"How are you today, Miss Shiraishi?" The Emperor asked from his position across the table from the girl who was trying her hardest not to throw her napkin at him and storm off. She smiled sweetly at him and took a small sip from her teacup.

"I'm doing very well, Your Highness. And yourself?"

"Well, thank you." Mitsuru was happy Mahiru had agreed to lunch with him every day for the last week. Now, three weeks into his hapless regime, he had some light to his life. She was gazing adoringly at him. He could see the stars in her eyes. He thought it might be a time to take their relationship to the next step.

"Mahiru, what are your plans for the weekend?" He asked.

"This weekend. Today's Friday, right? Let's see… Oh yes! A dear old friend of mine from Tokyo has just contacted me, and I am going to visit his house. Such a sweet, adorable boy. I'm glad he called!" Mahiru said, her smile showing every one of her pearly white teeth.

Mitsuru's head began to spin. She was… leaving? Did that mean she was so happy, not because of him, but because of some boy that decided to call her, out of the blue, and invite her over for some romantic outing? He could not stand for this! He glared at her from under his mask, but was sure to keep his voice neutral. "How good for you. Be sure to bring the gentleman to the palace some evening, so we can all meet him." 'And so I can wring his scrawny neck!'

Mahiru nodded. She knew this was eating him up inside. He was practically pulsating with anger. Serves him right! She sat at their table, silently sipping on her tea as he brooded. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to comfort him, to make him feel better and tell him it was all a sick joke to make him angry. But she couldn't help but feel satisfied that he was wallowing in sadness. He thought she was leaving him just as she thought he was leaving her only days before.

She agreed to eat lunch in his presence and she continued to do so throughout the week. She was curious to see if he would tell her his secret. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Day after day she met with him. They discussed travel, weather, sports, dreams, anything any normal couple would. Though, we're not a couple, She thought, not really. She could feel the pain begin to flare in her chest as they days passed. He was acting like a completely different person. He was no longer her old Mitsuru. He was a boy lost in a world of confusion.

With only a week to go in his trial regime, Mahiru decided to leave Mitsuru and the Emperor behind.

Mahiru slammed the last of her suitcases closed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She slammed her door open, carrying her luggage out into the hallway. She turned and closed her door. When she whirled around once again she ran straight into a large, warm, squishy wall. She looked up and found herself face to face with a while porcelain mask. The Emperor grabbed her suitcases in his hands and led her down the hallway. She folded her hands in front of her stomach and hung her head. She couldn't bring herself to look at him.

Mitsuru walked next to her, drowning in the uncomfortable silence. He didn't say a word, and he didn't try to think. He didn't want his mind to wander to her departure, but he wanted to show her that he supported her.

Mahiru didn't know how to take his gesture. She walked beside him, slowly making her way to the portal to Tokyo. When they reached the giant mirror, Mitsuru lightly shoved her luggage through. He turned to her. She began to climb through herself.

"Mahiru!" he said, grabbing her arm. She sank from the balls of her feet to her heels.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" she asked, keeping her face turned toward the portal.

"Promise me when you come back you will become my Empress. Please lead my people with me." Her eyes closed. She desperately wanted to hear such words from this boy. But not from the Emperor. She wanted Mitsuru, she needed him.

"You are asking for my heart, Your Majesty. Something I cannot give. I promise to become your Empress, Lord, but my heart will never be with you." She said, turning around and gazing deeply into the place his eyes should have been.

"You will learn to love me." He whispered. She could hear the pleading in his voice.

"No. I will not." She said. Her resolve was renewed. Mitsuru would come to his senses or she would die with her heart burning in her chest. She shook his hold from her and stepped through the portal without saying goodbye.

That evening Mahiru lie flat on her back on her old bed in her aunt's apartment, attempting to clear her thoughts. When had she become so ruthless and so cold? When had she abandoned loyalty and truth? She remembered the days when the group had just formed. She had begged them to retrieve their teardrops without the loss of human life. She begged them to accept Keiko.

Now she felt like the outcast.

Keiko had Akira, and they were happy. Akira had not only a new wife but was also advisor to Mitsuru with Misoka and Nozomu. They met every day. She only had two handmaidens that enjoyed gossiping about the other servant boys. On normal days she would lounge about in her rooms, hoping Mitsuru would come find her.

Mitsuru. How could he trick her like he was trying to do? He wanted her to pledge herself to him, and then abandon their relationship all in a span of five minutes! He had gone completely insane. Yet so had she. She hadn't been able to see past the pain of Mitsuru leaving, and she had locked herself inside her room.

She grabbed a pillow, placed it over her head and screamed.

"What are you doing, kid? Are you completely insane?" The voice of her uncle reached her ears.

"Taka? What are you doing here?"

"Well, you're screaming bloody murder in here. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I'm fine. Just a little stressed out, is all."

"You're a little too young to be worried about working, and from what I hear your accommodations are pretty nice. So, you must be having boy troubles. Care to share?"

"No thank you." She mumbled. Her uncle, who had married her aunt soon after she moved out, was a very kind man, but Mahiru didn't want to divulge any details about her relationship with the Moon Emperor.

"You seem to be torn. Perhaps you are caught in some type of love triangle?"

"Love triangle?" she whispered with contempt. She wouldn't call it THAT exactly.

"Aha! So… Two boys after our little Mahiru! Children these days."

"I'm not a child, Taka! I'm nineteen! I'm finally of mating age—"

"Mating what? What are you talking about, Mahiru? What's up with your eyes, girl? Calm down!" Mahiru had risen from her bed, her hands were clenched at her sides, and her eyes were glowing a deep crimson.

"I—I'm sorry." Mahiru said, the anger flowing out of her. "I just don't want to talk about it. It's a complicated situation." She sank back onto the bed and folded her hands in her lap, "It doesn't matter anyway. I'm not going back." Her uncle frowned at her, but he closed the door. With her back to him he could not see the silent tears that flowed down her pale face.

Mitsuru sat in his study, unmasked, pondering the day's events. Mahiru had agreed to become his Empress. His heart was fluttering. He thought to Monday, and her return. He planned to shower her with gifts and love. She did not know that the Emperor was Mitsuru. She would learn to love him yet.

Taka sat with his wife and niece at the dinner table. Mahiru had been ignoring all of their questions, opting to remain silent and cold. Her aunt had been talking to her all evening, but all she did was stare out the window to the sky. It was Saturday evening, and Mahiru had not eaten a bite all day. Taka was becoming nervous. Her power yesterday had scared him. He wanted to know exactly what his niece was up to.

But her silence never wavered.

Saturday rolled into Sunday, and Monday, and Tuesday, and she had not opened up to them. They had convinced her to eat once before they came to get her.

A/N: Sorry! I'm so sorry that it took so long for me to update! I've been back to my parents house (no computer), Washington DC, and interviewing for jobs!

But, thankfully, I am all finished now.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapters! I hope this one doesn't disappoint too much!

Hugs and Kisses!

Mandy