Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the other Disney characters.

Chapter Five

Bound

-Sometimes the hardest thing any of us can hope for is finding the courage to be honest with ourselves.- Kira Saito

Hina gazed into her dark murky coffee, wishing that it had all the answers that she was seeking. 'You said that his assistant told you she went willingly,' Nina took a seat before Hina.

The shop was empty, the mad morning rush gone and now just a steady flow of the occasional customer. 'Yeah, but he didn't have me convinced.'

'What do you mean?'

'He had this look of bewilderment and he tried to shoo me away before this other gentleman neared us,' she explained.

'Hmm,' Nina though of who the mysterious man could be, 'the hottie with chestnut brown hair that stood up like this.' She recreated or tried to recreate Sora's hair style with her own blond locks.

Hina looked at her example and nodded, 'You look ridiculous, it suits you.'

'Ha, ha, very funny,' she let go of her blonde hair and tried to smooth it back into place.

'Although, I am going to be honest with you. He didn't look all that great. It looked like he had gotten run over by a well fisted semi.'

'Amaranth had been worried that he could have gone and started a fight. She must have not gotten there on time,' she summarized. 'Did you talk to him?'

'What do you think, the assistant drove me out,' Hina pouted. 'Plus, he wasn't the jerk that I was looking for so I didn't really think twice about being ushered out.'

'You make for a poor sleuth, you'll never find more information on Amaranth this way,' Nina shook her head in disappointment.

'Like you can do better?'

'Of course,' Nina flipped her hair and nodded with a confidence that annoyed Hina. 'If you want, I can show you and maybe you can learn something.'

'Learn from an idiot, no thanks. However, I am not going to turn down a helping hand,' Hina smiled at her insult.

'I've always question our friendship.'

'I never even knew we were friends to begin with, I just figured we had Amaranth in common,' Hina back handedly commented and watched the blonde's right eye begin to twitch in annoyance.

'I have to get back to work, come back after my shift is over and we'll head off to find Amaranth,' Nina got up and walked back behind the counter with a sway of her hips and a toss of her hair.

One thing that Hina would never admit to Nina was that she was pretty, not in god's gift to mankind, but in the she could win a beauty pageant if she wanted pretty. She also wasn't going to ever tell her that she enjoyed getting her riled up and under her skin. She teased her about their friendship, but over the years they had grown to an understanding of how things functioned between them. She lifted the hot mug of coffee and took an unsuspecting drink before spitting it out in vexation. She should have known that free coffee from the blonde was too good to be true, she had replaced the sugar with salt. 'Nina,' she glared at the blonde, whom was smiling pleased with herself.

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Amaranth watched him and wondered what was wrong, all morning he had seemed agitated and annoyed. As if she had done something wrong, besides rejecting him the night before or refusing to sleep in the same bedroom as him. It was a reaction to be expected, so he couldn't be sincerely upset about that, right, 'Riku?'

He was lost in his thoughts, thinking about the mornings events. It had been years since he had last woken up in a heated mess. Heavens, if he recalled the last time he had woken up with morning wood had been when he was a teenager and sex was the only thing on his mind. Yet one night with the petite female within reach and he was a prepubescent teen again. Dreaming about how he would defile her and enjoy her womanly goodness, however the thought of her crying and pleading for him to stop was a turn off. He lifted his gaze towards her and watched her stiffen as if she'd been caught in a mouse trap, unable to escape. It had been twice that he had to submit himself to the humiliating task of self service, only because she refused to comply with his demands. For someone that claimed he wanted to control her and manipulate her to do as he bid he was failing. If she were some other woman, he would have her pinned to the table taking her repeatedly. Having her call out his name, begging him not to stop as she climaxed from his ministrations and squeezed him dry. 'Fuck,' he glared at her as he felt himself slowly become hard.

She jumped at his sudden outburst and menacing glare, as if she had done something to warrant his fury. 'Is something wrong?'

Her voice a tiny whisper, but clear and audible. Heavens, would he be happy to hear that voice panting, moaning and whispering how good he was or screaming out in ecstasy. 'I'm finished,' he got up and pushed his plate away. 'Once I am done getting ready, we're leaving.'

