Jealousy
The Lost Prince"do you think he'll be okay? he looks like he's in a daze" Yabu asked Daiki as they rode their horse in front of Ainosuke's, while Hikaru and Yuto rode at the back, and Mirai and Umika disguised as guards riding beside him.
"I think he's just in a shock. your acting must have really stunned him. he'll be okay after a while, besides I wouldn't worry that much since Mirai is back by his side now" Daiki replied with confidence and a soft chuckle.
"hopefully. and regarding all his moving forward plans, I do hope it runs smoothly" Yabu uttered as he recalled the conversation hours ago.
Ainosuke's knees weakened after Nishikido Ryo and his hundreds of guards were put away. Daiki came forth and held the young King by his arms.
"Ainosuke~ are you okay?" he asked and the rest looked at him with worried faces.
"you think?! don't do that anymore. it really scared me~" Ainosuke exclaimed and the rest felt a cuddling feeling as they felt the King's attachment with them. "you guys are all I've got"
"we're sorry, but we had to do so in order to make the acting more realistic so he would trust us." Yabu rushed to explain himself.
"I understand. it's just that I dunno what I'll do without you guys" it didnt seem like what Ainosuke would say and they knew at once that this prank has recalled his innocent affection for his 'brothers'. Daiki tightened his grip of Ainosuke and exchanged a soft glance "you can trust us. we'll never walk out on you cause you're more than just our ruler"
Ainosuke returned a brotherly embrace that not only warmed Daiki's heart, but also break the ice amongst the rest.
" I want Ryo and his 5 commanders in the palace underground bunker. I want to meet the 5 commanders"
"why? they are not nice people to talk to. they are extremely patriotic to the Nishikido house given that they served at least 2 generations of Nishikido generals. they won't listen to you" Hikaru explained
"we'll see about that. and that's the only way we can tap into Nishikido's resources and improved our status quo. I want to change the loyalty of the Nishikido army and the key is with the 5 commanders" Ainosuke's reasoning once again convinced them wholeheartedly.
"what should we do with their guards now? we should assimilate them in the main army right?" Daiki asked.
"not yet. not until I'm convinced they are with me. place them with Ryutaro and let him train them for the time being"
"about Ryo's threat regarding Akunami? if he meant it, then Akunami may strike soon" Yabu clarified.
"then we have to use Ryo as our pawn from this point of the game" Ainosuke gave off a deadly vibe that made Mirai realise that the Ainosuke now is much more tactful, matured and can inject fear in his opponents.
"before we return, there's something I need to tell all of you." Ainosuke walked towards Umika and Mirai and looked at the 2 girls for a moment, before he carried on.
"I am gonna give the both of you an option. be free, or to return to the palace with us. the latter is on one condition... you have to conceal your identity until i think of a better solution. it's definitely gonna be quite harsh for girls, but you need to disguise as guards just like now, and live like one... it's your choice."
Umika threw a quick glance at Chinen and their eyes met instantly. it was like a consensus was met virtually that Umika immediately took up the offer to return to the palace.
"anything as long as I can be with you" Mirai answered.
"Mirai, remember what I said yesterday. it's not gonna be easy. forsaking your glamour and feminine identity, living like a man, and having to constantly hide your real identity, it's Just the minor stuff. i wont be able to openly love you, rather our love will be hidden from public view. and you have to face my family without wavering..."
"I won't be shaken! I won't shed a tear, no matter how difficult it'll be. cause I know I've you by my side, even if it's just your mere presence or a smile from afar."
It pains Ainosuke to think about the imminent emotional heartaches she'll face in the near future and that he'll have a key role in hurting her. he looked at her passionately and didnt know what to do with her, what to say to her.
"I will accompany her" Umika leaned closer to Mirai and threw her arms around her. Chinen and Daiki followed suit and offered their protection "we'll keep them safe too. they'll move with us."
