all the palace wings and Momiji, in a half skip, half walk, chatted about the tranquility of her home. The other princes were patiently waiting by the ambassador wing and all bowed appropriately to Tohru when she arrived. She couldn't help but blush at the five handsome men bowing to her.
"I'm so sorry I was late, it won't happen again, I promise." Tohru bowed as well, hoping her red face would fade away back to its normal color.
"Tohru-kun planned a fun day for us!" Momiji said as he hopped between his brothers. Kyou grabbed the boy by the back of his color in annoyance.
"Tohru-kun? Don't tell me you didn't retain to any of our courtesy lessons? You address her as Queen Tohru. Baka rabbit." Kyou bonked Momiji on the head and the boy began to wail his unhappiness. Hatsuharu and Yuki displayed indifference while Shigure could only rub the sides of his head with agitated fingers.
"Stop picking on him, baka neko." Yuki said.
"Ano....the stables aren't too far from here and I thought we could start by horseback riding around the country and having a picnic." Tohru tried to cut in, hoping she could stop the fight.
"What are you talking about, kuso nezumi! Why don't you keep your stupid comments to yourself." Kyou argued back and swung at Yuki's head. Yuki gracefully dodged the barrage of punches that his brother was giving, all with a look of boredom which drove Kyou even more crazy.
"Ano....." Tohru said helplessly as she watched the fight unfold before her. Momiji tugged at her hands and began to pull her towards the direction of the stables.
"It's ok, this happens all the time. We can go ahead and have a fun day together, neh Tohru-kun?"
Tohru stole a quick look behind her as the other ambassadors followed her to the stables. Yuki still hadn't exchanged blows and was dodging Kyou with an almost animal like grace. She gave a quiet sigh and hoped the two would be alright.
"And you say this happens often?" She asked curiously.
"Every single day. I can't always trust the sun will come up, but I can trust those two to start every day with a fight." Shigure remarked dryly.
She gave a wince at the answer as they entered the spacious stable. Horses of every breed and color greeted the visitors with loud neighs. Tohru immediately went to her favorite horse, a noble mare that was the same chestnut color as Tohru's hair. She grabbed a carrot from a bin and fed her horse as the men fanned out to look for a horse to ride. Attentive hostlers quickly saddled up the chosen horses and led them outside. Tohru began to look worriedly for the remaining two princes who had yet to come. She breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted them walking over but her sigh of relief vanished as she realized that Yuki was carrying an unconscious Kyou.
"Ahh!" She sped over to help Yuki but strangely, the prince shrugged her off and moved Kyou away from her.
"It's alright, he'll come to in a few seconds. I didn't hit him that hard." Yuki said with an apologetic smile. True to his words, Kyou began to stir and the first thing he did when he opened his eyes was push away from Yuki.
"Oy! What do you think you're going touching me?!" He bellowed as he tried to brush himself off.
"I was dragging you to the stables so we could have at least a semi decent day." Yuki accompanied his words with rolling eyes.
"Oy!!! What are you implying?!!" Kyou argued as the two stepped into the stables to pick their horses.
"And this happens....every day?" Tohru said to no one in particular. The other men nodded their head in agreement.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Honestly, I can't believe you four!! After my lecture and my threats last night, you still keep on acting like imbeciles!!" Shigure paced back and forth. It was the same scene as before but this time the four princes were too weary to plot an attack.
"Momiji and I didn't do anything." Haru pointed out. "So wouldn't it be you two?"
"Forget it, I don't need this tonight. I need to concentrate on all the eligible single girls at the ball, not how one of you idiots are going to ruin this diplomatic mission." Shigure threw up his hands in defeat and retired to his suite to change.
"Well, at least that means he isn't going to force us to dance with the girls." Kyou said casually as he slouched in his chair. "Not if he's too busy checking out the girls."
"We'll still be obligated to dance with a few girls, baka neko." Yuki said. "And you can be the one to give her the gift."
"Why do I have to do it?" Kyou said indignantly.
