[YAMASHITA]
King Kazuya had been staring at the Kurayami messenger in the middle of his court like this man had a death wish. It was the one thing that he clearly had never expected, much less from the woman he hated with everything.
Queen Kuramitsu was a menace to the realm.
One that many kings and queens had tried to kill and continuously failed because no one ever really knew what she looked like.
The woman was like a ghost, and suddenly, there was a messenger from her turf who had come to relay the most absurd of messages.
"Are you sure this is an order from that psycho queen of yours?" Kazuya asked, the displeasure in his tone something that was so fortunately not unique to him only.
Most of the rulers who had received the messages shared the same feeling.
This woman didn't just wake up and decide to be philanthropic. She was the worst of the worst and hated by everyone. So, what the hell was she playing at?
"Yes, sire," the messenger said, and the council members and even the citizens of Yamashita who had been looking to the throne to see what was happening stared in confusion.
Everyone knew the relationship between the faceless psycho of Kurayami, and many of them were expecting war.
"Fine. What did she send you to say here?" King Kazuya asked flatly.
His enforcer stood on his right side, ready to strike down the warrior if this was a game from the man. But then no one in their right mind would play such a long game.
"Here is the scroll, sire," the messenger said before he pulled the scroll from his pocket and bent the knee before presenting it.
Enforcer Ayami Araki stepped forward to grab the scroll.
And when she took it from the man and opened it, Ayami could swear she smelled a familiar scent of peaches.
It was faint.
So faint that she could easily dismiss it. Yet she almost asked this man if he knew the servant called Yuzuki. Perhaps the messenger had run into her, and she'd touched the scroll too.
That was a valid explanation since the lower-class citizens always interacted.
"Enforcer, is something the matter?" King Kazuya asked when Ayami stared at the scroll a little longer than was deemed appropriate.
Kujo, who was standing at the left exit that led to the king's chambers, saw the way Ayami's face changed, and she stared a little longer.
Back when she had her little altercation with Yuzuki at the river during the inspection, Kujo had doubted that Yuzuki was not a servant as she had paraded herself as. Kujo suspected that she was someone else.
Someone with more power than she was walking around in.
Someone who wanted to mingle, yet someone who didn't seem to understand the rules of coexistence.
And if Ayami froze like that over a letter from Kurayami, then Yuzuki must have done something. It was the only explanation Kujo had, even though she never once told Ayami that she had spoken with Yuzuki weeks ago at the riverside.
Perhaps Kujo was overthinking, right?
Was Ayami, though?
"No. Nothing is the matter, sire," Ayami said as she stepped toward the king and handed him the scroll. It had the royal seal of the mad queen of Kurayami, so there was no denying that it was genuine.
The content, however, was the most diabolical that the Yamashita king had ever seen in his entire life.
"She is crazy," the king muttered as he looked at the scroll, then at Ayami, and back at the messenger who was standing at attention, waiting to be released.
"She is opening the Kurayami borders for everyone?" he added like a man who refused to lean into whatever the Kurayami Kingdom was offering.
Honestly, it was diabolical.
Queen Kuramitsu had refused to open her borders for thousands of years, and suddenly she was inviting all the kingdoms to a first meeting… inside Kurayami?
This had to be a trap of sorts.
That mad woman was definitely planning something against the realm. There was nothing better to explain her sudden enlightenment. What the heck was she even thinking?
"What happened to your queen? Is she dying? Is she planning on murdering the realm and conquering our homes?" King Kazuya asked like he was about to believe the most unhinged woman in all history was suddenly embracing unity.
There was no way it was that easy.
"Her Majesty is doing well, thank you for asking. And yes, she sent messengers across the seven kingdoms. It is an invitation to peace and a chance to strengthen the business relationship between Kurayami and the rest of the realm.
"Her Majesty said she wishes to share Kurayami produce on a higher scale with the realm, Your Majesty," the messenger said to a disbelieving King Kazuya.
Still, there were so many red flags.
"Get up and go home. You will get feedback from us soon," King Kazuya said, and the Kurayami messenger just bowed before he left the throne room.
It was all he could do anyway.
With the messenger gone, the king turned to his enforcer.
"What do you think of this?"
Ayami looked at the scroll in her king's hands. She knew she didn't need to lean into something that wasn't real, but fuck. Was she desperate for another whiff?
So, she gently reached out and took the scroll from the king, breathing it in.
At first glance, anyone would simply assume that the enforcer was making sure the letter was safe and not laced with anything else.
But Kujo…
She could see the way Ayami's pupils were so close to dilating. And if that happened, the king would have way too many questions about why the fuck the mad Kurayami queen had sent them a message inviting them to her kingdom.
"Sire, if I may," Kujo spoke, snapping Ayami out of her trance.
"Sure, Kujo. What is it?" the king asked.
"I believe we could give it a chance. If the seven kingdoms are getting the same invite, then it means the queen has something in mind. I understand how strained the relationships are;
"… but if we don't honor the invitation, it could be translated as something else. Enforcer Ayami and I could represent you and assess the threat level of that meeting and the facts.
"I believe that Queen Kuramitsu wouldn't have sent her messengers if she didn't have something else in mind. That is all I believe, sire," Kujo said, and Ayami let out a quiet sigh.
She needed Yuzuki.
She needed to see her.
Breathe her in.
She was hungry for more of Yuzuki.
Fuck, she was doomed because of a servant girl who smelled like peaches. A beautiful servant girl who had her thinking only of her most of the time.
"I agree with Kujo, Kazuya," Ayami said, her dropped formalities for the king a non-issue for everyone at this point. This was the only woman who could say no, and the king would respect it.
"You believe we should go?"
"Yes. Besides, the woman is a strategist. And unless she is stupid, she wouldn't want the seven kingdoms uniting against her. I say we go and see for ourselves what the meeting will be about and how true this is.
"Otherwise, you will be seen as a coward," Ayami said before walking away from the throne room like she hadn't just indirectly challenged her king.
"Start the preparations," was all Kazuya said.
Maybe Ayami was right.