Archive of Our Own

The first time Chiba saw the princess, he was only eight years old.

For an orphan on the streets, he was doing pretty well for himself. "Well" meaning he got food most nights and nobody tried to kidnap him up until that point. His parents had died years ago, long enough that their faces were blurs in his mind. He didn't miss them specifically, but he did miss having a warm place to sleep and a guaranteed meal. Having to steal scraps was taking a toll on him.

So when the palace started looking for kids to train to be guards, he was at the gates the first thing in the morning. He was small, so they almost rejected him, but he had a hell of a sharp eye from years of being on his guard, and when they put a gun in his hands, he could hit the bottle more times than not. They gave him a uniform and a bed, and suddenly he wasn't nothing anymore.

The guards in training were all boys of varying ages, which was fine with him. He didn't talk to them much anyway. But one day, a girl passed by their archery class, and they were all intrigued.

"Who was that girl?" one of the boys - Maehara, he thought - asked their instructor. He merely slapped Maehara on the wrist with a ruler and told him that the princess wasn't just "that girl," she was the reason they were off the streets. 

"Your job, once you become competent enough to do it, will be to protect her. But never to engage with her. You must never forget your place. She has her training, and you have yours."

Chiba wasn't exactly heartbroken at the thought of never seeing the girl again, although her presence intrigued him. He didn't know what made her a princess and him just a nobody, but he figured it had to be something important. After all, why else would she be so much better than him?

He saw the girl sporadically over the years, never for more than a second. Her light brown hair was always tied in pigtails, and she always had the same neutral expression on. Chiba wondered at one point whether that was a royal thing, but never asked. Maehara gets enough lashes for asking about her for the both of them.

Besides, he was too invested in his own training to be as girl obsessed as some of his trainees were becoming. He was the best marksman out of all of them, and that got him privileges. He had his own room in the tower for lookout duties, and he got real assignments while the others were training. Even though he was still a step up from nothing, he was the top of the nothings.

By the time he's seventeen, Chiba's all but forgotten about the princess. Sure, she's always in the back of his mind as the person he has to protect, but it's been months since he last saw her, and he's never so much as heard her speak. The other boys whisper about what she might be like, but that's not his job to find out. He just needs to keep her alive, and he'll stay off the streets for the rest of his life.

So when she stops by their training one day to observe, he's so surprised he almost misses his shot from twenty feet away. Almost. He's not an amateur, after all.

They're strictly forbidden from talking to her, that much is clear from Karasuma's stern expression, but that doesn't mean they can't stare. And stare they do. Chiba is determined not to be a creep, so he focuses even harder on his training. He's shooting a partially obscured target in the bushes while balanced on one leg. Throwing himself into it, he almost forgets the princess is there.

This becomes extraordinarily difficult when she sits down on the ground right next to him and watches. She doesn't say anything, but her presence is enough that he almost falls over. He grits his teeth, regains his balance, and lands the shot. Only then does he turn to face the princess. He doesn't dare to speak, but it feels rude to just ignore her.

"Nice shot." Her voice is soft, even, just like her expression. Her eyes give away absolutely nothing. Chiba is floored. 

"Thank you, Your Highness," he says, bowing his head a little. He's never spoken to royalty before, but that's how Karasuma refers to her, so he figures it's the right thing to say. 

"You must be Chiba. Karasuma talks about you sometimes." Again, no intonation whatsoever, even though Chiba feels his eyebrows trying to migrate into his hairline. The princess heard about him? She knows his name?

"That is true, Your Highness." He doesn't know what else to say. He usually doesn't talk to anyone, much less the princess. They don't teach guards the fine act of small talk, and even if they did, Chiba wouldn't use it. He doesn't like wasting words, fluffing up sentences for the sake of filling the air. Some of the other boys excelled at it. Maybe the princess would rather talk to them.

But she doesn't seem like the type to talk much either. The air settles back into stillness, and Chiba returns to his shooting. The princess seems content to watch from his side, arching her brows every so often in concentration. He doesn't know what she's concentrating on, but it's not his place to ask. 

Karasuma must decide after a while that it's improper for her to be near him for so long, and he calls her. She nods in his direction, then turns back to Chiba.

"You have skills. Karasuma never exaggerated," she says, and once again Chiba doesn't know what to respond. He's just a simple soldier, damn it. Can't she see she's breaking him?

"Thank you, Your Highness. Coming from you-"

"Please, call me Hayami. It's easier." Before he can process, she's at Karasuma's side once again, and the barrier between them is back in place. Whatever moment they just had, it's over now.

Out of curiosity, he asks the other boys if they know her name at dinnertime.

"Oh, you want to know because she gave you special attention?" Sugino asks, a smile playing on his lips. "We all saw, man. Super jealous by the way."

"She didn't even look in my direction," Maehara wails, mouth full of rice, and almost chokes on a grain. Isogai slaps him hard on the back, and he resumes eating/wailing. 

"They don't tell us her name," Shiota reminds him. "We're just soldiers, remember?" Of course Chiba remembers; that's why he finds it so shocking that now he knows. Even the maids don't use her real name, just addressing her as the princess or Your Highness.

