Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Emperor Izuku smashed into the wall and was knocked out. In a panic, Grand Queen Ochaco called out to him and moved to his side. With her attention diverted, one of the dark knights moved to strike her with his blade. Grand King Shoto threw up a wall of ice to cover her and quickly refocused his attention to his adversary.

Izuku had been stabbed in the abdomen and was bleeding profusely. Ochaco ripped a piece of her skirt and wrapped it around him to slow the bleeding as she tried desperately not to cry. The whole castle was on fire. The few people that had been around to guard them as they slept laid dead. Where were all the knights?

“Ochaco, take Deku and get out of here now!”

“But..”

“Tenya and the rest of the order should be here any minute. I will hold them off until then.”

“Shoto…” She bit her lip; she knew he was right. She just could not fight when she was due to have their first child any day now.

“Do not worry about me. Just go, Love. Protect yourselves. I will be fine.” As he said that he took down the person he was fighting and then the person who had attacked Ochaco. There were still more adversaries ready to take their place, but with some distance between himself and his enemies, he froze the mob of dark knights to the ground and then unleashed a cyclone of fire upon them.

Ochaco took this chance to escape. She enchanted the father of her child with her magic, making him float and pulled him along out of the throne room and into the hallway. There she was met with more chaos as the flames of fire raged, and walls were crumbling around them. More bodies of friends and foes scattered the ground, becoming nothing more than kindling. Carefully she moved her way through the mess of bodies and debris to a hidden spiral stairway, but she had only descended two floors when she started to hear shouting coming from behind her. She tried not to think what this meant for Shoto. He was alive. He had to be.

With little time to waste, she went to the first door she could find and tried to open it. It was stuck, however, and no matter how much she tried, she could not make it budge.

“Ocha...co…”Deku strained to say as he floated not too far from her.

“Hush now, sweetie. I just need to open...this...door.”

“Listen...please...leave me.” She frowned at these words and grew more determined to open the door.

“Never.”

“Ochaco...please.”

She shook her head violently; the tears were starting to cloud her vision now. She would never...she could never….how did things even end up this way?

“Ochaco please take my sword and shield….you have to get out of here...you and our baby have to... have to... live.”

“But you do too!” She cried out, but he had grown silent. “Deku? Deku!” She moved over to his side and held his face. He had become pale, and when she checked his pulse, it was slowing. She released him from her spell and started trying to get his heart beating again.

“No, no, no, no, no, no! Please! Izuku, wake up! Don’t leave me!” She cried as she desperately pressed against his chest to get his heartbeat going again. “Please, not you too!” It was of no use, and the voices were getting louder. She had to make a decision.

She kissed him one last time before taking his sword and shield. When she touched it, she could feel an immense amount of power enter her body. It felt as if dozens of voices and hands reached out to her calling her, and in the crowd, she could feel Izuku’s presence amongst them. She felt warmed and comforted, but just as quickly as the feeling, came it left. She was pushed back into the hell she called her current reality. The sword had now changed into a bladed staff, and the shield had also changed to resemble the slightly smaller and more ornate shield she was used to as an arcane knight. It was like they had been custom made for her.

She debated taking Izuku’s body with her when the door she had tried so desperately to open, opened, and dark knights erupted from it as the group from above finally reached her. She was surrounded, outnumbered, and even worse, if she tried to fight, there was barely any room on the small landing. She had no choice. She
had
to
jump…

Kazunori gasped as he awoke startled. His body was dripping with sweat, and he could still smell the distinct odors of blood and death.

“Young Master?” Kazunori looked up at the man who stood by his bed and the small boy about his age that accompanied him. “Your Highness, are you all right?”

Kazunori nodded his head at the man, his butler, Daimen Faust. The boy beside Mr. Faust was Kazunori’s valet and friend, Sylas Conor. Sylas was a short, shy boy with a mop of thick, light brown hair that always seemed to end up in his face. He looked much younger than he was, which made people often underestimate him, but he was very diligent and knew Kazunori well even after only serving him for a few years.

“Was it... another nightmare, Your Highness?” Sylas asked as he glanced from Kazunori to Mr. Faust and back.

Kazunori did not want to worry them, but there was no point in hiding it; he nodded. Since his 4th birthday, when his magic started to manifest, his life had been threatened multiple times. Most of the time, he was safe as long as he was in the castle, but in the last few months, it seemed like not even that was true anymore. Due to that, his nights were plagued with horrible images of death and destruction. While he could barely remember the dreams he had, he was haunted by the lingering feelings of dread.

“I will have to inform His Majesty of this,” Mr. Faust said with a deep frown. Mr. Faust was a tall and serious man with orange hair cut to the scalp. Though he was a very daunting man whose sharp, attentive icy blue eye caught every detail, he was efficient, and this had earned him the trust of everyone in the palace. Kazunori, on the other hand, had never liked him very much. While Mr. Faust was very helpful, he was also hard to read. It was difficult to tell what was honest and what was sarcasm. “For now, let us prepare you for the day. With your 8th birthday celebration in a few days, there is much to do.”

Slowly but surely, Kazunori got up and allowed the two to help him bathe and get dressed for the day. After they washed his freckled face, Mr. Faust tried to tame Kazunori’s wild green hair, but much like his father’s messy locks, it was difficult. Once Kazunori was ready, Sylas was left to accompany him to the dining hall for breakfast.

“Did you send the letter?” Kazunori whispered to his companion as they walked.

“L-letter?”

“Come on, Sylas. You know the letter I gave you the other day for,” Kazunori looked around quickly before pulling Sylas in close and whispering in his ear. “You know, for Suki-chan.”
“Oh! That letter! Ah yes! I was going to go check if there was a reply while you were at breakfast.” Sylas quickly added 'Your Highness' when he finished talking. Kazunori hated when Sylas was so formal with him as the two were the same age, Sylas, however always worried that one day he would forget to show Kazunori the respect he deserved and would get punished for it. Such a thing would never happen even though Sylas was a foreigner. He was so close to Kazunori no one dared to disrespect him.

“Good man, Sy-kun! When we have our first son, we’ll name him after you.”

“Um, I really don’t think you need to do that. Wouldn’t that be weird? You would never know if someone is talking to me, or your son,” Sylas said and pouted while Kazunori laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Kazunori jumped and looked down to see his 4-year-old sister looking up at him. Princess Yuki and Prince Kazunori did not look alike very much. Where his hair was green and wild like a pile of leaves, her hair was long and white as a fresh untouched layer of snow. While his skin was littered with freckles, her skin was unblemished, flawless to the point where she looked like a porcelain doll. The only thing that biologically linked the two was their mother, whose brown eyes they both shared.

