Moonlight Tales
Pairing: TezukaFuji, naturally
Fairy Tale: Arabian Nights/One Thousand and One Nights/Shahrazad and Shahrayar (Unexpurgated XD)
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Tezuka/Fuji, Yumiko, Yuuta
Rating: K for this Prologue, M for the rest of the fic
Warning(s): Fantasy!AU, crossdressing, just look at the rating
Summary: After the King returned from his trip, people noticed something peculiar about him. Syusuke pretends as a woman to be the King's wife to solve the problem with magic and cunning. He only hopes that his deceit will be forgiven in the end.
Disclaimer: PoT is not mine.

A/N: Here goes the update To be honest, I'm doing this to increase the intriguing tone. XD It is truly difficult to write crossdressing in a fic that is not crack. Comments will be loved.

Chapter One

"You're surprisingly untroubled," Yuuta remarked, folding his arms over his chest and leaning against the frame of Yumiko's door. His eyes were sharp and discerning.

"Six years is a long time, Yuuta," Syusuke replied placidly. He was comfortably seated in front of Yumiko's dresser, entertaining himself by sorting the tiny boxes near the mirror.

A frown came across Yuuta's face. "A long time for what?"

"A long time to wait and work for an ambition," Yumiko responded quickly. She opened her closet door and pulled out several tunics of different colors. "Of course," she said as she walked to her bed and dumped the clothes, "Syusuke is glad to have this opportunity to prove his worth as a Mage." She picked up a black tunic with elaborate red embroidery and raised it. She glanced at Syusuke, shook her head furiously, tossed the black tunic aside and deftly searched the pile for another suitable set of clothing. "Yuuta, what color do you think should Syusuke wear on the wedding?"

Yuuta, to say the least, was absolutely mortified. For an entire minute, he gaped at Yumiko as if snakes were crawling out of her ears. Looking quite cross, he turned to his heels and stormed away.

Cackling, Yumiko picked up a simple powder blue tunic and brought it over to Syusuke. "Yuuta will understand one day."

Syusuke smiled bleakly. "I do hope so."

"He's your brother. Of course he will!" Yumiko said, meaning to reassure. She then lifted the tunic against the light from her window and eyed it meticulously. The silver bands and embroidery at the hem and at the bell-shaped sleeves glittered against the light, giving the tunic an ethereal glow. Satisfied, she asked, "What do you think of this?"

Syusuke simply blinked at the dress and smiled. "Neesan, what I wear and what I look like are up to you," he said submissively.

Delighted, Yumiko almost clapped her hands. "Very well then. I wish the modiste would hurry up and finish your clothes." She stood behind him and began combing his hair. "The wedding is in a few hours so we'll have to work quickly but expertly."

Allowing Yumiko to take liberty in making him look like a bride, Syusuke sat back amused and puzzled by the many things women applied to their faces to make themselves beautiful. Yumiko always made it appear easy—putting on powder, color and shimmer to her skin—but now that Syusuke was experiencing it, he couldn't help but fidget at least inwardly. After an hour and a half of Yumiko's hard work, Syusuke could no longer recognize himself.

"You look beautiful," Yumiko whispered proudly, ogling at him as if he were her masterpiece. "Don't you agree?"

"Yes," Syusuke said truthfully but rather impartially. He attempted to smile to make himself more convincing but he stopped midway, too perplexed by the fact that the woman in the mirror—the one whose face shone highlighted by the silver lines across the pale blue mantle, the one whose face looked soft and delicate—was actually his reflection. Although he knew he had a few touches of feminine features here and there, he hadn't really contemplated on being a woman and naturally hadn't realized he could really look like one. He breathed deeply and forced the smile back in place, trying to ignore the way the woman's supple pink lips smiled in return. "It's almost disturbing," he admitted with a feeble smile.

"You have to get used to it, Syusuke – or should I say Syuzuka?" Yumiko reminded, offering a fond sisterly smile. "You might have to look like this for a long time."

"I hope not," Syusuke said quickly. To avoid seeing his reflection, he spun around to face his sister. "I'd like to get rid of the demon as soon as I find out what it really is." He sighed, looking straight ahead. "I'm not particularly fond of lying to the King."

A genuine smile spread on Yumiko's lips. "I know," she said in a slow, meaningful manner. "Just think that you are lying to the demon to save the King." She offered an arm to Syusuke, which the latter thankfully accepted. "Are you ready? His Majesty must be waiting."

