All right. So this is the first story I've written since I've been out of the hospital. So it's just trying to get me back in the swing of things. I think it'll be 21 chapters? Maybe.

It'll switch off between two perspectives. One about the kingdom of Terran, (This chapter is about that kingdom, basically the pekoponian cast is from the kingdom of Terran.) And the second about Keron, the kingdom they're at war with. So the keronians will be in the next chapter.

It is a royal, somewhat medieval very fantasy AU. Magic like mages and things do exist in this world.

And yes, this is a romance story. Terran's chapters will mostly at first focus on relationships especially between Momoka and Fuyuki, and Keron's chapters will focus more on the war and plot stuff.

You all know the pairings that I ship. The ships should be predictable by now.


Why can't I go out there? Why couldn't I be helpful to my kingdom too? Momoka longingly looked out her balcony, trying to just get the feeling of the wind go through her long light blue hair. Instead of the freedom of wind she felt mostly just moist heavy rain.

There was never any shortage of rain or water in the kingdom she ruled. Nor was there any shortage of gold. Momoka had heard for years that the kingdom of Terran was the richest kingdom on the face of the planet- the jewel that all the people envied.

Of course that meant the blasted people of Keron envied them too. She suspected that was the reason their two kingdoms were at war- because the Keronian people were greedy and wanted her gold.

Momoka didn't know much about the war between their two kingdoms, even though she was the crown princess. Just that it had been going on for three decades. She had heard rumors that Terran was the country that had managed to hold out against the militaristic kingdom the longest, that the two of them were at constant-stand-still. The war just raging on and on.

Still, militaristic planning wasn't Momoka's forte. Her job was to learn politics, but never actually be part of it. It was to look pretty, to stay inside the castle and be safe. To be pampered and treasured as much as the gold of their kingdom should have been.

And Momoka was very tired of that job. Her other side ached to actually go about and do things. To be useful to her kingdom.

"Paul." Momoka addressed her butler and political adviser. He was her servant who would do anything she wished.

"Yes, Mistress Momoka?" Paul asked, watching the young princess mope.

"How is the kingdom doing? How are my people doing?" Momoka inquired.

"Princess, it is not yet your duty or burden to handle those matters." Paul bowed. "The stress of what is happening to our country is not yours yet to shoulder. You know that your parents wish for you to know a life of luxury and safety for as long as you can."

Momoka tried not to be miffed. She tried not to snap and throttle Paul and scream and say 'know this life of luxury!' and then break everything in the castle or something like that. But like the good princess she was, she just smiled and nodded. "I know...I just feel like I should know more about how the people are doing...All I see is this perfect castle and not much else. I feel so useless..."

Paul didn't answer her. "Don't give up, young princess. Someday it will be your job. After all you are the crown princess. Your parents just want to ensure that you're safe until you can take over their job. After all, what would happen to our kingdom if something happened to you? You are the only royal descendent by blood."

"If something happened to me, Fuyuki or Natsumi would take over the kingdom." Momoka reminded, "Their the prince and princess of this kingdom too."

"Not by blood though." Paul reminded, "They were adopted into this family to marry you- Well, at least one of them, whichever you prefer. The other one will be your sister or brother-in-law. Royal by name only."

Momoka frowned. She knew that more than anyone. After all, Fuyuki and Natsumi had lived a good 12 years with her.

"There may be three royal children, but you, princess, are the most important. This kingdom belongs to you and everybody in it is your loyal subjects. Even them." Paul reminded.

Momoka turned around to look back at the sky off the balcony. She had enough of hearing this.


Momoka stepped down the long spiral staircase to the great hall. Even if she didn't go outside much she could still hear news of the outside from castle servants who were coming back from errands.

The great doors swung open as one of Momoka's loyal subjects limped in, cradling her arm and trying not to bleed all over the carpet. A gash was on her cheek, but she was smiling.

"It's good to be home." Natsumi announced loudly, throwing off some of her gold plated armor and throwing a helmet across the room. She then slumped over onto one of the great big chairs- despite it being the throne. Momoka's parents probably wouldn't care though, Natsumi was pretty much family to them.