“Ah! Good morning, Yuki,” Kazunori said with a nervous smile. “How are you this fine morning?” She frowned and repeated her question.

“It’s really nothing, Your Highness! I, um, was telling Prince Kazunori a joke!”

“Yep a joke you know how much Sylas loves joking around, right? It was a very good joke!” Kazunori leaned down so that he was eye level with his sister.

“What kinda joke was it, Kazu?” She asked as her big brown eyes stared back at Kazunori, forcing him into a staring contest.

“It was a joke about...dogs?” He said. He wanted to look back at Sylas for help, but he had to keep up this charade at least a little longer.

“What was the joke?” Yuki asked, turning her sights on Sylas now, a much easier nut to crack.

“Ohh! Um? Uh…” Sylas quickly started floundering, not at all prepared with a joke. He tried to look to his master for help, but Kazunori had nothing as well. “Uh why did the dog...cross the road?”

“Why?”

“He was...uh...having a ruff time?” Silence fell between the three. While it was impressive that he was able to think of anything resembling a joke when put on the spot like this, the joke still fell flat.

“Well it’s a good thing you’re a valet and not a jester because that was awful!” Now joining the trio was the Princess’s lady maid, Elena. A tall girl, Elena had dark brown hair styled to perfection and naturally tanned skin that glowed with the slightest hint of gold. She was younger than Kazunori by a year, but the way she looked and carried herself, she seemed at least a few years older.

“Elena! W-when did...where did you come from?” Sylas stammered as he blushed. Even though she was standing there trying to look serious, the corners of Elena’s lips kept curling up.

“Long enough to know that you need to come up with some better jokes or a more convincing lie.” Seemingly satisfied by the embarrassed look on Sylas’s face and pout on Kazunori’s face, she held out her hand to Yuki. “We should get going, Princess. If you want some good jokes, I can tell you some or we can have the royal jester brought in to entertain you. As funny looking as he may be, Sylas is only good at serving Prince Kazunori. As for the Prince...well, it is bad manners to speak ill of one’s master, especially when they are royalty.”

Yuki smiled at this and gladly took Elena’s hand. As the four of them walked to the dining hall, Sylas and Kazunori objected to there being anything wrong with their tastes in comedy or abilities.

After being seated and served, Elena and Sylas left to prepare the next activities on their charges’ schedules. When Kazunori looked around the table, he realized it was only set for four people; and his grandmother, Lady Inko was already seated. Before he could say anything, the sound of many people talking at once was heard from the entrance. Seconds later, Grand Queen Ochaco burst into the room with a trail of advisors and servants hot on her heels. She shooed them all away, giving them all different tasks to do before closing the doors and breathing a sigh of relief.

“Sorry I’m late everyone!” She said, whipping around and straightening herself out before walking over. She gave each of her children a kiss on the cheek and a comforting light squeeze to Inko’s hand before sitting down next to her mother-in-law. “We’ve all been just so busy lately!”

“Is Daddy and Papa not coming?” Yuki asked as the footmen prepared the plates for the Queen.

“Unfortunately not.” Ochaco explained. “We’re so busy with the preparations for a certain someone’s birthday and with the transition that's happening now that there is a new law, that it’s a bit difficult right now.”

“But it’s nice that mommy is here to eat with you guys, right?” Inko said, trying to lift her grandchildren’s moods. Yuki nodded but pushed her food around, still a bit forlorn.

“And they will be with us for dinner so it’s not like you won’t see them at all today.” Ochaco added quickly. “Don’t worry when this party is over things will go back to normal. I promise.”

“Yeah and I can play with you too, Yuki. So don’t be sad.” Kazunori smiled as well though he was also a bit disappointed. He adored his parents, especially Grand King Shoto. While the Emperor was seen by many as the greatest hero the land had ever seen, Grand King Shoto clearly possessed strong magical abilities and was highly skilled at weaving those abilities into more physical attacks.

“What are you saying? Daddy is clearly the best ever! He’s so cool, and he can punch people, and they’ll go flying!” Yuki protested as the two of them left the dining hall after breakfast.

“Yeah, that’s cool, and all but Father has like fire and ice magic! That’s two magics in one!”

“Daddy can do all sorts of things! He can fly, he can pick up things with his black wiggly arms, he can pick up really, heavy things. He’s awesome!”

“Yeah but he can’t freeze a person in place and cut them down with a fire sword. That’s just cool.”

“No it’s not.”

“Yes it is.” Their conversation quickly developed into bickering that was stopped by the arrival of Yuki’s maids coming to take her to her grammar lessons. She went with them but not before sticking her tongue out at her brother when none of the maids were looking. He did the same, and once he was sure he was alone in the hallway, he bolted towards the stables. He only slowed down when he passed by the library, just in case one of his parents was in there. He had a date he could not be late for.

“Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Daimen. You are dismissed.” Shoto said very solemnly as Daimen bowed and exited the room. He looked over at his husband only to see a look of concern on his face that he had seen many times before.

“Hey Deku. You going to share your thoughts with the rest of us or just sit quietly as your son goes on being traumatized?” Grand Duke Katsuki Bakugo, a known childhood friend and trusted advisor to the Emperor, asked. To the average person, it was easy to take the Grand Duke as disrespectful as he lounged with his feet up in one of the plush armchairs in the Emperor’s office. If it was anyone other than the abrasive Katsuki that talked to Izuku like that, he might have been offended. However, the two of them had been through too much. He was too familiar with Katsuki’s 'special' way of talking to be bothered.

“Sorry,” Izuku said, looking up at Shoto, who stood by his side then to Katsuki and Knight-Captain Tenya Iida, who stood behind the Grand Duke. “I was just thinking that this party would be the perfect time for someone to strike, and there is no way to prevent something like that from happening. With all the conflicting information we have received it is impossible to tell who is going to attack and when. We’ve done so much to try to keep the palace defended but opening up the gates is almost like asking them to come and take him.”

“It would be nice if we could just cancel the party.” Shoto frowned as much as he wanted to argue he knew Izuku was right. This party was a terrible idea if the main goal was to keep Kazunori safe.

“But with Prince Kazunori being the first child born to the leader of Yuei in generations and the first heir to the new empire each birthday, His Highness has is always so special.” Tenya grimaced, walked forward, and bowed before Izuku and Shoto. “Your Excellency, Your Majesty, the protection of his Royal Highness is not only my priority, but the priority of every knight under my command. I will triple the guard and make sure that Prince Kazunori is never without at least ten guards at all times. No longer will I allow your child to live in fear.”

“Tenya…” Izuku and Shoto exchanged glances, but the moment was ruined by Katsuki groaning and rolling his eyes.

