Author's Note: This is based off of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, so there may be similarities to the plot, but it is not going to completely follow the storyline.
Warning for the entire story: Bad language, Abuse, Violence, Male x Male, Ooc-ness
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 1
The Kingdom of Karakura used to be brimming with life and happiness. The land was rich and the people content. The King Isshin and Queen Masaki were adored for their kindness and peaceful ways, but like many things it was too good to last. On one fateful day, the Queen had fallen gravely ill and died leaving her husband and two young sons behind to pick up the pieces.
The next few years were hard for the kingdom. The land seemed to slowly take on the King's grief. The skies turned gloomy with dark clouds that threatened to burst at any moment and drown the citizens below it. The once bright and exotic looking plants now looked duller, and fewer and fewer animals could be found. The kingdom seemed to only be getting worse as days passed on.
All hope seemed lost as the kingdom suffered until the day came that the King found a new Queen. The new Queen couldn't replace the gentle, kindness of the deceased Queen, but she calmed the King's sorrow and took care of the kingdom in his stead. The two princes, Shirosaki and Ichigo, adored their new mother, and the family almost seemed whole again.
A full year went by before tragedy struck the royal family once again. The younger prince was kidnapped and killed in the dark of the night. The sudden loss was so devastating; the King locked himself in his chambers and refused to come out. Only a few servants and the Queen were said to able to catch a glimpse of him in the years to come. The older prince became enraged and cold to those around him. Not only had he lost his mother, he had lost his twin. His other half. Some people would claim that he had gone a bit mad with loss.
Through all of the sorrow and loss, the Queen continued her rule with the prince by her side. Her courage was known throughout the land. She confronted her loss head on in order to help the kingdom she had grown to love.
xXx(What? A line break already?)xXx
Mugetsu closed the book harshly and rubbed his neck. He couldn't say what was written in this new history book was a complete lie, but it certainly wasn't all true. Mugetsu leaned back in his chair. He should know.
Mugetsu carefully placed the book back in its place amongst the vast expanse of the castle's library. He grabbed his discarded rag and bucket and crouched back into his previous position in order to continue scrubbing the floor.
Before he could put the rag in the soapy bucket, a shrill voice pierced his ears. "MUGETSU!"
Mugetsu jumped up from the floor and swirled around, knocking the soapy bucket over, and came face to face with the Queen's attendant. Her narrowed eyes made him swallow nervously.
"What exactly do you think you are doing?" She hissed leaning towards his face. Mugetsu couldn't help the twinge of fear that shot through his spine. He had been caught.
"I-I was just-" Mugetsu stuttered. He knew he wasn't doing what he was supposed to be doing. The Queen had given him the job of cleaning every inch of the library, and he had been doing exactly that until he came upon the new edition of Karakura Kingdom's history. Mugetsu was only interested in what the more recent 'history' about the kingdom was. Though, he really regretted picking up the book now. He eyed the attendant nervously. He was screwed if this was reported to the Queen.
"Snooping?"
Mugetsu lowered his head. "I apologize." The attendant scoffed and leaned toward Mugetsu's ear.
"You better watch yourself. We wouldn't want to inform the Queen of your…" She eyed Mugetsu up and down, "treachery, now would we?" Mugetsu shuddered.
"No, madam."
The attendant backed away. "The Queen has summoned you. Best be on your way. Who knows? Maybe she already knows about how much you are slacking off and reading instead of your chores?" She hummed.
Mugetsu paled and practically ran out of the library. He tried not to trip over himself as he scurried through the long hallways and sharp turns.
Mugetsu hurried through the large doors to the throne room where the Queen of Karakura awaited him with a disdainful look. Mugetsu bowed low. His long midnight black hair falling over his shoulders. The Queen gracefully stood up from her throne and began to walk towards him. Mugetsu tried not to shake and nearly flinched when cold hands lifted his face. Mugetsu slowly lifted his eyes to meet the Queen's, but immediately regretted it when he saw the cold smile plastered onto her face. The Queen slid her hands higher and began to caress the terrifying mask that was permanently fused to his face.
Honestly, he could barely remember what his face had looked like without his mask. It had been years since the Queen had cursed him with it. He did remember that his hair was not always black and his eyes not always gold sitting on black.
"Mugetsu."