"as our personal promise, Me and Hikaru will oversee the welfare of our 2 ladies" with Yabu's vow, Ainosuke felt relieved and glad about the uncertainties that lie ahead. he could trust his guys, and with them around the ladies, at least they'll be fine, he thought.
Yabu and Daiki suddenly stopped their horses as they thought of a way to distract their King from the emotional fatigue.
"why stop?" Ainosuke questioned.
"it's still a number of miles before we enter into the capital and this forest is rather inaccessible and sloppy. we were thinking Umika and Mirai could hop on one of our horses instead, so it'll be safer. until the ground is more flat and safe for riding, they can return to their position." Daiki responded, but this reason was not convincing for Umika. not understanding the true intentions, she questioned the suggestion "but I am trained... I ..."
Chinen hopped onto umika's horse in a split second and cupped before she ruined the perfect excuse for Mirai to join Ainosuke. his body heat and intimacy are sufficient to silence her, physically though, cause her heart was racing noisily. the 2 of them could feel the sniggering around her as the rest seemed appalled by the development of their relationship. ignoring the stares, Chinen took the lead and rode her in the front of the pack.
Ainosuke helped Mirai up his horse and enveloped her within his arms. it reminded her of the time he rode Riko in the same manner, leaving her hopelessly jealous. she smiled to herself as she leaned on his chest, putting herself at ease while he rode the horse.
"what are you smiling about?" she blushed knowing that he noticed, and when he rested his jaw on her shoulders, she could smell his sweet cologne smell and throat vibrations.
"nothing~Ainosuke, the rest are looking" she felt embarrassed though she would most hope to have some extra alone time with him before she heads towards her new life.
"so... are you shy?"
"of course not!" she defended herself from his renewed teasing.
"take over the horse..." he handed her the ropes, leaving her wondering why. "A-Ainosuke, are you okay?" his arms wrapped around her waist line, with his head nesting on her stiff shoulders. her body stiffened than relaxed after his gentleness calmed her uptight nerves.
"to be honest, my heart is still unsettled from the confrontation earlier. I was really frightened that my most trusted generals are abandoning me...i am really not that independent, am I?"
"every king depends on his right left-hand men. you're not an exception. Ainosuke, you're doing so well for your age. really, I'm not flattering you." Mirai's words miraculously made untangled his nerves, though not completely.
"thanks, Mirai. but as a personal goal, I'll learn to be more independent. more skeptical about things around me, instead of taking things at face level. bestowing too much trust on one can cause one's downfall too"
"but you can trust them. please, don't fight this alone."
"of course, they can be trusted entirely. but it doesn't harm being more skeptical and more observant. I cannot be over reliant, or if something happens and they're not with me, I'll be doomed. I don't wanna be seen as a useless king."
"I hope you can share with me all your troubles from now, Ainosuke..."
"wow, I do have alot of troubles. you'll regret saying these, cause you'll have to listen days and nights"
"b-but that's what a wife should do."
"no, that's what you are told to do the first day you marry me. but to the woman I loved, all I want her to do is for her to stay with me through the most difficult times and the happiest of times. I just wanna wrap you in my arms, and lean on you whenever I feel the burden." Mirai could feel his grip tightened. she let herself immerse in his body fragrances and the radiating heat, enjoying the peaceful nature and the sound of the breaking of branches and brids chirping. each couple spent their moments before it was time to return to the designated positions and distance. the temporal, short-distanced separation has just begun but the longing for their partners already came strong, with the scent of each other lingering in their mental compartments like a permanent imagery.
*****
passing through the underground bunker evoked a different emotions in Ainosuke everytime. this time, anxiety. he could hear his heart beating fast and furious every step he took. upon reaching one particular cell, he took in a deep breathe before he formally faced the five wrinkled elderly who were still very much the symbols of strength and power. age didnt seem to diminish their firm attitude. standing before them revealed a slight awkward atmosphere given the young king is a third of their average age. Ainosuke reminded himself his own almighty position above them, and tried to command with confidence despite whatever opposition and sarcasm he may face in the process.
