A/N - My Entry for the Magi Big Bang 2017 on Tumblr! My artist is suitcasesoffeathers on tumblr! You can go check it out if you want!
-o-
Things were relatively peaceful.
So much had happened in so little time. It seemed like Alibaba had just come back from the dead, but she was wrong. It had been almost three years. And yet, things were relatively peaceful. Peace treaties had been passed around all over the world and the man standing in the middle, who was responsible for all of the peace, was Alibaba; and standing next to him, his wife Morgiana. And standing in Alibaba's shadow as a constant source of strength to everyone was Kougyoku's fiancé, Aladdin. The world revolved around Aladdin and Alibaba; therefore, they were almost never in one place.
Kougyoku's place was in Kou, amongst the people she had once led. Kouen held the emperor's seat once again. Kougyoku and her siblings who held djinns served under him as appointed kings and queens over different areas of the world. Koumei, however, frequently left his post to come experiment, which was what he felt he truly excelled at. Kougyoku had her own post but often travelled as ambassador and took care of foreign paperwork, mostly because she was engaged to Aladdin. Even though they were engaged, they almost never had an opportunity to see each other.
But Kougyoku understood. She had things she needed to do and he had things he needed to do. They had talked at length about it the evening he'd asked her to marry him. So they'd decided to carry on with their lives and wait for the time when they could be together again, short though that time might be. It was all they were going to get and they cherished it more than anything else. Kougyoku forced herself to be satisfied with it. She was older than Aladdin and it would be unbecoming of her if she acted like a spoiled brat around him.
Even so, it had been almost a year since she had last seen him face-to-face. They were engaged and yet they were so busy that they'd had no time to even get married. It was strange how Kougyoku seemed so composed on the outside but inside she was screaming like a little girl. She knew what sorts of things the servants were gossiping about. They wondered if Kougyoku truly was in love with Aladdin or if she had pretended to be just to rise up in rank. Kougyoku had no doubt the person who started the rumour was one of her many half-sisters without a djinn. They did not try to hide their contempt for her. They were furious over how she could become one of the leading generals and head ambassador when her mother had been some nobody. But Kougyoku ignored them, the same way Hakuei and Kouha did.
"Lady Kougyoku." A servant bowed to her. Kougyoku turned and her attendants and Ka Koubun moved out of the way.
"Yes?" Kougyoku asked, her skirts swirling around her. The servant looked like a messenger.
"The lords of the east were wondering when Lord Aladdin will be back. Do you know if Lord Aladdin will be back for the Fort Festival?" the servant asked. Kougyoku allowed herself to smile politely as she often did these days. She was determined that at least Aladdin wouldn't be badmouthed for choosing her as a wife.
"No, I'm afraid he has quite a few more places to be. But I will let him know of the lords' thoughts." Kougyoku nodded at the messenger, turned, and went on her way. "Ka Koubun, what are the next few meetings I have on my schedule?" she asked.
"A meeting with the Emperor about the transportation circle laws, and I believe we cleared out the rest of your schedule so you could go have dinner with the Qishan overlord."
"Ah, yes, I forgot, that place has special meaning to Aladdin and Alibaba-chan. I have to be as amicable as possible. Will I be travelling by carpet or transportation circle?" Kougyoku played with a lock of her hair.
"Carpet, I believe. His Highness, the Emperor, says that if you travel by carpet, you will receive a proper welcome party; moreover, you will be seen as a proper princess, previous Empress and ambassador if you have a large group with you."
Kougyoku frowned. If they brought her childish self from seven years ago, she would have done just that.
"I'll take the transportation circle, thank you, and I think I'll go with just Vinea."
"My lady, that is-" her attendants started to protest.
"Is there a problem?" Kougyoku asked with a glare. "The whole point of this dinner is to show that we, Kou, are no longer the puffed-up idiots we used to be. I must show that I am a different person and that I am strong enough to go there by myself. I will not let them look down on , I will appear less pompous if I don't have an entourage behind me. Also, it's one of Aladdin's favourite places. As his fiancée, I need to carry myself in the right way. , Qishan is under Kouha is the ambassador to Qishan. They wouldn't dare to lay a hand on me, not that they ever would. Anyway, Kouha is already there. He's all that I will need; I will be just fine."
"Yes, my lady." Ka Koubun bowed to her although he didn't seem happy with her decision. Kougyoku smiled at her oldest friend and companion.
"I will be sure to take care of myself, Ka Koubun. While I'm gone, how about you attend to His Highness, the Emperor?" Kougyoku asked with a knowing glance. Instantly, all the gloom was gone from his face. "Now then, I believe I have a meeting to do with transportation circle laws?" Kougyoku started walking to Kouen's study to speak to him about the subject.
Kougyoku was dressed well when she arrived in Qishan via the transportation circles but she had covered her head to avoid attracting attention from the travel check. She took off the veil once she entered the market area of the city. She walked through, enjoying the different smells of fresh produce, cooking food, and raw meat and fish. Shopkeepers called out to her, attempting to entice her into buying something. She spotted caravans and smiled. Aladdin had told her the same story Alibaba had told her countless times. The story of how he and Alibaba had met. Kougyoku had heard the story from Alibaba, but Aladdin had narrated it to her with such excitement she hadn't had the heart to tell him she already knew every detail, aside from the fact that it was now from her beloved's point of view.
