Kyoko spent the rest of the day following Ushio Kurosaki in the research center. It had been decided that she should spend time shadowing different physicians before choosing what section she wanted to become a part of. There were a couple different types of physicians employed in the clinic. There were general physicians, personal physicians and some were only there for research. Kurosaki was in the latter group.

"Make sure to learn as much as you can in the short time you're with him" said Lory. "You might not get this opportunity again for a long time, and every little bit can help."

"Of course!" said Kyoko, excited to be allowed to shadow him. After her demonstration, the rest of the physicians had agreed to let her become an apprentice, albeit begrudgingly.

"And you'll need this." Lory handed her a gray over vest that buttoned up on the sides. "It's what the apprentices wear over their normal clothes. I had this one modified a bit to suit you."

Kyoko slipped it on. She noticed it had a high collar, hiding the necklace. This was probably what Lory meant by modifying it. People didn't need to be constantly reminded of her being Kuon's concubine.

"Thank you Duke Takarada." said Kyoko giving a low curtsey. "For everything. And for giving me this chance."

Lory grimaced. "It won't be easy Kyoko. A lot of people will be watching to see you fail."

"I know."

So she had enjoyed her day, being led around by Kurosaki as he showed her the section he was in charge of. His group consisted of four other researchers, each with their own assistants helping. Kyoko hadn't realized until now how high up the ladder Duke Takarada was until now.

"Everyone, meet Kyoko. Kyoko, meet everyone." said Kurosaki, introducing her to the group. Did he really think that was enough of an introduction?

Apparently it was, because the group mostly nodded in greeting. They had taken her presence considerably well, though she really hadn't had the chance to talk to any of them.

Lory had assigned Kurosaki's group to start researching her new medicine immediately, so Kyoko had to again demonstrate how to make it. Kyokosap, was what they were calling it until an official name could be decided on. She wasn't how she felt about the name A large part of her was embarrassed.

Most of the day was spent deciding what tests needed to be done on the Kyokosap to check its efficacy and other such things. She enjoyed observing the group, though she had to flinch at all the curse words Kurosaki kept throwing around. The man had a foul mouth.

"Alright, let's call it a day." said Kurosaki, ending the meeting. "Taketa, make sure to get that information from the general clinic, and Shima, make sure I have a copy of the notes by tomorrow morning. I'll see everyone tomorrow."

The group began to disperse and Kyoko made her way to Kurosaki.

"Thank you again for letting me shadow you." said Kyoko. "And more importantly, for volunteering to try out the medicine."

He grinned at her. "I should be the one thanking you. I get to keep by foot thanks to that weird sap."

"I'm glad I could be of help." she said, feeling happy. They talked for a couple more minutes, Kurosaki asking her what she thought about the research group. Honestly she enjoyed it a lot, but she doubted that she would chose to work in research. She had discovered the sap by accident in the first place and her heart was in actual patient care, but she decided to keep quiet about that for a time. Who knew? Maybe she could come to enjoy research if she studied it more.

It was getting late and she needed to leave. If it had been her choice, she would have stayed in the clinic until nightfall, but Kuon's words kept haunting her, and she knew she needed time to get ready for tonight. She didn't even want to imagine what he would do to her if she didn't show up.

"Come back soon ok Kyoko?" said Kurosaki "We could use a good mind like yours in our research group."

Feeling immensely satisfied, she exited the clinic.

A guard stood outside, waiting by the clinic door. Upon seeing her, he came over and gave a quick salute.

"I was instructed by the prince to wait until you were done." said the man, smiling kindly at her. He had brown hair that swooped out from under his helm. It gave him a youthful appearance, though he was obviously several years older than Kyoko. "I'm to escort you back to the harem."

"Thank you." said Kyoko giving a curtsy. "I hope you didn't have to wait long."

"Not at all miss." he said "The name's Hikaru Ishibashi."

Kyoko instantly liked him. He had a playful aura, and she could tell they would get along great. He led her through the halls, chatting with her along the way.

"I'm to be your personal escort from now on." said the guard, "Any time you leave the harem, me, or one of my buddies assigned to you will accompany you. You can remember us easily as we all have the same last name."

"Are you related?" she asked, and the man gave a short laugh.

"Not at all. People call us bridge rock, as we're always together."

