Author's Note: I'm on a roll! More and more people seem to be reading this story and I am so happy ^.^ thus, I churn out chapters faster. I bet if you saw me right now you would definitely see me smiling like an idiot all the time – so make my day and leave a review okay? I advise you to keep Rio on excess levels of hyperactivity by doing so.
Title: A Tale of Timeless Love
Disclaimer: *asleep in front of the computer* *sleeptalks* I… don't own… Shugo Chara or Amuto… I just… write about them… it doesn't mean… I own them… or anything… *falls off chair* *still sleeping soundly*
-OoO-
Chapter 8 Reflections of a Mirror
"May I be excused for a while, Princess?" Amu asked carefully, watching Utau practice singing in one of the spare rooms in the Royal Manor. Utau gave her a sideways glance before she looked back at the music sheet on the table and scrolled her eyes along the notes.
"You are excused. I am aware of your task given by Sanjo Yukari. Make haste and bring her to me." She said calmly, her reply losing the bite it usually had. It felt somewhat odd to Amu who was beginning to get used to her bold attitude, but she bowed gracefully despite her thoughts.
"As you wish." She replied dutifully.
She quitted the room quietly and heard Utau's enchanting voice as she slid the door shut.
She made her way to the Fujisaki Household and as she walked in a quicker pace than usual, Amu let her thoughts wander to wherever they may please. Recently though, there were only two people that wandered through her mind.
There was definitely something about the Princess that had changed – she wasn't particularly sure what it was… but there was a softer and gentler air around her, nowadays. It was also less tense being around her every moment of the day and the venomous gaze she always had when she looked at Amu had also disappeared.
Most people would have been happy that she was being more docile – but it was more of a trouble to Amu. She wanted the Princess to challenge her, not patronize her. When Utau had come at her with clear intentions of making her leave, Amu had become more determined to ruin her plans – but now she felt tame and wholly uninterested.
To be precise, she was extremely bored with the easy flow of her life in the Palace. She felt no desire for a peaceful life here in the Palace; she yearned for something to stir her from her dormancy, that's why she had chosen to work in the Palace – but now everything was becoming dull and repetitive – which would eventually lead to inefficiency on her part.
Quite a predicament, Amu thought to herself.
The only time she was alert and keen was when it concerned matters related to a certain blue-haired Prince. Ever since that incident two days ago, Ikuto had not appeared before Amu even once. His absence, rather than soothing her nerves, made her all keyed up and somewhat paranoid.
She would suddenly find herself thinking if he was going to drop down in front of her anytime and it was tiring her out mentally – and before she realized it, Amu had already arrived in the Fujisaki Manor gate and was quickly assaulted by a distraction from her thoughts in the form of Fujisaki Nadeshiko.
"I've been waiting for you." Nadeshiko greeted pleasantly with a dazzling smile, moving forward and letting her black mane trail behind her. She was still as lovely as Amu had last seen her – not that she had expected that fact to change in the small time that she had not seen her.
She turned to the house briefly and shouted, "Rima! Hinamori-san is here!"
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Nadeshiko-san." She greeted cordially as Nadeshiko held her hand and pulled her inside. Amu could not continue what she had intended to say, for Nadeshiko continued to tug her along until she brought her to an empty room and sat her by the table in the center. She sat herself across from Amu and gave her characteristic smile.
At once, Amu's apprehensiveness seemed to have flown out of the window once more – Nadeshiko's talent was indeed a formidable enemy to Amu who kept herself cautious for a reason. Amu dug her nails into the back of her hand and savored the small pain which served as her source of reason in front of Fujisaki Nadeshiko.
Finally presented with the chance to speak, Amu stated her business clearly.
"I have come to escort you to her Royal Highness. She urges you to come with haste as she wishes to have a perfect performance together with you, Nadeshiko-san." She said swiftly, giving subtle emphasis on the word haste.
Nadeshiko gave a carefree laugh and said, "Of course. I do not wish to disappoint and shame the Princess with a dreadful performance."
"Then shall we be on our way?" Amu inquired.
"Just a moment, Hinamori-san. I need Rima to prepare my clothes." She replied easily, as she tucked a lose strand of her hair behind her ear idly.
But her reply felt wrong to Amu and she spoke the first question that came to mind.