"Majority vote." Yuki answered and tossed a delicate velvet box onto Kyou lap. "Don't lose it and try to give it to her with some degree of charm."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tohru glanced nervously around the immense ballroom and tugged at the soft ribbons of her silver gown. The interior designers had outdone themselves and the room looked like a heavenly garden. Exotically scented flowers bedecked the long windows and delicate glass chandeliers, creating a serene floral scent. The ball was in full swing but the first dance was always saved for the queen and the next most important person in the room. Shigure gave out a hand to Tohru and led her to the center of the room for the first dance. After a minute, all other couples joined and all that was heard was the gentle swishing of expensive fabric, floating music, and mellow conversation. Tohru gave a glance around the room as the dance finished to see if her other guests were enjoying themselves. Yuki was quietly conversing with an elderly lady, Momiji was chatting with a youthful girl, and even Kyou was awkwardly dancing with a sophisticated duchess. Hatsuharu however caught her eye as he brooded near the balcony, giving a displeased look every time a young girl attempted to come near him.
"Are you alright?" Tohru asked him anxiously when she walked over. "You look...um...angry. Is there anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable?"
"It's nothing." He said harshly but the hard look in his eyes softened when he saw Tohru bite her lip. "Sorry, I don't really like balls. They aren't to my taste."
"Me too!" Tohru cheerfully agreed, happy that they had found something in common. Just another step to friendship with the princes, she thought.
"Then why did you plan a ball?" He asked.
"It wasn't me, it was more for the nobles in my court. They insisted on meeting the famed Sohma's and I thought that you might enjoy meeting more people."
"Why don't you call in sick, or just leave the ball early if you don't like to go?"
"Oh, I can't do that, I would be abandoning my duty." Tohru said as she wrung her hands. Haru looked down at her hands and then suddenly grabbed them, quickly pulling her outside.
"W-where are we going? We shouldn't leave all the guests like that-"He led her all the way down to the gardens and finally stopped on a small hill. He plopped down and after hesitating, Tohru slowly sat down next to him, warily gathering her skirts. "They'll start looking for me..." She said softly.
"Who cares what they think, you shouldn't be forced to do something." Haru said rebelliously. "You should do whatever you desire."
"If it was only that easy." She said wistfully as she thought back to the carefree days with her mother. The prince looked at her sideways, attentively noticing her regretful eyes.
"What do you desire above all?" He asked.
"Something." She whispered to herself.
"What?"
"It's of no importance." She shook her head both at herself and him and attempted to stand up from her seat but was surprised when he grabbed hold of her billowing sleeves and gently pulled her back down.
"It is of importance." He reassured her in a manner completely unlike she had ever seen from him. He did, however, refuse to look straight into her eyes. She dropped her gaze at his face down to her gardens which were in view. They were bathed in the silver moonlight that seemed to fall over everything in a dark caress.
"I want...I want to be able to help everybody. I want to protect my kingdom, I want my people to be happy, I want everything to be...happy, I guess." She shook her head again, her chestnut hair falling in wispy tendrils around her illuminated face. "I must sound like a little child to you."
"No." He said softly, almost so that she could barely hear him. And there was something in his tone that she couldn't quite figure out. "You don't sound like a child."
"What do you desire?" She asked him curiously as she brushed away the annoying strands of hair tickling her cheeks. He stood and lowered a hand to help her. She grabbed his warm fingers and he pulled her up like she was nothing but weightless air. But he didn't let go of his grasp.
"Me. My desires..."He caught her gaze for a moment then looked away, still refusing to look at her straight in the eye. He, instead, gave a hushed laugh to the night, which enveloped the sound in darkness. "What I desire is beyond your mind." He suddenly pulled her close to him, so close that the slightest movement could bring their lips together. "But, maybe, you're a part of it." He whispered to her.
*Hmm, this is suppose to be a kyou/tohru but I'm betting u guys are thinking if this is going to be a haru/tohru. Alright, I couldn't help myself, haru is one of my most favorite characters and I couldn't help but put a little action between the two in. hopefully, I'll be able to keep this a kyou/tohru. I hope u guys aren't too mad. ^^ anywho, please review and tell me what you think of the chapter. I'll start putting the real plot stuff a bit later.
