Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic.
Chapter One: A Flame of Warmth
The Eighth Imperial Princess Kougyoku Ren trembled under the leering stares of her elder sisters. They glared down their perfect noses at her, their fans placed delicately over their mouths to hide their ugly sneers.
"You don't belong here, you lowborn." One of them spat. "Go back to whatever filthy street you crawled out of."
The others giggled, their airy laughter not quite hiding the malicious undertones. Kougyoku was used to such treatment from her sisters, but tears pricked the corner of her eyes nonetheless. I will not cry. She told herself fiercely. Not here, in front of these people. She took a deep, shuddering breath and said quietly, "F-forgive me, I did not mean any disrespect. I was on my way to–" She was cut off abruptly when one of her sisters reached out and grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking her head to one side.
"How dare you speak to me?" The princess snarled. "You filthy peasant! You dare address the Fifth Princess of the Kou Empire with such insolence? I should have you flayed like the dog that you are!" She wrenched her hand upward, Kougyoku's hair still gripped in her claws. Kougyoku cried out as several strands of her hair was yanked mercilessly from her scalp. Tears leaked out of her eyes and crawled down her face, ignoring her vain attempts to contain them.
The dull pain at her head subsided when the Second Princess – her eldest sister - laid a hand on the Fifth Princess's shoulder. "That is enough." Sniffing haughtily, the princess released Kougyoku, and she collapsed into an ungraceful heap at her sisters' feet. She bit her lip and quickly dried her eyes, smearing her make up.
The Second Princess knelt beside Kougyoku, and cupped a cool hand around her chin, lifting her face to meet her elder sister's eyes. "I do not know what our father was thinking when he allowed the likes of a prostitute into his chambers, and even having her bear him a child. It was particularly cruel of him to have not killed you the moment you were brought into this world, because now you are a child who does not belong anywhere – not here, nor any other. It pains me to see my sister caught among the wicked nobles who would like nothing better than to taint you and to use you to their advantage." She ran a clawed finger down Kougyoku's cheek, slicing into her skin and drawing blood. Kougyoku whimpered and tried to wriggle out of her sister's grasp, but the older woman held her fast, her nails digging into Kougyoku's forearm.
The Second Princess leaned forward and whispered into her ear. "Let me offer a piece of advice to my dear sister: leave the Imperial Palace." Kougyoku's heart froze in her chest. Leave? This was her home, the only one she had. Her mother was long dead, and she had no other known relatives. Where would she go?
"You know you don't belong here, that you are unworthy of being in a place where only those who are superior are allowed to reside. You've known all along, haven't you? You're a clever girl; I'm sure you will find life outside the palace will be much more welcoming to… your kind." She released Kougyoku and stood, towering over her. "You understand, don't you? This is for the better of the Imperial Family; we can't have a lowborn sullying the Ren name, now can we?" With a smirk, the Second Princess swept away, her sisters close on her heels, their tinkling laughter echoing in the hall.
Kougyoku quavered, trying to choke down her sobs. Her shoulders shook, and she stared down at her hands as her vision blurred. They wouldn't really kick her out of the Palace, would they? They didn't have that kind of power, but they could always arrange some underhanded way to have her banished or worse. She had no allies in the palace, and she could count on no support from her family. She was truly alone in this world.
The Eighth Princess didn't know how long she sat there in a stupor, staring at the ornate tiles that lined the floor, when a voice jolted her back to reality. "Is there something fascinating about the floor tiles that you would spend thirty minutes scrutinizing?" Kougyoku inhaled sharply and lunged to her feet, her face burning. She stared furiously at her silk slippers, too embarrassed to look at the man directly. "N-n-not at all, I was merely resting my legs."
"Is that so? An interesting location you've chosen to 'rest your legs.'" The voice said mildly.
At those words, whatever mental restraints that Kougyoku had snapped, and the huge wave that was her emotions came thundering out. She had been called filth, peasant, had dried blood on her face, and had nearly had her hair yanked from her scalp all in one day. Now some man was ridiculing her in her weakness – her, Kougyoku Ren, the Eighth Imperial Princess, daughter to the Heavenly Emperor of the Grand Kou Empire. It did not matter that she was only a mere nine years old. It did not matter that her mother had been a common prostitute that her father had picked up off of the streets on a whim. She was a princess and she demanded some respect.
"I was not aware that I had to gain permission as to where I can and cannot rest. I'm having an awful day and so I wished to sit and think for a while. Furthermore, I don't recall asking your opinion on the matter and I would appreciate it if you would leave me alone!" She took a deep breath to calm her thumping heart as she glared at the man, knowing full well that he was undeserving of her wrath but not caring either way. He was probably some nobleman who had come to gain her father's favor so that he would have some political advantage over his rivals, in which case she held rank over him.
As she looked over the offending figure, an uneasy feeling curled in her stomach as she recognized the royal ornaments that decorated the man's hair and robes. Only members of the Imperial Family were allowed to wear such adornments, which would mean…. Kougyoku choked as she saw – truly saw – whom she had been addressing.
Though she had only seen him from afar during official ceremonies and summons, there was no mistaking the man that stood not ten feet away from her. With deep crimson hair and matching eyes set in a regal face, he was known by many titles: the First Imperial Prince, Heir Apparent to the throne of the Kou Empire, General Commander of the Western Subjugation Army, Dungeon Capturer – and all at the young age of nineteen – Lord Kouen Ren. And he was also Kougyoku's eldest brother.
Immediately, Kougyoku bowed her head and lifted her long sleeves to both show her submission and to hide her trembling face. What had she done? Such insolence toward the Crown Prince was unthinkable. If her sisters didn't throw her from the palace, they needn't worry because her brother would, if he didn't behead her first. Tears stung the corners of Kougyoku's eyes. Why did God hate her so? What had she done to deserve such a punishment? She had suffered through her sisters' torture and the whispered insults of the courts, hoping beyond all hope that she would earn her place among her siblings. But that dream had been crushed because of her foolish, impulsive actions and the bane that was her tongue.
