Okay so, this is Chapter 4. Just giving a heads up, there won't be much Amu POV in this Chapter, if any at all.

#*# Ikuto's POV #*#

Recap

I do wonder what she meant by 'her times up'. I unconscious wished it wasn't anything bad. I was getting up to leave when I heard a russle in the bushes. I brushed it off then looked to the ground and recalled what had happen this afternoon, as I walked to the palace.

That night, I layed in my bedroom, and I found the ceiling oddly interesting.

"I wonder where Utau is? I haven't seen her all afternoon." I said outloud. There was a knock on my door, but I really didn't acknowledge it until, they started to bang on the door.

"What!" I yelled, I was getting annoyed. The door flung open, revealing Yoru.

"I just had to make sure you were home, nya." He told me, but it sounded like there was more he wanted to say.

"And?" I asked.

"And tomorrow you have to meet every princess and noble here, personally." He continued. "Also, Aruto asked me to tell you, that leaving the palace ground from no on, is strictly prohibited. Nya." He tried to sound official but ruined it when he said 'nya'. I scowled. There go my chances to see Amu, I thought. Then I thought crossed my mind. If Amu is a noble, why isn't she here?

"Yoru?" I asked, to get his attention.

"Yes?"

"Is there anyone noble family that is not attending the 'contest'?" I asked.

"Hm. . ." He thought for a moment, "Ya, I believe it's the Yamabuki family actually, and the father seem very cruel by what the messenger decribed his tone." I nodded and told Yoru he could go to bed. When Yoru left I thought back to this afternoon's events. While I was thinking, I realized I didn't know her last name. So, she could have come late. Right? I thought. "No, she said something about her time being up, and ran in the opposite direction of the palace." I started to talk out loud to myself. When I was finished thinking, I decided to go to sleep.

#*# Next Morning #*#

"Wake up! Ikuto!" someone was yelling at me. I opened my eyes, then blinked a couple times to clear the blurriness in my eyes. When I cleared the drowziness out and sat up in my bed, I saw my father yelling at me to get up. I looked over at the clock. When I saw the time anger boiled inside me. I was a having the best dream and he decides to wake me up 5 hours earlier. I clenched my teeth, and glared at him.

" I had to wake you earlier because you have to meet over 100 princesses, and nobles." He told me, as I got out of my bed. My father left telling my to go to the ballroom once I was dressed. I got dressed in a white t-shirt, and black pants, with a pair of shoes. Then headed to the ballroom.

#*# In Ballroom #*#

I entered the ballroom half expecting hundreds of screaming girls, but there were only four girls, one including my sister. I saw father and mother, telling the servants to gather mattresses. As I walked closer to the group of girls with my sister, I realized they were some of my friends I hung out with when I was younger.

"Yo." I greeted when I was within hearing range.

"Oh, hey Ikuto." Yaya greeted, followed by a mumble from Rima, she never did like me much. But, she would always hang around my best friend, but I can't remember anything about her.

"Hi. Are the other here?" Nadeshiko asked, and by other she meant my guy friends.

"No, they are coming this afternoon, though." I told her, and they all brightened up. I smirked I knew they all had a crush on my other friends. Even Utau. Then father walked over and greeted everyone.

"Hello, I just wanted to ask Nadeshiko, Yaya, and Rima if they wanted to take part in the 'contest'?" He asked them looking at each of them as he said their names. They, then shoke their heads.

"Very well, you may stay to keep Utau some company." He finished then gestured me to follow him, which I did. When we got over to the mattresses he started to explain the 'contest'.

"There's an old legend in one of the books in the study chamber, it explains that the founders of our kingdom and the other kingdom were all true princesses. This means they can feel a frozen pea under a pile of mattresses." He said pointing to the pile of mattresses.

"That's, how you plan on finding the future Queen." I questioned. He only nodded his head before continuing.

"I did some research with the help of your mother, and there appears to be only 2 true princesses. One just happens to be Utau, and the other is a direct relative to the founder of this kingdom, but her name is not given to those who are not related." He finished with disappointment that he could just find the princess.

"When will the 'contest' begin?" I asked.

"After lunch." He stated matter-of-factly.

