Chapter 5 – Decisions
"That bastard! I hate him!" Ryoma cried angrily as he furiously stretched the abused pillow in his arms. The nerve of that Yukimura! To embarrass him in front of many people… and not to mention ruining his pride… He just sat there and watched him embarrass himself and not to mention Sanada! The bastard prince didn't even try to save him from embarrassment when he knew the truth!
"Those bastard… Both of them! I fucking hate them!" he growled, throwing the pillow at Marui's face. The redhead had been watching him do nothing but rant after the incident with the prince at dinner.
"Your majesty, please stop this…" he said, picking up the pillow on the floor. "It'll be your bedtime soon and you'll need to change into your nightgown…" the redhead informed, placing the pillow back on the infuriated boy's bed.
"Nightgown you say?" he repeated in horror. "Don't tell me it's that Yukimura bastard's idea?"
Marui laughed nervously. "Good guess, your majesty. I'm really sorry but it's prince's Yukimura's order and he wants you to wear the nightgown he got you. Jackal will be here in any minute with the nightgown."
"I don't care… I'm not wearing it…" Ryoma grumbled as he buried his face in a pillow.
"Your majesty, you won't be able to sleep with that corset on…" said the redhead servant worriedly.
"I don't care… Let me die of heatstroke maybe…" mumbled the boy in drag.
"Your majesty, don't say that..!" Marui chided sternly. "You've got a lot ahead of you! Prince Yukimura and all of us are going to be very saddened by your death… You're going to be married, be happy..!"
"Married, huh…?" Ryoma muttered.
"We've got 3 months until the wedding." Yukimura stated. "Everyone is going to help you prepare as you are going to be Rikkai's queen."
"And there is no way for me decline?" Ryoma inquired. The prince nodded.
"Unfortunately, for you, no." he informed nonchalantly. "My father has already approved of me taking you as my bride and he wants us to be married."
"Wait, I-"
"You actually have a chance if you don't want this though..."Yukimura informed to which had shocked the boy.
"I have?"
"Yes, you have. As I am but only a prince, my father, of course, has much more power than I have as of now. I can take you back home…" said the bluenette prince. He had the look of sorrow on his handsome face which Ryoma didn't fail to notice. "But…"
Ryoma blinked as Yukimura took out something from his coat which seemed like a paper. He put it on the table for Ryoma to see which the boy saw was printed with unfamiliar words.
"This is a marriage contract." Yukimura said as he saw the confused look on the boy's face. "Once you've signed it, there is no way out. I cannot take you back home either. You're to stay in Rikkai until the wedding. You can go back to your world as you like but once we're married, you have to stay in Rikkai as the country's queen and mine."
"I can go back..?" the boy muttered as he stared at the contract.
"It's up to you…" said Yukimura, "If that is what you really want…"
"Then I will-"
"No, don't answer me yet." Yukimura cut him off. "I'll give you time and tomorrow…" he smiled sadly. "Tomorrow I'll be here to hear your decision whether you will marry me or not..."
'Come to think of it… I never really got to ask how he knew my name…' Ryoma thought as he lied in bed. 'He probably saw my ID or something… Yeah, possibly…'
"Your majesty, Jackal's here." informed Marui, snapping the boy out of his thoughts. Jackal closed the door behind with a light blue nightgown hanging over his arm.
Ryoma sighed and jumped out of bed and started stripping off his clothes with Marui who helped him take the dress and corset off. The bald servant smiled warmly at the boy and handed to him the dress which the boy took. Jackal and Marui both helped the boy wear the nightgown and pulled it down below his knees. Ryoma stretched his body and let out a yawn and then climbed back on the bed. The two servants took their bows and went to the door.
"Goodnight, your majesty." they both said at the same time.
"Goodnight…" replied the boy tiredly as he put the blanket over himself and slowly closed his eyes as he heard the door was shut closed, going to a long and dreamless sleep.
Ryoma was sleeping soundly but was rudely awaken by a knock from the door. His eyes fluttered open and he let out a groan as he slowly sat up in bed, scratching an eye.
"Come in…" he said groggily. He blinked his eyes as his vision was still foggy from sleep. Looking around the room, he realized he was still in the castle, remembering that he was sent to this world after the car accident with Kevin who was probably having such a sweet time at home. Lucky bastard…
The door swung open and a seaweed haired boy whom Ryoma knew was called Akaya stood in the doorway. Walking inside the room, the messy-haired boy kept his head lowered as he walked and in his arms were new clean clothes. Probably for him and fortunately, it wasn't a dress.
"Good morning, your majesty…" he greeted in a low voice, closing the door behind him.
