A Magical Princess

Chapter 25

The next morning the three Hayano siblings were hit with the smell of burning eggs when they stepped into the hall. Exchanging confused glances, they made their way to the kitchen, and stopped short at what they found. A harried-looking Shikaku and pouting Shikamaru were standing over the stove, arguing over who had set the timer for the rice as Shikamaru held a plate out for Shikaku, who was spooning clumped grains onto it.

"Um," Hari said, and they both whipped around with identical, panicked looks on their faces.

"Hari!" Shikamaru said, and held out the plate in his hand. "We made breakfast this morning, so that you could take a break."

Hari and the twins stared at the burned eggs, congealed rice, and brown...something on the plate. Eito, ever the polite one, reached out and took it from Shikamaru. "Ah, thank you, this looks...delicious," he said around a pained smile, and walked to the table with the air of somebody going to their execution.

When Hari and Natsu were seated with their own plates of breakfast, Hari took a small bite, and forced herself to swallow it. The twins also took a few unenthusiastic mouthfuls, and when the Naras turned away to scrub at the dishes, Hari took in her siblings' pleading faces and surreptitiously waved her wand, and half of the food on each plate disappeared. She winked at their relieved expressions, and all three of them smiled at Shikamaru when he bustled over to refill Hari's tea and the twins' juice.

After their odd breakfast Shikamaru took them to the market, where Hari bought apples for herself and the twins to eat. "For dessert, big brother!" Natsu told him cheerfully, and Hari had to hide her smile.

When she had finished picking out fish for dinner and a few root vegetables that were in season to roast, Shikamaru appeared in front of her with a green, soft scarf that reminded Hari of cashmere. "I saw this and thought you might like it," he said casually, and shoved it at her until she took it, bewildered.

"It's the same color as your eyes," he mumbled, then went to save a merchant selling live lobster from the twins' curiosity.

"What in the world," Hari mumbled, tucking the soft scarf around her neck. One hour and three strangely sweet gestures later, she'd had enough.

"Oh my god, you're forgiven, just...stop! People are going to think we're in some weird love triangle with your father," Hari muttered to Shikamaru, who slouched in relief.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, or manipulate you," he muttered. "I knew dad didn't really want to marry Michi, he only asked her because he'd given up. You were a much better choice."

Hari watched while Natsu climbed to the top of a swingset, slowly straightening from a crouch to stand proudly and cackle at the gaping children below. "I know you didn't. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I just thought..."

"That we'd all conspired to keep it from you so you'd marry into the Nara clan?" he said lightly, and she shrugged, because yeah, that's basically what she'd thought. "Well, I've been accused of worse," he said, and she rolled her eyes. "Does this mean you've forgiven dad?"

They watched Natsu dive off the swingset to lay out two children who'd been taunting Eito with a wince, and Hari sighed. "I don't really have a right to be angry in the first place, do I?" she said softly, then gave a sharp whistle to get the twins' attention as Eito started rubbing mud in the faces of their enemies, shaking her head and miming for them to let the boys go. They pouted but did so, and she pinched her brow when Natsu 'accidentally' stepped on the hand of one of them as they sauntered off.

"I don't know about that," Shikamaru said mildly. "He probably should have mentioned it, at least. Though, I am surprised she made a scene. Michi is a little aggressive, but she isn't usually quite so..."

"Bitchy?" Hari said in amusement, but looked over in interest, wanting more information on the woman but not wanting to ask outright.

Shikamaru obviously knew what she was doing, but seemed willing to play along. "Yeah. Her last mission went sideways, and some bad things happened to her. It's no excuse for what she did, but I think she's not adjusting well."

Hari hummed but didn't comment, instead moving to intercept Natsu as she stalked the two boys they'd been fighting with earlier. When they arrived to the house for lunch, Hari stopped at the gate and gaped.

"What -" she started, as Natsu and Eito gasped in delight and Shikamaru chuckled.

"Man, he really went all out."

Hari stared at the hundreds of bubbles floating up into the air from what must have been ten bubble machines scattered throughout the yard. The twins were dashing about trying to pop them, and Shikamaru looked at her from the side of his eyes. "He really wants this work," he said softly. "So please be patient with him."

Then he was groaning as he caught sight of Natsu clambering up the drainpipe to get to the bubbles higher up in the air, a nervous-looking Eito right behind her. He dashed over to them, but Hari's eyes were pulled to the front porch, where Shikaku was holding a large bouquet of flowers in one hand and a picnic basket in the other.

Slowly, she walked up the stone walkway and onto the steps until she was standing in front of him. "Are those for me?" she asked lightly, and he cleared his throat.

"Yeah. I was also hoping that you and the twins would join me for a picnic."

She hummed and took the flowers from him. "And the bubbles?" she asked, turning to study the glinting, floating spheres bobbing across the lawn.

"Well, somebody told me that it was impossible to be sad when bubbles were involved," he said. "Since I'm the one who upset you, it's the least I could do."

Eito ran screaming past the porch, holding what looked like Shikamaru's favorite pen in one hand while he followed after him at a more sedate pace, looking tragic and surprising a laugh out of Hari. She shoved her nose into the flowers and realized she'd forgiven the stupid man standing awkwardly next to her with a basket of food. Bubble therapy, indeed.

"I suppose a picnic doesn't sound too bad," she said loftily, and glanced over at his face, which had broken into his half smile.

They shut off the bubble machines and she blinked when he signaled at some trees and Rai and another Nara appeared to start gathering them up. Rai waved cheerfully at her and Hari waved back. "This seems like an abuse of power."

"Nonsense. Considering three of my clanswomen, including Rai, showed up to scold me for being an idiot in my office this morning, I'd say they were happy to help," he said wryly.

"Ah, so you finally pushed them into that intervention." Hari sent him her most enigmatic smile in response to his questioning look. He snorted and called the twins and Shikamaru over to walk with them into the forest.

Natsu chattered about the wedding as they ate - Hari had a feeling her overabundance of energy was due to her excitement for the next day's festivities. Hari was feeling less dread and more nervousness about it now that she and Shikaku had made up. Hesitantly, obviously unsure of his welcome, Shikaku wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and she melted against him.

Both he and Shikamaru let out identical breaths of relief at this sign of her forgiveness, and Hari spent the next ten minutes giggling uncontrollably while they scowled at her.