D. N. Angel Fan Fiction ❯ Scandalous ❯ Chapter 2

Advance 2:

 

Disclaimer: I own neither DN Angel nor any of the other anime characters mentioned in this story.

 

Warnings: They were at the beginning.

 

A/N: Just to clear up any confusion (thank you NatsuTsuki), this is NOT a crossover. I have borrowed characters from various animes to:
a) Save myself the trouble of thinking up names and Houses for OCs and
b) To add a little amusement to the entire piece. C'mon, who doesn't love seeing a mixture of various anime characters?

 

The next few days passed in a swirl of tea parties, plays and balls, all held in Daisuke's honour. Many of the nobles knew that the Niwas would be looking for a suitable bride for their son and were determined to marry a daughter into the prestigious clan. However, today he was with the Harada clan, as their parents had invited him and his family over to celebrate Riku's engagement. Daisuke was sitting with Riku in another part of the castle, as Risa was with her betrothed Duke Saehara.

 

“It's that bad?” He asked in concern. Riku nodded, brown eyes fierce.

 

“Yes! I don't want to marry, but my parents insist upon it, and they plan to give my hand to House Drayne!” Daisuke winced; Draynes were known for their utter disregard for anyone other than themselves and the Duke himself was supposedly the epitome of cruelty.

 

“Can you not…?” Riku shook her head sadly. Daisuke knew that he could easily save Riku from such a frightening fate, but he could not, and would not subject her to being his wife when all they had was a platonic friendship. “Perhaps House Urameshi…?” He suggested, hoping against hope. Riku shook her head tiredly.

 

“No, their son's already engaged to the Yukimuras' daughter,” she said. “My wedding will be soon; father has already gone to finalise the arrangements and I will be meeting Lord Drayne three days from now, if all goes well.” Her head slowly fell down and she wept into Daisuke's shoulder.

 

Dark wandered around the Niwa gardens, smirking slyly at the serving maids. The little one he'd had last night was rather boring. It was the same way everywhere, but he was hoping to change the monotony soon. Daisuke had reacted nicely towards his advances; the little redhead had flushed and backed off and had Dark not known that the lord was quite popular amongst many circles, he would have said that the other was trying to avoid him.

 

“Daisuke Niwa,” he murmured to himself aloud. He wished that he could talk to the young one a little more. Then a sly smirk curved his lips upwards, and Dark smiled as he thought of the perfect way to greet the other as soon as he returned home. After all, Lord Niwa's bedchambers were just above his, and it would be no great task to pay him a night time visit, would it? With a glance at the sky, which showed the setting sun, he hurried off to prepare.

 

Daisuke arrived home late that night with a heavy weight upon his heart which had not been there before. After dining with the Haradas and seeing the look of muted anguish upon Riku's face as her parents discussed her upcoming marriage, he wanted nothing more than to stay in his chambers. He knew that there was no way to resolve her problem, but at the same time he wanted to help her in any way he could. He finally arrived at his door after re-assuring his mother and father that there was nothing wrong with him, and he did not need a healer. He sighed once more and slowly pushed the door open, loosening his cravat. The sight that met his eyes was…frightening, to say the very least.

 

Lord Dark Mousy of House Blackwing, son of Lord Evan, Teku(1) of the Aelyven Council was lying on the bed. His bed, to be precise. Daisuke was shocked, and not only by the other's presence, either. The older man was lying splayed out on the bed in a most provocative manner. His eyes were cast upon the ceiling at the moment, but what shocked the young lord the most was that his `visitor' was dressed only in a thin nightshirt and he was…writhing underneath the blankets. Amethyst eyes turned to look at him and Daisuke felt his heart skip a little at the intense gaze the other fixed upon him. “W-what are you doing?” He gasped into the room.

