Disclaimer: I do not own KWMS.
"This is seriously taking a toll on me." Misaki groaned as she massaged her temples. "I need some fresh air. This thick atmosphere of strong perfume and liquor stench is making me dizzy."
Carefully sneaking out of the bustling environment, Misaki slowly made her way to the royal gardens where she was greeted by the magnificent sight of the full moon as it bathed nature with its soothing light.
"Blissful!" she exclaimed, stretching out her arms to welcome the soothing feeling.
"How does Suzuna keep up with so much fakery and plasticity everyday and yet enjoy it?" Misaki asked to the wind. She was met with silence. "…Some things I will never learn."
"Well at least I am out of their clutches now. No more clingy men who treat women like some wall decorations."
Misaki shuddered as she recalled a certain lime-green haired Lord who faced supreme difficulty in keeping his hands to himself.
"If only I had an arrow with me at that moment, I would have been more than glad to poke his eye out." Misaki snorted as her mind reeled with all the possible ways she could teach him a lesson.
"That would be a bit harsh, don't you think Milady?" A deep voice broke her trail of thought.
Quickly turning around, she was met with a pair of yellowish eyes, which twinkled with amusement. The moonlight reflected upon his fair skin, giving off a deathly look. His unusual fangs glistened, which made the hairs on Misaki's neck stand on end.
"Igarashi- sama?"
"Please call me Tora, Princess." Tora said smoothly. "I like the sound of my name when it rolls off your tongue."
Misaki narrowed her eyes in annoyance. Something about the air around this man felt different…or rather dangerous.
"What business do you have with me, Igarashi- sama?" Misaki asked icily as she stressed on his surname, clearly pointing out that she had no interest in being informal with him.
Tora smirked as he eyed the irate female before him. 'A feisty one…'
"As expected from a lovely lady like you…straight down to business," he cooed. "I would like to congratulate you, Milady."
"Congratulate me?" she asked suspiciously.
"Yes, for you have succeeded in snatching my attention from the flock of females who are currently having a nervous breakdown to not find me at the party at the moment" he chuckled.
Misaki's eyes widened in shock as her blood began to boil. 'Who does he think he is!?'
"Excuse me?"
"In other words, I am saying that I see you as a woman and I like you. If you can't believe me, then I can hug and be affectionate with you right here."
The thick mist of silence that followed was soon sliced down as the sound of a slap echoed throughout the vicinity.
Slowing raising a hand to touch his stinging cheek, he looked down at the seething female before him as his mind tried to comprehend with what just happened.
'Oh she didn't…'
"Who do you think you are?! Just because you are the soon to be crowned Lord of the Eastern land doesn't mean I am going to throw myself to your feet. You may have hundreds of women flocking around you all the time but I am so sorry to disappoint mister, don't you dare take me as one of your whores." Misaki hissed out loud as tears of anger flooded her eyes.
"You bitch!" Tora seethed as he strongly grasped Misaki's shoulders who flinched in return. "Playing hard to get, aren't you!"
"Let me go!" she cried out in pain and tried to release herself from his strong grip.
"After I have my fun" he grinned perversely.
"You wouldn't dare!" Misaki paled.
"Oh really now Princess…" he mocked. "Considering the fact that Seika Estates falls under my lands just makes things easier for me…and I doubt Ayuzawa would want to go against his Lord."
Misaki's blood ran cold. This man had gone nuts and the fact that she was in his death grip didn't ease her predicament in the least.
Tora slowly began to lower his face towards her and Misaki did the only thing that popped in her mind.
She kneed him. Hard.
Unexpected to receive such a 'treatment' from the female, Tora experienced the full blow of the impact and jerked back, releasing his grip, and crouched down in pain.
"Don't take me for some damsel in distress. I know just fine how to handle scumbags like you." Misaki smirked and started walking back to the palace.
'Why you…' Tora hissed from his 'position' as he watched her stride back to the party.
'So she thinks she can turn her back on me after humiliating me like this!'
His pride and ego was at stake and he would rather die than having a mere female walk all over them. Tora refused to have it that way.
Determined to teach her who is the superior one, he quickly leapt up and dashed after her, pinning Misaki to the ground with a loud thud.
"What-"
"Did you think you could walk away from me so easily Misaki?" Tora snapped silencing Misaki who stared at him with wide eyes, fear clearly etched in her face.
"Leave me you pest! Let me go!" Misaki thrashed underneath him but it only made Tora tighten his hold.
Pinning her hands above her head, Tora whispered in her ear, "I had my eyes on you princess since the moment you walked down the stairs, knocking all the males in the room out cold with your beauty. Then and there I had sworn to make you mine…"
His warm breath fell on her ear which made her spine stiffen. Tears welled up in her fear-stricken eyes as they slowly rolled down her flushed cheeks.
Misaki was scared…very scared. "Please let me go," she mumbled weakly, in a feeble attempt to awaken the human side that was long overthrown by the beast that thrived in him who had fully gained control over his mind and soul.
"…Don't make this hard for you Princess." Tora smirked as he began to kiss her jawbone and neck hungrily.
'Kami-sama no…please don't do this to me." Misaki silently prayed as she closed her eyes and submitted herself to the hands of fate. Her body went slack and she had no energy left to fight this 'monster'.
As if her prayers were answered, Tora was pulled away from her body and was roughly thrown on the ground few feet away, where he landed with a loud thump.
