Betrayal and Deception
The Lost PrinceA boy's cries and yelling could be heard from miles away. Daiki's alerted by the ruckus up ahead couldn't turn a deaf ear, so he galloped on his horse towards the source, only to see 2 guards dragging a young boy about 7 years old away from the palace gates.
"stop!" Daiki alighted from his horse and instructed the guards to stop their cruelty towards the seemingly innocent one.
"General Arioka, we're sorry to disturb you. we'll deal with it, so fret not, sir" the 2 guards lowered their heads. Daiki surveyed the tearful boy and decided to into the matter.
"since I'm here, you might as well tell me what's going on?" Daiki asked sternly.
"Sir, this boy, he was sneaking around the palace gates, and he tried to break in."
Daiki bent down to the same level as the boy and brushed his tears off the tiny face which glowed with bravery. "is that true?" he asked and the boy nodded without hesitation.
"but why do you have to do that? you know, the palace is not a playground" he probed further.
"no, neechan. I need to pass this letter to a general. it is very important, and has to be handed personally" Daiki was stunned by the further explanations.
"any general? by who is this from?" he saw a letter in his hands and thought the handwriting seemed familiar.
"yes, neechan. he said any general. I don't know who but it was another neechan who handed this to me."
"what's your name"
"Sohei Miura"
"nice name. Sohei-kun, you can entrust this letter to me."
"are you a general, neechan?"
"yes I am. I'm general Arioka Daiki" Daiki introduced and noticed a smile stretched across the boy's face.
"do you need to meet the neechan who passed you the letter?"
"no neechan. he said I'm free to go. here, neechan, the letter" he passed the letter into Daiki's hands and brightly bidded farewell.
"take care Sohei-kun!" he ruffled his hair before he ran off and he felt a fuzzy feeling when the boy waved brightly to him. "such an adorable boy" he uttered under his breathe.
he quickly refocused his attention to the letter on his hand. "what could this be? and who is it from?" noticing that there may be many eyes around, he decided to only open it after he entered the secured palace, and more importantly, he enclosed himself in his own chamber before reading the letter. every word written inside was nerve-wrecking and also evoked intense anger and frustration in him.
Nishikido house has rebelled. I am hiding within his territory and the securities here are too tight for us to sneak out. send my guards here at once.
Ainosuke
Informing Yabu and the rest about the contents of the letter, it evoked mixed feelings. Inoo and Keito couldn't believe that Nishikido turned against them, while Yabu, Hikaru, Yuto believe their king irregardless.
"you know we can't barge into their territory. all houses agreed on this, and it hasn't been broken before. moreover, your highness wasn't very clear about what exactly Nishikido did." Inoo and Keito were persistent about their point.
"but you could also tell that he needed us. we can't just take it that we didnt see the letter and leave him there" Daiki rebutted, while his supporters nodded in agreement.
"I'm sure it's a misunderstanding. lets do this, just let Nishikido know that your highness is in his territory and needed his assistance, I'm sure he will send his guards to protect him and even him back to the palace. this way we don't need to break the trust." Keito, as usual, gave a simplistic answer which he is confident would resolve the issue.
"I've an uneasy feeling about this. he specifically said to send our guards over. would he want to be escorted by someone he claimed to have rebelled? and even if there's a remote chance that what he said is true, then Ainosuke is in serious danger" Yabu analysed.
"Chinen is with him...so they must have it thought out properly. and to think about those doubts that Ainosuke raised about Nishikido, I'm really not sure if Nishikido is on the same side as us anymore. those statistics and initial investigation all showed suspicious activities in Nishikido house. this goes to show our King is right in his direction" Hikaru added.
"how could you say that Hikaru?! Nishikido house has been a large contributor to the strength of Aoihoshi for generations, now you are doubting their loyalty?!" Inoo's rage grew exponentially and his face turned red like a furnace.
" I'm just stating what I've found, and no one can be certain that Ryo will not change sides right?! his ancestors' contribution doesn't imply his loyalty! you are just blinded!"
"you!!!" Hikaru and Inoo almost broke out in a fight; they were restrained by proponents of both sides, Yuto, Keito.
"enough! what the hell are you guys doing! our king has implied he needs us! so we just have to adhere to the instructions! the pact is the pact, but instructions from our almighty ruler whom we pledged allegiance to, overwrites everything else." Yabu stopped the heated argument with the help of Daiki.
"if you think you can't do this, you believe that the pact with the houses have to be met unconditionally, then you don't have to go. the rest who believed the King and is willing to go against the pact and barge into Nishikido's territory, voice out now" it wasn't difficult to guess - Yuto, Daiki, Yabu and Hikaru agreed.