“Nice sentiment, Four Eyes, but more guards won’t solve anything unless you are trying to make everything worse,” Katsuki said though Tenya was quick to protest.

“No, he is right, Tenya.” Izuku stood and walked over to one of the windows that covered the east side wall of his office and overlooked the palace gardens. “If we increase the guard, it will not only allow for outsiders to sneak in disguised as just another guard, but it also shows our guests and visitors that there is an issue. While our close allies will understand, other guests will see the guards as an attempt to intimidate through a show of force or proof that the castle would not be secure enough to protect him without taking extra precautions.”

“Either way, it will be an issue,” Shoto said, summarizing the whole dilemma. Everyone nodded. A silence fell over the men.

“It’s not like he’s a defenseless weakling like you used to be,” Katsuki said finally. “You have him training every day. Sure he’s still a child but he can hold his own. Same with my kid.”

“Surely you are not suggesting we do nothing, and let the Prince defend himself!” Tenya yelled at the Grand Duke. While quite a proper and respectful man Tenya had a problem with being just as loud and wild as the 'unmannered' people he tried to correct.

“I’m saying that no one will suspect anything if his guards don’t look like guards. We can still have the usual knights there, but what’s a few more guests? Those uppity bastards won’t talk to anyone they think is less than them anyways.”

“Sadly, you are right,” Shoto’s brow furrowed as he thought about his experiences with nobility and royalty inside and outside of Yuei. “But if anyone asks questions we could alway say that the party was open to any of the knights in the order, not just high ranking members.” Shoto turned his attention to Izuku, who was still looking outside the window at the garden as what looked like a tiny bush went bobbing into the hedge maze. A minute later, a blond bush followed the first one. It made him smile to himself.

“Well I don’t think there will be a problem trying to get our children to stay close to each other,” Izuku said, earning a questioning look from Katsuki. Izuku turned to face the three men, his closest friends, and confidants. “It’s not a perfect plan, but it’s all we have. Make sure the knights in disguise have experience dealing with Kazunori, if he doesn’t like them, he'll try to stay away from them. Make sure there is a guard stationed at every entrance and exit. Most importantly, we need to track down everyone involved in these attacks. I want my son to grow up with happy memories of his childhood.”

“I will have the last batch of investigation reports that were conducted on the guests on your desk by this afternoon,” Tenya said standing at attention. Shoto shook his head.

“Give them to me instead. I will look over them after I have given you a list of knights that should be accompanying Kazunori.”

“I’ll talk to my people and see if they’ve made any progress on the investigation into these attacks.” Katsuki said as he moved into a more proper sitting position.

Izuku smiled gratefully at them as Shoto walked over and rested his hand on his shoulder.

“We will get through this. None of us will let anything happen to Kazu.” Izuku took his husband’s hand and nodded.

“Save it for the bedroom!” Katsuki groaned as he got up and headed out the door. With Tenya hot on his tails lecturing him about how rude he was being to the rulers of the land.

Kazunori paced around the fountain in the middle of the garden’s hedge maze impatiently. He should have been at grammar lessons, and it was only a matter of time before his instructor realized he wasn’t coming and would go looking for him. Just when he was about to give up hope, a blond child about his age came running towards him. They wore a long loose tunic that came to their knees and had brown slacks underneath.

“Sorry I’m late! I got lost in the maze.” The blond child said. They took a few deep breaths before smiling at Kazunori.

“I-It’s okay we should pick a better place to meet next time, Suki-chan,” Kazunori said, turning his eyes away from the red-eyed blond before him. “You’re um dressed very boyish today did you want to do some sword practice.”

“Ooh that would be fun! We should also go exploring in the woods like last time! We never did get to see who could climb the highest tree.”

Kazunori nodded and led the way out of the hedge maze and to the woods around the castle. The whole way there they, talked about different famous knights and wicked beasts that used to plague the empire.

Once in the woods, they pretended to be those famous knights fighting for the safety of the people and honor and glory. Kazunori swung a stick at Suki, who just barely blocked. The two used their wooden blades to push against each other, trying to get the other to move back, but it seemed the two were evenly matched. Both of them disengaged, and Suki grinned at Kazunori, causing his face to grow flushed.

“Hey Nori-chan, why do you always play with me instead of just going to your classes? Won’t you get in trouble? Aren't your lessons really important?” Suki asked.

“I don’t know,” Kazunori said with a shy shrug. He held his head down, too flustered to look at Suki. “I can always study it later. Anyways it’s nice to fight with someone on a similar skill level, I guess. When I usually practice it's all about technique and I never get the chance to get any real hands-on experience as I do with you. Also…”

Suki waited for him to continue, but Kazunori stopped talking entirely and had taken to using his stick to draw pictures in the dirt. Suki walked over to him to see what had distracted him and saw a picture of two stick figures standing side by side, holding hands. One of the stick figures was holding a sword and had hair that stuck up all over the place.

“Why does only one of them have a sword?” Suki asked. Kazunori shrugged, his head still lowered, but Suki could see just a bit of his blushing face. He looked incredibly cute and it made Suki smile. “I think they both should have swords. You know so they can fight together.”

“But what if one wants to fight so that the other doesn’t have to? What if one wants to make sure the other is always happy and can play without worrying about getting hurt or fighting actually bad guys?”

“Um well..” Suki seemed caught off guard, and it made Kazunori regret being so forward. He knew that one day his bad luck would catch up to him, and his parents or the knights wouldn’t be around to help. It might even end up causing Suki to get hurt. He didn’t want that.

“Wouldn’t it be easier to fight together though?” Suki asked and added to the drawing so that both stick figures had swords, armor, and horses. “I mean, don’t all the great heroes have someone fighting alongside them. They’re never alone. Like my daddies and the Emperor, and all kinds of other famous knights. They fight together, and they always win and save everybody. Especially people they really like.” Kazunori watched the bright grin that shone on Suki’s face. Very cautiously, he took Suki’s hand. Suki looked at first confused by the sudden gesture but squeezed his hand. “Let’s promise to stay by each other’s side so we never have to fight alone, okay?”
“Yeah, I promise! But that means that only I can fight by your side.” Kazunori said. “I mean someone else can fight alongside us too but only if they're really special. For now, it’s only us okay?”

Suki laughed but nodded.

“Sure. It’s a promise!”

The day of Kazunori’s Birthday Gala flew by quickly. It mostly consisted of greeting guests that had arrived late and getting ready for the party that afternoon. The only good thing about it was the fact that Kazunori would see Suki all dressed up at the party. He imagined if Suki would dress up in one of the frilly dresses like the ones his sister or the other ladies wore or if Suki would wear something more masculine like him. It was hard to tell with Suki at times, but Suki did seem to prefer masculine clothes. Knowing Suki, Kazunori assumed it was to allow for movement without obstruction. That did not mean that the clothes that Kazunori was currently getting fitted into were comfortable.

