The Robin in the Eagle's Nest

Prologue: Right under our noses

He wasn't sure when he first started to notice that he wasn't alone anymore in the stone hallway anymore.

Wakatoshi had spent a good couple of hours -Was it three, four, the entire night?- trying to process his thoughts following the events of that evening. He -they- had anticipated this event for months, prepared to be as secretive as possible, planning ahead in case the news broke out before he wanted and making sure that generals and advisers he was most suspicious of were as far away as possible from the old stone castle he had chosen as a hideout.

An event such as this couldn't take place in the imperial palace, too many ears in that place made the walls feel like paper.

On the other hand, this place, made of old stone and almost forgotten in a warm corner of the Shiratorizawa empire, was the last place anyone could expect to see the Emperor, much less so in semi-regular clothes and sat in the floor, leaning against the wall and intensely looking at the ceiling.

"My, my, I never thought I would see you this stressed out, Ushiwaka-chan"

Wakatoshi didn't have to speculate much about who could have found him. If the musical pitch of that voice wasn't enough, the infantile nickname would be.

Turning his head towards the end of the hallway, he saw him.

Smiling at him with a grin that reflected so many things Wakatoshi disliked of him -baseless confidence, joy at the expense of other's disgrace, shameless mockery at those he felt below him- was the demon king of Aoba Johsai.

"Maybe I'm having a fever dream and you just are a peasant," the horned imp mocked while making dramatic arms gestures, which only cause Wakatoshi's frown to deepen.

At that moment, the Shiratorizawa emperor was also berating himself for not taking the demon king into account when he planned his hiding place.

"Well it would be useless to lament now," he corrected himself mentally. Taking a deep breath, he rose from the cold stone floor, ignoring the slight protest from his muscles as they had grown stiff following hours crouched against the wall.

"What are you doing here Oikawa?", he growled lowly as he made his way towards the grinning demon. "I thought you would be glad that I haven't tried to convince you to join my court for a while," he added as he was face to face with the imp.

Oikawa, still keeping his joyful grin, merely nodded like a child about to receive a treat. "And I'm so thankful for that! You have no idea how peaceful it is not having to deal with your obnoxious invitations!" he all but shouted while widely opening his harms.

Wakatoshi's frown deepened even further when he received the childish response. He was about to counter Oikawa when, like a flash, the Demon King's grin changed from childish mockery to sharp venom, making Wakatoshi's jaw tighten as he recognized the challenge in the imp's face.

"But let's just say that even I found that a bit suspicious, Ushiwaka-chan" he whispered, his voice now carrying a hint of challenge towards the emperor.

Oikawa seemed satisfied in the level of alert and uneasiness in Wakatoshi's face, even if he knew that he wasn't the main cause of it.

Feeling emboldened, the demon king took a step forward, lightly pushing Wakatoshi to the side.

"It was very welcome at first, as I was dealing with Shrimpy, Iwa-Chan and the other parade of idiots. You actually made dealing with them easier, so thanks!" he said, hoping to irritate the emperor.

"I must admit though, they are like cockroaches" he added with a false sigh.

"But then I started listening whispers, gossipers around my castle speaking of castle intrigue in the halls of power, of an emperor pressured by the old guard that wanted to force his hand," he continued.