Characters in this chapter: Mao Inoue, Sho Sakurai, Jin Akanishi, Jun Matsumoto, Keiko Kitagawa, Hiroki Nariyama, Kamenashi Kazuya, Ryosuke Yamada, Ohno Satoshi

__________________________________________________________________________

As prince Matsumoto and his sentinels left, Mao stood up.

Akanishi went near him. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Mao nodded. “I’m okay” she answered disappointed about the prince.

“You shouldn’t do that, going near him is dangerous”

“What do you mean?” asked Mao.

Akanishi gave serious glare “He’s the evil prince of East village,

“Evil?”

“Yes, because he’s violent. Most of the people here fear his Earth Manipulation ability”

“Earth Manipulation?” Mao repeated. By just hearing his ability she got hint what kind of skills he had. “How about his companions, the girl besides him is beautiful” Mao added.

“Those are his sentinels. The girl’s name is Keiko Kitagawa, the guy is Hiroki Nariyama. As of now, they are the top sentinels”

“Top? So they also have amazing abilities…” Mao uttered.

 Akanishi nodded “That’s why you have to stay away from them or else you want to die, understood?”

“I understand I’ll keep distance” Mao promised, pouting her lips.

That reaction moved Jin Akanishi. Ever since, he liked girls with beautiful lips.

“Ah, Mao can we have dinner tonight?” he asked changing the topic.

Mao wondered. “Dinner?”

“Just say yes”

Mao paused for a while before answering “If you insist and it’s for free, why not?”

“Yes!”Akanishi rejoiced. She badly wanted a girl right now so he’ll make sure to get her. “Just thinking, why you chased Matsumoto” he asked “Is he your type?”

“Not really” Mao replied “I just want to ask him if he knows my brother”

“Your brother?”

“Yeah, my brother is Ryosuke Yamada, the prince of North Village”

“Eh, he’s your brother?” Akanishi was really shocked. As far as he knew, prince from north village had dangerous ability. He suddenly wondered what ability this girl had.

“If you don’t mind, can I know your special ability?”

“Empathy.” Mao answered.

“You can control people’s emotion?”

“Yes, but I can only do that when I kiss them”

“Eh?!” As Akanishi heard that, he immediately made a distance… “Ah, Mao, forget about the dinner.”

“Huh, why?”

“Let just wait for Sho then we can go inside” he answered from relief.

“You mean inside the palace, so you’re really a prince?” asked Mao.

“Just what I told you” Akanishi boasted.

Mao raised an eyebrow. “Are you trying to say that Matsumoto is your cousin?”

Akanishi froze- of course he couldn’t have Matsumoto as his cousin. Perhaps Mao knew that so he asked that question.  Mao caught him on his lies “Okay, okay, I’ll tell you the truth” he muttered. “Sho is the real shadow prince, and I’m his sentinel”

“As what I thought, Sho is a prince!”

“Correction, he is shadow prince!” Akanishi insisted.

“Is there any difference?” asked Mao.

“Of course it has big difference!” Akanishi bit out. “Here in Akaba, we have four princes and four shadow princes. In case there something happen to the prince the shadow prince will undertake.”

“Like a substitute prince?”

“Exactly- so these are their differences, number one, shadow princes are not allowed to have more than one sentinel unlike the original princes, they can have one or more sentinels. Number two, shadow princes are believed to have worthless ability, unlike original princes who praise for their skills, to sum it up that Sho Sakurai is a worthless prince…”

“Hey how could you say that?” Mao complained “As far as I know a sentinel should be respectful to his prince” Mao was actually referring to Kame.

“I’m just saying the truth…sentinel can strengthen his ability by the help of his prince but the day I became Sho’s sentinel… I turned out to be useless.”

“Don’t say that…”

“Ah… stop defending him, Oh, I almost forgot, the number three difference between Shadow and original princes…original princes receive full allowance from the queen unlike the shadow princes they just receive half… that’s why most of them has jobs”

“So, Sho has job, what is it?" Mao inquired.

