Invasion

by Dreamr

An epic length continuation of the OAV manga storyline, after part 2.

18. State of the Union

INVASION, Volume 3, Chapter 2: State of the Union.

DISCLAIMER: Tenchi Muyou! is copyright AIC/Pioneer, LDC. I claim no rights to it. However, the events in this story are entirely of my own imagination. So please don't change them. Feel free to distribute this story as freely as desired.

FOREWORD: In translating the True Tenchi Muyou! novels, I came across the correct spelling for that pink-haired guy in OAV episode 13. His name, romanized, is Serifu. Henceforth, that is how I will spell it. Just for kicks, here are some of the others whose names may be in question. Washiuu, Youshou, Ryouko, Ryououki, Aeka. Generally, I will still stick to the shorter, more recognized spellings. (It's quicker to type.)

I noticed that some of the reviews I got on the first chapter of this volume had questions. I think this chapter will answer many of those questions. If not, future installments definitely will. I'm hoping the story arc I'm pursuing will turn out to be fairly unique.

The first few chapters in this volume will deal more with Aeka and Sasami than any of the other characters. My apologies to all the Mihoshi fans out there. Her appearances will be precious few, and far between. I am making an attempt to work her in more, but it doesn't look like we'll see much of her in this volume. Sorry.

There was a section in this chapter where Tenchi, Nobuyuki, and Katsuhito go on a camping trip alone. I decided not to write that scene because the original idea was for a late-fall scene with an unexpectedly early snow storm. The seasonal requirements weren't right, so it got axed. Maybe in the future I'll do a one shot short-story of it.

Also, I apologize for taking so long getting this chapter out. There was a lot to write, and I wanted everything to be perfect. I felt like I rushed volume 2 a bit, and it really came out a bit different than I had hoped. This volume will be a bit slower to come out, but the result will be a better story.

One more small thing. It appears that the original plot for volume 3 is so long, that I may subdivide it into two volumes. That's a lot of writing. But the events that occur, beginning with the Galaxy Academy leading up to the "big battle" (heh-heh), are very in-depth and extensive. It all depends on how much material I have for what would be volume 4.

AUTHOR: Dreamr

LAST REVISION: 08 December 2002

EMAIL: TrueDreamr@Hotmail.com

BEGIN.

Aeka had no qualms about giving out discipline within the luxurious home that had been provided to the Royal Family while they attended classes at the Galaxy Academy. As the eldest female of the line in residence, it was her duty to maintain the household. At least, that's how she viewed it.

She had been fairly pleased upon arriving at their new home. Although the style of architecture resembled something from the American South rather than Jurai or Japan, everything was spotless, and all the rooms were ready to be moved in to. Tenchi had nearly fallen over backwards when he saw the size of the house. Even Ryoko had been impressed at the sight of it.

However, Tenchi soon mentioned to her how having so many servants in the house gave him the creeps. So she had dismissed over half of the staff. That had not gone over too well with some of them. But it was her right. Their services were no longer required. The only ones who were allowed to remain were the housekeeping, cooking, and grounds-keeping staffs.

The first change she had insisted on, was having the immense and imposing dining room furniture replaced with traditional Japanese furniture. The huge table kept everyone so far away from each other, that they almost had to yell to be heard. One look at Tenchi's face during their first dinner told her all she needed to know about that room.

The other change was the bath. It was ridiculously small compared to the bath they had enjoyed at Tenchi's home in Okayama. While they could still be used for the facilities within, only one person at a time could bathe in the tiny tubs. Ryoko had summed it up in one sentence.

"Oh, Hell no!"

The residence now sported an entirely new wing, devoted entirely to the fine art of bathing. It was fairly similar to the onsen-like bath back home, but with a few changes to accommodate the land available, and to match the house it was adjacent to. The entrance was no longer a dimensional portal, but a physical doorway, with a fine set of white arches. Other than that, it was almost the same as the one in back in Okayama.

Playing around with the interior decor gave Aeka something to concentrate on besides the immense amount of time she shared with Ryoko and Tenchi, both at home, and during classes. Strangely enough, Ryoko actually had fewer classes with Tenchi than she did. It made for some awkward silences between her and Tenchi. So, when she had the time, Aeka went about the house, making plans to replace all the stonework with wood. If she were to live here for the next couple of years, she wanted it to feel warm and alive, rather than like a cave. Although, it did amuse her to think that Ryoko must feel right at home.

One of the biggest changes since they had relocated from Earth was the King's insistence that Sasami resume her education. She had been out of school for entirely too long. Unfortunately, she was so far behind in her studies that she had utterly failed the Academy entrance exam. Poor Sasami had cried for hours, thinking she would be sent back to Jurai, alone. Washu had saved the day when she offered to have her enrolled in the public school system. Apparently, the faculty and staff for the Academy consisted of several billion individuals, many of whom had family. And, of course, there was a need to support them, as well.

With schooling came the traditional homework and study time. Sasami still cooked in her spare time. But, since she now kept a regular schooling schedule, she had to give up cooking breakfast and lunch. That was where the cooking staff came in. Aeka laughed every time she saw her sister and the cooks exchanging secrets.

What made Aeka really laugh was how she had pulled the wool over her father's eyes. When she had called him to ask his permission and sponsorship into the Academy, he had been ecstatic. He whole-heartedly approved of the idea, even going so far as to say he was proud of her for making such a wise decision. For a moment, Aeka had felt a little guilty for deceiving her father. But then she remembered how he had tried to marry her off without even telling her. She decided that not telling him that Tenchi would also be at the Academy was fair payment.

The newly restored Headmaster Washu made frequent visits, even though her work kept her away most of the time. When she did stop by, it was usually because Sasami called her to let her know she was cooking dinner. Tonight was one of those nights. Standing imperiously over the new, lower dinner table, Aeka was more than happy to berate Washu for her lack of punctuality as the diminutive professor casually sauntered into the dining room from one of the adjacent hallways, wielding a friendly wave as if nothing were amiss.

"Hey! How's it going?"

"Well, it's about time you showed up for dinner! My sister has been slaving over a hot stove all evening, and all she gets is a 'Hi! How are you?'"

"I'm here, aren't I? Be happy with that."

"You could at least call if you are going to be late."

Washu sat down at the dinner table.

"Well, when you can give a lecture on sub-molecular wave propagation theory, let me know. I've got a job for ya."

Quickly changing tacks, Washu turned to address Ryoko on the other side of the table.

"And as for you, Little Ryoko, you'd better kick ass on your finals, or the College Board is going to try to suspend you."

Ryoko sprayed a mouthful of sake across the table in response.

"What?! They can't do that! You're my Mom!"

"Even I can't stop them if your grades suck. The only thing that's saving you is your particle physics class."

Ryoko smiled at that. By some strange twist of fate, she could crunch numbers like there was no tomorrow. She was the only student in recent history to actually get a one hundred per-cent average in that class. Washu continued to make her case for Ryoko's transfer to another college.

"You really ought to transfer to Mathematics."

"No way. That college is way over on the other side of the system."

"So?"

Ryoko mumbled something that no one could hear through the cup she was holding in front of her mouth.

"What was that? You'd miss Tenchi too much?"

Ryoko's face turned red as she shouted across the table again.

"That's none of your business!"

Just then, Tenchi came through the doorway opposite from the one Washu had entered.

"Who misses me?"

The girls all gave Tenchi their traditional greetings as he made his way to his normal spot next to Ryoko.

There was one of the other greatest differences since they had relocated to the Academy. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, absolutely nothing happened when Tenchi sat down next to Ryoko. Aeka had feared the devil-woman, as she still liked to refer to her, would constantly flaunt her relationship with Tenchi. It was not so. If anything, she was showing more restraint than ever. Of course, any adult with half a brain knew she more than made up for it in the bedroom.

Although she had wanted to stay nearby, there was a limit to how close Aeka wished to remain. She had intentionally chosen the bedroom farthest from them, so that any noise that they made, unintentionally or otherwise, would be inaudible in her room. That was something she did not wish to be exposed to. Just thinking of the two of them together like that sometimes made her feel ill.

One thing she was thankful for, was how Tenchi still treated her with courtesy and respect. It was like he actually wanted her to stay, despite his feelings for Ryoko. Needless to say, it was a little bit confusing. But, there were many things to do to keep her mind off of such troublesome subjects. Such as the upcoming summer vacation that Tenchi was about to address.

"So! Is everybody ready for summer vacation?"

Sasami's voice echoed from the adjacent kitchen area.

"Yahoo!"

Everyone chuckled and laughed at her excitement. Despite the merriment, Aeka was quick to point out the lack of any solid plans.

"Ah, but Lord Tenchi, we have not yet decided on what to do this summer."

Aeka's statement reminded Washu of something she had been meaning to tell her.

"That reminds me. Your ship's ready to fly."

"Ryu-o?"

"Yes, ma'am! I checked on it a couple days ago. The information you gave me on Royal Tree growth rates was a big help. It'll be ready to fly any day, now."

Aeka bowed her head in gratitude, her previous annoyance forgotten.

"Thank you, little Washu."

"That's great, Aeka!" Tenchi was always quick to congratulate Aeka on anything the least bit positive. It seemed to help keep her spirits up. "I guess that means we're going back to Okayama for the summer."

Aeka did not appear very enthusiastic as she sat down and picked up her cup of tea.

"Apparently so. However, I'm afraid I won't be able to stay very long. While Ryu-o is now capable of self-propulsion, it is still just a central core unit. I'll have to travel to either Ryuten or Jurai to have the exterior armor replaced. It could take several weeks."

Tenchi watched as Aeka stared into her cup.

"Oh!"

Everybody looked towards the kitchen where Sasami's sudden exclamation had come from. Tonight's chef emerged from the open third door with a large pot of white rice, which she easily set down on the table, making sure to place it on the protective wicker mat.

"And that reminds me. My sister has received a package from Asahi today."

"I have? You should have told me sooner!" Aeka immediately got up and went to retrieve the package from the small stand near the front door where mail and other posts were left for their recipients.

She found it easily, as it was the largest of all the missives. Aeka's curiosity grew when opening it revealed that there were several envelopes within. A strange sense of Deja vous descended over her as she found that there was an envelope for everybody, including those still on Earth. Having personal experience with such mailings, Aeka had a strong suspicion what was in each envelope. Quickly returning to the dining room, she began distributing the mail.

"There seems to be an envelope for everyone."

Each person in turn received their mail from Aeka. Sasami had already returned to the kitchen to get the next dish, so Aeka held on to hers until she returned. There was also envelopes for Lord Katsuhito, Nobuyuki, Mihoshi, and Minagi, of whom they had not seen recently. Aeka had hardly even begun to open her own envelope when she heard ripping and tearing. Washu suddenly seemed very excited.

"Well, it's about time!"

Despite the fact that Tenchi had received his envelope before Ryoko, her patented shredding technique allowed her to open hers well before Tenchi. She only shrugged.

"Figures."

Tenchi smiled brightly.

"This is wonderful! I just wish they'd given us more notice. It's only a couple of weeks away."

Sasami emerged from the kitchen again holding a covered pan that steamed from a vent hole near the edge of the lid. A pair of furry cabbit mittens protected her hands from the heat.

"What's going on? Everybody sounds so excited."

Aeka held out Sasami's invitation to Gohgei and Asahi's wedding. After carefully setting the steaming pan on another of the small mats, Sasami took the envelope and ripped it open to get at the card it contained.

