Disclaimer: I own nothing.
WARNING!: Unbeta'd. OOCness, don't take it too seriously. This is just for fun.
Princes of the Empire
The tiny artic village of Seirin had not seen the sun for 3 months. Being winter, it woulld not see the sun for another 3 months. Although the storage houses were well stocked, and the people well fed, the teenagers of the little village were always bored to the point of exhaustion during those 6 months of twilight and darkness.
On that particularly boring day, teenagers Kagami, Momoi, Izuki, Hyugga, and Tatsuya were suddenly approached by the tribe's oldest grandmother.
"Would you like to hear a true story of royalty, brotherhood, battles, betrayal, jealousy, war, and most importantly, love?" asked Grandmother Alexandra.
"True story huh? Right… Thanks but no thanks Grandmother Alexandra." Hyugga, the oldest of the group says.
"I'm willing to listen. There's literally nothing better to do. I'd gladly welcome anything at this point." Momoi entered Grandmother Alexandra's hut and sat next to her by the fire to stay warm. The rest of the boys, soon came in and sat down too.
"What? Like you said, there's literally nothing better to do," Hyugga defended the boys.
Grandmother Alexandra begins the story.
"Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, all the land under the kingdom of heaven was under the rule of a mighty empire. The empire was vast and powerful. Its influence extended across the mountains and the rivers and across the great oceans. That empire – "
"Wait, does this empire happen to have a name? I'm just saying, if you're going to spin a story, you should at least give it a name," said Hyugga.
Grandmother Alexandra laughed a crotchety laugh and said, "Patience young one, only patience will bring out the sun."
"Only time will bring out the sun, Grandmother Alexandra," Kagami said.
Momoi pouted, annoyed that the boys were stopping grandmother Alexandra from telling her story.
"My, my, what spirited young boys you are. You remind me of the children whose story I am about to tell you."
"Please continue Grandmother Alexandra," urged Momoi.
"Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, all the land under the kingdom of heaven was under the rule of a mighty empire. The empire was vast and powerful. Its influence extended across the mountains and the rivers and across the great oceans. That empire was the Teikō Empire, and this is the story of the princes of the that empire.
The Teikō empire was so powerful, it had absorbed the surrounding kingdoms of Rakuzan and Tōō. The princesses of Rakuzan and Tōō married the emperor of Teikō and each gave birth to the eldest princes of the empire.
The first prince was crown prince of Teikō, Akashi of Teikō, borne of the emperor and the princess of Rakuzan. When he came of age, he was given the territory of Rakuzan. He was a respected and feared political figure who was shrewd and unforgiving in nature.
The second prince of Teikō was borne of the princess of Tōō. He was Aomine of Teikō and sported the dark, strong athleticism of his mother's people. He was a strong military leader, and was given reign over the territory of Tōō when he came of age.
There were three other princes of Teikō. However, these three princes did not have territories of their own for their mothers were not of royal birth.
The third prince was Midorima of Teikō. His mother was a concubine. He was a scholarly fellow who had always supported his eldest royal brother in all of his endeavours. However, he did not care for his other elder brother, Aomine of Teikō. He had always dismissed the second prince as a brute whose only redeeming point was being able to throw a spear extremely far.
The fourth prince was Murasakibara of Teikō. Unlike his brothers, his mother had been a prisoner of war, a slave from far beyond the great oceans. She had been elevated to a concubine's status due to her exotic beauty, yet she had died in the imperial harem. The emperor's affection was fleeting, and the murder had been dismissed as a suicide. However, the fourth prince grew up ridiculed and teased, mocked as a half breed – the son of barbarian woman from beyond the great sea. His life, despite his status, had been torture."
"Oh no! That's so sad. Will anyone save him?" Momoi asked.
"He was saved by none other than his brother, Akashi of Teikō, who had placed his younger half-brother under his protection. Henceforth, the fourth prince swore his allegiance to the crown prince. He respected no one else and believed Akashi of Teikō should be denied absolutely nothing.
The youngest prince of the Teikō Empire was Kise of Teikō. He was the adventurous prince borne of a concubine who also hailed from the former kingdom of Tōō. His, and the mother of Aomine of Teikō had been the best of friends. Therefore, Aomine of Teikō and Kise of Teikō forged the strongest of bonds. They were brothers and friends who were greatly loyal to each other."
"All these princes are great and all, but when is the princess going to enter the story? You know, for the 'love' part?" Momoi asked.