"Natsumi! Are you okay?" Momoka ran to her side as Natsumi pulled a servant towards her ordering for them to bring her some fried chicken. She tore into the food with her teeth with such manners that didn't befit a princess of the kingdom, but more of a battle-worn soldier.

"I'm fine." Natsumi waved her hand. "I suppose I should patch up my wounds though. But really they aren't anything bad. Just the normal."

Momoka still looked concerned. Although Natsumi herself had requested for the training to be the next general of Terran's army's and had started going off to the front-lines when she was 14, five years ago, but she still worried every time Natsumi went off. Momoka had never seen Natsumi fight, but she knew that every time Natsumi came home she was injured, although she usually wore a big smile on her face along with her injuries.

"D-do you want me to go get you some bandages?" Momoka stuttered briefly.

"Momoka. You're my princess. The princess of this kingdom. Someday you'll rule this kingdom, you shouldn't serve me like that." Natsumi reminded. "Koyuki can patch me up."

Momoka nodded and took out a bell, ringing it. Koyuki was Momoka's royal guard. Her primary protector, and although she was Momoka's, Koyuki had a strong friendship with Natsumi that Momoka sometimes envied. She was sometimes curious why Natsumi herself didn't request Koyuki to be her royal guard, since each royal was allowed one royal guard to be their primary protector and Natsumi still didn't have one of her own, but Momoka wasn't going to push the issue.

Koyuki jumped down from...Momoka didn't know. Had Koyuki been hanging from the ceiling? She just seemed to appear from smoke. It must have been some ninja trick.

Koyuki knelt on the ground. "I'm here, Princess Momoka." Koyuki bowed with respect.

"Could you bandage Natsumi up?" Momoka requested. Koyuki looked over at Natsumi.

"Natsumi! You're injured." Koyuki stood up, looking concerned. "I'll fix you up, immediately!" She hugged her friend before rushing off to get some bandages, leaving Momoka and Natsumi alone again.

Natsumi smiled. "She's always so affectionate. Koyuki's the best."

"Yes..." Momoka trailed off, wondering if now was an appropriate time to change the subject. "How is the war doing, by the way?" If Paul wouldn't tell her how the kingdom was doing, perhaps Natsumi would. After all Natsumi had the most ready contact with the outside world and the conflicts on the borders.

Judging by Natsumi's injuries the war wasn't doing good though.

"Same as always." Natsumi shrugged as Koyuki rushed up and started applying some stinging medicine to clean the wounds before applying bandages. Natsumi grunted a bit from the pain.

"Um...? Could I perhaps have some more information than 'same as always?" Momoka's tone turned bitter quick as her hair spiked a bit. "You know I never go outside, Natsumi! I've never seen the war."

"Well, it's still bad. But we aren't losing. Someday those stupid keronians will lose to me though!" Natsumi vowed, "I'll protect this kingdom and everybody in it. And I'll beat them all."

Momoka sat next to Natsumi's side, looking at her friend and how bruised she was. The determination that Natsumi had always had was on her face, like she honestly believed she could win this war.

"You know, you don't have to be the general of Terran's army." Momoka reminded, "You could stay in the castle and be safe." She inched her hand over to Natsumi's, cleaning it off with a simple handkerchief.

"I can't do that." Natsumi proclaimed.

"You could take the throne, you know. Take classes on politics. You don't have to fight." Momoka whispered, just wanting her friend to be safe.

"I have no ambitions to be the queen of this kingdom, Momoka. I want to fight." Natsumi reminded her, "And you know to take the throne I'd have to marry you, remember? We already talked about which one of us you'd marry, and we both agreed that you thought of me more as a sister."

Momoka nodded. That was true, but she also wanted Natsumi to be safe. "But ugh! If I don't marry you, I'll have to marry your brother." Momoka moaned with distaste.

