A/N: Well, I'm already back with chapter 3! I honestly didn't think I'd get this far so quickly. As usual, I don't know how this will go so, bear with me. I also just realized something. I never did a disclaimer. Do I have to? .:people banging on her door with lawyers:. OK! I'm going! .:clears throat:. I do not own YuYu Hakusho, Hiei, Kurama, or Koenma. .:sigh:. Oh well. I do own Takara and have the right to torture her as much as it pleases me! Bwahahaha! Any other characters that might pop up who are not actually in the show therefore also belong to me! Bwahahaha! .:cough:. Ok. I'm done now. Here's the next chapter.
Chapter 3: Surprise, Surprise!
Takara walked to King Enma's throne room. When the guards saw her coming, they quickly stepped aside. "Evening Princess," one said. She nodded with a smile and walked past him into the throne room.
"Daddy?" she called and Enma quickly got to his feet and went to her.
"Yes dearest?" he asked. "What is it?" He put on a big smile for his daughter and she suddenly realized why Koenma resented her. Father did favor her over Koenma.
"Why did you allow me to say good-bye to my mother?" she asked, a sadness present in her voice.
Enma seemed surprised at her question. "Well, because you wanted to. Anything for you, my daughter."
"That's just the problem," she said. "Why didn't you let Koenma say good-bye to his mother when she died?"
The king took a step back in surprise. "Well, uh, you see…" He was silent for a moment, contemplating his answer. She looked at him with confusion reflected in her eyes. "He was young at the time and didn't fully comprehend what was happening."
Takara looked her father dead in the eye. "Daddy, he was 352." King Enma stammered back a response that was inaudible to her. "What?"
"Well, time passes differently for us here. 352 is a rather young age in the Reikai. Kind of like the equivalent of a toddler in the Ningenkai." Takara rolled her eyes in annoyance; she knew and understood all this. King Enma cleared his throat and quickly led her to the door. "Well, you should probably go and get some rest, you have a big day tomorrow!"
Takara blinked in surprise as her father shoved her out of his throne room and shut the door behind her. She stood outside his door for a few moments longer in confusion until one of the guards snapped her out of her trance. "Uh, Princess? Is everything alright?"
She shook her head and cleared her thoughts. "Yeah, yes, everything is fine." She smiled at the guard and looked up at him. "You wouldn't happen to know if my father is scheming anything, would you?"
The two guards looked at each other and then back to her. "Nothing that we know of," they replied.
Takara sighed in disappointment. "Oh, well, thank you anyway." She bowed and turned to go when one of the guards said something that caused her to stop and turn around once again.
"I just wanted to let you know, we have always thought highly of you and are very happy for you now." Takara looked at him in utter confusion before thanking him again and leaving to her room. Maybe Koenma will know something, she thought. On her way to her room, all the servants were chatty and were all saying the same thing.
She got to her room and quickly shut the door behind her. "Nozomi!" she called to her attendant.
"Yes milady?" Nozomi said as she came to the aid of her mistress.
"What is going on? What is it that everyone knows and I do not?"
The desperation in her voice caused the old mother to pity the young girl she had helped to raise. "My dear, news travels quickly among the servants and judging by your distraught state, you are probably the last to know." She looked into the pleading violet eyes and sighed. "Princess, your father has arranged a marriage for you. I suppose you were not intended to know this until tomorrow."
Takara sat speechless on her bed. No, this can't be happening, she thought. She looked to Nozomi for guidance. "What should I do? I don't want to get married!" she cried.
Nozomi sat on the bed next to her and held her. "You must go through with it. You cannot go against your father's wishes." At this statement, Takara's eyes lit up. She'd had an idea.
"And he certainly won't go against mine," she whispered to herself. "I'll be back in a little while Nozomi." She got up and left her room. The guards were surprised to see her again but this time they would not let her pass. "What is the meaning of this? Let me pass. I need to speak to my father!"
The guards looked at one another and then back to her. "We're sorry Princess, but the King has asked that no one enters. He is in a meeting," the first one explained.
This did not appease her and she shoved her way past. "I do not have time for this!" she muttered as she managed to enter the throne room once again. "FATHER!" she yelled.
"Takara?" Enma whirled around on his heels to face his enraged daughter. "What are you doing in here? I thought I told the guards not to let anyone in!"
"We're sorry sir," one said. "She pushed us aside. We didn't want to harm her." The guards visibly trembled in the King's presence.
"Daddy! What are all these murmurings among the servants about my marriage?" The princess's eyes were ablaze in fury. King Enma did not respond right away and the guests who were with him looked questioningly at him. "Daddy, I refuse to be married! I do not even know my fiancé! I do not love him; I would never be able to. You cannot be serious about this." She was no longer angry as she was now pleading with him to deny the allegations she had made against him.
"Takara, that is enough," The King said sternly with a reproachful look to his daughter. He then apologized to the three men before him. Takara had not noticed their presence when she had barged in, but now took a good look at each of them. A short, stout man in a business suit was talking to her father, somewhat indignantly she observed. He had graying hair and beady eyes on a round face that reminded Takara nothing less than that of a rat's. She had a rather uneasy feeling about him. The second man with whom her father was conducting business matters reminded Takara of her father. He was tall and slightly intimidating with his air of superiority as he looked down on her and the guards.
Takara shuddered and looked to the last man. He was different from the others; he was much younger. Takara presumed he was not likely to be much older than herself. His face was young, unlike the others, and he had a boyish glow about him. His jet black hair was evenly cut at shoulder length and when he glanced her way she noticed his sparkling blue eyes. He was tall, about Koenma's height, she guessed, and slightly muscular.
She didn't realize she had zoned out watching the newcomers until she heard her father's voice again. "I'm sorry for my daughter's rude interruption. Takara, please apologize to these men for your outburst. And especially to Kiyoshi." He gestured to the young man she had been observing. "After all, you don't want your marriage to be off to a rocky start, now do you?"
Takara gasped in shock. Her father was serious about the arrangement. She quickly regained her composure and bowed to the men. "Please for give my rudeness. I did not realize who you were." She stood and looked each one in his eyes before finally resting her gaze on her fiancé. "And I meant what I said. There is no way I could ever truly love you. My heart lies with another." She bowed again and took her leave.
Kiyoshi watched her go with a raised eyebrow and turned to the taller of the other two men. "Father, what is the meaning of this?"
The man put a reassuring hand on his son's shoulders and turned to King Enma with a cold, hard look in his eye. "Yes, brother, care to explain?"
Outside the throne room, Takara stood alone, save for the guards, with a million thoughts racing through her head. She couldn't focus on anything, until her thoughts led her to one person. Koenma! She was able to clear her head and focus on going to find him. He'll know what to do. She turned to the guards and bowed to them. "I just wanted to thank you." As she stood straight again, she saw the confused looks on their faces and smiled.
Still utterly confused, the guards glanced at each other with raised eyebrows and looked back to her. "For what?"
Her smile unfading, she said, "For doing what you do. I know my father doesn't give you, or anyone, enough recognition, but we honestly do appreciate you. Keep doing a great job." She bowed to them again and turned to leave.
"Princess? Is everything alright?" one of the guards asked her. She bit her lip and closed her eyes as she nodded. Her back was turned to them and they were unaware of her tears as she walked away.
A/N: Argh! Ok, I'm gonna leave it there. I don't like leaving it there but if I continue on this chapter will never end. I've got the next couple chapters figured out. Go me! Also, chapter 12 of Dangerous Secrets will be up this weekend… hopefully. Sorry this took so long to update. Things came up, cousins came to visit, water wars going on, you know, the usual. P Well, until next time, ja ne!