A/N; Finally, I've gotten up and typed up this chapter. xD I had to nearly force myself to get to the computer. I've been so lazy lately that I've just been sleeping my days away. It was recently my birthday, and I was gonna post on that day but I wasn't able to get on the computer. Well, we finally get to see the princess' reactions in this chapter. It was a lot harder then I thought it would be, honestly. I ran into a lot of distractions along the way. So I hope you enjoy!
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Michiru snuck into the castle with ease, unseen by the patrolling guards or the watchmen at the towers. She slid inside before calmly walking down the hall, as if she weren't gone at all, despite the disarray her clothes were in, specks of sand clinging on and the scent of the ocean heavy on her. She kind of felt for those poor, diligent guards for a second. They worked tirelessly night and day and went through years of training to get to this status and make sure no one slipped in to the castle… yet she, a girl of only 17 could easily make her way inside without their notice.
Well, sneaking in had been a lot easier then usual though. When she had gone to sneak, she heard the guards arguing with someone back and forth. Curiosity drove her to want to check it out, but her logic won and she took the chance to sneak in instead.
Then again, Michiru did know every nook and cranny of the place, living in it for nearly every year of her life. As a child she had been curious, just as most normal infants were. She would venture off from her classes to explore the area. Dark spaces, holes and unknown and abandoned hallways, all something that her little mind thought of as mysterious and awe-inspiring.
Then at the age of 15 Michiru had decided to sneak out instead. The guards had been sent to guard even the most unused hallways and sneaking away in her own castle was becoming a hassle for her. She wasn't rebellious, she only preferred her violin and paintings to the boring drone of her professor's teachings. At first she had been caught a few times, but soon after she had easily found their blind spots and her special exits. Leaving had been easy as one two three. She loved the beach, and it became an easy favorite for her. No guards, no royalty and no pressure… only the beautiful sound of the waves and wind mingling with the sweet sounds of her violin or paintbrushes scraping against canvas. And now, with the addition of her Uranian friend, maybe she could share it.
A slight smile slid onto her lips at the thought, and she continued walking even as the worried call of "Michiru!" snapped her out of her reverie. The quick footsteps soon followed the voice as they neared her, and soon enough, she could see the sight of her taller brother falling into step with her. "Where on Neptune were you?" Her questioned with an out of breath huff, same colored eyes questioning her.
"Out." Michiru answered very simply to the male, looking at him from the corner of her eye before turning a corner and nearly bumping into him when he stopped suddenly. She raised an eyebrow as she was forced to look up at him, trying to slide under his arms when he cut her back again, crossing his arms. The violinist let out a little huff, frowning. "What is it?"
"That smile that was on your face," Naiad started to say with a slight grin forming. His gaze caught onto the grains of sand clinging to her sundress and arms, turning back up to stare at her expression. Michiru caught on almost immediately, about to protest when she spoke again. "That's the smile of a love-struck girl!"
"W-What?" Michiru could help but stutter out in her surprise at his accusation, a slight blush forming on her cheek that she brushed off before he could spot it. She pushed him to the side as well as she could, continuing to walk, though he was hot on her trail anyways.
"I knew you snuck out Michi, but you met a guy too? Should I be concerned?" He laughed when she gave another annoyed huff, walking faster ahead of him and turning to face the door of her room. She opened it, only to let out a gasp when Naiad pinned his arm against the door frame, not letting her go in.
"But seriously, Michiru…" He spoke again in a low tone, eyes searching her's for any sign of a reaction. His lips were set in a thin frown, and he shifted his body slightly, sighing. "Don't get yourself into anything you can't get yourself out of." He leaned forward, pressing a kiss against her forehead before he walked away and down the hall.
Michiru stared at his back until he was out of sight, letting out another sigh and sliding into her room. She looked at the time, it was just enough for her to bathe and get dressed. Today was going to be a long day for her.
-0-
"And where have you been? Hitting on women again instead of doing your duty? We're about to be late, you know." The sarcastic reply irritated the moving blond more then she thought it would as she shoved past the other, stripping herself of her coat and taking the fresh set of clothes she had instead.
"Shut up," She grunted irritably, honestly not in the mood for her brother's games. She had only a tad bit of time left and if she wanted to get done then she'd have to avoid any conflict with her brother, no matter how much the urge to argue with him arose. She eyed the long, dark blue piece of clothing with disgust, shaking her head and walking into the bathroom.