"Well," Grandmother Alexandra continued. "Although the Teikō Empire was expansive, there was land to the artic north that even Teikō's influence failed to reach. It was harsh, unforgiving land. Even the most valiant of adventurers were repelled. Maps of those lands had never been created, hence it was name Darkland."
"Is the princess from Darkland?" Kagami asked.
"Shh… don't interrupt!"Momoi interjected.
"While Aomine of Teikō was suppressing the rebellion in the southern territories, Kise of Teikō had ventured into Darkland. There, he had found a small tribe living amongst the snowy mountains of the artic forest. This mysterious tribe had people with pale skin and fairer hair. Its people had eyes the colour of which Kise of Teikō had never seen before. He deemed them to be the most beautiful creatures he had ever discovered.
Yet, none was more beautiful than the daughter of the tribe's chief, Kuroko of Darkland. Kise of Teikō was enchanted at first sight and wished bring her back to the imperial palace. He offered the tribe protection under Teikō rule. The chief had no choice but to agree. The visitors carried weapons the likes of which he had never seen. There was no doubt the powerful empire could overpower their little tribe should he refuse.
Kise of Teikō requested that the beautiful princess, Kuroko of Darkland return to imperial palace with him in order to cement the pact. He promised the people of Darkland that their beloved princess would want for nothing in the imperial palace.
Kuroko of Darkland was a kind, compassionate young woman who did not understand the outsiders' infatuation with her. However, she left the village nonetheless for fear of the tribe's safety. Kise of Teikō rode on horseback with Kuroko of Darkland safely in his arms for 3 months. During which he had taught her how to speak the language.
Kuroko of Darkland was aware of the prince's intention. He promised to ask the emperor to bless their union. Even though Kuroko of Darkland was hesitant, she knew she had no choice in the matter. Kise of Teikō was a nice enough man. If he were to be her husband, she would make the best of the situation.
Upon arriving at the imperial palace, Kise of Teikō revealed his rare find in Darkland. Although the emperor was proud of his son, that pride was soon eclipsed by word of Aomine of Teikō's victorious return from the southern regions.
Aomine of Teikō's mission had been a resounding success. The emperor was extremely delighted at his most favoured son's grand accomplishments."
"Wait a minute. What about the princess?" Momoi asked.
"The princess was obviously scared and overwhelmed. Everywhere she went, men and women alike ogled at her, most were unable to tear their eyes away from her. She wished she would disappear."
"That is so sad. Will she meet a friend?"
"A friend she did not meet, but she did receive a visit from the crown prince. Akashi of Teikō found the princess's beauty to be as legendary as was alleged. However, he also thought her to be strong, humble, and wise – a woman who knew her place in the world. Truly, the crown prince did not think a woman who compared to her existed under the kingdom of heaven."
"Enough with the romantic fluff, move on already," Kagami said.
"Alright then, Kise of Teikō was glad that his closest brother had returned triumphant. Yet, he could not bring himself to be happy for Aomine of Teikō when the emperor gifted Kuroko of Darkland to him as reward for quelling the rebellion."
"What a bad emperor," Hyugga said.
"What a crappy father," Tatsuya said.
"What happened then?" Izuki asked.
"Aomine of Teikō refused," Grandmother Alexandra answered.
"Really?" Everyone was surprised. "Wasn't she some kind of legendary beauty?"
"She most certainly was. She was perfection; hailed as the most beautiful woman to have ever entered the imperial palace – a flower had neither been tainted by the kiss of the sun, nor the touch of a man.
Nonetheless, Aomine of Teikō believed himself a man of the battlefield, and could not envision himself taking care of a delicate woman, no matter how perfect her beauty was. He suggested a marriage to his youngest brother."
"So Aomine of Teikō knew of Kise of Teikō's feelings?"
"No, he did not, but at that point, he would have pushed her onto anyone. However, the emperor reminded Aomine of Teikō that he possessed neither consort nor concubine. The emperor was adamant that his son marry Kuroko of Darkland, and fulfill his duty of procuring more strong warriors for the empire."
"Did Aomine of Teikō agree?"
"Not willingly. The emperor insisted, thus the prince became a married man soon after."
"He must have been livid."
"Angry he most definitely was. Aomine of Teikō suddenly found himself shackled with a wife he never wanted. He saw Kuroko of Darkland as nothing more than a porcelain doll. He enjoyed his women like he enjoyed his battles – wild and passionate. However, his wife was an untried, inexperienced virgin.
