The Kingmaker

A New Dancer

This is an AU version of a manga I read as a kid. You don't have to read the manga in order to understand this novel. 

This piece of content contains themes and topics that may be considered mature, such as violence, slavery, and colonisation. Reader discretion is advised. 

It's important to keep in mind that the characters in this story are morally ambiguous, which means they may act in ways that some readers may find unethical. Some of them will do anything to survive, save their loved ones, achieve their goals, etc., This is an excellent chance to examine various viewpoints and morality, so if you're looking for a book with complex characters, this could be the book for you!



 Fire raging, cold flows

Opposing forces entwine

Balance in chaos

-

The new Dancer is trembling. Short gasps of breath escape from her. Her chest is heaving, and for a brief moment, her eyes squeeze shut.

Her fear is stifling, hanging heavily in the air.

Tetsuya can feel it from where he stands in front of her, on the other side of the room, at the bottom of a flight of stairs.

The room, with its bamboo and rice straw mat floor, high ceiling, and a single crescent-shaped door, would be shrouded in darkness if not for the paper lanterns casting their soothing golden glow. Perhaps if he closes his eyes, he can fool himself that he is alone. 

When he keeps his eyes open, the new Dancer is still here; her knees are almost completely buckled. He can see the pearly sheen of sweat on the Dancer's brow and the unnatural pallor of her face. She doesn't move, but her body is clearly shivering.

"We will search inside you if you do not hurry."

Kuroko Tetsuya winces as Haizaki Shougo drags the girl. Biting his lower lip, he tells himself that this is just part of the protocol. Anyone who is about to enter the Palace should peel their clothes off. The barer you are, the better. It only means you have no weapon you could use to harm the Royal Family.

As a Dancer—a member of the cadre responsible for entertaining the Palace—Tetsuya understands the necessity of keeping an immaculate appearance. Scars, especially visible ones, are strictly prohibited. It's a demanding standard, but one that they all have to adhere to unless they wish to famish.

"I don't understand..." The girl says her eyes, wide with panic, dart around the room, searching for an escape that does not exist.

When her gaze falls on him, he inhales deeply as he realises how young she is. Barely older than him, maybe for a few months. Her skin is as soft as the finest silk and glows like the first sun after a long winter. Her feather-light rosy hair flutters in the wind with the teeniest whispers.

Surely, she must be the most sought-after Dancer. Whoever her handler may be, they have taken meticulous care of her. In contrast to Tetsuya's snow-white complexion, hers bears a subtle pinkish tint, as if she's spent the entire day pinching herself. She looks like some sort of a delicate flower, delicate in all ways that matter.

"Are you deaf?" Haizaki crosses his arms over his chest, his nostrils flaring. His sharp, dark eyes bore into her. She squirms for a brief period before straightening up and starts performing what she's been ordered.