Chapter Text
In retrospect, it wasn't too hard to see why Kaguragi had misinterpreted his interest as something else entirely.
Beyond being the kind of man that, as far as anyone knew, simply didn’t have friends (whether because they had to endure his personality behind closed doors and thought he deserved it, or because they assumed it was a consequence of his status and pitied him), Racles’s image in the mind of his people was a result of careful planning to position himself as a figure of absolute authority that they wouldn’t dare defy. Even the other kings barely pretended to tolerate him most days, and as a result they extended each other just about the minimum amount of courtesy necessary to keep diplomatic relations between their kingdoms going – thus, when he had begun keeping an eye on him, Kaguragi had been able to tell that he wanted something out of him, he just hadn’t been able to pinpoint exactly what that was.
Would have it been better in the long run to turn Kaguragi down? Perhaps. But for better or for worse, the qualities that made Kaguragi an essential piece of his plan also made him crave the twisted intimacy they’d come to share.
He recognized the way Kaguragi knocked on the door of the royal dressing room right away. Kaguragi’s intention was never to ask permission to join him, but rather to give him enough time to dismiss the servants tending to him, or whoever else might be there with him at the time, which Racles did with a wave of his hand.
“You do realize that whoever let you in will lose their head.”
Kaguragi shrugged, taking the empty threat for what it was.
The servants, however, weren’t willing to take a chance, and they went from hurrying along to practically tripping over each other as they scrambled to get out of the room as fast as they could, muttering apologies along the way.
“What’s so urgent that you felt the need to barge in like this?”
Now that they were alone, he felt the weight of Kaguragi’s eyes on him, so heavy that it bordered on leering, as Kaguragi took a moment to get a sense of where the servants had been in the process of helping him get ready before they had been made to leave. They had almost finished, getting as far as putting his coat on him, but it still needed to be closed properly, and he was missing his belt and some finer details.
“I was hoping to have a moment with you before the upcoming ceremony demands all of your attention,” Kaguragi said as he walked towards him. Instead of stopping in front of him, he positioned himself at his back, close enough that he was able to slide his arms around his and wrap them around his chest.
“I imagine that it’s only become more important for you to make sure that you’re in my good graces, hasn’t it?” he said with a sneer. “Toufu is a land of whores as much as it is of farmers.”
There was about a second where he felt Kaguragi tense around him, only made noticeable because of the way Kaguragi’s body was pressed against his, before he masked his discomfort with a chuckle. The only time Kaguragi came close to slipping was when it had something to do with either the people of Toufu or with Suzume, yet he never actually did; precisely because he loved them more than he disliked him, Kaguragi always managed to push through.
“Sir Racles, here on Terra your will is second only to that of the gods. There’s very little that you need, and even less than you can’t get.” Kaguragi’s fingers found their way to the hooks of his coat, where the playfulness with which he began closing them made it feel more like he was undressing him. “If, despite that, I have found a way to please, I would consider it a compliment.”
He considered whether he could afford the distraction. He had just about enough time, and it was vital to give Kaguragi the impression that his presence was, ultimately, able to sway him.
Feigning irritation, he pushed Kaguragi’s hands away, then turned around so that they would be standing face to face.
“Enough. You seem to forget that you’re at my disposal, not the other way around.”
“Apologies, Sir Racles. Should I go, then?”
“... No, you already interrupted me. You might as well stay and finish what you started.”
_______
Ever since he was a young man, the prospect of romance had filled Racles with dread. The idea of subjecting anyone to Dadged revolted him, and the thought of someone he loved meeting the same fate as his mother had all but terrified him.
Yet, there he was, a royal wedding later and dragging not one, but two, of the Dybowski siblings down with him.
Were he a better man, a stronger man, he would have pushed Suzume away at the first sign of her catching onto what he was doing. His plans required her participation, but not her willing cooperation, and though he had been the one to suggest his room as a place where the two of them could talk without as much risk of being spied on, it certainly didn’t need them to share a bed, nor for Suzume to hold onto his arm and rest her head on his shoulder.
“What made you decide I could be trusted?”
When he looked down, his eyes met Suzume’s. Not only did she seem unfazed by the question, her smile grew wider as she answered.
“I fell in love.”
“So easily?”
Suzume rolled her eyes and gave him a playful shove.
“If you must know… Sometimes, when we’re alone… you get the same look on your face that my brother does. Like you’re pushing away the last bit of doubt because you know there’s no room for it.” As if she could tell what he was thinking, she straightened up so that she had enough space to reach forward and hold his chin in place with her free hand. “Kings that only want power don’t get that look, Sir Racles. Kings that don’t care for their people don’t get that look.”
And then she leaned in for a kiss.
“Besides, if I had been wrong, I would have just killed you.”