Co-written with miss mika namariya! We own nothing :)
"So the frog — you're telling me the frog found his True Love?" Kijima was sitting across from Kuon in the prince's living quarters. "That whole journey and the frog gets some action? Are you kidding me?" The human knight was too flabbergasted to know if he should laugh or not.
Sir Hoppington exchanged a look with Lady Lily, as if to say, This is the one I told you about.
Lady Lily let out a "Roob" and hopped over to her favorite rock to sun herself. Sir Hoppington, after staring balefully at the human knight for a moment, joined her.
"Can't you be happy for your fellow knight?" Kuon asked.
"Sure, yeah, whatever." He waved a hand dismissively. "But come on, man! All that time alone with her and nothing? You even shared a bedroll and — nothing!"
"It wasn't nothing," Kuon said, affronted. "We're much closer than before —"
"As close as the moon, maybe." Kijima rolled his eyes. "Yes, what grand progress you've made. She is comfortable in your arms because she thinks you'll be a great ruler. Fantastic. Really bodes well for your romantic prospects."
There was a protesting "Ribbit!" from the tank.
"I regret telling you that," he muttered, crossing his arms.
"Seriously, you need to just make a move."
"What?"
"Subtlety isn't working with her. Clearly. So you need to be straightforward with her." Kijima leveled him with an uncharacteristically serious stare. "Tell her in a way she can't misconstrue."
"But —"
"But you're the crown prince. Isn't it part of your duty to marry and carry on the lineage?" He shook his head and stood. "Besides, you don't want to pine your life away." Seeing the look on Kuon's face, he added, "Trust me on this one. Right, froggos?"
The frogs, for once, let out ribbits of agreement. It pained them to agree with the human knight, but he had a point.
"I'll think about it," Kuon relented.
"Good!" Kijima clapped him on the shoulder. "Now, how about we get out of here? It's stuffy."
"Should I put a hole in the ceiling?" he muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing."
LINE BREAK
Lady Maria was in a mood. Now, this was nothing unusual; she was often in a mood these days. But this one — this one was different. She'd set no less than three large, exotic spiders on her caretakers this morning, to the point that she was allowed to wander around the castle semi-unattended. Semi-unattended because she had one of Kyoko's assistants circling her, but she didn't know that. She could tell that something was there — she was a Takarada, after all — but she didn't know what.But that was not why she was in a mood. No, that had solely to do with the prince's bodyguard.
She was of two minds about the dangerous young woman. On one hand, she had made her multiple dolls of the prince, was not afraid of Maria's beloved pet tarantula, and knew that fairies were real. She was a true kindred spirit. On the other hand, Prince Kuon was irrevocably in love with the bodyguard. Maria had seen enough in her life to know that it was True Love (again, she was a Takarada).
Maria had had time to herself while the pair were on their pointless journey to nurse her broken heart. She had steeled herself for the announcement that the two were to be wed — one that did not come upon their return home. This left the girl feeling as if she had prepared to fight a grand army, only to be met with a mannequin.
Deflated and paradoxically defeated.
So yes, she was in a mood. How dare Kyoko not return the prince's affections? How dare she string him along like this? It was plain to see that the prince was a pathetic mess, tripping over himself trying to hint at his affections to her. And Kyoko — Kyoko was oblivious.
Too oblivious. Almost as if she were doing it on purpose.
So Maria marched up to the prince, who was relaxing in one of his mother's salons, playing chess with Sir Kijima. "Prince Kuon!"
He smiled at her, making her young heart twinge, but she steeled herself. "Lady Maria. Always a pleasure." When his attention was turned away from the board, Kijima stole one of his playing pieces.
After they exchanged pleasantries, she asked, "Where's Kyoko?"
Kuon shrugged. "Around? It's harder to tell here." He scanned the area. "In the ceiling, maybe?"
"Did you need something?" Kyoko asked from right behind Maria, making the girl yelp and spin around. Kijima took advantage of the distraction to steal Kuon's rook.
"Yes! I do." She squared her shoulders, doing her best to look very grown up. "I need to speak with you privately."
"Understood. I will report to your chambers when my shift is complete." She gave her a sharp nod before vanishing again.
