Con Amore
The Kingdom of the Awataguchi family far in the east had the richest land. Luscious forests, cool lakes and a variety of produce could be harvested every year. It wasn't just prosperous in that term but also in its kingdom lineage. With 2 deceased queens, the king was left to care for his 12 sons.
It was only natural that after the eldest son had reached a certain age, he would be betrothed to a suitable suitor. There was only one problem.
None of the younger brothers were willing to let that happen. Unbeknownst to the king, his mischievous sons did whatever it took to protect their brother from being married off into the wrong hands. As of 18 suitors, none passed the tortures of the 11 younger brothers.
Ichigo sighed at his brothers' proud looks as another suitor left their kingdom after they nearly poisoned him.
"Guys, this is the 18th prince." Ichigo stated tiredly.
Namazuo clarified, "Technically it's the 11th prince. You had 7 princesses come here as well."
Hakata hugged Ichigo's legs, "Princesses were mean to us!"
"Yeah!" joined in Akita, "And that prince made faces at Midare! He even called him a sissy! And he kicked Gokotai's cubs!"
Gokotai was saddened by the thought, "He almost step on two of them on purpose… He deserve to have stomach achies for a week."
"Gokotai!" scolded Ichigo.
Nakigitsune intervened, "They're right. We would never allow you to marry such insolent and spoiled royal brats."
Looks like Ichigo would stay single forever. He was turning 20 soon. After 3 years of back-to-back suitors, not one of them pleased his brothers. It was nice in a way to have filters for suitors but how much longer till the perfect one comes? It was going to take a miracle to get them to agree on one suitor.
That night, Ichigo had a private discussion with his father.
"I'm glad you didn't take a liking to him. He hardly had any respect for me." informed the king with a smile.
"Yes, father. Even the little ones realized his awful manners. Despite that, please forgive me. This is the 18th suitor you've invited here. We are running out of options and I am giving you a bad name by driving them away one after the other."
"Nonsense." The king frowned and sat back, "Your brothers may be young but they are not blind. Should they ever meet the one, you would be the first to know."
"Yes, father. But when will that be?"
The king understood Ichigo's worries. The eligible age rarely went above 23. If the brothers continued rejecting viable candidates in the next 3 years, Ichigo would be forced to marry without their consent. Given that said prince or princess wanted a diplomatic relationship with the Awataguchi kingdom.
Every other kingdom wanted to conquer the riches of the vast Awataguchi land so it wouldn't be difficult to find a last resort suitor.
Of course, the king didn't want just anyone for his eldest son. Or any of his sons in fact.
The king cleared his throat, "I expected it to turn out like this for that insolent prince so I sent out a letter while he was still residing in our palace."
"A letter? To whom?"
"The king from the kingdom of the far west. You have never been properly introduced to them but they are well informed of your suitor problem. The king is an old man and will be crowning his son soon." The king watched Ichigo's hopeful expression, "They will send their king-to-be in a fortnight. He shall stay for a fortnight as well. He is to be your 19th suitor."
"May I know the prince's name?"
"Mikazuki Munechika."
A knight dressed in pure white excitedly opened the door of the moving carriage to get a better view, "Woah! This place is amazing! Uguisumaru, look! They have a lake!"
"Tsurumaru, will you please calm down? You're acting like a child."
Tsurumaru Kuninaga pouted at his fellow knight, "You're no fun you know that?"
All of a sudden, they both heard the prince call after them from the front carriage, "Tsurumaru." His head was poking out, "If you don't get back inside, you'll leave a bad impression to the onlookers."
Tsurumaru playfully saluted the prince in his care, "Yes, your highness!"
"They're coming! I see them!" shouted Midare who was sitting on the balcony ledge along with Yagen and Atsu.
Immediately, every single prince rushed to look. Nakigitsune had Gokotai on his shoulders while Honebami and Namazuo carried Akita and Hakata. Ichigo himself joined and lifted the twins, Hirano and Maeda with both hands.
Yagen smiled, "What's the first step?"
Atsu smirked, "Eliminate the bodyguards."
"No. Please do not eliminate the bodyguards." Ichigo quickly warned them, "No injuring the prince, no poisons, no tripping and no weird concoctions in the bathroom. Clear?"
Half of them gave a lighthearted response. That wasn't good.
"How are we going to know if the prince is go-go then?" inquired Gokotai.
"We could go the traditional way." inspired Hirano.
Midare turned with curiosity dancing in his eyes, "What's the traditional way?"
"Interrogation." supplied the twins in sync.
Namazuo rubbed his chin, "Reverse psychology hmm…"
Yagen looked impressed, "A more direct way to blackmail him."
"And maybe with the usage of truth potion." Honebami added.
Ichigo just sighed. He hoped this prince was prepared for whatever his brothers were already planning.
Once they entered the palace territory, Tsurumaru and Uguisumaru prepared to escort their prince. Mikazuki Munechika was the proud jewel of the kingdom of the west. Truthfully, he took it as a challenge to see if he could woo the east prince who turned down 18 suitors in 3 years.
Once Mikazuki stepped out of the carriage, the 12 princes were ready to greet him on the top stairs of the doorway.
A single prince stepped forward. One with striking hair color and the ambiance of natural graceful royalty.
"Welcome to our kingdom, Prince Mikazuki Munechika."
Mikazuki smiled and returned the prince's polite bow, "It is a pleasure to be stepping on your fruitful land, my prince."
"Ah! Where are my manners?" Ichigo cleared his throat, "My name is Ichigo Hitofuri, eldest son of King Awataguchi."
"So I've heard." Mikazuki smirked, "The rumors weren't lying about your charming face."
Ichigo held back the blush waiting to creep on his face. To be complimented by such a good-looking prince was heartwarming.
Mikazuki changed the topic by waving his hand towards the two knights behind him, "These are my escorts. Uguisumaru and Tsurumaru."
Ichigo smiled at them and bowed slightly, "Welcome to my kingdom. I hope you'll enjoy your stay here, Uguisumaru and Tsurumaru. I'll be sure to have my brothers show you your rooms later."
Tsurumaru and Uguisumaru was…a little taken back by the humbleness of the prince. Heck, even Mikazuki's smile disappeared for a second. No prince had ever cared for the escorts or knights. Much less to actually greet them by names and bow at them.
Failing to see what had caused them to look so surprised, Ichigo ushered them up the stairs, "Come. I'll introduce you to my brothers."
Once inside, the Awataguchi brothers obediently lined up, with welcoming smiles.
Ichigo named them one by one, all of them bowing to the foreign prince who gracefully bowed back.
"Gokotai, Akita, can you show the knights their spare room?"
Hakata lifted his hand, "Can I come too?"
"Of course you can" smiled the eldest prince. He then turned to his other smug-faced brothers and shoo-ed them away. Honebami, Namazuo, Nakigitsune, Maeda and Hirano were fine and just bid them farewell.
But Yagen and Midare even went up to the point of bowing too politely, "Alas we must part for now" Yagen said slyly. Midare added, "We shall meet again dear prince."
Atsu shouted from behind them, "Enjoy our brother while you still can!"
Ichigo buried his face in one hand while simultaneously rubbing his temples.
Once they were alone, Ichigo led the prince to the throne room where his father awaited.
"You have…interesting brothers." Mikazuki chuckled.
"I can assure you that they will redefine your perspective of 'interesting'…"
"Brothers always are."
They both laughed together. As Ichigo walked with Mikazuki to meet the king, his brothers were having a blast with the knights.
Uguisumaru and Tsurumaru were generally great with kids. But the Awataguchi youngest brothers were simply the friendliest bunch. By the time they reached the knights' room, Gokotai was on Tsurumaru's shoulders with his tiger cubs dangling all over the knight's body. Meanwhile, Uguisumaru was holding Akita and Hakata by the hand as they told him of their kingdom's folktales.
The three played in the knight's room and made a great deal of noise. So much noise, that it attracted the other princes as well.
Maeda and Hirano came bursting in with angry faces, "There you three are! Brother was worried!"
Namazuo came in casually with a sheepish smile directed towards the knights, "Sorry about them. They can be a handful sometimes."
Honebami came in next and bowed, "We apologize for any inconvenience."
God, this royal family was almost too humble for Tsurumaru and Uguisumaru to process.
Tsurumaru lifted his hands, "No no! This is by far the friendliest welcome we've ever gotten..!"
