Hi All! Thank you all who reviewed! It is so heartening to see so many encouraging comments, especially when it's my first time writing after years. Sorry this took longer than expected to get out - had severe writer's block!

To answer to Shiranai Atsune's question on what a bearer is - in fanfictions, it refers to a male that can give birth!

Also to clarify some terms that will be used in the following chapter:

1. Palanquin - a small covered carriage used by the rich/nobles in the past, these carriages are carried by servants over their shoulders.

2. Shoji - Traditional Japanese doors comprising of translucent paper over a lattice of wood.

Okay enough of talk! Let's go start reading! :)

A week of travelling passed in a flash. First time setting foot outside of Juoko, Akihito stared at the winding roads in childlike wonder, noting the beauty of the forests they sped past as the leaves started turning red.

They stopped at small towns along the way, with comfortable accommodation all arranged for by the Capital. All along the way, townsfolk and commoner bowed their respect as they saw the flags and guards bearing the King's personal insignia.

Akihito shied away from this attention, preferring to keep to himself in the carriage, as he thought of the foolishness of the folks in their respect to the corrupt King.

He noted the smoothness of the road as they moved into the different provinces. The roads in Juoko were so very narrow, and ill-paved as a result of the King's high taxations, leaving little money to invest in proper infrastructure. These provinces however, had wide roads where a few carriages could past without difficulty.

The marketplaces were also starkly different. The few times he was allowed to exit the Takaba manor and go to the marketplaces of Juoko, he saw empty and worn stores, where hawkers and merchants alike sat idly, waiting for a customer to appear. These provinces, however, were bustling and full of activity, with merchants yelling out the latest offers and swarms of customers haggling for the best prices.

Akihito wondered if it was due to the King's singling out Juoko due to his apparent dislike of the Takaba family. He resolved to find out more about the young ruler that was spoken so poorly of in Juoko and feed the information back to his clan.

Akihito jerked from his deep sleep as the carriage came to an abrupt stop. Rubbing his eyes blearily, he pulled apart the curtain of his carriage and peered out.

A servant bowed, averting his eyes politely, "Takaba-sama, we have now reached the west gate of the palace, and will need to switch to a palanquin to enter from here."

Nodding his acknowledgement, Akihitio dropped the curtain drapes, lowering his head as he crouched to exit the carriage with the assistance of the servants.

Raising his head, his eyes widened unconsciously as he took in the vastness of the palace. The sun was now setting, dyeing the sky and the water in the moat surrounding the entire palace a deep orange. The formidable deep grey tiled roofs rose high above the ground, casting long shadows across the smooth stone-paved road that Akihito was standing on. From his position, it was impossible to even see the main halls of the palace, much less the other gates. To put it simply, the size of the palace was… intimidating.

It was then when Akihito realized how small he was, and the impossibility of his task weighed heavily on his shoulders.

It was the servant who brought him out of his reverie, "It is a sight to look at, isn't it, Takaba-sama? Just wait till you see the inner halls Asami-sama frequents!"

Asami. The very name of the man brought bile into his throat. How could he, Akihito, ever compare? The king had wealth beyond imagination, and based on the number of troops stationed at just the palace's West Gate, security and power. He dared not imagine the number of guards patrolling the main gate or overlooking the moat. How is he ever going to find an opening and report it back to his clan?

Akihito stepped into the waiting palanquin, before lowering the drapes, the servant spoke, "Asami-sama has requested for me to show you around your private quarters, Takaba-sama."

Asami sat at his desk, reviewing the latest reports from the different provinces. Overall, it seemed that most governors were all hard at work – cases of starvation or wide-spread diseases were few and far between, the citizens seemed happy and worked hard at their professions, increasing the tax revenue, despite the lowered rates.

From the corner of his eye, he could see as a messenger approached Kirishima, standing just outside the partially opened Shoji.

He bet himself a million gold coins that it was news regarding the newest addition in the Castle.

Kirishima approached, bowing, "My King, Takaba Akihito-sama has arrived in the palace through the West Gate. It seems that he has shown signs of trepidation when stepping into the palace."

And he was right. Looking up from his reports, Asami spoke, letting just a small amount of the distaste he felt for anyone in the Takaba family show in his tone, "Seems like the palace may be a bit too much for a boy who grew up near the coast to handle. Show him that whatever his mission may be, his efforts are futile, and let him learn the taste of despair. Inform Suoh that I order a doubling of guards on patrol."

Kirishima nodded. "Yes, I will personally attend to it, Asami-sama. However, if I may, I believe that it would be best for you should meet him in person before the court session next week – it is customary for someone of his position to attend to you in such formal events. Many Governors will be attending, and tongues will wag if the young Takaba seems unacquainted with your highness."

Asami felt his brow raise unconsciously at Kirishima's suggestion. "If I didn't know better, Kirishima, I would have thought that you are asking me to bond with the young Takaba in that manner. Nevertheless, your opinion has weight, I will meet the boy and nip any rumours to the bud."

With that, the young King stood up and swept past Kirishima, exiting the hall, as servants left and right bowed to him.

Akihito closed his eyes, savouring the heat as hot bath water lapped over his torso. While they did travel in comfort all the way to the Suojo, having private time of his own was hard, and it has been two long weeks since he could properly unwind in the bath.

He had a long evening, he was shown around by the enthusiastic male servant – whose name he finally found out was Kou, and briefed about the number one rule of the Palace – no entering of others' quarters without prior permission.

While Kou's enthusiasm and, dare he say it, friendship was welcome, the real reason why he was sent to the capital weighed heavily at the back of his mind, and he was glad to have some alone time to mull over his thoughts.

No point crying over spilt milk – like it or not, he was already here, and to be of service to the King. If he wanted to get himself back to Juoko, he had to find the King's weak spot and share it with his father, so that he may have more leverage when negotiating with the King or… if worse comes to worse… crucial information to win a civil war.

Akihito was determined not to let himself be shaken by the number of guards or heavy security in the palace. If anything, the extravagance in the jewelry and clothes shown to him by Kou, apparently gifted by the King, reminded him of the King's profligate lifestyle, at the expense of the people's wellbeing.

For heaven's sake, just the very tub he was in could easily accommodate five other adults easily, and his very own quarters were decorated with mahogany furniture, fine porcelain and silk throws and pillows.

He had to think of a plan fast… but meanwhile, he would let the warm water lull him into a false sense of security…

Until…

A voice cut through the misty air and Akihito's foggy thoughts.

"Enjoying yourself? Consort Takaba."

Thank you for reading! Poor poor Akihito! Will appreciate any ideas/feedback :)