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Kaede isn’t a princess, but she is the daughter of a lord and a noblewoman in her own right, so while her own responsibilities aren’t quite as expansive as Kaito’s are—and eventually will be—she does have a variety of duties to complete, the likes of which have only increased as she’s grown older. By the time they’re all nearing adulthood, Kaede is practically never in the kingdom, always getting called out to some other territory or jurisdiction. Largely, Kaede’s role in society is to get married and carry on her family legacy, perhaps attend the occasional meeting or conference here and there, but Kaede herself is special. Her unique skill for the piano has made her into a diplomat of sorts, and it’s pulled her all over the place in recent years.
As such, Kaede’s return to the kingdom, even for only a month-long visit, gets everyone up and running around. There’s much to do, food to prepare, pianos to tune. No matter where Shuichi goes, there’s a sort of buzz, ringing in the air if not physically trailing down the halls. The palace is downright electric.
Not that Shuichi can blame anyone for their excitement. Kaede is one of his closest and longest lasting friends, second only to Kaito, who Shuichi is closer to only by virtue of proximity and time spent together. They’ve kept in touch over letters, of course, but keeping a correspondence with someone isn’t the same as getting to see them every day in person, getting to hear her soft, melodic voice or feel the gentle weight of her hand resting over his. Suffice to say Shuichi is equal parts nervous and excited; it’s been almost a year since Kaede’s last visit.
Kaito, for his part, is only excited. He’s been pacing up a storm since waking up this morning, even though Kaede isn’t going to be here until this afternoon. His excitement is almost contagious; a few times Shuichi has been tempted to leave his station by the door and pace too, but the repeated thuds of Kaito’s footsteps against the floorboards have been drawing glares out of Maki for the past hour or so, so it’s probably better not to provoke her.
Speaking of Maki… Shuichi glances over to where Maki is stationed by the window, her arms folded across her chest. She doesn’t look unhappy, really, aside from her general annoyance at Kaito’s high energy, but she certainly doesn’t seem ecstatic either. Not that Shuichi would have expected her to be, though. She’s never met Kaede before.
Maki seems to sense Shuichi’s gaze, glancing over with an eyebrow lifted. “What do you want?”
“Ah—” Shuichi glances away, ears warming. He’s grown more comfortable around Maki in the months that have passed since their unfortunate first meeting, but it’s still intimidating to be looked at so sternly by the former-assassin. “Nothing. Um, I was just thinking. You’ll like Kaede, Maki. She’s easy to like.”
Kaito’s head perks up at the sound of their friend’s name, but his gaze sharpens with its usual perceptiveness. “You feeling nervous about it, Harumaki?”
Huffing at the nickname, Maki denies, “I’m not nervous.” Her hands fist in one of her twin tails, free for the moment since it’s only the three of them here. “It’s just weird to be sitting in on this, is all.”
“Weird how?” Kaito’s brow creases. “You’re my guard just like Shuichi, you know. There’s no reason for you not to sit in on it. And Shuichi’s right, you’re gonna love Kaede! She’s awesome!”
“That’s not the issue.” Maki’s nose wrinkles as her eyes dart back out the window. She does a great job of looking like she’s just dodging the conversation, but Shuichi can tell she’s sweeping the area for threats, too. It’s always been impressive to him, how Maki can simultaneously juggle conversing and being on guard. It reminds Shuichi to do a quick peek down the hallway, just to make sure they won’t have any unexpected company. “This is your childhood friend. Maybe I’ll like her, but she’ll have no reason to like me.”
“Of course she will!” Kaito responds instantly, but Shuichi finds himself looking at Maki again, picking up on her meaning after a moment to stare at her. Right, Maki must be worried given the way they’d met. Shuichi himself had certainly been apprehensive around her for over a month after it happened; he lacks Kaito’s intuitive people skills and confidence in his own convictions. But Kaede hadn’t been there for that, and she’s said before over letter that she’ll trust that Kaito knows what he’s doing.
