Chapter 5: His name is Ren Koumei

A/N: I missed Valentine's, but have an update for International Fanworks Day!
A little warning: today's update is also very serious.

Alibaba scrutinized the board for another minute before his hand made for one of his pieces.

Koumei glanced at it, and lounged back on his chair in boredom. "Don't waste your move blocking my elephant's eye," he smirked. "If I were you, I'd be more worried about the horse that is heading to your palace…or the chariot aiming for your archer [1]."

The blonde king squeezed his eyes shut. That meant there were three possible ways Koumei could pronounce a 'check' on his general within the next two moves. Sacrificing his one remaining advisor wouldn't turn the game around. It was well and truly over.

Kouen took one look at the board between them and chuckled as he settled behind his table nearby. "Don't be too disheartened," the older redhead commented as he opened a scroll, "very few people in our court can beat Koumei at Xiangqi[1], let alone you, after less than a month of learning it."

Alibaba sighed, "Still, it's similar to chess." He moved his horse away from his general, giving Koumei his quickest path to victory, and rose to his feet. He rummaged for something in his sling bag and procured the documents Kouen had lent him. "Thank you," the sunny teen smiled as he placed it carefully on the First Imperial Prince's table. "It's been an enjoyable and an eye-opening read on Aktia Kingdom."

Kouen replied with a small nod. "So what have you learned?"

Alibaba shot him a secretive smile. "That would be telling," he rested his palm next to the scroll he'd returned and leaned forward, "but I'll share with you my opinions on their trade policies. The price floor on agricultural produce was not the smartest move. The surplus grains were going to go bad."

So the three of them launched into another discussion and losing track of time.

"The traders had suffered enough losses. Without the price floor, they would have flocked to Balbadd," Kouen was not convinced.

"The competitiveness of the farmers would be hurt in the long run," Alibaba countered heatedly.

"Demand for agricultural produce is largely domestic, and Aktia's population is stable. They need to buy agricultural produce, regardless," Kouen raised his voice. He looked very serious, yet Koumei could tell his older brother was enjoying it. Kouen loved having intelligent debates. The second Imperial Prince himself enjoyed having a new Xiangqi partner. He'd known Kouen's thought patterns inside-out, Kouha felt the game too complicated and Koumei didn't trust his Ministers, sometimes.

The one month on a voyage to Kou with the Balbaddian monarch had been very pleasant, indeed. Judging from the passion Alibaba was exhibiting, and the enthusiasm he couldn't hid from his eyes, he'd loved it too.

("If you want to be able to choose your husband, and meet them before you do so, you have to go to Rakushou," Kouen challenged, daring Alibaba to change his mind. "We aren't going to bring our brother Kouha here, and put all the eggs in the same basket."

The blonde, however, didn't seem like he was at all opposed to the idea. "All right."

Kouen and Koumei, who'd been gearing for a fight, pushed down their surprise. "You'll come with us?" Koumei sought for confirmation.

Alibaba blinked, but not for the reason Koumei had predicted. "You'll be going back to Rakushou as well, Your Excellency?" he directed the question to Kouen. "Brother Sahbmad is staying here."

It had never occurred to either Koumei or Kouen to separate and have one of them watch over Balbadd. Kouen cleared his throat. "My household will remain here. They have my instructions." He left it at that.

Koumei could see the mystery ticking the amber-eyed boy for a moment, but it passed in a blink of an eye. "Let's settle the details of the trip.")

In the end, they decided to travel in a single vessel, with no accompanying fleets of warships. It would be foolhardy to try to drown each other if there was only one boat, after all, and there were enough skilled warriors on deck who could disarm pirates if they were attacked.

Regardless, Koumei couldn't help but be grateful for the turn of events. They'd be well-suited, Kou and Alibaba.

"How could you say that when agricultural imports aren't a thing of the past? Prices can seldom be dropped after they're raised. Such is the nature. They need something more flexible," Alibaba's rebuttal brought the freckled redhead out of his musings.

"Like what?" Kouen shrugged, surreptitiously waiting for the blonde economist's creative ideas. Koumei knew he had a knack for them.

