A Wish of the Eighth Princess of Kou Empire
A Magi Fanfiction
Disclaimer: Not mine, silly. I would not write this if it is mine. If it were mine, it would be porn with Alibaba as the main uke.
Author's ramblings: This is an AU, though it is not really an alternate universe either, but merely is different from the current storyline. To put it simply, this is about Alibaba who got picked up from the street when he was dying and strayed from his assassin guild, which he joined after he ran away from Balbadd before the series started. Anyway, it may seem like a part of another chapter, but I don't plan to make the prequel or sequel. Let's see what will happen in the future. Don't worry, I'm still working on Seven Meetings. I just procrastinate a lot, and this is one of my procrastinations.
Actually, I have made this in 2014, but then I read a PM by Porcelain, so here is the story. I'm sorry that it's not smut. Maybe much later in the future.
Oh, by the way, you can follow me in my blog: dreamingwhilewriting at W*rdPr*ss and T*mblr for my other works. Well, not that I post a lot since I worked...
Warning: Mention of Kouen x Alibaba. Hints of sex. Nothing really happened in the story, though. Sorry for being so disappointing.
"Alibaba-chan, good morning!" Kougyoku greeted her blond friend with a smile that could shine the whole palace. Alibaba, however, did not hear the beaming greeting. The ex-prince of Balbadd did not even looked at her, as he kept muttering under his breath and walking with his eyes down casted.
"That old goat... After keeping me awake all night, he gave me such an impossible task... Five houses in three days?! Is he trying to exhaust me to dead? Damn, my back hurts... I'll haunt him if I do, I'll cut that weird beard off, that son of a-"
"Alibaba!"
This time, the red haired princess succeeded to bring Alibaba back to reality. His unseeing eyes cleared up and he looked straight at the eighth princess of Kou Empire.
"Ah, Kougyoku-sama, I did not realise that you are here."
"You are letting your guard down. What would you do if I were an assassin, Alibaba-chan?"
"I am sorry for my carelessness, Kougyoku-sama," Alibaba said while bowing his head. Kougyoku almost believed it is sincere if she did not know that she was talking with one of Kou Empire's most deadly assassins.
"And spitting insults about a beloved brother of mine, a crown prince. Manner Alibaba, manner." Kougyoku sighed in a mocking disappointment.
Alibaba blushed at this, "I- I did not mean-"
"You did not mean it, and my brother did not give you another impossible task," she cut him.
"If I may ask, how long have you been listening to my ramblings?" He asked carefully, like a child asking for the second cookie.
"Hmm... Let me think... Since the old goat?" She said, raising one of her eyebrows.
"I, I am sorry!" Alibaba said with a blush, bowing his head in pure embarrassment. What can be more embarrassing than being caught on cursing your own prince?
"Really, Alibaba, you should pay more attention on your surroundings. Even when you are Kouennii-sama's lover, you are still a mere worker of the Kou Empire. What would you do if one of those annoying people caught you? Besides, you know my brother would not give you a job if he thinks you are not qualified."
"I know that, Kougyoku-sama," Alibaba said, sulking, "But the deadline is too burdensome. Five houses in three days! Even if they are not big deals, the number is still too much!"
"You will manage," she said with a smile.
"And he gave it when we finally got some intimate time," he muttered lowly to himself with a soft blush. Kougyoku could hear it, though, and she had to suppress her own blush.
"Now, drop this formality. It's not a good way to talk to a friend, right?"
"But I am a mere humble worker for this empire, Hime-sama," he teased.
"Stop it! It's an order from the eighth princess, do you dare to deny my order?"
"Really now?"
She grinned, and he followed. They laughed at their joke and after the laughter tuned down into a soft series of giggle and chuckle, they went to the palace's smallest garden.
The garden was surrounded by lush trees, flowers had blossomed beautifully, and the butterflies were dancing around for the sweet nectar. The birds were chirping sweetly and fly from one branch to another. The place was a perfect picture of small heaven, caged away from the world's cruelty.
