Chapter Text
"I know this is," Washijou paused as if it would lighten the load off his statement, "Not what our people are expecting. But the potential loosening of tensions between us and Seijoh are paramount," Ushijima's expression barely changed and to an outsider, it would appear stony. Colder than polished steel. But you knew better, the slight furrow in his brow said all you really needed. Ushijima was not happy with the state of events, neither were Semi or Tendou. In fact, the latter of the two was already speaking his dislike for the decision Washijou had brought forth.
"That's like throwing fresh mackerel over a pile of already burning mackerel, this isn't going to solve anything! Why should we give up our precious Princess [Name]-chan to Prince Tooru of Seijoh, when Ushijima would do just as well? We'd be better off beheading [Name]-chan right now and save the middleman," You and Semi flinched a bit at Tendou's sardonic way of speaking, even if he had a rather… cheerful tone amongst him. You and the ashen-blond shared a look, one that usually meant 'Tendou is going to get it later,'
Semi cleared his throat, a bit hesitant to speak in front of the far more powerful men in the room, "Should we maybe let Princess [Surname] have a say? Considering, you know," Semi paused to gesture at you, "She's the only getting married. Engaged. Whatever," Semi seemed to have an almost bitter tone in his voice though it wasn't very well hidden. He had always been the emotional one in the group.
Ushijima nodded, his reply curt and monotone, "I agree."
All eyes were on you and you couldn't help but glide a hand to your neck, wary of the pressure mounting on your answer, "Well, I think that if it's good for the kingdom in Washijou's eyes then," You exhaled in an effort to keep your nerves from fraying under the steady gaze of the men, "I can't refuse,"
Washijou made a sound of approval, his eyebrows relaxing a small, but noticeable amount. "Alright then," The old man turned to leave the room, "I'll make the arrangements known by night's end,"
A chorus of 'Yes, your majesty," sprung from you and the other boys, mostly out of habit more than anything. The remaining occupants of the room slowly filed out, all but one: Semi Eita. The boy in question refused to meet your eyes, undoubtedly upset about the current state of affairs. You didn't blame him.
You and Semi knew each other for quite a long time, back when you were all young children. Though all the children in the noble house of Shiratorizawa were to be born at mostly the same time, they were only mandated to be grouped together when they were preteens. You and Semi were friends from near infancy, a bond that never seemed to stagger even with the larger chaotic waves of change that came with growing up. You had always been on the same wavelength, enough where the two of you wanted to get married when you were both eight. But then the two of you grew up, forced to be apart in schooling because the two of you were specialized in different areas of study. You were taught how to manage a kingdom, to judge domestic and foreign affairs to get an edge in power, in the hopes you'd one day be a Queen worthy of Shiratorizawa's caliber. Semi was considered a military prodigy, with pure, raw talent with battle strategy and fighting. It was no wonder that he was made one of the heads of the military for a temporary period of time.
Though, many would be quick to point out he was replaced within a matter of years by his junior, Shirabu. However, this was not by merit of talent; even Washijou said as much during the replacement. Though Semi didn't know, Washijou had told the rest of the house members that Semi had an affinity to have a more… wavering loyalty. The chances that Semi's ambition would overpower his feelings of servitude for Ushijima gave the cause of Washijou's choice to demote Semi to a lower rank. Shirabu was safer, though less talented and arguably less qualified in general to lead a military as strong as ours. And Semi was understandably upset over the change, one you had tried to overturn at every opportunity.
You had stayed with Semi the night Washijou broke the news of his demotion. With how success and power were so interlinked in the Shiratorizawa kingdom, you had expected a sense of grief from your friend. However, you couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt yourself when Semi sobbed the entire night; wondering how he was so substandard. With Washijou's wishes to keep his true reason for Semi's removal… you could only comfort your best friend.
Even now, you could see the strategic wheels in his brain turn, weighing the impact of accepting Washijou's opinion and fighting it. "Semi, you don't have to worry about me so much you know," Semi looked up at you from across the table and you took his hand that idly rested on the table's surface, "I can handle things,"
Semi looked unconvinced but said nothing of it. He slowly withdrew his hand from yours, standing up from his own chair to leave the room. He seemed oddly rushed as if he wanted to be rid of your presence and this room as soon as he could. Now left alone to your thoughts, you could only think about your future with the crown prince of Seijoh.