“Please, Your Highness. If you keep squirming it will be difficult to get you ready in time for the Gala.” Mr. Faust warned gently, as he buttoned up Kazunori’s outer shirt.

“I get what you are saying, really I do, but don’t you think this outfit is too tight? I can barely move my arms without worrying about ripping it. What if I have to defend myself?” Kazunori complained.

“You have no need to do such a thing. You are the one and only prince. If you need to be defended, it is the duty of everyone around you to lay down their lives for you.” Mr. Faust finished buttoning each of the buttons and then smoothed out the clothes so they looked neat.

“But I don’t want that.”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness.” Mr. Faust looked down on Kazunori, and for the first time, he realized how much taller the butler was. “This is one of the few times where you can not get what you want.” Before the conversation could continue, a group of maids came to fix Kazunori’s hair so that it laid nicely. It was a difficult process that was almost as unpleasant as getting put in is regal looking but uncomfortable clothes. By the time Kazunori was ready for the Gala, he was already exhausted.

By the time that he was ready, most of the guests had arrived and were congregated in the throne room. As the guest of honor, he was set to be announced last with the Emperor, Grand Queen, and Grand King going before him.

Queen Ochaco smiled at Kazunori when he entered the sitting room and pulled him into a big hug. “Oh you look so handsome!” In the sitting room, Kazunori and his parents waited to be escorted to the throne room where their presence would be announced. They were not exactly alone as there were multiple guards stationed inside the room and outside by the door, which made Ochaco’s dotting especially embarrassing.

“Careful, Ochaco. You do not want to mess up his hair. I do not think I have ever seen it lay flat for that long,” King Shoto said. Even though he seemed emotionless, there was a small curve to his lips and a shine in his eyes that you’d only notice if you knew him.

“I don’t think it’s that big of a deal is it gets a bit messy, right?” Emperor Izuku mumbled sheepishly, as he adjusted his crown that laid upon his own unruly green hair.

“You only say that because there is no hope for you. Kazu at least has the chance to have wonderful silky hair like mine,” Ochaco teased as she kissed her son on the top of his head. She did not release Kazunori from her grip until he managed to wiggle his way out.

“Mother! You’re embarrassing me!” Kazunori whined, but he received no pity from either of his fathers.

“Have you grown too old for getting kisses from your mother already, Kazunori?” Shoto asked. “I guess you are too old for presents, too?”

Kazunori pouted. He knew his father was teasing him, but he wished they would not tease him all at once.

“I’m only kidding. You are never too old to get presents from your parents. Besides we already got you something. We hope you will enjoy it. We will give it to you after the party so try no to grow up too fast in the meantime, okay? ”

“Yes Father,” Kazunori rolled his eyes, but though he tried to pout, he could not hide his smile. He was excited to see what they were going to give him. Last year they had built a large vivarium near the greenhouse and filled it with all different kinds of rare animals like phoenixes, pythons, and even a chimera.

“Where is Yuki?” Kazunori asked, noticing she was not with them.
“She’s already inside with your grandmother.” Deku said as an attendant came to escort the royal family into the throne room. “Looks like it’s our turn now, too. Happy birthday, kido.”

Deku kissed his son on the head, and Shoto squeezed Kazunori’s shoulder lovingly, while Ochaco waved goodbye to him. The three of them disappeared out the door and into the party. Even from here, he could hear the sound of the three of them being introduced to the party.

While one might think he was used to things like this by now, he felt a bit nervous. When he stepped out into the party, Kazunori would do so alone.

“Your Highness, are you ready?”

Kazunori looked up, nodded, and followed the escort out of the sitting room and to the throne room.

“Now present: The Crowned Prince of the Yuei Empire; Prince Kazunori Shota Midoriya.”

As the doors opened and Kazunori heard his name announced, he walked forward out into the throne room. He followed the path of a long plush red carpet that led to the thrones where his parents and sister already sat. On either side of the carpet, all of the guests were bowing to him. Some bold or ignorant souls dared to look up at him, but he did not mind. One day like he would take over as the emperor just like his father, and all of these people would again bow to him like this. Not, as a prince on his birthday, but as a ruler at his coronation.

When he ruled, he wanted people to respect him, but he didn’t want them to fear him either. He was human just like them. He was no more special than anyone else. As he neared the thrones he caught a glimpse of Suki and smiled. Suki was dressed more masculine in a fancy white tunic with gold embroidery and white and gold belt. When the two locked eyes they both smiled at each other. One day Suki would also be by his side as he walked to his throne. He’d make sure of that.

Once he was settled in his seat Izuku stood up and welcomed everyone to the Gala. The first part of the evening was filled with people from different families coming forward to congratulate Kazunori, present him with a birthday gift, and a pledge of loyalty. Most of the gifts were things like pets for his vivarium, horses for the stables, or weapons for the armory. He was given an especially nice dagger and cloak from House Bakugo and several rare encyclopedia sets from Knight Captain Iida and his family.

While it took a while, once everyone had given their gifts, the royal family was finally able to get up and mingle with the guests. While Kazunori wanted to go meet up with Suki, after thanking so many people for their generosity, he wanted nothing more than to get something to eat and drink. However, as he made his way over he was stopped by Lord Neito Monoma.

“Happy Birthday, Prince Kazunori. It’s amazing how much you’ve grown. Before long it’ll be you sitting on the throne ruling over ever, right?” Lord Monoma proceeded to laugh a bit obnoxiously. Kazunori wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be a joke or what but he remembered vaguely his parents advising that he should stay away from Lord Monoma. He guessed this was why.

“Thank you, Lord Monoma,” Kazunori said but even as he turned to walk away Lord Monoma continued to follow him.

“It is my understanding that you have yet to find yourself a suitable fiancé. Such a shame, that. Many seem stuck in the past still and are more interested in raising strong young men to take over their or others households. But this is a new age! It’s likely your family will rule for generations. No need to raise strong young men to contend for the throne. I think in this new era raising smart young women takes precedence. Smart beautiful young women that can marry into different families so that those that have power now can continue to have power long into the further. Don’t you agree, You’re Highness?”

Kazunori didn’t want to stop walking but he also didn’t want Lord Monoma to continue to follow him. Why was he asking him about all this? What exactly did he want from him?