Kougyoku's heart clenched as she recalled Aladdin holding her hand, dragging her down the Kou market streets, and talking to her animatedly. She missed hearing the way his voice would resonate in her ears, the way his laughter made her heart rate pick up, the way his eyes would crinkle when she told him something funny, the way he would look into her eyes seriously when he would say things he would only say to her, the way he would blush when Kougyoku would say something to embarrass him and the way he would hold her as they talked long into the night about the most mundane things.
Kougyoku shut her eyes, and wished to see his face when she opened them.
"Kougyoku!"
Kougyoku's eyes snapped open, her heart leaping in her throat. Her brain caught up to her the next second. It was impossible, Aladdin was halfway across the world and that hadn't been his voice. It had been the voice of her brother, Kouha. With the skill she had honed for months, Kougyoku brushed away all feelings of loneliness and only thought about how she had her own duty. She had agreed to this. She smiled at her brother, who grinned widely at her with his sword slung across his slim shoulders.
"Kouha, your hair grew out more. It looks very nice!" Kougyoku admired her brother's intricately braided hair. It was definitely much longer than it looked.
"Thank you! It's braided with a mix of Reim style and traditional Qishan style. What brings you here, sister?" Kouha asked, shrugging a large mass of his hair off his shoulder.
"Did you forget? I told you earlier this week that I had a dinner with the Qishan overlord." Kougyoku cocked her head to the side, her long ponytail brushing the ground.
"Oh, that's right. I forgot about that. Didn't that guy come with you? What was his name? Ka Koukum?" Kouha placed himself next to her and they continued to walk through the market.
"Ka Koubun," Kougyoku corrected him, pausing to look at a bunch of flowers that a little girl had shoved into her face. "I told him I wanted to come alone. I thought having a train of people behind me wouldn't be the greatest idea for this place."
"Ah," Kouha nodded in understanding. "This is where Aladdin and Alibaba met, if I remember correctly? Aladdin left no details out of his first adventure with Alibaba and Morgiana."
"You got that right. So how are things? Anything new?" Kougyoku bought two apples and passed one to Kouha.
"Nah, same old here. How about you?" Kouha bit into his apple.
"Nothing new, aside from the fact that I had a very frustrating argument with Kouen Nii-sama about the number of people at the transportation circle checks." Kougyoku frowned. "He just won't put the number of men at the checks down."
"Well, knowing Kouen Nii, he must have something in mind, but don't give up just like that. If you believe something should happen, fight for it. We're no longer the little kids who will hide behind our big brother's robes. We're a part of the designated kings and queens. We're his equals." Kouha turned to her. "By the way, where are Aladdin, Alibaba, and Morgiana? I haven't talked to them in a month."
"They're in Heliohapt. They'll head to the Fanalis peace meeting next," Kougyoku said, feeling a sense of pride in her.
"Busy, aren't they?"
"They enjoy it far too much. They call it their adventures." Kougyoku laughed. "Aladdin likes travelling and meeting people so much you would think he would rather do that than learn new magic."
"Are you jealous?" Kouha's voice was quiet and serious. It gave Kougyoku a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she ignored the internal warning bells.
"Jealous of who?" she asked.
"Morgiana, of course." Kouha said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Why would I be jealous of dear Morgiana of all people?" Kougyoku was confused.
"Because she's always with Alibaba."
"My dear brother, of course she's always with Alibaba-chan! They're married!" Kougyoku said, in surprised and amused outrage.
"And what about you and Aladdin? The two of you are engaged."
Kougyoku stopped walking and looked down at the hem of her robes, clenching the fabric in her fists. She slowly loosened them and looked up, a smile on her face, a smile on her face that didn't reach her eyes. Kouha came to a halt and turned to look back at her.
"I'm fine, Kouha. I'm really fine. When I agreed to marry Aladdin we both knew what it would be like. It can't be helped, you know. He's one of the most important figures in the Alliance and I'm one of the designated queens. We'll take what we can get because that is all we're going to get." Kougyoku shrugged in a lighthearted way. Kouha let out a long-suffering sigh.
"If you say so. Let's just find a good gift to get for the Qishan overlord." Kouha walked over to her, took her hand, and tugged her along with him.
-o-
Kougyoku put down her glass of wine as Kouha discreetly dumped his olives onto her plate. She rolled her eyes at him. The Qishan overlord was a rather heavy man with a wonderful personality. It was his son that annoyed Kougyoku. The boy kept glancing suspiciously at her and Kouha with half-lidded eyes from the moment she had greeted him.
"It really seems like it was only yesterday that Lord Alibaba, Lord Aladdin, and Lady Morgiana caused a huge commotion in the market square!" The large and boisterous man boomed with laughter. "All of us used to laugh at Lord Alibaba's ambitions, but who would have known he would become such an amazing person!" The man's son glanced at her and Kouha again and Kougyoku not-so-subtly glared back. "It shows you can't judge a person by their appearance!"
The man took a long gulp of wine. "Ah yes, Princess Kougyoku, I hear you're engaged to Lord Aladdin?"
Kougyoku nodded. "Yes, I am. We'll be sure to invite you and your family to the marriage."
She spread a fake smile across her face, thinking she could do without the man's son coming.
"Is it true Lord Aladdin is the most powerful person in the world? I heard his enemies can't even touch him." The man's son spoke up; Kougyoku refrained from shooting him a dirty look.
