Fanfiction - Once Upon Now and Forever (Part 1)
Title: Once Upon Now and Forever (Part 1)
Author: crazy_otaku911
Pairings/Characters: Yara/Yamamoto (with vague hints at one-sided Takahashi/Yamamoto) - with various appearances of Juniors (Tatsumi, Sakuma, THEY, Ebikisu) and Takki.
Rating: PG
Summary: AU (~14,000w) - based loosely on Cinderella, if you want to think loosely. A stable boy has fallen in love with his prince! When the prince gets engaged, everyone seems to have fingers in their business (questionably or otherwise) and the stable boy isn't sure if Happily Ever After is even an option. (Aka, Yamamoto pines after Yara and everyone is insane)
Disclaimer: This work is purely fiction.
Warnings: Some angst, kisses, and tears.
A/N: Written for snowqueenofhoth at je_holiday~♥! Beta'd by omoikkiri and suboshiyui ♥ They have my eternal gratitude for dealing with this. And to all the people I terrorized while writing because I was a total flangsting mess. ;; ♥♥♥
Ryouta was up before the sun was, slipping out of the servants' wing and into the cool morning air as quietly as possible. He knew there were others awake as well. The kitchen staff would be working away to produce the day's breakfast for everyone and the keepers of the hounds would be caring for their charges and so on and so forth. It was not quite light yet, but the castle was already quite busy.
Stepping with care into the stables, Ryouta smiled as he heard the soft nickers from the horses resting within.
“I'm sorry,” he apologized to them, bowing slightly. “I have no apples today. I'll see what the cook'll let me nick later.”
Padding into the stable, he checked on the horses in his care, reaching for one of his grooming sets. While there were many grooms and other stable hands, Ryouta was the one entrusted with the special care of the Royal Family's horses, most specifically, the Crown Prince's favorite horse, Kiyoshi.
“Hello there, pretty lady~,” he chirped, unlocking Kiyoshi's stall as she stamped a hoof in welcome. She was a tall, elegant mare, built solidly but with delicate boning, dappled grey, and, in Ryouta's opinion, most perfect. Letting her snuffle at his fingers for a moment, Ryouta continued to talk to her in a cheery tone as he began to brush her down. “Did you sleep well? I slept wonderfully! I had this dream. You and I went on a journey and you had wings and we ended up in a land where everything was silver and purple and smelled of lavender. I'm not a fan of lavender, really. Are you, Kiyoshi?”
It was one of his stranger quirks, the way he conversed with the horses, but he liked it and they didn't seem to mind. Though the rest of the staff thought he was silly for it, he continued on. Once Kiyoshi was groomed, fed, and watered, he moved on to the Crown Prince's stallion and down the line, releasing some to the pastures when he was finished.
“Oiii,” a voice called out right as the boy finished. Ryouta turned, finding his friend and fellow stable hand, Tatsumi Yudai, in the opening of the stable. “Why are you up so early, Ryouta? Don't you ever sleep?”
“Tatsumi~!” Almost giggling, Ryouta scampered over to the other boy, smiling brightly. “Of course I sleep, but you know I like being up early.”
“Your habits are ridiculous, my friend.” Tatsumi lightly flicked his forehead with a wry smile.
It was much lighter now, the sun glittering over the horizon. “Ah!” Ryouta glanced around, double checking that all the stall doors were still latched before hugging Tatsumi. “I'm late!”
Laughing, Tatsumi playfully shoved him back towards the castle. “Heaven forbid you be late.”
Ryouta raced away, returning to the castle through the scullery, taking care to wash his hands before waltzing straight into the kitchen which was warm, bright, and dreadfully busy.
“Ah, Yamamoto!” As kitchen maids and cooking hands swirled around him, the chief cook, Totsuka Shouta, smiled. “Just in time. Take that up, will you?” e indicted a freshly laid tray.
“No problem~!” Scooping up the tray, Ryouta sent the cook a salute before ducking out of the kitchen, heading up to the Royal Family's wing, taking care not to spill or slop anything. He was still smarting over the spill he'd taken a month back, managing to break every dish and twist his ankle. Reaching the landing in one piece, he gently knocked on the first door to the left. “Your Highness?”
“You're late!” A voice called from the other side and Ryouta grinned, letting himself in. While he'd never, ever admit it, the reason he got up so early was so he could take this duty off of the hands of one of the maids.
Crown Prince Yara Tomoyuki stood in front of a mirror, looking rather bored as he examined several tunics. “I hate them,” he turned to the boy holding two of the tunics up, one a light grey and the other a deep green. “Pick.”
“Mou...” Ryouta tilted his head for a moment, lips pursed in thought. “I like the grey one! You'll match Chura, ne?”
Tomoyuki raised an eyebrow. “You are such a strange one, Ryouta.”
“My apologies, Tomo~,” Ryouta smiled cheekily as he dropped formalities, as was usual within the Prince's suit. No titles, just names. Ryouta was just part of the castle's staff, but within these walls, he was one of the Prince's friends.
“Lies!” Tomoyuki roared, pouncing on him. “You like Chura more than you like me.”
“Ahaha, nooo!” Helplessly squeaking, Ryouta tried to fend the man off, but was effectively squished down onto a chair, Tomoyuki smirking down at him. He pinned him there for a moment before releasing him, tousling his hair.
“Have you eaten already?”
“Mm,” Shaking his head, Ryouta fidgeted as Tomoyuki sprawled out into the chair next to him with a mutter of 'eat now, clothes can wait'. “Not yet. I'll grab something later.”
“Oh don't be dumb, you don't expect me to eat this all by myself, do you?” Tomoyuki scoffed, tossing a breakfast pastry at him.
“Well, maybe they think all the extra food will make you grow taller?” Ryouta ventured, ducking as Tomoyuki flung a napkin in his direction.
“You're my height, you ass!” Tomoyuki gave him a baleful look before busying himself with the meal.
Ryouta shrugged lightly, unable to keep the dimpled grin off his face. “Ah, but Tomo, you're a mature man of twenty-three. I haven't even come of age yet~.”
“Ryouta, Ryouta... stop making me feel old,” Tomoyuki sighed in feigned tones of mourning.
They fell into a comfortable silence, sharing the tray of food while Ryouta tried his best not to spill crumbs all over his outfit. That they were undisturbed for so long was appreciated. More often than not, their morning routine would be interrupted by a messenger or steward, wishing to bring some report or other to the Prince's attention. The messengers weren't so bad, but Ryouta disliked how the stewards would glance down their noses at him in disdain. To be truthful, he was far from the image of society. His clothes were serviceable but worn and well mended and he normally smelled of horses and hay. Obviously not fit for the Crown Prince's company, but nobody said this because Tomoyuki chose to entertain who he wished and Ryouta was one of those people. People were mostly used to the Crown Prince's eccentricities such as dressing himself without the help of a waiting man or keeping a pet snake that he affectionately called Chura instead of falcons and hounds.
“I wonder if today would be a good hunting day,” Tomoyuki glanced to one of his windows, where the sun was now shining bright, hanging above them with the skies a wonderful clear blue day. “It'd be a bit late, but we wouldn't go far... Would you like to accompany us?”
“I'd rather not, I should think,” Ryouta wrinkled his nose as he began stacking the dishes back on the tray, to return back downstairs. “I don't like hunting and you guys always think I take too long.” Ryouta's skills lay with horses, but he had been at a loss the last time Tomoyuki had cajoled him into joining in on a hunt.
Opening his mouth to argue, Tomoyuki's mouth snapped closed as there was another knock on the door. “Crown Prince, are you decent?” The door opened before the question even finished and Lord Kawai Fumito was standing in the doorway.
“I suppose it wouldn't really matter if I wasn't decent?” Tomoyuki asked sarcastically, sitting up and eyeing the man.
“We've all got the same stuff underneath, I don't mind,” Kawai told him cheerfully. “Their Royal Majesties wish to speak to you immediately, if you would be so kind.”
“Ah... I guess that means a hunt is out of the question. One moment~,” Standing up, Tomoyuki returned to his wardrobe. “You said you liked the grey one?”
Ryouta just nodded quietly, not wanting to speak. It wasn't like he didn't like the Lord Kawai, quite opposite, he thought he was a great man, but there were lines that he knew he couldn't cross and it was better to just hold his tongue when in the presence of those with status.
Tomoyuki pulled the tunic on and belted it. “Well, the parents want a word. I'll see you later, Ryouta.” Winking, Tomoyuki straightened and followed after Kawai, leaving Ryouta to finish cleaning up from breakfast and return to the kitchen.
The day was busy, as every day normally was. Ryouta spent most of his time in the stables and running other errands whenever he was needed. Tomoyuki normally appeared in the afternoons to visit Kiyoshi but time passed and the Crown Prince was nowhere to be seen. Ryouta tried not to pout as he helped Eda saddle a baron's horse. He knew that the Prince was often busy and it was merely love for his favorite mare that had him coming out on almost a daily basis, but it always felt like something was missing when his day was too cluttered to stop by.
“It's alright~,” He crooned at Kiyoshi as he lead her back to her stall, stroking her nose. “He'll come see you tomorrow. He always misses you.”
Leaving closing the stables up fully to Eda and Hayashi, Ryouta headed back to the kitchen, guiltily thinking about how he hadn't gotten any apples for Kiyoshi or the others. “Ah, too bad...” He sighed, puffing his cheeks out. As he entered the scullery, he was immediately aware that the kitchen was a bubbling cacophony of excited voices. Peeking through the door, it seemed like the entire castle's staff was crammed into the cavernous kitchen, chaotic but in an orderly sense as it always was under Totsuka's hand.
“Have you heard yet?” One of the maids was on him in seconds. “The Crown Prince is engaged!”
Ryouta froze, his jaw dropping. “He's w-what?” He asked, eyes going wide, mind scrambling to absorb the sudden news. Was that what the King and Queen had wished to discuss that morning? An engagement?
“They aren't saying who, but I heard that it's a princess from one of the Great Kingdoms!” She let out a dreamy sigh and dashed off to gossip with some of the other maids. Ryouta just stood there for a moment, heart beating erratically, as people rushed around him. Everything suddenly felt claustrophobic. Stumbling slightly, he backed his way out of the kitchen before bolting, blindly sprinting back towards the stables.
He standing in front of Kiyoshi's stall, staring in at the mare. He was still struggling to process the abrupt news. “Kiyoshi... I...” He couldn't get the words to form properly, just slowly shaking his head as the mare snuffled at his shoulder.
“Come on, Ryouta,” Tatsumi's familiar voice said in his ear as firm hands steered him onto a bale of straw. “I wondered if you had heard yet or not.”
“...Engaged?” Ryouta tried tentatively, wondering if he could have possibly just imagined the entire conversation and the castle was all in abuzz for an entirely different reason.
Tatsumi smiled softly, squeezing his shoulder. “Engaged.”
“Oh...” Ryouta knew he was supposed to say something fitting for the occasion now, feebly adding “That's great...”
Tatsumi snorted and tugged him a little closer. “You don't have to pretend, Ryouta.”
Ryouta felt his heart finally give in and shatter as he hide his face in Tatsumi's shoulder. There were no tears, but he was trembling, his fingers limply curling into the other's shirt, wanting to leech off the sturdy strength that Tatsumi had always possessed.
He'd never thought about it before, about losing the prince's presence, but if marriage was imminent... Ryouta already knew he'd have no room for a small, silly stable boy.
Even stable boys insane enough to develop feelings for him.
It was ridiculous, to feel like he'd lost Tomoyuki already. Ryouta's chest felt like a black hole, sucking in all the aching pain, concentrating it in his heart until he felt like he couldn't breathe. “I...” he began and stopped, his throat constricted and tears really did come this time.
“Shh,” Tatsumi murmured, nose buried in his hair. “It's okay, I understand.”
As he began to cry, Ryouta hoped that Tatsumi didn't really understand because it felt like his heart was splintering. Tatsumi held him for what felt like hours, not saying anything. Ryouta appreciated that the older boy knew what to say or what not to say, but it was like Tatsumi to know. He'd been wiping away Ryouta's tears since Ryouta had been a scrawny kid, too silly and new to know what he was supposed to do. It had been Tatsumi who'd nudged him in the right direction and had even gotten him moved to stable duty, knowing Ryouta would be happier there.
