Against His Will part 113

[krystalkatz.livejournal.com]

Kazu stared in wonder at the shops of the main town while doing as he was told and staying as close to Jun as he could. He was an enchanting place with windows displaying more goods than he could ever have dreamed of. He wanted to stay and examine each little display for as long as he could but Jun drew the line at staring for an hour at each window. He had never seen anything so beautiful as the display in the dressmakers shop, with swirls of rich fabric all laid out to show it at its best while partially finished items were shown just for the sakes of it. As a man he could not find an excuse to venture into the place and he watched almost enviously as his mother and sister-in-law ventured deep inside. He though was given his chance when Jun led him to a gentlemen’s tailor and they spent a few happy minutes being fawned all over by the same man that had designed their ball clothes.

“You are as excited as a child, my sprite…” Jun chuckled as he threaded their arms together and started them walking along the pathway that had been skilfully cleaned of snow so that it barely even reached the top of his boot covered foot. “It is like you have never been in a town before…”
“I…I have not, Lord Ninomiya refused to allow me…I always longed to be sent into the village near my home” Kazu answered softly smiling at a group of urchins who had ran towards them their hands out for money. Like he had in the village Jun immediately brought out his coin purse and gave them each a shiny piece “…Masaki was often sent on errands for him…Or Yuichi but I was not allowed…”
“I apologise…I should have known…” Jun murmured so softly and guiltily that Kazu shook his head smiling brightly as he pressed his body into the arm telling him honestly;

“I…Do not mind…I think that I am only liking it now because…I am with you…Do you have a favourite place, my husband?”

“There is a print shop that I am rather fond of in the next street…” Jun answered pointing in the vague direction of the next street but Kazu noticed that there was an almost nostalgic look in his husbands eyes as he smiled brightly “But in truth I prefer the village town near my own home, there is a market there each Wednesday during summer that sells such exotic things you could never believe…I will take you there next year…”

“I look forward to it, my husband…” Kazu felt the excitement bubbling up inside of him even though he couldn’t even imagine a market that sold exotic things. He was used to seeing such pieces now in the palace but he couldn’t imagine somebody selling them “…Um…May we go to your print shop now though?”

“Of course…And then I wish to take you somewhere that you will find as enchanting as I find you…” Kazu flushed brightly unable to respond to the gentle words as he was propelled quickly down the slushy road towards the next street, passing cafés where smart looking men and women were sitting with brown paper parcels lined up beside them. A few he recognised as being a part of the sea of faces at the ball and all seemed to recognise him and his husband as they stood when they passed bowing or dropping curtsies. “It is lucky that we are not trying to stay anonymous…They would have given the game away easily then, my sprite…”

“Is it…Is it normal for the royal family to come into town? I…thought that servants would come or the tradesmen would come to you…”
“Father has always maintained that we have a healthy level of respect for the tradesmen…The workers and even the urchins…” Jun laughed readily handing out more coins to more dirty palms and eager faces. “Father says that if we stay in our gilded cages of our fine palaces we forget what it is to be human…And our people forget that we are just as human as they…If we shy away from the public eye stories are told about us, each more fantastical than the last…And when we fail they would lose faith ever faster for it…So every holiday and opportunity we were brought from the castle grounds to prove that we are not gods…”

“I…I do not think it worked…” Kazu whispered shakily moved by how much Ohno did care for his people but he also could see how that would make the stories even more amazing. A king and his family caring about his people acting as one of them to the best of his ability while still defending them against the dangers from across the water…It was little wonder that the people stood in awe of the family and most seemed to be so happy there were genuine tears in their eyes. It made it all the more daunting for him as he realised yet again how different he was from the rest of his new family.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Wow! Have you seen that?!” Masaki shouted grabbing his husband’s hand and pulling him through the store to a terracotta statue of two horses and a figure riding between them on a strap of leather. It was impossible to tell if the figure was male or female as it was so crudely done but there was something charming about it and after the story he had heard the queen tell he knew that she would like it…Or at least he hoped she would. He could already see the potter, an old man with a full beard and straggled greying hair watching them eagerly but even without that he would have brought that little figure and happily.

“Masaki, you want to buy it?” Sakurai asked smiling at both him and the man who was hobbling forward. Masaki knew that his husband hadn’t wanted to come down this small alley, it was far away from the beautiful fronted building with the cosy looking tea shops, but that was what Masaki wanted. The royal family clearly had everything that they could possibly wish for so he decided to come where they never would venture at least then he could get them something that they never had.   

“For the queen…I think she will like it…” He nodded slowly with a hum touching the horses and feeling the lumps and bumps of the work along with fingerprints “How much?”

“For you sir, 2 shillings…” The man said ambling over and flashing him a crooked smile Masaki gave a hum and pulled his coin pouch from his pocket grinning happily. He slipped a few extra coins into the outstretched palm and the man hurried around making sure that it was all packaged neatly in a box wrapped with brown paper and string.

“And you, I wish you and your family a warm, winter festival…” Masaki beamed as clutched the secure string and left the little workman’s shop with his arm tucked around Sakurai’s. The potter followed them out saying jovially;

“Thank-you very much sir…Same to you…”

“Where too next, my love?” Sakurai asked against his ear and Masaki gave a hum looking around the alleyway quickly deciding that there wasn’t anywhere else here that he wanted to go.

“You take me somewhere…” He announced and Sakurai chuckled hurrying them out of the alleyway and back into the fancier part of town.

TBC
A/N: I think that Ohno seems to be too perfect and nice and good…But to be honest I think that all his moves are political, he’s playing a big game of chess J

Comments

[br-arashi.livejournal.com]

Kindness will always be the best weapon to manipulate people everywhere. I don't know why it's so difficult for politicians to get this concept though...
And, despite his maneuvers, I believe he does his moves with pretty good intentions...
Maybe that's what makes Oh-chan that popular?