Hello! Thought I should hurry along and put up a new chapter! And, as this chapter turned out to be a bit longer than I'd intended, I wound up splitting it in half. This means that the next one will be up hopefully pretty shortly, too!
So, read on and I hope you enjoy!

Susa Yoshinori really wished that he didn't know with complete and utter certainty that he was going to become intimately familiar with current situation. Though his own practiced, tolerant expression gave nothing away, his men weren't quite so guarded, and he could see in their faces that they very much shared his resignation.

He really wished that he could say that this was going to be the last time that they would be hauling Prince Kagami Taiga back to confinement.

It was crystal clear from the look on his face that they weren't going to be nearly so lucky. In his time as a soldier, Susa had had dealings with his fair share of prisoners –it came with the territory, and as a captain, responsibility for captives often fell to him. There were all kinds; the ones that cried, the ones that begged, the ones that refused to talk, or eat, but the ones that had the same glint of determination in their eyes that sparked in Prince Kagami's –they were the ones that proved most troublesome.

There was something that drove them to be free…which inevitably caused problems for the people trying to prevent that.

He'd led them a right chase today, especially for someone fresh out of the infirmary and with apparently no clue as to the layout of the castle. Susa's men were looking a right wreck, really –covered in dirt like they'd been training particularly hard all day, and bruised and battered and aching from bounding down stairs and trying to bring the stubborn prince to the ground. An exercise in pursuit, like that, might even have proved refreshing, had the captain not been painfully aware that it was more like likely going to happen all over again.

Even now, Susa was making sure to maintain his vicelike grip on the redhead's bicep, lest he try to make a break for it before they reached his new quarters. And, judging from the way he kept trying to head-butt and shoulder his way free; that was exactly what Kagami had in mind. It was a good thing that Susa was well-matched for the prince in size –anyone too much smaller might well have been flung aside by now.

Some of the men had suggested blindfolding him –probably to disorient the poor man even more, but there was no need; Touou was a large castle and easily confounding to those not familiar with its halls. That, and, as loosely as the term 'guest' seemed to be used in his situation, he was one –a prince at that, and Susa was loath to force him to suffer any further indignities; the gag was enough already.

Most men would have found it humiliating to walk the halls like that; such an obvious prisoner, despite what the king might say, and would turn their heads away at the looks of disdain from passing noblemen. But not this man –and Susa had to wonder at it –this man held his head high and met their scorn like it was nothing…as if he was daring them to do more than simply glare.

It was a relief to finally reach the room that Lord Midorima had designated as the prince's new lodgings; the door open and the sound of a servant busying themselves inside.

"Welcome to your new room, my lord," Susa remarked politely, as they drew up; two of his men automatically taking up a position on either side of the large wooden door, "Please reconsider trying to escape again," he added, tugging the gag away from the redhead's mouth and narrowly avoiding losing a finger in the process, "We will catch you."

"Don't count on it," Kagami spat back hotly, again trying to yank away from him and failing, "…And don't call me that –"

"…What would you ask that I call you, then?" Susa inquired flatly, only for the redhead to glance away in a childish refusal to answer. "My lord it is, then." He turned to beckon to the servant in the room, who seemed to be in the process of filling a bath, "Servant, come. Lord Midorima ordered us to bring food for our guest." There was a brief pause as a bucket was dumped to the stones and the dark-haired servant wandered forwards to receive the large tray of food that one of Susa's men had been bearing.

"You must be hungry, my lord," Susa remarked, cutting the bonds tying the redhead's wrists in a single motion, but easily gripping his fists before either of them could come flailing to strike him. It was admirable the amount of strength still in those hands considering how he hadn't eaten since coming to the castle –not to mention the ordeal he must have been through while getting there.

"Kagami," the prince growled irritably, his voice failing to mask the loud groan of his stomach. Susa felt the hands in his grip relax slightly, almost as though he had only just now been struck by the realisation that he was famished. "Just Kagami…Is fine…"

How strange.

"As you wish," Susa replied dutifully, unfortunately used to the eccentricities of royals. One couldn't serve King Imayoshi for any amount of time without coming to acknowledge that sometimes it was impossible trying to understand them. He nudged Kagami forwards slowly, ushering him towards the room and nodding at his men to get ready to barricade the door.

"…So you are imprisoning me," Kagami scoffed angrily, though he thankfully seemed to be accepting that that door was still going to close on him no matter how much he tried to escape from Susa's grip.

"If that's how you choose to see it," Susa answered neutrally, releasing the redhead's wrists and giving him a firm shove into the room. Before Kagami even had time to react to being freed, the door was slamming shut behind him.

"Hopefully you'll find this one a little harder to break down."

Kagami curses were quickly drowned out by the sound of something heavy scraping against the stone floor of the corridor; a sure sign that his most obvious exit was being walled off. He slammed a fist into the wood angrily, but was rewarded with nothing but a muffled thump and a stinging hand. But that didn't stop him from aggressively swinging another punch at the door, and then another, and then finally knocking his forehead against the solid wood in frustration.

