Petite Princess Yucie Fan Fiction ❯ 30 Kisses: Arc and Yucie ❯ The 'Worse' ( Chapter 18 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Title: “The ‘Worse’”
Author: Wish Wielder
Pairing: Arc/Yucie
Fandom: Puchi Puri Yucie
Theme: #13 (excessive chain)
Disclaimer: “Puchi Puri Yucie” and all respective properties are © Masahiko Otsuka. Meg D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own “Puchi Puri Yucie.”

Note: This sorta…ok…definitely continues from Theme #10 (“Ten Hours”). And I swear I’m not copying CLAMP with my title…oh, heavens, no… -whistles innocently-

“The ‘Worse’”

Yucie smiled as she pulled the warm blanket closer to her. After spending ten hours in that freezing cave, she didn’t think she’d ever want to leave her warm bed. Of course, it wasn’t as warm as it could have been (curse Arc for getting up early - or maybe it was she was getting up late?), but it was still warmer than that cave. It was much more comfortable, too. Her head sank back in her pillow as a dreamy sigh escaped her. She knew it had to be getting late; the sun leaking through the windows was extremely warm, but that only served to make her want to sleep longer. The memory that she was supposed to visit her father today came to her, and with a heavy sigh she pushed the blankets off. An immediate chill grasped her, and she looked up to see that Arc had left the window directly across from her open. Whatever had possessed him to do that was beyond her, and with a slight growl she prowled over to the window and closed it, blocking the winter breeze from reaching her again. Sometimes she really questioned her husband’s sanity.
After a rather long shower, which was close to scalding for most of the hour she was in the washroom, she quickly changed and readied herself for the trip to her father’s. She couldn’t help but grin as she looked at herself in the mirror; if the ladies of the court saw her on her way out of the palace, she was fairly sure most of them would faint on the spot. Her outfit consisted of a long, long-sleeved, tan tunic over a pair of brown slacks and a pair of knee-length, brown riding boots. A thick tan cloak was draped over a nearby chair, and she looked nothing like the princess she was. Yes, she thought with a giggle, the ladies of the court would most definitely faint.
She turned away from the mirror and gave the clock a quick look; it was almost a quarter after noon. She nodded, deciding that she best get on her way, and turned towards the door. Knowing her father, he was already expecting her and would have some extravagant meal ready. Still, she decided she would stop by the kitchens anyway and grab an apple for the ride.
Her mind was completely absorbed when she reached the door and turned the knob, trying to open it. If she hadn’t been so lost in thought about how she was going to break the news of her pregnancy to her father, she might have been more concerned about the door opening only a tiny bit. Either way, she certainly noticed it when she walked straight into the wooden structure, crushing her nose against her face before she fell back on her rear. She looked up at the door in confusion, staring in shock at the partially-opened slab of wood. An iron chain was hooked from the wall to the door about half-way up, effectively trapping her in the room. The door was open, yes, but there was only enough room to peek out; she’d never be able to fit through that gap, not even if she was still stuck in that 10-year-old body!
“You know you’re not leaving the palace for a long time after this, right?”
“So I say about three weeks. Seems fair, since that’s how long you kept this from me.”
Her eyes widened as Arc’s words from the previous day came crashing back to her. Surely he hadn’t been serious? He didn’t really expect her to stay in their room for three weeks, did he? She gulped and scrambled to her knees, staring at the chain barring her from freedom. He couldn’t have been serious. Sure, he had played jokes like that before, but…yes, that was it. It was just a joke. Just a really, really bad joke.
She took a few deep breaths, closing her eyes and bowing her head. The doctor had said it wasn’t good to get too angry. Something about how it could hurt the baby. Still, the general overdrive of emotions added to Arc’s little stunt made it really hard to do that. Really, really hard. She finally let out a frustrated scream and threw her cloak at the door. An amused chuckle coming from the other side caused her to snap her head up, and her eyes darkened as she realized Arc was standing just outside the room. She pushed herself to her feet and rushed at the door, slamming into it and glaring out the gap the chain allowed. Sure enough, there he was, leaning casually against the wall. His arms were crossed over his chest, his eyes were closed, and his head was bowed. If not for the chuckle coming from him and the bob of his shoulders, she would have thought he had been sleeping.