Akanishi gave her confused eyes “Aren’t you informed that Sho is a recruiter?”

“Recruiter?”

“Most of the SA users here in Akaba are businessman, and Sho’s job is to find sentinel for them”

“I don’t have any idea about that, I thought Sho is also from the ordinary world, like me”

“You mean you came from ordinary world?” Akanishi questioned.

Mao nodded.

“Well… Sho once tried to live there but he realized how hard it was, so he returned.”

“Now I understand…” Mao uttered.

“Wait the minute” Akanishi started to doubt “You said you’re his friend but you didn’t know that he’s a shadow prince and a recruiter?”

“I just met him today” Mao revealed.

“What?! Just now and then you already trust him?”

“It’s because…” Mao was speechless. Perhaps Akanishi was right. She shouldn’t trust Sho that easy, but he was the only person who helped her wholeheartedly so how could she not trust him, and besides he promised to help her to be with her brother.

“Look, he’s here!” Akanishi bit out.

As Mao turned her head, she saw Sakurai Sho. “Sho?” she questioned. She didn’t expect him to change his clothes; from a casual dress he was now wearing a prince outfit.

“Did I make you wait?” asked Sho as she approached Mao.

Mao had loss of words.

 “Let’s go now inside” said Sho, but Mao remained unmoved. “Mao, let’s go.”

“No!” Mao uttered. “I guess I shouldn’t trust you”

Silence,

Then Sho bowed gently just like a prince who greeted a princess “I’m Sho Sakurai, shadow prince of East Village, I’m also a sentinel recruiter, nice to meet you Ms. Mao” he said.

Mao was amazed. She never imagined seeing a prince until now.

“Forgive me if I keep my identity, but my purpose of helping you is pure”

By just looking at him, Mao questioned her self how could she dislike this prince? “Okay, I’ll trust you” Mao decided.

Sho smiled, and took her hands.

They headed inside the palace.

“This is the East Palace” Akanishi started “This is the second large palace here in Akaba next to the queen’s palace. Most of SA goes here just to see how beautiful it is.”

As Akanishi continued in giving more details Mao couldn’t stop glaring in her surroundings. It was revealed to her that this palace was created for the princes and their sentinels.

*

“For the mean time this will be your room” said Sho leading the way.

When Mao opened its door she found herself opened-mouthed. The room was so elegant; it was spacious with beautiful scenic view. “This will be my room?” she asked.

Sho smiled. “There are new clothes and shoes in the closet. You can use them”

Mao looked at Sho then headed to the closet. “Sugoi!” she bit out as she saw lot of dresses and shoes. “Can I really use all of these?”

“Go ahead, it yours” said Sho.

Mao took a blue doll shoes “This looks the same as my old shoes” she muttered.

Sho went near him and took the shoes. “Let see if it will fit to you” She fitted the shoes to Mao.

Mao turned red. This was the first time a guy do this to her.

“It’s perfect” said Sho.

Akanishi being there the whole time pinched his eyebrows. “Is this a fairytale in TV?” he wondered as he saw the magic springing between the two.

“Take your rest now and prepare, by 6:00pm we’ll have our dinner.”

 “Okay” Mao answered.

*

Sho and Akanishi left the room

On their way, Akanishi raised a question. “Don’t tell me, you came late because you prepared all of those things?”

Sho smiled.

“So, I’m right!”

“Not actually” Sho answered. “I also get sentinel application form”

“Sentinel Application form?” Akanishi repeated “Don’t tell me you’re going to apply that girl?”

Sho smiled again.

“I wonder why you are helping her” said Akanishi “Don’t tell me you like her”

Sho grinned.

“I’m right, you do like her!”

Sho started laughing.

*

“Hey wait!” called Mao stopping the two.

As Sho and Akanishi looked back, they found Mao in towel.

“I can’t open the shower” said Mao “Can you help me to fix it”

Sho turned back to give help.