Uguisumaru nodded, "We appreciate your hospitality to provide us with rooms and…" he smiled at the playing children, "…entertainment."
"Hah!" Namazuo sat crossed legged on the floor and pulled a running Gokotai and Akita into his arms. The two boys giggled at being captured but relented into their brother's hold.
The others followed suite and each found their own 'lap seat'. Hakata happily sat on Tsurumaru, Hirano sat on Uguisumaru and Maeda sat on Honebami. Thee elder princes all sat on the floor, where the knights were sitting.
Tsurumaru took the longest while to see that these princes saw no difference in status. Once you were in their home, you were family.
Tsurumaru slowly lifted his hand and patted Hakata's head. Instead of getting yelled at or being called insolent, Hakata beamed up at him, "Do you like my hair? I'm a natural blonde!"
The knight was surprised but he humored the young prince, "Oh really? Well, my hair's natural too."
"Oooo can I touch it?"
"Of course."
Hakata sat up on Tsurumaru's lap and blotched the knight's hair curiously, "Just like my brothers'!"
Honebami smiled out of the corner of Tsurumaru's eye.
While Hakata got comfortable again, Uguisumaru inquired, "Pardon me, your highnesses-"
Namazuo cut him off, "Hahaha! I haven't had someone call me that since mom passed! Just call us by our names. We're more comfortable that way."
"That would seem awfully rude-"
"Please. We insist." Honebami stressed, "Our father practices the usage of equal treatment. We are no better qualified humans than you are."
Again, the knights were baffled.
Suddenly, the door opened again. And in came a masked prince with his faithful fox, "It seems those three are at it again."
How did he even find them?
Namazuo groaned, "I knew it… What is it this time?"
Nakigitsune tilted his head, "Probably infecting the bed sheets as we speak."
Hirano looked up to Uguisumaru, "We don't like bad guys to take Ichi-nii away so we're going to kill your prince."
Uguisumaru looked genuinely frightened but Tsurumaru just burst out laughing.
After meeting the king, Ichigo and Mikazuki found all the brothers and the two knights in the room meant for the foreign prince.
Ichigo just sighed, "Who did it this time?"
Everyone pointed at either Yagen, Midare or Atsu while the three of them pointed at each other.
Ichigo looked at the bed sheet that was messed up and put two and two together, "The bed? What were you three going to let happen? Rashes on his skin?"
Yagen corrected, "Using poison Ivy extract to be exact."
The eldest prince sighed, "Fine. No one enters this room until we replace the bed and the sheets." He then turned to Mikazuki, "Please forgive my brothers. Also, I will show you to your temporary room."
Midare trailed guiltily, "Wait, Ichi-nii! We…kinda…started out with..that room?"
"Unbelievable."
The three were smart enough to admit the rooms they did infect because then everyone would know who did it anyway since they were already caught.
Dinner happened next. The brothers seemed well behaved while eating but the knights noticed their cunning faces. And the tiny messages they sent to each other. Luckily, no one was poisoned during dinner but something else did happen.
"Tsurumaru, Uguisumaru, why are you two not sitting down?" asked Ichigo curiously.
Uguisumaru smiled, "It's alright. We will eat later."
"Nonsense." bellowed the king, "Come, sit and eat."
Both knights turned to Mikazuki for permission. The prince nodded with the same confused expression as the knights.
Ichigo clarified, "You are Prince Mikazuki's escorts. Thus, you will join us during meal times. Is that alright with you, Mikazuki?"
Who was the prince to deny such welcoming tradition?
Due to the mishaps with the sheets, Mikazuki ended up using Ichigo's room to rest for the night. The maids would have to carefully clean up both infected rooms and prepare new sheets and bedding before Mikazuki could use it.
After a mouthful from the king, Midare, Yagen and Atsu solemnly retreated to their rooms.
Ichigo was to sleep in Maeda and Hirano's room which was the nearest to his original room. If anything, it would be easy for Mikazuki to reach him.
Given access to the kitchen, Uguisumaru made himself some fresh green tea using the kingdom's high quality products. It definitely tasted unique and delicious.
He prepared a teapot of it and brought two cups out with him to the gardens outside the palace. That was where Tsurumaru would be. He was right of course.
Uguisumaru set the tray down on a convenient table near the big trees that acted as the palace walls.
"Tsurumaru, would you care for some tea?"
"Yeah sure. Give me a moment." came the distant reply.
Tsurumaru was resting on a high branch of a tall tree. He loved climbing trees and it helped him keep an eye on his prince. Mikazuki had smiled cheekily at him before covering the windows using Ichigo's blue curtains.
Tsurumaru scoffed. It didn't take long for Mikazuki to turn off the lights. Meanwhile, in the twin's room right in front of him, he saw the eldest prince dutifully dry up his brothers' hair with a white fluffy towel.
The twins took turns as Ichigo dried them up from head to toe. It didn't seem out of place but something intrigued Tsurumaru. Like why Ichigo wasn't drying himself up with them. Then, one of the twins suddenly left for the bathroom again.
"Ichi-nii! The bath is ready!" called out Hirano.
Tsurumaru tilted his head, "So he really does bathe separately."
And unlike the twins, Ichigo never took off his clothes before entering the bathroom. For someone who seemed overly attached to his siblings, Tsurumaru would expect Ichigo to bathe together with them. It only seemed natural for a dedicated big brother like Ichigo Hitofuri. Surely, it was a small matter but no matter how insignificant it may seem, it didn't validate that it wasn't important.
The knight let the matter go for the night and proceeded to keep Uguisumaru company.
Tsurumaru woke up in the middle of the night for some reason.
Maybe it was the bed. He wasn't used to it yet. A walk should do the trick. The corridors were empty but it felt safe.
It was way past sun down and just a few hours before the next sun rise.
"Tsurumaru?"
The knight was stunned to hear his name. He turned only to see Honebami and Nakigitsune.
"Your highnesses- I mean, Prince Honebami. And Prince Nakigitsune."
Honebami smiled, "You can drop the prince as well. It sounds funny."
Tsurumaru rubbed the back of his head, "I will need time to get used to that. Maybe by tomorrow."
"Can you not sleep?" inquired Nakigitsune.
"You could say that. What are you two doing up?"
With a sigh, Honebami said, "Making sure no one is up to no good. With enough motivation, even the children can stay awake for days."
"Wow."
"Until the next sunrise then." Nakigitsune bowed to him.
The princes left Tsurumaru and continued upstairs towards the bed chambers. They were probably going to check on the terrific trio again. Mikazuki wasn't stupid though. He could probably smell poison and detect foreign usage of powder from as far as 1 meter. They were trained for that after all.
Tsurumaru couldn't sleep in the end. Before the Sun rose, he climbed the tree again to check on his prince. He knew Mikazuki was a heavy sleeper. Guess he'd have to wait till the prince was actually up.
A lot of unexpected events had happened in less than a day and things were about to get weirder and weirder. Because Ichigo was already dressed and had just exited the twins' room.
"No way."
Tsurumaru hastily climbed down the tree. And re-entered the palace just in time to see Ichigo enter the same kitchen they were given full access to.
The knight crept slowly towards the kitchen and peeked inside.
It was definitely Ichigo and he was… tying on a white apron. His usual pressed sleeves were rolled up and neatly buttoned. The prince was oblivious to Tsurumaru as he took out various ingredients from the pantry; ranging from bread to eggs, milk and other produce.
Tsurumaru smirked. He quietly tiptoed in. And when he was right behind Ichigo, the knight shouted, "Surprise!"
Ichigo jolted so badly, he fell backwards while clutching onto the produce with a death grip. Luckily, Tsurumaru caught him.
"Hahahaha! I'm so sorry. I didn't know you would be that shocked!"
The prince was still holding a carton of milk when he suddenly found himself in the arms of the knight. Looking at Tsurumaru's face and hearing his laugh made Ichigo laugh briefly as well.
Ichigo straightened himself up and took a breather, "That's the first time anyone has ever scared me so much."
Tsurumaru smiled sheepishly, "Sorry. You don't see that many people around this time, do you?"
"If you excluded Gokotai's cubs, then yes, I don't expect anyone to be up at this hour."
"Thought so. Where do you guys eat breakfast?"
"Here." Ichigo pointed to the large wooden table behind them.
"I thought the maids eat here- Wait. Where are they?"
"At home."
"You mean like- home home? In the village home?"