#*# After Lunch #*#

All morning I was staring out the window thinking about whether of not I love Amu. I still hadn't come to a conclusion. I was walking down the halls toward the ballroom. This time, though, I was fully expecting squealing girls. When I opened the doors, that's exactly what I saw, but I wasn't alone I had Kairi, Kukai, Nagihiko, Tadase, and Mamoru experiencing the whole thing to. Once the guards quieted everyone down, my father gave the same speech he gave, to the girls, leaving out the Utau being a true princess part. After the speech, all the girls lined up.

I didn't pay attention to the 'contest'; I just talked to my friends.

"Kairi, is your shifted done?" Yaya asked.

"No, he didn't ever work for the palace," I told her, "He just liked to help out." Kairi nodded, then went back to reading a book, and by the cover I could tell he was researching the true princess thing.

"Hey, Ikuto don't be rude. Introduce us to your new friend." Nadeshiko scolded me.

"Right. Mamoru, this is Rima, Nadeshiko, Utau, and Yaya. Everyone this is Mamoru." I told them everyone greeted him, and then Nadeshiko started to talk to him non-stop.

"Ikuto-sama~" I heard the one voice I wish I would never hear.

"Oh, I forgot Saaya is here." I heard Utau whisper, and I then glared at her.

"Thanks." I whispered back sarcastically. I got up and walked over to the pile of mattresses and saw there were already 5 mattresses and about 75 weeping girls. I walked over to my dad to get the progress report, not that I really cared.

" Hey, how's it going?" I asked him.

"Well, as you can tell you don't have to meet each princess like I had originally wanted, and there are only 25 nobles and princesses left." He said gesturing towards the line. I scanned the line to double-check, and make sure Amu wasn't here. I sighed and was going to go back to my friends, but then I decided to go look out the window. When I got comfortable and looked outside I was surprised to see the sun setting.

"Were you looking for someone?" I voice female voice said. I turned to see Rima. I never really got along with her for some reason, and I wasn't going to start now. When I concluded that Rima wound not know, I just shoke my head. She sighed, and then walked away. I followed her with my eyes and saw that she was talking to Utau. I became uninterested and suddenly found the beautiful sunset interesting. Well, until I heard, yet another voice, interrupt my thoughts about a certain pink-haired girl.

"Ikuto?" The voice said. I turned my head towards the sound that was getting more, and more annoying. When I saw whom it was I sighed.

"What do you want, Utau!" My annoyed voice asked.

"I have something to tell you," she told me uncertainly, "about Amu." That spiked my interest about what she was about to say. But, as I looked at her she didn't say anything.

"Well?" I asked her getting very impatient.

S2x Utau's POV xS2

Recap

I was watching Ikuto for a while then decided to leave I jumped out of the bushes and down the hill I was on then I ran back to the carriage. Once I was in the carriage I gave him Amu's address. I had to tell Hisae about this.

So, here I was climbing out of a carriage in the middle of the night. I sighed. This is crazy! I thought. Then I remembered I'm doing this for Ikuto and Amu.

"Right! For Amu and Ikuto." I exclaimed before heading towards the back of the Hinamori Mansion.

I knocked on the door for awhile.

"Ugh! Why isn't she answering the door." I practically screammed to the door. Then the door swung open, and I quickly hid because Hisae never opened the door that fast. But, I wasn't fast enough because someone grabbed me.

"Quickly my child, come in!" Hisae said urgently. I was so shocked and could only nodded.

She let go of my arm and ran off. All I could do was obediently follow.

Once we were inside her closet room, she made some tea then sat down infront of me. We started talking about little, meaningless things, and I guess she remembered I really only came to visit if I had something to say.

"Why are you here, today, Utau?" Hisae asked me.

"I saw something interesting." I told her smiling.

"Really," she inquired, "And what would that be?" I smirked before talking.

"Well, I saw Ikuto and Amu together at the park." I told her, and continued seeing she found this very interesting, "And that's not the best part! She actually got him to laugh. I mean actually LAUGH! Not one of those half- hearted chuckles. It was an actual Laugh." I calmed down toward the end of my outburst. She gasped then talked.

"My, that is wonderful." She smiled then frowned. I never really did like when she frowned it meant things are going to happen.

"What's wrong?" I asked not looking forward to the response.