"Hind, that's very rude!" the Qishan overlord hissed. He turned to give her a rather apologetic look. "I must admit, though, I am very curious as well. Perhaps Prince Kouha would know well of Lord Aladdin's prowess?" Kouha let out a very inappropriate and sharp peal of laughter.
"Trust me, my sister Kougyoku has seen him fight with her own two eyes on countless occasions. I have only seen him from afar." Kouha then rather rudely turned back to his food.
"It is true, Aladdin is the most formidable magic user of all time. I believe he surpasses even Ugo, the person who created this world; and his father, Solomon, who defeated the former god of the last world." She couldn't keep herself from singing Aladdin's praises. "He's also a very strong person even without his magic. All in all, he's not someone to be taken lightly. But physically, no one can truly surpass Alibaba-chan and the Fanalis Morgiana."
The Qishan overlord nodded thoughtfully. "You would never think he was the little boy stealing watermelons from the caravans."
"Well he didn't really understand the concept back then," Kouha said, dumping more olives in a very obvious manner onto Kougyoku's plate. She ignored him. Her brother wasn't exactly known for being courteous.
The discussion on Alibaba and Aladdin turned to light conversation on trading and tourism. Kouha walked Kougyoku to her room after dinner.
"Do you usually communicate with them at the end of the day?" Kouha asked her.
"Um, well, I mostly just talk to Aladdin, sometimes I talk to Alibaba-chan and Morgiana-chan."
"If you happen to talk to Alibaba and Morgiana, just tap on the wall so I can come over and talk too." Kougyoku nodded and shut the door. She felt exhausted. She hadn't done anything strenuous that day, but just talking to people had tired her out. It was becoming a common feeling for her now at the end of the day.
Kougyoku changed into the robes she slept in and sat on the bed, combing her fingers through her hair. It wasn't even ten minutes later she felt the nudge in her mind. It was Aladdin's direct communication spell.
"Kougyoku!" Kougyoku closed her eyes, immersing herself in the feeling of hearing Aladdin's voice again. She smiled.
"Aladdin! How was your day? Did you wrap up the armament treaty?" she asked, sounding as happy as possible.
"I did! We had a little bit of difficulty with the fact that some people from other countries were against them having snakes in general but it's a thing, if you know what I mean." Aladdin had always been close friends with Sphintus, so he knew how important it was for the people of Heliohapt to have snakes with them.
"I do. Did you have fun with Sharrkan Ojii-san?" Kougyoku asked.
"Yup! But he tried to take us all drinking at a ladies' house. Mor-san was completely against the idea and she put her foot down. And I mean, she actually put her foot down and scared Alibaba so he went to his room with her. Then I was the target but I escaped by saying I had to talk to you. I think I saw Yam-san whacking him on the head when I walked out." Aladdin chuckled.
"Oh? You of all people rejected the offer?" Kougyoku asked with a smile. It made her heart warm when he talked about rejecting other women when he used to do that all the time before he told her he liked her.
"Ah, but the only lady I want to spend my evenings with and do naughty things with is in Qishan." Aladdin sighed dramatically. Kougyoku's ears flushed. "Should I just keep her next to me all the time?" It took some time for Kougyoku to find her voice.
"Maybe that lady wouldn't mind staying by your side all the time. But she's an expensive lady." Kougyoku said. She missed flirting with Aladdin face-to-face and disgusting all of her siblings.
"So if I take good care of all of her expenses, would she let me do naughty things with her?" Aladdin's voice was still teasing but it had lowered in pitch. Kougyoku grinned, her heart swelling with love. She fell back onto the bed.
"It all depends on if you can woo her, my dear Aladdin." Kougyoku said softly.
There was a stifling silence.
"My queen, my empress Kougyoku I love you and miss you so, so, so much," Aladdin whispered. Kougyoku's heart throbbed and she lifted her hand up to her mouth to stifle a sob. She missed him. She missed him so much. It had really been almost a year since she had last seen him.
"I miss you too, Aladdin. More than you know. When are you coming back to Kou?" Kougyoku asked, trying to not let tears and her anxiety spill out.
More silence.
"I don't know…." Aladdin sounded truly regretful. Kougyoku died a little inside.
"It can't be helped. You have things you must do and I have things I must do." Kougyoku erased the longing in her voice. The moment they were having vanished and they were now walking on eggshells around each other.
"You're right. Is there anything you would like from Heliohapt?" Aladdin asked. Kougyoku tugged on her hair.
"Maybe you can get me a snake." She chuckled, hoping to lighten the atmosphere. "I think I'd just want something to eat, but that wouldn't last very long. I'm tired after glaring at Hind, the Overlord's son. Let's talk tomorrow, okay?"
"Sure. Good night, Kougyoku." Aladdin's voice was warm. Kougyoku smiled.
"Good night, Aladdin…," Kougyoku whispered. The spell was severed and Kougyoku lay there in silence, refusing to let the tears spill from her eyes until she fell asleep.
-o-
A hand was gently stroking her hair. Kougyoku cracked open one eye, wondering if Hakuei had come back from wherever she had been. She was greeted with blue hair that glowed in the moonlight coming from the window. Aladdin smiled down at her.
"…Aladdin?" Kougyoku pulled herself up, rubbing at her eyes.
"Hey, Kougyoku." He brushed a strand of her hair away from her face. She touched his hand.
Click. She heard a noise but ignored it.
"What are you doing here?" she asked. Although she was half asleep, she felt a thrill creeping into her blood. Aladdin was with her.
