審理

***

*December 10*

*Yukiguni*

      “Okaa-san,” Yuri followed his mother down the hallway, “Are you still not talking to Otou-san? … He’s in a bad mood again today…” …  “Please make up with Otou-san.”

      “Don’t worry about it,” she told him gently after he continued on the subject, “Where is Yuya?”

     “He went with Otou-san.  They said the trial was at two so they only have an hour before it starts,” Yuri said, provoking his mother’s anger once more.  Yuri spoke again, “Do you think father will really have Ryosuke disowned?”

      Mao almost growled in anger, “I won’t speak to him again,” she said it very hushed—he didn’t think he was supposed to her it—but there were tears in her eyes as she said it. 

      “Please don’t fight with Otou-san,” Yuri practically begged.  Having his mother and father fight like this was horrible.  Not only did it make him and Yuya extremely uncomfortable, but it also called for fighting matches.  His mother had been so angry that she slept with Yuri in Ryosuke’s bed instead of with his father.  She only spoke to him if they began to yell at each other in anger.  Last night had been the worst.

      When she served supper she skipped him in protest of his decision to continue on with the trial.  He had waited a few minutes to see if he would serve him before she sat down and ate in silence next to him and Yuya.

      Mao had sat down in between Yuri and Yuya, throwing a dagger-sharp glare at her husband.  In anger, he stood up going to serve himself supper.  “At least I’m not acting childish about this matter,” he commented, sitting down while slamming his bowl on the table. 

      Yuri and Yuya wanted more than anything to escape from the table.  At the beginning of all these fights Yuya had tried to tell them to calm down and try to understand one another, to try to work it out.  But now he just stayed out—it had escalated too far for him to be able to do anything.  So when Mao fought back, saying he was the one being childish “slamming your bowl around and whining about yourself”, Yuri and Yuya grabbed their own bowls and left quickly to find safety in the kitchen.

      “What!?  You’re avoiding me like the plague!  What have I done!?”

      “How can you not know what you’ve done?” she screamed, “Jun, you’re an idiot!”

      “Mao, I just don’t understand you sometimes!  You didn’t see the look on his face; you didn’t hear the way he spoke to me!  He’s betrayed Yukiguni and all of us.”

      “For once could you try to think of this from a different angle?  You’re always letting your pride get in your way!  Just this time, let your pride as king go, and believe in your son.  How can you think he’d betray all of us?”

      “And then it turns out he really has betrayed us?” he countered, “Then what?  I’ve put the whole country at risk for believing him.  Do you want me to just go to Hikoku and ask him why he’s said what he’s said?  It’s not that simple.”

      “You don’t think I know that?” she shed tears, “I know it’s not that easy!  That’s why for now we should just forget about disownment.  That’s what we can do.”

       “What would prolonging it do?  You already know the people of Yukiguni have found out and are calling for disownment.  The citizens at the gates last night—don’t you remember?  Kazekoku, our biggest ally, wants him disowned as well.  Ninomiya is beyond angry of what happened in Hikoku.”

       “Yes Jun.  They all are against him, but this is my son.  This is your son.  We cannot just disown him this simply.  If you want to disown him, bring him back here and make him speak before the council before making that decision.  Until then I don’t want to hear a thing of disownment.”

      “And in the meantime have my citizens angry at us all?  Have the citizens lose faith in their own ruling family?” his voice suddenly turned to frustration and there was something in his voice that made Mao lose her anger. 

      “Jun.  You’re hurt by what he did—I know you,” Mao carried on the weight of the conversation, “Why don’t you just admit it?  You are good at hiding emotion but it will surely destroy you one of these days—like tomorrow.  The fact that you’re deeply hurting and stressing is going to drive him away again and this time for good.”

      “My feelings don’t matter, Mao.  It isn’t for me to decide in the end.  It’s never been my decision, and you should know that better than anyone else,” he said angrily.

      “It is your decision though.  I know it feels like it isn’t but I’m telling you it is,” she stood now, “It’s just like what happened last year.  Ryosuke made a mistake.  You don’t think he knows how badly his image was affected?  You can’t continue to just protect yourself—you have to protect our family and that includes him.  This time around, let’s forget what the others say about the matter.  Let’s forget what their input is and let’s do what is right for our son.  Disowning him isn’t the right decision.”

       He said nothing so Mao continued on, “You know I’m right.  That’s why you can’t say anything.  You know you’ve been wrong and you feel regret from the last time you pushed him away—you’re letting pride once again stop you from admitting you were wrong.  Can’t you make a mistake?  That’s the key to everything, don’t you see!?  Mistakes are made—you have to forgive and move on!  Ryosuke made a mistake, so you have to forgive him and move on.  In return you’ve made a mistake so you need to talk to him to have him forgive you now.  If you two don’t do that, you both are going to repeat the mistakes.”

      “What are we talking about?” Jun tried to walk away, “We should be talking about the issue at hand—not what happened a year ago.”

       “This is the issue at hand,” she went to him, “Jun please.”

      “I want to be alone right now.”