"Then why did you greet me in that manner?" she said a little brazenly and she scolded herself internally for speaking out of line.
"Hmm?" she said, tilting her head to one side. It was a faint prompt to elaborate and Amu obliged her.
"You said, I've been expecting you, I assumed you had already prepared to leave." She said meaningfully but Nadeshiko only gave another clever smile in reply.
"You do not miss anything do you, Hinamori-san? Do not be wary, I was already informed by Sanjo Yukari beforehand – I simply wanted some time to have a little chat with you." She explained with an unabashed smile on her face. It seemed like manipulating things to her will was nothing out of the ordinary by the tone of her words and it left Amu a tad uneasy.
Amu may not have noticed it before – but Fujisaki Nadeshiko, might be more cunning than she had predicted.
"So, did your sister like it?" she asked out of the blue.
"I beg your pardon?" Amu asked, not comprehending what she meant immediately. Nadeshiko chuckled at her reply.
"Your sister. Did she like your present? Her something good, did it satisfy her?" she elucidated with a patient smile.
"Ah," Amu said, collecting herself, "Yes, she did. It made her extremely happy." She lied convincingly, thinking of Ikuto's pleased smile as she said it, not realizing the dash of pink that touched her cheeks.
"I'm glad." Nadeshiko said happily and Amu could not help wondering whether her words were genuine – Nadeshiko did indeed seem truly kind, but Amu had never been the type of person to trust others easily. There would always be doubt, she even doubted herself occasionally – but that was a completely different matter.
Out of the corner of her eye, Amu saw Nadeshiko's eyes brighten up with an idea.
"Would do me the honor of fixing my hair?" she asked out of the blue, touching her lower lip with her index finger. "I believe the state of my hair at the moment is inappropriate for a private audience with Her Highness."
Again with the excessive femininity, Amu observed.
"I would gladly fix your hair, but are you quite sure you want me to fix it for you?" Amu inquired carefully and Nadeshiko laughed.
"I would not have asked if I did not want you to personally fix it." she replied matter-of-factly.
By no means was Amu incompetent when it came to the art of fixing hair – in truth, she was quite adept at it, given the fact that she had plenty of chances to hone her skills whenever she fixed up Ami's hair. But she wasn't very sure if she could satisfy the tastes of a noble like Fujisaki. The tastes of a commoner child and a young noble were hardly similar.
"Then, you accept?" she asked with an expectant glimmer in her eyes.
"I suppose it would it be quite alright." Amu agreed vaguely. She was wondering what she would use to fix her hair when Nadeshiko stood up with a somewhat impish expression Amu had not expected.
"Let us carry on then." She announced cheerily with a bright smile and Amu was puzzled by her words.
"May I ask where to?"
Was it a sort of common trait for nobles and royalty to drag servants around wherever they wished? Amu pondered lightly as she asked her question.
Nadeshiko gave another enthralling laugh and replied, "To my private quarters of course. I do not expect that you carry around materials to fix my hair, unless, I'm mistaken?" she asked, her voice suddenly taking a tone of doubt mixed with a bit of surprise.
Amu only looked at Nadeshiko for a moment – before she shook her head and replied, "No. You are not mistaken, Nadeshiko-san. Shall we proceed then?"
Amu suggested politely but her inner thoughts were a whole different story altogether. She must really be losing her touch if she failed to deduce such a simple stream of reasoning. Of course Nadeshiko's room would have the materials she required – but she had failed to see that immediately and Amu felt ashamed of herself.
"Are you alright, Hinamori-san? You seem a little…distracted." Nadeshiko asked suddenly, concern spreading across her fine features. She leaned forward to get a better look at Amu and Amu unconsciously pulled back.
Distracted.
Was that how she was beginning to look to others? If so, she had to do something about it as soon as possible. If one such as Nadeshiko gave such a description, without a doubt everybody else would come to the same conclusion.
Something was going to have to change soon.
"There is no need for you to worry, Nadeshiko-san. I am perfectly fine." Amu said resolutely and looking Nadeshiko straight in the eye. For a few seconds, their gazes locked together and Nadeshiko abruptly pulled back while smiling her usual smile.
"It's settled. Let us proceed to my room." She announced gaily before the door behind her slid open, revealing a very bad tempered petite girl. Amu was struck by a sense of déjà vu as she gazed up at the small girl radiating great displeasure and looking sharply at Nadeshiko.
