A/N: Suddenly we are back here and already it's my 8th anniversary. To celebrate I have new stories started as I usually do and will continue to release the rest tomorrow.

Thank you so much to all the critics, Lurkers, reviewers, and loyal followers. Without all of you, there would never have been eight years of Thrill from this Authoress. Thank you so much for putting up with fickle dates of updating and Thank you for always reviewing and being persistent with PM's to get me to update. THAT is what makes me work my butt off to bring you these.

MARYLOVER – It's slowly getting there in terms of plot but I'm just introducing Thrill right now. I want to give OC's a chance to shine a bit more than I usual in this fic along with Thrill so we'll see how it goes.

Because Of You

Rated: M

Summary: When Ryoma declares war on playboy Syuusuke who claims his sister as his prey, he might just find out his life isn't all it seems to be.

Ch IV: The Royal Family

Recap

Akira sighed softly as he wondered what life would've been like for Ren if he hadn't marry the princess for his family and married his current consort instead. What life would they all have now if Crown Prince Yori survived and was Emperor now?

XxX

Tokyo, Japan

Nakahara Residence

"So what is the deal with that guy Aniki?" Mayumi asked turning away from her homework to look at her brother.

"What guy?" Ryoma asked looking up from his own homework.

"That guy from Hyoutei that we ran into." Mayumi said with a slight frown. "It seemed like he liked pissing you off."

"That was what he was doing." Ryoma acknowledge with a nod. The mention of that bastard was getting him all heated again.

"But what was the purpose?" Mayumi asked still confused by everything.

Ryoma merely sighed loudly to show his sister that the whole topic was shortening his temper.

"Ani-"

"Some people just think they can have everything and anything they want Mayumi." Ryoma finished before turning back to his work.

Mayumi didn't say anything else as she turned to her homework again. She just wanted to know what her brother's thoughts on the whole situation were. She was well aware that the challenge issued earlier had been to her brother and no one else. If her intuition was right then that boy from Hyoutei was very interested in Ryoma in more than a friend.

"Tadaima(I'm back)" Hazuki said coming into the house.

"Okaeri Okaa! (Welcome Back Mom)" Mayumi said standing to greet her mother.

Hazuki smiled and hugged her daughter tightly before she turned to place a kiss on Ryona's forehead. "How was school?"

"We'll be getting back later now so we probably won't be home till you get home." Mayumi said with a smile. "After school activities you know."

"Oh? What do you both have in mind?" Hazuki asked with a tired smile.

"Aniki wants to do tennis and I want to join the tea club." Mayumi fibbed quickly.

"Well you both should be accomplished at those things." Hazuki said before she went to the sofa and sat down. "Shall I make dinner?"

"I'll help," Mayumi volunteered and with a glance at her Ryoma, she hurried to the kitchen with her mother.

XxX

Chiyoda, Japan

Palace

"Ayaka?"

Ren entered her room where two attendants sat with her in her private sitting room.

Ren waved them out after Ayaka turned away to ignore him. They bowed and backed out while he looked at his difficult consort.

"Ayaka…"

"Don't talk to me," She said with a pout as her eyes narrowed in anger.

"Why are you being so difficult?" Ren asked sitting beside her. He pulled her over so they faced each other but he could feel the resistance in her body.

"Are you angry at me because I'm so busy?" Ren asked searching her beautiful face.

Ayaka nodded with a pout of anger.

"Should I quit being emperor?" Ren asked with a slight smile at how adorable she could look even angry.

"How dare you-"

Ren pressed his lips to hers and like he thought, she melted. Her lips suddenly moved against his and she twisted herself into his arms. Ren relented and started to pry her kimono apart to find that she had already climbed atop him. She was wild in bed as usual as she wanted instant satisfaction. Her hand dug into his hair insistently, as she dug opened his pants bringing him out hard.

