BEWARE there will be mentions of rape in a back story about my OC Prince Moriyama if you are uncomfortable reading about rape, please skip reading the back story
Misaki bursted into tears as she clung onto her favorite uncle, not wanting to let go. "I don't want you to leave! I want you to stay! Don't go, Uncle Shou! Please!"
Shougo sighed as he hugged her close and patted her head. "The ship is leaving, I have to go."
"Misaki…" her mother tried to pry her off, "Your uncle has to leave now, you have to let go of him."
She sobbed and clung on tighter, almost choking him, "You're not coming back, are you?! You're going to leave me!"
Shindo pouted at his daughter, "I'm leaving too, but you're not in Papa's arms?"
Misaki wiped her eyes and turned to him, "That's because you're coming back. But Uncle Shou is not!"
Her uncle used a handkerchief to wipe away her snot, "Misaki, it's ok. When you're old enough, you can come and visit me."
She turned to Nijimura to confirm the facts, "Really?"
He had to think for a moment. It's not like she couldn't. "Yes, you can visit us when your father thinks you're old enough to travel."
"Okay…" she sniffled and let go of Shougo after hugging him one last time. Then, she shyly went up to Nijimura and gave him a quick hug. He smiled and hugged her back.
"Uncle Shuu?" she looked up at him.
"Yes?"
"Take care of Uncle Sho for me."
"Of course I will-"
"Or else." She mimicked cutting off his head.
"Misaki!" her mother scolded, "I told you not to threaten people!"
The little princess grumbled and went back to her mother's side. Seeing as to how Shougo was smirking right now, Misaki most likely got her behavior from him, and he's not surprised in the least. It's just so much scarier seeing a small precious girl like her doing it. Nijimura shivered at the thought.
After saying their goodbyes to Misaki and her mom, and the queen, the big group boarded onto the ship and headed to the land of Teiko.
Shougo leaned on the edge of the ship and gazed out towards the sea. Was he nervous about making this wedding official? Yes. Was he tad bit scared of how things will possibly turn out? Yes. Was he going to miss his family and his homeland? Most definitely. Was he worried about possibly having to give birth to his and Nijimura's heir? Hell to the fuck yes.
They had technology to allow men to become pregnant! How was that even possible?! Knowing Teiko and their greed to conquer everything, they probably dabbled in some shady business or make a deal with the devil to get that kind of technology.
But! There was no way Shougo would let Shuuzou stick his thing in his ass. No way! Just because he's the bride, just because he's younger than him, it doesn't mean he'll have to be the "mom"...right?
An arm wrapped around his shoulder. "What are you thinking so hard about?" Shindo asked.
"Nothing."
His brother was not convinced. He arched his brow at him, "Oh, really? That doesn't explain the weird panicking-but-not-really-panicking faces you were making earlier."
Shougo sighed, "I was thinking about having babies."
"Really?" Shindo laughed, "Why are you thinking about that? It's not like men can get pregnant."
He rolled his eyes, "That's what I thought too."
Shindo's laughing slowly ceased as he seriously looked at his little brother, "What?"
"Nijimura told me Teiko has the technology to make men pregnant. I don't know how, but their country has a lot of same sex couples, so that says something."
"You're kidding me, right? That's crazy!" Shindo thought hard, trying to make sense of the situation.
"Now do you see why I made those faces? Cuz you're making them too."
"I-Wow…" he didn't even bother trying to think about it anymore. "Say…"
"What?"
Shindo also leaned on the edge and looked out to the sea, "You know the story behind the Cloister of Trials?"
"Yeah. What about it?"
"Maybe if we had that kind of technology back then, Prince Jusei would've confessed his love more bravely to General Fukuhori. He wouldn't have to worry about how the people would think of them, and they would've been happier and had a family."
Shougo thought about the prince's tragic ending, "Yeah, maybe."
"And maybe Prince Moriyama would've been happier too."
"Huh?" Shougo looked at his brother, "What do you mean?"
He decided to sit down and lean against the ship walls. Shougo sat down with him.
"Not a lot of people know this, but Queen Matsuri had a diary that she would write into probably once a week. I found that diary in the deeper parts of the library and decided to read it to see what it was like back then. She knew her in-laws very well and they got along great. In the diary, I read about how she and King Kaito met, when they got married, their married life and how she enjoyed living in Fukuda Sogo. There were details on Prince Jusei and General Fukuhori Ryuta's relationship, from what she knew and what she was told by Prince Jusei. She wrote about Prince Arashi's brave venture to slay the cyclops and the sadness and grief she felt during the two prince's funerals. And in a hidden compartment of the diary's spine, I found torn pages, the missing journal entries that I couldn't find when I noticed that some entries were almost weeks or months apart."
