Chapter Text
Now at breakfast, it was no longer Williams' parents, and Kioni's parents. Now, Lenore and her husband joined the table.
It turned out that William had in fact heard of Lenore's husband and their kingdom, he was just stupid. A far eastern country that was known for its independence, and its indifference to other countries.
They mainly kept to themselves, stayed out of external affairs and relied solely on their own economy and production industry.
Lenore's husband seemed kind and warm to her, and they seemed incredibly close, sitting practically on top of each other at breakfast, and holding hands tightly unless they physically couldn't
Breakfast talk revolved around the couple and their arrival, their search for a surrogate, and their contribution to William and Kioni's wedding, politically of course.
And as usual, William and Kioni stayed silent at the table, keeping to themselves.
They briefly shared a few glances, but never looked up from their laps, or contributed anything.
William had planned to go riding again today, and to possibly invite kioni, but his plans were cut short when his mother stopped him
“Oh! Will, just a moment please, I'd like to speak with you…”
William blinked, looking between his mothers hand on his arm and Kioni leaving through the door; he’d lost his chance.
“Yes mother..?” he asked, sitting down again reluctantly.
“Will, it’s been brought to my attention that Kioni does lessons almost every day, studying very hard in preparation for your…union.”
The prince glanced up, and his eyes caught with Kioni's mother, who was glaring at him. He jumped at the sharp stare and looked back down at his lap.
“A few days ago I sent for some education materials, and now, me and your father have got you a few books on politics and a few other materials we think will help you for when you rule the empire-”
“To be. Empire…”
“Yes..the empire that is to be with your union…”
“So…I'm going to be stuck studying all day…”
“Oh don't say that like you're upset about it honey, you used to love studying.”
That was true…but now he had priorities; spending time with Kioni.
“I understand mother…”
“Amazing! I’ve had it sent up to your room, and your meals will be brought up. I’ll see you at dinner, love!” his mother smiled innocently, and he faked a smile back as he walked out of the hall, and once he was out of view, his shoulders dropped and his whole body buckled.
He didn’t want to study…he didn’t want to be stuck cooped up in a room hunched over papers he’d read hundreds of times.
The prince pouted as he walked to his room
He wanted to spend time with his princess riding…
-
The prince frowned deeply as he huddled over a mess of books and papers on the desk in his bedroom. He was thankful for the natural light of the sun, but he would have much rather been running outside in it rather than studying with it through a window.
All his studies had been on the past few years were politics and ruling the country. Neither his mother nor his father had realised that he could quote whole chapters of these books from memory.
William tapped the book beneath his hand absent mindedly as he glanced up.
Outside his window were the rolling grassy fields of the garden scattered with wildflowers and carefully planted tulips. The edge of the lake was just in his view, with a well and a stream leading down from it into the lake. Since his room resided in the north-east of the castle, the garden in front of him was often laid in the sun, soaked in golden rays and the warmth of spring into summer.
Suddenly an idea popped in his head, and he smirked evilly, closing his books, carefully snacking them, and poking his head out of his room. He looked around cautiously when his eyes locked with ariki’s.
“Well hello their prince…” she whispered with a wicked grin, “what are you doing…”
“I wanted to escape…I can recite these stupid books like it's the back of my hand, I wanted to see Kioni..”
“She’s currently with the kids in the garden-”
“Perfect!”
“What about your lunch?” Ariki blinked, lifting up the tray to show him.
“Ehh, I'm not hungry. Pile up my dinner instead?”
Ariki huffed, rolling her eyes and glaring at William.
“Fine. Go find them. But you have to be back in your room 2 hours from now ok? Your mothers planning on checking on you and bringing you down to dinner herself.”
“Got it! Thank you, Ariki, you're a life saver!” and William bolted down the corridor in the opposite direction to her.
She laughed, pushing open William's door with her back and leaving the tray on his desk.
It was then she noticed the view from the window, and she smirked, “You evil little prince, plotting and planning…” she chuckled to herself and headed back for the kitchens.
-
As William ran through the castle corridors, and finally emerged outside, he took a moment to look at where he was. The stables where to his left, in front of him was a well and a lake,
He looked up and saw the window to his room.
The prince turned right, and began to run.
When the kids sat around kioni and playing came into view, he shouted with a large smile on his face,
“Guys!! Princess! Come on!” William laughed as their heads spun, and in an instant all the kids were running to him laughing and squealing.
Before he could stop it, William found himself tackled to the floor, laughing as more and more children piled on top of him, his arms wrapping around as many of them as he could.
“Prince William!"
“He’s back!”
“Are you going to play with us again?!”
“Come on, wrestle with us this time!”
“No! He’ll want to sit and braid flowers with us so he can talk to his princess!”
William could barely pay attention to the words of the kids as he glanced up, Kioni was stood above him laughing and holding the baby Chester in her arms. Her hair was half braided, and framed by the blue sky, William was star struck by her.
He managed to push the children off of him, pulling himself up and standing face to face with the princess.
“Hello kioni…” he grinned sheepishly.
She leaned forward, picking out the grass that had found itself stuck in his hair with delicate fingers, “hello will…”
The name made him grin wider, and a soft pink dusted his face.
“I have a surprise for you all!” Williams' smile was beginning to hurt his cheeks, but he couldn’t stop grinning. He turned to all the kids buzzing excitedly around him, and then reached his hand out to Kioni.
She smiled, rolling her eyes, shaking her head but laughing.