Of course, none of that did any good.

"Ugh…." Kagami groaned into the door; his hands clenching and unclenching in an attempt to stop his shoulders from shaking with fury.

This was not happening.

What was Hanamiya thinking, sending him here? Ever since Kagami had been a boy, not a day had gone by without some bitter reminder that he was going to be chained to Kirisaki Daiichi until he died. Hanamiya had made sure that he could never call Kirisaki home, and yet could never leave. And now he was far from there, but still trapped, all over again; doomed to marry a man whose very presence set him on edge and had his guard rising.

Even just thinking of that man's face and the crude clench of fingers digging into the flesh of his ass made Kagami's anger flare, and his fist met wood again, only to throb uncomfortably.

"I take it your escape didn't go so well."

Kagami had forgotten that he wasn't alone, and the sudden comment made him start in surprise, prompting him to spin around to face whoever it was that had decided to mock him so familiarly. And then, when he recognised who it was perched at ease on the windowsill, he couldn't help but scoff in annoyance.

"Ugh," he snorted in heated aggression, "…What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like?" Takao snorted, holding up his empty bucket with one hand and gesturing dramatically with the other at the full bathtub a few paces in front of him, "…Seeing as someone can't seem to go more than three hours without needing another bath…" He met Kagami's gaze rather coolly, and then his eyes skated down, resigned to how dirty the redhead had managed to get in such a short space of time, "Seriously, where did you even find all this dirt…?"

Kagami didn't answer; the growling of his stomach the only thing that was currently rivalling his anger. He could smell all that food just sitting there; taunting him, making his mouth water something terrible. He wanted to shout and beat that door down, and if it would've done him any good he might've demanded to be set free. But the sudden gnawing emptiness of his stomach made him realise that he needed to regain his strength. In the years at Kirisaki, he'd come to know hunger, of course, but it had become so constant; so ever-present, that it had eventually come to be a part of him, and only now that all this food had been placed before him, did he realise just how famished –and therefore, just how weak, he was.

His stomach growled again as he made a beeline for the table, and he swallowed, and with that, tried to push down his rage. Getting angry in Kirisaki had never done him any good; never gotten him anywhere, and what good was he if he stayed starved when there was food on offer?

Tentatively, he reached out towards the tray of food, as though it all might vanish if he touched it; as though there was some price he might have to pay. It was all for him, though, right? That's what they'd said? And was this just one meal? The captain guy hadn't mentioned anything about having to ration it, right?

"…What was that?" Takao inquired, informing Kagami that he had mumbled a question aloud. The redhead didn't look at him, just licked his lips and picked up a piece of soft bread. It wasn't warm anymore, but it was definitely fresh.

"Will I get more?" he asked vacantly, and once again, the servant was struck with how strange he sounded.

"Of course," he replied curiously, raising an eyebrow, "You're a guest here. We're not going to starve you." Red eyes flicked over to him, assessing his face as though searching for some kind of deceit. But if there was anything in Takao's face it was puzzlement, and that seemed to be enough. Kagami crammed the piece of bread in his mouth and couldn't help but let out a soft murmur of something much like delight at how soft and delicious it was.

"…At least wash your hands…" Takao sighed rather belatedly, shaking his head in disbelief and sitting back against the stone wall as he watched the redhead wolf down morsel after morsel; looking as though he couldn't get enough of it. It was actually astounding how fast the food vanished –Captain Susa had been quite generous with the food he'd brought up, but nothing about that seemed to daunt Kagami; he was eating as though someone might steal it from his very fingertips if he slowed.

"…Wow," the servant couldn't help but remark with a low whistle. The sound attracted Kagami's attention and he glanced over, licking his fingers; cheeks stuffed to bursting and food scraps stuck to his chin. Takao burst out laughing, and the redhead looked appropriately put out.

"What?" he sniffed, his voice muffled by the sheer volume of food still crammed in his mouth.

"Nothing, nothing," Takao chuckled, waving away the accusatory look the redhead was giving him, "I just…you're really hungry, aren't you?"

"…I can't remember a time when I wasn't," Kagami shrugged simply, turning back to his emptying plate as though it were no big deal. Takao couldn't help the way his eyes saddened for the briefest of moments; caught off guard by the flat, easy honesty of the statement. But then his gaze sharpened again and he let his crooked smile smear across his face again.

"Well, soon you'll be our prince," he commented offhandedly, "And you'll never have to go hungry again."

Any lesser man would have withered at the sudden heaviness that fell across the room. Takao, however, simply inclined his head most curiously as Kagami paused mid-chew, and slowly swallowed, hanging his head and glaring down at the table with eyes that could've held lightening. His jaw clenched, hands balling into fists on the wood of the table; curled so tight his knuckles were turning white. That almost child-like simplicity that had been brought on by the gift of food just a moment ago had vanished in an instant; replaced by something much darker.