"I am afraid that is out of the question, Fujisaki-sama." Rima said firmly with her arms crossed in a very unladylike manner.
Nadeshiko gave her a sideways glance before shrugging and saying, "I believe we can make an exception for –" she began to say reasonably, but Rima interrupted her swiftly.
"The private quarters are off limits to outsiders. It is a house rule that does not exempt even you, Fujisaki-sama." She said in a voice that discouraged any complaint.
"Then I am willing to take full responsibility." Nadeshiko replied easily, not at all fazed by Rima's tone. Her words made a flicker of a scowl appear on Rima's face but it quickly disappeared and Amu wasn't sure if she had imagined it.
"I cannot allow you to disgrace your title as the heir." Rima said flatly, conveying all of her intentions into one sentence.
"I deserve to have a bit of fun once in a while." Nadeshiko replied a little childishly with a small pout. Rima did not change her stance and Amu wondered where she had gotten the courage to deal with a noble heir in such a manner.
"No." she said steadfastly.
Amu watched in amazement as Rima talked to Nadeshiko without much regard to her rank. It was actually somewhat… refreshing in a way, to see an aide and a noble interacting as such. She chuckled inwardly and decided that it was about time for her to speak up. Time was ticking away and she was strictly ordered by Utau to bring Fujisaki Nadeshiko as quickly as possible.
A small comfort to Amu was that even in her distracted state of mind, she could still remember what she had to do.
"Might I offer a suggestion?" she said evenly and both of them turned to look at her – Rima with expertly concealed irritation in her eyes and Nadeshiko with mild relief.
"And what suggestion would that be, Hinamori-san?" Nadeshiko replied well-naturedly despite the sudden tension in the air.
"As Mashiro-san has already stated, it is a rule that outsiders are not allowed in the private quarters. It is a practical rule. Since it is quite obvious that I am an outsider, I cannot come with you to your room – but I may still fix your hair as promised, Nadeshiko-san. You may simply ask Mashiro-san or one of the other servants to bring some of your hair ornaments here for me to use, that is, unless you are not comfortable with me fixing your hair in this room?" Amu inquired politely, with a very calm aura about her.
Slowly, thoughtful expressions began to diffuse across both of their faces and after a few moments, Nadeshiko was smiling once more while Rima's rigid posture had relaxed slightly. But after a few moments, Rima's eyes suddenly flashed in realization of something.
"Wait a moment. You asked her to fix your hair?" Rima asked doubtfully, addressing Nadeshiko.
"Not her – Hinamori-san." Nadeshiko reproached with a small frown.
"Ah forgive me. You asked Hinamori-san to fix your hair?" she repeated mechanically, correcting her previous statement. Rima glanced at Amu with her brow creased and it offended Amu a bit.
Was she… doubting her abilities? Amu thought disbelievingly and she bit back the urge to voice out her thoughts.
"Yes, and she agreed. Is there a problem?" Nadeshiko asked pointedly and Rima slowly shook her head, glancing at Amu through the corner of her eye.
"If that matter is resolved, would you kindly bring me some hair ornaments from my collection? I'd like more from my favorites rather than the ones for performances." She ordered immediately after Rima's response.
Rima paused for a second before she bowed gracefully and said, "It shall be done." After which, she quitted the room swiftly.
"Please do forgive her discourtesy, Hinamori-san. She meant no disrespect." Nadeshiko apologized sincerely when the door had slid shut once more.
"It did not bother me in the least." Amu replied nonchalantly. She could have received worse treatment actually, but Nadeshiko need not know such things.
"She's always been such a troublesome aide." Nadeshiko said exasperatedly with an odd sort of look across her face.
"How long has she been serving you?" Amu said inquisitively, scrutinizing Nadeshiko closely. There was still something about her that was bothering Amu and she would not let it rest until she found out just what it was.
"Since the day she was born," Nadeshiko replied easily and there was a somewhat reminiscent smile on her face. "She had always so stubborn and headstrong." She added warmly and Amu could tell that she was hardly criticizing Rima's attitude at all. In fact, it seemed Nadesiko even liked it the best about her.
"It seems to me that Mashiro-san is someone very important to you, Nadeshiko-san." Amu mused aloud, seeing Nadeshiko's innocent expression flicker on and off.
