Chapter Text
When Tomoyo had first told Kurogane that he had been requested as the personal guard of the King of Japan, he thought she was telling some kind of elaborate joke. In a way, he supposed she was. It was just that he was the punchline.
He gently pulled on his horse's reins, slowing her to a walk. Ahead of him at the end of the road, the great oak doors of Iris Castle loomed. His horse’s hooves clacked sharply on the worn cobblestones, echoing out into the brisk, early winter air. It had been a day’s easy ride to make it here from Suwa, and before that only a week since Tomoyo had broken the news to him.
“I don’t understand. You want me to leave you?”
Tomoyo had smiled in that knowing way she had. “No, Kurogane, not exactly. As I said, the King has requested you as his personal guard. As he lives in Iris Castle, it will require you, yes, to leave Suwa.”
“But I’m already the guard of you and Duchess Amaterasu! I mean, why me? I don’t even know him.”
“That is not for us to know. But he is the King of Japan, so we simply must obey.” She sweetly patted his arm. “Perhaps he has heard how you are one of the best knights in the kingdom, unflinching and unfailing in any fight. And how you are so wonderfully loyal.”
Kurogane rolled his eyes. Tomoyo always liked to tease him most when he was upset, but today he was too upset to tease back.
Tomoyo had looked up at him with a deep certainty in her eyes, a kind he had only seen once before. “What I mean to say, Kurogane, is that King Fai needs you. Will you go?”
“Is it really what you wish me to do?”
“Yes.”
“Then I will go.”
The shadow of the gates passed coolly over Kurogane’s face, pulling him from his memory. He dismounted his horse and led her forwards the last few steps.
Lady Tomoyo was the Priestess of the province of Suwa, and was gifted with the ability to occasionally see the future, as the best priestesses were. Kurogane had a suspicion she knew more about his new appointment then she told him, but he hadn’t been able to get any more out of her than, he asked for you, he needs you. He scoffed. He was under no humble delusions about his considerable skill as a knight, but even then, what could a king need from him he couldn’t have from someone else?
“Hello there! What is your business?” One of the two guards at the gate hailed him. He turned to her and held up his hand in an unthreatening greeting. He was wearing only a simple black tunic, a warm and worn traveling cloak, and sparse leather armor. Still, the guards could probably tell he was from Suwa by the crescent moons on his bracers, and could assume he was a knight from the sword that hung at his belt.
“I’m here to see the King. He is expecting me.” He paused, uncertain how much they needed to know. “I am to be his new guard.”
“Ah, Sir Kurogane. Priestess Sakura is waiting to greet you. May we take your horse to be stabled?”
Kurogane scratched his horse’s chin and kissed her cheek before handing her reins over. At a call from the guards, the gates to Iris Castle parted before him, and he stepped into the vast entrance courtyard. Across a stretch of neatly trimmed grass, bordered by endless blue-green blades of iris leaves, a wide set of stairs rose up to the front doors of the castle. The castle itself was made of great, roughly hewn grey and tan stones, and its many towering halls and turrets and wings stretched to the ends of Kurogane’s vision.
He took a deep breath and let it out again slowly. The grandeur of the palace was already making him a little annoyed, and, if he was being honest, a little homesick. The hall at Suwa was a touch more humble than all of this. He raised his eyes again to the castle stairs, and saw that two figures had appeared at the top. Even from this distance, he recognized Lady Sakura, partly because she was excitedly waving at him. The other figure he didn’t know; maybe that was the King of Japan. He was a bit small.
Kurogane began to cross the courtyard towards the castle. He had never met the king, but he had met Lady Sakura many times. She was good friends with Tomoyo and often visited Suwa to see her. Even so, Kurogane didn’t know her all that well, but he had always been secretly fond. She seemed genuinely warm and clever, and when she was in Suwa Tomoyo was always in high spirits.
Sakura would often talk of the king, so Kurogane knew a little of him that way. And he knew generally what the people around Suwa thought of him. To them, he was well liked and well respected. Kurogane could admit Japan had seen good years under him, and before him under his mother, The Queen. He was considered a particularly good diplomat; Kurogane had never heard talk of prowess with any weapons, only of an eloquence with words. He was also something of an enigma, almost a force of nature in the eyes of the people. Regal. Graceful. As beautiful as the gods. Untouchable. Hair made of gold, eyes made of precious stones. Once he had heard a somewhat drunk man in a tavern going on about how he’d met him and he was, in fact, a blue eyed witch. He’d never quite figured out what that man was on about.
To hear Lady Sakura talk of him, he was none of these things. Instead he was a downy-feathered mother hen who baked sweet treats for her to bring to Tomoyo.
Kurogane figured it all came out in the wash, and that he would just have to decide for himself what King Fai was like. Personally, at least a witch would be interesting. He was rather dreading the king would be just like the other nobles he had met. Stuffy and stuck up.
