Edited basing on the suggestions by my reviewers
OTP's are all you need: Okay. Once again, I seriously advise you about the "Poor Tenma" stuff. You're going to need it... A lot. Took me half-n-hour to finish that poem. I had to wreck my brains for the right words. Yup, they were buddies and the weight of their responsibilities had separated them. Asylum escapee? I wonder what name you would give me after reading this particular chapter. Brace yourself!
The Symbol of Faith: Yes, I love to write poetry but it really gives me a headache later. Ha ha! I'm a huge fan of IE and IE go series too but all the fics I come across are in different languages and those which are in English are discontinued. Mostly, this fandom contains one-shots and they are sweet but seriously, we are in need of longer fics, don't you think? Your poem was well done! Too much info in a short poem. I wonder how you did that coz you know, I have a little trouble writing short poems... I'm still trying myself...
Tallemy: Thank you for the review and your sweet compliment. It was good to know that I had actually improved as the story progressed. I need all the advice my readers can give me... And yeah, I'll keep that in mind. Thank you for the info! :D
MS Smartphone: Thanks for the review... And I've not come across the game Yuuichi. And it's really shocking to know that the one in the game is whiny. Funny too. Well, Tenma is his son but yes, everyone does what needs to be done according to their customs and all. If that situation arises, we all know who Tenma will choose, don't we? Obviously, it's Kyousuke... Ken's reallllyyyy naive... Though not anymore in this chapter. Yes, since it's an abusive relationship, I should probably get rid of that orb thing and think for a better one that fits the context...
I'm warning you... This chapter contains anger, anger and... well, lots of anger again. This chapter is a brief insight into how Tenma's life would be if he went against Kyousuke. You would probably HATE Kyousuke after reading this chapter. Italics are thoughts.
Cold… I feel cold. And why does it feel like my muscles have gone stiff? Tenma pried open his eyes with those thoughts in his mind. It was just a matter of seconds in which he felt a harsh pain shoot across his nape.
Did I sleep here? All night? Tenma took in his surroundings in the meager light while flexing his neck and also noted that the sun wasn't up yet. But there was a little filter of light through the horizon. Ah, my neck! He groaned in pain. All night he slept sitting against the wall of the pond with his head rested back against its cold flat surface and hence, the pain was to be expected.
I better bathe before the prisoners are released… Thought Tenma as he stood up and relaxed his stiff muscles.
His trunk was situated at the far corner of the apparently medium sized shed. Opening it up, he picked some robes for the day, a towel and walked towards the prison bathrooms. They were behind the stables and he made sure to admire his surroundings on the way to his destination. The expanse of mud after crossing the stables was short and the small ground like opening had another shed, more like a wide room, joining it. It was huge and Tenma knew that they were the bathrooms Kyousuke told him about. He opened the wooden door that was to the left of the room. It had series of stalls along three walls and one wall, the one with the door, was plain white with traces of green, obviously moss.
Tenma let out a sigh and got into a stall. It wasn't cramped and it had a slab for placing his belongings, a bucket and a mug. He picked up the bucket and marched slowly towards the well which was adjacent to the bathhouse of the prisoners. Tying his bucket to the rope, he let it fall in the well and after the bucket was filled, he dragged down the rope, bringing the bucket up. Tenma untied the rope and carried his bucket to his stall and got undressed soon to bathe. He poured the water on himself using the mug and shivered at the temperature of the water.
Ah it's too cold! Goosebumps rose upon his skin as he emptied another mug onto himself.
After finishing his not so pleasant bath, which resulted in a severe pounding of his head, he dressed himself and tied the towel on his head so that it would absorb some water from his wet hair. Exiting the bathrooms, he searched for a Neem tree and spotted it at a stone's throw from the stables. He broke a small fresh twig from it and chewed on it to clean his mouth from all the germs and pests of the previous day. Making sure every part of his mouth was cleansed, he ditched the ruined twig and washed his mouth from the large pail of water beside the well. He was back in his shed by the time the prisoners were released. Deciding to wash his clothes later in the day, he put them on the lid of his trunk when…
"Tenma!" he heard a voice from the garden.
