2022 Author Note: More info about this story can also be found on the AO3 (Old chapters have been revised and rewritten) I use ffnet to cross post. Story might also be added to deviantart in the future.
Chapter I – Viridian Phoenix, Clever Mouse
Prologue
Many generations ago, before the Great Dynasty of Yuuei was formed, many factions and small kingdoms battled to expand their empires and sought control of the lands. In this world predicated on survival of the fittest, humans asserted their dominance, not only with gifted powers, unique to each individual, called quirks, but also the spiritual animal form they are born with, taking on the mannerisms and even strengths and weaknesses of that animal. Naturally, those with predatory animal spirits are seen as the more dominant while those with a spirit tied to prey are seen as inferior.
One such kingdom vying for power, had been expanding their influence over many, the home of two brothers, heirs to their growing empire. They became known as All for One and One for All.
The eldest of the two, garnered the reputation of; All for One, The Tyrant Prince, and The Dragon Devourer. A powerful warlord prince with the spirit of a white dragon, he basked in the glory of conquest and the thrill of slaughtering his enemies, taking their powers for himself.
The younger brother, One for All, was a frail man in comparison. Despite his spirit being that of a black dragon, he was born ill. He was diplomatic compared to his brother and had no true powers to speak of, other than his useless ability to stockpile power he was unable to use.
The two brothers vied with each other to ascend the throne. Though One for All was the favorite among the people, there wasn't much he could do to stop his elder brother from taking the throne by force. When All for One murdered their parents over ascension of the throne, proclaiming himself as king, the younger brother finally made the decision to put an end to his brother's tyranny.
Gathering the might of the strongest men loyal to him, the younger brother waged war against All for One. The brother did his best to learn more about his powers and what he could do with it before confronting his brother. Then one day he discovered his seemingly useless power was worth something. Knowing that even if by some miracle he were to defeat The Dragon Devourer, using his power just one time would result in his death.
Putting his trust in one man, his general that walked the path of righteousness, the younger brother transferred his powers to the General in the hopes that he could defeat All for One. This stockpiling power was given the name; One for All.
And then the impossible happened, after waging many wars, the Tyrant King was finally defeated by the General and the younger brother reclaimed the throne. In just a few short years before his death, the black dragon stabilized the empire. Having no heirs, he entrusted the empire to the man whom he bestowed his powers to.
Following in his late emperor's footsteps, the new Emperor continued to rule the empire and it flourished to prosperity under his rule. This new dynasty he named; Yuuei.
From him, the Yuuei Dynasty was inherited by his eighth child, the Sixth Prince, who had inherited the powers of One for All. And from then on, this great inherited power passed on through the bloodline of the Imperial Royal Family of Yuuei. This prized inheritance helped the Dynasty remain a powerful empire for over 300 years throughout the known world, for many have tried to topple this great nation and all have failed.
On the surface, the image of Yuuei being an impenetrable force, does well to intimidate those foolish enough to want to try to conquer the great empire...but that's only surface level knowledge. Truth of the matter, the walls defending the empire from collapse were crumbling piece by piece, internal conflicts within the empire's very own borders, spanning from generation to generation, would surely do the empire in, someday.
And all the accumulated problems from generations past was being burdened onto the shoulders of one young man, an unassuming and to many, an unremarkable fellow, whose luck goes no further than being 'lucky' to be born to the royal bloodline.
Already cast off as 'doomed to fail on arrival' at worst and a temporary glorified chess piece at best. The fairly new appointed crown prince, Izuku Midoriya, is the single body standing between Yuuei's downfall or glory.
And only time will bear witness to his failure or success…
Present Time
An assembly of disheveled dressed council men and women in various stages of sleepwear, filled up the meeting hall. The meeting room, large and spacious, decorated in warm colors of gold and reds. It didn't compare in extravagance to the main throne room, but the design of the room is almost identical.
Facing the entrance and taking up one third of the room in the back, was a three level tier platform, several pristine steps made of marble and dark wood led from the first level up to a golden throne chair and raised platform at the very top. Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Viridian Fire Peony or known by her natural birth name, Inko Midoriya; occupied the throne chair, looking modest in her sleep robes with long hair down in a messy braid. She allowed the heads of court to enter and take their seats without decorum.
Her left phoenix wing, made of gradated colors from green to blue and pink, covered part of her body, signaling the empress was very tired.
Standing quiet on both sides of her, are her trusted court ladies. The older one, dressed in pink sleepwear, had her flamingo wings, resting at her back, honey brown hair out of its customary ponytail, looking wild from sleep. The younger one's raccoon tail, gently swayed about, face devoid of any emotion but her blue eyes looked sleepy as she stood in red pajamas and dark hair a bit untidy. Both young women bowed to their empress, faces towards the wooden floor and hands, resting on top of the other, against their stomachs. Inko got their attention and both girls relaxed, watching the court members enter the hall.
Even though she excused protocol from the tired group, a few did mind where they were and in their best half-sleep approach, managed a quick polite bow to Empress Inko before taking their assigned seats below the throne, in order of their duty of importance.
One of the many sleep deprived individuals was the Minister Eraserhead, head of the state departments. Everyone knew Lord Aizawa to value his time and that the man could get a bit short tempered when his sleep was disturbed. The dry eyes he sported 24/7, stood out with the redness of sleep. When he's tired, it had become a normal occurrence for a few of his human features to subconsciously transform to show off the animal of his spirit. Human ears, replaced with those of alert, raised black feline ears of a panther and a tail that curled low around him. The end of it, moved languidly from side to side to show his attentiveness, despite looking ready to drop dead into sleep.
Wanting to get this unholy meeting started, he stood up with his best efforts from his seat on the first platform tier, bowed to the empress, asking for permission to speak. Seeing this, she nodded her head, and Aizawa started, unaware of the growl in his speech, "I hope you have a good reason for holding a meeting this late at night, Chancellor."
Always the brave soul to speak his mind, Lord Aizawa, wrapped up in his trademark bright yellow comforter, flopped in his seat, and by some miracle, missed crushing his tail. The black panther's bloodshot stare zoomed in onto the shortest member of their group, sitting across from him on the opposite side of the first tier. The small chancellor smiled pleasantly without taking offense to the minister's crass words. Aizawa's dark eyes turned red, emphasizing his already irritated eyes and his ebony hair raised, signs of his quirk being active, "We don't have all day, the only reason I haven't torn you to shreds for this out of the blue meeting is by her majesty's grace."
