Hi guys! Welcome to my first Ouran fanfiction. I've been writing for a while but I've typically stuck to original fics. Somehow, this plot bunny ended up being very well suited to Ouran's world, so I thought I would give it a shot! I will try to keep to canon details for both the anime and manga as much as possible. However, some character relationships may be changed slightly to eliminate the need for OCs. Constructive criticism and reviews are always appreciated!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Ouran High School Host Club series. This is a work of fanfiction and has been written for fun, not monetary gain.
Once, a young king ruled over a small but prosperous kingdom. He was beloved by his people and renowned for his fairness. After all, the young king was clever enough to keep advisors wiser and older than he.
The young king's father served as one of these advisors. The throne of Alsance had always been passed when the current monarch believed the next heir was fit. Preferring to advise his son rather than rule, the former king, Yuzuru Suoh, had passed his crown to his son early. And even though Tamaki Suoh ruled well, Yuzuru was worried.
The young king had yet to take a wife—despite having every eligible lady, duchess and princess at his beck and call. Picnics, extravagant dinners, gatherings in the countryside and grand balls had all been held for the king to find a wife. But, Tamaki had never chosen a bride.
The truth was that Tamaki had grown weary of courting. The court ladies who only wanted to be queen tired him. The detached and insincere princesses that greedily eyed his lands sickened him. The fawning duchesses that praised his most insignificant accomplishments turned his stomach. He couldn't bring himself to choose a bride from these "suitable ladies"—no matter how much it meant to the kingdom.
So, the young king decided to cancel a ball that his elder advisors had foisted on him. Though most of the court's populace was irate, the king's closest friends became worried.
"Milord, you can't just cancel the ball." A red-haired jester bounced in front of Tamaki's throne.
"Yeah, milord, people will be upset! It's bad for morale!" The mirror image of the red-headed jester sprang up behind Tamaki.
The young king sighed. "It may be. And I appreciate your counsel. But I simply can't bring myself to attend. It would be worse if I allowed the plans for the ball to continue and was unable to go."
"But what are we going to do? It's so boring here!" Hikaru complained. "All the parties are 'blah blah blah, let's get the king married.' We can't perform at those! They're no fun!"
A figure stepped out of the shadows and to the right side of the throne. It leveled a mildly threatening gaze on the jesters and said, "Hikaru, Kaoru. Aren't you supposed to be entertaining the king?"
Hikaru and Kaoru shot Kyoya equally apathetic glances, but stepped away to the center of the throne room.
"Kyoya, you're here unusually early," Tamaki commented as he watched Hikaru and Kaoru execute a series of acrobatic flips across the floor of the gold and crimson chamber.
"Castle gossip indicated that you were considering cancelling this week's ball. I thought you might need my counsel," Kyoya replied.
"The ball has already been cancelled. There's no question there. But…" Tamaki leaned his chin on one hand. Kyoya waited patiently for the king to continue.
"What would you do in my place? About picking a bride," Tamaki asked.
"I would do whatever was the most politically expedient for Alsance."
"Which would be?"
"Either marrying a princess of a less than friendly country in a show of diplomatic goodwill or marrying a princess of an uncertain ally to strengthen the alliance."
Tamaki glanced up at the mage, intrigued. "Continue."
"However, due to years of careful policy-making, Alsance currently has no enemies and our alliances are all strong."
Tamaki deflated instantly. "Meaning that a marriage would likely do little for the country's political standing."
"Exactly."
Tamaki leaned his head back on the throne with an aggrieved sigh. "Then there's nothing that could help me reach a decision."
"You did ask what I would do in your stead. I would advise you much differently," Kyoya added.
"So what would you advise me to do?"
"Do what you feel is right. Don't let yourself be swayed by the opinions of others."
Before Tamaki could reply, the heavy, vermillion doors to the throne room slammed open.
"Tama! Tama!" The royal weapons instructor sprinted into the throne room. The short blond rushed past the jesters and to the throne. "A princess! We might have found a princess for you!"
"Exactly how does that help, Honey?" Hikaru asked. "Milord has plenty of princesses."
"This one is different! Reiko told me! She says she has a feeling about it!" Honey skipped around the throne excitedly. Tamaki exchanged a look with Kyoya. The dark mage Honey was apparently involved with didn't give her counsel out lightly. Any advice she offered needed to be taken seriously.
"What did she say, Honey?" Tamaki asked.
"She just got back from a country called Ichio—she's been looking for potion-making ingredients. She said while she was there, she heard a rumor about their princess. She said that the princess had refused all the potential suitors that came to the castle. The princess is apparently sick of courting—just like you, Tama!"
Any other courtier would have been reprimanded for insolence. But, as one of the king's inner circle, Honey received only a scornful glance from Kyoya.
"What is this princess like?" Tamaki asked.
"Reiko said she's apparently shy, but she's really clever. She spends most of her time in the castle's library."
"Does she know anything more than that?" Tamaki pressed for more information.
"She says you'll have to come see her if you want to know more."
Tamaki sprang up from the throne. "Lead the way, Honey!"
"What—milord—you don't know anything about this princess—you're just going to—" Kaoru began.
"If Reiko has a feeling, then I'm hardly going to doubt her!" Tamaki exclaimed as he hurried from the throne room.
This left the mage and the two jesters alone in the room.
"I can't believe him," Hikaru muttered.
"He gets so caught up with these superstitions. Kyoya, why didn't you stop him?" Kaoru directed his question to the mage, who was staring into a small crystal ball.
"He isn't doing anything rash so far. I'll only intervene if he does something that could negatively impact him or the kingdom," Kyoya replied.
The jesters sighed in unison. "Figures…Guess we should follow him…"
As Hikaru and Kaoru made their exits, the person Kyoya had been seeking appeared in the crystal.
"Hmmm…interesting," he murmured. "Perhaps Reiko is right."
The image of a roughly clad commoner scurrying through a crowded street winked out of the crystal as he returned it to the pocket of his robe.