"They're getting married? That is wonderful! I'll bet they planned it to be in the summer so we could go." Sasami turned her pretty pink eyes on her sister. "We are going, aren't we?"

"Of course we are. We can go to Earth first, to pick-up Mihoshi, Tenchi's father, and Brother Yosho. Then, we'll take Ryu-o to Ryuten."

A sheet of folded-over paper fell from Aeka's invitation as she opened the card to peruse the details of the wedding.

"Eh? What's this?" She picked up the paper and unfolded it so she could see what it was.

"Oh. It seems we've been invited to spend the summer at the governor's cottage on Ryuten. Isn't that kind?"

Ryoko seemed suspicious of the invitation.

"Is there enough room?"

"Asahi's father is governor of Ryuten, remember. There's plenty of room, even for one such as you."

Ryoko sent a suspicious glare Aeka's way.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Their cottage is located well away from any of the large cities on the planet. Lord Tenchi should feel right at home."

"I don't believe it!" Tenchi suddenly exclaimed as he scratched at the back of his head. "Gohgei wants me to be Best Man!"

Sasami voiced her agreement.

"Congratulations, Tenchi! I think that's a great idea."

As Aeka continued reading the personal letter within the invitation, she found a similar request.

"And I am to be Asahi's Maid of Honor."

Ryoko scrutinized her own invitation a little closer.

"Wait a minute. How come you two are in the wedding and I'm not?"

Aeka happily explained the meaning of Ryoko's lack of involvement in the wedding as she stuffed the paper and invitation back into her envelope.

"Perhaps it's because they realize having you in the wedding would turn it into a fiasco?"

Ryoko responded to the mild jab by turning her head away and making a disgusted look.

"Tsk. You would think Asahi would have picked the prettiest girl to be Maid of Honor."

"And so she did."

Ryoko growled her annoyance as Aeka expertly picked her apart.

"Is that so?" She turned to Tenchi. "Tenchi, who's the prettiest girl here?"

Tenchi had seen that question coming, and already had a suitable answer prepared.

"I refuse to answer the question on the basis that it may incriminate me."

Washu and Sasami began laughing and giggling. Aeka and Ryoko looked away from each other, both of them with disgusted looks pasted to their faces.

"Hmph!"

A tight knit group of people from across the galaxy were standing on the Eastern most platform of the majestic Imperial Spaceport of Ryuten. High above, like a massive garnet against the blue sky, Ryo-o-ki hovered over them. The core unit that contained Ryuo was once more held within her stony grasp.

In the bright sunshine, the happy couple of Asahi and Gohgei were waiting just outside the landing zone. Gohgei was dressed in his priestly robes, and holding a parasol to keep the sun's harmful rays from striking his fiancée. Beside him, with a huge smile on her face, Asahi was wearing typical light clothes appropriate for the Juraian nobility. She happily waved to everybody, including the large ship hovering overhead.

"Hi, everybody!"

Then, Gohgei made an incredible poor choice. He reached into his robe and pulled out the carrot he was intending to present to Ryo-o-ki.

"Myaaa!"

Before anyone could object, Ryo-o-ki suddenly appeared between them. She ran straight to Gohgei's open arms and leapt up to accept his gift. The landing pad was shaken to its foundation when the core-unit which Ryo-o-ki had just released slammed down right behind everyone. Various colors of hair fluttered in their owners' faces. Aeka suddenly began to look very sick.

"Was that...?"

Sasami took a quick look over her shoulder to take stock of the damage.

"Yup."

Ryo-o-ki continued contentedly chewing on her carrot.

"Myan!"

Aeka felt herself relaxing at the first sight of Asahi's family's summer cottage, which was snuggled in the foothills of a mountain range well over an hour from the nearest town. It was about the same size as Tenchi's home in Okayama. An authentic hot-spring bubbled from the depths of the land just behind it. Although it was not built in or about a tree, as most homes were on Jurai, the immediate area surrounding it had several trees of impressive size and stature, except for the grav-car landing area, which was of necessity, paved.

Being a princess, Aeka thought nothing of leaving her luggage for the men to carry in while she and Asahi walked toward the home, carrying-on about everything under the sun, most especially the upcoming wedding. Despite the happy occurrence, Aeka could not help a certain sense of doom-and-gloom from coming over her. Then again, maybe she was just a bit jealous. Asahi was not even of legal age, yet.

"So, tell me. How are you managing such a thing, being married before you have come of age?"

Asahi waved the idea away as if it were something not to be spoken of.

"Actually, I turn eighteen the day of the wedding. But, it's a wonderful birthday present, don't you think?"

"I... suppose that is one way to look at it."

Looking over her shoulder, Aeka noticed that Ryoko was just standing around and watching the men as they set about getting the luggage out of the grav-car.

Seeing the same thing, Tenchi sent Ryoko an annoyed look.

"You know, Ryoko, you're stronger than all of us put together. You could help out."

Ryoko gave him her sweetest smile as he pulled yet another suitcase from the vehicle's immense cargo compartment.

"I could."

Aeka called to Ryoko to get her away from the men, especially Tenchi.

"Miss Ryoko, leave those men alone! Allow them to do their work in peace!"

Next to Tenchi were Katsuhito, Nobuyuki and Gohgei, who were also helping to unload. As he handed the next suitcase down, he turned to his grandfather.

"Hey, Grandpa, don't they have servants for this sort of thing?"

As he expected, his seemingly omniscient grandfather had an answer for him.

"Important families often have homes in places like this so that they can get away from the attention and requirements of normal life. Having a great many servants would defeat that purpose, wouldn't it?"

"I feel like I'm the servant." Tenchi grumbled.

Both of Tenchi's elders chuckled at that. And of course his father had something smart to say.

"Better get used to it."

Ryoko suddenly appeared, sitting on the suitcase he was holding between his hands. She gave him a threatening look while he struggled to hold the weight she added to his load.

"Did you say something?"

Nobuyuki's eyes went wide.

"Er, no! No, I didn't."

"I didn't think so."

"Miss Ryoko!" Aeka called again. "If you're going to stay over there, then do something useful! Otherwise, go away!"

Ryoko rolled her eyes before leaping into the air.

"All right, all right! Don't you ever shut up?!"

"Something's different about Ryoko."

Aeka looked side-long at Asahi. Visible on her far-side was Sasami as she walked out to join them from inside the cottage.

"I'll say. But, it's kind of hard to tell just by looking, isn't it?"

Asahi looked at her, curious as to what Sasami meant by that.

"To tell what?"

Calmly, as if it were an everyday occurrence, Sasami told Asahi what the deal was.

"Tenchi and Ryoko are a couple."

Asahi's gaze returned to Tenchi.

"Oh! Well, that's, uh..." Asahi suddenly stopped in the middle of her sentence. After a moment of considering Aeka's feelings on that matter, she changed what she had been meaning to say. "I see. Um... I know!"

The young lady turned her full attention to Sasami, while holding her hands at chest level.

"Could I trouble you for some of your famous tea? I've been dying to try it again."

Sasami smiled, happy to be recognized.

"I'd be happy to make some!"

Asahi turned back to Aeka to invite her in to join them. But Aeka was still staring at Tenchi. After several seconds Aeka noticed that she was being watched.

"I think I'll join you, if you don't mind."

Finally turning away from the sight of Tenchi, Aeka went inside with Sasami. Asahi stayed behind a moment, watching the sisters walk into the cottage. She had already noticed how quiet Aeka had grown since their last meeting. Now that she was really looking, she also saw how Aeka was walking. Her shoulders seemed to slump, and her head was no longer held high. The First Princess looked defeated.

"Aeka..."

"Ahhh..."

Ryoko let out a long, contentful sigh as she immersed herself in the hot waters of the natural hot spring next to the house where they were staying. Nestled at the base of the foothills below a long mountain range, this place really was just like a taste of Japan. With all the plants and trees, this place felt alive. Even though the waters caused her to slip into a state of deep relaxation, it was an exciting kind of relaxation. With an impish grin, Ryoko briefly considered dragging Tenchi in for a little skinny dipping. The sound of the other girls entering put an end to that idea. With a disappointed sigh, she reached over the edge of the pool to retrieve the bottle of sake she had brought with her before Asahi or Aeka could get their hands on it.

"Well, I see you were quick to find this place." Aeka said as she stepped down into the water. "It's too bad you aren't as quick to finish your chores."

"Put a sock in it, Princess. I'm on vacation."

"That does not give you an excuse to slack-off."

Asahi entered right behind Aeka.

"Oh, it's all right, Aeka. You're on vacation, too. You should relax. Besides, Tenchi and Sasami are cleaning things up, tonight. Why don't we all take turns from now on?"

Aeka echoed Ryoko's earlier sigh of relaxation as she immersed herself to her neck.

"My, this is nice, isn't it? That sounds like an equitable solution. What do you think, Miss Ryoko?"

Ryoko waved her hand at Aeka as if it were of no consequence.

"Whatever."

Aeka scowled at Ryoko's lack of interest while Asahi watched in rapt interest, expecting that one of their famous fights would break-out at any moment.

"Why must you never take an interest in anything else besides sake and Lord Tenchi?"

"If it doesn't have anything to do with me, why should I?"

"It has everything to do with you! You are irresponsible and obnoxious. What Lord Tenchi sees in you I will never understand."

"Tsk. Who are you, my mother?"

"Thank God, no. I would have died of a heart attack long ago."

"Well, at your age it's no wonder."

Aeka shot angrily to her feet, spraying water everywhere.

"How dare you insinuate that I'm an old maid!"

Ryoko cracked a big smile.

"I didn't. The only one here who said anything about being an old maid is you."

Aeka's eyes flashed with anger as she ground her teeth together.

"Stand up."

Ryoko's smile changed to a malevolent grin.

"All right, Princess. If that's what you want."

But before she could even set down her bottle of sake, Washu burst through the surface of the water right next to them with a strange device in her right hand that resembled a tennis racket on steroids.

"Wow! Would you look at this?"

The girls stared at her with surprise, then annoyance as Washu extolled the virtues of a good mineral bath.

"The waters in this pool are chock full of minerals and anti-oxidants that are just great for the skin! It's a veritable fountain of youth!"

Ryoko promptly started laughing.

"I guess Aeka's in the right place then, huh? Ha-ha-ha!"

As Ryoko went on, she heard Aeka say something that made her stop laughing.

"I hate you."

The other girls looked at Aeka in surprise, including Ryoko, who asked for a repeat.

"Huh? What was that?"

Aeka looked her square in the eye and yelled as loud as she could.

"I said I HATE YOU!"

Without waiting for a response, Aeka leapt from the onsen and ran right past Mihoshi as the air-headed blonde entered, sending her whirling around and into the bushes. The others watched Aeka with great concern, except for Ryoko, who seemed more confused than anything.

"Why'd she say that?"

Casting a sorrowful look at the door, Asahi offered an explanation.

"Well, you were teasing her about being an old maid."

"She said it. Not me."

Washu was quick to add in her two cents, especially when it came to her daughter's behavior.

"When are you going to realize you're not the only one with feelings around here?"

"So... you're saying I hurt Aeka's feelings?"

"Give the girl in the birthday suit a cigar."

Ryoko sent Washu a nasty look to rival the one Washu was giving her. Luckily for her, Asahi also had a suggestion on how to fix the situation.

"Maybe you should apologize."

Ryoko's face contorted into a grimace as she groaned. She hated apologizing. But still, looking at the door next to the still dizzy Mihoshi, Ryoko could not deny that hearing Aeka say she hated her struck a funny chord inside. With a reluctant sigh, she began to climb out of the water. Just then, the sound of a great many dishes breaking all at once came from inside the house.

