Hello!!! Yes I am still alive and here is the long awaited 7 chapter!! I'm sorry its late but I do hope you like!!

Chapter 7- Crisis

Misaki ran as far from the room as fast as she possibly could. Tears streamed, unchecked down her face, as the realization hit that her dad had betrayed her in the worst way. He betrothed her. The thought that her future was already planned before she was even conceived hurt her. Wasn't she the ruler of her own destiny? What happened to being able to choose the path on which to follow? Wasn't that what her father had always instilled in her young mind?

You will always be the ruler of your own destiny Misaki. No matter what others may say or do it is you who is to choose your own path.

How could he say such things when he had already destined her to someone else? She knew deep down that she would follow through with this plan. But for now she would let her emotions run away with her, to let them know that although it was basically written in stone, that didn't mean she had to like it. As exhaustion set in, she collapsed to the ground and wept.

She had loved her father more than anything, and to find out that he had done this was almost too much for her broken heart to bear.

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" You summoned us my Queen?" Hikaru said curtseying to Shuuko. As wizard stood not far from behind. The young queen smiled slightly.

" Yes Hikaru, I need you to go and look for Misaki. She has run off and no one can find her. If you take wizard he may be able to help," Shuuko said sadly as she looked up at her daughter's guardian. Hikaru frowned.

" So you told them about the betrothal than?" the Queen sighed.

" Yes we did. And unfortunately Misaki didn't take it very well. Oujirou seems to have taken the news better, but Misaki was quite upset. Please will you just go and find her for me. I need to talk to her," the queen begged.

" Of course my queen." Hikaru curtseyed once more and hurried from the room dragging wizard along with her.

As the pair hurried out of the room Hikaru spun around and shocked wizard to a stop.

" Ok I want to know every possible place that she could have gone to on these grounds and I don't care how long it takes to search we are going to find her, understand?" Hikaru said forcefully. Wizard placed a hand on her shoulder.

" Don't worry Hikaru I wouldn't dream of stopping until we found her, trust me," he replied soothingly. She smiled and relaxed a little.

" Ok the first part of the grounds I would suggest is the fountain. She seems to love that place almost as much as Oujirou," wizard said as he began to head towards the hedge. Hikaru didn't follow.

" Well then no offence but if that's true I don't think she will be in there then," she replied. He stopped and turned to face her.

" Why do you say that?"

" Think about it. It's the first place anyone would think to look for her isn't it? So knowing Misaki she will avoid it." He regarded her for a minute then nodded his head in agreement.

" Ok well lets just start from the castle and then search our way around," he said as he waited for her to reach him before he once again set out of the foyer of the castle.

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" Suzuka can you hear someone sobbing?" Hatoko asked her guardian quietly. The tall woman stopped her movements and listened. She turned and looked at her young charge and shook her head in agreement.

" It seems to be coming from this direction," the lithe woman stated quietly as she turned and headed in the direction she believed it to becoming from. The pair walked on in silence until they reached the wall of the castle and walked along it. Hatoko strained her ears to hear the sound again. She gasped when she saw Misaki grouched on the ground crying.

" Misaki!" she called and ran to her friend. The saddened teen looked up as she heard her name and only managed to steady herself as Hatoko threw herself into Misaki's arms.

" Misaki why are you crying?" the young girl asked quietly. Misaki just shook her head. She didn't feel like she could explain the situation to the young girl.

" Your mother has told you then?" Suzuka asked quietly. Misaki looked up into the guardians eyes and saw an understanding in there violet depths.

" Yes she has," Misaki whispered as more tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

" I don't know what to do Suzuka. My father has already planned it and I don't want to go against his wishes, but how could he do this to me?" she said quietly looking at the ground. Suzuka bent down and held Misaki's chin in her hand forcing the young teen to look at her.

" Misaki, your father was doing what he thought was right for his kingdom. He wanted to make sure that his only daughter would be looked after and that his kingdom would have a future ruler. Is being betrothed to someone as handsome as Oujirou really that bad? Would you have rather been betrothed to that ugly troll Makeshi from the wasteland kingdom down south?" Misaki smiled softly.

"No, no I wouldn't. Oujirou is quite good looking isn't he?" she said softly, blushing furiously. Suzuka laughed.

" Come on Misaki it must be getting near tea time and I'm starving!" Hatoko piped up as she jumped out of her arms and stood excitedly next to Suzuka. Misaki quietly got to her feet but a frowned marred her young face.

" Do you think that they will look down on me because I ran out?" she asked quietly.

" No Misaki I don't. They will understand that this is a big thing for you so I wouldn't worry too much about it." Misaki smiled a small smile and the trio set out again for the castle.

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Oujirou walked back and firth, pacing his room, no one had come to inform him if they had found Misaki or not and he was starting to get worried.

He huffed opened his door and proceeded through it only to collide with Kotaro and Tamayo.

" Hello there Oujirou what are doing?" Tamayo asked the young prince.

" Ugh looking for Misaki have you seen her?" the pair looked at each other before looking back at the prince.

" We thought she was with you," Kotaro said. Oujirou sighed.

" We found out some surprising news and she ran off. You haven't seen her then?" he asked. The pair shook their heads no. he frowned.

" Do you want us to help you look for her?" Kotaro asked. Oujirou nodded his head.

" Then lets go!" Tamayo said as she led the group down the hall.

" What happened?" Kotaro asked quietly so that Tamayo wouldn't hear. Oujirou sighed.

" Apparently when both our fathers were young they were very close. They had made a pact, and that pact is that Misaki I and are betrothed."

" What?!" Tamayo spun around at Kotaro's sudden outburst.

" What are you yelling about?" she asked curiously. Kotaro looked at Oujirou and he nodded his head.

" Misaki is betrothed to Oujirou," he said stunned. Tamayo stood and stared for what seemed like forever until she walked up to Oujirou and roughly slapped him on the back almost knocking the poor prince flying.

" Woohoo!! Go Misaki! Wow that's so exciting! So when you getting married?" she asked excitedly. Oujirou shook his head.

" I'm not sure there will be a wedding. Misaki didn't take the news very well, that's why I'm trying to find her," Oujirou explained. The pair looked at each other sadly.

" Do you want to marry her Oujirou?" Tamayo asked seriously. He looked at them sadly.

" Yes and no. she is too young to get married and I barely know her, but then again I think she is a really nice girl from what I've seen so far," he replied quietly.

" She's a very shy girl Oujirou, so maybe you should pretend that your not engaged and start wooing her or something. Make her feel like you're marrying her because you're in love with her rather then make her feel like the relationship has been forced upon her," Tamayo stated kindly. He smiled sadly.

" That's even if she wants to have anything to do with me." Kotaro stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.

" Tamayo is right Oujirou. I know Misaki and she will go through with this betrothal simply because it is what her dad wanted for her. Even if she does want to marry you, she won't know if you are doing it for your father or yourself. But if you make her feel like you are marrying her because you want to spend your life with her, then I think you two could have a really nice relationship," Kotaro said smiling.

" Thank you guys for helping me out," he said smiling as the trio again began walking down the hall.

" No worries. But if you hurt her you'll have to go through Kotaro and me!" Tamayo said slapping him on the back and the group laughed.

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Well that's the 7 chapter!!! Ok so I know its been a while since I updated and im sorry but I can only update when I have spare time because at the moment im working two jobs and am just about to move house again, so I thank my loyal readers for reading and keeping up with my story!

Please r&r

Cheers angel