Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara!

Chapter 3

Second Meeting

Ikuto looked at the kingdom he had not been in since he was six years old…since the day he first saw her. He had traveled on horseback with his mother instead of taking a carriage to the kingdom of Seiyo. He dismounted his horse at the stables before he and his mother followed the knight, Kukai, who he had met two days prior.

Once outside the throne room, Kukai opened the doors. "They're waiting…" he faced the room. "…for…you…? Erm…ahem. Queen Midori? Where is the princess?"

Amu's throne was empty.

Midori sighed. "Her lady in waiting is getting her now. She…is being shy."

Ikuto glanced over his shoulder, hearing a commotion down the hall. He turned around completely to see Amu and a girl he assumed to be her lady in waiting. The other girl was in the process of quite literally dragging the young princess down the hallway.

"Stop being such a baby!" The girl said harshly.

"No! I'm against this!" Amu said, but only loud enough for Ikuto to hear, not their mothers. An amused smile danced across his face. He walked in their direction. He stopped a good twelve feet away from them and bowed slightly. "Hello, Hinamori-san."

Amu stopped struggling against Rima's tight grasp on her wrist and looked at Ikuto, embarrassed to have been caught fighting with her friend-fighting not to see him. "Oh, uh, Tsukiyomi-san."

Rima let go of Amu's wrist and curtsied. "Please to meet you, prince Ikuto. I am Rima, princess Amu's lady in waiting." She shot Amu a 'suck-it-up' glare before smiling back at him. "I will take my leave you." She then turned on her heel and walked back down the hallway…to hide around the corner with Nagihiko so they could listen in on their conversation.

Amu sighed, giving a small curtsy. "…I heard something that I want you to clear up."

Ikuto raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what might that be?"

Amu looked at him. "Is it true that you met me the day I was born?"

Ikuto nodded his head. "Yes. The day you were born, and the announcement was made, my mother, father, sister, and I traveled here to meet you. It was decided that day that when you were older we would marry and unite the kingdoms."

Amu looked shocked. "You knew ever since then?"

Ikuto nodded.

Amu frowned. "Why did my parents wait to tell me?" She asked herself more than him, but he answered anyway.

"My mother says that your mother told her it was because they want you to grow up worrying about it." Ikuto said.

Amu crossed her arms over her chest. "Hmph. Like it makes any difference. I'm a prisoner in my own home, now I'm going to be a prisoner in the only relationship I'll ever have."

Ikuto frowned. "I don't want you to feel like you're a prisoner. Remember, I didn't ask for this, either." His expression softened. "When I met you, you were awake, eyes open. You were so small…" He looked at his hand. "When I held my finger to your small hand, you grabbed it, and wouldn't let go until your mother picked you up-that lasted for a good ten seconds." He looked at her. "Whether we like it or not, this has been arranged since that day. Obviously I can't marry you sister because she is much, much younger than I am as well as second in line for the throne."

Amu frowned. "I know." She thought of his story, the calm expression on his face as he told her of his meeting her for the first time…It made her wish she could remember that day.

"What's that?" Ikuto asked, looking at her right hand, where some cloth was sticking out from the sides of her closed hand.

Amu remembered the only reason she had left her room. "Oh, here." She handed him his handkerchief. "Thank you…for the other day."

Ikuto took his handkerchief back and nodded, tucking it into his pants pocket. "Don't worry about it."

"Ah, Amu! There you are!" Queen Midori rushed over to them. "Is everything alright?"

Amu and Ikuto nodded.

"I was just returning Tsukiyomi-san's handkerchief to him." Amu said.

Midori smiled. "Your father should be done with his meeting soon, why don't you wait in the throne room with prince Ikuto while I look for him with queen Souko?"

Amu wanted to protest, but her mother's 'listen to me' look stopped her. She sighed and nodded. "Yes, mother." She then led Ikuto into the throne room and sat on her throne, the two of them once again alone.

There was silence between them for a moment before:

"Why are you so opposed to this marriage?" Ikuto asked her. He looked at her. "Be honest."

Amu frowned, having not looked at him since before they entered the throne room. "Because I have no say in the matter. I don't like my life being controlled."

"Like being in here for seventeen going on eighteen years of your life?"

Amu looked at him then. "Don't talk about my life." She snapped.

Ikuto looked away from her again. "It must be lonely."

Amu frowned. "I have friends-yes, they all work here, but they're still my friends. I just…didn't know any of them until I turned thirteen when people close to my age started working here."

Ikuto nodded slowly, processing that. "So you were alone for that long?"

"I want to hit you so bad." Amu glared at him.

Ikuto faced her and shrugged, a hand in his pants pocket. "Go ahead, since I'm obviously so horrible that the thought of marrying me repulses you. But how can you know that for sure? Since you've already decided not to get to know me…"

Amu stood, cutting him off. "What is your PROBLEM?!" She said, getting all up in his face.

Ikuto looked down at her. "Why don't you tell me yours, first?"

The two stared at each other like that for a moment before Amu realized that their faces were only inches apart. She quickly looked away, only for him to gently grab her chin and turn her head so that she was facing him again.

"Listen. For years I wondered what kind of girl that small, fragile infant would grow up to be. I know you're upset, but I never said I wanted this, either. You don't seriously think that I didn't want to meet somebody normally and fall in love like a normal person? Of course I want that. But if we're going to be stuck together we might as well see what's there. Okay?"

Amu nodded slowly, surprised by the intensity in his voice and eyes. "Okay."

He released her chin, taking a step back from her. "I'll visit you tomorrow. Don't dress too fancy-we're going into town."

Amu looked shocked. "Wh-What?! But, my mother won't allow it…"

"Won't allow what?" Queen Midori asked, having just entered the room in time to hear Amu's statement.

Ikuto faced the king and queen of Seiyo and his mother. "I have invited Amu on an outing with me. I will take her through the village in front of the palace in your kingdom." He bowed slightly. "I will take very good care of her. Is this alright, your highnesses?"

The king thought about this. "…alright. But please protect her. She's out little girl."

Midori held her husband's hand, knowing the idea of their "little girl" getting married was a lot for him to handle.

Amu blushed at being called that in front of others who weren't family. "Dad!"

Ikuto looked at her. "Until tomorrow?"

Amu looked at her mom, who only nodded with a smile, before sighing and nodding in response. "Until tomorrow."

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