The irritated panther ignored the tension in the room that grew from his words. Humans still considered themselves cut above normal creatures for their reasoning skills but the animal spirit could take over, depending on the circumstances and the individual affected.
Honestly, Aizawa already had a long arduous day, dealing with the troublemakers he taught. Why he decided to take on more than his demanding job to shape the minds of spoiled noble youngsters was anyone's guess. Those close to him suspect he was doing it out of some form of gratitude to the empress.
No matter the reason, Shota took whatever position granted to him with the seriousness it deserves even if he has the look of a haggard inattentive idler most days.
The bright side to his extended workload? He could dump all of his extra paperwork on Deputy Fukukado and the other low grade civil servants under his division. It's the least the crazy kea deserves for all her bad attempts at wasting his time, trying to make him laugh. Speaking of, the woman herself was sitting not far from him (if he didn't know any better and he did, he swears his deputy pushed her seat as close as she could to his without invading his personal space. He'll deal with her obtrusive behavior later). An ever present smile stood out on her face, yet her eyes kept closing. Regardless, the man was not thrilled being awakened at the hours of the rat and ox. He needed his sleep.
"Don't mind Shota my lord! You know how he is when he's not getting his rest! Deputy Fukukado already has her beak sunk into his tail, you're just unfortunate to be on the receiving end of the big cat's ire!" The majority of the room sitting at the ground level facing the three tiered platform throne, groaned at Deputy Present Mic's loud volume. The cockatiel's bright yellow tail feathers ruffled about with playfulness. Lord Yamada seemed to be the only one not bothered by the late hour, despite being a diurnal creature. He smirked, looking unbothered by the glares thrown his way or his complete disregard for using titles of address when talking about Lord Aizawa.
The she-wolf, Minister Midnight glared over her glasses at the sheepish blond, a low growl emitting from her voice, "Do you mind not being so loud you damn cockatiel, some of us have acute hearing!" Dark gray-blue canine ears twitching in irritation. It never mattered what hour of the day it was, the Deputy of Foreign Affairs always had a perchance to be boisterous, showing his tail feathers. Sometimes she hated that her position as Minister of Rites always put her in close proximity to the voice quirk user. She considered him a very close friend, it still needed to be said, her sensitive lupine ears could do without the yelling.
She rubbed her temples, glasses resting low on her nose, face void of make-up and hair looking wilder than normal, "I have to agree with Lord Aizawa, it's one in the morning Lord Nezu. Even, I'm not finding your irony of the time humorous, and the night is my forte," Nemuri covered her yawn, disregarding propriety by resting her head on her arms.
The short mouse-bear hybrid rose from his seat to address first the empress and then the room, "I do apologize for calling this meeting on such short notice, but we have a serious situation to consider, I wish you all to give me the courtesy to listen with an open mind. Especially you, your majesty."
Empress Inko Midoriya felt a light tap on her right shoulder and snapped her tired eyes up at her head maid, Zofukuki. The flamingo smiled, nodding her head in Nezu's direction. Inko covered her mouth trying to stifle a yawn. She gave the white furred man a tired smile and nod to continue.
"I think now will be a good time to propose marriage for the young prince."
All gathered in the meeting room, gawked at the mouse-bear man with varying degrees of shock. Minister Midnight was now sitting up straight in her chair, wolf ears alert. Deputy Mic's wing feathers fluffed up, you could hear a gruff neigh sound from Lord Snipe in the room. Minister Eraserhead, frowned further, rubbing his face in disbelief, his tail stood up straight.
"Are you out of your mind?!" Leave it to Lord Yamada to disregard the chancellor's request to hear him out first. The council tensed in their seats, eyes shifting from the chancellor to the empress.
Empress Fire Peony couldn't hide the overt shock in her face. Now wide awake from Nezu's outrageous idea. Hands shaking and wings spread wide, a few green phoenix feathers slowly falling to the ground, the anxiety and growing agitation shown clear as day.
Nezu responded to Deputy Present Mic, taking no offense to his words. Instead, he gave the room a sincere smile, "I assure you, I thought this through with a clear mind."
"My lord, I'm all for going along with your eccentricities but even this is…extreme!" Governor Yamada was trying his best to not use his quirk knowing some people here had sensitive hearing. He also wanted Nemuri to stop glaring at him with those wolfish glowing eyes. In these circumstances? Excuse him if he feels a bit of fear because their 'too crafty for his own good' chancellor decided he wanted to gamble with the fates tonight.
Zofukuki could feel her lady's ire. The amplifying quirk user knew how sensitive the subject of the crown prince was to Inko. The flamingo turned with a soured expression, nose upturned to the small hybrid, "You better explain yourself to her majesty chancellor! Just because my mistress holds you in high regard does not mean your above reproach!"
The head maid felt a soft nudge of fingers halt her from saying more and the young woman gave Inko a curt bow. The empress chimed in, "I too would like to hear why you thought deciding my son's future was a good idea?"
Gentle pleasantness, unassuming, calm, and asked without a shout with a face bespoke of angelic innocence. A morbid shiver crept up the spines and into the souls of the governors present. Who knew one single question could sound downright sinister.
Lord Nezu bowed low to the phoenix before him, "I understand very well that what I'm suggesting goes against what was agreed to. I also know that the last thing you wanted to do as the young prince's mother was assert more control over his life."
The chancellor looked to his empress, a serene gaze hiding regret. Nezu wonders not for the first time if bringing Countess Midoriya here had been the right call? The former emperor's desperate pleas to have the woman ascend the throne in his place after the war aside. They broke their promise to late Dowager Empress Phoenix Jade by integrating her last remaining blood relative back into the viper pit of the imperial court.
His self-awareness about his taste for power dulls the guilt he feels for what they've done. The other governors may have a greater reservoir of sympathy to spare for her majesty and his highness, however, the greater importance was maintaining a stabilized nation. And he knew that too came with keeping power. The diminutive civil servant very good at making strategic moves ahead of many, was wary about how the others would take to Countess Midoriya's ascension. He's glad it did not turn into a complicated mess, considering it involved going against the will of the late dowager empress.