"lets discuss how to do this" Yuto asked the other 3, but was shocked at what Yabu has to say after.
"we'll have to discuss without Keito and Inoo in presence. the 2 of you have shown that you have second thoughts about your allegiance and I cannot risk having Nishikido know of the plan. oh, and before we go, I like to remind you that our King is rather sophisticated in his thoughts, I am sure a simple instruction like this can also mean a test for us. good luck" Yabu left Inoo and Keito in a gloomy state where they started to have doubts about their own decision. the rest left with Yabu to his chamber and discussed the rescue plan further.
"actually, I don't know if you guys get the same conclusion as me, but I feel that his instructions aren't just about rescuing him. his first line about the rebel, is probably to hint us that we need to open our eyes and look out for clues when we enter his territory" Daiki revealed, and the rest were amazed at his level of analysis.
"my sentiments too. with his skills and Chinen's, they should be able to escape quite easily. and from his letter, I think they are not in immediate danger. it's definitely a hidden agenda to get us in and openly search for clues about rebellion. think about it, because of the pact, we haven't entered any of each other's territory with guards before. not a surprise if any of us turned to the dark side" Yabu added.
"I understand now, then lets do as he instructed. lets gather 20 top-notch guards from each of our houses, amounting to 80, and we openly request a search" Yuto said.
"right, agreed! and just a reminder, we four need to stand to our ground. Nishikido will definitely bite on the fact that we broke the pact and raise his anger at us, and there's possibly gonna be repercussions on us given his high repute among the houses. despite his despicable speeches that always infuriates people, his house is very influential." Hikaru said.
"I'm set on this! Ainosuke is my only master and following his orders would be my priority. I have sworn to watch over him." Daiki proclaimed. this stirred the patriotism amongst the rest and they vowed to complete the task as required. by night time, they set off. before barging into Nishikido's territory, they decided to detour to meet Ryutaro whose knowledge about all the houses could aid their search.
*******
"how is it?" Ainosuke asked the other 3 who were engrossed in the food placed in front of them. the plates of curry katsu is not just visually appealing, it is so extremely tasty that none of them lifted their heads to respond to the eager King.
"Oi! I'm asking you guys a question. how is my cooking?"
though still no one lifted their heads from the food, he saw thumbs up from Chinen.
"it's too delicious!!!" Umika added.
most importantly, he wants to hear from Mirai. it's her compliments that he yearns to hear.
"what do you think, Mirai?" Ainosuke asked with eagerness. finally she paused her ingestion and listen her head, only to cause Ainosuke to chuckle. the grain of rice that stays on the sides of her lips was a clear indication about the answer to his question. it made him realise how much she changed after she exited the palace, she grown so accustomed to the commoner's life that she cares less about basic etiquette.
he brought his fingers near her lips and gently wiped off the grain. he chuckled once more as he looked into her distracted eyes which constantly stared at the food. "it's really good, Ainosuke!!!" she focused her attention on the food once more, shoving him aside."Baka" he mumbled to himself.
"hmm?" she asked with full as she thought she heard him said something.
"nothing" he shrugged, before conversing on a new topic.
"Chinen.... about your father... I am afraid he got killed because he knew of Nishikido's plans. Hiro Kawashima appears to be the pawn in Ryo's game. do you still want to avenge for his death? cause if you insist, I'll still pass judgement on Kawashima" Ainosuke asked as he shifted his gaze between Chinen and Umika. Ainosuke knew this has been a load in her heart, and knew that there's still work to do before relieving her from the agony. but with the growing intimacy between Chinen and Umika, he thought this would be the best time to put out these issues for discussion.
"Ainosuke, now i know, my father's intention was not to carry on the feud with Kawashima house. instead he could be there to stop Hiro from going the wrong way... he is protecting him" Chinen analysed, and Umika's tears rolled uncontrollably as she realised the validity of this statement.
"all I want now is not for my father to die in vain. the secrets that led him to his death, I would act on them. I want to crush the rebel Nishikido. please allow me." Chinen kneeled down all of a sudden, startling Ainosuke and the rest.
"hey, Chinen. even if you didnt ask, I'll do it too. so just count on me." he ushered Chinen back to his seat, but he also saw Umika crying silently.
