Tsukishima Kei was to be executed tomorrow morning by the sword at precisely 9:00.
It was Karasuno's first public execution in decades.
From his view on the low balcony, Kageyama watched as the blond was lead to his death, a infuriatingly impassive look on his face.
The people of Karasuno were silent, the soldiers unecessary to keep the people back. The town was shellshocked.
Tsukishima Kei, the scholar rumored to be a rebel, was in fact a rebel. He was to be executed for treason, for attempted murder of the king.
The king.
Karasuno hadn't rebelled like the other towns. Did not want to be burned to the ground like the other towns. Did not want to become ruins.
But the people stirred, a hunger sleeping in their heart stirring as they watched the gleaming silver of the executioner's sword. Tsukishima's footsteps, ominous and deliberate became the heart beat of each and every person in Karasuno.
The air thickened with each step the blond took towards the awaiting executioner armed with the sharpest sword in his stead, still shiny from disuse, the blade hungry for blood.
Yamaguchi couldn't tell what was happening. It had been 3 days since Kei disappeared.
Suddenly he feels Hinata shaking him, feels the frantic heart beat of the boy who is shaking him so incessantly.
Tsukishima. Hinata signals.
What the boy signals next has him running towards the sound of a murmuring crowd, towards a marching troop of soldiers, towards his Kei.
My king
Has fallen from his throne
Has prostrated himself
On his knees
Kageyama watches as Tsukishima is lead to his death, still an unreadable mask on his face.
How could he so easily hide the fear Kageyama knew was there?
No one was a stranger to fearing death, to leaving everything they had in this world behind.
Suddenly a commotion came from the crowd and Kageyama watched numbly as a body flung itself in Tsukishima's path.
Dull milky eyes filled with tears, he watched the freckled boy he had come to know as his sweetheart's best friend crumble.
Tsukishima's mask begin to show cracks, Kageyama noted despite the sudden disturbance.
The soldiers began to raise their swords threatening to make it a double execution, Kageyama looking on.
The crowd begin murmuring louder and louder and the King thought he was a head of orange making its way through.
Dark blue eyes snapped open as arms wrapped around the blind boy's frame and began to pull him away from the soldiers, silent pleading gold eyes demanding without a word that he would not lose his best friend.
The crowd stirred even more, soldiers unsheathing their swords, threatening the two boys that stood in their path as Tsukishima started to struggle against his bindings and the soldiers flanking him.
Hinata would not let go of Yamaguchi. The blind boy stayed rooted, blocking the path that lead to his beloved's death. Tears were streaming down freckled cheeks, a voice that was always so quiet started screaming.
Soldiers started closing in, yelling at the crowd to stay back, yelling at Yamaguchi and Hinata to step aside.
Both boys would not move.
Kageyama could hear nothing.
Can see nothing but the soldier poised to strike the fiery haired boy that he held his affection, held his...heart.
Suddenly his legs moved faster then his own body, golden crown toppling off his head, ermine trimmed red cloak left in a haste to save the one who loved his unloved heart.
"STOP!"
He yelled over the commotion, the soldiers unable to hear him.
Tsukishima broke free of the soldiers and began to make his way to Yamaguchi and Hinata. Several blades were poised to strike at them.
Kageyama paused in front of the soldiers, drawing himself to full height and making use of the voice that he knew all too well, the voice he used to give an order.
"AS YOUR KING, I COMMAND YOU TO STOP!"
Everyone stopped.
Everyone stared at the boy who was the king.
The king who was actually a boy who was forced to grow up before his time, to trade his childhood for a golden crown and ermine trimmed cape, to learn to give orders instead of lessons and played games that left blood on his hand.
The king who was merely an 18 year old boy who was merely a child who had lost his parents too early.
My king
Has looked down from his throne
Has stepped down from his throne
Has wished to be a king no more
