Chapter Text
It's warm today. The sun beats down on golden brown skin, causing beads of sweat to slowly descend Yuuji's face. He uses the back of his hand to wipe the results of the heat away.
"Such a pretty girl, Nutmeg," Yuuji mumbles to his horse as he brushes her brown fur, freeing it from all the dirt that's built up over the week.
Unfortunately for Yuuji, his horse is not fond of anybody except him, the Prince, and his mentor so he's tasked with brushing his own horse, feeding, watering, cleaning her stall, and even putting on her horseshoes. As a squire, he learned how to do all of those things so it's not a huge burden on him. And it gives him time to bond with his misunderstood war horse.
"Ser Itadori." A voice comes from the shaded entryway that separates the castle and the stables.
A blonde older man approaches Yuuji, adorned in light armor, the sound of his chain-link armor resembling a bag of cold coins. Yuuji beams at the man.
"Ser Nanamin!" The man's eye twitches a bit at the nickname he uses.
"Learn to be more formal, boy," he complains with a sigh. But he knows Yuuji means well. He's a kind soul that forgets his manners more often than not. None of that matters when he's the shining definition of chivalry. "You're being reassigned again."
Golden brown eyes widen at the news. Yuuji drops Nutmeg's brush in shock. Every time Yuuji's been reassigned to another position he ranks up. This time, he knows he's going to make it to the equivalent of heaven. "A new role? Already?"
Ser Nanami hums in acknowledgement.
"The Gods have blessed you once again." The older knight peeks at Yuuji's horse who chuffs at him. A small smile tugs at the corner of his lip. He reaches into his satchel and pulls out a shiny red apple. This causes Nutmeg to nod her head and tap her feet – her version of a happy dance. "Here ya go, girl." He holds the apple out to her in his palm. She gently takes it and crunches on the fresh fruit.
Yuuji himself can't help but smile at his horse being well behaved. He pats her neck and chuckles. "Ser Nanamin always has good treats huh, Nutmeg?"
She neighs in response which only furthers Yuuji's belief that his horse can understand him. "What's my new role? When do I start?" Excitement floods through Yuuji. He genuinely enjoys being a knight and the constant change of positions keeps him from becoming bored.
"My job. You start today, Ser Itadori."
That shocks Yuuji's system again. Nanami is leaving but where? I'll be taking my mentor's job. I'm going to be… "Kingsguard? To the Prince?!" Yuuji really can't contain his voice with how shocked he is. To guard the prince is the highest honor he could ever possibly get. He makes a note to head to church on Sunday and thank the Gods for their blessings.
"Aye. I'm getting too old for this. A knight like you would be a better fit." Nanami speaks very earnestly. He wholly believes Yuuji will succeed in this position. "Finish up with Nutmeg and meet me in the King's study."
Yuuji gives him a nod before the older knight walks back towards the castle.
A grin splits Yuuji's face as he picks up the horse brush he had dropped. "Ah Nutmeg I'm moving up in this world. The Gods have truly smiled upon me."
♱
The light clinking of chain mail and armor echo through the halls as Ser Itadori makes his way to the King's study. He bears the family Zen'in crest on the front of his chest plate proudly. He had gotten himself cleaned up, thoughts full of what the Prince would be like. He wondered if they would get along or he'll be prissy and annoying. All he heard was that Megumi is not like the King. All of these little curiosities flood through his mind as he scrubs his hair free from the scent of the barn and dirt. Yuuji wanted to make sure he was clean and presentable to meet royalty, since he will be.
He knocks on the study door and hears a deep "Come in" from inside. Yuuji pushes the doors open and is greeted by Ser Nanamin and the king of this land, Toji Zen'in. He's quite intimidating to look at. His frame is large, with broad shoulders and muscles from his time in battle. It's help that he's scowling almost all of the time, which only emphasizes the large scar, that slices down the corner of his lip, further adding to his menacing look. His eyes are a deep, sorrowful blue that resemble a stormy sea. Yuuji assumes he would look like that too if the love of his life died.
The knight walks closer to King Toji's desk where he's sitting then drops to one knee, bowing. "Your Grace." He stands back up and grins at the King.
Toji just offers him a slight chuckle. "Haven't changed much, eh Itadori? Just taller and well fed."
Ser Itadori nods and laughs slightly. "The kitchen serves really good food." A pause. "You haven't changed much either, Your Grace. It's like you never age."
Toji waves a hand at him. "Spare me the flattery, boy. I'm gettin' old just like that wrinkly bastard over there." He refers to Nanami, who scowls at him. The King is known to be a little improper, using crude language regularly. It sort of makes him endearing.
"We'll see who's old when you take up the sword against me," Nanami huffs with no real malice. It causes Toji to chuckle once again.
