Ohohoho! I'm excited to write the upcoming chapters! WEE! I hope you'll all continue to read this story! And I'm open for suggestions so if you have any feel free to drop them off in your reviews!
To NIX, our guest reader, THANK YOU VERY MUCH for the correction on I-ZU-MI Yukihira's name. Hehehe. I really appreciate it though I felt bad at myself for being daring enough to forget a gakuen alice's character's name! I can't believe myself! XO
Anyhow, I hope you will all like this chapter! :D
Chapter 6
For a few minutes they just looked at one another; the queen still grinning widely while the prince stared at the picture. Abruptly, he slammed the picture on the table making the queen jump back in surprise.
"HEY!" Kaoru protested
"No." he glared at his mom
"What no?!"
"No. I won't marry this." He pointed at the picture
"Of course you won't marry the picture! It's the girl in the picture you're marrying!" and then the queen laughed at her own sarcastic remark
"Shut up- OW!" he rubbed his forehead that got flicked by the queen
"Oi! I'm still your mom you arrogant brat! Don't tell me to shut-
Natsume stood up from his seat.
"And where are you going?"
"Back to my work. I'm tired of this."
"No. Sit down."
"I won't marry her."
"We haven't even got to the details!"
"I don't care. I won't marry her."
"NATSUME. Sit down."
The prince recognizing the tone of his mom sat back wearing his pissed off face.
"Let's talk about this, shall we?" Kaoru said sweetly but with firm authority
"Tch." was all the prince could say
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"EEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHH?!"
The king and queen covered their ears reflexively.
"MARRY?! ME?"
"Mikan, your voice!" Yuka reprimanded
"But-but-but-
"Calm down sweetie." Izumi said
"TEMOOOOOOO!"
Someone knocked on the door. Izumi bid them to enter revealing some attendants including Izumi's doctor.
"Is everything alright your majesties?" the doctor asked
The royal couple smiled apologetically for the commotion.
"Yes. Everything's alright. It's just…" the king looked at his daughter who was whining again and looked back at everyone
The servants looked at their princess and back to their king and as if her presence explains the ruckus, everyone bowed and took their leave.
"I told you Mikan, try to control your voice." Yuka said
"But…marry…" the brunette whimpered in disbelief
"Alright, listen first and your mother and I will explain this matter okay?" Izumi stated
Mikan who was still bewildered by her circumstance couldn't say something so she just nodded.
"Well you see…"
The king started to tell the story and how they come about this decision while Mikan tried her best to listen attentively.
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"We were best friends since long before especially the Eastern queen and I, and we got to the point that we promised to have you marry their heiress to deepen our bond even more."
Natsume rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"What a stupid and selfish promise." He thought
"Now, like I said, your father and King Yukihira are trying to resolve the problem regarding the consecutive arsons that happened at the border in which the East are blamed to be the perpetrators. So both our sides believe that your marriage will certainly eradicate the tension."
"Why would you do that? Maybe the east really caused the arson."
Kaoru slammed the table, spilling her tea. Her eyes were wide with incredulity for her son's thoughtlessness.
"How could you say that?! Can't you remember those times when we used to meet at the vacation house in the border? Can't you remember the kindness and idiocy of those two? Can't you recall how King Yukihira used to play horseback with you and how Yuka took you to bath?!"
Kaoru kept blabbering in such deep emotions as Natsume turned his head to hide his vague blush. And not wanting for his mom to continue reciting his embarrassing childhood memories with the Eastern family he finally said,
"Fine, I get your point. How could those kinds of people be able to do those crimes huh?"
"Exactly! That couple is known to be unbelievably nice that making them seem like idiots! So how could those idiots who are so content and happy with their life possibly initiate those evil acts? How-
"Ok mom stop that. I said I get it. It's impossible for those people to cause that arson. Okay now what?" Natsume raised his eyebrow in question
Kaoru cleared her throat and regained back her usual composure.
"So we think that somebody's trying to cause all this uproar. Not just between the Northern and Eastern but as well as the other kingdoms. In any case, we are still investigating on this. And oh, we've also been in contact with the others like your best friend Ruka-kun?"
Natsume just stared. Kaoru, disappointed by his son's uncaring attitude complained again.
"Can't you even react and ask like "ooohh! You've been in contact with Ruka? How's he?" or something like that?"
