Kazune woke to find his arm had fallen asleep under Karin's shoulders. The sun was already streaming in through the windows so it was already far too late for them to catch a ride with Saul. He knew that Karin would want to go into town today so he figured he'd better wake her.

Kazune moved slowly to be sure not to startle her awake. Once his arm was free he sat up and rolled over her body, struggling a little to hold his weight above her as he set his feet on the ground. Now that he was standing upright, he searched for clothing that was not covered in dirt. He slid his white shirt on, his pale blue, knee length shorts, tunic and the gold pendants. Next came his brown boots. Kazune smoothed out his hair with a comb and decided to wear his long dark blue cloak. It was a little chilly but more so than that, he thought it made him look more regal and he wanted to be a little flashy today since he was still basking in the excitement of his proposal. Kazune wandered back to the bed to wake Karin up from her slumber.

"You need to get up if you want to go into town." he said softly, stroking her hair.

Karin cracked her eyes open and hid her face in the blankets.

"Make me food first." Kazune heard, muffled under the cloth.

"No food yet, we can eat later." He bounced the mattress with his hands a few times. Kazune grinned to himself at the childish action that threw Karin into a bit of disarray.

Her arms flailed out as if that would stabilize her. She pushed herself up with wide eyes, registering what was going on. Kazune continued to bounce the bed but had moved out of her arm's reach.

"Kazune, stop!" Karin sounded mad but he was having too much fun.

Karin eventually rolled off the bed and onto the floor with a thud. Kazune stopped his horseplay and went over to help her up.

"Good morning." He said with a confident smile. Karin just glared up at him.

Karin swung her fist into his calve and mad his leg buckle a bit. Kazune fell to the ground as well.

"You're the worst." she huffed.

"You knew that was part of the agreement." Kazune lightly pushed her.

Kazune stood and Karin followed, getting dressed in her usual clothing; a spring green dress with flowers. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail.

"What do you want to eat when we get there?" Kazune asked her as they walked out the door and up the path.

"Something with eggs and bread, I don't care what else is involved." Karin clutched at her stomach as they walked.

"I want meat. I feel like I haven't eaten in weeks!" Kazune laughed.

"Well you forgot dinner last night." Karin reminded.

"That is true."

The wall to the city grew larger as they approached. When they passed through, there was a cart waiting there.

"Kazune Kujyou, Karin Hanazono?" The woman driving the cart asked.

"Yes?" They answered at the same time.

"I have been sent by the governor to bring you to the palace at once. He has important information to give you regarding the coronation next week."

Kazune looked a little annoyed.

"We'll go with you." Karin chimed in. "I've missed Micchi since we moved." She glanced in Kazune's direction and saw his face soften.

The two of them climbed into the back of the cart and rode to the kingdom square. There they were dropped off at the beginning of the long walkway that led up to the palace.

"Micchi will be happy to hear about our good news too, don't you think?" Karin asked.

"Yes, I think so... I guess he deserves to be the first one to know after all he's done for us. If I know him though, he'll blow this way out of proportion. We'll be showered with affection that I really don't want."

"Aww, why not? Micchi is that kind of person."

"Remember how I said I just want to rest? Michiru does not infer rest."

"You're just being a sourpuss. Be glad you have a friend other than me."

Kazune scowled. He was looking forward to seeing Michiru again but he was also preparing for the questions and explosive joy. The large front doors were now before them. Karin pulled the rope that rung a large bell through the palace. There was the sound of feet running through the halls before the clicking of locks could be heard.

"Hello, chaps!" Michiru beamed as he opened the door. "I am glad to see you. I have so much I want to talk to you about regarding your new home and your jobs."

Michiru ushered them into the palace before closing the door and embracing them from behind.

"Are you hungry? I was just going to sit down for lunch."

"We are very hungry; Kazune insisted that we wait till we got into town for breakfast."

"That was awful mean, Kazune-chan. Miss Hanazono needs energy to come this far."

"She had dinner, if I could wait she could too." Kazune scoffed.

"I am making beef stew with fresh bread, just out of the oven. You're welcome to join me since we cannot talk business with such empty stomachs." Michiru hurried off to the kitchen ahead of them as Kazune recovered from the greeting. There was a wonderful smell wafting out from the dining room. Karin and Kazune were eager to consume the food.