Natsumi looked at her with some amusement. "You know why your parents adopted both of us into the family, right? It was for you to have the freedom of being able to figure out and decide what your sexual orientation was without an arranged marriage putting pressure on you. That way if you liked girls you could marry me, and if you liked boys you could marry my brother. We both had our strengths. He's...Well, he's a nerd." Natsumi scrunched up her face, "Who studies magic. And I'm strong." She smiled more when thinking of herself."This kingdom is nice like that, love is valued above all else. No matter who you fall in love with, be it someone in a different class, race, or same gender. You can be free to love who you choose, unlike those barbarian keronian people. I heard they're pretty strict about that stuff." Natsumi smiled."However we spoke about this earlier. You said you had no preference for gender, you were not into girls more than boys and you did like boys too, and I...I'm straight. Remember?" Natsumi reminded.

"I know. And it's not like I want to marry you, but...But Fuyuki." Momoka scrunched up her face in disgust. "I don't like him." Was all Momoka managed to say.

"You said you'd marry him though because the alternative was me." Natsumi reminded, "Are you changing your mind?"

"No! I'll still marry Fuyuki." Momoka quickly reassured.

Koyuki just examined Natsumi's wounds trying not to listen in too much between the two princess's conversation. If Momoka wanted her to be a confidant she could do that, but it didn't look like Momoka wanted her advice.

"You know, I don't even know why you dislike Fuyuki so much. You'd be great friends if you gave him the chance. You guys used to play together all the time when you were children." Natsumi reminded.

"That was before I learned he was a jerk." Momoka huffed.

At that exact moment, Fuyuki was walking through the hallways, tripping on his own long scholarly gown, he tried to recover and clutch the book in his hand that had distracted him. Noticing Momoka and Natsumi as he stumbled he politely waved with a big broad smile on his face, before continuing his walk.

Momoka just stuck her tongue out at him.

Natsumi rolled her eyes. "Geez, really. Why do you hate him so much?"

"If there's one thing I hate most in this world, it's kindness out of obligation." Momoka answered honestly, "And Fuyuki- Well, he's filled with it. He may act polite and kind to me, but he's only doing it because I'm the crown princess. Everybody acts like this towards me. Like I'm perfect and untouchable. And I hate it."

Natsumi looked confused. She looked at Koyuki, because she and Koyuki didn't act like that. "Why do you think that?"

"He always tries to be nice to me. But...Like a fake nice. This has been going on ever since we were little and played together. He feels indebted to me, which I suppose is natural, for being given shelter into my family." Momoka leaned back, venting a bit.

"But I feel indebted to you too, and you don't hate me." Natsumi reminded.

"At least you're honest about it. Fuyuki- He still hides behind his fake kindness." Momoka growled. She closed her eyes, trying to erase the memories of when they played together.

If only Natsumi had been an only child. Then Fuyuki wouldn't have been part of her family.


12 years ago

It had been twelve years ago that the tournament had been held. It had been one of the few times Momoka had been brought out of the castle, holding her father's hand.

"There will be two winners, a male and a female, whoever the kingdom deems to have the highest potential to be royalty will win." Paul read a scroll with the rules that would test all the children who had been brought to the town square.

Many parents had brought their children hoping to test them, some wanting to get rid of kids they no longer wanted and some hoping for their children to have a better life, even if they weren't in it.

Among those adults and children, was a woman named Aki Hinata, the mother of Natsumi and Fuyuki. She was a miner and the ashen dirt of the minds had coated her cheeks. Momoka had been too young at the time to realize how skinny the people looked and how sad they were. The war having ravaged the people too much- the people living in luxury among riches the most being Momoka. To the rest gold was useless, not as important as food.

"Natsumi...Look out for your brother out there." Aki instructed her young daughter. Natsumi wasn't at the cut off range for this tournament and although her daughter had insisted she didn't want to marry a princess or leave her mother, Aki had insisted. "You have to win. I want a better life for you and Fuyuki. Just show them how strong you are. You have you have my strength."

"And what do I have? What do I have, Mom?" Fuyuki asked excitedly.

