A/N: So sorry for slow updates… I can't really blame school because I have like… no homework… I'm just really lazy and either have no effort, writer's block, or forget.

I really want to finish this story, I hope to eventually.

I forgot to say, but Hikotaro means something like 'son of the handsome young man' so I HAD to use it.

I would've extended this chapter, but I didn't want to make too many things happen and make it go astray from what the title of the chapter is. You'll just have to wait until Chapter 12.

Chapter 11 – Lady Governess
Tokyo Castle
13 April 074

Momoko was making her way into the nursery to see her son. As she entered the room, she saw a figure standing over little Taro's cot, causing her to panic for a moment until she realised it was Yabu.

"Lord Kawasaki? How come you're here?" she asked, sitting down.

"I wished to see my nephew, Your Grace."

"I love him so much," Momoko smiled, "I cannot bear to be away from him."

"He is quite an attractive Prince; I think he will resemble his father greatly as he grows."

Hikotaro started to rouse from his sleep and Momoko stood to pick him up. The cries that started to form drifted as she held him close.

"I hope you remain a close parent to your children. Many royal children never get to see their parents. I was lucky, being half royal; I was very close with my mother." Yabu said.

"Taro is the most important thing to me, I will always be close with him," she turned towards the door, "I'm taking him with me."

Yabu nodded and watched Momoko leave the room.

As she headed back to her chamber, she found Leon, "Wife. May I speak with you?"

She nodded, "Of course."

"I wish to tell you that I have appointed Hikotaro's governess."

"Governess?" Momoko asked.

Leon nodded, "Yes, governess. She'll be here sometime this week."

"Can… can I know who it is?"

"Lady Aiko Senoo," Leon said plainly. "Wife," he nodded his head before gently ruffling his son's hair and leaving.

"I do not even know who that is…" Momoko whispered to the baby she held, "How can I trust her to take care of such a precious creature like you?"

Onpu entered Momoko's chamber, a letter in her hand and a furious look on her face.

"Lady Onpu, what is the matter?" Momoko asked.

"The King has requested that I marry his brother, Prince Tooru, and he said he approves of the match… as if I would want to marry such a man!" Onpu snapped.

"Let me see the letter," Momoko said, reaching for the parchment in her hand.

A grimace formed as she read through the neat hand of Akatsuki, "It doesn't sound like you get a choice. I thought the King was much better than that."

"You didn't get a choice either," Beth pointed out.

"I guess you're right…" Momoko mumbled, "It is still a horrible thing to do… I shall send His Majesty a letter."

"No!" Onpu said with sudden panic, "Why do you want to? You don't have to!" She recovered herself and cleared her throat, "Your Grace."

"If you wish for me not to, then I won't."

Onpu nodded, "I wish not to upset the King."

"What is so horrible about Prince Tooru, may I ask?" Beth inquired.

"Both Lord Kawasaki and my Lord Husband told me he is very inconsiderate… egotistical…"

"I fear what might happen to me as his wife…" Onpu said quietly.

Silence erupted in the chamber until Momoko spoke, changing the topic.

"Leon says Taro will have a governess."

"I am not surprised; most royal children will have a governess," Beth said, "Hopefully His Grace chose one well suited to your son; one with experience, with her own children, already grown."

"I cannot see why he would choose anyone else."

"Then you mustn't fret, Your Grace, your son will be okay." Beth said comfortingly.

Kyoto Palace
14 April 074

"His Majesty, the King!" the herald called to the crowd gathered at court. They parted and knelt close to the floor as Akatsuki made his way through, nodding to his left and right at the people on either side. He reached the end and bowed to the man in front of him, the Albanish Ambassador, "Excellency,"

"Your Majesty," he said with a bow in return, "An honour to be in your presence, as always." He glanced around, "Where is Her Majesty the Queen?"

"Regretfully I must tell you she is in her chambers. She is feeling unwell." Akatsuki said. In point of fact, physically, she was fine. However, Doremi had refused to attend to any courtly duties since the loss of her child, leaving it all to Akatsuki.

"How disappointing," the ambassador said with a slight frown, "I brought Her Majesty a gift."

"Do not worry, Excellency," Akatsuki said, putting on a smile, "I am sure we can still talk about our two marvellous kingdoms. I can have your gift sent to her rooms."

"Sister, you have a gift from—"

"I don't want it," Doremi interrupted.

"Do you not even want to know what it is, or who it is from?" Poppu asked.

"No."

Poppu sighed and set down the gifts – rich deep pink fabrics to be crafted into gowns – and sat next to her sister, "You are never going to recover if you just sit in here all day, every day."

Doremi remained silent, so Poppu kept going. "You're throwing everything on Akatsuki's shoulders. I'm sure he doesn't want to do anything either, and perhaps he could if you put on a brave face and do something for him."

"I did that at the christening," Doremi murmured, "I hated it."

"Being a Queen isn't all fun and games. And neither is being a woman. You should never be certain of your child surviving birth, or infancy, or surviving in general."

"You are still a maiden, how can you be telling me all these things?"

Poppu thought about her answer, "I'm observant. I can see what other women deal with in marriage. I shall go into my marriage prepared for heartbreak."

