Archive of Our Own ^beta

Kuroo was startled awake as a burst of sunshine punched him in the face, promptly gasping and throwing his arms over his eyes to shield them from the murderous beam of light.

“What the hell?!”

“Get up, Kid. If you sleep in, then the Prince sleeps in and the whole city goes into chaos and you’ll be thrown into the stocks.”

“Wow, and I haven’t even had my breakfast yet,” Kuroo yawned, fluttering his eyes open to focus them on Ukai Ikkei, the old court physician. “How do you manage to get up so early every day without any help?”

Ukai grunted and ripped Kuroo’s blanket off, drenching him in the frigid air. “It’s called being an adult. Although I have to admit at my age I only sleep a few hours at night.”

“That’s probably why you’re going to die soon.”

“You’re gonna die even sooner with that kind of lip. Get out of that bed before I dump some tonic in your water, and I’m not telling you which tonic.”

“I already know which one,” Kuroo groaned as he hastily got out of bed and began to freshen up. It wasn’t the first time the old man threatened him, and he made the mistake once before of not heeding his warning, ending up with painfully loose bowels for a week.

He yanked on fresh clothes, hopped into his boots, and tied his scarf around his neck as he rushed out of the room with a quick goodbye to his master. Ukai did have a point about getting the Prince up late; such a simple thing could have a catastrophic result. Luckily the servants’ corridor was virtually empty on his way to the kitchens as he tightened the belt around his waist and straightened his clothes.

“Morning, my lovely ladies!” He greeted the women shuffling back and forth through the kitchen. They laughed but didn’t pause in their work, except the head cook who immediately waved him over.

“Good morning, Handsome. I have his Majesty’s breakfast ready.”

“Ah, Deguchi-san, have I told you that you’re my savior?” He beamed as he accepted the tray of steaming food from her.

“At least twice a week. Here, open.”

Kuroo cocked his head at her but obeyed as he opened his mouth. He was rewarded as she stuffed a fresh roll between his teeth.

“Mmm! Rmphrddr.”

“You’re welcome!” She laughed as lifted herself on her toes to ruffle his belligerent bedhead. “Be sure to stop in later when you have a chance for more. Lord knows you need more meat on them bones.”

He mumbled out a protest, but he knew very well it made little sense with the obstruction in his mouth. Deguchi-san didn’t seem interested in his opinion anyway as she shooed him out of the kitchens. Kuroo weaved precariously past other servants on his way to the staircase that led to the Prince’s quarters, using every ounce of concentration to keep the tray of food steady. Daichi somehow instinctively knew if he dropped any of it on his way up.

“Good morning, Kuroo-kun!” Michimiya chirped as she descended in front of him. She laughed as he mumbled back a hello from around the roll that was rapidly becoming soft in his mouth. “Here, want me to get that from you?” She asked, taking half of it out so he could chew what was left in his mouth.

“Mmm, thank you. Have you already fed Lady Kiyoko?”

“Yes! We’re planning on exploring the market this morning, hoping they have some new materials.”

“Oh, that sounds like fun!”

“What do you two have planned?”

“I’m not certain yet, but it probably has something to do with me dressing him in his metal casings and bossing me around in front of his goons.”

Michimiya laughed and stuffed the roll back in his mouth. “Here, it’s safer this way. You better get him up before he makes life miserable for you.”

Kuroo rolled his eyes in response and rushed up the stairs as quickly as he could with the tray. Opening the door with his hands full was always tricky, and no matter how hard he tried he almost always lost a piece of food. Kuroo glanced both ways down the hall and finding it empty he narrowed his eyes at the door handle. His grey eyes flashed a bright amber color and the door unhitched by itself, allowing him to shove it the rest of the way with his hip.

The spacious room was dark still with the heavy curtains drawn, but luckily Kuroo knew the layout like the back of his hand. He mentally counted his steps to the table and set the tray down without a sound. With his hands finally free, he could devour the rest of the roll as he wandered over to the windows.

He peeled back the curtains just enough to give some light, but not enough to wake Daichi in alarm as Kuroo had been earlier that morning. Creeping to the Prince’s bedside, he gazed down at his sleeping form for a moment, hearing Nekomata’s prophetic words in his head.

He will be the one to unite all the Kingdoms.

Such a tall order for a Prince who looked more like a turtle with the sheets pulled up above his nose. Kuroo tugged it down to reveal Daichi’s face and giggled at the line of drool escaping his open lips. Without thinking, he reached out to wipe it up with his thumb and froze when he realized what he was doing. Daichi’s gentle breath tickled across the pad of his thumb and Kuroo couldn’t resist wondering what it would feel like against his own lips.

Enough of that line of thinking, Servant Boy.

Kuroo stepped away and rushed back to the table, snatching a piece of bacon off the tray and ran back to Daichi’s side. He cupped Daichi’s chin and tugged it down to open his mouth. He stuck the bacon inside and clamped his mouth shut over it and waited for any kind of reaction.

Immediately, Daichi’s mouth began to chew though he still seemed to be asleep. Kuroo sighed poked Daichi’s cheek until his brown eyes fluttered open at last. He frowned as his jaw slowed its motion and looked up at Kuroo.

“Am I eading baghon?”

“You know, it’s bad manners to talk with your mouth full, Majesty. Haven’t your princely lessons taught you anything?”

Daichi fixed him with a death glare though it was significantly dampened as he resumed his chewing. He finally swallowed it down and flung his blankets off him, straight over Kuroo’s head to block his teasing grin.

“How late is it? The sun seems higher than usual,” Daichi said after a quick glance at the light pouring through the narrow opening between the curtains.

“Um, a little later than usual. My apologies,” Kuroo said, bending at the waist but still keeping his face up so Daichi could still see his sheepish smile. Daichi rolled his eyes and snatched his robe off the end of the bed and wrapped it around himself, heading straight for the table.

“Was there something that kept you?”

“Nothing in particular. I may have slept in a little bit.”

“Poor Kuroo. Your wicked master must work you to the bone.”

“It’s so hard,” Kuroo sighed, leaning around Daichi’s back to pour some water into his goblet. “You wouldn’t believe the things he makes me do.”

“Well, I’m glad you took the chance to get a little extra rest. Because today is going to be grueling.”

He wanted to wince from Daichi’s words, but Kuroo kept his smile firm since his Majesty was eyeing him closely out of the corner of his eye.

“Oh?”

“Yes! I’ll be training with the Knights all day, brushing up on various weaponry. Which means you’ll need to fetch them all from the armory out to the training yard. Also, some of them require extra padding, extra equipment… the cat and nine tails may need detangling—”

“Sire, um, are torture devices necessary?”

“You never know when you might need it. Especially when dealing with servants who slack off.”

Kuroo twerked his mouth to the side and didn’t answer, standing off to the side with the water pitcher in his hand. He narrowed his eyes at the way Daichi’s smile deepened even as he continued inhaling his food.

Hmm, he’s lucky he’s cute. Otherwise, I’d really let him have it.

Since Daichi had been fed and spent his entire breakfast teasing Kuroo, he was in a very good mood by the time he was dressed and crossing the yard toward his knights. Kuroo was trailing behind him, staggering with a heap of armor and weapons in his arms. He could hear Suga and Asahi laughing before he caught sight of them, and he was grateful his face was covered the way it was heating up.

“Need some help, Kuroo?” Asahi asked, still good-natured even when he was laughing at him.

“No, he’s doing great!” Suga chirped. “A little to the left Kuroo! No, not that far, you might fall into the lake!”

Kuroo growled in his throat as all the knights all took turns poking fun at his misery. He was about to toss it all on the ground and storm off when he felt a warm hand press against his back.

“Here’s fine, Kuroo. Thank you,” Daichi murmured over his shoulder. He wasn’t tall enough to quite reach his ear, so his breath tickled over Kuroo’s neck instead and sending goosebumps fluttering down his shoulders and arms.

“Oh, uh, okay.”

Smooth, he thought as he squatted down to lay everything down gently. It would be easier if Daichi was always a little shit to him, but unfortunately, he had the habit of always knowing when to back off or apologize when he went too far. It was impossible for Kuroo to stay mad at him and impossible for him to restrain his deepening feelings for the future King of Karasuno. What chance did he even have, even if he was a female servant and could provide him with an heir? It was pathetic.

