A/N: So I remember I said that I wrote this WHOLE story during English Class. Well, I looked over it, and I didn't really like the flow. So, I'm rewriting it. Sorry for the awkwardly long delay!

Disclaimer: I do not own OHSHC.

Reviews Appreciated.

.

.

The ride to the tower was slightly more deliberate today. And by slightly more, I mean not actually deliberate at all. Tamaki really had meant to revisit her, but he thought more and more about it, and was actually beginning to doubt loving this girl.

"Tamaki," Kyoya had mentioned earlier in the day, sliding his monocle into place. He usually wore glasses, but the kids were into monocles. So he bought himself a pair...or, a single one...whatever. "If a lady is to marry the prince, she must have princess-like behavior. And everything you've said so far sounds more like that of a wench."

"No, no, Kyoya. She isn't a wench. She's different, sure, but she's funny, and witty, and pretty. Especially for a girl with such short hair."

"A princess should have long hair, Tamaki. I thought you were comparing her to Rapunzel?"

"Well, maybe it's a spin-off."

"You're completely hopeless. Your father would never agree and, based on what you've said about her, neither would she."

"I'll show you," Tamaki had replied, and rode off into the forest, not entirely sure of what he was going to show him. But he knew he would, whatever it was.

Back to the present.

He was walking back and forth in front of the cave. Antoinette looked a little annoyed with being tied up, and huffed at him in the peculiar way that a horse huffs at a human.

"Be patient, Antoinette. I'm sure you'll like her enough to forgive me when you meet her."

This was it. He was going in.

Wait. No he wasn't.

Yes he was.

No. He wasn't.

He sighed, frustrated, and entered the cave. The familiar singing voice came into his ears, this time singing a lovely high-tune. If he knew the words, he'd join in and sing a long. The village people had always told him he had a lovely singing voice.

As he drew closer, it occurred that he did know the tune. So, he ran to the tower, and also sang.

"Swiftly, swiftly, to and fro,

Spin the maiden, off she goes~

Dancing till the night grows dim,

Take her to your room and then-"

"Hey there, Prince-y."

He jumped and looked up, realizing that she must have stopped singing some time ago. He didn't like feeling foolish.

"Just a question, my fair Rapun- Haruhi...what was the name of that delightful tune?"

"Well, the one I was singing was something I wrote in my own time. I'm not sure what the hell you were yelling."

"Singing, you mean?"

"If by singing you mean mocking the noise a bear makes when it attacks a group of people who are trying to rob her of her cub, then yes."

"I've been told I have a great singing voice."

She shook her head, smiling.

"Obviously you've been lied to, Prince-boy."

"Prince Tamaki."

"Hey. You call me Rapunzel, I call you Prince-boy."

He started to get mad, but then laughed and shook it off. Despite her rudeness, Haruhi was funny. That's something most maidens lacked.

He found a nearby log, and sat on top of it. He brushed his fingers through his hair, which would normally at least earn him one fangirl scream. It only earned him a blank stare this time.

"You're strange," Haruhi took note. Tamaki nodded.

"I'm aware. But, so are you. You're not foaming at the mouth with the site of me."

"Oh. I'm sure that's attractive. "

Silence.

"Hey," Tamaki spoke.

"Yeah?"

"What's your father like?"

"My...father? Well, I suppose he's nice...to me. He'd probably rip your face off if he met you. Then he'd lick the blood off his hands."

"That's...descriptive."

"Nah. That's what he always says to me when he talks about boys."

"So then, when you learn singing and cooking, he's going to set you free?"

"Yep."

"Why don't you just run away when you say you're going to the forest? You said he let you out into the woods."

"Only to gather. What kind of person would it make me if I didn't bring him herbs back? He needs them."

"He could get them himself."

"So you really want to learn how to sing and cook, don't you?"

"I've recently added cleaning and flower arranging to the list."

"Flower arranging?"

"Yes. And dancing."

"How are you supposed to learn how to dance up there?"

She shrugged.

"I guess that one can wait."

He looked up at her, and stretched, as if he had been sitting there all day. Proposition time.

