This is terrible! *GASPS

I'm having trouble with this story coz I lost my touch to it. It's like the idea's slowly fading away so as much as possible, I would have to finish it before school starts.

Dear me, please search for your inspiration back.

Anyhow, I managed to write this much. I should be thankful enough for this. *faints

Chapter 9: The First Phase to the Royal Union

It was eerily silent.

The only sound heard inside the room was the faint clinks of utensils as the four house occupants ate their breakfast together. Apart from the killing glances the prince and the princess shared, there was no communication from both sides of the parties at all.

They just ate in silence.

Finally, when breakfast was over, Tsubasa and Misaki announced the schedule for the royalties.

"Your highness, your schedule right now is to have a walk outside with the princess. This is so you could get to know her. You have to spend at least an hour for this."

To Tsubasa's surprise, Natsume got up from his couch and went to Mikan's room. But before getting far, the raven haired prince glared at his valet,

"Two days Tsubasa."

And then he went to fetch the princess from her room.

Mikan however was still pacing around her room. Misaki has told her about the schedule as well but she was absolutely against it.

"He'll just bully me for an hour!" she complained to Misaki

There was a knock on the room.

Misaki went to the door expecting Tsubasa, but when she opened it she was shocked to see the prince himself.

Mikan not expecting the prince as well, buried herself on her bed and said,

"Misaki-senpaaaii. If that's Tsubasa-san please tell him I have a bad headache! I can't meet that ugly prince right now or I might— WAAHH!

Natsume grabbed Mikan's hand and dragged her out of her room while Misaki couldn't do anything but stare at what just happened.

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Mikan complained

"Escorting you little princess."

Natsume sarcastically said as they finally got out of the house, slamming the door shut behind them.

Mikan was too busy keeping up with the prince's pace that she could complain no more.

Finally, after a few minutes the prince suddenly stopped walking and released his grip on the princess making her bump on his back. He just gave an annoyed look at her before sitting under the shade of a tree while Mikan rubbed her nose and glared at him.

"Why did you suddenly stopped?!" she asked "And where are we?"

Natsume glanced at her and shortly replied, "Somewhere."

"WHAT?!"

"Tch. So noisy."

The prince looked at her in distaste while the princess stuck her tongue out at him. Then he lied down on the grass and covered his eyes with his arm.

"Stay quiet. I'm going to sleep." He ordered

"What? Then why don't we go back and just go sleep in your room?!"

"…"

"Hey!"

"…"

"Natsume!"

Natsume got up and glared at her.

"What are you GLARING FOR?! You suddenly pulled me out of here and then you're just going to sleep! So what am I supposed to do?"

"We've got to follow our schedule so I got you out."

"If you're following the schedule aren't we supposed to walk around and talk about something?" the brunette complained

"Yeah right."

The prince lied back down and took a nap.

Mikan glared at him for minutes but Natsume was quiet. Defeated, she angrily sat down far from him and tried to look at the place they were at.

When the brunette looked around, she was surprised. She doesn't want to admit it but the place looked so beautiful.

They were on a tiny hill where grasses with cute flowers sprouting here and there enveloped the whole hill. The tree they were resting at was the only tree on that little hill letting the sun's rays touch the luscious grasses and flowers down the slope. Below the hill, the field of flowers surrounded the mound and stretched for some meters before the endless forest surrounded the place.

Mikan got up from sitting and tried to look for their vacation house but somehow, she couldn't see it anywhere from where they were at. She pouted helplessly because she doesn't have any idea how to get back to the house which would mean she was stuck with the arrogant prince until he decides to go back.

She was silent for awhile and just sat there appreciating the view. Finally, when she couldn't help it anymore she finally decided to speak up.

"Ne Natsume." She reluctantly called out

The prince didn't budge from his position.

"Ne!" she said loudly

Still, she was ignored.

"HMPH."

The brunette got up and started to walk down the hill, determined to go back to the house. But when she was walking down the field, something touched her hand. She looked at it and saw a butterfly fluttering near her. When her eyes followed the butterfly, she realized that there were a lot of them fluttering about the place.

"Uwaaaaa! So pretty!"

Totally distracted by the little insects and the pretty flowers, Mikan completely forgot about returning to the house and started playing around.

As for the uncaring prince, without meaning to, he was starting to doze off as an early memory of his childhood came flashing in his head.

"You're bad! You-you're…bad! Bad! Bad!" the brunette kept shouting in between her sobs

Seven year old Natsume continued to drag her away from the vacation house. After having another round of fight with the princess, he doesn't want to get reprimanded by his mom again so without thinking, he took off with the little princess deep into the forest.

After a short while Natsume could see a clearing from a distance and he ran faster with the whining princess. When they got there, he heard the princess gasp.

He looked at her and saw her eyes shining in wonder and excitement as she wiped her tears away.