He did not visit his marriage bed. For months, Aomine of Teikō chose to focus on training his army in lieu of domestic affairs.
However, the attention his wife received from numerous male visitors, especially those of his elder brother, Akashi of Teikō, irked him. His relationship with his elder brother had always been tumultuous, but ever since the crown prince started to pay an almost inappropriate amount of attention to his wife, Aomine of Teikō and Akashi of Teikō's rivalry had truly begun to intensify. One day, after seeing his elder brother leaving his wife's quarters, he confronts his wife."
"Wait, wait, surely Aomine of Teikō must've realized that it's not her fault he left her all alone. He couldn't've blamed her for finding company with those who actually acknowledged her existence," Momoi argued.
"That was exactly what Kuroko of Darkland said to Aomine of Teikō. She faced him head on, and in that heated discussion, Aomine of Teikō saw that his wife was a passionate woman after all. When she challenged his manhood, he decided to end his absence from their marital bed, and show his wife that he was very capable, in fact, of bringing her to fulfillment as many times, and in as many ways as he wanted."
"Too much information Grandma Alexandra," said all the boys.
"Well it's nothing you kids haven't experienced yourselves already."
"Was it romantic?" Momoi asked, and the boys shook their head at the teenage girl.
"It most certainly was. Aomine of Teikō used every trick and technique he knew. It brought them to heights of passion neither had known was possible. He had taken his wife over and over until she could no longer remain conscious!"
"Oh my!" Momoi blushed and the boys continued to shake their heads at their friend.
"Aomine of Teikō was unprepared for the love which overcame him when he saw the virgin blood of his wife. Even though he had forsaken her for all those months, she had remained loyal to him."
"That's so romantic," Momoi gushed.
"Grandma Alexandra, is anything exciting going to happen in this story?" Tatsuya asked.
"If excitement is what you want, let me tell you of the time when the imperial princes took all their female companions on a hunting trip."
"A hunting trip? With all those women?" Hyugga asked in disbelief.
"Sounds like a recipe for disaster," Izuki said.
"I don't disagree. There were so many women to take note of that the guards could not help but lose sight of one imperial wife."
"Kuroko of Darkland," Kagami guessed.
"Yes, the one and only companion of Aomine of Teikō had been kidnapped by a band of mercenaries."
"Oh no! Did the princes manage to rescue her?"
"Just barely. The mercenaries rode hard and fast, but one of them was so enchanted by Kuroko of Darkland, he kidnapped her again for himself! However, before he could force himself on the princess, Aomine of Teikō arrived on horseback. Normally, he would have cut down any man who dared touch his beloved wife, but he did not wish to scare his wife any further, so he merely chopped off the mercenary's hands."
"How barbaric!"
"It did not end there. When Akashi of Teikō arrived and saw Kuroko of Darkland's state of dress, he readied himself to kill the man, but Musakibara of Teikō decapitated the man before he could."
"Wait, wait, wait… You mean to tell me that Kuroko of Darkland had 4 princes pinning for her?"
"Oh no, not at all. Musakibara of Teikō held no tender feelings for Kuroko of Darkland. In his eyes, none was higher than his eldest brother. He would not see Akashi of Teikō dirty his hand, so he placed it upon himself to remove all who opposed his benefactor."
"Okay…enough with the fourth prince, what about Kuroko of Darkland and Aomine of Teikō?" Hyugga asked.
"Kuroko of Darkland was understandably shaken by the whole ordeal, but none more so than when she saw Murasakibara of Teikō decapitate the mercenary mere footsteps away. She too would've been covered with the poor man's blood had her husband not shielded her from the splatter."
"What a shitty outing that turned out to be."
"Kuroko of Darkland became withdrawn after that horrifying experience. Aomine of Teikō, in an effort to cheer up his wife, asked her to name anything she desired. He knew his wife did not covet jewels or fine clothing, but maybe she would've fancied something along the lines of an exotic pet perhaps.
However, Kuroko of Darkland asked for a visit to her homeland. She had missed the village terribly in the 2 years she had been away. Still, Aomine of Teikō had no choice but to decline his wife's only request."
"Why? It was such a simple request," Kagami asked.
"Sadly, Aomine of Teikō had received an urgent request for help from one of his generals. General Kiyoshi, one of his closest comrades needed help in the port city of Kirisaki Daiichi, which was weeks away on horseback. Before he went away, he trusted his wife's protection to Kise of Teikō.