Shougo, curious about the missing entries, moved closer to listen to the secrets, afraid that it wouldn't be nice if anyone else heard it. "So? What was so secretive about those entries that she had to hide them?"
"On those missing pages, she wrote…" he paused, and then lowered his voice to a whisper, "...about Prince Moriyama's secret love affair."
THE MENTIONS OF RAPE START HERE PLEASE SKIP IF YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE
Prince Fukuda Moriyama. He was the smartest out of the five princes, ranked 3rd when it came to strength when compared between the five, and just as handsome as the rest. Just a little after Prince Kei turned seven, he had his first child with his wife, Princess Jialing of the kingdom of Wei in the far north. It was the happy news the kingdom needed after the death of Prince Arashi. To celebrate the birth of their daughter, the kingdom of Wei was invited to the blessing ceremony of the new princess.
Princess Jialing had five sisters and four brothers. They all got along well with Prince Moriyama, most notably, the fourth prince, Prince Jian. He was Princess Jialing's biological younger brother. During their stay at Fukuda Sogo, Prince Jian would spend a lot of time playing shogi and xiangqi with his sister's husband.
The two were around the same height, with Prince Jian being slightly bigger in build. The Chinese prince was 22 at the time, while the Fuku prince was 26.
Despite Prince Jian's infamous bad boy womanizer reputation, the two princes actually had a lot in common. They loved literature, studying strategy techniques, all forms of chess, and history.
Prince Moriyama invited Prince Jian to his study for a game of shogi after the festivities ended. During that time of the night, Princess Jialing had already retreated to their quarters to put their daughter to bed.
"How does it feel to finally be a father?" Jian asked.
After taking his turn on the board, Moriyama answered him with a proud smile, "I could never be happier. The two of us had been trying for a while to conceive a child, so you could only imagine how happy I was when she became pregnant. Now that our daughter has finally come into this world, I am absolutely over the moon. How does it feel to finally be an uncle?"
Jian thought about his next move, then moved his piece when he saw an opening, "Aha! I got one of your pieces~"
Moriyama smiled and shook his head, "Don't be too confident now." He moved a piece and got one of Jian's in turn. The younger prince sighed and thought about how to move his next piece. "Well, I'm happy too! I have a cute little niece to visit and spoil." He looked at Moriyama with a smile and hungry eyes, "And I'll also get to see you more often."
The older was more focused on the game, so he did not know of the way Jian looked at him. "It would most definitely make me happier to be able to play chess with you more often and discuss the latest novels.
While his right hand moved a piece on the board, Jian's left hand slid north to touch just the fingertips of Moriyama's hand, "How do you feel about me, gege?"
With no hesitation, he replied, "I like you, of course. You're my close friend. I cherish you."
"What if I were to tell you I like you more than friends?"
Moriyama smiled, "As in brothers? Then, of course I also consider you my brother."
Jian got up from his chair and untied his mianfu. He placed his knee in between Moriyama's thighs and put his hands on the handles of the chair. "Jian, what are you doing?"
The younger prince removed Moriyama's glasses and placed it on top of the shogi board. Then, he proceeded to unbutton the older's dress shirt. Moriyama panicked and pushed away his hands, "J-Jian! What are you doing?! This is improper!"
Jian didn't listen and used the sash from his mianfu to tie Moriyama's hands together. "Everyone knows about how I'm a womanizer, but let me tell you a secret that know one else knows. I have a harem of men in my palace."
Moriyama's eyes widened.
"I like you, Moriyama. I've always been attracted to you even before you began courting my sister. Ever since I saw you, I have been having wet dreams of having you beneath me, taking my big dragon up your plump rear end. I dreamed about you moaning my name as I fondle with your chest. I imagined how your face would flush when you came. Now that I'm this close to you, I can't hold back anymore."
Jian grabbed him by the chin and forced a kiss on him. Moriyama pushed him away, knocking over the shogi board in the process. "Jian! Stop this madness! I'm a married man! A father!"
The younger prince smirked as he got up from the floor, "So are you saying you would've let me have you if you were still single and childless?"
"I like you, Jian, but not like this. Please," he pleaded, "Don't do this."
"I'm afraid I can't. I'm already up." He motioned to his nether regions, where a tent was already forming beneath his inner robe. "And I can't stop until I'm satisfied."
Jian grabbed Moriyama and forced him onto his knees as he undid his inner robes. He grabbed the base of his erection and probed it against Moriyama's mouth. "Suck," he commanded.
Moriyama began to cry and shook his head, "Why are you doing this?"
He slapped him, not hard enough to leave a noticeable mark, and grabbed him by the top of the head, "Shut up and suck."
