[Sadistic] Various Magi One-Shots

The Penalty ~ Kouha Ren

Your forefathers' country should have known better than to oppose the Kou Empire. That was...practically the only thought that occurred to you as you watched the troops return - along with a cage-on-wheels full of what appeared to be a new "shipment" of slaves. Really, that was the only part of the expansion that you considered to be horrible business.

Slavery.

The word made you want to retch, but you knew that slavery in the Kou Empire was closer in tune with serfdom, and these people did still have a future ahead of them in 5 years' time. It was a future as habitants, sure. Commoners. Few would make it into nobility, though their children might. It all depended on...well...how they worked.

You yourself were a member of an emergent noble clan, and sponged up many of the seemingly most driven "commoners" and "slaves." Those who would be useful in keeping your family's name above "commoner" class, and keeping you from having to wear those hideous green robes.

There was an occasional adoption into the family, trying to make your clan appear bigger than it started out, but those were kept on the down-low, since such a thing could be frowned upon by fellow nobility - or worse, the royal family.

"For the record, fuck those guys." You muttered to yourself, remembering that your parents had been summoned to the palace that day. Some sort of arrangements to be made, perhaps officially recognizing your clan as full nobility. After all, they were already among the Kou Empire's 20 largest companies, bringing in large revenue and employing en mass. The Ren family can only disregard the people who pay the vast majority of their taxes for so long.

It was a surprise, however, when you were informed that you were slated to marry into the Ren family. This was...a business move, for them, considering you were the only legitimate heir to the "head of the family" and next in line to take over the (L/N) Company.

"Can you believe they think I should feel honored? And my parents are just handing me over like sheep. They didn't even make any real attempt at negotiations. And why am I marrying a prince? Shouldn't they be saving him for a political marriage with some other country?" You already knew what all of the princes looked like, anyway. It wasn't like the tradition of never seeing each others' faces until the ceremony could be observed!

"Is it that bad?" This was not the voice of the maid to whom you were whining, but...a boy. Whirling, your surprised (e/c) orbs locked gazes with a set of pink-tinted brown hues. He had pinkish-red hair, somewhat messily cut short - with the exception of two long locks that fell over his shoulders. His bangs covered most of his forehead, and were straight...with the exception of three small braids. He had on a blue hat, with a golden bird on the front. Two red lengths of cloth fell from where they were pinned on the back of his hat to loop around over his arms and connect to the front of his strange shirt. It was long in the back, and short in the front, with an open collar and a slit up either side that seemed to lead all the way up to his armpits. He had on golden armguards, puffy shorts, and...perhaps the strangest pair of shoes you had ever seen.

Oh boy. The ever-so-eccentric Third Imperial Prince, thankfully without his Nyoi Rentou. It wasn't that you didn't like him; he was adorable, and could be sweet when he wanted to be. But, he was also wildly sadistic when caught in the wrong mood - as he appeared to be now. "A-ah, I mean..." Yes, indeed, what did you really mean? The million dollar answer, coming up next! "I don't know exactly which of you I'm marrying, or...er...I wasn't there for the discussion, and...quite honestly...I was hoping to actually be proposed to in person, if I were ever to marry."

'Please, please, pleeaassseee, get that horrid glint out of your eyes!' You thought, but the shadows never left his face as he glowered at you, eyes narrowed and glinting dangerously.