Aeka had intended to find Lord Tenchi, just not in such an impressively disastrous way. Now, not only was she angry, but also embarrassed as they lay amongst the ruins of an armful of dinner plates.

"Geez, Aeka. What's the big idea?"

Tenchi rubbed at the back of his head. When he opened his eyes and saw that Aeka was wearing nothing but a bathing towel, he could not help but notice that, from where he was sitting, it did little for her modesty. Fortunately, he managed to avert his eyes before Aeka noticed.

As soon as she realized her towel had fallen open, Aeka's face turned even redder. She promptly folded it about herself again before anything else. Then she tried to apologize.

"Lord Tenchi, I..."

But then she noticed how he was looking away, obviously embarrassed by her state of undress.

"I'm sorry."

Making sure to keep her legs closed as she attempted to stand, Aeka felt something sharp jam into her right foot when she put weight on it, making her cry out in pain.

"OW!"

She lifted her foot up, and immediately lost her balance on the wet floor, which was covered in water from her bath. Flinging her arms wide as she fell, her towel, which was just barely still wrapped around her, flew into the air.

Tenchi managed to get to his knees in time to catch her. The naked princess fell right into his open arms. As Tenchi sat back, relieved that he had prevented any further injury to Aeka's person, her towel fell flat across her body, covering the compromising position from casual observation.

Once the shock of her fall passed, Aeka realized that Tenchi had his arms around her bare body. Her initial reaction was indignance. People were not supposed to touch her this way. But that quickly changed when she reminded herself it was Tenchi who was holding her. His strong arms wrapped protectively around her bare midsection, and his breath breezing over her shoulder, made her pulse race. She slid her arms out from under the towel and wrapped them around her chest to keep the towel in place.

From his end, Tenchi could not help comparing the woman in his arms to Ryoko. They were both women, and shared the same basic build: a bust, narrow waist and shoulders, and wide hips. Their skin also felt the same, except for the water which was still present on Aeka from the onsen. Besides hair and eye color, the only differences he could detect were smell and his own feelings. Ryoko's smell was heady and intoxicating. Breathing against her neck always gave him a bit of a rush. Aeka smelled like the pure rain and spring flowers. Holding her reminded Tenchi of earth and water. She was solid, not thick by any means, just solid, like the earth. It seemed somehow appropriate for her. Holding Ryoko was like trying to hold a firestorm. She seemed airy, almost diaphanous in his grasp, giving him the feeling she would slip away if he did not hold tightly enough. The thought of her slipping away always made him hold tighter. With Aeka, he had no such thoughts. She would never slip away. Not ever.

"Oh, my."

Sasami's comment from behind them reminded Tenchi that there were others in attendance.

"Sasami, would you get the first aid kit? I think Aeka hurt herself."

"Right away!" The young lady promptly vanished back into the kitchen to search for the kit.

"Is everything all right?"

Gohgei came down the stairs to investigate the alarming sounds of breakage and yells. When he saw what was going on, his face colored a bit. Aeka opened her eyes and noticed someone staring at her.

"Do you mind?"

Gohgei looked a little confused for a moment, then realization lit his face like a Startica tree. He immediately turned away.

"No. Of course. Um, you know, I get queasy at the sight of blood. I think I'll leave before Ryoko gets here."

"Too late."

Gohgei cringed at the sound of Ryoko's voice as she emerged from the onsen, fully clothed.

"Later!"

Like a cannon shot, Gohgei burst through the nearest wall, leaving behind a hole that perfectly matched his size and bald-headed shape. Through the hole, Aeka and Tenchi could see a trail of dust winding it's way up the mountains. Ryoko stepped right in their way to take a look.

"What's his problem?"

Tenchi remained silent as he realized the only way to get out of this compromising situation was to reveal it. However, as Ryoko turned her attention towards the fallen Aeka, the princess began to struggle.

"Geez, Aeka. You're getting to be almost as bad as Mihoshi."

"This is all your fault! Stay away from me, you she-devil!"

Ryoko gave the princess a nasty glare.

"Oh. So, I come in here to help, and this is the thanks I get?" She leaned against the nearest wall. "Fine. Bleed to death for all I care."

"Ryoko, that's not a very nice thing to say. Can't you see Aeka hurt herself?"

Tenchi actually flinched when Ryoko leveled her angry glare at him.

"Well, excuse me! Her Holiest Most Mighty First Princess in the Whole Galaxy Aeka, isn't the only one with feelings in this house!"

From her hiding place around the corner where she was watching with Asahi, Washu hung her head.

"That's not what I meant."

"And, by the way, is there any particular reason you've got your arms around Aeka like that?"

Tenchi immediately leapt away from Aeka, who promptly fell backwards and hit her head on the floor, rendering herself unconscious. As soon as he was clear, Tenchi began bowing and apologizing profusely, repeating over and over "I'm sorry!".

Ryoko let Tenchi continue his apologizing as she went to look at Aeka's foot.

"Clumsy princess."

Kneeling down, she picked up the offended extremity and plucked the protruding shard of earthenware from her sole. With a wet smack, she slapped her hand across the cut.

"You can stop now."

Tenchi breathed a sigh of relief as he fell to his knees, wiping his sweaty brow.

"Whew! But, seriously, Ryoko. I really am sorry. I... just didn't want Aeka to fall and hurt herself again."

"Yeah, I kind of figured it was something like that."

A look of confusion crossed Tenchi's face.

"Huh? Then why were you so upset?"

Ryoko grinned.

"I just wanted to see you bow and scrape."

Tenchi hit the floor with his face.

"Say, Little Ryoko."

Ryoko nearly jumped when she heard Washu's voice almost in her ear. The diminutive scientist was at her elbow with another of her ridiculous inventions pointed at the hand she had wrapped around Aeka's foot. A soft yellow glow seemed to surround her hand.

"Would you stop doing that?"

"Whatever. What are doing there, huh?"

"You don't know? You must be going senile."

Washu ignored the jab about her age.

"You're healing her foot, aren't you?"

"Duh."

"Since when can you do that?"

Ryoko opened her mouth to answer, and realized that she had no answer.

"Uhhh..."

Washu's device beeped.

"You're done."

Ryoko let go of Aeka's foot, allowing it to thump to the floor.

Washu performed a quick visual and electronic inspection of the wound site by lifting Aeka's foot by the big toe and pointing her device at it.

"Mm. Nice job. Completely healed with no sign of scarring."

She dropped Aeka's foot back to the floor, and held her clenched fist against her bosom. Tears filled her eyes and her lower lip trembled.

"I'm so proud of you, Little Ryoko!"

Ryoko just stared at her hand. The blood was gone.

"How...?"

Washu suddenly grabbed her by the ear and began dragging her away.

"OOWW! What the Hell, Mom?"

"You are coming to the lab for some more tests."

"Aw, come on! What'd I do this time?"

Tenchi watched as Washu dragged his girlfriend into the darkness of an inter-dimensional portal, which closed as soon as they disappeared into its depths. Once the portal was closed, he sighed.

Looking down, Tenchi saw that with all the attention that had been paid to Aeka's foot, her towel had slipped up, allowing a view of something he should not be looking at. He was suddenly very glad Ryoko had finally cured his nose-bleed problem.

"I wonder..."

"I found it!"

Sasami burst back into the connecting hallway between the kitchen and living room to deliver the first aid kit, causing Tenchi to jump straight up in fright and hit his head on the ceiling. He then crashed to the floor next to Aeka, unconscious.

"Tenchi? Aeka?"

Sasami cast a woeful look at the two unconscious people. Then, noticing that her sister was a bit improper, she reached down and pulled Aeka's towel down further.

"That's better."

As they rode to the wedding ceremony in the large private conveyance that looked very much like a very curvaceous flying limousine, Ryoko jumped from seat to seat, looking out the windows and taking in the sites. She jabbered constantly about what she saw going by outside the vehicle. What she was so excited about, Tenchi could not guess. What he did understand was how much he liked her dress.

She was wearing a fabulous pink dress that began at chest level, leaving her arms and shoulders bare. It hugged her body down to mid-thigh, where it flared outwards with satiny pink ruffles. Three bows were arranged, one at her left breast, another on her right hip, and the third on her left thigh where the dress started to flare out. The dress looked amazingly sexy while still maintaining both decency and femininity. He especially liked how it showed off her rear.

Across from Tenchi, Aeka sat quietly on the black leather seat in a very fancy kimono. It was very colorful and festive, as well as formal enough for this auspicious occasion. Her graceful and elegant style held it's own beauty, entirely comparable to Ryoko's, yet almost totally different.

Since the strange incident the other day when Aeka had injured herself, she had been acting rather strange. For one, she was no longer trying to avoid him. In fact, she was sticking by him whenever possible. If he did not know Aeka better, he would think she was trying to get closer to him. He did not mind it. In fact, it was preferable to the distance she had been keeping over the last year.

But still, he could not help a feeling of guilt over how Aeka must feel about his relationship with Ryoko. Although common sense told him he had done nothing wrong, he still felt the need to apologize to Aeka. He had already done that once. But it just was not enough. He still felt like he should be doing more for her. Her pain was obvious every time he caught her looking when he and Ryoko were showing affection towards one another.

Thinking back, Tenchi mentally reviewed what had happened a couple days ago. Aeka had come running towards the kitchen, crying. He would have tried to move out of the way, except for the sight of her in nothing but a bath towel. Such a strange sight had startled him into inaction. But, now that he thought about it, she had been running into the kitchen, not to her room, where her cloths were. That meant she had been looking for something or someone in the kitchen. Perhaps it was Lord Tenchi she was running to.

Then they collided. Dishes went everywhere, Aeka cut her foot, and then he was holding her naked body in his arms. No matter how hard he tried, he could not get the memory of that experience out of his mind. The warmth of her body against his, the feel of her skin, the smell of her hair...

"Is there something wrong, Lord Tenchi?"

Startled out of his reverie, Tenchi said the first thing that came to mind.

"You... look beautiful."

Aeka blushed. Ryoko looked over her shoulder at him. She turned part way around and switched her gaze back and forth from Tenchi and Aeka several times as they stared at each other. Her cheeks puffed out with jealousy. Moving quickly to put an end to the staring contest, she plopped down next to Tenchi and wrapped herself around his arm.

"What about me, Tenchi? Aren't I beautiful, too?"

Tenchi finally broke the lock and turned his face towards Ryoko's until he felt her forehead against his cheek.

"You're both beautiful."

For her part, Aeka also could not get that experience out of her mind. Feeling his strong arms encircling her body had excited her to no end. Far from being embarrassed about it, she very much wanted to experience that feeling again. But desire and reality were by no means bed-fellows. As long as Ryoko was still latched to Tenchi's arm, her desires and reality would never be the same. With each beat of her heart, she could feel the pulse of desire running through her veins. But accompanying that desire, was the pain of the reality that Tenchi had chosen another.

Ryoko snuggled closer as Aeka turned her gaze outside the vehicle. She stared pensively out at the structures passing below as she silently considered what Tenchi had meant by the long look and glittering compliment he had just given her.

Royalty and other important personages from all over the empire were in attendance as Tenchi and family arrived at the wedding chapel. It was traditional for Planetary Governors to send invitations to the Royal Family when someone in the family was getting married. Normally, these invitations were politely declined, or only one of the family went as a representative. But, since it was Asahi and Gohgei that were getting married, everyone had decided to go as a gesture of acknowledgement for the importance of Ryuten to the empire. This planet was the only place other than Jurai where Royal Trees could be grown.