"I won't," he whispered vehemently, almost as if speaking to himself. And there a kind of reckless defiance in his voice that Takao couldn't help but shiver; finding it all too like the kind of desperate tone one would sometimes hear from the mouths of condemned men. "I won't marry him."

"Ah, I'd heard that you didn't take it very well," Takao mused, but quietly, because even though he was relatively confident with his ability to evade bodily harm, he'd been a servant of Touou for long enough to be a good judge of men. He didn't fear him; he knew that Prince Kagami wasn't a malicious man…but he could tell that, genuinely angered, this man could be a force to be reckoned with. He could practically see the storm clouds brewing atop the redhead's crown; thunder rumbling ominously, and lightning crackling across his scowl.

"Did you know?" Kagami suddenly asked, turning to face Takao so suddenly and with such heat that the servant actually flinched, and had to scramble for purchase on the stone to stop from toppling backwards out the window.

"Huh?" he inquired innocently, rather comically clinging to the wall.

" –You knew why I was here, didn't you?" he accused, "…That's why you laughed at me…"

"Laughed?" Takao repeated innocently, "Now that doesn't sound like something I'd do…" Kagami looked so much like he wasn't buying the façade that, despite the suspicion in those red eyes, he snickered, "…Of course I knew. I told you, didn't I? The servants know everything."

"So why didn't you tell me?" he huffed crossly, getting to his feet and kicking his chair over in frustration.

"…Well, you didn't ask," Takao reminded him rather pointedly, taking the opportunity to remove himself from the window ledge to check on the bath. "And you could've. Though hearing it from me wouldn't have made it any less true." And knowing the king, he probably would've been thrilled to be the one to deliver the news. King Imayoshi was a lot of things, and sometimes petty was one of them.

It seemed that Kagami at least seemed to accept that on that note, he was entirely correct.

"…Wait," he muttered in realisation, "…You say you know everything here? Does that mean you know a way out of the castle?"

" –I'm assuming you're meaning other than the front gate?" Takao raised an eyebrow, and received an aggrieved glare in response. He chuckled, "Of course. And your bath is ready; there are new clothes sitting on the edge of your bed. Again."

" –So you could tell me how to get out of here?" A small flash of hope had crossed Kagami's face, and Takao somehow found it the slightest bit amusing, "Tell me!"

He couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of guilt for laughing, and then another at the way Kagami's face fell as he came to realise that as friendly as Takao was, he was still a stranger, with loyalties that didn't lie with him.

"Just because I know doesn't mean I can help," he chirped, although he allowed himself to sound at least a little apologetic, "I do serve other masters, after all, Kagami." He had to take a moment to duck again as his empty bucket went flying straight towards his head. It hit the heavy door with a heavy thud and cracked. Ah, maybe he shouldn't tease so much.

"M'lords?" he added brightly as a signal to the guards outside that he was ready to be let out. That loud, grating noise started up again in response; the soldiers most obligingly beginning to move aside whatever heavy item of furniture was blockading the door. "But, nonetheless…" he added, glancing playfully towards the redhead, who looked like his frustration was rising again and might threaten to boil over at any moment. "…I do wish you all the best for your future escape attempts. God knows the castle guards could use the exercise…"

He only just managed to slip out the door before a foot stool came flying his way.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm afraid not, Wakamatsu," Kobori replied, inclining with his head for the blond soldier to follow him, "Captain's orders."

" –But I'm not meant to cover for Iwamura until later this evening," he protested, gesturing to his unfinished meal as proof that he was off duty for the meantime. Kobori simply gestured again, and he was forced to get to his feet, his comrades snickering at him good-naturedly.

"…The captain's seen fit to station more men on Prince Kagami, I mean…Kagami," Kobori informed him, still sounding calm but no doubt as displeased by the news as the rest of the soldiers gathered in their dining quarters. "…The bolts on his door are apparently coming loose."

"Seriously?" Wakamatsu grumbled, "What is he, some kind of animal?" He stuffed a piece of bread in his mouth for the road, and debated about just making off with his plate. "…The captain doesn't think he'll get loose, does he?"

"Maybe that's why he sent for you," Tsugawa piped up, mouth full of food, "You're the most used to chases, since you've had to run after Prince Aomine for years…."

" –Why you little…"

"Wakamatsu," Kobori called firmly, because if they lingered in the castle guards' dining hall any longer, there was every chance that Wakamatsu might throttle the younger soldier. Not for the first time. The blond huffily stalked away from the table, making sure to cuff Tsugawa over the back of the head with more force than necessary, before following his comrade out into the corridor.

"So he's still at it?" he muttered, shaking his head incredulously, "That guy…can't he just give it a rest? Most people would've given up trying to break the door down pretty quickly…"

"It's only been a few days," Kobori reminded him, "You can't blame him for trying."

