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Life in the palace was all Gen could dream of: shiny things (he adored shiny things), delicious food, parties, fluffy beds, beautiful girls… But there was something about leaving that behind for a few hours, being a completely different person that filled him with an unparalleled adrenaline rush.
He loved covering his hair —prized by the whole kingdom, but what had made his father so protective over him; “a prince with a distinct feature it’s the biggest advantage for assassins” —, and getting rid of his elegant clothes to switch them for normal, plain peasant clothes.
The streets of the village outside the castle were always bustling with people coming and going from the shops, little kids playing and running everywhere, and merchants trying to make a name for themselves so the king could notice them.
Walking through the streets was a privilege he didn’t usually have since his father made him go by horse or in a carriage everywhere most of the time, so the times he managed to get out of the castle without anyone noticing and he was able to roam the streets freely and without fear of getting noticed were his favourites.
But what most comforted him was the fact that, even when stripped from all his fancy clothes —the three layers of clothing plus the karaginu he had to wear on most occasions felt terribly oppressive, and getting rid of them for a simple black yukata — and the titles that made him the prince, everyone in the village still treated him with respect, and the most important thing: they treated him like a normal human.
He was about to turn towards the bakery where he always went in his rendezvous when a group of kids almost ran him over, threatening to drop the bag he was wearing to the stone road. Gen managed to avoid them miraculously, and briefly smiled at them when they stopped and muttered a quick “sorry”.
The prince entered the bakery nonchalantly, smiling when the girl on the other side of the counter stood up, smiling at him.
“Good morning.” She said happily, eyeing the bag he was carrying while a small blush spread through her cheeks. “I guess you want the same thing as always?”
“Yes, thank you.” Gen smiled, tipping his hat back a bit (without showing his hair, obviously) before looking at Kohaku. “How’s the reading been going? I brought you some more books.”
Kohaku looked back at the bag and smiled, taking a loaf of bread and wrapping it on some tissue paper before handing it to Gen. “I finished all the books, so I was waiting for the day you came back.” She smiled, crouching and getting a stack of books from the floor, the ones the prince had lent her last month.
“Sorry, I’ve been rather busy with work.” Gen took a couple of coins and gave them to the blonde girl before swapping the books on the bag for the old ones.
Kohaku hummed happily, checking the book titles and the covers before setting them carefully on the counter. “Uh… Could I ask you something, Hanzo?”
It was the name he’d chosen instead of his own, just another measure to make sure he wasn’t recognised as the prince and his cover was blown off.
“Yes?” He looked up at the blonde girl, a kind smile on his lips hiding the way his heart had jumped at the sudden possibility of her knowing .
“May I come over someday to your library so I can check the books there?” She blushed, looking away embarrassed at the boldness of her request.
Gen’s smile came back, the anxiety that had spread over his body disappearing as fast as it’d surged up. “I’m sure we can arrange that some time.” He lied, and Kohaku’s face relaxed instantly.
“Maybe…” Before she could continue, Gen checked the clock and yelped.
“Oh my! It’s terribly late for me already. Sorry.” He took the bag and the bread before hasting outside the bakery, muttering a quick “See you soon!” before exiting.
Gen took a deep breath, turning to his left and taking a bite of the bread before walking towards the port, the smell of sea salt entering his nostrils and calming his nerves.
He was going to take another bite of his bread when he felt his hat fly away off his head. Surprised, he turned around —the wind was impossibly that hard to fly it off—, and suddenly his gaze met a black pair of eyes, filled with hatred.
“Well hello, little prince.” The man said in a sing-song voice, and Gen took a step back, afraid.
He definitely wasn’t a villager; Gen didn’t recognise his face. The man had black hair, long, a stubble, and looked as if he’d been in some rough places.
But what scared him the most was the knife he was holding, and the fact that he’d taken his hat and tossed it to the floor, away from them. If someone walked by now, they would recognise him.
“Now, you won’t scream, will you? The little prince definitely doesn’t want to get the villager's attention right now, am I wrong?” His voice was calm, but his movements weren’t; pressing the knife to Gen’s throat, he pushed the prince against the wall of a building, just enough for him to feel the pressure of the knife against his skin.
Gen’s eyes were wide open, the hatred in the eyes of the man so visible in his gaze it was scaring him. What had he done? Was he guilty of something? “Is money what you want? I have a bit.”
“Of course you have.” The man grunted, the pressure of the knife on Gen’s throat rising a bit, and a hand palming over the prince’s body aggressively. “You won’t move, right? You’ll behave. No one wants their little prince scarred.” He growled, still trying to find the pouch with money.