The two friends walked by and sit down on the field of peony flowers, enjoying the comforting silence and the beautiful melody of the nature. Alibaba started to pick some peonies, lacing them together, and soon a beautiful red crown was on his hand. It never failed to amaze the princess how agile Alibaba's hand was at making handicrafts.
"It's so beautiful, Alibaba-chan! How could you do it so fast?"
"It's nothing special, my mom and I used to make it together back then…" Alibaba's eyes were clouded by sadness from the memory of his late mother. It was a long time ago, and he had let her go when he ran away, but he would always missed the beautiful woman's presence, along with the guilt that pierced his heart as he remembered the responsibility that he had thrown away.
"Alibaba…" Kougyoku's soft voice brought him back to the garden. She looked at him with an unreadable expression, but then smiled as she cupped both of his soft cheeks. "Teach me how to make it, a beautiful crown like the one you gave my brother."
"Eh… Eh… EEEEEHHHH?!" He gave a very manly shriek as he blushed madly. "How, how, how do you know about it?"
She giggled at his innocent reaction. "Alibaba-chan, Kouennii-sama was bragging about it so practically everyone in the palace knew about it," and to add more embarrassment to the poor blonde, she gave him more detailed information, "he even dried it and put it in his study, and called us, the royal blood, to that place only to show it off." And it succeeded in making everyone really jealous, but Kougyoku would not admit it aloud.
Alibaba, in his response, only groaned in embarrassment as he covered his reddened face. "Stupid Kouen… I should have given him something more expensive…" He moaned in shame as he felt how he had failed his lover with such petty gift.
Kougyoku merely sighed at that, as she knew her brother's thought. She did not know how it went in Balbadd, but as a royalty, she always got many gifts, jewelries, beautiful dresses, or other beautiful and magical things that money could buy from many people, many kingdoms. Yet, as beautiful all the presents she got, they hold nothing in her heart. All of them were empty with feelings, just an obligation to the royalty.
Alibaba's gift, could be bought by money, that was true. But, Alibaba's feeling was another matter. The golden haired boy poured his feeling for Kouen into the red crown, which was safely dried and sat beautifully on the desk in the study. It was a gift that was desired by all of her siblings and cousins, a gift of love. As a royalty, a pawn of politic and game of power, she had been craving for pure and unconditional love.
Her brother, Kouen, was lucky enough to get it, even though it came from a boy who would not be able to give him an heir. She dared to bet everything she had that all of her siblings were green with envy whenever Alibaba went to Kouen's bedroom at night to say goodnight or to treat his battle wound. Though most of the time, the activity would turn into something even more intimate. Some unfortunate people who passed the crown prince's chamber at night often had to rush away, red as ripe tomato, as they heard the boy's moans and pleas for more, so wanton and filled with pleasure, coming from the half-lidded chamber. Sometimes, if they were unlucky enough, they could hear a muffled scream from the younger male, followed by the prince's satisfactory groan as they reached their climax.
Kougyoku's was brought back to reality when Alibaba shook her shoulder. "Kougyoku?" He asked slowly, unsure of the reason of his friend's sudden daydream.
Kougyoku laughed quietly. "You don't need to give something more expensive, Alibaba-chan. But I'm sure Kouennii-sama will love everything you give, expensive or not. Not that he will admit it in front of you."
"I wonder about that…" He said while putting a ring made of peony to Koukyoku's ring finger.
"Is it for me?"
"Of course, why would I put it on you if it is for someone else?"
Kougyoku stared at the beautiful flower on her finger, fascinated by Alibaba's small creation. "Thank you, Alibaba-chan. It's very pretty…"
"Do you like it?"
"Uh-hu. Alibaba-chan is really good at making this stuff. Could you teach me how to make it?"
"Eh? Why?"
"It is unfair that you always give me things that make me happy while I never really give you anything in return. I have to reply your gifts so we can be even, right?"