***
The carriage ride to Seijoh was a mostly smooth one, though you had to take a short trip into the mountainous regions of Fukurodani. That section of the trip had been the bumpiest by far but a few hours seemed rather short in comparison to the three-day journey as a whole. The ride gave you plenty of time to catch up on Sejioh and more importantly your future fiance.
Oikawa Tooru was the Crown Prince of Sejioh, one of the most hard-working heirs to the throne you've heard about within your generation. Already considered to become one of the Grand Kings of Miyagi's history, he had quite a list of accomplishments. Though with more digging the meticulous image of Prince Oikawa started to degrade. He was considered highly attractive, even amongst the other princes, though it fuelled his playboy tendencies to a near extreme. You distantly wondered if your inexperience in the matters of courtship would play a fundamental role in your relationship, should there even be one.
The Sejioh royal house was full of interesting characters, a bit more varied than the mostly cold and unreadable nobles that made up Shiratorizawa. There was the mysterious-sounding Iwaizumi Hajime, Oikawa's head knight, and right-hand man. Even you had heard of his exploits in battle from an energetic post-fight Tendou, paired with likely inaccurate sound effects. His loyalty to the Crown and Oikawa was unmatched in Miyagi. There was Hanamaki Takahiro and Matsukawa Issei, who were rumored to be the dual heads of most the underground (and mostly illegal) market in Miyagi. Most of this information was handed to you by Shibaru, as a "parting gift", which was not out of character for the noble in any way. It brought a smile to your face that Shibaru would even give a gift to you considering the two of you had never been particularly close.
And before you knew it, the gleaming white walls of Sejioh's capital cities were within your vision. Through the windows, you noticed that Sejioh had a bustling capital city, with happy citizens and colorful storefronts. With Shiratorizawa being a kingdom that valued obedience and discipline, this was a large change; though not an unwelcome one in all honesty. Some townspeople pointed at your carriage from the outside, not particularly shocking considering the ornate purple and black exterior.
Finding the kingdom's main castle was not a hard feat, being placed in the heart of the city. The pristine marble walls and painted teal roof made the large castle all the more that unique, a complete opposite to the gothic castle you had called home for the better part of a decade. There was already a large party of people outside the castle doors, mainly consisting of higher-ranking military officers and royal court members. You were glad to have the foresight to wear a more formal gown on the last leg of your trip, despite the uncomfortable effect of not being allowed to lay down in the carriage.
You stepped out of the carriage, a bit clumsy due to the long travels but you managed to maintain a semblance of grace. Many of the people waiting outside were murmuring to themselves, most likely a bit wary that the future Queen may actually be from Shiratorizawa. It wasn't a stretch to say you wouldn't be very happy if Ushijima had similarly found a fiancee in Sejioh. For political reasons.
You felt rather alienated when everyone had their eyes on you with their lips sewn shut. That is until you hear a loud booming voice full of unadulterated mischief. "Hey! You guys shouldn't be rude to the new girl! Yeesh," The speaker made himself clear to you by walking down the stairs to you, his black hair ruffled from the wind. He approached you and held out a hand, seemingly for you to grab it, which you attempted to do. That is until the man withdrew his hand quicker than you had reached for it with a grin. "Too slow, new girl. I'm Matsukawa, though since you're marrying the reigning hag… you can call me Mattsun," Despite his rather underhanded prank, you couldn't help but match Matsun's grin.
Matsun looked unsurprised when a large hand slapped his back, in fact looking a little annoyed at the giver of the action. The mischievous look on the new arrival was one Matsun had to have been familiar with for his face to fall from a grin to an exaggerated look of annoyance. "You're the hag's fiancee right?" You were shocked at the informal way the duo referred to the crown prince so casually, not to mention vulgarly. "I'm Hanamaki, though you can call me Makki! It's what the people I like call me," You nodded hesitantly to the request.
"Hello… Matsun and Makki. I'm Princess [Surname] [Name] of S—," You were interrupted by the two boys, who spoke nearly in perfect sync.
"Of… Shittytorizawa," Matsun turned to look at the crowd, looking a bit frustrated with the stares.
"Hey, [Surname], wanna get inside? Oikawa and Iwaizumi are off on an emergency summit but," said Makki, "I think they'll be back by evening,"
You nodded, a tad eager to get away from peering eyes and finally rest. You followed the two to the main entrance of the castle and you took a deep breath. You had to say goodbye to Shiratorizawa now, to welcome a new family as your own. While you didn't know then, you'd later look back with a small smile and laugh at your young naivety. Simple was never a truth in Miyagi's nobility.