"Oomph!" he exclaimed in pain and clutched his twisted ankle.
Surprised from the sudden change of events, Misaki shot up from her lying position and tried to adjust her blurred vision. She gasped when she was met with a pair of striking emerald eyes…no, they weren't the usual ones which resembled pools of calmness but the ones possessed by a predator. They looked dangerous…furious…deadly.
"U-Usui?" Misaki breathed as she took in his expression.
His eyes never left the form of the other male who was now struggling to regain his footing.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the both of them, Usui was literally shaking as he was having a really hard time to control himself and not lash out and tear the offending presence before him from limb to limb.
'How dare he!?' he mentally seethed and tightly clenched his fists.
Meanwhile, Tora succeeded to stand and limped towards the other two.
"I see you decided to play her knight in shining armor, slave." Tora finished as he eyed him up and down and then wrinkled his nose in disgust.
Scared and alarmed of his advances, Misaki quickly hid herself behind Usui and strongly held onto his shirt as if it was her only lifeline.
"Hiding behind your slave is not going to save you from me dear Misa-"
Before he could finish, Tora found himself lifted up from the ground by his neck.
"Don't you even try to take her name from your filthy mouth." Usui hissed slowly, each word laced with acid.
Misaki peeped from the back to steal a glance of his face. Her breath hitched in her throat as she eyed the murderous look on Usui's face. She needed to stop him before he did anything remorseful.
"Usui stop! Put him down." Misaki cried out and started pulling Usui's hand as she saw the colour slowly drain from Tora's face.
Her cries fell on deaf ears as Usui made no attempt in even loosening his grip.
"Listen to your Princess, slave!" Tora choked out.
Usui narrowed his eyes and squeezed his throat with more force.
Black spots had now started to appear before Tora's eyes and he was slowly losing himself to unconsciousness.
Realizing that Usui had no intention of releasing Tora, Misaki placed a shaking hand on Usui's shoulder as she mumbled softly, "T-Takumi please."
His eyes widened as he soon found himself slowly loosening his grip on Tora's neck.
Within seconds, Tora was released from Usui's hold and he broke out into a coughing fit.
"Wait until Ayuzawa hears a word about this" he wheezed.
Keeping a wary eye, Usui smirked and replied, "Are you that much willing to put your so called 'respect' at stake?"
"What do you mean?" Tora asked dubiously.
"As far as I am aware of royal custom, a slave is regarded as someone who is highly looked down upon…a measly pest as everyone kindly puts it…and people practically worship a Lord. So if a Lord accuses a mere slave for having him knocked out cold, I wonder what respect will remain in the eyes of the citizens for you." Usui mumbled as he feigned to be in deep thought.
"You wouldn't dare!" Tora snapped as realization immediately hit him like tonnes of bricks.
Usui's emerald eyes twinkled with mild amusement as if taunting Tora to challenge him.
"I see you are determined." Tora said, gritting his teeth. "Fine have it your way, slave. I am willing to forgive you this time…but don't you dare cross paths with me ever again in the future."
Slowly shifting his gaze to the female, Tora muttered indignantly, "It was nice knowing you Princess."
Misaki avoided his gaze as she kept her eyes fixed to the ground. She shuddered as she recalled what would've ensued had Usui not interfered. She couldn't look into those yellowish eyes…not now…not ever.
Usui kept a wary eye as he watched Tora limp away from the scene. Oh how much he wanted to break that lovely neck of his. Just what did he think he was doing…touching something that was his! Wait! Did he just call Misaki his? Where did that thought come from?
It was then when his eyes fell on the female standing beside him with her head hung low, her fingers fiddling with the frills of the dress as his ears picked up the sound of silent sobs.
She looked so fragile as if she would break like glass if not handled with care. Usui felt his heart reach out to her.
'She doesn't deserve this' he mused.
He felt his blood began to boil when he recalled the sight of Tora over her like that of a predator towered over its prey. It had taken all his will power not to behead the monster then and there.
Meanwhile, Misaki was having a different problem of her own.
'What should I say?' she asked herself meekly.
'How about start by thanking him first?' a little voice in her head offered generously.
'But I can't face him… not after what happened' she defended.
'It wasn't your fault now, was it?' the voice justified.
Unable to come up with another excuse, Misaki sighed dejectedly.
Slowly raising her gaze to meet the worried one of Usui, Misaki opened her mouth to thank him but was immediately cut off when she found two strong arms encircle her and pull her in a warm embrace.
A long period of comfortable silence followed but neither one of them budged.
'I feel so…safe.' Misaki mused.
'I feel…complete.' Usui pondered.
"I was scared." Misaki sobbed, her voice cracking with each word. "I thought I was done for."
Usui tightened his hold in return.
"I swear on every fibre of my being that I will never allow any harm to reach you for as long as a single speck of life resides in me."
Misaki's breath hitched in her throat at the sincerity in his voice. Never had Usui sound so serious...so determined. Is this the real side of Usui, his true face hidden under a mask of stoicism and indifference? His eyes showed so many emotions at once…anger, determination, concern, honesty, lo- No! That was impossible!
For once she decided to ignore the thoughts and worries of the world and chose to lose herself in his warm and secured embrace.
For once she decided to break the chains of the society and chose to embrace her newly found haven.
Thank you for the reviews. I loved them.
Please let me know what you all think about this chapter. Okay? ^_^