Gen didn’t know what to respond; he tried his best to stay still, hypnotised by the man’s hatred. He’d been always accustomed to being treated greatly —he was the prince after all—, and never, in his seventeen years of life, had experienced someone just being so shamelessly hateful towards him.
He didn’t even see the other person approach them; before he could even realise, the blonde man had punched the thief away from Gen and straight to the ground, before seizing up his arm and immobilising him.
“Didn’t your mother ever tell you it’s not worth it to attack a prince?” With his knee pressed into the man’s back, the blonde leaned towards his ear and whispered just enough so Gen could also hear it. “Prison for life, dude.” Without letting the thief go, the blonde grabbed the hat from the ground and tossed it to the prince, who took it and put it back on hastily.
Gen observed how the blonde man tied the thief’s hands with some rope and helped him up, tightly gripping him with a scowl.
Once the blonde straightened his back and looked at the prince, Gen eyed him curiously. He was tall, taller than him, and much more muscular, but still lean. The clothes he was wearing weren’t typical warrior clothes; they were more fit, almost scandalous —especially in the way his thighs looked in them, leaving almost nothing up to imagination—, so the prince assumed he’d stayed abroad, probably in the west, for some time. His blonde hair fell on his forehead graciously, and his light blue eyes were fixed on Gen, one of his eyebrows raised in curiosity.
“I-” Gen took a deep breath, composing himself. “I can’t imagine what I can do to repay your kindness.”
“Yeah, yeah.” The blonde man waved his hand dismissively. “Your father will pay me greatly, don’t worry. Now come with me.” Without any other word, he turned, the thief still secured in his hands, and started walking out of the alleyway.
“Wait! You work for my father?” Gen took a step towards him. The blonde man sighed and turned back around, meeting his eyes. He nodded. “What’s your name?”
The blonde held his gaze for a few seconds, a small scowl on his lips.
“I’m Stanley Snyder.”
—
As much as Gen had been glad to know Stanley worked for his father, he wasn’t as glad when the blonde man dragged the thief and him, as if they were both prisoners, in front of the king.
His father rarely took audiences; this time, however, whatever Stanley had to say was apparently too important for the king to say no.
Gen stood on a corner of a room, trying to ignore the sneaky glances of the king’s advisor and his father's judgmental glances. He had gotten rid of the hat, his white and black hair on display, and the black yukata making him feel naked in front of everyone.
“Thank you, Stanley. We’ll make sure this criminal is taken care of.” One of the advisors said while standing up and signalling some guards to take the thief away.
The blonde man stood impassively in the middle of the room, waiting for the king to thank him for saving his son, when Gen’s father did something the prince couldn’t have imagined seeing ever in his life; he pulled a pouch full of coins out of his pocket and deposited it on Stanley’s hand.
“You were right about my son. I’m terribly sorry for doubting your word.”
Stanley bowed, the pouch firmly gripped and a cocky smile in his face. “Of course, Your Majesty.” He straightened his back, apparently oblivious to Gen’s piercing gaze on his back. “I’ll go back to resuming my duties now, if you’ll excuse me.” He bowed once again before exiting the room, leaving the king and his advisors alone with the prince.
“Will you leave my son and me alone for a moment?” The king asked politely, his gaze fixed on the prince.
The advisors bowed and left without a word, and Gen didn’t have any other option but walk closer to where his father was seated and kneel on the floor. “Father.”
“When Stanley told me he suspected you went on walks in town without your guards, I thought the westerners had turned him into a liar.” His father’s tone was grave, still gazing at Gen even though the prince was looking down at the floor. “Do you understand how dangerous what you’ve been conducting behind our backs is?”
“I understand, father.” Gen mumbled, closing his eyes briefly.
“Do you understand that you’ll be punished for your careless actions? As your father and the king, I have to make sure you’ll learn what it means to be thoughtless regarding your life’s importance.” He continued, and Gen could feel himself shrink further into himself, his shoulders slumping forward.
“Of course, father.” The prince mumbled, jaw clenched.
That prick Stanley. Whoever he was, Gen was going to get him beheaded.
“You are forbidden from exiting the palace in a month. You’ll only be allowed to get out with me, in case there’s an important meeting we both are summoned to.”
Gen finally looked up at his father, a slight frown in his otherwise flawless face. “What about the ball at the end of the month?”
The king pursed his lips, as if he hadn’t thought about that. “I’ll decide depending on your behaviour during your confinement.”