Nezu advocated for having her here because he knew her non-confrontational temperament would keep Premier Saki Hyoudai, head of the secretariat very happy. She also had a son for an heir, she's been the perfect figure head. A front to show Yuuei still persevere after the war while he and the others dealt with running the empire in the background. He put everything on Countess Midoriya matching his expectations and she done so, exceeding them without a suspicious thought to his role in her ascension.
Here he stood, ready to exploit what fate laid at his feet by any means. A challenge for both he and her majesty. If the woman reacted in the way he guesstimated, he would be assured his plans will fall in place. They had to, there was no room for error, not when his gambit could end with him being publicly executed on the whims of Duchess Hyoudai.
"Unfortunately, we don't have that luxury. The prince has been eighteen for some time now. It's already been two years since his sixteenth birthday, and he has not shown any signs of being the next inheritor. As we know, only one in each generation inherits Yuuei's greatest power and since that right is held by our esteemed Minister of War, who is not present here with us. We can conclude that the few remaining members of the royal family in your generation your majesty, do not possess One For All."
Nezu studied Inko's face. So far she seemed to be taking in his words, expression neutral, he continued, "The few distant relatives of the prince's generation still alive are either too young or too old with already established quirks. They are also all women. Given that the late Dowager Empress Phoenix Jade could be a rare exception, there's no record of other females in the bloodline that have inherited this power. Meaning, One For All is most likely to manifest inside a male heir but if not, we know it can be fickle to skip an entire generation."
"You're quick to dismiss another exceptional possibility because she's a young woman?" Deputy Fukukado scoffed and looked more alert than she had this entire time. Her bright orange and green colored wings were doing some form of stretching exercises against her aching back. The woman either wasn't aware or didn't care for the stares thrown her way for speaking her mind, "There's still the matter of Princess Kiyomi, she is his maje-Lord Yagi's daughter. I am aware that inheritance to the throne here in Yuuei doesn't follow conventional means but aren't you too quick to dismiss another possible candidate for ascension, given that our main concern is keeping Yuuei stabilized?"
Fukukado, the newest member of their bunch and a former envoy of Ketsubutsu. Nezu loved that Aizawa's subordinate wasn't afraid to speak her mind. It was nice having an outsider's perspective on things, "I apologize for seeming to dismiss her highness because of her gender."
Emi thought that was a straight lie despite how truthful he sounded. Her eyes glanced the room before giving the chancellor her undivided attention. There was something she was missing, everyone was already tense but her vocal defense of the young princess had a sort of visceral affect on everyone here. She'll save the information for later, Lord Nezu was still speaking.
"That wasn't my intent. Her highness will soon be sixteen so it is possible that One For All could manifest with her, however, it is true that the late dowager empress is the only woman to possess this power. Moreover, even if that were to happen, her highness has always been an ill child…the power inherited from One For All would likely end her life."
Fukukado sat back, feeling like she just gotten chastised and lectured for daring to speak up in favor of the former emperor's daughter. She's mortified that such a powerful inheritance could also be self destructive to its user. She hadn't been here long, but she adored both the young prince and princess in spite of feeling like she was being made to choose a side. The children were innocent in this world of struggles for power and it didn't take a genius to know most favored the boy over the girl.
It would have been easy to think it was a show of favoritism over gender, Yuuei wasn't completely outdated in its ways, they were at the very least, better than her old home. Women here had a little more freedom in how they lived, they even were allowed to join the military or be the head of their own households. After all, she would have never been considered for a place on the council back home. Being an envoy was luck of being born into a high noble family that could buy and bribe their way into positions they wanted only because the current king had a bit of a crooked streak.
No, the prince wasn't favored because he is a male, though it did help that the Yuuei lineage would have a greater advantage to live on through him. The favoritism laid with the children's mothers. Emi doesn't know the full story over this, but she knew her majesty was well favored over the imperial noble consort, no matter that the woman was married to Lord Yagi. Maybe siring a daughter in this situation was better, at least there was fewer chances of the children being forced to fight over ascension to the throne, And that's only relying upon one of them acquiring the bloodline's inheritance, I fear what will happen if neither one doesn't.
The deputy left those worries alone for now, looking over to the empress. Inko looked exhausted and not from lack of sleep. Subtle stress lines began appearing on her round face, and her lips thinning with a barrage of thoughts filtering through her mind. Nezu on the other hand, internalized the glee he felt, knowing the glorious chaos he created, about to sweep through this entire hall. He braced himself for the coming fallout.
The furrow of Inko's brow deepened, "Izuku is a carrier and you want to use him as insurance to keep One for All alive."
"Precisely."
Green wings expanded, flaring with displeasure. She glared at the chancellor, an actual scoff leaving her lips. She turned her eyes away from the short mouse hybrid, feeling betrayal and anger. Tension grew, some of the council sweated, others looked at the woman worried. Inko's shoulders shook, doing her best to reign in her anger. Now was not the time to be irrational and emotional over her only child.
It didn't stop her from telepathically, pulling the paraphernalia in front of her, close to the edge of the table. Or the tight pull she gained over any small accessories someone was unfortunate enough to have on their person. There was a squawk from Lord Yamada, who settled on removing the beaded jade earring from his ear and watching it float mid-air, over to the angry monarch.
Despite her imperial moniker as Viridian Fire Peony, the empress had always been a mild mannered and sweet woman. Very non-confrontational and always wanted to keep the peace. Now though, they were seeing the hidden fire of the green phoenix. The warming embers that could explode in a fury of passion and righteous anger to protect what was dear to her. Unable to hold it in any longer and releasing her telepathic pull on the objects in the room which fell to the floor, she shouted.
"I won't pretend that I'm okay with using my son like this! I never wanted for Izuku to think people only cared about him for what he can provide them! If I didn't fully understand the position me and my son are in, I would have already dismissed your foolhardy idea!"
Lord Nezu immediately got on his knees and hands to bow low, "I never meant to offend your majesty!"
Some of the council gulped while others watched more objects float then dropped and crashed to the wooden floors. Definitely the work of the empress's quirk at play.
The woman exhaled, looking back to the man, kowtowing, "You may rise."
