Chapter Text
Ring… ring… ring…
The moon hangs high in the sky as the clock tower begins to chime throughout the kingdom. Nothing but the sound of wind gently blowing through tree branches can be heard. All is still. All is calm.
Ring… ring… ring…
If there were any children out, they’ve surely returned home by now. Although disobeying the 10 PM curfew is common practice among the village’s youth, even the biggest of troublemakers eventually grow tired and yearn to return to the comfort of their beds.
Ring… ring… ring…
The halls of the palace are completely barren, aside from the few guards making their rounds. Their boots scuff against the floors in a rhythmic fashion, their routes and timing having been practiced countless times to perfection.
Ring… ring…
That’s the downside of perfect routines. Anyone else can memorize them if they pay close enough attention.
Ring…
The moment the final strike of the clock tolls, a cloaked figure dashes down an empty hallway. He must be quick, but not too quick. If he hesitates for even a moment, the guard to his right will turn around and spot him instantly, but if he overshoots, he’ll enter the guard to the left’s line of sight before he can change directions.
But he’s practiced this route countless times. With ease, he evades both guards and descends a narrow set of stairs. In any other situation, it would be preferable to take the main staircase through the grand foyer and go right out the front gates of the castle, but, rightfully so, the place is swarming with guards at this hour of night. So, taking the janky wooden staircase generally reserved for the servants will have to do. All he must do now is take special care to avoid causing the boards to–
Creeeeeeeak…
His breath hitches and he freezes in place. Surely nobody heard that, right? It wasn’t too loud. He shuts his eyes tightly and listens for any sign of movement. For a moment, there’s nothing, until the shuffling of footsteps below can be heard. Shit. If he runs back up the stairs, he’ll surely alert a guard, but if he stays, he’ll be caught by whichever on-call servant he’s just awoken.
He weighs the options in his mind and gulps. Hopefully he’s at least found by a servant he’s amicable to.
“Who’s there?” The servant turns the corner with a lantern in hand, and the sight couldn’t be more of a relief. The servant nearly jumps out of his skin when he removes the hood of his cloak with the release of the deepest breath he thinks he’s ever taken in his sixteen years of life. “A-ah! What are you doing here, Prince Kou?” He yelps.
“Ack–!” Kou rushes down the steps and shoves a hand over the servant’s mouth. “N-not too loud, Yokoo! What if someone hears you?” he whisper-shouts, and adds with a frown, “And I told you to call me Kou when it’s just us.”
He nods and presses a finger to his lips. Yokoo is one of the youngest workers; the son of one of the castle’s head servants, and having only been appointed full-time fairly recently. Even if Kou has been advised countless times to focus on building relations with nobles from other kingdoms, Yokoo, despite his status, has become one of Kou’s closest friends, and is probably the best person who could have spotted him while trying to sneak out.
“Sorry!” He whispers with a grin. “So, what are you doing? Coming to say hi? Kind of late for that, right?”
“No…?” Yokoo tilts his head like a sad puppy at his response. “I-I mean, it’s definitely nice to see you…! But I’m…” He fiddles with the oversized sleeves of his cloak and purses his lips.
“Ah,” Yokoo smirks. “You’re sneaking off to the night market again, aren’t you?”
Kou flusters. He’s taken great care not to be caught sneaking out of the palace, but it doesn’t mean that there’s not people who are fully aware. Luckily for him, the only ones who have caught wind of his travels are willing to keep the secret for him, but if he’s not careful, someone’s going to blab about it to his father – or worse: his brother.
“Please don’t tell!” He presses his hands together. “P-prince’s orders…!”
Yokoo stifles a laugh. “You don’t want me to call you a prince, but you can still order me around like one?” He shakes his head with a sigh, his mess of brown hair swishing across his face. “Fine, I’ll cover for you.”
“Yes!” He pumps a fist in the air. “Thank y–!”
“–But!” Yokoo points his finger. “You know I have to tell your brother and the king if they ask me.”
A huff of air escapes Kou’s chest as he slumps his shoulders. “But you’d be the first person they’d ask if they started to suspect me…”
The servant shrugs and walks him through the corridor. “Then you’ll just have to get better at sneaking around. What do you even do out there, anyway? Surely people recognize you. I’m surprised no one from the village has come to return you for breaking curfew.”
Kou waves a hand dismissively. “No one recognizes me; I have a disguise!” He flaps the ends of his cloak. “Besides, the night market doesn’t play by those rules. There’s people our age out there all the time!”
Yokoo snorts, shaking his head when Kou looks at him with a quizzical expression. “Sorry, it’s just… It’s kind of ironic that you, the prince, are talking about people breaking the rules with so much enthusiasm!”
He clearly means it in jest, but Yokoo’s observation is a blow directly to Kou’s heart. He really shouldn’t be doing this. There are rules in place for a reason, and for him to be so lenient towards the people of the village breaking them – let alone breaking them himself – is completely unbecoming of a prince.
It’s no secret that he’s not nearly as princely as his brother; not nearly as gentlemanly, not nearly as skilled in combat, and certainly not nearly as prepared to carry out any royal duties. That much has been apparent for quite some time now. And it’s true, he’s not particularly excited at the prospect of marrying some first-born princess so he can ascend to the throne of her kingdom, but he’d at least like a shot to prove that he’s worthy to do so.
Not that there’s much worthiness to prove. He’s currently being escorted by one of his only friends – a mere servant – to sneak out of the castle to fraternize with commoners and peasants in an unsanctioned night market.
The voice in his head (that sounds suspiciously like his older brother) tells him this excursion would be the perfect opportunity to prove himself. He’d sneak into the market, blend in, and when the people least expect it, he’d reveal himself as the second-born prince of the Minamoto Kingdom and call upon the guards to seize them! Teru would be so proud…!
Well, he can daydream about the concept all he likes, but he knows it’ll never happen. He’s too fond of that little market.
