Rikku: Konnichiwa minna! (Hi everyone) I would have written this chapter sooner but I just had this idea stuck in my head for awhile and I decided to write it down. In other words, I've started a new fic, so check my profile for details. I haven't posted it up yet and I don't plan to until I finish this story.

Oh, and I'll be writing the sequel to Winter of Love the same time I'm writing my new fic, so please don't mind if chapters will be posted up at a certain rate, because I'll be stuck in between two fics. o.o

So... that's about it. But before I start the chapter I have to thank a few people:

Lori-the-doomed: Lol, if I didn't have any plans for Miho's father, I would of simply handed him over to you so that you could do the bloody work. evil grin

Nakashima-Michiyo: XD Thanks a lot! I'm actually very flattered right about now... ;) I'm really glad you enjoyed it!

syaoranz gurl: Thanks for yet another review!

Misai: Thanks for the review and advice.

saber-kon: Arigatou for another heart-warming review! Lol, Kamui's a real bastard, ne? Aww! You were in tears again! I don't know whether to thank you or pat your back. XD Thanks for everything, saber-kon!

Hannah Kyouyama: XD Don't worry about short reviews, as long as you keep reading!! :)

Rikki-sama: Arigatou.

Nat: :) Thanks for the review.

Sentra: I don't exactly know what to say... um... I guess I should say 'thank you'? Lol, I'm glad you still liked it.

star pana: Thanks. "Hai" means "yes".

Mystery Man: If you're reading this- thanks for all the reviews.

Rikku: Those are all my shout-outs. Remember to look for my new fic when I post it up! Enjoy everyone...

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Winter of Love

Chapter 14: The Truth

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For the next few weeks, my father had no other use for me. I kept to myself in my room and the staff members slipped meals under my door. Other than the time the tailor came around and my father had to ask for my measurements in order to make the wedding dress, he hadn't even bothered paying any sort of attention to me.

I turned the lights off when the clocks struck midnight and crawled into my bed. Just when I had laid my head on the pillow, it dawned on me that I had forgotten to do something when I arrived... I sat up on my bed and reached for the phone and dialed a number.

I awaited an answer.

"Hello?" an irratated voice sounded from the phone.

I couldn't find the right words to say...

"Hello?" The person repeated. It was Anna. "Listen, whoever you are, it's midnight and everyone is sleeping- the least you can do is answer-"

"Anna." I interjected. "It's me."

...Silence...

"I need to talk to Yoh." I demanded speaking is a low whisper.

"Miho, where are you? We-"

"I can't explain much... I've missed you all, but right now I need to talk to Yoh."

I heard a rustling noise and suddenly a soft voice picked up. "...Miho?"

I tried to smile. "I promised you I'd call."

"It's been two weeks Miho... I thought something had happened to you when you didn't call... what's going on?" Yoh seemed worried and not his usual happy self.

"Well, I met my fiancee."

"Is he as glamorous as everyone says?" Yoh asked. I could still catch a hint of doubt in his voice.

"Yeah right," I snorted. "He's perverted and so, so... demanding!"

Yoh chuckled- of course, he couldn't stay serious for too long. "Well, somehow, I know you'll pull out of this so try not to worry so much."

"I know..." I sighed. "How's Horo?"

"Not so great." Yoh answered. "He's not talking to anyone. Pirika's trying to drive him out of his room... she keeps telling him to move on... I'm really sorry."

"So she's still mad, ne?"

"I'm afraid so." I could almost hear Yoh frown- if that's possible. "I haven't told anyone where you are but they're all suspicious of me."

"Good." I felt myself on the verge of tears. "Don't tell anyone. Please. Especially not Horo... if he finds out, who knows what he'll do... I can't risk his safety. Listen Yoh, this stays between us... don't come over here no matter what... and tell Horo..."

"Yeah?"

"Tell him to forget about me if I don't find a way out of this. If I have to marry Kamui... then it's all over. When that happens... tell Horo to listen to Pirika. I can't be with him as long as I'm married... but please... tell him I'll always love him and I didn't get married intentionally... I did it for him."

"Miho..."

"Please, just do it Yoh." I softly wept as I brought my knees to my chest. "Onegai... don't make me suffer knowing that he'll hate me for this... let him know that it wasn't my choice to marry Kamui... I had to..."

"Listen to me, Miho." Yoh's voice had deepened again. "You're taking this too far. I know you'll find a way out of this, and I won't let you lose HoroHoro... give me some time, I'll help you-"

"Iie! (no)" I roughly wiped away my tears. "Please, I can do this on my own..."

"No, Miho, you can't!"

I stayed silent. Yoh had never been so angered before... did I provoke him?

