The crowd was going crazy with the information they were presented. They simply couldn't believe their ears. Question after question was asked about the former queen's daughter and her intentions about coming forward about the news. However, Rei and his father only remained amused by the way the subjects of the country were reacting, scurrying about like ants. Still, the line of succession was a tricky and fickle subject, one that needed to be fine-tuned to prevent any mishaps.

"I must apologize for keeping this from you all," the blonde's mother spoke, giving a curtsy, "Unfortunately, my former husband and I were quite upset at one another, and we took to different company. From that, my sons, Kazuki and Ichiro, were created out of wedlock. In other terms, they are bastards."

Another shock rumbled through the press, many reporters having heart attacks as were the people watching the event from their homes. The country was losing its mind, fearing for the next successor of the throne and the future of their country. Many asked questions about why the woman would come forward about her and her ex-husband's crimes, but most wanted to know who would replace Orion as the next king.

"This is a difficult subject to bring up. My former husband and I were quite distaken with one another and for many years, we neglected our relationship. It was purely political, and I was taken with another man. Years after I split apart from that man, I found solace in my husband's arms again and we created our youngest son, Rei. Unfortunately, our love did not remain, but Rei did. It would be a crime to neglect to mention that my eldest sons are ineligible for the throne, so I am confessing. Please accept my apologies."

Again, loud arguing erupted through the people gathered in front of the royal family, some about their frustrations with the queen's youngest daughter. However, most were beginning to realize the next eligible candidate for the throne. After all, he was sitting right behind his mother, a charming smile on his face. Perhaps it was just for show, but it was there, making the people at ease or alarmed. No matter the option, everyone would accept it in time, Rei just knew it.

"As my elder sister produced no heirs that can succeed the throne, and my eldest sons are illegitimate, I would like to present my youngest son to you. He will be the one to ascend to the throne."

The blonde-haired male stood up with a cocky yet charismatic grin after kissing (Y/n)'s cheek. She appeared scared for him to leave her sitting alone with a giant crowd of confused people before her, so he made sure to keep his speaking as concise as possible. Perhaps if he did that, he could bring her to stand next to him and keep her safe. Rei was incredibly motivated by the idea, wanting to provide security to the younger girl and show his charm to her at the same time. How could he not smile at that?

"It's a pleasure to stand before you, and to be the next one to serve our great country," Rei spoke proudly, holding his head high, "Through my youngest years, I have watched my beloved grandmother lead us through strife and hardship and encourage our successes and triumphs. A true source of inspiration, I hold her near and dear to my heart as I do with all my family. I only wish to serve you with the same enthusiasm and grace that she bestowed upon us."

The crowd was awed at the way the blonde-haired male spoke, watching as he would give heartfelt expressions or passionate talks about things he wished to achieve. The way he would almost break down when talking about his cousin and brother would drive the observers to tears. And the great reassurance he provided them made them feel secure and wanting of his leadership. In other words, he manipulated them in such a way that they couldn't tell he was full of it. His elder brother had taught him a thing or two about the power of words, after all.

The male's speech ended soon after he found the crowd was putty in his hands, letting him mold the country how he wished and highlight (Y/n) above all else. Reporters lined up, practically pushing over themselves to hear more of what he had to say and learn more about him. A prodigy child turned king of Vethela. It was truly a fairy tale, one they planned on getting an exclusive on.

"Prince Rei, what do you think of your older brothers?"

"Prince Rei, who was that woman on your arm?"

"Prince Rei, when is the coronation?"

All of them were along the lines of childish questions, ones he would not answer as they didn't interest him in the slightest. It should have all been obvious, enough so to make him pity the intellect of the poor reporters. They would figure it out in time, and he shouldn't have to waste his precious breath to explain everything to them. He doubted they would even be able to understand if he did. Nonetheless, he put on a sympathetic expression and listened patiently to their irksome inquiries.

"I understand you all have many questions, but I'm afraid I can only answer so many," the blonde smiled and gave an adoring expression, "Please do go easy on me."

He did as he said he would, answering everything except the questions about (Y/n) for reasons only he knew. Time passed as he patiently listened and responded to the people of his country, and soon enough, it was time for the event to end. He gave a nod of his head and made his way off the stage, letting his mother and father take care of the other political questions. He ensured the (h/c) haired girl followed him, taking her hand in his and caressing it softly, a soft smile on his lips.

