Best Of You [BNHA Fantasy AU]

5. The Throne Room

Author's note: This chapter is a bit of a filler so if you get bored you can skip it, although you will probably understand the next chapter more if you read this one. Just sayin, this one isn't as eventful and is a bit shorter, but yknow, enjoy nonetheless! (Or, yknow, don't)

(Oh and btw I just love this image, that's why put it up there)

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'So I see you have yet to put my advice into practice? I assure you that with guards posted in the positions I suggested, the castle would be much better defended...' Mitsuki Bakugou smirked as she stood tall and proud in front of the golden throne, on which sat the Mighty Endeavour. She wore an elegant and rustic ring of turquoise and amber beads around her head - the crown of the High Chief - and held a tall, elegant staff of carved dragon-bone in her right hand. Teal paint was painted in spiralling patterns on her face, chest and arms.

The King opposite her wore no crown - he didn't need one, due to the status created by his long robe of orange and red velvet that was draped over his iron-clad shoulders, and the crimson gemstones that gilded his copper-coloured armour. He sat stiff and upright on his throne of gold, the sunset-coloured stained-glass windows above the podium adding to the fiery theme that was cast about the large throne room of the Todoroki Castle.

To the man's right stood his wife - who Endeavour insisted was not the Queen, as he said a country only needed a King - Rei Todoroki. She contrasted greatly to Mistuki's powerful stature of dragon-bone and leather armour, and wore nothing but a plain floor-length dress almost as white as her hair. The woman stared blankly into the distance with icy-grey eyes, her hands clasped firmly together. Her skin was ghostly pale, apart from an ugly bruise that could just be seen poking out of the neckline of her dress.

On the King's left was the Prince himself - Shouto Todoroki stood still and unnerving with his arms crossed menacingly, glaring at the embroidered carpet with his bi-coloured eyes.

Bandages were poking out of his sleeve - on the same arm that a certain metal bangle was fused to his wrist. The collar of his blue waistcoat just hid the blossoming bruise on the side of his neck.

The other heir, Katsuki Bakugou, was standing next to his mother just as proudly as she was, and also had tribal plaint applied to his skin, although his was blood-red and spiked all the way across his back and chest, and was painted in stripes down his arms and on his cheeks.

A metre behind them stood Ejirou Kirishima, wearing his usual silver vest, grey cargo pants and brown combat boots, and although on first glance he appeared to be looking respectfully at Endeavour, on close observation his eyes could be seen regularly flickering over to his ash-blonde master. He was...painfully nervous. And...painfully sad. Mournful, almost.

The King's lip curled at Mitsuki's remark, and he failed to hide his menacing undertone as he replied: 'I will make sure that your...advice, is taken into account. After all, we want your stay here to be as comfortable as possible.' He stood ominously. 'Especially for our heirs.' Enji gestured to Shouto and Katsuki, both of whom gritted their teeth at the mention.

'Of course...' Mitsuki said carefully, her nostrils flaring slightly. The tension and power struggle between the opposing rulers was evident. 'Now...you said at our last meeting that before their Bonding tomorrow, my son will spend the night in the Prince's quarters to make their courtship more...' she searched for a decent word. '...tolerable.'

As Katsuki opened his mouth to protest, his mother abruptly whacked him on the head with her staff without even looking at him, making his cheeks redden as he clenched his jaw, humiliated.

Shouto muttered something indiscernible under his breath, most likely a curse directed at his father, and Ejirou looked at the ground sadly.

The King replied with a rather disrespectful nod towards the female Chief, before turning his head towards Shouto.

'Take young Bakugou to your room. Food will be brought to you shortly. No questions asked...' then he quickly uttered under his breath 'And do not try anything, or you know what will happen.'

Shoto stared at his father in the eyes for a second, trying to direct all of his hatred and disgust into that stare so that Endeavour knew just how much his son despised him, before looking at Katsuki, stepping abruptly off of the podium, and marching towards the door at the end of the hall.

Under the strict glare of his mother, Katsuki was forced to follow him, huffing and cursing all the way out of the throne room, but as Ejirou took a hopeful step in the same direction Mitsuki said, 'Not so fast, Dragon.'

The red-headed male paused, deflated.

'I need you stationed outside the main entrance..' Mitsuki instructed, before leaning back to quietly mutter. 'I'd like some decent defence when I sleep tonight.'

Ejirou smirked, although his smile didn't quite reach his eyes, and bowed his head to the Mother of Dragons, before escorting himself out of the throne room. Although a dragon must listen to no one but their master, the Mother of Dragons alone can control all members of the species under Her reign - this is why She does not have - or need - a dragon of Her own; She is the "mother" of them all.

As the guards closed the door behind the dragon hybrid, Endeavour glanced down at Mitsuki from his place on the podium, looking at the High Chief as if she was a rather persistent stain on a white sheet.

'I shall have Rei escort you to your room.' He snapped his fingers, and the ghost-like woman standing beside the thrown blinked, before silently stepping forward, her hands still firmly clasped together.

Mitsuki looked at the woman pitifully, and then at the King with pure disgust, her anger sparking in her eyes. But she kept her cool.

The High Chief of the Dragon Realm tipped her chin up and said challengingly:
'No need,' Mitsuki began to turn away from the podium. 'Tonight I shall sleep beneath the stars.'

And with that, the warrior woman marched out of the throne room, barely concealing the smirk that lingered on her face.

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A/N: Thanks so much for making it to the end of chapter 5! I know that this was a shorter chapter than the part ones and probably less interesting, so I guess is more a filler but ah well.

Word count: 1132 words