Short summary: Kouen stays up all night with two wives. Sort of.
Guardian Lions (8)
Priorities
"...And that's what happened."
Kouen merely nodded. It was 2 AM in his study, and he had just finished hearing Hakuei's report on her latest diplomatic outing. To be honest, he didn't catch a word of it. He was dead tired from staying up and reading all night.
Hakuei cracked a smile of sheepish apology. "I'm sorry for coming to you at this hour. I wanted to get my report out of the way so I wouldn't have to do it early next morning."
"No need to say sorry. I understand. Thank you for letting me know, Hakuei. And good work."
He expected her to bow and leave, but she stayed in front of his desk with a quizzical look.
"Lord Kouen, I've been meaning to ask you...what happened to your face? There's something very off about it."
"What are you talking about?"
"This, right here. If I may..." Hakuei leaned closer and reached out with one hand, her fingers just shy of an inch from his jawline. Not that he minded, anyway.
Not too far from Kouen's study, Koumei weaved his way through shelves of scrolls, fanning his face to keep himself awake. His heavy, sunken, half-lidded eyes widened a fraction when he heard voices. "Is that Kouen? And Hakuei? What's she doing here at this late hour?" Suspicion creeped up on him and before he could stop himself, assumptions went rampant. "It's not what I think it is, is it?" He muttered. "I sure hope not-"
He rounded a corner, saw, and gaped. "What are you two doing? You're step-siblings!" From where he stood, and seeing only Hakuei's back, she looked like she leaned in to plant a passionate kiss right on Kouen's lips.
Hakuei pulled away, startled by Koumei's horrified outburst. Sleep-deprived, Kouen didn't bat an eye. "Don't be so dramatic, Koumei. Hakuei's just trying to see what's wrong with my face."
"It looks like a rash, but I'm not sure," she said.
Koumei squinted. "Wait, that's not a rash..." Then he jabbed a finger at Kouen. "Those marks are imprints of the Torran language, from your scroll! You've been sleeping on it!"
Fighting the urge to cringe from his brother's accusation, Kouen remained stone-faced and crossed his arms. "Nonsense. I never sleep on my scrolls."
"Don't say that like it's something to be proud of," Koumei shot back.
Hakuei frowned. "The letters on the scroll must be smudged away now. How will you restore them?"
"Don't worry. I have memorized the ancient texts."
Koumei wasn't impressed. "So you have them etched in your heart as well as on your face."
"Precisely. I can simply rewrite them." Kouen sounded as if he planned to do that just now.
Hakuei raised an eyebrow and gathered the scrolls on his desk into her arms. "I better put these away."
Kouen was aghast. "Hakuei, what are you doing with my scrolls? Please give them back."
She ignored him and kept walking. "My dear cousin, this is for your own good."
He tried to be firmer this time. "Hakuei, give back my scrolls."
She only bit back a laugh.
Koumei had to restrain his older brother, keeping him pinned on the desk so he wouldn't chase after Hakuei. "What you need right now is sleep, you history nerd. All your dead worlds and languages can wait tomorrow."
"No, they can't."
Koumei only rolled his eyes. "If I was being dramatic then you're just a big baby."
"You dare to call the first imperial prince of Kou a big baby-"
Hakuei heard them squabbling, even as she reached an empty shelf at the far end of the hall. Hearing Kouen's indignant voice made her laugh. She felt bad for depriving him of what he loved most, but Koumei was right. The empire couldn't be run by the crown prince who couldn't get any sleep.
At his desk, Kouen sulked. "I feel like I'm married to two wives," he grumbled. "Two nagging, worrying wives." He knew he ought to be grateful for his cousin and brother looking out for him, but right now he just felt like a victim. He didn't look forward to married life, if that was what tonight served to give him a glimpse of.
