Visitation

The sun has announced the day. The sun has been making his way slowly through the leaves, through the hills, through the fields then when he found courage, he shamelessly spread himself all over the country. The rooster spotted him and sang his morning song. A several few songs have followed throughout the morning. It was the thirteenth rooster’s turn to color the morning with his song and to continue the calm---

“M-M-Master!”

Not anymore. A servant overtook the rooster’s job as an alarm. He barged into the Master’s room. His breathing came in swift, shallow huffs and puffs. His eyes were wild, excited, and anxious. His fingers were shaking. The sides of his forehead were sweating.

The Master rose from his bed. He shut his eyes, crinkling his face along, and looked at the servant with disdain. He asked, “What’s the matter?”

The servant raised his head, “The Crown---“

“The Crown Prince is here,” announced a beautiful man with gentle, crimson eyes, “How are you Master Hibiki?”

The Master dropped his jaw. He may have always told Kazuki he couldn’t care much about the royalties or their power and authority but having the Crown Prince stand in his room was surreal. Nobu lowered his eyes but could not hide his laughter. The man was quite different from what Kazuki described him to be.

The Master realized that this was reality and remembered why the Crown Prince was here. He regained composure and closed his mouth. He gulped, pulled a robe over his sleeping clothes, stood, and curtsied at the Crown Prince.

Nobu returned the bow. He asked, “Should I come back?”

The Master nodded, “Certainly. Please give me time to prepare myself. My servant,” he paused, thinking of how to alert Kazuki, “will escort you in a moment to the main room. I just need to give him instructions.”

Nobu’s eyebrow raised.

“…how to brew tea.” The Master added.

Nobu exhaled, “No need for tea or other pleasantries and I’ve changed my mind. Could you grant me audience now?”

The Master and the Servant eyed each other. The Crown Prince knew what they were about to talk but Master Hibiki knows the consequences of rejecting the Crown Prince…or making him wait. He turned to his servant, “Leave.”

The servant curtsied first to the Crown Prince of this nation and second to his Master. He exited the room but left his heavy footsteps reverberating throughout the place. He ran as fast as he can to alert Kazuki.

Nobu smiled, “I wonder what he’s running for.”

Hibiki swiftly folded and shoved his quilt to the side then cleared his table. He turned to Nobu and bowed. With his eyes, he presented his seat to the Crown Prince. Nobu smiled but remained standing.

He examined the dusty pillow seat and tilted his head to the side. He eyed Hibiki with the same lovely expression on his lips, “Ah, I think…we’ll just have to discuss my main reason for being here. Besides, your room isn’t quite prepared yet.”

Hibiki lowered his head to hide his embarrassment, “Please forgive---“

“Where’s my brother?”

The Master gulped and bowed his head again, “I’m sorry, your Royal Highness, but I do not know where he is.”

Nobu gave a small bow and smiled, “Okay,” he turned around, “Have a nice day, then.”

Hibiki shot up and straightened his back. He rushed to open the doors and saw the Crown Prince left. His way seemed straight to the gate. From a corner, his servant watched and slowly approached him.

The servant whispered, “I have told young Sir to hide in the storage. H-How’d it go?”

The Master rolled his shoulders, “I told him his brother isn’t here. He accepted it without a fight or display of distrust then he…just left.”

The servant’s face lightened up. He nodded, “Just like Kazuki, eh? But unlike his younger brother, young Sir would find his own way to know the truth.”

The Master sighed, “Exactly, just like his brother but Kazuki doesn’t emit that unreachable royalty aura, doesn’t he?”

The servant nodded repeatedly, “You’re right, Master! I can easily talk to Young Sir and not be afraid of him.”

The Crown Prince’s path suddenly strayed. The man turned a sharp left. The ends of his garments swayed violently like leaves being shaken by strong winds then all trace of him including his shadow disappeared.