Amaranth nodded, she wanted to comment that he had hardly touched his meal but knew that it was a bad idea. Plus, he had gotten up so suddenly and departed that she worried that something maybe wrong. Maybe he was sick or he was in more pain that he let on. The blows that he had taken to the face were now a nasty dark purplish hue against his naturally pale skin. The cut under his eye and busted lip were still a bright red, not to mention the damage that he had done to his right hand, made her curious as to how he was cooping with the pain so well. She got up from the table and began to clear it, placing everything back on the cart it was brought in to be placed outside the door for pick up.

'Ready,' he asked as he walked out of his room and caught her sitting on the couch watching the clouds.

Amber hues turned towards him, studying him as if to find a deadly prognosis. 'Are you alright? You were gone for a long time.'

'I am fine,' he couldn't be in an enclosed space with her for too long. It was bad enough that he kept having perverted thoughts, but to react like a hormonal male teen was pathetic. One night and the effects were immense, her body wasn't like most of the women he's been with but it was far more appealing and attractive.

Getting up she hesitated to speak her mind, 'We can stay in if you want.'

Staying in was out of the question, 'Why? Are you willing to keep me entertained?'

She blanched at the thought, 'No,' she shook her head vehemently.

'Are you that appalled at the thought of sleeping with me,' his eyes narrowed at her shaking her head in pure refusal.

'I just thought that it your current condition you wouldn't want to go out.'

'This,' he lifted his right hand to touch one of his bruises lightly, 'why should I be ashamed of something that I didn't have control over? I wasn't the one that started this or the one that came waltzing into my office demanding retribution for something someone said.'

'I…' she fell silent, for she really didn't know what to say.

'Unless, you don't want me to go out in public with you because you're ashamed?' He studied her reaction, 'I mean if I were you I wouldn't want people to see my handy work out on display, especially after it caused so much damage.'

Her eyes widen at the revelation and she took a step back when he walked towards her. 'You make it sound like I was the one that beat you.'

'In a way, you were,' he reached out and grabbed her chin to lift it up so that she could look at him. 'Weren't you the last one to speak to Sora before he came barging into my office throwing his fists around?'

'I,' her hands fell on his chest as he wrapped his free arm around her waist and pulled her forward, 'didn't tell him anything that wasn't true.'

'Excuses, you're probably glad to see me this hideous,' he couldn't pull his gaze from her lips. They looked so warm and welcoming, a rosy red color that seemed to have its own gravitational pull.

'I am not,' he was drawing closer to her.

'Liar,' his lips brushed against her and he felt her shutter beneath his hold.

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Sora looked at himself in the mirror and groaned, not only did his face hurt but it looked horrible. Riku hadn't held back any, he had punched just as hard as he had but had landed more hits and left his face a black and blue mess. By the time his wedding came around they would both probably still be sporting yellowish bruises. People would wondered if they got into a fight over Kairi and how Riku still remained the best man. Oh, he could imagine the look on Kairi's grandmother's face with she saw him this weekend. She would be so disappointed and if he told her the reason, she would probably wear the same expression of devastation that Kairi had when she heard the truth. He was amazed that she hadn't cancelled the wedding and kicked him to the curb, then given the fact that he didn't support her idea of Riku and Amaranth. She might have doubts of his love for her and begin to wonder about his feelings for the dark haired woman she called princess.

He sighed in resignation, maybe he did have an infatuation with the woman but like she said it was probably due to the fact that she had been his first love. Usually, people didn't forget the first person that they fall head over heels for and even if he didn't love her romantically he wasn't going to deny that there was something there. A mysterious allure to the girl that left him, rejected him and was most likely still in love with his best friend. 'Heavens, what a pathetic trio we've become,' he jumped when his phone rang. 'Yes,' he answered the phone after the second ring.

'Sir,' his secretary was on the line, 'you have a visitor here to see you. She says that you ordered cake samples from Petite Amor.'

'Cake samples,' he was confused until the bakery name made sense. 'Yes, please send them in.'

'Yes, Sir,' she agreed and there was a click as she placed the phone down on the receiver ending the call.

Nina didn't know if her plan would work, but she had over heard that the young man was getting married. So after work she picked out three cakes slices and waited patiently for Hina to arrive and bring her to his place of employment. She had almost made a fool of herself, if it wasn't for the fact that they had business cards of all their lawyers she wouldn't have been able to recalled his name. The receptionist had given her a look of suspicion as she made the call back, but after a brief wait she told her to take a seat and that someone would be with her in a moment. Out walked a fruffy woman that zoomed in on Nina and eyed her with distaste over her glasses. 'Nina?'

