Synergy
A Fractured Fairy Tale
Sakura Takanouchi
The rocky path of two people destined to be together, and the actions of all who try to stop them. A story of the romance between Shizuka and Seto told as a fairy tale.
Synergy: The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.
I do not own Yu-gi-oh, I am just using these characters in my story. Which means the plot is mine, although this is also influenced heavily by Ever After; Ella Enchanted, Jane Austen, and the song 'Spell' by Marié Digby. I don't own any of these either.
"…Beauty emanates from every word that you say
And capture the deepest thoughts
In the purest and simplest of ways …"
-'Spell,' Marié Digby
Chapter Three
A new day; with it a new perspective, after letting the unconscious mind sift through events the conscious wouldn't dare touch. Shizuka wished this was the case. She had hardly slept for thinking of the events of the previous day. She had all but insulted the prince to his face! The mere reminder of it sent a cherry hue to her cheeks. But, her mind countered, she would never retract those statements. The Crown Prince was a proud, arrogant man, only concerned with following his own whims. He was probably laughing at her the whole time, for not knowing who he was! As far as she was concerned, she didn't want to know him at all!
So Shizuka left her bed more exhausted than when she fell into it; making and serving the meager breakfast. From the kitchen, she could hear Baron Mazaki telling his daughter of their plans to go to court again that day. The servants gossiped about the financial strain on the Manor, Shizuka wanted to shush them but couldn't help but agree. "The Manor is deep in deficit and he's acting like we've got money to burn!" Almost as if on cue, she was summoned into the dining room.
"Be ready in two hours with all our extra produce and goods; we're going to the market at the castle. Maybe you can turn a profit this time." The Baron dismissed Shizuka with a slight wave of his hand; she joined the other servants already hard at work collecting the produce, eggs, and other goods that they would sell to fund Anzu's extravagant wardrobe. The Baron was already chatting with Anzu, the words "today" and "Prince" caught her ears. So the Prince's disappearance had delayed them yesterday? It was almost laughable—Anzu and the Crown Prince! They deserved each other. She sighed, wiping off the beads of sweat forming along her forehead from the effort. At least it was Court. Her mind refused to wander to a certain member of the royal family.
Seto had been summoned to his father's chambers. It was to be expected—people had to be wondering where the Crown Prince had escaped to for the day, as well as the fact that his escape was hardly
inconspicuous. He kept a stern face, quickly assuming the shell that his father only saw. He refused to say a word or budge an inch.
"Seto," Gozaburo refused to turn to face his son, simply letting the words convey the message. "You try my patience. I don't want to know what possessed you to leave this court, but I will not allow you the same degree of freedom that you've been getting away with for far too long. Lessons for you, every waking hour of the day, and I want to never see you alone. I will not hide your absence a second time from people expecting to see their Crown Prince. And don't expect to see your brother for a fortnight at the least—I don't want him picking up these habits."
Seto felt his hands involuntarily clench. His mind tried to think of reasoning to lessen the punishment, and against his will it focused on the auburn-haired maiden of the previous day. "But what sort of Prince would I make if I didn't know my people? It makes sense—"
Gozaburo's fists pounded on the heavy oaken desk; a dull thud resonating around the room. "I don't know what sense has bewitched you, but those people have nothing to do with us! You are talking of serfs and peasants, boy! The only world you should concern yourself with is that of the Court, and the courtiers within! Their opinion is all that matters, and their support is gained by acting as you ought!"
The words cut through Seto like arrows, and he felt an intense longing to run, to get as far away from this stone prison as he could. And on his exodus his brother would accompany him. Gozaburo proved the time-honored strategy of divide and conquer, separating them as often as possible. The elder brother was given the lectures, the tutors and teachers, until his head swam and every muscle screamed out in agony. The younger, only just leaving his happy childhood, was ignorant about the politics of the throne, barely receiving the minimum expected of a Prince. He was cast aside in favor of the elder, whose adamant will had yet to break.
Seto left the room shortly after the tirade, refusing to wait for a dismissal. A tutor leapt out of an adjacent doorway as if on schedule, ready to drill the lessons in to his rather unwilling pupil. Seto had rather astounded his father; lessons at first were rigorous, revealing his brilliant mind, but once Gozaburo attempted to impart his will in politics and the finer points of his royal obligations, Seto lost all energy in the classroom, simply glaring defiantly at the stuttering tutor and only putting forth the effort when it was suggested that his younger brother take his place.