Despite the auspicious occasion, Aeka could make herself feel happy for her friends. She kept to herself and spoke only when it was required of her to be polite. Even as they stood in the antechamber just moments before the ceremony was to begin, Asahi was still trying to cheer her up.

"Aeka, try to smile, even just a little bit, okay?"

Aeka looked at Asahi as she stood in her beautiful white wedding dress with a look of concern on her face.

"I'm sorry, Asahi. You're right. If I go out there looking less than pleased, people will think I disapprove of your wedding, and that could never be farther from the truth."

Asahi continued to stare at her for a few seconds. Then she stepped forward and took Aeka's hands in hers.

"Aeka, you'll find someone, I know it. You just have to be patient, that's all."

"Thank you, Asahi. That means a great deal to me. I'll... try to keep my hopes up."

Aeka gave her a small smile.

"There. That's the spirit! Now if only Minagi were. Then everything would be perfect."

Aeka's smile went away as she considered the likelihood of that.

"Considering our only link with Minagi is through Ryoko, I doubt we'll see her. Miss Ryoko probably forgot to tell her."

Asahi seemed alarmed by the idea that Ryoko would forget to tell Minagi about the wedding.

"You don't really think that, do you?"

"With Ryoko, one never knows."

When the time came for Aeka to do her duty as Asahi's Maid of Honor, she did exactly as she was supposed to, and nothing more. All she had to do was walk along and then stand at the ready until the exchange of rings. But as she entered the aisle behind Asahi, her eyes went straight to the front to find Tenchi. As she expected, he was there, just behind Gohgei, who was dressed in a white tuxedo rather than his priestly robes. For a few seconds, they watched each other as she walked behind Asahi. Then, Aeka broke the stare to do as her friend had requested, and make like she was happy. She became so focused on her task that she even ignored her mother when Misaki waved at her with a smile.

When it came time for the exchange of rings, and Gohgei turned to Tenchi for the small band, Tenchi reached into a pocket and frowned. Then he reached into another pocket, and frowned again. People began to murmur. Gohgei's eyes got wide. Tenchi began reaching into every pocket he could find searching for the ring. Then, he sighed in relief and pulled the ring out of the very first pocket he had searched.

It was an old Earth joke, meant to lighten a sometimes too serious mood, and keep the event a happy one. Unfortunately, Juraian nobility was often known for their lack of a sense of humor. Most of those attending did not get the joke.

Tenchi looked Aeka's way to see her reaction. She grinned a bit. Looking over her shoulder, she could see Tenchi's father was grinning from ear-to-ear. There was no doubt in her mind that Nobuyuki was responsible for convincing Tenchi to try something like that.

When it came her turn, Aeka simply handed the gold band to Asahi, along with a supportive smile. She had been holding it in her hand the entire time, specifically so it would not get dropped or lost. Actually, she had been twirling and playing with it during the entire ceremony, trying to permanently impress into her mind the memory of how a wedding band felt. She would have tried it on except for fear that it would get stuck. Now, that would have been embarrassing.

Having completed their respective duties, Tenchi and Aeka sat on opposite sides of the aisle. As Tenchi sat, Ryoko took hold of his arm and interlaced her fingers between his. He sat contentedly watching the ceremony, and wondering if the woman he was with now would be the one he someday married. Casting a quick glance across the aisle to his right, he saw Aeka dab at the corners of her eyes with a kerchief.

The hand in his suddenly tightened, signaling that Ryoko wanted his attention. He looked left and met her scrutinous gaze. They stared into each other's eyes for several seconds. Then Tenchi raised his free hand and gently stroked Ryoko's cheek, causing a faint glimmer to appear in the corners of her eyes. He leaned in and gave her a small kiss, which she gratefully accepted with a smile.

The sound of a person choking quickly drew Tenchi's attention back to his right. He looked quickly enough to catch Aeka staring at him with tears running freely down her face. She quickly looked away, but the damage was already done.

The princess took a deep breath to stave off the coming flood, but it was no use. She stood up as her chest began to convulse and strode purposefully towards the nearest exit. Throwing open the door with enough force to make it slam against the outer wall, Aeka ran. Murmurs ran through the crowd at this unusual incident.

Concerned for Aeka, Tenchi tried to get up to chase after her. But Ryoko held tight, keeping him next to her.

"Ryoko, let go."

"Let her be." She told him.

"I can't do that."

Ryoko held tight while telling Tenchi otherwise.

"Yes, you can."

Her gaze went from his face for a moment as some activity in her line of sight caught her attention. Then it returned.

"There. See? Her mom's gonna take care of it."

Tenchi turned in his seat to see Misaki walk calmly out the same exit Aeka had just run out of. Sighing, Tenchi moved to return his attention to the front of the auditorium. Then he happened to notice the King of Jurai, Aeka's father, giving him the most vicious and hateful stare anyone had ever directed at his person. Taken aback, Tenchi quickly looked away.

"Just forget about it."

"I can't just forget about everything that's happened."

"Oh? Did something happen between you and Aeka?"

Tenchi rolled his eyes. It was not the first time Ryoko had teased him in this manner.

"No, Ryoko. Nothing happened."

Despite what he said, Tenchi suddenly got the distinct feeling he had just lied, even though that had not been his intention.

As soon as she was out of sight of the other guests, Misaki began to run to the line of waiting anti-grav vehicles. The participants in the ceremony were to leave in the two vehicles at the front of the column. Since Aeka was no where in sight, she supposed that her daughter had taken refuge in one of them.

One of the drivers, seeing her approach, moved to the back door and prepared to open it for her, signaling to her that the First Princess was waiting inside. Misaki made a mental note to thank him for his thoughtfulness. He waited until she was nearly on top of him to open the door. As soon as he pulled it open, Aeka's voice screeched out from within.

"CLOSE THE DAMN DOOR!"

Misaki stooped down and got in. The door shut behind her before she was even seated. A look of shock was evident on Aeka's face as she realized she had just sworn at her mother.

"I'm sorry. I..." Then she started to cry again. Throwing herself into her mother's lap, Aeka bawled her eyes out, uncaring of what Misaki thought of her running out of the ceremony.

The King's Second Wife gently stroked the back of her daughter's head and spoke comforting words of nonsense. After a few minutes with no sign of Aeka ceasing to cry, she broke into an old lullaby she had often sang to both of her girls. The sobs slowly ebbed as Aeka took comfort from the reminder of the old days of peace and security in her mother's presence. It took several minutes before Aeka could even speak. When she did it was to say something that she had been wanting to tell someone for years.

"I... Sniff I love him. I've always loved him. I... I want to... marry him and be his wife and have his children. I'd do anything for him."

Aeka paused as another sob broke her train of thought.

"Why doesn't Tenchi love me?"

"Oh, honey. Tenchi loves you. I'll bet he's just afraid to show it."

"Yeah, right. That's why he's sleeping with that monster. She's taken everything from me. First, my brother. Now Tenchi. It's not fair!"

Although tears were still flowing freely, Aeka's body was still under her control. She turned onto her stomach and stretched out on the long seat with her arms under her head in her mother's lap.

"I guess my little Aeka isn't so little anymore."

Aeka turned her head so she could look up at her mother.

"I stopped being a little girl when that hateful beast attacked my home."

"Do you really hate Ryoko that much?"

Aeka was silent for a while as she contemplated her feelings towards Ryoko.

"I pity her. She has been through worse treatment than any person could ever possibly deserve."

Aeka suddenly decided to sit up. She pushed herself upright and sat normally on the seat next to her mother.

"But a person who has gone through such things as she cannot possibly be sane! I hate to think of what kind of a wife she would be. Or a mother! She could never raise children properly! And I get ill just thinking about the two of them being intimate."

"You don't think that maybe he just feels sorry for her?"

"No! Lord Tenchi would never do such a thing. I know him well enough to know that. I believe he loves her. And I know for a fact she loves him."

Misaki pulled her legs up under her and sat cross-legged on the seat as she tapped her lips with one finger.

"Well, Tenchi is a prince of Jurai. There's nothing that says he can't have more than one wife."

"What?"

Aeka almost laughed. It was a handy solution. It was also unlikely. She just shook her head at the thought of being married to Tenchi along with Ryoko.

"Lord Tenchi would never do that, either. It is apparently quite taboo on Earth to have more than one wife. As well they have taboos against marrying inside the family."

"Oh, that's so closed-minded!"

Aeka just hung her head.

"I guess... I've lost."

"Aeka, there's lots of guys out there. Maybe you could think about one of the very many marriage offers. I understand Serifu is still available."

"Please, Mother! I'm not at all interested in him!"

"Oh?" A small grin marked Misaki's face. "Then what kind of guy are you interested in?"

Aeka closed her eyes and really let her feelings have their way.

"I want..."

"A virile young farm-boy with proper lineage?"

Aeka's eyes snapped open in shock.

"Mother!"

Misaki giggled at Aeka's reaction.

"You said you wanted to have his children. And there's only one way to do that."

Aeka put a hand over her mouth to cover her expression of humorous shock.

"I can't believe you're saying such things!"

Misaki playfully poked her daughter in the arm.

"Well, how do you think you came to be?"

Sitting back as Aeka's eyes grew wider by the second, Misaki's thoughts drifted back to a time over seven hundred years ago, when, as a fairly new mother, her four-year-old daughter had been engaged to her twelve-year-old step-son.

"Aeka, if you truly love Tenchi, don't ever give up. You'll only regret it for the rest of your life. And for someone who lives for a couple thousand years, that would be really bad."

"You... sound as if you know this from personal experience."

"Well... maybe it's just time I hit Azusa over the head with a club, again."

Aeka promptly broke into sputtering laughter.

A knock on the window indicated that someone important, probably the poor individual who would soon be unconscious, desired entrance into the vehicle. Misaki sat upright and let her legs dangle off the edge of the seat in a more appropriate manner.

"Should we let him in?"

Aeka smiled as she wiped her eyes.

"I suppose."

Misaki reached over and pressed the button that rolled the window down. As she was expecting, the guests were boarding their vehicles to either go to the reception or return to their residences. Most of the Masaki family was standing next to the door waiting for some information, including Azusa. Misaki greeted her husband with a smile.

"Well, hello dear. I hope you took your vitamins this morning."

The King's eyebrows went up in an expression of utter confusion as Funaho hid her smile behind a raised hand. Tenchi blushed, since Ryoko had once used that exact line on him. Ryoko just laughed. Seto cracked a huge grin and made no attempt at hiding it.

"Someone's been a bad boy."

Azusa's shoulders drooped.

The wedding reception was just getting into full-swing. The doors opened for the trio of Tenchi, Aeka, and Ryoko. A gentleman standing near the door announced the arrival of the First Princess and her party over the public address system.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Her Royal Highness, the First Princess of Jurai, Aeka Masaki, accompanied by Tenchi Masaki and uh..." The gentleman held his hand over the microphone.

"Pardon me, Miss Ryoko. May I ask your family name?"

"Masaki." She answered without hesitation.

Aeka immediately spun around. The look of disgust on her face was so strong that Ryoko actually recoiled.

"It is not! The Masaki family is one of the four Royal Houses of Jurai, of which you most certainly are not!"

Tenchi jumped into the conversation, offering a solution that would hopefully dispel the argument.

"Now that I think about it, since Washu is sort-of like Ryoko's mother, I guess that makes your last name Hakubi."