"Slow down…" Ren uttered wanting to enjoy at least a little time with her. Ayaka ignored his request as she stroked him twice before sinking herself onto him with a sharp gasp on pleasure. Ren groaned feeling her wet as she quickened the pace without waiting for him. She climaxed once with a gasp as she expertly rolled her hips against him and collapsed on top urging him to take over. He did, and felt her tense for another. Pressing a kiss to her head he pushed harshly against her like he knew she liked it. He felt himself nearing as she came for her second time.

"Pull out…" She commanded in between short breaths.

"Why?" Ren asked more in the moment than for her reasoning.

Ayaka took matters into her own hands as she rolled and wiggled out from under him to stroke him hard once having him cum over her hand and bed instead of inside.

"Ayaka…"

"I don't want another one." Ayaka said rolling off the bed as she undid the rest of her kimono.

"Why not?" Ren asked turning round to sit on the bed.

"I just got my figure back to the way it was and you want to ruin it again?" Ayaka asked stepping towards the bathroom nude.

"I only expect you to be the mother of my children and you don't want to even be that?" Ren asked.

"Don't burden me with your wants love," Ayaka said loudly over the shower.

If there was one thing he never liked about Ayaka, it was her compulsive way she had to shower and be away from him after sex. She didn't like cuddling and she certainly didn't want him to touch her afterwards.

"She drives me crazy…" Ren utter as he cleaned himself up and got ready for his meeting. There was things he had to do as well.

XxX

(Silent Melody- Lucifer)

Yuna pushed her book close as she looked at her guard sitting beside her fiddling with his phone.

"What are you doing?"Yuna asked glancing over to his phone screen.

"Nothing," Ryu said sliding his phone shut. "Are you done?"

Yuna nodded and looked over again noting that his eyes refused to meet hers. She didn't know how to go about showing she liked him a lot unless she just told him. Though her mother would never approve of her dating someone lower than her, she didn't care. Ryu was everything she liked and yet he was only proper with her. He looked at her as a person he needed to protect, not any more.

"Ryu…"

"Hm?" He asked looking over at her.

"Do you like me?" Yuna asked looking at him squarely.

"Of course I do hime," Ryu said respectfully.

"I really like you though Ryu-kun." Yuna said stubbornly. "Do you understand that?"

"I cannot answer that," Ryu said quickly as he stood to look out the window. "If hime is done then we should head to your lessons."

Yuna looked away in sadness. That was not what she was hoping to hear from him. Somehow, someway she had thought he'd feel the same way.

XxX

Tokyo, Japan

Fuji Residence

Fuji frowned as he continued to make lines across the paper connecting various people together. He hadn't yet found why it was so crucial that his uncle needed to marry the Prime minister's daughter. She was younger than his uncle and Fuji felt bad that because of political reasons they should wed. Especially since his uncle had a consort he really loved. Though his consort wasn't Fuji's type since she seemed distant and cold at times, he understood it'd be difficult for his uncle to marry for name and political reasons only when he had planned to make his consort his official empress and wife within the year.

XxX

Tokyo, Japan

Seigaku

"They need more endurance," Ryoma said bluntly. "All of you are about winning as fast as possible that you've forgotten some matches can take a good amount of time as well."

"I thought I did pretty well with that against you." Tezuka stated.

"You and who else?" Ryoma asked noting how many breaks the regulars and even the trainees had to go through because of fatigue during one practice.

"True..." Tezuka finally agreed as he made a note to have the team do batter.

"And who is this?"

Ryoma and Tezuka turned from their reviewing to see Atobe standing a few paces away with a slight frown and attention-catching pose.

"This is Nakahara." Tezuka introduced with a slight movement to his right where Ryoma stood. "What are you doing here Atobe?"

"Is he part of the team?" Atobe asked walking forward to close the distance between them.

Ryoma frowned as he watched Atobe size him up so he did the same. Ryoma had no idea what his problem was but he was quite sure the guy didn't like him… not that he liked him either. Ryoma had never been one to draw attention to himself.

