Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He has been… antsy since the very morning.

It is unusual to find him in such a state, but not unexplainable. This day is important for him. He hurriedly gobbled up breakfast, skimmed through all the morning rituals and exercises — he felt as though if he did things faster, the time itself would hurry up as well.

That is how he ends up with barely anything to do other than standing by the large windows of his chambers and watching random servants passing by in the afternoon. Each hour passes slowly, almost ridiculously so. He despises waiting like this.

“Toya… Don’t tell me you’re planning to stay idle until he arrives.”

Toya winces; it is as though a curtain has fallen from his eyes and his vision has cleared the moment he hears that. He turns around, only to be met with the pouty face of his secret lover.

“Apologies, Akito… I’m simply a bit lost on what I could do.”

Akito is clearly dissatisfied with the answer. He rests his head on Toya’s shoulder, slightly nuzzling it, and mumbles, “You promised to teach me some chess.”

“Ah. Right. I’m really sorry…”

Now Toya feels embarrassed — it is very unlike him to forget his own obligations and promises. He rushes to pull a chessboard out of his desk, hoping that Akito isn’t too upset. Frankly, he’s quite hard to read with that pout on his face, constantly itching Toya to try and kiss it away.

They sit down and start the game. Akito has gotten into chess only recently, but he is quite a fast learner. Toya can barely contain his surprise as each move takes Akito significantly less time than before. 

“Toya? C’mon. Are you that worried?”

Oh. Perhaps it’s not because of Akito, but because Toya’s thoughts keep drifting off elsewhere, carried away by the surf of his concerns.

“Sorry…” he mutters, focusing on the board for the first time in forever. “Perhaps I am…”

“What’s there to be worried about?” Akito drawls and leans back against his chair. “The Kamishiro kingdom promised to let him go. He’ll come home a bit later, I guarantee.”

Toya sighs. He knows all of that, yet his heart is still heavy. “I haven’t received anything from Tsukasa in a while… It’s unusual of him to be so quiet.”

“Well, duh. He’s arriving later today. He’ll tell you everything in person.”

Again, Toya knows all of that. But… “I’m sorry. There’s something heavy on my chest. Can’t get rid of it…”

What could this feeling be? It’s hard to identify. Toya has been worried about this whole situation since day one — even before Tsukasa left for the Kamishiro kingdom. He has gotten used to the daily stress of the situation, yet today it seems to be completely different.

Akito’s expression changes from pouty to sympathetic. “Stop apologizing. I kinda get it, I guess…”

“You do?” the prince perks up.

“Kinda. I mean… that whole situation is bizarre, right? And Tsukasa hasn’t sent you anything ever since that first letter…”

“Precisely.” Toya props his elbow on the desk to rest his head in the palm of his hand. “I wouldn’t forgive myself if I ended up putting Tsukasa in an awkward and unpleasant situation, let alone make him stuck in a foreign kingdom against his will.”

Akito sighs. His fingers let go of the pawn he was holding up and timidly reach out to Toya’s free hand. The feeling of his warm, rough skin immediately sends a light impulse of peace and security up Toya’s nerves. He sneaks his own fingers in between Akito’s.

“Listen, Tsukasa ain’t an idiot—not to that extent, at least,” the knight mutters. “Do you really believe he’d let himself be contained or violated in any way? Sure, he can be a softie, but not when it comes to his own safety.”

Toya bites his lip. “No, it’s not quite that.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“His selflessness.” He looks down at the board, as the distinct figures of the King and the Knight catch his attention. Without thinking, he put the Knight’s figure in a way that could immediately protect the King from the attack of Akito’s Bishop. “He would sacrifice his safety and comfort… for my sake, or for his family’s sake.”

Akito sighs yet again. “Geez… Well, not your fault he’s stupid.”

“Akito…”

“C’mon. I’m not even being serious. Who in their right mind would enter romantic relations with a foreign prince just to make sure the kingdoms don’t find reasons to beef with each other?” He rolls his eyes. “It’s just disgusting to imagine Tsukasa dating anyone for those purposes. Ew.”

“I agree, it does sound absurd.”

“Then there’s nothing to worry about. If Tsukasa didn’t lose his brains on the way to the Kamishiro kingdom, he’ll come back in one piece.”

Toya tilts his head, trying to rest. Akito sounds confident and convincing — he always does, whenever Toya is the one in doubt about things. 

“... There is one worst-case scenario I can think of, though,” the knight suddenly adds. “Do you want to hear it?”

Toya doesn’t, yet nods anyway. Akito’s fingers squeeze his own.

“If the intention of the Kamishiro palace is to get you to marry their prince… They may wanna exchange Tsukasa for you.”

“Right.” Toya’s head drops. “I’ve been thinking about it all the time, despite trying not to worry too much…”

“Yeah, isn’t it just weird how fast their prince had turned the tables?” Akito leans over the desk so that Toya can hear his whispers. “Like, ‘Whoops, I’m actually really into your knight!’ — that’s bizarre, you feel? This could be an unnecessary lengthy scheme to give you an ultimatum.”

“That’s what I’m worried about…”

Someone knocks on the door. The men perk up, forgetting about the conversation in a heartbeat; Akito nervously fixes himself up and, to Toya’s confusion, rubs his cheeks as if there is a stubborn lipstick print on it.

“Come in,” the prince calls, and the door swings open.

“Good afternoon, Your Highness! I’ve brought your favorite tea~Oh, Akito’s here too?”

Like glares of the sun, two curly blonde pigtails bounce towards the chess table. It’s Saki, glowing and smiling as always, with a neatly organized tea tray with two cups and a vase of cookies.

“I apologize, I didn’t expect you to be here at this hour!” the girl gasps, notes of disappointment in her voice. “I’ve only brought cups for Prince Toya and I—You can take mine if you want!”

Akito gets up from his seat, so abruptly that the chair nearly flies off towards the wall. His cheeks are as red as his hair. “N-no, no, it’s okay. I wouldn’t take a teacup from a lady…”

Toya gets up as well. Akito is yet to get used to being around him freely more often. Prior to Tsukasa’s departure, most of their meetings were private, and they’d flinch and hide whenever anyone would pass by to avoid suspicion. Toya can imagine how unusual it must feel for the knight to finally be able to stay by his side without having to hide, and how embarrassing it may get.

“I promised Akito to teach him some chess,” he explains to Saki — not because she would question anything, but because he knows it will calm Akito down. “It’s an incredibly strategic game. He expressed his willingness to improve those kinds of skills, and I offered help.”

Saki blinks twice, likely confused by why she’d need such a lengthy explanation. “I see! Cool!” She then turns to Akito with a swirl of her long, sunflower-colored skirt. “If you’d like, I can bring you some tea too! Just give me a couple of minutes.”

Akito shakes his head firmly. “No need, thank you. Just enjoy yourself.”

“If you say so…” With a shrug, Saki places the tray on Toya’s coffee table and sits down by it. Her eyes keep drifting to the window; Toya can recognize the sentiment. “Ah, it’s already past noon, right? Time sure flies…”

The prince sits down next to her. “Waiting for Tsukasa?” She nods. “I understand. I’ve been on edge all day.”

“I mean, I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about,” Saki mutters with a soft smile, “But still, I’m feeling, uh… It’s the kind of excitement that turns your chest into a balloon full of air, and you have trouble breathing.”

Toya nods before picking up his cup and taking a sip. The corners of his lips curve. “That’s why you made herbal tea today?”

“That’s right! Earlier this week Mom and I went to pick up some herbs from the forest, so I thought, why not put them to use when they’re needed!”

“Quite astute of you, Saki.”

In the corner of his eye, Toya notices as Akito slowly makes his way into the corner near the window. Aside from the awkwardness, it’s pretty easy to see how much he’s anticipating Tsukasa’s return, too. It’s kind of adorable.

“Have you received any new letters from him?” the prince asks, and Saki shakes her head.

“No…”

“Does it worry you?”

The girl lets out a soft sigh. Her eyes, both dreamy and melancholic, lower to her cup. “Well, no news is good news, right? I’d love to hear my brother talk about his experience more, but he must have a reason for not writing often this time.”

Saki is quite optimistic. Toya feels white jealousy towards that quality of hers. No matter how hard the times are, she somehow finds sensible reasons to believe everything is going to be okay. This trait is remarkable in both Tenma siblings, and Toya wishes he possessed it as well.

“Hey, um, sorry to interrupt—There’s something going on.”

“Hm?”

