My daughter is marrying a prince from a different world?!

 

Part 4: That despot of my father-in-law VS my son-in-law

 

"... the search about Aestetism and Oscar Wilde must be delivered the next week; for the next lesson study the author's life and works. The lesson in over."

The bell rang the lunch's beginning. The students said goodbye at the teacher and set out toward the cafeteria. Umi said goodbye again when she passed near her, but Betsy called her.

" Umi, wait: I must speak to you."

A group of girls snickered thinking that Umi must be scolded. Betsy encircled her shoulders with an arm and told her:

" Listen, you must help me in a small plan but Fuu must not know nothing of that absolutely."

Hearing this, Umi smiled widely and asked curiously with malicious voice:

" Sensei! What do you have intention to do?"

Betsy leant and spoke in her ear so that nobody could hear what she has in mind. Umi's grin became gigantic.

" I hope that you want to help me, Umi."

" Surely! I adore this kind of things, but I think that it will be better if we don't tell it to Hikaru: she could ruin the surprise."

The teacher and the student nodded accomplices, both smiling from ear to ear.

A freshman had a syncopation when he saw them grinning in that way.

 

Hikaru watched the dries leaves sway in the wind: the autumn put her much melancholy. She wondered how it could be the autumn in Sephiro. Somebody placed a hand on her shoulder.

" What's wrong?"

" I Thought. Fuu, how do you thing will be autumn in Sephiro? Do you think that this year will snow there?"

" This depends on you Hikaru-san: but I don't think that the inhabitants of Sephiro have ever seen the snow."

A thought crossed her the mind and she laughed. Hikaru guessed what makes her laugh and she also laughed: it would have been funny see their friends ski and skate on the ice!

Umi joined few after and she apologized for the delay.

" I don't think that this afternoon I'll come with you shopping: my mother will come to take me up in one hour!"

Hikaru and Fuu looked puzzled: Mrs. Ryuzaki had not told them about that the previously day.

 

Kuu examined the photos drying in the dark room's red light. Sephiro was indeed a beautiful place and she still didn't believe that such world exists. She felt a small pang of jealousy for her sister: be the promised bride of a prince- even if from an other world - was not an all days' thing. The woman went back to examine the photos: Fuu and Ferio at the ball, some landscapes, her mother and Caldina in bathing suit, a glimpse of the castle, one of the floating mounts, Clef beating her father in a chess' match, Ferio and Fuu picked in a passionate kiss. One in particularly made her smile: Geo stained with cream while he eats a slice of cake. Kuu understood that she was missing a bit that soldier from an other world that had helped her overcome a hard moment. She chased these thoughts from her mind and she picked up the photos in a briefcase. Kuu breathed deeply and she got out of the room grasping to her the briefcase.

Employees with enormous fans, models with a slender and haughty body, advertising and customers discussing: somebody greeted the young assistant; other ignored her. Even if Kuu was not a model - she had always hated diets - many of them considered her a rival simply because Fujitaka Arisugawa, the notorious photographer for whom they worked, showed a certain preference for her.

" What do you have in that briefcase? Photos?"

Kuu froze when the boy tried to catch the briefcase and she tightened it stronger. Tetsu with the irresistible smile, tried to convince her to show the photos, sure that no woman could resist his charm. But Kuu didn't have any intention to give up: what would happen if anybody has seen those photos? How could she have explained the situation to the others?

Tetsu puffed and threw him the briefcase with more energy.

" Houoji, you're stupid to don't show me your photo: don't you want to hear my judgment?"

" I can't, and who have given you the right to judge the others' job? You are a model, not a photographer!"

" I'm thinking that these are a bit scandalous. You won't want that /your dear friend/ thinks a such thing."

" I think that you should go back on the set. Houojii-san is my helper: I and I sole could judge her job. If those are family's photos you don't have the right to see them: were not you to complain the scarce privacy?"

The two turned toward the man: Arisugawa had stayed impassive and Tetsu murmured something before leave, Kuu smiled grateful to her master.

" Don’t you have still arranged the dark room at home? I have told you many times that develop the private photos here is not very convenient: some people is too much nosy."

" I am trying to convince my father to collocate it in the cellar, but I think that for the moment it won't be possible. Do I have other job to develop today, master?"

" Mmmh... No, for today you could go back home but you tomorrow must come before the others because we have a meeting with the clients."