"Tezuka… I think matches should be drawn up between us again." Atobe said satisfied that Ryoma didn't seem too threatening though he had a nice face. The frown and glare turned off his looks in Atobe's opinion.

"I'll get going then," Ryoma said loudly. He didn't have time to waste with a club he didn't intend to join or stay in the company of a person he detest.

"Can you not see we're talking here?" Atobe asked noting that Tezuka's attention left him when the boy announced his intention on leaving.

"Did you not see we were in a conversation before YOU intruded?" Ryoma shot back with a glare.

"You little brat!" Atobe said with narrowed eyes on him.

"Takes one to know one." Ryoma shot back before he turned away and left. He didn't have time for that when his sister was waiting for him so they could go to Shibuya together.

XxX

"Hey girls," Minato said to Mayumi and her friends as he passed by with his tennis bag slung over his shoulder.

"Hi!" the girls chorused back to him.

"What brings you to Seigaku?" One of Mayumi's friends asked.

"My buchou," He said with a smile.

"Ne Minato-kun…." Another said.

"Yes?"

"Are you dating anyone?" She asked with a growing grin.

"No… not at the moment." Minato said though he had visibly taken a step back from them.

"Well what do you think about taking out our Mayumi?" Emiko asked putting a hand on Mayumi. "She happens to like you a lot!"

The others chorused their agreement making it awkward between Mayumi and Minato as they looked at each other only to look away.

"Right Mayumi?" Emiko pushed with a smile.

"I do…" Mayumi said softly agreeing that she did indeed find him likeable though she colored brightly from that admission.

"Well, I don't really know you all that well so I'm sorry…" Minato said uncomfortably. "I'll see you guys later."

"Awww! He ran away…" her friends said with a frown.

Not knowing how to take such a rejection, Mayumi whipped towards the way he was going and yelled after him.

"Still, it doesn't change my feelings so I hope you'll consider it!"

He didn't stop which hurt her but she also felt a weight on her heart remove itself as well.

"Well… at least you bravely confessed." One of her friends said giving her an encouraging hug. "Most rich boys wouldn't even allow us middle-class girls a chance or another look."

"People have to stick to their own class because it makes the parents happy and there's no trouble in understanding what each other want and need from each other." Emiko said with a sad sigh.

"But we can dream can't we?" Another of her friends said with a smile.

Mayumi nodded though she felt her heart sink. She had wanted to get to know him better.

XxX

Tokyo, Japan

Hazuki

Hazuki ducked behind the counter as she saw Akira walk into the restaurant. She wondered where a hostess would be to seat him so she could safely escape. Looking towards the back, she was thankful to see the hostess rushing forwards with a smile on her face.

"Ashikaga-san!"

"Ah. Michiko," Akira greeted with a smile. My usual table but if you guys could give me someone other than Kairi-chan."

"Is she persistent with you again?" The hostess asked with a slight frown.

"I'm afraid so but I am married." Akira said with a smile as he followed the hostess away.

Hazuki watched him silently in the background. He hadn't changed much since he still smiled often since she had last seen him. He was still very handsome and she wondered how it was in that place where she used to exist with them.

Takumi had never told her what was happening and she had been too busy over the fifteen years to actually pay attention to his world.

"Hazuki?"

"Hm?" she whipped around to face the manager's wife.

"Are you okay? Why are you hiding back here when you're already off?" She asked slightly worried.

"I'm fine just thinking…" Hazuki said with a smile. She liked the manager's wife because she was always nice and considerate but there were things she couldn't tell her.

"SO you were looking at Ashikaga as well." She said noting that the view from here was dead-set bird's eye view of Akira.

"I-…"

"It's fine to say so to me," She said with a smile. "Most of the girls here have a tremendous crush on him."

"Oh…" Hazuki said walking with the manager's wife now to the door.