"Well yeah," Wakamatsu snorted, "But seriously, he's knocking the bolts loose? Did someone accidentally leave a battering ram in there or something?"

They heard Kagami a good few corridors before they even approached his room. The noblemen roaming through that part of the castle gave the pair of soldiers looks of disdain, as though it was their fault that he was causing such an ungodly din. It wasn't just the banging that seemed to be echoing through hallways, but the shouting too –was it really so necessary to be yelling so violently?

"Captain!" Kobori called out as soon as they rounded the corner to discover both Iwamura and their Captain Susa bodily pressed up against the door uncomfortably, and grimacing with every quake of the door.

"You. Can't. Keep. Me. In here!" Kagami was yelling from inside his room, punctuating each word with a loud thump as he bodily hurled himself against the door. The bolts keeping the door locked were rattling; definitely coming loose, as was rumoured. Even the heavy stone bench holding the lower part of the door closed seemed to have shifted since Wakamatsu had last been stationed there.

"How does he not have any broken bones?" Iwamura gritted out –sounding in the slightest bit impressed –as both Kobori and Wakamatsu jogged over and slammed themselves up against the door to give their sweating, bruised captain a moment of respite. Susa rolled his aching shoulder, nodding to Iwamura, and, with his help during the pause between Kagami's blows against the door, heaved the stone bench back into place with a mighty shove. Stone met wood with a heavy thud; blocking all movement of the door and taking some of the strain off the protesting bolts.

"T-That should hold him for a little," Iwamura groaned, slumping down onto the bench and wiping a bead of sweat from his brow, "It took him half a day to move that thing…" he winced as the door shuddered against his back again.

"Why can't we just throw him in a prison cell…" Wakamatsu sighed, "Those doors are a lot stronger –they're made to hold people who want to break out."

"Kagami is our guest," Susa reminded him firmly, and there was a scoff of disbelief in from inside the room, "King Imayoshi doesn't want him…treated like a prisoner…" Even though he was a good soldier who would follow the orders of his king, he at least sounded as though he didn't quite understand the logic of saying something like that, and then barricading someone into a room.

"You know, I'm glad that His Majesty doesn't have me chasing after that good-for-nothing prince now, but I gotta say, this isn't much of a step up," Wakamatsu added gruffly, shaking his head and glaring at the door as though that might quieten down the racket, "Prince Kagami, would you give it a rest?"

"…Don't call him that," Iwamura and Susa immediately sighed, as there was a particularly loud crash, followed by a heavy groan of pain, "It seems to make him more aggressive," Iwamura explained.

"Kagami, you're going to hurt yourself," Susa sighed, the beating against the door having paused for longer than usual, and several grunts of pain informing him that that had probably already happened.

"I don't care."

"Would you stop being a brat, already?" Wakamatsu snapped, shaking his head in exasperation before lowering his voice, "…If I get one more poncy nobleman glaring at me because of this guy…"

" –Then you'll bow and do nothing," Susa ordered, to remind him of his place, "Or you'll likely be back babysitting the prince –the one that actually knows how to escape the castle. You know? The one you never catch." That shut him up all right.

"He'll need to sleep sometime soon," he continued quietly, "…When he does, call the servants to bring some food; Lord Midorima wishes to make sure we aren't seen to be inhospitable." It really did show their relative discipline by the fact that his men all resisted the urge to look rather pointedly at the stone bench barring the bolted door.

Kagami had never realised that pretending to be asleep could be such a good idea. While crouching on the floor groaning over his aching shoulder, he had happened to overhear that a servant would be sent in while he was asleep. And for that, they'd need to open the door, which gave him a miniscule moment of opportunity.

He'd planned for it to be Takao again, because of all the servants Kagami had known, even at Kirisaki, he seemed to be the most perceptive and uncannily agile –so who knew what the other servants of Touou were like? In retrospect, if he was right about Takao's keen senses, he probably wouldn't have fallen for the clothes stuffed under the sheets to mimic the shape of a sleeping body –but the trembling, wide-eyed servant that inched in through the door, did.

It had been very satisfying to deal a solid punch to the face of one of the guards hovering outside his door –if he'd had more time, he might've tried to swing another; but there were five of them at his brilliant moment of escape, and he didn't want to get into the inescapable grip of that Captain again.

There was yelling behind him, but whatever it was felt muffled by the sound of his own rushing blood and feet slapping painfully against the cold stone of the hallway. Two other guards suddenly materialised before him, blocking off the end of the corridor, but Kagami didn't stop, simply veering towards the smaller one and barrelling into him with the force of a charging beast. The lighter man went flying, barely causing Kagami to break his stride.

The other man immediately gave chase; the sound of heavy boots echoing on his tail.

Shit.