“Arc! Let me out of here!” she said hotly. He looked up at her, a grin on his face.
“Now why would I do that, huh, Forehead?” he asked. Her eyes narrowed even more, and his grin grew.
“Let me out,” she repeated, “right now!”
“I told you, Forehead,” he said. “You’re getting punished for keeping secrets.”
“By locking me in our room?!” she asked. He nodded, and she reached out, trying desperately to punch him. He ducked, laughing at her actions. She let out another aggravated scream as he sat down, watching her through amused eyes.
“You seem upset,” he said. He looked the epitome of innocence, yet she wasn’t buying it for a minute. “I do believe I told you about this.”
“You said I couldn’t leave the palace, not our room!” she said.
“And I also said that I should make the punishment worse, since you went on that trip fully aware of the dangers and knowing that you were pregnant,” he reminded.
“You said longer than three weeks, not worse!” she said. When he shook his head and made no effort to move, she released an aggravated whine. “Arc, please! I need to go see my father!”
“No, you don’t,” he said. “He can come here.”
“Then I at least need to get out of our room!” she said. He shook his head.
“Nope, I think you can stay in there,” he said. He gave her a poignant look, and she bit her lip. “Besides, after yesterday, I don’t think I want you going on any trips at all, even if it is just a short one to see Gunberd.”
“It’s not that far,” she said. “I’ll be fine!”
He stood, sighing, and unhooked the chain. The door immediately gave way, and with a startled squeak she fell with it. He reached forward, hooking an arm around her and pulling her close before she could reach the ground. He held her securely against him, rubbing her back as she took a few deep breaths and tried to calm her racing heart.
“That was mean,” she said. He smirked and nodded.
“You asked for it,” he said. She looked up at him, giving him a weak glare. The glare immediately vanished when he leaned down, placing his lips to hers in a soft kiss. Any anger she had previously felt was washed away in that simple motion, and she felt herself melting against him. It amazed her how he had that power over her; somehow, not matter how furious at him she was, he always managed to make her forget it with just one kiss. Of course, that one kiss usually turned into more than one kiss, but it was always that initial show of affection that completely blew her mind. That first kiss always reminded her of how much she loved him, and it always knocked her completely off her feet.
She felt him pull her closer, and her arms slowly found their way around his neck. When he finally pulled away, she rested her head against his chest with a happy sigh. Her smile grew as she felt him place a hand against her stomach, and she looked up at him with soft eyes.
“I still can’t believe it,” he said.
“Mmm-hmm,” she said, nodding slightly as she cuddled closer to him. He kissed her forehead, smiling at her.
“Take it easy, ok?” he asked, almost pleadingly. “I don’t want anything happening to you…or our child.”
“I know,” she said, “but Cube said Papa wanted me to come visit him today.”
“At least let me go with you,” Arc said. She sighed and nodded, conceding.
“If you must,” she said. He nodded, pushing them away from the wall.
“Good,” he said. “Then we’ll go…” He opened the door beside them and gave her a gentle push, forcing her into the room. Before she fully realized what he had done, he once again hooked the chain in place and began walking down the hall.
“Tomorrow,” he said. “We’ll go tomorrow.”
She stood there, staring at the door in shock. It took a few moments, but she finally realized that she was once again stuck in the room. She grit her teeth and threw her head back, releasing the frustrated scream she had forgotten just a few moments ago.
“ARC!!!!!!!!!!!!”

owari

a.n.:
I never meant to make any of these link together like this. Ah well…guess this stuff just happens. ‘Nyway, I was struggling a bit with this theme. I was bouncing between making it something like Gurenda handcuffs ‘em together or a chain of events in their lives (or something twisted and S&M, but I don’t think that would’ve fit with the pairing very well… -sweatdrop-), but then this popped up and I had to go with it. ‘Cause Arc…well, I can almost guarantee he’s gonna have an early grave. XP

Comments and constructive criticism welcomed. Please, don’t flame. If you can’t say your CC without flaming, don’t bother. Flames will be used to fuel Az’s bonfire for the yummy s’mores.