I know Cedric and Gerard don't like Misaki, but these are different circumstances. Plus, it's fanfiction! :) Oh and heads up. To explain the geography, Miyabigaoka and Yumemishi are across each other with Seika forest right in between. Enjoy!

~sapph

It was right about noon when Misaki stopped by the river and washed her face. She'd been travelling since morning and she was tired. Well, more emotionally tired than physically that is. But it was the good kind of emotional tiredness, the one where all pent up anger is finally relieved. She sat and leaned against a massive oak, reminiscing in the events that happened in the last few years.

Her father left their family when she was very young, leaving them with a huge debt to pay. When she was finally old enough, she worked in the tavern as a waitress in order to help out her mother and younger sister. It wasn't that bad; the customers were always friendly and the manager was a sweet, thirty-some year old woman (yet she managed to look like she was still in her early twenties). Misaki sighed in bliss; the employees were all female―no disgusting, idiotic males to dampen her spirits. It was inevitable to have male customers, but she held her ground.

She stopped working at the tavern just a few weeks ago. She didn't quit and she wasn't fired; more like the manager allowed her a sort of vacation―not that she disliked her job or needed a break. There was a flyer posted on their bulletin board asking for help. Apparently, a village beyond Seika forest was being terrorized by someone they nicknamed the "Wolf". No one else seemed to want to take the mission, and she wasn't one who would turn down people in need. Besides that, they offered a huge bounty for that guy! It would probably be dangerous, but she would risk it if it could help her family.

So, she went. As it turned out, the Wolf wasn't as scary or dangerous as she initially thought he was. He was more bark than bite. In the end, she was able to subdue him as well as convince the people to stand up for themselves. All in all, it was a job well done. She told them to send the reward to her family back in Miyabigaoka. She wasn't sure how long it would take her to get back, but at least her family would have it by the time she arrived.

As she packed her things to leave Yumemishi, she unexpectedly bumped into her father. He stood before her, shocked yet sheepish. He looked at her and gave a small smile as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hey there, Misa. Long time no see, huh? It looks like my little girl is grown up now."

Despite all that he'd done, she couldn't bring herself to yell or hit him. The shock was too much for her. Instead, she just said coldly, "Get out of my sight."

He cried in an indecent way and somehow managed to stop her from leaving. Fortunately, no one was around to see their…reunion. He told her the whole truth.

Apparently, her father left them to find his friend who was in debt. He shouldered his friend's debt and managed to pay it back. Once he found his friend, he gave him a punch with all his might. His friend was doing good and had a family of his own, so he was glad. He told her that he knew that leaving them was the most idiotic thing he did, but it was an important matter, so he had to take action. He would've come home sooner if he could. He'd apologize to all of them as many times as he had to.

"…Just stop it. If you keep saying things like that, then I'll just get even more confused!" That was the first time her voice shook. Her bangs covered her eyes as she said in a low voice, "You're a selfish father…"

Slowly and hesitatingly, Ayuzawa Sakuya stepped closer to her and wrapped his arms around his eldest daughter. He knew he'd probably get hit for that, but he also knew that she needed a hug. His embrace was protective and careful; almost as if he felt that he might hurt his daughter once more. Misaki couldn't stop herself, she hugged her father―the man she once trusted the most; the man who broke her trust; the man she hated…and the man she somehow still trusted and loved deep down. For that short moment, she was her father's daughter again. She…believed in him.

She buried her face into her father's shoulder. She didn't cry, no, she was stronger than that…or at least, that's what she made herself believe. Once the hug was over, she gave him a good punch on the cheek. Her father rubbed his swelling cheek and gave her a smile.

"I've been writing to your mother since I got back. Aha, but she hasn't replied to any of them yet. I'll come back soon though, and I'll be sure to make a big feast!" He promised he'd be back soon, and that was enough for her.

"I don't make any promises that we'll actually let you in though." Her father started crying comically again. She waved goodbye as she left for Miyabigaoka, her heart feeling much lighter than it had been in years.