Alibaba thought about it for a while before shaking his head slowly but surely. "It's impossible for us to be even, Kougyoku-sama," he said slowly. Kougyoku was about to scolded him to be so formal again, but he raised his index finger to his lips, stopping her before she could say anything. "My little gifts could not express how grateful I am, for you…you have given me a home."
"Really, a home, this palace?" She laughed at the irony. "A home to live with the kingdom that take over your country?"
"Ah, I always forget Kou Empire rules over Balbadd these days."
"Alibaba, it's not even funny."
He sighed. "But Kougyoku, to me, this cold palace is a home. If you didn't pick me up, I might be dead, or worse, I might be captured and sold as a slave …"
"But the way you are now, you are not better than a slave, Alibaba," she said as she touched the scar on his palm, trailed it gently until it stopped on his shoulder. The one that he got from his mission two months ago. The memory was still fresh in her mind, how he barely stood up when he reached Kouen's doorstep when she was in the middle of reporting her duty as one of the generals. It still bring shudder to her every time she recalled his state; broken ribs and bones, cut and rip wounds, and the one on his whole arm that would not stop bleeding. He was covered in his own blood and as pale as a vampire, but he still managed a smile to reassure the siblings. Kouen, of course, did not buy the smile as he ran to the boy's side to support him and carry him to the bed. Kougyoku still remembered his brother's expression as he tended the wound, a mix of anger and guilt, an expression that no one but Alibaba had the privilege to see, and Kougyoku was lucky enough to be able to see it. She almost destroyed and drowned the target's house in rage if she was not stopped by her brother, who asked her to take care of his lover while he went out searching for blood. Since then, Alibaba was only given small tasks to ensure his safety, much to the ex-prince's annoyance.
"May be that's right," he answered slowly, paused only to consider his answer, "but this way, I can be useful for him… no, this way, I can be with him without feeling burdened of being weak." He smiled that sardonic smile, the one that always made Kougyoku felt so small. And he was one of the deadly assassins, whose presence was feared by many kingdoms.
Could not hold her tears anymore, she pulled the boy in front of her into a tight embrace. She cursed the gods for letting a boy, not much older than herself, to feel such thing, to experience the fate's cruel joke. How could one be happy to be a tool in order to be beside someone he loved so dearly? Even though she knew Kouen would still loved Alibaba just as much even when he could not walk, or talk, or see and hear anymore, the palace would not tolerate it. She knew they kept blind eye because Alibaba was still useful for the empire. She also knew when it happened, Kouen would be torn between the empire and Alibaba. And she did not dare to think about his choice, it was too frightening. The gods must be enjoying the twist of human's live, as they let the boy to fall for the man who supposed to be his enemy, to feel the love that could end anytime without warning. She tightened her embrace as she sobbed on Alibaba's warm chest. Alibaba was strong, she just had to believe in him and kept praying for her two most important people's happiness.
Alibaba, already guessing what was going on in his princess's mind, could only smile while returning the embrace silently, while hoping that the eighth princess would find a boy to fall for so she would stop worrying about him and his inevitable condition. But, until the time came, Alibaba knew he would always welcome the warm embrace.
Author's Rambling part 2: Yes, the Ren family knows that Alibaba is Alibaba Saluja, the third prince of Balbadd. They planned to bring him back, but he refused. Then Kouen fell for Alibaba, HARD, and he would not let Alibaba go even if the blond prince ever wants to go back. (Not that he would, he loves Kouen too much to leave him, ohohohohoho~) That's all, it sucks, but hell, I can't let this idea out of my mind since I saw a Pixiv fanart with Alibaba and Jafar in the same assassin guild. Also, sorry for the grammatical error, I have tried to keep it minimum, but I'm just an ordinary human with B+ for grammar. Just point out my mistakes so I can fix them. I'm still working on Seven Meetings. Don't worry. Or, maybe you should be…