Guilt
Shiroi and Hansha stood side by side in the great hall, heads down, facing the four Blue Eyes' very angry mother. She'd been yelling for a good twenty minutes by this point, but nothing could seem to make the Dark Magician or his Blue Eyes lover any more miserable than they already were.
"-and you, Shiroi!" his mother continued, her blue eyes so bright they were practically glowing their anger. "I know I raised you better than this! You could have your pick of any woman in the entire kingdom, and you allow yourself to be seduced into a tryst with your sister's fiancée!"
Shiroi glanced up at his mother, then at Ruby, who stood beside her, a gleam of sweet vengeance in her eyes. He could see in those gleaming red eyes that she'd been the one to organize this, her fault they were standing here now. Did she think Shiroi would crawl back to her and beg forgiveness if Hansha was executed for his crimes against the kingdom?
Finally Shiroi's mother sighed, apparently getting tired of berating her son and her daughter's fiancée. Her eyes were sad as she finally addressed them again. "It is a shame, Hansha. I was really looking forward to having you as a son in law. You were always such a good boy; I'll never know what possessed you to do something like this." It sounded like her next words were painful for her to say. "I am afraid… there will have to be great punishment for your crime."
Hansha nodded sadly, accepting whatever fate came to him. If this was how it must be, it was worth it… to have had Shiroi, even for a moment.
Shiroi's eyes were fixed on Ruby's, anger boiling up at him the longer he looked at her. This was her fault, but more so, it was his own.
"Mother," he said, his gaze snapping to her, blue eyes heated with defiance. "This was not Hansha's fault. He has committed no crime."
Her eyes widened as she looked at her son. "How so it is not? He was caught cheated on Midori, the one he was betrothed to. It is a crime in our kingdom, you know."
Shiroi shook his head, taking a step forward. "It was not the way it looked. I forced him. He is innocent of everything. It was not willing, so… it was not cheating."
"Why would you do such a thing?" asked his mother, her eyes wide and clearly disbelieving. "You've never been known to do such things! Seduction, yes, but in such a case he would still be guilty."
"It wasn't like that," Shiroi said sadly. "I tied him up and… took him." Everyone in the room stared at him.
"He's lying!" Ruby yelled. "You all saw how close and happy they were together in bed! Is a victim ever so close and happy with someone who had just raped him?"
"So maybe I raped him nicely!" Shiroi yelled at her. "You weren't there, you have no idea what took place in that room! No one here can prove it is not exactly as I say!"
"Hansha," Shiroi's mother said softly. "Is this what happened? Did Shiroi… do as he says he has?"
Hansha's eyes were wide in astonishment as he looked between Shiroi's mother, and his beloved Blue Eyes. "I-"
"Hansha." Shiroi turned slightly to look at the Dark Magician with his cold blue eyes, a touch of pleading in their depths. "Isn't that what happened?"
The Dark Magician swallowed, hanging his head to hide the tears that were welling in his eyes. "…yes."
Shiroi's mother sighed. "It seems I owe you a great apology, Hansha. I hope you can forgive me, and more importantly, forgive my son one day for what he has done to you. Shiroi, you are found guilty of rape. Sentencing shall be… done later. Gin, Kin; take your brother to a lower room and lock him up." A harsh punishment was needed for a harsh crime, and Shiroi's mother was not looking forward to administering it.
Shiroi allowed his brothers to tie his arms behind his back and drag him to the "lower rooms;" the manor's version of a dungeon, though perhaps kept cleaner than normal dungeons or prisons would be. Hansha swallowed as he watched them take Shiroi away, miserable tears trembling at the corners of his eyes before leaving their heated trails down his cheeks. His beloved Blue Eyes looked back at him once, and the Dark Magician could no longer hold back his soft sobs.
Midori wrapped her arms around Hansha in a comforting embrace, silently offering him the support he needed as he watched the world as he knew it fall apart around him.