"Well, Arashi got asked to work in a town, three kingdoms over." She sighed then gave me a small smile before continuing. "But I don't know when or how long until we have to move. Because he will force either myself and Amu or just Amu to go."

"Well maybe we can arrange them to meet a couple times before you move." I said. She nodded while thinking a plan through.

~~ 1 Week Later ~~

#*# Ikuto's POV #*#

It has been a week since the first meeting 5 mattresses were laid. Then, for some strange reason, my father decided to let the final 25 princesses and nobles stay for a week before the other mattresses are added. It has also been a week since Souko, my mother, Utau, and Hisae, Amu's mother, let Amu visit me. But only at night, so her father doesn't know. Right now I'm walking to the ballroom to await my fate. Though through the week Amu and I have gotten to know each other I can definitely say I like her. Okay so maybe I love her a lot, but she'll never know that.

*#* In the Ballroom *#*

I was watching the princesses and nobles file into the ballroom, one after the other. I sighed when two of them, to be more correct they were Saaya and her puppy, ran up to me and started to cling to each of my arms.

"Ikuto-sama~" They both whined.

"Hey, get off of the prince!" My friends, Nadeshiko, Yaya, and Rima, surprising right, all shouted. Then the blonde one laughed menacingly.

"Ikuto may I talk to you?" Kairi stepped in between the two groups of girls.

"Depends what the topic is." I told him before he rolled his eyes, and dragged me off toward the library.

*#* In the Library *#*

We were in the library, and before we even entered Kairi ran off. I wandered in and looked around before sitting at a table. I was probably sitting there for 1 hour before Kairi came back with a book in his hand.

"Read the second paragraph on the second page." He said before tossing me the book and walking out of the room.

"Hey, wait! Where are you going?" I yelled after him.

"To my room!" He replied coldly, he sounded really annoyed but I ignored it and start to read the paragraph.

The page red:

Most people just think if you can feel any pea under one mattress,

Then you are a true princess but I can tell you that myth is false.

There are a certain number of mattresses.

Also, it cannot be any kind of pea; it has to be a frozen snow pea.

And the matter concerning the number of mattresses, the number of mattresses needed to prove

Whether or not she is a true princess is 40.

And the founder's bloodline has been able to feel a pea under 50 to 60 mattresses.

So if some felt the pea under 39 mattresses. They wouldn't be true princesses; therefore, they couldn't marry me! And that is all I thought about on my way back to the ballroom.

*#* Back In the Ballroom *#*

Once I got into the ballroom I saw my father telling the girls to calm down and line up. I could also tell that he was trying not to yell at them; not that I blame him. When they final started to listen he flagged me down. I walked over to him.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Nothing I just, wanted to know if you wanted to watch?" He told me, and in response I shoke my head. Afterwards I went back to my window, to think about what Amu and I are going to do tonight. Stay here or go to the park? Those were my options.

*#* Couple Hours Later *#*

I was getting bored I had fallen asleep, then thought about tonight and came to a decision. Amu will pick, and with that I walked over to Aruto.

"How's it going?" I asked

"Pretty good it's down to two candidates. But, I still have to see how many mattresses are required to call one of them a true princess." He told me.

"40." I said.

"40?" my father repeated me.

"Yeah, I read it in a book in the library, and it is 40 mattresses." I shrugged my shoulders and went back to my window, but not before check to see the last two candidates. To my horror they were, Lulu, and Saaya. Oh my god, I thought.

I was sitting on my window for so long, and I was so zoned out because I didn't notice the time or that everyone was out of the palace. It was also 2 hours until Amu usually got here.

"Hey Ikuto." Someone said to me she sounded so disappointed. I turned.

"Oh, hey Utau. Why do you sound so depressed?" I asked truly concerned.

"Um… I don't know… how to say this but…" She was arguing with herself, and I could see it in her eyes, "The thing is … oh never mind."

"Utau," I said sternly, "Tell me." She looked at me then mumbled an okay.

"Amu… isn't coming." She said quickly.

"What?" I was shocked.

"Amu-"

"I heard you, I'm just shocked. Why?" I asked interrupting her.

"She's…moved." Utau told me before running off. I could tell she was just as upset as I was.

So that's Chapter 4, hope you liked it. Tell me what you thought.

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