The older prince shut his eyes and complied, opening his mouth and taking in Jian's member. He did not know how to perform such a task. His wife had done it once, but he does not clearly remember how she did it. He tried his best to bob his head in a back an forth motion, but it seems he was doing it wrong.
Jian roughly grabbed him by the hair and pulled his head back so he could look up at him. He hissed, "Watch out for the teeth."
Moriyama was scared. He's never seen Jian act like this before. They got along fine, so why?
He closed his eyes and began sucking again and this time Jian was guiding him with a hand on his head, "Hollow your cheeks and make use of that tongue, don't just keep it still."
It seemed he was doing better now, as Jian was starting to moan, "That's it, good boy~"
Now, Jian had both of his hands on his head, holding it still as he started to thrust into his mouth. When Jian moved faster, his erection went in deeper, blocking Moriyama's airway. His eyes shot open and his nostrils flared, desperately attempting to breathe. His cries were muffled from Jian's thrusting, and he was starting to see black from the lack of oxygen. Just as he was about to pass out, Jian pulled out. "Whoops, almost forgot to let you breathe, how inconsiderate of me," he said with a smirk.
Jian carried Moriyama to the couch and tossed him down, pinning his arms above his head and stripped him of his pants.
"Please…" Moriyama begged with a hoarse voice, "Don't do anymore…"
Jian wiped away his tears and trailed his finger down the older's body until it reached his entrance, "Don't worry, I'll be gentle."
Outside of the study was Matsuri, against the doors, a trembling hand covering her mouth. She had heard everything from beginning to end, and yet, she had no courage, nor power in her body to help her brother-in-law. She was supposed to be the big sister everyone could rely on...but she couldn't help Moriyama escape at all.
She heard footsteps approaching and quickly ran to hide.
"Tonight was good, gege. I'll be sure to come again."
When she was sure that Jian was gone, Matsuri approached Moriyama's study, and went inside.
The room was a mess. The shogi board was on the floor, the playing pieces scattered all over. There were white stains on the couch, stains she knew quite well. And Moriyama...he was sitting at his desk, head in his hands. She looked at his disheveled state, bite marks scattered across his chest, hair tousled messily. She cautiously put a hand on his shoulder, "Mori...I'm sorry," and she began to sob.
He looked at her with puffy and teary eyes, "Why?"
"I heard everything from start to finish," she gripped his shoulder, "but I couldn't even bring myself to stop him. I'm a failure of a big sister, and I'm a coward!"
He held her hand, "Don't be sorry, Matsu-ne. It was my fault for not being able to push him off. I allowed myself to be violated. It's all my fault."
Matsuri hugged him close, "It's not your fault, Mori. You are not to blame." She glared at the wall, her voice boiling with anger, "It's that Chinese bastard's fault. He couldn't keep his urges to himself and forced himself upon you. He is a monster and a disgusting piece of shit. Not even Takeshi, the ultimate player of our country, would ever force himself on his partner. Jian is bad news and you need to stay away from him."
"I can't. If I avoid him, he's going to tell Jialing and I can't risk breaking her heart!"
Matsuri shook him by the shoulders, "For how long will you deceive her?! The earlier you tell her, the more understanding she will be! Don't torture yourself like this!"
He sobbed and shook his head repeatedly, "I can't! I can't do it! I can't!"
From that point on, Moriyama and Jian continued to meet to satisfy the younger prince's sexual needs. He would visit every six months for weeks at a time under the guise of spoiling his niece and catching up with his sister. When those times came, Matsuri was on her guard, emitting a hostile aura anytime she was around Jian.
About two years passed and Jialing gave birth again, this time to a pair of twin boys. Moriyama was elated, of course. But whenever he looked at Jialing's motherly smile towards their kids, he became sad and guilty.
Moriyama came to a horrible realization.
He was starting to like Jian back.
He liked the way he kissed him roughly. He liked the way he manhandled him. He liked the way he bound his limbs with the sash of his mianfu. He liked when he whipped him. He liked when he was choked as Jian pounded into him from behind. He liked the way Jian abused his prostate again and again to the point of having a dry orgasm.
He was starting to find pleasure in the pain Jian inflicted on him.
And he was guilty that he loved Jialing just as much.
After months of not hearing from Jian again, Moriyama learned that he had gotten married to someone that he truly loved. And so Moriyama was left to feel hollow all by himself.
He decided to come clean.
"Darling," Jialing looked at her husband worriedly as he got on his knees in front of her, "What's wrong?"
Moriyama bowed to her, his head touching the floor. She came to his side, "Darling, what-"
"I'm sorry."
She didn't understand what he meant.
"I have gone behind your back and done a villainous thing again and again. I was too afraid and too ashamed to tell you about it."
"I-I don't understand…"
When he lifted his head, tears were streaming down his face.