'Yes,' she didn't like the look of scrutiny from the older woman.

'Follow me,' she quickly turned without another word towards the pretty blonde. Lisa had been gone yesterday, but when she returned she had heard the gossip of her boss fighting with Riku over another woman. She had tried to defend him, but they all protested her defense and said that she had arrived and almost caused another fight to break loose. It wasn't until she saw him later on that morning that she started to believe them and now with the appearance of said woman once again in their mists, it made their accusations more valid.

Nina came to a halt behind the prime pressed older woman who radiated a dislike for her. 'Before I show you to his office, I would like to make something very clear to you.'

Lisa had turned to face the young lass with the golden mane and green hues, 'Yes.'

'I do not like you. I do not appreciate you coming here and starting fights between two friends, whom are almost like brothers. I also do not condemn the idea of you going after a happily taken man, so I ask that after today you don't appear around here anymore. You are very beautiful and I think the you can find someone that is just as good and handsome as Mr. Irino.'

Nina was no hussy and if she weren't determined to find Amaranth she would have quickly made a scene and got kicked out. Taking a deep breath and trying to relax her tight hold on the cake box, she quietly spoke in a grave no if, ands or buts manner. 'I am here to see Mr. Irino on pretense, yes. But I have no intentions of seducing him or causing a scene. I am here to get answers over my friends disappearance since he was the last one that saw her. So if you'll please stop your huffing and puffing and trying to intimidate me and make me feel worthless with your assumptions and accusations, I would like to get going. I really have no time to waste and to be humiliated for something I did not cause.'

Lisa's face was a shade of burgundy red, she had never been told off before but she had to admit she had made the wrong assumption. 'Well, if my words don't apply to you then tell your friend.'

'She'll want nothing to do with Mr. Irino. He was the one that sought her out and all she tried to do was stop something that seemed unavoidable,' Nina wondered if the woman would burst a vein or two in annoyance and embarrassment. 'Now, if you'll please take me to Mr. Irino so that we can get this over with.'

Lisa turned around without another word, she had already made a fool of herself and decided against further mortification in front of a woman half her age. 'Mr. Irino,' she knocked on his door and waited for him to tell her to come in, 'your guest.'

The door opened and Sora was standing behind his desk, waiting for said mysterious visitor. 'Welcome, come in,' he remembered the blonde from yesterday, 'have a seat. Lisa can you get us some tea.'

'None for me, I won't be here that long,' Nina told him as she curtly nodded and walked in to take a seat before his desk.

'No tea, then,' he waited until Lisa closed the door behind her to take a seat and look at the woman before him. 'How can I be of service?'

'I don't need your professional services, if that is what you are wondering and I am not here to deliver these cakes but you are welcome too them.' She placed the white carry box before him and he could see three delicious looking cake slices through the clear film.

'I am guessing this has to do with Amaranth,' he turned his gaze from the cakes towards her.

'Yes, she has disappeared and we are worried about her. You were the last person to see her and from what everyone here is whispering she came her yesterday. Now where is she?'

'Are you implying that I have her locked up somewhere in a tower?'

'No, I am asking you where she is. I am certain that you have an idea or information regarding her disappearance.'

'I don't think that being a bakery attendant suits you,' Sora noticed her professional manner and the way that she got to the point without skirting around the issue.

'It pays the bills and I am with friends, that are like family to me,' she added the last part.

'I am not going to lie to you, however to where exactly she is I don't know. What I can tell you is that she left of her own free will and wherever she is she will not be harmed.'

'So she's with the person that rearranged your face,' she stabbed and noticed that he lifted one hand to touch a bruise unconsciously.

Sora dropped his hand and nodded, 'She left willingly and I am sure that he will not harm her.'

'He did that to you,' she pointed out again, 'how can you be so sure that he won't hurt her?'

He won't physically hurt her, but mentally he wasn't sure. Nevertheless, as he thought, over the years Riku had never hurt anyone unintentional or that didn't deserve it. He wasn't reckless, but then again yesterday proved different and he could be capable of anything with Amaranth involved. 'He is not a beast that will keep her locked up in a tower for his own pleasure and desire. He just needs a few days with her before he returns her to you and her family.'

