Royalty Bites

Chapter Two

"Blah, blah, blah!" Kageri shouted. "I've heard it all before! I know what to do! How hard can it possibly be to walk down an isle?" Kageri said and walked down it, then she walked up it acting like one of those ningen super-models; swaying her hips side to side, flipping her hair, and batting her eyes like a moron. She walked down again but on her tippy-toes, twirling and swaying, doing some kind of weird dance she made up as she went. "Oooohh... look at her. She's Kageri Kurama, or show I say Kageri Whatever, she just got married and now she's queen. Isn't that so precious? I mean, the way she walks down the isle, it's amAAAAzing... I so wish to be her. With her lovely prince and all." mocked Kageri as she slowly started dancing with an imaginary prince.

"Kageri! You have to know the ritual by three moons passing. That's all, and two moons away is your party to find your prince. Quite this foolishment." ordered some woman who was trying to teach Kageri the ritual of marriage. Kageri was acting like a child. "Two moons away? Oh my!" Kageri teased. The coordinator threw her hands into the air and stomped away.

"I don't need to learn this, I won't ever get married. It's not fair. I hate men, they are evil." Kageri said and laughed. "Oh, why yes. The males are horribly rude, bossy, arrogant, vilage, and horribly, horribly, horribly disgusting. The way they blech! It's just horrid." Kageri complained in her prissy manner and laughed at herself. Just then two hands seized her waist. She whirled around to see Yoko quirking an eyebrow. "Rude? Bossy? Arrogant? Horrid?" he asked with amusement in his eyes.

Kageri laughed. Soon seriousness took place and she said, "I don't want to marry, brother, it's not fair. I..." Yoko cupped her chin and asked, "You don't hate men do you?" A look of false hurt seeped into his eyes. "Not you, brother, I could never hate you." She hugged her brother before frowning. "What about the others? You don't hate Kuronue, do you?" He asked. He felt Kageri's head shake negatively. "Of course not." Just then Yoko's eyes gleamed with the thought of a brilliant idea.

"It's... pink." Kageri said sickly. The dressmaker nodded. "Of course. You don't expect me to send you off in spring time yellow or skippy-loo green, do you?" Kageri shook her head. "No... but why pink? Pink is disgusting as Kuronue's eating habits." She giggled. It wasn't the first time she had compared how nice or how gross something was to one of the thieves. She had met them all through her brother and loved them all like her family. She hoped they would come to her wedding. It wouldn't be right if her family wasn't there. A lot a people would be there, and hopefully them. They were definatly family. "Fine, I'll make it over. What about pale blue?" Kageri thought about it. Blue was nice... but it wasn't exactly her favorite color. "How about black?" Kageri suggested.

"Absolutly not!" The dressmaker yelled so suddenly Kageri was shocked. "You're getting married, not going to a funeral. It's going to be white." The dressmaker said and started on making a new dress.

Two hours later Kageri stared at her reflection. White silk covered her breasts, stomach, and waist then the material billowed down to her feet. It wasn't umbrella huge, more like it increased 25 and instead of slimming down to cling to her womany features like the top did, the material went all the way down. Her shoulders were bare and the dress only hung by loose sleeves that hugged her arms just below her shoulders, and a thin shawl-like cloth drapped on her elbows, hung over her arms and drooped down to her thighs. A white rose had been slipped into her sleek tresses. A transparent ribbon had been tied tightly around her neck as a choker. She wore white gloves that pulled up to her elbows. Diamonds were sown into the fabric in luxurious spirals around the gloves. Her slippers were glossy high-heels.

The designer gave Kageri a silver bracelet to slip on. It was beautiful and had a frosty look to it. Beautiful blood-red garnets were incrusted in its metal. "Wow..." she breathed softly. Kageri looked at her reflection again. She looked like a princess... no... a queen. She smiled.

The rest of that day Kageri was forced to learn how to dance. They took a break from the marriage process and focused on the ball. Demons from all over were going to come, but only those of wealth and fame. Kageri had no idea who would be coming, no one would tell her. Kageri would have gone creazy had it not been for Yoko being there to help her out. She learned etiquette, proper stature, and manners; plus some dance steps and polite speaking skills. The next day followed proper suit. That day passed, and morning came. Everyone was up early. By noon the party guests were arriving.

Yoko had disappeared some few hours before. Waiters were rushing about tending to the possible-husband demons' requests, and Kageri was in a living hell. She was slipped into a dress. While one woman brushed her hair, another was applying makeup, and a third was putting jewelry on her. When the vultures were done, Kageri was allowed to look at her image.

She wore a midnight blue, nearly black, velvet dress. It had sleeves that covered her shoulder and a triangle of material hung from the sleeve and over her hands to circle around her middle finger. She had black dress shoes on, a silver tiara, a necklace with diamonds and sapphires set into it, and a black onyx bracelet. Her silver hair cascaded down her back. Her lips were painted a dark scarlet. Her eyelids had a mystifying blue tint to them, and her cheeks were rosy. She looked all right. All right indeed.