"I would know shame that day." The conversation is interrupted by a sharp knock on Toji's study door. "Enter!," Toji calls out.
When Yuuji turns to see who enters, the whole world seems like it's stopped spinning. Prince Megumi Zenin enters the room gracefully. He's dressed in the most expensive silk robes that move with him as he walks. His beauty is something hard to describe – at least to Yuuji it is. A mess of ink black hair that has a mind of its own and sticks up everywhere. Gorgeous, piercing green eyes with long, delicate lashes, courtesy of his mother. Skin the color of cream that is unblemished and flawless.
The knight has to tear his eyes away to cease his gawking. Yuuji has seen Megumi before. He's always secretly stared at him for a little too long but now he'll be guarding him. He'll be close with him everyday. Yuuji can't forsee any instance where he doesn't explode in the near future.
"Father," Megumi says pragmatically. "Why have you called me here?"
The prince has always been this way. Formal and very straight to the point. He thinks it's a waste of time beating around the bush and he excelled in etiquette.
"My son." Toji matches the prince's tone. "You will be getting a new kingsguard. I'm sure you remember Ser Itadori."
That's when their eyes meet again after years. Golden brown meeting viridescent. There's no readable expression on the prince's face except the raise of an eyebrow. "I believe I do." He turns back to the King. "When will Ser Nanami be leaving?"
"The end of the week, Your Grace," Nanami answered.
Megumi purses his lips and it almost looks like a pout.
"Well then. I truly hope you enjoy the rest of your days, Ser Nanami. You deserve peace and blessings from the Gods." The Prince sends the older knight a small smile. It's genuine and lights up his usually gloomy face. It has Yuuji's heart stuttering in his chest. "Anything else you need from me today, father?"
Toji sighs and scratches at his scar. A tic he picked up that he can't seem to quit. "Don't forget the event we're hosting next weekend to find you some suitors. Have a chat with them, enjoy yourself, and pick a few out, for the Gods' sake."
Finding someone to marry Megumi is a very easy feat, but finding someone that Megumi himself wants to marry has proven to be the most difficult task Toji has ever faced. The man used to plan and lead wars but Megumi's obstinance was somehow more exhausting.
"I cannot make such promises. But I will try. For your sake." The whole process of finding a suitor is just as tiring for Megumi. Everyone was incredibly boring to him and if he had his way he wouldn't be looking for someone to marry. Ever. But he has a duty he's tied to. One that requires way too many responsibilities that Megumi does not want. Yet, it's not his decision. It was the Gods'.
"I appreciate that, son. No other news but that."
The Prince bows slightly to his father. "I'll be in the library if you need me." Megumi then turns to walk out of the room, his shoulder brushing Yuuji's. The brief touch causes an electrical feeling to run through the knight's veins. But before he can push the sensation down and follow behind Megumi, Toji's voice stops him.
"Yuuji. Protect my son like he's the rarest gem in the fucking world. If anything happens to him, it'll be your head."
The threat hangs heavy in the air. Although he has great rapport with the King, Yuuji knows when he's damned serious. So Yuuji gives him a nod with a serious expression that matches Toji's. This is now his duty; to protect the prince.
He turns on his heel and walks out of the study to catch up with the Prince.
Nanami catches up soon and walks side by side with Yuuji. "You also get a new room with this assignment." That makes Yuuji's face split into a big grin. His current one is quite cramped these days.
"A new room? Where?"
"Across from the prince's room. You are responsible for his safety so you will be close to him at all times. Do not let him go anywhere by himself. Keep yourself vigilant at night. The prince is not allowed to be sneaking around at night unless you accompany him. Do not let anyone into his chambers either unless you're with them both." Nanami rattles off these rules and Yuuji tries his best to keep a mental note of all of them.
A thought crosses Yuuji's mind, it's fleeting but it causes another shock sensation to his system. He imagines the Prince letting someone into his chambers for a secret night of pleasure. Would he have to stay in the room and watch? All in the name of safety? The image he dredges up has a flush creeping up his neck.
"Talking about me like I'm not here is rude by the way, Ser Nanami." Megumi chimes in before opening the door to the library. The comment makes Nanami look a little sheepish and he keeps quiet for now. Yuuji was a little stunned by how the Prince speaks to Nanami. He supposes a spoiled royal will have a sharp tongue. No one can tell them off unless they want to be punished.
The castle's libarary is an impressive room. The ceiling is high, allowing for tall shelves filled with literature. Old books, new books, encyclopedias, children's books, Zenin family history archived on scrolls of parchment. All of it is kept in this room. Ser Itadori has actually never been in here before. He never found the need.
Yuuji's eyes trailed the Prince as he walks between the shelves, skimming the inventory of books. One wall of the room is almost all windows with plush seats next to them. The sun casts a warm glow to the room and Yuuji can clearly see the dust flittering through the air.
