What was she going to do?! Tsuki frowned while scrubbing the floors. What could she do? She had to show up tonight. She had, in her stupidity, given her word that she would come.
"Not done yet?" She looked up and saw Dominique. The cat glared at her with distain. A distain that were shared.
"Getting there." She smiled coldly before starting to scrub again.
"Then hurry up! We will have guests tomorrow and I want the floors to be shining!" Tsuki glanced at her. Guests? Who was she talking about? "The king and his oldest son will come tomorrow after the ball! After all Rose did catch the prince's eye, I'm sure of that!" Oh the little dreamer! Tsuki held back her laughter. Her thoughts drifted to Sesshomaru. Maybe she could sneak out before the stroke of twelve? It was a thought… but since Sesshomaru was so protective of her already she doubted that she would be able to sneak away.
Maybe she should tell him the truth? She snorted. 'Yeah right! And I can hand him my head while I'm at it!' Her only hope was that she could leave before twelve. The thought of not going wasn't even something she considered. She had promised him. Besides she had only known him for two days, she would survive without him.
So why was she feeling weird as she walked inside the castle with some other guests? Why was it feeling like her life was going to end this night? Why was she hundred times more nervous than she had been the first night?
He was at her side the moment she entered. She smiled weakly at him but didn't try to make conversation. He was quick to ask her to dance and she agreed, with a heavy heart. She kept an eye on the clock all the time.
"Are you still unwell?" he asked. Tsuki looked up at him and smiled, forcing her feelings back into the very corner of her.
"No, no, you can say I'm a little nervous for midnight." He smirked at her.
"No need to be nervous, I'm still the person you have talked and danced with the past two nights. The only difference is that you will know who I am."
"Sir! That is a big difference. Right now you are a mysterious stranger that has enchanted me. At midnight I will know the wizard." She glanced at Rose and Ino when they danced past them. The sisters didn't notice her; they were busy talking to their believed princes'.
"You know them?" His lips were next to her ear to her surprise.
"I wouldn't say that… in order to know someone you need to have a real conversation. But I know that they are here to catch the crown prince. Poor man." She shook her head.
"What do you mean?" His lips travelled down to her earlobe, nipping it. Tsuki held back a gasp.
"A-all most every girl in this hall is trying to look for him, to charm him. If someone notices which one it is all the females will be over him." She felt him tense.
"Are you looking for him?" His deep voice was colder now.
"I came here because I deserved a break, nothing else. The prince can choose whoever he wants as long as I can have my dances and talk." She looked up at him and felt him relax. "Why? Scare I wanted to find him?" His grip on her waist tightened.
"Maybe…" His voice was still a little cold. She sighed and forced him to look at her.
"I'm not a gold digger, sir. I despise anyone who can be that low. If you are to marry you marry for love. My parents did, their parents did as their parents did before them. And I will keep to the tradition."
Slowly he smiled and nodded. The rest of the dance they were silent. But the closer to twelve they got the more nervous Tsuki became.
"Are you sure you're alright?" She looked up at the silver mask.
"Yes, yes… I'm fine, just nervous."
"Why are you that? There is nothing to be nervous about." He pulled her over to the balcony.
"There is plenty to be nervous about."
"Why is that?"
"Are you saying that you aren't?"
"You will still be the person I met here at the ball, only with a name."
"Only with a name? A name can change everything. What if I'm your worst enemy?" Not that she had any male enemies but still!
"Do you have enemies?"
"Not really enemies… just people who would love to see me gone…"
"How can an innocent person like you have enemies?" She looked up at him.
"I'm not innocent. I have done many things in my life." Sesshomaru leaned closer.
"Like what?" She smirked at him
"I'm not telling."
"One day you will."
"In your dreams!"
"Every night." She stuck her tongue out at him. He caught it.
With his mouth.
She was in heaven. Was it even legal to kiss like that?! Probably not but she would tell. His hand found it was to her neck, caressing it. Hers own hands travelled to his cheeks, pulling him closer.
But she broke the kiss… after some time. Sesshomaru didn't seam so keen on letting her go but he did. With a whine. Tsuki couldn't help but laughed at the sound. Who would have thought that this male could whine?
"What are you laughing at?" His voice was husky and deeper than normal.
"You. I didn't know you could whine, despite being an inu." He snorted and pulled her into a hug.
"Then you're stupid." He whispered.
"Watch it, puppy dog! I only had a problem to picture you whining but if you want me to see you as a little puppy then whine away." She huffed and tried to leave his arms.
"Puppy dog?" He asked while ignoring her struggles.
"You sounded like a puppy when you whined." Now he huffed before burying his nose in her neck.
"I'll be right back, don't move." He said and the next second he was gone. Tsuki frowned slightly but stood where he had left her.
But the mood they had created was broken.
"It's time!" Someone announced. Tsuki quickly ran inside. Her eyes fell on the clock and watched with horror as the bells rang. Everyone started to shine a little as the spell was removed. She looked around. Sesshomaru was nowhere in sight. Quickly she gathered her skirt in her hands and almost ran towards the door. But before she could leave the hall a hand got her wrist. She looked up and saw Sesshomaru.
"What's the hurry?" He smiled and took a step forward. He buried his nose in her hair, taking deep breath. "You smell wonderfully. Like elderberries." Tsuki took in his smell. He smelled like the calm after a stormy night. She sighed, buried her nose deeper into his kimono, trying to take in so much that she would remember him.
He slowly pulled her away and reached for his mask. Tsuki's world stopped as she saw his face for the first time. This couldn't be!
"You… you're the prince." She whispered, shock to her very core. The male inu smiled at her.
"I am… and you are?" He slowly reached for her mask but she stepped away, making him frown.
"I'm sorry." She whispered and started to run again. She couldn't let him see her. He wasn't going to know who she was. She was a servant! He was of noble birth!
She got outside the castle and was about to remove her mask when she heard a roar behind her. The prince didn't like seeing her leave, neither did his youkai. At the top of the stairs stood Sesshomaru, with red eyes and ruffled hair. He was in front of her the minute she blinked, his hand holding her wrist.
"You aren't leaving." He stated. Tsuki felt her own youkai rising to the surface. He wasn't her mate, so he didn't have any right to order her around. With some difficulties she pushed her beast into the corner of her mind.
"I'm sorry, your highness" She whispered, cupping his face with her hands. The youkai whined to her, begging her not to leave. She circled her arms around his neck, hugging him. He buried his nose in her neck and licked it.
Tsuki felt tears form in her eyes but ignored them. Carefully she gathered her youki and quickly teleported her back home, something that drained almost completely.
But she did miss that her mask had slipped off her and was lying at the prince's feet.
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Sugimi heard the roar and recognised it as his son's. He quickly left the hall only to find his son on his knees, holding a mask in his hand.
"Son?" The king asked.
"She ran away." The king almost gaped. The little female his son had chosen ran away? What possessed her to do such a thing?
"Why?" Sesshomaru shook his head. It broke Sugimi's heart to see his son so sad. The only time he had seen Sesshomaru's emotion after the pup had reached maturity was when his mother, Sugimi's beloved mate, had died. "What do you want to do?" He asked, putting a hand on his son's shoulder.
"Iwill find her. No matter what!"