"Kyousuke-sama?" he was taken aback when he found his husband calling for him the first thing in the morning.
"Tenma!" he heard Kyousuke's voice again. He closed his trunk and walked out of the shed to see his husband at the door which opened into the garden.
"What is it?" Tenma yelled back.
Kyousuke sighed and got nearer to Tenma so that there wouldn't be any need to shout. He was wearing a white yukata and had a sword in his hands.
"Let's go practice sword striking. Come on!" he urged.
"Wh- what?! Sword striking?" Tenma was shocked because till date he never once touched a sword let alone practice with it.
"Yeah. What are you so tensed about? Go get your sword! Fast!"
"Why me?! Don't you have a master to teach you or practice with you?"
"My master is on a vacation and he put me under my brother's watch. But, he eloped and now I don't have anyone to practice with and I'm stuck with you. You're a prince and you would've been taught some skills, right? So, let's go!"
"But-"
"Ugh! Come on!" Kyousuke said restlessly and pulled Tenma by his hand all along the trip to the arena.
It was an open space right in front of the palace. The huge place was divided into four lawns and the space between them was covered with red carpets for smooth walking. There were shaped bushes in the lawns too and big drums were located to the either sides of each lawn.
"This is the outdoor practice arena where my master teaches me. Usually I practice with my brother in the indoor practice spot. Will take you there some time later," Kyousuke said, stretching his body.
"Um, okay," Tenma whispered.
"Guard! Get a sword for my wife!" Kyousuke ordered to a man.
After a few minutes, he arrived with a sword and gave it to Kyousuke, who in turn gave the sword to Tenma.
Tenma didn't even know how to hold the sword and was close to bawling his eyes out in front of Kyousuke. Noticing Tenma's struggles with the sword, Kyousuke frowned and sheathed his sword.
"Could you please explain me what it is that you're doing with that sword?" he questioned with his hands on his hips.
"I'm trying to hold it, may be?" Tenma said, still concentrating on holding the sword properly.
"Haven't you been taught at least the basics? You're fourteen, right? By this age you must have learnt half the tricks!" Kyousuke was angry now.
"Actually, this is the first time I've touched one. I'm sorry I'm of no use to you," Tenma said fearfully.
"Unbelievable! First, I get married to… YOU!" Kyousuke pointed to all of Tenma. "Now, you don't even have the knowledge of sword striking! What kind of a prince are you?!"
Tenma stood still… staring at the patch of grass between Kyousuke's feet.
"Well?" Kyousuke prodded.
"I couldn't learn the art of sword striking," Tenma offered meekly.
"Vow! That's… Educative!" Kyousuke said sarcastically. "May I know the reason why you couldn't learn a damn thing before stepping foot in this palace as my wife? What about other arts, archery, horse riding and stuff?"
There wasn't any answer to give. The only reason Tenma was denied of basic necessities was the fact that he was in the dungeons for the past four years, the crucial stage of a prince's life. Before the age of ten, Tenma was never asked by anyone to learn sword striking or any other art equivalent to it. Officially, the training starts at the age of eleven and he wasn't included in their practice sessions. He wanted to learn if he had the possibility, but there wasn't one.
It was when he was put behind the bars, days after THE fateful day that he understood that such things, filled with valor, weren't for him. He was denied of the royal pleasures and necessities. And when Ken offered to teach him the theoretical arts, he agreed without any negative thought. His study span was limited because his Father wouldn't allow Ken to stay for longer durations in the prisons. But with what he had in his hands, he made the best use and learned almost everything that Ken taught him.