"I look forward to meeting the other two as well." said Kyoko.

They kept talking about random things until they reached the harem. Hikaru stopped, allowing her to enter alone.

"And this is where I leave you." he said, giving her another salute. "Remember, call one of the Ishibashi brothers if you need to go anywhere, no matter how short the visit."

She thanked him, and he began walking off before she stopped him.

"Hikaru." she said quickly, "Umm. Could you keep it a secret about me going to the clinic? And ask the others to keep it a secret as well?" She didn't want the other girls to know about her trying to become a physician. At least not yet. She had enough barriers between her and them without her unusual desire to pursue a 'man's job.'

Hikaru frowned in confusion, but gave his word.

Satisfied, she left to get ready for the evening.

This. She thought. Is not going to be fun.

An hour later, Kyoko stood outside the door of the main room. Her brain told her she needed to go in, but her instincts were telling her to run.

What does he expect from me? She thought, her imagination running wild. He said he wants to see the "fruits of my labor" whatever that means. Does that mean he wants to see me sing? Or recite a poem? Or Maybe he wants be to bully me some more. Yeah that must be it. He was probably feeling stressed and wants to take it out on someone.

The idea was comforting to her... until she realized what the other concubines probably did to comfort Kuon.

Heat rushed into her cheeks.

NOOOOOOOOOOO!

Kyoko curled into a ball, shaking her head violently. I have to protect my purity! I'm not going in. No way sir. He can just take his frustration out on someone else.

She took a few steps away from the door before stopping, a strange pull preventing her from going any further. If she didn't go in, he was sure to punish her. She couldn't get the 'emperor of the night' out of her head. It was enough to send her running, but she also knew it would be a bad idea to ignore him.

In the end, did she go into the lion's den willingly? Or wait until someone dragged her there.

Gritting her teeth, Kyoko turned and walked through the door. She was so determined that it took her a second to realized Kuon wasn't in the room and that it was currently occupied by several other women.

Oh yeah. She thought. There were the other concubines too. She had been so caught up with seeing the prince that she had forgotten she would run into the women as well. They stared at her as she entered, all conversations dying. Then it began again, but in harsh whispers and insults that carried through the room.

"What is she doing here?"

"Is she an idiot?"

"Hold your nose, something rotten just entered."

Kyoko grimaced and started walking in, but someone blocked her way. The woman was tall and lean, dwarfing Kyoko by a good foot. She had long straight brown hair pulled back in the tall ponytail and slanted eyes that glared angrily at her. Kyoko was pretty sure her name was Yumi.

"What are you doing here?" said Yumi, folding her arms, bracelets and rings clinking against each other. "You have no right to be here."

Well at least they're finally talking to me. thought Kyoko bitterly. "I have as much right as you do." she said.

Yumi rolled her eyes.

"No you don't. You see, we don't allow trash such as yourself, to come in here and defile this room."

The other women laughed. Kyoko didn't even want to be here in the first place, and now she had to endure this kind of treatment? It was so frustrating. She glanced around to room, looking for any potential help. There wasn't a single sympathetic face in the room. She spotted Setsuko in the corner, reading a book. They made eye contact, but her expression clearly said, "I'm not helping. Figure it out yourself."

Kyoko sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"Look" said Kyoko. "I don't want to be here anymore then you want me to alright? So just let me in and let's make this as painless as possible. Then I'll be out of your hair and we don't have to repeat this ever again."

"Didn't you hear what she said?" said another woman, stepping up beside Yumi. Kyoko didn't know her name, but recognized her. She usually stuck close to Yumi. "Trash like you isn't welcome here, so scram."

Several other women joined in, throwing taunts at Kyoko and telling her to leave.

Kyoko stood her ground, pride keeping her there. How many times was she going to have to endure people telling her she was worthless? How many more times were people going to tell her she didn't belong somewhere? She was starting to get sick of it.

"Only one person has any right to throw me from here and they're the one that invited me in the first place." she said. This was all his fault anyway "If you have a problem, go take it up with the prince, not me."

Kyoko realized her mistake a second later. Bringing the prince into the argument just served as an irritant, stirring the hive into an angry buzz. Several more women stood up, taking a stance beside Yumi. They pressed closer to Kyoko, forcing her to take several steps back.

