Inspired by: Mercy - Shawn Mendes
Munto fought hard to compose himself. Rui stood beside him, occasionally reaching out to grab Munto's elbow and prevent undo pacing.
"I am sure Yumemi loved the outfit you commissioned." Rui laid a hand on his shoulder and gave a comforting squeeze.
Munto didn't look at his friend but nodded. This commission had been a well kept secret until today. It left knots in his stomach. He hoped she enjoyed his efforts.
The ball has been on the agenda for a full two years. On several occasions, it'd been delayed, straight up canceled, and at one point reduced to merely a luncheon with diplomats. However, he began the commissioned outfit the first time the ball was mentioned.
Three months for the design to be finalized. Another month until Munto approved the material for both fabric and embroidery. He vetoed seven prototypes. Only requested the jewels and tiara in the last three months after a junior seamstress showed him a picture of an exaggerated hairdo involving looping hair and jewels. She told him they called it a sort of "peacock" bun and it did remind him of the creature's feathers.
His head seamstress, a kindly woman who'd been in the position for decades named Labiba, worked on the dress herself with very few junior seamstresses assisting. She oversaw every hand that touched it. She also created the first ball gown Yumemi wore to a ball.
One might suggest that the use of Akuto would make such work easy, but any spell caster knew that simple conjuring of fabric was easy. Forming that fabric and detailing it required experience and patience. Akuto did not always work favorably and sometimes, things needed to be done by hand.
Munto was quite surprised to find Chikara first defending the difficulty of using magic when he visited some odd years passed. His mother had made a comment about how certain things must be easier with the use of magic and Munto did not doubt her on such a thing. Doing housework and the cooking must be tiring and he certainly knew that magic did make his life easier. Granted, he'd been with magic since he was a boy so it was as natural as anything else. However, Chikara butted into the conversation explaining the difficulty of learning and the energy used, often referring to several video games he had been playing at the time. Some Munto knew had complex systems integrated to bring a challenge to the game.
Chikara even managed to get into a lengthy discussion with one of his tutors on the subject matter. The thought brought a wonderfully needed distraction. It nearly made him chuckle. He should suggest bringing the boy to one of his people's festivals. It would be absolute chaos.
Munto quickly ran his hands over his vest, checking sweaty palms and golden buttons. Labiba surprised him last week with this one.
"You're father always preferred silver but I see now why you obsessed with gold since you were little." She smiled at him and closed his gaping mouth with a gentle finger. "You cannot possibly think I would spend three years on your commission for the Akuto princess and not think to design a matching outfit for her escort, hmm? Don't think so lowly of me, Munto-sama."
"Never, Labiba." He kissed her cheek, an infectious grin splitting his face.
So now, he waited beside Rui, clothed in a soft black garb with his vest so heavily decorated in gold the black fabric beneath could not be seen. His side cloak hung over his left shoulder, an inky black underside with heavy gold decorating the front. The embroidery on his cloak depicted a beam of light with a flower at the base. Wild golden strands circled the image like a vortex of wind. Lion heads, flowers, and spiritual runes of ancient spells bordered the lining.
Rui appeared striking in a similar outfit of navy, minus the cloak and the heavy embroidery. He kept himself modest and simple for tonight's affair. Shuza stood across from them in simple black with Ryueri by his side in a calm lavender dress. Rui would have no escort for tonight, as his task laid with shadowing the royal couple.
Tonight, they were in foreign lands, and peace was only now beginning to be formalized. Yumemi neared the end of her university years and now, only now, could there be peace. It irked Munto but better late than never.
"It is almost time for our introductions." Ryueri nervously glanced between the hallway and the double doors.
They all straightened at the sound of hurried footsteps.
Yumemi came rushing down the hall, two servants fixing her skirt as they moved.
"I'm sorry! I mess up my hair."
"No worries, Yumemi-hime." Rui smiled at her and beaconed her to stand with Munto who'd frozen as soon as she appeared.
Munto's mouth hung slightly agape as he drank in her image. No Heavenly or mortal words of any language could possibly describe her tonight.
Rui nudged Munto roughly. He tripped forward, taking up his position in front of the doors, and offered his arm. Rui swung Munto's cape into position before backing away. Ryueri and Shuza would follow behind the king and princess with Rui stuck in the far back of their trail.
"Labiba said you commissioned this."
This being a dark emerald ball gown with golden embroidery around the entire corset and at the skirt's hem. Flowers lined a sweetheart neckline and off-shoulder straps. From the flowers, peacock feathers extended down onto the waist with some flowers cascading down. The design wrapped around to the back where the laces crisscrossed. At the hem, feathers and flowers reached upward in every other curve of the skirt.
Just as Munto first thought, no other could wear such a design. Only his love could look so thoroughly stunning.
Yumemi's hair cascaded down the side in large hoops that began on one side of her head and headed down her left. Each loop accented with an emerald teardrop framed in diamonds. It took hours to complete. To top it off, he had a simple tiara crafted of pure silver and embedded with white sapphires to lay flat against her head.
Munto would need to give the junior seamstress a grand thank you for the suggestion.
Yumemi would shine brighter than any star tonight. A beacon of pure Akuto. Every woman's eye would be green at the display. She'd been a shining star in most gatherings, often making the ladies at court jealous. She did not often dress so finely, dripping in wealth and did not need to to make heads turn.
Munto could not help the grin that spread across his face. Tonight, he had every intention of being quite smug with Yumemi on his arm. Especially now that their relationship had been well known and quite tested by the last few years.
"I did," he at last answered. His eyes did not stop roaming over her, soaking in all the details of her. He wanted to memorize her beauty.