"Not today, Prince," the tutor's surprising words prompted an incredulous glance, blue eyes darting sharply behind brown bangs. "There's someone you must escort today. The Mazaki household was rather disappointed yesterday at your absence; I trust that you'll make it up to them today?" The tutor ushered a scowling Seto to the reception room where Anzu and the Baron were waiting. Her blue eyes lit up ecstatically upon seeing him; she swept her finest curtsey as the Baron nodded his dead at the prince.
"We were absolutely distraught without you yesterday, Prince," Anzu's voice was syrupy sweet as she took his stiffly outstretched hand almost forcefully. They began their walk around the grounds, the lady providing most of the conversation. "After all, what could be more important…?"
Seto left her question unanswered.
Shizuka gladly let the other servants tell her what to do; she had misplaced several baskets and was generally out of her wits all morning. But the palace was simply beautiful! They had driven by it to the adjacent market, in a meadow with a magnificent view of its walls and towers. Shizuka must have been there before, but she could barely remember it.
Already vendors were calling out to passersby, selling their wares, and merchants from the palace or the country were wandering among the stalls and tables set up. Shizuka adjusted the baskets of produce slightly as a man with long dark hair sauntered up to their table. His dead-set eyes seemed locked on her. "Now who is this beautiful young flower?"
"Duke Ryuji Otogi!" The servant nearest Shizuka chastised him. "I'll ask you to stick to your business only, or be on your way please!"
He chuckled, his stance indicating that he wasn't going anywhere. Shizuka eyed him critically. So he is of nobility? She decided that politeness from the start would provide with a much better encounter than the one of the previous day. "My name is Shizuka, sir." She quickly moved her hand away in surprise when he attempted to cover it with his own. The servants moved closer to the girl, as if protecting her from his treachery. He only chuckled softly, undeterred from the triple glare.
Ryuji picked up an apple in one hand, turning it as if admiring the fruit. "It is a pity that your soil is the best in the country, yet so… poorly tended."
The double meaning was not lost on Shizuka. "We have limited resources, sir." She took the apple out of his hand, returning it to the barrel. "We do the best we can."
"Anything I can do to help?"
He really couldn't take the hint! Shizuka didn't know what else to do; on the outside she did her best to appear rational, but internally she wanted to smack that smug smirk right off of his face! Being at court was already stretching her nerves thin, and how dare this man speak to her so! It was infuriating, but all customers must be treated with respect. He was a man of power and prestige, and there was only so far she dared to go.
"Prunes?" The servant came to Shizuka's rescue, shoving a container of the fruits under the Duke's nose. It wrinkled in distaste, a sneer pasting itself across his finely sculpted features.
"Just remember that without my generosity, your pathetic Manor wouldn't even exist," with one, last, withering look at Shizuka, he turned and left, his cape brushing the ground behind him.
"That incorrigible man! If he didn't buy a bushel of vegetables every week…" The servant put the box of prunes back onto the table, brushing her hands off. For once everyone was glad he had gone.
The Crown Prince Seto didn't think he could ever get the girl's shrill giggle out of his consciousness. He didn't know where such a laugh would come from, but she produced it at everything they saw or any remark he deigned to make. He subsequently spoke as rarely as possible, infuriatingly difficult with that Baron constantly feeding him questions about his royal duties or prompting complements about Anzu's new necklace. They had already taken a turn about the castle's grounds; they were now headed to the market.
"Here are our servants, Prince. Although our manor is small, it thrives." All Seto heard was 'servants', and he wondered if the Mazaki family was as lenient with them as the Lady Shizuka was. Curse her for invading his thoughts, and now of all times! But servants meant people he may talk to who were not of the Mazaki household—a most welcome trait.
"I would enjoy meeting them," the reply came much easier from his lips than he intended; they arrived at the table; seeing several women tending the vegetables. "Good day, ladies." The first had a rag covering her hair, the second was wearing a greasy apron, and the third looked remarkably like the Lady Shizuka—
Shizuka didn't see the Prince coming before it was too late. In her shock, she threw her arms up; causing the wriggling chicken she was holding to squawk and screech loudly, flapping its wings and providing Shizuka plenty of cover to duck behind another stall.
Prince Seto's eyes nearly bulged upon having a chicken thrown into his face, he hastily shoved it away, brushing a few feathers from his jacket. The Baron looked livid; was this how he was paying his servants to act? "Are you trying to scare the Prince to death?" He thundered.
After recovering properly, he was more curious about the fact that, unless his eyes had deceived him, there had been a third servant there. He cleared his throat nervously, drawing the attention of the servants. "Was there just you two, here?"