Silence reigned, the chancellor nodded and rose back up, while everyone sat quiet, deep in thought.
Another shiny feather floated in front of Inko and she grabbed the large dark green to ocean blue and pink feather. She sighed, fingers playing with the edges of her loose phoenix feather, "I know what's at stake. Nori-I mean…the retired emperor and current Minister of War, All Might hasn't been the same for years since his battle against the barbaric Warlord King of Shirotsume, Rokuro Nomura. It doesn't help that my husband's decision to venture out in the world, leaves all of you on edge. And even in the event that young princess Kiyomi were to gain One For All, it could be dire on the poor girl's health."
She continued, eyes looking down at her lap, sadness in her voice, "I'm not blind about my shortcomings–I know I am Duchess Hyoudai's willing puppet.–I know our nation is plagued with uncertainties. I don't like the current odds of Yuuei's situation and I am not the greatest person to lead but I'm all you have until Izuku is mature enough to become emperor…"
Determination reflected in her gaze as she raised her head to look every court member in the eyes, "I'm still terribly angry with you for bringing this up without my approval!–We know this is a lie, I'm a pushover, isn't that why you lot chose me to replace All Might? Because it's easier to get what you want with someone you can control, who won't question anything? But why in the world must you attempt fate! What is your end goal Lord Nezu and why involve Izuku?–I know that I allow you all permission to make decisions without me but when it concerns my son, I expect to be notified ahead of time!"
The empress's shoulders sagged, averting her eyes away from the reason for her outrage. There was a shifting of bodies in their seats, a few coughs, and even some animalistic sounds. A feeling of shame washed over the thick tension already in the room by Inko's words. It was clear to all that she was upset. Now was not the time to try to placate her anger over Nezu's error. No one wanted to be on the receiving end of Inko's quirk evolving to phoenix fire. None present had ever seen the empress use her animal's natural element but it was a fierce sight to behold if All Might's words were anything to go by.
"We will enact Chancellor Nezu's idea but as the prince's mother, I retain my parental rights to have the final say, am I clear?"
There was a unanimous reply of, 'yes your majesty' from around the room. Feeling he was nowhere close to getting back to his quarters, the black panther blinked his eyes and shot the chancellor with an unnerving stare, "I'm assuming you have some candidates already?"
A chorus of tired groans and various animal sounds was heard when everyone saw Nezu with a calculating smile.
Why do I even bother? The governor swore he was going to let loose his inner panther on the poor soul that tried to wake him from his slumber for anything other than assassins trying to harm the royal family once he went back to bed.
The empress gave a weak smile, Inko was doing her best to calm down, hoping she could ease the tension in the meeting hall. Her dear chancellor wasn't making it easy. The stack of scrolls being brought before him by two eunuchs made the corners of her mouth twitch from annoyance. She knew most if not all of the heads of state wanted to return to sleep, herself included but if she didn't allow the small man to share his inquiries now, they would have to deal with this later and she already could feel an oncoming headache thinking of the damage control she was going to deal with to placate the Duchess from hopefully not retaliating against Yuuei's furry chancellor.
Besides, Inko would rather Shota not kill anyone from sleep deprivation. The same could be said for Nemuri whose canines were elongated and Snipe, with equine ears giving away how done he was with Nezu's shenanigans even if the empress couldn't see his face under the mask.
Inko looked to her left at her young maid, the poor girl looked on the verge of passing out while standing, "Yui dear, you're free to leave and go to bed. I'll be fine with just Furiko here."
The raccoon girl shook her sleepy head, face as expressionless as ever. Instead of saying anything, she straightened up, blinked her tired eyes once and looked ahead. Inko huffed, "You're insistent on defying me too now?"
Yui's eyes widened a fraction, whole body frozen before she lowered herself to her knees to bow before the empress. She shut her eyes tight but instead of being reprimanded or yelled at, she felt a feather light touch on her head. Blue eyes looked up to see the monarch giving her a tired smile, feathers caressing the young girl's head.
"Please for me, go to bed Yui-chan."
If she didn't know better, Inko swore the girl frowned for a split second before acquiescing to her demand. Yui bowed to Inko, taking a few steps back before silently making her exit.
While her maid left, the small chancellor had two eunuchs carry over a large tray, covered in bundles of colorful silk scrolls threaded in gold or silver, gently placed on top of his table, looking through each one, "It's quite amazing the number of families who nominated a daughter!"
He sounds way too happy. The shared thought of everyone there. Inko watched the governor meticulously go through each scroll until he found one that caught his eye, "As agreed, your majesty will have the final say, though I must insist this young maiden I feel would make an excellent match for his highness."
One of the eunuchs began to carefully hand over a large scroll made of dark red and gold thread but Inko just waved him away, using her quirk to pull the roll of decorated paper over to herself. She unfolded the parchment, revealing a young beauty, dressed in the finest red and white silk. Hair like shimmering onyx and eyes just as dark, a beautiful contrast to the colors of her dress.
A pleased smile adorned the monarch's face, taking in the familiar appearance of the young lady in the picture. For a moment, her mood changed, finally relaxed. The council felt relieved as well, being able to feel the changes in her moods. Inko smiled the more she perused the entire scroll, from the young lady's credentials to the ever familiar crest of the Yaoyorozu family. Next to the girl was a drawing of her spirit animal, a regal mountain lion, almost identical to the family crest.
"Lady Yaoyorozu would make a fine princess consort. I would still like to see the other young women before making a decision," Inko laid the scroll down, holding her hand out. She waited until one of the eunuchs, placed it gently within her grasp.
Nezu paused in his perusal of the scrolls to stare at her majesty. If anyone had been paying attention, they would know he embellished his actions for dramatic effect, "Princess Consort? I am of the opinion the Yaoyorozu heiress should at least be a noble consort or virtuous consort your majesty."
And there went the short lived tranquil atmosphere. The others watched both chancellor and empress stare at each other with unreadable smiles on their faces. The energy surrounding the empress wasn't seeped in anger…yet. Nezu looked almost delighted to challenge her to get to that point.
It's no secret that behind the deceptively furry façade of a harmless cute animal is a cunning genius who thrilled in being ten steps ahead of his opponents. There was something quite perverse about his obvious power play against the petite phoenix.