"Thank you." Yumemi shot a quick glance at him. A blush dusted her cheeks and he could see how she bit her cheek in nervousness. "I fell like an actual princess."
"Of course. You are one after all," Munto replied, blustering.
"You look handsome." Yumemi reached out to smooth a hand over his vest, adjusting one of his buttons.
"Well, I do aspire to be a fitting escort for the Girl of Destiny, all Pure Akuto, and savior of both the Lower World and Heavens." His words only caused her blush to deepen and Munto felt a slight pinch at his back from Ryueri.
Yumemi did not need to be flustered by his flowery words/
"Thank you."
"Hmm." He kissed her temple. "Chin up, my love, it's our turn."
At last, the doors opened to announce them. Yumemi kept her head held high, hand clutching Munto's arm. This would be her first ball in a place not her own. In a land completely foreign to her.
Part of Munto worried his commission was too much. It certainly dripped with wealth. The gold, the jewels, all things Yumemi had yet to be accustomed to. Her previous outfits were stunning, but modest in design and cost. Fewer jewels. Less prep time, certainly.
It gnawed on his mind until finally, they broke from introductions to have the first dance of the night.
"Please tell me if I misstepped in my design." Munto pulled Yumemi close and swung her into the first steps.
"Not at all. It's more than usual. More… eye catching."
"Then, I apologize for the surprise." He leaned in and kissed the corner of her eye.
"No! It's lovely, truly!" She squeezed his hand, nearly losing her step, but Munto kept her from falling.
"I'm glad. You are beautiful tonight. I did not say so before as I tried to keep my tongue off the floor." Yumemi laughed at that. "You see, I planned this dress when the ball had been only a floating idea. Labiba did amazing work, but nothing could prepare me for you coming down that hall."
"You did look frozen when I joined you three." She bit her lip, unsuccessfully hiding a smile.
"Yes! Indeed, I am concussed." Munto twirled her around and drew her back into his arms. "Have mercy on me tonight. I am afraid, with you standing so near, I'll be most unlike myself."
"I can tell." Yumemi leaned into his hold and the anxiety of earlier washed away. "You were quiet on my introduction."
"I feared my gift far too much."
"Only shocking and I am quite nervous tonight coming here. But, you make it easier." Her hand slid from his shoulder to gently hold the back of his nape.
"Then, you know I speak truly when I say," and the seriousness that befell him seized her entirely, "that you are all to me. That you cradle my heart and soul. I would never allow embarrassment or shame to you. This is why I commissioned all this. And, you know, I would gladly sacrifice myself for you. Twice, if necessary."
"I would never let any harm my king." Such a strong conviction humbled him entirely.
Yumemi never failed to stop his heart and make his brain turn to mush. In such a moment, honesty coated his tongue and though, his lips felt numb, they opened to speak.
"Once, my pride was all I had. But, you've stripped me of that as well. This is why I beg mercy."
"A strange time for such a love confession, Munto." Yumemi cupped his cheek and lead him from the dance floor.
Rui joined them as they headed for the refreshments.
"Is it?" Munto let Yumemi go to pour herself a glass of wine.
Yumemi let the thought sink and sipped her drink.
"Perhaps not. It is you after all." She leaned in close encouraging his arm to wrap around her. "Know, my king, your plea has been heard but ignored. As I've never a king all to myself."
Munto scoffed at her play.
"As my lady demands."
"And you have plenty of pride left, love. I assure you of that." Rui snorted off to the side and it only encouraged her. "I also assure you there is plenty of time to strip you of it." Her eyes slowly dropped then crawled back up to meet his eyes. "Among other things."
"Please, you two. We are in a public not our own." Rui kept his eyes moving, dancing over the other guests here tonight to avoid rolling his eyes at them.
"I am not the one who began with a horrid love confession while I parsed the long glances being shot my way." Yumemi took another sip, eyeing the dancers. Her appearance in more ways than one brought a lot of attention.
"I did not twist this into a lustcious foreplay." Munto tightened his grip on her. He had seen the glances as well and as much as he did not appreciate them, he did find it exhilarating that she would be leaving with him. Both pride and love warred for place over his lady's appearance tonight.
"Worry not, Yumemi-hime. I am here to keep the leerers at bay while Munto-sama is much too busy drooling over you." Rui finally turned and winked her way. "He says he's lost his pride but I say he's only grown a bigger head with the most beautiful woman in all the Heavens on his arm tonight."
"Munto-sama, Yumemi-hime, I would like to introduce you two." Ryueri interrupted their playful banter and gestured to several nobles a few feet away. She barely raised an eyebrow in their direction, but Yumemi guessed she was not nearly as amused as Rui at their play.
"Of course." Munto guided Yumemi over in a graceful stride.
Shuza and Rui trailed behind, keeping politely out of the conversation but in arms reach. Tonight would long, but Rui believed for their royal couple, it might be longer…
Bonus:
"Seeing as Munto has been swept away… Rui?" Yumemi held out her hand expectedly and the general lead her out onto the dance floor.
"I promise, no horrid love confessions." Rui swung her into the dance, seamlessly leading them in time with those already there.
"Oh," Yumemi grinned, "now that would be embarrassing."
"Indeed," Rui nodded in all seriousness, but the amusement crinkled the corners of his eyes. "You would have to let me down gently."
"Well," Yumemi shot back, "I do apologize, as I am still practicing my Akuto" - advanced lessons, he knew - "and so it may not be so gentle."
Rui could only grin at her.
"I'll prepare for a rough landing, then."