This is the first multi-chaptered story I write for the manga Katekyo Hitman Reborn, and I hope you will enjoy it.
Do not hesitate to tell me what you think, and please remember that negative feedback is helpful only if constructive.
Note: I do not own the characters of Katekyo Hitman Reborn.
Chapter 1: Twilight
The silence that followed his words was deafening.
The king looked at his advisors gathered around the sculpted table. Worry and sometimes a slight disapproval were etched on their faces, but they said nothing until one of them gathered enough courage to speak.
"Your Majesty…I don't mean to be disrespectful," he began carefully, "but are you sure about your decision? Maybe we should reconsider the situation and choose someone else, for this man is quite young. Surely there are-". He immediately stopped talking when the sovereign raised his hand.
"I understand your concern and I am sure you mean well, advisor, but I made this decision after careful consideration and without losing sight of what is good for my kingdom. The reality, as painful it may be, is that I am weakening because of my illness and I have no children. I know some nobles dreaming about the crown and power are waiting for the right moment to seize them, and if I don't do something to make sure this kingdom have a new king, they will tear it to shreds. I cannot let that happen. I believe this young man has all the qualities required and the first king of this land is one of his ancestors. I see no one more fitted for this position," he said firmly. "I want letters to be sent to all of the noble families and heralds informing the people. I will announce it myself at the Court today."
"It will be done immediately, your Majesty."
"That will be all," King Timoteo declared, closing the royal council.
Lord Tsunayoshi Sawada was a short and slim man of twenty five years old, with large brown eyes and unruly hair of the same color. Despite his age, he was the head of his family and managed their lands. He was examining some matters and complaints from his people that needed to be fixed, when a light knock made him raise his head.
"Yes?"
"My lord, I am sorry to disturb you; a message has arrived this morning. It is from the king," a servant announced. Tsunayoshi gestured to him to go forward, and the man gave him the parchment.
"The king?" he said with surprise and confusion, taking the piece of parchment and examining the seal. Dark blue with a sea shell; there was no doubt it was from the royal family. But what could it mean? The king addressed to them only for wars, important events or celebrations. Had something befallen to him?
He opened the missive, his fingers shaking slightly in anticipation. May it be just a ball or something not troublesome, he thought.
But upon reading it, his breath caught in his throat and his eyes grew wide in disbelief. No, that was not possible. He must have read something wrong. Yes, if he read this again, more calmly, he would see that it was a terrible, huge, misunderstanding. He would laugh in relief, seeing that he mistook the words and that they were not saying what he first read. But no matter how many times Tsuna read the letter, the words written in an elegant penmanship were the same, crushing him under the consequences they implied. Then a thought occurred to him. Maybe the messenger delivered it to the wrong person? The glimmer of hope that had settled inside of him vanished as quickly as it came when he checked the address and realized there had been no mistake. He felt panic fill him like cold water slipping under his clothing, slowly freezing him.
It is in this inner turmoil that his mother, Lady Nana Sawada, found him. She noticed the pallor of his face and then the letter that had fallen to the floor. She picked it up, and came by her son's side.
"What is it, my son? Why such a frightened expression?" He pointed at the parchment, looking at it as if it could bite him. "You can read it, Mother. Maybe it will make sense to you." She gave him a puzzled look before reading it.
The unfortunate circumstances and my duty toward the crown and my people lead me to leave the throne. Having no heir and after much consideration I, King Timoteo, Vongola IX and ruler of the Sky kingdom names hereby Lord Tsunayoshi Sawada as my rightful heir and my successor as a king.
She gasped in surprise. "By Vongola Primo! Tsuna you've been chosen to be the next king!" she said a bit too enthusiastically for his liking, her reaction completely opposite to his own. "That's wonderful!"
"No!" he shouted "That is absolutely not!"
"But don't you see what it means? The king thinks you have all the qualities needed to be a sovereign! It is a great sign of trust and an honor!" she retorted before continuing in a more serious tone, "ruling a kingdom is a huge responsibility. It requires patience, diplomacy, discipline, kindness, a keen sense of justice and-
"I can't do it!" he whined "I don't even know how to rule a kingdom in the first place!"
"You're not totally foreign to this kind of things. After all, it is you who run this estate and you are doing quite a good job."
"It is not the same thing, Mother," he sighed.
"Don't worry, you won't be alone, darling. The king's High Advisor will be here to guide you, and I will do whatever I can to support you," she said with an encouraging smile, trying to comfort him. Tsuna has always admired his mother for her kindness, optimism and cheerful nature. "It is a good thing he is coming within the next few days. The sooner he arrives, the sooner you can learn!" It took him some time to process her words.
