Disclaimer: I actually own something! Yay! Madmoiselle Leiko, Kiyoshi, Mayuko, the King, and Miss Linya are all copyrighted by ME! Everything else belongs to someone else.

A/N You guys just had to go and get ten reviews sigh, well you guys deserve an update so here it is.

Chapter 5: Second Glance

Tohru collapsed onto her huge bed completely exhausted and adjusted the long skirt of her dress so that it didn't bunch. She sunk deeply into the fluffy pilows and douvet (red and gold of course) and closed her eyes. She couldn't believe it had already been a week since she had arrived at the castle.

She had been so busy since that day. First there was the constant 'princess lessons' which were torture. Who really needed to know how to balance a book on their head? She certainly didn't, but that didn't stop Madmoiselle Leiko from shouting at her in a croaky voice "Shoulders back, neck straight, longer strides," all the while hitting her in the back of the knees with her walking stick.

She wasn't even officially a princess yet, as Madmoiselle Leiko had informed her when Tohru, fed up and sore, had attempted to order Madmoiselle Leiko to let her leave. She wouldn't be announced as a princess and next in line to the throne until the grand ball being held in her honour in three more weeks. Three weeks!

She had three weeks to learn how to talk, how to walk, how to act. She had three weeks to become a whole new person. Haru parting words echoed in her head, Promise me you'll never change for anyone. She had promised, and she would stick to that promise. No matter what she would always stay true to herself.

To make matters worst she had not seen hide or hair of Yuki the entire week. It was like he had dissapeared, Madmoiselle Leiko (as you can see most of Tohru's time was spent in the company of Madmoiselle Leiko) had told her that her that her, "young boy friend is staying in the castle" and would speak no more on the topic no matter how many times she asked and pleaded.

She wished she didn't feel so alone. She was constantly around people, but she didn't know any of them, and they didn't know her. She hadn't even been able to have a conversation with her grand father since the day of her arrival. She knew he was very busy running a country and all, but couldn't he spare a minute or two to see how she was adjusting to this new life he had thrown her into.

So much for a happily ever after, Tohru thought whimsically.

There was a light knock at the thick oak doors to her bedroom. Probably just one of the maids. She had tried to become friends with the maids, most of them were her age or only slightly older, but they just curtsied, politely answered her questions and scurried away as soon as they got the chance. "Come in," she called not even bothering to open her eyes.

Tohru gave a slight jump when a pair of hands covered her eyes. "Guess who," a deep voice teased.

"Yuki," Tohru called happily and without thinking caught him in a hug. POUF. Yuki transformed into his zodiac sign, the rat, in a puff of lavendar couloured smoke. "I'm so sorry," Tohru apologized, "I didn't think I was just so happy to see you."

"It's okay," rat-Yuki replied kindly, "I understand." But I wish just once I could hug you for real, he thought sadly. "So, how are 'princess lessons' going?"

"They're...interesting," Tohru said hesitantly. She didn't like to say mean things, if she thought mean things it was okay because thoughts couldn't hurt anyone, but words. The children's rhyme "Sticks and Stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" was a complete lie. Words could hurt, as Tohru knew first hand, words could scar.

"They suck don't they," Yuki said. Tohru nodded reluctantly, she could never lie to Yuki, he could read her too well. "Don't worry you'll get through it," he layed a tiny paw on her knee, "you always do."

POUF! Tohru quickly looked away as Yuki put his clothes back on. She couldn't help but giggling as she thought about what people would think if someone were to walk in at that moment. "What's so funny?" Yuki asked tugging his shirt down.

"Nothing," Tohru turned to him, her eyes glittering with mirth.

"Liar," Yuki teased. Then, as if he had no control over his body, he reached over and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. Tohru's breath caught in her throat as he face leaned forward, their faces inches apart. Their eyes locked on eachother as if asking a silent question. She could practicly feel his lips on hers when...

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The pair broke apart both with cheeks tinged pink. "Come in," Tohru called in a somewhat breathless voice. Had she almost kissed Yuki? Was she relieved or regretful that she had not? What was he thinking right now...

Tohru's train of thought was cut off as the Prince General of Mayuko entered the room. He bowed deeply his eyes flickered from her to Yuki and his eye twitched, but nothing else he did acknowledged Yuki's presence in her room. "Madmoiselle Leiko has need of your presence," he said straightening, "May I be your escort, princess?"

Tohru smiled appologetically to Yuki and stood up smoothing her dress, she wasn't used to the dresses yet, they made her feel like a doll and many of her dresses looked like works of art that should be admired not worn. And those were her regular every day dresses, the dress that she had already begun to be fitted for that was to be worn at the grand ball was so beautiful it took her breath away.