"Good morning…" Ryoma replied with a sigh. If only everything here was just a nightmare he was having and he was just sleeping in his room on his comfy bed which he so dearly missed. "What time is it…?"
"10:37 AM, you were sleeping so peacefully we decided not to awaken you… and your majesty, the king wants to see you…" the servant informed. The boy noticed that Akaya couldn't look at him in the eyes. He probably was still embarrassed about what happened before.
"How dare you try to do something with prince Sanada and break his nose?!" Akaya accused. Ryoma was taken aback. He frowned.
"I didn't try anything. And for your information, I was taking a bath until he came." Ryoma furiously protested.
"He's right. And besides, his majesty did look shook up when he left the bathhouse…" Jackal agreed. Akaya flushed deep rep. Ryoma smirked.
"W-What?" the raven-haired teen stuttered.
"Stu – pid." said Ryoma. Akaya clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes at him.
"This isn't the end, Echizen Ryoma!" he declared, pointing a finger at him. Akaya turned around and ran.
"CHIKUSHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…!"
'Yeah, probably that.' he thought, remembering the guy's flushed faced. He laughed softly to himself, making the raven-haired servant look at him in wonder.
"Is there something wrong, your majesty..?" he inquired but was only answered by a shook of the head.
"No, nothing…" Ryoma said and got out of bed. He noticed the servant scanned him from head to toe and flushed red. He tilted his head in confusion, looking down at his clothes, remembering that he was just wearing a nightgown and his whole body was fucking visible as the gown's cloth was thin. Akaya could probably see his girly curves. The younger boy flushed in a deeper shade of red. Shit.
"You pervert!" Ryoma shouted at him angrily, startling the poor servant.
"S-S-S-S-Sorry!" stuttered Akaya, red as a beetroot. He frantically looked left and right. "I'll… I'll… Here!" he threw the clothes at Ryoma who quickly caught them. The servant boy hurriedly ran to the door, turning the knob and pulling the door open.
"I'll wait for you outside!" he shouted and slammed the door shut.
"Che…" Ryoma muttered with an irritated tone. Checking the clothes Akaya threw, he saw a long bathrobe which he immediately wore as he put down the other clothes on the bed. He picked up the clothes as soon as he was now wearing the bathrobe and went to the door outside and was greeted by none other than Akaya himself, still flustered.
"Your majesty, I forgot to give you this…" he said awkwardly, handing a paper bag over to him. Ryoma looked inside and saw a pair of dress shoes and other hygienic materials.
'At least the king was decent than that stupid Yukimura…' he thought to himself in relief. The boy was about to ask Akaya the directions to the bathhouse since he had completely forgotten but was stopped by the servant himself.
"Your feet…" he said, pointing down to his feet. Ryoma looked down and saw he was barefooted. He perfectly knew that. So what?
"What about them?" he frowned at the older boy in front of him.
"It's considered improper…" Akaya stated. Ryoma suddenly remembered what Sanada told him. Well, fuck it. He didn't care.
"Whatever… Just take me to the bathhouse…"he sighed, scratching the back of his head, ruffling his disheveled hair. The golden-eyed boy was surprised as Akaya took off his own shoes and handed them out to him.
"As future queen of Rikkai, it is most important for the queen to keep herself or himself…" he said as he saw Ryoma frowned,"…proper in everyone's eyes."
"What?" the boy, queen-to-be, tilted his head in wonder why the teen was acting uncharacteristically from before but then he remembered what Yukimura had said to him.
"We've got 3 months until the wedding." Yukimura stated. "Everyone is going to help you prepare as you are going to be Rikkai's queen."
'Oh, right… I almost forgot about that…' he thought. He probably received orders from Yukimura.
"No need." he waved him off. "Besides, the future queen of Rikkai title is not going to be taken by me."
"But you have to marry prince Yukimura!" the servant shouted at him abruptly, causing him to widen his eyes in surprise.
"What are you talking about? I don't even know him!" he shouted back at him angrily. Why was everybody so hell-bent on marrying him to the prince? They don't know him and he doesn't know them and yet even without further knowledge about him do they tell him to marry such a perverted and pedophilic prince.
"Well, that's because…" the raven-haired teen paused. "Because…" he scratched the back of his head as he couldn't find any words for reason.
"Whatever." Ryoma lowly muttered, giving his beautiful golden eyes a roll, and wore the shoes Akaya gave to him. "Now can you bring me to the bathhouse?"
"Yes, your majesty…" Akaya muttered, bowing to him. Ryoma sighed through his nose. Everybody was so polite to him it was getting so annoying and it was just because he was the prince's fiancé.