"Leave ugly."

"Go back to the gutters where you belong."

"You're useless and unnecessary."

"Stay away from our Kuon."

Kyoko kept backing up, the angry aura around the mob making her sick. The trauma from similar experiences was coming back, making her lose ground. She felt her will crack, her armor breaking away and leaving her soul exposed to these women. And they tore at it mercilessly.

Kyoko ran into something soft, halting her progress. The women in front of her suddenly grew quiet, staring at the spot behind her. She looked up, and froze.

She was leaning against Kuon's chest, starting up at him from below, but he wasn't looking at her. He was looking at group before them.

And he was smiling a very shiny smile.

"What is going on here?" he said, addressing the crowd.

The women didn't even have the decency to look ashamed. Several went back to glaring at Kyoko, while Yumi pursed her lips.

"We were just asking Kyoko here a few questions." said Yumi. "Like, why she believed she had any right to join us in the harem." Her tone told him she was not happy. Yumi was obviously not afraid to let Kuon know how she felt about this.

"Her right was my permission." said Kuon. "Does she need anything other than that?"

"You can't be serious." said another woman. Kyoko was sure her name was Utako. She had long black hair and wore a blank expression. Kyoko was actually surprised she said anything based off the apparent lack of caring she exuded. "Kuon. She's a peasant. You should realize how this reflects on the rest of us."

"If you don't like how things are, I give you permission to leave the harem." he said, his voice dropping the temperature in the room a couple degrees. "Otherwise, I would like to ask all of you to exit the room." He rested a hand on her shoulder. Kyoko repressed a shiver "I would like to speak with Kyoko... Alone."

It was obvious the conversation was done. The women walked out, some mumbling curses while others glared daggers at her, but Kyoko was barely paying attention to them. What was he going to do once they all left? Oh no, she really hoped it wasn't that!

Setsuko was the last to leave. Her eyes swept over the two of them, as if searching for something. Kyoko silently pleaded for her to stay, but she was gone a moment later, shutting the door behind her, sealing Kyoko in with Kuon.

A tense atmosphere fell upon them. Kyoko was sweating, too scared to move. Then she felt him shift his weight behind her. With a squeak, she leapt away, covering her head. When nothing happened, she peeked out from under her arms.

Kuon was looking at her with an amused expression.

"What did you think I was going to do? Pounce on you the moment they all left?"

That was exactly what she had been thinking. He walked to the only chair in the room, then sat down as if he owned the place. Which, he did of course.

"Well?" he said. "Are you going to show me what you learned?"

Kyoko gulped.

"What exactly do you want me to show you?" she said, trying to keep her nerves under control.

"I leave that up to you."

She stared at him. What sort of answer was that?

When she didn't move, Kuon sighed.

"I want you to entertain me." he said. "As if I was a guest at the palace. Show me how you would do that."

That was a little bit better, but still not good enough "What sort of entertainment would you like?" she said.

"I leave that to you."

Ugh. He really wouldn't budge. She was standing on the opposite end of the room from him, right next to the door, but she could still make out that smug smile on his face. She had the sudden desire to slap his stupid face.

When he didn't give her anymore hints, she sighed. Fine, if he was going to have it that way, then he couldn't complain with how she proceeded.

Kyoko smiled a wide condescending smile at him. She saved this smile for dealing with drunks. There had been more than a few times she had been forced to deal with them while at her home clinic. At that moment, Kuon was no longer the prince. He was a drunk lord, Sir Koguchi, on the verge of passing out.

"Sir Koguchi" she said, walking forward and picking up a cup and filling it with wine. "I've noticed you've been enjoying the drinks this evening. Could I temp you with another one?"

"Please." Said Kuon. He took the cup, bringing it to his lips. "Would you care for one?"

"Oh, I couldn't" said Kyoko, rejecting the offer. "I might be asked to dance later. And how embarrassing would it be if I fell over myself."

"Just one drink won't hurt." said Kuon, he almost forced a cup into her hands. "Please. Enjoy a drink with me."

She knew instinctively that he was pressing her on purpose, to see how she would handle difficult people. Little did he know this was second nature to her.

"Well." she said, pretending to hesitate. "If you insist. Maybe it won't hurt to take one drink."