"Yes. Is that odd?"
"Odd no. Different is more like it."
Ichigo opened up the cabinets in search of more supply as he explained, "Our mothers gave out that law." He paused and remembered the decree, "To give freedom to the palace workers. They will work at the palace as how mongers would at the market. The guards and royal knights use the shift systems. Since we don't have much need for security, we are light on the matter."
"I see. I admire you and your kingdom a lot. You guys are humble towards us despite our different status."
Ichigo turned to Tsurumaru, "You and I aren't so different, Tsurumaru. We are all merely humans."
The knight smiled in awe, "You're the perfect prince, Ichigo Hitofuri. I'm starting to wonder how you managed to drive away 18 prince and princesses."
Ichigo shook his head with a chuckle, "Trust me, it wasn't me."
After Ichigo closed all the cabinets, Tsurumaru could see that he was ready to cook. What's the harm in participating?
"Can I lend you a hand? I've never seen a prince prepare meals before."
Ichigo had a fond smile adorning his face, "Our late mothers used to make breakfast together. Everyone has different taste during breakfast. And you do not like the small ones cranky."
While talking, Ichigo had managed to pull out another apron from god knows where and casually put it on Tsurumaru himself. The prince even turned the knight around to tie the knot. Guess that was a yes for Tsurumaru offering some help.
"Imagine having to feed at least 6 different morning appetites."
"That must be rough."
"Quite the opposite actually." smiled the prince, "It's fun if you can put your mind into it."
"Are you challenging me, your highness?" snickered Tsurumaru.
Ichigo held the wooden ladle like a fencing sword and his other hand on his hip, "Please Tsurumaru. Call me Ichigo."
Yagen and Nakigitsune often woke up earlier than the rest. Yagen liked to read books in the early morning while waiting for Ichigo to call them for breakfast. Nakigitsune liked to play with the cubs and his fox.
But that morning, all the brothers woke up at the same early time. And they only realized why when they rubbed the sleep from their eyes and listened. The sound was a little distant due to the palace corridors' echoing effects but it was clear as day.
They heard Ichigo gasp dramatically.
"Tsurumaru how could you?!"
"You threw cocoa all over my head Ichigo!"
Everyone could hear Tsurumaru and Ichigo bickering but with laughter in their voices.
It allured all the siblings to the kitchen. At their arrival, the messy duo froze in shock in the 'decorated' kitchen before breaking into sheepish smiles.
Ichigo ushered them inside, "Good morning everyone! Sorry, were we too loud..?"
Tsurumaru was smiling goofily beside Ichigo.
The brothers mumbled their reply simultaneously. They were too engrossed at watching Tsurumaru slowly lift his balled right hand behind Ichigo. And then it stopped right above the prince's head.
"Everyone ready for breakfast?"
"Uhh.." Namazuo trailed.
Tsurumaru opened his fist let a handful of flour dropped all over Ichigo's head.
The knight was trying to hold back his laughter while the younger brothers just gawked at Ichigo. The prince was still smiling despite the white flour covering his face. But his eyes clearly showed his annoyance. He was going to explode in 3…2…
"TSURUMARU!"
"HAHAHAHA!" finally laughed the knight.
Nakigitsune was the first to laugh along. And surely, the contagious act spread until everyone couldn't help but laugh.
Even though Ichigo was shouting and scolding Tsurumaru, the knight continued to laugh. He even apologized and ruffled Ichigo's hair to get rid of some of the flour.
Maeda and Hirano pointed at them, "Chocolate and vanilla!"
Ichigo and Tsurumaru just chuckled as they were laughed at again.
Both the prince and knight served fresh loaves, scones, scrambled proteins and hot jam to the brothers. Along with milk and chocolate pudding. They insisted Tsurumaru to join them for breakfast but he stressed that he wouldn't eat without Uguisumaru and his prince.
Ichigo respected his wish and excused him to clean himself up.
"Breakfast will be served until the early afternoon. Feel free to help yourself to any of the food."
"Thank you, your highne- Ichigo. Thank you, Ichigo."
Ichigo smiled out of appreciation.
Back at the room, Uguisumaru gave him an odd look, "What did you do this time?"
"Hey! I didn't do this ok? Ichigo did."
"Ichigo?" The knight cheekily asked, "The prince?"
"It's not like that."
Uguisumaru smirked but didn't pry any further.
Tsurumaru undressed and was shocked to see a cocoa hand print on the back of his uniform. Then he remembered Ichigo smiling at him and patting his back as he was leaving the kitchen.
"Oh god!" And he put himself through another fit of laughter. The prince made sure to get back at him.
The king's reading time was disturbed by early morning noises. Usually he would be a little upset but it was so rare to hear Ichigo laugh heartily. The king almost didn't recognize it. He went out of his study room and enjoyed the sounds of happiness from his eldest son.
The thing was, Ichigo wasn't the only one laughing.
"Your majesty."
The king almost gasped at seeing the foreign prince suddenly beside him, "Yes, Mikazuki?"
"There are certain issues that I need to discuss with you. I wish to relay the message from the king himself."
Ichigo's laughter had escalated with Tsurumaru's infuriated light tone in the background.
"You're putting too many eggs Ichigo!"
"Who's the cook here? Me or you?"
"I'm telling you there's- argh!"
"Tsurumaru! Give me back the batter!"
Mikazuki chuckled, glancing down the corridors where the kitchen was, "This concerns the future of your eldest prince, your majesty. And I would hate to delay such important matters."
All cleaned up, Tsurumaru left Uguisumaru to escort their prince while he loitered around. It was interesting to see what the brothers did in their free time after breakfast. He also found various wire tripping traps and white powder?
Tsurumaru rubbed the powder he found on the staircase between the tips of his fingers.
Midare warned from behind him, "Careful, that stains white."
"What is it?" Tsurumaru asked, unfazed by the prince's sudden presence.
"Atsu and Yagen made it. It's supposed to make you sick but the previous prince didn't fall for it. Now it doesn't work anymore so it just stains white clothes."
Tsurumaru faced Midare, "Why are you all so intent on driving the suitors away?"
The prince shrugged, "All harmful suitors don't deserve Ichi-nii. And if they can't accept even one of us, all of us won't accept them."
"Is my prince all that bad?" asked the knight in reference to Mikazuki.
Midare seemed to shy away, "Actually…he's quite nice. He never confused me and neither did you or Uguisumaru. So I won't be bothering him anymore."
"That's good to hear." Tsurumaru knew Mikazuki went to speak with the three mischievous princes. At least he won the heart of one out of twelve.
"I can't promise about the others though. You may think only Yagen and Atsu are still active but you have no clue how dangerous all my brothers can be."
Tsurumaru literally saw the cubs being at 4 places at once. He knew enough.
The day went pass in an uneventful manner. At least, until the late evening. After a hearty meal prepared by the cooks, Tsurumaru explored the brothers' territory to see more of their true character.
The knight managed to catch both Yagen and Atsu in their own private study. They were surprisingly inviting. They didn't mind at all when Tsurumaru asked if he could come in.
Both princes were relatively young but they were already so bright. Tsurumaru almost thought they were wizards or at least qualified as tutors of princes.
They had books, tons of books and multiple vials and pots of ingredients to make whatever new things they could think of.
As they sat on the floor between the self-made mountains of books, Tsurumaru smiled.
"You guys are…so smart." Tsurumaru complimented out of the blue and it made both Yagen and Atsu pause their reading.
"Ah, sorry! I mean- I don't think I've ever met princes who are as talented as you two in this division."
Wait. Were they blushing?
Yagen cleared his throat, "That's- the first time anyone has said that to us."
Atsu shyly looked down, for once acting his age, "People always say we're strange and whatever we make is pointless."
Tsurumaru felt his heart swell. The brothers were adorable. This was what Ichigo meant by saying it wasn't him who drove off the past 18 suitors.
The knight crouched down and patted their heads, "Doing your best to protect your brother from harmful suitors is not pointless. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
The two princes looked up to Tsurumaru with awe in their eyes. Clearly, they've never had an adult figure appreciate their hard work.
When Tsurumaru realized what he was doing, he quickly backed away with raised hands, "Well would you look at the time?! Time for me to go! You two have fun ok?" And just like that he left the princes' private study.
Even after Tsurumaru left, the princes could still feel the knight's encouraging palm on their heads. It gave them new determination to work harder to protect Ichigo.
