Aoi and Sakomizu are in a desperate situation: The assumed prince of Zipang is waiting to see Mashiro, but she is gone MIA. So they make Arika stand in for Mashiro, with Nina posing as Arika. What may sound like a huge embarrassment in the making isn't because the prince of Zipang is fake as well: It is Akira, doubling for Takumi, the real prince. Akira takes a tour of Garderobe, with Arika on his side. The Garderobe girls are having a blast: they showcase some fighting, adore the handsome prince, and giggle a lot about Arika. Shizuru catches Akira's bluff on first sight (ah, female instincts)! She doesn't call it right away but only later, when she enters Akira's room, who is just undressing. Arika, entering innocently, interrupts the showdown giving Akira the chance to escape. Shizuru gives Arika permission and she materializes. Off they go chasing Akira.
In the meantime, Mashiro wakes up in a tent of the homeless, getting a first impression of the living conditions of some of her people. It doesn't really get through to her though: If I got this right, when she hears that people don't have bread to eat, she answers Marie-Antoinette-style "shall they eat candy". Let's hope her people won't have her head on a plate for this lack of reality and insensitivity. Fortunately, Mashiro masquerades as Nina, hiding that she's the queen of Windbloom. She ends up spending the day with Takumi, the real prince of Zipang, who had found her after Mikoto had knocked her out. Somber but kind Takumi is enjoying her company and together they celebrate Mashiro's birthday. Unfortunately, Takumi is still suffering from the illness that marked him in Mai Hime. Akira shows up after a fight with Arika to save Takumi CPR-style who had run out of his medication. Shizuru and gang as well as Takumi and his folks recognize the situation, drop hostilities and retreat to deliberations at Garderobe.
I didn't really get the contents of the talks between Natsuki and Takumi. Something about Mai who we see in a picture is a classmate of Natsuki and apparently the Otome we see in the opening sequence. I guess a summary here has to wait for Doremi's translation. Suffice to say that Mai seems to be entering the game. More immediate, however, it seems that episode 13 will bring some heartache to Akane who is going crazy over Kazu. Looks like she may indeed be the first victim of the series.