"You'd think they'd be a little nicer to us, since we can kill them all in their sleep," Akabane says with a rueful smile. He's always the most outspoken about their poor treatment, not that it changes anything. "We don't even have to act. We can let some random rebels do the job for us."

"Do you want to get us all killed? You're shouting treason at the dinner table!" Shiota whispers angrily, slapping a hand over Akabane's mouth. He's the only one who's ever tried; Chiba personally thinks that Akabane has fangs specifically for biting people.

"We're just soldiers, like you said. They don't listen to our conversations." And indeed, it seems like each table of workers has their own little bubble. The maids, the cooks, the tailors, and below them all, the guards. The ones with the most basic of educations, the ones who act and speak like cavemen. No wonder everyone looks at them like they're gum on shoes.

"What were we talking about again? Oh right, the princess. If you want to know her name so bad, why don't you ask her?" Akabane asks, eyes glinting. He knows as well as Chiba does that talking to her outside of a dire emergency is begging to be punished in some way. They're conditioned not to look too long at her, not to talk about her when other people are in earshot. It's like her whole presence is above them, from her name to her image.

They don't know all of the facts about Hayami, and yet they're still completely right. Karasuma's words ring out in his head. You must never forget your place. And he had forgotten for a few minutes, stupidly enough. He won't do it again, that's for sure.

"Thank you anyway," he says quietly, and tunes out the rest of their conversation. He got everything he needed from them, and now it's time to reflect.

That night, he takes the first shift on watch duty in tower E. The other main night guards are adults, people who have trained for years to work, so he feels honored that he even gets a single shift with them. That his skills can be comparable to theirs. 

He settles down in his squat, eyes trained through the crosshairs of his sniper rifle. There are enough guards that he only needs to take a certain portion of the area, and he focuses on it with unwavering concentration. He's so focused that he doesn't notice the princess walk into his tower until she's sitting beside him once again. Then she taps him on the shoulder, and he's so startled that he fires a shot. 

"Accident. Sorry," he calls to the guard in tower B, who's already preparing his own rifle to shoot at the threat. The guard groans, but returns to his position of just looking through the lens.

Chiba waits for the princess to say something, just so that he can ask why she's there. No, he can't possibly ask that; she probably has some secret princess business here for some reason. He can't say a word until she addresses him first.

But she's silent as a stone. Her eyes are attentive, pinpointed on his rifle, but she doesn't say a word. Chiba's starting to sweat a little: is he in trouble? Did he do something wrong in training? Is she here to fire him herself? They wouldn't put that responsibility on the princess, no way. And yet he still sweats.

Finally, she speaks in her soft tone. "You may continue," she says, barely audible even in the dead of night. "I'm only here to observe."

If there was ever an opportunity for Chiba to ask a question, it's now. Observe what? What is there to observe? But somehow the mystery in the air catches his tongue, and he doesn't really want to know the whole story after all. The moment feels too sacred to break.

It could be hours later, it could be minutes, but the princess speaks again.

"You have a different posture than I do when I shoot," she says simply. "I sit cross legged, but you sit in a squat."

Chiba blinks, looks away from the scope for a second to meet Hayami's eyes. There's a flicker of something in them for once. Interest, he thinks. He never thought a princess would be interested in the fine art of long distance shooting, but here she is. 

"It's easier for me to stand in a hurry like this," he explains, eyes back in the scope. He can't let himself be completely distracted, especially with the princess there. "Sometimes I sit on my knees, but Karasuma doesn't like when my slacks get dirty, so I generally avoid it." 

"Irina prefers me not to ruin my shoes by bending them, so I'm required to sit on a cushion during practice." For the first time since formally meeting her, Chiba sees her face as something other than passively neutral; there's a hint of a wry smile on it. "I suppose that sounds ridiculous, being so pampered you have to snipe while on a pillow."

"It's more surprising to me that you shoot at all." Chiba's never been one to run his mouth, but he definitely wasn't supposed to say that. "I mean-"

"No, you're correct." Her smile disappears all too quickly. "Father says it's odd all the time, but I insisted on long distance combat training in case of an emergency. Plus, it fills the time."

The concept of free time is a foreign one to Chiba. When he's not training, he's eating or sleeping or on guard. And if he did have free time, he would probably train more. Still, the concept of the princess knowing how to shoot doesn't bother him; if anything, it only makes her more intriguing.

"I don't find it odd." Then, in the spirit of talking without thinking, he asks, "Are you a good shot?"

The small smile is back. "I'm the best markswoman in the castle, if that means anything. But don't take my word for it. I have visited your training, so it is only fair for you to come and observe my own."

Chiba is speechless. Somebody obviously forgot to tell the princess about the class system here in the castle. There is quite a jump between the princess observing a few guards and a guard observing the princess. But Chiba isn't about to say no to her request. Especially if she's as good at shooting as she says.

"I can ask Karasuma to excuse you from training for a few minutes tomorrow. Irina will escort you to and from the field where I train." She pauses. "Only if you wish, of course. It's rude of me to impose myself upon you."