Meanwhile, outside the room, Tsurumaru rubbed his head out of frustration and thought to himself, 'What are you doing?!'
The knight sighed and left the premises.
He went outside for some fresh air and was surprised to see a few cubs running towards him from the forest. When the cubs didn't stop, Tsurumaru sighed, "Oh no."
Aaaaand he was pounced by all five tiger cubs to the ground.
"Uwah! I'm so sorry!"
'That is definitely Gokotai'
"We told you to put them on leashes!"
"Yeah we told you like a year ago!"
'Definitely Hirano and Maeda.'
"Will you guys stop running around everywhere?!"
"You might fall."
'Ah. The two elder princes. Honebami and Namazuo.'
Before the cubs were even done with sniffing and sitting on Tsurumaru, a fox joined them by sitting on his face.
'And Nakigitsune.'
Yeah. Tsurumaru got all their names down to a pat.
The masked prince lifted his fox from the knight's face, "Pardon me. He's not attracted to many people. I am quite surprised he likes you."
"I feel honored then."
Gokotai hovered above the knight and guiltily looked down at Tsurumaru. Thing is, his cubs were starting to nap on the knight. Amazing.
"I'm fine, really. Wasn't doing anything anyway."
Akita laughed from the corridor and quickly ran to Tsurumaru, "What are you doing, mister?"
"I'm suffocating under the weight of your brother's cubs."
Gokotai looked worried again but Tsurumaru waved at him, "I was joking, hahaha!" He took a deep breath, "This actually feels nice."
Namazuo and Honebami also crouched down to observe Tsurumaru.
When Ichigo walked by, he couldn't see the knight, only his brothers, "What are you all doing?"
Nakigitsune moved to reveal Tsurumaru who then lifted a hand at Ichigo, upside down, "Yo."
Maeda bluntly said, "We're sacrificing him to Gokotai's cubs."
Ichigo had nothing to say to that but, "I wish you the best of luck, Tsurumaru."
"I think I'll live."
They laughed. Including a very amused Ichigo.
Week one passed with over 4 attempts of assassinating Mikazuki. But the prince easily skied through it all. No one was injured and the brothers were starting to feel that Mikazuki might actually make it through the fortnight.
Maeda and Hirano both used the 'interrogation' method which Mikazuki answered flawlessly. They asked regarding the family and also telling Mikazuki all of Ichigo's bad habits to which the prince only complimented. Whether the prince was actually telling the truth, they couldn't confirm. Still, it was good enough that Mikazuki didn't falter even a little.
Yagen and Atsu continued with their poisons and concoctions in the prince's food and recently his bathtub. But as Tsurumaru had said before, Mikazuki was no dumb prince. He foiled all their plans and even almost reversed the effects to Ichigo to threaten the brothers. After Ichigo almost ate their poisoned tart, the two came to a momentary truce with Mikazuki.
Gokotai's plan of surprise traps failed badly (due to Tsurumaru and Uguisumaru disabling them). But Mikazuki comforted him by telling him it was a wonderful attempt. Winning Gokotai over meant winning Akita and Hakata's trust as well. Technically, Mikazuki was nice to them so they had no reason to hate him.
The 3 older princes, Honebami, Namazuo and Nakigitsune, had not yet try to test the prince. Perhaps they were waiting for something.
Ichigo was starting to feel that his brothers were slowly accepting Mikazuki . Only because Mikazuki backfired all their plans and not necessarily because he won their hearts.
Mikazuki on the other hand, was a charming prince who escorted Ichigo almost everywhere. They seemed like the perfect match with their similar air of grace. They talked of their kingdoms and traditions. Mikazuki was quite fond of Ichigo's relationship with his people and servants. It was a different but wonderful perspective; to treat everyone equally.
While Mikazuki managed to dodge all the attacks from the brothers, he did so with a smirk and a glint in his eyes. That was already like a warning signal and it started to scare some of the princes. By hook or by crook, a part of them would still continue to stop Mikazuki from getting Ichigo.
Out of curiosity and concern, Ichigo approached Namazuo, "Is Honebami with you? And Nakigitsune?"
"Nooo, but I can call them. Did you want to see us Ichi-nii?"
"Yes, if that's alright."
"No problem! I think I last saw them in the pantry. Akita wanted a sandwich."
"Ah, then we'll just go to the pantry."
Once there, surely Nakigitsune and Honebami were watching Midare and Akita eat their sandwiches. Honebami and Nakigitsune were sandwich experts (to their younger brothers only by the way).
Ichigo patted both his younger brothers' heads, "Akita. Midare." Gaining their attention, the prince politely requested, "Is it alright if I speak with your brothers alone? You can go eat out in the garden."
"Really?!" they both beamed.
Ichigo never allowed meals outside. It was an inappropriate manner of eating according to their late mothers. So, to have Ichigo give the green light was as rare as the blue moon.
"Thanks Ichi-nii!" chimed Midare and Akita as they excitedly brought their sandwiches outside.
Namazuo took a seat between his brothers as they waited for Ichigo to make sure the coast was clear.
"Okay, no one here but us." sighed the eldest prince.
"Is something the matter, brother?" Honebami asked.
Nakigitsune tilted his head, "Did we do something wrong?"
"No no, it's not that." Ichigo sat opposite his three brothers, "I was just wondering why you three haven't started… um… initiated anything."
"What?" Namazuo looked confused, "You mean towards Mikazuki?"
"Yes."
Honebami turned to Namazuo and then back to Ichigo, "We don't feel like it."
Ichigo gave them his most perplexed look with a frown.
Nakigitsune continued, "It's as though, he's not the one we need to test."
Ichigo still didn't understand.
"Ichigo!" echoed a familiar voice from the outside.
Out of instinct, the prince immediately answered, "I'm in here, Tsurumaru!"
Tsurumaru popped into the kitchen with a happy face, "Ichigo! I got permission to- Oh, sorry, was I interrupting something?"
The eldest prince couldn't even answer for his brothers did so before him.
Namazuo shook his head, "No, we just finished!"
Honebami smiled at Tsurumaru. The knight always seemed to brighten up the room, "What brings you here, Tsurumaru?"
"Ah right! The pantry is emptying out and I asked permission from the king to get some produce from the market. He told me Ichigo loves to visit town, so I thought I might as well invite him along~"
Ichigo was delighted that his father had said that. It had been awhile since his last visit to town. But he was even more touched by Tsurumaru's initiative to invite him.
"I'd love to go with you, Tsurumaru."
"Good, I've been dying to get a tour!"
Ichigo excused himself and followed an energetic Tsurumaru to the stables. Their voices could be heard even after they exited the pantry.
"Hey Ichigo, maybe we could find those berries you like!"
"This isn't its season, Tsurumaru"
"Ah curses..! I thought I could-….and maybe-…."
After their voices faded out, Namazuo turned to Nakigitsune, "The wrong person to test huh?"
The prince shrugged, "Ichi-nii's expression and body movement is much more natural when with him than with Mikazuki. Besides, Mikazuki doesn't seem….interested in Ichi-nii."
Honebami rubbed his chin, "Is it the age? Tsurumaru looks to be the same age as him."
"Either that or-" Namazuo stopped halfway.
"Or?"
The prince suddenly realized, "Didn't Tsurumaru say something about berries?"
Honebami's eyes widened, "It took us years to figure them out. Did Ichi-nii told him by any chance?"
Nakigitsune shook his head, "Breakfast. The jam Ichi-nii always makes for himself. Three days ago was the last portion Ichi-nii made and then he started eating plain bread again."
"….he noticed that quickly? In a week?"
"WOAH ICHIGO LOOK AT THESE FRUITS!"
Ichigo couldn't help but smile at how Tsurumaru reacted to every single produce in the market.
The people greeted them with friendly smiles and offered plenty of free samples for the prince and his escort.
"Wait. This is for us? FOR FREE? WOAH NO WAY"
Tsurumaru was eating a few berry samples and when he tasted one that he liked, he tried to hand feed it to Ichigo, "You have to try this one."
Ichigo gulped, "Umm…maybe not here, Tsurumaru."
"Eh? Why not? It's sweet!"
Ichigo started getting flustered and Tsurumaru remained confused.
Then, the lady at the vendor told Tsurumaru, "You shouldn't show too much affection to the prince or we might think you're one of his suitors!"