He gulped down the rush of nerves and watched as Daichi joined the others. The prince did sometimes struggle with his ego, probably from being raised as a pompous royal, but he had some sort of earnest charm that demanded respect as soon as anyone met him. His knights followed his will without question, which Kuroo was thankful for since many of them would be monsters without Daichi’s guidance.

Daichi and his head knights spent most of the morning training the younger ones while Kuroo sat off to the side, polishing weapons when they weren’t in use. He didn’t mind; working in that manner gave him a front row seat to some hilarious situations. It was one of the only times Daichi lost his temper, and Kuroo never missed the chance to heckle him about it afterward when he had calmed down.

It was about mid-afternoon when Kageyama and Hinata finally got into it, arguing about the correct way to handle a spear. Though Kageyama was a bit of an idiot in almost every respect, he was a genius when it came to technique and weaponry. The poor little ginger had no chance against him, but that didn’t stop him from arguing his point with unintelligible words spewed at the top of his lungs. Kageyama answered with the only swear word he knew and tried to nail Hinata with his fist.

At that point, Kuroo had propped the broadsword he was sharpening against a boulder and leaned forward expectantly, sensing something extreme was about to occur. The shouting had drawn Daichi’s attention and he was already stomping toward the pair as Asahi winced in anticipation. Suga peered around Asahi’s large frame, loving a bit of drama but always mindful of the younger knights’ well being.

“Kageyama! Hinata! Didn’t I tell you both not to fight when you’re—” Daichi’s shouting was cut short when Hinata tried prying the spear from Kageyama’s hands. Kuroo wasn’t sure if it was by magic that he could see everything happening slower than reality, but he knew the pointed end of the spear was heading straight for Daichi as it flung out of the young knights’ grip. His breath hissed as he sucked it in quick and focused, his heart pounding a million beats per minute.

A split second later, Daichi was on his back with the spear right next to his face, possibly in it, Kuroo couldn’t tell. Everyone seemed frozen with horror as they waited for a sign that he was still alive, but Kuroo didn’t hesitate. He launched himself from the rock he was sitting on and stumbled forward until he reached Daichi’s side.

“Daichi!” He shouted as he landed on top of him, his hands instinctively reaching for his face. The edge of the spear had nicked Daichi’s cheek but that seemed to be the extent of the damage to Kuroo’s relief. Daichi himself was still in shock, remaining on the ground as he blinked owlishly up at him.

“Are you okay?” Kuroo asked, jerking his handkerchief from his neck and using it to wipe the trickle of blood from his face.

“Yeah, I think so. I thought for sure it was coming straight for me.”

“The wind must have blown it off course. Come on,” Kuroo urged as he slipped his arm behind Daichi to help him up. At last, the tension was broken, and an onslaught of knights rushed forward and shoved Kuroo out of the way to make sure their prince was okay.

“Daichi-saaaaaaan, I’m so glad you’re not dead!” Noya shouted, tears streaming down his face as he draped himself over Daichi’s back.

“I’ve never been so scared, are you alright?” Suga asked more calmly, his face was paler than usual.

“I’m fine, get off me, you lunatics.”

Kuroo rubbed his chest as Daichi attempted to shove his friends off, willing his heart to slow down before it burst from his chest. He glanced over at Hinata and Kageyama who looked stricken with guilt and remained uncharacteristically quiet as they waited. A tall figure lingering behind them also caught Kuroo’s eye. Tsukishima was never one to be involved in the rowdier antics of the group, but he still cared as much about Daichi as any of the others. Which was why it made him nervous that Tsukishima’s sharp golden eyes were narrowed at Kuroo instead of Daichi.

His attention was yanked away as Daichi finally scattered the knights away with a shout and gave his full attention to Hinata and Kageyama. He straightened his shoulders in front of them, showing off the breadth of his muscular chest. His silence was even more terrifying than his shouting, and within moments Kageyama and Hinata were reduced to trembling jelly.

To Kuroo’s surprise, Daichi turned his gaze toward him with a hair-raising smirk on his face.

“Seems you have a lot of work left, Kuroo.”

“Yes, Sire. You did instruct me to clean and polish the entire armory,” Kuroo answered, biting his cheek to keep from sounding sarcastic. Even he knew when to resist provoking Daichi, and he valued his life too much to push it.

“Good. Everything you have left will now be Hinata and Kageyama’s responsibility. And if it’s not all shining like a mirror by sundown…” He paused, taking another step toward them and leaning forward with a terrifying expression on his face, “You will regret it.”

Hinata released an inhuman squeak and saluted, but accidentally smacked himself in the eye. Kageyama nodded so vigorously Kuroo could see the sweat spraying from the quick motion. Daichi said nothing else but spun on his heel and walked past everyone to where his own sword and shield had been thrown down.

“Come on, Kuroo. I need to get cleaned up to eat with Father and Kiyoko.”

“Yes, my handsome and always fair Master,” Kuroo purred as he chased after him. He had finally shaken off his fright from earlier and was anxious to change the atmosphere.

“I’m in no mood for teasing right now.”

“Who said I was teasing? I meant every word of that statement.”

“I’ll remember that next time you think your chores are too cumbersome.”

“Hmm, yup, I walked right into that one.”

Daichi slowed his steps enough to glance at him over this shoulder. All the anger had dissipated, and Kuroo wanted to bask in the warm smile Daichi was giving him. Too soon, however, Daichi had turned back around and Kuroo felt his disappointment cling to him like an icy chill. He shook it off and followed his master to his room in silence, and as soon as they entered Kuroo fluttered about to prepare a washbowl for Daichi to clean up in and gathered fresh clothes for him to change into. Daichi observed him working as he waited, but his gaze didn’t bother Kuroo. It was as if his skin could sense his eyes on him, prickling with excited goosebumps. He would be the first to admit he was selfish; he wished Daichi’s eyes would only look at him.

When he turned around, Daichi had already peeled off his shirt and tossed it aside. For a whole year he had been Daichi’s servant, and no matter how many times he’s seen his body it always managed to give him a heart attack. He enjoyed teasing him about being a pampered prince, but the evidence of his hard work was written across his exposed skin. Old scars and fresh bruises littered his torso, and unlike most royals, his skin was warm and tan from hours spent in the hot sun.

Kuroo flinched when Daichi turned to him and tossed a piece of fabric into his face as he walked toward the wash basin.

“Here, thank you for this.”

Kuroo peeled it off his face and held it up. It was his handkerchief, stained with Daichi’s blood.

Hmm, at least it’s already red.

He shoved it in his back pocket and rushed forward to grab a towel, knowing Daichi would be needing it in a moment as he scrubbed his face clean. He gripped it in front of him as he stared up at the ceiling. The last thing he needed was to watch droplets of water skimming down Daichi’s handsome face and turn red as a tomato. He’d embarrassed himself enough for one day and they hadn’t even eaten lunch yet.

“What are you looking at?” Daichi asked as he tugged the towel away from him.

“Um, I think there was a bug up there, I couldn’t tell.”

Daichi snorted and tossed the damp towel at his chest. “Don’t worry, my timid little servant. I’ll protect you from any scary bugs.”

“Hmph, you want to talk about little?”

“What was that?”

“I said you have a very trim middle.”

Daichi frowned and glanced down at his stomach and Kuroo snatched up his clean shirt before he pursued the topic any further. In record time, he had Daichi dressed and ready to eat with the rest of the royal family. When they arrived in the dining hall, Kiyoko and Michimiya were already there, standing close together as they watched something happening from the window. Michimiya covered her nose as she snorted into it, and Kiyoko pressed her lips tight as they curled up at the edges. Daichi shared a curious look with Kuroo, and with a smirk, he crept forward to hover over Michimiya’s shoulder.

“Whatcha looking at?” Daichi asked, lunging out of the way just in time as Michimiya squealed and nearly smacked him in the face with her hand. Daichi and Kuroo roared with laughter as her face flushed a deep red.

“Please don’t scare me like that, Your Majesty.”

