Long before the servants knock Akito wakes, taking several seconds to orient himself before rolling over and wrapping around his pet who had taken up a prominent position at his back some time during the night. Hoko coos happily, licking Aki's face as much as he can from his bundled position in the young solder's arms. He stays like this for several long minutes before rising off the floor and slowly stretching out some of the light kinks in his body. Despite the familiar firmness of the hard floor beneath his body apparently the softness of the covers was enough to upset his body.

He does not think too much this early in the morning, instead simply thoughts of getting awake and getting to the training grounds for his morning practice. Hoko seems to share this mentality, settling on the bed next to Aki's clothes to wait to be carried out of the room. The day before is fresh in his mind and he silently cringes over several awkward points. However no singular event can even begin to overshadow the fact that he will spend the rest of his life in this strange place. That thought threatens to crush him as he dresses with swift efficiency however as Hoko slides into place around his waist and he takes up his sword he pushes the feeling aside and instead focuses on navigating through his new gigantic home.

His footsteps are silent, his life as an assassin having taught him well how to travel unnoticed even over long distances. He manages to find the outside training grounds rather quickly, the sky just barely beginning to fade from it's cloak of night into the faint predawn light. The little audrat slithers out f his kimono and scurries off to see if it can find anything to munch on while Akito is busy. With a slow breath the man launches into a series of stretches, limbering up his body before at last drawing his sword and commencing with his morning exercises. From sword play to running to climbing, he moves all about the training ground, moving off into the trees on occasion so he can use the lower branches for swinging and pull-ups.

He does all of this without being noticed by the servants, his activities quite, his motions smooth and soundless. It isn't until one of them knocks on his door for several minutes before peeking inside that at last the servants are alerted tot he fact that he's wandering the grounds. It takes little time to find him, many having heard or been at the sparing match the day before and gotten a feel for their new resident. He is in the middle of a sequence of sword poses when the servant assigned to get him up and to breakfast tries to get his attention.

She walks slowly towards the grounds, the edge marked by the lush grass that grows everywhere in the yard suddenly becoming hard packed dirt. She pauses at the edge and tries calling to him. Akito eventually notices her, her having to raise her voice to be heard through his concentration. When at last he looks her way, his sweat soaked body bare from the waist up and glistening in the morning light. She can not help looking at his scars as he turns towards her but her eyes quickly rise to meet his for an instant before falling respectfully. “Forgive me for disturbing you my lord but his highness insists that all members of the household eat their meals together, and breakfast is going to be soon. . .”

Akito takes a moment to come out of his training daze and as the words sink in he can feel his stomach drop. 'I must wreak, I can't go to breakfast like this!' In a mild panic he says softly as he approaches her, sliding his sword home. “Is there somewhere I can freshen up nearby?”

His tone is respectful and catches her off guard however she responds quickly with a nod. “Yes my lord, right this way.” She turns and begins leading the way, not seeing his arm raise as he tries to tell her she could just point. However after a moment his hand falls and he sighs, scratching his pet's head as he rears up next to his leg inquisitively. 'Looks like it's the royal treatment already. . . .I really hope I don't get used to it. . .It's so not self sufficient. . . .' Sighing again he motions Hoko to follow, not wanting to put the top of his kimono back up until hes cleaned off a bit.

The servant leads him to a wash room with lovely carved stone basins which she promptly fills with cool water. She is about to add some light scents to the water when he catches her attention and shakes his head. “Sorry but scents mostly just more my nose itch.” he says with a smile. It's clear from her face that she did not need the explanation but he still feels good or doing so. She offers a light bow and goes to stand in the corner of the room to wait for him. This makes him a little nervous however he knows he does not have time to hesitate. He's got a breakfast to get to.

Quickly he wipes himself down with a convenient cloth and pulls his clothing back into place. It is not longer crisp and perfect looking as it had been when he'd let his troop mates dress and press him, but he hopes it will be good enough for now. Hoko takes up his spot, promptly falling asleep, and the two make their way to the main food hall. The emperor and his wife are already seated when he arrives and he does his best to offer them a s mile as he enters however he's not sure if he actually managed to pull it off as he takes his seat and looks up at the rulers and his future in-laws.

As always the empress is all smiles. “Good morning Aki-chan, how are you feeling this morning? Did you sleep well?”

The emperor chimes in, “Still wearing your sword I see. You know, you don't need to carry it everywhere now. I won't stop you, but you should know there's no real need.” He puffs up proudly. “Does make my kinda happy to see it however. Reminds me of my soldiering days. . .May go back to wearing it!” The empress chuckles at this and squeezes her husbands arm, still looking expectantly at Akito.

A little overwhelmed he takes a second to gather his thoughts before replying softly, “Good morning, thank you, I am feeling well enough. Morning exercises were satisfying, and I slept well enough, thank you.” She smiles happily at this and looks towards the door with an expectant expression, clearly hoping her son will arrive soon. The emperor doesn't look too hopeful of this and instead draws Akito into a conversation of battlefield tactics punctuated by tales of how it used to be and how things have changed.

“Alright, I’ll get up. I’ll get up.” He grumbled through a mountain of pillows and a blanket. From where his maternal servant stood, a lump shifted around under the blankets until they were tossed to one side. Feet touched the cold floor and it sent a small chill through went up his spine. “Kaede, tell me why it’s so important to eat with the family every meal? There is never much to really talk about most days. We see each other day in and day out.” As he spoke, he slowly got ready for the day. There was never really need to rush, considering the routinely manner of his home.

“Your Highness, I can’t answer that sort of question for you. However, I do believe spending time with family is a valuable thing.” Kaede began to fold the sheets and pick up Hironori’s nightwear.

“Maybe you’re right. But I spend lots of time around them.” He sighed and then stretched his arms over his head. It was best not to start off the day at such low tolerance. “I can at least try, of course.” He simply shrugged and she smiled, giving him a nod. As he walked out, he heard her add, ’It’d be wise to at least try and see their point of view.’ He remembered as a child she would always say how he was ‘just as stubborn as the emperor’. He had tried to see the other side of all the violence and wars, but nothing ever changed his mind. Of course, he wouldn’t admit that when he tried, he really didn’t put in much effort. With a sigh, he ran fingers through his hair, taming the messy bed hair he had. It settled for the most part, not that he minded it being messy, however he assumed his parents would want him to look decent for his future spouse. Something told Hiro that Akito was already well aware of his nontraditional styles as a royal.

His hands fell behind his back and he nodded when the servants bowed and opened the door for him. With a small smirk, he bowed to his parents. The Empress’ eyes light up to see her son and she beams. The Emperor on the other hand merely raised a questioning eyebrow. “Good morning to you both. And of course, to you as well Akito.” He walked over, this time sitting near his mother, while Akito sat by his father. “See? I made it this time.”

“Still late as usual.” The Emperor replied in a gruff tone. “Luckily the food didn’t get cold.” His wife gave him a quick scowl. Hiro fell silent for a moment, taking the time to actually heed Kaede’s advice.

“I did sleep in, my apologies. I should probably better schedule.” He left it at that, not wanting to sound forced. Instead he looked over at the Empress, playing along to the typical conversations for mornings. “Did you sleep well?” For a moment, the Emperor watched his son skeptically before sighing. The Empress on the other hand seemed to be quite happy that Hiro was at least attempting to talk.

“Oh! Well, besides a few uncomfy shifts and movements,” She patted her stomach gently for emphasis, “I slept pretty well, thank you for asking.” It was easy to please his mother for some odd reason, not that she was simple minded, she just seemed to feel happy about even the small things. So, after he made conversation with her, feeling a little accomplished, he brushed a few strands of hair behind his ear and looked over at Akito with a relaxed smile. He assumed his parents had already asked how he slept, so he decided to go for the next best thing.

“So, Akito,” He stretched his name a little longer than necessary, as if to get his attention. “Now that you have a feel for the place, did you have anything in mind you wanted to do?” Assuming Akito’s usual nervousness, Hiro added on. “Plenty of things to do. Multiple gardens, the board games to learn, the training you enjoy so much- it is a nice day afterall, you could look at the other paintings we skipped. There are plenty.” He tapped a chopstick to his lips in thought. “Well, you get the idea.” He mentally chuckled, realizing even when he tried, he still didn’t have much to say. While the silence slowly began to grow, Hironori decided to begin eating.

The sound of the doors opening once more draws the young soldier's attention and instinctively his hand goes to the hilt of his blade. It doesn't fall on to the cloth bound surface in the position that looks as hi he wishes to draw it, instead simply coming to rest on the butt, however he is still glad that the emperor and empress both look away as this happens giving him time to remove his hand. He's not sure how they would take his first response to a door opening being to reach for his blade. Turning so he can see who's entering he spots his husband to be and offers a light nod as he's acknowledged and for a moment he feels curious about the young man before him.

Once more he seems almost congenial. He talks calmly to his parents, apologizes for being late, and doesn't offer up any immediate complaints. 'It's so strange. Last night it was like he slowly devolved into a spoiled brat, and now he's back to being, well, almost sweet. . . .I wonder if he really does simply sour throughout the day. . . I suppose then I should learn that, should I actually need to interact with him, I should do it during the daylight hours. . .' While Akito is determined not to become a pest to his soon to be spouse he knows there will be times where interaction is necessary, son on the mental list of things not to talk about while the prince is around he adds a note about talking to him during the day when at all possible.

Looking around at all present he can't help his lips twitching into a faint smile at the son and mother interaction. He feels actually a little distant from the empress, all his other meals spent on the other side of the table, but as they'd talked the emperor had called him to sit closer so they could “conspire” better. Hoko's head peeks out as they finally get to “the food thing” and he slithers out, waiting for his little plate to be filled. Audrat are smart little beasts, which is why in many places they are considered pests. They ability to learn and adapt is incredible for such small animals and it makes pest proofing nearly impossible.

Is small smile falters a bit as Hironori suddenly turns his attention on to the young soldier but he recovers quickly, glancing down at his hands as he tries to think of a good response. He keeps the small smile up, despite the nervousness inside, and listens quietly to the options the youth lists, wondering if he would like to do any of those things together. He dismisses that thought however rather quickly. 'If not offered, I will not ask. . .At least not until I learn better how to keep his wrath from being directed my way. . .'

At the sigh of Hoko the empress lights up and turns her attention on to him, clicking her tongue softly and trying to coax him over with food. Hoko stays in place but looks very interested in what she has. It takes a minute or so for Akito to come out of his thoughts and notice the exchange and when he does he flushes with embarrassment. Giving the critter the okay he watches it vanish beneath the table before his stomach gives way to a dark hole as he watches Hoko mount his betrothed’s lap without apology and takes the offered food. While the empress looks happy at this he's not so sure the bipolar young man will be quite as delighted to have a large rodent crawling around in his lap with greasy food. He tries to apologize but his tongue suddenly feels so thick and dry that he can't even consider getting words out.

Even with the politeness of his voice, Akito still seemed to be at a loss as to what to say. Eventually the poor soldier would come around. 'Well, he at least has his looks. I don't know how far he'll make it, running a kingdom, considering the job will most likely go to him. Hopefully he relaxes.' Hironori continued to stay silent and enjoy his breakfast, giving Akito ample time to speak if he chose to. In the silence, his gaze fell on his mother and the little creature Akito carried around with him. "I don't see why you haven't gotten yourself a pet. You seem to adore animals."

The Empress giggled, only to pout for a split second as Hoko disappeared. "I have considered it. I just never knew what." Once again, she was delighted to see the small creature. Hiro on the other hand gave a skeptical look as he propped himself on his lap. First, Hironori had to sit up because he didn't want to squish the little thing. Then, he ended up poking Hoko's side as he ate only for his hand to be swiped at. "Hmph." He figured he'd probably get a frown from his mother for pushing Hoko off his lap, and he was sure Akito would have another panic attack. So, with a defeated sigh, he let Hoko stay. There was no point in causing Akito to distress even more.

"Well," He stared at Hoko for a little longer, even offering him food. When his eyes fell back on Akito he continued. "When you do figure something out, there's no need to ask for permission. As a royal now, you can just go and do what you wish." The Empress looked up from playing with Hoko and clasped her hands together.

"Aw, all of that touring around gave you little time to get to know one another. It is a lovely day out, though I think you should spend it getting to know each other a little better. Your father and I used to spend time sitting and watching the koi swim along and we'd talk for hours." Her voice turned into a more dreamy tone. "It was much more beautiful at night, watching the stars shine up the small pond."

Hironori couldn't help but give a sly smirk. "I didn't think the old man ever had a soft, romantic side. Much too grumpy nowadays. Or maybe that's just towards me." He chuckled lightly and then gave an innocent smile to the Empress. "I wouldn't oppose such an idea, especially considering how bad I must be at this whole tradition thing," His mother couldn't help but giggle lightly. "However, Akito may have had other things in mind and I wouldn't want to pressure him into doing things he finds uncomfortable." 'Although everything seems to make him uncomfortable.' Of course his thoughts stayed in his head, but he did give Akito a short smile before once more looking at Hoko, this time picking him up with two hands.

