Bright flashes from the cameras blinded me and I had to restrain myself from rubbing my eyes in annoyance. Akito was speaking to the press while I sat next to him, smiling and sitting still like a doll. I was dressed in a beautiful and expensive dress, drawing everyone's attention but I didn't speak a word.

It annoyed me to death to be treated like this but it couldn't be helped since it was part of the plan. Akito explained to the press what had happened to me after me after my mother's dead. He told them that a relative of my mother had taken me in and that I only recently had found out about my identity as princess.

The journalists asked me some questions and I answered as practiced. Akito announced that there would be a party afterwards, to celebrate my return. When the journalists finally left the conference room, I sighed in relief and yawned.

"Tiring, isn't it?" Akito laughed.

I forced myself to smile back. "It is."

"I'm glad you agreed to do this." Akito stood up from his chair and so did I.

"Me too…" My voice almost wavered.

"You should hurry up, we still have to choose a dress for tonight's party."

"I have to wear another dress again?!"

He smiled amused. "You're a princess now, Haruhi, you can't be seen wearing the same thing twice."

"…" I frowned, that's just ridiculous and a waste of money.

It took them two hours. Two hours! To find a dress good enough, to do my make-up and hair. When I saw myself in the mirror, dressed in a blue dress and a wig, I felt extremely awkward. I didn't feel like 'me' anymore. I didn't see myself in the mirror but a princess. A real princess, at least in outer appearance.

When Akito came into the room, he nodded satisfied. "You look great."

"Thank you." I muttered, I might look great but I didn't feel great.

Akit sat down a chair. "At the part tonight there will be a lot of important people who wish to meet you." He told. "It's important you stay polite and keep your composure."

I nodded. "Will Tama-niichan and the other be present?" I asked and Akito looked surprised by the way I addressed them. "They won't, it's a private party by the royal family, only those with close bonds to us will be present." He said.

Being friends with the princess isn't a bond close enough, I thought but didn't say it out loud.

Akito's eyes darkened. "Moreover, Haruhi, I think it's better for you to forget about those… friends" he said. "You might have known them since childhood but they are no longer of your status, don't bother with them anymore." He added and left the room before I could explode.

I really wanted to throw something at his back. How dare he say something like that. The hosts were my friends, I wouldn't change that just because of a stupid difference in status. The maids that had helped me with my dress, make-up and hair stayed on safe distant. If not for my self-control I swear I would have spit fire at him. The time of the party came way too fast, I hadn't totally calmed down yet.

I was forced to dance with every male guest, good thing Akito hired someone to teach me how to dance otherwise it would have been a disaster, and I had to chitchat with every female one about the most ridiculous subjects. There were a couple of people I still remembered from my youth, they seemed to be overjoyed to see me again after so many years. Everyone talked how they believed I had been alive all this time and that they were pleased to serve me once again. T

hey all said sugar sweet words and smiled gently but their eyes shone cold. I felt I couldn't trust anyone in this room. That was until I met Kazuma-sama, a middle-aged, brown haired man who's smile reached his eyes, unlike all the other guests present. I had a pleasant talk with him and he seemed to be an intellectual man.

But the most important part was that he seemed a person I could trust him. He was one of the people I had known before fleeing from the palace and he had been a good friend to my mom and dad. It was a gamble but I needed someone I could trust.

So after a couple of hours, after I had made sure Akito had enough glasses of champagne I went to him before trapping Akito.

"Can I help you, Haruhi-sama?"

I smiled at the big man. "Kazuma-sama, I remember you being a good friend of my mother."

"That's true." He agreed and sighed melancholic. "She was a wonderful person.

I swallowed hard and tried to hide my nervousness, my next question would be a dangerous one. "Since you were loyal to my mother, will you be loyal to me too?"

Kazuma-sama realized how grave this conversation was and met my eyes. "Of course I will." He answered honest.

I smiled. I couldn't know whether he was lying or not but for now I had to trust his words. And maybe it wasn't even necessary. Maybe everything would work out but I've learned one important thing after all what happened. Don't trust anyone, don't trust anything.

Quite ironic since I'm now trusting on a man I barely know but the whole day long I had had the feeling that something wasn't right, ever since I had told Akito I would agree to being princess again, my instinct has been telling me something was wrong.

I smiled at the man again. "Kazuma-sama, could you do me a favor?"

I'm sorry that it's so short but there's only one more chapter left and then a short epilogue before the sequel starts ( and I finally came up with a title! Yay! I'll announce it at the end of the epilogue) the next update might be Wednesday if I don't have a lot of homework ^^