Both Toya and Saki turn to Akito who is pointing confusedly at the window. “C’mon, take a look. Quick.”

They obediently get up. “Is Tsukasa coming?” Saki blurts out before even making it closer to Akito. 

“I, uh, can’t tell… Just what is that?”

Toya looks out the window. A truly bizarre sight unravels below.

In the distance, rapidly approaching the gates of the Palace, is a row of big, brightly decorated carriages. One of them looks like a carousel, with people sitting right on the roof, the other reminds Toya of cotton candy and ice cream with how fluffy its design appears. The coachmen are dressed up in quite colorful outfits, but there is a single horseman in front of all of them who passes as a knight. Once the room is quiet, faint sounds of cheerful music can be heard approaching at the same speed as the carriages.

“Huh? Is there some kind of troupe or circus arriving in town today?” Saki asks, flabbergasted.

“Not that I know of,” Toya hums. “Besides, I doubt my father would like this kind of entertainment, and neither would my brothers, as far as I’m concerned…”

“What the…?” Akito groans and scratches his head. “Should I go investigate?”

Toya gently places a hand on his shoulder. “No need. I believe the guards at the gates can handle this for now. I’d rather you stay by my side.”

“Understood.”

Holding their breath, the trio watches as the carriages approach the gates and get met by the guards. The horseman lowers to the ground, smiling nonchalantly as if the guards are their old buddies, and starts talking to them.

“Are you sure your presence isn’t required?” Saki hums, glancing at Toya. “Are any of your brothers available?”

“It’s… difficult to speculate,” Toya responds. “We can go check together, of course. I don’t think it’d hurt.”

“I’ll make sure it doesn’t,” Akito sighs and pats the sheath of his sword. “Let’s go guys.”

They leave Toya’s room and make their way downstairs. No one says a word — not that Toya even notices, buried too deep in his own thoughts. He is already having suspicions on what this intervention could be, and it might just be related to Tsukasa’s absence.

But Tsukasa is not there, is he? He’d be the first one to jump out of the carriage. There is a knight with that delegation yet no sight of the only knight they’re expecting. The only logical conclusion would be…

“Hey,” Akito’s voice calls out from the distance where his thoughts have taken him. “You look puzzled. You okay?”

Toya blinks. Saki is already skipping down the stairs in front of them, seemingly unable to contain her curiosity.

He sighs. “Well, I am okay, but I’m having some odd suspicions.”

“Like?”

“Those carriages may be from the Kamishiro kingdom. From what I’ve studied, that carnivalesque aesthetic is their signature.”

Akito scrunches his nose. “Really, huh? That seems unserious as hell.”

“To each their own, Akito…”

They open the giant doors leading out to the main exit of the palace. Toya notes that the guards that keep watch in this area are already gone, and as soon as the warm wind outside hits his face, he is proven right. A peculiar commotion plays out right in front of his eyes.

“HEY HEY HEYYY! More people! Come, come!!!”

Toya blinks and squints. There is a shrill young voice calling out from above, right where the sun is — it’s difficult to focus on them at first. Once his eyes finally adjust to the bright light and abundance of colors surrounding them…

… The entire area looks completely different.

Three carriages are parked near each other. The carousel-looking one transforms into a real carousel, playing carnival music and creaking slightly as the mechanism starts to work. A person peeks out from the cotton-candy-looking carriage and begins waving ice cream and cotton candy around, attracting everyone nearby. Finally, there is a small carriage in the center covered in rainbows and sparkles, and a petite girl in a pink flower-like dress proudly stands atop of it, looking straight at Toya.

… She’s looking straight at Toya. 

“Um.” The prince instinctively straightens his back. “Greetings?...”

The girl’s lips stretch into a lopsided smile. “ Won-won-wonderhoy day to you and everyone around!!! Please welcome the one, the only, the world’s brightest smile giver — Phoenix Wonderland!!!”

Phoenix Wonderland?

Before Toya can respond, a guard rushes to his side. “Your Highness! Were you aware of this visit? Should we call your brothers for further instructions—? Oh, Sir Akito is here too!” 

Akito’s eyes meet Toya’s. There is a silent question in them that he won’t ask aloud. Should we take care of this ourselves? If this delegation is truly from the Kamishiro kingdom, having Toya’s whole family here would be troublesome — especially without Tsukasa in sight. The last thing Toya needs is this awkward situation escalating to the point of no return.

“... Nah, leave it to me,” Akito suddenly says to the guard and confidently marches towards the carriages. This quick and simple gesture makes Toya’s heart flutter. He understood. “Hey! What’s your name?”

“Oh! Me?” The girl in pink turns away from one of the guards who already looks invested in whatever conversation they were having. “I’m Otori Emu! And what’s your name?!”

The knight clears his throat. “Akito. Could you please kindly tell us who sent you here and on what occasion?”

Ah, his nice persona. Toya remembers how long Tsukasa would spend teaching Akito those manners, even though he has never been a big fan of these switches.

However, the girl in pink — Otori, was it? — doesn’t seem to be affected by his polite words at all. “Nope!” is all she says, giggling along. 

Akito’s brows furrow. “Nope?” 

“Nuh-uh!”

“No, that’s not right. You’re in a foreign kingdom next to the Royal Palace, y’know?”

Otori gasps and looks around. Her big, wide-open eyes spark so brightly as they dart across the area. “Wait, really?”

Akito coughs. “W…What do you mean, ‘really’?”

“A Royal Palace is a very important place! It’s supposed to make your heart go BADUM-BADUM!” Otori explains. Toya tries to decipher if there is any sign of guile or mockery in her voice, but she sounds quite genuine. “But this building is pretty plain… I apologize, I didn’t realize!”

If their palace is boring, what’s the Kamishiro palace like?

It’s both amusing and worrying to see Akito’s brow twitch and his polite smile falter. “That’s rude! Our palace is an architectural treasure of our nation!”

“Okay, I see! I apologize, I really didn’t wanna be rude!”

“Whatever. You still haven’t answered my question.” 

“Eh? What question?” 

Toya can sense Akito’s frustration even without him showing it. He turns around to gauge Saki’s reaction as well, but the girl is already gone from her spot — she is now standing in front of the cotton candy carriage, chatting with a man inside and picking up her own portion. 

Otori seems to have noticed that as well. “Oh, ohhh! Yes, please try that!” She slides down the roof dangerously fast and peeks to meet eyes with Saki. “We make the bestest, most wonderhoy cotton candy in the entire world!”

“Really?” gasps Saki and eagerly takes a bite. “Wow! It’s so soft and sweet!”

“Told ya!”

“Hey! C’mon!” Clenching his fists, Akito approaches confused Saki. “We need to investigate who these people are and what they’re doing here! Please don’t distract anyone.”

Otori purses her lips. “Now that’s not very nice, Mister Akito! Are you even qualified to give out such orders?”

“HUH?”

The sound that escapes Akito’s throat sounds like a threat in the oven. Toya has been standing by and observing, but he feels now is a good time to step in. 

“Hello, Miss Otori,” he calls out and slowly walks up to the carriage that Otori stands atop of. “I am one of the three princes of this kingdom, Aoyagi Toya. How can we help you, travelers?”

Strangely — or not so? — Otori’s eyes light up with recognition the moment the prince introduces himself. “Oh!!! It’s you!”

In just a few seconds, she slides all the way down to Toya’s side and jumps down. Now that the sun isn’t illuminating her entire frame and she is on equal grounds with the rest, Toya can notice how petite she truly is. 

“This is who we needed to talk to! Prince Aoyagi Toya!”

His assumptions were correct.

But why is Otori’s voice suddenly two tones quieter? 

Seemingly without too much caution, she wraps both her hands around Toya’s arm and nudges him until he leans closer to her. It appears that she wants to whisper something just to him.

“We have a letter for Prince Toya. Mizuki’s being searched by your guards right now. Please don’t let others know this though, okie-dokie?”

“Letter? Mizu—?” Toya barely manages to open his mouth before Otori swiftly covers it. 

“Pretty please?”

A stinge of anxiety makes Toya’s heart skip a beat. Why do they want this to be a secret? What kind of letter could there be? Who is Mizuki? Should he even trust this person? 

Instinctively, as he always does when such doubts overtake him, he sneaks a glance at Akito and waits until they meet eyes. Akito looks just as lost, though more so angry than anxious, and the more he reads the sentiments hiding in Toya’s gaze, the more serious he becomes. 

“Hey. So what’s this all about?” He decides to approach Otori as well, hands crossed on his chest. The girl quickly straightens her back.