"Ooohh, you've been in contact with Ruka? How's he?" Natsume repeated nonchalantly
"Tch." Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Anyway, this is a secret so better keep it to yourself okay?"
"Like I care."
Kaoru clucked her tongue.
"Yeah fine." Natsume sighed for the nth time "Just get on with it mom."
"Your dad and I, Azumi and Yuka, Ruka-kun's parents, Imai-kun and all those we've been friends with since forever are starting to secretly communicate with each other. Although on the outside our kingdoms seem to be in big tension and it feels like we are starting to distrust each other…"
Kaoru paused and she stared outside the window, looking distant as she smiled warmly. "In truth, I personally believe that in this chaos, our bonds would become even stronger."
Natsume looked at his mom, finally listening to what she is saying.
"If we could all hold on and continue to believe in the promise of hope our friendship brings, these people who're pulling the strings behind our backs would eventually realize how stupid they are. They'll see for themselves how futile these actions are. "
Natsume stared at his mom and uttered conclusively "You seem like you know… who the enemy is."
Kaoru turned to his son and shrugged.
"I have a hunch." She winked at him "Anyway, I'll continue telling you the details of this matter soon. But for now you have to concentrate on your upcoming marriage!" she beamed at him
"I haven't agreed yet." The prince said
"I know. But I know you will once you've met her."
"I've never liked her." Natsume said referring to his feelings as a child when their families used to spend time together
"But you will."
"Tch."
"Hmm, so you really hate her?"
"Yeah." He muttered uncaringly
Kaoru laughed.
"What?" he asked annoyed
Kaoru ruffled his hair yet again as he stood up, annoyed.
"I'm going back to work." Natsume bowed his head and walked away
"Hey come back here!"
No response.
"You're meeting her soon!" the queen teased, giggling at the messed up hair of her son
The bad-tempered prince walked out of the door without saying a word. Kaoru laughed again.
"So childish. He says he hates her? Hah! Don't go back on your words uncute-san. After all, like mother like son." The queen muttered to herself before laughing loudly again
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"So Mikan, for our continent to be friends with the North again and for everyone who are trapped in the north, you have to marry the prince!" Izumi finished his explanation as he grinned widely
However, even with all the simplifications the royal couple did in their explanation, it still seemed like it didn't work. Mikan was still looking at them with wide eyes and open mouth. The king sighed.
"Mikan… do you get it?"
The brunette snapped out from her daze and looked gloomy.
"Chi-chi… you-you're selling me to them?" she said with tearful eyes
"WHAT!? NO! OF COURSE NOT! That's why I explained everything so you can understand the situation and why you have to do this." The king said defensively
Mikan nodded, took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, doing this around ten times with her parents staring at her. Finally, she propped herself up on the bed and with her eyes looking determined and ready for battle, she then declared a loud,
"OK!"
Yuka and Izumi looked intently at their child.
"Oka-san! Chi-chi! I'm accepting the marriage!"
The royal couple's jaws dropped, certainly not expecting their daughter to agree this easily.
The brunette, looking far ahead brought her fist on her chest.
"I'm willing to be sacrificed for the sake of our poor soldiers trapped in a place far from their homeland! I'm willing to take my duty as a princess to keep our friendly relationship with the north! And I'm willing to marry to keep the promise and bond kept by my parents! I'm going to do it!"
Izumi clapped his hands frantically while Yuka sighed; taking her daughter's hands in hers.
"Mikan, I'm glad that you have these kinds of thoughts. I see that you've matured in your thinking already. But if your heart doesn't approve of this decision, oka-san and oto-san will surely understand. So you just have to be honest with us ok?" Yuka smiled warmly at her only daughter
Mikan, touched by her mother's affections grinned back and hugged her mom tight.
"Hai! I'm sure of this ka-san!"
"Then, I'll have to send a letter to the North with this decision!" Izumi said "Mikan, are you really sure about this?" he looked deep in his daughter's eyes
"HAI!" she said, staring determinedly at his father
"Well… you have to prepare because you're going to meet your groom soon." Yuka said
"Hai!" Mikan said, wearing her bright smile
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And with that, the marriage between the Northern heir and the Eastern princess has been set and planned thoroughly between both sides. Finally after a week of discussion, they have decided on the first step to this royal union.
And that is…
To be continued
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