Shuichi adjusts the hilt of his sword and says, “I think it’ll be alright, Maki. I really don’t think she’s going to hold anything against you.”
Maki’s expression doesn’t get any less sour even as they make eye contact, but after a pause where Shuichi doesn’t look away, she lets out a sigh. Her fingers run through her hair as if to self-soothe.
“Whatever.” Maki shakes her head. “Don’t you have anything to be doing other than burning a hole in the floor?”
“Who, me?” Kaito’s back to grinning, the excitement already flowing through him all over again. “Not a chance! Not when she’s gonna be here in a few hours! Come on, how am I supposed to focus on anything else?”
Maki grumbles, looking to Shuichi for support, but Shuichi can only offer her an apologetic smile and shrug in response. He knows Kaito too well to think any nagging will get him to focus on his studies right now, and doesn’t particularly want to try, anyway. After all, he is really excited to see Kaede himself… Even if he isn’t pacing about it.
And really, the only reason he isn’t is just that it won’t get Kaede here any faster.
Kaede is escorted into the palace by her usual guards, Kirumi and Ryoma, and also one Shuichi has never met before; a bulky young woman with vibrant grass-green eyes and two identical black plaits that trail down over her armour. While they’ve never met in person, though, Shuichi recognises her almost instantly as Chabashira Tenko, the new knight Kaede had mentioned being hired to protect her in one of her more recent correspondences.
In the letter, Kaede had made it sound like a more recent development, and one she didn’t have very strong feelings on. Certainly, she only brought it up in passing before never writing Tenko’s name again, in that letter or the ones to follow. As Shuichi approaches her, though, trailing at Kaito’s elbow, he can immediately see that Kaede had been obfuscating a little.
Tenko clings to Kaede’s side with a fierce protectiveness, her eyes slightly narrowed, one hand on the hilt of her sword while the other hovers the small of Kaede’s back. Her shoulders tense even as the two groups approach each other, and when they come to a stop, Tenko remains poised, as if ready to lunge at any moment.
Smiling serenely and warmly, Kaede lifts one hand to gesture for Tenko to be at ease. The knight responds automatically, falling back a step and letting her arms fall to her sides. Not a moment later, Kaito has taken two strong steps forward to lift Kaede into his arms, twirling her slightly as Kaede lets out a startled laugh. Tenko watches the two of them with an odd look on her face, like a combination between fondness and suspicion.
Shuichi’s attention is momentarily pulled from Tenko, however, as Kaito moves back in close to him, still with Kaede hauled close against his chest. When Shuichi blinks himself back to attention, Kaede’s beaming face is right in front of his own, her plum eyes shining with affection and unshed tears. A lump rises in Shuichi’s own throat, and he has to swallow it down, but manages to catch Kaede when she falls forward into his chest, her arms looping around his shoulders. She smells like the road, but also the same as she always has, like that sweet fruity soap she favours.
“I missed you,” Kaede breathes in his ear.
Voice thick, Shuichi responds, “Um, me too.” He squeezes Kaede, hoping to convey with his embrace what he can’t quite so eloquently with his voice. When Kaede draws back, her deft fingertips trail over his forearms, lightly poking at his skin through the fabric. Her head tilts thoughtfully, and then she grins, eyes sparkling with mischief.
“You have more muscles now.”
“D-Do I?” Shuichi stammers, face reddening.
“Of course he does!” Kaito claps Shuichi on the back with remarkable strength for a man who doesn’t do a whole lot of physical training. “He’s been working like crazy recently, Kaede, you ought’a see him!”
“I’m sure I will,” Kaede giggles. She squeezes Shuichi’s bicep before stepping back again. “Ooh, but you guys haven’t met Tenko yet, have you?”
At the mention of her name, Tenko straightens up abruptly, her eyes slightly wide. “H-Hello! Tenko is honoured to meet His Highness!” she stammers, dropping into an awkward bow. “And, um, his companions.” Though strangely, her eyes narrow as she says that, lingering for an uncomfortable amount of time on Shuichi. Shuichi shifts under the weight of that gaze.
