A Quest of The Heart

Trouble Emerges

@Ruby-Riot Thank you so much for helping me with my writing, I appreciate you so much as a friend and an amazing writer. 

The entirety of the week before the Princess' arrival was filled with nothing but training. Shouto was focused on learning multiple battle techniques and maneuvers to apply while fighting. His training was beginning a lot earlier than he was used to now. Breakfast was served well before the sun came up but Shouto didn't mind, he just wanted to focus his mind off his impending engagement...

Shouto laid in his bed, half-awake with his cat soundly sleeping on his chest. The sun had yet to rise when there was a knock on his door.

"Shouto, sweetheart," Rei called to him, "breakfast is ready."

Shouto gave a small sigh. His body was sore from his relentless training and he didn't answer right away. "If you need today to rest, I can inform Lady Yaoyorozu for you Shouto. You have been pushing yourself quite hard."

Once he heard his mother's words he sat up. His sudden movement caused the slumbering cat to jolt awake and scratch him as she jumped from his body.

"Ow! Dammit cat!" he growled as he held the stinging claw marks on his body. His eyes glared down at the calico that he could see more clearly now as the sun peaked over the mountains and shined through his window. "Guess I did over sleep a bit," he groaned, running his hand through his messed-up bed head.

Shouto slid out of bed. He walked across his room, unlocked his door and opened it. His cat bolted from the room hissing and running downstairs; both Rei and Shouto watched her disappear. "Well then..." Rei muttered as she turned to face her son, "Did I wake you?"

Shouto yawned, hiding it behind his hand and nodded.

"Yeah, but I needed to get up. I'm not missing a day of training this week," he informed her.

Rei looked to her son. He stood a few inches taller than her even though he was the baby of their family. Without much observation, Rei could see by his posture and the multiple bruises over his body that his training was rather tough, and she was concerned about him.

"Are you sure you don't want a day to rest? The Princess will be here in three days," Rei reminded him. "You shouldn't exhaust yourself before her arrival sweetheart."

Shouto rolled his eyes at the mention of that which he was dreading.

"Yeah I know mom," Shouto grumbled as he clenched his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can you not bring that topic up anymore please?" he asked, opening his eyes and focusing on his mother. "It's all I hear when I'm in the castle. Natsu brings it up constantly to me and I hear all the knights talking about it - it's half the reason I stay out with Yaoyorozu for so long! You know how much I don't want to do this!"

"I understand..." Rei quietly said, looking down and evading her eyes from her son's. "I know being forced into a marriage isn't ideal, but it's something that is just necessary... It's what must be done for peace between the Kingdoms."

Shouto groaned, rubbing his neck and glaring down the hall. 'This whole thing fucking sucks...' he thought as he looked down to his mother. 'If this happens, I don't know what I'll do... I'm in love with Momo, there's no way I'd fall for any other woman...'

"I know it's what's supposed to be done, and I've already made it clear where I stand on the matter..." Shouto said, gaining his mother's attention once more. "But please, I just don't want to hear about it anymore, okay?"