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Ochako stood in front of the mirror in a pretty dress, accessorized with the inescapable feeling that this was not going to end well.
In front of her, she saw what could pass as a proper noble lady, if one squinted, and perhaps gazed upon her from at least twenty meters away. Even with the small fortune her family had managed to collect in preparation for this night, they could only do so much to turn a small peasant girl into a beautiful, confident, wealthy lady.
The dress was a soft pink, with interwoven white and gray floral patterns cascading over the large, poofy sleeves and the even poofier skirt. For the first time in Ochako’s life, pale pink jewels dangled from her ears and adorned her neck.
If all went well, Ochako would soon be married. That was the goal of this charade after all: Ochako was to seduce sir Katsuki of the noble Bakugou house. The only problem being that Bakugou Katsuki, according to the rumors, possessed a temperament so foul that no lady had ever been able to seduce him.
Ochako took a deep breath and slapped her hands to her cheeks, hard enough to sting. No more sulking! If anyone could find the good in someone and win them over, it was Ochako!
Nodding to herself, Ochako turned in a flourish of skirts and ribbons and strode out of the dressing room and into the cool night air, where the carriage her family had purchased for the night stood waiting.
The carriage driver spoke up as the horses began to trot. “I trust you’ll remember the lessons I gave you. Chin up, lift your skirts as you ascend and descend the steps, smile often but never with teeth, and--”
“Yes, Iida, I know,” said Ochako, hopefully sounding more cheerful than she felt. “I can never thank you enough for your help!” Without Iida, Ochako would never have passed for nobility. He had once been a noble butler, before quitting to work in the farms.
“Right. Naturally! All will go splendidly,” said Iida, and if Ochako wasn’t mistaken, he was trying to calm his own nerves as much as hers.
“I certainly hope so.”
Nothing could have prepared Ochako for the sight of Yuuei Palace, rising in the distance, with its glorious towers of white stone, garnished in gold. It was almost enough to take her mind off of her fear as she gazed in awe at the majesty of such a place.
The carriage pulled up along with a succession of others through the grand golden gates, lit by torches all around. They came to a stop in front of the palace steps. As rehearsed, Iida descended from the carriage first, then opened the door and held out an arm to help Ochako down.
At the top of the large, broad steps, the doors to the palace were opened, spilling impossibly bright light out into the darkness of the night.
Ochako turned toward Iida. This was where she was to say goodbye to the last familiar face she would encounter that evening. It took nearly all her will to prevent herself from embracing her friend tightly and never letting him go.
“Good luck, lady Uraraka,” Iida said with a soft smile, and he punctuated the sentiment with a small bow.
“Thank you, Iida. I will see you later this evening.”
But those were to be the last words she would ever say to her dear friend.
When Ochako turned to face the palace doors, she knew there would be no more turning back.
She slowly ascended the steps and handed her invitation to a guard at the door. Inside, she could see the party already well underway, with nobles dancing in bright colors and servants tending the tables. The guard nodded at the scroll in his hands, then turned and read aloud to the entire ball: “Lady Uraraka Ochako, here to accompany sir Bakugou Katsuki!”
A small hush fell over the room, and Ochako strode inside, a bright smile already firmly in place.
A lady with short, strangely strawberry-colored hair and a green and purple dress greeted Ochako nearly the moment she had entered the room. “So you’re the fabled Uraraka Ochako! I suppose I ought to lead you to Sir Bakugou, since I doubt he will have the decency to greet you himself. My name is Mina, by the way!” She gave Ochako a surprisingly warm, chipper smile, before taking her by the wrist and leading her across the floor, nearly causing Ochako to trip in her haste.
“Here we are! Bakugou, come now, greet your lady companion.” Mina’s voice switched from warm to teasingly stern as she addressed one of the men sitting at the table.
The man in question looked up from what appeared to be a rather heated conversation and locked eyes with Ochako. He had a crown of untamed golden hair, and the most intense dark red eyes that Ochako had ever seen. The angered wrinkle in his brow, along with the permanent-looking frown he wore, ought to have given him an unappealing appearance, but there was still something… ruggedly handsome about him.
With a jolt, Ochako realized that she was now gazing upon the very man she was meant to be marrying.
“Why should I give my time of day to every damned wench my mother insists on thrusting upon me?” Bakugou spat harshly, turning away from Ochako.
For a moment, Ochako couldn’t see the sympathetic looks that the others at the table were giving her, nor hear the admonishments that they cast upon him. The emotion that rose in her heart wasn’t fear or shame at his cruel words. It was simply… indignation. She had spent countless hours studying and practicing the arts of propriety, so why should this man, who possessed everything he could ever desire, have the right to act so crudely?
It was enough, unfortunately, to cause Ochako to momentarily forget her social graces.
“Well,” Ochako began, smiling sweetly. “I should think that you are the lucky one to be receiving this wench’s time of day, considering the overly abundant charm you clearly don’t possess.” Without even waiting to be invited, Ochako strode forward and dropped stubbornly into the empty seat beside Bakugou.