Darkangelwings: thanks for the compliments. *Beams* I hope u'll enjoy the rest of the story when it comes out
Ayakumi: I had originally planned on making this a kyou/tohru but maybe, who knows, it might change to a haru/tohru. Its not for sure yet
Mizaya: thanks for the long review! I love them to death because it gives so much more than a "hurry up and update". I was wondering if anybody was going to catch the riceball flag part, I couldn't resist putting that in. and I bought the whole series on DVD (turning me into a begger for the next few months), and I totally fell in love with haru and kyou.
Happily Ever After Chapter 2: Reluctant Duties
~Happiness is always hard to find. Oftentimes, it is said to be a treasure buried so deep that precious few ever find it. And those that do find it discard it with the clouded notion that it is not really happiness at all. But happiness is not buried treasure, nor is it difficult to find. It is within the reach of every person in the world. The only thing is, we never know what it looks like.
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Shigure glared at the princes as he paced back and forth before them in his sitting room. Several more gilded chairs were brought upon his request and now the four princes of Sohma sat in them. Momiji looked thoughtful, Hatsuharu was indifferent, as usual, Yuki was cool and calm though a flash in his purple eyes showed annoyance to the last prince sitting next to him, and Kyou refused to meet anybody's eyes.
Shigure made another round from one side of the wall to the other, just pacing and glaring. Finally he stopped his pacing and folded his arms across his chest in the effort to appear extremely angry.
"For all your years in learning and books, you still haven't figured out what it means to be a diplomat."
His voice was hovering above that of a whisper and showed the strains of trying to keep his voice from rising to the infamous yell that all four knew very well. And all four perked up as each mind plotted the best way to get him to lose his temper.
"Do you know what a diplomat means?" Momiji started first.
"Of course I do! I'm not a personal advisor for nothing!" Shigure hissed indignantly and began his pacing again.
"What is it then?" Momiji asked with a serious face and all the other princes fought down a snicker as Shigure's pacing paused for just a second.
"Eh, why, it means being friends with other countries in order to keep peace and ties secure." Shigure answered and stopped his pacing again to stare at the princes suspiciously.
"Nope." Kyou spoke up, his lip curled in amusement. "It means an official representing a country abroad in order to manage international relations." He quoted and Shigure shot his famous death glare at the orange head prince.
"Same difference." He muttered. Score one for the princes.
"And do I have to remind you that there will most likely be many balls held in your honor...and Akito did give me permission to choose which company you will keep during that time..."
He let the sentence fall and gave himself an invisible pat on the back as each prince, even Hatsuharu, all paled at Shigure's threat. Score ten for Shigure.
"You wouldn't." Kyou said daringly though his red eyes showed hesitance as the advisor flashed a sly grin. Shigure leaned against the table behind him and pretended to look at his nails for invisible smudges of dirt.
"Based on my knowledge of the nobles living around here, there must be hundreds of young girls just waaaiting," he stretched the word out joyfully. "To snag a prince from another kingdom."
"Fine, we apologize, happy?" Yuki said and started to get up from his chair. But Shigure warned him down with a look.
"Nuh uh, Yuki, I've got the upper hand now and I intend to squeeze every bit of enjoyment out of it as possible. Akito had also sent along several gifts as a way to show that the two kingdoms are in peace with each other, one of them being something fairly special as he ordered me to give it to her personally. I will however, entreat you four to give it to her at the ball tomorrow night, understood? And then, "He rubbed his hands together in a gleeful manner that frightened the princes even further. "A full night of dancing and chatting for my four favorite princes in the kingdom."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"The nerve of them!" Kagura exclaimed angrily as she held out the ribbon and lace sleeping gown for Tohru. The queen shook her head at the lacy ensemble and Kagura took out a pair of pants and shirt with a sigh.
The dinner had been a little too quiet after that incident, even though Yuki and Kyou manage to snap out of themselves and Tohru accepted the Sohmas' slightly embarrassed apologies. With only the gentle clink of dishes and the quiet chewing of their food, the air felt heavy and tense without words. Tohru couldn't stand the silence and ended up chatting away on the most irrelevant things she could think of. From the weather to how she was building her garden. The only good thing was that she had noticed Prince Yuki perking up at the sound of a garden.