'The Beast kept Belle over a petty crime, what crime did Amaranth commit?'

Sora was amazed at her analogy, but he had to admit that he had made his own comparison as well, since he kept comparing her to a damsel in distress. She also had the fine features of a princess too, so he understood Kairi's nickname for her. 'I don't know, but my fiancee has the wild assumption that he is upset over what happened years ago.'

Nina tried to recall what she overheard, 'She dated you.'

'Well, no and yes. She went out with me, but never in a formal manner just as friends.'

'Hmm,' she pondered and mumbled to herself. 'So she does have the ability to hang out with the opposite sex. However, she didn't do anything with you and anyone else. Your friend,' she looked up at him, 'the Beast, you asked her something about him yesterday. What was it?'

'If she was in love with him.'

'What did she say,' she noticed the tension in his jaw, his pressed lips and the way he held his hands together as if trying to repress a bitter feeling. 'Never mind, from your reaction I can already assess the answer. So,' she began but didn't finish out loud.

The woman would make an excellent detective or lawyer, her deducing skills were outstanding. Yet he wondered if she would fail to deduce the situation of Riku and Amaranth, just like Kairi had the day before. 'What are you thinking?'

Nina had been lost in her analyzing of the facts and the unasked, unanswered conundrum. Maybe the answer was simple and explainable just like the fairy tale that had been used as an analogy for their current circumstances. 'What best to ask next,' she lied it was probably a sore subject to touch if the answer of whether Amaranth had loved his friend was so difficult to produce. 'Can you give me his address, I would like to see if Amaranth is there?'

'I've already been there and there was no one,' Sora answered. 'Her home?'

'If she were there, I wouldn't be here,' she answered. 'Where would he take her? Out of the city?'

'No, he only cancelled his affairs for the rest of the week it would be too short notice to travel out of the city.'

'So somewhere here,' she thought to herself, 'a hotel.'

Sora nodded, 'And with so many, finding them would be close to impossible.'

'Hmm,' she shook her head, 'not entirely. Your law firm seems well off,' she had noticed the furniture, decorations and spotlessness of a well oiled machine that was their business firm. 'Your clients must also pay top dollar to get top services and from your suit, you all must be well off. So it narrows down the search to only elite hotels, plus given his name Hina can take the search and finish this game of Mario.'

'Huh,' it took him a moment to register the meaning. 'Oh,' Hina was Mario, Amaranth was Princess Toadstool, Riku was Browser and to finish the game Hina would go and find Amaranth and save her from Riku's evil clutches.

Nina got up, finished with her interrogation and information gathering. She needed to process everything before she went and gave Hina a summary and explanation. 'Thanks for the help. I hope your face is better before your wedding.'

'I'll walk you out.'

'No need, I don't want rumors of me having an affair with you to fly about,' she pointed out as she recalled his secretary's presumptions.

'Why would…oh,' he put the pieces together of what she meant and nodded in understanding.

'Well, see ya,' she had reached the door and left without his good-bye. The secretary turned to look at her when she walked out.

'I hope you got all the information you needed.'

'I did,' she eyed the woman with distaste.

'I want to—-'

'Don't,' she cut her off. 'I at least admire the fact that you are willing to protect your Boss's happiness, even if it is by false accusations. He seems like a good man and his fiancee is a lucky woman, but his face really does need some work.' Nina had seen the mama bear pride in the woman's face, which crumbled at her last comment.

'I'll have you know that he is a handsome young man.'

'Hn,' she shrugged her shoulders, 'he's not my cup of tea and not my friend's either. So if you ever see her, I would recommend that you don't go and make false accusations. For she will never steal your Boss away from his woman.'

Lisa's mouth dropped and watched as the blonde turned and walked away with a sway of her hips and a pleased smirk on her face. 'I wonder if her friend is anything like her?'

The phone on her desk rang and she jumped in fright, 'Yes,' she noted Sora's number and wondered if he overheard?

'Come to my office, please.'

'Sir,' she nodded to no one, got up to go and attend to him.

