Chapter Text
The summery, sprawling landscape stands behind Prince Langa Hasegawa and his escorts as they look up at the adorned gates of the capital of Okinawa. It had taken weeks to travel across the continent to get to this point and yet, the sight of the city and the warm sun on his back doesn’t make Langa feel anything.
The gates open wide to reveal bustling streets filled to the brim with joyful chatter from the citizens and colourful flags strung up between buildings. As Langa walks through, he could see clear signs of a festival – people everywhere in the streets are dressed up in their nicest clothes, and the sound of violas and music rings throughout the area. Families and young children can be seen everywhere making gifts and food or playing games. Everyone around is dressed in flowing skirts and ornate tops made of silk and cotton. It all makes Langa feel out of place – what, with his flat face and long draping fur coat that’s much more suited to the cold weather of the northern snow kingdom.
But that doesn’t matter, Langa is there for diplomatic business only. Montreal desperately needs support – their king has just passed, and more pressure is being put on Langa and his mother than ever. All by Ainosuke Shindo, leader of the continent’s independent trade group. Ainosuke had been making moves on the 17 year old prince for years. But since Langa’s father had died he’d been pressuring them more and more, waiting for the family to crack and just say yes to get him off their backs. So Queen Nanako has sent her own son to Okinawa, desperately hoping that it would convince the Kyan royal family to consider allying with Montreal against Ainosuke.
And now Langa is waiting for the prince himself to arrive, as he was promised an escort through Okinawa. Kaoru Sakurayashiki, his royal advisor and only friend, is beginning to get impatient.
"You’d think the crown prince would make an effort to be on time, wouldn’t you?"
"Mm, he’ll be here,"
He was right. Minutes after the word was said, a redheaded boy Langa’s age comes rushing through the streets to him, laughing and waving to the people around him along the way. The boy is wearing a light, flowing shirt with the sleeves pushed up to his elbow, and loose pants of a similar fabric tucked into his boots. Jewellery adorns his neck and collarbones, as well as the silver chains resting on his hips and shoulders. He has more short chains clipped into his hair, these of which are ornamented with small glass suns, and a jewelled circlet resting on top of his head. It’s definitely Prince Reki of Okinawa.
"I’m so sorry for being late! I got a bit caught up with the townspeople and-" Reki is still smiling wide. He has the brightest smile Langa had ever seen.
"Not to worry, your highness. Let’s just get moving." Kaoru seems slightly annoyed.
"I was hoping I could show Prince Langa the city, actually!" Reki is bright and undeterred. Smiling even wider, Langa can see the deep indents of dimples in his cheeks and clear smile wrinkles by his eyes. Reki’s mouth is stretched so big that Langa can count all of his individual teeth.
"I apologise your highness, but we’re going to have to refuse. Prince Langa is here strictly for business." As his royal adviser, Kaoru speaks for Langa. And he is right to refuse, they are only in Okinawa for political reasons, but it still annoys Langa a bit. He didn’t really care about Okinawa, but something has changed now.
"Kaoru, it’s alright. We do have time."
"Your Highness-"
"I’m going. You’re dismissed. I will meet you here again at dark." Kaoru sighs, but he cannot ignore direct orders from the prince. Turning back to Reki, Langa realises that he hadn’t heard any of the conversation and was fiddling with the pendant on his neck the whole time.
"Your Highness, I will be joining you to see the city."
"Ah! That’s great! Also, you don’t need to use titles with me, just call me Reki,"
"Okay, Reki." With that, redhead is grinning like he’s the happiest boy in the world. It makes Langa want to smile too. Just a tiny bit.
Reki holds out his hand, rushing to get going, and Langa takes it, letting himself be lead through the joyful streets of the city.