“I have just told your Prince that we are a wandering troupe! We make people smile and feel so soft and fuzzy and warm and happy!” she exclaims. “But… Uh… We ran out of food and water, so we decided to stop by the nearest kingdom! Would you be so wonderhoy and let us take a breather for a bit?”

Akito looks at the other carriage, where a man gives Saki a generous amount of cotton candy — it looks half her size, — and suspiciously squints. “Ran out of supplies? Really? And what if we search the carriages?”

Otori gasps in dismay. “But, but!!! Our knight is already being searched! You guys are so distrusting here… That makes Emu quite sad…”

“We’re not distrusting, we’re careful!” Akito argues instantly. “We value the safety of our kingdom and especially the Royal Palace, y’know! ‘sides, if you’re a wandering troupe or whatever, why do you even need a knight, huh?!”

The girl in pink blinks at him as if he just asked why the sky is blue. “Because we also value our safety…”

“That’s a good point, I guess…”

Toya keeps staring at Otori. Her simple, genuine demeanor does not correlate with any theory he has in his head about this situation — Tsukasa being abducted and held hostage, them bribing Toya to force Tsukasa to stay, or anything scarier and shadier. Of course, Toya is well aware that looks can be deceiving, but the sheer absurdity and contradicting atmosphere of this event puzzles him.

“Geez… Way to be a party pooper! I told you I didn’t have anything suspicious on me.”

Another voice joins the commotion. Toya turns around to see who it belongs to and recognizes the knight who was leading the carriages earlier. To his further confusion, it appears to be a friendly-looking young woman with a big ribbon on her head and a big, nonchalant smile on her face — despite being accompanied by the royal guards and having been searched. Upon noticing Toya, she smiles even wider and waives at him as if they’re the best of friends finally meeting after a long while.

“Prince Aoyagi, Your Highness!” she muses. “It’s an honor to meet you in person! May I kiss your hand? It looks so delicate.”

Akito’s shadow grows next to the prince’s. “And you are the knight accompanying this, uh, caravan, correct?”

“Very insightful, sir! That’d be correct!” The knight looks around and lowers her voice for some reason. “I, uh, could really use a glass of drinking water right now. And I’ve heard that His Highness Prince Aoyagi is a very kind soul…”

Toya straightens his back. “Ah! I am sorry to hear that you are thirsty. I will bring you a cup right away.”

The knight’s eyes widen, and she even jerks her hands towards Toya as if attempting to grab his arm, but stops mid-air. “U-um, I would, uh, appreciate it if I could sit down while at it as well! If that’s not too much to ask n’ stuff.”

Does she need something else from him that she can’t talk about in front of others?

“Hey. You’re not getting inside the palace,” Akito suddenly chimes in, looking the knight down.

“Why not?” she bounces back immediately. “I got searched by your guards. My weapon was taken away.”

“... Not without His Highness’s consent, then!”

“Understood.” The knight turns to fully face Toya, stares him right in the eyes, then clasps her hands together and whines, “His Highness, pretty please, for me?!”

Yes, she definitely needs to get inside the palace. Toya feels a lump in his throat starting to block his voice. He has a hard time reading people’s intentions, but combined with all this mess, he guesses it must be connected to the Kamishiro kingdom and, if it’s not a stretch — and in their circumstances, definitely anything but — Tsukasa as well.

His eyes look for Saki and find her next to Otori, twirling around and showing off the sewn prints on her skirt. Otori claps her hands loudly with stars in her eyes. 

“Lady Saki is sooo really-really-magically-wonderfully-whimsically pretty! You should visit our kingdom sometime!” she exclaims once Saki faces her again. “We have many pretty ladies there, you will fit right in!”

“Really?” gasps Saki, and her eyes begin to gleam just as brightly as Otori’s.

“Yes, yes! Especially our junior royal advisor, Nene! She is the prettiest lady. And very-very-very-very-very kind and smart too!”

“I see! Thank you for the invitation! And what kingdom are you from?”

Otori jumps and twirls around Saki. “Kamishiro! The most wonderhoy kingdom of all times! The wonderlands of the world!”

Kamishiro kingdom.

This almost feels like finally figuring out the missing pieces of a complicated puzzle. The absence of formalities, bright and colorful carriages, big and cheerful personalities — all of these qualities are the staple of the modern-day Kamishiro kingdom, from what Toya has researched prior to his unsuccessful arrangement with their prince. This means that these people must have arrived to deliver some news about Tsukasa, but given the complicated and secretive nature of the feat he made Tsukasa accomplish, they might not want to let the entire royal family know what they’re here for.

Hoping his deductions are correct, Toya politely waves at the girls chirping in the distance. “Hey, Saki, could you please come here for a moment?”

“Okay!” Saki glances at Otori. “Emu?”

The girl in pink firmly shakes her head ‘no’. “I will stay here and entertain others! There are so many grumpy faces around, especially amongst your guards… We need to turn those frowns upside downs!”

“I see… Well, I’ll be back, okay?”

Toya watches Saki mosey towards them, looking unbothered by the unexpected chaos and oddly hopeful. At the sight of the Kamishiro knight, she quickly bows and politely introduces herself.

“Now what’s the matter, Prince Toya?” 

Toya can only hope that he doesn’t cause a massacre over doing what he plans to do. “One of our guests here, uh—Pardon me, what is your name? I am terribly sorry…” 

He barely even meets eyes with the knight before she bows at him and the others. “Right! Sorry, forgot as well! Call me Mizuki.” 

“Nice to meet you, Mizuki,” Toya bows in response. “Now, our guest Mizuki would like some water and a place to take a quick break. Would you mind accompanying us to one of the vacant guest salons, Saki?”

“Oh!” The momentary confusion in Saki’s eyes quickly turns into curiosity, and she bobs her head happily. “Of course! I’ll be honored! Please follow me, Mizuki!” 

Mizuki bows once more. “Thank you very much!”

Toya’s eyes dart to Akito. The knight’s face looks perplexed at best and dismayed at worst. “Wait, seriously? Just like that?”

I’m sorry. I hope this doesn’t lead to something unfixable. Toya knows he cannot say it out loud, so he tries to communicate it with a slight caress of Akito’s fingers and a shaky, concerned sigh. Akito quickly goes quiet, whatever was on his tongue dying out and getting swallowed, and he obediently follows Saki and Mizuki while keeping a hand on his sheath.

Tension seems to rise once all of them enter the palace. Toya can sense how much attention Mizuki steals from the confused and curious servants roaming around. The majority of them are glued to the windows, watching the commotion outside, but quite a few redirect their attention to Toya’s group as they pass by. Mizuki doesn’t make a sound all the way until they stop by the needed door and Saki pulls out her master key.

“There we go! We have very comfortable salons for the guests of our kingdom, so please make yourself at home, Lady Mizuki!” she trills while letting their guest in. “There is a sofa you can take a break on, and there is the door to the bathroom and a closet…” 

“Oh, uh… I don’t think I’ll need that much,” Mizuki finally says. They look startled by their own echo ringing faintly in the tall white walls. “Is it okay if I ask for His Highness to stay as well and close the door for a few moments?”

Both Saki and Akito glare at Toya with confusion and anticipation. The prince nods slowly. 

“Of course. And would you be comfortable with my knight staying inside?”

Mizuki waves her hands. “Why would you ask me that, dear Prince Aoyagi? It is only natural.” 

“Well then…” 

Toya waits until Akito reluctantly steps further into the room and closes the door. The second all outside noises quiet down, Mizuki lets out a deep, relieved breath, and reaches up to take off their big bow.

“Okay, finally… Prince Aoyagi, I have a letter for you that I was instructed to deliver with…” she glances at Saki and Akito, “...some degree of secrecy.”

It feels as though Toya’s heart stops for a few moments, as he suddenly struggles to breathe and his chest gets too tight. “Oh?”

Mizuki carefully unties the bow and reveals a small envelope tied to it. With how large the accessory is and how light her hair looks, the envelope manages to go unnoticed until she frees it and holds it up. There is no royal seal, no signature — it’s white and clean.

“It’s a letter from Tenma Tsukasa. He personally requested me to deliver this to you as soon as possible,” Mizuki announces quietly. “I believe he wrote it yesterday evening.”

Saki gasps. “Tsukasa… He sent us a letter?!”

“Only to Prince Toya…” Mizuki clarifies. “But I assume it would be okay if the people closest to him saw it as well. If I’m not mistaken, you may be his sister, correct?”