Maria sighed. "She must have trained under Ruto."
"Ruto?" Kuon asked, always eager for Kyoko lore.
"Grandpa's assistant. He's the Master of Shadows at the academy." She turned on her heel and left to prepare her chambers for her attack — ahem, her visitor — leaving Kuon to realize that he was somehow now losing to Kijima.
Later that night, Kyoko knocked on Maria's door. She let her in, and gestured for her to sit across from her on her plush, frilly couch. Kyoko did so, a bit stiffly.
"Cookies?" Maria offered Kyoko a plate of small treats.
"Thank you." She took one, but did not eat it. After a moment's heavy, uncomfortable silence, Kyoko spoke. "I believe I know why you called me here tonight."
"You do?" Maria blinked.
"It's about the prince, correct?"
"Yes!"
"And his True Love?"
"Well… yes." So she wasn't that oblivious. Maybe Kyoko knew, and was just shy! That would make things so much easier. "It is about his True Love."
Kyoko nodded and set down her cookie. "So you were chosen to dole out my punishment."
"...What?"
"My punishment!" Kyoko waved her arms around agitatedly as she spoke. "I returned to the palace without finding the prince's True Love, as I swore that I would."
"I —"
Kyoko slammed herself onto the ground and began wailing her apologies. "I am less than mud for breaking such a solemn vow! I am doing my best to find her; we only came back so as to not risk the prince's health traveling in the harsh winter! Do with me what you will! Shave my head, throw me in the stocks —"
"Stop, stop, STOP!"
Kyoko looked up at her, confused and sniffling.
"You know what? You're fine. I'm just… I need to talk with Grandfather." Maria waved a hand. "You're dismissed."
Kyoko slunk out of the room. Surely, once they had talked, Duke Takarada would finally punish her. Someone had to, after all.
LINE BREAK
Kanae sighed as she looked across the library table. "Can't you just, I don't know, order her to attend?"
"That's not the point," Kuon said stubbornly. "I want her to want to come."
"No one can make Kyoko want to do anything."
"You can." He folded his arms. "She talks about you like you hung the stars." When she continued to just look at him, he offered, "I could see about getting a new text for the library."
She pursed her lips. "I'll talk to her. No promises, though."
"Thank you." He stood and left, followed by guards who were not Kyoko.
LINE BREAK
Kyoko was baffled. Everyone had been behaving very strangely since the welcome home ball for the Prince was announced. The King kept saying he wanted to talk to her about security concerns but then they ended up in a three-hour meeting about the hors d'oeuvres menu with the head chef. Both Ruto and Lory had asked Kyoko her opinions about the court ladies' winter fashions (why?) and she'd caught the Queen surreptitiously trying to take her measurements twice.
And now Moko of all people wanted her to attend the ball? It was bizarre. Kanae avoided any social event because attending meant having to put down whatever she was reading.
"It's not that weird," Kanae huffed when Kyoko pointed this out. "I mean, isn't it practically mandatory? You're going too," she said with a look.
Sure, she had intended to be there. But she wasn't planning on going like everyone else was going. The Prince was attending (since it was, after all, a ball thrown in his honor), and that meant he needed a guard. So of course Kyoko planned on being nearby just not visibly. After all, a ball was a great place for assassinations… not that anyone really seemed to want the prince dead. If their quest had taught her anything (other than the fact that the prince gave very good hugs), it was that the kingdom was, by and large, a happy place to live.
"So I will be there," she assured the Prince one day, "just in the shadows. I don't want to intrude on your party."
"How do you know it's not for the both of us?" He countered.
"Rib!" agreed Sir Hoppington from his tank.
"Because the duke and your father are throwing it," Kyoko said.
Kuon was pretty sure that made it more likely that it was for the two of them, not less— but he kept that thought to himself.
"I think it would be best if I stuck to my usual patrolling," Kyoko explained. Kuon said nothing, but the frogs made their disagreement known. If it was possible for a frog to frown, Sir Hoppington did. Lady Lily joined her beloved in staring disapprovingly at the bodyguard.
"Rib-rib." Lady Lily hopped forward, splashing up to the edge of the tank. She placed a small foot against the glass. "Roooob."
