[ficlet] little pawns
title. little pawns
author. callista miralni
series. magi
pairing. sutble jukou, alikou
rating. teen
summary. we're all just pawns on a chessboard. AU but contains spoilers up to Night 250.
author's note. I've had this idea rolling about in my head for the past week so I thought I'd give it a go with a one-shot. I may continue/rewrite this as a full length fic once I have more concrete ideas.
And one day, the Black Rukh will shine with white light again...
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Ren Kougyoku, Eighth Imperial Princess of the Kou Empire, knew it was her turn before Ka Kobun arrived at her chambers with the missive in hand. With six--no, seven, mustn't forget about Hakuei-ane-sama--older sisters already married off in political alliances (again, with the exception of Hakuei-ane-sama), it was only a matter of time before the Emperor turned his eye to her.
"Vinea," she spoke softly to the delicate ornament in her hand. "Lend me your strength."
The Djinn's seal winked back at her, a promise of a lifetime.
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When Kougyoku arrived in Balbadd City, she did not know what to expect after living a relatively sheltered life within the confines of the Palace.
The only time she left the grounds was nearly five years ago, when the Oracle grabbed her and Kobun by the hand and pulled them atop his magic carpet to conquer the 45th dungeon with her brothers.
"Hey Hag, keep your shit together, aight?"
Kougyoku scowled and turned to face the mocking speaker. Behind her, Kobun sputtered indignities on her behalf.
The Oracle of the Kou Empire, one of the great Magi, Judal, gave her his customary smirk before flippiantly tossing her an apple.
How she wished the infuriatingly childish Magi was nothing more to her than the Oracle of her country. As Fate would have it, Judal was the closest person to a childhood friend Kougyoku would ever have.
"I wonder if that baby Magi is still hanging around that crybaby prince," Judal mused as he lead their party through the winding streets to the palace.
The mention of a prince piqued her interest. As customary, Kougyoku had not seen her husband-to-be or heard anything about him.
Judal gave her a sideways glance and grinned.
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"Tell me about him."
Judal picked through the basket of fruits, lying on his stomach on the carpet.
"No can do, Old Hag," he replied, finally deciding on a ripe apple. "Dunno which one you're betrothed to."
Kougyoku pursed her lips.
"Then tell me about all of them."
He paused before sitting up.
"If you insist."
The First Prince and former Heir Apparent, Ahbmad Saluja, was a pig of a man, better suited to scholarly aspirations than to rule the kingdom. He was to inherit the crown until a certain incident and instead served as a scholar at the University, studying the Torran language and lore in the Dark Continent.
The Second Prince, Sahbmad Saluja, suffered from agoraphobia and instead chose to accompany his brother on his travels. He too, served as a University scholar, thriving in the Torran villages.
The Third Prince and Heir Apparent, Alibaba Saluja, was the prized Dungeon Capturer of the Kingdom. For the past three years, he had been studying abroad to learn the ways of the world, accompanied by a Fanalis girl bodyguard and a child Magi, and was due to arrive from Sindria tomorrow.
"My guess is that your husband is Ahbmad," Judal told her. "Balbadd doesn't want this marriage as much as you do, but Rashid cannot deny the benefits of having the Eighth Princess in his palace."
Kougyoku sighed. "If I had a choice, I would marry the Third Prince," she said wistfully.
"That crybaby?" Judal scoffed. "He's a wimp forever blathering on about world peace or some other shit like that. I knew you were stupid, Old Hag, but I didn't think you were dumb enough to associate with morons like Ali-baka."
The Princess smiled sadly. "Until yesterday, I'd never been outside of the Empire," she whispered. "Perhaps as his queen, I'll see the world."
Judal picked out a peach from the basket.
"Don't be stupid," he flicked her on the forehead. "You're my King's Candidate. If you wanted to see the world, all you had to do was ask."
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Alibaba Saluja, third Imperial Prince and Heir Apparent of Balbadd, almost fell off the gangway of his ship when he heard the news.
He was getting married.
"We cannot afford to remain neutral," his father, King Rashid Saluja, thundered the moment Alibaba barged into the throne room demanding an explaination. "It is either we form an alliance with the Kou or risk war."
"We have a long-standing agreement with the Seven Seas Alliance!" Alibaba countered fiercely. "Why else would you send me abroad for three years if not to cultivate good will between us and Sindria?"
The king sighed deeply. "I have already discussed the issue with the alliance," he said. "Your marriage is another way into Al-Thamen."
The Prince stiffened.
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"They say Judal is part of the company escorting the princess."
The mention of the black Magi raised the hair on the back of Alibaba's neck. Despite his multiple encounters with Judal, the man unsettled him. His insatiable love of discord and strife was nerve-wrecking.
"Why?" Alibaba asked his Sindrian mentor, Sharrkan. "What would Judal have to do with the princess?"
The King of Sindria answered instead. "He is the Oracle of the Kou," he scowled. "Their high priest and resident Magi, much like Scheherazade in Reim. Judal is the reason behind the large number of King's Candidates in Kou and their rapid expansion west."