"Preeetttyy!" the six year old brunette exclaimed and started running around the field of flowers

"Oh no." Little Natsume thought thinking that he might lose the brunette

He searched for some high place where he can easily see the princess who's running around the tall grasses that makes her invisible. Then he saw the tiny hill and up the prince went.

From there, he saw the princess dancing around with a bunch of flowers she's holding to her chest.

He sighed in relief. Mikan looked cheerful enough and has forgotten about their fight so the raven haired lad knew he was saved from his mom's scolding.

Then it hit him.

He looked around where they are and realized they were in the middle of the forest and he realized that they were lost. As a child, even if he was the cool type since birth, he couldn't help but get scared.

"Natsumeeeee! Here! Here!"

The princess ran up to him and gave him few of the flowers she was carrying.

She was smiling brightly at him and though she looked so messy and was sweating a lot, she gave the little prince a warm feeling that washed away his worries. But then she asked,

"When are we going home Natsume?" Mikan asked in her tiny voice

The lad looked through her eyes and saw how she trusted him. He can see in her hazel nut orbs that she believed and looked up to him and somehow, this gave little Natsume a great sense of responsibility. With it, the royal blood in him was triggered and he knew he had to take care of the princess.

So disregarding his fear that they were lost, the little prince regained his usual composure, shrugged and confidently said,

"Someone will come get us later. Just go and play."

Mikan beamed at him, and though what he said was just his hopes at first, somehow this sounded so true even to himself that he decided to believe in that thought as well.

"I'm sure somebody will come for us. I'm a prince after all." Little Natsume thought

Confidence and faith in himself washed away all his anxiousness as he just lied down on the hill and look over at the clouds.

Not long after, some servants really came for the little royalties and got them home with Mikan proudly grinning at all the flowers she carried and Natsume smirking for his found ego.

That was the first time that the little lad has greatly improved his confidence which is why nine years later of building further this confidence has gotten too far giving birth to our now arrogant prince.

Finally with that nostalgic memory flashing in his mind, our raven haired prince really fell asleep leaving the princess to her own enjoyment.

Meanwhile, Tsubasa and Misaki felt troubled.

They were both hiding in one of the bushes, observing the royal pair and much to their dismay, nothing has happened between them. No conversations, not even petty fights, nothing!

If this goes on, marriage between the two is certainly out of picture.

Then the young lad had a bright idea!

"Misaki… come over here."

He whispered in her ears about his plan and knowing that it could probably work and give hope to for the success of the royal union, Misaki agreed and the two scurried home.

"Ne Natsume!"

The prince stirred on his sleep and slowly opened his eyes only to see a pair of hazel nut eyes peering at him.

"Are you awake now? Let's head home!" the brunette asked

Natsume closed his eyes and turned his head away as Mikan shook him by his shoulders.

"Stop sleeping! Come on. I'm hungry." She complained as her stomach grumbled in support

The sleepy prince got up and yawned. He stared at the messy looking princess before finally getting up.

"She's still as messy as she was before." He thought

Without saying anything, Natsume began walking away with the princess following him and carrying a bunch of flowers.

When they got home, they both turned towards each other sensing something different with the house.

"I'm going upstairs." The princess said "Misaki-senpaaaiii! I'm hoomee!" she called out

Thirsty as he was, Natsume went to the kitchen for a drink and saw a note on the table.

He got and read it,

"Your majesty, I will be leaving for some time to find your transport back to the palace. Misaki-san has decided to accompany me thinking that she should also find a carriage for the princess. We will be back as soon as possible. Your valet, Andou Tsubasa."

Natsume dumped the note on the table.

He was having a bad premonition about this.

"NATSUMEEEE!" Mikan ran to the kitchen "WE'RE ALONE TOGETHEEEER!" she exclaimed in disbelief

"You don't have to be so happy about it." The prince smirked

"WHAT?!"

To avoid her loud whining, Natsume slapped the note on the brunette's forehead and went to get some cold water.

"HEY!" Mikan protested but just got the note and read it.

Slowly, blood started to leave the princess's face reading the horrible fate she was in.

"For some time…" Natsume leaned on the counter "…we're going to be alone together."

Suddenly, he cut the distance between them and trapped the brunette on a wall just behind her with his outstretched arms on either side of her.

"Now that we're alone…" he uttered

"Wh-wh-wh-what are y-y-you doing, you p-pervert!"

Mikan gasped. In their current positions, that was certainly the wrong thing to say.

The prince gave his most cunning smirk.

"Well, now that we're both gone I certainly hope they'll be able to get along well."

Misaki said and Tsubasa nodded as they both headed for the next nearest village, leaving the royal couple on their own.

Well that's it for now. Thanks for reading.

I wonder what should happen next. SUGGESTIONS ARE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED BY YOURS TRULY WHO IS CURRENTLY HAVING A TERRIBLE TIME. *gasps then faints