And now here she was, resting in the middle of Seika forest on her way back home. Thinking that she'd rested long enough, she stood up and fixed her cloak, which was actually a parting gift from Satsuki-san, her manager. She hadn't taken two steps away from the tree before she noticed a hand that tried to grab her. She immediately grabbed the hand and flipped her would-be kidnapper over, jumping back to give herself some distance. Flat on his back on the forest floor was a…ninja? Shaking off her shock, she resumed her fighting stance.

"Whoa, whoa, easy there Red. We just want to talk to you."

Misaki whipped her head in the direction where she thought the new voice came from. Looking to her right, she spotted a mirror. Inside that mirror, was a dark-haired young man who was probably a few years older than her. The ninja was back on his feet and Misaki was alert once more.

"Haha! She got you good there, didn't she Ceddy? Anyway, this is definitely her." The man in the mirror nodded. Miskai narrowed her eyes as she glanced at the guy. The hell was he talking about?

'Ceddy' slowly made his way over to her and gave a curt bow. "My name is Cedric Morris. Please forgive my actions from earlier, but I was merely trying to ensure that you didn't escape."

"…Uh-huh. What is it that you wanted to talk about, exactly?" She asked, not letting her guard down.

"Queen Maria has asked me to bring you to the Palace. But my master, Prince Gerard, has told me to do otherwise."

Miskai blinked in confusion. "Why does the Queen want to see me?"

"Well, she's apparently in love with you." Gerard shrugged. Misaki whipped her head to him, her mouth agape.

"What?! We've never even met up close! And she can't be in love with me…I'm a girl!"

"Ah, well, I admit that that's partially my fault. Long story short, I am a prince cursed by a witch to live in the mirror realm. I can see almost anything and everything in the world through other mirrors and reflections. I've seen you twice already, when you washed your face in the river. Anyway, your image kind of slipped out, thus allowing the hag to see you and fall for you." Gerard stared at her, waiting to see if she understood what he said.

"Somehow…I believe you. I still don't get why she's in love with me though."

"Queen Maria has different…tastes." Cedric supplied. He gave a low bow to Gerard. "Though it pains me to do so, I will leave you now, Master Walker."

"Thank you Cedric. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Little Red will be with me. If she can flip you over, then I'm sure she'll be quite capable."

Cedric stepped closer to Misaki and gave her a stern look. "I am entrusting you with my young master. Ensure that no harm befalls him. To the west of here lies a cottage. You and Master Gerard can stay in there until Maria settles down. I'll tell her that we could not find you and that Master Gerard had been stolen." Cedric's jaw clenched at the idea.

"You cannot go home yet. The forest is safe and clear, but a storm is approaching Miyabigaoka and is expected to last quite a while. Other than that, Maria will be looking for you. Stay in Seika forest and keep the young master safe, understand?"

Without waiting for her response, Cedric took off and left them. After a few seconds of silence, Gerard spoke up.

"So Little Red, what's your name?"

"Misaki Ayuzawa…your Highness."

"Ah, finally! Someone besides Ceddy who addresses me with respect! But I'll allow you to just call me Gerard. Anyway, pick me up and let's head to that cottage."

Up until now, Misaki had been in shock. The reality of her situation finally fell on her. "W-wait a minute! I never even agreed to any of this!"

"Well, you either have the option of taking care of me and staying safe, or getting captured by the hag and being forced to probably marry her…your pick."

"Of course I'll choose to stay safe, but how are you so sure that I'd actually watch over you?"

"It's in your eyes. Something about them says that you wouldn't try to hurt or deny someone who's in need of help." Gerard said, taking on a serious tone. They stared the other down, unblinking and silent. Misaki heaved a sigh. The bastard was right. Gerard just smirked in return.

"…So, where's that cottage again?"

