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Chapter 2

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Todoroki Shouto didn't care for celebrations. They held little appeal to him. People drank too much, ate too much, sang loudly and off-key, danced horribly, or made lewd, vulgar gestures that were uncomfortable to witness. And naturally, they were everywhere, in every direction he looked, except for where the honored guests and the bride and groom sat.

It hadn't been long since Izuku had left with Eraserhead, and he didn't need to guess to know what they were doing. Merely thinking about it caused his stomach to tie in a knot and made him clench his fists. He wasn't accustomed to this feeling and he wasn't sure if he liked it or not. But the thought of Izuku being taken by that villain didn't sit well with him.

Or maybe it was what his father had told him prior to the wedding ceremony that had him feeling on edge.

He more than anyone else knew how evil and manipulative his father could be. Despite being the Hand of the King and a hero, Endeavor had more in common with the villains in the outlands then he did with All Might or any of the other heroes in Yuuei. And there was nothing Shouto could do to stop him, not really, not unless he wanted to end up like his mother and siblings. More than once he woke up from the memories of their screams and the flames that consumed them that often found their way into his dreams.

Apart from that, however, he didn't have many allies on his side; certainly not enough to stop an entire army along with the city watch. It didn't help that he had no idea who he could trust. Many of the soldiers and guards were paid by his father or by the Master of Coin, who was also in his father's pocket.

But perhaps he did have more allies than he believed.

Looking around, Shouto saw the faces of many villains that he was unfamiliar with. A vast majority of them weren't drinking wine or beer, but water, he noticed. That seemed odd to him; typically, wedding celebrations were full of drinkers, with the wine and beer following easily. And while there were plenty of people getting their fill, it was less than what he had expected and that perplexed him even more. In hindsight, it didn't surprise him; if what his father had told him was indeed true, then the pit would be following with blood before the sun had fully risen.

And Izuku would be among the casualties.

Just the mere thought sickened him. Izuku was innocent. Most of Eraserhead's tribe were innocent, as the wedding was part of the peace treaty he had made with King Yagi; they would not commit any crime while within the walls of Yuuei. King Yagi had been adamant about that and it seemed as though the villains had been keeping their word. So many lives would be lost and for what purpose? Wasn't this entire wedding to solidify the treaty? Why then go to such lengths?

Shouto would never understand his father nor did he want to.

His mind now made up, Shouto stood up and made to walk through the tents that the villains had set up, but his father's voice stopped him.

"Where are you going, Shouto?" his father demanded, his harsh gaze turning towards his son. Shouto refused to look back at him, not caring if he was being rude and disrespectful.

"For a walk," was all he said, and with that, he continued on his merry way. Whatever his father had to say afterwards fell on everyone else's ears but his own.

It took him a while to navigate through the bodies of the people, both intoxicated and sober, dancing and singing and thoroughly enjoying themselves. Every tent looked alike to him and he was growing frustrated. He knew what was most likely happening between Izuku and Eraserhead, but he had to tell them about his father's plot. Even if it was an empty threat, they had to know. Izuku was too important to him to lose like that.

After his mother and siblings had died in that terrible fire, the one that gave him the scar over his left eye, all Shouto had was his father. He would have preferred to be an orphan and the last of his house, yet it wasn't meant to be. Fate had been kind enough to give him a friend, someone he truly admired and loved above all else: Izuku.

Izuku was one of a kind. He was full of light and happiness and love. There wasn't a person he hated or loathed. If he could make a connection with someone he would. And almost everybody loved him, everybody except Endeavor. All he saw in Izuku was a line to the throne, the one thing he had always wanted above all else, so much so that he had tried for years to get the king to agree to joining their houses. None of his plans worked. King Yagi knew Endeavor almost as well as Shouto did; he could tell that his intentions were not good.

Not even the king could have imagined that he would be willing to murder thousands of people, his own son included.

Shouto wouldn't give him the chance.

He peered through the various tents, looking for one to stand out. Sure enough, one did, the one with the blue haired lad standing guard. Feeling his resolve reinforced, Shouto quickly made his way towards the tent. As he got closer, he could hear moans and grunts emanating from the tent. The closer he got, the louder and the more obscene they grew, and his face grew red along with them. But he refused to back down or run. This was something he had to do and this was the reality of the entire situation, regardless of whether he liked it or not.

The blue haired lad straightened up when he saw Shouto approach and he settled him with a stare that reached his bones. His feet didn't stop though; he was the son of Fire and Ice, the result of two houses and their powers joining together like the cords of a beautiful song. None would deter him.

"You're not getting inside, kid," said the blue haired lad. Shouto blinked. There couldn't have been more than a year that parted them, so why did the other refer to him as 'kid'? That question was irrelevant.

"I need to talk to your king and Izuku. This is an urgent matter," Shouto told him, not willing to back down.

"No more urgent than them consummating their marriage. It can wait until morning," was the answer he received. Shouto's fists were clenched at his side.