When Ryouta had run out of tears to cry, he and Tatsumi headed back to their quarters, Ryouta trailing after the other, feeling like he'd been crying for an eternity, exhausted.
They were silent as they changed. Tatsumi didn't even say a word as Ryouta crawled under the covers with him instead of into his own bed, he just wrapped an arm protectively around him and fell asleep.
Ryouta felt drained, but sleep evaded him for a while longer. All he could think about was Tomoyuki and the maid's words echoing through his mind. Of course he'd get married. Tomoyuki was the crown prince and while their kingdom wasn't one of the Great Kingdoms, it was still a flourishing country. Why wouldn't he get married?
But in the end, Ryouta knew he didn't want Tomoyuki getting married and he knew he had no choice in the matter. He kept on cycling back to that thought as he drifted off into a thankfully dreamless sleep.
*~*~*
The next morning was hell for Ryouta. When Tatsumi shook him awake, he was dazed and disoriented, confused by the fact that the sun was much higher in the sky than usual. “I...I overslept?” He sounded confused as he looked around him, as if waiting for things to go back to normal. He hadn't overslept for the better part of a year.
Tatsumi tossed him a fresh set of clothes. “Come on, Ryouta. You have horses waiting for you.”
It seemed strange that life would go on as usual when Ryouta's own little bubble of it had been popped, but he dutifully pulled on his clothes and set off to the stable with Tatsumi. Kiyoshi was faithfully waiting for him and he felt a wave of fondness for the mare. “I guess I'll always still have you,” He murmured, stroking the mare's withers, a small smile forming on his lips.
He lingered in the stable, glossing Kiyoshi until she shone and even taking the time to muck out his horses' stalls which was a chore he normally didn't have to deal with.
By the time he made his way to the kitchen, the morning rush seemed to have passed already. Totsuka gave him a warm smile when he entered and Ryouta knew he'd been far to late to take the prince his tray, but Totsuka waved over one of his kitchen hands with instructions to feed Ryouta.
“Hi, I'm Hashimoto Ryousuke~!” The boy told him cheerfully as he bounded over, nearly slopping a cup of milk all over Ryouta. “You can call me Hasshi!”
Somehow Hashimoto managed to get Ryouta food without any burned fingers and Ryouta tucked himself in a corner to watch as the kitchen hummed with activity. Occasionally maids and other staff would pass him and he could feel their eyes on him, could hear them whisper as they rounded the corner. He wondered if that was just paranoia.
Right as he finished his meal, a page boy appeared at his elbow. Ryouta vaguely remembered his name was Sakuma Daisuke and nodded a greeting.
“His Royal Highness is asking for you,” the boy said breathlessly, tugging on his arm. “He said to escort you to his rooms.”
“I know my way,” but Ryouta let him drag him out of the kitchen and up the stairs anyways. He smiled, thinking about how he'd used to be that young and small, though that probably hadn't been as long ago as it felt.
“You're one of the ones who work with the horses, right?” Sakuma asked as they climbed the stairs.
Blinking, it took a moment for Ryouta to process what he was saying. “Ah? Oh... Yes, I work in the stables.”
“C-could you show me around sometime?” The boy seemed all excited and shy as he asked. “I mean, horses are so pretty... but I've never really been able to be around them much.”
“No problem,” Ryouta nodded quickly. “Just stop by sometime... though really, it's nothing glamorous, but the horses are all lovely.”
They reached the landing and Sakuma bowed, mumbling a quick goodbye before racing away. The bow caught Ryouta by surprised and he slowly waved, even though Sakuma had vanished from sight.
Reluctantly Ryouta faced Tomoyuki's door, staring at the wood for a few moments before knocking.
The door swung open almost immediately. “He couldn't have been that hard to find, what took you so-- oh, Ryouta!” Tomoyuki's eyes crinkled up in a smile as he stepped aside, allowing Ryouta inside. “You weren't here this morning.”
“Sorry,” Ryouta mumbled, hanging his head. “Overslept. Everything was crazy last night and so Tatsumi and I didn't get to bed until late.” He was proud at how normal he sounded.
“Of course,” Rolling his eyes, Tomoyuki nudges Ryouta into the usual seat. “The girl Tottsu sent up didn't want to talk or aaaany~thing. Not that she probably had much to say. How's Kiyoshi?”
There was a smile resting on Ryouta's lips. He liked knowing he'd been missed. “Kiyoshi was very put out,” he cheerfully explained. “She thinks you're a complete beast and she'll buck you off next time you try and ride her.”
“Ah!” Tomoyuki threw his hands up in despair. “Tell her I'll be down later today and I'll bring her a treat. Heaven knows, I'll want a break before all the vultures descend on me with their congratulations.” Tomoyuki pulled a face.
“So... you really are...?” Ryouta couldn't quite bring himself to say the word aloud.
Jutting his jaw out pathetically, Tomoyuki replied, “Yes and no. We're in official negotiations and she'll be here in six weeks time for... things.” He waved his fingers around, unable to think of any other words to use. “She'll be here during the festivals, so Mother is already making a million horrid ideas.” Tomoyuki pulled a face and threw his hands up.
Idly Ryouta wondered if he should offer his congratulations but figured that the words already burned on his tongue and Tomoyuki would probably be able to hear that much bitterness. “So how's it feeling?” he asks instead.
“...Weird, mostly.” Tomoyuki offers a shrug of sorts. “I mean, I always knew it was going to happen but it hasn't sunk in that it's happening now.” He lifted his eyes to Ryouta and grinned. “I guess it's just nothing right now.”
Ryouta just nodded after a moment's pause. “Well, I should probably get going. You know, festivals and Royal entourages... things are going to go crazy, ne?”
Tomoyuki laughed, nodding. “Yeah... all the normal partying. Drinking~.”
Snorting and laughing, Ryouta excused himself and slipped out of the room, pausing on the stairway and wondering why his heart was beating so painfully fast.
*~*~*
Life seemed to return to normal except for the amount of scrubbing the castle seemed to undertake. Ryouta returned to his normal routine of dining with the prince during breakfast and able to ignore the fact that he was getting married for the most part. Tomoyuki didn't seem very keen on discussing the matter.
The excited buzz surrounding the wedding didn't kick into full gear until two weeks later when seamstresses and tailors appeared and new uniforms were issued to the entire staff, color coded. Ryouta couldn't help but pull himself up taller when he tried on the soft hide and greens of the stable uniforms.
Three weeks before the Princess was to arrive, Ryouta found another page boy summoning him to Tomoyuki's suite mid-afternoon. He peeked into the room in confusion, since the man hadn't mentioned anything unusual that morning.
Fujigaya Taisuke, one of the most celebrated tailors of the kingdom was doing final fittings on all the clothes he'd created for Tomoyuki. Having been commissioned to create almost an entire new wardrobe, the man spent half his life in the prince's rooms with his personal assistants, Tamamori Yuta and Miyata Toshiya.
“Ryouta! Here to save me at last.” Tomoyuki stood perfectly still even as he spoke, lest he send Fujigaya into another huff, muttering of seams and thread and princes who were just too short to fit easily. “I'm going insane,” the prince continued as soon as Ryouta was fully in the room. “Is this a yes or a no?”
“The clothes?” Ryouta blinked at the outfit the prince was currently being fitted for, a rather handsome set, primarily black with accents of red and gold in the overcoat and the tunic. “I like it!”
“I love how you're asking him rather than trusting my judgment,” Fujigaya commented dryly, but he was more occupied with the sleeves of the coat at the moment. “Since when have I ever given you a bad outfit?”
“I looked like a cockroach in the last outfit you had me wearing. Ryouta, the one on the table to your left, what do you think of that one?”
Shuffling over to the table, Ryouta carefully bent over the coppery silk jacket with yellow-gold finishes, tempted to touch it just to see if it was as smooth as it looked, but refrained. “Shiny...” He muttered, ducking his head.
“...Fine, it's not too bad,” Tomoyuki blatantly ignored Fujigaya's derisive snort of laughter.
Ryouta spent the rest of the afternoon in the prince's suite, giving his opinion whenever needed (or even when it wasn't), but it wasn't so bad. Fujigaya was an excellent tailor and Ryouta felt comfortable around his assistants, having spent quite some time with Tamamori when they were younger and nothing much more besides feather dusters in the grand scheme of palace workings. Before Ryouta was handed off to the stables and Tamamori landed himself a spot on Fujigaya's team. Miyata was just the kind of nice guy that everyone got along with.
“These will all be done in a few days,” Fujigaya informed the prince when he was finished as the assistants scooped the wardrobe up. “Try not to put any holes in these ones, please?”
Tomoyuki just gave him a dirty look and pointed to the door. Laughing, Fujigaya vanished out, shutting the door behind him and leaving Ryouta alone with the prince.
“Thanks for that,” Tomoyuki said after a moment's pause, settling down onto a chair. “Ugh, I only have a bit before Mother comes and we have to go over menu finalization. I don't know why she doesn't just do what Tottsu says, he's never failed us yet. And on top of that, she's planning a whole engagement ball thing, which is bloody annoying.”
It was well known among the castle's subjects that the crown prince rather abhorred balls. Ryouta knew it mostly had to do with the fact that he was forced to dance with silly ladies who made eyes at him and danced far too close, but that was much besides the point.
“Well, it's not every day that the Crown Prince gets--”
“That is besides the point, my dear Ryouta,” the prince cut him off and Ryouta felt a small rush of relief. He still hadn't managed to put Tomoyuki and the word 'marriage' or 'engaged' in the same sentence without grinding his teeth.
“I'd best be going,” He said finally, standing up and bobbing slightly. “Sounds like you have a busy evening.”
“Yes, sadly,” Tomoyuki sighed. “I'm going to have to have Tsukada riding Kiyoshi for the next few weeks, until she arrives.” Tsukada Ryoichi was one of the prince's personal guard detail and a friend of Ryouta's.
“I can tell him if you like~,” Ryouta offered, inching to the doorway, wanting to escape as soon as possible, if only because the talk of upcoming preparations was a bit suffocating.
He knew he wouldn't be able to escape it forever, but until the princess arrived, he wanted to ignore it. Giving the prince one last farewell, he raced down the stairs, bursting into the kitchen and feeling rather unsteady. Tsukada was in the kitchen, surprisingly, deep in conversation with the head cook, both of whom looked up with concern.
“Ryouta, you okay?” Tsukada came over, wrapping an arm around him and guiding him to a table. “You look rather sick.”
“I think I'm just tired,” Ryouta muttered, though Tsukada's guess was probably spot on. He was sick.
Lovesick.
*~*~*
Ryouta had just finished the morning routine up when he turned to leave and promptly walked into someone, knocking him back onto his rear. “Sorry!” He blurted out, scrambling to his feet. “I wasn't loo-Prince Hideaki!”
“I knew I'd find you here, Yamamoto~. I don't suppose I can steal you away for a bit, mm?” Prince Takizawa Hideaki, heir to one of the great kingdoms, smiled at him, ruffling his hair.
“Of course!” Ryouta squeaked, dipping into a bow, beaming at the man. After Tomoyuki, Prince Hideaki was probably his favorite noble. He was kind and humorous and actually remembered the names of all the staff he met frequently. “What are you doing here so soon? We weren't expecting you for days!”
“I snuck ahead on my own,” the prince replied, gesturing back to the stable's opening, where a boy stood with two horses. “It's better to come as a surprise, don't you think?”
“His Highness will be happy to see you,” Ryouta confirmed as they walked over to the stable doors.
“I'll go see him in a moment,” Hideaki waved his hand. “But for now. Yamamoto, this is Takahashi Ryu. Takahashi, this is Yamamoto Ryouta.” Giving Ryouta a smile, Hideaki stepped back as the boy bowed, Ryouta returning it quickly. “Takahashi is my new squire, Yamamoto. Could you just show him the ropes around this place?”
“HIDEAKI, YOU ASS!” Tomoyuki came flying out of nowhere, body-checking the man and Takahashi and Ryouta just watched as the two of them rolled around in the dirt. “Why didn't you tell me you were going to be here.”
“Why should I have to tell you?” Hideaki demanded, scrambling to his feet and bounding away, Tomoyuki hot in pursuit.
