---Mistake in Chapter 2: I meant Genghis Khan, not Kublai Khan, sorry... :D have a nice day, or evening---
Princess Mikan is a beautiful princess. She isn't the most beautiful princess that you can ever imagine, but none the less, she is a beautiful princess. Now our beautiful princess is on the palace terrace overlooking the marketplace.
The sun is beautiful. Mikan loves the sun. She stretches her arms towards the it and starts dancing. She is a good dancer. And her flowing pink garments accentuate her graceful movements.
There is nothing that can put her off today. The sun is bright, her mother has given her a beautiful gold necklace, she has no princess duties today, and Grand Vizier Persona is going out to do some research.
She has never ever liked Grand Vizier Persona. She can sense that he is a mean and cruel man. He puts up a facade towards her father, a very good one, one that shows a kind and caring and obedient Grand Vizier Persona. She can tell that it is but a facade.
She dances and dances to the sun, but something in the marketplace catches her eye. A young man being chased on the rooftops. A young blonde man with palace guards on his trail.
She wonders who this young man is, with his tan skin and something white on his shoulder. She watches for awhile bemused, slightly worried, and quite curious.
She is disrupted by Sultan Narumi. He comes in and sees what Princess Mikan is watching.
"Good morning father." says Princess Mikan.
Her father smiles at her, always pleased to see her happy and carefree. He wishes to be more carefree. But alas, he cannot afford to be because he is Sultan to Mahatmalota. At least, he thinks he is a serious Sultan.
He has asked his Grand Vizier to research about lonely women. Why? The population in Mahatmalota has gone down through the past several decades. His hypothesis? Women are becoming too empowered, which is, he personally thinks, a good thing, but he also needs Mahatmalota's population to grow.
"Those are the kind of guys I don't want to see you with." He says to his daughter, pointing at the young man running on the rooftops.
Mikan smiles at him. Of course not. That young man is a fugitive. She is a princess and one day will lead Mahatmalota, if she fraternizes with a fugitive, what will her people think? But still, this blonde man piques her curiosity.
She smiles back at her father. He is a doting father. But really she can't take it that he is setting up an arranged marriage for her. She wants to fall in love, and be with the one she would fall in love with. She doesn't believe in learning to love someone when they are thrust at you and you're married to them.
"Father, I want you to stop all the meetings you arranged for me to see and get together with all these princes."
Sultan Narumi is taken aback. He thinks he is doing his daughter a favor by picking good husband candidates. Apparently he is wrong and his daughter is displeased. He feels downhearted now. All he has ever wanted was his daughter's happiness, and he finds out he has been causing her distress.
Tears begin to blur his vision. He has been a good father hasn't he? What else has he done but try to give everything to Princess Mikan? Has he done something wrong in the past as well? What could it have been? He feels so bad right now.
Mikan bites her lip. She knows it is a possibility that her father will cry. He has given her so much and been so loving and doting and nice and all she repays him with is ungratitude. And her father has always been an emotional man. But what about experiencing true love? She doesn't want to give that up.
Sultan Narumi bawls, and Mikan's mind is set.
"I'm sorry father, I take it back. I think it's just the sun. And I'm sure you'll find me the perfect prince."
At this Sultan Narumi stops crying.
Mikan sighs. What she gives up for her father's happiness is also a heavy price to pay.
Narumi wipes his eyes and smiles back weakly.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes father, and thank you for the time you spend in arranging these meetings."
Mikan feels heavy inside. Maybe she can learn to love. Maybe she can believe in learning to love first.
Narumi hugs his daughter and goes back inside the palace. He has a meeting to arrange. Next up on the candidate list is Prince Tsubasa.
Mikan sighs.
"Oh Natsume what do I do?" She asks her furry friend.
Natsume is her black pet panther. He turns into a man when it is a full moon. He is what you call a werecat. He is cleaning himself on the terrace railings, stretching at times. Natsume shrugs.
Mikan doesn't expect him to have an opinion now. All Natsume ever does is eat or sleep or chase dogs or growl at her at times. He is a mean cat, but they are the best of friends.
"I guess, I'll have to live with an arranged marriage then."
She smiles weakly up at the sun. She has just been thinking that nothing could ruin her day.
---How is it so far? Thank you for the reviews....---