Saki nods. Her eyes nearly fill with tears, but she hurriedly blinks them away. “Is he okay?”

Suddenly, Mizuki smiles. “Oh, he’s more than okay.” She stretches her hand to pass the letter to Toya. “Here. Read it.”

Toya carefully takes the envelope and opens it. The handwriting looks surprisingly messy, and there are a lot of crossed-over lines — but it is undoubtedly Tsukasa’s letter. Saki clings to the prince’s side to peek into it as well, and Akito hides behind him, probably doing the same.

“Dear Prince Toya, Your Highness,

It has been quite a while since I last reported to you — if we consider the ten-day mark a lengthy time frame. I must admit, a lot has changed since my previous letter, and I apologize in advance for being so changeable and unreliable in my judgment.

Prince Kamishiro and I have been spending days together. To my relief, he has become more open and direct about his true intentions and genuine feelings over the time we have had, and I resonate with them. Prince Kamishiro has turned out to be an incredibly caring, understanding, kind, and creative person. I have no doubts in how and why he manages to inspire so many people in his future kingdom. He is pleasant to be around, intelligent, respectful, and ———————is indeed honest about his affections toward me.

All in all, my opinion on Prince Kamishiro has taken a drastic turn for the better. I find myself———attached to him. Drawn to him…———It is quite weird of me, is it not? It was not in my plans to get attached to the Prince who Your Highness was originally arranged with. However, I suppose life never runs out of surprises.

The last thing I wish for is to make a rushed and foolish decision, so please, tell me directly and honestly if I am worsening the relations between our Kingdoms, or if I am committing an unacceptable deed. Yet, I have come to realize that I care about Prince Kamishiro deeply, and I——————————would be upset, admittedly, if we were to part.

I still owe you, my Prince. I feel forever indebted to you after what you did for me when Saki was ill. I am sorry for all the inconveniences I have caused and all the unpleasant conversations I might have dragged you into.

But I have a sudden, selfish, embarrassing request… And a sudden, selfish, and embarrassing wish. If it is possible, I would like to extend my visit indefinitely. I would like to properly get to know Prince Kamishiro and court him honorably, and let him court me in return. I am not sure if I am ready for such a marriage, yet I cannot deny the strong nature of my feelings towards Prince Kamishiro, and, if it is possible, I would love to pursue this relationship and nurture it. I know it is horribly out of place… This is purely my wish. I believe I will be incredibly happy if I am given this chance.

Therefore, I ask you to weigh all the consequences of such a feat for you, my Prince, and come to the Kamishiro kingdom to discuss it with us. Prince Kamishiro is kindly offering to greet you, and my family, and even Akito. Let us come up with a renewed plan and satisfying terms.

Please remember that I will never choose something dubious over your safety and happiness, and that I will never turn my back on my family and friends. I am not planning to never return. Still, I do wish for us to meet in the Kamishiro palace first and make proper plans. Also… I just really, really miss you and Saki. Please consider this, okay? And let Saki read this as well—though I am sure she is reading this together with you. I love you, Saki!!!

All in all… Waiting patiently for your response, my Prince.

Forever loyal,

Your Tsukasa”

Toya only takes a breath once he’s done reading. His chest, previously incredibly tight, becomes featherlight in a heartbeat. Without knowing why, or even being aware, he gently smiles at the letter and sighs. 

That’s just so bizarre yet so Tsukasa. He really swooned the Prince himself and fell for him too. 

Is he happier now? Does he feel more free and in charge of his own future? Does he dream of companionship, and is Prince Kamishiro truly someone who can provide it the way Tsukasa likes?

The shift in tone between this letter and the previous one is as drastic as Tsukasa described the shift in Prince Kamishiro over these days. Toya can almost sense the knight’s honest feelings vibrating and shining through this messy, rushed letter. For as long as he can remember, Tsukasa has been one of the most selfless people he’s known — the only time he ever expressed a strong desire in something was when Saki was bedridden and he did not want to leave her during the war. Seeing him take those extra steps to acknowledge his own feelings and dreams is not only refreshing but also oddly satisfying. 

For all the times Tsukasa helped him and Akito meet in secret, hid them from the royal family, encouraged Toya to embrace his feelings, joined him to play the piano together so that it’d be a bit easier; for how he diligently nurtured Akito into a strong, healthy, and loyal person he is today; for all the lonely days he’d sneak into the palace to comfort Toya and distract him from the stress he endured…

Why would Toya not want to respect Tsukasa’s wishes and feelings?

Saki plummets to the couch, tears streaming down her face. Her shaky voice wakes Toya up. “My brother… My dearest big brother!”

“This is just nonsensical. Knights used to go to war,” Akito mutters behind the prince’s back. “Are we even sure this is legit?”

“Of course it is!” Saki gasps before staring right at Toya with a desperate plea in her eyes. “And we must go! Please tell me we will go there… Won’t we, Prince Toya?”

This isn’t a decision Toya has to spend a lot of time on. Without a doubt, he needs to think of all possible strategies and solutions to the obstacles that might occur, but not taking the first step is certainly not an option.

“I… don’t see why not. It may seem reckless, but I promise I will treat it with utmost caution and diligence,” he says, and Saki lets out a long, relieved breath.

“I’m so glad… I knew this would happen, I could sense it! We need to make sure he doesn’t change his mind just because he’s worried for us, right?!”

Toya’s lips curve. “Right. It’s our Tsukasa, after all.”

“Yes, yes! I’ll tell our family too—I’m not sure Dad will be able to go, but maybe Mom will!” Saki gets up, restless, and begins pacing around the room. “Oh, this is so—!!! I can’t even choose proper words to describe my excitement right now!”

Before anyone can react, she leaps at Mizuki and takes her hands to squeeze them with passion. The Kamishiro knight lets out a muffled ‘whoa’.

“Thank you so much for delivering such thrilling news, Lady Mizuki! You’re the best!” Saki exclaims.

“Sheesh, that’s flattering, but I’m just a messenger…” chuckles Mizuki, seemingly flustered. “I gotta say, this news shocked me. Your big bro has been given royal treatment from the start, and I was convinced he was a prince!”

“Royal treatment?! Like, actual royal treatment?! You don’t say!”

“Yes, yes… And then boom! Apparently, he’s just a knight like me and suddenly I gotta deliver an urgent letter!” Mizuki’s boisterous laughter fills up the room, making Toya wince. “This feels like hopping on a book series at volume five, and your friend sucks at retelling.”

“Such a predicament Tsukasa’s in…!”

Toya feels a familiar warm hand grab his wrist, and he tilts his head to sneak a glance at Akito. The knight is the only person in the room who does not radiate relief or joy, staring suspiciously at the letter in Toya’s hand and pursing his lips.

“Can we talk for a sec?”

Toya blinks. “Sure… Would you like to—?”

Akito doesn’t even let him finish the sentence as he quickly drags both of them to the guest bathroom, locking the door the moment they’re inside. It immediately gets dim, the only source of light being a small window above their heads. 

Akito grabs Toya by his shoulders. “You can’t go there.”

“Huh? Why?” The prince feels his heart skip a beat, anxiety crawling back into his chest.

“This could be a trap. They might end up making you marry the Kamishiro prince,” Akito mutters. Although his voice is quiet, Toya can catch the hints of concern and even panic in it. 

“Why would they do something like that… With such a heartfelt and genuine letter?”

“Did you see his handwriting? The scribbles? It seems Tsukasa was stressed when writing it.”

Was he stressed or simply nervous? Toya averts his eyes from his knight for a few moments in an attempt to imagine both scenarios.

“They might have forced him to write that letter so that you could urgently come,” Akito continues, breathing more sporadically. “And they’re causing such a commotion outside to make sure no one else gets involved.”

Toya shakes his head. “I’m sorry, Akito, but this barely makes sense. If they wanted to force me to follow through with the arrangement, they would not need to hide it from my family. Also, Tsukasa stated in the letter that his family was welcome to join me. Would they really trap me in front of the Tenmas, the family of royal knights?”

Akito sighs and lowers his head to think. It is easily noticeable that there is a lot on his mind, and with how desperately he’s grabbing Toya’s shoulders, it is also clear that he’s mostly worried for his prince, not even Tsukasa. Akito may be the only person who Toya has learned to read just from gestures and expressions.

So, the prince gently reaches out to cup Akito’s cheek, earning a confused glance in return. “Akito… I understand why you’re worried. This is pretty sudden, and unexpected, and chaotic…”

“That’s some careful choice of words,” the knight mumbles.