Rei remained the patient and calm person he was when he put on a mask for others to admire. There wasn't any patience left in him, however, and almost instantly, he let out an irritated scoff, pulling the younger girl into his arms. It seemed to calm him but prompted her to tense up in fear. The blonde ignored it, finding it to be normal for her, and took advantage of her presence to soothe his frustrations.

"They're so entitled," he growled, hugging the younger girl tighter in anger, "I don't know who they think they are! They think they can get away with looking at you! I'll kill them all, I swear!"

"Please don't," the younger girl shivered, her voice meek, barely audible.

The blonde pulled away, his reaction unreadable to her standards. She couldn't tell whether he was mad that she was telling him what to do, excited that she was talking, or disgusted by the fact she was defending people who deserved to be punished. As his expression turned into one of soft joy, she still couldn't find the will or ability to relax in his presence, especially as he placed a kiss on her neck.

"You're speaking more," he beamed, "I just knew it. You really are falling for me!"

"I-I wouldn't," the girl paused, looking away with some kind of shame lurking in her eyes, "get your hopes up."

Rei paused as well, taking in her words even when they were so quiet even a mouse would have a difficult time trying to decipher her words. His face appeared as though he were calm for but a second, changing drastically and contorting into something like anger or pain. Without a word, he stared her down, almost demanding she change her statement and tell him that she was only joking. However, she couldn't say a thing, quite intimidated by his focused and intent scowl.

"You don't mean that," he stated, more of a command than a question or statement, "What you meant to say was that you love me and only me and that you're being a naughty girl and lying to me...Right?"

(Y/n) didn't respond, shrinking away from his terrifying and yet so beautifully purple eyes. They could charm someone into a date or kill someone with something so simple as a look. The (h/c) haired girl certainly felt it was stealing her life from her, captivating her, but not with awe. With a fear she regressed from him, taking a single step away before she heard him let out a revolted growl. She had clearly made the wrong option, something that made him more frustrated than he already was.

"I'm sorry," he chuckled menacingly, still putting on a nice face so as not to scare her, "I-I keep mishearing the words that come out of your beautiful mouth. Please repeat it...one more time."

"I just wanted to," the younger girl paused, her limbs shaking and causing her voice to tremble violently, "I wanted to warn you! I-I don't know what will happen! I don't know if I can fall in love with you!"

Rei's eye twitched, his smile still on his face. It seemed a side effect to having worn a personality for so long before so many people. It wasn't something that he could take off at his own will, half of him split between forgiving her, half of him furious with her words. He couldn't handle it, the anger inside of him boiling past what he could contain for her. His wrath seemed to radiate into the nearby air, (Y/n) freezing up, unable to move any of her muscles in fear. Then she looked up into his eyes and instantly understood what he was going to do.

"I-I-I'm sorry!" the younger girl shivered, stumbling back so much she fell on the floor, his intimidating presence increased by his height over her, "Please, please don't! Rei...Rei...Rei!"

Usually, the sound of the blonde's name coming from her own voice would make him cheer up and put a smile on his face. It was all it took for him to forgive her for whatever he thought she did wrong. However, his face was unmoving, his eyes distant and cold, no light escaping or entering them. He looked to the side, crossing his arms over his chest and staring into the distance. It was terrifying.

Reacting to the sight of the male's state - that was to be highly feared - the (h/c) haired girl absolutely knew what he was thinking. With worry in her mind, her heart seizing its beating to allow her to move. She stood up and threw her arms around the blonde's neck. He didn't react, something that prompted more nervousness in the younger girl's arms. Though it prompted her veins to pump more blood, feeling as though she was suffocating, she placed kiss after kiss on his lips, but still, he didn't react, staring out into the distance.

(Y/n) couldn't believe it. She grabbed tightly onto him as he clapped his hands, instructing something to a servant that then bowed and rushed away to grab what he wanted. The (h/c) haired girl felt tears prick at her eyes, her desperate attempts resulting only in failure. Even when she kissed his neck, he only let out a soft and surprised gasp. She felt great shame in continuing her actions, but she had no other choice. The younger girl was filled with despair, knowing exactly what he was going to punish her with.

Still, Rei looked away, his eyes dead and uncaring, even as she desperately tried to get his attention. In any other situation, he would have been more than delighted and would have rewarded her with some kind of luxury item or trip. However, he was not thrilled by the words she had spoken, and he had to teach her a lesson. Before, he required it all the time as (Y/n) was a stubborn girl and would resist him at every turn. Obviously, he had broken her down to a point where she would touch him willingly or let him hold her.