"How should we tell Micchi?" Karin asked as they walked down the hall.

"Just let him notice, nothing gets past him." Kazune really didn't want to bring their engagement up. Michiru's coronation was soon and he felt like he would be upstaging him a little. If they could wait till afterwards it would be better.

Karin and Kazune sat at the table. Bowls of stew were placed in front of them followed by a basket of bread slices. When Michiru joined them, they ate quickly. Both Karin and Kazune wanted seconds of the stew.

"Do you like Yuuki's cooking that much?" Michiru asked them with raised eyebrows.

"Yuuki made this?" Karin exclaimed. "He's in the kitchen now?"

"Yes. After you two left, he and I got to be better friends. He lives here part time as a cook for me." Michiru's eyes twinkled as he spoke and Kazune remembered Michiru acting similarly before. That time, however; the twinkling eyes had been directed at him.

Karin got up to visit Yuuki while Kazune was left with Michiru sitting across from him.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Kazune inquired.

"Oh, just a little bit of this and that. Mostly I just wanted to catch up with you two now that your house is done and you are settled." Michiru brushed off the topic with a few waves of his hand.

"I guess all I wanted to say as far as the job goes is that now that you are settled, I expect reports every month about what you observe from those around you. I will be going back to my original kingdom after all and I don't intend to be here except on business and during the colder months." As Michiru explained the reason for their visit, Kazune and Michiru heard a pan clatter in the kitchen, followed by Yuuki's surprised voice.

"Already?!"

Michiru and Kazune rushed into the kitchen where they saw a shocked-faced Yuuki and Karin looking surprised by his reaction as well.

"What happened, Yuuki-chan?" Michiru asked with wide eyes directed at the usually quiet boy.

"Karin is..." he pointed and stammered. "Kazune did..." Yuuki couldn't get the words out.

"Yuuki-chan, you have to speak clearly if you want me to understand you." Michiru looked at him with a sweet smile.

"Karin and Kazune are engaged already!" Yuuki finally managed to say. His face looked upset like he was about to cry.

"Kazune-chan?" Michiru turned to him shocked. "Not that I didn't see this coming but, way to go, you bold little rascal!"

"Please don't call me that!" Kazune's face burned with embarrassment. He wanted to disappear.

"Soooo, Miss Hanazono, when did he propose? Is there a ring?" Michiru suddenly turned into a giddy school girl looking for gossip.

Karin seemed to get shy and she held out her hand to let Michiru and Yuuki look.

"Yesterday..." She said quietly.

"Oh, I am very happy for you two." Michiru bounded over to Kazune to give him another hug which he tried to avoid.

"I must say, I am a little bitter that it could not have been me. I am sure Kazune-chan was very sincere with his feelings. It must have been so endearing." Kazune blushed and tried to squirm out of Michiru's grasp.

Yuuki looked a little hurt too. He had loved Karin but had no idea how close he was to it never working out. The proposal sealed in the fact that he already had had virtually no chance.

"So I take it your house is already well broken into?" Michiru announced to both of them.

Karin's face flared up and Kazune barked Michiru's name. He laughed and laughed until he let Kazune go and walked over to Yuuki.

"We'd be glad to help you plan your wedding." Michiru brimmed with excitement as he held onto Yuuki's shoulders.

"You have your own celebration to plan for." Kazune huffed, still mad at Michiru's outburst.

"I don't do anything with that. It is all the people under me. Planning a wedding for my best chaps will bring me entertainment and joy. I want something to do other than Yuuki-chan." Michiru giggled.

Karin and Kazune's breathing stopped and their eyes grew wider. All gazes shifted to Yuuki who wore a horrified face. He looked like he wanted to hide. His eyes became wet with embarrassed tears up and he swiftly hid his face in his palms.

"Heh, so you're not just Micchi's cook." Karin covered her mouth to hide her grin but her eyes looked sinister.

"SO!" Yuuki almost yelled. "Do you want a small wedding or a big one?" He was fuming.

Michiru laughed and Karin did too.

"I want a small one." Kazune said before anyone could answer. "I don't feel like making a big deal out of this, especially since there is no one other than you two and Suzune I'd want there."

"Not even Saul and his wife?" Karin asked as her laughter died down.

"Them too."