 

Dark smiled and slipped out of the bed, stalking towards the younger one gracefully. He knew the picture he presented; hair tousled as though he had just been ravished, eyes filled with a burning fire deep within that would ignite all but a corpse's blood. “My, my,” he whispered, dipping his head low to whisper into the other's ear. “Aren't we tense...” With a stifled yelp, Daisuke placed both hands firmly on the other's chest and shoved. The purple-haired lord grunted as he was thrown backwards a little and winced as Daisuke grabbed his glaive, which was hanging by the door. “Eh, it was just…” he weakly began, but the little redhead was embarrassed and shocked beyond comprehension.

 

“If you dare enter my chambers like that ever again,” Daisuke hissed angrily, “I will—“ Dark couldn't resist the temptation.

 

“You'll what?” drawled he. “You'll pin me to the bed and ravish me?” Daisuke wrinkled his nose in distaste, but rolled his eyes in exasperation.

 

“Don't be stupid,” he said sharply. Dark winced; the blade was still aimed at his heart and he would rather not die due to a trick gone wrong. “How can a man ravish a man?” Daisuke asked scornfully. “It was not meant to happen.” The purple-haired lord resisted the urge to laugh, but failed miserably in spite of the long, gleaming glaive resting dangerously close to him.

 

He gave the other a sultry look, running his tongue over his lips. The other might be angry and embarrassed, but he was even more handsome with that look on his face. The flickering shadows cast by the torchlight also served to throw his delicate features into sharp relief, highlighting the straight nose and the striking red eyes gleaming in the half-darkness. “Curious, little one?” Dark asked. He smiled disarmingly, the glaive trembling before his face before its wielder re-focused.

 

Daisuke's hands trembled as he heard what the other said. Did…did Count Maxwell and Sir Yuy do those things too? He shook his head angrily, cursing the unorthodox pair and his mother for bringing up their relationship. “Silence, Dark,” he said commandingly. With a teasing smile and a wink, the other complied. “And get out. I don't want to see you in here ever again, understand? If you wish to speak with me, we will converse in the garden or somewhere else in the castle.” Dark didn't reply, choosing to give the other a silky smile before standing up and swaying out the door. He didn't forget to brush his hosts' son's backside gently as he passed the other.

 

The glaive clattered to the floor noisily as its owner sank into a chair and stared in shock at the rumpled sheets. Crimson eyes glanced over the ornately carved wardrobe doors before returning to rest on the large bed. Sighing, Daisuke clambered into the bed. He might have been infuriated to find another sleeping in his bed as though attempting to seduce him, but he was not so wholly enraged that he would wake the servants up to change his sheets. Sighing, he slid under the sheets and blew out the candle, snuggling into his pillow before realizing that it smelled faintly of musk and oddly enough, morning-bedewed grass. Dark's scent.

 

The next morning, Dark acted as though nothing had happened between the two of them. Where Daisuke blushed and stammered, the purple-haired lord laughed and talked as gaily as a maiden at a fair. In fact, he acted so cheerfully that Daisuke was almost restored to his usual good humour. In the middle of the meal, however, the younger lord felt a foot slide up his leg. Smilingly (he wasn't angry yet) he told Dark softly, “You're kicking me.” The other grinned devilishly, but took his leg off anyway. Daisuke wondered whether he had found the table leg yet; he, too, had a habit of kicking the table during meals, although not so gently, he admitted to himself.

 

Dark wondered at Lord Niwa's naïveté; did the man know nothing of what transpired between a man and a woman? In any case, he most certainly did not know of teasing. Well, he thought with a smirk, I'll just have to educate him. He waited for a while longer before running his foot up against the other's leg. Smiling pleasantly at Daisuke, he blithely ignored all of the younger man's attempts to tell him that his leg was not part of the table. Daisuke froze as the foot traveled up further, resting gently on his thigh. He stood up abruptly and the chair screeched as it scraped across the floor. He looked at his parents. “My deepest apologies, honorable Father and Mother,” he said formally, “May I please be excused? I just remembered…” he hesitated as he cast around for a suitable excuse in his brain. “I just remembered that Sir Mouri wants to train earlier today.” His parents looked suspicious, but Lord Kosuke nodded. Relieved, the redhead ran. Dark just laughed and turned to Lady Emiko, asking about her plans for her son.