This sprint was no better planned out than his last –he had no clue where he was going, or where he was, or even where he might find some exit. He didn't know how high up he was either, from the view outside his window he was a good two or three storeys above an open path, but that could still be any number of floors above ground level.

"Get out of the way!" He shouted aggressively, barging straight through a small group of well-dressed men that, from what he knew about nobles, were probably comparing sleeves or something. "MOVE!"

It was with a kind of sick thrill that he heard several shrieks rising up as he ran; men and women backing against walls and ledges in their hurry to get out of his way.

"Stop him!" the guards were shouting, accomplishing nothing but adding to the huge commotion. Kagami didn't dare look back yet; his eyes were too busy searching desperately for signs of a staircase leading down. It wasn't helping at all! These stone hallways all looked the same to him!

"Look out!" he barked, rounding a corner and seeing a trio of servants trundling across his path, bearing between them a large barrel that looked far too heavy for even three of them to be carrying. He sped up, seeing looks of terror on their faces as their eyes seemed to dart between his accelerating form and the barrel they were bearing.

"Move!" He shouted aggressively, taking a giant leap into the air just as all three unanimously decided to drop their burden in the middle of the corridor. It hit the stone with an almighty crash, splitting open and deep red wine spilling all over the floor. Kagami heard a gasp of horror as he landed, almost losing his footing as he landed in the rich-smelling liquid.

"Stairs?" he snarled at them, taking a moment to look back over his shoulder and seeing the guards still in hot pursuit.

"Next left; end of the hallway," one of the women squeaked in shock, before clamping her hands over her mouth and backing against the wall before she got trampled by the approaching guards. It took only moments for Kagami to locate the staircase, and took them with a flying leap, landing at the bottom with knees shaking and groaning with despair, but still choosing to serve him well.

That would give him a minute to spare.

Kagami didn't know exactly how far he ran; how many corridors he found himself sprinting down. He tried to make some sense of the place; every so often coming across a tapestry or an ugly sculpture that he was sure he'd seen while being escorted to his room –but this castle seemed so much more impossibly big than Kirisaki Daiichi that he was beginning to wonder if he was maybe trapped in some kind of maze.

It was only when the footsteps pursuing him began to sound muffled and distant that he allowed himself to slow; ears sharp for any sign that he was about to be cornered. His lungs were burning and his knees twitching and threatening to give out at any moment –he'd taken another flight of stairs like the first and it seemed that the stone floors were doing his joints no favours.

"Fuck, where am I?" he whispered to himself, panting to try and catch his breath. This entire sprint had been fuelled by adrenaline, and he was feeling a little lightheaded from it all. Hanamiya had never given him a lot of freedom to build up his stamina, and it was beginning to take a toll, no matter how strong his will was.

Taking advantage of the silence and the emptiness of the corridor, he began walking more slowly; but still tense and prepared to run at the first sign of unfriendly faces. Touou certainly was a much nicer place than Kirisaki, he had to admit; the corridors were well-lit by torches and the sun, and decorated with bright hangings and tapestries. Even if he was a prisoner here, he didn't feel that unwelcome cold; didn't feel quite so caged.

What was similar, though, was that even though there didn't appear to be anyone else in the hallway with him; his skin was prickling as though he was being watched. It didn't feel malicious; didn't feel dangerous, didn't make him feel the need to watch his back, like it had in Kirisaki, but he still didn't quite know what to make of it.

In fact, why was the hallway empty in the first place?

" –W-would you…just…" Kagami suddenly spun around at the familiar voice, baulking away as he saw with a grimace that that guard –Wakamatsu –had suddenly appeared at the end of the corridor he'd been making for. The blond soldier let out a groan, panting heavily and leaning on the wall to catch his breath. " –Give me a moment…" he added, apparently seeing flight stamped all over Kagami's body language," –Just calm down will you?" he growled, beginning to stalk forwards, "We know this castle better than you; we'll just keep hunting you down…"

"Y-you say that," Kagami huffed, trying to keep his breathing even, "…But you're already getting tired…" Wakamatsu appeared to be alone, but he doubted it would stay that way for long.

"Look, I don't want to hurt you," the soldier informed him, but there was a firmness to his words that told the redhead that he would do it, if he had to. Kagami glanced back over his shoulder, scowling when he heard the echoes of heavy boots on stone. A quick glace told him that Wakamatsu was approaching slowly, as though he were inching towards a particularly large, skittish cat. He just watched him, making no move to flee.

It was only when Wakamatsu was only a few paces away that he reacted; lunging forwards and swinging a fist out to stun the soldier. But apparently the guard had been expecting such an attack, because he ducked with incredible speed, and tackled Kagami squarely in the gut before he had the chance to make a run for it.

Even winded, the redhead managed to deliver a hefty blow to Wakamatsu's stomach with a knee, and the pair of them toppled to the floor; Kagami wriggling to get the guard's weight off him. He managed for a second, only to have his feet knocked out from under him by a cheap kick meeting his ankles. He tumbled back down again, crying out in pain as his wrists were forced to take the brunt of the force.