"Um...You have..." Aki didn't know, "You're cute." She pat his head. "You can win this. Just show your big cute eyes to that princess over there and this should be in the bag."

Fuyuki pouted. "You were supposed to say I'm smart. I read like so many books!" Fuyuki outstretched his arms, "Someday I'm going to be a mage. And then I'll be strong."

"You do that. You do that." Aki pat his head.

"Nerd." Natsumi whispered affectionately. "Just read off some of your weird nerd theories. Maybe somebody will be into magic up there. Then you should win."

Fuyuki pouted like a brat.


The competition was long and boring, and it wasn't Momoka who made any of the decisions who she found interesting. Nobody would make a child try to figure out what they wanted in their adult years. That would just be dumb. Instead Paul tried to examine the contestants, and it was Natsumi and Fuyuki who shined above the rest.

Natsumi was incredibly strong for her age. She could fight off boys in at least their tween years, and multiple at a time. She seemed to have an endurance and determination that children in the poorer parts of the kingdom simply didn't have. And Fuyuki's 'weird theories' were actually research from various books that illiterate adults would never know about. The history of their country and teachings on how to do better magic. Also he seemed to be kind to the other contestants.

"Two competitors rose to the top. The blue haired kid and his sister- the one with pigtails." Paul told the King, Baio.

Baio nodded. And after much discussion among his wife and him the next week, they returned to take Fuyuki and Natsumi to their home. Fuyuki and Natsumi were taken away from Aki to find a better life and be the potential mates of Momoka.

They had impressed all of them.


"Fuyuki's the nicest person I've met!" Natsumi tried to defend, back at the present. "If you just gave him a chance, I'm sure you would love him." Natsumi tried to reason.

Momoka sighed.

"Twelve years at war is much too long. He's not just kind out of obligation. I promise you that." Natsumi tried to reason.

"Twelve years at war with Fuyuki isn't long enough, I think." Momoka said blandly.

These words managed to get the attention of Fuyuki's royal guard who was walking by- Saburo, as he looked surprised. He walked closer and waved briefly at Natsumi since he hadn't seen her for at least a week.

"I heard someone mention fighting Fuyuki. Is he all right?" Saburo asked concerned. He always wanted to do the perfect job of guarding Fuyuki. He honestly cared about his friend. Also it was just plain professional to be a knightly royal guard. All threats had to be examined.

"S-saburo!" Natsumi bolted up away from Koyuki, "Ummm...Uhhh...I got hurt in the battle." Even though previously Natsumi had said her wounds weren't bothering her, she was now blushing and faking that they hurt. "Is there any bandages you have or anything...? I think...I might be losing a lot of blood. Ack..." She faked swooning a bit and fell into Saburo's arms.

Saburo looked mostly bored, "I think Koyuki has some. In like her hand." Saburo didn't even miss a beat rejecting Natsumi and tossing her back to Koyuki.

Koyuki opened her waiting arms, happily catching her. "Can't get away from medical treatment that easily!" Koyuki teased, giggling and hugging her.

"Anyway, is Fuyuki okay?" Saburo asked. Fuyuki was Saburo's most important person- it was a royal guard's job to have their respective royal be their most important person after all. They existed for them, their lives revolved around their safety.

"He's fine." Koyuki explained to Saburo, "Momoka and Natsumi were just arguing about Momoka's relationship with him again." Koyuki tried to fill in her fellow royal guard.

Saburo sighed, "Oh, it's just that. The most amusing and ongoing drama in the castle. I suppose that can be called a war."

"She's going to marry him someday." Natsumi piped in, "So it's about time she stops hating him."

"Momoka? Marry Fuyuki? No." Saburo just shook his head, "I don't imagine that they'd be a good couple. I mean, if she disliked him for so long why'd she be happy with him?" For some reason Saburo looked uncomfortable about the aspect of Momoka and Fuyuki together, "Anyway..." He cleared his throat, "Isn't your relationship with Natsumi much better? Shouldn't you marry her instead? After all Natsumi would make a great Queen."

Natsumi looked shocked that Saburo of all people would suggest that.