“Alright,” Yokoo whispers as they reach the window near the end of the corridor, “I’m guessing you know your way from here? I’m sure I’d look suspicious escorting some cloaked stranger out there,” He reaches to pull the hood of Kou’s cloak over his head and adjusts it. “I love you, but I’m not going to the dungeon for you,” He says with a giggle.
Kou is thrust out of his thoughts at Yokoo’s words. “You what?” He sputters a little. “Y-Yokoo, you know I can’t…! You’re a…! And I’m…! N-not to mention that you’re a guy!”
The boy tilts his head confusedly. “Huh? What does that…? Oh!” He stifles another laugh and playfully shoves Kou’s shoulder. “Jeez, Kou, I wasn’t confessing to you! It’s a friendly love. You know my heart belongs to someone else.”
Right. How his other friend, the son of their head confectioner, managed to slip his mind is beyond him. Satou, comparatively less energetic than Kou or Yokoo, makes up the final pillar of their little trio of friends. It’s hard to count how many times Kou has snuck off to play with the two in their youth. But, whenever Kou would be dragged back to his responsibilities, his two friends would spend more time with one another and naturally grew to be significantly closer.
It was easy to be jealous of their heightened relationship; that is, until the two separately revealed that they had feelings for the other. After that, Kou’s loved nothing more than to act as their mutual wingman.
Since then, Kou’s no longer been jealous of their closeness, but the fact they can be in love so unabashedly.
In fairness, they have significantly more options than Kou does. They could court practically anyone in the kingdom that they want without worrying about their status – they don’t have one. Kou’s options are exclusively women of nobility, and at the risk of offending his own family, most nobles are total snobs that he wants nothing to do with. Regardless, it’s only a matter of time before his father and his advisors find someone to marry him off to. It’s already come close to happening on more than one occasion.
So maybe love is weighing on his mind. Maybe the concept of someone he genuinely likes as a person saying they love him – even platonically – is scrambling his brain just a little bit. It’s not like he has a crush on Yokoo or anything, but if he were given the chance, he’d jump right into his arms before any of the other eligible noblewomen or princesses.
“Your brother’s engagement must be taking up a lot of your thoughts for you to be assuming that, huh?”
Right, there’s that, too.
“Y-yeah, that’s it…” He scratches his chin awkwardly. “Uh, thanks for escorting me,”
He leans on the windowsill with as cool and collected of an expression as he can muster. Yokoo clearly doesn’t buy it, but to Kou’s relief, he doesn’t comment and instead wishes him goodbye.
Carefully, Kou climbs over the ledge of the window and grips onto it. This used to be the hardest part of sneaking out, but just like evading the guards, Kou’s done it enough times to have every makeshift foothold of the palace walls memorized. It’s mindless at this point – so mindless that it’s easy to get caught up in his thoughts during the relatively lengthy journey down.
What Yokoo said was true. Teru’s engagement has been at the forefront of his mind lately. His brother – the one that he’s seen nearly blow up the kitchen more times than he can count – is about to become king. He’s watched him prepare for this moment his entire life, but with the wedding just around the corner, it feels like it’s come completely out of nowhere.
It’s not like Teru would be a bad king. Quite the opposite, really; it’s like he’s made for the role. It’s the circumstances that concern Kou. It’s the fact that Teru has seemingly never been one for romance. Throughout most of his life, Kou recalls his brother rejecting countless offers from various noblemen trying to give away their daughters to the crown prince. Each time, he gives them the same excuse that he loves someone else, but he knows his brother well enough to know that it’s simply not the case.
So when his father announced that he’d be arranged to marry Princess Aoi of the Akanes, it rang several alarms in his mind.
He’s familiar with the princess. After all, she’d also been at the top of Kou’s list of eligible brides once upon a time, at least until it was announced that Teru would be betrothed to her instead. Not like he minded, of course – he’s more than fine with putting off ruling an entire kingdom – but it was a bit confusing seeing as it came out of absolutely nowhere. Not to mention that both were first in line for their respective thrones, but apparently the decision had something to do with an agreement between the Akanes and the Minamotos to merge kingdoms. It won’t be difficult; the two kingdoms have always been close allies due to their proximity, it just makes no sense to him why they’d need to do that.
Well, he’s not one for politics. What would he know?
The only thing he cares about in this situation is Teru. Maybe it’s odd for a younger brother to feel so protective of an older brother, but really, how could he not be? Teru’s been polite with the princess, sure, but he’s never seen any attraction behind his eyes when he looks at her, even if he likes to feign it. Maybe he’s convincing others. Maybe he’s convincing himself. But he’s not convincing Kou.
He supposes it is admirable to be so willing to rise to the throne. It’s not like he’s half as ready as his brother, after all. And he makes extra sure to remind him of this. Because it’s amazing. Truly, it is. Kou would never be able to handle this situation with so much grace. In all honesty, he’s not sure if he could even look Princess Aoi in the eye if he were to be the one engaged to her. She’s objectively beautiful with an equally beautiful personality, but they have next to no chemistry. At least she and Teru can bond over… being beautiful?
It’s entirely possible that Kou doesn’t know what love entails.
Kou finally reaches the last foothold and hops down into the bushes below. It’s always somewhat painful – it’s not a short drop by any means – but it only takes a couple of moments for him to get over the panging sensation in his legs and stand back up. At least it wasn’t like the first time, when he fell from much higher and twisted his ankle. That was difficult to explain to his brother.
But now he’s (mostly) out of the woods. It’s only a short jog to make it to the shortest section of the fence, the one that he’s climbed enough times for it to be nothing short of a piece of cake.
It’s not a long walk to the night market from there. It’d be convenient if it could only be in the main square of the village right outside of the palace, but it’d get shut down immediately by the guards patrolling the gate. The location changes every now and then for that exact reason, but luckily he’s acquainted with one of the main merchants of the market and always knows where the next one will be held when the guards start to catch wind.
