Chapter 8: Seize the Day

(Miku's POV)

I woke up with a throbbing head the next morning only to see that I lay naked and wet in my bed. How the hell did my chemise end up on the floor, and why was I so wet? Did I drink too much before I went to bed? As I sat wondering about what happened, I kept calmed and tried not to panic.

Was I raped? No, I would've been fully assaulted and awake then. The windows are too high for one to come through unless someone was to strategically climb it. Just to make sure, I inspected my whole body, gliding over every part to see if I was bruised.

As I glided over my womanhood, a strange, tender feeling struck me. I started turning pink from the thought of touching myself down there and then negated all the impure thoughts in my head. Could it be that I might have...? No, I mustn't have been doing that to myself. The last time I did that to myself was during one night when I had a dream about a distant, handsome prince, who seduced me to become his wife.

Ugh! Enough with those thoughts at the present! There's no way I unleashed my fluids like this, especially in great quantity like this! If my mother saw me and the sheets like this, she would judge and kill me!

"Miku!" My mother, Meiko, called. "Miku, please open up! I have urgent news to tell you!"

I took my time, groggily trying to put on my chemise, covering up the spot of half-dried fluids with blankets, and unlocking the door. I felt like a mess who's slept like an ogre. I looked at my mirror and saw how untidy I was, and my hair looked like a dried up mop.

"What is it, mother?" I asked as I leaned on the door. All I wanted to do at the moment was go to bed and sleep off the throbbing feeling in my head and womanhood.

"Len has been reported dead last night."

There was a funeral planned later in the day of his death as the kingdom heard of the Commander's death. According to the council, he was killed during twilight hour nearby the Castle's lake and his body was found early at dawn. The questions stands as to who killed him and why. Obviously, with the given circumstance, there was no arranged marriage anymore, and I was free to move on. Yet, the love for him as a brother left me in tears that made me contemplate on the meaning of love.

Did I really love him?

It was always as though he was looking out for me as if it's his job, and when I'm asleep, he goes out doing ridiculous things at night. Though, the subtleties he's done for me gave some attempt that at least he was trying to let go of his habits... It felt that maybe he actually had a lot of feelings for me after all, and I was so oblivious to see to it!

I felt as though now I'm wallowing in my false benevolence. We were to go heron hunting as well, but now he's gone! And to my mother's grieving, there's now no one reliable enough to protect me regardless that I have the strength to protect myself and live independently.

Why was this engagement arranged like this in the first place? This is absurd! Now I feel like I'm one to blame for his death. I didn't love him as much until now, though not to the point of calling him my fiancé.

I arrived at the Empirical Castle, with the troops welcoming me in and guiding me to the right wing. It's been quite a long time ever since I was here, visiting Kaito and practicing piano. My foot stopped as I saw a painting of our families after the civil war; King Gakupo looked saddened, my father was smiling chummily, my mother on my shoulder, and Kaito's younger self right next to me. It was a precious family photo that united the family so. I glanced at the image once more with a warm smile and proceeded onward to the right wing hall.

"My lady," one of the troopers said. "Master Kaito Shion is in the room to your left at the end of the hallway. We shall take our leave."

They both walked away in silence as I walked onto the room at the end. As I entered, I saw him reading a Twist book almost similar to mine at a small table. There were two full wine glasses with Sauvignon in both, and each were on opposite sides of the table.

"Kaito?" I called out to him. He saw me and placed his book on the floor.

"Miku! Come in!" He walked toward me and held me around my waist to encourage me to walk in with. "Why did you come so early?"

I wonder why he set up the wine glasses already if he didn't know I wasn't coming till later. "Well, it's just that..." I looked down in disappointment and mourn for the late fiancé. We walked to the table.

Kaito gave me a contemplative look. "I've heard about your fiancé's death not too long ago. I haven't met him before, but from what my father said, he was a very great man." Hearing this from him brought back my guilt of ambivalence. I felt an anvil was crushing me, suffocating me until I couldn't breathe.

I hugged him very tightly, hoping to seek forgiveness from him in any way possible for coming to him like this. I couldn't stop my tears from overflowing. "Kaito-chan," I cried. "I feel like I should've been the one that died!"

He embraced me into a tighter hug, becoming shocked with my answer. "Why in sane hell would you wish death upon yourself?! Without you, who else would be there for me?!"

"I feel like everything is my fault. Everything from my dad's death, my mother's agreement to the engagement, your sentence away, and Len's death. I feel like I'm the one that should be punished!" I wept uncontrollably into his arms, and then he held my shoulders to pry me off.

