The Prince's Princess (1/?)
“Ayaki?” Inoo asked Hikaru under his breath.
“That’s our to-be-sister’s name.” Hikaru explained. Inoo nodded in understanding, returning his attention to the masses. Once the announcing was over and Inoo had walked down the steps into the ballroom, a bunch of nobles flocked around him on all sides, squishing him against his siblings. He smiled awkwardly at them, eager to get away.
“Will you dance with me, milady?” One of them finally asked. Inoo stared, wide-eyed, at Chinen, who was closest to him. Chii nodded, motioning his head in the courtier’s direction. “You’re the princess!” he mouthed. Inoo turned back to the man, nodding tentatively. As the “son” of the king, Inoo learned things like riding horses, ballroom dancing, and, by his choice, (it wasn’t required) how to play the piano. So, even though he knew how to dance, as a man, he always led in his lessons. He just decided to do the steps and go with it.
The two made pleasant small talk, Inoo managing to hide how awkward it felt dancing in a dress. After the first noble broke the ice, the others were quick to ask. After dancing with about twenty-five of them (Daiki was just guessing now-he had lost count), Inoo collapsed into a chair at the nearest table. His feet were killing him-he didn’t see how the other female guests could still be standing!
“Girl shoes hurt…” He muttered to himself, flopping onto the table, resting his head on his arms. He heard a snort of concealed laughter, and looked in front of him to see a young man in probably the fanciest clothes there, with wavy, chin-length hair.
“What?” Inoo asked. “It’s true.”
“I’m sure it is.” The man replied. “I’m just laughing because I’m not wearing them.”
That made Inoo pout, kicking his heels out of his shoes and massaging them. “I’m going to get blisters later.”
The man made a face. “Why are you sharing your foot welfare with me?” He asked. “It’s not like I asked.”
Inoo just grinned. “You don’t have to listen to me. You can go sit somewhere else.” He proposed playfully.
The man feigned offence. “Why don’t you go sit somewhere else?” He asked. Inoo pretended to be offended as well. “Are you asking the princess to move?” Inoo asked back, the word “princess” feeling weird on his tongue.
“Are you asking the prince to move?” The man countered. Inoo froze. “Wait… What’s your name?”
“Takaki Yuya.” The man replied.
“Prince Takaki? From the North Kingdom?” Inoo asked dumbly. Takaki nodded, and Inoo blushed. “I’m sorry for my impoliteness.” He said hastily.
The prince’s smile, once easy and care-free, seemed frozen on his face now. “What’s with all of the formalities?” He asked. “You’re the same rank as I am.”
Inoo was about to protest, when he remembered that, for tonight, he was the princess. Though this felt more like a dress up game, he was still royal blood, so to speak. “But still…” he muttered. The situation was getting awkward. Not much liking the newly developed awkwardness, Inoo put his shoes back on and was about to find Hikaru or someone to dance with when looking up, found the prince standing in front of him. “May I have this dance?” He asked. Who was Inoo to say no?
As the two danced, the awkwardness melted as they laughed and made small talk.
“Why were you sitting down at the table, not joining in the festivities?” Inoo asked, trying to be as lady-like as possible. The Prince shrugged. “I’m not a big fan of dancing.”
“But you dance well,” Inoo said. Why was the Prince suddenly blushing? It was just an observation. “People that are good at something usually enjoy it.” The Prince shrugged. “I don’t like not trying to run into people.”
“You like running into people?”
Takaki laughed. “Not usually. I… I don’t know, I just don’t really enjoy dancing. Not ballroom dancing, anyway.”
Inoo nodded, understanding. “But… You asked to dance with me. Why is that?”
Inoo noticed the Prince blushing again, and quickly said “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me.”
Takaki shook his head. “It’s okay. It’s just… You looked like you were going to leave so…”
Inoo looked imploringly at him, wanting him to finish his sentence.