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Amaranth had noticed his irritation growing since the moment they left the hotel. She wanted to ask what was wrong, but she could already guess what had him vexed. Before they had left the hotel in the morning he had held her in his arms, he had been upset with her but not like the day before where it had been cold fury. He had pressed her against him in a firm, but gentle manner that had her pulse racing. The way that he had gazed at her lips like they were enchanted had her flustered and when he drew closer to her where his lips barely touched hers, she had felt a shutter of anticipation going down her spine. Her heart had been pounding out of control and the breath that she had been holding left her light headed, until the cold truth washed over her. She turned her face away as he closed his eyes and finished filling the gap between them, only to kiss her cheek.

She couldn't let herself be taken in by him, if she did she would lose herself and allow him to do as he pleased. He was already enjoying reminding her that the reason he was bruised and in pain was because of her. That she had triggered or persuaded Sora into fighting against him in an undignified manner that caught him by surprise. He had ordered her to kiss him, but she had refused. He reminded her why she was with him and what he could do to her, but she had held her ground. She didn't want to kiss him. Kissing him would mean that she would submit to him not only her body, but the veiled and shielded truth that remained locked in the tight chambers of her heart. One that she wanted to runaway from and not expose to the man that he had become, but the young man that she had grown up with and cherished.

She was drawn out of her thoughts as she felt his arm behind her back, his hand on her hip and his subtly way of pulling her close to him. She turned up to look at him, to see what was wrong but his cold and distant glare didn't do anything to help her deduce the situation. 'Riku,' she spoke his name lightly.

Riku had noticed the gazes that other men gave her and it was becoming an annoyance to say the least. It had started since the morning when they left the room, the guest and employees had looked at her as if bewitched or deep in thoughts and fantasies. Then when they arrived at Shedd Aquarium, as a distraction a way to get out of the encased hotel room, it had happened again. However, the fact that she didn't notice any of this left him amazed. She was oblivious to the fact that she seduced the male population with her beauty or maybe he was just being paranoid with his observations. The thought had been erased as they had gone out to eat and the waiter had given her special treatment as if he wasn't there with her. He had wanted to throttle the waiter, but held back considering she didn't notice or care for the extra attention.

She had been so enamored with the food though, he almost felt jealous of it. He had wondered if she would have the same reaction with fast food as she did with a fine dining food. She had studied her meal, like she would a piece of art. Commenting on the presentation, the color and the smell of the perfectly cooked alaskan salmon with root vegetables. It was when she took the first bite that he had to turn away, she had delicately prepped her first bite so as to have a little of everything on the dish but not make it overwhelming for her small mouth. She had unconsciously licked her lips, flashing a bit of pink uncharted territory that he would eventually conquer if not today tomorrow. She opened her mouth, not to protest but to receive her most prized possession and desire in that moment. Her face had the look of euphoria as she closed her mouth around the fork and tasted the most tantalizing treat. He had turned away at that moment, but only for a second for the delightful sound that erupted from her throat had been alarming in a quiet and subtle manner. It had brought unwanted thoughts to his mind, thoughts that he was sure the men that looked at her enjoyed as they fantasized about what they could never have.

He heard his name spoken by the mystical creature that walked beside him, 'Yes.'

Riku turned his gaze to her and it softened, she felt her heart skip a beat, his voice a low tenor that lulled her and weakened her resolve against him. A cherry blossom had landed in his hair as they walked down Grant Park's cherry tree lane. Her mind was muddled and her tongue tied and the only thing she could say was, 'You have a blossom in your hair.'

He watched as she reached up and grabbed the blossom out of his hair, almost an elation of happiness and satisfaction that she was warming up to him. 'Hn,' was the noise that escaped his lips rather than thank you.

As she released the petal and it blew away, her hand brushed lightly against his dark right cheek and wondered if he was subconscious of his appearance and that was why he had anchored on to her. She had noticed since earlier the stares that they received from people and perceived them as curious inquires to his painfully colored face. Yet as she studied him she realized that they didn't detach from any of his handsome features, they just brought more attention to him. 'We should get some ointment to help treat your wounds and bruises,' she told him as she turned her gaze away. She had realized that he had a fascination with her lips and would stare at them from time to time as if they held some sort of magic.

'Starting to feel subconscious of your handy work?'