Kyoko screwed up her face. "You're right. Fine."
"Rib!" Sir Hoppington exclaimed, then leapt back into his tank with a splash.
The Prince raised an eyebrow at his guard.
"Sir and Lady Hoppington pointed out that at such a crowded event as the ball that a visual presence would be a more effective deterrent to any potential onlookers," Kyoko translated.
Kuon blinked. "...Meaning?"
"I'll go to the stupid ball," Kyoko muttered.
The guard was not prepared for the blinding smile on the Prince's face.
LINE BREAKIt was happening. It was really happening. Kuon had finally managed, with the help of their frogs and Kanae, to persuade Kyoko to attend the winter solstice/welcome back celebration. Now that she had finally given in, he couldn't help but daydream about the moment: she would enter the hall late, wearing the gown he had helped his mother select for her, and sweep down the stairs with her usual feline grace. And he would dash forward to meet her, eager to take her hand, and they would startle and stare at each other as a spark ran through their connected fingers.
It wasn't going to happen. Kuon knew that. But still, he could dream.
None of Kuon's fantasies came to pass. Kyoko appeared, with her usual promptness, to escort the Prince (for his safety) to the opening of the ball. She was not wearing a gown, but a longer, heavily decorated version of the garment she normally wore. The Prince wondered if it had her usual attire's seemingly endless storage capacity (it did). The customary slits on both sides allowed for movement — slits that showed much more lithe, muscled leg than the court ladies deemed appropriate. But Kyoko paid no attention to the scandalized stares and fluttering fans from every Lady and Countess in the room. Nor did she seem to notice the wave of turning heads and drooling men she left in her wake. It was general knowledge in the palace that the Prince was in love with his bodyguard, but now that everyone got a good look at the girl, many people began to see why. Not that it mattered— the hopes of any would-be suitors were immediately squashed. Kyoko refused to dance (politely, but curtly), with any of the noblemen and squires who asked. She stationed herself in front of a large pillar in the middle of the room, her eyes sweeping over the whole party while her arms remained crossed over her chest.
Kuon would have happily spent the whole party standing right by her side, but alas— duty and diplomacy required him to be dancing, which meant that he spent most of the evening looking over the shoulder of his dance partner at Kyoko. She looked like she always did when she was on duty — alert, but with her 'polite company' expression firmly fixed in place. The prince was torn: he wanted her to relax and enjoy herself, but he didn't really want to see her dancing with anyone else.
It was well past midnight when the crowd finally began to thin. Many guests had already retired; but a good number still lingered, enjoying the slightly quieter atmosphere as the orchestra struck up a soft, lilting waltz and the servants began to dim the lamps. Kuon was finally free from his royal obligations and made his way over to Kyoko, who was chatting with Kanae.
"Some party, right?" The taller girl's eyes flicked in the direction of a younger knight, who was looking with open admiration at the pair of them.
"I suppose," Kyoko remarked absently, her eyes not pausing their surveillance of the great hall. Most of the crowds had gone home, but she remained ever vigilant.
"I don't think the Prince intended you to work, you know, when he invited you."
"Invited is not the word I'd use." Kyoko gave a small shrug. "I was told to come."
"Whatever. You're allowed to enjoy yourself, you know. The prince wouldn't begrudge you one dance on your birthday."
"It's your birthday?"
Both women turned their heads, noticing Kuon for the first time. Kyoko recovered first, dipping into her customary bow.
"Your Highness." Kanae followed suit, repeating Kyoko's manner. Kuon ignored it.
"Kyoko, will you honor me with a dance?"
The guard looked at his extended hand thoughtfully for a second, then met his eyes. It was the only time Kuon could ever remember seeing her look at all hesitant, and he found it adorable. Not that Kyoko wasn't adorable all the time — she was, especially her manners, but her general fierceness usually pushed that out of the way. She grasped his hand, and Kuon pulled her away from the pillar, steering them both through the thinning crowd and onto the dance floor. He placed Kyoko's hand on his shoulder, and his own hand gently on her waist, leading her with the practiced grace that comes from decades of dance lessons. But years of practice could not prepare Kuon for the feeling of Kyoko's hand in his.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Kuon asked softly. Not that anyone was listening — the handful of other couples were spread out across the large floor, following the waltz or simply swaying together.