Suddenly, Tsurumaru noticed Ichigo's blush and he too started blushing tenfold, "A-Ah! Sorry sorry! Nevermind you can taste them on your own! Well, I'll look at more stuff! Um.. Over there! Okay? You just-umm.. sample the berries." He gave a thumbs up to the lady with failed confidence, "Really good! Thank you ma'am."
The knight awkwardly walked to the other end of the market.
The lady smiled at Ichigo, "He's a charming man, dear prince."
Ichigo smiled sheepishly, "He is, isn't he?"
"He doesn't seem like your previous awful suitors."
"He's actually my suitor's escort."
"I see. He seems very nice and I feel bad for making him blush like that."
Ichigo's face softened, "It's partially my fault. He didn't mean anything by it."
Less than 5 minutes later, Tsurumaru came back with more food samples and with the face of a child again; the embarrassing incident long forgotten.
"ICHIGO THAT MAN GAVE OUT FREE MEAT BUNS"
The prince laughed, "With your enthusiasm, I'd be surprised if he didn't."
Tsurumaru bit into one bun, "It tastes so good!"
"Can I try some?"
The knight happily held out the bun. Tsurumaru wholeheartedly expected Ichigo to take the bun after what had happened a moment ago. But when Ichigo leaned forward and bit into it from Tsurumaru's hand, the knight stood sentry.
"Ichigo..! You didn't have to do that- I mean, it's-"
"-not wrong." Ichigo finished for him as he chewed, "You're right, this is delicious!"
"Right right?"
"Should we get some for the others?"
"They'd love it!"
Ichigo felt much better. So did Tsurumaru. The two walked around the market and bought plenty of produce to last maybe a month. Of course, it would be shipped later in the day. The items that they brought back on their horses were merely tid-bits for everyone to enjoy.
Once in the palace, Tsurumaru and Ichigo carried two large brown paper bags. As they walked to the pantry, Tsurumaru shouted all over the corridors, "WE'RE BACK! AND WE HAVE SNACKS! ANYONE WHO THINKS HE'S A DESERVING PRINCE FOR SNACKS PLEASE COME TO THE PANTRY!"
Ichigo chuckled, "That will surely get their attention."
True enough, they had only put the bags down when the Awataguchi princes started showing up.
"Settle down settle down"
Even Mikazuki came, "Am I a deserving prince, Tsurumaru?"
"Your highness, you're so deserving, that I feel like not giving you any." joked the knight.
"I'll have your head for that"
Everyone laughed.
Tsurumaru passed out the food ranging from sweets to local delicacies and specified who which food was for ehom.
Yagen looked at his green squishy balls, "What is…this?"
Ichigo smiled, "Tsurumaru chose them. He chose all of them."
The knight smiled cheekily, "Based on your breakfast preference! I hope I'm right though."
Some of the princes looked solemnly at Ichigo.
"Don't pout until you try it." scolded the eldest prince.
Midare shrugged and gave his weird pink ball a chance. His eyes widened as he made a loud noise, "This is-…! SO good!"
Atsu gave his a skeptical look but from Midare's reaction, he decided to give his black noodle a shot, "Oh." He slurped it quickly after the first strand, "Wow, what is this?"
Soon, everyone started digging in. And they all loved their given snacks. Even Nakigitsune, the pickiest eater, happily ate his dried peaches and apricots.
Maeda and Hirano both had the meat buns. They started stuffing their faces just after the first bite. Gokotai and Akita got sugar-coated gummies which they exchanged. Hakata got a few chocolate-coated fruits. He did not share.
Namazuo gladly ate his snack which was just plain deep fried vegetables. He didn't even like vegetables but it was absolutely delicious. Honebami ate quietly but his cheeks were red from how he was eating his spicy dried fish without rest. He never stopped munching it until it finished.
Watching his brothers eat with renowned appetite made Ichigo really happy. It was hard for Ichigo to keep up with just their breakfast but Tsurumaru already had their snack preference figured out!
Ichigo was sitting next to Tsurumaru as they had the meat buns.
"Tsurumaru."
The knight was laughing at Hakata's messy face but immediately looked to Ichigo, "Yeah?"
"Thank you."
Tsurumaru smiled softly, "No problem."
Ichigo offered his meat bun with a raised eyebrow. The knight of course, gladly bit into it.
Out of their range, Mikazuki didn't miss a single second of their interesting interaction.
No one actually cared that Tsurumaru and Ichigo paired up to make breakfast every day. It started ever since the first morning when they woke everyone up with their bickering.
Of course, Ichigo also paired up with Uguisumaru during gardening and late evenings with tea. He also paired up with Mikazuki for horseback riding and various walks around their land.
But there was a different ambiance when Ichigo was with Tsurumaru.
The brothers watched, how the two went from debating back and forth to quietly handling breakfast. Tsurumaru would bake the loaves according to their mother's recipes while Ichigo prepared eggs and the other condiments. Every once in a while, they would mouth feed each other their cooking for testing.
It should have been awkward but the way they casually did so attracted everyone's attention.
Tsurumaru had just taken out a fresh batch of rolls. He placed it on the counter and cut two small pieces off one roll. He put one piece in his mouth and held out the other towards Ichigo. The prince accepted it by taking it straight using his lips instead of taking it with his hand first.
Ichigo and Tsurumaru looked to each other and gave impressive nods at the burst of flavor on their tongue.
While still chewing, the prince used a fork and took a small portion of the cooked scrambled protein. He held it up towards Tsurumaru who complied immediately to devour it.
The knight hummed appreciatively, "Oh wow that goes good together."
Ichigo smiled, "It seems we have perfected breakfast."
Tsurumaru gave a curt nod and they both proceeded to serve everyone breakfast.
The first two days, Tsurumaru refused to join them but somehow, lately, breakfast with Tsurumaru seemed natural. Uguisumaru usually joined them too. Mikazuki on the other hand, had breakfast with the king. So both Ichigo and Tsurumaru would finish eating first and then they'd send some food up for the king and the prince.
That morning, after Ichigo and Tsurumaru left, the brothers ate quickly and cleaned up after themselves. As ridiculous as it was, they had found the one, and it wasn't a prince.
Yagen gave the signal for an emergency meeting and everyone immediately left to the small study on the highest floor.
Once gathered, Yagen started, "Guys, we only have less than a week before that smug-faced old man will choose whether he wants Ichi-nii."
"Ichi-nii seems pretty happy with him though." sighed Akita.
Namazuo smirked, "Not as happy as he is with you know who."
Everyone in the room finally got the message.
"We'll need a plan!" Midare exclaimed.
Atsu snickered, "No problem."
Gokotai intervened, "But….Tsurumaru isn't a prince."
Honebami patted Gokotai's head, "Didn't we say we'll find the one for Ichi-nii?"
Hakata pointed out, "We never said it had to be a prince right?"
"Right!" synced the twins.
"Okay, this is what we can do. Three days left." Yagen started, "Ichi-nii can't sleep out of the palace. Remember the lake trip we did 4 years ago?"
They all mumbled their yes's.
"And who else rarely sleeps?"
The princes smiled and they all pitched in to devise the perfect plan to get Tsurumaru and Ichigo together.
"A trip? To the lake?" questioned the king. It was odd enough that the younger brothers even asked for anything. Yet there they were, Midare, Yagen, Atsu, Gokotai, Akita, Hakata, Maeda and Hirano, all crowding their father's reading room during wee hours of the morning.
The last time anyone asked for anything was when Gokotai found the cubs and requested to keep them.
So why would the king deny his sons a short trip to show Prince Mikazuki their land?
"I don't see why not but are you all sure? How many of you are going?"
"All of us!" Hakata excitedly said with his hands in the air.
The king sighed, "Alright, you have my permission. I would prefer if the prince's escorts went along. Who knows what might happen."
Yagen smirked, "Thank you, father."
Just as planned.
"A lake?" Uguisumaru questioned, "When?"
Hirano smiled at the knight, "We'll start moving in the afternoon."
"Well, his highness does love the outdoors." They both turned to where Mikazuki was battling Nakigitsune in the open garden, "And maybe a day in the outdoors would be nice."
With one last final swing, Mikazuki deflected Nakigitsune's sword and disarmed the prince completely. The Awataguchi prince fell on his back while Mikazuki pointed his sword at the other's neck, "Looks like it's my win, young prince."
The audience clapped their hands.