Before Kurogane had even reached the top of the castle steps, hands were pulling him up into a gentle but enthusiastic hug.
“Sir Kurogane, I’m so glad you made it!” Lady Sakura pulled back and bowed deeply to Kurogane, who took the moment to try to regain his composure. She swooped back up, her light brown hair swishing around her face, and lifted her arms to the palace behind her. “Welcome to Iris Castle! May you love it here as much as we do!”
“Th- thank you, Lady Sakura. It is good to see you again. Tomoyo sends her warm regards.”
Lady Sakura beamed, her green eyes sparkling. “Thank you for the message. And may I introduce my companion, Syaoran.”
Ah, so not the king, although his name sounded familiar. Kurogane turned and nodded to the young man beside Sakura. Up close, he was clearly not a royal, or at least, he wasn’t dressed as one. Instead he wore a simple but well made ochre gold tunic, his only accessory a pair of reading glasses tucked into his belt.
The man bowed deeply. “Welcome, Sir Kurogane. I hope your journey here was pleasant. I’m happy to finally meet you.”
Kurogane raised a questioning eyebrow, and Syaoran smiled a bit shyly. “I’ve heard many things about you from Lady Tomoyo.”
“Oh, do you know her?” That must be why he recognized Syaoran’s name.
“Only through Sak- Lady Sakura. I’m the Castle Librarian, by the way. If you ever need a book, or a history lesson about the castle, or anything really-“ Syaoran paused to breathe and chuckled embarrassedly. “Well, I’m usually easy to find.”
Sakura smiled appreciatively at Syaoran. “I thought you might want to get a head start on meeting people here. Just so you wouldn’t be too lonely as you’re settling in. And Syaoran is one of the very best people to know.” Kurogane watched Syaoran blush lightly at Sakura’s words. She clapped her hands together. “Well. Shall we go inside where it’s a bit warmer, and meet one of the other very best people to know?”
Kurogane inclined his head in agreement. He supposed there was no use in putting it off.
Sakura and Syaoran led the way through the halls of the castle. Kurogane followed behind silently, taking in the towering ceilings and intricate tapestries and ornate stonework. With each step, he felt something press deeper and deeper into his heart. He wasn’t nervous to meet the king of his country, but he was beginning to realize that it was perhaps going to be a moment that would irreparably change his life. He felt a little like a deer walking knowingly into a trap.
Sakura’s bright voice startled him. “This is the throne room. We should just have to wait a moment, Sir Kurogane.”
Ahead of them, a pair of gleaming red wood doors stood imposingly, ornately carved each with a blooming cherry tree surrounded at the base by irises. To either side of the doors, two castle guards stood at attention. As though at the bidding of their priestess, both turned and in perfect synchronization, pulled the doors open.
A cavalcade of people spilled out, their voices low but excited, all wearing wildly resplendent robes that sparkled in the light, like they were a school of river fish. Following behind them was a man that could only be the king. He wore an intricately embroidered sky blue tunic and pants, with a thick cloak draped over one shoulder, made of a fabric so deep blue it was almost purple. It made his golden hair, which curled softly down to his shoulders and was pinned back in loose twists from his face, seem almost to be made of sunlight. His face was beautiful, but not the hard, proud lines that Kurogane thought of when he thought of kings of old. Instead, he was more lovely, the curves of his cheeks soft.
The king smiled graciously, a slender hand placed perfectly over his heart, as the council in front of him turned and, as one, bowed deeply to him, reciting a litany of thanks. Finally they straightened and continued off down the hall, muttering amongst themselves.
When Kurogane turned back from watching them parade away, he found that the king was staring right at him, his face perfectly neutral. A shiver passed across Kurogane’s shoulders.
Their eye contact was broken as the king staggered slightly, Lady Sakura colliding into an embrace with him. He laughed and wrapped his arms around her. “Hi, Lady Sakura.”
“Hi, King Fai.” She beamed up at him. “There’s someone here I want you to meet.” She turned and gestured to Kurogane to come closer. With Syaoran following politely a step behind him, Kurogane walked forwards until he stood right in front of the King of Japan.
This close, Kurogane could see that the king’s eyes were the blue of the sky in a mountain stream, and had a depth to them that was almost alarming to see on a man the same age as himself. Kurogane finally understood what that drunk man in the bar had been talking about.
“This is Sir Kurogane of Suwa. Your new guard.”
“Sir Kurogane. An honor to meet you.” King Fai inclined his head.
“Your majesty.” Kurogane inclined his head in turn. The king raised an eyebrow, and Lady Sakura laughed as though charmed.
“He, uh, was raised closely with the Duchess and the Priestess of Suwa,” she pointed out, a little apologetically. Kurogane felt like it was rather unfair to blame his lack of reverence on them; he deserved most of the credit. Besides, he felt like that had been pretty polite.
