4

“So? What did you think of your first sword practice?” Sora asked after flopping backwards on the sofa in his room with his hands behind his head.

“I think my arms are going to fall off,” Kaito groaned, stretching his arms out behind his back, his muscles aching from soreness. “I can’t believe you do that every day. I should’ve thanked Hideyoshi for being so patient with me. Then again, I suppose he has to be patient if he has to follow you around all the time.”

The twin’s giggles filled the air. Ayaka and Kumiko. Or Aya and Kumi, as the boys called them. They were Sora’s younger twin sisters who shared the same blonde hair and light blue eyes as their brother. The only way the two were distinguishable was by the style of their hair. Aya wore hers to the side, either braided or in a ponytail, and Kumi always left hers down in beautiful curls. They were four years old now, only two when Kaito moved into the palace, so he was like their second brother. They primarily spent the day with their mother, but when she was busy doing “adult stuff,” they enjoyed following Sora and Kaito around. The little princesses sat together by the window decorating each other’s hair with freshly picked flowers. In this room were the only three people Kaito opened up to.

“Kaito,” Sora began. “I’ve been wanting to ask you… What would you think about having dinner with us tonight?”

Kaito blinked. “Huh?”

“Think about it!” Sora exclaimed, standing up as his excitement grew. “You’re basically a part of the family anyway! I want you to start being treated like you are. Aya? Kumi? Help me out here.”

“Did you ask Father?” Ayaka asked, sounding worried.

“Well… not exactly. But our mother would like to get to know you, Kaito. The girls apparently talk about you all the time.”

“We like Kaito,” Kumiko stated. “Father and Mother will like Kaito, too!”

“Do you really think?” Kaito asked skeptically. “A servant at the king’s table?”

“I wouldn’t joke about something like this,” Sora said seriously.

Being questioned by the king and queen of the kingdom was the last thing Kaito wanted, but if it was this important to his friend, then he would do it. “Fine. But if they order me to be killed, I'll come back to haunt you.”

Sora’s eyes lit up and he jumped at his friend full speed, knocking him down and pulling him into a hug. The twins decided to join in on the fun and jumped on top of Sora, adding to the pile.

“Guys. Guys! Can’t… breathe,” Kaito wheezed.

“Honestly, I don’t know why I waited two years for this,” Sora said, ignoring Kaito’s cries. Once the girls got off of him, Sora pulled Kaito to his feet and grabbed his wrist. “Let’s go to your room so you can get ready,” he said, tugging Kaito out the door without waiting for an answer.

~

Kaito was freaking out, still convinced that this was a bad idea. Sora had disappeared into Kaito’s wardrobe and came back out with a proper outfit for him. All of his clothes were designed for him in the castle since he lost everything he owned in the fire. Kaito’s choice color was black, so that was color Sora requested for most of his common and formal wear. Once he was dressed, the twins were allowed to come in with them and relax until dinner.

“There’s nothing for our parents to dislike about you, Kaito,” Ayaka assured him.

Kaito put his hand on the sweet child’s head. “Thank you, Aya. But there are some things you still don’t understand.” He knew their father was a kind man who evidently allowed Kaito to live in the palace, but he was still a king. This family had a reputation to uphold if they were going to retain their respectability. Kaito was worried that their father might not look favorably on him when he realized how attached his children were to a peasant.

The group walked to the dining hall and prepared for their meal, although Kaito did not feel like he could eat much. The queen must have informed her husband that a friend of Sora’s was joining them because he did not question why someone new was at their table.

“Kaito, how nice it is to finally get the chance to speak with you,” the queen said. She wore a beautiful red gown trimmed with gold that flowed down and formed a pool of silk at her feet. Her hair was long and dark brown and pulled to the side in an intricate braid, her skin tan in comparison to her pale children. Even the king sitting next to her at the head of the table did not seem to look much like Sora or the twins. His hair was curly and a much darker blonde than the three and his eyes were a vibrant green, similar to some of the gems on his crown.

“And you, Your Majesty. I’m very grateful for being allowed to live here with your family.”

“As if we could leave a young boy with nowhere to go after such a tragedy,” she replied sympathetically. “I’m terribly sorry about your parents.”