Kuu nodded and after have greeted her master; she left.

 

Ruriko Ryuzaki smiled happy peeping at her daughter look through in the boy's department: finally her Umi took an interest in her own sentimental life and not to that of her friends. Umi rummaged searching some clothes more right for who she had in mind trying to imagine him with a kind of pants instead of an other or with a certain plush instead of an other: she often did a face, or a hardly suppressed laughter escaped from her mouth. Her mother looked at her.

" Whoever would be the lucky one? These clothes are too small and juvenile for your father..."

" I don't understand of what you are speaking mama."

" Don't be naive with me, I know you too well. Who is the lucky one who does have stolen your heart?"

" Nobody. Why do you do ask it?"

" But... for who do you have bought all these things?!"

Ruriko exclaimed shaking the bags. Umi burst in laugh.

" You thought that I... no mama, I don't have a boyfriend: I'm sorry if I had deluded you! Betsy-sensei has asked me to help her: she wants to make a surprise to Fuu for her birthday."

Ruriko sigh disappointed and she asked of which surprise it was.

" Well, here... Fuu's boyfriend has not ever been in Tokyo and Betsy, considering that they after the diploma will get married, she wants him to be here to celebrate with the rest of their family. Ah, I forgot: I hope that you and papa don't mind if Ferio will sleep at home for a night."

 

Fuu was happy: it finally had arrived her eighteenth birthday. With one of her rare and radiant smiles, she began to distribute invitations to her schoolmates: for next Saturday her mother had organized a big party for her friends, while that evening Houojii clan and her maternal grandfathers would have been their guests.

" Hey, Houojii-kun, here there is written that it will be a masquerade. Stella, do you have read the invitation?"

" Yes, I have read it. Fuu-san, Halloween has been more than a month and half ago: aren't you too big for certain childlike action?"

Stella said: mocking that girl was one of her favorite pastimes. Fuu blushed and admitted shyly:

" To be sincere, it is a my mother's idea: she was so enthusiastic that I couldn't tell her no. If it had depended on me, I would not have organized the party."

Everybody looked at her amazed: Houojii-sensei was too beloved and respected, whoever denigrates her ideas, automatically he been called foolish.

The door opened wide and Umi and Seiji went to Fuu: the first embraced her and told her that she was busy with Betsy in an important project and that she would have gone at hers home with her; Seiji, in spite of the other girls, added at the embrace a kiss on the cheek.

" Happy birthday Fuu-san: your mother has told us that you have organized a masquerade for Saturday. Besides to us, who there will be?"

" Ahem, my classmates, the informatics’ club's members, my cousins and naturally Umi-san and Hikaru-san with her three brothers. And also you: take your invitation! "

Seiji said goodbye her again and kissed her again on the forehead. The bell rang the end of the break.

 

Ruriko took the cookies out of the oven and threw a glance to Ferio, who observed maniacally the fishes swim in the aquarium. At the first impact, Mrs. Ryuzaki had wondered how Umi's English's teacher had been able to allows at her own daughter to frequent a such guy, but in few Ferio time had shown that they had judged him bad: he had proven to be a young king man and with a behavior... how say... royal. Betsy was right: Ferio was the ideal son-in-law.

" Ferio, want you to take a tea with me?"

The teenager reached her and they began to chat about the girls and the other friends, then Ruriko risked:

" What about Umi? You know if there is anybody that..."

" That she likes? I don't know it; Umi has always scared me. Sorry, I should not have told such thing. However..."

" However?"

" ... both Clef and Ascot has a crush for her: Umi knows well it but it seem as if she doesn't know who choose between the two."

' Aww... my child has two pretenders! '

Ruriko thought drying a tear of joy.

Later Umi and Betsy made their entry at Ryuzaki mansion: their faces were not the most reassuring. The teacher thanked Mrs. Ryuzaki again and asked her the permission to use the bathroom. After a shampoo almost professional, Betsy made sit Ferio and enveloped him in a big towel, and then she said with a voice worthy of the Iliad:

" My son, listen me: my father-in-law is a horrible monster, able to spit balls of fire when he suffers of stomach’s acidity; a tyrant, a despot who will do all in his power to prevent the wedding. Our purpose is neutralizing him: the enemy will use each mean at his disposition and will make pressure on your weakness. One of these is your look. For the scars I could do nothing, only the Saints and the laser could do a this miracle; we have bought a suit of Dolce& Gabbana for this evening and we will settle your haircut: I had thought that it would have been better to dye them too, then Umi has made me notice that we would not have had time. The moment has come to begin the work of renovation."