Kaito laughs good-naturedly. “Hey, no need to be so formal. You and Kaede are friends, right? That makes me your friend too!”
“Oh—” Tenko looks at Kaede uncertainly. “Um—”
“It’s okay,” Kaede promises. “It’s not like, a trap or anything. Kaito’s definitely the best guy I know.”
Maki, who has until now been standing silently on Kaito’s other side, lets out a snort. “Where does Shuichi fall on your list?”
Now it’s Kaede’s turn to jump; it seems she hadn’t noticed Maki standing there. That’s not usual for Kaede—she’s quite attentive, rather down-to-earth for someone in her position—but Maki has this way of blending into the backgrounds. A leftover skill from her time as an assassin, Shuichi imagines, but it’s an asset in her current line of work as well.
“He, um…” Kaede glances at Shuichi assessingly, contemplating for so long Shuichi wonders if he should be offended. Then she laughs. “I’m just kidding, Shuichi is great too! I promise.” Her eyes roll back over to Maki, and she smiles almost coyly. “Kaito, you didn’t tell me your new knight was so cute!”
“So—!” Maki’s eyes pop open wide. “Do you want to d—”
Kaito elbows Maki in the side. “She means thanks,” he says cheerfully. “And uh, yeah, I guess!” He shrugs, earning himself an outright glare from Maki that he doesn’t seem to notice. “You guys must be tired, right? Let’s go get you unpacked and grab something to eat! I’m starved.”
Though Maki is still looking at Kaito like she wants to make a second attempt on his life, everyone is more or less agreeable to his suggestion, so the group starts off down the hall. Kaito and Kaede take the front, chatting with each other while the knights crowd around them. Shuichi stays close to them both, a smile settling on his face as he watches his two dearest friends interacting, but he finds his eyes drifting over to Tenko again when they reach a door, watching the way Tenko rushes ahead of the group to open it for Kaede. (She also, albeit seeming somewhat reluctant about it, stays in place to hold the door for everyone else as well before hurrying back to Kaede’s side afterwards.)
She seems incredibly dedicated. Not just to her task, but to Kaede specifically. When they reach Kaede’s chambers, Tenko gathers all of Kaede’s belongings and slips inside to put them down before quickly reemerging, only relaxing again once Kaede is back in her sights. Shuichi almost worries that she might be overdoing it a little, but every glance he takes over at Kaede after Tenko has moved shows him that Kaede is smiling warmly, her eyes bright with affection as she looks over at her knight.
Kaede was definitely being dodgy over the letters, because Shuichi is certain she hadn’t implied anything even remotely close to this when she was writing about Tenko. He scratches the back of his head as they make their way to the dining hall, trying to remember if Kaede ever said how exactly Tenko came to join her side, but… well, no. He doesn’t think she did. Yet somehow…
“Everything okay, Shuichi?” Kaito prompts. Shuichi jolts, a little surprised to be addressed mid-thought.
“Mm? Yes, I’m alright. Why?”
“You just looked kinda deep in thought is all.” Kaito glances between Shuichi and Tenko, following his gaze. “She say something rude to you?”
Shuichi shakes his head hastily. “Not at all! She’s alright. Um, I guess…” Shuichi bites his lip, wondering how much there really is to say. “I was just noticing how close she and Kaede seem, is all.”
“Oh yeah, they do, huh?” Kaito tilts his head to the side, watching as Shuichi does as Kaede talks cheerfully with her new knight, saying something that makes Tenko’s face flush red. It softens Kaito’s face into a smile, but Shuichi lacks the same inclination, feeling his heart speed up in his chest instead.