“It’s not like I meant to scare you. I was only wondering what was so interesting.”

Michimiya glared at Daichi, but she relaxed as Kiyoko set her hand on her shoulder.

“We were just watching Nishinoya attempting to flirt with the girl who delivers milk from the dairy farm outside of town. Usually, she only slaps him once, but something he said today earned him two.”

Daichi sighed and shook his head. “I’ll have another talk with him about the appropriate way to speak to women.”

“Yes, of course!” Kuroo chimed in, his grin spreading wide on his face. “After all, there’s no man more charming than the Prince himself. Women from every kingdom swoon upon his every word.”

Kuroo was pleased his teasing earned giggles from Kiyoko and Michimiya, but he felt an ominous dread as Daichi turned to face him with his most intimidating scowl.

“Well, at least I don’t get slapped.”

“Really? Because it looked like you almost did not even a minute ago when you frightened Michimiya.”

“That— That’s different!”

“And as for other young ladies, perhaps they’re too frightened to slap you. Not even touching on how intimidating you can be, you are royalty. Laying a hand on you could get them thrown in the dungeons, or worse.”

Kuroo meant the teasing in good fun, but he felt a pang of guilt when Daichi faltered as he considered his words. His gaze drifted off as his shoulders sagged with melancholy.

“You’re right… It’s strange that I’ve never considered I may be making someone uncomfortable because of my status. How would I even know if I’ve behaved badly? How can I make amends?”

Kiyoko sighed and reached out to poke her finger into Daichi’s chest. “Kuroo was only teasing you, Daichi. I would have told you already if you’ve behaved badly.”

Daichi smiled and relaxed at her words but Kiyoko didn’t retract her hand as she lifted it to his cheek.

“This is new, what happened?”

“Oh, Kageyama and Hinata started fighting over a spear, it flew out of their hands and nearly skewered me. Luckily, it only grazed my cheek.”

Kiyoko winced as her eyes narrowed on the fresh cut. Kuroo felt his chest tighten at the idyllic scene straight from a fairy tale, the beautiful Lady being gentle with her handsome prince. Daichi didn’t shy away from her touch either, his eyes warm and smile reassuring as they had a silent conversation through their expressions.

It was a match made in heaven really. Kiyoko was the King’s ward and had no relation to Daichi. The entire Kingdom respected and idolized her, and with her as Daichi’s Queen, no one would dare stand against them. Kuroo should encourage it, as Daichi’s servant and friend who cares greatly about him and the kingdom. Yet he couldn’t find it in his heart to do so. It took all his strength to keep his heartbreak from his face during tender moments Daichi and Kiyoko shared. To watch them marry would break him.

At last Kiyoko glanced to the side at Michimiya, and the smile disappeared from her face. She pulled her hand back just enough to flick her fingers across Daichi’s forehead and stepped away.

“Be more careful next time.”

“As you wish, my Lady. By the way, isn’t Father running late?”

“Yes, I had a feeling he might be. I saw a glimpse of him this morning and he looked furious.”

“So, a regular day in the Kingdom of Karasuno, huh?” Kuroo interjected, earning a giggle from Michimiya. Kiyoko covered her mouth to hide her smile, but Daichi fixed him with a hard look.

“Are you seriously making fun of the King, Kuroo?”

“I’m not, how could you even suggest it?” Kuroo gasped, covering his mouth with his hand.

Daichi’s scowl hardened and opened his mouth to retort, but their attention was stolen away by multiple footsteps rushing toward the doorway to the hall. Servants rushed through the door and held it open as the King stomped in, his anger billowing off him in a dark aura. It was obvious to Kuroo where Daichi had inherited his famous temper from, but he kept his mouth shut and bowed low in front of the King. The man would never tolerate the belligerence exuded from Kuroo’s lips as his son did.

“Father, what’s happened?” Daichi asked as he rushed after his father toward the table.

“Where’s the food?! This is lunchtime I presume?” The King snapped, and immediately more servants bustled through the doors with steaming hot food to serve. As Daichi and Kiyoko sat across from each other at the long table with the King at the end, Kuroo and Michimiya hovered against the wall in silence, waiting to be called upon by their masters if they needed them.

The King shoveled food into his mouth with a huff, but gradually he calmed down with the more food he gained in his belly. He took a break to guzzle some wine and set the goblet down with a sigh.

“Thieves broke into the vaults last night.”

“Thieves? Why am I just now hearing about this?” Daichi asked, his head swiveling to the end of the room where Ukai Keishin stood, the King’s head knight and Daichi’s own mentor. The grandson of old man Ukai gave him a shrug, so Daichi turned back to his father for answers.

“Because it took us a while to even figure out what was taken. And when we did find out… let’s just say we don’t want that information leaking out to the rest of Karasuno.”

“The item that was stolen, was it powerful?” Kiyoko asked, and the King gave her his full attention, his face softening immediately.

“It can be in the wrong hands, but don’t worry your pretty little head about it. Leave it to the men to figure this issue out.”

The King turned back to his food without another thought, completely missing the way Kiyoko’s glare seemed to cool the temperature of the room. Even Daichi seemed to slink down in his seat, reaching for his own goblet to hide his face behind it. A series of crashes suddenly erupted along the wall, and everyone jerked their heads around to see all the ornate windows had burst open. Several had even broken from the force with shards of glass littering the tiled floor.

“What the devil?” The King muttered, his eyes searching for any sign that could have caused it. Daichi stood up to get a better look but slowly sat down when nothing was obviously out of place.

“Must have been the wind.”

The King shrugged it off and returned to his meal, discussing the item that was stolen while Kuroo’s attention lingered on the broken windows. He watched other servants rush to sweep up the mess and close the windows that were still intact, wondering himself what could have caused it. He was certain the windows were locked, it would take an unnatural gust of wind to force it open. His eyes flickered to Kiyoko as she turned back around in her chair. All the color had drained from her face and she avoided meeting even Michimiya’s eye as she picked at her food.

“We don’t want to cause a scene, so I want you to go alone to confront the thieves. It’s a clear day, so you should have no trouble tracking them. No doubt they fled to the forest.”

“You want me to leave my knights behind?”

“Yes, they’re just mangy thieves, surely you can handle that yourself? I wouldn’t want to hand the Kingdom over to a son who hides behind a wall of miscreant knights.”

Kuroo noticed the way Daichi’s back stiffened at his father’s words and that his grip around the handle of the goblet was turning his fingers white. Kuroo knew it wasn’t the jab against Daichi specifically that had made him angry, it was the insult against his friends.

“I can handle it alone,” Daichi responded simply, instead of pressing the issue.

“Be watchful though, the stone has magical properties and if the thieves are able to join up with those menacing Druids lurking in the woods then the situation will become more dangerous. Defeat them before they have the chance, you leave as soon as you’re finished with your meal.”

“Yes, Father. Kuroo, would you go ahead and prepare my horse?” He asked over his shoulder. His eyebrows raised a tad higher, silently requesting Kuroo of one more thing.

“Yes, my Lord. I’ll go prepare your horse.”

Daichi’s lips quirked up in the barest of smile and turned away as Kuroo bowed low and swept out of the hall. Keishin stepped aside to let him pass but rolled his eyes as he did so. There was no reason for him to object to Kuroo joining Daichi on his quest; he’s no knight and no one but old man Ukai knew what Kuroo was capable of.

He exhaled loudly as soon as the doors closed behind him and trotted down the corridor that would lead him toward the stables. Even in the spaciousness of the hall, anywhere the King was present felt confined and uncomfortable. Kuroo was mature enough to see that Daichi’s father was actually a decent ruler. For decades he had ruled Karasuno and was able to maintain more peace than war, despite the tension between them and the surrounding Kingdoms.

But his hatred of magic has sparked unfair treatment of sorcerers and witches throughout the land. Even the peaceful Druids of the forest have hidden to avoid being put to death by the King. If he ever learned of Kuroo’s abilities, not even Daichi’s friendship could save him. He couldn’t even guarantee Daichi would forgive him for it, so Kuroo refused to even entertain the idea of sharing his secret with his master.