Her good mood had been slightly diminished when she ran into trouble with the guards at the gates. They had basically refused to let her in despite her claims, and she had been arguing with them for a long while until they finally had no choice but to believe her claims.
"You need to be a girl sometime, Haruka. You should start now." The tone was incredibly smug and Haruka wanted to head back out of the bathroom just to punch the owner, yet she restrained herself and undid the buttons on her white shirt instead. She let the dirty fabric slide to the ground and she quickly turned on the water, running her hands through her sandy hair and scowling at the dress that was in her possession. Femininity wasn't her thing, if that much was obvious.
"Hurry up, I don't want to be late because of you." Her brother's voice came in muffled through the door and Haruka was grateful, although she knew if she had heard it clearly the same level of smugness would be in the tone. Clenching her fists, she got into the bath after sliding off the rest of her clothes, getting right to washing her body. She ran a hand through her hair, cleaning out the grains of sand that had managed to burrow in there. Her brother's remarks had stopped and she was grateful for that too. Hearing his voice made her anger flare up incredibly, and the moment of silence did good for her nerves.
She was finished bathing in a few short minutes, grabbing the towel from the rack and drying herself off with speed. She gazed in the mirror for a few minutes and back to the dress, sighing and putting the thing on. Well, with a little hassle at first. Eventually she got it. She eyed the make-up on the counter, picking up a light pink lipstick before applying a thin layer to her lips. She scanned herself in the mirror.
How Princess-like.
"I'm ready, let's go."
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Michiru stood next to her father at the throne, her posture stiff and uptight as she kept her gaze trained on the door. She could see her brother standing at the far end of the room, his eyes on her, a worried sheen to them that Michiru could still catch from her spot. Her other siblings stood not too far away from him, her brother Proteus showing an uninterested look behind his glasses and her sister Thalassa looking just as bored. A slight frown painted Michiru's face and she looked back at Naiad, who only sent her an apologetic smile as they waited for their company.
"Michiru," Michiru heard her father say and she turned to look at the larger man. His gaze was on her, and next to him she could see her mother's sympathetic gaze. She only nodded to the man, to which he smiled, nodding back to her as her head turned back to the unopened door.
A few minutes passed.
"It seems as though they're late," Proteus' voice echoed in the room, monotone and deep. From beside him Thalassa gave a light snort, shaking her head and licking her lipstick coated lips. "Maybe Uranians don't have a sense of time." Naiad rolled his eyes, about to speak when suddenly they were all quieted by the sound of the door opening followed by footsteps. Their bodies shot up straight as if they hadn't been talking at all.
Michiru let her eyes graze over the two figures at the door, led in by the shaky servant. Her gaze lingered on the Prince for a second, only slightly intrigued before the sight of his companion caught her gaze immediately. Her heart jumped up – from shock, she could only guess – as she stared at the form there. The Prince? No, what her eyes were on was the Princess. Those piercing, darkened-teal orbs and wind-blown blond hair were familiar. The angle of her jaw and when those orbs settled on Michiru, widening, Michiru's could feel her entire form tense up. Familiar.
All too familiar. A familiarity she had gotten to know only hours before.
'Impossible,' Was Michiru's only thought as her gaze stayed locked on those widened teal orbs, heart pounding in her chest. There was no way that the person standing there was Ruka. No, Haruka, didn't she say her name was? The teal orbs relaxed, gaze still on her, and Michiru could faintly see the female clench her fists.
The Haruka she had met was a General, not a blue dress clad Princess. Therefore, there was no possible way that this female standing there was Haruka, no matter how many striking similarities there were. The Haruka she had met was masculine. This person was feminine. And plus, her name wasn't—
"Presenting Titan Theoi Uranus, Prince of Uranus and Haruka Theoi Uranus, Princess of Uranus."
"Oh." Michiru couldn't stop the sound from escaping her mouth. Her father's eyes flickered to her in confusion, before he stared at the two entering. One of them wore a confident smile, the other keeping her gaze emotionless.
Haruka. Her name was Haruka. As the two came to stand in front of her, bowing and muttering their hellos, Michiru's gaze was on the female blond.
She had to find out more.