"After our daughter's blessing ceremony, your brother Jian had forced himself onto me and we have been secretly having sex in my study ever since. Don't feel sorry for me. Don't pity me. I want you to hate me, hit me, yell at me, because despite my better judgement, despite my love for you, I had come to find pleasure in it...and I love him."
Jialing backed away from him, covering her mouth in shock as tears welled up in her eyes. "How could you…" She fell onto the bed and cried, "You are a strong man and yet you couldn't push him away? You couldn't tell him to stop? It took you nearly three years to come clean about this? And not only did you not tell me, you even fell for him! What am I supposed to tell our children?!" Her voice trembled as it got louder. "That their father is a cheating bastard who had sexual affairs with my brother?!"
The twins began to cry at the sudden rise in volume.
"Jialing, I'm sorry."
"Get out."
He weakly got to his feet and hugged her, "I'm sorry."
She slapped him across the face with a strength she didn't even know she had, "GET OUT!"
Moriyama heeded and took one last glance at her and his sons before retreating to his study to write some letters.
Morning came and the piercing scream of a maid had shook the entire palace.
Prince Fukuda Moriyama had hung himself in his study.
Upon hearing the news, Princess Jialing fainted and the queen fell ill due to shock. Matsuri ran to see the body because it couldn't be true.
But it was.
Seeing his pale, lifeless body, she fell to the ground and shook as she broke out into sobs. Kaito came to her side and comforted her, miserably failing to keep his own tears from falling.
Moriyama had written a letter to Jialing, and one to her. It read:
"Matsu-ne, I should have listened to you from the beginning. If I had told Jialing the truth from the start, Jian would have stopped and my relationship with my wife wouldn't have been as broken as it is now. Continuing to see him, I allowed myself to develop feelings for Jian, while still loving Jialing. The guilt has been built up inside me for so long that I have nowhere to put it anymore. I finally came clean to her last night, and got what I deserved. She probably should have hit me more if that would help ease the heartbreak I caused her. It's time I sever my feelings for Jian, and the only way I know how is to end my life. And so, I wish you well and hope that you do not blame Jian for anything that has happened. Please help Jialing take care of my children and raise them into fine young men and women.
Yours truly, Moriyama."
Kaito read the contents of the letter as well and hugged his wife close to his heart, comforting her. She cried into his chest and hit herself, "I couldn't save Jusei, I couldn't save Takeshi, I couldn't save Arashi...and the only brother we had left…" she hit herself harder.
Kaito grabbed her hands, "Matsu, don't hurt yourself, please."
Her face was a crying mess, "Moriyama! I couldn't save him either!"
He wiped her tears as he tried to hold back his own, the memories of losing his brothers one after the other coming at him all at once,
"It's not your fault, Matsu. You tried your best. It's not your fault."
Matsuri wiped her eyes and took in a deep breathe, "You're right."
Silence ensued.
She became furious.
Without even saying a word, she suited up in her armor and gathered her soldiers and headed for the port.
She was going to kill Wei Ji An.
BACKSTORY ENDS HERE
"That...was messed up." Shougo couldn't describe it any other way.
Shindo sighed, "Yeah. Queen Matsuri was not one to be messed with. You mess with her loved ones, and she will repay you tenfold.
According to a soldier that went with her, her last words were: 'You caused him to end his life, so I'm going to take yours,' before cutting Prince Jian's head clean off. Princess Jialing thought her brother deserved it and thought of it as karma for playing with so many people's emotions."
"Queen Matsuri is a bad ass."
He hummed in agreement, "After that, King Kaito had to put his own wife in jail for murder and unauthorized use of the military."
"Seriously?!" Shougo's eyes widened in surprise, "She's a fucking bad ass!"
"The Emperor of Wei wanted her to be executed, but Princess Jialing spoke up for her and explained what Prince Jian had done to deserve his death, therefore lightening Queen Matsuri's jail sentence."
"The princes sure all died tragic deaths, huh? What about Prince Takeshi? I haven't heard much about him."
"She didn't write much about him." Then, Shindo thought again, "Actually, I think she wrote about him in one entry when they went to war with some country. A few years after Prince Jusei's death, and little bit before Prince Arashi's death. The enemy drove him off of the cliff and he fell into the river below. They tried to locate his body after they won, but they couldn't find him. So his death was unsure."
"Still, even then, King Kaito must have been devastated losing all four of his younger brothers early." Shougo playfully hugged his brother's arm, "I can't imagine how I'll feel if you suddenly die. You can die once you've passed the age of eighty, only then will I recognize your passing."
Shindo rolled his eyes and hit his brother upside the head. "Trying to jinx me? I'll die once I turn 100 years old."
From afar, Nijimura stood and smiled at the brotherly bond. He only wished he had such a relationship with his siblings.