"wipe your tears, Umika. I promised to look after you, and I'll keep to my promise. your brother, he is too naive to have fell for Nishikido's plans. like I said, he's just a pawn in this game. I'll take this into account when I pass my judgement. but unfortunately, I cannot let him go scot free. he has indeed betrayed me and lied, so that I'll have to punish." Ainosuke spoke gently to the sobbing girl.
"I do understand... thanks. My brother does deserve it, and to think he even sell me to that jerk to cover up his wrongdoings" she wiped her tears but they knew her cries never stopped. Ainosuke ruffled her hair and crept up beside her and whispered something else to get "but at least you've captured Chinen's heart now"
Chinen obviously heard it and decided to go along with Ainosuke's teasing. he leaned towards Umika and patted her back, which successfully relieved her sadness and let a smile stretched across her face.
"... will my father be safe? Shiroku is part of his plans too" Mirai gazed into Ainosuke, looking exceptionally worried.
"as long as Aoihoshi hasn't fall, Shiroku would not be threatened. think about it, Nishikido himself is a pawn in the bigger game crafted by Akunami... King Kobayashi is just using him to strike discord within Aoihoshi and for information. it will never be an equal dominance of the 2 lands if Aoihoshi falls. even if Nishikido Ryo takes my throne, he will still be manipulated by the power in Akunami. he's really quite stupid, the way I see it. things just wouldn't work out between them and so their alliance to crowd out Shiroku will be quite dissociated as well!" Ainosuke said confidently. he indeed has analysed the unbalanced power play in this Nishikido - Kobayashi alliance, and this caused the other 3 to look at him in awe.
"don't worry, Mirai... as long as I'm still the King of Aoihoshi, I'll make sure both Aoihoshi and Shiroku wouldn't fall" they exchanged smiles, especially Mirai whose eyes is filled with tears of gratitude.
even with Ainosuke's comforting words, Chinen, Umika and Ainosuke himself still find Mirai looking moody, as though there's something bothering her. After dinner, she enclosed herself in the room, seated at one dark corner with her knees tugged against her chest and her face buried in between. she only responded with "I'm just sleepy." when Umika tried to approach her, leaving her equally helpless.
"Ainosuke~ are you gonna accompany her tonight?" Umika asked as she bumped into him who has just washed up.
"i will, thanks for helping me watch over her" his moist hair is exceptionally captivating that Umika tried hard not to blush at the eye contact.
"I told you I'll be her friend, didnt I" they smiled.
Ainosuke peeked into the room and saw her depression, and gave a sigh before entering the room. with his understanding of her, he knew exactly why she's feeling this way, so every step towards her was spent on brainstorming on how to lighten her mood..even after he sat beside her, she is still tightly covered between her knees, totally ignorant of her surroundings.
"Mirai~" he whispered in her ears and it startled her. when she lifted her head, she saw the soothing face of Ainosuke that she couldn't help but wanna lean closer. she held back instead, and looked at him with the tearful eyes.
"there's something I need your help with.. you mind coming with me for a while?" Ainosuke surprised her with the request, as she thought he would say something comforting instead. she couldn't find a reason to reject him so she nodded.
He grabbed her arms, just like old times, so firm yet so gentle to avoid hurting her.
"w-what do you want, Ainosuke?" the more nervous she got, the more playful Ainosuke became. he shut the toilet door behind her and decided to give her a good service instead.
"A-Ainosuke~" she stuttered and felt her body stiffened when Ainosuke leaned towards her and forced her down on a small bench that he placed beside the shower. he continued to by running his fingers down her smooth hair.
"let me spoil you today. you deserved some rest" he said while he Brushed her hair behind her ears.
initially, she didn't know what he meant, but when he took down the shower hose, she felt herself flush. "Ainosuke, it's okay, I can wash it myself"
"that defeats my intention. don't worry, I'll be gentle. and you know what, I've never done this before, not even to Riko. so you're really privileged to be enjoying my exclusive service" he chuckled. Ainosuke wrapped his arms around her shoulder and tilted her head back slightly before running the water down her hair. "is the temperature alright?" he asked as he brushed her soaked hair with his free hands. She nodded nervously as she felt his fingers tangle with her hair. She must admit that when he massaged her scalp with soap, she felt so relaxed that she could instantly fall asleep in his arms. but of course, she swear to herself not to doze off, as she didn't want to miss every second of his delicate touch. just above her eye, was his face, full of concentration, as though he put his heart and soul into it. just when she thought, he accidentally splashed some water on her face.
