Thread by @ItsAiryBro

Royalty AU #MeiKuroo .... good

Shuugo bursts into the prince’s room, only to find no prince in it. He hurries back out and runs into two guards, the very ones who were supposed to be with the prince at all times. “Where’s Prince Kuroo?”

They look chagrined. “We were searching for him ourselves, sir.”

Shuugo barely resists the urge to tear his hair out in frustration, and sighs. “Little chance of him still being in the palace, then. You go to the stables, and I’ll look in the gardens.”

They salute him and rush off, and Shuugo heads to the gardens, walking as fast as his ceremonial armor lets him. Of all days for the Prince to go missing, it just *has* to be on the day of his wedding, of course.

He mutters under his breath as makes his way down, dodging other palace staff who are running about making last-minute preparations. The further he gets from the banquet hall, the less people there are, and the gardens-- they're practically deserted.

He walks through the little maze of rose bushes and immediately spots the prince sitting on the lip of the marble fountain in the clearing, looking down at something in his hand--a flower, judging by the red spilling through his fingers--as if it was telling him a sombre secret.

The heavy clank of his boots alerts the Prince to his presence, and he looks up.

“Prince Kuroo.” Shuugo says, and waits for his acknowledgement before continuing his approach. “Everyone’s looking for you so they can start the ceremony. What are you doing out here?”

The Prince turns his gaze back to the flower in his hand. “I shan’t say. You will laugh at me.”

The Prince thinks he’d laugh at sincere words? Shuugo can’t have that.

Crouching in the grass by his feet, he gently chucks the prince under his chin. “Now, little prince, why do you say that? Do you truly think that I would laugh at something that has upset you so?”

Tetsurou looks into Shuugo’s eyes for a moment, then looks away. “No, you wouldn’t.”

“I wouldn’t.” Shuugo nods. “Now tell me, what is troubling you? You don’t want to go ahead with the wedding?”

“Of course it’s not about the wedding,” Tetsurou says, and Meian lets out a breath he isn’t even aware of holding. “But... I am afraid.”

That surprises Shuugo. He’d known the prince had been feeling out of sorts lately, but he hadn’t thought the reason would be *fear*. He tucks a lock of hair behind Tetsurou’s delicate, royal ear. “Afraid of what, my prince?”

“I... I’m afraid that I won’t be good enough as king because... I fear I won’t be able to make difficult decisions for the greater good of our people. I feel like I’ll disappoint everyone that placed their trust in me to lead this kingdom well, and... that frightens me.”

Shuugo sees right through the rambling, of course. He’s known Tetsurou long enough. “Who told you that, Tetsurou?”

“No one,” he replies immediately, not meeting Shuugo’s eyes.

Shuugo smiles. “I promise I won’t yell at anyone, my prince. You can tell me.” Shuugo won’t yell at them, but he *will* have rather severe words with them, no doubt.

Tetsurou was brilliant, both intellectually and emotionally, with a knack for people Meian seldom saw.

He took great pains to learn the ins and outs of the kingdom and its allies and enemies, and Shuugo was proud to serve him. He would not have anyone speaking ill of the prince, and especially not about his ability to rule.

Tetsurou sighs. “You cannot yell at the Queen Mother anyway.”

“Ah.” Well, no, he wouldn’t be able to yell at the Queen Mother at all. Perhaps, though, he would have gentle words with her.

But had the Queen Mother really said that about her cherished Tetsurou, the golden lad who could do no wrong? “Are you sure you didn’t mishear her, Tetsurou?”

Tetsurou shakes his head. “No.”

Shuugo considers this. “A year ago, when we had the skirmish in one of the border villages because of water, who looked into better irrigation methods so all the villages in the area could benefit?”

“I did,” mumbles Tetsurou.

“And when the princess from our sister nation fell in the middle of the ballroom and nearly perished from embarassment, who pretended to fall next to her to draw attention away from her?”

Tetsurou tries not to smile. “I didn’t pretend, I just happened to trip as well.”

“I know how you move, my prince, and what happened that day was the most theatrical fall in the history of this city, perhaps even the whole kingdom.”

Tetsurou snorts and immediately covers it up. “She looked like she wanted to run into the wilderness and never come back.”

Shuugo laughs and takes Tetsurou’s hands in his own. “You have a kind, empathetic heart, and the desire to do good with it. A shrewd king may have coffers full of money, but it’s a benevolent, principled king that has a happy kingdom.”

Tetsurou shakes his head. “But what if I am kind to the wrong person—what if I doom us all? I don’t want to let anyone down, I don’t want to let *you* down—”

“You will *never* let me down, my sweet,” says Shuugo, holding Tetsurou’s chin and placing a tender kiss on his forehead.

“You are smart and intuitive, and one of the best judges of character I have known.” Shuugo strokes the swell of Tetsurou’s cheek and looks him in the eyes. “And you will not be alone. You have me, the Queen mother, your friends and advisors and guides--

--we will not lead you astray or let you make potentially unwise decisions. And we will never let anyone take advantage of your kindness. Your heart is one of the best things about you, sweet Tetsurou, do not ever think it a weakness.”

Tetsurou smiles shyly. “Do you think so?”

Shuugo smiles and gently taps their foreheads together. “Of course, dear heart. You are quite simply the best prince in all the land, by the sole virtue of being your sweet spirited self. Now--”

he stands, accompanied by the creaking of his armor, and holds a hand out for the prince to take. “--come, Tetsurou. Our people are waiting, and I for one don’t want to be yelled at on my wedding day by the Queen Mother. You know she gets awfully upset when we don’t keep time.”

Tetsurou smiles brightly and places his hand in Shuugo’s. “Of course, General. But you’ll protect me from her wrath, won’t you?”

Shuugo grins and kisses his knuckles. “Always and forever, my Prince.”