Syusuke plastered the smile to his lips. Then he nodded resolutely. "I am."

The ride to the Palace was, in Syusuke's opinion, embarrassingly uncomfortable. All the same, he smiled and kept quiet, as was expected of a properly brought up lady who was going to marry the King. Perhaps, he told himself, he should have thought of a better idea? But unfortunately, he realized, this was probably the only way he could get rid of the demon without causing either harm to the King or uproar in the kingdom. And the King's safety, more than anything else, was foremost in his mind.

When the carriage screeched to a halt, Syusuke took a long gulp of the potion inside a flagon that Yumiko handed him. He tested his voice, sighing partly because of relief and because of worry when he heard a mellow voice that was an octave higher than his own.

A footman assisted them both as they climbed out of the coach, bowing to them as a welcome. A short, skinny maid then stepped forward. "Welcome, my lady. My name is Zara and I shall be your personal maid," she said with a childish pleasantness.

Syusuke exchanged a furtive glance with Yumiko and said with a generous smile, "But I already have a lady-in-waiting, my cousin Lady Yumiko." He waved a hand to Yumiko's direction and the latter smiled at the maid.

"Oh," said Zara. "But I can assist Lady Yumiko in case she needs my help. In the meantime, let me lead you to His Majesty. He's very impatient for your arrival, my lady."

Nodding silently, Syusuke trailed behind the maid, purposefully taking slow steps so as not to trip on his tunic but at the same time trying to look as if he were just gazing around curiously. "Zara," Syusuke said cautiously, smiling warmly, "Is the King always so impatient?"

Zara's eyes grew wide for a second before she answered, "No, not particularly." She looked almost glum when she added, "But he has been irate since he came back from the trip."

"Perhaps His Majesty is still aggrieved by the former Queen's infidelity?" Syusuke asked although he knew very well that it wasn't the case.

"But he's so different," mused Zara, murmuring to herself as they continued to walk further.

Syusuke's head perked up but his face betrayed his interest. He asked politely, "How so?"

At first, Zara hesitated, aware that she might offend the King. But assured by Syusuke's smile, she nodded earnestly. "It's as if he's a completely different person except that he looks exactly like the King." She dropped her voice and whispered, "We're hoping that he'll be back to his usual self because of this marriage."

"I will try to help," Syusuke promised. He stole a glance at his sister and smiled meaningfully at her.

Zara led the siblings to the throne room, which has been modestly decorated for the occasion. Streamers of blue and gray hung elegantly from the ceiling. Several cushions of the same royal color were set on the floor, already occupied by the very few guests, mostly consisting of Syusuke's family and all members of the King's Council.

As if on cue, a trumpet blew off, and a footman announced the King's arrival. The great oak doors were thrown open and everyone rose to his feet. When the King came into view, everyone bowed low.

Wearing a light smile, Syusuke watched as His Majesty Tezuka Kunimitsu entered the throne room. His eyes briefly fluttered open when he caught sight of the King's dark yet vacant eyes. The brown, expressive eyes were now cool and devoid of emotions. There was only a glint of inhuman, unreadable malice in them that Syusuke knew the real King's eyes did not have. The King's air, Syusuke observed, still wielded power but it was different from the innate commanding grace that Syusuke remembered from when Kunimitsu was still a Prince. Now, the King's aura elicited something else, something undeniably sinister.

When the King caught sight of Syusuke, the latter straightened up and tried to bear himself regally. A small part of him hoped at the same time feared recognition.

"My Queen."

Syusuke blinked. The King's voice was as deep as he remembered but it lacked the usual polite ring; instead, it now carried a sharp edge. His eyes widened even more when the King took his right hand and kissed it. The King's hands and lips felt so cold, almost freezing against his skin.

"You are very beautiful," the King remarked, a tiny almost impish smile forming on his lips.

"I'm quite honored," Syusuke said with a bright yet coy smile. Inwardly, though, he wondered because he knew that the real Tezuka Kunimitsu would never say those words in front of an audience. He also knew that the King failed to recognize him at all.

to be continued

A/N: Now you really can't goad me into updating because I've only written a paragraph beyond this. XD Plus, I will be gone to write ORHANM7 and then to study and then to study and then to study and then to study some more. Some life I have. T.T