"Just call me Echizen." he said, irritated. "And don't be so polite… I'd like it better if you act casual…"
"But you're-"
"I don't fucking care if I'm the prince's fiancé. Just listen to the fuck I said." he snapped, startling him. At this, Akaya quickly composed himself.
"Whatever you say, Echizen…" he said casually, giving his shoulders a shrug. Ryoma smirked. That's more like it.
"Yeah, now can you take me to the bathhouse, Akaya?" he asked.
"Huh?"
"I said can you take me to the bathhouse, Akaya?" the boy repeated. His lips turned into a mischievous grin. "Or do you want to take a bath with me?"
"W-What?! No way!" Akaya blurted out, his face deep red. He turned his back on the boy. "I'll take you to the bath. Sheesh… You're acting like prince Yukimura… You two make a good couple…"
"What?!" Ryoma exclaimed. He frowned. No way in hell did him and Yukimura make a good couple.
"I said you're such a brat…"
"You're a brat yourself too!" Ryoma said angrily at him.
'Maybe I shouldn't have told him to act casually…' he thought to himself in regret.
"You don't look bad…" said Akaya as he scanned Ryoma from head to toe in his new clothes the king had bought for him. He was now wearing the dress shoes while Akaya, who now had his shoes, wore his own.
"Thanks." the boy said, "So… You said the king wants to meet me. What for?" he curiously inquired.
"I don't really know but he wants to meet you." Akaya replied. "He's at his office right now and he's waiting for you. Come on, I'll take you there." he said, gesturing him for him to follow and the boy did just as so.
"Hey, Akaya."
"Yeah…?" said Akaya. He wasn't actually used to the boy calling him by his first name as only those who were close to him only call him by that but this boy seemed to be calling him too casually.
"What kind of person is the king?" Ryoma asked.
"Hmmm… Well, he is very well just like prince Yukimura. No, don't worry." said Akaya, seeing the horrid look on the boy's face. "He's pretty normal compared to the prince…"
The servant laughed. "Scared for a moment, weren't ya?"
"No way, stupid." Ryoma said. "I was just wondering."
"Hey! I'm not stupid!" cried Akaya defensively as he walked in the corridors of the castle.
"Yeah, whatever." said the emerald-haired boy tonelessly. "So tell me, why exactly have I been chosen as the queen of Rikkai? I mean… I'm just an unfamiliar foreigner from another world who just actually accidentally got here by accident!"
"That, I don't know." the older teen admitted. "But the prince really seemed to know you and he actually knew your name…"
"Yeah? And how did he? Did he look for information about me?"
"No, he didn't." answered Akaya. "Somehow, he knew your name and as for why, I don't know either."
Ryoma scowled. The prince knew his name and seemed to know him? Yukimura didn't seem familiar to him. Not one bit. He has never even met the guy or probably he has but doesn't remember… but he has never met a human saying he was someone from another world before.
"Don't bother remember what you don't know." said the servant. "If you can't remember anything at all, then don't try to. It'll only give you a headache and frustrate you more…"
"Mind your own business..." hissed Ryoma. "I'm just confused why me of all people."
"Yeah, me too," Akaya agreed. "I don't see why you're any special. You're just a person from another world."
'How cold…' Ryoma thought as an even deeper scowl had formed on his face.
"It's not like I wanted to be here…" he muttered, looking down at his feet.
"All we know now is that you're the prince's fiancé and you are going to be our queen." said the emerald-eyed teen as he looked back at the boy over his shoulder.
"But if I don't want to?" Ryoma looked up at him.
"You have to. I'm very sure that the king wouldn't allow you to disapprove of your marriage to prince Yukimura because it seems to all of us…" stated the older of the two. "That you make the prince happy and if it's you who makes him happy, surely, the king will not allow you to leave this kingdom without marrying the prince."
"I can't leave?" the boy with golden eyes asked in disbelief.
"Unfortunately," said the servant, "You can't. What the king says is everyone's law, but you can if you married the prince…"
Ryoma said nothing and walked in silence. As he walked, many servants acknowledged his presence and greeted him with such warm smiles, giving him bows. They were so happy to see him and he wondered why. He sighed hopelessly.
'Marry the prince, huh..?'
"What?"
Yukimura let out a sigh escape from his lips.
"You wanted to marry him but then you're suddenly giving up? And so quickly?" Sanada frowned at the bluenette prince, Yukimura. His best friend.
"I know, Sanada…" the navy-haired prince said sadly. "I thought he'd remember me… I really thought so… He really hated me, I could see it, but I'm glad I finally met him though… after all those years…"
"Geez…" Sanada shook his head. "TARUNDORU! The Yukimura Seiichi I knew was someone persistent and he would never give up this quickly."