As if he'd think of declining. "I accept your invitation, Your Hi- Hayami," he catches himself. "Thank you."

"Thank you for allowing me to observe," she replies, and starts down the stairs of the tower. "Have a good night."

"You as well." And she's gone.

If someone were to tell Chiba that the princess was never there and he imagined the whole thing, he would probably believe them. It's early in the morning, his shift is almost done, and the whole thing could've easily been a dream concocted by his tired mind. Yes, a dream. Nothing more than that.

"I have orders from the princess to collect Chiba," a blonde lady announces in the middle of sparring the next day, stopping the whole group in their places. None of the boys recognize her - although Okajima mumbles that he wishes he did - but Karasuma acknowledges her as a vague annoyance.

"Yes, I have been informed. You don't need to stop the entire group to do so," he grumbles, waving Chiba over. "And don't keep him too long, he has training to do."

"You're always so uncouth," the woman, Irina most likely, sniffs. "I'll bring him back as soon as I can."

"You better."

Chiba ignores the whispers from the other boys as he follows Irina away from the training grounds. He's sure they'll have a billion questions for him when he gets back, but that's the last thing on his mind right now.

"So you're the one who caught the princess's interest?" she asks, sizing him up. "No offense, but you seem rather plain."

Chiba's never had to defend himself before verbally, so he's caught off guard. "I, um. I'm an accurate marksman. I believe that's why the princess is, uh, interested. In me." He brushes his bangs out of his eyes, even though he knows they'll just fall right back.

"Fair enough. The princess has a history of having a strange taste in boys, so it shouldn't be surprising. Do you need a haircut or is your hair always like that?"

"I style it this way purposefully. It helps me focus better as a sniper."

"I suppose you are a guard, not a prince. Fashion is the least of your concerns." She looks him over again, frowning slightly at the dirt on his clothes. Sparring always gets his clothes muddy, so he had been hoping to see the princess beforehand. "You are meeting with the princess, though. Can you do anything about... that?"

Chiba does his best to sweep the dirt off, wiping his hands on a rag when he's finished. "This is the best I can do, ma'am," he says apologetically, and she practically harrumphs at him.

"'Ma'am'? I am twenty five!" she squawks. "I'm in the prime of my youth!" 

"Yes, uh, miss. I would never say otherwise." Chiba doesn't know if he'll survive the walk to the princess.

They reach the clearing, and Chiba can see two figures standing across from a target. One of them he doesn't recognize, a tall man with silver hair, but the other one he can tell is the princess. She's got a sniper rifle to her shoulder, and Chiba estimates she's about a hundred paces away. Not too shabby, especially for someone who isn't training to be a guard.

She doesn't flinch with the recoil when she fires, and even though Chiba can't see where she hit from his angle, he can guess exactly where it hit. The bullseye becomes clearer as he steps forward, hesitantly following behind Irina.

"Princess Hayami, I brought your guard!" she calls when they get close enough for her to hear. Chiba's never heard someone refer to her like that before. They must be close.

Hayami looks up from the scope of her rifle to meet Chiba's eyes. She smiles, quick enough that if he blinked he would've missed it.

"You are right on time," she says, readjusting her posture to face the target again. She was telling the truth when she said she sits on a cushion during practice, but that detail doesn't mean much to Chiba. "I was just finishing up my warmup shots." 

"Don't let me interrupt," Chiba says, sitting on the ground beside her. "I am merely here to observe."

Another lightning quick smile from her, and she turns back to her target. "Shin-san, can you bring out the next target please?" 

Chiba watches in fascination as she shoots the human shaped target, twice in the head, three times in the heart, and once in the femur (which he only knows because she clarifies it a second later). She's an accurate shot, even if she can't shoot from as far as he can, but he knows she can probably do a billion things that he can't.

"I'm glad you invited me," he says when she's finished, drinking daintily from her water bottle. "You're quite a good shot." Even though she's been training for a while, she still isn't sweating or visibly tired. Must be a royal thing. 

Rather than look pleased at his compliment, she looks skeptical. "You are not required to flatter me," she says flatly. "I would rather have your honest opinion."

Chiba was taken aback. "Oh, well, that was my honest opinion. If you also wish for constructive criticism, I can supply that as well."

Irina and the man she called Shin-san stand a few feet away, watching their interaction intensely. Chiba hasn't felt more under pressure since he was first trying out to be a guard. He hopes his genuineness is enough for him to pass this time. 

Hayami studies his face, then sits back down on her cushion. "I apologize for being abrupt, Chiba. It's difficult for me to receive genuine compliments from people. Most of them speak nothing but fluff."

"I know the type. Some of my fellow guards pride themselves in how well they can spin their words."

"And you do not?"

"I am not much of a talker."

"Neither am I, although around you I speak quite a bit." She looks embarrassed, but Chiba manages a smile.

"I would say the same, princess."

He wants to say more for once, but Irina is at his side before he can do a thing. "Alright, Karasuma wanted you back quickly so we must be off."

"So soon?" the princess asks, and Chiba looks from her to Irina, then back again.

"Unfortunately so. You know how guard training is. Say your farewells."