And Reki’s pulling Langa along so quickly that all the colours blur as they go past, but he tries to absorb every detail anyway. It’s hard not to notice all the little details about the prince either; like how he has warm hands, callouses on his palms and bony knuckles, he also bounces a bit with every step he takes like an animated character and has colourful fluffy hair that’s a bit too long and looks like he probably hasn’t cut it in months. They fly through the city together and despite going so fast, it’s calming to Langa. Someone else’s presence, someone new, makes him feel like there’s something for him in the world again. New places and new experiences.
It’s… grounding.
As they slow, the sounds of a band grow louder and they reach the city centre. In the centre, Langa can see a crowd of people dancing together. Townspeople of all ages are spinning and clapping joyfully to the music. They look like family.
Langa turns to see Reki watching his reaction. He seems to be bursting to ask a question.
"Do you wanna dance?" Turns out, Langa’s amazement wasn’t as subtle as he thought. He does want to join, but he knows he shouldn’t.
It’s not like he can dance anyway.
"I’m afraid I can’t."
Reki sees through it again, and grabs Langa’s hand for the second time to pull him into the fray.
"Come on, you don’t actually need to know how to dance!" Langa still hasn’t processed it when Reki starts turning him in circles, dancing with him.
"Wait!" Either Reki can’t hear him over the cheerful chaos or he chooses to ignore Langa, but regardless he doesn’t respond or stop. They go around in circles, weaving through and moving with the other people dancing. Reki’s leading them as he laughs loudly and his feet skip around Langa’s clumsy steps effortlessly, like he’s been doing this his whole life.
He probably has been doing this his entire life, Langa thinks. After all, there are some children that look younger than five here.
Just as quickly as Reki dragged them into the dance, he lets Langa’s hand go and leaves him to fend for his own. Again, Langa calls out to Reki but the prince is on the other side of the square, lost in his own world. With no other option, Langa starts awkwardly moving on his own.
As the music picks up the pace so does Langa, finally getting comfortable. He’s so absorbed in the music and the movement now that he doesn’t look for Reki or anyone else to guide him. It doesn’t even matter anymore that he’s never done this before or that he’s not very good at it. Music swells, filling the square, and Langa loses himself in it. He moves like he’s been a part of the city his whole life. Langa forgets about the responsibility resting on his shoulders and the loss weighing on his heart, just for an afternoon.
***
Hours later, everyone slows down as the song comes to a close. The band needed to stop after playing all day, and people were tired. Langa looks for Reki again.
"Hey, you were awesome! You totally got into it!" A familiar voice calls out, and Langa sees Reki waving at him.
"Yes, thank you for the dance." Langa says.
"Ahhh, that’s alright! You just needed something to get you going."
They start walking away from the square and the music. After a while, Langa speaks.
"Is there anything else you’d like to show me today?" He knows he should be getting back, but he also needs to make a good impression if he’s going to gain Okinawa’s support.
And, well, he likes Reki’s company too.
"The marketplace!" It’s like a lightbulb goes off in Reki’s brain. "I’d love to show you our food! And, ohhhh, the games are so fun, and when it gets dark the lights make it so beautiful-" Reki keeps going, but Langa doesn’t mind. It’s been a while since he’s been around anyone that passionate.
They walk side by side, ambling through the streets. Langa isn’t sure where they’re going, but strangely, he’s okay with that. He’s okay with just wandering - listening to Reki talk excitedly about his customs and drinking in the atmosphere as time goes by.
It’s fascinating to listen to Reki talk. He knows so many things Langa doesn’t, even if they live in the same world of royalty and power. Reki knows all about the streets and the people in his city – he knows where the best street food is, which places to avoid and who lives there. And really, he’s not sheltered the way Langa has been. Unlike Langa, Reki can cook for himself, he can take care of his little sisters and he can do household chores. It’s both strange and admirable to Langa, who has spent his entire life being taken care of. Until a year ago, he didn’t know how to fry an egg or even light a stove.
Almost an hour of walking goes by before Reki stops talking and takes a breath. He spent so long distracted, that he doesn’t even notice the stone on the path before tripping over it. Falling to the ground, Reki hits his knees hard.