The second prince was in Kirisaki Daiichi for months. During his extended absence, Kuroko of Darkland realized that she was with child."
"Oh! What good news!"
"If only. Akashi of Teikō's obsession with Kuroko of Darkland had steadily grown over the years. However, news of the impending child pushed him over the edge. Somewhere in the dark depths of his mind, his envy had poisoned him. He believed that the only way to obtain his brother's wife was to become the Emperor of Teikō."
"What?!" A cumulative gasp from the teenagers sounded the walls.
"He sieged the imperial palace and dethroned his own father. Under his control, no news reached Aomine of Teikō. Not even Kise of Teikō could do anything. Unlike his two eldest brothers, he commanded no army."
"So all the while, Aomine of Teikō's still oblivious to everything that was happening in the imperial palace?"
"Unfortunately, yes. He faced problems of his own. His adversaries at Kirisaki Daiichi proved far superior to what he had been made to believe. His opponents were organized. They had a system, strategy. It was strange that mere rebels could be so capable. "
"Akashi of Teikō must have been behind it!"
"Close, very close. It had been Musakibara of Teikō. He had been leading the rebels in an attempt to kill his unsuspecting brother. Aomine of Teikō was injured by the mysterious leader, but still managed to escape with his life.
Musakibara of Teikō suffered a comparable injury. Unhappy with this failure, he sent Aomine of Teikō a letter. In it, he lied about Kuroko of Darkland's pregnancy, effectively planting seeds of doubt within Aomine of Teikō as to whether or not the child was his, or Kise of Teikō's."
"That's just stupid," Hyugga commented.
"You forget that Aomine of Teikō was an injured man who, for the first time in his life, almost died in battle. Before then, he had only ever experienced victory. The prospect of losing was terrifying now that he finally had something to live for. Such was the mind of Aomine of Teikō that he hastily returned to the imperial palace, full of doubt and suspicion."
"What about Kuroko of Darkland and Kise of Teikō?" Momoi asked.
"Both Kuroko of Darkland and Kise of Teikō were guarded by the third prince, Midorima of Teikō."
"Wow, I had forgotten about that guy's existence," Tatsuya said.
"He's about to catch your attention. You see, in spite of all that was happening, Midorima of Teikō simply wanted to cure his boredom. He's a bit like you lot in that respect," Grandma Alexandra mused.
"So what did he do?" Kagami asked.
"Midorima of Teikō played a game. Without the knowledge of Akashi of Teikō, he brought Kuroko of Darkland to the prison where Kise of Teikō was held, and told him that it was one his chance to have his way with her before he was executed."
"How cruel!" Momoi yelled.
"What did Kise of Teikō do?" Izuki asked.
"He agreed," Grandmother Alexandra said.
"What?! How could he!" Momoi yelled even louder.
"Don't be so quick to judge him. The loyalty Kise of Teikō had for Aomine of Teikō was not so weak as to suffer so easily. Kise of Teikō agreed, but only so he would gain the opportunity to kill Midorima of Teikō. In the end, even though Kise of Teikō had always loved his brother's wife, his love for her was so powerful that he could not even bring himself to lust for her.
However, when Aomine of Teikō returned, the imperial palace had completely changed. He found the emperor's corpse hanging by a noose hung from the gate leading into the imperial court.
He had returned with just a few of his men, leaving his army in Tōō, making him more vulnerable than ever. After endless skirmishes, he reached his elder brother. Akashi of Teikō sat on the throne with Kuroko of Darkland in his lap. He had his threatening hand on her heavily pregnant belly. Kise of Teikō was bound and on his knees. The fourth prince had a sword to the fifth prince's neck.
Aomine of Teikō was enraged at the betrayal of his brothers. Akashi of Teikō decided to deepen his brother's agony. He revealed to Aomine of Teikō that his most trusted brother had always desired his wife. Aomine of Teikō asked Kise of Teikō if he loved his wife. Kise of Teikō answered his brother truthfully, but was not given a chance to explain.
Aomine of Teikō vowed to kill every one of his brothers. He aimed for Akashi of Teikō, but in his weakened state, could not win. General Kiyoshi had to forcefully remove him from the battle and in the end, took him back to Tōō
Regardless of what his supporters said, Aomine of Teikō had no ambition for the throne. He merely wanted revenge.
Yet, he could not bring himself to blame his wife. He loved his wife. He did not even care that the child was not his. Whoever it belonged to, he believed himself capable of being a father, as long as his wife was alive and well to be the mother. With that in mind, Aomine of Teikō prepared for Akashi of Teikō's imminent attack.
