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Chapter Text

Princess Nagisa was, against all odds, not a princess. With this, this author doesn't mean that he was not a part of the Royal Family. Oh, no, not at all. In fact, he just happened to be the sole heir to the throne of the kingdom of… Kunagigaoka? Oh, no, sorry, my bad. Kunugigaoka.

To be fair, this author doesn't think Nagisa himself knew how to pronounce the name of his kingdom.

Dear reader, before we begin, you must know that, while all of Kunugioka (or however the hell it's written) thought Nagisa was their mysterious princess, only those who lived in the castle knew the truth: he was a prince. A young boy. The next king.

He had a thing dangling between his legs, just to be clear.

Now, you might be wondering: why the fuck would the King and the Queen say they have a daughter when they don't have a daughter?

Well, the story is actually very simple.

Eighteen years before the events I'm about to kindly narrate to you, Queen Hiromi gave birth to a little blessing. A boy.

She went berserk.

At that time, for a boy to be born into a royal family should have been a great joy. However, Queen Hiromi suffered from an illness that affected her perception of reality and the management of her emotions. Despite being a queen, she considered herself something of a failure. Therefore, she had hoped to have a girl, so that she could mold and transform her into a better version of herself. However, when Nagisa was born and happened to be a boy, it was the straw that broke the camel's back for her. She couldn't accept it, and didn't really want to do so. She handed the kid to the maids and locked herself in her room, refusing to come out and face her newborn son. That, until the King, bless his soul, managed to convince her that she had, in fact, to everyone's surprise, given birth to a beautiful, healthy girl.

Nagisa grew up as a girl, dressed as a girl, played as a girl and was kept a mystery to the rest of the kingdom. And he hated it with every fiber of his being.

The frilly dresses were itchy and uncomfortable. They forced him to grow his blue hair long until it almost reached his lower back. He barely ate to avoid gaining muscle and losing his slim complexion. It was hell. And he hadn't been lucky, either; his features were soft and delicate, almost like those of a girl. His skin was pale and smooth like velvet. His eyes were captivating, and his smile could end wars (or start them, truly). He was, for lack of a better word, feminine.

He wasn't happy about it.

If there had been a prize for the most unhappy prince in the world, Nagisa would've won it. Every day, he wished he would just not wake up, so he didn't have to see his reflection in the mirror. Every time his mother complimented his dress, or his eyes, or his face, saying “oh, Nagisa, you're going to grow into such a beautiful woman”, he just wanted to scream. Scream, because he was not a woman. Scream, because he didn't want to be a woman. Scream, because he only wanted to be a normal prince and do prince stuff. Instead, while the rest of the princes ran around playing swords and learning diplomacy, he was forced to study languages, music, and dance. He hated dancing. He always fell and hurt himself, because the shoes he had to wear were far too small for his feet.

Nagisa hated his life.

Luckily, the servants and his father were there to help him. When he turned twelve, the maids started tying his hair up into ponytails, so it would appear more manly. When his mother wasn't around, his father taught him fencing and politics and allowed him to wear pants and hang out with the knights. He still had to deal with his mother, but it was far better than before. He was finally happy. The sun was shining. Birds were chirping. Everything made sense again.

Until that day.

Nagisa woke up shivering. His room was in the east tower of the castle, which was both the highest and the coldest. He sighed, getting up and walking with long strides to close the dark wooden window that had opened during the night. He would have to find a way to make it stay closed. The cold wasn't the only thing that could sneak in through it.

He heard the door open, and turned to find a maid smiling at him.

“Good morning, Prince Nagisa,” she greeted, bowing respectfully. She was an old maid, but Nagisa was very fond of her. She was sweet and understanding of his situation. “I see you were already up?”

“Good morning. Yes, I just woke up,” he said, biting his lip. It was a habit he had developed over the years, even though his mother always reprimanded him for it. In her words, it was “inappropriate” and “tempting” and “he had to save it for his suitors”.

“Your mother wishes to have breakfast with you.” Speaking of the devil herself.

Nagisa groaned, resting his head against the window.

“What does she want now?” he asked, pacing around his room. Despite how unlucky Nagisa considered himself, he had to admit he had an amazing room. He slept in a king-sized bed with a gorgeous canopy in white silk. In front of it, a huge fireplace, surrounded by sofas and cushions of the most exquisite fabrics. A huge closet of wood as dark as the window hid his clothes and the tacky dresses his mother forced him to wear. Inside it, a mirror hung on one of the doors. He had learnt to ignore its presence as best as he could.

“I'm afraid I do not have that information,” the maid whispered. “She wants you to wear the periwinkle dress.”

“Oh, god, no, please, no. Anything but the periwinkle dress,” Nagisa whined.

The periwinkle dress was a long, shiny gown that Nagisa had only worn once before, and had refused to wear again after it made his whole body get red and hot. The fabric of the dress was so rough, it irritated his skin to the point of having to apply ointment everywhere thrice a day for three weeks.

“I'm sorry, my Prince.” The maid bowed apologetically. “We can always apply ointment before putting on the dress, so it doesn't ruin your skin again.”

Nagisa sighed. He wasn't going to be able to get out of wearing the damn dress, so he might as well take all precautions.

The maid stripped him of his clothes and began smearing the ointment all over him, before helping him put on his underwear, and the goddamned periwinkle dress. It was puffy, it was obnoxious, it was blinding. It was everything Nagisa wasn't and would never want to be.

The maid also undid his ponytail and fixed his hair. The feeling of the strands falling over his shoulders made him shudder. He didn't want to look at himself in the mirror.

Once he was ready, the maid placed a tiara on his head and powdered his face a bit. The powder, as always, made him start coughing uncontrollably. She put a little bit of blush on his cheeks, and a little bit of color on his lips. Then, she asked him if he wanted to see himself.

“No. Let's just go. My mother must be waiting for me, and I don't want her to be mad,” he mumbled monotonously. The maid obeyed and helped him put his shoes on, before opening the door for him. Nagisa took a step out of his room, his back straight as if he had just gotten a stick shoved up his ass, which, by the way, he was convinced would have been a better punishment than the dress.

The knights guarding his chambers turned to him and bowed. He bowed back and walked down the carpeted hallway. The palace ceilings were almost as high as the sky itself, and as bright as the sun. The great chandeliers made everything glow, as if the walls were made of gold. The pictures hanging there were huge and colorful, pictures of wars, of great families and of Nagisa's ancestors. There was a tracing of his family tree going back at least 150 years.

He sighed deeply. Sometimes he wished he had just been born a farmer, so he wouldn't have to attend all of these ridiculous Royal Family morning meetings.

He scratched his arms. They were starting to itch.

Around him, the maids murmured. For a moment, he got scared thinking they were talking about him. However, he relaxed the moment he heard the words “monster” and “creature”.

In recent weeks, the kingdom had been under attack by a mysterious creature that no one had been able to identify. Not even his father's best knights had managed to catch it. Apparently, it was a very fast monster. This creature was dedicated to destroying the fields and stealing dresses from the ladies. It wasn't extremely dangerous, as it hadn't attacked anyone yet, but it had spread panic among the population, so much so that the King had put a price on its head so that all citizens would help stop it. As of lately, it was all the maids talked about.

Nagisa made the wise decision of ignoring them and kept walking. He reached the dining room, and the guards there bowed before him and opened the door for him.

The dining room was disgustingly beautiful. It was a not too large room, with a table stretching the length of it, so polished that it gleamed under the light of the chandeliers. At the front, a fireplace warmed the room, as in Nagisa's quarters. The stone walls rose up to the high, shiny ceiling, which gave the impression of never ending. It was obnoxious, just like his mother loved it.

At the table, his parents were seated across from each other. They seemed to be discussing something important, and Nagisa didn't want to interrupt them. Nonetheless, the moment his mother saw him, she smiled and urged him to sit next to them. The prince dragged his feet, scratching his hips, his arms and his sides.

“My beautiful lady. That dress looks immaculate on you,” his mother beamed, clapping her hands together.

Nagisa tried to sit down, but the dress was so puffy that he was unable to push the skirt away so as to not sit on it. It took him an awkwardly long while, but he was finally able to sit his actual ass on the chair and not on the pile of tulle and satin. Once he was all settled, his mother began blabbering as usual.

“Have you lost weight? You look gorgeous, my dear. I knew skipping dinner would be good for you. I'm always right, aren't I, honey?” She turned to her husband, who was munching on some biscuits. The King just nodded and resumed dipping the biscuits in his tea.

Nagisa stared at the food on the table. Towers of sweet pastries, fruit platters, juice jugs, teapots, coffee… his mouth watered pathetically. He was starving. He reached out to try and grab a piece of cake, but his mother slapped his hand away with a forced smile.

“Oh, no, no, Nagisa. A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips,” she reminded him, putting the piece of cake back in place.

“Hiromi… she's hungry,” the King whispered, not daring to look at his son. The Queen's smile twitched a bit.

“She can have oranges,” she whispered, pushing a fruit platter towards Nagisa. The boy was so hungry, he began devouring the food offered to him.

The King sighed deeply.

Queen Hiromi observed her son, her smile becoming more somber with every bite she saw him take.

“Nagisa, dear… we have news for you,” she whispered, coughing a bit. Nagisa looked up at her, with orange juice dripping down his chin. He swallowed one last time.

“What kind of news?” He asked, looking at his parents intermittently. The king had lowered his gaze and didn't look like he was going to raise it anytime soon. His mother looked tense, though she hadn't stopped smiling for a single second.

“You're getting married!” His mother announced, clapping her hands again.

For a moment, everything stopped. Nagisa froze in place, staring at his mother as if she were speaking in a completely different language. He started feeling out of breath and nauseous, almost as if he were going to throw up all the fruit he had just eaten. The Queen kept talking, but the only thing Nagisa could do was stare with his mouth agape, still dripping juice.

“What?” He cut his mother off without even realizing it.

“Oh, weren't you listening, dear? You're getting married! And to Prince Gakushuu Asano, of all! Isn't it wonderful? The son of one of the most powerful monarchs of our land! Imagine it, our domains joined into one. It will be the perfect opportunity to present you to the kingdom, don't you think? I knew it had to happen eventually, so better to do it once you're already married, so there's no risk of you meeting unsuitable people or playing around with inappropriate “friends”, like that one lady, Rinka Hayami…” his mother rambled.

The mention of Hayami seemed to wake Nagisa up. Lady Hayami was a lower-class noblewoman who had eloped with a village hunter some years back, and his mother had never let it go. It made her get paranoid, because she didn't want her precious little girl to end up like “poor lady Hayami, the sullied damsel”.

Nagisa blinked once. It took him a while to realize his mother wanted him to get married to Gakushuu Asano, of all.

“Mother…” he whispered, positively speechless. “Mother… Gakushuu… Gakushuu Asano?”

His mother smiled and nodded.

“I've got everything figured out! You will get married in two weeks. A wonderful wedding in his kingdom, and everyone will be invited to celebrate your happiness and the kids you will bring into the world!”

Wedding? Kids? Nagisa was getting dizzy now. He looked at his father for some kind of explanation, but the King kept slowly chewing his biscuits, zoning out.

“Mother… you can't be serious.” Nagisa turned to her, starting to panic. “Mother, everyone knows Gakushuu Asano is cruel and mean! And his father—!”

“Nagisa.” The Queen interrupted him. She was still smiling, but it wasn't warm or motherly. Around her, everything darkened. The light of the candles, the chandeliers… even the pastries seemed less appetizing. The room, despite the heat coming from the fireplace, suddenly felt cold and claustrophobic. “What are you saying, dear? Prince Gakushuu Asano is the perfect husband for you.”

Nagisa gulped, completely paralyzed. He tried to protest again, but his mouth wouldn't open. He couldn't believe his mother would do something like that to him. He couldn't believe his father would let her.

“Mother—”

“You will marry Prince Gakushuu Asano.” His mother didn't even let him get a word in. Nagisa trembled when her gaze fell on him. It wasn't a question. It wasn't even an order. It was just a fact. A cold, hard fact.

“I… yes, Mother.” Nagisa managed to choke out the words.

“You will be very happy together.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“And you will give him strong, healthy children.”

“... Yes, Mother.”

“Good. Now go to your room. The painter will come by this afternoon to finish your portrait. We will send it to Prince Gakuushu once it's done. He wants to see his future bride.”

Nagisa nodded, getting up to leave. He walked out of the dining room like a robot, with his face frozen in horror. He was so out of it that he didn't even remember how he got to his room. He only remembered ripping off that awful dress, flopping down on his bed and staring up at the wooden canopy until it was time to meet the painter.

Once the sun set and his mother deemed the portrait appropriate, Nagisa was allowed to go to bed. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The window kept creaking and opening, letting in the night's chill. Eventually, the prince gave up and stopped getting up to close it. He shivered under the covers, hoping to get sick so Prince Gakushuu would postpone the wedding.

It wasn't like Prince Gakushuu Asano was ugly. On the contrary, that was the least of his problems. Asano was, undoubtedly, the most eligible bachelor among the land's royalty, and their kingdoms had been neighbors for at least a century, so a union was the most logical outcome. However, all the power, money and beauty in the world would not have made Nagisa feel attracted to Gakushuu Asano. Not in a million years.

Nagisa did not know him personally, since he did not attend dances or celebrations outside his own kingdom (he had never even left his own palace), but rumors flew, and fast. Apparently, he was not only a rake, but a cruel, manipulative young man with terrible delusions of grandeur and a bizarre tendency to verbally abuse all his servants and mistresses. Besides, his father, King Gakuho Asano, had threatened war on their kingdom a few times already. Definitely not the ideal father-in-law.

Nagisa knew his mother was just killing two birds with one stone with that marriage: she eliminated the risk of war and put her daughter in a much better position of power than if she didn't marry. The plan was perfect, except for one cute, tiny little detail: Nagisa was a man. He couldn't produce any heirs, and, apart from that, he didn't want to know the trouble they would all get into if Asano arrived on their wedding night and undressed Nagisa, only to discover his pretty fianceé was packing a surprise.

The poor prince blushed just imagining it. He'd probably die if that were to happen. Not figuratively; Asano would probably kill him on the spot.

The window creaked again, shaken by the breeze from outside. Nagisa groaned, putting his head under the pillow. He felt frustrated. He was angry. He wanted to punch something.

He started crying instead.

How could his father turn a blind eye on this? His life was in danger. He couldn't marry Gakushuu Asano. They both knew it. His mother had to wake up and accept that Nagisa was a man, for heaven's sake.

But it was already too late for that. The deal was done. The portrait had been sent. If King Gakuho Asano thought him appropriate, in two weeks he would marry and become the greatest fraud of all time. History books would have a special mention for him. The fake princess, murdered by her husband and her husband's father after they discovered she wasn't actually a princess.

He was spiraling now.

He couldn't stay in that castle. He had to get out somehow. But… how? It wasn't like he could just walk out the front door or quit. He was an only child, all the responsibility was on him. Of course, he could run away through the service door, but the entire palace was guarded by knights that would surely stop him if they saw him. He was trapped.

He was about to give up, when the window creaked once again.

He pulled his head out from under the pillow and turned around.

The window. Of course.

He got out of bed and started running around, gathering only the most important things he had. From his closet he took out the cloak he always wore when riding horses, which he would use to cover himself. He put on the only pair of pants he had (the ones he hid under the bed so his mother wouldn't see them), some boots he had stolen from one of the knights, and a shirt his father had left him. In the inside pockets of his cloak he hid a knife and a hairpin that he had broken to use as a lock pick. He stuck his hand under his mattress and pulled out a bag full of coins. He was trembling when he opened his closet once again to see his reflection in the mirror. The prospect of running away and living his life as an anonymous man excited him and scared him at the same time, but he knew it was his only option. There was only one thing left for him to do.

He took out his knife and grabbed his long blue hair. He wanted to cut it short, but the very thought of doing so made him feel a horrible dread. He could feel his mother's presence surrounding him, her somber gaze, her forced smile. He gulped. His hands were sweaty and shaking.

He lowered the knife and only cut his hair so that it reached down to his shoulders. Once it was done, he loosened his grip and let the soft strands of hair fall to the floor whimsically. He looked at himself in the mirror and, still shaking, tied his new hair up into pigtails. When he put on his cloak, a strange warmth spread all over him. He was still a bit feminine, but there was no doubt he was a boy.

He couldn't believe he had truly done it. There was no turning back from there.

When the prince looked out the window, he bit his lip. His room was at the top of the tower, and the distance separating him from the ground was considerable. He hoped to avoid dying, so throwing himself was not an option. He needed to climb down.

He looked back at his bed. The bedding had multiple layers. He smiled to himself and began pulling at the covers and the sheets, tying them together to make his own makeshift rope. Once he deemed it long enough (he had to use the pillowcases as well), he tied it to one of the bed posts and threw it out the window. He was very satisfied when it hit the ground.

Very carefully, he grabbed onto his fake rope and started down, using the wall to propel himself. Fortunately, he was short and weighed very little, so he didn't have much trouble. The moment his feet reached the ground, an indescribable feeling overcame him.

He thought about everything he would be able to do. About all the people he would meet. No more itchy dresses and powder. No more playing the fiddle until his fingers ached. No more having to marry Gakushuu Asano.

Without thinking twice, he pulled the hood over his head and ran toward the moat that separated the palace from the city.

Was that what freedom felt like?

Now, dear reader, if you've gotten this far, there's something you ought to know about me: I love a good drama. And, now, to be honest, who doesn't love a good drama? Of course, if Nagisa's story finished here, if he just ran away and lived happily ever after in some cabin in the woods, I wouldn't be telling you any of this. No, no, this story is a dramatic love story, but it doesn't begin with love at first sight. They don't bump into each other, nor are they forced to share a bed. They don't even really like each other at first. No, a good drama has to be slow and passionate, and never actually begin with love. In our case, Nagisa's drama didn't begin with love, or any other emotion; it began with painful hunger.

Nagisa had been hungry before, despite his status. His mother never let him eat too much. He was no stranger to the feeling, and yet, it had never hurt so much as it hurt then. His stomach was literally aching as he walked, making him want to throw up even when there was nothing he could possibly puke.

And that's how he ended up stepping foot into some crap tavern on the side of the road for the first time in his life. He had been officially missing for seven hours and he hadn't even left the city limits. He fortunately hadn't been attacked, but he was sure his clothes had raised some suspicions, and he didn't like that. His parents would be about to wake up. The moment they discovered he was missing, everyone would know the princess had disappeared. None of the citizens knew what he looked like (his mother's obsession came to bite her in the butt) but the knights did know it, and they would surely find him in no time.

That was his train of thought when he ordered the first beer of his life. He was surprised at the size of the glass, which was filled to the brim with golden liquid and foam. The atmosphere also took him by surprise. The place was full of people dancing to the music the band was playing, laughing and getting drunk. He had never seen anything like that. The band had a tan, overenthusiastic lute player, a tall guy with spiky brown-blonde hair hitting some barrels as percussion, a blonde boy playing a fiddle similar to Nagisa's (only less fancy) and a short, silver-haired kid lazily playing the flute. Next to them, a black-haired lady had a small box in her hands and was collecting donations.

Nagisa tried his beer. It was intense and bitter. He made a face as he swallowed, slightly disgusted. With how beautiful it looked, he would've expected it to taste a lot better.

On the counter, a girl with long blonde hair and a cloak similar to Nagisa's was dancing and encouraging everyone to join her. The poor bartender had been trying to get her off of there for a while, but all his attempts had been unsuccessful. She was far too strong, agile and energetic. Next to her, another cloaked figure was drinking from a glass similar to Nagisa's.

“I'm sorry it took so long,” the bartender said, startling a distracted Nagisa. The prince forced his gaze away from the mysterious cloaked figure to focus on the young guy serving him a warm plate of soup. “Here. That'd be two silver coins.”

“Thanks, uh…” Nagisa mumbled, trying to read the name embroidered on his apron. “Iso…”

“Yuuma Isogai,” the boy smiled. “You can call me Isogai. I don't think I've ever seen you around.”

A feeling of dread crept up Nagisa's spine. He tried to hide it, plastering his best smile on his face.

“I'm not from here… I come from far, far away.”

Isogai seemed impressed and interested.

“Really? From another kingdom? That's awesome! I've never even left the city. I need to keep the business running. My mom… well, she's sick. She has been sick for a long time now.”

Nagisa furrowed his eyebrows. He grabbed his bag of coins and got a couple of gold coins from it, handing them to Isogai without another word. The bartender tried to refuse them the moment he saw them, but Nagisa insisted.

“Please, take them. You need them more than I do,” the prince said, smiling.

He literally saw Isogai’s eyes light up. The boy smiled and thanked him profusely, putting the coins in his pocket. He was about to say something else, when the blonde girl that was dancing on the counter called him.

“Isogai! Bring another beer over here!”

And Isogai sighed, looking back at Nagisa.

“They never have money to pay for all of the beers they order,” he whispered, grabbing another glass to fill. Nagisa chuckled in solidarity with him, watching him walk away.

He took a sip of his soup. It was warm and salty, and the taste was so exquisite, he couldn't help but close his eyes and hum in pleasure. He had never had anything so delicious back in his palace. The band kept playing, and the lady with the box of donations walked towards Nagisa.

“Contribution… A small contribution for our band…” she said monotonously, shaking the box with all the coins in his face. Nagisa smiled and dropped two silver coins inside of the tiny box. The lady seemed satisfied, because she bowed and moved on to the next customer.

Nagisa liked it there. It was noisy and way too intense, but it was genuine.

He was just finishing his soup and getting ready to leave, when a guy blocked his path. He, startled, took a step back. The guy's cheeks were chubby and tinted a soft pink color, and his eyes were glassy.

“Hey… pretty boy,” he slurred, wrapping an arm around Nagisa's waist. “I'm Yuji. Nice cloak you have here… but why would you cover this cute face?”

Nagisa gulped, really creeped out. It was the first time in his life that someone complimented him on his appearance without wearing a dress or makeup, but, somehow, it didn't really make him feel all that good. In fact, it made him extremely uncomfortable.

“I… uhm, thanks. I just… I don't know,” he stuttered, pulling the hood of his cloak down to cover his eyes. “I'm just… I was about to leave…”

“Oh, don't leave just yet, you're exactly what I was looking for tonight,” Yuji smiled, getting really close to Nagisa's face. The prince scrunched up his nose. His breath stank.

Nagisa was about to say something else, when the guy slid his hand down and shamelessly grabbed his ass. Nagisa was rendered speechless. He had never been in a situation like that before, and had never expected he would be in one, especially not dressed as a boy. His gut feeling was telling him to shake that guy off immediately, and he automatically reached for the knife he had hidden in the inside pocket of his cloak, but, before he had the chance to defend himself, a presence behind him made him yelp.

“I don't think the pretty boy wants nothing to do with you,” another guy's voice made them both turn around. There, the blond girl from earlier and a tall boy stood, arms crossed over their chests.

Yuji huffed at them, pushing Nagisa aside to confront the pair.

“Mind your own business, scum,” he hissed. The scene, as absurd as it was (Yuji was about a head shorter than the other guy) made Nagisa even more tense. The last thing he wanted was to get into trouble. He didn't need unwanted attention. He had to get out of there as soon as possible.

“Not you calling us scum,” the girl scoffed, placing her hands on her hips. “Don't think we haven't seen you drool all over him like a dog.”

Yuji blushed furiously and tried to pounce on her, but the guy grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and stopped him.

“Want to start a fight, I see?” He chuckled in Yuji’s face.

Nagisa didn’t know exactly how it happened, but a moment later, Yuji had managed to punch the guy square in the nose. The music and dancing stopped, and everyone turned to look at the scene unfolding right on the counter.

The guy, instead of getting mad and punching back, chuckled again. He pushed his hood off, and a mop of hair as red as the blood coming out of his nostrils shone in the dim light of the tavern. His eyes were the color of copper ore, and twinkled sadistically as he stuck out his tongue to lick the blood that had reached his lips. Nagisa felt time stop, as if the world had just frozen around him. His stomach fluttered and a warm feeling spread all over his body, causing his cheeks to flush a deep red.

That was, by far, the most handsome guy Nagisa had ever seen in his life.

“Oh, I see how it is…” the redhead whispered, wiping his bloody nose. “Nakamura, I think we should teach this dog a lesson, don't you think?”

“Gladly,” the blond girl smirked.

“Then it's settled.” He took a step forward, a cruel smile on his lips. “Let's samba~”

Chapter Text

Dear reader, as you must have imagined by now, Nagisa had never been in a proper fist fight. He had never been in a fight, period. He only knew fencing, but fencing could only get a man so far. The moment the redhead’s fist connected with Yuji's face, that was the moment Nagisa learnt what a real fight was like. Watching the guy's face, his eyes shining with mischief, his rogue smirk… it caused his heart to burst into flames. And the dopamine rush that came after it made his heart keep burning like a bonfire.

The whole tavern went wild. Out of the corner of his eye, Nagisa saw Isogai sigh and hide under the counter. He tried to follow, but he couldn't look away from the redhead, who was very happily kicking Yuji in the stomach. Something about his stance, his confidence, the way he carried himself… it charmed him in a sort of magical way. He wanted to… reach out and…

A hand grabbed his arm before he could actually try to reach out for the guy, and dragged him under the counter. There, Isogai and the band members all stared at him as if he had just cursed their ancestors and their future children at the same time.

“What are you doing? You want to get killed?” the bartender shouted over the noise of the brawl.

“I just… I'm sorry. It's my fault,” the prince sighed, shaking his head to try and clear it of all the confusing thoughts that were plaguing it.

“You will be sorry if Karma actually kills that dude. He's out for blood today,” the silver-haired flute player mumbled, peeking over the counter to try and see what was happening.

Karma. So that was his name. Nagisa found it strangely hilarious. He was certainly karma for Yuji.

“Don't scare him, Itona.” The big drummer grabbed the small kid and placed him on the floor. “He's right, though. That scumbag is excited. How many beers did you give him, Isogai?”

“No more than three, I can assure you. And he and Nakamura still owe me at least five they haven't paid.”

“Nakamura is the blonde girl?” Nagisa asked. He also peeked over the counter a bit. Karma had moved on to other guys and was beating them up one by one as if it were the easiest thing ever. His kicks were brutal and he knew how to make a punch really hurt. Nagisa had never seen anything so… violently attractive before. None of the knights fought like that. It was so gruesome, but seemed so fun.

The girl, Nakamura, was also a really good fighter. Compared to Karma, she wasn't as deadly or as impressive, but still, a lady that could hit like that without any kind of special training was a rare find. Together, they were literally raiding the tavern. Nagisa could see the pain in Isogai's eyes as he watched his customers get brutally beaten up.

“I'll pay you,” the prince offered himself, but Isogai shook his head.

“Oh, no way. I won't let you pay for their stupidity.”

“Well… then, at least let me pay for the beers they owe you. You know, even if it got a little bit out of hand, they still helped me.”

Isogai frowned, but sighed and let Nagisa hand him a bunch of bronze coins. The prince's bag was slowly emptying. That was not a good sign.

“So generous,” the black-haired girl hummed, then shook the box right in his face again. “I bet you have enough for another donation.”

“Hazama…” the fiddle player pulled her back, shooting Nagisa an apologetic smile.

“She's right, Muramatsu. We kinda need that money,” the lute player mumbled.

“Yoshida! There is no need to air our economic situation…”

“Enough, all of you,” Isogai cut them all off, covering his face with his hands and rubbing his eyes. “I absolutely do not get paid enough for this.”

“I think Karma knocked out the last one,” Itona commented. “We can get up now.”

Nagisa could feel his heart beating in his ears as he slowly got up from behind the counter. Just then, Karma threw the last body to the floor and rubbed his bloody hands together. His knuckles were bruised and turning an ugly shade of purple. When he heard the noise behind him, he turned. His lips twitched and curved into a crooked smirk.

“Terasaka, Isogai… I'm really sorry for ruining your night.” Something in his tone made Nagisa think he wasn't actually sorry.

Terasaka, the drummer, huffed.

“Nothing new. You owe us a donation.” Just like a sleeper cell spy, Hazama shook the wooden box when she heard the word ‘donation’.

Karma chuckled, rummaging his pockets and pulling out a single sad bronze coin. He placed the small coin on his fingers and snapped them, making it fly and land inside of the box cleanly.

“There you go, big guy. A small contribution on my part,” he smiled, waiting for Nakamura to finish laying the bodies against the wall so nobody would step on them. Once that was done, the girl threw her own bronze coin into the band's wooden box.

“That's all we have. Tough times. There are no carriages travelling these days. That goddamned creature made them all disappear,” she commented, walking to the door of the tavern. “We'll pay you when we get some more money, Isogai.”

“Oh, no need,” Isogai said, patting Nagisa's back. “The small guy already paid your debts.”

They were both about to leave, but they stopped in their tracks to look back at Nagisa, as if they had completely forgotten the reason why they started the fight in the first place. Nagisa waved awkwardly at them, trying not to stare at Karma too much.

Nakamura tilted her head. She seemed to be thinking about who Nagisa was. The prince decided to give her a hand.

“You just beat up the guy that was bothering me,” he explained, smiling at them as kindly as he could.

“Ah! Of course, yeah, you're welcome. You paid for our beers?” She clapped her hands excitedly, her eyes twinkling at the thought of not having to pay her debts. “How cute!”

“Adorable, indeed,” Karma mumbled, smirking at him. That smile, however, did not extend to his eyes. “The dog was right, you are a cute mouse.”

For some reason, Nagisa felt his cheeks get hot as if someone had just lit matches inside of them. He didn't like that feeling.

“It's adorable, yeah, but still, until that creature finally goes away, we won't have enough money to eat,” Karma added, turning around, as if Nagisa were just a torn shoe or a small inconvenience he had to ignore. That rejection felt like a punch to the gut, and the prince was about to protest, when he remembered something.

“... Why don't you go after the creature?” he said before he could stop his mouth from moving.

Once again, both bandits stopped in their tracks to look back at him. The members of the band also gave him a couple of confused looks. Isogai was the only one who didn't seem all that surprised, and he pulled a paper out of one of the pockets of his apron.

“The small guy is right. The King offers a reward to whoever can catch that monster,” he commented, showing them one of the posters Nagisa remembered seeing his father check before ordering the knights to hang them on the streets. It was some sort of drawing of the monster, created after hearing the testimonies of everyone who had ever seen it. In pitch black ink, the painter had drawn a horrible creature: long tentacles coming out of every inch of its body, dark eyes and a wide, sinister smile. Under it, in bold, capital letters, the words: BIG REWARD. 100.000 GOLD COINS.

“100.000 gold coins?! That's, like, enough money to never have to mug anyone ever again!” Nakamura gasped, grabbing Karma by the arm and shaking him.

“Yeah…” Karma hummed, suddenly interested. “That'd be nice. And, I mean, I can't be that hard to catch. If people know what it looks like, it means it's not as fast as everyone makes it out to be. The knights probably just suck ass, same as everything coming from a palace.”

That sentence caught Nagisa off guard. Not only because of the wording, but also because of the tone of contempt that Karma used to express himself. He had to remind himself that he couldn't look offended, since, to those people, he wasn't a noble, nor a royal. It was hard, though. It felt like a personal attack in some way, especially considering the knights had been his only friends up until then.

“Uh… sure.” He scratched the back of his head, under his hood. His blue hair slid out from under it. “Well… you can go catch it. If you want.”

Nakamura and Karma looked at each other. They looked back at Nagisa. Then, Nakamura dragged Karma aside and they began muttering under their breaths, probably discussing whether it was a good idea or not. Karma looked unimpressed, but Nakamura's eyes shone with barely contained excitement. Finally, they returned, and Nakamura coughed.

“Alright. Good idea. Lead the way,” she said naturally.

Nagisa blinked.

“... Lead the way where?”

“To the creature, obviously.”

Nagisa blinked twice. Then thrice.

“... But… I don't… the creature… I…”

“ROAD TRIP!” The band members exclaimed, screaming, cheering and playing their instruments all at the same time, somehow managing to harmonize anyway. The noise was deafening, and Nagisa had to cover his ears with his hands so as to avoid any type of internal bleeding their enthusiasm could cause. The boys all ran outside, carrying Itona on their shoulders as the boy played his silly flute to the improvised rhythm.

“Seems like you can't refuse,” Hazama smirked sinisterly, her head turning like an owl's. “And at the end of this trip, I will have emptied your pockets… that'll be your contribution… hehehe…”

And she walked outside as well, where the guys were throwing Itona in the air, watching him do flips while he kept playing the flute.

Isogai sighed.

“You go ahead, I have to stay here. I'll prepare a bag with soup and drinks for you all.” He smiled like a gentleman. Nagisa felt strangely comforted by his smile. It reminded him of one of the knights back in the palace.

He wondered what the knights were doing at that moment. They were the only thing he missed. That, and his bouncy bed.

Nagisa was then left alone with Nakamura and Karma. The girl immediately wrapped her arm around Nagisa's shoulders and pulled him close, smirking roguishly.

“So, small guy… what's your name?”

