Kuroko no Basket © Fujimaki Tadatoshi

Prologue

It was the dawn of spring when Seijuro, the heir of the throne ascended as the new Emperor of Rakuzan.

The celebration of her brother's succession was grander than any festivity the country had celebrated. All the high ranking government officials and nobles from all districts came to witness the crowning of the prince Seijuro.

The prodigy prince had delivered a short yet very powerful speech that got a round of applause from the audience. After the ceremony that was led by Ootsubo Taisuke-kaka, the Minister of Ceremonies, the palace became very lively with the cheerful songs played by the musicians and the alluring dancers. It was also abundant with delicious food and extraordinary wine.

The Excellencies congratulated the young emperor and assured him of their undying loyalty. The Chancellor Shirogane Eiji-kaka was the one who presented the young emperor a luxurious gift from the excellencies.

While watching her calm and collected brother interact with the old geezers, Satsuki had let out a long sigh which caught the attention of her personal guard, Kagami Taiga.

"Why the long face, hime?" Kagami asked.

"Can you see the joy in my face, Kagamin?" Satsuki replied with full sarcasm that even Kagami can't help but let out a snort.

Satsuki puffed her cheeks as she watched in annoyance the reaction of her guard. "You are not helping at all, Kagamin!"

"I apologize. It is just, hime is really no good with this kind of occasion."

"Are you enjoying yourself Kagamin? Because I cannot help but feel mundane. All the people here are either way too old or very old. Did I mention, old?"

Kagami who was trying his best not to laugh failed and he just let out a loud boisterous laugh that caught a bit of attention from the other servants.

"Watch your mouth, hime. If women dislike being asked of their age, men also dislike being called old."

Satsuki was about to retort when a servant came and told her that her brother had called for her presence.

"Excuse me for a while, Kagamin. The Emperor requested for my beloved presence." Kagami just laughed over her exaggeration. "He finally remembered that he had a sister." Satsuki added before strutting her way towards the young emperor.

"To what do I owe this honor, Emperor Seijuro?" Satsuki asked.

Seijuro met her eyes and gave a small smile. "It seems my beloved sister had developed a sarcastic vocabulary. Does this bore you?" he asked as he gestured at the festivity right in front of him.

"Ani-ue!" Satsuki suddenly felt bad for spreading such negative thoughts on her brother's important ceremony. "I apologize for my behavior."

The young emperor reached out for Satsuki's hand which she gracefully offered. Her brother led her to sit right next to him.

"No need to apologize, Satsuki." He said as he gently massaged her hands to comfort her. "You never had any interest in politics or any matters about the palace."

Satsuki who had her head down looked up to meet her brother's gentle eyes. "I actually envied you for having the freedom to enjoy the wonders of life." Her eyes widen as she noticed the change of tone on her brother's voice.

"But Chichi-hue had great expectations from you, Ani-ue." Satsuki voiced out. "You are more intelligent, perceptive and kind to everyone."

Seijuro was quite taken aback. "You think too highly of me dear sister." He let go of her hand and gently pat her head. Satsuki felt happy. It was one of the rare gestures that her brother did for her.

Satsuki felt that time stopped for them as she forgot the things around her. The sadness she felt when their father passed away had slowly healed. She felt safe. Rumors of a coup d'etat created a sullen atmosphere in the land. The people felt scared for a war meant countless deaths and destroyed lands.

The fear of such madness was the reason Seijuro's succession to the throne was made haste. Despite being at the tender age of 18, the young prince made a firm decision to follow their late father's footsteps.

The grieving period was cut short for it was more important to assure the people who had grown weary of the situation. And now her brother is the new ruler of the land. She was proud; for Seijuro was a man who had exceptional talent and strong presence.

"Satsuki."

The serious tone used by her brother woke her from her thoughts. There was something different with the way he had said her name. It was said with authority, there was no trace of endearment and it made Satsuki's heart beat faster than normal.

"Yes, Ani-ue?"

"A well-known and wealthy clan asked me for your hand." It took Satsuki a while to register what her brother had told her. "I took the liberty of investigating them and they are a good and trustworthy family." Her hands got cold. Without looking at a mirror, she knew that her face grew pale.

"They are a simple merchant family. They have three sons. Their eldest is working as our Librarian, you might remember Chihiro-dono. I doubt that though because not everyone can see him."

Satsuki took three painful breathes as she thought of what to say to her brother. "Then will I marry him, Chihiro-dono?"

Seijuro threw her a confused glance. "Of course not. They wanted you to marry their youngest son."

"At first, when I met him, I felt nothing. His presence was weak. He had neither potential as a warrior nor as politician." Seijuro took a sip from his tea, his eyes reflected curiosity like they had found a rare jewel.

"It is true that he does not have any redeeming qualities but I sense that he is special." Satsuki felt a cold chill ran up to her spine. It felt that she was not talking to her brother but to a stranger. This was not Seijuro, this was not his kind brother.

"If polished well, he can be an asset to the palace."

Satsuki felt like crying. The arrangement was a bit a shock but she felt that she had lost another member of her family. She was not talking to Seijuro but to another man who looked like Seijuro.

"Is that alright with you, Satsuki?" Seijuro turned towards her. Satsuki fought the tears that are about to fall. She needed to be strong. She should not cause burden to her brother. He had a lot of heavy burden on his shoulders.

Her being a part of that burden saddens her. So with renewed strength, Satsuki nodded her head. She accepted the fate of every princess. She accepted that she cannot marry someone she truly love. Seijuro reached for her hand and gave her a tight squeeze which she reciprocated.

It was alright.

Her brother only wanted what was best for her.

And besides, love can grow.

...

...

...

It was the dawn of spring when the prince Seijuro, the heir of the throne ascended as the new Emperor of Rakuzan. And it was also the same spring that Satsuki was to be betrothed to the son of a wealthy merchant clan.

-to be continued-

My first Aomomo fic.

Leave any comments if you can. :D