"if you are not letting us go, kill us," before Ainosuke could say anything, one of the five spoke, setting a hostile context right from the beginning, and it only gets worst.
"we refuse to speak to an ingratitude chap who trampled on our loyalty and commitment towards the country. we did nothing to deserve such humiliation from you!" the aggressive one spoke. Ainosuke realised none of the five were taking him seriously cause not a single one was looking at him in the eye.
"please receive my most sincere bow" Ainosuke's response to all the verbal abuses was something so shocking that the elders felt an uncontrolled sense of shame for bullying the polite boy.
"what's the meaning of this?! are you mocking us?!" in frustration, one elder raised his voice.
"no, I do not have such intention. my father would want me to do this for his greatest assistants of the Nishikido house through his reign," Ainosuke remained firm on the ground, and he thought his calmness has indicated his full control over the situation.
"then release us if you at least respect the work we have done. Nishikido house has done so much for the country, you should not imprison us this way! there's no wrong in what we do!"
"pardon me for me ignorance. but there's something I need to clarify..." Ainosuke looked down at the chained elders and he spoke with a deadly stare, "where does your loyalty lie? me or Nishikido Ryo?"
this question caught them by surprise. the elders looked at each other for answers, and swore that such a question wasn't so difficult a few decades back.
"enlighten me, what is the very purpose of the existence of the houses?" Ainosuke continued to probe.
Still, the silence engulfed the 4 walls, making it very difficult for the elders to endure. Ainosuke smirked as he expected no answers.
"you know why you can't answer? cause... the Nishikido House has strayed away from their original allegiance, forgo their once greatness and roots, for power and fame. or at least your leader has. now the five of you, have to decide which side are you on... mind you, know who you are ultimately serving and your purpose. to exterminate the reign or to protect us from external threats."
"who are you to demand our loyalty!" the arrogant one spoke.
"well, yes, I'm young and inexperienced. but I don't think I'm doing a bad job as compared to King Kobayashi from Akunami which your leader served, neither do I think I do badly as compared to King Minoru who overthrew my father. and what I have they don't is the generals who stay by my side regardless of what, and serve me from the bottom of my heart. does age really matter? do you mean all the so-called adults are doing the right thing the way they are treating the innocents, and I'm doing it wrong?!" Ainosuke intimidated them with a thought-provoking question the send them speechless. they could not disagree with his point cause they knew deep down that the 'adults' with experience are the ones who majorly screwed up by their thirst for power. in fact, they could not think of one reason they oppose the new King, except that Ryo told them to do so.
"I know your face is more important than anything else. I'll give you time to think, to surrender to me and join me, or continue to insist your way and oppose me. if the latter is your choice, don't worry, I won't execute you. you may have forgotten your roots, I've not. I won't punish the forefathers of Aoihoshi but I'll banish you out of this land. of course you could continue your plans, and we'll see who wins"
the five were shocked at the amount of risk the king is willing to take for their loyalty. Ainosuke stomped out of the cell with his fist tightly clenched. Once out, he turned to the bunker guards with a stern expression, "All of you, watch these guys closely. Go!" Only when he was left with Yabu and Hikaru who were awaiting for him outside patiently, he let out a deep breathe as though escaped from a painful experience. Noticing the exhaustion, Yabu and Hikaru immediately reacted, "Are you okay, Ainosuke?"
"I'm fine. You guys are dismissed. I wanna be alone. Don't let anyone near me." Ainosuke spoke almost in a weak tone, that worries the two generals.
"Should we get Mirai?"
