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Something's wrong with the king. The masses mutter. His Majesty would never…
Of course there's something wrong with Sir Hiyori. It's not even him!
A peasant by the name of Shin Tsukimi, who Sou had regularly summoned to his castle for unknown reasons, had taken over his kingdom ever since his sudden disappearance.
This is the tale of the usurper king and his unfortunate luck.
(...)
Shin and Sou were sitting atop a hill, which overlooked the back of the huge castle which belonged to the Asunaro royal family conglomerate; Which was a round table formed from a barbaric ritual in which several heirs were forced into a royal battle royale. The victor would become their leader for some time and would get to choose their successor, as long as it wasn’t from the same direct family line as them.
It was getting late, and the twilight was just about to swallow them. Sou asked his friend. “Say… what would you be willing to do for the throne?”
Shin made a pouty face. Jeez, Sir Hiyori is always like this… he’ll ask me these weird questions and make me do all kinds of weird stuff. He thought. Whatever, it’s better than working myself to death in the fields.
(...)
Or so he thought.
Roughly eight days had passed since the kingdom first saw King Hiyori’s sudden change. Not only did he look weaker and paler, but his demeanor was off as well. He was awfully kind and fair, something that was completely foreign to his majesty usually. Was there some sort of trick? Would they get punished for accepting the king’s goodwill?
Naturally, Shin wasn’t used to having this amount of authority, but he was even less familiar with people fearing him.
From his perspective, it was almost like they thought he wasn't human. Not the most pleasant experience, as one can imagine.
Nobody would dare point out how the king had changed, even if it was very noticeable. This was especially true for members of the court.
Nobles are filthy, opportunistic creatures. When the one on top falters and loses balance, the rest try to make them fall so they can climb higher themselves. That was especially true for the Chidouin family, whose eldest daughter, Sara, was the only person eligible for the throne. Or, she would be, if it weren’t for that pesky Sou Hiyori.
One of her servants, by the name of Kai Satou, was a very feared warrior. He'd been responsible for slaying countless monsters and enemy soldiers, without a shed of remorse. His agility and stealth were like those of a warrior monk from a faraway land. Nowadays he carried out secret missions while disguised as their butler.
Since he was rather fond of the regal girl, he hatched a plan with her in order to eliminate the current ruler. A coup. An assassination. But make it look like an accident.
Their idea was to prick the green haired man with a cursed needle while he wasn't looking. Nobody would suspect a thing as he slowly succumbs to the darkness and Sara would become queen.
It'd be pretty simple. During the night of the next ball, Sara would strike up a conversation with the target, then once his guard was low, Kai would sneak up and lightly pierce him.
They had a week before the ball and everybody was nervous, hoping to make a good impression. After all, politics were half appearances and half connections.
Shin had a problem though, he’d never been to a ball before in his life. Growing up a peasant, he had no idea how to behave at one of these parties, or hell, even how to behave. He was planning how to deal with this problem while sitting on his bed, the third highest room in the whole castle. He’d decided not to use Hiyori’s room, just in case he somehow found out or came back (Also in general it just gave him the heebie jeebies).
Back to the matter at hand, the ball. He’d chosen his attire already by recalling what Hiyori used to wear to important events, as well as some new clothes he’d been gifted the past few days.
I can’t risk getting caught… He thought. What will I do?
The teal haired faker sighed, knowing he wouldn’t be able to learn in time, since he had nobody he could reveal his true identity to. He paced around the room nervously until he decided to get some air by overlooking the horizon from the balcony.
Should I fake being ill? If I get found out… It’d all be over.
Everything would be over.
At the very least, I know that these past few weeks I’ve lived as royalty have been the best of my life.
A bird’s song could be heard in the distance. Shin had always been a fan of cute animals, he’d often feed them, play with them or help them. It was something that had started as a way of paying respects to his little sister Kanna after she disappeared one day, but after he discovered how much the forest creatures liked him, it became a habit he enjoyed.
The bird’s melody got louder as it flew closer to the balcony and it perched on top of Shin’s finger.
“Hi little guy, what’s got you so musical today?” He asked the bird playfully, as he’d often do affectionately even though he knows they obviously couldn’t understand him.
