Fantasy •⋅⊰∘ ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 ∘⊱⋅•

[seishin]

no one wearing a crown comes in the name of peace

 

[soulysucker]

Hatori Sato

Words were another sword for the man who wielded them well

Hatori despised every moment of this ordeal. The way the confining outfit clung to his body made him cringe. So what if he had rescued the princess? It didn't give these people the right to hold him captive at this ridiculous ball. All he desired was to retreat to his chamber, where he could slumber away the day undisturbed. Before, they never paid him any attention, but now, suddenly, he was hailed as a hero. If they were aware of the truth behind his heroic act, they would have executed him without hesitation. Hatori let out a weary sigh, his fingers combing through his raven-black hair. He shouldn't allow such thoughts to consume him. All he yearned for was an escape. He had no desire to encounter *him*, not today, not ever. Deep down, Hatori knew that he would inevitably cross paths with Martyn, his prince, but he couldn't bear the thought of it. When had they last laid eyes on each other? It felt like aeons ago, back when they were mere children. Hatori doubted that Martyn would even recognize him now, for he had undergone a profound transformation. No longer the innocent child of yesteryear, Hatori had grown into a towering young man, surpassing even Martyn in height. As he strolled through the magnificent ballroom, a soft hum escaped his lips, resonating in the opulent space adorned with gold accents and plush red carpets that graced the marble floor.

He shivered, a chilling sensation creeping up his spine without any apparent reason. The atmosphere in the ballroom seemed to stifle him, suffocating him in an oppressive heat. The temptation to strip off his clothes in a desperate attempt to cool down tugged at him, but the consequences were too dire to risk. If only he had known who occupied that carriage that fateful day, he wouldn't have dared to stop the attack. He thought it was Wyn yet; it had to be the other princess, the one he despised with every fiber of his being. A thought flickered in his mind - could he slip away unnoticed? Surely, no one would notice his absence."Hatori," called out the young man's name, and he swiveled around to face his sergeant. The older man sported a sinister smile, inching closer to Hatori and placing a weighty hand on his shoulder. "How are you, son? Quite the shift, isn't it? I reckon you're not accustomed to these lavish affairs." Hatori's eyes rolled at the man's grin. "I'm fine, and this is all fine. These parties are simply tedious. Balls were never my cup of tea." The elder man guffawed uproariously, slapping Hatori on the back with a hearty thud. "Cut it out, will ya? You're a hero now. A peculiar one, no doubt, but a hero all the same”

That caused Hatori to emit a low hiss, a subtle sign of his inner turmoil. He was both a hero and a monster, an unsettling duality that nobody at the party could comprehend. If they knew the truth, they wouldn't be celebrating; they would be trembling in fear. Only those present on that fateful day understood the darkness that consumed him. Did Martyn know? No, there was no reason to burden him with such knowledge. Hatori couldn't bear the thought of Martyn seeing him as the monster he believed himself to be, stripped of any semblance of humanity. It was as if the incident had branded him as an abomination in the eyes of everyone. With a heavy sigh, Hatori's companion, who stood close by, emitted a soft hum. "Do not dwell on it, my child. You are who you are, and it changes nothing. Now, go forth and seize the day. This ball was orchestrated for your pleasure. Find someone to share your bed with." He laughed, giving the man a push.

Hatori once again rolled his eyes, disdain evident in his expression as he shook his head at the older man. Tonight, he had no intention of taking anyone to his bed, especially not a woman. With a dismissive sigh, Hatori began to walk, acknowledging the greetings of the people he passed with a curt nod. In this moment, an inexplicable sense of loneliness engulfed him. He couldn't fathom why. Suddenly, a voice broke through his thoughts. "Hello." Hatori turned around, his gaze falling upon a stunning woman. Her golden hair was elegantly tied in a bun, her cheeks adorned with a gentle blush, and her green dress gracefully enveloped her figure. Any other man would have been captivated by her beauty, but Hatori was no ordinary man. "What?" he replied, his tone dripping with dryness and cutting sharpness. The woman blinked, her confusion evident as she tried to comprehend the man's sharp reply. "I apologies if I have bothered you. I was wondering if you would like to share a dance," she timidly asked. Hatori's eyebrow raised at the unexpected request. It was a rare occurrence for a woman to take the initiative, especially in matters of dance. Yet, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of sympathy for this woman. Of all the people present, she had chosen him to approach. It wasn't her fault, really. Hatori knew he was the center of attention at the ball, aware of his own appearance. However, his disinterest in women remained steadfast, and he couldn't bear to give this woman false hope with a simple dance.

"No, I have no interest in sharing a dance," he replied, his voice devoid of any warmth, yet lacking the cutting edge it once had. He inhaled deeply, attempting to quell the simmering anger within him. "Pardon me now. I shall proceed to greet others." With that, he pivoted on his heels, leaving the bewildered woman behind. Hatori skillfully maneuvered through the crowd, seeking solace on the balcony. A place of refuge, far removed from prying eyes.

code by valen t.

 

[seishin]

Martyn Chauvenac

I want so badly to protect you from this world
because I know all too well how bad it can be

Of all the people for the palace to be hosting a ball for, Martyn never would have guessed that it would be Hatori. Martyn’s father, King Bedwyr, had been very insistent with assigning Hatori to one of the strongholds along the border of Avalri with the specific reason that Martyn’s friendship with him was ‘inappropriate’ given the difference in their ranks. Although the young prince had protested this treatment, especially since Hatori was an excellent knight that Martyn would have had a lot of uses for in his current position, Bedwyr hadn’t wanted to hear any argument, shutting it down before it could even happen. So, as much as he hadn’t wanted to, Martyn had been forced to bid farewell to his friend six years ago and do nothing but watch as Hatori left for the border. After that, he hadn’t ever expected to see Hatori here in the capital city, let alone the palace itself, ever again. And yet, now there was a ball being held in his name to celebrate his deeds.

