Mother did not take long to get to Hikari to talk to her after she and Takashi had returned to the castle. Mother cornered her in the hallway and requested she come with her to the presence chamber.
Mother shut the door quietly and locked it. Next, she stepped over to the Hikari standing in the middle of the room. Hikari felt a flare of apprehension in the pit of her stomach when Mother stepped too closely to her. She closed her eyes and stilled her breathing Mother exposed the newfound bite from Takashi on her neck by pulling away her collar.
Mother grumbled out a sigh and stepped a pace back from her. "He made the claim?" she asked, voice tense and eager in some odd way.
"Um..." Hikari hummed out, voice stuck in her throat.
"Yes or no?" Mother spat impatiently.
"I," Hikari shook her head. "No. Jus-ttt th-the bite," she stuttered out. The hawkish way Mother was staring at her made her as nervous as a small child. She just wanted to tell her whatever was necessary to making her stop staring like that.
Mother closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She brought her hand back down to her side, opened her eyes, and dead panned, "why not?"
Mother's disdain was impossible to place and Hikari had no clue how to answer her properly. She felt her lower lip begin to quiver and her eyes prick. "I asked..." she began. "I asked him, but he said he wanted to wait, he wants to, but he wants to wait. I... for father's approval," she managed to explain. "And his own parents', too."
She looked over at Mother, her face more rueful and looking rather disappointed. Hikari felt the tears welling up hot in her eyes, but she did not want to cry in front of Mother. She blinked rapidly, willing her emotions to stay under her control.
"Hikari," Mother breathed her name soothingly.
Mother stepped towards her, hawkishness dropped from her. Hikari stepped away from her, guarding herself from the impending hug, lest it break her resolve not to cry. Mother stopped in her tracks, looking wounded herself in turn. Hikari kept backing away until she bumped into the desk behind her.
Mother spoke again in a softer, but still serious tone, "you'll not get your father's, you'll have to understand that. He'd sooner run Takashi through than let him claim."
"I know," Hikari answered, not looking up at Mother. "You put him under your protection."
"But yet- wait, how do you know that?" Mother turned her words about her.
"I..." she did not want to explain out of the desire to not be in trouble.
"You heard us fighting, didn't you?" Mother guessed. Hikari nodded, swallowing thickly. She flinched in anticipation of a scolding for that. Mother merely sighed to express her annoyance with that. "You won't get your father's approval, not without a long and arduous fight. But I have no doubt you'll get Minha and Hayate's. Minha has wanted the two of you to be together since you were an infant." Mother hummed tiredly. "You're better off making the claim now before your father gets back. He won't do a thing to Takashi if he's already your mate."
"He won't do it," Hikari murmured. "Takashi, I mean."
"Try once more to convince him," Mother winced out. She shook her head uncomfortably.
Hikari felt her uncomfortable feelings growing in her stomach. This was not something she wanted to discuss anymore.