-0-
"I certainly wasn't expecting the Princess to come along as well. Might I ask why?" Michiru listened to her father speak to her fiancé, the group having been moved to the dinner table, awaiting for the food to be served. The entire time Michiru had been half staring at Haruka, the other half spent analyzing her so-called "fiancé".
The man was cocky, that much Michiru could already tell. She didn't like it. Cockiness was something that pored out of most of the nobles in the kingdom and something she had to constantly put up with. Now her "fiancé" had the air of it too?
He was handsome too, that was something she couldn't deny. He had the obvious features of a Uranian; blond hair and murky looking eyes, body well built. His hair fell in short locks just above his shoulder, framing his defined face perfectly and giving him the look of royalty. His manners were perfect, though his manner of speaking was far too confident for Michiru's liking.
All in all, her proclaimed fiancé didn't seem like someone she was going to get along well with.
"Oh, yes, I assumed you'd be asking that." The Prince spoke quietly with a faint smile, bringing the cup up to his lips for a sip before putting it down. He took his time. "This might sound a little odd, but Haruka is not just a Princess in our kingdom."
"Oh?"
Haruka shifted uneasily beside him, her eyes scrolling over to look at him warily. "She's also one of the most acclaimed Generals in our army. Highest of the ranks, to be correct. Isn't that right, Haruka?"
"… yes, that's correct." Haruka finally spoke, not having done so since her entrance with the Prince. Her voice was deep and husky, something that made Michiru even more anxious then before.
Michiru sat up straighter at the information. "A General? You fight in the war then?" She spoke smoothly, and Haruka seemed to tense up at being spoken to. She slowly turned to look at Michiru, eyes searching her's just as Michiru's did the same.
"Yes. At the moment I was supposed to be fighting in the civil war currently raging on Uranus. However…"
"She had more important matters to attend to. Correct, Haruka?" Titan, the Prince, cut her off smoothly, oblivious to the slightly annoyed look on the other blond's face. Everyone else seemed to be just as oblivious, only Michiru catching onto it.
"… of course." Haruka's tone seemed to lower an octave when she spoke it, her eyes shining with an angered flame before reverting back to normal, her leaning back slightly in her seat. Her gaze was away from the other's, seemingly scanning the room for something to do. Michiru frowned only for a second, before her attention was averted to another conversation.
"That's certainly interesting. How is the war coming along anyways? If you ever need support, the alliance is still in place…"
And so the conversation continued, everyone oblivious to the two nervous females.
-0-
"… Michiru." Michiru had been barely listening to the conversation, yet when her name was uttered she looked up at Poseidon with a questioning look on her face. "Since you know the castle like the back of your hand," A knowing smile was sent towards her and she couldn't hide the faint smile that formed on her face. "I would like for you to escort the Prince and Princess to their rooms. They seem to have gotten lost on their way here, and they might need help to go back."
The violinist turned to stare at the two blonds, noticing how Titan sent a smile towards her and how Haruka only looked away. "Of course." Michiru finally responded, pausing when she saw Naiad from the corner of her eye, looking at her with worry. The aqua haired girl only sent a soft smile towards him, reassuring him she'd be fine.
After all, she'd be able to talk with Haruka after this. At least that's what she thought.
"So, Michiru…" Titan spoke with certainty, using her name freely. He flashed her a handsome smile, falling into step with her. Michiru nearly frowned. Who said he could already be using her name like that?
"Yes?" Michiru responded, keeping her gaze planted in front of her, pretending like she was looking for the way to go. It was an act, since she knew her way around here so easily she didn't need to look. The reason? She still felt rather uncomfortable around this Prince, and to have him call her name so easily…
The third sound of footsteps were behind her and she knew it had to be Haruka, the only one she was really itching to talk to right now. "It was really a pleasure to meet a beautiful woman like you." His tone was smooth, but Michiru could only manage one thought, 'I've heard it before.' And her mind slid back to Haruka in a split second.
"Oh, so you're a flatterer?" Michiru said, the statement meaning to come out playful, only escaping as a plain murmur as she flipped her hair back, turning a corner. "I'll have you know that comments like that don't win me over easily. The footsteps followed diligently, the ones next to her faltering in their step slightly.
A little laugh left Titan's lips, shaking slightly with a nervousness that Michiru detected easily. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you if I did." His teeth were bared in a little grin as he stared at her. "I was simply stating the truth."