"You can't really blame them, I mean, I just became queen and I haven't even taken any lessons about it, so how would I know how to be a queen?" Tohru buttoned the last button of her tannish yellow pajamas and sat down in a gold lined chair.
"Typical, of course you try to take all the blame to yourself." Kagura muttered as she started to braid Tohru's hair into a long tail in the back. "They at least should have had the senses to know that the reigning monarch always greets diplomats when they arrive. Even I know that and I'm a servant."
Tohru turned around from her seat to give a face to her friend.
"No, not a servant. An advisor and a high friend to Queen Tohru of Honda kingdom. I think that's a very important position and one that requires much honor and trust, neh Kagura-chan?" Kagura patted Tohru's head with a warm smile and began to usher the queen into bed.
"You better rest, you have that stupid ball tomorrow. I can't believe all the nobles forced it on you! You're not just an image on the throne, you know!" Kagura began ranting again, her dislike for nobles clearly showing.
"I think it's quite fair, they do want to see the Sohma princes and we haven't had visitors for a long time. And I think a ball might brighten up the mood around here." Tohru began defending again but Kagura just waved her words away and pulled the blue velvet curtains around the bed with a gruff goodnight.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Something was poking at her face. She gave a tiny whimper and turned her body away from the poking finger but the finger grew more insistent. Ah, another royal day.
"H-hai." Tohru sighed out and struggled to sit up. As soon as she did, someone jumped on her bed, causing her to bounce up and down and fully wake up. She quickly rubbed her eyes and stared at the grinning blonde haired prince who was lying down on her bed.
"Ohayo!" He sang out and quickly sat cross-legged. "What events do you have planned for us today? Can we tour the palace? Let's have a picnic! Or we can go horseback riding! Can I spend the whole day with you?" He said excitedly. Kagura then came into the room with Tohru's dress for the day. She draped the light yellow dress over a chair and sat down next to Tohru.
"Momiji-chan, give Tohru a minute to wake up."
"Ah, I'm already awake! What time is it Kagura-chan?" Tohru asked as she slid off her high bed and onto the rose-carpeted floor. She wiggled her toes in the softness of the carpet and then stretched her arms out to shake off the last of her sleepiness.
"The other princes have already eaten and are awaiting your plans for the day." Kagura relayed as Tohru walked into her dressing room. She quickly poked her head out the doorway in dismay.
"Nani??!!" Her pajamas flew up in the air as the queen swiftly slipped on her dress and plopped down before her dressing table. Kagura took a yellow ribbon from a long gold box with a border of tiny white pearls.
"Calm down Tohru-kun, they only just finished their breakfast, you still have some time. And you are not leaving this palace without some food." Kagura ordered as her nimble fingers combed Tohru's hair into a low ponytail, allowing for a few strands to artfully decorate her delicate face. Momiji looked on in interest, a content smile on his face.
"Neh, Tohru-kun, are you engaged?" Momiji suddenly asked. Tohru turned around with a dazed look as Kagura whisked off to retrieve a cloak.
"Ano, Prince Momiji, what makes you say that?" Tohru asked.
"Call me Momiji-kuuuun." Trilled the blonde haired prince.
"Ah, Momiji-kun, what makes you say that?" Tohru repeated.
"Just curious." Before Tohru could answer Momiji straightened up and regally lifted his arm up for her to hold, making him age five years as he gave a courtly bow. "Shall we meet my brothers? They get easily annoyed if they are kept waiting."
Tohru gave a smile and laid her hand on top of his arm, allowing him to lead her outside. Servants threw open the doors leading to the pathways interconnecting all the palace wings and Momiji, in a half skip, half walk, chatted about the tranquility of her home. The other princes were patiently waiting by the ambassador wing and all bowed appropriately to Tohru when she arrived. She couldn't help but blush at the five handsome men bowing to her.
"I'm so sorry I was late, it won't happen again, I promise." Tohru bowed as well, hoping her red face would fade away back to its normal color.
"Tohru-kun planned a fun day for us!" Momiji said as he hopped between his brothers. Kyou grabbed the boy by the back of his color in annoyance.
