Chapter Text
Kotetsu slams his mug on the table as he belches, splashes of the bronze liquid staining his hand.
"Antonio, you got no idea!" He exclaims.
"Kotetsu, that's bullshit and you know it," Antonio responds, failing to set his own mug down carefully in an attempt to avoid making any more of a mess.
Out of the corner of his eye Kotetsu sees Ivan, choosing to stay quiet for now, pulling Antonio's freshly abandoned mug away from him and then pouring its contents into his own vessel. Kotetsu chuckles smugly.
What had started as a quiet night at the tavern, a drink with his buddies, quickly escalated into a shouting match when Kotetsu decided to bring Tomoe into the conversation.
"Listen, man! I didn't expect you to kidnap her, what else was I supposed to do?"
Antonio turns on his stool to face Kotetsu head-on. "I didn't know they took her, you bearded narcissist!"
Kotetsu's eyes widen as much as they can when his entire face is lax with intoxication. "What did you say, bachelor beef?”
"Alright guys," the barkeep speaks up from behind the old wooden bar, "that's enough for tonight. How about you all go along home and get a good night's rest?"
"Shut up, Cain!" The two of them yell in unison, Ivan simply snickering at their pathetic comeback.
Cain huffs and rolls his eyes. "Mary!" He calls.
Within a second, the wench steps up to their table with her calloused hands on her hips.
“Boys. It's time to leave," She deadpans.
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"I'm just saying, I fought you off without even using a sword and that's a big deal." Kotetsu hasn't stopped talking since they left the tavern, filling the cobblestone streets with echoes of his drunken rambling. A few merchants putting away their wares for the night give the group glares as they walk by.
That doesn't stop him. "You were two times bigger than me even then and I still had you on your toes! If I'd been allowed to become a Knight, you wouldn't have stood a ch...huh?"
His thought is cut off when he recognizes a group of seven or so Knights ahead of them on the street, gathered around something blocked from his sight. He charges closer, dragging Antonio by the wrist, Ivan following close behind.
Kotetsu ducks behind a stack of merchant crates left on the street. From this close he can see that the Knights aren't wearing the simple red capes he’s used to seeing in the lower part of town. These have the image of a large silver rabbit outlined with silver and gold trimmings. These aren't just Knights, they're the Royal Guard.
Kotetsu strains to peer over their armor-clad shoulders to see what the fuss is about.
"Take him to the dungeons," he hears one of them call out.
Ivan speaks up from where he's hiding behind Antonio, "guys, I don't think we should be here. "
Antonio reaches behind himself, offering Ivan his arm for extra cover.
Kotetsu gives his own attempt to calm him."It's fine, Ivan, it's a public street. We have every right to be-"
"All you heathens will pay!" A frenzied, raspy shout comes from within the fray. Between the glimmer of fire reflecting off of metal helmets Kotetsu catches a glimpse of shaggy brown hair and a sizable beard before the man shouts again. "We are God's chosen ones! We were born to be superior! All who are not Chosen shall perish!"
"Yikes," Antonio utters.
Kotetsu throws an arm back to cover Antonio's mouth, which Antonio swiftly dodges.
The first voice comes back, the powerful tone commanding everyone's attention. "He is to go to the dungeons until further notice."
Kotetsu takes another daring step closer, just inches away from the closest Guard. He continues to search for the source of the voice, hoping to see the reclusive leader of the Royal Guard. He'd never had the chance before, but had heard tales of his ferociousness. Apparently, he once caught an Assassin's Courier by jumping onto a merchant's cart and tackling the man from above. This guy's gotta have legs of steel to be able to pull that off. No wonder he's the head of the strongest Knights in the whole kingdom.
"No one is to speak to him unless I give the order, is that understood?" The voice calls, getting louder as Kotetsu hears footsteps loom nearer.
"Yes, sir!" The men call in unison.
Just then, the man finds his way into Kotetsu's line of sight.
"Oh, shit," he hears Antonio whisper behind him.
"No kidding," he responds wistfully.
The first thing Kotetsu notices is his eyes. A striking green contrasted against his fair, porcelain skin. Then Kotetsu’s attention is drawn to the man's hair. By Gods, that hair. Kotetsu can't help but gawk as the unnamed guard glowers at his men, his pale blond locks dancing in the firelight, flowing like ocean waves.
What is he thinking about? Kotetsu snaps out of it just enough to wonder why the head of the Royal Guard isn't even wearing a helmet. Is he really that confident that no one can hurt him?