"Miku, my sweet, it's okay. Don't blame yourself for everything that's happened. I have a lot to tell you about everything from the past years, and so do you. So please," he pulled out the chair for me to sit on. "Reminisce with me and calm yourself, just for me?" He handed me a hankerchief.

"I'll try..."

"No, don't try. Do calm yourself. I don't want to see your beautiful face drenched in tears. I live by your smile, and when you're not happy, it pains me so."

"At times like these, you're still the same as before, Kaito." I wiped away my tears as we both sat down. "I've always had you to protect me, and you were always the one I relied on. My mother and father loved you as much as your parents did, and when my father died, it was as if I was put into the same position as you are without your mother."

"Tell me this Miku," he said as he drank a bit of his wine. "Did you really love him? Your fiancé?"

"Well, ever since the engagement last year, it was platonic between us mostly because my mother thought I had no protection by myself. Then I came to realize I actually did start falling for him when he died." My answer lingered off into a tone of uncertainty.

"So it was your mother and my father who arranged this while I was gone? I can see that." He filled a bit of wine into his glass. "Of course, you are a lucky jewel. You are the most treasuring maiden I've ever known, and any man would be considered lucky to have you." His hand reached for my hand. "Even me." He squeezed my hand as I blushed and looked away. Maybe he's changed after all.

He stared at me and continued on: "Miku, I have to tell you this now. The promise we made back then, the one where I vowed to come back for you, I meant it. Every minute I wasn't back at this kingdom felt like an eternity without you in my life. As much as I don't want to jump into it, I can see it in your eyes. You love me. I know it. It's hidden in the many chambers of your heart. It's not the same childhood love as before. I hope to awaken those feelings of rebirth soon. The six years apart from you had wearied the chains between us. You know already by now, I love you so much that I'll do anything to protect you and cherish you forever."

He shifted his legs a bit before he finished. "Please, don't mourn on the past. I want to be the one there for you, so please, don't cry and don't engage yourself in darker thoughts of death. Please..." Both of his hands grabbed mine as I looked away from him.

My heart. It kept beating. Faster and faster and faster to this man's words.

I've been fond of Kaito's affection for me back then, but I didn't know his feelings would intensify so much up to this point. His words have swayed me, but what is to become of me now? Am I a sinner to move on from Len? Dammit! I should have been slain, not him!

Tears fell from my eyes. "Kaito..."

"Please, Miku..." He neared my face. "Len would want you to continue living happily on without him. Understand that-"

Did he just say that? A stabbing feeling in my heart made me cry in outburst, letting go of his hands.

"Understand what?! You wouldn't know!" Before I stood up, he tighly grabbed my hands again and pulled me back to me seat.

"I'm sorry, Miku..." It was as though he was holding back a yell. He looked down in somber as he pursed his lips in frustration in what has happened. "Forgive me for bring this topic back up once again. Please, all I want for us is to look back on what we've done."

There was a long silence. I couldn't help but wipe away my tears as he stared sincerely at me.

"Alright. I'm sorry about all that..."

"It's alright my love." He raised his wine glass as he spoke. "Let this be a toast then. For the remembrance of our lost loved ones. May they live in happy jubilee in the world of angels and look down on us for as long as we live."

"That last sentence sounded like a prayer."

"Why, of course." He smiled. We clicked our wine glasses and drank well of the wine he served. His reassuring smile gave me that warm feeling of affection from a while ago.

Suddenly, that same throbbing feeling came back. The lightheartedness began befalling on my consciousness as I tried to fight back. I grasped my head as my eyelids became heavier as I blinked.

"Kaito..." I looked up at him as I got up and held the table.

A smirk grew on his lips. "Is something wrong?" he asked in a peculiar manner.

The heavy feeling enveloped me as I fell onto the ground, spilling the wine and breaking the glass. As he looked like he was going to get up, I looked as his eyes as he was in both shock and glee.

What the hell was happening?!

Before I fell unconscious once again, that diamond encrusted mask was on the floor.

That mask! I reached out to it until...

Badum.

...

The light was fading away...

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Going into darkness...

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A deep sleep.

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The last words…

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..he muttered:

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"You're MINE!"

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..

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Is this… Hell...?

Thanks for the reviews and follows, guys, and Happy (Late?) Valentine's Day! I hope you've liked the story so far, and as of now I'm working on the next (lemon-y) chapter~ I'm actually making Kaito lean more a lot more towards the Yandere side in the next chapter (as if he seems yandere already as it is haha; IDK, I've recently listened to some Japanese Drama CDs called Seventh Heaven and gotta be honest, the Yandere idea for Kaito roots from here LOL (dammit, Rejet, making people go Do-M after listening to their shizz... yet its just too beautiful to stay away from, ugh). Anyway, PLEASE R&R! :)