When he reached the stables, he tacked up his own horse first since she was more patient than Daichi’s spunky stallion. His horse, Kaede, wasn’t technically his; she still technically belonged to the King. But she was too old to participate in battles and never had any luck with breeding. When Daichi first gave her to Kuroo to ride, he told Kuroo that she had been the first horse he learned to ride on and would serve him well. He didn’t miss the fondness in his eyes as he stroked her muzzle as she flipped up her lips affectionately, and because of that Kuroo has treated her like a queen ever since.

As he predicted, Kaede waited patiently in her gear, nickering softly as Kuroo tossed Daichi’s saddle onto his black stallion, Banri. He gave Banri a dirty look as he stamped his hoof, anxious to get moving. Taking a deep breath to wipe away his irritation, Kuroo patted his neck and spoke soothingly to him.

“Are you going somewhere with Daichi-san?” A cool voice asked behind him, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Tsukishima leaning against the stable doors.

“Yeah, we’re running an errand for the King.”

“Since when does his Majesty send the Prince on a meager errand?”

“Is there something you wanted, Tsukki?”

“It’s Tsukishima, and no, there are plenty of places I’d rather be than here,” He replied, scrunching his nose as he eyed a pile of freshly piled muck that still needed to be removed from the stable. “Regardless, I felt it was necessary to speak with you.”

He straightened up from the doorway and stepped forward, closing the barn doors before approaching Kuroo.

“Wow, this seems serious,” Kuroo chuckled as he leaned against Banri, which earned him an indignant snort.

“It is serious, Kuroo-san. I know you have magic.”

The grin on Kuroo’s face slipped away before he could stop it, and it felt like his heart had plummeted through the floor.

“I’m sorry, did you say magic? No, haven’t got any, but you might wanna check the woods if you’re looking for some. I hear that’s where the local Druid’s are—”

“I saw your eyes flash when Daichi-san was about to be stabbed by that spear today. And before you blame it on the sun or something ridiculous like that, it’s not the first time I’ve seen it.”

Kuroo opened his mouth to give some other excuse, but Tsukishima narrowed his eyes at him again, warning him not even to try it. The stable suddenly felt too warm and claustrophobic for his taste. He drew in a shuddered breath, his mind flickering a mile a minute as he tried to plan his next step.

If the word got out that he had magic, he could either run for his life or stay and be killed by the King. Naturally, his own life was his priority, but the thought of leaving Daichi’s side was torture. On the other hand, the King might decide to physically torture him in the town square to use him as an example. Over and over, he opened his mouth to say something but closed it immediately. He ran his trembling hand through his hair and even Banri started to squirm as he picked up on Kuroo’s mood. Finally, Tsukishima sighed and held up a hand.

“You don’t have to worry, I’m not going to tell anyone. Not even Yamaguchi.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like magic,” Tsukishima emphasized. “I don’t trust it and those who use it. With that said, I’ve been observing you for some time and I have never seen you use it unless it was to protect Daichi-san.”

“Well, if I’m perfectly honest, I have used it to trip him a couple times if he was being an ass.”

Tsukishima snorted and shook his head. “That never hurt him much. The thing is, with the King’s hatred of magic he has persecuted a lot of people and those people will want revenge. They’ll undoubtedly go after Daichi-san as a result. As his knights, we can fight violent men and armies, but we can do nothing against magic. At least with you looking out for him, he stands a chance.”

“You really trust me that much?”

“If you meant him harm you could have destroyed him a long time ago. Besides, I saw your face earlier when he fell. No actor could fabricate the fear you had when you thought he might have been killed.”

Kuroo nodded as he turned back to Banri, anxious to get him tacked up so they could finish up their conversation before anyone else heard. “So, if you weren’t planning on telling anyone, why did you even bother to talk to me about it?”

“Because you need to be more careful if you don’t want to get caught. I think I’m the only one who’s noticed so far, but, as I’m sure you have noticed, most of the knights aren’t the brightest. But it’s only a matter of time that one of the others notice, and they might not have the same reasoning as I do.”

“Aww, Tsukki, you do care!”

Tsukishima sighed heavily and spun on his heel to head back to the door. “There’s a difference between caring and not wanting to see the Prince heartbroken as he watches his servant be put to death.”

“Thanks for that mental image.”

“You’re welcome. Perhaps it’ll help you be more cautious next time. Safe travels, Kuroo-san,” Tsukishima said as he yanked the stable doors open and disappeared without another word.

Daichi chuckled as Banri pranced underneath him, relieved to finally have some exercise. He felt bad not taking him out that often, but Karasuno was in a rare period of peace with no enemies to defeat and no tourneys to win. I’ll just need to think up some excuse for a ride, Daichi thought, giving Banri a firm pat on his shoulder.

It was a beautiful day and perfect for traveling but the atmosphere seemed strangely tense and quiet considering Kuroo was on the horse next to him. Typically, when they were out of sight of the city’s gates, Kuroo would let loose and tease him until Daichi was threatening him with a public execution. He glanced over at his servant who seemed lost in thought, and not positive thoughts by the sour look on his face. It wasn’t like Kuroo to worry about anything, and even stranger still was the fact that he wasn’t sharing his worries with Daichi.

“Kuroo, if you needed to poop, you should have done it before getting on the horse.”

Kuroo blinked as Daichi’s voice stirred him from his thoughts. He frowned as he processed what he had said, the amusement slowly forming across his facial features once he put it together and finally laughed.

“I learned my lesson a long time ago. Jeesh, are you ever gonna let me forget that?”

“Never.”

“You’re worse than my grandmother.”

“So, are you going to tell me what’s bothering you, or are you going to make me guess?”

“I doubt you could guess but go for it!” Kuroo challenged him with a sly grin. Daichi could never back down from that rotten smile of his, so he wracked his brain to come up with something to tease Kuroo about.

“Hmm, I’m sure you’re probably terrified about confronting the thieves, but you shouldn’t be. I’ll handle it, so you don’t need to be nervous.”

“I’m not scared of thieves,” Kuroo answered firmly, quirking his mouth in irritation when Daichi snickered.

“Ah, you’re more worried about what they stole.”

“Why would I be nervous about a rock?!”

“Stone.”

Kuroo leaned his head back and groaned. “There is literally no difference between a stone and a rock.”

“Yes, there is. A rock you can find anywhere in nature, but a stone has been altered in some way. This particular one has magical properties and isn’t to be taken lightly.”

“It does?”

“Yes, didn’t you hear my father talking about it?”

“Yeah, but… I was a little distracted.”

“The stone was confiscated from a witch around twenty years ago. The stone itself isn’t that magical and is useless to most people, but in the hands of a person with magical abilities, they could use the stone as a weapon. And considering how people with magic feel about Karasuno, they could use it to destroy everything.”

Kuroo inhaled and opened his mouth to say something but immediately snapped it shut. Daichi watched him closely as Kuroo bit his lip, staring off in the other direction.

“Were you going to say something?”

“No.”

“It looked like you were going to say something.”

“It’s nothing, it’s just… Listen, I don't know much, I’m just a servant boy who lives in the castle and rarely travels outside the city. Thinking about it logically though, I don’t think people with magic would hold a grudge against the entirety of Karasuno. The common people are just living their lives and care more about whether their child is getting enough to eat rather than if a person has some magical ability. It’s more likely your father they’ll hold a grudge against.”

“So, that should worry me less?”

“No, of course, that would worry you.”

“I understand what you’re saying, Kuroo, but the point is that magic can do a lot of harm and needs to be stopped.”

With the way Kuroo winced at his words, it almost seemed like Daichi had slapped him across the face. He was surprised by his reaction, especially when Kuroo clenched his jaw and kept quiet, urging his horse forward without a word. Daichi mentally went back through their conversation, trying to find what may have caused Kuroo pain but couldn’t think of anything. He enjoyed teasing Kuroo as much as Kuroo enjoyed teasing him, but it was horrifying to think he may have offended his friend.

“Kuroo, what is it?”

“Nothing, we should hurry if we’re going to make it before dark.”

“We have plenty of time, tell me what’s on your mind.”

“It’s bad manners for a servant to speak his mind, or else Ukai-san has been giving me the wrong lessons.”

