Fates Entwined (A TodoBaku ff) ✔

LXXVIII

Shoto spent the rest of the day strolling the gardens with Fuyumi before they sat down for afternoon tea in their mother's greenhouse. He tried to listen attentively as she told him about the new seeds she had brought for the new flower beds, and asked which ones he thought would look best in summertime, but often he found his mind wavering to the silhouette of the forests in the distance or to his memories of sharing a final moment with Touya and their mother. He hoped Fuyumi didn't realise how much he hadn't been paying attention as the sun began to descend in the sky, and he was thankfully released for a moment of quiet when Natsuo returned after a day of studying to ask her for some advice on dating...

Shoto was given a few days of rest after the journey for him to settle down in the castle and to begin adapting back to his life as royalty. This meant that for the several days following his return he had plenty of time to reflect on recent events and reminisce on his time in the Tribe lands. Of course, most importantly he wanted to reconnect with his siblings, so most of his days were devoted to sharing tea with them, taking walks around the gardens and the local town in order to catch up on all of the years they spent apart. 

Naturally, there were times Shoto became overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information given to him, and it didn't help in his feelings of isolation. He was soon to be king, his people welcomed him with waves and open arms whenever he walked through the cobbled streets, and his siblings were no longer hidden away from his view, and yet there were moments when he felt completely cut off from everyone.

He didn't understand local terms, couldn't talk about shared experiences at taverns and shops because he was never allowed to leave the castle to visit them, and even though he tried his best to be friendly to all of the workers he feared they would see through his facade and realise how unequipped he was at the social aspect of being king. He knew his father was equally awful at that, but he didn't know whether that was more of a solace or a burden to him. 

It was the third day of his return and he had planned a visit that day to one of the periphery villages of the kingdom. The population was small but he knew they worked hard to provide their fellow citizens with crops and meat that were distributed across the land throughout the years. He also knew from his studies that winters were often harsh on these villages, especially those closest to the forests and whose climate was similar during winter to that of the Edalian forest, and whilst his father did not show much care for these people, only when receiving annual reports of low production and profits, Shoto wanted all of his people regardless of their livelihoods or location to know he cared for them. 

He rose early in the morning after a restful sleep, easily falling into a deep slumber the night before after perusing his mother's collection of books and settling on a romance. It reminded him of Katsuki's secret collection of romance novels, and wondered if the man had ever read the story he was holding in his hands. Perhaps it would be a good gift for when they next saw each other, however long that may be.

Iida had asked some of the workers to prepare supplies for his day, for whilst it was a safe and short journey he would be going alone. At first this received some level of objection from both Iida and his siblings, and no doubt if he hadn't asked his father's old advisers to leave their posts and return to their homes they would have objected further, but not only was this a journey that would help him make better choices once king, it was also a way for him to enjoy some quiet time in the outdoors, something he greatly missed despite only having left the Tribe lands a few short days ago. 

"You must make sure to eat something on the way, since you've not had breakfast. And don't get too preoccupied that you miss lunch as well." Fuyumi insisted, holding his hand tightly as he mounted his horse, Natsuo checking that the straps for his supplies were secure.