“Um I guess. I think everyone should be able to marry whoever they want to marry. I also think that focusing on only teaching men to fight helps no one. If someone wants to protect people shouldn’t they be allowed to? I mean my mother is a woman but she fights as well as or even better than any man. Also my father didn’t just marry a smart woman he also married a smart man.”

Neito’s broad smile wavered a bit and he hesitated to respond. “Well...yes I see your point there. The Emperor, the Grand Queen, and the Grand King are great examples of the changing times but...it is normal for the ruling family to lead by example. Like you no doubt will when you come of age. Speaking of which have you met my heir? I have taken her in as my charge. She comes from house—“

“Prince Kazunori!” Like an angel descending from heaven; Suki cut through the crowd and over to Kazunori. “I’m so glad I found you!”

“Suki?”

“Prince Kazunori!” Suki stopped and bowed to Lord Monoma. “Excuse me, Lord Monoma. I must borrow His Highness.”

“Oh well I—“

“Thank you so much for understanding. Right this way, Your Highness,” Suki said, giving Lord Monoma a short bow before leading Kazunori off towards the buffet tables.

“What’s the problem Suki?”

“Sorry, you looked uncomfortable so I thought you might want to get something to eat.”

When Suki smiled at him, Kazunori felt butterflies in his stomach. This is why he knew it was true love. No one else knew him so well like Suki and no one else was as cute and thoughtful as Suki.

After grabbing a few sandwiches and hors d’oeuvres two made their way over to the balcony to sit and eat. While Kazunori was the guest of honor most of the guests were more concerned with getting more acquainted with the Emperor and his spouses then they were with Kazunori. He was still a child after all and like Lord Monoma had said, some people still believed that if they trained the right child that they would be the next in line for the throne. Kazunori was just a roadblock in the eyes of many and even now at his own birthday party, the lack of interest in him made that notion very clear.

“So this is where you two lovebirds ran off to.” From the doorway leading from the throne room to the balcony was a boy about Kazunori and Suki’s age with short wavy cerulean hair, He was pressed in an open coat that matched his blue hair and had a golden trim. Underneath the coat, he wore a fancy white shirt with an elaborate collar, black pants that tucked neatly into black boots. When Kazunori and Suki looked up at him, he waved a gloved hand at the two of them.

“Tomomi!” Suki said, smiling at him. Kazunori was less excited to see the blue-haired boy. Tomomi Ashido-Hatsune was the adopted son of one of the greatest artificer mages the world has seen in quite some time and one of the greatest knights in the empire. Mei and Mina Ashido-Hatsune had made themselves known as a power couple and while many people were interested in having their children join their family they had found Tomomi when he was still a child and raised him as their own. Due to Lady Mei being a known supporter of the Emperor and Dame Mina being one of Grand Duke Katsuki Bakugo’s closest confidants it was natural that he would have a close relationship to children of both Emperor Izuku and Grand Duke Katsuki.

“Aw what’s with the long face, Your Highness? Upset I’m interrupting your time alone with your good buddy?” Tomomi said laughing as he plopped himself down between Suki and Kazunori.

“I wish you would stop doing that. Suki is more than just my buddy.”

“Yeah we’re best friends, Tomo! Just like you and me.” Suki’s words made Kazunori cringe a little but he tried not to show it. Of course, they were best friends. That wasn’t something to be upset about. Right?

“Sure, sure. I’ll stop saying that when you admit that—”

“Stop harassing them, Tomo. Seriously, is it so hard to just be respectful when you're dealing with the Prince?” Coming from the same door as the one Tomomi came out was a girl with short black hair that looked shorter than it was due to being curled. She wore a white dress with a green overcoat with pearl beading that was tied together with a golden rope belt.

“Ah come on Amelia! He doesn’t mind anyways.” Tomo smiled at the girl playfully then turned to Kazunori. “Isn’t that right, Your Highness? All that stuffy “Your Highness” and “My Prince” is boring and annoying right?”

In truth, Kazunori wasn’t too fond of it especially when it was coming from his friends but he also did like the respect that came with it. He shrugged his shoulders and focused on eating. He wouldn’t get any more alone time now with both Tomomi and Amelia there. Amelia Tokoyami was also the child of a friend of Kazunori’s parents. Specifically, she was the daughter of the Knights Fumikage, Tsuyu Tokoyami, and Lady Habuko Tokoyami. Both Lord Fumikage and Dame Tsuyu were both good friends with the Emperor, and Dame Tsuyu was one of the Queen’s best friends.

“See this is why someone like you could never be a prince. He’s clearly being polite. You know, like a proper gentleman.” Amelia lectured. This didn’t deter Tomomi however who shrugged his shoulders in response.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t want any part in all that succession stuff anyways. I’d rather be a mage like, Mother. All that knight and heir stuff sounds too complicated. I don’t know why the adults don’t just let Kazu rule.”

“It doesn’t matter what they think.” Kazunori said finally. “I’m the heir whether they want me to be or not.” A silence fell over the group of children. Suki shifted awkwardly before finally speaking up.

“I think you’ll make a great emperor one day, Nori.” Suki said and took a bite out of a cucumber sandwich on their plate. Kazunori released a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding and Amelia nodded in agreement.

“Yeah of course who else would be suited for the job? Only someone as crazy as our Prince Kazu would look out at all the adults trying to fight to be seen as important and think he’d want to be in the center of all of that.” Tomo wrapped his arm around the Prince’s shoulders in an attempt at a side hug. Kazunori wiggled a bit trying to get out of the embrace but Tomomi clung to him tightly.

The rest of the night Kazunori had spent with his friends talking, watching the adults, and even dancing. Kazunori first attempted to dance with Suki but was quickly roped into dancing with all of the young ladies in attendance. After what felt like hours of dancing he finally was able to escape back to the balcony to dance with Suki.

By the time the party was ending it was quite late into the night and Kazunori could barely stand. He wasn’t sure at what point he had fallen asleep but he woke up briefly to the sounds of his parent’s talking as he was being carried by the Emperor.

“—safe. No one was seen around by that description.”

“I know but I’m ….worried. What if…. happens?”

“—mean. It went too well. We should have….look in to it. “

He could only catch every other word and soon before he realized it, he was asleep again.

“...zu! Kazu! Please wake up!” When Kazunori woke up again he came face to face with a panicked and bleeding Sylas with the smell of burning wood filling the air. “Your Highness, please! We have to escape!”

Kazunori sat up quickly and looked around him only to see his room was in utter chaos. Dead bodies laid scattered around the room, some of the knights in charge of guarding him and other mysterious men and women dressed like servants but wearing masks.

“What...what’s going on?”

“There’s no time! We have to escape!” Sylas said, dragging Kazunori out of bed and picking up a sword that was far too big for him but he clung to for dear life. Sylas was covered head to toe in blood. While most of it was seemingly not his, the thick red liquid that dripped down his head suggested that he might have a head injury.