Ser Nanami walks over to a specific part of the shelves and plucks a book out. He walks to one of the tables in the room and takes a seat. This is one of his favorite parts of being the Prince's kingsguard. Getting to indulge in some of his favorite literature helps pass the time easily.
For Yuuji though, this is torture. As a busybody, he was not meant to be in one place for so long without doing something. The knight chews his lip, slightly anxious, as he stands in his spot near the doorway. The only thing that could keep the knight occupied was watching the Prince elegantly pace through the shelves to find the couple of books he was looking for.
With the books he wanted in his hands, Megumi takes a seat by the window. He cracks open a hoary book carefully and begins to read. Well there goes that, Yuuji thinks to himself. He inwardly sighs to himself. His gaze lingers to the windows. He could see the garden from here. The well manicured bushes are trimmed into unique shapes. There's blossoming buds growing on the planted flowers since it's late spring.
The Queen had prided herself on keeping a beautiful garden. In her honor, Toji hired the best gardeners to keep it looking radiant. Most of what he does now is in memory of her.
Yuuji wishes he was out there, enjoying the sun on his golden skin. It may be a little warmer than usual, but the heat kissing him makes him feel alive.
Instead of worrying his lip anymore with his teeth, he decides to maybe try befriending Megumi. They're close in age so surely they have something in common.
He tries to walk quietly as not to disturb the other two indulging in their reading. He takes a seat across from the Prince on the bench seat. He eyes the royal with a tinge of curiosity. The tome he holds looks ancient. The pages are yellowed and the spine is so worn, the book could be laid flat on the table with no problems.
The knight clears his throat and watches green eyes snap up at him. "W- What are you reading, Your Grace?"
Megumi squints at him a bit before showing the cover of the old book. Ser Itadori strains his eyes as he tries to read it. "Uhh history of…?" Then the knight flushes slightly. "My apologies, Your Grace. I'm not very uh… educated."
"You can't read this word?" Megumi points at the word Yuuji was struggling with. The knight shakes his head and feels very embarrassed. The heat in his cheeks only increases. An annoying knot starts to form in his gut from the ashamed feeling. The speed of his heart pumping reminds him of the gallop of Nutmeg's hooves. He never really saw the point in learning to read and write if he was going to be swinging a sword for the rest of his life.
Megumi hums softly. "Would you like to learn how to read?"
Yuuji pauses for a moment. While learning to read and write properly had never seemed important to him before, the concept of Megumi teaching him warms his inside and actually has him interested to learn. Maybe he could listen to his voice all day if he wanted to…
"It wouldn't hurt to know, I guess."
And the Prince sends him a small smile. Once again that electric feeling shoots through him.
"The most used muscle is the brain. You should train it just as much as your body." His tone wasn't snide like Yuuji expected from a royal. Megumi points at the word again that Yuuji couldn't read. "This is Osaka. The name of our land."
The Prince moves himself to sit side by side with Yuuji. The knight has to keep himself more composed than ever and not notice the expensive scent that radiates off the Prince.
"You cannot be my kingsguard and not know the history of our home. Unacceptable," Megumi scolds lightly while placing the book between them.
Gods give me strength.
♱
Today was long for Yuuji. By the time Yuuji gets a small break from Prince Megumi's thorough lessons, his brain is mush. The Prince is at dinner now, so Yuuji takes the opportunity to explore his new home. Nanami had informed him that they have moved all his belongings to his new room so he's free to take a look at it.
So he heads through the maze of hallways and navigates his new space. The first thing he notices upon opening his door is how much bigger this one is compared to his old one. There's also two new things in his new chambers. The bigger bed with nice sheets spread on it and a large wardrobe for his clothes.
This is so surreal for him and he feels so lucky. The Gods deserve praise for the blessings he's received.
♱
Something wakes Ser Itadori during his second night as the Prince's kingsguard. It's a strange feeling that overcomes his body, causing his eyes to open. His vision is a bit blurry and he moves to rub his eyes. After blinking a couple times, his vision clears.
The one window he has in his room has a bit of light shining through it. Yuuji sits up in his bed and tries to figure out what has woken him up. Maybe it's too warm in his room. He feels slightly damp with sweat even though he's only in his underwear.
With a small sigh, he gets out of his bed and goes to open the window. He has a nice view of the rest of the kingdom from there.
A sudden urge pulls at his chest. An urge to check on the Prince's wellbeing. So the knight puts on his robe and some slippers.
He leaves his chambers and crosses the hall to Megumi's room. He knocks on the door lightly as to not disturb him completely. No response. He knocks again and puts his ear up to the door. It's silent on the other end.