His face was unreadable as she took the cup and pretended to drink. She kept her lips tightly sealed, preventing any of the liquid from entering her body.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice you didn't drink any?" said Kuon with a frown. "It's rude to try to trick your guests like that."

"Not drink any? What are you talking about?" said Kyoko innocently. "You must be more drunk then I thought Sir Koguchi. Look. I drank every drop."

She presented the cup to Kuon, showing him the inside. He looked in, surprised. The cup was completely empty.

He stared at it for a moment before leaning back. "That's a good trick." he said. "You're going to have to teach me how you did that."

She decided to change the subject, trying to divert his attention. She had used her pulse magic against the cup, quickly causing the liquid inside to evaporate. It was an old trick she used all the time to stop people from insisting that she drink.

Kyoko continued to talk, keeping the conversation light and making sure his wine glass stayed full. It honestly wasn't too different from just talking to people in the clinic. Though the service she gave them was a little different than this.

After a couple minutes, Kuon brought up the subject of her dancing.

"You did promise to dance later." he said. "And I've been looking forward to it."

"I'm afraid it won't be anything spectacular." she said with a polite smile. "I'm still quite new to it. Maybe you would care to see one of my other associates dance instead. I'm sure a few of the would be thrilled to exhibit their talents."

"You do realize we are alone don't you Kyoko?" said Kuon.

"Maybe in your eyes sir." she said. To her, the room was full. Other women and men milled about the room while they talked and drank. A few women were playing soft background music. Kuon's expression told her he didn't understand what she meant.

Resigned to her fate, she stood up and made her way to the center of the room.

"If you would excuse me." she said, nodding to the imaginary musicians. "Could you play a slow 4/4 for me?"

The women nodded, changing the tune in a fluid step, never missing a beat. Kuon watched the imaginary exchange with interest.

Kyoko closed her eyes, letting the music inside her head flow through her. She still didn't know a lot about dancing, but Setsuko had taught her a single dance routine. With time, she would create her own choreography and eventually learn to improvise on the spot. She was nowhere near that level and so chose to rely on what she had practiced.

Carefully, she began to move.

The dance started out slow, concentrating on small movements of her hands and fingers. She wound them around the air, slowly branching out the influence of her dance to include her arms, and eventually her legs. The dance reminded her of a sand storm, starting out as a small swirl in the dunes. It eventually grew bigger, developing into a full blown storm that engulfed everyone within the vicinity. At least... that's what she saw when Setsuko danced it.

She was near the end of her dance, completing one of the three points turns when her foot caught on the rug. With a cry, she stiffened for the impact of the floor. What she fell into instead was a soft arm.

"That was quite the dance." said a deep voice. "Though I must tell you. I don't usually let my concubines entertain my guest in this manner."

Kyoko was sprawled across the floor with Kuon over her. The arm that had broken her fall, was now supporting him as he hovered above her. He was giving her that intense expression, the one she had deemed "The Emperor of the Night."

She couldn't move, his whole presence overpowering her. Why hadn't he moved off of her? Then she felt him brush his thumb against her lips.

"Do you have any experience in kissing?" he asked her.

"N-n-nooo w-why..?" she stammered

"Do you want me to teach you?"

Kyoko's heart sped up, thumping so hard she could hear it in her ears. Kuon lowered himself slowly, lips inches from hers.

Kyoko pressed her hands between their lips.

"Sir Koguchi, please snap out of it." she said, eyes spinning in desperation. "I am not your wife, nor am I the type of girl to mess with you."

Kuon lifted his face from her, but only slightly, looking confused.

"Wife?" said Kuon. "I don't remember having one of those."

"You do have one." said Kyoko. "And two sons and one daughter, and a large plantation where everyone relies on you. Even if you tend to drink too much on occasion. You love your wife very much, so you probably just mistook me for her as we look similar."

"A large plantation..." said Kuon, completely lifting off of her. He stared at her for a moment, before bursting out into laughter.

"How much of a back story did you make up for this 'Sir Koguchi'?" Said Kuon, once he got his laughter under control. Kyoko sulked, but was just glad he was off of her.

"As much as I needed." said Kyoko. "Sometimes you have to adjust your conduct depending on the person."

"I guess that's true." said Kuon. "Well, I think we are done with the make believe."