They looked at each other, an unspoken conversation passing in a minute. Shizuka owed them one. "And the chicken, sire," the shorter one managed. Now both the Baron and Anzu were looking at him strangely. He frowned, his brow furrowing with the concentration. This simple 'tour' was drawing to a close, as far as he was concerned.
Only once the Prince had left, the Baron and his daughter not far behind, did Shizuka return from the shadows. "What is the matter with you, child?" one servant admonished. "Why were you so scared?
In hushed tones Shizuka told them of her earlier interlude with the Crown Prince, right in the Manor's orchard, sparing them no detail of his arrogant nature and their energetic debate. "I would have jeopardized the manor; I was scolding him into oblivion as well as dressing above my station."
"I'll bet you looked just like your mother," one servant wistfully exclaimed. "I'd give anything to see it again."
"I hope I'll never have to see him again," Shizuka spun slowly around as if testing the air around her. "He can just marry Anzu and they'll all live at the Palace and I can stay at the Manor, change things around a little. That's all I want."
"Don't say things like that," the other admonished, her face betraying what she thought of the match. Soon after, they left to converse with other merchants and vendors, leaving Shizuka to take everything in. All the people, more than she could count on both hands many times over! And the castle made a pretty backdrop to everything. She let her eyes wander, trying to perceive everything. The conversation of several courtiers fell on joyfully unsuspecting ears.
"Did you catch the end of the joust?"
"Heavens, no, it's much too vile. The sword fighting exhibitions are much more entertaining, as that Knight Jounouchi has yet to be bested in competition."
What do they call him again? What was it—the 'flaming swordsman?'"
Shizuka made no move to cover the gasp that escaped her open mouth. They mentioned a Jounouchi—was it really her brother? She had never heard a word about him since that fateful morning; she had assumed he left the Kingdom. He had always talked to her about becoming a Knight and fighting for his domain; had he realized that dream? She wondered if she would even recognize him if he stood right before her. "Katsuya…"
Shizuka knew this might be her only chance to be reunited with her brother. With barely a word to the servants, she ran from the market, hardly stopping to catch her breath until she was inside the castle proper. The stables at the Manor were to the left of the main house; Shizuka ran to the leftmost part of the castle, amazed to find a complex of stables and servants quite fit for a King. The only problem was that there were no other females in sight, causing Shizuka to stick out from the crowd. If this thought registered in her head then, it would be only a matter of time before someone else spotted the anomaly. The voice stirred the air, right on cue. "Miss? What are you doing here?"
Crown Prince Seto had had quite enough of all this. The unctuous yet overbearing Baron, the simpering daughter, the invisible but omnipresent eyes of his tutors turned "chaperones." It was ridiculous. Cutting their escorted "tour" short was easy enough; but evading his tutors was proving to be a highly enjoyable challenge. Especially when every person he met returned his presence with a deep bow; and his title, voiced louder than he deemed necessary. He growled low in his throat after the most recent noblemen
had passed by. At this rate, even if his pursuers were miraculously blinded they would still be able to track him.
Seto was currently strolling in the courtyard that separated the castle proper and the serving buildings beyond, the kitchen and greenhouses and stables… the latter gave him an idea. What better place to escape, with its winding corridors and stalls, was perfect for evasion? And he had his pick of rides if he needed to make a hasty getaway. He ducked into a narrow hallway and ran until he got to a maze of stalls, moving quickly into one and out the other side, then down another adjacent hallway. Once Seto was sure he was no longer being followed, he slowed his pace, heading back to the main confines of the stable house. To hell with the Court—the Crown Prince wanted to go riding.
"Miss? What are you doing here?"
The voice caught Shizuka off guard. Frozen in place, her mind was free to whirl with possibilities. She was caught, trapped. For a moment, she wondered what became of trespassers. She steeled herself for the worst, and then spun around slowly, cautiously, much like a frightened animal.
The man opposite her was no swordsman or rider, but rather had the look of a scribe or librarian. Greasy dark hair hung in bangs obscuring beady eyes, which studied Shizuka with a rather condescending air. Maybe it was something about her posture, her attire, her expression which confused him. "What is your business here?"
His voice was sharp for a courtier; Shizuka assumed he must hold some sort of servile position at Court. But he seemed to not know for sure who she was. She struggled internally, fighting the instinct to just turn and run away. Could she pull off a courtier? Or pretend to be a servant?