 

Thank goodness, Daisuke thought. He didn't know what Dark wanted, but he was smart enough to feel uncomfortable when the other's foot had rested so close to…he flushed at the thought…that area. Just what is wrong with him, anyway? Daisuke wondered. He did not in the least find Dark's joke from the previous night amusing, but that was all that the other lord wanted to do, right? Play a joke on him, right? So why was it carrying on into the next day? Pushing the thoughts out of his head, he hastily changed into his loose training clothes and headed down to the practice courts. After all, he didn't have anywhere else to go.

 

The smell of fresh grass and nature greeted the young lord and he was glad for something to take his mind off his recent predicament. Dark annoyed him sorely and if he didn't know any better, he'd say that the other man was deriving pleasure from his discomfort. He began to go through some of his glaive forms, hoping to ease himself into a better frame of mind. Anyway, Sir Mouri wouldn't be down for another hour or so; he knew how much the training master cherished routine and order.

 

“Good morning, Lord Daisuke!” Sighing and panting slightly, Daisuke lowered his weapon so that the sharp end was facing the ground. He smiled at the pale knight, who wore his customary light blue armour. “Now then,” his instructor began, “We'll start off with the Ni Shi Ki Goromo, followed by the Nami Tsumi.(2)” Daisuke nodded and assumed the starting position for the first kata, closing his eyes in order to concentrate better. As he moved gracefully through the different positions, he felt the other man circling him to ensure that he was doing everything correctly. He finished the first, waiting for some sign from his master. The other merely nodded, and Daisuke began the second, forcing down the small tingle of pleasure he felt from earning no reprimand from the other.

 

As he finished, he brought the blade up in a swift arc over his head and to the side, letting it hover before slowly returning to resting position. Sir Mouri nodded, smiling happily. “Good work, Daisuke,” he praised the other. “You seem to be less stiff today; should I attribute that to your previous warm-up exercises, or should I be thanking someone?” His eyes danced with gentle humour. “Now, we will spar,” he told the other, raising his own weapon. Daisuke was about to protest, but the other brooked no argument, merely telling him, “It is necessary to learn to fight with and without armour on. In fact, I think you will find it easier without the armour.” Raising his yari, he levelled it at his pupil's chest. “We begin…now!”

 

Daisuke was surprised at this new change in his routine. Normally they would spar, but with both of them wearing armour. Frowning, he raised his weapon cautiously and jumped backwards to avoid being speared on the three-pronged weapon. “Mind yourself!” The other sharply reprimanded, stabbing forward again. Daisuke's head whirled; he struggled to force himself back into the rhythmic dance, but he was no match for the other and within minutes he was on the ground, the yari pointed at his face.

 

“Yield!” He gasped out. His instructor stepped away and from the look on his face, Daisuke could tell that he was disappointed.

 

Sir Mouri stood a little way off, waiting for his pupil to recover. When Daisuke got up, the armoured man nodded briefly to the water bottle on the side of the clearing. “Drink.” Whilst the other refreshed himself, the knight talked. “Funny; I was sure you would give me a challenge today. Your forms were excellent, but your sparring was abysmal.” He sighed, auburn locks waving slightly in the breeze. “I must say, Lord Daisuke, I expected something a little better of you.” Daisuke lowered his head, acknowledging the scolding. He blinked as a pair of teal eyes stared deeply into his, the older knight examining his features closely. The crimson haired youth yelped and tumbled backwards, reminded sharply of Dark's features close to his. “My goodness,” the other commented as he followed. “Are you all right?” He looked anxiously at his pupil, dropping his weapon in haste to examine the other. “Did you get scraped?” Daisuke blinked; how a man could be so motherly and so proficient at fighting at the same time was beyond his understanding. He waved the other's hands away and rolled to his feet.