“Understood, father.” Gen repeated, his gaze going back to the floor but the ghost of a smile playing on his lips.
“Now go to your chambers and change into some proper clothes. The prince has to look pristine at all times.” He waved a hand dismissively, as if he didn’t want to deal with his rebellious son anymore. Gen lowered his head briefly before walking out of the room, a question clouding his mind.
Who was Stanley and how had he caught him?
—
The door to Gen’s chambers opened just slightly, almost so unnoticeably no other person would’ve guessed someone had entered.
“My dear Suika! I’ve been waiting for you.” Gen didn’t even look up from the deck of cards he was painting, so accustomed to the young girl’s presence he could sense when she entered his room.
Suika walked over to him, instantly sitting down on one of the cushions around the table where Gen was painting, not shy anymore of being in presence of a prince.
“You have a lot of guards coming and going around your chambers.” The young blonde girl huffed, taking off the mask she always wore to stay hidden around the palace and putting the glasses she otherwise used to wear on.
Gen observed her for a second, smiling for himself, before continuing on with his task in hand. He didn’t flinch when the girl leaned over the table to observe the cards he’d been painting in, pursing her lips in confusion.
“Why are you painting them? You could just ask your father to buy some for you.”
The prince sighed dramatically and pressed his hand against his chest. “Because I need something to entertain my broken heart, of course!”
Suika chuckled and lightly slapped his arm. “Gen! Stop being so dramatic.” She smiled when the prince chuckled, and he left the paintbrush he’d been doing the cards with on the table before answering.
“My father has sentenced that I am to be confined in the palace for a whole month.” He sighed, a pout on his lips.
“I heard.” The young girl hummed, standing up and pacing around the room, observing the new knicks and knacks the prince received every week. “Every servant has been talking about Stanley finding out you were sneaking out of the palace just a few days after his arrival.”
“You know who Stanley is?” Gen asked, straightening his back and looking with his eyes suddenly wide open at the blonde girl.
This time Suika looked actually confused, gaping at the prince for a few seconds before she could find the right words. “You…? You didn’t know who he was?”
The prince frowned and took back his paintbrush, trying to ignore the annoyance boiling up at his veins with the knowledge that he wasn’t in control of something. “You’re my eyes and ears in the palace, so I only suppose you failed to tell me that information.”
Suika frowned and sat back down next to the prince, her eyes following his every stroke of Gen’s brush.
“I assumed you knew about him already.” She sighed, her eyes not meeting his. “He’s been abroad for many years, managing the country's embassy.” The prince didn’t look up, but the blonde girl noticed his brush stopping mid-stroke. “He’s the head of the imperial guards.”
“Ah, that explains things.” Gen said, his jaw clenched. He left the paintbrush back on the table and stood up, straightening his clothes before looking back at the young girl. “If you’ll excuse me, Suika, I have some business to attend to.”
He didn’t wait for her response, just walked out of his room, his painted-stained hands deftly covered with the big sleeves of his purple outer robes.
Suika was right; he’d never seen so many guards around his chambers just making sure he didn’t sneak out. They didn’t say a thing to him while he walked past them, but he knew they were curious, a type of buzzing that surrounded them and annoyed the prince.
It was scandalous for the prince to have snuck out of the palace, especially if people didn’t know for what. A prince already in the perfect age for marriage, could he possibly have a secret lover somewhere in the village? Was he looking to sail far away from the country, leaving them behind?
The answer was much, much easier than that, so boring it wouldn’t be enough to develop into a novel or poem for a scandalous story about how the prince snuck out of the palace to find his secret lover, or hell, if the writer was imaginative, to do satanic rituals with the villagers.
Gen finally arrived at his father’s meeting room, smiling at the guards flanking the doors before sitting down on a sofa near it, trying his best to seem calm.
“Is it something important, Your Majesty?” One of the guards asked warily, now apparently uncomfortable with the prince's presence.
“Oh, don’t worry. I’m just waiting for someone.” The guards looked at each other and then nodded. “Is Stanley there?” Gen asked, suddenly aware that it’d be awkward if he stayed put there for hours and the blonde man didn’t appear.
“Yes, Your Majesty. He went in half an hour or so ago.” The guard said, flinching a bit when his eyes met Gen’s.
“That’s good, thank you.” The prince smiled and stayed seated, his hands still covered by the big sleeves of his outer robe and his spine straightened, waiting for the moment Stanley walked out of that door.