"oh no. sorry!" he panicked as he tried to wash off the soap on her face. Mirai was tickled by his uptight reaction when he thought he hurt her. "hey, don't laugh. I never do this before, you know" he nagged, and Mirai held on to her laughter.
either she's too engross with looking at him, the wash turned out to past really fast. she was hoping it'll be a little longer, and she didnt mind dirtying her hair just so he does it for her once more. He took a towel and dried her hair while giving her a massage. She immersed herself entirely in his warmth radiating from his chest to her back, and his minty fresh breathe. "Ainosuke~ could you only offer this to me?" she blushed and felt embarrassed by her own question that came out too casually.
he giggled, "yes, only for you."
he turned her around to face him after he's done and stared at her with his dreamy eyes for a whole minute. the tint of red on her cheeks intensified at the exchange of glances. "you look so beautiful when you blush" he teased.
"stop it~" she tried to avoid his eyes but he pulled her back.
"are you feeling much better? your heart~" he finally asked, and she subtly nodded with a brief smile. "I know what you're thinking... if it helps, i'm gonna give you my promise that I won't leave you, okay?
"but it's impossible no matter how I think about it~ I'm scared I'm gonna lose you again."
"nothing is impossible. it's gonna hurt no doubt, but I'll do my best to keep you by my side and cushion any hurt you may face in the process, okay? all you have to promise me is that you don't hide your troubles from me or do anything silly for me anymore. cause I cannot risk losing you once more" she teared as she heard those promising words, it was like her heart melted.
"I promise..." she smiled as she knew that's what he wanted to see. He leaned towards her slowly for a kiss, and this time he could feel her body stiffened as he closed in.
"you're too nervous, Mirai~am I that scary" he whispered in her ears and giggled.
"ouch, Mirai. what's that for" she hit Ainosuke's chest to vent her frustration on his endless teasing. he continued laughing and they ended chasing each other around the toilet like 2 playful kids.
He led her to their room and made her sit down in front of the dressing table. "here, for the last step" he held the comb in his hand and gently combed her hair with it. He could feel the silkiness of her hair, and she could feel her tender-loving touch. Before she knew it, he bosomed her from behind and smelled her fragrant hair.
"i want you to just lean on me from now..." his words miraculously mends her long broken heart and her kiss comforts his. She pressed her lips against his and that moment she felt her whole life is out from the both of them. It leaves them breathless yet yearning for more. Without breaking the passion, they circled the room and finally landed on the bed. His hands wrapped around her hips and hers against his chest. She leaned on his torso which radiates enough heat to keep her warm from the cold night, and they soon fell asleep in each other's embrace. it was undeniably one of the most peaceful night after a long time, despite in a tough situation.
********
"what is the meaning of this?!" Nishikido Ryo was in a fiery upon seeing a fleet of more than 50 guards led by Yabu and Hikaru standing in front of his camp.
"hear us out before you flip. we want to assure you that we are standing by the pact of the houses regardless of the King's orders. but circumstances are that he has some doubts about you and has ordered us to come for him. you know it's not as simple as that. he wants evidence about your rebel. so we've come to warn you and assist you." Yabu exclaimed.
"what rebel? I dunno what you're talking about?!" Ryo acted blur about whatever he was saying.
"don't conceal this from us. we're here to help before it's too late. this young king, unlike other kings, are ignorant about the bond between the houses and our contributions. so he's not gonna give you face just cause the Nishikido house has dedicated alot to the royalty. in this sense, we know him more than you. so trust us, or you'll be in grave danger!" Yabu asserted, and he could see the hesitant in Ryo's eyes.
"listen. the pact is not made for nothing. no one can force us to break this pact, even if it's the king. the houses have been in existence and serving each generation in harmony. This young king is not gonna ruin the status quo" Hikaru gave the last push and finally, Ryo let down his guard.
"what do you suggest I do? he's here isn't it?"
"Yuto is looking for him and would bring him here to see for himself that there's nothing suspicious. we will make it clear to him that we will not search the territory. having no protection here, he would concede defeat and return to the palace obediently. whats more pressing is that you need to relocate your secret from here elsewhere. if this fails, all of us will be doomed." Yabu proposed. having no other choices, he quickly instructed his guards to do as he said.
Yabu and Hikaru really have to salute the efficiency of the guards from Nishikido's house, as immediately he could see fleets of hundreds assembling from all around the training grounds and moving into an underground tunnel which they were unsure where it leads to.
"will they escape in time?" Hikaru asked Yabu, but he didn't reply. they exchanged glances and knew that this was one risky operation that cannot fail.
they didnt have to wait long, in fact, shortly after the army cleared, Yuto and Daiki appeared in their line of sight, along with Ainosuke, Chinen and 2 other odd-looking 'guards'. Yabu and Hikaru were surprised how calm Ryo appeared in the face of an imminent threat as he walked towards Ainosuke and warmly received him with both arms.