The bird seemed like it chirped in response, then it flew off his finger to stand on the balcony’s balustrade, and a pair of new birds joined it. It then started to move in time to the rhythm of a sweet melody sung by the other two.
At first, Shin just watched in awe and amusement, but then he realized that he could copy the movements somewhat… The birds were trying to help him!
“It really does look like a waltz, I’m doing it!” He said, after practicing for a few minutes. “Thank you so much!”
After Shin felt comfortable enough, he thanked the birds again and gave them a few seeds he carried around. They left chirping happily after that.
(...)
In the meantime, Kai was preparing the deadly needle. He’d been serving as the Chidouin’s butler for quite some time, leading some to believe that he retired from the battlefield, but that’s exactly the kind of misdirection that he’d been using that job for.
Well, there was also the fact of how much he loved to cook for Sara and how protective he was of her. That’s why when she gave the order, he wouldn’t hesitate to put down any enemies of hers.
Not like Sara wasn’t a capable fighter herself, she was pretty much the best swordsman in the entire kingdom after all. It was just way better to take care of things without making much of a fuss most of the time. Swiftly, efficiently.
Even still, it was rare for Kai to have any kind of hard feelings towards his targets. Even when they weren’t human, if they didn’t do anything to Sara, they were good in his book. That wasn’t quite the case for Sou Hiyori, the tyrant. He was known for being a cruel and unjust ruler, who would terrify even the mightiest warriors of other lands. But that wasn’t enough, he also had a personal grudge against him, being from the same generation yet raised completely differently. He could recall how the green haired boy would torture rats in the chambers while he was sent to train his sword skills. He’d seen the guy grow into some kind of monster and it pained him that he had to be complicit in the other’s endeavors from time to time.
Hopefully, I can put an end to this. He thought to himself.
(...)
When it was finally the night of the ball, everybody dressed their best and gathered in the castle’s hall, which had been turned into a ballroom temporarily for the occasion. Everyone except… Sou. It wasn’t like him to be fashionably late, or even unfashionably late!
Turns out he had some trouble with his wardrobe. We’ll come back to that later, though, as the rest of our key players were ready and waiting for the king to make his appearance.
Sara was wearing a classic, yet light purple dress. Her hair was adorned with a flower pin that made her outfit particularly striking.
Kai, on the other hand, was wearing a tamer version of what other attendees would wear. It'd help him blend in easier.
When the imposter king finally showed up, the entire crowd applauded him. Anything the king wore was tasteful, or else.
It wasn't all intimidation though. Shin had done a great job choosing his clothes for tonight. Be it the classy white gloves or the color combination he went for with his suit, he was dressed to impress. Maybe a bit overdressed, according to a certain someone.
Sara tried her best to hide her worry while clapping just like everyone else. That's no good. She thought. If Hiyori doesn't take those clothes off we won't be able to use the needle. I have to think of something…
Before the other nobles could swarm the king to compliment him in hopes of climbing the social ladder, Sara went up to him and greeted him with a confident smile.
"I've been waiting for you, your highness." She said, bowing down. "It's good that the wait was worth it, as you look positively striking."
Shin blushed, not expecting her to be so bold. Nobody else had even tried getting so close to him.
"T-Thank you, Miss…" He said, struggling to get the words out without unmasking himself in front of her. “What would your name be?”
That's a weird tone of voice… and the color on his cheeks… perhaps he's feeling even more unwell than we thought. Sara's thoughts raced. “I’m surprised you don’t remember, but I’m Lady Sara of the Chidouin family.”
Another noblewoman, who was holding a wine glass, approached the two innocently enough. Her name was Megumi, princess of the elves. She was invited from a far away kingdom for some diplomacy.
The elf princess was quite fond of booze, so she immediately went to get some of the party juice once the event started.
It was just then when Sara got a devious idea.
The copper haired lady tripped Megumi, making her spill her colorful drink all over Shin. The crowd gasped audibly, some even looking away in fear of what would happen next. Then she laughs at the fallen noble. “I can’t believe you’re this drunk already, princess.” Her words make the elf look even more foolish.
Megumi started tearing up. Her entire life flashed before her eyes as she realized the terrible danger she was in, having soaked the tyrant known for having people beheaded for minor mistakes.