It didn’t take long, the prince just staring at nowhere, lost in his thoughts and apparently oblivious to the guards’ looks, when Stanley opened the door, finally dressed like a warrior —almost. He was wearing a hakama over his black modern western clothing, and the prince wondered whether they were comfortable.
Gen stood up instantly, his eyes meeting the head of the imperial guard’s, and a false smile playing on his lips.
“Good morning, Snyder. I’ve been waiting for you.”
The prince didn’t know whether to feel more pleased with the guards’ nervousness at the way Stanley and him were glaring at each other or feel scared.
“Good morning, Your Majesty.” Stanley said, his jaw clenched. “If you’ll excuse me, I have some business to attend to…” Before he could finish Gen took a step forward, making him fall silent.
“You’ll surely have enough time to walk with me in the garden for a bit, right?” It wasn’t a suggestion. It was an order, and Stanley knew it.
“Of course, Your Majesty.” He exhaled, turning towards one of the guards and giving him a letter. “Send this urgently to the US embassy.”
“Yes, sir.” The guard bowed before walking away hurriedly, as if being in the presence of the tension between Stanley and Gen was unbearable.
Stanley turned back to the prince and tried his best to smile convincingly, despite the tension in his jaw. “After you, Your Majesty.”
Gen smiled and started walking towards the gardens, Stanley a few steps behind him. Once they arrived outside, the prince slowed down just enough for the blonde man to catch up to him.
“I must thank you for yesterday,” Gen started, side-eyeing Stanley. There was something about the blonde’s beauty he couldn’t shake off. “A really interesting month confined in the palace is waiting for me.”
Stanley didn’t respond, he just nodded with his eyes fixed on the floor and his hands behind his back.
“But I have some questions that have been boiling inside me since you dragged me back to the palace and were instantly able to get an audience with my father.” He continued, noticing the noble girls that had been walking around the palace and had spotted him. At least he was wearing beautiful clothes. “How did you know I had been sneaking out to the village and why did you follow me? Surely you had much more important things to do after your arrival.”
Stanley’s jaw was still clenched, his shoulders tense and a small scowl on his lips. He took a deep breath, weighing his options, before he turned towards the young prince, his clear blue eyes burning ice.
“Can I be sincere with you?” He asked, his voice as calm as he could. Gen nodded, meeting his eyes without fear, and the blonde stopped walking. They were already on the north side of the garden, hopefully far away enough from curious eyes and ears. “Without mixed messages or extreme courtesy.”
“Of course.” The prince smiled, unconsciously taking a small step back from Stanley.
“You have everything you need here. You’re the most spoiled child in the whole kingdom —hell, if you told me right now to kneel before you and lick your shoes I wouldn’t have any other option but to do it—, and yet you decide to sneak out of the palace and put your life at risk. You dress as a villager and walk through the streets in secret as if you think of yourself the main character of some fairytale.” Stanley’s tone was calm, but Gen could feel the anger pouring through his words. The blonde leaned a bit towards the prince, their eyes fixed on each other’s. “Do you have a secret lover? Are you planning to overthrow the kingdom? That’s what I needed to know.”
“And what did you find?” Gen asked, amused, one of his eyebrows slightly rising and a playful smile on his lips.
“You give books to a baker and just chat with the merchants.” The blonde mumbled, looking away, annoyed.
“Yet you still dragged me in front of my father and exposed me.” The prince reproached, still not looking away from the blonde. He couldn’t help but smile when Stanley scowled, visibly annoyed by him, and he suddenly felt a need to get closer to him and just press his thumb against the crease in his forehead.
He didn’t. A prince wasn’t supposed to touch peasants.
“You were in danger .” Stanley whispered angrily, looking back at the prince.
“I had everything under control.” Gen bit back, frowning.
“A knife pressed against your throat is having everything under control?”
The prince smiled, his eyebrows raised again. “Maybe I have a taste for danger.”
Stanley sighed and looked around, making sure no one was near before taking a step towards Gen and leaning towards him. “Well, little prince. You will have to wait to get a taste of danger in your next life, because this,” He tangled his fingers around the white strand of hair framing Gen’s face and softly tugged. “Is enough danger in itself. It’s screaming at anyone for you to get kidnapped and killed. And I can’t let them have that pleasure.”
Stanley finally backed away, looking down at Gen one last time before sighing at the prince’s expression, his eyes wide open in surprise at the touch, his lips slightly parted and a faint blush spreading through his cheeks.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me.” The blonde mumbled before stomping away, leaving Gen alone in the garden.
The prince raised his hand and ran it through the white strands of his hair, still feeling Stanley’s touch on them.