Takahashi stared after his lord for a few moments before turning back to Ryouta. “Nice to meet you. Care to show me where to put the horses up?”
“The stalls are this way, sir” Ryouta motioned, taking the bridle of one, relieved that they'd taken the time to prep the extra stalls the day before. “Here and here, and come on, I'll show you where everything is.”
“Just Ryu~,” Takahashi cut in with a grin. “We're about the same age, it's weird to hear 'sir'.”
“Ryu then,” Ryouta chirped, not feeling the least bit shy about it. He liked being informal when he could, disliking how on edge most nobles made him feel. “So whatabouts are you, anyways?”
“Nothing much,” Takahashi replied with a shrug as they unsaddled the horses and rubbed them down. “Just the third son from a ducal house, who decided that he'd like to be a knight. I'm in my third year, so I've still got another one to go.”
Ryouta grinned, nodding. “I see~. Well... I'm just a stable boy, but if you ever need anything, just find me!”
After taking care of the horses, Ryouta gave the other a quick tour of the castle, introducing him to a few people before a page came running up. It was Sakuma again. “His Highness Prince Hideaki would like you,” he gasped at Takahashi, bright-eyed and flushed from running.
Takahashi bowed a quick farewell. “It was nice to meet you, Yamamoto. I imagine we'll be seeing each other around?”
“Probably~!” Ryouta said, returning the bow. Sakuma gave him a quick wave before whisking Takahashi away and Ryouta returned to the stables to swap some gossip with Tatsumi and Eda before dinnertime. The arrival of Prince Hideaki was a welcomed change from the constant chatter about the upcoming engagement. Amidst all the talk of marriage, Ryouta had quite forgotten that there would be other things to look forward to.
*~*~*
Ryouta was one of the last people to see the Princess on her arrival. When she first arrived, he'd been busy with a lord's stubborn horse and had missed the welcoming crowds as she entered through the gates. The entire castle was in a riot afterward though, so he didn't really have to see her. The maids all sighed over how lovely she was and all the men-at-arms spoke of how gently she spoke and everyone else just said that she was truly a princess.
It wasn't until the welcoming feast that Ryouta laid eyes on her, peeking from behind a curtain, his curiosity having gotten the better of him. She was there at the head table, seated next to Tomoyuki, looking delighted and regal. She was beautiful, Ryouta couldn't deny that. She had those ethereal airs and looked attentive, intelligent, and strong, while looking willowy and gorgeous.
He bit his lip, withdrawing. He should have expected her to be perfect, but it didn't make that gnawing feeling of dread and dislike go away.
Stealing back to the kitchen, he tucked himself away, knowing the kitchen was in a frenzy for the feast. Everything was polished and shining and nobody was saying much except for Totsuka and his assistants, shouting orders and putting final touches on dishes.
Nibbling on a roll, he watched the scene. It was like clockwork. Chaotic clockwork, but everyone was where they were supposed to be, serving the food they were supposed to be serving, and looking like a royal staff should. Some of the princess's staff was in the kitchens as well, along with other visiting nobles' servants and they were all chattering away about their respective houses, though the main subject was about the princess and her accomplishments and graces. He felt out of place, watching everything flow perfectly and ended up slipping out through the scullery to escape to the stables.
Kiyoshi was lazying in her stall, and whickered a greeting when he opened the door. Ryouta bit his lip and swung a leg over her back, leaning down to wrap his arms around the mare's neck. She snuffled at his knee, as if concerned.
“I don't like this,” He mumbled into her mane. “I hate this.” It was the truth and while he hadn't voiced it aloud until that moment, it was still true. He hated knowing that there was now going to be someone in Tomoyuki's life and while he may not know her now, he'd have to be a blind, stupid idiot not to fall in love with her, if she was everything people said she was.
He hadn't cried since the day the engagement had been announced and he wasn't going to now. But that dull, thudding pain returned to his chest and he just lay there atop Kiyoshi, wallowing in misery.
He wasn't used to feeling like this. While his life hadn't ever been extravagant and he had no family, he'd always loved the palace life. He loved the horses and his friends... and he loved Tomoyuki.
“I...” He mumbled into Kiyoshi's musky withers. “Am a complete idiot.”
“Well, yes, you are, but I don't think telling her that will do you any good.” Ryouta nearly fell off the horse (bless her, she didn't move a muscle) as Takahashi's voice filled the air. Jerking his head upwards, he found the boy leaning in the stall doorway, arms crossed, eyebrow raised.
“Are you supposed to be with Prince Hideaki?” Ryouta asked crossly, swiping hair out of his face.
Takahashi just gave him a mischievous smile. “Yes, but I was seated next to a rather dull lady and I didn't think I wanted to stay the whole time, so I got away on accounts of my stomach hurting terribly.” With those last words, the boy clutched at his stomach, rolling his eyes in exaggerated pain.
Ryouta couldn't help but giggle at the comical sight. “You're horrid.”
“I suppose,” Takahashi replied, sliding down into a sitting position at the opening of the stall. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Ryouta bit his lip and shook his head. “It's just stupid... stupid spring fever.” He said finally, sliding off of Kiyoshi. He liked Takahashi a lot and since the other had arrived, they'd spent quite a bit of time together, since the young squire enjoyed lending a hand with the horses. He, Eda, and Hayashi had gotten along instantly. But Ryouta wasn't sure if he wanted to admit his problem to the other. “It drives me insane.”
Another voice came from the stable's main way. “Oi, who in the bloody hell is leaving stall doors open? I swear I'm going to-- Oh, Takahashi, ho there.” Tatsumi peeked into the stall. “Ryouta? Are you okay?”
“Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?” Ryouta gave his friend a reproachful look. “You act like people aren't allowed to be upset or have bad days.”
“I've never seen you have a bad day since we met, let alone a bad month,” the other retorted. “Have you eaten?”
Ryouta stuck his nose in the air, ignoring the former comments, though he felt a small bit of regret that Tatsumi was still having to constantly look after him as if he was a mere child. “I was just going.” Before either Tatsumi or Takahashi could say another word, he escaped from the stable, dashing back to the kitchens.
Tatsumi watched him go with a look of exasperation mixed with worry.
“What's he up to?” Takahashi asked the older man after a moment's silence. “I haven't known him long, but he seems a tad gloomy, like a dog missing its master.”
Tatsumi snorted at the apt description. “He's mooning over the impossible,” he sighed. “I don't like it, it's strange not seeing him smile all the time. He tries, but this whole wedding is wearing down on him.”
Takahashi let that sink in for a moment. “Oh... I see.” He mused to himself for a moment before nodding, hauling himself to his feet and shutting the stall door. “I guess I'd better best be returning to my liege.” Giving Tatsumi a quick nod, Takahashi vanished out of the stables.
Tatsumi gave the building a quick check to make sure that all the stalls were secure before heading back to find Ryouta and make sure he actually ate. It wouldn't surprise him if the boy had simply run back to their quarters instead.
*~*~*
Ryouta had realized that with the arrival of the Princess, his time with Tomoyuki was going to become zip. What he hadn't expected was for a different noble to take up all his free time.
Prince Hideaki had taken to summoning him for just about anything. Ryouta didn't mind, he enjoyed the man's company and that of his squire, he just wondered why of all the people around, Hideaki was selecting him.
Two days after the Princess's arrival, the announcement of an engagement ball was announced. It would be in a month's time, during the spring equinox festivities, and because the Princess did so love them, it would be a masquerade. Ryouta actually heard her exclaim, “It's the mystery that people find so exotic. Masks transform the most familiar people and turn them into dancing dreams.”
Sakuma appeared at his shoulder one morning and Ryouta wasn't even surprised to see him. He'd spent quite some time with Sakuma in recent days. Sakuma was usually the one fetching him whenever Hideaki wanted him and Ryouta had also found him hanging out around the stables a few times. The page seemed awed by Kiyoshi and Tatsumi joked that he was equally awed of Ryouta, which Ryouta vehemently denied, but he'd admit to finding the attention rather nice.
Following Sakuma up to Takizawa's rooms, he knocked and entered, finding the prince lounging in a chair waiting for him, Takahashi grinning at his shoulder, a woman standing next to him, looking amused. Ryouta recognized her as part of Hideaki's staff, Rosa.
“Ah, Yamamoto, thank you for joining us,” the man said, sipping on his tea. “I have a favor to ask you.”
“Yes, my lord?”
The prince gestured to Takahashi. “This ball that's coming up. Ryu is unaccustomed to your dances, he's never been here before, you see. I was hoping that maybe you could be his practice partner for the day?”
Ryouta stared at him for a few moments, wondering if he'd heard correctly. “Pardon?”
“Dance with him, Yamamoto.” Takizawa waved his hands and Takahashi stepped forward, fighting a smile as he bowed, offering Ryouta a hand.
Ryouta took a step back. “I'm a boy~!”
“So?” Hideaki raised an eyebrow. “Come on, Yamamoto, it's not so bad. I just wanted someone Ryu's comfortable with, please?”
Biting his lip, Ryouta slowly took a step forward. It wasn't like he really had room to refuse the request of royalty. Faltering for a moment, he finally accepted Takahashi's hand. The squire winked, giving him a twirl and Ryouta managed to execute it without falling on his face.
Rising from his chair, Hideaki took Rosa's hand and assumed a dance position. Rosa took over and began explaining the dance and the steps to the boys, as she and the prince danced it perfectly. After a few attempts, Ryouta and Takahashi were able to do much the same, though Ryouta was having a hard time adjusting. He knew the dance by heart, it was an old one, but he'd inevitably only danced the man's part and having to follow Takahashi's lead wasn't difficult, but he was constantly putting his foot in the wrong place or moving at the wrong time. After a few elbowed guts and trodden toes, they got it down.
The next dance was much the same. By the end of it all, Ryouta was ready to call bull-shit on the prince's words since Takahashi seemed very at ease with learning the dances and a girl would have been so much less awkward, but he held his tongue. He reminded himself as well that though Takizawa Hideaki dressed like a local, he, Takahashi, and Rosa were all from a different land and everyone knew the desert countries made you eccentric at best.
By the time Ryouta hobbled to his bed, it was rather late. Eda chucked a pillow at him and informed him that yes, he'd tended to Ryouta's chores for him but next time, a little warning would be nice. Hayashi wondered where he'd been all day and Tatsumi told them all to shut up and go to sleep.
“Guys, I am captive by a madman and his devil of a squire, have some pity on my poor soul,” Ryouta complained, which earned him another pillow in the face and Tatsumi telling them all he'd shovel manure in their beds. Ryouta changed into his sleeping clothes and promptly climbed into Tatsumi's bed.
“Oomph! What are you doing?”
Ryouta shrugged, snuggling into the other's shoulder. “You never used to mind~.”
A warm arm wrapped around his shoulders and Tatsumi ruffled his hair. “Well, you were smaller back then.” He replied in dry tones but made no move to shoo him out of bed.
“You're always calling me tiny, don't complain now,” Ryouta hummed, pulling the blankets up a little higher and promptly falling asleep, unable to see the fond smile Tatsumi was wearing.
*~*~*
Ryouta got the scare of his life the next morning when he was feeding the horses and strong arms wrapped around him from behind. Yelping in surprise, he dropped the bucket of grain.
“I miss you, Ryouta,” Tomoyuki chuckled in his ear. “You never come to see me at breakfast anymore.”
Stammering and turning beet red, Ryouta's body froze with Tomoyuki's proximity. “I.. ah... uh. You,” he said, rather intelligently.
Tomoyuki let him go, turning him around. “What have you been up to? I heard you run around with Hideaki these days.” The man pulled a pout. “Don't tell me you like that idiot more?”
“Of course not!” Ryouta forced his tongue to get those words out. “It's just that you're so busy, Tomo! I didn't think you'd have time for breakfast or anything.”
Tomoyuki frowned, rubbing his eyes. “I suppose that's true. Everyone's gone mad and I barely have a moment to myself... But you know what?” His eyes opened and he regarded Ryouta for a moment. “Let's just forget what's going on right now. I missed you and Yudai and Kiyoshi... Let's go for a ride.”
“Tatsumi's in town...” Ryouta mumbled, staring at his feet and at the spilled grain. “I've got chores and everything.”
