Disclaimer: I do not own Akagami no Shirayukihime.

One. Encounter

A drop of sweat was beginning to trickle down her forehead and she thought of how amusing would it be to cry so that her tears can accompany that threatening and lonely perspiration of hers. Preventing not to scowl, she rested her eyes closed and gently fanned herself with her hand. However, her efforts to relieve herself from the heat were utterly futile.

"Sister, are you dying? Even if you are, I still don't think that's the best way to escape this marriage interview of yours."

Her brother's tone was playful but his concern was serious, as he opened the windows of the carriage further. The man, who was wearing military clothes that completely covered his body, was not in the same state of suffering as hers and he wondered if the carriage was truly airtight or perhaps his sister is just incapable of adapting to the summer of Clarines.

The woman huffed a sigh and seamlessly proceeded to thinking of happy thoughts for distraction. The image of Lyrias plagued her mind - she imagined the endless horizon of snow dunes flooding her sight, the chilly wind embracing her body like a lover, and the snowflakes that dropped like rain kissing her face - and it only made her long for home even more.

"I'm a woman of the North." She calmly said to her brother, looking directly to his eyes. The man could only stifle his laugh from her random announcement.

"I eat snowstorms and blizzards for breakfast, and this -" she spread her arms as if to present the outside scenery of Clarines, "is not for me. Clarines is not for me. Even the Prince is not for me. And our main goal in this trip is to convince him just that. Nothing more, nothing less." She said to her brother confidently.

The trip down the North was getting on her nerves. She despised her luck for being the chosen one among the hundreds of women of higher status than her, who were more determined if not desperate to arrange a marriage meeting with the future King. This was not the type of music she dances to. It was a complete waste of time and the absence of option to reject the invitation, added to the time stolen from her work and the heat burning on her skin, could only make her detest the crown prince whom she has yet to formally meet.

"Haki, you're the one being interviewed here. I'm just here to accompany my dear sister. But I do wish you luck with that goal of yours." The man winked as he tried to adjust himself comfortably in his seat.

"Some twin you are." She narrowed her eyes in hostility. "You would just hand over your one and only twin on a silver platter? I understand that he's the crown prince and you're his close confidant, but can you not express even a hint of opposition here?" Her hand covered her face and she mustered all the disappointment and tears that her acting skills could allow.

The man rested his chin on his hand, carefully giving it a deep thought. "Actually, I worry more for Izana's welfare because I'm afraid of what you'll do to scare him away." He chuckled at the possibility. "But let me tell you, Izana is not the typical monarch. There is one thing that I can assure you that won't happen though, and that is for you to suffer boredom."

Being a scholar, it was easy for his sister to hold contempt towards nobilities who had nothing on their sleeves but their mere titles and wealth. He had the highest confidence that his sister would be able to handle herself whenever situations comes the worst. At the same time however, he also had a high level of respect for his royal friend, especially when he knew that the prince was not someone who could be easily handled.

After this sudden realization, genuine worry overcame him for he did not have the slightest idea of the outcome that this meeting would present, with these two headstrong personalities facing each other.

"The worst that may probably happen is for the two of you to either - kill each other or fall for each other hard." Anxiety was evident in his eyes and the man held the gaze of the woman in front of him.

She responded with an incredulous laugh and tried to appease her brother in the most mocking manner she knows. "Toushiro, let me show you how to walk blindfolded between Scylla and Charybdis." The woman was known for her vast knowledge in ancient to modern literature - she breathes them like air and speaks their quotes and phrases like her native tongue, in which all of her conversation partners could only either enjoy or dread.

The man ignored his sister's overused references of classical literature and occupied himself to deciding whether his worries were warranted or not. "No. Now I really am distressed. If anything dreadful occurs, sister, I will take responsibility. After all, the reason why you're in this situation is because of my endless boasting about my sister to the Prince."

He meekly lowered his head and his twin could only good-naturedly laugh in defeat. She couldn't blame his brother for she is also guilty of the same crime. She humoured herself by thinking that perhaps this was when their extreme fondness with each other as twins would bring them to their ruin.

"Idiot brother. This will be over quickly and I'll be back to my research in no time. Veni, vidi, vici." She said with a soft slap landing on her brother's head, and quickly taking the role of the older sister of less than half a thousand seconds.

"Wow. Now I'm the one being comforted. Let me remind you again that you are the one being proposed to here, Haki." He retorted in jest, and the bantering of the twins had to end when the carriage halted into a stop. "Ready?" He asked the woman in front of him as he rested his hand on the door handle.

"Oh how can I ever restrain myself from giggling out of excitement?" Her sarcasm matched her angelic smile and she freshened herself up by damping her handkerchief over the thin layer of sweat. After deciding that there's nothing more to prepare herself with, she nodded to her brother and braced herself to embrace the heat of summer and her first encounter with Clarines' crown Prince.

The sound of horns signalled the arrival of the much awaited guests and filled the atmosphere inside the gates of Wistal castle. A number of soldiers lined up to welcome the arrival of the esteemed guests, and servants were waiting in the background, ready to quickly respond for orders from the Prince.

One undeniable fact that united the people waiting out the main entrance of the castle is their intense interest on seeing the woman of whom their future King has chosen. For several weeks, the castle was filled with news and gossips about the upcoming marriage interview for it was the first and maybe the only time that the prince expressed interest in pursuing marriage. They honestly did not know what to expect, probably because their prince was so incomparable and so highly regarded, so much that it was difficult to find any woman who can stand beside him as his equal in the eyes of everyone.