"It can be small. I don't mind. Let me know what I can do to help... I can be your witness and get you the papers you need." Michiru started to drift off into different ideas about what they could do depending on when the wedding would be. He also started to yammer about their honeymoon spot and said he'd be willing to put them up with a special room in the palace here or in his original country. Kazune promptly refused that offer for fear of Michiru's harassment if he decided to listen in on their activities. Karin continued to tease Yuuki about his relationship with Michiru until Yuuki excused himself to the restroom.

"You two were on your way into town today, were you not?" Michiru asked.

"We were. Kazune promised me a fun day since he made me very angry by not letting me come along yesterday... although I guess he was justified."

"I will leave you to the rest of your day then." Michiru beamed. "When you are done, however; do you think you could stay here the rest of the week? I need you both for rehearsals." He clapped his hands together in apology as he made a nervous smile.

Kazune let out a long sigh and put his face in his hand.

"I guess so." he responded after a few moments.

"Thank you!" Michiru stood up and waved at them over his shoulder. He then proceeded to escape into the study down the hall.

Kazune sat there with his eyebrows furrowed, baring his teeth a little.

"Michiru is such a flake." he grumbled. "Let's go."

Karin watched as Kazune glided past her, his cloak fluttering behind him. He moved almost too fast for her to keep up. She figured Kazune was probably mad about the sudden request rather than Michiru's actions. Karin knew he liked to be able to plan for things well in advance. In fact, Kazune had mentioned that making plans with him was nearly impossible when he lived on his own. Most were due to his own personal activities and his lack of interest with the people in his country but, when the government there tried to use him, they had to make plans at least a month in advance. Still, now Kazune was less tied down than he was before, especially since his study was not set up yet. Karin thought he was overreacting a bit, pouting over last minute plans.

When they neared the town square, Kazune softened his expression. He took a deep breath and a large smile spread across his face. Karin was a little weirded out by his action. He turned to his lovely fiancé and took her hand. He had decided to forget about Michiru until he could see his face again. Right now, all he wanted was to show off that Karin was his. He already showed Yuuki but, other men had to have been interested too, right? For a lack of a better word, Kazune was itching for a fight. After his battle with Jin, he was unsure why he would even want to stir up a commotion but, he guessed it was in some way similar to any animal when they procured a mate. They win, strut around like they are all that, challenge others to go against them and overall get a massively inflated ego when their challenger loses and they win again. Yes, blaming all these feelings on animalistic instinct was certainly the best course of action. He pulled on her arm, beginning their day in town.

The town was lively today. Kazune and Karin went to the amphitheater and saw a performance by street performers. Karin was chosen to be part of a trick where one performer turned her hair ribbon into a dove. The ribbon was revealed to be tied around Kazune's wrist. They also went for a snack around two or three in the afternoon. Kazune got something from a sweets cart while Karin preferred something savory. She had gotten a stuffed pastry which was filled with chicken, peas, carrots and mushrooms. Kazune had tried a bite but didn't like the kind of mushrooms in the pastry.

The sun was getting lower in the now golden sky. Karin slowly resembled her snow woman side as the air chilled. She breathed no puffs of air into the cold, her hair looked a bit frosty and her skin was cool to the touch. The soft, flowery look her eyes had had since they entered that forest dissipated and the sharpness in her eyes returned after a long absence. Kazune felt enthralled by her soft bloom in the woods but, he had almost forgotten thrill of the hardened beauty he fell for almost half a year ago. He had to warm his hand to keep her from frosting him.

"Karin, you are getting a little cold, I'll have to stop holding your hand if you don't let up."

"I can't help it; my body is adjusting to the temperature around me. I forgot a coat so I can't warm myself." She spoke with the smoothness of new ice but, she also let go of his hand.

This left Kazune feeling empty. He glanced around as they walked on, unsure of what to do. He wanted to hold her hand the whole time. Across the square there was a gathering. A large bonfire blazed into the dark sky. It was already the end of summer but the year had been unusually cold. Frost was present in the early morning almost every day and Kazune wondered if the cold followed because of Karin. Nonetheless, he didn't care all that much if he was trapped in the cold forever. He could get warm easily.

"Want to join the folk dance over there?" He asked Karin, watching her brush her hair back over her shoulder and away from her neck.