“Well… Talking to you is the most fun I’ve had tonight, and…” The Prince trailed off into thought, and this time Inoo didn’t press him. The two danced a long time-while all the guests were of royal heritage-no one dared interrupt the Prince.
The two soon got tired of dancing, and went outside to talk, sitting on the edge of a beautiful flowing fountain, careful not to get wet. They somehow ended up on the subject of inheritance.
“Well, the only way I’ll be a queen is if I marry a king of sorts.” Inoo said, the words “becoming queen” feeling funny. “My brother Hikaru is older, so he’ll get the throne.”
“I have pretty much no chance of gaining the throne either, having an older brother and all. Not that I want it of course…” Takaki chuckled. “That’s a responsibility I’d rather not have.”
“I think you’d make a good king.” Inoo said. Though it was a compliment, he wasn’t quite sure why he’d said it.
“Thanks, I guess.” The Prince seemed eager to change the subject. “Do you think you will ever get married?”
Inoo shrugged. “I never really thought about it. You?”
“I figure, if I love someone...”
In a few moments, the serious conversation turned into a ‘would you rather’ game.
“Would you rather…be the king or be a pheasant?”
“…King.” Takaki answered after a few moments. “Would you rather…marry your brother Hikaru, or an elephant?”
Inoo made a face. “Definitely the elephant. I choose it over Hikaru hands down.”
“Oi! What’s this about my own sister choosing an elephant over me?!?”
The two jumped as Hikaru walked up to them, not knowing that anyone had been paying attention.
“The other nobles are looking for you Ayaki. They haven’t gotten a dance yet-I suppose you should go out and dance with them.”
Inoo looked over at the prince, who nodded. “I apologize,” He said “for taking up so much of your time. You should spend more time with your guests.”
“If you’ll excuse me then…” Inoo walked away with Hikaru, bracing himself for more awkward situations and small talk. Talking with the Prince was the most fun he’d had all night too.
A/N: Gah, it's so fluffy... :P I hoped you liked~ My family is going on a trip soon, (w/o internet access) but I do want to keep posting these, so I might have to ask bloochibi for help, if she doesn't mind...
“That’s our to-be-sister’s name.” Hikaru explained. Inoo nodded in understanding, returning his attention to the masses. Once the announcing was over and Inoo had walked down the steps into the ballroom, a bunch of nobles flocked around him on all sides, squishing him against his siblings. He smiled awkwardly at them, eager to get away.
“Will you dance with me, milady?” One of them finally asked. Inoo stared, wide-eyed, at Chinen, who was closest to him. Chii nodded, motioning his head in the courtier’s direction. “You’re the princess!” he mouthed. Inoo turned back to the man, nodding tentatively. As the “son” of the king, Inoo learned things like riding horses, ballroom dancing, and, by his choice, (it wasn’t required) how to play the piano. So, even though he knew how to dance, as a man, he always led in his lessons. He just decided to do the steps and go with it.
The two made pleasant small talk, Inoo managing to hide how awkward it felt dancing in a dress. After the first noble broke the ice, the others were quick to ask. After dancing with about twenty-five of them (Daiki was just guessing now-he had lost count), Inoo collapsed into a chair at the nearest table. His feet were killing him-he didn’t see how the other female guests could still be standing!
“Girl shoes hurt…” He muttered to himself, flopping onto the table, resting his head on his arms. He heard a snort of concealed laughter, and looked in front of him to see a young man in probably the fanciest clothes there, with wavy, chin-length hair.
“What?” Inoo asked. “It’s true.”
“I’m sure it is.” The man replied. “I’m just laughing because I’m not wearing them.”
That made Inoo pout, kicking his heels out of his shoes and massaging them. “I’m going to get blisters later.”
The man made a face. “Why are you sharing your foot welfare with me?” He asked. “It’s not like I asked.”
Inoo just grinned. “You don’t have to listen to me. You can go sit somewhere else.” He proposed playfully.
The man feigned offence. “Why don’t you go sit somewhere else?” He asked. Inoo pretended to be offended as well. “Are you asking the princess to move?” Inoo asked back, the word “princess” feeling weird on his tongue.