"Hmph, I don't see why you've decided to take seat on my lap little thing. . . My mother is the one that's fond of you. Cute as you are, I don't plan on sharing food every meal. And you're in my way."

“Yes highness.” Akito murmurs automatically when he's addressed by his groom to be, earning a scowl from the emperor. While his wife talks happily of their time together at the beginning the emperor addresses the young soldier. His nerves already rubbed raw with fright having the emperor draw that disappointed face on him freezes Akito completely, not even daring to breath as he speaks.

“You two are to be wed soon. Don't tell me he's insisting you call him 'highness'?” His voice is gruff, clearly disapproving of the idea, and his brows are knit into a scowl.

Swallowing hard the youth flushes, shaking his head rapidly. “No, no, just, that's how I was always taught, I'm just not used to. . .” His head falls as he tries desperately to not have a panic attack right here in front of the entire royal family. Hi head snaps over as Hoko gives out a cry of disapproval and as his eyes land on the scene something snaps inside and without warning he stands. A noise comes from him that isn't even vaguely human and with effort Hoko pulls himself from Hironori's grasp and he races after Akito as he races from the room.

The empress watches, stunned, but the emperor looks a mix of sheepish and upset. He turns to Hiro. “What have you been filling his head with? He's acting like I'm going to eat him alive! He was just fine before you came in, you must have said something!” His tone is accusatory but unsure, as if he's not really blaming the prince but needs someone to blame anyways.

~*~*~*~*~

Out in the hall Akito's bright red has dulled into a shade of pale gray and he races full speed for the front door. He doesn't belong here. All he's been doing is making a fool of himself. He can't even make it through a meal without panicking and fleeing. How is he suppose to become a ruler!? It's too crazy to even entertain. He doesn't really blame Hoko, he should have kept better track of him and the things around him. He was acting on Akito's orders, distracted as they were.

In no time he's in the stable, saddling a horse with a few stable hands standing there spluttering and panicking. He doesn't hear them though, too focused on getting out of here, back to where he belongs. Before any of them even think to alert the palace Akito is gone, racing along the main roadway off palace grounds. The horse slows in the trees, but not completely. As a palace horse it's used to the darkness, but still needs to pick it's way a bit. It doesn't matter, none of it matter, all the young soldier cares about is he's getting away from all the strange frightening mess and is headed to his home. . . .

"You don't-" Hironori started to correct Akito, but the Emperor decided to do it himself. With a nonchalant gaze, Hironori watched as his father scowled and then noticed Akito practically cower away in fear. His attention turned back to the creature in his hands. By the sound of it, Hoko didn’t want to be picked up. But before he could put him down, he jumped out of his hands and began chasing after Akito. That made Hironori blink, realizing Akito was racing off. Just like the first time. Hironori sighed and shook his head. The poor soldier was probably going to go into hiding or something, this time even longer. "I really hope he doesn't plan on running off during this wedding of ours." Though, in a sense, he didn't mind too much. If that was the case, the wedding would have been cancelled until Akito was found. That would certainly be an interesting event. It would add on to the oddities of the event.

His thoughts couldn't trail any further when his father accused him of driving his betrothed off. The Empress knew what was going to happen next and sighed, pulling her food closer to her. She decided to let them talk it through before she intervened. She was also really hungry and her food was much more interesting than their arguing. Hiro couldn't help but laugh for a brief moment. "I did nothing! Have you not seen the frown on your face? I'd be afraid too. You intimidated him. And I slept in! When would I have said anything to him?" He rolled his eyes and looked at the door where Akito had recently left.. "Yeah, he's probably long gone now. Thanks, you're such a kind hearted and loving emperor. He’s going to be a fine emperor following under your reign.” Little by little the kindness in his tone drifted and was replaced with a more cynical and sarcastic one. “Instead of yelling at me for not being the perfect son, why don’t you go find Akito?” He hadn’t raised his voice when he spoke the last part, however he did decide to push his half empty plate forward.

“Dear, you should finish eating. No need to storm off.” The Empress started, only for her husband’s voice to boom next to her.

“What a fine idea! Akito is a royal and has run off, you should most definitely find your betrothed.” Hironori’s mouth opened, the protest showing on his face. However the Emperor gave him a firm glare, reminding him that he was not only the Emperor but his father as well. The young prince closed his mouth and crossed his arms. “Fetch one of the guards for Hironori so he can find his betrothed. Quickly before Akito gets too far.” Reluctantly, Hiro followed after the servant, not wanting to have to wait with his father giving him such a smug look.

“What?” The Emperor looked at his wife’s disapproving eyes.

“You could have let him finish eating first.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“I’ll be right back. Not to worry, I’m simply going to change.” He realized that maybe a trip outside the palace wouldn’t have been so bad. He was cooped inside the palace with little to do after all. It was just the fact that they were probably going to have to search everywhere to find Akito that seemed like a hassle. “Ah, maybe I can slow the guard’s pace and give me time to wander about.” He had changed into his proper royal garb, choosing a deep blue and white colored one. As promised, he didn’t sneak away from his responsibilities and ended up alongside an older gentleman- one of the guards he had seen around multiple times before, preparing for their time to leave.

“The carriage is ready your Highness.”

“Do you think we could stop at the markets? Just to check out the items?”

“I’m sorry your majesty, but the Emperor gave specific instructions to find your betrothed before all else. However, I could send a servant down if there is something you’d like specifically.” Hiro simply sighed and shook his head, climbing into the carriage. The guard bowed before taking his own seat in order to lead them off. It was a warm, nice day. While he was being pulled around, he did take the time to enjoy the change in scenery, finding it relieving to see something different.

The soldier plods on, the spat in the castle playing no part in his life as he has fled it, fled it all. He just wants to feel safe and at home, even if it's only for a short while. Deep inside he knows that even this affront to the royal family will not allow him to avoid the inevitable marriage, but he does not think on that now. Right now his only cares lay ahead, the world behind him fading to dark as he moves into the growing sunlight on the other side of the forest. In the distance he can see the village, still a mile away, and off to the left of it a small sea of pointy white waves dotting the landscape. His home, a sea of tents on grassy plain.

As soon as he can he kicks the horse into a fast gallop and descends the small hill leading into the valley. It's only about 12 feet down from the hilltop but from the top the view spread out before him was spectacular. He hardly noticed it's beauty however, too intent on making to to camp before the palace sends guards after him. The wind whips past, rushing over his body like a refreshing splash of cool water and he can feel his body actually relaxing for the first time in almost twenty four hours. His bearing, the one that garnered the respect of his fellow soldiers and inspired confidence from his elders. He once more looks like the assassin that snuck into the enemy's royal palace and. . . .

He shakes his head. No time to think on that now. He is what he is, but that does not mean he enjoys thinking about all the killing he's done. The tents come closer and closer, the outer guard – still active even though the war is over – calls him to a halt for a few seconds until they get a look at who he is. The three men look very, very curious – likely wondering why the war hero that was dropped off in the lap of luxury has returned – but as his face is well known they wave him on and he enters the camp proper without a fuss. Many are just waking, enjoying the ability to sleep in overmuch, but for the most part the men in camp are up and about, and spot him soon after he enters.

Several call out to him, and he spares them a wave, but he refuses to answer any questions. Not just yet. His stressed expression returns as his father's tent, the only one with any color on it, comes into view. The weight of what he's done begins to press down on his shoulders and as his horse slows the other solders around him stop calling out as curious men, and now call out in worry for their former comrade. They'd never been friends, but if something happened to him, they want to know what and who they can behead to make it better. He waves them off with half smiles, saying over and over that it's nothing, he's fine, he'll deal with it himself, but still they look less than pleased with whoever put the youth in such a state. He's always been so stoic, so stout, and this look does not suit him at all.

As soon as he dismounts someone takes his reins, trying to lighten his mood by bowing comically but all it does is make him feel worse. He's almost a royal now, really, and here he is running away from what amounts to little more than a mild fright. His head is bowed as h walks into his fathers tent and he doesn't see the shocked, almost frightened look on the man's face as he stands and begins walking over. However, before the general can reach him Akito begins talking and the taller man comes to a halt to listen. In a soft, almost business like voice he talks about this day at the palace, emphasizing every little mistake he made, every moment he screwed up outlined in vivid detail, ending with him running away without permission, essentially abandoning his post, just because he didn't know how to deal with a particular social situation.

“I have done so much, so many things that should have been so much harder than simply eating breakfast with a group of people who will soon count me as their equal, if they don't already, but this little thing, this one little moment, sends me crying back into a life that is no longer my own, to people I will soon rule, and to a father who has been more than patient with my foolishness all my life even though I am not truly his kin. . . .” He is indeed crying now, his face hidden in his hands as he tried to get a hold of himself and calm him pathetic sobs. He's an ex-assassin for goodness sakes, why must social interaction affect him so?

The captain has never been much for coddling his adopted son, preferring to teach him rather than sympathize with him, however as he sands before him, this grown man crying over something his life never prepared him for and degrading himself in a way he did not even think the youth capable of, Kaura does not hesitate to close the gap between them and pulls the smaller male into a firm but not crushing bear hug. Shocked for a moment Akito falls silent, but after a moment he lets himself break down a little more, returning the hug for a few minutes until at last he feels he can breath properly again.

As he held the boy he stood in silence, but as Akito pulls away, muttering an apology the captain takes hold of the boy's upper arms as to not let him back away too far. He has something to say, and he wants to make sure Akito hears it. The youth looks up at his adopted father, eyes wide and curious, still wet from the crying, and tilts his head tot he side. With a soft sigh Kaura shakes his head lightly with a faint smile. “There's nothing wrong with not knowing what to do, son, and there's no need to feel ashamed that you sought out something to comfort you.” Akito swallows hard, nodding and hanging his head.

The captain reaches out and pats his head in a fatherly manner before directing Akito over to his old cot, which he hasn't had time to take apart yet, and has him sit before beginning his lecture on thoughts and ideas for what Akito could have done instead and ways to cope in the future. The smaller male listens intently, determined to absorb it all so he can at least keep himself on the grounds should he ever feel like fleeing again.

~*~*~*~*~

The carriage trundles along, eventually reaching the lighted other side of the forest that surrounds the palace and slowly begins making it's way down the slightly steep hill. Once at the bottom of the valley the trip takes only a few minutes before the driver pulls the horses to a stop and the guard opens the door for the prince. “Forgive me highness but the encampment, which is the most likely place to find Lord Akito, is not carriage accessible, as it's quite literally set up far off the road in a field that would be dangerous to take the carriage on to. The stones and dips alone would likely break the wheels and structure as this one is designed for style, not for durability.”

The town came and went. He even yelled out, “Oh wait!” causing the guard to stop the carriage when they reached the village.

“What is it? What’s wrong!?” The guard had hopped out of his seat and hurried to the carriage doors. Hironori was leaning out of the window, looking out the serene village. The guard merely sighed and started walking back to get the carriage moving.

“Don’t you think, you know as a soldier, if he ran off he wanted to be alone? I mean, can’t we slow the pace to give him some time to relax, wherever he went to?” Hiro was leaning out of the carriage to talk to him. “I mean, we still are going after him, but there’s no need to rush it. He needs his space, so we can at least give him that time.” The soldier ended up sighing and slowing their pace. It wasn’t exactly disobeying the Emperor’s orders so he didn’t have to feel bad for doing so. He did however find it kind of the young prince to care to give Akito his space- however he could have also been doing so just for his sake.

The carriage stopped and Hironori gave a puzzled look. “Well, why on earth would someone give me this one? Well, I suppose they couldn’t have been sure of the distance we were to travel. Fair enough.” He looked back at the driver and then at the horses. “Will we be walking the rest of the way?”

“Oh, no sir. I couldn’t allow that. We’ll take one of the horses and go the rest of the way.” Hiro was going to mention he knew how to ride a horse himself, but decided against it and let the guard do his job. He was helped up, and they were off. It took a few minutes, but they had eventually made it to the camp grounds. The guard jumps off, leaving Hironori on the horse and leading it into the camp. The soldiers around looked up cautiously at the new intrusion before quickly realising just who walked into the camp. Hiro’s eyes scanned the campgrounds from where he sat. There were a few whistles and cat calls as the soldiers stood, wondering why the prince would visit them. Others who had seen the stress stricken Akito up close gave more weary and disapproving looks as the prince looked around. ’Oh right, I remember father said that the general’s tent is normally colored. He may be in there.’ It looked like some of his father’s teachings paid off.

“Sir?”