Suddenly, the door opened without warning, revealing Akatsuki.

"Lady Poppu, may I please speak with my wife in private?"

"Of course, Your Majesty," Poppu dipped a curtsey and hurried out of the chamber.

"Did you see what the Albanish Ambassador sent you?" Akatsuki asked, spotting the fabric.

"No, what is it?" Doremi murmured, looking at the floor in front of her.

"New fabrics for you, from Albany," Akatsuki replied with a slightly annoyed tone.

"Oh. Give the Ambassador my thanks."

"No, you can do that yourself," anger started to come through in Akatsuki's voice.

"I don't want to," Doremi said with a slight whine.

Akatsuki took of his cap and ran a hand through his hair, "Doremi it has been two weeks. Whether you like it or not, you are Queen, and you must act in such a way. If you do not return to court soon, people will think you're ill with childbed fever; some already do. The sooner you return to court, the sooner things can return to normal. And the sooner you can conceive another child."

"I don't want to replace him," Doremi murmured, "I want my child back."

"You cannot have everything, Doremi," Akatsuki snapped, "Be grateful you're still alive."

Akatsuki stood looking at his wife for a few moments. Her hair was took on the appearance of not being washed for a while and was lazily pulled back in the type of way that will just keep it off her face. She wore a nightgown with a pale pink robe thrown over the top. He didn't bother with any gestures of courtesy before he left.

"Ask Poppu to remain outside," Doremi said quietly.

Akatsuki didn't answer and shut the door. When Poppu didn't return, Doremi took it as a sign that Akatsuki had listened and done what she asked.

After a few moments, Doremi stood from the plush chair she had been sitting in and went over to open the curtains, letting in the late afternoon light. She took off her robe and set it on a chair as she walked over to the dress Poppu had laid out that morning for her to wear. Doremi had adamantly refused to change, yet Poppu kept the dress there anyway. It was a burgundy colour with cream splashes here and there on the skirts, the colours of Akatsuki's royal house. As Doremi slowly changed into the undergarments, she was grateful it was a front-lacing dress. She didn't want to call Poppu into the room so she could lace her dress, and it would be impossible to do herself if it were a back-lacing dress.

The dress had a limited amount of jewellery on it, only a few rubies and pearls around the edges of the bodice. It wasn't the type of dress a Queen would be expected to wear when seeing an Ambassador, but she figured nobody would care about what she was wearing, as long as she was there. She tightened and tied the laces and tucked them under the bodice so they were hidden. After that was all done, she slowly walked over to her mirror to tackle her hair.

It hadn't been tended to properly for more than a few days and Doremi knew she would need Poppu to yank a thick comb that wouldn't snap through her hair to untangle it, but for now, hiding it under a small cap would do. The white cap took on a pinkish appearance from her red hair underneath as she pinned it in place. In her opinion, she looked like one of the maids that served her, but at least she was presentable.

Doremi exited her chambers and found no one outside them. She expected to find Poppu, waiting to be called in, however, it appeared she had decided instead to join the court. Doremi knew Poppu hated being stuck inside her chambers, but she didn't want to be left alone. Doremi weaved her way through the palace to the main areas of the court. Bright, happy sounding music was being played on flutes and other instruments and many people were dancing. At the head of it all was Akatsuki, an empty chair beside him. The Albanish ambassador sat on the other side of him.

As she slowly headed up to her husband, people parted and bowed or curtseyed in respect for their Queen, although whispers erupted throughout the crowd. She had not been seen for two weeks, and suddenly, here she was.

Doremi reached Akatsuki and dropped into a deep curtsey, "Your Majesty."

Akatsuki kept a straight face, "Wife. I trust you are feeling better?"

Doremi nodded, "I am feeling quite well now, thank you."

Akatsuki gestured to the ambassador seated beside him, "May I present to you the Albanish Ambassador."

Doremi bowed her head to the ambassador, "Excellency. Thank you for my gifts."

"Majesty. I am glad you liked them."

When Doremi sat next to Akatsuki, he leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Thank you." Doremi simply smiled back.

Tokyo Castle
15 April 074

Momoko sat in her chambers surrounded by her ladies, holding her son in her arms. Hikotaro made small noises and the ladies all laughed with delight.

Leon suddenly entered the room, "Momoko, the governess is here. Bring Hikotaro."

Momoko quickly rose from her position and smoothed out her skirts with one hand, the other holding Hikotaro. She followed Leon out of the room, filled with nervousness over who her son's governess would be.

They entered the throne room; small compared to Kyoto Palace, and sat down. A servant stepped forward to take Hikotaro, only to be met with refusal by Momoko.

When they were both comfortable, Leon nodded to a guard at the door and he opened it, "The Lady Aiko Senoo, Your Grace."

Aiko walked in wearing a simple pale blue dress, the kind a common woman from the country would wear; the kind she wore before she became a lady at court. Her hair was braided and hidden underneath a small cap of the same colour. Aiko curtseyed, "Your Graces."