Mugetsu snapped out of his daze and looked back at the Queen's face. She sneered and released his face just long enough to smash the back of her hand against his temple. Mugetsu nearly lost his footing at the force. His eyes swam from the blow.
"You impudent little worm. Show some respect for your Queen. We wouldn't want to add another stripe to your mask, now would we, Mugetsu." She said with a hiss. Mugetsu trembled uncontrollably at the threat.
"N-no, your majesty." He stuttered. Each stripe was excruciatingly painful when newly formed. Being stabbed with a hot iron did not even compare, and he remembered each and every painful moment of each of the nine stripes he had been given in the last ten years.
The Queen released his face, but Mugetsu did not dare move.
"What are your duties here, Mugetsu?" She eyed his frozen form. Mugetsu licked his lips and recited the words that were drilled into him since he was eight.
"To serve and protect her majesty and the prince until her majesty sees fit to bless this wretched being with a befitting death."
"Then, tell me." She paused with an evil glint in her eye. "Why did you not follow my direct order?"
Mugetsu paled considerably behind his mask. "Your majesty?" He asked hoping, praying that she was not talking about his exploration of the library's new works.
"I do remember specifically ordering you to attend to the prince this morning due to the preparations of the important event that we will be having, and yet, the prince is still in bed while you do chores that should have been finished over an hour ago."
"M-my deepest apologies, your highness." He said weakly while bowing impossibly lower than before. "I overslept this morning. It won't happen again."
Hysterical laughter erupted in the room. "You overslept? Overslept?! I have been kind enough to let you live each day with food and a roof over your head, and you have the audacity to sleep in on the day of a most important party?" The Queen abruptly became quiet. The air in the room seemed to drop in temperature. Mugetsu's body tensed as he waited for the excruciating pain to come.
The sound of knocking on the large doors broke the silence.
"What?" The Queen barked out. She gave Mugetsu a dark look as if it was his fault.
"Excuse me, your highness. One of the guests for tonight's party has arrived early." Came a voice muffled by the thick doors. Mugetsu barely relaxes but is inwardly hopeful that it is important enough for the Queen to dismiss him. For the moment at least.
The Queen growled. "Mugetsu, get back to your duties. We will finish this later. Now, get out of my sight."
Mugetsu ignored the stiffness from the awkward position he held for so long, and hurried out of the room. He bit at his lip worriedly. His punishment was not prevented, but prolonged. Now, the Queen would be stewing in anger for the remainder of the day. It could only get worse from there.
XxAnother BreakxX
Mugetsu carefully approached the sleeping lump that was cocooned in the giant elegant bed that graced the Prince's chamber. This was the task he dreaded more than any other for multiple reasons. The main reason being how unpredictable the Prince was. The Queen was harsh in her punishments, but Mugetsu was familiar in what to expect and could, at the very least, brace himself. The Prince was much more creative in ways of punishment. Mugetsu never knew what to expect. The only thing he knew was that hewould be punished for something.
Mugetsu took a shaky breath. "Your highness, it is morning."
The lump growled and turned away from Mugetsu. This was exactly a situation that Mugetsu wanted to avoid. The Prince was not a morning person, and Mugetsu, or more accurately Mugetsu, of all people waking him was not going to end well.
Mugetsu walked over the massive windows and threw open the curtains. The Prince hissed as sunlight streamed into the room. Golden eyes surrounded by black glowered at Mugetsu.
"You better have a really good reason for this, Mugetsu, or I swear you will regret disrupting my sleep." The Prince growled darkly.
"Prince Shirosaki, her majesty wishes you to be awake early in order to welcome the guests who will be arriving today for tonight's party."
Shiro huffed angrily and threw the blankets off. He marched past Mugetsu, who flinched when Shiro bumped his shoulder harshly, towards the bathing room connected to his chamber. Mugetsu sighed with relief when he heard the click of the door closing and began making Shiro's bed.
Shiro had hated Mugetsu since he first laid eyes on him. It was one year after Prince Ichigo's death, and the Queen had brought Mugetsu to the castle, after placing the mask upon him, to be trained as a servant and personal slave. As soon as he was dubbed "fully trained", Mugetsu was introduced to Shiro as his personal servant. Shiro had not taken this well. Mugetsu was the same age as him and Shiro hated Mugetsu for no other reason but the grief he felt every time he looked at the kid who was going to be by his side constantly instead of Ichigo. It seemed that since their first meeting, Shiro has made it his goal to torture Mugetsu every chance he gets.