"Sorry –" Wakamatsu began to say, before letting out a howl of his own as Kagami lashed a foot out at his knee; aiming to incapacitate him. He missed his mark; sparing the soldier's knee, but still managed to get him hobbling with a thigh wracked with pain.

"Let me…you'll never…" Kagami snapped, crawling along the floor and ignoring his shaken joints as he scrambled to his feet.

"Stop!" Wakamatsu groaned, flinging himself forwards and bringing the redhead to the ground again by the scruff of his shirt. Kagami's skull cracked hard against the stone and he let out another thick groan of pain as his head swam. Partly in a daze and black spots dotting his vision, he felt himself being rolled onto his stomach; his cheek pressed against the cool floor. He let out a groan of discomfort, continuing to struggle as his hands were yanked behind his back.

"Captain! I got him!" Wakamatsu hollered, grunting from the effort of trying to keep the redhead was writhing free, "Can you…he's…Captain!"

All of a sudden, a nearby door was flung open with an unearthly crash, startling both men out of their skin and causing Wakamatsu to momentarily lose his grip on Kagami. That moment of pause was enough for him to buck the soldier's weight off him and begin to scramble to his feet.

"What the hell's going on out here?"

It was the voice that made him pause; that deep, thick purr that sent prickles of warning coursing across his skin. As soon as he was on his feet, he spun around; eyes somehow missing the guards in his peripheral and instead zeroing in on the man stalking out from a nearby room with nothing but a white sheet draped haphazardly around his waist.

Lazy blue eyes suddenly narrowed darkly; meeting his heated gaze without so much as flinching. Kagami's brow furrowed into a scowl, his lip curling distastefully at the image the Prince of Touou was presenting. One tanned hand was at his crotch; the only thing pinning the sheet in place, and his entire rippling, dark body was glistening with a light, telling glaze of sweat.

"Oh, it's just you…" The contempt in the comment felt like a slap to the face, and coupled with the condescendingly quirked eyebrow, it made Kagami's pride rear indignantly.

"Why you –" he began to growl, before squawking as he was abruptly seized under his arms by both Susa and Iwamura, who had taken full advantage of his moment of distraction. He could've sworn he heard the prince scoff at him, picking at an ear disinterestedly and looking down his nose at the redhead. Those eyes; they looked content for the meantime, but Kagami could still feel the predator lurking behind that haze, the one that wore that dangerous look that made him feel uncomfortably hunted.

"Prince Aomine," Susa greeted formally, squeezing Kagami's bicep hard since it seemed that he was on the verge of starting some kind of confrontation, "…We apologise for…" He paused, taking in the prince's state of undress, before settling on, "Interrupting."

"Hah?" Aomine yawned lazily, cricking his neck and waving away the apology, "Tch, it's not like it was that amazing anyways…" Where Kagami's face glowered at his tone of indifference, Susa maintained a practiced neutral expression, and merely nodded to excuse them.

" –Don't," Susa advised Kagami in a tone that somehow made him feel like a chastised child. Apparently he'd seen a dark glimmer of resentment building in the redhead's crimson gaze and decided to minimise the chances of violence. "You're coming back with us, now." And the redhead knew he had no choice in the matter, now –the captain's grip was like some kind of shackle, and he knew that no amount of struggling or trying to shake him off would do him any good. Resigned to that much at least, Kagami had no choice but to allow himself to be tugged away, back down the very corridor he had entered through; right back to where he'd started.

He could feel eyes on him again; but these eyes were different from the ones he had felt when he could've sworn he was alone. These ones…he could feel them burning through his clothes; raking up and down his body, and when he glanced back over his shoulder, he caught blue, glinting eyes fixed on his ass.

Kagami's eyes narrowed in displeasure, glimpsing the other man's lips pursed almost in contemplation, and he shuddered again as he felt the ghost of a tanned finger brushing against his chin. Almost as though sensing he'd been caught staring, Aomine's dark gaze rose to meet his, cool, detached and exuding that kind of intense aura that had the redhead's fighting spirit rearing its head.

From the corner of his eye, Susa saw the exchange; felt in the slightest bit grateful that he wasn't standing between them, lest he be burned. But as well as that, he also felt, not for the first time, and not for the last, that he really didn't understand the mind of his king.

"Kagami, it's been three days," Wakamatsu groaned, head resting against the wall in the hopes that the cool stones would do something to relieve his pounding headache, "Can you stop with the banging?"

For a merciful few moments, the rhythmic pounding on the thick wooden door ceased, as if the redhead inside the room was contemplating this.

"…Are you going to let me out?" he inquired flatly, and the blond could only let out a weak, muffled whine.