“Yes, I’ve heard,” the king said, turning a dazzling smile on Kurogane. “I have been told much about you by Lady Sakura. Lady Tomoyo speaks very highly of you. You have my thanks for keeping her safe all these years. She is an excellent priestess, and more than that, she is very dear to Lady Sakura.”
“I’ve been happy to do so, your majesty.”
“King Fai, did you want to eat supper with your guests?” Sakura gestured down the hall in the direction that the school of minnows had swam off in.
“Oh no, they already got what they wanted from me. I’m sure they’re happy to eat together without me there to ruin the fun.”
“Then let's eat together! Us and Syaoran, and Sir Kurogane.” The king stared down at her with a suddenly fierce expression on his face. For a moment, Kurogane was reminded of when two of the street cats in Suwa would each want to walk the same path in opposite directions. He had once seen a standoff last a full hour.
Lady Sakura put her hand on the king’s wrist and gently tugged. “Come on, Sir Kurogane has been traveling all day.”
The king looked up at Kurogane. Before he could say anything, Kurogane’s stomach audibly growled.
Kurogane grinned. “Supper sounds great to me, Lady Sakura. Thank you.”
***
It was indeed great, at least the food. They ate in a small dining room that Kurogane gathered was private, specifically for the king. The table could have sat a few more people, but it wasn’t fit for a banquet or anything. Sakura and Syaoran talked easily with each other, and Fai smiled along. Kurogane watched them curiously. He wondered how many people had sat at this table with just these three, and how many more hadn’t.
He would have had a surprisingly nice time, except for a nagging feeling that was beginning to build in his gut. He had never been one for strangers, but that wasn’t fully it. Besides, Lady Sakura wasn’t a stranger, and at the very least she trusted the present company. Kurogane even caught himself smiling a few times at the rather endearing amount of enthusiasm the librarian boy had for anything in a book, or in the ground, or in the past. But something wasn’t adding up. Now that the initial introductions were over, the king had hardly spoken to him, and only curtly. Whenever he did speak to him, he smiled with a brightness that Kurogane was beginning to suspect was intentionally blinding.
If he didn’t know better, he would think King Fai didn’t want him here.
At the end of dinner, everyone stood and readied to leave, which made Kurogane realize he had no idea what to do now. He opened his mouth to ask, when King Fai spoke instead.
“I’m sorry I forgot to inquire earlier, Sir Kurogane. Have your belongings been taken care of?”
Kurogane held out his arms. “The best I can.”
Fai’s eyes widened slightly. “You didn’t bring any of your belongings? Clothes even?
“All my clothes mark me as a knight of Suwa, your highness. And I’ve always lived simply, anyway. I was never one for opulence.” Kurogane could admit he was maybe aiming to get a rise out of the king, but instead he was silent for a long moment. Something hard to read passed over his face. Not quite pity… Understanding? Guilt?
“Ah. Well, I’ll have Dame Chu’nyan see that you are provided with new armor. She’s our Commander of Knights, and leads all of the guards of the castle. And if you want anything else,” the king bowed his head, “just let me know.”
“Or me, Sir Kurogane. In fact, I’ll bring you some new tunics and cloaks later this evening.”
Kurogane tore his eyes away from the king and smiled at Sakura. “Thank you, Lady Sakura, although there’s really no rush.” She waved her hand at him, clearly intending to rush.
“And thank you, your majesty.”
“Of course.” King Fai beamed at him, his smile as bright as could be. “Sir Kurogane, if you don’t mind, I can show you to your room now. It’s getting late and I’m sure you’d like to rest.”
“Oh. That’d be nice, thanks.”
“Good.” He turned to Lady Sakura and Syaoran. For a brief moment his face shifted into something truly soft. “Good night, you two. May you sleep well.”
Sakura stood on her tiptoes and kissed the king on his cheek, her hand on his arm. She gazed at him fondly. “You too.”
Syaoran bowed. “Thank you for dinner. Goodnight, King Fai. Goodnight, Sir Kurogane.”
The two of them left together, Syaoran’s arm around Sakura’s shoulders.
“This way, Sir Kurogane.”
The king led Kurogane just to the opposite end of the hall they were on, stopping in front of a simple wooden door. Kurogane must have looked surprised. King Fai waved his hand down the way they’d come. “My chambers and dining room are on this hall, so this is where you are designated to stay, instead of the quarters of the other guards.”
He procured a small key, unlocked the door, and stepped in, just over the threshold. Kurogane moved past him into the room. The room was, at least to Kurogane’s eyes, quite nice, with two wide windows and a warm looking bed. There were already candles lit on the wall and a young fire crackling in the hearth. Kurogane was glad for its warmth, as untended castle rooms could often become bone cold on winter evenings like this.