Nonetheless, the younger girl didn't see the male make any emotions on his face, just a stern expression that was unchanging and uncaring. He didn't even so much as move his eyes away from where the servant had run off to. As she tried more and more to get him to turn away from anger and instead towards his desire for her, she stumbled upon something that mildly worked, eliciting a muffled sound from him.

The (h/c) haired girl intended on kissing him enough to let him care, but her teeth accidentally grazed his skin. Rei couldn't hold in a groan, although he tried to stifle it, his body shaking against his will. Letting out a dark and desireful chuckle, he looked down at her, his smirk widening. He grabbed onto her chin and lifted it up so she stared into his eyes which sparkled with a hint of lust, much more anger clouding it.

"Are you trying to get me into bed?" he asked, nearing his face to hers as his other hand snaked around her hip, "You don't have to try so hard just for something like that."

(Y/n) was stunned, not able to respond to the older male's flirting. He moved his thumb across her lips, biting down on his, showing his obvious want for her. His eyes were still cold, but they possessed a heat inside of them that the (h/c) haired girl couldn't react to. She was unable to even move, allowing him to massage her hips to his heart's content. Doing so made him emit more strained scoffs, but he kept himself as composed as he could be, considering...circumstances.

"Men are very simple, cupcake," he purred in her ear, pushing her against the wall and placing his leg in between hers, "Do you know how easy it is to control a man with your body?"

The younger girl didn't respond, her cheeks a bright red and her breathing heavy. She had tried to hold it in, but he had pressed his lips around the divet between her neck and her shoulder, nibbling just a bit. He let out a groan and moved his leg in between hers further, moving closer to trap her against the wall and himself. It appeared that he was beginning to get carried away, pressing his forehead on her neck as he breathed heavily, clearly affected by his attractions to her.

"You can control them for a bit," Rei continued, letting out somewhat of a whine, "but they'll go crazy. Like animals. You don't know how badly I want to claim you as mine."

The blonde gave a deranged chuckle and then let out a moan the next second. And out of nowhere, he pulled back and gave a silly grin, sticking his tongue out as if he'd just told a funny joke. The change in atmosphere was astounding, completely different from what had just been plaguing the (h/c) haired girl. Her cheeks were still a bright red, but Rei didn't seem to know what had happened in the slightest.

"Hm? What's wrong?" he asked, a mischievous smirk on his face, poking at the younger girl's cheeks before skipping away, "You're all red!"

"Rei!" the younger girl exclaimed, seeing the servant the male had sent beginning to return, "I-I want you to take me to your meetings!"

The blonde grinned wide and jumped at the change to lead her to his daily routines. It wasn't something he often got to partake in with someone who wasn't part of his advisory group or family. Being able to have her at his side would also be incredibly calming and hopefully lively. Thus, Rei was overjoyed at the chance to take her with him, completely turning his back on the servant approaching him.

However, as the (h/c) haired girl led him away, trying to get his attention away from what he had previously instructed for, a smirk spread from one side of his face to the other. The male was well aware of what he had done. It wasn't that he wanted to punish her, he just wanted his way, and if feigning ignorance was what he required to do to get her attention to himself, it was just another step that needed to be taken. Nonetheless, she was able to accompany him to something he deemed incredibly important, so all was well.

. . .

"News of the strange succession in Vethela has led to some juicy rumors. The former queen's youngest daughter and her ex-husband have admitted to the world that their eldest sons, Duke Kazuki and Ichiro are illegitimate. Because they weren't born to those that were married, they are unable to ascend to the throne. After the crown prince's inability to take the throne due to his fragile health, it has been announced that Rei Hoshino - or Hirasi if called by his father's name - will be the next King of Vethela. In other news - "

The television was shut off, the remote practically being crushed by the man holding it, holding back his tears. The same could not be said for the younger male in front of him, who collapsed on the floor, hugging himself. His worst nightmares were coming true, tears spilling from his eyes and down his cheeks. There were so many, it made him fear he would drown under the weight of his own heartbreak and grief.

"This can't be happening," he whimpered, curling up into himself as if it would stop the hopelessness building up inside of him, "They love us...they love us, right?!"

The older male gave a shaky sigh, trying to keep himself together for the sake of the male falling apart before his very eyes. His blonde hair fell in front of his eyes, hiding the sadness lurking behind them. As he moved from the couch down to the carpet, he comforted his younger brother, allowing the male to hug him tightly and bawl his eyes out until they fell out of their sockets. It was only to be expected.