Disclaimer: I do not own Ai Yori Aoshi and Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi. This is the property of Kou Fumizuki, Pioneer/Geneon, and JC Staff.

Blue Monarch
Act 3, Scene 4

Miyabi cautiously entered the small house, treading warily. She tried to hide the urgency in her steps; she had wanted to check up on Aoi-sama, but she was not there to greet her at the main house.

Fear had overcome her as she searched until she encountered Seiji. He told her that he had last dropped her off at the little sanctuary at the edge of the family grounds early in the evening.

So she took to her car and raced to where she knew the young woman would be. The little home with the small pond, where Aoi-sama and Kaoru-dono (then Kaoru-dono) spent the night together. Her young charge's depression worried her and she was almost afraid that the girl would do something drastic.

She dreaded having such a fear confirmed as she stopped before the end of the short hallway. That dread grew when she found numerous holes in the rice paper. The contrast was ugly and marring compared to the pristine white of the other walls.

Hesitantly, she slid it open.

"Aoi-sama?"

The bare room was in disarray.

No. It was utterly destroyed. A torn up bedroll, broken glass, more bits of wood and rice paper, and a mangled racket with tangled strings littered the floor. Holes in the plaster also dotted the walls around the room, complimenting the ruined screen door.

To her surprise, she found the blue princess was placid compared to her surroundings.

Her eyes looked up, half-lidded. Lips curled into a half-formed smile, then wordlessly parted to let a sigh escape. "Welcome home, Miyabi-san."

She was kneeling beside the low desk in the middle of the room, rubbing a cloth on the scratched and dented wood. Bloody fingers did not hinder Aoi as she tried to polish the table until it shone clean.

"Aoi-sama! You're bleeding!"

"I am?"

"Please... Aoi-sama... let me tend to you."

The blue-haired girl looked to her bloody hands. She blinked, almost unbelieving that these were her own hands, which were just cleaning up this place, culling and arranging it to perfection. Oh, what a mess was made, she had to fix it. She stared again, finding speckles on the rag, as if artist took a paintbrush and randomly dabbed it with red.

"Aoi-sama..."

Miyabi's nervous voice brought Aoi back. This was not her strong and stoic Miyabi-san. The girl shook her head, the incongruence making her aware. "Of course, Miyabi-san." She turned, shuffling on her knees, and held out her hands in offering to her governess.

Miyabi grabbed her arms and pulled her to her feet. She quickly led her charge away, trying not to move her too roughly. They approached her car, and sudden mundane questions came through her clenched voice. "Aoi-sama, did you eat already? Are you hungry? Shall I have a bath prepared?"

Each one was answered by her lilting voice, expressing an unnatural calm; "Ie, Miyabi-san." "Hai, Miyabi-san." "I would like that very much, Miyabi-san."

Somewhere between entering Miyabi's car and stopping before the main house, Aoi had begun weeping again.