“Now, of all times, you choose to follow that logic?” Daichi laughed, but Kuroo didn’t seem any more likely to reveal his thoughts. With a huff, Daichi urged Banri ahead and turned him sharply to block Kuroo’s path.

“What are you doing?!”’

“Spit it out.”

“Spit what out?”

“What’s on your mind.”

“Why should I?”

“Because you’re one of the only people I can rely on to be honest with me!” Daichi shouted, his voice echoing across the meadows surrounding them. Kuroo’s scowl fell as his eyes widened in alarm, and when it seemed like he still wouldn’t say anything, Daichi sighed. “Earlier you teased me about women, but it really is my greatest fear that I will be a terrible King because people are afraid to tell me the truth out of fear of punishment. I want the people of Karasuno to be happy and safe, and I want to maintain peace with the kingdoms around us. It’s not that I want to be a pushover, but I will learn nothing if I don’t hear people out. Do you think you speaking your mind will hinder my ability to be a good king?”

Kuroo stared at him a good minute before shaking his head. “No, I never once doubted that you would be a great king.”

Daichi felt his pulse race at Kuroo’s honesty and gulped down the sudden rush of excitement before it caused him to blush. It wasn’t like his servant to be so honest with a compliment. “Then tell me what bothers you, Kuroo. I’ll let you know if you’re overstepping your bounds, but I trust you and your opinion.”

“You’ll obviously be a great king, Daichi, for this very reason. Your maturity is beyond your years, and I think many kings and queens could learn from your example. Think for a moment, though, what happens when a person in power abuses it. I know of some lords who harass young ladies in their village and the maidens are unable to oppose them, fearing for their lives. Kings go to war over petty matters, and it's the people who suffer because of it. Some Queens manipulate and spark whispers among the court because who could doubt her? Humans will abuse any power they have… if they have a selfish heart. It’s no different with magic.

Sure, I’ve seen warlocks who manipulate fools into doing their bidding and witches who seek revenge. But imagine an old woman in a far-off village who works herself to the bone healing people who are sick when medicine can’t help? Or the Druids in the forest, do you really think they’re conniving when all they are doing is escaping your father’s wrath? What do you think, Daichi? Do you really think magic is the real culprit?”

It was Daichi’s turn to be stunned silent. He turned Banri and urged him forward, so they could continue down the path toward the forest, but his mind was reeling with everything that Kuroo had said. The truth was that he had never heard anyone speak of magic in anything but a negative light. Perhaps he was just naive, but everything Kuroo had said was a fresh concept to him, and yet it seemed like something he should have considered before.

“Are you alright?” Kuroo asked finally. Daichi glanced over at him, his gaze falling to where Kuroo was trying to bite a hole in his lip.

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just… doesn’t using magic come at a price?”

“Huh?”

“Father said magic is evil and fickle, always having some unintended downfall to using it.”

Kuroo’s face darkened with a scowl, the hesitancy in his eyes giving Daichi an ominous feeling.

“Dark magic is the only kind that comes with a price. All the rest can be done as easily as picking up a broom and sweeping with it.”

“I see,” Daichi responded, turning his gaze away from Kuroo. He was uncomfortable with that kind of information, especially the way it plunged his mind into a lake full of squirmy, slippery clues he hadn’t even known existed. He was nearly twenty years old and not once had he wondered why his father despised magic. He had assumed that it was something everyone knew, that magic was evil and not to be trusted, like some enemy just waiting to ensnare everyone and drag them into the abyss. But from what he knew about humankind, most strong opinions were based on a reaction to personal experience. And it wasn’t just magic that his father feared, it was dark magic.

Father, what on earth did you get mixed up with... and what was the consequence?

“I know what you’re thinking,” Kuroo said finally, luring Daichi from his morbid thoughts with his amused voice. Even his sly grin seemed to warm Daichi’s skin where it had gone cold and clammy. “You’re pissed off because you know I’m right.”

Daichi burst out laughing, startling Banri a little underneath him. Kuroo’s teasing had the intended effect and Daichi felt immense relief at having an excuse to shelf his mental investigation of his father until after his quest.

“I have to admit I may be a little disgruntled that I can’t find anything wrong with what you said, at least at the moment. Listen, I’d like to talk to you more about this because I feel like it’s incredibly important, but for now, we need to focus on our task.”

“Of course… anything to avoid saying Kuroo, you’re right! You’re a genius!”

“Kuroo, you’re an idiot and have issues with your ego.”

“Strange, I don’t think that’s how I said it. Besides, if you want to talk about ego—”

“Or we can talk about how chilly the nights have been and how uncomfortable it would be to spend a night in the stocks. Especially if you had rotten tomato juice spilling down your face.”

“Ah, fair point. Perhaps you’d like me to sing you a merry song showcasing your bravery from past battles!”

“No thank you, but if we choose to defeat the thieves by making their ears bleed, perhaps later?”

“My singing voice is lovely!”

“I hired you as a servant, not a bard.”

“Actually, it was the King who hired me after I saved your life. And I’ve never regretted anything so much in my life.”

“Where would you even be if you weren’t my servant?”

“That’s easy! I would be only Ukai-san’s apprentice as Court Physician, so instead of doing that and being your servant, I would spend my days being ordered around by only one ogre instead of two.”

“You really want to spend a night in the stocks, don’t you?”

“And here I thought you wanted me to speak my mind.”

“I didn’t realize you’d vomit your thoughts out like a lunatic.”

“Yeah, I have to admit I deserved that one.”

“Can you put a plug in it? The forest is up ahead.”

“Oh yes, the forest! The trees are highly offended by opinions, I’ll try to restrain myself.”

“I should have left you at home.”

“Why did you bring me? It’s not like I can help.”

Daichi was about to throw a glib answer back, but for once considered the question thoughtfully. Why did he always bring Kuroo on his missions? He was reluctant to admit it, but he enjoyed Kuroo’s company and their never-ending banter. His knights were his close friends and were always faithful and honest with him, but Kuroo brought something out in him that no one else did. Both Suga and Michimiya have hinted that it might be a streak of immaturity that surfaced when he was around Kuroo, but Kiyoko reasoned that it might be something deeper than that. He still remembers the secretive smile on her lips when she told Daichi that Kuroo had become his solace, an escape from his duties and expectations, allowing him to be himself completely.

“Sire, you shouldn’t think so hard, I’m not sure your brain could handle it.”

Daichi shot him a glare that would have sent his younger knights into a frenzy of fear (as well as Asahi), but it had the opposite effect on Kuroo. He tipped his head back and released an ugly cackle to the canopy overhead, forgetting that they were supposed to be quiet as they approached where they thought the thieves would be hiding. Despite it, Daichi was always caught off-guard by Kuroo’s true smile and the warmth that spread through his chest when he saw it.

“If I told you I brought you along as bait, would you turn around and head back to Karasuno?”

“Yeah, definitely.”

“Then I brought you along for your appealing personality and devastating good looks.”

“Well, it’s about time you appreciate me for my obvious assets.”

“Alright, we need to be quiet from here on out. Let’s tie the horses up here,” Daichi said as he pulled Banri up.

“How do you even know where they are?”

“Well, for one thing, I’ve been following their tracks this entire way. Did you forget I am one of the best hunters in the Kingdom?”

“Shame on me, forgetting that important and not at all egotistical fact.”

“Second,” Daichi growled with a warning look to Kuroo, “Up ahead are the largest caves in the forest. If I was trying to hide, that’s where I’d go.”

“Hmm, it’s difficult picturing you without a feather bed underneath you.”

“Are you going to shut up, or do I need to put a muzzle on you?”

“Nah, I’m good. My momentary death wish is over.”

“Good, because one more word out of you and I may have killed you. Come on, looks like they went this way.”

Kuroo sighed as he trampled after Daichi, kicking up the brittle leaves nestled into the grass. At one point Daichi halted and gave him a dirty look for crunching too many under his feet and Kuroo shrugged sheepishly. They continued in silence until Daichi saw the thieves’ tracks veer around a hill and down into the valley beneath it where several caves could be found. Instead of following them, he climbed straight up the hill and hunched over as he neared the top, motioning for Kuroo to do the same. He peered over the edge of a sharp cliff and surveyed the valley beneath them as Kuroo nestled next to him.