She walked down the hall from her dressing room to the balcony overlooking the ballroom. Before anyone could see her, she began to peek around to see if she knew anybody. "Let's see..." she whispered, "Him, and him, and that guy. But they're losers... Weak-minded fools. I bet they're not even here because they want to be my husband. They only want to be king, those bastards." Kageri looked around some more. Someone was missing. "Where is Yoko?" Kageri gasped when she saw him. Yoko had just entered, but that's now what suprised her, he had brought the gang! Thier thieving friends were pouring in and looked around. Yoko was in front, Kuronue by his side, and a stranger on Yoko's other side. The stranger had black, spikey hair with a white starburst, crimson eyes. He was short, and dressed in complete black that wasn't fancy at all. "He brought some of the new recruits?" Kageri asked herself. Not long ago Yoko had told her that some new demons joined the gang, but she had been so busy preparing for this night that she hadn't gone to meet them yet.

Kuronue's long black hair was tied up and his blue eyes were searching the ballroom. Soon his gaze rested on Kageri's eyes. He smiled at her and she smiled in return. For some unknown reason her face felt oddly warm. She turned away and ducked behind a wall so she couldn't be seen. Was she... blushing? A hand rested on her shoulder. She whirled around to see her Kiton. He was the demon that would be the pastor at her wedding. "It's time to introduce you." he told her.

Kiton had long blonde hair that rested on his shoulders and orange eyes. He wore a fancy tuxedo. Kageri knew that he was being paid well to sell her off as a bride. He led her to the center of the balcony and signaled for all to be quiet. "Introducing... Princess Kageri!" his voice bellowed. Kageri frowned. All the jerks wanted was to be king. Everyone below clapped for her. Then she locked eyes with Yoko and she smiled. Absent-mindedly she began to twirl a lock of hair around her finger.

Her eyes studied everyone of the gang, who obviously stuck out from the rich demons, but had her highest regards. When a pair of dark crimson eyes focused on hers she stopped. The short newcomer... He was staring at her. Suddenly the guy nudged Yoko and whispered something. However, Kageri's keen fox ears heard it. "She doesn't look that tough to me." He said. Yoko smirked and replied, "Maybe not now, but this is the most formal she's ever been. And her looks are decieving. She's a real vixen, a dangerous one." Kageri didn't know to be mad, upset, or embarrassed.

Some slow music began to play and woman, dressed in a rainbow of vibrant colors, flooded in to dance with the men. Silently, Kageri slipped down the stairs and made her way to her brother. She had much difficulty for she had to stop often and refuse dance requests. When she made it to him, Yoko stopped in the middle of his conversation and smiled. "Oi, you look lovely." he told her. "Thank you." she replied. Kuronue asked her to dance and she nodded. She took his hand.

He swept across the dance floor with Kageri. Without even noticing it, Kageri decided that if she did not find a man she liked, she would marry Kuronue. He was the closest man man to her, next to her brother, and she knew him as well as her brother. Suddenly a thought entered her mind. If they had children they would be fox-bats. Foxes with bat wings flew around in Kageri's mind. She giggled at the thought.

The new demon, the one with spikey hair and crimson eyes, nudged Yoko. "She doesn't act like the dangerous vixen you told us about." He implied. "I know, she's acting much more womanly." The fire demon shrugged and walked away. Parties annoyed him. Soon Kageri had danced with almost fifteen men. She was out of breath and her feet needed a break. She sneaked outside and into the night.

Kageri walked under the Sakura trees alone and admired thier beauty. She stopped, puzzled. Up ahead in the garden was a dark figure. She ran to it, and nearly into it. She had tripped over her dress and went sprawling to the ground. Two firm hands caught her. She looked up into the fire demon's eyes. "You?" Kageri whispered. He nodded. She stood but staggered. The fire demon helped her to sit on the garden bench.

"What's your name?" asked Kageri, once silence had taken over. "Hiei." The fire demon said plainly. "Did you not like the party, Hiei?" Hiei looked to her then shrugged. "Not really. I prefer to not be around people." He said plainly. "Then why did you come?" she asked. "Yoko told us about the party and wanted everyone to come. That... and I was wanting to see you." Kageri blushed. "Me?" she repeated. He nodded to her. "You're going to be the new queen. I thought I should come and see what you looked like." For some reason Kageri was hoping for a different answer, something more romantic and mysterious. 'Wait... romantic and mysterious? What am I thinking?'

Kageri stood and smiled down at Hiei. "It was nice to meet you, Hiei-Chan." He blinked. 'Hiei-Chan?' he wondered. "Chan?" he asked. She nodded. "Of course. You don't look like a man. You are a boy." She smirked and chuckled softly. "Boy?" He repeated. He stood and seized her wrist. He pulled her down to stare into his eyes. "I am man enough to win you over. I could have you pleasuring me." He said with a smirk. His bangs shadowed out his eyes, giving him a dark look to his face. "I am no geisha." she growled softly. "Maybe not, but I could still have you as I wanted, if I wanted." Kageri's eyes widened. Hiei grinned and closed his eyes partly. He was looking oh-so-seductive. He leaned forward, coming closer and closer to her. Kageri blushed. Was he going to kiss her?

HAHAHAHAHA... HAA! Finally! I finally made my own little cliffhanger to torture my fans like my fandoms have tortured me. I sincerly hope you like this chapter. I know that Hiei is quite a bit OOC but... I've never seen him in the show nor manga in that kind of posistion so I had no idea about how he would react. But other than that I hope you like this chapter and would love to recieve reviews. Keep reading because this story is about to take a suprising twist!

Love, Toorikosu.