"thank goodness you're alright, or I'll be so especially guilty. you should have let me know that you're visiting so you won't be lost" his sarcastic remark tickled the many guards present as it seemed to mock the capability of the young king. Ainosuke and the other 3 tried very hard to suppress their anger. "it's okay. but since I'm here, shouldn't you show me around this oddly constructed camp.
something is wrong. it's too quiet.
he looked at Ryo and realised that he might have been a step too slow. Chinen and the rest too, grew nervous of how the situation is unveiling.
how did he know? someone tipped him off? no, it cannot be.
Ainosuke turned to Yabu and Hikaru but they appeared calm and composed.
tired with the guessing game, Ainosuke decided that he no longer wants to beat around the bush, so he took a step forward towards Ryo and sternly look into his eyes. "I know you're hiding something. I give you one last chance to come clean"
"or else?...."
"or else I'll skin you alive if I find even one evidence of your betrayal to Aoihoshi" Ainosuke pulled his collar and uttered harshly, while his freehand clenched into a fist.
"ah then feel free to search. but i can tell you, there's nothing you can find"
"we'll see about that! Yabu, Hikaru! turn the place around and do a thorough search!"
Ainosuke doubted that the volume of his instructions were too soft for them to hear. no one moved. no one responded to his instructions. all he heard was a cynical laughter from Ryo, that made him shiver from beneath.
"Yabu, Hikaru! I'm talking to the 2 of you!" he repeated frustrated and nervous.
"we're sorry, your highness. we can't betray the houses. a pact is a pact. it is the guiding principle of all the houses that have been abided to for centuries." Yabu said as him and Hikaru moved towards Ryo instead.
"You!" Ainosuke drew his sword and was about to point at Ryo but to his horror, Ryo drew his faster and lifted his sword to Ainosuke's neck.
"Ainosuke!!!" Chinen and the other 2 were startled by the scene and was genuinely frightened that he would be hurt. but it was too risky for any of them to make a move.
"disrespecting you is the last thing on my list, your highness. but you chose to challenge me first. I suggest you turn back and return to the palace, sit on your comfy throne. you can leave the rest to us." Nishikido exclaimed with a detestable smirk in his face. With the sword still at his throat, Ainosuke didn't show any intention to back off. That stubborness of his was exactly what the rest expected, but they feared that he will do something foolish that will get himself killed.
"if being a puppet is what my life would be, I had enough! I said it once, and I will say it once more - I WILL DO WHAT I WANT, AND NOT WHAT ANYONE HAS IN PLANS FOR ME! if you dare, kill me~" Ainosuke moved forward and the sharp edge of the sword break the surface of the skin on his neck briefly. It was Mirai who was dressed in a guard uniform that called out as she feared for the life of her love one. They just reunited, and she would not allow anyone to take him away from her. But her call was to no avail, cause Ainosuke was determined and stood firmly to the ground. Ryo did not see this coming, he never thought the young king is so fearless and brave. He is impressed, and it triggered off fear in him as he started to doubt that his plan could stand against such peserverance from the king. but that was not the greatest source of fear, cause what came next caused his limbs to weaken.
"Drop the sword! NISHIKIDO RYO!" along with the new threat, he felt the sharp edges of swords behind his back, and he saw Ainosuke's expression turned soft. He knew at once that danger lurks behind him and when he turned, he was surprised to see Daiki and Ryutaro threatening him with their swords. It was a no escape as he saw at least another 50 guards behind their backs. He was surrounded.
"You guys? What's going on?" Ainosuke spoke up on behalf of all the confused faces, including that of Chinen, Umika and Mirai
"it was Yabu and Ryutaro's plan to have him trust us so he'll let down his guard. We're sorry to scare you just now, but fortunately we found all evidences you need." Hikaru explained, and the confused faces turned into a relief, especially Ainosuke who learnt of his generals' total allegiance towards him.
Ryo finally dropped his sword and kneeled to the ground "my only mistake is that I underestimated you, Tanaka Ainosuke. You changed their hearts and made them go against the long established pact of the houses that was never challenged... You may have bust my plans, but it may be too late...The battle will proceed and Akunami will win. then, I'll be free to rule the land."
Ainosuke tightened his grip of his sword and point it against Ryo, hoping so much to pierce the weapon through his heart to shut him up, but he held back.
Comments