Mugetsu looked up as he heard a door being opened, but quickly looked anywhere except at Shiro who had returned from his bath. Shiro, oblivious to his own nudity, walked, more like strutted, to his wardrobe. This was a habit that the Prince took up once he realized how much it bothered Mugetsu.
"Oi!" Shiro snapped. Mugetsu kept his head bowed slightly as he faced the Prince.
Shiro sneered and marched up to Mugetsu, taking his chin and forcing his head up to meet his eyes. Shiro gazed into the familiar eyes. Before meeting Mugetsu, Shiro had never met nor heard of another person who had golden eyes swimming in black. In fact, even after meeting Mugetsu, there was no other person who had their eyes. It often made him ponder why it was only they had eyes like this.
Mugetsu was sweating at this point. Shiro became like this once in a while, staring calculatingly into his eyes. Shiro usually became aggressive after he shook off whatever was bothering him.
"Mugetsu, why do you have eyes like mine when no one else does?" Shiro asked with a distant look in his eyes. "Are you really as hideous beneath this mask as stepmother claims?"
"I don't know, Prince Shirosaki. I have always had this mask as my guardian put it on me when I was very young." Mugetsu partially lied as he always did when asked these questions by Shiro. Shiro's eyes narrowed as he sensed the lie. Mugetsu tensed in response and did not have enough time to react before he was punched in his gut. He immediately doubled over in pain as he gasped for air.
"Tch. You should know better by now, Mugetsu." Shiro spat his name in disgust and began to get dressed. Mugetsu stood up as best he could without causing himself more pain. He tried to straighten up nearly completely. He managed to only hunch over slightly by the time Shiro was finished getting dressed.
Shiro gave Mugetsu a sharp look before leaving. Mugetsu followed closely. It was going to be a long day.
xXx(Breaking of the line)xXx
Mugetsu had followed Shiro throughout the day as Shiro performed his daily duties. It was uneventful overall. Shiro had taken to ignoring Mugetsu. Though, Mugetsu couldn't say that he hated it completely. He had managed to avoid getting into too much trouble. The Queen had not called for him again and, by the abundant amount of servants running around through the halls, it was clear that the Queen was much too busy preparing for the party, much to Mugetsu's relief. The guests were arriving left and right and the whole castle was busy. All he had to focus on now was ensuring that the Prince and he were ready for the party.
Mugetsu bowed and backed away from the Prince's chamber as the Prince began dressing in his finest clothing. Once the doors closed, he turned around and rushed to his own room. The Queen had so kindly put him on the opposite end of the castle. Mugetsu had to hurry to get in his own attire before the party started. He ran through the all too familiar halls, walking briskly when he saw people around. The last thing he needed was to get the Queen mad at him for showing improper behavior in front of her guests or even personal servants who would gladly report him.
Mugetsu panted slightly by the time he reached his room. It wasn't much with a small cot, an old dresser, a mirror, and a small window. The condition didn't bother Mugetsu much. He was rarely in his room to begin with because of his chores and duties to the Prince and Queen. Mugetsu approached his dresser and noted the expensive butler uniform that had been placed haphazardly on it. The servants who delivered it obviously knew exactly who would be blamed if the uniform was harmed in any way. Mugetsu gingerly picked up the uniform to inspect it of small tears or dirt. He was relieved to find none before quickly changing into it. He would have to be careful throughout the night not to dirty it. Mugetsu slipped his hair out of the back of the shirt and jacket before pulling on the gloves. He eyed the white gloves with disgust. He had gotten into trouble on more than one occasion because white gloves.
Mugetsu huffed and rushed out of the room back towards the Prince's chamber. He was so focused on getting to the room quickly, he ran into a hard body. Mugetsu stumbled back, one hand on his nose that had been crushed on impact, and looked up at whom he had run into. He immediately regretted not looking where he was going as his collar was grabbed and pulled towards a very angry Prince.
"What exactly do you think you are doing?" Shiro snarled, leaning so close to Mugetsu's face that their noses nearly touched.
"I-I was just trying to-"
"Get into more trouble?" Shiro cut him off. "You have lived here for ten years. Ten long years under the same roof with the same rules. How is it that you are too stupid to follow them? Maybe I oughta drill those rules into you, since clearly the usual punishments aren't working." Shiro clenched the fist that was not holding Mugetsu in place. Mugetsu closed his eyes, accepting whatever the Prince had in mind. He had really been careless.
