"Don't move." Mizuki ordered.
Mizuki was basically straddling this man's waist to hold him down and when he looked at his face his eyes widened. This man, or rather this boy did not look like he was supposed to be out here. He had a small, round fac...
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A few weeks later
Mizuki walked towards his father's throne room to find out why he hadn't left it yet to join the festivities that have been happening all day. They finally found an appropriate time to host their annual festival and Mizuki was overjoyed at how everything came out.
Hana had truly outdone herself.
Everything from the food to the music to the decoration was absolutely perfect. Everyone was having the time of their lives and Mizuki would be too but he couldn't bring himself to genuinely smile without his love by his side.
He chided himself for letting any negative emotions overtake his mind once again and snapped out of it as he reached the door that led to his father.
After two gentle knocks, he slowly pushed open the door and took a step inside. His eyebrows furrowed in worry when he saw his father leaning against the desk with two fingers massaging his temple.
"Dad?" Mizuki called out softly. "Are you okay?"
"Ah-Mizuki." Hiroshi said as he sat up straighter and masked his expression. "What happened?"
"Nothing I just wanted to ask why you haven't joined yet?" Mizuki asked as he walked closer to his father.
"I might skip it this year." He answered sombrely.
"Why?" Mizuki asked as he took a seat and leaned back on the comfy chair.
"Your mother used to love the festivals." He breathed out after a moment of silence and Mizuki's face dropped as his heart tugged painfully.
"She did?" He asked and Hiroshi hummed.
Hiroshi rarely talked about his late wife as it always clouded his judgment and dampened his mood. Aki Hayashi caught a deadly plague right after Rin's first birthday and after weeks of suffering she passed away.
The whole kingdom was in shambles after her death and Yarisha had taken that opportunity to attack their borders but after a three year old Mizuki almost got caught in the crossfire Hiroshi snapped out of his grief and fought back to protect his children.
He knew that his beloved wouldn't have forgiven him if he let his children be harmed.
Growing up, Mizuki and Rin stopped asking questions when they saw how sad their father got and instead they were content with the way their life was. Of course they wished they had gotten the chance to properly know their mother but their father never let them feel the missing piece in their family.
"She used to organise them before Hana took over and she always had so much fun. It would be all she talked about for weeks and she worked hard for so many hours. The last..the last festival she attended was after you turned 2 and she had made you an outfit herself. She worked so hard on it and when she was done she 'dolled' you up and said you were the most adorable prince ever." He said and Mizuki laughed softly.
