Empire 《Mikayuu/YuuMika》

⥈ Chapter Five ⥈

As Yuuichirou ventured to Shibuya, he noticed the silence that surrounded him, encased by the leafy canopies that cast the very much appreciated shade upon him. He had hoped Mikaela would be at their meeting place, but the prince's wild vivacity was absent. He seated himself on the mossy rock, feeling the cool drops of water from the waterfall nearby splash on his arm.

His gaze fell upon the wildflower Mikaela had named Kiiro and smiled at the memory of his friend. Now that the thought occurred to him, the yellow flower reminded him of his golden hair, and the gentle river reminded him of his liquid sapphire eyes. He sighed and rested his cheekbone on the heel of his hand. Feeling lonely, Yuuichirou resorted in observing his surroundings.

Sanguinem surely was beautiful in the summertime. It was known all throughout the kingdom, but now Yuuichirou acknowledged the serene beauty of his home. The lush, green grass that composed the forest floor felt plushy and pleasant beneath Yuuichirou's bare feet. The slight breeze rustled through his raven hair, urging him to close his eyes at the refreshing feeling of being in the forest. The birds' songs and the gentle rushing of the river enveloped him, and he allowed nature to push him into a state of serenity. Before the eight-year-old boy knew it, he fell into repose.

When he woke, the sun had descended from its summit and was approaching the west. The dusk was heavy in the sky, and the exhaustion from Yuuichirou's eyes dissipated from realization. How long had he been asleep? Hours, he knew that much. His mother would surely scold him when he returned home. However, more than the dread of facing his mother, a dark flower of disappointment blossomed in his stomach. If Mikaela had showed, he would have woken him.

He alleviated his disappointment by telling himself Mikaela was preoccupied with lessons and other princely duties and surely he would meet him tomorrow.

He told himself the same the next day when Mikaela did not appear. The day after was the same. He was beginning to lose hope and thought that the prince was either studying vigorously, or he had been enraptured by a princely subject that interested him more than meeting him in the woods, in the kingdom of their own creation. Yuuichirou was understanding, but he could not mask the disappointment that bubbled within himself.

After a while of waiting and no prince to be seen, Yuuichirou dismissed Mikaela as an element of the past. He decided to push both the prince and Shibuya aside as memories of his childhood to pursue greater things, such as learning the code of chivalry. He disregarded anyone who pegged him a fool. He knew he was within, but that factor would only simmer his ambition. His dreams were a burning flame—no, a wildfire that could not be extinguished. He was going to be a knight and whether feudalism liked it or not did not matter to him.

He smiled to himself as he lied upon the plushy grass of the incessant meadows that Sanguinem had to offer. He may have escaped his duties to daydream once again, but he was fully prepared for the inevitable punishment he would surely receive. Being a knight would mean everything. To Yuuichirou, it would mean everyone would depend on him to protect them, and he would love to receive honor. He would feel an undying gratitude to bestow that honor upon his family name and make his parents proud to call Yuuichirou Amane their progeny.

He smiled widely at the sky, staring at the fluffy clouds that floated above him. They had no responsibilities whatsoever, so they were free to dream all that they liked. Yuuichirou envied the clouds, but they could not become knights, could they?

"What do you think, Taiyou-san?" Yuuichirou asked. "Perhaps with hard work, I could make my parents proud. I could receive kindness and honor from all of Sanguinem. Mikaela, especially."

Taiyou winked at him with a kind eye.

He decided that it was about time that he returned home, the thorough scolding he would receive from his mother already ringing in his ears. He brushed the blades of grass off his clothing as he stood and walked home, gazing wistfully at the castle in which Mikaela inhabited.

"Mother, why can I not see Yuuichirou again?" Mikaela tugged on the skirt of her dress lightly. "I do not see it a problem for a prince to converse with his people."

"Princes do not do such a thing," Queen Krul responded, not looking down at the blond boy. "And I do not advise you, Mikaela, that you are to disregard the hierarchy."

"Of what purpose does it serve, Mother?"

"It serves many," was her response. "It provides organization. You cannot be seen with a lowly serf boy because it would taint our image. What kind of influence would us royal family have if we treat the people that serve us as our equals? You might not understand now, as you are young, Mikaela, but you will come to understand when you are older."

Mikaela nodded as his reply and sauntered off to the library for answers. Perhaps if Yuuichirou was his equal, he would be able to be converse and play with him as much as he liked. He would escape the ideals of hierarchy and be able to feel as if he was a normal person. He despised the feeling of being treated like a god while others were hardly receiving enough to live on.

That was eight years ago. The time seemed to pass by quickly, like a candle melting down completely, leaving only traces of what occurred in the past. However, Prince Mikaela clung to those bits of melted wax as much as he could. The library was his remedy to horrendous times such as these. Absorbing books, one after another, he felt was the only activity that kept him grounded and stable.

His childhood friend was a mere memory now, but whenever he encountered adversities in his pursuits, he looked back upon his memories to what Yuuichirou told him when they sat together on the mossy rock in their sanctuary. Mikaela could not recall what it was called, as that memory slipped away from him. He had used the remaining capacity of his brain to remember the trade routes, the names of the people he was to negotiate with, and the various terrains that belonged to his domain. As ridiculous as it was, he had to know all of those seemingly trivial factors of what composed his kingdom.

He flipped the page in his book, his cerulean eyes following the streams of words written upon the next page. He enveloped himself in the book, trying to escape his reality. He had a neutral expression on his face as he read word after word, paragraph after paragraph before sighing defeatedly and closing the book. He pressed the pads of his index finger and thumb against the aching areas that were his temples frustratedly. He knew that some book in this library had to contain crucial information, but his faith and determination were fading.

"Mikaela-sama~" sang a voice that caused Mikaela's headache to blossom even more.

"What is it, Ferid?" He tried to hide his frustration, but it managed to escape to the edges of his tone.

"Why is the prince upset?" the grey-haired man asked as he entered the library.

"I am not upset, merely tired," Mikaela lied, standing from his chair and returning the book he held to its rightful place on the shelf. "Has my mother summoned me?"

"Indeed she has," Ferid told him with a cheeky grin that Mikaela loathed. "The Queen advised me to call you as quickly as possible."