"Say, Haruhi..."

"Mmhmm?"

"I was wondering...if I can get you out of there...would you...marry me?"

…

"I've known you for two days. You just started saying my name right. Why the hell would I..."

"Because you'd be free!"

"Well maybe I like being in a tower. I don't have to smell people. You know, a group of nasty, sweaty villagers really doesn't suit my tastes."

Tamaki scrunched up his nose.

"So...you won't marry me because other people smell bad?"

"Well, how do I know you don't stink?"

"Because I'm rich."

She rolled her eyes, and left her window.

"If you can get me out of here," she shouted, not coming back. "Then I'll go on a date with you. A casual date. No first kiss on the first date. No sex. A hug if you're lucky. But I'm not a fairy princess – there's no way I'd marry you so fast. Even if you are a rich prince."

"What...what makes you so different from other girls? You're so..."

He couldn't find the word. She laughed, but he didn't hear this.

"Because, when you're raised differently, you don't exactly follow the culture. Now then. If you want the slightest shot at getting me, I'd suggest you go home and start planning a way to get me out of here without my father's key."

Challenge accepted.

"You know," Tamaki yelled back, turning away from the tower. "You're one quirky girl, Haruhi. I'll be back tomorrow, with a way to get you out of there!"

He turned, his cape blowing behind him with the force. He ran to Antoinette, and hopped on her back.

"I swear...I'll come back for you. You're going to be mine," he whispered, though he knew that no one could hear him.

.

.

Tamaki stood in his room, facing his mirror in his sleepwear. He didn't take a liking to that mirror – it was just the wrong shade of gold. There were a lot of things he didn't like much in this room – the fireplace, for instance. Why on earth did he have a fireplace in his freaking bedroom? No. Just, no.

A knock came to the door.

"Enter," he said, quickly jumping onto his bed and covering himself with the covers. In came two friends of his – the twins Hikaru and Kaoru.

"Hello, Prince," Hikaru said, coming to the side of his bed. Kaoru went to the other side. The two were slightly hard to tell apart. All you could take into consideration were the parts in their hair and the fact that Hikaru's voice was more mischeivous.

"Good evening."

"Your father sent for us to inform you – there is to be a ball in three days time, starting tomorrow," Kaoru informed, voice squeaking a little. When he hit puberty, his voice would probably be more like Hikaru's.

"A ball?"

"Indeed," answered the twins in unison.

"What's this all of a sudden?"

"Well," Hikaru started. "The King has decided it's high time you get yourself a woman. So, you're to pick your favorite dance partner, and we'll see how it goes."

Tamaki disguised his disgust with a slightly menacing grin. "You don't say?"

The twins nodded.

"We'll leave you to sleep now," they both said, and left the room. Tamaki slammed his head into his pillow.

"Great."

He looked to the side of his bed, where an old birdcage sat. There was once a dove in there. The poor thing was completely miserable. It didn't chirp, or even look around. It hung its head down the way a prisoner does when he's being taken to the gallows. Tamaki knew that he was tired of being locked up, and eventually let him go. His father, who had given him the bird, questioned this. He had claimed the bird died, and he had buried it this morning. To this, his father simply said: "Well from now on, have a servant do it. It's not princelike to romp about in the mud."

"Haruhi," Tamaki whispered, stroking the other pillow as if it were her – which, honestly, would be creepy if this weren't the middle ages. "You're going to a ball. That's when I'll propose."

He smiled to himself, and shut his eyes.

.

.

/end-of-chapter notes: Rant time! So, I've decided to do a Princess Mononoke cosplay. However, I want to make the entire thing myself. So, in order to learn how to do most of this, I consult the only girl I know who is handy with anything. Turns out, she's moving soon. She's in the anime club, which is my best chance to talk to her. But...I'm afraid of the anime club. (Hilarious? No.) I'm a fan of anime, but the people in there creep me out...I'd have to sneak in there. Plus, the teacher that hosts that club is a total pedophile and...yeah. He's also an after-school-hall-monitor. I don't like him. To be continued.