"I…I just really wanted to see you…so I teleported here as fast as possible." Aladdin took her hand and squeezed it tightly. Kougyoku was hit with a sickening sense of loneliness.
Click.
"Aladdin, please don't leave me ever again. Please," she whispered, with tears in her eyes. Aladdin gazed at her.
"I won't. I'm right here, aren't I?" He leaned forward and pressed a kissed to her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere." She let herself be engulfed in his arms.
Click.
Kougyoku started awake, a strangled gasp leaving her mouth. Her robes and hair were drenched in sweat. She desperately wanted a bath so that she might drown herself in it. She couldn't believe she was now begging Aladdin not to leave her even in her dreams.
Click.
Kougyoku's eyes narrowed and she sat up, reaching for her hairpin, clutching Vinea to her chest. That was the sound of the lock being picked. She quickly snuck behind the door, extending the hairpin into Vinea's sword.
Click.
The door slowly creaked open and a figure walked in. Kougyoku wasted no time in moving forward and putting the sword against the man's neck. He tensed and froze. She walked in front of the intruder and looked at his face, frowning.
"Would you care to tell me why you broke into my room, Hind?" Kougyoku hissed, no longer trying to be polite.
"Hmph, even though I know better than to trust the common talk it turns out I underestimated you and you are smarter than you look," Hind said snidely.
"I asked you a question!" Kougyoku snapped, pressing the sword harder against his neck.
"I thought you were dumb and weak enough for me to be able to take advantage of you, obviously." Hind rolled his eyes.
"Oh? That has to be the stupidest thing I have heard from your mouth, you uncouth brat," Kouha's ice-cold voice said as he stepped out of the shadows of the door, his sword across his shoulders. "What do you expect from the former empress of Kou? She participated in the attack at Magnostadt and in the Kou Civil War. She raised the shadow of Kou to its former glory three years ago. Don't underestimate her." Kouha's sword was an inch away from Hind's neck the next moment. "You're lucky her fiancé isn't here; you wouldn't even remember your own name if he had his way with you. We'll let you go with just this threat for now. Know that Kou is not beneath forcing you into exile for attempted assault." Kougyoku and Kouha sheathed in unison. Hind looked like he was going to explode as he marched away.
"Thank you, Kouha." Kougyoku smiled, pushing her sweat-covered hair away from her face with one hand as Vinea's sword shrank into her hairpin again.
"It's nothing, he tried to break into your room. Aladdin would be very upset if I just let it go like that. I had to teach him a lesson." Kouha patted her shoulder. "Get some more rest before I see you off to the transportation circles."
-o-
Once Kougyoku was back in Kou she started up the argument she was having with Kouen all over again. She stood her ground in front of her much larger and definitely smarter brother. Whenever he stumped her with a logical argument, she'd go to the library, study, and return to debate with him some more.
"Kougyoku." Kouen interrupted one of her rants one day.
Kougyoku frowned at him. Was he going to start off with his own argument without letting her finish her own?
"I need someone in Reim for a week. We're starting up a new trading agreement there and I want someone well versed in trading and good at stating valid arguments there. In other words, I want you to go." Kougyoku didn't know whether to blush from the indirect compliment or get angry at him for effectively cutting off her rant of the day.
"When would I be leaving, Nii-sama?" Kougyoku asked, lifting her arms and tucking her hands into her sleeves.
"Tomorrow. Have the servants pack for you. I guess you'll be going just by yourself again?" Kouen asked her. If she didn't know him better she'd say he looked amused.
"That's right. I'm a grown woman now. I don't need to hide behind your robes anymore – I'm quoting Kouha by the way. I am also a djinn user. I think I can take care of myself and…" Kougyoku paused and decided to voice what she had been thinking about for a while since her conversation with Aladdin at Qishan. "I would like to start working independently. I would like to still act as an ambassador for Kou, but I think I want to work more as a travelling mouthpiece instead of a desk worker." Kougyoku stood up tall. "With your leave of course, Kouen Nii-sama."
This time Kouen smirked.
"I still have much more work for you, Princess Kougyoku. You're the highest-ranked person who is an expert at trading. But starting next year, I will give you your first travelling assignment and perhaps align it with Aladdin's travels." Kouen was definitely amused.
Kougyoku flushed, bowing and leaving.
"Thank you, Kouen Nii-sama. I will return to my quarters and prepare for my trip to Reim. May I know what the trading discussions will be about?" she asked.
"I'll have a servant take the related documents to your quarters."
She nodded and left. Her attendants and Ka Koubun followed her as soon as she exited the study.
"How were things today, my lady?" Ka Koubun asked her.
"I got nowhere as always. I wish I could say something to tip the scales. Although, I think he is starting to truly acknowledge me." Kougyoku sighed and tapped a finger against her hair pin. "I will be going to Reim tomorrow and I'll be staying there for a week. Please tell the female attendants to prepare my things."
"Wait, will you be going alone again, my lady?" Ka Koubun cried out.
"I will. I know what I'm doing and Nii-sama approves." Kougyoku refrained from telling him about her plans for the next year since Ka Koubun would probably throw a fit and scream all the way to the Sacred Palace and back. "Plus, Muu-san will be there. I haven't seen him for a while and we had so much fun planning the Reim-Kou-Kina Alliance." Kougyoku beamed. "Maybe I can get his opinion on my argument with Nii-sama. Maybe Titus-kun can help too."
