A/N: OMG! So sorry for not updating sooner but I've had to study for midterms and I had writer's block for a while and then my mom grounded my off the computer so I couldn't type the story up! And then came Christmas… Need I say more! I swear all of this is the true and not lame excuses! Ok, so… Thanks to all my wondermusly great reviewers! On to the story! Oh, btw these next few chappies will be about the separate tours of the palace and they are going on all at the same time but I was too lazy to write a gigantic chappie about all of them at the same time, so I'm doing separate ones! So this is my late x-mas present to all of whoever reads my story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Code: Lyoko b/c if I did Yumi and Ulrich would be dating by now:p-

With Prince Ulrich and Princess Yumi

Prince Ulrich and Princess Yumi turned out of the Great Hall to a new hall that was filled with cases of armor and weapons. Portraits of armored warriors stared down at them.

Yumi was nervous. She was alone with her prince. She didn't know him and she wasn't very willing to get to know him. She was like that to most people except her family. Yumi definitely wouldn't talk to someone about how she was feeling or what she was thinking unless they were her sisters. She thought doing that would make her seem weak and "girly". She hated that. She could take care of herself; she didn't need anyone to fawn over her like most other girly princesses.

Ulrich was just as nervous as Yumi. You could basically take Yumi's thoughts and put them in his head and that was what was going through his head. Practically identical thoughts and feelings! But the jittery prince and princess didn't know that they had so much in common, not yet at least.

The pair came to the end of the hall. Two doors stood closed. Ulrich walked over and heaved them open. They doors creaked open to reveal a huge training gym. It was filled with weights, practice mats, training weapons, and tapestries covered with the ancient language of Xanans. Yumi figured those stated words of bravery and courage or something like that. Her gym back in Lyoko had things similar to them. Ulrich walked into the gym onto the center of the largest green mat.

"This is the gym where my brothers and I train, learning martial arts and the art of weapon fighting," Ulrich said with a hint of pride to his voice, " Well, let's move along."

"Wait," Yumi said quickly, " Can we have a match? Like right now?"

"Ummm, I suppose so, I mean, sure, if you think you're any good. I don't think they teach princesses anything much though…" Ulrich blustered.

Yumi smirked. Just for that sexist, unthinking question, she would wipe the mat with him. She smiled to herself and said the flustered young prince, " Well, we'll see about that."

Ulrich stepped to the edge of the mat and removed his tunic, katana, and shoes. (A/N: Remember that he is wearing a shirt for those of you possibly confused!) He moved back to the center of the mat, waiting for Yumi.

She removed her coronet, shoes, and kimono, revealing a tigh-ish black shirt. She walked to the center of the mat and faced off with Ulrich. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's get started. Oh, and by the way, don't go easy on me because I won't go easy on you." (A/N: yea yea I no, it's very cheesy! Ok, I know nothing about martial arts, so nobody send rabid bears after me after this next bit if it is totally messed up. I did my best!)

Ulrich gave her a curt nod and threw a quick punch at her face. Yumi blocked it and kicked out towards his side. Ulrich spun away and dropped low to try and knock Yumi off her feet. She jumped off the floor and threw a punch at Ulrich. He grabbed her fist and twisted her arm so she had to turn into him. (A/N: I have no better way to describe it) She elbowed him and he let go quickly. Yumi paced slowly, waiting for the winded prince to make a move. She didn't have to wait long. Ulrich recovered and jumped with his foot aimed at Yumi's head. When his foot got close enough, Yumi grabbed it and twisted him onto the mat. Ulrich lay there, winded.

She walked over and put her foot on his chest, a sign of victory. Yumi looked down at him and said smugly, "What was that that you were saying earlier? About princesses not learning anything?"

Ulrich grinned sheepishly and said, "You are most definitely the exception to that stereotype!" He pushed Yumi's foot off his chest abruptly and she slipped and fell. Right on top of him.

Her breath caught as she looked into deep emerald-green orbs. Ulrich was breathless as onyx-black eyes locked onto his. The breathless moment stretched into eternities for the young rulers-to-be. Yumi finally regained her senses and scrambled up off the flushed prince. She was bright red. Ulrich was amazed. He had never seen such raw emotion in anyone else's eyes until now. He hurried to put on his tunic, katana and shoes. Yumi did the same. Neither baffled royal looked at one another. Ulrich was filled with an emotion he couldn't name. He didn't know it but that emotion was love.

They didn't look at each other as they left the gym and hurried down the long hall. Ulrich decided to make things a little easier, so he said, "You fight better than Odd or Jeremie and each of us started training in the arts at age 3."
Yumi replied, "My sisters and I have trained since each of our 4th birthdays. My father believes that girls should know haw to defend themselves."

Ulrich nodded thoughtfully. " He's a smart man. You were spectacular in there!"

Some of the awkward tension faded as Yumi smiled. "Thanks."

The duo had come out of the hall of armor and turned into another long hall that was lined with three sets of doors. "This is the hall where you and your sisters will be staying, princess. Pick any room, they all connect anyway. Our fight took up a lot of our time and it is about an hour 'til dinner. I need to get cleaned up and changed. I suggest that you do the same. Father is very picky about the way you look at the dinner table." Ulrich said.

The princess said, "Thank you, Prince Ulrich. I'll see you then."

Ulrich bowed and said, "Please, just Ulrich will do, princess."

"Then you must call me Yumi," she replied.

Ulrich walked away calling, "I will."

Yumi darted into the first set of doors on the hall. She had entered a beautiful blue room. The walls were a navy blue, the curtains were Lyoko blue, and everything was just some shade of blue. She smiled. More Lyoko colors. It reminded her of home. The blue was dark enough to look black in some places. Black was her favorite color. Yumi closed the door and turned the lock.

What were these swirling emotions inside her? She felt jittery, in a good way, and "on-edge". And something else… What was that? Yumi walked over to her bed and flopped on it.

"I wonder what my sisters are doing right about now?"

The black mist took shape. The shape of a man, cloaked and sinister. The mist-man waved a clawed hand in the air. An army of machines appeared before him. The army consisted of yellow cubes on legs, gigantic crabs, and little roach—like things and other numerous monsters. All of them had a pulsing symbol on their foreheads. The symbol looked like an eye…

A/N: Ok! So that's the end of this chappie. Tell me what you think and plz be honest! R&R!