Her breath hitched, he had whispered into her ear and the sensation of his breath along her skin was unnerving and warm. 'No, I just thought that you wouldn't want to get an infection and the ointment will help with the minor swelling.'

He watched her shift uneasily, but his hand on her hip held her in place as she tried to get away but she couldn't and instead faced forward avoiding him. He smirked at the reaction he managed to produce from the always denying princess. A light dusted blush lay across her cheeks, it wasn't one of embarrassment or humiliation but of shyness. Maybe treating her with kindness would be the better solution into keeping her for long term or at least not forcing her into submission. Either way he realized that with her around he would have trouble committing to his decision of making her pay. Unless she found a way of making him upset it was something that was almost impossible to do to such a gentle creature. They began to walk back to the parking lot, her face returning to normal by the time they reached his car. 'Thank you,' she whispered in response to him opening the door for her.

Amaranth wondered who was real, the man that claimed to punish her or the one that slowly teased and pulled at her nerve endings. He forced her to leave her family and friends, to kiss him and to reveal her most embarrassing form. Yet he bought her new clothes, fine beautiful dresses and gowns that she would never really wear but did because she had no other choice. He took her to places that were more date worthy then a punishment, a huge contradiction of what she thought time with him would be like. Based on last night, she figured she had saved herself from a night of pure painful humiliation and pleasure. For it seemed like they could be making a drama based on the manga Desire, but the plot was flawed. She also doubted that even if he did take her, feelings wouldn't develop, right? They were only supposed to spend a short time together and she wouldn't ask him for more time once he released her. Based off previous girlfriends, she wasn't his type and he might not take her seriously into consideration. She was just a fling, a new toy to enjoy and then toss aside and with her witnessing his recent breakup a rebound.

She sighed in defeat, it was no point in getting her hopes up. The red thread of love that bound one soulmate to another didn't exist but in fairy tales, novels and television. For humans it was a rare fate, with the divorce rate so high and people choosing to remain single for longer periods of time. It wasn't that they didn't let destiny slip away, it's just that they chose the wrong person. "It is amazing how desires manage to mislead us from fate, but you my Dear have not been misguided," Amaranth began to recall a memory of long ago. A pause in time were Hina and Nina had decided that they wanted to see what the future held and both had inquired and she had been coerced into doing the same.

ooo Flashback ooo

'Nina what's taking you so long,' Hina demanded as she and Amaranth waited patiently for their blonde friend, who was enjoying quality time with a trash can.

'I think she's really sick, maybe we should take a break,' Amaranth offered as she walked over to her friend. They had headed over to a carnival held in Millennium Park after work, it wasn't too busy so they managed to get onto rides relatively easily. Nonetheless, after the Hurricane, Zipper and Gravitron, Nina wasn't holding up too well.

'Just give her a moment,' Hina cringed when she heard Nina hurl into the bin.

'I am going to go and get her some water,' Amaranth had left both girls alone. By the time she had returned with the water Hina was sitting by Nina on a nearby bench rubbing her back.

'I told you not to eat that funnel cake and fried twinkie,' Hina was reprimanding her.

'I was hungry and normally people don't hit three whirling, spinning and out of control rides all at once,' Nina complained.

'Humph, don't blame your misfortune on me,' Hina told her in a harsh tone but her face softened and Amaranth saw something she shouldn't have. For as much as Hina and Nina were constantly fighting or at each others throat, they were friends. However over the years Amaranth had thought that their might be something more to the fiery red head and bomb shell blonde, only both didn't admit it or see it. With a gaze of compassion and something more Hina said in a low whisper, 'Just give it a moment and you'll be fine.'

'Thanks,' she caught a glimpse of red on Nina's cheek and wondered how such a simple and unromantic comment could make her blush.

She had almost felt guilty when she broke it on the moment, 'I brought the water.'

Hina had spotted her as she was looking around for her arrival, so she didn't have time to escape and let them have their moment. 'Great,' she slapped Nina on the back and got up, 'this weakling needs a break from rides, so lets go play some games.'

Nina had glare at Hina from ruining the shared moment or maybe it was the slap that annoyed her, 'Here.'

Amaranth handed her friend the water and wondered with curiosity of what their friendship was really like. 'Come on,' Hina grabbed Amaranth's wrist and began to pull her away before Nina was ready.