Ka Koubun didn't protest on her going anymore, but he frowned the entire way to the transportation circles the next morning. Hakuryuu and Koumei were there to see her off as well. She was reading through the documents she had been given and she hadn't slept the entire night. Her conversation with Aladdin had been brief since she'd had to read through the unnecessarily huge stack of documents that had been brought to her. Koumei looked more exhausted than her, but Hakuryuu looked extremely fresh. In fact, he looked so fresh it almost got on her nerves.
To her delight, the person waiting for her when she arrived at the Reim checkpoint was Muu.
"Muu-san!" She grinned widely, not hesitating to skip over to his side in a very unladylike manner. She loved Reim. She knew the people far too well after staying in the capital city for several months, before Aladdin had asked her to marry him. It had been staying in Reim and so far away from Aladdin that made her realize not only was she in love with him, but she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. So when he had asked her to marry him, it had been an easy answer. She had said yes right away.
"Lady Kougyoku." Muu smiled in that polite but happy way of his and bowed.
"Maa~ I always tell you to just call me Kougyoku." Kougyoku said with a little laugh. In Reim she could be herself, just like she could be herself around Aladdin. She could let her guard down. And maybe that was why, her first night there, Kougyoku woke up gasping and crying into her pillow even though nothing bad had happened in Reim. She had had a nightmare. Of that she was sure, but of what, she couldn't recall.
"The major issue is that Kou can't simply release information on the undeveloped talismans. We can inform you of what we are working on, but the progress will be kept secret. That is how business works, after all. You don't see renowned restaurants just giving out their secret recipes, do you?" Kougyoku asked, rearranging her notes in her hands.
"Lady Kougyoku, is there something wrong? You seem very tired," Titus said. "If you would like, we can postpone this meeting for a bit." He looked genuinely concerned for her wellbeing. Kougyoku's eyebrows twitched. As much as this place was like a second home to her, she was being a professional ambassador at the moment. Slip-ups weren't allowed.
"I'm fine, Lord Titus. I can make it through this meeting," she said with a firm nod.
"All right." Titus motioned for her to continue.
Kougyoku finished giving her statement. The others agreed to give their statements the next day. Titus and Marga took her on a walk through the orange gardens.
"Where is Sphintus?" Kougyoku asked.
"Ah, he's currently in Magnostadt. He was invited to teach a three-day class on medical spells," Titus explained. Marga hauled up her basket of oranges and called for them to hurry over.
"She grows up so fast. Just a couple of years ago, she was a child who could only dream of doing the things she does now. These days, she's starting to surpass me in politics." Titus chuckled. "But I guess that's what it means to grow up. You start surpassing people you look up to and you learn the ways of the world."
"How is her health?" Kougyoku wondered as they walked up to Marga.
"Ever since Aladdin reconstructed her body to destroy the disease, she's been doing fine. Sphintus regularly runs checkups on her but she's perfectly well. You have no idea how much that means to me. Sphintus and I have been living with Marga for a long time now and we owe Aladdin so much for saving her. She's my little girl." Titus rubbed the top of Marga's head when they reached her.
"Were you talking about me still being a little girl again, Titus Oniichan? You know I'm older now!" Marga pouted. Kougyoku chuckled.
"So you are. Would you like to go shopping with me? We'll buy older girl stuff." Kougyoku held out her hand.
-o-
That night Kougyoku's nightmare was vivid and clear in her mind. She woke up with a muted scream in her pillow, shooting up with the speed of an arrow and clutching her hands. She told herself it had just been a dream. She looked down at her shaking hands and couldn't see Aladdin's blood all over them. It was all right. Aladdin was still alive. But even then she found herself dashing out into the moonlit hallways and making her way into the orange gardens, running barefoot in the moist soil. She closed her eyes, mind reeling. How far were the Fanalis lands? How long would it take for her to get there if she djinn equipped?
"Lady Kougyoku?" Sphintus' surprised voice asked. Kougyoku spun around, heart hammering in her chest. He was standing there, staff in hand and snake around his neck.
"Titus, over here!" Sphintus called out. Kougyoku flinched. Titus rushed over, eyes wide.
"Kougyoku!" Titus said. He walked up to her and cupped her face with his warm hands. "What is it? What happened?" His thumbs rubbed over her cheeks and then Kougyoku realized she was crying.
"I...I…," Kougyoku started trying to explain, but she only trailed off, sank to the floor, and cried into Titus' arms.
"Would you like me to take you to Aladdin? I should be able to locate him," Titus offered the next day, after they finished their trading meeting. Kougyoku had calmed down since the night before and now she felt rather silly.
"No, I'm fine. I'll manage somehow. Aladdin is busy and so am I," she said firmly. Titus didn't push it any further, but Sphintus mixed some sleeping medicine for her, and Marga slept with her that night. As the week went by, Kougyoku found herself sleeping peacefully. But she felt another part of her die inside.
-o-
"Well done, Kougyoku! I heard you got a favourable trading deal for both Kou and Reim!" Hakuei was in the palace when she got back to Kou. Sphintus had given her a large amount of sleeping medicine in case she had trouble sleeping again.
Kougyoku smiled and suddenly Hakuei frowned. "Kougyoku, are you alright?"
Kougyoku blinked in confusion. "You seem...less...well, here. Are things going well with Aladdin-kun?" Hakuei asked.