"You don't understand. This is a matter of life or death," Shouto pressed, taking a step closer. He received one in kind from the other, who towered over him by several inches.

"I doubt it," the lad said.

"Look, I-"

Before Shouto could finish he felt himself stop speaking. Not by his own volition, however. It was as though someone had taken hold of his mind and detached him from actively moving his lips or any other part of his body. He was still present within his mind and body, but he had no control of it. Was this the blue haired lad's quirk? Could he have such power? Shouto had never heard of someone having the ability to control someone's mind or body, and yet hear he stood, completely immobilized.

"Turn around and go home. Lock yourself in your bedroom and don't come out until dawn," the other ordered him.

Shouto's legs obeyed his commands. He watched with a detached sense of horror as he walked past tents and people and guards, none of them acknowledging him or noticing that anything was amiss. Before long, he was walking through the familiar corridors of the King's Keep, where his father's chambers and his own were. His bedroom door soon came into sight and in mere moments he had sealed himself away, just as he had been told to.

Of its own accord, without him actually moving his body, he laid down on his bed and listened as the celebrations continued. All he could think of was Izuku's beautiful smile and the stones of the pit bathed in blood.

~…~

When Izuku was shaken awake by a rough hand, it was still dark out, the night still shrouding the encampment. Blinking blearily, he was beginning to sit up when clothes were haphazardly tossed at him. He barely caught them before they fell to the ground.

"Get dressed, my queen. We move out in ten minutes," Hitoshi told him, his eyes, scanning the surroundings outside of the tent flaps, which he held open, obviously keeping guard. Izuku didn't know what he was watching or listening for, but it worried him.

Standing up, Izuku felt a sharp pain spread throughout the lower half of his body. He hastily pulled the trousers on, a plain brown pair, before he pulled the shirt over his head, which was also brown.

"Is something wrong? It isn't morning yet, so why are we leaving?" Izuku asked Hitoshi. The other glanced back at him, making sure he was dressed before he took hold of Izuku's hand and pulled him out of the tent and towards a pair of horses.

"There's no time to explain. We must make haste now," was all the other lad told him.

"But what about the tents and-?" Izuku's question was cut off by Hitoshi lifting him onto the horse, a beautiful white mare with a silver mane and tail.

"Don't worry about them. You do know how to ride, correct?" Hitoshi asked, mounting his own horse, a chestnut color steed.

"Well, yes, but I'm not very good at it," Izuku replied as he ushered his mare to follow after him.

"No time like the present," and that was the last thing Hitoshi said to him as they made their way through the tents.

Most of the tribe was awake and gathering up the essentials that they would need for their travels. Confused, exhausted, and sore beyond belief, Izuku followed silently behind his husband's son. Aizawa was nowhere in sight, but by the length of the caravan, it was plausible that he was in front, leading the way. Izuku knew that any question he would throw at Hitoshi would be ignored, at least for the time being, so he kept them to himself. Perhaps they would be answered later on.

Not everybody was on horseback. About half of the tribe made their way on foot with haste, being as quiet as a cat hunting its prey. Only the horses' hooves and an occasional jostling of a pot against pans could be heard; certainly not enough noise to wake an entire city. Before long, the buildings began to scatter and thin out; they were leaving the city and making their way towards one of the four gates in the wall that separated Yuuei from the outlands. Izuku could see the gate opened up ahead, still a good distance away. Whatever the reason for their sudden departure, most of the tribe would make it through the gate before the sun would begin to rise.

He said not a word to anyone. What was there to say really? Izuku was tired and hurting in places that he had never hurt before. As a matter of fact, he was sure he could feel blood or sweat seep from his abused pucker, but he didn't want to check it. Aside from not wanting to lose his balance on the horse, he didn't want to know what it was for sure. Thinking about what Aizawa did to him made him shift uncomfortably in his saddle and he knew that things wouldn't get any better.

Whether he liked it or not, Izuku belonged to Aizawa now and he was expected to bear him a child, as was his role and duty. It wasn't a role or duty that he had wanted or asked for; it was decided for him by his father and agreed upon by Aizawa. And that was all there was to it.

On and on and on they traveled, the thunder of hooves and feet steady and swift and sure. The gate grew closer and closer and Izuku knew that they would be safe once they passed through it. How he knew that, he didn't know, but he did. It was like a beacon of hope and safety, though he didn't understand how the outlands could be safe. Villains were supposed to thrive and flourish there. If Izuku called correctly, and his memory might be hindered by his lack of sleep, but there were supposedly three or four villain tribes in the outlands, each led by a king.

As information about the other tribes was scarce, as they were notably smaller than Aizawa's. It didn't help that they preferred not to make contact with the heroes of Yuuei, whereas Aizawa enjoyed making the heroes squirm and attempt to chase him. There had been rumors that, prior to the peace treaty being signed and the wedding, Aizawa and some members of his tribe would climb Yuuei's walls and steal or plunder small towns and villages, but never the city. At least, that was what the maids and servants in the castle had said. Whether those rumors held any grain of truth to them, Izuku didn't know.