His acquaintance is… an interesting fellow. He’d go as far as to say that they’re friends, maybe, but something about the concept makes it hard for him to admit. Maybe it’s because he’s in such a wildly different class than him? He’d chalk it up to that if it weren’t for his two closest friends only being a bit higher than those at the market. It could also be by nature of him running the very market that his father and brother have been trying to track down and finally put a stop to.
Or it could just be his agitating personality.
The guy is condescending as hell, first of all. Whenever Kou dares to do anything in the market aside from loiter by his stall, he feels the need to leave his twin brother in charge so he can follow him around and try to navigate for him. The worst part is that it’s genuinely helpful advice, but he’s just so damn smug about it.
And another thing – does he really need to be so perverted!? If he shoves another dirty book in his face and pokes fun at him by telling him he’d love it one more time, Kou might genuinely lose his mind. Not to mention his creepy brother, always trying to do a palm or tarot reading on him. It’s not like he’s particularly superstitious (it’s why he never buys anything from their scam of a market stall) but he doesn’t want to jinx anything for himself thanks to some weird kid.
But still, he’s the closest thing to a friend he has there, and without him, he’s sure he’d have gotten himself into serious trouble by now. While generally a safe place where people can get wares for dirt cheap, crime is bound to break out in places with such little royal supervision – particularly fights. Say the wrong word and you can easily find yourself unconscious in the middle of the market.
As prince, he should be intervening right away, or at the very least alerting someone at the palace. But then he’d never be allowed to come to the market again. There’s a reason he wears a cloak.
As he approaches the market, somewhat secluded in the woods but by no means far from civilization, he can already feel any apprehension go away. Although mainly run by the working class, they certainly know how to make a place look fantastic. Lanterns surround the site of the market, and each stall is, as usual, filled to the brim with various wares and services.
There are seven main stalls in the night market, each managed by mysterious figures he’s not sure he’s ever seen out and about in any of the villages during the daytime. He’s convinced some of them aren’t even from this kingdom. Typically, the merchants go by the number associated with their stall, but a few of them, notably his friend/acquaintance/nuisance, go by completely unrelated nicknames.
“Ah!” He hears a voice call from the stall closest to the entrance. Speak of the devil. “Kid! You made it!”
His name is Hanako. At least, that’s what he goes by around here. Kou’s not 100% sure what his real name is, nor is he sure where the hell he got ‘Hanako’ from. Regardless, he’s absolutely adamant about not divulging his personal information, frequently having to physically close his twin brother’s mouth when he’s about to share something he doesn’t want others to know. It’s a pain in the ass.
“Yeah!” He flashes a grin, though Hanako can probably only see the corner of his eyes crinkle due to his large hood. “Almost got caught, though. Luckily I’m a master of evasive maneuvers,” Hanako doesn’t have to know about the severely uncool encounter Kou had experienced before he got here. “So, what kind of scams are you running today?”
It’d be so satisfying if Hanako would only furrow his brow in frustration or show any sign of dissatisfaction, but he ignores the jab entirely and points out various items with a grin.
“Well, we have these brand new mermaid scales!” He holds up one of several small pouches, and his brother makes classic salesman hand motions. “Each pouch comes with two scales, directly from a real life mermaid! They say if two people eat them, they’ll be bonded forever and ever!” He plops the pouch down into the little pile and folds his hands. “Romantic, right? Want some? I’m sure you have eyes on someone!”
His brother pipes in. “That’s three coins!”
“Or…?” Hanako nudges him with an expectant look.
He stares up at him for a moment. “Oh! Or something of equal value!” He turns to Kou with a wide grin, and it freaks Kou out. Objectively, he’s absolutely adorable, but there’s something about the look in his eyes that makes his stomach turn. Maybe he has bad vibes, or maybe Kou’s just a judgmental bully.
“Yeah right,” He crosses his arms. “The only ‘bond’ anyone would share from eating those is a mutual case of food poisoning. I bet those are just scales you ripped off some fish.”
“That’d just be cruel!” Hanako presses his hand to his heart, as if deeply offended. “By the way, we’re having an extra special deal on fresh fish!” He motions behind him to a container, presumably full of… fish.
“Only one coin for ten pieces!” His brother pipes in. Seems like Hanako’s been trying to train him to actually be helpful.
“That’s right!” He gives him a thumbs up. “You’re starting to get the hang of things, Tsukasa!”
He beams at the praise, throwing his arms around his brother excitedly. “Really? Say it again!”
Hanako stifles a chuckle and shakes his head fondly. “You’re getting the hang of things,” He says, lightly placing his hands on Tsukasa’s shoulders. Come to think of it, Kou absently wonders if ‘Tsukasa’ is actually his name.
“Again!”
“Come on,” He tears himself from his brother’s grasp and fixes his hat. “You’re just gonna make me keep repeating myself, aren’t you?”
He tilts his head with a pout. “I was only gonna ask you to do it one more time…”
Hanako sighs. “Okay, okay. You’re getting the hang of things. Good job,” He turns back to Kou. “Now, as I was–”
“Say it again!”
He blinks a couple times and ultimately opts to ignore his brother. “As I was saying, we also have a bunch of new candy!”
Kou raises an eyebrow. “Just candy?”
“Of course not! Have you ever lost something even though it was right in front of you? Well, if you carry around candy at all times, that won’t happen!”
“Three coins for a small bag!”
“Pfft. Are you sure you didn’t just get way too much candy and needed to pawn it off before this guy over here eats it all and goes on the world's most terrifying sugar rush?” He jabs a thumb in Tsukasa’s direction, who stares at him so blankly he’s convinced his teasing hasn’t even registered in his mind.
But Hanako looks at him with a deadly serious expression, and for a second, he thinks he’s activated his protective sibling mode and is about to chastise him, until Hanako leans over the stall to whisper in his ear, “I need to get rid of all of it. I can’t do it for another night. I’ll even give you a discount.”
