"A smile confuses an approaching frown." -Author Unknown

"Because of you

I never stray, too far from the sidewalk

Because of you

I learned to play of the safe side so I don't get hurt"

-Because of You-Kelly Clarkson

Chapter 7

Yoh shivered, feeling colder then he ever had before. He couldn't see in front of him, for it was as if he was standing in the middle of a blizzard.

He saw a light up ahead, that seemed warm and inviting. He walked towards it.

He only took five steps before the ground under him disappeared and he was submerged in water colder then ice. He gasped as he fell, only to engulf the freezing liquid.

Black started to cloud the edge of his vision, his mind foggy.

He saw something in front of him just before the darkness swallowed him-

Yoh sat up quickly, drenched in sweat, gasping for air. For a second, he really thought he was drowning for a second.

There was a knock at his door.

"Yoh, Yohmei-Sama needs to see you," Ryu's voice came through the door.

"O-Okay," Yoh called, trying to keep his voice even. He succeeded because he heard him walk away. Taking a deep breath, Yoh calmed himself before changing into a white shirt and green pants.

'What a weird dream' he thought, putting his orange headphones on. Sure, he'd been having weird dreams for awhile now but that one was the most realistic.

"I wonder what it mean," he mused, stretching. 'Oh well, no sense thinking about it' he thought before leaving his room.

He stopped as he passed the door the lead to the infirmary. Thinking that, since he was there, he my as well check on Anna. Of course, since their last conversation went so well it was probably a bad idea but he thought it couldn't hurt. Much.

"Anna, are you awake?" he asked, not really expecting an answer knowing her.

He opened the door wider and saw she wasn't there. The bed was empty and made.

"huh? Where is she?"

Anna's eyes narrowed slightly as she starred straight ahead. Pulling her right arm back, she opened her hand and watched as the arrow hit the center of the target, fifteen yards away.

Behind her she heard Ren sigh and his thoughts.

'Why did I agree to this? For all I know she'll turn an arrow on me' he sounded annoyed.

"Huh, there's an idea," she murmured. The reason she came here to practice Archery was because after spending so many days in a Cell, then the infirmary, she felt stiff. And since she couldn't go anywhere without an Escort Ren had to come.

She continued to shoot, ignoring Ren's thoughts as best as she could.

"What happened that night?" he asked suddenly. Her hand paused just before shooting.

She didn't say anything. Snow blowing around her, blinding her, a cold she could not forget. Imaged of that night fill her head…

"Where are we going…"

"To your new home…"

Ren frowned when she didn't say anything but didn't press it.

Suddenly, Anna turned around and shot an arrow in the trees.

A shout of distress was heard before a boy with brown hair immerged.

"I thought I was going to be skewered there," Yoh cried.

"It's your fault for sneaking up on me," Anna said coldly. Yoh grinned.

"But you knew it was me, right?" he said. She glared at him.

"Hey Ren, are you two even allowed here?" Yoh asked. An image of Anna shooting him came to mind.

"Who knows, shouldn't you be meeting your grandfather?"

"Already did." when he saw Anna wasn't in the infirmary he decided to see Yohmei before going to look for her. He just wanted to tell him that he was to be Anna's Escort along with Ren, and to tell Anna she will have to wait to get her Rosary back.

He saw Anna frown. She must have read his mind.

"Good, then you can take over," Ren walked past him.

Yoh bid him farewell before sitting on the ground a meter from Anna.

He watched as she ignored him and practiced her Archery. He had to admit, she was pretty good. She almost always hit the center of the target and when she didn't, it was fairly close.

He thought about the last time he talked to her, when he asked her about the Patch and her reaction. That was the second time she threatened to kill him.

Did she really hate him that much?

Anna closed her eyes before setting down the bow in her hand. She turned around and started to walk away. Yoh got up quickly to follow.

'No…' she thought. 'It's not you that I hate…'

Tamao was in the sitting room, watching T.V with Pirika and HoroHoro.

She wanted to see Anna but was afraid of what mood she would be if she did so she decided to wait.

They were watching some drama show about a girl who was new at school, but was afraid to talk to others because she'd been bullied a lot at her old one.

"Oh, Onii-Chan, did you hear? Ren and Yoh are supposed to be that Itako's Escorts now," Pirika said in a grim voice. Though Tamao enjoyed her friendship, she didn't really like how she seemed to hate the princess so much.

"Really?" HoroHoro said, shocked. "Huh, their gonna go crazy. From what Faust said she really hate people."

"It's not her fault," Tamao said quietly. The two Ainu siblings starred at her, eyebrow raised.

"What do you mean, 'Not her fault'?" Pirika asked in a sceptical tone.

"I…" Tamao's face went a strange shade of pink, like it wanted to pale and blush at the same time. She didn't want them to think Anna was an awful person, but at the same time she was told not to really say anything without her permission. "I-I mean…she, she doesn't get close to others…because she'd been betrayed by people close to her twice already and…" her voice trailed off.

"betrayed?" HoroHoro thought about it. Who would betray a so called princess? And if they did why would she care? Itako = no emotions.

Yoh scratched the back of his head awkwardly. If she looked angry before it was nothing compared to now.

"What?" She hissed.

"I-It wasn't my idea," He held up his hands in front of him. Why was his grandfather being so cruel? One of the knights just came to talk to him. Turns out because of Pirika's hatred for Itako's, Anna's room had to be re-located. Not bad right? Until the Knight went on to say it would be near his, Asakura Yoh's, room. He had a feeling if she wanted to, she'd burn him on the spot until he was a pile of ashes.

"This better be some kind of sick joke," She said.

"heh, heh, um…" Yoh didn't know what to say. Not a clue.

Anna brought her hand to her forehead and sighed. 'the Great Spirits must love to annoy me…' she thought.

She sighed again.

"Fine," she said. Yoh gave her a confused look. "I'm going to lay down until dinner. I have a headache. Don't you dare try to wake me up before then."

Yoh watched, dumbfounded at how easily she stopped arguing, as she made her way to the room beside his.

Anna opened the door to her room, taking everything in. A queen sized bed, a desk, a dresser, and a balcony. She walked over to the closet and saw someone picked some clothes for her. Maybe that Keiko woman she met earlier.

A few dresses, some black, one white, one dark blue, a Yukata and a white Kimono that had windmills at the bottom. The design made her think of Osorezan. There were many windmills around the mountain. She felt a knot in side her get tighter, as it always did when she thought of that place.

With a sigh, she walked over to her bed and laid down, not bothering to change or get under the covers.

Just before she lost her self to sleep an image of Yoh's smile came to mind.

Ment to post this on Friday but got so much homework for the weekend…not sure when I can update this, sorry, I know I said I'd do better but as much as I want to work on 'Choices' more, I need to bring my Math grade up so…please be patient and please review! They help me write!