"No way." Ryoko disagreed. "It's Masaki or nothing."

Aeka's look of disgust was replaced by one of smug surety.

"Very well, Ryoko Nothing."

"Hey! It's my name and I can make it whatever I want! I say it's Masaki!"

"The only way you'll ever get that name is to marry into the family and no one I know of would be foolish enough to do something like that!"

Turning to Tenchi, Ryoko reached up and seductively traced a finger along the underside of his jaw.

"I'd marry Tenchi if he asked. What do you say, Tenchi? Wanna get married?"

Tenchi's breath caught in his chest and his left eye twitched.

"Where's... um... yeah."

With precision formed from months of stealthy escapes, Tenchi slipped from Ryoko's grasp and took off into the crowd.

"Hey!" Both women watched in disbelief as he made his escape. Ryoko followed, trying to track down her boyfriend.

"Highness?" The crier asked of Aeka.

"Her name is Hakubi." Aeka explicitly instructed him before diving into the crowd to look for her immediate family.

"...and Ryoko Hakubi." He finished.

Aeka sat with her mother and grandmother, Misaki and Seto, respectively. They talked at length about nothing and everything for a great while. Their talk eventually turned to Aeka's more personal affairs. The two elder women tag-teamed Aeka, poking and prodding for details of her multi-year stay with the young man, Tenchi.

"Come now." Seto teased her. "He's never once made a pass at you?"

"Absolutely not!" Aeka assured her. "Lord Tenchi is the perfect gentleman."

"Not like Dad, is he?" Misaki giggled.

"Mother! How could you? Grandfather is a very kind and loving person."

"Hee-hee! You never heard how mom and dad met, did you?"

"Umm... Is there something I should know?" Aeka looked from her mother to her grandmother and back again.

"Well." Seto grinned from ear to ear. Just before she could open her mouth to relate the story of how she and Utsumi had met, a pair of uniformed soldiers interrupted the conversation to whisper some tidings to each of the elder women at the table. Seto grimaced, and Misaki actually groaned.

"Oh, can't it wait?"

"It seems our celebration will have to wait."

Misaki got up and then planted a motherly kiss on Aeka's cheek.

"Give our regards to the newly-weds, won't you?"

"Of course. But, must you leave so soon?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear. I promise, we'll see you later, okay?" She assured her daughter as she and her mother took their leave, with the two messengers trailing behind.

As was the custom, the crier announced the Royal Family's exit.

"Their Royal Highnesses, King Azusa, Queen Funaho, Queen Misaki, and the Lady Seto!"

Aeka turned to look at the door.

"Goodness! All of them? I wonder what happened."

Someone slapped a friendly hand on her shoulder.

"Hiya!"

Looking over her shoulder, Aeka was very surprised to recognize Ryoko's near-twin, Minagi.

"Miss Minagi!"

Minagi's grin widened when she saw that Aeka was excited to see her.

"Surprised?"

"Yes, frankly. We were beginning to think Ryoko had simply forgotten about you and was lying to cover it up."

Minagi took one of the empty seats next to Aeka and sat down.

"Naw. It's just been a little hectic out there. There's weird ships everywhere!"

Minagi's claim piqued Aeka's curiosity. Perhaps these ships had something to do with her family leaving so suddenly.

"Weird ships?"

"Yeah. They're all robotic. Not a single person on any of them."

"That is strange."

"Mmm."

The two girls sat silently contemplating this development for a moment, until Minagi realized she was getting distracted from her purpose in being at the reception.

"Oh, well! Let's just forget about it!"

"But, mother and father and Ladies Funaho and Seto just left! Perhaps the two things are related."

Minagi just smiled.

"Nope. That was me. I'm a space-pirate, remember? It's not like I can just walk into a royal reception. I set-up a little diversion to distract the patrol ships while I landed."

"Minagi!"

The younger sibling of Ryoko just giggled.

"So, is everybody here?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact."

"Cool! I'm gonna go say hi to Asahi. She is such a doll!"

Minagi practically leapt from her chair to find the young lady who had just been married, leaving Aeka alone again.

As Sasami made her way through the throng of party-goers, she spied her sister sitting at a table all by herself. Altering her course, she made for Aeka's table. About halfway there, someone inadvertently stepped backwards directly into her path. They thumped into each other.

"Excuse me. Sorr..." Sasami's apology stammered to a halt when she realized she had bumped into the younger Amaki son, Shuzan. He had pink hair like his brother, Serifu, but cut short in a style similar to pictures she had seen of Yosho when he was younger. She had heard that Serifu had a younger brother, but she had not known he was so close to her age. Seeing that he had bumped into someone, he politely bowed in apology.

"No. Excuse me, please. I wasn't watching where I was going. You're not injured, are you?"

Sasami shook her head.

"That's good. It is pretty crowded in here, though."

Sasami was finding it rather difficult to speak to this young man. It was not that she felt intimidated or threatened. Actually, she thought he was being quite personable. She just could not think of anything to say that would not sound stupid. She only barely managed to acknowledge his words.

"Mmm-hmm."

"Umm..." Since Shuzan had also run out of things to say, he began scratching absently at the back of his head.

Serifu suddenly arrived just behind his younger brother.

"Good evening, Princess. I see you've met my younger brother. I feel I must apologize. He's quite shy. Perhaps... her highness could favor him with a dance."

Shuzan began blushing as Serifu went on.

"Despite appearances, he is well versed in the social arts."

Sasami began to blush, as well.

"Well, I... um... okay."

"Her highness is as generous as everyone says. Isn't that right, Shuzan?"

"Yes."

Shyly, Shuzan held out his left hand to Sasami.

"Shall we?"

Equally as shy, Sasami placed her right hand in his, and followed as he led her away to the dance floor. Dancing couples made way for them with small grins and knowing smiles as they found their place.

Shuzan turned to Sasami and bowed, making Sasami giggle just a bit. She returned the gesture with a polite curtsy. Falling into the familiar routine gave both of them more confidence before actually beginning to dance. The preliminaries complete, they moved closer. Sasami's left hand went to Shuzan's shoulder while his right hand went to her waist. Then they danced. For almost a minute neither of them said a thing, until Shuzan broke the uncomfortable silence.

"I'm sorry. My bother's always trying to, um..."

"Hook you up with girls?"

Shuzan's face flushed red again.

"Yeah."

Sasami giggled once more.

"You're funny."

"Really?"

The giggles threatened to become full-blown laughter as Sasami nodded vigorously.

"Mmm."

"Well, I guess that's better than being shy."

Sasami burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry! I don't mean to laugh. I can't help it!" She could tell by Shuzan's half-smile that he was trying to get into the spirit of things.

"Wha... what's so funny?"

"Nothing. Now, I'm the one who's being silly."

"Oh." That was something Shuzan could understand. Girls were like that, always laughing and giggling. It was one of the mysteries of the universe, he supposed.

"You know what?" Sasami asked him.

"What?"

"I'm glad you asked me to dance."

Shuzan's face turned beet-red.

"Oh. Uh... heh... um... you're welcome."

Sasami started giggling again at Shuzan's shy manner.

As his brother successfully diverted the Second Princess, Serifu turned his attention back to the table where Aeka was seated. He was careful not to spill his drink as he politely elbowed his way through the people. He felt a bit disappointed with the Governor of Ryuten for holding the reception in such cramped quarters. A person of such high standing certainly should be able to reserve better than this, especially considering who was attending. Royalty deserved to be treated better.

Unfortunately for him, the trip turned out to be for nothing. When he finally arrived at the table, Princess Aeka was gone. Silently, he cursed the bad luck that had landed him in this horrid situation. After fighting seven duels to become the Princess's fiancée, he had been defeated by an idiotic twist of fate. His sword-master had warned him that it was the inexperienced opponents one had to watch out for.

But fate had seen fit to give him one last opportunity. In this social atmosphere, he could approach the princess and engage her in innocent conversation. Eventually he would turn the talk to her future. Serifu almost smiled as he recalled what he had seen earlier. The First Princess looking on as the woman, Ryoko, danced intimately with the man Aeka had publicly acknowledged as her own chosen suitor. Her look of pain had said more than an entire library of books. However, he had to find her before he could take advantage of the situation.

Instead of the First Princess, he found Ryoko seated at the table. She was staring into a large glass of clear liquid, which she was idly stirring with her index finger. Making a quick turn, Serifu managed to avoid an unwanted confrontation. Luck had not entirely abandoned him. Ryoko did not notice his aborted approach.

Tenchi led Aeka by the hand to the dance floor. He had been keeping a surreptitious eye on her all evening after the incident at the wedding ceremony. Whatever was going on with her, he wanted to do something about it. It really bothered him to see her so depressed. Getting Ryoko to go along with this had taken some doing, but she had relented in the end. It was not really that big of a deal.

Since he was from Earth, and had little or no experience with the particulars of social dancing, Tenchi simply ignored the normal Juraian conventions and put his hands on Aeka's waist. Aeka blinked in surprise. For a moment she thought he was being a little forward. But then she remembered that he was not as experienced as she with social customs, and so excused his behavior. However, since he had both hands on her waist, she had to put both of her hands on his shoulders. It was a little more intimate than what she had been expecting, not that she was complaining.

"How are you feeling?"

Aeka lowered her gaze.

"I'm terribly sorry for succumbing to such a horrid display. Asahi must be furious with me."

"Naw. Actually, she was concerned. We all were."

"That doesn't excuse my behavior. I'm very sorry for causing you such embarrassment. I... seem to be doing a great deal of that, lately."

"Aeka, it's not your fault."

"Well, since I'm the one who ran out of the ceremony, who else's fault could it be?"

"Me."

"You, Lord Tenchi?"

"I made a choice, knowing full-well what the consequences would be." Tenchi showed a small grin to lighten the mood. "Actually, I'm impressed by how well you've been taking it."

Aeka grimaced at that. To her, it felt like her entire world had collapsed. It had been obvious to her for some time that something would eventually happen between Tenchi and Ryoko if things continued in the same direction. For some strange reason, she had stayed nearby even as that something was occurring. No matter how close Tenchi and Ryoko got, she just could not give up. At least the Academy was giving her something to concentrate on besides her broken heart.

"I think I now know why Brother Yosho went to the Galaxy Academy."

Tenchi gave her a questioning look.

"He went to escape his pain."

Aeka suddenly stepped away and politely bowed.

"Thank you for the dance, Lord Tenchi." She did not wait for a reply before walking away with her bottom lip held firmly between her teeth. The external pain she was inflicting on herself distracted her from what she felt inside.

Tenchi felt a pair of strong hands wrap around his right arm as he watched Aeka walk away.

"Feel better now?" Ryoko sarcastically asked.

Tenchi shook his head.

"No."

Ryoko moved her hands up to his neck and stood in front of Tenchi so he could not ignore her presence. She suggestively smiled.

"That's because you were dancing with the wrong girl."

"Was I?"

Serifu made his way across the room once more. This time his destination was the wet-bar. When a person felt depressed or despondent, he or she often resorted to drinking to escape from the pain of reality. Sure enough, he found Aeka seated on a bar-stool with her face hanging over a large tumbler full of red liquor.

"Good evening, Highness."

Aeka did not feel like exchanging pleasantries with anyone, much less this man. Still, it was not an excuse to be rude.

"Good evening, Lord Serifu."

"An auspicious occasion, is it not?"

"Indeed it is. For some of us."

"Is the Princess feeling troubled?"

Aeka turned her head to give Serifu an annoyed look.

