perfect princess (the royal tutor)

new job

i sang a small lullaby to haruka as we rode the carriage to the palace. she fell asleep in my lap. i stopped crying a while ago, and now that i look at myself i'm a mess. my shirt was crushed under rubble, but it was ripped and dirty anyways. i was covered in scratches and bruises, with a few bullet wounds. my skirt was ripped at the ends, again from knives and bullets, and i was sweaty and dirty. even my socks and bow had holes in them. all of that, on top of my tear stained face and bloody appearance made for a bad image. heine lent me his coat thankfully, but i couldn't put it on fully without hurting myself, and had to leave it hanging on my shoulders. apparently i twisted my ankle too and just didn't notice it on account of the Adrenalin. i took out the pendant and  put it on haruka, taking the key and putting it around my neck. 

"are you going to be okay princess?" heine asked. "yes. i suppose i just didn't expect to lose so much in so little time. there's also the fact i loved yuma." i mumbled. "i suppose it is reasonable." he was silent for a while. "it was really nishikiyama that killed dojima?" he asked finally. "yes. we were so close back then and i wanted to protect her. i suppose that didn't do much good." i chuckled. "do you mind explaining everything once we get back. i don't think i'm in a good state to talk about it. physically or emotionally." i asked the two men in front of me. "of course." date said. heine nodded in agreement. "thanks." i felt haruka pull on heine's jacket. "yes?" i asked the half asleep girl. "can i call you..." she whispered in my ear. "i- um- sure but.... why?" i stuttered out. "if things went differently i think you might be my mom in another universe. dad loved you and you loved him. it just feels right." i blinked. "okay then." i said. 

as i stepped out of the carriage i heard the guards yelling for someone to get marie, and a doctor. i held haruka close to me. it hurt to walk. "this is where you live, mom?" haruka asked. "yes. you didn't figure it out after hearing my full name? i'm royalty." i said, smiling at her. "wow!" heine glanced at me. "she wanted to call you mom?" i nodded.  "aline!" marie said, coming up to me. "what happened!?" "a lot." i answered. "can you help me? everything hurts and my leg was shot." i said. "seriously?!" "yeah." marie sighed and picked me up bridal style. as we walked into the palace, i saw my brothers staring in shock, while father was face palming. "marie, take her to the palace doctor. heine, you and your associate can explain what happened in the reception hall." father finally said. "haruka, can you please go with date and heine?" i asked the little girl. "yes mom." she whispered.

marie cleaned all of the dirt and blood off me and the doctor wrapped up the newly cleaned wounds. meanwhile i was smoking again. it was really a habit that only marie and the doctor knew about. which is why i usually smoke in the doctors quarters and he now has an ash tray. "i'm really sorry about this." i apologized. "you should be..." marie grumbled as she cleaned my arm. "hey! watch the bullet wound!" i hissed playfully. marie just replaced the dirty rag. "your seriously an idiot." she said as she rubbed the new rag over my face. "i know that!" the doctor chuckled at our antics as he wrapped up my shoulder. "er- did you get hit on the head? your bleeding!"  marie squeaked. i touched my forehead, feeling blood. "oh- nishiki punched me in the head." i explained. "moron!" marie said as she got a patch and medical tape. by the time they were done i had a patch on my forehead and bandages around my ankle, thigh, shoulder, and fists. "did you punch bricks!?" marie asked. "no i punched faces. theres a difference." i replied sarcastically as i changed my skirt and put on shorts underneath it. i also pulled one of my jackets over my shoulders. the large bruises on my stomach refused to let me wear any shirt properly.  i put out the cigarette before letting marie pick me up.

"you don't have to carry me anymore, i can walk." "no you can't, you were shot in the leg you idiot." "that's mean marie."  marie opened the door to the reception hall. "did you finish explaining what happened, date?" i asked as marie set me down. "pretty much. i just left out one thing that i thought you might want to tell them yourself." i raised my eyebrow as haruka immediately clinged to me. "sera's will or my relationship with yuma and haruka?" i whispered to him. "sera's will." he whispered back. i let out a breath. "right... so, in the tojo clan's third chairman sera's will... i was named as the fourth chairman." i explained. "wai- what!? how did that happen?" dad asked in shock. "i guess my name was boosted in his good graces by kazama." i muttered. "mom, are you going to be okay?" haruka asked. "i'll be fine haruka." "mom!?" my family exclaimed in shock. "she want's to call me mom and since she is yuma's daughter i'm keeping her." i said, hugging the little girl.

the next day.

"miss chairman wait!" the tojo clan called as i ran to the carriage. i saw the door open and jumped in. "sorry guys, i need some time to recover, stay tough!" i said, shutting the door. "i don't know why i'm allowing this..." father said. "... but it will be good experience and a good job to go to if you don't inherit the throne." i chuckled, rubbing my head. "i suppose so. it's also good to be able to keep the criminal underworld in check. i mean, i've seen yakuza do disgusting things to rise in the ranks." i said. "is that so?" i nodded. "though my position also means i have to deal with some of the eccentrics more often, like majima. he's going to become one of the main patriarchs since shimano is dead." i muttered the last part in dismay.  father laughed. "that man is a bit crazy." he admitted. "if it wasn't for my aversion to killing, he would be decapitated by now." i muttered darkly. "mercy is a virtue." father advised. "right. i suppose i will need to balance my work with my studies now huh?" we stopped in front of the palace.

as we entered the palace haruka ran up to me. "welcome back mom!" i giggled. "i'm home."