***AGE 13***

"Checkmate."

I revelled in the way Niji's face scrunched up in frustration, leaning back in my seat and lapping up the light applause from my parents, and even Judge, as much as I hated his existence.

"You're cheating." The blue-haired teen growled under his breath, but I wasn't going to let it phase me this time. It didn't take me long to figure out that, as long as I stayed around other people, they wouldn't do anything to me.

"I'd be more than happy to make it four out of six, but wouldn't that be a little embarrassing for you?" I cooed, carefully eyeing the boy's clenched fist on the off chance he'd lose his cool and take a swing.

Before the thought could even cross his mind, a hand laid upon his shoulder, and I looked up to meet the reflection of my own eyes in darkened lenses of shades.
"My turn." Ichiji smiled, and I returned it, knowing that things were about to get interesting.

We both knew the extent of our mutual hatred, and longed for nothing more than to tear each other to unrecognisable shreds, but we had images to uphold. A battle of logic and wit would have to do for the time being.

"Sucks to suck." Yonji snickered as Niji switched out with their older brother, earning himself a punch to the arm that would have broken it clean out of the socket if it had been my own.

"Bold of you to say when you wouldn't even play against her." Reiju pointed out, sitting on the lounge beside my mother with a cup of tea hovering over the saucer.
"I fight. I don't play silly little board games." Part of his response was muffled by a fork-full of chiffon cake, but we all got the gist of it.

"Chess isn't a silly little board game. It's strategy." Ichiji made himself comfortable across from me, resetting the game pieces quickly and ensuring that I had the side of white again. "Please, after you, Your Grace."

Sceptical, but willing to bite, I made my first move. King's pawn to E4. It had always been my first move, ever since my father had taught me to play. Without missing a beat, Ichiji moved a pawn to C5, quickly breaking the symmetry of the board.

Good defence, but I'm not surprised.

"Ichiji, I heard you successfully completed your first solo mission. Congratulations are in order." My father roused a new topic of conversation, having never been fond of strong silences.

"Praise isn't necessary, Your Majesty. I'm just glad I can keep growing stronger, so I can protect my one and only." Oh, I could have gagged at his bullshit, but instead I tried to focus on the simpler game at hand.

"You are too sweet, Ichiji. Really. Though, I don't need protecting. I've also been training..." I smiled, matching his acting skills, again moving my piece after he took his turn.
"(Y/N), honey, I wouldn't say shooting bottles with slingshots is on par with Prince Ichiji's intense training..."

Wow, Mama...Way to support your daughter.

Hearing my future brothers in law chortling behind their hands made my jaw clench, but I was a pro at remaining composed these days. At least I liked to think I was.

"I always appreciate dedication, but Ichiji is more than capable of protecting both you and this country, Princess. You don't have to worry yourself with weaponry." Judge chimed in with his two cents, his voice a very unwelcome sound to my ears.

"It's a hobby, and I plan to continue." Not only were the Vinsmokes really agitating me, but their conversation had caused me to miss an important move Ichiji had made before. My nose scrunched when he took one of my knights, and I felt his foot move atop mine beneath the clothed table.

"I'd like to hear more about it. Actually, if it wouldn't be an issue, would (Y/N) and I be able to have a few moments alone? If we are to be married, I think some one on one conversation would benefit the both of us." Ichiji was looking directly at me as he spoke, his boot pressing down hard on my soft slipper.

Eyes flitting to my mother's, I silently begged her to refuse. If we were left alone there was no telling what horrible things we could do to me.

Please, say it's not appropriate, or that we all need to get to know each other, or anything stupid like that!

"That's a wonderful idea! We'll leave you two to it and go for a walk around the courtyard!" My mother clapped her hands and stood up happily, obviously either completely misinterpreting my silent plea for help or simply disregarding it.

The only people who even bothered to look back were Reiju, who offered me a pitying glance and Judge, who nodded to his son. Even at my age, I could tell that this was all premeditated.

The second the door closed, I scooted my chair back, clutching the sides of the seat despite Ichiji making no moves. At the very least I freed my foot from the crushing weight of his own.

"Check, by the way." He motioned his chin to the board, and when I looked down I saw that he was telling the truth. Gritting my teeth, I hurriedly avoided the problem, hand retreating once my king had been moved.

"What, are you going to kill me like you guys killed that hare last time..?" I wouldn't put it past him. If someone could kill and animal like that, humans weren't out of the question.

"Why would I kill you? I don't break what's mine, that's more Niji's thing." The fact I couldn't see his eyes anymore made him all the more unnerving, and I flinched when he took his turn. That seemed to really amuse him.

"Again, not yours. You really need to drop that." The room was eerily quiet, the only sounds being the tick of the ageing clock and the light click of our chess pieces when we moved them in turn.

"Not officially, but in a few years, yeah, you will be. Once you mature, and we accept each other as mates in front of our kingdoms, you won't have a choice." Ichiji's tone was calm, collected, and oh so sure of himself. It rubbed me the wrong way.

"Just because we have to get married doesn't mean you'll own me." I had to stop getting distracted, realising so as he again cornered my king.
"Check. You really have no idea how mates work, do you, Princess?" Resting his chin in his hand, the red-head showed his teeth in a smile, and I grimaced at the sight.

"I...don't see how it could result in me being property..." He was right though, I was still pretty in the dark about that kind of thing, and the fact that he knew made me want to be on equal ground.

"Fine, I'll give you a lesson. We've been arranged to wed, and since we won't be fated mates, we'll need to openly accept one another as the person we choose instead." Click, clack, our game continued as he spoke. "Once accepted, I'll mark you, which, given it goes as planned, will bond us for life. You won't be able to refuse me."

Oh, stuff that!

"Then I'll just reject you!" Usually, whenever I had snapped at him in the past, Ichiji would sour and snarl, but this time he just chuckled, uncaring about my outburst.
"Go right ahead, it really doesn't matter to me either way. Reject me, lose Germa's power, fail your parents, watch your country get decimated when it's inevitably attacked. That's entirely your choice."

My choice..?

Why did he have to be as smart as he was evil? I knew he was right, he knew he was right, everyone did. That was my problem. I really didn't have any say in the matter, and it hurt.

"Checkmate." What caused me to freeze wasn't the fact that he had managed to beat me at the game, but the fact that, while I had been contemplating my lack of choice, he had somehow moved to stand behind me, one hand on the back of my chair and his lips close to my ear.

I didn't dare move, or even breath, lest he decided to end me on the spot. I knew he likely wouldn't, given our entangled circumstances, but the feeling of imminent danger wouldn't go away.

"N..Nicely played. You win..." I murmured, flinching down into myself when his hair tickled my cheek.
"I always do." He sounded so proud of himself, and it made me hate him that much more, which I hadn't been sure was even possible.

He's dangerous...Not just because he's violent...

"I don't want you just as much as you don't want me, but we're stuck like this, Princess, so it would make everything a heck of a lot easier if you just shut up and did what mummy and daddy tell you to do, okay? Or, better yet, what I tell you to do. Now, let's go join everyone outside."

I only managed to release the breath I had been holding after Ichiji yanked me to a stand and all but shoved me towards the door, his hand never leaving the small of my back. I couldn't understand how someone so thin, almost weedy, could have such strength.

Choosing to hold my tongue, I allowed him to lead me out towards the courtyard, where at the very least I'd be a little safer.

I can't let the rest of my life end up like this...I guess I'd better try and figure our a way to get us unstuck...or so help me...

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**Eventually I'll stop reporposing really old doodles and draw something brand new for this.

Next Time: The Great Return***