"You're right…" Yukimura yet again sighed. "But I already know what's going to be his answer and I don't want to force him to do something he doesn't want… I may have been too quick on deciding that he's the one who I was going to marry… I just thought that he'd remember me once he's seen me after so many years since I've left earth and I thought that maybe… We could keep our promise..."
"Not all promises could be kept, Yukimura…" said his best friend. "I'm sure you know that…"
"I know. I just thought that maybe… we could bring back what we once had…"
"Here we are, Echizen…" said Akaya as he opened the door for him. "His royal highness is waiting for you inside."
Ryoma nodded and walked inside as the seaweed-haired boy held the door open.
"Good luck." Akaya smiled, giving him a thumbs up and a wink before closing the door to leave. Ryoma turned around and saw before him the king, sitting on a chair, facing the opposite direction. He was about to speak up when suddenly the king's seat was turned around and was now facing him.
The king looked like an older version of except that his hair was grayish blue and longer, tied into a ponytail. His face was manlier and his eyes weren't amethyst but hazel. The king smiled at him.
"Echizen Ryoma…" he said, "I am so pleased to meet you. I am king Yukimura Seiji and soon to be retired ruler of Rikkai. I have heard a lot about you from my son. Please have a seat."
"Same here, your highness." the young boy bowed politely and went to take a seat on the chair that was in front of the king's desk. "I've heard that you wanted to have a talk with me…"
"Ah, yes…" the king smiled pleasantly. "It's about your engagement to my son…"
Ryoma had been expecting that and he almost cringed at the thought of what the king plans on doing as he wants him and Yukimura to marry each other which exactly wasn't what he was planning on doing.
"That's exactly what I wanted to talk about." Ryoma spoke out. "Prince Yukimura and I have talked about it yesterday night."
"Excellent!" said the king happily. "I would like to tell you that I am holding a ball for the two of you and it's to announce the engagement of yours, Echizen Ryoma, to my son, Yukimura Seiichi!"
The emerald-haired boy was flabbergasted. "A b-ball?!"
"Yes!" king Yukimura said ecstatically, "That's why at lunch, I am going to tell this to Seiichi! I am so glad that you came here to our world, Echizen. I am very grateful to have your presence here in Rikkai, and thanks to you, my Seiichi has become a much nicer and brighter man!"
"Your highness, I don't know what to say…"
"Indeed! My dear son, after my wife, the queen died…" the king's tone suddenly turned serious. "He turned into a selfish and cold boy… He really loved his mother and I'm so disappointed in myself that I couldn't do anything… I was afraid that that grave change in him would affect the country in his rule once he's been given the throne… but…" he suddenly smiled. "You, I have heard a great deal in you from my son… Never have I thought that in your childhood days were you two such close friends! I have heard of you from Seiichi when he was a child too, he would call you 'Ryo-chan!' Seeing that bright smile on his face, I was ever so pleased! And you two to have met again, I am most delighted!"
'Childhood friends? Wait, what?!' Ryoma thought incredulously. The widening of his eyes was misunderstood by the king as surprise, he chuckled softly.
"Oh, Echizen… I most absolutely support this marriage of yours and my son's… I also have a favor to ask of you…"
The golden cat-eyed boy looked up.
"Please do take care of my son… I want him to be happy that's why I want you to stay by his side as a friend and as his wife... I don't want to see him cry anymore… So please, Echizen…"
Ryoma's heart throbbed at every word the escaped the king's lips. He lowered his head, closed his eyes, and clenched his fists on the fabric of his pants, looking down at his hands.
"Echizen…?" he snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the king's voice, he looked up.
"Do you promise me…?" they both locked eyes together, staring at each other's eyes. Ryoma hesitated. He's finally decided it and he answered.
"I will… I'll marry him… I'll marry your son… I'll be…" he sighed mentally. "his wife…"
"Wonderful! We'll have to get that marriage contract signed!" announced the king cheerfully. He took a quick look at his watch. "It's almost lunch too! Why don't we go to the dining room, shall we..?" he suggested, standing up from his seat.
"Yeah…" muttered Ryoma as he also stood up from his seat.
'What have I gotten myself into now…?'
TBC…
TheBitterMoon: God… I was in such a hurry but then got lazy… Idk if I made any mistakes since I edited this so I might have forgotten to erase a part but whatever… I hope you enjoyed it and the next chapter will be coming up next in a little long while…
Reviews please! They keep me motivated to do my work. The more the reviews, the faster the update. :)