Uta no Prince-sama: A-Z [ONE-SHOTS]

Sleeping Beauty and the Beast: N for Niaiserie

Niaiserie: simplicity; foolishness

Words: 2230

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**19 years later**

"Haruka!" A nasally voice called from the master bedroom.

A young woman ran towards the room, "Yes, mother!"

The maiden had just reached adulthood the year before, and when word got out that the most eligible bachelorette was of age, marriage proposals flooded the royal castle.

Since then, the palace staff was directing the flow of invitations to the queen, where she toiled for the past year sorting, evaluating and discarding the proposals.

The pile had been whittled down to those from the wealthiest kingdoms, and whose position on the throne was guaranteed. If one looked closely, the princes were all, coincidentally, immensely good-looking. Reason being, the queen wanted to ensure the prosperity of their own kingdom, and to ensure that her grandchildren were to be beautiful.

The queen gestured to the small pile of elaborately designed envelopes, and looked expectantly at Haruka. The young woman walked into the room with a grace and poise that exuded regality, and picked up the stack of profiles that her mother had pre-approved. At least the final choice was hers, she thought in exasperation.

She had been against the arranged marriage ordeal since her parents decided to tell her about it three years ago, but that didn't seem to deter their determination to reel in a perfect guy. A boring guy.

As cliche as it sounded, Haruka thirsted for a life outside the castle. By the time she was fourteen, sneaking out disguised as a hooded pebbler after curfew became boring. Her duties were monotonous. Her life was dull and washed in black and white. Routines, mannerisms, social statuses, she just wanted to throw it all away.

The only thing that gave her life was music. She needed it like she needed the air she breathes. Melodies and choruses are on her mind all day, everyday, and no matter what she's doing or who she's talking to, the notes manage to unravel themselves. She gets lost in it; she goes about her day drifting on a cloud of musical bliss.

Haruka seemed detached from her true desires because it was so much easier to accept what she had, to accept what she knows, and to ignore what she wanted. What she needed.

Back to her room, Haruka sat at the foot of her bed, and set the envelopes on her lap. She shuffled through them mindlessly, passing each charming face with barely a glance. What would it matter? In the end, her mother would choose the suitable husband, and she would have to wed to a man she never met, and never loved.

The chimes of the piano rang in her head each time she passed a profile for the next. It was going in a circle now, and soon, they fell into a repeating wave, a scale. Just as she was going to set aside a random proposal, a blinding flash flooded her sight.

She shut her eyes tight and willed the colors and spots floating in the back of her vision to disappear. Scared but curious to look, Haruka opened her eyes a fraction. Of all things she was expecting to see, she was not expecting the form of a young boy to be standing in her room, peering impatiently down at her.

His pink hair looked frivolous, but his youthful and mischievous face drew away from the color. He looked to be no younger than thirteen.

Haruka was stunned, no doubt. How'd this child get in, past the security and just appear in a flash, literally? If that wasn't it...magic? She'd heard of an infamous trio of wizards living in the kingdom, but only in town during one of her escapades. Her parents had forbade anyone of even speaking their names in their presence.