"Momoko, dear, this is Lady Aiko. She will care for our son as his governess. She shall handle his servants and his household, manage his tutoring when he comes to schooling age, and will simply care for him when others are not around." Leon explained.

"I shall serve the Prince diligently." Aiko said, rising.

Momoko was shocked at how young the woman before her was. She looked roughly the same age as her, not a woman in her thirties or forties with grown children of her own, like Onpu and Beth had suggested. Her shock led her to act in a plain way, not bothering to act all happy about the situation, which she wasn't. "I care very much for my son, Lady Aiko. His health and well-being are my greatest concerns."

"I understand completely, Your Grace. I shall not fail you."

"Perhaps," Leon said, not wanting this awkward meeting to go any further. Enough had been said, "Lady Aiko could take the Prince to the wet nurse. He is due for a feeding, is he not?"

Momoko pursed her lips, "He is. I was going to take him myself. I am his mother, after all."

Leon forced a laugh, "Yes, dear, but Lady Aiko is his governess, it is her job to handle such matters."

Aiko stepped forward with caution, debating to herself whether or not holding out her arms to take the child would be appropriate. She did slightly. Momoko stood abruptly and gently thrusted the child into her arms, giving her a look that said if you hurt him I will kill you before storming out of the room.

Leon sighed, looking somewhat embarrassed by his wife's actions. He held up a hand to stop Aiko asking what she had done, "It's alright," he said with a shake of his head, "Just go. I'll talk to her." Aiko curtseyed and hurried out of the room, not even knowing where she could find a wet nurse.

Leon's gut instinct told him where Momoko would've gone; the gardens. She loved the gardens, they reminded her of when she was back in Albany. Time and time again she has spoken of bright green gardens she grew up with, adorned with colourful trees and flowers. It was finally starting to get warmer, and Momoko had taken to walking with Hikotaro in the gardens whenever possible.

He stepped outside, a light breeze in the air. He walked along the main pathway, blooming flowers on either side of him. Looking to his right into one of the courtyards, he saw Momoko sitting on the small bench, her headdress sitting beside her, blonde hair braided down her back.

Sensing his presence, she looked up to see Leon leaning against the frame for the gate, which was, of course, open. She looked back down, playing with the fabric of her dress.

"What was that about?" Leon asked, annoyed, "You just met her and already you hate her."

"I never said I hate her," Momoko said with a calm tone, "I just do not trust her."

"And why is that? I trust her."

"Why, has she been in your bed?" Momoko snapped. Her voice calmed slightly as she continued to speak, "Look, I just met her, and yet I am expected to let her care for my son. I at least thought that she would be old enough to have her own grown children. She is the same age as me! Is she even married?"

"No. However, I trust her, so therefore, you shall also. Get over it. This is Japan, and it is custom for Princes and Princesses here to have governesses. I don't know how you did it back in Albany, and I don't care. You aren't there anymore. Deal with it." Leon left without letting Momoko saying anything more, slamming the gate shut behind him.

Anger filled Momoko and she had to stop herself from throwing her headdress at the gate. How dare he speak to her like that? Hikotaro was her son, and she had a right to care for him and have a say in who else was to also. She didn't trust Aiko in the least. Just the sight of her made Momoko want to grab her child and get away from her. The reason as to why Aiko was his governess was obvious; Leon wanted her as a mistress, and it was the easiest way to get to her. Momoko was shocked that he would use her son as a means to be unfaithful in their marriage. Then again, it was Leon; he would do anything to get a mistress.

Kyoto Palace
18 April 074

Doremi had just been checked by a physician to make sure she was still recovering well – she was – and sat by the window, resuming her sewing. The last few days had been better than expected. Joining in with courtly activities had helped her. The physician has said she can return to her marital duties in a matter of weeks, and that her body is quickly returning to normal. She may not be recovering mentally as quickly as she is physically, but she can feel a change. She took faith in the idea that she lost her child for a reason; something else was to happen. All would make sense eventually. It didn't stop her missing him, though.

It had begun to feel lonely in Doremi's chambers; only Poppu and Megumi remained. Sure, there were other ladies, but she wasn't close to any of them, and only spoke to them when necessary. Doremi hoped Hazuki would return to Kyoto after her child is born. She also hoped that her child will live, and thrive, just as her nephew, Hikotaro is. She would never wish the pain she experienced on anyone.

"Did His Majesty tell you about Prince Tooru?" Poppu asked.

Doremi nodded, "He has. He is to marry. One of Princess Momoko's ladies, I believe. I bet she'll be with child before me."

"Don't think like that," Poppu murmured, "You must be positive. You will have another child. You have conceived before; you can conceive again."

"But can I carry a child to term?" Poppu didn't answer the question, leaving it hang in the air, causing an awkwardness that could not be taken away.

"Shall we go and dance?" Doremi asked, standing, "I haven't dance in a while."

All the ladies stood, following Doremi out of the chamber, not bothering to answer her. Her moods were so unpredictable lately that saying just one thing could ruin her whole day.

A/N: I actually continued onto another scene, but I thought it was too much for one chapter. Not that it was too long, but rather too many events. It'll happen next chapter. Chill.

I suck at ending chapters. Don't judge.