Kyousuke's anger knew no bounds at the silence Tenma was offering. This marriage was the worst thing that has ever happened to him in his life and Tenma didn't even know the basics of anything! He was good for nothing, according to Kyousuke, because to him, the mastery of arts learned by a warrior was essential. And, Tenma was clearly out of the picture in that area. He felt like he would burst anytime if he didn't vent out his anger. He unsheathed his sword and started practicing alone, cutting through the air, making "swoosh" sounds. Tenma jumped at the intensity of the strikes. He released a sigh when Kyousuke stopped in his tracks, panting and sweating profusely.
"Be grateful that my strike wasn't directed at you!" he spat out and Tenma's head snapped up at the vile statement.
"Kyousuke-sama, you wouldn't strike me," he said breathlessly, unable to believe what Kyousuke uttered a few seconds ago.
"Oh, believe me, I would! You know nothing and believe me when I say, you're just a waste of space!"
If Tenma controlled his sadness earlier, it was definitely broken now. Tears welled up in Tenma's eyes at the filth spewed out from his husband's mouth. He was punished, yes, but never was taken to the talk of death. And here was Kyousuke, daring to kill him. Well, he didn't dare but he said that, didn't he?
"Why do you hate me so much?" Tenma managed to ask, his hands free of the sword now clutching at his chest.
"You had the guts to break into my life. That's the ONLY reason I hate you and nothing else," Kyousuke said gruffly and walked away.
Unbeknownst to Kyousuke and Tenma, there was a third person who spied on their conversation.
"Tenma," the spy called out as he made his way out of his hiding spot.
Tenma gasped in sheer surprise and frantically scrubbed away his tears, put on the best smile he could at the time and turned around to face his brother, Matsukaze Ken.
"Good morning, Nii-san!" he greeted.
"Was it good for you?"
"What?" Tenma's fake smile died.
"I don't think you had a good morning, Tenma-kun. I've seen and listened to all that happened here. I didn't know you could lie to me though," Ken crossed his arms across his chest.
"You've got it all wrong, Nii-san!" Tenma tried to wiggle his way out through another lie but stopped when Ken raised a hand to him.
"It's your personal life, I understand that. What I don't get is why you are lying after I got to know everything, Tenma-kun."
"I don't know," Tenma confessed with his brows knitted together in confusion. Yes, why was he defending Kyousuke?
"You like him, don't you?"
"What?! No, no, no, no! There's nothing like that!" Tenma spoke though his eyes and the blush on his face contradicted his statement.
"I know you like him. I hate that guy, your husband. He's mean to you," Ken pointed.
"Everyone's mean to me, except you and yes, I like him. No, I love him and I've decided to win him, no matter what. What you witnessed earlier was just another hurdle in my life that I had to face. One day, Kyousuke-sama will be good to me," Tenma said confidently.
"I hope so," Ken sighed.
After the little talk with his brother, Tenma got down to surveying the palace a bit more when he heard giggling sounds from a room and Kyousuke's voice. He knew prying on someone's business was wrong and especially plunging his way into Kyousuke's work was a blunder. It took him a while to muster enough courage to assure himself that he could do it. He was ready to face any consequence that his action would result. With that confidence seeping through his nerves, he opened the door and was welcomed with warm air which relaxed his skin in an instant.
The door opened into a small room where some clothes were placed on the black slab that was to his right. The room opened into another huge room which had a big hole filled with water in the center. He could see the vapors faintly that emanated from the water source and he stopped admiring the beauty of the bathroom and looked down to his right when he heard the same giggles again. He wanted to gorge his eyes out of their rightful places when he saw Kyousuke bathing with two girls who were covered till their armpits by a white cloth.
"Kyousuke-sama!" he yelled, alerting the trio.
"What are you doing here?!" Kyousuke chided when the shock of Tenma being present at his personal bathroom without his permission subsided.
"What ARE you doing?!" Tenma was sure this was the first time in four years that he actually vent out his anger. He was sure that he had suppressed his frequent bouts of anger back in the time. But this time, he himself didn't understand why he was reacting to this obscenity even though he had once suffered worse.
