Empire 《Mikayuu/YuuMika》

⥈ Chapter One ⥈

Sanguinem was beautiful this time of the year. It was a fact known all throughout the kingdom. The rolling hills and plains were lush and green and multifarious clusters of flowers opened to view the lands that surrounded them. In the midst of the natural landscape, one could look upon the regal castle that stood on the hill, its arrogant towers standing proudly in the air.

Every morning, the sun touched those towers to cast warmth on the kingdom of Sanguinem and to grant life to its blooming flowers and farms. The serfs who worked those farms either loved the sun or abhorred it. It gave life to their crops, yet it shone down violently on their shoulders and calloused, toiling hands. There was never any feeling in between for the laborers who gifted Sanguinem farmed goods.

Surrounding the glorious castle was a village that was well inhabited. Men and women worked while their children ran through the streets, playing and laughing with their companions. Knights and guards carried out their business in the village, and the serfs traded with others for food or tools. Chatter commenced between old friends and strangers and lovers. Everyone had a duty, and they were all content doing so.

The day in particular was a beautiful midsummer one. The air was only slightly on the temperate side, but the slight breeze was enough to cool anyone. If it was not enough, one could take refuge in the forest and wade in the refreshing river or under the leafy canopies that provided cool shade.

It was in this place an eight-year-old boy sat on a large, mossy stone that sat on an island in the middle of the river, the sound of the crystalline waters, the leaves rustling in the slight wind, and the birds chirping around him draping a state of tranquility over him like a blanket. This was Prince Mikaela Shindo's sanctuary. The copious trees, rocks, and flowing river formed his own little kingdom of serenity and peace. It was a place where he could escape his inevitable coronation and ruling over the shining empire of Sanguinem.

He bathed in the shade a tree provided him as he drew his knees into his chest and hugged them. He stared at the frothy waters that surrounded him and sighed. No matter the amount of serenity and peace he could indulge himself in, it could not prevent his loneliness. He felt as if no one understood his circumstances, and he wished he could encounter someone he could confide in with his troubles.

The wind rustled through his blond hair as he peered down in the small river, wishing for someone to talk to. Wishing for a friend.

A single wildflower that peeked out from the thick grass on his little, personal island caught Mikaela's gaze. He smiled at the bright yellow flower, his body lifting and sliding from the large rock onto the lush grass of the forest floor. He stepped silently toward the plant and, once he neared it, kneeled next to it, feeling one of the silken petals in his pale fingers. His crystal blue eyes brightened with wonder as he examined the wildflower.

"You are all alone, like me." He seated himself on the grass, his gaze not leaving the lone flower. "Perhaps you can be my friend."

The wildflower remained inanimate, but the small prince smiled down upon it anyway.

"All friends need a name," Mikaela continued. "I'll name you... Kiiro-san."

In Mikaela's imagination, the flower smiled back at him, and he felt happiness surge through him.

"Alright, Kiiro-san. We are friends now. Now we both will not be so lonely."

"Mikaela-kun~" sang a female voice in the distance.

Mikaela's blond head snapped up at the call of his name, and he stood from his sitting position. To obscure his secret place, the eight-year-old splashed through the river and ran toward the voice that beckoned him.

"I'm here!" He shouted as he trotted toward the voice, past the sea of tall trees that protected the fair-skinned prince from the sun, foliage and twigs crunching beneath his feet.

"Mikaela, here you are!" Queen Krul exclaimed once she caught sight of the boy, the woman opening her arms in invitation. "In the forest, no less. I've told you many times not to wander around there alone."

"I'm sorry, Mama," he apologized, walking into her arms.

The pink-haired queen smiled down upon her son as she revoked her arms from around him and offered her hand for him to hold. His pudgy hand accepted her dainty one, and she escorted the prince back to their castle.

Prince Mikaela had everything he could have wanted. He had a loving mother, many servants, a secret place, a large bedroom, and as many books as he could read, but he was missing the one thing he desperately needed: a friend. A human friend that could listen to him and comfort him when he needed it most. He felt as if his mother would not understand his feelings.

His childhood up to this point was full of inculcations of how a prince should act, etiquette, and education on his kingdom. He was a mere eight years old, yet he was issued information up to his ears that he did not know how to handle or understand, and it was incredibly overwhelming. Earlier that morning, he was instructed thoroughly, and he felt as if he was not good enough to rule. His inner mind wished to imagine and wander off to different worlds which he had imbibed from various stories he had read, while he knew he had to sit down and focus on what was in front of him.

He had romanticized what it would be to rule Sanguinem ever since he was told he would inherit the throne when he was younger. He imagined it would be a fairy tale, which he could explore and be admired by many, but he learned rather quickly that that was not the case. He learned that being a king was hard work and took much consideration and knowledge, which he could not understand at his age. He considered informing his mother about his feelings, but he felt as if she would scold him for not acting orderly and wanting to escape to fantastical worlds with fairies and dragons. He was afraid she would confiscate his storybooks, which were the sole objects that kept him grounded.

Due to his constant lessons of what it was to be princely, he had no playmates or friends. He felt alone. In result of his loneliness, Mikaela had the habit of humanizing objects and friending them, a habit which he had been scolded for several times. He could hear his mother's voice in his head, telling him, "Princes are not to have otherworldly thoughts. A prince's mind should dwell in the present."

Mikaela sighed. He probably would never have a friend of his own that he had gained by his personality, not by his title. Because he was a prince, no one would dare approach him unless they wished for something that would benefit themselves. No one would approach him looking for someone to talk to. However, he could dream within his mind.