Pairing: Softshipping (Ryou Bakura x Shizuka Kawai), mentions of other pairings.
Prompt: Regency
Setting: Modern Day Monarchy AU
Disclaimer: I do not own Yuugiou.
The Princess sits, still as the dead, on her bed, with perfect posture. She wears a thick face veil, covering the only recently healed wounds of blinded eyes. Her soft brown hair is immaculately coiled around her head, presenting to those who did not know of the tragedy a picture of absolute normality.
Only the slight up and down of her chest alerts Ryou to the Princesses current state of living. He thinks, that were she any stiller, she would seem to have been a statue of herself. He watches her quietly next to the full length mirror, wondering how long she would be in this state for. The Princess has been like this for several hours after returning home from the funeral of her recently coronated brother, the former King Jounouchi.
"Ryou." The Princess's voice is soft, but she pitches it in a way so that he may hear it.
He blinks, removing himself from his musings. This is the first she has said within the past few days, even when asked to speak at her brother's funeral.
(He remembers her standing there, tall and proud. There is a hushed silence as the crowd awaits her speech, but instead, she kneels - he could hear gasps of shock - and bows her head in prayer. As if it were some signal, the crowd follows after her in silent prayer - for her brother.)
"Yes, your Highness?" He replies.
"You were the regent for my brother." She states. He waits patiently for her to continue. "What is to happen next?"
Her voice is cold - clinical and unfeeling. Ryou hates it, hates that she's become like this. Despite to her best efforts otherwise, he can still pick up the slight tremors that betray her voice. His heart clenches uncomfortably - He wants to comfort her, but doesn't know how.
Realising that he has drifted into strange tangents again, he begins to talk. "The people despised your parents, but they approved of your brother. Apart from the funeral, you are an unknown factor, your Highness." There. He sees it. There barest hints of irritation - off course - he's always called her by her first name before, hasn't he? But circumstances change and that was when she was not Heir apparent to the Throne.
She tilts her head slowly towards him. "And?"
"There will be instability. Your brother was only recently crowned, and had not yet secured the loyalty of the nobles. At this stage..." He trails off suddenly seeing the direction that she's pointed him into. He is probably the first, and best, choice for the Throne as of now. He has a legitimate claim, and experience, something that Jounouchi lacked, but he had, as the boy's regent.
Ryou doesn't want the Throne. He doesn't want to rule, or have anything to do with the sticky politics of royalty. No. He wants to spend the rest of his days away at his home estate, creating figurines reading books by a cosy fire. The last thing he wants is to be bound to a Throne with a hoard of power hungry hyenas after it.
The Princess senses his uncertainty. "As it were now, I am just a figure head to be married off to the highest bidder in an attempt to consolidate a power base." She says, voice brisk and clear. "My blindness-" He flinches- "Is just another liability." She has a better grasp of politics than he expects her to have, because he always forgets. Always forgets that she is always there, in some corner, quietly listening, observing, taking in information like a sponge. He notes detachedly that he can hear a certain coarseness to her voice. Did she scream her voice out in frustration, in fear, waiting for her guards to come rescue her? Incompetent guards like himself?
"The people liked Nii-sama, Ryou." She pauses. "But trust... They trusted you."
"So..." She takes a deep breath of air, as if preparing herself.
"Stay by me. Be at my side forever." She's growing increasingly red. He doesn't understand why. "Stand guard for me, as my number one."
"What I mean is, Ryou... Marry me."
Her head is turned in his direction, and he knows she cannot see the look of absolute terror that he has on his face as his mind races through dozens upon dozens of potential answers, discarding one after the other.
Seeing the growing anxiety on her face, he blurts out the thing that is currently being run through his mind.
"Duke Otog."
"He's dating Lady Téa now." She replies firmly.
His mouth flaps open once or twice, trying to think of something to say. He thinks it's really bad of him, but he is extremely glad that she can't see him at the moment.
"W-What about the Lord you were chasing?" He asks. "Hi..." His brain frantically searches for the name. "Hiroto of Taylors Lake?"
"We're friends." Is the reply.
Silence. Ryou is unsure of what to say.
"Prince-" He's cut off by the Princess suddenly standing. Her posture covey's her irritation towards him.
"Shizuka..." He corrects himself, a begging tone in his voice. He knows what should be done, what needs to be done, but it clashes with what he wants. He has to make a choice.
He doesn't want to.
Shizuka doesn't say anything - Ryou's grateful, because he knows if she does, then he'll fall. His willpower will collapse, and he'll do as she wishes. He could never resist any of her wishes, and she knows it. She knows, that all she has to do is ask, and he will give in.
...
It wouldn't be too bad. He thinks as he forces himself to look away from her. Shizuka is a smart girl, knowledge and wisdom wise. She's mature for her age and if he was honest with himself, they know each other far better than just friends and extremely distant cousin usually would. The two of you pretty much read each other's minds. It's sickening, how sweet the two of you are. The phantom voice whispers into his head. He flinches, but remembers that it's only an after trace.
"Okay." He says finally.
For the first time in days, she smiles.