Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ To Freedom ❯ Suggestions ( Chapter 8 )

A/N: Here it is, second to last chapter. I meant to get it up sooner, but I've been busier than I expected. Sorry guys. ^^
Digimon does not belong to me. This writing does.

Chapter 8 - A Suggestion

"Mi-yaaaakooooooo," Daisuke whined later that day, when he stumbled onto his friend.
"What, Daisuke?" she said. "I'm busy."
"Embroidery isn't busy."
"Please, don't remind me."
"Why do you do it, anyway?" Daisuke asked, briefly distracted.
"Because," Miyako sighed, "That's what ladies do."
"But you don't like having to be a 'lady'" Daisuke said.
Miyako put down her thread.
"No Daisuke, I don't. I could be doing things far more exciting than this, but if I do, I'll get lots of disdainful stares from people who think they're better than me."
"Oh. That's not very nice."
"No," Miyako said. "It isn't. You don't know how lucky you are, not being forced to embroider to be accepted."
"That makes me feel ever so much better, Miyako. Miyako, do you know what their going to do if I don't decide?"
"Murder you and feed you to their babies?" Miyako suggested.
"Ha hah. No. They're going to make me marry her."
"Her?" Miyako asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Her," Daisuke said, nodding.
"Oh, her. What's wrong with saying her name?"
"I - I don't know! She doesn't deserve a name."
"If you say so."
"I do. Miyako, what'm I to do?"
"Well, Daisuke," Miyako said, leaning forward as if telling secrets. "Here's what you do. You choose someone temporarily until you can run off with little Kenny-boy."
"Don't be silly, 'yako, I couldn't do that."
"Why not?"
"It wouldn't be fair. It wouldn't be nice."
"Nothing's fair, or nice, in this world of ours, Daisuke. Not you not being allowed to be with Ken, not me having to embroider. But what can we do?"
"I don't know," Daisuke said, simply.
"Well," Miyako said. "Neither do I."
They sat there in silence a while.
Then Miyako picked up her embroidery, and Daisuke went outside to plot.

"Ken!" Daisuke squealed, running up to the boy, halting only just in front of him. He wasn't allowed to hug in front of all these people.
"Hello, Daisuke," Ken said. "Hope you didn't leave some poor girl alone on the dance floor just for me."
"No, but it was close."
"Close?" Ken said, raising his eyebrows. Daisuke pointed to a haughty white-haired woman.
"She was stalking me," he said, folding his arms. "I hate her."
"Because she's been stalking you?"
"No. Because she's a pre- a precocious stuck up woman who's only interested in me so she can be Queen. And," Daisuke grumbled, "if we don't think of something, she will be."
"What?" Ken said, looking startled.
"They say if I don't choose a wife, they'll choose one for me. And they've chosen her."
"Well, if we're eloping, what's the problem?"
"Her. I couldn't bear simply being betrothed to her, but with my family's insistence on quick marriages..."
"I don't see what..."
"And if I have to marry her, even if I escape, she will inherit my share from my parents, a share that should be Jun's!"
"Quiet, Daisuke."
"What?"
"I said, quiet," Ken hissed. "We don't want to attract attention to ourselves."
"Oh," Daisuke said, feeling rather silly. "Well, anyway, if I have to marry someone other than you, it can't be her."
"Does it matter?"
"Yes! Ken, having you been listening to a word I've said? It's what she wants! She wants my family's money. If I must marry a girl, Ken, it'll at least be one with honest intentions."
Ken shrugged.
"But we'll be gone. It won't affect us."
"It will affect my friends, my family! And that affects me."
"Fine," Ken said. "You'll have to choose someone then, to buy us some time.
"But I can't," Daisuke whined.
"Why not?" Ken asked, somewhat impatiently.
"Because if you ask someone to marry you, it implies you love them."
"Most marriages are only made to be advantageous to a person's family."
"It's different when you're given a choice."
"Fine, fine. But why does it matter, if they think you love them? You don't."
"No, I don't. But it would be tricking them, to make them think I love them, when I love you."
"Well, if you don't choose someone, it'll imply you'd rather have - what's her name?"
Daisuke stuck his nose up.
"I shall not sully your ears with her name."
"Fine. It implies you'd rather have SheWhoMustNotBeNamed."
"Exactly. That's why it's impossible."
"What's impossible?" a light voice cut in. Daisuke jumped.
"Princess Mimi?" he asked, turning.
"That's right. Don't look so scared, Prince. I won't be dressing you up in any pink dresses tonight."
"Mimi!" Daisuke gasped.
"Oops," she said, laughing. "I shouldn't say things like that in front of your friends, should I? And this is?"
"Ken," Daisuke said. "Ken, this is Princess Mimi. Don't listen to a word she says, she lies."
"Do not," Mimi said. Then she thought.
"You're Ken?" she asked.
Ken nodded, slowly.
"Not..." Mimi started. "Not the missing Prince Ken of Tamachi?"
Ken froze. Daisuke's jaw dropped.
"You are, aren't you," Mimi said. "What are you doing here?"
"Ken?" Daisuke interrupted. "Ken can't be... Ken?"
Ken remained frozen a moment, before looking down at the ground.
"I am," he whispered.
"Ken? You're a-"
"Daisuke!"
"Sorry. But, you can't... why didn't you tell me?"
Ken was blushing.
"It never came up," he muttered. Then he looked up at Mimi. "Ah, Your Highness? I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about this."
"Of course," Mimi frowned. "But why..."
"That's what Ken's coming to tell me now," Daisuke said through gritted teeth.
"Um - he can't do that here?"
"I'd rather not, with all these people," Ken said quickly, and nervously.
"Oh. Oh. Okay. Um - Daisuke? Jun asked me to tell you something."
"What?" said Daisuke, impatiently.
"You have two nights."
"Two nights?"
"Do decide on a wife."
"Oh," Daisuke said. Then he realised Ken was tugging on his arm. "Right. Okay. Ah ... I'll see you at the wedding. Yours, I mean."
"Okay, Daisuke," Mimi smiled. "Goodbye then. You too, Prince Ken. I hope..."
"Hope what?"
"Never mind," Mimi said. "Goodbye."
"Goodbye!" Daisuke said, cheerfully. "Come on, Ken. You have some explaining to do."