 

“I'm fine,” he sighed. “Don't worry, Sir Mouri.” Teal eyes peered at him until he glared back and then the knight straightened up.

 

“Come,” the other said, smiling at him once more. “Then let us have another round.” Daisuke repressed a groan and raised his weapon once more. This time, the fight lasted longer, but Daisuke was still pinned to the ground in the end, courtesy of the Torrent Knight's mancatcher. Sighing once more, Mouri released the steel prongs and the look on his face almost made Daisuke want to break down into tears. Guilt trips were not something he could handle well and the look of sheer disappointment on the knight's face would be enough to make even a seasoned barbarian feel shame for being the cause of it.

 

The training session lasted for another hour before Mouri was finally satisfied. Daisuke staggered away, wondering whether he would ever be able to look the other in the eye again, but before he could disappear, the knight called out, “Why did you tell your parents I wanted you an hour early?” Cursing the other's intelligence, Daisuke pretended not to hear him and ran off. Thankfully, he did not run into Dark on the way back into his chambers.

 

A quick scrubbing session later and he was at class. He stared blankly at the diagrams in the book and wondered why the option of using the Mage to distract the bandits from the cave was not a viable option. “Sir,” he finally ventured when the other man gave him a pithy look. “Why wouldn't using a Mage to cast an illusion to drive the bandits away be a good idea?” At the look on the older man's face, he cringed.

 

“Look closely,” the teacher replied with feigned patience. “Do you see the word, `Mage' written anywhere on that page?” Silence. Whoops. He blushed as his tutor rubbed his temples. Right there and then, he decided that everything was Dark's fault. If he hadn't…touched him at breakfast, then he wouldn't be in this predicament right now! “You would do well to remember that I am expected to present a report of your progress to your father in two days' time,” the man dryly commented.

 

He heaved a relieved sigh as he sank down into one of the large chairs in his room at the end of the lessons. No one was there to see him, so he would be able to relax. Then the presence of his father filled the room and he fought not to cringe. “Yes, honorable Father?”

 

Kosuke's face was bland, as his voice was, but it was clear that he was not pleased. “Your tutors all say that you have been…distracted today. Is this true?” Daisuke winced, but nodded. Kosuke sighed and closed his eyes. “My son, it is your duty to do well in your studies. The world does not tolerate fools. You are no longer a boy, Daisuke. You are a man, and you must take your lessons seriously.” The redhead nodded, feeling worse and worse with each word. “I am disappointed with you,” his father finished. “I hope that this will not be the same case with you tomorrow.” The lord left his son to his own thoughts.

 

In the library, Daisuke pored over his Strategy textbook, forcing himself to think about the situation `from every angle', as his tutor liked to put it. He heard someone enter the room and instinctively knew who it was. Oh no. He huddled lower, hoping against hope that the pile of books would somehow conceal him from the newcomer's sight. To his dismay, it didn't and the other immediately crossed the room. “My, my, little Daisuke. So studious.” He forced himself not to react. Maybe if I ignore him, he'll leave me alone. “Aw,” the other said. His tone was mockingly petulant. “Is that a cut(3)?”

 

That was an insult Daisuke could not leave unanswered. “Lord Mousy,” he tiredly said, running a hand through his hair.

 

“Oh!” The other feigned surprise and shock. “What a surprise. You remember me!”

 

“I could hardly fail to do so,” the Niwa replied calmly.

 

“Indeed,” the other agreed. “I have been known to steal ladies' hearts. `Twould not have surprised me, if I had stolen your heart too. Come now,” he added after seeing that Daisuke was determinedly staring at his book. “Look at me, little one. You know you want to.” He let his hand rest lightly on the other's shoulder.

 

“I am busy,” Daisuke gritted through his teeth. Gods, Lord Mousy was so annoying! “I apologise profusely for my behaviour…” Like Hell, he thought grimly, “and I hope that perhaps we will find another time to talk.” There, he thought in satisfaction. That should get rid of him. Unfortunately, the purple-haired lord continued as though he had not heard a word of his speech.

