DISCLAIMER: The characters belong to Sai Yukino and Kairi Yura, Kadokawa Shoten, Madhouse Studios, etc., i.e., not me.
I'm just borrowing them for a while to spin a tale
Submitted to the Saiunkoku Fic LJ's Fic Battle
Related to Prompt 40
Prompt 96) Seiran/Shuuei, proving your worth
By firewolf
September 2008
Seiran would be the first to admit that it wasn't easy letting go. He still didn't understand how Shouka and Shoukun sama could let Kouyuu take the imperial exams at *sixteen*. Regardless of the fact his little brother had topped the year's candidates as the youngest boy to graduate as Jougen; Seiran still thought he was far too young to be thrown to the political wolves of Saiunkoku's court. Furthermore, Seiran really wasn't all that impressed with the Ran boy Kouyuu had picked up as a best friend at the student dormitories.
So it was with this desire to keep an eye out for his little brother, that Seiran discarded his earlier resolve to avoid the palace, and joined the Uringun. It also worked for Seiran that the Ran boy later decided on the military career track rather than the civil service. It allowed him to watch this boy who attached himself to his little brother.
Seiran remembered him as a cocky little boy whom he'd humiliated before Prince Seien had been exiled. And despite the passage of years, Seiran couldn't say that he was impressed with how Ran Shuuei had matured. The boy also had a growing unsavoury reputation as a ladies' man. Seiran was surprised Kouyuu even put up with him.
It took a couple of months for Seiran to finally understand and accept Ran Shuuei as his little brother's best friend. Because it took that long for Seiran to notice Kouyuu hadn't made many friends among his peers. And the ugliness that was the Saiunkoku political arena reared its brutal head.
Seiran realised then that Ran Shuuei was the only friend his brother had at court who didn't care nor looked down on Kouyuu because he was an adopted son of an exiled clansmen. And without Kouyuu's knowledge, Shuuei would even quietly 'take care' of the buffoons who'd hurt his brother's feelings too.
It made Seiran revise his opinion of the young man; that perhaps he was a worthy friend after all.
~owari~
Thanks for reading.
Cheers, firewolf