Ichigo did so he too but he stepped forward to help Nakigitsune stand on his feet. He turned to Mikazuki, "While I do admire your skills, Mikazuki, I cannot simply watch my brother lose to you."
"Is that perhaps a request to duel, my prince?"
"Perhaps so." Ichigo smiled as he withdrew his sword.
"Ah ah, hold up right there." Tsurumaru came forward and stood in front of Mikazuki, "I have full faith in my prince, but he only recently battled with your brother." He glanced back at Mikazuki, "So if you don't mind, your highness, please let me duel in your place."
Mikazuki only smiled and patted a hand on Tsurumaru's shoulder, "I'll leave it to you then."
Ichigo smirked at the brave knight, "Can you keep up, Tsurumaru?"
Tsurumaru withdrew his sword and got into stance, "Can you~?"
Uguisumaru cleared his throat before raising his hand, "First one to disarm their opponent will be the victor." He brought down his hand in one swift motion, "Begin!"
Tsurumaru predicted Ichigo was good but it almost overwhelmed him how agile and elegant the prince's style was. The knight had trouble adjusting to Ichigo's flow but once he did, they were on par in both blocks and counter attacks.
The Awataguchi princes were at awe. No one had ever been able to match their brother. Not even their father.
After relentless attacks, both the prince and knight took a step back with satisfied smiles. Ichigo unbuttoned his coat and loosened his tie. Both were damaged by the light and brief touch from Tsurumaru's blade.
"You're a worthy opponent, Ichigo."
"I could say the same to you."
In their next collision, Tsurumaru realized that Ichigo had been holding back because he was suddenly quicker than before. He was so light on his feet that Tsurumaru almost lost sight of him. And that was his only mistake.
Ichigo successfully delivered a final blow that weakened Tsurumaru's hold of his sword. Thus allowing the prince to land a blow on Tsurumaru's torso. The knight fell on his back. Ichigo wasted no time in straddling him and deflecting Tsurumaru's sword permanently. The prince then rested the tip of his sword dangerously against Tsurumaru's neck.
Tsurumaru was paralyzed, not by the fact that he had lost but because of how the prince looked like above him. Predator eyes, steady hands and that face… Ichigo's face was that of a professional swordsman, much unlike his usual gentle expression. He was….beautiful.
"It's my win, Tsurumaru."
The Awataguchi princes cheered while Uguisumaru and Mikazuki clapped.
Ichigo stood up, bringing Tsurumaru with him by pulling him along, "That was a very entertaining duel."
Tsurumaru bowed with respect, "It was an honor to have been your sparring partner."
The eldest prince celebrated with his amazed younger brothers.
Yagen, who was standing nearby Mikazuki, said out loud to the prince, "Maybe you would have won against my brother."
Mikazuki chuckled and shook his head, "On the contrary, I would have lost by default."
"Why?"
"Tsurumaru is far better than me. So if he lost to Ichigo, surely I would have lost as well."
And so, the Awataguchi princes happily rode out to the outskirts of their kingdom. They guided Prince Mikazuki along with his escorts to their favorite lake.
It was a huge natural lake, graced with shady trees and beautiful patches of vibrant flowers.
Once there, the brothers set up camps and undressed to their light clothes for swimming. They always loved the lake. Their tents were rolled out with beddings and the food and drinks were laid out on colorful mats. The weather was perfect for a picnic.
It was so lively. Everyone was doing something.
Atsu and Midare curiously watched Mikazuki sketch a bird perched on a nearby branch onto his notebook. Honebami and Hirano joined Uguisumaru's tea party. And Tsurumaru played with the others at the bank.
Ichigo, while he was dressed in simple shorts and a plain shirt, only watched from the tents. He quite enjoyed seeing Tsurumaru tackle his brothers in the water and joining in the water fight.
The knight was already like a big brother to them. And for a moment, Ichigo wondered what it'd be like if Tsurumaru stayed with them forever. A daunting feeling suddenly overwhelmed him, 'What are you thinking, Ichigo?'
The prince suddenly felt nauseous. He proceeded to stand and leave the tent.
"Ichigo! Come join us!" beckoned a dripping Tsurumaru the moment he saw the prince.
Ichigo politely declined, "That's alright. I'm-… going for a walk. I'll be back soon."
The slight hesitation in his voice made Tsurumaru's smile fall and his face grew concerned, "Are you feeling alright? Do you need me to come with?"
"No no. I just need to walk it off. Please take care of my brothers."
"Yeah…alright."
As Ichigo walked away, Tsurumaru's disappointed expression was etched into his brain, 'Please don't look at me like that.'
Ichigo went into the forest and followed the trail he and his brothers had made as they grew up. The prince was conflicted. There was something that he was beginning to notice. Something inside him. He wasn't sure what it was but it scared him.
His pace got faster and faster the more he tried to grasp what he was feeling.
Finally, he almost tripped on a branch, causing him to lean forward onto a large tree bark. He was panting from exerting his thoughts; affecting his body and emotions.
He was so confused.
All of a sudden, he was hugged from behind by warm arms.
Ichigo had his eyes closed, his forehead resting on the bark, and the only name that came to him was, "…Tsurumaru…"
The person hugging him chuckled. It wasn't Tsurumaru.
Ichigo's eyes burst open. Tsurumaru wouldn't have dried up that quickly even if he were to follow him into the forest.
"I'm not Tsurumaru, my prince."
In all honesty, Ichigo had never felt so ashamed of his words or in this case, mentioning such a name to his suitor. His voice lowered to barely above a whisper, "Mikazuki.."
The arms around his waist forcefully spun him around and he suddenly found himself trapped by Mikazuki's smiling face. His eyes seemed to threaten Ichigo and his body seemed impossible to escape. Ichigo couldn't even if he wanted to.
Mikazuki's eyes softened but still maintained its dangerous glint, "I see that I am not who you were expecting."
"I-.." Ichigo gulped, "I wasn't expecting anyone."
Again, Mikazuki chuckled and he lowered his head to lean their foreheads against each other, "I see the way you look at him, Ichigo Hitofuri."
Ichigo was afraid. He didn't want to know how he reacted around Tsurumaru. Not from another person's point of view.
"I see how you genuinely enjoy spending time with him. The hand feeding is rather cute. And how you laugh at his antics."
"Stop."
"How your smile rids of its fake kindness. In turn, when it's him, your true smile finally surfaces."
Ichigo was gripping Mikazuki's front, "Please…stop."
Mikazuki was watching how Ichigo chose to look down in shame and not face the elder prince in the eyes. Mikazuki smirked and slowly shifted his head to whisper into Ichigo's right ear.
"I hope you know where you stand and whom you will wed if I were to say that the past fortnight has been a successful pining on my behalf."
Ichigo had been struck by the inevitable. He felt the words ringing throughout his body. He was sure that he was shaking from the truth of his situation.
Mikazuki retreated as suddenly as he had attacked, leaving Ichigo to slowly slide down the tree due to his weakened legs.
"After all," Mikazuki's smirk remained on his face, "You're running out of choices. And I'm pretty sure, my kingdom is your best bet. Farewell, my prince."
After Mikazuki left, Ichigo felt raw and broken. It was never his choice of whom he chose to wed. He never noticed how…helpless he was of his own fate. It was because he never wanted anyone. And he only felt heartache when he desired what he couldn't have.
Yagen, Midare and Atsu had been watching Ichigo's tent for the past 2 hours but Ichigo never left it.
Honebami and Namazuo were probably watching from the other tent but there was no way to be sure of that. It was getting so late already.
"Maybe Ichi-nii is tired?" asked Midare after a light yawn.
Atsu frowned, "He did seem… weird just now."
"What are you guys talking about? He shared meals with Tsurumaru and they were laughing."
"Yeah but…" Midare looked down, "Ichi-nii…didn't seem to be himself. Like it wasn't even him."
Atsu laid down on his back, "Agh let's just go to sleep. We might as well wake up early and catch them in the act. They're probably gonna wake up early together like they always do."
Yagen sighed, "Yeah, I guess you're right."
Midare squeezed between them and they slept as each other's body pillows.
Unbeknownst to them, Ichigo was still awake. And he waited till only the sound of the crickets remained.
They knew.
Ichigo wanted to laugh at himself. Even his brothers knew how he felt for Tsurumaru. All the more reason to keep him awake.