 

“Look at me.” A gentle pressure on his face and Daisuke reluctantly turned to face the other. “Now, was that so hard?” the other asked in amusement. Purple eyes roamed over his face, and Daisuke blushed under the intense scrutiny. “You know,” the other commented thoughtfully, “I can see why so many women want you. You are quite fair of face and form.”

 

“W-what?” Daisuke stammered out. How did Lord Mousy cause him to lose control of himself like that so easily? He trembled slightly as his guest's hand travelled slowly over his face, cupping his chin delicately and brushing his thumb over his lips. He resisted the urge to nip the slender appendage.

 

“Soft,” Dark murmured. He gazed into those captivating crimson orbs once more and smirked at the innocence that they revealed. He wanted to be the one responsible for dulling them, for filling them with the jaded light that people saw in his own violet eyes. “Tell me, little one,” he huskily murmured, “have you ever been with anyone?” Daisuke gasped and weakly tried to push him away, but Dark knew better. Those pushes were weaker than a month-old baby's, and if that weapon he'd been wielding the night before said anything, Daisuke was much stronger than he looked. Slowly the older lord leaned in and traced the outermost curve of Daisuke's ear slowly and deliberately before pulling away. “You know where to find me,” he said before leaving the room. Smiling to himself, he proceeded down the corridor.

 

Daisuke ran fingers over his ear and frowned, unable to comprehend what had brought Dark to him in the first place. He didn't enjoy the other man's…ministrations on him, but neither could he say that he loathed them. It was more like a curiosity, a little creature that poked its head up at the most inopportune times and inevitably led him into trouble. He had never had anyone try to do things like that to him before, but it made him feel hot and awkward at the same time. He knew it was wrong, but at the same time he couldn't bring himself to stop the other. The little redhead exhaled in irritation and looked back down at his book, determined to figure out a way to defeat four ogres with fifty peasant soldiers.

 

Dark sauntered down the hallways of the castle, satisfied with his day's work. Admittedly, he had done almost nothing here save for bringing the message, but he felt that a week or two's delay would not put him in any danger with his father. After all, the man was so wrapped up in the Council's problems, he wouldn't even notice that his only son was gone for an inordinately long period of time unless someone pointed it out to him, and even then the point might only be answered by a vague mumble. He'd be lucky if the man even read his letter!

 

Daisuke's most certainly an intriguing young man, he thought to himself as he remembered the look of confused arousal on the other's face. He may be considered a man in terms of age, but he is a child in terms of emotional development. He briefly wondered how long it would take him to bed the redhead properly before chuckling; he would have to do a little more work first. He decided to talk to some of the staff, including the young lord's tutors. He remembered seeing the young one in the company of a blue-armoured knight, and tugging his cloak around himself, Dark set off in search of the said knight.

 

When he arrived at the training grounds, he was a little curious to see a small group of people gathered around what appeared to be the archery field. His eyes picked out the glint of something golden and Dark walked over, curious to see just what could be so shiny in such a place. When he arrived, he was rather surprised. A young man wearing dark blue armour was shooting at a target. His bow, in contrast to the gleaming honey or rich dark brown of wood, was a shiny gold in colour and looked somewhat more substantial than a normal longbow. However, he wore no helmet, and as a result his appearance was all the more striking, for he had blue hair. It was not blue-black hair like the people of Eoigonia had, but a shade of ultramarine blue. His face was serene and his eyes closed as though he did not need to see his target in order to hit it. Another golden arrow flew from the bow and embedded itself, quivering, into the very centre of the target. “Well done, Rowan,” another applauded. He had light reddish-brown hair and was quite pale in contrast to some of the more tanned youths. He wore light blue armour and a long yari was strapped to his back as well as a tanto. Dark smiled; he'd found the prince's trainer.

