LUNCH WAS SO QUIET...

     that it made even some of the miracles and uncrowned generals uncomfortable.

     however, akashi was used to it, as he's had many meals like these with his father.

"rishi, how are your lessons coming along?", nobukazu suddenly asked, causing the ten year-old to almost choke on her sandwich.

"i-it's been good, father", rishi stuttered out, cursing herself internally.

"really? then why the hesitation?", the emperor asked.

"it's probably because she skipped her lessons this morning to hangout with sister aisa", hirotada ratted out.

"you snitch!", rishi gasped.

nobukazu simply wiped the corners of his mouth, as he looked over to his oldest daughter.

"is that true, aisa?"

"it is, father. however, I've noticed that rishi's etiquete has been well exceeding her literacy skills. and as a royal, though both are important, knowing how to read, write, and pronounce words are crucial to when speaking to others.

hence I've taken it upon myself to help guide her a bit. I hope that father doesn't mind", aisa explained.

"aisa, are you sure it wasn't intentional to have rishi miss class? after all, it just seems like you're making up excuses for her", empress naora intervened, hoping to get her stepdaughter in trouble.

"SISTER AISA WOULD NEV—"

"rishi, control your volume", mitsuyo, rishi's biological mother, had reprimanded.

"and I'm sure that sister naora's just over analyzing this. aisa's such a sweetheart and has always been treating rishi as if they were born from the same mother", mitsuyo stated.

"I still feel like—"

     "alright, that's enough out of you both. if it's as aisa has said, then it's fine. once or twice won't hurt", nobukazu said, causing aisa to slyly grin at her stepmother.

though none of them would openly admit it, the emperor sometimes slightly favored aisa over the rest, partially because he had truly loved aisa's biological mother when she was still alive.

"but your majest—"

"end of discussion", the emperor cut off.

"and anyways, I didn't call you all to have lunch just to discuss about your daily lives. in two weeks, we will be holding a ball amongst the upper nobles.

not only do I expect the utmost behavior from you all, but each of you will be responsible for performing a piece on an instrument of your choice", nobukazu stated.

"dammit! I thought it was going to be a sword fight", hirotada dejectedly muttered.

"hirotada, did you say something?", his father sternly questioned.

"n-no, father. please continue", the second prince responded.

"and at the ball, there's two important guests that I've been conversing with about trading gold in exchange for their ruby mines. however, it seems that they're very reluctant, despite the pricing that I've offered", nobukazu informed.

     "so father wants us to persuade them to complete the deal with you?", akishino asked.

     "indeed. it's marquess and marchioness futaba. they have no children and are about to hit their thirties I believe", nobukazu further explained.

"oh my! isn't thirty a little too old to bare children?", naora gasped.

"that reminds me, aisa is nineteen this year. perhaps we ought to start thinking about her mar—"

aisa dropped her utensils, letting them smack against the silver plate, as she delicately wiped the corners of her mouth.

"I'm full. please excuse me", the woman stood up to say.

"and as honored as I am for mother naora to be thinking of my marriage, I simply cannot fathom such a thing when I still wish to accompany you, mother mitsuyo, and daddy", aisa slightly pouted; her informal name-calling triggering a soft spot in her father's heart.

"aisa's right. she's still too young, and plus, there aren't many suitors that are good enough for her", nobukazu stated.

"but your majesty!"

"aisa, don't you have something to do? you may be excused", her father said.

"thank you, daddy! I'll come visit you later, if you don't mind", aisa giggled, sending her stepmother a fake smile that caused naora's blood to rise.

"sure. see you later", nobukazu replied, as aisa exited with her two personal knights.

as soon as the doors closed, aisa chuckled to herself, humming with each step she took.

"you seem to be in a good mood, princess", hanamiya commented.

"of course! nothing makes me happier than insulting bitches like her", aisa scoffed, ordering for one of the outdoor guards to fetch the carriage.

"bitches? you're not talking about—"

"I am", aisa sternly interrupted.

"I most certainly am", she repeated with a grin.

ೃ࿔*:･

as aisa boarded the carriage with her two knights riding along, the three had arrived outside the palace, where many people had oohed and awed at the fancy landau passing by.

though the more time they spent in the same carriage, the more the two knights noticed that they were going into the shady part of town.

"stop right here!", aisa called out, to which the horseman had complied.

"wait here for us", the blonde princess demanded, as she exited the carriage with the help of akashi's firm grip.