“Yeah… But there is something in me that tells me we don’t need to worry,” Toya goes on, trying to sound soft yet affirming. “These affairs, secretive or not, are big. We won’t be able to hide them forever, so there would be no benefit in fraud or further confusion.”

With a shaky sigh, Akito lets go of Toya’s shoulders and covers the hand on his cheek with his own. “Yeah, and, well… If all of this is revealed, your father will immediately look for a new match for you.”

“That’s…”

Two green eyes look up at Toya, staring intently, with a desperate glow in them. Akito’s voice turns into a whisper when he mouths his next words, “We… wanted to run away, didn’t we, Toya?”

They did. They do. They’ve been planning to, ever since their teens.

Toya mimics his sigh. Leaving everything behind without a trace has always sounded scary. With Tsukasa away, entrusted with Toya’s secret rejection, it was easier to pretend as if they had more time to figure things out. Akito is right — the moment they go to the Kamishiro kingdom and make a decision to assist with Tsukasa’s affairs, this will give a start to many new processes that may only hinder their initial plans. It’s terrifying; Toya hates the unknown.

Yet, more than that, he also hates having to endure this contained and restricted life any longer and making Akito endure it along with him. Even Tsukasa himself would encourage him to stand up for his own feelings, whatever they are, and take matters into his own hands. Now that they’re both willing to move forward, when could be a better time to take the next step?

Anxiety begins to turn into determination. Toya lifts his other hand to Akito’s face and pulls him into a quick, reassuring kiss, surprising the knight. It is rare that he’s the one initiating kisses; perhaps even this small detail has to be changed as well.

“We will run away. I promise,” Toya whispers the moment their lips part. Akito’s shaky exhale burns his skin.

“I don’t doubt it, Toya,” he whispers, “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I know. I don’t want any of us to get hurt, too. So let’s do our best, okay?”

Akito nods, and his concerned face turns determined. Huffing and puffing much like the certain someone who raised him, he pats Toya on the shoulder before stepping outside the bathroom.

“Everything okay, Akito?”

The confused faces of Saki and Mizuki greet them as they exit together. Upon hearing Akito’s name, the Kamishiro knight oddly perks up.

“Wait, you’re Akito?!”

The man in question looks at her with bewilderment. “Yeah, why?” Mizuki smirks, yet shakes her head.

“Nothing! Just, uh, heard your name earlier and was wondering who it belonged to, is all.” Before Akito can give her a worthy comeback, she twirls on the heels of her boots to face Toya and gives him a curious look. “Well, what have you decided? I was asked to collect your immediate response — would you be so kind to inform me right away?”

Seeing Saki impatiently bouncing on her feet, Toya can’t even imagine saying anything other than yes. “Our immediate response would be that we are planning to pay the Kamishiro kingdom a visit in the nearest future. But if you have a couple more minutes to spare, I could write Tsukasa a quick letter.”

“Oh! That’d be lovely! I’m sure Tsukasa and R—Prince Kamishiro will appreciate it!” Mizuki bows. “Please take your time. Otori seems to be doing just fine entertaining the crowd.”

Saki joins her. “Yes, one of your older brothers is outside checking up on them!” she giggles. “Emu gave him some huge cotton candy!”

Toya imagines his brother surrounded by all those festivities, and this vision gives him some odd sense of triumph. “I see… Well, while I’ll be writing the letter, how about we treat Mizuki to some tea?”

“Okay! I’ll be on it!”

“And I’m gonna fetch you a pen and paper,” Akito says, already backing away towards the door. “You can just wait here.”

“Thank you, Akito.”

Toya lowers his eyes to the ground and tries to focus. Frankly, his head feels fuller and heavier than usual, with too many thoughts clouding it. The future seems as uncertain as it can get — yet, even in all this chaos, he likes to believe that some parts of it that have been present in his and Tsukasa’s lives for a long while are finally getting solved. 

He loves Tsukasa more than either of his brothers, admires him, and treasures him deeply. There is nothing that would stop Toya from helping Tsukasa find his own happiness in life — their ever-selfless and ever-sympathetic youngest bestest knight.

He takes a deep breath. None of this was planned or even slightly expected, but he is sure that everything is going to be okay.

The door opens once more. Akito hands him a clean sheet of paper and a pen. “Here, To—Your Highness.”

Toya hurries to write.

***

A pastel rainbow of dresses and suits moves steadily across the ballroom. The music is leisurely and has a comfortable pace — not too slow, not too fast, not too loud yet consistently growing in volume. The clanking sounds of champagne glasses have become so authentic that even they feel like a part of the music. Nothing and no one could interrupt this everlasting melody and the ever-moving kaleidoscope of faces and gowns.

After all, today is a big day in the Kamishiro palace — the prince is going to propose to his long-awaited suitor. What could be a better occasion to dance the night away and pour the drinks?

For now, however, the said prince is awkwardly standing in the corner beside his parents like a child who’s never visited a ball before. He keeps searching for his own reflection in any glass surface he can find, constantly fixing his hair, the crown on his head, the accessories on his suit. This suit has been stuck in the depths of his wardrobe since his eighteenth birthday, when he wore it for the official ceremony — who would’ve thought he’d have the urge to wear it again?

“Rui,” his mother’s voice caresses his ear, “You look gorgeous. Nervous?”

His father snorts, “Frankly, it’s a bit endearing to see you in such a state.” 

“Geez,” the queen elbows him. “Of course he is. There’s a lot to take care of.”

“It’ll be fine. As long as they’re both happy, who’d want to protest?”

Rui closes his eyes. Right. As long as both of them are happy, this is the right decision. They can count on the support of his palace, and perhaps the Aoyagi palace will not oppose this either.

For now, though…

His eyes flutter open, searching for Tsukasa’s silhouette in the moving crowd. Despite knowing exactly what his suit should look like, the prince struggles to find any sign of his suitor. He hasn’t seen Tsukasa since this morning after he left Rui’s chambers, which was nearly half a day ago, and some oddly anxious part of him keeps highlighting this fact in addition to all the fantasies about the ball turning out disastrous. This anxiety is reminiscent of that night in the past, when Rui decided to show his doll theater to his first-ever date — except he now also has stubborn faith in Tsukasa and desperately wants to believe that it all ends well.

His mother’s gentle hands lay on his shoulders. “Okay, I think it’s our cue soon,” she mutters, pointing at one of the hosts slowly making their way towards the thrones. Rui’s heart skips a beat — usually, it’s just three for him and his parents, but today there is an additional throne brought in specifically for their dear guest. Tsukasa won’t love this, he thinks, I bet he cannot stand the idea of sitting on a throne dedicated to a prince without being one.

Subconsciously, he tries to treat this like a show — like his and Tsukasa’s debut. The dedicated area for them is their stage, and the audience must be eager for a performance. And there’s a banquet at the end, his inner voice adds. Tsukasa will be so happy, won’t he? We haven’t eaten much after breakfast, and there’ll be so many amazing dishes. An involuntary smile crawls onto his face as he imagines the knight’s satisfied face at the sight of food.

“... Meet the Kamishiro Royal family!”

Oh. He got so lost in thought.

The applause roars across the ballroom as the Queen, the King, and the Prince leisurely make their way to their respective thrones, and so do their advisors. Nene looks focused and solemn, probably having too many thoughts in her head, so Rui playfully pokes her in the back once she stops beside him.

“Don’t embarrass yourself,” the advisor hisses, yet her lips quirk into a small, quickly hidden smile.

The applause does not die for a while. At any other event, people would quietly bow down to the royal family, but the festive spirit of this ball seems to make the participants feel like they’re part of a show as well. Rui scans the room and finds so many familiar faces smiling in excitement and anticipation, and those smiles turn the sparse thorns of anxiety in his chest into blooming flowers. Everyone is radiating happiness and love. That’s what this ball should be all about.

“And now please greet Our Majesty’s future spouse — the glorious Prince Tenma!”

At that, the strain in Rui’s body is back. ‘Future spouse’, ‘Prince’ — he can tell, without seeing or hearing Tsukasa, that those words surely made him tense up, wherever he is. The real prince peeks his head out to look past his parents’ thrones, impatiently searching for Tsukasa in the crowd.

And there he is — in one of the best suits the Kamishiro kingdom could provide, lavish and blue with a fluffy cape and flowy sleeves. Had he appeared in such clothes at the beginning, Rui would have never believed that he wasn’t royalty. This posh and fabulous image suits his well-kept appearance and polished manners a tad too well.