“Weee~ll.” Tomoyuki scooped up the bucket, trying to save as much grain as possible. “I guess if that's the case, I'll just have to help you so we can leave sooner. I'll have to take Yudai out some other time. Why not saddle up Yami and Kiyoshi?” Yami was Tomoyuki's gelding, a gigantic, strong beast, but he was as sweet at Kiyoshi, lacking the temper that Akihide, Tomoyuki's war stallion, had.
They saddled the horses and Ryouta relaxed into his normal smile. It felt nice to have Tomoyuki standing next to him as they tightened girth straps and checked stirrups. Kiyoshi was impatient to be going though, having gotten restless while her master had been busy.
“Just remember,” Tomoyuki told him when they mounted. “No talking about the past few months, okay? I want to just get away for a few hours.”
They took off with some provisions in their saddle bags and informing Tsukada of where they were going before heading off into the mountains. Ryouta cantered next to Tomoyuki, rocking in the saddle to Yami's gentle gait, laughing as the cool spring air danced around them as they raced down the forest road.
They kept on going until they came to one of the streams, crystal clear and cold. Letting the horses drink for a bit, Tomoyuki and Ryouta did a bit of exploring, knowing that both horses were too well behaved to wander away.
“Funny what a year does to the scenery,” Tomoyuki mused as he looked around. “Everything looks as if we'd never been here before. But I know I used to come here a lot last year.”
Ryouta smiled, twirling a stalk of spring blossoms around his finger. “Then forget that you've been here before and pretend it's a new adventure~!” He laughed, spinning around and breathing in the crisp air. “I know I feel better already.”
“Same here~,” Tomoyuki chuckled, slinging an arm over Ryouta's shoulders as they returned to Kiyoshi and Yami.
What should have only been a few hours' ride turned into the entire day. Around midday, Tomoyuki turned to Ryouta. “I don't really want to go back, just yet... Let's keep on going.” Ryouta had no qualms with prolonging their little escape.
“I bet if we go far enough, we'd run into a forest hag or something~,” he laughed gaily, glancing around at their surroundings, the evergreens a deep green, contrasting with the barely budding trees that were mixed in.
“The kind that would roast you over a spit as an offering?” Tomoyuki teased.
“Mou! They'd take you, you're the prince,” Ryouta tossed a twig at Tomoyuki, pouting. “Besides, I meant the kind that grant you wishes and things. What would you wish for, Tomo?”
“Ah,” Chuckling, Tomoyuki sidled Kiyoshi over a little. “I'd wish for... I'm not sure. Another snake so Chura has a friend?” He laughed, leaning over to nudge at Ryouta. “How about you?”
Giggling, Ryouta urged Yami onwards, flushing lightly. “Can't tell you~!”
Tomoyuki raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Why not?”
Ryouta stuck his tongue out before clicking Yami into a trot, moving ahead. “Because then it wouldn't come true~! Race you!” He kneed the gelding into a higher gait, fingers threading through his mane.
Not far behind him, Tomoyuki whooped. “Ryouta, you know you're going to lose against Kiyoshi.”
Ryouta was more than aware of the fact, but he liked feeling Yami racing beneath him, the wind against his face, blowing through his hair. And, in the back of his mind, it was nice to know that Tomoyuki was chasing after him, even for just a few moments before Kiyoshi overtook them.
They were enjoying themselves so much that they barely registered the sun setting. “...Blasted, they're going to kill me.” Swearing, Tomoyuki wheeled Kiyoshi around. “Come on, it'll take us a good while to get back, even if we do run the whole way back.”
“That's bad for the horses,” Ryouta reminded him before they began to race down mountain side again. Ryouta still enjoyed himself, feeling Yami's powerful muscles bunch and release between his knees, whooping as he tried to overtake the fleeter Kiyoshi and her rider.
In the end, they had to slow down and let the horses walk, still a few hours away from the palace. Ryouta was glad that they'd both still had their cloaks from the morning because once the sun set, it became rather chilly.
“Walk with me~?” Tomoyuki asked as he slid out of the saddle. “The moon's so bright tonight.”
Ryouta scrambled down Yami and they lead the horses down the path, lit by the moonlight filtering through the forest's bowers. Ryouta hesitated for a moment before reaching out, grasping Tomoyuki's hand and feeling him squeeze back as they walked. He was glad that even with the silvery moonlight, it was too dark to see his reddened cheeks.
He'd missed the prince and it was sad to realize that it'd probably be another long time before he'd see him again once they returned to the palace grounds.
“I hate not seeing you anymore,” Tomoyuki's words startled Ryouta after the long silence. “You, Yudai, being able to ride whenever I want to. I hope it settles down once this is all over and done with.”
Ryouta tried not to think about how 'this' was his prince being tied up in matrimony, but his mouth was ahead of his mind. “What d'you think of her?”
“The Princess?” Tomoyuki sounded thoughtful. “She's wonderful, I suppose. We get along well, it's just weird to think that we'll be married soon enough and everything. But she's actually funny and everything, so it's not dull or anything. I like her a lot, I guess.”
“Ah...” Ryouta nodded in the darkness. “I'm glad you're happy.” The words came out sincerely and Ryouta truly meant them. He wanted Tomoyuki to be happy, ultimately, even if he felt another piece of his heart shatter.
You were the fool who gave him your heart without asking if he wanted it.
After that, they mounted their horses and rode the rest of the way back in silence. There was nothing more to say as they returned to the reality. Tomoyuki had a royal wedding to follow through with and Ryouta had horses to tend and stalls to muck out.
There was a small crowd waiting for them when they returned to the stables and Ryouta was horrified to find that not only was the King and Queen there, but so was the Princess. Neither of Tomoyuki's parents looked very happy. Ryouta swallowed, shrinking in the saddle slightly.
“Hello~,” Tomoyuki waved as he dismounted, as if he'd done nothing but take a quick walk and seemed rather surprised at all the people waiting there.
The Queen swooped in, grabbing his arm and tugging him towards the castle. “Where have you been!? You told the guardsmen that you'd be back by early afternoon, it's past midnight!”
“I didn't feel like coming back yet,” Tomoyuki replied in what sounded like a polite tone but Ryouta recognized it as his stubborn as a mule voice. Sliding off Yami, he stood perfectly still in between the horses, hoping that Tomoyuki would draw everyone else away and he'd be able to rub the horses down in peace.
He could hear the Princess as everyone thankfully left. “My Prince, I was so worried that something might have happened.” He caught a glimpse of them returning to the castle and saw her arm tucked under Tomoyuki's. He felt another stab of pain in his chest.
Tatsumi materialized in front of him, eyebrow raised and Takahashi trailing behind him. “And what was this all about? I came back with a snack for you and Tsukada tells me you and the Prince ran off and hadn't been seen for hours and you've only now decided to show back up?”
“He wanted to go for a ride...” Ryouta hung his head, shuffling his feet. “And then he didn't want to come back. He wanted to take you too!”
“...Well, I suppose if it's him, there's nothing to be done about it.” Tatsumi nodded, reaching to take Kiyoshi's reins. “Hey... Come on, don't look so down, it's not your fault.” Tatsumi gave him a smile, brushing Ryouta's bangs away, just to let him know that he was being surly out of concern rather than consternation.
Takahashi relieved him of Yami's reins and Ryouta watched as the other two rubbed the horses down, fed them, and locked up the stable. After that, Takahashi bumped shoulders against Ryouta's. “Night, you two.”
Ryouta trudged up the pathway back to their housing with Tatsumi, who wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “So how was it?”
Sighing, Ryouta rested his head on the other's shoulder. “It was great while we were gone... but I think it made coming back worse.”
“Ryouta, I'm going to say this even if I know you won't listen to a word of it,” Tatsumi squeezed his shoulders. “Would you please, please, please be careful? I don't want you ripping yourself up over something you can't change.”
“It's okay,” Ryouta said after a moment. “Everyone knows I'm an idiot already.”
“That you are,” He didn't have to see Tatsumi's face to know he was smiling. “But you're my idiot.”
Ryouta just smiled, feeling just a little better about things.
*~*~*
Ryouta's role in the incident didn't go unnoticed. The next morning he had another visitor, this one much less welcome than Tomoyuki. Lady Julie, a Duchess and the only woman among the royal advisers appeared outside of Akihide's stall and Ryouta was nearly brained when he dropped the grain yet again as he bowed low. “My lady?”
“Don't act cute,” The lady snapped, looking rather displeased. “The Crown Prince may not realize what an undermining little brat you are, but don't think what you do goes unnoticed. You are not to try and disturb the work that is being done here, peasant. Things will not be well for you if anyone catches you trying to meddle again.”
Ryouta held the bow as she railed away, biting his tongue. He hadn't been meddling. He'd missed his friend, which everyone with eyes knew that friendship was all there was. Tomoyuki was already becoming smitten with the Princess, there was no room for Ryouta in his life already.
“Do you understand me?” Lady Julie demanded and Akihide stamped a hoof in nervous tension.
Ryouta deepened the bow and murmured, “Yes, my Lady.” He held the position until he heard her leave the stables, straightening up and trying to quiet the stallion before fetching him fresh grain.
“Ryouta, you look really pale, what's up?” Eda appeared at his side, brushing fingers over his forehead. Ryouta wished people would stop asking him what was up or wrong or if he was okay. He wished he was better at hiding the trembling in his fingers.
“I'm just really tired, Tsu.” He replied with a wane smile. “I'm sure you heard about last night. I didn't get to sleep until late.”
Eda nodded, squinting at him for a moment before clapping him on the back. “Sounds like you need a nap, Ryou~.”
He left and Ryouta thought nothing more of it, but when Tatsumi showed up ten minutes later, he realized that his little fib hadn't been bought so easily. “Eda says you had a she-demon visit you this morning. What happened?”
“Nothing,” Ryouta shrugged, hanging Yami's bridle up. “She just told me something I already knew.”
Tatsumi just stared at him in exasperation. “You are such an idiot...”
*~*~*
The next reminder that there were people of power displeased with him came a week later when Tsukada dropped into a seat next to him and asked why on earth he was placed on watch tower duty.
“I'm what?” Tilting his head in confusion, Ryouta blinked rapidly.
“My captain just told me that you've been placed on watch tower duty tonight.”
“What's a stable boy doing on guard duty?” Totsuka swooped in, frowning, Hashimoto in his wake, whipped cream staining the boy's sleeves.
“I haven't a clue, I'm just saying what they told me.”
“Tonight...” Ryouta said faintly. It was the night of the masquerade ball, of course they'd keep him far away from the festivities and well away from the prince. “Ah. I forgot about that.”
The head cook and guard both gave him an odd look. “You really did ask for it? Why on earth?”
“I wanted to see what it was like,” Ryouta tried his best to lie. “You know, being a guard and all that stuff. But since I'm just a horse-boy, they told me I had to start small.”
Totsuka looked like he didn't buy it one bit, but he merely nodded and turned to return to his duties, slamming into Hashimoto and causing a gigantic rumpus. Tsukada looked dubious but nodded slowly. “I guess so... I just wanted to tell you to wear a heavy cloak, it's bitterly cold up there.”
With that, the man left and Ryouta breathed out a sigh of frustration and relief. With the entire run of stable boys acting like he was losing his head (which he was), he didn't need anyone else thinking he'd gone mad (which he had.)
He felt crushed, all the same. While he would never have been let near the grand ballroom, he loved large parties and festivals. There was always so much cheer and laughter and food and friendship and he would be shut away for the whole time.
It wasn't fair.
“That's not fair!” Eda insisted hours later, when he'd told the rest that he wasn't going to be around the whole time. “They're bullying you! I heard Lady Julie, don't try to lie about it.”
“Look, it's busy, we should just get back to work,” Ryouta avoided looking at everyone's dismayed faces. Even Takahashi (who had apparently become a regular among them) looked disbelieving.
Tatsumi stood up after a moment. “Takahashi, can I speak to you for a moment?” He said absently, nodding to the doorway. The two men exited and Eda and Hayashi badgered Ryouta for a few moments longer before giving up and returning to help lend a hand with the final preparations for the ball. There would be visiting carriages and riders and they all had to be kept somewhere on hand and there was no time to worry about other things.
Part 2
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A/N: I am so proud of this fic, I don't even. ;; I don't know, I really like it. *flails* IT'S REALLY LONG BUT X: Idk. ANYWAYS.