Kotetsu rolls his eyes and thinks, show off.
"Let's go!"
He almost misses when the man throws up two fingers in a gesture to release the Guards from their places of attention, signaling them to finally move the man toward the Castle and implied dungeons.
Kotetsu mimics the movement, making sure to cast a stink face toward the man, repeating his words in a mocking tone.
"Can we leave now?" Ivan’s voice is muffled from his hiding spot behind Antonio's arm. When Kotetsu at last turns to confront his friends, he notices Ivan is visibly shaken and Antonio's face is pale as if he's seen a ghost.
"What? What's the big deal?" He asks.
Antonio blinks a few times, "K-Kotetsu..."
Ivan inches further behind Antonio and raises his hand to point at the retreating Guards, "Kotetsu, that was B-Barnaby."
"Huh?"
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"Ben! You're never gonna believe this!" Kotetsu calls as he races into the dwelling they share.
Ben is standing in front of the furnace, scrubbing the day's work off of his various smithing tools with a soot-stained cloth.
"You saw the Royal Guards arresting someone in front of the Castle gates?"
The excitement drains from Kotetsu’s body. "Who told you?" He whines, coming down from the high of having important information to share.
"Ivan has his ways. You're barely standing up straight, have a seat." Ben laughs, hanging one of his many pairs of tongs up on its designated hook.
Kotetsu groans and slumps into the closest chair. He empties his coin purse onto the round wooden table beside him. Seven Silvers and two Coppers. Barely enough for another round; good thing they left the tavern when they did.
He turns his head to stare at the fireplace in front of him. He can hear Ben rustling and clanking in the corner while his eyes lock onto golden embers and orange flames swaying like seaweed in the depths of the ocean.
He wonders how deep the green of the Royal Guardsman's eyes go. Could he drown in them? Feel the life leave his body just to have strong hands pull him back up to safety so he can look into those eyes again?
He remembers the flames in the blond's glare. So much heat directed at the world. If only Kotetsu had the chance, he could smooth the wrinkle in his brow, trace his hand soothingly along his cheekbones, cast away his hatred for the world with a ki-
"Holy shit, I'm drunk."
Kotetsu blinks at the hearth, still basking in the warmth of the flames but not allowing his drunken thoughts to meander any further. What the fuck possessed him to think about the man like that? He had to be half Kotetsu's age. Not to mention, a man. Honestly, it's a miracle Kotetsu doesn't throw himself at the first lady he sees when he's this inebriated.
At last he hears Ben walking over to him, floorboards creaking with the strain of age. Kotetsu can sympathize.
Ben walks past him to the other side of the small table and Kotetsu has to hold himself back from complaining when the momentary interruption from the fire's heat reminds him of the horrible chills he's feeling.
"You'll feel that tomorrow," Ben chuckles.
"Yeah, yeah."
Ben's smile softens, "have you heard from Kaede?"
Kotetsu feels his body fill with helium, the weightless happiness that thinking of his daughter gives him.
He leaps at the opportunity to brag about her, nearly falling out of his chair in excitement. "She's started weaving! Can you believe it? My little baby is getting so big."
"That's good to hear!" Ben leans over to pat Kotetsu's shoulder across the table. He clears his throat before continuing, "have you decided when you're going to go visit her?"
Kotetsu freezes and casts his gaze downwards, smile turning melancholy. "The Knight Trials are coming up and I don't think I'll be able to make the trip for a while."
"Kotetsu..."
"I know, but I really think I can make it this round! I've been practicing hard for the past two years to be worthy and I really feel it this time!"
"Isn't that what you said about last year's Trials?" Ben stands to walk over to the stairs, clearly showing his intent to be in bed before dawn in a few hours.
"Kotetsu, do you remember what I told you when I let you apprentice for my smithy? My conditions for letting you stay in my home?"
Kotetsu sighs and drops his head onto his criss-crossed forearms resting on the table. His words are muffled from the obstruction, but he's recited it so often neither of them needs to hear it.
"I can stay here as long as I need but only if I keep coming to work and don't forget to-"
Ben joins in to finish, "spend time with your family."
He begins his trek up the stairs, sparing a glance at Kotetsu, still moping at the table and avoiding eye contact.
Suddenly, Kotetsu remembers the question he meant to ask when he arrived.
“Wait, ben!" He calls, and waits for his friend to backtrack a few stairs to see him.
"Yes, Kotetsu?" He drones.
"What's a Barnaby?"
Ben gives him an unimpressed look before continuing his withdrawal to his bedchambers, "the Prince."