Kou chuckles. “No need; I can’t take any of this, either. My baby sister will find it for sure.”
Hanako tilts his head with a desperate expression. “Please? I’ll be in your debt forever… I can give all of it to you for just one coin and you can throw it all away for all I care.”
“Why don’t I just buy it for the normal price and do that? You know I can afford it.”
“If you say so!” He agrees without argument, packing the pouches of candy into a large crate.
Some of the other merchants might have raised their eyebrows at him, considering this market caters to those who can’t afford much, but Hanako is more than aware that he’s here for the thrill more than anything. He’d been wary at first, but quickly came to appreciate Kou’s tendency of throwing money at anything that interests him.
“Hey!” Tsukasa pipes up, rudely tugging on his cloak to get his attention. “Are you going to the parade tomorrow? Me and Ama–” He slaps a hand over his mouth when Hanako shoots him a look. “...Me and my brother might go! Isn’t that right?” He asks, turning to tug on Hanako’s sleeve next.
“H-hold on,” He stumbles, then curses under his breath. “You made me lose count!” He sighs deeply and removes all of the bags from the crate to start over. “What were you saying…? Oh, yeah, maybe. There’s gonna be a lot of people, though.”
“I like a lot of people!” Tsukasa exclaims. “Don’t you?”
“Twelve… Fifteen… Not always, no…” He shrugs with a small smile. “It could be fun, though. I know you’ll enjoy it…” He glances up at Kou with a particularly inquisitive expression. “What about you? Think you’ll go? It could be nice to hang out with someone other than my brother for a change.”
“You’re so mean to me!” Tsukasa whines, but the words are paired with another sickeningly wide smile and yet another hug.
Kou scratches his neck awkwardly. He can’t deny that it’d be interesting to hang out with him in a more casual setting, but there’s no point in entertaining the idea. He’s the prince; aside from the obvious purpose of celebrating the arrival of Teru’s fiancee and preceding the ball at the end of the week, he’s one of the main attractions of the event. How does he explain that without making it sound like he doesn’t want to spend time with him? Does he want to spend time with him?
“You don’t have to,” Hanako looks back down at his candies with a strangely knowing look.
“Aww…” Tsukasa whines. “But you always say you want to be friends and learn his name, don’t you, Ama–!” His grin falters for a split second. “Um… Well, don’t you?” Kou’s willing to bet Hanako’s real name is Ama-something.
“Huh?” He drops the bag he’s working on with an uncharacteristically flustered expression. “No I didn’t!” He turns to Kou with a pointed frown in an attempt to look serious, but his flushed cheeks give him away. “I never said anything like that.”
Kou wonders if… No, it’s not worth exploring that avenue. Hanako is some random peasant, and definitely not his type. But again, if push came to shove and he had to choose between him and some random noble…
…Enough of that.
The two are looking at him expectantly, and it seems that he’s finally allowed to participate in this conversation. “Uh… Yeah, no, sorry…” He scratches his neck awkwardly. “I’d love to, but me and my family are doing something together that day. I really can’t miss it.” It’s true.
Hanako shrugs. “It would’ve been a bad idea, anyway. That’s 300.”
“Right,” He fishes for his bag underneath his cloak and rummages through it to get the correct amount. “I’ll pick it up on my way out, I think I’m gonna stop at some more stalls.”
Truth be told, Kou isn’t looking forward to the parade. It seemed like a fun idea – they hadn’t had one in so many years – but knowing that it would be his brother leading the parade rather than either of his parents is making him queasy for a reason he can’t quite place. In the few memories he has of events like this, his mother and father are happily walking only a few paces in front of him and Teru. The people were there for the queen and king.
And they still are – that is, they’re now here for the future king and queen. Teru was always going to be king, and if Kou squints he can see similarities between him and his father, so it’s not a big deal that he’s taking his spot. But envisioning that girl with purple hair walking where his mother once walked is filling his stomach with an unexplainable feeling.
He’d like to say he’s over it, but that would be a lie. A lie he could never convince himself of, much less anyone on the planet who has ever lost someone important. He’s sure his people feel the same. Even if they’re approaching eight years without her, the kingdom has never been as lively as it once was; a bitter reflection of the Minamoto family in the wake of her death.
His father, who was already an elusive character from the start, left more and more frequently to the point Kou has sometimes gone weeks without seeing the guy. And Teru absolutely absorbed himself in his royal duties, more determined than ever to be the model prince. Kou, practically alone in that palace, took on the role of caregiver for an infant Tiara. It was all he could do. Servants doted and assured him that the nannies could take care of her, but what else was he supposed to do that whole time? Eventually he took up basically any role he could around the palace, determined to give the workers a much-needed break and himself a much-needed distraction. He finds he still doesn’t mind. He’s sure the servants don’t either.
It’s a bit terrifying to think that things will likely drastically change after this wedding. Even if things have been a bit drab for the past few years, it’s still comforting to at least have something be constant. But multiple members of the princess’ royal court will be moving in once the kingdoms are merged, and the palace is likely to be busier than it’s been in a long time.
He drags a finger across the top of a dusty book from the fifth market stall. Rubbing his index finger to his thumb to feel the dust moving between them, he gazes out across the market. There’s so much to offer, and yet he doesn’t feel drawn to anything. It’s probably his own fault for letting his mood sour, but he’s a little peeved that those damn twins had to bring it up in the first place.
In retaliation, he doesn’t pick up his candy on the way back to the palace.
-
Gloved hands pull the laces of a corset gently. “Is that good?”
“Yes, thank you, Ne–”
“No, it should be tighter.”
Wide magenta eyes meet purple with uncertainty. “Y-yes, your majesty,” The girl pulls slightly tighter, jerking her head up in concern when she hears the princess fail to stifle a noise of pain. “A-Aoi!”