This is definitely… beyond the usual relationship between a knight and their subject, right? Kaede is nobility, so the restrictions around who she can and can’t have personal relationships are a little less… well, restrictive. But Shuichi has never seen something like this before, and the two of them aren’t even being subtle about it. A glance at Kirumi and Ryoma tells Shuichi that neither of them are particularly bothered by it either, which means…
Well, it means nothing. Good for them, truly. Shuichi has known Kaede for a very long time, long enough to know that a passionate and dedicated and energetic woman like Tenko is probably precisely the kind of person she’d want to be in a relationship with, but… for some reason, Shuichi almost feels a little itchy as he considers it. He scratches under the straps of his armour, swallowing and looking away at the two women. His eyes drift automatically back to Kaito.
They’re entering the dining hall now. Kaito’s dark hair and eyes are always a little amber-tinted in the candlelight cast off of the chandeliers overhead. He’s always been handsome—though more so in recent years since he reached adulthood—but he looks particularly becoming in settings like this, especially with that relaxed and easygoing smile on his face. Shuichi can’t remember the last time Kaito looked like that. It must have been on another one of Kaede’s visits like this.
The thought is sobering. Kaito has so few people from his childhood left, everyone he knew from when they were growing up effectively taken away from him the day that his parents were. Shuichi knows because Kaito has said so before how much he values still having Shuichi around, but it’d be better for him if Kaede could be here all the time, too. Shuichi wishes they lived in a world where that was possible.
To prevent Kaito notices his gaze and growing concerned again, Shuichi looks back towards Tenko and Kaede. Towards Kaede’s beaming smile. What would it take to get Kaito to smile like that? He’s always had a radiant grin, but there’s something performative about it. Not always; Kaito is a very genuine person, even with the amount of work he has to put in to stay that way, but… Well, he never makes the face that Kaede is making now.
Biting the inside of his cheek and mulling it over, Shuichi moves to pull out Kaito’s chair for him. Kaito isn’t expecting it—probably because Shuichi doesn’t usually pull out his chairs or hold his doors—and so goes to grab the back at the same time, and their shoulders collide, knocking them both off balance. Shuichi stumbles only a little bit before righting himself, and Kaito does the same, blinking in surprise.
Then he laughs. “Oh, my bad. Didn’t mean to cut you off, did you want to sit there?”
Shuichi feels his face burn red. “Um—it’s fine. You can have the spot…”
Kaito ruffles his hair, still chuckling, and there’s something fond about it that makes Shuichi’s shoulders relax, albeit not entirely. He swallows and glances away, only drawn out of his thoughts when Maki pokes his arm.
Shuichi jumps, looking over at her. “Maki, is something wrong?”
“I was going to ask you that.” Maki folds her arms. “You have a stupid look on your face.”
Does he? Shuichi touches his cheek self-consciously, as if he could feel the stupidity Maki is referring to, but of course he can’t. He exhales through his teeth.
“Sorry,” Shuichi says sincerely. He edges a little away from Maki to mutter to her. “I guess I just—um. Nevermind.” He’s not even sure how he would explain. Or that it would be tactful to try. The failed attempt gets an eyebrow raise out of Maki, but she thankfully doesn’t pry, just shrugging and positioning herself at Kaito’s shoulder.
“Relax,” Maki says, waving one of her hands. “Kaito’s not going to bite you.”
“I’m not gonna what?” Kaito asks, eyes darting back up again. He looks between them, frowning. “What are you two talking about?”
The concern in his face is so genuine, it makes Shuichi smile. He shakes his head to let Kaito know that it’s alright, and he can tell that Kaito doesn’t entirely believe it, because he gives Shuichi a bit of a side eye.
After a pause, though, Kaito’s expression softens into its own smile, and Shuichi feels the tension drain from his shoulders pretty much automatically. Hard to feel nervous when Kaito looks at him with so much genuine affection.
“You gotta tell me later, okay?” Kaito insists. “After dinner.”
“I—alright,” Shuichi says. He’s sure he’ll figure something out by then. Maybe he’ll be able to grab a few doors for Kaito on their way back from the meal… Or maybe he’ll think of some other way to make Kaito smile so brightly before then. Who knows.
It’d just be nice, is all.