But his father had trusted Aizawa enough to make a pact with him and to give him his only son as a bride. Surely, that meant something. His father would never give him away to someone truly vile and evil.

Whether the rumors were true or not, Izuku would learn soon enough how the villains lived, what their lives were like in the outlands. He was no longer protected by the walls of Yuuei, or by his father. No one he knew or cared about was with him; he was truly alone. And though that thought frightened him, he had no choice but to stay. Running away wasn't an option, not in unfamiliar territory surrounded by people he didn't know.

Soon, the wall was towering over the caravan, the giant gates opened and ushering them into the dark wilderness beyond. Despite never having been in the outlands, they seemed far more inviting than the tense city had been or any of the homes and villages they had hurried through. Why it felt that way, Izuku didn't know nor did he understand where the tension was coming from. Not until he looked around at the faces surrounding him, both on horseback and on foot.

Most of them looked concerned, even afraid, but also determined, putting all of their energy into being as silent as possible and moving swiftly. One thing each and every one of them had in common was how tense their bodies were. They moved with a stiff speed, like their lives depended on them making a quick escape. Whatever they were running from, it must be truly terrible. Izuku had heard many tales about villains, but he had never heard of them being afraid or cowardly.

The gates loomed overhead and within seconds Izuku was passing through them, underneath the very wall itself. Traveling through the long, dark tunnel that separated Yuuei from the outlands, Izuku couldn't help but hold his breath. His heart seemed to stop beating and he and everyone around him was quiet. Only the horses and the tribe's feet echoed in the darkness.

Before long, they were exiting the wall and passing through the outer gates. Within minutes, they were free, free from the confines of Hiiroo and Yuuei and whatever danger had loomed above them. Relief washed over the caravan and seemed to wash them clean of whatever had been hunting them. The relief was so great that it was tangible to Izuku; it was as though a storm had dissipated from above them and now only the remaining night and the fresh scent of rain was left behind, embracing them all like a loving mother.

Hitoshi came to a trot beside Izuku and his mare. His shoulders had lost their tension and his face showed the same relief that everyone else in the tribe reflected. Though there were dark circles beneath his eyes, he was alert and focused, with a smile teasing his lips.

"I apologize for being so curt to you, my queen," he said, his sincerity evident in his voice. There it was again, the 'my queen'. At first, Izuku hadn't paid it any mind, but now, it was back again.

"Why did we have to leave so early, or late? And why are you calling me 'queen'?" Izuku asked him.

"My father is king of our tribe. You are his bride and, therefore, our queen," Hitoshi stated as though it were a matter of fact. "As to why we had to make such haste, we received information that our tribe would be under assault before dawn, and we needed to leave before that happened."

"I'm not a female, though. And under assault by whom?" Izuku pressed.

"You may not be a woman, but you are the king's wife and the one who will bear any future children of his. Those born without quirks have that one capability regardless of gender," Hitoshi answered, his tone making it seem as though such facts were common knowledge. While Izuku did know this beforehand, he didn't want to say so and cause a commotion over something so trivial.

"As for who planned to assault our tribe," Hitoshi continued, "can you honestly think of no one who would want to wipe out as many villains as possible?" The expression on his face was bittersweet, almost as though he loathed calling himself a villain.

As for who could be behind such a horrible attack, there was really only one person that came to Izuku's mind. But that wasn't possible. After all, the peace treaty was signed and everyone was expected to maintain that hard won peace, especially the Hand of the King. There was no possible way he would slaughter thousands of people who were under the king's protection.

Except the king was dead, and it was the Hand who ruled until Izuku would come of age.

"Endeavor wouldn't," Izuku said, so quietly that it was almost as though he were talking to himself. Hitoshi studied him for a moment, his expression eerily similar to Aizawa's own.

"He wouldn't, would he? Not even if it meant taking out the one obstacle that kept him from the throne of your kingdom?" he asked, though his questions sounded more like statements.

Izuku didn't know what to say, let alone think. Although he knew that Endeavor was vastly different from his father, he had thought, or hoped rather, that the man would have the same morals or beliefs as the king. Truthfully, Izuku had always felt rather uncomfortable around Endeavor. He always seemed like a stern, prideful man. Shouto had confided in him some of the things his father had done and those conversations alone made his blood run cold. He rarely spoke to the Hand except for when he had to; his father and the council were the ones that interacted with him the most. And Shouto as well, though he did his best to avoid his father as much as he could.

And while Endeavor was opposed to Izuku's marriage, having wanted him to wed Shouto instead, he had been the only one to object so passionately. Everyone on the council believed that Toshinori's decision to make peace with the largest tribes in the outlands was a good play, especially if the other villain tribes decided to make trouble for the heroes of Yuuei. But would Endeavor go as far as to murder thousands of people without giving them the chance to defend themselves.

Yes. Izuku believed that that man would do anything to get what he wanted.