The Proposal

"Anna, did you receive the letters I sent to you from Mu? It is a huge continent! Even larger than the Four Kingdoms!" Prince Yoh exclaimed. He sat on a chair while Queen Anna trimmed down his hair.

"Stop fidgeting, Yoh!" The blond royal scolded him. "Yes, I did receive them."

The Kouku queen would cut his long hair everytime the Kasai prince visited her. They had been doing this home coming ritual for four years now.

When Prince Yoh was away on a mission to a foreign land, he would write a letter to her everyday then send everything whenever possible. He was frugal in spending the allowance provided by Hao and he had to do side jobs to earn extra coin for his personal expenses. Faust was also helping him out with the finances because he had no one else to support. He started mixing concoctions again as there was an abundance of medicinal herbs in the new places they visited.

The Kasai prince also requested his twin brother to have garden roses delivered to the Kouku palace on a daily basis. This time, it was Prince Yoh's name that was written in the message but King Hao would sometimes add a postscript just to annoy Anna.

Everytime the prince went home, he would bring with him souvenirs such as spices, scarves, trinkets, mini statues, and wooden toys for Men from exotic lands that he had visited. The Kouku royal had kept them all in a box. She was planning to give it to Yoh when they grow old so he could open it and reminisce his travels.

"I am almost finished. There." Queen Anna brushed off the strands of dark hair from his shoulders.

The prince stood up and looked at himself in the mirror. He always felt like a renewed man after a hair cut. "I'll grow it out again for you. I know you love trimming my hair and I love it when you do it."

"It would have been faster if you would just use the Harusame to slash it." Queen Anna suggested while putting back the comb and scissors inside the drawers. She felt him wrap his arms around her waist.

"I miss you... I wish you were there with me..." He buried his face on her golden locks. "There's only one more clan that we need to bring back then I can finally be with you..."

"This soon? And I thought I would be waiting forever." Anna shut the drawer close. She felt him withdraw his arms around her. For a minute she thought that she had hurt his feelings. He was so sensitive! She was only messing with him.

"Please turn around..." Yoh whispered behind her.

The blond queen granted his request. When she turned to face him, she found him bending on one knee and offering to her a small box containing a diamond ring.

"Anna Kyouyama, four years may not be enough to prove to you how much I love you. Will you spend eternity with me so I can show you everyday?"

"Yes..."

The Kasai prince inserted the ring on her finger then hugged her tight.

"I already informed my brother that I want to marry you after completing the mission. I have been saving up coins to cover the wedding expenses so as not to burden you or Hao. Kasai wouldn't be able to organize something as grand as the one you had in Kaminari though..."

Anna pulled him by the shirt. "I don't care just kiss me." And they locked their lips like it was their last.

"I love you, Yoh Asakura..."

Later that night, they made love for the first time.

At the Kouri palace throne room...

"So... How are you, young man?" King Horokeu smiled at the little Kaminari prince who immediately ran behind his father.

"My name is Men not Man..." the little boy said.

"Awwww... That's so cute. I wish I had one, too..." The Kouri king clasped his hands together.

"Find a girl first, brother," Princess Pirika teased him as she entered the throne room. She gave Men a high five then went straight to Lyserg's side. She flashed a finger with a sapphire ring to her brother.

"Are you giving me the dirty finger, Pirika?" King Horokeu squinted his eyes. "I am appalled at your sudden disrespect towards me."

"Argh, brother. Must I state the obvious? Lyserg and I are engaged!"

"What?! Did Father approve?"

"Yes, Your Highness. I went to him first. He even helped me choose the ring for Pirika." Lyserg assured him.

"How many years have you been in a relationship?"

"More than four years, brother." Princess Pirika wanted to call him horse face but a little child was there. She couldn't swear either.

"How about another 4 years more?"

"What?!" Lyserg and Pirika looked at each other. Desperation was written all over their faces.

"What's going on, Father?" Men asked out loud. "Why is Uncle Horo angry?"

Ren squatted so he could talk to his son face to face. He's not angry at you, Men. He doesn't want Uncle Lyserg and Aunt Pirika to be together."

"But why?" the child inquired further.

"Yeah, why Uncle Horo?" Pirika placed her hands on her hips and glared at the Kouri king.

"Because..." King Horokeu took a deep breath. "Uncle Horo will be sad if Auntie Pirika would go away with Uncle Lyserg. Uncle Horo will miss his little sister so much."

The Kouri princess teared up. She almost forgot that getting married meant leaving the family she had grown up with behind.

"Don't be sad, Uncle Horo. Uncle Lyserg will take care of Auntie Pirika for you. I know because Father takes care of Mommy while Uncle Yoh is away." The little prince smiled at the king.

"That's the most beautiful thing I ever heard someone say..." King Horokeu sniffed. "If Lyserg will love Pirika the same way as Ren had loved Anna then I approve of this marriage."

Pirika ran crying to her brother. She hugged him tight.

"Get in here, future brother-in-law. We are a family of huggers." King Horokeu beckoned Lyserg who obliged.

Later that night...

"So... you allowed Pirika to marry Lyserg. We should be celebrating! Why are you sulking here?" Tamao refilled the cup of her inn's number one customer.

King Horokeu drank it all down without pausing for breath. "I guess I'm just really sad... Pirika is my baby sister. She grew up so fast."

"Maybe you're just afraid to be the only one left behind when people around us have moved on and you're still stuck in the same situation. It's normal, Horo."

"Hmm... Maybe I should open an inn seeing that it had helped you move forward." The Kouri king teased her.

"Don't you dare!" Tamao warned him.

"Or I can buy your inn and you can live in the Kouri palace with me."

"How about you try wooing me first. Then let's see after four years." The pink-haired lady poured herself a cup of ale and gave the king his refill.

"Challenge accepted." King Horo Horo grinned.

They clinked their cups and drank the contents in one gulp.