Betrothed

"I can't… breathe... Tamao…" The Kasai heir tried to pry himself from the girl's tight hold.

"Oh, I'm sorry Yoh!" The pink-haired girl let go of her choking fiancé. "I couldn't restrain myself. I just miss you so badly!"

"It's been quite a while… I wasn't expecting you to come," the prince forced out a smile.

"I'd like to surprise you!"

"Well I am surprised alright," Yoh muttered under his breath. This is troublesome… I had to fulfill my fiancé duties to Tamao while keeping my promise to Anna. The prince turned his head towards the blond girl's direction. His personal maid had her arms folded across her chest and wore her usual scowl.

Tamao noticed Yoh's inattentiveness and looked at the source of his new found interest. So this must be the maid that Kanna was talking about…

Flashback…

"I can't seem to find Yoh in his room," Tamao sat on her fluffy bed full of frustration and disappointment. The three maids, Kanna, Marion and Matilda who always attended to her when she was around were busy unpacking her things and keeping them in their respective places.

"Have you tried looking in the royal garden, princess?" suggested Matilda, the cheeriest of the three. "His Highness likes to go there when he's not doing his training. He can't possibly be outside the palace vicinity for the king had forbidden him to leave without his permission."

"Ah yes, I haven't checked there." Tamao sprang from the bed excitedly.

"The prince is probably with the new servant girl," Kanna, the eldest of her chamber maids, thought out loud. "She was his favorite among us all. His Highness especially requested her to be his personal maid. I think she's trying to get the prince to fancy her," she watched the pink-haired girl's reaction from the corner of her eye.

Tamao's nostrils slightly flared up. "I'll see for myself…"

End of flashback

"I need to do some work, Your Highness. Please excuse me," Anna started to walk away from the pair and headed towards the palace.

"But Anna… we're not done with my tutoring session yet…" Yoh called after her.

"We'll double the hours tomorrow. You're hands are quite full today," the blond girl glowered at him then left the couple by themselves.

"Your personal maid, I presume?" Tamao put her hands on her hips. Jealousy was written all over her face.

"Er… yes…"

"I honestly did not expect you to request for a personal maid, Yoh. It's the sort of thing your twin brother would do."

Yoh scratched his head and grinned nervously. "Well, I had reasons…"

"And what could be your reasons, Yoh Asakura?" Tamao demanded a good explanation from her fiancé.

"It's because… you know… I'm lazy so I need someone to push me…" the prince scratched his head. Why is it so unusual for him to ask for a personal maid? He is a prince after all. If his twin brother had been in his position, nobody would have questioned him.

"Ok… So that's only one reason. What are the others?"

"Did I say REASONS? I only meant REASON," Yoh laughed nervously.

"Hey, look what we found here," remarked a familiar voice which saved the prince from his fiancée's further inquisition.

"Manta! Ryuu!" exclaimed Yoh. A big smile was painted on his face.

"Your Highness, why did you suddenly leave us in the forest? We were so worried sick!" the tall guy berated the prince.

"You're starting to sound like Amidamaru…"

Manta chuckled, "Don't mind him, Your Highness. He's like that because the king was in a bad mood when we returned to Kasai without you."

"Oh, I'm sorry for causing trouble," the prince bowed down.

"That's not necessary Your Highness!"

"We were just kidding!"

The two men waved their hands frantically so that the young monarch would not feel so guilty.

"I did not see you guys as soon as I came home. Did father send you to another mission?" inquired the prince.

"Yes, he did. It's a very important one." The tall guy's face turned serious. "It's about -,"

"Ryuu!" Manta shot him a warning look. "I'm sorry Your Highness but this is classified information…" He felt ashamed for hiding something from the prince but they had made a promise to the king earlier not to tell anyone about their recent escapade across the Great Spirit's River.

Thankfully, the awkwardness ended with the neglected pink-haired girl clearing her throat.

"Hello my dear Princess Tamao!" Ryuu clasped his hands together and gazed dreamily at the prince's fiancée.

The girl ignored him and grabbed Yoh's arm. "If you are done talking to him, we are leaving!" She walked towards the palace entrance dragging the prince along with her.

"Are you staying for awhile in Kasai? Let's catch up later guys!" Yoh called out to the two men.

"Not too long, Your Highness. Maybe next time!" answered Ryuu.

"See you when we see you, Prince Yoh!" Manta waved at him.

The two chuckled when the couple was out of their sight.

"Manta, the prince is really preoccupied now, isn't he?"

"Well, it's inevitable when Princess Tamao is around. She always wants his full attention. Sometimes I pity the prince…"

"Why? She is a pretty girl." Ryuu wore a dreamy expression as if the princess was still there.

"Stop drooling on my hair!" Manta scrambled away from his partner and started walking towards the direction of the main gate. His friend followed catching up with him in one big stride.

"I miss spending time with the prince though…" Ryuu sighed.

"Me too…"

"So are you going back to your hometown now?"

"Yes, I miss my younger sister. I also need to help out with the family business while I'm free from work."

"I don't understand you, Manta. You're relatively well off but you still work in the palace."

"Well, my father is still strong and I'm a free spirit, just like you, Ryuu, just like the prince."

The tall guy smiled. "I guess that what made us friends in the first place."

"How about you? Are you going somewhere?"

"I'm going to see my friends at the pub."

"You're going to drink again until you're totally knocked out."

"I assure you, I won't. I'll be the last sober man standing in our drinking contest for I am Ryunosuke Umemiya, the most reliable spy in Kasai!" Ryuu laughed heartily.

"I don't think being a spy and a drunkard work well together," Manta muttered to himself.