Chapter Text
The Present
Bushi sat stiffly on the plush cushions of the carriage, trying to hold his slight body still as the carriage rocked and swayed along the cobblestone road. He could hear the horses trotting merrily ahead, and past the red velvet curtains neat houses and buildings with carefully curated gardens swung by in a gaiety of colors made warmer by the amber glow of the spell-lights lining the streets.
Inside the car of the carriage, Bushi’s elfin face was mostly hidden behind a delicate mask--shimmery pink, matching his elegant suit. Only his clever eyes and usually wry lips were visible. Bushi’s carefully made up eyes, shaded lightly with pink powder and lined sparingly in kohl, sparkled with anticipation, though his candy-pink painted lips were held in a tight line. Anxiety had finally reached him through the cloud of excitement and relief. He had worked so long to be where he was now, headed where he was, but would everything work out as it was supposed to?
He took a steadying breath and smoothed his hands over the fine silk of his coat, barely present enough to revel in the softness, the rich embroidery of roses and fruits done in soft blush and brighter sparkling fuschia, curling and looping on the snowy white fabric like frosting on an intricately decorated cake. Not really fitting with his current tastes, but Bushi felt something classically beautiful and eye catching would be the way to go, if he was really going to meet him.
Him. Yohei Komatsu, the Silver Prince, the beautiful man that had been the center of Bushi’s world, the object of his dreams for so long. Bushi sighed and tried to relax into the luscious velvet of the carriage seat. Prince Yohei. Bushi could hardly believe this day had finally come. He tried to shrug off the anxiety threatening to overwhelm him; there was still so much work to do. To be able to see Yohei was a miracle in itself, but Bushi planned to meet him, talk to him, get to know him, maybe even get close to him. Maybe even…but he couldn’t let himself dream, not yet. It was too close now, too real, and if something went wrong at this point? Heartbreak.
Bushi took another deep calming breath and, aided by the strength of years of forcing his emotions behind a mask of calm, forcing unpleasantness into a small box in the back of his mind and locking it up tight, found himself able to relax his shoulders and curve his mouth into a soft smile. Five years of dismal backbreaking work had a few advantages, it seemed. But now he was here, surrounded by beauty. His heart soared as the carriage passed through the tall white and gold gates marking the transition from the posh residentials to the royal grounds.
Multicolored spell-lights glinted off fountains of gold and silver and drew the rare and colorful flowers into powerful brilliancy. The air was mellow with the scent of unfamiliar blossoms and fruits. As the carriage swung through delicate patterns and mazes of lush growth he caught glimpses of heavy silver and gold fruits glinting in the light, and wondered vaguely if they were simply decoration or had a magical purpose. Bushi found himself staring in awe at the royal gardens. Had he ever been in the presence of such beauty?
A flickering glow in the rainbow light distracted him. Fairies! They had actual fairies to illuminate the garden strolls of the royalty. Bushi hadn’t been so close to anything this magical, or at least, not such pure magic, in so long. Most working folks like him had an untrained mage or local witch to take their unsolvable problems to, but that was all homegrown herbs and partial spells stolen and shared from some nobleman’s library. Bushi was actually very close to a hedgewitch, but even all the power Nabe could pull from the shadows was nothing as grand as this.
Passing a large fountain, Bushi realized there were naiads dancing in the sparkling water, and heard himself gasp at the loveliness. He blushed deeply and forced his mouth closed and eyes ahead, trying to not think about how he wished he could stay in the presence of this glamour and refinement. This life wasn’t meant for him, after all. Not anymore.