Seto stepped carefully, cautious to make as little noise as possible, once he heard the voices. Chancing a glance around the worn wooden pillar afforded him a view of his tutor. Damn! His route was blocked by the exact person he wanted to avoid. He pressed the back of his head into the grain of the wood, knowing that there was nowhere for him to go. A female voice flitted across his conscious; at first he thought it was a memory. There was another? He couldn't see her clearly with her back to him, but he was struck by the color of her hair. What was going on?
"I was wondering where the knights go when they're at leisure," Shizuka began slowly, a small grin of triumph at the man's reaction. His eyes rolled to the ceiling, surely wondering when the fan base of the scholar would appear.
The oiliness atop the voice returned; a tone Seto knew all too well. "I'm afraid the jousters at Court are strictly cloistered with their craft, and any contact is expressly forbidden. I will excuse your transgression this one time, but both you and whoever this mystery man may be may not be so lucky next time." Shizuka shuddered under his thinly disguised gaze, marveling at why again she wanted to go to Court. "What is your business in this Kingdom?"
One more question and Shizuka was afraid that she would explode. Once again, she had put herself in a position that endangered those that she cared for most. She could never mention Katsuya; if this man were true to his word Shizuka couldn't bear it if he were punished. Before she could do anything to stop it, her conversation with the Prince emerged clear in her mind, and she seized her alias gladly.
"I am here at Court visiting a cousin," Shizuka began to craft her alias, unaware that a third party was listening much more carefully than the other. At the expectant look of the man across from her, she begrudgingly offered up a name. "The Baron Mazaki's daughter, Anzu Mazaki."
She was unaware that a simple name worked such a magic on her interrogator. She could see the wheels turning over in his mind. Was Anzu an acquaintance of this man? She wasn't about to put anything past either of them. He recovered quickly, though, compared to their clandestine observer. The Crown Prince was still reeling in shock at this information. An unexpected turn…it certainly was going to make
things difficult. It seemed that the curiosity of this man was far from satiated. "I was not aware that the Mazaki family had any relatives. Tell me, what is your name?"
Shizuka swallowed and was sure the action was audible to everyone in the Kingdom. She could never give her name as Jounouchi, it was a sure tie to the knight, the exact opposite of her current goal. She was at a loss…
"Shizuka Kawai."
No one was more surprised than her at the admission of the name. She was stunned, dredging up old memories, tears pricking her eyes at the sound of her mother's maiden name coming from her own lips. The man let her leave with a wave of his arm, and she nearly ran from the area, waiting until she was alone to curse her foolishness at being trapped like that. She had acted impulsively and without thinking, and was sure it would not happen again. She wanted to be back at the Manor as soon as possible.
The tutor shrugged noncommittally, stalking off in pursuit of the King, no doubt. Seto was sure he would have settled for himself, but wasn't about to fall into that trap as easily. With the coast clear, Seto chose a horse and fled the stable complex. He had a house call to make. Shizuka Kawai…
Shizuka arrived back at the meadow, flushed and out of breath. The other servants lost no time in berating her for her little adventure, but she needed no second reminder. It had been dangerous, and she knew that she would be spending no more time inside the castle's walls. A moment later, another puzzle piece clicked into place. "Our produce! Did you sell it all?"
"We're clean out," one servant said with a smile. The table was empty; it seemed like Shizuka's absence was a boon for them after all. "We are all set to leave in a moment." It wasn't until their cart had pulled away from the castle that they resumed their gossip about Anzu's interlude. "So Miss Mazaki needs to spend more time with the Prince?"
"No wonder he tried to evade her earlier. Or at least that's what I was told."
"What are your thoughts, Shizuka?"
They both turned to look at the girl, whose thoughts were obviously elsewhere. She hadn't said a word on the whole return trip to the Manor, and they were beginning to wonder why. Even when they were back at their home, doing chores, she simply went about them silently. Shizuka looked up momentarily from setting the table to see the concerned face of a servant, only to go back to her duty methodically.
"Shizuka, dear, whatever is bothering you, you do know you can talk to us about anything, right?"
She looked up, as if she wasn't hearing the words right away. It took a moment longer to shape the mask into the appropriate response. "There's nothing wrong with—"
"Prince Seto!?"
All color drained from Shizuka's face and the goblet she was holding fell to the table, rolling in a circular pattern before it came to a stop. "What is the Prince doing at the gate? He knows as well as anyone that Anzu is back at the castle…" She eyed Shizuka, who was fidgeting nervously, trying to shift, keeping herself in a direct path, unseen from the outside. Slowly she pieced it all together. "Did he come for you?"