      Looking at her son today Mao simply kissed him on the forehead before sending him away, telling him to go play outside.  That’s what she always told him.  “Go play outside.  Yuto is here today because of the trial.”  She didn’t ever want him to worry; she never wanted him to have to deal with any of the stress or worries of the palace.  This time, Yuri knew he wouldn’t be allowed inside the trial and there was no way to sneak about it, so he went to Yuto like he was told. 

      “Yuri!” he called out.  He was with Hina, Sato, and Saki. 

      “Ma, it’s always us isn’t it?” Yuri sighed approaching them, “Only three more years until I can finally figure out what the heck is going on all the time.”

      “I’ve only heard that the trial was about your brother,” Yuto told him, “I heard their going to disown him.”

      “I don’t know,” Yuri mused, sitting down on the ground beside the others.  Hina was playing in the snow happily with Sato and Saki.  “Do you think they should disown him Yuto?”

      “I don’t really know what happened,” he replied, “It’s not like my parents tell me anything either.  I’m still too young.  So I don’t think so.  Ryosuke-nii was kind to me whenever we hung out.”

       “All the adults are hiding things like usual.  Okaa-san is really angry at Otou-san though.  If my Onii-san really is disowned, I’m afraid what will happen afterwards,” Yuri confided in Yuto, “I’m afraid they will fight and fight.  And I don’t know what will happen to Onii-san.”

       Yuto didn’t know what to say, but Mao suddenly stepped outside.  She was dressed up and looked like she was heading to the court.  “I’m leaving now,” she told Yuri and Yuto, “Watch over the little ones and don’t wander off of the castle grounds.  Don’t stay outside too long or else they’ll get too cold.  I made some stew if you’re hungry.”

       “Hai,” Yuri told her before she left quickly. 

      “And we’re back to being completely left out again,” Yuto sighed, “Let’s go eat.  I’m really hungry anyway.”

***

      Mao didn’t think her situation could have gotten any worse.  No, it would have never even crossed her mind—not until she stepped through the doors to the courthouse.  “What do you mean they didn’t come back?” her husband was yelling at someone.  Coming closer Mao made it out to be Tomohisa.  Yuya was beside them, his head in his hands with a stressed look.

      “What’s going on now?” she came beside Yuya and looked up at her. 

      “I’m sorry that I couldn’t complete your full orders,” Tomohisa apologized to Jun, “But they refused to listen.  They were dead set on the fact that Ryosuke was still in Hikoku—which it turns out was true.  But they’re going to figure it out the hard way.  I don’t even know where they are.”

      “You let my sons just go?” Jun was fuming, “Weren’t you in charge?  If I gave you an order, you’re supposed to carry it out.  You were the leader of this quest—you should have known better than to leave without them!”

       “Daiki and Keito have not returned with the others?” Mao demanded.

      “No.  A few nights ago when we received the letter to return, they set off on their own to find Ryosuke.  They left before I could stop them.  When I did spot them and yell for them to return, they refused.”

       “You’re an idiot,” Jun reprimanded him, “If you’re going to be the king one day you need to know that no one gets left behind.”

      “Jun,” Mao said cruelly, “Stop talking down to him just because you’re worried or start taking your own advice.”

      Things had gotten ugly, and Mao knew it was her fault.  It was one thing for her to argue with her husband behind closed doors, but in public shaming him like this was an offence to him.  To her surprise though, Jun didn’t deny what she said or say anything back.  Instead he only walked away swiftly.  Mao frowned and had the sudden urge to cry.  She was stressed emotionally, mentally, and physically.  Three of her sons were now in Hikoku, her marriage was falling apart with the countless arguments at the moment, and she hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since Ryosuke was still in Yukiguni.  To top it all off, the relations between the countries were slowly diminishing.  Mao didn’t want to admit it but Tomohisa and Jun’s fight wasn’t the first international affair.

      It had only been earlier this morning when King Aiba and King Ninomiya had gotten into a fight themselves over what to do in the situation.  Mao sighed.  There was nothing more she could do but enter the courtroom.  She could only pray now.  Pray for the trial to end well, pray for Ryosuke, pray for Daiki and Keito, pray for the fighting to somehow stop. 

     She took her seat beside Jun quickly, but he continued to keep his silence so she followed his example.  At once the main judge was brought in and it commenced immediately.  “All rise,” and an oath was performed—everyone must be fair, honest, tell the whole and honest truth. 

       The room was circular and quite complex in reality which four different levels that built upon each other.  The first floor was the center circle while the following levels made rings that ascended around it.  At the bottom level, there were twenty chairs rounding the room—all for the members of the council.  Then beyond the main circle, on the second level, there were the one hundred members of the international jury, and yet again, behind them on the third level was the national jury of Yukiguni made up of fifty members.  And finally were citizens beyond them—on the fourth and final floor—that had managed to get a seat inside the courtroom that day. 

       King Ninomiya was the first to stand and portray his evidence.  “State your case,” the judge demanded.