“I'm Nagis—” he stopped himself before he could screw up. He was known as Princess Nagisa. Maybe his appearance was a mystery, but his name surely wasn't. He couldn't let it slip like that. “I'm Shiota.” He immediately corrected himself, smiling. He tried to ignore the fact that he had used his mother’s noble family name.

“Shiota… I see.” Nakamura hummed, looking him up and down, taking in his messy clothing, the cloak covering him, and his dirty boots. “Are you a traveller or something?”

“Oh, yes. I come from… another kingdom,” Nagisa chuckled, biting his lip. He was kind of expecting his nose to start getting long at any given moment. He was telling so many lies, he was going to have trouble keeping up with everything that was coming out of his mouth.

“Oh, yeah? Interesting. Which one?” Karma asked, obviously skeptical.

Nagisa went pale. He hadn't thought that far ahead. He stuttered, fidgeting with the end of his cloak.

“A land so far away, even I have trouble finding it on a map…” he tried to joke, but failed miserably. “Uhm… it's called… Nou Were?”

Karma and Nakamura stared at each other for a moment, then shrugged.

“Sounds exotic. Well, then! You guide us!” The girl pushed the prince outside of the tavern. The sun was rising. Nagisa gulped. His parents were about to wake up. He urgently needed to leave the city. If he stayed there, he would be found in no time, and then he'd have to go back to the palace and the dresses and not eating and Prince Gakushuu Asano—

He shook his head before his thoughts got the better of him.

Just then, they heard the fast gallop of a horse approaching down the road. The band members placed Itona on the ground and the boy stopped playing the flute. On the horse, a royal messenger carried a torch shining in the soft light of dawn. He stopped the horse in front of them, and the animal neighed loudly.

“Boys,” he called, “the palace needs your help.”

“Our help?” Karma chuckled, amused. “What horrible news could the palace bring to rascals like us? Did the Queen break a nail or something?”

The royal messenger gave Karma a weird look, and then, for some reason, stared directly at Nagisa. The boy froze in fear. His whole body went stiff. He already knew the news that man was about to communicate, so he quickly grabbed his hood and pulled it over his eyes, making sure his hair was out of sight, just in case.

“The princess is missing,” the man announced, waving the torch around and pointing towards the palace with it. “We need everyone's help to find her. We think she might've been kidnapped by that horrible creature that's been terrorizing our land. The reward for catching it has increased tenfold.”

“Tenfold?! A million gold coins?! That's demented!” Muramatsu, the fiddle player, exclaimed.

The royal messenger bowed his head solemnly before them.

“The palace is grateful for your collaboration.” And, with that, he spurred the horse, which neighed again and resumed its journey south.

Dear reader, let me tell you, Nagisa almost shit his pants.

Walking along the dirt path, he did not raise his eyes from the ground at any time. It didn't help that he had Karma next to him, and he was afraid of looking suspicious. He had a feeling the bandit hadn't believed anything he had told them.

They had been walking most of the day. Nagisa was guiding the group south, not because he thought they would find the creature there, but because he desperately needed to put distance between him and the palace.

Earlier, he had thought leaving the city would be enough. He would have never expected that his parents would find out he was missing so soon, nor that the news would spread so quickly. Now, he was sure the only thing he could do was leave the kingdom altogether. There was only one tiny little inconvenience: the still had two more days ahead to reach the next kingdom, which, as if all of that were not enough torture already, was Asano’s kingdom.

Nagisa bit his lip so hard he drew blood. Behind them, the band was playing absurdly loud music with even more absurd lyrics. Muramatsu and Yoshida played both the fiddle and the lute magistrally, while Terasaka struck two rocks as percussion.

The princess is missing,

Oh, maybe she's just pissing

Now, who's really gonna miss her?

Still, we bring her back, hey!

The stanza finished with Itona playing a solo on his flute.

“Do we really have to bring these guys?” Nakamura grumbled, looking over her shoulder as they walked.

“I like them. Their artistry is endearing,” Karma commented with a smirk, watching Itona absolutely kill his solo. “What do you think… Shiota?”

He got really close to Nagisa's ear to whisper his “name”, which startled the prince and made him stop dead in his tracks.

“What? The… what? My what?” he stuttered nervously, a bit of blood dripping down his chin.

Karma chuckled, as if Nagisa was nothing but mere entertainment. He wiped the blood from his chin, then licked it off his own finger, making very intense eye contact. The poor prince almost combusted on the spot.

“Your nothing. I was talking about the music,” he chuckled, very obviously making fun of him.

“The… music? It's loud,” Nagisa mumbled when his ability to move his mouth returned. “The lyrics are tacky, but Itona is a very good flute player.”

Karma hummed, his smile permanent on his lips.

“You've got a very refined taste in music, then,” he said, more to himself than to the rest of the group. Nakamura looked back at Nagisa and waved her hand dismissively.

“Don't listen to this guy. He's just testing you,” she reassured him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

Just then, they reached a sign stuck in the ground, clearly broken, with the wooden plank almost hanging from the post. Once repositioned, they saw what it said.

Inn. 600 steps away.

“Inn? How convenient,” Karma muttered, staring ahead. The sun was starting to set, and they didn't have a place to stay. “Does anyone have coins we can pay with?”

The band immediately stopped playing music. They all turned to Hazama, who had mysteriously made the box of donations disappear from her hands. With that, Nagisa sighed and grabbed his own bag of coins, emptying its content in his own hand. He had four gold coins, six silver coins and a bunch of bronze coins.

“Wow. You're rich, rich, Shiota.” Nakamura's mouth watered at the sight of the coins. Karma also side-eyed the shiny metallic pieces, but didn't comment on them. “I think two gold coins might be enough?”

“They should be,” Nagisa nodded. “Let's see if we can get a warm meal and some beds for all of us. Isogai’s soup didn't even last a day…”

Karma hummed. Nagisa didn't know if he agreed or if it was just an absentminded gesture. In any case, Karma had aroused admiration in him, but his constant teasing and rejection were beginning to cause him some irritation.

“Let's go,” Itona said, taking the lead and enlivening the way with another wonderful flute solo.

Dear reader, I fear that the moment has arrived for you to meet another very important character in this story. While Nagisa is plagued with conflicting thoughts and feelings regarding Karma, another prince is also being plagued with thoughts, but thoughts of none other than Nagisa himself.

Prince Gakushuu Asano had never been allowed to be anything but perfect. That fact was something the boy had learnt to be at peace with. He had been raised with just one goal in mind at all times: produce the perfect heir to the throne. Until then, the mission had been a success. Gakushuu was the perfect Prince Charming prototype: handsome, intelligent, strategic, talented, outstanding and sharp. The moment he learnt to speak, he discovered his words, in that world, had power. He could ask for anything, and it would be given to him. However, that kind of power also came with a punishment: excruciating daily effort. Fencing until he couldn't see straight. Studying until he felt his head was about to explode, and, of course, his father, who insisted on testing him every week to keep track of his abilities.

No, Gakushuu Asano wouldn't have considered himself fortunate. Talented? Yes. Promising? Of course. But fortunate? That was a stretch.

His position in life was… strange. He was above everyone else, but somehow below his own father. He was subject to his decisions and desires, destined to live permanently in his shadow, because he would always be better than everyone else, but he would never surpass his King. It was confusing, and frustrating.

Gakuho Asano had a very personal, authoritarian way of ruling. Fear, for him, was a weapon almost as powerful as the guillotine or the sword. Gakuho Asano maintained control by instilling fear in his subjects, and so far it had worked. However, his son was not about to continue with that method. As a result, their father-son relationship was a constant struggle between Asano's moral compass and the king's, which was exhausting at times. And, just in case that wasn't enough, Asano had been pressured to find a wife, since his father had been showing signs of illness and he wanted to ensure his legacy continued.

Asano didn't have time for love. He had never fallen in love and would probably never do so. Love was a weakness, and Gakushuu Asano couldn't have weaknesses. He had to be perfect.

Thus, at his own request (wounding his own pride) he had allowed his father to choose his future wife.

The portrait arrived a little before midnight. Asano, who had one of the maids naked in his bed, was woken up to see it.

“It better be perfect,” he mumbled, dressing up before getting up from the bed and walking to the main hall, where his servants were handling the portrait as carefully as they could.

Asano pinched the bridge of his nose when the portrait fell from his servants' hands and landed on the hard marble floor with a loud thumping sound. His four servants stared at him like terrified bunnies, waiting for their punishment. The prince just waved his hand dismissively.

“What are you waiting for? Pick it up!” He grumbled impatiently.

His servants nodded and picked up the portrait, leaving it against the wall. Asano walked down the stairs.

“Are you really so incompetent that you can't even handle a woman's portrait carefully?” Asano reprimanded, adjusting the collar of his shirt. His servants looked down, embarrassed and… flustered.

“We're sorry, sir,” one of them, the tall brunette, whispered. “The fair maiden in the portrait is just… too beautiful. We got distracted.”

Asano raised a brow. That was a whole new level of incompetence he had never expected his servants would be able to reach. Curious, he stood in front of the portrait.

He understood immediately.

Asano had seen a lot of women in his life. Some were acceptable, and others… well, others he could've lived without knowing. Nonetheless, never ever in his life had he seen such a gorgeous lady. That was, definitely, a new experience for him, and it was otherworldly.

The princess had been painted sitting on a plush red chair with golden ornaments. The background was dark and blurry, so the color of her hair stood out even more. A waterfall of hair the color of the blue sky fell over her shoulders in small curls reminiscent of ocean waves. Her body was covered by a beautiful dress in a soft periwinkle color, making her pale skin really shine. However, what caught Asano's attention was not her body, like usual. It was her eyes: bored, somber, looking away from the painter and refusing to look up. She was either bashful or extremely rebellious, and both options intrigued Asano. The prince took a step forward, staring into the girl's eyes with profound curiosity, one he had never once felt before.

She looked like a queen.

“Take it to my quarters,” Asano ordered, not looking away from the lady's eyes. “Hang it in front of my bed. I found my future wife.”

Once he had kicked the maid out, Asano sat alone in his room, staring at the portrait. The sensation he felt in his heart (and especially, in his stomach) reminded him of the soft flutter of a butterfly's wings. He couldn't tell exactly what it was, but it made him feel both excited and awkward at the same time. He wanted to know more about that princess. What was she like? What conversation would she have? Would she be shy, or confident? Would she be a good wife? Asano was sure she would. There was something in her gaze that he couldn't pinpoint, but that made him trust her. A certain sincerity. She looked deeply unhappy and wasn't trying to hide it.

Asano was sure he could make her happy.

He fell asleep staring at who he thought would be his future wife. When he woke up, he was notified of the disappearance of Princess Nagisa. The moment he heard that, he rushed to his father's office and slammed the door open.

“Father,” he began, trying not to look too panicked. “I need my horse. The princess—”

“I know.” Was all that Gakuho Asano said.

Gakuho Asano was the kind of monarch that made glances fall to the floor when he entered a room, his son's gaze included. His tone of voice was strategically modulated to give no room for any kind of possible retort. That was why the prince had to hold his breath for a second, speechless.

“I already prepared your horses. You and your servants will depart in an hour. And, Gakushuu,” the King stared at him, a relaxed smile on his face. “If you are unable to save her, then…” he stopped and coughed. “I will consider you unworthy of your title. You will have no wife and no throne.”

Asano didn't usually agree with his father, but at that moment, he considered the arrangement fair. He bowed before the King and turned, walking back to his room.

An hour later, five white steeds left the parade ground, galloping towards the sunrise. The fate of a kingdom was at stake. Asano could not fail.

And, dear reader, let me tell you, Asano was not in the habit of failing.

Chapter Text

The inn was cozy. The entrance also turned out to be the main dining room, where numerous travelers were already seated dining by the light of the embers. Over the fire in the fireplace hung a pot filled to overflowing with broth. A girl with dark braids stirred it diligently.

On the counter, another girl with orange hair counted silver and gold coins, writing down everything with a quill. Behind her, hanging on the wooden wall, instead of the usual collection of hunting gear, antlers and deer heads, Nagisa was surprised to see bugs. Dissected bugs, but still bugs.

The members of the band immediately started lining up to get a plate of hot broth. Nagisa walked over to the counter and smiled at the ginger girl.

“Hello… rooms for eight people, please?”

The girl smiled back happily, but when she was about to open her mouth, she was interrupted.

“No way. Kurahashi?!” Nakamura gasped, jumping over the counter to hug the girl. She looked surprised for a moment, but when she recognized Nakamura, she gasped as well and they both hugged and hopped around excitedly.

“Nakamura! I'm so happy to see you! Where have you been? It's been so long!” Kurahashi smiled at her friend.

“Girl, I could say the same thing. Since when do you run an inn?” Nakamura asked her, looking around the place. The inn wasn't too spectacular, just a big cabin, but the girl seemed as impressed as if she had just stepped foot inside a palace.

“It's a long story… I can tell you over dinner. And you can introduce me to your friends!” Kurahashi observed the colorful group, including the band, who were already finishing their first bowl of broth and were lining up to get a second one.

“What's this? An old orphanage friends reunion?” Karma asked with a smirk, stepping forward. Nakamura punched him in the arm playfully, or at least, that's what Nagisa interpreted from the brutal slap the bandit got. The prince had never been around such… rowdy people.

“Wouldn't you like to know,” she answered his question, rolling her eyes. “Kurahashi, this is my best friend and partner in crime, Karma. And these are Shiota, Itona, Terasaka, Muramatsu, Yoshida and Hazama.”

Nagisa pulled his hood down over his eyes, just in case. He didn't notice Karma eyeing him when he did so. The band members each gave a soft wave when their names were called. Meanwhile, Kurahashi called the broth girl over.

“Well, I also have someone to introduce! Okuda! Guys, this is Okuda. She's my secretary and my chef.” Kurahashi stressed the final f of the word. Okuda was a short lady with glasses, a dark dress and dark braids falling down her back. She looked bashful, her gaze drifting to the walls and the floor the moment she was addressed.

Terasaka, after an obnoxiously loud burp, hummed.

“A very good chef indeed.”

Dinner was pleasant. The band played some music, and Hazama got a lot of donations. She shook the box full of coins in Nagisa's face a few times, smug, as if showing off how many more coins she had now. It was… scary. Nagisa had never met such a scary lady before.

Kurahashi and Nakamura had some fun of their own. As it turned out, they did come from the same orphanage, which was definitely curious. They ordered one shot of rum after another, telling funny stories from their childhood days to everyone who cared to listen.

Karma, to Nagisa's surprise, stayed mostly quiet throughout the duration of the meal. He ordered one beer after another, and Nagisa grew concerned, thinking he would get drunk. However, the bandit must have had amazing alcohol tolerance, because none of the usual effects of it showed on him.

Nagisa had begun feeling uneasy around him. It was clear Karma didn't trust him, and the thought made him panic a bit (just a tiny bit). The man was just too sharp. Nagisa had to find a way to convince him, and urgently. If not, he'd start suspecting, if he wasn't already.

A few hours later, Karma and Nagisa helped a very drunk Nakamura get to her room. The prince was impressed, since he was sure he had seen Karma drink much more than her, but the man still seemed perfectly fine.

Once Nakamura was safely tucked in, they walked to their room. The group had decided they would share rooms to reduce the cost of their stay, which Nagisa would have appreciated, if he hadn't been chosen to room with Karma. They didn't speak much, apart from the occasional “I'll use the bathroom” or “I'm going to go outside”. Nagisa felt anxious, his stomach fluttering and doing weird flips inside of his belly. The room was spacious, beautiful, with two perfectly made beds with soft bedding that reminded him of his own bed back in the palace. However, he couldn't sleep. He didn't even want to lay down.

Eventually, Karma came back from his last nightly walk and began getting ready for bed. Nagisa couldn't take his eyes off of him, of his graceful movements, the way he stretched to take off his shirt and how his muscles came to view. He wasn't scandalously buff, not even close, but his arms had well-defined biceps, and the sight of his back made Nagisa blush the deepest shade of red imaginable. He felt a stirring in his lower abdomen, like a taut rope on the verge of breaking.

Karma, of course, noticed.

“See something you like, little mouse?” he smirked, throwing his clothes on the floor carelessly. Nagisa gulped, finally taking off his own cloak to pretend he was doing something other than staring shamelessly. His blue hair came to view, still tied up in pigtails.

“Sorry. It just took me by surprise,” he mumbled, not daring to look Karma in the eye.

The other man laid down on the bed in his underwear, the same smirk still plastered on his face.

“You're adorable, I'll give you that,” he whispered, and Nagisa was unable to distinguish whether the guy was being serious or just making fun of him. He still felt his cheeks get hot, though.

“Listen… uh. I know you don't trust me,” he changed the topic, trying not to lose control of the conversation. He had a feeling Karma was the type of person who could stir up a conversation and make it go in whichever way he wanted.

“How do you know that?” Karma asked. “Cute hair, by the way,” he pointed out immediately after.

Nagisa felt his chest ignite into flames. He didn't understand how this bandit could have such an effect on him, at least physically. It was like his body reacted on its own, ignoring Nagisa's conscience and usually fair judgement.

“You don't trust I'm guiding you to the creature,” the prince whispered. “And you just don't trust me. I don't know why. Maybe it's my appearance, or the way I speak. I just… I don't blame you.”

Being completely honest, Nagisa had no fucking idea of what he was saying. He was just going through the motions and moving with the flow of his feelings, trying to conceal his fear at the thought of being discovered while not letting the other get a word in, just in case he ended up humiliated.

“I know I must seem suspicious to you. I don't speak too much, I always cover my face, I'm nervous all the time… I'm sorry. I just…”

Nagisa covered his face with his hands. His etiquette classes had only taught him how to deal with simple chit-chatting, never how to defend himself or deny the accusations of a very attractive bandit.

“I'm being chased, alright?” he improvised, although it wasn't entirely a lie. “I'm a fugitive. Back in the city, I did something very wrong. I didn't kill anyone,” he quickly explained, not wanting to take the lie too far, “but my family is fairly important, and they were forcing me to… do something bad. So I… I ran away.”

He fidgeted for a moment.

“Today, I wasn't guiding you to the creature. I need to leave the kingdom. I was guiding you south, towards the next one. You're free to think as badly as you want of me. I've tricked you, and for that, I apologize profusely.”

His apology was met with silence, which Nagisa interpreted as the world telling him it was a shitty apology.

He was kind of expecting Karma to retaliate, to say something mean and cruel, to tell everyone he was a criminal and turn him in, but none of that happened. What happened was that Karma straightened up and chuckled, as if Nagisa had just told him something funny.

“I see. So the little mouse is more human than I thought,” he murmured, smiling. “Well, Shiota, I'm glad you're being honest with me.”

Then, he leaned in, as if he were going to tell Nagisa a big secret. His eyes twinkled with a mix of curiosity and teasing.

“You're right. I don't trust you. I don't trust or engage with the well-heeled to begin with, but there's something about you that I don't understand. Something I… perceive in you. Something that makes me trust you even less.”

Nagisa looked down, embarrassed. He didn't know what Karma was referring to, but if he had to guess, he'd say it was his dishonesty. The bandit's next words confirmed it.

“I feel like you could betray us at any given time. You look so small and harmless, but don't think I haven't noticed the knife you carry around, or the way you bite your lip until it bleeds. It feels like you're permanently getting ready to attack,” he mumbled, leaning back and resting his weight on his elbows. “Unfortunately, Nakamura is much kinder than me, so these things sometimes go over her head.”

“I see how I might seem suspicious, but I can assure you, I would never harm any of you. I'm just scared…” Nagisa whispered. “Scared of being forced to go back. If you want my help, I will gladly help you defeat the creature and get your reward. After that, I will disappear and you won't ever see me again, so you won't have to worry about me. I'm not a traitor. I… don't have bad intentions. I don't even need the reward. I just need freedom.”

He hoped his words made him seem helpless and vulnerable enough. He needed Karma on his side one way or another, even if just to be able to relax and sleep at night.

Karma leaned forward, once again. His expression was unreadable, but his copper eyes seemed to twinkle in the dim moonlight. He had a piercing gaze, the type that could make one stumble and lose themselves in the sea of amber that sparkled in the horizon of his iris. His beauty was wild, the same untamed beauty Nagisa had always both envied and admired. There was an edge of danger to it, of uncertainty, a feeling of lack of control, of never knowing what to expect. Karma was a hazardously handsome individual, and Nagisa couldn't bring himself to like it, but couldn't bring himself to dislike it either.

Staying true to his nature, the bandit got up and just slightly bent over so his face was mere inches away from Nagisa's ear. He let out a soft hum of approval (or mocking, maybe) and spoke right next to Nagisa's temple.

“Alright. Just because my friend finds you pleasing, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt,” he whispered.

Then, he turned around, flopped down on the bed and went to sleep.

Nagisa couldn't have been more taken aback and confused. He blinked, once, twice, before his face turned the same shade of red of a ripe strawberry. A soft gasp escaped his lips, making the flame of the candle resting on the bedside table flicker just slightly. He gently laid down on the bed, trying to avoid making any sounds that would give away how absolutely flabbergasted he was. He could still smell Karma next to him, an intense scent that reminded Nagisa of turmeric and the smell of the air right before a storm. It was haunting.

He spent at least an hour staring up at the wooden ceiling, trying to resist the urge to sniff around to catch Karma's scent again. The bandit had long since fallen asleep. He slept facing the wall away from Nagisa, so he couldn't see his face. If they hadn't been speaking just a while back, Nagisa would've thought he was dead. He didn't make any sound during the night and his only movement was a slight tremor from time to time, which might as well have been rigor mortis.

The prince tried to sleep, but it was tricky, and once he managed to fall into a deep slumber, that glorious scent plagued both his dreams and nightmares until he awoke the next morning.

If the inn was already lively in the evenings, in the mornings the commotion tripled.

Nagisa tried with all of his might (and failed) to get in line so Okuda could fill his bowl with hot porridge. When he finally managed to reach the poor girl, she could only scrape out what little was left to serve him. The prince looked down at his pathetic serving, sighing deeply. He had already accepted his defeat against Itona, who had already eaten several bowls, when a presence behind him made him turn.

Karma handed him his own bowl of steaming porridge. His even had a fried egg on top, which made Nagisa's mouth water, but he shook his head.

“I can't take your breakfast,” Nagisa argued. “You need to eat.”

“I'm not hungry,” Karma answered, pushing the bowl against his chest and snatching the almost empty one from his hands. “Besides, little mice need some more food than this to grow.”

The prince blushed a deep shade of red, as he now usually did when Karma was near and speaking to him like that. He reluctantly accepted the porridge, wondering where the sudden kindness was coming from.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. That's what Karma had said the previous night. Nagisa hadn't given it too much thought, but it seemed Karma was taking his words seriously. At that moment, he pondered and came to the conclusion that the bandit was trying to make him feel like he owed him something. He was trying to make Nagisa feel guilty.

And it was fucking working.

Nagisa sat down at the table, next to Nakamura. The girl looked like a ghost: her skin resembled a sheet of paper, her eyes had dark bags and deep wrinkles under them, and she was covering them as if the light hurt her.

“Are you okay?” Nagisa asked kindly, watching as Okuda brought some kind of green beverage to their table and set it right in front of the girl.

“Nothing unusual…” she waved her hand dismissively, downing the beverage in one single gulp. “Nobody wants to live forever.”

In Nagisa's opinion, that was a reckless and kind of stupid way of living, but he refrained from saying anything. Nakamura and him had both earned their freedom in their own unrighteous ways. He wasn't going to be the one to judge her.

Karma sat down in front of him. Their eyes met, and Nagisa immediately averted his gaze, which drifted to his porridge. He had been toying with it, so he wasn't surprised to see the egg yolk had run and everything had turned orange. Nakamura raised a brow, looking intermittently at the two of them. She shot Karma a look, but the bandit just showed her his thumb. Then, she turned to Nagisa, who, embarrassed, started eating. It was delicious, at least. He'd have to congratulate Okuda, she truly was an amazing chef.

Meanwhile, Kurahashi chatted excitedly with the rest of the group. Nagisa would've been fine with just ignoring them, but the word “creature” reached his ears like a dagger going through his skull, and he was forced to listen. Karma also raised his gaze from his scarce food.

“The creature?” She was telling Yoshida and Muramatsu, bubbly. “Ah, yeah! Of course, I heard some guests talking about it. Apparently, it's been hiding in a forest a few miles west from here. Maybe you could find it there!”

Nakamura, despite her condition, sneaked into the conversation magistrally.

“A forest? And what's it doing there? And more importantly, is it really dangerous?”

Kurahashi shrugged, her head tilted to the right.

“I don't know. The guests didn't have that information. Although I did hear a rumor that the posters made in the palace weren't exactly all that accurate. I guess you'll have to see it for yourselves!”

Karma hummed, unimpressed.

“When is anything made in a palace any good? Right, Shiota?” He smirked, staring up at Nagisa with a crooked smirk.

Again with that. Why was that guy so obsessed with the palace? Did he have some kind of vendetta against them? His voice was low and calm, but his tone somehow held so much contempt and disgust. The prince forced a smile, but inside, he was seething.

“Yeah. You're right,” he agreed, but didn't eat much more of his porridge after that.

Ugh, why was Karma confusing him so much? One minute he made him blush, only to insult him the next. Nagisa was aware that Karma wasn't doing it on purpose (since he didn't know he was the princess) but it was still extremely bothersome and frustrating. He had never met such an infuriating person before, and an infuriatingly handsome one at that as well.

Once breakfast was over, the band expressed their gratitude playing some more music for free, which Hazama didn't seem too pleased about. It did seem to move Kurahashi, who had to wipe some tears from her face. She also cried when saying goodbye to Nakamura, and both girls hugged and hopped around again.

After getting some more directions from Kurahashi and a bag full of supplies from Okuda, the group resumed their journey. They had to stop a few times so Nakamura could puke, but overall, they were going at quite a brisk pace. Nagisa carried their new bag, while the band played some lovely songs, with lovely lyrics.

The princess and her knight are having fun,

The night of the ball, they're having fun,

Don't go out there, don't see them

‘Cause we don't want you hearing

How she likes them long and hard, hey, hey!

Nagisa felt his whole face glow bright red.

“Where do they get all of these rhymes about the princess?” He stuttered, pulling the hood of his cloak down over his eyes.

“They improvise them on the spot,” Hazama whispered, lurking behind him. Nagisa let out the tiniest of yelps and his hand went to his heart, which had started beating out of control. One of those days, the stress was going to cause him a heart attack.

“I mean, they're not wrong. The princess is probably having a lot of fun,” Karma snickered, walking with his hands in his pockets. “You know. With the whole tentacle thing…”

“Oh my God, that's disgusting, Karma,” Nagisa protested, smacking his arms repeatedly. “She's probably scared, and… and frightened! And… and terrified!”

“Are you aware you just said the same thing three times?” Nakamura asked, clutching her stomach. Her skin was turning an unhealthy shade of green again.

Just then, they reached a crossroads. A sign stuck on the ground signaled to the right, where the dirt path continued down a hill towards a small, picturesque village in the valley, crossed by a calm river and with little houses that, from above, looked like something out of one of the dollhouses Nagisa's mother forced him to play with as a child. On the other side, the path stretched into the forest, with the trees growing lusher and lusher in the distance.

“Kurahashi said it was in the forest, right?” Nagisa asked, taking one step forward. “We should take this path, then.”

He turned and waited for everyone to follow him. Nakamura stayed put, partly because she was puking again. The band didn't move a muscle. None of them. The only one who did something was Karma. With his hands in his pockets, he followed Nagisa to the edge of the forest, not without grabbing Nakamura by the collar of her dress and dragging her along with him.

“Come on, you didn't even drink that much,” he mocked her, pinching her cheeks. The girl whined.

“I'm going to die.”

“You promised you'd wait for me!”

Nagisa fidgeted with his cloak shyly. He stared at Terasaka, who, in return, glared at him. They silently challenged each other to a staring contest, where Nagisa apparently had the upper hand, judging by the way the other man averted his gaze after just a few seconds.

“Tsk. Don't look at me like that,” he grumbled. Nagisa hadn't even noticed he had put on his best puppy eyes.

The leader of the band turned to the band members. He crossed his arms over his chest and huffed.

“The kid wants us to go with him to the forest,” he gruffly informed them. “What do you say?”

“To the forest? That scary looking forest?” Muramatsu asked, scratching the top of his head. “Nah, man. No way. I'd rather die another day.”

“Well, I'm in. It's just a forest, right? And you heard what Kurahashi said, the creature is not what we think it is. It might as well be just another very fast rascal,” Yoshida argued.

“Maybe the creature will be interested in donating,” Hazama commented absentmindedly. “I'm not scared of forests, anyways. I read a lot of scary novels.”

“I don't care,” was Itona’s response, before he went back to playing his flute.

Terasaka patted Muramatsu’s back.

“Well, you heard ‘em. You lose, my friend. Let's go to the scary looking forest,” he said, making sure to grab him by the shoulder and keep him firmly grasped so he wouldn't try to sneak away. “Let's go! Uh…”

He suddenly stopped, a bit conflicted. Nagisa tilted his head, wondering what had suddenly gotten Terasaka so pensive.

“... We don't have a name for our band,” he realized, turning to his friends again. “What should we call ourselves?”

They all stared at each other, murmuring.

“The… Folk Folks?” Yoshida proposed, to which Hazama hissed.

“Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. We should be called The Vampires, obviously.”

“You want to scare listeners or attract them?” Muramatsu asked, huffing. “Clearly, The Kittens would be much better. Kittens are harmless.”

“Corny,” Itona mumbled. “We should be called Big Tits. Everyone loves big tits.”

“I second the motion,” Karma snickered, having the time of his life witnessing that absurd discussion.

“Enough. We shall be called… The Terasaka Gang!” Terasaka announced, proudly walking past Nagisa.

All of the members let out simultaneous, impressively harmonized groans.

Their walk through the forest was… boring, to say the least. It was dead silent, not a single leaf moved. Not even the clouds seemed to drift away in the sky. Nagisa looked around, waiting for the usual squirrel to climb up a tree trunk, or for birds to start singing and moving around frenetically, but… nothing. At one point, the path abruptly came to a stop, and the group was forced to adventure into the deepest parts of the grove.

“This is so weird,” Nagisa whispered, holding onto Okuda’s bag and looking around trying to find signs of the creature. “There's nothing here.”

Karma hummed, his arms crossed behind his head.

“You're right. It's like everything is dead.”

Nagisa squinted to see if he could spot anything in the underbrush. He didn't have much experience in the world in general, but he knew it was impossible for such a place not to show at least the slightest sign of life. There were two options that were somewhat plausible, though not entirely: one was that something very bad had happened in that forest. The other was that there was something bigger than the birds that, for some reason, was keeping them away. Neither option was in the least bit appealing to him.

He became alert. He didn't like that scenario at all, and it only made him more nervous.

Suddenly, some trees in the distance moved violently. Instantly, the group moved to stay as far away from them as possible. Nagisa drew his knife, as did Karma, but he was not watching the trees. He was watching him, which only made Nagisa even more nervous.

The movement stopped. Nagisa wondered if maybe he was losing his mind and seeing things where there wasn't anything. He hid his knife once again, but just when he was about to continue, he was swept off his feet and began flying up.

A desperate cry escaped his lips. He held onto the bag of supplies as he tried to pull away the arm that was grabbing him, only to realize that it was not an arm, but a slimy, yellow tentacle. He nearly tore his throat apart with another scream, this time of sheer terror. He watched his group speed away, Karma's silhouette merging with the landscape that opened up before him. He held his breath. Black magic? A tornado that had swallowed him? He tried to search for a rational explanation, but could only panic.

He felt himself pierce the clouds, and the landscape disappeared, replaced by a canvas in soft white and shades of gray. He felt his speed slow down until he was suspended in the air. He could not breathe. His whole body felt light and tense at the same time.

He looked up and his eyes met the small black pupils of a creature such as he had never imagined he would see. Large, bald, yellow head, a broad grinning rictus and strange, oddly shaped appendages on its fingers, or hands, or whatever they were. Those must have been the so-called tentacles. It looked nothing like the poster drawings his father had gotten made. He was dressed in a long black robe with a simple embroidery of a moon in the center. If it weren't for the fact that he was holding Nagisa god knows how many miles above the ground, he wouldn't have considered him to be anything threatening, or sinister. No, the creature seemed happy and docile, ready to chat.

“Princess Nagisa,” the creature let out a weird laugh, politely greeting him. “Nice to meet you, I'm Koro-sensei. I need to discuss a very important matter with you.”

Kurahashi strutted around her inn, serving her clients and opening one bottle of alcohol after another. She whistled as she served shots of liquor and rum and beers. Okuda stirred a pot full of a tasty looking broth with pieces of carrot and potato floating around. The atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable.

Until, all of a sudden, the front door was brutally slammed open. Kurahashi was so startled that the bottle she was using to serve the drinks slipped from her hands and fell to the floor, breaking into a million little pieces and spilling the brown liquid all over her shoes. Okuda quickly covered the broth and cleaned her hands with a cloth, walking over to the group of young men standing right at the entrance.

“Good morning… how can I help you?” She asked, as sweetly as possible.