Back in the imperial palace, Kuroko of Darkland had poisoned her captor and escaped, but not before freeing the innocent Kise of Teikō."
"So Akashi of Teikō was killed by Kuroko of Darkland of all people?" Kagami asked.
"Oh no, Akashi of Teikō had been made immune to most poisons since childhood. However, the poison did disable him long enough to give Kuroko of Darkland and Kise of Teikō a chance to escape. The road to safety was a dangerous one. Kuroko of Darkland even went into labor and gave birth in a brothel."
"Why a brothel?" Hyugga raised a brow.
"To hide from their pursuers I suppose."
"You suppose? That's some lazy imagination you have Grandmother Alexandra," commented Tatsuya.
"This is not from my imagination boy!"
"Whatever you say…"
"Shut up! So, what happened, Grandmother Alexandra?" Momoi asked.
"Miraculously, the trio reached Tōō unscathed. Aomine of Teikō was so happy that he fell on his knees when he saw them. After a thorough explanation, Aomine of Teikō had no doubt of Kise of Teikō's innocence. The child was most definitely his son. That night, Aomine of Teikō and Kuroko of Darkland spent the night talking and playing with their child. Both understood that such a chance might never come again after sunrise."
"So who won the war in the end?"
"At sunrise, Aomine of Teikō ordered Kise of Teikō and General Kiyoshi to leave the front lines to him whilst they protected Kuroko of Darkland and his son at the rear. He told them to flee if defeat seemed imminent.
The armies clashed. Aomine of Teikō managed to kill Murasakibara of Teikō. However, the battle left several of his ribs broken. Finally, it was time to face Akashi of Teikō, now the Emperor of Teikō.
Even half dead, Aomine of Teikō's fought tooth and nail against his brother. He succeeded in blinding his brother's right eye, but suffered a devastating cut to his back. He bled profusely, but was unwilling give up. He charged the emperor in a final suicidal attack, but was saved by Kise of Teikō.
Kise of Teikō refused to comply with his brother's command to leave him, and instead urged for them to fight together. Yet, their combined efforts could not overpower the emperor. The Emperor of Teikō's sword pierced Aomine of Teikō's shoulder, but to the emperor's surprise, the prince advanced into the blade, further impaling himself in order to grip the hilt.
That moment was enough for Kise of Teikō to deliver the fatal blow. In the end, the eldest prince of Teikō was slain at the hands of the youngest prince of Teikō."
"Finally… That story was so damn long grandma Alexandra."
"Wait. That can't be the end. What happened afterwards?"
"The people rejoiced of course. However, Aomine of Teikō died of his wounds and Kise of Teikō ascended the throne. General Kiyoshi, Kuroko of Darkland, and the child also disappeared without a trace. Some say their bodies were disfigured beyond recognition.
Afterwards, Kise, the Emperor of Teikō, ordered all the maps of Darkland burnt. He blamed all the misfortune that had befallen the country on Kuroko of Darkland. This decree cursed Darkland and forever isolated it from the rest of the world. "
"That's a terrible ending!" Momoi huffed.
"That's one ending," offered Grandmother Alexandra.
"What do you mean?"
"There were rumors – stories in which Aomine of Teikō survived his wounds but went into hiding in Darkland with his family, and some of his comrades. There are those who still believe them to be alive today, living peacefully under completely different identities," Alexandra smiled.
"That's wonderful!"
"That's fantastic. Unbelievable," said Kagami. "I mean, there's no way such a tall tale could be anything but fantasy."
"Believe what you want young child."
Just then, the two of the teenagers' father entered the hut, looking for his sons. "Hyugga, Izuki, get your lazy asses over here and help us unload the horses. Daiki speared a giant komodo bearwhale. The creature's massive."
"Oh Teppei my boy, enjoyed the hunt?"
"Immensely Grandmother Alexandra." The big man laughed as he dragged his sons out into the cold weather to help with the giant komodo bearwhale. Another tall man entered the hut soon after.
"Hey dad. Heard you got a big one," Kagami greeted his father, a tanned, well-built hunter of Seirin village.
"Yeah, hardest battle I've ever fought."
"You know what dad? For some reason, I don't believe you."
This was supposed to be a full length story, but it was just too ambitious, so this is the synopsis version.
Darkland is a stupid name. Now you know why I ask for baby name suggestions on my other KnB fic.
Please let me know what you thought .