Author: crazy_otaku911
Pairings/Characters: Yara/Yamamoto (with vague hints at one-sided Takahashi/Yamamoto) - with various appearances of Juniors (Tatsumi, Sakuma, THEY, Ebikisu) and Takki.
Rating: PG
Summary: AU (~14,000w) - based loosely on Cinderella, if you want to think loosely. A stable boy has fallen in love with his prince! When the prince gets engaged, everyone seems to have fingers in their business (questionably or otherwise) and the stable boy isn't sure if Happily Ever After is even an option. (Aka, Yamamoto pines after Yara and everyone is insane)
Disclaimer: This work is purely fiction.
Warnings: Some angst, kisses, and tears.
A/N: Written for snowqueenofhoth at je_holiday~♥! Beta'd by omoikkiri and suboshiyui ♥ They have my eternal gratitude for dealing with this. And to all the people I terrorized while writing because I was a total flangsting mess. ;; ♥♥♥
Ryouta was up before the sun was, slipping out of the servants' wing and into the cool morning air as quietly as possible. He knew there were others awake as well. The kitchen staff would be working away to produce the day's breakfast for everyone and the keepers of the hounds would be caring for their charges and so on and so forth. It was not quite light yet, but the castle was already quite busy.
Stepping with care into the stables, Ryouta smiled as he heard the soft nickers from the horses resting within.
“I'm sorry,” he apologized to them, bowing slightly. “I have no apples today. I'll see what the cook'll let me nick later.”
Padding into the stable, he checked on the horses in his care, reaching for one of his grooming sets. While there were many grooms and other stable hands, Ryouta was the one entrusted with the special care of the Royal Family's horses, most specifically, the Crown Prince's favorite horse, Kiyoshi.
“Hello there, pretty lady~,” he chirped, unlocking Kiyoshi's stall as she stamped a hoof in welcome. She was a tall, elegant mare, built solidly but with delicate boning, dappled grey, and, in Ryouta's opinion, most perfect. Letting her snuffle at his fingers for a moment, Ryouta continued to talk to her in a cheery tone as he began to brush her down. “Did you sleep well? I slept wonderfully! I had this dream. You and I went on a journey and you had wings and we ended up in a land where everything was silver and purple and smelled of lavender. I'm not a fan of lavender, really. Are you, Kiyoshi?”
It was one of his stranger quirks, the way he conversed with the horses, but he liked it and they didn't seem to mind. Though the rest of the staff thought he was silly for it, he continued on. Once Kiyoshi was groomed, fed, and watered, he moved on to the Crown Prince's stallion and down the line, releasing some to the pastures when he was finished.
“Oiii,” a voice called out right as the boy finished. Ryouta turned, finding his friend and fellow stable hand, Tatsumi Yudai, in the opening of the stable. “Why are you up so early, Ryouta? Don't you ever sleep?”
“Tatsumi~!” Almost giggling, Ryouta scampered over to the other boy, smiling brightly. “Of course I sleep, but you know I like being up early.”
“Your habits are ridiculous, my friend.” Tatsumi lightly flicked his forehead with a wry smile.
It was much lighter now, the sun glittering over the horizon. “Ah!” Ryouta glanced around, double checking that all the stall doors were still latched before hugging Tatsumi. “I'm late!”
Laughing, Tatsumi playfully shoved him back towards the castle. “Heaven forbid you be late.”
Ryouta raced away, returning to the castle through the scullery, taking care to wash his hands before waltzing straight into the kitchen which was warm, bright, and dreadfully busy.
“Ah, Yamamoto!” As kitchen maids and cooking hands swirled around him, the chief cook, Totsuka Shouta, smiled. “Just in time. Take that up, will you?” e indicted a freshly laid tray.
“No problem~!” Scooping up the tray, Ryouta sent the cook a salute before ducking out of the kitchen, heading up to the Royal Family's wing, taking care not to spill or slop anything. He was still smarting over the spill he'd taken a month back, managing to break every dish and twist his ankle. Reaching the landing in one piece, he gently knocked on the first door to the left. “Your Highness?”
“You're late!” A voice called from the other side and Ryouta grinned, letting himself in. While he'd never, ever admit it, the reason he got up so early was so he could take this duty off of the hands of one of the maids.
Crown Prince Yara Tomoyuki stood in front of a mirror, looking rather bored as he examined several tunics. “I hate them,” he turned to the boy holding two of the tunics up, one a light grey and the other a deep green. “Pick.”
“Mou...” Ryouta tilted his head for a moment, lips pursed in thought. “I like the grey one! You'll match Chura, ne?”
Tomoyuki raised an eyebrow. “You are such a strange one, Ryouta.”
“My apologies, Tomo~,” Ryouta smiled cheekily as he dropped formalities, as was usual within the Prince's suit. No titles, just names. Ryouta was just part of the castle's staff, but within these walls, he was one of the Prince's friends.
“Lies!” Tomoyuki roared, pouncing on him. “You like Chura more than you like me.”
“Ahaha, nooo!” Helplessly squeaking, Ryouta tried to fend the man off, but was effectively squished down onto a chair, Tomoyuki smirking down at him. He pinned him there for a moment before releasing him, tousling his hair.
“Have you eaten already?”
“Mm,” Shaking his head, Ryouta fidgeted as Tomoyuki sprawled out into the chair next to him with a mutter of 'eat now, clothes can wait'. “Not yet. I'll grab something later.”
“Oh don't be dumb, you don't expect me to eat this all by myself, do you?” Tomoyuki scoffed, tossing a breakfast pastry at him.
“Well, maybe they think all the extra food will make you grow taller?” Ryouta ventured, ducking as Tomoyuki flung a napkin in his direction.
“You're my height, you ass!” Tomoyuki gave him a baleful look before busying himself with the meal.
Ryouta shrugged lightly, unable to keep the dimpled grin off his face. “Ah, but Tomo, you're a mature man of twenty-three. I haven't even come of age yet~.”
“Ryouta, Ryouta... stop making me feel old,” Tomoyuki sighed in feigned tones of mourning.
They fell into a comfortable silence, sharing the tray of food while Ryouta tried his best not to spill crumbs all over his outfit. That they were undisturbed for so long was appreciated. More often than not, their morning routine would be interrupted by a messenger or steward, wishing to bring some report or other to the Prince's attention. The messengers weren't so bad, but Ryouta disliked how the stewards would glance down their noses at him in disdain. To be truthful, he was far from the image of society. His clothes were serviceable but worn and well mended and he normally smelled of horses and hay. Obviously not fit for the Crown Prince's company, but nobody said this because Tomoyuki chose to entertain who he wished and Ryouta was one of those people. People were mostly used to the Crown Prince's eccentricities such as dressing himself without the help of a waiting man or keeping a pet snake that he affectionately called Chura instead of falcons and hounds.
“I wonder if today would be a good hunting day,” Tomoyuki glanced to one of his windows, where the sun was now shining bright, hanging above them with the skies a wonderful clear blue day. “It'd be a bit late, but we wouldn't go far... Would you like to accompany us?”
“I'd rather not, I should think,” Ryouta wrinkled his nose as he began stacking the dishes back on the tray, to return back downstairs. “I don't like hunting and you guys always think I take too long.” Ryouta's skills lay with horses, but he had been at a loss the last time Tomoyuki had cajoled him into joining in on a hunt.
Opening his mouth to argue, Tomoyuki's mouth snapped closed as there was another knock on the door. “Crown Prince, are you decent?” The door opened before the question even finished and Lord Kawai Fumito was standing in the doorway.
“I suppose it wouldn't really matter if I wasn't decent?” Tomoyuki asked sarcastically, sitting up and eyeing the man.
“We've all got the same stuff underneath, I don't mind,” Kawai told him cheerfully. “Their Royal Majesties wish to speak to you immediately, if you would be so kind.”
“Ah... I guess that means a hunt is out of the question. One moment~,” Standing up, Tomoyuki returned to his wardrobe. “You said you liked the grey one?”
Ryouta just nodded quietly, not wanting to speak. It wasn't like he didn't like the Lord Kawai, quite opposite, he thought he was a great man, but there were lines that he knew he couldn't cross and it was better to just hold his tongue when in the presence of those with status.
Tomoyuki pulled the tunic on and belted it. “Well, the parents want a word. I'll see you later, Ryouta.” Winking, Tomoyuki straightened and followed after Kawai, leaving Ryouta to finish cleaning up from breakfast and return to the kitchen.
The day was busy, as every day normally was. Ryouta spent most of his time in the stables and running other errands whenever he was needed. Tomoyuki normally appeared in the afternoons to visit Kiyoshi but time passed and the Crown Prince was nowhere to be seen. Ryouta tried not to pout as he helped Eda saddle a baron's horse. He knew that the Prince was often busy and it was merely love for his favorite mare that had him coming out on almost a daily basis, but it always felt like something was missing when his day was too cluttered to stop by.
“It's alright~,” He crooned at Kiyoshi as he lead her back to her stall, stroking her nose. “He'll come see you tomorrow. He always misses you.”
Leaving closing the stables up fully to Eda and Hayashi, Ryouta headed back to the kitchen, guiltily thinking about how he hadn't gotten any apples for Kiyoshi or the others. “Ah, too bad...” He sighed, puffing his cheeks out. As he entered the scullery, he was immediately aware that the kitchen was a bubbling cacophony of excited voices. Peeking through the door, it seemed like the entire castle's staff was crammed into the cavernous kitchen, chaotic but in an orderly sense as it always was under Totsuka's hand.
“Have you heard yet?” One of the maids was on him in seconds. “The Crown Prince is engaged!”
Ryouta froze, his jaw dropping. “He's w-what?” He asked, eyes going wide, mind scrambling to absorb the sudden news. Was that what the King and Queen had wished to discuss that morning? An engagement?
“They aren't saying who, but I heard that it's a princess from one of the Great Kingdoms!” She let out a dreamy sigh and dashed off to gossip with some of the other maids. Ryouta just stood there for a moment, heart beating erratically, as people rushed around him. Everything suddenly felt claustrophobic. Stumbling slightly, he backed his way out of the kitchen before bolting, blindly sprinting back towards the stables.
He standing in front of Kiyoshi's stall, staring in at the mare. He was still struggling to process the abrupt news. “Kiyoshi... I...” He couldn't get the words to form properly, just slowly shaking his head as the mare snuffled at his shoulder.
“Come on, Ryouta,” Tatsumi's familiar voice said in his ear as firm hands steered him onto a bale of straw. “I wondered if you had heard yet or not.”
“...Engaged?” Ryouta tried tentatively, wondering if he could have possibly just imagined the entire conversation and the castle was all in abuzz for an entirely different reason.
Tatsumi smiled softly, squeezing his shoulder. “Engaged.”
“Oh...” Ryouta knew he was supposed to say something fitting for the occasion now, feebly adding “That's great...”
Tatsumi snorted and tugged him a little closer. “You don't have to pretend, Ryouta.”
Ryouta felt his heart finally give in and shatter as he hide his face in Tatsumi's shoulder. There were no tears, but he was trembling, his fingers limply curling into the other's shirt, wanting to leech off the sturdy strength that Tatsumi had always possessed.
He'd never thought about it before, about losing the prince's presence, but if marriage was imminent... Ryouta already knew he'd have no room for a small, silly stable boy.
Even stable boys insane enough to develop feelings for him.
It was ridiculous, to feel like he'd lost Tomoyuki already. Ryouta's chest felt like a black hole, sucking in all the aching pain, concentrating it in his heart until he felt like he couldn't breathe. “I...” he began and stopped, his throat constricted and tears really did come this time.
“Shh,” Tatsumi murmured, nose buried in his hair. “It's okay, I understand.”
As he began to cry, Ryouta hoped that Tatsumi didn't really understand because it felt like his heart was splintering. Tatsumi held him for what felt like hours, not saying anything. Ryouta appreciated that the older boy knew what to say or what not to say, but it was like Tatsumi to know. He'd been wiping away Ryouta's tears since Ryouta had been a scrawny kid, too silly and new to know what he was supposed to do. It had been Tatsumi who'd nudged him in the right direction and had even gotten him moved to stable duty, knowing Ryouta would be happier there.