There were three knights standing there, as well as an advisor with square glasses who looked literally hideous, with long black hair and a wide smile showing crooked teeth. One of the knights stood on guard. He was, without a doubt, the most handsome of them all. He cleared his throat and declared, as loudly as he could so that it could be heard throughout the inn.

“Behold, the great conqueror, descendant of divinity, supreme lord of this land, His Majesty, the Prince and future King, Gakushuu Asano!”

The four men stepped aside to let an orange-haired, dark-eyed boy pass. Okuda immediately curtsied, letting out a soft gasp.

Gakushuu pinched the bridge of his nose, digging his nails into the skin.

“Thanks, Sakakibara, but I still don't own half of those titles in this kingdom,” he mumbled, trying not to let his irritation show. “Not until I marry the princess.”

“My apologies, sir,” Sakakibara answered, bowing. “I solemnly swear I will never make the same mistake ever again.”

“Whatever, you're going to do it again the moment we enter any other place,” Gakushuu sighed. He turned to Okuda and coughed. “Are you the owner of this establishment? If it may be called that.”

“N-No, it's not me…”

“What is the meaning of this?” Kurahashi pushed Okuda to the side and confronted the prince, her arms crossed over her chest and a rather pissed look on her face. “Has nobody ever taught you how to open the door like a normal person? Do you know how expensive buying another door can be if you break it?”

The prince blinked.

“... My apologies, miss. My servants can be… a tad bit too intense.” He bowed before the small woman as a sign of respect. She pursed her lips, not convinced, but still decided to listen.

“Why are you here?” She asked, raising a brow.

“I wanted to ask if you had any information about the creature that had kidnapped the princess. As you know, the princess is my fianceé.”

Kurahashi tilted her head.

“No, I didn't know the princess was your fianceé. But I do know where the creature is rumored to be…”

“Kurahashi, wait…” Okuda tried to stop her, which earned her some questioning glances. It didn't matter, because right then, a bloodcurdling scream made everyone turn and run outside of the inn.

The prince caught a glimpse of a giant yellow creature before it disappeared through the clouds. Immediately, he called over his horse and mounted it.

“The creature! It's there!” he exclaimed, urging his knights to mount their own horses. “Come on! It has the princess!”

Okuda watched as the horses neighed and began galloping towards the forest. She fidgeted anxiously, hoping prince Nagisa stayed safe and was smart enough to find the note she had left him inside of the bag.

Chapter Text

“Princess Nagisa,” the creature let out a weird laugh, politely greeting him. “Nice to meet you, I'm Koro-sensei. I need to discuss a very important matter with you.” 

Nagisa blinked, then screamed and began kicking and punching the creature's tentacle, hoping to free himself. It was to no avail. The monster remained unmoving, watching him wiggle around like a half-dead fish. 

“Let me go, monster! Let go of me right now!” he ordered, hitting the creature's chest several times. Koro-sensei only laughed that strange laugh again. 

“I'm afraid I can't do that, milady. You would fall to your death,” the creature pointed out, reminding him they were floating in the air. 

It was at that moment Nagisa realized something and stopped waving his hands and feet around. 

“Wait,” he whispered. “How do you know I'm the princess?” 

Koro-sensei stared at him. It was as if his expression (that wide smile and those small eyes) was permanently frozen on his face. 

“Well, I'll admit I couldn't resist taking a small peek at the mysterious princess of Kunugigaoka with my new powers… but, not in a private environment, of course!” he quickly added, smiling even more. “I saw you having breakfast with your family a few days ago. Once one sees this hair, well, it's difficult to forget.” 

Nagisa immediately pulled the hood of his cloak down over his eyes, trying to cover his pigtails. Koro-sensei observed him, curious. 

“Although, now that I see you like this…” he whispered, pulling Nagisa's body close to take a good look at him. The prince looked down at himself: very clearly flat-chested, very clearly not curvy. 

Very clearly male. 

“... I suspected it,” the creature hummed, his gaze meeting Nagisa's eyes again. “I didn't want to jump to conclusions, but…” 

“No, you're right,” Nagisa mumbled, sighing deeply. “It's exactly what you're thinking about.” 

Silence fell. Nagisa let his gaze drift down and stared at the tentacle enveloping him. The sight of it had made him panic before, but once he got used to the weird sliminess, its warmth ended up being kind of comforting. 

“Well, how convenient,” the creature was the first one to break the ice, surprising Nagisa with his comment. “Tell me, Prince Nagisa: as people who have been forced to display another appearance we don't like, wouldn't it be fair if we helped each other out?” 

“Help each other out? Why would I help a creature that's been terrorizing my kingdom, and who my friends want to capture?” Nagisa huffed, making the fabric of his hood fly a bit. Despite how high up in the air they were, there was no breeze, no movement, nothing. Just them and the sun, shining like a warm fireplace. 

“Well, I'm sorry for your crops, but I need to eat. Besides, apparently, I've kidnapped the princess. Which is… not true, since you're here, but everyone thinks that and it's given me even worse press,” Koro-sensei commented. “I understand you ran away and want to get as far away from your kingdom as possible, right?”

Nagisa looked away. Yes, that had been the main reason why he had taken on the chore of guiding his new friends to this strange creature, so he could get away from his mother's rage and the marriage she had arranged for him. However, just the night before he had promised Karma he would help them get to the creature and the reward. 

"Well, yes… I promised my friend I would help them find you,” he whispered, feeling embarrassed. 

“Oh, do not fret: this is the perfect deal,” Koro-sensei snickered. “Let me explain. A few months ago, a witch put a spell on me and essentially cursed me to morph into what you're seeing now. Ever since then, I've been searching for her, but she's awfully good at hiding. I suspect she's using magic. I've tried to talk to friends and other allies, but my appearance is… not pleasant enough to even convince them to start any kind of conversation with me. I'm alone and cursed.” 

Nagisa nodded, invested in his story. 

“Okay, but what would you even need me for?” he asked, confused as to why Koro-sensei would want his help to begin with. 

“I need a human to help me,” Koro-sensei explained. “I need someone to talk to these people and convince them to help me get to this witch. I can't do this alone, no matter the abilities this curse comes with. I will guide you and stay close to you, informing you of the steps you need to follow. Meanwhile, I will cause some havoc so your friends think you're guiding them to me. Most of my friends are far away from here, which is the perfect plan for you, I understand. I will make sure anyone trying to find you meets a dead end path. How does that sound?” 

Nagisa couldn't really say anything negative about that plan. It was the perfect deal: he could get away from anyone trying to catch him while also helping his friends, like he had promised he would do. It was too good to be true. 

It was… almost too good to be true. 

“How do I know you will fulfill your part of the deal?” Nagisa asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. In no way, shape or form, during his years of exquisite education, had he been taught to trust giant yellow octopuses. Especially if their way of greeting him was sweeping him up in the air. 

“Oh, My Prince. I'm even more desperate than you are right now. I'd do anything to regain my original form,” Koro-sensei's expression didn't really change, still displaying that unnerving, kind of sinister smile, but he seemed to start sweating a bit. “I'll live up to your expectations. Just do me these few favors… it would mean a lot to me. Once I regain my usual appearance and abilities, I'll reward you greatly.” 

“What kind of reward do you offer?” Nagisa asked him, suddenly extremely curious. Not only because that octopus already seemed to be fairly powerful in his current predicament, being able to fly, his amazing speed and all that, but also because he apparently considered himself more powerful in his original form, whatever that form may be.

“Whatever you might think of,” Koro-sensei boasted, his smile seemingly widening. “Glory, riches, power, love, happiness… anything, really! I can even grant you three wishes, like a genie!” 

Nagisa smiled awkwardly. The promise of glory, riches or even love might have been tempting to anyone else, but not him. However, he couldn't help but feel bad for Koro-sensei. He did look desperate… and, if he accepted the deal, Nagisa would have plenty of time to think about what he would want to ask him for once it was done. 

“Well, I have nothing left to lose…” that was partially true. “So, I’ll hear you out.” 

Koro-sensei cheered, throwing Nagisa in the air and catching him several times. The poor prince became dizzy and tried not to puke. 

“Thanks, My Prince! May the mighty Heavens bless you!” Koro-sensei grinned. It wasn't like he could do anything else, considering his expression was frozen into a permanent grin. 

“I still haven't said yes…” Nagisa groaned, holding his head in his hands. He hadn't eaten near enough that morning to endure such flips and twists. “Alright, what would I have to do first?” 

Koro-sensei descended just under the clouds, and the valley came into view just as quickly as it had disappeared from Nagisa's sight. 

“See the little village in the valley? The one the river crosses?” He asked the prince, pointing at the small bundle of houses Nagisa had noticed just a while ago. He nodded in response to the creature's question, the wind now whistling in his ears and ruffling his blue hair, pushing the hood of his cloak off his head. “If you sail that river, you reach south of the Asano kingdom. A town. In that town, you would have to search for a woman named Irina and tell her you come in the name of the God of Death.” 

“God of Death?” Nagisa asked, confused. 

“God of Death, yes. Do not fear, it's just a nickname.” Koro-sensei chuckled. “Tell her you need her help, take her with you. She's the only one who can see through any of the witch's spells. In my current predicament, I will need her power to find her.” 

Nagisa learnt all that information by heart. He nodded at Koro-sensei once again, who looked back at him. 

“There's only one little problem… She only listens to women. I was her only male exception.” Koro-sensei rubbed the back of his very round head. “I had thought you were a woman, so I hadn't pictured this scenario…” 

“Don't worry, I can pass,” Nagisa chuckled bitterly. “I've been doing it all my life, after all. Five minutes more won't be a problem.” 

“Great. If you agree, I will be waiting for you. I'll cause some commotion so you can… do your thing with your friends. Then, I'll tell you where to go next. Is that okay? Will you do it, My Prince?” 

Nagisa bit his lip. In terms of being okay, it was very okay. It was exactly what he needed to keep himself safe while also not disappointing his friends. But, still… he had promised he wouldn't lie to them. And… wasn't that deal just another lie? 

He pictured Karma. The moment he did, he shook his head to try and get that image out of his head. He had to make a decision: either help his friends, or help himself. 

And between Karma and him… he wasn't crazy enough to choose Karma. 

“Alright.” He sighed, looking back at the creature. “I will do it.” 

Koro-sensei's smile became even wider, but instead of laughing, he began crying a strange goo that made Nagisa scrunch up his nose in disgust. That goo spread all over his clothes. It was not a pleasant sensation. 

“Thanks, My Prince! I'm so grateful for your kindness and understanding!” Koro-sensei cried out, hugging him against his gigantic yellow body. 

“Alright… could you let me go now?” he grunted, feeling the air being squeezed out of his lungs. The creature nodded, sniffing between sobs. 

“Ah, of course, of course… I apologize. I'm just very emotional these days,” he whimpered, wiping the goo off his face with his tentacles and cleaning it off of Nagisa's body. “By the way… this slipped.” 

He handed Nagisa a carefully folded piece of paper, which the prince took with a raised eyebrow. He realized it must have slipped out of the leather bag Okuda had given to him back at the inn. Upon opening it, he saw it was a letter. At the bottom, in cursive, there was a small signature. 

“Okuda? Why would Okuda write to me? Wait,” Nagisa whispered, pressing the bag against his body. He rummaged through it, finding jars full of honey, soup and… weird liquids. 

Koro-sensei tilted his head at the sight of the bottles of bright pink and blue fluids. 

“Maybe you should read what they wrote to you,” he proposed, taking one of the bottles from Nagisa's hand and observing it with that unnerving smile of his. “Hm… it doesn't look like a potion.” 

“You know how potions look?” Nagisa mumbled, before letting his eyes drift down to the letter. He focused on what Okuda had written, his eyes growing wider and wider the more he read. 

Dear prince Nagisa, 

I suppose I really must be difficult to notice, if you didn't recognize me. I have to admit, I could not believe my eyes when I saw you standing there with your hair cut short. I was so happy you hadn’t been kidnapped! It was truly a relief. I know my worry might seem suspicious, but it comes from a place of sincerity. As I figured you don't remember me, let me reintroduce myself to you: my name is Manami Okuda, and I was one of the many apothecaries called to try and find a solution for your mother's illness. It was less than a year ago, and since I was unable to fulfill my duty, my title as apothecary was taken away. That is the reason why I had to start working with my cousin. I never got the chance to have a proper conversation with you, but I did see you a couple of times… although, I guess, your gaze never fell on me long enough to care. It doesn't matter, I'm used to it. In my opinion, your situation was much worse than mine, anyways. 

I've always known you were a man. Your father, the King, let it slip once while talking to me. I'm happy you took it upon yourself to escape that hellish place. I swore I'd never step foot in a palace ever again after my experience. 

I can't do much to help, unfortunately, but I hope this is enough. Along with the food, I packed some remedies and ointments for your journey. The blue ones are for external wounds, and the pink ones are for illnesses or serious injuries. I also packed a small something, just in case. You will find it in a black bottle with the proper instructions. 

Good luck and, please, stay safe out there. 

Okuda. 

Nagisa blinked, flabbergasted. He knew the palace paid a lot of apothecaries to care for his mother and try to find a solution for her problem (something he thought impossible) but he would've never guessed Okuda had been one of them. He hadn't recognized her. He hadn't even found her remotely familiar at all. He felt a bit guilty reading the letter: he was normally so observant, but Okuda had flown under his radar masterfully. He put the letter back inside the bag and opened one of the bottles, smelling it. It smelt sweet, like orange juice. He didn't want to be too wary of the girl, but poisoning wasn't all that unpopular, and it wouldn't have surprised him if her intentions hadn't been all that good. However, when he took a sip of the beverage, he immediately felt stronger and energized. 

“Ah… apothecaries. Such charming individuals,” Koro-sensei commented. He had been peeking over Nagisa's shoulder that whole time. The prince had noticed, but it honestly hadn't irritated him as much as it should have. The octopus made him feel… strangely comforted. Maybe it was because their situations were slightly similar, in a way… both forced to be something they weren't. 

Nagisa rummaged a bit more through the bag and found the small, black bottle Okuda had mentioned in her letter. Around the cork, there was a tag that read: One drop for temporary effects. Two drops for permanent. When he opened it, the smell was nothing like the other ones. It was intoxicatingly sweet, blooming out of the bottle in a heavy, pink mist. 

“What's this? Perfume? It certainly smells like it,” Nagisa coughed, waving his hand in front of his face to get rid of the piercing odor. 

Koro-sensei leaned in, as if basking in the strong scent. He closed his eyes and sighed blissfully. 

“Ah… the purest of feelings, the most sinful of desires… no, my dear prince, this is not perfume. This is centuries of battles, bloodbaths, loss and tragedy, all carefully mixed together and bottled up by a genius. This, My Prince, is a love potion.” 

Nagisa blinked and stared at the small bottle and the liquid bubbling inside of it. For a moment, he wondered if Koro-sensei was joking. 

“Why would I even need a love potion?” he asked, examining the small container with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. 

Koro-sensei let out a low hum, one of his tentacles appearing behind Nagisa to pat his head and take the cork from him. 

“Oh, My Prince, a love potion can be very useful in case of emergency. You see, people are actually much more receptive when they feel… uh… certain desires. A love potion can force these desires to make an appearance, which helps manipulate them into revealing information or into aiding you,” he explained, putting the cork back in the bottle. “In my opinion, it's actually a pretty good gift.” 

Nagisa looked back at the bottle, then at the bag. He closed the leather bag and just hid the potion in the inside pockets of his cloak, not exactly interested in it, but not wanting anyone else to know he had something like that in his power. 

“Alright… uh… Koro-sensei.” He turned to the creature, his brows furrowed. “Now that we got this all sorted out… could you, uh… put me down?” 

Koro-sensei laughed a little bit. Three green strings appeared all around his big yellow head, and his already small eyes narrowed into slits. 

“Say less, My Prince. Please, allow me…” 

And, without another word, his tentacle slipped and let go of Nagisa's body, sending him into a free fall. 

Dear reader, Nagisa was not pleased about that. 

But I guess that's something you can imagine. 

After his mother, that fall was the scariest thing he had ever experienced in his life. At one point, he genuinely thought Koro-sensei had staged that whole intervention just to have the pleasure of seeing him end up squished like a bug. He screamed so loud, his lungs almost ripped and he felt his throat start burning. He lost track of time: he could've been falling for two minutes or two hours. He honestly had no idea. The only thing he noticed was that he should've hit the ground, but he never did. 

When he gathered enough courage to dare open his eyes, he saw two things. The first one was one of Koro-sensei's tentacles wrapped around his ankle, holding him just above the ground. The second one was Prince Gakushuu Asano and a bunch of knights talking to his friends. Specifically Karma. Prince Gakushuu Asano talking to Karma. 

After his mother and the free fall, that was the scariest thing Nagisa had ever seen in his life. 

Before he could scream again, Koro-sensei dropped him. He unceremoniously fell behind a lush bush with a low groan. His back cracked. He looked up, but Koro-sensei was nowhere to be found. He cursed under his breath, straightening up just enough to eavesdrop on part of the conversation his friends were having with the prince and his court. 

“We're telling you, there's no princess here. That thing stole our friend Shiota!” Nagisa recognized Nakamura's voice, and was able to tell the girl was pissed off. 

"And I'm telling you, I'm looking for the princess.” Low, manly, with a slight growl. That was Prince Gakushuu Asano's voice, for sure. “So, you better start telling me everything you know, you filthy bastards.” 

“Oh, you must be such a horrible fiance, if your princess is running away from you.” And, of course, Karma's voice. “Why don't you go eat some shit, pretty prince? Or, better, learn how to get that stick out of your ass so your lady doesn't bolt on your wedding day as well. Although, I'm sure she will anyway, when you take off your pants and she sees that the stick that's up your ass is the biggest thing you have in your body.” 

Right after that, Itona played a tune on his flute. 

Despite how crushed and hurt Nagisa was, he couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. The mental image that formed in his head after hearing that sentence was one of the funniest things he had ever imagined, and Itona and his goddamned flute made it ten times more hilarious. 

The prince audibly gagged, probably taken aback by Karma's boldness or Itona's masterful flute playing. 

“You— who do you think you are, scum? I could have you executed this instant, you insolent fucks!” 

“I'd love to see you try,” Karma replied smugly. “But that isn't going to change the fact that your dick’s as small as a shrimp and your poor princess is gonna have to fake orgasms for the rest of her life.” 

“My— excuse me?! If there's someone here with a small dick, it's you, you crazy idiot!” 

“Ah, you wanna compare?” 

“I’m going to kill you—!” 

“Sir!” A voice Nagisa didn't recognize interrupted their stupid discussion. “The creature! It's flying away!” 

“Where? Quick, after it!” Asano barked, and Nagisa heard the distinctive sound of a horse being mounted, and then, of hooves against the dirt of the trail. 

“Shiota! Karma, it has Shiota!” Nakamura gasped, and Nagisa took that as his cue to come out of his hiding spot. 

With effort (quite a lot, actually), he crawled out from behind the bush and got up, limping towards the group pathetically. He hadn't noticed it earlier, too focused on Karma's squabble with the prince regarding the size of their manhoods, but his ankle hurt like hell, probably from Koro-sensei keeping him up by it. He raised his arms and waved them, trying to get their attention. 

“I'm here! I'm fine!” he yelled, making everyone turn towards him. The band members all screamed at the same time, and Karma pulled out his knife instantly, pointing it at him. When they all saw it was just him, they relaxed. 

“God, Shiota. You look… horrible,” Nakamura commented, walking to him and wiping dirt from his face that he himself hadn't even realized was there. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did that monster hurt you? How does it look like? Is it big and scary, like the poster?” 

“Uh… no, I'm fine. Just… scared. It's… very ugly and intimidating,” he lied, letting his gaze fall to his feet. Nakamura imitated him, and her eyes widened. 

“Oh, Heavens above, look at your ankle! It's all purple!” She knelt down to take a look at it, worried. “Man, you can't walk like this!” 

Nagisa suddenly remembered Okuda’s gifts, which were still in his bag. He opened it and grabbed the bottle of blue liquid, opening it and smearing some of the oil over his ankle. The purple immediately disappeared, replaced by its normal milky color. Nakamura scoffed, unbelieving. 

“What? No way.” 

“Okuda. She packed some extra stuff for us,” the prince explained, corking the bottle and placing it back in his bag. “Seems like it works.” 

Karma raised an eyebrow, impressed. 

“Huh. Interesting.” He smirked, putting his knife away once again. “So she's pretty and smart. Not bad, not bad…” 

For some reason, that comment made Nagisa's blood boil. It was an involuntary reaction, but he raised his gaze to stare at Karma with an eyebrow raised and his lips pursed. 

“What? Are you jealous or something?” Karma chuckled at him. 

“No. What was that with the prince just now?” Nagisa huffed, walking towards him. “You just put yourself in grave danger. What if he really decided to execute you? He can do it, and he will if you try him.” 

“Ah, don't worry about me, little mouse. If I had a gold coin for every time I've been threatened with an execution, I'd be rich,” the guy grinned, patting Nagisa's head condescendingly. “But you're cute when you care so much.”

Nagisa blushed and turned his head, embarrassed. Meanwhile, Muramatsu played a romantic tune on his fiddle, but stopped when he saw the look on the boy's face. 

“Just… forget it. Don't be stupid, please,” Nagisa whispered, turning his back on Karma. “Anyways, we need to be faster than Asano. If he gets to the creature first, we won't have a chance to catch it.” 

“But where did it go? Did you see where it went?” Nakamura asked him. 

“South of the Asano kingdom.” Nagisa pointed to where they had come from. “We need to get back to the crossroads and run to the village in the valley. If we sail the river, we will get to where the creature intended to go in the first place.” 

“So wise,” Karma chuckled. “Well, what are we waiting for? Less talking, more moving.” 

It took them a while, but they finally reached the crossroads and the sign stuck on the ground, pointing to the path that went down the hill to the village. Nakamura leaned in front of it, narrowing her blue eyes. Nagisa expected her to read it aloud, but, instead, she called Karma over. 

“What does it say?” she asked, surprising Nagisa. 

“It says waterway,” he answered, staring into the distance at the calm river waters. “A waterway is a body of water you can sail along.” 

“I know that, idiot. I don't read, but I'm not stupid,” Nakamura huffed, straightening up. “Let's go, then. Can't let Mr. Perfect get our prize first.” 

They took the path down to the small village in the valley. The further down they went, the more they could hear the murmur of the rushing river water. They passed through the village, with its little houses with chimneys releasing smoke that curled across the roofs in cute swirls. In most of them, people were outside, working on building and repairing boats that, Nagisa guessed, would be used to cross the river. Behind them, the band were having the time of their lives: they were playing one of their very obscene songs about the princess, while Hazama collected donations here and there, shaking the box in front of the poor workers’ faces and coaxing them until they gave in. 

“Does the princess really sell that much?” Nagisa mumbled, visibly uncomfortable. 

“Not her, exactly. More like, everyone’s curious about what she looks like.” Nakamura rolled her eyes, uninterested.

“Come on, Nakamura, you can say it,” Karma chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Morbidity is what sells.” 

“You know, you're disgusting,” she huffed back, kicking his shin fully intentionally. 

“I'm not lying,” the guy laughed. “If she's so hidden, it means she's either beautiful or extremely ugly. No in-between.” 

They arrived at a small harbor on the riverbank, with boats docked and guides ready to take the travelers down the river. In one of them was a blond-haired boy, who sat up to attend to them as they approached. 

“Good afternoon, everyone,” he smiled, with his hands on an oar and uncoiling the rope that held the boat in the harbor. “I'm Mimura. Do you want me to take you?” 

“Yes, please,” Nagisa answered, taking out his bag of coins. He only had a few silver coins and some bronze coins left. He gulped. “Uh… how much?” 

Mimura narrowed his eyes and counted them, whispering under his breath. 

“... Six, seven, eight.” He placed his hands on his hips and sighed. “I can only take four per boat… hm…” 

He turned to the next boat and called the girl there. 

“Hey, Kataoka! Can you take four for me, please?” he asked, to which she nodded. She was tall, with grayish hair pulled back in a low ponytail and a grim look. She pointed to her boat, and all the band members except Itona jumped on it. The small flute player raised his middle finger at them and walked to Nagisa. 

“I don't want to go with you, losers. I'm going with him,” he said, out of nowhere. 

Despite Terasaka’s protests, Itona got on Mimura’s boat and urged the other three to do the same. Nakamura jumped first, then Karma. Nagisa bit his lip, shaking his bag and getting the few coins left out. 

“I only have this,” he mumbled. Kataoka clicked her tongue. 

“Too bad. That's one gold coin per boat,” she huffed. “You have enough for one.” 

Nagisa handed Mimura what little he had, and the boy took it with an apologetic smile. 

“Don't take Meg too seriously. She's harsh with everyone.” 

“Hey. If that's for one boat, how will we pay?” Yoshida asked, turning to his friends. The band all slowly turned to Hazama, who still had the box of donations in her hands. The girl immediately hissed, hiding said box, and they started scuffling over it unceremoniously, making the boat swing and almost sending Meg overboard. 

“Hey! You animals! Stop it and pay me already!” She screamed at them, smacking them with her oar. Muramatsu managed to steal a gold coin and handed it to the girl, who smacked them once again for good measure and then humphed. 

Nagisa smiled and sighed. They urgently needed more money. Even with Hazama’s box full, inns were expensive, especially for eight people. 

He looked down at the boat. He had never seen a real one, only in illustrations, and they usually weren't so small. Of course, he supposed, an actual ship was out of the question, since it would be too big to sail the river, but, still… a small one didn't make him feel very confident. 

He was about to jump on the boat, when he saw Karma reach out his hand for him. He stopped dead in his tracks, considering whether it was a good idea to trust him. He could… let go of him just to watch him fall in the water. That was a very Karma thing to do. However, the redhead insisted, waving and wiggling his hand. 

“Come on, little mouse. We don't have all day,” he scoffed, and Nagisa blushed beet red and reluctantly took his hand. Karma tugged and helped him jump. Then, they both sat down together. 

“I didn't need your help,” Nagisa commented, actually confused about the meaning of that gesture. 

“I know,” Karma answered, shrugging. Nagisa expected him to elaborate, but he didn't. He just stared into the distance, ignoring him. 

Nagisa turned to Nakamura, but the girl was as surprised as he was, if not more. Itona, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to the situation and just played a silly tune on his flute, which somehow made everything even more awkward. 

“Everyone ready? Let's go!” Mimura announced, letting the rope fall and rowing to catch up with the current. Apart from the occasional rocks here and there, the river was clear and you could almost see the bottom and make out the fish swimming under the surface. Nagisa, however, wasn't interested in that. When he looked at Karma, he found the boy already staring at him. Their gazes stayed glued together, as if both of them were waiting for the other to just… look away. Against his will, Nagisa was charmed by the haunting color of those copper eyes, so Karma was the one who turned his head and went back to ignoring him. 

Was he being suspicious again? The small love potion weighed on Nagisa's inside pocket. The memory of Koro-sensei also made him feel uneasy. He was being a bad person, hiding these things from them. 

“That was weird,” Nakamura whispered against his ear, while Itona played his flute obnoxiously loud, enough to make Karma not hear anything. “I had never seen him do something like that.” 

The gentle rocking of the boat and the churning of Nagisa's stomach made him dizzy. Could he get seasick while going down a river? 

Well, he thought, I'll have to find out the rough way. 

He closed his eyes and prayed. 

“Where are they going? Inform me,” Asano demanded, hiding behind some bushes on the edge of the trail. 

“Sir, they're heading down to the river,” one of his knights, Tomoya Seo, notified the prince. 

“Down to the river… that means… the creature is heading towards the Asano Kingdom,” Asano realized, getting up from his hiding spot. “Quick. We need to stop it before it reaches the capital and save the princess!” 

The knights and advisor nodded, impressed by their master's eagerness to save his fianceé. They mounted their horses once again and headed down the hill, towards the river. 

“She's been gone for two days now. I haven't gotten any news regarding Asano's search for her, I don't know where she is, whether she's safe or not. I'm desperate. I need you to help me…!” Queen Hiromi rambled, sitting on her throne with a hand on her forehead. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying. She didn't look like she had gotten any sleep at all. The King paced the throne room, sighing deeply. 

The Queen raised her gaze, staring at the man kneeling in front of them and the two boys kneeling behind him. 

“Karasuma…” she begged, hands pressed together in a pleading gesture. “Please, you're the general. The best knight in our army. Please, you need to save her from that creature.” 

The man, dressed from top to bottom in heavy armor, looked up. His eyes, framed by bushy eyebrows, were fixed on those of the Queen. He nodded solemnly. 

“Of course, my Queen. Sugino, Maehara and I will make sure the princess comes back home safe and in time for her wedding.” 

His gaze shone with an indescribable fire, unusual in a man as calm and collected as General Karasuma. 

“I swear it on my life.” 

Chapter Text

Karma didn't know how to feel about any of that.  

And, dear reader, something you must know about Karma is, he always knows how to feel about everything. 

Sitting on that tiny boat, going down that immense, impressive river, the only thing he could think about was him. 

Shiota. 

If that was even his real name. 

He found himself gazing at him unprompted, searching for those intriguing blue eyes, watching those tiny strands of blue hair fall into view from under that cloak. He could still feel his smell filling his nostrils. Pear. A sweet, almost intoxicating scent. And his hands… God, his skin. How smooth it was. He ran his fingers over his own hand, still sensing the boy's touch there, the gentle pressure when he had jumped into the boat. So elegant and graceful. Kind and proper. Paying for their beers, apologizing for his actions. Fidgeting like a saint and blushing like a fucking virgin. Pursing his plump lips and staring at him with a fire in his eyes when he had mentioned Okuda. In reality, Karma didn't give a damn about Okuda. He had just wanted to see his reaction, and it didn't disappoint him. 

Staring at him now, at how his angelic frame melted into the green landscape behind him, he couldn't help but curse under his breath. 

Of course, that perfect boy had to be a prissy noble. 

Karma was so fucking mad about it. 

There was no denying that he was attracted to Shiota. He couldn't say that it wasn't true, and he didn't want to. Karma had always been extremely honest with himself. He knew Shiota was dangerous and untrustworthy. He knew he couldn't allow himself to have him. He also knew there was nothing he wanted more than to rip those clothes off of him and touch that pale, smooth skin of his, watch him squirm in pleasure and beg for more. Karma could almost feel his lips curving into a dumb smile at the thought. 

And, of course, the most gorgeous boy in the universe had decided to be born a fucking prissy noble. 

It got Karma so unbelievably irritated. 

Not only that, but a noble who was very obviously hiding things from him. Things that he was sure weren't unimportant. 

He closed his fists, squeezing hard as he forced himself to stare at literally anything but Shiota. He relaxed listening to Itona's serenade, but he could sense and hear Nakamura whispering to the other boy under her breath, probably talking about how unusual it was for him to do gentlemanly things. Oh, how he knew his best friend. 

Despite how badly he wanted to bury his face in Shiota’s hair and just disappear there, he knew he couldn't. He had made a promise, and he wasn't going to break it. Not in a million years. 

Besides, if he really did manage to take the boy to bed, he was sure it would be the equivalent of sleeping next to a snake. What if he took out his knife while Karma was out like a light and just… ended him? It was hard to imagine, given Shiota's pure appearance, but Karma was sure it was possible, maybe even likely, and that was why he had stayed awake back at the inn. He had to remind himself he couldn't trust him. 

I won't let a wimp like him manipulate me into trusting him, he thought, glancing at Shiota's profile again. The other boy turned to him and, once he noticed Karma was already looking at him, blushed and averted his gaze. 

Fuck, Karma thought immediately after, grumbling to himself. He's cute as shit.

And, dear reader, it was at that moment that he knew. 

He was fucked. 

The trip to the Asano kingdom seemed to take forever for Nagisa. Karma kept staring at him, and the poor boy seriously started thinking he wanted to throw him overboard to watch him drown. The atmosphere was weird and especially heavy, and although Nakamura and Itona tried to improve it, Karma was not contributing. Even when he was talking he didn't seem to take his eyes off Nagisa. The boy was sure that he had begun suspecting something. Again. 

He didn't like that one bit. 

The sun was already low in the sky when, on the horizon, a city with light stone buildings appeared. As they approached, Nagisa thought they would encounter another dock, but the river continued through the center of the city, narrowing to form a canal. Nagisa had never seen anything like that. His eyes widened as he looked around, trying to take everything in. He had only read about that. Never had he ever thought he would actually experience the real thing. 

“Such a charming city. Are you sure this is part of the Asano kingdom?” Nakamura asked Mimura as the boy rowed towards a small dock in the canal. Mimura hummed, nodding while tying his rope to a bollard. 

“It's been a part of the kingdom for at least fifty years now. A very recent annexation, due to the Asano's desire for expansion,” he explained, helping Itona out of the boat. “It's a usual spot for travellers. Lots of taverns and, especially, brothels.” 

“Brothels?” Itona's eyes lit up. 