"…You know I can't do that –" he began to sigh, but the banging started up again even before he'd finished his refusal. He let out a dry sob of despair, glancing across the doorway to where even the ever-collected Otsubo was looking as though he was on the verge of breaking point. He let out a low breath, trying to block out the loud, heavy banging, punctuated every so often with an aggressive roar. And then of course, there was the second stone bench that several of them had had to lift on top of the first to try and reduce the strain on the protesting bolts. And though it did the job, with every few blows against the door, there was an unpleasant scratching noise as the benches grated against each other.

"Gods, when's that Tsugawa meant to show up?" Wakamatsu grumbled, "I can't wait to get some actual sleep…"

" –Aren't your quarters still in this wing of the castle?" Otsubo inquired with a raised eyebrow, "Can't you still hear him from there?"

"Yeah, so, like I could get any sleep there," the blond muttered, shaking his head in resignation, "I'm taking a nap in the infirmary; I don't know how any of the noblemen manage to sleep around here."

"Poorly," Otsubo informed him gruffly, "The Captain and even His Majesty have been dealing with a lot of complaints…" There was a particularly loud crash from inside and both guards winced in resignation; Otsubo clapping a hand to his forehead with a long-suffering sigh, "Please don't throw your furniture around…"

At points during the last few days, Kagami had begun to wonder if just a little bit of Kirisaki had rubbed off on him, seeing as he found a small shred of joy in the knowledge that he was thoroughly pissing off his guards, and also a fair portion of the castle population. Being unceremoniously flung back into his room had made for a frustrating experience; heightened by the sound of something even heavier being shoved against his door, and the memory of probing blue eyes. A good few kicks against the door hadn't even made the thing rattle this time around.

Nevertheless, it proved an excellent outlet for his aggression –something to kick and throw his weight against in protest of being locked up. It wasn't exactly his idea of exercise either, but it was better than nothing; and he couldn't just sit there and let them think they'd won, after all. The side effect of driving his guards completely up the wall with the relatively continuous thuds was an unforeseen bonus.

" –Wouldn't it just be easier to chase him until he wears himself out?" Wakamatsu mused as an alternative to having to sit in front of this godforsaken door and deal with the pounding of his head. "Or knock him out again; that seemed to work really well the first time?"

" –He can hear you," Otsubo pointed out, "…And don't worry, it's about time for him to start getting tired again, and he's probably hungry, too."

"…I don't know how he can be; he eats enough to feed half the guard…"

"…Hasn't the Captain recently reminded you to watch your words a little more carefully?" Apparently he had, because Wakamatsu glanced away guiltily and clamped his mouth shut. Otsubo could resist a small, wry smile. "I'm going to find a servant to get some food sent up…"

"You don't find servants," Wakamatsu snorted, folding his arms disgruntledly, "They just kinda…pop up." Otsubo had to chuckle –he did have a point.

"I'll be back in a minute," he informed him, "I'll tell them to send up something for you as well?"

"Something alcoholic would be really great." Wakamatsu didn't know why his comrade seemed to find that funny; shaking his head in amusement as he tramped off down the corridor in search of a servant. No doubt there would be at least one lingering just around the corner. The blond watched him go, and as soon as he was out of sight, turned towards the door.

"Hey –hey…quit banging for a second," he growled in a low voice, "I'm serious!" he added, a moment later, when it seemed that Kagami didn't seem like he was going to do as he asked, "How do you feel about cutting a deal?"

There was a moment of blissful silence.

"…You wanted to knock me out," Kagami reminded him darkly.

"Yeah well, I'm going crazy here, and you'd knock me out if you had the chance," he muttered, and there was a mutinous grumble of affirmation from the other side of the door, "So, you want out? I can let you out."

More silence, before Kagami suspiciously inquired, "What's the catch?"

" –If we catch you again, you quit trying to break the fuc…bloody door down," Wakamatsu offered.

"Tch," Kagami scoffed, "…You'd just trip me as soon as you opened the fucking door. No deal." Wakamatsu audibly groaned –he had in fact considered that cheap kind of trick, despite his complete confidence that he and his guards would be able to apprehend Kagami again before he even managed to get anywhere close to an exit. Too bad the prisoner had seen through that.

"Ugh," he sighed, relieved at least that it seemed as though Kagami was willing to entertain the notion of striking a bargain, should they get any more infuriated by the commotion he was causing. The chase through the castle the other day had caused riot enough –nobles squawking about not feeling safe, and having their peace disrupted and the general mess the foreign prince had caused…but now he was just straight up causing constant noise. Screams of war; grating of sword against sword, and all manner of the loud, continuous noises that could be heard at the training grounds or in the city; those were things he could deal with. This thudding pounding, he could not.

" –How about a head-start?" he offered, after a moment of consideration. That seemed reasonable.