When Ryouta had run out of tears to cry, he and Tatsumi headed back to their quarters, Ryouta trailing after the other, feeling like he'd been crying for an eternity, exhausted.
They were silent as they changed. Tatsumi didn't even say a word as Ryouta crawled under the covers with him instead of into his own bed, he just wrapped an arm protectively around him and fell asleep.
Ryouta felt drained, but sleep evaded him for a while longer. All he could think about was Tomoyuki and the maid's words echoing through his mind. Of course he'd get married. Tomoyuki was the crown prince and while their kingdom wasn't one of the Great Kingdoms, it was still a flourishing country. Why wouldn't he get married?
But in the end, Ryouta knew he didn't want Tomoyuki getting married and he knew he had no choice in the matter. He kept on cycling back to that thought as he drifted off into a thankfully dreamless sleep.
*~*~*
The next morning was hell for Ryouta. When Tatsumi shook him awake, he was dazed and disoriented, confused by the fact that the sun was much higher in the sky than usual. “I...I overslept?” He sounded confused as he looked around him, as if waiting for things to go back to normal. He hadn't overslept for the better part of a year.
Tatsumi tossed him a fresh set of clothes. “Come on, Ryouta. You have horses waiting for you.”
It seemed strange that life would go on as usual when Ryouta's own little bubble of it had been popped, but he dutifully pulled on his clothes and set off to the stable with Tatsumi. Kiyoshi was faithfully waiting for him and he felt a wave of fondness for the mare. “I guess I'll always still have you,” He murmured, stroking the mare's withers, a small smile forming on his lips.
He lingered in the stable, glossing Kiyoshi until she shone and even taking the time to muck out his horses' stalls which was a chore he normally didn't have to deal with.
By the time he made his way to the kitchen, the morning rush seemed to have passed already. Totsuka gave him a warm smile when he entered and Ryouta knew he'd been far to late to take the prince his tray, but Totsuka waved over one of his kitchen hands with instructions to feed Ryouta.
“Hi, I'm Hashimoto Ryousuke~!” The boy told him cheerfully as he bounded over, nearly slopping a cup of milk all over Ryouta. “You can call me Hasshi!”
Somehow Hashimoto managed to get Ryouta food without any burned fingers and Ryouta tucked himself in a corner to watch as the kitchen hummed with activity. Occasionally maids and other staff would pass him and he could feel their eyes on him, could hear them whisper as they rounded the corner. He wondered if that was just paranoia.
Right as he finished his meal, a page boy appeared at his elbow. Ryouta vaguely remembered his name was Sakuma Daisuke and nodded a greeting.
“His Royal Highness is asking for you,” the boy said breathlessly, tugging on his arm. “He said to escort you to his rooms.”
“I know my way,” but Ryouta let him drag him out of the kitchen and up the stairs anyways. He smiled, thinking about how he'd used to be that young and small, though that probably hadn't been as long ago as it felt.
“You're one of the ones who work with the horses, right?” Sakuma asked as they climbed the stairs.
Blinking, it took a moment for Ryouta to process what he was saying. “Ah? Oh... Yes, I work in the stables.”
“C-could you show me around sometime?” The boy seemed all excited and shy as he asked. “I mean, horses are so pretty... but I've never really been able to be around them much.”
“No problem,” Ryouta nodded quickly. “Just stop by sometime... though really, it's nothing glamorous, but the horses are all lovely.”
They reached the landing and Sakuma bowed, mumbling a quick goodbye before racing away. The bow caught Ryouta by surprised and he slowly waved, even though Sakuma had vanished from sight.
Reluctantly Ryouta faced Tomoyuki's door, staring at the wood for a few moments before knocking.
The door swung open almost immediately. “He couldn't have been that hard to find, what took you so-- oh, Ryouta!” Tomoyuki's eyes crinkled up in a smile as he stepped aside, allowing Ryouta inside. “You weren't here this morning.”
“Sorry,” Ryouta mumbled, hanging his head. “Overslept. Everything was crazy last night and so Tatsumi and I didn't get to bed until late.” He was proud at how normal he sounded.
“Of course,” Rolling his eyes, Tomoyuki nudges Ryouta into the usual seat. “The girl Tottsu sent up didn't want to talk or aaaany~thing. Not that she probably had much to say. How's Kiyoshi?”
There was a smile resting on Ryouta's lips. He liked knowing he'd been missed. “Kiyoshi was very put out,” he cheerfully explained. “She thinks you're a complete beast and she'll buck you off next time you try and ride her.”
“Ah!” Tomoyuki threw his hands up in despair. “Tell her I'll be down later today and I'll bring her a treat. Heaven knows, I'll want a break before all the vultures descend on me with their congratulations.” Tomoyuki pulled a face.
“So... you really are...?” Ryouta couldn't quite bring himself to say the word aloud.
Jutting his jaw out pathetically, Tomoyuki replied, “Yes and no. We're in official negotiations and she'll be here in six weeks time for... things.” He waved his fingers around, unable to think of any other words to use. “She'll be here during the festivals, so Mother is already making a million horrid ideas.” Tomoyuki pulled a face and threw his hands up.
Idly Ryouta wondered if he should offer his congratulations but figured that the words already burned on his tongue and Tomoyuki would probably be able to hear that much bitterness. “So how's it feeling?” he asks instead.
“...Weird, mostly.” Tomoyuki offers a shrug of sorts. “I mean, I always knew it was going to happen but it hasn't sunk in that it's happening now.” He lifted his eyes to Ryouta and grinned. “I guess it's just nothing right now.”
Ryouta just nodded after a moment's pause. “Well, I should probably get going. You know, festivals and Royal entourages... things are going to go crazy, ne?”
Tomoyuki laughed, nodding. “Yeah... all the normal partying. Drinking~.”
Snorting and laughing, Ryouta excused himself and slipped out of the room, pausing on the stairway and wondering why his heart was beating so painfully fast.
*~*~*
Life seemed to return to normal except for the amount of scrubbing the castle seemed to undertake. Ryouta returned to his normal routine of dining with the prince during breakfast and able to ignore the fact that he was getting married for the most part. Tomoyuki didn't seem very keen on discussing the matter.
The excited buzz surrounding the wedding didn't kick into full gear until two weeks later when seamstresses and tailors appeared and new uniforms were issued to the entire staff, color coded. Ryouta couldn't help but pull himself up taller when he tried on the soft hide and greens of the stable uniforms.
Three weeks before the Princess was to arrive, Ryouta found another page boy summoning him to Tomoyuki's suite mid-afternoon. He peeked into the room in confusion, since the man hadn't mentioned anything unusual that morning.
Fujigaya Taisuke, one of the most celebrated tailors of the kingdom was doing final fittings on all the clothes he'd created for Tomoyuki. Having been commissioned to create almost an entire new wardrobe, the man spent half his life in the prince's rooms with his personal assistants, Tamamori Yuta and Miyata Toshiya.
“Ryouta! Here to save me at last.” Tomoyuki stood perfectly still even as he spoke, lest he send Fujigaya into another huff, muttering of seams and thread and princes who were just too short to fit easily. “I'm going insane,” the prince continued as soon as Ryouta was fully in the room. “Is this a yes or a no?”
“The clothes?” Ryouta blinked at the outfit the prince was currently being fitted for, a rather handsome set, primarily black with accents of red and gold in the overcoat and the tunic. “I like it!”
“I love how you're asking him rather than trusting my judgment,” Fujigaya commented dryly, but he was more occupied with the sleeves of the coat at the moment. “Since when have I ever given you a bad outfit?”
“I looked like a cockroach in the last outfit you had me wearing. Ryouta, the one on the table to your left, what do you think of that one?”
Shuffling over to the table, Ryouta carefully bent over the coppery silk jacket with yellow-gold finishes, tempted to touch it just to see if it was as smooth as it looked, but refrained. “Shiny...” He muttered, ducking his head.
“...Fine, it's not too bad,” Tomoyuki blatantly ignored Fujigaya's derisive snort of laughter.
Ryouta spent the rest of the afternoon in the prince's suite, giving his opinion whenever needed (or even when it wasn't), but it wasn't so bad. Fujigaya was an excellent tailor and Ryouta felt comfortable around his assistants, having spent quite some time with Tamamori when they were younger and nothing much more besides feather dusters in the grand scheme of palace workings. Before Ryouta was handed off to the stables and Tamamori landed himself a spot on Fujigaya's team. Miyata was just the kind of nice guy that everyone got along with.
“These will all be done in a few days,” Fujigaya informed the prince when he was finished as the assistants scooped the wardrobe up. “Try not to put any holes in these ones, please?”
Tomoyuki just gave him a dirty look and pointed to the door. Laughing, Fujigaya vanished out, shutting the door behind him and leaving Ryouta alone with the prince.
“Thanks for that,” Tomoyuki said after a moment's pause, settling down onto a chair. “Ugh, I only have a bit before Mother comes and we have to go over menu finalization. I don't know why she doesn't just do what Tottsu says, he's never failed us yet. And on top of that, she's planning a whole engagement ball thing, which is bloody annoying.”
It was well known among the castle's subjects that the crown prince rather abhorred balls. Ryouta knew it mostly had to do with the fact that he was forced to dance with silly ladies who made eyes at him and danced far too close, but that was much besides the point.
“Well, it's not every day that the Crown Prince gets--”
“That is besides the point, my dear Ryouta,” the prince cut him off and Ryouta felt a small rush of relief. He still hadn't managed to put Tomoyuki and the word 'marriage' or 'engaged' in the same sentence without grinding his teeth.
“I'd best be going,” He said finally, standing up and bobbing slightly. “Sounds like you have a busy evening.”
“Yes, sadly,” Tomoyuki sighed. “I'm going to have to have Tsukada riding Kiyoshi for the next few weeks, until she arrives.” Tsukada Ryoichi was one of the prince's personal guard detail and a friend of Ryouta's.
“I can tell him if you like~,” Ryouta offered, inching to the doorway, wanting to escape as soon as possible, if only because the talk of upcoming preparations was a bit suffocating.
He knew he wouldn't be able to escape it forever, but until the princess arrived, he wanted to ignore it. Giving the prince one last farewell, he raced down the stairs, bursting into the kitchen and feeling rather unsteady. Tsukada was in the kitchen, surprisingly, deep in conversation with the head cook, both of whom looked up with concern.
“Ryouta, you okay?” Tsukada came over, wrapping an arm around him and guiding him to a table. “You look rather sick.”
“I think I'm just tired,” Ryouta muttered, though Tsukada's guess was probably spot on. He was sick.
Lovesick.
*~*~*
Ryouta had just finished the morning routine up when he turned to leave and promptly walked into someone, knocking him back onto his rear. “Sorry!” He blurted out, scrambling to his feet. “I wasn't loo-Prince Hideaki!”
“I knew I'd find you here, Yamamoto~. I don't suppose I can steal you away for a bit, mm?” Prince Takizawa Hideaki, heir to one of the great kingdoms, smiled at him, ruffling his hair.
“Of course!” Ryouta squeaked, dipping into a bow, beaming at the man. After Tomoyuki, Prince Hideaki was probably his favorite noble. He was kind and humorous and actually remembered the names of all the staff he met frequently. “What are you doing here so soon? We weren't expecting you for days!”
“I snuck ahead on my own,” the prince replied, gesturing back to the stable's opening, where a boy stood with two horses. “It's better to come as a surprise, don't you think?”
“His Highness will be happy to see you,” Ryouta confirmed as they walked over to the stable doors.
“I'll go see him in a moment,” Hideaki waved his hand. “But for now. Yamamoto, this is Takahashi Ryu. Takahashi, this is Yamamoto Ryouta.” Giving Ryouta a smile, Hideaki stepped back as the boy bowed, Ryouta returning it quickly. “Takahashi is my new squire, Yamamoto. Could you just show him the ropes around this place?”
“HIDEAKI, YOU ASS!” Tomoyuki came flying out of nowhere, body-checking the man and Takahashi and Ryouta just watched as the two of them rolled around in the dirt. “Why didn't you tell me you were going to be here.”
“Why should I have to tell you?” Hideaki demanded, scrambling to his feet and bounding away, Tomoyuki hot in pursuit.
Takahashi stared after his lord for a few moments before turning back to Ryouta. “Nice to meet you. Care to show me where to put the horses up?”
