My Fiancee, the King

( Chapter One )
( A Suspicious Engagement )

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AUTHOR: Alice (Classically Cliche)
DEDICATION: the person who started this whole mess! (dreamsofdestiny)
DISCLAIMER: All characters involved belong to respective copyright owners (tokyopop, tachibana higuchi, etc.) and because the author has no affiliation with any of them, no profit is being made off of this fanfiction. Sankyu!
GENRE: romance, humor
SUMMARY: AU. Once classmates, then friends, and now...engaged? Ruka Nogi's life is about to be turned upside down. Natsume's just not aware. With the fate of a kingdom resting on their shoulders, is there anything else to do but get hitched? NatsumexRuka
SERIES: Gakuen Alice (Alice Academy)
OVERALL RATING: PG13 - translates into 'T' on FFN
PAIRING: Natsume Hyuuga x Ruka Nogi (natsuruka)

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Prince Natsume stared at the sheet of paper his best friend held out towards his face. His eyes rapidly scrolled down the parcel, and he soon finished reading. And there was silence. Ruka knew better than to fidget under his friend's impassive gaze, and chose instead to think about how mnay ways he could play with his animal friends in the heaven he most certainly was heading for.

"...What is the meaning of this?" Natsume asked. Calmly.

Ruka let out a breath he did not he had been holding; he was alive for a second longer.

"Well, the old King has died..."

"I am well aware that my uncle is dead."

"And he left a will..."

"As all Kings do."

"And the will, which I've duplicated, clearly states that the next in line to the throne must be engaged within a year after the death of the previous king, or else--"

"Ruka; I can read."

"But you asked me for the meaning of this paper!" his best friend exclaimed.

"This is ridiculous!" Natsume declared angrily. Ridiculous...ridiculous; the word echoed throughout the empty chamber.

"I'm only sixteen, for Godssakes! Why do I need to get engaged?"

"Because you need to have a heir! King Chikuro probably didn't want non-royal blood on the throne..."

Ruka here, paused, glad that Natsume was finally mulling this over. Maybe his best friend would actually get hitched! Ruka mentally grinned at the idea of Natsume in wedding-attire. He would be sure to take a million blackmail pictures as payback for that--

"You're thinking about the rattlesnake incident, aren't you?" Natsume asked, interrupting Ruka's dream of Natsume in a pink "royal" wedding tux.

"Whose fault do you think that is?" Ruka grumbled, "It was traumatizing."

"If you'd only kept your mouth--" Natsume was about to retort.

However, now, the Imperial Page burst into the room, blaring trumpet, perfectly matched socks and all. Of course, he had to blow the godforsaken thing a couple times because the echoing of the banging door was obviously not enough. Natsume twitched; with the unbelievably annoying attendants (and courtly duties) he was seriously beginning to wonder if that "stroke" was really just suicide...

"Prince Natsume and Duke Ruka, tonight's Midsummer Eve Ball requires the your attendances." An Imperial banner was rolled up and down, and the toot of the trumpet signalled the ending of yet another useless announcement. As the Imperial Page made his way out of the room, the room's two inhabitants turned to roll their eyes at one another. Royalty was so overrated.

"So...what are you going to do about the will?"

"Burn it." Natsume replied flatly.

Ruka laughed in reply; his best friend was too predictable at times.

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It was now official.

Natsume was bored beyond belief. It was the second hour past the sunset, meaning that he had been watching Ruka politely dance with dazzling-in-love (ugly) girl after girl. He himself was rejecting invitations to dance left and right. These girls should be able to understand that if one of them were the last female in the kingdom, he'd turn gay! Not only could Ruka beat them in any beauty contest, but personality, voice tone, and raw talent as well.

"Natsume-oujisama, could you please be my--"

And here, Natsume felt he had had enough. This was the bottom of the barrel. Standing up from his throne, he turned around to shoot a glare at the girl. His imposing eyes travelled from her face (those trembling lips, unlike Ruka who was never scared of him) to her neck (completely coated in some disgusting man-made powder or another) to the edge of her dress (cut too low, it showed the nonexistant cleavage).

"Don't flatter yourself by thinking I'd dance with trash like you."

And he descended down his throne, instantly being drawn to Ruka (damn his best friend's ability to attract wildlife of all sorts...). The blonde was currently in the midst of twirling a descendant of Lord Rumikawa. With a quarter of the brain cells, mind you.

"Excuse me," Natsume cut in.

He could practically see the thoughts oozing out of her brain; Natsume, Prince Natsume is going to dance with me!

He sneered.

Disgusting.

Taking Ruka's hand, as if they were five (and ballroom dancing partners, coincidentally), Natsume led a bewildered blonde to the center of the dance floor, ready to spit on his uncle's grave, and the entire tradition of a Midsummer Eve Ball. Some things just needed to be cut.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Alice Court, this will be the final dance of the Midsummer Eve Ball, please select your partners for Mozart's 40th Symphony."

Ruka's face paled as he tried to pull his hand back. Desperately. Natsume hung on, however, worried that some ugly girl would forcibly take him as a dance partner (out of desperation) if he were partnerless.

"Natsume...!" Ruka hissed angrily, attempting to yank his handout with more force.

"Relax...it's not like we're gay or anything..." his best friend chided jokingly.

"But--!" Ruka was interrupted by Natsume yanking the two of them down into a 'coup-deat', pulling his left arm out, while extending his right back. Of course, there was a floor-lean on his side, and by the time Ruka had gotten ahold of his thoughts, Natsume was twirling him in a more complicated version of the 'deelah'.

"Natsume!" Ruka tried again, as the two of them melted back into the Classic Waltz movements.

"What?" the taller of the two spun Ruka from arm to arm, causing the audience to gasp (again).

"We...should not be--" Ruka started.

But then, Natsume had already went in for the finale and Ruka's face turned ashen, for that meant the song was almost over.

Step-step-kick.

Twirl, jump, leap.

And with a grace of spins that would make swans turn green with envy, Natsume threw Ruka in the air. The courtiers gasped as the final notes of the melody were playing. Ruka was caught in a double 'coup-deat' and the lights dimmed.

"NATSU--!" Ruka was prepared to scream, but applause drowned out his voice.

His dance partner smirked cheekily, just as a beam of light shot out towards them from above. Ruka's face flooded with blood.

"The engagement between Prince Natsume and Duke Ruka is acknowledged by the Alice Coventry Council." A bland voice said, dooming them all with a final, "May many congratulations be sent and prosperity be given to the bond these two share!"

And there was a beat. For silence.

For a millionth of a second.

And then, uproarious applause and whispers that, while soft, could most certainly be heard.

Of course, Natsume's scream beat it all.

"WHAT?!"

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