Holding her ground she held out her hand for Nina to take, they resembled teenaged friends rather then grown adults. They played a couple of games, but Nina and her soon gave up, since they were no good. Hina had better luck so she won both of them prizes, Amaranth hadn't failed to see that Nina demanded a huge teddy bear and Hina complied but not without bickering first. After winning the huge teddy bear they wondered further into the carnival and ended in front of a psychic's tent. She hadn't wanted to wastes her money, but Nina and Hina both wanted to know about their love life and if she would ever date anyone.

'Welcome,' a woman dressed in a long loose fitted purple dress with fake jewelry greeted them as they entered the small tent. The only furniture three chairs, a table with a purple table cloth and a crystal ball which sat in the center of said table with another smaller table behind the woman with tools for her craft. 'Please be seated,' Amaranth remained standing since only two chairs remained open with the psychic already occupying one. 'How may I be of service?'

'We'd like to have our love fortunes told,' Nina answered.

'Yeah,' Hina agreed, 'we want to know if we'll have epic romances that we can tell our children about.'

'Hmm,' the gypsy woman looked up at her waiting for what she had to say, but Amaranth had found no words, the woman's gaze had been unsettling. 'Well, why don't we see what the cards tell us,' as she got up to move the crystal ball out of the way her jewelry could be heard clinking and chiming in a chorus of sounds. 'Who would like to go first?'

'Me,' Nina quickly answered.

The woman settled back down with a set of tarot cards in her hand, 'Very well, my Dear.'

One after the other the woman read Nina and Hina's fortunes, Amaranth amazed and amused wondering if they realized that their fortunes overlaps and were similar. Yet she knew that both were too stubborn to see what was there and giving them time instead of pushing them or exposing their feelings would be a must, for both were stubborn. She wondered to herself how long ago it happened, how had she been so blind not to see what was before her eyes. 'Amaranth,' Hina poked her cheek trying to get her back to reality, 'it's your turn.'

She blinked and turned her gaze from Hina to the gypsy, who waited for her to take a seat. She was a bit taken back by the woman's sudden interest in her, she watched her with eyes scrutinizing every essence of her being or maybe she was trying to figure out how best to scam her. For she had always been told that psychics were a waste of time and money and they best fed off of what you told them and agreed. They fabricated a vision of what you would think impossible at the time to become an achievable reality if given patience. 'Have a seat, my Dear.'

'You know its getting late and I have to get up for work early tomorrow,' Amaranth tried to escape.

'Nonsense, it's barely four,' Hina sat her on the chair.

'Do not be afraid, I am to simply read your fortune nothing more,' the woman smiled at her and set her cards aside. 'May I have your hands?'

For some odd reason she believe that everything that she was told about gypsies was fake and that this woman would expose her secret and bring her fantasies crashing down on top of each other. Reluctantly she did as told and watched as the woman grabbed and studied both of her hands, trying to read so hard in-between the lines to see what she hid so deep inside herself. 'This is interesting.'

'What is,' Nina asked on behalf of her silent friend.

'I've only every heard about this in folk lure and stories of long ago,' she continued to trace and read Amaranth left hand already forgotten of the right which she clutched tightly on her lap.

'Is she going to be a spinster forever,' Hina inquired.

'Not at all, for her heart has been set the moment she was born. This child will only ever love one person.'

'So is it someone that she has yet to meet,' Nina couldn't hold back her curiosity.

'It is someone that she has already met and spent over a decade with, but has lost,' the woman turned her gaze of Amaranth hand and looked up at her. 'You are very different from him, aren't you? It is amazing how desires manage to mislead us from fate, but you, my Dear, have not been misguided.'

'Wait, what does that mean?'

'Hina, you're such an idiot. It means, while he's been fooling around with other women, she's been steadfast in her commitment to him,' Nina summarized.

'That's stupid,' Hina saw the paleness in Amaranth's face and fell silent.

'Maybe we should go,' Amaranth tried to pull her hand free, but the woman wouldn't have it.

'He might be with other women, but his heart only belongs to you,' the woman told her as she released her hand and Amaranth got up and paid.

Nina and Hina had left the tent before Amaranth could reach the opening to leave, 'If you remain steadfast, all your wishes will come true. However, before you can fully find the happiness you seek, you'll sink into a sadness and despair that will control and mislead you.'