"Owww,"
Langa extends a hand to help him up, noticing the dribble of blood on Reki’s legs. He pales a bit at the sight.
"Are you alright?" Reki questions, picking up on his state.
Finding the words, Langa replies.
"Yes, I’m fine thank you. Just… not good with blood,"
"Ah, I’m sorry! I can turn around if you need me too. I’m used to patching myself up too, so don’t worry." Still sitting on the ground, Reki shuffles away from Langa and pulls his pant out of his boot and up to the knee. Langa can’t see much (thank God) but Reki seems to be pulling out cotton pads tucked into his belt.
Soon enough, he stands up again and the trickle of blood is gone.
"How often do you do that? You seem to just have just the right things on you."
"Well, uh, my mom makes me do it actually. She got sick of me coming home every day with scrapes and blood when I was little, especially for important speeches or functions that she made sure I left the house with first-aid stuff every time. And now it’s a habit." Reki’s slightly sheepish, but Langa thinks that it’s a useful habit to have.
He remembers when his own mother would have to tell him off every day for coming home almost in tears with blue fingers from the snow. Nanako would fuss and scold him, but she’d always end up taking care of him. It was confusing as a child, Langa would get told that he’s in very big trouble at the same time his mother would hand him a steaming mug of hot cocoa and run a bath. He misses his mother.
"Actually, I had a similar experience."
"Wait really?!" Reki leans in close to Langa, excited to finally know something about him.
"Yes. When I was younger, my mother used to scold me all the time for coming home with cold hands. They would even go blue." Reki is completely shocked. Guess it comes from never seeing the snow, or barely even the cold. "So in the winter months, Mom wouldn’t let me leave the house before checking I had gloves on."
"Hah! We were both trouble then, huh?"
"That’s very rude. I’m horribly offended" It takes Reki a few seconds to realise, but he bursts out laughing at Langa’s bad attempt at a joke. Even he snickers a bit; Reki’s happiness is infectious.
This does not go unnoticed. "Is that a LAUGH?!! OH MY GOD DID I JUST MAKE THE ICE PRINCE GIGGLE?!"
"Wait, people call me the ice prince?" Langa’s still trying to stifle his laughter, Reki’s over-the-top reaction didn’t help.
"You mean you never knew? You’ve kind of got a reputation for having a cold attitude. Plus, you live up in the mountains too."
Huh.
***
It’s sunset now, and the lights ahead of the boys pull them away from conversation. They look up to see the bustling night market Reki was talking about earlier.
"WE’RE HERE" Completely buzzing with excitement, Reki can’t help but shout. He rushes forward, before remembering that Langa’s there and slows down.
They walk in together, and Reki starts talking about all the stalls before they even pass any. Langa isn’t really listening, he’ll admit, but it makes for nice background noise while they wander around. All of the little trinkets the stalls sell are so interesting to him. They sell all the same stuff he’s used to at home but at the same time, they’re all completely unique to Okinawa. Things like beautiful parasols and hats instead of gloves and scarfs.
"So! Where would you like to stop first?" Reki’s enthusiastic question cuts through Langa’s musing and pulls him back to reality. Just as he’s about to answer, his stomach growls embarrassingly loud. ‘I guess that answers my question,’ Reki laughs and shows Langa to the food stalls.The number of options around is overwhelming to Langa. Everything around him is entirely new, and he wants to try it all. He stands frozen to the spot trying to decide while Reki mumbles to himself next to him about what to eat. After a while he makes a decision, leaving Langa still floundering.
"What are you going for then, Langa?" Reki drops the title, but Langa doesn’t mind.
"Well… I can’t decide. Everything here looks so interesting."
"Why don’t you just get it all? We can get small portions, and you can try everything!"
That’s a good idea.
Reki leads Langa around, giving more running commentary on all of the foods they sell. As they reach the end of the row Reki finds the shop he was looking for. Calling for the owner’s attention, he goes to order.