"Can't you see that I'm bathing or have you lost your sight?" Kyousuke chuckled.
"I know you're bathing! What's with them? Why are they bathing with you and why are they…?" he couldn't voice it aloud. He knew that the flimsy cloth that covered their bodies wasn't that effective when in water.
"Who are YOU to question me? Before my patience wears out, I suggest you better leave this place, right now," Kyousuke said calmly. No one was going to spoil his time with his favorite maids!
"If you forgot, let me remind you, I'm your wife!" Tenma spat at Kyousuke.
"How dare you raise your voice against me!" Kyousuke's little patience wore out as he got out of the pool. His pants hug his lower muscles, giving a clear view of his muscled thighs and shins.
"I've been bathing this way for the past one year and no one, not even my parents pointed a finger at MY ways of doing things! Now you're here, disturbing my peace and making hell out of my life. I refuse to accept it! You WILL stay out of what I do and what I don't do!" Tenma gulped in terror at the rage directed at him.
He flinched when Kyousuke grasped his upper arm tightly and dragged him out of the bathroom. He tried t remain confident like he was a few seconds ago but looking into the outrageous eyes of Kyousuke, all the little built-up confidence faded away. Fear overtook the meager traces of anger that Tenma had shown earlier and he tried to pry his arm out of Kyousuke's hold, but in vain.
"Please, I'm sorry," Tenma apologized.
"Now you're sorry? You should've thought before you spoke with that tone! And, since you disobeyed me, you'll be serving your sentence!" Kyousuke's fury was beyond control as he dragged a resisting Tenma in a fit of pique.
"Please, please forgive me! I wasn't thinking! Please!" Tenma's pleas were unheard by Kyousuke.
"You'll be staying here till you repent for your mistake!" Kyousuke growled and pushed Tenma into a dark dusty room which was to the far end of the palace. The room was meant to store the unused things and was decorated grimly with spiders, webs, dirt, a few rats and broken furniture. It was a package of living hell in an ocean of darkness to Tenma.
He fell to the unwashed dusty ground ungracefully as Kyousuke shoved him in.
"Please, I'm sorry!" he cried once again.
"Rot in here!" Kyousuke said and locked the door, shutting out the last traces of light for Tenma.
Ken wondered where Tenma was. Since morning he hasn't seen him and it was dusk now. After getting to know how Kyousuke treated Tenma, Ken didn't want to confront Kyousuke and snap at him for ill-treating his brother. But when dusk turned to a still night, he started to worry. He pushed down all his anger and rapped at Kyousuke's door lightly.
"Ken-san? What are you doing here?" Kyousuke asked sleepily.
"Where's Tenma-kun? I haven't seen him all day. Is he here?"
"Uh, no, he isn't here. He's probably checking out the entire palace. He'll be back and I'll let him know that you asked for him," Kyousuke assured.
"Who would be out sight-seeing at this hour, Kyousuke? I think he's got himself into some trouble!"
"No, Ken-san! You're over exaggerating! He'll be back, trust me!" Kyousuke laughed.
"Fine! Let me know if he's okay or not, when he returns," Ken said.
"Sure. Good night," Kyousuke wished and Ken wished back.
Both of them retired to their beds – Kyousuke into a happy slumber while Ken into a restless night filled with worry.
You really hate Kyousuke now, right? That's what happens if Tenma triggers his anger.
Hopefully, I think I got through to your minds regarding the treatment Tenma would receive for disobeying Kyousuke.
Don't worry friends, you won't have to go through this trauma again (Wish for it coz Wheezy's mind is really wavering :P).
We'll have two time skips in the next chapter and sit tight! Kyousuke's and Tenma's relation will take a drastic turn... But for the better or for worse?
Stay tuned for further information and yeah... PLEASE REVIEW!
Bye.
~Wheezy.