A lump formed in Kaito’s throat and he could only smile and nod in thanks.

It was the king’s turn to speak. “I was surprised to hear that you continued working after we took you in. With everything you would ever need being offered to you, why did you feel the need to do so?” he questioned.

“I was always dependent on my parents, my lord, but after…” Kaito gulped. “… After what happened two years ago, I felt like I needed to change. I don’t want to be a burden to anyone anymore. I also needed something to keep me busy at the time.”

“That’s very responsible of you. Maybe my son can learn a thing or two about responsibilities from you,” he replied, eyeing his son teasingly.

“Paperwork is sooo boring, Father!” Sora whined. “It’s always ‘read these’, ‘pay attention for this’, ‘don’t sign documents when blah blah blah.’”

The king chuckled heartily. “And that is something that will never change,” he warned.

There was a short silence filled by the clinking of silver wear on metal plates and the quiet chattering of the twins. After another moment, the king took on a more serious tone. “Now, I am aware that my children are fond of you, Kaito, but I have been wondering how close you are exactly. Knowing your heritage, this will not always be the case.”

“Must we discuss this now, dear?” asked the queen.

“Father,” was all Sora said as he glared at the man. The twins fell silent.

“We are caring for him now while he is an adolescent, but as soon as he can take care of himself he will be able to return to the town.” The king’s voice made it clear there was no other choice. “And while I have allowed you to call him ‘friend’ for now, that will end as soon as he is gone.”

“But he is my friend, Father, and I don’t want him to go anywhere!”

“I understand that you are lonesome in the palace, but as you get older you will begin working with people from noble families and neighboring royalty. Those are the people you must confide in someday. I am also concerned that word of your friendship with our guest may make its way into the town. Unfortunately, for a king to be highly regarded he cannot seem so eager to cater to others’ needs or else the people will become expectant of you. If the kingdom knows about this, there may be doubts about you as the next in line for the throne.”

What a horrible burden to put on an eleven year old, Kaito thought, glancing at his friend sympathetically. Sora could not find the words to argue back so he remained silent for the rest of the meal. As soon as their plates were cleared and the children were excused, Sora grabbed Kaito wrist and roughly pulled him out of there, his head down.

~

When they were alone and far from the dining hall, Kaito put his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“Me?! I was more worried about you! I can’t believe he actually… Ugh!” Sora threw his arms in the air. “Why does it have to be this way?!”

“There’s no use fighting it. It’s just the way things are,” Kaito rationalized.

“How can you be so calm about this?!” Sora asked incredulously. About two years ago, Kaito became very good at being able to “turn off” or ignore his emotions in times like this. It was his way of protecting himself from any more pain. He often appeared as the composed, confident, and emotionless one to others, while inside, that was not the case. He was no longer the boy who once got nervous the first time he talked to someone his age.

“We knew what would have to happen eventually, Sora. Get a hold of yourself. When I do leave I need to know that you’ll be fine without me.”

Sora’s eyes were wide. “How can you say that? We’ve been inseparable for two years now. And you expect me to accept the fact that I’ll have to say good bye to you for good someday?”

Kaito thought about it. One day, this friendship would have to end. No doubt about that. Maybe the only way to avoid any more suffering was to stop their friendship from going any farther. Maybe the king was simply trying to warn him.

Sora huffed. “I’m getting ready for bed,” he muttered, and walked tersely away.

~

As soon as he got back to his room, Kaito changed his clothes and sat down on his bed. Normally, at this time, he would go visit Sora’s room. Once there, his friend used to always convince him to stay the night until it became routine for them to sleep together. Naturally, the only people who knew about this were the morning maids, Sora’s attendant Hideyoshi, and the twins, who would sometimes burst into the room early in the morning looking for some fun. God only knows if the king ever found out about this. But from this point on, Kaito realized he wouldn’t have to worry about that anymore. He was cutting ties with the king’s son, whether Sora liked it or not.

Kaito wrapped his bedsheets around him and tried not to think. Why do I make everything worse, he wondered, failing at blocking out the thoughts. Everything is so complicated because I’m here. He dug his head in his pillow and fell into a restless sleep.

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