"so what the hell are we doing here in the slums?", hanamiya snarled, pinching his nose, as the smell was quite unbearable.

"have you ever heard of the torihiki?", aisa asked, traveling through the moist concrete grounds with ease, even though she was wearing heels.

the woman didn't need to wear a cloak to mask her identity, as there was barely anyone that survived around here.

"does your highness mean the information guild where one trades something for detailed intel?", akashi inquired.

"precisely. no place is more accurate than them", aisa confidently stated.

"you've been here before?", hanamiya questioned.

"well how else do you think I found out about the generation of miracles and the uncrowned generals", aisa scoffed.

"father never gives us enough information".

"so your highness knew who she wanted before she even entered the room...", akashi mumbled, rather than inquiring.

"mm...not quite. I still needed to get a feel of your personalities...and looks in person", aisa admitted, stopping in front of a shabby-looking door, as she politely knocked on it.

"looks?"

aisa ignored the question, as the door had eerily creaked open, seemingly as if it had been pushed open by the wind.

     akashi's hand unconsciously trailed to the hilt of his sword that was strapped securely beside his waist, almost awaiting to swing his blade and slice away any potential threats.

aisa just casually entered the rundown cabin, as hanamiya nearly choked on a spiderweb that was dangling from the corner of the door.

     "moshi, moshi, I've got money for you~", she playfully sang, as akashi immediately drew his sword once a cloaked figure had descended from the stairs and approached them.

hanamiya simply raised a brow in curiosity; skimming his surroundings with slight caution.

"you're back", the mysterious person had said.

"with more people I see".

"indeed. now, can you gather me all the important information I need for marquess and marchioness futaba? I need it by tomorrow", aisa informed.

"of course! gathering intel on others comes naturally to me, though I'm gonna need your little pet to lower his sword first", the masked man teased, as akashi cringed at the insult of being called the princess's "pet".

aisa simply raised her right hand, signaling for the redheaded captain to momentarily lower his weapon, to which he had begrudgingly complied.

"I can complete your request by tomorrow, though I'm going to need a payment by the end of this month — which is in two weeks", the man stated.

"how much gold are we speaking of?"

the cloaked figure shook his pointer finger from side to side, as a low chuckle rung through the musty room.

"I don't want money this time. I've actually been quite bored, you see...staying alone in this rundown room with nobody but the occasional visit from some strangers", he sighed.

     "so I wish to play a game".

     "what game?"

     "I've actually already made preparations since the first time your highness has walked through those doors, but to answer your question, it'll be a simple game of hide and seek, except one round only".

     "so you want me to find you?", aisa assumed, to which her suspicion was confirmed with an immediate nod.

     "yes, and to make it a little easier for you, I've already infiltrated the palace", he laughed, causing akashi's internal radar to set off.

     this was definitely not safe.

     "your highness, I believe we should leav—"

     "relax, akashi~ if he wanted to do something, he would've done it already", aisa reasoned.

     the red-haired captain bit his tongue, as he internally cursed the princess for not listening to him.

     "so all you have to do is find me, identify me, and that's it! that's the payment!", he casually exclaimed.

     "and if she doesn't find you?", hanamiya asked, now somewhat invested in this game of his.

     "if her highness fails to find me, then I'm afraid that I'll have to poison her tea", the mysterious man shrugged, as if killing a royal was a funny joke.

     akashi's blade reappeared against the man's neck, as his glare was harsh enough to keep him still.

     "oh no~ I can't die yet; I still have so much to do. though I do have a request. could you at least give me a clue?", aisa asked, her eyes not holding an ounce of worry.

     "mm...I see all, above the rest; feathers of pride woven by the need to fly. powerful, strong, and courageous; one does not simply give up, especially when it comes to their prey".

     aisa mentally noted that poem, as she hummed.

     "thanks. I'll be leaving now", she stated, swiftly turning around, as akashi's sword then leisurely left the man's throat again.

     it wasn't until hanamiya and aisa were completely out of the room, that akashi had finally spoken up.

     "if you dare kill her highness, I'll make sure to find you and murder not only you, but your family, your friends, and everybody you treasure", akashi threatened.

     after all, he refused to have someone mess with his and his father's plans.

     the mysterious man snorted.

     "yeah yeah~ you better go before your owner starts getting worried", he mocked.

     clicking his tongue, akashi stormed out of the wooden cabin.

     a sigh was then heard.

     "how scary~", he shivered.

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EVIL
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