"You may," Tohru replied politely accepting his arm. The pair drifted out leaving a dazed Yuki behind.

The man lead Tohru silently, finally she couldn't take it anymore. "What is your name?" she blurted out.

"Kiyoshi," he replied without stopping, "my name is Kiyoshi."

"Kiyoshi," Tohru repeated testing the name out then giggled, "it fits you 'the quiet one'. My name is Tohru by the way."

"I know, princess."

"I'm not a princess yet," Tohru proteted, "Madmoiselle Leiko says that I will not be a princess until the grand ball."

"To me you are and always will be a princess, princess," Kiyoshi replied without looking at her, "We're here." The door men opened the door and they walked in, Kiyoshi bowed once more and began to leave but Madmoiselle Leiko stopped him.

"This concerns you as well young man," she said in a croaky voice, "Now His Majesty has just informed me that not only must you prepare to be a princess, but you may one day be queen which means you must learn how to rule." A strangled noise rose from Tohru's throat but Madmoiselle Leiko continued on. Tohru doubted the end of the world could have stopped one of her speeches, she would probably just yell at it and tell it to balance a book on its head.

"...so that means that you, Mister Kiyoshi, will be teaching Tohru about politics and everything else she needs to survive as Queen."

"What?" Tohru and Kiyoshi exclaimed at the same time.

The old lady just stared at them as if they were incompetent. "You start now," she said before sweeping gracefully out of the room even with her limp.

"Er...that was unexpected," Kiyoshi said nervously running a hand through his chestnut hair. "Well," he continued the confidence and briskness growing in his voice with every word he spoke, "We may as well get started, please be seated." He gestured to a padded chair by the fire place and he took the one opposite of it.

"We'll start with the basics," he began, "Mayuko was founded in the 1600s by..."

Tohru blanked out and found herself instead studying the man in front of her. Little things that she had not noticed before caught her attention. Like the way he moved his hands moved as he talked, the more passionate he was of the subject the more exagerated the gestures. She also noticed a ring on his right hand ring finger. It was the shape of a leopard preparing to pounce. Tohru found herself entranced with the shiny piece of jewelry and couldn't take her eyes of it.

"Is something the matter, princess," Kiyoshi halted his explanation on Mayuko's agricultural exports.

"No," Tohru began pink tinging her cheeks, "I mean yes, what does that ring signify?"

"It's the symbol of Mayuko royalty, the next in line for the throne," he explained, "It will be given to you at the grand ball when you are recognized as next in line."

"Your next in line," Tohru exclaimed, this was news to her, "Does that mean we're related?"

"No," Kiyoshi chuckled, "Until recently the King had not told anyone of your existance, we had believed that he was the last of the royal blood line. Normally the King General would be next in line for the crown if there were no other candidates, but my father passed away around the same time as the royal family and so I was all they had left. Until now."

"I think you would do a much better job then I ever would," Tohru protested, "You know everything there is to know about Mayuko and you obviously love the country. I've never even been here before, how am I supposed to rule it?"

"Don't worry, princess, I'll always be here when you need me. Now as I was saying we supply Japan with a third of their leek supply..."

Yuki watched Tohru leave the room and as soon as he was sure she was out of hearing distance he sighed heavily. How could he have done that? Given away all his emotions in an instant, not even considering the consequences. What if she didn't return his feelings? Sure he found it easier to talk with her now, it was easier to talk with her then it had ever been with anyone else. But still...

You can't take it back, you'll just have to deal with the consequences. And if she smashes your heart into ittsy bitsy pieces and never wants to speak with you again...well it isn't like your not used to dissapointment. You've never been loved why would someone start now.

Yuki left the room shutting the door behind him. He strolled over to the library where he had been spending most of his time since he had arrived. It was a place he could just sit and think, or not think if that was what he wanted. Reading always calmed his nerves and took his mind of things, like what Tohru was doing without him.

"Hello Miss Linya," Yuki greeted the young librarian who waved in reply and continued typing on her computer. Yuki found himself a cozy corner and began reading, as the pages turned the words washed over him rinsing his worries away.

"Just see that it is done," Akito ordered over the phone. After setting the phone in its cradle he sat weakly in a cushioned chair, but still managed a sinister sneer. Yuki thought he could get away did he, just get up and walk away. Well he wasn't about to let go of a Sohma so easily, especially one of the zodiac members.

Yuki would return, and pay for his little vacation. "Now Shigure," Akito said smiling at the kneeling man, "tell me everything you know of this Mayuko."

A/N I'm thinking of changing the title of this story, what do you guys think? And if you have any ideas they would be highly appreciated. Thank you to Yukiru Love Forever for adding me to the C2, if your a Yukiru fan then I recommend this community.

I'll update again after ten reviews. 'Til then.

MegTao outtie!