Many years ago, a peaceful and kind king ruled a great kingdom. The rivers ran pure and the land sowed plentiful crops. A time of great industry and peace overtook the kingdom as the land prospered. As the king grew old, he divided the land among his three sons, each receiving an equal portion with which they ruled well.
But one of the brothers' heart was filled with envy and greed; he wanted to take all of the land and rule over it as the supreme leader.
A terrible war broke out amongst the kingdoms that scourged and divided the land. For a time, the two pure brothers fought together against the corrupted one. But soon pride and greed overcame them as well, and they too began to fight for control of the kingdoms. For years, the brothers clashed with one another, each one just as prideful as the others. The nation was scarred and broken.
After many years of bloodshed, a plot was hatched within the three kingdoms. While the three brothers slept, the servants of their homes crept into their chambers and slit their throats. Through the spilling of royal blood, a new order was created within the divided nations. The land began to heal and the people rebuilt what had been lost.
Such as it takes months for the caterpillar to emerge from the cocoon as a beautiful butterfly, it took centuries for the kingdoms to rebuild. The royal families had grown distant in blood and a union was in order if the kingdoms were to join together again as one. The Maorongrong family and the Hachurui clan were eager to unite their kingdoms and proposed a betrothal.
The Maorongrong family offered their eldest Tekina and the Hachurui clan offered their eldest Jujun in matrimony.
The people rejoiced, for their kingdoms would soon be one. After many years of planning, the time finally came for the two nobles to meet for the very first time.
Donatello gasped and grunted as the obi around his chest was pulled tighter and tighter. The idea that his chambermaid hoped to make him seem thinner when he had a shell on his back was ridiculous to him. Nevertheless, the strip of cloth was pulled tighter and tighter until it was finally deemed satisfactory and tied off into a beautiful bow. He let out a sigh of relief when the pulling seized, the restraint no longer as bad as before. He stood up straight and turned to look at his chambermaid.
"Must you make it so tight, Tsuki? It is impossible to appear slender with this shell" he said to the pale green female. She smiled and grabbed the tabi and zori for his feet.
"I would have expected you to not be so resistant, my prince. After all, you are a Jujun." The lean, olive green turtle sighed and rolled his eyes at her words.
"That may be, but it still seems ridiculous to spend so much effort on something so futile" he argued as he sat down to allow the female lizard to place the linens on his feet.
"It is all right to be nervous, my prince" she said as she placed the socks on his feet and tied on the zori sandals. "Anyone in your position would be." Donatello bit his lip at her words. If he was truly honest with himself, he was trying to distract himself with petty arguments in hopes to delay the inevitable. He was preparing to embark to the Maorongrong empire where he would be meeting his betrothed for the very first time. It was not as if the news of his engagement was new to Donatello; he had been destined to marry this Tekina for many years now.
"It seems silly to be nervous about something I've been preparing for my entire life…" he mumbled out as Tsuki finished with his footwear. "It is my duty as a prince of the Hachurui clan to do what is necessary to keep the peace. If marrying a Maorongrong Tekina will keep the peace, than I will do what is right. And besides, Tekinas are supposed to be very ardent mates. I'm sure that whoever he is, he is a suitable gentleman."
Raphael fiddled with the hem of his sleeve as he walked through the halls. The servants were busy making preparations for the arrival of the royal Hachurui family and Raphael's betrothed. Betrothed. The person that he was going to marry was coming to his home. For the longest time, he had been eager to meet the Jujun with whom he would be wed. Now a sense of anxiety washed over him as he thought about his bride-to-be. Was he really prepared to spend the rest of his life with someone he had never even met?
"Your highness!" a voice interrupted him, "Prince Raphael!" The emerald green turtle turned to see his chambermaid, Mona Lisa, running towards him. "Your highness" she said when she finally caught up to him, "We have to get you ready to meet your Jujun!" He rose a brow at her.
"M'already dressed, Mona" he said, gesturing to the elaborate hanfu he wore.