Aoi smiles warmly as if she hadn’t made a sound. “It’s okay, Nene-chan.”
Nene returns the smile as confidently as she can, which admittedly isn’t very much. She peers up at the other woman in the room with an unsaid question.
The woman presses the nail of her index finger to her lip in thought. “Hm… It’s still a bit loose, but it will do…” She glances up at the clock and raises her eyebrows. “Ah, I have business to attend to. I trust you can handle finishing getting Aoi ready, Yashiro-san?”
Nene straightens her back with an affirmative nod. “Yes, ma’am! I-I mean, your majesty!”
Thankfully the woman smiles kindly instead of acknowledging her slip-up. “Then I’ll see the two of you in an hour sharp,” She kisses her daughter’s forehead. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to make sure your father is actually getting ready like he said he was. You look beautiful as always, my love.”
The woman – that is, the queen – exits the room accompanied by a couple of her guards, leaving Nene and the princess alone with a few servants sitting in the corner of the room waiting for orders. Not that they’re going to receive any – Nene’s never felt good about doing such things.
“Are you excited for the parade, Nene-chan?”
A bright smile finds itself on her face. “Yes! I’ve always wanted to see the Minamoto kingdom…”
Supposedly, while the Akane kingdom is more modern in design, the Minamotos prefer a much more traditional type of architecture, and judging by the paintings Nene’s seen, it’s absolutely beautiful. Not that theirs isn’t – the flora of their region is unmatched by anything she’s ever seen in real life or a painting – but the novelty is enough to pique her interest.
And, of course, the kingdom bearing two princes around her age has definitely piqued her curiosity. She’s only ever met the older one, who often visits the kingdom on the pretense of diplomatic meetings and other royal duties. And he’s a total catch.
Seriously. The crown prince of the Minamoto kingdom is an absolutely beautiful specimen, and it’s nothing short of a story out of a fairytale that he’s to be wed to, as far as Nene is concerned, one of the most gorgeous women in the land. Aoi is so lucky to be marrying such a handsome, intelligent, alluring, kind, stunning man. As her lady-in-waiting, maid of honor, and most importantly her best friend, Nene is endlessly supportive of their union and doesn’t go a single moment without singing her praises of the couple. But still, she can’t help but feel a hint of jealousy.
That’s another reason she’s so excited to finally be travelling to their kingdom! King Minamoto has two sons, and if the younger prince is anything like his big brother, he’s sure to be a total beaut! She can see it now: A young prince, sad and disillusioned that his brother has found true love before him… He walks proudly in the parade, giving off an image of strength to his subjects, but there’s a profound sadness in his eyes of a lonely, hopeless romantic.
That is, until he meets the eye of his soon to be sister-in-law’s maid of honor, a similarly lonely girl; a girl who has the same burning desire for a companion! The sparkle of hope returns to his glistening, icy blue eyes, and a serene smile graces his chiseled features as he approaches her to take her dainty hands into his strong, yet gentle hold. Nothing matters anymore – not even the parade that has continued on without them – as the two experience true love for the very first time…
“Oh, Nene-chan!” The giggle of the princess forces her out of her daydream. “Always with your head in the clouds… Who could you be thinking about this time?” She cups her cheek with her hand.
Nene shakes her head rapidly and swiftly resumes preparing Aoi’s dress. “N-nobody!” Her companion raises her eyebrows and Nene sighs dreamily with an embarrassed smile. “The younger Minamoto is probably so handsome… Do you think he’s looking for someone? Do you think he’d like me?” Her eyes widen. “You’ve met him, haven’t you? What is he like?”
Aoi looks up with a hum as she considers the barrage of questions. “Minamoto-kun… It’s true that he and his brother look similar, but I don’t think he’d be your type~” Hey eyes close with a polite smile. “He’s cute in the way an excited puppy is cute.”
“So he’s spirited!” She beams. “He’s basically a more energetic version of the crown prince… I do prefer a calm gentlemen, but maybe an excitable, adventurous guy could be an interesting change of pace…!” Nene gasps. “That would mean we’d be part of the same family! Wouldn’t that be amazing, Aoi?”
Aoi giggles. “You’ve lived in the palace with us for over a year now, wouldn’t you say we already are?”
“Hmm…” She fluffs the end of her dress and stands up with her hands folded near her face. “I guess so! But still, dating a pair of brothers with your best friend sounds like the plot of a romance novel, right?”
“Maybe~!”
Nene gently brushes purple hair with her fingers while holding Aoi’s tiara in her left hand. It’s truly a beautiful headpiece, made of silver and decorated with various sizes of purple diamonds that compliment the color of her hair and eyes perfectly. Nene hadn’t even realized there was such a thing as purple diamonds! She wonders what type of diamond would be best for her if she were a princess… Maybe green to match the ends of her hair? Or maybe pink, to go better with her eyes?
Well, if things go well with that younger Minamoto, she won’t have to wonder…! The thought makes her giddy.
Nene carefully places the tiara atop her head with a satisfied smile. “Okay, I think I’m done,” She takes Aoi’s hand and leads her to a full length mirror. “What do you think?”
The princess squeezes her hand and beams. “I love it–”
“Did I hear you say you were finished? Can I see now?” A voice calls from the door. The two girls glance at each other in shared surprise, before devolving into quiet laughter together.
“I forgot he was waiting for us,” Aoi whispers between giggles, then raises her volume to address him, “Come in, Akane-kun!”
He doesn’t waste any time throwing the door to Aoi’s dressing room open and rushing over to greet the princess. “Ao-chan! You look so beautiful…!” He unceremoniously drops to one knee. “I would be the luckiest man in the land if I had your hand in marriage.”
If this were any other circumstance, everyone in the room would have dropped what they were doing in intrigue and wait with bated breath to see what the princess’ response would be, but nobody moves an inch. Nene continues to smooth out the details of Aoi’s dress, while the servants at the other side of the room continue to play the card game they’d picked up when they realized they wouldn’t be called upon.