As she stood, her knees shook and threatened to give out, but Kougyoku refused to show such weakness. If the First Prince was going to banish her, so be it, but it would be with her dignity intact. Awaiting her punishment, she expected the full fury of the Lord Kouen, so after what seemed like an eternity of heavy silence, she dared to peer over the top of her sleeves. Her eyes widened with utter disbelief at the sight that greeted her.
Lord Kouen sat cross-legged in the middle of the hall, intently reading an ancient tome nestled in his lap. Kougyoku blinked several times to assure herself that she wasn't hallucinating. She stared at him, still expecting him to order her public flogging or something of the like. Instead, it was as if the prince had forgotten that Kougyoku was there. Finally, after the tension of the moment became too much to bear, she cleared her throat.
Silence.
Kougyoku furrowed her brow, perplexed. Was he ignoring her on purpose? Gathering her courage, she asked "My lord Kouen?" Still the man did not look up from his book. At a loss for what to do, Kougyoku cautiously approached him, stopping when she was close enough to reach out and touch his shoulder. "My lord?" She said, louder this time.
The First Prince stirred, then glanced up at her. "Hello," he said amiably. Kougyoku regarded him in bewilderment. Hello? She wondered incredulously. She had just breached so many protocols in addressing him she couldn't even begin to name them all, and all he gave in return was hello? Unsure of how to proceed, Kougyoku offered a meek "Hello," in response.
"Since you made the floor seem so comfortable, I decided to see for myself. Won't you sit?" Prince Kouen asked her, gesturing to the floor beside him. Completely baffled, Kougyoku obediently settled herself next to him. "I don't often get to sit and read as I please, having the responsibilities of being General of the Army and such." Kouen continued, closing the text with a soft thump. "Many people say that power comes from physical strength or magic, but I think that true power is knowledge. Anything is possible if you have the wisdom of the world behind you. What do you think, Kougyoku?"
Kougyoku started. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "How do you know my name?" The First Prince blinked. "It seems obvious that I would know your name; you are my sister after all." A lump formed in Kougyoku's throat, but she managed to whisper, "Are you not angry at me for speaking to you in such a disrespectful manner?"
Prince Kouen shrugged. "I've heard worse. Moreover, what kind of an Emperor would I make if I were to get angry over such trivial things?"
Lifting her sleeves up to cover her face once more, Kougyoku struggled to whisper through her tears of relief. "Thank you, my lord."
After gazing at her with a slightly puzzled expression, Kouen tilted his head up and closed his eyes, taking deep, relaxed breaths. "The courts are so tiring; so much etiquette that has to be followed. I have no freedom here. I much prefer it on the battlefield where one does not have to worry about how deep to bow to Counts compared to Dukes or which spoons to use in what order. The whole thing is quite maddening." He paused, opening one crimson eye to regard her. "Do you like it here, as a court princess?"
Still holding her sleeves in front of her face, Kougyoku murmured quietly. "It is my home… I have nowhere else to go."
Prince Kouen opened both eyes and turned to face her. "I know that the courts can be unforgiving. I also know how cruel our sisters can be, but know that you will always have an ally in me, and that no matter what the others say, you do have a place here among us." He reached out and patted her gently on the head. "It is alright to seek friendship in others, sister."
No one had been so kind to her in the entire time that she had been at the palace. The tears that had stung her eyes now flowed freely down her cheeks as she buried her face in the layers of her silken dress. She had had no idea that such a compassionate man existed in the palace, much less her own brother. She wept and wept until there were no tears left for her to cry. All the pain and suffering that she had endured since she was a little girl drained out, leaving her utterly exhausted when the tears finally stopped. After so many years of holding in her sorrow, letting it out in a torrent lifted a great weight from her shoulders.
All the while, Kouen had stayed silent by her side, giving her space to unleash her grief, yet remaining close enough that his presence was comforting.
Kougyoku sniffed, trying to surreptitiously clean her face with the edge of her robes without much success. Finally giving up, she cleared her throat and spoke, "Thank you, Lord Kouen. "
The prince sighed deeply, a pained expression on his face. "I do wish you wouldn't be so formal with me. I get enough of that from the aristocrats."
Kougyoku froze, mulling over his request. She longed to be on a familiar basis with her siblings, but did she dare? Before she could think the better of it, she opened her mouth and stuttered out, "Er… um… thank you… B-Brother." Turning a pink nearly as vivid as her hair, she hid behind her sleeves as she was so adept at doing.
Surprise flitted across her brother's face for but a moment, then his handsome face broke into a soft smile. "You are welcome, Kougyoku." Tome in hand, Kouen stood, stretching his long limbs with a cat-like grace. He offered her a large hand which she took shyly, pulling her to her feet. "It is time I return, but should you ever need a friendly counsel, do not hesitate to seek me out. That is what siblings are for, is it not?"
Kougyoku, still blushing furiously, managed a mumbled "Yes."
Giving her one last smile, Kouen strode away, his imperial robes swirling behind him. Kougyoku stared after him in awe. Such an incredible man, and her brother no less! Perhaps she was not as alone as she had initially thought, for she had found a flame of warmth amidst the cold cruelness of the Imperial Courts.
Author's Note: The title 'Flame and Snow' comes from the 'Kou' prefix (Kouen, Koumei, Kouha, Kougyoku, etc.) and the 'Haku' prefix (Hakuei, Hakuryuu, etc.) which means crimson and white, respectively. Also, I thought the elements fit the two sides of the family rather nicely. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and I would love it if you would leave a review :D