"Where is she?" the King asked.

"She's in her room, my lord." Yukari answered. It's been a week now since the duel and since then Hitomi becomes more and more isolated. She only comes out the room whenever its time to eat or time to study. She stayed at her room most of the time and whenever they tried to talk to her she always answered the same words. "What?" "I beg your pardon" "Sorry, I wasn't listening."

"Again…" The king said she only nodded.

"What do you think is wrong with her? Is it because she lost or is it because Van kissed her?" the king asked. He already knew that Van kissed the Princess and it didn't bother him that much because Van already told him the reason.

"Maybe both, my lord. Van keeps on following her around but there's actually no need to follow because she stays on her room all the time. And she always locked it up whenever she's in there."

"And what did Van said about all of this?"

"That it made his work easier, my lord."

"I see but this isn't my daughter. She's not like this and you know that Yukari. She's always lively, always shouting or laughing about. I miss my daughter. I miss every time she burst in here demanding something. I miss the way she stamps her foot. I miss her anger and stubbornness. I miss her so much." Yukari looked at the sad face of the King.

"I miss her too, my lord." * I miss her as much as you do. * She thought. A shadow moved at the back of the door.

"And this is all because of that brat." He muttered as he turned away and walked towards the room of the brat.

She stared out the window, * How the hell am I going to defeat that guy if I couldn't even defeat my own guard? * The very next day after the duel she'd been occupied, thinking of strategies, learning new skills in fighting by reading so that she could match the skills of Van Fanel but she still couldn't think of something that will help her to gain more knowledge.

* Asking father to train me is out of the question. He already doesn't want me to fight. Yukari is also out of the question and specially any of fathers' soldiers. * She paced, she had been doing that a lot these days.

"Dammit! How can I learn more?" She blurted out as she continued pacing. She had to learn something. Then the door opened slamming it hard against the wall. She looked up. And then her eyes brightened. * Why the hell didn't I think of this before? *

"You!" she burst smiling brightly.

"I never thought you missed me that much." He said as he looked at her smiling face.

"You're the answer!" she walked towards him.

"Answer to what?" he frowned. She stopped right in front of her oblivious of the door that crashed against the wall.

"I need you to train me." She said as she looked up at him.

"Train you?" His frown deepened.

"Yes. You defeated me obviously because you know far more than me regarding fighting so I want you to train me about everything you know." She smiled brightly up at him.

"You're suppose to be angry at me right? You're supposed to be stubborn and never admit defeat? What happens to the girl I've fought days ago?" he saw her eyes blazed.

"I'm not a girl! How many times do I have to tell you that and I am not stubborn! I just want to learn more about fighting that's all!"

"No." He answered as he walked passed her towards the window. He was staring outside.

"What did you said?" she asked aghast.

"No. I don't train anyone. And I am not starting now. I'm a personal guard, why would I train you how to fight when I very well know that I can protect you."

"You pig head! What do you think of me, a damsel in distress who couldn't even lift a knife! I'm very well capable of protecting myself! Let's just say that I needed more professional training and that's all." She walked towards him and pulled his arm to gain his attention.

"Listen, I'll pay you. How much do you want?" she asked.

"Your father is paying me more than enough, Princess. Why would I want more?"

"I don't know! I can give you a horse!"

"I already have one."

"How about jewelries?" he laughed.

"If you didn't notice, I'm very much a man, Princess." She blushed.

"Or have you forgotten?" he asked moving closer to her. She jumped and moved away. He laughed.

"Will you stop doing that!" she demanded.

"I'm not doing anything, Princess." He reasoned.

"You laugh too much for my expense." He laughed again.

"Shut up!" his laughter grew louder.

"Will you shut up already? I can give you anything you want! Teach me and I'll give them to you right away." She pushed.

"I don't need…" then he stopped and looked at her.

"Everything?" he asked with a devilish smile. She was looking at him puzzled.

"Yes. Everything and anything…it's yours" She answered.

________________________________________________________________________

"I can't believe he asked me for that!" she screamed pacing back and forth in front of Yukari. When she entered the room, Van was laughing his head off and walking out of the room and Hitomi's face is bright red.

"Yes. Everything and anything… it's yours" She answered.

"Then I want you, Princess." He answered beaming at her.

"What?" she looked at him puzzled..

"I want you for a night my Princess. Do we have a deal?" She turned bright red not only from anger but from embarrassment.

"I'm not a whore! How dare you asked me for that! I'm a lady, a Princess and you had the gall to ask…" he cut her off.

"You did say I could ask for everything and anything."

"But that…" She couldn't find the right words. He did it again; he had her off balance again

"See… now just let me know if you're ready to accept my demand so that I could train you soon." He then left laughing.

________________________________________________________________________

"Why that know-it-all boar! I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!" Yukari smiled. * At least she's back to normal. * She thought.

"You did say that he could ask anything right?" Yukari asked hiding a smile by facing the wall.

"Yes! But that doesn't include that!" Yukari couldn't help it she laughed.

"But you said he could ask anything?" She managed to say as she continued laughing.

"But that doesn't include that! And he has no right to ask for it!" Hitomi repeatedly stamp her foot out of habit whenever she's angry.

"I'll have his head! No, not only his head I'll have all of him and burn all of him! The gall of that man! I could still hear his deafening laugh vibrating through my ears!" She continued to pace around the room. * He's impossible! But I need him to teach me and yet I can't let him have his way. "I want you for a night, my Princess" For a night? For a night! * She keeps on pacing thinking then she abruptly stopped and slowly a smile began to form in her lips. Yukari frowned at her.

"Why not?" and then laughed.

"What?" Yukari couldn't believe her ears? * Why not? Is she mad! *

"If that's what it'll take for him to teach me, why then I'll give it to him. I'll give him a night with a Princess." She looked at Yukari with a smile on her face.

"Are you crazy?" Yukari exclaimed.

"Yes." She watched her left the room.