Aoi smiles and brings a hand to her cheek. “Sorry, I can’t~”
Nene absently wonders why he even bothers asking anymore. Not that he ever had a chance in the first place, but Aoi is engaged now. Not to mention it’s an arranged marriage, so it’s not like she could even call it off if she suddenly had a change of heart and accepted his proposal.
He either doesn’t actually plan on his feelings being reciprocated, or he has some sort of drastic plan to get rid of Aoi’s fiancee up his sleeve on the chance she said yes. Nene has a sinking feeling it’s the latter.
“You look great too, Akane-kun!” Nene attempts to change the topic.
“Ah, you think so?” He stands up nonchalantly as if he hadn’t just been turned down and adjusts the jabot tied around his neck. “I never would’ve chosen this type of thing for myself, but the king insisted…” His words are paired with a sigh and a look of deeper annoyance than the situation calls for.
Aoi tilts her head. “I think it’s nice.”
Predictably, Akane blinks a few times and nods fervently, fidgeting with the fabric. “I suppose they’re not that bad…! I just have to wear them more often to get used to them, right?”
As Nene expected, the Minamoto kingdom is breathtaking.
Where the Akanes would decorate with silver, the Minamotos opted for gold. The roads, which are paved in stone in her home kingdom, are instead made of shiny wood and bricks. If the Akane kingdom is the moonrise illuminating the night sky in its cool light, the Minamoto kingdom is the sunset, basking the land in its warmth. The two lands perfectly contrast one another, making it feel like a no-brainer that they have decided to merge.
More interestingly (to Nene), Prince Minamoto and Aoi look like a match made in heaven. Like their respective kingdoms, they contrast in such a perfect way. Not only does the prince tower over Aoi, but even his blonde hair pairs beautifully with her deep purple, and his refined, handsome features complement Aoi’s delicate face. As far as Nene is concerned, Prince Minamoto is the definitive standard of hot men, and Aoi is the definitive standard of beautiful women.
But above all else, they are united in their shared status as the epitome of a perfect prince and princess. Both are so elegant and polite, yet subtly commanding and influential over all those around them. It’s amazing to see. Nene’s obsessed. Simply watching them prepare for the parade is enough to make her twirl her hair in amazement.
It’s also enough for her to not register that, at some point, the gorgeous, gorgeous prince noticed her staring and had begun to approach her, and now he’s here in front of her. and oh my goodness, Nene’s heart is pounding!
“You must be Lady Yashiro,” His voice, like all other times she’s heard him, is smooth like butter. Like a warm hug directly to her ears… “It’s a pleasure to properly meet you,” He takes her hand and presses a gentle kiss to the back of it. Wow. Wow. Nene might pass out. She’s going to ignore the fact that they’ve already met for now.
“Y-yes!” She stands a bit too rigidly. “I-it’s nice to meet you, y-your highness!”
“Oh, please,” He holds up a hand with a kind smile as Nene is about to curtsy. “No need for the formalities. We’ll be living in the same palace soon, no?”
“Right!” She brushes off her dress nervously. “Th-then, it’s nice to meet you, Prince Minamoto!”
“Likewise,” He glances at the gates to the palace and raises his eyebrows in delight. “I don’t suppose you’ve met my brother?” He asks, motioning to the figure approaching them. “He hasn’t visited the Akane kingdom in some time; I’m not sure if you would have seen each other.”
This is it! Not only is she about to meet the man who is sure to sweep her off her feet, but she’s being introduced to him by his older brother! Meaning there’s a high chance of them hitting it off! Nene feels dizzy. Fantasies of beautiful royal weddings grace her mind’s eye as she follows Teru’s gaze to…
“Nii-chan!” An energetic-looking boy calls, rushing over to the pair with a grin. He… Hm. Well, he looks related to the older prince, but…
“Kou,” Teru’s smile grows fonder when the boy approaches. “You’re ready for the parade? We won’t be able to turn back once it’s started.”
The younger prince – Kou, apparently – nods fervently, and Nene immediately realizes what Aoi was talking about when she said he might not be her type. He’s not short by any means, but he’s certainly not quite at the threshold she’d hoped. His face, while similar to his brothers, is not nearly as refined or handsome… Not nearly as princely. And as for his mannerisms… he seems wild. Not to mention – unless Nene is hallucinating – he appears to have particularly sharp canines, which is off putting to say the least. What would happen if he wasn’t careful during a kiss? She finds she doesn’t want to find out.
He’s not ugly by any means, and it’s not like Nene dislikes him right off the bat or anything, but…
…He’s definitely been sorted into the friendship pool rather than the dating pool.
“Kou, this is Yashiro-san. She’s Akane-san’s maid of honor,” Teru explains. “The two of you will probably see a lot of each other.”
The boy, befitting of Aoi’s description of a puppy, offers her the same silly-looking grin and outstretches his hand somewhat stiffly. “I’m Kou, it’s nice to–!” Before Nene can shake his hand, he suddenly retracts it in embarrassment. “I mean…” He’s suddenly overtaken by nerves as he tentatively takes Nene’s hand and raises it. “I-it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance…?”
The words are clearly forced, and he immediately looks up at his brother, seemingly looking for approval. With another beautifully fond smile, Teru squeezes Kou’s shoulder affirmatively and waves to Nene, leaving the two to meet with Aoi and Akane. After a few awkward moments, Kou abruptly kisses her hand (though it’s more like he tapped her hand to his face) and rubs his arm with burning cheeks. “...Yeah.”
Alright. He may not be cute, but this kid is pretty adorable. “The pleasure’s all mine,” She says with a giggle. “Are you the best man?”