"C'mon boys, put your backs into it. Those diamonds aren't gonna come out if you just laze around," said a certain blonde haired young man. He sat leisurely on a stool, his arms behind his head and his legs crossed and propped up by a small boulder.

"Well, I know where these diamonds are gonna end up if you don't get your ass moving, Igarashi!"

"Oh you wound me Kuuga." Igarashi said, his hand to his heart. "I am working. I'm giving you guys pep talks and motivating you to work harder. Your attitude makes it more difficult than it has to be though. Why can't you be like Usui and―" SPLAT! "The fuck was that, Usui?!" He shouted as he stood up and swiped the mud off his face. His attacker remained unfazed by the glare he sent him.

"Move your ass Igarashi." Usui stated coolly as he wiped his hand clean of mud.

"Yukimura-san, that load looks pretty heavy. Are you sure you can handle that?" A tall bespectacled boy asked. He was younger than most of the boys, but Yukimura seemed slightly fragile, thus resulting in the need to watch over him. In their line of work, they had to be able to pick their way through the mines and be able to carry heavy loads.

"Of course I can, Kanou-kun. I g-got this…Ah!" Kanou shook his head. At least he's trying; that was why Kanou respected the older boy.

"I know we're excavating for diamonds, but I didn't realize that I'd get so filthy! My clothes are completely ruined!"

"It's not so bad Aoi-chan. You gotta admit this is pretty fun!"

"Oh shut it Hinata. Can we go now? It's already late and I need a bath!" Aoi whined and stomped his foot. He was the youngest and the shortest of the seven of them. He was known to be a cross dresser, but the others simply didn't mind or didn't care. They did, however, question why he was working in the mines if he was so bothered by the dirt. When asked, the young boy merely scoffed and turned up his nose (which somehow became ridiculously long) with a proud grin on his face.

"These diamonds are perfect for the tiara and headdresses I'm making! Other than that, can you just imagine how cute it would look with a matching dress?"

No…they couldn't.

"Alright. C'mon sissy boy." Usui said as he lifted Aoi off the ground and slung him onto his shoulder, despite the younger boy's protest. The others dropped their equipment as well and started toward the cave's entrance.

"Ah, another good day's work." Igarashi sighed as he stretched his arms.

"Bull. You barely lifted a finger today." Kuuga muttered under his breath. Once outside the cave, they noticed Aoi flat on his bum and Usui looking towards the direction of their cottage. His green eyes were narrowed in suspicion. The sun was setting and the sky grew dark, but there was no mistaking that small pillar of smoke above the tree line.

"Did someone forget to put out the fire before we left the cottage?"

"No, I remember dumping a bucket of water in the fireplace right before we left." Shintani recalled. Usui frowned slightly. The others looked toward the smoke and wore similar expressions.

"Let's go. Either the cottage is on fire, or someone decided to break in."

"Are you sure we can come in? This is pretty much trespassing." Misaki asked as she looked down at the man…mirror in her arms. He looked back up and scoffed.

"Of course I'm sure. They have a mat that says 'Welcome' anyway. That seems like a pretty clear invite to me. Besides, I can see inside and no one's in."

"Which makes it even worse. You don't just barge into people's houses―"

"Cottage, Misaki, it's a cottage. There's a difference." Gerard corrected her.

"Whatever. Anyway, this is trespassing." She shook her head. "Cottage my ass. This is almost a freaking mansion!" She thought to herself. She turned back to Gerard when he gave a snort.

"You're such a goody-goody. Look, this is a fourteen-bedroom cottage, we're tired and in potential danger. If the inhabitants do find us, which is inevitable, I'm sure they'll understand. If not, well, you're not that bad looking, so I think we'll be able to work something out."

Oh this guy was infuriating! Misaki raised her hand out of habit, ready to hit the guy, but realized that it'd probably be futile. She couldn't break the mirror either. They say that breaking a mirror is bad luck. She wasn't superstitious or anything, but…you never know. Besides, Cedric trusted her with him and she wasn't one to break someone's trust.