Said these solemn words, the woman shore the long hair of the boy. Umi did a face and said:

" Betsy-sensei, are you able to do a decent cut?"

" Don't worry: in Oxford I have worked in a saloon of hairdresser."

Locks of hair green showered on the floor.

 

Fuu walked forth and back in the living room: all the guests had come; grandfather Ed played with the cat and Consuelo, his second wife, chatted with Kuu; the old Houojii talked in a low voice with his son, who shook repeatedly the head; Betsy and Umi were not yet arrived.

" Stop Fuu-chan: you are making me come the sea sickness!"

Hikaru exclaimed on the edge of a retching. Fuu sat on the couch, grandmother Aya laid a hand on her shoulder and she smiled her softly:

" Don't worry: I know your mother and I know that they are all right, surely she and your friend will have found traffic!"

" Sure dear: I know my baby daughter and I assure you that neither the marines would be able to stop her! Ah ah ah!"      

Ed added slapping her on the shoulder; she smiled painful:

" R-right. "

In that instant the bell rang. Fuu threw herself to the door and opened it: her mother and Umi looked at her smiling placed on the two door's sites so they prevented her to see what was behind them. The rest of the family joined her. Betsy and Umi exchanged a glance and with a theatrical gesture -they evidently had tried many times- they moved by side revealing whatever or whoever was hidden behind them and they exclaimed to the unison:

" Surprise!"

Fuu examined astonished the boy before her: he wore clothes that she had not ever seen and his haircut was one of most expensive; but those dark green hair, those amber eyes sparkling of love, those scars on the nose and on the cheek, that mischievous and silly grin...

" Happy birthday Fuu-chan."

...and that voice could belong to a unique person. The girl brought a hand at the mouth, her eyes filled of tears as she embraced the unexpected guest.

" Ferio! I... you... how it is possible!"

Ferio held his beloved and gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead.

" Ssh, don't cry: I couldn't lose your birthday!"

" C'mon lovebirds: you will have all the time that you will wish for such things!"

Betsy scolded with a leer.

Once at home, there were the introductions; and after the introductions the supper started.

 

Hiro was very upset: how could his son have authorized the little Fuu to frequent such guy?! He admitted that this Ferio had his presence and behaved in very dignified way, he perhaps was a little bit snob, as if he is the prince of a small European state or something of that kind; but those scars, and those green hair -certainly dyed- they were sign of a scarce reliability: Hiro laid the hand on the fire that that boy was a teppist. He began to submerge Ferio with questions: the poor boy answered remembering the tale invented by Umi, in which he was the owner of a small society -the Sephiro [ltd-] and because of his job he could not move from his city.

" Sephiro ltd... I don't know it. And what your society deals with? Secondary or tertiary?"

Ferio froze: he didn't know answer; he launched a glance to Umi searching help without any result. Hiro gloated to have him put in difficulty and he threw a devilish smile to his son. Everybody began to whisper asking if all what had it been told by Ferio was a lie or not. Fuu squeezed her loved one's hand to encourage him. Kuu looked suppliant her mother.

' Mama, do something!'

She howled in her mind. Betsy seemed to have sensed her older daughter's thoughts and she said with indifferent voice drinking a sip of water:

" I'm pregnant."

The attention was focused on her while the silence let down in room. Betsy smiled and looking triumphantly the Old Houojii, she says again:

" I'm six weeks pregnant: Ayumi tells that I won't have problems and that the child will bear in half July."

Seichiro fainted. Ed went to embrace his daughter with eyes full of tears. The women looked touched and the men hoped that the unborn child to be a male. Fuu and Ferio threw a sigh of relief. Hiro was speechless for a while, then whispered:

" How... how is it possible?! Elizabeth, you... you are fifty years old!"

" To tell the truth I am forty-eight. And it has happened: I had not planned a pregnancy at this point of my life. It has happened and that's enough. Fuu, I hope that you will wait the birth of the child for the wedding!"

Fuu smiled and nodded.