They would never know, it seemed. "Your Majesty," Balbaddian Vice-General Tawfiq clasped his hands and bowed, "Your Excellency, we're arriving in Aomen."

Kouen very nearly twitched, Koumei could tell. As it was, Entei only turned to his attendant. "Send an eagle to Henrique and Koutsuki," he ordered. [2]

Alibaba couldn't stop himself from rushing to the desk, excited to see the scenery of Aomen. What he'd read from old texts suggested the former oceanic kingdom located at the westernmost coastal line of Kou a melting pot of races, from early Reim and Parthevian traders to descendants of Kouga. The interracial marriages brought about rich culture and architectures rarely seen at other places, a blend of East and West.

Yet, what greeted Alibaba's eyes were rows and rows of identical three-storey buildings, with brick red curved roofs and round windows with wooden meshing. Nestled amongst lush green hills were a couple of tall towers Alibaba would later learn were called pagodas, but there was no trace of the diversity Alibaba had read, nothing of the large cylindrical columns of Reim which reached for the skies, no antique shop houses along the beach. [3]

The people moving across the streets looked as tiny as ants, dots of brown, green and white. There were the occasional bursts of colours, rarely so.

As Alibaba was questioning himself on whether he'd read the correct accounts of Aomen, the blonde noticed he wasn't alone.

"They'll take another day or two to ready the horse carriages and move our cargo," Kouen informed him. "In the meanwhile, would you like to take a rest, or look around the city?"

Alibaba stared at the taller man's profile, the manner he casually regarded the scenery like it was an ordinary one. "I'd like to look around," he answered, his voice fainter than usual.

There was an unsettling feeling at the pit of his stomach.

"Welcome to Aomen, Your Majesty, King Alibaba of Balbadd," a man greeted them at the lobby of the Palace, his skin a healthy shade of olive and his dark hair gleaming burnt sienna in the sunlight. He bowed to the Kou princes. "Your Excellency, General Commandeer Kouen and General Koumei."

The two redheads nodded at him. "Alibaba, let me introduce you to Henrique Ren," Kouen pulled the blonde monarch closer, "My brother-in-law and Governor of Aomen Special Administrative Region."

Alibaba couldn't help but study the charming older man, dressed in white knee-length tunics, purple sash slanting across his torso and dark boots that covered his calves. This might be who Alibaba would be, in the future.

"Pleased to meet you," Henrique smiled amiably.

"I'm sorry," they were joined by a group of female courtiers in the same shade of purple, only their robes were completely styled in Kou's fashion. The woman who led the assembly was tall and slender, her dark burgundy hair tied to a high chignon on the centre of her head, various bejeweled hairpins fastened around it, so many Alibaba wondered how she could uphold her chin up high. The seams of her robes were embroidered in gold threads. "I am Ren Koutsuki. Please accept my belated welcome, Your Majesty," she curtsied, her words respectful but empty.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Alibaba could only reply.

Her reception toward her brothers were definitely warmer. "Brother Kouen, brother Koumei," her rouged lips curled to a smile. "It's been a while since you passed by …but earlier than I'd expected."

She was talking about me, Alibaba thought, and refrained from showing any outward reaction.

"It's for the better," Kouen remarked, and Alibaba nearly blinked. He…surprised himself by how light those words made him feel.

Princess Koutsuki gave her brother an odd stare, before she turned and brought a tiny boy from behind her skirt to Alibaba. "This is my son, Ren Kouko [4]."

The toddler had his mother's hair and skin, but his eyes and facial bone structures were his father's. He would grow up to be as handsome as him. The Prince's clothes, however…were a clash of two cultures: Kou's robes with partings on the chest, covered by tunics similar to his father's clothes. The boy was also wearing earrings and shoes that, from Alibaba's observations of Kouen and Koumei, were not what people of Kou would typically wear.

Alibaba's musings were interrupted by a shy greeting. "…hi," the boy peered up with large hazel eyes, and the teen could feel his heart melting to a mush.