When the ship had finally reached the Teikonian port, five days had already passed. Shindo, Shougo, and the Jasmines stepped onto the port and looked around. It was huge and very European-looking.
Nijimura had told them that the port was just one of many. The port they docked at was the Port of Yosen City, home to Murasakibara and his family, distinguished by the purple flag flying on the many poles throughout the city.
The queen called out, "Shuuzou."
"Yes, Mother?"
"Why don't you and Atsushi show the others around while I make sure their accommodations are set and ready?"
The giant purple head bowed his head, "Okay~"
Midorima nudged him with his elbow and a stern look. Murasakibara sighed and changed his wording, "Yes, Your Majesty."
"Of course, Mother."
She smiled and got onto the royal carriage and made her way to the castle.
Yasagi looked at the citizens of the town and nudged her comrades, "Is it just me or are all of the people here tall as fuck?"
The Fuku natives took a better look at the people and compared them to themselves. They were around the purple-haired giant's height.
Even the women looked like they would tower over Shougo.
Midorima explained to them, "Yosen city citizens are all tall from passed down genetics. It is not abnormal to see a Yosenite 178cm and taller. Their ancestors are said to be yetis, but that has not been scientifically confirmed."
The Jasmines' jaws dropped. Descendants of yetis?!
Inoue's mind went into a jumble, "S-So what do you guys consider tall?"
Murasakibara had to think, "Hmm...213 cm is pretty tall, but the tallest is 244 cm."
She held her face in horror, "I-I-Is?! T-This person is still alive?! W-Who is it?!"
He boredly picked at his ear, "My pops."
Inoue's soul left her body.
"Inoue!" the Jasmines rushed to her side. Nijimura looked her with concern, "Is she going to be okay?"
Shougo sighed, "She's fine. She's just freaked out because some tall bastard hung her on a tree branch when she was a kid. She's been traumatized since and tends to stay away from people obviously taller than her."
Nijimura arched a brow, "But she's just as tall you though?"
The prince shrugged his shoulders, "Her family are all around her height, so she doesn't see herself as tall. Besides, who wouldn't be scared of someone that's over 200 cm tall?"
Aomine scoffed, "She beat a freak like Akashi in battle but is afraid of tall people?"
"At least she beat me," Akashi crossed his arms, "You shouldn't be one to talk."
The navy-haired general grumbled at that.
Inoue regained her consciousness and gasped for air. "244 cm!"
"Inoue, you're back." Hoshi helped her stand.
"Okay," Shindo smiled, "Now that Inoue is back on her toes, shall we tour the city?"
"Of course," Nijimura perked up at his elder brother-in-law's voice.
With Murasakibara and Midorima leading the way, the Fukus were shown the various shops and street foods of Yosen city. While Inoue was still cowering behind Ruri's back, aside from the citizens' towering height, they were very nice and welcoming people. They were all a bit slow when it came to speech, but still spoke with a gentle tone nevertheless. Inoue eased a bit out of her fear, and after almost half an hour of interacting with Yosenites, she was her jumpy, happy self again. Hoshi asked her, "Are you good with the talls now?"
She grinned, "Yep! They're not at all like that jerk who hung me on a tree!" she suddenly emitted a vicious aura and furrowed her brows in anger, "If I ever see him again, I'm going to murder him."
Nijimura cautiously stepped away from her and stood next to his husband. Shougo snickered, "Get used to it. That's her old self shining through."
He looked at Shougo with wide eyes and lowered his voice, "Her old self?!"
"She used to be very violent and held grudges over the simplist things until Ifrit beat some sense into her. She's doing better now, but moral of the story is," he smirked, "Don't get on her bad side if you know what's good for you."
The crown prince gulped.
Naomi yawned, "You're never gonna see him again. You broke his legs, remember?"
"Yeah," Ayame cracked her neck, "As soon we got you down, you searched for him and broke his legs so that he would never stand taller than you ever again."
Yasagi sighed and shook her head at the memory, "Poor boy. Ifrit punished you a lot for that."
At the tale, the taller Miracles walked faster. Akashi got closer to Inoue and smiled, "Please, I would love to hear in detail how you broke
his legs."
She smiled wide, "Okay!"
Shindo and Shougo, knowing how Inoue is, ushered everyone else to walk farther ahead so that her and Akashi can have their gory talk
just between themselves.
By the time the two finished their gruesome chat, the bridal party had reached the gates of the Teiko castle.
"That was a great discussion, Inoue-san. I do hope we get to discuss more before you head back to Fukuda Sogo."
"I would love to!"
The Miracles parted ways at the gate and said their goodbyes. Nijimura waved, "See you guys tomorrow."
Shougo and Shindo questioned the Miracles leaving, "They don't live in the castle with you?"