"No, no. You need to dress up!" she giggled, "You are going to be marrying this guy. Got to make a good first impression." He tensed slightly at her words. Hearing someone else speak about his engagement made it all real for him. When it was just him and his thoughts, there were times that he could convince himself that he was NOT expected to marry when he turned twenty-six, which was only a few months away. But hearing Mona talk about getting him dressed and the decorations in the palace quickly brought him back to reality.
He followed her back to his chambers where she began to lay out his outfit. He sat down on the edge of his bed and tapped his feet against the floor. They were probably preparing the Grand Hall for the Gift Exchange ceremony. He and his father had already seen the great room and deemed it fit to serve as the place where Raphael would meet his bride.
It was tradition for the bride and groom to not see each other before the engagement party, and Raphael had held true to their customs. In a way. The messenger, Arnold Jones, had already made the journey to the Hachurui clan to tell the royal family the chosen date of the engagement party. He had been treated to a feast before being sent back to the Maorongrong empire, where he had been treated with another feast.
When the feasting had died down, Raphael had pulled his friend aside to ask him about his betrothed.
"What's he like, Case? Does he have light colored skin? What 'bout his eyes?" He had asked eagerly, desperate to create a picture of the Jujun.
"Whoa, whoa, slow down, Raph" he friend chuckled as he held up his hands in defense, "I just got back, man." The emerald green terrapin gave a look of annoyance that only amused the other even more. "He's real quiet, actually" he started off with, "Hardly said a word during my entire visit."
Raphael's face fell a bit. "Oh…" A bride who would not speak? It was customary in the Hachurui clan for Jujuns to not speak unless given permission, but really? Not even one word? How was he expected to talk with him? "What else?" he asked.
"He's a turtle, like you. Has kind of dark green skin. Not as dark as yours. Oh, and he had brown eyes. Pretty doe eyes, now that I think about it" Casey said as he tapped his chin in thought. The young prince's spirits rose at the idea of brown, doe eyes. That was always a sought after quality in the Jujuns in the Maorongrong empire. But they were brown and his skin was a dark green… That was not found attractive among Maorongrong Tekinas. How could he marry someone he didn't find physically appealing?
"C'mon, Raph. Ya haven't even met him yet. Ya may just end up liking him a lot."
"For our families' sakes, I hope you're right, Case…"
That had been two years ago and Raphael was still indecisive about the engagement. Maybe Casey would be proven right and the Tekina prince would fall head over heels in love with the Jujun prince. But what if he didn't?
It didn't matter. They had been engaged since birth; no matter how he felt, the wedding was going to happen. He would marry the Hachurui Jujun and the kingdoms would be united, whether he liked it or not.
"...ghness? Your highness?" Mona Lisa said, bringing him back to reality. "Are you all right, my prince? You seemed to have been lost in your thoughts…" Raphael sighed and ran a hand over his face.
"M'fine" he said tiredly before he stood up and held out his arms so that he could be dressed.
Donatello shook slightly as the koshi neared the grand palace of the Maorongrong empire. In just a few short hours, he would be meeting his betrothed. Don had told himself that he would resign himself to the marriage with no worries, but it was a feat that was already proving to be impossible for the olive green turtle.
What was he like? Did he tower over his subjects such as Donatello did? Or would he have to look forward to bending over just so that he could hear him? Would he be able to have children with him?
What was his mind like? That was what he was most worried about; a companion with whom he could converse with on an intellectual level. He prayed to the ancestors that this Tekina was not raised to be a complete brute with no intelligent capabilities whatsoever.
"Are you all right, your majesty?" Tsuki asked quietly from outside the koshi. Donatello dared to move the curtain back to look at his chambermaid.