Hiro broke from his own thoughts, noticing the multiple looks of curiosity and disapproval. It made him wonder if they already knew of his disdain for war. Unless Akito returned home and explained just how terrifying they were and how much he hated it there. At least, that’s what Hiro assumed Akito thought. “Hm? Oh, right.” He took the guard’s hand and climbed off the horse. Proper etiquette raced through his mind. There were certain ways generals and soldiers were greeted, was there not? He didn’t need another reason for his father to yell at him. Though while he was in his train of thought, his guard had already gone inside to relay the message for the prince.

“Pardon me general, I’m here to relay a message from the king.” He cleared his throat, standing tall. “He requests for Akito to return to the palace. They are worried about him and would like to talk and sort things out.”

Outside, Hiro was quite confused as to why he was left outside, until of course he realized it was probably his father’s doing. Hironori was only there for the sole purpose to see the camp and maybe get out of the palace. The guard was the one with the actual task of retrieving the ‘stowaway bride’.

The ex-assassin listens quietly to his foster father, Kau being careful to cover everything he can think of that Akito may find useful. The smaller male listens intently, but after no longer than a half an hour his instincts kick in and he realizes that the constant babble of voices around the tents have hushed some and his head turns this way and that. His gaze is alert and he tries to place the change, but then his eyes go back to his father as he too notices the change and his eyes narrow. Without a word he strides over to the tent flaps and peeks outside. Spotting the approaching horse the general lets out a very faint sigh and moves back into the middle of the tent.

Akito is on his feet now, his body stiff, alert, and ready for action, however as his foster father looks at him he moves from alert, to frightened. Before he can ask why the man is wearing an exasperated expression the general speaks up. “It seems your betrothed has been sent to fetch you Akito. . .” He reaches out, placing a hand on the youth's shoulder to try and ward off some of the panic.

It isn't exactly an effective gesture, considering it's intended purpose, but it does serve to keep Akito from bolting, and that's something. 'He came here!? Why!? He hates the military, he hates the war, and I. . . .I forced him to leave his palace and come here of all places!? GAH! I am such a fool! He's going to hate me forever after this. . . .I just know it, making him, and having to look after me so much, like I'm some little kid!? I'm older than him for goodness sake!' He manages to not hyperventilate and by the time he draws out of his self hatred there is someone else in the tent and Akito nearly jumps out of his skin. Kau, who had turned to greet the man, pats his son on the shoulder as the prince's escort raises an eyebrow at the younger male.

'Did he not see me enter? Wasn't he an assassin?' His own thoughts aside the man announces the reason behind him being there and requests, on behalf of the king, for Akito to return. The young soldier knows he can't say no, but at the moment it's all he can do to keep his feet under him.

The general, spotting his son's frozen state, lets out a soft sigh and moves over to his bedside table. His curiosity piqued Akito relaxes enough to try and see what he's doing, and a moment later when he produces a bottle and to cups his confusion redoubles. Motioning to the small round strategy table he looks to the prince's escort and smiles. “Share a drink with me?” The older man glances warily over his shoulder and almost as if anticipating the man's worry Kaura's attention shifts to his son and he says with a clipped tone, “Akito, go show your betrothed around. Keep him safe.”

Akito snaps to attention at the order and despite wanting to do just about anything else at the moment he slips out of the tent after rubbing his cheeks a bit, trying to hide the fact that he's been crying. Several of his fellows have moved in close around Hiro but as Akito spots the little circle and approaches he lets out a sharp click noise with his tongue and they practically scatter like a flock of crows from a tree at a loud noise. A few of them give him apologetic looks, a few sympathetic, and a few even waggle their eyebrows, but other than cursory glances he doesn't look to them, his focus on the finery clad man looking very out of place in these dirty, dull surroundings.

He takes a steadying breath, trying to remember everything his father taught him as he moves within a couple paces of his soon to be husband. He refrains from a full bow, giving a very light, polite one instead and whistles softly. One of the soldier's comes and takes the horse's reins and not knowing what else to do Akito holds out a hand and says softly, “The man who came with you and my father are having a drink. I am to be your escort, and. . .I thought I would show you the less drab parts of the countryside while we wait. . . Hiro.” His voice is hesitant but strong, his eyes only dropping at the end when he says the man's name. His heart beats like a thunderstorm is raging inside his chest, but he manages to keep that tempest from his face as he looks back up at the prince, his expression rather soft.

Knowing that the prince would have been safe made the guard relax a little more. And he didn’t want to turn down an offered drink. The prince was fine.

Outside, for a few minutes, Hironori just sat on the horse waiting for his guard to retrieve Akito. He was too deep into his thoughts to realize the staring eyes that started to gather at some point. “I have no idea why my father must be so. . .” Sliding off the horse, he realized the gathering crowd around him. He tensed up for a brief second, only to relax right after. They couldn’t- they wouldn’t do anything to him. He was the prince after all. So there was nothing to be afraid of. Their roaming eyes had been a little unnerving at first, but he stayed by his horse, gently patting its head. Many were intrigued by the fine garb he wore while others were more impressed with his looks.

“What a lucky kid scoring the prince.”

“Yeah, I’ve never seen him up close either.”

There were a few whistles after a few more of those not so quiet comments about his appearance. Hiro was a mixture of flattered and mildly baffled by their boldness. He didn’t say anything however. Instead, he simply stayed in his place, occasionally making eye contact with anyone who met his gaze. The comments went on until there was a sudden shift in the atmosphere.

“Still doesn’t change the fact that he must’ve done something to have Akito run off like this.”

There was always the pessimistic ones of the group. This roused a few murmurs amongst the group. The prince started to puff in protest, but figured what he had to say was of little importance about the subject- unless of course Akito proved to them himself that he wasn’t at fault. But even in that moment, glancing back at his horse, he wondered if maybe he did have something to do with why Akito ran off. Sure, he learned that the former soldier was a bit scared. . .everything, but maybe it was more than that. “You don’t think I’ve done anything, do you?” The horse’s ear merely twitched towards the soft voice and Hironori patted him once more. His attention turned when the murmuring voices continued. “I can assure that as the royal family, we’ve given him nothing but the best. There’s nothing that you all need to worry about.” He managed to keep the sass out of his tone and before any of them could respond, all of them scramble at the sudden noise.

’How peculiar. . .’ Hiro had a confused gaze as they scattered, only to see Akito approaching. “I’m not sure if that was out of respect. . .or fear. Very impressive nonetheless.” He spoke aloud for Akito to hear, but his gaze had still been on the others- it wasn’t clear if he was actually talking to his betrothed or not. His horse was sent away and Akito mentioned touring the countryside. That sounded nice. He took AKito’s hand in his when he realized it was offered. Normally, Akito would have his hands close by his sides or behind his back. Huh. . . Well of course he was a lot more comfortable in his old home. That only made sense. However, Hiro couldn’t help but wonder if that particular soldier had a point. Maybe they did something wrong and made Akito more nervous than normal. A small smile spread across his face when Akito said his name. It was nice to see him not panicky and anxious about everything. He gave his hand a gentle squeeze and nodded. “Lead the way.”

“Tell me,” He started after some time of silence. “what do you see them as? The soldiers.” Hiro was still looking ahead, his calm expression never changing. There was no real motive behind his question, however HIro did want to know a little more about the person he was to marry. Every time he tried though something went in disarray. That, and he just wanted to have a simple conversation, unless of course Akito would have much rather stayed quiet.

It wasn’t his preferred option but if it kept Akito calm then he was willing to stay quiet.

Akito's smile becomes a little strained at his betrothed comment and he murmurs honestly, “Both.” He doesn't go into depth about what exactly made his fellow soldier fear him, but it's clear from his tone that he means it. He blushes slightly at the idea of the prince being impressed with him, especially given how clear the man has made it that the young soldier's life is not something he approves of. That cools, soft hand slides into his own sword roughened grasp and he holds it as delicately as he can, not wanting to abrade the smooth skin beneath his fingers.

The prince gives his hand a little squeeze and the gesture threatens to spook the bashful soldier once more but instead of focusing on the rather supporting action he instead focuses on doing exactly what he came out of the tent to do. 'I'll just show him the places I used to hang around. I was always away from camp, and there's less military stuff outside of camp so maybe he won't be as critical of it as he is of my way of life. . . .' Letting out a long breath he begins walking, making sure to keep his eyes off his feet, trying desperately to display some of that courage that helped him live through the war.

As they approach the edge of camp however Aki comes to a halt and looks over his shoulder. He doesn't look to his partner at the question, instead doing his best to answer it without that immediate fear that always seems to come to him when he looks at his betrothed. His eyes scan the area, the various people going about their daily routines; Sharpening blades, finding food, training, treating their armor. The sights, sounds, and smells are all from his childhood. Even the earth beneath his feet makes him feel at home - the wooden floors of the palace a bit off-putting and somehow rather cold compared to the dirt of his “home” - but as he actually looks out at the actual faces of the people around him, the people he grew up with mixed with new recruits and people he's only known a short while, he doesn't really feel like they are family.

'This is my home, and these are my people, and I will defend each and every one of them with my life, but. . .Only Father feels like real family, and these others. . . .They are my comrades. . . .Not even friends, though many of them see me as a nephew or little brother, I've never felt myself returning such sentiments. . . .' His hand tightens ever so slightly for an instant around Hiro's as he looks over at the young man but loosens immediately as a faint flush comes to his cheeks at the gesture. 'Yeah, he will be technically family soon, but, he's even more of a stranger than these people. He will be bound to me, and I will have to get to know him, but I wonder if I will ever trust him as I trust them. . . .'

Tilting his head towards them he lets out a light cough and speaks softly, but with a strong note of calm in his voice. “This is my home, and these are those I would call my people, but I have lived a mostly solitary life, even surrounded by people I trust my life to every single day, I can only claim them as comrades.” he looks back towards them and adds a little more softly, “Don't get me wrong, I care for them all dearly, but. . . .I have only one person I consider family among them, and that man worked long and hard to earn that position. . .”

Turning he gives the prince's hand a little tug to urge him to continue walking and together they make their way past the edge of camp. The long grass making up the field around the site is soft, swaying beneath the gentle breeze and making a quiet rustling noise. Glancing back at his companion he does his best to stay calm as he leads the man forward, murmuring, “I thought you. . . .Might like to see where I spent a lot of my time whenever we were camped here. . .” In the distance there is a small stand of trees, some thick, some thin, but all thick with greenery that looks nearly impassable. However, as they draw close, Akito pulls back a couple branches to reveal a very lightly worn path leading into the foliage.

Holding the branches out of the way he gestures for Hironori to go first. Once the prince is through he follows close behind, placing a hand gently on his back and advising him to stay bent over for a while. It's clear when it's time to stand up and as they break through the thick branches into the open area in the middle of the stand Akito simply stands there for a long moment, letting the memories come back to him. The general himself had shown the young soldier where to find this place, the small pond in the middle the perfect place for him to learn to swim. The little frogs and fish were always fun to chase, and it was actually through this play that the general first realized that the youth may make a good assassin one day. He could never understand just how the shy, unobtrusive boy could turn into such a predator when hunting the small beasts.

'I was one of the best protein providers for the camp, and it all started with frogs and fish as a little boy. . .' He smiles, the still rising sun lighting the area with a dusky, morning glow and making the scene quite picturesque. He'd tried several times in his teenage years to paint this beauty, camping out all night so he could catch the area at just the right time of day, but as always his pictures never turned out quite right. The long grass lays across the ground in this area, far more green and plush than the stuff growing outside the stand, and as Akito makes his way forward his normally near silent footsteps go completely unheard. He slips past the prince and takes a seat beside the pond, letting the calm, familiar surroundings relax him as he waits to see what the prince thinks of his little hideaway. Hoko smells all the fresh grass and without hesitation slips out and begins hunting for small critters that tend to gather around the pond.

There was a slight swing of their hands courtesy of Hironori. Akito's hand was much rougher than his, he noticed, but he didn’t mind it. While he waited for an answer, the prince gazed around the camp. From where he stood, the men all looked like they were simply camping- save for suddenly being surrounded by them. They looked relatively normal. Nothing like the murders and blood thirsty soldiers he imagined. It didn't change his opinion about them, but he did manage to look at them in. . .a view that wasn't so harsh. Hearing Akito made his gaze fall on the soldier. It was a gentle gaze, with the prince subconsciously reminding himself how. . .fragile Akito could be.

The answer he received was a tad surprising, a touch saddening even. It appeared his betrothed never actually had anyone close to him except for the general of course- and maybe that pet of his. Other than those two, Akito lived a rather lonely life. Save for a small yet quick frown, Hironori's only response was a small "Huh" and a nod. Even the prince had a loving home. Sure he and his father didn't see eye to eye, but he still had more than one person to go to when he was in need.

