To you, My warrior

01 || 𝔒𝔫𝔠𝔢 𝔲𝔭𝔬𝔫 𝔞 𝔟𝔞𝔩𝔩

Loud chatter and the clinking of glasses filled the air, echoing through every corner of the grand ballroom. Nobles draped in extravagant suits and gowns mingled, exchanging words with polished smiles, their voices rising and falling in practiced harmony. Above them, the chandelier sparkled like a thousand stars, its brilliance magnifying the deep, rich hues of the walls and ornate decorations, casting the room in a soft, ethereal glow.

To any child, the scene might have seemed straight from the pages of a fairy tale, a dazzling spectacle of elegance and joy. Yet, for one lone figure amidst the sea of opulence, this fantasy held no magic.

Itoshi Sae, the young prince, sat perched upon a small throne at the edge of the room, his brow furrowed and his lips twisted into a disgruntled frown. His sharp eyes scanned the crowd, observing the nobles of various families as they mingled, each interaction a performance, each word a carefully measured tactic. From afar, everything appeared flawless—perfectly arranged, exquisitely adorned—but up close, Sae could see the cracks, the thinly veiled façades beneath the sparkling exterior.

Power-hungry, he thought bitterly, his gaze narrowing as he watched a noblewoman smile too brightly, a man laugh a little too loudly. It was all so... empty. The prince could almost hear the echoes of their true desires in the air—the calculated words, the feigned interest, the desperate attempts to win favor from those in higher ranks. To them, this ballroom was nothing more than a chessboard, each move carefully orchestrated in hopes of gaining an advantage.

Sae clicked his tongue in annoyance, a flicker of distaste passing over his features as another insincere compliment reached his ears. Nothing here was real. Nothing was genuine. And it soured him to his core.

"Sae, are you alright?" The soft, concerned voice of his younger brother, Itoshi Rin, drifted to his ears. Turning his head, Sae gave him a small, reassuring smile, the kind he knew would put his brother at ease, even if it didn't quite reach his own heart.

"I'm alright, Rin."

"Are you sure?" Rin pressed, his teal eyes wide with concern, searching his brother's face for any signs of distress. Sae's gaze softened, his heart melting at the sight of his brother's innocent worry.

"Yes, of course." The words slipped from his lips with practiced ease. Lies. He knew they were lies, but how could he tell Rin the truth? Not when the boy was still so young, so untouched by the brutal undercurrents of their world. No, Sae couldn't let him see the cracks, not yet. "I'm alright."

"If you say so..." Rin murmured, his voice carrying a trace of uncertainty, but he chose to trust his brother, as he always did. His eyes flicked around the room, lingering on the grand festivities, before his face lit up with sudden enthusiasm.

"Sae! Look, Father is coming back!"

The exclamation caught Sae's attention. His eyes followed the direction Rin pointed, and a small, genuine smile tugged at the corners of his lips for the first time that evening. There, moving through the sea of nobles, was their father—the king—his regal presence drawing the gaze of all within the ballroom.

Sae's excitement, though tempered by his usual cynicism, couldn't help but show. His father's return meant something important. It always did. And for just a moment, the heaviness in Sae's chest lifted, replaced by a flicker of anticipation.

"Father." Sae greeted with a calmness that contrasted Rin's enthusiasm, though there was an unmistakable spark of excitement in his voice.

Slowly, the King ascended the stairs toward the thrones where his two young princes sat, each step regal and deliberate. The crowd around them seemed to part, their eyes filled with a mixture of envy and awe, their gazes locked on the back of the ruler's imposing figure.