Akanishi didn’t move. “I can’t take it anymore” he muttered “That girl is a living temptation!” she yelled as he ran away.

“What happened to him?” Mao wondered.

Sho smiled.

*

Sho pressed a switch button (located near the switch light) to fix the shower. “You can use it now”

“Thank you!” said Mao leading back to the bath room. She froze when she realized what she was wearing. It was just a piece of towel. “Kyaaaa” she almost shouted. She quickly closed the door of the bathroom. Her face turned crimson.

“What’s wrong?” asked Sho, confused. Actually Mao looks a while ago didn’t effect to him.

*

Before dinner, Sho met Mao in her room to explain his plan.

“Here” Sho presented a paper to Mao.

“What’s this?” asked Mao as she accepted the paper.

“A sentinel application form. To tell you the truth, I’m planning to make you a sentinel”

“W-what do you mean?” asked Mao.

“I guess I’ll need to give a brief history for you to understand my purpose”

Mao listened carefully.

“The selection of prince and shadow prince is based in their bloodline, meaning you can be a prince if you have any connection with the recent prince. It may be your father, uncle or second cousin. It’s up to the queen who would she call. See for example our situation. My father used to be the prince but it was his second cousin’s son Matsumoto who chose to be the next prince. In North Village your brother was still in her mother’s womb when the queen announced him as the next prince. Everybody expected that since he is the son of the current prince, but not all was happy, like his auntie who had seven year old son at that time. This son of her was announced to be the shadow prince. In able to overthrown the title she planned the kidnapping of Yamada Ryuu. When the crime had been proven, she received death penalty. Since their son was innocent he stayed as shadow prince, but people became cold to him and no one tried to be his sentinel”

“You mean…I’m going to be his sentinel?”

“Exactly!” Sho answered “If you become his sentinel, you can live in the North palace with your brother”

“You’re right…” Mao responded. “But I wonder what kind of man is him…”

“He’s a good guy, I assure you.” Sho replied.

Mao smiled and gave her praises. “You’re really brilliant, Arigatou Sho-chan!”

Sho smiled.

For Mao she was very lucky to have Sho in her side.

*

“Who is she?” asked Jun Matsumoto, the prince of east.

The dinner was prepared for the princes and their sentinels only so they didn’t expect to see new face.

“I remember you” said Keiko, the girl in Shinto dress. “Don’t tell me you’re Akanishi’s girlfriend?”

“No, she’s not my-”

“Yes, she’s Akanishi’s girl” said Sho, interrupting Akanishi.

“Another victim, huh?” said Nariyama Hiroki, Matsumoto’s sentinel. She observed Mao. “She’s cute, where in the world you found her, Akanishi?”

Akanishi didn’t answer.

“She is Hiro’s recommendation” Sho answered.

Akanishi took a pork chop and placed it in the plate of Mao. “Start eating now” she said.

Mao smiled.

As everybody started eating the whole place became silent.

*

“Are you worried about her?” asked Kame as he saw Ryosuke looking outside the window. “I heard she’s with the shadow prince of the east.”

“I’m not thinking about her” Ryosuke answered.

“That’s good, since that can’t help you to win the battle. One of these days, the queen will announce the start of the game, so we need to prepare. You have seven opponents, okay, let’s make it six, since your shadow prince is indeed a useless.”

Suddenly, someone entered the door.

“Oh, speaking of the devil.” said Kame as he saw their shadow prince.

“Hello!” Ryosuke’s shadow prince greeted. “Do you want to eat fish?” he showed the fish he caught.

Unknown to Mao, she actually met this shadow prince; it was the guy she called fisherman, Ohno Satoshi.

****

“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary wise, what it is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?" -Alice

****

That's all for now, I promise to update this right after I finish Lucky Star and Kizuna (I almost finish those fics) for preview... In able to be a sentinel, Mao needs to use her ability. Who among the princes would be her first kiss?