"I… I don't know."
Shizuka looked confused and unlike herself. The servant, eyes twinkling, seized the opportunity her friend was too timid to take for herself. "Well, there's got to be somebody to meet him! We only have a few minutes! Hurry, get upstairs!" She pushed Shizuka to the stairs, where she moved to Anzu's wardrobe, going to the farthest dresses. The sky blue silk was too much, but it went easily over her shoulders. The
servant was already thundering up the stairs, shrieking "he's here!" Her hair had to stay plaited; there was nothing she could do with it now.
As fast as her full skirts could take her, Shizuka was moving towards the door. The Crown Prince was just as startled at her sudden appearance. "Good afternoon, Lady."
Curiosity got the better of her. "How did you know to come here?"
A smirk ephemerally flitted across his well-bred features. "Someone who can argue Plato so well is quite worth the effort." He allowed her to take the worn book, surprise and pleasure radiating off of her in waves. She had completely forgotten that he had not fully answered her question. Book still in hand; they naturally gravitated down the pathway, leading away from the Manor, arguing good-naturedly about the book.
"If you think my views are incredulous, you wouldn't believe what my father is willing to let pass," Seto commented offhandedly as they meandered along the worn path. Shizuka stopped in her tracks, staring at her companion with a meaure of disgust and disbelief there.
"You mean… corruption? Tyranny? All of this, and I hold you to just as much fault as him!"
"How come I'm not surprised? What would you have me do, then?" He looked upon her with a sneer.
She bravely held his gaze, unflinching. "Something."
For that one, blissful moment the wind was the only thing in motion, swirling around one, then the other, continuing on its path through the country garden. Shizuka was almost afraid to break the silence, afraid that if she moved too far off the rope she was walking on, she would fall and lose everything. And for the first time, it mattered to her. She didn't want it to end.
In the end, it was neither of them who broke the silence. It was an echo on the wind, surprisingly loud for them being so far away. "Miss Mazaki? Back so soon?" Shizuka gave an involuntary shudder, jerking her head towards the Manor; even though her feet decided to stay firmly planted on the ground. In effect, she fell over sideways.
Expecting to land on the dusty path, Shizuka was surprised to feel soft grasses and… was that velvet? Satin? What had happened?
"You can open your eyes, Shizuka."
His use of her name provoked the desired effect; her eyes blinked twice before opening. They were on a grassy patch, surrounded by tall stalks blowing in the breeze. He must have reacted quickly enough to snatch her out of harm's way and, when their fall was inescapable, he directed it into the tall thicket of grasses, both cushioning them and hiding them from any unwanted passersby. And the satin under her fingers…? Shizuka drew her fingers back from his forearm as if it had burned her. "What? Why…?"
His eyes were laughing at her. With the hand that wasn't wrapped securely around her back, he formed the universal gesture of pointing his index finger upwards across his lips. "What is worse, being discovered on that pathway, or being found here?"
Shizuka found that she could not speak a word. Her face flushed when the gravity of his words sank in. She was inches away from the Crown Prince of Domino. In a thicket.
"You continue to only believe the worst in me," The Prince mused, apparently ignoring his own advice. "I wonder what it will take to make you really see…" Shizuka couldn't believe this was the same person who argued with her so vehemently only moments before. Who really was this man? What part of him has he been hiding away behind his crown?
"Let's take a walk."
In an instant Shizuka was upright, the gentle force of Seto's hand on her arm tugging her up and away from the path. Somehow she was able to find her voice. "I thought that was what we were doing."
The corners of Seto's mouth dared to twitch to a smirk. "Glad to have you back. Now come on."
She frowned. His hand was still on her arm, pulling her farther from the path. "Where are we going then?"
"It's a surprise." He towered a full head over her, looking down at her disapprovingly. "No more questions."
"So you don't know either then." She laughed, giving in. They were soon far enough from the pathway that they couldn't be seen, spotted, or followed.
Watching the horizon from the kitchen window was the good servant, hoping that her warning call had been loud enough.
"See? Now all we have to do it follow the river." They had been wandering through the trees for several minutes after they left the grassy field. The mid-afternoon sun filtered through the tall branches and leaves, making the shadows dance on the riverbanks.
In all her wanderings of the Manor grounds, Shizuka had come across this river before, but had never followed it, always cautious to stay on their property. The high banks of the river formed a natural pathway, twisting and turning, leading them somewhere away from the Manor. But there was one thing Shizuka kept tossing around in her mind, unable to reconcile. "How did you know that there even was a river here? You seemed very confident that you knew where we were going."