"If I were, it would not be any of your business."

Serifu sat quietly, looking properly chastened for intruding on the princess's personal affairs. Aeka drained her tumbler, and then asked for another.

"Barkeep! Another of the same, please."

Sensing an opportunity, Serifu quickly drained his own glass.

"I'll have one of the same, if you please. What is it?"

Aeka cracked a knowing grin.

"Fire-wine."

"Hmm. It sounds like an interesting choice."

"Yes, quite interesting."

Their glasses were quickly refilled by the formally-dressed gentleman working the bar. Serifu raised his drink to propose a toast.

"To... ah..."

With an evil glint in her eye, Aeka completed the toast.

"To Hell with it."

Serifu's eyes went wide with shock. Never had he heard such a thing from a person of the Royal Family. Well, at least not in public. Obviously, the vulgarity of the people she was living with was beginning to rub off on her. In his mind, it was quite sad, really. The Princess Aeka deserved so much better. As did House Amaki.

"As you say, Highness."

Serifu took a sip of the liquor and nearly choked on the strong drink. He exhaled fiercely, blowing some of the red liquid through his nose, which only made the experience worse. Aeka laughed heartily.

"Ah, ho ho ho ho ho! If you cannot handle such a thing as this simple drink, what made you think you were fit to be my husband? Ah, ho ho ho ho!"

Serifu did his best to recover from the embarrassment. He reached for a stack of nearby tissues, and blotted his face, removing the offending substance. Despite his best efforts, he still ended up with a red stain on his light-colored coat. He had to salvage the situation, somehow. Looking balefully at the red stain, he realized it was the same color as Aeka's eyes. He quickly pasted a confident smile on his face.

"Though my pride is as stained as my shirt, I take comfort in the fact that the stain is the color of your gaze, Princess."

The stoic bartender suddenly tripped and fell. The sound of breaking glass issued from beneath the bar. Aeka blinked at Serifu, surprised at how artfully he had extricated himself from such terrible embarrassment.

"I see."

Serifu took another sip of his drink. This time he was prepared for the taste.

"Quite pleasant, once one knows what to expect."

Aeka suddenly turned on him and began unloading a bucket of troubles at his feet.

"Well, that's just the trouble today, isn't it? I always know what to expect! Of course, Asahi and Gohgei got married. They love each other. That's just fine. I'm happy for them. I expect everyone here to be very nice and polite to each other, including myself, while they're actually thinking about how to stab each other in the back over the next silly little political battle. I expected those two," she pointed behind herself towards the dance floor, "to get close. That isn't the problem, though, is it? I expect you to be very polite to me, because you desire me for your wife, thereby increasing the standing of House Amaki. And of course eventually there'll be children. As a wife, that would be my duty. I expect that, as well. What I don't expect is to... to keep..."

Aeka bit her lip again. Then she remembered she still had another tumbler full of strong drink. She raised the glass to her mouth and forced herself to drink it all at once. She drained the glass and smacked it back on the bar.

"Barkeep! Another one."

She was aware that people were beginning to give her strange looks. It just did not matter anymore. All she could feel was her pain. She would give just about anything to be rid of it. But first, she had to be rid of the minor annoyance sitting next to her. When she looked at Serifu to dismiss him, she found tears streaming down his face and his lower lip quivered in time with the fist he held clenched at chest level.

"That man has broken the princess's heart. I can stand it no longer!" Serifu stood up, intent on solving this problem in an honorable, and very public fashion. The tears abruptly stopped, along with the quivering.

"I shall challenge him to a duel of honor! The First Princess of Jurai deserves no less!"

Aeka groaned.

"Well, if you wish to be embarrassed again, be my guest. Of course, you will have to fight your way through Miss Ryoko, first."

"So be it." Serifu put his hands on his hips. His eyes began to gleam with passion. "Not only will I redeem the Princess's honor, I'll rid the empire of that abominable presence, once and for all!"

"With a stain on your shirt?"

The passion immediately left his eyes and was replaced with watery sorrow. He pulled on his shirt and held it so he could see the stain in front of his face.

"My honor is besmirched! How can I duel with a stain on my shirt?!"

A very small grin suddenly began pulling at Aeka's mouth. Although this man was a complete fop, he was willing to fight for her honor. And it was not like he was ugly. At least her father had done that part right. She could never have forgiven him if he had arranged a marriage with an ugly or fat man.

"Sit, Serifu. I command you."

Serifu sat.

"I am at your command, Highness."

Aeka made sure to speak very clearly, since she could feel the alcohol she had consumed beginning to catch up with her.

"If you duel with either of them, you will most likely have to fight both Lord Tenchi and Miss Ryoko simultaneously. They will protect each other."

"Simultaneously?" Serifu turned back to the bar, abandoning his plans of glorious victory through honorable combat. "Well, that's not very fair."

"Drink your drink."

Aeka became quite annoyed when someone began poking her elbow. She had long since lost track of the number of drinks she had had, and wanted nothing more than to drink herself into oblivion. With Serifu providing polite, if unenlightened conversation, she was quite content to stay where she was. Looking blearily over her right arm, she saw Sasami standing next to her.

"What?"

"Aeka, it's time to go."

"No, it's not."

"Aeka, they're closing the bar. We have to go."

"Rubbish!" She turned to look across the bar. "Barkeep! How long're you open?"

The bartender responded as she expected he would.

"We are open so long as her Highness wishes it."

"Hah!" She looked back to Sasami. "See? What did I tell you?"

"But, Sister! Tenchi and Ryoko are ready to leave and Ryo-o-ki is already falling asleep!"

"Then leave with them. I'm staying here."

"But, Sister!"

"Enough! You are dismissed, Sasami."

Sasami's jaw dropped. Her beloved sister had just dismissed her like a household servant!

"Just because you're jealous doesn't mean you can be mean to everybody!"

"I said, you are dismissed."

Sasami's face crunched up into a look of anger and disgust.

"Fine! Stay here and get drunk. See if I care!" She stomped off towards the door, where Tenchi and Ryoko were waiting. Ryo-o-ki, in her small cabbit form, was perched on Ryoko's head, sleeping soundly. Tenchi hesitated to leave when Sasami stormed past him without a word. However, seeing that Azaka and Kamidake were still on guard at the door, he felt assured enough to let her be. Ryoko tugged on his arm, pulling him out the door by brute force. As soon as they were gone, Aeka began talking again.

"Who do they think they are, eh? I'm the First Princess'v Jurai! I c'n stay as long is I want."

"Of course you may, Highness." Serifu politely replied to her statement.

"Right."

Aeka picked up her glass and tilted it up, but nothing came out.

"What's this?" She immediate sent a suspicious glare to her drinking partner. Strangely enough, Serifu seemed to be quite good at holding his liquor. "Did you steal my drink?"

"No, Highness! I would never dare do such a thing."

"Hmph. Very well, then. I'll simply have t'get another. Barkeep!"

Unfortunately, the bartender had bad news.

"I'm very sorry, Highness. But we've run out of that particular selection. May I recommend Artesian Cinnabar? It has a light cinnamon flavor that I think the princess will enjoy."

"Fine, fine. Just fill it up."

The bartender did as he was instructed, filling the tumbler with the brownish substance. Once it was full, Aeka grabbed the glass and took a sip of this new drink to assess its suitability to please what was left of her palate after so much fire-wine. She swished it around her gums few times then swallowed it down.

"It'll do."

There was an awkward silence while both drinkers were thinking of something more to say.

"Well, Serifu? Don't you have anything else you want to say?"

"I would not want to impose."

"Ugh! Hasn't anyone ever told you men with no will are boring? You could at least give me your opinion on something!"

"Hmm..." Serifu held a finger to his lips for a moment. "Ah. I believe your Highness has made an astute choice in attending the Galaxy Academy. The people of Jurai surely recognize it will only benefit them if their future queen continues her education."

Aeka stared into her drink for a while. For a moment, she felt flattered that he thought that of her. But the truth was she had simply been chasing after Tenchi. She shook her head at her own foolishness. Imagine the First Princess of Jurai chasing after some farm-boy like a spring hen.

"If you truly believe that, then you are more of a fool than I am."

Leaning just a bit closer, Serifu clarified his position at a lower volume.

"At least that's what the people will think."

Aeka threw her head back and laughed uproariously.

"Ah ho ho ho ho ho hooaaaah!"

Aeka's laugh turned into a cry of dismay as she fell over backwards. It was lucky for her that someone was watching out for her. Serifu lunged towards her and caught her just before she would have hit the floor.

"Are you all right, Princess?"

Aeka blinked her surprise. She was not quite certain what she should say.

"Um... thank you."

"Do you require assistance, Highness?"

"No. I can manage." Aeka tried to get her feet under her. It was embarrassingly obvious she was utterly plastered by how long it took her to get her balance.

"I do believe I'm drunk."

"It does appear that way, Highness."

Aeka sighed with disgust at her lack of alcoholic tolerance.

"I suppose I should be leaving, or I'll end up passed out in a gutter along the way."

Horrified at such a thought, Serifu immediately objected.

"I would never allow such a thing! I would sooner sleep in a gutter, myself, than allow it! If the princess requires transport, my personal conveyance is at her disposal."

"Really, now? Hmm." Frankly, she did need a ride. It was not like he was going to try something inappropriate. If needed, her guardians would be at hand. In addition, she could personally blast him into the next timezone, if it came to that.

"Very well. I have to take care of some business, first. Have the vehicle brought up."

Aeka turned around and began slowly making her way to the restroom. Serifu stayed carefully attentive until she disappeared into the restroom. Then he turned to the bartender.

"Telephone! Quickly, now!"

The man immediately lifted a telephone into view and set it on the bar. Serifu pick it up and started rifling through his pockets.

"Blast! Where is that number? Ah!" He read the small slip of paper and began punching the number for the valet.

"Yes. Serifu Amaki. Have my vehicle brought to the front immediately. Very good." He hung up the phone receiver just in time to witness Princess Aeka emerge from the restroom. Though she still wobbled badly, her face seemed clearer. She came to a stop directly in front of Serifu.

"I believe I've had enough for tonight."

"Very well, Highness. May I escort you to your residence?"

"You may."

Serifu offered his elbow, which Aeka was very glad to accept for the additional balance it provided. She allowed him to lead her out of the room to his conveyance, which was awaiting them at the dock. The driver was already holding the door open for them. She carefully climbed in first, as was the proper manner, making sure to hold on to anything available so she would not fall again. Serifu followed her into the vehicle and sat a short distance away on the wide rear seat. The door swung shut behind him with a thud. A moment later, the driver entered the vehicle and secured himself in the pilot's seat.

"Destination, sir?"

Serifu directed a questioning gaze at Aeka, who was staring intently out of the side window.

"Princess?"

"The Governor's summer cottage, please."

"Very good, Highness."

The vehicle swept gracefully into the air with nary a wobble to betray their velocity. Aeka tried to keep her eyes on the passing night life below them. But if she looked for too long, her head would begin to spin disturbingly, as if they were flying around in circles. As well, the more her head spun, the more her stomach felt. She tried closing her eyes completely. But that was just as bad, if not worse. Now she had no visual reference for her already faulty sense of balance. Shaking her head to clear the fuzziness, Aeka fixed her gaze on the empty seat cushion in front of her.

"Princess, are you well?"

Aeka took a deep breath, which seemed to help for a moment. But her head soon resumed spinning. With each quasi-rotation of her mind, her stomach did a flip, telling her that not only had she drank too much, she probably would not make the hour and a half ride back to the cottage without emptying her stomach of its contents at least once. She put a hand to her head.