       And in a fury of anger, he made his claim against her son—he wanted him disowned.  Mao’s mind, for the first time, lost all of its anger and was replaced by a large amount of fear—the fear that she really would lose her son for good.  She felt helpless, hopeless as tears suddenly fell down her cheeks.  She herself hadn’t noticed it until she tasted the salty drops roll over her chapped lips.  She quickly wiped her eyes and help onto her dress with clenched hands to keep herself from shedding anymore tears. 

        Jun had seen her crying though and the guilt inside him was growing larger and larger until it had finally engulfed him in that very moment.  Since those many years ago, the King had never shown an ounce of weakness.  He had to be strong and unwavering—he would not become an inferior race.  The comments should have never bothered him as much as they did, but words can hurt the same as a sword through the heart.  The wounds were there forever and Jun would never forget them as long as he lived.  But would losing his son and keeping this image be the right thing to do? 

        Mao was always right and he knew it well.  When Ryosuke had defied him, saying he was to stay in Hikoku, he didn’t think of it like his wife did—that Ryosuke might be being manipulated.  Instead he felt the pain and acted on it.  His guilty feelings first came when Mao pointed out the logical, but there was no way he could’ve admitted to being wrong.  It wasn’t the thing a man, let alone a king, should do.  But as the problem grew, he was yet to know what would be the right thing to do in the situation.  However, in this very moment, watching his wife dry her tears quickly and knowing that three of his five sons were now in Hikoku, he couldn’t take it anymore. 

       He suddenly stood, coming back to the trial he had blocked out for quite some time now.  The room was suddenly silent and all eyes were on him.  “Jun, what is the matter?” Aiba asked him. 

        His wife looked up at him in shock and he saw the fear in her eyes.  Was she afraid of what he was going to say?  Ashamed with the thought he pushed himself to speak up, “I’d like to make my claim immediately and end this trial.”

         “I-It doesn’t quite work like that, but you may make your claim,” Aiba said.  He usually ran the trials as he was known for being the most kindhearted and honest King of them all. 

         “As for the issue of my son’s disownment…” he hesitated, thinking of how to back up his statement.  Many of the people in the juries were against this decision so he had to smart about this, “I am against it.”

         There were cries of anger and confusion and those of happiness as well—one of which came from his wife beside him.  “What are you saying?” Ninomiya stood, “We agreed upon this!”

        “Listen,” he said quickly, looking at Mao for a moment, “We have discovered the reality of what happened to the Sakurai’s have we not?  They were used and disposed of.  It’s very likely my son could be in the same position right now.  So if we did disown him at this moment it could be exactly what they want.  This could be a bad move on our part and could in the end help Hikoku.”

       It was silent for a while as everyone listened to what he said earnestly.  “That is true,” Aiba said, “I agree this could a bad move on our part.  I believe what you’ve said could very well be true.”

       “I also agree with my husband,” Mao quickly stood beside him, “If we make a mistake now, it could hurt our side instead of theirs.  There is no reason to disown my son if this is true.”

        “And if it is not?” Ninomiya asked.

       “Can you think of any good reason why Ryosuke would betray us?” Mao fought.

       “There are a few,” Ohno suddenly mumbled, seeming conflicted, “Your family relationship hasn’t been the best, you must admit that.”

       Mao seemed offended and Jun took back over, “Our family issues are our family issues, but Ryosuke would never use that as a reason to betray his country.”

       “Then what do you propose we do instead of a disownment?” Aiba asked.

        “For the time being, nothing,” Jun said, “For now we have to gather information and calculate how we’ll proceed with this war.  If it is true my son is being manipulated, we have to go about it carefully.  Anything we do could sway Hikoku’s anger.  I propose we figure out exactly what Hikoku’s intentions are first.”

        It was silent for a while more, before Aiba finally called for the final vote.  “We’ll officially vote for or against disownment at this time.  Juries and council please cast your ballots.”

       It was silent as Jun cast his quickly alongside his wife before she took his hand.  She was crying again, “Thank you,” she cried to him.

       He felt he had made the right decision, but he was still a bit embarrassed from what he had done.  So instead of saying anything he only nodded and smiled at his wife, who continued to hold tightly onto his hand.  His largest fear now was that everything he had done and said now was in vain.  If the majority vote came up for and not against the accusation then Jun would have no choice but to go with the ruling.  

***

Oh my goodness~Gomen nasai!!!  ごめんなさい皆さん!!! I haven't updated in a long time ;o;  Things at school have been very busy lately and I've been so stressed that I haven't had anytime to update or even read much fanfiction lately.  *cry, cry*  Anyway, in only one month I have my college entrance exams and all of AP college course exams after that and then I have to run my school's Prom and Graduation Ceremony and GAH I'm really stressed for the next two months until school is out.  Every night I am studying--so please mina, I will try to update as much as possible but please understand if I can not update as frequently these next two months.  Thank you always for your love and support♥ ありがとうございます。

Anyway about the story, don't give up on Jun >__< In my mind, Jun is a really good father hehe, just he is not good at showing his emotions properly and he has a difficult job and reputation to keep up.  

(Posted 月・2014年04月07日)