Kageyama was tired. He had stayed up all night reading and taking notes which he later put all over his walls. Things he considered important. Of course he wrote a summary in his notebook. He could always go back to the books and look up the information if need be, but he enjoyed the feeling of scraping on paper. He liked putting the information down on paper. It helped him learn and understand better everything that he read. He loved to open the leather covers, to feel the smell of it, to go through his notes again and again. It represented him. It made him Kageyama.

And it was the only thing that helped him at that moment. He was so utterly bored that the exhaustion was getting the better of him. Everyone was listening to Walder Starkov enumerate a list of things that the medical area of the kingdom was severely missing in most of the poor settlements. It was the third time in a month the damned list was read in the Council Room. And Kageyama couldn't bare to hear it again. Instead, he was trying to recall the 3 rules of warfare from The Strategy of War which he had just finished a few hours ago. The truth was it was kind of difficult to appear interested in the things that were discussed at the meeting with only 2 hours of sleep while trying to recall information that didn't even have time to properly settle in his brain. He was exhausted. Kageyama felt his eyes start watering and he closed them just for a couple of seconds. When he reopened them his glance landed on Hinata Shoyo. And he was starring right back at him. Kageyama raised an eyebrow. It didn't matter how tired he was, he would never back down from a starring contest. For far longer than he originally expected, Kageyama's view was grasped by golden-brown eyes. After what felt like an hour Hinata finally moved his eyes to something behind Kageyama. Nice try thought Kageyama. It was typical. Everyone did that. Still, he felt weary. But he had only slept 2 hours. Of course he was weary. Hinata wasn't the source of his discomfort.

The lack of sleep had definitely become a problem.

Suddenly everyone got up from their seats and started scattering away. Kageyama blinked with confusion. When did two hours pass so fast? He barely got to form a few coherent thoughts. And stare a little at the crows in the tree outside. Maybe a little more. He got up from his own chair and looked around the room for his bigger brother. Sugawara was nowhere to be found. That's what happens when I come in late he thought. There would be no places near his brother. He had to seat wherever there was an empty chair. At least he got to sea the Council Room from all angles possible.

He started making his way towards the door when a guard entered his visual field. Kageyama stopped abruptly and looked at the man. He was taller than Kageyama, but not by much, though the rest of his body was larger in every way. Bigger muscles, bigger jaw, bigger mouth, bigger shoulder frame. Bigger everything.

Kageyama raised both of his eyebrows at the guard and waited for him to speak.

"King Hinata wants to see you" the man said.

Kageyama's eyebrows fell at the statement. What in damnation could he want from him? Never in his life has Kageyama spoken directly to the King. The only moments when he got to be near him were the Council Meetings and the rare opportunities when he found himself in the same room with his brother who was talking to the King. He had no direct obligations to him.

"Why?" asked Kageyama prudently.

"You are to find out when you will see him." the guard responded.

He didn't have a choice. He took a deep breath. But that wasn't enough. The situation was strange. He truly hoped that the King had something to say related to his work. That he would give him the chance to prove himself. But the truly strange thing would be if the King even had any idea about Kageyama's intentions. The only possibility for him to find out that Kageyama wanted to become Lord Commander of the Silver Army was if Sugawara had told him. And it seemed more likely for the 10 Gods to get down from their thrones and visit him than Sugawara speaking good of his brother, especially to the King.

The guard started moving, so Kageyama followed him, daydreaming of the impossible.