Hayami looks up at him, still perched on her pillow, still with a hint of blush in her cheeks. "I shall see you later."

"Likewise. I mean, yes. Later." Chiba has officially lost the ability to speak. He mutely follows Irina back to his training grounds, biting his tongue hard and wishing he had Maehara's speaking skills or at least Akabane's quick mind. Then he would be able to converse properly with a princess.

He spends the rest of training ignoring the rest of the boys as hard as he can by throwing himself into his shooting. It's harder to do so over dinner, though, since they surround him on all sides.

"What's the princess like? Is she interested in you?" Sugino asks with a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"Never mind the princess, who was the milf who walked you there?" Okajima asks, getting an elbow in the face from Isogai as payment.

"Do you think you would be able to use your newfound importance to get better conditions for us guards?" Akabane asks, looking completely disinterested in any part of his interaction with the princess except for the part that might benefit him. In other words, classic Akabane.

"What happened?" Shiota asks simply, and Chiba feels he can answer that at least, just to feed their curiosity.

"She wanted me to watch her shooting. That's about it."

The table is silent for a moment as the boys process this information. Then, not a minute later, they dismiss it.

"No way, stop messing with us."

"Dude, not everything is about sniper work."

"That's what we get for prying."

Chiba doesn't care that they don't believe him. On the contrary, it's probably better that they don't take him seriously. He has no idea how much he's allowed to say, or what the princess wants to keep secret. Sniper work, as odd as it is, seems to be their little secret. 

The princess doesn't come to his tower that night, which might be an indicator that now that he's seen her shoot, they're even. Maybe she just wanted someone to temporarily occupy her for the day. Still, he checks behind him every so often just to make sure she isn't coming.

She does show up the next night, however, and she isn't empty handed. 

"It must get boring, keeping watch for hours on end," she says, unpacking the bag she must've carried all the way up the stairs. From the looks of it, it's heavy with... something. "I wasn't sure what kind of books you enjoy, so I brought some of my own favorites."

Chiba feels his face heat up, and it isn't only because of the princess's presence. He doesn't exactly know how to read, since it never came up in his training. What limited schooling he had as a child was focused mainly on verbal communications and how to tell how many bullets he had left in his gun. Reading remains a luxury for the higher classes of the castle.

However, he's not going to tell the princess any of this. It would only decrease her image of him. Besides, she went out of her way to bring him these books. The least he can do is accept them gratefully.

"Thank you, Princess Hayami," he says, picking one up and squinting at the front of it in the moonlight. The cover looks nice, he can say that much. "I cannot read while on patrol, but I will be sure to look at them later."

"I'm such a numpty," she says under her breath. "Of course you wouldn't be able to look at the book." He wants to reassure her that it's alright, but she plows on. "Would it be better if I read it to you?"

He blinks. "I do appreciate the offer, princess, but it's rather late."

"I don't sleep much anyway." She looks at the book he's holding. "You enjoy fantasy novels?"

"I, um, yes," he says lamely. In truth, he doesn't entirely know what a fantasy novel entails.

"So do I." She takes it from him, lighting the lantern beside him that he never uses. "Tell me if this bores you."

"I assure you it won't." He turns back to his scope, scratching the back of his neck. "Thank you for, er, this."

She merely hums in reply, then turns to the first page. "Chapter one: the dragon with the broken wing."

For someone who says she doesn't talk a lot, her voice carries smoothly as she relays the story of the dragon and the mermaid. Chiba doesn't know what either are when she first begins, but he gets a vague sense of both as the story progresses. And he's not ashamed to say that the night shift feels shorter when she's around.

"You read well," he remarks at one point, and she purses her lips.

"I used to have a speech impediment. Reading aloud helped me overcome it."

Chiba turned from his scope to face her. He certainly hadn't been expecting that. A princess with a speech impediment? Maybe that's why she doesn't speak a lot. She's out of practice.

"I couldn't tell," he says with a small smile, turning back to his scope. After a moment, she continues reading. 

It becomes a routine of theirs, the night reading. She doesn't stop by during day training, and he doesn't come to hers, but she never misses a night. She says it's because Irina wants her to concentrate on her own studies, although Chiba has a feeling that the woman simply doesn't like him. It doesn't bother him too much, since Hayami comes every night anyway.

Chiba requests an extra cushion for his tower, so she'll have somewhere comfortable to sit. She in turn begins bringing snacks from the kitchens, upscale food he's never had the liberty of trying. His patrol turns into a picnic of sorts, and he must be going soft because he doesn't mind it at all. Sure, he's been told time and time again that guards aren't supposed to enjoy themselves, but why not? If he's still doing his job, does it matter that he's munching on something delicious called a "s'mores" and spending time with a beautiful and intelligent princess?

They don't have a lot of conversations, which they're both content with, but when they do, they talk about what they would do if they weren't stuck in the castle. Chiba by obligation, Hayami by bloodline.

"I don't know a lot about the world," he says, knees folded under him, "so I would want to go and see it."

Hayami agrees, adding that it would be nice to interact with more people outside the castle.

"Not that you aren't great company," she adds with her equivalent of a smirk, "but the days can get long and tedious."