“Brothels? Ugh,” Nakamura gagged, jumping out of the boat. Karma followed suit, and, again, reached out his hand for Nagisa to take. The prince stared questioningly, before actually accepting his help. They stood there, hand in hand, staring into each other's eyes as if desperately trying to communicate what they knew couldn't be said out loud. There was something in Karma's copper eyes, something that Nagisa couldn't pinpoint, but that made a chill run up his spine. Was it suspicion? Something like that, but not exactly. Anger? Not that straightforward. Nagisa was confused for a moment, and then, it clicked. 

Defiance. 

Karma was challenging him. His eyes were screaming I dare you. 

But what was Karma daring him to do? 

“Hey, lovebirds!” Surprisingly, it was Hazama who interrupted their staring competition. Nagisa was the first to avert his gaze, focusing it on the black-haired girl instead of Karma's still burning eyes. He tried to take a step forward and let go of the other boy's hand, but Karma kept his grip strong. 

“Let go of me,” he mumbled, confused. His tone wasn't commanding, just… wondering what the other boy was doing. 

“What happened?” Karma asked him, all of a sudden. “When the creature took you. You didn't tell us anything about it, just mentioned Okuda's stuff.” 

Nagisa turned pale and stuttered. 

“Uh… I don't think this is the right time or place to speak about that,” he whispered, scratching the back of his head over his cloak. 

“Why exactly? You see, little mouse, I've been thinking about it,” Karma smirked. That devious smirk of his that had charmed Nagisa, but now frightened him to no end. The redhead lowered his voice as he dragged Nagisa along so the rest of the group wouldn't suspect anything. “It makes no sense. If the creature had wanted to kill you, it would've done it in no time and thrown you away, but it didn't. In fact, it kept you alive, and then it brought you back down safely. What happened during that time? Did it terrorize you… or do another thing?” 

Nagisa managed to shake him off and rubbed his wrist, irritated. 

“I don't know what you mean. I don't remember anything, I… passed out,” he improvised, looking away. 

Karma let out a soft, sarcastic laugh. 

“Oh, you passed out. But you somehow found out about Okuda's gifts while you were out?” he questioned. 

“I… she told me beforehand, alright? I just forgot to mention it,” Nagisa whispered, making up another desperate lie. “Listen, I prefer not to talk about it. It wasn't a very pleasant experience. Let's just catch up with the rest of the group.” 

Karma huffed, releasing him. He stared down at Nagisa, placing his hands in his pockets nonchalantly. The prince sighed deeply. 

“You still don't trust me,” he mumbled, rubbing his forearm. He couldn't say he blamed Karma for it. He was a terrible liar. He was surprised he had gotten so far with his awful lying skills. 

“... Don't worry.” To his surprise, Karma dismissed the topic, waving his hand. “I'm being a bit too pushy. I'm not being fair with you,” he admitted, looking down at the boy with a neutral expression, which made Nagisa feel super guilty about everything. “You probably were so scared, right, little mouse?” And then he smiled cryptically. 

Nagisa gulped. God, Karma's smile was… strangely pleasing. His eyes were so deep and mysterious. Everything about him was so irritating, yet so physically attractive. In fact, how could someone so unlikeable be so… likeable? It actually made no sense. 

“Don't… call me that,” Nagisa whispered, fidgeting with the ends of his cloak as he walked towards Nakamura, who was still talking to Mimura. 

“I would suggest exploring the city a bit before you actually look for a place to stay. Most taverns work as inns, and even some brothels might do the trick,” the boy was explaining, while Kataoka grabbed Itona so he wouldn't run off and sneak into a brothel.

“You're way too young for that!” she barked, with her arms under his armpits, restraining him with all of her might. 

“I understand. Thanks for the trip!” Nakamura smiled, shaking hands with Mimura. While this happened, Karma caught up to Nagisa, standing behind him. “Ah, you guys are finally here. Well, let's go. We have a lot of places to visit today.” 

The town was bustling, with small stone and terracotta buildings, most of them with girls leaning on the wooden balustrades of the balconies, waving to the many travelers strolling the canal-side streets, smiling, obviously trying to get customers. Nagisa turned red from head to toe as he watched Karma return their playful gestures. There weren’t any prostitutes in his palace. In his kingdom, brothels were marginalized in the outskirts of the city, so seeing them so close for the first time made him get embarrassed. Terasaka took on the role of keeping Itona away from them, but the boy would go feral every time a lady waved at him. Nagisa felt bad for the poor man, having to carry the boy around like a sack of potatoes. Muramatsu and Yoshida also refused to miss out on the opportunity, and began playing a soft serenade for the women perched up on the balconies, who cheered for them and threw gold coins into Hazama's box of donations. 

“Well, that will be useful,” Karma commented, strolling along next to him. “What's wrong, little mouse? You don't like the scenery?” 

Nagisa looked up at him, then back at the balconies. 

“This is… not my usual environment,” he admitted, making sure to cover up his hair under the hood of his cloak. 

“Huh? You don't like pretty girls all over you?” Karma asked mockingly, which earned him a kick from Nakamura. 

“Don't listen to him. He's so full of himself, but he won't get into a single brothel,” she said, sticking out her tongue. Karma laughed. 

“That's because I consider myself way over this kind of stuff,” he shrugged. “I'm not that starved for affection. Besides, it's expensive.” 

Nagisa smiled, grateful for the girl's ability when it came to calling out Karma's bullshit. However, it was true that brothels weren't exactly places he was familiar with, and the prospect of women naked… wasn't his cup of tea. Now that he thought about it, he had never really desired to see a woman undressed. He wondered if being raised as a girl had anything to do with that. 

In any case, that wasn't what he was worried about. He was more worried about where to start looking for that Irina woman Koro-sensei had told him about, which was also the reason they were there in the first place. 

He stopped in his tracks, which consequently made everyone stop and look back at him. He cleared his throat. 

“Wow, I, uh… left my knife on the boat. You guys go ahead, I'm going to get it back, alright? I'll catch up to you,” he lied, taking some steps back to emphasize his point. Nakamura nodded. 

“Sure, go get it. We'll probably end up in the first tavern we come across, anyways. You won't have too much trouble looking for us,” she smiled, waving at him. “Let's go!” 

Nagisa turned around and sprinted back to the dock, where Mimura and Kataoka were still waiting for another group of travellers to take back to Kunugigaoka. The prince had a plan in mind, one he hoped would end up working out one way or another. 

“Hey, Kataoka!” Nagisa huffed, stopping right next to the girl, bending over while panting. The sailor stared at him and raised an eyebrow. 

“Hm? What do you want?” she asked. She didn't sound bothered or irritated, just slightly surprised. 

The prince straightened up and took a deep breath before he got the question out. 

“Do you know where I can find a woman named Irina?” 

Kataoka stared at him, her expression unreadable, before narrowing her eyes and letting out a low hum, as if deep in thought. 

“Irina… Irina, Irina… it rings a bell, but…” she huffed, scratching her forehead. “I'm sure I've heard of her before, but I don't actually know anything about her. You should ask around the brothels. These girls know everything.” However, she sighed. “Although, good luck trying to get anything out of them. They're incredibly stubborn.” 

Suddenly, Nagisa was awfully aware of the weight of the little love potion hidden in the inside pocket of his cloak. He thanked the girl and looked up at the balconies full of girls in skimpy dresses. He took another deep breath and walked inside of the first one, his eyes closed. 

The interior of the brothel he entered was dark, lit only by a couple of candlesticks here and there. At first glance, it looked like a normal tavern, with numerous travelers sitting around, drinking beer and laughing, drunk as skunks. At some tables there were girls sitting, also drinking, but much less so. From their dresses and behavior, Nagisa identified them as the hookers. 

He did his best to act normal, taking a seat and ordering a beer. He was worried he wouldn't be approached, but that didn't happen. The moment he sat down, a girl came over to him, sitting on the table. 

“Hello~ anything I can do for you today?” she asked. She was fairly beautiful, with long red hair and bright blue eyes. Nagisa found her aesthetically pleasing, but the very obviously seductive nature of her gestures made him extremely uncomfortable. 

“Hi, uhm… actually, I just want to talk,” he stuttered, hoping she would get off the table, because he was pretty sure he was seeing under her dress, and he didn't know how to feel about that. “How much for a conversation?” 

The girl sat down next to him and got very close to his face. 

“We don't talk a lot here,” she said, matter-of-factly. “But, sure, go ahead.” 

“Do you happen to know where I can find a woman named Irina?” Nagisa asked, fidgeting with the ends of his cloak and biting his bottom lip expectantly. 

The girl looked to the left, which immediately made the prince suspicious. She tapped her fingers on the table and just shrugged. 

“No idea,” she answered. “Anything else? Maybe… you want to go upstairs?” 

Nagisa knew perfectly well that girl was hiding something from him. He remembered Koro-sensei's words, and what he had said about the love potion. People were more receptive when they felt certain desires. 

“Alright, uhm… what's that?” he asked, pointing to her neck. She blinked, confused. 

“What's what?” 

“That dark spot, right over here,” Nagisa pointed to her neck and internally cheered when she turned her head to the side involuntarily. He quickly uncorked the love potion with his thumb and let a single drop fall on his beer. A small cloud of mist in the shape of a heart formed right over the rim of the glass. He discreetly pushed the beer towards her, then stopped pointing. “Is it, like, a mark or something?” 

“Ah, it might just be dirt…” she mumbled, turning her head back to him. Nagisa smiled and offered her the beer. 

“Thirsty?” he asked, to which she nodded. 

“I could use a sip,” she mumbled, taking a big, long gulp. Nagisa sighed, but his relief didn't last long, because when she looked back at him, her eyes had turned pink. He suddenly realized he had no idea of the effects of the potion, and had definitely not expected them to be immediate. 

“Gosh,” the girl said, suddenly all smiley and happy. “You're very handsome, you know? You have a really hot ‘cute boy’ thing going on… you're not from here, are you?” 

“Uh, no… but didn't you just say you don't talk much here?” Nagisa chuckled nervously, biting his lip until it bled. The girl reached out her hand to wipe the blood, just like Karma had done the previous day. Only this time, he didn't find it half as hot. 

“You're very nice… I like talking to you… your name?” she asked, resting her cheek on her hand, looking relaxed and flirty. 

“Shiota,” Nagisa mumbled, looking away. “So… you said you didn't know any woman named Irina?” 

The girl chuckled, leaning back as if proud of her knowledge regarding Irina. 

“Irina? Oh, everyone here knows her. She's the best,” she blabbered, pushing back her red hair. “She's the matron of a brother across the canal, one with a deep red tile roof. She makes some very good remedies when we don't get our periods. How do you think none of us have had a baby yet? It's all thanks to her. She's an angel. But don't tell anyone I told you this. Knights come here quite often, and if they knew, they would burn her for witchery!” 

Nagisa blinked, pleasantly surprised the potion thing actually worked. He smiled and cleared his throat, now a bit scared of the power it gave him. 

“Great. Thanks. And… she only sees women, right?” 

“Oh, absolutely. Last time a man tried to go see her, he disappeared.” 

“Wow, uh… wow.” Nagisa had to double-check. “He disappeared?” 

“Oh, yes. Well, you know, she killed him. But everyone says he just disappeared.” 

Nagisa wondered whether this whole ordeal was worth risking his life over. However, he decided he was in too deep to back down now, so he just smiled a bit more and nodded. 

“Alright. One more thing. Could you do me a favor?” 

“Oh, two if you like. What do you want? I'm open to everything. I can make your dirtiest fantasies come true.” 

“Great, uhm… could you lend me a dress?” 

Half an hour later, Nagisa exited the brothel looking like a whole different person. The girl had lent him a dress with quite a lot of cleavage, which he was constantly pushing up so as to hide the fact he didn't have anything to show off. She had also tightened his corset, which was… awfully tight. His lips were painted a soft red color. His hair was down and it reached his shoulders. He put on his cloak and slung his bag over his shoulder, walking over to one of the bridges connecting the two sides of the town. Once he had crossed it, uncomfortable with the stares of the men around him, he searched for the building with the deep red tiles. He had to walk for a while, but eventually came across it and went inside. 

That brothel was similar to the previous one he had visited, but he was surprised to see both boys and girls there. One of the girls, who wore her hair up in a ponytail and who (unlike Nagisa) did have assets to show off with her cleavage, walked over to him the moment she saw him walk in. 

“Hello, I'm Toka Yada. How can I help you?” she asked, guiding Nagisa inside. The boy cleared his throat, bringing back the voice he usually used around his mother. 

“Hi. I come for Irina?” he asked, and hearing himself speak like that again made his stomach churn. The girl, oblivious, nodded gently and guided him upstairs. 

“I had never seen you around before. Are you new?” Yada asked an uncomfortable Nagisa, who blushed when they reached the second floor and started hearing the noises coming from the many rooms along the hallway. The boy nodded, trying to keep his voice calm and steady. 

“Yes, I am new. I've just started working nearby. I heard of Irina, and I just… well, I haven't gotten my… period, in a while, and I just want to know if it's normal or if I need something special,” he whispered, to which Yada smiled and nodded. 

“Irina will take care of you, don't worry. You're very beautiful, by the way.” 

That should've been flattering, but it just made Nagisa feel like he was back with his mother, having to watch the things he ate and having to marry a prince he had never met. 

At the end of the hallway, they found a wooden door with golden handles. Yada opened it for him and then closed it once he went inside. Nagisa gulped and looked around. 

The room he entered looked strange. It was covered with tables, one of them empty, but the rest filled with stacked jars, pots with curious plants, bowls full of powders and spices and cooking utensils. In the center of the room there was a cauldron sitting on faint embers. Next to it, the silhouette of a blonde woman was crushing ingredients with mortar and pestle. 

“... Hello? Irina?” Nagisa asked, his voice trembling a bit, suddenly feeling like he was making a stupid mistake. “I need to talk to you. I'm Princess Nagisa.” 

The woman stopped crushing the ingredients and turned around. The first thing that caught Nagisa's attention were the woman's piercing blue eyes and impressive chest that seemed to be about to spill out of her dress. The second thing that caught his attention was the slight furrow of her nose before an invisible force knocked him down and then threw him against the wall. He tried to speak, but nothing came out of his mouth, his throat feeling constricted. He gasped and tried to fight against that strange spell, but it was to no avail. 

“Interesting,” the woman spoke, walking towards him. She hadn't moved a muscle until then, so Nagisa could only guess the power she actually had. “Weren't you kidnapped?” 

Nagisa choked on his spit when he opened his mouth. Surprisingly, the force keeping him against the wall seemed to lessen its strength, allowing him to breathe. 

“I… not… it's… long story…” he blabbered, terrified. “Don't you… help women…?” 

“Huh? You think I'm an idiot?” she scoffed, crossing her arms over her impressive chest. “I help women, of course I do, regardless of their genitals. But only as long as they're women. You, my dear, are not a woman in any way, shape or form.” 

Nagisa's eyes widened. How could she know that? Had she looked under his dress or something? He suddenly felt flustered and embarrassed at how naive he had been. He was going against a witch, that was for sure. There was no way he could defend himself against someone so powerful. 

“I feel women, you know?” she continued, messing with her nails in an insulting display of nonchalance. “There are a series of core differences between men and women that the normal person isn't able to detect, but I am. There's way more to us than our bodies. Our minds, thoughts and worries are different. Our perception of the world around us is also different. Even our heartbeats are different. The outside doesn't matter as long as the inside is truly feminine. You can call yourself a princess as much as you want, but, dear, I'm sorry to tell you, you will never be a woman.” 

Nagisa stared at her, eyes wide like plates, mouth agape, and almost let out a relieved sigh. Not being considered a woman when dressed like one was, like, the best moment of his life. He would've thrown a party, if it hadn't been for her next words. 

“So, little prince, I'm sorry for your people, but no man can ever enter my studio. So, prepare to die,” she said, raising her hand towards him. He panicked and said the first thing that went through his head. 

“God of Death!” he screamed, which made her stop. She raised a brow and lowered her hand, confused. 

“... How do you know that name?” she asked, releasing him from the tight grip of the force that had trapped him. He fell to the floor unceremoniously, panting heavily. 

“I come… in the name of… of… the God of Death…” he wheezed pathetically, trying to get up but failing miserably. 

Irina stayed quiet, as if deep in thought. She looked around her studio, then back at Nagisa wheezing on the floor, then back around her studio, and repeated the motion five times. 

“... Are you serious?” 

“Yes,” Nagisa answered, taking deep breaths to calm down. 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yes.” 

“Positive?” 

“Positive.” 

“Oh my God.” Irina placed her hands on her hips, amazed. “Why is he sending a kid to me now? Can't he see I'm busy? If he's just wasting my time, I swear, I'm going to kill both you and him.” 

“He's been attacked by a witch,” Nagisa explained, holding himself against the wall. “He's turned into this… yellow creature. He needs your help to find her. He said… you're the only one who can see through her spells.” 

“Alright, and couldn't he come here and explain this himself?” Irina groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Why does a kid have to come and explain it to me?” 

“He said you wouldn't believe him,” Nagisa mumbled. 

“He says a lot of things,” Irina retorted, turning around dismissively. “He talks too much. I should've listened to Lovro when he told me to stay away from that guy. He's so annoying.” 

Then, she went back to her mortar and pestle, crushing some grains and throwing them in the cauldron. The liquid there became purple, and she filled a bowl with a spoonful and handed it to the prince. 

“Here, drink this. You're severely malnourished,” she commanded, practically shoving the bowl into Nagisa's hands. The prince took it and sipped the strange mixture, immediately feeling a weird heat spreading all over his body. He suddenly felt much stronger. He placed his hands on his cheeks and gasped when he noticed they had filled out. He looked down at himself, watching as his arms lost their pale color. He felt much better than he ever had before. “I can't do much about your height, though. You'll probably stay like that forever now.” 

That single sentence ruined the experience for him. 

“So,” Irina continued, stirring the liquid in the cauldron. “The God of Death himself needs my help to find this witch that has cursed him. Huh. Sounds easy.” 

“Yes,” Nagisa whispered. “It does sound easy.” 

“But I'd like to see him first, just to check the damage done,” she added, hitting the spoon against the cauldron to shake the excess liquid and setting it aside. “I need to see what kind of magic he's been affected by to see what kind of witch we're facing.” 

Nagisa was about to open his mouth to tell her that Koro-sensei could have been anywhere, really, when a deafening sound coming from outside of the building interrupted him. Irina yelped, then walked to the window to see what was going on in the streets. 

“Oh, goodness gracious,” she gasped. “What the fuck is that?” 

Nagisa ran to her and literally almost screamed when he saw Koro-sensei in the canal. He had a different appearance than the one the prince remembered, though: instead of the weird creature with… normal tentacles, now they could only see big yellow tentacles coming out of the water and the shadow of a head popping out at the same time. A gigantic head with two black dots as eyes and a wide grin. 

A big octopus. 

“That's him,” Nagisa pointed at the kraken-like Koro-sensei, mortified. “That's him, I'm sure.” 

“Oh, God,” Irina whispered, watching as Koro-sensei's tentacles ripped the bridge Nagisa had used to go from one side of the canal to the other. 

“We need to stop him,” Nagisa whimpered, wondering if that was what Koro-sensei interpreted as ‘causing some havoc’. “This was not part of our plan.” 

Irina turned and grabbed a leather bag that was hanging from a chair. She stuffed it with various jars, some leaves and different powders. After that, she snapped her fingers and her cauldron emptied, then snapped them again and it shrunk and became small enough to carry in a bag, which is exactly what she did with it. She opened the door and called Yada, who appeared in no time. 

“Yes, ma'am?” her employee asked, confused when she saw the urgency with which Irina was closing her leather bag. 

“I'm going to leave for a few days. Take care of the business while I'm gone, will you? I believe I've taught you enough already.” 

Yada tilted her head, obviously worried, but chose not to say anything and just agreed with a polite bow. 

Meanwhile, Nagisa couldn't take his eyes off of Koro-sensei's disguise. He was wondering where this idea of his might've come from, when he noticed something else. Or rather, someone. 

Asano. On his horse, fighting against one of Koro-sensei's tentacles and losing. 

Their eyes met. For a moment, everything stopped. Everything stopped because Nagisa realized that, dressed as a woman, Asano would recognize him. And that was exactly what happened. 

Asano's eyes gleamed. He was about to open his mouth, probably to scream at Nagisa, when the tentacle he was fighting against grabbed him by the waist and threw him into the water carelessly. Nagisa gasped, horrified. He would've jumped himself (after all, he didn't wish Asano any kind of harm), but another person was quicker than him and jumped into the water to save him. 

“Let's go, kiddo,” Irina yanked him away from the window. “If that's really him, he'll stop when we ask him to.” 

And Nagisa couldn't do anything else but cover his head with the hood of his cloak and obey. 

“Be honest. Do you want to fuck him?” Nakamura asked. 

Dear reader, when one faces this kind of question, it's normal to want to avoid answering it. Most people don't feel comfortable talking about their sex lives so crudely, or maybe they just don't feel it's a question worth answering. 

Not Karma, though. 

“I mean, I would do it,” he answered, taking a long sip of his beer. The tavern was filled with rowdy travellers dancing and singing the silly song the band was playing. 

“I'm not asking that. I'm asking if you want to do it,” Nakamura groaned, slamming her glass down on the table and wiping her mouth with her hand. “I would also do it, but it doesn't mean I want to do it.” 

“That doesn't make any sense. Those are equivalents,” Karma chuckled, amazed at how drunk his friend could get with just a few beers. 

“No, they're not,” Nakamura claimed, pointing at him accusingly. “Everyone would fuck Shiota. That doesn't mean everyone desperately wants to do it.” 

“I don't desperately want to do it either,” Karma shrugged, looking away nonchalantly. “But… I mean, I guess if I had the opportunity, I would want to do it.” 

“You have the opportunity.” 

“No, I don't.” 

“Yes, you do, Karma.” 

“He's a noble.” 

“And so what?” 

“You know how I feel about those…” 

“You're resentful, that's your problem. That's also why you're unable to trust Shiota. You can't move on from what happened to you, and it doesn't matter how much you might want him, you just won't budge. That's so stupid, you know? He likes you, Karma. It's so painfully obvious,” Nakamura argued, punching the table. 

“Alright, calm down. I think you've drunk way too much,” Karma got up and tried to grab her, but she jerked away from him and huffed. 

“You're so stubborn…” she protested weakly. 

“I don't think I'm the one being stubborn right now,” Karma frowned, crossing his arms. 

Before Nakamura could retort, they heard a loud sound coming from outside. Karma raised a brow and grabbed Nakamura by the arm, dragging her outside without stopping to pay for their drinks. Once they got out, they both had to stop for a moment just to be able to take everything in, because a giant yellow kraken was destroying the canal. 

“What the…?” Karma whispered, before he saw Prince Asano get thrown into the water. “... Well, fuck.” 

“That's Asano? I'm going to save him!” Nakamura yelled, stumbling towards the canal. Karma grabbed her again before she had the opportunity to jump in the water. 

“I'll do it, you stay here. Tell the band to go look for Shiota,” he ordered. Then, he took his shirt off and jumped into the water to save the prince. 

Nakamura tilted her head, but turned and ran back to the dock. 

Under the water, watching as Asano's body sank deeper and deeper, Karma wondered if he was doing the right thing by saving that arrogant prick. However, while he swam towards the limp silhouette, his thoughts shifted to Shiota, to his conversation with Nakamura, and to the realization that the boy was probably alone, facing that kraken on his own with just his small knife. 

I need to save Asano so I can go look for Shiota, he thought, grabbing Asano by the collar of his attire and dragging him back out. I need to get back to him. 

And he noticed it. 

He was becoming softer. 

He still didn't know how to feel about any of that. And, dear reader, Karma always knows how to feel about everything. 

Chapter Text

“I'm very sorry, but I don't have any more information.”

Isogai cleaned the counter as he spoke to the two young knights standing right in front of him. Maehara leaned on the wooden counter, his armor clanking loudly, and smiled charmingly.

“Come on, you have to know more. You run a tavern, don't you? Everything goes through you. Travelers stop and talk loudly about their plans, surely some of them had information on the creature's appearance or, let's say, hiding spot…”

“No, none of that. Don't lean on the counter, please,” Isogai informed the knights, who immediately stepped back. He cleaned the counter again with his cloth, making sure it was spotless. “Again, I doubt I have any more information for you.”

Maehara hummed, not pressuring the other man.

“Alright. We'll come by some other day,” he said, subtly winking at the taverner. Isogai raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and waved at the two knights as they left.

“Was that necessary?” Sugino mumbled, side-eyeing the other man once they were outside.

“What? He was cute, alright? I have to shoot my shot, the maids in the palace are all old and you guys just won't budge,” Maehara protested, approaching their horses.

“You are literally disgusting,” Sugino sighed, mounting his horse. “Let's go get the general. He's probably a few miles ahead already.”

“Just a few?” Maehara chuckled. “We aren't going to catch up to him unless he stops.”

That was true. Sugino stared into the distance, unsure.

“What's wrong?” Maehara asked, already trotting away. He stopped to wait for his mate. “Are you worried about him?”

“About the general?” Sugino asked, distracted.

“No. About Nagisa.”

Sugino slowly averted his gaze towards his friend.

“... He had never left the palace before,” he whispered. “So suddenly, and the day he was told he had to get married… I mean, are we really sure he was kidnapped? Why would the creature casually kidnap someone so important without asking for anything in return when it could've grabbed anyone from the streets? I just…”

“Are you implying Nagisa might've run away?” Maehara snorted. “Nagisa? Are we talking about the same Nagisa?”

“I don't know. Desperate people do desperate things, and he did look desperate.”

“... Well, you're right about that,” Maehara agreed in a mumble. “I'm desperate, but not even I would want to marry that prick.”

After that, they stayed in somber silence. They rode next to each other, but their minds were elsewhere. Sugino wondered, for a moment, if Nagisa was even alive. He shook his head, trying to get rid of that thought. He couldn't let it get to him. He had to save him, no matter what.

“He's strong,” he whispered to himself, although Maehara also heard. “He'll be okay.”

But the truth was that they could only hope for the best.

Dear reader, numerous situations had impressed Nagisa over the years. Watching the knights spar, getting the news that Hayami had run away, his mother allowing him to eat cake during his birthday dinner… those are just a few examples. But the truth is, nothing had ever impressed him quite as much as seeing Karma getting out of the canal.

Ignoring Irina's protests and commands to not approach Koro-sensei, he ran towards the wet body of Asano lying down on the pavement. He knew the other man would recognize him, but he didn't care. He loomed over him, checking his pulse. Once he felt it beating under the tips of his fingers, he sighed in relief. He was about to get up and go confront Koro-sensei, when he heard the water splashing around right next to them.

Back at the inn, he had seen Karma practically naked. He hadn't thought he would ever see him like that again, so when the other man emerged from under the water, his jaw almost hit the floor. Not only was the bandit unexplainably tan, which was something he hadn't noticed before, but his biceps literally bulged when he pushed himself up. His red hair was all ruffled and wet, dripping down his back and shoulders, and he was breathing heavily from exertion. Nagisa felt his throat dry up and had to gulp a couple of times. Once again, he felt the same stirring in his lower abdomen, the same taut rope about to break.

Karma's copper eyes found him amidst the chaos. Nagisa expected the usual, some kind of smirk or mocking expression. Instead, the bandit fixed those glossy eyes on his body, and they slowly darkened like sunsets. The sudden switch in his gaze made Nagisa feel oddly scrutinized, in a way that didn't bother him. More like… it excited him.

Why was Karma looking at him like that? Was he being defiant again? Was he bothered by Nagisa caring about Asano's state? The prince shook his head a bit. Whatever it was, he didn't have time to worry about it. He had to go get Koro-sensei…

And then, Karma dropped the bomb.

“... Nice dress,” he complimented, the corners of his lips curling up to form a rogue grin. “I didn't know you were into that, Shiota.”

Nagisa's cheeks darkened enough to make his face look like a ripe strawberry. He looked down at himself, at the tight dress and the curve of his waist, now snatched thanks to the corset. He absentmindedly wiped his lips with the back of his hand, trying to get rid of the red pigment. He was so used to being dressed like a girl, he hadn't realized that he wasn't Princess Nagisa to any of those people. At that moment, he was just Shiota. Shiota in a dress, with his cheeks powdered and his lips painted. He could only imagine how he must've looked. Absolutely insane.

“Aw, don't do that,” Karma chuckled, walking towards him. “You look hot as hell.”

“Quit it,” Nagisa mumbled, embarrassed like never before.

“No, I'm… I'm serious.” Karma got uncomfortably close for how little clothing he had on. “You look good. Different. Like… yeah. Good.”

“Put on a shirt,” Nagisa whispered, covering the side of his face with his hand so he wouldn't have to stare at Karma, because he was sure his gaze wouldn't stay put and would just drift down to places his governess wouldn't have approved of. When he did that, he caught a glimpse of Asano's knights on their horses, trying to get to their master and colliding with the pedestrians fleeing the scene in panic. He clicked his tongue, pulling the hood of his cloak over his head and dragging Karma away from Asano's body.

“He's taking a nice nap,” Karma mocked, turning his head back to stare at the man some more.

“We need to stop Koro… I mean, the creature, from destroying the sides of the canal,” Nagisa commanded, ignoring his slip-up. “Someone might die if we don't do something about this right now.”

“That thing is the creature?” the bandit chuckled, impressed. “You didn't tell us a giant kraken took you away, hottie.”

“It wasn't a giant kraken when I saw it for the first time,” he whispered, blushing when he heard Karma's new pet name for him. He ignored him and waved his arms, hoping to catch Koro-sensei's attention as soon as possible. On the other side of the canal, he saw the band members and Nakamura. Terasaka had placed Itona on his shoulders, and the boy was using his flute as a blowpipe and aiming for the creature's eyes, hitting his target a couple of times. Nakamura, on the other hand, was going against one of its tentacles. She was fast enough to avoid it while still being able to stab and slash accurately. Meanwhile, Yoshida, Muramatsu and Hazama literally ganged up on another tentacle, hitting it with whatever they could find, including their instruments, which surprisingly resisted the blows. Karma smirked at the sight, amused.

“Cute,” he commented, very obviously looking down on them, “but, oh, so ineffective.”

“Transmutation curse,” another voice interrupted him and made the two men turn around. Behind a pile of wooden boxes, Irina was crouching down to avoid getting hit by a tentacle looming nearby. Her eyes found Nagisa's, as if she could telepathically communicate with the prince and make him understand the dire situation they were in. “It's unlike anything I've ever seen before. The spell must have been specifically crafted and designed to target him and him alone, with each change and mutation carefully measured… I don't understand. The sheer power it takes to create your own spell… who could've done something like this to the most powerful wizard of our generation?”

She whispered the last few words, so neither Karma nor Nagisa could hear her.

“And who are you, exactly?” Karma inquired, raising a brow. Nagisa sighed deeply.

“Karma, this is Irina. She's a witch. She's going to help us… defeat the creature and find the princess. Right, Irina?”

Irina looked at him, confusion evident in her features. Nagisa stared at her intensely, just as she had done before, trying to just telepathically communicate his intentions. Finally, after an unspoken back and forth, the witch ultimately nodded.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. But I still haven't agreed,” she huffed, looking away in disdain.

Karma shot Nagisa a look of his own, but the prince ignored him. Just as he was turning towards the canal, a tentacle wrapped around his waist and swept him off his feet once again, making his cloak and his leather bag literally fly off and almost fall in the water. Fortunately, Karma was quick enough to catch them as he watched Nagisa go up in the air.

Nagisa closed his eyes as he was lowered, until he found himself right in front of Koro-sensei's now absurdly gigantic round face. His eyes, still a pair of comically small black spots, moved from the sides of his yellow head to the center so he could stare at the prince clearly. His creepy grin made an appearance again, and he laughed his strange laugh when he noticed Nagisa's terrified expression.

“Good evening, My Prince. You look stunning,” he greeted happily. “Do you like my disguise? Amazing, right?”

“What…? Koro-sensei, you're literally destroying the canal,” Nagisa reprimanded. “And how did you even get this big? What's with this form?”

“Form? Oh, no, no. I haven't changed my full appearance. I just made my head bigger,” Koro-sensei explained proudly. “My body is underwater, protected by a layer of goo produced by my own skin. Impressive, huh?”

“You said you'd cause some havoc, not kill people!”

“I haven't killed anyone. Not that I recall, at least. I just put our inconveniences to bed.” Koro-sensei's smile got bigger, and his eyes narrowed into slits when he laughed. “I see you found Irina. What does she think of my new outfit?”

“She's… she said something about a transmutation curse made specifically for you,” Nagisa explained, trying to ignore how absolutely insane that situation was.

“Ah… just what I thought. Well, that's kind of a problem now. I was hoping she would somehow find a way to undo it, but a fabricated spell can only be undone by the one who created it,” Koro-sensei scratched his giant head with one of his tentacles. “Which means I still need your help.”

“What do I have to do now?” Nagisa asked him.

“Well… Irina can help find the witch, but she's not powerful enough to defeat her. I'm fast now and can serve as a distraction or decoy, but the rest of my new abilities are practically useless against her. The only person I can think of that's strong enough to face her and would be willing to do so is… my old apprentice,” Koro-sensei sighed. “But you'll have to convince him.”

“Well, where is he now? How can I find him?” Nagisa inquired, tilting his head.