Shiro's eyes narrowed and unclenched his fist. "No….That wouldn't work would it? I suppose I will have to discuss with the Queen a punishment that will knock sense into ya."
Mugetsu's eyes snapped open as he stared at the Prince in pure horror. His body began to shake as past memories of the Queen adding the excruciatingly painful stripes to his mask. Shiro watched as fear engulfed Mugetsu's being and dropped him unceremoniously to the floor, his lip turned up with disgust.
"Pitiful."
Mugetsu watched as the Prince stalked off without a second glance towards his cowering form on the floor. Mugetsu tried to slow the trembling throughout his body and tilted his head down in shame.
"Your right." Mugetsu whispered. He clumsily stood up and followed after the Prince towards the ballroom.
xXx(Ugh another line break)xXx
The Queen rose gracefully from her seat and the ballroom went silent as they acknowledged their ruler. "Ladies and Gentlemen. It is my pleasure to welcome you all tonight on behalf of my son who is turning a glorious eighteen years of life." Clapping ensued in response. "It has been a difficult journey, but I know that we will overcome this trying time. I will personally see to it that this country prospers and grows." Many of the guests cheered. "Now, let us enjoy ourselves and welcome the birthday boy himself!"
Applause roared across the ballroom as the Prince made his entrance. Shiro was immediately bombarded by women and men alike who wished to congratulate him. The Queen looked fondly at her son as he greeted his guests. Many powerful people had come to her kingdom for this special occasion. The Queen sat back on her throne and took a sip of wine. A small barely noticeable smirk played on her lips.
Mugetsu, who had followed the Prince into the room a minute or so after the Prince himself, placed himself in the shadows, hoping to go unnoticed. He made sure he had a good view of the Prince and kept alert for signs of danger. On top of being a servant, Mugetsu was also a kind of personal bodyguard. The Prince could very well take care of himself. However, the Queen wanted extra measures in case any unforeseen dangers emerged. Mugetsu knew that he was not just trained to fight for the Prince in battle. He was expected to die in the Prince's place if an assassin or something of the like attacked.
A hand on Mugetsu's shoulder caused him to tense and jump away quickly with a slight growl. The figure who had touched him raised his hands in surrender and looked towards his partner. Mugetsu took that moment to take in the strangers' strange clothes. The man wore a striped green and white hat that hid some of his features and strange sandals that did not match his elegant green suit that he had worn for the party. The woman was dark skinned with exotic purple hair. She wore a vibrant orange and black kimono. By the way both of these strangers held themselves; Mugetsu could tell that they would be formidable opponents in a battle.
While Mugetsu was staring at the strange features, he had missed the strangers doing the same to him.
"How odd." The woman said, reaching a hand out towards Mugetsu's mask. Mugetsu flinched away from the outstretched hand on instinct. "I have never seen a mask such as this one. Have you, Kisuke?" She asked, turning towards the man now known as Kisuke.
"Hnnn." Kisuke hummed, eyeing the mask and each individual stripe. "Can't say that I have, Yoruichi. It is quite terrifying, isn't it?" He said with a amused look in his eye.
"You should have seen him before we gave him the mask."
Kisuke and Yoruichi turned around to find the Queen herself standing behind them with a smile.
"Whatever do you mean, your highness?" Kisuke asked.
"Oh. You wouldn't believe how horrifying his true face is. This mask looks like an angel in comparison. It is so terrible, I had to forbid Mugetsu from ever taking the mask off for fear of giving my subjects heart attacks every time they so much as glanced upon his face." Kisuke and Yoruichi gave each other a look that was missed by the Queen who was looking down on Mugetsu. Mugetsu was shrinking in on himself under the Queen's cruel gaze.
Excited whispering began to fill the room as attention was drawn towards the Queen and her masked servant.
"What a terrifying mask! And his face is worse?"
"How scary!"
"Oh my! Did you see his eyes?"
"How dare he have the same eyes as the Prince."
"Our Queen is surely noble for taking in such a horrible creature."
"I don't know how she does it."
"I wouldn't let that thing anywhere near me much less keep it in my own home."
