𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐄 | ᴋ. ꜱᴀᴋᴜꜱᴀ

╰┈➤𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑳𝑶𝑮𝑼𝑬

AS EVERY ROYALTY ROMANCE STARTS, we begin with a ball.

a ball of celebrating the wealthy and spoiled throne-holders and seekers. blinding chandeliers, dizzying waltzes, gold embellishments on large gowns and crowns filling the scene along with atmospheric violins, cold marble floors, towering pillars, and long corridors.

it starts off like every other royal story, a path to find love, we begin with a ball.

heavenly bodies who believe god's power was bestowed upon them, dance aimlessly in circling pairs along the floors as others observe on the side, or perhaps catch up on the latest gossip of the kingdom - a poison that leaves their lips that sip on fine wine from golden rimmed chalices.

that poison drips into the eager ears of y/n, the crowned princess to the kingdom of inarizaki. she drinks it up and grins as her body is swung and dipped on the dance floor, picking up snippets of each conversation around the room. its always the same snippets from those who eyed her with jealousy and distaste. the occasional "wasted potential" and "undeserving" was nothing new to the princess. if anything, her non-reactive manner to these potent words spilt from the mouths left the lingering taste of embarrassment and bitterness. 

"you're zoning out again, princess," her dance partner, and childhood friend, whispered.

"rintaro, every party this castle throws, we do the same dance over and over," y/n rolled her eyes as her partner casually spun her around.

"that is true, but the king would be upset if you did otherwise," suna smirked. "he would have my head since he wouldn't dare punish his one and only daughter."

y/n didn't even try to deny it. her noble blood and being the king's only daughter allowed her to run with a lot of things - spoiled, pampered, catered to - is what some would call her. her older brother was always distant since boys were raised on different terms, yet she knew he was still fond of her.

the music winded down, cueing the dancing couplets to finish with a bow or curtsey. y/n let go of the frills on her dress as she lifted her head to meet her father's gaze, who stood in the center of bifurcated stairs. on either side of him stood his guards, the miya twins.

the princess met eyes with osamu first, who gave her a gentle nod and smile. she then turned to atsumu, who threw up a peace sign, not so subtly, by his hip. she groaned and bit back a snort at his behavior.

clearing his throat, the king grabbed every party-goer's attention, "welcome to another glorious night in inarizaki's kingdom!" he paused to allow space for posh cheering and applauses before continuing, "as some of you know, my daughter's birthday is within the next week, therefore our castle will be holding a courting ball that invites suitors from kingdoms all across japan. come well-dressed, well-mannered, and may the best noble win."

at that, whispers began to flood the grand ballroom and violins started up again. y/n stood in the center of all of it as she eyed her father walking away to talk with the queen. suna took the girl's hand and pulled her outside to the terrace.

"you excited, princess?"

she shot him a glare, "what do you think?"

"well," her friend sighed, "you cannot stay young forever. eventually this kingdom and its people will be yours to rule."

y/n glanced upwards to the stars and reached out, giving a sad smile, "our youth is slipping away."

"however, we shall not let it escape from us, for we have our memories to hold onto," suna brought her arm down and rested it onto the marble banister.

"look at you two," a voice called out, "you sound like marriage will be the death of you."

without looking at who it was the princess argued, "well having a choice would be nice for once in my life since marriage is already my duty as part of this kingdom."

"you're still silver-tongued as ever, y/n," they replied.

the girl turned to respond but paused when she realized who it was, "shinsuke!" she turned to the person next to him, "aran!"

he bowed and smirked at his younger sister, "my apologies for arriving unannounced," he turned to her best friend, "thank you suna for looking after her. she must've been a pain in the ass."

suna snickered at the prince's comment, "that's for sure."

"are you done shit talking me?" y/n had grown impatient. "i thought you were busy being general of the army. what are you doing here, shinsuke? for all we know, there could be a civil war breaking out."

"you're so dramatic! i'm here to celebrate you of course! i need to make sure the suitor you choose will pass my standards too."

"we'll see if any of them even can handle her attitude," aran retorted.

that led to aran getting smacked upon the head and the princess huffing a pout, "you three act like i'm unbearable. i'm retiring for the night, so long!"

y/n walked to her room alone, needing the silence to wrap around her atmosphere for the night. through the corridors and halls, she finally found her designated quarters. settling into her night routine: a bath, skincare, and what not, she rested in her bed, blankly staring at the ceiling decorated with tapestries.

shifting uncomfortably, the princess thought back to the evening.

is it possible to find true romance in a situation like this? can true love be a realistic product of these events?

like every fairytale, there is glimmering youth, fear of responsibility, the "never grow up" personas. in every fairytale, there is courage, perseverance, a harmonious cheer and happily ever after. and if it starts off like any other fairytale, we shall assume it ends like one: winning the war with boisterous cries, the tears of the king and queen passing down the throne to their beloved child, the tight embraces after witnessing a wedding.

and yet, i tell you this now, that it doesn't end so cleanly: winning a war with boisterous cries of what has been sacrificed, the tears of the king and queen of another kingdom passing down the throne to someone else's beloved child, the tight back-stabbing embraces after witnessing a wedding that shouldn't have happened.

it does not end like any other story, and so, i shall not tell it like one.

𝑨𝑼𝑻𝑯𝑶𝑹' 𝑺 𝑵𝑶𝑻𝑬:

welcome to this story! hope you enjoy
your stay and have a divine time.
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