“A large part of the Asano kingdom is occupied by a thousand-year-old forest. The last time I saw him, he had settled there... but that was about a hundred years ago now.”

“A hundred years…?” Nagisa whispered, dread pooling in his stomach. “But… that's impossible. Both you and him would be dead by now if that was true.”

Koro-sensei's smile returned, and he chuckled mockingly.

“Oh, my dear prince, everything is possible with magic. He probably looks just the same as I remember him. My only worry is whether he changed his location or is still there, because if he did change it, then neither you nor me will ever be able to find him.”

“This is nuts,” Nagisa whispered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “So, let me get this straight. If I go there, there's a chance I won't find who I'm looking for?”

Koro-sensei stared at him cryptically… which was easy for him, considering he always had the same expression on his face.

“My Prince, there's always a chance we won't find what we're looking for. That's why humans have faith. If they didn't, they would never look for anything at all,” he told him, in a tone of voice that reminded Nagisa of his governess. “And what's life if not a long, tedious search for what gives it meaning? You must have faith, trust that what you're looking for will eventually appear. If you don't, then life loses meaning… and a life without meaning is a miserable, empty one.”

Nagisa was left speechless. Not because he found Koro-sensei's teachings inspiring or anything, but because while he was speaking, an arrow had flown right in front of the prince's face and stuck in one of the creature's eyes.

“Oh my God,” Nagisa gasped. “Koro-sensei, are you alright?”

Koro-sensei just moved his other eye to stare at Nagisa. He wasn't bleeding or anything, and his smile hadn't disappeared from his face, as if the arrow sticking out of his head was nothing more than a slightly painful inconvenience for him.

“I'm perfect, don't worry about me, My Prince,” he said, before another arrow flew in front of Nagisa and stuck in his other eye. “Well, that's unfortunate.”

Nagisa looked around, searching for the archer that was shooting those arrows. He saw Karma and Irina trying to cut off one of Koro-sensei's tentacles, the band and Nakamura putting up a fight against the other ones, but he didn't see any bows nearby.

“Judging by your silence, I suppose you're searching for whoever did this,” Koro-sensei spoke up, now blinded but still weirdly calm and collected. “I can't see, but if I could, My Prince, I would look up rather than down.”

Nagisa raised a brow, but when his gaze drifted upward, he made out a silhouette perched up on one of the tile roofs. A third arrow flew and hit Koro-sensei right in the tentacle holding him up, but that one came from somewhere further to his left.

“Ouch,” Koro-sensei said, monotonously, not even bothering to make it seem like he was hurt. “I would say they are trying to save you.”

“There are two shooters,” Nagisa realized, once he saw the silhouette he had been eyeing preparing to shoot a fourth arrow. Darkness was falling over the small town like a cold blanket, which made it difficult to truly detect anything, but he was sure there was a second shooter on another ceiling. “Koro-sensei, you need to leave. This is unsafe.”

“I agree. They're terribly precise,” Koro-sensei commented. “I'm okay, My Prince. I'm not that easy to hurt in this form. I wasn't easy to hurt when I was a human either. In any case, you're the one in danger in this situation.”

“Me?” Nagisa asked, before the fourth arrow flew right over his head. “Well, maybe you're right.”

Koro-sensei giggled, now with several arrows sticking out of his head.

“I'll put you down. Remember what I told you,” he requested, blindly moving the prince around. “Uh, well, I could use some guidance.”

Nagisa sighed, but smiled fondly. He guided Koro-sensei's movements discreetly, so as to not give away the fact that he was actively communicating with the creature. Because everyone was distracted, he asked to be put down in front of an alley, far enough away to not be seen. He soon discovered that had been a bad idea when two cloaked figures grabbed him from behind and dragged him away and into said alley.

“Hey! What the fuck? Let me go right now!” he screamed, kicking his feet. He was starting to have trouble breathing with that tight corset on, so his movements weren't aggressive enough to shake them off, but he sure caught them off guard with his resistance, judging by their clumsy attempts at immobilizing him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Koro-sensei's head sinking into the water.

He was thinking no one would go there to save him, when a voice made him stop moving almost immediately.

“Nagisa!”

It was one of his captors. They let him go, but Nagisa didn't run away. He turned around, because he was sure he would've recognized that voice anywhere.

“... Hayami?”

One of the cloaked figures pulled down the hood covering their head and revealed two ginger pigtails and sharp, intense green eyes under a messy fringe. She wasn't wearing a dress or makeup, but Nagisa didn't need any of that to know who he was talking to. He hadn't thought he would ever see her again, and it must've been mutual, because he didn't remember ever seeing her so confused or concerned before.

“Nagisa,” she repeated, as if she couldn't believe they were really face to face. The other cloaked figure also pulled down his hood. He was a tall guy with black hair that covered his eyes, and he looked… bemused, to say the least.

Nagisa noticed the bows behind them and connected the dots.

“You guys were shooting,” he whispered, impressed. He had never seen Hayami with a bow and shooting arrows, not once in his life. He also would've never expected her to have such a good aim.

“I saw you. I wasn't sure it was you,” Hayami spoke, still in some kind of shock. “I wanted to help.”

They stayed in silence for a moment, before she realized she hadn't introduced the guy who was with her. She grabbed him by the arm and placed him in front of Nagisa.

“This is Chiba,” she said curtly, pushing the man towards the prince. “This is Nagisa.”

Nagisa couldn't help but smile. Hayami had always been a woman of few words.

“Hello. Nice to meet you, Chiba. I'm an old friend,” he explained, offering his hand. The other man took it, but didn't say anything. He just shook it firmly. “And… well. You are…?”

Hayami grabbed Chiba and pulled him back before he had time to answer, running to Nagisa and hugging him so strongly, the poor prince thought his ribs would break.

“I’m so glad you're safe now. I heard you had been kidnapped, but I didn't know what to believe,” she whispered.

“That's because I wasn't actually kidnapped,” Nagisa chuckled awkwardly, hugging her back as best as he could. “It's a long story. I basically just ran away. Everyone thinks I got kidnapped by that creature… but it's not true, it just… coincidentally grabbed me now.”

“You ran away?” Hayami pulled away, visibly worried. “Did it get too bad?”

“Kinda. My mom wanted to marry me off to Gakushuu Asano,” Nagisa whispered, dreadfully remembering Asano had seen him there and was probably searching for him everywhere. Well, if he had woken up.

Hayami gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Nagisa didn't need to hear her say it to know what she was thinking.

“Well, but I'm fine now. I even have boy clothes, hehe. Oh, uhm, not right now, that is, but I do have them and can wear them. Amazing, right?” he smiled, scratching the back of his head. Hayami, on the other hand, furrowed her brows and hugged him again.

“I'm happy for you,” she mumbled.

“I'm happy for you too,” Nagisa answered, eyeing Chiba, who was standing behind them awkwardly.

Hayami blushed a bit, looking away.

“I'm sorry,” she mumbled, seemingly embarrassed. “I never told you why I left.”

“You didn't owe me an explanation, Hayami.” Nagisa smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You don't owe anyone anything. As long as you're happy, nothing else should matter.”

Hayami gave the tiniest of smiles. She shyly reached out her hand, showing Nagisa the small, wooden ring she had on her finger. The prince's eyes opened wide, holding her now ringed finger gently to observe the carefully crafted piece of jewelry.

“He made them,” she whispered, leaning in confidentially.

“Wow. I didn't even know wood could be polished like this,” Nagisa muttered. “It's almost, like, reflectant.”

She nodded effusively.

“It's from a special tree. Very old. Right next to our house,” she explained, tracing the ring with the tip of her fingers. “Where he told me he loved me for the first time.”

“Aw,” Nagisa chuckled tenderly. “And what were you guys doing here? I mean, it doesn't look like the ideal town for a married couple.”

“We sell what we hunt here,” Chiba spoke up. His voice was low and gravely, but not intimidating or creepy in the slightest. In fact, he sounded pretty calm and cool. “We make good money.”

“Oh. Uhm, nice.”

Right then, Nagisa heard Karma's voice calling for him. He turned around just when all of his friends, including Irina, reached the alley.

“Hey! You two, step away,” Karma warned Hayami and Chiba, taking out his knife from his pocket. He had put on a shirt, which should've made Nagisa feel more comfortable, but he was surprised when he felt a bit disappointed. The bandit stepped between Nagisa and the couple, placing an arm right in front of the prince in order to protect him from any harm. The boy blushed, also surprised by that action. Chiba and Hayami both put down their weapons and raised their arms, which made Karma lower his blade. “Good. Now, what is happening here? Shiota, are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. They're friends,” he gently grabbed Karma's arm and lowered it. “No need to threaten them, they haven't hurt me. They saved me.”

“And the creature?” Karma retorted. “Did it hurt you? It won't stop grabbing you.”

“I'm okay,” he promised, smiling reassuringly. “Please, put that away.”

Karma huffed and reluctantly put his blade back in his pocket. Nakamura walked to Nagisa and hugged him, as well as the band members, who practically crushed him. Irina stayed behind them, arms crossed over her chest, an unamused expression on her face.

“You worried us again,” Terasaka grumbled, patting Nagisa's back so strongly, the boy ended up coughing. Yoshida and Muramatsu did the same, although not as harshly.

“Even Itona was wondering if you were alright,” Hazama snickered, and Itona stared at her as if he were planning an assassination attempt involving his flute as the murder weapon.

“Well,” Karma interrupted, handing him his cloak and his bag back. Nagisa rummaged on it, making sure Okuda's ointments were still there. Then, he looked for the love potion, and once he found it, he sighed in relief and hid it once again under the rest of his things. “Aren't you going to introduce us to your friends?”

He raised his gaze, staring into Karma's eyes, before he fully registered what he had said.

“Ah, of course, sure thing,” he cleared his throat, standing between them. “Hayami, Chiba, these are my friends Karma, Nakamura, Yoshida, Muramatsu, Hazama, Itona and Terasaka. Oh, and the woman back there is Irina.”

“I know Irina,” Chiba commented, tilting his head to take a look at her. She raised a brow at him. “She sends a girl to buy bones and animal skin.”

Irina hummed dismissively, playing around with her nails.

“Maybe,” she answered simply.

“Guys, these are Hayami and Chiba,” Nagisa introduced. “Old friends.”

“Hayami?” Nakamura mumbled, narrowing her eyes. She stumbled a bit towards her, which made Nagisa realize she was drunk. “I know that name…”

She thought for a moment, seemingly hard, before snapping her fingers.

“The Sullied Damsel!” she chuckled, before she noticed how awful the name was. Hayami, however, didn't seem to pay much mind to it.

“Yeah, that's me,” she confirmed, and Chiba scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

“The Sullied Damsel?” Karma asked, looking intermittently between Nagisa, Nakamura and Hayami. “Is she, like, a celebrity or something?”

“Sort of,” Hayami muttered, shrugging her shoulders. “That’s how Kunugigaoka knows me.”

“She’s a runaway damsel,” Nakamura said, stumbling away from her again. “Sorry, I'm being intrusive.”

“Oh, no, no, don't worry. I don't mind it,” Hayami said monotonously. “Anything you might say, trust me, I've heard way worse.”

“Runaway damsel? Huh. Good job,” Karma smirked, reaching out his hand to shake hers. When she didn't return the gesture, he nonchalantly pretended to brush some dust off of his shirt. “Being noble is… sounds like it sucks ass.”

Nagisa blinked, surprised at the sudden slip-up. Is? Since when did Karma know anything about being a noble? Since when did he even care? He was confused for a moment, until Hayami turned to him once again to speak.

“So, Nagi…” she started, but Nagisa turned pale so fast, she stopped talking immediately. The prince started frantically gesturing towards his group of friends, then back at himself, mouthing the word ‘Shiota’ over and over. The girl tilted her head slowly, but seemed to get the message. “Shiota. What were you doing here?”

“We want to catch the creature and save the princess,” Karma explained, filing his nails with his knife. “We need the reward.”

Hayami raised a brow, staring back at Nagisa. Nagisa started frantically gesturing once again, trying to make her understand that no, he wasn't the princess to those people and they actually thought the real princess had been kidnapped. After a short while, he gave up pretending he had any idea of what he was doing waving his arms and hands around, and just shook his head.

“Oh. I, uhm, see,” she nodded solemnly. “I see, I see…”

“I think it swam along the canal,” Muramatsu revealed. “towards the interior of the Asano kingdom.”

“The interior? There's only forest there,” Hayami explained. “It's the old forest. We live there.”

Old forest. Nagisa barely registered those words, but when he did, he locked in almost immediately.

“Exactly how old?” He asked. “Just curiosity.”

“Like, a thousand years,” Chiba commented.

That was it. That was the place Nagisa needed to get to. He looked around at each member of the group and smiled.

“Well, maybe we can stay with you guys? We don't have enough money for another inn for eight,” he explained. “Well, now nine.”

“I still haven't agreed,” Irina dismissed his counting, still fixing her nails, now using Karma's blade to do so. “Let me think about it some more.”

Hayami shot Chiba a look. The guy just shrugged, so she turned back to the group and nodded.

“Yeah, you can stay,” she confirmed, with a small smile. “As long as you want. But you might have to help us hunt.”

“I can hunt,” Nagisa affirmed, obviously desperate to find an excuse to visit the thousand-year-old forest. “I can help with whatever you may need.”

“Alright, then it's settled,” Hayami chuckled. “I'm happy we're back in contact.”

“Thank you, Hayami… uh, although, I probably should change back to my clothes,” Nagisa mumbled, looking down at his flowy dress and finally realizing the tightness of the corset couldn't possibly be healthy. Everyone laughed cheerfully at the comment, and, unbeknownst to the prince, a tender smile spread on Karma's face, from cheek to cheek.

Meanwhile, Asano slowly woke up from what had proven to be the longest fever dream of his life.

Firstly, a giant kraken appeared in the middle of the canal and targeted him with its gigantic tentacles. Then, his wife (actually future wife, but who even really cared about that?) cradled him in her arms, seemingly lovingly and worriedly, before unceremoniously dropping him on the floor again. And finally, he woke up to find himself on a horse that wasn't his, with a trio of soldiers that weren't his trustworthy group of servants.

“What… where am I…? Who are you?” he asked, straightening up abruptly and thus falling off the horse. The man riding the horse stopped the animal in its tracks once he heard the prince's protests.

“My Prince, I apologize,” he said. He had spiky black hair and thick eyebrows, both being his most noticeable traits. The other soldiers also stopped. Asano was surprised to see his servants riding on the strangers’ horses, looking back at him with evident shame. “We found you and your knights in that town after the creature attacked. You seemed… very much unconscious. I'm General Karasuma, from the army of Kunugigaoka. These are Sugino and Maehara. We just got here, looking for the princess.”

“The princess?” Asano mumbled. “I saw her.”

“We believe we saw her too,” a knight with blue hair affirmed. “We’re close now. It's just a matter of time before we find her.”

“Wait. Wait, hold on. What do you mean ‘we’? I never signed up for this?” Asano scoffed. “Where are my horses? Sakakibara?” He turned to one of his servants, who shook his head.

“Nowhere to be found, My Prince.”

“It seems we must work together if we really want to save the princess.” Karasuma raised one of his thick eyebrows. “Unless, of course, Prince Asano is against this ordeal.”

Asano turned an explosive shade of red and puffed, getting back on Karasuma’s horse. He crossed his arms, clearly not pleased.

“Once we find her, which, by the way, must be as soon as possible, my father better not hear a word about this,” he warned.

“Of course, My Prince,” Karasuma mumbled, but once his head was turned, he took a deep breath and rolled his eyes.

The horses started trotting again. Asano looked around curiously, not recognizing where they were. Had he really been asleep for so long?

“Where are we going now?”

“News spread that the creature continued along the canal,” Karasuma explained, “to the thousand-year-old forest.”

“The thousand-year-old forest? Such a weird destination,” Asano mumbled to himself.

“Why is that, My Prince?” the other knight, a blonde one, asked.

“That place? It's difficult to navigate. Hundreds of kilometres of just trees and their shadows. It's definitely a good hiding spot, but… what enters that forest, rarely comes out.” Asano narrowed his eyes, thinking. “If I kidnapped a princess to get something from her kingdom in return, I wouldn't go where no one could find me. It's not a mindless beast, that's for sure. If it were, it would've already killed her. So, then, why…? Why did it take her away from me? What is it trying to achieve with this?”

Silence fell over the group. Asano's servants averted their gazes. Some scratched the back of their necks. Karasuma's knights exchanged some looks.

“What?” Asano asked, irritated. “What's with those eyes?”

Karasuma spoke without turning to look at him.

“My Prince, after analyzing the situation, me and my knights reached the conclusion that… the princess is following the creature,” he explained quietly. “She wasn't forcefully taken.”

Asano felt as if a heap of rocks had just fallen over him. He was left breathless, speechless and, above all, confused. In fact, he stayed silent the rest of the ride, and during their break, and during breakfast the next morning. He barely slept. Those words kept repeating in his head, each time more loudly and clearly. She hadn't been taken. She was following the creature willingly. But why? And for what? And why so close to their wedding day? And why did women have to be so complicated?

But Asano still wanted to believe in her and be a good fiance. That's why the first thing he did, out of pure desperation, was deny it.

“Maybe she's being mind controlled,” he blurted out, which made Karasuma turn to him on the horse.

“... Well, you reached a maybe too fanciful conclusion, My Prince,” he mumbled. “But we hadn't thought about that.”

“Still, we won't know that until we find her,” Sugino (now Asano knew he was the blue-haired one) retorted. “It's unlikely, but… not impossible, I guess?”

“It's the only thing that makes sense. If not, why would she ever want to follow the creature? And so close to our wedding!” Asano chuckled nervously. “Yeah, it has to be that.”

Sugino and Maehara exchanged another look, this time an amused one. No one said anything, but once they reached the next town on their way to the forest, Asano had already made up his mind and was fully convinced.

The princess hadn't run away to chase some creature. It made no sense.

And he was going to prove he was right.

Chapter Text

Dear reader, Nagisa hated his life as much as he possibly could. That's not an exaggeration, it's simply a fact. However, he had to admit that, having lived his whole life in a palace, the hut Hayami showed them didn't look like the coziest place on Earth. He would've escaped for love but not to live there, that was for certain.

After a few hours of walking, they reached a small wooden house right at the edge of the thousand-year-old forest. The sun had already set a long while ago, and the sky was covered in shiny stars around the full moon. Chiba led the group, bow in hand and prepared to shoot on sight. Once at the door, he had to push rather harshly to get it to open, which didn't give Nagisa the best first impression. Inside, there were two rooms: one had a dining table with dead animals all over it (birds especially, but also rabbits and squirrels), cabinets and a spot to leave the many weapons the couple had. The other room was a small bedroom with a kind of dirty bed. The house as a whole was cold and uninviting. Perfect, Nagisa guessed, for the kind of people that lived in it.

“Welcoming,” Karma commented sarcastically, “but not nearly spacious enough for nine people.”

“I am not sleeping on this crusty floor,” Irina said, scrunching up her nose in disgust.

“I agree.” Muramatsu made a disgusted face. “What's with all those dead birds?”

“Dinner,” Hayami answered, pushing the animals away to free some space on the table. “And you're not sleeping on the floor. Chiba, bring out the rugs.”

The man nodded and opened a wardrobe, from where he got a couple of rugs that he rolled out on the floor. Hayami lit up some candles and closed the window, and then pushed away some of their weapons to reveal a fireplace. She placed some pieces of wood inside of it and lit them, and the soft glow of the fire spread slowly and warmed up the inside of the house. Nagisa sighed, sitting down right in front of it to bask in the heat it produced. He was so grateful he had his boy clothes back on. He wasn't nearly as cold as he could've been with that horrible dress.

Karma sat down next to him and leaned back on one of the rugs, closing his eyes. Nakamura, on the other hand, fell face first on the floor and was immediately out like a light.

“Is she okay?” Terasaka asked, concerned.

“Nakamura? Oh, yeah, she just had too much to drink, as usual,” Karma hummed, not even bothering to check on her. “She'll be just fine tomorrow.”

“Are you guys hungry?” Hayami asked, stepping over Nakamura to get to the dining table covered in dead animals. She grabbed a bird and began plucking it like it was nothing. The sight didn't quite disgust Nagisa as much as it seemed to disgust his friends. It actually surprised and pleased him. The few times he had seen Hayami had been during private tea parties hosted by Queen Hiromi, where it was just her and Nagisa and Hayami and her mom, who was always watching her like a hawk. The Hayami he knew was a prim and proper girl who drank tea with her pinky raised and was surprisingly good at keeping secrets. Sure, he already thought she was a good friend back then and they wrote letters to each other regularly, but something about seeing her so carelessly plucking that poor bird like it was nothing made him like her even more. It seemed he was finally seeing the real Hayami, without all the colorful dresses and intricate headpieces. He had never seen her so relaxed and comfortable before.

“I'll heat up the pot,” Chiba offered. He walked over to the fireplace and hung the pot right over it, then grabbed a bucket of water that was next to the door and emptied it inside. Meanwhile, Hayami cut open the bird and gutted it. She was about to leave it like that, but Muramatsu gasped as if he had just been shot with an arrow and swatted at her with his fiddle.

“Just what do you think you're doing, monster?!” he screeched, taking the knife from her. “You need to wash it first! You want to kill us?!”

“Not my intention,” Hayami mumbled, taken aback. Muramatsu just clicked his tongue and took the dead bird to the pot, washing it with warm water before placing it back on the table and cutting the different pieces of meat.

“For broth, you use the thighs,” he instructed, pushing away the rest of the animal to focus on the thighs. “We need vegetables. Do you have some?”

“I picked up some carrots from the market the other day,” Chiba said, bringing over a basket full of veggies. Muramatsu cleaned the knife and began peeling them expertly.

“Salt and pepper to the water,” he ordered, “and make sure it's steaming hot.”

Nagisa observed the scene with noticeable curiosity. He turned to Karma, who shrugged. Hazama, on the other hand, sat next to the fire and smirked.

“His father cooked for a rich family,” she explained, which made both men hum in understanding. “He still takes it very seriously, even though they kicked him out when his old man died. If he had been a little bit older, he would have stayed there.”

“I would've never guessed,” Nagisa admitted, impressed.

“So typical of rich people. Kicking a kid out after his father dies,” Karma scoffed, leaning back and closing his eyes once again.

“He's not resentful or anything,” Yoshida retorted. “Apparently, they were good to him while it lasted.”

Nagisa nodded, but Karma clicked his tongue dismissively. Irina, who had managed to snatch a seat at the dining table, made eye contact with Nagisa and raised a questioning eyebrow, as if asking what was wrong with the bandit. As a response, Nagisa shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.

While the food simmered in the pot, Itona played a silly tune on his flute and Terasaka offered an improvised beat played with what little he found, which ended up being a wooden spoon and another pot that was laying around. Yoshida played his lute to the rhythm while Muramatsu stirred the broth.

“Do you guys remember that one song about a forest?” Terasaka asked them, and they all nodded.

“Okay, Itona, you go first. In five, six, five, six, seven, eight.” Yoshida began patting his lute to show the flute player the rhythm they were going for. Itona nodded and began playing accordingly, a soft melody that was nothing like what Nagisa had grown accustomed to. It was clear the song hadn't been written by them; it wasn't messy enough.

After Itona's little solo, they started singing together. Even Muramatsu, who was still paying attention to their food, joined their harmony.

There’s a danger deep inside,

hiding, lurking in plain sight,

looming right between the trees,

monsters feel and so they flee.

Near the darkest lake he lies,

old apprentice chose to die

in the forest where the breeze

whispers songs for a thousand years…

Nagisa listened to the song attentively and the lyrics left him stunned. He leaned towards Hazama, who was staring at her wooden box of donations as if pondering whether to ask for some.

“Where is that song from?” he asked, trying to disguise his growing interest as simple polite curiosity.

“It's an old lullaby. A traveller sang it for us once,” she explained, shaking the box in her hands. “They don't play it often. They prefer their own material.”

Nagisa hummed, pretending to care about that last part. Truthfully, all he could think about was the fact that the song had just told him where to find Koro-sensei's apprentice, somehow. He wondered how old that song actually was, and who made it. The student had supposedly been living there for a hundred years. What were the real odds that anyone other than his master would know he was there, compose a song about it, sing it to his family, and keep it going for at least three generations?

“Wow. That's the corniest song I've ever heard you guys play,” Karma groaned, throwing an arm over his eyes. “Where's the interesting stuff? When does the sexy fairy or the lewd mermaid appear?”

Nagisa sighed, but couldn't help but smile at that.

“Nakamura's right, you're disgusting,” he ended up chuckling.

“What? A man has needs.” Karma leaned on his elbow, straightening up to smirk at the prince. “Since you didn't want to keep the dress on, I have to find another… entertainment.”

Nagisa turned beet red from the tips of his toes to his forehead. He stumbled over his words before looking away in embarrassment. To be fair, he should've expected that from Karma. Somehow, the intense glance he had shot him at the canal when he saw him in that dress for the first time hadn't changed. If anything, it had gotten even more intense. Nagisa found it exhilarating, how it made him feel to have a guy as handsome as Karma look at him like that. Of course, he didn't feel like that because it was Karma. No, that was ridiculous. He obviously felt like that because Karma was handsome, and it turned out he liked when handsome people stared at him like that.

“Stop it,” he whispered, glancing away. “It's not funny.”

“I mean, he's right. You looked sexy,” Hazama chuckled creepily. “How do you have that waist? Tell me your secrets…”

“I was born with it, alright? Let's stop talking about me in the dress, okay?”

Karma huffed, leaning his head back and staring at the ceiling.

“You're no fun,” he muttered, but he did stop talking about it.

Nagisa sighed in relief and turned his head, only to find Irina's gaze on him. The woman gestured towards the band members who were still playing, mouthing ‘did you hear that?’ with a serious expression. The prince nodded, and Irina smiled slyly.

“Dinner's almost ready!” Muramatsu interrupted their silent communication, tasting the broth.

“Finally!” she exclaimed, loud enough for everyone there to hear. “I'm starving.”

Dear reader, do not sleep on the floor. It is not worth the pain you feel afterwards.

Nagisa woke up in the middle of the night with his back aching and his neck stiff as a board. The fire was long gone, replaced by dark ashes and a coldness that sneaked under his clothes and made him shiver. He straightened up with notable effort, cursing under his breath. Not even the cloak covering his body did anything to warm him up. Around him, his friends laid on the dirty rugs, asleep. Chiba and Hayami left their door open and Nagisa could see their sleeping forms, with Hayami resting on her partner's chest. It would've been cute for him, if he hadn't been practically peeing his pants. His bladder was so full he considered going outside to empty it, but the thought of being alone in the darkness didn't please him enough to risk it. His gaze fell on the bucket where Chiba and Hayami kept water. He decided to just do it there, but he wasn't proud of himself.

He threw the content of the bucket outside through the window. He was about to go back to sleep, but a voice caught him off guard and made him freeze.

“Shiota?” It was Karma's voice calling for him. “Is it you, or have they finally come to take me away?”

“Take you away? Who?” Nagisa asked, concerned after hearing those words.

“The angels,” the bandit replied, in a cryptic tone of voice. Nagisa sighed deeply before answering him.

“No, it's just me. No angels here.”

“I know, little mouse. I was just playing with you.” Karma chuckled in the darkness of the cabin. Nagisa walked over to him, careful not to step on any of his friends, and sat down next to him.

“Were you asleep? I'm sorry for waking you up.”

“No, little mouse, I was very awake. No need to worry about me.” Nagisa couldn't see him clearly, but he could've sworn the other man was smirking at him. “Although, very sweet of you.”

The prince clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes, but couldn't help the smile that spread on his face.

“I couldn't sleep,” the bandit admitted all of a sudden, making Nagisa turn towards him abruptly. He hadn't expected Karma to continue that conversation, or whatever that exchange was. “Lots of things happening all at once.”

“Yeah, it's a bit stressful. But… think about the reward. The moment we have that creature, you will be rich. No more stealing or leaving without paying for your beers,” Nagisa teased, to which Karma laughed silently.

“Hm, I guess that's worth it. I'm going to miss stealing, though,” Karma whispered, leaning back on his elbows. “Not because I like it… I've just grown so accustomed to it over time.”

“You will find other things to do,” Nagisa promised him.

“Oh, I hope. I'm already a menace when I'm bored, imagine if I was bored and rich. God knows what I would do.”

They both laughed under their breaths, trying not to wake their friends up. Nagisa was the first one to speak after Karma's comment, and he asked something that had been occupying his mind for a while, hoping to get an answer.

“You're suddenly very friendly. Is it because you finally trust me?” he inquired. The bandit didn't reply immediately, which scared the prince, but he eventually seemed to find enough words to explain how he felt.

“It's not that I don't trust you. I do… or, at least, I try to. When we spoke back at the inn, you were honest with me. You exposed your intentions and explained your behavior. I promised I would give you the benefit of the doubt, but the truth is… I haven't been fair with you. Accusing you of knowing things you don't actually know, of staging your moments with the creature…”

Nagisa nodded, trying to ignore the fact that Karma's accusations had always been true.

“When I saw you in that dress…” Karma continued, unaware of Nagisa's worry, “at first, I didn't recognize you. You looked so… different. And then, after teasing you, I realized you hated it. You hated wearing that dress, all that makeup. So I started pondering, thinking about you, about that Irina woman, about the creature… and came to the conclusion that you did something you hated to help us. To help us have a real opportunity, a real chance to catch that thing, whatever it might be. It's clear Irina, as annoying as she is, is educated and powerful. And I obviously don't know that because I searched her bag for good measure.”

Nagisa chuckled at that, his concern momentarily forgotten.

“The thing is… you did it to help us,” Karma whispered, staring at the prince in the darkness. His copper eyes were so clear, so piercingly gleamy, that not even the shadows could hide them. Nagisa found himself enchanted, just like he had felt at the inn and every time the bandit's eyes focused on him long and sharply enough. “You did it for us. For that… you have my respect.”

Nagisa snapped out of the spell when he heard that. He knew he didn't have bad intentions, but everything he had done up until that moment had been for his own benefit and that was something he couldn't deny. Knowing that Karma thought he was doing it for them made him feel like the worst person in the whole wide world. However, he didn't object. He hid behind a soft smile and the overwhelming need to change the topic.

“Thanks. That's so… kind, coming from someone who doesn't associate with the well-heeled.”

Karma chuckled again, then sighed.

“I did say that, didn't I? Well, I can't say I was lying,” he admitted. “I do hate the well-heeled. But you, Shiota… you are different. You don't use those less fortunate as a ladder towards your ambitions. You are… thoughtful.”

Then, he laid down on the rug and turned his head towards the prince confidentially, as if about to confess some kind of secret.

“Do you want to know why I don't engage with them?” he asked.

“Oh, Karma, I… you don't have to tell me about your life if you don't want to.”

“I do want to,” Karma retorted. “You deserve an explanation after how I've treated you.”

The bandit took a deep breath and asked a question that left Nagisa deeply confused.

“Do you know the Red Baron?”

“The Red Baron?” The prince scratched the back of his head, thinking. The first thing that came to his mind was the memory of an old, fat, gray-haired man who spoke very loudly and had a somewhat sinister smile. “I do, I saw him a couple of times, but… I could've sworn he died a few years back… yes, I remember going to the funeral. All the nobility were invited.”

“Ah… so he died.” Karma let out a low hum, unimpressed and seemingly unaffected. “He deserved it. He was a dirty old creep.”

“You knew him?”

“... Sort of.” The bandit leaned back and sighed again, tapping one finger against the rug. “My mother worked for him, she was a maid. He kicked her out when she got pregnant.”

Nagisa frowned, crawling closer so he could place his hand over Karma's.

“That's awful. I hadn't heard many good things about him, but that… that's disgusting. Who was it? A knight?”

“A knight?” Karma chuckled humorlessly, turning his head to stare into Nagisa's eyes with that piercing, metallic gaze of his. “Oh, no. It was him. He knocked her up against her will.”

Nagisa was left positively speechless. Out of all the things Karma could've said, that was possibly the one he least expected. Although, looking back, it was the one that made the most sense. It explained why Karma despised nobles so much, why he was so wary of strangers… even why he knew how to read. Suddenly, everything clicked, leaving the prince with nothing to say but the truth… the obvious.

“Karma, you… you are the bastard son of a noble?” he whispered, the softest of gasps escaping his parted lips.

“Yeah, that's me. Horrible, right? I try not to think about it too much,” the bandit mumbled, letting his head fall back to stare at the ceiling. “My mother lived where she could with what little money she could make begging on the streets. She gave birth to me, raised me, taught me everything she knew, then died when I was thirteen. She had always been honest with me, so I knew who I was and why I was alive, but… knowledge is dangerous. I grew up conflicted, watching rich people stroll through life without a care in the world, knowing that it could've been me. I refused to beg like my mother, and that's when I found out stealing was much more lucrative. I met Nakamura, told her about my life, and we became friends. That was six years ago. Now… I’m a lowlife thief with nothing to lose and a life worth less than a couple of coins. Amazing, I know. Fucking amazing.”

