Heavy is the Head That Wears the Crown

vi

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

Katsuki somehow made it to Valor without ripping out Moron One and Two's throats. The carriage driver (Katsuki suddenly felt a newfound respect for him; he had only them for company for two days straight) pulled to a stop in front of a huge wall. A silver-haired Knight with Gods-awful eyebrows walked over.

"Hey, Mina, Denki," he greeted, poking his head into the carriage. Then he caught sight of Katsuki with his usual glare on his face. "Alright. You guys are good to go." His own brow pinched in a frown before he stepped away.

The stupid looking Knight signaled something to another Knight on top of the wall. She saluted, began turning something, and two slabs of the wall opened up. Katsuki bit the inside of his cheek to keep from looking impressed because he wasn't.

"Welcome to Valor, Prince Bakugou Katsuki of Rath!" Kaminari grinned. He sounded proud of his Kingdom. And, as much as Katsuki hated to admit it, the Valorian Knight has every right to be. Wherever Katsuki looked, he saw circles of stone with sparring Valorians and cheering spectators. The castle in the middle of the Kingdom was substance over style. There was an archer tower at every corner and scarlet flags flapping in the wind in the middle of each archer tower. He finally understood why the books called Valor the Indestructible City.

The carriage stopped in front of the stone castle, Ashido waving goodbye to the driver, a man she called Ojirou, as he pulled away. Katsuki looked at the blood-red doors. Behind them was his future. His future husband, his future home, his future... well, everything.

Kaminari and Ashido pulled open the door. He followed them inside. The Prince didn't usually walk behind Knights, but he was in unknown territory. He wasn't about to put himself in the front of anything.

"Here he is, King!" chirped Kaminari, throwing his arm back to gesture at a frowning Katsuki. "See? I told you we could bring him in back in one piece! And you doubted us, Eijirou~" Ashido was in the way; the ash blond couldn't see what Eijirou looked like.

"I trust you guys, it's just that neither of you are exactly the brightest," Katsuki's future husband chuckled.

"Rude, but fair."

Ashido looked back at Katsuki. She rolled her eyes when she noticed him hanging in the back. Without warning, the Knight grabbed his elbow and tugged him forward so hard he almost tripped, but he managed to plant his feet firm in the ground.

"Oh... hi..."

Katsuki turned around. Standing there was his betrothed: Prince Eijirou. His first thought was red. And rightfully so. The Prince of Valor was swathed in red. Lofty red hair, round ruby-red eyes, a red vest over a bare chest, and grey and white checkered pants tucked into boots with red laces. He had a stupid, breathless smile on his face, lips pulled back to reveal jagged teeth. If it weren't for that ridiculous grin, Katsuki would've been intimidating. Eijirou stood at what had to be at least 191 centimeters (a large contrast to Katsuki's height of 178cm, a feat he was proud of before coming to Valor) and his broad physique was nothing but muscle. His tan skin and the freckles dotting his face, shoulders, arms, chest, and stomach were evidence of a lot of time spent outside. Katsuki imagined there were more freckles he couldn't see.

"Hi," deadpanned the ash blond in return.

"I'm Eijirou," he added hurriedly after a few seconds, extending his hand out for the Prince of Rath.

"Katsuki," the ash blond replied, copying Eijirou's way of introducing himself. He still didn't trust them. The two shook hands. Katsuki was about to pull back when a muscular arm was wrapped around his shoulders and he was pressed flush against Eijirou's side.