The prince lifted the front of his tent and went for a walk by the lake. He didn't bother to check whether Tsurumaru's tent was occupied or not. Ichigo didn't know about Tsurumaru's rather odd sleeping habits.
On the other side of the lake, Tsurumaru was resting on a high tree branch, watching the full moon above. It was mesmerizing. But it was disappearing. It would only be a little while before the Sun would rise. Suddenly, he heard the rustling of grass. He readied his sword and looked down from the tree. There wasn't anything on the forest floor.
Tsurumaru shrugged and looked out to the lake.
He was surprised to see Ichigo. Then again, the prince always woke up early to make breakfast.
Tsurumaru stared at the prince who was standing by the lake, looking at the middle of it.
Seeing his opportunity, Tsurumaru quietly climbed down and tiptoed towards the prince.
He took a deep breath and when he was close enough, "SURPRISE ICHIGO!"
It took about two seconds for Tsurumaru to realize that Ichigo had slip on a muddy part of the edge of the lake due to the sudden jolt of his body.
"Ichigo look out!"
The knight grabbed the prince but it only made him fall along with Ichigo into the cold water, "Wo-WOah!"
Luckily, the water was shallow and only reached their waist.
Ichigo gasped when he emerged from the surface and quickly climbed out of the water.
Tsurumaru frantically stood up on the river floor and apologized, "Oh god, I did it again, I'm so sorry. I-"
"It's alright." Ichigo chuckled.
The prince remained on his knees after he reached land again. He was wearing a thin shirt and he would do anything to keep it on. Unfortunately, it was very windy to quickly run back to the tent so Ichigo opted to sit still for a while and let it dry.
Tsurumaru noticed how Ichigo was hugging his body with his back facing the knight. Something wasn't right. Tsurumaru noticed ever since Ichigo got back from his 'walk'. Sure they ate and laughed but Ichigo's eyes were...distant.
"Ichigo… Is something wrong?"
"You know…" the prince started with a tired voice, "I always.. I always felt relieved when my brothers drove my suitors away."
The knight stared at the prince's back. What had Ichigo been thinking about the whole day?
"I always thought… If someone were to accept me, I would end up deceiving them. Mikazuki always mentions how charming I am." Ichigo let out a forced laugh, "But he doesn't know…"
"Know what?"
Ichigo wasn't sure why he did it but Tsurumaru… was the only one he could trust. He was the only one Ichigo wanted to trust with his secret. He knew that no matter what happened, Tsurumaru wouldn't judge him by what he was hiding. Besides, after this, he would probably never see the knight again.
The prince slowly unbuttoned his shirt, causing Tsurumaru to temporarily panic.
"W-wait Ichigo! What are you-...do..ing.."
As the shirt loosened and drooped off slim shoulders, the knight started seeing something on Ichigo's back. Once the shirt slipped off, Tsurumaru's eyes widened.
Across Ichigo's back was a long, pale jagged scar. Tsurumaru waddled closer and placed a palm on it. He could feel the bumps of the scar on the edges, how it must have hurt when he got them. They were burn scars.
"This is why you didn't join us earlier." 'And why you always bathe alone…'
Ichigo's wet laugh confirmed it, "There was a fire… a long time ago after our mothers passed. It was difficult to care for my brothers. They were so young. And they were playing... It was just an accident. But sometimes.. I can still hear their screams.."
"Ichigo…"
"I can't- let them see this. If they knew… what really happened.. If they knew what was on my back.. What I did to save them..."
Tsurumaru's hand pressed firmly on Ichigo's back, "They would never forgive themselves."
The prince nodded, "I'm scared Tsurumaru… Of what anyone would think of me. How ugly I must seem to them."
Tsurumaru's cold hand left Ichigo's back and instead they were instantly wrapped around his waist. Ichigo felt himself being pulled into the water.
The water splashed everywhere and left him coughing momentarily, "..Tsurumaru-..!"
The knight's arms remained around Ichigo's waist. And when Ichigo finally stilled, Tsurumaru whispered into his ear from behind him, "I wish you could see…" the knight held him tighter, "…how beautiful you are from my eyes, Ichigo Hitofuri."
Those words plucked at Ichigo's heart. Someone who had seen his scar, saw no difference in the real him. Ichigo was shivering, from holding back his tears. He was beyond touched and relieved.
The prince turned his head where his eyes studied the sincerity of Tsurumaru.
And suddenly, their lips met.
In contrast to the cold water, Tsurumaru's body was very warm. And his lips were gentle against Ichigo's. For once, Ichigo felt peace in his life. But it was robbed from him the moment Mikazuki's words rang in his mind.
"I hope you know where you stand and whom you will wed.."
Ichigo froze and with great strength, he pushed Tsurumaru away.
The knight looked as shocked as the prince.
"I have to go."
"Ichig-"
"Please don't follow me."
Ichigo climbed out again, took his shirt and ran. He ignored whatever Tsurumaru had to say. The Sun was rising behind him. As he approached the tents, he put on his wet shirt and quickly packed his things. The first tent he went into was Yagen's.
There, he woke up all his three brothers and told them to prepare for the journey back.
"Wait what?" Yagen started asking but Ichigo already left to awaken the others.
By the time he reached the last tent belonging to Honebami, Namazuo and Nakigitsune, all his other brothers were frantically trying to figure out why they were leaving so early in the morning.
Namazuo woke up and immediately knew something was wrong with Ichigo. His eyes were cloudy and he was still wet from unknown cause.
"Ichi-nii, calm down. We don't have to go back immediately. If it's something that we can talk about-"
"There's nothing to talk about." Ichigo replied in a cold voice.
"Ichi-nii, you're not yourself right n-"
"THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME!" Ichigo suddenly burst.
The silence and fear wafting from his younger brothers finally broke Ichigo.
"..I'm..so sorry…I'm sorry.." He fell to his knees in tears and shivering limbs. He was just so tired of everything.
Honebami was the first to approach him. The young prince knelt straight up in front of Ichigo and cradled his head gently. Ichigo was receptive to his touch and even leaned on his younger brother's chest, seeking comfort. Honebami caressed his hair and assured the others that Ichigo was fine. Then, the younger ones slowly came to comfort their brother as well.
They had never seen him so distraught.
Nakigitsune stood up and started giving out orders. He readily took Ichigo's place so that they could go home as soon as possible where their brother could rest.
Yagen and Namazuo waited till Prince Mikazuki and his escorts were awake to inform that Ichigo had left for the palace early with their siblings.
"Is something the matter?" Mikazuki asked, his voice laced with worry.
Namazuo smiled, "Ah, it's nothing! Ichi-nii felt a little sick. That's all."
"I see. Well I suppose we should make a move too."
Yagen bowed, "If you wish so."
Both Awataguchi brothers didn't miss Tsurumaru's solemn face, lack of words and his usual enthusiasm. Something did happen but they didn't know what.
Yagen led the group back to the palace while Namazuo rode at the furthest back.
On arrival, Namazuo and Yagen exchanged nods.
"Your highness, you must be tired from riding." Yagen started.
Uguisumaru agreed, "Yes, I shall prepare some tea."
Mikazuki smiled, "It would be rude to not inform his majesty first."
Yagen convinced him, "Do not mind yourself of that matter. I will personally see my father to inform of your safe arrival."
"Well, if you insist, young prince."
The three of them left the stables just as Tsurumaru had finished handling the horses.
"Tsurumaru." Namazuo called out.
"Yes?"
"Can you stay for a while?"
"Sure."
Namazuo unmounted from his horse and led it to its respective stable. He gently patted its mane and closed the gate.
Tsurumaru was itching to leave but he respected the prince's request.
The knight was about to inquire, "How can I help-" but was cut off when the young prince suddenly withdrew his sword and swung hard as he turned around.
Tsurumaru barely dodged and found himself backed into one of the stable's pillars.
Namazuo only advanced two steps to corner Tsurumaru and threaten him with his sharp blade.
The knight never thought he would see such murderous eyes from Namazuo.
"What did you do to my brother?" asked the prince in a low voice.
When Tsurumaru didn't answer, Namazuo pushed his blade harder, almost cutting into the knight's skin, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!"
Tsurumaru sighed, "He showed me his back."
That was enough to make Namazuo retreat in shock. Surely, the older siblings knew about it.
The knight looked down, "He told me about the fire. And I made a stupid mistake. We'll leave here soon anyway. I hope he'll be able to forgive me in time."