He stood up, and held out a hand to Kyoko. She hesitated before taking it and allowing him to pull her up.

She should have listened to her hesitation. When he lifted her up, he pulled her close to him, pressing his hand against her back.

She squeaked.

"Now it's my turn to teach you some things." he said, his voice low.

Kyoko froze, her whole body screaming in protest as he pulled her closer. A hand cupped her face, forcing it up towards him. It stroked her cheek for a moment before slowly snaking down right above her chest.

Something snapped inside Kyoko. The cage around her demons burst open, sending wave after wave of furry through her. She shoved the prince back, aided by her demons and sending him stumbling back. With a resounding "smack" she slapped him hard against the face.

"Don't you dare." she hissed, breathing hard, anger swirling like a storm around her. "Don't you dare try to touch me in that manner. I may be your concubine but you do not own my body."

Kuon was staring at her, mouth open in shock, as if he didn't believe what she had just done. A hand was pressed against his red face where she had slapped him. It might have been amusing if she hadn't been so angry.

"Let me tell you now your highness, because I think you might be a little confused." she pointed an accusatory finger at him. "I hate you. I can't stand the sight of you. I only agreed to become your concubine because you blackmailed me. I don't want to be included in your filthy habits of sleeping with any woman you desire. You can get someone else to satisfy you, but not me."

"I could never let someone so selfish and irresponsible touch me. You're a spoiled jerk who doesn't care about the lives of his citizens. You almost killed someone and didn't even care." Kyoko shook her head in disgust "I fear for this country when you become king. Someone who puts themselves before others doesn't deserve to take the throne. You make me sick-"

As she spoke, Kuon lowered his head, his hair shading his eyes, but at her last statement, he looked up, sending his own piercing glare at her. The hate emanating from that look stunned even her demons. They hid behind her, shielding themselves form his anger. It was the same look she had seen from him the first time they had met, when he first walked out of the carriage. It chilled her to the bone, causing her to shiver.

Then he moved towards her.

With each step, she felt her anger crumbling, the dangerous aura suffocating her. Then he stood right before her and she knew she was dead. She knew there was no escape. Kyoko slumped to the ground.

He's going to kill me!

But Kuon stepped over her, walking out of the room and slamming the door.

Kyoko didn't move. Heck she couldn't even think. It took ten minutes before she could even feel her fingers again.

What in the world had that been?

After several attempts, she was able to get to her feet, her knees still shaking. Why had he gotten so angry? Was it really that big of a deal to yell back at royalty? No. She could tell instinctively that she had said something to set him off. Something that caused him to lose control. Just like on the day they had first met.

What, she thought, not for the first time. exactly is going on Kuon?

Kyoko didn't get any sleep that night. She tossed and turned in her bed, trying and failing to calm her nerves. Nothing was working. Even talking to her flower, a ritual that usually dissolved her worries, didn't work. She couldn't get Kuon's angry face out of her head. It was just like the time she had been put in the dungeon.

What is going to happen to me? She thought. Maybe he would just throw him out of the harem. That could actually be a good thing. Then she could convince Lory to take her in as a full time apprentice. She was sure she could work extra to earn a place to stay, but that would only happen if Kuon didn't kill her himself.

She flopped onto her back, staring at the canopy above her bed. The quiet breathing of the other girls in the room was the only sound besides her own thumping heart. She hadn't paid attention to the other harem women as she had walked back to her room, still dazed from her encounter. After thinking all night, her mind wasn't working anymore. She could see the telltale signs of morning creeping through the windows.

Maybe I'll just sleep all day She thought, her eye fluttering shut. A second later, someone was shaking her awake.

Kyoko opened her mouth to yell out, but a hand quickly pressed against her mouth.

"Shhh." said a hushed voice. "Let's not wake the other concubines."

Kyoko relaxed, recognizing the voice. It was one of the maids that helped out in the harem. Long brown hair fell over her shoulders. She was probably in her early twenties.

"What is it?" said Kyoko, sitting up. She must have fallen asleep for at least an hour. The light outside was considerably brighter.

"The prince is waiting for you." said the maid. "He said he wants you ready to leave in ten minutes."

Kyoko's heart dropped. She placed her hands on the maid's shoulders.

"What's your name?" said Kyoko.

"M-Miya." said the maid, not sure what was going on.