Everyone at the table, including Bakugou himself, turned to stare at Ochako in shock, and only then did she realize that not only had she just broken several rules of social grace, but she had allowed the word “wench” to escape her lips. Hardly a feminine word at all!
Yet she had trouble feeling guilty about it. If that were to be Bakugou’s disposition, then why should Ochako be held to different standards?
“I don’t recall inviting you to join me,” Bakugou said slowly, sounding somewhere between angry and confused.
“And yet, here I am!” said Ochako cheerfully. “Now, where might a lady procure a sip of wine?”
The look of shock on Mina’s face quickly changed into one of near elation as she hurriedly flagged down a servant. She seemed the type to revel in courtly gossip.
“This--this is highly unusual!” Bakugou declared, sounding flustered. “Just what do you think you--”
“I have come for a joyous time and a charming revelry this evening,” Ochako interrupted him, dropping even the mere attempt to conform to tradition. “I shall have it, and I shall have it with you, whether you like it or not.”
Bakugou gaped at her, and Ochako saw others at the table whispering gleefully.
From then on, all eyes were on Ochako, but she was never one to shy away from such scrutiny. She held the room brightly and gracefully. Most importantly, she had won Bakugou’s full attention. He continued to eagerly fire banter toward her, which she returned easily and smoothly, always with a smile. Soon, she found herself forgetting about asserting her place as a noble lady, losing herself in the enticing intensity of Bakugou’s gaze.
Finally, Bakugou arose from the table, with an air of intent about him. For a moment, Ochako feared he had decided to send her packing.
Then, “Would you care to dance, Lady Uraraka?”
Ochako blinked at him in surprise, then rose with a warm smile. “I don’t see why not.”
Once they reached the dance floor, the rest of the room seemed to melt away. Ochako felt so light on her feet, she could have been floating, and Bakugou’s movements were smooth and precise. They spoke softly as they danced, and already it felt as if they had an endless array of witty jokes from the evening to share together.
Across the room, unnoticed by the two, a pair of teary eyes solemnly followed their movements. A young girl, doomed to witness a future that she was nearly helpless to change.
As the song ended, Bakugou murmured, “I’ve had enough of this place. Let’s find somewhere to be alone.”
Ochako couldn’t help but feel a little burst of excitement at the words. “That sounds lovely.”
Thus, rather than guiding her back to the table, Bakugou led Ochako toward a small door in the back, whispers following them all the way.
Curiously, she followed without questioning their destination, through darkened, deserted corridors and several winding flights of stairs. At their end, Bakugou opened a door, and the evening chill rushed in to greet them.
Ochako walked out into the night, gazing in wonder at the kingdom laid out before her. When she turned back to look at Bakugou, she saw a large, gleaming, golden clock looming above them. He had taken her to the top of the palace clocktower.
“Here.”
Ochako turned her attention back to Bakugou, and was handed something wrapped in a small handkerchief. Inside, she found several ripe, fresh-looking cherries.
“I thought we could… share them, I suppose.”
It was the kindest gesture she had received from him that evening. “What a lovely idea, Sir Bakugou!” She took one gladly.
“You know, you hardly seem like a noble.”
Ochako froze. “What makes you say that?”
Bakugou turned toward her with a strange look on his face. “You don’t care so much about frivolity. And I can actually stand you.”
Trepidation melted into a surprising warmth at the words. “Well then, I suppose I’m glad.”
Bakugou strode forward and took a cherry from her hands. He was a mere breath away, close enough that Ochako could feel his warmth across the distance. “I think I would marry you. If you’d have me. At the very least, it wouldn’t be boring.”
Ochako beamed at him. “Oh, it will be anything but.”
But it was not meant to be.
The palace guards burst through the doors with a terrifying bang, and Ochako’s heart froze..
“There, that is the imposter!” At once, they rushed to pull Ochako away.
“What is the meaning of this? Let go of her!” Bakugou attempted to argue but to no avail. They had their orders, and they would not be swayed. Despite Bakugou’s attempts to hold onto her, the guards wrestled Ochako from his grasp.
With his name on her lips, and a hand outstretched, Ochako was soon carried away and thrown into darkness.
“Uraraka, there’s someone here to see you.”
“Bakugou?” Ochako perked up at once from her place on the floor of her cell, wiping the tears and grime from her cheeks.
“No, his family’s ward.”
Of course. Bakugou had not been allowed in to see her, no matter how he had fought for it.
The guard stepped aside to allow a young girl to step into the chamber. She had nearly floor-length blonde hair and a single strange, swirly horn growing out of her forehead.
The girl approached Ochako and pressed her fingertips to Ochako’s hand.
“Thus fate shall bind your hearts,” she whispered. “One day, you’ll be together again.”
“What? What do you mean?” Ochako pleaded, leaning forward. “Bakugou and I? When?”
But the girl didn’t answer. She simply turned and left the cell, the guard following behind.