They both heard it at the same time, distant bickering echoing out of the cave in front of them. Daichi gazed around at the fading light, knowing he had to act fast before night came. There was no reason he couldn’t defeat them once the sun set, but he had a gut feeling that the thieves were waiting for it to try their hand at the stone. He didn’t know what to expect, and despite what Kuroo had said about magic not being inherently evil, he felt certain the thieves meant to use it for immoral purposes.

“How do you want to handle this?” Kuroo asked in a hushed whisper, his face serious as his sharp eyes scoured over the entire area.

“From what I’ve seen of their tracks and the number of voices we hear, I would say there’s no more than eight. I can handle that much without you doing any kind of distraction, so I’ll slip in and try to incapacitate as many as I can before they can use the stone.”

“Oh sure, yeah, eight’s no big deal,” Kuroo grumbled with a roll of his eyes

“Not really, I’ve handled more.”

“Why would you face them all alone when you have me?”

“Because I’m my father’s son and I’m expected to take care of any situation I’m faced with and conquer it.”

“Oh, I see. Being your father’s son means you need to be an idiot. Got it, I’ll try to remember that for next time.”

“I’m serious, Kuroo.”

“So am I! What could possibly possess me to stay behind and let you fight them all on your own?”

Daichi turned his gaze to Kuroo, his face softening as his lips curled in a smile. He would never admit it, but he loved seeing the worried expression on Kuroo’s face when he looked back at him. It stirred something in him, soothing a loneliness he’s felt all his life and refused to acknowledge. All the provocations and teasing Kuroo layered on him was nothing to the amount of concern he obviously felt for Daichi.

An overwhelming desire came over him, a yearning to touch Kuroo and soothe his worries. He shuffled a little closer to Kuroo until their arms were pressed together. Kuroo’s eyes widened as Daichi turned on his side to face him and reached up to wrap his arm across Kuroo’s back, rubbing soothing circles into it. A flutter of excitement surged through his veins when Kuroo melted into his touch, a light blush tickling his pale cheeks.

Daichi’s breath caught as a final beam of golden light fell across Kuroo’s face. Most of the time he could ignore how handsome his servant was, but in a moment like that, it was impossible. He was so close to Kuroo, he could see how long and thick his eyelashes were as they fluttered over his soothing grey eyes. When not stretched up in an irritating smirk, Kuroo’s lips were soft and oddly delicate. Anytime Daichi’s eyes lingered on them, it stirred heat in his lower belly to the point he was worried he would do something drastic.

“You will stay behind...” Daichi croaked, coughing into his shoulder as he hoped his face hadn’t flushed to the hue of a tomato, “Because I’m ordering you to. Besides, we both know you don’t know which end of a sword to hold.”

Kuroo narrowed his eyes and lifted his nose with a huff. “Alright, since I apparently have no choice whatsoever, what should I do?”

“Wait here, and if they do take me out, go get help.”’

“That’s a terrible plan.”

“Do you have a better one?”

“I’m ashamed to say I don’t.”

“Good. Watch my back.”

Daichi shuffled back and turned around to make his way down the hill.

“Daichi,” Kuroo called softly, stopping him in his tracks. He glanced over his shoulder to see the worried expression back on Kuroo’s face, his eyes luring him back to his side even though he’d only traveled a few feet away. “Please be careful.”

“Worried about me, Kuroo?”

Kuroo shrugged as a grin spread back up his lips. “Job security.”

Daichi huffed out a laugh and resumed his trek down the hill and caught up with the thieves’ tracks. As the path curved around the base of the hill, he glanced up and caught sight of a shadow hovering over the cliff. He smiled and waved instinctively, feeling like an idiot as soon as his hand was raised in the air. The embarrassment faded as he saw Kuroo raise his hand and wave back, filling him with another wave of affection for the other man.

Get a grip, Daichi. What kind of a man has feelings like this for his servant? Even as he thought it, he knew it probably happened more often than not. Especially if the master and servant had a friendly relationship. Kuroo had only been his servant for a year, but he already knew everything about Daichi, from his waist circumference to every humiliating loss he’s suffered in a tourney (Thanks to Suga regaling the tales without any worry of Daichi punishing him for it).

Daichi paused when a strange thought occurred to him; he didn’t know anything about Kuroo’s past. As soon as Kuroo arrived in the city, he was almost immediately placed as Daichi’s servant, and before that was an absolute mystery to Daichi. He knew he came from Nekoma, a village hovering on the border between Karasuno and Fukurodani, but that was it. Daichi had never even visited the village and had never asked Kuroo about his upbringing there. Shame flooded him when he realized he didn’t even know if he had family besides a grandmother he mentioned occasionally.

He glanced back up at the cliff, but the shadow was no longer there. He must be hiding somewhere more discreet, He thought, hoping Kuroo would be careful. Unlike his knights, he often worried about Kuroo’s safety since he had no skills in combat.

He shook his head to clear away all thoughts of Kuroo to focus on the mission and continued down the path. Once they successfully completed the mission and retrieved the stone, he’d start asking Kuroo more about his life. Their friendship meant everything to Daichi, and it couldn’t be a true friendship if he didn’t put in a little more effort on his part.

When Daichi finally drew near to the entrance of the cave, he could hear the men inside bickering, their voices filled with fear and frustration. Their shadows flickered across the wall, illuminated by the torchlight further in. Daichi kept his footsteps silent as he crept forward, staying low to observe the situation before they realized he was there.

“We don’t even know how to use it! What if it sends all our souls to hell?”

“It’s not that kind of stone, you idiot.”

“How would you know?”

“It hardly has any power! At least not before we say the words…”

“Don’t do it! This was a bad idea… and the King is going to find us and cut off our heads in the town square!”

“That’s absurd! We’re dealing with magic, which means he’ll burn us at the stake.”

There was an eruption of cries, groans, and more arguing, and Daichi wondered if he should just bide his time and let them fight each other instead.

“That’s enough!” One voice boomed above all the rest, silencing everyone. “Think of why we are doing this. If we crush the King and defeat everyone in the castle, then another power can rise… we can rise. If we get caught before we’re able to use it, they’ll assume it was the Druids, and not us since the stone has magic. That damn fool of a King can’t see anything else, after all.”

Daichi bristled at the way the man was bad-mouthing his father, but he couldn’t deny that his father probably would do exactly that. Unfortunately, the man’s logic and authoritative voice calmed the others, agreeing with what he said with murmurs and apologies. With his first option snatched away by the cool-headed leader, Daichi leaned around the corner, still hidden in shadow, to see what they were up to.

The men looked like commoners, dressed in ruddy jerkins with dirt smudged in their faces. None seemed athletic enough that they would give him any trouble, and their weapons seemed dull and rusted. There was one thief loomed over all the rest, but hopefully, that also meant he was slow.

He wondered why the men were keen on destroying him and his father. Without knowing the reason, he was reluctant to kill any of them. There are always two sides to every story… at least, Ukai-san used to tell him whenever Daichi prejudged a person for their actions.  

Still, he needed to do something. He spied the leader standing behind a stalagmite that had the top sanded down to make some sort of podium, and on top of that sat a smooth stone that could fit in the palm of his hand. The leader motioned for the men and they all lined up in a V-formation with the stone at the point.

“You all remember your lines?” He asked and received mostly affirmations and a few sheepish shrugs. He sighed and ran a hand through his long hair. “Do your best. None of us have actual magic so we’ll need to be as precise as possible. Ready?” He asked as he held up an ancient piece of paper. He licked his lips and stared at the paper hard, drawing in a deep breath to speak the first words.

Something flashed through the cave and a heartbeat later his paper was snatched by an arrow that slipped narrowly past the Leader’s neck, embedding itself in the cave wall behind him. The leader’s heart was beating erratically, the rest of his body stunned cold from nearly being killed.

“So sorry to interrupt in that rude way,” Daichi apologized as he stood boldly in the mouth of the cave, tossing aside his bow and arrow to draw his sword.

“It’s the Prince!”

