Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Prince Atsumu, the second prince of Inari Kingdom, didn’t want to do it. But after hearing where he is off to, he was instantly hooked. The scene of having the whole kingdom throw flowers and whatnot at their feet might have made his head swell again, but today was different. He wasn’t making his way to the palace and smiling at the beautiful maidens who came out of their rooms to wave at him. He was going out, something that he never attempted before. As he made his way to the gates, a few bystanders thought that the prince was grinning so arrogantly because of his pride intoxicating him at this very moment. However, only a few knew what was going on inside his head with just a simple look at his eyes.
“Look at that, cheekily grinning ear-to-ear as if he won already. Next thing you know, the only thing that’s left of him is his skull!”
“Oh dear, the King will be very displeased if he can’t eliminate that evil thing in that tower. It’s the least he could do for this kingdom.”
“Bah! I’m sure he will try and do his best. Because if he doesn’t, the King and Queen will definitely ignore him. We have the Crown Prince!”
Prince Atsumu couldn’t help but shake his head upon hearing their assumptions.
Was he being ignored by the rest of his family? So far, Crown Prince Osamu is the one who wanted to be ignored. He doesn’t like the attention he is receiving from all the other power hungry nobles and prefers to be in his room all day. Possibly gnawing at the thick sweet biscuits that are criminally hard to eat since they could break your teeth, but being Osamu with that ever growling stomach of his, he didn’t seem to care. While Crown Prince Osamu is busy trying to crack his biscuits, the other prince is passing time by chatting with the ladies of the court.
The answer is no, he is definitely getting a lot of attention just by having an attractive face. Even his mother wouldn’t leave him alone all day, she keeps trying to dress him up in new suits to wear each time. His father, on the other hand, would try and practice the sword with him every once in awhile.
The real reason behind the grin on his face was a mixture of excitement and curiosity. Excitement because he was finally leaving the stuffy palace where Osamu keeps grumbling all day along with his stomach, and curiosity for the creature in the tower.
The sea of cheering peasants and nobles filled his view as they bid him good luck on a long quest that is notorious for sending thrill seekers to their doom. Never to be heard or seen again, or so they say, for the evil being that is occupying the tower a hundred miles from this kingdom was terrorizing the neighboring rulers. Fed up with their constant worrying, they decided to send soldiers to try and defeat the thing but to no avail.
It was then that the kingdom of Kara proposed to have their beautiful princess, Princess Shimizu, wed the successful person whoever brings the head of the nefarious being that all of the other kingdoms decide to send out their princes in hopes of having her as their next queen. Crown Prince Osamu didn’t want to do it, saying that it was troublesome and the task fell to Atsumu.
He could hear the cries of various women behind him as the gates finally opened. As soon as it did, mirroring a horse that was set free, he raced off without looking back. The cries turned to cheers again and as the horse galloped, the noise further diminished as the distance between him and the kingdom grew. It felt good, having the wind against his face. The sound of his armor clanking a bit kept his ears busy. The sun beating down on him as he crossed the grassy fields, on his way to slay the evil sorcerer.
Three days and two nights have passed. Atsumu was feeling a bit worn out, having only to sleep in a small and warm tent. Packing only a few sets of clothes, water, and other necessities, he suddenly missed home. He missed his comfortable bed, the tasty meals everyday. He even missed the late night visits from his brother.
Imagining the latter tucking away food under his bed to eat at night, Atsumu softly laughed to himself as he poked the fire in front of him before it died out. The night has fallen and it was quiet around him, save for the lake he found nearby and the crickets singing their song. The forest was eerily dark and he swore he heard an owl hooting on the tree a few feet away.
“Maybe I should have asked for extra rations…” he mumbled to himself as he rummaged through his bag to see if there was a loaf of bread tucked away somewhere, to which there was none. Not wanting to kill and waste even more energy on trying to hunt for food to eat, Atsumu drank the water he stored in his leather flask before shutting his eyes, forcing the hunger down by sleeping. Tomorrow is a big day. Just beyond the forest would be the home of the ugly evil sorcerer that has been plaguing everyone. Strange enough, this sorcerer never seemed to have wreaked havoc at their kingdom. If the sorcerer was so famous for destroying and causing everyone problems, how come he’s never seen this sorcerer or even heard its name?
Just as he was close to joining the sheep he was counting on his head, the slight movement in the bushes nearby jolted him awake and he was on his feet immediately. Grabbing his sword, Atsumu ran to the bushes and raised his sword, ready to strike when the assailant ran out. Releasing the breath he didn’t know he was holding, he sighed at the bunny running away.
Boy, what a scare that was.
The horse didn’t even budge, already fast asleep. Jealous, Atsumu sheathed his sword and walked back to his tent. A tantalizing smell suddenly hit him, where it comes from, and put a halt on his tracks. Confused as to what was emitting on what smells like soup, his nose guided him where to go and went deep into the forest as the moonlight shone down on him. He and Osamu are definitely brothers.
Upon stepping out, he was brought to a cleared area. Lo and behold, his eyes couldn’t believe what he was seeing that he had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. It was indeed a watermelon patch, little it may be.
Thanking the gods, Atsumu licked his lips as he sat down, getting ready to do just about anything to open the big one. He rubbed his hands together and took the watermelon.
“Thank you for the foo—”
Whack!
Atsumu immediately dropped down, seeing stars and amongst those stars was an orange flame inside a lamp. A pair of sharp black eyes staring down at him, the last thing he saw before he blacked out completely.
All I wanted was a watermelon… what a sad way to go.