As the two ran out of the room the sounds of fighting and dying echoed through the halls. Sylas guided Kazunori down the hall and towards the servant’s quarters. As the two turned a corner they were met with more fighting and a knight fighting off two attackers dressed in black hoods. One attacker used daggers while the other used a sword and shield. The one with the shield was killed first but the one with daggers was much faster than the Knight. Sylas let go of Kazunori’s hand and ran to stand beside the Knight. His addition to the fight was enough to cause the attacker to hesitate, giving the Knight the upper hand. Once the intruders were dead the Knight thanked Sylas.

“If you are planning to go out through the servants exit it’s a loss cause. That’s where the fire is coming from.”

“But we can’t go down through the main entrance! That’s where most of the fighting is!” Sylas yelled. As the two fought on how to escape, Kazunori looked around him. Blood. FIre and blood. It was everywhere, just like in his nightmares. Death surrounded him and only through more death was this going to end.

The image of his parents and his sister came to his mind and he felt his heart drop. In every nightmare, he had they all ended up dead in some way or another. The thought rattled him but also helped kick in his adrenaline. Before he even realized what he was doing he ran back to his room.

“Your Highness!”

“Kazunori? Where are you going?!”

Kazunori looked around his room and tore through his belongings before checking his wardrobe. Inside was the cape and dagger he had just received for his birthday. He grabbed both and ran back out of his room where he was stopped by Sylas.

“What are you doing? We have to escape, now!”

“I have to find my family. I won’t let them die!”

“They’ll be fine. Elena went after Yuki. You’re the one they’re after anyways! You have to leave!”

“You think they aren’t going to take this opportunity to kill them too?” Sylas hesitated and that’s all the time Kazunori needed to get past him. He ran towards his sister’s room trying to avoid the dead bodies in the hallway. Sylas and the Knight he had helped were following behind Kazunori.

When he made it to Yuki’s room, just as he had expected there were signs of a battle and her room was ransacked. A few bodies laid scattered outside her room and inside but this time the attackers were dark knights.

“Yuki? Yuki?” Kazunori called out looking under the bed and in her chest but she was nowhere to be seen.

“I don’t think she’s here,” Sylas said looking around nervously. The Knight that was accompanying them looked down at the bodies suspiciously.

“How odd. These attackers look different from the others as well…” The Knight noted.

“Where could she have gone?” Kazunori yelled but neither Sylas nor the Knight had an answer.

“Where would she go if she was scared?” Sylas asked but this did little to calm Kazunori.

“To me! If she was scared she would have come to me or...” Kazunori gasped and was out the door again and running towards his parent’s room.

Yuki clung to Elena as the young maid ran through the halls. How had things turned out this way?

As the festivities had died down most of the children and families with children retired for the evening and only about a third of the party guests were still in the throne room trying desperately to get one last chance to talk with the Emperor when an explosion went off and strangely dressed people busted into the throne room threatening everyone. The strangers were dressed as servants and nobles but wore masks with symbols drawn on them and threatened to kill everyone in the room if anyone tried to escape. Thankfully, with help from the Emperor and Grand Queen both her and Sylas were able to escape through servant passageways. Before leaving the Grand King slipped Sylas a note and bracelet to give to the Prince. Once out they split up to go rescue their charges.

Elena had only agreed to split up because she didn’t think the intruders had made it that far inside but she quickly realized that was wrong as the halls erupted in chaos. She barely made it to the Princess’s quarters before dark knights began battling with the knights to get in. The only way they managed to escape was thanks to the sacrifice of the brave knights that protected the Princess but even then that was a temporary fix as more assailants were quickly upon them.

“Ellie I’m scared,” Princess Yuki was shaking in Elena’s arms which didn’t help her ability to hold the tiny girl. Elena gripped the Princess tighter in her hands. She would rather die than let anything happen to her beloved princess.

Elena turned a corner but suddenly realized she was lost. She had been so focused on just getting away that she ignored everything else. Behind her, the dark knights were still in hot pursuit but with blood everywhere and fire quickly warping and spreading through the castle it was becoming difficult to know just which way to go.

She reached for one door to attempt to hide in there but before she could open it out came a group of people in black hoods. Elena stepped back quickly but one of them followed her and tried to take the Princess from her arms. Princess Yuki began screaming but Elena didn’t let go even as she saw one of them raise a blade to cut her down. She closed her eyes anticipating the pain but it never came.

When she opened her eyes she realized that the dark knights and the people in hoods began fighting. The leader of the hooded group let go of Princess Yuki long enough to defend himself and once he did Elena took off with the Princess again.

This time she ran into the first room she could find. The room happened to be the Emperor’s bedroom but unfortunately, anyone that was in charge of guarding it was elsewhere. Elena brought Princess Yuki into the bathroom and used whatever she could to barricade the door after placing Yuki in the tub.

The Princess was crying and shaking violently as Elena pushed a cabinet in front of the door but before she could get it over, a noise could be heard on the other side of the door.

Elena stopped and stepped back. She felt like her legs were going to give out any second but she moved back towards the bathtub and climbed in. She cradled the Princess and crunched down so that the two were as flat as possible with Elena covering Princess Yuki as much as possible.

“E-ellie I’m scared…” Princess Yuki stuttered, tears still flowing from her eyes.

“Shh now Shh.” Elena covered the Princess’s mouth with her hand and bit her lip and closed her eyes. From the other side of the door, she could hear movement and voices though they were muffled.

She took deep slow breaths and tried to relax as much as possible. She needed to think clearly and she needed to focus but with each sound, she heard from the bedroom the more her body shook.

After what felt like eternity everything went quiet and the hope that they were safe was enough to shake Elena more than the fear that they were discovered. Hesitantly, she peaked her head up for a moment but almost as soon as she did so, she heard the doorknob rattle.

Princess Yuki whined in fear and Elena quickly used her other hand to cover the small child’s mouth. This did little to stop her from panicking but Elena didn’t know what to do. All she could hope for was that they would kill her without even seeing the Princess.

BAM! BAM!

The people on the other side of the door started slamming into the door, trying to force it open until finally, the door broke.

“Come out we know you’re in here! Surrender and you may yet live!”

Elena didn’t move even as the sound of footsteps hitting the floor came closer.

“I can see you, girl.” One of the people yelled and yanked Elena up by her hair. Princess Yuki screamed as the two were separated from each other. Elena’s heart stopped for a moment and time felt like it was in slow motion.