Perhaps one day he will become actual royalty.

Their eyes meet, and the heat Rui feels rushing to his own face matches the quick change of color in Tsukasa’s. The fake prince stops right in front of Rui’s parents and bows down to them — lower than necessary, as always — before timidly taking his seat. All the while, the audience cheers and claps to him with full enthusiasm and shining eyes.

“He’s so handsome… Our Prince sure has taste!”

“Prince Rui is so lucky… What kingdom is he from, again?”

Rui bets that the tips of Tsukasa’s ears are just as red as his own. The chatter is politely hushed, yet easily distinguishable in the monotonous ovation.

“This day is truly an important one!” The host calls out, and all the sounds become muffled. “After ten fruitful days of courting and getting to know each other, the Princes are finally ready to make a decision regarding their future! How marvelous!”

Rui can imagine the thoughts clouding Tsukasa’s head. ‘I’m not even a prince’, ‘Finally? It’s been just ten days!’, ‘This is all wrong’... He wishes he sat next to the knight to comfort and reassure him, but for now, their performance is directed by someone else.

“Therefore, let us dedicate this moment to the two princes!”

The crowd steadily moves aside to make room for what happens next. No matter who Rui looks at, their eyes gleam so brightly and their smiles illuminate the room brighter than the grand chandeliers. He makes eye contact with the host and watches him point towards his suitor then at the now-empty center of the dance floor. All eyes are on them now. It’s a bit nerve-wracking to take the first step.

“Go,” his mother’s quiet voice reaches his ear. “It’s your time to shine.”

Right. It’s their moment.

With a deep breath, Rui gets up from his throne and slowly walks towards Tsukasa’s. The knight is sitting there with his back unnaturally straight and his expression easily giving away his nervousness. Though a bit of that anxiety seems to melt upon noticing Rui, his figure continues radiating incredible tension all while the prince bows down before him and outstretches his hand.

The ballroom is quiet, so Rui’s soft voice creates a great echo when he mutters, “Dear Tsukasa… May I have this dance?”

Tsukasa audibly gulps before nodding. “Yes. I’ll be honored…”

His hand carefully lands into Rui’s, and Rui can’t help but place a gentle kiss on Tsukasa’s knuckles.

They had spent all yesterday’s evening discussing today’s ball — even practicing their slow dance in Rui’s room just to ease Tsukasa’s agitation. 

“I wouldn’t say I’m not a gentleman,” he’d mumble, looking away from Rui, “But I admit I have not danced at many balls in my life. I have mostly, y’know… held guard…”

“Oh, how curious,” Rui would smirk in response, and his arm would instantly snake around Tsukasa’s waist. “Shall we practice then? It’s not difficult.”

“Hey! I know the basics, okay?”

“Then why aren’t your hands on me yet?”

“Geez, Rui…”

It was fun, waltzing around the room and nonchalantly talking about their possible plans for the future. They only discussed trivial things, such as waking up early and reading books together after lunch, or the possible plays they could make in Rui’s theater. The ball, however, feels way more grotesque compared to that innocent dance in their nightgowns from then. Rui imagines this is what artists experience when they perform on a big stage for the first time.

“It’s your time to shine.”

Bracing himself, Rui carefully leads Tsukasa into the center of the ballroom. Under so many shining gazes and lights, Tsukasa truly looks like the brightest star in the illuminated sky. It is a sudden switch, but Rui understands in a heartbeat why neither of them should be nervous — he realizes that once laid on his lover, his eyes just can’t be torn away from him and him alone. 

Their hands find their way into each other’s grasp and rest on one another, just like they rehearsed. Tsukasa’s honey-colored eyes glow so much that they turn gold. He is also looking at Rui and no one else. He must be feeling the same way.

The music starts, and so does their dance. They take a leisurely pace and immediately bring themselves closer to each other. Tsukasa’s breath burns Rui’s ear. “You look, um, gorgeous today.”

Rui chuckles, quietly enough for it to be heard by his partner only. “I’m flattered. So do you. This suit makes you look like the most beautiful prince in the world.”

“Ugh… It’s too posh for me,” the knight huffs into Rui’s already blushing cheek. “This attire is unusual.”

“It won’t be over time. Regardless, you look incredible, Tsukasa.”

They carry each other across the ballroom to the rhythm of the melody, forgetting about all they rehearsed and going with the flow instead. Their eyes never drift away from each other’s faces; Rui finds himself hypnotized by the way Tsukasa smiles at him.

This, right there in front of him, is the man he wants to marry.

The tempo of the music increases along with the volume, and so increases their pace. They waltz across the ballroom with the many accessories on their gowns flowing, practically floating in the air. Tsukasa’s hand grips Rui’s harder; they have to focus more on their movements now in order not to ruin the dance, but their gazes stay fixated on each other. At such speed, it feels as though the world is moving without them as the audience turns into one huge mix of fleeting colors, but Rui may be okay staying still if it prolongs his time with Tsukasa.

Honestly, who would have thought things would turn out this way? Was it truly just a silly coincidence that has led them to this moment? As much as Rui is used to the traditions, even he never believed he would be so sure in his future husband after knowing him for only ten days, let alone that they’d reach this mark after having quite a rocky start.

“Whoa… All eyes are on us,” Tsukasa whispers with a contradicting mix of emotions in his quiet voice.

“Mine are on you,” Rui smiles. The knight huffs yet smiles back.

“Then all eyes are on me.”

“You’re truly a star of tonight, eh?”

The melody slowly gets quieter, indicating its nearing finish. The men navigate back to the center of the ballroom, where they are supposed to turn and bow to the Queen, the King, and the audience. However, the moment the music stops, overwhelmed by his feelings, Rui lets go of Tsukasa’s hand to wrap both of his arms around him and hides himself in the soft mop of Tsukasa’s hair. Although the knight lets out a surprised gasp, his hands soon end up locked on Rui’s back as well, and his breath starts burning Rui’s neck.

This is their show, isn’t it?

All the royal servants begin to cheer while the pair stays frozen, catching their breath in the comfort of each other’s tight embrace. Rui lets himself drown in Tsukasa’s scent and warmth until the applause dies down, and even that does not feel enough for him. For a moment, he even wishes that all the guests disappeared and they were back in his chambers, alone, so that he could comfortably let all these fluttering feelings out.

Yet, the show must go on. Sparks of anticipation in the air never dissipate, as there is an even more exciting part of the ball awaiting. 

The proposal.

Rui pulls away from Tsukasa and takes a quick glance at his face. His cheeks are remarkably pink and his honey eyes are still locked on Rui’s face, yet his expression grows increasingly serious. Then, they finally turn to bow to Rui’s parents, who give them another round of applause. Before they turn to the guests, Rui manages to notice a tint of pride in his mother’s smile, and it eases him.

In the corner of his eye, he notices as the host gets up from his chair. He is probably going to announce that Rui will propose now and collect the King and Queen’s blessings. That won’t do.

The prince clears his throat. “Ladies and gentlemen… It is undoubtedly an important day for our kingdom and for me personally. Frankly, it means a lot to be standing here right now with someone as incredible as Tsukasa after sharing a dance with him.”

Now he knows that he has everyone’s undivided attention — even the host sits back down, his squinting eyes darting curiously between the couple and the royal parents. Tsukasa also stares at him quite intensely, all kinds of emotions mixing in his gaze and making his eyes change colors. 

Rui lowers his own, suddenly overwhelmed, yet keeps his polite smile. “I think we can all agree that finding a partner for life… is not the first priority of a royalty, right?” He earns some giggles from the audience, and even Tsukasa snorts. “But it is important nonetheless. For that reason, I have spent over five years searching for my perfect partner to share the rest of my existence comfortably. I admit, even though it was never my primary concern nor did I believe in romantic miracles, I have yearned for this moment all those five years in the back of my mind.” He musters the courage to look up at Tsukasa and feels his own lips stretch wider. “And it turns out that miracles do happen sometimes. Tsukasa has proven it to me.”

The knight’s face twitches as he battles against his own smile. He seems to be working hard to keep up his formal facade, and Rui gets an urge to ruin that — lovingly, of course.

“Tsukasa is truly incredible. From the first day we met, I have felt that we had a special connection, and it got proven to me in the span of these short ten days we’ve spent together.” The prince’s voice softens, showing tenderness uncharacteristic of him — at least for most guests, who have definitely never seen him like this before. “I’m sure that by this point he has heard me say this at least a hundred times already. I apologize for repeating myself, Tsukasa.”