“Are you asking the prince to move?” The man countered. Inoo froze. “Wait… What’s your name?”
“Takaki Yuya.” The man replied.
“Prince Takaki? From the North Kingdom?” Inoo asked dumbly. Takaki nodded, and Inoo blushed. “I’m sorry for my impoliteness.” He said hastily.
The prince’s smile, once easy and care-free, seemed frozen on his face now. “What’s with all of the formalities?” He asked. “You’re the same rank as I am.”
Inoo was about to protest, when he remembered that, for tonight, he was the princess. Though this felt more like a dress up game, he was still royal blood, so to speak. “But still…” he muttered. The situation was getting awkward. Not much liking the newly developed awkwardness, Inoo put his shoes back on and was about to find Hikaru or someone to dance with when looking up, found the prince standing in front of him. “May I have this dance?” He asked. Who was Inoo to say no?
As the two danced, the awkwardness melted as they laughed and made small talk.
“Why were you sitting down at the table, not joining in the festivities?” Inoo asked, trying to be as lady-like as possible. The Prince shrugged. “I’m not a big fan of dancing.”
“But you dance well,” Inoo said. Why was the Prince suddenly blushing? It was just an observation. “People that are good at something usually enjoy it.” The Prince shrugged. “I don’t like not trying to run into people.”
“You like running into people?”
Takaki laughed. “Not usually. I… I don’t know, I just don’t really enjoy dancing. Not ballroom dancing, anyway.”
Inoo nodded, understanding. “But… You asked to dance with me. Why is that?”
Inoo noticed the Prince blushing again, and quickly said “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me.”
Takaki shook his head. “It’s okay. It’s just… You looked like you were going to leave so…”
Inoo looked imploringly at him, wanting him to finish his sentence.
“Well… Talking to you is the most fun I’ve had tonight, and…” The Prince trailed off into thought, and this time Inoo didn’t press him. The two danced a long time-while all the guests were of royal heritage-no one dared interrupt the Prince.
The two soon got tired of dancing, and went outside to talk, sitting on the edge of a beautiful flowing fountain, careful not to get wet. They somehow ended up on the subject of inheritance.
“Well, the only way I’ll be a queen is if I marry a king of sorts.” Inoo said, the words “becoming queen” feeling funny. “My brother Hikaru is older, so he’ll get the throne.”
“I have pretty much no chance of gaining the throne either, having an older brother and all. Not that I want it of course…” Takaki chuckled. “That’s a responsibility I’d rather not have.”
“I think you’d make a good king.” Inoo said. Though it was a compliment, he wasn’t quite sure why he’d said it.
“Thanks, I guess.” The Prince seemed eager to change the subject. “Do you think you will ever get married?”
Inoo shrugged. “I never really thought about it. You?”
“I figure, if I love someone...”
In a few moments, the serious conversation turned into a ‘would you rather’ game.
“Would you rather…be the king or be a pheasant?”
“…King.” Takaki answered after a few moments. “Would you rather…marry your brother Hikaru, or an elephant?”
Inoo made a face. “Definitely the elephant. I choose it over Hikaru hands down.”
“Oi! What’s this about my own sister choosing an elephant over me?!?”
The two jumped as Hikaru walked up to them, not knowing that anyone had been paying attention.
“The other nobles are looking for you Ayaki. They haven’t gotten a dance yet-I suppose you should go out and dance with them.”
Inoo looked over at the prince, who nodded. “I apologize,” He said “for taking up so much of your time. You should spend more time with your guests.”
“If you’ll excuse me then…” Inoo walked away with Hikaru, bracing himself for more awkward situations and small talk. Talking with the Prince was the most fun he’d had all night too.
A/N: Gah, it's so fluffy... :P I hoped you liked~ My family is going on a trip soon, (w/o internet access) but I do want to keep posting these, so I might have to ask bloochibi for help, if she doesn't mind...