There was a point to his madness that only he understood. When he sat back in his seat, handing over a silver and white scroll to one of his eunuchs to give to the empress, the ministers knew without a doubt the miniature man was playing devil's advocate for a purpose, "My apologies your majesty, you must have thought I was insinuating picking Lady Yaoyorozu for the position of princess consort."
For a long agonizing five minutes, Inko said nothing, the unreadable smile never left her face as she kept her eyes on the silver scroll. On cue, a group of maids came around putting out some late night refreshments for those in attendance. Nezu took his time making a hot cup of tea as he gave her majesty his ever present smile.
Aizawa was starting to get worried, she was saying nothing but he could see the fingers on her left hand change into talons, ripping into the fabric of her sleep robe. Whatever you're doing Nezu isn't working, this has gone on long enough. Aizawa was about to address the room, then he heard a quiet chuckle from the empress.
Given nobody made a sound, the noise travelled throughout the hall. Everyone's tired faces held expressions ranging from uneasy to concerned, her glee was not happy, "Because you were unsuccessful the first time with the Minister of War, given his only heir is a young woman, the crown prince is the perfect best case scenario for all your plans of grandeur."
Nezu knew he had to be careful not to insult the woman's intellect. Already on thin ice, he's aware she picked up on the things not said. Her understanding for why he suggested an imperial harem and knowing he was pushing her into a corner with possible consequences for himself; made him excited, "I know your majesty adores Lady Yaoyorozu but her familial background isn't sufficient for the girl to be titled the legal wife, making her a third or second ranked consort is still being considerate. It's not like I am suggesting you make her a lower tiered concubine."
"And the young miss from the Intelli family is exactly what Izuku needs?"
"Having the Duchess of Seiai's daughter marry into the Yuuei family would garner support from the Seiai government. It can ensure we continue to keep the ties between Yuuei and Seiai strong."
"You mean, having her as the princess consort would make negotiations easier to bring Seiai back under Yuuei's jurisdiction," Inko's lips formed a thin line, she unkindly pushed Saiko Intelli's scroll into a eunuch who bowed and hurriedly rush to give the proposal back to the chancellor, "Declined."
"You're not going to consider what can be gained from such a union?"
"I am enlightened about the amicable history we have with Seiai and their strong militia. I've no doubts Seiai would willingly give the crown prince absolute control over its military power. I'm still declining."
"Very well," Nezu stopped swirling the spoon in his tea to take a sip.
The court chattered among themselves, the ping pong spectacle between chancellor and empress pushing them to stay wide awake. Aizawa remained silent, cat ears shifting a little as he tiredly looked between Nezu and Inko. He understood what the chancellor was doing but not the full scope for why. He wishes the politics of the inner court could've waited until the sun came up however.
Yamada listlessly rubbed the ear missing his earring, somewhere lost in the room. He looked contemplative, for once talking loud enough for his seating companions; Ectoplasm and Nemuri to hear, "I don't know what is more frightening, the chancellor and his lofty ideas or the little majesty learning to put her foot down? I get where she's coming from, these damn power plays are no joke but Yuuei could benefit from an alliance with one of the border countries so far south."
The Minister of Revenue, Lord Ectoplasm, turned his white eye stare onto Lord Yamada, "It is not that her majesty is against uniting the two countries through marriage. Seiai's support would be an opportunity to assimilate the lost border country back into Yuuei," here Ectoplasm looked over to the empress as she silently went through various scrolls, seemingly ignoring the chancellor while he spoke, "However, doing so is a double-edged sword. We may still hold strong after the war and because of the prestige that proceeds our former majesty, but we are in a vulnerable place and our neighbors are aware to some degree that we aren't as powerful as we present ourselves to be."
"So in other words, we risk losing more than gaining anything from the prince marrying an outsider," the deputy crossed his arms, yawning. It was starting to be a chore to stay awake, regardless of the tension between their esteemed chancellor and their little majesty. Anyone with the ears to hear knew Nezu insulted the Yaoyorozu heiress on purpose, why? No one knows for sure except for Nezu himself. It was doing the trick in pissing the empress off.
Lady Kayama managed a grin, "Exactly, it's annoying but this late meeting is as much a battlefield as any. Everyone can see he's challenging her position of power…" Nemuri paused, eyes widening with a flicker of realization. The other two caught on and also looked back to Nezu and Inko with new clarity.
It was hard to tell what face the salamander was making with the mask on but the yellow feathered cockatiel was looking pale. Midnight and Ectoplasm gave Mic a heavy stare to keep his mouth shut and allow whatever Nezu was trying to gain from this to play out. Yamada shrugged, biting his lower lip, sitting back and Nemuri continued her spiel as if she never stopped, "If not for our predicament, a Seiai-Yuuei alliance through marriage would be the best outcome for all but not when we have people among us who wish to use Seiai's military might to threaten our empress."
Present Mic mulled over the words, feeling a small sense of unease, knowing of one person in particular that wouldn't bat an eye to tightening their hold on the empress and the crown prince, "Our little majesty wants to prevent creating unnecessary power struggles for anyone to exploit…I don't think anyone of us here wants to ever see a situation where mother and son fight for power."
"Exactly," Lord Ectoplasm added, "We have enough issues with everything else, we don't need to add internal familial power struggles on top of it, though I am almost certain there are those who would like to create discord between them."
Nothing else needed to be said. The trio did note her majesty ordered the scrolls to be passed around when the servants put a few in their faces. Quiet talks about the young women could be heard around the room.
"Kenranzaki? Really chancellor," a group of heads turned to Minister Midnight who looked almost offended by the choice.
Inko looked to Nemuri, perplexed by her outburst, "Lady Bibimi Kenranzaki, her family is big in the armory business, some members of her family are civil servants, correct?"
"Yes, credentials aren't bad, I am of the opinion, personality wise, she will not mesh well with his highness," from her observations, prince Izuku didn't have problems getting along with anyone, his irrational fears aside, he might even get along with Kenranzaki in all honesty.