The Prince, who had been walking a few paces ahead of her stopped, looking back at her with a dry expression. "Oh ye of little faith. Well, if you must know, one of my lessons has always been in the geography of this nation. I know the boundaries of every farm in the area, and this establishment is one of the closest to my castle. It is the same river that runs parallel to your lands that eventually leads into mine. Even though, you could say that all the lands are mine." He chuckled at his own joke, unknowingly angering his companion yet again.
"Why must you keep saying such things?" Shizuka couldn't even begin to understand how his mind worked, the unfortunate man! "It is not your land at all if you have never taken pride in working it!"
How this woman bewildered him! "First you find me arrogant, then that I have no pride? However do I manage that?" His wit only served to aggravate her further. It was interesting, really—at Court, no matter what he did, the people fawned over him. But at this simple, impecunious Manor, when he actually tried to put forth any effort, she somehow found him lacking—him, the Crown Prince of Domino! They meandered along the riverbank for awhile longer, Seto figuring silence was preferable to further provoking her wrath. But his curiosity eventually got the better of him. "Why do you keep asking questions?"
Shizuka looked at him like even she had no idea of what to say. Not only had she never thought about why she was always so anxious to learn, but she was finding it increasingly difficult to think under the harsh gaze of the man at her side. Was he always that close?
"I'm not sure… I think I just love to learn."
Seto stared at her, disbelief hovering just below the surface of his eyes. "You might think differently if you were taught by my tutors."Comprehension dawned in her expression. Of course he would be jaded. And he had a royal reputation to keep—his education must have been extremely rigorous. Knowledge…just what Shizuka had been craving.
"So why don't you teach me then?"
Although it lasted for only a moment, the roaring silence seemed to stretch on for infinity. The only sounds were those of nature—the rustling of the branches, high over the quiet murmurs of the river. Then The Crown Prince interrupted the idyllic peace with a sound most unnatural to himself. His laugh overpowered everything. And he thought this day couldn't get more interesting. "Do you have any idea what you are asking?"
With that, Shizuka knew that although Seto was stunned, he was seriously contemplating her suggestion. Even still, she stood her ground. "I have an idea."
He smirked at her expression, confident and still hopeful. This would certainly be interesting, as well as challenging for both of them. The Crown Prince could never deny a Lady's request. "Then let's get started."
Author's Notes:
I definitely tried to incorporate some throwbacks to the TV show in this chapter. 'Duke' Ryuji Otogi combines both names of this character, and the 'Flaming Swordsman' is one of Joey's (Katsuya) favorite and signature cards.
Reviewer Replies:
Kako: Aww, you're making me blush! And that was the joke? Ok… but yeah, I hope this chapter delivers, and its extra-long, just like you asked for!
The Duelist's Heiress: Oh yes, there will be no lack of Silentshipping here! Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Midnight blue08: If you hate Anzu now, just wait… oh and I think this chapter definitely answers your other question; sorry it wasn't either Bakura or Malik. I haven't decided if they're making an appearance yet. Yeah, Shizuka is pretty mysterious, isn't she?
Blueshadows2010: You knew it? Cool! And yes, this story is in part inspired by Ever After, but as you can see it deviates a lot from there. I'm glad you like the story!
UnlessAbsolutelyNecessary: High praise indeed! I'm so glad all my hard work is coming across! I hope this chapter lived up to your very high level of expectations. Seto is still being rather difficult; I hope he didn't come off as too romantic here—but yes, you've gotten the gist of it excellently! I'll proofread my chapters a tad more closely to pick up any of those pesky errors. I hope you're having as much fun reading this as I am writing it!
Dancers of the night: Yeah, you got it. Shizuka was a little too sparkly at their 'family' debut, so she can't be exposed to the royal family any further and adversely affect Anzu's chances with Prince Seto. Thanks for your review!
Arana Is: Thanks for your review, and I'm happy you like things so far! Yeah, that spacing thing is an issue; thanks for pointing it out!
GoddessOfVictory: Aww, thanks! This fairy tale thing is so much fun to write! I hope Duke Otogi's appearance sated your curiosity for the other characters. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
So this chapter took a little longer than I'd anticipated, but I feel like it's a big shift in tempo for our story. For Chapter Four, I'd say stick around till late September; I really need to work on my other things. I hope everyone enjoyed reading this chapter, and if you want to leave a review on your way out, it'll make my day!