So the knight decides to use his last resort and open the door to the Prince's room. He slowly cracks it open and whispers, "Your Grace?" Brown eyes zero in on Megumi's bed and see that he's not there. He looks around the room and it doesn't appear to have anyone in it.
That's when Yuuji pales over. He just lost the Prince. On his second day on the job!
He doesn't even know the Prince well enough to guess where the hell he could have possibly went. So Yuuji tries the first place he can think of that Megumi could have run off to. The library.
The whole time the knight is walking to the library he tries not to panic. It's not easy to do. He could be killed for something like this. If something happened to Megumi, the King would personally put his neck on the guillotine and drop the blade. Oh gods, please don't let me die. I want to live, Yuuji begs in his head.
He prays to himself as he pushes open the library door. He looks around the room and all he sees is books. No Megumi to be found. Yuuji internally cusses and thinks silently for a moment. Where else could he have gone? The knight tries to place himself in the Prince's fancy shoes for the time being.
Maybe… he went down to the kitchen for a sweet treat. For all Yuuji knows, Megumi could have a sweet tooth and needs a dessert in order to sleep good. He supposes it's worth the trip to the kitchen.
So he heads downstairs, still trying not to panic and inevitably failing. The spike in blood pressure has already set in and has cause Yuuji to break out in small jitters. He makes his way towards the kitchen, keeping an eye out for the Prince. But he has yet to see the raven haired royal.
Yuuji worries his lip with his teeth as he checks the kitchen. There's no half eaten food out and it's as clean as the cooks had left it. The stress is starting to get to the knight and he's ready to chew his fingers to nubs.
But something catches his attention. The sound of something that he shouldn't hear at this hour. The sound of an arrow piercing a practice target. Who else could be up at this hour? As a knight of this castle, it would be in his best interest to know.
With some determination, and less panic, Yuuji starts to head out to the training grounds from the kitchen side entrance. His steps are quiet as he creeps up on the grounds where the sound gets louder.
Lo and behold, the missing Prince, is standing on the training grounds with a bow and arrow in hand, in the proper stance, and firing off an arrow into the practice target. Yuuji could not belive his eyes. He seriously thought he was dreaming right now.
"I didn't know you could sh- hey hey! I mean no harm." The sudden sound of Yuuji's voice causes Megumi to turn his bow towards him, the string stretched taut and and arrow readily aimed at his heart. Ser Itadori threw his hands up almost immediately to show he's not a threat.
Megumi's muscles instantly relax as he drops his arms down, weapon in hand, when he sees his new sunshiny kingsguard. "It's you."
Ser Itadori hums as his muscles loosen as well. "Would you like to let me in on your secret nightly training?" With a kingsguard always at his side, Ser Itadori wasn't sure why Megumi would ever use archery.
Without a word, Megumi turns back to his target. With a quick pull of the string and the gift of sight, his arrow hits a bullseye. It lands next to the five other arrows crowded into the centered red circle. The Prince sets the bow back onto the rack of other long bows. "There's nothing to share."
When Megumi tries to push past Yuuji to walk back to his room, the knight steps in front of his path, causing him to stumble back slightly. A scowl pulls at Megumi's lips. Before he can scold the man in front of him, Ser Itadori starts speaking.
"It is my duty to keep you safe. I always honor my duties. If that means locking you in your room at night then be my guest." There's something a little sinister in his tone in the last sentence that has Megumi certain Yuuji is serious.
While the knight is usually very easygoing and compassionate, he knows how to intimidate if he has to. His figure is on the taller, bulkier side, which should be intimidating on its own. When he speaks like this though, sharp like the edge of his sword, it really drives the point home that he's not someone you want to mess with.
So Megumi takes a step back from the knight. There's no sign of fear but there is discretion written on his face. As if he's thinking carefully about what to say next. "I'm not allowed to wield weapons according to my father. He doesn't want me to be like him." Megumi pauses, reading Ser Itadori. The knight begins loosen the tension in his body and his face softens up a bit. He gives the indication for the Prince to continue speaking. "Ser Nanami, at my request, taught me archery. Some nights I'll come to the training grounds to practice since I'm unable to during the day. Understand now?"
Ser Itadori tilts his head slightly, like a curious dog would do. "Ser Nanamin taught you really well."
Prince Megumi cracks a small smile, the feeling of pride swirling in his gut. It could be possible that the knight is just flattering him, but from the small amount of time he's known him, he could tell Yuuji is always honest.
"Thanks. Just… don't tell my father. It wouldn't be good for his health."
Yuuji's brows knit together. "He wouldn't have a heart attack but I know he won't be happy. Your secret's safe with me, Your Grace."
Prince Megumi could tell he really meant it.
Thus starts a relationship built on a kept secret and literature lessons.