Kou regains his confidence with an affirmative nod. “Teru-nii’s been telling me I’d end up being his best man for years now, but it’s weird now that I actually am…” He laughs and scratches the back of his neck. “And you’re the maid of honor, right? Are you Akane-senpai’s sister or something?”
The usage of the word ‘ senpai’ causes Nene to raise an eyebrow in amusement, but Kou seems to think it’s out of judgment for the assumption and shakes his head rapidly.
“Duh, of course not, that’s stupid. Obviously you’re not sisters, you look nothing alike…” That shouldn’t be as much of a blow to her self esteem as it is. “How do you know the princess?”
“We met a few years back at a debutante ball,” Nene recalls, a fond smile forming on her face at the memory.
Truthfully, neither girl had any reason to be there. Nene’s invitation had been addressed to a different name – a name that no longer held any meaning to her – but she couldn’t resist the promise of excitement that comes with a debutante ball! She’d never be able to have one, so shouldn’t she take advantage of the opportunity to attend someone else’s? Besides, whatever princess it was held for surely wouldn’t mind at least one suitor to be taken out of the mix, right?
Really, none of the ball wound up mattering one bit. It was for a princess she no longer recalls the name of in a kingdom that’s no longer on the map. So it was fine that she came in under false pretenses! And it wasn’t like Aoi had much better of an excuse for coming, either. So she says, Akane received the invitation and wanted absolutely nothing to do with it, seeing as his ‘heart belongs to Ao-chan!’ So she took the invitation and, taking advantage of their similar names, pleaded her case that the invite simply mixed up the order.
“There weren’t many other girls there, since the king was trying to marry off his daughter. So Aoi and I gravitated to each other and started talking, and the rest is history… I’ve been her lady in waiting for the last year or so.”
Things weren’t nearly as simple as that, but Nene just met this guy. He certainly doesn’t need to know about any queer awakenings that may or may not have happened at that ball.
The parade begins not long after Nene is introduced to a few more members of the Minamoto court. There’s a few simply gorgeous guards and servants that Nene could only dream of being allowed to pursue, but her absolute favorite new acquaintance is the tiny princess of the land that immediately clung onto Nene upon their first introduction. Tiara insisted upon holding her hand during the parade, which wasn’t at all her intended location, but as it turns out, the usually sturdy king-to-be seems to have a bit of a soft spot for his younger siblings. So cute.
Speaking of ‘so cute,’ the younger prince – Kou, that is – gets more and more endearing by the second. He makes every possible attempt to prevent Nene from “danger,” being cracks in the road or… well, that’s about as dangerous as things can get in a parade, save for surprise assassination attempts (which he hopefully won’t have to worry about). Even if things are pretty tame, though, he’s suddenly taken on the responsibility to protect Nene.
Like she’s a princess.
The treatment makes her giddy, even if Kou’s most certainly not her type. It’s still nice to be treated like something precious… She has Aoi’s guards who are also entrusted with her own safety, sure, but nothing compares to having someone fret over her specifically.
It’s not often that she’s treated as a priority. Not that she minds, of course; being in such constant spotlight like Aoi is seems like a major pain, but she sure wouldn’t mind some attention every now and then. Surely it can’t be all bad. With her fancy tiara and her beautiful purple gown and diamond accented shoes (honestly, why put diamonds on something that no one aside from her ladies in waiting will see?), she’s sure to be exercising some level of comfort between all the boring meetings and politics…
…and romance.
To be treated like royalty by a kind boy is one thing, but she’d simply die to be given the princess treatment by a beautiful prince (or princess, she doesn’t mind if they’re the first sapphic rulers of the land). It’s supposed to be common practice that a man first in line for the throne will marry a noblewoman, or some princess far back in her own line of succession. As far as Nene’s aware, the other nearest kingdom bearing princesses that hasn’t already fallen is a lifetime’s journey away, so it seemed that the next logical step would be for Prince Teru to seek out a noblewoman.
Instead, Aoi had burst into her chambers with a shockingly neutral expression (she’s always been good at containing her excitement) to announce that she’d been betrothed to none other than the hot-on-the-market prince Nene had her eye on. She cheered! Oh, how she cheered. And oh, how she sobbed when she retired to her own bed. Oh, how she mourned the slim possibility of such a romance.
Now, fully aware that there’s absolutely no other opportunity for her to truly marry into royalty (she knows she shouldn’t be picky, but she can’t marry Kou), she can only consider the hypotheticals. In her eyes, the hypotheticals are far more heartbreaking than reality, and make her feel better about being unable to reach that place in her life. Why mourn for the hand of a prince who is surely looking to produce heirs and further his bloodline, and when greeted with Nene’s definitive inability to perform such a task, will surely turn her down coldly? Someone like her is lucky to even be considered a lady by title, let alone dare to place herself in the role of one socially.
Aoi would turn around and scold her for talking about herself in such away if she were speaking aloud right now. She’d tell her she’s a beautiful woman with every right to serve as her lady-in-waiting, as well as her closest girlfriend. She might then hurriedly clarify that “girlfriend” refers to a friend who is a girl, and not something romantic. Then she’d immediately regain her composure and act like she never said anything in the first place, opting to place a gentle hand on her shoulder with a kind smile.
Nene’s learned over time to keep these things to herself to keep Aoi from calling her out. There’s no need for her to fret about such things, and she’d just feel awkward if it seemed she was always self deprecating. Surely Aoi will run out of comfort to offer?
(She’s aware that her desire to be doted on conflicts with her aversion to it. There’s no need to unpack that one right now.)
“Oof!”
Nene’s just barely caught before she manages to plant butt-first onto the road, having bumped into the very topic of her thoughts without realizing. She’s helped up by none other than Kou, who reaches to help dust off her dress before seemingly getting in his own head about it and backing off. Aoi quickly takes over.
“Are you okay, Nene-chan?”
“Ah! I’m so sorry, I wasn’t paying attention…” She twiddles her thumbs and waits for the soon-to-be queen to stop straightening out her dress (isn’t that her job?) “Why did we stop?”