"No...Yes? I'm not sure" he muttered, gripping the curtain tightly in his fist, "I just… What if he's a complete oaf? A complete brute with no thoughts other than battle and feasting? I...I don't know if I can do this…"
"Silence yourself" Tsuki whispered harshly, "Do you want to discover the consequences for saying such a treacherous thing?!" Donatello did. Despite the overwhelming worry, he bit his tongue and spoke no more. He did however look out to the lights coming from the Maorongrong palace. He could see two large copper lions, ferocious and ready to attack as they stood motionless on the columns at the front gate. The detail was so precise that they almost looked real. Large ornamental columns with intricate floral carvings stood tall and proud as they held up the roof of the grand entrance.
Brilliant reds, golds, greens, and jades flooded Donatello's vision as he was carried into the palace and into the Grand Hall. He could see the entrance to the ancestral temple to his left, a bowl with burning incense signalling that someone was praying inside. He made a mental note to learn a bit about his betrothed's ancestors. The koshi stopped and was set down before a Hachurui guard reached into it, taking Donatello's hand and helping him out of the carriage.
The Jujun's eyes met deep sapphire irises as he left the koshi. The one who had helped him was not just a guard, but the captain of the royal guard, Leonardo Splinterson. He was a turtle just as Donatello was, but with leaf green skin and a tannish yellow plastron. He was only about an inch or so shorter than the Jujun prince, but he still held much power and authority in his posture alone. The Hachurui prince swallowed the lump in his throat as those deep blue eyes peered into what felt like his very soul.
"Welcome, most honored guests" a Maorongrong servant said loudly, drawing Donatello's attention. "Presenting his honored majesty, ruler of all the empire and its people, Emperor Lái Sè." All of the Maorongrong servants bowed as a large reptile entered the room dressed in large golden robes, the hems a ruby red with intricate details stitched into the cloth. A crown rested on the crocodile's head, padded with black velvet and a single red ruby held by a diamond-encrusted frame.
Donatello's father, Emperor Hamato Yoshi of the Hachurui clan, stepped forward and bowed respectively to the crocodile. "The Hachurui clan thanks you for your generous hospitality" he said smoothly before standing up straight and staring up at the other.
"Welcome," the Maorongrong ruler said with a deep, mighty voice, "I trust that your trip was well?"
"Yes, indeed," the brown rat said with a nod. Lái Sè nodded and turned to one of his servants.
"Show our guests to their quarters," he ordered, "and then bring them down to the Great Hall where the engagement party shall take place." The servant bowed lowly before turning to Yoshi and Donatello and bowing again.
"If you will follow me, your majesties" he said clearly and politely. He began the walk to the chambers that had been prepared for the Hachurui family, the royals following behind with their servants close. Donatello was immersed in the interior of the halls as he walked with the group. Every once in a while, Tsuki would have to discretely nudge him when he would stop to admire a painting or molding of a dragon. They soon reached the rooms where the servant bowed again respectively. "I shall return within the hour to collect you for the party" he said before scurrying off to see to the last-minute preparations.
Hamato Yoshi turned to Tsuki and nodded. "I trust that you will see to it that my son will be prepared for the event." Tsuki bowed lowly before the emperor.
"Yes, your majesty" she said obediently. Father and son made eye contact for only a moment before he motioned for his personal servants to come with him. Emperor Yoshi soon disappeared into his own room with two guards standing at the entrance. "Come" Tsuki said quietly, motioning for Donatello to come into his room. He did and looked around. There was a beautiful rug spread out on the floor, with images of dragons and grassy fields embellished in the fabric of it. There was an ebony wood table with a small tray of rolls and tea still steaming hot, a welcoming gift no doubt. The bed was strange to the Jujun. It had a dark wooden frame around the mattress and what looked like silk sheets tightly folded around it. He had only ever slept on traditional mats back in the clan, so the idea of sleeping on something so strange did not strike the prince as pleasant.
"They really like dragons, don't they?" Donatello asked as he looked around the room at the many dragons that decorated the room. Tsuki simply nodded as she unpacked a few things and began to dress him for the event.
"Are you nervous?" she asked as she fixed the hem of his kimono.
"Beyond comprehension" he mumbled quietly.
"It is understandable."
"...What if he doesn't like me?