Nadeshiko laughed before she replied, "Yes. She is most definitely someone indispensable to me. Even I am not sure what I would do without her." She said in a tone that implied something but Amu could not quite grasp what it was – then something completely unexpected was made known to her.
Nadeshiko's expression.
Her expression closely resembled that of a man talking about his beloved. She pushed away the thought immediately, but it kept striking her as she continued to examine Nadeshiko more carefully.
"I see." was all Amu said in reply. Her thoughts were much too muddled for her to think of something to continue the conversation.
There was something – there was definitely a vital piece of information that Amu was missing about Fujisaki Nadeshiko…
But what was it?
As she thought this question, Amu looked straight at Nadeshiko who was looking at her with a careless smile.
"Is there something on your mind, Hinamori-san?" she asked and Amu shook her head quickly. She shook it not only because she needed to reply, but also because she needed to clear her head. Instead of letting her curiosity consume her, she chose to store her little observation in the back of her mind so she could use it whenever she would need it.
"There is nothing, Nadeshiko-san." Amu replied dully, shifting her gaze to the polished table in front of her.
"Ah, but your expression says otherwise." She pointed out cleverly and Amu bit the inside of her cheek. She slowly looked up at Nadeshiko and saw the questioning look in her eyes. She wanted to know what was wrong – but Amu felt no inclination to tell her anything… at least, not until she had a full grasp of what it was herself.
"I will admit that I am thinking of several things at the moment but I do not think there are any that are worthy to be spoken aloud." She replied in the same businesslike tone as before, purposely using it to express her hidden message.
"Ah," it seemed she had not expected such a blatant refusal from her but it would do for Amu. She could not stay in Nadeshiko's presence any longer and she was wasting too much time.
"Hinamori-san?" Nadeshiko asked worriedly as she felt Amu's aura change drastically.
"Forgive me, Nadeshiko-san. I do not think I will be able to fix your hair this time anymore. May we postpone it to some other time? I will await you in the reception room to escort you to the Princess." She said steadily as she stood up and left the door.
Her words portrayed her intent perfectly. Nadeshiko could only watch in silence as she opened the door – but suddenly stopped.
Once again, behind the door was Rima, holding a small chest in her arms.
"Please excuse me." Amu said swiftly as she passed Rima and moved quietly along the hallway.
Her current state would not do anymore – bit by bit, she was losing the persona she had created and she did not like it at all.
-OoO-
"What did you do now, Nagi?" Rima asked as her eyes followed the Amu's retreating figure. When Amu had turned a corner and disappeared completely from her sight, she entered the room gracefully. She set the chest in front of Nadeshiko on the table and sat herself in the space Amu had occupied.
"Ahh, I am not particularly sure." Nagihiko replied in his male voice. "But I think I disturbed her peace of mind somehow."
"Did you say anything out of line?" Rima questioned with an expectant glimmer in her eyes.
"You know better than anyone how careful I am with people. But, even before I talked to her, she already seemed uneasy and troubled." Nagihiko replied seriously, thinking what could be the matter with the pink-haired aide.
He had barely known her but she had somehow caught his attention without meaning to. How could one person be so unreadable? Maybe… it was because both of them were the same type of person. He saw how she watched his every move through the corner of her eye; it was similar to looking into a mirror.
"Then it is not your fault." Rima said decisively with a gesture of her hand. "Shall I take over her task then?" she asked changing the subject easily as her eyes rested on the chest she had brought in with her.
"Are you quite sure you are capable?" Nagihiko asked dubiously. "I believe the last time you fixed my hair, the servants had to cut my hair to get an ornament out." He pointed cautiously and Rima flushed a bright red.
"It won't happen this time!" she said indignantly.
"And what exactly is the success rate of that statement?" Nagihiko challenged and it was then that he realized that Rima was actually pulling his thoughts away from Hinamori Amu. His words to Hinamori Amu resounded in his own ears.
She is most definitely someone indispensable to me. Even I am not sure what I would do without her.
Those words were the truth. Rima had been born especially for him and him alone. In a sense, she belonged to him and he needed her.
Maybe, if she had not been given to him – he would have been just like Hinamori Amu.
Guarded, unsociable, and passive.
