♡It Has To Be You.♡(SaiOma)

Chapter 22, "Is This It?" (Part 2)

He couldn't stop crying.
Shuichi Saihara, an 18 year old prince, was sobbing like a young child.

Iori Saihara, his mother and the Queen of the North, had finally put the pieces together and confronted her son with the information she found.

Shuichi sniffled and hiccuped, wiping the tears from his flushed cheeks over and over, just for them to be replaced with more tears.

Iori was stunned, but she quickly reached forward and pulled Shuichi into a tight embrace, her maternal instincts taking over. She rubbed gently circles on her son's back as he sobbed into her chest.

"I'm so sorry, Mother...hic-...I didn't- want to...hic-...tell you..."

He cried and cried, his breath shallow.
Iori wasn't angry or disappointed. She just wanted to comfort her pride and joy. Her precious son.

"Oh, my poor boy..."

She cooed, placing feather soft kisses on her son's forehead. Iori then added...

"How long have you had these... feelings?"

"I don't know...exactly when, but I realized after the Intruder Scare..."

"Are you two in a relationship...?"

"Y-Yes... we have been for... some time now."

Shuichi tried to regain control of his breathing, each exhale shuddering. Iori listened intently. She couldn't understand how she missed such a change. She always knew her son was indifferent to romance, but maybe that's because he was always approached by women. Was he only into men?

"Oh sweetheart... I want you to be happy... but you can not continue this...absurd relationship with Sir Kokichi. You are to be wedded today!"

Iori pulled back to make eye contact with her teary son, but her words struck a nerve in Shuichi, which made him snap back.

"Absurd?? Mother, I love Sir Kokichi! Nothing about how I feel is-...is absurd!"

"I apologize, but the treaty requires you to marry Lady Kaede and for Sir Kokichi to marry Lady Miu. This is what must be done to prevent another war."

The queen brushed Shuichi's bangs from infront his forehead, her denim eyes falling on his downturned eyebrows. She continued...

"I...I wish I could do something to help you, but alas...I must ensure the treaty isn't broken."

"I hate this...so m-much. I want to be with him..."

Shuichi buried his face in his hands and began to cry all over again. His mother watched with a sorrowful expression, unable to do much.

They sat there for a minute, Shuichi's sobs echoing throughout his temporary room, but this private moment didn't last too long.

The bedroom doors suddenly swung open, startling the queen and prince of the North, their attention directed to the room's entrance. In stepped Kokichi Oma, a big grin on his face.

"Sweetpea! There's still time to kill. We can-"

The petite prince froze in place as he caught sight of the scene. Shuichi's face wet with tears, his mother sitting next to him with a worrisome crease in her brow. He quickly assumed the worst.

"Sir Shuichi, what's going on? Are you alright??"

Kokichi rushed to the bookworm's side, placing his hand on Shuichi's shoulder. Did something bad happen?

"Oh, Kichi... I-I'm fine. Don't worry..."

Shuichi's tears quickly dried. He used his sleeve to wipe his soaked cheeks. The South prince wasn't convinced. He looked to the queen for answers.