She saw the Princess reaching out for her, crying, and screaming her name. She realized that despite working in the palace for most of her short life, she was not very familiar with the Emperor’s quarters and that this was probably the place where she would die. She wish she had taken more time to learn how to fight or at least carried a weapon on her that way she had something to defend herself. Most of all, she wished she had done a better job of protecting the Princess.

The assailant, another man wearing a hood, pushed her down to her knees. As a dagger was pressed to her neck, a scream of agony could be heard from the other room.

“Yuki!”

Everything stopped. The man in the hood, turned around as Prince Kazunori ran over and stabbed him in the chest. The hooded man coughed up blood that spilled onto Elena as he fell over, dead.

Elena was still in shock as the Prince ran over to pick up his sister, and Sylas ran over to help her up.

“Ellie? Ellie, are you alright?” he shook her lightly, but all she could do was stare at him. Slowly the realization came to her, and she began to cry. He held her as she sobbed. The Princess was not in a better position as she was also clinging to her brother and sobbing.

“I am also thrilled that the Princess is safe but, I must request that we move on, Your Highness. We need to get you two out of here or at least to your parents.” Said a knight that was standing in the doorway. Elena looked over at the Knight, she didn’t recognize him, but that didn’t matter at this point. They needed to escape.

“But everything is in chaos! There’s no way we can make it back to the throne room!” She hadn’t meant to yell; the words just rushed out of her. Prince Kazunori frowned, and Sylas looked grim. There was a way out of here, right?

“If I recall, there is a secret passageway that leads out of the castle walls, Your Highness, His Majesty must have shown this to you, yes? Maybe we can escape through there," the Knight offered, but Prince Kazunori looked puzzled.

“T-there are several passageways but not all of them lead outside. They're supposed to confuse people. We could try but...I don’t know if I can find the right one that leads out…”

“So we could just get lost in there ? We might just end up dead that way too,” Sylas said frowning, and gripping Elena a bit too tightly.

“But we should try right? It’ll be hard for them to find us in the passageway, I think?” The Knight nodded at her encouragingly.

“There also has to be some way of figuring out how to navigate the tunnels? Some trick or tool?” Prince Kazunori was quiet, and all eyes were on him. He looked worried, but he sighed and nodded.

“There is b-but I don’t think we can get to it. Dad should have had it with him. He always does.”

“What are you referring to, Your Highness?”

“His sword and shield. Dad’s weapons have some magic in them that react to the magic in the passages. It should guide us...but he always has it with him. He never goes anywhere without it.”

“Not tonight!” Sylas pointed out. “He didn’t have it with him. I remember. You can’t bring weapons into the throne room.” Prince Kazunori didn’t seem as thrilled as everyone else to hear this.

“But if he doesn’t have it on him then it must be in the armory. There’s no way we can get there with all the fighting going on. We would have better luck just trying the passageways.”

“We can try. Fear not, Your Highness. I will make sure you get there without being hurt.” The Knight said. With that, it seemed a plan was set. Hesitantly they all stood up and exited the bathroom.

The main room of the Emperor’s quarters was a mess, and seeing it this way broke Elena’s heart a little. The first time she had seen it, she was amazed by its elegance, from the beautiful tapestries that hung on the wall and plush ornate furniture. Now, the tapestries were torn, and the furniture was ripped and displaced.

“Elena, can you hold Yuki?” She nodded as the Prince handed his sister back to her. Princess Yuki whined but ultimately did not fight. Elena then looked at the Prince carefully to see if he was injured anywhere when she noticed he did not seem to be wearing the bracelet the Grand King had ordered be handed to him.

“Sylas. Do you still have what the King gave you?” He looked at her, confused, but when he pressed his hand against his hip, he remembered as well.

“Your Highness, here the King told me to give this to you.” Sylas fished out a cloth wrapped around a bracelet with a quick note. Prince Kazunori read the note and put the bracelet on his wrist. He stopped suddenly, and his eyes glazed over; it felt like the air around him changed.

“Your Highness?” Sylas said and waved a hand in front of the Prince’s face but received no reaction. “Kazunori?”

“Brother?” Princess Yuki’s words seemed to snap Prince Kazunori out of his trance-like state. He was breathing heavily and had broken out into a cold sweat which, left Elena puzzled.

“Y-yes? I-I’m okay. I’m okay.” Kazunori said and started walking quickly after the Knight in front of them. “We should keep moving.”

Elena and Sylas looked at each other confused, but neither of them could figure out what had just happened. Was something wrong? What exactly had the note said?

Despite how odd Prince Kazunori was acting, the small group found their way to the armory with less resistance than they had expected. The Knight led most of the attacks with the Prince, and Sylas backing him up though the more the Prince fought, the more comfortable he seemed to grow.

“I can see the real difference between the two of us,” Sylas noted as they dispatched a group of hooded men. “I thought that maybe because you skipped many of your lessons that I would still be able to match you. But I guess you are just on another level.” Elena frowned, she had tried hard to hide the violence from the Princess, but it was difficult when the floors were covered with bodies.

The Prince shrugged his shoulders as he moved over to the armory. He pulled out a necklace that had a skeleton key that opened all of the most important doors in the castle. He quickly unlocked the armory allowing everyone inside before locking it back.

“So the sword and shield should be in here?” the Knight asked and looked around at the different weapons. While the armory stored the weapons for the knights and guards around the castle, it also had some of the Emperor’s more rare and prized weapons that were nice enough to keep on hand but not so important that they would be on display in his office. As the only way to access it was through the special keys given to only a few select people, like the Prince or the head butler, it was the safest place to keep them.

“I don’t see it,” Sylas said, looking through several shields.

“It seems like it’s not here.” the Knight said. “Is there any other place it could have been. “Should we check back in the Emperor's quarters?”

“If it was there wouldn't we have seen—”

“Here it is.” Prince Kazunori grabbed a golden shield with a lion painted on the front and a sword with a jewel-encrusted handle.

“But that’s not—”

“Dad’s sword is magic. It can change shape.” Prince Kazunori insisted. “This is it. I know. I’ve seen it change.” Sylas grew quiet. Prince Kazunori wasn’t usually this strict with his attendant, they were friends after all.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“There’s an entrance to the passages on the back wall, we can start there.” The Prince took the lead as the others followed, the Knight guarding the rear.

After taking a few steps into the passageway, a soft golden glow came from the Prince and flowed forward like a guide. They followed along a path that splintered and then descended a spiral staircase. After almost half an hour of walking through the passageways, they came to a hidden cove. By the banks laid several boats and people standing around waiting for something or someone.

“Is that..Mr. Faust?” Sylas said as they moved closer to the shore. “What’s he doing here? Is he here to save us!”