The bandit leaned back completely, laying down on the dusty rug with a final, deep sigh. Nagisa didn't want to leave him alone, so he laid right next to him, his body turned towards him. They were so close, they could feel each other's warmth and smell each other's breaths. Karma slowly moved his head and his nose bumped against the prince's, which made a smirk spread on his face.

“What are you doing, little mouse?” he asked, teasingly poking Nagisa's stomach.

“I'm keeping you company,” the other whispered, slightly annoyed but also flustered.

Karma chuckled, and his hand emerged from the shadows to tuck a strand of blue hair behind Nagisa's ear. The prince felt his cheeks begin burning like two little fireplaces. He quickly tried to conceal it by talking, although the sight of Karma's handsome face so close to his, even in the darkness, made his tongue twist and caused him to stumble over his words.

“If it makes you feel better, I… I think you're very cool, Karma. I think you're the coolest guy I've ever met. And, yeah, sometimes you're annoying and smug and all that, but… that's part of what makes you so special.You're a great fighter and a great thief, and…”

“You haven't seen me in action yet,” Karma smirked, his fingers playing around with Nagisa's hair. “Stealing, I mean.”

“Oh, I've seen you leave without paying,” Nagisa answered in a chuckle. “But, it's true, I've yet to see you and Nakamura do the real thing.”

Karma smirked and wiggled his eyebrows, shoving his hands in the pockets of his pants and taking out a concerning amount of pouches filled with coins. Nagisa's eyes opened wide, and he gaped like an idiot.

“How…?”

“I stole it just in case we needed some emergency coins.”

“And you didn't think of telling me?”

“Well… it wasn't enough for an inn, and I didn't want to hurt your sensitivity with my criminal acts. Since you told me you were getting chased, I didn't want to stress you out more by reminding you that you were associating with criminals. And, by the way…”

He tilted his head at the prince, their lips so close they were almost touching.

“Why were you getting chased? You only told me your parents wanted you to do something you didn't want to do. What was it?”

Suddenly remembering he was engaged, Nagisa let out an uncomfortable laugh and scratched his cheek.

“They… wanted me to marry someone I didn't love. Well, actually, someone I hadn't even seen once and about whom I hadn't heard many nice things.”

He expected Karma to laugh at the situation or get mad that Nagisa hadn't told him sooner, but the man didn't do any of that. Instead, he nodded his head and let out a soft hum of understanding.

“That sucks. I would've run away as well.”

The prince smiled a bit, comfortable with the bandit's answer and pleased, particularly pleased. He liked the fact that his expectations never became reality when it came to Karma. His unpredictability was a breath of fresh air inside the birdcage that was Nagisa's life.

“Well, now we both know things about each other,” he pointed out, to which Karma laughed.

“True,” he whispered, then yawned. “But so much talking is making me sleepy…”

He leaned in and nuzzled his nose against Nagisa's neck, taking a breath so deep and tranquil that the prince felt as if his own air had just been ripped from his lungs. They weren't even really touching, but suddenly, the cabin felt much warmer. Nagisa's cheeks exploded with color, a deep red that dyed his whole face, from the top of his head to his chin. Karma's turmeric scent reached his nostrils, choking him. It was pleasantly musky. He didn't have the courage to push him away and he didn't think he even really wanted to. He felt… uncomfortably comfortable.

After a while, Karma's breathing became so subtle, Nagisa thought it had stopped. The bandit's muscles relaxed almost to the point of melting against the prince, and, once again, Nagisa could've sworn he was dead. Karma slept like he had just been buried.

Trying to ignore the heavy weight resting against him, Nagisa closed his eyes. Surrounded by that overwhelmingly aromatic scent, he managed to lose consciousness for a few hours. Only when the first rays of sunlight began seeping in through the window did he wake up. Karma was still asleep. Without his usual smug smirk, he looked almost… innocent. Nagisa couldn't resist the temptation and ran his fingers over the bandit's cheek, caressing the exact spot where a dimple appeared when he smiled.

Nagisa hadn't realized it before, but the truth was, Karma did look like a noble. It wasn't something he could describe… it was just a feeling. That unique glint in his eye, those violently elegant moves, his ego, even his handsome face… if he had met Karma in a wildly different context, then maybe, just maybe, he would've connected the dots much sooner. However, he couldn't bring himself to wish the bandit had inherited the title. The prince could only imagine the pain and suffering he and his mother had gone through at the Baron's hands. He didn't think Karma would want to inherit anything from him. Besides, his beautifully reckless behavior was the kind of amazing thing castles and rules tended to destroy in one way or another.

He forced himself to crawl away from Karma to get up. He straightened up and his back cracked painfully, which made him groan. Behind him, Hayami emerged from inside the bedroom, already dressed and prepared to go hunting, judging by the bow and arrows she was holding. Chiba followed her, holding an axe, but they both stopped at the sight of Nagisa awake.

“Nagisa, good morning. Did you sleep well?” Her eyes drifted to Karma's sleeping form, and she raised an eyebrow.

“As well as one can when sleeping on the floor,” the prince mumbled, but smiled nonetheless. “Are you going out?”

“Chiba is going to cut some wood and I'm going to get breakfast,” she said, preparing her bow. “Why?”

“Can I go with you? I took some archery lessons back in the palace.”

Hayami looked back at Chiba, who shrugged nonchalantly. She then imitated the gesture and handed his friend a bow and arrows just like hers.

“We’ll be back soon, don't worry.”

“It's fine. What route do you usually follow?” Nagisa asked, hoping to get some information on the lake where Koro-sensei's apprentice supposedly lived. He also desperately needed to get away from Karma and the sudden intimacy they had shared. He couldn't allow himself to get distracted now that he was so close. Koro-sensei had promised to grant him a wish if he helped, whatever he could possibly want. He had finally decided what exactly he was going to ask for, and he needed to get it before Asano got to him first.

Although…

Nagisa's head turned on its own to stare at Karma's sleeping form for just a moment. Their nightly conversation came to him in a whirl, all of his expressions, his reactions. All he had learnt and all he knew now.

Of course… he could just tell Karma, couldn't he?

Tell him the truth. That he wasn't helping them, that he was helping the creature to get the reward it offered him. He could always come clean and admit to what he had done and who he was, beg for mercy, and hopefully get his friends on his side, on his real side. It sounded like a magical dream, and he could almost imagine his friends’ words and gestures, how each of them would react. He was about to seriously consider it, when Hayami’s voice snapped him out of his fantasy.

“Hey. Are you listening?” she asked, confused and annoyed at the same time. “I said we walk to the lake and then come back.”

His train of thought was abruptly interrupted by that statement. All the ideas he was getting were crushed under the weight of his reality. That his friends would probably never forgive him if he admitted to having tricked them. That Karma would probably hate him for life. He didn't know why he cared so much about Karma hating him (for the love of God, what was happening to him?), but he couldn't even imagine it without getting nauseous. The mental image was straight up tortuous.

“Yes… yes. Okay. Perfect,” he whispered, just to give Hayami an answer. His friend just stared at him cryptically, before turning around to kiss her partner goodbye on the cheek. Chiba had to lean down, and in any other situation, Nagisa would've found it tender. However, he wasn't even looking at them, but at the ground.

The prince wondered if there really was nothing he could do to come clean to his friends in a safe way. He felt tempted to give up, until he remembered he had left his leather bag inside. He excused himself for a second to go get it, and when he was placing the arrows inside, his gaze landed on the small jars of ointment Okuda had given him along with the bag. He sighed and pushed them down under the rest of his things, and his fingers tapped something he had forgotten he had. He took it out.

The love potion.

Of course. There was a way to get his friends on his side.

But he couldn't just… wouldn't that be cruel? Wouldn't that be basically forcing them to understand?

Would it even work?

It was a bad idea. A very, very bad idea.

But somehow, it felt better than the guilt that was starting to eat at his insides.

From behind him, Hayami called. He played around with the love potion for a bit, before placing it in the inner pocket of his cloak. He grabbed the bag with the arrows, the bow and walked back outside, leaving everyone behind.

Unbeknownst to him, Irina observed as he left. She scoffed, amused, and turned away. It wasn't her problem, after all, although she had a feeling those kids were going to make her have a lot of fun.

Dear reader, General Karasuma hadn't slept. It wasn't a strange occurrence, since he had learnt to keep himself awake during his training years. However, it hadn't been a strategic decision that time. No, he had to admit he hadn't been able to sleep.

Inside the tent they had set up, his soldiers, along with Prince Asano and his men, slept peacefully. Meanwhile, he sat cross-legged in front of the fire, his eyes focused on the patterns the flames traced as they crackled, the only sound that could be heard in the silence of the night.

When his knights had informed him of their theory, at first, he hadn't believed it. Why would Prince Nagisa run away and put himself in danger of losing his life like that? Even if he had to get married, surely it was still better than perishing? Karasuma was sure something could've been arranged. The situation could've been fixed without putting the sole heir to the throne of Kunugigaoka at risk of dying a painful death. He was sure he could've fixed it. He wouldn't have left Nagisa alone.

He should've fixed it.

His eyes watered. He blinked repeatedly to get rid of the tears threatening to spill. The thought of the prince suffering made his heart ache. It didn't matter that he was already a strong and independent young man. When General Karasuma looked at Nagisa, the only thing he could see was an adorable, tiny blue-haired child running around in a frilly dress with a sword twice his size. To him, Prince Nagisa was still just a kid. A kid he loved like he would his own.

The soft breeze made the fire crackle more intensely. It consumed what little wood was left, then slowly disappeared. Due to that, Karasuma was unable to see the gigantic silhouette of the yellow octopus-like creature staring at him from the edge of the forest. What he was able to see, however, were the freshly chopped trees that fell right next to their improvised camping spot, blocking the path for their horses. The noise woke the rest of the crew up and they all left the tent.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Asano screamed, staring at the mountain of chopped trees.

“I don't know, but we're going to have to walk from here on,” the General mumbled, unsheathing his sword. To his surprise, apart from the trees, nothing else happened. It was clear it hadn't been a coincidence, nor an accident; someone had chopped the trees on purpose to block their path.

“No, no, no, we can't stray from the path. What goes inside the forest never returns,” Asano repeated, now pacing back and forth.

“We will return, with the Princess safe and sound.” Karasuma sighed, sheathing his sword again. “Go back to sleep. We will see in the morning.”

Sugino and Maehara both obeyed his command, as well as Asano's men. Asano, however, stayed for a while longer, until he was sure nothing else would happen. Then, he returned inside the tent, grumbling under his breath with a scowl on his face. Karasuma sighed deeply and sat back down.

He was an experienced commander of the army. The best knight of his generation. He could save anyone, and yet, he was starting to doubt himself. What if Nagisa refused to go back? Would he have to force him? Would that be the right thing to do?

He sighed again, exhausted.

He started dozing off when the first rays of sunlight peeked in the sky.

Chapter Text

“You need to aim, and then…”

Nagisa tightened the string of the bow, pointing the arrow at an unknowing squirrel nibbling on a nut on a branch over their heads. Hayami grabbed his elbows and gently moved his arms, guiding his shot.

“... then… you shoot.” At the sound of her voice, Nagisa let go of the string and watched as the arrow flew right over the squirrel's head, startling the animal and making it run down the trunk of the tree and hide. The prince sighed deeply. It was already his third miss.

“You make it seem so easy,” he accused his friend, to which she laughed. She grabbed her own bow, aimed at nothing and shot. The arrow hit something that squeaked behind a bush. Upon cutting the weeds, they revealed a beautiful pheasant with a clean shot to the heart.

“Breakfast,” Hayami smiled, raising the animal up by its feet and ripping the arrow out of its body. “We don't see these around very often.”

“Ah, my mom loves them. We used to eat them every chance we got,” Nagisa sighed, watching as his friend placed the dead bird in her bag. “I don't miss them one bit.”

“The pheasants or your parents?” Hayami asked nonchalantly, as if that was a question she could just throw around at random times and expect a normal answer. Nagisa was left puzzled, and he had to stop and think about his reply.

“... I meant the pheasants, but, honestly… ever since I ran away, I've only thought about my parents when I was scared of being found,” he admitted, with the confidence he only allowed himself to have around his most trusted friends.

Hayami hummed in understanding, resuming their hiking. Her next words were carefully chosen, sewn together with the extreme caution of someone who understands what they're talking about.

“When I ran away, I found out all of my childhood fears were nothing compared to the fear of losing my freedom.” She took out her dagger again and cut some more weeds that were hanging on the way. “My parents sent servants to look for me, and your mother even lent mine some knights to help. I ended up just associating her with that fear, and just the mention of her made me shriek and look around, as if she were going to appear to take me away from who I loved. I used to feel guilty, but not anymore.”

She put away the knife and turned to his friend.

“Someone who loves you doesn't do what your parents did to you. You did well running away. However…”

She raised a brow at him, kind of judgemental.

“What's up with not telling your friends about it?”

Nagisa blushed, embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head and bit his bottom lip, drawing blood in tiny droplets that he licked off under Hayami's firm gaze.

“I didn't think I would end up spending so much time with them. I didn't want to risk getting caught because I went around airing my identity like it was nothing.”

“Hm. Okay, I get it.” Her gaze softened, but she still pursed her lips. “But why haven't you told them now? Aren't you friends?”

“Yeah, well… uh, it wouldn't be the only thing I would have to explain,” Nagisa whispered. “And they wouldn't like it one bit.”

“What? What did you do?”

“I'm helping the creature,” Nagisa came clean to Hayami, who seemed taken aback, but not extremely bewildered. “He's a human who got turned into… whatever that thing is. He promised he was very powerful and would grant me a wish if I helped him find the witch who cursed him. The problem is that my friends want to catch it for the reward my dad offers in exchange for it. If there's no creature, then there's no reward for them. I know they would hate me.”

Hayami stared for a moment that seemed endless, before sighing and placing a hand on Nagisa's shoulder.

“Nagisa, you're my friend, and I know you. I know you don't have bad intentions, but that's the kind of thing you shouldn't hide from your friends. It will be worse if they find out on their own than if you just tell them. Of course, they'll be mad, but I'm sure they'll eventually understand and forgive you. You can reach a solution together.”

Then, she tightened her grip on his arm.

“I hope you know what you're doing with that creature.”

Nagisa nodded, placing his hand over his friend's.

“Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I'm going to tell them today. I hope it's like you're saying, and they forgive me. Especially…”

He shut up immediately, turning bright red. Hayami understood and started snickering teasingly, something she never used to do before.

“Let me guess… the redhead bandit who's handsome, has a killer smile and follows you around like a puppy?”

“Oh, please. It's just Karma.”

“And you like him.”

“I don't! It's just Karma! He's infuriating—”

“Infuriatingly handsome, you mean?”

“... Well, yes, okay, he's handsome.” Nagisa sighed, covering his face with his hands to hide his flushed cheeks. “Infuriatingly handsome, and infuriatingly cunning, and infuriatingly reckless and dangerous and infuriatingly attractive. He's just… God, he's infuriating.”

Hayami let out a soft laugh, patting her friend's back gently.

“You have good taste,” she complimented. “He's a good match for you. And I think he likes you back.”

“Are you… sure?” Nagisa whispered, uncovering his eyes to shoot the girl an insecure glance.

“I didn't say I was sure, I just said I thought he liked you,” she answered. “That's something you have to discover for yourself.”

Nagisa sighed and scratched his cheek. He didn't like the shallow conversation. It was unlike Hayami to feel interested in such trivial matters, like who Nagisa may or may not like.

“Since when do you care about that stuff, anyway?” he inquired, following his friend's steps.

“I don't really care, but you two are funny,” she said, pushing some more weeds away. “I see how he looks at you. The fact that I'm not normally interested in gossiping doesn't mean I'm blind. It just means I like staying away from people's business. However, your business… now that’s something I like sticking my nose in. Just because I appreciate you…”

Hayami guided him to a small slip in the terrain, which they easily jumped over.

“... and because you've always been quite entertaining.” She turned to him with a small smile. “Here's the lake.”

Nagisa had been so engrossed in the conversation that he hadn't even realized they had reached the lake. When faced with the sight of it so suddenly, he couldn't hide his amazement and he gasped, his eyes gleaming and reflecting the sparkle of daylight on the surface of the water, dark and surprisingly still. It wasn't excessively big, but it was definitely impressive and occupied a large part of the field where it was located. It looked more like a lagoon than a lake.

“... Wow,” he whispered, not really knowing what else to say.

Hayami took his hand and guided him across the flowery meadow, to the bank of the lake. Nagisa took off his boots and dipped his feet in the water, finding it to be pleasantly warm. He moved around, and a single ripple ran across the surface. He didn't see any fish, or any sign of life whatsoever. Everything was strangely quiet.

For some reason, the eerie silence made Nagisa feel extremely uncomfortable. The water showed a reflection he wasn't familiar with; he had never once in his life seen himself so dirty, and so… not royal. Somehow, it made the situation feel much more real, and reminded him of the weight on his shoulders and the tension pulling at the muscles of his neck. Plus, he was sure there was someone else observing them. He didn't know exactly from where, but he knew there was someone watching their every move. He could sense it.

Suddenly, something was gently placed on his head. His thoughts dispersed as his hands reached for it, only to feel the delicate crispiness of a flower crown. He smiled and turned to his friend, who was kneeling on the grass, intertwining another set of colorful weeds she must have picked while Nagisa was distracted with the lake.

Hayami finished two more crowns before she looked up at the sky. Her brows furrowed and she got up, blinded by the sun.

“We should get back already. It's almost noon,” she mumbled, shoving her craft into her bag, along with their hunting prizes. Nagisa hummed, shooting one last look at the lake and following her back into the forest. Without their presence, the meadow went as unnaturally still as the lake, turning the scene into a kind of frozen paradise. Only when they were far enough away did the prince hear the distinctive sound of a bubble popping against the surface of the water, and the hairs on the back of his head stood up as a shiver ran down his spine, making his stomach churn.

Karma woke up to the sound of someone peeing right next to him.

“Uhm, excuse you? Some of us are trying to rest,” he complained, rubbing his eyes to get rid of the eye booger that was all over them. When he looked up, he found Itona pulling up his pants and watched him throw the content of the bucket outside. The boy blatantly ignored his protest, stepping over him as he walked back to his spot. Karma clicked his tongue and got up, pissed off.

“I'm going to shove that flute up your ass…” he grumbled, before he realized there was someone missing. He looked around at his feet and tilted his head when he didn't find the mop of blue hair next to which he had slept. “Hm? Where's Shiota?”

“Your little friend left a few hours ago.” Surprisingly, it was Irina who answered. She was kneeling in front of the now lit fireplace, with a cauldron hanging right over the reddish fire. She was stirring the liquid boiling inside of it, which was taking on a strange violet hue. She scooped some of it and handed the wooden ladle to a very pale Nakamura, who took it and drank the content of it, not without scrunching up her nose at the smell first. “Better?”

“This is disgusting. What did you put in this?” she huffed. Irina turned red and fumed.

“Excuse me? This is the best hangover cure of all time, and I voluntarily made it for you, you ungrateful brat! Drink it and shut your mouth!” She barked, making Nakamura groan and throw the ladle back at her. The witch made sure to scoop a good spoonful before handing it to the blonde girl again.

“Wait. Shiota left?” Karma tilted his head, confusion evident in his features. “Where?”

“I don't know. I just know he left with his friend,” Irina answered while forcing Nakamura to swallow the liquid by tilting her head back and placing the ladle against her lips. “They had bows. Maybe they went hunting.”

Hunting? The thought of Shiota hunting almost managed to make him laugh. However… him, alone with Hayami in the woods? Sure, Hayami was engaged (or was she married? Karma didn't know and wasn't sure he actually cared), but still, the situation didn't quite please him. In fact, it made him feel a kind of uneasiness he didn't understand. He had confessed something very personal to the boy the night before, and he was sure he hadn't hallucinated the intimacy they had shared. That didn't automatically make them lovers (as much as Karma would've loved to have kissed the hell out of him when he had the chance), nor entitled him to anything regarding Shiota, and yet… he couldn't deny that he would've loved to have known Shiota was leaving in the morning, and where he was going.

Am I jealous? He asked himself, before shaking his head. Nah. I can't be jealous. He's not mine by any means. God, Karma, get a grip. You can't get all shaken up like this. He's hunting. Yeah, just hunting. Simple, innocent hunting.

He took a deep breath, but coughed. The whole cabin smelt like the shit Irina was stirring in her cauldron, and it quickly became unbearable. He ran outside before his eyes watered too much and found Chiba chopping down trees and cutting wood for the fireplace. Without much else to do, he decided to go bother him.

“Hey. Beautiful morning, isn't it?” he smirked, leaning against the tree Chiba was hitting with the axe. The guy raised an eyebrow, or, at least, that's what he seemed to do, because his lengthy fringe made it impossible to tell the difference between his expressions.

“It's a morning like any other,” he mumbled, pulling the axe out of the trunk of the tree. “Move away, please.”

Karma obeyed, albeit reluctantly. The moment the axe hit the trunk of the tree again, it shook and fell right over where the boy had been standing before. He gulped.

“Close,” Chiba whispered, now hitting the fallen trunk to separate it into pieces. Karma stood there awkwardly, wondering what the other meant by his words.

“Hey.” He spoke before he could really register or even think about what he was saying. “Can I ask a stupid question?”

Chiba, focused on what he was doing, shrugged. Karma took it as a sign to keep talking.

“You're very in love with that girl, right?” Chiba stopped his movements, evidently taken aback. Or was he offended? Karma couldn't tell and it suddenly stressed him out way more than it should have. “How did you know you were in love?”

The other straightened up and stared at him from under his fringe.

“... Because I loved her,” he mumbled, pursing his lips. “Because I wanted to be with her, talk to her, make her happy. Because I thought she was the prettiest girl in the world and we had a lot of things in common.”

Check, check, check. Karma checked boxes in his mind as Chiba talked, and stopped when the other boy said ‘things in common’. What did he have in common with Shiota? Well, they were both technically runaways. They both had shitty parents and were in a shitty situation, but was that enough? He frowned, then shrugged. It probably would be, and even if it wasn't, Karma couldn't have been less bothered by it. He still liked Shiota.

“But… how did you know it was love?” he asked again. Chiba raised a brow, or so it seemed, since his fringe moved.

“If you need to ask that question, then what you're feeling is probably not love. You will know it is love once you truly feel it.”

Karma was left puzzled. The other boy went back to his axe and his tree trunk, now cutting the wood into even smaller pieces. Without much else to do there, he turned on his heels and walked back to the cabin. When he was about to open the door, bracing himself for the horrible smell, he saw Shiota out of the corner of his eye. The boy was wearing a flower crown on his head, right over his pigtails, and he looked oh so adorable. It took the air right out of Karma's lungs. His fists clenched and he suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to punch the door. It was so unfair.

“Karma! Good morning. Well, uh, afternoon, actually. Hayami caught a pheasant for us to eat.” Shiota smiled, standing in front of the other boy, waiting for him to reply. However, Karma was unresponsive. “... Karma?”

“What's with that crown?” Were Karma's first words to him that day.

“Oh, this? Hayami's doing,” Shiota smiled, looking back at the girl, who had stopped a few feet back to talk to Chiba.

“You left this morning.” Karma's next words weren't exactly reproachful, but didn't sound pleasant either. He was stating a fact, something that had bothered him just slightly. Shiota scratched his cheek and bit his lip, and it was so scarred that it bled almost instantly.

“Yeah… sorry for that. I woke up very early.” And he looked so innocent and guilty that Karma couldn't resist. He reached out his hands and playfully tugged at the flower crown, then pinched one of his cheeks.

“It's fine,” he assured the smaller boy, placing his hands in his pockets. “Show me that pheasant.”

Shiota suddenly seemed nervous, which was weird, considering he had sounded excited when mentioning the pheasant. He fidgeted with his cloak while he spoke, his hands inching closer to his leather bag.

“Let's… let's go inside. I'm thirsty.” He cleared his throat, as if showing how dry it was. “We walked for a long time.”

Karma frowned, but shrugged. He would happily serve Shiota a glass of water or whatever he wanted. However, he couldn't help but notice the tension pulling at the boy's shoulders, and there was something about his stance that made Shiota’s discomfort painfully obvious. His lip was still bleeding, but he was licking it off time and time again. It was clear something was bothering him.

“... Okay.” Karma opened the door and let Shiota in. Before closing it, he eyed Chiba and Hayami, who were still standing next to the now chopped tree, and was surprised and slightly creeped out when his gaze met the girl's. She was staring, vigilant.

Karma narrowed his eyes and slammed the wooden door.

Dear reader, at this point, Nagisa's modus operandi had fully developed. He knew what he had to do, so the moment he heard the door close, he took off his flower crown and began frantically searching for glasses to serve some water for both Karma and him. And, my dearest reader, you know this story wouldn't be what it is if Nagisa wasn't absolutely shitting his pants all the time, so I consider it safe to say that in that moment he was, effectively, shitting his pants. Poisoning a random girl he had never seen before was one thing. Poisoning Karma? That was a suicide attempt. Nagisa could either die at the hands of the sexiest guy he knew, or kill himself because of the guilt he was feeling. None of the options convinced him, so he just hoped Karma wouldn't notice his drink turning pink.

He finally found a set of wooden glasses (is that grammatically correct? Isn't a glass supposed to be made of glass? How can a glass be made of wood? Nagisa had a lot of questions and no time to answer them, but at least they served as a distraction) and served some water out of the bucket that he hoped someone had cleaned before filling. He stuck his hands in his bag and got the little love potion, uncorking it and letting some of the liquid drop into Karma's glass.

One drop for temporary effects. Two drops for permanent.

He stopped himself before he let the second drop fall. One would be enough, wouldn't it? He just needed to tell Karma everything. But… once the effects disappeared, would Karma still understand? Would he forget he agreed and be mad at him? Why did Nagisa's life have to be so complicated?

He shook his head. Before he could give it a second thought, he let a second drop fall.

Permanent effects. Karma would be in love with him.

Nagisa's eyes reflected the surface of the water as the two drops combined. Instead of pink, the liquid turned pitch black, and a cloud of mist in the shape of a heart formed right over the rim of the glass. The prince gulped at the sight. He didn't know what that meant, but he knew he didn't like it one bit. He grabbed both glasses and turned around, only to find Karma standing there, right behind him. Nagisa thought he would die, until he noticed the other boy wasn't paying attention to his actions. He was staring at the door he had just slammed, not sparing Nagisa a glance.

He had his guard down, and that made Nagisa feel a hundred times worse.

“Hey… I… I served you some wine I found laying around,” he lied, handing Karma the glass with the black liquid. The boy turned to him, suddenly aware of what they were doing.

“Ah, Shiota. Sorry, I was supposed to serve you, but I… got distracted,” he commented, taking the glass from him. He smelt the supposed wine and, to Nagisa's surprise, smiled. “Ah, smells good. It's been a while since I last had wine.”

“Ah… ah, that's, uh, nice. Well, uh, cheers?” Nagisa concealed, offering his glass to the other boy. Karma smiled and hit it with his own, winking, before bringing it to his lips and gulping the liquid down in one go.

Nagisa closed his eyes. His whole body trembled, and he thought he would pass out before being able to explain himself. He gathered all the strength and courage he could and opened his mouth, about to reveal everything.

“Karma, I…”

“What's wrong? You haven't drunk anything.”

Speechless, Nagisa opened his eyes. Karma was there, and there was no denying that he had drunk everything that was in his glass. However, his eyes were still the same copper ore color. He was staring at the prince with a confused look on his face, but there was no sign of the effects of the potion. No blush, no eyes changing color, no slurred speech or weird propositions. Karma was, undeniably, still Karma.

“... Uh… uh? What do you mean? Are you okay?” Nagisa asked, his voice high-pitched.

“I'm great. This wine is good. A bit too sweet for my liking, though,” Karma commented, handing the glass back. “Drink your water, weren't you thirsty?”

Nagisa was so taken aback that he mindlessly obeyed and drank his own water. Just then, someone outside called Karma's name.

“Oh, that's Nakamura. Let me go see what she wants.” And with that, Karma left the cabin and Nagisa. The prince stood there, absolutely flabbergasted, his mouth agape and filled to the brim with an avalanche of words he hadn't had the chance to even string together.

“What…? what the…? what was…?” he whispered to himself, not expecting the answer he got.

“That, you stupid kid, is the first cardinal rule of potions: they don't work if they don't have a reason to.” Irina's voice, as sharp as a knife, cut through the silence and the darkness surrounding Nagisa. Her blonde hair came to view, as well as her blue eyes and the frown between her perfect eyebrows. She stood in front of the prince, her gaze disdainful, but also clearly amused.

“But… but I… I don't understand… it worked the last time,” Nagisa stuttered, pale as a swan feather. Irina huffed and pinched the bridge of her nose, leaving two noticeable crescent moon marks with her nails.

“Listen here, you dumb child. If you give a death potion to a dead man, does he die twice?”

“I'm going to say no?” Nagisa answered, scratching the back of his head.

“Okay. So, if you give a love potion to a man who's already in love, does he fall in love twice?”

“But, I don't… wait, are you saying Karma's in love with me?” Nagisa panicked, blood rushing to his cheeks and dying them a bright cherry red.

“Well, if he hadn't been in love with you, the potion would've worked,” Irina said, placing her hands on her hips.

“No. No, no, no, no. It must've failed because of another thing. There's no way Karma's in love with me. It's impossible. There must have been a mistake!” Nagisa whispered, biting his lip so hard the blood dripped down his chin. Irina sighed, grabbed a cloth and, taking the prince's chin harshly in her hand, cleaned the blood from his face. Then, she grabbed his cheeks and stared into his eyes.

“It doesn't matter now. Forget about him, about wasting that beautiful potion and about telling your friends anything. Trust me, they won't understand. Get it inside your tiny little blue-haired head. If you want to help yourself, first, you have to protect yourself.”

“But I'm not helping myself, I'm helping Koro-sensei!”

“Keep telling yourself that, kid.” Irina laughed humorlessly. “The only one you're helping with this little stunt is yourself.”

She straightened up and flipped her hair behind her shoulder.

“Anyways, did you find the lake this morning?”

The sudden shift in the atmosphere made Nagisa disconnect and start going through the motions.

“... Yes. Yes, I know where it is.”

“Great. Tonight, you and I will go there and find his little apprentice.” Irina smiled, patting the prince's shoulder. “You just guide me there and I'll take you to him. I've known him for years. I know how he thinks and how he acts, and I know his magic better than anyone else, even the God of Death himself. To be fair, I don't think his master ever even knew him,” she mumbled, curling one strand of hair around her finger. Then, her eyes drifted to the little love potion that Nagisa had left laying on the table. “And, if I were you, I would take care of that little bottle. Love potions are extremely difficult to make. Even I fail when I make them sometimes.”

Immediately after those words, she turned on her heels and walked out, leaving Nagisa alone just like Karma had done before, startled and paralyzed. His hand unconsciously reached for the love potion, and he placed it in the inside pocket of his cloak. He still couldn't believe what he had just heard. He could ignore Irina's rude commentary on his actions because, well, he couldn't deny she was right. He was helping himself. However… Karma, in love with him? If he hadn't been absolutely losing his shit, he would've found it hilarious. That was impossible. Karma couldn't be in love with him, it was just not an option.

Still, a small part of him couldn't help but wish for it intensely.

He served himself some more water and drank it once his fingers defrosted enough to pick things up. Then, he threw Karma's glass into the fire and watched it consume and erase the traces of potion still on it. He refused to leave any clues out in the open like that.

After that, he splashed some bucket water on his face. The drops that sneaked into his mouth tasted extremely salty. He didn't know what that meant and he wasn't sure he wanted to find out.

The rest of the day went by in a blur. Nagisa avoided Karma, feeling extremely guilty for what he had intended to do. When night fell, he was unable to get sleep, so when Irina stood over him to ‘wake him up’, he was already up and ready to go. His mind debated between a deep hollowness and strong waves of uncontrollable emotion that made him want to scream. His gaze drifted to Karma's unmoving sleeping form, wanting to stay next to him so bad. However, Irina dragged him outside by his cloak and forced him to start hiking.

Nagisa pushed away some hanging weeds he was sure he had seen Hayami cut that same morning. He guided Irina until they reached the same slip in the terrain, which they jumped over. The meadow appeared almost magically in front of them, its flowers shiny and almost ethereal under the moonlight. The surface of the lake was still, just as Nagisa remembered. Irina seemed pleased about that.

“He's here,” she confirmed, startling the prince.

“How can you know that?” Nagisa asked. Irina pointed at the water before fixing her hair in the reflection it was showing her.

“The water’s still. That means someone is keeping it still.” Once she deemed her hair perfect enough, she snapped her fingers. Like clockwork, the water started undulating and bubbling, as if it were suddenly boiling. The surface parted, revealing a set of dirt stairs leading down from the bank of the lake. Nagisa's eyes widened comically. “Go down. He must be waiting there.”

“Koro-sensei's apprentice?”

“Exactly.” She stepped forward first, going down the stairs. Nagisa gulped, but he followed suit. The water floated around him, acting like a firm wall. The prince had never seen anything like that. He was so surprised that he barely registered the presence of Koro-sensei behind them.

