Chapter Text
“Mama, Papa, can Muu invite Aa-chan, Sayu-chan, and Hana-Chan to the ball?”
It was July 5th, the birthday of the Kusunoki family’s daughter and heir to the throne. Being a princess, Muu Kusunoki had always gotten the best. Invitations embroidered in vibrant gold pigments were sent out to neighboring nobles and kingdoms to join hands in the Princess’ birthday. For her fifteenth birthday, she had a ball in her name, and her sixteenth birthday would be no different.
Her father raised an eyebrow at the question. “Are they nobles?” he asked.
“No... but Papa! They’re Muu’s friends!”
“Muu-chan… You know that peasants have no place at an event like this.”
“But!”
“Your father is right.” Her mother interjected. “If we did invite them, what would they wear? Today is the day of the party, too. Commoners like them won’t be able to afford such things so easily, Muu.”
“Muu will help them!” she suggested, hastily. “They’ll be ready by 9pm.”
“Are you sure?” Her mother asked, her brows creased in worry.
“Muu will teach them how to bow and how to address guests, I promise! Please, Papa?” She turned to her father with pleading eyes.
Her mother only sighed. “I’m sorry, but... We can’t just make exceptions for commoners.”
Muu’s father chuckled. “Fine, invite them.”
“Dear...”
“I was like Muu-san too when I was younger, inviting commoners to royal events and sneaking them in.”
“Thank you, Papa!” Muu grinned, lunging forward to her father, and wrapping her arms around him. “You won’t regret this!”
His gaze softens at his young daughter as he ruffled her hair and pulls her close. “Of course. I’ll get a guard to escort you, but I need you to be back by sundown. We have something to show you.”
At the hour of the ball, instead of staying inside the palace, Muu stood outside the castle in front of the gates. Her strawberry blonde hair was styled in a bun for the occasion and she wore a long, yellow, off the shoulder dress that was rimmed with a white fabric and a faint pattern of flowers. To top it all off, she had earrings that resembled golden clam shells from her mother, a golden necklace, and white gloves that reached her forearms. Rather than gracefully waving to the guests that entered through the gates, Muu stood at the tips of her toes, scanning the area for her friends. It was almost 9pm. They promised they’d be here!
“Muu-chan!” a voice called out.
Muu quickly snapped her head in the direction of the voice to see three girls similar to her age — all wearing yellow dresses, but in different styles. “You’re here! Muu was so worried you wouldn’t come!”
“Yeah, we made it. It took us forever to convince the other guard at the first gate we were invited,” Sayu said, brushing off her dress. She had long black hair with bangs completely covering her forehead with a section of hair braided off around her head, giving Sayu an elegant look to compliment her long dress that dragged against the ground. “I think the dress helped though.”
Aa twirled in her dress, her flowing dark brown hair following her movement. “Muu, the dress you gave me is so good! I wish I could wear something like this every day.”
“Well, they are only spares..."
Aa’s mouth gaped. “So I can have it?”
Muu smiled. “Sure!”
“Thank you so much, Muu! You’re the best.”
“I wonder what your family will say when they find out you got that from a princess?” Hana mused. Among Muu’s friends, she came from the most humble background. Usually, she sported a simple, pale yellow shirt, but today, she wore one of the most elegant dresses in Muu’s collection. It rivaled what people built their lives to afford on their wedding days. “Stuff like this is expensive...”
“But we’re friends, should it not be surprising?” Muu asked.
Hana waved her hand at Muu. “You don’t understand. People will see Aa-chan as someone wealthy because of you! Everyone’s eyes will be on her.”
“Oh, I guess so...”
Sayu yawned, drawing the other three’s attention. “Enough of that. My dress is getting dirty just by standing here in the grass. Let’s go inside.” Sayu picked up her dress from the floor as proof. Though still beautiful, the dress had remnants of dirt along its hem, with some splotches being bigger than others.
Cringing internally at the sight, Muu perked up. She’d have to find a maid to clean that for her later… “Okay, follow me!” Muu grinned, leading her friends to join her inside the palace.
Today was going to be great.
Crossing from the outside gates to the palace was nothing short of transportation to another world.
The ballroom, unlike the palace, was built with French architecture in mind. While Muu’s mother married into the Kusunoki family, her culture had affected the family’s home and events. The room was large with a high roof and hardwood floors that felt cold to the touch. Grand portraits lined the walls with past ancestors -- Muu’s family --and at the center of it all was Muu’s father at his coronation. With the start of the ball, the most elegant of bouquets were arranged around the formerly vacant ballroom. They proudly displayed flowers blooming with unnatural purples and yellows hues, sporting the kingdom’s theme. Windows and glass chandeliers were polished and cleaned for the occasion, creating a dimly lit atmosphere that rivaled the beauty of the summer’s warm lighting.
As guests began to pool in, some gravitated towards the tables of foods and others went to mingle with guests. As for Muu, she found her friends and herself in the center of it all. Standing in the middle of the ballroom, Muu’s friends admired everyone in attendance. It was their first royal event after all! Nothing in their lifetime could compare to the lengths the Kusunoki family went to for Muu’s birthday.