"Excuse me ma’am! May I please order?" Around his people, Reki takes on a much more polite manner. Still friendly of course but less casual than he was with Langa.
"Oh! Your Highness, of course. I’m honoured you chose my food." This is the first time that Langa has heard any of the townspeople use Reki’s title. When they were dancing, no one even batted an eye at the two princes in the square. It’s very strange to Langa. The royal family in Montreal act as leaders and celebrities, not friends on the streets.
After Reki collects his food, they walk back down the rows and Langa decides which ones to stop at. They amass quite a pile by the end and with every interaction Reki has, Langa becomes more surprised and amazed at how he’s treated in Okinawa. The people here show Reki respect still, but they treat him the same as most others. It seems commonplace in the city to see the royal family around and interacting with regular people. Langa isn’t recognised at all either. Others clearly identify him as royalty and someone important, but none seem to know his name or comment on who he is. It goes to show how different Okinawa is from Montreal, if they can’t recognise the heir and prince.
There is no seating in the marketplace, so Langa and Reki leave with the food.
Langa starts to head back where they came from before Reki stops him. "Hey wait, I know a good spot. It’s a walk away, but it’s super pretty."
Having practically no knowledge on Okinawa, Langa agrees and follows the redhead up a steep hill with no path. And Reki was right. It’s a difficult walk that Langa struggles a bit to keep up with. He might live up by the mountains but he’s not used to the rocky ground. Especially with the clothes and shoes Langa’s wearing, which are much more suited to deep snow than gravel and grass. His boots are tall and insulated to keep cold and wet out. Back in Montreal, everyone wears long boots almost all year long. Even in the cities and towns. There’s just so much snow that people would get frostbite if they didn’t. One of Langa’s earliest memories is seeing a family walk to the market barefoot and begging his parents to go buy them shoes. His parents agreed, of course, and the family’s bright smiles and gratitude have stayed in Langa’s brain ever since.
Queen Nanako and King Oliver were wonderful parents and equally as great leaders. But the kingdom’s status, strength and unity have crumbled has since Oliver’s death. Even more so has it hurt the people. Everyone’s miserable, and no one seen the Hasegawa family in public since the funeral. Langa in particular withdrew from his whole life. Now in a completely foreign place, he wishes he didn’t. As bright and interesting as Okinawa is, Langa misses the familiar streets of the kingdom he grew up in and one day will lead.
He hasn’t seen home in months.
Eventually Reki stops walking. Langa, still stuck in his own head, doesn’t take notice of where they are. When he does look up, he realises that the whole city is visible from above. It’s stunning - he can see all the sparkling lights, the tiny figures of people in the streets and the beautiful castle in the centre of the city that must be Reki’s home. Even the layout of the streets has Langa mesmerised.
"What do you think? Pretty, right?" Reki sounds so proud of his city. And rightfully so.
***
They sit down and open the food. It smells strange, but absolutely divine. Most of the food was wrapped in some kind of pastry or bread, but it doesn’t look like the kind of bread Langa knows from home. His bread is somewhat dense and spongey and it’s best eaten as warm thick slabs with butter, but Okinawa’s looks light and slightly flakey. It’s also got a shiny glaze slathered on the top.
Reki notices him staring. "It’s not just for looking at you know; you can eat it."
Langa tucks in, and it’s all as amazing as it smells. The bread, as he thought, is a perfect balance of sweet and salty. All of the fillings and sauces that go with them were slightly sweet too, and absolutely bursting with interesting flavour combinations that Langa can’t quite put his finger on.
Langa devours every meal in front of him with astonishing speed. When he’s finished eating, he looks up to find Reki watching his reaction expectedly. He wants to know what Langa thinks of his kingdom’s cuisine and culture.
"Thank you Reki, for the food." Reki smiles, wide and excited with red cheeks and sparkling eyes. And Langa smiles too.