"Hm?" Hironori turned when Akito tugged him on. There were still things to look at around the camp. "Oh? Well, of course." The prince nodded, gazing at the multitude of trees. It would've been terrible to get lost there. . . He didn’t question Akito’s choice of secrecy. He didn’t say much of anything, save for a few okays and nods to know he was still paying attention. Akito listened when he was told, careful not to get himself stuck on branches. That wouldn’t be very ‘graceful’ or ‘elegant’. As everything began to clear, Hiro straightened up and gazed around. It was small and reserved, much like Akito himself. The thought made Hiro smile a bit.

For a long moment, he stayed in one spot. He gazed around at the simplicity of it all. There was no huge flower garden, no path to walk around the place- nothing of the sort. It was simple and small. Hiro turned his attention to Akito. It was rare he got to see the soldier so calm. It brought another small smile to his lips. Finally, removing his hands from behind his back he quietly took a seat in the soft grass. He didn’t say anything at first, opting to stare at the reflections in the water. But after the silence had droned on, he breathed out a soft sigh. “You know, most soldiers taking a royal’s hand in marriage are usually much more boisterous and well, larger too.” He let out a small chuckle, still keeping his gaze on the bond. He probably heard that way too many times. “But you’re different. A good different. And I like it here.” He let his gaze roam before following Hoko’s trail. There was that little creature.

“It’s serene and peaceful.” Hiro left it at that, letting the silence grow again. Up until he got bored of the silence and spoke. “Is that why you’re so scared- nervous” He corrected himself to avoid offending him. “about going home? Because of how different you are?” This time, Hiro looked over at Akito with a friendly smile. “You’ve one father’s love no doubt. Especially after the sparring match you two had. Didn’t even know the old man could still move like that.” He laughed lightly. “I could say I’m even jealous. I’ve never seen him that happy in awhile. And of course my mother loves you. Then again, it’s easy to win her heart.” He laughed again before giving a small shrug. “There’s no reason to be nervous around them. They’re just intimidating to strangers and the common people.” Maybe that would have reassured his betrothed. He was always so scared around his parents, but he could never understand why- especially since they adored him.

Not once did Hironori assume Akito would be intimidated by him of all people. The marriage, sure. But Akito couldn’t have possibly been intimidated by him.

Out of the corner of his eye, his gaze locked on a spot to his left, he sees the prince simply looking about the area and he feels himself relax a little more. 'He's actually taking the time to take it all in. Or at least that's what it looks like. He's. . .Appreciating the view' It doesn't cross his mind that that little smile of appreciation has anything to do with himself, but as Hiro begins moving Akito goes back to watching the pond itself. With a soft sigh he tucks his legs up against his chest, his arms crossing his shins and his chin resting on his knees. Most people would find this position uncomfortable but Akito had grown to find it gives him a very secure feeling.

He can barely see Hiro out of the corner of his eye and despite how relaxed he is he can still feel the edginess skirting his mind and making him pay close attention to that little sliver of the man he can see. He keeps an eye out for any cue, and subtle hints that he's done something to offend the man. When he begins speaking however Akito lets out a slow breath, imagining what a more “boisterous” soldier would be doing with this hater of war and all things related to it. 'I have the distinct impression that he would find a way out of the marriage if someone like that were here. . .' He feels a surprising hint of protectiveness flash through him as he imagines one of his fellows with the delicate Hironori. Tilting his head a little bit so he can see the prince's face he can feel his cheeks color a little bit at the youth saying he likes that Akito is different from the other soldiers.

'Not that he really knows them. I doubt he's ever become friends with them or anything, his views on them rather biased and skewed. . .' He mentally shakes his head, settling his head on his knees in such a way that he can look at the prince, albeit sideways. “I've always loved this place. It's calm, serene. Very different from camp. I. . .” he hesitates for a moment before going on, unsure for an instant if he really wants to share about himself. His father's words drive him on and he steels himself for the endeavor. “Whenever we camped, I would try and find somewhere like this. Somewhere I could escape it all and just have the sounds of nature as company. . .”

Bitting his lip he wonders if what he said sounded funny, but he listens to Hiro as he goes on, wanting to do his best, as his father instructed. The prince's next words however make him want to curl up and hide as they strike a deep nerve with him. It doesn't really bother him that he's different, but it has always bothered him when others not only notice, but make it sound like something is wrong with him. 'He says he likes that I'm different, but he stills sees it as something I should be ashamed of. What does that make me in his eyes? Some sort of novelty? Some sort of creature to examine and pick apart to find out how I work?' He knows he's being a little paranoid, but he can't help feeling that the prince somehow still sees him as something he's rather dissect than marry. He always feels like such a worm around the beautiful man.

Not even the smile does anything to help his nerves, but none the less he smiles back. It's a small, pathetic thing, but it's there none the less. He speaks of his parents, and how they already like the poor little soldier, but Akito is still a bit dubious, unsure if he can just accept his betrothed's word on the matter. True, he and the emperor shared a sparing match, and spoke congenially of battle tactics and their own personal experiences, and also true the empress seems to like him well enough, and has so since the beginning, but around them he can't help but have his insides twist into knots.

'And what about you?' He can't actually bring the words up from somewhere around his toes but in his head he hears them echo about, begging to be released. He really wants to know, is desperate to know in fact, but he just can't get his tongue to cooperate. “I will. . . Try, to relax. . .As I said before, I've. . .I've not much experience with “getting along” with people, but if you tell me they see me in a positive light I will trust you and do my best to not act so. . . Nervous.” The prince had called it actually, he was always afraid in that place, but he chooses to use the young man's correction instead of admitting his fear.

His attention is suddenly caught by Hoko who decides it's the right time to drop a frog at his feet. With a smile he scoops up the dead thing and tosses it into the water. Hoko chitters happily and chases it, getting soaking wet in the process. Once he comes out however he shakes off, eats the frog, then sets about cleaning himself up, his quick drying fur a blessing as he will have to slip inside Akito's clothes soon. Letting his legs fall into a cross legged position he lets out a long sigh and looks over at the prince and tries to continue the conversation. Not sure what else to talk about, he goes to the one thing they share. “S-So, your mother seems really invested in the p-planning. Do you have any preferences for the. . .The ceremony?” His nerve fail him a bit as he talks, but he plunges on, knowing they aren't going to get anywhere if he lets his nerves rule his actions.

Hiro could only nod towards Akito’s gesture of ‘trying not to be so nervous’. At least he’d make the effort to try. Unless he was only saying that to simply ease his curiosity. Who knew. Instead of the conversation falling short, Akito continued the conversation. Instead of staring at Hoko, who was once again forgotten due to being stored away, Hiro raised an eyebrow and glanced in his betrothed’s direction. “Ah, yeah she loves parties. I think she loves decorating more so. Something about the change of scenery that gets to her I believe.” The idea of having a preference made him pause to think. He wasn’t exactly sure. There were times where his stepmother had come to him for an opinion of one thing over the other, but he never truly had a strong desire for certain things to be done.

“It’s probably not too surprising that I don’t have much of a preference. I mean, I do prefer a sunny day outside rather than a being cooped up indoors. I’d much rather prefer a calmer set of colors than something too flashy.” He thought over other ideas in his mind and then shrugged. “I don’t even mind if the ceremony is small- however it’s a tradition. And traditional ceremonies are quite...noticeable.” Hiro couldn’t quite figure the right word for it. “Hm, I know you’re kind of going along with things, but did you have something in mind?”

~~~~~~~

Akito nods his head, understanding his betrothed's mother just that much more as he speaks of her liking changing her scenery. 'Sure, there are tons of rooms in that palace, but after a while, they are all just “the palace” I'm sure. . .The desire to switch things up, change things around, see something new. . .I can see that being very strong indeed given that the royal family almost never leaves the palace grounds. . .' The prince goes on to speak of his preferences. Despite saying he doesn't have any, he seems to at least have a general idea of what he wants, and to Akito's surprise he finds that he agrees on two of them at least. He doesn't mind flashy colors, not that he's ever worn them, but he likes the outdoors over the indoors and small groups as opposed to large ones any day. He feels a little sad that it will have to be a large ceremony, however he is quite sure that at the very least, if they both ask, they will be able to have it outdoors.

When asked his own preferences he determinedly doesn't look to the ground, instead looking somewhere around Hiro's hands, and replies as calmly as he can. “I enjoy the outdoors as well, but I have no real preference on colors. I do like certain shapes, some flowers and animals, but other than that I haven't found myself drawn to one color or another, though. . .” He touches his top, the aqua blue material looking rather like water in this light. “This is familiar to me, so, maybe, I could ask for a bit of this. . .” Taking a slow breath he adds bashfully, “I would much prefer few people as well, but I understand that this is more for the people that it is for us. . .So I suppose we'll just have to grin and bare it, huh?” He lets out a nervous chuckle which dies quickly. He manages to glance at Hiro's eyes as he does so, his eyes returning to Hiro's hands as the chuckle fades. 'Why do I have to be so awkward?!' He rages, but instead of the self deprecation his face shows calmness and contemplation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well that was good. They had something in common there. “I’m sure if you talked to her, she’d be ecstatic to change things up to your liking. It wouldn’t bother her a bit.” He smiled gently. “Despite it, she still wants us to enjoy it as much as possible.” His gaze fell onto Akito’s clothing for a moment and he nodded. “I’m sure that could work. You are technically royal now. You can ask for it with no problem.” Akito chuckled softly and looked into the water. “You’re definitely right about that. We smile and look nice for the crowds. Traditions are important, says father.” Hiro mocked a stern voice when he said it and then laughed lightly.

“I don’t question it anymore. I can’t win.” The prince looked behind him to make sure there was nothing there before deciding to lie back and stare at the sky with his hands resting behind his head. “Did you ever think that one day you’d be the one to be married to royalty? Well, a prince for that matter?” He was sure the answer was no but it was still an interesting question to him. What did people think when one day they were told to pack their belongings. They went from one life to a completely different one- a better one at that. It must have been some sort of surprise or shock being married into royalty.

~~~~~~~~

He is glad to hear that the queen would be open to having the ceremony outside and manages a smile at the thought. He even manages to hold it as Hiro speaks of traditions before falling back into his calm facade. His gaze wanders over the young man's body as he reclines, careful to keep his face neutral as to not look as if he's leering at the youth. However at the prince's question he feels his nervousness return in full force and he locks his eyes on the pond. 'It's okay, it's just a question, nothing else. Just a simple topic, well not simple, but it's a topic of conversation. He's trying to learn more about me, that's all. . .' Letting out a long breath he takes a few more deep ones before responding softly to the prince's inquiry.

“As you said before, I am odd, and as such, I've never imagined marrying anyone.” His words are soft. Not sad, simply matter of fact while being a little nervous. “I always imagined being like my father, if anything. I've never. . .Had interest in anyone, so I just imagined living my life out on the front lines, or training others, or, well. . .” He stops his rambling and returns to the question at hand. “So, no, I never thought I would be welcomed into the royal family, in any way shape or form, and honestly I have no idea what to do with this new life thrust upon me. . .”

Letting out a soft sigh a counter question pops into his head and before he can stop it from doing so, it pops out. “What about you? What was it like always knowing, well since the war began at least, that you would be marrying some stranger whose profession is something you loathe?” He didn't really mean it to come out that way, but as the words have already left his lips, there's not taking them back. He keeps his eyes on the pond, petrified that he's offended the man.

~~~~~~~~

Hiro looked intently at the sky as if he was trying to examine the clouds. As he suspected. Akito didn’t exactly know what he was getting himself into. He was surprised about it- and still was if it wasn’t obvious. “With that mindset, I’m sure that would definitely be shocking.” His eyes closed, obviously not finding the particular cloud he was searching for. It lasted for a moment before his eyes opened and he gave a thoughtful expression. He did note that it probably wasn’t the best idea to mention to his betrothed that he wasn’t a fan of fighting when that’s all he did...But it was far too late for that. “Me? Well, I questioned my father every chance I got. I asked him why, but he always gave me the same old excuse about tradition and because we were royal. I didn’t want to marry some strange person who’d use me as their trophy. Or someone so inclined to violence that they...I suppose mentally never left the war.”

Hiro gave it another thought, making sure to give him his whole honest answer, but then nodded when he finished. “Judging you now, I’m assuming you’re nothing like that obviously.” He made that clear too, just in case Akito started to worry.

~~~~~~~~~

The prince's response does nothing to quell his fears and as he goes on it's only his fierce determination to uphold his father's wishes that keep him on the spot. His fear is mixed with a touch of almost, indignation as he speaks of soldiers as if they are wild beasts or something. However, he knows, for the most part, Hiro is right. Many would take one look at the beautiful prince and would not hesitate, either in the marriage, or the coupling that would follow. They would see only his outer beauty, though perhaps only at first, and just would be blown away by their “luck” treating him as some kind of victory prize.

