Chapter 13
Misaki was about halfway down the tower's side. His hands were red and the back of his shirt clung to his back from the sweating. His breath came out in ragged pants.
Scaling the wall was a lot harder than he had thought, but he just had to press on.
Misaki looked down to find a new foothold. It looked like the ground was really far away. The height made him dizzy and he froze with fear.
Misaki felt that the glass slipper was slipping from his pocket. As quickly as lightning, Misaki reached it with his other hand and grapped it just as it was going to drop. Misaki held the slipper against his chest with his hand and at the same time held the rope.
Okay. I can do this.
Inside
"I suppose. You have answered all of our questions." Akihiko said.
"Well..." The woman started. "There has been a rumor that you are searching for the person you wanted as your consort." Erina looked at Akihiko. "I don't suppose it's true, however.."
Akihiko fought against to roll his eyes and sigh. The villagers and their damn gossiping ways! He might have guessed that he coudn't get away from the machinating woman without confessing his true intent.
"Well, Madame, the rumor is quite true. The person I'm looking for will be my consort. That is if they accept my proposal."
"Ah!" Erina laughed quietly. "Who fool wouldn't accept a proposal from you, Highness? Care to tell me who the lucky someone is?" Erina asked with a smile.
"I'm sorry, Madame. I want to keep that information secret for now."
Erina's smile fell. "Oh," She said disappointed.
Akihiko and Hiroki stood, preparing to leave. It seemed that they had to continue somewhere else. In his mind, Akihiko cursed. This had been their only lead.
"Your Highness!" Erina cried.
Akihiko turned around looking with an annoying face. Erina faltered as though she had called without thinking.
"Um.." She said unsure of herself. "Would you mind telling about this thing your 'special someone' lost?"
Akihiko raised an eyebrow at this. "And why, Madame, would I do that?"
"Well, how can you be sure that it wasn't theirs?" Erina asked and pointed at her sons. "One of them might have lost it."
The prince cast a glance at the two boys. "Did one of you lost something at the ball?" He asked.
Both looked at their mother who looked sternly at them. "Yes!" They replied in unison.
Akihiko resisted the urge to roll his eyes again. Apparently the family wasn't going to let him away from their claws so easily.
Akihiko turned his whole body to them. "If you can tell me about the lost thing for me, I'll show it to you."
The boys exchanged nervous looks before looking back to Erina. The woman's face was blank and her eyes glowed with anger.
Sumi found his courage first. "I lost my..my n-necklace. Yes that it is. My necklace."
"What was it made of?" Akihiko asked.
Sumi took this as an encouragement.
"Um.. Out of gold and platinum." He answered a little more confidently.
"And did it have some kind of detail?"
"Yes. It had emerald diamond in the middle."
The silverhaired prince shook his head with a small smirk on his lips. "Non, I'm sorry. That was not the object I found."
Sumi's face fell. He didn't dare to look at his mother in the eye.
It was Mizuki's turn. "I lost a shoe at the ball. It was one of my favourites."
Akihiko's brows shot up. "Really?" Out of the corner of his eye he saw Erina smiling smugly.
"Oui." Mizuki said.
"Descripe it for me."
"Um.." The boy thought for a moment. "It was made of white thick leather and it was glassy-smooth."
Akihiko almost laughed. "Leather. No I'm sorry." He said with a smile.
Mizuki looked destroyed. Akihiko knew that they had blew their chances.
"Come Akihiko." Hiroki said gesturing to the doorway.
With Misaki
Misaki looked up and thought that he was almost at the bottom of the tower. Mostly likely about eight feet.
"Almost." Misaki breathed heavily. "Just a little mor-"
He felt his feet slip from the side of the wall. Misaki clung to the makeshift rope for dear life and held the shoe tightly to his chest. He could hear blood rush to his ears. He let out a little scream. He looked at the ground below him. He didn't have enough bed sheets.
To his horror he relized that he had to jump the rest of the way.
"Last step, Misaki." But he had come a long way to this. He couldn't give up. He had to escape his horrible stepmother and get to Akihiko.