Why the hell was his heart beating so fast?
—
“Stanley! Stanley!” The prince hurried after the warrior, smiling triumphantly when the blonde man reluctantly stopped and turned around to glare at him. “What a marvellous coincidence to have found you here!”
The blonde scowled, raising his eyebrows and waiting for Gen to tell him whatever he needed.
“I need you to do me a tiny favour, if you wouldn’t mind. A very personal one.” The prince whispered, leaning a bit towards him. He didn’t know why, but since their stroll through the garden, he constantly sought out physical contact with him. A brush of their hands. Stanley grabbing his wrist. Maybe being pushed against a wall. Anything .
He wasn’t getting a single thing, and each day he went back to his bed, completely touch-starved, he wanted to rip his own skin off. Instead, he just hugged his pillow and hoped that was enough.
There were many, many girls in the palace willing to spread his legs for him, but he couldn’t care less. He didn’t want their physical contact, he wanted Stanley’s.
It was killing him. It was like eating a delicious meal and then never getting a taste of it ever again.
“I’m busy.” Stanley answered, but didn’t move away, waiting for the prince to tell him that no, he wasn’t. Having that kind of power made Gen weirdly happy and nervous at the same time.
“Since I haven’t been able to go to the village these last two weeks thanks to you, will you please give these books to the girl in the bakery?” He lifted the bag filled with books, a playful smile lighting his face. “Unless you want to accompany me to deliver them in person, of course…”
Stanley grabbed the bag with a scowl. “I will do it, don’t worry.” He said through gritted teeth.
“Thank you.” Gen smiled, clapping his hands in amusement. “Oh! Before I forget,” He wanted to put his hand on his shoulder so bad . “Please explain my situation to her and tell her she’s allowed to come to the palace anytime she desires.” Stanley nodded, ready to turn around and leave, when Gen spoke again. “And give her this invitation to next week’s ball.” He handed the piece of paper to the blonde man, who took it hesitantly (their hands not touching, for the prince’s dismay).
“Are you sure you want to involve a normal village girl in all this? You of all people should know it’s not a good idea.” Stanley asked, his eyebrows rising while studying the invitation.
The prince froze, his normally calm demeanour suddenly gone.
It lasted less than a second, because Gen instantly frowned up at him, all the easiness and smiles disappeared, but Stanley noticed . And he knew he’d fucked up.
“Ugly business to bring up my mother that way, if I may say so myself.” He was serious, eyes defiantly fixed on Stanley’s, and even if the blonde was taller he couldn’t help but feel intimidated.
“Gen…” The warrior took a step towards him, but the prince took a step back, maintaining their distance without the bat of an eye.
“Don’t give her the invitation then. Just tell her she’s welcomed here whenever she pleases.” Gen pursed his lips, finally looking away from the blonde with a pained look on his face. “You are dismissed.” His voice was harsh, and Stanley was reminded all of a sudden that he was speaking with the future king.
Pursing his lips and clenching his jaw, he grabbed the bag again and searched for Gen’s gaze once again. Their eyes didn’t meet.
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
Gen didn’t even wait for Stanley to walk away, he just turned around and rushed away from him, ignoring every other person he met on his way until he arrived at his chambers.
As soon as he arrived, he had to make use of all his willpower not to tear down the cards he’d been painting on for the last weeks or break the expensive china he’d been gifted from god-knows-where, sitting down on his bed and clutching the fabric of his robes in an attempt to calm down.
He wanted to scream, but instead opted for calming his breathing and just trying to clear his mind, clenching and unclenching his hands on his robes just to have something to do.
The prince was so concentrated on calming down he didn’t even hear the door open, and Suika’s voice startled him. “Gen…? Your father is calling for you.”
“I will be there in a moment, thanks.” He said, closing his eyes again and forcing himself to pull his shit together. He finally stood up, straightening his robes, before checking his reflection in the mirror and brushing his hair. “How do I look?”
“Great.” Suika smiled at him, and the prince patted her head before walking past her out of his room. “Do you want me to do something in the meantime?” The girl called after him, and Gen turned around with his lips pursed.
“Let me know when Stanley comes back from the village, okay?” She nodded and instantly walked away, happy with the new task in hand. Gen sighed and walked over to the conference room.
His father was alone there, having some tea while his advisors were probably busy with some business that didn’t require the king’s presence. Gen walked closer to the table and sat in front of his father, his eyes following his hands while he served a cup of tea for his son.
“Do you miss the village?” It wasn’t a kind question, Gen knew that. The condescending tone his father used was enough.