Michiru paused in front of a door, hearing Titan skid to a stop and Haruka stop. "This is your room." Michiru said to the tall prince, having to look up at the male.
"It's a little far, isn't it..?" Titan mused under his breath, raising an eyebrow at the door before moving to look at Michiru. Reaching for her hand, he grasped it, pressing a kiss against the skin and moving to look at her with a smile on his lips. A charming smile that any girl would fall for easily. Any girl except for Michiru.
"Thank you, Princess." Her hand slid out of his grasp and he straightened, flattening down the creases in his elegant coat before turning to open the door. "I'd love to have a proper talk with you soon. Now, if you'll excuse me…" He disappeared behind the door.
As soon as he was gone Michiru turned to look at Haruka who stood straight behind her, eyes scanning her as if looking for something. "… Haruka..?" Michiru said softly, uncertain. Said female's stared at her now, giving her direct attention before turning to look forward in the hall.
"Can you lead me to my room, please? I didn't have one earlier, and I had to share with my brother…" Haruka spoke without acknowledging Michiru's earlier murmur of her name. Michiru pursed her lips at this, nodding and beginning to walk forward again. The walk was short, only a minute, but the silence between them was thick.
Haruka made to open the door when Michiru gestured to what was supposed to be her room, though she paused before opening it. A deep sigh left the princess and she gripped the handle shakily, teal orbs flickering back to catch a glimpse of the aqua haired princess. She opened her mouth to speak, only to close it again and bite her lip. "… Michi?" It came out in a hesitant voice.
Michiru's head snapped to her immediately, and she saw Haruka's lips curl up in a thin smile as the female opened the door, stopping to lean against the door frame and look at the floor.
"Ruka."
Both of the girls took note of the newly found silence, and after a minute, Michiru spoke again.
"Meet me at the garden? We need to talk, I'm guess—"
"I'll be there."
The door closed and the first thing Michiru took notice of was the hard beating of her heart.
-0-
"Damn it! What the hell?" Haruka fell back against the bed, groaning when she hit incredibly soft fabric. Her hand went up to smack against her face, a loud huff of air leaving her mouth and nose. She let her fingers curl around her blond locks in utter frustration, tugging slightly as she rolled over on the stomach to glare at the wall in front of her.
"Michi" was Michiru Neptune, there was no doubt about it. The same aqua tresses of hair, same faint smile and deep, ocean-like eyes. The same airy and light voice and definitely the same form. And oh, god, even just the way she had muttered that, "Ruka.". Haruka bit her lip roughly, only stopping when she tasted copper on her teeth. She grumbled. She grouched.
She was hating her brother right now.
How could it be that the Princess of Neptune was the same girl she had run into that early in the morning? Could that even be possible whatsoever? Out of all the people on Neptune, it just had to be that one. Then again, when they had met this Michi had been mysterious. Leaving on such a short note too.
Haruka sighed. She should have suspected something all right.
"We're meeting later," Haruka mused to herself, a weak laugh of disbelief leaving her. How out of luck was she? To put it in better terms, just how screwed was she? She had to admit, Michiru was pretty. Beautiful. Hell, if Haruka believed in love-on-first-sight then this would be one of those rare occasions. This girl was just perfect. A part of her knew that she shouldn't go and meet her, because then her feelings would only swell. "Wonderful." Sarcasm dripped from the word.
It was too bad Haruka wasn't keen on picking the logical option this time. The blond snorted, huffed, and stood up, flexing his fingers and stretching. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she realized that she really needed to get out of this dress. Unzipping It in the back after much hassle, she finally slid the blue fabric off and wandered off to grab a standard military uniform instead.
"I'm crazy. I'm so crazy." Haruka continued to mumble to herself as she slid on the fabric of her clothes, sighing in relief at the comfort it gave her. As she walked back to the bed, she kicked the dress away, watching it slide under the bed, abandoned.
"There's no way I'm going to let myself fall for her."
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A/N: Ehh, this chapter was… okay I guess. I don't like it much. I like the beginning a little, but once it dives into when they're introducted it just falters from there, I believe. While writing the last part, Haruka's reaction, I realized how much better I am with Haruka then Michiru. I'll probably stick to her side more then anything, even though I'll have to go to Michiru too. xD This chapter is also a little longer too, so I'm happy with that, I suppose. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, even though I don't like it much, and thanks for reading.
Reviews are appreciated!