Chapter 2: I "Loathe" Arranged Marriages...- Meet Your New Husband...James Sanders?

Izuki never thought that she would be able to get to sleep after she had gotten back into her room & climbed into her bed. But eventually it grew late, & the need for sleep simply took over. Izuki woke with a start in the morning, she looked around & noticed that her sisters were gone & started to panic. She quickly ran down the stairs while still in her nightgown & saw, when she reached the bottom of the steps, that her father,Ichigo,James,& a young & beautiful girl she had not yet met... were all gathered at the family Dining Room table, having breakfast. Izuki stormed over to her father without giving the others any notice. " Oh, Izuki! Finally up are you? We all waited for you but your sister & Elena here were growing a bit impatient.", he smiled, motioning towards the girl that she saw earlier as he spoke. The others were already half way through breakfast it seemed. When she look over at James, he flashed her a smile & she blushed, suddenly remembering that she was still in her nightgown & her hair was not yet put up, a total mess; or at least "she" thought it was.
" Now, run along Izuki, we have guests... go & make yourself a bit more presentable eh?" he smiled & she rushed back up the stairs, trying to cover her face with her hair as she went, as she was still blushing... When she was back in her room, she quickly picked out a simple & plain, but beautiful dress & put on her ruby necklace, & tied a ribbon in her hair after she had brushed it out. When she came back down the steps, James was simply in awe of her beauty. She approached her father & spoke with him quietly before she took her seat. "Father, where is Katrina?" she prompted"Do not worry Izuki, she is being taken care of by a well trusted servant. Ichigo will go & join them later so that you can have more time to yourself with our guest later..." he smiled reassuringly & she went & took her seat at the other end of the table, which she noticed was beside James...
He had just finished eating & looked up to meet her eyes as she sat down. "Hello, you must be Miss Izuki Carmella? I must say... you are the most beautiful sight I have ever seen...Allow me to introduce myself" he draws up her hand to kiss it & then looks up, holding her hand." I am the eldest prince of the Elfen Kingdom... My name is-" she cuts him off" James Sanders...? Nice to meet you..." she says, in an irritated tone & yanks her hand away. " Does that make me a psychic?" she smirks & starts eating her food. "Hmm no..." he leans over & puts an arm around her shoulder & scooting his chair closer to hers& whispers in her ear" That just makes you a very clever & sneaky little mouse..."
He smirks as she is taking a drink of her wine & nearly chokes, he leans back over leaving his arm around her. "Umm..." she coughs. finally clearing her throat"What uh... What do you mean by that sir?" she swallows & he looks directly at her smiling. " I "knew" I had heard something outside of your father's chamber last night... I had guessed it might have been you... Looks like i guessed right, eh Princess?" he smirks bringing his arm now down, to where it is around her waist & she jumps, getting chills all throughout her body & blushes." E-Excuse me! I'm finished with my breakfast...!" her plate is still half full & she takes it, quickly standing up & also grabs her glass, guzzling it down & then rushes off to the kitchen." Hmmm..." he smiles."interesting little Princess..." he scoots out from his chair casually & picks up his empty glass & plate. " If you would excuse me sir..." he says to the king, bowing slightly & then walks slowly to the kitchen. The sisters of the two are giggling, they are sitting beside each other.
In the kitchen, Izuki has emptied her plate into the trash & set her dishes in the sink. She sighs & leans back against the counter with her eyes closed, & does not hear James enter & quietly set his dishes next to hers. She opens her eyes slowly & jumps suddenly when she sees James, standing in front of her & he suddenly places his hands on her shoulders & captures her gaze. "Izuki... I may be four years your elder, but if there is such as love at first sight, then i have surely found it in you..." She blushes as she looks into his sparkling blue eyes. She notices now, being so close, that he has gorgeous short golden blond hair & remembering that he said he was the prince of the Elfen Kingdom, notices his elf ears. "Izuki... Your father intends for us to be married... and "I" intend for his plan to happen as well..." She is lost in his blue blue eyes... and for the moment, even forgets that arrogant & selfish comment has had just said to her...
Before she realizes it, he leans in and kisses her on the lips & she is taken by surprise. He lowers his arms & enfolds them tightly around her waist & kisses her again, holding her close & this time, not stopping & not letting go. Her face now turned completely red & she starts struggling to get away from his tight grip. She breaks free & he quickly grabs her wrist & with his other hand, grabs her chin & she angrily bites into it, leaving two bleeding puncture marks. He quickly releases his grip. " OWW!!GOD...DAMN!! IZUKI!!!" She quickly runs off, blood on her face,running slowly off her lips & onto her chin. James stands there, gripping his hand..."So... she's a "Vampire Princess" eh??", he thinks to himself,"This makes things abit more interesting..." he smirks, & against his own good judgement, decides to keep this little incident to himself. He goes & bandages up his hand on his own & when he returns, the king is gone & only Izuki's sister & his own are still sitting at the empty table." My Daddy said that you could take us out into the graden when you got back James.", Ichigo says with a huge smile. "Yay...lucky me...??", he smiles slightly but is dreading having to babysit his little sister & his future-wife's little sister, when he should be WITH her right now...convincing her to marry him... he sighs. "Fine...shall we go then girls?" Ichigo jumps up from her seat,knocking it over."Yay!!", she runs up to him & clings to his left arm, smiling. Meanwhile, his 14 year-old sister Elena,politely picks up the chair Ichigo knocked over when she ran to him. She then walks over & he hooks his right arm in hers as they walk out to the flower garden.