"I would gladly give over all of my fellow guards," Chiba says with a sigh, and that gets a rare laugh from her. "They are almost too interesting."

"I will trade you, your talkative guards for my quiet maids. A proper deal."

"As long as you don't tire of coming to my tower."

"I would never."

It shouldn't be that all good things come to an end, and yet it is. Hayami doesn't come one night, and Chiba occupies himself by looking through the only book she left that has pictures in it and thinking about where she could be. He's become pampered by her company, and now that it's gone, he doesn't know how to revert back to his old self. He isn't even sure he wants to.

She comes the next night, more grave faced than he's seen her in weeks. 

"I have a ball to attend next week," she says grimly. "One where I must meet my future husband."

Chiba doesn't know what to say. It feels like his throat closed up, and it - probably - isn't an allergic reaction to the treat she brought. "Already? You're not even 18."

"I will be tomorrow." She stares down at her lap. "I should have told you earlier. I apologize."

"No need," Chiba's quick to reply. "You're the one who must go through that."

"Mmmm." She doesn't seem to quite know what to say, and neither does he. "I'm not quite in the mood to read tonight."

"That's alright." He pauses, looks up from his scope. "Would you... prefer to talk about it?"

"No, but thank you for offering." She drags her cushion to sit beside him. "Your company is enough."

Like the first time she came to observe him, Chiba feels self conscious, although he isn't sure why. It's been months since she first came, and he'd consider them close enough as friends that he feels comfortable around her. Maybe the thought of her being engaged next week is messing with his head. Or maybe it's the scent of her perfume when she sits so close, filling his nose with something light and floral and muddling his thoughts.

He almost fires a shot when she leans her head on his shoulder. Luckily for both of them, he barely restrains himself.

"Is this alright?" she asks softly, and he should say no. Not only because she's leaning on his shooting arm, but because they're trekking into unfamiliar territory, and because she's a princess and he's a guard and she just said that she's meeting her future husband next week.

But he doesn't, because he's soft and pampered and wants to get used to her touch like he got used to her voice.

"Yes," he replies, equally soft, and feels a satisfied hum from her as a reward.

The next week is odd, but in a good way, like trying a new treat for the first time. Hayami sits closer to him, touches him more. He wishes he could say he minds, but he burns wherever her hands graze him. Once, with no prior warning, she brushes his bangs out of his eyes with the back of her hand, and he almost gasps.

"You have nice eyes," she observes, and to the outside observer it would look like a cool observation. But Chiba knows it's a genuine compliment, and his cheeks burn all the more for it.

"I think they're too intense," he responds. That's the true reason he keeps them long, although they do also help him focus on a target. Not that he can focus on much of anything when Hayami is around.

"That is what makes them so nice." He doesn't know how to respond to that, so he merely takes her hand from his forehead and kisses her fingertips. This reduces him to a mute mess, but it has the same effect on her, so it doesn't feel as embarrassing. 

The night before the ball, he wants to do something special, so he asks the head guard for the night off.

"I'm feeling tired," he says, yawning a little. "I feel that I won't be entirely alert for tonight."

"You haven't taken a night off in years, so I can spare you a shift," the head guard replies, and Chiba is grateful. His workaholic nature finally paid off for something.

Hayami comes at her usual time, and looks surprised to find that Chiba's gun isn't set up in the window like it usually is.

"I asked for a break tonight," he explains, cross legged in his place. "I thought... it might be better for you."

Hayami puts aside her small bag of treats and wraps her arms around him from behind. "Thank you. You are truly considerate."

He waits for her to let go before moving to sit down on his bed, a single straw mattress on the side. It doesn't get used much, so it's usually neat, and he's glad it doesn't look like a mess the one time he's drawing attention to it. 

"Have you any idea who your husband to be is?" he asks, because as touchy as the subject makes both of them, he's still curious about the whole ordeal. Arranged marriages, in his opinion, sound like disasters waiting to happen.

"There are a few candidates that Father approves of. He says it is my choice, but whoever makes the best impression to him tomorrow night will undoubtedly be my husband." She folds her hands in her lap, and Chiba aches to take one of them. 

"If it is any consolation, I shall never marry myself," he says after a moment. "Most likely I will die in battle before I am free to marry."

"Don't speak like that." She rises from her cushion, joining him on his straw bed so their legs brush. "I would never let them send you somewhere you could be killed."

"In my job, there is little choice in the matter."

"Then I will create a choice."

"Hayami, how can you-"

"Call me Rinka," she cuts him off, and kisses him. It's soft, probably her first kiss and definitely Chiba's, but it leaves him breathless nonetheless. He stares at her, wide eyed in the moonlight for a second, then moves in to kiss her again. She tastes sweet, like the pastries covered in sugar she brought. Chiba finds he likes it even more than s'mores.

"Is this alright?" he asks, barely a whisper, because even though she initiated the kiss, she's still the princess and he's still a guard.

"Yes," she breathes back, and pulls him to lay down next to her, kissing him all the while. He doesn't know where to put his hands until she grabs them and puts them around her waist, threading her own hands in his hair. She probably knows all about this from books or training or something, and he's more than happy to let her lead. When she breaks away, arching her neck, he kisses her there instead, light enough not to leave any marks on the fair skin but firm enough that she won't doubt it's real.

