Rabid Pair

2.3

Akutagawa straightened the collar on my dress as I was getting ready to go to the press conference. "Kitten..." He trailed while grabbing my hands. "I don't think," he slipped my engagement ring off of my finger, "you should wear this. Or tell anyone at the conference that we're getting married. It probably won't be good for us or Port Mafia."

I nodded. "You're right. I'll tell Mother." I furrowed my brow. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

His soft gaze turned into a frown. "Like what?"

Shaking my head I said, "Nevermind."

Our heads turned to my phone that began to ring while laying on the dresser. I went over and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Aliceina, how many hours until the press conference starts?" Chuuya asked.

I looked at the time on my phone and put it back to my ear. "In about an hour and thirty minutes. Why?"

"Mori and I were going to watch it." He stated causally.

"Okay...?" I trailed. "Chuuya... is there something wrong?"

"Eh? No. Just focus on the press conference. Good luck. Talk to you later." Chuuya hung up.

A look of disgust twisted on my face as I stared down at my phone.

"What?" Akutagawa asked.

"It was Chuuya..." I shook my head. "Something's going on and he won't tell me. He wanted to know when the press conference starts."

"What else did he say?"

I shrugged. "Not much, just that he and Mori were going to watch it." I raised my brow at him. "Do you know anything about this?"

He shoved his hands in his coat pockets. "I promise I don't know anything this time. Don't let it get to you. Remember: if he didn't tell you there's a good reason." Akutagawa reminded me.

"Yeah, yeah, don't lecture me." I waved my hand at him in dismissal. "Which heels should I wear?" I lifted up two different pairs of heels. I had a red pair to add a pop of color to the black dress or I had a white pair to match the Peter Pan style collar on the dress.

"Aliceina, I really don't-"

My glare cut him off.

"The white ones." He muttered.

I kissed his cheek. "Thanks babe."

Eventually it was time to go to the conference room. The four of us mafia members were guided there by some of the Royal guard. We followed behind my Mother who was dressed in an elegant purple gown and pearls. When we got in there, Akutagawa and Tachihara were instructed to stand somewhat behind and to either side of Higuchi and I. Us girls had a seat at the table. I sat next to my mother and Higuchi sat on the other side of me.

"Annabelle." I leaned over to her. "Let's not mention anything about my actual engagement. It won't be good for the Mafia."

She nodded. "Understood." Mother didn't even look over at me.

Higuchi leaned over to me. "Are you going to be my translator?"

I pursed my lips and looked around. "Eh, I didn't think so..." I looked around. "There's probably someone to translate for you in real time so that we can make sure I give the right answers." I sighed. "I'm going to warn you now though, I can already see myself digging my own grave."

Higuchi stared at me. "Oh please, Aliceina, do not make this hard on everyone."

I smiled widely at her. "Chi-chan, don't worry! I make things worse before I make them better. You should know that by now."

She sighed. "Don't say things like that so casually." Higuchi muttered something else under her breath.

A gentleman walked up to her. "Are you Higuchi-san?"

Her face lit up. "Yes."

"Hi, I'm Timothy, I'll be translating for you." He held out his hand.

She stood and shook his hand. "Pleased to meet you."

People were still trickling in just five minutes before the press conference began. I felt the tension bleeding from my mother as the time ticked closer to her telling the truth and her and Charles Kingsley.

A man came up to the microphone that was set up next to the table. "Attention! Attention! Please settle down." The crowd quieted to a murmur and to a dead silence extremely quickly. "I will now be giving the floor over to Queen Annabelle Windsor."

"Thank you." She stated. "Now, before any questions, there's one thing I'd like to make clear. This young woman to my left: Alice Kingsley, is my daughter." There was a small collective gasp. "Her father is the late Charles Kingsley: leader of the international smuggling ring back in 1993."

The crowd began to whisper amongst themselves.

"Silence please." Annabelle demanded. "Yes, I fell in love with Charles Kingsley at a very young age and decided to keep the child we conceived. I let him take her with him out of the country in order to protect her. She wasn't raised as royalty and I never expect her to be royalty. Alice had expressed that she wants nothing to do with the throne and it will go to Henry as planned. What happened a couple of days ago was that man by the name Francis Fitzgerald's plan to get the throne. He kidnapped Alice and forced her to pretend that they were engaged and on there way for the throne. That is all I have to say about this matter."

"We will now take questions." The man who spoke in the beginning stated.

"Question for Alice." A posh man in the front was called on. "Is it true that you work for the Japanese Mafia?"

Higuchi gave me a slight nod.

"Do you even watch international news?" I shot back. "Do your research before asking another question like that."

Someone from behind kicked my chair. I pouted knowing it was Akutagawa and that he understood at least some of what I said. "Next question." I said.

"What do you mean by late? Are you implying that Charles is confirmed dead?"

I clenched my jaw. Annabelle put her hand over mine.

"Charles died in a shipwreck on his way to Russia." She stated calmly. "Next question."

"Are you okay with having a daughter who is in the Mafia?"

I glared at the man who asked that question. He was sitting towards the back. My eyes glazed over the crowd as my mother answered and my eyes fell upon a familiar face.