Midnight's opposition of the noble stemmed from not wanting the young prince to suffer an overbearing wife. It was a little selfish yes, Nemuri likes to think they have done some sort of good for their country and the universe gave them the gift of not enduring under the rulership of power hungry egomaniacs thus far…(the debate is still out on the Duchess of Jaku but that's neither here nor there) She would very much like to keep that winning streak going. The crown prince has her deepest sympathies, with the type of personality he had on top of getting an imperial harem, there was no need to toss him a vain and narcissistic princess consort…and her excessive lashes.
The empress must have read her mind because she smiled with a knowing look and disregarded the flashy blinding yellow silk of parchment given back to her for another. "I certainly don't want Izuku to marry someone he's not compatible with, your wise Minister Midnight."
Lady Kayama felt pride at the praise like an obedient pup, catching herself before she let out a delighted bark, now that would have been embarrassing. She took noticed that once the Yaoyorozu heir's scroll had returned in one piece within her majesty's hands, Inko had become reluctant to lay it down for another, even looking over it a second time. Her majesty looked deep in thought rather than whimsical and it piqued the wolf's curiosity. "You don't have to hide your apparent like for the young heiress, we can see the affection you have for Lady Yaoyorozu, your majesty."
Inko smiled down at Momo Yaoyorozu's image, "This child is sweet, and she does get along well with Izuku. I don't have any objections to Lady Yaoyorozu being confer the title of princess consort."
"Don't you have a niece you could nominate for the imperial harem?" Nemuri frowned at Hizashi, she did well to rein in her desire to maim the deputy. She did the next best thing.
Lord Yamada yelped from a surprise kick to the shin, while Lady Kayama looked almost pleased, sharp canines on display, "My niece is a spirited child, hardly worth wasting her majesty's time. Even with a decision to create a harem for the young prince, my niece wouldn't be a good fit."
The councilwoman sweated, it's not like the she-wolf didn't want to help in any way she could, she knew imperial harems, more often than not, turned into a mess. Little Setsuna really was a free spirited child, not fit for the customs of the imperial court. She also wanted to keep her niece safe. Keeping her from stepping a foot near the imperial palace is for the best. Then there was the young prince himself. Sweet kid but not someone she could trust to protect someone, in more ways than one. She might not want him married to a Kenranzaki but there's a reason why him being married to a Kenranzaki was a bad idea, given his personality.
"Your niece can't be all that bad if even Deputy Mic thinks she's worth a consider," Thankfully, the empress didn't take offense, looking playful even.
"Trust me, she's sweet but an absolute handful, besides, last time I heard, her father already pushed for an arranged marriage with close friends of the family, you understand."
Inko busied herself pouring over the other scrolls, listening to every word said. Inko pretended she didn't hear the bite in the she-wolf's tone directed at the deputy for putting her on the spot. She also ignored the obvious half-truth. If she was the easy to anger type the deception would have offended her but she understood Kayama's worries and did not begrudge the woman her feelings, "A shame, she sounds delightful Lady Kayama. Of course, I don't want to overstep my bounds by forcing young women already promised to another just because my son is the crown prince."
Midnight smirked, nodding her tired head towards the empress, gave the chancellor a quick glance and turned her eyes away, pretending to be occupied with a random noble maiden's scroll. Everyone felt that jab at Nezu, for the first time in his life, Nezu actually shuddered. Wow, was he feeling sweat matting his fur to his head or what?
For a second, he hesitated, small furry hands resting on a pastel blue scroll with pink begonias. His initial plan was going the way he wanted but he didn't want to lose his head in the process. There's no reward without risks, so he keeps telling himself but is risking his head on a pike worth it if he can't enjoy the aftermath of the chaos he created? He already made Inko angry with the noble girl from Seiai.
And she didn't know it but he's grateful to Lady Kayama for speaking up against the Kenranzaki heir. There's one more within this bundle that could really set her off and he was rather anticipating that one, so long as his only punishment wasn't groveling under the haughty stare of the Duchess of Jaku.
The pastel blue scroll, however…Nezu braced for Inko's reaction as he ordered his eunuch to hand the begonia patterned scroll to her majesty, "Intelli is out of the question, so is Kenranzaki, I wonder what your majesty's thoughts are about this one."
He watched her face with apt focus. A plethora of emotions crossed her face as she stared at the image until she looked neutral and she sighed. "It won't happen and cannot happen."
Once again, Aizawa swore inward. He's glad her majesty didn't make a huge fuss but he knew this made the chancellor and everyone else curious. Although her decline of said candidate confirmed a suspicion he's always had and one he would take to the grave. He seemed to be the only one aside from Nezu and the empress who knew which family that scroll held from since everyone looked confused. Begonias, a signature of the long deceased Tsutsumi family, and the noble title of Lord Yagi's wife, that it was a punishable offense for anyone to wear the flower; just as the peony was attributed to the empress. The imperial noble consort was making a fuss after all these years.
"May I implore why you are against Princess Kiyomi Yagi being the princess consort?" The panther wanted to rub away the oncoming headache. Damn Nezu and his unrelenting need to pry. Oh, he was still pushing his way to the execution block and looking as if nothing this night bothered him as he stirred into another cup of tea. If only Aizawa could be this nonchalant close to death.
"A Midoriya and Yagi, it'll be the perfect union. And there's no worry about the familial blood ties as your only common ancestor is the 2nd emperor of Yuuei, that's more than over 300 years old. You already see her highness as a daughter and she and his highness are awfully close. More intimate than his friendship with Lady Yaoyorozu."
Shota felt a slight breeze by his side, he looked over at his deputy with shock at the speed she stood up. Emi was reigning in her own anger, though her wings flared behind her, "Why can't you just accept the fact her majesty said no!"
Aizawa knew he should reprimand her, but a part of him swelled with pride. It was something he would say, was going to say and she spoke his thoughts out loud without fear. Fukukado could work his nerves and she always seemed to never take her job serious, perhaps a consequence of her quirk. He would still die before he confessed how proud she made him at times, like now. The best part in all of this was Fukukado's genuine innocence of the situation. She didn't know nor cared to know why the green phoenix was denying the princess, in her eyes, it looked like Lord Nezu was pressuring her majesty to do what he wanted…or rather do the opposite of what he wanted. Is that his angle? This is the second time he's insulted Lady Yaoyorozu. What are you up to Lord Nezu?
"It seems I have upset Deputy Joke. Forgive me but I thought you of all people would be delighted by such a thing. What's better than pitting heirs to the throne against each other when they can be joined together in marriage."