Kougyoku clenched her fists. To be honest, she had been avoiding her daily talks with Aladdin. She would give him excuse after excuse. She just didn't know how to talk to him without crying her eyes out. She couldn't bear to let Aladdin see how much she was falling apart without him. She wanted him to continue doing what he enjoyed. Kougyoku swallowed hard.
"Hakuei Oneesama...what do I do? I think I'm ruining things with Aladdin…," Kougyoku whispered, her voice wobbling.
"Kougyoku, what? No. Come here, darling." Hakuei pulled her into a hug and waited for Kougyoku's shoulders to stop shaking. Kougyoku told Hakuei everything.
"Kougyoku, now you listen here. There's only one thing you can do to pull all of this together. You need to cry to him. Aladdin-kun loves you for you, dear. You need to tell him even the tiniest things you think about. You can tell him you want him to have fun, finish what he needs to do, but you also need to tell him that you want him home as fast as possible, you hear me?" Hakuei asked in that motherly way of hers. Kougyoku gazed at her cousin's serious eyes. Her lip quivered and she nodded.
"Good girl, you can still fix this. Aladdin-kun loves you far too much to just let you run away because of insecurity."
"He does, doesn't he?" Kougyoku said in a hushed voice.
"Of course he does. Don't you remember how hard he fought for you?" Hakuei smiled at her. Kougyoku nodded. "Now, let's go have dinner."
-o-
"Aladdin?" Kougyoku asked once she felt the nudge in her mind. Her voice wobbled. She heard Aladdin draw in a sharp breath.
"How are you feeling today, Kougyoku? Do you feel better?" Aladdin's voice was breathless and strained and Kougyoku felt herself falling apart, because if she was correct, that was the sound of Aladdin scared.
"Aladdin...Aladdin...I know you are busy and you have your duty and I have mine...I really do know. More than you could ever imagine, I know. But...but I just miss you so much!" Kougyoku felt the floodgates break. It hurt. It hurt so bad to let everything come out and yet, she felt so relieved to just empty out her heart at Aladdin's feet. She cried for a while and Aladdin stayed silent. Once she was done she waited for Aladdin to speak, sniffling softly.
"I miss you too, Kougyoku. These past few months have been so agonizing. I'm just barely making it every day. I'm supposed to stay longer in some of these places but I'm going to rush back to Kou as soon as possible. Just you wait!" Aladdin said firmly.
"Hm...I'll wait for you!" Kougyoku smiled through her tears.
Yamraiha visited from Magnostadt to do some sort of spell discussion with Koumei. She spent most of her time in the laboratory, but sometimes came to talk to Kougyoku, who was always sitting in the library studying up to become a proper travelling mouthpiece for Kou. She was still having debates with Kouen on daily basis.
"So when is the wedding?" Yamraiha asked Kougyoku as the two of them searched for scrolls.
"I'm honestly not sure. I guess I'll just have to wait." Kougyoku shrugged and sighed.
"Ano ne~" Yamraiha sounded annoyed. "I noticed this when Aladdin was in Heliohapt, but you two seem to be souring your relationship by being extra conscious about what might upset the other. That is not how these things should work. You are going to get married, Kougyoku. If you can't speak to one another freely about how you feel, then it's not going to work." Yamraiha frowned at her.
"Kougyoku, we're in peaceful times. You don't have to work so hard. Listen to me. You have to be selfish, Kougyoku. If everyone else is allowed to, then so are you."
And that was that.
Kougyoku's stress levels decreased rapidly. She talked to Aladdin for much longer than she was used to. She was able to enjoy her work more and look forward to the future she envisioned. Two days before the official Peace Alliance Meeting in Kou, Kougyoku argued with her brother over the teleportation circles for the last time.
"And that concludes my argument, Nii-sama." Kougyoku stood tall, her feet swamped by scrolls and paper. She was pretty sure she had an ink mark on her face, but she was more focused on the task at hand. Kouen had an interesting grin on his face, one she had never seen before.
"Make preparations to change the teleportation circle laws," he called. "You win, Kougyoku."
"Yes!" Kougyoku pumped her fist in the air and jumped, almost tripping over the multitude of parchment at her feet.
"Oh, also Kougyoku, do me a favour. I need you to compile and present all the Kou trading for the Peace Alliance Meeting," Kouen told her, looking up from his papers. Kougyoku's excitement and triumph vanished.
"But...Kouen Nii-sama, that's just two days away…." Kougyoku's voice was dry with horror.
"I know." Kouen's voice sounded amused. "I can count on you to do it, right Kougyoku?" He gave her a look. Kougyoku almost collapsed. Her brother was giving her that challenging look. She knew the task was near impossible, but she felt fired up. There was no way she was going to lose anytime soon.
"I'll have it done, Your Highness." She smiled icily. "Well then, I will be on my way."
She lifted her skirts and picked her way out of the scrolls and paper on the floor as her two attendants picked them up and Ka Koubun escorted her to the library.
-o-
"Good God! I need to get this done in two whole days?" Kougyoku cried out in realization and horror, clutching her head and messing up her perfectly done hair. "Ka Koubun and you two, get me all the trading records we have, now!" Kougyoku took her seat and pulled out a stack of paper she always kept under the desk she used in the library.
"We won't be sleeping for the next two nights!" she bellowed.
-o-
I'm coming home!