 

After the supper and the ritual turning off of the candles, the expected gifts' moment came. Fuu had received a Clamp’s art book from Hikaru; Umi had given her an underwear set of green satin and green lace, Fuu blushed when her mother showed it to everybody but above all to Ferio, to whom she whispered maliciously:

" I bet one hundred yen that this night you wish to strip it off of her!"

Ed and Consuelo had given her one thousand dollars; the Houojiis instead a car; her parents - beyond to the baby brother/baby sister- a watch for the great occasions and her sister an album with the most beautiful family's photos. Finally Ferio's turn came: Hiro smiled sure that any gift the strange boy has done to his niece, it would not ever have been at his one's level. Ferio took a casket of carved wood from his coat and said:

" I must be sincere: I didn't know what give you, then I have found this and I have known that you would have appreciated it. Clef has told me that it belonged to my great-grandmother: now it's your."

Fuu opened the casket and ran out of words: a gorgeous necklace that remembered a garland of flowers, with some green jewels for the leaves and other pink, blue and yellow for the flowers. Everybody had dazzled from the beauty and from the manufacture of the jewel; Consuelo asked to examine the necklace more attentively, fascinated from the jewels. Ferio asked Betsy the reason of the woman's curiosity.

" Consuelo has worked for beyond thirty years to de Beer, she is the more competent person to appraise your gift."

" Oh no! Do you want tell me that here those stones are common?! "

" What has he said?"

Consuelo asked in turn examining the necklace aganist the light to value the gems' transparency and quality, and then she furrowed her glass with a jewel for each color.

" He wants to know if those are common stones."

" Common? Common?! This is a blasphemy! These are fancy color, fancy! You know how it is rare find some fancy of this quality?!  (The word 'fancy' in jewelry means colored diamonds. Ndr.)"

" What's she have said?"

" She says that they are rarer than the wild roses in winter. Could you fix a price, Consuelo?"

 The stepmother glanced at her aghast.

" A price? The manufacture is delicious and certainly handiwork of a great master: if only it depends on this, a price doesn't exist in the world for this necklace. If you want an advice, dismount it and resell the loose gems: I could recommend you a good middleman."

" Now what's she have said?"

" She says that it is priceless."

Betsy synthesized with pride and threw a smile at her father-in-law. Hiro was pale like a ghost: he had understood perfectly what Consuelo had said without that his daughter-in-law translates, he also knew that that woman had worked for many years in Amsterdam (Amsterdam is center of biggest diamonds’ market in the world if I don't mistake. Ndr.) and this made her a very competent person about the subject. However he also knew that he had lost the battle but not the war.

 

At 11:30 PM the guests began to leave: the first to go back home were Umi and Hikaru, then as the others. The only to don't have intention to leave Houojii's house was the Old Hiro.

" It is useless that you wait: Ferio will be our guest with Ed and Consuelo."

Seichiro whispered to his father. The man looked askance at him and answered:

" Do you want deny me to give the good night at my Fuu?"

Seichiro sighed: he sensed that his wife had other surprises for that evening. Hiro went upstair with Betsy, who was showing at her guests their rooms: before Fuu's bedroom's door she said at Ferio grinning:

" C'mon sugar: give Fifì the good night's kiss and go to sleep."

Ferio nodded, a little bit frightened from that devilish smile. When he leaned to kiss his angel's cheek -Hiro was behind Betsy, Betsy pushed him in the room and before anybody could react, she locked the door and hid the key in her bra.

" We'll see tomorrow lovebirds! I wish you a marvelous EML night! Daddy, Consuelo, your room is near Kuu's bedroom. Good night. Well Hiro, at the next."

The father-in-law was green of anger: how had been dared that milksop to do such thing at his baby niece! Segregate her in a bedroom with that guy! He didn't dare imagine what would have happened at his little Fuu, and surely the perspectives were not the rosiest. Ed scolded his daughter for what she had done; Seichiro had fainted again and Kuu tried to revive him; Fuu and Ferio knocked at the door begging to open, not that they mind it, but it was not the moment of think or do some things. Betsy puffed and went to sleep, without open Fuu's bedroom's door.

 

The two fiancés did the possible to resolve the situation, but everything was useless: at midnight they decided to stop.

" I think that it is better that I sleep on the floor. Fuu, could you give me a blanket?"