Shaking off the image however he steels himself as the prince goes on, and surprisingly he finds some sort of solace in the fact that Hiro calls him different this time. 'At least he sees me as someone other than a bloodthirsty brute, or at least he believes I'm not. . .That, that is a good thing I suppose. . . .' With a slow exhale he is careful to not over think his response, as his father told him that being honest is best and if he over thinks it he knows he can be cryptic and unclear. “I am glad to hear your honesty on the matter hi- Hiro.” He stops himself from calling his soon to be husband 'Highness' and instead uses his name.

“And. . . .You are correct. I, do not see you as some kind of trophy. I. . . .Do not seek this power I was given, nor am I inclined to. . . .To violence. . .” He breaths slowly. “However, as you have seen, the war is still in me, but I promise it is not something you need fear. It has made me. . . .Protective, of you and your kin. If nothing else, it has made you and your parents. . .A little closer to me inside my head, if. . .If that makes any sense. . .Or I am simply rambling at this point, forgive me. . .” He mumbles the last part, looking away from the prince at his side and watching Hoko roll about in the grass.

~~~~~~~

It had been the first time in awhile since he had heard Akito call him by his actual name. It made him smile a little. Well, he was trying at least. That’s what mattered. Once more Hiro nodded in understanding as Akito justified himself. The next part was a little confusing so the silence between them grew as he thought it over.

“I think I understand. Maybe.” Hiro glanced over at Akito, but he was looking at Hoko. “Protecting this new family of yours.” He wondered if that had sounded just as odd as it felt saying it. Hiro’s family was an uptight father, a happy go lucky stepmother, and a stubborn son. Then there were the multitudes of servants that aided their every need. Not to mention the baby that would be on the way any time now. Even he didn’t know where someone like Akito would fit in. ’Well, I suppose we’d just have to make room.’ On occasions, he did sympathize for the soldier. He was lost in an entirely new world of things. Sure there were people to guide him, but it was probably still a rather lonely experience. And probably really awkward to be around when he and his father had their minor disputes.

Deciding to try and keep the drifting conversation alive, Hiro decided to ask another question. “So, what do you honestly think of it all? The people, the service, the traditions, and all that other stuff.”

~~~~~~~~~

“Yes.” he murmurs softly when Hiro likens his feelings to being protective of his new “Family”. He's not sure if it's familial protective feelings just yet, but it's close enough that he finds no reason to dispute the idea. The next question comes with many parts, the answers not readily available to the tense soldier, but despite the momentary freeze that comes with the sudden rush of inquiries he manages to begin answering after only a few moments. “The people are who they are and deserve to live lives without fear and with hope. The service is a noble ideal to some, and just a job to others, and to still others it's a way to do something they would be jailed for otherwise simply because they were born with violent tendencies.” He knows it sounds bad as he says it, but then he goes right on.

“There are many other reasons, like mine for example.” He shrugs. “Being a soldier is what I do. I was raised with it, by a soldier, and to me it's just how things are. I serve because my father served, and I like the idea of saving people from. . .” He's unable to finish his sentence, his past not something he needs to think about right now. He shoots Hiro an apologetic smile instead and moves on to the next part of his betrothed's question. “As with the service, tradition was just part of my life. It was small, the reading of orders forcing me to stand tall, the few times we were shown off like prized hens for the people to gawk at forcing me to be clean and friendly towards people, but this tradition is not one I ever even stopped to think about beyond being glad that the king at least had a chance of understanding our needs, making it easier to get supplies and medical care.”

He glances at Hiro again, swallowing hard. “Now however, now that I'm in the middle of it, I have to wonder if it is a wise choice to uphold this tradition. I am obviously not right for the job, but perhaps that was just a failing on the part of those who decided I was the obvious “hero” in this war and not a failing on the part of the tradition.” Then without thinking he adds, “Though I hate to imagine any of my comrades in my place. I hate to think of you having to put up with a real soldier. . .” He nearly swallows his tongue in fright, his eyes locking on the pond once more. 'Oh gods, I can't believe I said that! That was so arrogant, my thinking I'm a better match some how! Maybe someone with a spine would actually be able to talk to him, to provide him with some intelligent conversation! Good lords, why did my father every suggest I be honest and stop over thinking things!? He probably thinks I'm some arrogant ass who feels far superior to my comrades, oh god, oh gods. . . .'

~~~~~~~~

The prince listens calmly, not showing much change in his expression. He wasn’t going to fault Akito for his opinions whether he agreed or not because that’s just what they were; opinions. It was quite obvious how different their views were though. To Hiro, the service to him were just help. They came and went, doing their job. Considering it was a fairly routined job, he didn’t think too much of it. Being just a prince, the people were just there to see him smile and be cordial. There was something about the royal family being together and looking happy that made the people much more at ease. He didn’t understand the meaning of it that much, but one day he’d have to. . .

“You’ll learn about the way of the royals. Father had to learn as well. All soldiers do. After all, we’ll have to rule over this place sometime in the. . .far future.” Being a prince wasn’t all that bad, but the idea of being a king even made him shudder a little. The sudden boldness throws HIro off guard and makes him laugh. He sits up, disregarding Akito’s new frightened state. With his legs now crossed, Hiro shook a few stray strands of grass out of his hair and faced the soldier.

With a teasing grin he leaned closer to Akito. “Oh? And what makes you so qualified hm?” His gaze fell on Akito’s reflection in the pond since he wouldn’t look at him.

~~~~~~~~~

He twitches as he feels the prince sitting up but manages to hide his fear before Hiro can get a look at his face. “I-I didn't mean, I just. . .” He does his best to speak, but after a few seconds he has to simply breath before he can get anything out but a squeak, his face coloring furiously. “Most of my direct comrades would see you as a prize, several would be less than forgiving about your views of the war and those who fight in it, and over all most who have seen battle, true battle, would see you as little more than a pretty face they have to tolerate once they knew of your views, not to mention those who have lost comrades to magic users and who now hate anyone that use it openly. . .” His words are calm, almost robotic, trying to convey the issues without sounding like he is threatening the young lord.

“Given all the factors, I and my father are the only ones I can think of that would be a good match for you from the military at least in the fact that I do not hate you for your views, even if I am hurt a bit by them, and my father at least has thick enough skin that your scorn would not affect his duty to the empire in being a good husband and emperor. . .” He lets out a long breath, watching the prince's reflected face out of the corner of his eye, hoping that he had not completely destroyed whatever rapport he'd managed to develop with the younger man in one fell swoop.

~~~~~~

His teasing expression turned into a more knowing one as Akito spoke. His hands rested in his lap and instead of looking at the soldier’s face he was looking at the water itself as the occasional bug or creature caused it to ripple. He was very well aware of the enemies he was probably going to create if his views had gotten out. He was also aware of just how many people found the use of magic as uncharacteristic for a royal or just plain wrong. Hiro’s father warned him about all of those things countless of times. Hearing it from Akito cemented the fact. It wasn’t as if he didn’t believe what his father said, he just never felt as impacted towards. . .being different.

“Huh, I should probably work on that.” That was the only response he could give towards the statement. There was no apology towards hurting Akito or the soldiers of the army, no guilt towards what in everyone else’s eyes appeared to be ‘bad traits’ for a prince, just a simple comment. “Wouldn’t want to be hated by everyone as a king.” Hiro spoke with a matter of fact tone. leaving it at that. ’I’m not really fit to be a king. I suppose that’s ironic considering that I’m born into royalty and all.’ He didn’t imagine his views would change or that he’d stop toying with magic, however he knew that he’d have to ‘grow up’. Just because he didn’t like something didn’t mean it wasn’t useful for everyone else. He’d just have to accept it. And when that time came, then he’d apologize for being so brash and probably rude at times about Akito’s profession. Because then he’d mean it.

Hiro pulled a strand of grass from the ground and let it fall in the pond, causing it to disturb the peaceful stillness of it. It floated across for a few moments before sinking under. “I think you’re the first other than my father, and maybe a curious servant- okay so maybe not the first- to actually mention something about that. Then again, I also haven’t told many people because I know it would cause some sort of uproar.” He shrugged. “Nothing really special to say about it, just thought I’d mention it.” Changing the subject, he sighed and looked around. “It’s nice getting out of the palace. Being cooped up can become boring.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

Akito is relieved that Hiro is, not in any way apparent at least, upset by his words, however he is struck with the need to say something even as the prince tries to change the subject. “I really like your magic. I find it lovely, and fascinating. . .I, have no problem with enjoying it as a hobby, or whatever else you wish to do with it, as long as you do not hurt anyone, as I'm sure you won't.” He completely disregards the instance where he himself was burned by the prince's flames telling himself the prince was not at fault.

~~~~~~~~~

Hiro had turned his attention to Hoko who wasn’t too far away. The little creature seemed to come and go as he pleased. He must have been low maintenance. The subject changed again. This time, Hiro was the one who looked surprised. “Uh, thank you.” He looked at Akito for a brief moment before turning his gaze to the pond. It seemed to be a solace of comfort whenever Akito got embarrassed, but for him he was just staring at his own reflection. “Not many people do. . .so thank you.” He repeated a little softer, sounding a little more sincere. The first time he showed Akito his hobby, he seemed fascinated sure, but it didn’t end very well. Surprisingly, that didn’t deter the male next to him.

~~~~~~~~~

The shock on the prince's face is a precious sight to Akito and he lets his smile show as he gazes back at the prince from the surface of the pond. “No, thank you for sharing it with me. . . .Hiro.” He lets out a soft sight, switching between looking at the young man's face in the pond and watching Hoko chew on grass. He eats it once in a while, but mostly he just chews it. Akito can feel a little glow of feeling special, though he knows it's kinda silly to think that way, but as he shrugs the doubt off he lets his head fall back and he looks at the cloud wistfully. “Being outside most of the time has always been a blessing to me. The palace is large, but there is still a roof overhead. There are still walls around you. I know I will have to get used to it, but maybe. . .” he hesitates for a moment before he continues in a slightly quavery voice. “Perhaps if w-we team up, the e-emperor would let u-us out on to the countryside m-more often than you're used to?” He glances over at the prince hopefully, a light flush on his cheeks as he thinks about traveling with his betrothed.

~~~~~~~~~

“Ah, yeah you’re lucky for sure. As a child, I had to stay on palace grounds a lot more. For safety of course. My father was- and still is quite. . .overprotective.” The idea made him grin. “That would be great!” With a chuckle he continued. “I’m sure we could be more persuasive than I could be alone.” He shook his head. “He thinks I’ll get lost or kidnapped or something, but we have plenty of guards to prevent that. You know, I’ve only been outside of the kingdom once? I was younger and it was for business, so I didn’t get to do much of anything.”

~~~~~~~~~~

The prince gets rather excited at the notion of leaving the palace grounds and for a moment Akito wonders what it would be like to be confined like that. Sure, when he was younger, the general wanted him close and had the other soldiers keeping an eye on him, but by the age of thirteen he was off and running just about anywhere he wanted to without need of supervision. “Yes, fathers can be like that. . .” he murmurs comradely, smiling at his betrothed. “And I suppose having me go along would ease his mind a bit. . .” He says this softly, hoping that the prince would perhaps see his profession in a slightly better light if it was able to get him away from the palace once in a while.

~~~~~~

“Huh, have I even been around the entire kingdom?” The question was never answered. Instead, he smiled at the little things in common they had. “I do suppose he would see it in a different light. A protector and my spouse. I’m sure he’ll think it’ll be a good idea- or some excuse for privacy to be alone together but that’s neither here nor there.” He mused over the idea and gave it an affirmative nod. “I think it’s a great idea.” Looking around once more, he wondered how long it would be before the others started to look for them. Then again, they were in a sea of soldiers so there was nothing to worry about. He just decided to enjoy the bit of time they had left before he ended up being back home to wander about the grounds seeing the same old things as usual.

His light flush grows deeper as Hiro says aloud something he'd thought moments ago. 'Yes, I suppose that would be the way his highness would see it. Us wanting to be. . . Alone. . . together. . . .And, I. . . .I guess that would appeal to the man. . . .I am not the best judge of character, but I get the feeling he would think some r-romantic outing would be more acceptable than a random gallivanting about. . . .' He smiles with a faint nod as Hiro confirms that he thinks it's a good idea, looking carefully at the pond while his cheeks still burn hotly. He doesn't know what to make of the idea of “being alone” with Hiro, the man so beautiful and perhaps even experienced with how offhandedly he mentions them being alone together, but as he breaths deeply he reminds himself again and again, not to jump to conclusions.

'We will be wed. We will eventually. . . .Come together, and. . . .And we will deal with it then. Until the time comes, I will just have to stop turning into a beet every time I think of being anything more than in a conversation with the man. . .' Glancing to the side he lets the silence stretch on, looking once more at the sky after giving the prince a long look. He really does admire the man's beauty, and he guesses he can see his fellows point on him being “lucky” on some level, but at the same time, he sees beyond the skin without even trying and it's not the flesh beneath his gaze that makes him think of how lovely the youth at his side is.