“Sylas, wait! No!” Prince Kazunori was too late, Sylas had already run to his trusted mentor.

“Ah! There you are. I’d say right on time but nothing has gone according to plan tonight.” As Mr. Faust turned around, the people around him also turned, showing that they had masks with different symbols on them. This made Sylas stop short but Mr. Faust was quick to grab him. “What’s wrong, Sylas? You look as though you’ve seen a ghost. It must be because of how harrowing tonight has been. Now come along children. We’ve wasted enough time as is.”

“W-what are you talking about? Wasted time? W-w-why are you with them?” Sylas yelled, shaking out of Mr. Faust’s grip. Elena’s legs finally gave out. She couldn’t take it anymore. Yuki shifted around in her arms but Elena only held on to her harder.

“You. You betrayed us didn’t you!” Prince Kazunori's voice echoed around the cove, and each time it was like a dagger stabbing into Elena. They were so close too.

“To say I betrayed you would indicate I was ever on your side.” Mr. Faust slowly walked forward towards the Prince, but as he did so, Elena felt someone grab her arm. She looked up only to see the Knight that had been helping them reach down and yank the Princess from her arms. He was much stronger than either of the two young girls; no matter how they squirmed, they couldn’t stop him from dragging them towards Mr. Faust.

“Sorry, sir. I would have been here sooner, but it’s a shit show in there and having to play babysitter to these brats didn’t really help.” Prince Kazunori had moved into a defensive stance to guard against Mr. Faust, but when the Knight had come up behind him, he shifted so his back was to neither of them. It was useless, however, and the gesture was entirely ignored.

“You got it though? I could care less about them as long as we have what we came for.”

“His Royal Highness has it. Apparently it can change shape but it got us through the passages just like you said.” Mr. Faust turned to the Prince and grinned wickedly.

“I see. It’s hard to steal something if you don’t even know what you're looking for,” He circled the young prince like a serpent trapping its prey. “And if you’re using it then that must mean it’s already bound itself to you. You’re a little young to wield something so dangerous. Why don’t you give that to me?”

“How do you know about my Dad’s weapons?”

“I know many things. Like how there is no use fighting with me because there is no one coming to save you. Your parents are still in the throne room and all of the knights that are still alive are focused on them. No one gives a rats ass about a couple of kids who shouldn’t even exist. This world was a lot better off before you, and your fool of a father came and started changing the rules of the game!”

Mr. Faust took a step back and collected himself. Even now, it was difficult for Elena to see him as anyone but the head butler who would reprimand her if he saw her running in the halls but would look the other way when she snuck cookies out the kitchen.

“Why?” Sylas’s voice sounded so soft; if it had not been so quiet, she doubted if anyone would have heard him.

“What now?”

“Why?! Why would you do this? You served for years? We all trusted you! Believed in you! Y-you were like….you said you believed in me…”

“Oh my sweet boy, I do believe in you. I believe you deserve more than to be serving under this worthless child in land that is not your own. This is,” Mr. Faust waved his arms around at everything to emphasize his point, “was for children like you and Elena who have been traded away as sacrifices to this mockery of an empire in hopes they can be safe for just one more day. It makes me sick just thinking about it.”

“But that’s all going to change.” When Elena looked at the man she had once trusted and believed in, she shivered. His eyes and smile made him look insane. Where had the cold prim and proper man she had always known gone? “We will present Yuei’s greatest treasures to my master giving him the legitimacy to claim the throne and without his precious sword and shield the Emperor will be defenseless and this sorry excuse of an empire will crumble!”

“You’re crazy!” Sylas whipped around to attack Mr. Faust, but he stopped when he saw the knife that was pressed against the Princess’s throat.

“Calm yourself, boy. Trust me when I say; you children were never supposed to be hurt. I may despise the imperial family with every fiber of my being but I do not desire to kill you. Now, why don’t you calm down. And you drop the hero act and hand over the weapons.” Mr. Faust had his eyes on Prince Kazunori now, who glared back at him. “Come on, now. It’s useless. What are you going to do? Fight us all? You’re outnumbered and clearly tired after fighting through all of that. Just leave weapons. Maybe if you ask nicely enough we’ll let you come with us. It’s far better than waiting here where someone will probably come along a murder you.”

Kazunori was silent, but after a few moments, he finally lowered his sword. Sylas protested, but a sharp look from Mr. Faust silenced him.

“Fine you can have them...but there is only one flaw in your plan,” Prince Kazunori said and dug out the note the King had given him and handed it to Mr.Faust. “The only way your master can use this is if I give it to him specifically.”

Mr. Faust’s fast scrunched up in absolute disgust. He read the note and reread it, then bawled it up and threw it into the water. One of the masked strangers stepped forward.

“Is this tru—”

“Do I fucking look like I know if that’s true? We are dealing with ancient magic here! There could be any number of curses and enchantments on those things! It could be a lie but we can’t ignore it. We could take over everything with the kind of power those weapons possess.” Mr. Faust took another deep breath and then walked up the Prince with no sign of fear or anger at all. “I assume you told me this for a reason. Your terms?”

“Let them go and I will...I will go with you. You are right I can’t take you all on by myself so there should be no problem giving Sylas, Elena and Yuki a boat so they can get to somewhere safe. If I go with you alone there’s no way I can escape but that’s not true if you take all of us.”

“And what if I just kill them now? It would be bad if our plan was discovered.”

“You said it yourself; you don’t want to kill kids. No one would believe what a four-year-old and two child servants are going to think anyways. Wouldn't it be better if I was a willing captive?” Sylas admittedly objected, and Yuki started to cry, but Mr. Faust paid them no mind. He paced a bit before nodding his head and holding out his hand.

“Do we have a deal, then?”

“Please don’t do this, Kazunori! If you do this that could mean the end of everything! They won’t just let you go afterwards. They’ll kill you ! You’ll never see your parents or Suki or—”

“I know that. I don’t matter anymore!” Prince Kazunori looked directly at Sylas, and only then did Sylas begin to cry. “I order you to protect my sister, Princess Yuki, from now on until….until you meet again.”

“But—”

“That’s an order!” Sylas hung his head low. Never before had Elena seen him so defeated, but she understood what he was feeling more than anyone else. They had both failed at their one job, and there was little they could do about it. They were only children, after all.

The Prince shook Mr. Faust’s hand, and Sylas, Elena, and Princess Yuki were sent on alone on a small boat out of the cove and out into the sea. As Sylas rowed away, Elena held the Princess to stop her from jumping out of the boat. The image of the Prince standing on the shore surrounded by enemies and headed for an uncertain future would haunt Elena for the rest of her life as this was the last time anyone had ever seen Prince Kazunori.