Emi frowned, sitting back down, anger on a low simmer, "That would be wonderful, the royal children have no ill will towards anyone, especially each other and I'll hate to see that tarnished. But it is not her majesty's will so we should let it be—permission to speak honestly?"
Emi looked at Inko for an answer, the empress stared back giving her the okay, "I think it might be better if we didn't go down this route. Midoriya and Yagi, it sounds almost fairytale-like…Despite what any of you may think, I do care for both children, and it might do more harm than good to give the princess false hope, none here are oblivious to her feelings for the prince. His highness wouldn't hurt her feelings but we aren't blind either to the fact he treats her as a little sister and nothing more. You'll only stroke an ember into a blazing fire if you continue to poke where you should not."
Nezu drink the rest of his lukewarm tea looking thoughtful, the empress smiled, tears building up in her eyes and looking like she could get up and hug Fukukado with all she had. Aizawa could see the silence was beginning to get to the kea and he groaned, planting a reassuring hand on Lady Fukukado's shoulder. He gave her an imploring glance and she smiled sheepish, releasing the tension she held.
His deputy was glad she didn't overstep but she was none the wiser to how appreciative he and her majesty was for her meddling. At least for now, Nezu got the memo to stop prying into things he had no business in. The empress straightened up, unable to rid herself of the smile directed at Emi.
"As Lady Fukukado has said, marrying Izuku to Kiyomi is out of the question."
"Very well your majesty," Nezu said nothing more, black beady eyes shifting towards the royal blue silk sitting innocently on her desk. The mystery of the royal heirs he can set aside for another day, that's if he survives, right now, was the make or break moment.
It was like everything moved in slow motion, the empress continued her job of going over prospects for her son's harem, still unaware of the royal blue parchment. Nezu called over a maid, if he was about exit this life, he at least wanted one last cup of hot tea before he goes. He was able to finish his tea the moment green eyes landed on the proposal he anticipated will be the one to finally make her snap.
Inko picked up the scroll decorated of familiar white iris on deep blue silk, face impassive as she took her time, taking in every little detail. When she finished, she rolled it back up and slammed it down on her desk with such force, she almost toppled it and everything on it, catching the attention of all present.
Lord Nezu is proud that she doesn't disappoint. He thinks he should start kowtowing right about now.
"Chancellor, If I had doubts of your loyalty and your allegiance to my family, you'll be hanged."
The atmosphere in the meeting hall went still, Aizawa never thought he'd live to see the day, Nezu shook with slight fear, "I am aware your majesty."
Inko tapped her fingers rhythmically against the blue silk parchment of the Todoroki family, "I put up with a lot this entire night and for some unfathomable reason that I cannot understand, you have consistently made it your job to get on my bad side!"
Nezu was already bowing with his head to the floor, "I only wanted to help you your majesty!"
"Then help me understand! Why would you think you're helping me by giving suggestions of young girls who you know aren't the best for my son! Moreover, you insult my decision for Lady Yaoyorozu! And if that weren't enough, you thought I would just accept Lady Todoroki because of my personal feelings for the child!"
"Not at all your majesty! My suggestions were just that, suggestions! I meant no harm for dismissing the Yaoyorozu heiress, but her credentials aren't enough to help his highness, unlike Lady Todoroki. We have to look at this from an objective standpoint, Yuuei is vulnerable, we can't risk anyone finding reasons to invade the empire! The Lady Todoroki descends from a lineage of strong military generals; all fiercely loyal to the crown! We need the presence of a strong military, something the Yaoyorozu heiress cannot grant us!"
That seemed to make her angry, things that were floating towards the empress caught on fire before crashing to the ground without her realizing, "You think me incompetent!"
A hand slammed down on the desk in front of her, making everyone jump. Inko's wings were on fire, beautiful green-blue flames tinged reddish pink. Her hands turned into golden talons, tearing into whatever unfortunate papers laid on her desk. Without a word, they all immediately got on their hands and knees, "Don't just kowtow at me, answer me! All of you think I'm nothing more than the Duchess's puppet that even down to making decisions about my son on my behalf as if I'm insignificant is doing me a favor!"
Before the cockatiel could speak and incite the angry phoenix further, Minister Cementoss, who had been silent this entire time, cut him off, "No your majesty! It's our fault for taking you for granted! We meant no disrespect!"
"Really! Because it surely feels like it!" Inko began pacing back and forth, wings spread out behind her in a fury of flames. The gray armadillo just bowed lower, ears flickering. Nemuri whimpered lowly in her throat and Aizawa's tired face held shame.
"Rationally, I get it, I do! I don't know how many times I must tell you that I understand more than anybody the urgency of making sure One For All is passed down to the next generation and that Izuku has to bear that responsibility! And I've tried this entire time not to get overly upset on the matter!"
No one dared to look up from the floor or speak and, Lady Kayama kept hitting her gray-blue tail against the cockatiel's back to keep him from speaking.
"I'm not the strongest, I know better than anyone why I'm here and that I shouldn't even be here in the first place! Of course we all cannot get what we want—I thought I could have your trust to do your jobs just as long as I'm notified, just so long as I'm aware! I trusted all of you to help me, but this isn't the first time one of you have done something like this to me! I've never tried to ignore your worries about Yuuei's uncertain future, but this disrespect will stop here!"
"Your right your majesty," Aizawa spoke up, "We deserve punishment for our deception."
Inko glared at the panther who didn't dare to look up, then she looked over to the chancellor, "Nezu!"
"Yes, your majesty!"
"Since you love to do things on your own without needing my approval, you can kowtow in front of my palace quarters until you think I'm no longer angry with you before you can move!"
The small man, bowed as low for his head to touch the ground, "Your faithful servant obeys."
"As for the rest of you, the next time someone does something behind my back, it won't just be sitting on your knees until I say you can move!"
Without a glance to her groveling subjects, Inko walked out of the meeting hall in a fury of sleep robes, fire, and falling feathers, her head maid, Furiko pacing quickly behind her.
"Your majesty!" Everyone cried in unison still bowing to the floor until they could no longer hear rapid footsteps and the heat in the room begin to fade. They all gave a collective sigh, slowly getting up off their sore legs.