Sharrkan cackled. "That's not why it's interesting that Judal is here," he said with a wicked grin. "Rumor has it he is representing the Emperor and giving the princess away in marriage."
Alibaba rolled his eyes. "That's hardly surprising. It is within his capacity as a retainer of the Kou."
"No," his mentor continued. "Think about it, Ali-baka. Judal, the High Priest of Al-Thamen, is rumored to have one weakness and you're marrying her at the end of the week."
Now Alibaba understood why the Alliance allowed this marriage to go through.
Another way into Al-Thamen.
He closed his eyes.
A pawn for a pawn, huh?
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Alibaba stood on the highest balcony of the palace watching the stars.
"Hey crybaby."
He nearly jumped out of his skin as Judal swung down from the rafters with an arrogant grin.
"Judal-!" He hissed. "You've got to stop sneaking around like that!"
The priest waved him off. "I've got to talk to you about something, crybaby." Judal advanced before a flick of his wand froze Alibaba into place, pinned to the walls by shards of glimmering ice. The carefree expression slipped from his features, replaced with something menacing.
Alibaba's eyes hardened. "I'm listening, bastard."
He felt cold fingers raise his head up by the chin and he tried to supress the fear building up inside as the Magi scrutinized him closely.
"You're an idiot," Judal finally said. "But you won't ever treat her like a pawn. You know what it's like, after all."
Confused, Alibaba opened his mouth to demand an explaination but the black Magi released him and floated off into the night.
"See you in the morning, crybaby."
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When Judal saw her on the day of the wedding, the snarky comment (geez old hag, you took forever) died.
Her older brother, the esteemed First Prince Ren Kouen, surprised her with his and their two other brothers, Koumei and Kouha, presence right before she walked to the great hall for the ceremony. Judal, dressed in his usual attire, floated lazily around the hall, desperately trying to amuse himself while waiting.
Swathed in delicate Sindrian silks detailed with the fine embroidery of the Kou, Kougyoku has never looked more elegant in her life. The golden hairpin stamped with the eight-pointed star shone bright in the midday light.
"Judal," Kouen called to him. "It is a brother's duty to give his sister away in marriage, no?"
Childhood memories--
(Judal-chan, let me braid your hair!
For what purpose was I born into this world?
We're friends, right?)
--flooded his mind.
"As you wish, my Lord," he replied with a smirk and bowed with a flourish.
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Behind the veil, Kougyoku knew who she was marrying the moment the doors opened.
The great hall was flooded with guests, foreign dignitaries, noblemen, and citizens. The happy cheers floating in from beyond the palace walls which before were muted to her ears meant only one thing.
Her husband would be the much beloved Third Prince, Alibaba Saluja.
Her gaze landed on the blue-haired youth dressed in Magnostadt robes. That must be the Magi, Aladdin, who Hakuei-ane-sama spoke so highly of. The rose colored locks and bold eyes of the woman standing behind the young Magi must be the Fanalis bodyguard Judal alluded to.
Kougyoku did not dare to look at her husband. What if he was ugly and fat? What if he was cruel and abusive? What if he saw her exactly as her father did--a pretty pawn and not the Dungeon Conqueror she truly was?
When it came time to drink from the ceremonial cup that would cut her ties with Kou and bind her to Balbadd, Kougyoku finally summoned the courage to look her husband in the eye.
Warm amber met her gaze and a small but reassuring smile tugged at the corner of the Third Prince's lips.
They were married.
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At the wedding feast, a man with his dark curly hair pulled back into a careless updo approached her new husband and swung an arm around his neck.
"From the slums to the palace to marrying one of the most beautiful women in the world. Alibaba Saluja, my brother-in-arms, the luckiest man alive!"
With interest, Kougyoku turned to face them and mentally reminded herself to ask Judal about the connection between her husband and the slums.
The Prince's cheeks reddened. "Cassim, stop!" He begged. "Not in front of my wife!"
The other man grinned and plucked two glasses from a passing server. "May you continue to be a symbol of hope!" Cassim loudly toasted, eliciting rowdy cheers from a crowd of simply dressed guests flushed with wine.
"Seriously, man, knock it off!"
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When it came time to retire, Kougyoku silently followed her husband to their suite. The lamplight reflected off her golden hairpin, Vinea's seal urging her to remain strong.
Alibaba shut the door behind him softly.
"Listen here," Kougyoku finally snapped after hours of demure smiles and false delight. "I am not your toy or your trophy. I will not be used as a pawn against my country or yours. I am a warrior, a Dungeon Conqueror like you, and it would be in your best interests to not forget that."
To her surprise, the stunned expression on her husband's face when she started to threaten him into upholding her dignity dissolved into laughter.
"What is so funny?" Kougyoku demanded.
Alibaba wiped a tear from his eye. "I wondered when you would snap," he confessed. "Don't worry, Princess, I will not do anything to take your dignity away from you."
He went about arranging the bed with pillows. "I know they have a custom in Kou where husband and wife do not share a room save for their wedding night," Alibaba said. "But in the west, especially in Sindria and Balbadd, it is not uncommon for friends to share sleeping quarters."