"Miya." said Kyoko intensely. " If anyone asks, it was not suicide. I brought this on myself by angering a devil disguised as an angel. You get all my things, since you're probably the only female that's been kind to me since I got here."

Now the maid was even more confused, trying to ask Kyoko what she was talking about, but Kyoko didn't notice. Already resigned to her fate, she got ready without conscious thought. She was sure today would be the last day of her life.

Fifteen minutes later, Kyoko walked outside her room, the prince waiting outside. His back was to her when she exited the room, but he turned around as she closed the door. What she saw wasn't what she expected. He didn't seem angry, or upset. He was just waiting, face impassive. His robes were a little more casual this morning, but he still looked as handsome as usual.

"You ready?" he asked.

Kyoko nodded, still scared to speak.

"Then let's go."

Kuon led the way out of the harem, Kyoko staying one step behind him, neither saying anything. They left the palace, walking down the steps onto the road. A carriage waited for them, already equipped with horses and a driver. Kuon stopped by the door opening it and stepping aside. It took Kyoko a second to realize he was waiting for her to go in. She did, and he followed, closing the door behind them. A second later, she heard the coachman bark a command at the horses and they started moving.

Is he taking me somewhere they can dump the body? she thought. It would make sense. Take her while she was still alive so they didn't have to worry about dragging the body. Dead bodies were heavy and hard to move without help. In one of her defense lessons with Setsuko she had learned how to stop a single person from dragging her away. You were supposed to let all your weight go to the ground and act like a dead body. It was harder to drag dead weight then a person struggling upright. Maybe she could try it. Refuse to leave the carriage and if they tried to removed her by force, pretend to be dead.

Kyoko let her head fall forward, closing her eyes tight. She wasn't thinking straight at all! The anticipation of his anger was stressing her out like crazy. If only he'd get it all over with.

The carriage came to a rocking stop.

"We're here."

Kyoko snapped her head back up, horrified. Kuon stepped out, then held out a hand. She ignored it, stepping outside of the carriage herself. They were in the middle of town right outside what looked like a restaurant. A sign above the door read The Daruma-ya in gold letters. It was a strange place to pick for her demise. Maybe it was to be her last supper before dying.

They entered and the delightful smell of breakfast greeted her nose. It was a cute restaurant, with a warm welcoming feel to it. There were a few customers inside, eating with friends or drinking by themselves. To her surprise, Kyoko spotted Yukihito at one of the tables. He seemed as equally surprised to see them.

"Kyoko, Kuon. What are you two doing here?" he asked as they approached.

That's what I want to know. She thought.

"Are you Yukihito's friends?" said a woman. Kyoko only now realized Yukihito had been talking to someone. She was a short lady with a kind smile and black hair pulled back into a low ponytail. Based on the rounded face and wrinkles, she was probably in her forties.

"Ah yes." said Yukihito, uncomfortable for some reason. "This is lady Kyoko and prince Kuon."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." said Kyoko with a curtsy, Kuon gave a small bow. The women's eyes widened in surprise.

"Your highness." she said. "We weren't expecting. I didn't..."

Kyoko watched the introduction with interest. Even for meeting royalty she was a little too flustered. Even Yukihito was acting weird. Were they all here to witness her end?

"Is your husband around?" asked Kuon interrupting her ramble. The women nodded. "Can I talk to him?"

The woman, who Kyoko guessed was the wife of the owner, swallowed.

"Of course." she said. "follow me."

She walked towards the back of the restaurant into a side room. Kuon motioned for Kyoko to follow, so she did, Yukihito tagging along behind.

The back room was a large kitchen, dishes and soups already cooking, filling the room with their alluring scents. A man in a chef outfit was expertly cutting some meat and adding it to a pan. He looked up, raising his eyebrow at the group. He had sharp eyes and a cloth wrapped around his head. As they approached, Kyoko suddenly recognized the man.

"Your highness." said his wife. "My husband, Taisho. Honey he wanted to see you."

Taisho paused in his work to inspect the group. Despite his sharp eyes, Kyoko could make out the kind aura he possessed, even if it did seem annoyed at the moment. He set down the knife, point down into the wood and wiped his hands on a cloth. He gave a bow.

"Welcome to my humble restaurant your highness." he said stiffly. "How may I help you?"

