Chapter 10: New Guard

When morning came, Ranma awoke to a light knock on the door.

"Come in," he called groggily, rubbing his eyes as the door creaked open.

The remnants of his dreams clung to him like cobwebs, and he realized—with a pang of embarrassment—that they had been filled with Akane. Did… did he have a legitimate crush on her? The thought made his stomach twist. Why else was he acting like some lusty teenager all of a sudden?

He shook his head vehemently. No way. That's ridiculous. Something about entertaining the idea of having real feelings for Akane made him feel weak, vulnerable, exposed. He'd never had romantic feelings for anyone before, and he sure as hell wasn't going to start now. It couldn't be that. It had to be the lack of intimacy in his life lately. That was all.

"You look sleepy," Daisuke's voice broke through his thoughts, pulling Ranma back to reality. "Didn't sleep well after the fiasco with Prince Toma and Akane?"

Ranma forced a chuckle, scratching the back of his neck. "I, uh… kinda forgot about it, to be honest."

"Well, Happosai didn't," Daisuke said, irritation evident in his tone. "He reported everything to your father. This morning, the guards were told that Ryoga is going to be Akane's guard now. She's not to be left alone unless she's with you. Oh, and you're getting a new personal guard too. Looks like you and Akane are both going to be summoned."

Ranma sat up, bristling. "What?! Are you serious? Ugh, Ryoga is a terrible choice. He's head over heels for her!"

Daisuke shrugged. "Not like I can argue with the king about it, but yeah, I thought the same thing. Gods, Ryoga has no taste anyway. Oh, and about your new guard—his name's Taro. Used to serve the king directly. He's… kind of a harsh guy."

Ranma scowled, still fuming about Ryoga, but Daisuke's next words hit a nerve.

"And hey, don't take it personally, but maybe this whole mess wouldn't have happened if Akane didn't, y'know, run off like that last night. No offense, but I don't see why you're the one being punished for the princess's transgressions."

"Daisuke," Ranma said evenly, though his jaw tightened, "please refrain from insulting Princess Akane. She is my wife, after all."

Daisuke chuckled lightly, brushing it off. "Whatever you say, boss."

The casual tone stung more than Ranma cared to admit. Daisuke didn't seem to realize—or care—that Ranma wasn't just defending Akane out of propriety. It wasn't about saving face or royal decorum. He didn't want to hear someone he trusted be disrespectful to the future queen. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to push the issue further.

Pushing aside his frustration, Ranma allowed Daisuke to help him dress in official garb for his summons with King Genma. Afterward, they made their way to meet Taro.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't King Genma's golden boy," a gruff voice called out as they approached. Ranma immediately noticed the faint sneer in Taro's tone.

"Come on now, Taro," Daisuke said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Ranma's a good superior. Genma might brag about him too much, but he is a cool boss."

Ranma raised an eyebrow. This man had served directly under his father? He didn't exactly scream loyalty.

Reading Ranma's expression, Daisuke added quickly, "Taro's an extremely skilled martial artist. That's why your father keeps him around."

Taro rolled his eyes but grinned wickedly. "Rumor has it you're in big trouble, Ranma. Still haven't bedded your wife, huh? If I were you, though, you wouldn't catch me dead sleeping with that ugly Shiriyan princess. Guess that's the price of being a royal, huh?"

Daisuke snickered. "And here I thought I envied royal men! Poor Ranma. At least he has Kodachi, though."

Ranma felt his mouth go dry. His chest tightened as shame and anger bubbled up in equal measure. Was this really how they all thought of Akane?

Before he could respond, Taro smirked. "So, how far have you had to go to get her to warm up to you? A girl like that… I bet you'd have to butter her up just to get her to play nice in bed. Hard to get because she's royalty, huh?"

"Too bad it wasn't Ukyo," Daisuke added with a laugh. "Now she's got a body worth bragging about."

Ranma's fists clenched. He wanted to say something, anything, to shut them up, but the familiar pang of longing for acceptance held him back. He didn't want to alienate them, didn't want to lose the fragile camaraderie they had. But the words stung.

"Well?" Taro pressed, his gaze sharp. "Are you planning on sleeping with her or what? Or did you already?"

Ranma opened his mouth to respond, his tone icy. "I would never—"

He stopped short when he saw a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. Akane.

A sharp whoosh sounded as a high-heeled shoe flew past his head, narrowly missing him.

"Ranma!" Akane's furious voice rang out as she hurled a potted plant his way. He dodged just in time to hear it crash behind him.

"That sure wasn't how you were acting last night!" she shouted, her voice trembling with anger. "I guess you kissing me was just you 'buttering me up,' huh?"

Ranma felt the blood rush to his face. "What?! No, it's not like that! This isn't what you think!"

"Oh, so now it's the wine's fault?" she shot back, tears brimming in her eyes. "Why don't you just admit it, Ranma? You said it yourself—you'd never sleep with someone like me!"

Before he could explain, Akane spun on her heel and bolted.

"Akane, wait!" he called after her, but his voice was drowned out by the blare of a horn.

Taro grabbed his sleeve, smirking. "Better get going, sire. Your father's waiting."

Ranma yanked his arm free, his tone low and dangerous. "Don't touch me. Speak like that again about Princess Akane, and it will cost you your head."

Taro's eyes widened in shock, and he stepped back immediately, bowing. "Understood, sire."

Ranma turned on his heel to head towards the throne room with the sound of his guards' footsteps trailing a healthy distance behind him. He'd have to deal with Akane later—after whatever fresh hell his father had in store for him.