"Hi, Prince Kouko," Alibaba squatted and grinned at the toddler, petting his hair. "Nice to meet you!"

The boy was almost too quickly pulled away by his mother, however. Princess Koutsuki looked a little queasy as she announced, "It's time for your studies."

"You'll be busy catching up with General Commandeer Kouen, won't you?" Prince Kouko's small hand was slowly retrieved by Governor Henrique. "Leave him with Nanny Maria."

Princess Koutsuki's eyes flashed. "But-"

"That will be best," the Governor asserted.

As the married couple entered into a staring contest, Alibaba couldn't help but…feel sorry for Kouko. The boy would grow up with his parents fighting over how to influence him, to manipulate him, even.

Alibaba was glad he could bypass this altogether.

"Your Majesty," the Governor addressed him, the smile on his face larger for having won the small battle, his son safely tucked to his side. "I heard from General Commandeer Kouen that you would like to tour the city? My…the slaves will lead you to your room, if you'd like to freshen up."

Alibaba blinked. Slaves? There are slaves in Aomen?

As they talked, Koumei walked straight into the Palace like it was his. "I'll be taking a nap," he said as he waved without turning back to them, "I'll join you when you visit the casino this evening, Alibaba."

"Ah, yes," Alibaba replied hurriedly, and caught a glimpse of the face Governor Henrique was showing to Prince Koumei's back. The hair at the back of his neck stood.

His hazel eyes…were consumed by hatred.

"And that's the bakery," Governor Henrique pointed out from the window of the carriage, "almond cakes and egg tarts are a specialty of ours. You should try."

Alibaba smiled. He loved delicious desserts. "Then I will. Could we please drop by…?"

"Certainly!"

The brunet had kindly offered to guide Alibaba while Kouen was occupied with his sister. The Governor was a well-loved figure; almost every citizen they passed by smiled at him. Alibaba could feel his love for Aomen as well, his pride for his hometown spilling out of every sentence that left his mouth, yet there was always something…wistful in his eyes. A sadness for something that had been lost.

"Sir Henrique," Alibaba engaged his host in a small talk as they were sampling cookies from trays held by women in brown robes, which Alibaba had learned were slaves. The cashier was wearing green, meaning he was an ordinary citizen. "I saw the painting on the wall of the guest room that has been assigned to me." It was a beautiful scenery, a mansion styled with large arcs, each pillar intricately carved and ending in tall, tapered cones, surrounded by a row of cottages and at the far left, there seemed to be a religious house whose walls were covered by a mosaic of brightly coloured tiles. Everything was so pretty. "It's so lovely! Is it somewhere you've been to for a vacation?"

The sadness that was only slightly present on his face suddenly overwhelmed his whole being, like the emotion had been weaved into the very air surrounding him. Alibaba was shocked by the transformation.

"Your Majesty," the Governor take a quick look around before pulling him out of the bakery, to an obscure alleyway behind, "that…was Aomen." He spoke through gritted teeth.

Alibaba took a sharp breath. It feel like a hole had opened up on the ground beneath him, and he was falling through the looking glass, to a bottomless abyss.

He'd had his suspicions, but…

"That stretch of land where the casino used to be…they tore it all down, and replaced the church, the centuries-old heritage with that...that source of moral corruption!" The hazel-eyed man hissed, his tone dripping with anger and resentment, so venomous it could kill if materialized. "The irrational slave system they've imposed on us, the menial jobs Aomen citizens can only accept to do, the history they ban from telling children…They took everything!" Tears filled the older man's eyes.

"I…" Alibaba opened his mouth…only to close it again. He didn't know what to say.

"…never mind," devoid of all his masks, Governor Henrique appeared despondent. "I heard you'd proposed to marry a Prince of Kou, instead of a Princess,"

Alibaba's eyes widened. "News travel fast."

The older man chuckled, a hollow sound. "It's a smart move. I wish I thought of it before," he sighed and brought his hands to his face, rubbing his temples. "Poor Kouko."