"Is that weird?"
"The Jasmines and their families live in the palace with us."
Now it was Nijimura's turn to question them, "They live in the palace with you?"
"Yeah. They're high-ranking generals, so of course they'd live in the palace with us. It's weird to us that the Miracles don't live in the castle with you."
"Well, the Miracles come from noble families that already have their own mansions. There's no need for them to move into the castle. It's weird to me that the Jasmines and their families are living with you guys."
The Fukus looked at each other. "Teiko is weird."
"It's not weird, it's just unfamiliar," Nijimura countered.
The queen's messenger appeared and bowed, "Your Highness, the rooms are ready."
"Alright, show the way."
"Yes, your Highness."
They were brought to the fourth floor. All six of the Jasmines' individual rooms were next to each other. The girls were happy about that. "A maid will come to fetch you all for dinner."
The Jasmines nodded and went inside their rooms to freshen up.
Next, the rest of the princes were brought to the fifth floor. "Crown Prince Shindo, this here will be your room for the duration of your stay. The next hallway down is His Highness and Prince Shougo's room if you ever want to see them. Please call for the maids if you would like to request for anything else. I will come personally to fetch you for dinner."
"Thank you," Shindo smiled and then turned to Shougo and Shuuzou, "I will see you two again at dinner."
"See you in a bit bro."
Nijimura nodded and dismissed the butler, "We will be good from here, thank you. No need to fetch us for dinner, we'll get there on our own."
The messenger bowed, "Yes, your Highness."
She left and Nijimura and Haizaki went to their room. Once they got there, Nijimura hit his own forehead, "Oh shit."
"What?"
"I forgot to tell your brother and the others about the dining room dress code."
Haizaki rolled his eyes and sat on the bed to test its softness, "They'll be fine. I already had a feeling that you guys dressed all prim and proper just to eat, so I told them beforehand."
Nijimura let out a sigh of relief, "Thanks. I would never hear the end of it from my mother if she knew that I didn't tell you guys about our
dress codes."
"Geez, is she that strict?"
"You could say that. Are you going to take a bath?"
"Obviously."
"I'll have the maids draw one right now." He went into what Haizaki assumed to be the bathroom and rung a small bell. Almost immediately, he heard a knock on the door. "Your Highness, we are here with the hot water for your bath."
"Come in."
Haizaki watched as several maids went in and out of the room with full buckets of water until the bathtub was filled. He walked over to see how big the tub was that the maids have to keep on coming. It was definitely bigger than the one in the palace, probably twice as big. This tub could probably fit them two and the Miracles with leg room to spare.
"Prepare more hot water for my bath after Prince Shougo is done."
"Yes, your Highness."
Shougo stopped them, "No need."
Both Nijimura and the maids looked at him. "We'll bathe together."
The maids visibly blushed, "Y-Yes, Prince Shougo. We will not disturb you both any longer." They quickly left with shy smiles on their faces.
"Why did you tell them that?" Nijimura asked with a frown.
Shougo started stripping as he spoke, "Cuz we can just bathe together? You act like we haven't done that for the past week you spent at my palace."
The crown prince begrudgingly stripped as well, "Maybe I wanted to bathe on my own…"
Shougo stared at him, "Did you not see how big your bathtub is and the effort it took to fill it? Do you not feel sorry for the poor maids? And you'll be wasting water. I'm also surprised you don't have a plumbing system and a faucet to fill the tub on your own like the westerners do, since your country is already so westernized."
Nijimura followed his husband into the bathroom and submerged himself into the bathtub, "How do you know about the Western plumbing systems?"
Haizaki leaned back against the tub walls and relaxed, "We're allies with a Western country called Jabberwock. I frequently used to visit them when I was younger."
"Oh," Nijimura rolled his eyes, "The one with your beloved Nash?"
Shougo blushed and glared at him, "Shut up." He started scrubbing his body and remembered, "You still haven't told me how the reception is going to go."
Nijimura hummed and then smirked, "You can find out."
In outrage, the younger prince splashed water onto his face. "Hey!"
"Tell me!"
The crown prince laughed and splashed back, "It's not like I knew how your ceremonies were going to be like either. I think it's only fair."
Shougo grumbled and scrubbed himself faster. He mumbled under his breath, "I swear if weird shit goes on…"
"Father!" Shuuzou exclaimed in surprise. He rushed to his father's side to help him sit down in his chair, "You should be resting!"
The queen sighed as she sat in the seat to the left of him, "He insisted on coming today."
King Nijimura laughed them off, "I can't miss this chance to meet my son-in-law and his entourage!" He scanned the dining hall, his eyes landing on Shougo, who was stiffly and awkwardly standing next to the door. The king's eyes crinkled when he smiled, "You must be Haizaki Shougo. Come, son. Let me take a better look at you."
