Series: Politics of Ages||Title: Warnings
Characters: Asuka, Ryou, Manjoume||Ship: Asuka/Manjoume/Ryou
Words: 500/500||Chapters: 1/1
Genre: Romance/Drama||Rated: G
Challenges: Diversity Writing: GX other AUs: A79, K rated; GX Flash Bingo, 124, brinaryshipping,
Asuka/Manjoume/Ryou; Include The Word Boot Camp, #14, current Timeline: AU. I will eventually write a longer version that will tell the full tale blefore and after this snippet.
Summary: Asuka has one consort already. Then she's sent another, who is far more than he seems.

Five years on the throne and little support. Asuka kept her features as smooth and unruffled as possible. And I've been sent a clear message.

Before her stood a tall man wrapped in garments of black leather, features as pale as her own, with fangs equally sharp.

"Welcome." She gestured to the left, to where her official consort stood. "I'm certain you've heard of Manjoume Jun?"

"I have." Marufuji Ryou, famously known as Hell Kaiser, tilted his head once more, this time in a nod. "Our families knew each other, once upon a time." He paused, the tiniest of flickers across his lips. "Before."

Before. Before his family fell to the vampire attacks and he was taken by Camula, remade into her bloodsucking slave.

That had been nearly four hundred years ago. Camula still ruled her land, which had grown and grown since then.

And she sent him here to take mine. Everyone knew Camula's style: send her favorite servant Hell Kaiser to serve the court and eventually he would dispose of the current ruler and add the land to Camula's own.

And now Camula sent him here.

Asuka would not surrender so much as a finger's width of her land. Many rulers had come and gone before her, and rumor had it that most of them – if not all of them – fell to Camula's influence.

She's worked her tricks for so long. It was long since time for this to end.

Her gaze moved from Jun to Hell Kaiser. "Jun, show him to his quarters."

"Got it." Jun stood up, brushing his own black coat off. He remained human. She suspected she'd change that eventually; a human was a good enough consort for a few years, but for any real long term relationship, she needed one of her own kind, be it born or changed.

She tried to avoid returning her gaze to Hell Kaiser. He was a strong vampire, despite being changed. The question that haunted the back of her thoughts remained very simple: How loyal is he to Camula?

A second thought followed it: Is he loyal because of choice or not?

But she could not ask those questions. Not yet, not on his first night in this place. She would have to acquire assistance, some way to speak to him when he could speak his deepest heart.

Rumor spoke of a sibling Hell Kaiser had when still mortal. No one knew if said sibling could still live. But it would be an interesting concept to pursue.

Asuka refused to think of more than that as the two of them left her throne room. Too much lay before her. Too many schemes, too much wariness, too much danger.

One consort was plenty. One consort and a potential concubine – that would be far too much, especially if said concubine could be a death-dealing spy.

Perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad idea to summon her brother and Yuusuke. Any help could be good help. Especially in this case.

The End

Notes: I have a great many ideas for the story to go with this. It won't end with Asuka/Manjoume/Ryou, but it will have a little of that for a while. When will it be done? I don't know. I have far too much I'm already writing for it.