"Friends?" Kougyoku asked.
He gave her a sideways glance before turning and holding his hand out to her.
"Yeah, friends on a mission to stop the impending war!"
And suddenly, Kougyoku wondered if her father knew what kind of man her husband actually was.
He was naively optimistic about the state of the world, a kind and gentle soul that should not be kept in the confines of the palace. Alibaba Saluja was not capable of manipulating others for the sake of world peace--he wholeheartedly believed in standing at the frontlines and yelling peace treaties across the battlefield.
Kougyoku smiled honestly for the first time since her betrothal was announced. Placing her hand in his, she shook Alibaba's hand in a firm handshake that would seal their fates.
"Friends."
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Floating on his beloved carpet, Judal watched them through the gauzy curtains on the balcony. It was close to dawn but Kougyoku and Alibaba had not stopped talking, getting to know each other and trading stories. Vinea's hair pin and Amon's knife lay on the respective bedside tables. Judal could tell from the pulse of the seal that the Djinns were content.
Their voices lulled and Judal watched interest as Alibaba picked up his wife from where she had fallen asleep on the cushions separating their marriage bed and tucked her under the blankets. He extinguished the lamps and Judal started to float away.
"I know you've been watching us."
Alibaba leaned on the railing with his arms crossed. Judal jumped from the carpet and landed like a cat on the balcony.
"I wondered if you would have the guts to consummate your marriage," Judal remarked flippiantly. "Turns out I was right, you don't."
"Liar," Alibaba softly accused him. "You wanted to make sure you made the right choice."
Judal remained silent.
"Master told me," Alibaba said. "How Kougyoku was set to marry Ahbmad-nii and how you persuaded His Majesty into matching her with me instead. You don't care about anything except war and I want to know why you bothered meddling in this marriage at all."
Crimson bore into him and Alibaba wished he was smart enough to bring Amon outside with him. Fast as he was, there was no way he could get to his vessel before Judal reached for that wand hidden in his chunnari and launched a volley of icicles his way.
"I told you," the Magi said with a smirk as he lightly stepped onto the railing and floated onto his magic carpet. "You alone know what it's like to be a pawn."
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Years later, with Aladdin, Morgiana, and Kougyoku at his side, Alibaba stormed into the Imperial Palace. Kougyoku led them through the winding maze of her childhood.
"Did it all mean nothing to you, Hakuryuu?" Alibaba screamed. "Were those months supporting each other, capturing Zagan together, learning from each other a lie?"
Kougyoku almost did not recognize her young cousin and stepbrother. The cruelty in his beautiful eyes was heartbreaking.
"The Empress-" she whispered.
"-is dead." Hakuryuu flatly acknowleged her query. "The Witch of Al-Thamen cannot haunt the Empire any longer."
"Judal is using you!"
"We dismantled the Organization," Hakuryuu dismissed. "They have no control over Kou no longer. This country stained black will be purified."
"At what cost?" Aladdin asked him sadly. "Was falling into depravity worth it?"
A soft chuckle rang out from behind the pillars before it turned into a full blown laugh. The black Magi emerged from the darkness, crimson eying them with contempt.
"A pawn becomes a queen once it crosses to the other side," Judal remarked with a savage grin. "Now show me how you dance, Solomon's Proxy."
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In the midst of battle, Kougyoku came face to face with the one person she dreaded to see.
"Judal..."
The Priest inclined his head. "What a cold greeting!" He exclaimed, lightly touching the ground. "Didn't we used to be childhood playmates, Kougyoku?"
She grit her teeth. "Don't play with me!" She equipped. "I'm not a toy you can play with!"
Kougyoku charged at him with Vinea's sword. He deflected her attack by grabbing her wrist, pointing her sword away from his throat. Before she could recover, he wrapped an arm around her waist, pinning her against him. Furious ruby met his gaze as the two scrutinized each other.
Judal was too close. Kougyoku could hear his strong heartbeat matching to her own.
"You don't have to do this," she quietly urged him. "You and Hakuryuu could stop this bloodshed right now."
Judal frowned. "Is that you or Alibaba speaking?" He asked harshly. "The Emperor is dead but now you're just a pawn to your husband."
"Oh Judal-chan," Kougyoku touched his face gently. "The only pawn here is you. Slave to your own hatred and bound by your bitterness."
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The funeral was extravegant and silent.
The bodies that burned were convincing illusions created by the Magi. In the meantime, a ship under heavy guard sailed swiftly to Balbadd. In the empty cellar, ice crystals covered every centimeter of the surface.
"That is the duty of the Magi," Yunan remarked to Scheherazade's new avatar, Titus Alexius. "To cleanse the world of impurities and bring hope to the world. To select the King to rule over us justly and wisely. In the meantime-"
The static bodies of Ren Hakuryuu and Judal glimmered under the frost. Aladdin held his hands out to Titus and Yunan. The magic seal glowed before sealing the cellar in suspended time.
"-sleep peacefully until your hatred is laid to rest."