“Shit, he’s going to kill us!”

“I knew this was a stupid idea.”

The leader clenched his jaw and crumbled the only bit of remaining paper in his hands and tossed it onto the ground. “Silence! Well, you caught us, your Majesty. What was your plan after that? Looks like it’s just you with none of your metal plated minions to back you up.”

“I can do just fine without my knights. I am not here to kill any of you, I’ve just come for the stone. Hand it over peacefully and I won’t harm any of you.”

“Maybe we should do it.”

“Idiot! This is our chance! He’s all alone.”

“We’d never get away with it!”

“Have you all forgotten the way the Sawamuras have treated you?!” The leader shouted, his furious voice causing all the thieves to flinch. “Where is your anger? We defeat the King’s son now, and then we’ll strike him down while he mourns his only heir. Get him!” He shouted, and all the thieves clamored toward Daichi at once.

Daichi clicked his tongue and rushed at the closest thief, the man sporting nothing but a thin, wooden staff. He slashed his blade straight through it and kicked the man in the gut, sending him to the ground and writhing in pain. The next one came from his left, and Daichi had to lunge out of the way to avoid his rusty sword. It was almost pathetic how the man could hardly lift it back up, and Daichi winced with a silent apology as he swiveled his sword in his hand and plunged the butt of the handle into the man’s nose. The thief dropped the sword and cried out as he buried his face in his hands.

Daichi swerved around the broken-nosed man as the giant of a man came running toward him with a large hammer. It nearly hit the other thief, and the giant shoved his cohort out of the way with his shoulder as he swung the hammer back into the air. For the first time, Daichi was nervous as he ducked and rolled several feet away, the hammer shaking the ground as it slammed into it. He hopped to his feet as quickly as possible, lifting his sword to block another thief trying to catch him off-guard. It was difficult planning out his parries when he was trying his best not to kill any of the men. There were still five thieves he needed to take out, and noticing the leader wasn’t among them Daichi glanced toward the back of the cave. His stomach dropped as he saw the man standing behind the stone, muttering words from two halves of paper held together.

Daichi didn’t have time to worry about that any longer; the giant was running at him with his hammer held high and his blade was still preoccupied with the scraggly thief in front of him. He shoved the sword against the thief’s with a grunt and pulled his left fist away, jabbing it quickly into the man’s face and knocking him back. Daichi jumped back to avoid the hammer, letting the giant man and his weapon separate him from the rest of the thieves for a moment. A greenish glow had begun to fill the cave, and Daichi wondered if his skin had grown clammy from his own nervousness or if it was the effect of the stone itself.

He licked his lips and held his sword up at the ready as the giant and the four other thieves faced him in a line, snickering as they held their own weapons up.

“Looks like you’re just about finished,” One of them spat, the others agreeing with barks of laughter.

“Oh, I’m not nearly finished. I was trying not to kill any of you, but it seems I’m just wasting time. I’m afraid I won’t hold back any longer.”

“Ha!” Another one shouted, his lips bared to show his crooked teeth clenched. “You can’t scare us little Princeling. Let’s get him!”

A rush of wind slammed against Daichi’s back, the force of it startling the thieves and snuffing out every torch in the cave. Everything seemed more sinister with only the green glow of the stone illuminating the space, and more unnerving still was the way the thieves backed up with their eyes widening in fear. Daichi turned and lowered his sword and flinched at a tall, shadowy figure standing at the mouth of the cave, backlit by a sliver of moonlight. A raspy cackle tumbled from beneath the hood, sending shivers down Daichi’s spine.

“What’s this? Didn’t your mothers tell you it wasn’t nice ganging up on smaller boys?” The old man said as he slid back the hood, revealing a shocking head of white hair that sprang up and flowed down his shoulders with a long beard to match. Daichi bristled at the jab at his height but startled as the man’s heavy-lidded eyes gave him a playful wink. There was something eerily familiar about him, but Daichi was certain that he had never encountered such a strange old man before. Especially one so incredibly tall.

“What’s it to you, Old Man? You should run along before we cut you down too!”

“How rude! What kind of men are you that you’d murder a defenseless old man?”

“Are you a defenseless old man?” The Leader asked, causing the line of thieves to break in the middle to turn back to him. Daichi was relieved the old man’s presence was enough to distract the leader from the incantation. He had no clue why the man had suddenly appeared, but he might as well use it best to his advantage.

“Oh ho? You are a sharp young one! The honest answer is no, I am not defenseless. I am the one the druids call Raijin, and I am the most powerful sorcerer who ever lived!” The old man shouted, holding up his walking stick in the air for effect. Laughter echoed in the confined space, but the leader quieted them down.

“If you’re a sorcerer, did you come here to assist us?”

Raijin huffed and smacked his walking stick on the ground. “Like I’d help you young fools do something so idiotic. You don’t know what powers you’re messing with.”

“Then you should leave, Old Man. This prince here hates your kind and will kill you as soon as look at you.”

“Eh? But he’s already seen me and has yet to bring me any harm.”

“He’s your enemy, how can you even suffer his presence?”

Daichi clenched his jaw but said nothing, having nothing to say to defend himself. He glanced at the old man and saw the hardness in his face as he considered the question, guilt flowing into his conscious like a tidal wave. He wondered what the man had suffered due to his father’s rules and his own enforcement of them.

“This sweet little pup isn’t as bad as you think. Sure, his father’s a complete ass but he won’t last forever.”

“What?!” Daichi squawked. “I’m not a sweet pup.”

“Hush now, and don’t interrupt your elders. I didn’t just wander in here because I was lost, I am here to put a stop to your idiocy before you make things worse for us magic folk! Come on, little Dai-kun, let’s see if you can keep up!”

The old man rushed forward with impressive speed and Daichi could just barely see his sharp eyes flash a bright amber as he waved his hand. All the thieves fell back from another gust of air. With a delighted laugh, Raijin smacked his stick across one thief’s face, instantly knocking him unconscious.

What the hell?! Daichi thought, rushing forward to distract the giant before the old man was crushed. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing, but as long as the wizard was on his side, he had more important things to worry about. His stamina was good, but there were only so many times he could jump out of the way in time to avoid being smashed by that monstrous hammer.

Crackles of lightning flashed across the cave as a chorus of screams mixed with it. Daichi winced from the bright flickering, trying to judge the force of the hammer as the giant lifted it up. Readjusting the grip on his sword, Daichi waited for it to come down and pivoted away instead of jumping. The swerve put him closer to the giant man and with a determined yell he brought his sword down on the hands gripping the hammer’s handle. It was difficult to see the extent of the damage as the giant screeched in pain, but Daichi didn’t hesitate as he swerved back around the giant to give him some momentum and sliced the back of the giant’s legs.

The ground trembled as the giant fell forward, and Daichi stepped away, ready to approach a new enemy. He froze as he watched the wizard shout something and raised his hand, forcing the last thief off his feet and slamming into the cave wall. The wizard glanced his way and had the nerve to smirk as he eyed the fallen man behind him.

“Well done! I took care of the rest while you were busy with that one.”

Daichi bristled at the old man’s tone. “He was huge! Did you see the size of him?”

“I’m old, not blind! You’re quite cruel to your elders, aren’t you, Boy?”

Daichi opened his mouth to retort, but the green light brightened with a flash, drawing their attention back to the Leader who was still muttering the incantation. The man’s forehead was creased as sweat slipped down his face. His words came out in pants, but he didn’t let up from the incantation even to spare them a glance.

“We need to stop it!” Daichi shouted as the air seemed to haze around them. He had never been so close to magic, and he could easily see why his father banned it from the Kingdom. It made him feel more vulnerable than he ever had in his entire life, and he glanced to the wizard to see if he had any ideas.

“No, I need to stop it,” Raijin stated and turned a sharp glare at him when he tried to protest. “This is beyond your powers, get out of the cave, now!”

Daichi’s instinct trusted the man’s words, and without hesitation, he ran toward the mouth of the cave. With everything happening behind him, he could only see flashes of green and pale blue light, warring with each other as the wizard and thief shouted their mysterious words at each other. The cave entrance was just ahead when everything went dead silent with a blinding flash and Daichi was thrust forward through the air and out the mouth of the cave, landing hard on the ground as the world around him went dark.