"It doesn't change the fact that you will be married."
"You're not making me feel any better about this, Tsuki."
"Well, what do you expect me to do?" she asked as she placed a hand on her hip, "Encourage you to break the engagement and keep the nations from uniting because he doesn't make you happy?" The prince was quiet. She was right and he knew it.
"...You're right" he said quietly, "You're absolutely right. I am the prince of the Hachurui clan, and I cannot afford to be picky or selfish...even in matters such as love…" Tsuki nodded as she finished dressing him.
"You know, my parents were in an arranged marriage and they turned out just fine."
"But do they love each other?"
"...Love isn't real, your highness. You may feel loyalties to those close to you, but love is nothing but an allusion we use to describe that loyalty…"
"How can you say such a thing?" he asked with a frown, "Have you never been in love? Can you honestly tell me you've never looked at a Tekina and thought 'That's the person I want to spend the rest of my life with'?"
"With all due respect, your majesty, people who supposedly 'fall in love' have no sense of reality and the way in which the ancestors use it as their gameboard."
"But why do y-" A soft rap on the rice paper door interrupted the Jujun. He sighed before turning his head towards the door. "Enter." The door opened and Hamato Yoshi stepped in. Tsuki stood up and bowed respectively to her emperor. Yoshi nodded to her before speaking.
"I wish to speak to my son alone." Donatello's eyes widened and her turned to Tsuki for some hint of what to do. Tsuki simply bowed again before walking past the two royals and out into the hall, closing the door behind her. Donatello's eyes followed her, hoping that she could sense his uneasiness to be alone with his father, but to no avail. Instead, his eyes met a deeper, darker brown that belonged to a wise and humble man.
"I understand your anxiousness, Donatello" Yoshi said softly, much to the prince's surprise. His father never spoke to him in such a manner. After all, he was the emperor of the Hachurui clan and was expected to act as such. "I remember when I was in your position many years ago. Your mother did not travel such a long way to reach me, but I was still terrified at the thought of being married off at such a young age." Donatello could only nod politely as he looked down at the floor.
"...Were you and mother in love?" he asked quietly.
"Not at first. When we first met, we saw the engagement as nothing more than a business deal. But after a time, we grew closer and closer until we finally fell in love. That was what caused your mother to become pregnant with you." Donatello smiled slightly at the thought of his mother. She was like an angel. Always so caring and understanding. She was the one he went to when he found out that he was to be married. He had only been six years old at the time.
"I have brought something for you" the rat emperor said with a smile. He removed his hands from his sleeves, revealing a gorgeous blue water lily. A dried and preserved lilypad backed the large bloom and hid a strap that would hold it in place on his head. Smaller white and violet flowers were tied together in chains that hung down from the base of the blossom, creating a small veil. Donatello's eyes widened as his father moved to secure it to the side of his head.
"This was the floral arrangement your mother wore at our engagement ceremony. Waterlilies always were her favorite." Olive green fingers reached up to brush over the delicate petals of the chained flowers.
"Thank you, father" he said softly as he looked over in the mirror at his reflection. The headpiece did indeed look beautiful. 'A beautiful flower to decorate a horrible event' he thought to himself. There was suddenly another knock on the door.
"Your majesties? The Maorongrong servant is back to take you both down to the Grand Hall" a guard said through the rice paper. Yoshi turned back to Donatello and smiled softly.
"The time has come" he said before leaning forward and gently kissing his forehead. He then straightened his back and turned towards the door. "Enter" he said, his tone of voice now full of power and authority, a complete opposite to the tone he had used with his son just moments ago. Two Hachurui guards entered the room and stood at attention before them. The two royals walked out of the room and into the hall where the Maorongrong servant from earlier and two Maorongrong guards waited for them.
Donatello swallowed the lump in his throat as he stood straight and walked with the grace and poise that had been pounded into his with strict lessons. Tsuki was waiting and began to finish with last minute touch-ups as they began the walk towards the Grand Hall and Donatello's future husband.