“The stalls are this way, sir” Ryouta motioned, taking the bridle of one, relieved that they'd taken the time to prep the extra stalls the day before. “Here and here, and come on, I'll show you where everything is.”
“Just Ryu~,” Takahashi cut in with a grin. “We're about the same age, it's weird to hear 'sir'.”
“Ryu then,” Ryouta chirped, not feeling the least bit shy about it. He liked being informal when he could, disliking how on edge most nobles made him feel. “So whatabouts are you, anyways?”
“Nothing much,” Takahashi replied with a shrug as they unsaddled the horses and rubbed them down. “Just the third son from a ducal house, who decided that he'd like to be a knight. I'm in my third year, so I've still got another one to go.”
Ryouta grinned, nodding. “I see~. Well... I'm just a stable boy, but if you ever need anything, just find me!”
After taking care of the horses, Ryouta gave the other a quick tour of the castle, introducing him to a few people before a page came running up. It was Sakuma again. “His Highness Prince Hideaki would like you,” he gasped at Takahashi, bright-eyed and flushed from running.
Takahashi bowed a quick farewell. “It was nice to meet you, Yamamoto. I imagine we'll be seeing each other around?”
“Probably~!” Ryouta said, returning the bow. Sakuma gave him a quick wave before whisking Takahashi away and Ryouta returned to the stables to swap some gossip with Tatsumi and Eda before dinnertime. The arrival of Prince Hideaki was a welcomed change from the constant chatter about the upcoming engagement. Amidst all the talk of marriage, Ryouta had quite forgotten that there would be other things to look forward to.
*~*~*
Ryouta was one of the last people to see the Princess on her arrival. When she first arrived, he'd been busy with a lord's stubborn horse and had missed the welcoming crowds as she entered through the gates. The entire castle was in a riot afterward though, so he didn't really have to see her. The maids all sighed over how lovely she was and all the men-at-arms spoke of how gently she spoke and everyone else just said that she was truly a princess.
It wasn't until the welcoming feast that Ryouta laid eyes on her, peeking from behind a curtain, his curiosity having gotten the better of him. She was there at the head table, seated next to Tomoyuki, looking delighted and regal. She was beautiful, Ryouta couldn't deny that. She had those ethereal airs and looked attentive, intelligent, and strong, while looking willowy and gorgeous.
He bit his lip, withdrawing. He should have expected her to be perfect, but it didn't make that gnawing feeling of dread and dislike go away.
Stealing back to the kitchen, he tucked himself away, knowing the kitchen was in a frenzy for the feast. Everything was polished and shining and nobody was saying much except for Totsuka and his assistants, shouting orders and putting final touches on dishes.
Nibbling on a roll, he watched the scene. It was like clockwork. Chaotic clockwork, but everyone was where they were supposed to be, serving the food they were supposed to be serving, and looking like a royal staff should. Some of the princess's staff was in the kitchens as well, along with other visiting nobles' servants and they were all chattering away about their respective houses, though the main subject was about the princess and her accomplishments and graces. He felt out of place, watching everything flow perfectly and ended up slipping out through the scullery to escape to the stables.
Kiyoshi was lazying in her stall, and whickered a greeting when he opened the door. Ryouta bit his lip and swung a leg over her back, leaning down to wrap his arms around the mare's neck. She snuffled at his knee, as if concerned.
“I don't like this,” He mumbled into her mane. “I hate this.” It was the truth and while he hadn't voiced it aloud until that moment, it was still true. He hated knowing that there was now going to be someone in Tomoyuki's life and while he may not know her now, he'd have to be a blind, stupid idiot not to fall in love with her, if she was everything people said she was.
He hadn't cried since the day the engagement had been announced and he wasn't going to now. But that dull, thudding pain returned to his chest and he just lay there atop Kiyoshi, wallowing in misery.
He wasn't used to feeling like this. While his life hadn't ever been extravagant and he had no family, he'd always loved the palace life. He loved the horses and his friends... and he loved Tomoyuki.
“I...” He mumbled into Kiyoshi's musky withers. “Am a complete idiot.”
“Well, yes, you are, but I don't think telling her that will do you any good.” Ryouta nearly fell off the horse (bless her, she didn't move a muscle) as Takahashi's voice filled the air. Jerking his head upwards, he found the boy leaning in the stall doorway, arms crossed, eyebrow raised.
“Are you supposed to be with Prince Hideaki?” Ryouta asked crossly, swiping hair out of his face.
Takahashi just gave him a mischievous smile. “Yes, but I was seated next to a rather dull lady and I didn't think I wanted to stay the whole time, so I got away on accounts of my stomach hurting terribly.” With those last words, the boy clutched at his stomach, rolling his eyes in exaggerated pain.
Ryouta couldn't help but giggle at the comical sight. “You're horrid.”
“I suppose,” Takahashi replied, sliding down into a sitting position at the opening of the stall. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Ryouta bit his lip and shook his head. “It's just stupid... stupid spring fever.” He said finally, sliding off of Kiyoshi. He liked Takahashi a lot and since the other had arrived, they'd spent quite a bit of time together, since the young squire enjoyed lending a hand with the horses. He, Eda, and Hayashi had gotten along instantly. But Ryouta wasn't sure if he wanted to admit his problem to the other. “It drives me insane.”
Another voice came from the stable's main way. “Oi, who in the bloody hell is leaving stall doors open? I swear I'm going to-- Oh, Takahashi, ho there.” Tatsumi peeked into the stall. “Ryouta? Are you okay?”
“Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?” Ryouta gave his friend a reproachful look. “You act like people aren't allowed to be upset or have bad days.”
“I've never seen you have a bad day since we met, let alone a bad month,” the other retorted. “Have you eaten?”
Ryouta stuck his nose in the air, ignoring the former comments, though he felt a small bit of regret that Tatsumi was still having to constantly look after him as if he was a mere child. “I was just going.” Before either Tatsumi or Takahashi could say another word, he escaped from the stable, dashing back to the kitchens.
Tatsumi watched him go with a look of exasperation mixed with worry.
“What's he up to?” Takahashi asked the older man after a moment's silence. “I haven't known him long, but he seems a tad gloomy, like a dog missing its master.”
Tatsumi snorted at the apt description. “He's mooning over the impossible,” he sighed. “I don't like it, it's strange not seeing him smile all the time. He tries, but this whole wedding is wearing down on him.”
Takahashi let that sink in for a moment. “Oh... I see.” He mused to himself for a moment before nodding, hauling himself to his feet and shutting the stall door. “I guess I'd better best be returning to my liege.” Giving Tatsumi a quick nod, Takahashi vanished out of the stables.
Tatsumi gave the building a quick check to make sure that all the stalls were secure before heading back to find Ryouta and make sure he actually ate. It wouldn't surprise him if the boy had simply run back to their quarters instead.
*~*~*
Ryouta had realized that with the arrival of the Princess, his time with Tomoyuki was going to become zip. What he hadn't expected was for a different noble to take up all his free time.
Prince Hideaki had taken to summoning him for just about anything. Ryouta didn't mind, he enjoyed the man's company and that of his squire, he just wondered why of all the people around, Hideaki was selecting him.
Two days after the Princess's arrival, the announcement of an engagement ball was announced. It would be in a month's time, during the spring equinox festivities, and because the Princess did so love them, it would be a masquerade. Ryouta actually heard her exclaim, “It's the mystery that people find so exotic. Masks transform the most familiar people and turn them into dancing dreams.”
Sakuma appeared at his shoulder one morning and Ryouta wasn't even surprised to see him. He'd spent quite some time with Sakuma in recent days. Sakuma was usually the one fetching him whenever Hideaki wanted him and Ryouta had also found him hanging out around the stables a few times. The page seemed awed by Kiyoshi and Tatsumi joked that he was equally awed of Ryouta, which Ryouta vehemently denied, but he'd admit to finding the attention rather nice.
Following Sakuma up to Takizawa's rooms, he knocked and entered, finding the prince lounging in a chair waiting for him, Takahashi grinning at his shoulder, a woman standing next to him, looking amused. Ryouta recognized her as part of Hideaki's staff, Rosa.
“Ah, Yamamoto, thank you for joining us,” the man said, sipping on his tea. “I have a favor to ask you.”
“Yes, my lord?”
The prince gestured to Takahashi. “This ball that's coming up. Ryu is unaccustomed to your dances, he's never been here before, you see. I was hoping that maybe you could be his practice partner for the day?”
Ryouta stared at him for a few moments, wondering if he'd heard correctly. “Pardon?”
“Dance with him, Yamamoto.” Takizawa waved his hands and Takahashi stepped forward, fighting a smile as he bowed, offering Ryouta a hand.
Ryouta took a step back. “I'm a boy~!”
“So?” Hideaki raised an eyebrow. “Come on, Yamamoto, it's not so bad. I just wanted someone Ryu's comfortable with, please?”
Biting his lip, Ryouta slowly took a step forward. It wasn't like he really had room to refuse the request of royalty. Faltering for a moment, he finally accepted Takahashi's hand. The squire winked, giving him a twirl and Ryouta managed to execute it without falling on his face.
Rising from his chair, Hideaki took Rosa's hand and assumed a dance position. Rosa took over and began explaining the dance and the steps to the boys, as she and the prince danced it perfectly. After a few attempts, Ryouta and Takahashi were able to do much the same, though Ryouta was having a hard time adjusting. He knew the dance by heart, it was an old one, but he'd inevitably only danced the man's part and having to follow Takahashi's lead wasn't difficult, but he was constantly putting his foot in the wrong place or moving at the wrong time. After a few elbowed guts and trodden toes, they got it down.
The next dance was much the same. By the end of it all, Ryouta was ready to call bull-shit on the prince's words since Takahashi seemed very at ease with learning the dances and a girl would have been so much less awkward, but he held his tongue. He reminded himself as well that though Takizawa Hideaki dressed like a local, he, Takahashi, and Rosa were all from a different land and everyone knew the desert countries made you eccentric at best.
By the time Ryouta hobbled to his bed, it was rather late. Eda chucked a pillow at him and informed him that yes, he'd tended to Ryouta's chores for him but next time, a little warning would be nice. Hayashi wondered where he'd been all day and Tatsumi told them all to shut up and go to sleep.
“Guys, I am captive by a madman and his devil of a squire, have some pity on my poor soul,” Ryouta complained, which earned him another pillow in the face and Tatsumi telling them all he'd shovel manure in their beds. Ryouta changed into his sleeping clothes and promptly climbed into Tatsumi's bed.
“Oomph! What are you doing?”
Ryouta shrugged, snuggling into the other's shoulder. “You never used to mind~.”
A warm arm wrapped around his shoulders and Tatsumi ruffled his hair. “Well, you were smaller back then.” He replied in dry tones but made no move to shoo him out of bed.
“You're always calling me tiny, don't complain now,” Ryouta hummed, pulling the blankets up a little higher and promptly falling asleep, unable to see the fond smile Tatsumi was wearing.
*~*~*
Ryouta got the scare of his life the next morning when he was feeding the horses and strong arms wrapped around him from behind. Yelping in surprise, he dropped the bucket of grain.
“I miss you, Ryouta,” Tomoyuki chuckled in his ear. “You never come to see me at breakfast anymore.”
Stammering and turning beet red, Ryouta's body froze with Tomoyuki's proximity. “I.. ah... uh. You,” he said, rather intelligently.
Tomoyuki let him go, turning him around. “What have you been up to? I heard you run around with Hideaki these days.” The man pulled a pout. “Don't tell me you like that idiot more?”
“Of course not!” Ryouta forced his tongue to get those words out. “It's just that you're so busy, Tomo! I didn't think you'd have time for breakfast or anything.”
Tomoyuki frowned, rubbing his eyes. “I suppose that's true. Everyone's gone mad and I barely have a moment to myself... But you know what?” His eyes opened and he regarded Ryouta for a moment. “Let's just forget what's going on right now. I missed you and Yudai and Kiyoshi... Let's go for a ride.”
“Tatsumi's in town...” Ryouta mumbled, staring at his feet and at the spilled grain. “I've got chores and everything.”