"I'll do whatever I can. Your father can't just throw away your life like this. Even if I have to tell the others..." he paused for me to protest, but I didn't. "then I will."

"Just... be careful. Stop Horo from doing anything rash, alright? I'm counting on you..." I sighed. "I have to go... don't tell anyone unless you have it all planned out... Goodbye."

"Stay strong."

Click

I put the phone down and pulled the covers over myself.

"I just hope you guys won't end up hurt because of me."

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The next morning, the sounds of chirping birds had awoken me. I pulled the covers off of myself as I slipped into a t-shirt and shorts and stalked over to the door. I sighed as I gave the handle a small turn and pulled it open. The same lady I had spoken to on the day I met Kamui stood there with a plate of eggs and bacon ready in her hands.

"Oh, are you going to be eating outside of your room today?" she asked hopefully.

I gave the plate a small glance before shaking my head politely. "No thanks, I'm not very hungry. I think I'll just tour the mansion on my own."

The woman smiled. "Okay, I think you should go out for a swim at least... get a tan," she joked. "you look unusually pale."

She walked away without a backward glance and I stood there dumbfounded. "A tan?" I muttered to myself.

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Moments later, I sat on the edge of the pool with my feet kicking the cool water. I guess I did take the woman's advice about getting a tan since I had put on a much shorter shirt. Soon enough she had come around with the same clipboard she held before. "Aha, so you did take me seriously."

I chuckled. "Well, I guess it does get a bit dull and dark up in that room." I watched as the woman took a seat on a sun-tanning chair. She was wearing an office suit. "Are you always stuck working?"

She shrugged. "I guess."

"Don't you ever get tired?" I splashed my hands in the water. "I mean, you're stuck in a mansion like this, but you never get a chance to enjoy it, ne?"

"Well, I guess it's just part of the job."

"Oh, then what do you do around here?"

"Well... I'm like your father's secretary..."

"But you can't be any older than..." I paused a moment to acknowledge her straight black hair and childish smile. "20?"

The woman laughed loudly. "Actually, I'm 22. Do I really look so young?"

I smiled at her and nodded before turning to look at the pool.

She chuckled in embarrassment. "I like you Miho." she said. "Oh, and by the way, I'm Yoshiko. Yoshiko Murakami."

I turned and held out a hand. "It's been nice talking to you, Yoshiko-chan." She shook it happily.

"Ahem..."

We both turned to see my father standing behind the chair Yoshiko sat in.

"Akira-sama!" Yoshiko immediately let go of my hand and stood up. She bowed to my father and, looking quite embarrassed, quickly walked away.

My father then turned to me. "I'd ask that you stop distracting my staff."

I looked away rolling my eyes. "I was just talking to her. You know, you should really give your employees a break once in awhile."

"I don't have any free time to just let them off."

"Of course, but you have loads of time to sign deals of marriage." I muttered under my breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing..." I kicked my feet through the water again.

"You know, I'm still your father, either way you put it." I could hear him scrambling over to sit on the same sun bed Yoshiko sat in.

"Though I sincerely wish you weren't..." I mumbled loud enough for him to hear. "And either way you put it, I'll still hate you."

My father sighed. "You'll understand why I put you up to this marriage soon enough."

"Why?" I turned around and glared at him. "To ruin my life, I assume?"

"Listen, Miho." he looked away from me to gaze into the sky. "You're my daughter. Even if you're mad at me right now, you'll soon see it my way... we're family; try and talk to me sometime."

"Alright." I frowned. "How did she die? All the facts- I want to know. Who murdered her?"

My father looked hesitant before he let out another sigh. "Perhaps you ARE old enough to know now..."

I felt my palms sweat as I inched closer. "I'm seventeen. In a year, I'll be an adult. Of course I'm old enough to know."

My father ignored me. "She was murdered. You see, back in the old days when my business wasn't so successful... I made deals with some dangerous people. The kind of deals that'll get you in trouble if you don't live up to your payment...

"I had broken off promises with other wealthy people, even after they had threatened to hurt you and your mother." He looked at me with a frown and I almost felt guilty... about misjudging him, perhaps? "But I ignored the threats." he continued, "I owed a lot of people a off of money and I just couldn't pay them back. So... I gave up. I told them I couldn't pay them back and to do their worse. I regret that now."

I looked at him almost fearfully. 'He... he LET them kill her?'

"So... one night. They did do their worse. I knew they were coming so I sent you over to Yohmai's house for the night- for your protection, that is."

"I remember..." I whispered, studying the floor. "I was only six or seven back then... you told me I could sleep over at Yoh's house..."

"Right." he sighed again. "And when they came... they murdered her. I let them have her... I sat on the sidelines- watching in fear. I didn't do a thing... and it's all my fault."