"I've never seen her majesty so pissed off!" Yamada wiped at his brow, feeling a bit nervous.
"You really went overboard this time Lord Nezu," Nemuri added, getting up and stretching her tired limbs.
She glared at the short man, trying to calm her nerves by running her hands through her tail. If she were being honest, the empress scared her, just the thought of what the woman could do if she had every tried to apply herself as a warrior sent a chill through Nemuri's spine, "And then to let the Army Lieutenant General offer up his daughter on a silver platter, no wonder she's mad. I thought it was well known that 'Enji Todoroki' was a huge red flag discussion for her imperial majesty?"
"I must confess that I might have been a bit hasty about that one," the small man chuckled nervously, "She really has no love for that man, although she adores his daughter. Shame that Lieutenant General Endeavor is the reason his daughter was rejected. Lady Todoroki would have made a fine princess."
"You call that being a tad bit hasty?" Minister of Personnel, Vlad King spoke up. Lord Sekijirou Kan had been another minister who remained quiet through most of the conference. The bat was the few members not really affected by the late unconventional meeting, but he did wish it had been for something far greater than playing matchmaker for the young prince.
He looked at the chancellor with an incredulous stare, "You managed to make her majesty use her phoenix fire, unaware. That's not a tad hasty, that was dangerous! Hope your little knees can withstand the long hours ahead of you in front of the empress's palace."
"I deserved that but there's no reward without taking some risks. I'll say a little phoenix fire is a mild consequence for what I managed to accomplish in the long run," Nezu watched Lord Kan pause, blocking the door's pathway. Didn't matter, the lords and ladies of the court, tired as they are, stared at the smallest member of the group as the cog wheels in their minds began to turn.
"You mean to tell me, angering her majesty was intentional, woof!" The Minister of Justice, Kenji Tsuragame who also had been silent throughout the proceeding, sneered at Lord Nezu, "Your compulsion to keep power knows no bounds! I will not pretend to call myself a saint here but your overt means to back her majesty into a corner by lording her son over her head, that was uncalled for, woof!"
Nezu stared at Lord Tsuragame expressionless, "You're fine with the Duchess of Jaku's continual hold on her majesty?" A deafening silence descended on the room. It was enough of an answer to his question, "I thought so."
Aizawa stared unimpressed at everyone in the room, voice gruff addressing the conspirator of killing his sleep schedule, "Than it's fine to assume knowing the discordant history between Lord Todoroki and her majesty, you used that to make her feelings over your plan for power genuine."
"Status and reputation, there's no shame in wanting these things, it's only right for a proud highborn noble to seek great merit for loyal service rendered to the crown. Todoroki is one of a handful of old families still tied by unbroken oaths to the crown and marrying his daughter to the prince is advantageous."
Nezu gave his audience a secret smile, "But that's not what you want to hear. Yes, I admit to playing underhanded. I am privy to the discordant relationship between Lord Todoroki and her majesty, I am also quite curious about other matters–the important thing is dissolving Premier Hyoudai's hold over our meek empress."
By saying all this, the chancellor was putting all his cards on the table, taking a gamble on entrusting everyone present to be on the same page, "It is my job to give her consul after all, of course some of us here could just as well prefer she remained glided to the Duchess."
Nezu watched as several pairs of eyes glanced over at the others in the room. Interesting response, seems I was correct in assuming the trust among the ministers is not strong. This will cause problems later if not handled carefully.
When put that way, his means sounded convincing. There was no one in this room who wasn't aware of how much sway the old hyena had over her majesty. Inko Midoriya might be the empress but her grace, the duchess is the one with the real power.
Nemuri stifled another wolffish yawn, smirking at Nezu, "Dismissing the Yaoyorozu heiress was part of the ploy as well. I have to admit, I started to catch on to your little scheme but wasn't sure what your endgame was. You can rest that her majesty doesn't know anything, no one can fake such outrage."
Nezu returned the smile, feeling quite pleased with himself, "Aren't any of you curious what the history behind the duchess's distaste for the Yaoyorozu family is?" His smile grew when silence met him once again. "Her majesty cannot hate me forever, I did help her get what she wanted."
Knowing what he did and having him claim it out loud stung. It wasn't like any of them wanted her grace free reign of the court but having the chancellor point out how ineffective they have been in helping her majesty until he stepped up to do something, left a sour taste in the mouth.
Nezu carried on, ignoring the verbal chastising he dished out, "I don't know about the rest of you but I rather our empress and our heir to the throne no longer be conformed to do the bidding of others. Maintaining my power in the court and also gaining power is just a bonus."
Seeing as the chancellor had nothing else to say the others considered this meeting closed and continued to make their way out the meeting hall, heading for bed.
Aizawa walked past the group, heading back to bed, "You better hope this scheme of yours doesn't backfire. I admit to also doubting her majesty's will to take charge and tonight showed that we have sorely miscalculated her intellect and almost broken her trust in us; if what you've done hasn't already."
Nezu agreed, "We cannot have her majesty distrust us, but it still opens an opportunity for her majesty to have some confidence in herself. She, at the very least should learn to trust that her own judgments are sound."
With nothing else said, Aizawa headed off, "I'm tired and going back to sleep. If there's no emergency, don't wake me up."
The remaining three council members shuddered or cringed at the panther's sour attitude. Midnight rubbed the back of her head, sighing as she walked out the meeting hall, gray-blue wolf tail swaying with a seductive flair to match the gait of her hips, "And this is what we call being brave but stupid. I'll call your plan genius, if we don't find your head sticking on a pike before the week is up, goodnight!"
Deputy Present Mic and the chancellor were the last two remaining. Mic followed after Nezu, looking chagrin, "Maybe next time you should try being less witty about scheduling your meetings so late?"
"You're right, Aizawa-kun might appreciate a meeting during the hour of the dog!"
The cockatiel just laughed, "Shota would just love that chancellor!"
"Indeed, but I do believe sleep calls…for you that is, I on the other hand shall walk to my punishment to allay my empress, goodnight Yamada-kun." Hizashi watched the short man leave, making him now the only one left standing in the middle of the vast corridor.
He chuckled, heading to his own section of the palace housing quarters for dignitaries and their families, "No matter what happens, things around here are going to get interesting."