“Weee~ll.” Tomoyuki scooped up the bucket, trying to save as much grain as possible. “I guess if that's the case, I'll just have to help you so we can leave sooner. I'll have to take Yudai out some other time. Why not saddle up Yami and Kiyoshi?” Yami was Tomoyuki's gelding, a gigantic, strong beast, but he was as sweet at Kiyoshi, lacking the temper that Akihide, Tomoyuki's war stallion, had.
They saddled the horses and Ryouta relaxed into his normal smile. It felt nice to have Tomoyuki standing next to him as they tightened girth straps and checked stirrups. Kiyoshi was impatient to be going though, having gotten restless while her master had been busy.
“Just remember,” Tomoyuki told him when they mounted. “No talking about the past few months, okay? I want to just get away for a few hours.”
They took off with some provisions in their saddle bags and informing Tsukada of where they were going before heading off into the mountains. Ryouta cantered next to Tomoyuki, rocking in the saddle to Yami's gentle gait, laughing as the cool spring air danced around them as they raced down the forest road.
They kept on going until they came to one of the streams, crystal clear and cold. Letting the horses drink for a bit, Tomoyuki and Ryouta did a bit of exploring, knowing that both horses were too well behaved to wander away.
“Funny what a year does to the scenery,” Tomoyuki mused as he looked around. “Everything looks as if we'd never been here before. But I know I used to come here a lot last year.”
Ryouta smiled, twirling a stalk of spring blossoms around his finger. “Then forget that you've been here before and pretend it's a new adventure~!” He laughed, spinning around and breathing in the crisp air. “I know I feel better already.”
“Same here~,” Tomoyuki chuckled, slinging an arm over Ryouta's shoulders as they returned to Kiyoshi and Yami.
What should have only been a few hours' ride turned into the entire day. Around midday, Tomoyuki turned to Ryouta. “I don't really want to go back, just yet... Let's keep on going.” Ryouta had no qualms with prolonging their little escape.
“I bet if we go far enough, we'd run into a forest hag or something~,” he laughed gaily, glancing around at their surroundings, the evergreens a deep green, contrasting with the barely budding trees that were mixed in.
“The kind that would roast you over a spit as an offering?” Tomoyuki teased.
“Mou! They'd take you, you're the prince,” Ryouta tossed a twig at Tomoyuki, pouting. “Besides, I meant the kind that grant you wishes and things. What would you wish for, Tomo?”
“Ah,” Chuckling, Tomoyuki sidled Kiyoshi over a little. “I'd wish for... I'm not sure. Another snake so Chura has a friend?” He laughed, leaning over to nudge at Ryouta. “How about you?”
Giggling, Ryouta urged Yami onwards, flushing lightly. “Can't tell you~!”
Tomoyuki raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Why not?”
Ryouta stuck his tongue out before clicking Yami into a trot, moving ahead. “Because then it wouldn't come true~! Race you!” He kneed the gelding into a higher gait, fingers threading through his mane.
Not far behind him, Tomoyuki whooped. “Ryouta, you know you're going to lose against Kiyoshi.”
Ryouta was more than aware of the fact, but he liked feeling Yami racing beneath him, the wind against his face, blowing through his hair. And, in the back of his mind, it was nice to know that Tomoyuki was chasing after him, even for just a few moments before Kiyoshi overtook them.
They were enjoying themselves so much that they barely registered the sun setting. “...Blasted, they're going to kill me.” Swearing, Tomoyuki wheeled Kiyoshi around. “Come on, it'll take us a good while to get back, even if we do run the whole way back.”
“That's bad for the horses,” Ryouta reminded him before they began to race down mountain side again. Ryouta still enjoyed himself, feeling Yami's powerful muscles bunch and release between his knees, whooping as he tried to overtake the fleeter Kiyoshi and her rider.
In the end, they had to slow down and let the horses walk, still a few hours away from the palace. Ryouta was glad that they'd both still had their cloaks from the morning because once the sun set, it became rather chilly.
“Walk with me~?” Tomoyuki asked as he slid out of the saddle. “The moon's so bright tonight.”
Ryouta scrambled down Yami and they lead the horses down the path, lit by the moonlight filtering through the forest's bowers. Ryouta hesitated for a moment before reaching out, grasping Tomoyuki's hand and feeling him squeeze back as they walked. He was glad that even with the silvery moonlight, it was too dark to see his reddened cheeks.
He'd missed the prince and it was sad to realize that it'd probably be another long time before he'd see him again once they returned to the palace grounds.
“I hate not seeing you anymore,” Tomoyuki's words startled Ryouta after the long silence. “You, Yudai, being able to ride whenever I want to. I hope it settles down once this is all over and done with.”
Ryouta tried not to think about how 'this' was his prince being tied up in matrimony, but his mouth was ahead of his mind. “What d'you think of her?”
“The Princess?” Tomoyuki sounded thoughtful. “She's wonderful, I suppose. We get along well, it's just weird to think that we'll be married soon enough and everything. But she's actually funny and everything, so it's not dull or anything. I like her a lot, I guess.”
“Ah...” Ryouta nodded in the darkness. “I'm glad you're happy.” The words came out sincerely and Ryouta truly meant them. He wanted Tomoyuki to be happy, ultimately, even if he felt another piece of his heart shatter.
You were the fool who gave him your heart without asking if he wanted it.
After that, they mounted their horses and rode the rest of the way back in silence. There was nothing more to say as they returned to the reality. Tomoyuki had a royal wedding to follow through with and Ryouta had horses to tend and stalls to muck out.
There was a small crowd waiting for them when they returned to the stables and Ryouta was horrified to find that not only was the King and Queen there, but so was the Princess. Neither of Tomoyuki's parents looked very happy. Ryouta swallowed, shrinking in the saddle slightly.
“Hello~,” Tomoyuki waved as he dismounted, as if he'd done nothing but take a quick walk and seemed rather surprised at all the people waiting there.
The Queen swooped in, grabbing his arm and tugging him towards the castle. “Where have you been!? You told the guardsmen that you'd be back by early afternoon, it's past midnight!”
“I didn't feel like coming back yet,” Tomoyuki replied in what sounded like a polite tone but Ryouta recognized it as his stubborn as a mule voice. Sliding off Yami, he stood perfectly still in between the horses, hoping that Tomoyuki would draw everyone else away and he'd be able to rub the horses down in peace.
He could hear the Princess as everyone thankfully left. “My Prince, I was so worried that something might have happened.” He caught a glimpse of them returning to the castle and saw her arm tucked under Tomoyuki's. He felt another stab of pain in his chest.
Tatsumi materialized in front of him, eyebrow raised and Takahashi trailing behind him. “And what was this all about? I came back with a snack for you and Tsukada tells me you and the Prince ran off and hadn't been seen for hours and you've only now decided to show back up?”
“He wanted to go for a ride...” Ryouta hung his head, shuffling his feet. “And then he didn't want to come back. He wanted to take you too!”
“...Well, I suppose if it's him, there's nothing to be done about it.” Tatsumi nodded, reaching to take Kiyoshi's reins. “Hey... Come on, don't look so down, it's not your fault.” Tatsumi gave him a smile, brushing Ryouta's bangs away, just to let him know that he was being surly out of concern rather than consternation.
Takahashi relieved him of Yami's reins and Ryouta watched as the other two rubbed the horses down, fed them, and locked up the stable. After that, Takahashi bumped shoulders against Ryouta's. “Night, you two.”
Ryouta trudged up the pathway back to their housing with Tatsumi, who wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “So how was it?”
Sighing, Ryouta rested his head on the other's shoulder. “It was great while we were gone... but I think it made coming back worse.”
“Ryouta, I'm going to say this even if I know you won't listen to a word of it,” Tatsumi squeezed his shoulders. “Would you please, please, please be careful? I don't want you ripping yourself up over something you can't change.”
“It's okay,” Ryouta said after a moment. “Everyone knows I'm an idiot already.”
“That you are,” He didn't have to see Tatsumi's face to know he was smiling. “But you're my idiot.”
Ryouta just smiled, feeling just a little better about things.
*~*~*
Ryouta's role in the incident didn't go unnoticed. The next morning he had another visitor, this one much less welcome than Tomoyuki. Lady Julie, a Duchess and the only woman among the royal advisers appeared outside of Akihide's stall and Ryouta was nearly brained when he dropped the grain yet again as he bowed low. “My lady?”
“Don't act cute,” The lady snapped, looking rather displeased. “The Crown Prince may not realize what an undermining little brat you are, but don't think what you do goes unnoticed. You are not to try and disturb the work that is being done here, peasant. Things will not be well for you if anyone catches you trying to meddle again.”
Ryouta held the bow as she railed away, biting his tongue. He hadn't been meddling. He'd missed his friend, which everyone with eyes knew that friendship was all there was. Tomoyuki was already becoming smitten with the Princess, there was no room for Ryouta in his life already.
“Do you understand me?” Lady Julie demanded and Akihide stamped a hoof in nervous tension.
Ryouta deepened the bow and murmured, “Yes, my Lady.” He held the position until he heard her leave the stables, straightening up and trying to quiet the stallion before fetching him fresh grain.
“Ryouta, you look really pale, what's up?” Eda appeared at his side, brushing fingers over his forehead. Ryouta wished people would stop asking him what was up or wrong or if he was okay. He wished he was better at hiding the trembling in his fingers.
“I'm just really tired, Tsu.” He replied with a wane smile. “I'm sure you heard about last night. I didn't get to sleep until late.”
Eda nodded, squinting at him for a moment before clapping him on the back. “Sounds like you need a nap, Ryou~.”
He left and Ryouta thought nothing more of it, but when Tatsumi showed up ten minutes later, he realized that his little fib hadn't been bought so easily. “Eda says you had a she-demon visit you this morning. What happened?”
“Nothing,” Ryouta shrugged, hanging Yami's bridle up. “She just told me something I already knew.”
Tatsumi just stared at him in exasperation. “You are such an idiot...”
*~*~*
The next reminder that there were people of power displeased with him came a week later when Tsukada dropped into a seat next to him and asked why on earth he was placed on watch tower duty.
“I'm what?” Tilting his head in confusion, Ryouta blinked rapidly.
“My captain just told me that you've been placed on watch tower duty tonight.”
“What's a stable boy doing on guard duty?” Totsuka swooped in, frowning, Hashimoto in his wake, whipped cream staining the boy's sleeves.
“I haven't a clue, I'm just saying what they told me.”
“Tonight...” Ryouta said faintly. It was the night of the masquerade ball, of course they'd keep him far away from the festivities and well away from the prince. “Ah. I forgot about that.”
The head cook and guard both gave him an odd look. “You really did ask for it? Why on earth?”
“I wanted to see what it was like,” Ryouta tried his best to lie. “You know, being a guard and all that stuff. But since I'm just a horse-boy, they told me I had to start small.”
Totsuka looked like he didn't buy it one bit, but he merely nodded and turned to return to his duties, slamming into Hashimoto and causing a gigantic rumpus. Tsukada looked dubious but nodded slowly. “I guess so... I just wanted to tell you to wear a heavy cloak, it's bitterly cold up there.”
With that, the man left and Ryouta breathed out a sigh of frustration and relief. With the entire run of stable boys acting like he was losing his head (which he was), he didn't need anyone else thinking he'd gone mad (which he had.)
He felt crushed, all the same. While he would never have been let near the grand ballroom, he loved large parties and festivals. There was always so much cheer and laughter and food and friendship and he would be shut away for the whole time.
It wasn't fair.
“That's not fair!” Eda insisted hours later, when he'd told the rest that he wasn't going to be around the whole time. “They're bullying you! I heard Lady Julie, don't try to lie about it.”
“Look, it's busy, we should just get back to work,” Ryouta avoided looking at everyone's dismayed faces. Even Takahashi (who had apparently become a regular among them) looked disbelieving.
Tatsumi stood up after a moment. “Takahashi, can I speak to you for a moment?” He said absently, nodding to the doorway. The two men exited and Eda and Hayashi badgered Ryouta for a few moments longer before giving up and returning to help lend a hand with the final preparations for the ball. There would be visiting carriages and riders and they all had to be kept somewhere on hand and there was no time to worry about other things.
Part 2
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A/N: I am so proud of this fic, I don't even. ;; I don't know, I really like it. *flails* IT'S REALLY LONG BUT X: Idk. ANYWAYS.