~*~*~*~*~

Standing, the steward stretches, holding out his hand to the general as they both prepare to head out into the camp. They had drunk a decent amount of the general's finest, and they had shared tales of their time crossing swords with their enemies, the steward having a fascinating tale about fighting in nothing but his fundoshi at one particularly embarrassing party near the end of the war before last. The general takes his hand and gives it a hard shake before they share a bow and leave the tend. The slightly fuzzy minded steward sobers up quickly as he doesn't see his ward right away, but Kaura settles a hand on his shoulder and give him a reassuring smile. “I ordered Akito to his side, so getting him back is as simple as. . .” Raising his fingers to his lips he lets out a long whistle, the sound carrying over the camp and into the surrounding area easily. The steward looks a little confused, but decides to give the general a few minutes to make his point.

~*~*~*~*~

Surrounded by trees and foliage the whistle barely makes it through, but it does come through. Likely too soft for the prince to hear Akito and Hoko both snap their heads up at the noise and in a flash Hoko is tucked away inside his master's clothing. “It seems they have finished their drink.” he murmurs, helping Hiro to his feet before giving him a half smile and leading him quickly out of the thick stand of trees. He is careful to make sure no stray branches his the prince as they make hast through the greenery. Eventually they pop out of the trees, coming out on to the low grasslands at half a run and still a good two minutes away from the camp. After checking to make sure Hiro still has his feet Akito carefully picks up the pace, making a beeline for the general's tent.

He makes sure not to run too fast, slowing and helping Hiro catch his balance every time he stumbles in his not-made-for-running robes, and in no time at all they come into view of the general and the steward. The older looking gentleman raises his eyebrows, giving the general an impressed look. “You have him whistle trained?”

Kaura chuckles, watching kindly as Akito turns red again but for a new reason. “Well, this boy here has always had a love for running off, either for fun or when he's upset, but as we need to be able to move at a moment's notice, I needed a way to make sure he's not left behind.” Akito hangs his head in shame, Hiro hand still clasped in his own. Impulsively he gives the hand a little squeeze as if looking for comfort before looking up at his father and coming mostly to attention. He does not let Hiro go, almost not noticing that they are still linked as he looks to his father for orders. The general just shakes his head and pats him on the shoulder firmly, giving it a squeeze before looking to the steward to see what needs to be done.

The prince’s mind wandered to the various things in the kingdom to explore. His father was such a big advocate of safety. He shouldn’t have been surprised when Hiro decided to take up magic! Before he could become exasperated with his father despite his absence, he watched as both Akito and Hoko perked up. “Must be time to go.” He took the aid, holding Akito’s hand. As they sped through the forest- and sped back to camp, several times, Hiro had called for him to slow down. He wasn’t meant to run in his attire. He hadn’t planned to either- fortunately Akito was well aware of that.

When they stopped, Hiro took a moment to catch his breath before straightening up to focus on the conversation. He kind of wondered if Akito would respond to anyone whistling but as he thought about it, it seemed kind of rude. The soldier wasn’t a dog after all, it wasn’t polite. Feeling the gentle squeeze, Hiro looked down realizing Akito was still holding on to his hand. He gave a small smile, unnoticed by the three and gently squeezed Akito’s hand back. There was no reason to be embarrassed, but then again it was Akito who seemed to get embarrassed easily.

The steward looked at the prince and his betrothed before turning to the general. “There’s a carriage just outside the camp. We stopped there because of the rocky terrain and travelled by horse.” He gestured to Akito. “It’s a long walk, so I suggest he gets a lift as well.” The horse could only seat two men obviously and as stated the steward didn’t advise walking.

The general was probably going to end up travelling with Akito in order to take the extra horse back to camp. Well, at least Akito would still be able to get a few final words in before he left for the palace.

A soldier walked up, holding the reigns of the palace horse. He handed them to the steward. nodded, and walked off. “We should be off, so the emperor doesn’t get too worried.”

Hiro's hand tightens within his own and for the first time Akito realizes that it's there. Not wanting to suddenly pull away however, perhaps giving the impression that he was disgusted or something, he continues to hold the man's hand as he keeps his eyes on the two older en. His cheeks however have a persistent flush that doesn't clear up completely from his embarrassment from before, though now it settles there for an entirely different reason. He listens to the man talk and at the mention of a carriage long buried images flash behind his eyes and he can feel himself baulking at the idea. He doesn't want to get into a carriage. . .

Looking down out of the corner of his eye at their linked hands Akito begins formulating a plot. His eyes go to his father as he feels the man's eyes on him and at the cocked eyebrow Kaura wears it's clear he can see that Akito is planning something. His mind flickers over the advice given to him by the general, about trying to do things he enjoys, to do things to try and open up a little more to the man he is to marry, and to show interest in what the prince wants, and with a slight nod he confirms his father's suspicions that he's planning something, and that everything will be okay.

When the horses are brought around Akito moves around to the side of the palace horse, looking as if he's going to help the prince mount the beast. 'It is now or never' Gritting his teeth he smoothly mounts the beast himself, in the same smooth movement drawing Hiro up with him, settling the slightly taller man in front of him and smiling down at the steward. “We will see you back at the palace.” Saying this with another nod at his father, who nods back approvingly – though his smile at the steward's mortified expression gives the impression that he's enjoying his son's antics far too much – he kicks the horse into a decently fast pace, his free arm sliding around Hiro's waist to make sure he doesn't fall at the sudden movement.

The sound of horse's hooves are enough to scatter the men of the camp, most of which call out approvingly when they see who it is driving the steed through the busy camp along with who he has ridding with him. Akito does his best to ignore these calls however, instead focusing on getting them out of camp without incident. He's not sure if Hiro will actually enjoy this little taste of freedom, but as it is, it's all he can really offer his betrothed. They clear the camp in good time and once they pass the last camp Akito turns them towards the village, wondering if there's anything Hiro wants to see in particular while they have this little bit of time off palace grounds. Slowing them down enough so he can focus on speaking he asks softly, “Where would you like to go? We will have to return soon, but I am sure a little time away will not hurt. . .”

Hiro looked between the general, his steward, and Akito. He didn’t have a part in their plans. All he had to do was get on the horse and let the steward take him to their carriage, and then they’d be off home. He stayed quiet, watching as their facial expressions changed over and over. He would have questioned it a bit further, but he deemed that it wasn’t all that important anyway. Upon seeing the horse nice and ready to go, Hiro had straightened up, prepared to be given a boost onto the horse. The expectation was short lived. Swift as ever, Akito hopped onto the horse and Hiro was suddenly pulled along with him. “Whoa.” He wasn’t sure whether to be surprised towards how easily he was lifted off the ground or just how fluidly Akito moved the both of them. Then again, he shouldn’t have been too surprised. Akito was a soldier. Despite looking devilishly cute and scared of many, many things his betrothed was trained in fighting and as traditions foretold it, the best of the best. There were plenty of things Akito could do that Hiro wasn’t aware of.

’Back at the palace?’ “We will- oh.” The sudden run made him jerk backwards. Reaching for the horse’s mane, he paused when he felt the hand around his waist. Hiro had half a mind to thank him for the ‘save’, but instead gave a small nod before straightening up. He adjusted in order to get comfortable, holding the horse’s mane lightly. He could have held the reigns, but he didn’t want to accidentally pull them or do something he shouldn’t have. It made him remember a time when he was younger. His father took him a few times riding a horse around the large fields of their palace- a simpler and easier time, Hiro remembered. He had never actually learned, but it was fun nonetheless. Now wasn’t so different. He was just taller and knew how not to fall off.

The whistles made the prince turn his head. ’What are the soldiers doing?’ Recognizing their facial expressions and cheers, it clicked. In fact, it made Hiro give out a short laugh. “Ha, very encouraging bunch.” He didn’t speak directly to Akito, more like speaking aloud to himself. First they had given Hiro rather suspicious and unfriendly gazes, thinking he had done Akito wrong and now they were cheering for the soldier as if he had done something utterly fantastic. . .Or was about to do? Taking a quick glance at Akito made it clear that the soldier didn’t have any of those intentions in mind. He was just taking them. . .Not to the palace?

Hiro remembered the carriage being to the right, meaning the palace would have been that way too. However, Akito went left. His curious gaze turned towards the approaching village. He wasn’t going to stop Hiro from leading the way. ’Where would i like to go?’ This was a spur of the moment action. Hiro hadn’t been prepared to suddenly be going to the village. Looking around, Hiro took in the sights he could see. It was smaller than he remembered. Maybe it was because he was closer and had actually stopped to see. There were a few women, young and old, mingling with each other and weaving clothes? blankets? Hiro’s gaze went to the colorful fabrics hanging above their heads. “Oh, how nice. . .”

Realizing he hadn’t answered Akito’s question, Hiro looked over at him with a small shrug. “I’m not sure. What do the. . .people do around here all day? Surely they have something interesting in around here?”

~~~~~~~~~~

Hiro is quiet at first, and Akito worries that the prince isn't liking his 'gift' at all, but then he notices the man looking around with a fascinated expression on his face and he relaxes a bit, giving his betrothed time to adjust to the new surroundings. The village is peaceful enough, raised voices only here, and there, and always in a joyous or concerned note. As they enter many faces turn up to see who it is riding through their small town, and at first most simply dismiss the sight as another soldier passing through. However, as they move along, Hiro's presence seems to draw more and more attention until at last the place is all abuzz.

Akito keeps an eye on all of these watching faces, looking for anything out of place in his state of constant vigilance, but his attention turned to the man in front of him as he finally speaks up. With a small smile he lets out a half sigh as he goes back to looking at the people.”Most of them work most of the day, some are in apprenticeships, the children even have tasks they need to complete, but I suppose there will be one thing or another to actually do around here besides work. . .” Slipping from the horse he leads it forward a few steps before catching the attention of a woman and speaking with her quietly. Once he's gotten the information he wants he turns and holds out a hand to help Hiro down from the horse. “There's a game going on across the way, but it would be better if we go one foot, to avoid drawing any more attention.” While Hiro may be used to being stared at wherever he goes, it's clear all the eyes on him is not something Akito enjoys.

~~~~~~~~

The loud whispers, the staring eyes, and even a few excited gasps did little to deter Hiro. He simply gazed around nodding to some and waving to others. He was used to the attention and the gawking, after all, he was a prince. Hearing about the constant working life made him frown a little in disappointment. They had to have had some sort of hobby to keep themselves occupied or entertained. They couldn’t possibly have slaved away doing work. . .Even the servants got breaks! Well, that’s what he assumed. The disappointment didn’t last much longer when Akito managed to come up with some idea.

A few people started to come out of their small homes in order to see if the news was true. They all wondered the same things. They questioned why the prince was in the village or at least not with his family and even who the soldier was, but none came too close and bombarded him.

“A game?” Hiro echoed, keeping his hand in Akito’s after he got off the horse. With a soft giggle, Hiro squeezed Akito’s hand gently. “Ah, they don’t normally do anything. They’ll only watch, maybe yell out a few things, but usually their fine. But about this game.” He looked around, expecting the answer to jump out in front of him. Only seeing more of the houses, made him even more curious in more ways than one. “How do people live in such tiny places. . ?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Akito remains uncomfortable looking even as Hiro explains that this is “normal”, but he takes a slight comfort in the little squeeze as they make their way down the street. Raising an eyebrow at the man's question he wonders if he's joking or not for a moment before deciding to answer seriously. “Well, they can't afford any better, and honestly each house has everything needed for surviving, and even a little room for living. It has all the needs, with very little of the wants, but in a town like this there is such little want since it's too peaceful people are content with having their needs covered for the safety they get from being so close to the palace.”

Slipping between two houses he makes shooing motions at a few kids that had stopped in their way to gawk and with giggles the two run around behind the prince and his betrothed and begin seeing who's brave enough to get close enough to the prince to touch his kimono. It's an old game he's seen many times so despite the constant giggling and squealing, Akito pays them no mind. Instead he carefully direct Hiro through the area until they can hear voices in the distance. This is when he finally decides to talk about the game they are going to watch.

“The game is an old past time for farming and other small villages like this. Anyone can play, and the rules are rather loose, but basically, without using your hands, you're trying to get a ball into a basket laid on it's side on the ground.” Coming out from between two houses the field comes into view, the spectators sitting in the grass around the area, cheering and occasionally swapping places with one of the players when they decide to take a break or they have to get back to work. Akito slowly moves them into a front position and settles down in the grass, pulling Hiro down to sit between his knees as the space up front is limited and he doesn't want to seem rude. Focused now on watching the game, and those in the surrounding area, he doesn't even seem to notice how close he now is to the young prince.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The prince doesn’t respond to Akito’s answer about the homes. It just gives him something new to think about. He knew not everyone could own their own palace, but being so close to the houses he realized just how small they were. If they were as peaceful as Akito said they were then good for them.