The blonde monarch clenched his fists. "…would you have fought?" He knew his question was dangerous, and he hadn't earned the Governor's trust, but-

"…no," the chocked word sounded like a sob. Sir Henrique looked like a tortured man with his eyes squeezed shut, and Alibaba was regretful that he was the one who'd caused it. Large fingers wrapped around the blonde's forearm. "You're the ruler of a small trading nation like I…was. You think I could have won against Kou's might?"

A stab of guilt pierced Alibaba as he thought of Sinbad. "W…what if you have someone who would back you up?"

Hazel eyes searched him. "…you mean the Seven Seas Alliance."

Alibaba flinched. Was he that transparent?

A comforting hand landed on his shoulder. "You look kind…and I know you're thinking of your citizens," his kind expression suddenly hardened. "Whatever you choose to do…don't marry Ren Koumei."

Alibaba was puzzled. "Why?"

He was interrupted by a man whom…Alibaba vaguely remembered was their carriage driver. The green-robed citizen flicked his head in the direction of the main street.

Alibaba's heart almost stopped when he and Governor Henrique returned to the main street to find Ren Kouen waiting for them in the carriage.

The redhead looked up casually from his readings. "Bought a lot of pastries?"

Alibaba almost couldn't answer, but he was saved by Henrique's cheery reply. "Yes! The egg tarts were freshly baked, straight out of the oven!" The brunet opened the package and let the smell fill the carriage. "Would you have some?"

Kouen only scrunched his nose at the food. "No, thanks."

Alibaba belatedly remembered that the first Imperial Prince disliked sweets. Did he know? The blonde couldn't help but wonder as he peered at the Governor. A lot of little things he did, like how he dressed, were acts of rebellion, skirting on what he could get away with.

"Well then, now that you're here, Lord Entei, I will take my leave," Governor Henrique bowed, and flagged a passing rickshaw.

"Where have you been?" Kouen put away his reports as soon as Alibaba climbed into the carriage and sat opposite to the redhead. "Anywhere else you'd like to go to before we reach the casino?"

Kouen was…hospitable, if a man of little words. He brought Alibaba to where the best spicy foods were, and toured a pagoda with him. As they were on a boat crossing the channel to the casino, Alibaba mustered his courage.

"Aomen…has been changed a lot, hasn't she?"

Kouen turned his face away from the sea breeze he was savouring. "Oh?"

Alibaba gulped. "I…read accounts of what Aomen used to be, written by a Balbaddian scholar, about a decade ago."

Kouen raised an eyebrow, as if to say, 'So?'

Alibaba bit his lower lip…and threw all his reservations out to the sea. "Why did you have to strip away everything that made Aomen, Aomen? Her culture, her religion, her social structure! And the slavery-"

Without him noticing it, Alibaba had rose to his feet, causing the boat to rock. "Sir!" the oarsperson – another slave – exclaimed in alarm, "please remain in your seat."

"Sorry," Alibaba bit out, and barely after he folded his legs, Kouen sighed. "You're talking to the wrong person."

Alibaba frowned. "What?"

"Ask Koumei," Kouen then turned his face away from the blonde, signaling that the conversation was over.

They proceeded in silence until they were shown to the second floor of the decadently decorated casino, where they could lean over the marble balustrade and see the whole floor where people were betting their money, liquor and scantily clad women flitting about between men's arms. The sounds of Mahjong tiles knocking against each other and the crisp sound of cards sliding across tables filled the air.

Koumei was already seated at a table placed next to the balustrade, sipping a cup of wine and watching the chaos below with interest.

He smiled at Alibaba when he and Kouen approached the freckled redhead, his cheeks pink. He appeared a little tipsy.

"Hey," Koumei greeted and looked back down at the gambling floor straight away, missing Alibaba's troubled expression fixated on him. "Want to play a game of Doki-Doki?" [5]

Alibaba threw his gaze. "…I don't gamble." Kassim's father did…and he'd rather not…

Koumei finally caught on Alibaba's mood. He shared a look with Kouen, before snapping his finger at a servant nearby. "Secure us a private place," he commended.

"Your Excellency," the thin, bald man bowed deeply.