As this thought struck him, he felt a wave of sadness for her and he finally realized what made the difference between the two of them. He had Rima –but Hinamori Amu had no one. She must have gone through all of those hardships by herself; it was no wonder that she was so closed off from everyone.
"Nagi? Nagi!" Rima's voice broke Nagihiko from his reverie and he blinked a few times as he focused on her face that was only a few inches away from his own. He blushed unconsciously and covered her face with his sleeve.
Rima pushed his hand away angrily and glared at him pointedly, "What was that for?" she asked resentfully.
"Forgive me. You, ah, surprised me." he said a tad sheepishly and Rima narrowed her eyes.
"You were thinking about that Hinamori girl weren't you?" she asked suspiciously.
"Yes." Nagihiko admitted. It was best not to attempt lying to Rima when she was like this. "And also, you." He added purposely, knowing it would throw her off a bit.
"What do you mean?" Rima asked, visibly confused and Nagihiko hid a triumphant smile.
"I was thinking how lucky I am to have you. Despite how troublesome you are," he paused and saw Rima start heating up once more.
"I still need you." He added and Rima blinked a few times. "In fact, maybe the only thing I've ever really needed is you, Rima." He said seriously, looking straight into Rima's copper brown eyes. He said her name as gently as he would have caressed her cheek then, had she been nearer to him.
She would always be by his side – it was his one true reality and he had no intention of losing it.
So he laughed at her stunned expression. His laugh seemed to shake Rima from her shock and she slowly shook her head then gave Nagihiko a sharp glance.
"What are you -" she began to ask but Nagihiko cut her off.
"I'll leave it to you then." He said casually.
"Leave what to me?"
"The task of fixing my hair. You offered to take over Hinamori-san, am I correct? Then I'll leave it to you. Ah, but please do not cause it any permanent damage." He said teasingly and Rima blushed.
"I'll make you regret saying that to me." she said menacingly.
"Oh?" he challenged with a flip of his hair, which angered Rima all the more. She stood up and kneeled behind him. Slowly but confidently, she began to work with his hair.
Nagihiko could smell her characteristic scent that had already been imprinted in his brain. That's right. She had always been with him. Even the day she was born, their cradles had been beside each other. Mashiro Rima would always be with him and that one thought made him feel like the most blessed person on the Earth.
-OoO-
Amu wandered towards the garden in search of a quiet refuge for the time-being. She finally brought Nadeshiko to Utau and Utau had given her permission to 'do as she pleased'. Amu had never expected such an uncomplicated reply from Utau; she had expected her to say something along the lines of 'go make yourself useless somewhere else' but it seems she was wrong yet again.
This continuous stream of mistakes and miscalculations was beginning to bother Amu – she was beginning to disappoint herself and that, was the worst possible outcome for someone like her.
She clenched her fists and continued along the corridor quietly. She contemplated on what to do and before she realized it, her legs had brought her to a very familiar location.
The Royal Garden.
Amu stared disbelievingly at the breathtaking scene before her. Had she come to this place subconsciously?
If so, did that mean that the part of her mind she was barely aware of was occupied with a certain person too?
"Unacceptable." She muttered indignantly. She moved forward soundlessly and approached the oak tree she had become quite familiar with. She brushed her fingertips against the rough bark of the tree and bit her lip in irritation.
This had gone far enough.
She would not allow herself to give any second thought to Ikuto any longer. She leaned against the oak tree, making sure not to crease her robes, and contemplated on what to do next. Suddenly, from behind her she heard a sigh. Amu froze in her position.
Please God, do not let it be him, she pleaded as she closed her eyes.
But wait – something was wrong… Ikuto was not the type to sigh. And just as the first person popped into her head, it was confirmed by the voice that followed.
"Truly pathetic, Tadase. You cannot even approach her to explain yourself." A young male voice said audibly in a tone of reproof.
Amu pressed her lips together and waited for an opportunity to speak. She was not an eavesdropper but it felt somewhat awkward for her to interrupt his monologue at that moment, especially since it seemed to concern her.
"Hinamori-san probably thinks you are a big fraud." He said severely, criticizing himself mercilessly. Her guess was right on the dot.
"I do not believe that she thinks that way. Hinamori-san is not one to judge." Amu said aloud without thinking and she clamped her hand over her mouth.