"Please. I'm sorry to interrupt you during working hours." said Kuon. "But I wanted to come by and personally apologize for my actions earlier this month. I'm sorry It's taken me this long to come by."

And then he did something Kyoko would have never expected. He bowed, low to the couple. It wasn't the casual tilt of a polite greeting, but a 90 degree angle of humble regret. She was beyond shocked. Kuon was apologizing? A prince never bowed that low to a common subject. Unless... He truly regretted what he had done. Was this why Kuon had brought her? He wasn't going to punish her?

"I apologize for my actions." said Kuon, head still low. "It was irresponsible and reckless."

Taisho seemed to relax, nodding to his wife.

"Thank you for coming by your highness." he said. "And It's fine. Just make sure it doesn't happen again."

Kuon lifted his head.

"Thank you. And I also wanted to introduce you to the lady that saved your life." he gestured to Kyoko. "This is Kyoko Mogami. She is the one that stopped the carriage from hitting you."

Taisho seemed to only just noticed her. His wife looked at Kyoko, eyes sparkling with tears.

"You were the one that saved my husband's life?" she said, taking Kyoko's hand into her own. "I can't thank you enough. If you hadn't done something I don't know what I would have done without my husband."

"I- t-that." said Kyoko, her face tinged with pink. "It's nothing."

"It's definitely not nothing." said Taisho. For some reason he looked angry. "A little lady like you jumping out in front of a carriage. It's a wonder you didn't get hurt. You shouldn't be doing such dangerous things."

"Oh hush dear, she used pulse magic, didn't you know?" said his wife. She smiled at Kyoko, and Kyoko smiled back, instantly loving this couple. She could see the respect and love between the two of them from a mile away.

"How are you feeling?" Kyoko asked Taisho "Did you go to the physician?"

Taisho nodded.

"Yes and a good thing too." said his wife. "He was working himself too hard. The doctor finally made him rest. I feel like such a fool. I should have noticed he didn't feel well and shouldn't have sent him to go get those dates."

Then the wife addressed the rest of the group.

"Would you all like to have breakfast here? Yukihito was about to order when you guys came in."

"We would love to." said Kuon.

The wife beamed, and busied herself setting up the table in the back room especially for them. Kyoko sat down, enjoying the calm and peace inside the warm kitchen. She had been on edge for so long, it felt nice to finally relax her nerves. She could feel her muscles starting to unwind after being taught for so long. She was out of danger.

The wife chatted with them, mostly talking to Kyoko. The two of them bonded quickly, and even Taisho entered their conversation on occasion, all the while cooking. Kuon mostly sat in silence, watching rather than speaking.

Even though she knew she was in the clear, Kyoko wasn't completely comfortable with all this. Something strange was happening. One day Kuon was angry enough to look like he could kill someone. The next day, he brought her to witness him apologizing to someone he had nearly killed. At least his aura looked more calm. She glanced at him and realized that it truly did look calm. More calm then she had ever seen it. Kyoko shook her head, still not sure what to think. Every time she saw a different side of him, she became more puzzle. Who exactly was Kuon?

At least I don't have to plan my own funeral any time soon.

Hours later, the three of them left the restaurant. The wife gave Kyoko a hug, insisting that she come back and visit them when she could. Kyoko smiled happily, promising just that as the two women said their goodbyes.

Taisho extended a hand to Kuon, who shook it firmly.

"Take care of Kyoko." said Taisho, glaring at Kuon. "I saw the necklace she was wearing, and I know what it means. I owe her my life, so if I hear anything about her being harmed..."

Kuon took the warning to heart, glad the others didn't hear the exchange. Most wouldn't take a threat to a prince lightly, even if it wasn't exactly malicious. He tightened the grip on the handshake.

"Don't worry." he said. "You're not the only person who owes her a debt."

Taisho studied Kuon before releasing his hand.

They said their goodbyes and then climbed into the carriage. The three of them sat in silence, no one saying anything. It was a strange contrast from the cheerful atmosphere from earlier. Yashiro, uncomfortable with the quiet, kept trying to strike up a conversation. He gave up when no one caught on. Kuon kept his gaze outside the window, thinking about everything he had just transpired. After a while, he noticed Kyoko staring at him.