The carriage eventually revealed a man of military stature, a dark blue coat framing his well-built torso and dark pants outlining his long legs. The uniform stood in contrast of the pale skin of the man, whose face was framed with a chiseled jaw and ash blond hair that peaked under his blue beret. What completed the image of the officer were the gold badges hanging on his coat and the sharp salute that he presented towards the Prince who walking down the steps of the castle entrance.

Behind the officer, a woman appeared to stand beside the officer and the realization met the people's gaze as they recognized the sight of the Ito twins, from the Ito family who was renowned for their long line of researchers for generations, who have contributed greatly to the disciplines of war studies, international relations, politics, and economics. They were the epitome of enthralling beauty and sheer intellect, and with both of them standing side by side, their beauty seem to multiply even more.

When the people saw the woman who shared the same pale skin, chiseled face, and ash blond hair as her brother, as well as the competent and confident aura that she held, they knew they were in for a show. The woman breathed the fresh air that welcomed her. The white dress intricated with gold linings made her look immaculate but as the wind touched her body, it allowed a peak of the traces that were kept hidden by the garment. Her hair danced along the wind and fell just above her waist, and her deep blue eyes stood unwaivered and were absent of traces of weakness and uncertainty.

It was almost unfair for the woman to be noticed and recognized more for her looks, and for people to dismiss and easily forget of the fact that this was the woman who had published a bulk of research on politics like a machine, which served as a guide of governance of this country and its neighbors. Fortunately, her brother whose opinion was greatly respected in the field of war strategies, did not face the same fate as her sister simply because he was male.

"May I present to you, Captain Toushiro Ito, head of the Military Research Division, and Haki Ito, head of the Lyrias Academy District." The soldier announced. Beside the saluting officer, the woman bowed in elegance, depriving the bystanders from having a better look of their Prince's marriage candidate.

"At ease, Captain." A baritone voice commanded the officer. The two guests looked up and was greeted by their future King, and possibly, Haki's future husband. His white coat trailed behind him and he stood in front of them with innate grace and refinedness, as every movement he made exuded royalty and demanded respect.

"Welcome to Clarines, Toushiro and Lady Haki." The Prince dropped the formalities at one of his closest friends and gave him a fraternal embrace, while a kiss on hand was reserved to the lady.

"I hope your journey from Lyrias has been smooth, my lady." The crown prince said as his lips parted from her skin. Two pairs of blue eyes met - one could almost drown while looking at the depths that woman's dark blue eyes held, while another could almost get lost in the gray clouds of the pale blue eyes of the prince.

The two of them looked at each other intently, momentarily unaware of their surroundings as if they were trapped in their own world, but very much aware that the other was doing the same exact thing of assessing the person in front of them.

A tinge of amusement was displayed in the Prince's smile. "And I would like thank you for accepting this request of mine. I hope you can forgive me for keeping you away from your workloads of research in the university." He continued in appeasement, as if he read what the woman in front of him was implying with her gaze.

One can tell a lot of things about a person from the way a man presents himself – from the way he walks, he speaks, and he looks, Haki Ito thought. This person was capable of presenting himself as the bearer of truth; he could talk gibberish and people would still believe him. He exudes an aura of confidence and intimidation, qualities that a ruler ought to have that are innate and trained overtime. He was a man to be feared and to be loved, and she wondered whether the man in front of him was 'The Prince' that Nicollo Machiavelli had imagined.

The woman smiled. "Despite the loads of research work upon us in the Academy, we will always have time for our Prince." She let her sarcasm ease through in the most subtle manner. Before it could even subside, her brother entered the exchange in his attempt to lessen any damage that was inflicted.

"My prince, may I suggest that we bring Haki to her room first while we discuss our matters? She's not accustomed to the climate of Clarines and she might need some rest so that she can get used to the heat." Toushiro immediately interjected and it was just then when the prince had taken notice of the rosy shade of her cheeks.

Izana let out a slight chuckle. And he thought he made the woman fluster. "Very well then, let me accompany you to your chamber, my Lady."

The crown prince offered his arm and the lady took it, while the military officer walk beside them and observed them like a hawk, ready to jump in any signs of threatened hostility. After a silent walk to her chambers, Haki gave her brother a peck on the cheek and faced the crown prince.

"Rest well, my lady. We'll see you for dinner." His breath caressed his skin as he once again kissed her hand.

"Thank you, my Lord. I am looking forward to our dinner tonight." She bid, delivering a silent challenge in between her words. She was definitely ready to be humored by the Prince's capability, wit, and intellect.

A/N:

WTF. It's good friday and I'm here spending time to write this prose instead of my thesis! THIS IS SUCH A HUGE SIN. ANYWAY, to whom it may concern haha I will get back on my unfinished work, this one and my skip beat fanfic after my thesis deadline which is on mid-April. I just need to release some stress and write this fic so I can already focus on my thesis huhuhu. TYSM for those who read/reviewed/favorited/followed my works for the past few years. Oh my I've been gone for so long. :O

Anyway, PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! 1 REVIEW = 1 PRAYER FOR MY THESIS!

PS Forgive me, this story is sooooo messy and ugh it lacks everything, so Im not really proud of this HAHA. Will edit it more if I have time in the next few weeks. I tried to write the meeting and the dinner of Izana and Haki in one chappy but I couldn't! There's too much detail and political quotes that I wanted to insert. HAHA. Next time, next chap!