She nodded with a smile."Sadly he married and people say he loves his wife so there's no room for another girl in his life."

Akira at that moment thought he recognized a voice and glanced up as well. He saw the manager's wife talking with someone slim and pretty but yet he could almost swear he knew her… why did she look so familiar?

XxX

Tokyo, Japan

Nakahara Residence

Takumi walked into the room and noted Hazuki was home already.

"Okaeri," Hazuki said with a smile when she glanced up to see him walk inside.

Takumi merely nodded, shut the door behind him and looked around. "Where are the kids?"

"They joined clubs so they'll be home late." Hazuki said putting her sewing down.

"I wasn't expecting you to be home already…" Takumi admitted after an awkward silence between them.

"I got off early," Hazuki said softly before she put her sewing to the side. "I saw Akira again today.."

"You need to quit because it's bringing you closer and closer back to that place." Takumi said with a frown as he sat across from her and leaned forward to grab her hand.

"I slightly want to know a little about that world again." Hazuki admitted. "I ran away but still I want to know a bit because I didn't properly say goodbye…"

"He wouldn't have allowed it if you properly did," Takumi reminded her.

"But still…the whole problem was m fault…"

"Don't make yourself out to be the bad one." Takumi said with slight anger. "He didn't have to but he did and they played you for a fool then."

"It was my mistake I couldn't make him love me like I wanted him to." Hazuki said with a small smile. "I just kept hoping and the days kept passing."

"He didn't even try to love you," Takumi said in a strained voice.

"Then maybe I shouldn't have wished for the impossible as well right?" Hazuki said turning away from Takumi.

Both didn't speak again as they replayed different memories

XxX

Tokyo, Japan

Shibuya District

Mayumi walked silently next to Ryoma as they walked home. She was deep in thought as she walked numbly next to her brother.

Glancing up, her eyes met Minato who was standing on the other side of the tracks. She froze but found enough strength to look away so it wouldn't become awkward. She turned to Ryoma and rapidly started a conversation to distract herself. Still, she felt the prickly feeling from behind as if he was watching her.

Across the platform, Minato was staring. He was findings it strange that they are the way they are. He had turned the girl down because he didn't even know her… save for her running into Syuusuke and him, and two other times when he greeted her and her friends.

He really hated to have regrets but he really meant it as well when he said he didn't know her. Plus his parents wanted him to get to know the princess and eventually marry her if possible. So really… he didn't have time to date someone casually or else he might end up like the current emperor… with a consort.

Ryoma wondered what was wrong with his sister as she started speaking of random things yet she wasn't looking for an answer to any of her ramblings. He sighed as his gaze drifted and landed on the problem. It seemed the person Mayumi was crushing on just happened to be standing on the opposite platform and it was causing her mind to race.

Ryoma shook his head slightly at the ridiculous things girls go through.

"Mayumi-chan…"

Ryoma eyes snapped up as he shoved Mayumi behind him. If ever his gut told him danger was near, it was at this moment. HE frowned openly at Fuji who stood a few feet away from them.

"And if it isn't the protective brother." Fuji said with a slight smile to the desirable object he had been eyeing.

"Why does the virus never have a better place to go than to stalk people who doesn't want him?" Ryoma asked with a glare.

"I highly think its luck that we just keep running into one another and not any other force Ryoma-kun…" Fuji said with a bright smile. He really couldn't help but get sucked up by such an intriguing man that Ryoma was.

"Just stay away… is that too hard to do?" Ryoma said with a dark look.

"Shall we settle this in a tennis match?" Fuji asked opening his blue eyes to meet Ryoma's gold ones. He was getting turned on by the darkness that Ryoma could shoot at him

"I'll make you cry," Ryoma said with a serious look.

"Tomorrow, Seigaku after school?" Fuji questioned with a spreading smile.

"Bring it on."

A/N: And the challenge is issued and accepted.