"…Tch," came that prideful scoff, "I don't need that to outrun you; just don't fucking trip me…"

"…I guess that's –"

"This is not a negotiation, Wakamatsu," Otsubo's deep voice interrupted suddenly, and Wakamatsu yanked his face away from the door to glare across the stone benches at his comrade, who had been unusually stealthy in returning to his post. The tall brunette merely raised an eyebrow at him, neither scathing, nor amused, it seemed, and Wakamatsu couldn't help but let out a resigned sigh at having been thwarted.

"Did you hear that, Kagami?" Otsubo inquired, to make it very clear that he wasn't getting out that easily. Instead of replying, there was just that aggravating, heavy thud of a fist meeting wood, and Wakamatsu glared over at his comrade accusingly. "You're cracking a little too easily, don't you think?" he added rather pointedly, ignoring the blond's look.

"You will too, I guarantee it."

A few days later...

"…Not that this is the strangest thing I've walked in on," Takao remarked conversationally, "And it uh, certainly explains why the soldiers look a little less on edge but…" He paused, cocking his head as he surveyed the scene laid out before him. "…Do you want to maybe explain what's going on?" It was amazing that he didn't start laughing sooner.

"Oh, so this is funny to you?" Kagami snapped from the floor most vehemently, kicking an empty plate in his direction and missing by miles.

"Yeah," Takao cackled, unable to prevent himself from laughing at the way the redhead was (most furiously), lying in a heap on the floor, tied to a chair. "What happened?"

"…He was trying to get free and knocked himself over," Tsugawa snickered from the doorway, earning a most heated glare from the angry redhead. Takao didn't exactly think that tying him up was a very good plan –from what little they'd seen of Kagami, he tended to react very badly to being bound.

"No, I mean, why are you even tied to a chair?" he inquired, gracious enough to scuttle over and start tugging the chair back upright. Kagami mutinously glared at him out from under his long bangs.

"…My guards overreacted," he muttered.

"He left us no choice," Susa informed the servant, sounding rather as though this was a last resort.

"Well, you were driving half the castle insane…" Takao reminded him rather pointedly, as the redhead began tugging on his restraints before heaving an irritated sigh of resignation since they didn't seem to be budging, "Oh, so you can beat down a door but you can't break a measly bit of rope?"

" –You should probably watch your mouth, servant," Tsugawa warned airily, at the same time as Susa heavily requested, "Please don't rile him up…And Tsugawa, mind yourself."

"But Captain, he's just a serv –" A solemn stare from his captain apparently served to silence the smaller man.

In hindsight, Kagami should have expected the guards to take matters into their own hands. He just hadn't expected to wake up one morning bound quite solidly to the sturdiest chair in the room. His fury had done nothing but ensured that he toppled over into a most uncomfortable heap and left to struggle against his bonds on the floor in a most demeaning manner. The Captain had apologised, and he seemed sincere enough, but that hadn't exactly diffused Kagami's anger at being tied up.

He hated being confined like some kind of prisoner. But more still, he couldn't stand being bound like this. The rope burned with cruel familiarity, and losing the use of his limbs gave him a sense of helplessness that he hated with a passion. He wished like hell he could hate his guards for doing this to him, but, as strange as it seemed, he couldn't.

Strangely, he felt as though there wasn't any malice behind the action, even if he had admittedly been difficult enough to warrant some vindictiveness. The rope was tight but only so much to hold him in place. All the guards stayed obediently outside his room, out of sight –weren't in there throwing things, or jeering at him, and even out in the hallway, they weren't laughing or mocking his state. He was untouched and unharmed, and the Captain sounded serious when he said he found no joy in having to do that –but it had to be done to preserve the peace of the castle.

"…You're not going to untie me, are you?" Kagami deadpanned, glaring at Takao almost accusingly.

"You got it," he replied lightly, "Wouldn't want to step on any toes." Kagami didn't believe him for a second.

Irritably, he rocked in his chair again, scowling to himself and then down at his restraints. He had to get rid of these ropes. And then he was going to have to think. He couldn't just run again, as much as he claimed that he could, and as much of an easy plan that seemed. If he just kept blundering about blindly, he was guaranteed to wind up getting caught again. And that would mean starting from scratch. And even though the door was a good outlet for this intense frustration, it was doing him no good.

A glance out the nearby window helped, just a little. He could see the bright, clear sky, and even past the walls of the castle, he could see the peaks of mountains, beyond. For the first time in years; for what felt like the first time in forever...escape was an option. He hadn't quite gotten there yet; but getting free; getting back out there was a possibility.

Out there; he didn't know exactly where, but somewhere, there were people he wanted to find. His uncle, his aunt, the only friends he'd ever known...

Some day; one day, he'd see them again. But first, he needed to get out of here.

And there is the first part of what was originally "chapter three" but which I needed to uhh, break up a bit! Second part will hopefully be done shortly! I hope you like Kagami's misadventures, because there's more coming! And, just as a warning, I'm really loving writing his guards. He's really giving them quite the hard time! Hope you stick around for the next bit!
Much love
xx K