"Akira-chan!"
"Ojou-sama!"
"Welcome back!"
"Welcome!"
"Akira-san!"
Akira waved pleasantly as people greeted her. She had been away for so long. She sometimes forgot that she was, well… more or less royalty. And not the HiME (Highly-advanced Materializing Equipment) type. The hime type.
"Thank you very much; I can make it to the main house from here." She said. Her escort nodded, and vanished.
She sighed. Why in the world had her father made her come all the way here? Maybe Takumi had been right.
Flashback
"You know, I think he should come here to see you." The Tokiha boy said, scratching the back of his neck "I mean they let family visit, don't they?"
"They do. But father has more important things to attend to. It's much more convenient for him if I go there." Replied Akira. The ninja girl sat down, hard, on her suitcase, trying to flatten it enough so that is would shut.
"You're his daughter, though. Shouldn't… I don't know. Shouldn't his family be more important than his work?"
Akira laughed, almost bitterly "That would be nice." She said "but I'm afraid that's not how it works. With out him, the clan can't do anything." She shrugged and jumped once more on her suit case. It shut with a satisfying click.
End Flashback
"Akira!"
Akira suddenly found herself on her back on the ground. She groaned.
"Nice to see you too, father." She said, attempting to pry herself out of his hug "But I would be much nicer if I could breath."
"Daddy's missed his Akira-chan!" the head of the Okuzaki clan said, hysterically "I was worried sick during the whole HiME thing!"
"Father, you're embarrassing yourself." Akira commented.
"How much did the escort tell you?" Okuzaki asked.
Akira's father was a well muscled, middle aged man. His hair was long in the back, and pulled into a pony tail, but the top of his head was completely bald. He wore glasses, that sat at the end ofa long, crooked nose, wich looked as if it had been broken more than once. And it probably had.
Akira shook her head.
"He didn't tell me anything."
"Well… Have you any idea why you're here?"
"If it's about my grades, I'm trying really hard! My friends are helping me and…"
"No," Okuzaki cut her off "It's not about your grades. But they were very disappointing. I expect them to be much better next semester."
"Y-yes sir! But… um, if that's not it… then why did you call me?"
Her father sighed, looking saddened.
"It seems you have reached your fifteenth birthday, Akira." he said "The council has decided… you must choose a husband."
Akira froze.
"Of course, you are not to be married till your eighteenth birthday, at the earliest," her father continued, unaware of his daughters reaction "And you can not inherit the clan until your twenty first year. But the counsel has noticed your lack of male interaction, and has become concerned. It's regrettable, but we have decided upon an arranged marriage."
"WHAT?" Akira exploded. She slammed a fist down onto the table in front of her, which splintered "There's no way I can agree to an arranged marriage!"
Her father pulled himself back onto his pillow, looking slightly shocked.
"Akira! Calm yourself!"
Akira blinked and looked at the fist that had punched the table. A bit of blood dripped from where a bit of wood had lodged its self in her hand.
"I'm sorry, Father… I just…" she pulled her bleeding hand behind her back to hide it "How can you do this to me? I don't want to get married and be some man's baby making machine! I can run this clan with out a man by my side! Hell, I'm a thousand times manlier than any of the guys at school!"
"This clan goes on tradition, Akira." Her father said, sounding irritated "If you have not chosen a husband but the months end, you will either accept the man I choose, or so help me, you will be dead to this clan!"
"F-Father… Please don't do this to me." Akira begged.
Okuzaki's face softened.
"Well… perhaps that's a bit too harsh…" he said "Alright, if you can get a boyfriend by the end of the month, and bring him to meet me, thank perhaps I will extend the dead line for your husband."
"Thank you father." Akira stood, and bowed. Okuzaki chuckled and dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
Akira left the main house and stood out side, leaning against the wall. She pulled the portion of wood out of her hand and inspected the damage. She ripped a bit of her sleeve and wrapped it tight around the wound, to stop the bleeding.
"How in the world am I going to find a boyfriend in a month?" she wondered aloud.
A/N: Once again, I very much enjoy critiques! I want the next chapter to be better than this one.
I had fun writing for her father. (I called himby hissur name'cause I don't know what hisfirst name is) I imagined him to be one of those over worked dads who never got to see their children. I really hope you liked it!
btw, twenty first year, means when she's twenty.