Ferio with a sigh: he would have preferred sleep with his dear angel, but this would have only worsened his relationship with a part of the family. Fuu blushed and admitted after have sought in the closet:

" I think that mama has intentionally taken away the covers, that woman is impossible: neither Umi-san neither Caldina-san could have thought a such joke."

They looked for a long time uncomfortable, both red like tomatoes; then the girl drew near to the closet and whispered:

" Could you turn while I change my clothes? I think that the only solution is sleep together: sleeping on the floor in December isn't healthy and... and my bed is not big as yours."

" Ahem... you are right: nonetheless in few months we'll do it often... share the same bed I mean."

Fuu nodded and changed. Ferio every so often threw a glance at the mirror where he could see perfectly his beloved's back: he smiled when Fuu wore a green pajama with some bunnies. Switched off the light, they went to bed.

The two lovers squeezed together each other, both for the small bed and for the cold. Fuu laid a hand on his cheek and noticed that there was something different: the scars had not moved and as always his skin was smooth like a newborn's one, yet... the hair! Ferio had changed haircut! Fuu wondered the reason of this change and gave voice at her thoughts.

" Your mother: it has been a true torture. Why do you ask it? Don't you like my new look?"

Ferio wondered in turn, worrying seriously of what Fuu thought.

" I was curious. However I must admit that mama is skilled with the scissors, I had not recognized you: you know, when I have seen you, I have thought that you are a model! This haircut fits you much, it give you an air... more princely!"

She told teasing him. Ferio did a face and exchanged the teasing.

" However you could wear the underwear that Umi has given you instead of this pajamas!"

" Ferio! But... are things to tell at an innocent girl like me?!"

She answered giggling slightly. Ferio embraced her and kissed her gently: he at that time could not ask more at the life.

 

The new day greeted Fuu with a warm feeling on her skin: opening an eye she saw the darling face of the man that she loved; he slept deeply holding her possessively. She turned toward the alarm clock getting a grimace on his face: Fuu giggled and extended a hand on the bedside table and she looked at the alarm clock: 11:03 AM. She got up of dart and ran at the closet to change: it didn't have much sense, she would have arrived school only half hour before lunch. Ferio, sensing the nervousness in the room, searched his lover between the sheets with the hands; he then waked up.

" Fuu, koi, what's happening? The enemies are attaching the castle?!"

" No, something of worse: I am late! Delay, delay, awful delay!! Today we had an important math's lecture too!"

Only then Fuu noticed she was wearing only her underwear and the shirt completely unbuttoned: she tried to cover but Ferio stopped her.

" Wait! Does nobody have told you that just awake you are terribly sexy? Why don't you come back in bed make me a bit of company?"

" Ferioo... I remember you that we are not in Sephiro and that we therefore could not spend all day long to... you know what."

Fuu scolded flinging her pajamas' jacket. He flings her the pillow and answered:

" And I remember you that /your/ mother has locked us here and that we could not go out of here until a pious soul -well, not so pious after all- will come to open the door!

She puffed and went to the door: it had opened.

After a shower and a quick snack, Fuu decided to go out with Ferio and show him the city: they were alone at home, evidently Ed and Consuelo were shopping with Seichiro. Before she go out noticed a note of his mother on the fridge.

 

Good morning sweethearts! I hope that you have not gotten tired after this

night ^_~*! Fifì don't worry: your teachers know that the grandfathers

are to Tokyo and I'll tell them that you are with them shopping.

You and Ferio go out as soon as you wake up, I have

left you some money in the usual place, take them and enjoy you!

A big kiss, the mama.

P.S.: When I have opened the door and I have seen you, you were so cute!

A suggests: not exaggerated with the "gymnastics"!!

 

Ferio and Fuu sweat dropped.

 

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§

 

Hi to everybody! I hope that you have liked this chapter: I must admit that I had not ever created an unusual character as Betsy. A such thing -lock you in your bedroom with your boyfriend/girlfriend for a whole night- could do it a friend a little bit crazy, not your mother! Usually the mothers- at least mine- does blabbing about pay attention with some things and to wait the moment and the proper person and bla bla bla...

 

Ciao

 

Pat-chan.

 

P.S.: Somebody has asked me if Fuu is pregnant: it is not my habit do anticipations, but one of the three Magic Knights will wait a child. If want you to know of who is her, you must wait the next chapter, "Martin? There's a party!"