Deeds that Martyn wouldn’t have ever guessed he would hear of from Hatori. It had taken him all day yesterday to actually piece together what had happened when Hatori arrived in Eslevrane, what with all the rumors flying around. Yesterday, his elder sister, Gwenyth, had arrived back from her trip up north to the kingdom of Khayesa, where she had been visiting with the prince she was currently engaged to. When she returned, she was several guards lighter than when she had left, the remaining ones quite frazzled and nervous, and Hatori among them. After some digging, Martyn had found out that Gwenyth’s convoy had been attacked on the border of Avalri and Steomaria. Stupidly, on the part of the attackers, very close to Avalri’s border stronghold. Obviously, the men in the stronghold had gone to assist, one of whom had been Hatori. That was where things had become muddy for Martyn. He kept hearing whispers among the knights about Hatori being a monster, whispering of a dark magic he had used. At first, Martyn had written off those rumors. He’d grown up with Hatori, trained with him every day for years. If he had magic, Martyn would have known. But the more he looked into it, the more true the rumors were beginning to seem. Until he finally got to read the official report about the incident and saw that it was true. Hatori had saved Gwenyth by unleashing some sort of terrifying magic. But when did he become a mage?

That was definitely a question that Martyn wanted to ask Hatori, but first and foremost…he wanted to see his friend. It had been six years since he had last seen Hatori, and Martyn had missed him all the while. He had never had a chance to go up to the strongholds up north; Avalri had fairly good relations with both Steomaria and Khayesa, so he was able to manage the information about the kingdoms without having to go up there himself. He’d always found himself busy with other things that wouldn’t allow him to take the necessary time off that would allow him to visit Hatori. Martyn had hoped that one day they would be able to see each other again, but he hadn’t really allowed himself to expect it. So, now that Hatori was here in Eslevrane, he wasn’t going to miss this chance.

Which was why he was hiding in the corner of the ballroom now, trying to avoid the incessant pestering from other nobles while his eyes continuously scanned the crowds. A half-full glass of wine was clutched in Martyn’s hand, which he kept taking nervous sips out of. He couldn’t pin down why he felt so jittery about seeing Hatori again, but he was praying the wine would calm his nerves a little. Still, as the night wore on, he had yet to actually see the guest of honor except at the very beginning when he had been introduced. Before Martyn had a chance to slip away, he’d been cornered by several other nobles and dragged into conversations with them. By the time he escaped, he’d lost sight of Hatori, and had been hunting him down while dodging other nobles for most of the night.

“You know, I’m starting to think he’s avoiding me,” Martyn grumbled as he tipped back another sip of his wine, swirling it in his cup as he leaned against the wall.

Anwyn glanced up at her brother from where she stood behind him, half using him as a shield. She was also trying to avoid people; though for her, it was really just one person in particular she wanted to avoid engaging with: her own fiancé, Cadfael Dyerich. “I doubt that,” she reassured him. “He’s the guest of honor – of course, everyone wants to talk to him. He probably hasn’t had a minute to himself all night.”

“Yeah, but I can’t even find him,” Martyn sighed, going up on his toes as if that would make it easier for him to spot his target. “Come on, you saw what he looks like now. He’s grown an insane amount. I shouldn’t be struggling to find a man of his size.”

“It’s probably just bad luck,” Anwyn tried to soothe Martyn. “You might be going into rooms as he’s leaving them, or vice versa. We’ll find him eventually.”

“Eventually needs to come sooner.” Martyn brought his glass up to his lips again, about to down another gulp in despair when his eyes finally landed on the man he had been seeking all night. “Fucking finally,” he grinned in relief, knocking back another sip of the wine before he shoved the glass at Anwyn, who fumbled to catch it in time. He glanced down at her, hesitating for a moment, his gaze bouncing between her and Hatori, who it seemed was making a beeline for one of the balconies. “Are you sure you’ll be alright?” he asked softly, setting a hand on Anwyn’s shoulder. “You should come with me–”

“No, no, I’ll be fine,” she brushed aside his concern, squeezing Martyn’s hand before moving it off her shoulder. “The night’s mostly over anyway. I should be able to hide from Cadfael on my own for the rest of it. If I can’t, I won’t have to put up with him for too long. Go on, you deserve it.”

Martyn hesitated for a final moment more before he flashed Anwyn a grateful smile. “If he finds you, just come out to the balcony anyway.” He reached up, habitually about to ruffle her hair, but Anwyn slapped his hand away.

“Not after the maids spent so long fixing it!”

“Alright, alright, calm down,” he grinned, already starting to back away. Anwyn made a shooing motion at him, urging Martyn to hurry off. With a little two-fingered salute to his sister, Martyn spun on his heel and began weaving through the crowds as quickly as he could.

Once he entered the main floor from the corner he’d been hiding in, people were almost immediately trying to garner his attention, but Martyn politely brushed them all aside. He was struggling not to run through the crowds, trying his hardest to keep his step in check, but when he saw Hatori disappear onto the balcony, Martyn found himself half jogging the rest of the way across the floor. Only when he reached the balcony did Martyn slow down, pausing in the doorway for a moment to catch his breath, dragging a hand through his hair.

Straightening his coat, Martyn clasped his hands behind his back, striding forward to where he saw Hatori leaning against the railing. He crept up on Hatori’s side, leaning a bit to the side so he could look around Hatori’s body to meet his eyes. “You know, some people would consider it rude not to greet all the members of the royal family when they throw you a ball,” he drawled, but he wasn’t even trying to hide his teasing grin. “One might take offense to it and think they were being avoided.”

code by valen t.