jychan: I don't own Saiunkoku Monogatari so no suing please….

10. A Stay over.

"Saa, so this is your place, Ran-san?"

Hidari asked as she looked around,

"Ah hai. I only live here, well, my younger brother usually goes here to Saiunkoku, so there might be times that he goes here, which is usually rare."

Shuuei said as he thought about his younger brother,

"Maa, maa, how old is your younger brother, Ran-san?"

"He should be 20 years old already."

He replied as Hidari nodded at this,

"Saa, Ran-san, you're older than Ryuuki-nii, neh?"

"Ah hai. Why the question, Hidari-hime? Is it for data-gathering for your future husband? Then, I'm twenty-"

"Whatever, Ran-san. Whatever. Now, please stop teasing me, because it's not funny."

Hidari said as she glared at the older guy,

"Speaking of ages, how old are you, Hidari-hime?"

"Me? Hmmm... 19 years old. Still young, noh. Ryuuki-nii is still older than me, though, more or less 2 years."

"Is that so? Then, our ages are not so far."

"But you're older than me."

Hidari said as she sat down on the chair,

"But then, Hidari-hime, shouldn't grooms be older than the brides?"

"I suppose, which is why I placed Shi-san out of the list on who to match with Onee-sama."

Hidari said as Shuuei sighed with her response,

"Maa, maa, Hidari-hime, don't you think that I'm quite serious with you?"

"Eh? Serious with what, Ran-san?"

"Matakun..."

He muttered as he hanged his head and sighed,

"I would never know unless you'd tell me, Ran-san."

"I'll tell you later."

"It's an order."

"Eh?"

"Of course, I'm still an Ohime-sama, so I can still give your orders."

Hidari said as she smirked over Shuuei who raised an eyebrow,

"But it's at Shinyen and not Saiunkoku. And I only take orders from Saiunkoku. After all, I'm the general of the Shaorin Army."

"No way!"

"Eh? What do you mean by 'no way', Hidari-hime? That is one of the reasons why I am close to the shujou."

"Eh? Sugoyi... So, have you recieved a flower already?"

Hidari asked as Shuuei nodded,

"It's the Iris."

"Hmmm... Faith, Valor and Wisdom are the three meanings of the Iris."

"Accurate and correct, Hidari-hime."

"Arigato, Ran-shogun."

"So, it is shogun already?"

"Well, you did tell me of your position. So, I thought that I'm supposed to call you your title. 'San' would be so much in general. So, Ran-shogun, it is."

Hidari said as she waited for the food to be served,

"Shuuei."

"Eh?"

"You call me 'Shuuei'."

"Are you sure about that Ran-shogun?"

"Well, I do call you Hidari-hime."

"I suppose... So, Shuuei-shogun, it is."

Hidari said with a light chuckle, while Shuuei narrowed his eyes playfully,

"What was the chuckle for?"

"Betsuni..."

"Does that concern me?"

"Maybe."

"Fell for me?"

"Ma-What the?"

Shuuei broke up laughing at her reaction towards the question,

"Seriously, that was not funny. That was not funny, Shuuei-shogun. It was not funny."

Hidari complained as she pouted in a side as Shuuei went near her and whispered to her,

"You should pout often, you look quite cute, pouting."

Hidari went beet-red on what the lad just told her,

"Please do shut up, Shuuei-shogun."

Hidari replied as she looked away,

"Maa, maa, don't you think the food's quite long?"

Hidari tried to change the subject as Shuuei said,

"You're right. Now, I have not gone to Kougarou."

"Kougarou?"

"Ah, it's the number 1 brothel here in Saiunkoku."

Shuuei replied, nonchanantly as Hidari went,

"Eh?"

"What eh? It's supposed to be... Ah, I forgot, you're a woman, so, you don't know a man's fantasy."

"Man's fantasy? What the heck? Seriously, I have no idea about those stuff, Shuuei-shogun."

"Perhaps, you have not yet become an 'adult' yet."

Shuuei mused at this as he gave a chuckle,

"Become an adult? I'm already of legal age. OK? Legal age. So, what the heck with becoming an adult."

Hidari said as she raised an eyebrow at this, while also twitching,

"Perhaps, you don't know what's a peach-colored book, as well?"

"P-Peach c-c-colored b-book, you s-say? O-Of course, I-I know those b-books. Th-They're a p-product of m-man's pervert-tedness."

Hidari said while stuttering and blushing, concerning the said topic while Shuuei found it very amusing,

"Those things are part of men's fantasy."

"AKA man's pervertedness."

Hidari cut in as Shuuei shrugged at this,

"They say you become an adult when you get to experience of what's happening on those books."

Shuuei said as Hidari rolled her eyes,

"Che."

She remarked as some servants went in with food,

"Finally."

She said as she took the chopsticks and proceeded on saying her blessings before she ate as Shuuei just followed her gesture.

"Maa, maa, Shuuei-shogun, do you really have to accompany back to the Palace?"

Hidari asked as Shuuei was beside her,

"Of course, but if you want, you can stay here."

He replied as Hidari thought about it and replied,

"But, Onee-sama and I have to return to Shinyen tomorrow. So, I have to go to the Palace."

"Hmmm... How about this one? You go to sleep here, then I'll wake you up early tomorrow, so that you can go back to Shinyen. Is that fine, Hidari-hime?"

Shuuei asked Hidari, who thought about it for a second,

"But then, there might be rumors or something! For one thing, I am a princess of Shinyen, so I don't want rumors, Shuuei-shogun. I hope you do understand."

"But I won't take a 'no' for an answer. I can't allow you to get out at this hour at the night. And won't it be much more of a rumor if someone sees you still roaming around at this hour?"

Shuuei asked as Hidari bit her lip, but replied,

"You win."

Shuuei smirked at this and said,

"Then, I'll lead you to your room."

"That would be fine, I guess."

Hidari said as she followed him,

jychan: Well, that was it. This chapter is all about Hidari and Ran Shuuei. Is it OK? As promised, the next chapter would be the same as always.... OK? Thanks for the reviews!!!

Stelra Etnae: -hugs you back- Really, it's awesome? Arigato! Yup. It's sweet and sad. I must agree. I kinda laughed at that part, although I would say it was kinda cute. Fanart? Really? I'd like to see that one! Although I already had some illustrations for how Himeko and Hidari would look... But I'd like to see your drawing.... Because my drawings too... hmmm... what's the right word... yes, it would be weird... LOL... ANd here's the chapter where there's HidariXShuuei

keia mizuki: It's because Himeko doesn't know about Seiran's big secret about him being Seien... But, I do agree that Himeko loves teasing, but she has to be mature since she's an Empress already. Although there would be times that it would be leaking...

jigokunooujo: Really? Thanks... I'll try to do better in the next chapters!!!