He smiled and gently patted Namazuo's head, "Ichigo is very lucky to have all of you as his brothers. And I can assure you that Prince Mikazuki will treat the Awataguchi family well."
Tsurumaru left behind a dumbfounded Namazuo soon after.
Ichigo locked himself in his room and refused anyone except his younger brothers. They brought him food and made sure he was comfortable and resting well. They never questioned why he did it or what happened at the lake.
It lasted till the day Mikazuki was to return to his kingdom. After that, they would have to wait one week for Mikazuki's decision.
Mikazuki had knocked on the prince's door but Ichigo paid no heed to him.
"Prince Ichigo, I greatly appreciate your company for the past fortnight. And I do hope to see you again soon. Please rest well."
Even Uguisumaru left hot tea outside Ichigo's room the morning he left.
But Tsurumaru himself never said goodbye.
And Ichigo was thankful for that.
A week later, the Kingdom of the West agreed on a political marriage. In 3 days, the wedding would be held at the Awataguchi Palace. The king himself will accompany the soon-to-be-wed prince. The wedding was expected to be attended by the royal family of all kingdoms.
The brothers were worried for Ichigo because he accepted the engagement letter without fuss or complaint. For the sake of their delighted father, the brothers hid their worry behind fake smiles.
The night before the important day, the brothers burst into Ichigo's room. Ichigo was surprised that they were almost crying (the younger ones at least). They pounced him on his bed with incoherent cries. He managed to sit up and tried to calm them.
"What's the matter with all of you?"
Akita somewhat cried out, "We wanted you to be happy!"
"But- But.. You're gonna marry smug-faced old man!" shouted Gokotai through his tears.
And the other younger siblings were just outright crying and hugging him.
"I'm alright.", Ichigo smiled and took turns patting their heads, "Who gave him that nickname?"
Even through their cries, they still managed to point at Yagen.
Yagen just shrugged, "He is."
Ichigo sighed, "I thought you'd be happy someone managed to pass all your tests."
Midare crawled onto the bed and leaned against Ichigo's back, "Ichi-nii. Mikazuki passes us but does he pass you?"
Honebami crawled from the other side followed the rest of them. They all made themselves comfortable on the bed, surrounding Ichigo.
Hakata sniffed, "We wanted someone to pass but- but-"
"We never put into consideration of whether or not you would like them." Atsu continued.
Nakigitsune nodded, "Before you actually found someone you liked, we never considered your feelings at all."
Maeda and Hirano hugged his neck, "We're sorry Ichi-nii"
Looking at their faces and hearing the sorrow in their voices made Ichigo laugh breathlessly. He loved them so much. They even tried to get him together with the first person he had the closest feeling of attraction and desire to. And that brief special moment he shared with Tsurumaru was more than enough to last him a lifetime being tied to a person he had no feelings towards to.
He hugged as many of his brothers he could reach and blissfully confessed, "I love you all so much."
Ichigo felt them all return his hug in some manner and various responses of affection as well.
That night, on the last night before the wedding, they all slept together with their big brother.
Time seemed to skip in small segments.
Ichigo didn't even remember how he had gotten dressed or when he was suddenly in the throne room.
His brothers had helped him through the whole morning of the big day.
Ichigo was dressed in a white version of his usual attire, adorned by gold lining and glittering accessories. He was standing in front of his proud father, awaiting the arrival of the prince Ichigo will be wed to.
The throne room was packed with the royal families who travelled far and wide to witness the Awataguchi Family's first political marriage.
The procedure was simple. With the blessings of both kings, the princes would be declared tied by marriage bonds in witness of the royal families and they will choose which kingdom they will reside in.
When the horns bellowed outside, signalling the arrival of the King of the furthest West, Ichigo finally felt the weight on his shoulders. He couldn't even look at his brothers who were standing nearby.
The doors to the throne room were opened and in came the Head Knight, Uguisumaru, dressed in full armour. He bowed to the king and Prince Ichigo before stepping aside.
"Announcing!" he shouted, "The arrival of his majesty! The King of the furthest West!"
Ichigo's eyes widened. He even heard his brothers' gasp as a familiar man draped in blue and gold came strutting in with that smug look on his face.
"King Mikazuki Munechika!"
Ichigo was still frozen, "It…can't be…"
Mikazuki bowed at the king and walked to Ichigo.
The prince was speechless. Even more so when Mikazuki knelt on one knee and took Ichigo's right hand. The king placed a chaste kiss on it and spoke with a gentle voice.
"I feel incredibly guilty for deceiving you my sweet prince. But it was a necessity for I was testing the hostility of your kingdom. I was interested in what drove away the escorts that came in search of your hand in marriage." Mikazuki's smile widened, "But I am pleased to say that I am captured by your family's humbleness. And the desire to protect such a rare jewel such as yourself made me understand the possessiveness of your brothers. Even they noticed my insincere heart to marry you."
"..what..?"
Mikazuki stood up with Ichigo's hand still in his grasp, "But I would wish nothing more than to be tied permanently to your kingdom. A young kingdom with the extraordinary decree of equal treatment. I deem you worthy of a prince to be wed to my younger brother. I hope you will forgive me for the short notice."
Mikazuki stepped aside, clearing Ichigo's view to the open doors.
Uguisumaru cleared his throat, "Announcing! The arrival of the first prince! His royal highness!"
Ichigo's heart stopped. He had forgotten how to breathe. The man coming through the doors wore a white hooded attire, adorned with golden chains and accessories. His sword dangled by his hips and his unique gloves matched his whole uniform. He even had on a gold choker around his neck. He was smiling; a smile that Ichigo could never forget.
"Prince Tsurumaru Kuninaga!"
The Awataguchi brothers were gasping and cheering. They were completely blown away by Tsurumaru's appearance and title.
Mikazuki chuckled in their direction before holding out his other hand towards his approaching brother.
Tsurumaru accepted it and allowed Mikazuki to entwine his and Ichigo's hands together.
Ichigo still wasn't breathing and Tsurumaru quickly held his face, "Ichigo are you there?"
The prince laughed with a hitch in his voice, he was on the verge of tears even as he happily said, "Yes. Yes I am, Tsurumaru."
"Surprise!"
Ichigo finally shed hot tears and it made Tsurumaru lean their heads together, "Don't cry, Ichigo. I'm right here."
Once the princes were calm, both kings announced their official marriage status. And they sealed the princes' ring fingers with matching gold bands.
The room roared with cheers and Tsurumaru finally hugged Ichigo and twirled him in the air. He couldn't stop rubbing his face against Ichigo's, "I'm so sorry. Really I am. I wanted to tell you but- I wasn't sure if you wanted me and-"
Ichigo had placed a finger on Tsurumaru's lip, "I love you."
Tsurumaru suddenly felt his face heat up and he had to hide it in the crook of Ichigo's neck, "Agh, you can't just say that-!"
Ichigo laughed. When Tsurumaru lifted his head, his face was still a little red but so was Ichigo's.
"I love you too."
"This surely is, a big surprise."
"Hahaha! It is isn't it?" the prince bumped their foreheads gently, "Shall we continue where we left off?" asked Tsurumaru slyly.
"With pleasure."
In witness of the many people and their respective families, the princes held each other close and sealed their marriage with a kiss. Again, the room burst with cheers. Mikazuki patted their backs and told them to get a room.
They ended up laughing when they parted lips. Ichigo didn't know he could feel so happy.
"You know, marrying me means you have to go through them too." Ichigo pointed out.
Tsurumaru looked to his side and saw the tiger cubs running towards him. Only this time, followed by a whole group of princes.
"Oh no." was all Tsurumaru managed to say before both he and Ichigo were pounced to the ground.
The Awataguchi brothers hugged Ichigo and Tsurumaru ferociously. Some were crying and some were scolding Tsurumaru. But amidst it all, they were all smiling.
Author's Note:
Mikazuki WAS supposed to marry Ichigo but if he did so, he would have the right to take Ichigo away since he was a king. He talked about this with Ichigo's father in the first half of the story + during breakfast with the king.
And he didn't want to tear apart the family + he was happy Tsurumaru found someone. And the only reason Mikazuki cornered Ichigo in the forest was to make him realize how he really felt for Tsurumaru and he was pretty glad that Ichigo liked Tsurumaru back wwww
Also, Tsurumaru and Ichigo agreed to reside in the Awataguchi palace in the end~