“Please forgive me, your highness.” She cried, practically kissing his feet begging for pardon. “I’m just a clumsy imbecile, please spare my life!”
Sara looked down at her feet. Was this really worth it? She’d practically condemned this lady to death and possibly caused a war between the two kingdoms.
It’s for the best… Hiyori needs to be put down. She told herself.
Shin was just outright confused. Why is this lady apologizing so much? “It’s fine, don’t worry about it.” He said, with a smile. “I couldn’t have worn this outfit for long anyway, it’s way too hot in here.”
The crowd was shocked. The king had taken off some of his clothes, revealing his delicate pale skin. Then he helped her get up.
Everyone else felt weird about the whole situation, yet nobody would dare say a thing, as they felt his usual ruthlessness could come back at any moment. The one most shaken by it was Sara herself. How the hell did that happen? Has he gotten soft after all this time?
Whatever, my plan worked. Now I just have to distract him.
Shaking away her thoughts, the girl made her next move, striking up conversation with the king again.
“You’ve been acting quite kind lately, is something the matter?” She asked. “Are you planning something?”
“Huh? I don’t know what you mean.” He replied, tilting his head in confusion.
“I just can’t believe you’d let yourself be disrespected like that.” She continued.
“What, the wine and all? It was an accident.” The fake king told her. “I’m okay, I think. Purple kinda suits me anyway.”
Sara was frustrated. Had the king seen through her plans? His attitude had changed so much, he acted the complete opposite of why they wanted to end him.
I just have to tempt him. I’ll make it seem like he’s safe to act his regular cruel self with me. She plotted. “Ah, come on, Sou. I know you’re waiting to make your next awful decree. I gotta be honest, I’m waiting for it too! We’ll see those stupid peasants won’t know what hit them.”
“Miss… What in the lord’s name are you talking about? My plans are actually to make the peasants’ lives easier… It’s what a good king should do, right?”
“O-oh. Yeah. It was a simple joke, my apologies.” This man… he’s… so kind. So reasonable, what happened?
Before she could further question the king’s behavior, the live band started playing a slow, sweet melody. Perfect for a royal party like this.
Here’s my chance to show off what I learned. Shin thought, then offered his hand to Sara. “Oh, it seems the band has started playing. Shall we dance?”
The girl was taken aback, but she ultimately accepted.
The two held hands and started their step, twirling and moving in time with the music. They even locked eyes for several moments. Shin felt as if Sara could stare into his soul.
The imposter king’s heart raced. I’m doing it, I’m dancing with Lady Sara!
“I… need to tell you something.” Sara said, looking into the Shin’s eyes.
“What is it?” He asked, the two still slowly dancing. Is she going to romance me? He thought to himself, getting a bit flustered, but excited by the prospect.
She got closer to him, then whispered in his ear.
“The real Hiyori doesn’t dance.”
The girl tightened her grip on Shin’s hand as Kai approached them, cutting through the crowd with a stealth elegant enough to let him go unnoticed.
“Kai, wait. We-” Sara couldn’t utter another word, as verbally signaling the assassin not to kill him would expose their scheme.
Right after Kai walked up to the dancers for the surprise attack, Sara pushed Shin to the ground in order to get him out of the way. Surprised, the killer thought quickly to come up with a new unsuspicious way to proceed.
“Your majesty!” He said, extending his hand out to help him back up. “You must be more careful, we wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”
The cursed needle poked almost invisibly from between Kai’s delicate fingers. If Shin accepted the help, he’d be certain to die.
Suddenly, a loud sound reminiscent of thunder shook the room.
"Haven't you heard? Dragons don't like it when you touch their treasure…" A smoldering voice rang along the walls of the castle, as green smoke enveloped the hall in darkness. A bright flash was produced by a seemingly spontaneous combustion, setting part of the room ablaze.
From the flames appeared a reptile-like creature, one green like emeralds and lusting for blood like a ruby. Claws sharp like obsidian swiped the needle away from Kai's hand, petrifying the places where the slash had cut him. Practically a miracle that he didn't get his entire hand cut off.
The foul drake stood a couple of meters tall, almost reaching the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling of the hall. It was scaley, but dry like its body was made of minerals.