"Sure, it looks like fun." she shot him a glance that oozed playfulness. She ran ahead and waved him into the crowd.

"She'd better stop running off like that." Kazune muttered under his breath. He had grown tired of that habit.

The crowd was thick but he could see Karin dancing around the fire with some other women. The majority of people standing around the fire were men; Kazune guessed that this was the part of the folk dance where the genders were split. He'd have to wait to dance with her. Everyone clapped in unison to the rhythm of the music and there were shouts of joy and laughter coming from every direction. Kazune felt a surge of excitement, laughing himself while his hands came together. Karin was spinning and jumping along to the music but, her eyes stayed locked on his every chance she got. It was as if she was daring him to look away from her. Kazune knew that if he did, the spell she'd cast over him would break but he had no intention of doing so. He thought she was the most enchanting... then again, so did some others. A few men in the crowd reached out to touch her when she got close but she denied them such a luxury. The women's dance ended and it was the men's turn. Kazune wasn't much of a dancer. He wanted to sneak away but was swept up by the group. New music began and he found himself stumbling over the steps at first. Soon though, they started to repeat and the dance became easier. He was having more fun than he'd anticipated. He felt free for the first time in a very long time. His heart was light and unburdened. He could see Karin watching him, joyfully. He wanted to perform better. During the dance, Kazune forgot to control his emotions and the bonfire became part of his dance. Flames reached up and formed shimmery tendrils which wrapped themselves around Kazune's body. They streamed behind him with every movement. He looked like a phoenix with fiery feathers. The music ended too quickly and the flames dispersed as Kazune bent over to catch his breath.

Everyone was mingling when Kazune looked around. Karin was lost in the crowd so he couldn't see where she was. He stood and made his way over to the food table, where he got a much needed drink of water. The girl behind the table smiled at him.

"You were on fire out there... literally." She chuckled at her own joke. "Are you new here?"

Kazune gulped down the water before responding.

"I just moved here... I live outside the kingdom walls though." He gave her the cup for a refill.

"Well, you're a pretty good dancer. Your body moves so fluidly." Kazune found himself blushing at the comment.

The girl handed him his cup again but this time her other hand wrapped around his when he took the cup.

"If you're new, do you need someone to show you around?" Her eyes glistened in the fire light and a seductive smile graced her lips.

Kazune quickly pulled his hand away, glaring down at her. She didn't seem fazed by the action though.

"I know my way around perfectly well, thank you." He said with a cold voice.

"Ah, well that may be but, do you know of ALL the fun that there is to be had around here?" She persisted and made Kazune even more uncomfortable.

"I have a fiancé already, please stop flirting." He gave her an annoyed look but that didn't seem to slow her down either.

She placed her chin in her hand and walked two fingers across the table in a lazy way. "If she's not here right now, it could be our little secret. I mean, it's a pretty lame excuse."

Kazune snapped. He opened him mouth to yell at her for daring to break up a couple by tempting him to cheat but was silenced by the pain he felt in his hand. The water in his cup had frozen and a layer of his skin to it. The water girl was silent as well. She looked horrified. Kazune turned his head and saw Karin's ice woman form. The crowd was stunned and she had all eyes on her.

"He's not interested." she snarled. Snow floated around her.

"K-Karin... I can handle this myself..." Kazune's face contorted into a nervous and worried smile.

"You will be quiet." Karin commanded.

Kazune was silent.

Karin walked slowly over to the girl. They were smooth, elegant steps but they were steps with intent. She reached into the water pail and made her hands wet. Karin glossed the girl's cheek with water as she spoke and held her stare.

"What you were doing is very shameful. Not only did you dismiss another's feelings but you forced yours. Kazune is not a toy to be played with and neither is any other man who says he is in a relationship." Karin let her fingers drop from the girl's chin.

"We will be taking our leave now." Karin blew on the girl's face softly causing a shrill yell to rise from her throat as the water Karin rubbed on her skin froze and bite her.

Kazune stood there watching Karin's sharp eyes and serious expression turn to him. That cold beauty made him giddy inside. He made a funny, awkward smile and forced two laughs. He'd come here looking to show off Karin and fend off other guys but he was the one who wound up being tied to her. Karin walked past him and he followed, smiling larger now, still holding his freezing hand.

He certainly does love this side of her.