"Woooww!! I've never been allowed out here before!", Ichigo shouts, " Lookit all the pretty flowers sissy Elena!" She runs over to one bush of flowers, to the next patch, then runs & grabs James' & Elenas' hands, dragging them to all her new favorite flowers. "Wow.. this place really is beautiful..." Elena says softly. "Yea..." says James, his mind obviously on something else. "Oh!" she quickly grabs his hand & lifts it up." Brother, what happened to your hand?!" He winces & quickly thinks up a small lie, " Ow! Easyy, easy!" He pulls it away, gripping it with his other hand," It's nothing, don't worry about it... I just poked my hand on some rose thorns when i was out here with Izuki earlier... I couldn't get her favorite flower for her, but i guess you could say i gave her something else..." he smiled. He was such a bad liar, but his sister was just so gullible, she was believing every word that came out of his mouth." Oo!" Ichigo pops up in front of James & scares them. " Jamie was in da garden with sissy earlier?? Ooo! Didja kiss? Huh? Huh!? ", she is giggling & Elena is curious too, but covers her mouth, trying to conceal her laugh slightly. " Hmm...may-be...?", he laughs a little, enjoying this lie suddenly, more than the truth of what actually happened. " Usually with him that's a yes." Elena says, laughing abit." Aaalright, you caught me. Maybe we did kiss for a while...", he smirks."For a while?!" Elena asks, shocked and laughing more.
"Dats ok...Mommy & Daddy kissed too when mommy was still alive..." Ichigo says in an extremely calm tone as she shrugs and laughs. James suddenly gets a jolt of guilt and cringes." Ichigo.. Your mother died...?" James asks, & kneels down, putting a hand on her shoulder." Yea..." she looks down." That was just a year ago... I will never forget her... Her name was Katrina too. Just like my baby sister Katrina.",she smiles proudly. James leans down & hugs her, with a solomn look on his face. "Jamie? What's wrong?",she frowns."Didn't you already know about my mommy?" He looks at her." I didn't,no.. I just assumed she walked out on you when you were little or something... I just don't get how you can be so strong. It's only been a year... your not still sad about your mother? How can you be so brave...?" James asks." Well, I have Izuki. Izuki is my favorite sister...she was always there, even when mommy wasn't. As long as I have Izuki, I'll always stay happy...for her and mommy.", she smiles big. "So... you must really love your big sister huh Ichigo?",he asks. " Ee-yup!", Ichigo grins. "But of coures.. you've lived with her your entire life too...Ichigo, I love your sister too... But to know her as well as youi, I would have to pend the rest of my life with her..." James says. " Woow... How ya gonna do that Jamie?? " her eyes widen as he speaks, " WEl, I'm gonna marry her, Ichigo..." he says smiling. " Woow really?" she asks. " Yup, she will be my wife, some day soon..."
Up in her room Izuki looks at herself in the mirror." What have I done? No... that pompus prince! Who doe she think he is?! Just saying he's gonna marry me... Just like that huh? Well I don't think so! He deserved what he got! And if he ever touches me again he'll be seeing more of these two fangs!" she messes with her fangs, looking in the mirror & then suddenly gasps. " But what if he tells my father about what happened?! No wait... what if it was the other way around...?" she smirks evilly. " What id... "I" told my father that "he" intentionally hurt "me"? Yes! It's Perfect! And then my father wouldn't let him marry me!Hehehehehe..." , she laughs evilly to herself & then runs to the bathroom to clean off her face & then throws the washrga away in her room. When she is back in her room, she looks out into the flower garden through her window, which she often does at peaceful times, or just to enjoy their beauty... She notices James in the garden with that girl...-what was her name Elena?- and her sister.. Ichigo. What are they doing...? What is he upto? She wonders... She stars to head downstairs, only before she could even reach the garden, a servant comes & asks if she can help with the baby Katrina. Izuki ignored what she saw in the garden,for the moment, to go help with her baby sister. When she came into the room where Katrina & her "baby-sitter" were... she took a seat and was surprised to see that slowly, but surely, Katrina was "walking" towards her! She couldn't believe it. Katrina was already learning to walk? She picked up Katrina & gave her a bottle, when she was starting to fall asleep, Izuki cradled her for awhile, until she was sure she was asleep, & then took her upstairs to lay her in her crib. Izuki then slipped on her shoes & headed to go to the garden, she checked out the window & t hey were still there. But as soon as she shut the door she heard Katrina start crying...
She came back in & picked her back up, hushing her & trying to quiet her back down... and possibly get her back to sleep. But it was impossible... and when she looked out the window again, they were gone.