It Started With A Kick (Magi/マギ Fanfiction: Ren Koumei x OC)
Standard disclaimers apply! I do not own Magi or any of its characters, only Hyorin and other original characters.
Chapter 9: The Adorable Brother
It was a stormy night. The palace was eerily quiet and all that could be heard amidst the sharp thunder cracks were the pacing footsteps of a small child.
"Brother!" the girl shouted as she opened the door to the Crown Prince's quarters. Another lightning pierced through the raging skies, illuminating a scene that should have been kept hidden in the dark.
Surrounded by a pool of blood was her eldest brother, who remained unmoving on the ground, already lifeless.
"Brother?" she repeated, but the one who responded to her desperate call was the man standing beside the fallen prince.
He slowly faced her and his blue irises glowered dangerously.
"Princess?"
Hyorin gasped for breath and her eyes instantly flew open. The nightmare that previously plagued her, however, had been easily tossed out of her mind when her gaze met a pair of curious, blinking eyes. She froze in confusion.
What in the world was her youngest brother-in-law doing in her bed?
"Oh, you're awake!" exclaimed Ren Kouha as he finally lifted his head away.
Chu'un, upon hearing the commotion, rushed to Hyorin's side. He breathed out a sigh of relief upon seeing her regain consciousness. "Milady, are you well?"
"What happened?" she muttered in a daze.
He quickly explained what transpired during her shared meal with the First Princess and how it ended tragically with her fainting. "Two hours had passed since the sun had set, milady. You have been asleep since lunch."
Hyorin was immediately overcome with an urge to hurl. The simple memory of the taste was enough to reduce her to tears.
A chuckle averted her attention back to the prince. "Man, you slept like a log! Her cooking really got you, huh?"
She gave him a curious look. "Why are you here, Prince Kouha?"
"I'm here in my brother's stead. Mei-nii is in a meeting so he won't be able to come."
Hyorin simply hummed, showing no interest whether Koumei cared for her or not. Kouha grinned. "That aside, you're more reserved than I thought you would be. Is Mei-nii lying to us?"
She instantly frowned and clicked her tongue. What the hell was her crazy husband telling everyone?!
The young prince laughed upon noticing her unmasked irritation. "Don't worry. Aside from me and En-nii, nobody knows that you suplexed him on the night of your wedding!"
Chu'un choked audibly and an awkward silence filled the room. Hyorin glanced at her attendant before throwing a look of dismay at Kouha.
"Ah, my bad."
He shrugged his shoulders. She could only sigh at his accidental slip of the tongue.
"Hey, sister-in-law, wanna spar?" suggested Kouha out of the blue.
"Huh?" she paused in surprise. The beautiful prince did not strike her as the type who liked to fight. Hyorin assumed, if Kouen was the strong brother and Koumei was the smart one, Kouha had to be the adorable who detested violence!
Chu'un immediately interjected. "Prince Kouha."
"Oh, right," he waved his hand dismissively. "She's not feeling well."
"No, I'm fine. I regained my energy by sleeping a lot!" Hyorin exclaimed and excitedly left the bed. Chu'un, despite reluctant, handed her a sword.
It had been a while since her last workout—if she didn't want to turn rusty, she had to move! Also, participating in a little practice session with the younger prince wouldn't hurt, right?
Needless to say, Hyorin was in for a treat.
The two stepped out into the garden beside the room.
Hyorin eyed Kouha worriedly when one of his attendants handed him a humongous sword that resembled an executioner's blade. It seemed too heavy to be wielded by an average person, much less a young boy! She was about to protest when Kouha wordlessly grabbed the hilt and lifted the sword without effort.
Hyorin almost lost an arm after the prince jumped into the air and mercilessly swung his blade down at her. Her utter shock and disbelief caused her to momentarily freeze as the image of the adorable prince shattered in her mind. She was only able to dodge at the last second with the help of her trained reflexes.
"Geez!" Kouha whined. "Why are you spacing out?"
Hyorin's face had gone blank. It was only her first day in the inner palace, but she almost died twice—and by the hands of her in-laws, at that! She wanted to cry. She wasn't informed that the family she had married into was full of psychopaths!
The young princess decided to unsheathe her sword. She should at least block his blows if she wanted to see the next sunrise.
Kouha charged at her for the second time and Hyorin was surprised by the intensity of his attacks. She was almost hit by the back of her own blade when she moved to block his sword. Also, his expression while they sparred gave her the chills. He wore an elated smile all while he aimed his sword at her!
Hyorin mourned in her mind. The battle would not end until someone emerged victorious, and she would have been long reduced to cubes if Kouha won. With calculated steps, she managed to shorten the distance between them and swung her sword upwards to deflect his weapon into the air.
Chu'un's mouth was agape as he watched the blade land in a crash. It was the first saw time he saw someone disarm the Third Prince by tossing his humongous sword in the air. What incredible strength!
Kouha rose his arms in defeat.
"You're good!" he laughed, his cheerful aura regained. Hyorin returned her sword to its scabbard. "Let's go at it again next time, Hyo-nee!"
She blinked. "Hyo-nee?"
The young prince nodded enthusiastically. "In Kou, hyo means indigo. You are named after the color of your hair, right?"
Hyorin paused thoughtfully. In Shi Kingdom, everyone with the blood of the royal family possessed the distinct abyss indigo eyes, but only those born with hair of the same color inherited the Hyeo/Hyo name, like her and her deceased eldest brother.
"Sure, I guess?" she replied.
Chu'un noticed the troubled look on her face. He quickly approached her and whispered, "Milady, the prince only gives nicknames to those who gained his recognition. It is a special treatment."
Hyorin resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He just tried to cut off her arm! That, in its own way, was very special, alright!
Kouha suddenly clung unto her. "Play with me, Hyo-nee. I'm so bored!"
It was only then did Hyorin remember that Kouha was only a twelve-year old boy. He was finally acting his age. Maybe, she assumed, that what she had seen earlier was simply a consequence of a dysfunctional environment. After all, royalties such as themselves tended to become lonely and distorted in the confines of the palace.
Hyorin decided to give him a chance.
"Okay, but let's eat first. I'm starving," she said, but almost immediately gasped. "Oh, but I'll cook!"
Yes, there was absolutely no way she would let anything blasphemous land on her tongue again!
Kouha looked hesitant. "Ehh, but can you cook?"
"Of course!" Hyorin declared rather proudly. This time, it was Kouha who was in for a treat. A real and tasty treat.
"Don't say that. If you compare your food with Hakuei's, everyone would be a good cook," he said and shook his head with a tired sigh.
Hyorin pouted angrily. "Mine is the real deal!"
The young prince cracked up at her pitiful expression. "Okay, I get it, Hyo-nee. Just make sure it tastes good or I'll kill you!"
Hyorin was sure of two things: his last statement wasn't a joke, and that she had really, and unfortunately, married into a family of psychopaths.
Author's Note:
Kouha is just 12 while Hyorin is 16. The introduction arc is done so we're already having flashbacks of Hyorin's childhood and a few mentions of the Shi Royal Family!
Anyway, I want to ask for your opinions. Is it better that I stick to purely English and avoid putting Japanese terms since Kou Empire is pretty much Chinese, not Japanese. Do I put Brother Mei and Sister Hyo instead of Mei-nii and Hyo-nee? What do you guys think?
Also, thank you for the lovely reviews. My heart is full every time I hear your thoughts on the story. Thank you so much! Love lots!