"Ick, no. It would be like marrying my little sister!" Natsumi argued.

"No!" Momoka refused, "I'm not attracted to Natsumi at all."

"But...You aren't attracted to Fuyuki either...? Right? Right?" Saburo asked a little nervously.

Momoka narrowed her eyes at him. Saburo looked away.

"Well, anyway, I suppose Princess Momoka can marry whoever she wants. But I just think Natsumi would be better for the kingdom." Saburo put in his two cents.

"Well, I think Fuyuki would be." Koyuki stood up, eyeing Saburo. They both had their own idea of who Momoka should marry. And neither of them agreed with each other. "Anyway, I'm sorry. I'm a bit lost. What happened between you and Fuyuki anyway?" Koyuki asked, "Why'd you suddenly start hating him?"

Natsumi shrugged, "I don't know. They used to play together when they were little."

Koyuki's eyes widened. She drew a blade from a cuff on her leg, "Did Keron attack? Were you traumatized by it and had to cut off ties with Fuyuki? Who attacked you? Who do I have to kill?" Koyuki took the situation over-dramatically.

Momoka put her hands up. "Nobody attacked us! I just...Stopped playing with him. I overheard him talking to Paul one day. We used to play ruler together, ruling kingdoms and all. We both really liked conquest when we were kids. I was usually the queen and he was the king, but one day we played enemies."

"And Fuyuki always had to get his way, right?" Natsumi recalled, "He was a brat when he was a kid. Always wanted to play dictator."

"Usually we played on the same side. We wanted the same things after all, but we got in a fight that day. Eventually I left to get some juice and came back to hear him yelling at Paul. Paul told him that he had to let me the win the game because I was the princess and he couldn't have his way. Paul said Fuyuki always had to be nice to me. And well, that was the first time I saw the true Fuyuki, the one that wasn't nice to me. He threw a big tantrum saying he didn't want me to win and how he didn't want to be nice. But after I came back he let me win the game and I realized all the kindness was just a lie. Fuyuki was just like everybody else towards me." Momoka looked sad.

Saburo and Koyuki looked a bit sorry for Momoka.

"Momoka. He was a kid." Natsumi pointed out, "And yeah, my brother was a big brat back then, but he's different now. He's grown up. It's been...What seven years since then? Both of you have grown up." Natsumi smiled. "But...I can kind of understand the bitterness. But you really need to patch this up. It's just a simple misunderstanding."

"It is not. It was the first time I saw the real Fuyuki, and that's how I know he's kind to me because he has to. It's the same as back then. He doesn't like me, he's just doing it because Paul tells him he has to because I'm the treasured princess." Momoka stood up. She didn't want to have this heavy conversation. She wasn't getting the information she wanted from Natsumi so there was no reason to stay.

"Geez, the war with Keron has nothing on the war with you and Fuyuki." Saburo teased.

Koyuki just sighed, "I just wish they'd make peace. I just want the castle to be happy."

Momoka walked away as Natsumi continued to get her wounds patched.


So since this is an AU, I'll post what each person's role and age is that's mentioned in each chapter.

Momoka- Main character, Crown princess of Terran, will someday rule the kingdom. Age: 17

Fuyuki- Adopted prince of Terran, adopted into the family to be Momoka's fiance, possibly. Age: 17

Natsumi-Adopted princess of Terran, adopted into the family to be Momoka's fiance, possibly. Chose to be trained as the general of the army instead. Age: 19

Koyuki: Momoka's royal guard. Each royal is allowed only one royal guard who is supposed to protect their life and be their most trusted individual. They exist to protect them. Age: 19

Saburo: Fuyuki's royal guard. Each royal is allowed only one royal guard who is supposed to protect their life and be their most trusted individual. They exist to protect them. Age: 21

Aki: Fuyuki and Natsumi's mother. Hasn't seem them since they've been adopted. Was a miner.

Baio and Oka: Momoka's parents. King and Queen of Terran.

Paul: Primary adviser of Terran, and Momoka's butler.

Please review!