Daichi groaned when he finally stirred awake, gripping his side where he landed from the blast. Movement beside him startled him, but he relaxed as soon as he recognized Kuroo’s figure in the flickering firelight. Warm hands slipped under his arms and helped him sit up, and before Kuroo could slip away he wrapped his fingers into his vest to hold him still.

“Kuroo, what happened?” Daichi wheezed and coughed from the dryness of his throat. Kuroo winced and reached into his pack, removing a water skin working it into Daichi’s hands.

“Here, drink. You’ve been asleep for a few hours, I’ve been really worried.”

Daichi licked his lips before tipping the water skin back, humming as the cool water soothed his throat. He swallowed a final gulp and corked the skin, handing it back to Kuroo. Their fingers grazed against each other and Daichi sucked in a quick breath at the touch. He avoided Kuroo’s gaze until he had pulled back and settled on the grass next to Daichi, looking him over carefully.

“How do you feel?”

“Sore, and I’ve got a bit of a headache.”

“What do you remember?”

“Um, I was fighting, and some old man appeared, a wizard. He helped me defeat the thieves and I think he stopped the leader from completing the ritual with the stone. Shit, where is it?” Daichi asked, his back straightening as he jerked his head around. They were in a small clearing, somewhere between the edge of the forest and the caves. He tried to stand but Kuroo stopped him, grasping his arms with an impressive grip.

“Easy, I found the stone when I found you.”

“What, how?”

“I stayed hidden until I heard strange noises coming from the cave. It sounded like a thunderstorm was happening, and I could see the strange lights and knew that magic was somehow involved. If that was the case, I knew you’d be in over your head, so I came after you. By the time I arrived, however, everyone in the cave was knocked out cold and the stone was laying on the ground near the head thief. So, I took it.” Kuroo slipped his hand in his pocket and withdrew the stone, holding it out for Daichi. He stared at it suspiciously, remembering the eerie green light pouring from cracks in the stone’s skin. No cracks were visible, however, as it rested innocently in Kuroo’s palm.

“Why don’t you hang onto it?”

“Oh? Scared of a little rock, your Majesty?” Kuroo asked, his voice sly as his lips curved up in a grin.

“You didn’t see what that thing is capable of!”

“Hmm, I guess experiencing that has negated everything I said earlier about magic not being evil.”

Daichi’s gaze left the stone and rose to Kuroo’s face, his expression no longer teasing but completely blank. It was a face Kuroo wore only when he wanted to mask his emotions, and that was something he rarely did with Daichi. Promptly resisting the urge to wrap his arms around Kuroo, he compromised and placed his hand over Kuroo’s, feeling the cool surface of the stone separating their skin. Kuroo’s lips parted in surprise and with a new surge of boldness, Daichi closed his fingers around Kuroo’s hand and pulled it into his chest.

“It negated nothing, Kuroo. If anything, it reinforced what you said. The thieves were trying to use magic for their own purposes, to destroy us, and none of them had magic inherently. But then… that weird old man showed up.”

“What do you mean weird?” Kuroo asked, twisting his mouth to the side.

“Well, he wasn’t normal. No one that age has any business being that tall, for one thing, even if he was a little hunched. The point is, his magic was different than what the thief produced. It felt… warm and protective, pure. It’s hard to describe, it’s almost like trying to explain emotions you have for another person. Does that sound weird?”

“No, that doesn’t sound strange at all,” Kuroo replied, his voice hushing to almost a whisper. His eyes fell to his hand still grasped in Daichi’s and quickly looked away, nearly burying his face in his shoulder. “Um, now that you’re up we should be getting back before everyone starts to worry about us.”

Daichi felt reluctant to return to the castle, even more so to release Kuroo’s hand and move away from his side. There was comfort in the warmth of the fire and freedom that no one but the stars spread about above them could see. Daichi never had the chance when he was young to be comforted by his mother, she died before she even held him in her arms. His father refused to coddle him when he was a child, and so he grew up not understanding the tenderness that could come from a simple touch.

It may have been himself that reached out for Kuroo, but his servant made no move to pull away. He knew better than anyone that Daichi would never punish him for doing so. Kuroo had exceptional abilities to see what’s going on underneath the surface of a person, perhaps he could tell how Daichi was starving for it.

Daichi frowned as he suddenly heard his father’s cold words echoing in his head, his encouraging fatherly lectures on being independent and never trusting others too much. As his fingers loosened their hold of Kuroo’s hand, he felt like he was losing some battle, a war between what his father wanted him to be and the person he actually was. Before he could pull away, Kuroo snatched his hand back and tugged it toward himself instead. Daichi’s eyes grew large as Kuroo gazed down into his eyes with a sudden ferocity he had never seen.

“You want me to speak my mind, right? Well, I want you to do the same for me. Perhaps it’s selfish of me, considering you are to be the King of Karasuno one day, but I can’t help it. I don’t care much for royals, Daichi, as you’ve probably guessed,” Kuroo chuckled, breaking the tension and drawing a smile out of Daichi, “You’re different though. I believe your compassionate heart and strength of will can change the whole world… it will.”

Your father was always excellent in jousting, too! Ah, young Prince, your discipline is a credit to the King. You will walk in his footsteps…

His father was not compassionate, he was strict and unbending. He would have scoffed at Kuroo’s words and commanded Daichi to sneer at them, telling Kuroo to mind his own business and whip him for the audacity. Daichi didn’t want to whip Kuroo, he wanted to hold him and cry into his chest, and the yearning did not make him feel weak.

The last thing he wanted to do was make things awkward, however, so he beamed up at Kuroo and squeezed his hand back.

“Thank you. Come on, let’s go before the thieves wake up and start looking for us.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Kuroo said, a slight pout on his lips. Without releasing Daichi’s hand, he lifted himself to his feet and helped Daichi up as well. Their fingers loosened at the same time and chuckled awkwardly as they drew their hands back to themselves. Kuroo smirked and tossed the stone in the air, catching it in his palm and inspected it. “Should we return this to the vaults? Could be snatched away just as easily.”

Daichi kicked some dirt on the fire to dampen it and picked up his sword that was laying on the ground. “What would you suggest then?”

“Maybe we could hide it somewhere, a place no one else would find it.”

“Is there such a place? Besides, if we don’t hand it over to my Father, we’ll both probably spend a night in the stocks.”

“Ha! He would do that to his own son, wouldn’t he?”

“Kuroo, what did I say about making fun of the King?”

“Hmm, don’t?”

“Exactly. Let’s go find the horses.”

“Do you really know where you’re going?”

“Of course, I was raised in these woods. Before you say it, don’t.”

Daichi pressed his lips tight as he heard Kuroo snickering behind him and refused to give him a glance.

“I always thought you had the manners of a badger, but now that I know you were probably raised by one…”

“For that, you’re walking back.”

“What about Kaede?”

“I’ll lead her while I ride ahead on Banri. We’ll see how well you do following our trail at night.”

Daichi ducked under a branch and heard soft nickering ahead. He grinned as he saw Banri shake his head anxiously and was relieved they hadn’t wandered off. Gathering his reins in his hand, he glanced back at Kuroo who still had yet to approach the horses with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

“Would you really leave me behind?”

Daichi laughed and grabbed Kaede’s reins and walked the horses over to Kuroo, pressing the reins into Kuroo’s hands. “How could I claim to have such a compassionate heart if I leave my helpless servant out in the scary dark?”

“Yeah, I take it all back. Everything I said, revoked.”

Daichi gripped his fingers into the front of Kuroo’s tunic and yanked him down until his face hovered just above his own. He smirked at the startled look on Kuroo’s face and whispered, “Too late.”

He shoved Kuroo back and laughed as he stepped away and swung up into Banri’s saddle. “Come on, if you don’t hurry up, I really will leave you behind.”

Kuroo fluttered his eyes and shook his head, casting a glare at the Prince’s back as he rode ahead down the path. He sighed and gripped onto Kaede’s saddle before lifting himself into it.

“Your Majesty, you will be the death of me. Prophecy or no.”