Kougyoku sat up so fast her head spun. Ka Koubun and her two attendants were nodding off over the material she was taking notes on. Kougyoku had spent the lasts two days and nights in the library. She had had another dream, a pleasant one this time. She must have forgotten to take the medicine Sphintus had given her. She couldn't remember anything from her half asleep state the night before. The sky was turning grey; she hissed in surprise.
"Ka Koubun! Wake up! Pass me the next one! It's the second last one, isn't it?" she snapped. Ka Koubun shot up, half-shouting something before he realized where he was. He bowed his head sheepishly in her direction and the handed her the next scroll. Koumei had dropped by the library to give her some tea he had personally brewed and to comment on her very unruly appearance. He even had the gall to compare her hair to his!
She scribbled information onto the ink-smudged stack of papers that were her notes. She let her attendants go. They were tired and she was working on the second-to-last document. She finished the notes for that scroll and held out her hand for the last one.
"Ah, I think this isn't that important. It's just about the trading route Kou used when the empire first established-" Ka Koubun said with a voice that betrayed just how exhausted he was.
"It doesn't matter! Just hand it over! Everything is important when it comes to trading! I should have been born a trader's daughter, hones-"
"My lady!" A servant ran in, shrieking at a glass-breaking pitch. Kougyoku, Ka Koubun and her startled attendants turned to the servant. "My lady! I thought you should know! Lord Alibaba, Lady Morgiana, and Lord Aladdin were just spotted across the plains!"
Kougyoku suddenly felt like a dried twig set on fire. The pen and scrolls fell to the ground, slipping out of her fingers. She was on her feet before she could even process that her body was trying to move. The inkwell fell on her dress, dyeing the vibrant pink and yellow fabric black. She knew her hair was an utter mess and she hadn't even tied it up. She had no makeup on and she was sure she had ink and creases from her sleeves and hair on her face. Her ink-stained hands were shaking.
So, so, many arguments came to mind. Aladdin was probably tired. She shouldn't rush out to him. He had been travelling around for a whole year! She was hardly presentable. What would others say if Aladdin's fiancée turned out to be some poorly dressed, crazy woman? She had her own work to do. The Peace Alliance meeting was today and she had yet to complete and organize her notes and presentation. But her hesitance lasted only briefly.
"Kougyoku, we're in peaceful times. You don't have to work so hard. Listen to me. You have to be selfish, Kougyoku. If everyone else is allowed to, then so are you."
So she decided to throw all caution to the winds, bunching up her skirts, lifting them up in an extremely unladylike manner and running out the door faster than Judal could ever hope to run.
Who cared what other people thought? Aladdin had seen her at her worst. He wasn't some sort of prize she had to fight to keep. He was already hers and it was as simple as that.
Kougyoku had never been a proper lady. She had never been calm and composed. She had always been 'a little crazy', 'a little childish'. She had always been someone who followed her heart and not her brain. She had tried to change herself over the years, but it was who she was. Why on earth had she even tried to change herself to be worthy of Aladdin, when he had fallen in love with her for who she was?
"Woah! Kougyoku!" Koumei cried out as she dashed past him, surprise evident on his face.
Servants stopped to stare. One of Kougyoku's half sisters looked horrified and disgusted. Kouen had just arrived at the courtyard which was being used as the landing area, a welcome party behind him. Guards were starting to take their places in the courtyard. Kougyoku ignored all of hubbub and ran out into the courtyard, ignoring the startled clamouring behind her.
She instantly spotted Aladdin flying as he approached the palace. He spotted her as well, and grinned brightly at her. Kougyoku beamed and stretched out her arms, ready to embrace him. He came rushing towards her.
"Kougyoku!"
"Aladdin!"
And then she was falling backwards, her beloved in her arms. He threw his arms around her, shielding her from hitting her head against the ground. Both of them giggled like happy children. Kougyoku felt warm and safe and just herself in his arms. The anxiety, the loneliness and hurt she had felt during the past year all melted away and she pressed her face against one of his arms.
"This has got to be the best welcome I have ever gotten! How did you know I'd want to see you looking just like this? What a lovely mess you are!" Aladdin grinned cheekily.
"Shut up, you! I've been up for two nights straight preparing for my presentation!" Kougyoku huffed fondly. "Idiot!"
She wanted to scold him but couldn't keep the smile off her face.
"I missed you. Welcome home," she whispered. A wistful and loving look crossed over his face. Aladdin closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against hers.
"I'm home, Kougyoku. I'm home."
Kougyoku closed her eyes as well. She felt so at peace.
"Ah, I knew this was why Aladdin was rushing, but still! Aladdin is a lucky man!" Alibaba chuckled from behind.
Kougyoku's eyes snapped open as she was suddenly pulled to her feet and the travelling shawl Aladdin wore was draped over her head.
"No one else is allowed to see Kougyoku like this! Not even you, Alibaba!" Aladdin said loudly. Kougyoku peeked out from under the shawl. Alibaba looked taller, more confident. He was dressed outlandishly and he was sporting some stubble. Morgiana's hair was longer and her legs were decorated with strange and intricate gold thread braces. Kougyoku turned to take a good look at Aladdin as well. He was even taller than she remembered. He was wider too, more mature. She smiled to herself and took his hand. Many women, like the palace maids and most of her half sisters, swooned over Aladdin, but he was all hers
"Welcome back! It's been a long time! How are the three of you? Hakuryuu, Hakuei, Kouha, and Judal are still on their way here." Kouen walked over to them, followed by Koumei, who looked like he hadn't slept in years.