When Daisuke finally managed to get himself and Ken outside, (after convincing Taichi that no, he wouldn't be in danger, and no, he could protect himself quiet ably) he sat Ken down on a stone bench.
"Talk," he said.
"Um... oh, Daisuke, I - I'm really sorry that ... that I didn't tell you - it's just ... I..."
"That's okay, Ken. Just tell me now."
"Alright," Ken said, taking a deep breath. "I'm a prince. Oikawa's my uncle ... he's second in line for the throne."
"Oh?"
"He wants it. So ... he kidnapped me ... and ... he put on the curse."
"Why the others?"
Ken sighed.
"Witnesses."
"And no one noticed? No one looked for you?"
"Well they must have! I don't know - it's not like I was around to find out. I didn't think I'd be recognised here."
"So. And you were never going to tell me?"
"Of course I was! It's just ... just..."
"Just what?" Daisuke asked gently.
"I'm scared," Ken said in a mutter. "Of Oikawa. I don't know why he didn't just kill me. To gloat, I guess. But, Daisuke, he scares me."
"It's okay Ken. He can't hurt you now."
"He can!" Ken protested.
"Ken, I love you. I won't let him hurt you."
"You can't stop him! God, if he were to find us out..."
"Ken it's okay. I'll protect you. I'll know if he hurts you. And he won't. I promise."
"But you wouldn't be able to do anything! He could just-"
"Shush, Ken. It's okay. We'll be okay."
"That's not what you were saying earlier," Ken grumbled.
"Well, I'm saying it now. We'll be fine."
"You think?"
"I know."
Ken sighed, and leant against Daisuke.
"I love you."
"I love you too, Ken. With all my heart."
Suddenly, Ken stood up.
"Let's go inside," he said, his voice urgent.
"Why? We could stay out here ... no one would know..."
"Except they already know. Please Dai? I'm cold."
Daisuke sighed.
"Okay, Ken. We'll go inside."
And they went.

From there on, the evening went much the same as the last. Although, perhaps, Daisuke drunk less. So he was still sober when Ken left, and they arranged to meet late the next night.
He was still sober as he walked up the stairs to his rooms, and found Miyako there.
He wished he wasn't when he found out why she was waiting.
"Daisuke," she said, rather brightly for how late it was. Or how early.
"What, 'yako?" Daisuke said.
"Daisuke - I had an idea."
Daisuke sighed.
"Do tell," he said. Why couldn't she just let him go to bed?
"Daisuke," Miyako said, taking a deep breath. "Daisuke, you could marry me."