The moon never judged him or looked down on him. It always looked at him calmly, patiently and always controlled. Sometimes he felt like she was apologising for the mistaken fate she gave him. He never blamed her and thus he always felt uncursed .
His mother, though he never saw her properly, he still remembers her face, her touch and her embrace, after 5 months when he was forced to exile, she never came to visit him, well he was unsure if it was because she too thought me as cursed or did his father didn't let her visit him. Thinking about all these sometimes brings tears to his eyes, though he never lets them fall, they are...unshed.
Night passed and dawn strikes, the moonflower wilted, he smiled content fully because this result for him means, the moon has accepted his offering, dawn is as beautiful as ever especially late summer dawns, he went down the tower, the withered flower on his hand. He carefully bury it in the nearby soil in the garden. On usual mornings he doesn't have much work, he goes on with the passage of time, another fact is that he never learnt how to hate things, every corner of his Kagegiri village seems divine, calculated and ... beautiful.
They still don't see him as normal but that's not a problem, few are there who trust him and share their problems with him.
He freshly came after a shower, his hair wet which caused some wet blobs on his inner robes, later that day, he sat in the court-room, alone, since he had no ministers, he had advisors. One of the villa servants came and informed him ,"Young master, your majesty had come to pay you a visit." His eyes twinkled he never saw the poison in his father's eyes for him, he nodded , "yes, welcome him, with utmost respect."
He kept his scrolls down, awaiting his presence and then he came, his presence immediately filling the small courtroom, he didn't return back the smile nor did greet nozomi, he stood up bowed respectfully and greeted ,"Good morning father, pleasure from me, what's on your mind." He looked at me sharply and said , his voice was as cold as ice ,"Nozomi, you should have realised by now I don't see you as my son anymore, it will be better if you don't address me informally." His chest tightened painfully but he didn't argue back or asked the reason because he never learnt to realise what defending pain was, he was raised to suppress it and move on, "sure...your majesty, I'll keep that in mind."
He nodded curtly and continued, "Nozomi you are eighteen now, start recruiting your own guards how long will my guards guide you, I hope you learnt everything you were supposed to learn." He nodded, "most definitely fath–..., your majesty, just give me a few months, I'll recruit my men and send back your guards with great hospitality." He stated like a diligent son should. Suddenly...
A figure entered, he didn't recognise him but his energy was undeniably strong, he broke the calm silence "Father ? Done talking to my brother ?" His smile falters a bit, confusion tagging his mind, "Father ? Your majesty ,this is–," masanori replied before finishing the sentence ," he is my next heir, he is the son of Reika's sister, Ayame...he is Seinoji Rikuya," At that moment it felt like his whole world spinned, though he had nothing to be called as world but still, whatever existed it seemed to stop it's motion , Rikuya's face broke into a grin ,"Greetings young master, I see father didn't inform you about my real identity."
He stood there stunned and surprised, my heart pounding against my ribcage...
to be continued...
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