Muu spent most of her time talking. Her friends didn’t speak much, but she assumed they had nothing to say beyond muttered agreements and nods. As Muu talked about the lavish cake her mother bought her for the ball, Hana glanced over to Muu. For a second, it looked like she was rolling her eyes, but then they widened.
“Oooo, what’s that?” Hana asked, gesturing to the gold necklace around Muu’s neck. It was a coquette golden necklace with silver pearl beads lining it. In the middle was a small handcrafted heart that looked to be supported by two necklaces in one — despite that, there was a small chain on the sides of the heart being supported by one of the two necklace’s layers.
“My papa gave it to me!” she beamed. “It’s very nice. He said it’s the best jewelry in the kingdom and was handcrafted for months.”
Sayu giggled. “Classic Kusunoki Muu-san. Always showing off.”
Aa joined her, but Muu couldn’t tell what was funny — the joke or her. She tilted her head, meeting Aa’s eyes, yet all she did in response was shrug one side of her shoulders, continuing, “I guess you can’t expect anything less from a princess”
Muu wrapped her arms around herself, feeling tears prick at the corners of her eyes. “You’re so mean... I only wanted to show what Muu’s papa got me.”
Sayu sighed, shaking her head. “You’re too sensitive. It’s not an insult.”
“Yeah, read the atmosphere… You don’t need to be so self-conscious, Muu. You’re the heir to the throne, we have to respect you.”
“Exactly,” Hana added, her eyes falling on Muu’s necklace. “I guess we’re just jealous. Being a princess would be a dream to anyone.”
Muu sniffled. “Do you want to borrow Muu’s necklace, too?”
Aa beamed. “I’d love to!” She spun around in her dress, putting her hands to her cheeks. “Dancing in a ballroom wearing a beautiful necklace… I’d be the center of attention!”
“I thought you didn’t want to dance tonight…”
“But this changes everything!”
“Can I borrow the necklace too, Aa-chan?” Sayu asked.
“Of course! Then Hana-chan can have a turn.”
Muu smiled wearily, taking off the necklace. “Even though it’s my papa’s necklace, I’m glad it can make you happy.”
With trembling hands, Aa clasped the necklace around her neck. She then pulled on Sayu’s hand and took her away from the tables. “Sayu-chan, come on! Let’s dance!”
Excited, Sayu nodded and wrapped an arm around Aa’s waist as Aa intertwined her fingers with both of Sayu’s hands. They laughed, twirling around in the ballroom, getting lost among the other guests.
Muu frowned. “Hana-chan, do you want to dance with Muu like that?”
Hana pressed her lips together. “Maybe later... I was thinking of talking to some of the other guests first.”
“Oh...”
“Sorry, Muu-chan!” Hana leaned forward, putting her hand on Muu’s shoulder. Though her actions spoke genuinely, Muu thought her tone sounded anything but sincere. Still, she ignored it and mustered up a smile. “I’ll make it up to you, okay?”
“Okay...” Muu felt more tears at the corner, but she refused to be so sensitive as to let them fall.
“Thank you, Muu-chan! You’re the best.”
With that, Hana ran off into the ballroom, leaving Muu alone. She didn’t notice who Hana went off with, and all she could do was stand alone. Sayu and Aa had each other, so why didn’t she? It felt like a stab in the heart. Muu didn’t have many friends, and she didn’t have anyone else to go — her friends had left and her parents were busy entertaining guests. With solemn eyes, Muu looked off into the ballroom, playing with her earrings.
This was horrible, she thought. It was her birthday, so why wasn’t everyone showering with the attention she deserved? She stood in silence, the tears she had previously held back falling down her cheek, one after the other. It wasn’t fair. As Muu busied herself in wiping tears off her face with her own hands, a handkerchief was handed in front of her. She blinked, cautiously taking the handkerchief and inspecting the figure.
“Are you Princess Kusunoki Muu?” the figure asked.
Who stood in front of Muu wasn’t her father or even her friends, but instead was a stranger with light brown hair and grey eyes. They had a fragile appearance, yet stood strongly in front of Muu with curious eyes. The stranger wore a ruffled dress shirt with a navy vest and shorts to match, but despite the basic look, the vest was covered with intricate patterns that went from the top of the vest to the bottom embroidered in a bright yellow pigment.
Muu nodded with a sniffle, rubbing her tears away with the handkerchief. “and you are?”
Es bowed. “My name is... Es,” they said, their voice quavering. “I am a noble of a far off kingdom.”
Muu put a finger to her chin. “Let me guess… The Toimaru kingdom?”
“How... How did you know?”
Muu giggled. “I’ve heard of you before. Papa tells me you're dangerous.”
“Watch it!” Es crossed their arms. “Only royals say that. They act so pretentiously — running their mouths and acting above it all, but they wouldn’t know danger if it stared at them in the eyes. Unlike the Kajiyama family, we judge others away from self-beneficial law standards...” Es grumbled, puffing out their chest.