“Here, this is for you.”
Kurogane turned back to King Fai, who held the room key out to him. He reached out and took it, his fingertip brushing against his palm. His hand was very soft. Kurogane was sure his own hand was not, after years of wielding a blade. He gripped the key tightly.
“Listen, Sir Kurogane. In the morning, I want you to go meet with Dame Chu’nyan. She can show you around the castle and introduce you to all the other guards.” He fixed his bright blue eyes on Kurogane. “And she can inform you of their schedules, so you know what your days will be like while you stay here.”
Kurogane’s heartbeat picked up the way it always did when he felt a fight coming. He took a breath.
“Am I not just supposed to follow your schedule, your majesty?”
“No, that won’t be necessary. You can join the others and I’ll summon you if I need you.”
Kurogane gritted his teeth. “I don’t think that’s how this works. That’s not how it works at my home. I need to be near you to keep you safe.”
“Sir Kurogane.“ There was no roughness to the way the king said his name, but he clearly was trying to end the fight before it began.
That wasn’t exactly Kurogane’s style. “Look, I didn’t leave the people I care about behind to come be just another guard in your massive, fancy castle, okay?”
“Sir Kurogane-“
“I came here because you commanded it, and you are the king-“
“Sir Kurogane! I did not command it!”
Kurgane’s mouth snapped shut. “What?”
“I didn’t command anything. I didn’t request you.” The king closed his eyes, seeming unnerved by his own admittance. “I…wanted to have no more personal guard at all.”
Kurogane noted the use of “no more” but let it lie for the moment in order to ask the more pressing question. “Then why am I here?”
The king opened his eyes. “Sakura wished it. And when she truly wishes for something, I will have it be so.”
Kurogane blinked. Finally everyone’s behavior was falling into place. Lady Sakura had wanted him here but the King had not. And yet, here he was. He grinned a little. “Honestly, that’s the first thing you’ve said that’s made any kind of sense.”
The king let out a genuine laugh, and then covered his mouth with his hand, as though surprised again at his own reaction. “Is that right? Hmm, I see why Lady Tomoyo likes you.”
“She likes me cause I do my job well.” Kurogane knew he meant more than that to Tomoyo, but he had a point to make. He took half a step towards the king. “Listen, your majesty. If I may be so bold-“
“It would seem you very much may.”
“Well. Seems like if shuffling me off to the other guards isn’t gonna work for me, then it probably isn’t gonna work for her.”
“No. You’re right. It won’t.” The king sighed, his shoulders falling. For a moment, he looked like a tired man instead of a king. A beautiful tired man in a cape that brought out his eyes. But also one that knew he’d lost an argument, and the same argument with two different people at that. Kurogane inexplicably wanted to comfort him in some way, but he couldn’t begin to fathom how.
“Listen, I don’t know what’s going on that you don’t want someone to guard you, and I suppose it’s none of my business really. For the record, I didn’t want to come either.”
“I’ve gathered that, yes.”
“But, I’m here now, and I can’t think of much I’d hate more than being brought here and then shuffled off to the side. Plus, I’ve just got this nice room.” He gestured around with the key which he still held in his hand. “Also, have I mentioned I’m good at my job? I promise I will keep you safe.”
“I know. I know you’ll keep me safe.” King Fai regarded him for a long, quiet moment. The fire shifted in the hearth, a log settling lower in a flush of embers.
“Alright, Sir Kurogane. Perhaps there is a way all parties involved can, if not be perfectly happy, at least get part of what they want. You shall act as my personal guard, but only at public events. This includes meeting with citizens regarding local affairs, diplomatic discussions, banquets, and so on. When people from outside the castle are present, that is when the threat is greatest, so then you may be at my side. The rest of your time you are free to do as you wish.”
It was a frustrating proposal, and somewhat baffling, although no more than the rest of his interactions with the king had been. It certainly felt oddly personal. But it was a foothold, and he had a feeling it was the best one he was going to get, for now at least.
“Okay, that’s good enough for me. I accept.”
The king solemnly nodded as though they had just passed a law together. It almost made Kurogane laugh. This morning he never would have guessed that he would end the day alone in a room with a king, arguing about what he could get away with and what would make his priestess upset. That being said, it was comfortingly familiar.
The King began to turn to leave his room, but paused for a moment on the threshold. He turned back, but didn’t quite meet Kurogane’s eyes. “Sir Kurogane. I want you to know. If all else were equal, I would have you return to your home, where you would be happy. But for now, I hope you find a way to feel at home here.”
And then he was gone, the door left open behind him.
Kurogane stood slightly stunned for a moment in the center of his new room. After a beat he collected himself, and began to remove his cloak. He was now certain of only two things. One, Tomoyo definitely had something to do with all this. And two, he had just argued himself more solidly into a position he hadn’t even wanted to have in the first place.