"You are good at this," she observes breathlessly, and that only makes him want to kiss her more, so he continues down her neck all the way to her collarbone. The top button of her dress is undone, although he can't remember who was the one who did that.

"I learn from the best," he replies, moving back up to kiss her mouth. She's on top of him now, her hands cupping his face and making him wish he shaved that morning. She doesn't seem to mind the light stubble, though, and she kisses his collarbone resolutely. 

"I wish I wasn't required to leave," she says, laying her head on his chest. He plays with a wave of her hair, which she likes, judging by the soft hum of approval. "I would much rather marry you than a stranger."

Quite an odd thing to say after a first kiss - even Chiba knows that - but even if he can't relate to her circumstances, he knows what she means. He kisses the top of her head because it's close and because he can, and she curls into his side. 

"You can stay for as long as you would like, although Irina might hunt you down if you don't return by morning," he says light. "You would survive, but I cannot speak for myself."

"Mmmm, I need no reminders," she says, while making no move to leave. "Just a few minutes longer, then I shall go."

She falls asleep, of course, and Chiba lets her rest for a while because he knows that she doesn't usually sleep well. As much as he would love to follow suit, he has to stay awake in order to send her back before a castle wide search party comes looking for her. Besides, sleep is the last thing on his mind now. 

When he sees the sky begin to lighten, he knows their time has run out.

"Hayami, wake up," he whispers, shifting away from where her arms are tightly locked around one of his own. "It's tomorrow."

"Told you to call me Rinka," she says sleepily, still with her eyes closed. Her grip on his arm only tightens.

"Who's Rinka?" Chiba asks, wondering if he's missing something. This, at least, gets her to open her eyes. Nothing like sharing information to wake Hayami up.

"Rinka is my given name. Hayami is my family name," she explains.

"Does everyone have two names?" He doesn't want to sound dumb, but the concept seems odd to him.

"Do you not?" she asks, fully awake now. She sits up, fixing her dress and smoothing it out. When he shakes his head, she explains that while everyone in her family is technically "Hayami," she's the only one named Rinka. But you only call someone by their given name when you know them really well.

"Rinka..." He tries the name out in his mouth, and it's not bad. "I'm still just Chiba."

"I like the name Chiba," she says, and that's that. What the princess says goes, after all.

"You still have to head back, Rinka," he reminds her, as loathe as he is to do it.

"And if I refuse?"

Rather than answer, he stands up swiftly, picking her up and carrying her over his shoulder. She's limp for a second, probably in surprise, and then immediately starts beating her fists on his back.

"Release me!" she shouts, but there's laughter in her voice. "Unhand me, you knave!"

"You will wake the whole castle," Chiba says, spinning her around. "Can you walk unassisted, or shall I carry you to the castle?"

"I can walk, you scoundrel," she says, and he places her down on her cushion. "I can scarcely see, my vision is spinning so."

"Do you need water?" he asks, suddenly concerned. "I apologize-"

"Don't," she says loftily, taking his hand and helping herself to her feet with a smile. "I shall survive."

She leaves soon after because it is getting late, and soon the guards will change. It's easier for her to leave every time at the end of a shift, since the weary guards are less likely to see her sneaking in the bushes. Heavens forbid she gets mistaken for an intruder and shot on sight. Chiba knows from his training that break ins aren't taken lightly, and these men don't miss.

Only once he sees her enter the castle through his scope does he finally, finally allow himself to sleep. He'll be sleepy for all of tomorrow, but it will have been worth it. His arm is still warm and tingly from her grasp, and his lips don't feel like his own. They belong to Hayami Rinka now.

He's halfway through morning training the next day when Irina makes an appearance. The boys all immediately turn to Chiba, and even Karasuma looks surprised. Chiba wishes he could explain, but he doesn't know why she's here either. Perhaps she found out about last night somehow and is here to ritually execute me?

But she whispers something to Karasuma, and the man looks no grimmer than he usually does when he beckons Chiba over, so it must not be something bad. Thus, he follows Irina blindly to the castle, waiting for instruction.

She begins speaking when they are out of earshot of the eavesdropping boys.

"The castle is hosting a ball tonight," she says stiffly, and it takes Chiba a moment to remember a. that that's happening and b. that he's not supposed to know about it. "The princess requests your presence as a personal bodyguard for the night."

"Huh," Chiba says, speechless. Irina does enough talking for the both of them.

"Of course, since you will be in the public eye, we must get you... refurbished for the night." Like a piece of worn furniture, he thinks, but doesn't say anything aloud. "You will be on your best behavior, of course, and I will personally train you as to what you shall do or say in any possible scenario that may arise. This night will end with the princess's engagement, you know. Everything must run swimmingly."

And yes, Chiba sorta forgot about that fact. As much as he'd like to spend the night with the princess, he doesn't know how he'll react to seeing some other guy, some stranger, get down on one knee and propose after knowing her for a single night. If only I had my gun, he thinks semi-jokingly, then bites his lip. On the off chance he says anything like that out loud, he will most definitely be ritually executed.