The room erupted into utter chaos, nobles turning tail and running away in fear. The guards did their best to calm the crowd, but even some of them panicked and escaped at the sight of the beast.
"Ahahaha, to think this is the same reaction they'd have to my human form… it warms my heart." The monster said.
"Wait, it's… you! Hiyori!" Shin screamed. "W-what's happened to you!?"
"That I cannot tell you, little prince." The dragon spoke. "All I can say is that there's someone trying to take what's mine… I don't take kindly to that."
Shin felt his heart stop as he heard him. He… he found out… I'm dead…
Sara, on the other hand, looked like she'd been waiting for this moment all her life. She cast forth a spell on the ground, summoning the holy weapon, Mefustalun. Capable of damaging even abominations such as the one present.
"Away, beast. The throne was never yours in the first place." She exclaimed, readying her battle stance.
"Correct. You're wrong." Hiyori growled, while Shin went to check on Kai's wounds and try to mend them. "This kingdom is no treasure. Its throne is nothing but lies. But if the little regicide you were planning includes taking my precious moonlight away from me, then I can't allow it."
Precious… moonlight? Shin thought to himself. Is he talking about me? "Y-you mean, you're not here to kill me for stealing the throne?"
"No… I can't kill you just yet." The draconic entity replied. "Much too soon."
Sara, with a mix of confusion, anger and jealousy, interrogated the former king further. "Why is he so important to you? Is it some kind of magic?"
Hiyori laughed.
"He's the only connection I have to the human realm. Be it king or dragon, I could never understand their puny little lives… until I met him. Even with the hundreds of years that us mythical beasts have of lifespan, the inevitability of death is the only thing that kept me from attaining peace of mind." The green creature huffed, exhaling more smoke from its mouth. "That boy's flame is the warmth that will sustain this cold blood of mine. I'll extinguish it myself when the time is right."
"You truly are a monster." The Chidouin heir exclaimed.
"That's rich, coming from the one plotting a murder for their own gain." The lizard replied, baring its fangs as if it was smiling. "But enough talk, have at you!"
The creature tried to spew fire at the girl, but she swiftly rolled out of the way and counterattacked. The blade seared the dragon to the touch, making it yelp in pain.
While Sara fought the monster, Shin did his best to move Kai out of the way and tend to his wounds with the little healing magic he could cast.
“Ahahaha, it’s a lost cause. Even if you can hurt me, you won’t be able to keep up with me for long.” He said, clawing away at Sara while dropping some rubble on her.
“I don’t need to kill you, I got the important hit in.” She said, clutching her damaged shoulder. “You won’t terrorize our land anymore, begone!”
With a high screeching sound, the wound the dragon had sustained started glowing white. “N-no, you can’t… Take it away from me!” The beast protested, but it was too late. The carving she had placed on his heart would forever keep him from entering the kingdom as long as Mefustalun had a wielder. The green drake Sou Hiyori was banished.
(...)
Long after the battle, Sara was given the throne as the only successor. She immediately sought out Shin to talk things out with him.
The shy teal haired man walked up to the throne room, where Sara was. He was sweating bullets, as he had a feeling he knew why he’d been summoned.
“Impersonating the king is a pretty grave offense.” She said.
“I know…” He said, closing his eyes. It might be the end of the road for him.
“I wouldn’t want a kindhearted man such as you getting punished, though. Even if you’re a liar, you’re a bad liar, but a good man. You’re dismissed.”
With a huge sigh of relief, he turned away to finally return home.
“Wait one second, Shin.” Sara said. “We’ll look into Kanna’s disappearance. I’ll lead the search party myself.”
Shin smiled. “Thank you, your highness.”
(...)
After getting home at last, he let his facial muscles relax to reveal his true emotions. Disappointment and sadness.
Sure, it was an amazing show of kindness how Sara had treated him, but he had no reason to believe Kanna would ever be found. Even if Hiyori the Green Dragon had been banished, he was still out there, probably scheming to get him back. Plus he was back to his miserable life as a peasant.
I just wish I could go back. Back to the life of lies that gave me so much hope.
If his luck ever gets better, only time will tell. It'd start with a knock on the door from a familiar face, one in search of answers and looking to cook him a nice meal in return.