Quickly he said a prayer in his head, took a deep breath for courage, and slowly uncurled his fingers. He felt the cotton rope slide from his hold. He let out another scream this one little louder. Before he met the gorund he get to put the slipper back safe to his pocket.
'Oomph' His feet touched the hard ground first, followed by the rest of his delicate body.
Akihiko stood at the open doorway and his ears picked up the sound of something soft hitting something very hard. He also swore he heard a faint scream.
"Hiroki, did you hear that?" He asked.
The grand duke nodded. "It sounded like it came from outside."
Akihiko dashed out and Hiroki and Nowaki, the guard followed him. Akihiko looked around frantically and ignored Erina's cries at the doorway. "It was probably nothing!" Erina tried to say. But it didn't reach Akihiko's ears.
Paying the woman no heed, he ran to the corner of the chateau. He was sure that the sound came from there. He rounded what seemed like a tower that was set in the corner. He looked around rapidly. Then his gaze fell upon something laying still on the ground. A thing with dark brown hair.
With a gasp, Akihiko sprinted to the small figure. Could it be?.. He thought.
Akihiko fell to his knees beside the boy and pulled his head to his lap. He brushed away those soft brown spikes from the boy's eyes and Akihiko gasped again. "It's you." He said softly with a smile.
Misaki felt his head lying on something soft and warm. He cracked his eyes open and winced at the sudden bright sunlight. He looked up and he saw a familiar face and silver hair and those beautiful lavender eyes.
"A..Akihiko?" He gasped quietly. He must be dreaming or dead.
A bigger smile grow to Akihiko's face but a worry remained in his eyes. "Oui, my dear. It is me." He said softly. "What happened?"
The boy tried to sit up but fell back and whimpered from pain in his head. "No, don't move." Akihiko said cradling his beloved to his chest. "You'll hurt yourself more. Tell me, what happened?"
Misaki slowly raised his hand and pointed upwards. Akihiko followed the boy's finger. His eyes widened when he saw the long rope of sheets hanging from a broken window really high above.
"My stepmother locked me in the attic." He said quietly with a tired voice. "But..I had to get to you so I broke the window and climbed down. I didn't make the rope long enough. I had to jump the rest of the way. I guess it was longer than I thought.
At that moment Hiroki, Nowaki and Erina and the boys arrived, the last three with pale white faces. Akihiko sent a glare to their way.
Hiroki approached the two and knelt down beside the small boy, examining to see how severe his injuries were. Thankfully, they weren't too bad. The boy would be a little sore for a couple of days and was a bit bruised.
Erina struggeled to come up with an explonation to cover up her obvious lies. All of her plans were falling apart and she had no way of getting them togehter.
Erina approached her injured stepson. "Misaki, mon petit, You have come back!"
Misaki saw Erina coming closer and started to struggle in Akihiko's arms trying to get away from her. Akihiko held him tighter and murmured soothingly to him and glared harshly at Erina. Misaki looked at Erina and his anger came back. He wouldn't back out this time. He had to stand up to himself.
"H-how could I leave? You locked me in the attic!" He shot her an angry look.
Erina cleared her throat nervously before addressing the prince. "I'm sorry, Your Highness. I'm afraid he is a bit delusional. I-I don't have a clue what he's talking about.." She laughed uncomfortably and sweating.
Misaki froze at what his stepmother said. Y-Your Highness? Misaki didn't realize that he speaked out loud. Akihiko looked down at him and smiled that dazzling smile of his that was just for Misaki.
Akihiko turned his gaze to Erina and his smile faded to glare. "Maybe you don't believe, but I do." Akihiko said in a low voice, harsh violet eyes still on the woman.
Hiroki stood from the ground and crossed his arms. His brown eyes pinned Erina to the spot. "Madame, do you know that it is illegal to lie to the Crown Prince? Especially about such a serious matter?"
The blackhaired woman gulped and stepped back, shivering under the duke's angry gaze. Mizuki and Sumi cowered behind her.