There it is. Tsukasa silently admits defeat as his lips curl into a flustered and endeared smile.

“I am also sure that he knows this already as well, but in just these ten days, he has encouraged me to improve and open up as a person, which I find incredible,” Rui continues. His fingers begin to gently caress Tsukasa’s. “So I’d like to express my sincerest gratitude for showing me an opportunity to do that.” His chest gets so full of feelings and emotions that he barely manages to take a breath. “Thank you, Tsukasa. You have become very important and very dear to me. You’re like a guiding star in my life, shining the brightest.”

Is Tsukasa’s bottom lip quivering a little? “Thank you, Rui,” the knight suddenly blurts out, voice low and genuine. “You have become equally as important and dear to me as well.”

Oh, if only they were alone right now…

The crowd sighs and smiles without daring to make any loud noise. Rui appreciates the fact that they make it easier to treat this moment like just his and Tsukasa’s.

“There are many, many things that I want to tell you, to remind you every day. Yet for now, I only want to say the most important…”

But of course, the gasps and whispers grow a tad louder once Rui finally musters the courage to get on one knee. His own heartbeat muffles all the sounds pretty quickly, drumming on his ears and chest. The natural color of Tsukasa’s face gets washed away by a bright peach blush, matching the ends of his hair; his expression turns visibly nervous, and Rui has to avert his eyes to avoid getting infected by it.

The prince never lets go of Tsukasa’s hands, but they begin to shake so notably that he considers it for a moment. The ballroom drowns in absolute silence, the one in which any noise would produce a loud echo.

Rui’s throat gets sore, yet he persists. “Tsukasa… We have talked about this before, and I am only wishing the best for you.”

Tsukasa takes a deep breath. When Rui finally raises his eyes to meet Tsukasa’s, he finds him looking as if he doesn’t know what to expect. 

Somehow, this turns the nervousness paralyzing Rui’s body into a strong desire to reassure him. “Both of us have agreed that all the dear guests at today’s ball should know the truth. We are not ready for marriage yet, thus I am not going to propose today.”

A wave of shocked gasps runs across the ballroom. Rui can already imagine all the confused looks and judgmental whispers that await the moment he glances into the audience. So, he ignores them and kisses Tsukasa’s hands — slowly, carefully, pouring his heart into these simple kisses knowing he can’t offer more at the moment.

“Still, I wanted to declare something important to you today, Tsukasa. And I want our guests to know and understand this.” 

He sighs shakily. It takes an incredible amount of effort not to hide his eyes from Tsukasa again.

“Tenma Tsukasa, the honored royal knight of the Aoyagi kingdom…”

Tsukasa’s hands begin to shake as well. There is a new barely audible wave of gasps in the room, but Rui pays no mind to it.

“I am deeply and genuinely in love with you. I vow to make you happy for as long as you choose to stay with me, and I feel incredibly lucky to have met you. I-I love you.”

He finally said it. It feels as if he has let go of a huge weight on his chest, yet that weight was never a bother.

For some time, the room drowns in silence again. Rui uses this pause to catch his breath and study Tsukasa’s face, waiting for his reaction. He never warned him that he’d say these things — they only agreed there would be no proposal. He feels a lot of things at once: fear, relief, love, concern, and he wishes to know what Tsukasa feels too.

Then, after what feels like a long while, the audience begins to cheer. 

The sudden round of applause contrasts so heavily with the absolute silence that it almost knocks Rui off his feet. He briefly looks around, only to find people smiling at him again — though their eyes shine with surprise, he can’t spot a single disappointed or confused face in the crowd of guests. He then looks at his parents, who smile all the same, and finally at Nene. The advisor looks relieved, as though one of her deep personal troubles got sorted out, and gives Rui such a warm, proud look that his chest starts to feel fluttery.

Okay… They’re okay. No one seems to be angry about what happened—

“Ahem!!!”

“Eh?”

Rui has no choice but to swiftly turn back to Tsukasa as his loud voice roars across the room. When he looks up, he sees the knight pursing his lips with the most serious yet flustered expression, slightly reminiscent of those he made when interacting with Rui for the first time.

“I, Tenma Tsukasa, the bestest youngest knight of the Aoyagi kingdom, want to say something too!” Tsukasa exclaims. Even the floor vibrates from the volume. “First of all, I would like to say sorry to everyone who was deceived, mistakenly thinking of me as royalty!!!”

He lets go of Rui’s hands and hurriedly bows in every direction. 

“Unfortunately, I cannot explain the reasoning behind such a deceit! But I hope you accept my sincerest apologies and still see me as a reliable and trustworthy person!!!”

You’ll never have to worry about that… Rui wishes to say, but he knows he has no right to interrupt him after surprising him with his confession.

“Second of all, I am incredibly grateful to His and Her Highness, and to Rui, and to Nene, and to everyone who has given me such a warm welcome!” Tsukasa continues without skipping a beat. “My time here has been lovely, all thanks to you! I could not even dream of such caring treatment from any party, regardless of my status! So, I really, really, really appreciate it!!!”

After giving another round of bows, the knight turns back to Rui, now red and with messier hair, and squeezes his hands again.

“Finally… Rui!”

“Y-yes?” the prince mewls, taken aback by the intensity of Tsukasa’s voice and gaze. 

The knight’s mouth turns into a thin straight line, lightly quivering, and so does his voice when he announces,

“I-I have fallen for you too, Rui. I know I have said multiple times that it’d be impossible, but… You truly make me feel things I’ve never experienced before.”

His tone goes from amplified to barely audible to anyone but Rui, husky and bashful.

“Thank you for opening up to me… For being patient with me, and so caring too… We don’t know what the future holds, and there are a lot of matters to take care of, but I believe that… Um…” He squeezes Rui’s hands even harder, almost making them hurt — holding onto him like his life depends on it. “I believe that as long as we have each other, we will be okay. I vow to do everything in my power to protect you, and take care of you, and make sure you never feel lonely ever again!”

It feels as if Rui’s heart stopped and now has started beating again — with twice as much force. He would probably fall over to the floor if it wasn’t for Tsukasa’s hands gripping his wrists and pulling him up towards him to trap in his arms. This embrace is much tighter than the previous one with all the emotions that go into it; all of it makes Rui’s head spin. For a while, he cannot hear or see anything but Tsukasa’s blushing face and unsteady breathing, and there is only one thing on his mind.

Tsukasa said he had fallen for him too.

Tsukasa is in love with him. And he is in love with Tsukasa.

Everything else doesn’t matter much. As long as they have each other, they will be all right.

This is the man Rui is going to marry.

The prince plants a small, invisible peck on Tsukasa’s cheek. It definitely goes unnoticed by their audience, but Tsukasa nuzzles him in response. Only after a while does Rui begin to hear the clapping and cheering that resumes in their honor, surrounding them like a wall made purely of sound.

They must spend a long while hugging in the middle of the ballroom, as the host ends up taking the floor.

“Ladies and gentlemen! We have witnessed such a beautiful confession! To celebrate a newborn love, let us join the couple in a festive dance! Let love and care be the trademark of our kingdom for generations upon generations!”

Thus, the ball resumes. 

Many people approach them with congratulations and warm wishes. Nene happily shakes Tsukasa’s head and ruffles the hair on Rui’s, then so do Rui’s parents. Rui struggles to pay attention to everything around them — it feels too fast, almost too much, compared to the comfort of Tsukasa’s loving embrace and the gentle look he gives the prince whenever they make eye contact. He feels on top of the world right now, like he has entered a completely new chapter of his life, and there are many things to think about, discuss, and decide on—but not right now, not in this beautiful moment. 

Rui’s hands never let go of Tsukasa’s. They dance amongst the guests, then feast beside each other, dance some more, and receive countless congratulations together. It all happens in a pleasant haze that only disappears once they both make it to Rui’s chambers — still hand in hand, still sharing gentle looks, still eager to say much more. They’ve got all night, and then all day, and hopefully all the time in the world.

This is the happiest ending he could wish for.

***

“HIYYYYYYYYYYYYYA! WOOOOOO!!!”

A dark, glowing ball of magic flies his way, but Tsukasa skillfully dodges it and thrusts his sword forward. A splatter of blood slaps his wrist — truly a satisfying feeling in this predicament — and he decides not to lose any second, thrusting the sword once more. A chilling scream escapes his opponent’s throat; he would slit it and be done, really, but he has standards and wants to remain a gentleman, so he aims for the heart instead — a more graceful finishing blow. The enemy gathers all the last ounces of strength to send an electric, gravity-bending wave of dark energy his way, yet this only makes Tsukasa jump to the side and stab the evil witch in the chest from behind. 