"Tohru-kun? Don't tell me you didn't retain to any of our courtesy lessons? You address her as Queen Tohru. Baka rabbit." Kyou bonked Momiji on the head and the boy began to wail his unhappiness. Hatsuharu and Yuki displayed indifference while Shigure could only rub the sides of his head with agitated fingers.
"Stop picking on him, baka neko." Yuki said.
"Ano....the stables aren't too far from here and I thought we could start by horseback riding around the country and having a picnic." Tohru tried to cut in, hoping she could stop the fight.
"What are you talking about, kuso nezumi! Why don't you keep your stupid comments to yourself." Kyou argued back and swung at Yuki's head. Yuki gracefully dodged the barrage of punches that his brother was giving, all with a look of boredom which drove Kyou even more crazy.
"Ano....." Tohru said helplessly as she watched the fight unfold before her. Momiji tugged at her hands and began to pull her towards the direction of the stables.
"It's ok, this happens all the time. We can go ahead and have a fun day together, neh Tohru-kun?"
Tohru stole a quick look behind her as the other ambassadors followed her to the stables. Yuki still hadn't exchanged blows and was dodging Kyou with an almost animal like grace. She gave a quiet sigh and hoped the two would be alright.
"And you say this happens often?" She asked curiously.
"Every single day. I can't always trust the sun will come up, but I can trust those two to start every day with a fight." Shigure remarked dryly.
She gave a wince at the answer as they entered the spacious stable. Horses of every breed and color greeted the visitors with loud neighs. Tohru immediately went to her favorite horse, a noble mare that was the same chestnut color as Tohru's hair. She grabbed a carrot from a bin and fed her horse as the men fanned out to look for a horse to ride. Attentive hostlers quickly saddled up the chosen horses and led them outside. Tohru began to look worriedly for the remaining two princes who had yet to come. She breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted them walking over but her sigh of relief vanished as she realized that Yuki was carrying an unconscious Kyou.
"Ahh!" She sped over to help Yuki but strangely, the prince shrugged her off and moved Kyou away from her.
"It's alright, he'll come to in a few seconds. I didn't hit him that hard." Yuki said with an apologetic smile. True to his words, Kyou began to stir and the first thing he did when he opened his eyes was push away from Yuki.
"Oy! What do you think you're going touching me?!" He bellowed as he tried to brush himself off.
"I was dragging you to the stables so we could have at least a semi decent day." Yuki accompanied his words with rolling eyes.
"Oy!!! What are you implying?!!" Kyou argued as the two stepped into the stables to pick their horses.
"And this happens....every day?" Tohru said to no one in particular. The other men nodded their head in agreement.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Honestly, I can't believe you four!! After my lecture and my threats last night, you still keep on acting like imbeciles!!" Shigure paced back and forth. It was the same scene as before but this time the four princes were too weary to plot an attack.
"Momiji and I didn't do anything." Haru pointed out. "So wouldn't it be you two?"
"Forget it, I don't need this tonight. I need to concentrate on all the eligible single girls at the ball, not how one of you idiots are going to ruin this diplomatic mission." Shigure threw up his hands in defeat and retired to his suite to change.
"Well, at least that means he isn't going to force us to dance with the girls." Kyou said casually as he slouched in his chair. "Not if he's too busy checking out the girls."
"We'll still be obligated to dance with a few girls, baka neko." Yuki said. "And you can be the one to give her the gift."
"Why do I have to do it?" Kyou said indignantly.
"Majority vote." Yuki answered and tossed a delicate velvet box onto Kyou lap. "Don't lose it and try to give it to her with some degree of charm."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tohru glanced nervously around the immense ballroom and tugged at the soft ribbons of her silver gown. The interior designers had outdone themselves and the room looked like a heavenly garden. Exotically scented flowers bedecked the long windows and delicate glass chandeliers, creating a serene floral scent. The ball was in full swing but the first dance was always saved for the queen and the next most important person in the room. Shigure gave out a hand to Tohru and led her to the center of the room for the first dance. After a minute, all other couples joined and all that was heard was the gentle swishing of expensive fabric, floating music, and mellow conversation. Tohru gave a glance around the room as the dance finished to see if her other guests were enjoying themselves. Yuki was quietly conversing with an elderly lady, Momiji was chatting with a youthful girl, and even Kyou was awkwardly dancing with a sophisticated duchess. Hatsuharu however caught her eye as he brooded near the balcony, giving a displeased look every time a young girl attempted to come near him.