“I have been surprised at the discovery that, in fact, I have everything I need at the palace.” The prince said with caution, the words meticulously chosen.
Going to the village was a distraction from his life and duties, and for the past two weeks, Stanley had proved himself to be quite… Distracting .
Gen scolded himself for thinking about him now. He took a sip of the tea, looking up at his father, who was studying his son’s face attentively.
“You are allowed to attend the ball next week.” The king finally sentenced, and Gen felt his body relax just a tiny bit. “But,” Of course. Everything came with an exception. “Stanley will accompany you at all times, making sure you don’t go anywhere.”
Gen groaned and slouched, leaving the cup of tea on the table. “Now, couldn’t you at least send a beautiful girl to be the one to keep an eye on me?” He propped his elbow on the table, resting his chin on his hand and looking at his father with a hint of mischief in his eyes.
“No.” The king took a sip of his coffee before continuing. “Stanley was the one who noticed your… Walks around the village and managed to keep you safe. I trust him.”
Trying to seem annoyed by his father’s decision, Gen gulped down what was left of his tea and stood up. “Can I go now?”
“Yes.” The king sighed, and Gen didn’t even wait for him to say anything else before walking out the conference room, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.
The ball couldn’t come soon enough.
—
A few hours later, he found the stack of books he’d lent to Kohaku along with a loaf of his favourite bread in front of his bedroom door.
The smile didn’t leave his face for the whole night.
—
For Gen’s disappointment, Stanley and him didn’t spend much time together the last week before the ball. Actually, they didn’t spend time together at all —stealing furtive glances at the other doesn’t count as “spending time together”, at least not for Gen, who with each day that passes without getting the attention he craves from the guard just makes him even more needy, touch-starved and, by consequence, rebellious.
The afternoon of the ball, the prince spent almost three hours trying on the best robes he had been brought, in an attempt to find the perfect outfit.
He finally opted for white inner robes, one of them a kind of corset that went up until halfway up his neck, covering his chest and making sure he was standing with his back straight at all times —he was going to loosen the ties by the end of the night anyways. Over it he was wearing a white yukata , and then, to top it all off, he’d opted for a vibrant purple karaginu with white flowers that tied everything together.
His hair wasn’t covered by anything, of course —his father always insisted on him not wearing headpieces so he could show it off. It was as if his hair was the only thing the king was truly proud of.
“You look great.” Suika looked away from the cards she’d been playing with and smiled at Gen’s reflection on the mirror, the prince smiling back at her while a servant brushed his hair as cautiously as possible.
“I didn’t expect less.” Gen smiled, closing his eyes when the servant applied some blush to his cheeks.
He felt something tug on the sleeve of his outer robe, and opened his eyes to find Suika looking up at him. “Will you tell me everything about the ball tomorrow?”
The servant seemed horrified by the young girl’s closeness to the prince, but even if she didn’t approve of it she couldn’t say a thing about it, so she just stepped back and started packing the things she’d used to freshen him up.
“Of course.” Gen patted Suika’s head before briefly hugging her.
“Your Majesty, it’s time.” The servant girl said, her spine straightened in an attempt to seem calm. Gen smiled at her and nodded, backing away from Suika’s hug and checking one last time everything looked fine.
The carriage to the ball was silent, Gen’s father studying him for five solid minutes before he approved of his looks and finally looked away with a little hum of agreement.
The prince tried his best to seem bored or even annoyed by the prospect of how his night was going to go, but inside, he was a wreck of nerves and what-if s.
“I don’t have to repeat that you must behave today, do I?” His father said, eyes fixed on his son.
“Of course not, father.” Gen smiled as convincingly as he could, but he knew the king could see the hint of mischief in his eyes. He couldn't be bothered enough to hide it.
As soon as they arrived at the palace where the ball was taking place, the swarm of people was enough to pull Gen away from his father and into thousands of conversations with noblemen and women that he didn’t really know —most of them trying to wed him to their daughters, to which the prince wasn’t interested one last bit.
He finally made his way to the dancefloor, taking a drink and gulping it down in one go.
Getting lost in the dances, the girls and the music had always been easy for him, so he tried his best to use that as a distraction for the thoughts running on his mind and the way his eyes wanted to search for Stanley all the time.
By the time he decided to pull away from the hungry arms of a girl she’d been dancing for the last three songs, the prince decided to go out to the garden for some fresh air, already feeling fuzzy from the drinks.