“Oh la la, so modern.” Nagisa heard his voice and turned around abruptly. Koro-sensei was sticking one of his tentacles in the water wall and marvelling at the way the water closed around it. “How did he learn to do this?”

“You didn't teach him this?” Nagisa asked, curious. Koro-sensei watched as the water rippled around his tentacle.

“No, I didn't. Water manipulation is a complex magic.” He removed his tentacle, and the whole wall undulated. “He must've learnt this himself.”

Then, he wrapped another one of his tentacles around Nagisa's waist and placed the prince on his shoulder.

“Let's go, My Prince. Oh, and thanks for finding him,” he said, smiling gratefully (or at least, as gratefully as someone who's always smiling can).

Nagisa should've felt honored. Instead, the only thing he was able to feel as they went down the stairs and lost themselves in the darkness of the lake was guilt.

The guilt was eating at him so much that he didn't even notice Irina had forgotten to close the entrance to Koro-sensei's apprentice's house. A while later, General Karasuma and Prince Asano Gakushuu stood there, amazed.

“How…?” Asano whispered, genuinely impressed. Karasuma sighed.

“It doesn't matter. Sugino, Maehara.” He turned to his knights. “Stay here with His Majesty's servants. We are going down.”

Sugino and Maehara both hesitated, but eventually nodded their heads. Karasuma nodded back and then gestured towards Asano and towards the lake.

“Are you sure?” he asked before taking the first step forward.

“I'm positive. She disappeared down these stairs with the creature and a blonde woman,” he assured. Karasuma nodded and began walking down the dirt stairs. Asano followed him, looking around at the water walls in amazement.

“Incredible… this is something one can only achieve with…”

“Magic,” Karasuma interrupted him. “With black magic.”

Something in his gaze made Asano think the General knew what he was talking about and wasn't pleased about having to encounter that kind of magic again. However, he didn't have time to keep asking, because the knight upped his pace, as if in a hurry to get that over with, and he had to run a bit to catch up to him. Something about that place was freaking the prince out, but the feeling of being so close to his wife, to the love of his life, encouraged him.

He couldn't wait to hold her in his arms. He wanted to know what she smelt like, what she looked like in person. His body trembled in anticipation, knowing how good it would feel to touch her for the first time.

He was sure it would be magical, and that conviction kept him going down those stairs, unaware of what they would encounter once they reached the end… or the beginning.

Chapter Text

At the end of the stairs, Nagisa closed his eyes. He didn't want to see what was waiting for them.

Koro-sensei placed him on the ground and wrapped one of his tentacles around his left wrist. He was gently guided along what seemed to be a hallway, but when he tried to open his eyes, he didn't see anything. It was dark and the only thing he could hear were Irina's heels clicking against the stones on their way. She seemed to sense his discomfort, because she snapped her fingers and her hand was immediately set on fire. Nagisa felt the heat coming from it and gasped, blinded for a moment by the light it produced.

“Doesn't that hurt?” Nagisa asked, his voice trembling. Irina, however, raised an eyebrow at him.

“Do you want to try?” The prince felt extremely discouraged to do so, and shook his head. She rolled her eyes and illuminated the way. The water created a kind of tunnel around them, guiding them underground. Once they walked long enough, the walls finally became solid and they left the lake behind, continuing through what seemed to be some kind of cave. It was cold there, and drops of freezing water fell on Nagisa's head and shoulders from time to time, making him shiver. It also seemed endless, to the point where even Koro-sensei started panting out of exhaustion. Or maybe it was because he had grown so accustomed to using his powers and his inhuman speed that walking next to humans had become extenuating for him. Anyhow, the noises he was making weren't helping Nagisa feel any better about their situation.

“There. A door.” The prince had never thought he would ever feel such relief upon hearing someone else's voice, but the moment Irina spoke, he couldn't help but sigh. Effectively, a door stood at the end of the cave, dark and solemn. It was made of mahogany with gold handles and jewels embedded all around it, mostly rubies and sapphires. Irina stopped right in front of it and frowned, pursing her lips. “It's coated in magic.”

Nagisa didn't really know what she meant by ‘coated in magic’, but he stood next to her anyway.

“Can you open it?” he asked, to which she scoffed.

“Are you stupid? Of course I can open it, it's just a door,” she huffed, tugging at the prince's ear and making him whimper in pain. “I mean that I feel the remains of a powerful spell. This whole cave was probably carved with magic, and I wouldn't be surprised if the door and whatever is inside turns out to be an illusion of some sort.”

Koro-sensei panted next to them, his tentacles resting against his other tentacles (his knees? Nagisa wasn't sure they could be considered knees) as he bent down, looking absolutely defeated.

“That… that sounds like him… illusions have always been his forte,” he sighed, taking deep breaths to regain his composure. “Goodness gracious, I almost forgot how tiring walking at a normal pace is.”

“If I didn't know you well, I'd think you love your new appearance,” Irina teased him, and he turned bright red, and then a weird shade of green.

“Don't get me wrong, the amount of limbs is definitely a plus, but… I miss my handsome face,” he sighed, nostalgic. “Ah, it's nice to see you and hear your witty remarks again, Irina. It's been so long… you still look as gorgeous as ever.”

“Flatterer. You haven't thanked me for helping your kid out,” she accused, waving a hand dismissively. “Him and his little boyfriend made me gag more times than I can count.”

“My… wait, what? Karma is not my boyfriend?!” Nagisa blushed even brighter than Koro-sensei, trying not to choke with his own tongue as he spoke. “He was never my boyfriend! There's nothing there, alright?! There was never anything there, there isn't anything there and there will never be anything there, okay!? Not after I'm done with this.”

Irina scoffed, clearly amused. Koro-sensei, on the other hand, didn't look all that happy with what Nagisa was saying.

“Well, you're right about that. I don't think your relationship will survive this.” Irina reached out her hand and pushed the door open. The prince was expecting something scary, like another dark cave. Instead, he was almost blinded by the shine of a beautiful tea room.

Nagisa felt like he was back in the palace. They were greeted by polished marble walls rising to the high ceiling, from which hung a spectacular gold chandelier. The tables, spread almost symmetrically, were made of light, gleaming wood, and all were set with full, steaming teapots and cups, mountains of pastries and trays of sandwiches, both sweet and savory. The cups were engraved with gold details, animal silhouettes and plant motifs designed with an almost masterful delicacy. A strange music, which they hadn't heard from outside, reached their ears. It was unlike any instrument Nagisa had ever heard. It was gentle, intimate. It sounded like something that hadn't been invented yet.

Nagisa knew it was fake. Not only because of what Irina had told them before entering, but also because the room had windows overlooking a waterfall. The prince was sure there weren't any beautiful waterfalls like that underground. The sun couldn't reach them either, so seeing it so clearly shining in the sky through the window was kind of creepy.

Right under the gigantic ball of fire pretending to be their sun, a man stood. He was staring at it through the window, a small cup in his hand that he was stirring every now and then with a tiny spoon. He was tall and very blond, with fair skin and an impressive outfit in blue and gold that reminded Nagisa of his father's. The guy brought the cup to his lips and took a long sip, apparently unbothered by the sudden intrusion. He turned around, staring with big, unblinking blue eyes and a cryptic smile. His face looked like that of a child's, but the rest of his body was strong and manly. He didn't look a day over twenty. Definitely not more than a hundred years old. Nagisa refused to believe it.

“Finally. I was waiting for you.” He sounded way too excited for Nagisa's liking. The prince suddenly got a very bad feeling about all of that, but before he could say anything, Koro-sensei took the initiative and began speaking.

“My dear apprentice… oh, it's been…”

“A hundred years.” He moved some chairs and invited them to sit down. Koro-sensei and Irina didn't think twice, but Nagisa made sure he had a clear escape route before accepting the offer. He hoped he wouldn't have to use it later.

“Irina. Long time no see,” the blond man smiled at the woman, who in return flipped her hair and waved. The prince felt like an outsider or, better yet, an intruder.

“You know who I am, right?” Koro-sensei whispered, his tone of voice and his mannerisms giving his nervousness away despite the permanent grin on his face. The man's smile widened but he stiffened, which caught Nagisa's attention.

“Of course. How could I forget my own teacher? I would probably be able to recognize your voice in a sea of voices. What happened to you, though? You look… different,” he chuckled, a sound that Nagisa was not able to interpret. Koro-sensei sipped some of his tea and sighed deeply, still inevitably grinning.

“It's a long story… very long. Say, my dearest student… have you perceived the presence of a young witch these past few days?” he asked, grabbing a tissue and wiping the corners of his big mouth. The apprentice placed his hands on his hips and hummed, seemingly deep in thought.

“A witch… hm, I'm not sure,” he mumbled. “I do think I've felt a strange energy sizzling around, but… a witch? I wouldn't place any bets. Why?”

Koro-sensei sighed. He put his cup down on the tiny plate, along with an origami swan made with the tissue he had just used.

“Well, you see… a few weeks ago, I was cursed. I don't know how it happened… one second, I was myself, and the next I was this big, yellow creature sitting at your table. I have reasons to believe this young witch may be the one to blame. I've been searching for her, but to no avail… neither me nor Irina and Nagisa have been able to find her. And you know Irina, her abilities are unmatched.”

The apprentice shot Nagisa a look, probably recognizing his name. The prince blushed and looked away, expecting awkward questions, but he ignored him.

“I understand. And, I suppose, you want my help to find her?” He smiled charmingly, which made Nagisa trust him even less. “We can discuss it over some tea. I'll go get more pastries.”

“Me and Nagisa can go.” Surprisingly, Irina got up and dragged Nagisa up by his cloak. “You catch up with your dear teacher. You have a lot of things to talk about.”

The apprentice blinked, puzzled, but shrugged and smiled.

“Okay. The sweets are down that hallway, third door to the left,” he said, pointing them in that direction. Irina nodded and wrapped her arm around Nagisa's, making it seem like she was just walking next to him, when in reality she was quite literally forcing him to follow her. She opened the third door to the left, as she had been told to, and pushed the prince inside before locking them both there.

“Ouch! Irina, what the hell?!” Nagisa hissed. Irina snapped her fingers and her hand began burning once again. The room didn't have any windows, the walls were made of stone again, and the only thing there was a table filled with towers of delicious-looking pastries. It seemed Koro-sensei's apprentice hadn't bothered covering up the fact that they were still inside of a cave there.

“There's something weird going on here.” She set the pastries on fire, and Nagisa almost let out the most high-pitched scream you could ever imagine, but he controlled himself. The pastries burnt quickly, but gave them enough light to have a clear, full view of the room.

“Yeah, I feel strange too,” Nagisa admitted, the fire reflecting in his blue eyes.

“Remember how I said that I felt the remains of a powerful spell? Well, that energy is not coming from the illusion; it's coming from him.” She shook her head, as if clearing it of unwanted thoughts. “It's just oozing out of him, and I don't recall him ever being so powerful. He was strong, of course, but… what I feel is something much bigger and scarier, as if…”

Nagisa was just wondering what she meant by that, when they heard a loud sound, like someone punching a wall. The prince thought it might've been outside and ran to open the door, but Irina stopped him with a hiss. She walked towards the stone walls of the cave and began pressing her ear against them and feeling around with her hands, until she found a weird dip in the stone. The moment she touched it, her hand disappeared through the wall. Nagisa gasped and covered his mouth with his hands, believing Irina had somehow lost her arm. However, she pulled it out and moved her fingers to check everything was okay.

“There's a hole,” she informed, palming the wall so as to make out the shape of the hole, the length and the width of it. “It's hidden with magic.”

“God, how many things are hidden with magic here?” Nagisa whispered, walking to her and pressing his hand against the wall. Surely, his hand went through the stone, and he pulled it out before the rest of his body could follow it.

“Magic has no limits. Its only limitation is the human mind and how far our creativity is willing to go. He's always been very discreet with his powers, it makes sense his favorite thing to do with magic is hide other things.” Irina walked confidently towards the hole and went through it, leaving Nagisa amazed and curious. He reached out his hand and followed her, going through the hole. He thought he would feel a weird sensation, as if going through a wall, but it just felt like walking through a door. It was like the magic covering the hole had just painted over it to make it resemble the rest of the stone. Nagisa, in his nervousness, found this hilarious.

He stopped laughing when he saw what was in the other room.

Irina set her hand on fire again. The light showed an empty cavern, except for a small golden cage in the middle of it. It looked like a birdcage, but the size of a human, very fitting for who was inside of it. Nagisa, despite Irina's warning, took a step forward to look more closely.

Inside the cage was a girl with long green hair lying passed out on the floor. She had a bleeding head wound, and next to her, one of the golden bars had bent, as if someone had headbutted it. Her eyelashes trembled over her cheeks, she seemed to be trying to open her eyes but was unable to. The only thing she was wearing was a white silk dress. She was barefoot and her feet were blistered. Nagisa watched her, almost as if spellbound. Around her, apparently coming out of her head, fluttered tentacles like Koro-sensei's, but of a greenish hue.

“Come back here, kid! Don't get close to her!” she hissed, but Nagisa ignored her and knelt down right in front of the girl, who managed to crack one eye open to stare at him.

“Hello… are you okay?” The prince felt stupid asking a question with such an obvious answer. However, the girl parted her lips and spoke with effort, barely a thread of voice coming out of her mouth.

“Leave…” she whispered, or at least that's what Nagisa heard her say. “You need… to… leave…”

“Leave? Why?” He tried to get her to speak more, but her eyes rolled back and she passed out again, her face hitting the ground kind of harshly. The prince let out the softest of gasps and shook the bars of the cage, trying to get her to wake up or react, but to no avail. He turned around to inform Irina, only to find Irina had disappeared. He took a step back, but it was too late. Something gripped his ankle so hard, he thought it might break, and he was roughly yanked off the ground and suspended in the air, slowly going up to the high cave ceiling, from which sharp stalactites hung. Under him, Koro-sensei's apprentice smiled innocently, as if amused by the scene. Irina was close to him, passed out and also going up towards the stalactites.

“Amazing work of investigation, dear Princess Nagisa.” The student let out a clean, clear laugh. “It's such a shame you came at just the right time.”

Dear reader, Nagisa had been closer to death during the previous three to four days than he had ever been in his entire life. Nonetheless, that moment didn't look like it was going to end up being a funny anecdote to laugh about. In fact, it looked like imminent death. The prince closed his eyes, thinking the end had finally come and he would be free of his misery. For a moment, he hoped Karma would also die a painless death so they could meet in hell and spend more time with each other, even if it meant Nagisa would have to explain his lie and what he had done. Even with how infuriating Karma was and how hard Nagisa wanted to not stand him, he found himself thinking of him during what he thought were the last seconds of his life. He wished they had more time together, more time to talk, to laugh, to…

… He was still alive. Nagisa opened one eye, and noticed he had stopped moving. He was hanging upside down, and he had a… tentacle? wrapped around his waist. He looked around and saw Irina again, and also Koro-sensei, passed out and snoring loudly. His gaze drifted down, where Koro-sensei’s apprentice was chuckling, entertained.

“Oh, poor Princess. Does she think the big, scary rocks will kill her?” He laughed, this time in a slightly less sane way. “Oh, please. Do you really think I'm going to execute you in such a… boring fashion? Oh, no, no, I have something much better planned…”

He snapped his fingers, and the golden birdcage disappeared. He smirked slowly.

“I'm not going to kill you.” He made direct eye contact with Nagisa. “She will.”

He snapped his fingers once again, and the girl suddenly opened her eyes almost as quickly as she had closed them. When she turned her head, she wasn't the same person that had warned Nagisa just a few moments earlier. She was a completely different one, with eyes full of thunderous rage and hatred.

“Kayano,” he commanded, referring to her as she got up from the ground with effort but without wasting a single moment. He narrowed his eyes and smiled sadistically. “Finish them.”

“Are you sure he went this way?”

Nakamura sounded genuinely scared as they jumped over a small slip in the terrain. Karma, however, had clearly seen Shiota guide Irina down that same path just a few minutes earlier, and he would've bet his right hand it was them. The blue hair was visible even under the faint moonlight.

“It was him, I'm sure,” he whispered, pushing away a couple of weeds. The lake came into view, reflecting the intense glow of the imminent sunrise. Karma narrowed his eyes, thinking he was experiencing some kind of trompe-l'oeil. It looked like the water had separated to reveal stairs going underground.

“What the hell…?” Nakamura rubbed her eyes, blinking repeatedly. “Did someone cut the lake in half?”

Karma didn't answer. He noticed two Kunugigaoka soldiers sleeping on the grass, next to a group of people who were oddly familiar to him, and took out his knife. He took Nakamura's hand and they walked down the meadow, towards the now open lake. Once they passed the nappers, the boy realized most of them were Asano's servants. For a moment, he wondered what Asano was doing there, but he shook his head and focused on the task at hand: discovering what the fuck Shiota was doing down there.

They were about to take the first step down the carved stairs, when one of the soldiers woke up. He blinked the tiredness away and, when he saw them both, he woke his mate up and they both unsheathed their swords. Nakamura tugged at Karma's sleeve, urging him to start running downstairs, but the boy cracked his neck and his knuckles and prepared to fight.

“How difficult can this be, anyways?” he shrugged, walking towards them. He had his dagger in hand, but he threw it away. The soldiers’ eyes widened and they stared at each other. One of them nodded and they mimicked the redhead, throwing their swords aside. Karma smirked.

Of course Kunugigaoka soldiers were stupid. They were the only ones who could be that stupid.

Next to him, Nakamura sighed and stretched her leg, exhibiting her amazing flexibility by wrapping her arms around her knee.

“These are not drunks, Karma. They're trained,” she whispered, watching how the soldiers inspected her movements and guessed her possible steps. “And we need to get to Shiota before he gets in trouble. We don't know what's in there.”

“Correction; we need to get to Shiota before Asano gets to him,” Karma retorted. “And I know a way.” He turned to his friend and smiled, his eyes twinkling sadistically. “We need to get beaten.”

“What? Karma, what are you talking about?” Nakamura scoffed, tilting her head. “What good is fighting, then? Why don't we just… surrender?”

“And show weakness? Not my style. I want to have some more fun before I…”

“Before what? Before you what?” Nakamura turned pale, and the soldiers started taking short steps towards them. Karma breathed in softly, almost gently, before parting his lips and letting out the smallest of sighs.

“Before I quit.” He didn't look at his friend. “One last time, Nakamura. We capture this damn creature, get our reward, and I'm quitting this life. No more alcohol, no more bar fights. I won't go back to that.”

“Quit?! Karma, what the hell?! What are you talking about, you're no quitter! What's gotten into you?” Nakamura whispered-shouted, watching the soldiers approach while raising their fists, ready to pounce.

“I don't know.” Karma was awfully honest about it, and the girl noticed the shift in his expression, how it turned soft and almost emotional. “I want to be a new man, Nakamura.”

He looked into her eyes, trying to convey his devotion to her in a simple enough way so that she could understand his motives, his reasoning. When he saw she wasn't getting it, he looked down and smirked once again.

“There's someone I want to deserve,” he whispered, placing his hands in his pockets.

Then, he did a complete 180° and kicked one of the soldiers right in the face.

Green tentacles wrapped around Nagisa's face as he silently cursed himself for being so fucking stupid and getting caught in such a ridiculous way. Of course, the girl in the birdcage is always the trap. Dear reader, if you ever find yourself in a situation where there's a girl locked inside of a birdcage, please, consider she might be locked there for a reason. Don't be like Nagisa. Have some critical thinking skills.

The girl in question, Kayano, looked absolutely out of it. Having her so close, Nagisa was able to see details he hadn't paid attention to before: the small tears on her dress, the blood on her upper lip, her black eye… and she looked his age. He wondered down which path had life taken her to end up trapped and controlled by a crazy, baby-faced man. He wondered if that was the witch Koro-sensei had been looking for all that time. He wondered why he had trouble breathing all of a sudden.

He gasped when the tentacle going around his neck tightened its hold on him. The girl was right in front of his face now, staring at him with wide, detached, hateful eyes. She was choking him, and soon Nagisa would die.

And all of that, for what? All the stress, the anxiety, the journey… he just wanted a normal life, with normal friends. He just wanted to be a boy. Had he asked for too much? Maybe if he hadn't agreed to help Koro-sensei… but, looking back, he wouldn't have changed anything. He closed his eyes, silently accepting his fate. During the last moments of his life, he barely felt death. However, he could've sworn he felt a sweet embrace, and for a short while, the shortest you could ever imagine, he was back on the dirty rug with Karma, talking about their pasts and sleeping peacefully until the sun came up.

He exhaled one last time before Koro-sensei spoke.

“Kayano?”

The relief was immediate. She let go of his neck to stare with those same piercing eyes at the yellow creature hanging next to Irina and him, now very much awake and smiling with an emotion the prince couldn't quite comprehend. Mainly because it could have been any emotion, since the grin was constantly there.

“I knew it was you,” Koro-sensei whispered, sounding like a proud father for a moment. “Only you could be… so creative.”

The comment seemed to bother his old apprentice, who grumbled loud enough for everyone to hear.

“I'm the creative one. I'm the one you should be praising right now, Master. Once Kayano is done with you, I'll be the next God of Death!” he snickered a bit, then laughed maniacally. “You don't understand. I took all of her power! All of it! I stole it from her!”

Koro-sensei turned to him, his expression somber, confused and concerned.

“What? That's not possible.”

“Not possible? You always said it, Master. Or have you forgotten? Everything is possible with magic.” His apprentice smiled. Nagisa thought the lack of air had affected his brain, because he was sure he was seeing the skin of the man's cheeks melting over his bones. “Staying young for a hundred years, making my house right under a lake… stealing a young witch's power.”

“Why… why, for heaven's sake, would you do something like this?” Koro-sensei whispered, now looking genuinely horrified. “She had a brilliant future, passion, talent…”

“She made a mistake, that's why. Tell me, Master, when have I made a mistake? When have I failed you? I'll tell you: never! I've never made a mistake! She, however…” he snickered again, but this time controlled his creepy laughs. “She cursed you. She turned against you. You would have never forgiven me for that, but you're not attacking her. You're not seeking revenge. You preferred her over me, didn't you? You thought she was better. Once you deemed my training complete, you abandoned me in this hellish forest so I could explore. So I could see for myself.” He sounded terribly childish as he complained, stomping his feet in a way that would've been endearing in probably any other possible situation but that one. “A hundred years was all it took for you to forget about me.”

“I never forgot about you,” Koro-sensei mumbled, moving his tentacles to try and slide out of his restraints.

“Oh, really? What's my name?” The apprentice crossed his arms as the creature turned bright red in embarrassment.

“That's… that's irrelevant right now! Why are you doing this? Let go of Kayano! She's innocent!” Koro-sensei commanded, wiggling around desperately. “I hurt her, that's why she cursed me! But it was all a misunderstanding!”

“A very useful misunderstanding,” the student huffed. “Useful for me, that is. And I know what happened. She very kindly explained it to me as she rambled about how guilty she felt for cursing you.” At the sight of Koro-sensei's surprised face, he snickered. “That's right, she looked for me. She came here, drank my tea, ate my food, and rambled about you, about what you did to her dear sister, and about the spell she created with all the hate in her heart, made only for you. Spell that I stole from her, along with her magic.”

Nagisa shook his head. It was going to start hurting severely if he had to keep hearing them speak about things he didn't know about.

“I don't understand…” he gasped, his voice husky and rough. “What is happening? Koro-sensei, what did you do?”

Koro-sensei sighed. It was clear he hadn't intended on ever telling Nagisa about it.

“My dear prince… sometimes, our hearts can make us do funny things… funny, but reckless things.”

A young man walked along the streets of Kunugigaoka. He wore a long black cloak, with a hood covering his mop of brunette hair. He had lived enough lives to know that no one really cared about whether he looked normal or suspicious. They only cared about their own problems, and that was more than okay with him.

He stepped into a small bakery, wanting something homemade to eat. He didn't have any money, but it wasn't like he needed any. He could make the naive woman at the counter forget he even set foot inside that small shop if he wanted.

The first thing he thought about when he saw the woman was how pretty she looked. The next thing he thought was how horrible her dress was. Not even the cute apron she wore over it or her (oh, wow) incredible assets, helped conceal how hideous that piece of clothing was, and the young man had always been the type to say a good pair could fix any outfit. In that case, however, what fixed it were her eyes. Sweet, so sweet they were almost intoxicating. She had short black hair, pale skin and beautiful brown eyes that lured him in, almost like a siren's.

“Hello. How can I help you?” she asked, smiling gently. He looked around, gaping like a fish, before he remembered why he was there in the first place.

“Pastry. I want a… pastry.” God, he sounded so dumb. Why did he sound so dumb? He was usually smooth. Why wasn't he being smooth?

“Well, you've come to the right place! I'm Aguri Yukimura, and these are me and my sister's special pastries!” she pointed at the various sweets displayed. Some of them caught his attention, but he found himself asking for her opinion, almost as if it were second nature.

“What would you recommend?” he asked, and watched her go on a rant about how the cookies were a fresh batch that had just come out and how delicious they were, and how the muffins were made with natural blueberries and were too delicious not to buy them.

He ended up getting one of everything they had, and promised he would return and pay the following day. Surprisingly, he kept that silly promise and stepped inside the shop the following day, and the day after it, and the days that followed, until those days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months. He wasn't sure what attracted him so much about that girl, but he was sure something so strong couldn't be ignored. He never told Aguri his real name, not even when they started their relationship, not even when he revealed his powers to her, and not even when he began training her sister, a powerful, incredibly talented young girl whose veins oozed magical energy like butter. He knew everything about her, every little thing there was to know, he knew it: how she had been married to a man who wasn't good to her, how she left with her sister and what little money she could find and set up that small bakery he had had the fortune of stepping into. How she loved the heat of summer, flowers in spring, the gentle falling of leaves in fall, the snow in winter. How she was in love with life almost as much as she was in love with him.

But, of course, spending time with someone royalty considers a threat is never a good idea.

It was never his fault the arrow hit her. To this day, he still thought it should've hit him instead. He barely had time to react before her body touched the ground and he was forced to run away so he wouldn't get captured and accused of witchery. He should've known Kayano would blame him for it. He should've known her anger would've been directed at him. He should've been prepared.

He should've protected them both.

A few days after that incident, Koro-sensei turned into the giant, yellow creature he was then known as. Some weeks after his turning, he met Prince Nagisa.

“The royal guards saw her with me and thought she was a witch. They didn't ask questions before shooting. My dear Aguri… she was too good for this world. And I'm the only one to blame for her departure.”

Koro-sensei finished his story, some tears running down his round head. He also had a bit of a runny nose, which Nagisa found sweet, but disgusting.

Koro-sensei's apprentice wasn't impressed. He crossed his arms over his chest and clicked his tongue, waiting until his Master was done crying his heart out to speak.

“Yeah, yeah, so sweet. The thing is, this girl created a spell that she casted on you, and it worked, and when she came to me with it, I knew it was my chance. My Master had made a mistake, she made a mistake, and you were all going to pay for ignoring me. I took her power, including the spell, and guess what I did? I casted her own spell on her, haha! Aren't I amazing, Master? Aren't you amazed? I set up a trap for you, using her as both the trap and the bait! Once you die, I'll be the new God of Death! The most powerful mage in the world!” He laughed like a psycho again. While he spoke, Nagisa managed to move his hand just enough to rummage on the inside pocket of his cloak. The tentacles that had previously tried to choke him now moved to Irina and Koro-sensei, so he was safe for the moment. He didn't have his knife with him, but he had something even better. He grabbed it with two fingers and pulled it out, revealing the useless deformed hair pin from Chapter 1 I’m sure none of you remember. It had a sharp, pointy part, and he used it to try and break free from the girl's hold without hurting her. He made a small cut on one of her tentacles, and she groaned in pain before releasing him.

Dear reader, I wish I could write an epic fight scene involving Nagisa headbutting Koro-sensei's apprentice and sending him flying across the cave, but I would be lying to you. The truth is, Nagisa hit the ground pathetically and passed out with a grunt. He didn't see how Koro-sensei escaped Kayano’s hold and paralyzed her by pressing his tentacle against the right bundle of nerves, nor how Irina woke up and was the one to headbutt the student and slam him against the stone walls. I guess we could say he slept through the exciting stuff. However, there was someone who did see what went on in the cavern, and that someone was none other than Prince Gakushuu Asano.

It took Karasuma and Asano a long while to find the place where those horrible sounds (laughter, for the most part) were coming from. They kicked down the door to a room full of pastries, then Karasuma tried to kick through the stone wall, but disappeared into it instead. Asano was rightfully confused, but he mimicked him and stumbled into some kind of cavern, where he witnessed the weirdest situation he had ever seen in his life: the creature (a giant yellow octupus, mind you) and a blonde woman watching as a young man loomed over a blue-haired corpse, threatening to ‘blast her head off her shoulders’, while a green-haired girl laid passed out between them, with tentacles coming out of her nape. He silently hoped Karasuma had an idea of what was going on, because he was lost. It looked like… he couldn't find an accurate comparison. It was just weird.

Thankfully, Karasuma was there to save the day. He unsheathed his sword and didn't give the man a second before cutting his head off. To Asano's surprise, both his body and the now rolling head dissolved and turned into dust immediately. At the same time, the creature exploded into a cloud of yellow mist, and when it disappeared, it seemed to have turned into a young man with brunette hair. The girl also changed, but less abruptly: her tentacles wiggled and rotted, and her hair got progressively shorter until it was barely past her chin. Karasuma cradled the captive, picking them up and bringing them over to Asano, who gasped when he saw his fianceé, now covered in dirt and grime, her hair up into ponytails and a commoner's cloak covering her lithe body. He took her from Karasuma's arms. She barely weighed anything, and she looked so small and defenseless, Asano thought he might start crying.

“My Prince, she's alive, but we need to get her back to the palace as soon as possible,” Karasuma informed, his hand lingering on her cheek just a little bit too long. “And… we should do something about the creature… or the sudden lack of it.”

Asano didn't give a flying shit about the creature. He had his wife in his arms, and even covered in crap, she looked just as beautiful as he had imagined her. He took one single look at the creature-turned-man and asked a simple question.

“Were you trying to help her?”

The man stared at him. The blonde woman smacked him on the back of the head to force a reaction out of him, and he started nodding frantically. Asano turned to Karasuma.

“If they were trying to help her, I don't give a damn about anything else. Inform the kingdom of Kunugigaoka that the creature is no longer a threat. You two, yes, you, you are invited to my wedding. And the girl too. Is she alive?”

The woman walked to her and checked her pulse. She nodded solemnly.

“Then she's also invited. Come on, let's get going. My wife needs to rest somewhere warm, comfy and safe. Somewhere suited for a queen.”

Karasuma agreed with a firm gesture, but stayed behind, staring at the princess as Asano carried her through the wall. The blonde woman stood next to him, carrying the green-haired girl, and leaned over to speak to him.

“He doesn't know it, right?”

Karasuma sighed and shook his head.

“No. No, and I think it should stay that way.”

“My goodness. My arms are back,” the man spoke to himself behind them. “I have legs. Oh, God, my tentacles. My dear tentacles. And— oh, heavens above, back to walking! I'm starting to regret this…”

He stayed inside of the cavern for a moment, staring down at himself. Then he turned his head to spare a glance at the small mountain of dust that had once been his apprentice.

Everything had happened so fast that he didn't know how to feel about the fact that his student was dead. For a moment, he lamented not having visited him more often, or paid more attention to him and his accomplishments. He also regretted having hurt Kayano, running away like a coward when he should've been there to protect her and avoid that situation. But the one he was the most worried about, the one he felt the worst about, was Prince Nagisa. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling that he not only had just ruined his escape, but he had also ruined the new relationships the boy had harvested along the way. Suddenly, the guilt started eating at his insides, and he wondered if he would ever be able to repay Nagisa for his help, or if the boy would ever even want to see him again.

When Karma saw Shiota coming out of the cave in Asano's arms, he almost crashed out. The soldiers were about to drag both him and Nakamura down to the prince, but the fucker had been faster. Although, now that Karma thought about it, what was Asano even doing there? He hadn't questioned it before, assuming he was just there to bother them… but when he saw him carrying Shiota with such care, such… grace, he noticed there was more to it. Behind him, another soldier, taller and older, Irina, and a brunette man Karma had never seen before, walked with their heads down, somber.

“Oh, God… what happened to him? Was it the creature?” Nakamura whispered, trying to escape the soldier's hold, but the guy was ridiculously strong and kept her back. At the sound of her voice, Asano reacted and turned to them. His gaze was as cold as ice, piercing and accusatory.

“There is no creature anymore,” he said harshly. “Your stupid chase for it is over.”

“What? But, then, what was Shiota doing down there…?” the girl whispered, confused.

“Shiota?” Asano grumbled, walking to them with the blue-haired boy still in his arms. “There's no Shiota. There was never a Shiota. Only Princess Nagisa, and you dragged her away from her palace, from her family and from me. I knew it when I saw you for the first time, I knew you had something to do with it. You mind-controlled my fianceé to use her as a bait for the creature, didn't you? You are a pair of cunning rascals, you two.”