Confused as to how the customs were in Teiko, Shougo lowered his head as he walked to his father-in-law and got on his knees to bow with the utmost respect for the king the Fukuda Sogonese way, with the palm of his hands and his forehead touching the floor.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
The king chuckled and reached over to pet his head softly, "How well-mannered you are. You may rise." Up close, the king, although old and graying, still looked very young for his age. He smiled kindly and held Shougo's hands, "A simple bow will do next time. You are now my son-in-law after all. You are free to call me which ever form of 'father' feels more comfortable rolling off your tongue."
Shougo's cheeks pinked at the reminder.
The door to the dining hall opened, in walking Shindo and the Jasmines in their formal Fuku attire. Shindo wore black slacks, and a Gamloh - a jacket similar to a Sherwani, but cut short at the waist and white in color - with his royal lion pinned to his collar. The Jasmines each wore a variation of a suit, all pale grey in color and Ifrit's flame shaped pin attached to left flap of their blazers. Shougo himself wore a Gamloh, however he donned four pins on his collar: his royal lion, Ifrit's flame, a gold anchor symbolizing his status as a navy general, and a gold downright sword symbolizing his status as the head commander of his kingdom's army.
The newly arrived party strode over to Shougo and bowed to the king and queen to pay their respects.
"Crown Prince Shindo, it is a pleasure to meet you," the king smiled and offered a handshake.
Shindo took his hand, "As it is my honor to meet you, Your Majesty."
He noticed the six women and exclaimed, "You must be the wonderful Jasmines! It's amazing to see such strong and independent young women becoming generals and fighting for your country."
The six blushed at the sudden compliment and got on one knee to bow, "We are honored to receive your praise, Your Majesty."
"Rise, let us all sit." Servants guided the party to their seats. Shuuzou sat to the right of his father, Shougo and Shindo beside him. Three of the Jasmines sat next to their prince while the other half sat on the other side, two seats away from the king looked around, "Shuuzou, where are your siblings? It is disrespectful for them to be late to dinner, especially when we have guests."
Soon, the doors opened again and two preteens, one boy and one girl, walked over to their mother's side to sit, "We apologize for our tardiness, Father."
"I've told you beforehand that we have important guests staying over. You should have known better." The two kids hung their head low.
Shindo tried to diffuse the situation, "Your Majesty, it's quite alright. We do not mind a bit of tardiness, it is a dinner after all. Not too formal."
The king immediately lightened up, "Ah, you are right. Let me introduce you to my children. This is my son, Rikiya, and his twin sister, Reiko." He turned, "This is Crown Prince Haizaki Shindo of Fukuda Sogo."
The two politely bowed. Then, he introduced Shuuzou's husband. "Children, this here is your brother-in-law, Prince Haizaki Shougo."
The twins bowed and then took a quick look at their brother's betrothed. Shougo offered them a small smile. Reiko's gaze lingered on him for a bit too long and he arched his brow at the girl in question. She looked away.
The king waved his hand and within seconds, the chefs brought out their dishes, hot and fresh off of the stove. There was medium rare steak accompanied by roasted asparagus, boiled red king crab garnished with sea grapes and lemons, and many other dishes fit for a king.
Shuuzou looked at the Fuku natives, surprised at how cultured they are when it came to eating the Western way. Everyone had tucked their napkin cloths into their collars and used the right utensils for each of the different foods, without having to even be instructed. It was so weird seeing them eat so prim and proper when Shuuzou was used to them eating with their hands and talking with their mouths full. It was like he was in another dimension.
King Nijimura opened his mouth to ask, "How is the food? Is it to your liking?" Shuuzou widened his eyes at him.
Shindo replied after wiping his mouth, "Yes, the food is exquisite. Applaud to the chefs." The chefs that were standing beside the wall hurried to bow after receiving such an unexpected compliment. "Thank you, Your Highness."
The queen cleared her throat, "There is no talking during dinner."
Suddenly, the room got quiet. Rikiya and Reiko looked away from their parents, as did Shuuzou.
The king's smiled turned into a thin line, before sighing. "Asami, do not be rude to our guests."
She looked at him, unwavering, "Your Majesty, this is Teiko. Even if they are guests, they should abide by the rules put into place in the castle."
He furrowed his brows and looked at her, "Even if there are rules here, you are being awfully rude. Is it wrong to ask our guests about the taste of the food?"
"It is not wrong," she argued, "However, you could have waited until after dinner was over to ask such a measly question."
His tone slightly raised, "Measly? I am asking such a question to see if our guests are comfortable with our kingdom's cuisine. I am being considerate and asking for their opinions so that if it is not to their tastes, we can change it. It is not a measly question as you so claimed."
