Chapter Text
Once upon a time, there was a kingdom. The name of this kingdom was Matsuno. The rulers of this kingdom were King Matsuzo and Queen Matsuyo. Although the two had an arranged marriage, they managed to get along most of the time as they ruled the land with dignity and prosperity. It soon came time for them to provide heirs. Luckily for them, the Queen was able to get pregnant. Even more amazing was when their doctor informed them that they would be having six boys. The King and Queen rejoiced in this news. How rare it was for a kingdom to have six sons, all born at once.
The day arrived for the boys' birth. Unbeknownst to them, however, there was a scheme to steal the babies and throw them into the raging water just outside of the palace. A wicked old man and his young, strong underling posed as doctors to get inside the castle when the Queen was giving birth. The Queen had a successful delivery as the six little baby boys came out plump, crying, and healthy. They were each kept in a cozy cubicle that had their names on it. Each was bundled in a different colored blanket with the kingdom's clover symbol on it. There were guards outside of the babies' room, and the wicked old man and his underling were allowed access, with the underling carrying a large basket in front of him.
"Alright," the old man whispered once they were inside alone, "I think we should be able to sneak the little princes out all at once. I'll hand you a baby one at a time and you make sure they stay in there all nice and comfy."
The old man grabbed the first baby he saw, Jyushimatsu, and the underling carefully placed the boy inside. The next one to be put in was Ichimatsu. And after him was Choromatsu. However, before the old man could grab the next one, his underling made a startling discovery.
"Uh, sir," the underling said, "I don't think there's enough room for all of them."
"What?!" the old man spat. "What do you mean there isn't enough room?"
His underling pointed inside the basket and there the three babies overtook the space. The old man was angry, so he covered his mouth and took a deep breath.
"It's fine," he tried to reassure himself. "We can still do this. You're just going to have to make two trips. Dump these babies here first and then come back for the rest. And if the guards ask you anything, tell them that you are retrieving some skin ointments for me."
The underling did as he was instructed. He covered the basket and carried it away with him. The guards did ask him where he was off to as predicted, to which the underling responded that he was getting foot ointments. The underling left the castle as quickly as possible. Once outside, he made his way to the rapid rivers that no one dared to swim in. As it was summer, it was expected for the waters to go fast and be at their most powerful. The underling set the basket down and uncovered it. Two of the babies had their eyes closed while one was staring at him with big, curious eyes. The sight of the little infants tugged at the heartstrings of the underling. He knew his master would be displeased if he didn't do his job, but he also couldn't bear to kill the boys.
He grabbed the boys one at a time, and removed their blankets. He threw the blankets into the river, where they were thrashed, stained, and immediately difficult to see. He carried the basket of babies away from there as he headed into a town that wasn't very far. In that town was a small orphanage that had looked worn out with weeds covering the steps. However, it was the nearest stop he could place the babies in for the time being. He reassured himself that once he retrieved the other brothers, he would come back for the ones he initially left here and take them to a better, more suitable home. The underling placed the basket on the steps as he got out some paper and a pen and began writing furiously on it. On three separate papers, he wrote down the names of the boys and their birthday. He then got out an envelope and placed some money in it. He believed the money he put in should be enough to payback whoever would find them and care for them for the time being. He stopped by a stall to buy another basket and rushed back to the palace.
Meanwhile, the wicked old man was biting his nails as he kept looking back at the doors.
Where is that idiot? He thought. It shouldn't take this long to throw babies into the river.
The doors swung open when a guard and a maid came in unannounced.
"Oh, doctor," the guard said, "there was no need for your friend to leave. We had some foot ointment here in the palace after-"
The maid screamed as she saw that three of the six cubicles were empty.
"Where are the young Princes?!"
The old man pulled his shirt collar and gulped. He shrugged his shoulders. The guard immediately dragged the old man away from the room as he ordered for his comrades to surround the other three. When the King and Queen heard about their missing children, they demanded to know where they went. The old man pinned the blame on his underling, acting as though he were not the brains behind the scheme. When the underling got closer to the palace, he was able to hear how he was a wanted man. Thus, the underling fled the Matsuno kingdom as quickly as possible, and he vowed never to return. The old man was eventually found out to be the one who planned out the attack and was sentenced to death. But it was far too soon when someone found the tattered blankets of three of the princes washed ashore.
The King and Queen mourned over the loss of half of their children. In their heartbreak, they demanded that the remaining living heirs be watched at all times. The princes were not to leave the palace grounds unless escorted by at least one troop. Any guest that was to come inside their palace was to be searched coming in and out. Everything was to be given to them so that they would not meet such a short life.
No one came back for the ones that were left in the orphanage. These boys grew up never knowing their true heritage. All they knew were their names and birthday. And that would be all they would have for themselves for years to come.