Hiro laughed lightly and waved as the kids surrounding them were shooed away by Akito, only for them all to hover behind him. He glanced over his shoulder, making the kids freeze up- one closer to him than the kids. Hiro playfully stuck his tongue at the kids and then hurried behind his betrothed until they came into a clearer area. There’s nothing special about the field in front of them and yet there are several people sitting around and cheering the ones running back and forth. Hiro sat down with Akito, not minding the small space between the two. The prince began to analyze just what was going on. There were two groups trying to get the ball into opposite goals.

A few of the patrons watching the game had noticed Hiro, getting even more excited for the simple game when he began to cheer along as each team scored. “Hm, how do you know if they win? Does anyone keep count of the goals?” Sometime while he was cheering them on, he had leaned against Akito for support. When he asked a question, he looked up at Akito, however a person in earshot decided to answer cheerfully.

“The game is just for fun! There’s no winner or loser. If there was, it would take away from the whole purpose of playing!”

“Oh? What’s the purpose then?”

“To have fun and spend time with each other.”

Hiro slowly nodded, leaning against Akito again as he watched the game. ’Huh, so when they don’t work, they spend time playing games with each other. And he assumed they were all strangers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The game is rather fast paced, seemingly mainly populated by the young men and teens of the village at the moment, and despite the competitive nature of it all, still rather friendly. While initially not even thinking about it, when Hiro leans into him Akito can't help the faint flush that rises in his cheeks. After a few minutes however he manages to relax, resting his hands on his knees and turning his attention once more to the game. He smiles as his betrothed cheers and seems to be enjoying himself, and is about to answer when he asks about the game, but his smile widens a little bit further when a villager nearby decides to do so first.

'It's nice to see him around the people. I've seen some royals who would insist on some sort of special treatment in something like this, but instead he just accepts that he is here, with other people, and does things the way they do' Letting out a sigh he relaxes this time when Hiro settles against him, simply enjoying the peace of not having to think for a while. However, after a particularly bad fall that leaves a player to scoot to the sidelines, Akito decides to stop spectating. “Wait here for a bit will you?” he asks softly, gently pulling himself away from the prince and standing.

Pulling his blade, and sheath, from his waist, he hands it off to Hiro, laying it across his lap with a nervous smile. Letting out a little click he watches as Hoko slithers out from his clothing and settles down beneath his blade on Hiro's now crossed legs. With a nod he turns, loosening his top, then pulling it from his shoulders before taking to the field. Many are excited to see what this soldier with their prince can do, and in no time, the game takes off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The fall of one of the players made Hiro wince. It looked like it hurt. The player on the other hand managed to scoot to the sidelines in order for a break. He cheered along with the others as the player managed to hold his own. “Oh? Okay?” Hiro sat up, wondering where Akito was planning to go. When he was handed the sword, he let it rest in his lap smiling when he realized just what the soldier planned to do. “Oh yeah, I keep forgetting you’re around.” He gently scratched the top of Hoko’s head before focusing on the game.

He found it rather intriguing that Akito was accepted into the game as a regular person. Most of the time, soldiers and royals were treated with much more...well very differently. Here, no one seemed to mind the trained soldier taking part of the simple game. It made Hiro laugh softly. “Whoo! Go Akito!” He cheered even louder for the soldier, causing the others to get even more riled up about the game.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Akito's presence changes the tide and tone of the game as he races around the field, caught up in the “fun”. Spotting a skilled player on the field many of the older young men call for the younger players to tag out, and once the field is once more at the right number of players the play resumes. The play is intense, Akito occasionally having a hard time of it as the people who actually play on a regular basis trip him up with tricks and tactics, but with his command of the side he joined the game remains fairly balanced. His ears turn a little pink as he hears Hiro cheering for him, however he remains focused, not letting his shyness around the man get the better of him in the intense match.

His time on the field is barely twenty minutes, and after a particularly spectacular smash into the basket that sent it skidding across the ground a few feet – the sight of it sending a huge roaring cheer through the spectators – Akito feels that he's had quite enough “fun” and waves himself off the field to loud cheering. Kneeling beside the man he is to marry he nods, a bit covered in sweat, and motions towards the outside of the field. “I need to go clean up a bit. You are free to stay and watch if you like.” Reaching out he gently takes his sword, standing up and waiting to see what the prince wants to do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hiro cheered with the crowd when the round ended. A few people had hovered a little closer to him, but he didn’t mind- or notice it that much. Looking up at Akito he smiles planning to congratulate him, but looked over in the direction Akito pointed. With a slight wave of his hand Hiro shrugged. “It’s okay, I’ll stay here and keep watching. You can go get cleaned up.” The prince thought about following him, but watching them play was a lot more interesting. That and Akito looked fairly calm as it was, there was no need to get him all flustered, even if it was by accident.

As Akito walked off, he looked down at the furry creature still in his lap. “Oh, you forgot-” Well, he didn’t mind watching Hoko. It couldn’t have been so bad, and he was trained. As the soldier left, he found himself crowded by a few of the people. Compliments, questions, and statements of all kind riled around as the groups took a brief intermission for water. “I- uh..?”

One of the elders chuckled and whistled. “Give the poor boy some room! You can’t expect him to answer anything with you all crowding him like hungry animals.” They all laughed and scooted back, some apologizing. “I brought snacks for some of the kids, but I was wondering if you wanted any your highness?”

Hiro blinked and looked at the basket the woman held in her hand. She was awfully generous. “Oh, no. I couldn’t take your things. I’m okay. Really.” He decided not to mention that there was probably food in the palace he could have eaten too.

“Nonsense! It’s an offering. I don’t mind at all. Besides, if you wait too long it’ll be long gone.”

“Oh- well, okay. If you insist.” He decided to take one of the muffins in the basket. Compared to the other things in the basket, he didn’t eat muffins very often. “Oh, wow. This is really good!” The woman bowed and smiled then went to go let the others take their share.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

With a nod he walks off towards the outer edge of the crowd, pausing only briefly at the sudden rush of people around his intended. He manages to keep his hand from the handle of his blade, but he can still feel the need to go over and shoo the people away. 'It's not that I think they are going to hurt him, I simply worry whenever I lose sight of my target' He shakes his head, trying to remove that word from any association to the man he's suppose to marry, and in the end it isn't until he shoves his face in a barrel of water than he feels himself returning to normal. Using the water on his now soaked torso he scrubs himself a bit, turning to watch the prince as he interacts with the villagers. The elder seems to be keeping things in hand, but with all the noise Akito's unable to hear what exactly is going on between the royal and his people.

One of the girls from the crowd offers him a towel and for the first time he notices a few people actually shuffling around him, obviously wanting to talk to him. His flush returns slightly and he smiles at them, drying off with the proffered towel. The girl who handed it to him asks, her cheeks bright red, “A-are you the p-prince's betrothed?”

Trying not to match her shade of pink he nods, a wave of giggles following the action. One of the young men in the group claps his hands. “You are so lucky! He seems really nice!” Once again Akito does his best to leave some blood for the rest of his body as he nods.

“Yeah, I g-guess I a-am lucky. . .” he murmurs softly, earning more giggles and stares. Waving his hand to clear some of them away to make a path back to the prince. Some of the boys and girls squeal with delight, following him back like a clicking pack of fans who can't get enough of him. By the time he's back at Hiro's side they've dispersed a bit, and the game is back on. Without a word he takes up the position he had before behind the taller man and watches the game resume from over his shoulder. Reaching around he scratches Hoko's head, making the audrat yawn and squeak, settling his head on Hiro's knee so he can sleep. In a soft voice the soldier whispers, “Maybe we can come out here some time in some more. . . .Suitable clothing and you can try your hand at the game. . . .”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

It didn’t take too long for Akito to return, and when he did it appeared as though he had fans as well. When the soldier was close enough, Hiro smiled. “A fan favorite now?” He got comfortable in front of him again, watching as the people began to form new teams. They made sure everyone had a turn to play. Hearing the remark from Akito made Hiro laugh. “Yeah, I don’t think I’ll be any good at this kind of game. It’s fun to watch though.” He decided to save himself from the potential embarrassment. He already attracted way too much attention as it was. There was no need to make his presence even more noticeable. That and he was never that physical in the first place. . .

“Oh!” He reached up, holding the remaining half of his muffin up. “Try it. The woman. . .ah, over there. She made them. They taste really good.” He turned to the side in order to properly hand it to him, although he had gotten a much better idea. Instead of handing it to him, he raised it to Akito’s lips and smiled as innocently as Hiro could get. “Here, taste it?” Sure he was probably drawing attention to the two, but most of them were focused on the game still.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Still bright red from the line about being a 'fan favorite' Akito barely manages a little shake of his head when the prince claims he'll never be any good at the game. “It's easy to learn, and different people are at different levels. You don't have to be good to play, you just have to have fun. . .' He speaks softly, trying to not draw too much attention, however moments later Hiro seems to go out of his way to do exactly that. He'd been ready to take the muffin – it did smell good after all – but before he has time to shift so he can grab it Hiro is holding it on front of his mouth, obviously trying to feed it to him like a cute couple sharing a slice of pie in public.

Turning pure scarlet he listens to those around them whispering and giggling, a few of the older men and woman laughing fondly at the “cute couple” as they watch the obviously mostly one-sided display of affection. Biting his lip for a moment Akito looks at the muffin like it wants to burn his face off before murmuring, “Thanks” and taking a small bite. The action sends a ripple of giggles and squealing through the crowd directly around them and before he can object Akito wraps his arms around Hiro in such a way that he's facing forward once more, and the soldier is able to hide his face against his back. He really, really wants to run and hide from all this, but with the prince as his ward at the moment, he simply can not leave the man alone. His embarrassment only doubles as he realizes that he's using the prince as a human shield for his shame, and that not only is this making everyone giggle harder – drawing more attention – but also that Hiro may not appreciate the gesture.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just as he expected, Akito turned various shades darker. He still took a bite of the muffin, which Hiro was surprised he wasn’t too embarrassed to do. What he hadn’t expected was to be turned around so suddenly and used as a shield. The prince blinked and ate the rest of the muffin. “You know,” He paused to finish the food in his mouth. “we’re going to have to work on your shyness.” He didn’t sound upset, and he wasn’t. It was just a bit odd to see a- no the top shoulder so ‘defeated’ against the stares of regular people.

Wiggling out of his grasp, Hiro faces his betrothed. With a calm expression on his face, he doesn’t hesitate to cup the soldier’s face to look him in the eyes. “Relaaaax. You were doing so well earlier.” He smiled reassuringly. “The worst you can get here is probably a jealous gaze from the people. Nothing more. Besides, by the sounds of it, they think we’re cute.” The position they were in didn’t help that very much either. With a slight tilt of his head, he spoke again. “Do you want to go? You know, where there’s less staring and giggling?”

~~~~~~~~~~~

Letting out a pathetic whine he squeezes the man a little tighter but nods. He knows he needs to work on his shyness, but for now he's content with hiding. Unfortunately, his betrothed has other ideas. His hands fall to his knees as Hiro pulls away where they grip the fabric covered appendages so tight the knuckles turn white. His panic only rises at the young man holds his face in a way that he's unaccustomed to, and which is normally reserved for people who are really close from what he's observed. He tries not to let it show, but it's clear from some of the odd looks he's receiving that he's doing a poor job of it. The pity in some of their eyes for his plight seems to be tinged with real worry and he can't help but notice these looks as his eyes wander everywhere to avoid looking at Hiro directly.

He wants desperately to explain that it doesn't matter what they are thinking, it's just the fact that there are eyes on him that he finds troublesome. He spent most of his life alone, only with others besides his fellow soldiers when ordered to, and then he always had his father with him who'd always got more of the attention. And while it's true, most here are looking at the prince and not the extremely awkward soldier, there are enough of them gazing at him with pitying eyes that he feels ready to pop under all the scrutiny. It isn't until Hiro suggests that they can leave that sense returns to him and he realizes he's being rather selfish. 'I did all this for him after all, and here I am ruining the experience for him. I can put up with some eyes. He spends so much time cooped up, I. . . .I can't just take that away. . . .'

Taking a deep breath he gently removes the prince's hands from his face and gives him a strained smile. “What I really want is for you to enjoy your time away from the palace.” Looking back at the game he sees a fairly good player running the ball down the field and he manages to smile a little more honestly. Looking back at Hiro he does his best to speak softly and clearly. “Just, give me time to adjust, and stop drawing so much attention, and. . . .And I'll be fine. If you want to go, we will, if not, please just sit back down and let me calm myself down and enjoy the game with you?”