"That is true, but I am sure that she is extremely disappointed with me. After I – " he began to reply but he broke off with a gasp of surprise. Amu heard the rustle of robes and Tadase appeared to her left with stark astonishment diffused across his face.
"Good morning your Highness." she greeted amiably, giving a graceful bow but scolding herself for giving herself away so easily.
Tadase seemed at a loss for words and Amu decided to take control of the conversation.
"Regarding your words your Highness, there is a need for me to say that I am not disappointed in the least. Do not be so hard on yourself. In fact, I am glad to see that you are very much human." She said seriously and her words seemed to register in Tadase's mind.
"Ah," he said faintly, "I am unable to comprehend your words, forgive me." he said apologetically and he still seemed disoriented by her sudden appearance.
"I simply meant to say that I do not expect you to be perfect. If there was such a thing as a perfect human, that person would already be a god would he not? My perception of you has not changed, you are still Hoshina Tadase." Amu said decisively and Tadase seemed to sober up a bit.
Slowly, a smile formed on his lips and he laughed out loud. When his laughter subsided he gazed at her and asked, "Can you keep a secret?"
"I believe I am capable of such." Amu replied confidently, after all, she already had one too many of her own secrets to carry, what harm would one more secret of a Prince do?
Tadase smiled at her reply before he said, "My real name is Hotori Tadase." He said faintly with a wistful smile. "Hotori was my mother's family name." He stared up at the sky with eyes that had a yearning to see that said person.
"But you chose to take on Emperor Kazuomi's family name." Amu pointed out and Tadase gave her a sideways glance.
"Yes, that is correct. But I've always felt that Hotori was the name most suited to me." he replied with his eyes closed and he took a deep breath of the crisp morning air.
"Then you should call him Hotori Tadase." Amu said matter-of-factly.
"I beg your pardon?" he asked, opening his eyes and looking at her curiously.
"Your imperfect side, the side that is not the ideal Second Prince – I think you should call him Hotori Tadase since he is the real you, is he not? Your princely persona is Hoshina Tadase and the persona you showed me is Hotori Tadase." Amu said reasonably and Tadase blinked a few times.
He opened his mouth, and then closed it again and he seemed to ponder over her words.
"…Right." he murmured with a look of awe on his face. He looked at Amu and gave a beaming smile. "You are absolutely right!" he said in amazement.
Tadase looked thrilled by the realization and an idea flashed in his eyes.
"Then you don't have to treat me so formally." He said suddenly and Amu was bewildered by his words. Tadase obliged her prompting look.
"You said so yourself, Hotori Tadase is not the Second Prince nor is he royalty – he is simply me and nothing more. In your presence, I am Hotori Tadase, thus you are not allowed to treat me as royalty." He said with a triumphant gleam in his eyes.
Amu bit the inside of her cheek and resisted the urge to protest – he had taken her off guard and she could say nothing against his logic. The least she could do was salvage what was left of proper etiquette.
"I can only compromise with calling you Hotori-san." She said resolutely, feeling quite disappointed with herself. She had been in the Palace for barely half a month and she had already bent her principles thrice.
"I would prefer if you used my name, Hinamori-san." He said assertively.
"Maybe… in the future – when I become someone worthy of saying your name." Amu replied vaguely, trying to sound nonchalant but desperately praying that he would leave it at that.
"Why is that?" he asked out of the blue, looking at her quite intensely.
"I beg your pardon?" Amu asked, confused by his words and surprised by his steady gaze.
"Why is it that you purposely distance yourself from people other like that?" he elaborated with a small frown.
Amu was taken aback by his words – it seems even he was not one to be taken lightly after all. Amu paused for a moment and collected herself.
"Is that a question by Hotori-san, or by Hoshina Tadase-sama?" she asked a question in reply to him.
"Hotori Tadase." He replied easily.
"Then I must excuse myself from answering your question. I am permitted to do so, am I not?" she said meaningfully and it was Tadase's turn to be taken aback. He only looked at Amu for a minute before he smiled once more.
"I suppose." He agreed cordially. "Then –" he began to say but he was suddenly cut off by the sound of a girl's voice calling out nervously.
"Excuse me! Is anybody here?" a girl with light brown hair called out as she emerged from one of the hallways. She wore robes similar to that of Amu, but they were in a beautiful pale green and her hair was held up by a red ribbon.