"Is there something on my face?" said Kuon.

Kyoko cocked her head.

"That's not it..."

They sat in silence for a couple more minutes, the carriage rocking slowly as it made its way through the streets.

"Why did you bring me here?" she said, breaking the quiet. "Did you want to prove to me that you're not an unfeeling prince? Do you want me to apologize for the things that I said?"

He studied her, jaw clenched with determination, sitting up straight and looking right into his eyes. He doubted she would ever consent to an apology if he did admit to her accusations. It was a good thing that wasn't why he had brought her.

"No." he said. "That isn't the reason I had you come."

"Then why..."

"Because you were right, and I'm sorry for my actions earlier."

That was not the answer she had been expecting. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Don't look so surprised." he said. "Is it so shocking that I could take criticism and apply it to myself?"

"It certainly looked that way yesterday." she mumbled darkly.

He grimaced.

Yashiro was watching the exchange, wisely choosing not to interrupt.

"I'll admit. I didn't like what I heard, but everything you said was true." Kuon said. "I was being irresponsible. Putting others' lives at risk and only thinking of myself, which is not acceptable behavior of someone in my position."

"Then why bring me?" she said

"I thought you might like to see how he's doing." said Kuon. "I figure you'd be the type of person to worry about someone until you knew they were ok."

He could see her weighing her suspicions of him in her head verses what he said. She still didn't trust him completely. He couldn't blame her. After seeing the specter, he had reverted back to his darker personality. The type of man he hated. It wasn't something he was proud of. Inwardly he was very grateful for her words. They had stopped him from doing something he would regret, snapping him out of his old self.

There was also another reason he had brought her to the Daruma-ya. He had decided to spring whatever trap they may be hiding. If she or the man had been part of some plan, he wanted to face it head on. Just get the whole thing over with. It was as he had predicted. Neither individual were likely to be involved with the specter. Even though Taisho obviously didn't like Kuon, that was understandable considering the circumstances.

At least she was in better spirits. On the way to the restaurant, Kyoko's face had been white for the whole ride, mumbling something about a dead body. He watched her as she looked out the windows, her eyes lighting up at some strange thing she had probably seen.

This woman truly hadn't changed from their childhood. She was still strange, eccentric, and kind to a fault. If he was honest with himself, he was glad Sho had thrown her away. He had always hated the jerk based on the stories Kyoko had told him as kids. Hopefully it would also teach her to be cautious of people before giving them her trust. No. By mistrusting Kuon, she showed him she wasn't completely naive anymore.

"Kyoko." he said, bringing her out of her reverie. "There will be a lot of things you can learn from the harem. Some of it, especially the part related to dealing with the court, will help you as you get further in your career. Come to the main room at least once a week. I'll help you out if you have any questions."

She looked at him as if he had spoken a different language. Even Yashiro was giving him a strange look. He ignored them both, returning to his thoughts.

The biggest thing he had learned from all this was that he could trust Kyoko. There was no way Kyoko or Taisho were related to the specter. She had a very strong sense of what was right and wrong, as well as the desire to succeed. With a little more training, she could turn into a strong ally.

Which meant he was back at the starting line with the specter.

Thanks for reading! And thanks for all the comments/fav/follows. I die of happiness every time someone leaves a comment. Then re-read them and die again.

Oh, and I forgot to answer a question from the last post. The purpose of the harem and how it got started will be revealed later. Sorry, it wasn't really an answer so much as a promise to answer later on. But if you want a more thorough answer, read the ( )'s below

(K, at this point in the story, Kyoko doesn't actually know the purpose of the harem, and so the reader is also left in the dark. So right now, we (the reader) hate the harem as much as she does. But when the truth about everything comes to light, she will readjust her opinion on it, as will the reader. If I can write it well enough, her new feelings will reflect the reader's feelings as well.)

Yes I know some scenes from the original are crazy out of sequence. But hey, it's not the exact story so whatevs.

RebelliousOracle: I LOVE Akagami no Shirayukihime. I pulled material from dozens of different manga's and books that I've read. That one included. So yes, you are right. ^.^

And yes I was thinking about gangrene for the previous chapter. If I did something wrong, please forgive me! Or just pretend it was some sort of magical malady that was affecting him. XD

Thanks again!

-Blushweaver