Akihiko stood up and helped carefully Misaki up and kept his arms around him that he wouldn't fall. "I'm taking you away from here, Misaki my dear."
Misaki shivered a little when Akihiko said his name for the first time with that deep voice. He smiled joyfully at the man and Akihiko led him to the waiting horses.
"Wait!" Came Erina's cry again.
Everyone turned to look at the woman, annoyed looks on their faces. Erina faltered a little under their glowers, but she was determined not to let up. She met the prince's gaze.
"Even if I did lie about my stepson, you still have no evidence that he is the one Your Highness is looking for." She sounded confident. But the truth was that he was pinning her last hopes.
Akihiko wanted to ignore the widow's words but for some reason he considered. He wanted the satisfaction of her utter failure. He gazed at Misaki, whose beautiful green eyes were wider with confusion.
The prince smiled warmly at the green eyed beauty. "I suppose I'll test you, if she's ever going to leave us alone." He carefully set Misaki apart from him and stepped couple steps away from him. "Before I came to this chateau, I had been searching all day for the boy I had danced with that night at the ball. That beautiful boy had left something behind as he left close the midnight. If you're this person, then please tell me: what was it that he left?"
Misaki blinked with his big emerald eyes and blushed a little at Akihiko's words. A small sweet smile appeared on his lips. "I don't have to tell you..I have its twin with me.." Misaki reached into his pocket and pulled out a matching glass slipper that shone like a mirror in the sunlight.
Gasps and screams came from Erina and the boys. Erina looked ready to snarl like a dog. Mizuki and Sumi hung their heads defeated.
Akihiko grinned happily, ecstasy filling his entire being. He pulled the slipper's other twin from his pocket, came closer and kneeled down helding the shoe to Misaki. Misaki took off his old worn out shoes and held his petite foot to the shoe and Akihiko put it on. Misaki put the other slipper to the ground and slipped his other foot to it.
Suddenly a bright, blue, sparkling light started to glow around Misaki. Akihiko had to raise his hand to shield his eyes from the bright light.
Misaki felt a familiar tingling sensation against his skin.
The light faded away and Misaki was standind there with the same dress he wore to the ball. The stepfamily and Hiroki and Nowaki gaped, dumpfounding. Akihiko stared at the beautiful sight in front of him and he had a lovely smile on his handsome face. Misaki blushed at the attention, especially Akihiko's, and smiled that sweet smile of his.
A happy laugh broke the air. Startled everyone looked at Akihiko lifting Misaki up and spinning him around. They both had wide smiles on their faces and they thought were the only ones in this world. Couple spins later Akihiko put him down.
'Well done, Misaki' Misaki heard the voice. Merci. Misaki thanked inside his head.
Akihiko remembered the whole reason he came here. He looked at Misaki and took the boy's hands to his, causing Misaki to blush more. "Even though I have known you for a night, you have stolen my heart. I love you, with all my heart, with my entire being."
Misaki smiled beautifully. "I love you too, Akihiko."
Akihiko knelt down and pressed his lips to the boy's soft, little hands. His eyes met the green eyes and both glowed with love.
"Will you marry me, Misaki?" He asked softly.
Misaki smiled brighter than all of the stars in the heavens and tears welled up on his eyes. "Oui." He breathed a tear running down his cheek.
Erina yelled and fainted. Not even her sons helped her. The boys started to wail.
The lovely couple paid no mind to them. They were too lost in each other's eyes. Akihiko rose up and wrapped his arm around Misaki's waist and the other rose to Misaki's cheek. Misaki placed his hand to Akihiko's strong shoulders. The same way like at the ball when they…
Misaki raised his head as Akihiko lowered his head and their lips finally met in a soft but passionate kiss.
Hiroki and Nowaki stood a few feet away and looked at the lovely couple. Hiroki smiled soflty and felt Nowaki's hand on his waist. He looked up and saw Nowaki looking straight into his eyes, smiling of course. Hiroki smiled too and leant into Nowaki and sighed dreamily.
To be continued...