"Tell you what?" Kyoko asked, her eyes looking somewhere past his shoulder.
"That it's your birthday."
"Because it's not." Kyoko said with a frown.
"But Kotonami said…"
"We always celebrated on the solstice at the Academy," Kyoko explained. "But I don't actually know when my birthday is. My mother said it didn't matter." Kuon bristled at this statement but did not interrupt. "She left when I was very young. When Duke Takarada took me in I knew how old I was, but there was no one around to remember the day."
Kyoko had remained as light and graceful on her feet as ever, and her matter-of-fact tone did not waver— she could have been speaking about the weather. Perhaps it truly didn't bother her. But if Kuon understood anything about the complicated young woman in front of him, it was that the story was not that simple, or that easy. For all he knew, Kyoko was probably convinced that changelings didn't have birthdays, or something foolish.
The hand that was resting on the side of her waist slipped around to Kyoko's lower back to draw her closer. Through the thin fabric of her robe, Kuon could feel the strong muscles of Kyoko's back. And then he felt something else. His fingers explored further, feeling their way along the ridge of something that was distinctly not Kyoko. The prince looked down at her, one eyebrow lifted. Kyoko gave him an innocent look in response. He grinned.
"Are you expecting an attack?"
"It never hurts to be prepared."
"How do you dance with a blade fixed to your spine?"
Kyoko smiled. "Not easily."
"Oh?" Kuon grinned playfully. "Have I finally found a weak spot in the iron shield that is Kyoko Mogami?"
In response to this taunt, Kyoko slipped her hand from his shoulder and stepped out wide, keeping their hands joined. Then she spun in, so that her back was against his chest. Kuon's arm wrapped around her on instinct and Kyoko leaned back over his forearm into a dip, taking in an upside-down view of the ballroom before righting herself and easily gliding back into position.
"All clear behind," the bodyguard noted.
"Show-off."
"I wouldn't want you to think your safety was ever compromised."
"How did you bend like that with a blade strapped to your spine?"
Kyoko smiled smugly. "Practice."
He feigned grouchiness. "If you wanted me to dip you, you could have just asked."
"And alert the people around us? I think not," she replied primly.
"You know that I'm supposed to be leading, right?" Kuon asked, lifting their clasped hands and giving her a look.
She scowled at him. The Academy had been very thorough when it came to court behavior and etiquette— of course Kyoko knew that the Prince was supposed to be leading. And she was letting him (mostly). But she wasn't going to compromise his physical safety just so the Prince could time the dips as he preferred.
"I am your guard," she said patiently. "I am honor-bound to protect you from harm, at all costs. A royal ball is no exception."
"What a waste."
"Pardon?"
"It's clear you don't need to be up in the rafters in order to do crowd surveillance. We could have danced the whole night," Kuon murmured.
"No," the guard said firmly with a shake of her head. "Besides, I'd only be getting in your way."
"I wish you would stop thinking like that," Kuon said seriously as he gazed at her.
"Like what?"
"Like you're not worthy or wanted. It's like you refuse to believe I could want—" Kuon cut off. He squeezed her hand on reflex. Nervous energy ran up his spine. Oh god, was he doing this? Suddenly it was all the Prince could do to keep his voice steady.
"I like that you're here, okay? I can't imagine living here without you, and I don't want to. I like the way things are, and I want you to stay." Kuon looked at her. "Forever."
Kyoko's eyes dropped to the floor. She couldn't take the look he was giving her. It made her chest hurt. It made her want things she knew were impossible.
Kuon felt her stiffen in his arms.
"I am honored to serve your Highness for as long as you have need of me." Kyoko's voice was barely above a whisper.
"That's not what I—"
The orchestra played the final chord and Kyoko teleported out of his arms.
"I should go do a thorough sweep of the perimeter." She bowed low before disappearing. Despite the thinning crowd, Kuon had no idea where she'd gone. His arm extended out uselessly, her warmth vanishing from his empty hand.
"Well, I suppose that could have gone worse," a dry voice observed from somewhere over his shoulder. The Prince turned.
