Guarded Whispers (GiyuuSane)

11

As the first light of dawn seeped through the heavy drapes, Prince Sanemi reluctantly rose from his bed. The prospect of facing another day under his father's harsh rule filled him with a familiar dread. He sighed heavily, wishing someone would end his father's life before he had to endure yet another excruciating meeting.

With heavy steps, Sanemi walked down the long hallways of the castle, each step feeling like it weighed a ton. He dreaded this part. Reaching the door of his father's office, he paused for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady himself. Just as he was about to reach for the door knob, he was interrupted by Tomioka.

"Good morning, Your Highness," Giyuu greeted, his voice calm and respectful.

Sanemi gave a nod, appreciating the brief distraction before he entered the room. As soon as he stepped inside, the oppressive atmosphere hit him like a wave.

"Sanemi! Sit!" the king barked, pointing to the chair parallel to him. Sanemi took a seat, his face cold and expressionless. The tension in the room was palpable, and Tomioka, standing just behind the prince, could feel the chill in the air.

"How's your wife?" the king sneered, his tone mocking. He knew exactly what buttons to push. "She's not my wife." Sanemi replied sharply, his voice like a blade.

"You know what I mean." the king said, his eyes lingering on Tomioka for a moment before turning back to his son. "I hope you haven't found another reason to protest this marriage."

"Why even try?" Sanemi grumbled, his fist clenching the armrest of his chair. "Exactly. Looks like you've finally learned!" the king said with a smug smile.

The conversation was tense, filled with underlying hatred and bitterness. Sanemi's responses were guarded, his father's painful presence and commanding. The prince's aura was almost deadly, filling the room with his barely contained rage. Despite the tension, the meeting passed without the prince strangling his father to death, though it left Sanemi feeling drained and more resentful than ever.

After the meeting, Sanemi and Tomioka walked together back to the prince's quarters. The prince's shoulders relaxed slightly once they were away from his father's office. The long, silent walk gave him time to cool down.

They reach Sanemi's office, and the prince pauses at the door. "I'll be buried in paperwork for the rest of the day. If you need a break, take it." his voice filled with frustration.

"I'll stay close." Tomioka replies. The prince shrugs his shoulders. "Suit yourself." As the door closes behind him, Tomioka resumes his post, keeping a keen eye.

The rest of the day passed more peacefully. Sanemi tried to focus on his duties, though his mind often wandered back to the painful conversation with his father.

His thoughts were soon interrupted by his brother. "Did your suit already arrive?" Genya asked, taking a seat in front of him. "For?" Sanemi asked, not to break away from his work.

"Wha-!? For the banquet!? It's in two weeks!" The youngest yelled in disbelief. "Right... I'll do it later today. Already have yours?"

"Of course I do! You need to order yours now or it'll come late." Genya said before leaving the office. Sanemi groaned. As if this day wasn't already bad enough, he was getting off schedule.

Later that evening, the prince made his way to the tailor. The castle tailor, a middle-aged man with a sharp eye for detail, greeted him with a respectful bow. "Your Highness, we've been expecting you. Let's get your measurements."

The process was quick and efficient, the tailor working with practiced ease. Tomioka stood by, watching silently. Once the measurements were taken, the tailor showed Sanemi several fabrics and designs.

"Choose whichever you like, Your Highness." the tailor said, presenting a variety of luxurious materials.

The prince picked a dark green fabric with silver embroidery, something elegant yet not too pretentious. The tailor nodded approvingly and promised to have it ready in time for the banquet.

•───✧✦✧───•

The royal banquet was approaching. Everyone, including the royal guards, had to present themselves in the best possible manner. For Tomioka, this meant a new type of look.

Early one morning, Tomioka was summoned to Prince Sanemi's quarters. "Good morning, Your Highness," Giyuu greeted, bowing slightly.

Sanemi looked up from the documents spread across his desk and gave a nod. "I have an errand for you."

Tomioka straightened. "What do you require, Your Highness?" Sanemi set down his pen and stood, walking around the desk to face Tomioka directly. "With the royal banquet coming up, it's important that everyone, especially my personal guard, looks the part. You need a more formal uniform and... a haircut." His eyes flicked to Tomioka's slightly unruly hair, a hint of unamusement in his gaze.

Tomioka nodded, understanding the necessity. "Good," Sanemi replied, a small smile playing on his lips. "Go to your department. They'll say more there."

With that, Tomioka made his way to the security department. Recognizing the chief, he walked up to him. "Ah, Tomioka! It's nice to see you! This the longest a guard has been with the prince! Anyway, since Prince Sanemi and Prince Genya are going to the banquet, we need to get you and Kamado ready!"

Leading to the security's personal tailor, Hakka, he greeted them warmly. The chief said his goodbyes and went back to the department.

Hakla gestured towards a plush chair. "We need to make sure you look for the banquet!" Tomioka took a seat. Hakka measured him with swift, practiced movements, muttering to himself as he noted down the measurements. He then presented several fabric swatches, each more luxurious than the last.

"I think this one will suit you best," Hakka said, holding up a midnight black fabric with silver accents. "It's elegant yet understated." Tomioka nodded in agreement.

Hakka set to work immediately, his hands a blur of activity as he began crafting the new uniform. While the tailor worked, Giyuu found himself relaxing slightly, the rhythmic sounds of sewing and cutting strangely soothing.

After some time, Hakka presented the finished uniform. It was a perfect fit, the dark fabric contrasting sharply with the silver embroidery.

"Thank you." Tomioka said, genuinely impressed. "You're welcome! Now, off to the barber with you!" Hakka replied with a grin.

Tomioka made his way to the barber, a cheerful woman named Sayuri, who greeted him with a bright smile. "Take a seat!"

He sat down, feeling a bit nervous. His hair had always been on the longer side, and he wasn't sure how he felt about changing it.

Sayuri ran her fingers through his hair, assessing its texture and length. "You have lovely hair. We won't do anything too drastic, just a clean, classy cut."

As Sayuri worked, Giyuu felt the weight of his hair lighten, the excess falling away with each snip of the scissors. She worked quickly, shaping his hair into a more refined style that framed his face neatly. When she finished, she stepped back, admiring her work.

"There we go. What do you think?" Sayuri asked, handing Tomioka a mirror.

Giyuu inspected his reflection, turning his head slightly to see the cut from different angles. The new style was clean and sophisticated, a perfect complement to his new uniform.

"Thank you. It looks nice." he said, a rare small smile crossing his face. "Glad you like it! I'm sure you'll turn heads!" She beamed with a wink.

Giyuu returned to the castle. As he entered the prince's quarters to report back, the prince looked up and paused for a hot second. Returning to his scenes, he gave an approving nod.

"You look nice." Sanemi remarked, a hint of a pink dusting his cheeks. "Thank you, Your Highness," Tomioka replied.

As they settled back into their routine, the two men both felt an anticipating feeling for the Royal Banquet.

•───✧✦✧───•
Thank you for reading! 🤍💐
Yes, these are filler chpts I js don't wanna rush things 😛😒