It took a moment for me to register it all before I brought myself to my feet and began walking away from... that man. I stopped only when I reached the door to the mansion. "You're right... it is all your fault."

I walked back inside with my mind still re-telling the story... 'And I thought that he couldn't get any worse...' I continued to climb up the stairs, oblivious to what I was doing. 'He let them have her. When he couldn't live up to some stupid deals... he ALLOWED them to hurt her.' I found myself entering my room. I shut the door behind me and suddenly broke into tears. 'HE'S the reason why I don't have a mother anymore... Iie... no... that man is NOT my father!'

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"I can't believe him... I never thought..."

"I'm sorry you had to find out like that, but... take it easy, there's no use stressing over it."

"I know... it's just... 'that man' is the one at fault for my mother's death..." I smiled warily. "Heh, now I have another reason to hate him."

Yoshiko frowned. She glanced at the unbitten sandwich in front of her, picked it up, but put it down again. "I see... well hating him isn't going to solve much..."

She was right. I knew she would have the best advice to treat me with and that was why I came to her during her lunch break. "I'm sorry I had to disturb your break, by the way..."

"Oh, that's fine!" she waved her hand vaguely. "I'm not that hungry anyway."

"Okay..." I sighed and took a long drink from my soda. "I just can't believe it... I called him 'father'... but he doesn't even deserve that name."

"So... what are you going to do from here, now that you know the truth?"

I shrugged. "Beats me." I tossed my empty can into the wastebasket- we were eating in Yoshiko's office. "I guess I'm stuck marrying Kamui and living here with... 'Akira'."

Yoshiko finally took a bite from her sandwich. "Miho-chan... didn't you say your friend is brewing up a plan?"

And this question, I began banging my forehead roughly on Yoshiko's desk. "But if they don't -thud- pull through, -thud- then it'll all be my -thud- fault."

"Iie! Don't do that!" Yoshiko hastily grabbed her open water bottle before it spilt and pulled my head away from her desk by my shoulders.

I rubbed my sore forehead. "Gomen nasai... (Sorry) oww..."

Yoshiko sighed. "Daijobu ka? (Are you alright?)"

"Daijobu. (I'm fine)" I rested my arms on the desk and buried my face in them. "I'm just so confused..."

"What's with all the noise?"

Yoshiko and I looked up to see 'Akira' by the door. How many times was he going interrupt like that? Yoshiko gathered her papers and stood up to leave, until Akira cut in. "No, Yoshiko-san, stay."

She nodded and sat back in her chair, flushing a bright red. I turned my attention from her to Akira. "What now?"

The man began pacing around the room, lost in thought. "I've thought it over and I've decided..." He stopped to look at Yoshiko. "Take note of this."

She scrambled around her desk and quickly pulled out a pen and a sheet of paper from the mess. "H-hai, Akira-san.. (Yes Mr. Akira)"

He nodded and gave me a cold glare. "The wedding is scheduled to take place next week."

I froze in my spot with my jaw dropped open. Yoshiko was scribbling down the words before looking up to Akira with an outraged look- as if the words had finally dawned on her. "Next week?" she repeated.

Akira nodded again. "Yes, I've confirmed this with Seiji already. Yoshiko," he crossed his arms across his chest. "make sure my daughter gets full treatment on make-up, dressing, etc., order the flowers, contact the church, hire decoraters and caterers, and make invitations for all the people I mentioned on the guest list."

I watched as Yoshiko struggled to write all of this down. Once she finished, she stuffed the notes in her pocket. "Yes sir... I'll have that done by tomorrow."

"Good." Akira muttered. He turned around and left, allowing the door to slam behind him.

I cupped a hand on my forehead as I thought all this over. "Yoshiko... what do I do?"

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Rikku: Hey, thanks for reading everyone. By the way I thought I should mention that Akira, Yoshiko, Kamui and Seiji are all made up characters... but you probably already know that, right? :)

You probably noticed that instead of writng 'my father', I've reflected on Miho's anger, so I made her call him 'Akira'- which is his actual first name.

Oh, and I thought that this would be helpful:

-chan: can be used to describe the person as a small child (e.g. Little Hanako), or someone you have grown dear to you- like a friend.

-sama: used to describe the person as somene you work under. (Boss, master, lord, etc.)

-san: carries the meaning of "Mr," "Mrs," "Miss," etc. (e.g. Kentaro-san: Mr.Kentaro.)

I hope these will help, they're not 100 percent accurate though. I used the "GLOSSARY of the RESTORATION" in the back of a Rurouni Kenshin manga for a little help, but they're basically my own words.

Anywho, thanks everyone for reading- don't hesitate to review!!

Dewa Mata!

x-Rikku-x