"What? What did you say?" he cried. "The High Advisor is coming here?!" She looked at him, her brow furrowed.
"Yes, the letter says so. Have you not read it?" she explained, showing him another message that accompanied the first.
"I-I was so taken aback that I didn't notice it" he said a bit sheepishly, taking the message and reading it.
I send you my High Advisor, in whom I have a complete trust, to guide you in your duty. I will be there to help you and advice you, as he has served me with an unparalleled wisdom and loyalty during my reign. He is on his way to your lands to meet you and speak with you about the remaining details that need to be settled before you come to Namimori.
He was hesitating between feeling relieved and crying in utter distress. Indeed, he would not be alone, but the coming of the royal advisor made it worse. It made it real, it would remind him that he had no choice but to accept it and carry the weight of an entire kingdom on his shoulders.
"I will see that everything is prepared to welcome him properly," said Lady Nana Sasawada before exiting the room, leaving her son with his thoughts.
Lors Tsunayoshi Sawada eventually came to the conclusion that there was no escaping it, and so he sent some of his guards to meet and escort the High Advisor under the command of Captain Hayato Gokudera, one of Tsuna's most trusted men and his long time friend. Several days later, when one of the watchmen posted on the castle's walkway saw them coming back with the royal retinue, he immediately warned Tsuna who went in the ward with his mother to welcome them. The group passed the gatehouse and entered in a whirlwind of armor plate and silk, the thunderous noise of the horses' hooves accompanying them. Once the carriage adorned with the gold sea shell of the king's coat of arms stopped, a servant opened the door and the High Advisor stepped down.
He was of a tall and slim build, elegantly dressed in a pale yellow tunic and white trousers that contrasted with his black short hair and dark almond eyes. Tsuna noticed that he had sideburns, which was quite unusual. He gave off a feeling of strength and tranquility, but the young man found something almost intimidating about his unreadable expression.
"Welcome, High Advisor," he said with a bow while his mother curtsied.
"Lord Tsunayoshi Sawada," he replied, returning the gesture before kissing his mother's hand.
"Lady Sawada and I are honored to receive you. We hope you made a safe travel and that you will enjoy your stay in our lands."
"I don't doubt it, Lord Tsunayoshi," said the advisor with a nod and a slight smile.
"You must be tired, sir, having traveled this far from Namimori. Allow me to show you your quarters so you can rest some times before the banquet and discussing important matters.
"Please," he said politely. She entered the castle, followed by the king's advisor and Tsuna and his captain, while several servants and stable boys took care of the horses and luggage.
The room was humming with the sound of conversations, laughter and that of the instruments. The warmth had quickly become suffocating, almost unbearable, and Tsuna decided to cool himself by having a walk outside. It was also the opportunity to check that no unexpected difficulty occurred during the time he was at the banquet. Taking long and refreshing gulps of air, he soon caught sight of the tall and dark silhouette of his captain posted on the walkway, next to a fire. Surprise marked his features when Tsuna came beside him.
"My lord, do you feel well? Why are you not at the party? Does anybody know that you are here?" he asked rapidly before he had time to give any answer. The young man smiled. His friend was always worried about him, and most of the time uselessly.
"Do not worry, Captain; I only needed to go outside." Gokudera nodded and they stayed in a comfortable silence, before the guard talked again.
"I wanted to congratulate you for your nomination as the next king". He stopped briefly, his expression suddenly anxious. "About that, how should I call you? Your Majesty? My prince? I would not want to be improper, especially in front of the advisor because it would have bad consequences for you and that would not do."
"For now, just call me like you are used to. I won't officially be a prince and fully acknowledged as the heir until I go to Namimori to prepare myself for my duty as a king."
The advisor, who had introduced himself as Reborn, had told him that they won't talk about business before the next day, but announced that they were going to Namimori shortly, entrusting Lady Sawada with their lands, and that he already took all the dispositions for their travel. Then he had explained that king Timoteo sent him to take care of Tsuna's royal education, both intellectually and military. Remembering what he said, he sighed deeply and his expression darkened.
"Beside, I wish that everything stayed the same". Gokudera gave him a questioning look.
"I don't know if can do it. What if I am the worst king of our history? I barely manage to run my own estate."
"I am sure of the contrary, my lord," the captain immediately retorted. "I believe you will be a great king and that your ancestor king Giotto will be proud of you". He said these words with so much sincerity that Tsuna could not help smiling. No matter how many years they knew each other, he could not get use to the immense faith Gokudera had in him. Tsuna think he had never seen someone believing in him as much as the captain of his guard.
"Thank you, Hayato."
He smiled and they resumed watching peacefully in the night.