"I... feel ill."

"Oh, dear! That won't do, at all."

Taken aback at the sudden turn of events, Serifu jabbed the driver call button.

"Driver! To the Governor's mansion, immediately!"

"Yes, sir."

Serifu sat back again. There was little he could do if Aeka choose to get sick in the back of the vehicle. So he tried to act nonchalant about the issue.

"I hope I'm not being too presumptuous, Princess."

"It's fine." There was a short pause as Aeka collected herself. "I apologize for the inconvenience. You would think I had built up some tolerance to alcohol, what with all the drinking that woman Ryoko imposes upon me. Not that I'm an alcoholic or anything."

"No, of course not."

"Well, what does it matter, anyway? I've already embarrassed myself twice today. What will one more time hurt?"

"I think her highness has been acting quite lady-like."

Looking down at the tips of her slippers which were peeking out from under the hem of her dress, she allowed herself a sardonic smile.

"You're just saying that because I'm the First Princess."

"No, Highness. I assure you I have always considered the Princess to be a Lady of standing, deserving of all the rights and privileges due her station."

"Oh, yes. I am such a lady. I only ran out of Asahi and Gohgei's wedding. I went and got drunk at the reception, and now I'm going to your residence so I can pay homage to the porcelain god! All quite lady-like."

Serifu stared at her in confusion.

"Porcelain god?"

"The toilet."

"Oh. Oh, I see! Heh. Quite funny." Serifu chuckled to himself for a moment.

"Are we there yet?"

"Nearly there, Princess."

Aeka sat back into the seat cushion, abandoning the window and its environs for another time when she could better appreciate the view. Her eyes slowly slipped shut. For a little while, she managed to ignore the spinning in her head, and got a bit of rest. When the vehicle came to a halt, she found it that much more difficult to open them. She dreaded so much as lifting an eyelid for how much she would pay for it later when she closed them again.

"We've arrived, Princess."

"Very well."

"Do you require assistance exiting, Princess?"

"I can manage."

Serifu quickly got out. Then he turned back to the door and offered Aeka his hand.

"Princess?"

Reluctantly, Aeka opened her eyes and carefully made her way to the door. Holding tightly to the door frame, she somehow managed to make it to her feet by pulling hard. When she noticed Serifu's outstretched hand, she took not just the hand, but the entire arm for balance. She wanted nothing more than to just go to bed. But the spinning and churning would not allow her to relax for more than a few moments at a time.

"Driver, run ahead and tell the staff to prepare a room for her highness, at once."

"Yes, sir!"

The driver ran into the mansion and began relaying the instructions to the first person he found. The formally dressed staff member then ran off to summon assistance, freeing the driver to return and park the vehicle. Serifu tossed the man a large coin as he passed.

"You are dismissed."

"Thank you, sir!"

The excited driver quickly got back into the driver's seat of the vehicle and took off for the garage. Aeka tried to keep up with Serifu, but her feet did not want to cooperate. After nearly stumbling twice, she was forced to ask Serifu to slow down.

"Walk slower, please."

"Of course, Princess. Forgive me." Serifu slowed to half his previous pace, allowing Aeka an easier time of it. "I've taken the liberty of having a room prepared."

Aeka had little to say to that. While her leaving with Serifu would probably cause a stir, it was not scandalous or improper. He was simply looking after her needs as was appropriate. Quite frankly, she wanted the room. Besides the effects of all the alcohol she had consumed this evening, she was tired of seeing Tenchi and Ryoko so obviously in love. She could respect his wishes about that, but that did not mean she agreed to be subjected to constant reminders of her loss. Then again, she had insisted on attending the Academy with them.

"I'm such a fool."

Serifu looked at Aeka's face as they entered the immense residence.

"Princess?"

"Tell me, Serifu. Were you disappointed when I insisted on remaining with Lord Tenchi?"

Serifu remained silent for a moment as he contemplated how to answer such a question. He had not expected Aeka to take interest in that episode in this manner. He decided his answer would have to be very carefully crafted.

"At first, I was quite surprised. I thought the arrangement equitable for everyone involved. I initially felt certain that the young man must have been exercising some sort of mental control on her Highness."

"Certainly not!"

"I realize that now. If the Princess will forgive me for saying so, no one is perfect when it comes to matters of the heart."

Aeka was surprised by Serifu's seemingly very understanding answer. It was the kind of answer she might have expected from a kind and sensitive person, not a child of the imperial court. Perhaps her father had not made such a poor arrangement, after all. Serifu was behaving very much like a gentleman this evening. Even so much as to take care of her arrangements when he realized she was too inebriated to function on her own.

One of the house staff approached them, and gave them a report on the progress of Aeka's room.

"Highness, my Lord. The Princess's room is nearly ready. If they would follow me?"

"Very well." Serifu prompted the black and white dressed butler. He took a step forward, urging Aeka to follow along. For a split-second, the movement did not register in her mind, and she tilted forward. Realizing she was about to fall again, she clutched his arm and stepped forward, averting certain disaster. Aeka sighed, disgusted with herself.

As they followed the butler deeper into the mansion, Aeka reflected on her behavior this evening. Here she was, allowing a man to escort her to her rooms after she had become too drunk to see straight. She could have insisted on a less controversial escort, like her guardians, who were dutifully following a little way behind her. Azaka and Kamidake would never make demands of her. But then again, she could not very well marry one of them. She also preferred more lively company in a future husband. Preferably Tenchi. For a moment, Aeka fancied it was Tenchi who was escorting her to her room, where they would spend the night together in blissful love. Then she remembered Ryoko was the one Tenchi had chosen to take to his bed.

There then was the core of the matter. Aeka had come to know that young man very well since they had met. She knew in her heart that Tenchi would be loyal to the end to whomever he chose as his life's-mate. Ryoko had won his heart, not her.

Aeka ignored the butler as she passed into her room on Serifu's arm. She clutched at the warm limb as hot tears threatened to overflow the bounds of her eyelids and spill onto her fair skin. Her chest involuntarily contracted, forcing a groan of agony from her throat. Serifu looked down at her in concern.

"Princess?"

It was then that her beleaguered stomach finally signaled its imminent betrayal. She slapped a hand over her mouth and began looking frantically back and forth for the restroom.

"Toilet..." She mumbled through her hand. Spotting the open doorway on the other side of the room she released her grip on Serifu's arm and stumbled across the room until she reached the deity of all things gross and disgusting. Someone thoughtfully closed the door behind her just in time to allow her the small dignity of privacy as she offered up the contents of her stomach to the waiting water.

"Oh, how low I've fallen."

For a moment, as she gazed into the smelly depths of her drunkenness, Aeka wondered what Ryoko would say if she saw the First Princess of Jurai in such a state. She was unable to decide before her stomach convulsed again, dismissing the thought from her mind. Trickling tears soon joined the miasma of rejected alcohol, saliva, and stomach acid.

Serifu paced back and forth outside the door to the restroom, while Aeka's guardians impassively stood guard on either side. They had not uttered so much as a word all evening. Serifu had no doubt that they would remain silent about everything that happened this evening, unless questioned directly by the King. Even so, he was not about to give them something to talk about, just in case.

The sounds of Aeka emptying her stomach on the other side of the door were unmistakable. The gut-wrenching noise persisted for only a few minutes. The silence afterwards lasted much longer. Serifu was seriously considering entering to check on her safety, when he heard the toilet flush. He breathed a sigh of relief. He had begun to suspect Aeka had passed-out on the floor. The sound of flowing water continued as the toilet refilled, indicating the sink was running. For several minutes the water ran.

Eventually, the water stopped, and the door opened, revealing Aeka leaning her shoulder against the door frame. She looked utterly drained of all feeling and emotions. Her eyes, once so lively and intense, stared blankly at the floor. She briefly glanced at him, then called weakly to her guardians.

"Azaka, Kamidake."

"Yes, Princess?" They answered at the same time.

"You are dismissed for the night."

"Very well."

Serifu's right eyebrow went up as the pair of log-like machines quickly faded from view. This was an unexpected development. If the princess had decided she desired him for a romp under the bedsheets, he would be happy to oblige her. But even he had his standards, no matter who was asking. Quite frankly, Aeka was a disgusting mess. Her festive gown had spots of vomit on it, and she stank. The drunken lady raised a limp arm towards him.

"Attend me."

Serifu hesitated before taking the outstretched hand.

"As you wish, Princess."

The barest hint of a grin twisted one corner of Aeka's lips.

"Don't think too highly of yourself. I've got a really bad headache."

Serifu's eyes went wide at Aeka's self-directed jibe. He then smiled a bit. Her command suddenly made much more sense. He was to attend her in the ritualistic sense, rather than an intimate one. She simply wanted assistance preparing for rest. That, he would gladly do. He carefully guided the First Princess to the bourdoire on the far side of the bed, where she could sit. But, instead of sitting, she remained standing.

"My kimono first, please."

"Very well, highness."

Serifu made quick work of the outer garment. The bow which was wrapped around the princess's waist and held the smelly thing around her was simply tied, and required little effort to undo. Once the kimono was loose, Aeka shrugged it over her shoulders, letting it fall into Serifu's waiting hands.

"I'll have the servants launder it for the morning, Princess."

"Very well." Aeka answered with her head down as Serifu set the soiled garment aside on the back of a nearby chair. He quickly returned, this time facing Aeka's front. The second kimono was a thin under-garment that served to keep the outer garment from chaffing against the skin. It was held about the person at the waist by a small corset, rather than an elaborate sash. Simple silk strings tied in a granny knot kept it tight. He pulled on one of the strings, and the knot came apart. The entire corset slipped from Aeka's waist and hung in Serifu's hand. Her kimono draped loosely over her shoulders, allowing Serifu to see a long vertical portion of the one-piece undergarment she was wearing. Being a gentleman, he ignored the view as best he could and set the corset on the table adjacent to the chair where the first garment was located. Moving back to his original position behind Aeka, he carefully slipped his fingers between Aeka's shoulders and the soft material and pulled it around her shoulders. In order to clear the garment from her arms he had to stoop to lower it past her hands. As he crouched down, he got a close look at her very feminine curves. Although, her more private regions were covered by the cloth which hung down in front and back.

The task of attending the First Princess suddenly became much more difficult. He had always wondered why such a beautiful woman would wish to hide her beauty under so much clothing. Now he knew it was to keep men from becoming instantly enamored of her curvaceous form. As he stood folding the garment, he sighed with longing.

"Is something the matter?"

Now he had done it. The princess had asked him a question that he would have to answer. Fortunately, it was easy to avoid implicating himself. He uncovered his mouth so he could give his answer.

"No, Princess. Everything is fine."

"Come, Lord Serifu. I recognize a sigh of longing when I hear one. Would I not be unworthy of my position as First Princess if men did not sigh at the very sight of me?"

Serifu thought carefully as he slowly moved to the table with Aeka's other garments on or near it. He set the kimono down, and then turned to face Aeka. He bowed deeply in apology.

"Princess, please accept my humble apologies for the affront I have caused you. Men are by nature lustful animals. I am unworthy of such beauty."

Aeka finally raised her eyes so she could look at Serifu bent over in front of her. Her plain expression warmed just a bit as she digested the compliment he had just paid her. Sitting down in the chair in front of the bourdoire, she looked into the mirror. She really did look a mess.

"Apology accepted. You may continue."

Serifu breathed a sigh of relief as he straightened. He saw that Aeka was already seated in the chair with her hands in her lap.