This outburst only caused Muu to giggle more. “You even talk funny…”
“Did you not hear a word I said?” Es exclaimed before taking a deep breath. “Anyways, I have something to tell you.”
“You want to dance with Muu?”
“Someone is going to—“ Es paused, taken aback. “ What? ”
“Muu will happily dance with you.” She smiled, genuinely — brighter than how Es first saw the princess minutes ago. She took Es’ hand, but they quickly retracted, their face red from the sudden request. No, invitation.
“No, that’s not what I meant!” Es hastily added, “I mean, you’re beautiful, but this is something far more important!”
“You think Muu is beautiful?”
“That’s not the point!”
“You know, Es-san… This dance is important to me too, so…” Muu heldout her hand. “Will you have this dance?”
Es sighed in defeat, taking the princess’ hand. “O-okay.”
“Do you know how to waltz?”
“Only a little,” Es sheepishly admitted. “I took dance lessons as a kid for these types of events, but I never expected to actually put the skill to use.”
Muu laughed. “It’s okay, Es-san. I can teach you.” She placed her hand on Es’ shoulder and intertwined her fingers with their hand. “Now place your hand under my shoulder, too.”
Es nodded wordlessly. Though their words didn’t communicate much, their expression spoke a thousand words to Muu. They hesitated upon holding her shoulder. Their hand, though rigid at first, softly held Muu’s shoulder in gentle touches. It was hard to believe this was the same person who spoke about pretentious royals so fiercely minutes prior. They struggled meeting her gaze, but would blush when doing so.
She found it adorable, honestly.
“Now, follow my lead.”
As rusty as Es was, the dance felt natural. Muu’s movements were precise, but vulnerable. It made her float as gracefully as a swan in a vast pond, but weak to everyone around them. That thought made Es want to pull Muu closer, protect them, and — What were they thinking? Kusunoki Muu was a princess. Nothing more. Nothing less. An arrogant, sheltered princess. They had one job and that was to warn Muu, not fall for her -
Not literally!
As Es braced for the floor, closing their eyes for the impact, nothing happened. Confused, they opened their eyes.
“Es-san! Are you okay? I tried to spin you, but…”
Looking up into Muu’s eyes, somehow Es thought Muu looked even prettier than before. Her strawberry hair swept to the side in her frantic change of position to catch them and her green eyes that, while widened in surprise, softened at their safety. It was strange, Es thought. They still had a hand laced with Muu’s, but their other was left dangling at their side with Muu’s other hand hastily trying to hold onto Es’ back — preventing them from colliding with the wooden floor.
Es’ breath hitched, pulling themself up with their face still red. “That was my fault. I wasn’t paying attention, sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Muu giggled softly. “I had fun.”
“So did I, Princess.”
Muu puffs her cheeks. “That’s so formal... You can call me Muu.”
“Okay, Kusunoki Muu it is.”
She smiled. “That’s better.” Muu glanced towards Es, but then to her friends in the distance — still laughing and dancing without her. “I have to go soon… but one more thing.”
“Yes?”
Muu leaned forward, kissing Es on the cheek. “Thank you for tonight.”
“Hey, wait a minute!” Despite their words, Es couldn’t find it in them to move to catch the princess or prevent her from leaving. Still stuck in the moment prior, their brain refused to listen.
Muu giggled. “You’re funny for a noble, but interesting. Muu likes that about you, so let's meet some other time too, okay?”
“Y-yeah...” Es fumbled out, holding a hand to their burning cheek. The phantom of the kiss still lingering — staining Es’ face with faint pink lipstick. Muu only smiled in response and turned on her heels, her voice becoming indistinguishable amongst the other ball guests as she caught up to her friends. Es released a slow breath. Their heart was beating so fast… Es thought they would explode. Everything about Muu Kusunoki was warm, inviting even. As they watched Muu try to talk with her friends once again, the butterflies that filled their chest were soon replaced with a sense of dread. A slow realization dawned on them.
They had one goal and that was to warn Kusunoki Muu, and they failed.
Admittedly, they didn’t know much of Muu’s situation or the Kusunoki family, but a threat loomed overhead. Shiota Rei was going to expose the Kusunoki family and sabotage Muu’s position to the throne along with it. Though Rei herself didn’t pose a physical threat to Muu, a royal was nothing without their subjects, and this rumor was bound to turn them against the Kusunokis. Shiota Rei was a commoner like any other in the kingdom, so what surprised them was how Rei could get such delicate information… Kusunoki Muu’s family was rich, everyone knew that. They were royals, but what they didn’t know is that they hoarded the wealth from the kingdom. Grand events could only be afforded if the royal family sponsored them and when the kingdom hit hard times, the royal family would claim it hit them just as hard. What the commoners didn’t know is that they managed just fine despite the conditions — all the commoners, that was, except for Rei.
Muu’s life was in danger, but all Es could do was watch from a distance.
“Happy birthday, Kusunoki Muu.”