Chiba's "refurbishment" begins with him taking a shower. A long one, with real hot water and soap that has a scent. He's required to wash his hair too, something he usually skips out on unless he has lice. Plus, shower attendants. He's used to showering in front of the other guards in training, but having a woman there feels wrong. He can scarcely meet her eyes as he accepts the towel with a small "thank you."

He dresses into a more elaborate version of a guard's outfit. All golden lining and stiff cotton. Not the most convenient for moving fast, but at least it's warm. Plus, it fits exactly right, unlike the hand me downs he usually adorns. Even his boots are new, stiff leather that need to be broken in that will most definitely give him a blister. Everything he's given is either itchy or painful, and while he's dealt with much worse, he thought the castle life was supposed to be soft and luxurious. He feels like he's being slowly tortured for information.

Following this, to his great chagrin, Irina has him scheduled for a hair cut. Gone are his trademark bangs obscuring his eyes. Instead, the barber cuts the sides of his hair short, leaving the middle just long enough to push back, and keeping it in place with some mysterious goo Chiba doesn't trust but does like the smell of. The room feel almost too bright now that his vision is cleared. He puts a tentative hand to his exposed forehead and winces.

"Relax, you look dashing now," Irina says, checking her watch. "We have a few hours to go. Time to educate you on etiquette."

Like a mother to a toddler, she teaches him how to eat, how to walk, how to address different people. She originally gives him a book containing "everything you need to know to attend a ball," but once he reminds her that he can't exactly use it, she takes it upon herself to read from it. Her reading is nothing like Hayami's soothing tone; she's loud and discordant and when it looks like he's not listening, she snaps her fingers in his face. He belatedly realizes that she can see exactly when he's not looking at the placemat, since his eyes are exposed.

There's a lot of information to take in, but Chiba gets a grasp of it slowly. Spoons, forks, knives, soup spoons, small talk (not that he'll be doing much of it), shoulders back, eyes forward, salad forks, small desserts, barons and baronesses, your highness this and your highness that. No talking to the king and queen at all. He's to address Rinka as "Her Majesty," and not talk to her unless he's addressed first. It's as if he's being reverted to before he ever spoke to her, and it makes his skin itch. But he perseveres, because he knows the princess needs him there.

The day drags on, and he still hasn't seen the princess since early morning. When he inquires after her, Irina wrinkles her nose like she smelled something ghastly.

"You'll see her when the time comes," she says, her tone clipped, and Chiba says no more on the matter. He doesn't want to say anything that will get him sent back to his tower, especially after everything he went through to get this far.

Finally, with ten minutes until the ball, he finally meets up with Rinka, and Irina leaves the two of them alone to finalize some cursory matters. He knew she would be dressed up, but actually seeing her... he almost trips in his new leather boots. Her hair, usually kept up with two pieces of twine, is in a single braid, and she has a tiara on her head. Her dress is long enough that her feet are hidden, and speckled with jewels. Even her face looks made up with tints that make her cheeks pinker and her lips redder.

She looks him up and down, from the top of his new haircut to the soles of his boots, then smiles at him. 

"I'm glad to see your eyes," she says softly, and he rubs his hand over his forehead once again. Still bare.

"You look beautiful, princess," he says, equally soft. "Not that this is anything new."

"Flatterer." Still, she preens under his attention. "I wish I could dress like this for a happier occasion."

"What could be more festive than a ball?"

"You know what I mean."

She takes his elbow, and he leads her into the dining room, where everything is already set up. The king and queen are not there yet, since they have to make a grand appearance once the ball starts, and Chiba's sure the princess isn't supposed to be there either. But she grabs a small tart from a table and pops it in her mouth, smiling deviously all the while. He finds her sneaky smile just as breathtaking as her soft one. 

"Come," she says, leading this time. "We shall wait in the adjacent room."

They sit in stiff chairs, almost hiding in the next room, while listening to the dining hall fill up with guests. They all sound very posh, something that rubs Chiba the wrong way, but Rinka takes his hand and he can't hear them anymore. He is, as Akabane would say, whipped.

"And now presenting, accompanied by her guard, Princess Hayami!" he hears someone announce, and before he knows it, the doors of the room are flung open. Rinka's hand immediately moves to a safer place on his arm, and the two of them walk through the crowd, which parts easily for them. He keeps his head down while she greets her parents, and only moves when he feels a tug on his arm. 

"Did Irina inform you about the different components of a ball?" she asks under her breath.

"Yes." He takes a moment to recall. "First a dance, then the first course, followed by another dance. Then the main course, which is usually accompanied by speeches from someone. A final dance for just the princess and her suitor of choice, then dessert. All accompanied by music."

"You learned this much faster than I did," she says, squeezing his arm slightly. "I am impressed."

"Thank you, Your Highness," he says, bowing his head a little, and only gives a small wink to show he's joking. How long has it been since he's been able to wink to someone with them seeing? He's uncertain.