The warm breeze made him close his eyes as soon as he stepped outside, humming in contentment while resting his hands on the marble bannister and looking at the garden. He rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his head, when he heard the shift of the guards behind him.
“Trying to run away from the party?” Stanley’s voice made him smile, but Gen tried his best to seem serious when he turned around.
The blonde looked great . He was wearing western clothes —fit around his chest area, and Gen wanted to touch —, with a pale blue hakama over them and a long katana on his waist. His hair was mostly slicked back, save for a lock that fell gracely on his forehead.
“You found me fast.” Gen sighed, smiling up at Stanley.
“I’ve been watching you the entire time.”
Those words sent a shudder all over the prince’s body, and with a playful smile, he stepped backwards, suddenly turning around and running down the stairs and away from Stanley, into the garden. He heard the shift of the guards when they realised the prince was running away from them, but with a low “I’ll handle it. Your Majesty is a little bit drunk” from the blonde they all relaxed.
Gen’s smile only got bigger when he heard Stanley’s steps behind him, finally turning around and resting his back against a wall, placed well enough so the guards outside couldn’t see them. His breath slightly hitched when Stanley stepped closer to him, his clear blue eyes glinting under the moonlight.
“I think you’ve developed a taste for running away from me.” The blonde said in a low voice, but the smile that was playing on his lips disappeared when his gaze went down. “You cut yourself.”
Gen looked down, following Stanley’s gaze, and noticed the tear on his outer robe and the blood from a big but shallow cut on his arm. He hadn’t even felt it happen, but he guessed he’d gotten cut with some branch.
“It’s okay.” He smiled up at Stanley, who pursed his lips and finally met his eyes.
“I want to apologise for what I said the other day.” The blonde took a step closer, lowering his head a bit in an attempt of courtesy.
“You don’t have to apologise.” Gen sighed, tilting his head and studying Stanley’s troubled expression.
“I do. It was insensitive of me to bring it up.” He flinched back, as if the thought of it just pained him, and Gen did what he’d been dreaming of for the past few weeks; he stretched his arm towards him and gripped Stanley’s arm lightly.
“It’s okay.” He whispered, softly smiling when Stanley looked up at him with his eyes wide open.
It was as if that first touch had lit something in them, and Gen’s hand slowly went down, an electricity jolt running through his body when their uncovered skin finally touched.
They both stayed in silence while their hands intertwined, so natural it seemed like they’d done it thousands of times already.
Stanley, who had been holding his breath since he had felt the prince’s touch on him, exhaled all at once, taking a small step towards Gen with his eyes finally finding his.
“I do have a taste for running away from you, actually. I guess my plan to sneak out to the village has failed now, so thanks.” The prince sighed dramatically, softly tugging on Stanley’s arm so he got closer. The blonde took a small step towards him, but the want for both of them to finally be pressed together was so strong they could feel it in the air.
“Let’s thank the fact that I’m quite fast and I was able to catch you, then.” Stanley whispered, pushing Gen’s sleeve up so he could see the cut better —which made the prince’s skin get goosebumps.
Gen smiled, looking up at him and weirdly feeling comforted at the feeling of the blonde’s presence so close to him. Despite Stanley being way taller and fitter than him, the only thing the prince wanted to do was to be caged by his body, to wrap his arms around him and just get lost on him.
“Will you tell my father, then?” He asked, tilting his head and looking up at the blonde.
Stanley hummed, taking a step closer to the prince, their chests centimetres apart, and raised his hand to cup Gen’s face, the black and white-haired boy leaning into his touch, closing his eyes with a smile.
“Depends on how you behave.” Stanley’s voice sent a shiver up his spine. The prince softly rubbed his nose against the blonde’s wrist, sighing with contentment.
His hands were calloused, surely from all the hours of training and fighting, but Gen suddenly couldn’t get over his touch. He needed more.
“What will I get in return?” Gen whispered, and he braced himself for whatever was going to happen, when Stanley finally softly pressed his body against his and leaned towards him.
Their lips met in the softest of kisses, Stanley backing away just a second into it just to look up at the prince, who was looking at him with so much intent it could only mean one thing: kiss me again.
He did, slow and tentative kisses that were just a way of getting used to the other’s lips, the contact still making them both feel electric shocks travel all over their bodies.
Once they parted, Gen leaned again towards Stanley’s hand on his cheek, a smile on his face that reached his eyes in the most beautiful way. One of his hands went up to wrap his fingers around the blonde’s wrist, and Stanley clacked his tongue.
“That cut looks bad,” It didn’t. “I think I should get you back to the palace so we can take care of it.”