“Come on then everyone…lets see what prince william’s surprise is…”
As they all walked around the castle, William's hand slithered around Kioni's waist, and he looked over at Chester who was balanced on her hip.
“He’s really attached to you, isn’t he?” the prince smirked
“I suppose. I just help Endija look after him, it’s not fair on her that all the other kids play and she's stuck with her little brother.”
William nodded, and looked forward.
“You’re meant to be studying…”
“Eek! So you knew about that…”
Kioni almost cackled, her head flying back as she laughed into the sweet summer air
“I’ve been studying those same books for years, now, I am getting bored.” he huffed, stopping kioni for a moment, and taking Chester into his arms, “here, let me have him…”
“O-oh!” was all Kioni could say before Chester was transferred to william.
The prince had one arm under his bum, while the other held his back gently, yet the child could sit up by itself. He stared at William briefly, its rounds and young features frowning slightly as it looked at William, who simply just stared back. Kioni's hands hesitated in the air, twitching with the need to take him back cautiously, until the small child put one hand on William's ear, and giggled.
The prince didn’t have a clue what the child was doing, but when he felt the small fingers tugging and flicking his ear he just smiled back. The child rested its head on williams chest, and made some small giggly noises, blowing raspberries, before settling and smiling pleased with itself.
“I’ve…he’s never let anyone else but me, his mother and his sister hold him…”
“Well I think he likes me!” the prince said triumphantly.
Kioni grinned slightly, gazing at William for a brief moment before watching the kids run ahead.
Seeing william hold chester like that, seeing him play with the kids, it made her think of their future,
Of course she loved him…but he only saw her as a friend. That didn’t matter though. Once they were married, they’d have the expectations of any royal pairing. The thought frightened her slightly. Ti was awkward and uncomfortable in her head, so she shook the thought away.
“Here!” William said, and all the children gathered around him.
“You guys always play in the shade on the east side, but why not soak up all the sun? And if you need to cool off, the wells down their, and the lake too” he pointed down the hill and kioni smiled
“I actually don’t know why I never let them play round this side of the castle…go on then guys” she nodded, and the children scattered, squealing and playing in the golden rays of light.
William and Kioni both took a seat next to each other at the top of the hill, watching as the children played in the grass peacefully.
The prince sighed, leaning back and soaking up the sun. Chester, although small, had decided he wanted to join the other kids, and accompanied by his older sister, was toddling around happily, giggling as the kids cartwheeled and chased each other around him.
“This is amazing…” William whispered, slipping back and laying on the grass. Kioni giggled and looked down at him,
“You're so silly…” she whispered, a fond grin pulling at her lips when he suddenly grabbed the waist of her corset, and pulled her down with him
“Oh yeah?” he mocked, leaning over her and slightly jabbing into her skin, tickling her as she exclaimed and tried to wriggle away
“William!” she gasped, cackling as they both ended up laid on the grass.
“Sorry it's just…in Tarossian, it’s never this sunny for this long. I haven't raised a single day here yet I don't think…”
“Oh? It’s not sunny in Tarossian?"
“Far different. We have a lot of mountains and valleys, and because of how the countries are laid on the equator, we get a lot of colder dry weather, while you get hotter, damp weather.”
Kioni blinked and stared at him, “so you get snow?”
“Yeah, lots, every year”
Suddenly she sat up on her elbows looking at him, “you're kidding! Will it snow when we go to Tarossian for our wedding?”
The wonderment on Kioni's face made a warm feeling flutter in William's chest, and he sighed, “probably not, it's mid may, and we're going into summer soon.”
She pouted and laid back down
“Wait, so have you never seen snow before?” the prince enquired, looking up at the sky, but letting his fingers find Kionis, and their hands interlock
“Once, I was , I think…8 years old? Lenore was 10, and Jabari was 16. A blizzard blew in from the west and overnight the entire kingdom was covered in snow. We weren't used to it, so everyone was covered in probably all the warm clothes they owned, but I remember my mother taking me and my siblings out to play in the snow against my fathers will. He insisted we’d get ill, some disastrous pillage that was sent from tarrosian” she mocked slightly, ”but she brought us out anyways, and i remember we made a mountain of snow, and we stole the big dishes from the kitchen- the ones for the roasted pigs or boars, and we slid down it,” she pointed in front of her, “and then all the way down the hill too” she laughed
William grinned watching her smile so sweetly at the memory.
“Oh our father was furious, but when he saw our teeth chattering because of the big smiles on our faces, he couldn't complain.”
“We do that every year…go sledging, we have all sorts of traditions when it snows back home.”
Kioni squeezed Williams' hand.
“Promise to show me?”
“Promise…” he said, turning his head to look at her as she continued to stare up at the sky.
William could feel the warmth in his cheeks wasn’t from the sun and he simply stayed there, watching Kioni stare at the sky for god knows how long.
Some of the kids, when they got tired, came to lay with them, and William almost forgot he had to go back to his room.
When he sat up abruptly, and scrambled to stand up, Kioni watched him and grinned.
“I’ll see you at dinner will”
“See you at dinner my love…” he winked, before running off.
Behind him, he heard the children making “ooooh” noises, or making fake vomiting noises, most likely cringing, but what he didn’t know was that Kioni's face had lit up red, and her eyes had gone wide.
The both of them were getting more and more devious with their sly, flirtatious comments, and neither one of them could tell when the other was acting, and wasn’t.
Little did either of them know, that by now, neither of them were acting.