The tension was becoming quite clear. The Fuku's awkwardly tried to follow the lead of the king's children, and continue to eat while trying not to be in on their argument. But it was hard to do so when they were literally arguing in front of them.
Finally, the argument stopped. Instead, the queen lifted her hand and her personal maid quickly came to help her out of her chair. "Excuse me, everyone. I have lost my appetite and won't be staying here for the rest of the dinner."
They all got up to bow to her as she left. When she was gone, the king called for a chef and rubbed at his temples, "Bring food to her chamber."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The king apologized, "I am sorry that you all had to witness an argument between me and my wife. She sticks to the rules very closely, and expects others do so as well. Pay her no mind. I do not want you all to feel uncomfortable during the duration of your stay here."
While Shougo and the Jasmines were having crazy conversations through their eyes and subtle facial expressions, Shindo replied to the king. "We understand, we should have asked more about the rules and the customs in Teiko before coming here. It would've made it less stressful for Your Majesty and Her Highness."
"No, no! It was my fault for starting the conversation. I just wish she was more lenient to guests. She does this to all of our guests and it's quite humiliating. I shouldn't have talked knowing she would act like this."
After much of his silence, Shougo finally spoke, "Father…" That sounded weird coming out of his mouth, and so unfamiliar, "It's fine. Really. We understand. We know that different countries have their different household rules, and not everyone has the same rules. We accept the differences and we are willing to work with them even if it is weirder from our own rules and customs. You don't need to apologize. I understand Mother's feelings."
King Nijimura's face softened and he smiled, reaching out to hold his hand once more, "I am so glad to have made the decision to marry you and Shuuzou. You are so kind and understanding. I hope you can help change my wife's strict ways and narrow line of thinking. I am happy to have you as my son-in-law."
Shougo thought, maybe it won't so bad living here after all.
"Ryouta," his sister calls.
Kise had just arrived after touring Yosen city with the Fuku natives. "Yes, nee-san?"
"Father called for you. He is waiting in his study."
He had a feeling of why, "Okay."
At this point, there was no reason to sulk. He just has to tell his fiance about what he talked about with Nijimura and his love life will stay like how he wants it.
Kise opened the door to the study and found a big redhead sitting across from his father. "Ryouta, you're finally back. Sit down."
At the mention of his name, the redhead turned to look at him. The redhead had strange eyebrows, with tails that split into two. He most definitely had a bigger build than his own.
He sat down next to his father, "And this is?"
"Prince Kagami Taiga, your fiance."
The two stood up to exchange handshakes and Ryouta realized that Kagami was not only bigger in build, but taller than him too. "A pleasure to meet you, my prince."
"You as well, Sir Ryouta." Kagami's voice was deep and rough, not as elegant as the other princes Kise has known, Shuuzou and Rikiya to name a few.
The look in his eyes were scary. Kise screamed in delight on the inside. With a bitchy expression like that, the prince must not like this either! Luck was on his side!
"As the crown prince's reception is tomorrow, your wedding has been set two weeks from now. It'll give you both a supple amount of time to get to know each other. Prince Kagami has been here for a week now, so he has gotten to know Kaijou city pretty well. He has also met with and spoken to your sisters and our relatives. All that's left is you." Lord Kise looked at his son. "Ryouta, why don't you take the prince and have a conversation? I have business to look over."
"Yes, Father."
Kagami gave Lord Kise a slight bow as he followed Ryouta out of the study.
The shorter blond walked ahead of him quietly, exiting the mansion into the backyard and to a white gazebo in the distance. A maid brought tea and pastries to the gazebo and left. Ryouta poured him tea. "Feel free to call me by my first name, since we'll be married anyway. Is it okay for me to call you Taiga?"
"Yes."
After taking a sip of his tea, Ryouta began his talk, "Let me get to the point. Because of this peace treaty, we've been forced into this marriage against our will. I know adultery is a crime here in Teiko, but before this whole arrangement happened, I already had a lover, someone that I love very much and would do anything for. You must be distraught as well, being pushed to marry someone you don't like. You probably have someone in your country that you like as well. So during our married life, I just wanted to know if we could make a deal of some sorts? You let me meet my lover in private, and you can do what you want in private. As long as we keep this deal a secret and act like a married couple in the public eye, everything should be fine. It's a win-win situation. What do you say?"
Ryouta saw an expression flash across Taiga's face for a quick second. He couldn't pinpoint what emotion it was, but it didn't matter to him. All he needed to hear was his answer.
"Okay."
Wow! another chapter with 7k+ words! and it took me less than a week to write! that's new
now i'm starting to introduce kise and kagami's love story and ive shown you all how distant and torn nijimura's family is
i hope you liked this fast update so please comment!