 

“Good day, gentlemen,” he smoothly said. “A fair shot,” he told the archer, thinking that the man would fall in awe. To his surprise, the man ignored the comment, turning to smile at his friend.

 

“He's looking fer ya,” the archer commented in a twangy, but not wholly unpleasant accent. He grinned at the yari-wielder and nudged him gently. “Go on,” he teased. The other frowned lightly, then stepped away from the crowd and headed towards Dark.

 

“Good day, my lord. How may I be of assistance?” His tone was formal and his accent smooth and polished, different from the blue-haired archer.

 

Dark smiled. “Please, just call me Dark.” The knight smiled politely, if not a little stiffly, and a man in red armour barked out a laugh before turning back to speak to the archer. “Are you the one who trains Daisuke Niwa?” The knight nodded slightly.

 

“That indeed I am. Does that interest you, my lord?” Cye just didn't feel comfortable calling Dark by his name.

 

“Yes, indeed it does. But first of all, may I please know your name? `Twould be a shame to speak to one as skilled as yourself and still not know your name.” The knight blushed lightly and Dark was tempted to flirt with him too, just to see more of that becoming pink hue. Gods; no wonder Niwa was so innocent. If the people training him were this easily embarrassed, it would be no mystery as to why Daisuke himself had no clue as to what went on between a man and a woman in a bedroom, and the mere thought of what two men could do together would be a concept beyond his understanding.

 

“Please, you think too highly of me.” As they talked, they had moved further from the crowd and now lord and knight were standing in the combat field, which sorely tempted Dark to flirt just a little. Being somewhat impulsive, he let his feelings colour his actions towards the pale knight.

 

“Of course not! So young, and already teaching a lord! It's a rare thing indeed!” He added a laugh for effect and inwardly smirked to see the knight flush a little more. “Your modesty is most endearing, though. Your name?” He really did want to know this one's name; he wanted to remember it in case he didn't have time to `convert' Daisuke and needed a willing partner.

 

Sir Mouri blushed further as Dark continued to praise him. “It's Sir Mouri, my lord,” he said formally. “Sir Mouri of the Torrent.” Dark clapped his hands as though he were a child delighted with a new toy.

 

“Your name is Mouri, then? Please, tell me your birth name too. I am sure it will be one fitting of you.” The Torrent knight blushed even further, wondering whether this man was deliberately saying such things.

 

“I am Sir Cye Mouri of the Torrent.” He bowed once more, hating his embarrassment and his pale skin. “I tutor the prince in the use of his glaive, my lord.”

 

Dark smiled archly. “Such skill in one so young!” he exclaimed once more. “I perceive that Daisuke and his family must trust you, then?” Cye bowed once more.

 

“One can only hope so, my lord.”

 

“Please,” the heir to House Blackwing said, “do call me Dark. I feel more comfortable when people do. My lord reminds me of my father.” That pompous man, he added to himself. The knight looked rather shocked, so the purple-haired lord smiled disarmingly. “Don't worry,” he told the other. “So, Cye, tell me a little about yourself.”

 

Cye was surprised and felt uncomfortable in Dark's presence. He didn't like the way the other lord was clearly looking for information on the redhead and he silently promised himself not to betray Daisuke, no matter how many questions the stranger asked. “Um, well, I apologise, but I must…”

 

Dark inwardly cursed the knight's noble nature. “Please, stay,” he said, placing one hand on the other's arm and smiling. It would have probably helped if he was a woman, but in this case being a man would do just as well; the knight acted a little too effeminately to be completely heterosexual. The corners of Dark's mouth twisted upwards in a wry smile as he remembered his…initiation into the sordid world of nobility and for a brief, fleeting moment he envied the knight in front of him, who only had to worry about where his lord would send him next. “Torrent? Do you hold a special connection with water, perhaps? Or are you named for your nature?” He smiled suavely as the knight shot him another look. Perhaps not just a pretty face, then.