Thinking back to Gerard's last sentence, Misaki tensed when she understood what it implied. "How are you so sure that the inhabitants are guys?"

"I could see the rooms. Most are neat and tidy, but they're definitely guys' rooms…although one room throws me off. I can detect some masculinity, but there are too many dresses in there. Who knows, one of them could be sissy or a homo."

Swallowing her doubt, Misaki reached for the doorknob and slowly opened the door. Peering inside, they found that it was indeed empty. Misaki walked in and closed the door shut, looking around in curiosity.

"See? Only idiots or incredibly welcoming people would leave their front door unlocked." Gerard deadpanned. He noticed her shiver a little. "You've been travelling for a while, right? The sun is about to set, so it'll get a bit colder. Why don't you start a fire and take a nap in one of the rooms?"

Misaki nodded and did as he suggested. She placed Gerard on one of the couches facing the fireplace and made sure that he wouldn't tip over. Knowing that he was balanced, she made the fire and sat next to him. After removing her red cloak and folding it up neatly, she relaxed her shoulders and sighed. Gerard looked at her and decided to start a conversation.

"So why were you traveling in the first place?"

"Oh, I saw a flyer in the tavern I work in. A village in Yumemishi was being terrorized by someone, so they asked the neighboring kingdoms for help. I went, defeated the guy, helped the people, and got the reward money. I was on my way home, until you stopped me." She shrugged.

"Saved you. Wait…by any chance, was the guy known as the 'Wolf'?" Misaki nodded and Gerard's eyes widened a small fraction. He shook his head. "I'd say I wouldn't believe you, but seeing what you could do to Ceddy, I will. So what, you're a bounty hunter now?"

"Mm…I can't say for sure. That was my very first mission. Besides, my family and everyone else would probably freak out if I continued doing this." She covered her mouth as she yawned. "I'm going to head upstairs." As she stood, Gerard called out to her.

"Hey, take me with you."

"W-what? You're fine where you are, aren't you?

"For the time being, yes. But what if the inhabitants come back and decide to shatter me or throw me away? I forgot to tell you that if this curse is to be broken, this mirror is my only means of escape. You can't risk that, can you?"

Misaki rubbed her eye. "No, I don't think so. I'm tired as it is, but I can't exactly sleep with you in the same room."

"I'm in a mirror. What's the worst I can do?" He rolled his eyes.

"Physically speaking, nothing." Gerard twitched at that. It was true, but it still kind of stung a bit. "It's just that I can't take a nap with someone watching me."

"You can face me away from you if you want. Just take me with you." Gerard shrugged.

"Alright then." She picked him up and went upstairs. She wasn't sure which rooms were being used and which ones were new. After a while, she found a room that looked fairly new, with a double-sized bed in one corner. After placing her cloak and Gerard on a chair near the foot of the bed, she faced him toward the doorway.

She didn't bother using the blanket and instead just lay on the bed. Realizing that she was more tired than she thought, she allowed her eyes to slowly close shut and her mind to wander the plains of her dream. Gerard kept his eyes on the door until boredom overcame him. He said she could face him away from her, but he never promised he wouldn't watch her.

And there just so happened to be a dresser and mirror conveniently placed parallel to the bed. Closing his eyes, he disappeared from his mirror and watched from the other mirror in the room. He raised his brow and stared at her sleeping form. Misaki looked really peaceful when she slept.

He sighed in irritation. The curse was gradually turning him into a stalker.

I planned on allowing the guys to reach the cottage in this chapter, but I decided to stretch their meeting with Misaki and Gerard to the next chapter. Oh, and please no jumping to conclusions in dealing with romance. This is only the first chapter (previous is just the prologue), so nothing is going on…yet (maybe). Tell me what you think! I welcome reviews and criticisms (that actually make sense―if the review is just a bunch of random letters like: ghfjj, then don't bother and don't waste my time), and I'd like room for improvement. Your opinions would be helpful.