When the first dances begin, Chiba is already prepared to relinquish the princess. His job is to stay nearby, but not close enough to hear her speak, as that could be "private wooing information." In other words, he cannot eavesdrop on potential flirting. This makes the back of his neck hot, but he does as he's told. While Rinka dances with her first prince of the night, he sips a goblet of juice and observes.

From what he can tell, the man is doing most of the talking. Rinka looks like she's doing her best to listen to the outpouring of words coming from him, but Chiba can recognize her polite smile easily. He suppresses the small bit of satisfaction that he gets from knowing Rinka better than this man. It won't matter if he marries her anyway.

She dances with four other men before the first course begins, and she sits at his side. He wants to ask how she's feeling, but, like Irina warned him multiple times, he can't speak without her addressing him first. Not in public, at least.

He's glad he doesn't have to make small talk with the other people at their table - in fact, he's forbidden from doing so - but there's nothing better to do than to listen to their mundane conversations and eat his ridiculously small portion of salad with an equally ridiculously small fork. A larger fork is right beside it. Why must a salad fork be so comically small?

Because the royals are masochists, there's more dancing right after this paltry meal. Rinka dances with two new men, then two from before who seem determined to be the chosen suitors. Chiba saw them before speaking to the king, no doubt fishing for brownie points and kissing ass. As he cannot do anything else, he watches.

A full meal now. Rinka's foot is tapping as she eats her roasted duck, and Chiba rests his leg against hers. 

"Right at the table?" she asks in an undertone, kicking it playfully.

"I have no idea what you refer to." His face stays stone still, which only makes her huff in laughter.

As the meal drags on, Chiba wishes he could ask who the princess will choose. He doesn't want her to choose anyone, but he has no control over it and neither does she. The least he can do is keep an eye on the man and make sure she's choosing someone worthy of a dance with her. Or, in this case, a life.

The king makes a speech thanking everyone for coming, with a few words from the queen. 

"He wants me to choose the blond man in red," Rinka says, almost inaudibly, and Chiba turns his head sharply to find the man she is referring to. He's tall, taller than Chiba, with a friendly face and a loud laugh. The anti-Rinka, in other words, although he does appear to make a good suitor. A good future king, too.

The royal courier clears his throat, and Chiba knows his time is up.

"And now, her majesty Princess Hayami will make her decision," he announces. She rises, curtsying in the middle of the ballroom. "Please select the suitor you wish you dance with, and subsequently marry."

The blond man must have been informed by the king beforehand, because he rises to his feet immediately. Rinka, however, does not say his name. She doesn't say anything at all, in fact.

"Princess Hayami?" the courier asks, looking a tad concerned. 

"I require air!" she suddenly says, louder than he's ever heard her, and runs from the room. Chiba's on his feet in an instant.

"I shall go after her," he says, more as an excuse to follow her than a comfort to the startled guests. Respectful silence be damned. "We shall return shortly."

Rinka is in the gardens just outside, playing with the hem of her dress. She isn't crying, but she looks distressed nonetheless.

"I would have rather not made a scene," she says, frowning. "The air was stifling, though. I could not bear it any longer."

"I understand," Chiba says. He unbuttons his coat and drapes it over her shoulders, since the night air is chilly. "What do you do when you're unhappy?"

"I shoot." Her answer is quick and candid. "Of course, that is not an option right now." Chiba reaches into his pocket and pulls out one of his guns, handing it to her. "Really, it's alright. They will be alarmed if they hear gunshots."

"Then we shall go where they cannot hear us." He trusts her with the rifle, and he wants her to be happy. Those are his two main emotions at the moment, and they counteract all common sense about leaving the ball with no warning.

She leads him to her training grounds, far from the main castle. He's never been more grateful to be a guard; it will be a little while before someone pursues them, since they trust him with the princess's safety. 

"Now that we are alone, I can easily kill you," she says, holding the gun out in front of her. Even from a distance, he can see that her finger is nowhere near the trigger.

"Go on, do it. I dare you," Chiba says, splaying his arms out. "Unless you jest?"

"You know I do." She turns to the man shaped target, still set up from the day before, and shoots thrice, all through the head. "You must think me a madwoman."

"I think no such thing."

"I shoot when I get angry. Sometimes I wish to kill someone just to get out."

"I feel the same way."

She pauses, emptying the gun of the remaining bullets and placing them in her purse. Only then does she face Chiba once more. "If I said I was running away, far from the castle, would you accompany me? We could see the world."

Chiba would love nothing more, but there's a giant difference between him running away from his work and Rinka running away from her life of rest and luxury.

"Would you be willing to give up everything in your life right now, for a life on the road?" he asks, looking her straight in the eye. She's bundled in his jacket, and even though he knows she can kill a man from thirty paces, she still looks fragile. 

There is no hesitation in her voice. "Yes," she says, and takes his arm.

He lets himself smile, taking her hand in his own and pulling her closer. "Then I would say, Rinka, that seeing the world sounds nice right about now."

They're too far from the castle to hear the music, but Chiba would swear on his life that he hears violin music accompany him and Rinka as they slip out of the castle gates, on to a new life. Their ranks of princess and guard, they leave behind to be buried in the dust.