Chapter 25

-x-

It was that time of the year again, when the snow is falling and the wardrobe is changed into long and heavy coats. The winter in Rakuzan is one cold winter; everything is covered in snow even when the sun shines brightly in that particular morning.

"You look like you are going to disappear with that coat"

"Thank you for telling me what is on your mind, but this coat is quite comfortable and provide me with the warmth that I need" Tamiko told the tanned Duke that is walking with her through the hall inside the inner castle. Tamiko is on her way to grand hall, where she would meet and hear the voice from the nobles all over Rakuzan that come to tell the King their aspiration. And this is the first time Tamiko face the public, even when it is inside the castle and only the noble and royalty in there.

And she is very nervous.

Akashi told her that she didn't need to attend to this particular event, mostly because she needed to catch on her studies. But Tamiko insisted that she is to sit there, even if she might ended up just to sat there and not saying one single word because of her lack of understanding. She insisted because her instructor has been telling her that it is part of her duty as the Queen, and the other reason is she is curious about it.

"But that coat didn't feel like it is a woman's coat" Aomine told her as he took a good look on the coat. It is definitely too long for Tamiko, he can't see her finger beneath the overly long garment of the coat, he could also barely see her face when she pulled up the hood to cover her hair and face. Maybe that is also the reason why she can walk around the inner castle without any guard noticing her presence.

"His Majesty gave this to me when I went on a walk with him on the first day of the winter. I wasn't aware that Rakuzan's winter will be colder than Teiko's"

"In short, you are wearing his coat now" Aomine said as he smile widely. It was unusual of Akashi to share something of his to another person. Then again, it is unusual for the said man to stop working very late every day and spend that time with a certain blue haired beauty in her room.

"Is there a problem with that, Aomine-sama?" Tamiko ask him, without giving a single glance to him. Aomine immediately knew the tone she use was the same as the one he used whenever he didn't want anyone to ask him anything.

Aomine put both of his hand on the pocket of his pants. He watch the young Queen who walk through the hall of the Palace as if she own the place. Since she suddenly becomes the spouse of Rakuzan's King eight months ago, she has improved her attitude towards royalty and her knowledge of the history of Rakuzan. And it is very clear now that she also took some of Akashi's attitude towards the things he dislikes. Aomine also realize that the young Queen has very little presence if the spotlight wasn't directly put on her.

"Not at all, Your Majesty" Aomine answered as he opened the door to the Grand Hall. And as he expected, none of the nobles turn their head to take a good look at who enter the room and Tamiko could easily walk amongst the noble until she arrive at her seat, at the very end of the room. Aomine was surprised that Akashi is not yet arrived to the room, maybe for the first time in history of Rakuzan, Aomine Daiki is early to the meeting.

"The King has arrived"

The guards open the door as the King arrived with his personal guard behind him. Aomine smile as many of the noble try to talk to the King as he asks something to the guard behind him. It is truly amusing how everyone suddenly aware of the King while no one realize the Queen has arrived earlier and has been seated for few minutes in her throne.

Her lack of presence is surely on par with Akashi's charismatic persona. They are really a match made in heaven.

But what even more interesting is how Akashi didn't give any attention to the nobles as his eyes turn to look at the blue haired female that is already half asleep, she was only here for few minutes and she could barely open her eyes? Aomine chuckled and it seems the King has some issue with his young Queen. Aomine saw Akashi's eyes softened as he saw his wife while the Queen refused to look to the King.

-x-

Akashi's PoV

From the whole years he has been living in the castle and for the past couple of years of him as the King, Akashi could never find the reason why he love his position as the leader of one big country and got thrown into a political feud since the day he was born. He hates every second of it, but he love the power that he held to keep people in their own respective places.

Until this very second

"Then tell me Viscount, why raising the tax in beneficiary for the citizen? It is winter and the people in your area will not be able to gain money since they can't farm anything."

Akashi Seijuro smile as his beloved Queen arguing with one of the noble as he suggested raising the tax in his area because the food supply for the winter in not enough in his mansion. No, he did say it was the emergency food supply. Akashi just laughed when the usually silent Queen got worked up over the idea of raising tax. Then again, his Queen is still inexperienced when it come to political discussion. Most of the nobles has been waiting for the naïve Queen to slip up and lose her composure, they firmly believe the Queen is the key to the King's downfall.

"What do you think, Your Majesty?" Akashi heard the Viscount ask him after his Queen decided to not back down from the argument. Whether they like it or not, the only one that can go against the Queen wishes is the King himself.

"We are hearing about the condition of the citizen in Rakuzan, this is not the time or place to discuss about the tax raise" Akashi said to the Viscount, and he could see the Viscount lowered his head in shame but the tightening on his jaw is a dead giveaway of him being displeased with the King. "And as for my Queen" Akashi said as he turn to face the woman that is seated next to him. "You are doing a great job defending your opinion; however we are only to listen to their problem, anything more than that will be discussed in a more appropriate time and places"

Rather than answering him, Tamiko 's face turn as red as his hair and she refused to look at him. Akashi usually don't pay any attention to small detail like this but the argument he has with his Queen the week before making her not wanting to speak with him for a week. She also went back to sleep in her own room.

All of it was because of an argument over why she can't attend this hearing with the nobles.

