Chapter 3

The afternoon at the chateau Erina and her sons Mizuki and Sumi were practicing in the music room. Erina sat at the piano playing the tune of Sweet Nightingale. Mizuki was told to sing and his voice was loud and off-key that you have to put your hand on your ears. Sumi played along with the flute but he hit many sour notes.

Downstairs, away from the awful music lessons, Misaki was on all fours washing and scrubbing the marble of the entrance hall. He also was singing "Sweet Nightingale" to himself with soft and quiet voice. Voice that could have made even the heavenly choir envious.

"Oh sing sweet nightingale, sing sweet nightingale, sing.." As he sang and worked, the bubbles from the bucket of water floated around him. In each orb reflected a miniture of Misaki. Those little Misakis mimicked the work of the real one and danced around him in an aerial ballet.

After over an hour of washing, the floor was shining and gleamed like a mirror, you could see yourself clearly from the floor. Misaki stood and stretched and whimpered at his sore knees and back. Suddenly a knock was heard at the front door. Misaki hurried to answer it so that Erina and stepbrothers wouldn't get disturbed.

Misaki opened the door and revealed a tall blond man who was dressed in military uniform. The man had a delivery bag slung on his shoulder which was filled with many white envelopes.

"An urgent message from his Majesty", said the blond man as he handed Misaki one of the envelopes.

"Thank you", replied Misaki and closed the door. He eyed the envelope. It had a gold-engraved script written on the front of the envelope and a blue and purple ribbon dangling from the parchment. It looks very important. And the messenger said it was urgent. Was it urgent enough to interrupt Erina and stepbrothers.

"Oh sing sweet nightingale", sang Mizuki badly. "Sing sweet ni-ya-ya-ya-" Sumi accidentally got his finger stuck in one of the holes in the flute and tried to free it and knocked his flute into Mizuki's throat multiple times.

Sumi finally got his trapped finger free. Mizuki ripped the flute out of his hands and hit over Sumi's head.

"You stupid!" Mizuki shrieked. "You did it on purpose!"

Sumi crabbed the flute back and returned the hit on Mizuki's head. Boys started to argue heatedly.

"Boys, boys"; Erina waved her hand at the boys and tried to conciliate them and make them settle down. "Above all have self-control." Erina reminded them.

There was a quiet knock at the door. Erina slammed her hands on to the keys of the piano, the room echoing with the loud notes. "YES?!" She shrieked loudly.

Misaki opened the door carefully and slowly and slid inside, trying not to be intrusive. "I'm sorry", he said in small and nervous voice. He showed the massive envelope "this just arrived from the castle-"

"From the castle?!" Mizuki and Sumi exclaimed and rushed to snatch the parchment from the small boy. They tore at the paper and would have torn it to pieces if Erina hadn't grabbed it from the boys. "I'll read it", said Erina.

She scanned in hurry the big parchment and it turned out to be an invitation. "Well", she said breathlessly, "there's to be a ball! In honor of his highness, the prince!"

"A ball?! The prince?!" the stepbrothers shouted excitedly jumping up and down in joy.

"And by the royal command", Erina continued with a hint of important sounding tune, "every eligible youth is to attend!"

"Why that's us!" Said Mizuki excited.

"And I'm so eligible", said Sumi dreamily.

"Wait", Misaki said as realization lightened up on him. "That means I can go too!"

"Hah!" Mizuki scoffed. "You?! Dancing with the prince!" He laughed evilly.

"I would be honored, your Highness ", Sumi mocked. "Would you be so kind to hold my broom?" The two boys started to laugh and dance around.

"U-um why not!" Misaki said fast and hurt by the mocking. The dancing stopped and the boys looked at Misaki with looks of suprise. Misaki had never spoken against them before. "I'm still a member of this family a-and it says that every eligible youth is to a-atend."

"Yes, so it does", said Erina looking at the invitation. "Well I don't see a reason why you can't go.."

Mizuki and Sumi looked at their mother and shocked at what she had said.

"If..you get all your work done.."

"I will!" Misaki excitedly promised as he ran to the door. "I promise."

"And If you can find something suitable to wear.."

"I'm sure I can. Thank you Madame thank you!" Misaki left closing the door behind him.

Mizuki and Sumi couldn't contain their anger. "Mother!" cried Mizuki. "Do you realize what you just said?!"

"Of course", said Erina unconcerned "I said if."

"Oh", said Sumi as he realized mother's plan. "If.."

The three of them together began to chuckle evilly.

Later that evening Misaki used his rare free time to search something to wear to the ball. He wasn't sure what he should wear. He had an old chest that once belonged to his parents. Eventually he found it from his parents old bedroom's closet. There inside the chest was some gala clothes, father's suit and mother's beautiful purple ball dress. Misaki liked wearing dresses when he was small. His parents didn't judge him about that but smiled and loved him even more. Dresses were comfortable and Misaki was really small for a boy and dress would show up his pretty figure.

But he thought that everyone would make fun of him and think of him as crazy. Misaki sighed. But mother always said that be yourself and don't think what others think. Mother's dress was really old-fashioned, but Misaki could fix that. Some trimming here, remove a few things from there and it would be as good as new. And when I think that it used to be my mother's it makes me feel a lot better. All he needed was to hunt some materials and of course a few hours to himself to prepare it.

"MISAKI!"

Misaki jumped and laid the dress down carefully to the chest before walking out of the room and down the stairs. The dress had to wait.

"Where on earth were you Misaki?!"

"I w-was just in father's bedroom", said Misaki scared about his little secret getting find out.

"Why were you in there when you're needed in here?!" Shrieked Mizuki. Fortunately he didn't ask why Misaki was in his parents bedroom.

Misaki lowered his head. "Je suis désolé, Mizuki. It wont happen again."

"Make sure it doesn't", lectured Erina. "Now go to the dressmaker's and see if our gowns are done, and if they are pick them up. Goodness we ordered them weeks ago. We will able to wear them to the ball. Of course that is if someone remembered their duties", said Erina and glared at Misaki angrily. "Why are you still here, go!"

"O-Oui Madame", said Misaki before he rushed out.

Je suis désolé=I'm sorry