The Kingmaker

Cards

Dark shadow lurking

Harmless yet veils perception

Vision clouded, watch

Kagami Taiga, now certain that Kuroko Tetsuya is indeed a Dancer and Ogiwara Shigehiro is a cupbearer, warns everyone that none of them shall inflict harm on any of them and that they are to listen to the officers in this kingdom only.

Reluctance eclipses Mibuchi's face, but he soon nods and courteously bows to the Crown Prince. Even with hatred brewing in his veins, Mibuchi understands that none of them, especially him, shall cause war between the two kingdoms. Their position is already precarious. It'd be absurd if hurting a cupbearer were the catalyst.

Despite everything, Shigehiro cannot help but feel sorry for the handler. It's difficult not to when one considers all they have been forced to endure. What if the pirates never showed up, and everything went according to plan? He may have received considerate treatment from Mibuchi.

And yet, what has been done is done, so he keeps his mouth shut and tries not to meet their gazes.

"Slaying a cupbearer wouldn't be the most absurd cause," Kagami Taiga says as soon as Mibuchi Reo and the rest of the Dancers are out of the courtroom. It shudders Shigehiro how everyone thinks the same.

🥀

The southern courtroom stands in stark contrast to its northern counterpart, favouring simplicity over opulence. Everything, aside from the stone throne, seems to be made of wood in different colours. The bead offerings to the gods are shining and polished, resembling true jewellery.

The doors are carved into the shape of dragons, with flames swirling and engulfing everything in their paths.

Ikalo, one of the messengers and the head guardian of the Azure Dragon is seated on a single wooden stand on the right side of the throne. The table on the left side holds his weapon, embellished with "golden" decorations. A bowl of water is placed at his feet. In the South, Kuroko says, it is forbidden to pray without washing one's feet. But as time has gone on, not many people have abided by this rule. As long as the heart is pure and your feet are clean, the gods will hear them, so they say.

Shigehiro thanks Kuroko for the whispered education, although he is curious how Kuroko has already learnt so much about the sole kingdom in the south.

On the floor are circles within circles, and at the centre is the Azure Dragon, its claws sharp and stout. Wedged between its jaws is a writhing man who's holding a goblet above his head whilst a tribe is watching them. If Shigehiro had to guess, these painted folks are cheering for the man's demise. Either he is being punished by the Azure Dragon or he is a sacrifice.

He shudders. He has heard many tales of how barbaric this kingdom is in comparison to the other five. After witnessing the ruthless pursuit by Alon's men, he can no longer dismiss these stories as mere exaggeration.

To dispel such uneasiness, he focuses on the Crown Prince's huge earrings, which are dangling in one ear. Shigehiro wonders if Kagami Taiga is bothered by the scorched ear or if he has grown accustomed to only having one usable ear.

In their kingdom, there is a tribe that once permitted men the right to wear earrings, but their head government has outlawed them after classifying them as weapons. And yet, the same law does not apply to women.

"Have you heard how the gods made Shoyen?" The Crown Prince asks as he sits down, gesturing for them to do the same. They both bow before taking their seats. The table isn't particularly long or big. It's enough for a small council. A cupbearer like him shouldn't grace these seats, but he isn't familiar with Kagami Taiga's temper. Best to do whatever he says.