~~~~~~~~~~

Hiro’s hands went back into his lap and instead of responding, the prince simply nodded. His interest in the game hadn’t dulled quite yet so he turned back around to watch. ’What an odd soldier. . .’ He was once again invested into the sport, letting Akito do whatever it was that calmed him.

A full round had gone past before Hiro stretched. “Alright, we should go and find something else around here.” There was also the option of going home, but he decided to let Akito pick when that would be. Instead of waiting for Akito to find out about other things going on, as Hiro assumed he would, he started going back the way they came. They’d probably be able to find a lot more if they explored the village. Few littered the streets, many doing double takes when they realized just who was wandering the village like a tourist.

“I don’t see why I can’t come down here. Everything seems so quiet and peaceful.” The people didn’t have any qualms. He witnessed them helping each other with chores and tasks. It was a minor thing all good people should have had, but it was rare to see the chivalry around the palace. Then again, with how large the palace was, it was becoming rare if he saw his parents around other than during meal times.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Able to relax a little bit when the prince nods Akito shifts a little, letting Hiro settle against him once more, Hoko crawling back into the younger male's lap and letting out a contented yawn. He doesn't know what the humans are up to, but as long as his comfy bed is back in place, he's happy. For his part Akito does his best to focus on the game, the whispers and stares quieting down as the players charge up and down the field and eventually the soldier is able to relax to his normal state of awareness and actually enjoy what he's watching. He doesn't blame the prince, the silly man seemingly trying to help. 'He just fails miserably' Chiding himself he shakes his head, cheering softly as a particularly tricky shot pays off.

Then, just like that, the prince is ready to leave. Akito blushes lightly as the action of stretching causes the younger male to press against him firmly, but it's very light and fades quickly as he follows the youth to his feet. With a nod he tries to think of something else to amuse the man, but without waiting Hiro seems to already have something in mind. As he begins to wander, Akito watches his back and wonders just how much Hiro doesn't know about his people. 'I mean, he does not seem a fool, but out here with him like this, seeing him looking around like all of this is new and different and confusing, it makes me wonder what they teach the royal children growing up. I know they are suppose to learn how to rule, but does that mean they know nothing of common life?'

Following after the man he has to raise an eyebrow at the prince's next statement, once again wondering if he's being serious. And, just as before, he decides to answer calmly and seriously. “Their war has been going on since I was about three, meaning that this country has been at war most if not all of your life. It's understandable that his highness didn't want you too far out of sight at any given moment lest you find yourself at the wrong end of a enemy spear.” Looking around he spots people whispering and smiling at them as they move along and, unlike the claustrophobic feeling of the scrutiny in the crown around the game field, this feels far more manageable.

Slipping a little closer to the prince – all this talk about enemies wanting the royal family dead making him tense a little – he looks around, trying to find something of interest for the youth. Eventually he spots the market, the only place in town with foreigners, and he points it out to his betrothed. “That's likely to be the only other busy place in town, if you'd like to check it out. . . .” He lowers his voice slightly, “However I will ask that you stick close to me as this is the only place in town we are likely to come across people from other lands. . . .It's the least safe place in town. . .”

~~~~~~~~~~~

Surely there hadn’t been a war going on now? His father told so many stories of the victories they earned. He couldn’t have missed it in the many lectures he was given. His father was always repeating himself when he knew the prince wasn’t listening. ’What are they even fighting for?’ Maybe he should have asked his father about it. That would have probably earned him some sort of reward- for simply acknowledging it. Hiro shook his head, dispelling the thoughts.

His gaze goes back to the town and all the people walking about. Hiro hadn’t been told a lot about the people. They worked. They lived day to day lives. And they supported the king. None of it was a lie, but it it still never told him much. It made Hiro start to wonder why so much was demanded from him and yet he was told so little. Sure, he was schooled in royal affairs, but never of the people he would rule or even many of the foreign trades he would have to know. Although, the latter was probably to come later- and maybe for Akito to learn. Who knew. With the tradition still being upheld, when they married, Akito would technically be the next ruling king. Hiro would be one as well, but. . .Well, he wasn’t sure how power played in that situation. HIro simply shrugged it off.

“Oh, sure.” Fortunately Akito had warned him beforehand to keep close because the prince would have walked ahead. He slipped his hands behind his back, glancing to his side to see Akito close by as he had mentioned. The marketplace was definitely busy. Everyone running a stall yelled out to buy something of theirs, and if they weren’t selling they were buying goods or trying to haggle the prices down. “Oh, what a nice design.” Those familiar colorful blankets were hanging from a stall now, waiting to be bought. It was too bad he didn’t take money with him. He could have bought the random fabrics and sculptures, simply because he liked them. He doubted any of his seamstresses could make something similar to it, not that he expected them too.

“I don’t see any reason for it not to be safe. In order to gain trust shouldn’t we trust others? Besides, I don’t have any valuables on me. Nothing for anyone to take.” He shrugged and continued towards the market with his fingers linked behind his back.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The prince slows a little, clearly ready to move off into the crowd ahead of his betrothed in his excitement over being somewhere new, but heeding Akito's advice none the less. The soldier stays close letting his eyes scan the crowd along with slipping over his intended every now and again to make sure he's doing fine. As normal when he's walking through crowds his thumbs are over the top of his obi so that his hands are always near his blade and at the ready. He's heard nothing of there being any immediate dangers in the area, not that anyone would trouble him with such things after it was announced that he would be marrying the prince, but his nature will not allow him to relax and just enjoy himself. Especially in this press of people, all being noise, all going about doing this or that, all supposedly off in their own little worlds but still being a “community”.

His head comes back around and his eyes land on Hiro as he speaks, his trained ears easily picking up the man's words despite all the noise around them. He really wishes he could tell if the man really is this naïve. “Show trust to the wrong person, you wind up dead.” He says softly, moving a little closer to the prince so he can hear. “Also, your eyes are not trained to see danger. I doubt you or your mother would recognize danger in a crowd like this. It's not your job, nor have you need trained for it. Spotting danger I mean.” Looking about again he continues. “I see no danger here, but I must always keep my eyes open. It's just. . . .How I am, and how I've lived.”

Looking down at his hands for a moment he adds softly, “There is an old saying. Greet each person with a smile and the hand of friendship, but always keep your blade sharp.” Looking back at Hiro he nods slowly. “I think that trust is gained through trusting, but there is nothing wrong with learning to recognize when someone deserves your trust, and when trusting someone will get your head removed from your shoulders.”

~~~~~~~~~

Hiro’s gaze went to Akito for a brief moment. Having to watch for danger at every turn sounded like a terrible life. “Have you ever relaxed before? Like, ever? You seem pretty high strung.” His hands went into his sleeves and he nodded. “I suppose that would be rational. Trust others, but at your own cost. I’ve never had to worry about things like that. Obviously. It sounds- well tiresome.”

He paused at a jewelry stand, admiring the different necklaces and bracelets that decorated the table. A lot of them looked hand made which got Hiro’s attention. “Pardon me, but how’d you make those necklaces? I’ve only seen. . .Well never mind that.”

The people at the stand looked surprised that the prince was at their booth and more surprised that he paused to talk to them. One brave person began to speak. gesturing toward each piece of jewelry. “Well your h-highness, these are made from various beads. This one, I found several shells by the ocean when I went.” He smiled sheepishly and watched as the prince gazed over them.

“How nice. I really like them.” He nodded and looked over at Akito. “Don’t you think?”

~~~~~~~~~

A faint sting pangs his chest at the prince's tone when he asks if he's ever relaxed before. He may go on to talk about his views being rational, but the initial hurt of the prince thinking his vigilance is a bad thing sticks with him as they move along. 'It is just how I am. It is how I grew up. . . .Nothing “tiresome” about it, just. . .Is he really that against everything that makes me, me?' With a sight he comes to a stop behind his betrothed as he begins checking out one of the stall, his gaze drifting through the crowd idly as he pays half attention to the conversation going on between the stall owner and Hiro.

When the prince asks him his opinion on the jewelry pieces in display Akito takes a break from watching the crowd and instead looks over the shiny objects. He gives them a critical look, his focus still a bit distracted by the press of people, but he manages a smile after a few moments and a nod. “Very pretty, and done with obvious care.” Smiling at the stall owners, who flushes lightly at the glance, confusing the poor man, he goes back to watching the crowd, staying close to Hiro.

~~~~~~~~~

The prince nodded in agreement before standing straight again.He waved to the merchant before once again journeying through market with Akito. He seemed kind of distracted, but he did say that he was always being vigilant. It made Hiro wonder if there was ever any danger around when he was a kid. Maybe that’s why he couldn’t venture out to the village. “It seems...exciting.” He tried to find a good word for it. “Everything is much more fast paced than at home.” He wondered if these people had fallen into routines of their own as well. He wondered what the people thought of their own lives as the two traversed through the somewhat crowded area.

Seeing so many of the things being sold, Hiro contemplated actually buying some of the things the next time he was able to go to town. It wasn’t like he needed any of the things, he just wanted it. “I don’t think I’ve ever made anything by hand.” ’Unless magic counts.’

Their walk was surprisingly time consuming and soon even Hiro realized it was probably best to head home now. “We should probably head back. Before people start to worry.”

In short order the prince is on the move again and the soldier follows along closely. A part of him wonders if he should attempt to relax a bit, for Hiro's sake, but even as the idea comes to him he dismisses it without hesitation. 'I am already doing so many things to try and change and grow right now, adding yet another at this moment, in this situation, I do not think I can handle it. . .' Hiro speaks up as they walk and Akito nods slowly. “Yes. The press of people to people who spend most of their time alone gets one's blood pumping. In fact, anything new and different gets the body revved up, so it is prepared to respond should anything threaten the person's life. . .” He's quite sure Hiro didn't want to know that, but now that it's out he simply continues on silently, wanting his betrothed to enjoy his time out rather than dwell on what he would see as depressing facts.

At the comment about never making anything by hand Akito wonders if he's never tried to draw or paint, but then his mind lands on Hiro's magic. “I think the magics you have leaned count. Like any artistic skill, it takes time and practice, and while the results do not stick around, the mere act of it is impressive.” He smiles warmly at Akito, pointing out a stall with little charms that jingle when the wind blows. After a little while however his intended points out that they should be heading home and after checking the sky Akito agrees that it is a good idea.

Escorting the prince back towards the town entrance he spots the palace horse, the pack of children around it, petting it, looking very cute. He's almost sad that they have to take the beast away, but as it is palace property, he can't very well leave it behind. Not to mention that would mean making Hiro walk back to the palace. He's quite sure the man's feet would be unable to take it. Shooing away the children gently he once more mounts the beast first, holding a hand out towards his betrothed. His soft smile seems almost relaxed. Having moved out of the direct press of people has released some of his tension, and despite the palace being a terrifying place, he prefers it to the multitude of dangers the town represents.

Hiro silently followed Akito back to the horse. He had wondered where the creature wandered off to, but didn’t worry too much about it. It was obvious it was a palace horse, and Akito wasn’t bothered about it so there was no reason to. Spotting the children around the horse made him laugh softly; a little more when Akito had to shoo them away. Once he was aided onto the horse, he looked around one final time. “This was nice.” He smiled and got comfortable where he was sitting, “Thank you Akito.” His thanks was followed by a small nod and soon enough they were off.

The prince was pretty silent for most of the trip, wondering when they’d be able to visit again along with how his parents would react when he returned. However, the latter wasn’t too interesting of a thought. The trip was fairly uneventful and it took a moment for Hiro to recognize the path they had taken. Coming into view of the entrance of the palace, guards were quickly at the ready to help Hiro (and Akito if he wanted it) off the horse and take it to the stables. He nodded towards the soldier guard that helped him and then bowed.

“Well Akito. Back home!” He slipped his hands behind his back and chuckled. “I suggest disappearing now before you’re roped into long conversations with my parents.” He gave a low whistle as he walked towards the doors. “Unless of course you’re into those long talks.” Thinking a little longer about it, he figured it would be impolite to just leave Akito alone. That, and if he did the soldier might have ran away again. “Come on.” Just before he made it to the palace steps, he turned right, following along another path. “We’ll go another way. Maybe through the gardens.” He began to walk backwards in order to face Akito. “You’ll be able to find your room this way as well. Also, closer to the room I showed you with the people playing board games.” He informed. “Hm. That’s not a bad idea actually.” He wasn’t the best at shogi, but he did know how to play. Maybe he could practice since he hadn’t done so in a while.

During the walk, he paused to look at a few new growing flowers that the gardeners added. In one particular section, a color scheme was beginning to become more noticeable. Hiro wondered if that was his mother’s doing for the wedding, but he didn’t question it. It was making her happy, so there was no need to complain. And even if he wanted to complain about the wedding, it would have been a futile effort.