"Ah, that's all right. We can wait for them. The three of us are good, but Aladdin could do better if he was somewhere alone with Kougyoku. We'll rest for a while and Aladdin and Kougyoku can have some alone time." Alibaba grinned.
"Where are we going?" Aladdin asked her as she tugged him along with her.
"To my room. My private study in the library is too much of a mess," she explained.
"Eh? Kougyoku Oneesan's room? Is this an invitation to do naughty things?" Aladdin cried out. Kougyoku resisted the urge to laugh and rolled her eyes.
"Keep dreaming, young one." Kougyoku opened the door and no sooner had she closed it than Aladdin wrapped his arms around her, pulled her close, and kissed her. Kougyoku closed her eyes and kissed him back. She'd missed everything about Aladdin and now he was right in front of her.
"I missed you," Aladdin whispered when he pulled away.
"I missed you too," Kougyoku breathed. "I don't think we can do something like this again. Aladdin, we need to talk."
"I know we do." Aladdin pulled her over to her bed that faced the window overlooking a garden beneath. They sat down side by side, still clutching hands tightly.
They started off with all the lighter stuff. They talked about how their year went and didn't keep anything from each other. Kougyoku even told him about the nasty Hind and Kouha's words to him. (Aladdin got angry and almost teleported to Qishan right then to deal with Hind himself.) They then talked about how lonely they got, their nightmares, their lowest points. They talked for a long time. When they had finally finished, the sun had made its way well into the sky and breakfast had already gone by.
"You know what, Kougyoku? Let's just leave." Aladdin turned to look at her, sounding one hundred percent serious.
"Huh?"
"Yam-san was right! These are times of peace and the real one in charge here is Alibaba, so why do I get a harder time than him? Let's just leave and go on a trip around the world. You and me. Alibaba can take care of himself." Aladdin nodded in a self-satisfied manner.
For a moment Kougyoku was stunned, but then she grinned."Yes! Let's go! And on our travels, if we find the perfect wedding spot, everyone will just have to come there for the wedding! When we finally feel at peace, we can come back and do some work, not too much of course! Kouen Nii-sama already said he was going to align my travels with yours!"
Kougyoku was excited by the whirlwind of her thoughts. "We could visit uncharted area, ancient cultures, eat exotic food, wear fabulous clothes! Let's do it, Aladdin!" She had gotten to her feet and was waving her arms around. Aladdin got to his feet, grinning just like her.
"I knew I chose the most perfect person to get married to." Aladdin bent down and pecked her on her lips. "Now go ahead, gather all of the things you want to take with you. Not too much, of course. Then we'll go tell Alibaba we're leaving."
Right now? But I have my presentation...is this wise? Kougyoku wondered, but she looked into Aladdin's eyes again and made her decision. She darted to her closet and stuffed some clothes into a bag, before dragging Aladdin with her to the library where Ka Koubun was struggling to finish her notes.
"Lord Aladdin!" Ka Koubun got to his feet in a hurry.
"Yo!" Aladdin beamed.
"Ka Koubun, pass me those books. Yes, thank you! Oh also, I'm going to be going on a trip, can you do this presentation for me instead?" Kougyoku asked.
"Me?" Ka Koubun squeaked, pointing at himself. Kougyoku and Aladdin nodded. Ka Koubun's eyes rolled up and he fell backward.
"Whoops! Oh well, he'll be fine. He just fainted from the shock. Now let's go find Alibaba!" Aladdin pulled her after him this time.
Alibaba was in Kouen's study. "Alibaba!"
"Kouen Nii-sama!" Kougyoku said. Both turned to them with puzzled looks on their faces.
"We're going on a trip and we're not really asking for your permission, we're just letting you guys know," Aladdin said breezily.
"Huh? Aladdin? Kougyoku! But you guys are important members of the meeti-" Alibaba started in that good old panicky way of his. Meanwhile, Kouen stared at Kougyoku hard and Kougyoku stared right back.
"Very well then, we can handle the meeting ourselves. You two enjoy. It's a vacation well earned." Kouen waved them off.
Aladdin didn't wait for anything else. He turned and ran, still holding Kougyoku's hand. Kougyoku laughed. She looked disastrous, but she had never felt more free and beautiful. They neared the courtyard.
"Wait, wait! Aladdin! You know I don't run as fast as you! Slow down!" Kougyoku laughed.
"Oh! Aladdin! I've got something to-" Kouha said as they ran past him.
"Hi Kouha! Bye Kouha!" Aladdin waved. He jumped into the air, magic carpet spreading beneath his feet as he swept her off her feet, holding her in his arms. "We have a long adventure ahead of us, my queen Kougyoku!"
Kougyoku let out a very unladylike but very her scream into the air.
"Let's go!"
The endless sky spread out before them.
Kougyoku was fine. Home was where Aladdin was.
-o-
A/N - This is the first time I've ever participated in a Big Bang and so I was really really awkward about this, but it was really fun working on this fanfic! I'm really happy that I got to work with my daughter suitcasesoffeathers on tumblr for this! I can't wait to see her art. I'd like to thank magibb on tumblr for having arranged this event and kurisuumakise on tumblr also known as leopah on ao3 for being my beta! And of course I thank my lovely wife rest-in-bees on tumblr who is ephemerality on ao3 for reading through this is it's unrefined form and telling me that it was great!