From the corner of his eyes, Akashi could see the object of his disapproval over the idea of having his Queen going to any occasion with the nobles. The look of hoping the Queen to meet his eyes when he himself standing over hundreds of other nobles.

And the worst, it is time to this person to speak.

"It has been nice to meet you again, Your Majesty" and he kept his eyes to only look to the Queen herself. Aizawa Ryo didn't even give Akashi one single glance or even any sign of acknowledgement.

"To what do I own this pleasure, to have the infamous Aizawa Ryo in this occasion" Akashi finally spoke, he didn't bother to hide how he is displeased over the fact that Aizawa hasn't turn stop looking at his wife.

"As much as I don't want to be here, I have some news for you" Aizawa said as he turned to look to Akashi. "The Duke that oversees the area next to mine just went out and stomp over my place with his weird regulation. If these continue, it will be one political war"

Akashi frowned as he imagined the area where Aizawa is located, it is near the border of Rakuzan. The location itself is near the capital city but not populated enough since it is near the mountain area. The only area that Akashi could think of by making trouble with Rakuzan would be the area that he knew everyone know about what kind of place that area has become.

"What kind of trouble?" Akashi heard Tamiko ask as she turn to look to Akashi. Akashi turn to look to Aizawa for answer. Akashi forget that his beloved wife was not completely learn about Rakuzan and her crash course about Rakuzan was not moving fast enough to cover the area of the border of Rakuzan.

"A small country called Seiho"

"Seiho?" He heard Tamiko ask him, Akashi nodded and he turn to see that Aizawa was not expecting the Queen feels scared when he mentioned Seiho.

"There is a rumor that the Prince of Seiho is going to legalize the red light district and the pay is pretty good for the worker in that kind of work. The butler in my house told me that many of the young ladies have gone to work there" Aizawa said as he watched closely at the expression on the Queen's face. "It is none of my business on what kind of business that country does since it is what Seiho is already known for."

"Shouldn't we talk about this in tomorrow meeting?" Akashi heard Aomine's voice echoing through the room. The Duke looks the least happy when Aizawa keep pushing for the issue to be discussed at that very moment.

"I agree with Daiki. There are many other who hasn't told us the issue that they are facing as we are approaching winter. And the first meeting tomorrow will be about the problems that need to be taken care of immediately."

"And you are sure there will not be any subjectivity in that matter?" Aizawa ask him, Akashi knew he is taunting and want the nobles to be on his side.

"His Majesty will not do that." Tamiko spoke again as Akashi saw she was giving Aizawa a harsh and disappointed look. "The glory of this Kingdom is because His Majesty has spent considerable amount of time when he need to make decisions. Are you suggesting that your own King is not worth his title by doubting him?"

If only Akashi could see how surprised Aizawa's face when he realize that Tamiko was not on his side. Akashi was glad that the hours he spent working in his office after the council member gave him such hard time as a way to express their revenge. Some of the member also went as far as to refuse to report back to the Palace, making his work even harder and Aomine complaining that he has to knock on the door of every mansion just to ask for a paper that could be sent through mails. His wife saw through the trouble since she has been spending the night in his room and has been reading some of the documents in his office, and she also has the same complaint as Aomine.

"I never said that, Your Highness"

"Then, I want this matter to be discussed in a more appropriate time. There are others whose voice wanted to be heard by the King" Tamiko said in a calm and confidence voice. Akashi could feel himself smiling as he saw the fruit of his teaching to his wife about how to speak up and make herself noticeable in the room.

"Yes, Your Highness"

-x-

Aizawa Ryo's PoV

Aizawa stormed through the hall, he is completely humiliated by the damned King. He bring out the matter of Seiho to the public just to have the young Queen realize how incompetent the King has been. With half of the nobles in that room was from the fraction that want to dethrone the King, Aizawa thought that he might gained new ally and if possible, to gain the Queen's. but the King had to ruin all his plan. And to make matter worse, the young Queen has manage to gain some follower who admire her blunt move without siding with any fraction. If she continued with this, she will gain enough follower and she will gain her own power.

How can the young Queen change so much? That look on her eyes, it was similar to the King's.

No, he won't accept this. The old Kuroko Tamiko should be the gentle and honest girl. There wasn't any trace of her being anything but pure. The girl he met on the flowerbed was the girl that Aizawa had his eyes on. To saw her again in that room, Aizawa didn't want to admit that the old Kuroko Tamiko has gone.

It was all because of Akashi Seijuuro.

How could that damned King corrupting such an innocent girl. and to have her to back him up if he made any mistake on his political move? He went on marrying the first peasant that he saw and shaped her to his every need. But Kuroko Tamiko went to Rakuzan as a pretend Princess Mayuzumi, and by the law, she should have been on death row now.

Aizawa's eyes widened as the realization. Is it possible that Kuroko blackmailed the King?

It would be impossible. Kuroko Tamiko would not be capable to blackmail anyone. But she did gain herself a jump in social status and wealth. The only one who can gain anything would be her, the King lose too much by marrying her.

Aizawa scratched the back of his head. Akashi Seijuuro is a cautious man, he wouldn't let himself to be in a position where he is at loss. Something is clearly going on with the King and the false Princess of Teiko. This will definitely something big, enough to dethroned the infamous Akashi Seijuuro .

-x-

AN:

I am still alive. So what do you think?

Thank you for reading this and leave review~

I'll see you on the next chapter, I am going to update monthly now ^^.