Karma was left speechless. The world stopped on its axis, leaving him paralyzed and with the color drained from his face.

“... What? Asano— Prince Asano, we never did that. We have nothing to do with the princess, that's—” he laughed nervously, his lips twitching. “That's our friend, Shiota. We met him at a bar, he offered to… he said we could… the creature…”

“Oh, don't even try. If you weren't mind-controlling her, then what's this?” Asano gently supported Shiota against him and reached out his hand, opening his fist to reveal a small bottle. “A love potion? Really? I can't even imagine what you would've done to her when she wasn't of use to you anymore. And you made her carry it around in this… shabby cloak.”

The color was immediately drained from Karma's face. He started feeling dizzy, confused, everything started spinning around him. Shiota, the princess, the creature, a love potion? He didn't even know that shit existed! His eyes desperately searched for something, anything, that could help him, someone who could tell him Asano was lying, that he was crazy… but Irina avoided his gaze, the brunette man wouldn't look at anything but the grass, the soldier was staring at Shiota, and the only thing he could do was look at Asano and confront the cold, harsh truth.

“There was never a Shiota. This is Princess Nagisa, and you took her away from me. For that, you and the rest of your crew will be locked in the dungeons of my palace forever. And if you persist in your lie, I will make sure your head rolls during our wedding day.” Asano snapped his fingers. “Soldiers, take care of them. Make sure they don't try to escape.”

In any other situation, Karma would've tried to escape. He really would have. It was what Nakamura suggested, whispering in his ear about how they had to escape and warn the others, warn Hayami and Chiba, tell them to run away before Asano got to them. In any other situation, that's what Karma would've done. But this wasn't any other situation. This was Shiota, who wasn't Shiota but Princess Nagisa, who apparently wasn't even a princess but a prince, and this prince had lied to him and made him believe he was trustworthy, made him open up and think he was loved, and for what? He knew the creature wasn't a lie because he had seen it, but where was it now? What had happened down there? And why had Shiota lied?

Why had he been so cruel?

Dumb Karma, was the only thing he could hear, his own thoughts insulting him. Dumb, stupid Karma. He never loved you. He never loved you, and you were right in being wary of him. This is what you get for being a dumb, stupid kid. You danced right into his little trap, played his little game, and you lost. You deserve all this humiliation. It's the only thing you deserve.

He bit his lip, but it was to no use. Nakamura stopped suggesting escape routes when she saw him cry for the first time in her life.

Nagisa woke up with his throat dry as a desert, in a bed way too comfy for his liking, with his hair curled in a ridiculous fashion and a thin nightgown covering his body. He panicked and tried to get up, unable to remember anything that had happened, but he was pushed back by strong hands with polished nails. Asano loomed over him, his gaze sweet and patient as he shooed him.

“My Princess, don't. You need to rest.”

“Where… where am I?” Nagisa whispered, his voice husky.

“My palace, dear. Nothing can hurt you here. The creature is gone, and you're safe.” Asano caressed his forehead in a way that made Nagisa want to vomit.

“Karma… where's… Karma…” he coughed. Asano shooed him again and gave him water to drink, and he aggressively ripped the glass from his hands and swallowed the liquid almost in one single gulp.

“Shhh… let's not say his name, alright? That… scoundrel, is locked in the dungeons and he will stay there until our wedding day. Then, when the time comes, I'll let you choose a suitable punishment for him.” Prince Asano kissed Nagisa's forehead, and Nagisa felt reflux going up his esophagus. He couldn't remember anything that had happened, but he feared for the worst and he was probably right. He wanted to cry so bad, but he didn't think he was hydrated enough to do that without dying.

Although dying didn't seem like such a bad case scenario at that moment.

“Rest, my dear. You've been passed out for almost a week,” Asano whispered gently. “Sleep. You need all the energy you can get. Our wedding is in three days, and I want you to be happy and ready to start a new life together and forget all about this tragic incident.” He leaned in, about to kiss Nagisa's lips, but he pulled back at the last second. “No, I can't do that before our wedding night. You need to be clean and chaste.”

He got up and walked to the door, ready to leave Nagisa alone. He stopped with his hand on the handle, and his gaze focused on the boy again.

“Dear, I know you're probably tired and don't want to talk about it, but I need to know… that bastard… he didn't do anything to you, right? Because… he gave you a love potion to drink, and…”

“No.” Nagisa stopped him before he could get any more explicit. “No. No.” He shook his head, burying his face in the pillow. He had a terrible headache.

Asano seemed satisfied by that, because he left and closed the door. Nagisa felt cold under the blankets, and he was suddenly back in his room at his palace, fighting with the stupid window and watching it open up every single time he tried to close it. The memory made his frustration bubble inside of him, and before he knew it, he was crying like a baby, silencing his sobs by placing his head under the soft pillow. All that for nothing. He helped Koro-sensei for nothing. He hurt Karma for nothing. Now he didn't have his wish and he didn't have Karma, and he would never have Karma, because Karma would never want to see his pathetic, lying ass again. Neither Karma nor his friends would ever want to see it. He had nothing, he was nothing, and there was no point in even trying to pretend he would ever be anything. He was disgraceful.

He tried to get up, but his limbs felt like jelly. He turned around and saw a giant portrait of Asano right in front of the bed, and felt like puking again. He crawled out of bed, stumbling over to the window. Depending on how high up he was, he would consider jumping out.

On his way there, he tripped with his dirty cloak and almost fell to the floor. It had probably fallen off of the chair it was on, and nobody noticed it or cared enough to pick it up. Nagisa was about to start crying again, when he heard the distinctive sound of a bottle rolling. Sure enough, the little love potion bumped against his hand, still with half of the content inside. With what little strength he had left, he raised his head to stare at it. Suddenly, an idea started forming in his head. A very, very bad idea.

Asano would probably kill him on their wedding night when he found out Nagisa was a man. In the end, his fate had always been written. He was going to die, either at his own hand, or at the hand of his fiance. He only had three days left to live.

He could be happy those last three days.

He thought about it. Right now, the only thing that would make him happy would be having the chance to see Karma and apologize for all of his mistakes… but that was impossible. Karma would never forgive him, and besides, he didn't want to trouble him with more inconveniences. The only way he could be happy was through magic.

A taste of the simplest of pleasures before he died. A chance to forget about all of the horrible things he had done, and live happily ever after for just a few hours. It sounded so good, so… irresistible.

Before he could stop and think about it, he opened the love potion. His eyes focused on Asano's portrait until his vision blurred, and he pressed the bottle to his lips.

Nagisa swallowed the remaining pink liquid in one long gulp. It was sweet and fruity, and he immediately felt light-headed and dizzy, but in a good way. He went back to bed and snuggled under the warm covers, his stomach fuzzy. Before sleep took over, he found himself getting excited at the thought of seeing Asano when he woke up from his nap.

Chapter Text

“No! No, let go of me! Let me go, please! Please, just lock me up with him, I'm begging you!”

Karma had to close his eyes. He had experienced hardships way more often than he cared to admit, but nothing could compare to the sound of Hayami's screams as she was forcefully ripped from Chiba’s arms. The boy was thrown into the dungeons with them, while two guards carried the girl upstairs, still screaming and sobbing uncontrollably. Chiba immediately wrapped his hands around the bars of their cell, watching as his lover was taken away from him and to God knows where. He let his head fall forward, hitting the hard metal in defeated despair.

“This is a nightmare,” Nakamura whispered, holding her own head against her legs. The dungeon was cold, humid and covered in mold and strange-looking plants growing in every crack. “This has to be a nightmare.”

Itona played a somber tune on his flute. In any other situation, Karma would've found it hilarious, but sitting on a barrel, it just made him want to die. The only window was a small square hole in the wall, barred with more bars, out of reach so that no one could try to escape through it. The sun was rising, and the first rays slipped through the hole and illuminated Hazama's sullen face, her head resting on Terasaka's shoulder in a rare show of affection. Yoshida and Muramatsu's instruments had also been taken from them, so now they looked sad as they laid their heads against each other's foreheads. Nakamura shrunk even more, trying to make herself look smaller. Chiba cried silently.

Karma kept his eyes closed for what could've easily been hours. He felt strangely numb inside, like he didn't actually care whether he lived or died. Somehow, he had been stripped of his… everything, really. Of his will to live, of his energy, of his happiness. What was next, undressing him? It truly was the only thing left for them to do to him.

However, somehow, he couldn't bring himself to hate Shiota (Nagisa?) for what he had done. And he wanted to, God, how he wanted to hate him, how he wanted to wish he could kill him with his bare hands… but he couldn't, and the guilt was slowly getting to his head.

He lowered his head until it was resting against his knee. He felt defeated. So very defeated at a game he himself had decided to play, smug, confident, thinking he would win.

Was Shiota (Nagisa…) playing the same game? Was he even playing?

What circumstances could possibly bring a person to such a state that they felt the need to lie and trick to save themselves?

Oh, but Karma knew.

… He knew.

“I can't believe he would… do such a thing,” Nakamura whispered, and she was the first one to dare utter a word. “He’s wicked. We should've left him where we found him.”

Chiba slammed his head against the metal bars, a clear sign that he didn't want anyone speaking about Shiota in his presence. Nakamura shut her mouth and shrunk again, this time probably feeling guilty about having mentioned him. Karma looked up at the small window casting light over their heads. The overwhelming need to talk to Shiota suddenly overcame him, and his heart hurt at the thought of what would happen to the prince if he didn't find him on time.

There was only one situation, one circumstance, where Karma would feel the need to lie to those he cared about, and that situation was imminent death. All of the pieces suddenly came together and formed a clear image: Shiota was nervous, scared, constantly looking around in fear, eager to get away. His parents not only were forcing him to marry Prince Asano; he knew what would happen if he finally did end up marrying him.

Karma didn't know Prince Nagisa as well as he knew Shiota, but if his supposition turned out to be true, he was willing to hear him out. But, to do that, he had to escape that prison.

He spent the rest of the night coming up with an escape plan. He also found out Nakamura was a hundred times better at coming up with escape plans than he was. The thought didn't help him feel any better.

Nagisa woke up warm and cozy under the covers of his bed. The window was open, but a hot breeze blew into the room, making him feel a kind of relaxation he had never imagined he would ever experience. His muscles melted into the mattress, and when he finally got up, he wasn't sleepy, or cranky, or moody. Two ladies walked in and were surprised when they saw him awake and smiling, yawning like a little kid. One of them almost stepped on a small glass bottle rolling on the floor, but she didn't give it much importance. She picked it up and left it on the bedside table, before approaching the prince to help him get ready for the day.

“What dress should I wear today?” Nagisa asked as they tightened a corset around his midriff. The ladies were stunned at the lack of… assets, but they supposed it was something Prince Asano would want to deal with himself. Again, they didn't give it much importance. It wasn't their place to judge.

“We have a beautiful selection chosen for you by Prince Asano, My Princess,” one of them explained, opening the closet and showing him the amazing display of opulence that were the dresses stored there. Red fabric, gold embroidery, fluffy skirts and long sleeves, all of them so prim and proper. “Some of which were his mother's.”

“He… chose those for me?” Nagisa whispered, blushing a bright shade of pink. He stepped forward and looked through them, finally choosing one with a decently sized skirt and soft fabric. He couldn't remember why he didn't like fluffy skirts or dresses that made him itchy, but he figured it had something to do with comfort.

The ladies helped him into the dress, powdered his face, painted his lips and braided his short hair with flowers. He smiled at his reflection in the mirror. He couldn't say he liked it, but he didn't really care about anything apart from seeing his fiance.

“Where is he?” he asked, and the ladies shot weird looks at each other.

“... He's talking to the gardeners about the flower arrangements for the wedding, My Princess,” one of them informed, tapping pigment on his cheeks. “Do you want us to… take you to him?”

“No need!” Nagisa jumped up and giggled at the ladies, cheeky. “I can get there myself. I want to explore a bit.”

“That's… fine, My Princess,” they nodded, although they didn't look especially convinced. “Don't forget the jewelry.”

“I won't.” Nagisa allowed them to put bracelets and necklaces on him, and also a pair of beautiful gold earrings. The moment that was done, he ran out the door of the room and across the long hallways. The Asano palace was even brighter and more beautiful than his own, but the difference was that the lighting was natural. There was not a single chandelier in sight, only large windows through which the sun sneaked in and washed over everything. Nagisa ran past groups of confused, worried servants, ladies-in-waiting and soldiers, laughing like a child. He looked through a window and saw Asano outside, in the garden, talking to some of the gardeners. He felt his heart beating, faster and faster the closer he got to him. He wanted to surprise his fiance. He was sure Asano would like to see him.

He opened one of the many doors that led outside slowly, so as to not be seen. Asano was screaming at the gardeners, something about wanting red and white roses and how there were too many red roses for the number of white roses they had. Nagisa didn't really care about it, he just wanted to hug and kiss his fiance. He sneaked behind Asano and jumped on his back with a laugh. Asano seemed surprised and tripped, almost sending them falling to the floor. He looked ready to skin whoever had done that alive, but when he saw Nagisa all dressed up and smiling up at him, his scowl deflated and he returned the gesture, surprised.

“My love. I wasn't expecting you to be up so soon. How are you feeling?” His tone of voice was a stark contrast to how rude he was being before Nagisa arrived. He caressed the smaller boy's cheek with care, his eyes gentle.

“I'm feeling good,” Nagisa whispered, wrapping his arms around the prince's neck. “I missed you.”

“Oh… that's good,” Asano gulped, impressed and flustered when he heard the flirtatious tone of Nagisa's voice. “You missed me a lot since yesterday night?”

“A lot,” Nagisa confirmed. “A lot.” He leaned in, ready to kiss him on the lips, but Asano gently pushed him away.

“My dear, you shouldn't…” He looked around, blushing bright red. “Uh… let's go inside.”

The prince dragged Nagisa to stand up on his feet and pushed him back inside of the palace. He took him to his chambers and closed the door, taking a deep breath to try and calm down.

“Love… angel, dear, darling… you shouldn't go around trying to kiss me in front of the servants. We're not married yet. We have to wait until after tomorrow… and until we are in the privacy of my quarters.”

“But why…? It's not fair, I want to kiss my husband,” Nagisa protested, his eyes unfocused as he walked towards Asano, hugging his midriff and rubbing his nose against his attire. The Prince froze in place, too stunned to react, until his hands moved on their own to rest on top of the much shorter boy.

“Wow… well, uhm… I never imagined you'd be such a bold, tender woman.” He pulled Nagisa into a hug, one that felt so warm and loving. However, the boy wasn't satisfied. It felt like there was something missing. Something he couldn't quite place.

“Do you want to kiss me?” He whispered, staring up at Asano. The prince looked around, as if waiting for some deity to save him. When he realized no one would come, he sighed.

“I want to know you better. We are going to spend our lives together, it is important that I have a proper talk with the woman who will sleep next to me and carry my children.”

Nagisa felt so disappointed by that response, he didn't even register the ‘children’ comment and how that was actually going to be impossible.

“I want to kiss and show my undying love to the man I cherish,” Nagisa argued weakly, stomping his foot. This made Asano chuckle, which, in turn, made Nagisa stop to admire his profile while he laughed. Except it wasn't him.

Nagisa had to blink twice, because he was sure the boy he had just seen laughing in front of him had red hair. He shook his head, slightly freaked out. Asano was a ginger, not a redhead. Was it the light? Yeah, it was probably the light. Too much sunlight.

“Dear… what's wrong?” Asano seemed worried as he asked. “You're not mad I laughed at your little antics, right?”

“What? N-No… I just… thought I saw someone else,” Nagisa mumbled, suddenly feeling a bit dizzy. Prince Asano immediately held him, placing his hands on the boy's sharp hips and helping him sit down on the bed.

“You still haven't fully recovered,” he whispered, caressing his cheeks. “Lay down, my love. Take a nap. I will come by and wake you up for dinner, okay? We can have dinner together and chat. And, don't worry… we will have plenty of time to… kiss and… do other things.” He gulped. “Other things I surmise you don't know about.”

“Huh?” Nagisa smiled, narrowing his eyes to try and focus on the color of his fiance's hair. One moment it was ginger, then red. It was too psychedelic. Everything was way too colorful.

Asano blushed, but returned the smile with gentleness and care. He softly guided Nagisa to lay down and placed a small kiss on his forehead.

“Sleep tight, my sweet princess. In a few hours, you shall be mine,” he whispered, covering him with a silk blanket. He placed one last kiss on his fiancee's forehead and quietly left the room, and Nagisa only had to close his eyes and he was out in an instant.

Kayano woke up with a soft groan. Her neck hurt like hell, and when she straightened up, her stomach gave a weird flip and she felt like puking. Someone had put her to sleep on a kind of divan that had literally broken her back, and she was not happy about it.

“Ugh… what happened…?” she mumbled to herself. A presence behind her made her yelp and fall back and off the couch.

“Kayano… it's me. How are you feeling?” A tall, brunette man looked down at her, nervously fidgeting with the sleeves of his attire. It took Kayano a while and a lot of blinking to recognize him, and when she did, she was stunned, to say the least. “I hope the divan didn't hurt you too badly. You fell asleep there and it was impossible to move you, not even magic worked.”

The girl stared dumbly, her mouth agape.

“... You. It's you.” She looked around, realizing she was in a bedroom, inside what seemed to be a palace. “And this is not the lake.”

“No. It is not,” the man confirmed, sitting down where she had previously been laying.

“Where… where am I?” she mumbled, turning her head and gasping at the sight of Irina sitting down on a chair, observing her attentively with her blonde hair down past her shoulders. The room had a large bed with red and gold bedding, a big closet, obnoxiously luxurious decoration, and a window open just enough to let some sunlight and cold breeze in. It looked like it was early in the morning.

“The Asano kingdom,” Irina whispered. “You've gotten us in a whole lot of trouble, kid.”

“Me? But… but I didn't do anything! I… I don't…” She stared at her own hands, which had started to tremble. “I don't… even remember how I got here…”

Irina and the man stared at each other. He sighed and shot Kayano a worried glance, crawling down to sit next to her on the floor. Slowly, he explained everything that had happened, making sure the girl understood everything. She listened intently, almost expressionless, until he finished his little story. Then, she just buried her face in her hands in pure, unfiltered shame.

“Goodness, I… I'm so sorry.” She whispered, raising her gaze. “I didn't even know what I was thinking when I wrote that spell. I knew it wasn't your fault… what happened to Aguri. I knew it wasn't your fault, but I felt so frustrated and so mad at everything… I didn't know where to direct my anger. When I visited your old apprentice, I had decided I wouldn't cast the spell… how could I be so stupid? My magic… he took away my magic and used it against you and me.”

The man smiled gently and patted her shoulder reassuringly. He pulled her in and kissed her forehead with the gentleness of a father figure.

“It's fine, my dear Kayano. Everything is fine now.”

“You think he's dead?” Kayano asked, looking intermittently at the two adults in the room. The man stared at Irina, and she sighed deeply. She reached out her hand and grabbed a small cup sitting on a table, drinking a clear liquid from it.

“I felt his death for a moment, but…” she muttered, swallowing softly. “Then, I just stopped feeling it.”

“What do you mean you ‘stopped feeling it’? What does that even mean?” Kayano huffed, trying to get up but falling backwards, her legs too weak to hold her up. “How can someone die and then just… stop dying?”

“The best metaphor I can think of to explain the feeling is water that's boiling, and then stops boiling for a moment… only to start heating up again,” Irina whispered. “I had never seen anything like this before. I can't be a hundred percent sure of his death. That strong knight cut his head off, but such an amount of power… it's not crazy to think it might've…”

Before she could finish her sentence, someone knocked on the door of the room. Irina scoffed and got up to open it, clearly irritated at the blatant interruption, only to find General Karasuma staring down at her. Her anger deflated, now concealed behind an innocent smile.

“General! Long time no see…” she chuckled, twirling a strand of blonde hair around her finger. The knight acknowledged her with a small head movement, but seemed much more interested in Kayano.

“The girl is awake,” he observed. “How is she feeling? Prince Asano wants a report on her state.”

“Oh, uhm. She's fine, I guess.” Irina moved a bit away to allow him inside. The man took a couple of steps in, clearly not wanting to disturb the atmosphere. He nodded his head at the brunette man.

“Creature,” he greeted, to which the other smiled and bowed gently.

“She's okay. Right, Kayano?” The girl looked up at the tall knight and hummed, averting her gaze. She didn't really feel like talking.

General Karasuma smiled, which was truly a rare sight. He knelt down and caressed the top of Kayano's head, his eyes soft.

“You remind me of the princess, you know?” he whispered, his hand stilling. He slowly removed it, remembering himself. “... Sorry. That was uncalled for.”

“You mean, Prince Nagisa?” the brunette man asked cheekily. “Because last I checked, everyone in this room knows about the little ruse.”

General Karasuma's eyes opened widely, and he coughed a bit. He seemed ready to reject the idea and deny the backhanded accusation, but his eyes drifted down to Kayano again, and he was unable to bring himself to do any of those things.

“Yes… Prince Nagisa, of course. My bad,” he muttered, clearing his throat again.

“His parents surely know. Are they aware that they're sending their kid to his death?” Irina had always been much more straightforward than her friend, and it was during moments like that one when it really showed.

“What the King and the Queen decide to do with their… child, is none of my business,” Karasuma mumbled, clearly wanting to end that conversation. “And even if I wanted to help, there's nothing I could really do to—”

At that moment, a loud thud interrupted him. The four of them turned their heads towards the window, and Karasuma took a couple of steps forward and opened it. He didn't see anything at first, but when he was about to close it again, a foot came into view. The General raised an eyebrow, looking behind the window. There, hanging from the wooden door, was the redheaded kid that was supposed to be locked up in the dungeons. They made eye contact. He seemed to be struggling.

“Good evening,” Karasuma greeted the boy, his big eyebrows raised. “You're not supposed to be here.”

“No, I'm not,” the boy panted, clawing at the wood to avoid falling to his death.

“How did you get here? You're supposed to be in the dungeons.”

“I escaped.”

“Well, obviously. But, how did you get to the… window?”

“I jumped.”

“From where?”

“... From the top of this tower.”

“Fascinating,” Karasuma hummed. “Fascinating. Tell me, do you wish to die?”

“I wish… I wish to see Shiota,” the boy huffed in exhaustion, about to let go from the window. Karasuma grabbed him by the collar of his dirty shirt and threw him inside the room. He coughed, raising his gaze to stare at Irina, the God of Death, and Kayano.

“Karma. What an unexpected but not frowned upon visit,” the brunette man smiled.

“You,” Karma barked with what little energy he had left. “You are the creature.”

“That I am.”

“What did you do to Shiota?”

“Uhm… well, in my defense, I will say I didn't do anything to him. I just… convinced him to help me, that's all.”

“I'm sorry, but you are a prisoner and I have to return you to the dungeons,” Karasuma informed, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt again and raising him up in the air like a cat. Karma resisted, throwing kicks and punches.

“No! I need to get to Shiota! Let go of me! He's going to die!”

Karasuma huffed and dropped him. Karma hit the floor face first and groaned in pain. The General ran a hand through his hair, then rubbed his face and sighed.

“... God, what's happening to me.” He looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes. “I am so going to get executed for this.”

He grabbed Karma again and forced him to stare into his sharp, dark irises.

“... Do your thing, but don't get caught.” He dropped the boy again and shook his head, walking out the room and slamming the door, just like that. Karma blinked, wondering what the hell was wrong with that guy, but he finally decided to ignore him and turned to the creature.

“You. I want to know what happened with Shiota. Everything. If I find out you left something out, I will spoon out your eyes,” he warned, raising an accusatory finger. “Also, I want to know where I can find Shiota. This palace is big as fuck and I don't want to get lost.”

Dear reader, Nagisa woke up with the certainty that someone was watching over him. He had been brought back to his quarters after falling asleep, so, for a moment, he thought it might have been Asano. However, something told him it wasn't his fiance. Maybe it was the way the person's eyes were drilling into his skull, or maybe it was the strong smell of turmeric and the air before a storm. The thing is, he stayed still and quiet to avoid giving away that he was awake. He was frozen in fear. He tried to open his mouth, just to see if he could scream for help, but his throat was dry and he was paralyzed. He hoped they would go away, but they didn't. In fact, the person reached out their hand to touch his cheek, which made cold sweat run down his back.

“Shiota.” Nagisa reacted when he heard that name. He turned around abruptly, his eyes wide in fear. He didn't remember anyone ever referring to him using his mother's noble last name. Over him loomed a redhead boy with eyes the color of copper ore, a boy Nagisa recognized, but didn't remember. That boy looked down at him and touched his cheek with gentleness, with care and with tenderness. He seemed surprised by Nagisa's sudden movement. He didn't seem to have been expecting it. “Are you okay?”

“Who are you?” Nagisa was finally able to choke out, breathing in heavy pants. He searched around his bed for something to defend himself with, and found a small dagger under the pillow. He raised it towards the stranger, confused and scared.

“Who… who am I? You don't… know who I am?” the boy asked, putting his hands up in immediate surrender. Nagisa shook his head to answer his question, pointing the knife at him with trembling, shaky hands. “Shiota… that's impossible. You know me.”

“Step under the moonlight,” Nagisa ordered him, pointing at the soft ray of pale light sneaking in through the open window. The boy obeyed, taking a step forward and standing under the faint waterfall of light. Something about his face made the prince feel incredibly heartbroken and guilty, but he didn't know why, and he wasn't sure he wanted to find out.

“Shiota…” the boy mumbled. His eyes raked over the prince, then around the room, searching for a possible explanation. His gaze fell on the small bottle resting on the bedside table, and he grimaced in understanding. “What have you done…?”

“I haven't done anything. Get out! Or I will call my fiance and he will make sure you die a painful death.” Nagisa didn't feel proud of his words, but he acted like he didn't care.

“Shiota, it's me. Karma.” The prince sucked in a soft breath. He knew that he knew that name, and something wavered inside of him, but he shook his head desperately, trying to clear his thoughts.

“I… I don't know that name. I've never met someone with that name.”

“Shiota, please…”

“My name is Nagisa!” the prince whimpered, his hands trembling anxiously. “Stop calling me that! That's not my name!”

“That's how you introduced yourself to me,” Karma whispered, taking some tentative steps forward. “That's how I know you.”

“You don't know me.” Despite his words, Nagisa lowered the dagger. “You don't know anything about me.”

“Maybe not about you, but I think I knew Shiota,” the redhead smiled hopefully. “He was kind, sweet, and nervous. He had the misfortune of ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time. He met me. Bad news, huh?”

The turmeric smell was getting overwhelming. Nagisa was sure he was getting a bit dizzy.

“Shiota made a lot of mistakes. He fucked up big time. He probably felt awful about all of it.” Karma whispered, now looming over Nagisa again. “It's going to take a while for his friends to forgive him, but… I just want him to know, everything is okay with me.”

He leaned in, cradling Nagisa's cheeks in his hands. The prince gasped, but his legs refused to obey his command to pull away. His body was frozen, but not in fear. He didn't know why, but he… didn't want to move away.

“I understand.” Karma caressed his cheeks gently, his thumbs rubbing circles over his soft skin. “And I'm not mad, okay?”

“I… I don't…” Nagisa blabbered, his cheeks turning a dusty shade of pink. “Don't… know what you're talking about…”

“You know.” Karma rubbed his cheeks again, this time with a bit more force. “If not, you wouldn't be crying.”

Nagisa gasped, his hands flying to his face. Karma was right, he was crying. He was crying and he had no idea why. He was going to get married to the man he loved, in front of his parents, in front of the whole land. He shouldn't have been crying, and yet… something in Karma's words made warm tears run down his face, inevitably. He tried to stop them by rubbing his eyes, but they didn't stop falling.

“Shiota.” Karma pulled him in with a deep sigh, hugging him against his chest. Nagisa involuntarily let out a choked sob. Karma smelt like turmeric and the air before a storm. He smelt like a dark hut in the middle of nowhere, like stolen beers and dusty rugs. He smelt like home. “Why couldn't you just wait for me…?”

“I'm sorry… so so sorry…” Nagisa whispered, taking a deep breath to try and calm down. “I… I don't…”

“It's fine. I'm going to get you out of this damn palace, and away from stupid Asano, okay? I promise,” Karma whispered against his ear. However, Nagisa pulled away with a terrified look on his face.

“No… don't. I can't… I want to, but… I—I love Asano…” he started to whisper, but Karma grabbed his cheeks and stopped him from saying what he was about to say.

“Do you love him, or is the potion making you think you love him?” he asked, his breath warm against his lips. Nagisa was left confused, choking on his tongue, because he had completely forgotten about the potion, and he didn't remember ever taking it. Karma must have felt that doubt, because he grabbed the tiny, empty bottle on the bedside table and shook it in front of him.

“Uh… I don't…” Nagisa whispered, one hand flying to his forehead to pinch the sudden headache away. Karma sighed deeply and grabbed his cheeks once again, staring deep into his eyes.

“Nagisa… can I do something? Would you allow me?” he mumbled, his copper ore irises sparkling with hope. The prince wanted to refuse so badly, but the other boy was so very handsome, so very dangerous, so very… enticing. The smell was making him nauseous with a desire he had never felt before, he felt at peace and…

“... Yes. Yes, do whatever you want,” he muttered, not wanting to imagine what the other intended to do. Karma nodded sharply, gently cradling his cheek with one hand while pulling him in with the other on the back of his neck.

Nagisa sucked in a breath as their lips met.

Dear reader, Nagisa had never kissed someone before. Well, someone he loved, that is. He was sure it would have felt better in any other circumstance, but, at that moment, the feeling that overcame him was one of pure and utter confusion. It felt like he had just been snapped out of a spell, ripped from a world of fantasy and cotton clouds and brought back down to Earth. Karma's lips were warm, so warm, and he couldn't stop kissing them, he couldn't bring himself to pull away. In fact, he pulled him even closer, wrapping his arms around his torso and practically glueing them together. Plus, he also smelt so aromatic, even when it was clear he was dirty, sweaty, and tired, and that made Nagisa literally moan into the kiss with a satisfaction he had never felt before in his life. Karma was the one who pulled away, surprised and a bit flustered at the sound. Nagisa was afraid of having scared him, but the other boy breathed in deeply and mumbled:

“Heavens above,” before diving in again with much more force. They fit together like a dream, and they stumbled back, tripping over each other as they kissed passionately. Karma pushed everything off of the bedside table to grab Nagisa and sit him there, practically devouring his mouth and pressing him against the wall in consequence. His lips descended to his jaw, then his neck, and Nagisa could only let out more moans because he had never felt so alive.

Karma looked like he was about to tear the prince's nightgown, but a sound interrupted him. Footsteps outside of the room made Nagisa snap out of it and realize that he was kissing Karma, a prisoner, when he was engaged and his crazy fiance was still out there, watching him like a hawk. His memories came flooding his head, previously filled with a pleasing mist, and he grabbed Karma's cheeks like a vice.

“Karma,” he whispered frenetically. “You need to leave. If Asano sees you here, you're dead.”

“Shiota, I… did this…? I mean, do you… remember me?” Karma whispered, looking up at the prince, still sitting on the bedside table.

“I do.” Nagisa smiled, but he immediately stopped when he was reminded of what he had done while under the effects of the potion. “Oh goodness, I do.” He blushed bright red in embarrassment and covered his face with his hands. “Oh, gracious, I kissed Asano. Oh, no, no…”

Karma snorted and erupted in a fit of laughter, making Nagisa panic and shush him desperately.

“Shh, Karma! Stop it.”

“Sorry, you just looked terrified and it was so funny,” Karma smirked, staring up at him. Then, his face fell suddenly. “Uhm… Shiota.”

“Yes,” Nagisa whispered. “Tell me.”

“What I said before… it's true. I spoke to the creature— to Koro-sensei, before coming here. He told me everything about your deal.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “You should've told me. I would've understood.”

“You understand now,” Nagisa whispered sadly. “Now that you know me. But then? I don't think you would have. Still doesn't justify what I did, though. I'm… I'm just happy you don't hate me.”

“I would never hate you, Shiota.” Then, Karma narrowed his eyes and moved his head side to side. “Well, I did hate you for quite a long while in the dungeons. Then I just stopped hating you because I didn't want to feel any certain way about you. You sucked for that, you know?”

Nagisa blushed and nodded, ashamed.

“But… then, I understood that, if you did all of this, it had to be because something very bad was going to happen to you. And so I came here.” Karma smirked. “Nice dress, by the way. We have a long list of things to talk about when we get out of here, and I only want the truth.”

The prince smiled, honored. His eyes widened and a pair of beautiful sparkles shone in them. He hugged Karma suddenly and sighed in happiness.

“Thank you, Karma.”

“It's nothing, little mouse. There are… some things I should let go of, so… thanks to you too.”

Nagisa pulled him in one last time and pecked his lips lovingly.

“We will get you out of here tomorrow, alright?” Karma whispered, kissing his forehead. “You won't have to marry him.” He got up and went back to the window, opening it and turning towards Nagisa one last time. The prince nodded, and the bandit smiled before jumping out and into the night.