The Master and Servant exhaled, out of relief, but they remembered something: the storage building is in the left corner of the place. They eyed each other as if to check if they realized the same thing and quickly ran to stop the Crown Prince.

----

Kazuki let out a breath of relief. He felt safe inside the storage room but felt awkward when he tried to fit himself into the niche in the wall. Apparently, things here didn’t change. It was him who did. He felt nostalgic and too big for his body. He sighed and crawled under the table, only to find out it didn’t fit him either. It wouldn’t really hide him, anyways. Defeated, he laid his back on the nearest wall. No one would suspect that a prince is hiding in a storage room like this, anyway, so he let his guard down. He hugged his knees to his chest and then sighed.

“What are you sighing about, Kazu?”

He jolted, turned to his left, and found Nobu smiling and sitting just beside him----how could he not notice the man’s arrival or movement? That was just a day or two away from battle but has his senses already weakened this quick? Instinctively, he would rush to get away from any possible danger but he remained in place and stared at his brother.

He sighed (again), “Are you here to kill me?”

“Hmm, depends.”

Kazuki frowned then sighed, “What was his orders?”

Nobu turned to him, still with a smile, “Bring you home.”

It couldn’t be that simple, not with their father, the King.

“I have no plans of going home---“

He caught sight of the shine from Nobu’s dagger.

“Then I have no choice.”

He tensed up---his breathing began to slow down; his senses sharpened; his eyes anticipated the first attack from his brother; his mind strategized how to survive. Nobu raised his dagger but instead of aiming at his young brother, he aimed at his palm. Blood oozed as his dagger penetrated a bit through the back of his hand. His fingers were bathed with his own warm blood. His skin was drenched with the sweat of his agony.

“Oh no, I need a doctor!”

Kazuki watched the show his brother put out for him. He became more confused with each second that passed. Nobu held out his bloodied palm, altogether with the dagger in it, to his brother.

He frowned, “What, aren’t you going to help me? Don’t you call yourself a doctor?”

Kazuki frowned as well, “This was your last resort?”

“Well, you’re one to talk. You have chosen this place as your hiding spot since we were children. This isn’t your last choice. This is your only choice, isn’t it, and that was mine---“

“Shut up----and don’t yell when I do this.”

“Do what---“ Nobu yelled out of pain when Kazuki took the dagger out of his palms without any warning. When it was over and his hand felt like it was burning, he glared at his brother.

Kazuki returned the favor (he glared, too), “Just one thing, Nobu,” he paused, “You’re a fool. You can do many things to convince me to come home but you do this of all things.”

Nobu shrugged his shoulder while his other one remained still. He said, “Well, you say that but aren’t you one, too? After all, we come from the same blood.”

Kazuki murmured, “I don’t think it’s crazy to run away if your life is in danger.”

“It isn’t. Father has forgiven you. The ministers can suck themselves if they dislike his decision---ow.” He tried to move his fingers, just to check if they were still functioning. He was thankful he didn’t stab his dominant hand or else, he had to readjust to the other. His wound wasn’t that deep either.

“His Majesty has a bad temper and distrusting personality. He cuts off the heads of those who are simply accused, with or without evidence. He also has two sons. One of them, which is you, is married to the daughter of the richest and most influential families here in our country. Who would go against our father?”

Kazuki’s face lightened. He smiled and stared at his brother’s face, just to see if he was lying. The man wasn’t. Only he was in pain. Nobu waved his unwounded hand at his brother, “How about medicating me now---“

“How about Yura?

“How could you worry about a girl but not your brother? Haven’t you heard: brothers before---“

“Nobu.”

“Alright, she’s fine. She knows how stupid you are and is willing to give you another chance but her parents don’t feel the same way and I’m losing blood fast. You certainly don’t want a patient to die on you, right? I’ll be the first on your record.”

“Don’t worry. You won’t die of stabbing yourself through the palm and what about my in-laws?”

“The usual: they hate you and I will in a minute if you don’t----“

“Alright, follow me.”