 

The Torrent knight was annoyed now; he didn't like the way the other kept asking about him. He quickly blurted out the first thing that came to mind, trying to deflect the older man's questions from himself. “If you're so interested in Daisuke, why don't you just go talk to him?” He flushed in embarrassment and fear of the lord's reaction, but to his further discomfort the older man merely laughed.

 

An amethyst eye winked at him and the lord sauntered off, the wind ruffling his shocking purple hair. “Of course, of course,” he laughed. “Well, it was nice talking to you, Cye. Let me know if you need…anything.” He laughed at the look on the other's face.

 

Daisuke was curled up happily in a chair in a corner of the library. He had finished his homework and studies, and since he didn't feel like going out today, he decided to finish off the book he'd started two days ago and still hadn't finished on account of having been caught up in preparing for his eighteenth birthday. Swimming through fanciful tales of heaven, hell and everyplace in between, he failed to hear the door opening and he didn't realise that someone else was there before a shadow fell across the page. He looked up and almost curled up in shame. It was Cye, his face puzzled. “Why did you tell your father I wanted you an hour early, my lord?” Daisuke steeled himself for the lecture from the other as to why lying was not virtuous. He was not disappointed and after the Torrent Knight was gone, he wondered whether the other Element Knights ever had to put up with his `mother hen' act.

 

Lord Kosuke was sitting in the garden, taking a break from the endless mountains of paperwork he had to deal with as head of Castle Shadow. There were accounts to be read and done, taxes to be paid and supplies for the castle to be bought. He'd invited young Lord Dark to stay at his place for a while longer, as he knew that the other had no mother and may as well have no father, for all he ever saw of the man. Everyone knew Lord Evan Mousy lived for his work. “Good day, Lord Niwa.” He looked up and met Dark's sparkling amethyst eyes.

 

“Good day, Lord Mousy,” he smiled in return. “I trust that you are enjoying our hospitality?” The other laughed merrily and bowed.

 

“Oh, very much so. You have a beautiful garden,” Dark commented, casting an eye over the flowers and the classical statues sprinkled over the land. Kosuke nodded in return.

 

“How fares your father?”

 

“Wrapped up in his work as usual and with little concern for other matters.” Kosuke nodded. “But his health is good and he remains fairly robust.”

 

“That is good. And I trust that you yourself are well?”

 

“Why, Lord Niwa, I would not trouble you with myself,” Dark laughed, but inwardly he was hoping that the other had no suspicions of him. As much as he liked to stir up trouble, he also did not like to get caught. The brunette nodded quietly, eyes serene as ever and not for the first time, Dark wondered just what went on behind those dark brown eyes. Despite his experience in the world of politics, however (he took care of more sordid matters as his father was usually too wrapped up in administrative matters to notice threats towards himself or his position), he was still taken by surprise by the next words that issued out of the other's mouth.

 

“How about you have a tour of the surrounding countryside with Daisuke then? I am sure you would enjoy talking to someone closer to your own age, and perhaps you can teach him a little about what it means to be of age.” Dark was at first surprised, then delighted. Another opportunity for him to work his magic on the little redhead, and it was being presented to him on a silver platter! He was delighted.

 

After the refusals (which were purely tradition) and the other's insistence (also tradition), Dark was finally `persuaded' to go with Daisuke the next day for a ride and a deeper exploration of the countryside.

 

1: One of the main ten Council members. The Council consists of fifty lords, but the first ten are the representatives and they handle the main body of admin as well as preside over the other forty.

 

2: These are (according to www.Brandon-san.com/article/196) real naginata (glaive) kata.

 

3: Cut = to ignore deliberately and/or spitefully. (Penguin Reference Pocket English Dictionary)

 

A note on `Cye': The correct Japanese spelling may be `Sai', but I'm going by the dubbed version and let's face it, folks; Sir Sai Mouri looks like a case of alliteration gone wrong. That's why I've decided to use the American version instead, as much as I may hate it.