"Duke Takarada," Kuon acknowledged, with a nod and a polite smile that held no warmth. "Quite the timing, as always."
"It's a gift," Lory shrugged magnanimously. "One that you distinctly seem to lack, Your Highness."
"Oh, leave me be." Kuon let out a sigh and went to get a cup of punch.
Duke Takarada's eyes narrowed. He'd been talking to his granddaughter, among other informants, and had a bone to pick with one of his star students. Not Kanae — she'd done a lovely job of acquiring more books for the library — or Chiori — though she did owe him a sapphire ring — but Kyoko. After all, she had been brought to the castle for a very specific reason, and so far, she hadn't realized what it was. Now, True Love does take its own time. Lory knew this.
But he also knew when it needed a little nudge. Or in this particular case, a forceful shove.
He found Kyoko out on one of the balconies, muttering to herself. Before he could get close enough to hear what she was saying, she noticed his presence and whipped around. "Duke Takarada!"
"Mogami. Let's talk." He gestured to the benches on the balcony. "Shall we sit?"
She sat down stiffly on a bench facing his. "Yes, sir."
"Let's review why you were sent to the palace, shall we?" He could see her face pale, even in the dim light.
"To… to be a bodyguard to the prince. To guard both his health and happiness."
"Therefore…?"
"To help find his True Love."
Close enough. "So where is she?"
Kyoko dove to the ground, blubbering apologies. Once she got that out of her system, Lory gestured for her to sit back up. She did, wiping her face. "I tried looking — I really did! We found some really great girls who could have made him really happy, but he said no! He said that none of them were what he was looking for!"
Lory, catching something in her expression, smiled. "If he had said yes, this was the girl, to any of them, how would you have felt?"
Kyoko's face went curiously blank. "Well, he has a duty to his kingdom to find his True Love if he can —"
"But how would you feel?" he insisted.
"Why would that matter? It can't — can't be me." She didn't seem to notice the way Lory's jaw dropped open. "So I'd be a little sad, yes, but I'd want him to be happy. It's what's best for… for the kingdom."
"Wait, wait, stop. Why can't it be you?"
Kyoko just blinked at him. "...Because I'm a changeling? And changelings don't have True Loves?"
"What?"
"What?"
"Why would you even think that?" he demanded.
"I don't know — I just, I'm not from here, so I assumed my soul didn't have a match."
"Have you learned NOTHING from me?" He gaped at her. "Honestly, next you'll be telling me that you don't think changelings have magic."
"I just — I'm so sorry! I didn't pay much attention in the True Match classes," she admitted, feeling very small. "I thought it wasn't relevant, so I focused more on my blades."
Lory, about to tear his hair out, continued, "So you think that Jack and the Giantess can be happily in love? Thumbelina and her fairy prince? But not you?"
"But —"
"The princess and her frog?"
"That's a human and a cursed human, though —"
"What about the mermaid who ended up married to a prince? You think they aren't True Loves?"
She protested, "But a mermaid is —"
"You have legs! Don't give me that shit!"
Kyoko stared at the ground, reevaluating the past few seasons of her life.
"You're cursed! Cursed with the worst kind of obliviousness!"
Kyoko looked up, confused. "But Moko said that the prince's True Love was cursed… with… obliviousness."
Lory watched for one beautiful moment as the realization dawned on her, and then had to leap forward to physically prevent her from slamming her head into the wall. He couldn't help but laugh. Future queen of the kingdom here, trying to smack herself against solid stone for her own stupidity.
"Alright, enough of that." He led her back over to the bench and forced her to sit. "Go rest. No more self-flagellation. You can deal with this in the morning."
Kyoko nodded, and the duke left her to sit there. And sit she did, for a good twenty minutes, thinking about the last few seasons of her life. About her time in the palace, and their time on the road.
Kuon was still drowning his misery in punch, now alone in the ballroom, when Kyoko came striding up to him with a look in her eyes that he generally associated with half-baked match-making schemes. "Kyoko, I'm really not in the mood —"
She cut him off, stopping right in front of him. "I regret to inform you that your True Love is a dumbass."
And then she kissed him.