Alibaba and Koumei were led down a wide hallway, where the floor was covered by exquisite velvet rugs and crystal chandeliers hung above them. If one didn't know any better, he'd think he was in a castle.

"So," Koumei said as soon as they were settled in a quiet alcove at the corner. "Kouen told me that you have something to ask me."

Alibaba looked straight into the second Imperial Prince's eyes. "What I read about Aomen are different from what she is now," the statement was almost growled, so laden with pent up emotions it was.

"Hmm, yes," Koumei tilted his head and smiled, observing the blonde monarch like he was an amusingspecimen. "Tell me, Your Majesty, do you think people are naturally inclined to conflict with each other, or do you think it is more natural that they understand each other and coexist?"

"Hah?" Alibaba didn't get how philosophy was related to Kou's treatment of Aomen.

"As humans increase in numbers, they create communities centred on differed ideologies…" the more Koumei talked, the more Alibaba couldn't believe that such a human…who could develop such thoughts could exist. Such revolting, absurd idea of erasing from history the fact that different ideologies existed, and imposing Kou's system on thousands, millions of people- [6]

"Nobody would believe such a lie!" Alibaba shouted, each breath he drew heavy. He wanted to retch.

"If you repeat a lie countless times, it becomes reality," Koumei was all too calm as he replied the blonde. "Remove memories and historical records of the people, and with the passage of time, we can remove contradictions that brought us war and the irrational slave system." His voice finally trembled after he mentioned the slave system, however. Alibaba latched on that observation. "We have to consider not just the temporary happiness of a single country like Aomen, but a more long-term happiness for the entire world!"

Alibaba narrowed his eyes. To see Balbadd experience such a future, he wouldn't allow it. "But you hate the slave system, don't you? Why do you enforce them on people who are dear to you?"

"Why don't you convey your real feelings to the people of your country, who are living right now, instead of waiting for the future!?"

Koumei didn't let himself reveal how…surprised he was by that argument.

He just sat there, speechless, as Alibaba glared at him with his whole being, his golden eyes twin pools of fire. There was so much revulsion in his gaze, so much animosity. He was so furious his slender frame was shaking. Koumei could imagine himself hearing those molars grinding against each other.

A-ah, now it would be impossible for the blonde to choose to marry him, wouldn't it?

Koumei supposed it would be fun, pulling strings to make the marriage between him and Alibaba happen. He would enjoy arguing with the blonde to make him see sense. Or at the very least, he would enjoy tormenting him. Really, the blonde was showing him so much weakness, so many ways on how to hurt him.

Alas, Kouen needed him to advance toward Magnostadt and Reim, and it wasn't logical to marry Alibaba to a Kou prince who wouldn't be able to reside in Balbadd and watch over her.

What a pity.

Someone knocked the screen separating them from the hallway, and Kouen slipped through. "Have you finished talking?"

Alibaba's glare intensified. "Koumei hasn't-"

"Yes," the freckled redhead interrupted and stood up. "Now, let me play a round of poker before exhaustion claims me."

And the two Imperial Princes of Kou walked away, leaving Alibaba behind with a conclusion.

'Whatever you choose to do…don't marry Ren Koumei,' indeed.

TBC

Review please!

Notes:

1. wiki/Xiangqi. The original game's 'cannon' was substituted by 'archer' as I'm not sure if gunpowder existed before the battle between Reim and Magnostadt.
2. Henrique from Henrique de Senna Fernandes, and Koutsuki means 'red moon'.
3. The scenery is taken straight out of: /manga/magi_labyrinth_of_
4. Kouko: 紅誇, meaning: red pride.
5. Please go to hayashi tumblr post/98640022795/magi-card-game-one-shot
6. Please go to manga chapter 208 and 209 for the complete conversation between Koumei and Alibaba. I'm not going to regurgitate the whole thing here. Besides, the Alibaba here hasn't experienced the pain of losing Kassim, so he didn't understand beyond theory and an instinct.

Sorry, I couldn't manage to start writing about Kouha here. Kouha will definitely be in the next chapter. Hakuryuu...will either be in the next chapter or chapter 7.