"May I help you?" Tadase replied, walking towards the young girl who jumped at his voice. She looked at him apprehensively but relaxed at Tadase's warm smile.
"G-good mo-morning!" she greeted nervously, tripping over her words.
"Are you lost?" Tadase asked gently and the young girl blushed embarrassedly.
"Well, yes." She admitted sheepishly.
"What is your name? Are you looking for someone?" Tadase inquired politely with his disarming smile and Amu could not help praising his interactive skills.
"My name is Yuiki Yaya and I'm looking for someone named Hinamori Amu-chan!" she said cheerfully, losing all of her anxiety.
"I am Hinamori Amu, what business do you have with me Yuiki Yaya-san?" Amu was surprised to hear her name uttered so familiarly from the lips of one she had never met before. She moved forward and stationed herself behind Tadase.
At her words, the girl named Yuiki Yaya lunged at her and it took Amu's utmost effort to keep both of them upright. Yaya had her arms around her and Amu could not move. She was stunned for a moment before she collected herself.
"Umm, could you possibly let go of me?" she asked politely and Yaya smiled at her.
"Will you be my friend?" she asked, her eyes sparkling innocently and her arms still hugging Amu. Amu glanced at Tadase and saw that he had a bemused expression as he watched both of them.
"Alright." Amu agreed vaguely, not really knowing what else to say. Yaya let go of Amu and jumped, "Yay!" she shouted happily. "Amu-chan's my friend!"
Amu did not bother to correct the way Yaya called her, it seemed futile to attempt talking her out of it. What happened to the shy girl that appeared a few moments ago? Amu wondered to herself and it seemed like Tadase had the same thoughts as her.
"What is your name?" she asked, turning to Tadase excitedly.
"Tadase…Hoshina." He said, pausing slightly before saying his official name. Yaya's eyes widened.
"You're the Second Prince!" she said, pointing at Tadase. Amu raised her eyebrows at her and she suddenly clamped a hand over her mouth. Amu heard her mutter the words, "Your manners Yaya!"
She bowed down exaggeratedly and introduced herself once more.
"My name is Yuiki Yaya. I am the personal aide of Souma Reiji, Princess Hoshina Utau's betrothed one and I have come to visit Hinamori Amu-san to be acquainted with her as Reiji-sama suggested." She said formally and Amu would have applauded her had she not been shouting the whole time.
Tadase only smiled despite the volume of Yaya's voice and he replied, "It is a pleasure to meet you Yuiki Yaya-san. Would you like to join me and Hinamori-san for tea? That way, we can all have a nice comfortable chat instead of standing here in the garden." Tadase suggested and Yaya's eyes sparkled but then it froze. She bowed again and said,
"I must politely decline. I am not worthy to have tea with a prince." She said resolutely and Amu gave a small smile. So she was taught properly at least, Amu thought with a small nod of approval.
"I will just have a stroll with Amu-chan." She said excitedly and Amu was surprised at the sudden mention of her name. She had not agreed to such an arrangement nor was she made aware until just now.
"I believe –" she was about to protest but Yaya interrupted her.
"You are free this afternoon, are you not?" she asked with a confident smile.
"I suppose." Amu replied tentatively. Utau had told her to do as she pleased and it could be interpreted as her having free time in a different sense. "But who made you aware of that fact?" she asked a bit sharply.
"I met a spectacled green haired boy a while ago and he said you were probably free today because the Princess is practicing for her performance in the Acquaintance Dinner between the Royal Family and the Souma Family." She replied promptly with a beaming smile.
Spectacled… green-haired… boy?
"You are referring to Kairi-san?" Amu asked, his image registering in her mind.
"Yes! I knew his name was something like that. I'm not very good with names but he was really serious when he told me all of this, he even chastised me for not knowing what you looked like." She said with a pout while squinting her eyes in what Amu supposed was a Kairi-esque manner.
Amu kept a straight face despite the foolishness of Yaya's expression. She was a strange one indeed but that did not seem to bother her in the least – dealing with eccentric people was the least of her problems at the moment. Also, she guessed that if she did not do exactly what she wanted now, she would be hounded until she eventually agreed. So Amu assumed this would be the best course of action for now.