"No. I said I want some alone time," he raised his voice in frustration. Realising his harsh tone on his generals who have been in full alert for at least 24 hours, he feigned a smile to gain their reassurance. "You guys go take a rest. I just wanna visit my father... and my mother. I'll be at the royal tombs," he sighed and walked away before the generals could react. Hikaru took a step forward but was held back by Yabu "I think he wanna talk to the late King and Queen. We should do as he say"
Ainosuke walked solemnly down the path that is largely unfamiliar, dragging his feet and his heavy heart towards the stone walls at the far end of a beautifully-maintained green piece of land. He was welcomed by a suprising tranquility that the land affords. He thought he has no connection with his parents, though minimal with his mother, so he would not turn to emotional, but he was wrong. His feet weakened when face with their tomb and he kneeled on the ground, feeling so vengeful against his birth parents for leaving him with this never-ending burden. Moreover, a sense of reliance surged through his veins, as he hopeless prayed his highly-regarded father was here to help me. Without a slightest memory of him, there was no imagination of even a soul to comfort him. There was so much in his mind that he wanted to pour out to them, but he didn't know where to begin.
"why do you have to dump all of these to me.... otousan, okasan.... what if I never do it welll.... what if I disappoint everyone... I am really tired of acting confident in front of those people. It's really tiring maintaining a double face," tears rolled down his cheeks once again, but it was no longer something surprising, since it was almost every night that he washes his face with his tears. He acted strong in front of everyone, not even showing his all to Riko and Mirai whom are so dear to his heart. He saw tears already in their eyes, he already felt guilty causing such extensive hurt to them that he has no courage to show them the vulnerable side of him to add to their burden. He could have shown it to Chinen, Daiki or Yuto, and most recently Umika who shared some sort of sibling connection with him, but he knew they were all having some troubles of their own. As much as he yearned, he wanted his brother Yu to be here with him, but after being harsh with him the other time, he hasn't yet apologised, so how could he expect consolation from him. He is left with the dead...who could provide him with so much ~
"otousan!!!!!!" a cheerful voice disturbed his heavy breathing. Quickly wiping the tears off his face, he turned around, only to be cozily embraced by a boy whose hands can barely wrap around his body. "Daichi~" he was lost for words. As his tears clear from his eyes and his vision sharpens, he sees Riko approaching from a distance.
"Riko~"
"shhh...we're here for you. You know that right" Riko's words mended his heart and provided what he needed most at this point - someone just simply to understand him without having to say anything. She enveloped her arms around her 2 men, giving them the care and concern she would most want to shower on the most important men in her life. Not only her and Daichi, even Ainosuke hoped that the time could freeze at the time so he could fully rest his mind and lean on the people who are always unconditionally staying by him regardless of how much he has forsaken their love. Putting aside his guilt, he thought they needed each other, even if it is for a night, a night only for his family.
"Mirai~" Umika held her friend's hands tightly, as it seemed like she has only got her now. Mirai thought she understood what her decision implied, what Ainosuke warned about her road ahead, but she never expected it to hurt so much. Watching from the side, she sees for herself, for the first time since she left the palace, the full, heartwarming family portrait visually imprints in her mind. "Umika, I'm not there... I should be there... there consoling him... but I'm not...I'm useless....can't do a single thing to alleviate his pain.... only burdening him..." She cupped to prevent herself from making any weeping escape, and her free hand wenched her pants of a lowly guard uniform that Daiki prepared for the girls to avoid detection.
"Mirai~ Let's just go back, okay?" Umika couldn't allow Mirai to endure this scene anymore. Mirai's feet seemed to be rooted to the ground, but her limbs are visibly weakening as her courage fell, Umika has to pull Mirai forcefully away from the royal tomb and back to their guard room where they are housed at a special corner amongst the other middle and low guards. Chinen, Daiki and the other generals admitted that it wasn't the best place for girls, but that was the only way to conceal their identities. The smell in the guard room reeks, and the best Chinen and the rest do were to assign a isolated corner and fresh bedsheets.
This night, regardless of how much Umika tried to talk to Mirai, she refused to open . She just crouched in a corner of her bed, buried under her blanket. Umika could hear sniffing sounds throught the night, and needless to say, she knew her friend was hurting.
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