The whispering became louder and louder until the Queen moved away from Mugetsu and drawing everyone's attention towards her. "Now, come. We are not here to gawk at my unpleasant servant. This is a party, is it not?"
The guests pointedly turned away from Mugetsu and began once again giving the Prince and Queen their undivided attention, chatting away about marriage and the kingdom's future. Kisuke and Yoruichi gave Mugetsu a sad look before moving away to join the others. Mugetsu missed their look as he stared pointedly at the ground.
It was a couple hours before Mugetsu moved from his spot in the shadows due to an idle threat from a servant. Mugetsu grabbed a couple trays from the servant and began walking around slowly. The guests just treated him as if he was a piece of common furniture. A few people came and went, grabbing drinks when they were tired from dancing completely ignoring him. Many steered clear of him out of fear.
Kisuke and Yoruichi did not approach him again. Though, he had seen them whispering to each other and glancing at him once in a while. Mugetsu shrugged it off though, knowing that the mask was the center of everyone's focus tonight when they looked at him.
Mugetsu made his way towards the balcony. There were surprisingly few people there, but he did not want to get in trouble for neglecting that area. As soon as he walked outside, he felt a wonderful breeze blow through his long hair and on his skin. It felt wonderfully cool in comparison to the stuffy heated ballroom. He stood on the balcony for a minute, waiting for any of the guests on the balcony to approach his tray for a drink. After a couple minutes, his eyes strayed towards the scene from the balcony. It was dark. Millions of stars could be seen over the town that surrounded the castle. Beyond the town was a vast expanse of forests and fields. Honestly, it looked like freedom.
"Excuse me." A voice jolted Mugetsu from his daze as he turned his attention to the guest.
"Yes, sir?" he said as he looked at the man with wavy brown hair and a kind smile. His clothes were overly elegant which told Mugetsu that he was probably royalty.
"I don't mean to be rude, but why have we not seen you at any of the other parties?" Mugetsu blinked in surprise. "Are you new?"
"No, sir. I was not allowed to be a part of the events due to my Queen's wishes."
"Ah, yes. You are rather young." The man smiled before walking away. Mugetsu's eyebrows furrowed, unnoticeably due to the mask. How could this man tell how old he was? His face was hidden and his voice was warped from the mask's magic. What a strange man.
From across the room, cold eyes were glaring at the confused Mugetsu.
xXx(You will never guess what this is. Yep. Line Break)xXx
The party had finished slowly as guests retired for the night. Even the Prince ended up excusing himself to get some rest with Mugetsu following the Prince out of the room. The Queen was the last to leave with a forced smile on her face as she bid the last of her guests farewell. As soon as the guests were out of sight, she marched straight to her chambers and locked the doors behind her. A furious look on her face. She paced back and forth for half an hour before turning towards her mirror.
"Magic mirror on the wall. Show me who rules over all." The Queen raised her hands as a green misty light emerged from her fingertips and swirled around the mirror. Her image blurred and changed shape as it turned into the person she desperately wished to communicate with.
"I cannot do it anymore! Mugetsu is disobedient at every turn and has become more of a hindrance every day. Shirosaki is becoming more and more agitated. If this goes on Shirosaki will not be able to complete his normal duties. He will become useless. I apologize, but I must be rid of him!" The Queen exclaimed in fury towards the calm figure in the mirror.
"Are you sure this is just about Shirosaki?" The figure asked.
The Queen snarled. "Of course not. Ichigo is more and more like his mother every day, and I can't stand it. If this goes on, it will not bode well for me or my kingdom. I will have to kill him before he ruins everything, just like his mother."
"You have him under your spell." The mirror's figure reasoned.
"That is not enough! My patience has grown thin and I do not want him around anymore. I only kept him alive because you insisted, but he is constantly testing me. Despite the pain of each stripe, he refuses to be completely obedient. Eventually, he will earn all of his stripes, but, once the last stripe is added to his mask, he will die and so will the spell. It is a great risk that may end with everyone knowing that Mugetsu was really Prince Ichigo. This will lead to my exposure and I cannot have that. It is better to be rid of him sooner rather than later." There was a long pause.
"If you are certain that there is no other way, send for Kenpachi to dispose of Ichigo, tomorrow." The figure sighed.
The Queen grinned.
Author's Note: Holy crap this was long. I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are appreciated, but please don't be too harsh. :'D *collapses*