"So you will accompany me, ne? Amu-chan. I really want to get to know you better." she said with the same puppy dog eyes Ami frequently used on her and Amu instinctively relented. But there was one problem that was keeping her rooted to her spot, she could not very well just leave Tadase all of a sudden by himself.
She glanced at Tadase and he gave a surreptitious nod. With that alone, she understood that he was allowing her to go with Yaya. She hesitated for a moment, thinking about her duty to a Prince – but then she realized that she too, had a duty to entertain the guest of the Royal Family, Yuiki Yaya.
She chose to follow Tadase's wishes and said, "Alright. Where do you wish to go, Yuiki-san?" Amu asked, addressing Yaya.
When Amu had uttered that question, Yaya's face brightened up like a child who had received the best gift for Christmas.
"Really? You'll go with me? Yay!" she said joyfully, leaping up and tackling Amu once more. The two of them would have fallen had Tadase not supported Amu just then. He steadied both of them and pulled away with a relieved smile.
"Thank you, Prince." Amu said politely.
"Thanks Tadase-chin." Yaya said and Amu turned to stare at her.
Did she honestly just –
"Is it alright for me to call you that?"
Tadase smiled broadly before saying, "It should be quite alright if there are no others who would hear it. Many will think ill of you if you call me such in their presence." He said reasonably and Amu watched quietly.
"Okay!" Yaya agreed swiftly. She turned and addressed Amu, "Shall we go, Amu-chan?"
"Ah, yes." Amu replied a little uncertainly. Yaya reached out and held Amu's hand before she turned and began to tug Amu along.
"Until next time, Prince." Amu said, pulling against Yaya's grip for a moment before she allowed herself to be dragged once more.
"Later, Tadase-chin." Yaya said, glancing back briefly with a grin.
As Yaya pulled her away from Tadase, Amu began ponder over something that had been bothering her. She always assumed that physical contact was bad for her. But why was it, that when Tadase had touched her back just then… she felt nothing at all. And yet… when it is that other person touching her, she always felt jittery and on edge?
The moment Ikuto entered her thoughts though, she immediately stopped thinking about it. Whenever it concerned Ikuto, there was bound to be no proper answer to her question.
-OoO-
Special Note: Since it's kind of confusing even to me, so I've decided to refer to Nagihiko as a boy when he's alone with Rima and as a girl when there's everybody else. This way it's easier to understand and more uniform when you're reading instead of me switching all the time which just annoys me by the way. :D
Endnote: And my goal for now is to get 100 reviews by chapter 10, will you grant it for me? Please? *puppy dog eyes* My birthday is coming up this September and getting 100 reviews would be the best birthday present for me. (so please? :) I've updated more frequently just for you and I would love if you granted my wish. :) You could call it an investment for better chapters if we put it in business terms, haha.
This chapter is dedicated once more to AmutoForever and Kiyonora because both of them made me so happy with their reviews.
Anyway, special notes, special notes:
AmutoForever – thank you once again for the fantastically long and wonderful review. Thanks for correcting me on the Daichi thing too. I always thought it was Daiichi, well, seems I was wrong. :D many many thanks over and I hope you review this chapter too. ^.^
QueenyLeAcH – I'm so happy you liked it; I make it a habit to keep the frequent reviewers the happiest over others, biased as it is. ^.^
Kiyonora – it is now an established fact that I absolutely adore you. :3 would you do me the honor of becoming one of my permanent reviewers? I would love to have you on board, you just keep making my day when you review. :)))))))))) –smiley is insufficient to express happiness– and you're asking where the inspiration comes from right? Corny as it sounds, it comes from all you readers. :DD haha.
kittyallstars and TsukiyoTenshi – thanks so much for reviewing the previous chapter, review this chapter too okay? I'd love it if you do so. n.n oh, and kittyallstars, you'll have to keep reading to know the answer to your question. :33 and TsukiyoTenshi, dangerous in what sense exactly? :))
P.S. And thank you to the kind people who added me to their story alert, story favourites and still read this story of mine. You make me feel so lucky and appreciated. *grins*
P.P.S I am now in the process of beginning a permanent schedule of my updates which at the moment, is assumed to be weekly probably during Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. So could you leave me a review? I don't really care how long it is since any review gives me more inspiration to write my chapters. (And add to that 100 reviews goal of mine. :D)
So that should be the end of my outrageous endnote for this chapter, TILL NEXT TIME!