“GIVE UP!!!” he shouts at the top of his lungs, enjoying the vibration in his throat. “You’re done for! Now let him go!!!”

“Only through my dead body!” the witch coughs. Tsukasa can only smirk in response.

“Oh yeah? Oh yeah?! Ha ha ha! Then so be it!”

He pulls the sword out and watches the witch plummet to the ground, groaning in pain and disappointment. It is only now that all his scratches, cuts, and bruises start to hurt, and the tiredness in his muscles becomes noticeable; he does not mind, as there are bigger things to worry about. 

“Rui!”

Instead, he rushes to the prince tied up to a tree by invincible magical chains. Upon hearing his voice, Rui raises his head and smiles with such relief that his smile alone cures the exhaustion in Tsukasa’s body.

“Tsukasa! Are you okay?!”

“Just a couple scratches,” Tsukasa breathes out before kneeling down to examine the chains. “Are they letting go of you yet?”

“I can feel them loosen up—Oh!”

As the evil witch takes her final breath, the chains crumble and fall to the ground, dissipating in the fresh forest air. It is still electric from the intense fight Tsukasa had with his enemy. 

“You’re free!” he exclaims and immediately pulls Rui into a tight embrace. The warmth of his body and the way his hands sneak onto Tsukasa’s back is the most comforting feeling in the world. “You’re finally free! After decades of captivity!!!”

“Yes… All thanks to you, my knight,” Rui sighs dreamily and slumps onto Tsukasa. “Thank you… Thank you so much…”

With chest light and head dizzy from satisfaction and joy, Tsukasa gently grabs the prince by his shoulders and finds his eyes. “We can finally go home now. From now on, you will live a happy, comfortable life.”

Rui’s hand covers his own. “Only if it’s with you…”

“Of course. I will always stay by your side.”

“Forever? You promise?”

“I promise.”

“Sniff, sniff…”

Tsukasa blinks, and the enchanted forest changes into a familiar, cozy room with dimmed lights and the smell of pinewood. He takes a moment to glance to the side, where, on an old armchair and a tabouret from another room, sit the very first two members of their audience — Nene and Emu. The latter pulls out a pink handkerchief from the pocket of her jacket and begins aggressively wiping happy tears streaming down her blushing cheeks.

Then Tsukasa looks at Rui. He’s nowhere as nervous as he was at the beginning. His hands are no longer shaking, his voice is steady and deep, and an amused smile never leaves his face.

“Thus, the lonely Prince was rescued from the tower he was kept in for decades, and the brave Knight took him home to his kingdom,” he narrates while carefully changing the background from the forest to a colorful palace. “He was delighted to find his friends and family cheering for him, pouring tears of joy and comforting him despite not having seen him for many, many years. The Prince felt more than welcome — he finally felt that he was truly home, where he belonged.”

Tsukasa moves the figure of his knight closer to the prince. “And the Knight stayed by his side as promised, courting him and showering him with gifts and attention until they decided that fate brought them together!” he exclaims proudly. “So, once the Prince settled down and got used to the life he always deserved, the Knight asked him to marry him!”

Rui giggles. A faint blush sprinkles his cheeks. “And the Prince couldn’t think of a better suitor, so he agreed without any doubt.”

“Yay!” Emu gasps from the audience and grabs Nene’s hand, turning the advisor’s face beetroot red. “Look, look, they’re getting wed!!!”

“Y-yeah…”

“Having found a soulmate in each other, they lived happily ever after,” Rui concludes, nearly singing the last words. “And this is the story of a Prince who got trapped by an evil witch and was rescued by a brave Knight.”

The pair bows, and Rui draws the curtain on his mini-stage. Emu immediately starts clapping, one hand still interlocked with Nene’s, and Nene clumsily follows suit.

“That was so— so—sooo!!!” Emu squeals. “I loved this!!! This is the most wonderhoy story I’ve heard in a while!” She turns to Tsukasa. “The fight scene was so whoosh-boom-slash-caboom intense too!!! How did you even do that with just dolls?”

Even Tsukasa feels flustered. When he looks at Rui, he finds the prince blushing and smiling so hard that his eyes remain closed. 

“Haha… That’s just the power of imagination…” he mewls.

“No, that’s truly incredible,” Nene chimes in. “I didn’t even know you were capable of all of this, Rui—let alone Tsukasa. Thank you so much for inviting me—well,” she glances at Emu, “ Us.”

“Yes, I’m super-duper-mega happy that I tagged along!” the other girl giggles. “I hope you didn’t find it rude—You looked quite nervous at first, dear Prince!”

Rui lets out a shy chuckle. “Well, it was exhilarating to show something so meaningful to me to multiple people at once, I admit. But I never once regretted it. I’m so happy you enjoyed our play.”

Tsukasa’s heart fills with immense pride — so overwhelmingly warm that he has to hold himself back from pulling Rui into a tight hug. Seeing him finally open up about his dearest creation makes Tsukasa just as happy as if it’s him in Rui’s shoes. He will make sure to tell Rui how proud he is, how well they’ve done, and how excited he is to make even more shows with him in the future whenever they feel like it — but later, once they’re alone.

“Listen!!! I have a big idea!” Emu suddenly announces, waving her hand to gather attention. “Prince Rui, what if we put your creation on a bigger stage?!”

Rui winces. “Huh? A bigger stage? How is that possible?”

“We can do something like a puppet theater! With lots and lots of effects and machines to help the audience feel as if they’re part of the story!” Emu offers. “My Grandpa loved puppet shows… I think it’d be so awesome if more people saw your wonderhoy plays! Imagine how many smiles they’d earn!”

Rui’s shows… on a bigger stage? This idea sounds quite thrilling. Feeling flutters in his chest, Tsukasa turns to Rui and carefully nudges him. “Hm?”

Now Rui and Nene have the same red color tinting their faces. Before Tsukasa can say anything else, Rui rushes to turn away, pretending to clean up the stage, and giggles quietly. 

“Well… That’s—That sounds incredible, if I’m being honest,” he mumbles, “I’d just love to have some time to think?”

“Oh, of course!” Emu laughs. “Good shows take time to make!”

“I don’t think he meant only that, Emu,” Nene timidly corrects her. “He may also need some time to adjust to the attention.”

“Ooooh! Right! Sorry!”

“It’s okay.” Rui turns around to face the others again. “Thank you for such a wonderhoy offer, Miss Emu. It’s so exciting that I’m already getting new ideas for shows… But as Nene said, I might need some time to gain confidence first, if that’s not a bother.”

Tsukasa feels he can’t contain his happiness and excitement anymore. He grabs Rui’s hand, giving it a generous squeeze, and pulls him as close to himself as acceptable. “Of course it wouldn’t be a bother to anyone! Right?!”

“Right, Sir Tsukasa!” Emu salutes. 

“This is just incredible, Rui! It’s like a new chapter in your own story!” Tsukasa continues, now staring into Rui’s eyes and watching, with satisfaction, how they fill with warmth. “Let’s not miss any chances! Even if it’s just a hobby and we’ll have a lot on our plate soon, don’t forget about it, okay?”

Rui’s genuine smile is the prettiest. “Okay,” he nods, voice sweeter than honey. “Thank you, everyone. I truly feel at my happiest these days.”

“Me too,” Nene smiles. “I’m really proud of you, Rui.”

“Me three, me three!!! So what ideas are you having already?!”

Tsukasa feels at his happiest, too.

The light in the candelabrum by the stage starts to fade, and the shadows in the room become sporadic. Seeing as the conversation isn’t ready to die out just as quickly, Tsukasa lets go of Rui’s hand to replace the candle.

His eyes, naturally, dart to the letter left by the candelabrum — without a royal seal or a grotesque signature, yet with familiar neat handwriting that looks just a tad more rushed than usual. The contents are much shorter than they used to be, too.

“Dear Tsukasa,

This news made us the happiest we could imagine. We will be on our way. 

See you soon.

With love,

Your Toya,

Your little sister and #1 fan Saki,

Akito”

He takes a deep, excited breath, and the air smells like the beginning of a new life — or, rather, a new thrilling act of Tsukasa’s story with new challenges, new feelings, and finally, a clear and comforting idea of the future shared with Rui.

The story of a knight who fell in love with a foreign prince in a week and a half.