There once was a boy who loved the world around him as much as a person possibly could. It mattered not if life harrowed him relentlessly: he nurtured each moment dearly, as a mother loves her child. No matter what obstacle blocked the path, he pushed through with unwavering resilience and determination.
On this particular summer's day, he was in an excellent mood, for his parents had recently introduced him to the ceremony of 'marriage'. In marriage, you were chosen to be someone's 'significant other'; 'special person', as the boy called it. You were allowed to share the world with them; and he loved his world so, so much, he could hardly contain himself at the thought of sharing these wonders with someone else.
Many occasions had he attempted to mingle with the royal guests this way-by spilling those stories his parents had infused his thoughts with-but each time sighing when they brushed him aside and told him to play with his toys. 'They talk to each other about what they want,' he often thought, 'so why can't I?' From that point on, Makoto busied himself in the business of politics and social rights-partly for himself, and partly because it was now his duty to, as his parents had transferred to another region to sort out other ordeals.
Currently, he was debating homosexual rights as many uproars had arisen in local factions concerning them and lives had been lost. "These atrocities," he declared, "are threatening the lives of the good people here in *Heiwa. Not only does this affect us; it also affects the trust of our allies. Do we really want them to think that our people turn on one another like animals simply because an issue isn't resolved properly? No; this must cease immediately if we hope to maintain our reputation and uphold values of trust, respect and morality. My faithful aide, Sousuke, shall now deliver our proposal."
Said aide cleared his throat and recited from a long scripture. Upon finishing, the obligatory applause was given and he sat down, recovering his breath. Makoto scanned the sea of faces and, as usual, saw expressions of boredom and chuckles of mockery rippling around. Sighing internally, his hopes wilted again; as a child, he dreamt that speeches were supposed to inspire change, wonder; a revolution! Now, he realised they were nothing but empty rituals leading to empty solutions-perhaps some gossip for the common-folk. Nothing new or exciting ever happened-always "this is too far-fetched" or "we shall recommence this matter at a later date".
Makoto's eyelids drooped as he started to drift-"...urgency! There's been a break-in at the nursery! Everyone has been ordered to evacuate immediately... thieves are armed and stealthy. There aren't exact numbers yet, so... Please exit in an orderly fashion!" Makoto rubbed his eyes and snapped to attention. 'Ran; Ren!' By the time he rose, everyone else was gone. The prince sprinted towards the nursery where his younger siblings were, praying that nothing had happened to them.
Moments before reaching the main hallway, a slender, cloaked figure cut off his path. It wielded two blades and most likely possessed many other dangerous weapons underneath the fabric. One of his tutors had warned him about their kind: assassins. Makoto scowled at his terrible luck-mockery at the meeting, falling asleep; now, a run-in with an assassin! But enough cerebration: he needed a plan of action.
Backwards was the easy option, but then the twins would be in danger; heading forwards now would leave him a pile of mangled flesh. Going with his gut instinct and quick judgements, he turned back and ran, inviting the killer to a chase. Surprisingly, it worked-a little too well. A few years of laps in the palace would not surpass many years of intense training, and he could have slapped himself for neglecting such an important detail. It was over in seconds, with Makoto pinned to the ground, helpless and hopeless.
Scarlet flushed his cheeks as tears pricked his eyes; position of power didn't mean anything if you were too weak to retaliate. 'Ran, Ren; mother, father; I'm sorry I couldn't do anything for you. I've never been able to influence others; I'm worthless. No, not just worthless; a disappointment. Always, my love and aspirations pushed me ahead, kept me ambitious; zealous: now, I know that those have always been delusions, like a horse pulling an empty carriage. I'm... sorry.'
Hot breath tickled his neck as the assassin leant in closer-instead of excruciating pain, he received a whisper: "Meet me in the palace courtyard at daybreak tomorrow. If you even so much as think of skipping, I'll slit the throats of your two precious siblings, Ran and Ren. Don't keep me waiting, either, or there will be other consequences." With that, he released Makoto and, nimbly as a hare, scurried off in a different direction. The prince slowly peeled himself off the ground whilst trying to comprehend what had just occurred. 'So, a band of assassins broke into the palace to kidnap my siblings specifically to request a meeting with me. That's suspiciously excessive, considering the laws of peace in this country...hm.' He brushed himself off and headed off to find Sousuke: he'd know what to do.
Author's Notes
*Heiwa - my extensive research on Google led me to conclude that this word means 'peace' or 'harmony' in Japanese.
My apologies for taking so long to write something. I've had a long case of writer's block, but hopefully I'll be able to chug something out for this at least once a month. I've got a firm concept in my mind that's itching to be written, so I hope you'll enjoy it and, if you're feeling generous, maybe even leave me some feedback? Thanks!