"Shall I tend the princess's hair, next?"

"Yes." Aeka gratefully answered the question. She loved having her hair brushed. Many nights had come and gone when she had imagined Tenchi brushing her hair as she sat in front of a mirror. It was not an activity held in exclusive reserve for the one she loved. She had servants who could do this, or sometimes her mother would brush her hair. Once, she had even gotten her father to do it when she was young. It made her feel peaceful and calm. Serifu slid the small bands that separated her hair into two braids, the length of the strands, removing them. He reached past her and took the brush that sat before the mirror and began brushing out her long braids.

"Princess, may I ask a question?"

"You may."

"As I recall, the hair used to be of a lighter shade. May I ask what caused her highness to change it?"

Aeka did not answer right away. There was another question of her own devising that she had been considering all evening. She was wondering what Serifu's game was. All night her mind had danced around the subject, carefully weighing his words and actions until she was completely befuddled. Even now, Serifu was acting completely honorable in his intentions. He had willingly admitted he felt lustful while looking at her body, even begging her forgiveness. His apology had sounded sincere, so she forgave him. Now he was asking thoughtful questions, as if he were trying to get to know her better.

"I wished to impress my brother."

"Ahh. It is, of course, a lady's prerogative to make herself up so as to impress her future husband."

"Tsk. It was a miserable failure. I was just too young to realize it. Yosho barely took notice, and I made my poor mother cry."

Serifu began working the second braid loose.

"I apologize, Princess, if I have brought back unpleasant memories."

"No. I have since found that I like my hair the way it is, now."

"Her highness is truly blessed to possess such beauty."

Aeka's face colored a bit with embarrassment.

"Thank you, Lord Serifu, for everything you've done for me this evening. I... I apologize for embarrassing you in front of my father when he brought you to Earth. If I can ever repay the kindness you've shown me this evening, you must tell me."

All was quiet as Serifu began brushing the hair higher on her scalp.

"There is one thing, Princess. One thing that I believe would be more beneficial to her highness than to any other. I would humbly suggest that the princess reopen her marriage candidacy."

Aeka's first impulse was to dismiss his suggestion as out of hand. What was the point if she was already in love with Tenchi? Then she remembered that he had chosen Ryoko, and that there was no point in delaying the inevitable. Someday, she would have to marry. It was her duty, and she intended to fulfill that duty. But that did not mean she had to settle for less than the best.

Right off, Aeka had been able to see that Tenchi was someone extraordinary. He was a strong and caring provider, willing to go to any length to protect his family. Aeka could feel the desire for a family of her own burning within her soul. She dearly wanted Tenchi to be her husband and father to her children. But it was not to be. Pain sliced into her heart, making her chest ache, once more. There was no longer a choice. Ryoko had taken that from her. But she could find no malice in her heart for that pitiful girl. Aeka knew Ryoko's true heart of hearts. Killing Tenchi would be nothing next to taking him from her. The depth of Ryoko's love for Tenchi was unfathomable. Aeka had no words to describe it, other than it made her love look like a childish crush on a handsome school teacher. Aeka let her head hang back as she considered Serifu's request. She whispered to herself as she stared at the ceiling.

"I have no choice..."

"Princess?"

After having spoken to Serifu, and having gotten to know him better, Aeka could not deny her father had made a wise choice. She could do much worse than this man, who seemed genuinely concerned for her. But she could not yet let go of her feelings for Tenchi. She needed some time away before she could make such a decision. Still, Serifu deserved some kind of answer. Aeka righted her head and looked at Serifu's reflection in the mirror before her.

"I will consider it."

"Of course, Princess."

Aeka closed her eyes so she could more fully enjoy having her hair brushed. She found her eyelids were growing very heavy. Her head still hurt something fierce, and she wanted nothing more now than to shut out everything and sink into oblivion. Then all the pain would go away.

Serifu carefully ran the brush through the princess's long tresses once more before proclaiming her was finished.

"Princess, shall I search the wardrobe for appropriate night wear?"

There was no response from the sleepy princess.

"Princess?"

Serifu leaned forward so he could see Aeka's face. Somehow, she had managed to fall asleep in an upright position. Her eyes were closed, her mouth gaped, and her breathing was slow and regular.

"Oh, dear. Now what?" Serifu considered his position for a moment. "Well, I can't very well leave her highness like this. I suppose I should finish."

Aeka awoke late the next morning in a strange bed, in a strange room, with a horrible hangover. She rolled over with a groan as she tried to remember how she had gotten in to bed. She could remember asking Serifu to attend her last night, but not how she had ended-up in bed. Mentally replaying last night's rather unusual activities, she realized the memories stopped sometime after she had said she would consider reopening her marriage candidacy.

"I can't believe I said that."

Aeka rolled over again so she could yell for her guardians. As she turned, she felt something amiss. Lifting up the blanket, she saw that she was completely naked.

"Eee!"

A horrible thought suddenly came to mind. Aeka placed a hand between her legs. When she found everything as she remembered it, she sighed in relief.

"Of course not. That would be utterly insane. He did exactly as I instructed him, right to the conclusion of that silly ritual. What was I thinking?"

Aeka inhaled deeply.

"Azaka! Ohh... my head..."

She instantly regretted yelling so loud, even though it had the intended effect. As she had only managed to call for Azaka before her throbbing head protested the verbal assault, only Azaka appeared. Kamidake remained out of sight.

"Yes, Princess?"

"Bring me an aspirin and water."

"Yes, Princess."

"And have a bath drawn for me."

"Yes, Princess."

"Oh. What time is it?"

"It is nine seventeen in the morning, Highness."

Aeka sat straight up with a cry of dismay, followed by another groan. The blanket fell to her waist, revealing her bare chest.

"Oh... God, my head..."

A small teardrop appeared next to Azaka's optical sensory apparatus.

Five minutes after noon, a strange antigravity vehicle pulled into the grass yard in front of the Governor's summer cottage, escorted by two guardians of Jurai. The driver immediately got out and opened the back door to the vehicle as Tenchi, Ryoko, Sasami, and Ryo-o-ki watched from the living room windows. Their eyes stayed on Aeka as she entered the house in plain view, even as the vehicle disappeared from whence it had come. She did not stop until she reached the middle of the front room.

"Oh, very well. Ask away. I know your curiosity won't be satisfied until I've been thoroughly embarrassed in front of everyone."

Ryoko suddenly appeared at her side. The golden-eyed vixen wrapped a friendly arm around Aeka's shoulders.

"Congratulations, Aeka! You finally got laid! How do you feel?"

"Disgusting creature!" Aeka pushed Ryoko away before settling the full power of her hateful gaze on her. "How dare you speak of such things in front of my sister?"

"Hey, don't blame me! You're the one who got drunk, then went home with a guy."

Aeka shouted in Ryoko's face, the force of her vocal assault made Ryoko's hair stream and snap in the air.

"I am not a woman of loose morals!"

"Yeah, whatever. You still went home with him. Call it what you like. But I'll bet you weren't complaining while he had you bent over the end of his bed."

Smack!

Ryoko's head snapped to the right from the force of Aeka's slap.

"Perhaps that will still your filthy tongue."

Ryoko slowly returned her face to the front. Despite the insult, she was still smiling.

"Touchy, eh? Well, you know what I think? I think you did it to make Tenchi jealous. But it won't work! He chose me, not you. So get over it!"

Aeka raised her hand to slap Ryoko again. However, the words issuing from the television were of sufficient import to attract her attention. Normally, the playing of the television would not have distracted her. But as they were talking about her, she felt it was important enough to postpone the punishment. The others also turned their attention to the news reporter as he detailed his account.

"...working on an anonymous tip, our reporter has confirmed that First Princess Aeka did indeed spend the night in the company of Serifu Amaki. What actually occurred while they were alone is unknown at this time. However, he have a reporter standing by with his Lordship as we speak."

The scene shifted to the front of the Governor's mansion, where a curly-haired female reporter with a microphone in her hand was standing next to Serifu.

"Thanks, John. I'm here with Lord Serifu Amaki, who has agreed to a brief interview. Tell us Lord Serifu, did the First Princess stay the night here?"

"That is correct."

"Why is that?"

"The princess was feeling ill. In the interests of her Highness's health, I had the driver divert the vehicle here."

"I see. And how did you and the princess end up in the same vehicle? I understand you arrived separately."

"The Princess elected to stay at the reception longer than her companions desired. When I found she required transportation, I offered, as any good citizen of the empire would have done in my place."

"So your intentions were honorable?"

"Completely."

"Did anything happen between the two of you last night?"

"If something had happened, I would not speak of it publicly."

"What of the rumor that the First Princess's chosen suitor defeated you in single combat? Can you comment on that?"

"It's true. I was defeated in honorable combat against the princess's chosen suitor."

The news anchorman, Steve, suddenly broke in on the conversation. The screen split in two showing both sides of the conversation.

"Excuse me for a moment, Vanessa. I've just received word that this chosen suitor of the princess's is one Tenchi Masaki, a descendant of Yosho Masaki, and a legitimate heir to the throne of Jurai. Our caller, who wishes to remain anonymous, also says that same Tenchi Masaki was seen dancing intimately with another woman at the same reception you and the princess attended. Is this true?"

"Alas, it is true. The young man has foolishly squandered the princess's love for the favor of a common woman. No insult intended, Vanessa."

"None taken, Lord Amaki. But if this is true, what does this bode for the princess's search for a husband?"

"The princess has personally assured me that she is considering reopening her marriage candidacy."

"If she does, will you compete?"

"Absolutely. As before, I will defeat my opponents, no matter how numerous they are. Once I have won, I will marry the Princess. I can only hope I will be a worthy husband."

Vanessa turned her attention to the camera.

"Well, this seems to bode well for the future of Jurai, Steve."

"Indeed it does, Vanessa."

An entire sofa suddenly smashed into the television, destroying it in dramatic fashion. Sparks and bits of plastic jumped as the broken set was compacted between the sofa and far wall. All eyes were on Aeka again as she steamed and raged at the report.

"That vile, slithering, snake! How dare he! And I was actually considering it! Well, I have your answer, Lord Snake! NEVER!"

The others stared at Aeka as she fumed.

"Is there a problem?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Very well, then. I'm going to make some tea. Sasami, would you come with me, please?"

"Uh, okay."

Sasami followed her sister towards the kitchen as Aeka made her requirements clearer.

"Sasami, what kind of tea is good for a headache?"

"Oh, you've got a hangover, huh?"

"You don't know the half of it."

Tenchi, Ryoko, and Ryo-o-ki watched as Aeka and Sasami walked off without a backward glance. Ryoko idly rubbed her cheek where Aeka had slapped her.

"What just happened?"

Tenchi just stared at Aeka's retreating form.

"Not a clue."

END.

AFTERWORD: I have to admit, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. The second half was fun. But the part with Aeka and Misaki talking about guys in the limo cracked me up! "Vitamins" HA!

I happened to notice a major discrepancy in the material Hitoshi Okuda presented in the manga, and the material presented in the True Tenchi novels. According to the manga, Aeka knew Asahi from her childhood. However, since the TTNs specifically show that Juraians mature from children to adults at the same rate as humans, it would be impossible for Asahi to still be so young after 700 years.

I have no intention of trying to explain away such a paradox. I'm afraid I must impose on everyone's sense of fantasy and ask that the readers simply ignore the problem, as I have. Perhaps someone with greater skill than I in written Japanese could write to Mr. Okuda and ask how this is possible.