"Are you alright?" Tohru asked him anxiously when she walked over. "You look...um...angry. Is there anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable?"
"It's nothing." He said harshly but the hard look in his eyes softened when he saw Tohru bite her lip. "Sorry, I don't really like balls. They aren't to my taste."
"Me too!" Tohru cheerfully agreed, happy that they had found something in common. Just another step to friendship with the princes, she thought.
"Then why did you plan a ball?" He asked.
"It wasn't me, it was more for the nobles in my court. They insisted on meeting the famed Sohma's and I thought that you might enjoy meeting more people."
"Why don't you call in sick, or just leave the ball early if you don't like to go?"
"Oh, I can't do that, I would be abandoning my duty." Tohru said as she wrung her hands. Haru looked down at her hands and then suddenly grabbed them, quickly pulling her outside.
"W-where are we going? We shouldn't leave all the guests like that-"He led her all the way down to the gardens and finally stopped on a small hill. He plopped down and after hesitating, Tohru slowly sat down next to him, warily gathering her skirts. "They'll start looking for me..." She said softly.
"Who cares what they think, you shouldn't be forced to do something." Haru said rebelliously. "You should do whatever you desire."
"If it was only that easy." She said wistfully as she thought back to the carefree days with her mother. The prince looked at her sideways, attentively noticing her regretful eyes.
"What do you desire above all?" He asked.
"Something." She whispered to herself.
"What?"
"It's of no importance." She shook her head both at herself and him and attempted to stand up from her seat but was surprised when he grabbed hold of her billowing sleeves and gently pulled her back down.
"It is of importance." He reassured her in a manner completely unlike she had ever seen from him. He did, however, refuse to look straight into her eyes. She dropped her gaze at his face down to her gardens which were in view. They were bathed in the silver moonlight that seemed to fall over everything in a dark caress.
"I want...I want to be able to help everybody. I want to protect my kingdom, I want my people to be happy, I want everything to be...happy, I guess." She shook her head again, her chestnut hair falling in wispy tendrils around her illuminated face. "I must sound like a little child to you."
"No." He said softly, almost so that she could barely hear him. And there was something in his tone that she couldn't quite figure out. "You don't sound like a child."
"What do you desire?" She asked him curiously as she brushed away the annoying strands of hair tickling her cheeks. He stood and lowered a hand to help her. She grabbed his warm fingers and he pulled her up like she was nothing but weightless air. But he didn't let go of his grasp.
"Me. My desires..."He caught her gaze for a moment then looked away, still refusing to look at her straight in the eye. He, instead, gave a hushed laugh to the night, which enveloped the sound in darkness. "What I desire is beyond your mind." He suddenly pulled her close to him, so close that the slightest movement could bring their lips together. "But, maybe, you're a part of it." He whispered to her.
*Hmm, this is suppose to be a kyou/tohru but I'm betting u guys are thinking if this is going to be a haru/tohru. Alright, I couldn't help myself, haru is one of my most favorite characters and I couldn't help but put a little action between the two in. hopefully, I'll be able to keep this a kyou/tohru. I hope u guys aren't too mad. ^^ anywho, please review and tell me what you think of the chapter. I'll start putting the real plot stuff a bit later.
Darkangelwings: thanks for the compliments. *Beams* I hope u'll enjoy the rest of the story when it comes out
Ayakumi: I had originally planned on making this a kyou/tohru but maybe, who knows, it might change to a haru/tohru. Its not for sure yet
Mizaya: thanks for the long review! I love them to death because it gives so much more than a "hurry up and update". I was wondering if anybody was going to catch the riceball flag part, I couldn't resist putting that in. and I bought the whole series on DVD (turning me into a begger for the next few months), and I totally fell in love with haru and kyou.