Teru hums thoughtfully. “It’s possible there may be some congestion in the front,” He sighs tiredly with a shrug. “These things happen every time we do one of these… It seems some people are incapable of keeping the proper pace!” He glances over his shoulder with a shit-eating grin. “Wouldn’t you agree, Aoi?”
Akane, atop a horse, frowns. “What?”
“Aren’t most of the advisors way back there?” He motions towards a small group of men on horses a few yards behind them. “You seem to have outpaced them a bit.”
“I don’t care about those geezers. I just have to follow closely to ensure Ao-chan’s safety!” He exclaims, pressing a fist to his heart. Aoi doesn’t react, simply bringing a hand to her cheek while continuing to poke and prod at Nene’s dress.
“I see… I wonder, is that your duty for today?” Teru’s eyes are narrow and sharp – like usual, but somehow more… piercing?
Akane must notice it too, because he looks uneasy for a moment before quickly regaining his confidence. “It’s my duty every day, whether it’s assigned to me or not.”
“I see, I see…” Teru presses a finger to his chin in deep thought, before seemingly abandoning whatever it was to scoop up his sleepy baby sister into his arms. “I suppose I can understand that. If you’ll excuse me,” He brightens his tone on a dime when he turns to address Nene and Kou, “I have to go see what’s happening up there. Kou, I trust you’ll keep Lady Yashiro safe while I’m gone?”
Kou nods like an excited little kid, as though he were just allowed to stay home alone for the first time. “You can count on me, Nii-chan!” He exclaims, flexing an arm with that toothy grin of his. Nene chooses to keep it to herself that his muscles, existent or not, are definitely not showing through his baggy long-sleeved tunic.
Teru smiles and ruffles his hair, causing Kou to shut his eyes and beam. Noticeably, when his guard is down, the older brother seems to mouth something to Akane, who nods begrudgingly, and proceeds to not follow Teru and Aoi to the front of the parade. Most of the guards disappear with them, leaving a noticeable hole with only the three of them standing there. Awkwardly.
They idle by for a ridiculous amount of time – enough to make a significant portion of the attendees get sick of waiting and leave the parade. At some point, people end up treating it as though the parade were finished, beginning to walk around (what was supposed to be) the closed area of the road.
“H-hey! The roads haven’t been unblocked yet!” Akane yells, but no one seems to pay him any mind, the street already crowded with the usual hustle and bustle of the village square. “Disperse! Disperse immediately!”
But his words are completely ignored. It doesn’t take too long for the parade to be decidedly over and for the townspeople to move on with their days. Nene can’t focus on the inherent danger of the situation; it’s too mesmerizing to watch business as usual. Kids have begun to play in the street – not with any specific toys, but with whatever they can find powered by their own imagination. Men walk around with various boxes full of wares, approaching anyone who pays them any attention. Families walk around the town; mothers leading huge arrays of children like baby ducklings to complete their errands for the day.
It’s the other end of the spectrum that Nene wouldn’t mind being at. If she can’t be treated like a princess, she doesn’t mind living a life like this, always with something to do and someone to spark a conversation with. Sure, she’s well aware she probably sounds like a spoiled brat when she complains about her life as “some noblewoman,” but can anyone blame her? She hardly knows anyone outside of Aoi’s court! It’d be nice to have the freedom to go wherever she pleases… It almost sounds better than becoming royalty.
“Yashiro-san!” Akane scolds, seemingly from a sizable distance away. She turns around in a daze to see that she must have wandered away from the increasingly-stressed nobleman who can’t seem to get anywhere in the crowd on his oversized horse. “D-don’t stray too far! You too, Minamoto-kouhai! Your brother will have my head if anything happens to either of you!”
Nene glances to the side to see that Kou had been following her the entire time. He waves politely.
The two do not follow Akane’s wishes, opting to explore the village while they have the chance. Nene’s never been here, and Kou is hardly ever able to come round on his own, so it’s an adventure for both of them. They stop at various food vendors, most of whom recognize the prince and try to give them free meals, which Kou politely turns down in favor of paying the full price and leaving generous tips. He goes from a recognizable but ultimately inconsequential figure in the village to the most popular man in town in an instant, townspeople flocking to him in droves to say hello, or to offer him various items, or to simply beg for money. He entertains all of them.
It’s a wonderful sight, so wonderful that Nene finds herself absently backing up to get a better view of the scene, only to bump right into some random villager, knocking both of them into a large puddle.
“Oh!” She exclaims, sitting up and fretting over her dress. “No…” She whines. That’s it for this dress, she supposes.
Whoever she bumped into stands up quickly, cursing when swarms of people rush in to steal the money and various trinkets stored in the case Nene made him drop. Once he manages to get to crowd to disperse, all that’s left is a bunch of fish scales scattered on the cobblestone and a couple pieces of candy. He whips around to see who’s responsible and Nene gulps.
Confusingly, his face doesn’t stay angry for long, morphing into a sort of closed-off yet content look. “You’re that princess’s maid of honor,” He says.
“Y-yes…” She hasn’t had anyone recognize her thus far, only taking note of how she looks like she might be someone important. Then she regains her awareness of the situation and stands stiffly. “Yes! I-I’m so sorry sir, I can reimburse you for whatever was in that–!” A finger is pressed to her lips and quickly rescinded.
“There’s no need for that.”
How odd. Judging by his drab clothing, there’s most certainly a need. “Please, let me! I’d feel awful if I made you lose out on your savings…”
But the man – rather, the boy, not quite reaching Nene’s already-short stature – shakes his head and holds up his hands. “Really, I don’t need any money.”
“I-isn’t there any way I can make it up to you!? I can do anything you want!”
She probably shouldn’t have phrased it like that, not to this boy whose grin slowly widens in intrigue. “Anything?”