Gen smiled at the proposal, so he just let himself fall against the blonde’s chest dramatically and closed his eyes. “Yes, please. I can feel myself already fainting before the sight of blood.”
They both chuckled, and Gen stood up on his tippy toes just to steal one last kiss from Stanley, wanting to cling to him and just hug him. The blonde smiled before stepping away from him, giving him space so he could walk in front of him.
Both of them didn’t say much on their way back to the entrance of the palace, Gen trying his best to get rid of anyone who tried striking up a conversation with him. He could feel Stanley’s gaze on them, intimidating and just screaming for them to stop talking, and the small smile he couldn’t hide when the prince made excuses for his early departure.
“The prince cut himself with a branch and is feeling quite sick, so I’m going to bring him back to the palace.” Stanley explained to the guards at the entrance to the ball once they manage to get outside. They all nodded understanding and didn’t even second-guess his superior’s words. “Inform Your Majesty so he doesn’t needlessly worry about his son’s health.”
“Understood, sir.” One of the guards said, turning around and entering the ball to inform the king without hesitation whatsoever.
Gen and Stanley made their way back to the palace sitting next to each other inside the carriage, their hands intertwined and placed on top of the prince’s thigh. They both couldn’t believe none of it was real, so from time to time one of them squeezed their hands and the other responded with another squeeze just to ground themselves.
They also didn’t meet much restraint once they were back at the palace, since most of the guards were busy working at the ball; before they could even realise how far they’d gone, they were both making their way to Gen’s chambers in silence, their hands no longer clasped but so close their shoulders occasionally touched.
“Do you want to come inside?” The prince asked as carelessly as he could, although his heart was fluttering with the fear of Stanley having second thoughts about everything that was happening.
“Of course.” The way the blonde whispered made Gen regret not having his lips on his already.
Before he let go of any worries he could possibly have, he took a petal from one of the flowers decorating the hallway and left it on the floor next to his door, ignoring Stanley’s confused gaze on him.
“It’s a signal for Suika so she doesn’t enter my room without warning.” He explained, and for the way the blonde nodded in understanding he guessed he already knew who Suika was.
Once they were inside, Gen instantly took off his outer robes —the karaginu and the yukata , both of their sleeves ruined from the branch that cut him earlier—, staying only on the white corset and inner skirts. He lied down on his bed, sighing pleased, automatically closing his eyes.
He heard the rustling of clothes and guessed that Stanley had taken off the hakama and was lying down in bed next to him, the weight of another body next to him foreign for Gen.
“This must be uncomfortable.” Stanley whispered, hooking his fingers around the strings that bound the corset together and slowly untying it, apparently oblivious to the prince’s blush. His hands were more skilled than what Gen would’ve expected, and after a few minutes —which the prince spent just admiring Stanley’s beauty, from his clear blue eyes that still shone in the dark, to his almost white hair and his manly yet soft features—, the blonde was removing the item of clothing from him, tossing it somewhere to the ground before turning around and looking at him.
“You’re so beautiful.” Gen brushed the blonde’s hair away from his forehead, Stanley closing his eyes at the touch with a satisfied smile. The prince leaned over and kissed him again, his lips already missing the feeling of the other’s against them.
It was so overwhelming to feel finally close to Stanley in the way he’d been craving for weeks , that Gen didn’t know whether he’d even be able to back away from his touch.
“Stay here tonight.” He whispered, and the blonde caressed his cheek before leaving another kiss on his lips and wrapping his arms around him, pulling him closer.
“I will.” Stanley whispered back, gently nuzzling his nose against the prince’s cheek before kissing him again.
After a long time of slow kissing and just enjoying the feeling of the other close to them, Stanley wrapped his arms around the prince’s body, pulling him close. Gen buried his face on the blonde’s neck, brushing his nose against the crook of his neck softly.
“My plan worked out perfectly.” Gen whispered, and Stanley pulled away the tiniest bit just so he could look at him, confusion in his eyes. “I made you fall in love with me so I don’t have anyone preventing me from going to the village.”
Stanley chuckled and hugged him again, pulling him even closer than before and leaving a small kiss on his lips before talking. “You’re such an idiot.”
“I know.” Gen hummed, stealing another kiss and lying back down against the blonde’s shoulder.
Gen closed his eyes, his body relaxing under the feeling of Stanley’s touch on his naked back, and for the first time in his life, he truly felt content inside the walls of his palace.
He was no longer a caged bird in search of freedom and normalcy. He finally had everything he needed.